Seltzer’s celebrates local history with second annual Harvey Seltzer Day 

Seltzer’s Smokehouse Meats celebrated the second annual Harvey Seltzer Day on Saturday, May 24, to highlight its founder and history in Central Pennsylvania. Visitors could learn about the start of the Palmyra-based bologna brand, visit food trucks in the alleys behind the store, and tour the smokers.

Geneva Wagner, assistant purchasing manager and a member of the family, greeted guests in the museum to explain the collection. She said the artifacts are split into four sections for the four main owners of the company since its founding in 1902, 123 years ago.

Harvey Seltzer was the founder and first owner. Wagner said he launched the business with a family recipe for German sausage. Several years later, Seltzer’s received its establishment No. 474, which meant the U.S. Department of Agriculture had inspected its process.

“When you go to the store and you see that listed there, you can get an idea, generally, of how old a company is based on that,” Wagner said as she pulled out a photocopy of the letter Harvey Seltzer received informing him they were assigned an establishment number. “This is from 1909, and we are 474, which means we were within the first 500 companies in the U.S. to be inspected, which is cool, but if you look at the date, you realize it’s 1909, which means we have already been in business for seven years. We’ve been in business longer than the government has had a meat inspection company.”

The museum also has business ledgers outlining the amount of meat purchased and the cost, along with old newspaper articles and advertisements.

From the museum, guests could move on to the smokehouses. Everyone entering had to don a hairnet for cover before interacting with workers, asking questions, and even throwing wood onto the fires.

The alleys off of Railroad Street had multiple activities, including food trucks, free ice cream, and a collection of bounce houses for the kids.

Wagner said the day wasn’t just about the meat — they also wanted to celebrate the community that has kept them running.

“Without the community, we wouldn’t be here,” she said. “The community is our core demographic, and we support them in any way we can. One of the biggest things for Seltzer’s is to be community-driven and community-oriented. This event is to help celebrate the community and get them back in and get them to see the smokehouses and get to go through the tours and get to see the memorabilia.”

She said the special things about Seltzer’s that keeps customers coming back is the history.

“It’s about the story, it’s about the family, it’s about the fact that we’ve been here for 123 years,” Wagner said. “Yes, our food is delicious, but also, it’s how we interact with the community.”