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‘Around Montgomery’ to be celebrated on borough’s anniversary By Daily Item Staff Writer - 02/28/2008 The Daily Item More Info on This Book: Around Montgomery
Ms. Blank worked closely with members of the Montgomery Area Historical Society, the Montgomery Area Public Library staff and borough residents to locate and research the more than 200 vintage photographs and postcards in the book, which highlights the first 50 years of the borough, from 1887-1937. Ms. Blank is also the author of “Around Hughesville,” published in September 2007. She writes occasional feature articles and a weekly Tri-Town Locals column for Montgomery in the Muncy Luminary. The Montgomery Library will continue to have a supply of “Around Montgomery” books for sale after March 21. Raffle tickets for the Montgomery Area Historical Society can also be purchased at the book signing. First prize is an 18th Century-style blanket chest; other prizes include a collection of books on Pennsylvania history from Wennawoods Publishing, a collectible porcelain doll and a hand-painted Noritake plate. Buy It Now: Around Montgomery $19.99 Around Montgomery: Author publishes second book on region’s history By Ryan D. Beardsley - 03/18/2008 Williamsport Sun-Gazette
Blank is a Montgomery resident and Hughesville native. She is a member of both the East Lycoming and Montgomery Area historical societies and writes a weekly column about Montgomery for the Muncy Luminary newspaper, according to a news release. Blank is an employee in the Human Resources and Veterans Affairs for the County of Lycoming. Blank also is the author of “Around Hughesville,” which was released in September by Arcadia. In “Around Montgomery,” Blank highlights the first 50 years of the borough and depicts the people and places that made up the history of Montgomery and its neighboring communities, the release said. Blank told the Sun-Gazette in a recent interview that after she finished “Around Hughesville” this past spring, she started to consider the possibilities of creating another pictorial history about Montgomery. Blank believed the process of gathering information and speaking to the locals would be convenient, since she has lived in Montgomery since 2003. “After meeting with some members of the Montgomery Historical Society at the Stone Church Cemetery near Allenwood, I discovered that the book was something that they were anxious to see happen,” Blank said. “The proposal was submitted in June and immediately accepted by the publisher.” Blank said that her primary source of information when researching Montgomery was the historical archives at the Montgomery library. The library staff allowed her to borrow photographs, postcards and other historical materials that were donated to the library by current and former residents. She also found local residents who were willing to share their collections of photos and postcards, as well as people who grew up in the area but have since relocated. Blank described the researching process for a history book as “a lot of detective work.” “I depended on members of the historical society — especially Montgomery native Marion McCormick — to help me find the right people who had the photos and postcards that had been tucked away in albums and drawers or stored away in the attic for years,” Blank said. “It was exciting to find photos that had not been seen by many people but have interesting stories to tell.” It took Blank four months to put together the pictorial history of Montgomery, and she said the hardest part was knowing that there were many more photos and postcards that she couldn’t locate before her deadline. She added that it was a dusty, time-consuming, eye-straining and sometimes frustrating process. Often photos were not labeled and the people who could identify them have passed on. Blank found, however, that the enjoyment of the discoveries outweighed the hardships. “I loved the ‘ah ha!’ moments when I heard, ‘Yes, I know the people in that picture!’ and was able to connect a photo with someone who was able to tell its story,” Blank said. Montgomery during the 1900s was dramatically different than it is now, Blank said. “Around Montgomery” includes the stories of Alvira, Devitt’s Camp, Spring Garden, Texas and Guise Town, which all are part of the area’s history. Readers also will see and read about the Devil’s Turnip Patch, the Klondikers who went searching for gold in Alaska, the famous Pulitzer Prize-winning author who worked in town, the Clinton Township native who has a band named for him, the police chief who was gunned down on the street and why Montgomery had two locations for its firefighting equipment. Blank said that one of the most interesting historical happenings she discovered in her research was the tragic story of William Hummel, who killed his bride and her three children. He was found guilty and hanged for his crimes at the county prison in Williamsport in 1900. But it was not the story of the murder that Blank found most interesting, she added, but the conversations she had with one of Hummel’s surviving relatives, who still lives near the site of the murders. “I showed up at her door, unannounced, and asked if I could speak to her about her infamous great-uncle, unsure of what her reaction may be,” Blank said. She continued, “Her invitation to sit down, her willingness to share her family history and her generosity in lending me photos were representative of the widespread cooperation of everyone I contacted while researching this book. I can’t thank everyone enough for that.” “Around Montgomery” retails for $19.99 and is available at local retailers, online bookstores or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com. |
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