USA > Pennsylvania > Erie County > History of Erie county, Pennsylvania. Containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, villages schools, churches, industries, etc > Part 63
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On the 16th of July, 1866, the City Councils appointed a committee to procure the services of a competent engineer " to examine and report to the Councils plans for both sewerage and water." H. P. M. Birkinbine, of Phil- adelphia, Penn., was secured, and made a report February 23, 1867, which put the cost of erecting water works at $350,000, the water to be taken from the bay of Presque Isle.
On the 11th of March, 1867, the Councils directed the Mayor to make a contract with the "Erie Water and Gas Company," to supply the city with water for twenty years, beginning July 1, 1868, or as soon thereafter as the works could be completed, but obliging said company to finish the same within two years from the date of contract. The city agreed to pay an annual rent of $9,000 for fifty fire plugs, but said Water and Gas Company was not to commence the erection of the works for one year from the date of contract, while the city reserved the right of erecting its own water works provided it began their construction within the year, said contract to be void in such case. It also reserved the right of purchasing any works that might be erected by this company, at any time within five years from date of contract. Nothing came of this arrangement, as the city subsequently concluded to erect its own water worky.
Much opposition was aroused against the proposed improvement, and the assertion freely made that besides the works being too expensive the water from the bay was unfit for domestic uses, because the bay was the natural reservoir for the filth and sewerage of the city. Many advocated bringing the water from Lake Pleasant, or from the springs and head-waters of the streams south of Erie. The majority, however, were in favor of erecting the works on the bay, and an act was procured and approved April 4, 1867, pro- viding for the appointment of three " Water Commissioners " to control the erection, maintenance and management of water works in Erie, the city to furnish money for said Commissioners to carry out the proposed improvement. Under this act, William L. Scott, Henry Rawle and William W. Reed were appointed by the court, and organized June 14, 1867. Mr. Birkinbine was selected as the engineer to plan and superintend the construction of the worke. After examining the plans used in several cities, the Commissioners adopted in July, that in operation in Detroit, Mich. but in September it was dis.
544
HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY.
carded in favor of the present plan devised and recommended by Mr. Birk- inbine.
The location of the stand-pipe at the foot of Chestnut street was agreed upon in November, 1867, and a contract was made for the engines the same month, with the West Eugine Company, of Norristown, Penn. In Decem- ber, 1867, the contract for the stand-pipe was given to the Erie City Iron Works; early in 1868, John M. Kuhn was awarded the erection of the build- ings and stand-pipe tower, while at the same time Capt. James Dunlap was given the crib work. The work began April 7, 1868, and progressed steadily and rapidly. In May, 1868, William L. Scott was succeeded as Water Commis- sioner by John C. Selden. At the close of 1868, one engine began pumping, and by the end of 1869 the works were completed, consisting of an engine house, a boiler house, stand pipe tower, smoke-stack, crib-work, and machinery, at a total cost of about $675,000.
The engine house is a solid brick structure, with stone foundation, 30x35. feet square and sixty-five feet in height, surmounted by an octagonal turret. fourteen feet high. The boiler house is 50x60 feet square and twelve feet high; smoke-stack fourteen feet square at the bottom and 100 feet in height, with a draft of twenty-five feet. The stand-pipe tower, built to inclose the stand- pipe, is octagonal in shape. Forty-five feet above its foundation, throughout which distance the tower is brick, a belt of stone five feet high is placed; thence upward it is a circular brick tower. Its total height is 217 feet, and its. total elevation 237 feet above the surface of the bay, while an additional six- teen feet has been added to the stand pipe since its erection, making it 253 feet above the water level-the highest stand-pipe in the world. A spiral stairway in the interior ascends to the top of the tower, which is suitably decked and' inclosed by an iron railing. The visitor may here obtain the finest view im- aginable of the city, harbor and lake.
The works are operated by two "Cornish Bull" engines of the finest make, driven by eight double-flue boilers. The pumping capacity of these works is about 5,000,000 gallons daily, but at present one engine is usually found suffi- cient for pumping purposes, the Commissioners wisely saving the other to guard against accidents which might cut off the water supply. The most. marked feature of the Erie Water Works are their completeness, solidity, and durability, combined with cheapness of construction and efficiency, which is. unquestionably due to the genius of the accomplished engineer who planned and supervised the building of them, as well as to the Water Commissioners in charge at the time, more especially William W. Reed, whose whole time and attention was devoted to the enterprise from the beginning of the works until. their completion.
The reservoir located on Twenty-sixth street, between Chestnut and Cherry, has a capacity of 33,000,000 gallons. In the fall of 1872, the Water Commis- sioners purchased seven acres of land at that point, whereon they constructed the reservoir, the bottom of which is 210 feet above the surface of the bay, while the water is kept at an average depth of twenty-five feet. At the present. time the city has forty-three miles of water mains, and 213 fire hydrants, which affords a first-class water supply for all purposes. The water is taken from be- tween two piers, at about midway between the surface and the bottom of the. bay, in a depth of twelve feet; and December 31, 1882, there were 4,687 pa- trons on the books of the department.
Since the works were finished, many improvements have been made, one of the most important being the putting in of new boilers in 1880, their removal further south in the building and the construction of a switch railroad track
1
545
CITY OF ERIE.
running through the center of the building between the engine room and the boilers, whereby car loads of coal are brought right to the furnace doors, and all laborious handling and hauling done away with. Up to 1883, no spe- cial effort was made to improve the grounds around the water works, but the Commissioners in office thie year began the work of improvement, and have progressed so far as to complete the road down the hill, also grade and sod the bank to a point half way between Chestnut and Myrtle streets, the limit of their jurisdiction, and sod the lower portion of the grounds. Trees have been planted all over the grounds, under control of the department, while the whole has been laid out under a general plan, in contemplation of a drive way being built along the bay front of the city.
The Water Commissioners since the establishment of the works have been as followe: William L. Scott, 1867-68; Henry Rawle, 1867-72; William W. Reed, 1867-79; John C. Selden, 1868-72; Mathew R. Barr, 1872-77; John Gensheimer, 1872-78, J. M. Bryant, 1878-81; M. Liebel, 1877-83; G. W. F. Sherwin, 1879-85; Benjamin Whitman, 1881-84.
The following exhibit shows the amount of coal consumed, cost of coal, water pumped, etc., from the construction of the works to the close of 1882:
YEARS.
Tons Coal Con- sumed.
Cost of Coal.
Gallons of Water to the Reservoir Pumped.
by one pound of Coal.
1868
59.1
$ 309 61
1869
544.4
4,818 48
1870.
1,064.5
5,159 10
246,648,960
1871.
1,422.7
7,117 00
279.368,495
168.45
1872.
1,308.5
6,528 50
395,076,000
150.96
1878
1.672.5
8,412 65
384,062,415
114.81
1874
1,759.0
7,709 54
444,817,395
126.44
1875.
1,836.4
8,657 61
531,005,475
145 57
1876
1.856.0
8,925 22
670,726,650
180.68
1877
2,456.6
8,509 33
660,981,810
135.74
1878
2,463.3
7,945 37
682,392,315
136.49
1879
2,628.1
7,428 92
807,800,400
153.68
1880
3.076.1
6,978 41
775,805,250
126.01
1881.
3,430.3
6,517 58
975,640,934
142.20
1882
2,968 2
5,355 93
829,759,260
139.77
This exhibit shows the amount of water rents collected each year since the commencement of the works to the close of 1882:
From January 1, 1869, to December 31, 1869.
$4,264 47
From January 1, 1870, to December 31, 1870.
9,237 80
From January 1, 1871, to December 31, 1871.
18,138 08
From January 1, 1872, to December 31, 1872.
21.652 68
From January 1, 1873, to December 31, 1873.
25,560 40
From January 1, 1874, to December 31, 1874.
27,938 90
From January 1, 1875, to December 31, 1875.
29,639 38
From January 1, 1876, to December 31, 1876.
31,048 76
From January 1, 1877. to December 31, 1877
32.276 67
From January 1, 1878, to December 31, 1878
29,636 01
From January 1, 1879, to December 31, 1879.
33,348 20
From January 1, 1880, to December 31, 1880.
37,885 00
From January 1, 1881, to December 31, 1881
40,385 87
From January 1, 1882, to December 31, 1882.
43,818 73
Total water renta received
$384,380 35
Gallons Raised
Amount Received.
546
HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The Active Fire Company, organized February 22, 1826, was the first effort made in Erie toward protecting the property of the town against the fiery ele- ment. The roll of membership included nearly all the grown male residents of the borough, with R. S. Reed, President and Chief Engineer; Daniel Dob- bins, Second Engineer; E. D. Gunnison, Secretary; John Riddell, Treasurer. The company was first furnished with buckets, but subsequently the town pur- chased a small fire engine, which did service for some years. Other com- panies of later date were as follows: Red Jacket Fire Company No. 1, organ- ized in 1837; Perry and Eagle Fire Companies, formed in 1839; Mechanics No. 3, formed in 1844; Vulcan, formed in 1848; Phoenix Hook and Ladder Company, formed in 1852; Parade Street Company, formed in 1861. The city has had a fire organization with general officers since 1851, but for the first ten years was not very effective.
The present fire protection of Erie consists of the following apparatus: Steamer " Keystone," on Parade street, between Eleventh and Twelfth, which has been in use for about twenty years, but has now no company; Steamer No. 1, "D. T. Jones," First Ward Engine House on Fifth street, between State and French, was purchased in March, 1878, from the Silsby Manufacturing Com- pany of Seneca Falls, N. Y. ; Steamer No. 3, " William L. Scott," Third Ward, Peach street between Thirteenth and Fourteenth, is also a Silsby engine, and was purchased in June, 1882, each of these engines costing nearly $4,000. There is a hose company located in each of the six wards, and the Hook and Ladder Company No. 1, at the Peach Street Engine House, where there is a beautiful Hayes truck which cost $3,000. The department has about 5,500 feet of hose, and employs forty-eight men and thirteen horses; has fifteen miles of telegraph wire in use, and thirty fire alarm stations. There is one hose cart which has been in use about four years, and five new hose carriages that arrived at Erie in September, 1883, and which cost $525 each. Six brick engine houses are used by the department, the largest being the one on Peach street, the headquarters of the chief.
The Erie Fire Department is governed by the following officers: Chief Engineer, J. Adam Moser; First Assistant, William Schade; Second Assistant, A. H. Conkey. The Board of Engineers is composed of the chief and his as- sistants, the foreman of each hose company and hook and ladder company, also the engineers of the steam fire engines. It meets at the headquarters of the fire department, Third Ward Engine House, on the first Sunday of each month. The furnishings are all first class, and the efficiency of the depart- ment is recognized as second to none in Northwestern Pennsylvania.
MARKETS.
Wednesday and Saturday mornings are the regular vegetable and meat market days in Erie. The farmers and hucksters line the east side of State street from Twelfth to North Park Row, their wagons filled with all kinds of market produce. Here they stand from 4 o'clock in the morning until 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the sidewalk crowded with buyers going from wagon to wagon, selecting and dickering for what they want. During market hours, the side- walk is scarcely passable, so crowded is it with sellers and purchasers. The market clerk goes the rounds collecting a small fee from each stand, which is paid for the privilege of being allowed to sell their produce inside the city limits, while a penalty is imposed for an evasion of the law.
The hay market is on Twelfth between State and Peach streets, and the wood market immediately east between State and French streets. There is also
Isaac Q Taylor
.
549
CITY OF ERIE.
a clerk of these markets, and a fee is charged each wagon for standing room. The city possesses no market houses at the present time, but the vegetable and meat market has become so objectionable to the State street merchants that the day is not far distant when some other market-place away from the business center will have to be selected by the city authorities.
POLICE.
This department is well organized and under the charge of an efficient head. It consists of seventeen officers and the chief, Thomas Crowley, the whole force being equipped in suitable uniforms. The police headquarters is a two-story frame building on the northeast corner of Seventh and Peach streets, which is centrally located and kept in the neatest order, The city is patrolled day and night, and so vigilant is the force that few breaches of the peace escape detection; and its efficiency is a wholesome check on evil-doers, as well as a vigorous antidote for crime.
FINANCIAL EXHIBIT.
Statement of receipts and disbursments of the City Treasurer for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1882:
1882, January 1, John Boyle, Treasurer; balance last settle- ment . $ 27,005 08
Collection of taxes for 1882
176,446 79
Collection county licenses. 4,136 16
Collection judgments. 9,415 77
License, fines, etc .- Dog tax, $295.52; butchers, $378; teams, $539 ; peddlers, $298.50; building permits, $15; auction, $25; Opera House, $75; fireworks, $11; shows, $23.50; city markets-Eichenlaub, $900; Hersh & Doll, $247.50; hay and wood markets-M. Nicholes, $383.34; D. Weeks, $112.50; circus, $100. 3,403 86
Penalty tax, 1882, $539.82; State tax, $2,151.20; temporary loans, $20,000 ..
22,691 02
Property assessed for paving Ninth street, $16,816.05; as- sessed Twelfthi street, $1,368.35. 18,184 41
Property assessed for sewers, Twelfth street, $436; State street, $515.54; Poplar street, $553,22; Tenth street, $777.35; Ninth street, $833.56; Sassafras street, $892.68 Parade and Wallace Streets, $81.90 4,090 95
Taxes of 1879-80-81.
19,170 53
Miscellaneous, $1,744.56; tax liens. $44.
1.788 56
$286,333 13
CREDIT.
Warrants redeemed and canceled. $164,162 09
Interest paid on indorsed warrants. 765 07
Interest paid on bonds . .
81,872 00
Interest paid on State tax ..
2,771 16
Rebate for early payment tax
3,619 57
Refunded for overpaid tax.
57 43 253 247 42
Balance cash in treasury
$33,085 71
TREASURER'S STATEMENT OF WATER COMMISSIONERS' ACCOUNT. 1882, January 1, John Boyle, Treasurer, last statement. $ 2,080 62 John Boyle, Treasurer, received during the year. 44,492 53
$46,578 15
Credit-Paid orders of Water Commissioners.
44,112 69
2,460 46
Balance in treasury 29
550
HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY.
ASSETS AND LIABILITIES OF THE CITY, JANUARY 1, 1883.
Liabilities-Bond account. $1,221,100 00 Less sinking fund. 55,000 00
1,166,100 00
Warrants in circulation
1,717 17
Accrued and accruing interest.
30,000 00
$1,197,817 17
Assets-Uncollected tax $41,651 24
Less estimates for executor and fees 4,000 00 $37,651 24
Judgment account. 15,995 89
Estate, doubtful 3,500 00 12.495 89
Cash in treasury
33,085 71 83,232 84
City debt. $1,114,384 33
The following is a statement of the taxes levied for municipal purposes in the city of Erie for 1883, together with the alterations made therein:
WARDS.
Valuation.
Farm land
valuation.
Gross tax at
16) mills.
Gas tax.
Water lot
tax.
Farm land
abatement.
Paved street
abatement.
Net tax.
First ... ... .
$2,164,980 $ 98,380 $ 35,182 33
$ 917 24 $114 $ 799 33 $ 893 89 $ 34,520 61
Second .
2,592,183
83,260
42,123 93
1,288 00
. .
676 44
1,547 09
41,185 55
Third
3,518,936
146,990
57,185 34
1,676 08
1,194 29
1,593 38
56,068 32
Fourth
2,798,220
39,235
45,471 08
1,080 04 $108
318 76
539 85
45,800 14
Fifth
963,024
335,606
15,648 61
388 55
2,726 51
144 63
13,166 60
Sixth.
1,061,954
167,855
17,256 70
1,010 28
1,363 80
110 47
16,796 22
Totals.
$13,099,297 $871,326 $212,867 99 $6,360 19 $222 $7,079 13 $4,829 31 $207,537 44
The changes made in duplicates as per statement thereof, make the net amount of the duplicates to be charged to the receiver of taxes as follows: First Ward, $34, 422, 35; Second Ward, $41,174.19; Third Ward, $56,098.39; Fourth Ward, $45,800.14; Fifth Ward, $13, 158.70; Sixth Ward, $16,796.22. Total, $207,449.99.
CHAPTER IV.
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
A S early as 1802, at Presque Isle, or Erietown, as it was variously called, a Pres- byterian congregation not then organized into a church sought ministerial services from the Presbytery of Erie, which had been organized the year be- fore. In 1803, in conuection with Upper and Lower Greenfield, it extended a call to Rev. Robert Patterson, although for some reason the call seems not to have been prosecuted, or at least his services not secured for the congregation
.
551
CITY OF ERIE.
at Erietown. Rev. Johnston Eaton, who had been licensed to preach August 22, 1805, came in 1806 into Erie County, and preached his first sermon "in a small log tavern at the mouth of Walnut Creek, kept by Capt. Swan." The fragment of an old journal recites something of his early experience: "Preached three months to the congregations of Erietown, Springfield and Mill Creek, beginning July, 1806, at $90 per quarter." After this we have no account of regularly sustained services at Erietown for several years.
In 1815, an engagement was made with Rev. J. Eaton to give one-third of his time to the congregation at Erie. The remainder of his time was divided between Fairview and North East.
In September, 1815, the church was regularly organized, services were then held and for awhile subsequently in the old court house. This was the general rendezvous for public services of all kinds. Judah Colt, who was a prominent member of the church, and one of its Elders, had erected on Sassafras street, where is now the residence of William Bell, Esq., a frame building, which was used in part for school purposes. This became the first regular place of wor- ship for the new church, and was familiarly known for many years as " the yellow meeting-house."
Among the most prominent of the early members of the church and con- gregation were Judah Colt, Giles Sanford, Robert McClelland, Thomas Laird, John Evans, John Grubb, William Arbuckle, George Selden, Robert and George Davison, Samuel Hays, George A. Eliot, Thomas H. Sill, Joseph M. Sterrett. Other leading citizens, such as P. S. V. Hamot, had sittings in the church, and contributed to the support of worship.
In 1818, Rev. J. Eaton gave one-half of his time to the church at Erie, the other half being devoted to the church at Fairview. This arrangement con- tinued for five years.
April 13, 1825, Rev. David Mckinney, a graduate of Jefferson College, and a licentiate of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, was ordained and installed pastor of the First Church of Erie. Kev. Timothy Alden preached the sermon and Rev. Samuel Tait delivered the charges. This relation continued until April 22, 1829, when at his own request it was dissolved. In 1824, a brick edifice, large and commodious for the existing wants of the society, was built upon the site of the present edifice.
Judah Colt, whose interest in the church was unflagging, gave the society the use of a room in a block owned by himself on French street for evening prayer meetings. After his death, a building known as the session room, was built adjoining the church, and used for social worship.
Rev. George A. Lyon, of Dickinson College and Princeton Theological Seminary, was ordained by the Presbytery of Erie, and installed pastor of the First Church on the 9th of September, 1829. Rev. Giles Doolittle, of North East, preached the sermon, and Rev. Wells Bushnell and Rev. Thomas Ander- son delivered the charges.
Large accessions were made to the church during 1831-32, years which were marked by great religious interest throughout the country. In 1857, more than a hundred were received at one time as the fruits of a revival, and in 1865 ninety were added in the same manner.
At the great division in the Presbyterian Church in 1838, the First Church attached itself to the New School Assembly.
On June 14, 1859, the corner-stone of the present elaborate and beautiful church edifice was laid. The building committee consisted of D. S. Clark, Josiah Follansbee, P. G. Finn and Samuel A. Davenport. The building was not wholly finished until February 26, 1862. The basement lecture room
552
HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY.
was completed and occupied for religious services March 25, 1860. The Sabbath congregations continued to worship there until the upper audience room was dedicated February 26, 1862. The first Elders of the church were Judah Colt and George Selden. In 1832, there were elected John Dunlap, Alexander McClelland, Samuel Love and William Arbuckle. In 1857, William Himrod, J. D. Clark, Robert Davidson, David S. Clark. In 1865, David Shirk, Samuel Selden, Joseph A. French. In 1871, James Lytle, Pressly Arbuckle, J. F. Downing. January 2, 1875, E. Woodruff, D. B. Cal- lender and R. S. Moffett. July 18, 1883, James M. Gordon and Edward P. Selden, the latter two being chosen to fill the vacancy made by the death of Samuel Selden and David B. Callender. March 24, 1871, Rev. Dr. Lyon, who had completed nearly forty-three years of ministry to the same congregation, and whose labors had been marked by signal ability and success, died, greatly beloved and deeply lamented.
Rev. A. H. Carrier, who had been called to the associate pastorate just pre- vious to this event, began his services April 30, 1871, commemorative of his esteemed predecessor. He was installed pastor December 7 of the same year. In the fall of 1879, Mr. Carrier resigned, and in the following May, a call was extended to Rev. William S. Fulton, who was installed in the fall of 1880, and is the present pastor of the church. The church membership is now 383. At the semi-Centennial Celebration of the church held in 1875, the pas- tor, Rev. A. H. Carrier, thus spoke:
"This church-we say it in no self-glorying spirit-has been by force of its position, at the foundation of the present religious life of this city. The Associate Reformed, now the United Presbyterian, shares with it this pre. eminence. This church however, has been fruitful in colonies. In the organ- ization of the Episcopal Church, you meet with many of the same names which you had before met with upon the subscription roll and church records of this congregation. In the organization of the Baptist Church the same fact is in some measure true. * *
" The church in East Mill Creek or Belle Valley was a child of this.
"Upon the rolls of Park Church, organized in 1854, recorded there as its founders, are the cherished and honored names of many who had been for years in the front rank of supporters and workers here, or who had been bap- tized at its font, been taught in its Sabbath school and had grown up under its influences.
" The Central Church organized February, 1871, was a transplantation at once of officers from its session, an associate pastor from its pulpit, workers from its Sabbath school, and members from its community." * * ยท
PARK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
Several attempts had been made previous to the spring of 1855 to establish an Old-School Presbyterian Church in Erie, but had proved unsuccessful. Park Church may date its commencement in April of this year. The first service was held in a room in the fourth story of Cadwell's Block, on State street, April 29, 1855, conducted by Rev. William Wilson and Rev. S. J. M. Eaton. About thirty persons were present. The next meeting place was in Gensheimer's Hall, where, on the 28th of June, 1855, the church was organized by a com- mittee, appointed by the Presbytery of Erie, consisting of Rev. Jaines W. Dickey and Rev. S. J. McEaton, with Elders William Campbell, of Wash- ington and James L. Reed, of Mill Creek. The names enrolled at that time as members of the church were William Arbuckle, S. S. Spencer, D. B. Mc- Creary, Dyer W. Fitch and Mrs. Julia A. Fitch, his wife, Mrs. Mary Shattuck, Miss Sarah Ward, Mrs. Mary W. Fleury and Miss Catharine Mason.
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