USA > Pennsylvania > Northumberland County > History of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania > Part 70
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Hough's and Baumgardner's additions, both situated west of the original town plat and adjacent thereto, are the only regularly laid out additions to the town. Stuartville, Diamondtown, Bell's Tunnel, The Mountain, and Beaver Dale, all of which are small mining hamlets, adjoin the borough and are virtually part of it in everything except political organization.
FIRST IMPROVEMENTS AND SUBSEQUENT GROWTH.
When the town plat was resurveyed in 1853 the improvements in this locality consisted of the Mt. Carmel Inn, of which Felix Lerch was proprietor; Bradford's steam saw mill, then in full operation; a small frame building east of the mill, occupied by the teamster; a frame double-house near the Inn, also erected for the employees at the mill; and the old Riffert tavern (no longer kept as a public house), in which Jesse Yarnall resided. The Lamerson improvement had been abandoned.
Three buildings were erected in 1853. Alexander W. Rhea and George Schall built a two-story frame office nearly opposite the Mt. Carmel Inn: Rhea was a civil and mining engineer in the employ of the Locust Mountain Coal and Iron Company, and was killed by Mollie Maguires, for which Hes- ter, Tully, and McHugh were hung at Bloomsburg; Schall was general agent for the New York and Middle Coal Field Company, and subsequently a member of the firm of Schall, Donohoe & Company, pioneer coal operators in the Mt. Carmel region. David J. Lewis built a two-story frame house at the southeast corner of Mt. Carmel avenue and Oak street and opened therein the first store in the town; and David Davis, a miner, erected a two-story frame house at the southwest corner of Market street and Mt. Carmel avenue. `These three buildings were erected in the year 1853; they were completed about the same time, and were the first houses built at Mt. Carmel after the resurvey of the town plat.
For some years the growth of the town was very slow. Mining hamlets were built at the different collieries of the surrounding region, and the uni- form policy of the coal companies in this respect was not favorable to the concentration of population at any one point. In 1860 the collieries upon
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HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.
which Mt. Carmel depended were Colonel Hough's, Green Ridge, Diamond- town, Stuartville, and Coal Ridge, and the villages of Stuartville, Green Ridge, and Beaver Dale were scarcely inferior to Mt. Carmel in size and im- portance. At that date the Centre turnpike crossed the borough diagonally from southeast to northwest. A growth of scrubby underbrush covered a large part of the town site, with cleared fields between Third and Fourth, Oak and Poplar, and Chestnut and Oak streets, respectively. The improve- ments were principally on Oak street. There was one church edifice, a brick structure at the present site of the Methodist building on Hickory street, and one school house, a one-story frame structure at the present site of the Second Street building. There were two hotels, the Mt. Carmel Inn and the Mt. Carmel House, and three stores: David J. Lewis's, Samuel John's, and David Heiser's. The Northern Central was the only railroad. With the exception of the coal mines, the only local industrial establishment was the blacksmith shop of David Evert, which stood near the Mt. Carmel Inn. Bradford's steam saw mill was not in operation.
The following is a list of residents of the town in 1860 *:- .
Maple Street .- West side: Jacob Malick, carpenter, between Second and Third; Anthony Buddinger, carpenter, corner north of Fourth; Isaac Dut- tery, butcher, corner south of Fourth.
East side: Jesse Yarnall, teamster, between Mt. Carmel avenue and First street; John Yarnall, carpenter, corner north of Second; David D. Davis, miner, corner south of Second; John Blair, engineer, between Third and Fourth.
Oak Street .- West side: Mt. Carmel House, corner south of Mt. Carmel avenue; George Schall, of Schall, Donohoe & Company, who operated Coal Ridge colliery, between Mt. Carmel avenue and Second street; Frederick Fahrion, butcher and hotel keeper, corner north of Second street; Samuel John's store, corner south of Second street; George Kehler, teamster, between Second and Third; Enoch Musselman, tailor, between Second and Third; William Ewing, shoemaker, between Second and Third; Amelius F. Stecker, foreman of repair work. on the railroad and at the collieries, between Second and Third; Abraham Lerch, between Second and Third; John Dietrick, laborer, between Second and Third; Dr. William J. Haas, corner north of Third; George Artz, teamster, between Third and Fourth; Abraham Martin, mason and plasterer, between Fourth and Fifth; Joseph Hughes, blacksmith, between Fourth and Fifth.
East side: David J. Lewis, merchant, corner south of Mt. Carmel avenue; Jonathan Klinger, outside foreman at Colonel Hough's colliery, between Mt. Carmel avenue and Second street; Jonas Stine, between Mt. Carmel avenue and Second street; David Heiser, merchant, corner north of Second; Charles
*It is possible that some of the persons whose names appear In this list did not become res- idents until later, and also that the names of some who resided In the town temporarily have been omitted.
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Bolich, shoemaker, between Second and Third; Samuel Schmeltz, teamster, between Second and Third; Frank Persing, teamster, between Third and Fourth; David Evert, blacksmith, between Fourth and Fifth.
Hickory Street .- West side: Isaac Hollister, shoemaker, between Mt. Carmel avenue and Second street; John Raup, outside foreman at Schall, Donohoe & Company's colliery, between Second and Third; Henry Sharpe, mason, between Second and Third; William Biles, mason, between. Second and Third.
Market Street .- West side: David Davis, miner, corner south of Mt. Carmel avenue.
East side: Alfred Ford, miner and engineer, corner north of Second; Thomas East, miner, between Fourth and Fifth.
At that time (1860) there were but two brick buildings in the town, the Methodist church, on the west side of Hickory street between Second and Third, and David Heiser's store building, at the northeast corner of Oak and Second. With these exceptions the houses were all constructed of wooden materials and almost uniformly two stories high.
The town received considerable additions to its population as the result of the great impetus which the coal trade experienced during the civil war, but for some years thereafter it remained practically stationary.
On the 24th of July, 1873, all the houses on the west side of Oak street between Second and Third, with two exceptions, were destroyed by fire; they were replaced by buildings of improved appearance and more substantial construction, and the calamity thus resulted indirectly to the advantage of the town.
While the prosperity of the town is dependent entirely upon the coal trade, building and loan associations have probably contributed to its growth more than any other agency. As a result of the operation of these associa- tions improved property is almost entirely in the hands of resident owners, a condition of affairs highly conducive to the stability and permanence of gen- eral business interests.
By the census of 1890 the population of the borough was eight thousand two hundred fifty-four.
THE FIRST MERCHANTS, PHYSICIANS, AND LAWYERS.
The first store at Mt. Carmel was opened in 1853 by David J. Lewis at a two-story frame house which he erected in that year at the southeast corner of Mt. Carmel avenue and Oak street. His first consignment of goods was hauled from Pottsville by wagon. The next stores were those of Samuel John and David Heiser; the former occupied a frame building at the south- west corner of Second and Oak streets, and was in charge of U. F. John, a son of the proprietor; Heiser's store was located at the northeast corner of Oak and Second streets in the second brick building erected at Mt. Carmel.
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HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.
Dr. Joseph C. Robins, of Elysburg, was the first physician who practiced at Mt. Carmel. There was no resident physician until 1855, when Dr. William J. Haas located here and continued in practice until his death.
The first resident lawyer was Jefferson M. John, a son of Samuel John, who was admitted to the bar in 1874 and was in active practice at Mt. Carmel until his death.
THE POSTOFFICE.
Paul Roth was appointed postmaster of Mt. Carmel, June 13, 1846; Richard Yarnall, May 5, 1847; Jeremiah C. Perkins, November 26, 1847. The office was discontinued on the 6th of July, 1849, and not re-established until April 26, 1850; since the latter date its incumbents have been appointed in the following order: Felix Lerch, April 26, 1850; William H. Lerch, March 23, 1855; David J. Lewis, September 1, 1856; Frederick Fahrion, September 8, 1858; James B. Welch, July 2, 1860; John Hough, Decem- ber 26, 1860; David Heiser, April 4, 1861; Abraham Lerch, December 21, 1863; Charles Bolich, September 27, 1865; Amelius F. Stecker, February 10, 1868; Andrew J. Gallager, August 4, 1868; Abraham Ayers, December 4, 1868; Ann Ayers, June 14, 1879; John Brophy, April 6, 1886; George A. Stecker, August 17, 1889.
RAILROADS.
A section of the Danville and Pottsville railroad was partially graded between the Bellmore and Morris Ridge collieries, two miles east of Mt. Carmel, probably as early as 1833. The first railroad opened to the town was the Northern Central (1854), and the next was the Lehigh Valley (1866); the latter now operates the line of the Northern Central as far as Shamokin. A branch of the Philadelphia and Reading railroad, terminating at Mt. Car- mel, connects at Alaska with the main line of the Williamsport division of that great system.
MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNMENT.
The borough of Mt. Carmel was incorporated by decree of court on the 3d of November, 1862. The first election for borough officers was held at the Mt. Carmel Hotel on the third Friday in December, 1862; Frederick Fahrion acted as judge and William J. Haas and Abraham Camp as inspect- ors. The following is a list of burgesses since the incorporation of the bor- ough: 1863, William J. Haas; 1864, Jonas L. Stine; 1865, Jonathan Hoover; 1866, William Biles; 1867, Frederick Fahrion; 1868, H. T. John; 1869, Jonathan Hoover; 1870, J. B. Reed; 1871, H. T. John; 1872, William J. Haas; 1873, Joseph Blanch; 1874-75, William J. Haas; 1876, George E. Moser; 1877, Henry Werntz; 1878, C. B. Zimmerman; 1879, William H. Lerch; 1880, Thomas J. Woodside; 1881-82, W. H. Stecker; 1883, D.
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H. Fisher; 1884-85, J. B. Reed; 1886-87, Jesse G. John; 1888, M. B. Smith; 1889, William T. Burkert; 1890, Daniel Camp; 1891, Robert Smith.
The borough building, a one-story brick structure on Mt. Carmel avenue, was erected in 1883.
Anthracite Steam Fire Company, No. 1, was organized on the 12th of May, 1882, and incorporated September 4th of the same year. The com- pany owns and occupies a frame building on the southeast corner of Market and Hickory streets, erected in 1890.
THE MT. CARMEL COAL TRADE.
The colleries of Mt. Carmel township are the Pennsylvania, Black Dia- mond, Mt. Carmel, Reliance, Alaska, Merriam, Monitor, Locust Gap, and Locust Spring, of which a full history is given in Chapters X and XI of this work, by Dr. J. J. John.
GENERAL INDUSTRIAL INTERESTS.
Albert Bradford erected a steam saw mill at Mt. Carmel about the year 1843; it occupied the site of the G. A. R. hall and adjoining ground on the east side of Hickory street. From eight to twelve men were usually employed at the mill, in cutting timber in the woods, and in hauling the product to Pottsville, where it found a market until the opening of the mines and erec- tion of the breakers in the Mt. Carmel region created a local demand. The operation of this saw mill was finally discontinued prior to 1860.
The Mt. Carmel Iron Company, composed of Howel Green, David Lamont, J. W. Forney, and Thomas Rogers, removed the plant of a foundry and machine shop from Minersville, Schuylkill county, to Mt. Carmel in 1867 and rebuilt it on the line of the Lehigh Valley railroad. They employed twenty or twenty-five operatives. Greenwood & Gilmore became proprietors in 1870, but the establishment was destroyed by fire in December of the fol- lowing year and never rebuilt. Greenwood subsequently manufactured screens for the breakers on a small scale, but only for a short time.
Geiger, Hinkel & Company's Planing Mill, a frame structure forty-five by one hundred feet in dimensions, is situated on the north side of town between Market and Hickory streets, and was erected in 1889. The business was established in 1883 by Geiger Brothers in a mill forty by sixty feet, located a short distance west of the present structure. The firm name was changed to its present style in March, 1887, when William H. Hinkel and John P. Gibson were admitted to partnership. A twenty-five horse-power engine sup- plies the power for the establishment, which employs fifteen operatives. All work connected with a planing mill and contract building is done.
The Mt. Carmel Manufacturing Company, Oak street, employs six men and manufactures one thousand dozen miners' caps per month. The pro- prietor is Isaac Goldschmidt, by whom the business was established in 1889.
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HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.
The Progress Hat and Cap Manufacturing Company occupies a two- story frame building at the southeast corner of Oak and Sixth streets. The business was established in June, 1889, by Thomas Scott, with whom W. H. Engle is now associated. Fifty girls and eight men are employed; all kinds of cloth hats and caps are manufactured, and the daily output is one hun- dred eighty dozen.
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
The Mt. Carmel Savings Bank was incorporated on the 9th of April, 1872, and organized with the following officers: president, Amos Vastine, vice-president, S. A. Bergstresser, and cashier, H. D. Rothermel, who, with Joseph Reeder, Robert Davison, David Llewellyn, A. M. Montelius, Henry Hile, and Joseph Deppen, constituted the first board of directors. Mr. Vastine served as president until his death in 1889, after which the vice- president, S. A. Bergstresser, performed the duties of that office until the ensuing annual election, when William Schwenk was chosen president. H. D. Rothermel was cashier from 1872 to 1878, H. J. Meixell from 1878 to 1881, and William Schwenk from 1881 to 1889, when H. B. Lukens, the present incumbent, was elected. The capital was originally one hundred thousand dollars, of which one half was paid in. The bank suspended temporarily in 1878, but an assessment of ten per cent. enabled it to resume about a month later. In 1882 the capital was reduced to fifty thousand dollars, of which thirty thousand is paid in.
The First National Bank of Mt. Carmel commenced business on the 8th of April, 1889, with a capital of fifty thousand dollars, distributed in one-hundred-dollar shares among seventy-four stockholders, of whom the principal ones were the business men of the borough. The first officers were E. C. Tier, president; John T. B. Gould, vice-president; M. K. Watkins, cashier; and W. H. Heaton, W. A. Phillips, George W. Davis, William McFee, L. W. Johnson, S. E. Bergstresser, Bernard Harvey, and E. C. Herb, directors. The surplus and undivided profits amount to five thousand four hundred dollars.
The Citizens' Building and Loan Association was organized in August, 1882; the first directory was composed as follows: William Schwenk, president; H. T. John, treasurer; M. K. Watkins, secretary, and John Stine, J. T. B. Gould, James H. Smith, Joseph H. Smith, W. T. Williams, Alex Schmeltz, John Weir, Joe Gould, and John Carl. The present president is Frederick Gross; vice-president, Thomas Dawson; treasurer, J. T. B. Gould, and secretary, M. K. Watkins, who has served in that position continuously since the organization of the association. The first series was closed out in August, 1890, in a little less than ten years; the fifth series was started in August, 1890, and four series, consisting of about four thousand shares, are now in operation. The aggregate receipts for the ten years ending August
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1, 1890, were over half a million dollars, principally invested in the erection of houses at Mt. Carmel.
The Anthracite Building and Loan Association was organized in April, 1882, with the following officers: president, David J. Lewis; vice-president, Joseph Blanch; secretary, C. D. Wright; directors: C. D. Wright, Isaac Goldschmidt, John Jefferson, Thomas Morton, Bernard Bresslin, John Carl, William T. Montelius, Jacob Rhoads, and W. C. James; auditors: O. H. Sillyman, T. J. Horan, and K. T. John. Messrs. Lewis and Wright have served in their respective positions to the present time, and also several of the directors. This company has six series in operation, the first of which expires in 1892. The receipts are uniformly sold on the monthly pay-day; the annual receipts are seventy thousand dollars, and are invested exclusively in real estate.
WATER AND ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANIES.
The Mt. Carmel Water Company was incorporated on the 17th of No- vember, 1883. The first officers were A. M. Montelius, president, M. K. Watkins, secretary, George Robertson, treasurer, and William Schwenk, Thomas Scott, Thomas M. Righter, Joe Gould, S. E. Bergstresser, O. H. Sillyman, J. B. Reed, and H. T. John, directors. The capital is twenty-five thousand dollars, distributed in twenty-five-dollar shares among seventy-four stockholders, nearly all of whom are property holders in Mt. Carmel. The distributing service comprises seven miles of mains, radiating from two reser- voirs located on the north side of Locust mountain within half a mile of the center of the town. The capacity of the reservoirs is five million gallons. The supply is derived from springs not five hundred feet from them, and is sufficient for the town ten months in the year. During extremely dry weather water is purchased from the Locust Mountain Water Company.
The Edison Electrical Illuminating Company of Mt. Carmel was incor- porated on the 17th of November, 1883, with an authorized capital of sixteen thousand dollars, of which fifteen thousand was paid in. In November, 1890, the capital was increased to thirty thousand dollars, of which twenty- five thousand is paid in. The plant was originally located on Fourth street west of Maple, and had a capacity for five hundred lights; it was removed to South Oak street in 1891, when the capacity was increased to twenty-five ยท hundred lights. The first officers were William Schwenk, president, M. K. Watkins, secretary, and Thomas M. Righter, treasurer. The present direct- ory is composed of M. K. Watkins, president, E. C. Tier, treasurer, Isaac Goldschmidt, S. E. Bergstresser, Joe Gould, Peter Jennings, H. T. John, and L. W. Johnson. William Keiser is the secretary of the company. This was the first isolated electrical plant in the world (i. e., Mt. Carmel was the first town lighted exclusively by electricity); it was also the fifth electrical plant constructed upon the Edison system.
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HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.
SECRET AND OTHER SOCIETIES.
The following is a list of secret and other societies of Mt. Carmel, with dates of organization or institution: Mt. Carmel Lodge, No. 378, F. & A. M., November 29, 1866; Burnside Post, No. 92, G. A. R., November 1, 1867; James A. Garfield Camp, No. 34, S. of V., August 9, 1883; Mt. Carmel Lodge, No. 630, I. O. O. F., May 19, 1868; Washington Camp, No. 116, P. O. S. of A., March 9, 1870; Washington Camp, No. 231, P. O. S. of A., July 25, 1882; Sons of St. George, No. 175, April 23, 1885; Division No. 1, A. O. H., May 1, 1887; Mt. Carmel Commandery, No. 22, Ancient and Illus- trious Order of Knights of Malta, December 27, 1887; Royal Arcanum, September 14, 1888; Mt. Carmel Castle, No. 324, K. G. E., August 14, 1889.
THE PRESS.
The Mt. Carmel News, of which R. J. Wilson is the present editor and proprietor, was originally established by Owen Fowler in December, 1877, under the caption of Mt. Carmel Progress. The Weekly Item, Will B. Wil- son, proprietor, was first issued on the 7th of January, 1888, by L. W. Gheen, and is distributed gratuitously as an advertising medium. The Mt. Carmel American is published by Burke & Thomas, and first appeared on the 30th of August, 1890. The Tri-Weekly American was published in January, 1891, by Curtis Sterner.
SCHOOLS.
The first school house within the present borough limits occupied the site of the Second Street building and was erected in the summer of 1856. It was a one-story frame structure as originally built, but a second story was subsequently added in which the high school was first taught. As the popu- lation of the town increased it became necessary to provide additional accom- modations, and a frame building subsequently used as a United Brethren church, on Third street between Hickory and Market, was occupied for school purposes. Two schools were taught there and one in the second story of the school building, the lower floor of which was regarded as un- healthy and therefore temporarily abandoned.
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The Hickory Street building is a two-story brick structure at the north- east corner of Hickory and Third streets and contains two rooms on each floor. Its erection was begun in 1870, when the board of directors, consist- ing of John Lazarus, John B. Reed, Simon Light, David Heiser, H. W. Gulick, and H. D. Rothermel, awarded the contract for its construction to Jacob Rinehart. The building was completed in 1871 and the first term of school within its walls was opened in the autumn of that year with W. T. Rightmire, Sanford Lewis, Rebecca Reed, and Sallie Burkert as teachers.
Between 1870 and 1882 there were five schools for a time, four in the Hickory Street building and one in the Second Street building; both rooms of the latter were ultimately occupied, thus increasing the number to six.
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1
On the 14th of October, 1882, Daniel Camp, William Schwenk, Jesse G. John, David J. Lewis, Joseph H. Smith, and James H. Smith, who composed the board at that time, awarded the contract for the erection of the Park school building to A. S. Tovey at the consideration of five thousand nine hundred dollars. This is a two-story brick structure with four main rooms and two recitation rooms. It was first occupied in March, 1883; the first teachers were W. N. Lehman, E. E. White, and Ella Malone.
The Second Street building occupies the site of the first school house of the town. It is a two-story brick structure with four rooms, two of which were erected by Bernard Harvey for two thousand four hundred ninety dol- lars, agreeably to contract entered into on the 14th of October, 1884; the directors at that time were Daniel Camp, E. C. Tier, David J. Lewis, Jacob B. Rhoads, Thomas M. Righter, and James H. Smith. School was opened in these rooms in February, 1885, with Ella Malone and Jennie Jennings as teachers. The contract for the completion of the building was awarded to M. McGee, September 20, 1886, at the consideration of one thousand five hundred fifty dollars; the board was composed of Jacob B. Rhoads, O. H. Sillyman, Thomas M. Righter, E. C. Tier, James H. Smith, and George Rob- ertson at that time. Only one room was occupied when the building was completed; the first teacher therein was Emily Spinney.
In 1887 the borough limits were extended, whereby two township school houses became the property of the town. Both were one-story frame struct- ures. One was located on Sixth street and the other on Third; the former had two rooms, the latter, one.
The Vine Street building is the most recent addition to the educational facilities of the borough and the most commodious of its school properties. The erection of this building was begun on the 29th of April, 1889, and school was opened therein for the first time on the 10th of March, 1890, with W. N. Lehman, J. E. Bastress, E. E. White, Morris W. Tucker, Jennie Jennings, and Dora O. Sando as teachers. Thomas M. Righter, E. C. Tier, David Camp, O. H. Sillyman, George Robertson, and James H. Smith composed the board of directors under which its construction was begun, and awarded the contract to Bernard Harvey at the sum of sixteen thousand dollars. He also furnished hot-air heating apparatus (the Smead, Wills & Company system), for which eight hundred sixty dollars additional was paid. There are eight rooms in this building, two of which are occupied by the high school, two by grammar grades, and four by primary grades.
The following statistics are presented for the term of 1890-91: pupils in attendance, sixteen hundred; high school teachers, two; grammar school teachers, three; primary teachers, eighteen-total, twenty three.
The course embraces six grades-three in the primary department, two in the grammar department, and one in the high school. The curriculum of the high school includes arithmetic, algebra, geometry, physics, physical 38
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