USA > Pennsylvania > Butler County > History of Butler County, Pennsylvania > Part 24
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Tances Campbell
CHAPTER XIV.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
INTRODUCTION-FIRST PUBLIC ROAD-PETITION OF DETMAR BASSE MULLER-THE PITTS- BURG AND BUTLER TURNPIKE COMPANY-PUBLIC ROAD MEETINGS-EBENSBURG AND BUTLER STAGE LINE-CANAL CONVENTION-PITTSBURG AND ERIE MAIL STAGE LINE -THE FIRST STEAMBOAT -- BUTLER AND FREEPORT POST ROUTE- NATIONAL ROAD CONVENTION --- THE ALLEGHENY AND BUTLER PLANK ROAD COMPANY -- OTHER PLANK ROAD COMPANIES-FIRST RAILROAD SURVEY -- FIRST RAILROAD MEETING -- THE NORTHWESTERN RAILROAD COMPANY -- A BITTER DISAPPOINTMENT-THE ALLEGHENY VALLEY RAILROAD COMPANY -- THE WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY -- COMPLETION OF THE RAILROAD FROM FREEPORT TO BUTLER -- BURIAL OF THE OLD STAGE COACH -- LATER RAILWAY ENTERPRISES.
W HEN civilization first looked in through the forests of this region, not even a path was visible to the Caucasian travelers. For fully a half century after the French touched the shores of the Allegheny, where the river flows by the eastern corners of this county, the white visitors could not find more than the Indian trails, which connected the villages of the aborigines :- one run- ning northwest from the mouth of the Big Buffalo and one running northeast from Logstown, on the Ohio. Indeed from the year when the first pioneers of Butler county located in the wilderness. to 1802, when the first road was authorized, this county had no better highways than the Indian trails.
The first mention of roads in connection with this county is found under date, November 6, 1802, in the transactions of the commissioners of Allegheny county. Under date December 9, 1802, mention is made of the first road-"Isaac Voris' to Sam Findley's," as viewed by John McCurdy. This road was opened from Voris' cabin in Deer township, Allegheny county. to Findley's cabin in the original township of Middlesex.
The second road viewed, was that from Isaac Voris' house in Deer town- ship, Allegheny county, to Robert Galbreath's house on Big Buffalo creek, viewed in June, 1803. The third is mentioned under date, November 3, 1803, when David Gilliland and four others received $15 for laying out twelve miles of road from the east line of Butler county to the seat of justice.
The transactions of the commissioners, in the matter of public roads, from February, 1804, to May, 1812, are recorded in an uncovered book, now in posses- sion of the commissioners. In that time, ninety-five petitions were considered, the first being for a road from Butler to Freeport on the Allegheny river, and the last for a road from the point where the Pittsburg and Freeport road crossed the Butler-Allegheny line, to the line between Butler and Armstrong counties, near the mouth of Buffalo creek. The petitions were not all granted, but a sufficient
13
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
number of roads to open up the county to immigrants and connect the principal settlements with the county seat were authorized.
The following is a copy of the petition presented to the commissioners' court, in 1805, by Dr. Detmar Basse Muller, the founder of Zelienople :
WOULD HUMBLY SHOW, that your petitioner labors under great disadvantage for want of good roads to and from the town of Zelienople. I would further state that I have been at great expense in cutting roads and making large improvements for the best to this settlement. That I procured for this country with great difficulties Spanish sheep, which cost 100 dollars per head 700 miles from this place, also, the best breed of English cattle in the United States, and that it would be necessary to have roads for me to accomplish my enterprises as well as for the public in general as a people in this settle- ment, which is now increasing very fast and probably will soon be a town of very con- siderable circumstance. I have now a good sawmill built, and in case the road from Pitts- burgh to Mercertown can be laid ont, opened and made through Zelienople, I shall pro- ceed to build a merchant mill and furnace. A furnace will be of great utility to this coun- try, as it costs as much to transport the iron to this country as it cost to purchase the iron where it is made. Now it will not be possible to build these works without roads. I am still willing to do myself more for the establishment of the road, by building a good and substantial bridge across the Connoquenessing creek, opposite the town of Zelienople, at my own expense in case the road shall be laid out and made from Pittsburgh to Mer- certown through Zelienople. Now that the court will confirm this road or appoint some proper persons to lay it ont as the law directs, for this your petitioner will ever pray.
This document tells briefly of the first importation of fine sheep and cattle and of the determination of the old physician to make Zelienople a business and manufacturing center-and to make himself a stock-grower, miller, wood and iron manufacturer and physician all at once. The script is very regular and plain : but some of the spelling illustrates the Doctor's battle with the English language.
Prior to 1803, the agent of Robert Morris at Butler was instructed by his employer to give much attention to roads and to help road construction finan- cially. To the observance of these instructions is traceable the establishment, in 1805, of the state and county road leading by Cemetery Hill. In 1821 the road passed into the control of the Butler and Pittsburg Turnpike Company. In that year the turnpike company selected an easier route and the State aided in con- structing the road from Butler to Erie, making it one of the great highways between the forks of the Ohio and the great lakes.
The officers of the Butler and Pittsburg Turnpike Road Company, elected in 1828, were William Wilkins, president ; John David, treasurer ; Dunning Mc- Nair, John Waddle, Thomas Lyon, John Dunbar, David Boyle and John Bredin managers. the last being also the secretary.
The original Pittsburg and Mercer road, called the Pittsburg and Mercer- town road, in 1805, as shown by the Muller petition, was one of the famous highways of pioneer days. From 1806 forward it was often selected by travelers going to the northwest in preference to the roads leading north via Butler. The election of officers for the Butler and Mercer Turnpike Road Company took place May 5, 1828, when William Ayres was chosen president; Robert Scott, treasurer; Jacob Mechling, John Negley, James McCandless, James McKee, David Mc Junkin and James George managers. John Bredin, who was secretary
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INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
of this company in 1822, served until the election of William Hagerty in April, 1826.
On January 29. 1>25, a number of citizens assembled to consider the ques- tion of connecting the Allegheny and the Susquehanna rivers. John Potts pre- sided, with Jacob Mechling, secretary. A committee comprising John Gilmore. John Bredin, John Gilchrist, John Neyman and William Beatty, was appointed to draft a memorial to the legislature in favor of the project and a committee of correspondence was chosen. The latter comprised Gilmore and Bredin, named above, with Jacob Mechling, Hugh McKee and William Gibson. Under their names a long address on the subject was issued.
In December, 1:25, W. W. Bell advertised the Ebensburg and Butler stage line, as established in May of that year. Not only did he contract to carry the mails between the two point-, via Indiana and Kittanning, in eighteen hours- every Thursday to Butler and every Sunday from Butler-but he also guaranteed passengers close connection at Ebensburg with the Pittsburg and Alexandria stage, and assured them that the clay turnpike, over which his route lay, was very much superior to the stone roads on the southern route.
In May, 1826, William Ayres and Jacob Mechling represented Butler county in the canal convention at New Castle.
The Pittsburg and Erie line of mail stages was operated in 1827 by A. McGill & Co. The fare from Pittsburg to Butler was $1.50: from Pittsburg to Meadville, $4.00, and from Pittsburg to Erie, $6.50. The stages left Stewart's hotel at Pittsburg every morning, arrived at Butler the same evening, left Butler for Meadville next morning at 4 o'clock, arrived at Meadville the second evening. and at 4 o'clock, a. m., on the third day left for Erie, the time of arrival being about noon. The return trip was made on the same schedule, thus avoiding the dangers of night travel.
The Butler and Kittanning Turnpike Road Company was presided over by John Gilmore in 1827, with William Hagerty, secretary. The viewers of that road were John Gilmore, John Gilchrist, Francis McBride. James MeCurdy and William Beatty, while William Cri-well and George W. Reed were employed upon its survey. The completion of this road in 1828 made a large territory for Butler's trade.
The first steamboat which ascended the Allegheny and announced a new era to the pioneers, as the echo of its whistle reverberated through the hills and val- leys of this county, was the " William B. Duncan,"-a boat of eighty tons meas- urement. On January 28, IS2>, this steamboat landed at Franklin, Venango county, 150 passengers and thirty tons of freight.
The post route from Butler to Freeport was established in May, 1828; while that from Harrisville to Whitestown, that from Lawrenceburg to Mercer and from the mouth of Anderson's creek to Kittanning were established about the same time.
In March, I>30, the " Allegheny," the first stern-wheeler, steamed up the river to Franklin, where -he arrived on the Isth of that month.
In October, 1859 the J. W. McKee line of coaches was placed on the Butler
196
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
and Freeport road, making connections at Freeport with the Allegheny Valley Railroad and reducing the time of travel to Pittsburg to six hours.
The National Road convention, held at Butler January 21, 1844, wasattended by 500 delegates. Gen. John N. Purviance was chosen president, William Walker, of Buffalo township. Abraham Moyer, of Connoquenessing, Richard Bryson, of North Butler, Abijah M. Evans, of North Butler, William Mc Junkin, of Centre, and James Neal, of Slippery Rock, vice-presidents; William Cunning- ham, of Middlesex, James W. McCandless, of Connoquenessing, Thomas T. Boals, of Middlesex, Robert Cunningham and William Haslett, of Butler borough, secretaries. This convention favored the construction of macadamized roads from Cumberland west and south to the Pacific and Gulf coast -. In 1845-46 conven- tions were held here and the road subject was discussed in all its relations.
The stage line between Butler and Freeport was established in March, 1819, by Mcelwain & Co., who placed two four-horse coaches on the route. The schedule arranged for arrivals and departures at Freeport in connection with the Pittsburg packet boats.
The question of building plank roads was discussed in Butler in 1818, but not until February, 1849, was a committee appointed to provide for a charter for a company authorizing the building of a plank road from Butler to Allegheny. John Negley presided over the meeting, with John Duffy and John McKee, vice- presidents, and James Campbell and Lewis Z. Mitchell, secretaries. John Bredin, C. C. Sullivan, J. G. Campbell, R. McNair and George Miller were chosen mem- bers of the committee. In May, 1850, the commissioners considered the matter (under the act of April 5, 1849, authorizing the Governor to incorporate the Allegheny City and Butler Plank Road Company), and at their meet- ing, held on May 30, 1850, at Bakerstown, ordered books to be opened at several points for receiving subscriptions to stock. In February, 1851, citizens of Tarentum, Saxonburg and Butler worked for the enterprise, and by the close of February the Allegheny and Butler Plank Road Company was organized, with S. M. Lane, president ; William Campbell, David Walker and T. 11. Lyon, of Butler, Charles F. Spang and T. W. Shaw, of Allegheny, managers, and James Jones, of Allegheny, treasurer. Ground was broken June 16, 1851, by contractor Walker and the era of plank roads was introduced. In May, 1852, John N. Purviance was elected president of this company to succeed Lane, and Col. A. N. Meylert to succeed David Walker as manager. An act of the legis- lature, approved in 1852, empowered the company to borrow money not exceed- ing $30,000 at six per cent. In November, 1852, Dunlap Me Laughlin was chosen treasurer. The revenue from tolls for the year ending October 31, 1855, amounted to $9,030.61. The receipts for the year ending October 31, 1856, amounted to $13,069.55. and for 1857, $10,801.82. The indebtedness of the company on Novem- ber 1, 1857, was $6,850.60, of which $3.284.21 were expended on the Butler bridge.
The Browington and Perrysville Plank Road Company may be said to have been organized March 8, 1851, when subscription books were ordered to be opened. The signers of this order were Thomas 11. Bracken, David Shannon, Jona- than Ranson, M. F. White, Joseph McElwain, Henry Buhl, Samuel Marshall,
197
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
Alex. Graham and John A. Fletcher. On July 2, Samuel Marshall was elected president. and Thomas H. Bracken, vice-president.
The Butler and C'allensburg Plank Road Company originated in the meetings of March, 1851, and in the Fairview meeting of March 21, 1851. The construc- tion of the Zelienople and Perrysville plank road was authorized by the legisla- ture in 1-52, and the company was empowered to borrow $20,000. The Centre- ville and New Castle Plank Road Company was incorporated in IS52. In Novem- ber, Abraham Ziegler was elected president; Francis Wallace, treasurer, and John Levis, secretary.
As early as 1836, a survey of the Freeport and New Castle railroad was made, the surveyors locating the line through Butler borough. Dr. Charles T. Whipple was in charge of the work, and performed his duties so well that his field notes were sought after in later years, when the North Western Railroad Com- pany entertained the idea of building such a cross road.
In 152. the agitation of the question of building a railroad from the Penn- sylvania railroad through Freeport, Butler and New Castle, to connect with the Cleveland and Mahoning road near the Ohio line, culminated in a meeting in Butler, which was presided over by J. G. Campbell, AAndrew Carne acting as secretary. \ committee on correspondence, composed of C. C. Sullivan, John Graham, James Campbell, S. A. Purviance and G. W. Smith, was appointed.
The North Western Railroad Company was chartered February 9, 1858, and the first meeting of the directors was held at Butler, June 1. 1>53, when W. Warner was chosen engineer. On August 16, the president was authorized to produce the Lawrence county subscription of $200,000, and the Butler county sub- scription of $250,000, the resolutions providing for the construction of the road from Blairsville to Freeport, thirty-five miles, thence to Butler, twenty- three miles, and thence to New Castle thirty-one miles, a total of eighty-nine miles. On May 10, 1854, a contract with Malone, Painter. Clark and Gouder was made, which bound them to complete the whole line for $3, 500,000 before May 1. 1-56; but on June 1, 1-56, the grading and ballasting of the first division, from Blairsville to Freeport, was only completed This warranted the cancellation of the old contract. The new contract was less favorable to the subscribers and, by the close of the year, the subscribing counties were in revolution, for their bonds had almost entirely passed out of official hands and there was little to show for the great sums said to have been expended.
Before the close of August, 1854, a showing was made on David Walker's contract of the North Western railroad, four miles west of Butler. The big cut, 3,000 feet long and seventy-one and one-half feet deep, was in the hands of 197 men. The " big shanty " sheltered 130 men. while twenty-one small shanties were tenanted by the others. On this section. eighty-four horses were employed, the whole force being under the superintendence of Smith Agnew. In January, 1855, the Summit cut, five miles southeast from Butler, was being worked by con- tractor Moorhead. In February, Col. A. N. Meylert resigned the treasurership and D. Sankey, of Lawrence, was elected. In October, 1854, the petition for an injunction against the payment of the Philadelphia subscription to this road was considered by the Supreme Court, in session at Erie. C. C. Sullivan and John
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
Graham represented the railroad company and on their argument the petition was dismissed. In November, 1855, the press of Butler county echoed the pent-up discontent of the people.
Prior to March, 1858, a sequestrator had charge of the company's affairs, and in March the anxiously awaited report was issued. It was far from being satisfactory and mutterings of discontent were heard on all sides-the Democratic Herald of March 3, 1858, closing a moderate editorial with this sentence : " Under any circumstances, in our opinion, it would be a perfect outrage to compel further payments towards this road, even if it could be done in law, which we believe it cannot be."
The trial of the Butler County Bond Case-Jacob C. Curtis vs. County of But- ler-was heard in the United States Circuit Court at Pittsburg, in May, 1859; the county was represented by J. N. Purviance, James Bredin and John Graham, of But- ler, and T. M. Marshall and A. M. Brown, of Pittsburg. The point was made that the commissioners of Butler county agreed only to pay interest on the bonds until the railroad would be completed. The contract for construction, made with Painter & Co., in May, 1854, was to be completed in June, 1856. Little or nothing was done within the limits of Butler county, so that on August 6, 1856, a new contract was made, which provided that the contractors would return to the company $331,000 in Butler and Lawrence county bonds, and take in lieu, cash $50,000, $31,000 in the company's notes, and $250,000 in first mortgage bonds. This extraordinary proceeding was denounced by the Butler men, matters went from bad to worse, and Butler and Lawrence counties were compelled to pay the bills.
As soon as the commissioners learned that there was no legal way left open to them for avoiding payment of the bonds issued to the North Western Railroad Company, amounting to about $65,000, they offered to compromise with the holders of such bonds, and this offer was accepted, the consideration being sixty per cent. of the face value. In May, 1565, bonds valued at $13,000 of the $65,000, were outstanding, and, all in all, the county was practically free from debt.
The Allegheny Valley Railroad Company organized February 12, 1852, com- pleted a road from Pittsburg to the mouth of the Kiskiminetas in October, 1855, thus giving to the people of Butler county, though in a very limited way, for the first time, the advantages of railroad connection with the outside world. Trains were run on a very irregular time. and old patrons of the road yet living tell remarkable stories concerning the wonderful slowness of the trains as compared with "flyers" of the present.
The Western Pennsylvania Railroad Company, commonly called the " West Penn," was incorporated March 22, 1860, and works under that and the special act of April 27, 1864, together with the supplemental acts of March 9, IS65 ; March 22, 1865: April 17, 1866 ; April 10, 1867 ; February 25, 1870, and March 25, 1871. The proviso in Section 3, of the act approved April 27. 1564, read- as follows :-
Provided. That the right to use, and operate, the road, by said Western Pennsyl- vania railroad, between Freeport and Allegheny City, shall not be enjoyed until con- tracts are entered into, with responsible parties, for the completion of a railroad, from
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INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
Freeport to the town of Butler: And provided, that said contract shall be entered into within one year, and the road to be completed within five years.
Later, in 1864, when Col. Thomas A. Scott broached the subject of build- ing a road to Butler, his attention was called to the above priviso by John H. Negley, and his signature to it secured. Within six years after it was signed the whistle of the locomotive was heard in Butler, and the disappointments of 1854 and 1856 forgotten amid the rejoicing that followed.
In September, 1869, twenty-one sections of the Butler Branch Railroad- from Butler to Freeport-were placed in the hands of contractors. Shortly after work began on the Freeport end ; but not until the close of February, 1870, was ground broken at Butler. In October, construction trains were run to Delano or Wolf's Station.
The work was prosecuted with vigor and the road formally opened to the public, January 18, 1871. The event was made the occasion of a great celebra- tion, the festivities lasting two days. An excursion over the road was indulged in, the number of excursionists leaving Butler being 180. The train was in charge of conductor W. B. Thompson, and consisted of five coaches, a baggage-car and locomotive. At Saxon station the number of excursionists was increased to 200. On the evening of January 18, a banquet, or railroad supper, was given at But- ler. It was gotten up by 134 subscriber -. The proceeds, including the sum realized from the sale of dishes, knives and forks, muslin, etc., was $622.98, the expenses being $520.01. The remaining amount was distributed among the poor by H. C. Heineman, the trustee appointed by the committee.
Perhaps the most interesting feature of these festivities was the mock funeral of the Butler and Freeport stage-coach. D. S. Walker, the superintendent of the old stage line, was the leading spirit in the affair. Many of the well known citizens of the town assisted as mourners, and at the time set for the mock obse- quie-, six of them, as pall bearers, took their places inside the old coach, while twenty others found places on top, all wearing silk hats and white gloves. The coach was draped in black, while the trappings of the horses were of the same sombre character. George, the old driver, surrendered the ribbons to Mr. Walker, and the procession, headed by a brass band and escorted by the Butler militia, made a round of the borough. The ceremony wa- regarded as a fitting close of the stage-coach era.
The cost of the construction of the twenty-one miles of this road, thus auspiciously opened for travel and traffic, was $400,000. It was constructed under authority of the act of April 27, 1864, containing the proviso already quoted, the work being undertaken and completed, and the road operated by the Western Pennsylvania Railroad Company. It still forms a part of that company's important system. The members of the General Assembly, Charles McCandless, senator, and John Il. Negley and William Haslett, members of the House, labored success- fully in securing a satisfactory charter, with the results that, after many disap- pointments, the people of the borough of Butler were at last able to boast a rail- road outlet and look hopefully forward to a period of growth and improvement of the town, which has since been realized, in a notable increase in population, and in many other evidences of continuing progress and prosperity. On June 1,
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
1SSS. the road was leased to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company for a period of forty years, the rental being the net earnings.
On March 16, 1871, the first accident occurred at a point called Sandy Creek. On August 16, 1559. a wreck occurred one mile west of Survey's Station. which resulted in the death of William J. Powers, of Pittsburg. and Katie, a four- year old child of Mrs. M. Farrell, of Butler. Twenty-four persons were injured. among whom were George Spang, Mrs. David Gosser. Joseph Gray and Mrs. IIelen McJunkin. The accident is said to have been due to the poor condition of a bridge previously regarded as unsafe.
The bills chartering the Connoquene-sing Valley Railroad Company and the Bear Creek Railroad Company passed the House in March, 1865. Messrs. Bredin and Kerr, of Butler county, were named among the corporators of the Bear Creek road, which was to run from Sharpsburg on the Pittsburg & Erie to Martinsburg in Butler county. In December. 1865. subscription books were opened by the commissioners named in the act of March 22. namely : J. G. Campbell, J. N. Purviance, J. G. Muntz, E. Mc Junkin. R. C. Me. Ahoy, Thomas Robinson, .1. Lusk. J. Levis, A. Ziegler, W. Irwin. J. M. Mckinney. W. G. Rose, S. Griffith, Vance Stewart. J. R. Hanna. D. L. Imbrie, J. J. Cuthbertson, J. Ferguson and J. W. Blanchard. The road was commenced in Butler county in the fall of 1872, when the right-of-way for twelve miles was cut through the forest.
The first meeting to consider the question of the building of a railroad from Karns City to Parker's Landing, was held August 20, 1-72. when S. D. Karns was elected temporary president. A company was formally organized and this company held a meeting on August 27. 1872. S. D. Karns presiding. The com- mittee on stock reported a subscription of $22,750. By May, 1573, the stock was increased to $100,000, and the work of construction determined upon. In August, 1873, the work of construction was begun and by October 1. five miles were graded, while 500 Swedes were engaged on the remaining five miles. The othì- cers were S. D. Karns, president ; Charles P. Badger, superintendent : W. C Mobley, secretary ; and they with Fullerton Parker. Robert L. Brown and Will- iam Phillips, formed the directory. The capital of $150,000 had then been sub- scribed and contracts made for rolling stock. The maximum grade was sixty- three feet per mile, and the gauge three feet. The high viaduct, 400 feet long by seventy-five in height, over the north branch of Bear creek, was completed in December, and on Christmas Day four passenger trains were run south to Mart- insburg and four north to Parker junction with the Allegheny Valley railroad, stopping at Stone House, Donnelly's and Parker City. It was opened for regular traffic November 15, 1876, Harry Karns being the conductor of the first train. Riots marked the completion of some of the contracts on this, as on other roads. On June 10, 1881, this short road was consolidated with the present Pittsburg and Western system.
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