The Churches of Austin, Pennsylvania, October 12, 2016

Austin Free Methodist Church. Located on Costello Avenue. Pastor Roger Laktash, Sunday Service at 9:30 A.M.

United Methodist Church, Turner Street, Pastor Steven Small. Sunday Service at 9:45 A.M.

Saint Augustine's Catholic Church, Turner Street, Father Joe Dougherty. Masses on Thursday at 9:00 A. M. and Saturday at 4:30 P.M. 

Main Street, Austin, Pennsylvania, October 10, 2016

Main Street View From Ruth Street

Big Mike's Dairy Dine and Convenience Store

Goodwin's Garage

Masonic Building - Post Office on left - Just Another Simple Blessing Thrift Store on Right

E.O. Austin Home/Historical Society Museum

Fire Department

The Old Bank Building

Perry Enterprises consisting of a beer distributorship, convenience store, hunting and fishing store and much more.  Fondly referred to as Paul-Mart.

Bub's Crosby's Storage Far Left, Harry Long's Cafe in Middle, and Laundromat on Right. Cafe and Laundromat not open for business.

Cooney's Hardware Store - Not Open For Business

Cock-Eyed Cricket Tavern

West Main Street Salon

St. Augustine To Remain Secondary Mission Church With St. Bibiana

On September 22, 2016, Father Joe Dougherty of St. Augustine Church, Austin, Pennsylvania, received word that the proposed changes in the Pastoral Planning Process announced on April 13, 2016, had been withdrawn and that St. Augustine would remain a Secondary Mission Church aligned with St. Bibiana, Galeton.

On April 13, 2016, the Pastoral Planning Process had announced that St. Augustine would no longer be a mission church and would become a "secondary church" of St. Eulalia Parish of Coudersport; but, parishioners would still have access to their original church buildings for weddings, funerals and select liturgies such as their annual feast day. Under this plan, St. Augustine could have possibly been closed.

During a comment period, many parishioners voiced their objection to this change.

Bishop Persico of the Erie Diocese would travel to Austin to conduct mass, bless the new church sign purchased by Stan Swank, and break bread with the parishioners.

He listened to our prayers.

The proposed changes were withdrawn.

Mass at St. Augustine with remain:

• 9:00 A.M. on Thursdays
• 4:30 P.M. on Saturdays

The new sign purchased by Stan Swank in honor of his parents

Flashback! May 1992. "Margaret Sutton" Visits Austin School

The Judy Bolton Society meets in Potter County this weekend.

E.O. Austin Home/Historical Society Fall 2016 Newsletter

Garretson Street, Austin, Pennsylvania

One of the most interesting individuals in the early history of Austin, Pennsylvania, is Oliver S. Garretson.

Prior to becoming a boomtown in the late 1800s, people from Buffalo came to Austin to fish. Mr. Garretson was one of those people. Austin was known as Freeman Run at the time.

He was a wealthy businessman who invested in Austin by building two sawmills and a store here  In her book Industry Comes To Freeman Run, Marie Kathern Nuschke states that the store was the biggest in Potter County at the time.

Marie also states that although he never lived in Austin, his brother's  Cyrus and Issac did, and Mr. Garretson and his family would visit them often.

Garretson Street is named after him.

Garretson Street. View from Main Street/Route 607 looking west

It is believed that Mr. Garretson was born in 1843 and died in 1908.

He founded The Buffalo School Furniture Company in Buffalo, New York and also owned other businesses there.

The picture of Oliver S. Garretson is found on page 17 of Industry Comes To Freeman Run which can be purchased at the E.O. Austin Home/Historical Society Museum. Their telephone number is 814-647-8358.

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