USA > Pennsylvania > Northumberland County > History of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania > Part 72
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The industrial features of the place at that time were a distillery, estab- lished by John Watson, a hattery, and a scythe factory, located in the vicinity of the David Watson hotel.
Between the years 1830 and 1840 the land upon which the main portion of the town is situated was used as a race course. What was then called " the mile heat " commenced on the north of town, near the residence of the late Silas Rambach, and extended south to First street.
A third hotel was built on the northeast corner of First and Main streets by William Cooner in 1857 and opened in August of that year. The build- ing is still used as a public house with Mr. Cooner's sons as proprietors.
The owners of the land after the death of John Watson were his three sons, David, John, and George. The lands of David and John adjoined
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the river, with First street as a mutual boundary, while the youngest son, George, inherited the land to the east of his brothers'. The rough-cast house on the north side of First street at the canal was erected by John Wat- son, and was his residence until death. Two of David's sons, David C. and Robert, were captains in the Northumberland Troop, and the former reached the rank of brigadier general, which position he held at the time of his death.
A great convenience for the settlers in the vicinity of Watsontown in crossing the river into Union county, and vice versa, was afforded by the ferry, which was established in 1800 by Dan Caldwell, an enterprising and wealthy citizen of White Deer valley. This was the most important outlet until the canal was completed.
The growth of the town was much retarded from the fact that David and John Watson, on account of some trouble which existed among the inhabit- ants at that time, refused to sell lots on the plea that it would only result in contention. Thus it happened that at their death the town was, if anything, in a less flourishing condition than when their father died. The hattery and scythe factory of his day had become things of the past, and no manufactur- ing interests had developed to take their places.
The opening of the Philadelphia and Erie railroad gave a quickening impulse, and the years immediately following may be regarded as the period in local history when the country village passed out of existence to give way for a more enterprising and extensive town. In 1868 the town extended on Main street from where the Mansion House now stands to the depot, and on First street from the railroad to the canal. It contained two dry-goods stores and two groceries. The most important business house at that time was on the corner of Main and First streets and was conducted under the firm name of A. T. Goodman & Brother. The other dry-goods store was in the building now owned by George Burns, on the west side of Main near Second street, and was conducted by C. O. Bachman; T. G. Caldwell had a grocery along the canal, and Thomas Barr conducted a business of the same kind near the depot. There was but one hotel in the place, the house of William Cooner, which was erected in 1857 and opened as a public house in August of that year. The next hotel established was the Mansion House, on the northwest corner of Main and Second streets, which was erected by John Forgeman in 1867 and is now conducted by Allen I. Kremer.
The first doctor to locate in the place was H. D. Hunter, a young man who was reared in White Deer Hole valley. He practiced here before the opening of the civil war and continued in the active discharge of professional duties until his death. The first resident attorney was Oscar Foust.
THE TOWN PLAT.
In the original town plat there was a commodious public square at the
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intersection of Main and First streets. It is to be regretted that this feature was not retained in the modern plat.
The land owned by John and David Watson passed into the possession of Moses Chamberlin, a son-in-law of the former, and E. L. Piper, who bore the same relation to the latter. The modern town plat between its southern limit and Fifth street was laid out in 1858 and 1859 under the auspices of Moses Chamberlin, E. L. Piper, and the executors of John Watson, deceased, by Abraham Straub, a surveyor of Milton. Between Fifth street and the line of the Hunsicker and Houssegger warrants the plat was surveyed in November, 1866, by James Armstrong and A. J. Guffy under the auspices of Moses Chamberlin and Ario Pardee. Above the line of the Hunsicker and Houssegger tracts the plat was surveyed in 1867 by A. J. Guffy for Joseph Hollopeter, S. M. Miller, and Samuel Caldwell. The principal addi- tions since that date are those of Joseph Everitt, John H. Goodman, A. B. Seiler, Samuel Caldwell, and James A. Dinehart.
The principal street is Main, the Milton and Muncy road, which extends north and south (approximately), with Ash and Liberty streets parallel on the east and Elm street parallel on the west. The cross streets, beginning with First on the south, are numbered consecutively to Tenth on the north.
RAILROADS.
The Philadelphia and Erie railroad was opened on the 18th of December, 1854, and the Wilkesbarre and Western on the 13th of December, 1886. The latter has its western terminus at Watsontown. The Philadelphia and Reading railroad, on the opposite side of the river, was opened in 1871.
THE POSTOFFICE.
The following is a list of postmasters since the office was established, with the respective dates of appointment: David Watson, January 10, 1828; Edmund L. Piper, July 18, 1854; Joseph P. Hogue, July 12, 1861; E. Everitt, March 25, 1868; Philip Shay, November 16, 1868; Joseph Wagner, April 29, 1869; John D. Caldwell, July 5, 1871; Philip Shay, January 16, 1879; Mary V. Shay, February 9, 1885.
MANUFACTURING, PAST AND PRESENT.
The earliest industrial establishments at Watsontown were the hattery and scythe factory previously mentioned. These were perhaps of relatively local importance at the time, but very meager information regarding them is attainable at this late date.
Higbee & Wagner's Saw Mill was originally established in 1856 by Moses Chamberlin and William Follmer for the manufacture of "bill " lumber, and therefore marks the beginning of the recent industrial development of the place. At that time the Catawissa Railroad Company was constructing ex-
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tensive trestle-works and bridges, and a considerable part of the product of this mill was used by that company. The business was conducted by Cham- berlin & Follmer until 1857, when Joseph Hollopeter was received into the firm, which continued to operate the mill successfully until it was destroyed by fire on the Saturday night previous to Abraham Lincoln's second election to the presidency. It was immediately rebuilt and successively operated by Chamberlin, Follmer & Hollopeter, Chamberlin & Follmer, Cook, Hollopeter & Everitt, and Cook & Pardee-Ario Pardee and R. C. Cook. Cook & Pardee ran in connection with the saw mill a match factory and employed sixty operatives. After continuing business ten or twelve years in this way Pardee purchased Cook's interest and took his son into partnership, when the style of the firm became Pardee & Son. After the flood of 1889 the mills were closed; operations were suspended until May, 1890, when they were pur- chased and reopened by the present firm.
Pardee's Saw Mill .- In 1866 Ario Pardee erected a large saw mill in the southern part of the town at a cost of seventy-five thousand dollars. Mr. Pardee is interested in the mining of coal at Hazelton, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, and the product of the mill consisted principally of prop tim- bers for use in the mines. He also owned a large tract of undeveloped land in Union county, from which the timber for this mill was derived. This establishment, the largest of its kind in the county, gave employment to a number of men, and was a most important feature of the manufacturing in- terests of the borough until its destruction by fire, April 17, 1882.
The Watsontown Steam Tannery was originally established in 1866 by Hollopeter & Wagner. The plant subsequently passed to Miller, Faust & Caldwell, who were succeeded in 1879 by W. T. and C. B. Mckean. The works were destroyed by fire on the 28th of July, 1881, but have been rebuilt, and the present capacity is four hundred fifty hides per week. Cutler, Fos- ter & Company are the present proprietors.
Watsontown Planing Mill Company .- In 1867 Wagner, Starr & Com- pany erected a planing mill on the bank of the river at the present site of the water-works pumping station. It was destroyed by fire, and replaced by another of enlarged capacity; the latter was burned in 1874, and in the fol- lowing year the present mill on the east side of the Philadelphia and Erie railroad between Sixth and Seventh streets was built by the Watsontown Planing Mill Company, of which J. H. Wagner, J. W. Muffly, and D. F. Wagner were the constituent members until the retirement of Mr. Muffly in 1890. The mill is one of the largest and best equipped in the West Branch valley. Thomas H. Kistner has been foreman since 1870.
The Watsontown Steam Flour Mill was built by John McFarland, who conducted the business for some years. The present firm, Follmer, Fowler & Company, became proprietors in April, 1890. The building is situated on Eighth street, and is a three-story structure; the daily capacity is one hundred barrels of flour and ten tons of chop.
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HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.
The Watsontown Boot and Shoe Company .- The factory of this company was originally established by Joseph Hollopeter, William Wagner, Samuel Caldwell, Frederick Heilman, D. C. Hogue, Samuel Miller, George Burns, and Silas Kirk in connection with the Watsontown Steam Tannery. The business of the tannery and shoe factory was jointly conducted by the same firm until 1872, when the present factory building, a three-story brick struct- ure on the east side of Main street between Second and Third, was erected. After experiencing several changes of ownership it became the property of Ario Pardee, the present owner, who was also at one time individual pro- prietor of the factory. The Watsontown Boot and Shoe Company was formed in 1885, and is composed of H. F. Algert and Edward Waldschmidt. Eighty operatives are employed.
The Pardee Car and Machine Works were established in 1872 by a com- pany known as "The Watsontown Car Works," composed of Joseph Hollo- peter, president, Ario Pardee, Levi Linn, J. H. Wagner, H. T. Goodman, Samuel M. Miller, and a Mr. Ten Brook. This company was succeeded in 1880 by Pardee, Snyder & Company, Limited, and upon the expiration of this limited partnership, June 1, 1890, Ario Pardee became sole owner. The plant is located on the east side of the Philadelphia and Erie railroad be- tween Fourth and Sixth streets; it has a capacity for building five cars per day, and employs two hundred fifty men when in full operation.
The Watsontown Furniture and Table Works were started by Joseph Hollopeter and James W. McLain in the buildings erected for the car shops, which were not then in operation. Samuel Miller, George Burns, and Isaac Stryker were afterward admitted to the firm, and Ario Pardee subsequently became individual proprietor of the works, which he removed to his lower planing mill. From Mr. Pardee the establishment passed to Frank Miller and J. G. Bower, by whom the present plant on the west side of Main street in the southern part of the borough was erected and has since been operated.
Starr, Durham & Company operated a planing mill on South Main street from 1883 to 1890. The mill was built by John Bly & Son, and first leased by Kline & Meckley.
The Watsontown Nail Works were established in 1886 and occupy the site of Ario Pardee's first saw mill, which was destroyed by fire in 1882. The building is eighty-five by two hundred twenty-five feet, and contains rolling mill and nail factory combined. The works have a capacity to employ eighty men and manufacture three hundred kegs of nails per day.
BANKS.
The Watsontown National Bank was originally organized as a State institution, December 31, 1872, under the name of the Watsontown Bank. The first directors were J. H. Goodman, J. B. Leinbach, Silas Rambach, Samuel Caldwell, Simon Schuyler, James D. Barr, Joseph Nicely, Jr., and
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Martin Powell. Samuel Caldwell, the first president, was elected on the 2d of January, 1873, and De La. Green was the first cashier. The bank commenced business on the 2d of January, 1873. The original capital was one hundred thousand dollars, which was increased (July 2, 1874) to one hundred twenty thousand dollars, at which it remained while the bank con- tinued as a State institution. At a meeting of the stockholders on the 4th of May, 1880, the directors were authorized to surrender the State charter and take the necessary measures to convert the institution into a national bank. It was accordingly incorporated as such, June 17, 1880, under its present name, with a capital of sixty thousand dollars and the following offi- cers: president, Silas Rambach; cashier, G. W. Rombach; teller, W. A. Nicely; directors: Silas Rambach, Joseph G. Durham, Andrew M. Lowry, Thomas Kirk, John B. Leinbach, Thompson Bower, Ario Pardee, and John P. Dentler. At its organization as a national bank the institution was pay- ing annual dividends of six per cent., which have steadily increased and have been eight per cent. since 1889. A surplus fund of thirty-four thousand dollars has also been accumulated. The present bank building, a brick structure at the northeast corner of Third and Main streets, was first occu- pied in the spring of 1880. The succession of officers since the organization of the bank as a State institution has been as follows: presidents: Samuel Caldwell, Ario Pardee, Silas Rambach, Joseph G. Durham, and Thompson Bower, present incumbent; cashiers: De La. Green, Robert B. Claxton, Jr., and G. W. Rombach, present incumbent; tellers: G. W. Rombach, J. G. Bower, and W. A. Nicely, present incumbent.
Farmers' National Bank of Watsontown .- The first meeting for the organization of this institution was held, January 11, 1886. The charter was granted, February 27, 1886, and the doors were first opened for business March 29th of the same year, with a capital of fifty thousand dollars distributed among sixty-four stockholders in shares of one hundred dollars each. The first board of directors consisted of Charles Heilman, Samuel Everitt, Simpson Smith, J. H. Harley, D. F. Wagner, Thomas L. Clapp, W. H. Nicely, Daniel Lerch, Alem Mauser, E. L. Matchin, V. S. Truckenmiller, Hiram Dunkel, and Enoch Everitt. The first election of officers resulted in the choice of Simpson Smith as president; Charles Heil- man, vice-president, and Hiram Dunkel, cashier, the latter still retaining that office. During the two years immediately following the first nine months of business the bank declared an annual dividend of six per cent. Since that time the annual dividend has been uniformly seven per cent. The surplus now amounts to seventeen thousand dollars.
ELECTRIC LIGHT AND WATER COMPANIES.
The Watsontown Electric Light, Gas, Power, and Heating Company was chartered, September 1, 1886. J. G. Bower, Thompson Bower, Samuel M.
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Miller, and C. B. McLain were the original stockholders, of whom J. G. Bower was chosen as first president and Samuel M. Miller as secretary and treasurer. The charter was purchased by L. C. Kinsey & Company, of Williamsport, July 1, 1887; they erected an electric light plant, and increased the capital stock to fifteen thousand dollars, associating with them J. H. Wagner, J. I. Higbee, T. G. Caldwell, Hiram Dunkel, S. H. Hicks, Lorenzo Everitt, and others. The capacity of the plant is one thousand incandescent lights, with a power to supply arc lighting. It is situated at the western terminus of Third street.
The Watsontown Water Company was incorporated, March 18, 1886, with a capital stock of forty thousand dollars, and the following persons as stockholders: Robert Buck, I. N. Messinger, S. B. Morgan, J. H. Wagner, W. Brady Piatt, William Field Shay, J. F. McClure, S. E. Slaymaker, L. T. Rohrbach, and J. E. Mathews. The company owns the mouth of White Deer creek, in Union county, near which they have erected a filter, forty- eight feet long and eight feet square, which leads from their dam to large wells near the bank of the stream. From these wells it is transferred by gravity to the east side of the river, where a pumping station is located, which forces it to a reservoir at a vertical altitude of one hundred fifty feet above Main street. This has a capacity of two million gallons, and from it the water is distributed to the town, through seven miles of mains.
BOROUGH ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNMENT.
The borough of Watsontown was incorporated by decree of court, Novem- ber 4, 1867, and on the 16th instant the first borough election occurred, resulting in the choice of the following officers: burgess, Joseph Hollopeter; council: Thomas Carl, Frederick Whitman, C. O. Bachman, John Bly, D. C. Hogue; high constable, Eli Lochner; justice of the peace, John Orr; school directors: John Y. Ellis, . William Cooner, H. K. Whitman, Joseph Ott, H. W. Kremer, Thomas Barr; overseers of the poor: Peter Schaeffer, Robert Johnson; inspectors of election: Philip Winterstein, I. N. Messinger; judge, David Teas. The following persons have successively served as burgess since the borough was incorporated: 1867, Joseph Hollopeter; 1868, J. P. Starr; 1869, Nicholas Gauger; 1870, C. O. Bachman; 1871, Philip Shay; 1872, S. M. Miller; 1873, William M. Wagner; 1874, J. P. Starr; 1875, Phineas Leiser; 1876-80, John R. Cooner; 1881-82, W. Brady Piatt; 1883- 84, J. H. Wagner; 1885-86, D. C. Hogue; 1887-88, Lorenzo Everitt; 1889- 90, E. Sherman Follmer; 1890, Alfred Hockley; 1891, J. F. McClure.
Hope Hose Fire Company, No. 1, was organized on the 11th of June, 1873; the frame building at the foot of Second street occupied by this com- pany was erected in 1875.
SECRET AND FRATERNAL SOCIETIES.
The following is a list of societies at Watsontown with dates of organization
filas Ramlach
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or institution: Watsontown Lodge, No. 401, F. & A. M., January 16, 1868; Warrior Run Chapter, No. 246, R. A. M., January 23, 1874; Watsontown Lodge, No. 619, I. O. O. F., January 25, 1868; Bryson Post, No. 225, G. A. R., September 30, 1881; Washington Camp, No. 229, P. O. S. of A., May 19, 1884; Freeland Castle, No. 217, K. G. E., November 3, 1887.
EDUCATIONAL AND LITERARY EFFORT.
The first school house in the vicinity of Watsontown was erected in 1790. It was a log structure, and was situated near the bank of the run which flows a short distance south of where the Philadelphia and Erie depot now stands. The name of the first teacher in this pioneer school house is not ascertainable, but, whoever he may have been, the youth of the community received the rudiments of an education in this old log school house until 1800, when the second building was erected. This was a somewhat larger structure and was situated on an elevation south of the present residence of R. C. McKee. It served as a place of instruction until 1833, when a more elaborate frame building was erected at the intersection of the Sinking Spring and Bald Eagle roads, now the corner of Fifth and Liberty streets. It was used for school purposes until 1859, when it was destroyed by fire and an academy was built east of the railroad on Front or First street by Joseph Hogue, Peter Schaeffer, Joseph Everitt, Joseph Hollopeter, William H. Follmer, Daniel Kremer, and others. Here the educational work of the town was con- ducted until 1882, when the building was closed and remained unoccupied until 1889; it was then reopened and has since been used as a borough poor- house.
The present public school building was erected on the corner of Eighth and Elm streets in 1882. It is a brick structure two stories high, and con- tains eight school rooms with two additional recitation rooms. The corner- stone was laid with Masonic ceremonies May 27th of that year, on which occasion Professor G. W. Wrightmyer was orator and Robert H. McCormick chief marshal for the ceremonies of the day. The directors were Oscar Foust, Robert Buck, Samuel M. Miller, Thomas H. Kistner, E. B. Hogue, and Dr. S. L. Van Valzah, and the building committee consisted of Robert Buck and Thomas H. Kistner. The first term of school in the new building was opened in the fall of 1883 with George W. Wrightmyer as principal, S. C. Hartranft, assistant principal, and the following teachers: Misses Mae Ren- ninger, Jensie M. Kriner, Bardilla Kautz, Sue H. McCarty, and Alma S. Kerstetter, and Mr. J. D. Nimick.
The First Literary Society at Watsontown was organized in 1860, with D. C. Hogue, J. P. Starr, A. S. Lamm, Worthing Maxiel, John R. Cooner, George Piper, and C. M. King as its original members; the first president was D. C. Hogue with A. S. Lamm as secretary. At the outbreak of the civil war the society was abandoned; in 1869 it was reorganized with 39
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renewed energy and zeal. Quite a number of new names were added to the roll at that time, and by a vigorous financial policy the society succeeded in erecting the hall at the corner of Second and Main streets. This building now constitutes the Watsontown opera house.
The Watsontown Lyceum was the next literary society. Principally through the efforts of Dr. J. J. Leiser a stock company was formed and a suitable building erected, after which a formal organization was effected on the first Monday of May, 1876, with H. F. Algert as first president; he was succeeded in this office by William F. Shay.
Local Papers .- There was no newspaper at Watsontown until 1870, when a company was formed and a paper established. The name adopted was the Watsontown Record, which was conducted by a company for some time, afterward experiencing numerous changes in ownership and manage- ment until its purchase by the proprietors of the Star, Fosnot & Burr, in 1884. The Star was the second paper established, and was started in 1882, the first copy being issued on the 1st of April in that year. The first pro- prietors were Fosnot & Fisher. After the purchase of the Watsontown Rec- ord in 1884, the name was changed to the Record and Star, which it still retains. L. C. Fosnot is the editor and proprietor.
The Blade was established by J. Ward Diehl, and the first copy was issued, May 13, 1889.
The Agricultural Epitomist was published at Watsontown from its inception in 1882 until its removal to Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1886.
CHURCHES.
The second story of the academy building was designed as a place of worship for all denominations, and was so used until the erection of the dif- ferent church edifices. The first Sunday school of the town, a union organ- ization, was held here; the first superintendent was Joseph Hollopeter, and the first assistant superintendent was William H. Follmer.
The Watsontown Baptist Church is the oldest organization of that denom- ination in the northern part of Northumberland county. It originated in the labors of William S. Hall of White Deer valley, who, with the assistance of W. B. Bingham, commenced a series of religous meetings in the school house at Watsontown in May, 1840. Mr. Hall continued services at Watsontown, Scott's school house, and Abram Stearner's grove for some time, and at fre- quent intervals administered baptism. As a result of these efforts the fol- lowing members at White Deer valley and Clinton were organized as a reg- ular Baptist church, August 12, 1841: John Snyder, John Oyster, Joseph Everitt, Sr., Joseph Everitt, Jr., Robert Everitt, Samuel Dougherty, Lansing Burrows, William W. Burrows, Thomas Crawford, Amos Anderson, Benja- min Oyster, Mary McCoy, Esther Oyster, Lucy Ann Everitt, Elizabeth Ever- itt, Margaret Guffy, Mary Ann Mackey, Mary Burrows, Catherine Hays,
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Elizabeth Anderson, and Catherine Oyster. The sermon at this service was delivered by Elder D. C. Waite, prayer, by Elder J. G. Miles, right hand of fellowship, by Isaac Jones, and charge to the newly organized church, by W. S. Hall, who became the first pastor.
The first place of worship was a small frame building situated near the center of Delaware township on Delaware run. Here the congregation met until 1870, when they erected a church edifice at Watsontown. The con- tract was drawn up between the building committee, Joseph Everitt, George Burns, Theodore Carey, and James W. Johnson, and the contractors, Conrad Springer and Lewis Koch, July 14, 1870. The church building is a two- story frame structure, and was erected at a cost of thirty-five hundred dol- lars. It stands on Main street at the corner of Fifth. The history of the church has been marked by frequent pastoral changes.
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