History of Erie county, Pennsylvania. Containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, villages schools, churches, industries, etc, Part 79

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902; Whitman, Benjamin, 1940-; Russell, N. W. (Nathaniel Willard); Brown, R. C. (Robert C.); Weakley, F. E; Warner, Beers & Co. (Chicago, Ill.)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : Warner, Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1280

USA > Pennsylvania > Erie County > History of Erie county, Pennsylvania. Containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, villages schools, churches, industries, etc > Part 79

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POSTMASTERS.

The following is a complete list of the Postmasters of the borough, with the year of their commission: Charles Martin, 1801; Samuel Hutchins, 1819; Joseph Derrickson, 1829; John Marvin, 1831; Henry Colt, 1840; Joseph L. Cook, 1841; Timothy Judson, 1844; John Curtis, 1847; Thomas B. Vincent, 1849; Hugh H. Whitney, 1852; Henry Colt, 1853; John Lytle, 1861; Will- iam Vincent, 1861; Andrew W. Tracy, 1865; William O. Colt, 1868; James P. Vincent, 1869; Sarah H. Vincent, 1875.

NEWSPAPERS.

In 1851, Joseph S. M. Young started the Waterford Dispatch, which attained to a wide circulation by its sympathy with the "Rippers" in the railroad war. He removed it to Erie in 1856, and it became the basis of the present exten- sive Erie Dispatch establishment. B. F. H. Lynn, who rose to distinction as an Erie publisher, was employed by Mr. Young in Waterford, and came over with the office. Not long after the change, Mr. Lewis, who was printing the Edinboro Museum, went to Waterford with his office, and printed a paper for a short time. In 1857, it fell into the hands of Amos Judson, who changed the name to the Enquirer. That paper suspended for a few months in 1858, but was recommenced by Judson & Lynn, who were succeeded by C. R. H. Lynn, under whose administration it went out of existence. The borough was without a paper till May 7, 1874, when L. B. Thompson established the Waterford Enterprise. Not proving as successful as he anticipated, the office was moved to Union City in February, 1875. Dr. D. P. Robbins started the Waterford Astonisher on the 26th of January, 1878, and continued his con. nection with the same until December 16 of that year, when A. F. Moses took charge, changed the astonishing name to the Waterford Leader, and continued its publication until April 1, 1883, when it was purchased by W. G. Lefevre. In his hands it is meeting with a fair share of business, and has become a permanent institution.

MANUFACTORIES.

The manufacturing establishments of the borough consist of D. P. Fritts' cheese factory (opened May 10, 1870), now operated by E. M. Thurber; Bo- lard's tannery; A. D. Johnson's boot and shoe factory; Wheeler & Dewey's grist, saw and lath mill and planing factory; Howe & Son's and George G. Taylor's carriage and wagon factories; O. H. Woodward's marble works; James A. Boyd's carpenter and joiner shop; William C. Lowell's cooper shop; Halsey

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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY.

& Mckay's and Bradish & Smith's, H. Hovis', Ira Skiff's, Taylor's and Howe's blacksmith shops. Of secret societies, there are the Masons, United Workmen, State Police, Patrons of Husbandry and Mutual Protective Association. The borough boasts five halls-Mckay's, Phelp's, Keystone, Masonic and Work- men's. Most of the buildings in the borough are frame, but there are several good brick structures.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The largest fire with which Waterford has been afflicted occurred on the 5th of March, 1865, sweeping away the whole of the west side of High street from Second alley to Judson's store, and running north from Second alley about one-half the block. The next largest happened on the last day of De- cember, 1873, destroying the Union hotel, a large three-story building, and two other structures. The Miles Barnett Tannery has been burned down twice. Quite extensive fires took place on the nights of February 4, 1881, and Febru- ary 22, 1883. The first destroyed the buildings belonging to A. M. Carson, the heirs of David Boyd, T. W. Whitney, J. W. Willard and the heirs of A. Oliver; the second, A. M. Carson's store, P. C. Sedgwick's meat market, and Hiram Howland's grocery. A fire in the winter of 1883-84 burned down Wheeler & Dewey's grist, saw and lath mill, and planing factory.

Isaac M. White, Treasurer and Clerk of the borough, has held those posi- tions for thirty-nine consecutive years. The town ball of the borough is in a two-story frame building, the lower story being used for an engine house and lock-up, and the upper story for Council meetings. The township and borough both hold elections in the building. In 1834, the official valuation of prop- erty in the borough was $29,464, and the assessment of taxes summed up $147.52. In 1883, the assessments gave the following result: Value of real es- tate, $246, 508; number of cows, sixty-six; of horses and mules, ninety-two; value of same, $8,030; value of trades and occupations, $37,625; morey at interest, $55,825. Waterford has always been noted for the number of its aged lady residents. Mrs. Phelps was ninety-five years old when she died in August, 1879; Mrs. Henry Colt died on the 30th of March, 1881, aged eighty-seven years eleven months and twenty-two days. David Himrod was at one period among the prominent iron men of the United States. He removed to Erie in 1826, and was an active business man in that city for many years.

CHAPTER III.

UNION TOWNSHIP AND BOROUGH OF UNION CITY.

TN the organization of Erie County, all that portion of its territory lying east of LeBoeuf and Waterford, to the western line of Wayne and Concord, was given the name of Union Township. From 1800 to 1821, Union and Brokenstraw, which included Wayne and Concord, formed one election dis- trict, a fact that has given rise to the erroneous conclusion with some that the first-named township covered that entire section. In 1825, Amity was taken from Union, leaving the township lines as they are found at present. Union Township is almost square, having a length of about six and a quarter by a breadth of about five and three-quarter miles. It is bounded on the north by Amity, on the east by Wayne and Concord, on the south by Crawford County,

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and on the west by LeBœuf. The population was 200 in 1820, 235 in 1830, 543 in 1840, 1,080 in 1850, 1,954 in 1860, 1,334 in 1870, and 1,337 in 1880. The assessment for 1883 showed the following results: Number of acres, 21,331; value of real estate, $513,193; cows, 771, value $15,420; oxen, 26, value, $1,005; horses and mules, 273; value, $16,812; personal property, $33,- 237; trades and occupations, $1,350; money at interest, $6,351.

Union contains very little flat land, and such as there is, embracing a few farms only, lies wholly along the South Branch of French Creek. The balance of the township is rolling, with few steep hills or abrupt ravines, almost every foot of ground being susceptible of cultivation. The country is mostly a grazing section, but wheat, corn, oats, etc., are raised in considerable quantities. Land is valued at $20 to $50 an acre according to the location. "The soil is generally a heavy clay, with an underlying strata of hard pan, excepting about 1,200 acres, which were originally covered with pine timber, and are a gravelly loam, underlaid with sand. The timber, aside from the pine above mentioned, was principally beech, maple, hemlock, cucumber and whitewood, with a ridge of oak and chestnut through the southwest corner." A eink-hole, similar to the one near Waterford, but of less extent, was encountered in building the Philadelphia & Erie Railroad, a short distance outside of the borough.

THE SOUTH BRANCH AND ITS TRIBUTARIES.

The chief stream is the South Branch of French Creek, or Little French Creek as it is sometimes called, which rises in Concord, south of Corry, flows through the main part of the latter township, past Lovell's Station and Elgin, across Union from east to west, and joins the main stream in Le Boeuf, a few rods below the Philadelphia & Erie Railroad bridge, after a course of not far from twenty miles. From Corry to Le Boeuf, it furnishes the route of the A. & G. W. and Philadelphia & Erie Railroads. In proportion to the amount of water, this stream furnishes the most power of any in the county. Its tribu- taries in Union Township are, on the south side, Scotchman's, Wilson's, Mulvin's and Carroll's Runs, and on the north side Pine, Tolbert's and Benson's Runs, all small streams. Scotchman's Run rises in Bloomfield Township, Crawford County, and falls into the South Branch on or near the W. Wade farm, having

a length of about four miles.

It has two branches, known as Stewart's and

Cochran's Runs. Wilson's Run also heads in Bloomfield, and, after a length of five to six miles, ends at Steenrod's mill. The head of Mulvin's Run is on the farm of S. Shreve, its mouth is on the Mulvin farm, and its length is some two miles. Carroll's Run starts on the M. Shreve place and ends in Le Bœuf Township, just across the line, after a course of about seven miles. Pine Run begins near the Wayne line. Its length is perhaps three and a half miles, and it joins the South Branch on the John Caflish place. Tolbert's Run has its head on the R. S. Church place, and its mouth in the borough, near P. H. Thompson's mill. Its length is estimated at three miles. Benson's Run commences on land of James Roark, and, after a course of about two miles, terminates in the borough, near its western boundary. The main in- let of Oil Creek Lake, in Crawford County, rises in the south west near the Le Bœuf line.

BRIDGES AND MILLS.

The Philadelphia & Erie Railroad has five bridges over the South Branch, two in the township and three in the borough, while the A. & G. W. road, by following a higher grade, avoided the necessity of even crossing the stream once. The township bridges are good, but not expensive. The main thorough- fares are the old road to Wattsburg, the Smiley road to the same place, the.

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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY.

Flats road to Waterford, and the roads to Corry, Concord, Titusville and Mill Village. The Philadelphia & Erie and A. & G. W. Railroads both cross the township from Le Bœuf to Concord, following practically the same route, by way of the South Branch, though at different elevations. A third railroad, the Union & Titusville, comes in from Crawford County, and connects with the Philadelphia & Erie at Union City,

The manufacturing concerns of the township are E. & J. Steenrod's saw and grist mill on the South Branch, east of the borough; Fenno's saw mill and Seymour's saw and shingle mill, bothi on Church's Run; J. F. Kamerer's saw mill, north of the borough; the West Union or Carroll's cheese factory, two and a half miles south of the borough on the Mill Village road; Wager's cider mill, one mile south of the borough; John Vermilyea's saw mill on the Town Line road; H. G. Bentley's saw mill, three and a half miles northeast of the borough; Miller's saw mill, in the south part; Harrison's, in the Wilson neigh- borhood; Lyon's mill, about two miles east of the borough; one on the South Branch, between the N. Y., P. & O. and P. & E. roads, about three miles east of the borough; Peter Thompson's, two miles southeast of the borough. The Car- roll Cheese Factory was started May 6, 1872, and has been generally successful. The township has had at different periods as many as fifteen saw mills run by water and four by steam, the bare mention of which indicates the immense amount of timber that has been cut off and marketed.

CHURCHES AND GRAVEYARDS.

The only church in the township is the Asbury Methodist Episcopal Chapel, which stands near the Mill Village road, almost on the line of Le Boeuf, three miles southwest of the borough. The congregation was organized with nine- teen members, by Rev. John Scott, in 1840, and besides the gentleman named, had Rev. D. Rowland as one of the first pastors. The building was erected at a cost of $850, in 1862, and has been recently repaired. It was attached to Wattsburg Circuit until the formation of Union City Circuit, when it was joined to the Riceville Circuit. About 1875, it was made a part of Union City Circuit, to which it now belongs. The membership is about sixty-five. Quite a neat graveyard, the only one outside of the borough cemeteries, is attached to the chapel. Most of the burials from the township are made at Union City. One of the earliest if not the first school of the township was taught during the war of 1812, by William Craig, in a house vacated by Thomas McElhany. Probably the next school was taught by Mrs. Susanna Pain, during the summer of 1815, in a log cabin built by Hugh Wilson. She also taught the following summer in her own house. The first house built for a school which was suc- cessful was erected about 1818, near the mills, now Union City. William

Kelley, an Irishman, taught here two winters. Mr. Young followed. Daniel Sacket, who hailed from the East, taught here in 1825, and from that date schools were frequent. In the fall of 1835, a second house was built, two and one-half miles distant, where David Wilson taught for four winters.

Following is a list of the township schools: Howard, Wilson, Norton, Thompson, Sherwood, Mulvin, Smith, Fenno, Bentley, Kimball, Beach, Shreve, Mitchell.

Smith's quarry, a mile north of the borough, on the Wattsburg road, and Wellman's, in the Carroll settlement, near the Le Boeuf line, are the only ones in thetownship.

EARLY SETTLERS.

The first settler in Union Township was Hugh Wilson, from the North of Ireland, who came early in 1797 and was joined the following year by Andrew

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Thompson, wife and four children, Matthew Gray, wife and son Francis B., and Robert Smith. Jacob Sheppard, from the Susquehanna Valley, went in during the year 1798, but left and did not return until 1820. About the same time that Sheppard first came, John Wilson, father of Hugh, arrived direct from Ireland, with two grown daughters. John Fagan, from Franklin County, settled on the Russell Church farm about 1798, but changed to Mill Creek Township in 1803 or 1804. William Miles and his family moved over from what is now Concord in 1800, and were followed by Miles' brother-in-law, William Cook, with his family, in 1801. During the latter year, the settle- ment was increased by the arrival of Abel K. Thompson, with tive sons and two daughters, and of Ferdinand Carroll and family from Ireland. From that date to 1816, it does not appear that any permanent acquisitions took place, but in the latter year James Smiley with his wife and six children were added to the colony. Of later settlers, Richard Shreve made his location in 1820; Levi Barnes and Abram Emerson in 1821, and Daniel Dunham in 1836. Mr. Shreve had been a resident of Crawford County, and Messrs. Barnes, Emerson and Dunham were from the interior of New York. Matthew Gray founded the first tannery. William Carroll was five years old before his father reached the township. Mr. Smiley had charge of Miles' mill for many years. The colonists were few until about 1830. Most of the families, now in the town- ship, came after that year.

The first death was that of John Wilson, father of Hugh, who departed this life in June, 1799, and was buried in a natural mound in the forest. The first child was Martha, daughter of Hugh Wilson and wife, born August 18, 1800. The first marriage, and the first in the south part of the county, was that of William Smith and Elizabeth Wilson, in 1799, and the second that of Thomas King and Sarah Wilson in 1800, both ladies being daughters of John Wilson. Mrs. Smith, nee Elizabeth Wilson, died August 6, 1875, in Wayne Township at the extraordinary age of ninety-nine years, being the fourth oldest woman who has lived in the county. Hugh Wilson was the first Justice of the Peace in Erie County south of the Triangle. He was commis- sioned by Gov. Mckean in 1803, and held the office till 1816 or 1817, when he resigned. While he held the position, he officiated at most of the marriages in that part of the county.

POLITICAL.

Union City and Union Township have furnished the following county officers : Sheriff, F. E. Staple, January 1, 1880, to January 1, 1883. County Treasurer, W. O. Black, December 20, 1860, to December 23, 1862; C. W. Keller, December 26, 1866, to March 10, 1870, when he resigned. County Commissioner, Robert Gray, 1843 to 1846; William Putnam, 1858 to 1861. Jury Commissioner, P. G. Stranahan, 1867 to 1870; James D. Phillips, 1882 to 1884. County Superintendent of Public Schools, Charles Twining, 1878 to 1884. Director of the Poor, Andrew Thompson, 1865 to 1870; M. B. Chamberlain, 1873 to 1876; Jefferson Triscuit, 1878 to 1885. County Surveyor, David Wilson, 1852 to 1854. County Auditors, Robert Gray, 1852 to 1856; Thomas Woods, 1869 to 1872. County Detective, Daniel Mitchell, January, 1876, to January, 1879. James Miles, who left Union to make his home at the mouth of Elk Creek in 1832, was a County Commissioner from 1835 to 1838, and an Associate Judge from 1851 to 1856. Newton T. Hume, County Treasurer from January 1,11875, to January 1, 1878, though elected from Wattsburg, was long a resident of Union City. Joseph Sill was Assistant Assessor of Internal Revenue under the United States Gov- ernment for several years.

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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY.

BOROUGH OF UNION CITY.

The borough of Union City stands upon both sides of the South Branch of French Creek, very nearly in the center of Union Township, at a distance of twenty-seven miles by railroad southeast from the water's edge at Erie. The settlement was first given the name of Miles' Mills, which was changed to Union Mills in 1863, when it was created a borough, and finally to Union City July 4, 1871. The earliest buildings were erected on the flat land, in the narrow valley of the creek, immediately around what is now known as Church's mill, from which point the town has spread to the ridges north and south for probably half a mile in each direction. As a railroad point, Union City has few superiors in this part of the country, the Philadelphia & Erie and Atlan- tic & Great Western both passing through, and the Union & Titusville having its northern terminus in the town. There are four dams on the South Branch in the space of half a mile within the borough limits. The population was 1,500 in 1870, and 2,171 in 1880.

THE FOUNDER.

The founder of Union City was William Miles, a native of Ireland, who was brought to this country when eight years of age, his parents settling in the eastern part of Pennsylvania. While quite young, he volunteered as a soldier in the Revolution, was stationed at Freeland's fort in Northumberland County, which was attacked and captured in 1778 by the Indian allies of the British. was sent to Quebec as a prisoner of war, and was kept there in dreary confinement for the long term of five years, or until our National Independ- ence was acknowledged. The father of Mr. Miles was killed in the fight. On his release, William Miles returned to the Susquehanna Valley, and in 1785 surveyed the Tenth Donation District, extending from near Waterford Borough to the Warren County line, and then returned East. In 1795, he again came West and located in what is now Concord Township. In 1796, Mr. Miles made a clearing and built a storehouse at Wattsburg, where for some years an ex- tensive trade was carried on in furs and supplies. In 1800, he moved his family to Union, where he commenced the erection of a grist and saw mill combined on or near the site of the present Church mill, completing it in 1801. The mill was destroyed by fire in 1802 and rebuilt in 1803. Added to his other business, Mr. Miles cleared a great deal of land, opened roads, secured a mail route, and had a post office established, with himself as Postmaster. In 1822, he established a grist mill and saw mill at Wattsburg, and in 1828 laid out that town, naming it after his wife's father, David Watts, Sr., of Carlisle. Mr. Miles died in Girard Township, in 1846, at the age of eighty-seven. Will- iam Cook followed Mr. Miles to Union with his family in 1801, where he died in 1830. He had been a Surgeon in the Revolutionary army.

GROWTH OF THE TOWN.

Up to the year 1855, the settlement consisted of but a few buildings sur- rounding the mills, and gave no promise of the bright future that proved to be in store for it. In that year, H. L. Church, A. L. Summerton and D. M. Mc- Leod moved over from Warren, rebuilt the mills, started a store and sold some lots. A town was laid out by David Wilson, under the patronage of James Miles-who still owned much of the property-which included only a trifling part of the present borough. About 1856, Mr. Summerton surveyed the plat since known as Summerton Hill. Previous to that, in 1852, James Miles had

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UNION TOWNSHIP.

been made a Director of the Philadelphia & Erie road, and by his influence the route was carried to Union instead of Wattsburg. In 1858, the road was opened to Union. In 1859, P. G. Stranahan, who had been a farmer and hotel- keeper on the Moravian flats in Le Bœuf, purchased the Miles homestead, which he has occupied ever since, laid out an addition to the town on the south side, and sold off a large number of lots, continuing to make additions and sales for ten years. The Atlantic & Great Western road being built through Union in 1862, gave increased value to property on that side of the town, and in 1865 James Sill, P. G. Stranahan and Joseph Sill bought and laid out the Black farmi into lots, which sold rapidly. In 1866, James Sill purchased the Tour- tellott farm, on the north side, and in 1873, E. W. Hatch the Smiley farm, adjoining, both of which were surveyed and a large number of the lots sold. Another addition was made by T. B. Shreve, south of the Atlantic & Great Western road, about the latter year.

The first strong impulse was given to Union by the opening of the Phila delphia & Erie road, and this happy circumstance was followed by another in the summer of 1859, which may be said to have been the making of the town. This was no less an event than the development of natural oil as an article of commerce at Titusville. In 1862, three oil refineries and several large cooper shops were running to their fullest capacity. The completion of the Oil Creek road during the latter year gave a sudden check to this thrifty condition of affairs, by doing away with the hauling by wagons and diverting the oil traffic to Corry. The town had a live population, however, and gradually picked up again. In the fall of 1870, Woods & Johnson started the largest barrel factory that had then been built upon the continent. / In enterprise, population and impor- tance, Union City is the third place in the county. In 1865, James Sill and P. G. Stranahan originated the Union & Titusville road. It was not completed, how - ever, till February, 1871, after the oil center had changed from Titusville, and has never realized the hopes of the citizens. While upon the subject of oil, it may be stated that for many years-commencing long before Drake's discuv- ery at Titusville-the fluid was gathered on the banks of the creek at Union. The most prolific yield was at the foot of the hill on which Mr. Strana- han's residence stands. A well was sunk there about 1859, to a depth of 100 feet, and deepened to 900 feet in 1864, and other wells were put down along the stream.

Union has an unusual number of good residences, and the character of the ground affords many attractive sites for the purpose. Its churches and hotels are among the finest in the county. Its business houses embrace every variety usually found in places of the size, and being almost entirely upon one street, within moderate limits, an air of life and thrift is given to the town which makes a pleasant impression upon strangers.

The hotels of Union City are the Johnson House, Cooper House, Cole- man House, Farmers' Hotel, Burns House and St. Charles Hotel. It pos- sesses three public halls-Deamer, Keystone and the Good Templars.

SOCIETIES.

The secret societies consist of the Masons, Odd Fellows, Grange, Knights of Honor, Grand Army of the Republic, Good Templars, Equitable Aid Union, Royal Arcanum, and Royal Templars of Temperance. Eureka Lodge, F. & A. M., No. 366, was organized in 1865; it now has about sixty members. Clement Lodge, No. 220, I. O. O. F., was chartered August 26, 1871; it con- tains 118 members, and meets every Tuesday evening. Nineveh Encamp- ment, No. 248, I. O. O. F., was chartered May 18, 1874, and has a present

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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY.

membership of fifty-three; its evenings for regular meetings are the second and fourth Fridays of each month. Union City Grange, No. 89, Patrons of Husbandry, was chartered June 29, 1874. Israel Lodge, No. 50, Knights of Honor, was organized December 11, 1874, with about twenty members, now increased to fifty-four. John W. McLane, Post No. 102, G. A. R., was char- tered June 24, 1876, with sixteen members. Its present membership is fifty- nine. Union City Lodge, No. 1015, Independent Order of Good Templars, was organized with eighteen members; its charter bears date February 27, 1878. Banner Union, No. 12, Equitable Aid Union, was organized August 22, 1879; it now numbers fifty three members. Union Council, No. 198, Royal Arcanum, was chartered with ten members May 3, 1880. Star Council, No. 58, Royal Templars of Temperance, was instituted August 5, 1880, and now has a membership of about forty. Besides these, there is Union City Branch, No. 12, of the Catholic Mutual Benefit Association, with a member- ship of seventeen.

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History of Erie county, Pennsylvania. Containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, villages schools, churches, industries, etc, Part 79

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902; Whitman, Benjamin, 1940-; Russell, N. W. (Nathaniel Willard); Brown, R. C. (Robert C.); Weakley, F. E; Warner, Beers & Co. (Chicago, Ill.) Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago : Warner, Beers & co. Number of Pages: 1280

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902; Whitman, Benjamin, 1940-; Russell, N. W. (Nathaniel Willard); Brown, R. C. (Robert C.); Weakley, F. E; Warner, Beers & Co. (Chicago, Ill.)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : Warner, Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1280