Macada

Last updated
Macada
Former Village
Etymology: Macadam
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Shimersville
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Shimersville
Coordinates: 40°39′25″N75°21′22″W / 40.65682903045693°N 75.35622773495402°W / 40.65682903045693; -75.35622773495402
CountryUnited States
StateFlag of Pennsylvania.svg  Pennsylvania
County Northampton County, Pennsylvania.gif Northampton
Best's General Store opens1889
Absorbed into Bethlehem 1904-1920
Founded byWilliam H. Best

Macada was a former village in Northampton County Pennsylvania located adjacent to the then borders of the then Borough of Bethlehem. The village started life as a loosely defined farming community across the entire norther border of the borough until 1889 when William H. Best opened a general store which became the de-facto village center. [1] By 1895 Best's general store also operated as a post office. [2] The village was geographically close to Altonah, with the exact borders between the two villages being poorly defined. When Best chose to name his post office he initially wanted to name it after the older and more established Altonah, however, he decided that the name was too similar to Altoona. At the same time the Nazareth Pike was being paved with Macadam, so Best named the village Macada. [3] The village would be annexed by Bethlehem during it's consolidation effort between 1904 and 1920 alongside Altonah and Hottlesville. [4] Best's general store would remain open until 1982 when it no longer became profitable. The lot would remain abandoned until 2015 when a pre-school, the Lightbridge Academy, was built on its site. [5] Today all that remains of Macada is Macada street. [1]

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Altonah was a former village in Northampton County Pennsylvania located one mile north of the then borders of Bethlehem. The village's name is said to be a corruption of the German phrase "all zu nähe" or "all too near" referencing its close proximity to Bethlehem and the fact that the village was inhabited by German settlers. On September 5, 1832 Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied rode through the village during his travels from Mauch Chunk to Nazareth and noted that the village used to have a large Moravian population. In 1877 the village consisted of 16 dwellings. In 1895 a post office was opened near where the village was located. The post office was initially going to be named Altonah, in reference to the village, but was instead named Macada and become the center of a village in its own right. The village would be annexed by Bethlehem during its consolidation effort between 1904 and 1920 alongside Macada, Hottlesville, and Shimersville. The only remaining reference to the village is Altona road in Bethlehem.

References

  1. 1 2 Rehm, Jason. "THE STREETS OF BETHLEHEM". lvpnews.com. Archived from the original on 11 July 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  2. ↑ "WILLIAM H. BEST". The Morning Call . Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  3. ↑ "Bethlehem's Best General Store to be demolished". The Morning Call . Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  4. ↑ Grygiel, Phillips Preiss. "Preservation Plan for the City of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania" (PDF). bethlehem-pa.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  5. ↑ Radzievich, Nicole. "Pre-school, personal care facility OK'd for 'Besty's' property in Bethlehem". The Baltimore Sun . Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
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