History of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Part 59

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 59

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The Susquehanna river bridge was first built in 1832-33, by a local com- pany incoporated by the legislature. The contractors were Abraham and Isaac Straub, and the contract was executed for the sum of twenty-four thousand dollars. In 1847 the middle section was carried away by a flood, and rebuilt by Thomas Murdock. The entire structure was demolished by

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the flood of March 17, 1865; it was again rebuilt, however, and again carried away in June, 1889.

The opening of the Philadelphia and Reading railroad to Milton occurred in 1854. It established railroad communication with Philadelphia, and was continued to Williamsport in 1871. In 1883 the Reading Company con- structed their line from West, Milton to Shamokin, thus giving Milton the advantage of a competing line in that direction.

That part of the Philadelphia and Erie railroad between Milton and Williamsport was opened in 1854; it was then extended to Northumberland and Sunbury, giving to the town its present rail facilities by this great artery of the Pennsylvania system.

GENERAL BUSINESS INTERESTS.

Important business interests were developed at Milton at an early period in its history. Four merchants at this place advertised in the Northumber- land Gazette in 1794, viz .: John Teitsworth, Robert Taggart, John Dickson, and Jared & Charles Irwin, while James Black, William Fullerton, George Calhoon, and Samuel Hepburn were also engaged in merchandising prior to 1800. Black's establishment occupied the site of J. R. Smith & Company's store on the east side of Water street above Broadway. During the fifteen years immediately following the opening of the first store no less than thir- teen merchants were engaged in business at Milton. Arthur McGowan's establishment, a small frame building on the river bank below the Front street bridge over Limestone run, was the first in that part of the town. James Moodie had a store on the east side of Front street above the bridge on the lot immediately below that occupied by the Methodist church. It was here that Charles and Thomas Comly conducted business many years as suc- cessors to Moodie. The store of Burns & McCann and that of George Cal- hoon and Isaac Cowden were also on Front street, the former in a small yellow frame house. The next was that of Teitsworth & Taggart, previously mentioned. The Sanderson brothers-Ezekiel, James, and William-occupied the present site of the Milton National Bank as their place of business. William and Thomas Pollock had a store on the west side of Front street above Broadway and nearly opposite the establishment of James Black, while the store of Jacob Seydell was situated still farther up Water street. There were four other stores on Front street, owned respectively by Josiah Gal- braith, Alexander McEwen, Mrs. Edith Hepburn, and Mrs. Lamperly.

In 1794 there were three taverns at Milton. That of Daniel P. Faulk- ner was a log house on Broadway, subsequently owned by Dr. D. Waldron for some years and destroyed by fire in May, 1876. John Chapman's was on the east side of Front street, and that of Michael Gower on the northwest corner of Lower Market and Front. Faulkner was succeeded by John Brady, Jr .; the early successors of Chapman were David Derickson and

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George Nagle. In 1798 Hugh Montgomery built a frame house at the present site of the Methodist church, and opened therein a hotel. He died in 1802, and was succeeded by John Brady, Jr .; when the latter removed to Faulkner's he was followed at this place by Daniel Eckert, from Reading, cousin to George Eckert, the miller. In 1802 Joseph Hammond established a hotel in a frame house on Front street in the upper part of Milton, where he was followed in the same business by Jacob Seydell and others. Bethuel Vincent opened a tavern in 1804 in connection with the postoffice, at the southwest corner of Front and Broadway. In the upper part of the bor- ough hotels were established at an early date by Lemuel B. Stoughton, Henry Eckbert, Anthony Wilhelm, and Samuel Morrison; and in the opposite direction the hostelries of George Lawrence, Philip H. Schreyer, Daniel R. Bright, Abraham Schreyer, etc., were among the public houses of the town.

The stores and hotels of Milton at the present time are a most con- clusive evidence of the enterprise and prosperity of the town. Every line of business is well represented, and many of the stores are among the largest in their respective lines in this part of the State. The hotels are also large and well patronized, and without instituting any invidious comparison, it may truthfully be stated that there are many towns of much larger popu- lation in which the facilities in this respect are much inferior to those of Milton.

The Northumberland, Union, and Columbia Bank, the first in the county and one of the earliest in the northern central part of the State, derived its corporate existence under an act of Assembly passed March 21, 1814. Daniel Montgomery, John P. De Gruchy, James Sanderson, John Boyd, Daniel Lebo, Jacob Dentler, John Dreisbach, Matthew Colvin, John Cowden, and Bethuel Vincent were appointed commissioners for its organiza- tion. Seth Iredell was president, and William Cox Ellis cashier; the bank- ing house was on Front street. This institution became defunct in 1817 or 1818.

The Milton National Bank was organized in 1858 as a savings institu- tion with a capital of twenty thousand dollars; the first board of directors, composed of James Pollock, William Heinen, Samuel Shannon, William C. Lawson, Thomas Swenk, William F. Nagle, and Moses Chamberlin, was elected, June 28, 1858. In December of that year business was begun at the corner of Broadway and Front. The bank building was burned in the fire of May 14, 1880, all the effects of the institution being saved, however, and three days later business was resumed at the house of R. F. Wilson. The present banking house, a brick building on the east side of Front street, was first occupied in 1881. Originally a savings bank, it became a bank of issue under the State law several years after its organization, and assumed its present name in 1863 with a capital of seventy-five thousand dollars, since increased by one third of that amount. The first president was James

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Pollock, elected in July, 1858; he was succeeded by William C. Lawson, the present incumbent, July 2, 1860. R. M. Frick has been cashier since the bank was first established.

The First National Bank of Milton. - The charter of this institution was granted, February. 13, 1864, and extended, February 24, 1883. The first officers were J. Woods Brown, president; S. D. Jordan, cashier, and J. Woods Brown, William McCleery, Samuel T. Brown, John Datesman, James P. Armstrong, William H. Marr, William Savidge, Henry Frick, and John Bower, directors. The directory was increased to eleven members, January 6, 1865. Mr. Brown died, January 6, 1888, and H. A. Fonda was elected president, January 18, 1888. Mr. Jordan died, April 17, 1875, and J. M. Caldwell was elected cashier, April 19, 1875. Mr. Caldwell, the first teller, was elected to that position, May 14, 1866; Thomas L. Wilson was elected as his successor, April 19, 1875. Messrs. Fonda, Caldwell, and Wilson are president, cashier, and teller, respectively, at the present time. The original capital, eighty-five thousand nine hundred dollars, was increased, January 28, 1876, to one hundred thousand. The first place of business was in the old Lawson building on Front street; the present banking house was erected in 1880.

The Mitton Trust and Safe Deposit Company was incorporated, Feb- ruary. 17, 1887, and organized with the election of the following officers: president, John McCleery; vice-president, S. J. Shimer; treasurer, Edmund Davis; secretary, M. H. Barr; directors: W. A. Schreyer, R. F. Wilson, S. J. Shimer, John McCleery, D. M. Krauser, D. Clinger, W. A. Heinen, S. W. Murray, A. P. Hull, E. H. Heaton, Cyrus Hoffa, J. B. Godcharles, J. M. Caldwell, T. S. Moorhead, and C. W. Tharp. The authorized capital is two hundred fifty thousand dollars, ten per cent. of which was paid in when the company began business, March 15, 1887; the present paid-up capital is one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars. The banking house on Front street was erected in 1888.

The Milton Gas Company was organized, August 1, 1860, with William C. Lawson, president; William H. Frymire, secretary; William F. Nagle, treasurer, and a directory composed of William C. Lawson, William F. Na- gle, Thomas Swenk, William H. Frymire, U. Q. Davis, Edward W. Chapin, and Thomas S. Mackey. At present R. F. Wilson is president, C. F. Foll- mer, secretary and treasurer, and the capital is thirty thousand dollars.

The Milton Water Company was incorporated in 1883 and organized April 14th in that year, with R. F. Wilson, president; W. R. Kramer, treas- urer; H. R. Frick, secretary, and S. W. Murray, John McCleery, P. J. Criste, W. P. Dougal, John Jenkins, and E. Bickel, directors. The capital, originally thirty-five thousand dollars, has since been increased to fifty thou- sand. The Susquehanna river is the source of supply, and the reservoir, northeast of the borough at an elevated location, has a capacity of three

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million barrels. Water was first supplied for general consumption in Jan- uary, 1884.

INDUSTRIES OF THE PAST AND PRESENT.

The earliest manufacturing establishment of Milton, as well as the town itself, was founded by Andrew Straub. A millwright by trade, he had doubt- less considered the eligibility of Limestone run as a mill site in selecting and purchasing his land, and in the summer of 1791 dug a head-race with the idea of diverting the waters of that stream to his mill and thence to the river. At that time the run approached the river in a westerly course, but when within a hundred yards from the bank it turned to the southwest and joined Housel's run some two miles distant. At the point where it came nearest the river there was a strip of low ground, which was cultivated but was frequently overflown; consequently, for the purposes of drainage, a de- pression was made at its lowest part. On one occasion when an open furrow had been left here, the run overflowed and opened a new channnel through this furrow, forever deflecting the stream from its former course and present- ing a mill site much superior to that contemplated by Straub. He improved the opportunity by erecting a log mill near the site of the present stone structure, and it at once received a large patronage. In 1816 the stone mill was built by George Eckert, by whom it was operated until his death. The next owner was George Baker. The mill is no longer operated; its walls are still intact and give evidence of substantial construction, and the old build- ing is one of the few landmarks of the past that survive the great fire of 1880.

Milton Steam Tannery .- The next industrial establishment, and one that has been continuously operated until the present time, was the tannery of John Armstrong. This business was begun in 1795. From Armstrong it passed to William Jordan, and then successively to Abraham Straub, Samuel T. Brown, William H. Reber, and Thomas B. Gould, the present proprietor. A large part of the square bounded by Elm, Center, and Mahoning streets is occupied by this establishment. It was burned in 1880, and rebuilt with improved appliances under the name of the Milton Steam Tannery. The daily capacity is two hundred fifty sides of leather daily, or seventy-five thousand per year; six thousand cords of bark are consumed annually, and employment is given to fifty men.

Arthur McGowan's Carding Mills and Sickle Factory, at the mouth of Limestone run, were important and valuable adjuncts to the farming interests of this part of the county during the period of their operation. The building was considerably damaged by a flood in that stream in 1817.

Five Distinct Distilling Establishments were in operation at Milton within a few years after the founding of the town. Moses and Samuel Teas, either in partnership or individually, had two, one of which was situated on Elm

S. A. Murray

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street at the south side of Limestone run, and the other on the opposite side of that stream a little farther south. John McKisson's distillery occupied the southwest corner of the grounds of Shimer & Sons' machine shops, and drew its water supply from Eckert's mill race. John Sweney's was situated at the present site of the Milton Steam Tannery. These were all log or frame structures. John A. Schneider's, on the north side of Limestone run near the alley that extends from Center to Mahoning street, was a brick struct- ure of some pretensions, and in its arrangements and appliances was much more commodious than the others. These five distilleries were the earliest established, and were in operation many years. Two others were subsequently added, those of Fleming W. Pollock and John Davidson. Pollock's was built of Red Hill stone on the east side of the canal above Upper Market street, and was subsequently incorporated in a building of the Milton Car Works. Davidson's was on the east side of the canal at the extremity of Lower Market street. There was also a brewery, a large brick building on Mahoning street erected by William Nice and burned in the fire of 1880.

Bickel & Bailey, founders and general machinists, Locust and Arch streets, are the present successors to Joseph Rhoads, by whom the first foundry in the valley of the West Branch was established in 1830. Nathan Mitchell was associated with Rhoads at the first or within a few years thereafter. It was subsequently operated by John and Jacob K. Trego, and passed to the present firm in 1875.

The Milton Roller Mills, Kemerer Brothers, proprietors, were originally erected in 1832 by Fleming W. Pollock and were the first steam flour mills in this section of the State. Elias Bickel succeeded Mr. Pollock, and was followed by W. B. Kemerer. The present firm was formed in 1882, when the roller process was introduced and the building enlarged. It has a capacity of fifty barrels of flour per day, with other grain products.

Abraham and Isaac Straub's Mills on the island opposite Milton were built in 1834. The proprietors were the inventors of a reaction water wheel, the first in the United States, and their lumber and grain mills at this point were quite extensive. Sufficient fall was obtained by damming the outer channels of the river at the head of the island, but the construction of the Lewisburg dam in 1840 interfered with this to such an extent as to necessi- tate removal to a new location. The mouth of Muddy run, a mile above Mil- ton, was selected, and there the business was continued for some years.

John Patton's Foundry, established prior to 1840, passed to White, Mer- vine & Lawson and ultimately to John S. Lawson; a variety of agricultural implements was manufactured, also engines, lathes, and mill-gearing, but the works were burned in 1880, and never rebuilt.

The Steam Saw Mills established in 1842 by William McCleery were the first in the valley of the West Branch. The original location was just above Locust street. Some years later Moses Chamberlin, John Runkle, and 32

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HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

Charles Newhard became associated in the business, and a new mill was built on the opposite side of the canal some distance farther north. It was destroyed by fire and rebuilt, and ultimately absorbed by the Milton Car Works.

E. F. Colvin's Foundry and Machine Shop was first placed in operation in 1843 by Joseph Sassaman, from whom it was purchased in 1885 by the present proprietor.

D. Clinger's Planing Mills, Arch street above Locust, established in 1855 by Balliet, Billmyer & Goodlander, were the first in this section of the State and have been continuously operated since their first inception, being almost the only industrial institution of the town that survived the fire of 1880. The present proprietor has operated the mill since 1866.

R. F. Wilson & Company's Fly-net Factory, corner of Front street and Ferry lane, was established in 1856 by Robert Wilson, who originated the first machinery for the manufacture of leather fly-nets. His net was also the first patented, and early attained a large sale. Thirty men are employed.

W. K. Wertman's Carriage Works were established in 1857 by the pres- ent proprietor on Broadway at the location of the Catholic church, then occu- pied by the Kirkpatrick academy building, which constituted the first factory. Here the business was conducted until its destruction by fire in 1880, when it was removed to Arch street. Employment is given to twelve or fifteen men.

The Milton Car Works. - The firm of Murray, Dougal & Company was organized and the erection of the Milton Car Works was begun in 1864. During the first years of its existence a number of changes were made in the membership of the firm, which was finally composed of S. W. Murray, William P. Dougal, C. C. McCormick, and John McCleery, who remained associated and conducted the business until the retirement of John McCleery in 1875. C. C. McCormick withdrew in 1878, and William P. Dougal a few months later in the same year. The business was still continued under the original firm name of Murray, Dougal & Company, and a reorganization of the firm was made in 1880, when C. H. Dickerman and R. C. Carter became associated with S. W. Murray as a limited partnership under the law of 1874. Soon after this reorganization William R. Kramer became a member of the firm and in 1881 R. M. Longmore, and under this organization the firm has existed until the present.

The business of the firm has been principally the construction of all kinds of freight cars including oil tank cars, which has been an important branch, and of which they have built a very large number. The firm was engaged also for several years in the construction of iron bridges, but the bridge department of the works was destroyed in the great fire of 1880 and was not rebuilt. They also for a time had a large trade in the construction of oil tanks for storage purposes and also steam boilers. The manufacture of freight cars has, however, been the leading business of the firm, and there is no description of car used in the freight traffic which has not been turned out of the Milton Car Works.

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A large number of their cars have been exported to Cuba and the various countries of South America.

The capacity of the works is ten sixty thousand-pound hopper coal cars per day, or three thousand cars per year, and employment is ordinarily given to about four hundred hands, though at times the number has reached nearly five hundred.

Those portions of the works which were destroyed by the great fire of 1880 have been replaced by substantial stone and brick buildings, and every department is amply supplied with the most approved machinery and appliances.

Connected with the plant is a saw mill for the manufacture of the oak lumber used in the business, and sixteen acres of pool for the storage of logs, which are purchased along the Susquehanna river and its tributaries and brought from Muncy dam by the canal.

The works are located between the Philadelphia and Erie railroad and the West Branch canal, with a branch from the Philadelphia and Reading railroad running to the premises, which gives unusual transportation facili- ties.

The Milton Iron Company was organized, March 7, 1872, and incor- porated in the same year, with W. A. Schreyer, president; P. C. Johnson, secretary and treasurer; W. A. Schreyer, S. W. Murray, John McCleery, William P. Dougal, and John P. Harris, directors, and John Jenkins, super- intendent. Messrs. Schreyer, Johnson, and Jenkins still retain their re- spective positions. . The original capital was sixty thousand dollars, since increased to one hundred fifty thousand. The works were placed in opera- tion, November 29, 1872. The bar mill is one hundred twenty by eighty feet in dimensions, with a wing of nearly equal area. The plant consists of one fifteen-inch train and one eight-inch train, one gas heating furnace, and one blast heating furnace. There are three double and five single puddling furnaces, and the product of this department is five thousand tons of mer- chant bar iron annually. The forge occupies a building sixty-five by one hundred thirty feet; it is equipped with three heating furnaces, one upright steam hammer, one helve steam hammer, two cut-off and centering lathes, and boilers over the furnaces which supply steam for the engines and ham- mer. This department is devoted exclusively to the manufacture of car axles and shape-work, with a yearly capacity of ten thousand axles. The company also operates the Williamsport Nail Works.

The C. A. Godcharles Company, manufacturers of iron and steel cut nails, spikes, muck bars, etc., was originally organized under the name of C. A. Godcharles & Company in 1875; the constituent members of the last named partnership were M. H. Taggart, S. A. Andrews, Charles D. God- charles, William H. Godcharles, R. A. Bostley, C. A. Bostley, R. Johnson, and C. A. Godcharles. As reorganized in 1888 under the present name

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the firm is composed of C. A., C. D., J. W., and J. B. Godcharles; the original company controlled also the Northumberland and, Towanda nail works, but since the reorganization the present company has restricted its operations to the works at Milton. These consist of blacksmith, ma- chine, and cooper shops, and were placed in operation in the autumn of 1875. The plant comprises eighty-eight nail machines, nine double and two single puddling furnaces, three heating furnaces, one twenty-inch plate train and one three-high twenty-inch muck train, and employs from three to four hundred operatives. The full capacity is fifty thousand kegs per month, for which fifty tons, respectively, of muck iron and nail plate are required in every period of twenty-four hours.

S. J. Shimer & Sons .- In 1872 the senior member of this firm, associ- ated with George Shimer, George Applegate, and C. L. Johnston, established a planing mill at the present location of their works in the Third ward of Milton. Although the business of the firm was the manufacture of lumber almost exclusively, a small machine shop was operated in connection with it, and here a matcher-head was originated by George and S. J. Shimer, for which they secured letters patent. The establishment was burned in the fire of 1880 and rebuilt as a machine shop, and as such it has since been oper- ated, almost entirely in the manufacture of matcher-heads and other special- ties. The main building, thirty-six by one hundred forty feet in dimensions, is thoroughly equipped with engine lathes, planers, shapers, millers, drills, etc., and in another building, thirty-six by seventy-five feet, are the lathes and planers upon which the heavier product is manufactured. Seventy-five operatives are employed. The matcher-head made here is used in all parts of the United States, in Australia, England, Canada, and elsewhere, and has probably attained a wider circulation than any other of Milton's industrial products.

The Milton Manufacturing Company, identical with S. J. Shimer & Sons in ownership and management, was incorporated several years since and buildings were erected between the Philadelphia and Erie and Philadelphia and Reading railroads for the purpose of developing such specialties in the iron trade as should be found advisable. The original idea was never suc- cessfully carried out, however, and it was not until the fall of 1888 that the works were placed in operation under the present management. The plant consists of two frame buildings; the smaller is forty-five by one hundred twenty-five feet, with engine room attached, and in this building are four double puddling furnaces and one train of muck iron rolls; the larger build- ing, sixty by two hundred seventy-five feet, contains one heating furnace and a ten-inch train of rolls, with other appliances for a complete rolling mill plant, and washer-cutting machines (originated and patented by Mr. Shim er in 1889) which cut from four to six standard washers at each stroke. The daily capacity is eight tons of plate iron and from ten to twelve thousand

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pounds of finished washers. The number of operatives varies from seventy- five to one hundred.

Klapp & Lucas's Carriage Works, Arch and Walnut streets, were estab- lished in 1880 by the present proprietors, and receive a fair share of the car- riage trade of the borough and surrounding region.

The Milton Steam Boiler Works, Shay & Berry, proprietors, occupy the former location of Lawson's agricultural works, Upper Market. and Arch streets, and were established in 1881. Steam boilers and sheet-iron work of every description are manufactured.

Jacob Fetter's Planing Mill, Center street, occupies the former site of a furniture factory, the only building in this part of the town that survived the fire of 1880. When the work of rebuilding was begun it was converted into a planing mill and so used until 1881, when it was destroyed by fire. Two years later a local company erected a building upon this ground for the manu- facture of a patent sash weight, but before its completion the enterprise .was abandoned; Mr. Fetter purchased the uncompleted building, transformed it into a planing mill, and has since operated it as such.

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History of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Part 59

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