The Snyder County Post
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100 Years Ago - 1910
Elmer J. Albert, J. E. Bowes, and Geo. Dreese, all of Middle-burg, captured 46 frogs in Middlecreek Monday night. That is what caused the croaking on Tuesday.
Monday evening, July 4th, at about six o'clock, Rev. A.S. Bierly's house burned to the ground together with the shanty and wash house.
The 3rd Annual Fourth of July Celebration was held at Kissimmee, which attracted a very large crowd.
The differences between the Middleburg Borough Council and the local Electric company have been adjusted and a contract was awarded for street lights. The lights will aggregate $348.70 per year, which is slightly more than oil lamps, but there should be more lights on the streets.
75 Years Ago - 1935
Split minute action by Reliance Hose Company of Middleburg on Friday evening averted a possible serious explosion and a fire when a truck used to carry highway surface oil caught fire near a loaded tank car of oil near the PA railroad station in Middleburg.
Mr. and Mrs. Brite Bilger of Middleburg entertained at a watermelon party Tuesday evening in honor of Miss Irene Philips of Milton.
Mrs. C. A. Kerr of Penns Creek, while seeding cherries, suffered a dizzy spell and fell off the back porch. She suffered probable fractured ribs.
50 Years Ago - 1960
The Commonwealth's newest state park, Shikellamy Lookout has been opened for public use. The 70 acre scenic park was acquired for $58,000 on June 22nd.
It was announced today that "This Is The Army", an official US Army exhibit showing how the Army is helping to solve the complex problem of providing an effective Atomic Age National Defence will be displayed at the Selinsgrove Fair on July 18 to 23.
Elmer J. Albert, J. E. Bowes, and Geo. Dreese, all of Middle-burg, captured 46 frogs in Middlecreek Monday night. That is what caused the croaking on Tuesday.
Monday evening, July 4th, at about six o'clock, Rev. A.S. Bierly's house burned to the ground together with the shanty and wash house.
The 3rd Annual Fourth of July Celebration was held at Kissimmee, which attracted a very large crowd.
The differences between the Middleburg Borough Council and the local Electric company have been adjusted and a contract was awarded for street lights. The lights will aggregate $348.70 per year, which is slightly more than oil lamps, but there should be more lights on the streets.
75 Years Ago - 1935
Split minute action by Reliance Hose Company of Middleburg on Friday evening averted a possible serious explosion and a fire when a truck used to carry highway surface oil caught fire near a loaded tank car of oil near the PA railroad station in Middleburg.
Mr. and Mrs. Brite Bilger of Middleburg entertained at a watermelon party Tuesday evening in honor of Miss Irene Philips of Milton.
Mrs. C. A. Kerr of Penns Creek, while seeding cherries, suffered a dizzy spell and fell off the back porch. She suffered probable fractured ribs.
50 Years Ago - 1960
The Commonwealth's newest state park, Shikellamy Lookout has been opened for public use. The 70 acre scenic park was acquired for $58,000 on June 22nd.
It was announced today that "This Is The Army", an official US Army exhibit showing how the Army is helping to solve the complex problem of providing an effective Atomic Age National Defence will be displayed at the Selinsgrove Fair on July 18 to 23.
"Oh...that sauce..."
Biff Burger Memories Still Seared In Our Minds
Biff Burger Memories Still Seared In Our Minds
Almost 10 years since the closing and demolition of the Biff-Burger in Hummels Wharf, many people still remember the Biff-Burger with the fondest of memories.
In 1965, Leon Pontius, the owner of a boat dealership in Hummels Wharf was looking to open up another establishment. After looking at the portable pre-fabricated metal facilities that a Clearwater, Florida based company named "Biff-Burger" offered, he introduced the first fast food restaurant along Route US 11 & 15 directly across from his boat dealership.
Mr. Pontius was also interested in opening up a second Biff-Burger in the nearby town of Sunbury, across the river from the Hummels Wharf location. However, it never came about.
The Biff-Burger story started in the mid-1950's when Biff-Burger was a growing chain of drive-up burger stands that stretched primarily from Florida to Toronto, Canada.
Bruce and Earl Brane were the original owners of the Biff-Burger company and opened their first restaurant location in Clearwater, Florida in 1956. They designed and built the broilers at their manufacturing warehouse. Bruce acted as the president of the Biff-Burger company and ran the day-to-day business in addition to creating the menu and special sauce that former customers remember so well.
In 1965, Leon Pontius, the owner of a boat dealership in Hummels Wharf was looking to open up another establishment. After looking at the portable pre-fabricated metal facilities that a Clearwater, Florida based company named "Biff-Burger" offered, he introduced the first fast food restaurant along Route US 11 & 15 directly across from his boat dealership.
Mr. Pontius was also interested in opening up a second Biff-Burger in the nearby town of Sunbury, across the river from the Hummels Wharf location. However, it never came about.
The Biff-Burger story started in the mid-1950's when Biff-Burger was a growing chain of drive-up burger stands that stretched primarily from Florida to Toronto, Canada.
Bruce and Earl Brane were the original owners of the Biff-Burger company and opened their first restaurant location in Clearwater, Florida in 1956. They designed and built the broilers at their manufacturing warehouse. Bruce acted as the president of the Biff-Burger company and ran the day-to-day business in addition to creating the menu and special sauce that former customers remember so well.
Biff Sauce Recipe
One large can ketchup (115 oz)
2/3 to 1 cup mustard
1 cup sweet relish
1/6 cup salt
Pinch of ground ginger
2 tsp. Liquid Smoke
Mix and ENJOY! This will make a large batch of Biff Sauce that will can be stored in refrigerator. Adjust if needed.
2/3 to 1 cup mustard
1 cup sweet relish
1/6 cup salt
Pinch of ground ginger
2 tsp. Liquid Smoke
Mix and ENJOY! This will make a large batch of Biff Sauce that will can be stored in refrigerator. Adjust if needed.
Sign at the St. Petersburg, Fla. Biff Burger. This design was featured at the Hummels Wharf Biff-Burger until 1974, when it was struck by lightning and replaced.
This is an image of an original framed print of an artist conceptual sketch of the proposed Port-A-Unit structure and site layout of the drive-in, provided by the late Doug Brane, son of co-founder Bruce Brane.
The Hummels Wharf Biff-Burger as it appeared shortly before sale and demolition. The sign in front is a replacement for the sign that stood for years, such as is modeled below.
1965: The year Biff-Burger opened in Hummels Wharf.
1965: Original Owner: Leon Pontius $0.19 The cost, in cents, of a burger at Biff-Burger in 1965.
1972: The year a dine-in seating area was built.
1974: Original Biff-Burger road sign struck by lightning and replaced with rectangular one with orange letters.
1974: $1.35 The cost, in dollars, of a loaded "Super Biff with Cheese", an order of french fries and a small soda.
2000: $3.39 The cost, in dollars, of a loaded "Super Biff with Cheese", an order of small fries and a soda.
2000: The year Hummels Wharf Biff-Burger goes up "For Sale".
2001: The year Hummels Wharf Biff-Burger closed its doors.
1965: Original Owner: Leon Pontius $0.19 The cost, in cents, of a burger at Biff-Burger in 1965.
1972: The year a dine-in seating area was built.
1974: Original Biff-Burger road sign struck by lightning and replaced with rectangular one with orange letters.
1974: $1.35 The cost, in dollars, of a loaded "Super Biff with Cheese", an order of french fries and a small soda.
2000: $3.39 The cost, in dollars, of a loaded "Super Biff with Cheese", an order of small fries and a soda.
2000: The year Hummels Wharf Biff-Burger goes up "For Sale".
2001: The year Hummels Wharf Biff-Burger closed its doors.
The original building was the Port-A-Unit, a portable metal facility, which featured a 'walk-up' and 'pick-up' counter service while table seating was provided outdoors. The customers ordered from one window and picked up their food from another one after their number was called.
The days of 'in-car' and outside table dining gave way to a seating area built at the front of the building shortly after the Hurricane Agnes flood swept the area in 1972.
The days of 'in-car' and outside table dining gave way to a seating area built at the front of the building shortly after the Hurricane Agnes flood swept the area in 1972.
Also of interest is that in 1973, the only fast food competitor on the "Golden Strip" in Hummels Wharf and nearby Shamokin Dam was a Carrols -"Home of the Club Burger". McDonalds opened their doors one year later in 1974 and Carrols later became Burger King in 1976.
The Biff was known for its charbroiled taste and sauce that it was dipped into after broiling. The Roto-Red R-22 Broiler had two circular racks. The burgers would be made on the top rack and the juices would drip onto the buns, placed on the bottom rack.
This infra-heat, similar to the heat radiated from glowing quartz tubes in space heaters, is used to broil and toasts each sandwich exactly the same. The
The Biff was known for its charbroiled taste and sauce that it was dipped into after broiling. The Roto-Red R-22 Broiler had two circular racks. The burgers would be made on the top rack and the juices would drip onto the buns, placed on the bottom rack.
This infra-heat, similar to the heat radiated from glowing quartz tubes in space heaters, is used to broil and toasts each sandwich exactly the same. The
After a few minutes, the cooked 100% beef burgers and toasted sesame seeded buns came out the other side of the covered broiler and ready for dipping into Biff-Burgers special sauce.
The Special Sauce, another signature of Biff-Burger, was warmed in a warming pan adjacent to and to the left of the roto-broiler. When the burgers were taken out of the roto-broiler, each burger was then dipped into the sauce warming pan whereby coating the burger with Biff-Burger's signature special tangy sauce, made of 27 spices, before being placed between two buns and fixings added.
"Beef Burger" located in Greensboro, North Carolina, is a restaurant that was former a Biff-Burger and is still called that by many of the locals
They still use the "Roto-Red" Roto Broiler to grill the burgers and toast the buns before a quick dip into the sauce that the owner, Ralph Havis, claims to be from the original recipe obtained from when he purchased the West Lee Street Greensboro location from one of the original Biff franchise owners.
Only one Biff-Burger, which still bears the original name, sign, and multicolored "Port-A-Unit" building with canopy overhang, still survives to date in St. Petersburg, Fla. The establishment is also a well known national hangout and meeting spot for bikers and hot rodders alike. Hot rods and street rods cruise Biff several evenings throughout the week.
The Special Sauce, another signature of Biff-Burger, was warmed in a warming pan adjacent to and to the left of the roto-broiler. When the burgers were taken out of the roto-broiler, each burger was then dipped into the sauce warming pan whereby coating the burger with Biff-Burger's signature special tangy sauce, made of 27 spices, before being placed between two buns and fixings added.
"Beef Burger" located in Greensboro, North Carolina, is a restaurant that was former a Biff-Burger and is still called that by many of the locals
They still use the "Roto-Red" Roto Broiler to grill the burgers and toast the buns before a quick dip into the sauce that the owner, Ralph Havis, claims to be from the original recipe obtained from when he purchased the West Lee Street Greensboro location from one of the original Biff franchise owners.
Only one Biff-Burger, which still bears the original name, sign, and multicolored "Port-A-Unit" building with canopy overhang, still survives to date in St. Petersburg, Fla. The establishment is also a well known national hangout and meeting spot for bikers and hot rodders alike. Hot rods and street rods cruise Biff several evenings throughout the week.
The Snyder County Post greatly acknowledges THE ORIGINAL BIFF-BURGER DRIVE-IN WEBSITE at www.biff-burger.com
and its webmaster C. Catherman for permission to reprint information for this article in The Post
and its webmaster C. Catherman for permission to reprint information for this article in The Post
National Biff-Burger System's Franchise Opportunity booklet claimed the capacity of the Roto-Red is rated at over 500 uniformly broiled hamburgers and toasted buns per hour.
What Snyder County town was formerly known as Straubtown?
Answer: Freeburg