George K. Broomhall

Who is George K. Broomhall?

George K. Broomhall was a brevet general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Originally from the town of Wayne, Maine, Broomhall is widely credited with the invention of cream soda.

Broomhall is generally considered to be Wayne's most famous resident. Broomhall never set foot in the "State of Maine," having enlisted in the military in 1817, training at Annapolis, Maryland, and eventually settling in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, after hostilities ended. He never returned to Wayne.

He is buried at Gott Cemetery on Gott Road in Wayne next to his wife Amelia, daughter Josephine, and son Augustus. The four were originally buried in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, but the bodies were exhumed in 1889 for Wayne's centennial festivities and brought to their current resting place. A small memorial was also erected there.