USA > Pennsylvania > Jefferson County > History of Jefferson county, Pennsylvania, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 71
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" The evangelist was seen in the post-office next morning enquiring for mail. 'Smith ?' queried the postmistress. 'Oh, that's a horrible name ! It used to be mine, but I changed it to Reynolds.' Smith wore a sardonic smile as he marched away to the time of a sad tune. REYNOLDS."
Early Stores and Industries .- Thomas Reynolds kept the first store in 1844 in his residence.
Frederick Farmer and Daniel Dunham are also mentioned as pioneer mer- chants of Reynoldsville. They kept in an old black house, six doors east of where King & Co.'s store was established in later years. They were followed by Washington Rhodes, who in turn gave way to Henry Gordon, and he, again, retired to make way for his son, Charles H. Gordon. Previous to 1860 Charles H. Prescott also kept store in Reynoldsville.
In 1860 John Reynolds, second son of Woodward Reynolds, returned from Kittanning, where he had been engaged in merchandising, and was elected jus- tice of the peace for Windsor township, and in 1869 he introduced the first industry of the new town by erecting a planing-mill and sash and door manu- factory on the corner of Main and First streets. This establishment was after- wards owned by James McGhee and C. R. Hall.
In 1871 George Thompson came to Reynoldsville, and a year later en- gaged in the planing-mill, sash, door and furniture manufactory, in conjunc- tion with J. S. Winslow. This manufactory, which was located on the corner of South and Tenth streets, was afterward operated by Mathew R. Reynolds.
One of the most potent reasons adduced by Thomas Reynolds for wanting a town was to induce a physician to locate there, as there was none nearer than Brookville. Those who have practiced the esculapian art will all be found noticed at length in Dr. C. M. Matson's sketch of the medical profession of Jefferson county.
In 1871 Dr. R. M. Boyles and J. Van Reed came from Clarion county, erected a large store building on the corner of Main and Fifth streets, and kept a well-stocked drug store, until the fall of the following year they were burned out. Dr. William H. Reynolds was also engaged in the drug business in 1871.
Until 1870-71 Reynoldsville was one straggling street of widely separated houses, extending from the residence of Thomas Reynolds to the Reynolds
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WINSLOW TOWNSHIP'.
House, and the population did not exceed two hundred ; but the surveying of the Bennett's Branch Railroad, as it was then called, infused new life into the people, and the well known excellence and extent of the coal fields in and about the town directed the attention of capitalists to the place. As has al- ready been stated, the home farm of Woodward Reynolds was at once laid out into lots and sold by his sons, David and Albert, and at the same time E. C. Shultze, of St. Mary's, Elk county, obtained the agency of the Thomas Rey- nolds lands, and at once proceeded to lay out over twenty streets of town lots, and to the push and energy of Judge Shultze is Reynoldsville greatly indebted for the opening up of the town. He died in 1875, and the lands which he had widely advertised, reverted, with the exception of the lots already sold, to their original owner.
MMunicipal Powers .- In 1873 Reynoldsville was incorporated into a borough, and M. M. Miner was appointed chief burgess to fill the office until the next election. The next burgesses elected, were : J. W. Faust, M. D., F. M. Cole, R. C. Faust, David Hartman, and Albert Reynolds.
The rapid growth of the town until 1875, was astonishing, and it put on the airs of a little city ; but the big fire of 1875, followed by another the fol- lowing year, almost crushed the life out of the place and business languished, and it was not until the building of the Soldier's Run railroad, and the open- ing of the mines, that the town " got on its feet again." The mines furnish the principal industry of the town, and William Sharpe, the pioneer of this coal region, deserves the praise for the first development of the now famous bitu- minous coal region of Reynoldsville.
The Fire Record of the Town. - There has been several scathing fires in Reynoldsville, the greatest conflagration occurring on the 25th of August, 1875, by which twenty-one buildings in the heart of the town were destroyed, involving a loss estimated at almost $100,000, on which there was only $42,- ooo insurance. The principal losers were D. C. Oyster & Co., bankers, $3,000, insurance, $1,500; Burgess & Alexander, $4,000, insurance, $2,550; Reilley's Arcade Block, $7,500, insurance, $4,500; C. H. Butler, $1,000, insurance, $600; E. L. Brown, $1,000, insurance, $500; F. M. Cole, $13,000, insurance, $7,500; A. M. Cotton, $3,000, insurance, $1,500; C. H. Gordon, $3,500, insurance, $1,580; Thompson & Degnan, $5,000, insurance, $2,000; L. P. Seeley, $10,000, insurance, $4,000; M. Winslow, $2,000, insurance, $1, 100 ; Brandon & Reynolds, Herald, $4,000, insurance, $2,500; A. Bogner & Co., $11,000, insurance, $5,700; D. Reynolds, $4,000, insurance, $1,000; H. M. Iseman, $4,000, insurance, $2,500; Thompson & Reynolds, $5,000; John A. Doyle, $3,000, insurance, $2,000 ; S. B. Ake, $6,000, insurance, $2,400; A. Bogner, $1,000, insurance, $200 ; and a number of other losses ranging from $50 to $800.
Another disastrous fire occurred in 1876, by which all the dwellings on the
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
north side of Main street, between Centennial Hall and the residence of Mrs. Amelia Reynolds, were destroyed. In the fall of the same year the planing- mill and sash and door factory of E. Campbell, and the machine- shop of Bar- clay & Crowell, with several dwelling-houses between First and Second streets, were destroyed. The following year the St. Charles hotel was burned down, and the saw-mill of H. S. Belknap, the large tenant house of Dr. R. M. Boyles, on Third street ; the residence of W. H. Kneeland, on South, and above Grant, the shoe store and residence of Isaac Winters, on Main street ; the Warmick House in Ohio town, the large flouring mill of T. & S. McCreight, of Prescott- ville, have fallen victims to the devouring element. In the decade ending in 1870, some fifty of the best buildings on Main street were destroyed.
War Record,-The war record of Reynoldsville is one of which they can well feel proud. The majority of their boys in blue marched to the front under Captain Tracy, of the One Hundred and Fifth Pensylvania, and subse- quently served under Captains Conser and Reynolds. Of those who laid down their lives for the old flag, were Major John C. Conser, George W. Cross- ley, Benjamin L. Johnson, Joseph F. Green, Irvin R. Long, Philip N. Tapper, Daniel G. Carl, George Howlett, John Kirker, Joseph Rutter, John W. Rea, Hiram P. Sprague, Peter Sharp and John Winkleby. A few enlisted in other organizations, but they will all be found in that part of this work devoted to the war record of Jefferson county.
During the war the village was almost deserted. The men and the boys were doing the fighting, while the wives and children and the aged parents they had left behind were waiting in dreary suspense for "news from the war."
General Business .- There is one banking house in Reynoldsville, estab- lished about 1874, by F. K. Arnold & Co. It is now owned by Seeley, Alex- ander & Arnold. W. B. Alexander is the cashier.
Charles H. Gordon, general store (double) clothing, dry goods, etc., was started in 1867, by C. H. Gordon & Brother, then C. H. Gordon, until 1875, when a co-partnership was formed by Mr. Gordon, with L. P. Seeley, as Gor- don & Seeley. Mr. Seeley soon retired, and the business has since been con- ducted by C. H. Gordon.
McKibbon & Brown, drug store established November, 1874.
E. D. Seeley, dealer in groceries, established May, 1886.
Dr. S. Reynolds, drug store, established about 1879.
King & Coleman, drug store, established about 1871.
H. A. Stoke, drug store, successor to Stoke & McConnell, established in 1882, owned by Mr. Stoke since April 1, 1887.
J. B. Arnold, dry goods and clothing store, established by Arnold & Alex- ander, owned by J. B. Arnold, since 1884.
C. C. Gibson, dry goods and clothing store, established spring of 1882.
B. E. Wellendorf, dealer in all kinds of hardware, and house furnishing goods, carpets, etc., established October, 1875.
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N. Hanan, general store, established in 1875, by Hanan & Strause. Since 1878, owned by N. Hanan.
Joseph Strause, general store, established June, 1879.
Guth & McConnell, jewelry store, established in April, 1883.
Hamilton & Dennison, dealers in dry goods, groceries, etc., successors to J. C. King & Co .; owned by present firm since March, 1886.
D. McCracken, dealer in groceries, established June, 1867.
J. A. Harding, grocery store, started in October, 1878, by Gordon & Hard- ing. Since 1880, owned by J. A. Harding.
I. H. London, grocery, flour and feed store, started May, 1881.
S. J. Iseman, grocery store, established in 1885.
A. G. Milliron, grocery store, started by Jameson & Spears, in 1882, then sold to Jacob Schwem, who in turn disposed of it to A. G. Milliron, in 1885.
E. S. Lawrence, grocery store, successor to Degman & McDonald. The business has been run by the present proprietor since 1883.
WV. S. Sankey, general store and grocery, established December, 1871. Joseph S. Morrow, general merchandise, established April, 1885.
E. T. McGraw, boot and shoe store, established September, 1882.
S. T. Dougherty, grocery store. This store was removed from Brookville, about 1883, by I. C. Fuller, who run it a short time, when it was purchased by Mr. Dougherty.
Frank J. Black, book store, and news depot, established December, 1877.
Joseph Zollner, jr., jewelry store, and dealer in pianos, organs, etc., estab- lished in 1885.
Priester & Brother, dealers in furniture, established in 1887.
M. Cartin, grocery store, established by H. I. Cartin, in 1873.
Bell, Lewis & Yates, " company store," established in 1885, E. J. Lofts, manager.
Mrs. Mary G. Brown, millinery store, established in 1881.
Miss R. McCallin, millinery store, established in 1879.
Miss Hattie Cotton, millinery store, established April, 1887.
Mary E. Moore, millinery store, established in 1879.
Miss Florence Best, millinery and dressmaking, established April, 1887.
D. Bolger, merchant tailor, established December, 1879.
M. Geisler, merchant tailor, established August, 1884.
A. J. Broadhead, undertaking, painting and paper hanging, established in 1885.
J. C. Williams, photographer, established in spring of 1880.
William Foster, dealer in confectionery, established November, 1886.
William Barclay, bakery and confectionery, established in 1883.
John Barto, bakery, established April, 1885.
Charles Fries, bakery, established May, 1887.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
J. & H. C. Dible, wagon manufactory, established in 1875.
David Hartman, blacksmith and repair shop, established in 1874.
Samuel Sutter, blacksmith and general repair shop, established in 1878.
Aaron Rodgers, marble works, established in 1875, by Fulton & Rodgers. Rodgers sold his interest to his partner, William Fulton, in 1876, and re-pur- chased it in 1877.
T. H. Scott, shoemaker, established February, 1874.
William Barclay, saddlery and harness, established in 1884.
Felix Weber, saddlery and harness, established in 1886.
C. N. Lewis, general insurance agent.
H. H. Lewis, planing-mill, established in 1882.
William E. Philippi, and Burton E. Hoover, dentists.
Michael O'Halloran, tailor.
Joseph Shaffer, agent Adam's Express Company.
H. M. Iseman, agent American Express Company.
Elwood DeHaven, cabinet maker.
Burns House, built by O. Grey, in 1855 or 1856, and sold to Thomas Rey- nolds in 1858. It is now owned by Charles Burns. Valentine Smith was the first landlord ; the next was William Ferris, then Thomas Montgomery, William Vandevort, John Rodebaugh, then Charles Burns, who has had charge of it since, with the exception of one year, when it was run by John Dillman, until 1886, when H. L. Kastrop, took charge of the house.
The Reynolds House was built in 1850, by Woodward Reynolds, who kept the house until his death in 1861. Then it was managed for a time by his sons. It is now the property of his widow, Mrs. Amelia Reynolds, and has had numerous landlords in the last twenty- five years, among whom were H. S. Belknap and G. W. Stoke. Thomas Evans is now occupying the property.
The Belknap House was built in 1873-74, by H. S. Belknap, who kept the hotel until 1883, when J. H. Clover became the landlord.
Schwem House, built in 1879, by Jacob Schwem, who occupied it until 1887, when the property was purchased by Frank A. McConnell, who has refitted and remodeled the house, and is now ye landlord of the same.
A. M. Cotton, billiard parlor, established about 1875.
J. C. Dillman, billiard parlor.
William Priester, barber, successor to James Gale, established since 1879. William Loding, barber, started in 1886.
R. Thomas, barber shop, established in 1887.
Thomas Tapper, livery, sale and exchange stable, established in 1873. In April, 1887, Mr. Tapper purchased the livery stable of Homer B. Leech, who had been in the business in Reynoldsville, since 1875, and consolidated it with his own.
Thomas Mahoney, meat market, established about 1873.
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Blissell Brothers, meat market, established September, 1885.
William Wilie, meat market.
PRESCOTTVILLE.
In 1853 Charles H. Prescott settled about a mile east of Reynoldsville, where the large flouring mill of R. S. Cathers, was located. Mr. Prescott entered largely in the lumber business, established a store, and gathered quite a number of workmen about him, and from 1860 to 1870, Prescottville was the centre of business in Winslow township. R. S. Cathers was also one of the prominent lumbermen of this place, and J. H. Corbet succeeded Mr. Prescott in the mercantile business. Mr. Prescott was an active member of the Baptist Church, and in 1870, was licensed to preach by the Reynoldsville Church. In 1876, he, in connection with John H. Corbet, built the Centennial Hall in Rey- noldsville, in order to have a suitable place for religious services. The rooms underneath the hall are rented for secular business purposes, and the revenue thus derived, is, after the expenses are deducted, devoted to general missionary work Mr. Prescott removed to Michigan about 1880, and his business interests in Jefferson county are now managed by his partner, Mr. Corbet. Prescottville is no longer a busy mart, the only industry of any kind being the large grist- mill now owned by T. & S. McCreight. Dr. W. H. Reynolds's drug store is the only store now in the place. In 1880 the census gives the population of Prescottville as one hundred and thirty.
OHIOTOWN.
This is that part of Reynoldsville situated on the west side of Sandy Lick, where the depot and offices of the Low Grade division of the Allegheny Rail- road are situated. It has sprung into life since the building of the railroad, and since the building of the West Penn tannery is quite a busy place. In 1880 the census gave the population of Ohiotown as two hundred and forty- two; but it has been largely increased since then. There are two graded schools in this suburb, and the Ross and Moore hotels are also located there.
General Business. - William Burge, grocery and general merchandise, established about 1878.
M. Sloppy, grocery store.
William Gibson, grocery, established in 1886.
The Ross House, built in 1878 by W. S. Ross, owner and proprietor. In 1883 an additional story was added, making it a three-story building, and in 1885 it was again enlarged, refitted and refurnished.
The Moore House, James Moore, owner and proprietor. This house was built by Dr. R. M. Boyles, in 1878, who sold it to Frank Best, who opened it as the Best House. It was then purchased by A. U. Moore, who changed it to the Moore House.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
Reynoldsville machine shop, Herpel Brothers proprietors, started July, 1884. The proprietors of this shop are graduates of the Pittsburgh Locomo- tive Works, and make to order and repair mill, tannery and mine work.
Jones & Wilson, planing mill.
Saw and shingle-mill, built as a shingle-mill by H. S. Belknap, about 1883. It was then destroyed by fire, and rebuilt as a steam saw and shingle-mill. It is now owned and operated by David Wheeler.
M. T. McLain, manufacturer of Anchor pick, and general line of miner's tools, established in 1879.
The West Penn Tannery ranks next to the coal mines in importance. It was built in 1881 by P. K. Grim & Son, from the eastern part of the State. They sold the concern to Messrs. Hall .& Vauglin, of New York, in October, 1882. When they assumed control of it they were working one hundred and seventy-five sides per day, while they are now turning out every day as many as six hundred. Their plant is situated along the Low Grade division of the Allegheny Valley Railroad, on twenty-five acres of land, on which they have bark-mills and sheds with switch tracks running into them. They have room under roof for twelve thousand tons of bark, and they consume annually about twenty thousand tons of this material, five thousand tons of which is brought to them in wagons, while the remainder is conveyed to them by the Allegheny Valley and the Rochester and Pittsburgh Railroads. The output of the works is sole-leather exclusively, known as the " Union Backs," and having " West Penn " stamped on them. In the process of tanning, both the oak and hemlock bark is used, and the claim made by many of the consumers that it is more serviceable than other similar leather, seems irrefutable. The firm allow noth- ing to go to waste at the tannery. The grease they get from the fleshings taken from the hides, is made into three thousand pounds of tallow each week, while they separate the white hair from the dark, wash it and sell it to manufacturers of cheap clothing and carpets. The lime, after they are through with it, and the ashes of the burnt bark, which they use for fuel after they take the strength out of it, are sold for fertilizing. Not only is the West Penn Tannery one of the largest in Pennsylvania, but it is as well a model industry in every respect. It is equipped with every device and improvement necessary for the constant promotion of the business, and all of the buildings devoted to it are roofed with slate and iron. These buildings are protected against fire by large force- pumps, buckets and ample hose to reach any part of the premises, which are illuminated throughout by the incandescent system of electric light produced by a plant the firm owns for the purpose. Messrs. Hall & Vaughn have never experienced any strike among their workmen, for they pay them good wages in cash every week and provide many of them with homes at very reasonable rent. The hides, the management work, are all of the Chicago slaughter, and when tanned the bodies are shipped to New York, while the scraps are sent to
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Boston to manufacturers of cheap stock. The grease is shipped to New York, and the hair, averaging 400,000 pounds per year is shipped to Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Philadelphia. A. P. Utter, is inside manager, and James Woodring is outside manager. They employ one hundred and twenty men.
Elections. - The first election in Reynoldsville after it became a borough, was held October 21, 1873, and resulted in the election of the following per- sons to fill the different town offices : Burgess, M. M. Miner ; justices of the peace, George E. Wisner, William H. Jackson ; town council, J. B. McCracken, Joseph Pence, H. S. Belknap, W. S. Sankey, William K. Reynolds, J. Van Reed ; auditors, D. Burgoon, J. L. Test, Albert Reynolds ; constable, Samuel Saxton ; high constable, William Heckman; assessor, B. F. Barris ; assistant assessors, E. DeHaven, William Seeley; judge of election, William Ferris ; inspectors, H. M. Clark, R. M. Boyles.
At the election held February 15, 1887, the following persons were elected : Justice of the peace, C. J. Kerr; burgess, A. G. Milliron ; constable, Jerry Heckman ; high constable, James Tigue ; collector, Albert Reynolds ; town council, James Spear, D. P. Wormer ; school directors, J. W. Foust, H. C. Dei- ble ; assessor, O. F. Smith ; auditors, C. C. Gibson, three years, H. H. Stoke, one year, A. T. Bings, unexpired term ; poor overseer, James Butler, two years, William Ferris, one year, E. T. McGaw, unexpired term ; judge of elec- tion, J. C. Swartz; inspectors, J. C. Ferris, Harry Cartin. The other justice of the peace for Reynoldsville, is Thomas H. Scott. The other members of the school board are P. F. Bolger, David Wheeler, C. Mitchell and W. B. Al- exander.
Taxables and Population .- The number of taxables in Reynoldsville in 1880, were 631 ; in 1886, 729. The population according to census of 1880, was 1,410.
Assessments and Valuation .- The triennial assessment for 1886, gives the number of acres of seated land in Reynoldsville as 200, valuation $3,710; av- erage per acre, $18.55 ; number of houses and lots, 661; valuation $95,523 ; unseated lots, 170; valuation, $6,755; average, $35.74; number of horses, 125; valuation, $8,041 ; average value, $24.33 ; cows, 113 ; valuation, $973 ; average value, $8.61; occupations, 51.10; valuation, $12,777 ; average value, $25.05. Total valuation subject to county tax, $122,779. Money at interest, $17,501.
School Statistics .- The number of schools in Reynoldsville, for the year ending June 7th, were 8; length of term, 6 months; number of male teachers, 4; female teachers, 4 ; average salary of male teachers, $40; female, $30; number of male scholars, 246; female scholars, 233 ; average attendance, 424 ; per cent. of attendance, 90; cost per month, 54 cents. Thirteen mills were levied for school, and five for building purposes. Total amount of tax levied, $2,407.14.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
PANCOAST.
Pancoast is another little village in Winslow township, situated on the Low Grade Railroad, which owed its existence to the opening of the mines of the Reynoldsville and Washington coal companies, and was for several years quite a brisk little mining town, but the collieries are now worked out. In 1880 the census gave the population of Pancoast as 131.
SANDY VALLEY.
This is also a little hamlet situated on the same railroad. It has one store and the post-office of Sandy Valley. William Boner manages both. In 1880 the population of Sandy Valley was 77.
RATHMEL.
Rathumel is at the terminus of the Soldier's Run Railroad, and where the upper mines of Bell, Lewis and Yates are situated. It is a small place, started about the time of the finishing of the Low Grade Railroad, by John A. Wilson, of Philadelphia, chief engineer of the road, who built a large steam saw-mill there.
CHAPTER XLVIII.
HISTORY OF HEATH TOWNSHIP.
HE seventeenth township organized was Heath. It was taken from Bar- T' nett, in 1847, and was called for Elijah Heath, one of the first settlers of the county, and for many years a prominent citizen of Brookville. It is bounded on the north by Forest county, from which it is divided by the Clarion River, on the east by Polk township and Elk county, on the south by Eldred, Warsaw and Polk, and on the west by Barnett.
Geology .- This region being an almost unbroken wilderness, very little coal or limestone is found. Wood being in such great abundance, no atten- tion has been paid to the small coal deposits. The most of the uplands being rugged, unbroken wastes, the massive rocks of the Homewood sandstone be- ing the principal features of the geology. In the region of Raught's Mills, huge boulders of these rocks are found, which from their gigantic size, deserve the celebrity they have acquired as curiosities.
Early Settlers. - The first settlers in Heath township appear to have been Job Carr, James Aharah and John Wynkoop. Mr. K. L. Blood, of Brookville, says of the early settlement of this region: "My father took me, in the fall
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HEATH TOWNSHIP.
of 1833, to what was then Ridgway township, now Heath Job Carr lived there, and was running a saw-mill, and was then building a dam across the Clarion River. James Watterson, of Armstrong, now Clarion county, had made a settlement at the mouth of Spring Creek, and built a saw- mill in 1833, and a man named Ransom and Ralph Hill, had built a shanty, and took up. what was then supposed to be vacant land, in the Beech Bottom, now owned by Calvin Rodgers." This mill of Job Carr, which was about one mile above Millstone, was the first mill built in what is now Heath township. Mr. Carr took out and ran to market the first lumber. The first school-house was built at Lathrop's, and the first church was built on the Edeburn farm, about 1883.
Lumbering has always been the principal business of the township, Heath being noted for its fine timber, and the majority of those operating in the town- ship have resided elsewhere. One of the principal steam mills was owned by George G. Frazier. This property has recently been sold by Mr. Frazier. The other mills in operation in 1887, are those of L. C. Wynkoop, of Pittsburgh, and William Dickey, of Brookville.
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