Reprinted from the 75th anniversary edition of the Tyrone Daily Herald, May 7, 1962.
Realizing that some organization was necessary to provide recreation and direct the social life of the young men of the community, a group of prominent citizens of Tyrone gathered at the Methodist Church November 25, 1870 to discuss ways and means of providing a town recreation center. Out of this meeting came an organization known as the Tyrone Young Men’s Christian Association. F. D. Beyer was the temporary chairman and S. S. W. Jones, secretary.
Citizens attending that meeting were: Captain James Bell, D. J. Kegal, B. M. Bunker, A. W. Green, S. S. Ramsey, Samuel McCamant. A week later another meeting was held at the Caldwell Hall where a board of directors was elected: S. W. Barr, W. S. Hoan, F. M. Bell, Henry Myers, W. H. H. Nivling, R. H. Holsinger, George Ehrman, B. M. Bunker, and Henry Cryder. Also at this meeting the first constitution was read. In this constitution it was stipulated the members must be presented and recommended by a member and voted into the Association of Christian Young Men. At the meeting of December 9, 1870 in the Presbyterian church the constitution was presented and signed by the 21 members present.
Early Years and the Ladies Auxiliary
The early work of the Young Men’s Christian Association was centered around weekly prayer meeting, cottage prayer meetings, missions and visitations. The first program activity outside of the religious work was the organization of a singing class on May 3, 1872, by C. J. Kegal and George Ehman. This met one evening each week in the Association rooms for practice under the direction of George Reynolds.
The Ladies Auxiliary was possibly organized prior to October 1873. During the Association meeting on October 3, 1873, President Cryder extended an invitation to the Ladies to take an active part in the exercises of the meetings. The first “Fund Raising Drive” was the outgrowth of several meetings with State Secretary Taggert, starting December 1884. However, this first drive did not take place until the week of March 8, 1886. Assistant State Secretary Bowen assisted in this drive and a total of $515 was collected to further the work of the Y.M.C.A.
Articles of incorporation indicate that the Young Men’s Christian Association was incorporated June 17, 1891, as the Pennsylvania Railroad Department of the Y.M.C.A. Meetings for many years were held on North Logan Avenue near Fourteenth Street.
The 1904 Building on West Fourteenth Street
By June 1900 the need for more spacious meeting rooms and accommodations was quite evident. The first building committee composed of Messrs. Sprankle, Cowen and Harshbarger were instructed to find a suitable lot for approval by the Pennsylvania Railroad company. Under the leadership of general secretary Edward Biddle, the new building plans progressed and on May 9, 1904, the three story brick building on West Fourteenth Street was ready for occupancy. The dedication service took place Sunday, May 13, 1904. This new building was built of red brick at the cost of $13,000 and measured 40 x 75 feet. Including the dormitories, the front part was three stories and the back two. It was divided into a reading room, two parlors, game room, gymnasium, auditorium and five bathrooms, containing two tubs and three showers. The dormitory sleeping rooms rented for $2.50 per month.
In addition to this, the railroad company under the influence of J. K. Johnson, superintendent of Tyrone division, donated and fitted up 12 acres of ground in east Tyrone as a park for special use of the Association. It contained a ball ground, a running track of one-fourth mile, a hurdle race track and a jumping pit.
The Association continued to carry on its work in prayer meetings, missionary work and visitations, Sunday school classes and lecturers. New classes were formed in gymnastics and other athletic sports. New programs included the forming of a Tennis club for members in May 1905. Adult Education classes and lectures were started in September 1905. E. T. Tarring arrived on February 26, 1906 as the Association’s first physical director.
The Ladies Auxiliary, after a period of inactivity, was re-organized as “The Women’s Circle of the Y.M.C.A.” Their purpose was to aid and advance the purpose and program of the Y.M.C.A. through the development of Spirit, Mind and Body. Other program activities included the forming of a YMCA Glee club in December 1910, and an English class for Italian immigrants in January 1911. In April 1911, YMCA general secretary T. F. Byrd reported on the Boy Scout movement in other areas. One of the first projects of the Boy Scouts was to raise vegetables in a garden plot at the Athletic Park.
The Logan Avenue Building
Through the work and effort of A. A. Stevens in memory of his son, George B. Stevens, for many years a very active member of the Y.M.C.A., and J. K. Johnston, superintendent of the East Tyrone Division, plans were started for a new association building. A. A. Stevens donated the site on Logan Avenue, formerly occupied by the English Lutheran church. Among others prominent in the early days of the Y.M.C.A. were: H. M. Sausser, S. Greek, G. W. Burket, J. N. Thomas, M. Robeson, H. H. Hamilton, E. W. Stine, Grant Logan, P. W. Wasburg, Charles Gray, John Albright, J. E. Medsgar, Darius Waite, John Grazier, W. H. Cohill, Isiah Devore, S. C. Ball, Thomas Minary, J. W. Gardner, H. L. Hesser and Frank Igou.
Participating in the cornerstone laying program were: Rev. Hartman, pastor of the First Methodist Episcopal church; Rev. W. H. Fahs, pastor of the First English Lutheran church; and Rev. E. G. Sawyer, pastor of the United Brethren church. The corner stone was laid by J. K. Johnston, then superintendent of the Tyrone Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad company, while the address was made by the Hon. Adie A. Stevens, donor of the site.
A list of the articles deposited in the corner stone of the Young Men’s Christian Association building reveals the following: Tribune (Altoona), Times (Tyrone), Copy of Association Men, Program of Corner Stone Laying, List of Officers and committees, Names of Building committee, History of the Tyrone P.R.R. Y.M.C.A., Pictures of the PRR Athletic Fields, Coins of United States dated 1913, An American Beauty rose, Copy of the local P.R.R. Y.M.C.A. constitution, Copy of Article of Incorporation, Program of the Tyrone Civic Club Entertainment, May 1913, Ladies Field Ticket-Membership Ticket, Tyrone Borough Officials, Tyrone Division Pennsylvania Railroad Officials, List of Campaign committee for the new building, Copy of minutes of the first YMCA meeting ever held in Tyrone with names of those present, Names of the Board of Trustees of the PRR YMCA, List of churches of Tyrone and names of the ministers, Board of Trade members of Tyrone, Picture of Tyrone PRR shop Band, Half Dollar of 1828 by Col. D. S. Woods.
The building committee, under the direction of J. K. Johnston, chairman, attended to all the work of construction at no cost to the community or the association. Total labor cost involved was $41,380, and equipment cost $12,725, giving the building a total value of $119,105.
Growth, Depression, and Flood
Following the opening of the new building, the program and activities of the Association consisted mainly of education courses, motion picture series, lectures, Lyceum courses, Bible education study groups and gymnasium and Physical Education work. I. E. Mann became physical director in November 1921 and the physical program had its greatest growth under his direction. The first Hi-Y club for high school boys was formed in November 1924.
In the summer of 1928, due to seepage of water the swimming pool in the Association building was closed and filled in. Two new bowling alleys were installed and the game room was moved downstairs beside the bowling alleys. The membership continued to grow and reached its peak at this time with 3,340 members. In May 1930 the YMCA bowling team won the State championship. Girls work was started in 1931 and the Junior Tri-Hi-Y, the Gamma Tri-Hi-Y and the Gradale clubs were formed. The Phalanx club for older boys was also organized this year.
The Pennsylvania Railroad company withdrew its support of the local Association in 1934 leaving the “Y” in a very poor financial condition. Disaster struck Tyrone on March 17, 1936 when local creeks and rivers went over their banks. The gymnasium and bowling alleys of the “Y” were under water. The Association building was turned over to the local Red Cross Chapter for emergency disaster work headquarters for several weeks after the flood.
On October 13, 1943, owing to over 50 years of meritorious service as director and treasurer, H. M. Sausser was elected to “Life Membership as director and treasurer of the Board of Directors of the YMCA.”
Postwar Renovation and the 1950 Flood
By 1948 a program of building improvement and renovation was started. It included the laying of a new tile floor in the lobby and game rooms, new furniture and lamps for the lobby, painting of the Association building on the outside, the dormitory, the lobby and game room, the library, directors room and the gymnasium. New tile showers were installed following the 1950 flood. The 1950 flood damaged the bowling alleys and the gymnasium floor necessitating the laying of a new gymnasium floor. It also was deemed advisable by the directorate of the “Y” to enter the Community Chest of Tyrone as a participating agency.
During the Waring Day festivities in July 1954, Fred Waring was presented with an Honorary Life Membership Certificate. This certificate was in honor of Mr. Waring’s efforts and help to the local association and for the founding and building of the local Tyrone hospital. The certificate was framed with wood taken from the old gym floor, glass from the old Logan avenue school building, and made by J. A. Grove who helped Mr. Waring organize his first band.
On May 12, 1955 the name of the Y.M.C.A. was changed from Pennsylvania Railroad Department of the Young Men’s Christian Association of Tyrone to the Young Men’s Christian Association of Tyrone.
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