Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 60

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 60

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).

Thomas Stehle was an early merchant and gunsmith, who conducted a business on South Main Street, in the building now occupied by his daughter, Mrs. William Aland. He came to Butler in 1832 and continued in business until his death.

The dry goods store of Louis Stein's Sons on North Main Street was established by Louis Stein and Bernard Roessing in 1840. The firm of Roessing & Stein car- ried on a general store for more than thirty years, when Mr. Roessing retired and the business was continued by Mr. Stein. Sub- sequently he took into partnership his son, W. A. Stein, and after the death of the father in July, 1894, the business was con-

tinued by Wm. A., Louis B., and Albert C. Stein, as Louis Stein's Sons.

Anthony Rockenstein came to the town in 1841 and opened a merchant tailoring establishment. The tailors prior to him were John Welsh, James Glenn, Mark Me- Candless and David A. Agnew.

Another successful merchant of this pe- riod was William S. Boyd, afterwards the founder of Springdale. He first began business as a druggist on the Diamond, but early in the forties he established a dry goods store at the corner of Main and Jefferson Streets.

Joseph McQuistion was one of the pio- neer shoemakers, and in 1840 a shoe-shop was opened on Jefferson Street by Philip Bickel and Adam Schenck.

The jewelry store now conducted by Harry Grieb on North Main Street was first opened by Francis X. Grieb in 1849. Three years later he purchased the prop- erty on North Main Street now owned by his heirs, and established the first jewelry store in the borough. He continued in business until his death in 1865, and since that time the store has been conducted by his son Harry.

J. J. Sedwick was the pioneer harness maker of the town and one of the early postmasters. He was followed in this line of business by William Criswell and Major George W. Reed, who were among the prominent citizens of the town during the middle period of the century.

MODERN BUSINESS HOUSES.

Among the modern merchant houses. there are only a few existing today that date back to the pioneer days of the town. These have been enumerated under the caption of pioneer merchants. In 1804 there was but one merchant on Main Street north of the court house, and the number of business houses located on the public square might have been counted on the fingers of one hand until as late as

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1820. The mercantile appraisers' list for 1908 credits the borough of Butler with 232 mercantile houses, including hotels, ex- clusive of the town of Lyndora. In the latter town there are thirty-nine such houses, making the total for the district 271. Among the oldest houses on Main Street are the dry goods establishment of Charles Duffy, Louis Stein's Sons, J. G. & W. Campbell's hardware store, and Harry Grieb's jewelry store. These stores were all established previous to 1850.

The firm of A. Troutman's Sons, dry goods merchants, was established by Adam Troutman in 1861 at the corner of Main and Mifflin Streets. About 1876 Mr. Trout- man took his son, J. Henry, in as a part- ner, and the business was continued under the firm name of A. Troutman & Son. In 1890 the business was removed to the Troutman block at the corner of Main and Cunningham Streets, which hed been com- pleted that year. Adam Troutman retired in 1897, and the business has since been conducted under the firm name of A. Trout- man's Sons, the partners being J. Henry Troutman, Wm. J. Troutman, and Geo. A. Troutman.

Alf. M. Reiber established a dry goods business in 1888, in a room in the Reiber block, now occupied by Dothett & Gra- ham's clothing store. Subsequently he re- moved to the present location, No. 205 South Main Street, where he carries on a large business.

The pioneer shoe merchant of the town was John Bickel, who first started in the shoe manufacturing business about 1872. Subsequently he engaged in the boot and shoe business at the corner of Main and Mifflin Streets, with Al. Ruff as a partner. The busines was carried on here for a number of years, when the partnership was dissolved, and Mr. Bickel established a store in an old building on the site of the present Bickel block on South Main Street, which was erected in 1897.

Al. Ruff engaged in the boot and shoe

business with John Bickel as a partner at the old corner of Main and Mifflin Streets, and when the partnership was dissolved, he established a store at the present lo- cation on South Main Street. The store has been enlarged until it now extends from Main Street to Jackson Street in the rear. Philip Ruff was taken into the store as a partner in 1898, and the business is now conducted under the firm name of A. Ruff & Son. In addition to carrying a large line of goods for the retail trade, the firm does a wholesale business in rubber and felt goods.

The shoe house of B. C. Huselton is also one of the pioneers in that line of trade, and was one of the first established after the merchants of Butler began to change from the general store to the special line. Other firms that have been established since 1890 are C. E. Miller, Ketterer Bros., and Walker & Young.

Campbell's furniture house was estab- lished in Butler about 1892 by A. A. Camp- bell and C. A. Templeton, who removed their store from Brady's Bend and located first in the old Troutman building on North Main Street. Subsequently the Campbell block was built on South Main Street, and the business removed there. C. A. Temple- ton retired from the firm in 1899, and the business has since been conducted by A. A. Campbell. The establishment occupies three floors of the building and basement, and is one of the largest furniture houses in this part of the country.

George Ketterer first began the furni- ture business in rooms at the corner of Main and Mifflin Streets in the early part of the eighties. He conducted a repair shop in connection with the business, and in 1887 he erected the business block on South Main Street which is now occupied by him and by Ketterer Bros.' shoe store.

In 1908 the principal merchants in the dry goods trade were Charles Duffy, Louis Stein's Sons, Mrs. J. E. Zimmerman, Whitekettle & Morgan, Mrs. Lizzie M.

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Young, A. Troutman's Sons, Alf. M. Rei- ber, Joseph Cohn, and Eisler & Mardorf.

The furniture dealers were George Ket- terer, A. A. Campbell, Patterson Bros., and Snaman Bros.

The druggists were Reddick & Grohman, Louis A. Jamison, R. A. Reed, the Crystal Pharmacy, Wuller's Pharmacy, Bell's Pharmacy, S. G. Purvis, Boyd's Phar- macy, Dixon's Pharmacy, the Southside Pharmacy, the West End Pharmacy, and Robert Girrard on East Jefferson Street.

The jewelry houses were represented by Harry Grieb, D. L. Cleeland, Ralston & Smith, Carl Leighner, and R. L. Kirkpat- rick, G. F. T. Pape.

The boot and shoe trade were repre- sented by B. C. Huselton, A. Ruff & Son, Walker & Young, John Bickel's Sons, C. E. Miller, and Ketterer Bros.

The hardware dealers were Joseph Rock- enstein, Niggel Bros., L. G. Moore, Koch Bros., J. G. & W. Campbell, Henry Biehl, and Joseph Rockenstein.

The clothing houses were represented by Douthett & Graham, Green & Young, Will- iam Rockenstein, Leon Schloss, the Ideal Clothing Parlors, Schaul & Levy, J. S. Wick & Son, J. G. Runkle, Harry V. Kidd, Harvey Colbert, and Samuel Cohn.

The general stores are conducted by C. A. Templeton & Company in the Stein Block on South Main Street, DeArme in the Cypher Block.

The principal grocery and provision houses are conducted by G. Wilson Miller and A. A. Marshall on East Jefferson Street, W. A. Kamerer in the West End, W. A. Kirkpatrick, J. G. Moore, C. Koch & Sons, and Ed. Graham on North Main Street, A. & H. Reiber, W. A. Fisher, W. W. Miller, Henry Miller & Son on South Main Street, Harper Bros. and J. C. Hoch on Center Ave., C. A. Ellenberger and Barnhart & Geyser on Second Street, Bor- land & Wigton on Carbon Street, C. C. Shira and R. G. Ferguson on Locust Street, Quigley & Myers, New Castle

Street; Raisley & Whiteside, New Castle Street; J. H. Robb, W. Jefferson St .; N. M. Heinzer, Zeigler Ave .; C. Hinchberger on Franklin St .; R. Parkin, Center Ave .; W. F. Limberg, W. Penn St.

The harness and buggy business is rep- resented by Joseph Rockenstein, B. E. Roesing, Martincourt & Daugherty, J. G. & W. Campbell, and Kemper.

The wholesale business is represented by the Atlantic Refining Company, the Oil Well Supply Company, the Leedom & Worrall Grocery Company, the Lloyd Con- fectionery Company, B. F. Shannon, flour and feed; George Walter's Sons, feed and builder's supplies ; H. J. Klingler & Com- pany, flour and feed; the Cudahy Packing Company, and Goehring & Richards, prod- uce house.

The Leedom & Worrall Company, wholesale grocers, was organized in 1904, and chartered on February 24th, 1905. The company purchased a lot at the corner of Center Avenue and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and erected a four-story brick building, which it now occupies. The presi- dent and principal stockholder of the com- pany is Nelson Moore, the secretary is P. W. Leedom, and the treasurer and man- ager is George Worrall. A large amount of Butler capital is invested in this enter- prise, which is taking a leading rank among the wholesale houses of Western Pennsylvania.

The Lyndora Building and Loan Asso- ciation was chartered September 10, 1907, and has its office at Lyndora. The sub- scribers to the charter are residents of the town of Lyndora and Butler, and the asso- ciation has done a prosperous business, notwithstanding the fact that it was con- fronted with a panic the first year of its existence. The subscribers to the charter are Jos. Criswell, B. Wendel, John Buccos. F. J. Chroust and H. A. Kitchen.

THE CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY.

The Butler Co-operative Association

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was organized in the latter part of 1907, and began business on the 1st of January, 1908. Articles of association were filed at that time showing a capital of $10,000.00 and 122 subscribers. The directors were C. R. Watson, president, D. H. Lardin, secretary and treasurer, Charles N. Rush, G. F. Pfiester and L. A. Garfield. The association purchased the store of A. F. Eisler & Company on the corner of Jeffer- son and Mckean Streets, and engaged in the grocery and provision business. The association met with success from the start, and is now contemplating the en- largement of the business by establishing a boot and shoe department, as well as furnishings and dry goods as soon as a desirable location can be secured.

BUILDING AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS.

The Building and Loan Association of Butler, organized March 4, 1876, and in- corporated March 31, 1876, received bids as high as forty per cent. for loans. When the panic of that period was over, the asso- ciation began buying stock, and continued this policy until November, 1881, when some dissatisfied stockholders applied to the attorney general to have the legal status of the institution defined. The stated number of shares at the beginning was 2,500, valued at $200 each. The first officers were G. C. Roessing, president; G. Etzel, vice-president; J. S. Campbell, sec- retary; Louis Roessing, treasurer, and John M. Miller, solicitor. The directory comprised H. C. Heineman, J. M. Miller, Jacob Ziegler, Jacob Boos, Dr. Stephen Bredin, Casper Rockenstein, Joseph L. Purvis and William Ensminger. The effect of the petition of 1881 was simply to hasten the dissolution of the association.

The People's Building and Loan Asso- ciation was organized April 6, 1886, with G. Wilson Miller, president; Chas. M. Heine- man, secretary ; Joseph S. Gray, treasurer, and Williams & Mitchell, solicitors. The directors were Charles Rehbun, A. Park

McKee, S. D. Purvis, Dr. G. M. Zimmer- man, Jacob Boos, Peter Schenck and Frank Shepherd.

The Eureka Building and Loan Associa- tion was incorporated in May, 1886, with W. G. Hays, Jacob Ziegler, Dr. George M. Zimmerman, A. Frank, J. W. Ziegler and R. C. MeCurdy, directors.

The Mechanics' Building and Loan Asso- ciation was organized in February, 1889, when 1,000 shares were subscribed. The officers were Dr. Samuel Graham, presi- dent; O. M. Russell, vice-president; C. A. Abrams, secretary, and L. W. Zuver, treas- urer. David E. Dale succeeded Dr. Gra- ham as president in 1892, and J. N. Moore succeeded Mr. Abrams as secretary in 1893, when the last named was elected treasurer.

Chautauqua National Building and Loan Association was organized October 25, 1893, with D. Carmondy, president; G. M. Zimmerman, secretary - treasurer; John West, Joseph Niggel and J. W. McDowell, appraisers, who formed the board of di- rectors, with William Keeselman, Jr., Will- iam Harless, Joseph Low and J. F. Jewell. W. C. Findley was chosen solicitor.

INSURANCE COMPANIES.

Butler County Mutual Insurance Com- pany was organized September 5, 1853, with Samuel A. Purviance, president; John T. Bard, S. M. Lane, J. T. McJunkin, J. G. Campbell, Francis McBride, Emil Maurhoff, William Haslett, A. N. Meylert, Herman J. Berg, Ebenezer McJunkin, An- drew Carns and John M. Sullivan, mana- gers; Ebenezer McJunkin, secretary; An- drew Carns, treasurer, and Emil Maurhoff. general agent. The company ceased work prior to 1859.

The Butler County Mutual Fire Insur- ance Company was incorporated by the legislature in April, 1859. In May, Saml. G. Purvis was elected president; I. J. Cummings, treasurer; Edwin Lyon, secre- tary; William Campbell, E. McJunkin, Dr.

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

W. R. Dowden, James Campbell, Abraham Ziegler, Jacob Walter, E. Kingsbury, E. Maurhoff, W. S. Boyd, and John Murrin, directors. Henry C. Heineman was elected secretary in 1860, and has held the posi- tion down to the present time. After the death of Saml. G. Purvis, Geo. C. Roessing was elected president, and served until his death, when Jas. Stephenson was elected to fill the vacancy.

The Farmers' and Breeders' Mutual Live Stock Insurance Association was or- ganized in 1883, with A. D. Weir, of Buf- falo township, president; Thomas Hays, of Fairview, vice-president; R. D. Steph- enson, of Butler, treasurer; Dr. J. E. Byers, of Butler, secretary; James Steph- enson, of Bonny Brook; James S. Hays, of Butler; Jno. A. Clark, of Prospect; Isaac Lefevre, of Saxonburg, and Barthol- omew Nebel, of Herman, unofficial mem- bers. This association dissolved within six or seven years without loss to stock- holders, although a large sum of money was paid out for injury to cattle.

The Citizens' Building and Loan Asso- ciation of Butler was organized with G. Wilson Miller, president; L. S. McJunkin, vice-president, and C. M. Heineman, sec- retary. The directory was comprised of J. D. Jackson, S. D. Purvis, Frank Shep- herd, L. F. Ganter, Jacob Boos, and Peter Schenck. Ira McJunkin was treasurer, and Williams & Mitchell, solicitors. Each series of stock was composed of not less than one thousand shares of a par value of $100 each. Since the organization the as- sociation has matured twelve series of stock, and has five series now running. The present officers are G. W. Miller, presi- dent; T. M. Baker, secretary, and the fol- lowing trustees: L. S. McJunkin, L. R. McAboy, Ed. Weigand, George Oesterling, Leonard Schenk, E. S. Critchlow, and Alf. M. Reiber.

The Workingmen's Building and Loan Association was organized in February, 1892, and is the successor to the Work-

ingmen's Equitable Association, which was first organized about 1888. The first of- ficers of the Workingmen's Association were F. M. Renno, president; Jacob Keck, secretary; Joseph Rockenstein, treasurer; and A. T. Black, solicitor. This associa- tion has matured fifteen series of stock, and has five series running at the present time. It is the custom to start a new series and mature a series each year. With the exception of the president and the solicitor, the officers are the same as in 1892. The present board of directors consists of Philip Krause, president; Jacob Keck, sec- retary ; Joseph Rockenstein, treasurer; N. J. Criley, Henry Miller, J. C. Burkhalter, George Miller, F. W. Koch, B. Kemper, Harry Grieb, G. E. Sherman, and Philip Wisener. T. H. C. Keck is the solicitor.

FIRE DEPARTMENT.

The pioneers of the borough considered protection from fire as one of their first duties, and as early as February 19, 1825, the town council considered plans for fire protection. At this time John Potts, Jacob Mechling, Maurice Bredin, William Beatty, Abraham Maxwell, and William Haggerty were appointed a committee to solicit sub- scriptions for buying a fire apparatus. At the same meeting John Gilmore, John Bredin, and Robert Scott were appointed a committee to draft a constitution for a fire company. The preliminary arrange- ments having been completed, a fire en- gine was bought from the Allegheny Fire Company in 1827, for $400.00, and the fol- lowing .year the council appropriated money to build a house for the engine. This was the beginning of the fire system in Butler. Previous to that time the only fire protection the citizens had was the bucket brigade and such water supply as could be obtained from the wells and town pumps.

The old engine did service until worn out, and in 1842 a small hand-engine was in use for a short time. This was followed

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by a period of almost thirty years that the town had to depend on the old bucket bri- gade in case of fire. In 1870 the matter of fire protection was again taken up by council, and Henry C. Heineman and Jo- seph J. Elliott were instructed to purchase a truck of the Hook and Ladder Company for $400.00. Of this sum $300.00 was ap- propriated by the council, and the balance was raised by subscription. This hook and ladder truck answered the purpose of the times until after the establishment of the city water works in 1878. Henry C. Heineman, who may be said to be the father of the Butler fire department, was ever alive to the importance of having a good service and never relaxed his efforts until the Volunteer Fire Department was organized and placed on an effective work- ing basis.

The First Ward Hose Company. The first regular organization was made Au- gust 31, 1878, when the First Ward Hose Company was organized with thirty-three members. They chose the following offi- cers : Henry C. Heineman, president; Jacob Roos, vice-president; A. T. Black, secretary, and C. W. Coulter, treasurer. The company is quartered in the Odd Fel- lows' Temple on East Cunningham Street, where it has handsome rooms fitted up. The present membership is forty-eight, and the following are the officers: Presi- dent, J. W. Bayer; vice-president, W. H. Ensminger; secretary, H. A. Worth; treas- urer, the Guaranty Safe Deposit & Trust Company; foreman, W. J. Heineman; as- sistant, Geo. N. Burkhalter; trustees, John Bauer, Leonard Milheim, C. N. Watson, P. E. Cronenwett, C. E. Cronenwett, and C. H. Douglass.

The First Ward Running Team was or- ganized in 1893, and participated in the ten years of its existence in more races than any other team in the history of the sport. It has the record of having won seven thousand dollars of money, twenty- three state, district and world's champion-

ships, and altogether having to its credit sixty-six firsts and seconds in seventy-two starts.

The team won the Pennsylvania State championship in 1894-95-96-1900-1901; the Western Pennsylvania championship in 1896-97-98-1900-1901-2; the Northwestern Pennsylvania championship in 1895-97-99; the Northeastern Ohio championship in 1895; the Central Pennsylvania champion- ship in 1900; the Pan-American Hook and Ladder championship in 1901; the Penn- sylvania Hook and Ladder championship in 1900-1901-2; the Western Pennsyl- vania Hook and Ladder championship in 1900-1901-2.

The best time made by the team for 250 yards distance was thirty-two seconds, and for the 200 yard distance, twenty-six sec- onds.

Good Will Hose Company .- The second company to be organized was the Good Will Hose Company in October, 1878. Its first officers were Philip Bauer, president ; James B. Mitchell, vice-president; Geo. J. Reiber, secretary; G. Wilson Miller, as- sistant secretary; John Irwin, foreman; James Moffit, assistant foreman; and W. A. Stein, treasurer. The present member- ship of the company is fifty-eight, and its officers are W. J. Rattigan, president ; August Collins, vice-president; Earnest Faber, secretary and treasurer; J. W. Heckert, assistant secretary; Theo. Smith, foreman; John Lefevre, assistant fore- man; S. M. Hildebrand, John Dickey and L. S. McJunkin, trustees. The company is quartered in a rented building on East Jefferson Street.

Campbell Hose Company .- When the fire department was first organized, the town was divided into the first and second wards, Jefferson Street being the dividing line. The two original hose companies were named for their respective wards. In 1888, a redivision of the town was made into five wards, placing both of the old companies in the second ward. A new

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

company was organized in the fifth ward November 1, 1888, and named in honor of John S. Campbell, who was one of its pro- moters. Among the charter members were John S. Campbell, David E. Dale, Wesley P. Roessing, J. A. Bonner, George Reiber, William Kennedy, Ralph Gregg, W. M. Starr, George W. Zeigler, Edward Mc- Shane, August Miller, Joseph Northrup, Harry Gregg and William Bassitt. The company was first quartered in the Kirk- patrick building on North Main Street, but subsequently removed to the Younkins building on West North street. The pres- ent membership is fifty-nine, and the offi- cers are F. N. Cooper, president; Edward Archer, vice-president; L. H. Clouse, sec- retary; John Allison, assistant secretary ; A. M. Aiken, treasurer; M. M. Dobson, foreman; N. S. Snow, first assistant; John Bracy, second assistant foreman; Thomas McGuirk, Joseph Keeling and R. B. Alli- son, trustees.

The Southside Hose Company was or- ganized in 1903 by merging the old Spring- dale Hose Company and the Markham Hook and Ladder Company. The former was organized June 11, 1888, and the lat- ter in 1889. The new company has a mem- bership of thirty-eight, and its officers are E. T. Burns, president; F. E. Stewart, vice-president; F. R. Zeigler, secretary ; James Shaffer, treasurer; Paul Lehere, foreman; James Dunn, assistant foreman; Roy Campbell, Harry DeHaven and C. H. Skillman, trustees.

The Rescue Hook and Ladder Company. -In 1893 David Sypher effected the or- ganization of a Hook and Ladder Com- pany in the west end of town, and the new organization was named the Sypher Hook and Ladder Company. Subsequently the name of the company was changed to the Rescue Hook and Ladder Company, as it was supplied with a hose-cart as well as the hook and ladder truck.

Commencing in 1896 the company did some racing, winning the Hook and Lad-

der championship at Johnstown that year, at Beaver Falls the year following and at McKees Rocks in 1898. In the latter year the company won the Hose Race at Me- Kees Rocks, and at Scotdale in 1899 the team won the Hook and Ladder race, the Service race and the Hose race. In 1900. the team won second money in a number of hook and ladder contests, as well as hose races. The present membership of the company is thirty-one. The officers are I. A. Weter, president; G. O. Schenk, vice- president; Jas. A. McDowell, secretary; T. E. Sullivan, treasurer; C. G. Ihlenfeld, foreman; Frank Grayson, assistant fore- man; Will Sullivan, second assistant and O. A. Dershimer, G. O. Schenk and T. Heberling, trustees. The company has quarters on Mercer Street which are hand- somely fitted up.

The East End Hose Company is the youngest of the fire-fighting companies in the town, and the only one to own its own building. The company was organized December 12, 1898, and subsequently erected a frame building at the corner of Second and Brady Streets, which is used as a storage house for the apparatus, and club rooms for the company. The mem- bership of the company is forty-seven, and the following are the officers : E. S. Critch- low, president; Thomas Craig, vice-presi- dent; Lewis Cumberland, secretary; Ed. E. Starr, assistant secretary ; Daniel Younkins, treasurer; George Williams, foreman; L. A. Goeppner, first assistant; and L. S. Hoon, Sr., second assistant fore- man; George Williams, C. Biehl, and W. J. Eury, trustees.

Firemen's Relief Association .- Among the organizations of the Butler Fire De- partment is the Firemen's Relief Associa- tion, which pays benefits to firemen who are injured while on duty. The associa- tion derives its revenue from a tax im- posed on foreign insurance companies doing business in Pennsylvania. Butler firemen have been extremely fortunate,

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and the expenditures of the organization in the ten years of its existence have been extremely light. As a result there is at the present time over $5,000 in the treasury with which to meet the future de- mands of the organization. The present officers are M. H. Reiber, president; W. J. Heineman, vice-president; and C. H. Douglass, secretary and treasurer.

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Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 60

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