Milton in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Hotel Haag
Buoy Block
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Downtown
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![The Hotel Haag Marker [center panel] image. Click for full size.](Photos8/825/Photo825338.jpg?1022202495700PM "The Hotel Haag Marker [center panel]. Click for full size.")
One of the finest buildings ever built in Milton was the Hotel Haag, built in 1890.
Separated by a narrow alley, it was located directly south of the present Milton Library. Owned by B.K. Haag, the hotel was publicized as one of the most magnificent outside of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The four story brick building of modern American design had a massive entrance with storefronts on each side and fine French plate glass windows facing the street. The lobby was adorned with English tile and the main hallway and office area had polished oak wainscot. The office was connected to every room in the house by electric bells and speaking tubes.
The hotel included a ladies parlor, a smoking room, a reading room, and a large dining room on the second floor, finished in polished oak. The third and fourth floors each contained twenty-three bedrooms, finished in cherry and mahogany, and heated by steam radiators.
The opening Banquet for the hotel was an elaborate affair attended by about 600 people. An excursion train ran from Williamsport for the opening. The ball started at nine. The building was brilliantly illuminated
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The hotel closed in the early 1920's and was acquired b Aaron Berman, who converted it into People's Department Store. The building was demolished in the mid 1970's.
[Captions:]
Downtown Banks above on the left is the Milton Bank and Safe Deposit Company's original building, located on the north side of the alley north of Center St. That bank is now one of the predecessors to the branch of M&T Bank across from this site. The First National Bank, below, which is now Big Andy's, consolidated with Milton National Bank, now the Milton Public Library, across from this site (in the middle above). First National Bank was originally located in the building on the right in the above photo, which is now the Law Offices of Baldwin & Baldwin, located three buildings south of this site.
Top left the snack bar at Rea & Derick's Middle left Allen's Western Auto was located in the building between the Buoy block and the First National Bank. Bottom left J.J. Newberr's was located across the street from the bank.
"The girls" of the Elite Shoppe front row from left, Ruth Hartman, Mary Venios, Maxine Ravert, and Jean Hoch. Back row from left, Pauline Showers, Betty Cook, Willie Cromley, and Marian Eves. The employees are posing in their 1967 Sesquicentennial attire.
Milton's "most popular corner," Broadway and Front, the home of Rea & Derick's. The business occupied several different locations downtown and then moved to the corner location in 1939. The photo below was taken in 1957 at the snack bar, which featured a complete malt-shop menu.
Rube and Myrtle McDaniel opened the landmark "malt shop" business on South Front St. in 1938. Their daughter, Irene, and son, Jack, were also active in the business.
Above the staff of McDaniel's Ice Cream Parlor, during the early to mid 1940's. From left to right, in the back booth, Elizabeth Cromley; front booth, Herman Banks; Jean Warg, Betty Bush, Fay Johnson, Mary Harris in the background, Mary McKean, Dorothy Longenberger, Rube McDaniel, Myrtle McDaniel, and Francis Poeth.
To the right Hurr's Dairy Store, otherwise known as Carl's Sandwich Bar, which operated through the 1930's and 1940's at 1 Broadway at the northeast intersection of Front St. and Broadway. Carl Shultz owned the popular teen hangout. Thelma Beacham Stephenson is behind the counter.
1945 to 1955 The Teen Canteen was located above Hoch's Restaurant, which was once located in what is now the parking lot for the Law Offices of Baldwin & Baldwin. Milton schoolteacher John Hoch organized students to create the enterprise, solely managed by the teens themselves. Below, a scene at the snack bar in 1954, left to right are Mary Belle Lontz, Edgar Fisher, Nancy Finck Waughen, Arlene Foust Schell, and Tony Callos.
Above Aaron Berman at People's Dept. Store. He operated People's along with his sons, Abe and Sam.
Right Alfred Ullman, nephew of Wolf Dreifuss. The Dreifuss Men's Store was founded in 1878. Ullman joined the business in 1906 as a manger and eventually owned it.
Erected by Borough
![The Hotel Haag Marker [left panel] image. Click for full size.](Photos8/825/Photo825339.jpg?1022202495700PM "The Hotel Haag Marker [left panel]. Click for full size.")
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1890.
Location. 41° 1.179′ N, 76° 51.335′ W. Marker is in Milton, Pennsylvania, in Northumberland County. It is on South Front Street (Pennsylvania Route 405) just south of Broadway Street ( Route 254), on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 36 S Front St, Milton PA 17847, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Pennsylvania’s Anthracite Coal Region and in the Susquehanna Valley. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are
![The Hotel Haag Marker [center right panel] image. Click for full size.](Photos8/825/Photo825340.jpg?1022202495800PM "The Hotel Haag Marker [center right panel]. Click for full size.")
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 18, 2024
3. The Hotel Haag Marker [center right panel]
![The Hotel Haag Marker [far right panel] image. Click for full size.](Photos8/825/Photo825342.jpg?10222024100600PM "The Hotel Haag Marker [far right panel]. Click for full size.")
Credits. This page was last revised on July 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 22, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 207 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 22, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
