Williamsburg Sign Message: 'The Sky's the Limit'

“I just want the young people of our town, when they see the sign – that it could be them up there representing Williamsburg all around the world; for them – the sky is the limit,” former Williamsburg Mayor Bill Brantner said of the new sign coming to Williamsburg that features prominent Williamsburg residents.

Brantner served as Mayor from 2004-08, and has served as a tour manager for musical artist Ricky Lee for the last thirteen years.

“When I was traveling with him, I’d see all these signs coming into towns of the people who came from there, and I thought it would be a great idea,” Brantner said.

Four of the five featured on the sign were born in Williamsburg. Brantner also wanted to put the sign close to the Lower Trail, which is now part of the National Memorial Trail and 9/11 Trail.

“Hundreds, if not thousands, of people use the trail and my idea was to use the sign to let people know it’s our hometown, and those who went out and made a mark in other places – to honor their legacy,” Brantner said. “I also wanted to showcase a part of our history.”

The location is sentimental as well, as it is right across where the Williamsburg paper mill stood, and the one that brought the paper mill to Williamsburg – Charles Schwab – is one featured on the sign.

“The paper mill was there for 70 years – he brought lots of people to our town, and the legacy of his name lives on,” Brantner said.

When thinking of who he thought should be highlighted on the sign, Brantner said that he had one major stipulation.

“I want the ones featured to have went out in the world after Williamsburg and then made a name for themselves, and then it would be nice to recognize them for their accomplishments,” he said.

Those who ultimately were featured on the sign besides Schwab include

• Wilmer Stultz, who flew with Amelia Earhart

• Galen Hall, highly regarded football coach

• Bill Cramer – artist who took his chalk-art ministry up and down the East Coast, and who also founded the Williamsburg Historical Society

• Lt. Vaughn Lang, a three-star general who worked at the Pentagon under former President Ronald Reagan and was in charge of more than 60,000 troops.

At the bottom of the sign, Brantner wanted to put names of those who visited Williamsburg, and that it was recorded, in writing, that they in fact, visited.

Those visitors include Charles Dickens, Amelia Earhart, Lou Gordon, Henry Clay, James R. Leavelle, and Sam H. “King” Cole.

The process for the sign began with the Williamsburg Borough Council.

“I went to a meeting, asked for approval, showed them a sample and they thought it was a good idea,” Brantner said.

Brantner is also a member of the American Legion Flag Alliance, so his next step was to find funding. The Williamsburg American Legion took care of that, following a presentation by Brantner.

The aluminum sign was made at U.S. Municipal in Huntingdon, and Prough’s Masonry volunteered to do the installation a month ago.

“I just got to thank all of those groups again – the borough, the legion and Prough’s – I really couldn’t have done it without them,” Brantner said.

His next goal? Besides landscaping the area around the sign, next is to complete the back of the sign which will have the National Memorial Trail logo and give details of the Lower Trail.

“Things are happening very soon,” Brantner said.