The Land on Barney Farms
In the very spot where Ollie’s Restaurant is sitting today, there used to be a large, working farm called Barney Farms. It was owned by Austrian immigrant Lesko Barney, who arrived at Ellis Island in 1883 with nothing more than a single wooden chest. With his two-week journey to America over, his travels continued westward until he finally settled in Edwardsville, Pa.

In 1905, Lesko purchased his first farm, which consisted of 14 acres on the south side of Northampton Street in Edwardsville. He eventually bought several more acres across the street in Kingston and decided to build a house before anything else. Soon thereafter, the property became the center of farming operations, including several barns, two large storage coolers, four greenhouses and approximately 12 flower beds.

In 1924, he expanded his farming operation to include 55 acres in Wilkes-Barre, followed by 200 acres in Plymouth in 1935. During its peak of operation, Barney Farms employed nearly 60 full-time workers and ran close to 30 trucks and tractors.