USA > Pennsylvania > Northumberland County > History of Northumberland Co., Pennsylvania. With illustrations descriptive of its scenery, palatial residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and important manufactories > Part 43
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The employment of a
POLICE FORCE
Commenced May 30th, 1874. It consists of only two patrolmen, whose duties ceuer ut midnight. Thus much for the good morals of Maton.
MILTON LODGE, NO. 256, A. Y. MI.
Constituted, 1851. Names of charter members: Amos Witter, John M. Huff, John F. Caslow, Joseph Eckhert, James Sherer, Christopher Steine, A. F. Ludwig, John N. Oyster, John Frick, Samuel Logan, David H. Wat- son, Allen Schreyer, James R. Caldwell. Wardens-John M. Huff and J. F. Caslow. Place of meeting, Masonic Hall, Goodlander's block.
THE OLD LODGE, NO. 144, A. Y. M.,
Was organized in Milton, about 1815. The members were: General Robert Hammond, General Henry Frick, Hon. John Montgomery, William Cox Ellis, Esq., Colonel Robert MeGuigan, Dr. James S. Dougal, of which, only Dr. Dougal survives.
This lodge disintegrated in 1828, and working tools removed to Lewisburg.
MUTUAL LODGE, NO. 84, I. O. O. F.,
Meets Saturday evenings, at Academy of Music.
PILGRIMS' ENCAMPMENT, NO. 160, I. O. O. F.,
Also meets at Academy of Music.
KNIGHTS OF PYTHLAS, .
Meets in Hang's building, second floor.
PATRIOTIC SONS OF AMERICA.
Place of' meeting, Inckenburg's block.
ORDER OF AMERICAN MECHANICS,
Meets in Swartz's block.
JUNIOR ORDER OF AMERICAN MECHANICS,
Meets in Swartz's block.
THJE MILTON SILVER CORNET BAXD AND THE MILTON INDEPENDENT BAND, Have Intely been organized, and bid fair to attain excellence.
THE MILTON ACADEMY OF MUSIC.
Is a three-story brick building, one hundred and forty feet in depth, with a frontage of fifty-four feet, situated on Water street, a short distance above Broadway.
The lower story is sixteen feet, and the audience-hall, twenty-seven feet in height. In the first story ure two stores, each twenty by fifty-four feet ; one occupied as a grocery and seed-store, and the other as a drug-store. In the rear of these is a room, fifty-four by eighty-six feet, fitted up for a market- house, and most suitable for the purpose. In this, festivals and similar gatherings are held. It has side nud rear entrances for rapid egress,
The main entrance is on Water street, and the hall is reached by a stair- way ten feet in width. At hend of stairway, on each side, are suites of offices, two rooms cach, also ticket-office, while immediately above these is n hall, fifty-four feet in length, used by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The audience-hall will comfortably sent seven hundred and fifty persons. The large stage has every appliance for theatrical performances, for which, as well as for lectures, the hall is chicfly nsed. The entire build- ing is supplied with gas. The hall is lighted from the ceiling by two large reflectors of forty-eight burners.
The frescoing, and all the decorations and appointments, are first-class in every particular.
The building was erected by J. Woods Browo, John McCleery, Samuel T. Brown, and Jacob F. Ganger. It was commenced in the Spring of 1870, und formally opened on the 13th of the succeeding December. Entire cost, twenty-eight thousand dollars.
MILTON GAS COMPANY
Was incorporated in 1856. The first officers were: W. C. Lawson, president ; Thomas S. Maekey, secretary and superintendent ; and William F. Nagle, treasurer.
The works are located on Filbert.street, at Limestone Run. They were built, in 1860-61, by William Helm, of Philadelphia, as contractor, at a cost of about twenty-two thousand dollars.
The gas is manufactured from Clarion and Westmoreland conuties bitu- minous coal, and is furnished at four dollars per thousand feet. Before the present year, the price was five dollars per thousand. The mains extend to Chamberlain's addition, on the north, and to Lower Market street, on the sonth.
In April, 1876, W. C. Lawenn, Esq., having resigned the presidency, Mr. W. A. Schreyer was chosen his successor. The secretary is J. Woods Brown, Esq., and W. P. Hull is the treasurer. The company pays a semi- annual dividend of five per cent.
Milton has no water-works nor public parks.
MILTON CAR-WORKS,
Murray, Dougal & Co., proprietors. The enterprise was started in February, 1864, for the manufacture of agricultural implements, which was soon after changed to the manufacture of railway-cars, and the new firm of Murray, Dongal & Co. was organized, the partners being S. W. Murray, W. P. Dougal, J. S. Stoughton, John McCleery, and S. H. Pollock. In November, 1865, the firm was re-organized under the sume style and name, but with only Murray, Dougal, MeCormick and MeCleery, as partners. It continued, without change, till the retirement of Mr. MeClecry, in 1874, the three re- maining partners continuing the business and firm name. Other branches have since been added, as the manufacture of mine-enrs, oil-tauks, steam- boilers, bridge-bolts nud castings, bill lumber, etc. The buildings consist of machine-shop, iron-foundry, brass-foundry, smith-hop, erecting-shop, paint- shop, two repair-shops, boiler-shop, planing-mill, wareroom, saw-mill, and office, and they occupy about six neres of ground. At full capacity, the works employ about four hundred and fifty men.
THE MILTON IRON COMPANY.
W. A. Schreyer, president; P. C. Johnson, secretary and treasurer; John Jenkins, superintendent. Stock owned by citzens of Milton and vicinity.
The works were established in 1872. They embrace the mill buildings, three double dwelling-houses and office, covering six neres of ground, about halt-a-mile from the centre of town, and ndjoining the West Branch Canal nud the Philadelphia and Eric and Philadelphia and Rending Railroads, thus giving excellent facilities for transportation. They manufacture mer- chant bar-irou, the annual product of which is fifteen hundred tons. The engine is of one hundred and forty horse-power. There are one heating and six puddling furnnecs. Hands employed, thirty-five.
MILTON NAIL WORKS.
Established in 1875, by C. A. Goodcharles & Co. They manufacture muck-bar and nails. Run nineteen machines, and employ abont seventy hands. Mill located at junction of the Reading and Philadelphia & Erie Railroads, about half n mile from centre of town.
IRON FOUNDRY OF BICKEL & BAILEY.
This is the business established by Joseph Rhoads in 1830, which has been before mentioned. After Major Rhoads, it passed through several hands to those of the present proprietors, who run it on general foundry and machine work, and the manufacture of farming implements.
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HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
IRON FOUNDRY AND MM'HINE SHOP
Of Lawson & Company, consisting of foundry-building, machineshop, pat- tern-shop, and wareroums, is situated on both sides of Upper Front street, below the old Rhonds foundry. They manufacture all kinds of mill-gearing, reapers anul mowers, and other agricultural implements. These works were established by John Patton, about 1838. They have passed successively through the ownership of White & Marvine, aml White, Marvine & Law- son, till the coming in of the present firm. They employ cleven hands.
FOUNDRY AND MACHINE SHOP
Of J. M. Masseman. It is loented ou Upper Front street, nearly opposite the Mel'leery saw-mills. Is run in the manufacture of enginee, lathes, drills, and mill-gearing. Was established in 1843, by the present owner, who has carried it ou constantly till the present time. When busy, there are eight hands employed.
STEAM SAW-MILLS
Of MeClecry, Newbard & Co. This business was established by Dr. William MeC'leery, in 1842, and has been mentioned as the first steam saw-mill ever built on the west branch. The old original mill was kept in operation until 1857, when a new firm was organized, the partners being Moses Cham- berlin, William MeCheery, John Runkle, and Charles Newhard, who erected a larger mill, above the old one, aud on the opposite side of the canal. Its. power was forty-horse, and cutting capacity eight thousand fret per day. Lath, shingle, and picket-machines, were operated for utilizing the offal.
This mill was destroyed in the Spring of 1864, but in October of the same yenr, a larger and better mill had been completed, and is now still in opera- tion by the firm, consisting of Willimma P. MeCleery, Charles Newhard, and John W. Clinger. The mill runs a circular and a Mulay saw, and its cutting capacity is fifteen thousand feet per day, and, in addition to this, it manufactures eight hundred thousand laths, five hundred thousand piekets, and six hundred thousand shingles, annually. Besides the lumber snws, it operates a planer, re-saw, und Hooring-nmchine. Number of hands em- ployed, twenty.
MILTON SAW AND PLANING-MILL,
Situated on the east side of Upper Front street, and joining the West Branch Canal, is owned and operated by D. Clinger, and is believed to be the oldest planing-mill in northern Pennsylvanin. It was built in 1855, by Balliet, Billmyer & Goodlander; it is eighty by eighty-six feet, two stories high, and propelled by a forty-horse engine ; hos dry-kilus attached, capable of drying twenty-five thousand feet at once. The mill was purchased by the present proprietur in 1867. When running to capacity, it employs forty men.
THE EXCELSIOR PLANING-MILLS
of' Knopf & Co., is situated nt C'entre street, and the Philadelphia and Eric Railroad. They manufacture flooring, siding, doors, frames, sash, nud shutters. Use thirty horse-power, and employ twenty-three hand, The main building is eighty hy eighty feet, and the dry-kdn, forty hy sixteen feet.
The first firm was Knout, Crist, & Co., who built the mills in 1873, com- meneing on the 17th of March, nul completing them ready for work on the 5th of May, of that year.
KEG AND STAVE-FACTORY
of' Shimer & Co. This commenced work in Milton in 1872, working the offal of an oak bill-mill, lvented in Union County. That mill was removed to Milton in 1873, and the two were run in connection.
In May, 1875, a machine-shop was added. They manufacture onk bill- lumber, boxes, eloth-boards, stuves, nail-kege, and wood-working machinery. Value of productions, in 1875, thirty-five thousand dollars.
CARRIAGE MANUFACTORY
of' Keydell & Tilden. It is situated at the corner of Upper Front and Upper Market streets. They manufacture corringes, spring-wagons, and sleighs. They employ eleven hands. Carriage works on this site, were started by Robert and Duncan Patterson many years ago, but were burned about 1845. Since then, the business has passed through several firms before the present one.
THE OLD "ECKERT" FLOUR-MILL,
Budt hy George Eckert, in 1816. Mr. Eckert died January 25th, 1850, after which it was rented for two years by George Baker, who, in December, 1851, (before the expiration of his rental ) purchased the mill, and has owned it till the present time. He does custom work, wholly, has four run of burrs, and a capacity of fifty barrels per day.
THE "POLLOCK" FLOURING-MILL.
On Upper Front street, opposite the Rhoads foumlry, has already been men- tioned as having been built in 1832, by F. W. Pollock, Esq. It is now owned and run by Elias Bickel, has forty-five-horse-power, and a capacity of thirty to forty bushels per hour. Annual business, thirty-five thousand dollars. Custom and merchant work.
TANNERY OF W. II. REBER,
Is located on Elm street near Mahoning. The tanning business was started here in a small way, before the present century, by John Armstrong, from Montgomery County. By him it was sold to William Jordan, who, in turn sold to Abraham Straub, about 1818. Twelve years later, Straub sold to Samuel T. Brown, and from him, it was purchased, in 1863, by William H. Reber, a practical tanner from Berks County. The tannery was burned, October 7th, 1867. The present one was immediately commenced upon the ruins, and in the following December it was completed, and business resumed. The work is principally sole-leather, of oak and hemlock tannage. Annual production, twenty-two thousand sides. Hands employed twenty- one. Tannery building, one hundred by seventy-three fect, two-story.
FLY-NET FACTORY, OF D. F. WILSON.
This business was commenced, in a small way, in 1856, by Robert Wilson, who was the inventor of the machinery used in the manufacture. The business increased steadily, and on January Ist, 1860, he removed to the second-story of Goodlander's block, where it remained until 1871, when it was removed to its present location ; the new building is on Lower Front street, near Philadelphia and Reading Railroad depot.
THE MILTON NATIONAL BANK.
The germ from which this institution sprung, was the Milton Savings Bank, incorporated in 1855, and organized in 1856, with a capital of ouly twenty-five thousand dollars. James Pollock was president, and Robert M. Frick, cashier.
In 1857, Mr. Pollock resigned the presideney, and W. C. Lawson was elected to fill his place.
March 8th, 1862, it was made a bank of issue, the capital increased to fifty thousand dollars, and the name changed to The Milton Bank; Mr. Lawson and Mr. Frick, respectively, retaining the offices of president and enshier.
On the 17th of January, 1865, having complied with the requirements of the National Banking Law, it became the Milton National Bank, with a cupital increased to one hundred thousand dollars, and with W. C. Lawson and Robert M. Frick still as president anıl cashier.
The banking-rooms were first in the Cadwalladler Building, adjoining the Bethuel Vincent corner. Its present quarters are in one of the brick dwell- ing-houses, purchased by the bank from the estate of William H. Sanderson. The residence of the cashier occupies the remainder of the property.
FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF MILTON, PA.
This institution commenced business, under the National Banking Law, February 13th, 1864-J. Woods Brown, president, and Samuel D. Jordan, cashier. In 1875, Mr. Jordan died, when the teller, Mr. John M. Caldwell, was promoted to be cashier.
The institution does n general banking business, and makes collections at accessible points. The present president is J. Wootls Browu, and the cashier is John M. Caldwell. Capital, one hundred thousand dollars.
Its first place of business was in a brick building owned by the Sanderson estate, on the site now occupied by the law office of Lawson & Brown. Two years later, it was removed to Haag's Block, and it remained there six years. At the end of that time, banking-rooms were rented for a term of twenty-five years, in the block of Mr. Heury Huth, on Front street. There it continued business until the block was destroyed in the great fire of December 12th, 1875. The safes and other property were got out, with but very trifling loss, and removed to premises on the opposite side of Front street, owned by Mrs. Frymire, and occupied by D. W. Angell, who vacated to accommodate the bank.
Here it did business until July 12th, 1876, when it was moved to the new banking-house which had been built on land purchased from Mr. Huth; being the same spot which it occupied at the time of the fire.
The cost of' land and building was seven thousand dollars. The new banking-house is twenty by forty-five feet-two stories, each fourteen feet
123
HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
high. The material is brick, with eighteen-inch walls, iron beams and . girders, brick-arched ceilings, heavily covered with cemeot, iron stairway, corrugated iron doors and shutters, and metallic roof; making it, ns nenrly as practicable, fire-proof. Its interior finish is of walnut, with solid furniture of the same material. The " Valentine & Buttler" vaults, with chronometer locks, afford as much seurity against burglars, as steel, chilled-iron, and ingenious mechanism ran give.
THE MILTONLIN.
Soon after the expiration of the first deende of the present century, the citizens of Milton began to think that their population, and their importauce, entitled them to a local newspaper-Que which might reflect their own views and feelings, untrammeled by the opinions and prejudices of the older towns. The Freiheitsvogel, of Sunbury, had died several years before, and the Repub- livan Argus, of Northumberland, was already in the throes of dissolution. The Northumberland Gazette, the Northwestern Post, and the Sunbury Times, still came up regularly by mail, but Milton needed a journal of her own ; and so General Henry Frick, one of her principal citizens, bought presses and type, and all the expensive necessities of u newspaper, and on Saturday, September 21st, 1816, he issued the first number of the Miltoning, from his office of publication, at the corner of Broadway and Water streets.
It was the pioneer, as it is now the sole survivor of journalism in Milton. There is pride in the term pioneer, and there is inexpressible melancholy in that of last survivor ; but neither pride nur melancholy seem to have sown the seeds of decay in the Miltoniun, for now, in the sixtieth year of its exist- cuce, it is as fresh and vigorous as ever. It has lived under the administra- tions of fifteen Presidents, and has noticed fourteen of them in obituary. At the time of its birth, George the Fourth had not yet come to the throne of Eng- Innd, and the great Napoleon had been but a few months on St. Helena. So wefind among the foreign news in that first issue, as follows: " Bonaparte .- We live a roundabout West India account that Bonaparte had esenped from St. Helena on the 22d of June. Particulars are not given, but the report is said to have been believed at Barbadoes." Also, an item referring to a recent ball given by the Prince Regent ( afterwards George Fourth), on wbich vecasion the Princess Charlotte had interdieted the wearing of any stuffs not of British manufacture. ( It would be well d' Americans to-day would emulate that royal economy and patriotism). There is no minrringe recorded in the first number, but there is an announcement of death, as follows : " Died, on Tuesday last, in this pince, after a short illness, Mr. Edmund Hogan, a respectable inhabitant."
Abner Cox advertises in it a general assortment of dry goods, hoots, shoes, china, glass and crockery-ware, Montezuma salt, and, alen, old rye whisky, by the barrel or gallon. And Henry Follmer returns his sincere thanks to the public for their encouragement to his wool-carding factory, and he remiuds them that flaxseed will be taken, at Milton prices, in pay- ment of debts due him.
It publishes Grotigan's Philadelphia Prices Current, of date September 9th, 1816, as follows :
Wheat, per bushel, $1.25
Rye, per bushel, 1.25
Barley, per bushel, 1.00
Oate, per bushel, .50
Superfine wheat Hour, per barrel, . 9.50
Rye flour, per barrel, 6.50
Rye whiskey, per gallon,
Butter, per pound, .56
.16
Spanish dollars ( premium ),
.10
American dollars (premium ), .08
Gold dollars ( premium),
Western notes (discount), .
19
It carries n disproof of the popular belief, that in the olden times " the office sought the man aud not the man the office," for we find John Wheat- ley, George Lesher, Jacob Markley, and Jacob Urban, advertising themselves as candidates for the office of County Commissioner, and asking the votes of their fellow-citizens. That candidates and voters were as bihulously in- elined, and also that liquor bills were as difficult of collection then as now, seems apparent from the following, which is found among the advertisements.
"CAUTION TO INN-KEEPERS.
" As an election is drawing nigh, and as Samuel Maus, Esq., among other candidates for the office of Commissioner, may be riding through the County, canvassing for votes, all inn-keepers should be cautious in trusting him be- yond the amount of twenty shillings, as they will perceive, by the following transcript from the Magistrate's docket, thuuit they cannot recover any sum beyond the amount. (Signed) VALENTINE SMITH."
(Then follows the transcript above mentioned, showing that Esquire Maus had, in a certain action, plended the "Bar Art," as against Smith, and thereby brought him to grief, in the sum of three dollars and forty-four cents, Valentine being himself an inn-keeper, and having incautiously trusted the defendant with that amount for certain gill-glasses, in excess of the twenty shillings allowed by law.)
For ten years and seven months, the Miltoniau continued under the pro- prietorship aud management of General Frick, but during the thirteen suc- ceedling years he had associated with him, in its publication, at different times, Montgomery Sweeny, Robert Bennett, John W. Correy, and John H. Brown.
This Intter-named gentleman assumed the entire management of the paper on June 3d, 1840, when General Frick permanently retired. Mr. Brown continued alone till January 1st, 1842, and was then succeeded by John Frick and E. B. Hunter. On May 5th, 1843, Hunter retired, and from then until 1834, the paper was successively under control of John Frick, Robert M. Frick, and Ilenry Frick, Jr., sons of the founder.
On January 1st, of that year, it was purchased by John Robins, Three years later, viz: January 1st, 1857, it passed from the hands of Mr. Robins into those of Robert M. and Jacob Friek.
The next year, 1858, it was purchased by L. H. Funk, who published it alone for five years.
In 1863, L. M. Mortun purchased a half-interest, and the publishing firm- name became Funk & Morton. In 1867, Mr. Funk died, and his interest in the paper was sold to Hon. Franklin Bound. In 1869, Mr. Bound sold his interest to William M. Mervine, and the firm was then Morton & Mervine.
The next year, a one-third interest was sold to Rev. D. C. John, and the paper was then, for five years, published by Morton, Mervine & Co.
Iu March, 1875, the paper was sold to P. L. Haekenburg, Esq. At the end of nine months, however, he sold it to L. M. Morton, Esq., who is still editor, proprietor, and publisher.
All things terrestial must have an end, and so will the Miltonian; but now, after outliving all local contemporaries, it seems so well and firmly es- tablished, that it is not unlikely to live to announce the festivities of the next centennial.
THE STATES ADVOCATE:
Was first printed in Milton, Februay 26th, 1826, by William Tweed and E. H. Kincaid. On April 13th, 1829, Mr. Kincaid withdrew. August 15th, 1833, the finn became Tweed & Kelchner. November 13th, 1834, Tweed withdrew, and, after four years more, Kelchner removed the paper to Lewisburg, Union County, November 1st, 1838.
THE WEST BRANCH FARMER AND TRUE DEMOCRAT
Was started by Montgomery Sweeny, a former partner with General Frick, in the Miltonian.
Its first issue was September 3d, 1834, and it expired after about three years.
THE NORHUMBRIAN
Was very short-lived. It first appeared in November, 1837. Mr. A. Kerr was its proprietor and publisher.
THE MILTON LEDGER.
This newspaper was commenced in 1838, and existed for a little more than six years. It was founded by McGee & Wilson, and its subsequent pub- lishers were : McGee & Collings, H. L. Dieffenbach, John M. Porter, and Brewer & Armstrong. Its last publisher was a gentleman named Frank. The paper was suspended in 1844.
THE ADVOCATE AND DAY SPRING.
First publication in Autumn of 1844, by Rev. W. H. T. Barnes, who afterwards died in the Mexican war. The paper was devoted to temperauce, and existed some two years.
On Aprd 17th, 1852, wus issued the first number of
THE MILTON DEMOCRAT,
by John R. Eck, Esq. It died a natural death in 1859.
THE NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY HERALD
Was started as a temperance journal in 1868. It was neutral in politics, and was published by Rev. E. W. Kirby and J. W. Speddy, Esq. It was continued about a year.
1
124
HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The gentlemen composing the present board of Milton School Directors, are: Thomas R. Hull, president ; William H. Gotwald, secretary and dis- trict superintendent; Leonard C. Beidleman, Hugh D. Barr, Samuel H. Tilden, Leander M. Morton ; Robert M. Frick, Treasurer.
The number of schools is nine, with an average attendance of about four hundred and fifty scholars in the aggregate. The schools are creditable, but neither they nor the school buildings are what they should be in the town which once boasted a Kirkpatrick, und.which, to-day, swells with just pride at the mention of bim and his peerless neademy.
No fault, however, can attach to the district superintendent or to the directors, who, each and all, take a deep interest in the welfare of the schools, und in every effort towards their advancement.
The Centre school-house is of brick, respectable in size and most other re- spects ; but of some of the others, particularly that on Broadway, there can hardly be as much said.
The high-school is ably coudneted, and its pupils acquire all the necessary qualifications for freshmen. Its principal is a graduate, and receives eighty dollars per month. The other teachers' salaries are from thirty-five dollars upwards. The free school terms amount to eight months of the year, and this is supplemented abont two months by subscription.
Of the Milton schools, in oldeu time, there were some which deserve men- tion. The earliest of these was that taught by Joseph D. Biles, who an- nounced his capacity to tench "reading, writing, arithmetic, English gram- mar, geography, book-keeping ( Italian form), meusuration, surveying, navigation, algebra, natural and moral philosophy, und the Latin and Greek languages." This sebool was commenced in 1815, in the old frame school- house on Broadway, and was called the "Milton academy," whereof the trus- tees were : David Rittenhouse, John Chestnut, and Rethuel Vincent.
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