History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 106

Author: Roberts, Charles Rhoads; Stoudt, John Baer, 1878- joint comp; Krick, Thomas H., 1868- joint comp; Dietrich, William Joseph, 1875- joint comp; Lehigh County Historical Society
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Allentown, Pa. : Lehigh Valley Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1158

USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I > Part 106

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Machinery. - The Lenox Manufacturing Co. was organized in 1898, by a number of en- terprising men, including Oliver Williams, Jacob Roberts, and Sydney Heilig, of Catasauqua, for the manufacture of special machines of various kinds, more especially buttonhole workers, tack- ers, attachments for sewing-machines, button- covering machines and "Lenox" cash-registers. They secured the old and abandoned two-story brick building of the school district on Second street, which had been occupied for school pur- poses for upwards of 40 years, and this was equipped with necessary machinery. Business has been conducted there until the present time under the management of William Hargraves, with 9 to 12 hands, and a capital of $30,000.

Motor-Car Works. - On Oct. 1, 1913, Preston H. Kratzer embarked in the business of manufacturing light motor trucks, with var- ious types of bodies and top covers; also of gen- eral repair work to automobiles and motor-trucks. He established a plant in South Catasauqua, along the River road, in the building where he had conducted the South-End Planing-Mill from 1903 to that time. It was damaged by fire in February, 1914.

Planing Mills - About 1860, John H. Knauss and a Mr. Harwig associated together as Knauss & Harwig, to conduct a planing mill business on Race street at the Catasauqua creek, and there they erected and equipped a building on the east bank (where the Davies & Thomas Foundry is located). They operated the plant for several years, then Knauss became the sole owner; but he had just assumed the ownership when it was destroyed by fire through little chil- dren playing with matches around the mill, and it was a total loss because the insurance policies were not promptly transferred to him. The Hu- mane Fire Company ran to the rescue but to no avail. Many of the by-standers assisted in man- ipulating the hand engine or in forming a bucket- brigade to supply the engine with water from the mill-dam 200 feet off, one row of men passing the empty buckets to the dam, and an- other row passing the full buckets to the en- gine. After the fire, the site was secured by

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Daniel Davies for a foundry and machine shop.

Previous to the planing-mill a distillery had been carried on at this place for many years by Geo. W. Bogh and his brothers. They fed many hogs on the premises which squealed so much that the settlement there came to be called "hog- town," and the name was generally continued until East Catasauqua was annexed to the bor- ough as the Third ward.

Previous to 1850, Nathan Fegley, from Mauch Chunk, was engaged for some time in conducting a lumber yard on Church street, where the Town Hall is now located. He re- turned to Mauch Chunk about 1850, and was succeeded by John Stoddard, of White Haven, who then established a yard at the southeast corner of Front and Spring streets, on land leased from Owen Swartz. He shipped lumber

died in 1882. Rufus W. Wint was admitted into the firm, and the name was continued until 1900, when Frank J. Fatzinger and Oliver A. Fatz- inger each purchased an interest and a limited partnership was formed. Since then the business has been conducted under the name of F. W. Wint Co., Ltd.

About 1870 saw and planing mills were es- tablished on the premises, and as the business developed the plant was gradually enlarged, more especially in 1902 when a large adjoining lot on the south extending from Front street to the canal was purchased which had been oc- cupied by the Catasauqua Rolling-Mill.

The partnership is capitalized at $60,000; a stock of several million feet of lumber is car- ried on hand, including a "dry-kiln" with a capacity of 175,000 feet, much of it under cover,

GOLDSSITHE PLANING MIL

GOLDSMITH & SON.

in boats by the Canal from White Haven and Swartz acted as his agent. This was continued several years, when Swartz bought the business and conducted it until 1863. Then Horatio D. Yäger became a partner, and the business was carried on under the name of Swartz & Yäger until 1870. Swartz then sold his interest to Ferdinand W. Wint, and the business was car- ried on as Yäger and Wint until 1872, when George W. Cyphers was admitted as a part- ner, and the firm name was changed to Yäger, Wint & Cyphers. Cyphers died in 1873, and his interest having been purchased by his partners, the firm name was changed to H. D. Yäger & Co. The business was conducted under this name only a year, when Yäger sold his interest, and a new firm was created, consisting of Mr. Wint, Owen F. Fatzinger, and James P. Wint, who traded as F. W. Wint & Co. The senior partner

to meet the demands of its extensive trade; and the employees number from 60 to 75. All kinds of building materials are manufactured on or- ders from building contractors and shipped to all parts of the Lehigh Valley.

A planing-mill is situated at the east end of · the Third ward, in Catasauqua, on Race street. It was erected and equipped with the necessary machinery by Franklin Goldsmith, in 1909, for the purpose of supplying all kinds of building materials, and he has since conducted business there in a successful manner. The firm is now Goldsmith & Son, by the admission of Frank R. A. Goldsmith. The building is 86 by 110 feet; a running supply of 300,000 feet of lumber is kept on hand, much of it under cover; and 40 hands are employed. The trade reaches out into all parts of the Lehigh Valley.

A planing mill was carried on from 1903 to

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BOROUGH OF CATASAUQUA.

1913, by Preston H. Kratzer. It was situated in the south end of the borough along the River road, and was converted into a Motor Car works in 1913.

Pine Olein Factory. - In 1909, T. C. Smith and Franklin Trumbauer, of Allentown, bought a secret process for manufacturing a sweeping compound and general disinfectant, which they named "Pine Olein." They estab- lished their factory at the foot of Spring street along the canal, and while carrying on the busi- ness improved the product by experimenting with different combinations. Franklin J. Fatzinger, Owen A. Fatzinger, and Rufus W. G. Wint be- came the owners, and the business is being con- ducted under the name of Pine Olein Manufac- turing Co.

Quarry Equipment .- In 1881, Joseph Match- ette, a veteran captain of the Civil War, of Catasauqua, embarked in the business of equipping quarries with compressors, drills, hammers, pumps, and sundry supplies for tak- ing out slate and limestone, and he extended his trade throughout the Lehigh, Perkiomen, East Penn, Schuylkill, Lebanon and Conestoga Val- leys. He was the first to introduce in the last three valleys the steam drill for boring purposes, and the use of dynamite and the electric battery for blasting purposes, which greatly facilitated the removal of large quantities of rock at re- duced cost.

In 1891 his son, Joseph D., became a partner, and since then they have conducted the business under the firm name of Joseph Matchette & Son.

Capt. Matchette was the agent of the Dupont Powder Mills, in the southeastern section of Pennsylvania, for nearly thirty years supplying his extensive trade with powder.

Rolling Mill .- In 1863 a number of enter- prising men of Catasauqua associated under the name of the Northern Iron Co., for the manu- facture of armor plate for war vessels, and also rails; and they erected a mill along the canal north of Pine street. It was capitalized at $100,000, which was afterward increased to $500,000. The management was under David Thomas, president; Charles G. Earp, secretary and treasurer, and David, Eynon, superintendent ; but just as they had gotten ready to carry on the plant, the Civil War ended; then they changed the extensive equipment to the manu- facture of tank and boiler plates, afterward add- ing sheet-iron, and by 1867 the production came to be 6,000 tons. In 1868 the name was changed to the Catasauqua Manufacturing Co.

In 1864 a large rolling-mill was put up at Ferndale on the west side of the Lehigh river,

a mile south of Catasauqua, for the manufacture of bar and skelp iron, and the business was car- ried on for a time under the name of East Penn Iron Co .; which was afterward changed to Lehigh Manufacturing Co.

In 1868 the plant was leased to the Cata- sauqua Manufacturing Co., and in 1872 this company purchased the plant. David Thomas and his sons, Samuel and John, were at the head of the company. Then Oliver Williams became the president by reason of his large interest in the Catasauqua mill.

In 1882 the total production of the two mills was 36,000 tons, with 600 employees; and the estimated value was $2,000,000.

A small mill was erected south of the mill near Pine street, which was named Mill C, and another was erected north of the Ferndale plant which was named Mill D.

These plants were in successful operation until 1892, and had a national reputation for the man- ufacture of all kinds of bar and merchantable iron, which was shipped to all parts of the United States. Before this time their financial standing was first-class and the works were kept running in a most successful manner. Then a strike arose, the panic followed, and this great com- pany failed.

The Catasauqua plants were dismantled, and the land came to be owned by the F. W. Wint Co. The Ferndale plants were sold to James W. Fuller, who organized the Lehigh Foundry Co., and transferred the establishments to it.

Rubber Works .- In 1900 a company was organized at Catasauqua for the manufacture of a new metal out of a secret combination of copper and other materials which was to be harder than steel, and a plant was erected and equipped with machinery in East Catasauqua along the creek; but after some experimentation the enterprise proved a total failure and much money was lost.

A rubber company was then organized, which secured the building, equipped it with the neces- sary machinery and proceeded to manufacture certain rubber goods, such as fruit-jar rings, rub- ber heels and soles, door mats and rubber web- bing materials, but after running the plant sev- eral years this also resulted in failure.

In 1910 a company was organized at Trenton, N. J., comprising Isaac Fineberg, Henry Bern- stein, Antonio de Piano, Piano Rossa and Joseph Maher and his brother William, and they were incorporated under the name of Leicester Rubber Co., for the manufacture of rubber goods by the reclaiming process, such as automobile mats, door mats, stair mats, jar rings, shoe soles and heels, etc., and there they have since carried on

584

HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

the business. In the summer of 1913 they se- cured the rubber plant mentioned and embarked in the business at Catasauqua on September 4th. Since then they have conducted the business in a successful manner, employing from 20 to 25 hands. New machinery was installed and the capacity of the plant was increased. The build- ing is two-story, 60 by 175 feet.

Stone Works .- In 1903 Daniel Milson em- barked in the business of quarrying and crush- ing stone on the property of the Deily Estate, to the rear of the Wahnetah Silk Mill. The quar- ried stones were supplied to the furnace of the Crane Iron Co. for fluxing, and the crushed stones to contractors for concrete work. He em- ployed 20 men, produced about 200 tons a day, and continued there seven years. Then he rented

and produce upwards of 6,000 tons of materials for roofing, concreting, public roads, and rail- roads. Morgan Emanuel and his son, David, had previously been engaged in the business for a number of years.

SILK MILLS .- There are three silk mills car- ried on at Catasauqua.

Dery Mill .- D. G. Dery located at Cata- sauqua in 1897, and embarked in the manufac- ture of broad silks. He erected a fine three-story brick building at the foot of Front street, along Race, 150 feet front by 50 feet in depth, equip- ped it with the necessary machinery and started with 200 hands. After conducting the plant successfully for two years he enlarged it by add- ing a three-story brick building of the same di- mensions at right angles, making the structure in

DERY SILK MILL.

the quarry of Henry Kurtz, in the Third ward and there he has carried on the business until now. He erected a new modern crusher with a daily capacity of 500 tons and employs from 20 to 25 hands.

Henry Kurtz had previously carried on his quarry for many years for burning lime and supplying a superior blue cut-stone for building purposes, and in this business he was succeeded by his son. Jonas Biery also carried on exten- sive quarry operations supplying thousands of tons of limestone to the Crane Iron Co.

David L. Emanuel and others, under the name of Emanuel & Co., started a crusher plant at the slag bank of the Crane Iron Works in 1910, and the business has since been carried on by the company. They employ from 25 to 40 hands

the form of an L which he also equipped with machinery. Since then he has carried on the business in a most successful manner, affording constant employment to 400 hands.

During this time Mr. Dery established fifteen other silk mills at different places, fourteen being in Pennsylvania, which he has conducted in a similar manner. His employees altogether num- ber 3,600. The principal office for all his es- tablishments is at Allentown, embracing all the rooms on the seventh floor of the Allentown National Bank building.

The home of Mr. Dery is at Catasauqua, a spacious, three-story brick Colonial building on a large plot of ground.

Wahnetah Mill is situated on the road to Al- lentown, beyond the Catasauqua creek, near the

585

BOROUGH OF CATASAUQUA.

VIEW OF WEST CATASAUQUA AND WAHNETAH MILL.

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

grist-mill. It was organized in 1890, with a capital of $125,000 by James Thomas, Frank M. Horn, James W. Fuller, Samuel Thomas, Edwin Thomas, C. R. Horn, William W. Mc- Kee and George Davies, for the manufacture of silk plushes and fabrics. Alexander Pfeffer was engaged as the general manager and he was sent to England to secure the necessary machinery and a supply of silk, and the mill was erected in 1892. The capital was increased to $200,000, and the business was conducted under varying circumstances until 1900.

William R. Thomas was then engaged as the superintendent and he has managed the increas- ing business in a most satisfactory manner. The manufacture of plushes was abandoned and in 1902 broad silk looms were installed; and in 1903 one hundred looms were in operation. Since then the plant has been much enlarged, and in January, 1914, there were about 700 looms in operation with 400 hands.

Catasauqua Mill .- James J. Seyfried, Edward J. Smith, and Wilson J. Smith associated to- gether in 1911 as the Catasauqua Silk Co., for the manufacture of broad silks in the borough. They purchased a two-story frame factory build- ing on Race street between the river and canal, and equipped it with the necessary machinery; and they have since conducted the business in a successful manner. Their annual production, which runs from $60,000 to $70,000, is shipped to New York City. They employ from 20 to 30 hands.

Tinsmith Shops .- Charles G. Schneller in 1854 engaged in the business of tinsmith and dealer in hardware and stoves, locating at Front and Strawberry streets, in Catasauqua, and there he continued in business until 1887. His son, Charles W., became a partner in 1881, and in 1887 secured the entire business; since then he has conducted it in a successful manner. He employs four hands. The Schneller Row (three- story brick) was erected there in 1868. Mr. Schneller died in 1909, aged 88 years.

Charles Schneider has been engaged in this business at Catasauqua since 1872; since 1900 at his present stand, No. 108 S. Second street.

John P. Schneller (brother of Charles W.), has been at No. 120 Front street since 1880, though he had carried on the business in the borough for several short periods before.

Samuel P. Gemmel started in 1893; and since 1897 he has conducted the business at No. 312 Second street.

LOCAL IMPROVEMENTS .- The first work done in the village in 1839 was the building of a two- story frame house opposite the site of the fur- naces which, within six months after coming to

this country, was occupied by Mr. Thomas and his family.

There was built at the same time a row of "shanties" from Second street to Limestone alley ; also frame houses from Limestone alley to near Howertown Road, which were surrounded by a front yard, with fences neatly whitewashed. The occupants were the clerks and bosses at the works. This was the "boulevard" of the vil- lage.

A brick row was built on Wood street from Limestone alley to Howertown Road, and each house was generally occupied by four families. Some of their descendants now living in large houses were born there.

In 1839 there were few, if any, coal burning stoves. Every thrifty tenant had his cord of wood sawed, chopped, and piled in the cellar.

Bake-ovens were erected; one on Wood street, the other on Church; and their fires were burning from Monday morning till Sat- urday night, for the neighbors took their turn. The dough was prepared and placed in straw baskets; then, by a dexterous movement, up- turned on a wooden tray or shovel, and pushed into the ovens. Occasionally, some belated house- wife would come and beg the privilege of putting only a small pie into the oven if there were still room.

After the water was introduced, several spig- ots were on Wood and Church streets, the only streets in the village where the mains were laid. The water was taken from the Lehigh river, but then it was free from impurities and adultera- tions.

The first streets were opened on the land of Frederick Biery, from Race street to Wood, as far as his land extended. As the village grew in the centre, Second street was opened to Church and made crooked so as not to interfere with buildings already erected. When it was extended to Middle alley, a stop was made at the line of Henry Breisch's land and the street was fenced off. Prior to this time, Second street had been opened by John Peter from Bridge street north, and when Second street was extend- ed northward another crook was necessary to make the connection.

Meanwhile, Bridge street was opened, and, in order to make it correspond with Church street, it also was made crooked, otherwise the lines would have overlapped and the lots would have become too long. Strange to say, the alleys between Church and Bridge streets were run as if these streets were at right angles. The consequence was that the lots on Bridge street at alleys were sliced off at the point of intersec- tion. While this was not considered when the

587

BOROUGH OF CATASAUQUA.

lots were cheap, in after years, when parties be- gan to measure up and find themselves short from 8 to 12 inches, law suits arose, bitter feeling was developed and expensive litigation naturally followed. Such was the situation on both sides of the street but it would not have occurred if the points of intersection had been a right angle.

In 1839, there were four public roads which lay within the present boundary of Catasauqua :

One extended from the dam along the canal west of the Faust farm house, crossing Front street where it is intersected by Chapel street, and proceeding due east along the north side of the Breisch farm house (near the site of Dr. Daniel Yoder's residence) to the Howertown Road.

borough, which lowered the surface several feet between Union street and School alley, and re- quired high stoops before the residences, as they are now seen ..

In 1848, Second street was laid out from Race to Church, by direction of the Court.

Building Lots .- During the period from 1845 to 1860, this town grew in population. The Biery lots were sold on Front and Second streets to Wood; and John Peter sold his lots on those streets from Bridge to the borough line. The balance of the Peter farm was sold to David Thomas. Henry Breisch also sold his farm, lying between Second and Third streets from Church to Pine, to David Thomas.

But Thomas for years sold very few lots,

CATASAUQUA

PINE STREET BRIDGE.

The second from the Biery grist mill due east over the Deily hill by the farm house to a point where the road forks in the Third ward toward Bethlehem.

The third from the mill race over the county bridge in the Third ward.

The fourth was the Howertown Road which originally extended due north on the west side of the Biery farm house to a point at Union street where it joined the road as it is at present, the last portion having been vacated long ago.

In 1841, Front street was laid out by the Court, but it was known for some time as Cin- der street because the slag from the furnaces was hauled on it to make it passable in wet weather. It was graded in 1853 by Elias Mertz, surveyor, right after the incorporation of the

which eventually proved to be a good feature, be- cause it paved the way for many fine residences between Second street and Howertown Road and from Bridge street to Walnut. Third street was only opened in 1870, twelve years prior to his death; and Fourth and Fifth streets were opened some years after his death in the settle- ment of his estate. The population at this time was 2,853.

Bridges .- There were two bridges across the river in the early history of the town; the Biery Bridge, erected as a chain structure in 1824, and maintained as such until 1852, when it was removed on account of its insecurity. A covered wooden structure was then erected in its place, and this was continued as a private toll-bridge until 1892, when the county purchased it and

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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

an iron structure was built to accommodate the increased public and trolley traffic. The Crane Iron Co. bridge was erected by the company for its own uses in 1845 and since maintained. A third bridge, built of iron, was established at Pine street by the county in 1906.

Water Works. - When Catasauqua was founded in 1839 the water rights and land west of the canal, from the Hokendauqua Dam to the Allentown Dam were ceded to the Lehigh Crane Iron Co. by the canal company as a sub- stantial inducement to capitalists to erect fur- naces here and develop an increased market for coal as a feeder to the canal project. At that time, the towns along the Lehigh river north to the coal mines were few, and it never entered into the minds of the investors that the stream would become the sewer system of populous bor- oughs and hundreds of coal mines.

When the first furnace was erected, the blast power was secured from the canal, a new canal having been excavated which was afterward used as the main channel. The pump to furnish water for furnace use was attached to a blast wheel, which remained in use until No. 3 furnace was completed in 1844. More convenient water fa- cilities for the town were required and then a 4-inch main was laid from the pump to Wood street, up Wood to Second, up Second to Church, and thence to a basin located on that street above Church alley.

The leakage from this basin eventually un- dermined the limestone soil, and necessitated its abandonment and a wooden tank was erected. In 1854, a 4-inch main was laid on Front street, as far as Bridge, and in 1856, a 3-inch main was extended up Second street, as far as Strawberry alley, to supply the new residence of David Thomas. This pipe was recently discovered while laying the new mains on that street, and it was found almost closed with corrosion. The same year the Front street main was extended to the new rolling mill, and subsequently as far as Puddlers' Row, above Chapel.

When this was about to be done originally, it would seem that David Thomas wrote to his son Samuel, then at Nazareth (going to school), to stop off at Bethlehem and take measurements of the pump used there to supply water to the in- habitants of that town, as he intended to supply water to the company houses on Church and Wood streets. Richard W. Leibert (who is still living at Bethlehem), supplied him with the desired information. Work was then com- menced without a charter and in time the mains were extended, a reservoir was built on Church street, and later on north of Walnut between Fifth and Sixth streets. A charter was sub-

sequently obtained and the company furnished the water until its merger with the Clear Springs Water Co.

By 1872, the demands upon the water supply had increased so largely that the company decided to make extensive improvements, and spent $25,- 000. On Front street from Wood to Bridge an 8-inch main was laid; Second, Union to Chapel, a 10-inch main; 4-inch main on Union and Chapel streets; 10-inch main on Bridge, from Front to Second; and 10-inch main on Walnut to Fourth, where connections were made with a 12-inch main leading to a new stone and con- crete reservoir on Currant alley, above Walnut, the highest point in the town. A new pumping station was built below No. 6 furnace, 23 by 25 feet in dimensions, with water and steam pumps having a capacity of forcing 185;000 gallons of water per day. A nearby stand-pipe, to equalize the pressure upon the pipes, was also built.

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History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. I, Part 106

Author: Roberts, Charles Rhoads; Stoudt, John Baer, 1878- joint comp; Krick, Thomas H., 1868- joint comp; Dietrich, William Joseph, 1875- joint comp; Lehigh County Historical Society Publication date: 1914 Publisher: Allentown, Pa. : Lehigh Valley Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1158

Author: Roberts, Charles Rhoads; Stoudt, John Baer, 1878- joint comp; Krick, Thomas H., 1868- joint comp; Dietrich, William Joseph, 1875- joint comp; Lehigh County Historical Society
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Allentown, Pa. : Lehigh Valley Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1158