USA > Pennsylvania > Columbia County > History of Columbia County, Pennsylvania. Sponsored by the Columbia County Historical Society and Commissioners of Columbia County. [2d ed.] > Part 8
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Almost immediately after the canals were begun, conditions throughout. our region became more prosperous. Work was provided for farmers and teamsters and hundreds of workmen were brought in to dig the channel and pile up the embankments, to construct the locks, to build the bridges to carry roads across the canal, and to build other special types of bridges, aqueducts, to carry the canal itself across streams.1
When the canal was finished, many of the workmen became workers on It, boatmen, lock-keepers, and repairmen. Besides making our farm produce more valuable by helping it to get to market more readliy, the products of our early Industries, tanneries, sawmills, and others, also could be marketed
1One of the largest was the aqueduct which carried our canal across Fishing Creek, at Rupert.
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more readily. New Industries were started, especially, boat building. A number of canal boats were built at the "ark building site" at the westerly part of Bloomsburg in the early days of the canal. But Espy early became the location of a number of firms for the building of canal boats of excellent design and construction. These works continued as long as the canal system lasted.2
The Canal at Its Height of Importance
About 1850, if we could have gone down Market Street in Bloomsburg, we would have come to the high bridge crossing the canal. If instead of crossing the bridge, we would have gone a little west we would have come to a widening of the canal with wharves and berthing docks for canal boats. This was Port Noble. Let us reconstruct the scene in imagination aided by various hints, traditions, and records. Here is a boat covered with a deck, from the hold of which a mixed cargo is being taken: salt, dry goods and groceries for the various stores in town and the region. At another wharf a boat is taking on reddish rocks, iron ore, for shipment to Berwick for the Nescopeck Forge. Billets, or blocks, of pig iron from the Bloomsburg furnaces are loaded. At another location, several boats are unloading anthracite coal, some for the Bloomsburg furnaces, some for local dealers who will retall it to householders for heating and cooking. We also see quite frequently the passage of other boats in twos, one behind the other, pulled by teams of two or three mules, hitched one behind the other. If these large boats moved too fast, their wash damaged the banks of the canal, so any speed greater than four miles an hour was forbidden under penalty of a fine. Down the canal, that is with the current, many of the boats are carrying coal for the Danville iron furnaces and for markets as far away as Harrisburg or Columbia. Up current boats are apparently carrying mixed cargoes similar to those being delivered in Bloomsburg.
While we are watching, a packet boat from Wilkes-Barre comes in. This is pulled by six horses and goes much faster, about six miles an hour. It draws up at the dock. While some passengers leave, others embark. The horses are changed in order to maintain its tight schedule and reach Northumberland In about three and a half hours, so that passengers for Harrisburg and Philadelphia can make connections with the Williamsport-to- Philadelphia packet boat. We hear one passenger, who must make a lengthy stay in Philadelphia, complaining that he will need to return by stage coach because the canal will be closed for the winter before he can return. 3 It is not difficult to realize the similar scenes of activity taking place at the canal ports of Berwick and Danville and also at the hundreds of other places served by the great canal system, then at its height of importance.
2See below for further references to the Espy boat.
3Being much lighter and narrower than the big freighters, a packet boat could go faster without damage to the canal banks.
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We strike up a conversation with an old man, obviously too feeble to work. He tells us thathe came to Bloomsburg as part of the pick-and- shovel and wheelbarrow gang that constructed the canal In this section. When the canal was finished, he secured a job as boatman. Many are the tales that he can tell: Of the trip in which his outfit traveled with two boat loads of coal which were being towed across the Nanticoke dam, how the strong current carried them so close to the dam that the steamboat cut them loose and the boats were carried over the dam, but were saved by the skillful steering of the pilot. Another time he was on an outfit that was being towed across the Chesapeake bay, loaded with anthracite coal from Luzerne county. A storm came up. Other boats in the convoy collided with each other and some were sunk. His boat was driven aground at the shore. When the storm abated, the crew dug a channel, floated their boat, and were able eventually to enter it into the Delaware river and by canal transport it across New Jersey for delivery on the Atlantic coast. Other adventures he also told: The time a gang of robbers jumped on the boat from an overhead bridge, but were beaten off by the pilot who had kept a gun handy. The pilot had heard how another boat had been held up and the crew robbed just recently at the same place. He told of the hardships of the mule boys on the cold days late in the fall when drizzle turned to sleet and one of the men had to relieve the little fellow until they could find a place to tie up for the night. Our "old-timer's" account is interrupted as an especially trim outfit comes into view. We can Imagine him saying something like this: "See that outfit. That's an Espytown outfit, just about the best In the whole country. See the pointed ends, see the big chains holding the two boats together. When the steersman turns that big wheel, it turns the rear boat just as if it was a rudder. I tell you them's about the best boats anywhere, and they're made right here in Espytown."
Or again, "Oh! I remember about one outfit. it was late at night, coming into the down-river locks, The boatman missed the snubbing post with his hawser. The boat smashed Into the lock walls and the gates. They were smashed and the lock tender was shook right out of bed. He thought there had been an earthquake. The canal was blocked until the gates and masonry walls could be repaired. That outfit had to pay damages and a heavy fine." Resuming his stories, the "old-timer" goes on: "Those there packet boats is too stuck up. They are given the right of way over the freighters. Why, one time we were in a lock, and they hitched up their horses to our boats and pulled them right out and went through the lock first. The frelghters bring more tolls to the canal, but all the men passengers, eight or ten, jumped out and told us we had better not or we would be the ones knocked into the canal. They looked tough, too, and we were only two and a boy. All we could do was swear, which you can believe we did. "
Lots of times In the summer, boys would drop on the boat from an over- head bridge, and ride along to the next one where they would swing off. When food got monotonous, we would sometimes drop off a boat and sneak some roasting ears or apples. It was too bad if a duck or chicken wandered too close to the canal, it might find itself in the stewing pot.
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It isn't as much fun now. Many of the outfits have a woman cook. It's a family affair. The boy drives the mules. When a boy is old enough, he becomes a boatman. I know of one outfit that started up in Lockhaven, went down to Duncannon, from there up the Juniata canal, across the incline railroad and finally into the Ohio. That boat ended up in New Orleans. I've been told our canal has so much business that it can't carry it all. Just last year the tolls on our division from Wilkes-Barre to Northumberland took in over $100,000.00 and it has been Increasing every year since the canal was built."
Such were the scenes and conversation that might have been experienced about 1850, every detail of which is recorded at some place or other. If we had really been living back in the 1850's, we would have had to break off our conversation and make our long way back up to town through weeds at the side of the road, dodging as best we could the clouds of dust which the lumbering dray wagons made hauling their loads to and from Port Noble. Apparently the peak of prosperity for the canals was in 1864 during the last year of the Civil War when the amount of $181,408.00 in tolls was reached for the North Branch section. "| hear they're planning a railroad down the river from Scranton to Bloomsburg," might have been an old timer 's remark.
The canal followed the north and west bank of the river. Catawissa, Mifflinville, and other towns on the east and south bank did not have ready access. Where bridges had not already been constructed, people began to demand them in place of rope ferries. A bridge at Berwick for the highway from the Lehigh Section to Tioga had been completed in 1814. This will be referred to again. With no other bridge above Sunbury and below Wilkes-Barre, many leading men in the county and others wishing better communications with the down-state regions became active in advocatino a bridge at Catawissa. Christian Brobst again was one of the leaders. This bridge was constructed and opened for traffic in 1833. A bridge at Danville, agitation for which had been started at about the same time, was completed in 1829.
Stock Companies and Toll Bridges in Place of Ferries
The state government aided in many public improvements at that time. The procedures in the construction of the Catawissa bridge afford an excellent example. The legislature appropriated ten thousand dollars to purchase bridge company stock on condition that private Individuals would secure the necessary additional funds to complete the bridge. The entire cost eventually was $26,000. The subscribers, including the State, held stock, that is shares. Tolls were charged and the shareholders received dividends from the income after necessary expenses had been met. The state later sold its stock and used the income to construct a wagon road along what is now called the Catawissa narrows. Covered Bridges as Engineering Achievements
These bridges were of wood, as were most bridges constructed at that time when labor for stone bridges was scarce and wood was plentiful. Gradu- ally the carpenters who had learned to use heavy timbers in barn construction learned how to make longer and longer and longer bridges. Eventually, some of the longest came to be remarkable feats of engineering. Columbia county, at one time or another, had some of the more remarkable of these wooden bridges, although never a "record breaker ."
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1 The first briage would be a stout set of beams between the banks of the stream. When the load became greater, or the span wider, or both, a dangerous sag would indicate the need of strengthening.
2 This might be by diagonal braces underneath, but they would obstruct the water when the stream was at flood. Not shown.
3 This was overcome by a king post and braces, or a king-post truss. This would enable the bridge to soan a greater distance with greater strength.
4 Still greater length was secured by a queen- post truss. This is a queen-bost truss.
5 A series of queen-post trusses might carry the bridge over a still wider span, but there were limits to the length of such a span. Theodore Furr, a famous engineer, who built many famous bricges of great length and strength, originated the Eurr kino-post arch truss.
6 One of his first bridges and one of the first on the Susquehanna anywhere was the noted bridge at Ferwick constructed in 1814, of this Purr arch truss.
Cur bridges were roofed over to protect the timbers from rotting. These bridges, testimony to the ability of our forebears, are gradually disappearing under the stress of automobile and auto-truck traffic. Pennsylvania still has a large number of them and Columbia County is among the Pennsylvania counties that still have the largest number.
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Covered Bridge Memorial
The County Commissioners some years ago agreed to preserve the covered tridge at Stillwater as a memorial to these splendid structures. All vehicular traffic is blocked off, now, but it is open to pedestrians living across the creek. It is the second longest snan wooden bridge ever constructed in the County, 1849. Below Bloomsburg, a bridge now gone since the late 1920's. was unusual in that it had two passages, separated by heavy structural timbers in the center. it was called the "Double-track Bridge" and was a very long single span. This bridge was built in 1840 at a cost of $2,150. The three-span reinforced concrete structure to replace it in 1923, cost more than ten times as much. The longest single span bridge in the county, anc the longest span over any streams other than the river, is the bridge across the creek at Rubert, 185 feet 4 inches long. These last three bridges mentioned are or were all of the Burr arch and king-post type of bridge.
It is considered that the inventor's skill shown in these bridges led later to the construction of truss bridges using structural steel instead of wooden members. Many other types of trusses were also developed.
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Railroads in Our County: The Catawissa Railroad
Despite the great benefit of canals, there were many regions that did not have ready access to them. Mines for coal and iron and quarries for stone, to be told about below, were in especial need for better transporta- tion. The first railroad to be completed in Pennsylvania, and one of the first in America was from Mauch Chunk to Summit Hill, In 1827. Christian Brobst, five years before, was advocating a railroad, again planning it for the route up the valley of the Catawissa Creek, and then reaching the upper Schuylkill valley by means of a tunnel. He devised home-made surveying instruments by which he took levels and marked out routes in the rugged terrain along the Catawissa Creek. Later, trained surveyors were to marvel to find that the levels as Brobst had marked them out were never out of true by more than six feet. Brobst was able to interest other men both In the region and in Philadelphia. Money was raised and construction work started in 1835 and continued for several years. Then a Philadelphia bank, which had been giving financial aid, failed. Other financial difficulties at the time of the great panic of 1837 caused the work to be given up, not to be resumed until 1853 by a new company. The road was pushed through to completion and extended from Catawissa and thence to Rupert and Danville. Col. Paxton was active in securing this extension, planned originally to reach Williamsport, but never carried farther than Milton. Col. Paxton was also instrumental in having the charter for this extension in 1850 contain the provision that the road should not "diverge more than one mile from the mouth of Fishing Creek." This required the route to pass his property and continue through Dutch valley rather than to follow the river to Danville. By 1854 trains were running from the head of the Schuylkill valley to Milton on the West Branch.
Besides being the first railroad built serving our county and region, this Catawissa Railroad was noted formerly for the beauty of the scenery afforded in the wild country in the upper Catawissa valley as it carried the passengers over bridges of breath-taking height until the terminus in the Schuylkill valley was reached. it is now part of the Philadelphia and Reading railroad system.
Other Railroads
In but a few years, citizens of Wilkes-Barre joined with those from our region in raising money to finance a road from Lackawanna "Creek" to Bloomsburg. The road was constructed as far as Rupert in 1858 and extended to Northumberland in 1859.
Berwick, Bloomsburg, Danville as well as Catawissa were allbenefited greatly by these improvements. As in the case of the canal, the construction workers brought prosperous conditions, and many stayed to increase the population. Rupert especially became an important junction point and freight depot with facilities of canal and two railroads. This Is what Col. Paxton intended.
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Although it takes us a little ahead of our story, it will be convenient to list the other railroad ventures in our county region.
1870. The Sunbury, Hazleton, and Wilkes-Barre was constructed up the river to Catawissa, thence up the creek valley through Main and Beaver townships to the coal regions of Hazleton. The section from Catawissa to Hazleton was later abandoned.
1881. This road was extended on the south side of the river to Wilkes-Barre. Both of the last two enterprises came under the control of the Pennsyl- vania system. The Sunbury to Wilkes-Barre continues to be an important segment of that system.
1888. The Bloomsburg and Sullivan railroad was constructed up the valley of Fishing Creek primarily as a means of getting out the lumber of the North Mountain region. The section from Benton to Jamison City was abandoned when the lumber was exhausted. The remainder is now controlled by the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad.
1891. The Susquehanna, Bloomsburg, and Berwick (S.B. & B. ), now part of the Pennsylvania system, connects the West Branch at Watsontown with Mill- ' ville, Bloomsburg, and Berwick through the valleys of Cabin Run, Big and Little Fishing Creek, Spruce Run, and Chillisquaque. A branch formerly reaching Orangeville was soon abandoned.
Importance of Railroads
At the turn of the century, 1890, 1900, 1910, what scenes of activity were to be noted at the railroad junction points! At Bloomsburg four times a day passengers patronizing the Lackawanna facilities up and down the river would change to and from those using the Bloomsburg and Sullivan from "up the creek", meaning Big Fishing Creek. At Paper Mill, now the location of the Bloomsburg Sand and Gravel, it was possible to take the S. B. & B. train for points between Berwick and Watsontown, Millville, and Washingtonville. At Rupert the Lackawanna made junction with the Reading. This Reading branch brought passengers to or took them from Danville and Milton and points between and also to Catawissa, Mainville, Ringtown and on to Pottsville. At Catawissa also, the Pennsylvania lines exchanged passengers down the river with its own branches to Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton. Up at Nescopeck, still another line of the Pennsylvania took the passengers up the Nescopeck Creek Valley to reach eventually into the Schuylkill Valley. Local and distant passengers gathering in the waiting rooms, exchanging the latest gossip, meeting some acquaintance unexpectedly, the unfamiliar passenger nervously consulting his time table in fear that he might take the wrong train -- all of these made the stations at Rupert and Catawissa as well as at Bloomsburg, scenes of colorful activity that hardly can be imagined in this day of neglect of the railroads. At the same time, over in the freight stations, there was also much heavy work as the freight cars were loaded and unloaded or shifted from one road to another. With five railroads,
Bloomsburg, it was prophesied, would become an important railroad point, and Catawissa, with its extensive railroad repair shops, would not be far behind. Car shops were started at Bloomsburg, but the largest industry of the region, the American Car and Foundry Company, dependent on railroads, developed at Berwick. Other industries were aided in almost all the towns also.
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Iron
Iron was needed by the pioneer settlers. It was indispensable. Horses and oxen needed to be shod and re-shod as their shoes wore out. The implements, whether for household or for farm, especially plough shares would wear out, would get lost, would be broken. The blacksmith was one of the first craftsman to establish himself. But he had to have material to work with. Transporting heavy iron stock or implements by pack horse or horse-drawn vehicles -- the only transportation at first -- was extremely expensive and inadequate for the needs. Even after the coming of the canals and railroads, the expense was such that the early settler hoped for a source of iron near at hand.
Iron Ore and Making Iron
Our county, similar to other sections of central Pennsylvania, had generous supplies of the materials for the first establishment of the one- time important iron industry. What are these materials?
First: Earths or rocks which will yield iron in paying quantities, i.e. iron ore.
Second: Fuet to meit the ore and separate the iron from its impurities. Charcoal was needed for this purpose, although it was later found that anthracite coal or coke could be used.
Third: Certain types of impurities in the ore need a substance called a flux in order that the ore may be separated from them. Lime stone provides such a flux.
The early iron industry in older parts of the State nave experience to persons who were able to provide beginnings in our region.
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Charcoal Furnaces and Boos
In 1815 John Hauck built and operated a char- coal furnace on Furnace Run near Catawissa Creek. At this site was the water power needed for the blast and an abundance of wood for charcoal. (See diagram) He built a corduroy road across the swamp in Espy and secured bon iron ore from the north side of the Espy swamp. It was hauled by horse teams and wagons over this road. The river was crossed at this place by means of a rose ferry, and thence to the Nainville furnace.4 The operation of this furnace leads to the Inference that the quarrying of limestone must Lighter slag drawn off have been started at such early cate in Scott here when melted- L Heavy molten iron drawn Township, and that it was also hauled across off at bottom. the ferry at Espv. The completion of the Reading Road from Catawissa and the construction of Mine Gap Road led to the hauling of bing iran are from the swamps on the summit of Locust Mountain near modern Centralia. The
teamsters, it is related, habitually added water to their already camp product when close to Mainville in order to increase its weight and thus secure a higher fee.
"There are references to ores found near Bloomstura, but these are inconsistent with The statement that the first discovery was in 1822 in Hemlock, see below.
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Such a furnace produced pig iron, which was sent to Reading to be forged into usable products. The Mainville forge for the same purpose was con- structed nearby in 1826. Although Mainville was later to have the benefit of two railroads, these early iron enterprises after lasting about sixty years, both were given up about 1880, the furnace earlier than the forge. The construction of the Reading Road (1817) led also to the opening of Esther Furnace probably in 1822. ( If opened before 1822, it would have used available bog ore. ). This was a charcoal furnace and its product was exclusively pig iron. The abundance of wood for charcoal as well as Roaring Creek for power led to this location. During the Civil War days, a shipment of pig iron sent to New Jersey and thence south, was captured. This event combined with a location distant from railroad and canal both for raw materials and for markets led to its abandonment. Its ore and limestone had to be hauled from the region of Bloomsburg. Discovery of Rock Ores
Iron ore was discovered by a farm helper ploughing in a field near Fishing Creek in Hemlock Township in 1822. Mines were speedily opened here and at other places west on Montour Ridge. Similar rock formations in the hills north and east of Bloomsburg led to further mining ventures. These hills east and west of Fishing Creek and far west beyond Hemlock Creek were soon to be pock marked with drift and pit openings. In the fifty years following, while the accessible ores were mined, millions of tons were secured. Similar discoveries in the Danville region led to the opening of a number of furnaces, the first in 1837. In the Bloomsburg region the ores were at first shipned to the furnaces already opened south of the river, and to others at a distance. Why was this the case? We can infer that wood was getting scarce in the immediate vicinity. Power was necessary for bellows to create a forced draft in a furnace, and for forging machinery. The smaller streams seem to have been "harnessed" earlier than the larger ones to provide this power.
Columbia Furnace at Foundryville
In 1825 George Mack established a small foundry on a branch of Briar Creek, a site soon named Foundryville. It was called the Columbia Furnace. It changed hands a number of times and finally failed about 1845. Incom-
plete records show that thousands of tons of ore were secured from mines in the neighborhood of Bloomsburg and smelted. Not only was pig iron produced for shipment to other foundry's but iron stoves and various utensils were cast. Large orders of plates were sent to the Lancaster and Columbia Railroad, then building. The rails rested on these plates.
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