Olyphant Central School

Most of the people who were members of St. Patrick’s Parish were of Irish descent. Many of the families had lived in the United States for at least one generation. The newly arrived Slovak residents went to Holy Ghost Roman Catholic Church; the Poles went to St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church. Other Eastern European immigrants went to Saints Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and All Saints Russian Orthodox Church.

Other speakers at the afternoon ceremony included the Pennsylvania Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, Reed B. Tietrick (Harrisburg, PA); and the Superintendent of Taylor Schools (Taylor, PA), Prof. M. J. Lloyd. The Benediction was given by the Reverend Richard Powell of the Congregational Church.

The place got its name because of a small dip in the topography, and a tiger had escaped from a circus that was held there. The tiger was never captured.

This new four-room school was also designed by Lewis Hancock, Jr. It was built by Dickson City Lumber for $14,000. It opened on March 1, 1911, and was called the Roosevelt School. The principal at this school was Miss Gertrude Weaver. She was also a teacher at the school. The other two teachers were Bertha Walker and Mary McCormac. Together, they provided instruction for 120 students. Contrary to the local legend, President Theodore Roosevelt did not attend the dedication ceremony for this school. When Theodore Roosevelt visited the area in August of 1910, he saw the Roosevelt School in Pittston.

Around 1912, the Pennsylvania Coal Company began construction and excavation for the Underwood Colliery in an area along the Olyphant-Throop border. There was a breaker and three mine shafts. Workers from Throop and Dunmore were in walking distance; workers from Jessup rode a