USA > Pennsylvania > Schuylkill County > History of Schuylkill County, Pa. with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 38
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104
BUSINESS INTERESTS.
Farming and lumbering early gave employment to the few scattering inhabitants within the present township limits, and it was not until after the beginning of the de- velopment of the coal interests that population increased with any degree of rapidity. The population of the old township of Norwegian, which embraced Branch and a large territory besides not now included in Norwegian, was so small previous to 1825 that there were not in the whole township children enough to make up a district school, and in 1828 there were only 421 taxable inhabi- tants. Under the influence of the coal mining interests the population of the whole Pottsville field grew rapidly. In 1842 the poplation of Branch, which then included Cass and portions of Frailey and Reilly, had so increased that there were in the township 1,058 taxable inhabitants. In 1849, when Branch comprised its present area and a portion of Reilly, it had 600 taxable inhabitants.
When settlement began evidences were found here and there of the previous occupation of the township by Indians. At a comparatively late period it was common to find arrow heads while ploughing. The first log house As in other sections of what is now known as the first coal field of the Schuylkill district, the presence of coal of any pretensions in the township was built at Llewellyn by Abraham Faust. It was a two-story structure. The within the present limits of Branch township was early
163
MINING IN BRANCH TOWNSHIP-VILLAGES AND SCHOOLS.
known. On William Scull's map of the " Province of Pennsylvania," published in 1770, and claimed to be the earliest authority for the existence of coal anywhere in the vicinity of Pottsville, coal is designated at three points commencing about two miles west of that borough and extending in a southwesterly direction for about four miles. A glance at a map of the territory will show that some of the outcroppings discovered by the surveyor must have been within the borders of Branch township as now bounded.
The first mining enterprise of any prominence in Branch was started in 1831, on the Salem river, on a tract of land half a mile south of Llewellyn, by Samuel Brook and John Miller. Five years later, not having succeeded as well as had been anticipated, Brook sold his interest to Mr. Heilner. There was considerable dispute at the time about the lease of the land owners to the operators, which resulted in a suspension that contin- ued two years. The difficulty was satisfactorily adjusted in time, and work was resumed. Fritz & Seltzer oper- ated on the same vein several years. They sunk a slope and put up a small breaker with a capacity of twenty-five cars a day. Their successors were Tyson & Co., who worked the colliery seven years. Then Tyson & Ken- drick leased it two years. Finally Jones & Focht pur- chased it, and a year later the breaker was destroyed by fire, and never rebuilt. Martin Cunningham and Daniel Hoch, jr., have small breakers on the tract, and are oper- ating on a limited scale.
West West colliery was opened about the same time as the Salem, and operated by Samuel Brook five years; Richard Wesley operated it three years. It was unprofit- able and was sold at constable's sale. Mellon, Snyder & Haywood became the purchasers and worked the col- liery successfully and profitably, employing nearly three hundred men and boys. Later, David Oliver and Theo- dore Garretson operated this mine a while, but soon it reverted to the land owners, Crisson & Brother, who built the West West breaker, which has a capacity of over a hundred cars per day. The colliery was worked success- fully three years, when an explosion of sulphur ignited the coal in the mine. Repeated attempts to quench the fire failed, and the mine has since been flooded.
West Wood colliery was opened in 1840, by Miller & Spencer, who sunk the first slope in the county. They worked the colliery fifteen years and sold out to Fogarty & Co.
Robert Leeler worked the Gate vein on the Dundas tract, near the present site of the Black Mine colliery, operated by H. A. Moodie & Co. two years. Messrs. Hill & Betting then became the possessors of the colliery, mining and shipping coal many years. John Clausen developed his coal land and began shipping coal in 1842. Folden Wonn shipped coal from the same vein in 1852.
Phoenix Park colliery was opened in 1838 by the Offer- man Coal Company, on the Peach mountain and the north dip of the Diamond veins, but not long afterward mining operations were suspended. Stockton & Stephens were shippers for several years. Charles Miller worked
the colliery and built a breaker in 1845, which was burned in 1849, and has never been rebuilt. The land is now owned by the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company.
The first powder mill in the township was built by Mr. Allison, at Indian run. He manufactured several years and finally leased the mill to Captain William C. Wren. It exploded early in April, 1868, killing Albert Leopold and William Kreider, who were employed there.
John Rodgers began the manufacure of bricks in the edge of Llewellyn in 1846. He was succeeded by Henry Trautman and Joseph Miller in 1856. Later Joseph Kauffman carried on the business extensively and suc- cessfully several years.
VILLAGES-CEMETERIES.
There are several small villages in the township. They are known as Llewellwn, Dowdentown, West Wood, and Phoenix Park. Llewellyn is the largest and best known. It is a brisk village, situated two miles south west of Minersville, on the west branch of the Mine Hill and Schuylkill Haven Railroad, on the main road leading from Pottsville to Millersville, Dauphin county. It was named in honor of a coal miner and it contains 400 in- habitants. Its population in 1870 is said to have been 500. Much of the early history of this village is given elsewhere. In January, 1851, it contained 82 houses, 3 taverns, 2 stores, and I public school with an average attendance of 90 to 100. The population was 419. Thomas M. Cockill, general merchant, Lewis Zimmer- man, grocer, D. H. Wilcox, John Sinsel and Cornelius Coleman, hotel keepers, Peter Doerr, boot and shoe maker, Peter Sinsel, cobler, and John Hicks, blacksmith, are well-known business men of the present day. The population of the township in 1880 was 1,000.
There are two cemeteries in the township. One is at- tached to the Reformed and Lutheran church. It was laid out in 1819 and deeded by Lewis Reese, of Reading, to J. F. Faust and Jacob Hime, trustees for the respec- tive congregations. It is known as Clauser's cemetery. The other is attached to the Methodist Episcopal church, but the ground was donated upon such conditions that any person, a resident of the township at the time of death, is entitled to burial therein. It is known as Llewellyn cemetery.
EDUCATIONAL.
Early schools were held in private rooms, furnished for the purpose by liberally disposed settlers. After a few years log houses were built for school purposes, and these, with their furniture, harmonize with the pioneer life of the builders. The course of instruction, given in German, comprised reading, writing, the elements of arithmetic, psalm singing and exercises from the cate- chism. The pioneer teacher was Philip Delcamp, who first taught in the old log church. It was, for a time, customary for parents to pay fifty cents monthly tuition for each child. John Clark and Henry Miller were teachers as early as 1833. The first public school was
164
HISTORY OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.
held in a room in a private dwelling built, owned and occupied by Abraham Faust, in 1834. Edmund Holt, a horse farrier, taught ten years. The first public school house was built in 1839, and was used exclusively for school purposes until 1857. During that year a brick school-house was built on Bunting street, in Llewellyn, against the strenuous opposition of many residents of Branch, outside of the village, who remonstrated against being subjected to taxation for the erection of an ex- pensive school-house which could accommodate only the scholars residing at Llewellyn and vicinity. A lengthy remonstrance, signed by 254 persons, was presented to the board of directors. The first teachers in this building were D. J. Evans and Miss M. J. Watson. The present teachers (1881) are E. G. Faust and Miss Jennie Garland.
The present board of directors is made up as follows: Thomas B. Thomas, president; D. H. Wilcov, secretary; Peter Doerr, treasurer; Michael Connolly, Jacob Myer and Michael Bonchart.
SOCIETIES.
Several secret societies have been organized in Branch, and held their sessions in Llewellyn, where in 1845 a hall was erected for their use. The principal stock- holders in the Llewellyn Hall Association are J. F. Heine, J. F. Faust, Ezra Cockill, George Gable, William Zim- merman, and William Hoch.
Freeman Council, No. 68, Order United American Me- chanics was organized in 1848, with J. F. Heine, Ezra Cockill, Jonas Kauffman, Jacob Barnhart, Hiram D. Chance, Damond Schropp, William Hoch, William Berkheiser, Charles Doner, and S. K. Sherman as charter members, and disbanded in 1858.
Line Council, No. 121, Order United American Me- chanics was organized in Minersville in 1869, was removed to Llewellyn in 1872 and resigned its charter in 1880. The charter members were Moses Weiser, H. J. Alspach, J. Z. Starr, Washington Loeser, J. Q. Geiger, Henry Heisler, Charles Berger, Lewis Garrison, Jacob Heller, and Nathan Herb.
Llewellyn Council, No. 142, Junior Order United Ameri- ican Mechanics was instituted in October, 1871. The charter members were T. C. Cockill, E. L. Cockill, J. B. Heine, J. Allen Heine, Abram Start, F. P. Boyer, Jon- athan Ernst and Theodore Harris.
Post No. 59, Grand Army of the Republic was organized in 1857 and disbanded in 1870. Among the charter members were J. B. Brandt, H. J. Alspach, Hiram Chance, Henry Brodt, Thomas B. Thomas, Louis Zim- merman, A. T. Trautman and William Straw.
CHURCH HISTORY.
German Reformed and Lutheran .- The first church building in Branch was a log structure, erected by the united congregations of the German Reformed and Luth-
eran denominations, in 1819, on eight acres and one hundred and thirty-eight perches of land donated by Lewis Reese. The organization of each denomination reserved the right to provide its own ministers. The first Reformed pastor was Rev. Frederick C. Kroll, who ded- icated the church. He was succeeded by Rev. Messrs Shultz and Steahle. Rev. George Minnich was the first Lutheran pastor. He was succeeded, on his removal to Berks county, by his son, Rev. William G. Munich. At times one or the other denomination was without a pastor; sometimes both were unprovided. But either attended the services of the other. In 1806 a brick church, known as Clauser's church, was built a hundred yards north of the little old log house. The building committee con- sisted of Philip Gihres, P. A. Clauser, J. G. Faust, Henry Zimmerman, J. F. Hine and Joseph Zerby. J. F. Hine was the contractor and one of the trustees. In January, 1857, the congregations began worshiping in the new building, which has since been occupied by them on al- ternate Sundays. Rev. Jacob Kline was the first Re- formed pastor who officiated in the new church. His successors have been Revs. J. B. Parner, Samuel Miller, Dechaub, Stein, Schultz, Baum, and Christian, the pres- ent pastor. The first Lutheran pastor who held services in the brick church was Rev. Daniel Sanner, the present pastor of the Lutheran congregation.
Methodist Episcopal .- The Methodist Episcopal church was built in 1839, on a lot of one acre and thirty perches of ground in the northern part of Llewellyn, donated to the trustees, Henry Bressler, Johannan Cockill and Wil- liam Delcamp, by Messrs. Willing, Shober & Bunting. Revs. Elliott, Arthur, and Heston, from the Minersville circuit, filled the pulpit about three years. For about twenty years thereafter the congregation had no regular pastor. Revs. Richard Morley, - Kaines and Arnold have been later pastors. The church is now con- nected with the Minersville charge.
United Brethren .- The United Brethren church is situated near the Methodist church. It was built in 1850 by Ezra Cockill, contractor and builder, for a school-house, and was used as such until 1857, when, through the liberality of John Schultz and others, it be- came the property of the above named congregation. The first pastor was Rev. - Lowrey. He was suc- ceeded by Rev. Messrs. Uhler, Fritz, Kramer and others. The church is now without a pastor.
Sunday Schools .- The first Sunday-school in Branch was organized at Llewellyn in 1840, by Mr. R. C. Hill, then general superintendent of the Mine Hill and Schuyl- kill Haven Railroad, who came from Cressona, on his car, accompanied by a minister and assistants. In 1843 the Welsh opened a Sunday-school, which continued successfully nearly ten years. At present there are Sun- day-schools connected with each of the before mentioned churches.
165
EARLY HISTORY OF MINERSVILLE.
MINERSVILLE BOROUGH.
N a brief sketch by Charles W. Taylor, it is said:
" Minersville was founded in 1830 by Ti- tus Bennet, who laid out the town in that year on parts of two tracts of land. One of these was patented to Titus Bennet on the 7th of of December, 1830, and enrolled in patent book 'H,' vol. 28, page 567. The other was patented to Law- rence Lewis and Robert M. Lewis on the 20th of July, 1829, and recorded in patent book 'H,' vol. 26, page 493. "The borough of Minersville was incorporated on the Ist of April, 1831, and the act was approved by Gov- ernor George Wolf. The original limits of the borough were the following boundaries: 'Beginning at a spruce tree on the corner of lands of Bennet and Walton, ad- joining lands of Wetherill and others; from thence south 60° west, 131 perches, to a white oak stump; thence north 30° west, 63 perches; thence north 51º west, 127 perches; thence 66°
north east, 128 perches; thence north 60° east, to a point on the division line of thought he had seen to Mr. Reed, who sent away his lands belonging to Bennet, Walton, and John White; and | family and secreted himself, rifle in hand, to await the thence, by said line, to the place of beginning.'
" Minersville was so named because of the fact that a large portion of the inhabitants were engaged in coal mining."
In the Miners' Journal of December, 1830, it is said :
"A little more than a twelvemonth ago the present site of the town dwelt in all the loveliness of uncultivated nature, since which its aspect has undergone a wonder- margin of the stream the West Branch railroad extends, and terminates at Schuylkill Haven (distance seven and one-half miles from Minersville), affording an easy and expeditious mode of transportation.
on the south side of what was then the Sunbury road, now Sunbury street, on the present site of the church of St. Vincent de Paul. At about the same time he erected a distillery for converting his surplus coarse grain into spirits. This was a log building, and it stood on a por- tion of the site of a brick house nearly opposite the Catholic parsonage. A portion of the timber of this dis- tillery has been used in the construction of an outbuild- ing in the rear of this house. Besides the tavern and log house no other residences are known to have been built in Minersville till the latter part of 1828.
The hotel was long known as the " Half-Way House " between Reading and Sunbury. It also had the local name of the " Red House." Mr. Reed kept this hotel till his death in 1814. It is remembered that during the var of IS12 a body of troops were coming from North- umberland over the Sunbury road, and a boy, mistaking them for Indians, ran in his fright and reported what he
coming of the savages. His alarm was of course dissi- pated on learning that they were American soldiers.
The first child born in Minersville was Susanna, daugh- ter of Thomas Reed, December 18th, 1793. The first resident of this place married was Jacob Reed, to Rebecca Bittle, January 13th, IS13.
The first death was that of Thomas Reed, in 1814. He ful change in improvements and population. Along the was buried in the cemetery at the rear of his hotel. A
body had previously been buried there-that of the man who carried the mail, on foot, between Reading and Sun- The principal : bury. He was found murdered at what is now called street bears the name of Sunbury, on which are situated Primrose, about a mile and a half above Minersville. It was formerly the His body was guarded by his large dog, and after it was, with some difficulty, taken away and buried, this dog snuffed a short time at the grave, then ran away and went
all the stores and public buildings. old Sunbury road, communicating with the rich valleys in the direction of the Susquehanna. The northern portion of the village is of firm dry soil, gradually rising and affording a southern exposure, of favorable charac- to Sunbury. The appearance of the man's dog alarmed ter for private dwellings. Seven large houses have his friends for his safety, and they came and learned the already been erected during the present season on this facts of the case, but the murderers were never appre- hended. Robbery was supposed to be their motive. spot by Messrs. Bennet and Gilmore, together with a number of small buildings in the same quarter. Last spring there were but six dwellings in all, since which The first cemetery was in the rear of the old red tavern, adjoining the present cemetery of the church of Thomas Reed. there has been an increase of forty-nine substantial houses. The place contains six taverns, in any one of St. Vincent de Paul. The ground was donated by which are to be found respectable accommodations; eight stores, well supplied with every article for country The other cemeteries arc St. Mary's, in the northwest part of the borough; the German Lutheran and German Reformed, southeast from the borough on the road to Llewellyn; the Welsh Baptist, on Spencer street; the consumption; six blacksmiths' shops, one saddlery, one! bakery, two tailors' shops and two butchers'-all seem- ing to be in a thriving way. The population is estimat- ed to be 500."
Since the incorporation of the borough it has been Congregational, near St. Mary's; and that of St. Vincent twice enlarged, and its corporate limits include about de Paul in the rear of the church.
double its original area.
Peter Dilman resided in the log house near the saw-
The first settler here was Thomas Reed, who came in mill after Mr. Reed removed to the red tavern. He was March, 1793, built a saw-mill on the west branch of the the sawyer in the mill. The lumber that was manufac- Schuylkill, just below the mouth of Wolf creek, and a tured in this region at that early period was rafted down log house near it. This, it is believed, was the first resi- the Schuylkill and found a market at Reading and the dence in the place. He soon afterward built a tavern, places below it. Lumbering was the principal business
26
166
HISTORY OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.
of the few settlers here. When the Mine Hill Railroad was built, and an outlet was thus given to the mineral wealth of this region, the influx of settlers was very rapid. Among the first settlers in 1829 was Joseph Dobbins, a carpenter, who built some of the earliest houses here. The first blacksmith was George Dengler, whose shop was a board shanty near where the tavern of Mr. Mock, on Sunbury street, now stands. He also boarded rail- road hands in a newly built house near his shop.
The first store was established in 1830 by John Swaine and his partner, a Mr. Duncan, on the north side of Sunbury street, near Third. Drs. Robbins and Stein- berger were the first physicians. In 1830 or 1831 Fran- cis Finselbach established a brewery on the south side of Sunbury street, between First and Second streets. Among the people who came in 1829 and 1830 were Samuel Rickert, Daniel R. Bennet, N. Baker, B. McLen- athan, Joseph Mills, Jacob Bruner, Samuel McBride and others, whose names cannot be recalled. As before stated, the growth of the place was vely rapid after 1829.
Thomas Reed was early appointed a justice of the peace. It is said that on the re-election of Governor Snyder, Jacob Reed, his son, was also appointed, as a reward for having cast his first vote for Mr. Snyder, in opposition to the wishes of his father. The son was a magistrate here during many years, and had his office in the log house which has been mentioned as the first resi- dence erected in the place.
The first election for borough officers was held at the house of David Buckwalter May ist, 1831, and resulted in the choice of the following officers: Samuel Rickert, chief burgess; John Provost, John Patrick, Dr. Anthony Steinberger, John L. Swaine, Daniel R. Bennet, John B. Hahn and Daniel Buckwalter, councilmen. Daniel R. Bennet was elected the first president of the council. John Bruner the first borough treasurer; Thomas J. Harman town clerk, and Milligan G. Gable high con- stable.
The burgesses elected since have been: Daniel R. Ben- net, 1832; Jacob Bruner, 1834; John F. G. Kumsius, 1838; Blair McClanagan, 1839, 1843; Samuel Kauffman, 1842; John Trayer, 1844, 1847, 1864, 1872; David F. Jones, 1845; Evan Evans, 1849, 1859; Thomas A. Wil- liams, 1857; Moses Weiser, 1860; John Oerther, 1861; Joseph Thirlwell, 1863; William Matthews, 1865; Philip Jones, 1866; E. M. Heilner, 1867, 1869; John J. Rees, 1868; Joseph Morgan, 1870; Joseph Levan, 1876; Fred- erick Friend, 1877; Levi King, 1880.
Minersville has ten hotels, thirteen dry goods and grocery stores, a drug and hardware store, three drug stores, five green groceries, two book and stationery stores, six shoe stores, six milliners, four clothieries, two jewellers, six liquor stores, three tobacco stores, three furniture stores, a foundry and machine shop, a shoe fac- tory, seven meat markets, two stove and tin shops, six barbers, three wheelwright and blacksmiths' shops, two lumber yards, two breweries, a screw factory, and a soap factory.
A public hall was finished in 1876 in a block on the corner of Sunbury and Third streets, by Kear Brothers. This hall is 85 by 50, and it has a stage 35 by 50, with ample scenery. The seating capacity of the hall is 700.
MINERSVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
In or about 1837 the first public schools were taught in Minersville by Chester Stratton and his sister Eunice. These schools were opened in a framed building on South street, which was purchased in 1842 by the English Baptists. It is said that a Mr. Tomlins also taught a school about the same time, in a building still standing on the northeast corner of Fifth and Sunbury streets and occupied by Lemuel D. Jones. Minersville, though in- corporated as a borough April Ist, 1831, was at this time included in the school district consisting of Cass and Branch townships. March 7th, 1843, Minersville became a separate school district, and in September of the fol- lowing year 119 pupils were admitted into the schools. The number enrolled during the term immediately pre- ceding the division was 277. These schools were taught by Chester Stratton, Benjamin C. Christ, Miss Elizabeth A. Christ and Miss E. W. Tomlins. Dr. William N. Robins was at this time and for a number of years after- ward secretary of the school board. Subsequently Mary Stratton, Rachel Morris, Arthur Connelly, Heman Hall, Jonathan J. Dickerson, Eber Dickerson, Amos Y. Thomas, a Mr. Butler, Levi King and several others were, previous to 1853, employed as teachers.
In September, 1853, Jonathan K. Krewson, of Bucks county, became principal of the schools, which were then, for the first time, graded. Mr. Krewson having been elected superintendent of the public schools of Schuylkill county, J. W. Danenhower, M.D., the present incumbent, was in September, 1854, appointed to take charge of the schools as principal teacher and . superin- tendent. The several appointments then made were as follows: High school, J. W. Danenhower teacher; gram- mar school, Levi King; secondary school No. 1, Ellen Parks; secondary school No. 2, Lucy Greenwood; pri- mary school No. 1, Sarah Davis; primary school No. 2 Maggie P. Sorber. Miss Sorber taught at Minersville twenty-eight years, resigning June 30th, 1880. The high school numbered at this time about 40, and the members of the school board were Anthony S. McKee, president; William N. Robins, secretary; Chester Strat- ton, William Sterner, John H. Detwiler and Abraham Trout.
During the term of 1854-55, a third primary school was opened and a Miss Connelly and Matilda Schenk taught that term.
A two-story stone school-house containing two rooms on a floor was built in 1839, on Twin street. Schools were also opened in the basements of the Welsh Baptist and Welsh Congregational churches.
The large three-story brick school-house on Third street was completed and occupied in September, 1856. It accommodated six schools, including grammar school
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.