History of Edgemont (Susquehanna Township)

 In the 1800’s, Indians Reservation Land was located from locust lane to all of the Glenside Drive,Evergreen Rd, and Sun Dr.area.

In the 1850's Black people had already been living in the Northern District , which was consider (State Hospital) The area was later changed to Southern District  in the later years of the census.

In 1850 Census Northern District :

* James Gibson was listed with his family

In 1860 Census (Susquehanna Twp) there was 813 White individuals listed (some in the Harrisburg State Hospital) and  2 black families listed.

o   James Coruthers

o   James Gibson

In the 1870 Census (Susquehanna Twp) there was 973 White Individuals listed (some in the Harrisburg State Hospital) and 23 Black families listed.

o   In 1870 Census there was 16 Mulatto families listed.

In the 1880 Census (Susquehanna Twp) there was 91 white families listed and 37 black families listed.

In the 1900 Census (Susquehanna Twp) there was 422 white families listed and 48 black families listed

1906 map of Edgemont      

Formerly known as the Major Greenawalt Farm, is adjoining the Haldeman and Kelker Land near Reservoir Park and Penbrook. In order to introduce Edgemont, we will sell at Public Auction 50 CHOICE BUILDING LOTS 50.

In 1906 the Edgemont Realty Company was owned by Col. J.C. Morrow and Arthur Young. They held public auction to sell 50 lots between Locust Lane and Brook Avenue. The lots sold for as a little as $15.

In the 1910 Census there was 2697 white families listed and 40 black families listed.

o   1910 census there was 3 Mulatto families listed.

o   1910 census there was 2 Indian families listed.

§  Etta Caracino

§  Frank L Wheatfield

*Thursday, June 23, 1910: Harrisburg Telegraph · Page 11: This was listed in the paper"No lots sold or rented to persons not of the Caucasian race".

*June 02, 1914: Harrisburg Telegraph Page 10: Over 50 lots went up on public auction.

*Friday, May 18, 1917: Harrisburg Telegraph Page 21: Administrator PROPOSALS FOR SCHOOL BUILDING BIDS will be received up until 12 o'clock noon for a School Building in Glenwood Susquehanna Township. They shall be sealed, and marked "Bid for School Building."

·   In the 1920 census  (Southern District) there was 112 black families listed.

 The following streets was listed in the 1920 Census: State Rd, County Rd, Locust Lane, Brook Ave, Hartman Ave, Franklin Ave, Columbia Ave, Clayton Ave, Oxford Ave, Highland Ave, N 21st St, N 23rd St, N 24th St 

       o   Also In the 1920’s where the B J Crouse Elementary School was (Old Township Bldg & the Harrisburg Cemetery is) the Ku Klux Klan would burn crosses on that land.

 In the 1920's the neighborhood was mostly farms and woodlands, where everyone had their own gardens,  and fruit trees was everywhere.  Some families had their own pigs and chickens.  It was country living, but very close to the city for work and shopping.

Many of the families in Edgemont came from the south,  The steel mills would go to the south looking for people to work in the mills.  Most of the families was from: Virginia, North and South Carolina 's, Georgia and Florida

*Thursday September 30, 1920: Harrisburg Telegraph Page 13: MAIL DELIVERY IS EXTENDED: Harrisburg, according to an announcement Parcel post delivery will also begin tomorrow throughout the borough. Better Service for Edgemont

*Saturday, April 15,1922: The Evening News Page 6: Increased enrollments in the schools of Susquehanna 'Township will necessitate the construction of one new school building.   The directors will determine upon a one or two-room addition to the Glenwood School at their next meeting. D. M. Beck, secretary of the Susquehanna Township school board.

*April 16, 1922: The Harrisburg Courier Page 1:The Dauphin County courts have fixed May 5 and 6 for the view and hearing in the petition for the opening of a road in Edgemont, Susquehanna Township.

*Wednesday, October 3, 1928 Harrisburg Telegraph Page 13: EDGEMONT FIRE COMPANY FORMED, ALSO AUXILIARY Disastrous fires within the last several months has resulted in a reorganization of the Edgemont Fire Company, it was announced today, which is planning to raise funds for better equipment and the erection of a fire house on the plot of ground purchased at Highland avenue near Twenty fifth street.

*Wednesday, June 19, 1935: Harrisburg Telegraph Page 11: Chief Pireway, Iroquois Indian, plans are under , way to ask the State for two acres of ground in tire rear of the Harrisburg State Hospital commonly called "Spooky Hallow", on which to build a typical Indian village.

In 1936 a young lady by the name of Anna Carter began her teaching  It was a two room building heated by a stove and no indoor plumbing with three grades to a room.

*March 7, 1938: Harrisburg Telegraph Page 8: Two Roads are proposed in Edgemont District of Susquehanna Township, Judge John E. Fox in Dauphin County Court appointed viewers to petition asking for the opening of two proposed new roads in Edgemont, Susquehanna Township. The petitions ask for the opening of Twenty Fourth Street to extend a distance of 260 feet between Wayne and Columbia avenues, and the opening of Wayne Avenue for a distance of 750 feet between Twenty third and Twenty sixth streets.

In 1940's both school merged and in 1951  B J Crouse Elementary School closed completely down leaving only 1 school known at Glenwood Elementary School.  Glenwood Elementary School continued in Edgemont until in 1968 when it became the Kindergarten School for Susquehanna Township.  It closed down completed in the 70's

*Monday, July 7, 1947: Harrisburg Telegraph Page 17: Edgemont Begins Campaign to Raise Firehouse Funds A public appeal for $1000 with which to complete the new firehouse of the Edgemont Fire Company started with a festival at the site in Highland avenue, between Twenty - fifth and Twenty - sixth streets.  The strip of land on which the firehouse will be built was purchased in 1925 and a small frame building was constructed on the rear of the lot a year later

*Wednesday, December 31, 1947: The Evening News Page 8: Route 18 Bus to Serve Residents of Edgemont Better bus service for residents of Edgemont, in Susquehanna Township northeast of the city, is contemplated ' by the Harrisburg Railways in an announcement tor day. Beginning Sunday the Herr street bus of Route 18, which now has its terminus at Nineteenth and Boas streets, will continue out Boas to Cloverly street to Canby, to Twenty- fourth and back to its old route via Boas and Eighteenth streets. The 18-Herr buses will retain the present destination signs and will operate every 12 minutes on base schedule; every 10 minutes in peak periods and every 14 minutes after 9 p. m. Besides bringing buses half a mil e closer to Edgemont and cutting residents' walking distance by half, company officials said it will accommodate State highway and State Police barracks attaches and also a section of Penbrook not now served.

*In 1949: Susquehanna was awarded a contract for a sewer system. Edgemont was left out of that contract.

*In 1950's: Primrose Reality built Glenside homes. A black Realtor that was at Primrose Realty owned or worked in the Primrose Soldier House on Locust Lane now known as the Broughton Home.

*In 1955: Resident of Edgemont met with the commissioners to discuss the community betterment. The push by Edgemont residents to obtain clean drinking water and indoor plumbing represented a major tuning point. The solution of the Dauphin County Redevelopment Authority tried to solve the problem was to acquire land from the homeowners at 25th & George Street for a construction of a public housing project called Latsha Terrace.  It would have been identical to Lang Manor in Swatara Township.  The Edgemont resident rejected the proposal, preferring to keep their land and homes and try to pay for the water and sewer themselves.

*In the late 1950's it was reported to the community that 60%  of the wells was contaminated, and if they wanted water and sewer they would have to give up some of their land and become apart of a new rezoning in the community.  The home owners  rejected the project and decided to raise the money to pay for the new water and sewer lines, by holding fundraising and with private donation to keep the community from be rezoned for  multi-living apartments or condominiums

"I have something to say about the water in Edgemont at that time,  the water was so cold, and delicious; if the water was so contaminated like they said, then why did we have the most healthiest people living in the community.  August 2012 we  celebrated our seniors that are in their 90's to 100 year old, with some still living in the community, and some that have moved away.  I say good contaminated water that helped you live a long and prosperous life"

*In the 1970's the completion of the water and sewer project.  This was the growth in the community with new families building in Edgemont.  Former Edgemonter's that moved away, came back and built homes  to raise their family in the community that they had so many great memories. 

First African American Postman on Edgemont Route: 

Charles Franklin

African American Township Police Officers: 

Robert Chapman

Mr Wrighton, 

Ralph Franklin

Third Ward Commissioners

• Ross Emanuel              2 years

• G A Riley                       6 years

• William Dillard           4 years

• Alvin Byrd                   3 years and 9 months

• Robert Peyton           6 years and 3 months

• Leo Harris                   8 years

• Stanley Lawson        10 years

"Edgemont is a place called home where the community comes from humble beginnings"