COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES VOUNC MIkNS CLUB
T h is ctut is a (kvelopnieiK v i the Bible class o i St. Matthew’s Luilicran Cliurch* which started with five members. A t a banquet in 1 9 1 3 the proposition was made to organize a club lo r youne men of the town* regardless o f religious amliation* who were without a proper p h cc for social meetings and amuse ments. The result was the fornution of the Voung Men’s Club, which lias grown in 19 14 to a membership o f 118, with an average age o f tw*enty-fivc years, and has become a power fo r goo<l in the community. In the latter VMr they rented the old office o f Col. John G. Freeze, on Center street, near Third, where they have a library, reading room* game and smoking room. H ie officers a r c : r>.4 .. Romboy, president; S . J . Johnston, vice president; W . E . Shaffer, secretary; Howard Bomboy. treasurer. A ny young man is eligible for membership and the monthly dues are very low. It is under the direct carc of the Luth eran Brotherhood. ROSEMONT CEM ETERY
T h e Rosemont Cemetery Company w as oranized by a number o f leading citizens in 1854. 'rio r to that time there were burial grounds on several of the church properties. T he Episco palians uscil their grounds up to the time of the erection of the present stone church, its predecessor, the brkk church, then standing on the site of the rectory, up to 1K68. Where the Fresliylcrian manse now is their church, a fram e building, stood* and the surrounding grounils were use<l by them as a cemetery. A number o f Rraves were in the Mcthixlist lot, and the Welsh Baptists also buried around their church* w hkh stood on the site u f Paul R. W irt's manMon. The Lutherans and (ierman K efom ied congregations owned jointly the lot on First and Center streets where their union church stood. The church was tom dow n many years ago, hut the graves still remain* in a dilapulated condition. When the other grounds named were nee<lc<l for other jnirposes the dead were removed to Rosemont. T he first minutes of the meetings of the hoard o f directors of the Rosemont Cemetery Company are dated lunc 1 1.18 5 4 . when a meet ing w as held at the home o f Daniel Snyder, Sr., those present being Mr. Snyder, Daniel Mclick, Je sse Shannon. Erastus Barton, Rev. William W eaver and Rev, I). J . W aller, S r. The first board o f directors consisted o f those gentle men and Anthony Witman, Bernard Rupert.
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E . P . Lutz, L . B. Rupert and S. Mendenltall. A commit Ice composed o f Messrs. Waller* Witman ami B . Rupert was appointed to select a site for the cemetery. They reported, and at a meeting o f ilie stockholders, N ov. 9* 1854, "th e hill north of the town* and immediately adjoining it,” w as sclcctc<l. D. Snyder was the first president* and E . P, Lutz the first secre tary. L . B. Rupert succeeded Snyder* and Mr. W aller w as elected president in 1856, and con tinued to serve until 1893, when Colonel Freeze was chosen and so acted up to the time o f his death in 10 1 3. when Frank Ikclcr w as elected. The Soldiers' Circle was donated M ay 2* 1862. In 188R additional land was purchased from the Bloomsburg Iron Company* and other lands were added at various times. Improve ments have been made by the erection o f a sexton's lodge and a superinteiidenrs office* at either side o l the entrance; by a fountain; and by a brick pavement from the entrance to the top of the hill. In 1895 a large tract o f land up the Light Street road w as purchased, and namc<l New Rosemont, hut vcr>' few inter ments have been made there* probably on ac count o f (he location. Ijeing up a long h ill In 19 14 thirty acres were Ijought by the comran y along the road lietween Bloomsburg and nspy, and a new cemeter>* has been laid out, which will no doubt be needed in the near future, owing to the crowded condition of Rosemont. The present officers of the com pany arc: Frank Ikelcf* president: C. L. Pensyl* secretary: W. H. Hidlay* treasurer: W. R . Ringrose. superintendent; other direc tors, G . O. Baker. J . W. Harman, W . E . S h a f fer, T . L . Smith, J . G . Quick, C. A . Ktcim, P . K . Vannatta. Mr. Ringrose has been superintendent since 1902. H e is the first one in that ]>osition who has given his entire time to the care of the grounds, ami under him they have been greatly improved. When he assumed the office the contpanv had a debt o f 85*500. T his was paid off. aiuf $5,000 additional has l>een expended for mure land and for l>ettcrments. under the direction o f (he efficient board of directors. .ll*SE M EN T ltOUSf:5
The Bloom sburg Of er a H ouse w as huilt in 1874 by B . H. Vannatta and Edw ard Rawlings. A t that time it was far ahca<l o f any public ball the town had ever had* its predecessors having l>een merely rooms on the upper floors o f store buildings. Snyder’s hall, in the build ing now occupied by the H. B. Sharpless hard ware store and the Citv Cafe, and H arlm airs
