Sayre Borough

Bradford County, Pennsylvania

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Borough municipal offices are located at 110 West Packer Avenue, Sayre PA 18840.
Phone: 570‑888‑7739.

The Sayre post office is located at 240 Desmond Street.

Sayre [1] is distinctively a railroad town and the only one in the county. It had its origin from the building of a branch of the Pennsylvania & New York railroad, where a junction of railroads was established. The projectors of the town were Howard Elmer, Charles L. Anthony and James Fritcher, who in 1870 purchased a large section of "the plains" between the two rivers. Additional purchases were made in 1871. During the next two years the town was laid out, houses built and streets opened. A neat and commodious depot was built by the Pennsylvania and New York Railroad Company in 1872-73 and opened as a passenger station in May, 1873, and as a freight station, November 1, 1873. The station was named "Sayre" (extended to the town) in honor of Robert H. Sayre, president of the road. The spacious round-house was built in 1873 and occupied in July. The construction of the first repair shop was begun in September, 1878, and the big shops opened December 18, 1880, to which large extensions have since been added.

The Sayre post office was established March 11, 1874, with Harry G. Spalding, postmaster. The town's first paper, "The Sayre Union," made its appearance in 1883, lived only a short time, and was followed by the Sayre Times in 1891. Sayre was incorporated as a borough January 27, 1891. The first officers were: Burgess James N. Weaver; Council; George W. Peters, Alfred Zeller, D. A. Utter, Geo. A. Kennedy, W. H. Flory, Lewis, Eighmey, and J. C. Horton, clerk; treasurer, Alvin Strauss; street commissioner, Joseph Wheelock; Chief-of-police, Charles Codett; Justice-of-the-peace, John R. Murray; constable, P. W. McNerney; high constable, David Benjamin; assessor, M. W. Reeves; collector, Joseph H. Mercereaux. The town has had a phenomenal growth. It had a population of 5243 in 1900, 6426 in 1910 and 8078 in 1920. The river bridge, 695 feet with a viaduct of 299 feet, was constructed over the Susquehanna in 1902. No other town in the county has expanded as Sayre, the railroad center. Although the youngest borough it has nearly twice the population of any other borough or town in the county.

  1. Heverly, Clement F., History and Geography of Bradford County Pennsylvania, 1615-1924, Bradford County Historical Society, 1926, Towanda PA

Nearby Towns: Athens Boro •


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