USA > Pennsylvania > Armstrong County > Armstrong County, Pennsylvania her people past and present, embracing a history of the county and a genealogical and biographical record of representative families, Volume I > Part 52
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The assessment returns for 1913 show : Number of acres, 1, 14614, valued at $26,779; houses and lots, 24, value, $2,730, average, $88.75 ; horses, 24, value, $940, average, $49.47 ; cows, 22, value, $510, average, $23.18; taxable occupations, 78, amount, $2,695 ; total valuation, $33,054. Money at interest, $24,- 250.
SCHOOLS
Since 1910 the schoolhouse in Hovey town- ship has been abandoned, the scholars attend- ing the Parker City school nearest to them. The report of the county superintendent for 1913 shows that there were then 18 male and 24 female scholars in attendance from this township. The average attendance was 38, the cost per month for each scholar, $1.61; tax levied, $535.71; received from the State, $202.12; from other sources, $636.68; value of schoolhouse, $500 : expended for teachers' wages, fuel, fees, etc., $577.47.
The school directors of the township are: P. E. Gerber, president ; C. D. Elliott, secretary; W. E. Robinson, treasurer ; M. C.
ALTITUDE
The highest point in Hovey township is a hill on the western line of Butler county, about the center of the township, north and south,
In 1880 the inhabitants of Hovey num- bered 589; in 1890, 346; in 1900, 241 ; in 1910, and is 1,440 feet above sea level.
CHAPTER XXXVII PERRY TOWNSHIP
REDUCED IN AREA-SLOWLY SETTLED-FIRST INDUSTRIES - OIL DEVELOPMENT - QUEENSTOWN - SCHOOLS-POPULATION-GEOLOGY
Perry township was formerly a part of Sugar Creek township, and was organized in 1845. In 1870 that portion lying north of Bear creek was removed and formed into Hovey township. Owing to their rugged and · hilly character, the lands lying west of the Allegheny in the northern part of Armstrong county were little sought by the pioneers of western Pennsylvania; consequently few set- tlements were made in the limits of Perry until the other townships had been pretty well filled up.
A few courageous spirits located here in 1796, subsisting largely upon game at first, and as their sharp axes, wielded by stout arms, made a perceptible impression upon the prime- val forests, here and there small fields ap- peared to brighten the gloomy aspect of the mountain sides and valleys.
Four Campbell brothers, Charles, James, Robert and Samuel, each located 400 acres, which were settled by William Love and others. Love sold out to John Binkerd, who came with his father and mother from the
John Lowrie, a Scotchman, settled in But- ler county, near Emlenton, in 1796. His land extended into Armstrong county and included the upper end of Hovey. He was the father of the late Senator Walter Lowrie. Another son, Hon. Matthew B. Lowrie, was a promi- nent citizen of Pittsburgh, and the father of the late Judge Lowrie of the Supreme court.
A Revolutionary soldier named Joseph Thom was another pioneer settler of this township, and built the first sawmill in this part of the county, on the run which later bore his name.
In 1873 a strong iron bridge was built over the Allegheny river to Foxburg, in Clarion county. James Fowler and the Fox estate were the largest stockholders. The total cost was $64,000. The Pittsburgh & Western rail- road bought it in 1882 for $50,000, but later replaced it with a wooden one, which was destroyed in a freshet. When the road passed into the hands of the Baltimore & Ohio road Holland, J. M. Bell. it replaced the old structure with another wooden one, now standing.
POPULATION
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
eastern part of the State. His son, Dr. A. H. Binkerd, of Cincinnati, afterward became a prominent physician of Parker.
Land values were rather low in those days, for Christophel Truby, or "Stophel," as he was generally known, tried to sell "Dogwood Flat," which contained over 200 acres, to John Binkerd for a small black horse, but the deal fell through. He finally sold out, moved to Catfish and there died, leaving no children.
Jacob Truby was likewise an early settler, but unlike his brother, Stophel, had a large family. Four of his daughters, Mrs. Rum- baugh, Mrs. Sybert, Mrs. Barger and Mrs. Walley, resided for many years in the neigh- borhood and have left sons and daughters who are among the most prominent citizens of the county.
William Parker built the first gristmill in this part of the county on Bear creek, nearly a mile from its mouth. William Love built a log mill for Stophel Truby on Binkerd's run, and it was afterward conducted by Bar- net Fletcher. These mills saved the settlers long horseback rides to Westmoreland county and were a great convenience.
About 1797 Isaac Steele came from West- moreland and took up a tract in the woods, bringing his wife and two children on horse- back by means of packsaddles. He had made a bargain with Michael Shakeley for a house and land, but after being refused admittance and breaking in the door with a mallet they finally settled the matter, and Steele entered another tract. Mr. Steele resided in this town- ship all of his life, and left a family of eight children, two of whom were living in 1880.
George Knox, whose descendants are very numerous in Armstrong and Butler counties, was one of the earliest pioneers of old Sugar Creek township. He had one of the first or- chards in the new settlement and visitors came many miles to test the quality of his fruit. Not infrequently were these visits made with- out the knowledge or consent of the proprietor of the orchard. He manufactured apple and peach brandy, which articles were in great demand.
Thomas Miller and Jacob Edinburg were the first settlers at Miller's Eddy. Dr. Simeon Hovey was also the proprietor of considerable land in that neighborhood.
About 1808 Jonathan Hyle came from West- moreland county with his family and located on land adjoining the Steele tract. The family lived seven weeks in a wagon while a cabin was being erected.
Jolın Beatty, Daniel Revere, Gideon Gib- son, Henry Byers, Samuel and William Craw- ford and David Hutchison were also early settlers. A man named Foster was the first settler on a farm afterward owned by David White, who is noted as the first to erect a frame house. Previous to then everyone lived in log houses.
OIL DEVELOPMENTS
The oil developments in this township from 1870 produced many changes. Many old resi- dents disposed of their farms and moved away. Others remained, and received in one year such incomes as the results of scores of years of labor in tilling the soil had not produced. The little oil village of Criswell sprang up on the farm of James A. Parker and Sidney Crawford. All the wells in that vicinity are fourth-sand wells, and two of them were very large. A few in this township are still pro- ducing, though the yield is small.
QUEENSTOWN
This little borough was named after John Queen, who located there in 1848. He had been preceded by Daniel Day and Abraham Teegard and their families. Teegard was a farmer. Day worked for the Brady's Bend Iron Company, building houses for their em- ployees at that point.
The first houses built in the place were the log buildings of Day and Teegard. Day's cabin stood on a six-acre lot, afterward owned by Rev. David R. Davis. Teegard's house stood where Richard Jennings lived in 1880. No regular survey of lots was ever made, but pieces of land were sold to purchasers as they were wanted, by J. Queen, R. Jennings and Daniel Day, who owned the land now com- prised in the borough. These lots were taken up by employees of the Brady's Bend Iron Works, and in a few years Queenstown be- came a small but flourishing village.
The first store was opened by Richard Jen- nings, who was interested in the Brady's Bend Iron Works, and came from Cornwall, Eng- land, in 1851. The next store was started by John Queen, who followed carpentry for a time after his arrival here. The third store was established in that year (1866) by M. H. J. Mildron, and after his death, in 1867, was conducted by his brother, William J. Mildron. All these stores did a thriving busi- ness in those days, before the failure of the iron works.
266
HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
The first hotel, opened in 1852 by James E. D. Jennings, president ; E. M. Queen, sec- Morley, was later conducted by Richard Mil- retary; W. J. Mildron, treasurer; Joseph Blatt, J. L. Mildron, R. J. Mildron. dron and Thomas Jennings. Jennings' daugh- ter, Mrs. Mitchell, afterward ran it till the late eighties.
Here, in 1853, a steam gristmill was erected by Queen, Jennings and Daniel Evans, being operated by them until 1866. J. L. Mildron was the last owner.
The first blacksmith, Giles Morgan, came to Queenstown during the first days of its settlement, and spent the rest of his life there.
Oil production, while it did not greatly in- crease the population of Queenstown, mate- rially aided its business interests. The Arm-
strong well, on the Mildron farm, was the tions, 38, amount, $785; total valuation,
first producing well struck in the neighbor- $12,615. hood. This well began flowing April 17, 1870. It caught fire and burned three or four days. Good judges estimated the first day's flow at one thousand barrels. Other wells were soon completed in the vicinity of Queenstown, some of which are still producing. In 1872, Charles Phillips began manufacturing all kinds of oil producers' implements at Queenstown. He employed from eight to ten men, and carried on a very successful business until 1881, when he moved away.
The first schoolhouse in Queenstown was erected soon after the borough was incorpor- ated, and continued to be used until 1876, when a better one took its place. The new school- house was erected partly by subscription and partly by taxation. It was two stories in height, the lower story used for school pur- poses, and the upper part as a place for pub- lic worship, free to all religious denominations. There are no churches in the place. A Catho- lic church, erected in 1845, was occupied until 1864, when its congregation united with other churches more conveniently situated.
The last report of the schools here in 1910, the year the charter was revoked, gives a logi- cal reason for the submersion of the town. There were but fifteen scholars in attendance, yet the monthly expense of imparting the necessary knowledge to each of them was the highest in the county-$4.45.
In 1910 the number of schools was I ; aver- age months taught. 7 ; male teacher, I ; salary, $40; male scholars, 6; female scholars, 9; average attendance. II : cost per month, $4.45 : tax levied. $211.83; received from State, $156.19: other sources, $248.74; value of schoolhouse, $1,400; teachers' wages, $280; fuel, fees, etc .. $77.78.
Queenstown is situated on Whisky run, a tributary of Sugar creek, in the extreme south- eastern part of the township. In 1860 the population was 119; in 1870, 201; in 1880, 217; in 1890, 123; in 1900, 69; in 1910, when it was deprived of its charter, the inhabitants numbered but 72.
The assessment returns for 1910 show : Number of acres, 349, valued at $8, 185 ; houses and lots, 18, value, $3,130, average, $173.88; horses, II, value, $335, average. $30.45; cows, 12, value $180, average, $15; taxable occupa-
SCHOOLS
Before the free school system was adopted the schoolhouses of this township were few and far apart. Many of the children walked many miles daily to attend the schools of But- ler county. One of the first schools was started by James Hunter on his farm near Queenstown. He was well patronized, as he was jovial and kindly. Edward Jennings was also a teacher, at the old Peters schoolhouse.
In 1870 a combination building was built at Miller's Eddy for the use of religious de- nominations and also for school purposes.
Most of the buildings in use at present are located at or near the sites of the old ones, as the custom of going to certain points has become fixed in the minds of the population, and the school property is usually retained through all the vicissitudes of time.
Reports of the old schools are not available, so that of the present year is the only one supplied.
In 1913 the number of schools was 5; aver- age months taught, 7; female teachers, 5 ; av- erage salaries, female, $42.00; male scholars, 65, female scholars, 47; average attendance, 80; cost per month, $2.32 ; tax levied, $1,374 .- 68; received from State, $705.18; other sources, $1.960.63 ; value of schoolhouses, $6,- 165 ; teachers' wages, $1.470; fuel, fees, etc., $773.23.
The school directors are: Reuben Hager- son, president ; Oliver Hilles, secretary ; J. H. Binkerd, treasurer; John Fisher, George Wagner.
"Hillville" is a settlement in the southeast- ern part, in a deep bend of the Allegheny, and Fredericksburg is located on Binkerd's run in
The school directors for that vear were: the southwestern part of the township.
267
HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
POPULATION
The population of Perry township in 1850 was 709; in 1860, 991 ; in 1870, 3,877 ; in 1880, $4,885; total valuation, $171,801. Money at 1,309; in 1890, 938; in 1900, 656; in 1910, interest, $17,371.32. 594.
These statistics of population form a re- markable barometer of the state of existence of the township in various periods. The rise and decline of the oil industry can be readily traced.
The assessment returns for 1913 show : Number of acres, 8,8271/2, valued at $138,575 ; houses and lots, 55, value, $6,059, average.
$110.16; horses, 139, value, $3,175, average, $22.84; cows, 127, value, $1,515, average, $11.92; taxable occupations, 311 ; amount,
GEOLOGY
The geological formation of this township is practically similar to that of Madison. The highest point is located between the head- waters of Pine creek and Binkerd's run, in the extreme southeastern portion of the town- ship, and is 1,545 feet above the sea.
CHAPTER XXXVIII
BRADY'S BEND TOWNSHIP
SHORTENING A RAILROAD - CAPT. SAMUEL BRADY - SETTLERS - KAYLOR - INDUSTRIES-THE BRADY'S BEND IRON WORKS-A SAD FINANCIAL WRECK-CHURCHES-PRESENT INDUSTRIES- SCHOOLS-POPULATION
The name of this township is derived from the immense serpentine loop of the Allegheny which forms its eastern boundary and causes the line of the Pennsylvania railroad to almost double upon itself in traversing the inner side
The township was organized in April, 1845, of the great bend. However, within a few from Sugar Creek, and the first election was months after the issue of this history, the held at the house of John R. Johnston, the result being the installation into office of the following citizens: Joseph King and John A. Thompson, justices of the peace; Daniel B. Balliet, constable; Andrew Kaylor and Andrew McKee, supervisors ; Ephraim Myers, judge of election ; George Duncan and William Hagerson, inspectors of election ; William H. Davis, Daniel Kemerer, Jacob Millison, Robert A. Phillips, John Truby and Simon Wiles, school directors; James E. Crawford and Thomas Donaldson, overseers of the poor ; Thomas S. Johnston, township clerk. trains will run through the great Kennerdell tunnel which is being blasted through the solid rock of the immense hill opposite Brady's Bend, at a cost of about $750,000. The tun- nell is 3,700 feet long and will .cut off a loop of seven miles. With the improved methods of rock cutting in these days it has taken about two years to accomplish work that in early days of railroading would have required six years' time, if it were even considered possible with the crude methods then in use. A town of several hundred people could be formed from the workers and their families, located around this tunnel.
This tunnel will complete the ruin of the little town of Brady's Bend, already the vic- tim of severe misfortune in the past, and will put the thriving borough of East Brady, Clarion county, on a side track. However, it is to be hopped that the Pittsburgh & Besse- mer road will see the advantage of extending its line through Brady's Bend and across the neighboring county, thus again putting the two towns on a main line.
the formerly populous town is attributed to a desire of the early settlers and their descend- ants to perpetuate the memory of Capt. Samuel Brady, the famous Indian fighter.
At the spring election, 1846, the result was : Daniel B. Balliet, constable; Peter Kemerer, judge of election; Leonard Rumbaugh and John Truby, inspectors of election; Andrew Kaylor and Andrew McKee, supervisors ; James Summerville, assessor; Joseph King and Matthias C. Sedwick, assistant assessors ; Hugh Moore and John Wiles, township audi- tors ; Samuel M. Bell, Daniel Kemerer, M. C. Sedwick, John A. Thompson and John Truby, school directors-there was a tie vote between Peter Brenneman and Joseph King; Thomas
The naming of the bend, the township and Donaldson, overseer of the poor-a tie vote
268
HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
between Jacob Millison, Patrick Mehan, An- by Joseph Forringer, and Jonathan Mortimer drew McKee and M. C. Sedwick ; Samuel M. Bell, township clerk; Thos. Donaldson and John Quinn, fence viewers.
SETTLERS
Settlers in what is now Brady's Bend town- ship, between 1784 and 1850, were: George King, Leonharte Kealor (later spelled Kay- lor), David Nixon, Abraham Yorkey, Adam Kemmerer, Jacob Allimong, John Richard, Jonathan King, Joseph Brown, John Spangler, Alexander Colwell, Daniel Forringer, James Forringer, Andrew Kealor, Samuel McCart- ney, Michael Barnhart, Isaac Myers, John Y. McCartney, John Wassol, Thomas Butler, John Linaberger, George Spangler, Henry Sy- bert, David Rumbaugh, Adam Sybert, John Truby, John Barnhart, Daniel Stannard, John Weil, Benjamin Swain, James Summerville, John Craword, Jonathan Mortimer, William Holder, F. W. Redmond, Jacob Millison, Philander Raymond, Jacob Hepler, John Den- niston, John Weems, Francis Lease, William Ferguson, Andrew Grinder, Matthew Pugh, Sebastian Sybert, William Benson, Thomas Hooks, James Barrickman, Paul Wolcot, Ran- dolph Lawrence, John Millison, Samuel Le Fevre, Peter Townsend, Philip Templeton, Dr. Elisha Wall.
KAYLOR
The first gristmill built in the township was that of Henry Sybert, on Sugar creek, in 1812. He added a sawmill later and after his death in 1830 it came into the hands of the Truby family. Around this mill by 1872 had grown up quite a settlement, with two stores and three hotels. When the Allegheny Western railroad, a branch of the Pittsburgh & Besse- mer, came through to Brady's Bend this be- came the thriving mining town of Kaylor. Peter Brenneman kept the first store there in 1874. In 1913 Kaylor has three stores, two hotels and a Baptist church, of which Rev. M. V. S. Gold is the pastor. Drs. G. A. Knight and C. B. McGogney are the resident physi- cians and C. B. McDonald is the constable. Kaylor acquired its name from Peter Kealor, who built the first sawmill on this tract in 1817.
INDUSTRIES
In other parts of the township John Richard was first assessed with a carding machine in 1822, the first fulling mill was started in 1844
erected the log gristmill on the run which was later called Holder's run, from William Holder, who several years afterward owned the mill and site. The first distillery in the township was assessed to Henry Sybert, Jr., in 1849. It was situated on the Allegheny near where the Great Western Distilleries plant is now located.
A sandstone quarry on the Allegheny, north of Brady's Bend, was operated in 1857 by John Harrison of Pittsburgh, under lease from William J. Criswell. Some of the stone from this quarry was used in building the jail at Kittanning. A sawmill stood near this quarry in that year. Criswell's granddaughter, Emma, is the wife of Everett C. Hoch of Kit- tanning.
The first schoolhouse in the township stood on the site of the one now called Pine Run school, and was built while yet within the limits of Sugar Creek township.
Before completing the statistics of the town- ship it will be necessary to give the history of the Brady's Bend Iron Company at the town of that name, as the entire wealth of the township was at one time concentrated in that place and the prosperity of the township, as well as that of the surrounding country, was dependent entirely upon these mills.
BRADY'S BEND IRON WORKS
Sugar creek empties into the Allegheny al- most in the western center of the great bend called Brady's, and as if in emulation of its larger parent makes a bend fully as severe just before the waters are mingled. This bend is at right angles with the river and at one point makes so sharp a turn that the shortest route to the town of Brady's Bend is across the steep hill which separates it from the river. The distance around the convolutions of the creek is about two and a half miles, while across the hill it is but three quarters of a mile.
Along these bends of Sugar creek were dis- tributed the various industries which made up the plant of the iron works. Beginning at the river came first the rolling mill and the ma- chine shop, then around the turn of the creek were the coke ovens, on the side of the vast hill, and just below them in the valley were the great stone and brick blast furnaces. The coal and iron mines were in the sides of the hills on both banks of Sugar creek. The lit- tle narrow-gauge railroad wound its tortuous way around the convolutions of the creekside.
The Great Western Iron Works commenced
REMAINS OF OLD FURNACE AT BRADY'S BEND
BRADY'S BEND IRON WORKS
PUBLIC LADMANY
ASTOR, LENOX TILDEN FOUNDATIONS
PULLIC LIRARY
ASTOR LENOX TILDEN FOUND TIONS
269
HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
operations at Brady's Bend in August, 1839, under charge of Philander Raymond. The company acquired possession of several hun- dred acres of land lying along the valley of Sugar creek, and in that year selected the site of the first blast furnace, which was com- pleted and blown in about Christmas of the following year. A merchant mill was also erected, the first intention being to manufac- ture merchant iron and nails. Several ma- chines for the latter purpose were erected, but on trial the iron was found not adapted for this branch of manufacture. The manufacture of strap rails was then commenced, and con- tinued until the dissolution of the Great West- ern Iron Company, in 1843.
The Brady's Bend Iron Company acquired possession of the property in 1844, erecting a second blast furnace, which was completed in 1845. The manufacture of strap rails was con- tinued till 1846, in the latter part of which year the works were altered for the manufacture of T-rails, which continued to be sole product during their succeeding operations. They were entitled to the credit of rolling the first T-rail made west of the Alleghenies.
Alexander Campbell, who rolled the first rail at these works, afterward at the Edgar Thomp- son Steel Works, in 1876, assisted in rolling a rail which was on exhibition at the Phila- delphia Centennial Exposition. The latter rail was 120 feet long and weighed 64 pounds to the yard.
With the exception of a short stoppage from the fall of 1848 to the summer of 1849, the works were in prosperous operation until 1858, when, owing to the death of the principal proprietor, they were completely shut down for five years. A new organization was effected in the fall of 1862, and work was commenced in all departments in February, 1863.
company had then acquired 6,000 acres of land for the mineral rights, holding title to the surface as well. These lands were valued at $65.63 an acre.
In 1872 there was a slight reduction in value to $889,176. In the next year, however, the storm broke. It was the '73 panic, and the mills could not weather the financial blast and closed down forever in October of that fatal year.
To show the rapidity with which misfor- tune crushes an industry, a few figures from the assessor's books are given. In 1874 the plant was valued thus: Four blast furnaces, rolling mill, machine shop, four oil wells and 6,000 acres of land, $282,663. 1878-Same plant and land, $158,702. 1879 Four fur- naces, $14,605; rolling mill, $10,954; machine shop, $2,191 ; wells were drying up. Total, $27,500.
In the assessor's book of 1879 is a sad docu- ment. It is the affidavit of F. W. Rhodes, agent for the trustees of the bondholders of the Brady's Bend Iron Company, in which he declares that the assessment of that year was excessive, as the plant had been completely dis- mantled, the machinery scrapped and sold for $5,000 as old iron, and nothing but the decay- ing buildings, a few portions of the boiler house and the tall stone chimney were left as mementoes of the great manufacturing plant. In 1880 there were left 10,000 tons of burned iron, valued at $10,000. It could not be sold for that sum, however.
So perished in the height of its success an industry which from a small beginning grew to great proportions in thirty-four years and was a blessing to the whole surrounding coun- try, giving employment to from 1,200 to 1,500 operatives, supporting a population of over 5,000, and benefiting not only Armstrong county, but the neighboring counties of Clarion and Butler. The output of coal for the sole use of these works rose to the aggregate of up- ward of 110,000 tons per annum; of ore, to over 70,000 tons. The product of the mill was shipped to all parts of the country, returning millions of dollars to enrich the laborer, and which, circulating through all the channels of trade, proved a source of wealth to hundreds not connected with the works. From a dense wilderness sprung up a town, built by the proprietors for their employees, of about seven hundred houses, with churches of every denomination, and schoolhouses which ranked with the best in the county for size and con-
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