Whitesville men made the trip to Potter County for fishing, hunting, and beer
From Jan Bierman Talbett,
I was fishing around online to answer a simple history question, when I ended up falling down the proverbial rabbit hole. I stumbled upon what may well have been the first and only “gang” from Whitesville.
The Booze Gang, as they were known, was a group of gentlemen from Whitesville who seem to have taken annual fishing/hunting trips in Potter County…and taken them very seriously at that.
The men is this picture are listed as B. Simons, Bill Fish, Fred Cornell, Ed Briggs, H. Bassett, Clyde Heselton, Frank Collver, and Omer Barney.
(I have found all of these men listed in the 1910 Census as being from the Town of Independence. Many of them are buried in the Whitesville Rural Cemetery. I’m sparing you the details of their jobs, correct spellings, dates of birth and death. etc. I can easily find them again if anyone has an interest.)
1910 found them taking their trip by horse and wagon to a camp near Germania. In 1911 they had planned to take a trip to Cross Forks by automobile.
This picture shows that they did indeed graduate to automobiles. I read where it is believed to have been taken before WW1, possibly 1912.
You can be sure I researched the beer they were drinking.
In 1857, Joseph Schwarzenbach founded the Schwarzenbach Brewery in Germania. The foundation of this brewery is thought to be located next to the Germania Hotel. I don’t know how many times I’ve wondered what that foundation was from. (Judy Ransom Linza…you may remember from our little road trip years ago, when we were contemplating the origin of the foundation.)
In 1902, the brewery was relocated to Galeton until it’s closing in 1937.
In 1895, Joseph’s son, James, started a second location in Hornell, which ran until 1964. How it survived prohibition is anyone’s guess.
Finding this information took me further down the rabbit hole to my youth.
When we were kids, our parents took us to Roseland Park each summer. A tradition I continued with my own children. On Rt. 21 between Hornell and Wayland, is a beautiful fountain which we never failed to stop at to get a refreshing drink of spring water and to give squirmy kids a respite from the car.
I still stop occasionally on my way by, even though there is no longer water flowing, just for the memories. I’ve even made Dave stop with me.
This fountain was built and dedicated to Joseph Schwarzenbach, 2 years after his death in 1925. Being a businessman and active in local politics, his influence was considered a big factor in getting a concrete road built between Hornell and Loon Lake, where many influential people from Hornell had summer cottages.
His fellow colleagues and friends of the Good Roads Association, not only dedicated the fountain to James, but also named the road the Schwarzenbach Highway in his honor.
Thank you to the old Booze Gang of Whitesville, for 114 years later, leading me through Germania and Cross Forks, back to Hornell, to find the history of the fountain I have loved since a child. 
Jan Bierman Talbott is a Whitesville native, history whiz, 2024 Citizen of the year and community activist. You can reach her anytime jdtalbett@aol.com
