History of Cumberland and Adams counties, Pennsylvania. Containing history of the counties, their townships, towns, villages, schools, churches, industries, etc.; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; biographies; history of Pennsylvania, statistical and miscellaneous matter, etc., etc, Part 17

Author:
Publication date:
Publisher: W. Taylor
Number of Pages: 1280

USA > Pennsylvania > Adams County > History of Cumberland and Adams counties, Pennsylvania. Containing history of the counties, their townships, towns, villages, schools, churches, industries, etc.; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; biographies; history of Pennsylvania, statistical and miscellaneous matter, etc., etc > Part 17
USA > Pennsylvania > Cumberland County > History of Cumberland and Adams counties, Pennsylvania. Containing history of the counties, their townships, towns, villages, schools, churches, industries, etc.; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; biographies; history of Pennsylvania, statistical and miscellaneous matter, etc., etc > Part 17

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

583.067

14,904

2.882,303

1×48.

670,321

1,714,365

685,196

19,356

3,089,238

1849 ..

781,656

1,683, 425

732,910

15,075

3,242,966

1850.

690,456

1.782,936

827,823

57,684

3,358,899

1851.

964,224

2.229,426

1,156,167

99,099

4.449,916

1852.

1,072,136

2,517,493

1,284,500

119,349

4,993. 471

1853.

1.054,309

2,551,603

1,475,732

113,507

5,195, 151

1×74.

1,207,186

2.957,670

1,603,473

234,090

6,002,334

1855.

1,284,113

3.318,555

1,771,511

234.388

6.608,517

1×56.

1.351,970

3,289,585

1,972,581

313.444

6,927,580

1857

1,318.541

2,985,541

1,952,603

388,256

6,661,941

1,350,030

2,902,821

9,186,001

370,424

6,759,369

1859,

1,628,311

3.004,953

2.731,236

413,755

7,808,255

1860.

1,821,674

3,270.516

2,941,817

479,116

8,513,123

1461.

1,738,377

2.697.439

3,055,140

463,308

7,054,314

1×62.

1,351,054

2.890,593

3,1-15,770

481,990

7,875,412

1863.

1.894,713

3.433.265

3,759,610

478,418

9,566,006

1864 ..

2,054,669

3,642,218

3,960,836

519,752

10,177.475

1865.

2.040,913

3,755,802

3,254,519

621,157

9,652,391

1866.

2.179,364

4,957,180

4,736,616

830,722

12,703,882

1967 ..

2,502,054

4,331,820

5,325,000

826,851

12,991,725

1868.

2.507,582

4,414,356

5.990,813

921.381

13,834,132

1869.

1,929,523

4,821,253

6.068,369

903.885

13,723,030

1870 ..

3.172,916

3,853,016

7,825,128

998,839

15,849,899

18:1.

9,235,707

6,552,772

6,911,242

15,699,721

1872.

3.873,339

6,694,890

9.101,549

19,669,778

1873 ..

3,905,596

7.212,601

10,309.755

21,227,952

1874.

3.773.836

6.866,877

9,504,408

20,145,121

1875.

2.831,605

6.281.712

10,596.155

19,712,472

1876 ..

3,854.919

6 921,934

8.424,158

18,501.011

1877.

1.332.760

8.195,042

8.300,377

20,828,179

1878.

3,237,449

6.282,226

8,085,587

17,605.262

1879.

-1.595,567

8,960,329

12.586,298

26.112,689

1880.

4.463,221

7.551.712

11.419,279

23.437.24%

1941.

5,294,676

9,253.954

13,951,383

28,500,016

1×82.

5.649.437

9.459.288

13.971.371

29,120,090

1883.

6.113,809

10,071,726

15,604,492

31,793,029

1×29

25,110

79.973

54,000

176,820

1532.

70,000

209,271

48,047

1827.

32,074

31.360

77.516

365

1×58

120

HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA

the gathering shades he stumbled upon something which seemed to have a glistening appearance, that he was induced to pick up and carry home. This specimen was taken to Philadelphia, where an analysis showed it to be a good quality of anthracite coal. But, though coal was known to exist, no one knew how to use it. In 1812, Col. George Shoemaker, of Schuylkill County, took nine wagon loads to Philadelphia. But he was looked upon as an imposter for attempting to sell worthless stone for coal. He finally sold two loads for the cost of transportation, the remaining seven proving a complete loss. In 1812, White & Hazard, manufacturers of wire at the Falls of Schuylkill, in- duced an application to be made to the Legislature to incorporate a com pany for the improvement of the Schuylkill, urging as an inducement the im- portance it would have for transporting coal; whereupon, the Senator from that district, in his place, with an air of knowledge, asserted "that there was no coal there, that there was a kind of black stone which was called coal, but that it would not burn."

White & Hazard procured a cart load of Lehigh coal that cost them $1 a bushel, which was all wasted in a vain attempt to make it ignite. Another cart load was obtained, and a whole night spent in endeavoring to make a fire in the furnace, when the hands shut the furnace door and left the mill in de- spair. "Fortunately one of them left his jacket in the mill, and returning for it in about half an hour, noticed that the door was red hot, and upon opening it, was surprised at finding the whole furnace at a glowing white heat. The other hands were summoned, and four separate parcels of iron were heated and rolled by the same fire before it required renewing. The furnace was replenished, and as letting it alone had succeeded so well, it was concluded to try it again, and the experiment was repeated with the same result. The Lehigh Navigation Company and the Lehigh Coal Company were incorporated in 1818, which companies became the basis of the Lehigh Coal and Naviga- tion Company, incorporated in 1822. In 1820, coal was sent to Philadelphia by artificial navigation, but 365 tons glutted the market." In 1825, there were brought by the Schuylkill 5,378 tons. In 1826, by the Schuylkill, 16,265 tons, and by the Lehigh 31,280 tons. The stage of water being in- sufficient, dams and sluices were constructed near Mauch Chunk, in 1819, by which the navigation was improved. The coal boats used were great square arks, 16 to 18 feet wide, and 20 to 25 feet long. At first, two of these were joined together by hinges, to allow them to yield up and down in passing over the dams. Finally, as the boatmen became skilled in the navigation, several were joined, attaining a length of 180 feet. Machinery was used for jointing the planks, and so expert had the men become that five would build an ark and launch it in forty-five minutes. After reaching Philadelphia, these boats were taken to pieces, the plank sold, and the hinges sent back for constructing others. Such were the crude methods adopted in the early days for bringing coal to a market. In 1827, a railroad was commenced, which was completed in three months, nine miles in length. This, with the exception of one at Quincy, Mass., of four miles, built in 1826, was the first constructed in the United States. The descent was 100 feet per mile, and the coal descended by gravity in a half hour, and the cars were drawn back by mules, which rode down with the coal. "The mules cut a most grotesque figure, standing three or four together, in their cars. with their feeding troughs before them, appar- ently surveying with delight the scenery of the monntain; and though they preserve the most profound gravity, it is utterly impossible for the spectator to maintain his. It is said that the mules, having once experienced the com- fort of riding down, regard it as a right, and neither mild nor severe measures

121

HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

will induce them to descend in any other way." Bituminous coal was discov. pred and its qualities utilized not much earlier than tho anthracite. A tract of coal lund was taken up in Clearfield County in 1785, by Mr. S. Boyd, and in 1504 he sent an ark down the Susquehanna to Columbia, which cuused much surprise to the inhabitants that "an article with which they were wholly unacquainted should be brought to their own doors."

During the administrations of George Wolf, elected in 1829, and Joseph Ritner, elected in 1835, a measure of great beneficence to the State was passed and brought into a good degree of snecessful operation-nothing less than a broad system of publie education. Schools had been early established in Philadelphia, and parochial schools in the more populous portions of the State from the time of early settlement. In 1749, through the influence of Dr. Franklin, a charter was obtained for a "college, academy, and charity school of Pennsylvania," and from this time to the beginning of the present century, the friends of education were earnest in establishing colleges, the Colonial Government, and afterward the Legislature, making liberal grants from the revenues accruing from the sale of lands for their support, the uni- versity of Pennsylvania being chartered in 1752, Dickinson College in 1783, Franklin and Marshall College in 1787, and Jefferson College in 1802. Com- mencing near the beginning of this century, and continuing for over a period of thirty years, vigorous exertions were put forth to establish county acad mies. Charters were granted for these institutions at the county seats of forty one counties, and appropriations were made of money, varying from $2,000 to $6,000, and in several instances of quite extensive land grants. In 1509, an act was passed for the education of the "poor, gratis." The Asses- sors in their annual rounds were to make a record of all such as were indi- gent, and pay for their edneation in the most convenient schools. But fow were found among the spirited inhabitants of the commonwealth willing to admit that they were so poor as to be objects of charity.

By the act of April 1, 1834, a general system of education by common schools was established. Unfortunately it was complex and unwieldy. At the next session an attempt was made to repeal it, and substitute the old law of 1809 for educating the " poor, gratis," the ropeal having been carried in the Senate. But through the appeals of Thaddous Stevens, a man always in the van in every movement for the elevation of mankind, this was defeated. At the next session, 1836, an entirely new bill, discarding the objectionable foat- ures of the old one, was prepared by Dr. George Smith, of Delaware County. and adopted, and from this time forward has been in efficient operation. It may spem strange that so long a time should have elapsed before a general system of «Incation should have been secured. But the diversity of origin and lan- gnage, the antagonism of religious seats, the very great sparseness of popula- tion in many parts, made it impossible at an earlier day to establish schools. In 1854, the system was improved by engrafting upon it the feature of the County Superintendency, and in 1859 by providing for the establishment of twelve Normal Schools, in as many districts into which the State was divided, for the professional training of teachers.

122

HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CHAPTER XIV.

DAVID R. PORTER, 1839-45-FRANCIS R. SHUNK, 1845-48-WILLIAM F. JOHNSTONE 1848-52-WILLIAM BIGLER, 1852-55-JAMES POLLOCK, 1855-58-WILLIAM F. PACKER, 1858-61-ANDREW G. CURTIN, 1861-67-JOHN W. GEARY, 1867-73- JOHN F. HARTRANFT, 1873-78-HENRY F. HOYT, 1878-82-ROBERT E. PAT- TISON, 1882.

TN 1837, a convention assembled in Harrisburg, and subsequently in Philadel- phia, for revising the constitution, which revision was adopted by a vote of the people. One of the chief objects of the change was the breaking up of what was known as "omnibus legislation," each bill being required to have but one distinct subject, to be definitely stated in the title. Much of the pat- ronage of the Governor was taken from him, and he was allowed but two terms of three years in any nine years. The Senator's term was fixed at three years. The terms of Supreme Court Judges were limited to fifteen years, Common Pleas Judges to ten, and Associate Judges to five. A step backward was taken in limiting suffrage to white male citizens twenty-one years old, it having pre- viously been extended to citizens irrespective of color. Amendments could be proposed ouce in five years, and if adopted by two successive Legislatures, and approved by a vote of the people, they became a part of the organic law.

At the opening of the gubernatorial term of David R. Porter, who was chosen in October, 1838, a civil commotion occurred known as the Buckshot War, which at one time threatened a sanguinary result. By the returns, Porter had some 5,000 majority over Ritner, but the latter, who was the in- cumbent, alleged frauds, and proposed an investigation and revision of the returns. Thomas H. Burrows was Secretary of State, and Chairman of the State Committee of the Anti-Masonic party, and in an elaborate address to the people setting forth the grievance, he closed with the expression " let us treat the election as if we had not been defeated." This expression gave great offense to the opposing party, the Democratic, and public feeling ran high before the meeting of the Legislature. Whether an investigation could be had would depend upon the political complexion of that body. The Senate was clearly Anti-Masonic, aud the House would depend upon the Representatives of a certain district in Philadelphia, which embraced the Northern Liberties. The returning board of this district had a majority of Democrats, who pro- ceeded to throw out the entire vote of Northern Liberties, for some alleged irregularities, and gave the certificate to Democrats. Whereupon, the minor- ity of the board assembled, and counted the votes of the Northern Liberties, which gave the election to the Anti-Masonic candidates, and sent certificates accordiugly. By right and justice, there is no doubt that the Anti-Masons were fairly elected. But the majority of a returning board alone have authority to make returns, and the Democrats had the certificates which bore prima facie evidence of being correct, and should have been received and transmitted to the House, where alone rested the authority to go behind the returns and investigate their correctness. But upon the meeting of the House the Secretary of the Commonwealth sent in the certificates of the minority of the returning board of the Northern Liberties district, which gave the major- i'y to the Anti-Masons. But the Democrats were not disposed to submit, and

123

HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

the consequence was that two delegations from the disputed district appeared, demanding seats, and upon the organization, two Speakers were elected and took the platform-Thomas S. Cunningham for the Anti-Masons, and Will. ium Hopkins for the Democrats. At this stage of the game, an infuriated lobby, collected from Philadelphia and surrounding cities, broke into tho two Houses, and, interrupting all business, threatened the lives of members, and compelled them to seek safety in flight, when they took uncontrolled pos. session of the chambers and indulged in noisy and impassioned harangues. From the capitol, the mob proceeded to the court house, where a "committoo of safety " was appointed. For several days the members dared not enter either House, and when one of the parties of the House attempted to assemble, the person who had been appointed to act as Speaker was forcibly ejected. All business was at an end, and the Executive and State Departments were closed. At this juncture, Gov. Ritner ordered out the militia, and at the same time called on the United States authorities for help. The militia, under Gens. l'attison and Alexander, came promptly to the rescue, but the President refused to furnish the National troops, though the United States storekeeper at the Frankford Arsenal turned over a liberal supply of ball and buckshot cartridges. The arrival of the militia only served to fire the spirit of the lobby, and they immediately commenced drilling and organizing, supplying themselves with arms and fixed ammunition. The militia authorities were, however, able to clear the capitol, when the two Houses assembled, and the Senate signified the willingness to recognize that branch of the House presided over by Mr. Hop- kins. This ended the difficulty, and Gov. Porter was duly inaugurated.

Francis R. Shunk was chosen Governor in 1845, and during his term of office the war with Mexico occurred. Two volunteer regiments, one under command of Col. Wynkoop, and the other under Col. Roberts, subsequently Col. John W. Geary, were sent to the field, while the services of a much larger number were offered, but could not be received. Toward the close of his first term, having been reduced by sickness, and feeling his end approach- ing, Gov. Shunk resigned, and was succeeded by the Speaker of the Senate, William F. Johnston, who was duly chosen at the next annual election. Dur- ing the administrations of William Bigler, elected in 1851, James Pollock in IS54, and William F. Packer in 1857, little beyond the ordinary course of events marked the history of the State. The lines of public works undertaken at the expense of the State were completed. Their cost had been enormous, and a debt was piled up against it of over $40,000,000. These works, vastly expensive, were still to operate and keep in repair, and the revenues therefrom failing to meet expectations, it was determined in the administration of Gov. Pollock to sell them to the highest bidder, the Pennsylvania Railroad Com- pany purchasing them for the sum of $7,500, 000.

In the administration of Gov. Packer, petroleum was first discovered in quantities in this country by boring into the bowels of the earth. From the earliest settlement of the country it was known to exist. As early as July 18, 1027. a French missionary. Joseph Delaroche Daillon, of the order of Recol- lets, described it in a letter published in 1632, in Segard's L'Histoire du Canada, and this description is confirmed by the journal of Charlevois, 1721. Fathers Dollier and Galinee, missionaries of the order of St. Sulpice, made a map of this section of country, which they sent to Jean Talon, Intendent of Canada, on the 10th of November, 1670, on which was marked at about the point where is now the town of Cuba. N. Y., "Fontaine de Bitume." The Earl of Belmont, Governor of New York, instructed his chief engineer, Wolfgang W. Romer, on September 3, 1700, in his visit to the Six Nations,

124

HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

" To go and view a well or spring which is eight miles beyond the Seneks' farthest castle, which they have told me blazes up in a flame, when a lighted coale or firebrand is put into it; you will do well to taste the said water, and give me your opinion thereof, and bring with you some of it." Thomas Cha- bert de Joncaire, who died in September, 1740, is mentioned in the journal of Charlevoix of 1721 as authority for the existence of oil at the place mentioned above, and at points further south, probably on Oil Creek. The following account of an event occurring during the occupancy of this part of the State by the French is given as an example of the religious uses made of oil by the Indians, as these fire dances are understood to have been annually celebrated: "While descending the Allegheny, fifteen leagues below the mouth of the Connewango (Warren) and three above Fort Venango (Oil City), we were invited by the chief of the Senecas to attend a religious ceremony of his tribe. We landed and drew up our canoes on a point where a small stream entered the river. The tribe appeared unusually solemn. We marched up the stream about a half a league, where the company, a large band it appeared, had arrived some days before us. Gigantic hills begirt us on every side. The scene was really sublime. The great chief then recited the conquests and heroisms of their ancestors. The surface of the stream was covered with a thick scum, which burst into a complete conflagration. The oil had been gathered and lighted with a torch. At sight of the flames, the Indians gave forth a triumphant shout, and made the hills and valley re-echo again."

In nearly all geographies and notes of travel published during the early period of settlement, this oil is referred to, and on several maps the word petro- leum appears opposite the mouth of Oil Creek. Gen. Washington, in his will, in speaking of his lands on the Great Kanawha, says: "The tract of which the 125 acres is a moiety, was taken up by Gen. Andrew Lewis and myself, for and on account of a bituminous spring which it contains of so inflammable a nat- ure as to burn as freely as spirits, and is as nearly difficult to extinguish." Mr. Jefferson, in his Notes on Virginia, also gives an account of a burning spring on the lower grounds of the Great Kanawha. This oil not ouly seems to have been known, but to have been systematically gathered in very early times. Upon the flats a mile or so below the city of Titusville are many acres of cradle holes dug out and lined with split logs, evidently constructed for the purpose of gathering it. The fact that the earliest inhabitants could never discover any stumps from which these logs were cut, and the further fact that trees are growing of giant size in the midst of these cradles, are evidences that they must have been operated long ago. It could not have been the work of any of the nomadic Indian tribes found here at the coming of the white man, for they were never known to undertake any enterprise involving so much labor, and what could they do with the oil when obtained.

The French could hardly have done the work, for we have no account of the oil having been obtained in quantities, or of its being transported to France. May this not have been the work of the Mound-Builders, or of colo. nies from Central America? When the writer first visited these pits, in 1855, he found a spring some distance below Titusville, on Oil Creek, where the water was conducted into a trough, from which, daily, the oil, floating on its surface, was taken off by throwing a woolen blanket upon it, and then wring- ing it into a tub, the clean wool absorbing the oil and rejecting the water, and in this way a considerable quantity was obtained.

In 1859, Mr. E. L. Drake, at first representing a company in New York, commenced drilling near the spot where this tub was located, and when the company would give him no more money, straining his own resources, and his

125

HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

credit with his friends almost to the breaking point, and when about to give up in despair, finally struck a powerful current of pure oil. From this time forward. the territory down the valley of Oil Creek and up all its tributaries was rapidly acquired and developed for oil land. In some places, the oil wus sent up with immense force, at the rate of thousands of barrels each day, and great trouble was experienced in bringing it under control and storing it. In soine cases, the force of the gas was so powerful ou being accidentally fired, as to defy all approach for many days, and lighted up the forests at night with billows of light.

The oil has been found in paying quantities in Mckean, Warren, Forest, Crawford, Venango, Clarion, Butler and Armstrong Counties, chiefly along the upper waters of the Allegheny River and its tributary, the Oil Creek. It was first transported in barrels, and teams were kept busy from the first dawn until far into the night. As soon as practicable, lines of railway were con- structed from nearly all the trunk lines. Finally barrels gave place to im- meuse iron tanks riveted upon ears, provided for the escape of the gases, and later great pipe lines were extended from the wells to the seaboard, and to the Great Lakes, through which the fluid is forced by steam to its distant destina- tions Its principal uses are for illumination and lubricating, though many of its products are employed in the mechanic arts, notably for dyeing, mixing of paints, and in the practice of medicine. Its production has grown to be enormous, and seems as yet to show no sign of diminution. We give an ex- hibit of the annual production since its discovery, compiled for this work by William JI. Siviter, editor of the Oil City Derrick, which is the acknowledged authority on oil matters:

Production of the Pennsylvania Oil Fields, compiled from the Derrick's Hand-book, December, 1883:

Barrels

Barrels.

1859

82,000

1873

9,849,508

1×60

500,000

1874

11.102,114

1861

2,113,000

1875

8.948,749

1562

3,056,606

1876

9.142,940

1863

2,611,399

1877

13.052,713

1864

2.116,182

1878

.15,011.425

1865

3.497,712

1879

.20.085,716

1806

3,597,512

1880

.24,788,950

1867

3.317,306

1868

3,715,741

1869

4,186,475

1883

.24,385,966

1870

5,308,046

1871

5,274,076

1872

6,505,774

A grand total of.

243,749,558

In the fall of IS60, Andrew G. Curtin was elected Governor of Pennsyl- vania, and Abraham Lincoln President of the United States. An organized rebellion, under the specious name of secession, was thereupon undertaken, embracing parts of fifteen States, commonly designated the Slave States, and a government established under the name of the Confederate States of America, with an Executive and Congress, which commenced the raising of troops for defense.

On the 12th of April, an attack was made upon a small garrison of United States troops shut up in Fort Sumter. This was rightly interpreted as the first act in a great drama. On the 15th, the President summoned 75,000 vol- unteers to vindicate the national authority, calling for sixteen regiments from Pennsylvania, and urging that two be sent forward immediately, as the capital was without defenders

The people of the State, having no idea that war could be possible, had no

1841

.29,674.158

1882

.31,789,190

126

HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

preparation for the event, There chanced at the time to be five companies in a tolerable state of organization. These were the Ringold Light Artillery, Capt. MeKnight, of Reading; the Logan Guards, Capt. Selheimer, of Lewis- town; the Washington Artillery, Capt. Wren, and the National Light Infan- try, Capt. McDonald, of Pottsville; and the Allen Rifles, Capt. Yeager, of Allentown.

On the 18th, in conjunction with a company of fifty regulars, on their way from the West to Fort McHenry, under command of Capt. Pemberton, after- ward Lieut. Gen. Pemberton, of the rebel army, these troops moved by rail for Washington. At Baltimore, they were obliged to march two miles through a jeering and insulting crowd. At the center of the city, the regulars filed off toward Fort McHenry, leaving the volunteers to pursue their way alone, when the crowd of maddened people were excited to redoubled insults. In the whole battalion there was not a charge of powder; but a member of the Logan Guards, who chanced to have a box of percussion caps in his pocket, had dis- tributed them to his comrades, who carried their pieces capped and half cocked, creating the impression that they were loaded and ready for service. This ruse undoubtedly saved the battalion from the murderous assault made upon the Massachusetts Sixth on the following day. Before leaving, they were pelted with stones and billets of wood while boarding the cars; but, fortu- nately, none were seriously injured, and the train finally moved away and reached Washington in safety, the first troops to come to the unguarded and imperiled capital.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Author: Publication date: Publisher: W. Taylor Number of Pages: 1280

Author:
Publication date:
Publisher: W. Taylor
Number of Pages: 1280