History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 99

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1314

USA > Pennsylvania > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 99

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1788 is found the report of certain persons appointed to view "the road from Friends' Meeting-House to the ferry at the Fort," meaning Gillespie's ferry at Redstone Old Fort, or Brownsville.

The landing-place of Gillespie's ferry in Browns- ville was opposite the old residence of Henry Sweitzer, now the United States Hotel. Gillespie continued the ferry, making his landing at this point, until 1820, when the National road was opened to the Monon- gahela, and the ferry landing was moved up to the point where the great highway struck the river in Bridgeport.

BRIDGES OVER DUNLAP'S CREEK.

Concerning the first bridge across Dunlap's Creek, between Brownsville and Bridgeport, very little is now known. No record is found showing the names of its projectors, of the artisans who executed the work, or of the time of its erection, beyond the fact that it was in existence prior to June, 1794, at which time a petition was presented to the Court of Quarter Sessions of Fayette County for the laying out of "a road from Krepps' Ferry to the bridge at the mouth of Dunlap's Creek." That it had been long enough in use before the commencement of the present century to be at that time considerably dilapidated and out of repair is made evident by an entry in the records of the county commissioners, to the effect that a meeting of that board, held on the 22d of October, 1801, was adjourned " to meet at Bridgeport, Monday, October 27tli, to view the bridge over the mouth of Dunlap's Creek, and contract with or appoint some persons to repair the same." At the meeting held according to adjournment at Bridgeport, the commissioners de- cided upon the necessary work to be done on the bridge, and " appointed and by writing authorized John Rogers, Septimus Cadwallader, and Andrew Porter to repair said bridge, at an expense not ex- ceeding three hundred dollars." No further infor- mation has been obtained concerning this old bridge, except what is contained in the following extract from the old diary of Mr. Robert Rogers, one of the early residents of Brownsville and Bridgeport, viz .:

" Early in the spring of 1808 there was a heavy freshet in the Monongahela and Dunlap's Creek, which floated off the wooden bridge that connected Brownsville to Bridgeport, and they were without until the chain-bridge Was built in 1809 by James Finley."

After the destruction of the bridge, as told by Mr. Rogers, nearly a year elapsed before any action was taken towards the erection of another in its place. On the 13th and 14th of February, 1809, the com- missioners were in session at the mouth of Dunlap's Creek for the purpose of viewing the bridge location and deciding what was to be done. Plans, specifica- tions, and estimated expense were ordered made out, and a copy sent to the President of the United States, with the request for an appropriation in aid of build-

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BROWNSVILLE BOROUGH AND TOWNSHIP.

ing the bridge. On the 20th of April following pro- posals were advertised for, and on the 26th of May, in the same year, a contract was made with Isaac Rogers for building the abutments, "and also one thousand perches of stone wall along the creek by the bridge." On the 28th of June the commis- sioners met at the bridge site "on account of an unusual flood of water washing away the banks of Dunlap's Creek in such a manner that it was thought necessary to alter the plan for building the bridge."

No further definite information can be gleaned from the commissioners' minutes with regard to the building of this bridge, except that it was completed (apparently after considerable delay), and the last payment for its construction was made Nov. 9, 1811. It was a bridge suspended from chains, as patented by Judge James Finley, and similar in construction to the one built across Jacob's Creek, on the north line of the county.

The floor of this bridge was about thirty feet above low water, and it was very long, not only spanning the creek, but a considerable width of the banks on either side. In March, 1820, it gave way and fell with a crash under the combined weight of a deep snow which lay upon it and that of a team and heavy-loaded wagon which was crossing at the time. The occur- rence is found mentioned in the Brownsville Register of March 13, 1820, as follows :

"ACCIDENT .- On Thursday last the chain bridge over Dunlap's Creek, between Brownsville and Bridgeport, broke down with a waggen and six herses upen it. The waggon fell on the bank, this side of the stream, the horses in the water. The driver, who was en the saddle-horse, was pitched between the two middle horses, where he was held entangled in the gears until relieved by the citizens. He received no material injury, but two of the horses were killed. The team, we understand, was the property of a person named Hackney, near Winchester (Va.). The dis- tance from the floor of the bridge to the surface of the water must have been at least thirty fect."

In June next following Joseph Torrence, Isaac Meason, Jesse Evans, James W. Nicholson, John Oliphant, and William Swearingen were appointed to view the site of the bridge and report what was expe- dient to be done. They reported "that a bridge at the proposed place is wanting, and they recommend that one be there erected, and that the county defray $900 of the expenses, the iron and other materials of the old chain-bridge belonging to the county to be taken by the contractor at $400 in part of said $900." Brownsville was to pay $380, and Bridgeport the same amount,1 to make up the cost of the bridge (sixteen hundred and sixty dollars).

On the 28th of December, 1820, the Council of Bridgeport appointed Solomon G. Krepps to present a plan for a bridge to the commissioners of Uniontown,

and to urge its adoption. On the 4th of January, 1821, he reported that the commissioners had adopted the plan, and subscriptions were then commenced among the citizens to aid in building the bridge.

Jan. 20, 1821, the commissioners, in session at the house of James Reynolds, in Bridgeport, "received proposals for building a bridge over the mouth of Dunlap's Creek, and after having considered the va- rious proposals laid before them, entered into an agreement with Samuel Story, of Bridgeport, in the county of Fayette. It was ordered that Isaac Core proceed early next week to said place to take bond and security of said Story." The contractor to take the pier then standing, and to build "two other piers with large stones well laid in lime-mortar, which said piers shall be founded on a rock," the timbers of the bridge to be solid oak, and the hand-railing to be painted with three coats of white lead.

March 21, 1821, Isaac Core reported that the bridge contractor had made considerable progress in the work. On the 9th of May, the commissioners " hav- ing been informed that Samuel Story was to lay the foundation of one of the piers of the bridge over the mouth of Dunlap's Creek on that day, met at that place, and saw the pier founded on a rock agreeably to contract." And Isaac Core was appointed by the commissioners to see the foundation of the second pier laid in the same manner.

Aug. 18, 1821, " Samuel Story having notified Isaac Core that the bridge he contracted to build was fin- ished and ready for examination, said Core, with a view to that object, forwarded the letter to Messrs. Vance and Andrew Moore, to meet at their office." The viewers, Messrs. Adam Wilson, William Ewing, James Beck, and Joseph Thornton, met Aug. 27, 1821, examined the bridge, and reported that, having viewed the bridge agreeably to the order, "we are of opinion that it ought to be received off the con- tractor's hands." The bridge was thereupon accepted from the contractor, who received his final payment upon it Sept. 5, 1821. The total amount paid him was $2050, a supplemental article having been added to the original contract giving him an additional som for extra work done on it.

In 1835, when the present iron bridge over Dun- lap's Creek was projected as a permanent crossing for the National road, Capt. Richard Delafield, then government engineer on the work, decided, and so reported to the Treasury Department, that the best crossing-place for the bridge was at a point below where the road struck the creek. In consequence of this report the Borough Council forwarded a memo- rial to the department, protesting against the change of location, setting forth that in case the proposed site was adopted the bridge must be longer and would cost twenty-five per cent. more than if erected on the old site; also that the change would work great in- jury to property on the line of the then existing road,

1 This amount was increased (on account of the cost of the bridge ex- cerding the estimate) to four hundred and ten dollars as the borough quota, and this was paid in conformity to an order of the commissioners dated Sept. 5, 1821.

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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

which would necessarily be discontinued and rendered nseless for a considerable distance where it approached the bridge. The result was that the views of Capt. Delafield were modified, and he then proposed to build on the upper (present) site, provided the Council would throw open a triangle on the line of the road opposite the borough market. This was ac- eeded to, the bridge site was adopted in conformity to the wishes of the Council and people of the bor- ough, and a slight temporary bridge was thrown aeross the creek to accommodate travel during the construction of the permanent structure.

It was decided that the material of the bridge should be cast iron. The contract for casting the pieces was awarded John Snowdon, the metal being furnished by the government. Mr. Snowdon rented the old Cock foundry for the purpose, and duly fur- nished the castings according to contract. The con- struetion of the bridge proceeded successfully, and was in due time completed under the superintendency of George W. Cass, who had come to this section years before as one of the engineers of the National road.

This bridge across Dunlap's Creek was the first cast- iron structure built across any stream west of the Alle- ghenies. It still stands, solid, and in excellent con- dition, the only highway between the boroughs of Brownsville and Bridgeport.

EARLY TAVERNS AND LATER HOTELS.

The name of the first public-house in Brownsville is not known, but it appears likely that it was kept by Thomas Brown, as there is found in the records of the West Augusta ( Va.) court, held at Fort Dunmore in April, 1776, an entry, dated the 16th of that month, as follows : " License to keep an Ordinary is granted to Thomas Brown, at his house at Redstone Fort. Bazel Brown, on his behalf, entered into bond ac- cording to law." Nothing further is found of the " ordinary" of Thomas Brown.

The earliest inn of Brownsville of which anything definite is known as to its location and landlords was the " Black Horse Tavern," a stone building, a part of which is still standing in the more-recently erected stone building located between the residences of N. B. Bowman and James Slocum. The date of the opening of the old tavern cannot be accurately fixed, but it is known that the public meeting at Redstone Okl Fort July 27, 1791, usually referred to as the first publie act in the Whiskey Insurrection, was held at the Black Horse tavern. The last meeting of the insurgents was also held at the same place, Aug. 28 and 29, 1794. In the Western Telegraphe (published at Washington, Pa.) of March 29, 1796, is found the following advertisement, viz. :

" Amos Wilson begs leave to inform his friends and the publie that he has purchased the house formerly occupied by Mr. Patrick Tiernan, the sign of the Black llorse, on Front Street, Brownsville, well known by the name of Redstone Old Fort, where has opened a Tavern," etc.

The tavern property, together with four other lots in Brownsville, "belonging to Charles Armstrong, Elijah Clark, boat-builder, and Capt. T. Shane," were sold at public auction on the 31st of December, 1796, by James Long, auctioneer ; but it seems probable that, notwithstanding the sale, Wilson still continued as landlord of the Black Horse tavern, and was keep- ing it in 1799, from an account of the celebration of St. John's day (June 24th) in that year by Browns- ville Lodge, No. 60, of Free Masons, viz. : "In the evening repaired to Brother Wilson's, at the Black Horse Tavern, and spent the evening in festivity." Later it was kept successively by John Sheldon, Josiah Tannehill, Joseph Noble, Mrs. Dr. Lewis Sweitzer, and others. It was discontinued as a public-house many years ago.

Basil Brashear was in Brownsville as early as 1795, and soon afterwards built the stone house now occu- pied by Mrs. Wesley Frost and Mrs. Conldren. At that place he kept tavern for many years. The first meeting of the Borough Council was held at "the Council room in Basil Brashear's tavern." This was one of the most famed of the early public-houses of Brownsville. It was kept by Brashear, and was the principal hotel of the town when Lafayette made his visit here in 1825.

John McClure Hezlop was in Brownsville in 1797, and three years later he built the stone house at the head of Market Street. It was afterwards kept as a tavern by John Beckley. The house was continued by his widow, Nancy Beckley, for some time after his death. In 1843, Jacob Workman was its landlord. It is now the Girard House.

James Auld, "Inn-keeper and Shoemaker," kept a tavern at the head of Front Street in 1819. After- wards James C. Beckley kept at the same place. In 1820 public-houses were kept in Brownsville by John Conolly, William MeMullen, and James Reynolds. The building on Market Street, in which the Central Hotel was afterwards kept, was built in 1816.

The Snowdon House building was erected about 1823 by Robert Clarke, who lived in it until his death, about 1840. It was first kept as a hotel by Andrew Byers, who was also a landlord at Union- town, Connellsville, and several other places. The house is still a hotel.

The Monongahela House, located in the "Neck," was built as a private residence by Samuel J. Krepps in 1832. About twelve years later it was purchased by -- MeCurdy, who opened it as a hotel, and kept it for a time, but failed to make the payments on the property, and was obliged to give it up. It was then leased to - Ganz, - Vance, and others succes- sively, and was finally (in 1870) taken by John B. Krepps (son of Samuel), who kent it until his death, in January, 1881, and it is still kept as a publie-house by his widow. The other hotels of Brownsville at the present time are the United States, on Water Street, I by George W. Poundstone; the Snowdon House, on

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BROWNSVILLE BOROUGH AND TOWNSHIP.

Market Street, by Harvey Sawyer ; and the Girard House, at the head of Market Street, by Jacob Marks.

NEWSPAPERS.

The earliest Brownsville newspaper of which any information has been found is The Brownsrille Ga- zette. The only copy of it known to be now in exist- ence bears date Jan. 14, 1809, from which it is learned that the paper was " published every Tuesday by John Berry, Printer, on Market Street, opposite Col. Bra- shear's Inn." When it was first issued or how long it continued is not known.

The Western Repository was published at Browns- ville in 1810. Onc-half of a copy of this paper, bear- ing date Wednesday, June 13th of that year, is now in possession of Mrs. Samuel B. Page, of Brownsville. It contains the advertisements of Dr. Edward Seull and Dr. James Roberts (then physicians of Browns- ville), and also an obituary notice of Isaac Rogers, who died Saturday, June 9, 1810, aged forty-two years. The Repository was a four-column paper, published at $2 per annum. No other facts can be given con- cerning it.

The Wl'estern Palladium of Brownsville was in ex- istence in 1812, but probably not later, as is indicated by an advertisement found in The Reporter of Wash- ington, Pa., dated May 4th in that year, being as fol- lows:

" PRINTING OFFICE FOR SALE.

" The Establishment of the Western Palladium, at Browns- ville, Pa., is offered for Sale with the Press."

The American Telegraph was established at Browns- ville in 1814, by John Bouvier, who continued its publication here for about four years, and then re- moved it to Uniontown, where it was united with the Genius of Liberty.

The Western Register was commenced in the sum- mer of 1817, by Robert Fee, who continued to pub- lish it iu Brownsville until 1823, but nothing of a later date has been found in reference to it. A copy the paper (Vol. VI. No. 49), dated March 29th in that year, is in possession of J. A. Scott, of Bridgeport. It is a folio, four columns, about one-fourth the size of the Clipper, and bears the motto " Virtuous Liberty."

The American Observer was started in Brownsville, in September, 1825, by Jackman & Coplan, the office of publication being on Market Street. A copy of the paper (Vol. II. No. 17), dated Jan. 13, 1826, is in possession of Mrs. Samuel B. Page, of Brownsville. It contains an address delivered by Thomas Rodgers on the anniversary of the battle of New Orleans. The Observer was afterward removed to Uniontown and merged with the Genius of Liberty.

The Western Spy of Brownsville is found men- tioned in a Pittsburgh paper of Jan. 5, 1824. The fact that such a paper existed at that time is all that is known of it.

The Brownsville Galaxy, edited and published by William J. Copeland, was in existence in 1829, but the

dates of its birth and death have not been ascertained. In an old number of the Casket, published by At- kinson in Philadelphia, is found the following notice, copied in that paper as a curiosity from the Browns- ville Galaxy of Aug. 7, 1829, viz. :

" Whereas, Fanny Morton, alias Kerr, has without cause left my habitation, and is floating on the ocean of tyrannical extravagance, prone to prodigality, taking a wild goose chase and kindling her pipe with the coal of curiosity, to abscond and abolish such in- sidious, clandestine, noxious, pernicious, diabolical, and notorious deportment, I therefore caution all persons from harboring or trusting her on my account, as I will pay no debts of her contracting from this date unless compelled by law.

" JAMES KERR."

The Brownsville Intelligencer was a paper of which no information has been obtained, except the faet of its existence in July, 1830, which is shown by a refer- ence to it in a Pittsburgh journal of that time.

The Brownsville Free Press was established in Sep- tember, 1843, by A. H. Shaw. It was a five-column folio, and devoted to the interests of the old Whig party.

The Brownsville Times was first issued in the fall of 1857. It was a seven-column paper, eighteen by thirty-six inches, Democratic in politics. Its publi- cation office was on the Neck, near the east end of the bridge. In February, 1861, it was edited and pub- lished by R. B. Brown. The date of its suspension has not been found.

The Brownsville Clipper was established by the late Hon. Seth T. Hurd, at Brownsville, on the Ist day of June, 1853, Wednesday being the publication day. The Clipper was started in the interests of the old Whig party, and continued to advocate its cause until the organization of the Republican party, when it esponsed those principles, and has so continued to the present day. On the 20th of September, 1875, the Hon. Seth T. Hurd, after about twenty-two years of continuous editorial management, sold the Clipper and the printing establishment to Mr. A. R. IIas- tings. On the 22d of November, 1878, Mr. Hastings sold the paper to Mr. W. F. Applegate, the present proprietor, who was then connected with The Mon- mouth (N. J.) Inquirer. Thus it will be seen the Clipper has had but three proprietors in its existence of twenty-seven years. The Clipper was in reality the outcome of the Free Press and other old newspapers previously published in Brownsville during the past seventy years, consequently it is the oldest paper now published in Brownsville. When it was started in 1853 by Mr. Hurd it was the same size as now, thirty- two columns, twenty-six by forty. The paper is all printed at home, and devotes most of its space to the local news of the community.

The Labor Adrocate,1 as its name imports, is the

1 Sketch furnished by Dr. U. L. Clemmer.

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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

professed champion of the labor and producing classes of the county. It is the offspring of the Greenback Banner, which was first issued on the 23d of August, 1877, with Dr. U. L. Clemmer as publisher and busi- ness manager, and Dr. N. W. Truxal as editor. The Banner was the second Greenback newspaper pub- lished in Pennsylvania, and it acquired quite a celeb- rity as a wide-awake political journal, but at the expiration of six months Dr. Truxal withdrew from the editorial management, and Dr. Clemmer sold the office to two gentlemen, who continued the publica- tion of the paper until shortly before the election in the fall of 1878, when they abandoned it and surren- dered the material to the doctor. Then, in the early spring of 1879, a stranger, whose name is not mate- rial, tried an experiment in the shape of a newspaper called The Better Times, which existed three weeks and then expired. After that ocenrrence the prospect of establishing a newspaper in the interest of the Greenback-Labor party seemed to be gloomy enough, but Dr. Clemmer was determined to try it once more, and, without a single subscriber, he commenced the issue of the Labor Advocate about the middle of Feb- ruary, in the year 1880. The paper has now been permanently established, and on the 18th of April, 1881, it passed into the hands of Prof. Phillips and Mr. J. T. Wells, both of whom are scholarly gentle- men, and both excellent writers.

TIIE MEDICAL PROFESSION IN BROWNSVILLE.1

The earliest data to which the writer has been able to obtain access show that Dr. Mitchell and Dr. Chesteter were both practicing medicine in Browns- ville in the year 1806.

In the Western Repository newspaper (of Browns- ville), dated June 13, 1810, are found the advertise- ments of Dr. Edward Scull and Dr. James Roberts as physicians in the town at that time. The last named is still remembered by Mr. Nelson B. Bowman. Dr. Edward Scull was the son of John Scull, the founder of the Pittsburgh Gazette. Nothing has been learned of these two early physicians except the fact above shown that they were practicing in Brownsville at the time mentioned.

Dr. Thomas Blodgett was in practice in Brownsville from 1812 to 1815, when he removed to Dayton, Ohio. | more than one day during the forty-one years of his Dr. Pifer practiced here abont 1831 to 1833.

Dr. John J. Steele was born in Lancaster, Pa., about 1795, removed from there to Canonsburg, Washington Co., Pa., and was married to Mrs. Mary Clemmens. He afterwards lived in Masontown, in this county, and came to Brownsville about 1836. He died in indigent circumstances near Uniontown about 1839. The doctor left five children, one of whom, Clemmens Steele, was engaged in business pursuits in South America for several years, but re- turning to the United States shortly before the at-

tempt to establish the Confederate government, served with credit as colonel of the Sixty-sixth Ohio Volun- teers during the civil war.

Dr. Lewis Sweitzer was born in Doylestown, Bucks Co., Pa., in 1774. He attended a medical college in Philadelphia, and afterwards pursued his medical studies in Paris, France. He practiced medicine a short time at Springtown, Bucks Co., was married to Eliza F. Bell, Dec. 10, 1807, and moved to Browns- ville in 1808, entering immediately upon the practice of his profession, in which he maintained an honor- able position up to the time of his death, in 1837. Dr. Sweitzer was interested in the organization of the Union Medical Society of Fayette County in 1810. He was a brother of Henry Sweitzer, who came to Brownsville a few years later.

Drs. Samnel Shuman and Henry W. Stoy were in Brownsville in 1818, as shown by the assessment roll of that year.

Dr. Robert W. Playford was born in London, Eng- land, on the 12th day of March, 1799, and educated at Eton College, the celebrated English public school, founded by King Henry VI. in 1440. In this school he was what is known as a "king's scholar." His position in his classes on leaving the college entitled him to a scholarship at Oxford, but he preferred to enter at once upon the study of medicine in the office of his father, a reputable London physician. With his father he came to this country, locating in Browns- ville in 1820. Dr. Playford, Sr., remained here about two years, in that short time establishing, in connec- tion with his son, a large and lucrative business. He returned to London, where he died in 1826. Dr. R. W. Playford remained in Brownsville, continuing in active practice until 1861, when he was stricken with hemiplegia, which unfitted him for further active practice. He enjoyed the reputation of having the largest business of any physician in the county. In all his practice he was singularly successful, his acute perception, clear judgment, and rapid decision fitting him peculiarly for emergencies, and seemed to render his knowledge of his duties almost intuitive. During the whole period of his business life he was once away from town five days at one time, being the only instance of absence from his professional cares for life that were devoted to active professional pursuits. Ile frequently wrote for the local press on sanitary affairs and matters of home interest. He died at his home in Brownsville, March 24, 1867. His surviving children are Mrs. Sophia Parkinson, of Monongahela City, Pa .; Miss Harriet Playford, of Brownsville; Dr. Robert Playford, of Petroleum Centre, Pa. ; Hon. Wm. H. Playford, of Uniontown ; and Mrs. Amanda Kennedy, of Philadelphia, Pa.

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History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 99

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 1314

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1314