Rugaber Street, Austin, Pennsylvania, Updated

The founder of Austin, Pennsylvania, E.O. Austin, was a surveyor and engineer. He surveyed and named the first streets in Austin.

On page 13 of her book Community Growth in Freeman Run, Marie Kathern Nuschke indicates that many of the streets were named after people who built houses on them. On page 23 she states that Rukgaber Street was named after Henry Christian Rukgaber.

Henry and his wife, Mary, migrated to Austin, Pennsylvania, from Middlebury, Pennsylvania, in 1886.

Henry was a blacksmith and Mary was a surgeon.

Henry Christian Rukgaber

He would build their home north of the intersection of Main Street and Route 872. This property would later become L. Nuschke's Store and then Cooney's Hardware Store before the building was tore down. Today, this lot is vacant.

 The Rukgaber property would transfer to L. Nuschke's sometime prior to the 1911 Flood

Picture of the former Rukgaber property In background, 1918

The property Is vacant today and It Is hard to imagine a building ever being located there

Prior to divorcing, Henry and Mary would have two children, Harry John and Pansy Rose, who are pictured below:

Pansy Rose and Harry John Rukgaber

After divorcing, Henry Christian Rukgaber would leave Austin  in 1903 and remarry, He died on December 17, 1927, in Northport, Washington.

I was unable to locate a picture of  Mary Lentz Rukgaber.

Note: At some point in time the k in Rukgaber was dropped and became Rugaber Street.

Due to the substantial growth In the late 1800's and early 1900's, north Rukgaber above Elliott was referred to as Upper Rukgaber Street.

The Bayless Pulp and Paper Company would build houses on Rukgaber Street for their key employees which was referred to as Bayless Row:

Only 9 of the original Bayless Row Homes remain.

One of the homes was destroyed in the 1942 flood.

Here is how Rugaber Street looks today:

I have recently learned that the house I now live in at 167 Rugaber Street was the home of Stanley Bayless at one time:

167 Rugaber Street

Paul W. Bennett, a former resident of Austin, Pennsylvania, and graduate of Austin High School assisted in the research for this article.

Denise Owens, the Resident Genealogist here in the Austin Area, has also provided invaluable assistance.

Marie Kathern Nuschke's book Community Growth in Freeman Run can be purchased at the E.O.Austin Home/Historical Society Museum on Main Street in Austin, or, by calling the museum at 814-647-8358 and placing your order.

Note: This article was originally posted to the Austin Boro News Blog on Saturday, August 6, 2016