A Photo History of

Instanter

In 1888-1889 Henry, Bayard and Company of Philadelphia convinced the Pennsylvania Railroad to build the Johnsonburg and Clermont Branch of their system and agreed to sell the hemlock bark to a tannery at the confluence of Seven Mile Run and Instanter Creek, now known as the East Branch of the Clarion River. Henry Schimmelfeng built a logging railroad along Seven Mile Run during 1889 T he mill caught fire in March 1897 but was rebuilt and operated until September 27, 1902.

In December, 1926, the Elk Tanning Company announced its Instanter tannery would cease operations permanently. Sometime later the large brick stack that marked the tannery was demolished, and the Johnsonburg and Clermont Railroad ran its last train in 1927.*

Click the thumbnails below to see a larger image.