Historic Bits . . . .

An old photo taken from the original train station looking southwest. The house in the background is still at the west end of South Railroad Street, Lyon Station.

Submitted by Jean Adams Winkler

1700 Farmers from the Oley Valley begin migrating north into the area that would become the Borough of Lyons

1846 A large three story hotel - later called the Lyons Hotel is built on North Kemp Street, close to where the railroad line would run

1850 the East Penn Branch of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Line is laid

1858 John Haag and David Kemp owned the land on which the Lyons Station Railroad Station was built along the railroad. The station remained on the site that is now occupied by the East Penn Manufacturing loading terminal until its demolition in 1959.

1858 Jacob Reichert built the second hotel in Lyons on South Kemp and South Railroad Street, along the railroad tracks

1860 a post office bearing the name Lyon Station is established, Jacob A. Haak is the first postmaster

1868 St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church is built on South Kemp and Brock Street

1869 construction begins of the East Penn Iron Company in Lyons

1871 construction of East Penn Furnace is completed, providing employment for Lyons residents

1869 Lyons Lodge No. 102 Knights of Pythias is established. The lodge met on the 3rd floor, above the general store on the corner of South Kemp and Hunter Street

1870 Railroad builds a trolley spur line to Kutztown with the station located at the end of West Penn Street

1875 the property of East Penn Furnace transfers into the hands of Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company

1876 the Lyons Steam Mill, the first gristmill in Lyons, is destroyed by a fire; it is rebuilt the following year

1881 the Lyons Creamery was operated by William Grim and Ed Miller

1883 Dr. M. E. Koch practices medicine in Lyons

1883 Dr. C. H. Thimmo has a dental practice in Lyons

1886 Lyons resident John G. Haring established and operated a creamery in Lyons

1886 the population of Lyons was 500.

1912 the Lyons Fire Company No. 1 was organized

1915 the William G. Leininger Knitting Mill was established on West Mill Street by William G. Leininger

1927 June 20, Lyon Station incorporates in the name Borough of Lyons, David Hertzog is the first Mayor

1935 Holiness Christian Church is organized, church is built on Penn Street. The church was later demolished as a result of the 1998 tornado, replaced by a church.

1940 more than 100 borough residents work at the William G. Leininger Knitting Mill on West Mill Street, which produced hosiery for the U.S. Government

1941 Lyons Fire Company No. 1 builds a modern fire hall on Park Avenue

1946 Lyons World War II Honor Roll Erected

1950 the population of Lyons was 545

1951 Lyons Fire Company No. 1 purchases a 750 gallon Mack pumper truck for $17,000

1976 the Lyons Borough Municipal Authority is established

1983 on Sunday June 5th the first Lyons Fiddle Contest & Festival was held. Organized by Lyons lifelong resident Arlan Schwoyer

1998 on May 31st a EF3 tornado hits Lyons, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages


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