THE GEOCACHE
This is one of 20 historical caches along the Butler Freeport Community Trail, formerly the Butler Branch of the Western Pennsylvania Railroad.
THE GEOCOIN
Inside each BFTHGT cache container is a QR CODE and trackable number. Scanning the code will open a trackable page. Visitors discovering AT LEAST 15 of the 20 trackables are eligible to claim a BFTHGT commemorative trackable geocoin. To get your coin, visit:
http://www.butlerfreeporttrail.org/on-the-butler-freeport-community-trail/geocaching/
A Laneville distillery in Buffalo Township, Butler County, PA owned by McGonegal & Helmbold was purchased by A. Guckenheimer in 1876. It had been in operation since 1855 when it was the world’s largest producer of rye whiskey as the Williamson & Rhey Distillery. It continued to operate until the 1920’s under the name of the Pennsylvania Distilling Company.
The Montrose plant in Laneville burned in 1883 but was rebuilt. Guckenheimer Distillery produced and shipped handmade rye whiskey labeled Montrose across the United States. The “prohibition” Volstead Act caused this distillery as well as others across United States to run in the red. However, the construction of the Pennsylvania Railroad highline in 1918 probably also caused the Guckenheimer Distillery at the Butler Junction some loss before the Volstead Act. In 1923 the distillery still had a siding under the name of Pennsylvania Distillery Company # 8, and its Logansport, PA plant continued to generate and bottle rye whiskey. In the mid 1930’s arson burned the abandoned plant.
“After 50 years the causes of the distillery’s demise was the construction of the new Laneville bridge, the loss of Butler Junction and the Volstead Act. With the construction of the Lobaugh Bridge and Route 356 in the 1950’s all remains of the distillery were removed. The Guckenheimer Distillery stood at the end of 6th Street on the other side of the Railroad tracks in Freeport. As an aside the Guckenheimer Industry was a promoter of early aviation. “
Guckenheimer ad, taken from Wayne A. Cole’s book, “Ghost Rails V: PRR Butler Branch and Buffalo Creek Ghosts.”
Laneville is a small quaint suburb of Freeport. Mickey’s Mill still stands along the creek where once the local farmers brought wheat to be ground. It was the former home of the Freeport Historical Society whose members worked hard to preserve this piece of history