Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 48

Author: Hazen, Aaron L. (Aaron Lyle), 1837- comp. and ed. cn
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1058

USA > Pennsylvania > Lawrence County > New Castle > Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th > Part 48

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).

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HISTORY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY

The first store on the south side of the creek was opened by three Hyde brothers, John, Joseph and Thomas. The first store on the north side was opened by a man named Vincent, who only kept it a year or two. A man named Coulter had the second one, and Frederick Rapp the third, and the latter also built the brick hotel, kept by Benjamin Wilson in after years.

The first blacksmith shop was probably started by Jacob Weis.

J. N. Kirker has conducted a flour and feed store here since 1902. James H. New- ton is proprietor of the largest general store, which was established in 1900. E. G. French operates a stone quarry just on the edge of the town. It has been operated by him since 1900 and still the vein is not ex- hausted, although at the present time he is working it heavily, employing as many as fourteen men.

A two-story brick school building was erected in 1872, on the north side. The village of Wurtemburg is an independent school district, and had an attendance in its two schools in 1908 of ninety-four pu- pils. Two teachers are employed and in that year were paid $650. The total ex- penditure for school purposes was $828.57.

CHURCHES.

THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH of Wurtemburg was organized in 1859 by Rev. Thomas Guthrie, D. D., who supplied it for some time. The members originally belonged to the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Perry Township. The first reg- ular pastor of the new organization was Rev. J. H. Peacock, who came about 1867 and preached five years. The next regular pastor was Rev. John D. Glenn, who was installed November 1, 1874, and also had charge of the Center Church in Shenango Township. The original membership was about eighty. A Sabbath-school has been kept up most of the time. The church lot was furnished by James Mehard, one of the members of the congregation, and a large frame church built upon it in 1860.

A portion of the congregation, some forty- five members, left the church in 1873, and formed a new congregation in Perry Town- ship called Camp Run. They built a church in 1874, and have meetings in con- nection with Mountville United Presbyte- rian Church, in the same township.

THE GERMAN LUTHERAN CHURCH at Wurtemburg, which has long been out of existence, was the outgrowth of meetings held in the house of Jacob Liebendorfer, about 1830-31, he having been a member of the German Lutheran Church at Zelien- ople, Butler County, prior to that time. The pastor of that church conducted the meeting in the Liebendorfer home, his name being Rev. Schweitzerbart. Meetings were subsequently held in private houses and for a time in the schoolhouse, which was built about 1832-33, near where the United Presbyterian Church now stands, and still later in a schoolhouse which stood south of the creek. A church was not built until 1868-69, when a frame structure was erected, north of town, on the New Castle road. About the year 1877 there was a split in the church on the language ques- tion, many of the members desiring serv- ices in English, and a long drawnout law suit resulted. Finally a part of its mem- bers withdrew and built a church, known as Zion's, or Mt. Hope Lutheran Church, on the Harlansburg Road, about two miles north of the old church. Some time in the nineties the old church building was given to Rev. H. Voegel, of Evans City, who re- moved it to Ellwood City, but after a few years the congregation there died out. In 1903, Mr. A. P. Lentz organized a congre- gation, composed entirely of Austro-Hun- garians, and services are conducted in German. The congregation is very pros- perous.

The METHODISTS held meetings at inter- vals for some twenty years, part of the time in the schoolhouse, prior to erecting a church. In the summer of 1876 the pres- ent frame building, called the "Centennial Methodist Episcopal Church," was built.

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Here, Rev. J. S. Ross preached three years and was succeeded by Rev. Mr. Writer.

The bridge still spanning Slippery Rock Creek was built either in 1829 or 1830 by James Mehard, then living in Harmony, Butler County. He afterwards came to Wurtemburg and bought the place where his son, Joseph, afterwards lived.

Wurtemburg has always been regarded as a progressive place, its transition from conditions of pioneer days having been rapid, and its improvements of a perma- nent character.

ELLWOOD CITY.

Prosperous and thriving borough that it is, with its enormous manufacturing plants which produce millions of dollars' worth of products and pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in salaries, yearly, with its well stocked stores and its modern homes, Ellwood City, located within the limits of Wayne Township, has a history which dates back less than a score of years. It is the home of such plants as those of the American Steel Car Forge Company. Glen Manufacturing Company, Ellwood Foundry Company, Standard Engineering Company, National Tube Company, Ell- wood City Glass Company, Ellwood Brick and Limestone Company, Standard Tube Company, the Tindel-Morris Company, the Garlock Packing Company, the National Supply and Construction Company and the Ellwood Lumber Company.

The American Steel Car Forge Com- pany is the outgrowth of a business begun in 1894 under the name and style of the Baker Forge Company, which was organ- ized for the purpose of manufacturing wagon hardware. The plant occupies seven and one-half acres of land and gives employment to about 700 men. Its officers are J. M. Hanson, president; C. W. Wright, secretary; T. A. Gillespie, treas- urer, and C. A. Martin, general manager.

The Standard Tube Company, the larg- est seamless tube plant in the world, was originally conducted as a stock company,

with R. C. Steifel as president and general manager; the stock was owned by R. C. Steifel, J. H. Micholson and C. E. Pope. It was conducted as an independent con- cern until 1901, when it was purchased by the National Tube Company, and shortly afterwards incorporated as a part of the United States Steel Corporation. The various seamless tube manufacturing plants are operated under the Shelby Steel Tube Company, with general offices in Pittsburg. The Ellwood City plant covers nine acres and has a capacity of 350 tons per day, employing 2,200 men. Its capital stock is $600,000.

The Ellwood Brick and Limestone Com- pany is successor to the Ellwood Brick Company, Limited, which was organized in May, 1892, and was one of the first plants of any consequence in the borough. J. M. Montgomery is president, and T. J. Ful- mer, secretary and treasurer. It is cap- italized at $30,000.

The Glen Manufacturing Company, man- ufacturers of gray iron castings, derrick fittings, wire fencing, builders' iron work, etc., originated in 1902, and started in busi- ness in January, 1903. It bought out the Hartman Manufacturing Company, which was established in Ellwood City in 1892. H. S. Blatt serves as president, and A. M. Jones as secretary and treasurer of this company, which is capitalized at $100,000.

The Standard Engineering Company, employing about 250 men, is engaged in the manufacture of rolling and tube mill machinery, pipe threading machines, sand rolls and high grade gray iron castings, up to thirty tons weight. It is capitalized at $3,000,000, and its officers are C. D. Coban, president, and H. M. Criswell, secretary and treasurer. The plant was erected in 1902.

The plant of the Tindel-Morris Com- pany in Ellwood City was erected in 1895, and incorporated in 1898. It had its in- ception in 1862 as the Frankfort Steel Company, a plant having been established at that date in Frankfort, Pennsylvania.

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The name was later changed to the Frank- fort Steel and Forge Company, and in 1895 the factory was moved to Ellwood City. where it covers two acres of ground. Two hundred men are employed in the manu- facture of machine tools, gas and steam engines, and automobiles. The officers of the company are Adam Tindel, president ; L. G. Morris, vice-president; L. W. Gru- ber, secretary, and G. B. Reed, assistant vice-president and manager.

The Ellwood City Glass Company, with capital stock at $60,000, in 1905 grew out of the re-organization of the Clark Bros. Glass Company, which was established in 1892 by Harry Northwood. It manufac- tures a high grade of blown tumblers and employs about 210 men. Charles Runyon is president and treasurer, and W. M. Gert- man, secretary.

The Garlock Packing Company, with main office and factory at Elmira, N. Y., operates a plant in Ellwood City, as well as in most of the largest cities of the Unit- ed States. They are patentees and manu- facturers of the Garlock fibrous and Pitt metal packings, their product reaching the markets of all the civilized world. This company has been in operation in Ellwood City since 1905, when it leased the plant of the Pitt Manufacturing Company, which had been organized and was operated by Pittsburg capitalists. The Garlock Pack- ing Company was incorporated in 1905 with O. J. Garlock as president; F. W. Griffith, vice-president and treasurer, and J. H. L. Galagher, secretary. E. T. R. Holt is superintendent of the Ellwood plant.

Zeigler & Lambert, manufacturers of carriages and wagons, making a specialty of delivery wagons, established a factory in Ellwood City in 1907, and conducts a thriving business.

The Ellwood Lumber Company, with principal office and yard at Ellwood City, was incorporated under the laws of Penn- sylvania, May 21, 1904, and has a capital stock of $100,000, although it was in oper-

ation many years prior to that date. It operates branches at Aliquippa and Am- bridge, Pa., having a large planing mill at the latter point. The officers of the com- pany are W. J. McKim, president ; Thomas L. Haines, vice-president, and John F. Haines, secretary, treasurer and general manager.

The National Supply and Construction Company, which is engaged in general con- tracting, the lumber and planing mill busi- ness, was organized in 1906, and has a cap- ital stock of $50,000. Its officers are Al- bert C. Frey, president; B. F. Ross, vice- president, and B. F. Mosher, secretary and treasurer.

Ellwood City boasts of two banking in- stitutions which class with the leading financial institutions of Lawrence County, the First National and the People's Na- tional Bank. The First National Bank of Ellwood City was organized in 1892, and has a capital stock of $100,000; its officers are John A. Gelbach, president; H. S. Blatt, vice-president, and W. J. McKim, cashier. The People's National Bank was organized May 9, 1907, and is capitalized at $50,000. Its officers are C. A. Martin, president; J. E. VanGorder, vice-presi- dent, and J. E. Cobler, cashier.

The borough is well provided with good substantial public service companies, par- ticularly the Ellwood Water Company and the Manufacturers' Light and Heat Com- pany. It has two newspapers of a high order, namely: The Ellwood Citizen and the Ellwood Eagle and Motor.

The affairs of the borough are efficiently administered by the following officers : John H. Hassler, burgess; John A. Gel- bach, treasurer; William McElroy, clerk; Captain Moon, chief of police ; H. R. John- son, chief of the fire department; George Cron, high constable; Jacob Bair, tax col- lector, and Matthew Strohecker, road com- missioner. The council consists of the fol- lowing: Dr. Silas Stevenson, president; James Lenigen, E. J. Hazen, Henry W.

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Dambach, M. D. McCarthy, W. J. Krok and Dr. D. C. Vosler. The school board is made up of the following citizens: Jo- seph Humphrey, president; George Dam- bach, Dr. C. M. Iseman, R. G. Brown, sec- retary; Charles E. Whistler and William Kearns. The following constitute the Board of Health: Rev. A. R. Lentz, presi- dent; Dr. S. S. Davidson, Dr. D. D. Cun- ningham, John Scheidamantle, Howard McCliman and John McKim. R. A. Todd has been postmaster of the borough since 1901, when he was appointed by William McKinley, president; he was re-appointed by President Roosevelt in 1905.

The following are the officers of the Ell- wood City Board of Trade: Charles E. Whistler, president; A. M. Jones. vice- president; D. J. Mulcahy, secretary, and A. C. Frey, treasurer. Its board of direc- tors includes Charles E. Whistler, Mat- thew A. Riley, A. C. Frey, H. S. Blatt and J. A. Gelbach.

The moral tone of a community is ever reflected by the number and conditions of its churches and benevolent societies. Both of these agencies for the accomplishment of good are numerically strong in Ellwood City, and the individual bodies in a pros- perous and healthy condition. Following are the churches in the borough, together with the names of the pastors: Baptist, Rev. G. M. Davis; Catholic, Rev. Father Hisson; Christian, Rev. F. L. Taylor ; Free Methodist, Rev. J. T. Barkas; German Lutheran, Rev. A. P. Lentz; Lutheran, Rev. A. P. Lentz; Methodist, Rev. A. Ren- ton; Reformed, Rev. A. K. Kline; Presby- terian, Rev. Rendall; United Presbyterian, Rev. J. A. McDonald. The following are the fraternal societies of Ellwood City: Masons, Fraternal Order of Eagles, Knights of Pythias, Independent Order of Odd Fellows (two lodges), Knights of the Golden Eagle, Knights and Ladies of Honor, German Beneficial Union, Uni- formed Rank, Knights of the Maccabees, Ladies of the Maccabees, Protective Home Circle and Sons of Veterans.

WILMINGTON TOWNSHIP.

Wilmington is one of the original town- ships of Lawrence County, and was erect- ed when it formed a part of Mercer Coun- ty, from parts of Neshannock (Lawrence County) and Lackawannock (Mercer County ) Townships, in February, 1846. Its area is about eleven thousand five hundred acres. The surface is diversified with hill and valley, wood and stream, and for agri- cultural purposes is generally fine. The borough of New Wilmington was created from a portion of the township, April 4, 1863, and includes between three and four hundred acres. The other villages of the township are Fayetteville, Neshannock Falls and Lockeville (Volant post-office). Abundant water power is afforded by num- erous streams, the principal ones being the Big and Little Neshannock.

The township is traversed along Big Ne- shannock Creek by what was the New Cas- tle and Franklin Railway, later known as the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railway, and now a part of the Pennsyl- vania System. The stations upon it are Wilmington, Neshannock Falls, East Brook and Volant. The Beaver and Mer- cer State road was cut through about 1814, and was open for travel in a few places by 1815.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

The first settler in Wilmington Town- ship was probably William Hodge, who came up the Beaver and Shenango River in a canoe, in company with Simon Van Ors- del, in the month of February, 1797. Van Orsdel did not remain. Hodge built a cabin on his place and made a small clearing, and, in 1798 sometime, sold out to William Porter, who had come from Westmoreland County, and was the second settler in the township.

After Porter's settlement, the year 1798 witnessed a number of arrivals. James Hazlep settled the land now occupied by the borough of New Wilmington, and after- wards became the possessor of some eight

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hundred acres in the vicinity. John Mc- Crum came the same year, also James Waugh; the latter afterwards, about 1824, purchased the ground where New Wilming- ton now stands, and he and his sons laid out the town about that time.

Hugh Means arrived in 1800 and built a grist-mill on Little Neshannock Creek, east of what is now New Wilmington. This was the first mill in the neighborhood, and was extensively patronized, customers coming somtimes ten or twelve miles. It was then within the bounds of the newly created county of Mercer, and elections were held in it. His son, Daniel, served in the War of 1812-15, and another son, Hen- ry, hauled supplies for the soldiers.

Hugh Watson came from Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pennsylvania, in 1806. and settled near Neshannock Falls.

John Watson came in 1808, and located on a part of the same farm as Hugh Wat- son. His son, James Watson, came in 1809, and lived for a while with his father, and afterwards removed to the site of the village of Fayetteville, where he had pur- chased 185 acres of land. The first settler on this place was Thomas Sampson, who bought a claim from William Whiteside, in 1804. John Sampson purchased a piece off the same tract, east of him, and located upon it in 1805, during which year he opened what was long known as the "Back- woods Tavern," an establishment widely known in those days. The tavern was a log building, and quite a roomy structure for the time.

William Hodge, William McCrum (son of John McCrum) and Samuel Hazlep (son of James Hazlep) were in the War of 1812.

Adam Wilson came from Carlisle, Cum- berland County, Pennsylvania, in 1806-7, and located near Neshannock Presbyterian Church, west of New Wilmington. Mr. Wilson had two still houses on his place.

James Banks came from Juniata Coun- ty in the year 1815, and on arriving in Lawrence County (then Mercer), located

on the farm where he lived with his son, Andrew Banks. In 1811 he had purchased the land, 200 acres, of Hugh Johnston, paying $4.25 an acre. He was out and looked at the land in 1814, but did not lo- cate upon it until 1815. Johnston, who had come to the place about 1808, had cleared about forty acres and built a hewed log house twenty-four feet square.

John Banks, brother of James, came out about 1818, and was afterwards elected the first member of Congress from Mercer County. He located at Mercer, and read law in the office of Mr. Sample at that place.

NESHANNOCK FALLS.

This village is located on the north side of Big Neshannock Creek, in the bend of the stream, and is named from the rapid in the creek near Holstein's grist-mill. Here the channel of the stream is nar- rowed to a considerable extent, and for some forty or fifty feet the descent is such as to create a swift rush of the waters, and, as they dash among the fragments of rock which lie in the bed of the stream, they make noise enough for the respectable waterfall. The place is a great resort for picnie parties during the summer, and the rocks bear witness to the frequency of the visits in the many names cut in them; the earliest of them reach back as far as 1826 or 1827. In a cavern or hollow beneath the rocks was accidentally found, many years ago, a stone image, some eighteen or twen- ty inches in length, carved to represent a chief, with all his paraphernalia, even to the imitation of his head necklace. Whether the relic of a prehistoric race, the creation of later Indians, or the hoax of a practical joker, was never ascertained.

The first schoolhouse at Neshannock Falls was built about 1835, a frame build- ing, which was replaced by a brick struc- ture, about 1871-72.

Thomas, John and James Wilson built a flouring mill on the Big Neshannock, about sixty rods above the present mill, in the

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neighborhood of 1826-7. Before the grist- mill was built the Wilsons had erected a saw-mill, since torn away. The original dam was removed and a new one built on the same site about 1850. A new mill was built in 1841 by the same parties who built the first one, and the old one was remodeled and for a time used for a woolen factory. It was finally torn down. The new mill did a large custom and merchant business, shipping most of the flour manufactured to New Castle and Pittsburg. Thomas, John and James Wilson were sons of Adam Wilson, who settled, in 1806 or 1807, near New Wilmington.

John Wilson built a paper mill about 1852, and, after running it for two years, disposed of it to J. C. Shaw, who operated it until February, 1866, when it was de- stroyed by fire.

Samuel Holstein built a grist-mill and a saw-mill (the saw-mill first) some time be- tween 1835 and 1840. A woolen mill was built somewhere about the same time. The old grist-mill was finally removed and a new one built, about 1856-7, by Hugh and Thomas McConnell, for Mr. Holstein, they having the use of the mill for a term of years.

A sawmill was built at the head of the Holstein mill-race as early as 1810-12, by Hugh Watson, and was the first one in the neighborhood. It was running for several years subsequent to 1815, but the mill and dam were both finally removed.

An iron furnace was built at Neshannock Falls about 1850-52, and belonged to W. G. & C. A. Powers, who also had the first store at this place. The furnace was op- erated some ten or twelve years, the ore being taken from the immediate neighbor- hood, and much of it from the farm of James Banks. Charcoal was exclusively used for fuel. The ore was of a good qual- ity, said to yield sixty per cent of iron.

The country along Neshannock Creek is extensively underlaid with iron ore, and the land is necessarily cut up so much in mining it, owing to its approaching so near

the surface, that it is no longer taken out. The same trouble is met with in getting out the coal; the vein is thin, also, although the coal is of an excellent quality.

Neshannock Falls post-office was estab- lished about 1864-66 with Samuel Hol- stein as the first postmaster. He held the office some six or seven years, when he was succeeded by J. C. Shaw. The village and postoffice bear the same name.

John C. Blevins is the proprietor of a general store, which was established twenty-six years ago. He has been post- master for twelve years. At this place is a large grist mill, operated by John Y. Walker. Neshannock Falls Creamery is also a flourishing concern.

FAYETTEVILLE.

James Watson laid out the village of Fayetteville into thirty lots and sold them at auction, February 8, 1828. William Mays moved his house down from New Wilmington, and his was the first in the place. The next morning after erecting it in Fayetteville, he sold it to Robert Calvin, who opened a tailor shop in it. Mays was also a tailor by trade, but kept no shop.

The first schoolhouse was a frame build- ing, erected in 1845 by James G. Thomp- son. It stood on the site of the brick schoolhouse, which replaced it in 1859. The brick for the building were manufactured by David Stewart.

John Collins built the first blacksmith shop in the fall of 1830.

A man named Lord, who had previously owned a store in New Castle, came to Fay- etteville in 1837 and opened a general store, which he carried on for about three or four months-from June till October- when he left. Robert Lindsay opened an- other store the same month in which Lord left, and conducted it a number of years, then was succeeded by Thomas Elliott.

After Fayetteville was laid out the first tavern was opened by James Morrow. It was afterwards occupied by Simon V. Hodge, Daniel Davis and Daniel McLean.

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James Armstrong also kept a tavern for a while, as did William Meadow.

The Lutheran Church in the village was organized, and a frame building erected in 1854. The congregation was originally or- ganized in New Wilmington, but no church was ever built there. When organized, the congregation consisted of about forty members. Its first pastor was Rev. J. H. Brown. A Sabbath-school was organized before the church was built, in 1852, and the first Sabbath-school was held in the Phillips' schoolhouse, south of New Wil- mington. The first superintendent was William Heime.

LOCKEVILLE (VOLANT POST-OFFICE).

In April, 1868, J. P. Locke came from Mercer County, Pa., purchased the grist mill from Samuel Bowan, and also bought one hundred acres of land, on a part of which he in 1872 laid out a town of some thirty lots, giving it the name Lockeville. Volant post-office was removed to the place in 1874, and from the post-office the railway station takes its name. New Castle and Franklin Railway was completed to the place in 1873. Part of the lots in the vil- lage are in Washington Township, a small corner of which is on the west side of Neshannock creek. A covered bridge was erected over the Neshannock.

A church was built by the Methodist Episcopal society, and dedicated in the fall of 1875. Rev. Mr. Crouch was its first pastor.

John and William Graham built a store soon after the town was laid out, it being the first building erected in the new town. William Graham was the first postmaster after the office was removed to the village.

Jonathan Wilkin also opened a store, and, besides these, two shoe shops, owned by George Carr and Frank Herman; one blacksmith shop by Isaac Kirk, and two harness shops, owned by John Potter and Archibald Carr, were soon established. It in a short time grew to be a thriving and prosperous little village.

A grist mill was built on the Neshannock as early as 1810-12, and in 1815 was run by Thomas Barber. The Barber mill was changed materially, and in later days be- came the property of Simison Brothers.

SCHOOLS.

About 1810 or 1812 a schoolhouse was built on land belonging to William Hunter, the first teacher being James White. Among the other early teachers in this building were a Mr. McCready, Hugh Wat- son and a Mr. Bellows.

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Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 48

Author: Hazen, Aaron L. (Aaron Lyle), 1837- comp. and ed. cn Publication date: 1908 Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold publishing co. Number of Pages: 1058

Author: Hazen, Aaron L. (Aaron Lyle), 1837- comp. and ed. cn
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1058