Wayne Short Writes Third Volume of History of Renovo
by Barbara Mastriania
RENOVO – When Wayne and Marilyn Short began searching their family histories some fourteen years ago they found lots of information about the history of Clinton, Centre and Lycoming counties, but very little about the history and people of Renovo.
They recorded the information they did find however and began a journey that’s taken them thousands of miles and more than a decade of research. Along the way they discovered new friends, mounds of information and Wayne has written and published three tomes of history of Renovo and its people.
Each of the books contains some 700 pages packed with stories, photos, and recorded and remembered facts of this area. The third volume has 742 pages. The pages include individual memories, official borough records, business records, and information from newspaper archives and history books written a century ago.
The histories span the years from the mid 1800s and with the third volume, published this month, carries into the mid 1970s. The newest book went on sale July 7.
It took six years of research for the third book. Almost 14 years for the trio. The research began as a genealogy project. During their research they traveled from library to library in Clinton and surrounding counties. While they found information on businesses and organizations in Renovo there wasn’t much available on the people who lived here.
He found much about Renovo’s railroad history. About how the Sunbury and Erie Railroad was to build in Renovo but did not. How, instead the Philadelphia and Erie railroad which later became the Pennsylvania Railroad. The books chronicle PRR and its decision to settle here, how the town grew and the population swelled. And then sadly, the demise of PRR and the jobs in the railroad shops. And the changes in the town that followed.
Both Wayne and Marilyn have early ties to Renovo. Marilyn’s great-great-great-great grandfather was Edward Marshall and early settler. Wayne’s family came here in the 1880s, some from Tyrone, others from Lancaster County. Two of ancestors died in accidents in the PRR yards.
He learned many, many, things about the area he was unaware of before, and found some interesting and amusing facts. During research for his previous two books he learned that a Mr. Van Sickle who operated a store in 1920 on Summerson Mountain had not been off the mountain in decades. He was talked into taking a ride in someone’s new motor car in the 1890s. It was his first time down the hill and into Renovo in 30 years.
A Doctor Goldstein was one of the first people to have a car. He reportedly drove his new vehicle onto the ice on the Susquehanna River and drove it to Lock Haven.
Through the years he’s had many compliments on the content of the books. He said in one instance a woman stopped in to see tell Wayne how funny it was that a person stole electricity from the neighbor. He noted that in recent years there was a similar incident when a neighbor devised a way to steal electricity from a Renovo church.
He learned many good things about the people who settled here and live here. There were sad moments too – devastating fires that took the lifes of children and other fatal accidents.
Not all of what he found is good, Short says: buildings that have fallen into disrepair and empty lots where bustling businesses used to be. “It’s a sad thing to see the deterioration of the town.”
It was sad too, that so many homes and buildings disappeared after the 1972 flood. Although many had been considered for redevelopment and renewal, most buildings were just demolished. They were not replaced. The residents who had lived there moved out of the borough to neighboring townships.
Short’s newest book contains much detailed information about the area churches, the schools and businesses. So much information in fact, that almost any family name who resided here in the 1951 to 1975 period is likely to be mentioned in the book. It went on sale July 7 and has gotten off to a good start. Short said his daughter posted something about it on FaceBook and by the end of the day, he had gotten over one hundred calls.
The sales are good and much appreciated, he said, but more importantly the books allow him to relay and record information about this place he and Marilyn call home.
