|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
“Pine
Creek Bottomland Harvest”
Klingerstown, Pennsylvania
It’s harvest time in the 1940s, when honest, hard work meant gathering wheat by hand and the John Deere tractor gave new meaning to the phrase “horse-power”.
The bottomland or lowland is rich, fertile soil for sowing and harvesting wheat. Bright blue skies and sunshine intensify the vivid hues of amber and gold. The sheaves are lifted to the ladder wagon, and the wagon dog watches for a rabbit to flee from the shock.
Acknowledging God’s grace and
goodness in every detail, Deanna Wiseman captures a
panoramic view of the old Victor and Sallie Troutman Farm in
Klingertown, Pennsylvania, where
people travel to purchase
Troutman Brothers Meats.
Leviticus 26:4 “Then I will give
you rain in due season and
the land shall yield her increase”...
“Bridge
Over Pine Creek”
Luxemburg Road, Erdman, Pennsylvania
Until now, few people have had the opportunity to see a full view of this beautifully constructed bridge. Its narrow entrance gives no clue to its majestic stone arches. The artist has captured a scene that is only visible from the middle of the Pine Creek.
Peter Klinger, who was a son of the German immigrant, Phillip Klinger, lived in the Klingerstown area in the early 1800’s. He built a grist mill a short way down stream from the bridge and a dam in the creek upstream. This dam fed the mill race that went through the small arch of the bridge and powered the grist mill.
Brady G. Straub (1863-1949) lived along Luxemburg Road and helped to build the stone three-arch bridge with stones that were quarried from the gap of the nearby Mahantango Mountain.
Isaiah 9:10a speaks of the
permanency of stone.
The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones...
“Early
Mahantango Valley Grist Mill”
Klingerstown, Pennsylvania
Come, step back in time to the early 1920’s. Travel the dirt road to the “Klingerstown Grist Mill” by way of the “Covered Bridge”. These nostalgic symbols of Klingerstown’s history have been preserved in this fine art print by Deanna Wiseman. In this artist’s portrayal, mill workers and townspeople engage in both work and leisure activities, taking advantage of the late afternoon sun. Autumn’s splendor will soon give way to the coming chill of winter.
The Mahantango Valley Grist Mill was built in 1808 by a man named Daniel Herb. It was conceived by the Klinger family, which immigrated from Germany to America in 1749. The mill was built to attract settlers. The family utilized water from two streams, known as the Pine and Mahantango Creeks. From these streams, the mill got its power and the village of Klingerstown grew and flourished. One of the earliest operators of the mill was Jacob Klinger. The covered bridge which stretched across the Mahantango Creek was replaced in 1941 by a more modern bridge.
Numbers 11:8 And the people went
about and gathered it,
and ground it in their mills.
Jordan Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania
“Cultivating the Melon Patch” is the first in a series of prints by Deanna Wiseman depicting farm life in 1920. The original pastel painting was commissioned by Dr. John A. Romberger to commemorate the lives of his parents, Carrie Bahner Romberger (1897-1983) and Ralph Troutman Romberger (1900-1974), who truly were “people of the soil”.
The photographic reference used to create the painting was made on June 24, 1920. Ralph T. Romberger planned the composition, mounted the camera on a tripod, preset the aperture and shutter speed, then had his father, John K. Romberger (1866-1954), trip the shutter.
This 156-acre farm lay about a
mile west of Klingerstown, north of the Mahantango Creek. It is almost
entirely in Northumberland County. The melon patch was one of several
small fields in the bottomland area of the
Romberger family’s “Sunnyside Farm”.
Farming in 1920 was a labor-intensive life. Most of the energy input came from five horses, along with the work of Carrie, Ralph, sometimes John K., a house- maid, and a hired farm-hand or two. The horse in the painting is “Bill”, Ralph’s favorite (practically a pet). He was an intelligent, mild mannered, and cooperative workhorse who lived a long and useful life (1904-1931).
He who works his land will have abundant food: Proverbs 12:11a NIV
“Winter
Shadows Along Fisher’s Ridge”
Klingerstown, Pennsylvania
The late afternoon sun shines on the snow-covered roof top of this Pennsylvania German style bank barn, which was built in 1840.
Winter shadows run parallel to Fisher’s Ridge. There are many springs of water in the hollow west of the house and north toward Fisher’s Ridge. This homestead is located along the Klingerstown-Hebe highway in Jordan township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. The house was built in the winter of 1836 and was later inhabited by the George M. and Mary S. (Rabuck) Troutman and their 4 sons.
Proverbs 31:21
She is not afraid of the snow ... for all her household is clothed in scarlet.
Copyright © 2000 - 2007 Wiseman Graphics
Last modified: 04/16/07