Since the 1800s, South Bethlehem has been the place where our most recent immigrants choose to settle. When South Bethlehem became a borough in 1865, the newest immigrants were German, Irish, English and Belgian. It was a bustling town of less than 2,000 people.

The adults found work at the Lehigh Zinc Company, Bethlehem Iron Works, the Lehigh Valley or North Penn railroads and in various trades. The children attended one of three small schoolhouses. One was a brick school, built in 1858, near Packer Avenue, between the present Adams and Webster streets. Another school was built in 1860, east of the first school and nearer the Lehigh River. A third school was conducted in the grain house of A. Wolle and Company at the northwest corner of New and Second streets.

These small schoolhouses would soon be bursting at the seams with the additional children of workers needed for the Bethlehem Iron Works. In 1873, Bethlehem Iron began producing steel railroad rails and in 1886 they built facilities to produce heavy forgings and armor plate.

The population of South Bethlehem would reach 250,000 by 1900. Owen R. Wilt, the first superintendent of the South Bethlehem School District, was uniquely prepared to meet the many challenges of directing the education of the ever-growing and diverse population of students.

Wilt was born in 1840 near Emmaus into a family that had farmed the Saucon Valley area for several generations. As a teenager, Wilt worked on local farms and continued his self-study in academics until he received a teaching certificate at age 20. Wilt’s first teaching job, in 1860, was in one of the small schoolhouses in South Bethlehem.

Although he soon moved into school administration as principal of the West Bethlehem and Copley schools, Wilt continued to reside in South Bethlehem. He was elected to the South Bethlehem School Board where he served for 12 years. He joined the St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, on Vine Street, and became the director of the Sunday school. He was so well known in the community that it was no surprise when, in 1886, Wilt became the principal of the South Bethlehem schools.

Next, in 1888, he was elected the first superintendent of the South Bethlehem Schools. He received a salary of $1,000. a year. At that time, he supervised 43 teachers and 2,000 students. Wilt moved with his wife, Amy Lynn Wilt, into the residence attached to the Central HS when it was built in 1892. The high school was an A. W. Leh design and was built by Josiah R. Wilt, Owen’s brother. It was located on the corner of Vine and Morton streets, the previous location of the Penrose School.

Under Owen Wilt’s direction Central HS became well known for preparing its students for the best colleges in the country. The students were accepted and given scholarships by such institutions as Lehigh University, Cornell University, Muhlenberg College and Bryn Mawr College. The school building was demolished in the 1967 as part of the Packer Avenue Urban Renewal Project.

Wilt supervised the building of the Webster School, in 1889, an eight-roomed, brick structure located on the east side of Walnut Street, south of Packer Avenue. The Quinn School was built in 1902, on the site of the Melrose School at East Fourth and Polk streets. The Wyandotte Street School was abandoned when the Madison School, built in 1888, replaced it. It was located at 707 Ontario St, south of Wood Street, near Itaska Street. The Packer School was built in 1890 and was located on the south side of Fourth Street, between Centre and Cemetery streets.

In the early 1900s, Wilt was quite concerned about the hundreds of children who were absent from school. Many were from newly immigrated families who were encountering difficulties with the English language. Wilt took it upon himself to round up these little truants who were literally running through the streets of South Bethlehem during school hours. He created separate classrooms for the children to learn to speak, read and write in English. As the students became fluent, they were transitioned into their appropriate grade.

The population of South Bethlehem had exploded since its incorporation. By 1900 the area of the borough had doubled in size and the population was estimated at more than 13,000. Historians say it is impossible to know the exact numbers of the population during that time as there was a severe housing shortage and people lived in tight quarters.

Wilt believed that the tidy appearance of a school and grounds sent the message, “This is an important place.” Professor Wilt, as he was known then, could often be seen with his shirt sleeves rolled up, pulling weeds in the school gardens.

Wilt was an advocate for improving teacher training. He traveled the state giving talks at the various teacher training colleges, or Normal Schools, as a state-appointed Normal School inspector. He was also known for introducing into the borough schools the activities of spelling bees, rote singing, Arbor Day, commercial instruction and The Blue and White, the high school magazine. Upon the death of Wilt, July 22, 1915, after a continuous service of 27 years as a school administrator, A. H. Buck was chosen his successor.

Wilt was survived by his wife and was buried in the Fountain Hill Cemetery.