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In 1909, Halloween parties were held for local high school students

By Jade Heasley/Correspondent - | Oct 31, 2024

Halloween parties held in Montgomery have been recorded in various local newspapers since the 1890s. One of the earliest ones was held by the Montgomery Literary and Social Club in 1895, according to the Williamsport newspaper The Evening News, on Nov. 1, 1895.

While a lot of Halloween traditions revolve around trick-or-treating and other activities for children, that wasn’t always the case. None of the available local historical records seem to indicate that any of the abundant number of schools or school houses had Halloween parties for the students. There wasn’t any mention of Halloween celebrations for children at all in Montgomery’s early days. But trick-or-treating didn’t begin in the United States until the 1920s and gradually became more widespread in the 1930s.

But in the year 1909, The Williamsport Sun published a social piece called Montgomery Happenings that listed a plentiful amount of parties held around town. Two of them were held by high school students for their classmates.

In 1909, Montgomery Borough and Clinton Township each had their own school district. Montgomery High School classes were taught in the Montgomery Central School Building on East Houston Avenue.

The Williamsport Sun reported on Nov. 2, 1909, that a party was held on Halloween for students in the class of 1912 of Montgomery High School by fellow sophomore Genevive Harman. The paper listed that the following guests were present: Geneva Decker, Ida Decker, John Decker, Julia Decker, Madge Fowler, Marie Grady, Boyd Hoff, Dorthea McKee, Clyde Miller, Rhelda Miller, Esther Printzenhoff and Elsie Schnee.

Back in an era where respectable gatherings of young people were chaperoned, it was noted that the party was also attended by a high school assistant named Miss Mina Decker. The party was held at the Harman home on Saturday evening, Oct. 30.

The same column of the Williamsport Sun also listed that a party was held for Clintonville High School’s junior class, and friends of the host’s family were also in attendance.

Clinton Township’s high school building was a former Methodist church located at the base of Pinchtown Hill. It stood on the current site of the Hulsizer Chevrolet property.

The newspaper reported that the party was given by Helen and Stella Bartlett, and took place in the home of Mr. and Mrs. George Bartlett. The guests were: LeRoy Bair, May Bartlett, Ernest Brant, Ralph De Noskey, Larieon Everly, Audry Fogelman, Lester Fowler, Ester Fritz, Giles Fritz, Isabelle Fritz, Pearl Helvely, La Rue Hoffman, Clyde Kemery, LeRue Lindemuth, Wilson Meyers, Hulda Roller, Earl Schick, Annie Snyder, John Solomon, Margaret Solomon, Blanche Walters, Florence Walters, Charles Waltman, Hattie Waltman, George Weller and Alma Yena. The paper stated that the adults present at the party were Mr. and Mrs. George Bartlett, their son Monroe, Mrs. Martha White and Miss Edna Bartlett. While the newspaper didn’t refer to the gathering as a Halloween party, it was held on Saturday, Oct. 30.

Not all of the guests were students, as the paper details in other sections of the same social column that some of them were from other communities, but were in town for a few days visiting relatives who lived in and around the Montgomery area.

Montgomery Borough and Clinton Township had separate school districts until they agreed to merge in the late 1920s when both districts needed to construct new school buildings. It was decided to combine the districts and build one new, large school building on Penn Street. The Montgomery Clinton School welcomed students in the fall of 1930. The building has since had additions added, and the original section of the building is now the Montgomery Area High School.