Some important points of early Clearfield County history converge upon Luthersburg in Brady Township. It has traditionally been a crossroads town where the present Routes 322, 219 and 410 closely intersect.
These routes once served the First Nation peoples as trails through the dense wilderness. The general path of these trails became well-travelled dirt roads that were later developed into the modern highways that connect Curwensville and Clearfield to DuBois.
Railway lines also made their way through Brady Township, especially after the opening of coal mines throughout the area.
James Woodside, a veteran of the American Revolution, migrated to what would become Luthersburg in 1785. His grave site is a local historical monument.
The community itself was named for Lebbeus Luther, an immigrant from Massachusetts, who purchased a large tract of land where the village now stands.
Small businesses grew in Luthersburg to serve the supply needs of the neighboring farmers and laborers. General stores, harness and wagon shops, blacksmiths and a post office were all in operation by the mid-1800’s.
Luthersburg’s location, with access to the dirt roads of the time, made it a prime stopover point for travelers going to and coming from northwest Pennsylvania. Stopovers meant overnight accommodations, which led to the building of several hotels there.
The photo shows William Schwem’s Eagle Hotel, which dates to the years prior to the Civil War. County hotels then offered bedding, a pitcher and bowl for washing and outdoor lavatory facilities.
Group meals were available for guests in the hotel dining room. They were often served what the cooks had available for the day. There was no buffet or off-the-menu ordering.
The photo also shows the stage coach parked in front. Travel by coach was miserable with ruts, jolts, dust and mud all being part of the tedious ride. The coaches also carried mail to and from local post offices.
The late Jane Elling, a renowned local historian, once wrote, quoting an 1883 County Review newspaper, “Luthersburg, in summertime, is a cleanly breezy village with ample shade trees and cozy, cool looking houses, many of which are painted white.
“The tired passenger by stage coach, from DuBois to Curwensville, a distance of 19 miles, finds the air bracing, for the knob east of the village poses at an altitude of 2,060 feet above sea level.”
