USA > Pennsylvania > Fayette County > Connellsville > Centennial history of the borough of Connellsville, Pennsylvania, 1806-1906 > Part 20
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37
Caleb Trevor never married, but made his home with his brother. For a while he was associated with one of the Gibsons in the iron business, but never gave up his interest in the store. Samuel Trevor was one of the most capable and public-spirited men of his day. His name is associated with every important public movement in the town. It was chiefly due to his influence that the First Baptist church of Connellsville was, organized in 1796. He was a man of versatile character and was twice elected to the State Legislature. He was the father of seven chil- dren, John B., Joseph, Caleb, Jr., Samuel J., Sarah, Mary and Susan. His eldest son, John B. Trevor, inherited the business ability of his father, serving as the local post- master for a number of years; as State Treasurer from 1820 to 1822, and as Prothonotary of Fayette county from 1822 to 1824. He was the first cashier of the Connells- ville Navigation Company, the first banking institution established in the town, serving from 1816 to 1819, when he was succeeded by his brother, Caleb Trevor, Jr. Upon the death of the elder Trevors, (Samuel, dying July 26, 1820, and Caleb, March 22, 1821), the store was conducted by the two youngest sons of Samuel Trevor, Samuel Jr., and Caleb Jr., under the name of the original firm. Sam- uel Jr., was a man of considerable popularity, the first captain of the Youghiogheny Blues, and was generally known as Captain Trevor. He married a daughter of Colonel Isaac Meason, Jr., and in 1829, removed to Cin- cinnati, Ohio. After his departure the store was conducted by his brother Caleb, until the year 1836, when he too removed to the west. It is said that Caleb's removal was
297
MERCHANTS OF FOUR GENERATIONS
due to the influence of his wife, a Philadelphia woman of considerable culture, who was never satisfied with his quiet home on the Yough. The last of the Trevors to leave the community was Doctor Joseph Trevor who practiced medicine in New Haven until 1867, when he removed to New York. For a number of years the Trevor store was the business center of the community. The town was not large, but the country people for miles around came here to do their trading. Butter and eggs, pork and poultry, wool and flax, wheat and corn and all kinds of country produce were received at the store. Nine-tenths of the business was done without the exchange of a single dol- lar. The produce was sometimes turned into cash by sell- ing it to the furnace men, sometimes it was sent to the Pittsburgh markets. Very little silver money was in circu- lation, and much of the paper currency was of such a fluc- tuating value that business men did not care to handle it.
In 1816 the Borough of Connellsville issued currency of its own, but this was soon withdrawn. From 1816 to 1831 the Connellsville Navigation Company took care of the money market, but for the next forty years the town was without banking facilities of any kind. The third store established in Connellsville was that of Daniel Rogers, who began business in an old log house on South Water street in 1798. This store was convenient for the country people, who brought their wheat and corn to the old grist mill on the island, and was well patronized. In 1806, Mr. Rogers built a substantial brick house on the corner of Main street, nearly opposite the entrance to the old wooden bridge across the Yough, and here he con- ducted a general store for a number of years. This prop- erty is now known as the Banning House and is the oldest business block now standing in the town. Like all the other merchants of that period, Mr. Rogers did not give his entire time to the store. It was often allowed to run itself while he was busy with other things. For a while he was engaged in the paper business in South Connells-
298
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF CONNELLSVILLE
ville; later he gave his attention to cattle raising on his New Haven farm. His successor in business was Jacob Lobengier, who kept the store for a short time and was succeeded by William Lytle, who was the proprietor for two years. In 1828 the property changed hands and was converted into a tavern. From 1818 to 1820, Stewart H. Whitehill kept a little store where the Smith House now stands, but never did much business. It is said of hin that he would frequently lock up his store on warm after- noons and go out to see the boys play ball. He was finally sold out by the sheriff.
Lester L. Norton, the pioneer of the coke industry, kept a small store on West Main street for several years for the benefit of the workmen in his filling mill and foun- dry, but never made any attempt to build up a large gen- eral trade. James Nixon also had a small store on the same street several years earlier.
Still another pioneer merchant was Elisha Clayton, who had a store where the First National Bank now stands. While he kept the store his two daughters, Mary and Harriet, carried on the millinery trade in a private room in the same house. So far as we can learn they were the pioneer milliners of the town. Mr. Clayton remained in business here up to the time of his death, in 1836, when the store passed into the hands of his son-in- law, Crawford Vance, and when Mr. Vance gave it up in order to become the manager of the John T. Hogg bank, it was taken by Doctor Joseph Rogers, who ran it for two years and then went to Fayette furnace to engage in the iron business.
When Caleb Trevor, Jr., retired from the brick store in 1836, he was succeeded by Thomas Ewing, who came here with his father from Uniontown Pa. About the year 1845, they vacated this room and moved to a brick house that had been built by James Lafferty on the corner where the Title and Trust Building now stands. Here they con- ducted a general store for about five years, during which
1
THE OLDEST BUSINESS BLOCK IN CONNELLSVILLE (Built in 1806)
300
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF CONNELLSVILLE
time their location was given a name that has not been forgotten to this day and is not likely to be forgotten for generations to come. The Ewings were great Democrats, and the political discussions that took place in their store room sometimes grew so hot and sulphurous that it was called "Brimstone corner" by the townspeople. At the time the name was treated as a political joke, but today no Connellsvillian thinks of using any other.
The commanding figure in the business history of this early period, the man who succeeded in absorbing the larger part of the trade of the community and holding the same position in the popular esteem as the elder Trevors in previous years, was Alexander Johnston. Mr. Johnston was a native of Ireland who came to America at the age of nineteen. At first he located on Chartiers creek in Washington county; then he came to the Yough region. He had no settled home, but made Jones Mills, in West- moreland county, his headquarters, from which point he peddled dry goods ali over this part of the country. His good nature, strict integrity and Irish wit made for him hundreds of friends, and he was welcome in many homes. After a time he was able to save enough money to buy a horse and light wagon and did a larger business than ever. He would send out the word in advance-"Cheap Alex is coming with his big yard stick," and the people would wait for his coming. Being of quite a frugal dis- position he saved a considerable sum of money so that in 1810 he was able to buy a good brick property in Con- nellsville and open up a permanent store. To the west of this brick building and on the same lot was a log house in which lived Daniel Hood with his large family of nine boys and one girl. One of these boys, A. W. Hood, was taken into the Johnston home when he was only ten years of age and has given us a description of how business was done in the Johnston store. The store room was rather narrow, with shelves along the wall on both sides, admit- ting but one long counter. All the goods were brought
301
MERCHANTS OF FOUR GENERATIONS
by teamsters from Philadelphia and Baltimore, whose large wagons with six horses would easily haul a hundred cwt. at a time. Among those who were engaged in this business at that time were Presley Whaley, Charles Walker, Jacob and George Buttermore. The speed of these big road teams was about fifteen miles a day, and two months were generally allowed for a trip from Con- nellsville to Baltimore and return. Mr. Johnston never kept a very large stock of goods in the store, perhaps never more than two thousand dollars' worth at one time. Three barrels of brown sugar and two bags of green coffee was considered a large invoice even of those staples. Fre- quently the stock of these things would run low, and then no one would be allowed to buy more than two or three pounds of each. Mr. Johnston usually made two trips to Philadelphia every year himself, to select goods for the store, making the journey on horseback. By having his horse shod on Saturday and taking an early start on Mon- day morning he could usually get to Philadelphia before the following Sunday and not be absent more than fifteen days on the trip. The money for the purchase of the goods was usually carried in the saddle bags. Profiting by his experience as a peddler, Mr. Johnston kept a team of his own and sometimes two out on the road trading with the country people. This kept the people in close touch with the store and built up trade. Sometimes the driver would do more business in a day on the wagon than the men in the store, but he never handled very much money. The team would leave the store in the morning with sugar, coffee, tea, calico and such things, some of which may have been ordered a day or two before, and come back in the evening without a dollar, but laden with butter and eggs, chickens and ducks and all kinds of country pro- duce. But the merchant was perfectly satisfied, for he expected to make a profit on his goods as well as on the produce. Even in the store very little cash money was handled, and when there was six or eight dollars in the
302
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF CONNELLSVILLE
cash drawer at the close of a days' business it was con- sidered very good. The larger part of this money was silver coin in the form of "levies" and "fippeny bits." Yough Bridge tickets were used as money for a number of years, circulating at their face value. Eggs were re- ceived at 3 cents a dozen, butter at 8 cents and dressed pork at 3 cents a pound. In the fall of the year great quantities of fresh pork, much of it in the form of stuffed sausage, would be received. This usually found a ready market among the furnace men. Much of the butter re- ceived was kegged and sent to Baltimore. A great deal of corn was received in trade, which was sold to the drove stands along the pike. The store was usually opened up about seven o'clock in the morning and kept open until nine o'clock at night. In the evening light was furnished by tallow candles, which stood on the counter. Few clerks were needed, Mr. Johnston and a boy usually taking care of the store. At meal time, all went to the dining-room together, and the door was left open so that customers who were in a hurry could make their wants known. At the beginning of his business career, Mr. Johnston sold whis- key over his counter at 25 cents a gallon, and frequently invited his customers to help themselves to the contents of the little brown jug, but in later years he became quite an ardent temperance man and the whiskey was put out. He was a man of strong character, one of the charter mem- bers of the Presbyterian church of Connellsville, and for a while paid one-half of the minister's salary. The older citizens still speak in glowing terms of his ardent patriotism during the Civil war. A war meeting was held in the Presbyterian church in 1862 at which he presided, and the young men of the community cheered him to the echo. He was married in 1812 to Miss Margaret Clark of Dunbar township, and was the father of six children-Joseph, William C., John R., Elizabeth (Mrs. Dr. Joseph Rogers), Nancy (Mrs. James Blackstone), and Margaret (Mrs. Daniel R. Davidson). In. 1846, he retired from business
THE OLD FRISBEE STORE
304
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF CONNELLSVILLE
and the management of the store was assumed by his eldest son, Joseph, who also retired in 1858.
In November, 1861, a new figure entered the business arena of Connellsville, who was to exert an even wider influence than Alexander Johnston. This was John D. Frisbee, who already had four years of experience in mer- chandizing among the gold seekers of California. The retirement of Joseph Johnston left a splendid business opening for an energetic young man, and Mr. Frisbee was quick to take advantage of it. In partnership with William Cooper and Co., wholesale grocers of Pittsburgh, he opened up the store, December 11, 1861, under the firm name of Frisbee, Cooper and Co. In 1865, Joseph John- ston was taken into the company, and the firm name be- came Frisbee, Johnston and Co. At the end of five years Mr. Johnston retired and the firm resumed its original name. From 1880 to 1897 the store was run under the name of John D. Frisbee, when general merchandizing was discontinued and the Frisbee Hardware Company organized. Mr. Frisbee, at the beginning of his business career, adopted a number of the policies of the Johnston store and by sheer energy made them productive of wealth. He established rural routes and sent out his store wagons in all directions. For a long time he kept two teams on the road, one following a route north of the river, the other to the south. Both teams required two full days to make their round trip. In a few years the name of John D. Frisbee was known far and wide. Several men from Somerset county, working independently, brought regu- larly large quantities of country produce to the Frisbee store. The store never did much advertising, for the wagons alone were the best of advertisers. These teams, in the course of a week, would gather in an enormous quantity of country produce, a single wagon sometimes bringing in more than six hundred dozen of eggs at one time. As the town grew in size the local demand for this produce became greater. The housewives soon learned to
305
MERCHANTS OF FOUR GENERATIONS
know the fine quality of the Pennsylvania Dutch butter that was brought in by the Somerset county wagons, and frequently there would be more than fifty dinner plates in the store, each one bearing a slip of paper marked with the name of the owner, waiting for a print of Somerset county butter. All the various kinds of produce gathered up by the Johnston wagons were also brought into the Frisbee ware rooms and prepared for the market. In addition to these, old rags, shingles, cooper stuff, locust posts and lum- ber of various kinds were received in trade. Sometimes there would be tons of these old rags stored up in the ware- house awaiting shipment. The lot on the northwest corner of Pittsburgh and Main streets was then owned by Mr. Frisbee, and on the rear end of this the lumber received in trade was stored until it could be sold. For a number of years the Frisbee store was the leading business house in all this section of country. It was divided into five apartments, and required from twelve to fifteen employees for its operation. The hours of business were from seven in the morning to ten at night, and there was but little wasted time. A bookkeeper was employed all the time, for a large credit business was done, especially with the farming people to whom a credit of six and eight months was frequently given. The first clerks employed by the store were, A. W. Hood and W. S. Hood, two brothers, whose experience in the Johnston store enabled them to render quite valuable service. Among the many employees of this store, in addition to the two above named, were J. C. Stimmell, Henry Wagner, Clem Woods, Clark Mc- Guire, Robert Galloway, James Green, Samuel R. Long, Hiram Herbert, Joseph Herbert, W. E. Barnett, Clarence Morton, William Eccles, Samuel Zimmerman, James Hazen, Cash Malcolm, James Barnett, Judson Ritchey, Alonzo Norton, W. H. Soisson, Walker E. Francis, Wil- liam F. Soisson, Abe Stouffer, Arkie Murrie, John Shal- lenberger, S. E. Frock, Amzi Nichol, Grant Nichol, Wal- ter Burchinal, Albert Smith, John A. Green, Herman
306
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF CONNELLSVILLE
Englehart, John Hair, Robert Grim, Samuel Drew, Wil- liam Stetson, Harry Jennings, Wilson Hamilton, John Dickson, Edward Turner, McLain Crossland, Joseph Meyerchak, Robert Sydow, James Nelson, Daniel Wilhelm, Edward Lyons, Charles Clark, Harry Seaton, A. D. New- ell, John Halloway, Byron Porter, Thomas Mahan, George Reed, Robert Halloway, George Freed, Herman Otto, Her- bert C. Frisbee, Albert Vance, Lee Snyder, and Misses Sadie Port, Laura Robbins, Blanche Robbins, Emma Cunningham, Maggie Thomas, Sarah Levine, Mary Herbert, Emma Fris- bee, Annie Egan, Sarah Quinn, Elizabeth White, Sue White and Katie Guiler.
Mr. Frisbee did all his own buying and frequently made four trips a year to Philadelphia and New York for this purpose. For a while Miss Emma Frisbee, his daugh- ter, accompanied him and assisted in the selection of the dry goods. Traveling salesmen were unknown in the busi- ness world of 1860, and every merchant was required to select his own stock.
Mr. Frisbee has taken an active interest in a num- ber of other affairs, was one of the prime movers in the organization of the First National Bank, in 1876, was elected as its first president and has held the position ever since. He is one of the central figures in the business history of the town.
Nearly all the general stores of fifty years ago carried a limited stock of drugs and patent medi- cines, but of course made no pretension of com- pounding prescriptions or doing a regular drug business. The pioneer druggist of the town was Ebenezer Smith, who started in business about the year 1828 in a room on the corner of Meadow alley and Main street. He was a phar- macist of the old school, made all his own pills and other preparations from the raw materials, mixed and sold great quantities of horse powders, and compounded medicines of almost every description for the healing of both man and beast. His successors at the same stand were David S. Knox, Michael Lore and John Scott, who found it profitable to add a full line of dry goods and groceries to their stock.
307
MERCHANTS OF FOUR GENERATIONS
D. S. Knox was the druggist who began the manufacture of McClane's Liver Pills, after the formula of Dr. Charles McClane, a local physician. These three men were in part- nership under the firm name of Scott, Knox and Lore in 1832, when Noble C. McCormick bought out their stock and established himself in business in a frame building that stood on the corner now occupied by the Second National Bank. About the year 1858, Mr. McCormick removed his stock to the adjoining building, and his son-in-law, James N. Walker, kept a drug store in the old corner building from 1858 to 1877, when he removed to the West. In 1865 Harry C. McCormick, son of Noble McCormick, entered the drug business, buying out the store of William McCray in the old Herbert building. In 1867 he became a partner in the firm of Noble C. McCormick and Company in general merchandise. On November 10, 1876, he secured full con- trol of the store, sold out the dry goods and groceries at public auction and kept only the drugs, in which position he remained until 1901, when he sold the property to F. A. Kail and removed to Rockwood, Pa.
Another of the early druggists of the community was Provance McCormick, a great-grandson of Colonel William Crawford. Mr. McCormick was a carpenter by trade, but, having been injured, looked about for another calling and concluded that he would undertake the drug business. No- ticing an advertisement of a Mckeesport druggist offering his stock and fixtures for sale, he bought them and opened up the store in company with his son, Joseph T. McCormick, in his property on Water street. The firm was known as P. McCormick and Son, and remained in business from 1852 to 1875. On February 27, 1866, Joseph T. McCor- mick purchased an interest in the McGrath and Winslow car shops, but still kept the drug store and there did all his clerical work. Their successor was C. N. Boyd, who kept the store from 1876 to 1879, and then sold out to J. C. Moore, who has been in business at the old stand ever since.
308
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF CONNELLSVILLE
Another of our veteran druggists is Frank Huston, who came to Connellsville in 1871, and opened up his store in the room he still occupies. His brother, the late Henry C. Huston, came with him, and occupied one-half of the store room with men's clothing. An examination of the old prescription files of this store shows that Mr. Huston did a large prescription business, the local physicians at that time having quite generally given up the practice of compound- ing their own medicines. In this store the first plate-glass front of Connellsville was established, and for some time was quite an object of curiosity. During the last fifteen years the methods of conducting the drug business have greatly changed. It is no longer possible for carpenters to give up their trade and go to work selling drugs. Only thoroughly qualified men are admitted to the profession under the law, and the local pharmacies have been advanced to the highest standard. Among those who have engaged in the drug business here, in addition to those whose names' have already been mentioned, we note the following: Eli C. Suter, George Booher, Doctor Morrison, Webb Baer, Homer Hargrave, F. E. Markell and Brother, H. P. Berry- hill, Albert Evans, A. A. Clarke, Graham and Newcomer, Keaggy Brothers and H. A. Barclay.
The pioneer silversmith of the town was Robert Mc- Guire, whose bright eyes and eagle-like countenance are yet vividly recalled by our older business men. His chief occu- pation was the manufacture of silver spoons, in which art he was an adept. These spoons were usually made out of Spanish silver dollars and were sold at $2.50 each.
Another of these early silversmiths was John Wood- cock, some of whose handiwork can still be seen in the homes of the older families of town.
About the year 1834 a clock-maker by the name of Jacob Conrad located here, but remained only a short time.
The first regular jewelry store was opened by Alexan- der B. Morton, in June, 1845. He was a native of Scotland and a skilled workman, having served a full apprenticeship
1
SOUTH PITTSBURGH STREET IN 1855
310
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF CONNELLSVILLE
of seven years in order to learn his trade. When he came to Connellsville, Alexander Johnston said to him: "Mr. Morton, you're the verra mon we want. Stay with us." And Mr. Morton stayed. He started up in a little room on the corner of Meadow alley and Main street. He did all kinds of fine repairing, and also kept a fair stock of watches, clocks, jewelry, musical instruments and notions of various kinds, buying his goods in New York City. In 1846 he moved into the Trevor building, on the corner of Arch street, where he remained until 1851, when he purchased the building now occupied by Davidson's grocery from Alexander Johnston, remodeled the lower story for business purposes and lived with his family in the other part. Here he remained until 1887, when he sold out to A. W. Bishop, the present occupant. Like all the other merchants of that day, Mr. Morton was compelled to accept wheat, corn and other country produce in lieu of cash. Some of his clock trades now seem quite amusing.
The first year after he located here, another jewelry store was started by Jacob Stahl, but he only remained about two years. For a number of years he was the only jeweler in the town. E. V. Goodchild and Charles H. Ways were his first real competitors, and they did not go into business until in the seventies.
C. M. Hyatt entered the field in 1882, and Mr. Morton was then almost ready to retire. A partial list of the other jewelers of the town's history is as follows: Mrs. C. H. Ways, C. L. Clark, Mrs. C. L. Clark, Jacob Strouse, Charles Matthias, Sylvester Coyle, C. T. Giles, A. B. Kurtz, Wil- liam Herzberg and Messrs. Whitsett, Smith, Ross, New- comer and Nesbit.
In early days the shoe business was altogether in the hands of the shoemakers. Factory-made shoes were almost unknown until about the year 1859. Connellsville people seemed to take quite naturally to shoe making, and made the greater portion of the boots and shoes of the Yough region. In the year mentioned, John D. Boyle, of Union-
Â
THE JOHN K. BROWN SHOE SHOP AND HOME East Main Street
312
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF CONNELLSVILLE
town, opened up a shoe store on East Main street, with Thomas M. Fee as manager, in which he offered factory- made shoes for sale at prices so much lower than those offered by the local shoemakers as to bring about a revolu- tion in the shoe business. The shoemakers seemed to real- ize that their trade was gone and there was quite a scramble to adjust themselves to the new conditions. The large num- ber of shoemakers who enlisted in the army in 1861 and 1862 may be partly accounted for in this way. John D. Boyle, the man who started this little business ferment, kept the store but a few months, when he sold out to Joseph M. Lytle, who gave Mr. Fee an interest in it and retained him as manager. They kept the factory-made shoes and also employed a number of local shoemakers to work for them, among whom may be mentioned John K. Brown. Hugh L. Cameron, William H. Shaw, George O'Brien, Thomas Moreland and Jacob Wible. In 1864 the stock was sold to Mrs. Elizabeth McBride, who opened up a store on West Main street. When Thomas M. Fee returned from the war he went into business for himself in a little basement room on East Main street, where Rockwell Marietta now lives, that had been occupied for a number of years by "Auntie Hare," with her tempting stock of candies, cookies, hot gingerbread and home-brewed beer. Here he remained until his growing business compelled him to move to a larger room farther up the street. In addition to the shoes he also kept a full line of trunks and hats. Twice every year he was compelled to make the trip to New York and Boston in .order to replenish his stock. He retired from business in 1870.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.