Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 82

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 82

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The industries of the township include

milling, ore and coal mining, the success- ful development of gas and extensive working of limestone quarries. In 1809 Jeremiah Smith, Jr., and Caleb Jones built a grist-mill, which succeeded the hand-mill constructed by his father. The Smiths controlled the earliest industries, having a saw-pit, mills, plow, harrow and cooper shops. In 1806 Thomas Horton built a saw-mill and was assisted in oper -. ating it by his son William, who was also an itinerant Methodist preacher. In 1817, Peter Mclaughlin purchased the Smith grist-mill and 500 acres of land, and about the same time, Peter and Hugh or Robert Mclaughlin, established a powder factory and both industries were contin- ued until 1828. The powder mill, under other owners, was operated for many years afterward. The mill also changed owners and in 1853 the Dennys tore down the old mill and put up a more modern one which was subsequently still further im- proved. Just east of this mill, a great gas well was drilled by the Denny brothers and William Stewart, in 1871, and in 1874 the productive Denny well was opened, the drilling reaching 1,442 feet. The Hazlett family conducted grist and saw-mills on Rough Run so long and successfully that they were given the local name of the millers of Rough Run.

In 1847 began the first important devel- oping of ore deposits near the mouth of Rough Run, and William Spear estab- lished the Winfield furnace. In 1856 it passed into the hands of the Winfield Coal and Iron Company and later was the prop- erty of William Stewart, who worked it until 1864. An attempt was made in 1891-2 to profitably operate salt works, on land near the Winfield furnace, but the enterprise did not succeed. One of the township's most prosperous concerns is the Acme Lime Company, Limited, which was organized in 1894, with J. A. Ransom president, J. J. Haas, secretary and Web- ster Keasey, superintendent. The com-

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pany owns 177 acres of land on Rough Run, and their plants are equipped with every modern improvement in the line of quarry machinery. The company also operates a coal mine and employment is afforded a large force.

Winfield Grange is one of the strong organizations of the Patrons of Hus- bandry in the county as well as one of the oldest. The Grange has a membership of over fifty and owns its own hall. George Bieker is the master.

Certain interests have favored the growth of a number of pleasant villages in Winfield Township, each one of which. has its full complement of happy homes. Leasureville, platted as Unionville in 1832, is of the class above named. Melissadale, named in honor of the wife of William Stewart, is no longer a place of much im- portance, its milling interests having de- clined.

Cabot Station dates back to 1871, when W. S. Boyd erected a building for hotel purposes after the Butler Branch Railroad had been completed. The post-office at this point was known as Carbon Black un- til 1904, when the name of the office and station were changed to Cabot, and the railroad station as Saxon Station.

The Carbon Black Works were estab- lished in 1876 by Nolan and Bordman, when one brick and one frame building were erected. These were burned in the winter of 1879-80, and the present brick structure, 250x120 feet, was erected in 1881. The capacity of the factory is about 2,500 pounds of carbon black a week. In 1902 the works were purchased by G. L. Cabot of Boston, who is the present oper- ator.

The present public school at Cabot was erected in 1888, in the place. of the old brick school house that was in use previ- ous to the Civil War. Cabot Institute was established in 1903, and the present brick building erected the same year. The lum- ber yards of Sykes & Wetzel were estab-

lished about 1890. The present village is composed of about twenty-five dwellings, a blacksmith shop, the Carbon Black Works, Rumbaugh's Livery barn, and Smith & Logan's store. The post-office is at the store, and C. A. Smith is the post-master.

The Methodist Episcopal Church at Cabot Station is the successor of Knox M. E. Church of Winfield Township. About 1903 the Knox Society purchased the building at Cabot formerly occupied by the Methodist Protestant Society and removed to the village. The church is in the circuit with Ekastown and Fisk Chapel and the present pastor is Rev. J. J. Buell.

Marwood Station, formerly " Delano, dates back to 1870, when E. G. Lighthold opened a store at that point. A post-office was established in Daniel Denny's store building in 1871, with L. Heydrick as post- master. The principal stores of the place in 1908 were those of A. Krause & Son, and Krause & Freehling.

Cabot Institute. Through the generos- ity of G. L. Cabot, the citizens of Cabot Station were enabled to establish an insti- tute which has been a great benefit to the young people of the community as well as a credit to the enterprise of her citizens. In 1903 the movement was inaugurated and Mr. Cabot proposed to duplicate the amount of money raised in the community for building purposes by his personal check. A subscription list was started and in a short time sufficient money was pledged to insure the erection of the build- ing, and the donation of the ground was secured from Webster Keasey, a resident of Cabot. A handsome two-story brick building was erected, and the institute started its first year with sixty-five pupils. The first principal was S. W. Frazier, and he was succeeded by E. O. Copeland, and he in turn by James Campbell. In 1906 C. W. Johnson was elected principal, and continued until in the fall of 1908, when A. W. Wallace of New Athens, Ohio, took

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charge of the school. The board of direc- tors of the institute in 1908 was composed of John Rivers, Sr., President; Dr. J. M. Scott, Secretary; and C. A. Smith, Robert Krause, G. L. Cabot of Boston, Judge James M. Galbreath of Butler, and J. W. Powell of Buffalo township. The institute has twenty-one pupils enrolled, and is in a prosperous condition.

St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church at Cabot Station was built in 1904 by Rev. Father Nicholas M. Deinlein of St. Fidelis College, Herman, who had taken an in- terest in the welfare of the foreigners em- ployed at the mines and quarries in Win- field township.

West Winfield. The village of West Winfield in Winfield Township is located on ground that has some historic interest. About the year 1817 William Hazlett erected a grist mill on Rough Run which he and his sons operated until after the erection of Winfield furnace. In 1847 William Spear erected a furnace near the mouth of Rough Run to develop the rich iron ore deposits of that section. Spear operated the furnace until 1856, when the industry passed into the hands of the Win- field Coal & Iron Company from whom it was purchased by William Stewart, who had previously operated the old Hickory Furnace on Slippery Rock creek at Kies- ter's Mill. Stewart operated the furnace until about 1865 when it went out of blast and the property was abandoned. The furnace tract of land consisting of 1,400 acres of the best mineral land in Butler county came into the possession of the McKee estate of Pittsburg, the present owners. The old stone stack of the fur- nace is still standing, and a stone house still remains as the only monuments of one of the principal industries of Butler County more than half a century ago.

to the site of the old furnace. The Rough Run Manufacturing Company purchased a tract of land adjoining the furnace prop- erty in 1891, and established a salt works. The company, which was composed of But- ler people, carried out the idea of Joseph Bredin to pipe salt water from the salt water wells near Butler to the plant of Rough Run, and there manufacture the salt where there was an abundance of cheap fuel to be obtained from the natural gas wells. The enterprise was carried on for a year or two but proved unprofitable, and the works were closed.

After the completion of the West Win- field Railroad in 1890, Webster Keasey and J. A. Ransom leased the Keasey farm of 177 acres from the Rough Run Manu- facturing Company, and began the mining and shipping of lime. Keasey and Ran- som disposed of their plant to Houston Brothers of Pittsburg, who operated it for a number of years, and about 1898 A. G. Morris & Son of Tyrone purchased the interest of Houston Brothers. In the meantime F. W. McKee had opened up the limestone vein on the furnace tract south of the old Keasey farm, which is now the scene of the largest limestone operation of its kind in the United States. The lime- stone was mined by drifting into the side of the hill, and the main entry now ex- tends about 1,800 feet from the mouth of the mine. The mine is equipped with compressed air machines for drilling, lighted with electricity, and electric haul- age is used. About eighty men are em- ployed continuously, and the output of the mine averages six hundred tons daily of raw stone and about one thousand bushels of burnt lime. The superintendent of the operations is George Milliron, who has been an employe of the company for eight years, and the foreman of the mining operations is R. D. Younkins. The lime- thick, and lies in three veins. At the pres- ent time the company is taking out the

The village of today had its inception in the building of the West Winfield Branch . stone at this point is twenty-eight feet Railroad in 1890 and 1891, which was con- structed from Monroeville up Rough Run

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

two lower veins and leaving in the top vein, which is six feet thick, for a roof.

In addition to the limestone operations at West Winfield, F. W. McKee & Com- pany are operating the Darlington Sand- stone and shipping a large quantity of sand to Pittsburg and other points which is used in the manufacture of glass.

The Duquesne Fireproofing Company which was organized several years ago to develop the fire clay on Rough Run, built a large plant for the manufacture of sewer pipe, terra cotta work and other products of fire clay. They employed several hun- dred men until 1906, when the plant was closed down.

Rough Run Postoffice was established in 1894, and Webster Keasey was installed as its first postmaster. In October, 1898, the name of the office was changed to West Winfield, and in May, 1899, W. H. Cooper succeeded Mr. Keasey as postmaster. Mr. Cooper remained in charge of the office until November 12, 1903, when he was suc- ceeded by C. C. Donaldson, the present postmaster.

St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church was built in 1902, and is under the care of the priests at St. Mary's College, Herman. It is a commodious frame building and was erected by the members of the Catholic faith in that community who had an in- terest in the religious welfare of the for- eigners who are employed at the works. A large percentage of the membership is foreign, but the American residents of the place also attend the services.

The Presbyterian Mission at West W'in- field is under the care of the Presbyterian church, and is the only Protestant organ- ization in the place. Sabbath School and services are held in the hall of the public school building, and at the present time are in charge of Rev. George Stewart. The public school house was built in 1901 by the school board of Winfield Township, assisted by the financial aid of F. W. Mc- Kee, who is agent for the McKee estate.

The business houses of the town are C. C. Donaldson & Company, who conduct a general store and keep the postoffice, and Jacob Schwartz, clothing. The town of West Winfield is built entirely on the old furnace property, and the houses are owned by the McKee estate. The popula- tion of the place varies from six hundred to one thousand, and is composed princi- pally of foreigners, who are employed at the works and mines.

Black, or Saxon Station gained local prominence when the carbon works were established at this point in 1876 and con- ducted until the winter of 1879-80, when they were burned. The present brick structures were put up in 1881 and the industry continues. In 1888 a fine public school building was erected, the town has excellent railroad facilities and is one of the centers of population in the township. Delano Station dates back to 1870, when E. G. Leithold opened a store here and in the following year a post-office was estab- lished, with L. Heidrick as first post- master. The village is the center of a wealthy outside district and supplies the wants of a considerable extent of country. The name of this place is now Cabot.

Prior to 1815 the children of Winfield and Clearfield Township were served in large measure by the same teachers. Edu- cational needs were by no means neglected, although, perhaps, they were not furthered as rapidly as in some other sections. The intelligent citizenship, however, of the present day, shows there is no lack of schools or educating opportunities in the year 1909.

There are nine public schools with an enrollment of 295 scholars.

Church membership is divided between the Methodist Episcopal and the Lutheran and Evangelical bodies. Knox Methodist Episcopal Church, near the eastern line of Jefferson Township, is probably the oldest organization, existing as a society in 1824. Like many of the early charges it had its

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difficulties, but in 1864 a brick structure was erected in which the congregation worshipped until it was decided to remove to Cabot, when the building was converted into a dwelling house.

· Fisk Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in August, 1855, and in 1857 a brick building was built which may be en- larged to accommodate increasing mem- bership. It was given its name in honor of Rev. Wilbur Fisk, a worthy man and beloved pastor. Its present pastor is Rev. J. J. Buell.

The German Lutheran Church was or- ganized in 1848 by Rev. Henry Issense, although prior to that time religious serv- ices had been regularly held. The first house of worship of this body was a build- ing erected in the cemetery east of the present church edifice, which succeeded under the pastorate of Reverend Umsler, in 1887. In the old cemetery adjoining rest the remains of many of the old Ger- man settlers of the township and it is noted that many of the headstones tell the pitiful tale of the scourge that visited many of the homes in 1858-scarlet fever.

St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church (German) was incorporated in November, 1888, with thirty-two members, including Rev. J. G. Amsohler.

It is in the Sarversville charge with St. Paul's Church of Sarversville and St. Luke's Church of Saxonburg. Rev. J. A. Frishkorn is the present pastor.

The Evangelical Zion Church of Win- field and Buffalo Townships, signed articles of association, January 6, 1873, but it was organized in 1852, when a small frame building was erected, which served until the fine church structure was com- pleted in 1873.

The Methodist Protestant Church at Saxon Station was accommodated by the trustees of the society by the erection of their neat frame building, which was com- pleted in 1879, when Rev. J. J. Waggoner was appointed pastor. It may thus be

seen that the spiritual welfare of the resi- dents of Winfield Township is well taken care of and the influence of these bodies is doubtless reflected in the quiet, peaceful, law-abiding life which pervades this sec- tion. An organization of local note is the Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Com- pany, which was organized August 27, 1859, by Lewis A. Krause, who served as first president.

The population of the township in 1900 was 1,395 and the estimated population in 1908 was 1,680. The increase in the last eight years is due to the development of the limestone and mining industries.

The township officials in 1908 were as follows: Constable, John Milliron; town- ship clerk, George Morris; tax collector, G. W. Galbreath; road supervisors, W. S. Cruikshank, Henry Grimm, Scott Cruik- shank; auditors, J. H. Morehead, William Fox, G. W. Watson. Election officers : First Precinct-Erhart Lang, judge; Will- iam Fox and Theodore Acre, inspectors; Second Precinct-W. J. Jenkins, judge; H. C. Gibson and William Rummel, in- spectors. Assistant assessors, W. H. Wat- son and Henry Hilliard.

WORTH TOWNSHIP.

Worth Township, which is situated in the northwestern part of Butler County, was organized in 1854, and in its name, commemorates General Worth, a hero of the Mexican War. While it possesses considerable rich farming land, it is mainly noted for its mineral wealth, large areas being rich in coal deposits, and compara- tively recent investigations proving also the presence of reservoirs of natural gas. Profitable wells were drilled on the Elliott, Pizor, McCracken and Boyd farms in the latter part of the eighties and formed a part of the Grove City Gas Plant. The Allegheny & Western Railroad in the southern part of the township is bound in time to develop the mineral resources in that district. In the formation of Worth

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township, a part was taken from Slippery Rock, but the larger portion was sub- tracted from Muddy Creek Township. The population has varied but little since its organization; in 1908 it was estimated as 1,090.

Prior to the coming of the white settlers, this, as other sections, had been occupied by the Indians and still many years after their departure an occasional relic of those early inhabitants is found. In the autumn of 1790, two enterprising and courageous men of Cumberland County or Westmore- land County, came to the Indian village on Slippery Rock, and finding no objection made to their presence, built themselves a cabin and remained for three months, en- gaging in hunting and in exploring the country. Probably the peaceful disposi- tion of the natives led David Studebaker, one of these pioneers, to return to this region three years later, accompanied by his sister, and later being joined by his father and the rest of the family. David's marriage to Catherine Michaels was the first ceremony of the kind in the township and many of their descendants have reached a large degree of prominence in Butler and adjacent counties. The per- manent settlers came to Worth Township a few years earlier than to some other sections, William and John Elliott coming in 1793, John Dennison in the same year, David, George and Rebecca Armstrong in 1794, and Henry Stinetorf, John and Jacob Pisor, Thomas, David, William and Samuel Cross, Daniel and William Mc- Connell, William McNees and Benjamin Jack, in 1795. Thomas, Andrew and John Clark joined the colony in 1797, and in 1798 came Thomas Humphrey, Andrew, Edward and James Douglass, Christopher Wimer and Charles Coulter. A number of these early settlers had been soldiers in the Revolutionary War. Other families established here between 1800 and 1820 were those of Charles, John and John Martin, Jr., John Taggart, Hugh Hender-

son, John Moore, Isaac M. Cornelius, Robert Glenn, Casper Hockenberry, Alex- ander McBride and George Taylor.

Only second to providing shelter and food for their families, the worthy pio- neers of Worth Township felt the re- sponsibility resting on them to provide religious influences and some sort of edu- cational opportunities, the traveling preacher at first supplying both needs. The Rev. John Anderson is described as calling his audience together as early as May, 1807, under the shade of an oak tree, and on up to 1811, Associate Presbyterian preachers would hold services, John Moore's house always being open for this purpose.

The United Presbyterian Church, of Slippery Rock, the oldest religious body in Worth Township, was organized in 1809 and until 1842 was known as the Mouth of Wolf Creek Church, indicating its loca- tion. In 1811 a house of worship was completed and Alexander Murray was or- dained pastor. The first edifice was burned in 1839 but the membership of this body has always numbered a large per- centage of the wealth of the community and generosity has been shown in subse- quent building for church purposes. In 1889 Rev. J. B. Whitten succeeded Rev. M. B. Patterson as pastor.

Zion Baptist Church, which was organ- ized in November, 1841, held services in the school-house until 1843, when Jacob Fisher donated land on which a substan- tial brick building was erected, this having been enlarged and improved through the further generosity of members of the con- gregation. The first pastor was Rev. Daniel Daniels, and the first members were John and Margaret Oelton, William and Annie Book, Robert and Mary Hamp- son and Phoebe Cooper.

Mt. Union Church of God congregation was organized in 1871 and the first serv- ices were held in Rocky Springs school- house. The first preacher in charge was

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Elder Joseph Grimm. The generosity of different members made it possible to erect a commodious structure in 1873.

Robert Marcus is entitled to the credit of establishing the first school in Worth Township. He used an old log house then standing on the Pisor farm and his ses- sions began in 1810, when he had twenty- five subscribed pupils. A second school was soon opened on the McNees farm, later another was opened on the Stinetorf farm and long before the common school system was adopted, this section was af- fording its youth educational training, which was mainly confined, however, to the elemental branches. In 1908 there were eight schools in the district with 187 scholars, and the total receipts of the dis- trict including the State appropriation were $2,672.00.

In early days in Worth as in other town- ships, the majority of families provided for the grinding of their own grain, by means of either horse-power or hand mills, the process in either case being one that was very unsatisfactory. Hence, the build- ing of a grist mill was a matter of common interest and the man of enterprise who erected one was looked on, in a way, as a public benefactor. The credit for building the first mill here of that kind lies be- tween Alexander McBride and Franklin Elliott. In 1803 Thomas Coulter operated a saw-mill and after the construction of the McBride grist mill in 1827, the owner of the latter built a saw-mill and con- tinued to operate both mills until 1850. Charles Coulter established his carding- mill following the War of 1812, an indus- try which, under subsequent owners and operators was equipped with modern ma- chinery and during the Civil War did a large business in the manufacture of flan- nels and blankets. It later became known as the Sutliff mill. Tanneries were among the early industries and in 1803, James Coulter established one that was con- ducted for many years as an important

township industry. In the days of pio- neering one of the remunerative industries was distilling and prior to the temperance agitation in the thirties, much fine whisky was manufactured in Worth Township, the leading men in the industry being Hugh Henderson, Jonathan Dean and William Vogan. Since modern enterprise has found means to develop the natural resources of the land, mining has become one of the most important activities of this section, and, together with gas devel- opment, has attracted both capital and labor to the Township.

Jacksville. The village of Mechanics- burg or Jacksville Post-office is said to have received its name from the fact that a number of mechanics lived at the village at the same time. The original post-office at Jacksville was established in William Jack's store on his farm a short distance east of the present village. His son, Cochrad Jack, was the first post-master. The succeeding post-masters have been Samuel Hazlett, John Boyle, Nicholas Gardner, Marcus Reichert, and Hannah Boyle. The village contains about a dozen houses, a blacksmith shop, post-office, and a general store, besides a wagon shop and a town hall. The tannery and the woolen mill located here ceased operation in the nineties.

Jacksville Tent Number 159, K. O. T. M., was organized April 1, 1883, and the charter was granted December 16th of the same year. There were nineteen charter members, and the first officers were J. B. Pizor, J. W. Studebaker, S. C. Humphrey, and W. F. Gardner.

The Worth Township Gas Company was organized in 1892 to operate the gas wells on the Glenn and the McClymonds farms. This gas was used for local consumption.

The Worth Mutual Fire Insurance Com- pany was chartered January 13, 1875. The original members and stockholders were Amaziah Kelly, A. Stickle, Hampson

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Dean, J. A. Kelly, W. McBride, R. A. Kelly, James M. Maxwell, and J. G. Cor- nelius. John Humphrey was the first president, and James M. Marshall, secre- tary. Robert Barron succeeded Mr. Humphrey as president in 1883, and James

Humphrey was elected to the position in 1887 and 1894. Mr. Marshall was secre- tary of the corporation until 1882, when W. E. Taylor was elected to succeed him. The company at the present time has over $1,000,000.00 of insurance on its books.

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Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 82

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