USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > Bridgeport > Hart's history and directory of the three towns, Brownsville, Bridgeport, West Brownsville also abridged history of Fayette county & western Pennsylvania > Part 4
USA > Pennsylvania > Washington County > West Brownsville > Hart's history and directory of the three towns, Brownsville, Bridgeport, West Brownsville also abridged history of Fayette county & western Pennsylvania > Part 4
USA > Pennsylvania > Fayette County > Brownsville > Hart's history and directory of the three towns, Brownsville, Bridgeport, West Brownsville also abridged history of Fayette county & western Pennsylvania > Part 4
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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
E. C. Higbee P. S. Newmyer
Leslie A. Howard
BRIDGEPORT (CADWALLADER P. O.)
Harry A. Cottom.
COURTHOUSE, SHERIFF'S RESIDENCE AND JAIL.
The present public buildings of Fayette County thoroughly sustain the reputation of the county. The stone jail, one of the best of its kind in Penn- sylvania, was completed in 1890 at a cost of $106,000. The courthouse, a substantial and artistic stone structure, ninety-one feet front and one hundred and fifteen feet deep, is three stories high, with a basement and tower, the latter of which rises to a height of more than two hundred feet. There are two court rooms, an elevator, and the modern conveniences and appliances of a city courthouse. The courthouse was erected at an expense of more than $300,000, and ranks as one of the most complete and artistic structures of its kind in the State. It is an enduring memorial of the energy and enter- prise of the people who designed and constructed it. The architects were
31
Fayette County Poorhouse and Farm
Fayette County Court House, Uniontown
E. M. Butz and William Kaufman; the builders were Lawhead, Modisette & Co .; Elias Hatfield, John Kirk, S. A. Morris, J. W. Rutter, S. W. Patterson and Robert Powell were the commissioners supervising the construction. A boiler house and electric plant, heat and light both the jail and the court- house.
FAYETTE COUNTY POORHOUSE AND FARM.
The earliest reference to a county poorhouse found in the records of Fayette is in a notice by the Commissioners, dated Oct. 14, 1822, of which the folly- ing is a copy, viz .:
"To Daniel Lynch, Esq., High Sheriff of the County of Fayette:
SIR: Agreeably to the provisions of an Act of Assembly to provide for the erection of a house for the employment and support of the poor in the county of Fayette, we hereby notify you that the returns of the Judges of Election held in the several districts of the county of Fayette, on the Sth inst. (it being the second Tuesday in October, A. D. 1822) have certified to us that at the said election there was given for a poorhouse one thousand and twenty- five votes, whereby it appears that there is a majority in favor of the estab- lishment of a poorhouse of four hundred and eleven votes. You will therefore take such order therein as is provided by the law aforesaid."
32
Fayette County Poorhouse and Farm
Fayette County Home
Nothing is found showing the action taken by the sheriff in pursuance of the notification.
On the 12th of December, 1823, " the Poorhouse Directors met to estimate the expense of erecting the poorhouse and of keeping the poor for one year, " and on the 7th of January next following, the Directors purchased from Peter McCann a tract of land for a poor farm. The tract contained one hundred and thirteen acres and ninety-nine perches, situate on the National Road, northwest of Uniontown, in Union township, near its western boundary. On the 26th of April following, an order for one thousand dollars was issued in favor of William Livingston, Frederick Shearer, and Isaac Core, Directors of the Poor, to be by them applied to the erection of a house upon the poor farm. August 14th in the same year another order of the same amount was issued by the Commissioners to the Directors of the Poor, " to be appropriated in paying for the poorhouse thercon." A further sum of six hundred dollars was appropriated for the same purpose in 1825 "for repairs and ad- ditions."
On the 2d of June, 1834, the poor farm was enlarged by the purchase from Alexander Turner for cight hundred and eighteen dollars of sixteen acres and sixty perches of land adjoining the original tract. The present poor house s on the original tract of land and is one of the finest structures for the purpose in the state.
33
First Coal Used in Fayette County
FIRST COAL USED IN FAYETTE COUNTY.
As is well known, Fayette County embraces a part of the great Appalachian coal field and is rich in iron, limestone and fire clay. The great Pittsburg bed of coal underlies this entire seetion, that in the Connellsville basin being peculiarly adapted for coke while that along the Monongahela river, while it also makes the best of coke is sufficiently hard to bear shipping and millions upon millions of bushels of it are shipped by rail and river to the south.
The first use of coal west of the Allegheny mountains of which we have any authentic account is in a journal of Col. James Burd. The entry was made Saturday September 22, 1759 while in camp about four and a half miles from the mouth of Dunlap's creek (Nemacolin creek). He says: "The camp moved two miles to Coal Run. This run is entirely paved in the bottom with fine stone coal, and the hill on the south of it is rock of the finest coal I ever saw. I burned about a bushel of it on my fire."
From this it is inferred that Colonel Burd was familiar with the use of coal and it is an accepted fact that coal was mined and used east of the Alleghenies, in Virginia, as early as 1750. But, of the untold millions of wealth that lay hidden beneath the rugged surface of Western Pennsylvania and that has not reached the zenith of its development, neither Colonel Burd nor any one cise for many years subsequent, had the faintest conception. Even now the extent and value of this depository of nature is comprehended but by few, if in fact by any.
COKE FIRST MADE AND USED IN FAYETTE COUNTY.
Following the building of furnaces and rolling mills, came the discovery of the use of coke and as a result, that industry that has now made Fayette County, and particularly the Connellsville region, famous as well as rich, sprang up. The making of coke in the United States and in fact in the western hemi- sphere, originated in Fayette County, without doubt, and as before mentioned, Colonel Meason was in all probability the pioneer, though he made but little and used but little.
IRON INDUSTRY IN FAYETTE COUNTY.
The iron ore of Fayette County carly attracted attention and in fact the first iron that was produced west of the mountains was in Fayette County and from Fayette County ore. The blue lump ore was the first discovered. This lies directly below the bed of the Pittsburg coal in the Connellsville basin. Other beds of ore were soon discovered, however, and it was not long till the county was dotted with furnaces that were the forerunners of the acres of seething furnaces and rumbling steel mills that now make the Monon- gahela Valley famous the world over.
The first furnaces of Fayette County were of necessity small and for many years used charcoal for smelting though Col. Isaac Meason used some
34
Iron Industry in Fayette County
coke at his Plumsock furnace as early as 1817, and F. H. Oliphant run his Fairchance furnace with coke for a time as early as 1836, making a good grade of iron.
The first iron furnace west of the Alleghenies was the Alliance Iron Works on Jacobs Creek and from court records must have been built prior to 1789. It is further evident that shot and shell were furnished General Anthony Wayne in his expedition against the Indians, by the Alliance Iron Works.
The Alliance furnace was soon followed by Union Furnace, by Meason, Dillon & Co., Spring Hill Furnace, Hayden's Forge and Fairfield Furnace, Redstone Furnace, Fairchance Furnace, and many others.
The first rolling mill in Fayette County, from the most authentic records, was erected by Jeremiah Pears, at Plumsock in Menallen township. Exactly when it was built is not known but from court records it must have been built prior to 1794. It is conceded that the first puddling and rolling of bar iron west of the Allegheny mountains was done at this place after it became the property of Col. Isaac Meason. The mill was erected and putt in operation by Thomas C. Lewis, a Welshman who had worked in rolling mills in Wales. It is related by his son Samuel C. Lewis that he visited many iron manufacturers in the east and made every possible effort to induce them to erect mills for rolling bar iron, but without success. He then came west. At Connellsville, he met Col. Isaac Meason who took kindly to the idea immediately, at once secing the feasibility of the plans of Mr. Lewis. He entered into a contract with Mr. Lewis at a certain salary for three years with the proviso that if the mill proved a success he (Lewis) should be taken into partnership and should receive one-third of the profits.
The place selected for the mill was at Upper Middletown, then better known as Plumsock, on Redstone Creek, about midway between Brownsville and Connellsville, as Mr. Meason already had some forges there. The erecting of that mill was attended with a great deal of difficulty, as pattern makers and molders were not very plenty, so that a great deal of this work fell on Mr. Lewis, who made nearly all the patterns. Taking everything into consider- ation, the mill was completed in a very short time, having been commenced some time in 1816, and started about September, 1817. His brother came over when the work was pretty well on, and as he was also a first-rate mechanic, helped the work on very much. An incident is given here, as showing the opposition he met with in the erection of this mill. Two ironmasters from Lancaster County, by the names of Hughes and Boyer, rode all the way on horseback, nearly two hundred miles, went to Mr. Meason, and tried to con- vince him that it was impossible to roll iron into bars. Mr. Meason told them to go and talk to Mr. Lewis about it, which they did, and told him it was a shame for him to impose on Mr. Meason, as it might ruin the old gentleman. Mr. Lewis replied to Mr. Hughes, "You know you can eat?" "Why, yes," he knew that. "Well, how do you know it?" He could not give a reason why, but he knew he could eat. "Well," says Mr. Lewis, "I will tell you how you know it-you have done it before; and that is why I know I can roll bar iron. I have done it before!" "Very well," said Mr. Hughes, "go ahead, and when you are ready to start let us know, and we will come
35
Fayette County Agricultural Associations
and see the failure." According to promise they did come on, but left perfectly satisfied of its success.
The persons engaged in starting the works were Thomas C. Lewis, engineer ; George Lewis, roller and turner; Sam Lewis, heater; James Lewis, catcher. Henry Lewis was clerk in the office. They were all brothers. James Pratt worked the refinery, and David Adams worked the puddling furnace.
It is not certain how long this first puddling and rolling mill continued in operation, nor when its fires were finally extinguished.
FAYETTE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATIONS.
As the agriculturist was the first to record his name on the pages of the history of the county, so he was among the first to promulgate organiza- tions for the exhibition of products and the furthering of agricultural inter- ests. As early as 1822, we find the records of an agricultural association. Of this Ellis says, in his History of Fayette County, issued in 1882 :
"The existence of a society for the promotion of agriculture in Fayette County over eighty years ago is proved by an entry in the records of the Com- missioners of date Sept. 2, 1822, at which time the board issued $150 to Hugh Thompson, Treasurer of the Society for the Promotion of Agriculture and Domestic Manufactures in Fayette County, which sum the said Society are entitled to receive out of the County Treasury agreeable to an Act of the General Assembly passed March 6, 1820.''
Again March 10, 1823, we find in the Brownsville Western Register, an advertisement of Col. Samuel Evans, Secretary of the Agricultural So- ciety, announcing the premiums to be awarded at the exhibition that year. In this advertisement it is stipulated that articles must have been manu- factured in Fayette County otherwise they would not be entitled to premiums. No further notice is of record concerning this organization.
The next record we find of any such organization is in 1852. This was formed in Jefferson Township and a fair was held on the farm of Robert Elliott. It seems that after this William Colvin of Redstone and citizens of Brownsville and Luzerene townships, conceived the idea of organizing a county association which they accordingly did and a fair was held on the farm of Eli Cope, Esq., near Brownsville. Along in 1857 or 1858 it seems that the various agricultural societies (several others had been formed in the meantime) combined and organized one at Uniontown. Fairs were held at or near Uniontown several times but the Civil War seems to have broken up this society and the next organization of the kind we find was in 1869. The grounds of this were located on the farm of William Brit- ton above Brownsville, but it too, proved a failure.
Ten years later, or to be exact, July 21, 1879, the Fayette County Agri- cultural Association was chartered by E. B. Dawson, Robert Hogsett, William Beeson, Joseph M. Hadden, and John Snyder.
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Fayette County Medical Society
FAYETTE COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY.
The first medical society organized was known as the Union Medical Society and was organized some time prior to Oct. 9, 1809, because there appeared a notice in the Genius of Liberty, of that date calling a meeting of this society at the house of Mr. James Gregg in Uniontown, for Tuesday, the 7th day of November at 11 a. m. There appears no account of the meeting except that a committee that seems to have been appointed at the time makes a report under date of Sept. 1, 1810, in which it recommends a schedule of compensations for medical services This report is signed by Robert D. Moore, Lewis Sweitzer, and Lewis Marchand.
The Fayette County Medical Association was formed at a meeting of the physicians of the county, held for that purpose at the Town Hall in Uniontown, June 25, 1844. The physicians present were, Drs. Campbell, Stanley, John- son, Thompson, Roberts, Worrak, Miller, Fleming, Jones, Lindley, Robinson, Post, Fuller, Neff, Penny, Marchand, Lafferty, Fitter, Mathiot, and Shugart. Dr. Abraham Stanley was made chairman, and was assisted by Drs. Lindley and Campbell, the latter delivering the address. Dr. Smith Fuller and Dr. H. F. Roberts reported a constitution and by-laws which were adopted by the meeting. Among those who signed this document were Dr. Abraham Stanley of Bridgeport, and Drs. W. L. Lafferty and Lewis Marchand of Brownsville. Dr. Hugh Campbell was elected president; Dr. Smith Fuller, treasurer; Dr. A. H. Campbell, corresponding secretary; Dr. H. F. Roberts, recording secretary. The last record of this society is dated Dec. 19, 1844.
Another medical society was organized in Brownsville, May 18, 1869. There were present at the organization of this society, Drs. J. S. Van Vorhees, W. H. Sturgeon, H. F. Roberts, W. P. Duncan, S. A. Conklin, J. B. Ewing, Knoz and Hazlet. Drs. Duncan, Ewing, Conklin and Sturgeon, submitted a constitution based on one of the Allegheny County medical society's, and by-laws were signed by the above-named physicians and the following ad- ditional ones: Dr. F. C. Robinson and Dr. B. F. Conklin. The first officers of this society were, Dr. Wm. S. Duncan, president; Dr. J. S. Van Vorhees, vice president; Dr. J. B. Ewing, recording secretary; Dr. H. F. Roberts, co1 - responding secretary; Dr. W. H. Sturgeon, treasurer. At a meeting held the following July, the constitution was also signed by Drs. Lindley, Fuller, Groonet, Phillips, Rogers, Patten, Mathiot, Carey, Finley, and Eastman.
This organization still exists with a membership of 77. The names of the present officials are, Drs. George O. Evans, President: Wm. H. Means, Vice President; Levi S. Gaddis, Secretary and Treasurer; John D. Sturgeon, Assistant Secretary.
The stated times of meeting are the first Tuesdays of January, April, July and October, at Uniontown, Pa.
Geology of Favette County
GEOLOGICAL LOCATION OF FAYETTE COUNTY-THE GREAT CONNELLSVILLE BASIN -- THE MONONGAHELA BASIN-LOWER PRODUCTIVE COAL MEAS- URES-LAUREL AND CHESTNUT RIDGES-SOMETHING ABOUT THE GEO- LOGICAL STRUCTURE -- THIE LAUREL RIDGE ANTICLINAL-THE UPPER BARREN SERIES -- ECONOMIC GEOLOGY OF FAYETTE COUNTY -- THE GREAT COKE INDUSTRY-HORIZON OF IRON ORE IN FAYETTE COUNTY-LOCA- TION AND EXTENT OF THE CONNELLSVILLE COKE REGION -- TABULATED COKE STATISTICS.
In Nelson's Biographical Dictionary and Historical Reference Book of Fayette County, we find the following condensed geological description of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and also a brief sketch of the oil, gas, coal, iron and coke industries, that will prove interesting in years to come :
GEOLOGICAL LOCATION.
"From Prof. J. P. Lesley's geological deesription of Fayette County in 1884 we condense the following: Fayette County lies in the second, third and fourth bituminous coal basins of Pennsylvania. The second or Ligonier Valley basin, is lined with the lower productive coal measures, supporting numerous isolated hills of Barren measures, none of which are lofty enough to preserve the Pittsburg (Connellsville) coal bed. In the Youghiogheny river gaps is the Catskill (ix), but containing Chemung fossils (viii). On the broad summit of Laurel Hill and Chestnut Ridge remain plates of the conglomerate, fifty to seventy feet high, composed of a friable whitish sand- stone, cleft in vast cubical masses, and weatherworn into shallow caves. The "Elk Rock" is near Connellsville, and the "Cow Rock" on the edge of the precipice is covered with Indian sculpture.
THIRD OR CONNELLSVILLE BASIN.
The third or Connellsville basin carries the Pittsburg bed four miles wide and thirty-three miles long through its center. It also carries the upper productive coal measure consisting of four principal coal beds and many massive limestone strata. In two or three places its small hilltops have preserved some of the Upper Barren measures.
THE FOURTH OR MONONGAHELA BASIN.
The fourth or Monogahela basin occupies all the western townships, with a multitude of collieries on the Pittsburg bed facing the river pools. The
38
Lower Productive Coal Measures
Upper Barren measures are in Jefferson, Redstone, Luzerene and German Townships, while the Washington County series are not well exposed and the Greene County series not preserved.
LOWER PRODUCTIVE COAL MEASURES.
The Lower Productive coal measures cover all the west half of the county. and so do the Lower Barren measures except along Redstone Creek at upper Middletown. The former are principally under ground, but where coming. up on the flank of Chestnut Ridge, they show five coal beds. The lower coal beds have not been much worked yet on account of the outcrop of the Pitts- burg coal bed. Important beds of iron ore lie at five different horizons in Fayette County, and have been mined a good deal for the use of local blast furnaces. (1) First five beds of lump and flag clay-iron-stone, within twenty-five feet under the Pittsburg coal bed: (2) two overlying the Mahoning sandstone at Lemont; (3) the local Norris, Jacobs Creek or Pridevale beds under the Mahoning sandstone; (4) the Stanford on top of the conglomerate; and (5), most important of all, the Honeycomb, Kidney and Red ores of No. XI, in the ravines of Chestnut Ridge.
LAUREL AND CHESTNUT RIDGES.
In the structural geology of Fayette County we find that the last two great uplifts of the Appalachian chain are marked by Laurel and Chestnut Ridges. A minor uplift parallel to Chestnut Ridge enters the county at the southwest and extends into Westmoreland County. It is known as Brush Ridge, has a thin soil, and is destitute of coal, which has been swept away. Between Laurel and Chestnut Ridges, is the first or Ligonier basin, which holds the two lower groups of the coal-bearing rocks. The second or Connellsville basin is between Chestnut and Brush Ridges and holds three groups of coal- bearing rocks.
GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE.
The geological structure of the county, Prof. John J. Stevenson states, helps to make it prominent as a producer of iron, coal and coke. Prof. Stevenson explains that the great fold of Chestnut Ridge has brought to light in Deep Creek cuts, rocks that are 2,500 feet below Uniontown, and thrown high above water level in deep ravines, on both sides, are important series of iron ores, that, had this fold been absent, the Connellsville coaking coal bed would have been 1,800 feet below Uniontown. He also explains that Brush Ridge is just as important as the other ridges, that it brings to light again the great coal bed sinking under the surface at the western base of Chestnut Ridge, and that in rising up to lose its own coal, brought to light the Pittsburg bed, which otherwise would have been 600 feet deep at Jennings Run, 1,400 feet at Scarights, and 1,500 fect at Brownsville. That it also separates the coke and gas basins, and while it is the same bed on each side,
39
Laurel Ridge Anticlinal
yet the physical structure is different, the partings in the coke field being irregular and thin, but in the gas coal field are regular and of slate. That in chemical composition the gas coal field has a larger increase of volatile matter, and while it produces good coke, yet it is recognized as a typical gas coal with no superior in the market.
FINE BUILDING STONE.
An excellent building rock is found in different parts of Fayette County, and especially at Monroe where bluestone quarries are opened, and their products transported over a short branch railroad to the B. & O. road at Hutchinson Station.
The systemic or structural geology of Fayette County, shows that its exposed, stratified rocks belong to the carboniferous age, and the geological column which they form is about 2,750 feet in thickness, according to ex- posures along the three antielinals and three synclinals of the three typo- graphical valleys of the county.
LAUREL RIDGE ANTICLINAL.
The Laurel Ridge anticlinal is the eastern mountain boundary of the county and the Ligonier Valley, whose synclinal crosses Indian Creek near the mouth of Laurel Run, the Youghiogheny between the mouths of Jona- than's and Bear Runs and the National Road, two miles west of Farmington. Next westward comes the Chestnut Ridge anticlinal separating the Ligonier and Blairsville Valleys or troughs and the Blairsville synclinal crosses the Youghiogheny between Broad Ford and Connellsville, Redstone Creek at Uniontown and Cheat River near the Line Ferry. The Blairsville or Connells- ville trough, for its western boundary, has the Saltsburg anticlinal (sometimes called the Fayette County axis or Brush Ridge), which runs west of Flat- woods, and three miles west of Uniontown crosses Georges Creek near the Old Crow mill, and reaches Cheat river a short distance above its mouth. The next valley west, the Libston or Irwin trough, is but partly in Fayette County, and its synclinal crosses little Redstone near Red Lion, Redstone at Park's Mill, Dunlap's Creek a mile below the German Township line and the Monongahela river a mile from the mouth of Middle Run.
Formations. Measures. Feet.
XIII. The Coal Measures.
1. Upper Barren Series. 236
2. Upper Productive Coal Series 437
3. Lower Barren Series 491
4. Lower Productive Coal Series. 313
XII. Pottsville Conglomerates (seral)
235
XI. Mauch Chunk Red Shale (Umbral)
200
Pocono Sandstone (Vespertine) 838
IX. Catskill (Ponent) Rocks. . .
Approximates. 2.750
40
The Upper Barren Series
THE UPPER BARREN SERIES.
The Upper Barren Series are poorly represented in Fayette County, lying pricipally in the Libston trough. The Washington limes and coals are important, the Waynesburg and Jollytown coals almost wanting, and its base, the Waynesburg sandstone, is over 70 feet thick. The sandstone forms a roof of the Upper Productive coal series, which contain the great Pittsburg coal bed with its Connellsville coking coal basin and forms a large part of the Libston and Blairsville troughs or valleys. The Washington, Waynesburg, Redstone, Sewickley and Uniontown coals and limes are present while the fishpot and great limestones are important. The Lower Barren series have the Pittsburg coal for a roof and the Mahoning Sandstone for a floor, and mark the course of the anticlinals by bands of poor soil, these series carrying the Little Pittsburg, Elk Lick, Berlin, Platt, Coleman and Philson coal beds in the Ligonier Valley, varying from four to twenty-four inches, and the Barton and a couple of other twelve-inch coal in the Blairsville trough. They have the Morgantown sandstone and some valuable limes and fire clays. The Lower Productive coal series lie along the slopes of Chestnut and Laurel Ridges, and are between Lower Barren Shales and the Piedmont sandstone. These series carry the Upper and Lower Freeport and Kittanning coals and limestones, and the Clarion and Brookville coals. Mahoning sandstone is the important rock, while the coal seams vary from one to five feet, and limestones and fire clays are good. The Pottsville (seral) conglomerate, is exposed on the slopes of Chestnut and Laurel Ridges and along the whole gorge of the Youghiogheny river in the Ligonier Valley. The Pottsville rests on the conglomerate, and carries the Mt. Savage coal bed in Wharton and Stewart Townships. The Mauch Chunk red shale (umbral rocks), are along Chestnut Ridge and the Youghiogheny river, and one of the series of rounded knobs of this series is Sugar Loaf moun- tain, south of Ohiopyle. Fragments of a coal bed exist, but its im- portant beds are the Mountain and Siliceous limes, the mountain increasing southwestward to ninety feet, and the Siliceous gaining northward until reaching fifty feet. The Pocono (Vespertine) sandstone forms nearly all the valleys of the streams in the Ligonier Valley and fringes the western base of Chestnut Hill Ridge; while the Catskill rocks appear in the deep mountain gorges near Monroe, and on the Youghiogheny at the mouth of Indian Creek and where the river cuts through Laurel Hill Ridge.
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