A Horse Town, the Freight Station, and the Desmond Street Clock

A Horse Town, the Freight Station, and the Desmond Street Clock. . , Sayre's lengthy history has progressed a long way from the early days when horse-drawn wagons with drivers making home deliveries were common. The iceman, (Image No. 1) coalman, milkman, and breadman made home deliveries on a regular schedule by horse and wagon. The grocery store, butcher shop, and other businesses made timely deliveries following a shopping trip, leading directly to the doorstep. The ragman frequently traveled the streets buying worn-out clothing and all types of junk. As families became owners of automobiles, the use of delivery wagons gradually faded away. , The advertising kiosk (Image No. 2) at Springs Corners stood for several generations outside the flatiron-shaped corner tavern, soda bar, or grocery store depending on the status of Prohibition Laws. Gasoline pumps at the curb with storage tanks under the highway were common. , The Passenger Station of the Lehigh Valley Railroad in downtown Sayre was not the only train station in Sayre. Sayre's Freight Station (Image No. 3) of the LVRR at North Lehigh Avenue and Spring Street was built in 1907 for receiving and shipping freight. A 954-foot platform, part of which was covered, allowed for the handling of many freight cars at one time. Freight coming to Sayre by railroad passed through the Freight Station for processing and left on the loading dock facing North Lehigh Avenue. Wagons, sometimes with a team of horses, driver and helper, took the freight on for final delivery or brought freight to the loading dock for shipment from Sayre. , The Elmer Block at the corner of Desmond Street and West Lockhart Street, named for Sayre's founder Howard Elmer, housed Sayre's Merchants and Mechanics National Bank of Sayre followed by the First National Bank of Sayre, plus additional offices and apartments. A destructive nighttime natural gas explosion (Image No. 4) inside the building in 1961 resulted in windows smashed, walls bulged, and internal chaos, but no fire. Large windows in neighboring businesses were broken. Damage was estimated at half a million dollars and was so extensive it necessitated the demolition of the building. It was replaced with the building currently on that corner. , Further down the street, at curbside in front of a jewelry store was the Desmond Street Clock, (Image No. 5) owned by the proprietor of that business. The two-story-high clock with four faces was installed in 1919. For nearly half a century it was known as Sayre's "Town Clock." Its bold faces were visible up and down the business blocks and over to the Passenger Station of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. Many people used it to keep accurate time on their own timepieces. Located across the street from Sayre's Desmond Street Park, it was the unofficial clock for decades of events held in that park. In 1966 the family owning the clock sold it to a new owner in Ithaca, New York. , The Wilbur Hotel (Image No. 6), at the corner of Desmond Street and West Packer Avenue, was named for Elisha Packer Wilbur, cousin of Robert Packer. Its construction began in 1880. Four years later, in May of 1884, it opened with 60 rental rooms, which grew to 100 with an addition. Its dining room could seat 100 people. The first floor had space for six retail stores., (For the rest of the story visit the Sayre Historical Society Museum.).