USA > Pennsylvania > Jefferson County > History of Jefferson county, Pennsylvania, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 53
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88
Vanleer Brothers & Co.'s planing-mill. About 1883 the planing. mill operated by J. R. Vanleer, W. N. Vanleer and T. A. Hendricks, under the title of Vanleer Brothers & Co., was built. It is situated near the passenger depot, is large and well constructed, and is fitted with machinery of the best and most improved kind for manufacturing doors, blinds, sash, flooring, siding, scroll and turned work, etc. The firm handle rough and dressed lumber very extensively. Order work is their specialty. Their trade is not confined to Jefferson county, as they ship into all the adjoining counties as well as Alle- gheny county.
463
HISTORY OF BROOKVILLE.
Anderson & Leech, planing-mill. This mill was built by Thomas Mabon, and was first operated by Johns & Hubbard, then by Ingraham & Butler, in 1879. Harry Butler retired in one year, and his place was filled by E. V. Richards, and the firm became Ingraham & Richards, until July, 1884, when they sold to Solomon Anderson and W. A. Leech. They manufacture sash, siding, doors, blinds, flooring, dressed lumber, scroll and turned work. The mill is located on the " South Side," near the covered bridge.
The Brookville axe factory was started May, 1884, by W. J. Sager, the proprietor. It is situated on the site of the old Taylor mill, now owned by I. C. Fuller. The building is two stories, 72 by 30, with a capacity for 250 axes per day ; but is now only making two dozen double-bitted axes per day. Mr. Sager also manufactures " bark spuds " for peeling bark, and all kinds of edge tools, and does general repair work. His trade is local, though he has shipped goods as far west as Michigan.
The "white" grist-mill, which was built by Thomas Mabon in 1849 or 1850, who disposed of an interest in the property to Henry and John Startzell. They sold, in 1868, an interest to George C. Harvey, and in 1877 John Startzell re-purchased the interest of Mr. Harvey. G. A. Jenks owns a third interest in the property. In June, 1887, John Startzell disposed of his share in the property to his brother, William, and George L. Reed, who are man- aging the concern under the firm name of Startzell & Reed.
The " Red Mill," I. C. Fuller, proprietor, was built by Philip Taylor and John L. Barr in 1857. Barr retired from the firm in 1862 or 1863. It was then owned and operated by Judge Taylor until his death, November, 1878. Mal- colm W. Wise, who inherited the property by the will of his grandfather, Philip Taylor, then took charge of it and sold it to I. C. Fuller, May, 1881. Since Mr. Fuller purchased it he has put in the roller process. W. H. McAninch has been the miller since 1878. He succeeded J. H. Rhodes.
N. E. Snyder, shaving saloon. This business was started by Frank X. Kreitler, May, 1863, who has conducted it from that time until the spring of 1887, when he sold out to N. E. Snyder ; located in the American House.
D. W. Gaither, shaving saloon ; started in December, 1876; now located in Commercial Hotel.
L. C. Scott, shaving saloon ; started March, 1884; located in Matson Block, Pickering street.
The St. Charles Saloon building, opposite the jail, was erected by Charles Sitz in 1859. It was then owned by Jacob Kroh, who sold the property to Casper Endress about 1863. Mr. Endress conducted the saloon for a number of years, being succeeded by his son, A. L. Endress. Since 1886 the business has been discontinued. In 1876 Mr. Endress built the large two-story brick structure adjoining the saloon building.
Jackson Heber, restaurant and ice cream parlor ; purchased from Thomas
464
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
Cartin. July, 1874 ; located in his own building, Main street. He also pur- chased the bottling business of Joseph Summers in 1872.
George Heber, bakery and green grocery ; started in the spring of 1887.
J. J. Patterson, livery stable. This business was established by J. S. Mc- Connell, and purchased by Mr. Patterson in August, 1875; located in rear of Commercial Hotel stables.
Parker P. Blood, livery stables; established in 1882 ; located on Valley street.
George F. Dodd, meat market; started about 1866; located on Main street.
Robert Breffit, meat market ; started in spring of 1869; now located in Matson Block, Pickering street.
W. C. Kuhn, meat market; started September, 1886; located in basement of Rodgers building, Diamond Alley.
Swartzlander & Mccullough, meat market; started November, 1885 ; located on East Main street.
Leander Edwards, meat market. Mr. Augustus Spangenburg, who is associated with his son-in-law, Mr. Edwards, is the veteran butcher of Brook- ville, having commenced business in 1859.
North Fork brewery, S. C. Christ, proprietor. The first brewery was built by Mr. Christ in 1861, and was torn down to make room for the present one in 1863
The Spring brewery, M. Algier, proprietor; started in fall of 1871 ; located at Sand Spring, opposite red mill; capacity, twenty thousand barrels per year.
The Hotels .- The hotel business in Brookville dates back to the time when John Eason came to Brookville, early in 1830, and built a portion of what was afterwards the kitchen and dining-room of the first hotel, the "Red Lion." In this he and his wife boarded the surveyors who laid out the county seat, and also those who, in June of that year, attended the sale of lots in the new town. At the rear of the new " hotel " stood two large pine trees, and after the house was built the inmates, fearing that these giants of the forest might, perchance, fall upon the little structure and demolish it, cast about for some way to fell the trees (which naturally inclined toward the house), in an oppo- site direction. This was done by affixing cables to them and then having men pull them, after they were partly cut down, in the direction it was desired they should fall.
Mr. Eason kept the house, building an addition to it, until his death, in 1835, when Mrs. Eason occupied it for a short time, and then William Clark kept it in 1837. In 1838, John Smith, who had married Mrs. Eason, took charge of the house and kept it until 1844. In 1851-53 it was kept by Rob- ert Ralston and C. B. Clark, and in 1848-50 Mr. Smith again had control of the house. The building, which is still standing, is now the property of David Eason and A. B. McLain.
465
HISTORY OF BROOKVILLE.
The next hotel was built on Jefferson street, in 1830, by William Clark, and kept by him until 1833, when he sold the property to Jared B. Evans, who in turn sold it to Dr. Gara Bishop, and the site is now occupied by the residence of Hon. A. C. White.
The Globe Hotel was built on the corner of Main street and Spring alley in 1830, by Thomas Hastings, who occupied it as a hotel in May of that year, and occupied by him until 1839, when he was succeeded in turn by Job Mc- Creight, J. M. McCoy, William Clark, Edward Hutchinson. Then Thomas Hastings again took charge of the house, and was succeeded by William Clark and Jacob Barkett from 1845 to 1849. Isaac Walker owned and occpuied by house from 1849 to 1853, then he sold it to John Yeaney, Charles Sitz and Reuben Weiser; Charles Sitz occupying it in 1853-54. In 1855 it was pur- chased by Simon Frank who sold it again to John Yeaney. In 1857 C. N. Kretz took charge of the house, changed the name to Jefferson House, and conducted it until the fall of 1864. Then it was successively kept by Joseph Oxenrider, Stoke & Scribner, and Jacob Emery, until the winter of 1883 when the property was purchased by M. Allgier and L. L. Reitz, and the latter took possession April 1, 1883.
In 1832 Peter Sutton kept a hotel on Taylor street, about the site of the James L. Moore property in Litchtown. He was also contractor for building the bridge across the North Fork. He returned in the thirties to Indiana, from whence he came.
"Peace and Poverty, by John Dougherty." The hotel in front of which hung this quaint sign, was built in 1831 by John Dougherty, on the corner of Main and Barnett streets, who kept it until 1836, when John Gallagher took possession and ran it until 1841 ; then S. M. Bell occupied it for a year, to be succeeded by George Mclaughlin, for the years 1843-47. It was then changed to the " Black Horse Hotel," and kept by Samuel Lyle in 1850-51 ; then by Daniel Thayer. It was then discontinued as a hotel and rented by Mr. Dougherty to private families, until it succumbed to the fire of 1871.
Then William Clark built another hotel on the corner of Main and Mill streets in 1833, which he only occupied for a short time, selling it in 1834 to John Brownlee, who had come from Centre county in that year. This house is still standing and is now the property of the A. J. Brady heirs. R. Arthurs did carpenter work on this house.
Another old house was that owned by Mrs. Wagley, a sister of William McCullough, which stood on the lot next to the Franklin house on the east. It was built in 1831 or 1832, and was kept in 1832 by Samuel Craig, and after his death by his widow, and by Mrs. Wagley.
The Franklin House, the first brick hotel erected in Jefferson county, was built in 1832 by Daniel Elgin. The first landlords appear to have been James M. Steadman in 1833, and William Clark in 1834. John Pierce had charge of
466
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
it from 1836 to 1839, when James Cochran kept it about a year, being suc- ceeded by Joseph Henderson in 1841-43. Then, in 1844, J. R. and R. Ar- thurs took charge of it, followed by S. H. Lucas and John M. Turney. Jacob Steck took charge of the hotel in 1848, and conducted it for ten years. The property was then purchased by Samuel G. Fryer, who occupied it as a private residence and store until 1866, when he sold to Henry R. Fullerton, who greatly improved the property, adding an additional story, etc. He oc- cupied it for a while, and then C. N Kretz purchased the furniture, etc., and was landlord from 1869, followed by Carroll & Scribner, then A. S. Scribner, until 1871 when it was purchased by J. S. King who occupied it until the fire of November 20, 1874, when it was burned down. Mr. King, besides having charge of the hotel, was cashier of the Brookville bank, located in same building.
After the fire Richard Arthurs purchased the property, and in 1876 erected the large brick hotel known as the Central. He opened it as a hotel and ran it for a short time, then relinquished the management to his son, Richard Ar- thurs, jr., who occupied the house until January, 1884. Then for about a month Richard Arthurs, sr., occupied it, and then it was closed until April 1. 1884, when Jacob Emery took possession and remained until April 1, 1886. It was again unoccupied until December, 1886, when the present landlord, J. R. Emery, took possession.
The first building on the site of the Commercial Hotel was a little frame building, built and occupied by John Clements, in 1833, who, in 1844 or 1845 built the Royal Exchange Hotel, which he occupied until it was destroyed by fire in 1856. Mr. Clements rebuilt, and the new building, which he called the Clements House, was ready for occupancy in 1858. In 1860 Mr. Clem- ents died and the house was managed until September, 1863, by his widow, Mrs. E. O. Clements, when it was purchased by R. W. Moorhead, who changed the name to the Moorhead House. He kept it until April, 1864, when it became the property of Robert Clements, who occupied it for a short time, changing the name back to the Clements House, and then C. N. Kretz took possession in the summer of 1864 and remained until April, 1869. Then Robert Clements again occupied it until W. S. Barr and C. G. Matson took charge, but were burned out in the fire of 1871. Robert Clement rebuilt the house and it was opened by Alexander S. Scribner, who was succeeded by Joseph Freeman. Then M. R. Reynolds kept it as a temperance house for a short time. It was then closed for about five years, pending litigation between the Reynolds heirs and Robert Clements, when it was purchased by R. Ar- thurs and William Dickey, and was opened in January, 1883, by Matson & Arthurs, as the Commercial Hotel. After six months Matson retired, and the hotel has been in charge of R. Arthurs, jr., since that time, he having, by deed of gift from his father, R. Arthurs, sr., become owner of the property in Janu- ary, 1887.
467
HISTORY OF BROOKVILLE.
The American Hotel was built in 1845 by Elijah Heath, who, in 1846, added a business block to it, two stories in height, called the Arcade. D. S. Johnson, who did the carpenter work, is said to have been the first to occupy this house as a temperance hotel ; and Benjamin Bennett, who kept it in 1848- 5 I, seems to have been the first who opened it as a licensed house. In 1852 John J. Y. Thompson purchased the property and occupied it until it was de- stroyed by fire May 23, 1856. He commenced at once to rebuild, and the present house was ready for occupancy in 1857, being opened to the public in October by his son, W. K. Thompson, who conducted the hotel until June, 1869, when he removed to Portsmouth, O., and his brother, John J , succeeded him in the management of the house. In October, 1864, Captain R. R. Means purchased the property and kept the house until March, 1869, when he sold it to John J. Thompson and Joseph Darr, and it was run by Thompson & Darr, with Mr. Thompson as landlord, until the summer of 1871, when they sold to a stock company composed of R. J. Nicholson, M. M. Meredith, Nathan Car- rier, jr., W. A. Burkett and P. H. Shannon, and the latter took charge of the house until January 16, 1872, when C. N. Kretz purchased the property and kept the hotel until May, 1879, when he sold the furniture to A. Baur, who kept the house until May, 1880, when he sold the furniture to Thompson & Darr, who had again become owners of the property, and who rented it to John S. Barr, who conducted the hotel until October, 1881, when A. B. Barr rented it from Ira C. Fuller, who purchased it from Thompson & Darr in 1880. Mr. Barr associated with him J. B. Cromer, in the management of the house, until early in 1885 Mr. Fuller sold the house and furniture to B. K. Fisher and F. P. Graf, who are now keeping the hotel.
The Union Hotel, John McCracken, proprietor. This house was built by John R. McCall in 1851, and called the " Railroad House." It was first kept by Benjamin Bennett, for about two years, and then by W. H. Schram and D. B. Rouse, successively, until 1856, when it was purchased by R. R. Means, who conducted the house until May, 1864, when he sold the property to John McCracken, who has since kept it as the Union Hotel, and has also built a frame addition to it.
Mr. McCracken erected a large three-story brick block on the opposite cor- ner of Main street from the hotel, in 1868. The lower story contains two stores, and the upper a large town hall, while the other rooms are occupied by private families.
The Oak Hall Hotel was built for a restaurant and kept as such until pur- chased in 1864 from George Leopold, by John S. Barr, who converted it into a hotel, and kept it as the Oak Hall Hotel until 1871, when he sold it to R. M. Bell, who conducted it until it was destroyed in the fire of 1874.
Heber House .- Henry Heber, proprietor of this house came to Brookville about the year 1853, and located in a little house near his present home. The
468
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
house he now occupies was built by T. K. Litch, for a boarding-house for his mill hands, and purchased by Mr. Heber in 1863, who has since kept it as a temperance hotel. It is the only hotel in the "East End."
Brookville House, E. Bevier, owner and proprietor. This house was built by Andrew Stefl, about 1869, who sold it to Mr. Bevier April, 1876. It was kept previous to Mr. Bevier purchasing, by Andrew Stefl and John J. Hen- derson.
Hotel Longview .- Work on this hotel was begun in March, 1885. In July of that year A. Baur and wife began furnishing the hotel. It was opened on September 22, 1885. When the hotel was first opened no trains stopped at Taylor's (as the station opposite the hotel was then called). In one week after opening the hotel first-class trains stopped there. In two months after the opening, two trains each day stopped for meals, and in eighteen months after the opening, all trains were stopped there. All railroad buildings were moved from the old station site, and the old station entirely abandoned.
One of the veteran hotel men of Brookville was Jacob S Steck, who re- moved to Brookville from Greenburg, March, 1848, and took charge of the Franklin House, which he occupied for ten years. In 1852 he was elected county commissioner, on the Democratic ticket. He was appointed one of his aids by Governor Bigler, with rank of colonel. Colonel Steck died in 1859, and his wife, nec Christiana S. Waltz, died in 1863. Two of their daughters, Mrs. Mary Eason and Mrs Rose Rowe, reside in Brookville.
Another of the veteran hotel keepers in Brookville was Jacob Burkett, who came to Brookville in 1845 from Indiana county, where he removed from Blair county in 1828, settling in Smicksburg. He was "mine host" of the Globe Hotel for a number of years, and it was then one of the most popular houses in the county. He afterwards removed to Punxsutawney, and then for a time resided in Georgeville, Indiana county, and then returned to Brookville in 1872, and died July 26, 1880, being buried on the ninety-first anniversary of his birth. His wife, Mrs. Catherine Burkett survived him-dying April, 1884, in the seventy-third year of her age. Of a large family of children, nearly all of whom grew to manhood and womanhood in Brookville, but one, Mrs. Joseph Darr, resides here now. Mr. Burkett was a genial, kindly man, and enjoyed the respect of all who knew him.
One of the best known and most successful hotel men that Brookville has ever known, was Charles N. Kretz, who came to the place from Reading in 1857, and was almost continuously engaged in hotel keeping in Brookville for over twenty years. The different houses which he managed in that time is given above, and to all of them he gave a first-class tone during his occupancy. Mrs. Kretz, his excellent helpmeet, died in the American Hotel in 1872, and Mr, Kretz also died in the same house in 1879. Only one of his family resides in Brookville, Mrs. A. Baur, the accomplished hostess of Hotel Longview.
469
HISTORY OF BROOKVILLE.
Another prominent hotel keeper was Jacob Emery, who came to Brook- ville from Philadelphia, in 1863, and was almost continuously, as the hotel record shows, in the business for over twenty years. He kept a first-class house wherever he was. Mr. Emery died March 10, 1887, aged seventy-four years.
There is probably no one in Jefferson county who has so long and contin- uously engaged in the hotel business as John S. Barr, who commenced in the Exchange Hotel in Corsica, in 1854-57 ; then he engaged in store-keeping in 1858 and 1859 in Troy, and from 1860 to 1864 kept the Carrier Hotel in that place. He then removed to Brookville, and purchased the restaurant of George Leopold, in 1864, which he changed into a hotel, which he ran until 1871, as the Oak Hall Hotel, when he sold to R. M. Bell. The Oak Hall was destroyed in the fire of 1874. In 1872 he was elected sheriff of the county, and after his term of office expired, he bought the American House in Pittsburgh, which he ran for two years, when he returned to Jefferson county and resided for a time on his farm, in Pine Creek township. Then in 1879 he built the St. Cloud Hotel in Du Bois. In 1880 was proprietor of the American House, in Brookville, but soon sold out to A. B. Barr, and bought the Red Lion Hotel in Pittsburgh, which he ran until March, 1886, when he sold out and again returned to his farm, where he remained for a short time, then bought the City Hotel in Punx- sutawney.
The Union Express .- The express business was first started in the old staging days in the American House. John J. Y. Thompson was the first agent, being succeeded by R. R. Means, then by Thompson & Darr, who in turn handed it over to John Scott, who removed the business to the post-office, and has in turn been succeeded by John H. Buell, Parker B. Hunt, Joseph M. Galbraith, C. M. Garrison, jr., and the present agent, J. O. Edelblute.
Western Union Telegraph .- The Western Union Telegraph office was opened in Brookville early in July, 1865, Mrs. Berryhill being placed tempor- arily in charge, and remained a short time, when S. H. Lane, of Yarmouth, Me., succeeded her. He retained the management but a short time, when the office was placed in charge of A. Baur, who retained the management until late in 1879, when J. S. Carroll, a student in the office for a number of years, was placed in charge. Mr. Carroll was succeeded in 1881 by Joseph Breen, and the latter by M. E. Sullivan, the present manager, in 1882.
Brookville Water Works .- On the 28th of July, 1883, W. D. J. Marlin, esq., in the belief that a place of the size and importance of Brookville should have water works, determined to see what the citizens of the town would do toward organizing a stock company, drew up a subscription paper and started out to raise five hundred shares at $50.00 per share, or $25,000, for the purpose of putting in the works, by evening he had the satisfaction of making a tem- porary organization with $23,000 of the stock taken, and on the 30th a perma-
56
470
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
nent organization was made with all the stock taken, and every dollar of it by citizens of the borough. A charter was applied for, and on the 25th of Sep- tember ground was broken for the erection of the works. By the Ist of December the company had built a substantial brick pump-house, had placed therein a thirty-horse power boiler, and two sets of Worthington pumps, with a capacity of pumping one million gallons of water daily, built two wooden tanks, each to hold twelve hundred and fifty barrels, erected a substantial frame build- ing around them, laid one thousand eight hundred feet of six inch wrought iron flange pipe from pumps to tanks, which are situated on the east side of Barnett street, opposite the public school building, and laid cast iron supply pipes on Barnett street to Main : on Main, from White to Mill; Pickering, from Main to Jefferson ; Jefferson, from Barnett to Mill; Church, from Diamond alley to Matson street, and down to W. H. Gray's residence.
In the summer of 1884 the lines were extended by laying along Matson street from Church to Butler ; along a cross street from Matson to Dougherty ; from Mill down Jefferson, and over North Fork Creek out Pike to old borough line; from Pike out Rebecca street to Maple alley; down Pickering street across Redbank Creek, and out to B. Verstine's; down White street from Main to Water; along Water from White to E. C. Hall's lot ; along west line of E. C. Hall's lot to Troy road ; across it to Susquehanna turnpike ; from thence west along turnpike to the borough lines ; along Water street from near the bridge to fair ground, to Barnett street ; on Church street from Diamond alley to James Brick's residence ; on White street from Main to north line of C. M. Garrison's property, and on Mill from Jefferson to Levi Lerch's property.
In the summer of 1886 the company increased their capital stock from $25,000 to $28,000, and laid a line from Maple alley along Rebecca street to Second street, in Litch's addition ; from thence along Second street to Brady's avenue ; out Brady's avenue to Central avenue, in Taylor's addition ; thence down Central avenue to Seventh street; down Seventh street to Western avenue, and along Western avenue to the railroad ; and on Water street from Barnett to the western line of lot of Charles B. Guth.
The company have twenty-six fire hydrants, twelve of which are leased to the borough at $25 per year, twelve at $16 per year, and two to individuals.
There has been one hundred and four taps made into the lines, and the company are now supplying one hundred and forty customers.
The company have laid and are using about 1,900 feet 6 inch wrought iron flange pipe ; 5,000 feet 8 inch cast iron pipe ; 15,500 feet 4 inch cast iron pipe ; 1,900 feet 3 inch kalamain wrought iron pipe ; 300 feet 2 inch galva- nized wrought iron pipe, or over four and one-half miles of pipe, all of the supply pipe being laid from four to four feet six inches in depth. The ground being very hard, and in some places rocky, requiring blasting, the labor was very expensive.
471
HISTORY OF BROOKVILLE.
The first officers of the company were : Directors, Silas J. Marlin, E. A. Litch, Joseph Darr, C. M. Carrier and B. Verstine, Silas J. Marlin being elected president.
In July, 1884, B. Verstine and C. M. Carrier sold their stock, and F. X. Kreitler and Jackson Heber were elected to fill the vacancies.
This board has been retained since said time with S. J. Marlin as president up to August 23, 1886, at which time E. A. Litch was elected president.
WV. D. J. Marlin has been elected and served the company as secretary and treasurer ever since its organization, and together with the superintendent, Wilson R. Ramsey, has had general charge of the business of the company.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.