USA > Pennsylvania > Erie County > History of Erie county, Pennsylvania. Containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, villages schools, churches, industries, etc > Part 18
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A meeting of 260 delegates from the four counties was held at Parkinson's Ferry on the 14th of August, at which the state of their cause was considered, resolutions adopted, and a committee of sixty, one from each county, was ap- pointed, and a sub-committee of twelve was named to confer with the United States Commissioners, Mckean and Irvine. These conferences with the State and National Committees were successful in arranging preliminary conditions of settlement. On the 2d of October, the Committee of Safety of the insur- gents met at Parkinson's Ferry, and having now learned that a well-organized
116
HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.'
army, with Washington at its head, was marching westward for enforcing obedience to the laws, appointed a committee of two, William Findley and David Reddick, to meet the President, and assure him that the disaffected were disposed to return to their duty. They met Washington at Carlisle, and sev- gral conferences were held, and assurances given of implicit obedience; but the President said that as the troops had been called out, the orders for the march would not be countermanded. The President proceeded forward on the 11th of October to Chambersburg, reached Williamsport on the 13th and Fort Cumberland on the 14th, where he reviewed the Virginia and Maryland forces, and arrived at Bedford on the 19th. Remaining a few days, and being satis- fied that the sentiment of the people had changed, he returned to Philadel- phia, arriving on the 28th, leaving Gen. Lee to meet the Commissioners and make such conditions of pacification as should seem just. Another meeting of the Committee of Safety was held at Parkinson's Ferry on the 24th, at which assurances of abandonment of opposition to the laws were received, and the same committee, with the addition of Thomas Morton and Ephriam Douglass, was directed to return to headquarters and give assurance of this disposition. They did not reach Bedford until after the departure of Washington. But at Uniontown they met Gen. Lee, with whom it was agreed that the citizens of these four counties should subscribe to an oath to support the Constitution and obey the laws. Justices of the Peace issued notices that books were opened for subscribing to the oath, and Gen. Lee issued a judicious address urging ready obedience. Seeing that all requirments were being faithfully carried out, an order was issued on the 17th of November for the return of the army and its disbandment. A number of arrests were made and trials and convic- tions were had, but all were ultimately pardoned.
With the exception of a slight ebulition at the prospect of a war with France in 1797, and a resistance to the operation of the " Homestead Tax " in Lehigh, Berks and Northampton Counties, when the militia was called out, the re- mainder of the term of Gov. Mifflin passed in comparative quiet. By an act of the Legislature of the 3d of April, 1799, the capital of the State was re. moved to Lancaster, and soon after the capital of the United States to Wash- ington, the house on Ninth street, which had been built for the residence of the President of the United States, passing to the use of the University of Pennsyl- vania.
During the administrations of Thomas Mckean, who was elected Governor in 1799, and Simon Snyder in 1808, little beyond heated political contests marked the even tenor of the government, until the breaking-out of the troub- les which eventuated in the war of 1812. The blockade of the coast of France in 1806, and the retaliatory measures of Napoleon in his Berlin decree, swept American commerce, which had hitherto preserved a neutral attitude and prof- ited by European wars, from the seas. The haughty conduct of Great Britain in boarding American vessels for suspected deserters from the British Navy, under cover of which the grossest outrages were committed, American seaman being dragged from the decks of their vessels and impressed into the English service, induced President Jefferson, in July, 1807, to issue his proclamation ordering all British armed vessels to leave the waters of the United States, and forbidding any to enter, until satisfaction for the past and security for the future should be provided for. Upon the meeting of Congress in December, an embargo was laid, detaining all vessels, American and foreign, then in American waters, and ordering home all vessels abroad. Negotiations were conducted between the two countries, but no definite results were reached, and in the meantime causes of irritation multiplied until 1812, when President
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HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
Madison declared war against Great Britain, known as the war of 1812. Pennsylvania promptly seconded the National Government, the message of Gov. Snyder on the occasion ringing like a silver clarion. The national call for 100,000 men required 14,000 from this State, but so great was the enthu- siasm, that several times thie number tendered their services. The State force was organized in two divisions, to the command of the first of which Maj Gen. Isaac Morrell was appointed, and to the second Maj. Gen. Adamson Tan- nehill. Gunboats and privateers were built in the harbor of Erie and on the Delaware, and the defenses upon the latter were put in order and suitable armaments provided. At Tippecanoe, at Detroit, at Queenstown Heights, at the River Raisin, at Fort Stephenson, and at the River Thames, the war was waged with varying success. Upon the water, Commodores Decatur, Hull, Jones, Perry, Lawrence, Porter and McDonough made a bright chapter in American history, as was to be wished, inasmuch as the war had been under- taken to vindicate the honor and integrity of that branch of the service. Napo- leon, having met with disaster, and his power having been broken, 14,000 of Wellington's veterans were sent to Canada, and the campaign of the next year was opened with vigor. But at the battles of Oswego, Chippewa, Lundy's Lane, Fort Erie and Plattsburg, the tide was turned against the enemy, and the country saved from invasion. The act which created most alarm to Pennsylvania was one of vandalism scarcely matched in the annale of war- fare. In August, 1814, Gen. Ross, with 6,000 men in a flotilla of sixty sails, moved up Chesapeake Bay, fired the capitol, President's house and the various offices of cabinet ministers, and these costly and substantial buildings, the nation- al library and all the records of the Government from its foundation were utterly destroyed. Shortly afterward, Ross appeared before Baltimore with the design of multiplying his barbarisms, but he was met by a force hastily collected under Gen. Samuel Smith, a Pennsylvania veteran of the Revolution, and in the brief engagement which ensued Ross was killed. In the severe battle with the corps of Gen Stricker, the British lost some 300 men. The fleet in the mean- time opened a fierce bombardment of Fort McHenry, and during the day and ensuing night 1,500 bombshells were thrown, but all to no purpose, the gal- lant defense of Maj. Armistead proving successful. It was during this awful night that Maj. Key, who was a prisoner on board the fleet, wrote the song of the Star Spangled Banner, which became the national lyric. It was in the ad- ministration of Gov. Snyder in February, 1810, that an act was passed making Harrisburg the seat of government, and a commission raised for erecting public buildings, the sessions of the Legislature being held in the court house at Har- risburg from 1812 to 1821.
The administrations of William Findley, elected in 1817, Joseph Heister, in 1820, and John Andrew Schulz in 1823, followed without marked events. Parties became very warm in their discussions and in their management of po- litical campaigns. The charters for the forty banks which had been passed in a fit of frenzy over the veto of Gov. Snyder set a flood of paper money afloat. The public improvements, principally in opening lines of canal, were prose- cuted, and vast debts incurred. These lines of conveyances were vitally need- ful to move the immense products and vast resources of the State
Previous to the year 1820, little use was made of stone coal. Judge Obediah Gore, a blacksmith, used it upon his forge as early as 1769, and found the heat stronger and more enduring than that produced by charcoal. In 1791, Phillip Ginter, of Carbon County, a hunter by profession, having on one occasion been out all day without discovering any game, was returning at night discouraged and worn out, across the Mauch Chunk Mountain, when, in
DIAGRAM SHOWING PROPORTIONATE ANNUAL PRODUCTION OF ANTHRACITE COAL IN PENNSYLVANIA SINCE 1820.
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HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
TABLE SHOWING AMOUNT OF ANTHRACITE COAL PRODUCED IN EACH REGION SINCE 1820.
YEAR.
Lehigh, Tons.
Schuylkill Tons.
Wyoming, Tons.
Lyken's Valley, Shamokin, etc., Tons.
Total Tons.
1820
365
365
1821
1,073
1,073
1822.
2,240
1,480
3,720
1823.
5,823
1,128
6,951
1824.
9,541
1,567
11,108
1825.
28,393
6,500
34,893
1826.
31,280
16,767
48,047
1827
32,074
31,360
63,434
1828.
30,232
47,284
77,516
1829
25,110
79,973
7,000
112,083
1830.
41,750
89,934
43,000
174,734
1831.
40,966
81,854
54,000
176,820
1832.
70,000
209,271
84,000
363,871
1833.
123,001
252,971
111,777
487,748
1834.
106,244
226,692
43,700
376,636
1835
131,250
339,508
90,000
560,758
1836.
148,211
432,045
103,861
684,117
1837.
223,902
530,152
115,387
879,441
1838
213,615
446,875
78,207
738,697
1839
221,025
463,147
122,300
11,930
818,402
1840.
225,313
475,091
148,470
15,505
864,384
1841.
143,037
603,003
192,270
21,463
959,973
1842.
272,540
573,273
252,599
10,000
1,108,418
1843.
267.793
700,200
285,605
10,000
1,263,598
1844.
377,002
874,850
365,911
13,087
1,630,850
1845.
429,453
1,121,724
451,836
10,000
2,013,013
1846.
517,116
1,295,928
518,389
12,572
2,344,005
1847
633,507
1,650,831
583,067
14,904
2,882,309
1848,
670,321
1,714,365
685,196
19,356
3,089,238
1849.
781,656
1,683,425
732,910
45,075
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
4,448,916
1852
1,072,136
2,517,493
1,284,500
119,342
4,993,471
1853.
1,054,309
2,551,603
1,475,732
113,507
5,195,151
1854.
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
1856
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
6,664,941
1858
1,380,030
2,902,821
2,186,094
370,424
6,759,369
1859.
1,628,311
3,004,953
2,731,236
443,755
7,808,255
1860.
1,821,674
3,270,516
2,941,817
479,116
8,513,123
1861
1,738,377
2,697,439
3,055,140
463,308
7,954,314
1862.
1,351,054
2,890,593
3,145,770
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
1867.
2,502,054
4,334,820
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
1871.
2,235,707
6,552,772
6,911,242
15,699,721
1872.
3,873,339
6,694,890
9,101,549
19,669,778
1873.
3,705,596
7,212,601
10,309,755
21,227,952
1874.
3,773,836
6,866,877
9,504,408
20,145,121
1875.
2,834,605
6,281,712
10,596,155
19,712,472
1876.
3,854,919
6. 221,934
8,424,158
18,501,011
1877.
4,332,760
8,195,042
8,300,377
20,828,179
1878.
3,237,449
6,282,226
8,085,587
17,605,262
1879.
4,595,567
8,960,329
12,586,298
26,142,689
1880.
4,463,221
7,554.742
11,419,279
23,437,242
1881.
5,294,676
9,253,958
13,951,383
28,500,016
1882.
5,689,437
9,459,288
13,971,371
29,120,096
1883.
6,113,809
10,074,726
15,604,492
31,793,029
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, While & 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 basie 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 arke, 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 mountain; 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- ered and its qualities utilized not much earlier than the anthracite. A tract of coal land was taken up in Clearfield County in 1785, by Mr. S. Boyd, and in 1804 he sent an ark down the Susquehanna to Columbia, which caused 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 successful operation-nothing less than a broad system of public 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 friende 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- emies. 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 1809, 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 education in the most convenient schools. But few 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 repeal having been carried in the Senate. But through the appeals of Thaddeus 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 feat- 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 seem strange that so long a time should have elapsed before a general system of education should have been secured. But the diversity of origin and lan- guage, 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.
1
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 1887, 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 once 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- enmbent, 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, and 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 accordingly. 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- ity 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- iam Hopkins for the Democrats. At this stage of the game, an infuriated lobby, collected from Philadelphia and surrounding cities, broke into the 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 " committee 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. Pattison and Alexander, came promptly to the rescue, but the Presidentrefused 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 1854, 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.
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