History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended, Part 66

Author: Gibson, John, Editor
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago
Number of Pages: 1104

USA > Pennsylvania > York County > History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended > Part 66

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The present officers are president, R. A. Eichelberger; treasurer, Jacob Resser; sec- retary, Henry Wirt; directors, D. N. Bucher, Jacob Resser, Henry Wirt, William Stoner, Reuben Young and Henry Hollinger.

YORK AND CHANCEFORD TURNPIKE.

Feeling the necessity of a turnpike road towards Peach Bottom, upon application a charter was granted for that purpose by the legislature of Pennsylvania, through the in- strumentality of Stephen G. Boyd, who was one of the representatives from this county. It was approved by Governor Geary on May 10, 1867. The charter members who were empowered to receive subscriptions and organize a company, were Joseph Smyser, Jason H. Slusser, Philip A. Small, Samnel S. Hersh and Jacob Craver. The charter allowed a capital stock company of 2,500 shares of $20 each, and required that within a specified time at least five miles of the road be completed.

At an election held in the court house De- cember 26, 1867, Samuel S. Hersh was chos- en president of the company, Jere Carl. treasurer, and Joseph Smyser, Stephen G. Boyd, Jacob Craver, Jason H. Slusser and Jacob Weiser, managers. At a subsequent meeting, George A. Heckert was made secre- tary. Upon the resignation of Joseph Smy- ser, Z. K. Loucks was selected one of the managers in March, 1868. On the same day Joseph Russell was appointed superintendent and empowered to employ workmen. Daniel M. Ettinger was appointed engineer of the proposed road, Jacob Loucks became a mem- ber of the board of managers upon the resig- nation of Jason Slusser, and Z. K. Loucks succeeded S. S. Hersh as president. Part of the road being completed, tollgate No. 1

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was established and Augustus G. Weiser ap- pointed keeper. The first dividend was declar- ed November 9, 1870. The 28th day of August, 1871, toll-gate No. 2 was erected and Charles Keesey, appointed keeper. Five and one- half miles were completed the same year, and the work was discontinued until 1879, when one-half mile more was added. Peter Grim kept gate No. 1 for many years; in March, 1885, Michael Grim succeeded him. Henry Stabley is present keeper of gate No. 2. The present capital of the company is $40,120 or 2,056 shares. Z. K. Loucks is president, Jere Carl, secretary and treasurer, Jacob Loucks, N. Lehmayer, Jonathan Jes- sop, William E. Patterson and John B. Say- ers, managers.

RIVER AND CANAL NAVIGATION.

THE CONEWAGO CANAL.

One of the most notable events in the history of internal improvements in the State of Pennsylvania was the opening of a navigable canal around the Conewago Falls, on the west side of the Sus- quehanna River at the point, since the year 1814, known as York Haven. It was the first canal built in this State, and, so far as definite records go, the first in the United States. Its history antedates the history of York Haven many years. It was the initia- tory step which inaugurated a great system of artificial navigation and internal improve- ment in our State.

Early River Navigation-The original mode of transportation on the Susque- hanna, as on many other rivers, was with the "dug outs." They were made in im- itation of the Indian canoe, and consisted of a log, usually of pine, with a portion of it dug out like a trough. The Indian traders used them to convey furs and other products down the stream. The "battoe," a sort of flat- boat was used next, and was considered of great value to early settlers and traders along the Susquehanna. But for river navigation on a more extended scale, the "keel-boats" were of great importance in the transporta- tion of goods and products. Many thousands of bushels of rye, oats, corn, wheat and po- tatoes were brought down the river in them. They obtained their name from the fact that the lowest piece of timber in them, named a keel, ran the whole length of the boat from the lower part of the stem to the stern-post, and supported the whole boat. Sometimes two keels were used. On account of the rapids or falls at the month of the Conewago creek, these boats could not pass down the

river further than Middletown, which, until 1797, was a great port for them. It was about the time of the close of the Revolution- ary war, in 1783, possibly, earlier, that the "dug outs" were succeeded by the "keel boats." The former were no longer consid- ered adequate to the business. The latter were generally built in the valnable wooded districts up the Susquehanna and its branches, and floated down with the current, bearing from five to thirty tons of produce.

Middletown, at the mouth of the Swatara, was the lowest port of entry. Here the produce was transferred to the shore and transported overland, by means of wagons, to the Eastern markets. The return trip of these boats was more difficult. They were forced up the current with "set poles," and contained usually a light load of groceries, hardware and other merchandise. Boatmen would start at the head of the boat and set their poles on the bottom of the river, and then walk down what was called "runs," thus forcing the boat up the stream as fast as a person could walk. Many thousands of bushels of wheat, corn and potatoes were thus conveyed down the stream and unloaded at Middletown. The business interests of the town became very important. On account of the increase of the business, some boats were landed on the west side of the Susque- hanna above the Conewago Falls which was the great barrier to further navigation of keel boats. The products from these boats were conveyed to the city of Baltimore. The town of Falmouth was then laid out on the east side of the river, opposite the site of York Haven, by James Hopkins, Thomas Bailey, James Keys and John Greer. But the ex- pense of overland transportation of goods from Middletown, Falmouth and the port of entry on the York County side of the river, was too great to afford merchants much profit on acceunt of competition from other sources.

Plans to extend Navigation and remove Obstacles .- Enterprising business men then began to consider the great question and devise some plan by means of which the obstacles to navigation at Conewago Falls might be avoided, and a passage down the Susquehanna River to its mouth be accom- plished. Bertram Galbreath, a prominent land surveyor, who lived at Bainbridge, Lancaster County, and other influential citi- zens were appointed by the State authorities a committee to explore the river and report some feasible plan of avoiding the obstruc- tions. The Revolutionary war prevented further action immediately, and the matter was deferred. In the year 1789, Thomas

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

Hulings, Bertram Galbreath and Samuel Boyd were appointed commissioners to ex- plore the Susquehanna and Juniata Rivers. On the 30th of January, 1790, they reported: "The Conewago Falls, about fourteen miles above Wright's Ferry, was the great obstruc tion and bar to the wealth and population of our western country." They urged that a canal should be built around them. This proposition was encouraged by all enterpris- ing citizens who were directly or indirectly. interested, and the legislature of Pennsyl- vania was soon petitioned to furnish aid. It became an important subject of discussion among legislators. On which side of the river to construct the proposed canal was a subject which caused considerable debate. The commissioners appointed to view the obstructions recommended that a canal be built one mile long, thirty-three feet wide and nine feet deep, with a fall of nineteen feet. They did not recommend locks to raise the boats to a level with the head of the falls. Gov. Thomas Mifflin, who was elected in 1790, and was a great advocate of further- ing any enterprise that encouraged internal improvement, called to his counsel some of the most skillful civil engineers of the time. They decided that nineteen feet fall in one mile would make it impossible for a keel boat to ascend it against the rapid current.

State Aid Received and Canal Constructed. On April 13, 1791, the legislature of Penn- sylvania appropriated £5,250 "to improve the Susquehanna River from Wright's ferry, to the mouth of the Swatara." One hundred and fifty pounds of this sum were spent at Chickie's Falls, and £100 at Hadleman's riffles. On the 3d of July, 1792, a contract was entered into by Gov. Mifflin on the part. of the State of Pennsylvania and a number of prominent citizens of the commonwealth, most of them from Philadelphia, as follows: Robert Morris (the great financier of the Revolution ), William Smith, Walter Stewart, Samuel Mere- dith, John Steinmetz, Tench Francis, John Nicholson, Samuel Miles, Timothy Matlock, David Rittenhouse, Samuel Powell, Alexan- der James Dallas, William Bingham, Henry Miller, Abram Witmer and Dr. Robert Har- ris. These gentlemen were appointed a committee to construct a canal forty feet wide and four feet deep around Conewago Falls. James Brindley, their engineer, seems to have estimated the entire cost of the canal at $20,000. The State appropriated one-half of this amount. The company found, how- ever, that by the time it was completed $102,000 were expended. It was well con- structed, the work being excellently done

and the canal substantially built. The bricks used are still in an excellent state of preser- vation, and are now again being put to practical use by the paper-mill company, which is erecting works there. They were made from clay found in the vicinity, the pits being still visible.

The canal, when completed, was about one mile long, and contained substantial locks. It' was finally completed in 1795 or 1796. It was a great event to the interests of the interior of the State, and became a great cen- ter of attraction.

Interesting Events at the Opening of the Canal .- Governor Mifflin Present .- The sig- nificance of this improvement was shown from the importance attached to celebrating its completion and the opening of it. This occurred on the 22d of November, 1797. Thomas Mifflin, one of the projectors of it, and who was still governor of the State, and a number of distinguished attendants arrived on horseback at the foot of the falls on the Lancaster County side. A large concourse of people from York and the vicinity, had con- gregated along the canal. The commissioners and the Rev. Dr. Smith had already crossed the river to the York County side. Some of the ingenious workmen began to drill holes in the adjoining rocks, which they filled with powder. The governor and his party came across the river in flat-boats, amid the sleet and snow, fully determined, even though the weather was inclement, to fulfill their intentions. Just as he set foot on the York County shore, there was one grand triumphant cheer from the gathered crowd, and a loud explosion from the amateur cannon as a sig- nificant salute. The dignified officer, who had been a general in the Revolutionary Army, and under whom some of the mingled multi- tude had bravely fought in the battle of Brandywine, was thrice welcome to again set foot on the soil of York County. As he passed up and down the canal in a flat. boat, a number of salutes were fired in order to enliven the occasion. The canal had two locks at the lower end, each eighty feet long and twelve feet wide. When the dis- tinguished guests arrived, they were placed on flat-boats prepared for the occasion, and when they entered the chamber of the first lock and the lower gate closed behind them, they were astonished to find that their boats in a few minutes had risen nine feet. Ice had formed on the canal, and it had to be broken with poles to enable the boats to pro- ceed. They passed up the canal amid the exultant cheers of the multitude, and the firing of salutes from the adjoining rocks.

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At the head of the canal were several keel boats, that had come down from Middletown. By the time the governor returned to the lower end again, an audience of over 600 people had assembled, awaiting a speech from their honored and worthy chief magistrate. Gov. Mifflin was of Quaker ancestry, and was a gentleman of fine literary attainments, and of handsome appearance. He served nine years as governor of Penn- sylvania, and had distinguished himself in other capacities, as a civilian and a soldier of rare distinction. He addressed the de- lighted audience, congratulating them on the auspicious event, and then departed for the Lancaster County side.

Navigation to Columbia and to Tide Water Opened .- The canal was now completed and opened for free navigation. A German by the name of Kreider, from the Juniata Valley,soon appeared with a boat heavily freighted with flour, which he safely landed three days later at the city of Baltimore. His success became known, and the following year many others did the same and were handsomely paid for their efforts. Many landed at Columbia, and their merchandise from there conveyed to Philadelphia. Just what were the conditions of the venture at first cannot now be accu- rately told. Experienced pilots had soon after succeeded in guiding large "arks" safely through the falls of the river. By the charter incorporating the company it was to afford free navigation, and just how the canal company was to be remunerated does not at first seem clear, especially if the arks were successful in passing the falls, and disposing of the produce transported on them to any desired market. Many thousands of dollars were at first lost by the company, and they applied to the legislature for relief. Event- ually some State relief was received, and a small amount of toll charged for each boat that passed through the canal. From 1797 to 1814, the affairs were managed by the ca- nal company, and proved quite a success. An attempt was made by James Hopkins, a wealthy personage, during this period, to build a canal around the falls on the opposite side of the river, in which venture he lost a large fortune. It was intended as an oppo- sition canal to the one on the York County side, but proved to be a disastrous failure. A flouring-mill and other buildings were erected in the immediate vicinity of the canal on the York County side, by the company that controlled it. This property, in 1797, was valued at £1,280 currency, which valuation included 150 acres of land. In 1810 a Phil- adelphia company, of which Thomas Willing

Frances was president, owned a large mer- chant mill, ferry, and sundry buildings val- ued at $30,000.

The further history of this important busi- ness center will be found under the title of York Haven, in the chapter on Newberry Township.

TIDE WATER AND SUSQUEHANNA CANAL.

Causes which led to its Origin. - The Pennsylvania Railroad from Philadelphia to Columbia, and canal to the junction there, thence by the Juniata to Hollidaysburg and Portage road to Johnstown, west of the Alle- ghany Mountains, and canal to Pittsburgh, constituted what was, in 1831, known as the "Main Line," and as such is still maintained in the system of internal improvement of Pennsylvania, with the exception of the aban- donment of a part of the original canal de- partment of the works from Pittsburgh east as far as Huntingdon, on the Juniata. The canal, from the junction to Northumberland, thence by the North and West Branch to Wilkesbarre and Williamsport respectively, is known as the North and West Branch Division of the system mentioned. These works were put under contract in the order given, as early as 1826 and 1827. The main line of canal was finished to connect with the Union Canal at Middletown, in 1830, and to Columbia in 1831, the North and West Branch a year or two later. Trade over the line was promptly commenced under the aus- pices of several transportation companies, conspicuous which were "D. Leech & Co's Transportation Line," "Union Line," "Dougherty's Section Boat Line," and in due time several other lines, besides several packet boat lines running from Columbia in connection with the railroad to and from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, thus making the traveling and freight facilities over the main line, complete at that time, and during the subsequent two years to Northumberland, over the North and West Branch of the Sus- quehanna, to Wilkesbarre and Williamsport, the two remotest points on the Susquehanna at that time. The packet lines were thus en- abled to supplant the "old stage coach" lines, stopping at all the regular stations, and eligible points for the accommodation of the traveling public. The lines were cast, and " all aboard," and a blast of the bugle-horn, set them off to the next station, and thus it went on to the close of navigation every fall.

Plans for and Construction of the New Canal .- This route was soon discovered to be too long, tedious and expensive, and a great clamor went forth for a canal from

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY.

Columbia down the Susquehanna to the Chesapeake Bay in order that an outlet to a better grain market might be reached and for the development of the coal fields and lumber interests of the north and west branches, for which purpose a stock company was formed in 1824, with a paid up capital of $1,500,000, and the Susquehanna & Tide Water Canal was chartered by the States of Pennsylvania and Maryland, respectively, on April 15, 1835, with the following-named persons as commissioners: Robert Mc- Curdy, James M. Sanderson, Edward Cole- man, Simon Gratz, Charles S. Boker, Henry White, George H. Hickling, of Philadelphia; Jeremiah Brown, James A. Caldwell, Lancas- ter County ; Evan Green of Columbia, Lancas- ter County; Chas. A. Barnitz, York, Jacob M. Haldeman, Harrisburg; Simon Cameron, Mid- dletown; James Hepburn, John C. Boyd, Northumberland County; Joseph Todhunter, William Bose, Samuel Jones, Baltimore; James Evans, Port Deposit, Md .; Roland Curtin, Center County, Penn .; Wiliam Mc- Elvay, Columbia County, and George M. Hollenback, Luzerrne County, Penn.

At the first meeting of the stockholders after the incorporation, a board of directors were elected and James Hepburn of North- umberland, was made the first president; F. Palmer of Philadelphia, treasurer, and Edward F. Gay, chief engineer. The first survey and location was made on the east side of the Susquehanna, and on March 21, 1836, a supplementary act was passed authorizing the commissioners to change the location to the west side of the river, by means of a dam and a tow-path bridge at Columbia. The work was then let, and the construction commenced immediately in the spring of 1836, and finished so far as to ad- mit the water, late in the fall of 1839.

Opening of the Canal .-- In order to test the retentive qualities of the bed and banks of the canal, and immediately thereafter the grand opening took place, upon which occa- sion were present some of the most dis- tinguished persons of Pennsylvania and Maryland. It was on that memorable occa- sion, that Hon. Nicholas Biddle, of Philadel- phia, made his famous speech on "Internal Improvements," then a subject of paramount importance, in view of the development of the great material wealth of the States. The excursion was a great success, but the gentle- men composing it, had scarcely reached home, when disastrous breaks occurred, ex- tending along the greater part of the line, the most extensive of which occurred at the Otter Creek aqueduct, at the York Furnace,

in lower Chanceford Township, owing to de- fects in the puddling of the wings forming the junction with the aqueduct. The bed and banks of the canal at this point are held in place by winged abntments, and retaining walls of huge blocks of granite, thirty-five feet above the bed of the river. The inter- val embracing the work is four miles long, fifty feet wide, six feet deep, and when a body of water, occupying so large an area gains egress through an artificial earth struct. ure it instantly becomes irresistible, leaving nothing behind but absolute destruction. Even the heavy blocks of stone were washed away into the river.

Cost of Construction and Repairs .- Al- though this break was much the largest of the series, it nevertheless cost less to re- pair it than the aggregate cost of the numer ons smaller breaks. It was unfortunate that these disasters should have occurred at a time when there was no money in the treas- urv, no credit, and the company deeply in- volved in debt. Means were nevertheless availed by the directors upon their individual responsibility, and the work was repaired during the winter, and the canal formerly opened to the public in the spring of 1840, at an entire cost of nearly $4,000,000. Of this sum the Columbia dam cost $220,000. Towing-path bridge, including cost of right to attach the same to the superstructure of the Columbia Bank and Bridge Company's structure, cost $90,000; and the Havre de Grace lock, four miles long, and outlet lock, cost $500,000. The reason why the work cost so much more than the chief engineer's esti- mate was largely due to unforseen contin- gencies, for the cost of which no provisions were made, and, once under process of con- struction, had to be surmounted at a cost however great. The sudden advance in labor, and the extra cost in suitable material for the bed and banks of the canal, which had to be dug from the fields on the tops of high hills, and dumped into expensive shute-ways to the rocky bed of the canal, and then disposed in carts to such points which were largely defi- cient in material, were also a cause of great expense. More than nine tenths of the work is founded on the foot rocks of the hill-side in the river, and numerous points of bold rocky bluffs were blasted away in order to re- duce the radius within the lines of free and easy navigation. Deep pools and chasms were filled and crossed upon substructures of huge oak timbers, adjusted longitudinally several feet below the lowest stage of the river, upon which many of the high vertical retaining walls are founded, and remain

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intact, except below Conewingo, 100 feet of which slipped from its footing into "Job's Hole," 150 feet deep, in 1861, and although the wall has not been rebuilt, the notch is permanently closed and more reliable than before the occurrence took place.

' Navigation. - During the season of 1840, the trade was dull, and the revenue proportion - ately small-owing in a great degree to the in- stability of the canal, the want of boats, and a change in the development of the coal and timber interests in north and west branches of the Susquehanna. The trade, however, soon commenced to increase rapidly for many years, until it reached its maximum in 1870, when it was largely divided and gradually dimin- ished, by reason of many railroad lines tap- ping the sources of a large trade created by the opening of the Susquehanna and Tide- water Canals. In the meantime, however, the capacity of the work has been greatly in- creased, boats have descended with cargoes as high as 150 tons, instead of sixty tons in 1850.

Description of Canal and its Benefits to York County .- This canal starts at Columbia, Penn., where it unites with the Pennsylvania Canal, crosses the Susquehanna to Wrightsville, and extends from thence along the river to Havre de Grace, Md., at the head of Chesapeake Bay. Its length is forty five miles, of which thirty miles are in York County and fifteen in Ma- ryland. The lower portion south to the State line is the Tide-water Canal. As early as 1814 a route had been surveyed by Baltimore capitalists, with the design of building a canal from the Susquehanna, near York, to Tide- water, for the purpose of attracting the trade of the upper Susquehanna Valley to Balti- more. There was nothing accomplished at that time, and the era of railroads had al- ready begun in York County before this canal was constructed. On its entire line are forty- three locks, four dams, five culverts, eighteen bridges, thirty-three waste-ways and wiers, and six aqueducts. The surface width of the canal is fifty feet, and its depth five and a half to six feet. The locks are one hundred and seventy feet long, and seventeen feet wide. In January, 1872, the Reading Rail- road Company leased the canals, and have operated them since. The people of the lower end of York County gave it hearty en- couragement. Before its construction all the lime used in the lower end of York County was hauled in wagons from the valleys around York to the lower townships. Lime became extensively used in the azoic slate soils, and either in the form of the natural stone, or as quick-lime, was transported down the canal

from the Canojohela and Grist (Kreutz) Creek Valleys. It had a magic effect on the land at first, and caused the crops of wheat, rye, corn and oats, to produce much more abundantly, soon changing the whole aspect of the " York Barrens." In this respect the canal was of more real value, correspondingly, to the farmer of the lower part of York Coun- ty, than of financial interest to the stock- holders and officers of the company. The original canal company issued money in the form of "shinplasters," which fell wonder- fully below par at times. Eventually an ex- tensive business was done, and the canal be- came very valuable. D. F. Shure has been the active and efficient superintendent of this canal since 1842.

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History of York County, Pennsylvania : from the earliest period to the present time, divided into general, special, township and borough histories, with a biographical department appended, Part 66

Author: Gibson, John, Editor Publication date: 1886 Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Gibson, John, Editor
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: F.A. Battey Publishing Co., Chicago
Number of Pages: 1104