Sayre, Pennsylvania

I was born in Florida (parents in the military) and then lived in Sayre, Pennsylvania (where my father grew up) until I was 7, when my parents divorced and moved with my mother to California (where my mother grew up). We then spent summers in Pennsylvania, and the school year in California for many of my childhood years.

This past year, I got interested in family genealogy and spent some time doing research. It appears that for several generations on my father's side, the family actually lived in Towanda, PA. It wasn't until this trip that I understood why.

Apparently, Sayre didn't exist as a town until the mid 1870s. It appears that my great-grandfather moved from Towanda for a job at the railroad shops. These were some of the largest shop facilities on the east coast, and included 76 acres of facilities, including a large roundhouse, car shops, a blacksmith shop, and more. The town grew around the facilities, and many people moved here from the surrounding areas for jobs, including my great-grandfather. Then, my grandfather and grandfather moved to Sayre to join them.


My great-grandfather lived on S. Lehigh Avenue, directly across the street from the switch yards. My parents bought the house next door, and that is where I lived until I was 7. I remember when friends came over to play, they were always excited when the trains went by, but I was used to it. I also remember playing trains with a long line of cardboard boxes, seems to have been a favorite, but maybe that is with all kids.