Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 53

Author: McKee, James A., 1865- ed. and comp
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1526

USA > Pennsylvania > Butler County > Butler > Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th > Part 53

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

the average cost per month was $0.70 per capita. The tax levied for school purposes and building purposes that year was $69,- 912.02, and the state appropriation, $11,- 829.64. Fairview Township then had eleven schools exclusive of two in Fairview Bor- ough, two in Karns City and three in Pe- trolia. Butler Borough had nine schools; Greece City, one; Harmony, two; Harris- ville, two; Millerstown, six; Portersville, one; Prospect, two; Saxonburg, one; West Sunbury, one; and Zelienople, one.

In 1881 there were 260 schools in opera- tion, with 169 male, and 168 female teach- ers employed, at an average salary far ex- ceeding that of 1876. The total revenue that year was $82,245.56, and the total value of school property, $235,304.00.

The report for the year ending June 6, 1892, eleven years later, showed 289 school houses, 137 male and 211 female teachers, employed at an average salary of $37.20 for the former, and $33.24 for the latter. The total tax levy for school purposes that year was $87,384.98. The state appropria- tion was $22,204.48, and the total receipts from all sources, $123,894.50. Seventeen new public schoolhouses were built during this year.

The official report of the state superin- tendent of public instruction issued in Jan- uary, 1908, credits Butler county with 368 schools, ninety-four male teachers and 273 female teachers. The enrollment of schol- ars for the previous years was 12,952, and the average attendance was 10,104. The cost per capita per month was $1.71, and the length of the school year ranged from seven months in the country districts to

nine months in the borough of Butler, an average of 7 26-100 months. The aver- age salary paid male teachers was $52.55 per month, and that of female teachers, $41.66 per month. The amount received from taxes and all sources was $211,387.86, and the state appropriation amounted to $54,246.00. The different districts expend- ed $30,912.00 for new buildings, and $135,-

029.64 on teachers' salaries. The total ex- penditures of the county were $243,751.43, leaving a balance of $21,883.23. The re- sources in excess of the liabilities was $129,903.79.

The law requiring instruction in physi- ology and hygiene and the effects of alco- holic drinks in the pupil schools went into effect in 1885. This was followed by the free school-book law which went into effect in July, 1893. Under this law it is the duty of the directors to make provision for furnishing and equipping the schools with the text books and supplies generally need- ed by pupils for daily use in the schools. An act was passed in 1895 making attend- ance upon the public schools compulsory for children under the age of thirteen. The same year an act was passed authorizing the school board to provide libraries for the public schools and the high schools.

THE MINIMUM SALARY ACT.

The teachers' minimum salary bill was passed in May, 1907, fixing the minimum salary of teachers in the common schools of the state. This act provides that the salary of teachers holding professional, permanent, or normal school certificates shall not be less than $50.00 per month, and that the minimum salary of teachers hold- ing certificates of less grade, shall not be less than $40.00 per month. Under the act of 1893 providing for the establishing of high schools in cities, and boroughs, high schools were established in Butler Bor- ough, Mars, Evans City, Zelienople, and Bruin.

TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOLS.

Under the act of 1895 and the supple- mentary act of1907 authorizing the school board in the townships to establish high schools, there have been six high schools established in Butler County. The first district to take advantage of this act was Penn Township, and this was followed by Franklin, Muddycreek, Concord, Middle-

ST. PAUL'S PAROCHIAL SCHOOL, BUTLER

UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, BUTLER

NEW HIGH SCHOOL, BUTLER

FIRST BRICK SCHOOL BUILDING, BUTLER

SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, BUTLER

BROAD STREET SCHOOL, BUTLER

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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

sex, and Fairview Townships. The bor- oughs having high schools organized un- der this act are Mars, Harmony, Evans City, Zelienople, Harrisville, Chicora, and Bruin.

COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS SINCE 1856.

The acts of 1854 provided for the elec- tion of county school superintendents to serve for a term of three years. The first election was held in June of that year, at which Isaac Black was elected, and a sal- ary fixed at $300.00 per year. The names of those who have been elected since that time are as follows: Thomas Balph, 1857; Eugene Ferrero, 1860; Asa H. Waters, 1863; John Cratty, 1866; Samuel Glenn, 1869; Robert H. Young, 1872; J. B. Mat- thews, 1875; David F. McKee, 1878; J. H. Murtland, 1881; W. G. Russell, 1884; J. L. Snyder, 1887; W. G. Russell, appointed in 1888 to fill vacancy caused by Mr. Snyder's resignation. N. C. McCollough, 1890, re- elected in 1893; S. M. Cheesman, 1896; Howard I. Painter, 1899, re-elected in 1902; R. S. Penfield, 1905, re-elected in 1908.

The committee of Butler County on per- manent certificate appointed in 1907 for three years was composed of G. P. Weigle, of Prospect; Isaac M. Dyke, of Conno- quenessing Township; and Miss Mary C. O'Brien, of Butler.

BUTLER COUNTY TEACHERS' INSTITUTE.

On November 19, 1855, the Butler Coun- ty Teachers' Institute was organized with Isaac Black, county superintendent, presi- dent; A. J. Rebstock and Matthew Greer, vice-presidents; Thomas Balph, recorder ; Jacob P. Myers, treasurer; and Isaac Black, Samuel P. Irvine, Mary McTag- gart, M. Louisa Butler, and Emma Pros- ser, executive committee. The Institute recommended as school books, McGuffey's pictorial primer, spelling book, first, sec- ond, third, fourth and fifth readers. Ray's

mathematics, McNally's geograph, and Pineo's series of grammars. Early in 1856 a movement, started to abolish the office of county superintendent, was defeat- ed by a small majority. Ever since the or- ganization, teachers' institutes have been held with more or less success, and in the past twenty years the Butler County insti- tutes have taken a leading rank among those in the state. The fifty-fourth annual session was held in Butler in December, 1908, and was attended by 368 teachers.

In 1908 the surviving teachers who at- tended the first institute, held in Butler County in 1855, were Enos McDonald, of Prospect; J. Christy Moore, of Slippery Rock; Matthew Greer, of Buffalo Town- ship; and Rev. Thos. Balph, of St. Clairs- ville, Ohio.

In addition to the annual institute held in 1907, Superintendent Penfield held sev- enteen local institutes during the school year that closed June 30, 1908, and an equal number will be held during the year which ends in June, 1909.

BUTLER COUNTY TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION.

The Butler County Teachers' Associa- tion was organized May 26, 1881, with Prof. J. C. Tinsman, president; T. F. Stauffer, vice-president; Louise McClure, recording secretary; P. S. Bancroft, cor- respondent and treasurer; J. C. Brandon and O. P. Cochran, enrolling secretaries. This organization was short-lived and fi- nally gave way to the county institute which was more practical, and had a broader field to work in.

February 22, 1877, an "Intellectual Fair" was held at the court house in But- ler for the purpose of discussing educa- tional and scientific topics. Great inter- est was taken in the proceedings on ac- count of its novelty, and the meetings were largely attended. It was presided over by D. B. Douthett, with Leander Wise sec- retary. The judges were L. J. Levis, H. H. Goucher, J. J. MeIllyar, J. H. Sutton,

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

R. C. MeAboy, Walter L. Graham, W. I. Brugh, Samuel MeClymonds, S. HI. Pear- sol, Mrs. Con, and Miss N. MeJunkin.

Besides the opportunities afforded by the public schools of the county, for the in- struction of the children of her citizens, in the ordinary English branches the cause of education has been still further advanced by the maintenance of other schools, acad- emies, and colleges of either a secular or a denominational character. Among the more prominent of these may be mentioned the old Butler Academy, Witherspoon In- stitute, St. Peter's and St. Paul's Catholic Schools, and St. Paul's Orphan Home at Butler, St. Mary's College in Summit town- ship, the Academies at West Sunbury, Prospect, and North Washington, the Se- lect and Manual Labor Schools at Har- mony, the Select School, the Academy, and the Lutheran Orphans' Home at Zelienople, the Normal School carried on by the auspices of the State at Slippery Rock, the Academy at Eau Claire, Cabot Institute at Cabot Station. Renfrew Acad- emy, and the Evans City Academy. Many of the older institutions have served their purpose and gone out of existence, but all of the various schools, academies and col- leges are eloquent witnesses of the interest taken in the cause of education by the peo- ple of the county.

THE SCHOOL DIRECTORS' ASSOCIATION.

From the holding of the first teachers' institute in 1856 to the present time, the school directors of the county have taken an active interest in the proceedings of the annual institutes held in Butler, and for many years at least one day of the institute was devoted to the discussion of topics of interest to the school boards. This led to the organization in 1902 of the School Directors' Association of Butler county, and the holding of annual meetings in Butler at which all of the directors in the county are in attendance. The officers of the association for 1908 were Rev. Hugh Leith, of Zelienople, president ; Rev. A. H. Ginder, of Evans City, secretary; Robert Irwin, of Forward Township, and E. H. Pyle, of Muddycreek Township, vice-presi- dents; and John S. Jamison, of Fairview Township, treasurer.

MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD OF BUTLER BOROUGH FOR 1908.

President, Philip W. Ruff; secretary, Harry L. Graham ; treasurer, John Rausch- enberger; Thomas A. Frazier; Dr. Rob- ert J. Grossman; W. W. Robinson; A. C. Krug; W. G. Douthett; Edgar H. Negley ; Norman J. Boyer; Frank L. Wiegand; Thomas H. Greer; James L. Garroway; Col. Wm. T. Mechling; C. E. Cronenwett.

CHAPTER XV

PUBLIC UTILITIES

Roads and Bridges-Electric Railways-Telephone and Telegraph-Bell Telephone- Postal Telegraph Company-People's Telephone Co .- Speechley Telephone Co .- Butler and Coylesville Telephone Co .- Burton Telephone Co .- Slippery Rock Tele- phone Co .- Saxonburg Telephone Co .- Butler County Telephone Co .- Harrisville Telephone Co .- Pittsburg and Butler Telephone Co .- Portersville Telephone Co.

Closely following the individual im- provements by the pioneers, came the lay- ing out of public roads and the building of bridges. The building of county roads was followed by the construction of State Highways, the town of Butler being on one of the main roads from Pittsburg to Erie. Another main thoroughfare traversed the western section of the county and was the principal route of travel from Pittsburg to the northwest. The subject of public roads will be found treated more at length in the chapter on Transportation, wherein also mention is made of steam and electric railroads.

Bridges were almost as necessary as public roads, and their construction con- stitutes a large part of the transaction of the commissioners in the early days of the county. The first bridge built in the coun- ty was across the Connoquenessing Creek south of Butler, on the Pittsburg and But- ler road, and was constructed in 1805. The next bridge built was in 1809, at the Kearns farm northeast of Butler, on what was then called the Bear Creek Road, now known as the "Transfer" in Butler Town- ship. The same year a bridge was built at Harmony and the following year a peti- tion for a bridge by the people of Slippery

Rock was considered, but the bridge was not built until 1812. In 1814 a bridge was built at Anderson's on the Connoquenes- sing Creek, where the Franklin road crosses that stream. In 1814, Wolf Creek was spanned by a bridge where the stream is crossed by the Butler and Mercer Road. On the petition of Detmar Basse Muller, a bridge was built at Zelienople in 1815, and in 1817 the Little Connoquenessing Creek was spanned by a bridge at Christy's mill. These were the most important bridges built in the first twenty years of the coun- ty, and were placed at such points along the streams as to be of advantage to the larg- est number of people.

The era of turnpike roads began in 1820 and was followed by the plank roads in the fifties, but the advent of the railroads in 1871 called a halt in the building of pike roads for more than thirty years, when the building of macadamized roads began under the direction of the State Highways Department. The first macadamized road completed in the county by the state was a section of the Three Degree Road in But- ler Township from the toll gate at the Plank Road to Bredinville. This was fol- lowed by a section of four miles of the old Butler and. Erie Pike north of Butler to

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

Center Township, which was built in 1906-7. In 1907 a section of the old Bear Creek road was paved with brick from the borough line to Kearns's Crossing in Butler Township. In 1908 a section of road was macadamized from Sarversville Station in Buffalo Township to the Arm- strong County line. In Mercer Township a section of the old Franklin Road was macadamized from Harrisville Station to the town of Harrisville, and another sec- tion of the Grove City Road from the town of Harrisville to the Mercer County line. In the southern part of the county a sec- tion of road was macadamized from the borough of Valencia to the Allegheny County line, and in Butler Township three miles of the New Castle Road were ma- cadamized from the borough line to the top of the hill at Cranmer's Mill. The first half mile of this road leading up the Duf- fytown hill past the fair ground was paved with brick.

Improvements in the way of road build- ing are no less noted than in bridge build- ing. Steel construction and re-inforced concrete have taken the place of the old wood bridges, and the county now expends annually several thousand dollars in bridge repairs, while in 1906 and 1907 the amount expended for new bridge work was about forty thousand dollars. .

In addition to the road improvements in the county the state also built the Al- len bridge at Zelienople, and the Buhl bridge on the Evans City and Butler Road at Connoquenessing Creek.

Good roads and bridges have not only brought the people of the county into closer communication with each other, but with the surrounding counties, and have been the means of establishing the rural free mail delivery routes which bring the farm- er in daily touch with the cities.

ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

Interurban electric railways did not reach Butler County until the beginning of

the new century, just one hundred years after the organization of the county. The first electric line built in the county was the Butler Passenger Railway, and this was followed by the Pittsburg and Butler Line which was completed in 1907, and the Pittsburg, Butler, Harmony and New Cas- tle Line which was completed in 1908. Other lines north and east of Butler are being promoted and will doubtless be built within the next few years.

When Maxwell was shot at the meeting of the United States marshal and the settlers on the Duffy farm west of Butler Borough in 1815, a special messenger rode to Pittsburg, 35 miles, on horseback for Dr. Agnew. It was almost twenty-four hours before the doctor arrived at the scene of the tragedy. In 1908 the same feat could be accomplished in two hours. The long distance telephone would take the place of the messenger on horseback, and a special car on the interurban elec- tric railway would do the rest.

TELEPHONE.

Probably no public improvement has done more to bring the urban and country population into close touch with each other. and mitigate the isolation of country life in the rural counties of western Pennsyl- vania than the telephone. The first tele- graph office was opened in Butler in 1861, and was a long stride toward rapid com- munication, but it did not reach the coun- try districts. The first telephone system was established in Butler Borough about 1888, and since that time there have been established twelve independent companies, all of which with but one exception, were established in the country towns and dis- tricts and some of them being owned and operated exclusively by farming communi- ties.

TELEGRAPH LINES.

Rapid communication was unknown to the citizens of Butler County previous to 1861, and the only way of reaching the out-

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side world was by means of the mail car- rier who made his trips once a week or in case of great haste, a special messenger was employed who was compelled to ride on horse-back over country roads that were sometimes almost impassable, and often through blind trails through the for- est that were little better than cattle paths. The daily stage line between Butler and Pittsburg, which was established in 1827, was a great advantage for the people of Butler, but did not materially affect the residents of the country districts. In 1861, three years after the successful laying of the Atlantic Cable, a telegraph line was carried through Butler County from Pitts- burg to Franklin. It preceded the first railroad just ten years, and was the first line of telegraphic communication between Pittsburg and the oil regions of Venango County. It was called the Oil Valley Tele- graph Line and was built by an English- man named Coldstream Barry. There was no office between Pittsburg and Franklin, and at Butler a box was fixed on one of the poles and Henry Zimmerman of But- ler was employed to test the current daily. In 1862 an office was opened in the Lowry House by A. B. Gildersleeve of Franklin, who was the pioneer telegraph operator of the oil region. This was the first telegraph office in Butler County, and David Potts of Butler was placed in charge as its oper- ator.

The Oil Valley Telegraph Line was suc- ceeded by the Western Union Telegraph Company, which had as its first operator Charles Rebhun. He was succeeded by Ed. Duncan, and about 1873 John A. Hauck of Butler was placed in charge as manager. When the Trunk Line telegraph was constructed by the Western Union Company from New York to Chicago and St. Louis, the main line crossed Butler County ; Butler became one of the repeat- ing stations, and it is now one of the most important relay stations outside of Pitts- burg. Hauck was succeeded as manager

by William McCandless, and he in turn by W. A. Hauck and Jack Gall. The present manager of the office is George Elliott, Miss Josephine Smith is wire chief, Bar- ney Mckeown is electrician, and W. A. Hauck is night chief. The company's lines reach every important town and village in the county, and for the past fifteen years has given to the people of Butler the ad- vantages of an all night service that is not enjoyed by cities of much larger popula- tion. The most important piece of busi- ness handled by the local office was on the first of February, 1902, at the time the Biddle brothers were shot in this county and brought to the Butler jail to die. Dur- ing the first night of that eventful affair, over three hundred thousand words were sent out of the local office to all parts of the United States. The operators worked in relays and, for forty-eight hours, were driven to the point of exhaustion.

THE BELL TELEPHONE.

The Bell Telephone Company estab- lished a local exchange in Butler in 1889, with Miss Maggie Harrington and Miss Angie Slater in charge of the central. The plant was installed by Barney Mckeown, who was the electrician and also manager of the district for six or seven years. The first 'phones established by the company did not always prove successful and the district manager had his own troubles in collecting his rentals and pacifying the ir- ritable tempers of his patrons. During the first years of the local office there were not more than a dozen 'phones on the line, and these were in the offices of the most important business houses and factories. The rental of $60.00 a year for each 'phone made the price almost prohibitive for pri- vate residences, and it was not until a competing company entered the field that the rates were reduced to a reasonable figure. -

The Bell Company has met the require- ments of the town and community and at

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

the present time it reaches almost every town in the county as well as affording its patrons the advantages of long distance telephone communication to all parts of the country. In addition to a long list of patrons in Butler Borough, the company has over one thousand 'phones in the coun- ty, many of which are in farm houses, thus bringing the farmer in close touch with the merchant and the business men of the town. The company has under sub- lease the local lines at Princeton, Conno- quenessing, Saxonburg, Mars, Porters- ville, Parker, and the short lines at Lan- caster and Jackson Townships. The di- vision superintendent for the district north of Allegheny County is J. H. Clune, who has an office in Butler.

THE POSTAL TELEGRAPH COMPANY.

The Postal Telegraph Company estab- lished an office in Butler about 1881 or 1882, with Harry Walker as operator. A line was built to Butler from Pittsburg by Samuel Kidd, who had formerly been a district lineman for the Western Union Company. The company now has an office with the American Express Company in the Byers Building on South Main Street.

THE PEOPLE'S TELEPHONE COMPANY.

The People's Telephone Company of Butler had its inception in September, 1893, when J. E. Forsythe and Thos. J. Shufflin, of Butler, constructed a line from Butler to the Cooperstown oil field. This line consisted of a single wire and had but two 'phones, one in the office of Thos. J. Shufflin and J. E. Forsythe in Butler, and one at Cooperstown. The success of this line induced its builders to branch out and in 1895 the People's Telephone Company was organized by a number of Butler busi- ness men, of which Forsythe and Shufflin were the leading spirits. At a meeting held on August 19th of that year the fol- lowing officers were chosen: President, John Younkins; vice-president, T. J. Shuf-

flin; treasurer, J. V. Ritts; secretary and manager, J. E. Forsythe. The directory consisted of the above officers and Daniel Younkins, W. J. MeDowell, W. H. Larkin, D. D. Buck, A. L. Reiber, T. P. Klingen- smith and J. G. Stamm. Work was com- menced in October, 1895, and the local plant was completed and ready for busi- ness January 1, 1896, with a list of one hundred subscribers. This was the first competition that the Bell Telephone Com- pany met in Butler, and the telephone war that ensued is a bit of history that result- ed to the financial benefit of the people of the town, but is something that the man- agers of the new enterprise do not like to think about. The new company had to fight for its existence, and fight hard, with the result that it now has one of the most complete systems in western Pennsylvania. and numbers among its patrons many thousands in Butler and the surrounding towns.

In January, 1898, the name of the com- pany changed to the People's Telephone Company, Limited, and articles of associa- tion were filed in the recorder's office of Butler County, showing the capital of the company to be $20,000.00. The articles of association were signed by William Green, Marion Henshaw, T. P. Klingensmith, W. H. Larkin, William J. Marks, W. J. Mc- Dowell, J. E. Forsythe, A. L. Reiber, J. George Stamm, Daniel Younkins, T. J. Shufflin, John Younkins, J. V. Ritts, J. Henry Troutman, and J. D. Marshall.

The plant was reconstructed during 1902-3, and on August 16, 1904, a charter was secured under the title of "The Peo- ple's Telephone Company of Butler." The officers of the company at that time were: John Younkins, president; A. L. Reiber, secretary; T. J. Shufflin, treasurer; and these with J. V. Ritts, and Marion Hen- shaw, composed the directory. The officers in 1905 were A. L. Reiber, president; Marion Henshaw, secretary; and T. J. Shufflin, treasurer, with the board of di-

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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

rectors remaining the same as the previous year. No change was made in the officers in 1906, except that J. H. Troutman was elected a director to fill a vacancy. In January, 1907, A. L. Reiber was elected president ; J. H. Troutman, vice-president ; T. M. Baker, secretary; and T. J. Shufflin, treasurer and manager, and these officers were continued in 1908. J. E. Forsythe, who superintended the construction of the first line from Butler to Cooperstown, in 1893, has been the general. superintendent of the People's Telephone Company since its organization. The manager and super- intendent have been assisted in building up this splendid enterprise by an able board of directors, who have given their best ef- forts to the construction, equipping and op- erating the large plant.

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Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 53

Author: McKee, James A., 1865- ed. and comp Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1526

Author: McKee, James A., 1865- ed. and comp
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1526