USA > Pennsylvania > Beaver County > History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and Its Centennial Celebration, Volume II > Part 2
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70
The men of 1800 chose the only true center of convenience, popula- tion and territory. It was no leap in the dark, but the unbiassed judg- ment of men consulting the public interest. They knew that the natural course of travel is along the valleys, and upon the ridges such as the Ohioville, Achortown, Brodhead and Frankfort roads, and that public thoroughfares do not seek to cross hills and dales, in ups and downs, like the teeth of a saw, at the expense of horse flesh, vehicles and taxes. These reasons, self-evident then, have never changed, because nature remains the same.
INCORPORATION
Beaver was made a borough by the Act of March 29, 1802,? two years after the erection of the county, and originally ex- tended east of the Big Beaver Creek, including what is now Rochester and Bridgewater.3
' Settlement and Land Titles, p. 187.
" P. L., 495.
" This statement as to the extent of the original borough of Beaver may possibly excite surprise in the minds of some of our readers, and we therefore submit the proof of its accuracy, as follows:
The incorporation of the town of Beaver was by Act of Assembly approved March 20, 1802, which enacted
"That the town of Beaver, in the county of Beaver, shall be, and the same is hereby erected into a borough, which shall be called the borough of Beaver, and the line of the out-lots of the reserve tract of land at the mouth of Big Beaver creek, which have already been sold, and the lines of the tract of five hundred acres of land, appropriated by this commonwealth for the use of a school or academy, in Beaver town, together with the in-lots of said town, shall be the bounds and compose the borough of Beaver." (P. L., 495.)
The majority of the out-lots which had "already been sold" were on the east side of the Big Beaver. On the 14th of January, 1804, there was approved an Act reading
AN ACT TO ALTER THE LIMITS OF THE BOROUGH OF BEAVER
WHEREAS, sundry inhabitants, situate within the present bounds of the borough of Beaver, have represented to the legislature, that for the property they possess on the easterly side of Big Beaver creek within the limits of the said borough, they are subject to taxes, and sundry expences, for the improvement and advantage of the town, which is situated on the westerly side of said creek; and that they receive no equivalent benefits from the corporation: For remedy whereof,
SECTION I. Be it enacted That from and after the passage of this act, all lands situate on the easterly side of Big Beaver creek, which have been included within the limits of the borough of Beaver, shall be exempt from all assessments and charges on account of said incorporation, and shall be considered as separate from said borough, and lying without the limits of the same; any former law or laws to the contrary notwith- standing. (P. L., 22.)
622
History of Beaver County
November 16, 1866, by a decree of the Court of Quarter Sessions of the Peace for the county of Beaver, Beaver borough was made subject to the conditions of, and entitled to enjoy, all the advantages conferred by the Act of Assembly of the 3d of April, 1851.'
CHANGES IN THE LIMITS OF THE BOROUGH OF BEAVER
The limits of the borough of Beaver have been so frequently altered that it may be of interest and value to give here a résumé of the history of the changes which have taken place. This is in brief as follows:
By the Act of Assembly of March 29, 1802, incorporating the town of Beaver, its boundaries, as just stated, were made coextensive with the line of the outlots of the reserve tract which had then been sold and the line of the Academy lots, together with the inlots of said town .?
By the Act of January 14, 1804, all that portion of the out- lots lying east of the Big Beaver Creek were stricken out of the territory embraced within the borough.3
At the November term, 1804, of the Court of Quarter Ses- sions of Beaver County, Borough township was formed, its bounds being identical with those of the borough of Beaver as established by law.4
January 27, 1806, all of the outlots embraced within the then boundaries of the borough of Beaver were taken out of said borough and annexed to South Beaver township.5
By Act of Assembly of February 25, 1814, the Academy lots then within the bounds of the borough were stricken out of the
' Road Docket No. 3, No. 2, September Sess., 1866.
" P. L., 495.
. P. L., 22; see this Act quoted ank, page 621.
. Road Docket No. 1, No. 31, Nov. Sess., 1804.
· An Act to alter the limits of the Borough of Beaver:
WHEREAS sundry inhabitants situated within the present bounds of the borough of Beaver have represented to the Legislature, that for the property they possess and have improved on the out-lots, within the limits of the said borough, they are subjected to taxes and sundry expenses for the improvement and advantage of the town, and that they receive no equivalent benefits from the corporation: for remedy whereof,
SECTION I. Be it enacted, &c. That from and after the passing of this act, all the out- lots which have been included within the limits of the borough of Beaver, shall be exempt from all assessments and charges on account of the said incorporation, and shall be con- sidered as annexed to Beaver township," and separate from the said borough, and lying without the limits of the same, any former law or laws to the contrary nothwithstanding. Approved January 27. 1806. P. L., 308.
* South Beaver township is meant. There was at this date no longer a Beaver town- ship.
623
History of Beaver County
same. These Academy lots, with the exception of lots Nos. I to 7 inclusive, constitute approximately the present Borough township. And the same Act repealed the provision of the Act of January 27, 1806, striking the outlots out of the borough, thus bringing these outlots again within its limits.'
By decree of the Court of Quarter Sessions of April 2, 1835, the town of Bridgewater was incorporated under the general borough Act of April 1, 1834,2 and made to include that por- tion of the territory within the bounds of the borough of Beaver lying beyond the lines described in the charter.3
By the Act of April 11, 1866,4 and the Act of February 25, 1869, 5 the boundaries of the borough of Beaver were defined, and as then fixed they are the boundaries of the borough at the present time, excepting that there has been added to the bor- ough a small part of Academy lot No. 37, by action of the town council, November 1, 1898.
We may give here also an interesting fact which has been recently discovered. By the original plan of the town lots of Beaver, Fifth Street and Buffalo Street were of the width of two hundred feet each. By the Act of March 12, 1800 6 (the same which erected the county), the Governor was directed to cause to be laid off by survey out of the reserve tract adjoining the town of Beaver five hundred acres for the use of such school or academy as should by law be authorized, which survey should be returned to the Surveyor-General's office and a patent there- for issued to the trustees of the Academy. This survey when returned embraced one hundred feet of each of the streets above mentioned and reduced them to a width of one hundred feet.
WATER-WORKS
In his letter to Governor Mifflin, quoted above, Judge Addi- son, it will be seen, suggested the reservation of a sufficient
1 An Act to contract the limits of the Borough of Beaver:
SECTION I. Be it enacted, &c. That from and after the passing of this Act, all that tract of five hundred acres of land appropriated for the use of an academy, which lies within the borough of Beaver, in the county of Beaver, shall from henceforth be without the limits of the borough of Beaver, any law to the contrary notwithstanding.
SECTION II. And be it further enacted, &c. That all that part of an Act of Assembly passed the twentieth of January, one thousand eight hundred and six, which attaches certain outlots of the town of Beaver, to Beaver township, be and the same is hereby repealed. Approved by Governor Simon Snyder, February 25, 1814 .- P. L., 66.
' P. L., 163. * See Deed Book M, No. 12, p. 289.
· P. L., 743. · P. L., 246. · 3 Smith's L., 429, Sec. 17.
624
History of Beaver County
quantity of land around "a certain spring, at some distance from the town," and his suggestion took effect. In the Act incorporating Beaver into a borough the Surveyor-General was authorized to survey two separate lots, containing in the whole not more than fifteen acres, on the north side of the inlots of the town of Beaver, so as to include several streams or springs of water, which were "granted to the inhabitants of said borough forever." And from the proceeds of each of the sales of lots under the Acts of April 10, 1826, and of April 15, 1834, five hun- dred dollars were granted to the borough of Beaver for the supply of water. One of the first public enterprises of the new borough was the utilization of the water from the springs just mentioned by the construction of a water-works. This was in the first year of its corporate existence, viz., 1802. Daniel Reisinger, referred to below, told a living witness, namely, ex- Sheriff Henry E. Cook, that this water-works was upon the lot adjoining his (Cook's) residence. The borough took charge of the works and had ordinances passed to authorize issue of bonds to refund the subscriptions. The bonds were payable in six years, with interest at six per cent. The response was generous, some making donations of money, some of timber, and some of work. David Marquis, the father of the late David Marquis, M.D., of Rochester, had charge of the boring out of the logs which were used as mains; and Daniel Reisinger, a blacksmith, made the iron end-bands. The following account, which was found in an old ledger belonging to General Abner Lacock, is of interest as referring to this early enterprise:
BEAVER TOWN CORPORATION, DR.,
€
S d
June 24-To boarding borers 47 days 3 I 5 6
" 12 half pints whiskey
5 74
" 7 days burying water pipes I
6
3
" Cash paid Aaron Porter
I
5
8
Cash paid Thomas Lewis I
14
= 2 days rafting waterpipe logs
9 4
14 half pints whiskey
6
18
" Secretary charge, postage I
6
1803.
IO
7 04
June 13-By cash in full IO
7 04
And in the borough records for 1803 is found a bill of Jacob
1802.
625
History of Beaver County
Small against the borough for f1 135. 3d.' for repairing pipes and pumps.
The supply from this source must have been insufficient, for in the accounts of the Treasury of Beaver County for 1806 we find this entry, "John Lawrence, Ist payment for digging a well $100." ? This well was a little east of the old court-house, in the northeast center reserved square, and until a late day could still be seen, though filled up with rubbish. The records of the town council for the same year (1806) show the borough's indebtedness to John Lawrence for two and one half days' ser- vice in repairing the water-works, $2.50; and in 1807 the coun- cil agreed with Hugh Wilson to build a stone house, 11 X 13 feet, and seven feet high, on the ground at the source of the springs which supplied the water-works; for which he was given an order on the treasurer for $25. The borough officers in 1804 were: Samuel Lawrence, chairman; Thomas Henry, treasurer; Hugh Picknoll, clerk; and Joseph Hemphill, water- man. In 1812, as the records show, steps were taken towards erecting a new water-works. On the 8th of April in that year the council passed an ordinance authorizing two things: (1) the bringing down to the public square, in wooden pipes, of the water from the springs in the reserve lots, both of which abutted on the line of the lands of John Wolf; and (2) the borrowing of money at six per cent. to defray the cost of the work.3 The council of Beaver until recently maintained this water-works, furnishing from the same springs a good quality of water.
' Pounds, shillings, and pence are found in certain of our old Pennsylvania statutes and official papers still in force and use: for instance, the penalty of one hundred pounds to be imposed upon a non-attending witness duly subpoenaed; but under a post-Revolution order made by the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, the pound so mentioned was made of the value of $2.66j, so that 100 pounds was of the value of $266.66]. See Chapman v. Calder, 14 Pa., 357. Crumrine's Bench and Bar of Wash. Co., p. 22.
* By an Act approved Feb. 10, 1807, the Legislature authorized the commissioners of Beaver County to apply the sum of seven hundred dollars "from the monies arising from the sales of the inlots and reserved lands adjoining Beaver Town to the sinking and com- pleting a public well, in such part of the public square in the borough of Beaver as they shall think most proper." P. L., 29.
See just below in this chapter what is said about this ancient well and the water-works in an extract from Cuming's Sketches of a Tour, etc.
" The form of the bonds issued by the council to subscribers to this fund was as follows
We, the town council of the borough of Beaver, certify that Samuel Power has loaned to, and for the use of, the borough of Beaver, thirty dollars, to be refunded to the said Samuel Power or bearer, by six annual installments, with interest, from the 7th of July, 1812, to which payment the fund of the said borough is hereby pledged. Done in council, May 8, 1812. Attest:
HUGH PICKNOLL, Town Clerk.
SAMUEL LAWRENCE, Chairman.
626
History of Beaver County
One of these water lots was sold during the past year (1903) by the council of the borough of Beaver to John Galey, who now owns a part of the John Wolf lands. It was thought best that the sale should have the approval of the Commonwealth, and accordingly an Act of Assembly was passed for this pur- pose, but his Excellency, Samuel W. Pennypacker, returned the same without his approval.
In the year 1845 the first reservoir was built in the water lot adjacent to the property of Henry E. Cook on Fifth Street, and a line of pipe laid therefrom. At that time, and for many years thereafter, there were four hydrants connected with this line of pipe. The first was at Fourth Street and Branch Bank Alley, and was under the charge of Eli Reed; the second on Third Street, at the corner of the same alley, under the care of Dr. Oliver Cunningham, then a member of council; the third on Third Street, in front of the clothing store of Isaac N. Atkins; and the fourth, added later, was about opposite the house of George W. Hamilton, on Third Street. About the year 1848, a reservoir was erected on the water lot adjacent to what is now John Galey's property, and a line of pipe laid therefrom, on which hydrants were placed; the first on Market and Fourth streets, near the house of Daniel Reisinger; the second at the corner of Market and Third streets, near the Presbyterian Church, as it was then located; and, later, a third was placed in front of the property now of Martha McDonald on Third Street then of Hugh Anderson; and a fourth at Fifth and Market, on the property now of Mrs. McConkey. At this time, and for some time preceding this, there had been a well on the property now of Snitger Brothers; one upon the property of David Minis on Buffalo Street; and one on the property where John Caughey lives, being the place where the stages came and left the town; and a fourth, as previously stated, was at the old jail in the northeast center (now Harmar) square.
The next step in furnishing the town with water was the erection of a pumping station opposite what is now Brodhead Square. This system was in operation until November 1, 1898, when it was found inadequate to meet the wants of the growing borough, and accordingly ten wells were sunk upon borough property on the bank of the Ohio River, immediately opposite Wayne Square, and a pumping station erected by Simon Harrold,
.N hentok
Cimp wcupied in 192 by lin ! Wayne against the Indians
Indak Campbell
roy mile ys long Island
Mingo Bottomssf
PITTSBURGH
Extract from General Collot's Map of the Ohio River, 1796. In the Atlas accompanying his l'oyagr Dans L'Amerique Septentrionale, owned by the Carnegie Library, Pittsburg, Pa.
MOU
627
History of Beaver County
a well-known contractor of that day. A water-main was laid up Beaver Street to a reservoir built on the top of the hill within the limits of Bridgewater borough, on land bought from Joseph May's heirs. From this reservoir water is now distributed to all points in Beaver.
EARLY MENTION OF BEAVER BOROUGH
We congratulate ourselves on some finds that we have made among the treasures of the Carnegie libraries in Pittsburg and Allegheny, in rare and precious old volumes which delight the heart of the antiquary. From these we are able to obtain exact information concerning this region as it was, in some instances, over a century ago. Extracts from these books will be found in other places in our work, and we give one or two here. In 1796 an eminent man, named General Georges Henri Victor Collot, made a journey through the western part of North America, at the instance of Adet, Minister from France to the United States, in order to gather details of its civil, politi- cal, and military conditions. His researches led him to voyage down the Ohio River, which he particularly describes. Of that part of his description which pertains to this immediate locality, we give on page 628 the original French, of which the follow- ing is a free translation:
Four miles below the head of Crow's island is Big-Beaver's-Creek. The land through which it flows is light.
Big-Beaver's-Creek, at its mouth, is hardly fifty fathoms wide. A fall three miles above prevents passage beyond (that distance). On the banks of this creek and on a plateau on the right hand side of the Ohio, a little town called Beaver's-Town is being laid out; there are here as yet only five or six houses; on the opposite bank, facing Beaver's-Town is a pretty farm called Kerr's. The soundings at the mouth of Beaver's- Creek showed eight, twelve and thirteen feet.
Below Beaver's-Town, the river continues to run in a channel without obstructions. The depth of the water is ten to twelve feet; the soil is thin.
About five miles from Big-Beaver's-Creek, are two small, low islands, which are left to the right. The depth of the water in the channel is six feet. The two chains of hills come closer together and shut the river in at this place; this is the most northerly point of the Ohio.
About two miles farther on is another island called Grant Island. One leaves it to the left hand and sails close to the right bank: the current is
628
History of Beaver County
here very rapid, and the depth of the water in the channel is twelve and fifteen feet. The land is poor, pebbly and rocky.
Three miles below Grant Island, one leaves to the right another island, opposite which is situated a little town called Bird's-Town, where there are two or three huts. The river widens, and the hills on both shores retire sufficiently to leave on each side considerable low lands.
Three miles below this last island is Little-Beaver's-Creek, on the right hand.
Little-Beaver's-Creek is at most twenty-five fathoms wide at its mouth, and is navigable for only two miles. The lands on Little-Beaver's- Creek are lower and of a better quality than those of Great Beaver, which are high and rocky.
After having passed Little-Beaver's-Creek, one sees a collection of four or five logg-houses which bear the name of Little-Beaver's-Town, opposite which is situated an island, which is left on the right hand side, called Beaver's-Creek-Island. The depth of the water is everywhere from fifteen to seventeen feet; the bottom gravelly; land passable.
Here is the State line between Pennsylvania and Virginia. This line runs north and south.I
We had great delight in finding in an old book of travels an eye-witness's account of how things looked in Beaver in 1807, nearly a hundred years ago. In that year Mr. F. Cuming made a tour of the western country, and came down the Ohio River
' Quatre milles au-dessous de la tête de l'île des Corbeaux, se trouve le grand Beaver's- Creek. (La crique du grand Castor.) Les terres qu'il traverse sont legere.
Le grand Beaver's-Creek, a son embouchure, n'a guère que cinquante toises de largeur. Une chute qu'on rencontre à trois milles au-dessus, ne permet pas de le remonter plus haut. Sur les bords de cette crique et sur un plateau que forment les montagnes de la rive droite de l'Ohio en s'abaissant, on vient de jeter les fondemens d'une petite ville appelée Beaver's- Town, ou ville du Castor: on n'y compte encore que cinq ou six maisons; sur la rive opposée vis-à-vis Beaver's-Town, se trouve une jolie ferme nommée Kerr. La sonde à l'embou- chure de Beaver's-Creek, a donné huit, douze et treize pieds.
Après Beaver's-Town, la riviere continue a courir dans un lit sans obstacle. La hau- teur de l'eau est de dix à douze pieds; la terre est légère.
À environ cinq milles de Great-Beaver's-Creek, on trouve deux petites fles basses; on les laisse à droite. La hauteur de l'eau dans le chenal est de six pieds. Les deux chaines de montagnes se réunissent et encaissent la rivière en cet endroit: c'est ici la partie la plus Nord de l'Ohio.
A la distance d'environ deux milles, on trouve une autre fle appelée ['Ile Grant. On la laisse à gauche, et l'on range la rive droite: le cours est ici très rapid, et la hauteur de l'eau dans le chenal est de douze et quinze pieds. Mauvaise terre, cailloux et rochers.
À trois milles au-dessous de l'Ile Grant, on laisse à droite une autre fle, vis-à-vis de laquelle est située une petite ville appelée Bird's-Town, (la ville des oiseaux) où il y a deux ou trois baraques. La rivière s'elargit, et les montagnes s'eloignent assez des deux rives pour laisser de chaque côté beaucoup de terres basses.
Trois milles plus bas que cette dernière fle, est située sur la rive droite Little-Beaver's- Creek.
Little-Beaver's-Creek a tout au plus vingt-cinq toises de largeur à son embouchure, et n'est navigable que pendant deux milles. Les terres du Little-Beaver's-Creek, sont plus basses et d'une meilleure qualité que celles du Great-Beaver, que sont élevées et pierreuses.
Après avoir passé Little-Beaver's-Creek, on trouve une réunion de quatre ou cinq logg- houses que portent le nom de Little-Beaver's-Town, vis-à-vis de laquelle est située une fle qu'on laisse à droite, appelée Beaver's-Creek-Island. La hauteur de l'eau est partout de quinze et dix-sept pieds; fonds de gravier; terre passable.
C'est ici la ligne de séparation entre l'Etat de Pennsylvanie et celui de Virginie. Cette ligne court Nord et Sud. Voyage Dans L'Amerique Septentrionale avec un Atlas de 36, Cartes, Plans, Vues et Figures, par feu le General Collot, ex-Gouverneur de la Guadeloupe. À Paris, 1826. Vol. i., pp. 72-73.
This is a most sumptuous work, with maps and plates beautifully engraved by Tardieu.
629
History of Beaver County
to Beaver in a small boat. We quote in full what he says of his visit to the new county-seat, as follows:
At half past four in the afternoon we were abreast of Big Beaver creek or river on the right. It empties through a level, and is about fifty yards wide at its mouth, with a gentle current.
Some boys on the beach mischievously misinformed us respecting the proper landing to the town of Beaver, which is but a little way be- yond the creek, instead of which we rowed a mile lower down, and then had to set our skiff across a bar, which extends above a mile in front of the right bank. After landing we had to climb a precipice to a log cabin, on the top and edge of the cliff, near two hundred feet above the surface of the river. Here we got directions for our path, and after a walk of half a mile, we reached the town of Beaver.
It stands on a stony plain on the top of the high cliff which conceals it from the river, and contains about thirty indifferent houses, much scattered on three parallel streets. There is a stone gaol not quite finished, which was the only publick building we noticed." The in- habitants not finding water at a convenient depth, have, in preference to digging very deep wells, led it by wooden pipes from a hill near a mile from the town, and have placed publick wooden fountains in the streets at convenient distances.
We were shown the scite of Fort McIntosh, of which no vestige re- mains except the hearth of the officers' fire-place: It is on the edge of the cliff commanding the river. Altogether Beaver seems to be very badly situated on the high plain, when it ought to have been placed at the confluence of Beaver creek with the Ohio, where there is a bottom with room enough for a town, and an excellent landing, and where are now two good looking houses with tavern signs. The neighboring high situation notwithstanding its inconvenience, was probably preferred on account of the superior salubrity of the air.
On entering Beaver, we refreshed ourselves with six cents worth of whiskey and water at general Lacock's tavern. He is one of the repre- sentatives in the assembly of the state, and has both considerable influ- ence and abilities. I had heard him in the house of representatives when I was at Lancaster in the winter, and was much entertained by the wit and humor he displayed in the course of a debate on fixing a per- manent seat of government. We had not the pleasure of seeing the general now, and proceeded from his house to Mr. Wilson's, one of the best in the place, conformably to a promise I had given him in Pitts- burgh. Mrs. Wilson, a very pretty woman, told us that her husband was absent in Philadelphia :- We left our names, walked across the street to Hemphill's tavern, got some information respecting the country; and then returned to our boat-meeting on our way the constable crying at publick sale a poor horse attached for debt, for which the last bid was
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.