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The Home News Your Local News
DECEMBER 17-23, 2020
50 cents
on Historic Chestnut Looking by Christmas Street marks 11th year Ed Pany Back Dragon Cement Part 3
Frank “Ted” Wieand. Photo courtesy of Dragon Cement Magazine
In today’s column, we continue to remember the Dragon, American Marietta Cement Company, Northampton’s last cement plant. The century-old plant provided gainful employment for many area residents. It ceased operations in 1983. Did you know early cement companies packed cement in wooden barrels? A barrel is comprised of four bags and weighs 376 pounds. The barrels were made in cooper shops, but times changed as cloth bags replaced barrels. Today, cement is shipped by trucks and bulk railroad cars and in paper bags. One bag contains 94 pounds of cement, or 1 cubic foot. Do our older readers remember Frank “Ted” Wieand? Ted was a 6-foot, 2-inch right-hand pitcher
for Slatington High School, now Northern Lehigh High School. A hard thrower, he also pitched for Coplay Legion and in the Lehigh Valley Twilight League. This writer had the pleasure of seeing him pitch for Coplay Legion and Egypt in the Twilight League. In 1951, still in his teens, he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals and played for the Allentown Cardinals on the present site of the Lehigh Valley Mall. He played in the minor leagues in Winston-Salem, with the Columbus Cardinals and Houston Buffalos and in the major leagues with Cincinnati. His father, Roland Wieand, was a substation operator at the Dragon. In two weeks, we will board the rails at the Dragon. Join us for a ride!
By KERI LINDENMUTH Christmas on Historic Chestnut Street went on in the Borough of Bath, marking the 11th year of the holiday celebration that brings crafts, music, and shopping to downtown. This year, however, looked a little different than years past. About a dozen pop-up crafters and antique dealers set up booths along the street to allow for safe, outdoor shopping as COVID-19 cases around the area rose and new restrictions were set in place. The pop-up shops, explained Carol BearHeckman, an organizer of the event, were “kind of a COVID creation.” She said that a lot of antique shows have moved outside this year as indoor shows got canceled. As visitors browsed the outdoor booths, they could check out a collection of antique cars,
another new addition. Or, they could pop into any one of the businesses lining historic Chestnut Street. Antiques & Artisans, Blend, Caravan Cigar Company, Vargo Gifts, Straub Gallery, and Mattie’s Strudel Haus all offered special deals throughout the day. At Blend, there was even live music. Colin Wolf and Sarah Stoll of Smooth Retsina Glow entertained shoppers with live music from their three albums, the newest scheduled for release in 2021. The Steckel House was also open for tours. The house, which dates back to 1804, is on the National Register of Historic Places and the state’s register. The home has 12 rooms and seven original working fireplaces. Bear-Heckman and her husband purchased the home and carefully renovated
it with pieces original to the time period. That included tearing up the floors to reveal the original flooring, opening up doors that were nailed shut, and exposing the original nine-foot ceiling. All of Chestnut Street boasts an impressive history, with every building dating back to 1799 1899. Visitors could explore this history as they shopped, ate roasted chestnuts, and safely enjoyed the return of the Bath holiday tradition. Despite all that 2020 held, it began to feel a lot like Christmas in the borough.
79th Year, Issue No. 51 www.homenewspa.com
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