Spain is an unincorporated area of Lykens Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania that was served by the Pillow Post Office, Dauphin County. It is located between the Mahantongo Creek (which is the boundary between Dauphin and Northumberland Counties) and the north face of the Mahantongo Mountain. John D. Troutman collected stories of Spain and some of them were published in the Klingerstown Bicentennial Album in 2007. This one is entitled “Meals on Wheels.”
Benjamin B. Leitzel, who died on December 23, 1816, lived in Lykens Township immediately west of Klingerstown on the land now owned by the Troutman brothers – where the county line separates Dauphin from Schuylkill County. He also had a store in Klingerstown, now the site of Albanus “Bench” Coleman’s residence.
Benjamin had a smoke house and was often robbed of its contents. Bacon and hams seemed to disappear slowly, but regularly, so he put a lock on the door thinking that this would solve the problem.
One day Benjamin came home to find not only were the hams stolen, but the whole smokehouse was gone! The building was later found – cut in half, some distance away “down Spain” west along the township road. “Applejack Wetzel got the blame.
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Smokehouse photo from a Specktown, Lykens Township collection. See:
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