USA > Pennsylvania > Washington County > Washington > Century history of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Vol. I > Part 42
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102
The slope of the Monongahela for nearly 70 miles ahove Pittsburg is not more than 8 1-2 inches per mile. The Monongahela, in its 90 miles within the limits of Pennsylvania, has no islands or bars dividing its chan- nel. On the whole the river is easy for navigation, hav- ing ample width for steamboats with fleets or barges to pass each other with large margins for safety, the river averaging a somewhat greater width than in 1883. This widening of the stream is withont doubt due to the wave aetiou of steamers undermining the elay banks, causing them to cave in where the docks and dams have increased the volumn of water in the channel. In the lower reaches of the river the caving of the hanks has practically eeased, many miles of the shore being pre- vented from further erosion by the almost vertical walls of slag or other protection.
The Monongahela was always a stream of ever changing volume. In the summer, sand bars here and there glis- tened in the sun, past which a slender stream gurgled over ripples too shallow for any craft save those es- peeially constructed for the purpose. The hark eanoe, so light that it could be carried past the swift or shallow water, comes first on the list of hoats.
Instead of these, the carly settlers made their eanoes of logs hewn to a semblance of the birch canoe, theu
hollowed them out, giving the name of "dug-out." From one log they grew in size hy being made of two logs pinued together and hollewed out in the same way. The small ones wero paddled, the larger ones poled or even drawn up stream by a tow line. In different sizes they were used for every purpose by the pioneers who, lacking roads through the densely wooded country, turned to the streams as their one means of transporting mer- chandise. The "dugouts" continued to be used until a slight improvement in the river channel allowed of larger hoats. This change was first inaugurated by the river mills.
In 1770 steam was, of course, unknown, and power for driving machinery was obtained either by treadmill, in which horses or eattle were made to walk over an ever turning wheel, by wind, or by water: the latter being used wherever there was a stream with fall enough to turn a wheel.
Owing to the shrinkage of the ereeks and rivulets in dry weather, rivers were used where possible, but owing to the great cost of damming them and the risk of de- struction of both mills and mill dams hy ice or floods, it was a great undertaking to build a river mill. Once in operation, however, they were a source of profit. The unlimited power that drove them constantly night and day through the driest summers, attracted the settlers from a great area surrounding. Such a mill was built by Benjamin Parkison iu 1772, opposite the mouth of Mingo Creek. In turn, there were many others, above aud helow the Ferry, which we now call Monongahela City. "As the mill-dams were built to take advantage of a slight fall or ripple an improvement in the channel was the result, wheu most of the river was foreed into the narrow chute. Wing walls of boulders were thrown up at other places where there were no mills, and in a short time after the river mills came they had au improved channel from Pittsburg to Redstone or Brownsville. It was then practieable to navigate the Monongahela with an improvement on the dug-outs, and the flat hoats came next, followed by keel hoats, so ealled because they were sometimes timbered and huilt on a keel, instead of hewn from single logs, or planked crosswise on gunals or "gunnels."
The keel boats, with a regular crew, carried a cap- tain, and when the National Road, the great thorough- fare between the "far east" and the unknown west, be- gan to heap the landing at Brownsville with freight, or throng it with passengers from the stages and Conestoga wagons, there were always two personages of more than ordinary importance on hand. These awe-inspiring mortals were the stage driver and the keel-hoat eaptain.
The National Road was completed to Brownsville in 1819, to Wheeling two or three years later, and from that date until the Pennsylvania Railroad, iu 1852, en-
230
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
tered Pittsburg, the freight and passenger traffie was immense.
Over this limestone ribbon the travel of the divided con- tinent surged for 30 years. The stages carried annually more than 20,000 people, while 4,000 freight wagons a year hauled enough to load a modern train each day, the greater portion of which passed up or down the river, and until after the dams were completed, keel-boats had most of this trade to themselves.
Capt. Caleb Harvey, ran a keel-boat called the Re- porter, from Pittsburg to Brownsville, making quite regular time. A selected crew were carried, who from long service became expert in poling. As several men on each side set their poles and ran the boat forward at the same time, it was necessary to act in concert. The unfortunate man who made a misset was often thrown overboard by the pole in his hand being struck by the boat.
Previous to this date little had been done towards the permanent improvement of the Monongahela. A few wing-walls of boulders gathered the water into a deeper channel in places the mill dams with chutes through them also contributed to the same end, but when the river grew low in summer even the lightest keel-boats could not get through to Brownsville, and the National Road, completed to Wheeling, diverted the travel to that point on the Olio, where the water was deep enough at all seasons for flatboats.
Kentucky was attracting emigration, the lower south- west country was being populated and an increasing traffic demanded a better route from the East than the long haul from Cumberland to Wheeling.
In 1782 the State of Pennsylvania had enacted that the Youghiogheny and Monongahela, as far up as they were navigable for canoes, within the bounds of the Com- monwealth, were publie highways. In 1814 the Assembly passed an act which provided that the Governor should appoint three competent men, one of whom was to be an engineer, to examine the different ripples, the distance apart, and estimate the cost of constructing dams.
The survey was not made as contemplated, and on the 15th of March, 1815, another act reviving that of 1814 for three years, was added. The examination of the river was made, but nothing resulted in the line of improve- ment by the State. In 1817 still another act was passed authorizing the Governor to incorporate a company to make a lock navigation of the river. This act appointed twelve men from Washington County and seven from Allegheny County to open subscription books for stock, which was to be $78,000, in 2,600 shares of $30 each. As soon as five hundred shares were subscribed the Gov- ernor was directed to issue the charter. The conditions of the aet were not complied with, and forfeiture of the franchise resulted in 1822.
A few days after the expiration of the charter another aet of assembly took the improvement of the river into the hands of the State and appointed three commissioners, with power to remove all obstructions which impeded or injured navigation, to employ suitable persons to perform such work, and $10,000 of the money previously subscribed by the State was to be used for this purpose. The earliest suggestion of an improvement of the river by a system of dawis and locks was in the report of a survey made for the State by E. F. Gray, a civil engineer, in 1828. Nothing further was done until 1832, when Andrew Stewart made an effort in Congress to have it done by the Federal Government. A public meeting at Waynesburg, Greene County, November 18, 1835, recommended and urged an improvement by the State, as Congress had declined to do it. Then came the Monongahela Navi- gation Company, authorized by aet of Assembly of March 31, 1836. The stock was to be $300,000, in shares of $50. The company started in 1837 upon the following subserip tion of stock :
Citizens of Allegheny County. $ 47,400
Citizens of Fayette County .. 25,400
Citizens of Washington County. 1,000
Citizens of other counties .. 4,300
Monongahela Bank of Brownsville.
5,000
Bank of U. S. 50,000
To which the State added. 125,000
Total $258,100
This, until after the work was completed to Browns. ville, was its entire capital basis, and much of this was never realized.
The river was surveyed in 1838 by Milnor Roberts, and the length and altitude was found as follows: To Brownsville, 551%, miles, altitude above Pittsburg 331/2 feet; Virginia State line, 901/2 miles from Pittsburg, altitude, 741% feet. Several changes were made in the different laws that had established the height of the dams, and work was commenced.
Dam No. 1 was let by contraet to J. K. and J. B. Moorhead, December 17, 1839; No. 2 to Corey and Adams, and on October 18, 1841, both dams were put in use. July 15, 1840, No. 3 was let to Bills & Foreman, and No. 4 to Fenton & Patton, but in May, 1841, work on these two locks was suspended for lack of funds.
The two lower locks were completed for use October 18, 1841. A most disheartening crisis in the company's undertaking came up in 1842. The U. S. Bank broke up and failed to subscribe its second $5,000 and the State had to give the company its bonds for a large portion of its subscription, these having to be sold for one-half their nominal value. In 1842 the State's financial condi- tion was so low that the Legislature directed the sale of all its corporation stocks. This induced a number
231
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
of men of enterprise and capital to buy and complete the work to Brownsville. These men deserve to be held in high remembrance. They were James K. Moorhead, Morgan Robertson, George Selinable, Charles Avery, Thomas M. Ilowe, John Graham, Thomas Bakewell, J. B. Moorhead and John Freeman. On November 13, 1844, the entire improvement was completed to Browns- ville. Before the work had been completed the B. & O. Railroad had been built to Cumberland, 75 miles distant, over a fine road. Tho Pennsylvania Railroad did not reach Pittsburg until 1852. Here was a great harvest for the slack water and the Eastern division of tho National Road to Cumberland. It taxed the road to its greatest capacity. It was literally crowded with stage coaches and wagons. In 1850 the Navigation Company carried 18,379 stage passengers and in each of the pre- ceding years a greater uumber.
In 1852 the Pennsylvania Railroad was completed to Pittsburg and carried the travel and much of the freight previously carried by boats on the Monongahela. But by this time the local business of the valley had so developed that it made no serious drawback.
Then began the actual development of the Mononga- hela Valley, which has continued with uninterrupted progress from that day until the present time.
The construction of locks and dams Nos. 5 and 6 followed in later years, the Legislature by enactment in 1854 making it incumbent upon the company to put them under contract. Lock No. 7 was not to be com- pleted until the United States Government had com- menced work on the upper part of the river. Locks and dams 8 to 14 inclusive were built by the general govern- meut, thus giving the river a navigable stage to Fair- inont, W. Va., to which point packets cau now run during the entire year, except during freshets and freezeups.
Steamboat navigation began on the Monongahela River in 1814, when the Enterprise, which was built at Browns- ville, left that place under command of Capt. Heury M. Shreve, and passed dowu the Monongahela, Ohio and Mississippi to New Orleans. This was the first boat to make the trip to the Crescent City and return. Since that day the development of navigation on the three rivers has assumed mammoth proportions, as shown by the reports of the United States Engineer's office at Pittsburg, and in other cities along these great rivers.
In 1845 there were 4,605,185 bushels of coal taken through the locks; in 1872, 54,208,800, and in 1902, 170,- 000,000. The traffic on the Monongahela River for the last fiscal year amounted to 12,772,508 tons, an increase of almost 1,000 tons over the previous year.
Other boats followed the Enterprise, and their success no doubt
stimulated boat building everywhere, and Elizabeth, Monongahela, Belle Vernon, California aud
West Brownsville became centers of shipbuilding, from whose yards many fine steamers were turned out.
One of the best known boat yards was located near the site of the present paper mill in Monongahela City, from which the commodious packet, Belle of Memphis, was launched many years ago.
At Elizabeth, in 1801, tho steamer Monongahela Farmer was built, being owned by the builders and farm- ers of the neighborhood. The boat was loaded with a cargo of flour and she sailed via New Orleans for New York. In 1803 the brig Ann Jane, of 450 tons, was built for the Messrs. McFarlane, who loaded her with flour and whiskies and sailed her to New York. This vessel was one of the fastest packets of her day, and was run as a packet to New Orleans for some time.
Passenger steamers were not neglected by these boat yards, and many fine packets were cradled on the ways along the valley, the business finally centering at Browns- ville, where the Jacobs family had large interests, and who for years controlled the passenger steamers on the rivers. Up until 1867 but one line of steamers was in commission, when opposition steamers, the Christian and Elector, made their appearance. During the life of the old line such steamers as Josephine and Consul in 1844 were followed in regular order by the Louis M'Lain, Baltic, Atlantic, Jefferson, Luzerne, Gallatin, Elisha Beunet, the line including the Chieftain and Elector after the consolidation. After that time the Geneva, Germania, James G. Blaine, Adam Jacobs, the 1. C. Woodward and the Columbia, the last two boats being still in commission, and making regular trips between Pittsburg and Fairmont.
Development of the bituminous miues along the valley naturally resulted in the building of steamboats of a more powerful pattern. The boats of the olden days were good in their class and transported millions of bushels of coal to the southern markets. Many of the boats built over 40 years ago are still in commission, although in some cases nothing but the name survives. New boilers replacing the old ones, new engines, replaced piece by piece, while the woodwork renewed from year to year has completely transformed the old timers.
Of later years boat building, especially of the towing steamers, has made great strides. Unfortunately the industry has for the time being disappeared from the Monongahela River, and the only yard that makes any pretense to ship building is the one located at Eliza- beth and owned by the Monongahela River Consolidated Coal & Coke Company. While boats are repaired at this plant, new work is the exception, but one new boat, to tho writer's knowledge, ever having been built at these yards, the new "Enterprise," successor to the boat of the same name formerly owned by the W. W. O'Neil Coal Company, and sold to the Monongahela River Con-
232
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
solidated Coal & Coke Company at the organization of the corporation nine years ago.
As to the later boats on the river, the "J. B. Finley" and "Sprague" offer the most advanced type. Both steamers are of the low pressure pattern, with great power, eapahle of handling immense tows of eoal on the southern rivers, for which they were especially de- signed. The "Sprague" in particular offers many fea- tures not found in any other towing steamer in the world. Built in Duhuque, Iowa, in 1902, of steel hull, and compound machinery, she has heen eapable of de- veloping sufficient power to easily handle 50,000 tons of eoal in one tow on the Mississippi River. Her seene of action is between Louisville, Ky., and New Orleans, La., towing eoal to the southern ports and bringing immense tows of empties north. An idea of the im- mensity of this towing steamer is found in the faet that her wheel, which is 40 feet wide and 36 feet in diameter, equals in weight some of the smaller towing steamers now in use on the Monongahela River.
These immense hoats handle the products of the Monongahela Valley almost exelusively. Coal is the prin- cipal item of freight, but of recent years hig trade has been developed in shipping steel rails, wire nails, and other bulk freight to the Southwest, and from there dis- tributed to the various eenters.
On a smaller seale the development of the towing steamers on the Monongahela River have kept paee with the traffie. Many improvements have heen made on these smaller hoats, which have heen important advanee- ments over the old time steamboat, as exemplified in those of earlier days. The dimensions of the hull have heen inereased, until the ideal towing steamer at the present time, in view of the inereased dimensions of the loeks, measures 150 feet on deck, with 28 foot beam, and 41% feet depth of hold. Engines capable of developing from 500 to 600 horsepower are installed, which makes them capable of handling tows of good size in the upper Ohio River, as well as earing for all the pool traffic. Late boats of this character are the "Monitor," formerly the "'W. H. Flint," and the "Rival,"' both fine examples of their elass.
The development of coal in the upper pools is keep- ing paee with the advance in boat huilding. Sinee the completion of the locks and dams above Morgantown the slack water system is extended to Fairmont.
Notwithstanding the inereased rail traffie, the traffie the transportation by water will always be a factor in the eommercial life of the nation. The United States Government has finally come to tho realization of this phase of national life, and ultimately the Ohio River will he eanalized its entire length with a nine-foot stage of water, making it navigable for large shipments at
all seasons of the year, instead of during freshet periods, which at times eome with great irregularity.
At the present writing there awaits shipment in the Pittsburg harbor and the pools of the Monongahela River ahout 15,000,000 bushels of coal, destined for the south- ern markets, and which will be placed as soon as navi- gation will permit. From the Monongahela River to the coast country, in the immediate vieinity of New Orleans, is a matter of 2,000 miles. Over this long stretch of natural eanal, only a small portion of which at the present time is improved, hoats and barges containing from 750 to 1,000 tons of eoal are transported at a small comparative eost, delivering it to the eustomer in the southern land at a reasonable figure, making it possible to develop the great industries of that country. Without this means the southland would never have heen able to make the development she has in the past years, espe- eially in the growing of sugar cane, which forms sueh a prominent part of the agricultural development of many of the southern states.
Time and space forbid an extended history of the various boats that plied the Monongahela River, and assisted so materially in its eommereial development. The pioneers in the coal trade, the firms established over forty years ago, did mueh to bring to the valley that sn- premaey which its products justified. The Browns, the Waltons, the O'Neils, the Gilmores, of which Capt. John Gilmore was the controlling faetor, all did great work in this development. This latter firm began eoal devel- opments in Rostraver Township, below Webster, before the outbreak of the Civil War. Capt. John Gilmore opened the Wildeat mine, in the lower end of the present town of Donora, in 1863, and ten years later opened a traet of coal in the town of Wehster. In the vieinity of Monogahela City the late Lewis Staib did much to develop the coal trade, operating at one time the present Catsburg mine, as well as many others in this immediate vicinity. The late James Warne was another pioneer in the coal trade, the Ivil mine heing originally opened hy him, to he sold later to the Jones interests, and later hy them to the Monongahela River Consolidated Coal & Coke Company.
In eonelusion. Recent years have found the Mononga- hela Valley making great strides. In 1892 Monongahela City eelehrated the eentennial anniversary of its found- ing. At the time Cherleroi was hut a small village .. It is true its promoters had great faith in its future, but its growth has surprised even its most ardent supporters. Monessen was not thought of, and not even a shadow indieated that Donora would ever exist. Like water seeking its level, modern husiness demands have made it imperative that industiral establishments locate near their fuel supply, and the result is the towns which have just
233
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
recently become such prominent features in our everyday life.
One hundred years ago the forest, lonely and un- broken, the river shallow and useless. Today the valley teeming with thousands of operatives, pulsating with the ceaseless throb of commerce, as it takes from the hills its "sunbeams in carbons," or fashions in the mill the mighty structures which assist in the development of other lands, bringing in exchange the many blessings we enjoy.
TELEGRAPH LINES.
Among the very carly telegraph lines was that con- structed between Pittsburg and Steubenville along the old turnpike. It was dismantled about the middle of the last century and its stock was worthless before 1860.
The first telegraph office in Washington was opened in 1849, the line following the National Pike. It was a private enterprise and was in charge of Operators Alex- ander Wilson and Freeman Brady, Jr., both of whom in after years became prominent attorneys. The enter- prise was soon abandoned.
A telegraph line was put in successful operation again between Washington and Pittsburg in 1863. The line had been removed from the Cumberland Road about eigbt years previous to that time, and the people of Wash- ington "were isolated from the rest of mankind as far as intelligence was concerned." The line was soon com- pleted through to Wheeling. Washington County is now served by the Western Union Telegraph lines.
TELEPHONES.
The first telephones to enter the county were familiarly known as the Bell. In 1884 its rigbts of way and fran- chises were obtained under the name of the Central Dis- triet and Printing Telegraph Company. Its introduction was slow and rates high.
The Federal Telephone Company secured franchises and rights of way in the castern part of the county and through Washington and bid fair to be a strong competi- tor with the Bell. It was either originated by the latter company to prevent real competitors or was absorbed by it. Many of its poles are still standing and in use with the electric lighting company under a restriction not to permit any telephone company to use them. This restric- tion has encumbered several streets with twice as many poles as would otherwise be needed.
While the Federal company was being gradually strangled the service of both companies was extremely unsatisfactory, affecting the eastern and middle portions of the county. Other companies had been formed and attempted to reach the center of the county, but were discouraged and defeated in their plans. Some of these were promoted by citizens of Washington County and
the dates of their organization and tendency of their short life, as well as their extinction, is indicated in the following sentence. The Federal company has ceased to operate and an ordinance was passed by the Wash- ington council December 23, 1907, granting its petition and repealing among other ordinances the grant to the Wasbington Telephone Company dated April 16, 1594- to the West Penn Telephone Company, January 24, 1902 -to the Home Mutual Telephone Company, May 9, 1899-to the Washington County Telephone Company, June 21, 1898. The final clause of the ordinance shows a part of the consideration for this surrender to be that the Federal company "shall leave standing all its poles, to which are now attached the wires of the Fire Alarm System of said borough, and release and relinquish its rights and property in said poles to said borough for its sole and only use and remove the remainder of said poles by the first day of February, 1908."
Notwithstanding this contract, certain poles which were left standing were sold to the electric lighting company at $5 each with restriction they should not be used for telephone purposes.
In 1904 and 1905 franchises were granted to the American Telegraph and Telephone Company and the Pittsburg and Allegheny Telephone Company, respec- tively, over the streets of Washington. This was followed soon by underground conduits laid on Main Street, Wash- ington, and the National Telephone Company taking advantage of the above mentioned grant to the P. & A. was admitted to a direct competition with the Bell.
In 1905 the Bell Telephone Company enlarged the capacity of its exchange in Washington and installed the central energy system by which one calls "Central"' by removing the receiver instead of cranking a bell as formerly. At this time the long distance service was improved by the addition of two new lines to Pittsburg, making five lines to Pittsburg, two to Wheeling and one to Waynesburg. On July 1, 1903, there were 563 Bell telephones in Washington and 72 in Canonsburg. Now there are almost 2,000 in Washington and nearly 400 in Canonsburg.
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.