USA > Pennsylvania > Columbia County > History of Columbia County, Pennsylvania. Sponsored by the Columbia County Historical Society and Commissioners of Columbia County. Volume One > Part 8
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Ch. V
Will Canals Meet the Need for Better Transportation? Probst's Plan
The Erie canal had been but recently constructed in New York. It had proved to be a great success. As a result many canal schemes originated in Pennsylvania to overcome its many transportation difficulties. Christian Brobst came up with an original and daring scheme. This was to follow the valley of the Catawissa Creek to its headwaters, where by crossing a three mile divide the upper reaches of the Schuylkill river valley would be reached, giving access down that valley to the rich and populous south east. His full plan would have continued the route by river to Northumberland, up the West Branch and beyond that river by means of another canal to Erie. This plan, after having given much study, was given up.
The North Branch Canal
But canals were not given up. Pennsylvania, about 1828, started to build what eventually became a system of canals on all the major streams of the Commonwealth. The canal on the North Branch might have been delayed or omitted if it had not been for Brobst. The "down-state" men wished the main stem canal at the south to be constructed first. Probst, as a member of the State legislature to which he had been elected, was influential in securing the early construction of the North Branch canal. In fact, Brobst, along with other up-state representatives, blocked action in the legislature until the branch lines also were assured.
A humerous bit of dialogue has been preserved: A down-state represent- ative, learning that Brobst was a carpenter, asked if he had ever built a house by constructing the roof first. To which Brobst responded by asking his opponent if he had ever dug a well by digging the bottom first!
Construction of the North Branch canal was started at Berwick in 1828. It was opened along the river as far as Pittston in 1834. The whole North Branch system was not in full operation to New York until 1856. The cost was $1,598,379.35. Soon the canals were carrying a very large amount of traffic. Our North Branch canal was finally abandoned in 1901. This was at about the same time that the other parts of Pennsylvania's vast canal system were given up. The state never got back more than a mere fraction of the millions of dollars it put into its canal system. Importance of the Canal
While the canals were at their height of patronage they carried an immense amount of traffic. For our region, they helped get our farm produce to market.
Almost immediately afterthe canals were begun conditions through 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, and to build the bridges , to carry roads across the canal, and to build other special types of bridges, aqueducts, to carry the canal 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 readily, the products of our early industries, tanneries, sawmills, and others, also could be marketed
-One of the largest was the aqueduct which carried our canal across Fishing Creek, at Rupert.
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more readily. New industries wore 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. Here isa 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 retail 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 activitity taking place at the canal ports of Berwick and Danville and also at the hundreds of other places served the the great canal system, then at its height of importance.
"See below for further reference to the Espy boat.
3 Being 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 that he 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 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 freighters bring more tolls to the canal than the packets. We would have knocked the packet crew into 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 stowing 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. Then 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. " I hear they're planning a railroad down the river from Scranton to Bloomsburg," might have been 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 advocating 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 dollard 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 held stock, that is shares. Tolls were charged and the shareholders received dividens 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 bridge 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 strengthen- ing
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 king-post truss. This would enable the bridge to span a greater distance with greater strength.
4 Still greater length was secured by a queen- post truss. This is a Queen-post truss.
5 A series of queen-post trusses might carry the bridge over a still wider span, but there were 5 limits to the length of such a span. Theodore Burr, a famous engineer, who built many famous bridges of great length and strength, originated the Burr king-post arch truss.
6 One of his first bridges and one of the first on the Susquehanna anywhere was the noted bridge at Berwick constructed in 1814, of this Burr arch truss.
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Our 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 at this time, 1958, and Columbia county is among the Pennsylvania counties that still have the larger number.
Covered Bridge Memorial
The County Commissioners some years ago agreed to preserve the covered bridge 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 span 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, seperated 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, and the longest span over any streams other than the river, is the bridge across the creek at Rupert, 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 of these bridge builders 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 Probst, five years before, was advocating a railroad, again planning it for the route up the valley of the Catewissa 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 Catawisse 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 Crock." This required the route to pass his property and continue through Dutch valley rather than to follow the river to Danville. By 1854 trains wore 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 all benefited 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 Pennsylvania 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 Jemison City was abandoned when the lumber was exhausted. The reaminder 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 Millville, Bloomsburg, and Borwick 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 Denville 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, mecting 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 stationsat 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 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 sided in almost all the towns also.
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Iron
Horses
Iron was needed by the pioneer settlers. It was indispensable. 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 vehicle -- 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 carly 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.c. iron ore.
Second: Fuel to melt 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 gave experience to persons who were able to provide beginnings in our region. Charcoal Furnaces and Bogs
In 1815 John Hauck built and operated a charcoal 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. (Sec diagram) He built a corduroy road across the swamp in Espy and secured bog iron Lood here 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 rope ferry, and thence to the Mainville furnace.4 High Bank The operation of this furnace leads to the inference that the quarrying of limestone must 7 1 have been started at such early date in Scott Township, and that it was also hauled across 10 Fueld the ferry at Espy. The completion of the Reading Road from Catawissa and the construction Ballons - ? of Mine Gap Road led to the hauling of bog iron ore from the swamps on the summit of Locust Mountain near modern Centralia. The teamsters, it is related, habitually added water to their already damp product when close to Mainville in order to increase its weight and thus secure a higher foe.
There are references to ores found near Bloomsburg, but this is 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 or Rook Ores
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