Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 5

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 5

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).

There have been material changes in the names and arrangements of the townships since 1850. Taylor Township was created from portions of Shenango and North Bea- ver, February 19, 1853. On April 13, 1854, North Slippery Rock was cut in two, and the two townships of Washington and Scott were formed from it, the old name being abandoned.

In 1855, February 14th, Plain Grove Township (now often written Plaingrove) was formed from parts of Washington and Scott Townships. Pollock Township was formed May 28, 1858, from parts of Nesh- annock and Shenango Townships. On February 25, 1869, it became a part of New Castle, which was then erected into a city and it now constitutes the third, fourth and fifth wards. On February 15, 1859, a strip of land three-fourths of a mile wide was taken from Plain Grove and added to Washington Township, which was further enlarged by another strip a half mile wide from Scott Township. Union Township was formed from portions of Mahoning, Neshannock and Taylor Townships, Sep- tember 10, 1859. Hickory Township was formed in the winter of 1859-60, being taken from Neshannock Township.

AGRICULTURAL.

The area of Lawrence County is about 361 square miles, which is equivalent to 231,040 acres. The climate and soil on the higher grounds are well adapted to fruits,

such as apples and peaches, while a few plums and grapes are raised together with a considerable quantity of small fruits, ac- cording to the demand. The number of acres of cleared land is 200,263; timbered land, 7,273.

The value of taxable real estate is $27,- 707,699; the number of horses taxable, 6,809; the value of horses taxable, $361,- 799; the number of cattle taxable, 7,885; the value of cattle taxable, $142,075.

The money at interest amounts to $4,- 858,032; the total valuation for county pur- poses, $29,903,653; the number of taxables, 22,642.

A society called the Lawrence County Agricultural and Horticultural Society was organized in 1852 and offered premiums to the amount of $450. It leased for the term of ten years four and a half acres of land near the borough of New Castle. It was continued for several years, but we have no record of it after the year 1857, when its total receipts were $670.50.

Another society, also called the Lawrence County Agricultural and Horticultural So- ciety, was chartered August 10, 1878, with a capital stock of $3,000, and privilege to increase the same to $6,000. The first board of directors and officers were as fol- lows: Henry C. Falls, president; Samuel McCleary, vice-president; George W. Veach, secretary; Scott D. Long, treas- urer; Hiram Watson, N. B. Carter, Alex- ander Duff, Robert J. Fulkerson; Benja- min Graham, John Davidson, John M. Al- len, Alexander M. Phillips, and Philo Cun- ningham, directors. The society bought property on North Hill, which is still known as the Fair Ground property. It was then in the country and was bounded by Moody Avenue, Wilmington Road, Highland Avenue and on the north by the Berger farm. It held four annual fairs- in 1888, 1889, 1890 and 1891-after which the society was dissolved. They offered about $4,000 in premiums for races, and about $5,500 for other exhibits annually.

HISTORY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY

The society was not a financial success and its property was finally disposed of at sheriff's sale.

The Pulaski Fair Association was char- tered March 13, 1903, with a capital stock of $10,000, divided into 200 shares of the

face value of $50 each. The first board of directors was George Watson, M. I. Buchanan, David Tod, I. F. Gearhart, A. G. King, James S. Wood. This associa- tion gives fairs every year in Pulaski.

CHAPTER IV

TRANSPORTATION

Early Roads-New Castle and Wilmington Plank Road-Canal Traffic-Steamboats- Steam Railroads-Street Railway System.

EARLY ROADS.

At the time of the first white settlements in this region the only roads were Indian trails, which generally followed the course of larger streams, though they occasionally deviated from them to follow the "divides" or high land between the streams, as was the case with the trail leading from Mo- ravia to Kush-kush-kee. All the principal trails in this region centered at Kush- kush-kee, which was for many years the most important Indian town in this region, being a large village and the capital of "King Beaver." A common means of locomotion was by canoe navigation on the Beaver and its branches, the Mahoning and the Shenango. For some years the white settlers made use of footpaths through the forest, along which they trans- ported various goods, including household furniture, from Pittsburg on horseback, using the pack-saddle. In 1805, or there- abouts, the State of Pennsylvania ap- pointed "viewers" to lay out and estab- lish what are to this day known as the "State roads." "One of the earliest of these was laid out from the Scrub Grass Creek in Venango County, via New Castle, to Youngstown, Ohio. It passed through New Castle on North Street, which at that time was the principal thoroughfare of the town. The Pittsburg Turnpike was opened at an early day, and a road to Mercer was among the first running north from New

Castle. The Beaver River Road was opened as early as 1805. It followed the river as near as practicable. The oldest road between New Castle and Mercer passed through Fayett. Another was aft- erwards opened via Wilmington."

NEW CASTLE AND NEW WILMINGTON PLANK ROAD.

In 1850 a company organized to con- struct the above-mentioned road was char- tered by the Legislature, its first officers being: A. L. Crawford, president; William Dickson, secretary and treasurer, and Shu- bael Wilder, G. W. Crawford, John M. Crawford, R. H. Peebles, Thomas Falls, Joseph Kissick and Frederick Rheinholdt, directors. The principal contractors were David Emery and John Moorehead. Ac- cording to the charter a connection was to be made with New Wilmington, situated nine miles north of New Castle, but for some reason the road was only con- structed as far as the coal banks, in Nesh- annock Township, about four miles from the city. It was completed and opened to the public in 1853. As described by a former historian, "Toll gates were erected, and Mr. A. Cubbison was appointed the first toll-keeper. One track, consisting of three-inch oak plank, eight feet in length, was laid, the loaded teams coming into New Castle, taking the plank, and all teams going north using the portion of the grade

HISTORY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY

not planked. The road bed was hand- somely graded and the track was so perfect that a common load for two horses was from three to four tons. It was an im- mense improvement over the old wagon road, and a very large traffic was con- stantly passing over it."

A. L. Crawford, the first president of the company, served three years, being suc- ceeded in 1856 by Thomas Falls, who served four years. Then Frederick Rhein- holdt was president two years, and was fol- lowed in 1863 by Henry C. Falls, who held the office subsequently until the dissolution of the company, in 1872, when the toll gates were removed and the charter sur- rendered. From 1863 until 1872 the fol- lowing persons served as officers of the company : Henry C. Falls, president; Wil- liam Patterson, secretary and treasurer; R. H. Peebles, G. W. Crawford, R. W. Cun- ningham, Shubael Wilder, Joseph Kissick, A. L. Crawford and Frederick Rheinholdt, directors. These years were both profit- able and satisfactory to the stockholders, and pleasant to the officers of the company, a large amount of business being done and high dividends paid. The road was a great convenience to the public, especially to the owners of coal lands, and to coal dealers, and the farming community generally. But when the steam railroad came into compe- tition in the transportation of coal the plank road was forced to succumb. The old bed is now used as a turnpike and makes the best wagon road in the county.

CANAL TRAFFIC.

The Beaver Division of the Pennsylvania Canal was completed to the "Western Re- serve Harbor," about five miles above New Castle, in November, 1833, and opened for business. The Ohio division, called the "Cross-Cut" canal, was finished and opened for traffic in 1838. From those dates down to about 1871, when the canals were abandoned for transportation pur- poses, a vast amount of business was tran- sacted, and the canal system of navigation

was considered the ideal one for the trans- portation of goods and passengers. The first canal boats were adapted to both freight and passenger business. Later "packets," which were constructed ex- pressly for the accommodation of the trav- eling public, and which ran at a much greater rate of speed than the regular "liners," were put on by Captain Thomas Campbell, Bridgewater. The first of these was the "General Mercer," which began running in the spring of 1843, between New Castle and Bridgewater. Captain Camp- bell's packets were followed by another line, known as the "New Castle Packet Line," which were built for both freight and passengers. "The days of the canal were busy and jolly ones, and many a vet- eran 'captain' won his 'name and fame' by patient labor along the slack-water nav- igation of the Beaver Valley. But the 'boatman's horn' is heard no more, and the sailorless hulks lie here and there, slowly rotting in the sun."

STEAMBOATS.

For an inland town New Castle has at times put on quite a nautical air. The year 1840 witnessed the launching of a steam- boat, which was built by Doctor Joseph Pollock, and put on to run between Pitts- burg and New Castle. The boat was ac- tually constructed by David Frisbie, a ship and steamboat builder from New York City, and was launched at the canal basin in July of the year mentioned. The doc- tor's son, Hiram, and his son-in-law, Cap- tain William McMillen, each had an in- terest in the new venture. The steamboat was christened the "Isaphena," after the doctor's daughter, and was put in com- mand of Capt. McMillen. It was soon found, however, that the new vessel was built too sharp at the bow and too deep for the waters of the Beaver River, and ac- cordingly a new flat-bottomed hull was con- structed and her upper works and engine were transferred to the new hull in Octo- ber, 1840. It was provided with two very

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peculiar wheels constructed from an idea of Doctor Pollock's, which operated with- out producing any wake, thus avoiding the washing of the banks which an ordinary steamer produces. The new craft was very popular and took all the passenger busi- ness, until Messrs. Reed, Parks & Co., who were running the packet line, constructed two superior vessels fitted up with sleeping berths and other conveniences. These boats connected with a line of fine steamers at Beaver, and the passengers were carried between New Castle and Pittsburg without delay. The competition of these new pack- ets compelled the proprietors of the "Isa- phena" to seek other channels for busi- ness, and the steamer was accordingly put on the Monongahela River, and ran for a number of months in 1841 between Pitts- burg and Monongahela City. Afterwards it was enlarged and improved, and from 1842 was engaged in the Southern cotton trade on the lower Mississippi.

Dr. Pollock settled on a farm in She- nango Township, then in Beaver County, in 1826, coming from Williamsport, now Monongahela City. From 1835 until his death, in 1856, he was a resident of New Castle but practiced medicine only among a limited few after settling here. He was a member of the Legislature in 1831-2, and at one time served on the State Equaliza- tion Board. He was also superintendent of the Beaver division of the canal in 1841- 42-43. He was remarkable for being an earnest and practically lifelong advocate of total abstinence at a time when drink- ing habits were all too prevalent. It is said that he was the only one of his college class who did not fill a drunkard's grave.

STEAM RAILROADS.

The first steam railroad within the lim- its of Lawrence County was the Ohio and Pennsylvania, which ran across one cor- ner of the county with a station at Enon Valley. It is now a part of the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne & Chicago operated by the Pennsylvania Company.

The next road completed was the New Castle & Beaver Valley railroad, which ran from New Castle to Homewood, a sta- tion on the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne & Chi- cago. This was completed in 1863. It was leased to the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne & Chi- cago railroad and by it to the Pennsylvania Company.

The next road was the Erie & Pittsburg, which was completed about the same time and ran from New Castle northward to Girard on the Lake Shore. Soon after its completion it was leased to the Pennsyl- vania Company, giving that company a continuous line between Pittsburg and Erie.

Some time in the '60's, soon after the completion of the Beaver Valley road, the Lawrence Railroad Company was organ- ized and built from Lawrence Junction on the Beaver Valley to Youngstown up the Mahoning River on its south bank. Soon after its completion it was leased to the Pennsylvania Company. It was opened for traffic on January 22, 1867.

The Beaver Valley and the Erie & Pitts- burg railroads formed a continuous line on the west side of the Beaver and Shenango rivers to Erie.

In 1872 the New Castle & Franklin Rail- road was established. It connected with the Beaver Valley road south of New Cas- tle on the west side of the Shenango river and ran northward through New Castle to Mercer and Stoneboro, following Neshan- nock Creek. The company was organized in 1864 with a stock subscription of $19,- 250. Surveys were made and a route in part adopted. For want of means the en- terprise was suspended until the spring of 1872, when the prospects of the road brightened and stock subscriptions were received amounting to $339,000, which sum was spent in grading and bridging. In or- der to complete the road $550,000 in 7 per cent bonds were sold. When the road was completed the company found itself $200,- 000 in debt, and in April, 1881, the road was sold to Thomas P. Simpson, a con-

HISTORY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY

tractor, who was then building the P., N. C. & L. E. Railroad. In May of the same year the name of the road was changed to the New Castle & Oil City Railroad. This road finally became a part of the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad, by which it was operated until 1901, when it was leased to the Pennsylvania Company.

The Pittsburg & Lake Erie road was the next to be built. It was built in 1877 from Pittsburg to Youngstown, going up the bank of the Beaver River to New Cas- tle Junction; thence following the Mahon- ing River to Youngstown. At the same time a branch into the city of New Castle was completed.

We next have the Pittsburg, Youngstown & Chicago Railroad, which ran through New Castle Junction parallel with the Pittsburg & Lake Erie Railroad to Youngs- town. Nearly contemporaneous with the completion of this was the building of the Pittsburg & Western Railroad from Pitts- burg up the Allegheny River and across the country to New Castle Junction. This and the Pittsburg, Youngstown & Chicago formed a new through line from Pittsburg to the west. Afterwards both these roads became a part of the great B. & O. system. This road enters the county in the south- eastern part and runs parallel with the Pittsburg & Lake Erie to New Castle Junc- tion and to New Castle.

A road was built from Wilmington June- tion through New Wilmington to Sharps- ville in Mercer County.

What is called the New Brighton road was built from Wampum to New Brighton ten or twelve years ago. Immediately upon its completion it was leased to the Pennsyl- vania Company.

The New Castle & Shenango Valley Rail- road was completed in 1889 from New Cas- tle on the east bank of the Shenango River northward to Sharon, where it connected with the main line of the Erie Railroad, to which it was immediately leased.

The next and last steam railroad to be built in Lawrence County was completed

in 1907 between New Castle and Queen's Junction, Pennsylvania. It is an independ- ent road and its name is Western Alle- gheny Railroad. It starts from East New Castle. The stations on this line in Law- rence County are: Butler Road, Gibson- dale, Princeton, Rose Point and Grant City.

STREET RAILWAY SYSTEM.

The Mahoning & Shenango Railway & Light Company operates the lines of the New Castle Electric Street Railway Com- pany and the New Castle & Mahoning- town Street Railway Company, known as the local companies, within the city; also The New Castle & Lowell Railway Com- pany, a line extending from New Castle to Lowellville in the State of Ohio, where it connects with the Mahoning Valley system extending to Struthers, Haselton, Youngs- town, Niles, Warren and Leavittsburg; and the Sharon & New Castle Street Rail- way Company extending from New Castle to Hubbard, Ohio, where it connects for Youngstown and Sharon with the Youngs- town & Sharon Railway Company.

The New Castle Electric Street Rail- way Company was incorporated Sep- tember 28, 1889, and lines were imme- diately constructed on Washington Street and South Mill Street. The

New Castle & Mahoningtown Street Railway Company was incorporated Aug- ust 4, 1896, and a line soon after built from Mahoningtown (then a borough) into the city. The New Castle Traction Company was incorporated January 12, 1897, and leased the tracks of the two street railway companies and in that and the following year extended other lines throughout the city. About the same time the land com- prising Cascade Park, lying three miles from the central part of the city, was pur- chased by the company, improved and fitted up as a park and the street railway lines extended to it.

In 1902 the New Castle & Lowell Rail- way Company was incorporated and its

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line constructed. About the same time the Pennsylvania and Mahoning Valley Rail- way Company was incorporated for the purpose of operating the two street rail- way companies and the interurban com- pany as a single system. Subsequently the present company, the Mahoning & She- nango Railway & Light Company, was in- corporated and the lines of all the other companies, including the Sharon & New Castle Street Railway Company, were leased to it.

The rate of fare is five cents with uni- versal transfers within the city. The local lines constitute practically a double track system throughout the city.

The officers of the company are: Presi- dent, E. N. Sanderson, New York City; general manager, M. E. McCaskey, Youngstown; superintendent, W. C. Smith, New Castle.

The power plant of the Mahoning & Shenango Valley Railway & Light Com- pany was built in 1895 on North Street by the New Castle Electric Company. Their equipment then was five 150-H. P. Buckeye engines, driving three 80-light Wood arc machines, two 75-K. W. single-phase alter- nations, one 75-K. W. D. C. power gener-

ator, and two 200-H.P. boilers. Since that time the plant has been enlarged by the in- stallation of two 250-K. W. engine-driven railway generators; one 300-K. W. engine- driven railway generator; two 1,000-K. W. Parsons steam turbine; two 75-K. W. en- gine-driven exciters; one 500-K. W. rail- way motor generator set; one 200-K. W. railway motor generator set; one complete Albergen surface condensing plant; five 250-H. P. water tube boilers. To replace two 200-H. P. boilers, one 500-H. P. boiler has been installed with all the auxiliary machinery for boiler feeding, etc., together with all necessary switch equipment for handling all the machinery. The latter is now five hundred times larger than the original switchboard. The plant is installed in a brick building 150x95 feet in dimen- sions.

The Pittsburg, Harmony, Butler & New Castle Railway Company, an interurban line extending from New Castle to Pitts- burg, was opened to regular travel July 23, 1908. This line extends from Pittsburg Street in New Castle to Ellwood City, Ze- lienople, Harmony and Butler, and will soon extend to Pittsburg. The president of this company is R. H. Boggs, Pittsburg.

CHAPTER V

NEW CASTLE - THE VILLAGE AND BOROUGH

Indian Proprietors-First White Settlers-Wild Game-Early Merchants and Millers -First Death-Early Justices-First Postoffices - Early Churches-Gillespie's Addition-New Castle in 1813-Early Bridges-Amusements-Pioneer Costume- New Castle Made a Borough-The Town Re-surveyed - Some Notable Improve- ments-First Fire Company-New Castle in 1840-First Steps Toward Banking- The New County-First Courts-Court-House-New Military Companies - Ex- ports in 1853-Hard Times in 1855-Description of New Castle in 1858 - Bur- gesses of West New Castle.

INDIAN PROPRIETORS.

Before the advent of the white settlers in this region the ground where New Castle now stands was occupied by a tribe of the Delaware (or Lenape) Indians, ruled over by a powerful chief or "king." He was called in the native tongue Pack-an-ka, who is thought to be identical with the "King Beaver" mentioned by some of the white adventurers. We thus find him alluded to by Christian Frederick Post, in the journal which he kept of his adventures among the natives in this vicinity in 1758, when he was sent on a mission of peace in advance of General Forbes' army.

But though inhabited by the Delawares, this region was practically under the dom- ination of the Iroquois (Mengwe), or "Six Nations," long the formidable rivals of the Delawares, and whom De Witt Clinton called the "Romans of America."

The Iroquois possessed an intelligence superior to that of most of the Indian tribes. This was exemplified in the famous league, or confederation, between the five tribes of New York-the Onondagas, Sen- ecas, Cayugas, Mohawks, and Oneidas (long known as the Five Nations), which

was effected about the middle of the Fif- teenth Century by Hiawatha, a sagacious chief of the Onondagas, and the subject of Longfellow's poem of that name. Says Horatio Hale, in his book entitled "The Iroquois Book of Rites": "The system he devised was not to be a loose or transitory league, but a permanent government. While each nation was to retain its own council and management of local affairs, the general control was to be lodged in a federal senate, composed of representa- tives to be elected by each nation, holding office during good behavior, and acknowl- edged as ruling chiefs throughout the whole confederacy. Still further and more remarkable, the federation was not to be a limited one; it was to be indefinitely ex- pansible. The avowed design of its pur- poser was to abolish war altogether. That this far-sighted and beneficent plan failed of its ultimate object was due less to any inherent defects than to the fact that the said object was too far advanced for the comprehension of those for whose benefit it was designed. Though retaining its governmental value in the regulation of tribal affairs, the league was soon per-

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verted into a means of conquest and ag- gression, until the name of Iroquois be- came a terror to all the surrounding nations. It included, besides the five New York tribes above mentioned, some por- tions of the Neutral Nation, and, at a later date, the Tuscaroras, who, about 1712, were driven from North Carolina by the British, the confederations after this time being known as the "Six Na- tions." It was to these tribes that the name Iroquois was applied by the early French and English settlers. The partic- ular tribe who were nominal masters of the immediate region comprising north- western Pennsylvania, and having their council-seat at or near the present city of Buffalo, was the Seneca. But various tribes and fragments of other nations were dwelling in the same locality : Senecas, Del- awares, Munseys, Shawnese, etc., etc., liv- ing quietly and peaceably together and oc- cupying the same hunting and fishing grounds in common. Two villages of the Lenape or Delawares were in this locality : one at the mouth of the Mahoning River, called Kas-kas-kunk; the other upon the site of New Castle, and called New Kas- kas-kunk, the latter town being the capital of Pack-an-ka.

FIRST WHITE SETTLERS.

Early in the season of 1798 John Car- lysle Stewart, with two brothers-in-law, John and Hugh Wood, and John McWhor- ter - all from the neighborhood of New Castle, Delaware-together located on the ground where New Castle now stands. This portion of the country was mostly sur- veyed into what were known as "donation lands" (described in the third chapter of this work), the line between the original counties of Beaver and Mercer being the boundary between the first and second "donation" districts. South of this line was the first, and north of it was the sec- ond district.

A previous description of this territory reads as follows: "Commencing at the

northwest corner of lot No. 88 of these lands, the line of survey made an obtuse angle to the northeastward across lot 89, thence across lot 90 it ran almost exactly northeast, and from thence, at the south- west corner of lot No. 1953, it ran straight east beyond the Neshannock Creek. This deviation in the south line of the second district (due to imperfect surveying) left a strip commencing at a point two miles west of New Castle, and widening until it reached the Shenango River at a spot a little below the bridge on Grant Street. At this place the gore was about ninety rods in width, and continued the same eastward to the present city limits. This gore was called a 'vacancy.' There is considerable diversity of opinion regarding the amount and location of lands purchased by Stew- art, but there is no doubt he owned all of the 'vacancy' lying between the Shenango River and Neshannock Creek, and his pur- chase most probably extended eastward for some distance beyond the creek, perhaps far enough to cover altogether about 400 acres. That portion lying west of the She- nango River, amounting to 117 acres and 38 poles, was taken by Cornelius Hendrick- son. Lot No. 89, lying a little northwest of Sankey's addition to New Castle, was taken by Joseph and Samuel Cox; No. 90, lying immediately east of Cox, and running across the river, was taken by Samuel Mc- Cleary; lot No. 1953, lying next east of McCleary, Crawford White settled on; lot No. 1951, next east of Crawford White, was taken by Henry Falls. The ‘vacancy' oc- cupied by Stewart was south of White's and Falls' land. The original town-plot, comprising about fifty acres, was laid out by John Carlysle Stewart, in April, 1798, as appears by the records of Mercer County. At that date the territory was within the limits of Allegheny County, which extended northwards to the lake.

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Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 5

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