'Homestead' property sold
By James Moate Endeavor News

The Homestead, which was purchased recently by a family from out of the area, has seen better days.

Known to Emporium-area residents almost explicitly as "the Homestead" the Plank Road Hollow building has finally been sold after years of deterioration and neglect.

On Jan. 4 the building and 71 acres was purchased for $110,000 by a family from out of the area. John "Rusty" Price and his wife Robin of Clarion bought the property along with Robin's parents Lyman and Virginia Dibble of Knox. Rich Merry was the most recent owner of the property, which was built in 1876 by F.X.Blumle.

New owners plan to renovate the existing structure.

In 1876, Blumle purchased the property, cleared the land and built a home, farm and beer brewery facilities on what was then a 66-acre tract of land. In 1882, Blumle married Frances Sing, also a native of Germany, in St. Marks Catholic church. They had five children, Anna, Theresa, Francis, Helen and Agnes. Grandchildren Charles and Mary Louise Blumle, both currently reside in Cameron County.

Beer was brewed in the Blumle Homestead until 1910 when they started out-sourcing the brewing process to a Buffalo, N.Y. brewery. From then on they simply bottled and pasteurized the beer.

In 1918, prohibition forced the family to shut down operations and fall into financial hardship until 1933 when the prohibition ended. At that time, the Homestead was reopened as a public facility called the Homestead Bar and Restaurant.

Since then, the property has changed hands many times and has been a hotel, a restaurant and living quarters rented to local families.