USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 41
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From the time of the building of St. Francis Church in 1830, the land ad- joining that edifice on the south was used as the Catholic cemetery until the year 1876, when the heirs of the estate of Hugh Leavy donated a piece of land one and one-half acres in extent, for the use of the society as a cemetery. The bodies lying at the grounds near the church were disinterred and removed
376
HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
to the new lot. This cemetery is near the borough line, and just outside of it near the southeast part of the borough.
Of the other old cemeteries in the vicinity, but not within the borough are the Shaw family burying-grounds, situated on the hill side west of and opposite the borough, and the Owens grave-yard on lands of John Owens, by whom it was laid out about a mile east from the borough. Of these two only the Owens lot has been used as a public burying-place.
Before closing this chapter and after having presented to the reader an outline of the various branches of trade, industry and improvement centered in and about the borough of Clearfield, a general view of the place at large will not appear out of place in this connection. What with its diversified business interests, its manufactures, its railroads, its excellent educational ad- vantages, its churches, its broad, level and well-kept avenues of travel, its attractive, and in many instances, elegant residences, its natural beauty of location, and last, but by no manner of means least, the honest pride, culture, hospitality, and social qualities of its inhabitants in general, Clearfield borough seems destined in the future to maintain, as she has in the past acquired, the reputation of being the most attractive and desirable place of residence in the county, or in this section of the State.
CHAPTER XXII.
HISTORY OF THE BOROUGH OF DU BOIS.
L'
OCKE said: "Things of this world are in so constant a flux that nothing remains longin the same state. Thus: people, riches, trade, power, change places ; flourishing, mighty cities come to ruin and prove in time neglected, desolate corners, whilst unfrequented places grow into populous countries, filled with trade and inhabitants." The rise and progress of this industrious town fully verifies the second proposition of the above quotation from the re- nowned Locke.
There certainly was not a more un-"frequented" place in western Pennsyl- vania than the spot where Du Bois 1 now stands, prior to the Low Grade Di- vision of the A. V. R. R.
It is useless to contradict the statement that railroads are civilizers, for the start of this busy place dates its rise from the location and opening of the Low Grade road. In earlier years this entire section of the county was a wilder-
1 The place is generally known as Du Bois City, in contra-distinction of Du Boistown in Lycoming county, Pa.
John DuAtoin
377
BOROUGH OF DU BOIS.
ness, roamed by deer in numberless herds, and the big " Beaver Meadow," between East and Central Du Bois, was their undisturbed sanctuary. Now the shrill whistle of the locomotive awakens the echoes in the valley, dying with the reverberations from the neighboring hills, whilst the rumble and clat- ter of heavily laden freight trains is significant of the fruits of industry and enterprise.
The "Beaver Meadows," mentioned above, were the regular camping ground of the Cornplanter (or Seneca) tribe of Indians, who had a trail through here from Warren to Clinton county. (See Pioneer Incidents in the chapter on Brady township). That Indians occupied this part of Clearfield county is still further verified by the fact that near the Union cemetery, east of Troutville, on the road leading from Luthersburg to Punxsutawney, certain evidences of an old Indian town or lodging place existed, and that it had been such for many years, and was likely on their path between their permanent towns at Clearfield and Punxsutawney. A grove of large saplings was located a little north of the spring where the public road now is, and the larger trees had dis- appeared near that place, but near the spring on the east were a couple of large white pines standing, and when John Smith and Rev. John Reams cut said trees down, in 1836, numerous tomahawk marks were very perceptible in toward the center of the tree, evidently retained during the growth of many years. Besides the evidences just narrated, there were many others found in different places, giving traces of numerous Indians having been here for many years.
Topography .- Topographically, the place is located on what may be called a "geological breakdown, " on the western slope of the Allegheny Mountains at the point known as the big "Beaver Meadow," 1,390 feet above the sea level, said "Beaver Meadow " being about from five to six miles long, and from one-half to three-fourths of a mile wide. Its entire length is divided by Sandy Lick Creek.
The engineers who surveyed the old State canal in Governor Ritner's time, 1836, claimed that this meadow had only twenty-one feet of a fall, in a distance of five miles, (from Falls Creek east via where Du Bois now stands). The hills "walling in " this great " meadow " at some points break off abruptly, with the stratified rocks dipping towards this valley on the mountain. This feature with its high elevation (1,390 feet), goes far toward the conclusion of a " geological break-down." The adjoining country is hilly here and there, flattening into small " plateaus " and an occasional " knob."
Geography .- Geographically, Du Bois is located in the extreme north- western part of the county, only two miles east from the Jefferson county line. The site is beautiful, on the western slope (as above indicated) of the salubri- ous and romantic Alleghenies.
In point of location the finest site is not always the best for a large business
378
HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
town. Natural advantages and proper distances from other large business cen- ters constitute what may be called " natural locations." With Du Bois all, site, natural advantages and location, are united-situated equidistant be - tween Williamsport on the southeast and Pittsburgh on the southwest, 127 miles from both of these cities via the Low Grade railroad.
Lumber, coal and agriculture, the three great elements of prosperity, which are so rarely found together, seem to have smiled on this town by uniting so harmoniously in and around this locality. Of white pine, hemlock and hard wood there is a super-abundance. Mr. John E. Du Bois alone has over twenty thousand acres of choice pine timber land, underlaid with coal, lime and other minerals. Two veins of limestone are known to exist within two miles from Du Bois. The upper vein is a beautiful blue limestone six feet thick, the second or lower vein is an excellent white lime five feet thick, and beneath this is a magnificent bed of fire clay.
This entire section is blessed with vast deposits of bituminous coal, being the " Lower Freeport," better known as the Reynoldsville vein ; it is seven feet thick.
Du Bois and vicinity are located in the "third basin,"1 which is about ten miles wide, measured from the second to the third anticlinal axis, which en- ters Clearfield county at Falls Creek (junction of four railroads), two miles west of Du Bois, and merges into " Boon's Mountain " in the extreme north- western corner of the county.
The " third basin " is drained by "Bennett's Branch" to the northeast, and . Sandy Lick Creek to the southwest, and contains the coal of Luthersburg, Du Bois, Penfield and the intervening country.
Early Settlements .- Prior to 1812 Mr. John Casper Stoeber, of Dauphin county, Pa., grandfather (on the mother's side) of the present generation of Scheffers (some write it "Shaffer" now), who with their descendants still reside in Du Bois and vicinity, pre-empted some land in this section of the State, which in the course of time entailed to Mrs. George Scheffer (daughter of Mr. Stoeber, and mother of George, Frederick and Michael Scheffer). George Scheffer and his wife, with their three sons and an equal number of daughters, left Dauphin county in the spring of 1812 to hunt up this inherited land, with a view to improve the same. They arrived at Joab Ogden's on May 12 (now Carlisle station on B. R. & P. Railroad, about five miles south of Du Bois), which, by the way, was the only family except bachelor James Woodside,- the first settler of Clearfield county-for twenty miles around. The next day, May 13, they went in search of their land. They went as far as where the " Rumbarger House " (hotel) now stands, and put up a " bark shanty" beside the spring which bubbles and sparkles to-day as it did then. The next night Frederick and Michael slept in the "shanty." There had been no ax put to a
1 " Caldwell's Atlas of Clearfield County," 1878.
379
BOROUGH OF DU BOIS.
tree in this part of the county prior to 1812. The Stoeber pre-emption claim laid a few miles up Sandy Lick Creek, which is now known as the "Aunt Katy Shaffer place," and " Shaffer station" on the Low Grade Railroad, but the land on which they built the " bark shanty " belonged to a Mr. Gaskill, from whom George, jr., bought it. After George, jr.'s death the administrator sold it to one of George's sons, Michael Shaffer, and he (Michael S.) sold to Jacob Heberling in 1853, and Heberling sold to his son David Heberling, and David Heberling sold to John Rumbarger in 1865.
Of pioneer incidents it may be stated that in 1812 there was no store nearer than "Old Town " (as Clearfield was then called). The merchants used to "wagon " their goods from Philadelphia. The nearest mill was on the Clarion River, forty miles from this settlement. In 1814, however, a mill was built at Curwensville, on the Susquehanna River, nineteen miles dis- tant. In those early days these sturdy pioneers subsisted principally on veni- son, bear meat, and other game, which abounded. This noble band of settlers did not increase in number, as settlements are now made. For ten long, lonesome, and weary years the Scheffers, Ogdens, and James Woodside con- stituted the community in this wide wilderness, after which time some Ger- mans (from Germany) commenced to settle in the vicinity where Troutville now stands, with exception of James, Benjamin, and Thomas Carson, who came in 1814, and Lebbeus Luther in 1820.
Of interesting pioneer incidents, which were numerous, we will give but one, which was related to the writer by Michael Scheffer when he was in his eighty-sixth year, in which he (the narrator) was a participant :
" During the same summer (1812) we came here, we cleared about two acres on the ridge, as we called it, about where Mr. Rumbarger's nice resi- dence now (1876) stands. One evening our dogs barked ferociously on the ' ridge,' and my brother looked out from the 'shanty' and saw a strange- looking animal standing on a log. It was just about twilight. Father, George, Fred, and I went up. The dogs had now treed the animal. Fred shot at it, and then it went up higher. We concluded to watch it all night. We re- mained a long while, but the night seemed long, and so we felled a hemlock against the hemlock on which the animal was. It now came down, the 'tug of war' commencing. One of the dogs caught it by the neck. Fred caught it by the tail. I had a hatchet with which I belabored its head, and father had an ax with which he struck effective blows in its ribs. At last we killed it, not knowing what it was. The next day I took a paw of the dead animal, and went to Joab Ogden to ask him what kind of an animal it was. He got much excited when he saw the paw, and exclaimed, 'You d-n Dutch ! It is a panther ! It might have killed you all.' I took the scalp and went to Squire McClure, on the Susquehanna River, above Curwensville, to whom I made affidavit that we killed the panther. He gave me a certificate which I was to
380
HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
present to the county commissioners at Bellefonte-Clearfield county belonged to Centre county then. The bounty was eight dollars, but I sold it to a man who was going to Bellefonte for seven dollars."
The developement by actual settlers was exceedingly slow, and long after the organization of Clearfield county (1822) and Brady township (which latter occurred in 1826) the section where Du Bois now stands was often designated as the " Wilderness over on Sandy." In 1865 John Rumbarger settled here (after buying the " old Scheffer farm " from David Heberling), and here he " smoked his pipe in peace " until the opening of the Low Grade Division of the A. V. Railroad, the connecting link between the P. and E. and the A. V. railroads, at which time the latent spirit of his somewhat easy-going tempera- ment was aroused, and he conceived the idea of starting a town, and in the summer of 1872 the town was "laid out" and called Rumbarger. In July of the same year the writer of this sketch bought two town lots-the first sold. About this time John Du Bois appeared upon the scene, and we might say : The result is known.
Among the leading business men who early commenced operations in this new town were: Thomas Montgomery (deceased), Glasgow & Troxell (Troxell is now-1887-county treasurer), J. B. Ellis, and C. D. Evans & Brother, all of whom were dealers in general merchandise, and settled in 1873. Dr. Smathers, J. A. Johnston, and W. L. Johnston also came in the same year. In the year following Dr. McHenry, William Corley (deceased), and many others came. In 1874 the Rumbarger post-office was established, with George L. Glasgow, postmaster, and J. B. Ellis, assistant. Passenger traffic was also opened on the Low Grade Railroad. The name of the post-office was changed to Du Bois in 1876, to correspond with the name of the railroad station, and was taken to the eastern part of town (now Third ward) in that year, and kept in the depot building, but was again removed to the central part (now, 1887, Second ward) of town in 1877.
Manufacturing and Mining .- John Du Bois commenced his "little " mill in the fall of 1872, and the large mill in 1873, completing the same in 1876, and put in operation in May of that year, at which time the writer took up a permanent residence here.
The large mill is two hundred and fifty feet long, eighty feet wide, and fifty-five feet high, with a two hundred and fifty horse-power engine, and had a capacity, in 1876, of 120,000 feet boards, 60,000 shingles, 40,000 lath, and about 10,000 pickets per day. This mill has underwent several re- constructions-always in the line of improvement. During the winter of 1 886-7 it was again entirely remodeled, by putting in a Sinker & Davis "band" saw, one large circular saw, and one set Wicker's "gang" saws. This change did not, however, increase the capacity, but leaving it about the same as before ; the great consideration being the saving of lumber by decreasing the quantity
381
BOROUGH OF DU BOIS.
of saw-dust, as well as decreasing the number of men employed (in this mill) is from one hundred to seventy-five. The engines are now supplied with a double bell crank, made of " crucible " steel by Herr Krupp, at Essen, Ger- many, weighing about two tons, and costing $1,200. It is now one of the most improved mills in the country, being fully abreast, if not ahead, in the employment of the most approved and practical machinery known. The "bill" mill-sometimes known as the little mill-was built in 1879, on the exact site of the first " bill " mill, which was built in 1877, and totally destroyed by fire in June, 1879. It is 160 by 60 feet, employs two engines, one 160 horse-power, and the other sixty-five horse-power. It manufactures bill timber, boards, shingles, and box boards; capacity, per diem, 35,000 feet of boards, 55,000 shingles, box boards 30,000. It employs sixty-five men and boys, and runs the whole year round, having never stopped longer than two weeks at a time for repairs. Daniel Gilbert is the engineer, and Frank Patchel, foreman.
The box factory was built in 1881 ; size, 1So by 50 feet. It employs one I20 horse-power engine. It manufactures shook for oil cases, tobacco cases, fruit cases, siding and flooring. Capacity, five to six thousand oil cases per diem (the oil cases are used for packing refined oil-in tin cans-for shipment to Europe), and three hundred tobacco cases per diem ; employs about fifty men and boys, and runs the year round. In close proximity and in connec- tion with the box factory is a large dry-house, Kerwin & Wolf's patent, con- taining four kilns, each sixty feet long. These kilns receive the green lumber from the saw, and dry it thoroughly in about three days. Frank W. Hetfield is its present foreman.
The hemlock mill was built in the spring of 1884; size, 128 by 40 feet. It employs one 100 horse-power engine, and manufactures hemlock lumber, all sizes ; also hard wood lumber. Average capacity per day, 36,000 feet, board measure. It employs twenty-one men. Ed. Benner, engineer ; and G. W. Parker, foreman.
The lumber yard is an immense affair, and contains, on an average, twenty million feet of manufactured lumber-forty men are employed all the year round-and is equipped with all the latest labor-saving improvements ; can ship bill timber over eighty feet long. Everything manufactured in all the mills passes through this yard. There are four mules employed on the trestle-tracks regularly, three extra when all the mills are running at the same time, making seven in all. John McGinnis is the efficient shipping "boss." The following statement of the monthly shipment for 1886, in car loads, will afford a better idea of the size of the lumber yard, and the immense capacity of these mills. It is doubtful if this aggregate was exceeded by any single lumber dealer in the State, and probably not in the entire country :
49
382
HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
MONTH.
SHOOK.
SHINGLES. LATH.
LUMBER.
TOTAL.
January.
40
I
70
III
February .
47
4
IC
169
March
50
20
215
285
April.
55
20
205
289
May
63
21
165
249
June
40
40
207
265
July
34
16
I36
186
August
28
12
I36
176
September
31
20
158
210
October
77
33
205
315
November
39
17
146
202
December
40
8
96
I44
Totals
545
199
1,848
2,592
The Du Bois Iron Works are the largest and most extensive in the county. The works were originally started at Du Bois Town, near Williamsport, and were brought to Du Bois in 1875. The works were built in 1875-6-size 160 by 60, and employs five engines, two in the machine department, two for fanning hot air to the new store and opera house building, and one in Edison incandescent electric light plant, making an aggregate of one hundred and twenty-five horse power, employs about twenty men regularly the year round, lighted with Edison's electric light. The pattern shop, foundry, and black- smith shop all belong and are connected with the works. All kinds of saw and planing-mill machinery, steam-engines, car wheels and castings of all de- scriptions are manufactured here, also the "Du Bois Patent Lathe Tool," which is sold in all parts of the world, and the Cornelious Stump Machine is made on the premises ; also the iron work for the "Du Bois Patent Dam" is made here, and all kinds of repairing are also done here. The electric light connected with the works was started in 1885, and first light furnished in January, 1886. It employs an engine of thirty horse-power. The plant fur- nishes three hundred and fifty candle power light, which is used in the iron works, the new store and opera house building, in the hotel and in many resi- dences in the Third ward. Hart Fulmer is foreman of the iron works, and " Jerry" Haag engineer of the electric light engine. The hotel was built in 1879, and is 100 by 50, three stories, and Mansard roof and basement, has fifty-eight bed rooms, all elegantly furnished, and one sample room, and bar and barber shop in the basement of the building. Part of the building was formerly occupied as a store-room, which (after the removal of the store to the new building) was converted into an excellent and pleasant dining-room. The hotel is lighted throughout with the Edison electric light, and heated by steam ; A. A. Newell, manager.
This immense business plant enjoys facilities second to none in the county for " stocking" the mills, first by Sandy Lick Creek with its patent dams, then by " Clear Run Railroad," which is owned and controlled by this vast enter-
383
BOROUGH OF DU BOIS.
prise, is three and a half miles long, employs two engines, fifteen log cars and three coal cars; besides there is a projected log railroad known as the Junietta Road, to be seven miles long, thus affording supplies of logs, etc., through the entire year. In reverting to the lumber yard and mills, it is not to be omitted that all are protected by an excellent system of water-works, planned by the late John Du Bois. The reservoir is located on the " Hill," Third ward, near the Episcopal Church, with mains leading through the lumber yard and all the mills, etc. This reservoir furnishes an ample supply of water at all times, affording a most excellent fire protection, the purpose for which it was estab- lished.
In the fall of 1875 E. M. Kuntz, proprietor of the City Hotel (corner of Long and Courtney streets), cast his lot here, followed in 1876 by H. S. Knarr, merchant tailor, now owner of the " Knarr block," a three story brick building. Fred. Tracy and many others came the same year. There was a lull in the increase in population during 1874 and '75, but in 1876 the new city began to expand. The opening of the Sandy Lick Colliery, followed by the Rochester Colliery of Bell, Lewis & Yates in the next year, put new life into the town.
Bell, Lewis & Yates .- For description of Rochester Colliery see " Mines," in the chapter on Sandy township.
This firm has its large store and offices in Du Bois, First ward, where the business of the "home" office is transacted under the efficient management of the Hon. S. B. Elliott.
The Sandy Lick Gas, Coal and Coke Company also had their office and store in Du Bois, First ward, during the time of their existence ; also the "Cen- tennial " Colliery of Messrs. Jones Brothers had their store and office in Du Bois, First ward.
In 1875 the Hon. J. E. Long, of Jefferson county, bought a large farm of Henry Shaffer, and "laid it out" into town lots, known as Long's Addition to Du Bois, for the sale of which the writer was agent. The greater portion of this farm is now occupied by what is known as the central part of the town- Second ward. From 1876 improvements were so frequent, and increase in population so rapid that to particularize is simply impossible at this date, 1887.
Long & Brady established a hardware store in 1876 and still continue under the firm name of Long, Brady & Co., doing a large and satisfactory business. They were followed in 1877 by P. S. Weber & Co.'s large dry goods and clothing store. This firm continued in business till March, 1886, when they closed out their business, having done a large and successful busi- ness, but in March, 1887, the senior partner, P. S. Weber, opened a large and exclusive dry goods and notion store in the "Knarr block," Courtney street.
Other parties also commenced operations about this time, or shortly after, representing almost every line of business, among them were the following :
384
HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
George Schwem, groceries and provisions; Grier Bros., hardware; D. W. Sparks, livery; W. W. Rainey, groceries, etc., came in 1879 ; H. Loeb, cloth- ing and furnishing goods ; D. L. Corbett, dry goods, etc .; Weber & Heidrick, boots and shoes, in 1880. The latter were succeeded by Cannon, Hollister & Co., who engaged in the same line of business in 1885. W. C. Schwem & Co. succeeded George Schwem in 1884. Moulthrop & Hibner started a gen- eral store in 1882, succeeded by Moulthrop & McClelland in 1885. L. E. Weber, clothing and furnishing goods, came in 1882. Charles Scalen, gro- ceries and provisions ; A. T. Sprankle, groceries, etc .; E. Bangert, fancy dry goods, in 1883. Dr. R. M. Boyls, drugs, etc .; Hanson Bros. & Co., furni- ture ; Frank Guinzburg, guns and sporting goods, in 1884.
BOROUGH ANNALS.
There are upwards of one hundred stores and other business establishments in town. Changes were so frequent as to preclude enumeration or special mention, as the following statement of the increase of population shows: Pop- ulation in 1872, three families; 1876, Weber's count, 728 ; 1877, Egan's count, 1,307; ¿ 1880, United States census, 2,719; 1882, estimated 3,700 to 4,000 ; 1887, estimated 6,000 to 6,500. 1877 shows an increase of 8 1 per cent in one year, and the figures for 1882 and '87 can be relied upon as very nearly cor- rect, although other good judges on matters of this kind claim the persent (1887) population to be no less than 7,000. When the adverse circumstances with which this town had to contend are considered-being panic born-the increase of population is phenomnal and unprecedented, except among vision- ary and often ephemeral oil towns.
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