Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 71

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 71

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).

Dr. Detmar Basse, upon coming to this country, acquired 10,000 acres, lying in Beaver and Butler Counties, and in 1804 had the honor of building the first saw-mill in the township, it being in fact the first in-

dustry of any kind started there. In 1806 he built the Müller grist-mill, where the modern plant of Seidel Brothers was later erected. John Herr built a mill, which later became the property of Albert Seidel and Joseph Schwartz and afterwards passed through various hands. George Rapp and his associates, in 1806 or 1807, built a grist mill on Scholar's Run, and not long after erected the big mill at Eidenau, the oil-mill, the fulling and carding-mill and the distil- lery on the Little Connoquenessing. In 1837, David Ziegler and Aaron Schontz converted the great barn of the Economites into a steam flouring-mill, and later Jacob Zeigler built a distillery near the big mill, above Harmony. The Bassenheim Fur- nace was established by Dr. Müller in 1814 and conducted by him until 1818, the last two years under the superintendence of his son-in-law, P. L. Passavant. Native ore was used and the water of the creek fur- nished the power until the dam gave way, when steam power was substituted. The concern was owned and operated by Daniel Beltzhoover & Company from 1818 until 1824, when it was closed down. The Wil- son salt works were established at Har- mony in 1816. Numerous tanneries and distilleries flourished in the township in the early days.

Among the prosperous business enter- prises of the present time is the John Tur- ner Coal Company, which employs about thirty men, with an output of two cars per day. Several coal banks of minor impor- tance exist, and there is some oil produc- tion in the township.

The P. H. B. & N. C. Electric Line has a large power plant and car barns in the township.

The first schools of the township were introduced by the Harmonists, and after their departure in 1815 subscription schools were established and carried on until the common school law came into effect in 1835. There are now nine schools within the limits of the township with a

519

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

total attendance of 264 pupils. The board of directors consists of John A. Eichert, president; C. F. Knauff, treasurer; Edwin Ramsey, secretary ; Rev. H. Voegley, Amos Rape and Edward Eicholtz.

Harmony, Zelienople and a part of Evans City are located within the limits of Jackson Township, as is the village of Eidenau, the last named having been quite a settlement in the early days. An old Indian town was located just north of the river, but was practically abandoned in 1792, although the Indian women and chil- dren continued to live there until the com- ing of the pioneers. The village of Rams- dale, a half mile north of Harmony, also flourished in the early days, and was an Indian town before the arrival of the whites.

Township officials-Edward Eicholtz, J. P. (elect) ; supervisors, Charles Hartung, John Behn, and Mr. Goegetly; collector, Michael Zeigler; assessor, Edward Zehner. There are two voting precincts-the East Precinct, with Jacob Rheinhart, judge, and inspectors Amos Rape and H. Goehring; and the Western Precinct, with C. H. Knauff, judge, and E. E. Goehring and John Pflug, inspectors.

St. Peters (Independent) Church of mid- dle Lancaster organized about 1847, has for pastor Rev. A. H. Ginder.

Zion's Lutheran Church of middle Lan- caster has for pastor Rev. Frederick H. Myers.

HARMONY BOROUGH.

This borough had its inception in the founding of a communistic colony by the United Society of Germans, familiarly known as Harmonists or Economites, who left their native land in search of religious liberty. George Rapp, their leader, was sent ahead in 1803 to find a location and prepare for the coming of the society. Ac- companied by his son, John, and a few others, he landed at Baltimore. He visited many localities and various states, finally

completing arrangements for the purchase of 5000 acres of the 10,000 acre tract of Dr. Detmar Basse in Butler County. Three hundred of the society arrived in Balti- more, July 4, 1804, where temporary quar- ters were provided for them for the winter. In the meantime Rapp and a party of work- men founded the village of Harmony and prepared homes for the members of the new colony. The second body of Harmon- ists, under Frederick Rapp, arrived six weeks after the first, landing at Philadel- phia, and were soon followed by a third. The latter were met by a representative of George Rapp, named Haller, who per- suaded most of them to locate in Lycoming County. There were one hundred and thirty-five families in the settlement at Harmony, when the organization of the so- ciety was perfected on February 15, 1805, and all were apparently pleased with their new home. The deed to the property was executed October 17, 1804. Its develop- ment was rapid. At the end of the first year, 150 acres were cleared; fifty log cab- ins, a grist mill, barn, machine shop, and a house of worship were standing. By the end of the second year, 600 acres were cleared, a vineyard of 4 acres set out, and a distillery, tannery, brick yard, saw-mill and large brick granary built. The progress made was astounding and the products for the year 1809 were: 6,000 bushels of corn, 4,000 bushels of wheat, 4,500 bushels of rye, 5,000 bushels of oats, 10,000 bushels of potatoes, 4,000 bushels of flax and hemp, fifty gallons of sweet oil, thousands of gal- lons of whiskey, besides more beef, mutton and pork than the community could use. A woolen factory was established in 1810. The work was done under the direction of Rapp, on the division of labor plan, a man being employed at one kind of work at all times, except in rare instances when a large force was required in the harvest fields. The members of the colony profited share and share alike, none being poor and none rich. They lived in happiness in the

520

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

midst of plenty. It became their custom to have three feasts each year, beginning in 1805, they consisting of the products of the farm, with native wine, whiskey, beer, sauerkraut, rice and ginger cakes served in a large barn, which was thrown open to the people in general. They found their war- rant for these feasts in the XXIII Chapter of Exodus, the Love Feast in early spring ; the Harvest Home when the small grains were in, and the Feast of the Ingathering when harvest was over with. Harvest Home became an event to be looked for- ward to and was held long after the de- parture of the Economites.

When it was determined to seek another home for the Society and the property was offered for sale in 1814, the sale bill pre- pared by George Rapp showed there were in the village of Harmony 130 buildings, some brick and others frame and log; that there was a tavern, built of brick and stone, with twelve rooms, a brick house for spin- ning and weaving; a brick house for dye- ing; a brick church; a frame granary, 80x40 feet, four stories, and equipped with machinery; two distilleries, one built of brick and the other of stone; a grist mill on the Big Connoquenessing, a fulling mill with two sets of carding-machines attached to it; a grist mill on Little Connoquenes- sing and a fulling and hemp-mill, with one set of cotton carding-machines; two saw- mills; a well equipped tannery; a brick- yard; a potash factory; rope walk; brew- ery ; a smithy with four hearths ; a nail fac- tory; other buildings suited to various branches of mechanism; four large barns with stables underneath; and seven large sheep barns that would hold 5,000 sheep; twenty log buildings and barns in Rams- dale; about the same number of houses and barns at Eidenau; and eight or ten houses and barns at Oilbronn; two miles north of Harmony. These villages were on the So- ciety's estate. The bill further stated there were 3,000 acres cleared; two prin- cipal orchards with 2,000 bearing apple

trees and numerous small orchards; two vineyards and a number of sugar camps; that there were supported from the im- provements and produce of Harmony, an- nually, 3,000 sheep, 600 horned cattle, and a number of horses, besides the grain to feed the distilleries, still affording large supplies to the country.

The property was sold to Abraham Zeig- ler for a consideration of $100,000, and in 1815 the Harmonists moved to Posey Coun- ty, Indiana, and started the town of New Harmony. At the end of ten years they returned to Pennsylvania, founding the towns of Economy and Harmony on the east bank of the Ohio River, in Beaver County, where the life of the society was rounded out.

A word here as to the origin of the Har- monist Society would not be amiss. George Rapp, the founder, was born in Iptingen, Wurtemberg, Germany, in 1757, and was reared on a farm. He received a fair edu- cation in the common schools and in his youth became an avidious reader of the Bible, with pronounced views as to its in- terpretation. He developed some ideas along the line of common ownership of property and a return to the simplicity of early Christian life, incompatible with the government of his land and the estab- lished church. He got beyond privately giving expression to his views, and when about thirty years old would gather his friends and followers at his home and to them expound the scriptures. Restrictions in his own country resulted in the removal to this country, as above related. It is im- possible to say with exactness what his views were along spiritual lines, as they changed as years went by. Common own- ership of property, celibacy, the leading of blameless lives, and belief in the early sec- ond coming of Christ were doctrines he and his disciples came to advocate in later years. It was his opinion that the world would be destroyed in 1837. Celibacy and a lack of proselyting reduced its member-

521

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

ship rapidly, and the life of the society in America was less than a century. George Rapp died August 7, 1847, aged nearly ninety years. More than one hundred of his followers were buried in Harmony prior to their removal from Butler County.

Abraham Ziegler took possession of his property in 1815, and soon found that com- munity of interest, on a small scale, was not a bad idea. He got into financial straits and finding it impossible to meet the un- paid balance of the purchase money, went to New Harmony, Indiana, where he of- fered to turn the property back to the Harmonists. Rapp urged him to hold on to the property, cancelled some of the in- terest coupons, and agreed to pay fifty cents a pound for all the wool he could raise. Returning home, Mr. Ziegler secured the services of David Stauffer, John Schwart, Jacob Swain and other early set- tlers, as shepherds, each to receive as com- pensation a tract of land surrounding his home at the end of a given time. It was a common cause, and each putting forth his best efforts, the incumbrance was cleared away in a few years. The promises were kept and all parties concerned reaped large returns.

In 1815 Samuel Bean started a black- smithing establishment here, and Jacob Kelker came in and conducted a tavern in one of the old log houses. That and the following year saw the following pioneers established at Harmony: John Fleming, who taught school; the Stauffers; the Lat- shaws; the Schwartzes; the Herrs; Johann Ladenschlager, an Economite; Baltzer Gull, a butcher; John Roth, a blacksmith; Philip Noss, a cooper ; Joseph Tinsman and Francis Bassler, coopers; Jacob Gross, a weaver; John Tinnells; John Scheely; John Boyer, a Mennonite minister; and the Zieglers. John Fleming kept the first store in the town under the new regime, and later Henry and John Schwartz started a store. They were followed by George How-

ell, Alfred Pearce and others. In 1837 Schontz & Ziegler established a grist-mill in the big Economite barn built in 1806, and conducted a successful enterprise there until its destruction by fire in 1852, other old buildings of the Economites meeting the same fate at that time. Mr. Schontz then became owner of another of the orig- inal barns, which he mantled with ma- chinery, and continued the milling busi- ness until he sold to John Pearce. The latter was succeeded in 1872 by David Zieg- ler, who continued the plant as it was un- til 1880, when it was remodeled and new machinery installed. Mr. Schontz also started up the woolen mill in 1837, and con- ducted it until it burned down in 1842. He rebuilt on the same site, put in new ma- chinery, and conducted the industry alone until he disposed of an interest to Robert Sample in 1850. In 1865 he sold his re- maining interest to John Pearce, and the business was conducted on a larger scale than before. Mr. Pearce became sole owner in 1871, and later made his son a partner, the mill developing into a large and flour- ishing plant. In recent times many im- portant industries have been established and maintained, among which may be men- tioned the planing-mill of H. M. Bentle & Company, a firm which operates a similar establishment at Zelienople.

The first bank in operation in Harmony was the Harmony Savings Bank, which was incorporated in 1867 and in 1868 opened its doors for business, with Alfred Pearce as president, and R. H. Palmer as treas- urer.

The Harmony National Bank was organ- ized in 1876, with Butler capitalists as the principal stockholders and directors. John Dindinger was one of its most active or- ganizers. W. H. H. Riddle was the first president, and H. J. Mitchell, cashier ..

The Commercial Bank of Harmony, es- tablished March 1, 1892, was an undertak- ing of S. E. Niece, a man of prominence in

522

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

oil operations and in banking circles, but the institution was not of long duration.

The first school in the borough after the departure of the Economites was that es- tablished in 1815 or 1816 by John Fleming, later known as the poet postmaster. Many others taught prior to the establishment of the public school system in 1835, among the best known being John Heberling, the mason, and William Huntzberber. From an early period there has been a succes- sion of private or select schools, of which the Harmony Collegiate Institute is an out- growth. There is now one public school, of four rooms, including a three years' high school course. There are four teachers, with an enrollment of 150 pupils.

The borough of Harmony was incorpo- rated in 1838, and William Keck was elected as the first burgess. A postoffice was established here in 1813, when Andrew McClure, upon being tarred and feathered by volunteer soldiers for giving expression to his Tory sentiments, in his pique, left Zelienople for Harmony. The postoffice followed him, and an Economite was placed in charge. John Fleming was the next postmaster, and served here until 1835, when he moved the office to Zelienople. There was for many years much rivalry between the two boroughs over the ques- tion, as the citizens of the one without an office were obliged to go to the other for mail. Ill feeling died down in later years, when offices were maintained in both places. Upon being re-established at Harmony, S. P. P. Young was first postmaster. He has had a number of successors, the present incumbent of the office being Mrs. Susan Fielder.

The census report of 1870 showed the population of the borough to be 414; in 1880, 497; in 1890, 585, and in 1900, 645. The present population of the borough is about 1,000, with an additional 400 or 500 in the immediate vicinity, making a town of substantially 1,400 or more population.

CHURCHES.

The Mennonite Church was the first in Harmony after the departure of George Rapp. Rev. John Boyer was the first preacher, and at first preached in a small edifice which they erected in 1816. Abra- ham Ziegler was the principal supporter of the church from its organization until his death in 1836, and in 1825, was instru- mental in the building of a stone church, which served the organization for many years. Other formerly-existing churches were the German Evangelical Lutheran, organized by Rev. Eli Steaver in 1843; the Baptist, which had a brief and precarious existence, and the Church of God, organ- ized by Rev. W. B. Long.

Grace Reformed Church was organized in 1826 by Rev. John Koch and the ser- mons preached in the German language. The old brick church erected by the dis- ciples of Rapp in 1806 was purchased as a house of worship, and was frequently re- modeled and enlarged to meet the demands of an increasing congregation. The pres- ent pastor is Rev. Lewis Reiter. The church has a membership of three hundred.

The Methodist Episcopal Church was or- ganized at Zelieople in 1842, as related in the chapter on that borough, and in 1880 was removed to Harmony. Here they erected a new church building at a cost of $2,000, it being dedicated on August 15, 1880. The present membership is 130; pastor, Rev. M. R. Hackman.

The Presbyterian Church has a member- ship of about 240, and is a flourishing or- ganization. The pastor is Rev. Hugh Leith.

The first cemetery in the community was that used as a burial ground by the Har- monists from 1805 until 1815. Upon the departure of that society they covered the graves with rock to a depth of several feet, so that the bones of their dead would not be disturbed. In 1869 a fitting tribute was paid these long departed pioneers by

523

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

old representatives of the community. They caused the rock to be removed and the graves marked, and built a substantial wall about the graveyard, the expense be- ing something over $7,000.

Among the leading business enterprises of the present day are the following: H. C. Mullerman, general merchandise; W. B. Cranmer and J. K. Scott, livery; Enoch Knox and J. Weigel, blacksmiths; Har- mony Creamery Co .; Zeigler & Stamm, furniture; S. D. Kirker, feed store; H. M. Wise, lumber; Harmony Cereal Co., A. H. Knauf, proprietor; H. W. Bame, grocer; the Hotel Bean, S. A. Bean, proprietor; Zeigler House, L. N. Zeigler, proprietor ; Oil Well Supply Co .; Edward Sahli, meats; Sitler, Swain & Moyer, general merchan- dise; Barnhart's Pharmacy; A. W. Flow- ers' Foundry, and the Harmony Hardware Co. (H. H. Beighlea, manager of imple- ment department). Resident physicians are D. W. Fiedler, J. H. Ralston and Arthur S. Stewart.

The B. & O. Railroad and the B. R. and P. Railroads supply steam connection with outside points. The Pittsburg, Harmony, Butler and New Castle Electric Line began operations about July, 1908.

Telephone service is furnished by the Bell and P. & A. systems, while there are adequate telegraph and express accommo- dations.

The fraternal orders represented in Har- mony are the Odd Fellows, the Royal Ar- canum, the Knights of Pythias and the K. O. T. M.

Officials .- Burgess, A. Eppinger; presi- dent of council, H. H. Beighlea; secretary, H. A. Halstein; treasurer, E. G. Kris- tophel ; constable, Fred Schaffer ; high con- stable, Jacob Weigel; tax collector, Levi Boyer; assessor, Thomas Wheeler.

ZELIENOPLE BOROUGH.

Zelienople is a beautiful and prosperous little borough, located on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and on the Pittsburg, Har-

mony, Butler and New Castle interurban line. Its name is derived from that of Ze- lie, daughter of Dr. Müller, the founder of the place. Dr. Müller, or more correctly, Dr. Detmar Basse, was a scholarly man of large ideas and ambitions. He was an in- fluential man in his native Germany, and at one time represented the City of Frankfort as an ambassador to Paris. In 1802 he came to this country and purchased a vast tract of 10,000 acres lying in Butler and Beaver counties, Pennsylvania, his idea, apparently, being to establish a baronial estate amid romantic and picturesque sur- roundings in this part of the then growing West. He was a man of large means, and after laying out the village built him a pala- tial home of three stories in the architect- ural style of an old castle, with its towers, turrets and battlements, to which he gave the name of Bassenheim. A part of his holdings he disposed of in 1804 to George Rapp and his associates, retaining some 5,000 acres. An account of his mills and furnace is given in the history of Jackson township. It was his connection with the mills and his custom of signing his name Detmar Basse Müller that caused him to be known thereafter as Müller. He went back to Germany, temporarily, in 1806, and returned in 1807, accompanied by his daughter, Zelie, and her husband, Philip L. Passavant. He then devoted himself actively to the success of his undertaking and the upbuilding of the village and the development of its resources. He returned to his native land in 1818, leaving his in- terests to be cared for by Mr. Passavant, to whom he sold all of the unsold lots in Zelienople for $1,400. Bassenheim and 400 acres surrounding it was sold to Joseph Allen in 1836, and six years later was de- stroyed by fire.

Philip L. Passavant established the first store in the village in 1807, and was other- wise an important factor in the develop- ment of the community. He conducted the store for forty-one years, and was then

524

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

succeeded by his son, C. S. Passavant. As early as 1804, Christian Buhl, the hatter, and Daniel Fiedler, distiller and ferryman, erected cabins, which were the first built on the town site. Jonathan Baybury; Andrew Diemer and his son, masons by trade; and John G. Muntz, who moved to Harmony in 1804 or 1805; McIntyre, the spinning wheel manufacturer; Jacob Heberling, the third stone mason of the village, and John Lock, the miller, were all early members of the colony here. Andrew McClure moved in from his farm and kept tavern where the Grand Central Hotel of modern days was built. Charles Cist opened a small store here in 1814, and about the same time there came to the settlement, Jacob Hoffa, David Arneal, and a man named Hungelmeyer, who was a carpenter by trade. Robert Bol- ton and Frederick Bentle, blacksmiths; John Boyer, a preacher; and Vance Ran- dolph, a millwright, came in 1816, and were followed not long after by John A. Beyer, Adam and H. W. Goehring, John Lambert, and others. The McClure tavern was es- tablished shortly after the first log cabins were built, and was taken in by the house erected by John Randolph in the twenties. Both buildings were later united to form the Bastian House, and in 1878 the prop- erty was purchased by H. W. Stokey, who converted it into a good modern hotel, which was named the Grand Central. The Eagle Hotel was built in the twenties by Rudolph Kelker, and was conducted by various landlords until 1878, when Henry Stokey became proprietor. The latter was succeeded by his son, Charles Stokey, who conducts the New Stokey, a modern, up- to-date and well patronized house of enter- tainment.

The pioneer newspaper of the borough was the Zelienople Recorder, published in 1847. It was followed by the Connoquenes- sing News, which was established by Sam- uel Young and by him conducted until his death, when a son, J. R. Young, became owner and editor. The first passenger train

entered the borough the first day in the year 1879, and in 1880 the American Union Telegraph Company began operating here.

Nicholas Dambach in March, 1882, estab- lished a private bank, which was purchased the following year by Dr. Amos Lusk and son. Dr. Lusk died in 1891, and Amos M. Lusk carried on the business in partner- ship with John A. Gelbach until March, 1893, when he disposed of his interest to Jacob Gelbach. The banking firm of Gel- bach Brothers established the institution as one of the safest and most sound in But- ler County.

The German Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Zelienople was organized by some of the most substantial men of the community, and its affairs soon placed in a thriving condition.

Andrew McClure, the pioneer tavern- keeper, was also the first postmaster and served until his pro-British sentiments during the War of 1812 got him into dis- favor. In 1813 he was tarred and feath- ered by volunteer soldiers, en route to Lake Erie, and in revenge resigned the office to a citizen in Harmony. The town was then without a postoffice until 1835, when John G. Muntz was appointed post- master at Zelienople. The present incum- bent is N. B. Duncan.

The population of Zelienople, as re- vealed by the census reports, shows the growth was steady and continuous. It was 387 in 1870, 497 in 1880, 639 in 1890, and 963 in 1900. With the Extension it is now about 1,800.

Prior to 1810 the schools of Harmony served also as the schools of this borough, but in that year an octagonal brick house was erected on the Diamond for school and religious purposes. In 1817 Jacob Hoffa's wife conducted a primitive subscription school, and she was succeeded by a Mr. Brewster, and later by Jacob Heberling. In 1825 the manual labor school was estab- lished by the Presbytery of Pittsburg in the Bassenheim, and was conducted under

525

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

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.

Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 71

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