Fire Destroys the Persing Brothers Distribution Building

Fire broke out shortly before noon on February 28, 1964, at the Persing Brothers building in Elysburg. Employee Mary Zimmerman reportedly discovered the blaze. The same-day News-Dispatch account said the building was destroyed.

Persing Brothers distributed packaged potato chips, pretzels, candy, nuts, and related goods. Although the newspaper headline called the property a potato-chip plant, the account described a distribution business, not a chip manufacturer. Its losses included merchandise, packing materials, equipment, and a delivery truck.

The initial loss estimate was fifty thousand dollars. The cause was still unknown in the report. The fire was an Elysburg business disaster covered for Shamokin readers, part of the region's news as well as the loss of a local distribution business.