USA > Pennsylvania > Westmoreland County > History of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Vol. I > Part 65
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The Lutheran Church was the first to form a society in West Newton. It was organized by Rev. Jonas Mechling in January, 1830. For several years they held services in the eight-cornered schoolhouse built in 1820. In 1835, as we have said, they joined with the Presbyterians in erecting the building of which we have spoken. This was used by both societies for seventeen years, at which time (1852) they sold their interest to the Presbyterians. They ac- cordingly built an edifice immediately afterward which they occupied until 1899, when they erected their present commodious structure.
Previous to 1835 the Presbyterians of West Newton worshipped at Se- wickley Church, about three miles distant. In that year they united with the Lutherans, and the two congregations erected a two-story frame building on Vine street, the Lutherans owning the one-fourth of it, and to be used by both churches. On January 8, 1851, a regular church was organized in West New- ton, most of whose members came from Sewickley church. The same year they purchased the interest of the Lutherans in the partnership building, and in 1875 a new building was begun which was dedicated May 10, 1879. It is a neat Gothic style edifice costing about $22,000. They organized a Sunday school over eighty years ago, and both it and the church in general are in a most flourishing condition.
Bethel Church of God was formed in West Newton in 1845, and in 1852 a small brick church was built near the present one, which was erected in 1879
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and improved in 1884. "That the pastor may be free from worldly cares and avocations," Mrs. E. Mellender erected and gave to the society a comfortable parsonage. Among those who have been pillars for a long time in this church are the names of Obley and Schoaf.
In 1850 the United Presbyterians organized a church with forty-five mem- bers, and the same year erected a building on Vine street, afterwards used by the Baptist people. In 1883 they erected their present church on Main street, costing $20,000. The Roman Catholic Church was organized in 1884, and a year later was erected a $3,000 church on Second street. The last church to organize here was the Baptist Church in May, 1885. Formerly they wor- shipped at New Salem. In 1896 they built a church, and in 1905 completed one of a larger and more modern style.
The chief industry of this borough is the United States Radiator and Boiler Company. It was first established at Saltsburg, but in a few years removed to West Newton, in 1895. It first occupied the present site of the stove works, but in 1889 bought the old building of the paper factory, to which have been added several modern structures. Their product is radiators and hot-water plants. They employ as high as three hundred and sixty men, and do a thriving business, selling their goods in almost every part of the Union. The Standard Stove and Range Works of Pittsburgh own a good-sized plant at this point, and employ from fifty to seventy-five men. The Roller Flouring Mills of West Newton do a large business, as does the one in "West Side" of the town across the river. The railways of the borough are the Baltimore & Ohio, the Pennsylvania, and the Lake Erie railways. The banking business is in the hands of the Farmers and Merchants' and the First National Banks. West Newton has one good weekly paper, the Times. A first class planing mill does a large business in the borough.
The largest industry West Newton has ever possessed was the paper mill built in 1859 by S. B. and General C. P. Markle, though the business had been established in 1808. Here paper was produced with rags until 1865, when straw pulp was employed, and later wood pulp. In 1880 a structure 329 by 534 feet was built, with the largest and most com- plete set of modern machinery found in Pennsylvania. The company met with loss by three great fires, but rebuilt at once, and continued until General Markle died, when the plant passed into the hands of a Mr. Parsons of New York, who carried on the business until 1893, when the machinery was moved to New England on account of the increasing amount of sulphur found in the formerly pure water. This was caused from the coal land being worked. Nothing but the purest of water will admit of good paper making, hence the plant was re- moved.
The old bridge which spans the river at this place is an old-fashioned wocklen structure built by a company incorporated in 1831 by Alexander Plumer, J. C. Plumer, James Bell, Jacob Baughman, Frederick Steiner, An-
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drew Smith, Joseph Stokely and William Linn. Its original cost was $18,000, of which the state paid $8,000, and the citizens $10,000. Some years after its construction the sheriff of the county was directed to sell the state's interest at auction. . As no one cutside seemed to take any interest in the matter, the en- terprising stockholders bought up the shares, which were worth about fifty dollars at that time, for from five to seven dollars each. About 1890 the county bought out the company and made it a free bridge.
EAST HUNTINGDON TOWNSHIP.
East Huntingdon township was formed by a division of the original Hunt- ingdon township, and was taken from South Huntingdon township in 1798. Efforts had been made to have this township formed in 1794. It is bounded on the north by Hempfield township; on the east by Mt. Pleasant township; on the south by Fayette county, and on the west by South Huntingdon town- ship. The township is almost entirely underlaid with a rich and productive seam of bituminous coal.
The first settlers in the township were Scotch-Irish who came from the eastern part of Pennsylvania. Among them were John Vance, a magistrate for many years; William and Franklin Vance, and the Fosters, Barrs, Cochrans, McClains and McCormicks. After these first settlers, that is about 1800, came many Germans belonging to the Mennonite church, who also came from the eastern part of the state. They were thrifty farmers and brought with them good supplies of live stock and farming implements. They purchased much of the land that had formerly been owned by the Scotch-Irish pioneers, and opened up many new tracts which had not yet been purchased from the state. These settled largely between Stonerville and the Fayette county line. It is estimated that the members of this one denomination owned twenty-five thous- and acres of land near and surrounding Stonerville. Among their leading men were such names as Overholt, Funk, Stauffer, Welty, Dillinger, Strohm, Ruth, Shupe, Sherrick Loucks, Mumaw, Stoner, Fretts, Fox, etc., many of whose descendants are yet residents of this community. The Lutheran and Re- formed settlers were located mostly in the northwestern part of the township. Among them were Mark Leighty, Henry Lowe, Henry Null, Joseph Suter, Nicholas Swope, and also the Altmans, Klines, Harbaughs, Ruffs, Snyders. Hunkers, etc.
One of the oldest families in the township is the Stauffer family, and it has given its name to Stauffer's run, a stream which flows from near Stonerville and empties into Jacob's creek near Scottdale. Abraham Stauffer came from Bucks county, and settled near Scottdale. He died July 9. 1851.
. Another carly family were the Sterretts, who resided near Scottdale. They were related to Daniel Boone, the first settler of Kentucky. Boone once came to this region and passed several days visiting his relatives, the Sterretts, in their cabin home in the southwestern part of the county.
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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
The early schools of this township were similar to those of all other local- ities in the county. One of the first schoolhouses was built in 1802, on the Gaut farm, and the school was taught by a German named Leighty. Other early teachers were John Selby and Peter Showalter. The township took early action with regard to the free school system. They held an election at the house of Peter Pool, on September 19. 1834, at which they elected Jacob Tinsman, Jacob Overholt, Solomon Luter, Peter Pool, Gasper Tarr and Henry Fretts as directors. These directors met at the house of Christian Fox, on October 6, 1834. After they had organized they appointed Jacob Tinsman as a dele- gate to meet other delegates in Greensburg on the first Tuesday of November in order that a general system of education might be established in the county. A vote of the citizens was taken at the house of Peter Pool, on May, 21, 1836, to decide whether school tax should be levied or not, seventy-four of them voting against tax, and two yoting for tax. Nevertheless, the schools were kept open from 1834 until 1837, and directors were elected each year. Another election was then ordered to determine whether the schools should be continued or not. This election was also held at the house of Peter Pool, on the first Tuesday of May, 1837. at which fifty-six voted for no schools and thirty- four voted for schools, but the law required that in order to defeat the system a majority of the citizens in the district must vote against it, and fifty-six not being by any means a majority of all in the district, the system was adopted by a minority vote. Shortly after this the school directors divided the town- ship into districts and began to erect school houses, and the township has since advanced to one of the leading townships in the county in educational matters.
The Lutheran and Zion's Reformed Church is located about four miles southwest of Mt. Pleasant, and was organized in 1789, but it kept no records that are accessible prior to 1822. The first structure was a log house, and a brick house on the opposite side of the road was built on land of Jacob Leighty in 1862. It has since been improved, and is even yet a comfortable building. This church was organized by Rev. John William Weber. They were after- wards ministered to by Revs. Weinel. Voight, Keafauver. S. K. Levan, C. C. Russell, J. A. Peters, A. J. Heller, D. P. Lady and others. Rev. Weinel took charge in 1817, and continued pastor until 1825. They were often preached to also by Rev. N. P. Hacke, of Greensburg.
The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1817. in a log structure erected the same year, and it was the only meeting house of this denomination in all that section of the country. The present brick structure was built dur- ing the Civil war, on the site of the old church, and is near Scottdale.
The Presbyterian Church at Scottdale was organized in 1874 by Rev. John McMillan. The Trinity Reformed Church was organized July 20, 1873, by Rev. J. B. Leasure. The United Brethren Church was organized in 1874. when they built a neat frame structure, which has since been razed to the ground and supplanted by a very beautiful edifice with a parsonage under the same
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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
roof. The Baptist Church of Scottdale was organized April 17, 1875, with Rev. T. Hugus as pastor. The United Presbyterian Church was the first church organized in the new town of Scottdale.
In the town of Stonerville the Mennonites and the Church of God have cach old places of worship, and although they have not held their own with other churches in members they are, nevertheless, a most respectable and re- ligious element in the community.
This township has thirty-two schools, with an enrollment of 1916 pupils.
SCOTTDALE.
The town of Scottdale owes its existence to the building of the South-West Pennsylvania railroad, in 1873. At that time the site of the present borough was productive farm land. The town was laid out by the late Peter S. Loucks and Jacob S. Loucks, and their sister Catharine. The place was named in honor of Colonel Thomas A. Scott, one of the early presidents of the Pennsyl- vania Railroad Company. The projectors of the town evidently did not ex- pect it to grow and flourish as it has done, for Peter S. Loucks laid out but fourteen lots, and his brother Jacob but ten. The first lots were sold in the fall of 1872 at about one hundred and fifty dollars each, and were seventy-two by one hundred fifty feet. Originally there was a flouring mill and a distillery located at this place, at which time it was known as Fountain Mills.
The present population of Scottdale borough is fairly estimated at 6,000, and with the surrounding community, this would probably be increased to 10,000. The newspapers of the borough are the Scottdale News, Scottdale Independent and the Observer. The first paper in Scottdale was the Tribune, founded by I. N. Newcomer, January, 1880.
The first school building in the borough was a one-roomed brick house, which was built by the directors of East Huntingdon township in 1860, and used by them for school purposes until the borough was incorporated. The rapid growth of the town required more school room, and the contract was let March 8, 1878, for a four-roomed brick building, the contract price being $5,200. In the summer of 1889 a contract was let for a ten-roomed brick school building, which still is occupied. In May, 1896, a contract was let for an eight- roomed building to stand on the school lot at the head of Pittsburgh street. This cost $14,000.
Scottdale became an incorporated borough, February, 1874. The post- office of Fountain Mills was located here, and this was the grain market for a large territory for many years. The banking business of the borough at pres -- ent is represented by the Broadway National Bank, First National Bank, Scottdale Savings and Trust Company, and the Scottdale Bank.
Concerning the iron industry it may be said that among the large plants of the place is the Cast Iron Pipe Works, which is claimed to be the largest in America. They are a part of the American Tubing Company, hence no de- tailed account can be obtained from their local manager.
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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
The Tin Plate Works of the American Sheet and Tin Plate Company, which operates at a number of points in Westmoreland county, have a large plant at Scottdale. It is at present equipped with nine sheet mills, and has an annual production capacity of twenty-five thousand gross tons. The number of men employed in these works is four hundred.
The Pocket Knife Factory is another important industry. What was known as the F. A. Black Company was incorporated November 22, 1904, with $100,000 capital. The officers are : F. A. Black, president ; A. B. Loucks, vice- president ; J. R. Loucks, secretary and treasurer. This concern occupies a brick building having twenty thousand square feet of floor surface. One hun- dred persons are employed in the various departments.
The Scottdale Foundry and Machine Company is an extensive factory. It was established in 1880 by Hill & Kenny as a foundry and machine shop, em- ploying about twenty-five men, and did a business of forty thousand dollars per annum. In 1884 Mr. Hill withdrew and A. K. Stauffer was taken as a partner, the firm being known as Kenny & Company. The works were greatly enlarged, and they engaged in building steam engines. In 1890 they were do- ing an annual business of $125.000. In 1891 the plant was destroyed by fire, and at once a new stock company was formed with A. K. Stauffer as presi- dent; E. L. Rutherford, vice-president and secretary ; Walter L. Stauffer, treasurer. Among the other directors are E. A. Humphrey, Worth Kilpatrick, Robert Skemp, B. F. Stauft, John Dick and J. R. Smith.
A large brass foundry, with which W. F. Stauffer is connected, is one of the latest industries of the place.
The United States Casket Company, chartered 1904, with $100,000 capital, began operations January, 1905. The plant is operated by electric power. Twenty-seven men are employed, making twenty caskets per day, or about seven thousand annually. These goods are sold to undertakers direct in West- ern Pennsylvania, Virginia and Ohio. They make only wooden and copper- lined caskets, with trimmings for the same. The officers of this company are: Albert H. Kelley, president ; Wesley Kelley, first vice-president; John Mar- shall, second vice-president; William Ferguson, superintendent. Other in- dustrial plants of the borough are the Litho-Marble Works, and planing and flouring mills. The borough has a good system of waterworks, electric and gas plants, constructed about 1889.
The Peterson Businesss College was established in 1903 by P. O. Peterson. The first class, numbering forty-five, was graduated June, 1904.
The First Presbyterian Church of Scottdale was organized May 15, 1874. Their present beautiful cream-colored pressed brick church edifice was dedi- cated in 1898. The Baptist Church was organized by Rev. David Williams, April 17, 1875, with thirteen members. They dedicated their first church in 1876, and remodeled it in the autumn of 1893. In 1884 the Scottdale Methodist Episcopal Church was organized with one hundred and fifty members. At a cost of $42,000 in 1891, they dedicated a church which is one of the finest
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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
edifices in Westmoreland county. It stands on the site of the old building, and is provided with a fine toned pipe organ. The present membership is about seven hundred. Rev. C. L. E. Cartwright has been the pastor for the past six years. The United Brethren's present church was erected in 1889, and has one of the three pipe organs of the borough. This building is a massive modern red brick structure. This church was organized in 1870. The First Episcopal Church met in 1892 in a church building on the Fayette side of the creek. One of the projectors of the church was Major Knapp. The first regular rector was J. H. Hargrave. The United Presbyterian Church was or- ganized in connection with the branch at Mt. Pleasant, in 1873. In 1882 they erected a building on Mulberry street. The Mennonite congregation at this point is part of the once numerous body that worshipped at Alverton and Pennsville, and was organized here in 1893. They used the German language almost exclusively in their worship until the last twenty-five years. The Trinity Reformed Church of Scottdale was organized July, 1873. The corner stone of the church was laid November 9, 1873, by Rev. J. M. Feitzell. The first pastor was Rev. L. B. Leasure. This congregation is among the most flourishing of the borough. The other denominations here represented are the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant Episcopal, Christian, African Methodist Episcopal, and Polish Catholic.
The borough of Scottdale has nineteen schools, with an enrollment of 940 pupils.
CHAPTER XLIII
Allegheny Township .- Vandergrift .- Vandergrift Heights .- Ligonier Township .- Ligon- ier Borough.
Allegheny township was organized in 1796, and received its name from the river which formed its northwestern boundary. Its first officers were Ezekiel Matthews and John Leslie, who were road supervisors, while Thomas Reed was its first constable. The northern part of the township is underlaid with the Pittsburgh seam of coal, and also with the upper and lower Freeport seams. The whole of the township is particularly well suited for agricultural pur- pcses. The soil is naturally fertile and is susceptible to a high state of culti- vation. It is dotted over with fine residences and well kept farms. The vil- lage of Lucesco is at the northern point of the county, and at the confluence of the Kiskiminetas and Allegheny rivers. The Allegheny valley and the West Pennsylvania railroads also pass at this place, the former running along the northwestern and the latter along the eastern boundaries of the township. These afford abundant means of transportation for both its ccal products and its inhabitants.
Among the original settlers were the Stewarts, who came in 1790, the Leechburgs in 1791 ; William and John Watts in 1801 ; then came the Dimmits, Zimmermans, Hills, Cochrans, Hawks, all between that and 1800. The Bakers, Butlers, Alters, Wilsons, Lauffers, Longs, Trouts, Jacksons, McClellands, Gar- rotts. Dodds, McKees, Copelands, Lynches, Armstrongs, Ashbaughs, Town- sends, Steels and McElroys all came before 1828. William Watt was born near Chambersburg in 1781, and died March 5, 1855. This township from its northern location bordering on the two rivers which divided the Indian coun- try from that which was being rapidly settled about the time of the Revolution- ary war, was peculiarly subjected to the outrages of the Indians north of the river. It was near here that Massy Harbison lived, and from her home was taken a prisoner and most brutally treated by the Indians. We have not thought it proper to include her story in this work for the reason that when captured she lived across the border line.
The common schools were in rather a deplorable condition in Allegheny township in 1834, when the first school law was enacted. There were but few
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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
districts, and the houses were all built of logs with culy rude slabs for seats, scarcely any of which had backs to support the pupils. All other appliances of the school and houses compared with this, but the schools even then were large, often numbering over one hundred pupils. Like all pioneer schools, a rigid discipline was enforced by free use of the rod. Until the teacher treated the scholars with the approach of the holiday season he was generally held in low esteem by the pupils. Female teachers were not employed until after 1834; in fact, a girl teacher anywhere in the county prior to that time was scarcely thought of. The early teachers had little or no system of education, yet many of the pupils became good spellers, and frequently in these rude schools a pupil laid the foundation upon which was afterwards built a thorough education. Among the prominent teachers of that day were Samuel Owens, Luther Bills, George Crawford, Robert Jeffrey, Samuel McConnell and Wil- son Sproull. If a young man desired to teach school he would first apply to a member of the committee, and if his appearance warranted an examination he was referred to some learned man in the community, who, after asking him a few simple questions, generally pronounced him qualified to teach, and he en- tered at once upon his duties. The wages paid a teacher were rarely ever less than ten dollars per month, and perhaps never over twenty dollars. Among the leading men of the township who took a great interest in education as citi- zens were James Fitzgerald, George Bovard, John Artman and others. They labored hard to advance the cause of education, and yet there were many who labored with equal zeal in opposition to the common school system about the time of its adoption. The mode of teaching advanced slowly. Such a gather- ing as a Teachers' Institute was never dreamed of, and the directors at first refused to allow the school houses to be used for that purpose. In 1844 a pub- lic debating society was held in what was then called Crawford's schoolhouse, and considerable interest was manifested in it. In 1851 an academy, or select school, was started at Lober's schoolhouse, or, rather, where Lober's school house now stands. The teachers were A. S. Thomas and David McKee. They were an improvement over the average teacher, and accomplished much good in the township. The text-books of that day were the Bible, a spelling book and the "Western Calculator."
The Pine Run Presbyterian Church was organized by the renowned Dr. David Kirkpatrick and a man named Bristol. At first it had about fifty-five members and four elders, and was reported to the Presbytery in 1847. For some time it was supplied by Rev. Andrew McElwain until 1851, when Rev. S. T. Leason became its pastor for half the time. He remained with them until January; 1855. After this for two years it depended on supplies, and in 1857 Rev. Robert McMillan, a grandson of the renowned Dr. McMillan, the patriarch of Presbyterianism in Western Pennsylvania, became its pastor for half the time. He was a most humble, energetic and upright man, and labored with great success in the community until 1864, when his resignation was ac- cepted on account of his failing health. He was followed by Rev. John Orr,
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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
who proved a worthy successor to Rev. McMillan, and remained with them until 1872. The United Presbyterian Church is situated about one-fourth of a mile from the junction of the Kiskiminetas and Allegheny rivers, and was founded about 1873. The Reformed congregation was organized in 1832, at Brookland Church. The first building was a log one, but this was replaced by a brick structure in 1856. Rev. Hugh Walkinshaw was its first pastor, serving from 1832 until 1843. He was succeeded by Rev. Oliver Wylie, and after him came Rev. Robert Reid.
This township has fifteen schools, with 470 pupils enrolled.
VANDERGRIFT.
That highclass trade journal, the Iron Age, in 1901 styled Vandergrift "The Working Man's Paradise." Aside from Pullman, Illinois, Vandergrift is one of the most strikingly unique places on an American map. It is thirty- eight miles from Pittsburgh, up the Allegheny and Kiskiminetas rivers, on the West Pennsylvania railrcad, and was plotted on a four hundred acre tract of farm land purchased by the Apollo Iron and Steel Company several years prior to its being plotted. Captain J. J. Vandergrift, a heavy stockholder in the Apollo Company, and a resident of Pittsburgh, was at the head of this gigantic enterprise, and from him the place derived its name. What is known as the Vandergrift Land and Improvement Company was formed with George G. McMurtry as its president. The platting of a town site with the iron in- dustry back of it, and the point at which the Apollo Company had determined upon as being the future home for their immense works, second to none in the country, was executed in 1895-96. The plan of the place was carefully made (after an extensive tour of inspection by those interested through the great factory districts of Europe) by Frederick Law Olmsted, who was the architect and landscape gardener of the great World's Fair at Chicago. The streets and blocks are circular in form, no streets or avenues crossing at right angles, but on a gentle curve. The town stands on a charming table-land, while its ad- junct borough, Vandergrift Heights, occupies the hillside. It was platted, its streets paved with brick of the most lasting grade, its sewerage and water pipes all laid, grades all established and worked, before a single lot was sold. When the work had been completed the Land Company announced, "We are ready to sell lots. We have waited until the place is ready. Now you can judge situations and buy intelligently, and the town will be ready to live in as soon as you are ready to live there. You can build at once-the sooner the better."
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