Century history of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Vol. I, Part 45

Author: McFarland, Joseph Fulton; Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co. (Chicago) pbl
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 584

USA > Pennsylvania > Washington County > Washington > Century history of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Vol. I > Part 45

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In the first twenty years of the century the new in- dustry assumed greater importance. Steam engines were introduced into manufacturing; industries requiring con- siderable coal were established, aud the population that was attracted to the rapidly growing villages found coal so cheap that it was used with a freedom in the house- hold scarcely known in other and less favored localities. However, the principal fuel-wood-was very abundant and no other fuel was known in the country.

In 1820 coal mining was commenced ou a small scale at Coal Center, and three years later to a considerable extent at Limestouc, both places on the Monongahela River. Among the pioneer eoal operators in this region were John .Jenkins, Enoch Cox, Samuel French and Jesse Bentley.

Isaac Harris in 1837 makes mention of the fact that between Pittsburg and Brownsville there are 35 to 40 coal railroads reaching into the coal region in the hills on each side of the region proper. These roads brought the total production up to nearly 12,000,000 bushels, which he estimated to be worth 5 cents a bushel.

The product of these small operations, the early types of any of the small country pits of today, was trans- ferred to boats, usually from 68 to 79 feet loug, 16 feet wide and from 41% to 5 feet deep, holding from

4,000 to 6,000 bushels of coal; and floated to Pittsburg or the Ohio River cities.

The following description is given of the typieal mines of the time: "They are worked into the hill horizontally, the eoal is wheeled to the mouth of the pit in a wheel- barrow, thrown upon a platform aud from thence thrown into wagons. After digging in for some distance, rooms are formed upon each side, pillars being left at intervals to support the roof. The coal is, in the first instance, separated into solid masses, and is afterwards broken into smaller pieces for the purpose of transportation. A la- borer is able to dig upward of 100 bushels per day."

The beginning of the construction of the Monongahela Navigation Company's system of locks in 1841 and their completion to Brownsville in 1844 ineited a wonderful development of the coal industry, which has steadily in- creased through every deeade, notwithstanding the com- petition of other regions and the use of other fields.

The early river mines were the Harlem coal mines, opened up by Judge Thomas Baird and H. H. Finley in 1844; the Catsburg mines at Monongahela City by H. H. Finley in 1857; Victory mines about 1860 by Rodgers, Rea & Co .; Warne mines by Crowthers, Conlter & Warne at Monongahela City in 1862; Dry Run near Monongahela City by Biddle & Tower in 1862; Mingo coal mines below Monongahela City; New Eagle mines, 1863; Barr mines, 1863, by J. D. Johnsou & Co .; Black Diamond mines at Monongahela City by Robert Robison in 1863; Shire Oaks mine, 1864; Stockdale mines, by John Stoaf and Charles Cokain about 1875; Courtney mines, 1878; Garfield mines by Holmes Bros. & J. S. Neel, one-half mile below Court- ney in 1881; Banner mines Nos. 1 and 2; Cincinnati mines above Courtney ; Cliff mines at Shire Oaks; Old Coal Bluff mines early owued by William and Samuel Bossley; Buf- falo mines a mile above Shire Oaks; Black Hill mine;

247

248

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

Gilmore mines; American Works; Wood's Run mine at Elco; Champion mines at Elco; Eclipse mines at Stony Landing near Elco; Caledonia mines; Globe mines; Neel's muine and the Karob mines above West Browus- ville.

Many of these mines have long since ceased operating. The Diamond Coal Company, which has just opened up a mine at Huston Run, is now developing the last of the virgin coal in the lower pool of the Monongahela River. The heavy draft on the coal seam has practically ex- hausted the coal adjoining the river, and it is now necessary to go back many miles in some cases to reach the vein. Within a few years all the coal to be delivered to the river tipples must be hauled, as some of it is now, through underground tunnels to reach the place of load- ing. The coal close to the river has sold in late years at as high as $1,800 per acre.

A shaft mine, probably the first in the county, was opened three (town) squares from the court house in Washington in 1864.

The north section of the county was opened up by the P. C. & St. L. R. R., finished in 1865. In 1863 $100 per acre for surface mostly underlaid with crop-coal was an enormons price. The early mines on this road were Brier Hill, Primrose, Walnut Hill, Midway Black coal mines cast of Bulger, and Whitestown and Keystone west of what was then Bulger Tunnel.

The pioneer coal operators in this section were J. D. Sauters & Co., T. Burr Robbins & Co., Thomas Taylor, and G. W. Crawford & Co.

The Chartiers Valley Railroad was completed in 1870 and the Allison coal mine, of Jonathan Allison, the Locust Grove mine, of Albert Shupe & Co., and the mine of J. V. H. Cook were opened up.

Tbe Pittsburg Southern Railroad was finished in 1879 and among the early mines on it were the Union Valley mines, of Florsheim & Young, mine of David M. Ander- son, and the shaft mine near Washington, by V. Harding.

The Millers Run or Bridgeville and McDonald branch, was built to Reissing probably a little before the year 1890, and extended to Bisbop in 1891. This began the opening up of coal in that region, and demonstrated what could be done by active deep shafting.

RECENT COAL DEVELOPMENT.

The remarkably prosperous condition of the country since 1897 and 1898, has been the wonder of at least the younger generation and it is doubtful if the men of maturer age have seen anything to equal the period through which the nation in general bas just passed. It is true there has been a wonderful revival of activity in tbe business world, during the last century, one of the greatest issuances of greenback money. However, these

bonds have been comparatively short lived, while the ones now commanding attention have come apparently to stay.

Washington County real estate has been a vast asset to its owners during these good times, and prices were cagerly paid for both surface and coal, which fifteen years ago would have been considered fabulous. Tbe boom came in a calm, quiet way, but with irresistible force, and before those who bad not kept in touch with the situation knew what had happened, the county was in the grasp of the boom.

The Monongahela branch railroad was opened through Bentlysville to open up the Ellsworth mines for operators from Cleveland and Chicago about the year 1900.

Pittsburg-Buffalo Coal Company. One of the first coal firms on the scene of action was that of John H. Jones & Company, formerly independent operators at Monon- gahela, who seeing the possibilities of a railroad along Ten Mile Creek, took up immense holdings of coal in Clark Township, Greene County, and the Zollarsville sec- tion. Thousands of acres were taken up at an average of perhaps $18 per acre, much of it was at $16, and some at $20. By 1904 this company had 18,000 acres of coal included in three fields. One at Zollarsville, one at Ven- etia opened on a small acreage, one at Canonsburg on excellent coal said to have been sold by the farmers at from $40 to $100 per acre. They soon held a large tract at Burgettstown costing $100 per acre.

In 1896 James Jones and Sons had formed a company to purchase the extensive interests of T. M. Jenkins and John H. Jones. In 1901 The Pittsburg and Buffalo Coal Company was organized, consisting of about the same people, and the next year the Manufacturers & Consumers Coal Company was formed. In 1903 the Pitts- burg-Buffalo Coal Company absorbed the last two named companies. In 1907 and 1908 the Monongahela and Washington Railroad or the Ellsworth bronch of the Monongahela Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, was extended from Ellsworth to Marianna and Zollarsville. In 1906, previous to this, the Pittsburg-Buffalo Company bad purchased a 13,000 acre block of coal in wbat is called the Ten Mile field at a cost, it is said, of $1,800,- 000. This contained 900 acres of surface land. Tbe com- pany's block of coal fronts a mile on the Monongahela River and 5,000 acres can be operated for river ship- ments. Three of the most modernly equipped mines bave been opened, one with a capacity of a million tons and the others 500,000 tons per year. The first, tbe one at Marianna, is said to be the largest mine in the world. The Pittsburg-Buffalo Company is one of the most im- portant coal producing companies in the Pittsburg dis- trict and is managed by some of the most skilled and successful men in the industry.

The Pittsburg Coal Company or its operating concern, the Pennsylvania Mining Company, is tbe present owner

249

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

of a vast acreage of Washington County coal. The Pitts- burg Coal Company, or as it is sometimes called, tho "Railroad Combine," has immense holdings all over Pennsylvania, and to Francis L. Robbins, a Washington County man, is tho credit. Mr. Robbins grew up in the coal business at Midway in Robinson Township, his father, T. Burr Robbins, being a well known operator. Tho Robbinses evidently kept their ears to the ground, for beforo the first indication of a boom in coal F. L. Robbins had laid his plans to form a huge company. This he did and the Pittsburg Coal Company, with its constituent companies was formed. The company is assessed with thousands of acres of coal iu Washington County. The value of the assessed coal is over $10,000,- 000. This company's holdings probably cost it more than the assessed value. Although much of the coal bought from the farmers was at low prices, it would even up, however, when the company came to purchasing coal from such veterans in the business as J. V. H. Cook. the late Dr. D. M. Anderson and E. T. Hitchman.

In the spring of 1907, L. A. Russel optioned for Pitts- burg capitalists a block of some 3,000 acres of coal in Plum Run and Little Chartiers Run vallies, west of Huston. The prices paid for the block ranged from $35 to $100 per acre. The average being probably in the neighborhood of $60. The entire block cost about $200,- 000. The Midland Coal Company was formed and a mine opened at Plum Run, a mile above Huston. In 1901 the Western Washington Railroad built its line from Huston to Westland. At the terminus of the Western Wash- ington Railroad, the Midland Company opened up another mine. After successfully operating the mines for several years the Midland Coal Company sold both of them together with the block of coal, to the Pittsburg Coal Company. In about 1899 the Pittsburg Coal Company came into Chartiers Valley and purchased the Hitchman and Upstill mine. In the summer of 1899 E. T man and Upstill mine. lu the summer of 1899 E. T. Hitchman bought a block of coal lying on either side of Chartiers Creek and extending from Canonsburg east to Hill's Statiou, a distance of about six miles. This block embraced in all about 6,000 acres and was later purchased outright by the Pittsburg Coal Company, the average price for the block being $40 per acre. The entire block cost almost $300,000. The Pittsburg Coal Company was organized with a capital stock of $64,000,000 and was provided with a working capital of $25,000,000 and $1,200,000 of common and the same amount of preferred stock was kept in the treasury to purchase additional mines and plants. The Union Trust Company, of Pitts- burg, several years ago advanced money on a $25,000,000 bond issue which is a bare hint at the worth of these holdings. The Pittsburg Coal Company purchased in Chartiers Valley besides the mines of the Midland Co

Company tho mine of E. T. Hitchman, J. V. HI. Cook's Sous mine at MeGovern, tho inines of the Miller's Run Mining Company, the Bishop Mining Company ond other mines. lu tho northwestern part of the county ou the main lines of the Pennsylvania, the Brier Hill, the Jumbo, the Ridgway and the Shaw mines were among those pur- chased. On the B. & O. Railroad, the Nottingham and Eclipse mines and on the river, the Banner, Courtney and Little Squaw mines.

MONONGAHELA CONSOLIDATED COAL AND COKE COMPANY.

The story of the formation of the Monongahela Con- solidated Coal and Coke Company is a familiar one to most people but nevertheless iuteresting. llon. J. B. Finley, at that time residing in Monongahela City, was the guiding spirit of this movement and when the company was formed was made its president. Mr. Fiuley literally took the "word for the deed" and early in 1897 begau agitating a combination of the independent interests on the river front. Ile met with considerable opposition, but with the able help of a number of business asso- ciates overcame all obstructions and welded the river interests into one harmonious whole.

On October 2, 1899, the Monongahela River Consoli- dated Coal and Coke Company, in its plau of consoli- dating, as far as possible, all the coal miues, steamboats, coal craft, docks, yards, etc., engaged in or connected with the river shipping interests of the Monongahela Valley, bought the plants with all the fixtures and per- sonal property of the best miues along the river. Those operated by this company are the Black Diamond, Cats- burg, Coal Bluff, Cincinnati, Eclipse, Crescent, Knob, Vigilant, Beaumont and Champion.

Of this coal but little was purchased from the farmers. That which was bought this way cost the company from $150 to $300 per acre. Recently the Pittsburg Coal Com- pany and the Monongahela River Consolidated Coal and Coke Company, familiarly known as the River Combine, have practically been and now are, under one manage- ment. The Pittsburg Coal Company secured the majority of tho stock of the Monongahela River Consolidated Coal and Coke Company in October, 1903.

Vesta Coal Company .- The only other big coal com- panies operating a number of mines along the river are the Pittsburg Coal Company and the Vesta Coal Company. The Vesta Coal Company started operatiou more than teu years ago and the controlling stock in the company was owned by the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company. In 1903, the United States Steel corporation absorbed the interest of the Jones and Laughlin Company. Six mines are operated. Numbers 1, 2, 5 and 6 are located near Allenport and Elco, and Nos. 3 and 4 at California and Coal Center. Very large shipments are made by river to the steel plants of Jones & Laughlin at South Side, Pittsburg, and the coal is turned into coke before being

250

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

put into use. The Vesta Coal Company has 6,000 acres of coal along the river.

Few people who are unacquainted with river business realize the importance and value of a stream like the Monongahela. It is hy many times the cheapest method of transportation of coal and other heavy freight.

When the river is at a shipping stage the firm of Jones & Laughlin alone take from 60,000 to 70,000 bushels down the river daily. A load of this kind can he hauled from the up-river mines to the coke works below at a cost of about $100. To carry this same amount by rail would require ahout seventy of the largest freight cars in use at a cost of $10 per car or a total of $700 for the load.

Ellsworth Collieries Company .- Another large concern operating in Washington County was the Youghiogheny Monongahela Coal Company, whose coal and shafts were in the region of Bentleyville, in the eastern section of the county. About 15,000 acres of coal was conveyed to John Simpson, May 1st, 1899. An average of $30 per acre was paid for this coal. After blocking the property; Mr. Simpson transferred it to J. W. Ellsworth, who later conveyed to the Commercial Coal Company. This was on May 1st, 1901. On the 15th of May, of the same year, this coal was deeded hy the Commercial Coal Company to the Youghiogheny Monongahela Coal Company. No con- sideration above $1.00 is given in any of these deeds, hut the Union Trust Company of Pittsburg held mortgages against the property for more than $500,000. Thus it will he seen that an increase of over a million dollars has passed to the land owners; this hanking house considered that it could with safety make the loan. It then became the property of the Ellsworth Colleries Company. It is doubtful if $10,000,000 would he any inducement for the present owners to sell.

The Ellsworth Colleries Company is now making coke, which fact has increased wonderfully all the properties in the southeastern part of the county, good coking coal bringing from $1,000 to $1,900 per acre. The Ellsworth Colleries Company is now under the control of the Lacka- wanna Steel Company.

Pittsburg and Westmoreland Coal Company .- Soon after the Monongahela and Washington Railroad, or the Ellsworth Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad, as it is now known, was constructed, from Monongahela City to Ellsworth, about 1900, several coal companies opened up mines in the Pigeon Creek Valley. The Dunkirk Coal Company opened a mine at Frye Station. The Hazelkirk Company opened two shafts at Hazelkirk and one at Van Voorhis Station, and the Braznell Coal Company opened one near Bentleyville. These mines were all purchased by the Pittsburg and Westmoreland Coal Company by whom they are now operated.

The western part of the county has been the portion most recently developed. The Wabash Railroad, Pitts-

burg Terminal, was constructed across Washington County aud new mines have been opened up, especially in Jeffer- son, Cross Creek and Independence Townships. The towns along the Wabash have grown rapidly since the building of the road and Hickory and Avella are now good sized communities. Woodrow and Rea have also made great advances. The price of real estate and coal land has accordingly risen. One farm, before the rail- road was constructed, was bought for $40 per acre and now the present owners have refused $250 per acre sev- eral times. About the time of the completion of the railroad, the Penobscott Coal Company, composed of Pittshurg capitalists, purchased ahout 1,000 acres of land in Jefferson Township. Farms extending along the Wa- bash Railroad towards Bethel Ridge were sold at a con- sideration of $100 per acre. A switch from the main line at the Kline tunnel to the works, a distance of nearly one-half mile, was built. The opening was made ou the John Buxton farm, which was purchased in fee. These works are large and equipped with modern mining facilities. The Prior Coal Company, which purchased a large acreage in Jefferson and Cross Creek Townships at a price reaching from $100 to $250 per acre, opened a mine near the village of Avella, in November, 1907. The Pittsburg aud Cross Creek mine was opened up in 1906 near Avella, close to the Pennsylvania state line. The Washington County Coal Company's works are situated on the Studa farm in Cross Creek Township. They were started in 1906 and a branch railroad built to the mines. This is called the Pittsburg and Cross Creek branch. The Pittsburg and Washington mine was situated near Avella station, and was opened up ahout 1905. The Rex Carhon mine is just over the West Virginia state line in Brook County at Virginia Station. The Pittsburg and South- western mine was also opened up in 1905. This makes a group of seven mines about Avella. The Flinn Coal Company began operations in 1908 on the Jones place near Avella, but the works were soon closed on account of the financial stringency, as are some of the other new enterprises.

Since the opening np of the early mines on the old Pittshurg and Steubenville R. R., now the P. C. C. & St. L. R. R., and especially within the last eight years, many new mines have been put in operation. The Primrose of the Carnegie Coal Company, at Primrose Station; Nos. 1, 2 and 3 of the Pittsburg and Eastern Coal Company at Cherry Valley, on the short branch road; the Francis Mine of the Pittsburg-Buffalo Coal Company, at Bur- gettstown; the Verner Mine of the Verner Coal Company at Bulger, and the Raccoon Number 1 Mine of the J. A. H. Stanford Company at Racoon Station are among the latest operations. These made necessary the establish- ment of a large system of railroad yardage at Burgetts- town and two branch railroads from there. In the year

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

1892, William Condit, one of the best known men on the south side of the county, conceived the idea that a fiekl of coal surrounding Amity wonld sell. He was agreeing to pay at an average of $9.00 per aere, and was optioning as fast as he could reach the farm houses and close the deals. He obtained several thousand acres. A year or two later he died and the ineident was forgotteu.

No one again appeared in the coal business iu this section until about 1899, when John Kerr, of Greensburg. started his agents through that part of the county, asking the farmers to sign the now famous "string options." Instead of being an option, it was merely an agreement to option. Over 50,000 acres of land were signed up for the uniform price of $16 per acre. However, before Kerr could get the papers drawn, the farmers refused to go on with the contraet. It was thus that John Kerr, whoever he may have been, lost a fortune, for at that time no one believed the coal out there, if there was any, possessed any valne.

Hundreds of aeres of this same land have sinee been sold for $40 per acre. It is on an average of 850 feet under the surface. Much of it still remains in the hands of the farmers and this is being held at $100 and upward.

Many small independent companies have started up,

but the great majority of the coal is owned by the few large corporations.

The outlook for the development of the coke industry in Washington County is enconraging. It is only within the last four years that much progress has been made in the manufacture of this very useful prodnet. In 1990 only 2,700 tons were produced in the county, while in 1905 the total output was 41,853 tons. During the years 1892 to 1895 inclusive no coke was prodneed in the connty, but in 1896 the same number of tons as in 1590 was pro- chneed.

The companies now making coke are the Ellsworth Calleries at Ellsworth and Cokeburg, and the Bessemer Coal Company at Besco. The coal of the Vesta Coal Company on the river is manufactured into coke at South Side Pittsburg by Jones and Laughlin. The Pittsburg- Buffalo Company is building coke ovens at Marianna, and the Pittsburg & Westmoreland Coal Company iu the region of Bentleyville. Withiu the last few years the eoke industry has grown in the county and the indications are that within the next few years this will be one of the leading coke manufacturing counties in the state. Min- ing engineers now state that by a washing process coke can be successfully made from coal which heretofore has been considered too high in sulphur.

PRODUCTION FOR 1907.

The latest figures showing the production of coal in this county are taken for the year 1907. Washington County belongs to five different distriets in the bitnmiuous coal field, the first, seventh, thirteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth. In the table below the production is given for the mines in each of these districts and also the total for the eouuty with the number of men employed.

It will be seen that Washington Connty ranks fifth in the state in the production of bituminous eoal, and also in the number of men employed. Over 16,000 men in this connty were engaged in this industry. The Pittsburg Coal Company is the largest individual prodneer of coal, although the Monongahela River Consolidated Coal and Coke Company is a close second.

The following tables give some idea of the rapid inerease which this county has made in the production of coal during the past eighteen years and the ontput from the various mines of the operating companies. These tables follow :

FIRST BITUMINOUS DISTRICT.

Operator.

Mines.

Tons.

Men.

Location and Railroad.

Monongahela River C. & C. Co ..

. Plack

Diamond.

344,447

359

Monongahela City, Mon. Div. of Penna.

L'atsburg

243,471

259

Monongahela City. Mon. Div. of Penna.

Pittsburg Coal Co ..

. Little Squaw.

265,084

228

Dunlevy, Mon. Div. of Penna.

Pittsburg & Westmoreland Coal Co. . Acme

124,376

146

Bentleyville, Ellsworth Branch of Penna.

Dunkirk

293,125

291

Frue Sta., Ellsworth Branch of Penna.

lIazel Kirk No. 1.

435,831

302

Hazel Kirk Sta., Ellsworth Branch of Penna.

Hazel Kirk No.

248,180

245

Van Voorhis Sta., Ellsworth Branch of Penna.

Schoenberger

Baird Sta., Mon. Div. of Penna.

Ellsworth Collierles Co ..

Ellsworth No. 1

572,542

736

Ellsworth, Ellsworth Branch of Penna.

Ellsworth No. 2

565.310

600

Ellsworth No. 3.

205,898

574

Cokeburg, Ellsworth Branch of Penna.

Vesta Coal Co ...

Vesta Nos. 1. 2. 5. 6

583.425

513

Charleroi Coal Works.

Charleroi Nos. 1.

442.422

464

Charleroi, Mon, Div. of l'euna.

Theodore Jones

. Clipper

9.388

Pittsburg- Buffalo Coal Co.

Marianna

6,670

Allenport, Mon. Elv. of Penna.

Heslep Coal Co ...

lieslep

4,080

Marianna. W. Bethlehem Twp., Ellsworth Branch of Penna.

Matson Coal Co.

Matson

1,000

4,807,873 5,315

Allenport and Elco. Mon. Dlv: of Penna.

Ellsworth No. 4

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Century history of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Vol. I, Part 45

Author: McFarland, Joseph Fulton; Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co. (Chicago) pbl Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 584

Author: McFarland, Joseph Fulton; Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co. (Chicago) pbl
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 584