CLAYSBURG
Claysburg was an early settlement at the eastern end of Greenfield Township. The first settlers were Valentine Lingenfelter and his two sons, who arrived circa 1770. Shortly after their arrival, the Dively family settled there, followed by Thomas Ives and John Nicholas. After the Revolutionary War, many settlers arrived from the east and south. In 1804, John Ulrich Seth cleared some of the land and erected a sawmill and gristmill. Dr. Peter Shoenberger settled one mile south of Claysburg and operated the Sarah Furnace at Sproul. The furnace functioned for several years but was economically unsuccessful. Thus, there were no major public works in the Claysburg area until the cobblestone road was built through town in 1906-07.
An early school was built near the limestone quarry, south of Claysburg about 1795. A second school was built in 1812. The structure was a log building with a clapboard roof and slab benches and James Lonham was the teacher. Rules were apparently strict for teachers at the school. One of the stipulations was that gentlemen instructors could only take one evening per week for courting purposes, or two evenings per week if they went to church regularly. Teachers who performed their labors well and without fault for five years were given an increase of twenty-five cents per week, providing the Board of Education approved.
Following the completion of the state road and the railroad in 1910, outside interest grew in the Claysburg area. The vicinity of Sarah Furnace became the site of a brick plant by 1911, and in 1913, a brickyard was constructed north of town. General Refractories Company, which owned these brickyards, employed about twelve hundred men and its products were among the finest in the United States.
An early school was built near the limestone quarry, south of Claysburg about 1795. A second school was built in 1812. The structure was a log building with a clapboard roof and slab benches and James Lonham was the teacher. Rules were apparently strict for teachers at the school. One of the stipulations was that gentlemen instructors could only take one evening per week for courting purposes, or two evenings per week if they went to church regularly. Teachers who performed their labors well and without fault for five years were given an increase of twenty-five cents per week, providing the Board of Education approved.
Following the completion of the state road and the railroad in 1910, outside interest grew in the Claysburg area. The vicinity of Sarah Furnace became the site of a brick plant by 1911, and in 1913, a brickyard was constructed north of town. General Refractories Company, which owned these brickyards, employed about twelve hundred men and its products were among the finest in the United States.
