History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 8

Author: Smith, Robert Walter
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago : Waterman, Watkins
Number of Pages: 790

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The material aid afforded by the provisions of the act of 1867, and realized from elocutionary and musical entertainments and series of able lectures, which have been liberally patronized, has enabled the county superintendent, since 1867, to secure the valuable services of some of the ablest, most skillful, and experienced educators of this and other states in rendering the more modern institutes attractive and effective. They have thus far been held at Kittanning, and attended by most of the teachers in the county. Stores of knowledge useful to teachers and highly practical have thus been bestowed which ought not to be fruitless in enhancing their cult- ure and refinement. Progress in the intellectual and esthetic culture of teachers and pupils, and improvement in school-buildings and furniture within the last two decades, has been consider- able, though not to so high a degree as devoted, enthusiastic and perfection-loving educators de- sire. Every section of the county is now dotted over with comely temples of knowledge, in which every child of proper age can receive at least a good common English education.

JOURNALISTIC.

As early as 1810, a newspaper, bearing the name of The Western Eagle, was established at Kittan- ning, by Capt. James Alexander. The first num- ber was issued September 20, 1810. It was dis- continued while its proprietor was in the military service, but was revived for a short time after his return. Its size was 18X11 inches. It contained sixteen columns, i. e., the above-mentioned first number.

The Kittanning Columbian and Farmers' and Mechanics' Advertiser was the next newspaper established in this county. Its proprietor and publisher was Frederick Rohrer, assisted by his younger brother, George Rohrer. It was of me- dium size, published weekly, and democratic republican in politics. Its issue of June 5, 1819, No. 14, Vol. I, is before the writer, from which it appears that its first issue was on Saturday,

* Josiah Copley.

HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

March 6. (It was finally merged with the Ga- zette.) The presidential election proclamation in the issue of October 7, 1820, shows that Philip Mechling was still sheriff. It also appears from other contents that the late Gen. Orr was then a candidate for assembly, on the democratic repub- lican ticket, and the late Samnel Houston for the same, on both the democratic-republican and In- diana county tickets; that John Cribbs, James Pinks, Robert Robinson and Thos. McConnell were volunteer candidates for sheriff, and An- thony Montgomery, Peter Klingensmith and Jas. Jackson were candidates for county commissioner at the October election.

The Kittanning Guzette was established by Josiah Copley and John Croll, and its first mmm- ber was issued August 17, 1825. It was con- ducted under the firm name of Copley, Croll & Co. until 1829, when Copley withdrew. It and the Columbian were merged about April 12, 1831, and was published as the Gazette and Co- lumbian, by Simon Torney and John Croll, under the firm name of John Croll & Co., until Novem- ber 6, 1832, when Croll withdrew, and Copley became the editor and publisher for the estate of Simon Torney, deceased, until 1838-the Co- lumbian part of the name having been dropped prior to 1836-when, i. e., about April 5, 1838, it passed into the control of the late Benjamin Oswald, who, in the first week of May, 1841, changed the name to that of the Democratic Press, and afterward to the Kittanning Free Press, which name was retained until May, 1864, when it was purchased from Mrs. Oswald by an associa- tion, and its name changed to Union Free Press, which it still retains. Marshall B. Oswald suc- ceeded the association as publisher of the paper, and in 1876 sold an interest to James E. Neale, Esq., who, after being elected to the bench in the spring of 1881 (April 9), transferred his half to G. S. Crosby, Esq.

It was issued under the name of Gazette unin- terruptedly, except the short period during which it bore the name of Gazette and Columbian, from 1825 until 1841. It was, for a few years, while it bore the name of Gazette and Columbian, the organ of the democratic-republican party in this county. It was afterward a whig paper. On the dissolution of the whig party it became a repub- lican organ, which it still is. It was never a pro- fessedly antimasonic paper, though for a year or two it acted in harmony with the antimasonic organization, while it bore the name of Gazette. As Gazette and Free Press it has flourished more than half a century.

In February, 1830, the publication of the Arm- strong Advertiser and Antimasonic Free Press was commenced by the late Judge Buffington, which was subsequently continued by William Badger until August or September, 1833, when the type and other materials thereof were transferred to Freeport, and thereafter used in the publication of the Olive Branch.

Though not germain to the history of journalism, it is to the history of printing in this county,- the fact that fifty years ago, in 1826, Copley, Croll & Co. entered into book-printing. In that year they printed for the author, a Kittanning cler- gyman, a book of 286 pages duodecimo, entitled "Lectures on Theology, or Dissertations on some of the most important Doctrines of the Christian Religion, by the Rev. Moses P. Bennett, Minister of the Episcopal Church," which did not prove to be pecuniarily profitable to either the author or the printers. There are thirteen lectures on as many different topics, written in a perspicuous style, and evincing much study and research. The reasoning is logical, but whether all the ideas accord with those of such as are held to be ortho- dox is a question for the theologians to settle.

Proposals were made in 1830 for publishing a weekly German paper, to be called the Armstrong Republican und Friend of Liberty, by Simon Torney & Co., as soon as sufficient encouragement should be afforded. That project was not consummated.

The Armstrong Democrat was established by Frederick Rohrer and John Croll June 4, 1834. It continued to be a democratic paper under their proprietorship, under that of Andrew J. Faulk, and under that of Wm. McWilliams, until 1864, when it esponsed the cause of the republican party. Its name was soon after changed to that of Arm- strong Republican. It has been owned and con- ducted for several years past by A. G. Henry, whose son, W. M. Henry, local editor, has also been manager since 1880.

The Mentor was established in the fall of 1862, by J. A. Fulton, and was published and edited by him until May or June, 1864, when he disposed of it to an association, and its name was changed to that of Democratic Sentinel, which has since been published and edited by John W. Rohrer. The Mentor was the organ of the peace wing of the democratic party in this county. The Sentinel is. democratic in politics.

The Centennial, an amateur juvenile monthly, owned and published by Reichert Bros., near the corner of Water and Mulberry streets, was first issued in April, 1874. Its size for the first three months was about 7×5 inches; it was then eu-

READINGS FROM OLD KITTANNING JOURNALS.

larged to about double that size, and in April, 1875, to 10×14 inches.

The Valley Times was transferred to Kittan- ning from Freeport, the first number being issued here May 6, 1876. It is published by Oswald & Simpson in Reynolds' building, northeast corner of Market and MeKean streets.

The first newspaper published in Freeport was the Olive Branch, of which William Badger was the proprietor and editor, who had previously pub- lished and edited the Armstrong Advertiser and Antimasonic Free Press at Kittanning, the type and material of which he transferred hither in Au- gust or September, 1833. Its publication continued for about two years. The Freeport Columbian and Leechburgh and Warren Advertiser was established here by A. J. Foster in 1839, which was transferred in April, 1842, to John and Samuel McCulloch, by whom it was published as a democratic paper until about 1845. The Visitor, after making divers visits to the domiciles of its patrons here and round about, departed. The Freeport Ledger was pub- lished by A. J. Gibson from 1853 until 1855-6. The New Era was established by Simon Shoop in the spring of 1872, who, a few years afterward, transferred it to James A. McCulloch, and its name was changed to that of the Valley Times, which, in the early part of 1876, was transferred to Os- wald & Simpson, and removed to Kittanning. The seventh and present paper published here is the Freeport Journal, edited in part by Rev. John J. Francis. Those were all issued weekly, and were neutral in politics, except the Columbiun.

The first newspaper published in Apollo was the Warren Lacon, the first number of which must have been issued on or abont November 6, 1835. It was of medium size, and printed by Robert Mc- Kissen. The writer is indebted to Dr. Robert E. McCauley for No. 47, Vol. III, issued on Wednes- day, October 31, 1838, which contains but a part of a column of editorial matter ; it was a democratic paper; most of the advertisements were from abroad ; it is barren of items of local interest save the election returns and the list of letters for twelve individuals remaining in the Apollo post- office on the first day of October, then instant, fur- nished by Samuel Owens, postmaster. Its publica- tion ceased, as the writer is informed, in a few years thereafter, probably in 1840. The Apollo Lacon and Kiskiminetas Review was established in Sep- tember, 1875, by Miss Jennie Stentz, who shortly afterward transferred it to J. Melhorn, its present publisher.

The Leechburgh Enterprise is the title of a monthly journal that was established in 1873, and

was edited and published by Mr. Robertson for several years. It was conducted later by H. H. Wray, and was made a valuable special medium for the presentation of the various branches of busi- ness and the facilities therefor peculiar to Leech- burgh and its vicinity.

The people in Dayton being in an extreme cor- ner of the county, where they were not easily reached either by the city or Kittanning papers, resolved at a late day to have a journal of their own. Thus it came about that the Dayton News company was organized, and on November 10, 1882, the first number of the paper issued. It soon ac- quired a circulation, and has since been in pros- perous condition. The publishers of the News are Messrs. Elder, Orr & Co.

READINGS FROM OLD KITTANNING JOURNALS.

A few old newspapers, published here at differ- ent periods, are before the writer. The oldest of them is the first number" of the first volume of the Western Eagle, which was issued on Thursday, September 20, 1810, by James Alexander, whose office was then on lot No. 217, at or near the corner of Water and Mulberry streets, and subsequently lot No. 122, below the alley on the north side of Market street. The quality of the paper is fair and reasonably tough. The type must have been new or nearly so. The size of the sheet is 18×11 inches. Its sixteen columns are filled chiefly with foreign news, and contain but little of domestic or local interest.

That Eagle, figuratively speaking, took its flight from its eyrie the second day before the autumnal equinox, but as it did not utter a single screech indicating stormy weather, it is presumable that its first appearance to the then 250 inhabitants of "Kittanning town," as this place is written on some of the old assessment lists, was in a genial flood of September sunlight. Dropping the figure, the reader may readily imagine that groups of Kit- tanningers, at least the reading portion of them, devoured the contents of that first Kittanning newspaper, and gathered in groups in the inns, stores and offices, or in the shade of that large old wild-cherry tree that stood in Market below Jeffer- son street, or beneath the thrifty and fruitful hickory trees that were frequent along the river bank, to welcome their new visitor and discuss the foreign and domestic news thus wafted to them.

That number of the Eagle contains only three advertisements, which fill a column and a half. One of them is a reference to lands in other parts of the county. Another one is the proclamation

* Furnished to the writer by George Stimson.

HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

of Jonathan King, the then high sheriff of this county, for the election of one person for member of the House of Representatives of the United States, for the district composed of the counties of Armstrong, Indiana, Westmoreland, Somerset, Jefferson and Cambria ; one member of assembly in conjunction with Indiana county ; and one county commissioner. The remaining one is the letter list, dated September 17, of that year, by which it appears that David Lawson was then postmaster, and letters of seventy-six persons were then remain- ing in that office, a considerable number of whom must have resided from fifteen to twenty or more miles from this point. It may here be mentioned as quite remarkable that David Lawson had in all eleven children, four of whom were boys and seven girls, and that every one of them is still living, the youngest being about fifty-four years of age. That family circle, excepting by the deaths of the parents, is still unbroken.

The only original matter in that number of the Western Eugle is a column and a third of intro- ductory remarks by the editor, announcing the price of the paper to be $2 a year, exclusive of postage, payable in cash or rags, at 2} cents per pound, half-yearly in advance ; that the paper would be forwarded immediately after publication by a private post, if there should be a sufficient num- ber on the route to defray the expense, at 50 cents a year each, payable half-yearly in advance ; and during the then existing arrangement for the arrival of the mail the publication day would be every Fri- day. The other portions of those remarks are well written, and contain correct ideas as to the prov- ince and duty of an editor in relation to laying before the people correct information concerning the foreign and domestic policy of our govern- ment and the treatment of public and private individuals. He says that "in conducting the Western Eugle, it is determined that foul and malicious calumny shall not be permitted to vilify its columns. If the public character of any man be necessarily examined, the examination shall be made fairly but not maliciously ; it shall be confined to him as a public character, and shall not descend to a scrutiny of his private conduct unconnected with his public station. The inten- tion on this subject, as well as on all others, is not to abuse, not to descend to scurrilous invective, but on all occasions to present an open, candid and honest statement to the public scrutiny." His prospects seemed to be "flattering. Friends ap- pear on all sides determined to exert themselves in fostering a paper and assisting its continnance in the county of Armstrong." The name of Wm.

McCorkle, written in ink on the margin, indi- cates that he was one of the first or original sub- scribers. The office in which it was published was, I am informed, in a log building on lot No. 122 on the north side of Market street near the public alley, which was afterward destroyed by fire while occupied by the late Nathaniel Henry as a cabinet-shop.

Passing over a period of ten years, the writer's eye falls upon No. 83, Vol. II, of the Columbian, issned October 7, 1820. " Jefferson street, south- west corner of the public lot, near the court- house."

From the proclamation of Philip Mechling, then sheriff of this county, for the general election, on Tuesday, the 10th of that month, it appears that the law then required two persons to be voted for for sheriff and two for coroner. By the act of 1817-18 the court-house was made the place for voting at the general elections by the voters residing in the election district, then composed of Kittanning township, which, until the formation of Pine township, embraced all the territory on the east side of the river between Crooked and Mahoning creeks, and extending east from the river to the present western boundary lines of Plum Creek, Cowanshamock and Wayne town- ships; and that election district also embraced that part of the territory on the west wide of the river between the Allegheny river and a line beginning at the mouth of Glade run, now in the township of North Buffalo, thence to the place where the line of what was then Buffalo township crossed that run, which point is in the present township of East Franklin, about one mile and forty rods southeast of Middlesex, and thence to Cummins' Rock, on the Allegheny river, which is a short distance above the mouth of Mahoning creek, at the foot of Kelly's chute. There are now within the limits of that district six entire election districts and parts of three others.

The number of business advertisements, aside from those connected with the printing office, did not exceed six, and there are only nine announce- ments of candidates for county offices in that issue of the Columbian. The claims, merits and demerits of the gubernatorial and congressional candidates then before the people for election were sharply but not scurrilously discussed by contributors.

The issue of October 5, 1825, contains seven legal notices, among which are the proclamation of Thomas Burnside, speaker of the Senate, and of Thomas McConnell, sheriff of, this county, for the election of a State Senator, in the district then

READINGS FROM OLD KITTANNING JOURNALS.

composed of the counties of Armstrong, Cambria, Indiana, Jefferson, Venango and Warren, to fill the vacancy in our State Senate caused by the resignation of Robert Orr, Jr .; four announce- ments of candidates for Senator- Eben. Smith Kelly was elected; five for Member of Assembly; five for county offices; six business advertisements; two lists of letters, one of which is that of Samuel Houston, postmaster, dated October 1, 1825, and containing the names of sixty-one persons, some of whom must have resided at least twenty miles distant; and the appeal made by divers citizens in favor of the election of David Reynolds as County Commissioner, in which is the following para- graph, showing the then embarrassed condition of our county finances: " Mr. Reynolds was elected a Commissioner in 1816, when our finances were as gloomy, if not more so, than at present; when his term of service expired, by his exertions and the co-operation of his colleagues, the situation of the treasury was so much improved that upward of five hundred dollars in cash remained in the treasury after extinguishing existing debts and the current expenses of the county, without impos- ing any extraordinary burthen upon the citizens thereof."

It is noticeable that in the issue of June 21, 1828, the number of legal and official notices and business advertisements had increased to twenty- four. The report of John Galbraith, the borough treasurer, signed by S. S. Harrison, burgess, and attested by James Douglass, clerk, appears therein, showing the receipts into the borough treasury, for the year ending May 27, 1828, to have been $392.253, and the expenditures for borough purposes for that year $355.343.

It also appears from the Columbian of June 21, 1828, that a "large and respectable Jackson repub- lican meeting" was held at the court-house on Thursday evening, June 19, 1828. Resolutions were unanimously adopted concurring with the nomination of James S. Stevenson, of Allegheny county, theretofore made in that county, and instructing the two delegates-Frederick Rohrer and John Mechling-from this county to support that nomination in the general convention to be held at Butler. That candidate was not, however, nominated by that convention. But John Gil- more was. So it is nothing new under the sun for Butler to secure the nominations of candi- dates for important offices. It is a fact of his- tory, at least of political history, that Butler county has been favored with very many, if not more than her full share, of such nominations, as well as important appointments. 4

In No. 526, issue of October 3, 1829, the num- ber of notices and advertisements is thirty-seven, yet occupying nearly a column less than those of the issue of June 19 of the previous year. Among the advertisements is the professional card of the late Governor, William F. Johnston, dated Septem- ber 26, 1829, in which he tendered his services as attorney at law to the citizens of Armstrong and the adjacent counties. His office was then " di- rectly opposite Mr. Reynolds' inn," which was on lot No. 126, south side of Market below Jefferson street. Among the legal and official notices are the proclamations of Daniel Sturgeon, then speaker of our State Senate, and of Jacob Mech- ling, then sheriff of this county, for the special election of a senator to represent the Twenty- fourth senatorial district, vice Eben Smith Kelly, deceased, to be held on Tuesday, October 13, then instant. That paper contains announcements of candidates, viz., three for State Senator, four for Assemblyman, eight for County Commissioner, three for County Auditor, three for Sheriff, and four for Coroner.

Those papers contain but very little original editorial matter, and no information of imme- diate local interest, except such as may be gleaned from the above-mentioned notices and advertise- ments.

Leaving the Columbian, and glancing at its successor, the Gazette and Columbian, new series, Vol. I, No. 42, Whole No. 458, 18×13 inches, issued on Wednesday, September 3, 1834, it is found that four of its twenty columns are filled with legal and official notices and advertisements. Among the former is the proclamation of Cham- bers Orr, then sheriff, dated August 6, giving notice to the qualified voters that an election, as required by the act of April 1, 1834, would be held at the usual places of holding elections in the various boroughs and townships of this county, on Friday, September 19, then next, for the purpose of choosing six persons to serve as school directors in each school district, which consisted of either a township or borough, which was the first election of directors by virtue of the first act of assembly establishing a system of com- mon schools in this state. A contributor had dis- covered some opposition to that system, which, he found, arose from two classes of citizens-one opposed it from sordid and selfish motives, and the other for political purposes. After giving cogent and substantial reasons for supporting the system, he urged the people to turn out on that day and elect directors whom they knew to be " sterling friends of the system."

HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

Nearly a column of that issue is filled with a forcible editorial in favor of "Onr Immediate Interests," and insisting on the Allegheny river and French creek as a better and more direct route for the extension of the Pennsylvania canal to Lake Erie than the Beaver and Shenango one, which was afterward adopted.

Meetings had been previously held in favor of the former canal extension route. An unusually large and respectable one of the citizens of Kit- tanning was held Wednesday evening, January 16, 1828, of which Thomas Hamilton was president, and Frederick Rohrer and James E. Brown were secretaries, by which resolutions strongly condem- natory of the latter and as strongly in favor of the former ronte were adopted. A committee to draw up a memorial to the Legislature on the subject was appointed, consisting of Samuel S. Harrison, Robert Robinson, Thos. Blair, Geo. W. Smith, John Francis, Philip Mechling and Robert Brown. Another committee of correspondence was also appointed, consisting of Samnel Houston, Thos. Hamilton, Frederick Rohrer, James E. Brown and Josiah Copley. Similar meetings were recom- mended to be held elsewhere, in counties inter- ested in the navigation of the Allegheny river. In pursuance of that recommendation, meetings were held at Lawrenceburgh and other places. On February 2 another large meeting was held at Kittanning, of which S. S. Harrison was presi- dent, and Thos. Blair and G. W. Smith were sec- retaries. The suggestion of the Lawrenceburgh meeting, relative to the call of a general conven- tion at Franklin, Venango county, was approved, and David Lawson, Thos. Blair and Philip Mech- ling were appointed delegates. That general con- vention was held at Franklin, on Monday, March 25, and strong resolutions in favor of the Alle- gheny and French creek route were adopted. Still the Beaver and Shenango route was adopted by the Canal Commissioners and the Legislature.

About three columns are occupied by the corre- spondence between J. Mccullough, Sr., A. W. Lane, James Douglass and many other citizens, and John Gilmore, of Butler, who was then a vol- unteer candidate for Congress, which clearly indi- cates that they were mutually in favor of a national bank, and presents their reasons for being so. Among the miscellaneous matter is an amusing narrative of a scene in the first court held in Butler county, which was both serious and comical, taken from Brackenridge's Recollections of the West.

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History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 8

Author: Smith, Robert Walter Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago : Waterman, Watkins Number of Pages: 790

Author: Smith, Robert Walter
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago : Waterman, Watkins
Number of Pages: 790