Tremont Borough Hall is located at 139 Clay Street, Suite 1, Tremont PA 17981.
Phone: 570‑695‑2199.
First settled around 1816, Tremont was incorporated as a borough in 1866.
Beginnings [1]
The Hon. Benjamin Kauffman, a member of the State legislature of 1872, is a resident of the town, and has during his whole life been prominently identified with the business interests of this county. He was born in Llewellyn, a little post town 8 miles east of Tremont. He was at one time part owner of the Brookside colliery, one of the largest in the coal region. D.B. Althouse, once county commissioner, and forty years a resident of this town, was born in Berks county. He did, perhaps, as much as any other citizen of this place to develop the coal interest of the west end of the county, and was at one time engaged in the mining of anthracite coal. He is now a retired gentleman.
Joseph Enzensperger, a native of Germany, was one of the pioneers of this town. He is now engaged in the hotel business. Some fifteen years ago he was burned out by a fire that laid waste a part of the town, but on the site of the old building he erected a substantial three-story brick structure.
The Hon. S.C. Kirk, a member of the present Legislature, was born in Perry county in this State, but has resided in Tremont nearly all his life. He commenced as a public school teacher, and for a number of years taught the West End Normal school. He is now editor of the West Schuylkill Press. Zach Badtdorff, one of the pioneers of this town, is the owner of perhaps more property in the town than any other single individual, and has done much to develop the interest of the place.
The late Henry Heil perhaps did more to make Tremont what it is than any other single individual in it. He was a coal operator, and for a number of years owned what is now known as East Franklin. He had amassed quite a large fortune during the war, and had he retired then would have done so with $1,000,000; but, like many others, he remained in the business too long, and, unfortunately for himself and the whole community, he lost the greater part of his estate. His name will long be remembered by the people of Tremont, especially the poor people, for he was liberal to a fault.
Eugene Bechtel, a native of Lancaster county, and an early resident of this place, has been prominently identified with the business interests not only of this town but the west end of the county.
Esquires Beadle and Ziebach are among the prominent young scriveners and justices in the borough of Tremont.
Adam Ferg, a native of Germany, has long lived in Tremont, and has been prominently identified with the business interests of the community, and by his enterprise and thrift has placed himself in comfortable circumstances. The Lehman, Marks, Imschweiler, Savage, Streicher, Murphy, Glanding, Brower, Core and Baily families have long been engaged in business in this place, and have contributed not a little to the prosperity of the borough.
There are three physicians located in the town, Drs. Koser, Lehr and Rutgers. There are three lawyers who have officers here; their names are Setzer, Moyer and Mortimer, and each of these has quite a lucrative practice. The present borough councilmen are Edward Dechant, Samuel Freeman, John Hand, John Imschweiler, William Leininger and Frederick Beiser. Jacob Haerter is the chief burgess, and John Umanitz high constable.
No buildings of any consequence were erected at Tremont until 1844. In 1848 the first post-office was established, with John B. Zeibach postmaster. The borough was incorporated in 1866. In the immediate neighborhood extensive mining interests are located, which require the use of steam engines, mining pumps, coal breakers, and various kinds of complicated machinery. These wants are fully provided for by the extensive establishments of Adam Ferg, proprietor of the Donaldson Iron Works, and Calvin Brower, proprietor of the Tremont Iron Foundry and Machine Shops. These establishments are under the management of thoroughly reliable and practical gentlemen.
Tremont is well provided with stores of different kinds, and has excellent hotel accommodations. The place supports two newspapers, the Tremont News, edited and published by U.G. Badtdorf, and the West Schuylkill Press, Hon. S.C. Kirk editor and proprietor. Mr. Kirk is a member of the present Legislature. The population of Tremont according to the late census is 1,873.
There are six churches in the borough; one Methodist Episcopal, one German and one English Lutheran, one Evangelical, one Roman Catholic, and one German Reformed.
There are six schools in the borough, all held in one building. The building is large and commodious, built of brick, at a cost of about $15,000.
The present teachers are: High school, William M. Leaman; grammar school, T.B. Williams; No. 3, Mr. Miller; No.4, Miss E. Kupp; No.5, Miss C. Gage; No.6, Miss Glanding. The board of directors consists of Messrs. Stoffler, Koser, Badtdorff, Huntzinger, Fulmer, and Beadle.