History of Butler County, Pennsylvania, Part 51

Author: Brown, Robert C., ed; Leeson, M. A. (Michael A.); Meagher, John, jt. comp; Meginness, John Franklin, 1827-1899, jt. comp
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Chicago : R. C. Brown
Number of Pages: 1658

USA > Pennsylvania > Butler County > History of Butler County, Pennsylvania > Part 51

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The justices of the peace for Zelienople borough, from 1840 to 1894, are as follows: Christian Buhl. 1>40; John Levis, 1840-45; John Reed, 1845-50-55; James Hoon, 18-17-52 ; E. V. Randolph, 1857-62-67-72-77-82-87: Ernst Schmidt, 1860: Joseph Hunter. 1863: Ferris Armor, 1570-76-81 ; John F. Shaffer, 1884; J. H. Tebay. 18ss: Jacob Gelbach, 1893, and H. G. McKim. 1893.

SCHOOLS.

The school- of Harmony. were. in fact, the schools of Zelienople until 1810, when an octagonal brick house was erected on the Diamond, for school and religious purposes. In 1816, as already set forth. P. L. Passavant claimed this as private property and sold the building. In 1817 Jacob Hoffa's wife carried on a primitive subscription school. She was succeeded by Mr. Brewster, who was followed by Jacob Heberling. The common school law was adopted in 1835, after much discussion The manual labor school of 1825, was established by the Presbytery of Pittsburg in The Bassenheim, and carried on until 1536, under Superintendent Saunders. The average attendance was sixty pupils, who had the privilege of working for their board and tuition. The Zelienople select school was presided over by Rev. L. F. Leake in 1845, the price of tuition

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ranging from eight dollars to ten dollars per session of five months, and the price for board and lodging of students, from one to one dollar and a quarter per week. The Connoquenessing Academy followed, with Rev. G. Bassler, C. G. Holls and Josiah R. Titzell, teachers. They charged. in April. 1856, from three to six dollars for a term of eleven weeks. For almost half a century a pri- vate school has been supported here, sometimes under the various titles of "Academy," "High School" or "College."

In April, 1883, the school board of Zelienople elected S. F. Bowser their counsel, to look after their application to the court for authority to issue bonds for school building purposes. The question of erecting a new school building in the center of the Diamond created a good deal of ill-feeling and the proposi- tion was defeated. Another site was selected and the present imposing struc- ture at the head of Main street was brought into existence. Dr. Amos Lusk, a master of languages and the possessor of a valuable library, was interested in school affairs from his coming until his death. In June, IS93, the number of school children enumerated was seventy-seven males and eighty-six females, or a total of 163. The school revenue for that year amounted to $2.137.65, including the State appropriation of $601.17.

ORPHANS' HOME.

In 1852 Rev. W. A. Passavant, D. D., suggested the establishment of a home for orphans. and, the same year, a tract of twenty-five acres of land was purchased from Joseph Ziegler for $1,500. Subsequently 100 acres were pur- chased from Mrs. Passavant and 275 acres from the Passavant estate. In 1553 the director's cottage was . completed and, on July 1, 1854, contractor Sleppy laid the corner stone of the Home. Before the completion of the building, eight boys from the Pittsburg Home were quartered here in a rented house, under Rev. G. Bassler, who was director until his death in 1868, with Dr. Amos Lusk. medical attendant. Rev. D. L. Debendarfer succeeded Mr. Bassler, and in ISTS Rev. James A. Kribbs succeeded Mr. Debendarfer. The Home was incorporated in 1861 and placed in charge of the Protestant deaconesses of Allegheny county. On May 8. 1889, the main building was destroyed by fire, that being the second time the institution suffered from burning, the original building of 1854 having been burned in December, 1862. The rebuilding was generally carried out on a larger scale, and the Home to-day i- the best charitable institution connected with the Evangelical Lutheran church in this country.

BURGESSES AND COUNCILMEN.

The borough was incorporated in 1840, with Dr. Orrin D. Pahner. burgess : Christian Buhl and John Levis, justices of the peace, and a full quota of council- inen. The records from 1877 to 1894 show the following names of burgesses and councilnen :

1877-William Allen, Sr., burgess; Philip Milleman. John Nicklas, H. Kauffman. James Wallace, H. Miller, George Snyder and C. Koenig.

187 -William Allen. Sr .. burgess; C. S. Passavant, Dr. Amos Lusk. Edwin Zehner, James Wallace. P. Milleman, II. Kauffman and Conrad Koenig.

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

1879-William Allen, Sr., burgess ; C. S. Passavant, Edwin Zehner, Henry Stokey. G. W. Phillips, E. Moeser, J. M. White and Julius Berg.

1850-E. Zehner, burgess : F. Wallace, P. Milleman, H. Wild, C. S. Passa- vant, J. Oesterling, Jacob Kauffman and Dr. A. V. Cunningham.

1881-J. M. White, burges- ; Jacob Kauffman, Conrad Koenig, Henry Wild, James Wallace, P. Householder and C. J. D. Strohecker.

IS2-George Snyder, burgess; Conrad Koenig, C. J. D. Strohecker, John Dindinger, C. S. Pas-avant, Ilenry Gelbach, Henry Wild and J. Kauffman.

1883-George W. Phillips, burgess; James Wallace, C. J. D. Strohecker, F. G. Kline, L. Sankey, W. H. Gelbach. A. V. Cunningham and G. House- holder. Ferris Armor was elected clerk and E. V. Randolph street commis- sioner.

1884-Edwin Zehner, burgess; F. G. Kline, Fred Welty, H. Kauffman, Henry Wild, Peter Frishkorn, C. S. Passavant and George Snyder.

1885-Jacob Kauffman, burgess; John Nicklas, Jacob Fogle and William Ifft.

1856-Edwin Zehner, burge-s : Henry Kauffman, C. F. Goehring and Henry Wild.

1887-Edwin Zehner, burgess ; Jacob F. Shaffer, II. Kauffman and George Householder.

1888-Edwin Zehner, burgess : Charles Stokey, H. Seaton and John Wood. 1589-Jacob Fogle, burges -: Jacob F. Shaffer, J. A. Gelbach and John Nicklas.

1890-W. 11. Ifft, burgess; Amo- M. Lusk and John Ifft.

1891-John Woods, burgess ; W. A. Goehring. Il. A. Seaton, Jacob Fogle. W. Il. Ifft and Fred Zehner.

1892-John Wood-, burgess : J. A. Gelbach and J. F. Shaffer.

1893-Edwin Zehner, burgess; Charles Young. Jr., and C. J. D. Stro- hecker.

1894-Amos M. Lusk. burgess ; Harvey E. Seaton, Jacob Dambach. Charles J. D). Strohecker, Charles Young, John A. Gelbach and Edwin Zehner.

CHURCHES.

St. Paul's German Lutheran Church was organized in 1822, with I. W. Goehring, Casper O, Muller and P. L. Passavant, trustees; Jacob Gross, Daniel Fiedler, Fred Peffer and Jacob Heberling, wardens; Christian Buhl, George Hartzel, A. Goehring and John Lambert, vestrymen ; with Philip Jung, G. Muntz, F. Muntz, F. Wiehl, C. Kreidler, AA. Beyrer, J. Reiss, Gottlieb Peffer and G. J. Pflug, all of whom are deceased. Rev. J. C. G. Schweitzerbarth, the first pastor, served thirty years. Pastor Schwankovsky followed, serving four years ; then Pastor Theiss, who remained nine years, and lastly. Rev. J. G. Butz, who came in 1866, and is still in charge. The first stone meeting house was dedicated June 10, 1827. The corner stone of this building was placed July 19, 1826,-Revs. J. C. G. Schweitzerbarth, N. Haacke, J. Mechling. J. 11. Hopkins, J. Winter, of Harmony, and Rev. Isaiah Niblock, of Butler, assisting in the ceremony. The building, erected by Jacob lleberling, contractor, is fifty by thirty-six feet, of a simple

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Gothic design, constructed of native sandstone. In 1893 a steeple was placed on the tower. This exterior ornament, with the pipe organ and interior decora- tion, are modern improvement -. This church stands on one acre of ground, donated by P. L. Passavant, in addition to the three acres donated by him for cemetery purposes and the parsonage lot. Since 1822 there have been 536 inter- ments in the cemetery, and 2,674 baptisms in the church. Rev. Mr. Butz is also pastor of the congregation at Middle Lancaster.

The English Lutheran Church was organized January 21, 1843, under a resolution adopted at a meeting held January 7th, that year, by Rev. Gottlieb Bass- ler, the first pastor. Henry Muntz, C. S. Passavant, Michael Liebenderfer, Reuben Ileberling. John 11. Allison and Conrad Shutt. The first church, a plain brick house. was completed and dedicated July 6, 1845. The new church, also a brick structure, was completed and dedicated April 28. 1884. In celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of organization, C. S. Passavant was the only original mein- ber present. For fifty years he had served as treasurer. This religious society was incorporated June 16, 1860. with the following named members : G. Bass- ler, Henry Muntz, Joseph Hunter. Michael Liebenderfer, Robert Hay. Jr., George Teets, C. S. Passavant, Samuel Swain, Jacob Sleppy. E. R. Bentle, William Goehring, Reuben Heberling, A. A. Swain and Josiah R. Titzell. In April, 1864. Mr. Bassler resigned as pastor, his new position as superintendent of the Orphans' Home calling for all his time. Rev. Jonathan Sarver succeeded him. and served until March, 1866. In November following. Rev. G. W. Frederick arrived, but closed his connection with the church in December, 1867. Rev. M. L. Kunkleman was here in March, 1868, and again in March, 1870, but did not come here as pastor until July, 1871. Ile left the place November 1, 1877, and in February, 1878, Rev. J. A. Kribbs succeeded him. He resigned May 1, 1880, and on January 1, ISSI, came Rev. V. B. Christy, who remained until April 6. 1890. On August 1 of that year Rev. R. R. Durst, the present pastor, assumed charge. Hle presides over a society of 130 members.

The Presbyterian Church was organized here by Rev. Lemuel F. Leake, who reported the event October 21. 1845. Thomas Wilson and William Potter were chosen elders, while Ferris Armor was elected in 1854. Until 1555 meet- ings were held in the Baptist or Methodist church. and sometimes in the school- houses of Zelienople and Harmony. In that year a church building was com- pleted and Rev. Mr. Webber secured as pastor. He was released about 1863. and, in October, 1865, Rev. D. D. Christy accepted a call as stated supply. In May. 1870, Rev. S. L. Johnson came and remained until April, 1582. In June, 1883. Rev. Rudolph C. Yates was installed. Among the elders of the past. the names of C. B. Wilson, Robert Sample. E. L .. Gillespie and R. S. Nicholls occur. In more recent years, F. S. Wilson. Thomas Potter, Albert Winter, D. P. Boggs and R. I. Boggs served as elders. There were 125 members in 1893. Prior to 1845 the Presbyterians of this section would assemble at The Bassen- heim, where their denomination had a school of manual labor, and there, from 1825 to 1842, a Mr. Williams or a Mr. Hayes would preach for them.

The United Evangelical Church, known as "The German United Evan- gelical Protestant Congregation of St. Peter's Church of the Borough of Zelien-

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

ople," was incorporated January 18, 1878, on presentation of petition and con-ti- tution to the court of common pleas. The signers were : Rev. E. F. Winter, pastor ; John Wurster, Adam Endres and Edwin Zehner, trustees; John Dam- bach, Jacob Gerwig and Henry Lutz, vestrymen ; Henry Kauffman and Daniel Stamm, elders. The society was organized, January 1, 1859, with the petitioners named above in addition to Wilhelm Lutz, Adam Dambacher, Philip Milleman, Joseph Muller, Conrad Koenig, and Philip Sommer. Mr. Winter was pastor from 1859 to July 1, 1579, and Rev. C. Scheel, from January 1, 1880, to the present time. For two or three years after organizing, the United Evangelical Protestants held services in the Presbyterian church. In 1861 a frame building was erected at a cost of about $3,000, which has since been used as a house of worship. There were 100 members reported in the fall of 1893.

Monroc Chapel of the Methodist Episcopal Church was incorporated March 24, 1862, on petition presented in 1861, by A. Pearce, John Swartz, J. Roden- baugh, Uriah Patterson, E. Pearce, E. Seaman, Joseph Swartz, Isaac Latshaw, John Pearce, James Hoon, S. T. Shanor and B. F. Covert. In 1980 the place of meeting was removed to Harmony.

SOCIETIES.

Harmony Lodge, Number 429, F. & .1. M., was instituted January 5. 1-69. with the following named members :- Loring Lusk, Joseph S. Lusk, Amos Lusk, Elias L. Gillespie, Salathiel T. Shanor, Sidney M. Wiehl, W. C. Latshaw, James Covert. James D. Lytle, Peter Otto, R. II. Kinnear, J. W. Bowman Elias Ziegler and Austin Pearce. Joseph S. Lusk, Elias L. Gillespie, Salathiel T. Shanor and James D. Lytle have filled the office of Master of the lodge. In the fall of 1893 the membership was forty-two. The Harmony Masonic Hall Builling Associa- tion was incorporated June 14, 1871, on petition of A. G. Randolph, John Bauder. Jr., Peter Otto, Peter Scheidemantle, John Bauder, Sr .. Austin Pearce, Joseph S. Lusk. Elias Ziegler, E. L. Gillespie, Amos Lusk, J. W. Bowman, J. D. Lytle. S. M. Wiehl. Rueben Mc Elwain. S. T. Shanor and R. 11. Kinnear. In the fall of 1893 the place of meeting was changed to Zelienople.

Captain Wilson Post, Number 406. G. A. R., was organized March 28. 1983. when John Weigle, E. C. Green, Henry Beltz, F. G. Kline, W. A. Prebble, Ern- est Weyman. Noah Ziegler. C. E. Brown, Elias R. Boyer, Frank Lambert, George Bishop and Dr. Weiser signed their names as applicants for a charter. The meeting was presided over by E. C. Green. with John Weigle, secretary.

Major L. C. Brinton Camp. Number 221. Sons of Veterans, was mustered in at Zelienople in October, 1855, with J. F. Knapp, captain ; Cyrus Ruby and George Kradel, lieutenants : John W. Phillip -. J. W. Ruby and W. H. Cunning- ham, council ; while. John Dindinger, J. D. Marshall, Cyrus Harper, Geo. W. Phillips and Phillip Kradel. of Wilson Post. G. A. R., were chosen members of the advisory council.

The Womens' Christian Temperance Union was organized March 21, 1856. with Mrs. F. G. Frishkorn. president; Mrs. C. S. Passavant, vice-president ; Eliza Bastian, secretary, and Mrs. H. M. Bentle, treasurer.

Zelienople Union. Number 876, E. A. U., was organized December 15, 1:91.

Yours truly GD Swain

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with thirty-nine charter members, the officers, in order of rank, being A. Kling- ensmith, P. C. Frederick, A. Winter, Mrs. J. R. Young, W. B. King, A. Winter. S. E. Ralston, Mrs. R. Q. Boggs, Rev. R. C. Yates, Mrs. W. B. King, Mrs. N. E. Weisz, D. A. Carr, Emma Boggs and Mrs. 11. E. Pinkerton.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

IHARMONY BOROUGIL.

FOUNDING OF THE VILLAGE -- GEORGE RAPP -- THE HARMONIST SOCIETY -- SALE OF THE PROPERTY-REMOVAL TO INDIANA -RETURN TO PENNSYLVANIA-PRESENT STATU'S- SECULAR HARMONY-POPULATION AND STATISTICS-MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES- HOTELS AND BUSINESS HOUSES-BANKS-POSTMASTERS AND JUSTICES-BURGESSES AND COUNCILMEN-SCHOOLS -- CHURCHES -- THE FIRST CEMETERY -- SECRET So- CIETIES.

T HE distinctive character of many of the old colonies, handed down and per- petuated even unto the present time, in the beliefs, dress and personal peculiarities of their descendants, is traceable to the fact that they came hither from the other side of the Atlantic in search of that religious liberty and freedom of conscience denied them in their native lands. It was this desire to escape from intolerance and persecution that led the Pilgrims to Plymouth Rock, the Cath- olics to Baltimore, the Quakers to Philadelphia, and the Harmonists to Butler county, Pennsylvania, resulting, in the latter instance, in the founding of the village of Ilarmony, in Jackson township, in the year 1805, by George Rapp and his Harmonist disciples, who were associated together under the name of " The United Society of German -. "

George Rapp, the founder of this peculiar communistic religious sect or association, was a native of Iptingen, Wurtemberg, Germany, where he was born October 28, 1757. He was the son of a farmer. vine-planter and weaver, the recipient of a fair common school education, an ardent reader of the Bible in his youth, and a literal interpreter of its text. This led him to take issue, in his early manhood. not only with the rationalism and infidelity of the times, but with the practices and forms of worship of the established church. From giving pri- vate expressions to his views he took. when about thirty years of age, to assemb- ling his friends in his home and expounding the Scriptures unto them. Ile urged not only a return to the primitive simplicity of the early Christian worship, but a following of the example of the early Christians in the common ownership of property.

He soon had a following, and notwithstanding the opposition and denun- ciation of the clergy, his disciples increased, until they numbered over three hun- dred families, in 1803, when they resolved to seek religious freedom and an asy-

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

lum from persecution in the New World. At their request, therefore, in that year, George Rapp came to America, accompanied by his son, John, and a few others, in search of a new home for himself and his disciples. They landed at Baltimore, visited portions of Maryland and Pennsylvania, even going as far west as the Tuscarawas valley in Ohio. Finding this place too far from civiliza- tion, they returned to Pennsylvania, visited the Connoquenessing valley, and found amid its beautiful scenery a location that pleased them, and which George Rapp secured for the society by purchasing from Dr. Detmar Basse about 5,000 acres of his 10,000-acre tract, with twenty-four acres in the village of Zelienople. The deed for this property bears the date of October 17, 1801.

His disciples in Germany were satisfied with this purchase, and early in 1801, 300 of them sailed from Amsterdam, arriving at Baltimore July I, of the same year, where he met and secured temporary homes for them during the winter, after which, taking with him a picked party of workmen, he returned to Zelienople. The founding of the village of Harmony followed, and by the ensuing February homes were ready for the members of the new colony. Six weeks after the arrival of the first contingent in Baltimore, a like number, in charge of Frederick Rapp, reached Philadelphia, followed soon after by the re- mainder of the disciples. This latter body were nearly all persuaded to locate in Lycoming county, by Mr. Haller, who had been sent by Rapp to meet and con- duet them to the new settlement.

Of the three contingents, 185 families accompanied their leader to the Conno- quenessing. February 15, 1805, the Harmony Society was organized, on a purely communal basis. Money and goods all went into a common fund. A distinctive and uniform style of dress was adopted ; there were no rich and no poor ; the houses of all were nearly alike; and the new society sought, in its public wor- ship and the lives of its individual members, to conforin as nearly as possible, to what they conceived to be the practices and the usages of the early Christians. At the close of 1809, notwithstanding the withdrawal, in the meantime, of ten families, the community numbered 140 families, and was in a prosperous and healthful condition. All worked together in concord and harmony, each line of work being under the superintendence of a foreman, and all under the direction of George Rapp, or of his adopted son, Frederick Rapp, or Reichert.

During the year ending in February, 1806, there were 150 acres of land cleared. tifty log cabins, a grist mill, barn, machine shop and a house of worship erected. At the close of the ensuing year, 600 acres had been cleared, a vineyard of four acres set out, a distillery, tannery, brick yard, saw mill and large brick granary added to the little town. Of the farm products there was a surplus of 600 bushels of grain, which with 3,000 gallons of whisky was ready for market. The year 1808 was equally satisfactory, while that of 1809 surpassed all expecta. tion, the products being 6,000 bushels of corn, 4,000 of wheat, 1,500 of rye, 5,000 of oats, and 10,000 of potatoes, with 4,000 pounds of flax and hemp, fifty gal- Jons of sweet oil, manufactured from the poppy, thousands of gallons of whisky, with beef, mutton and pork far beyond the possible needs of the little commun- ity. In ISIO a woolen factory was added to the communal industries. This vear no less than 2,000 acres of land were in cultivation.

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HARMONY BOROUGH.

The Harmonists certainly formed a model industrial community. Under Rapp's leadership they worked almost as one man. Whenever it was necessary, for instance to harvest a field, they all joined in the work. As a rule, however. each class was confined to the division of labor assigned to it. It was only in emergencies that those of one department were called to assist in another. Industry and frugality being practiced by all, prosperity was the result. Three times a year the festivals described in the history of Jackson township were observed. Provision was also made for daily recreation, Sunday being devoted to a cheerful worship of the Giver of all Good.

It is difficult to state precisely what the spiritual ideas of the Economites were. George Rapp taught at first the doctrine of heaven for the just and hell for the unjust; later, he believed that purgatory would be the refining place of the majority, and again, he was an Adventist, giving it as his opinion that in 1>37 the world would be destroyed. He and the majority of the colony taught that celibacy, with fasting and prayer, brought the creature nearer to God, and agreed that sexual intercourse between its members should cease. The society has practiced this doctrine up to the present.

In 1814 the colony advertised their property here for sale, and succeeded in finding a buyer in Abraham Ziegler, who purchased it for $100,000. In 1815 they removed to a new location on the Wabash river, in Posey county, Indiana. Here they purchased 27.000 acres of land, on which they settled and remained until 1824, when becoming involved in pecuniary difficulties, they sold both land and improvements to . Robert Owen, who was anxious to try a socialistic experiment on a plan of hisown. They then returned to Pennsylvania, located in Beaver county, and founded the towns of Economy and Harmony on the east bank of the Ohio river, seventeen miles northwest of Pittsburg. Here George Rapp died, August 7, 1847, being almost ninety years of age. His abopted son, Frederick Reichert, who was a man of considerable ability, died in 1831.

On February 15. 1894, the Harmony Society celebrated its eighty-ninth anni- versary at Economy. The old members have all passed away, 100 of their num- ber lying at rest in the cemetery at Harmony in this county, around which a stone wall was built in 1869. In May, 1894, there were only eighteen living members.

SECULAR HARMONY .

The Harmony of the Zieglers is scarcely less interesting than that of the Rapps. The transfer of the property, though voluntary, made it necessary for the society to seek a new home. Its individual members, had in the meantime become attached to the place, where for ten years they had pursued quite, peace- ful and industrious lives, and where their dead, loved in life, lay buried; and it was not without feelings of regret that they turned their faces westward, and left Harmony, with all its pleasant associations, behind them. The new proprietor, who took possession in 1815, bringing his family hither, soon found himself embarrassed to meet the unpaid balance of the purchase money and its accruing interest. He accordingly made a trip to New Harmony, Indiana. saw Rapp, and offered to return the land and improvements to the Economites. There he learned, how- ever. that they, too, were involved. Rapp urged him to hold the property. can-

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

celled some interest coupons, and agreed to pay fifty cents a pound for all the wool which the new proprietor would produce on the old Harmony estate. Returning, Mr. Ziegler entered at once on sheep farming, and, within a few years, he cleared the land of all incumbrances, In accomplishing this he wa- aided by David Stauffer, John Schwartz. Jacob Swain, Samuel Swain and other early settlers, who were to act as shepherd- for him a stated time and receive a certain area of land round their homes in compensation. The contracts were Faithfully carried out and all parties concerned reaped rich rewards.

In 1815 Samuel Beam moved from the Bassenheim furnace and established a blacksmith shop here. At the same time, Jacob Kelker took possession of the Harmony tavern-not the hotel of 1806-but one of the old log houses of the vill- age : John Fleming, an Irishman, taught school ; the Stauffers, Latshaw -. Schwartz, and Herrs, with Johann Ladenschlager, formerly an Economite; Baltzer Gull, the butcher ; John Roth. the blacksmith : Philip Noss. the cooper : Joseph Tinsman and Francis Bassler. also coopers ; Jacob Gross, the weaver ; John Trin- nells and John Scheely, freighters : John Boyer, the Mennonite preacher. and the members of the Ziegler family, may be accounted as the pioneers of 1815-1816.

The population in 1870, was 414; in 1880. 497, and in 1890, 585. The assessed value of property in 1893, was $106,787; the county tax. $426.95. and the State tax, $93.60.

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.

The Schontz & Ziegler flouring mill, north of the public square, was the Economite barn of 1806. converted into a manufacturing industry in 1937. The fire of 1852 swept it away, with the old houses in the neighborhood, inclu- ding the original communal or manor house of George Rapp, on the northwest corner of the square. Schontz became owner of another of the original barn -. placed machinery therein and carried on the milling business until he sold to John Pearce. Other owners or lessees followed until David Ziegler became owner in 1872. Eight years after the concern was remodeled and new machinery introduced. The Siedel mill, now known as the Harper mill. is more of a Zelien- ople or township than of a Harmony industry, and therefore, finds mention in the chapters on Jackson township and Zelienople. The woolen factory of 1837. like the flouring mill, was one of Schontz' enterprises. Ten years before the big colony barn was burned, this factory became a prey to the flames ; but Schonte rebuilt on the same site, put in new machinery and carried on the industry until 1850, when Robert Sample became interested in the enterprise. In 1865 John Pearce purchased Schontz' interest therein and the new firm extended the indus- try. In 1871 Robert Sample sold his half interest to Pearce, who subsequently made his son a partner and raised the old woolen mill to a great industry Almost thirty years before the Schontz factory was started, the Economites did a flourish- ing business in flannel and cloth manufacture. H. M. Bentle & Company's planing mills at Zelienople and in this borough, are modern manufacturing enter- prises. Wagon and carriage shops and other industries are plentiful round the twin boroughs. Latshaw & Ziegler established a machine shop in 1866, and 11. Weckbecker bought the foundry from William Latshaw some time later. Andrew

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History of Butler County, Pennsylvania, Part 51

Author: Brown, Robert C., ed; Leeson, M. A. (Michael A.); Meagher, John, jt. comp; Meginness, John Franklin, 1827-1899, jt. comp Publication date: 1895 Publisher: Chicago : R. C. Brown Number of Pages: 1658

Author: Brown, Robert C., ed; Leeson, M. A. (Michael A.); Meagher, John, jt. comp; Meginness, John Franklin, 1827-1899, jt. comp
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Chicago : R. C. Brown
Number of Pages: 1658