Recently, I had the pleasure of renewing an old friendship with a gentleman who I worked for 25 years ago at the Allentown State Hospital farm. Many East Allen residents know him as a dedicated fireman at the East Allen Township Fire Company. His name: Mr. John McDevitt.

John was raised in Feasterville, Bucks County, and graduated from Father Judge High School. He later earned an agricultural degree from Penn State University. The young man gained employment as assistant farm manager at the Weaversville farm.

In 1981, the farm manager, Mr. Charles Miller, contacted me and asked if I was interested in working on the farm during the summer months. I readily agreed to take the job. It may be difficult to believe, but this so-called “writer” had spent his youth working on the William (Willie Smith) farm in Weaversville, Allen Township, and for years has helped Danny Seiple and Frank Yagerhoffer on their century-old farm. I have a fond appreciation for farmers and the soil they till. Unfortunately, they are a disappearing breed.

The state farm in 1981 was nearing its end, but Mr. Miller and Mr. McDevitt were doing everything possible to continue the operation of the farm and dairy.

Help was difficult to find, but manager Miller was able to hire two other fine men, Gary Krill and Bernie Cesanek. Gary is a teacher at Whitehall High School and Bernie, in 1980, operated a farm with his family in Allen Township. Both men were students of mine over at Northampton High School. Both are still friends, I hope!

We were hired just as the spring planting season was beginning. In order to complete the planting, we worked a seven-day week. The hours were long, but we really enjoyed the work. There was a great feeling of accomplishment when you completed planting some 50-acre fields. I think we were paid $5.20 per hour.

During the summer, we harvested large crops of alfalfa to feed the 108 Holsteins in the dairy herd. The prize herd was well fed and cared for and produced a large quantity of quality milk. On occasion, I drank a glass of fresh cold milk - what a treat!

Both Bernie and Gary were excellent equipment operators, and they took good care of their old teacher if I had any difficulty. I was glad they forgot some of those long writing assignments I had heaped on them over at the high school.

All photographs in this series have been taken or duplicated by my good friend and fellow historian, Larry Oberly, of Allen Township. This writer and my readers appreciate his assistance in these columns.

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A farm in Weaversville is in my next column.