USA > Pennsylvania > Carbon County > History, government and geography of Carbon County, Pennsylvania > Part 15
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The borough was organized in 1867, the decree of incorpor- ation having been issued on the 3rd of June of that year. When the canal was built by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company it was intended to have it on the western bank of the river, but Colonel Weiss offered the right of way free through his entire farm and the company accepted the offer. Colonel Weiss and his sons then laid out the town plot into building lots, streets, and a central park, or public square, which to-day is one of the chief attractions of the town. A building, the home of the Carbon County Historical Society, dedicated to the memory of Colonel Weiss, should be placed in the center of this park as a fitting memorial to his enterprise and public spirit.
A lottery scheme was devised to dispose of the lots thus formed. Tickets were sold at fifty dollars each and every ticket entitled its holder to a lot, the only difference being in the location. About forty tickets were sold and the lots drawn and occupied.
Lewis Weiss began building canal boats on the bank of the canal in 1832. A postoffice was opened in 1863 and Christopher Grote was the first postmaster. The town is well supplied with water and extremely well shaded. Boat building is the principal industry, though many of its men are employed in connection with the railroads.
WEATHERLY.
This borough is located on Black Creek, about fourteen miles northwest of Mauch Chunk. The place at first was called
176
HISTORY, GOVERNMENT AND GEOGRAPHY
Black Creek from the color of the water of the creek on which it is situated. The water was thus colored in the hemlock swamps from whence it came. When the postoffice was first established in Weatherly, it is said, the town received its present name in response to a request of a clockmaker by that name, who promised to present the village with a large clock for the honor that would thus be conferred upon him, which promise he never fulfilled.
Samuel Barber and John Romig were the first owners of the land. They wished to remove the timber and engage in farming. The first sawmill was on Black Creek, opposite the Lehigh Valley depot. In this vicinity are found large deposits of river stones which the geologists think indicate that it was once the bed of an immense lake, the waters of which later washed a passage through Broad Mountain at Penn Haven.
The place consisted of but a few small houses until the Beaver Meadow Railroad was completed to this point. Then in order to prevent the necessity of getting their heavy engines up the steep grade to have them repaired they decided to move their shops to Weatherly. This happened in 1840. The town grew rapidly after that, and the car shops have been much improved.
The borough was organized in 1863. It then contained one church and two schools. In 1910 there were twelve teachers and a supervisory principal. It is divided into four wards and has an assessed valuation of $807,533.
The mails and foodstuffs and merchandise are shipped to the town on the Hazleton Division of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. The candy factory, located in the town, manufactures candy whose value is estimated at $60,000 a year. Its foundries and machine shops employ more than two hundred men, and the railroad repair shops about one-fourth of that number. Two of the mills are devoted to silk weaving and one to throwing, and in them more than two hundred persons are engaged. There are numerous churches, a weekly newspaper, and a bank. Every- thing connected with the town is in a thriving and prosperous condition.
177
OF CARBON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
CHAPTER III. PALMERTON'S BOOM.
Palmerton has, during the past few years, evolved from a scraggly, long drawn out minor manufacturing village into a model town so far as homes, schools, sanitation, and general munici- pal improvements are concerned-and still more is promised.
This interesting little town a decade ago showed promise of great possibilities. Natural resources for the furnishing of materials for industrial establishments are there in abundance. Within a very short distance of the anthracite coal region, and with excellent facilities for shipping to the metropolitan centers and tidewater, Palmerton is so located that it presents exceptional advantages for manufacturing purposes.
Taking advantage of these opportunities, Stephen S. Palmer, president of the New Jersey Zinc Company of Pennsylvania, has, as the result of several months' personal supervision of the con- struction of additions to the already extensive zinc plant at Palmerton, decided upon even further improvements to the town. Arrangements have been made with the Chestnut Hill Railroad to extend its line from Kunkletown, Monroe County, to Strouds- burg, to connect with the Lackawanna line.
The cost of this plant, when completed, will be about ten million dollars. The furnaces and reducers for the zinc ore will range along a distance of about five miles, and to adjust itself to the new conditions, the Central Railroad of New Jersey has decided to abandon its old stations at Hazard and Lehigh Gap, upon the completion of a new one, now under course of erection, at the centre of operations, at a cost of about $100,000.
But, with all the industrial growth of the community, the social and aesthetic features have not been forgotten.
Mr. Palmer has decided to spend a million dollars to have an elevated railroad; in the first place, for the safety of the children
178
HISTORY, GOVERNMENT AND GEOGRAPHY
of the town, and, in the second, for the economic advantage and to preserve the beauty of the town. With the growth of the town in the past decade, schools which rank high when compared with those of towns of several times its size, have been installed in this favored borough. A hospital which, for completeness of equipment and splendid management can not be surpassed by any outside of the larger cities, is being maintained there, and churches of the various denominations have sprung up. The residences are neat and substantial, and constructed with an idea of permanent beauty, and Palmerton has ceased, in every way, to be a mere "furnace town"-it's becoming one of the prettiest towns in the Lehigh Valley.
179
OF CARBON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
CHAPTER IV. ASA PACKER.
Of the men who helped to develop the resources of the county, Asa Packer must be considered among the chief. His influence in the civil affairs is as noticeable as it is in the industrial. He directed the political activities of the county and built up the coal industry by proving that coal could be transported cheaper on wheels than by water. Like all great leaders, he acted while others considered and hesitated.
Asa Packer was born in Mystic, Conn., on the 29th of Decem- ber, 1805. His education was such as was given in the district schools of those days, which was very limited. Like Franklin, at the age of seventeen, he packed his clothing into a bundle, shouldered all his worldly possessions, and started into the great world to seek his fortune. He walked the entire distance from Connecticut to Susquehanna County, Pa., a distance of more than two hundred miles. This is an indication that he was a plucky boy. He thus early revealed those traits of character which made him the useful man he was, "As the twig was bent the tree inclined." When once he had decided on a thing no obstacles deterred him, no discouragements caused him to waver, no work that was necessary was too hard to be undertaken. After two weeks of weary searching, trudging through sunshine and rain, he arrived at last, at the house of his cousin who was a carpenter in Brooklyn, Pa. Asa began at once to learn that trade; and, throwing into it all his effort, he soon became a first-class workman. What he undertook he did well and thoroughly. No man could use a hatchet more deftly or shove a plane more truly than young Packer. He learned early to keep on struggling and soon was taught the greatest of life's lesson-that persistent and intelligent struggling is sure to bring success.
He served the time of his apprenticeship, then went to New
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HISTORY, GOVERNMENT AND GEOGRAPHY
York and worked at his trade for a year. City life was distasteful to him, so he returned to Susquehanna County, Pa., making his home in Springville Township. Here he married Miss Sarah M. Blakslee on January 23, 1828, and soon after the young couple moved upon a farm. After four years of farming, of day laboring, and of work at his trade, he found that he was nearly as poor as when he was married; and, hearing that men were wanted to build canal boats on the Lehigh Canal, he drove to Mauch Chunk in the winter of 1833, made satisfactory arrangements to begin work, and then returned home, determined to close up his affairs, and prepared to begin work at Mauch Chunk when spring opened.
When he came to Mauch Chunk in the spring, he walked to the Susquehanna River, went by raft to Berwick, and then by the State Road to Mauch Chunk. He at once became the commander of a canal boat. In a short time he contracted to manage another, which he put into the hands of his brother-in- law. He himself began building a yard for constructing canal boats. The knowledge acquired in the carpenter trade served him well. He continued to work with his usual perseverance, and in a few years he was able to conduct a store with merchandise valued at twenty-five thousand dollars.
Asa Packer contracted extensively for building canal locks on the upper Lehigh, making handsome profits. Together with his brother Robert, he also contracted to build canal boats at Pottsville. He then engaged in mining and shipping coal from Nesquehoning and other mines, and from then on, constant endeavor and struggle brought him an unending chain of pros- perity.
Alone and unaided, he began in 1852 the great work of his life, the building of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. With clear head he saw the results that would follow; with a determination no discouragement could shake, he carried on the work to its comple- tion in 1855. In order to do this work, it was often necessary to risk all he had gained during his lifetime, but he struggled on until all the difficulties were overcome.
He founded Lehigh University at South Bethlehem in 1865. This institution he at first intended to locate at Mauch Chunk.
181
OF CARBON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
He endowed it liberally that it might be self supporting through the long future, and offer to later generations the most valuable thing young people can acquire-a liberal education. He con- tributed largely to the support of St. Luke's Hospital, South Bethlehem; Muhlenberg College, Allentown; St. Mark's Church, Mauch Chunk, and many other institutions, besides making liberal provision for his family.
In politics Mr. Packer was a Democrat. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Legislature for two terms (1841-1843), Associate Judge of Carbon County (1843-1848), and for four years (1853- 1857) represented this district in Congress at Washington. He was a candidate for Governor in 1869 and was favorably mentioned for the Presidency of the United States in the Convention of 1868. He died May 17, 1879.
He had two daughters, Lucy and Mary, and two sons, Robert Asa and Harry Eldred. Both of the sons held many important positions in the coal and railroad companies with which their father was so closely connected. Harry was especially attached to the locality of his birth, his liberal contributions adding greatly to the growth and prosperity of Mauch Chunk.
Asa Packer realized better than any other man the importance of transporting coal on wheels. He saw the advantage of such transportation over transportation by water and risked all he had to put his ideas into effect. The man who constructed the Lehigh Valley Railroad thus became the prophet of his generation.
He foresaw the time when anthracite coal would become a most valuable commodity and built a railway which tapped the fields, many of which later came into possession of his company. In this he was looked upon as a daring man, for he ran a line through the mountain district which taxed the engineering science of his day. He left a prosperous road and a handsome fortune, which his abilities and foresight had enabled him to accumulate without a suspicion of dishonesty. His honesty, his industry, his foresight, his love of education, his generosity, made him the leader of his generation and will cause his name to be remembered and respected by the citizens of Carbon County.
CARBON'S POPULATION.
A Batch of Interesting Figures From the Census Bureau.
The Director of the Census has an- nounced the population of Carbon county, Pa., according to its minor civil divisions, as shown by an official count of the returns of the Thirteenth Census:
1910
1900 1890
Carbon County ... 52,846
44,510 38,624
Banks twp .
4,719
4,113
4,461
Beaver Meadow ..
1,530
1,378
E. Mauch Chunk.
3,548
3,458 2,772
Ward 1, 1,485
Ward 2, 1,298
Ward 3, 765
East Penn twp ..
944
1,182
1,109
East Side
220
210
Franklin twp
2,336
2,342
2,040
Kidder twp.
427
651
992
Lansford bor.
8,321* 4,888
*4,004
East ward, 3,745
Middle ward, 1,964 West ward, 2,612
Lausanne twp ....
263
242
136
Lehigh twp ..
4,91
619
565
Lehighton
5,316* 4,629
2,939
Ward 1, 1,941
Ward 2, 1,242
Ward 3, 2,133
L. Towamensing ..
4,131
2,507
1,726
Mahoning twp ...
2,378
2,501
2,248
Mauch Chunk ....
3,952
4,029
4,101
Ward 1, 1,311
Ward 2, 2,101
Ward 3, 540
Mauch Chunk tp ..
4,356
2,896
2,448
Packer twp.
717
684
665
Parryville. . .
590
723
605
Penn Forest tp ...
417
486
627
Summit Hill ....
4,209
2,986
2,816
Ward 1, 822
Ward 2, 774
Ward 3, 1,929
Ward 4, 684
Towamensing tp ..
840
914
933
Weatherly
2,501
2,471
2,961
Ward 1, 785
Ward 2, 493
Ward 3, 739
Ward 4, 484
-
Weissport
638
601 456
LIST OF ERRORS.
The following should be added to P. 6, page 89:
When the repairing of the roads is not given out by contract, sixty per cent. of the license money is used to keep the roads in repair.
On page 90, the two months should be ninety days.
On page 95, to the statement that the election officers receive $3.50 a day should be added that the judge of election receives $1 a day for filing his report.
On page 96, the returns for County officers only are filed with the Pro- thonotary, township returns, except for the election of Justice of the Peace, are filed with the Clerk of the Courts.
On page 98, Justices of the Peace are now elected for six years.
On page 99, the Constable is no longer game and fish warden.
On page 100, Assessors are elected every four years, and births and deaths are reported by the physicians to the Clerk of the Orphans' Court. The "except road tax which is collect- ed by the supervisors" should be omitted.
On page 135, the County Superin- tendent is elected for three years.
On page 186, Mauch Chunk has sev- en churches.
On page 45, the car descended the left hand fork of the Y, and went up grade on the stem. It returned on the stem and descended on the right hand fork of the Y. This was made possible by means of a spring switch somewhat like the safety switches on the Mountain Road at Mauch Chunk.
On page 101, it costs about $35,000,- 000 to conduct the schools of Pennsyl- vania for one year.
ERRORS CONTINUED.
It must be understood that the one small district to which reference is
The following list of errors, due to made in line 36,
page 128,
is that which was included in
Arner's School. The area from which children were sent to this school contributed 66 men to the war of whom 37 were still members of the school. The Eberts family was rep- resented by four, the Sterner and Snyder families by three; and the Hoppes family by five members. But
Page 103, last line, according to the New School 'Code, fourth class dis- one of the Hoppeses was connected tricts have five directors and third with the school.
class have nine. Lansford and Le-
A little north of Mauch Chunk in highton are the only districts in the 1861 was a cluster of fourteen fami- county that belong to the third class. lies.
Page 106, line 18, the county treas- urer and commissioners sell the prop- erty on which tax is not paid.
Page 107, line 17, "if approved by the Solicitor," had better be omitted A justice may hold the inquest when the Coroner resides teu or more miles from the place of inquest.
Page 109, line 1, judgments are filed and deeds recorded.
Page 114, line 18, the judges of the lower courts are bound by the de- cisions of the Appellate courts. judge's salary now is $5,000.
Page 116, line 2, for "partics CƠ cused" substitute "commonwealth or prosecution."
Page 117, line 11 and 12, substitute "hearing" for "trial," and "returns" for "sends" in line 17. Records of the proceedings are returned to the Clerk of the Court of Quarter Ses sions, whereupon the District Attorney et.c.
Mullen, William
81st Regt.
Mcclellan, William 81st Regt.
McGeady, Edward 28th Regt
McGeady, John 28th Regt.
Page 128, last line, substitute "town- McGeady, John, Jr. 81st Regt.
ship" for "county" and "thirty" for Scott, Robert 28th Regt.
"twenty" on page 129, line 10.
This little suburb of Mauch Chunk in those days was called the "Northern Liberties." Its record is almost as marvelous as anything the world can furnish. Stories afloat as- sert that these fourteen families fur- nished as many as twenty five volun- teers. The record of those who fol- low is well known. Some of them still survive.
Burns, John 28th Regt.
Burns, Patrick 28th Regt.
Burns, Daniel 132nd Regt.
Conerty, John
214th Regt.
Conerty, James 28th Regt.
Conerty, Tom 28th Regt.
Crilley, Francis
28th Regt.
Crilley, Oliver
81st Regt.
Dougherty, John
202nd Regt
Henry, Aaron . 81st Regt.
Johnson, Alex 132nd Regt.
Meighan, Mat
28th Regt.
Meighan, James
202nd Regt.
Scott, James Navy
recent changes in the laws, are insert- ed for the sake of coupleteness and accuracy.
Page 97, tax collectors and consta- bles may be re-elected.
Page 99, line 11, the words "a hear. ing" should be substituted for "trial."
ELI
بالترحيب
كروم
ر عشة
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