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ELENA CASTRIGNANO
Thursday, February 03, 2000 Page: 8
Hanover Township is located between Wilkes-Barre and Nanticoke. It contains
approximately 22 square miles of land between the Susquehanna River and the
top of Penobscot Mountain. Hanover Township surrounds the boroughs of Ashley,
Sugar Notch and Warrior Run.
Hanover Township was originally called Nanticoke Township, after the
American Indians who inhabited the valley.
In 1770 Hanover Township was given to Capt. Lazarus Stewart and his men,
known as the Paxtang Rangers, by the Susquehanna Company of Connecticut in
exchange for their efforts in driving the Pennamites out of Philadelphia.
Stewart renamed the area Hanover Township in honor of his former home of
Hanover, in Dauphin County, south of Gettysburg. At this time Hanover Township
contained about 40 square miles, including all of the land from Wilkes Barre
south to Newport Township and from the Susquehanna River east to the Lehigh
River.
Hanover Township included the areas known as Wright, Rice, Fairview, Bear
Creek, Dennison, Foster and Buck townships, two-thirds of Nanticoke as well as
all of Ashley, Sugar Notch and Warrior Run.
Stewart built his home, the first one in the township, in 1771. It was
built about 50 feet from the Susquehanna River on a small rise of ground
between the river and Solomon Creek, in the area now known as Buttonwood.
This home was built of logs and was 1 1/2 stories high. Stewart was killed
in 1778 at the Wyoming Massacre. His home was burned in 1781 by a band of
Indians.
In the 1700s, Hanover Township was a beautiful area with a very diversified
landscape. There was an abundance of trees for the construction of log cabins.
Good water for drinking came from Solomon Creek, Warrior Creek, Nanticoke
Creek, Pine Creek, Espy Run and Sugar Notch Run.
There was only a single road running from Wilkes Barre to Nanticoke called
River Road. Although it was called River Road, it was located some distance
from the river.
Old records indicate it was located in about the same place as the Sans
Souci Parkway is now. Currently there is a River Road in Lincoln Heights, a
few blocks from the Sans Souci.
Hanover Township experienced its biggest growth at the turn of the last
century when coal was widely used as a fuel worldwide. At one time Hanover
Township was the richest township in the world due to its supply of coal.
Many small communities grew from the coal companies’ company homes. These
were homes they built for their mine foremen and their families. One such
neighborhood is now known as Marion Terrace.
This area was originally called Inman Park. This area began with the Inman
Colliery. Twenty double-block homes, many of which still stand today, were
built in 1918 by the Glen Alden Coal Co. to house their mine foremen.
Inman Avenue is named for the family that built the colliery. Throughout
the years many new homes have been built around these company homes. The
contrast between the two styles is most visible along Inman Avenue and Sively
Street.
One side of the street is made up of company homes, the other side, newer
ranch and bilevel homes.
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Who’s who in
the township
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The following is a list of the people who make up our governing body here
in Hanover Township.
Hanover Township Board of Commissioners: John J. Sipper, chairman; Brian C.
McDermott, vice chairman; Frank J. Ciavarella; Ralph J. Fino; Florence K.
Lohman; Richard C. Swoboda; William H. Watkins.
Solicitor: William H. Amesbury; secretary: Maureen Browne; manager: Edward
Mera; treasurer/tax collector: Mildred A. Luba; chief of police: William L.
Howatt; fire chief: Eugene Lasecki; township engineer: Michael J. Pasonick
Jr., Inc.; health inspector: James Desiderio Jr.; code enforcement
officer/zoning officer/building Inspector: Albert J. Broody.
Zoning hearing board members: Leo Kaminski, chairman; Anthony Klevinsky,
vice chairman; Ralph W. Schwartz, secretary; John Clahery; Frank Rinkevich;
James V. Pyrah, Esq., solicitor.
Planning commission members: Joseph Altavilla, chairman; Anthony Truskoski,
vice chairman; George Pajor, secretary; Dwight Fink; Paul Rose; Daniel
DelBalso; John Minkiewicz.
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Think baseball
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The Hanover Area Little League will hold its registration at the Breslau
Hose House from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday. New participants
must have a copy of their birth certificate and a parent or guardian must
accompany all children.
Little League is for boys and girls ages 5-12, who live in Hanover
Township, Sugar Notch or Warrior Run; the Newtown and Preston sections of the
township are excluded.
Fee is $30 per child.
The Hanover Area Teeners Baseball League will hold its registration on the
same dates, at the Breslau Hose House which is on First Avenue and Delaney
Street in the Lyndwood section.
The fees for this league are $30 per player and $45 per family. A birth
certificate is required and the children must be accompanied by a parent or
guardian.
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Hanover Township High School Class of 1955 will hold its 45th anniversary
class reunion on Sept. 3.
Reunion planners are seeking the addresses for the following classmates.
Anyone with knowledge of the addresses is asked to call Barbara Slucki
Elgonitis, 822-3470, or Mary Ann Czebotar Butera, 825-6272.
Addresses are sough for: Lorraine Polunas Davies, Marie Vogen Granny, Ted
Wolovich, Anthony Swiatek, Allen Carne, John Arternik, Bernard Squarok, Edward
Lewis, Barbara Dushner Chrostowski, Dolores Vishnefski Fiorini, Patricia
Conroy Franco, Dale VanFossen, Thomas Criss, Kenneth Butler, James Halczak,
Lorraine Bolka Rieger, Edward Lewis, John McDade, James Strome, Francis
Kerestes, Caroline Coppie Hashagen, Arthur Ichter, ~~Michael Rubitski, Barbara
Kaminski Salorio, Alice Moniak Hathaway, Carl Wilson, Nicholas Politz.
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The Hanover Township fire police organization recently elected officers.
The results are as follows: Charles Dress of Preston Hose Co., president;
David Lane of Lee Park Hose Co., vice president; Tabatha Sipper of Breslau
Hose Co., recording secretary; Dolores Temarantz of Breslau, treasurer; Robert
Rowles Sr. of Newtown Hose Co., sargent at arms.
Line officers elected this year are: Joseph Temarantz Sr. Breslau, captain;
Dolores Temarantz, first lieutenant; Charles Dress, first lieutenant;
Robert Rowles Sr., second lieutenant; David Lane, second lieutenant; Russell
Jones, Askam, second lieutenant; sargents: Russell Jones, Askam; Anthony
Truskoski, Breslau; Robert Rowles Jr., Newtown; Patrick Wielgopolski, Hanover
Green; Dolores Temarantz, training officer.
Members of Hanover Township fire police also belong to the Luzerne County
and Pennsylvania state fire police associations.
Joe Temarantz was elected president at a recent meeting of the Luzerne
County association. Charles Dress was elected first vice president and Dolores
Temarantz was elected financial secretary.
There are two basic fire police state certified courses coming up –Feb. 5
and 6 at Exeter Park and Feb. 26 and 27 in Fairmount Township. For more
information, call Joe at 825-8638. The next meeting will be held March 9 at
Breslau Hose Co. To get your meeting notices, birthday and anniversaries and
fund-raising events published, call Elena Castrignano at 824-9993, write to
her at: 248 W. Division St., Wilkes-Barre PA 18702 or send e-mail to:
easc@ptd.net.