USA > Pennsylvania > Schuylkill County > History of Schuylkill County, Pa. with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 46
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HECLA was surveyed into lots, about 1851, by Mat- thias Richards. It contains twelve dwellings and one tavern. The population is about 60.
DREHERSVILLE and RAUSCH'S STATION are railway stations merely, and are not entitled to the name of vil- lages. At Drehersville there is a post-office for the con- venience of the residents of the southwestern part of the township and southeastern West Brunswick.
CHURCH HISTORY.
The first log church in East Brunswick township, one mile from McKeansburg, and half a mile from New Ringgold, was built over one hundred years ago, as a union church, by the Lutheran and Dutch Reformed congregations. The congregation consisted of the first settlers. Rev. Mr. Shaffer was one of the preachers. In 1828 the congregation having increased, a new church, also a log structure, was built. It was called Freiden's Church, and the Rev. Mr. Zulich, uncle of Thomas Zulich, superintendent of the Schuylkill Canal, preached in that church and the new one built in 1875, about fifty years. In 1875 it became necessary to build a new church, as the old one gave signs of falling down, and the same congregations built a two-story church, the basement of stone, the second story frame, which, like its predeces- sors, is called Freiden's, or (in English) Peacable Church.
In 1828 the Lutheran and Dutch Reformed congre- gations in McKeansburg built a log church, which is still in pretty good condition. Revs. Erb and Leise preach for the congregation.
The first Sabbath-school in the township was started as a union Sunday-school in 1853, in a school-house now belonging to the borough of New Ringgold. There are now three Sunday-schools in the borough and one in New Ringgold.
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HISTORY OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.
NEW RINGGOLD BOROUGH.
EW Ringgold was named in honor of Major Ringgold, the first officer who fell in the Mexican war. The town plat comprised 503 acres, originally owned by Daniel Focht. Later it was owned by Messrs. E. & E. Hammer, Jacob Huntzinger, and Henry Koch. In 1863 it became the property of Hon. F. W. Hughes, who, in 1867, had the entire tract resurveyed, streets laid out, and an entire town plat made.
February 22nd, 1877, a petition for the incorporation of the village as a borough was presented to the court. l'he decree for the incorporation was granted September 24th, 1877, and the court appointed H. B. Koch to give notice of a special election to be held at the public house of Joseph Marburger, October 20th, 1877, for the purpose of electing officers to serve until the first Monday in the following April.
The result of the election was as follows: Paul Bock, chief burgess; Joseph Marburger, John F. Ruser, B F. Solliday, Daniel Becker, Jonas D. Frederics, and Henry Reed, town council; Daniel Leiser, W. H. Miller, Frank Weiss, Joel Marshall, Aaron Focht, and Frank Moyer, school directors; H. B. Koch, constable; J. Lyn, judge of election; Benjamin Yost, inspector of election, and D. A. Foltz, assessor. The first meeting of the borough council was held in the parlor of the Union Hotel, Octo- ber 23d, 1877. B. F. Solliday was president; John F. Ruser, first secretary of the council.
The first public house in New Ringgold was kept by Charles Focht, in a small frame building erected at a comparatively early date, and now occupied by David Becker. It was regarded as a great convenience by the teamsters hauling coal over the Little Schuylkill Railroad by horse power. It was known among that class of pa- trons as the "Half Way House." In 1848 Jacob H. Lutz and Philip Moyer built the first two houses, and in 1849 Charles Focht and Israel Stamm built two more, one of which is Mr. Focht's present residence. During he last-mentioned year George Dreibelbeis erected at large stone hotel, of which he was proprietor twenty-one years. After its completion the " Half Way House" was abandoned.
BUSINESS HISTORY.
In 1850 Daniel & Abraham Long erected a tannery and a large dwelling house connected therewith. For some years they did a good business, which grew unprof- itable at last, and was abandoned. Up to the date men- tioned the land about New Ringgold had not been cleared. The principal business had been furnishing the railroad company with cord-wood, railway ties and lumber. The post-office was established in 1851, with Abraham Focht as postmaster. There was little progress during the fol-
lowing decade. In 1862 John F. Ruser, then and since agent at New Ringgold for the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company, began to sell railroad tickets there. In 1867 Messrs. Gideon Bast, F. W. Hughes and Abra- ham Focht began the erection of the forge, mentioned in the history of East Brunswick township, for the purpose of making blooms direct from the ore by the unsatisfac- tory Jameson process. Except during the subsequent brief career of this establishment as a steel mill, manu- facturing enterprise at New Ringgold was dormant until 1872, when Messrs. E. S. Sillyman, Jacob Huntzinger and Emanuel Bast, under the title of the Ringgold Iron and Coal Company, began the erection of a blast furnace, which was completed and blown in during September, 1874. It continued in blast nearly three years. July 14th, 1879, the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company, purchased the property, and on the 13th of the following October David Longnecker, as lessee, took possession. He started the blast November 4th following, but the furnace became idle again at the end of seven months. December 17th, 1880, Messrs. W. M. Kauffman & Co. be- came the lessees. The furnace is now (January, 1881) undergoing extensive repairs, and, when completed, will be one of the most efficient in the region.
SOCIETIES.
Camp 100 Patriotic Order Junior Sons of America was instituted in American Hall August 24th, 1868. The charter members were William F. Long, John F. Ruser, W. H. Gerhart, H. E. Arms, M. P. Bock, David Vetter, Joel Marshall, C. R. Roch, Seth Dennis, N. R. Brobst, D. H. Cook, W. F. Teter and Paul Bock. The first offi- cers were: M. P. Bock, P. P .; W. F. Long, P .; John F. Ruser, V. P .; H. E. Arms, S .; Paul Bock, T .; W. J. Koch, F. S .; A. D. Yost, M. of P. and C. A. May 27th, 1870, the name and title of the order was changed to Patriotic Order Sons of America, and the camp was re- chartered.
East Brunswick Lodge, No. 802, I. O. O. F. was organ- ized in Union Hall June 14th, 1872, with John E. Eckert as N. G .; John Fecker, V. G .; John F. Ruser, S .; F. H. Hesser, Asst. S .; and Israel Stamm, T.
PRESENT INTERESTS.
The principal street in New Ringgold is known as Hughes avenue, in honor of Hon. F. W. Hughes, of Pottsville. The borough has a population of 280. It contains three stores, two hotels, forty dwellings, a black- smith and wheelright shop, a church edifice and a one- story school-house, and is a station on the Little Schuyl- kill branch of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. The church was built in 1858, and it is used by all de- nominations.
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MINES IN EAST NORWEGIAN-GROWTH OF PALO ALTO.
EAST NORWEGIAN TOWNSHIP.
AST NORWEGIAN township was taken from Norwegian in I811. The first settlers- Peter Newschwander, John Hughs, Philip Delcamp, John and Conrad Heim, Solomon, Jacob, Peter and George Reep-all located near Mill creek, contemporary with Boechtel at St. Clair.
Pine Forest Shaft .- Thomas Maguire commenced sinking Pine Forest shaft May 5th, 1864, for George Snyder, by contract, but abandoned the undertaking on account of trouble from water. Snyder himself then pushed the work forward, hiring workmen by the day, and completing the task in November, 1866. The size of the shaft is 12 by 20 feet. The depth is 362 feet where it reaches the "Seven-feet" vein. The Primrose crops
out at the top of the shaft. The Holmes vein is cut 100 feet from the surface and the "Four-feet " at a depth of 270 feet.
A tunnel is driven from the main gangway on the "Seven-feet" thirty feet north, to the Mammoth vein; thence north again 270 feet, cutting the Skidmore, which is found 5 feet thick. This shaft is a continuation of the old Pine Forest colliery. The original firm, Milnes, Hay- The earlier villages were Coquenac and Mill Creek. These villages are collections of miners' homes. There was once a grist-mill in operation here. Some years since Martin Dormer was running a brewery here. He now calls it the Atlantic Hotel. wood & Snyder, first started mining about 1840, by operating some drifts in the south part of the township, on Mill creek, starting this colliery in 1845. In 1872 Snyder sold his interest to the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company, the present operators and There are four school-houses in the township. The one at Mt. Hope is rented from the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company. The sum appropri- ated for school purposes for 1880 was $2,200. owners of the land and coal. The machinery was all manufactured at Snyder's machine works. The opera- tors are using one 500 horse power Cornish bull pumping engine, working four 20 inch pumps, 10 feet stroke; two double sets of air compressors; four cylinders, agregat- MINING OPERATIONS. ing 80 horse power; a double pair of slope engines. 95 Mining is the absorbing interest in the township. Silly- man & Evans opened a drift on the Mammoth in 1831, at Crow Hollow. Kirk & Baum, from St. Clair, had four drifts open here, using a breaker and shipping 400 horse power each; a breaker and a dirt plane engine, each 30 horse power; and a 25 horse power engine turn- a 15-feet fan. In 1871 they shipped 120,000 tons of coal. In 1880 they were shipping 6,000 tons per month and employing over 200 men and boys. Thomas Maguire, tons per day. They were followed in 1864 by Mr. Gross, the first inside foreman, died in 1877, when his son, John who ceased operations in 1869.
Maguire, became the foreman. John Morrison has been outside foreman since the shaft was started.
In 1870 work in the colliery was suspended for three months, and the time occupied in taking out the water which had burst in from the old workings. Previous to 1877 there was considerable gas, which trouble is now obviated by a better system of ventilation. There are fifty tenement houses in connection with the colliery, the average rent of which is $300 per month.
PALO ALTO BOROUGH.
P to 1874 the site of Palo Alto was covered with timber, and the undergrowth of laurel was so thick that passage through it was very difficult
A log house stood near where the bridge crosses the Schuylkill, and a board shanty had been built for a blacksmith's shop in which to Sharp mountain.
The ground which the borough of Palto Alto includes was owned by Benjamin Richards, formerly of Philadel- phia, and William H. Warder, also of Philadelphia. The borough extends along the base of Sharp mountain, on the south side of the Schuylkill river, about two miles: and is bounded on the north by the boroughs of Pottsville i have sprung up here.
and Port Carbon. It was laid out by John G. Hewes, in the fall and winter of 1844 and 1845. The portion of the borough that is laid out in streets and lots has a width of about one hundred feet. A strip from the river to a line two hundred feet south from the railroad was reserved for railroad, navigation and manufacturing purposes.
At the time Palo Alto was laid out the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad and the Schuylkill navigation had sharpen tools for driving a tunnel to the coal veins in their northern terminus here. The population of the
town increased steadily with the increase of tonnage on the railroad and navigation, till the abandonment of the latter, when many of the boatmen who resided here re- moved to other points. The population consists almost exclusively of laboring people, miners and employes on the railroad and in the manufactories and shops which
30
202
HISTORY OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.
In 1854.55, William Harris built an extensive rolling- mill here for the manufacture of railroad iron. It stands between the railroad and the river, just above the bridge. Another was built on the opposite side of the railroad in 1863, by Benjamin Haywood, who had become the owner of the first. The two constitute what are known as the Palo Alto Rolling Mill. The manufacture of railroad iron is the exclusive business of this mill. About a mile west from the rolling-mill stand the round- house and repair shops of the Mount Carbon and Port Carbon railroad, now leased by the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company. Aside from these mills and shops no manufactories or large industries are in existence here.
The borough was incorporated in 1854. The place was named at about the time of the battle of Palo Alto, in Mexico, and an additional reason for giving it the name was the fact that very high timber grew on the mountain above it.
The first officers elected in the borough were: Waters S. Chillson, burgess; Allen Enison, William Bensinger, David Riley, John Griner, William M. Stellwagon and Jacob Lime, councilmen; William M. Stellwagon, clerk. The following have since been elected to the office of burgess: John Andreson, 1856; James McIntire, 1859, 1875: Cornelius Haggerty, 1859, 1868; John Carr, 1867; P. D. Barnett, 1870: P. J. McIntire, 1871; John Morri- sey, 1872; E. B. Moyer, 1877; James Goldsmith, 1878; Simon Ritzel, 1879; John W. Becker, 1880.
A post-office was established here in 1870, with William Bensinger postmaster. It was discontinued in 1873 and a free delivery from Pottsville established.
The borough has been supplied with water since 1856 by the Pottsville Water Company.
CHAPEL, SUNDAY SCHOOL AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
There is no church organization in the borough.
1866 a Methodist Episcopal chapel was erected on Union street, between Savory and Cadberry streets. It is a framed building, 24 by 40, and cost $1,300. The lot was donated from the estate of Benjamin W. Richards. The trustees at the time of its erection were Waters S. Chill- son, William M. Stellwagon, Jacob Rudy, William Ben- singer and James Oren. Occasional preaching is- had in this chapel, which is within the limits of the Part Carbon charge.
A union Sunday-school was organized in Palo Alto about the year 1853, with Charles Dengler superintendent. After the erection of the Methodist chapel the school was reorganized under the M. E. denomination, and Wa- ters S.Chillson became superintendent. He was succeed- ed by James Oren, Mr. Bausman, William M. Stellwagon and H. S. Kirk, the present superintendent. Of these Mr. Stellwagon served twenty-one consecutive years. The present number of scholars is Io. Officers and and teachers 15. The library has about 300 volumes.
Previous to the incorporation of the borough a school- house, which had been built by the township, stood in the extreme eastern part of the town. Soon after it became a borough another was built in the western part of the place. These were stone buildings, with two plainly furnished school rooms in each. In 1878 a new school building was erected near the center of the bor- ough. It is a brick structure 53 by 64, two stories in height, with two school rooms on each floor, furnished in modern improved style. The building is warmed by steam, and supplied with water from a spring and reser- voir on the mountain side, which are utilized for this purpose. The total cost of the building site, and furni- ture was $11,000. A graded school is kept in this build- ing, and the two others are used for primary schools. The principal is Bernard O'Hare. The school term is In ten months, and the average number of pupils 300.
PORT CARBON BOROUGH.
HE borough of Port Carbon was incorporated in April, 1852. The first borough election was held June 7th, 1852. Ross Bull was chosen burgess; T. H. Wintersteen, John E. Woolsen, Milton Boon, Daniel Knittle, Philip Steinbach, Obadiah Reed, Joseph Snyder, John Iilingworth and Jacob Lime councilmen, and Henry Schissler town clerk. Ross Bull has ever since held the office of burgess, except in 1856, when Henry Guiterman was chosen.
The borough is supplied with water from the pipes of the Pottsville Water Company, by a recent arrangement with that company.
Port Carbon has now 5 dry goods and grocery stores,
2 groceries, 3 shoe stores, 2 furniture stores, I green grocery, 2 milliner shops, I gents' furnishing store, I hardware store, I drug store, I tin shop, 2 hotels, I boarding house and 6 confectionery shops.
The exact time when the first buildings were erected within the limits of the present borough of Port Carbon is not known. A sugar camp was there in the spring of ISII. Previous to 1810, and probably about the year 1800, one Stitzel built a saw-mill on Mill creek, in Law- ton's addition, and near this mill, on the site of the pres- ent residence of Henry Hevenor, a log house with a basement. In 1821 John Pott, the founder of Pottsville, and father of Abraham Pott, built a saw-mill on the Rhodes addition, near where the scales of the Schuylkill Valley Railroad now are. Near this mill a rude log
203
THE FOUNDERS OF PORT CARBON.
house-the residence of the sawyer-was erected. This was the second dwelling in the place. In 1826 Abraham Pott, who had purchased from his father 630 acres of land here, erected the third dwelling in the borough; a framed house, still standing on Washington street, Rhodes's Addition, and occupied by Mrs. Berry. In the same year he built five tenant houses, all of which are still in existence. He also built in that year a saw-mill on Mill creek, near the centre of Port Carbon proper, and near this mill a house of squared logs, two stories in height, and a large framed barn. The location of these buildings was between Pike and Jackson streets. The house was burned some twenty years since. The barn is still standing, having been converted into a dwelling.
Port Carbon proper was first laid out in lots along the river by Abraham Pott, and was by him named Middle- port. In 1828 he sold a tract embracing these lots to Jacob W. Seitzinger and William Wetherill, who re- named the place Port Carbon, because it was the ship- ping port of large quantities of coal on the Schuylkill navigation.
In 1821 Thomas S. Ridgway and Clayton Earl pur- chased from John Pott an acre of ground on Schuylkill here, at the age of eighty-one, and to his retentive mem-
river for a landing, or place to load coal on boats, when the navigation should be completed. In his sale to Seitzinger, and Wetherill Abraham Pott reserved an acre adjoining this for the same purpose. As early as 1830 these were laid out in small building lots, except a nar- row river front, and soon covered with buildings. The locality has ever since been known as "Acretown."
Lawtonville, or Lawton's addition, which embraces the northwestern part of the borough, took its name from William Lawton, of New York, who laid out village lots on land belonging to himself, William Wallace, and George W. Bright, in 1829.
Irishtown, the northeastern part of the borough, was laid out in 1829 by Abraham Pott on his own land. The lots into which it was divided were large, and about 100 in number. The locality took its name from the nation- ality of the settlers in it. Many of the descendants of the original purchasers of these lots are still living on them.
borough, was also laid out in 1829, by Daniel J. Rhodes, on land owned by himself and Joseph H. Newbold.
The southern part of the borough is bounded in part by the Schuylkill river, and extends as far as the Palo Alto rolling mill. It was known as the Salem property. It was so named from a colliery which was opened on it in 1830 by Abraham Pott, and by him called the Salem colliery. In the original warrant which was taken out by Sarah Thomas it was designated the Mayfield tract.
Philip Faust is believed to have been the first resident of what is now this borough. He was the sawyer in the mill that stood on Mill creek in Lawton's addition. He was succeeded in the house and mill by George Hilbert, who resided there when the elder Mr. Pott built the second house in the borough, as before stated, in 1821. In this house John Wommer first resided. In 1820 Wil- liam, brother of Abraham Pott, took up his residence in the house built by the latter, and in 1827 Abraham be . came a resident. He has continued to reside here since, except during an interval of four years between 1846 and 1850.
Mr. Pott came to Pottsville with his father from near Reading in 1810. In 1826 he commenced here, and till within a few years he has been in active business here, principally mining. He may be truly termed the father of the place. Active benevolence and an unselfish public spirit have always been his distinguishing chacter- istics. Mention is elsewhere made of the improvements which were the results of his practical ingenuity. In addition to these it may here be stated that he was the first to produce anthracite iron, which he did at Black furnace in New Philadelphia in 1836. He still resides
ory much of this early history of the place is due.
Among the prominent and active early residents of the place may be named Joseph Allison, William Dicus, John G. Hewes, Dr. Palmer, Abraham Hevenor, who was at at one time a member of the Legislature; Thomas Silly- man, Joseph Richardson and others. Many who carried on business here for many years were residents of Potts- ville.
William Harris was the pioneer blacksmith. He worked in the shop of A. Pott, near the center of Rhodes's addi- tion, in 1826. Barney Taylor was the first carpenter. He came about 1829, and opened the first hotel during the same year in a building on the northeast corner of Pike and Coal streets. The first store was kept by Samuel Christman in 1827, in a warehouse in Acretown. The building has been remodeled and it is now used as a ho- tel. Dr. William Hansel was the first resident physician.
The first children born in Port Carbon were Leah Hil- bert, afterwards Mrs. Hess, and Elizabeth Pott, subse-
Rhodes's addition, which forms the eastern part of the quently Mrs. Eshleman. The earliest marriages were those of Stephen Hauser to Elizabeth Robbins, and Ira Lake to Mrs. Fanny Pott. The first death was that of a boatman whose name is not remembered.
The Salem colliery was the only one of any extent ever carried on within the limits of the borough. It was first opened as a drift by Abraham Pott in 1829, and by him worked during several years. In 1833, or thereabout, John G. Hewes sunk a slope to the same vein, and it was worked till about 1849.
The addition known as Mechanicsville was laid out in The Schuylkill navigation was completed to Port Car- 1836 by John and Robert Young, on land belonging to bon in 1828, and from that time till its abandonment this them. It embraces the western part of the borough, and was the shipping point for all the coal mined near this lies south from the public park. It took its name from place and in the mines on the railroads leading to it. the fact that it was settled mostly by mechanics, such as masons, carpenters, etc.
Railroad communication between this borough and Philadelphia was established in 1845 by way of Mount
204
HISTORY OF SCHUYLKILL COUNTY.
Carbon and the Reading Railroad. The depots of the Mill Creek and Schuylkill Valley railroads are located in the borough. A post-office was established here in May, 1829, with Elisha Warne postmaster.
MANUFACTURING DEVELOPMENT.
In 1830 Abraham Pott erected a steam saw-mill in Black valley, near the northeastern part of the borough. This was the first steam engine that was set up north from Reading. In this mill Mr. Pott instituted a series of experiments for the utilization of anthracite coal for generation of steam. After two failures he succeeded perfectly with the grate which he devised. This grate had almost exactly the form of the grates now universally used for that purpose. "Honor to whom honor is due! " This honor is certainly due to him.
A brick yard was started by Mr. Pott in 1831, near to where the manufacture of brick is now carried on. From the same bed of clay bricks have been made every year since. Where the first excavations for clay were made the ground is now under cultivation.
In 1832 Benjamin Haywood, who then carried on an extensive blacksmith's shop, put up an engine of about six horse power to propel lathes for turning car axles. This engine was afterward removed to Pottsville.
In 1838 Conrad Straub and Lawrence F. Whitney erected the first grist-mill, just east from the bridge over the Schuylkill. The building still stands, but it is not in use.
In 1839 T. H. Wintersteen erected a foundry and machine shop a short distance south from the grist-mill. This building still stands, between the rolling-mill and furnace, but it is about to be demolished.
In 1842 Alfred Brook erected a foundry and machine shop, which was burned, and rebuilt in 1863 by Allison and Bannan. It is now operated by Robert Allison, in the manufacture of air compressing and mining machin- ery, which is sent to all parts of the world.
In 1860 Charles Baber established a planing-mill and manufactory of sash, blinds and doors a short distance west from the Schuylkill Valley Railroad scales. The same business has been carried on there till within two years.
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