The O. B. Savage Barn

One of the most photographed and painted landmarks of the upper Fishing Creek valley is the O. B. Savage barn, south of Benton on the West side of route 487. The barn is distinguished by the large belfry on the structure, built because the owner felt "closer to God" in his barn than anywhere else. You'll find out why he felt that way in a second. Today, the farm is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Litwiler, but we will always think of it as the "O. B. Savage barn."

So was it O. B., or Obie? His real name was Orville Bartley Savage, but probably not one in ten who knew O. B. knew his middle name. Some of his neighbors called him Obie, his family called him O. B., and most who knew him assumed his name was spelled simply O. B.

When you finish this section, you may want to know more about the man, O.B. Savage. You can turn to the PERSONALITY section on the side panel to read much more.

Photo by David R. Kline

William Eagger moved to this area from Orange, New Jersey, and first cleared the land where this farm now sets. In 1857, William Hulme moved to this area from Nescopeck where he had worked on the canal. He purchased the fifty-six acres in Benton Township which frequently shows on maps as the Hulme property. William Hulme bred registered Duroc-Jersey hogs on the farm. William, was born in 1813, in Morris County, NJ, a son of William A. (1770-1839) and Susan (Strait) Hulme.

		This area was cleared and built upon only eleven years after Federal troops camped less than half a mile away in what was known as Peter Appleman's Sugar Grove in an episode which became known as the Fishingcreek Confederacy.
	You can easily identify the Hulme holdings from this early map of the Benton area.

In 1850, Hulme built the first mill up the creek from Benton, once known as Cole's mill and the Shannon Mill.

William's first wife died in 1855, and he remarried in 1857 to Phoebe Stoker. One child, Hilbert Hudson Hulme, was born August 14, 1860. Hilbert was educated in civil engineering at Lafayette College, Easton, PA, from September, 1880, until December, 1883. Hubert Helms was described as both a "surveyor and an alcoholic." He was described as being a "case of too much money for his own" good. Mrs. O. B. Savage was quoted as saying Helms' father William — who was well to do — once said, "I paid $5,000 for my son's education and I would gladly pay $5,000 more if I could put some brains in his head."

William Hulme died February 14, 1887, and he was buried in Slaugher's Cemetery, near Nescopeck. At the death of William, Hubert received $60,000 — a real fortune in those early days. He also got a grist mill, a house in town and the large farm.

A tornado of August of 1890 started on a path of destruction a few miles west of Benton, and in a path some 500 yards wide hurled itself in an easterly direction across the townships of Benton, Huntington, Union, Hunlock and Lehman. By the time the tornado reached Wilkes-Barre, a total of 16 died, 15 were seriously injured, and at least 30 slightly injured. It wrecked at least 260 buildings, residences, stores, lumber yards, school houses, churches, factories, breweries, public and railroad structures, and two breakers. The destruction was estimated at one million dollars computed in 1890 dollars.

Locally, the first point at which any considerable damage was done was at the farm of Hilbert Hulme.

The original Hulme barn was unroofed, all the sheds and out buildings blown down, much of the brick house blown in and the roof torn off. Mrs. Hulme was caught by one of the falling buildings and had one of her ribs broken and the other badly crushed. The B & S work train was nearby and the railroad men hastened to the scene and released Mrs. Hulme and dug the cattle and horses from the debris. The Hulme loss was estimated at $2,000. The storm continued in an easterly direction and missed the town of Cambra by a matter of feet but slammed head on into Harveyville.

Path of the tornado of August 19, 1890.   There was an ominous dread of the coming storm as it formed in the Greenwood Valley. A "disagreeable odor" surrounded it which was even noticed before the coming wind. As the storm crossed Fishing Creek a mile below Benton, it slammed directly into the farm of Hilbert Hulme.

After the tornado wrecked the barn and other buildings, Hulme had extensive repairs made and had the belfry erected. The barn was supported by unusually large beams, and the top section was used mostly for ventilation.

Hulme was a lumberman, and had and used good quality wood. Still, the barn was a tribute to the ability of early-day carpenters and the rather primitive woodworking equipment they used, and the conditions under which they worked. O. B.'s wife, Margaret, was quoted to the effect that when the barn was being rebuilt, Hulme had barrels of beer brought up to Maple Grove on the B & S Railroad and he shared them with the carpenters.

Hulme was also a surveyor and apparently a good one — when sober. Unfortunately, his money rapidly disappeared, closely followed by his properties.

The church-like barn is popular viewing as traffic flows up and down route 487, and has been painted extensively. One of the most popular paintings was by local artist, Bill Stauffer.

O. B. Savage worked for the Fred E. Lord Fertilizer Works, Espy. A call placed to either Bell Phone 120-R or 194W would usually result in a voice booming into the phone, "You've reached the Lord." O. B. raised great crops. In October, 1950, he won honors for a bushel of potatoes composed of only twenty-two potatoes. The fields of corn on both sides of route 487 were some of the best in the area.

People who frequented the Pied Piper Inn, just south of the farm, had an excellent view of the barn. Since the Pied Piper was next door, we thought that we would throw in a picture of the old Pied Piper Inn.

		The Obie Savage barn is directly over the gas pumps on the right side of the picture, but is barely visible in this picture.
The Pied Piper Inn, Maple Grove, PA

On October 9, 1947, William Piper, Bloomsburg, purchased the James Hess Restaurant, Maple Grove. From then on, the restaurant became known as the Pied Piper Inn. Wilfred C. Piper, Bloomsburg, managed the restaurant for six years. We do not know the complete ownership record of the Pied Piper, but we know that Mrs. Mary Haas sold the restaurant in early April, 1964, to John and Beatrice Evans, Stillwater, formerly of Elizabeth, NJ. The new management specialized "in Sunday full course dinners and platters as well as luncheon and sandwiches daily." Meals were prepared under the direction of Mr. and Mrs. Frank C. Yost, "who have had many years experience in restaurant work."

The former O. B. Savage Barn, Maple Grove
September 29, 2004

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