History of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Part 51

Author: Bell, Herbert C. (Herbert Charles), 1868- ed; John, J. J., 1829-
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1424

USA > Pennsylvania > Northumberland County > History of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania > Part 51

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service in their power, as well to preserve and keep in repair the public engine as to use and work the same when necessary for the protection of the public buildings," and with this assurance "the grand jury unanimously agreed that the sum of six hundred dollars be allowed for the above laudable pur- pose." These preceedings occurred at November sessions, 1810; on the 8th of January, 1811, Messrs. Hall, Bellas, Albright, and Smith, representing the Sunbury Fire Company, conferred with the county commissioners regarding the measures to be pursued in the purchase of the engine, and were given full discretionary powers in the matter. On the following day they receipted for six hundred dollars, and with the arrival of the engine at Sunbury a great public enterprise for the protection of the county buildings was finally consum- mated. It is to be hoped that the worthy tax payers received adequate ben- efit for the amount expended in the consciousness of increased security to the public property.

Of this first local organization, the Sunbury Fire Company, the secretary in January, 1811, was Dr. Solomon Markley, who probably filled that posi- tion at its organization, while Andrew Albright, Charles Hall, Enoch Smith, and Hugh Bellas were doubtless prominent among the original membership. John Buyers was the first treasurer, and filled that position as late as 1815.

Space does not permit more than a brief mention of the companies subse- quently formed. The present organizations are the Good Intent Hook and Ladder Company, Washington Independent Steam Fire Company, Sunbury Steam Fire Company, No. 1, Washington Junior Hose Company, and Rescue Hose Company-of which the Good Intent, organized (probably reorganized) October 19, 1839, and incorporated, April 9, 1841, is the oldest.

Chief Burgesses .- The following list of chief burgesses of Sunbury since its incorporation as a borough is believed to be as complete as existing rec- ords permit: 1798-99, Martin Withington; 1800, Nicholas Miller; 1801-02, Theodorus Kiehl; 1803, Henry Bucher; 1804, Charles Hall; 1805-07, The- odorus Kiehl; 1808-12, Andrew Albright; 1813-14, Theodorus Kiehl; 1815, Henry Donnel; 1816-17, John Young; 1818-20, Theorodus Kiehl; 1821, Henry Donnel; 1822, William Shannon; 1823-26, Alexander Jordan; 1827, James R. Shannon; 1828-29, Alexander Jordan; 1830, William McCarty; 1831-32, Alexander Jordan; 1833, Charles G. Donnel; 1834, Samuel J. Packer; 1835, George Weiser; 1836, Frederick Lazarus; 1838, Jacob Painter; 1839, Lewis Dewart; 1840, Charles G. Donnel; 1841-42, Frederick Lazarus; 1843, John H. Purdy; 1844, Alexander Jordan; 1845-46, William L. Dewart; 1847, Frederick Lazarus; 1848-49, J. H. Zimmerman; 1851, John B. Packer; 1852-53, Peter B. Masser; 1854, George B. Youngman; 1855, William M. Rockefeller; 1856, Charles J. Bruner; 1857, S. J. Young; 1858-59, J. H. Zimmerman; 1860-61, George B. Youngman; 1862-65, S. B. Boyer; 1866-67, E. Y. Bright; 1868, J. W. Bucher; 1869, P. M. Shindel; 1870, P. H. Moore; 1871, D. Heim; 1872-74, S. P. Malick; 1875-77, John

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Bourne; 1878-80, A. N. Brice; 1881-83, W. C. Packer; 1884-86, George M. Renn; 1887, George B. Cadwallader; 1888, H. J. Waltz; 1889, George B. Cadwallader; 1890, George W. Stroh; 1891, Joseph F. Cummings.

FACILITIES OF TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION.

The old Reading road, the first public highway passing through the site of Sunbury, was opened in colonial days. A petition for a road from Read- ing to Fort Augusta (Sunbury) was petitioned for by a "very considerable number of the inhabitants of Berks county" in January, 1768, but, as part of the territory through which it would necessarily pass had not yet been pur- chased from the Indians, the provincial Council would not at that time grant it favorable consideration. Two years later the effort was renewed, and on the 9th of February, 1770, George Webb, Jonathan ' Lodge, Henry Miller, Henry Shoemaker, John Webb, Isaac Willits, and Job Hughes were appointed to lay out the road, in which all participated except Henry Miller. They returned a report of the courses and distances, April 14, 1770, which was confirmed, April 23d, when an order was issued directing that the road should be forthwith "opened and rendered commodious for public service." It was declared to be a "King's highway." This was the route by which emigrants from Lehigh, Northampton, and other southeastern counties of Pennsylvania, and from New Jersey, reached the "New Purchase," or Shamokin, as the territory acquired in 1768 was popularly known. Lateral branches diverged at various points, one leading to Danville, another to Catawissa, etc., and thus the old Reading road came to be one of the most important interior high- ways of the State. Corresponding to the inward current of immigration, there was an equally noticeable stream of travel in the opposite direction, for it was by this route that the products of a large section of country found their way to a market at Reading or Philadelphia.

A road from Sunbury up the West Branch was laid out in 1772; down the Susquehanna on the west side, in 1773, and on the east side, in 1775; south of the North Branch to the site of Danville, in 1774; up the valley of Shamokin creek, in 1775, and from Sunbury to the Tulpehocken road, in 1782. The road last mentioned became the principal highway to Harrisburg and Lancaster.

The Centre turnpike was a public improvement from which much local benefit was derived for a time. It was constructed by a company to the stock of which the legislature subscribed liberally, and extended from Sunbury to Reading. The stock of the State was afterward purchased principally by certain persons at Northumberland, where the officers resided for some years. It was not a renumerative investment, however, and that portion between Sunbury and the coal regions was ultimately abandoned.

The Stage Coach was for many years the only means of conveyance for the traveling public. The date of its introduction in this part of the State

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has not been ascertained, and but meager information upon the subject is afforded. In 1801 the mails departed from Sunbury and Northumberland on Monday of each week for Lycoming, Berwick, and Centre county. The first stage coach from Reading to Sunbury was probably that of William Coleman, while the line between Sunbury and Wilkesbarre was operated at a corresponding period by Miller Horton. In 1816 Mr. Coleman had two mail stages on the line between Sunbury and Reading, and Jacob Singer's four- horse mail coach entered Sunbury over the North Branch bridge, but whether from Wilkesbarre or Williamsport does not appear., In 1820 the stage for Harrisburg left the house of Amelia Hegins (now the residence of Mrs. Don- nel), on Market street, Sunbury, on Monday and Friday of each week at five o'clock A. M., arriving at Harrisburg at ten o'clock A. M. on Tuesday and Saturday; returning, the stage for Sunbury left Harrisburg on Tuesday and Saturday of each week at three o'clock P. M., arriving at Sunbury on Wednes- day and Sunday at four o'clock P. M. The fare was four dollars; baggage to the amount of fifteen pounds was allowed each passenger, and one hundred fifty pounds of baggage were regarded as equal to a passenger. At that date (1820), the Reading stage departed and arrived three times a week at Weitzel's hotel on Market street. The proprietors of this line were John and Nicholas Coleman.

The traveling facilities of the period were thus summarized by Hamlet A. Kerr in the Susquehanna Emporium of August 10, 1829 :-

Many of our friends in the city are not aware of the facility of traveling in this section of country, thinking this part of the State too far back to have good roads, horses, aud coaches, and on that account do not visit the beautiful village of the Sus- quehanna. But we can boast of as rapid and cheap traveling as any of our neighbors. We have two daily stages passing through this place twiee every day (Sundays excepted, on which day there is hut one),-one by the way of Pottsville to Philadel- phia, the other by the way of Harrisburg to Philadelphia, Baltimore, etc .- the return stage passing through about three o'clock in the afternoon, to meet the North and West Branch stages at Northumberland. Persons leaving Sunbury at nine o'clock in the morning get into Philadelphia in the afternoon of the next day, passing through Pottsville, Orwigsburg, Reading, Pottstown, Norristown, and Germantown. To the painter or poet the country is romantic, being interspersed with hills and dales; to the capitalist it presents many inducements, abounding with ore, coal, and other minerals; to the man of pleasure this route also holds forth objects worthy his attention. The route passing through Harrisburg and Lancaster is pleasant and expeditious. You have the Susquehanna gliding along near the road the whole distance to Harrisburg. There you take the celebrated Lancaster turnpike and pass over the ground at a very rapid rate, arriving in Philadelpia in about two days. Gentlemen visiting this country generally take one line coming and the other going, so as to give both a fair trial.

The Construction of the Canal diverted a large share of the traffic and travel to that avenue of communication. Several of the prominent merchants of the town owned canal boats, which made frequent trips to points farther down the river during the season of navigation, transporting the grain and other produce of the region to market and returning with articles of general

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merchandise. The following extract from the Sunbury Advocate of May 11, 1833, shows the manner in which events of this nature were chronicled at that date :-

PORT OF SUNBURY.

Arrivals .- Entered our basin, returning home from Philadelphia, on the 3d of April, the canal boat Sunbury Union, the property of Mr. John Buyers, laden with merchandise.

On Saturday, May 4th, the canal boat Augusta, the property of Mr. George P. Buyers, laden with merchandise.

Clearances .- Entered the canal on the 8th, on their second trip this season to Phila- delphia, both the Sunbury Union and the Augusta.

The captain of the Sunbury Union was G. Lorwick, and of the Enterprise, a boat similarly employed, J. Kramer. The Sunbury Partnership was the property of H. Yoxtheimer & Company, while there were also other mer- chants who owned boats. For passenger travel packet boats were in use; regular relays of horses were provided, and in comfort, safety, and speed, the packet was a formidable competitor of the stage coach during the season of navigation. It was continued upon the canals in this part of the State until the opening of railways.

Railroads .- The Danville and Pottsville railroad was the first opened at Sunbury; that event occurred on the 26th of November, 1835, amid the ring- ing of bells and the acclamations of a large concourse of people. Horse-power was used on this occasion; the introduction of steam occurred three years later, when the road was opened to Shamokin.

Regarding the inauguration of the coal traffic, the Sunbury Advocate published the following in its issue of Saturday, October 22, 1836 :-

We are much pleased to announce the arrival here on Saturday last of two cars on the Sunbury railroad laden with coal from the coal mines of Shamokin. The coal are of the best quality, and were promptly bought by Charles G. Donnel and George Prince at three dollars and fifty cents per ton. The cars since run regularly, bringing coal for sale at the basin in front of Sunbury.

The following appeared in the same paper under date of November 5, 1836 :-

The coal trade of Sunbury, but just begun and opposed by great inconveniences, is already forming a respectable character. The coal mines, distant eighteen miles from here, are six miles beyond W. Bird's tavern, where the railroad terminates. To this point the coal are brought by wagons passing over the iucompleted railroad, where they are put in the cars and started for the Susquehanna. Thus a train of cars, pro- pelled by horse-power, reach us daily, making the trip in about two hours. On Fawn and Deer streets, where the railroad crosses, we constantly see a considerable bustle, caused by the loading of coal into carts and delivering them to purchasers in this place. Demands for our coal on the West Branch are about being supplied.

The Philadelphia and Erie railroad was opened to Sunbury, January 7, 1856; the Northern Central, June 28, 1858; the Sunbury, Hazelton and

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Wilkesbarre, November 4, 1869; the Sunbury and Lewistown, November 1, 1871, and the Philadelphia and Reading, in July, 1883.

The Ferry Franchise was originally granted by the colonial authorities to Robert King, August 14, 1772, and successively transferred to Adam Haverling, November 30, 1773; Stophel Gettig, April 17, 1775; Abraham Dewitt, October 9, 1779, and John Lyon, October 25, 17 -. In 1787 Lyon petitioned the legislature for a confirmation of the privilege for a term of years.

The act of March 24, 1797, incorporating the borough of Sunbury, vested the exclusive right of operating the ferry in the borough authorities, who forthwith procured the necessary water craft. Ferry rates were established by the court of quarter sessions at January term, 1798, and modified from time to time.

For a number of years the exclusive privilege of operating the ferry was annually disposed of by the borough authorities to the highest bidder, and the sum thus realized formed an appreciable contribution to the public funds of the town. The apparatus at first used was of a primitive character, con- sisting only of the flat-boat and poles, and in seasons of low water a channel had to be dug to permit the passage of this craft across the river; the erec- tion of the Shamokin dam obviated this necessity, and the prospect thus assured of good navigation throughout the year induced the erection of a rope ferry. A tread-mill horse-power ferry-boat was also operated at one time by Hovey & Wharton.

The first steam ferry-boat was the Shad Fly, erected in 1853 by Ira T. Clement; it was a large side-wheel boat, and was built more particularly for the towing of canal boats across the river to and from the coal wharves on the Sunbury side. Several years later, while on a return trip from Clark's Ferry, it stranded on a rock; the machinery was used in the construction of a second Shad Fly, which was replaced in 1875 by the present steam ferry- boat.

On the 1st of May, 1854, Ira T. Clement leased the wharf at the terminus of Market street from the borough authorities. The exclusive right of ferri- age across the Susquehanna opposite Sunbury was vested in Dr. Isaac Hot- tenstein by an act of the legislature approved on the 11th of April, 1859; the canal had been constructed through his land a distance of a mile and an abutment of the Shamokin dam was also built upon it: it was in compensa- tion for damages thus sustained that this franchise was conferred upon Doc- tor Hottenstein, from whose heirs it passed to Ira T. Clement. The Sunbury Steam Ferry and Tow Boat Company, in which the privileges and franchises previously owned by Ira T. Clement have become vested, was incorporated by an act of the legislature approved on the 5th of April, 1870. This com- pany owns two steamboats and operates the ferry between Sunbury and the opposite side of the river. Five steamboats, owned by Ira T. Clement indi-

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vidually, ply regularly between Sunbury, Northumberland, and Shamokin Dam.

The Sunbury and Northumberland Street Railway Company was incor- porated on the 29th of January, 1885, with a capital of seventy-five thousand dollars and the following officers: H. E. Davis, president, L. H. Kase, secre- tary, and S. P. Wolverton, treasurer. The line is in operation between the ter- minal points designated in the title, a distance of three and two tenths miles. The first car was run in June, 1890, and the line was opened for travel on the 1st of July in the same year. The number of passengers carried aver- ages eight hundred per day. The propelling power is electricity, for the generation of which a plant has been constructed with two engines of one hundred horse-power and two dynamos of fifty horse-power each.

INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY.

Haas's Mill is situated in the borough of East Sunbury on the Shamokin creek a mile from its mouth. At or near this site the first mill within the present limits of Northumberland county was built prior to 1774 by William Maclay; it was first operated by Valentine Geiger, and received patronage from a large extent of country. The original structure, a two-story log building with basement, is described as having been twenty by thirty feet in dimensions. In 1831 McCarty & Davis, who purchased the property from Maclay's heirs, erected the present substantial brick mill; they also added saw, plaster, and clover mills, excavated a basin, and constructed a new dam of sufficient capacity to furnish water-power for the entire establishment. Gideon Markle became the next proprietor; John Haas, formerly of Jackson township, purchased the mill from him in 1850, and in 1870, his son, Hiram Haas, the present owner, acquired possession. He had the mill remodelled to the roller process in 1887.

Distilleries .- The assessment of Augusta township for 1781 credits David Mckinney with three stills, and David Mead and Henry Starret each with two; Mckinney's were located on Front street between Penn and Walnut, but whether those of Mead and Starret were in the town or country can not be satisfactorily ascertained. In East Sunbury on the Shamokin Creek road James Towar erected a large stone distillery prior to 1796; it was the most extensive establishment of the kind in the county at that date, but does not appear to have been operated very long. In 1808 Edward Gobin had a dis- tillery on Market street in Sunbury. A large frame distillery was erected at some time between 1835 end 1838 by Gideon Markle in Chestnut street between Fifth and Spring run; it was subsequently operated by John Robins, and then abandoned.

Tanneries were for many years the most important local industrial feat- ure. Jacob Yoner's, which first appears in the assessment of 1788, was doubtless the earliest established; it was situated on the west side of Second

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street immediately north of the Shamokin Valley railroad. After pursuing bis calling at this place for more than twenty-five years, Mr. Yoner moved to Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, in 1813, and sold the property to Isaac Zeigler. He continued the business until within a short time before his death, July 25, 1840; Conrad J. Fry and Francis Bucher then operated the plant sev- eral years, and it was subsequently destroyed by fire.

The second tannery established was that of Christian Gettig; it was situ- ated on the south side of Chesnut street at the present site of James C. Packer's residence and the Reformed parsonage, and first appears in the assessment of 1793. The first proprietor died in 1797; in his will he men- tions the bark-mill and also a quantity of leather in various stages of prepa- ration, and devises his establishment to his son, Christian Gettig, Jr., who continued operations until his death in 1802; several years later the prop- erty was purchased by Dr. Solomon Markley, by whom the building was adapted to other purposes.

The Robins tannery, which was also established in the last century, occu- pied the southeast corner of Market and Fifth streets. It first appears in the assessment of 1796, credited to Zachariah Robins; several years later he was succeeded by Thomas Robins and John Spear, who dissolved partner- ship in 1803. Thomas Robins was individual owner in 1805, and Zachariah Robins in 1811; from that time the establishment was operated by Thomas, John, and Gilbert Robins, and possibly by Gideon Markle also, until finally abandoned.

William Dewart, Jr., is credited with a "large tanyard" in the assessment of 1802; it occupied the southeast corner of Chestnut and Third streets, and was one of the principal establishments of this nature for many years. At some time between 1808 and 1811 it was purchased by George Weiser, sub- sequently associate judge of Northumberland county, who continued the busi- ness nearly half a century. The establishment was then operated under lease by Francis Bucher, and by Bucher Brothers (J. Weiser and E. Masser Bucher) until its destruction by fire in 1866.

Frederick Haas established a tannery on the north side of Market street at the second lot east of Fourth at some time between 1820 and 1823, as evidenced by its first appearance on the assessment books at the latter date. It was then operated for some years by Charles Gobin and subsequently by Henry Haas.

Bucher Brothers (J. Weiser and E. Masser Bucher) built a tannery at the southeast corner of Center alley and Linden street in 1866. This part- nership was dissolved in 1868, after which the business was continued by E. Masser Bucher individually until 1871. This was the last tanning estab- lishment at Sunbury, and the only one that was equipped with modern appliances.

Brickmaking was first begun as a regular business at Sunbury by John

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Lyon, who had learned the art at his former home in Delaware. His yard and kilns occupied outlot No. 41, east of Awl street and south of Penn, and there the brick which entered into the construction of the old court house, "state house," and many of the first brick houses of Sunbury were manu- factured. John Young, who acquired his knowledge of the business as an employee of Lyon, established a brick yard at an early date on outlot No. 42, and eventually, in partnership with his sons, manufactured nearly all the brick used at Sunbury during the period of their operations. As early as 1796 Thomas Grant also had a brick yard. This branch of industry has been uninterruptedly continued, and at the present time several yards are in operation.

Potteries .- Daniel Bogar is credited with a pottery at Sunbury in the assessment of 1805; he was also one of the first local tobacconists, and pur- sued that calling as early as 1817. The pottery, situated on the north side of Chestnut street between Front and Second, was operated by Mr. Bogar until within a short time before his death, January 6, 1836. Jonathan Harp then continued the business several years, after which it was abandoned.

Peter Bastian had a pottery on Arch street opposite the county prison at a building owned by Henry Yoxtheimer; it is mentioned among the taxable property of the borough for the first time in 1832 and for the last time in 1838.

Carriage Building .- The prototype of the modern carriage was probably first introduced at Sunbury by Joseph Wallis, who is credited in the assess- ment of 1791 with one "coachee." Some years elapsed, however, before the demand for improved vehicles was sufficient to justify or sustain a local establishment for their manufacture at this point. John Bright, coach maker, resided at Sunbury in 1826, but whether actively engaged at his calling can not be satisfactorily determined. In 1829, Jacob Heller, formerly of Harris- burg, erected a shop on the west side of Second street between Race and Arch and announced through the local papers his readiness to manufacture stages, carriages, lumber and pleasure wagons, sulkeys, gigs, sleighs, etc., of any desired description. He continued the business thus inaugurated for some years.

Mark P. Scupham, one of the oldest residents of Sunbury at the present time, began the manufacture of carriages, etc., at the west side of Fourth street between Arch and Race in 1839, retiring in 1870. The shop, a frame building one hundred feet long, was then leased to William Fetter two years, after which the business was discontinued.

Francis Lerch established the carriage works at the southwest corner of Fourth and Chestnut in 1870. They were purchased in 1874 by H. K. Fagely & Company, who disposed of the plant in 1890 to Isaac Furman, the present proprietor.

J. S. Seasholtz began the manufacture of carriages on Market street, East

C Azt Heim

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Sunbury, in 1871, at a frame building now used as a dwelling house. In 1886 the present frame shop was built.

H. L. Hauck's carriage works, near Market street, East Sunbury, com- prise a two-story frame building twenty by eighty-five feet in dimensions, erected in 1887.

J. S. Stroh & Brother's carriage works are the latest addition to this branch of local industry. The business was begun by J. S. Stroh individually in the spring of 1890; two frame buildings, twenty-eight by forty and twenty-four by thirty, respectively, were erected later in the same year.

Boat Building first attained the proportions of a distinct industry at Sunbury during the construction of the Shamokin dam, when different varieties of water craft were in demand for the transportation of stone and other materials. After the opening of the canal the construction of canal boats was first begun by Charles Gussler, who established a yard at the bank of the river immediately south of Spruce street and continued the business for some years. At a later date Samuel Clements and Samuel Snyder also had a boat yard on Front street between Penn and Church; it was subse- quently removed to the vicinity of Gussler's yard by Clements individually.

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History of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Part 51

Author: Bell, Herbert C. (Herbert Charles), 1868- ed; John, J. J., 1829- Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Chicago, Brown, Runk Number of Pages: 1424

Author: Bell, Herbert C. (Herbert Charles), 1868- ed; John, J. J., 1829-
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1424