from GRSNP eZine
November - December 2015


Nearly a century ago, the Elk Brand Nut Product Company existed in downtown
Wilkes- Barre. At the time, Elk Brand was the main rival to Planters
Peanuts. The company was founded by members of the Robbins family.

Two of the Robbins family names found are Seigel Robbins, founder and
president of Elk Brand and his son, Homer Seigel Robbins, who was the
company's vice president.  Also found is a 1925 full page newspaper ad and
a story about the company. A visit to the Luzerne County Historical Society
provided some information, but not enough to fully document the Elk Brand
Nut Product Company and the role the Robbins family played in the company's
success and its eventual demise.

The Robbins family also owned a "tea house" somewhere in the Pocono Mountains.
Researching with the various historical societies in the Scranton/Pocono
region has so far provided no leads as to the existence of a "tea house" that
did indeed exist.  If anyone knows anything or has memory of Wilkes-Barre's
Elk Brand Nut Product Company or any knowledge about tea houses in the
Pocono Mountains, your help is greatly appreciated. Please contact Tony
Ranella at Golden6727@aol.com and place Elk Brand Nut Product Company or
Pocono Tea Houses in the subject matter.