A Guide to the PROPERTY OWNERS

In the VILLAGE of

LEHIGH TANNERY,

Kidder twp, CARBON COUNTY,

Pennsylvania

In

1875

The village of Lehigh Tannery was founded in the mid 19^th century when Thomas Smull set up a tannery at the site. The lumber business, which had started much earlier, also contributed to the village’s growth. Part of the reason for the locating of the tannery (at one time the largest in America) was that the Lehigh Canal’s Dam No. 18 was located here. This was the 2^nd largest dam on the Lehigh at 36 feet, and its attendant Lock No. 27, known as “The Pennsylvania Lock”, was the highest lock on the canal, raising the boats 30 feet.

Not long after the beginning of the tannery business, the Lehigh Valley was ravaged by a terrible flood that spelled the end of the canal from Mauch Chunk to White Haven. Nearly every dam on the canal had been burst, the bridges all broken and the canal had nearly been obliterated in this mountain gorge. Though the canal was never rebuilt, the dam at Lehigh Tannery was, since it had also been used for waterpower by the businesses located there. About 1875 the Knickerbocker Ice Co. of Philadelphia erected a large plant at Lehigh Tannery, which continued in operation for many years. The large, slack water pool formed by the dam made it a fine place to harvest winter ice.

The first blow against the village came by flood, but from that the village recovered. The second blow came by fire and was much harder to recover from, since it removed two of the major industries. Fire swept through Kidder and into Monroe County in the late spring of 1875. The huge tannery was one victim, the other was the vast forestland along the Lehigh River. Without the trees to harvest, the lumber industry vanished from Upper Carbon Co. And without industry, the village of Lehigh Tannery diminished in size.

PROPERTY OWNER	NOTES	TOWNSHIP & COUNTY
Albee, A.		Foster Twp., Luzerne Co.
Beutelsparcher, C.		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Breithaupt, J.		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Bush, E.		Foster Twp., Luzerne Co.
Byrne, Thomas		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Central Railroad of NJ.	Tannery Station	Foster Twp., Luzerne Co.
Dodge, Megs & Co.	Steam saw mill	Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Dodge, Megs & Co.	Various lots and houses	Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Duncan, J.	Store and post office	Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Everett, J.		Foster Twp., Luzerne Co.
Flower, W.		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Hawk, H., Mrs.		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Hawk, J.		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Holcomb, I. M.	Various buildings	Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Holcomb, J. T.		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Huff, Catherine		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Kindred, G.		Foster Twp., Luzerne Co.
Knickerbocker Ice Co.	Ice house	Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Lehigh Valley Railroad	Depot	Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Leucht, C.	Market	Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Lewis, A.	Sawmill	Foster Twp., Luzerne Co.
Lilly, C.		Foster Twp., Luzerne Co.
Magee, J.		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Mann, P.		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
McCollough, T.		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
McTague, D.		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Millen, H.		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Miller, E.		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Mixell, M., Mrs.		Foster Twp., Luzerne Co.
O'Conner, L., Mrs.		Foster Twp., Luzerne Co.
Reiner, William		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Richmond, T. A.		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
School		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Serfass, N.		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Shaffer, L.		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Shortz, Lewis & Co.	Steam saw mill	Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Singer, A.		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Soll, E.		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Stimson, G. H.	Lehigh Tannery Hotel	Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Stimson, G. H.	Store	Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Stout, O.		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Stout, S.		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Strohl, C.		Foster Twp., Luzerne Co.
Swartz, H. E.		Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Tannery	Factory	Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Vollmer, C.	Eagle Hotel	Kidder Twp., Carbon Co.
Vorst, E.		Foster Twp., Luzerne Co.

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Research, transcription and web page by

Jack Sterling

2002