History of Perry County, Pennsylvania, including descriptions of Indians and pioneer life from the time of earliest settlement, sketches of its noted men and women and many professional men, Part 29

Author: Hain, Harry Harrison, 1873- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Harrisburg, Pa., Hain-Moore company
Number of Pages: 1102

USA > Pennsylvania > Perry County > History of Perry County, Pennsylvania, including descriptions of Indians and pioneer life from the time of earliest settlement, sketches of its noted men and women and many professional men > Part 29

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Up to the time of the ownership of Andrew Black the mill and the farm were always owned by one and the same party, but he sold the farm to James McNeal, who conducted a large tannery at the northern end of Blain, and the mill passed as previously stated.

The Endslow Mill. Before 1778, in which year it was already assessed in the name of James Miller, the Endslow mill was built in what was then Toboyne Township, but in that part of the town- ship which later became Jackson Township. Its location is one mile east of Blain. John Moreland, an uncle of the late David Moreland, of Blain, married Jane, the daughter of James Miller, and her patrimony was this mill and forty acres of land. In 1822 it passed to James McNeal, whose son-in-law, Samuel Endslow, be- came the next owner, obtaining possession about 1840. In 1869 his son, William S. Endslow, became the owner and operated the mill until about 1908, when he retired from both milling and farming. About 1883 the mill, which was already the second one to occupy the site, was burned by incendiaries, and was rebuilt by Mr. Ends- low. Upon his retirement he sold both mill and farm to his son, George S. Endslow, now of Lancaster County, who still owns it I7

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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

but never operated it. The farm passed to Harry O. Hench. The mill still stands, though idle, a relic of a past pioneer industry. It was one of the earliest mills in the county.

"Westover," The Gibson Mill. When William Penn came to America on his second trip, about 1700, a fellow passenger was; Francis West, who came from the family seat at Westover, Eng- land, and who, with his family, took up large tracts along Sher- man's Creek, as narrated in the chapter devoted to Spring Town- ship. His daughter, Ann West Gibson, who became the mother of that peerless dispenser of justice, Chief Justice John Bannister Gibson, warranted lands in 1787, and before 1779, when it was already assessed, had erected what she called the "Westover Mill,"

Photo by WV. A. Eberly.

"WESTOVER MILL," THE GIBSON MILL.

This Mill was Built by Ann West Gibson, mother of Chief Justice Gibson.

known generally as the Gibson mill, and which included a sawmill. It is located several hundred yards west of Gibson's Rock, a mighty profile jutting to the edge of the creek. The water by which the mill is run does not come from Sherman's Creek, how- ever, but from a smaller stream which flows through the wooded hills surrounding.

It was in regular use as a gristmill until 1850. Then, after a period of idleness covering almost twenty years it was turned into a spoke and felloe factory by Frank Gibson, and later into a paint mill. Then for some years it was destined to idleness, but was again put in operation as a gristmill and is now in the ownership of S. V. Dunkelberger. An addition was erected to it in 1871, and at that time there was no mill machinery in the place. It is operated by an eighteen-foot overshot water wheel of the old type. Both the burr and modern roller process types of machinery are

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in use. On a corner of the foundation of this old historic land- mark is this inscription plate: "U. S. Geological Survey ; Eleva- tion above sea level, 471 feet. A. D. 1903." The original inill is described as being a "log structure, with only one run of stone." It will be noted that the top story is not of stone. The original mill tract is spoken of as containing seventy-eight acres.

The Eshelman Mill, now Butturf's. Just when the Eshelman, or Butturff mill, in Oliver Township, at Newport's very border, was built, cannot be stated exactly. It is built on a tract of land which once comprised 185 acres and which was warranted June 5, 1772, to William West, Jr., from whom it passed on September 3 of the same year to David English. That the mill was built before April 22, 1790, is sure, as on that day the sheriff sold it to Christo- pher Myers. In December, 1790, it was purchased from him by Dr. Daniel Fahnestock, of Warrington, York County. In 1814 it was assessed in the name of Joseph Zinn. At that time the original stone building, 50x60 feet in size, included all of the mill, but Amos Overholtzer, who purchased it in 1873, built the brick story to it and added improved machinery. A sawmill, plaster mill and dwelling house with nine acres of land, were a part of the estab- lishment. M. B. Eshelman, who purchased it in 1876, from Mr. Oberholtzer's administrator for $17,500, added the latter. Mr. Eshelman's heirs sold it to T. H. Butturf, in 1902, for $5,200.

The Mt. Patrick Gristmill. Shall I ever forget it? Not while memory lasts. Geo. Blattenberger, Jr., friend of my father's, was the miller, and to him came the grists from the countryside to be ground into flour for the family bread. Although many years have passed since I made my last trip there and heard the jolly greeting and the ringing laugh of the miller, who now sleeps the sleep that knows no waking, in the cemetery on the heights above Liverpool, it seems as but yesterday. The way from home led along the Pennsylvania Canal, and in its palmy days many boats were passed on the way, and occasionally the nifty little steamer of Col. T. T. Weirman, the superintendent, would be passed. It was an innovation in those days. Opposite the mill was an overflow, where the waters of the canal fell over the side of an aqueduct to the bed of the valley stream crossing beneath, with a swish and a roar that drowned ordinary speaking. The trip to the mill was never labor, as the welcome of Mr. Blattenberger, whose heart was in the right place, far repaid any seemingly hardships.

Just when this mill was built, or when the first mill was built at that site, is unknown, but a map of 1791 shows a mill located at "Berry's Falls." As the locations are identical the inference is that it was built prior to 1791. While the property was not pat- ented until November 10, 1829, it had been warranted long before and made into a farm. It was early owned by a man named Bru-

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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

baker, and in August, 1834, was sold as the estate of Peter Ritner (a brother of Governor Ritner) to Simon Gratz, who transferred it to Simon Cameron in trust for the Lykens Valley Coal Com- pany, who desired it for a landing for their coal flats which brought coal across the river to the new Susquehanna Canal. In 1841 it was purchased by George Blattenberger, Sr., familiarly known as "Judge," having been an associate judge of the county. He owned it until 1889, when it was purchased by Adam Barner, who died in 1890. It is now owned by his son, George A. Barner. The transfer of 1834 names the place as having a sawmill, a mer- chant mill, a plaster mill, a flour mill, a trip-hammer, and a dis- tillery. The mill has been dismantled and the building removed and, when completed, "the Susquehanna Trail" will pass over the site.

The farm originally included all of Mt. Patrick, the mill prop- erty, the Jacob McConnell place, and the S. E. Bucke farm. The distillery was located across the creek from the mill, on the mill- house plot. The fulling mill was at the forebay of the gristmill and the sumac mill at the Jacob McConnell place.

The Old Snyder or Hackett Mill. John Sanderson, who owned eleven hundred acres of land in one body, near Elliottsburg, in Spring Township, was assessed with two stills and a gristmill in 1792. Upon his death he devised the land covering this mill site to his nephew, George Elliott. In 1831 George Elliott conveyed to George S. Hackett 400 acres upon which was erected the mill and a distillery. In 1850 he sold it to Alexander Topley, of Bloom- field, and upon his death, in 1854, his administrator conveyed it to Robert and Isaac Jones. A year later they sold it to John Sny- der, who operated it until about 1873, when it was found to be unprofitable to continue operations. Mr. Snyder died on the premises in 1882, and in 1907 the old mill property passed to Silas W. Moyer, the present owner.

The Snyder Mill, now Hooke's. In 1805 John Waggoner, the father of Benjamin Waggoner, the first of the clan of that name to own the Roddy mill, erected a mill near Bridgeport, which is now known as Snyder's mill. There is an article of agreement on record dated 1805 in which Thomas Ross grants to Mr. Wag- goner the privilege of "joining" his mill dam to lands of his. At the same time he was the owner of the mill in Kennedy's Valley, assessed to Robert Garwood in 1782, and which he purchased a few years later. There is record of his residence in Kennedy's Valley until his death, and the presumption is that he built the Snyder mill as an investment.

Mr. Waggoner died in 1834. and among other things in his ap- praisement was ninety-two barrels of whiskey, and one barrel of peach brandy appraised at $8.00 per barrel, for which $1.75 per

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barrel was paid to convey it to Baltimore in wagons. His estate was unsettled for years, and in 1854, the sheriff, by proceedings in partition, deeded these lands, "having thereon erected a large brick house, log barn, and a large stone merchant mill and other out- buildings to Joseph MeClure and William W. Snyder. Mr. Mc- Clure died and his heirs conveyed his half to James McClure, from whom, in 1861, Mr. Snyder secured entire ownership. Mr. Sny- der operated the mill until his death in 1893. In 1902 the prop- erty was conveyed to Dr. B. P. Hooke (a son-in-law of Mr. Sny- der), who died in 1903, and by will devised it to his son, B. P. Hooke, the present owner.

The Bear Mill. The Bear mill is located on Sherman's Creek, in Madison Township, south of Centre, and about one and one- half miles from Loysville. It is on a tract warranted by John Scouller in 1787. It was erected prior to 1814, at which time Englehart Wormley was assessed with it. In 1835 it was in pos- session of John Wormley. The brick mill which replaced the first structure was erected in 1841. Henry Bear came into possession and he and his son, Wm. F. Bear, operated it for many years. In 1889 it was purchased by Jos. B. Lightner, who in 1910 sold to Ida Wolfe, and from her in 1915 it was purchased by the Tressler Orphans' Home and an electric light plant installed.

The Patterson Mill. In 1753, as indicated in a case before the provincial governor, William Patterson had located on Laurel Run, Tyrone Township. He did not, however, warrant lands until 1766, when he took up four hundred acres, some of which is still in pos- session of the Patterson family. In 1814 Francis Patterson had a sawmill there, and soon after erected an oil mill. These two, and a chopping mill were operated by Thomas Patterson in 1825. Then, in the period between 1830 and 1840, Fahnestock and Ferguson built a scythe and edge-tool factory there. John Wag- goner, a son of the sire of the Waggoner family of millers, then purchased it and turned the oil mill and the chopping mill into a gristmill. After 1840 Solomon IFengst also conducted a foundry there for a few years. William A. and James F. Lightner later came into possession of the mill, and in 1887 sold to Martin L. Rice, who after operating it for some years, in 1903 sold it to the Oak Extract Company, and from that time it has been dismantled as a mill.

Bixler's Mill. The old Bixler flour mill is located on Tousey's Run, in Madison Township, and is still in operation, the present miller being George E. Beck, and the place being often known as Beck's Mills. It was built in 1812-1814 by Zalmon and Azariah Tousey, brothers, who had purchased the property containing 345 acres, March 7, 1812, from Hugh Hamilton, whose holdings com- prised over six hundred acres and was known as "Hamiltonia."

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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

This mill is located on the tract warranted by Hugh Alexander, February 3, 1755, the day the land office was first opened to set- tlement for Perry County. It contained 344 acres. In 1801 this property was transferred to Hugh Hamilton, a son of John Hamil- ton and Margaret Alexander, the warrantee's daughter. The new owner was also possessor of the 400 acres which adjoined and which was warranted by John Hamilton, which made the tract a large one as noted above. Jacob Bixler and John Flickinger, in 1836 bought it from the administrators of the Touseys and in a few years divided it, the mill going to Bixler with ninety acres of land, and the rest of the lands to Flickinger.

A mute reminder of the early settlement of this young couple and the erection of their home lies in the office of the old mill. It is the corner stone of the old house, which Bixler tore away in 1840, it being a two-story log house. It is of marble, with an inscription arranged as in the accompanying diagram.

H A 1766

The A is evidently the initial of the family name, Alexander, and the HI and M on a lower line probably refer to the first ini- tials of the builders, Hugh and Martha. The date probably is con- nected with the early occupation of the lands. The S. and N. evi- dently refer to the directions of the compass, and the stone was evidently used to mark their claim.

In 1846 Jacob Bixler rebuilt the east end of the mill from the foundation, and in 1870 remodeled the interior and put in two turbine water wheels, the first in the county. He also built the adjoining woollen mill in 1853, of which more elsewhere. The firm was later known as Jacob Bixler & Sons.

The present owner, George E. Beck, purchased the property and mills from the Bixler heirs in 1888 and does a good business. The mill is of the old-fashioned burr variety and the stones used in grinding the grain are secured in France, none as satisfactory being obtainable elsewhere.

Before the county was dotted with its many merchandising places the Bixler mill made blankets and yarns, and besides whole- saling them also ran a wagon over the county doing a retailing business. Upon this wagon appeared in neat lettering: "Centre Woollen Mills, Bixler & Bro., Blankets, Yarns, etc." Many Perry Countians, even of middle age, can remember its regular trips. It still stands in a shed at the mills, a mute reminder of a passing age. Even the advertisements on its sides link the past with the present,

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for among the names are those of persons yet living, who were then in business. The names :

"Bentzell & Bro., T'ailors, New Bloomfield.

"Ensminger Livery, New Bloomfield.

"A. P. Nickel, Undertaking, New Bloomfield.

"Chas. B. Stewart, Watches, New Bloomfield.

"Wm. H. Smith, Coach Maker, New Bloomfield.

"John A. Martin, Harness, New Bloomfield."

The old woollen mill was operated until 1910. It still contains the old looms, but the only work done there is the carding of wool on a small scale and principally as an accommodation, for the rais- ing of sheep in the county has decreased as the years have passed. The mill contained an old "hand-mule" spinner, with 160 spindles. Bixler's Mills was once a thriving settlement, and in 1884 a post office was established there named Bixler, since replaced by rural delivery. Jacob Bixler was the son of a miller, Jacob Bixler, Sr., who came from Dauphin County in 1818 and built the mill near Eshcol, in Saville Township.

Other Mills. The history of the various other mills, many of them dating back a century, appears in the various chapters de- voted to the townships and boroughs of the county, to be found elsewhere in this book.

SAWMILLS.

The lands of Perry County were not long settled by any of the white race before there began springing up here and there along the various streams, numbers of the old-fashioned water-power sawmills, known largely as "up-and-down" sawmills. On them were sawed the huge trees, which were fashioned into boards and shingles for the building of the carly homes. There were so many of these at various times and places that it is impossible to give with any degree of thoroughness their locations and owners. Through them the primeval forests were turned into dwelling. houses, barns, outbuildings, churches, bridges, schoolhouses, and the forerunner of the brick and cement pavement-the old-time boardwalk. The drainage basins of practically all important streams were locations of one or more of these early manufactur- ing plants. In a single community of which Shermansdale was the centre, there were the McCord mill near Pisgah, the Smiley mill on Smiley Run, the McCaskey mill in northern Carroll, the Stauf- fer mill in a gorge of the mountain along Sherman's Creek, the Rebert (now Smith's) mill west of that village, and that of John H. Louck, two miles east of Shermansdale, where he also had a gristmill and post office known as Louck's Mills, to which the mails were carried from Carlisle by postrider. The proprietors of four of these mills-the McCord, Smiley, McCaskey, and Louck's-

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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

now rest within fifty feet of each other, in the Presbyterian ceme- tery near Shermansdale, while their mills, later developed into the "thundergust" type, have long since been swept away by the floods from the very hills which their industry denuded, and of which it was the contributing cause. Some of these old milldams were strongly constructed and even the immense force of successive floods has failed to remove the large boulders which were used in their construction, among those being that at the Louck mill. In 1814 Tyrone Township alone had eighteen such mills. Later the steam mill with its circular saw largely did the work of these more primitive mills.

The date of the probable entry into Perry County forests of the steam sawmill, quoted elsewhere as about 1870, is no doubt cor- rect, as that is the year in which a Mr. Coulter, of Mechanicsburg, put a mill in "Allen's Swamp," at the western end of the Cove Mountain, between that mountain and Pine Hill. It took almost four years to saw the lumber, and the sale of the outfit took place in 1874. When that operation was started deer were still plentiful and were often seen by the woodsmen. A heavy growth of timber long covered the lands which comprise Perry County.

In the vicinity of "The Narrows," near the Rye-Carroll Town- ship line, there were four of these up-and-down sawmills. They were owned by Conrad Brubaker. Adam Nace, Henry Sykes, and Adam Luckenbaugh. James Sykes also had a fulling mill there, carding wool and weaving blankets. In connection with the settle- ment known as "The Narrows," the change in population might be noted here. Between forty and fifty persons then resided there, while to-day there is one lone house.

That part of Perry County which included present Juniata Township and which in 1795 included all of Tuscarora and Oliver, and parts of Centre and Miller Townships, was once heavily wooded. In the assessment lists of that year twelve sawmills were enumerated. There were also two gristmills, two tanyards and two distilleries, the latter both operated by George Hildebrand. With the cutting of the timber came the development of the land.

Sixty years ago there were at least three sawmills on Sugar Run, the small stream which empties into the Juniata opposite Cocola- mus Creek. All did considerable business, yet to-day there seems to be hardly enough water there to turn a wheel.

FULLING MILLS.

On a previous page of this chapter, in connection with the Bixler gristmill, is a description of the Bixler fulling mill, which was but one of a number of fulling mills located throughout the county,

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OLD LANDMARKS, MILLS, INDUSTRIES

where wool was carded and clothing manufactured. Mention of these mills is made in the various chapters relating to the townships in which they were located. One of these mills was operated by George Gutshall, at New Germantown, he also having a chopping mill. He was the grandfather of Mrs. Wilson Morrison, yet living in that town, who remembers how they "carded wool into round rolls almost a yard in length, from which the women spun the yarn." Homespun clothing was then in general use. Mrs. Mor- rison also tells of how they sowed flax, pulled, dried and threshed it, using a "flax-break" to divest it of the outside shell. Although but a young girl she helped in this work.

"STILLS" AND DISTILLERIES.

At an early day, before the coming of the canal and the rail- roads, the surplus products of the farms in the line of grains and fruits were distilled into liquors. Fruits when ripe, had either to be dried or distilled into liquors for preservation. Surrounded by these conditions the pioneers would either erect stills or take their apples and peaches, usually loaded in large English wagon- beds which held from forty to eighty bushels, and have them dis- tilled into brandy and applejack, for which the distiller received one-half the product. It was not unusual to see a long line of wagons awaiting their turn at these distilleries. Grains were also distilled into liquors, as the product in that condensed form re- quired far fewer trips to the far-away Baltimore market. There was also a demand for these products and the state even made con- cessions to encourage the industry, which has long since passed out of Perry County life, and which the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States this year-1920-eliminated for all time.

Owing to these conditions the Perry County territory teemed with "stills" and distilleries. As early as 1814 Tyrone Township alone had seventeen stills on the assessment roll. Liquor seems to have been in very general use during that early period and the price was extremely low. Rye whiskey sold from thirty-three to thirty- seven cents a gallon. Peach brandy was quoted at the same prices, and applejack at twenty-five cents per gallon.

The locations of many. of these old stills are to be seen or are pointed out by the residents. They were principally in western Perry and in a few instances the stillhouses are still standing. The one on the Lucian R. McMillen farm at Kistler, Madison Township, is in good repair, and those at the Rice mill, in Tyrone Township, and Manassas Gap, three miles south of Blain, in Jack- son Township, still stand. A partial list of locations follow :

On the old Shearer farm, now owned by David Beaston, above Mc- Laughlin's, in Toboyne Township.

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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

On the James Johnston farm, in Toboyne Township, one mile above New Germantown.

On the farm of Clark Bower, in Jackson Township.

At Manassas Gap, three miles south of Blain. Operated by Philip Stambaugh about 1830. The building still stands on the property of David Rowe, Jr.

The Hackett distillery on Reisinger Brothers' farm, in Madison Town- ship, at a place locally known as Pine Grove, near Kistler.

A half-mile west of Blain.

On the J. E. Lyons farm, at Andersonburg.

The stone distillery on the Lucian R. McMillen farm at Kistler, Madison Township. In good condition.

On George Palm farm, one and one-half miles east of Kistler.

Near the Lutheran Church at Saville, Saville Township.

The Conrad Ernest still at Stony Point, three miles east of Blain.

At Kistler, just west of the Lutheran Church.

On the J. S. Lightner farm, one and one-half miles southeast of Cisna's Run.

The Baughman distillery, near Rock schoolhouse, in Saville Township. Near the M. E. Chapel in Madison Township.

One on the W. Scott Irvine farm, in Saville Township.

On the John and Solomon Briner farm on Sherman's Creek, one and one-half miles south of Loysville, now owned by Edward Briner.

On Montour's Run at Rice's mill, near where it joins Sherman's Creek. It still stands.

The Wagner still, later Egolf's, in lower Kennedy's Valley, Tyrone Township. In business as late as 1868.

Keck's distillery, on the Adam Wentzel farm at Bridgeport, in Spring Township. It burned in 1874, but had ceased operations a few years previous.

On the Joseph Lightner place, "Still House Hollow," Tyrone Township. In Landisburg, near Water Street.

On the Junkin place in Spring Township, now owned by George Dum. On the farm of Samuel Ebert, north of the Tressler Orphans' Home.

At Elliottsburg, in Spring Township.

Near Jackson schoolhouse in Saville Township, about a mile north of Elliottsburg.

In "Little Germany," Spring Township, built by John Fuas (Foose).

On property of S. W. Moyer, a short distance east of Elliottsburg.

On the Abraham Bower farm, at Falling Springs.

On Swartz farm, west of New Bloomfield, south of former steam mill. On the J. L. Kline farm, in Liverpool Township's eastern extremity.

On the steam mill property, below Liverpool, a distillery was in opera- tion as late as 1869. The property is now owned by Mrs. John Williamson.

At Mt. Patrick, on the western bank of the creek from the gristmill, long known as the Blattenberger mill, now Barner's.

On the J. R. Wright farm in Greenwood Township. This is the prop- erty which was once owned by Rev. Britton E. Collins, but, of course, he was not the operator of a distillery, but had only purchased a farm on which one had been located.

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History of Perry County, Pennsylvania, including descriptions of Indians and pioneer life from the time of earliest settlement, sketches of its noted men and women and many professional men, Part 29

Author: Hain, Harry Harrison, 1873- [from old catalog] Publication date: 1922 Publisher: Harrisburg, Pa., Hain-Moore company Number of Pages: 1102

Author: Hain, Harry Harrison, 1873- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Harrisburg, Pa., Hain-Moore company
Number of Pages: 1102