USA > Pennsylvania > Juniata County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 1 > Part 60
USA > Pennsylvania > Mifflin County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 1 > Part 60
USA > Pennsylvania > Snyder County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 1 > Part 60
USA > Pennsylvania > Union County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 1 > Part 60
USA > Pennsylvania > Perry County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 2, Pt. 1 > Part 60
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Additional residents .- 1806, John Conver, Samuel Cosgrove, George Kremer, Jacob, Ren- frew, Christian Wolfe, hatter. 1807, George Bellman, clock-maker. 1808, Heury Bilhuan, George Clark, John Friendly, Thomas tiny, Conrad Horning, George Kremer, store in Chamberlin's building ; John Martin, carpenter; Peter Myers, Daniel Rees, inn-keeper; John Sergeant, nailor; Charles Sitgreaves, saddler ; Joseph Stillwell, school-teacher ; Michael Stronb, weaver ; Henry Wagner. 1809 .- Dr. Ethan Baldwin, ( Roan says of the doctor, " He is a Democrat and full of ostentation.") John Espey, Daniel Neyhart, RobertSmith. 1810 .-- Joseph Bower, John B. Gordon, dyer; Ales- ander Hutchinson, Mathew Mcclure, John Bross. November 10th, MeQohac & Hepburn open a new store.
Daniel Dondle was an acquaintance of Goy- ernor Snyder in his boyhood, and in maturer years he would sometimes pay the Governor a visit at Selin's Grove, and thus formed an ar- quaintance with George Kremer. George Kre- mer was a nephew of Governor Snyder, and came to reside with him when a mere lad. After George moved to Deristown and extab- lished himself in business and a bachelor's hall there, Daniel extended his visits thither, and became so much pleased that he resolved to for- sake York altogether and remain with George. Accordingly, he sent for his money, a consider- able stock of dollars, and took up his abode in Derrstown. He and George agreed very well, for George humored him in all his whims, but he quarrelled sadly with old Peggy Miller, the house-keeper. Sometimes he would come in a towering passion to George with, " Now, George, I can't live with the old devil any longer. Just send mie off to Selin's Grove to Simon, and he will send me to York." "Well, well," said George, " Roan (Clark) or Jobu shall take you and your money in the cart to Selin's Grove as soon as you like." " Do you think," Daniel would reply, "I would trust myself with the damned rascals? They would murder me for my money before we got half-way to Selin's
Kennedy's Gazette.
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Grove." Then an argument would commence on the honesty of Ron and John, which gover- ally lasted until Daniel, in his rage against these two, had forgotten his wrath toward old Peggy. At length Daniel fell into the hands of an old Methodist woman, who, by her ex- hortations, made considerable impression ou him. After spending an evening at Mother Grove's, Daniel came home with a face so sol- «inn and important that the whole family no- tived it, and, knowing where he had been, the clerks followed him on his retreat to bed and peeped and listened at his door. Daniel locked his door, looked carefully around, imdressed (taking off his hat the last of all, as was his custom), kneeled by the bedside and commence thus: "O, Lord God;" then eusned a long pause. Up rose Daniel, exclaiming, " It is too dammed cold to pray here!" and jumped into bed. Whether Daniel made another effort to pray is uncertain. Ile once acted god-father for one of his friend's children. The clergyman asked the name of the child. Daniel, under- standing him to ask his name, promptly re- plied : " Daniel Doudle, to be sure. Don't you know me any more?" Daniel, at this time eighty years of age, usually dressed himself over a day in state, in a blue silk-velvet coat, white vest, ruffled shirt, brown silk-velvet small- clothes, and turned-up shoes, and paraded him- self down to the river-bank and back, to ex- hibit himself to the ladies. He lived to be one Indred and one or one hundred and two years of age, dying in August, 1828, at Mr. Kremer's, near Middleburg, where his bones rest with those of his friends, Frederick Evans and George Kremer. Certainly three more singular men were never so intimately associated in life and rest so close together in the solemn silence of death. Kremer came to Lewisburgh in 1806, and the impression one gets of him from Flavel Roan's journal, who often speaks of him, of meeting and going home with him, and whom he always calls "Citizen Kremer," is that he has imbued the wildest notions of French democracy. He removed from Lewis- burgh to his place near Middleburg in 1827.
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Among other characters of this date were Billy Nicholas, a carpenter of White Deep, and
old Mr. Mook, the Revolutionary soldier. Saturday was the usual day to assemble in Lewisburgh, and, getting pretty drunk, old Mook asserted he could " hes a bullet " at an hundred yards. Mook held a silver bullet in his hand and began powwowing. Billy shot from the porch of Metzgar's tavern, knocked the bullet out of Mook's tinger, skinning the latter considerably, thus disalming Mook's mind of the idea that he could " hex."
1812 .-- Joseph Collins, tailor ; Robert Dou- aldson, Evans & Kremer, store; Charles Kemerer, tailor ; Widow Langs, William Me- Qnhac, Audrew Miller, William Wilson, store- keeper.
Alexander Graham came to Lewisburgh. He was born at Magherafelt, Ireland, July 17, 1783; died at Lewisburgh Angust 23, 1839; married to Maria Margaret Spyker, daughter of Henry Spyker, who was born at Tulpchocken, Berks County, July 5, 1786, and died at Lewis- burgh March ES, 1863.
They left ten children, - Thompson ; Mar- garet, who married Dr. James F. Grier ; Henry 1. ; Caroline, married to Robert Hayes; Henrietta, married to Jomm Elliot ; Mary, mar- ried to Rev. P. B. Marr ; Thomas ; George W .; Rosetta, married to J. Greer Boggs ; Ineinda, married to Dr. Thomas Van Valzah, and again to Charles M. Elder.
In 1823, Thomas R. Lewis kept a hotel at the sign of " the Lewisburgh Stage," on Mar- ket Street, at Shallle's drug store.
In 1826 the old market-house, which stood in the square, was taken down. Kremer sold ont his stock of goods to Samuel Ronsh, who removed them to Mifflinburgh. Kremer moved to the Stees place, adjoining Middle- burg. Joseph Hutchin opened store in Krem- er's building.
Jonathan Wolfe lived while a boy at Michael Lincoln's, working for twenty-eight dollars a year. He had gone to school to James Aiken. Untehinson had a quarrel with his clerk, when Viken suggested Jonathan, and Intehinson sent for him. This was in 1827. He remained there and went to Philadelphia in 1829. There he got largly acquainted with business men. Sammel Wolfe, his brother, who had married a
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daughter of John Lawshe, had rented Kremer's room in 1833, and they went into partnership as S. & J. Wolfe. After several years Samuel bought the Derr mill of Green, sold his interest to Samuel Harsh, and it was Wolfe & Hursh, two years. Then Samnel went in with Schnable. Unrsh sold to Jonathan ; then Lewis Iddings came in and it became Iddings & Reber. Sam- uel engaged in business at the river, and was one of the most noted merchants of the day ; in his fairest day he was cut off, September 15, 1810, and at nearly the same time Grantham Lawshe, his partner, died.
When Kenedy was appointed postmaster, in 1819, he had the Kremer room. Thornton & Baker dissolved as druggists, and Baker moved in with Kenedy, and finally Kenedy took his office out and the drug business was established. In 1853 Wolfe became agent of Adams Ex- press Company, which position he still retains.
The first church that was organized was the Methodist, in 1812. A Union church building was erected on the old foundry lot. The history of the foundry details the fate of the building and of the ehirches, their success.
The conty of Union was erected in 1813, George Kremer being in the Legislature. The following is a description of the place in that year : Henry Beck came to Lewisburgh from Earl township, Berks County, March 30. Then Frederick Freedley owned Brown's mill ; George Knox had Hull's tan-yard ; Henry Spyker lived in the brick house at the river; Robert Smith, a boatman, where James S. Marsh lives; Math- ias Shaffer, in a two-story house, where M. Halfpenny now lives; Richard MeClure, where his grandchildren do now; William Evans, where Joseph Housel now lives; on the oppo- site side lived Evans' sister. These were all on Front Street. Garman kept ferry at the stone house, now Martin Hahn's; John Sargent bad a nail-factory, where F. Davis now lives; An- drew Shearer kept at Weidensun's; William MeQulac had a store on the southeast corner; George Kremer's was the only store house on the river, where the water-works are now; Jas. Black had a distillery, and kept store just above the latter, and where Norton's coal-yard now is; White Roost, now M. Halfpenny's, was oc-
cupied by Billman ; the old Albright tavern by William Poak. At the month of Buffalo Creek there were three houses, owned and occupied by Holm Pross, Valentine Miller, etc. Leisenring, a potter, lived opposite John A. Mertz's; Mrs. Nicely's lot was occupied by John Lawche, Sr., the "Green Tree"; . B. Lim's, by John Metzgar; Esquire Cameron's, the Black Horse, was kept by Jolm Lawshe, Jr .; George Kremer had a store where Jonathan Wolfe now live -. Second Street was then vacant down to Joseph Glass' lots, lying in common, and pine-trees growing on them. The brick house of Joseph Glass was built by Henry Beck in 1823; Joseph Bennett lived where the Union National Bank now is; on part of Peter Beaver's lot Henry Burget kept a tavern; George Metzgar lived where Charles Sturgis has his jewelry store, and had a hatter-shop; an old log honse, in from the street, next Jonathan Wolfe's, was occupied by John Montgomery; old Mr. Kimmel kept store in the next house; William Hayes kept store where Peter Nevius' widow now lives. Dr. Beyers lived on the corner of Third and St. Catherine. No house from there to Market. Alexander Graham lived and kept store ou Dr. Harrison's corner. There were no honses on Third Street north. On the Billmyer lot, depot lot, etc., was a large pond, where they often shot ducks. On Fourth and St. Lonis, Betsy Am- mon's house was built this year. There was an old house at the race at St. George, and one at the east end of Fourth, occupied by Strickland; Dr. Wilson's lot was occupied by Mr. Espy, who kept tavern; on William Moore's (now Paul Geddes'), Thomas Poak kept bachelor's hall and a brewery ; William Shearer lived in a house lately standing on Cherry Alley (removed by Cyrus Driesbach), and followed weaving; Caleb Fairchild had a blacksmith-shop on the east side, north of St. John's Street; north was a stone house, occupied by Daniel Rees as a tavern. C. Beyers' was occupied by a family mane Seydel ; next was Sam (Grove, a boatman ; Adam Grove lived on Thomas Ne-bil's (de- ceased) lot ; he was the youngest of the Chose brothers, Indian fighters, and followed boating ; James Geddes living on the corner of Fourth and St. Anthony, and had a saddler-shop;
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west, north, John Norton, and the next Burget's house, which Henry Beck moved inta. On the opposite side lived John Moore, famous many year's as a blacksmith ; George Snider, father ut Widow Strobecker, lived where John Bieber lately resided ; there was an old fan-yard on the property.
The streets were resurveyed in the spring of 1813, and a slight angle made to suit the build- ings. James Geddes and Thomas Fisher car- ried on a tammery. Peter Nevins, Joseph Me- Cool and Andrew Best were their apprentices. John Masser lived at the Sliter mansion farm. High's mill, at the fording, was then aban- doned. George Derr had built another mill, where Joseph W. Shriner's now is. In repair- ing it, some years ago, Mr. Shriner found an old stone, with date of 1778 carved upon it, no doubt the date of Gundy's mill, a few rods above it. On Derr's farm lived Abram Trox- .Il and William C. Davis; John Gnyer, on the Shock place ; Thomas McGuire kept tavern at the old ferry, now George F. Miller, Esq's ; Jonas Butterfield kept school in the Market Street school-house, now Presbyterian parson- -onage ; Breyvogel kept where the Lutheran parsonage now stands ; Charles Cameron lived on Front and St. Mary's. Among those who enlisted in the regular army, Dr. Bock recollects Valentine Miller, George Christ, Dennis O. Boyle, John Buek and Alexander Hutchinson. Abram Fry lived at the hoal- vard ; Granny Phillips kept cakes and beer next the Revere House, on late Judge Sehnable's lot ; Jolm MeFadden kept tavern where Charles Penny now lives. John Rees, John Beyers and James Forrest succeeded Jonas But- lerfield as school-teachers.
June 1st the inhabitants of the town met and resolved that the president, secretary and dirce- tors should serve free gratis, and this agreement was to remain in full force forever. The same day John Hayes' account for surveying the town was examined and allowed. One item was a gallon of Geneva whiskey, one dollar.
POSTMASTERS .- William Steadman, July 1, 1797 ; Richard Sherer, January 10, 1798 ; An- drew Albright, 1802 ; Christopher Baldy, 1807 ; Alexander Graham, 1817 to August 13, 1839, | Jaloes Geddes, Jacob Musser, George II. Brown.
his death ; William Murray, ES 10 ; Alexander MeClure, AAugust 21, ISIS ; A. Kenedy, Jan- mary, 1819; Henry W. Crotzer, October, 1851 ; George W. Forrest, 1861 ; A. Scott Sheller, May, 1878.
THE LEWISBERGH BOARD OF TRADE WAS organized November 20, 6SS5, to promote the business and commercial interests of the place. At the organization there were twenty-three members and S. W. Schaeffer, president ; Wil- liam Jones, Secretary.
THE LEWISBURGE BRIDGE .- On the 26th of March, 181 1, the charter of the bridge over the West Branch of the Susquehanna at Lewis- burgh was granted by the Assembly, under the corporate name of "The President, Managers and Company for creating a Bridge over the West Branch of Susquehanna at the Town of Lewisburgh," and John Drie-bach, Jacob Brohat, William Hayes, William MeQuhac, James Geddes and Andrew Reedy, were appointed com- missioners to open subscription books.
On the 15th of March, 1815, a supplement was passed, authorizing the Governor to sub- scribe four hundred shares for the State, and ou the 19th of June the company was organized. Inly Ith a contract was made with Reuben Fields for the erection of the bridge, for fifty- two thousand six hundred dollars. There was afterwards allowed him two thousand four him- dred dollars in addition to the contract price.1 James Lee, the old tavern-keeper at North- umberland, gives the history of the contract and building of the bridge in his testimony in a suit between Burr & MeCay (reported 6. Barr, 148) :
" In May, 1816, Theodore Burr was at my house, in Northumberland, and I asked him whether he pro- posed attending the letting of the Lewisburgh bridge. Tle said he had enough bridges on hand, and recom- mended Reuben Fields as a first-rate buildler, who worked with him on the Harrisburg bridge. I went la Harrisburg, got an introduction to Mr. Fickls, who came to Lewisburgh the week following to look at the points for material confignous to the site. A few days before the letting he bought np a plan and draft for the bridge. Theodore Burr advised Fickls and
' The managers with whom the contract was made were Willima Hayes (President ), George Kremer, Dan Caldwell,
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JUNIATA AND SUSQUEHANNA VALLEYS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
myself to build on that plan. We presented the plan to the company on July 3, 1816, together with our proposals. The day following Mr. Hepburn drew the contract between the Lewisburgh Bridge Company, Fields and myself, and on the 7th we commeneed excavating the foundation for stone-work. In Sep- tember we had got up two piers, and the two abnt- ments half-way. Mr. Fields came up that fall and commenced the wood-work. Early the next spring one of the reaches was up, and another part raised on the east side."
On the 3d of May, 1823, there was a meet- ing of the stockholders. George Kremer was elected president, and the first dividend of $1.50 per share of lifty dollars declared.
The superstructure was up and it was passa- ble for teams November 1, 1817. The first toll was taken on the 8th of February, ISIS. The bridge was under the management of merchants, was almost a free bridge, and the town was largely benefited by the trade of the other side of the river. The stock owned by the State was purchased by Mr. Cameron, and he became the principal owner. The system was changed and the stock made to pay, and the town lost all that trade.
A determined opposition was made by Na- than Mitchel, in 1816, by establishing a ferry, but it had to succumb. The bridge stood all the raps of high waters and ice floods until the year 1865. On Saint Patrick's day, 17th of March, there was a flood that spread a lake all over the castern side of the river, and a channel ran down along where the row of farm-houses were. About four o'clock in the afternoon of Friday two spans of the Milton Bridge came floating down, and, with an awful crash, struck the Lewisburgh Bridge, carrying off three spans. A ferry was established, which was carried on by John and Charles F. Hess until the new bridge was built, which was opened for travel.
For the building of a new bridge the shares in the old were purchased, franchise and all, for the sum of five thousand dollars. An amended charter was procured, enabling them to make it a wagon and a railroad bridge. The super- structure was built by the Keystone Bridge Company for the sum of $ 16,226.44; the piers and other expenditures added about $80,000, 70
that a general estimate of the expense of building the bridge would be about the aim of $130,- 000. This som was raised by a subscription of about $96,000 to the capital stock and the bal- ance was paid out of their income. The con- struction of the Lewisburgh, Bellefonte and Tyrone Railroad was commenced at once, and the track laid across, connecting Lewisburgh with the railroad. The advent of the first lo- comotive was witnessed by the assembled people of the town, all the bells rung and all the steam whistles were blown.
The contract for the masonry was awarded in September, 1867, and the bridge was open for travel in October, 1868. Ground was formally broken by James Kelly, the oldest-boru citizen in the place, striking the first pick, and a gracelil speech from Colonel Eli Slifer, the president, on the 1th of September, 1867. James Kelly had worked at the building of the first bridge, just fifty years before that. The bridge is built on what is called the Howe truss, and the length of the superstructure is twelve hundred and eighty-three liet, and cost thirty-seven dol- lars per foot. The old bridge was cleven him- dred l'eet long, and the total cost of construction was $59,000. The amended charter under which the company is now acting was passed the 19th of February, 1868.'
Cross-CUT CANAL is a canal from the main West. Brauch Canal to the river at Lewisburgh, a distance of abont a half-mile, opening by a lock into the river, below which is a dam built by William Cameron, which raised the water sulliciently to float boats to the wharves along the river.
It is almost disused in 1886, owing to the increased facilities of transportation by railway.
As early as the year 1771, the Susquehanna River is declared a navigable stream and com- missioners are appointed to clear it and make it navigable. This was superseded by the act of the Best of March, 1785, and, in 1790, Colonel Matlack, Major Adhinn and Samuel Maclay were the commissioners. They explored the water-ways to Lake Erie.
Pamp. Laws, page 177.
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The produce of the country from that time on for forty years wout down in arks and the goods came into the country by wagons. There were, however, long, narrow boats, sixty feet long by five or six wide, which were poled up the Susquehanna.
In 1827 the people began to talk about ca- mals, and a meeting was held at Lewisburgh, and when it was shown that the system of ca- nals would be extended up the West Brauch, a committee was sent to endeavor to have it on this side of the river.
The engineer said it would cost three hun- dred and forty thousand dollars more on this side than the other ; it was located there and the construction was let at Milton on the 1st of October, 1828. In the same year, near its close, the turnpike was surveyed from Lewis- burgh to Mifflinburg. A committee appointed by the citizens met and drafted a petition to the Legislature for the Cross-out.
The first boats passed through the Cross-cut to Lewisburgh on the 7th of December, 1833. Let us see the difference in the cost : Twenty tons of merchandise by wagon cost $600, by the canal $200 --- $1.50 and 50 cents. per ewt. Before the Reading came it cost about 28 cents per ewt., and it now averages 12 to 15 cents per cwt.
THE INCORPORATION OF THE BOROUGH .- There was an act passed March 31, 1812, incor- porating the streets, ete., of Lewisburgh. The first election held under this act for directors of' streets, lanes and alleys of the town of Lewis- burgh was held at the house of Andrew Billmyer, on Saturday, the 17th day of October. Heury Spyker, John Martin, John Lawshe, John Gor- don and William MeQuhae were elected.
October 23d the directors elected Jolm Law- she president and Henry Spyker secretary. James Geddes was appointed supervisor, An- drew Sherrard constable, George Knox over- ser of the poor. The first ordinance passed was one requiring the opening of the streets, the most of which were fenced in and cultivated at that time. They were finally opened in
1813, except in the case of Dr. Charles Beyer, who, May 5, 1813, represented that he had not rails to fence with, and if he opened the streets he had inclosed in his lots, it would be to the great damage of his grain ; and the directors, agreeing that this was so, let him off, upon his agreement to pay two bushels of wheat and two of rye, immediately after harvest, for the use of the corporation, after which they were to be opened.
Under this act there was no burgess, the direc- forselectinga president. Subsequently, March 21, 1822, it was incorporated as a borough (Pam- phlet Laws, page 68). The election place was fixed at Randall Wilcox's, who kept the Black Horse, and John Nesbit and Alexander Nesbit were appointed to superintend the first election, Alexander Blair was the last burgess under this aet.
By the act of 1851, March 11th (Pamphlet Les, page 158), the number of Conneilmen was fixed at six, instead of five, two to serve re- speetively one, two and three years, the burgess to give the casting vote on a tie, and four to constitute a quorumn.
The following is a list of burgesses from that time :
1851. Alex. H. Blair. 1869. J. B. Mclaughlin.
1852. Jonathan Wolfe. 1870. J. B. Mclaughlin.
1853. Thomas Reber. 1871. J. C. Smith.
1851. Peter Hursh. 1872. J. C. Smith.
1855. William Moore.
1878. John V. Miller.
1856. George A. Frick.
187-1. William Cameron.
1875. Joseph Musser.
1876. John E. Morgan,
1877. (. W. Walls.
1878. O. R. Vorse. 1879. O. R. Vorse.
1860. James Hayes.
1861. James Hayes.
1862. Sammel 11. Orwig.
1863. M. Driesbach.
1881. John K. Kremer. 1882. W. W. Wolfe.
1883. W. W. Wolfe.
1881. D. P. Higgins.
ISS5, John C. Smith.
1886. Thomas G. Evans.
The borough was divided into two wards (act of April 1, 1861, Pamphlet Lars, page 271), and the third was erected 7th April, 1870 (Pamphlet Lars, page 1011).
1880. Joseph Musser.
1861. Chas. C. Shankley. 1865. 1. L. Mclaughlin. 1866. 1. B. Melanghlin. 1867. J. B. Mclaughlin. 1868. H. P. Sheller.
1857. J. Schroyer.
1858. William II. Cham- berlin. 1859. William Frick.
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JUNIATA AND SUSQUEHANNA VALLEYS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT .- No regular fire company existed in the borongh prior to 1831, the previous measures for protection against fires being on a limited seale. In the year above noted a subscription-list was circu- lated for the benefit of a fire company and three luindred and forty-five dollars was raised by that means.
On the 28th of . December, 1836, the Council first acted in this matter, ordering that a tax be levied for the purchase of five ladders, four poles and fire-hooks. Three years later, Feb- ruary 9, 1839, three petitions were presented to the Common Council, asking aid for the then ex- isting Lewisburgh Fire Company, but no action appears to have been taken at that time ; but on March 5, 1839, the Conneil appropriated four hundred and fifty dollars to aid in purchasing a fire-engine, and authorized Robert Hayes to ex- amine the " United States " or any other en- gine for sale in Philadelphia. He recom- mended the purchase of the " United States," and April 6, 1839, the Council instructed its treasurer to secure it for three hundred dollars, if possible. The next appropriation was made in May, 1842, when fifty dollars was voted to aid the Lewisburgh Fire Company.
March 31, 1851, the Council decided to loan the engine to the Lewisburgh Valiant Fire Company, and in May, that year, bought a trumpet for the use of the sune company. Oc- tober 1, 1810, the Council leased for five years a building on Fifth Street for an engine-honse.
The next action of importance was taken January 26, 1874, when the Council entered into an agreement with the Silsby Manufactur- ing Company, of Senera Falls, N. Y., to pur- chase a Silsby No. 2 steam-engine, to be called the " William Cameron," twenty-five hundred feet of hose and three hose-carts, for the sum of nine thousand seven hundred and seventy- five dollars. At this time William Cameron was the chief burgers, and very generously paid the entire amount ont of his private funds as a donation to the borongh.
The Town Council undertook to properly
house the costly gift. They bought a lot on Fourth Street, south of Market, corner of Fourth Street and Pine Alley, from John Walls, for twelve hundred and fifty dollars, conveyed August 6, 1877, and the same day made a contract with Joseph Musser to build a house for twenty-three hundred and forty-three dollars, which was completed by the close of the year. It is a two-story brick building, thirty by thirty-five feet, surmounted with a tower sixty-five feet high from the ground, in which is a clear-toned bell. The assembly-room of the companies manning the apparatus is as neatly furnished as any in the central part of the State. The engine has a throwing capacity of six hundred gallons per minute. Water is continually kept hot in the boiler by a heater iu the cellar of the building, so that it can render service on a few moments' notice.
The company organized to man the engine in 1831 (which was a small machine worked by a crank, and called the coffee-mill) disbanded after a few years. The " Valiant Fire Com- pany," organized in 1851, did not keep up its organization more than a few years, the engine which it manned being heavy and clumsy. For a number of years there was no regularly orgau- ized company in the borough, and several efforts to organize companies were not success- ful on account of the lack of interest in such matters.
On the 2d of March, 1874, the present de- partment was organized to take charge of and man the steamer " William Cameron " and its attendant apparatus, purchased January 24, 1874. Officers were chosen as follows : Chief, John V. Miller; First Assistant Chief, Daniel Myers ; Second Assistant Chief, T. N. Reber ; Third Assistant Chief, E. L. Painter ; Presi- dent, W. O Shafer ; Vice-President, T. E. Halfpenny ; Treasurer, J. Wesley Cor- nelius; Secretary, D. D. Higgins; A-it- ant Secretary, W. N. Weusel; Trustees, W. N. Winset, J. P. MeClure and S. HI. Noll ; Fore- man of Engine Company, Geo. E. Long ; As- sistant Fireman of Engine Company, W. E.
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Yaler; Foreman of Hose Companies, J. P. McC'Inre; First Assistant Foreman of Hose Companies, W. J. Angstadt ; Second Assistant Foreman of Hose Companies, J. C. F. Brown ; Third Assistant Foreman of Hose Companies, F. N. Honsel.
Of the sixty eight men belonging to the de- partment, ten men and a foreman belong to each hose company, and the remainder belong to the engine company proper.
The department is efficiently manned and has demonstrated its usefulness not ouly at home, but at the great fire in Milton, in May, 1880, and at Williamsport, in Angust, 1883. At each of these places it was warmly commended, and at the latter place received a generous purse from Payne, Cochran & Co. for its zeal in quelling the destructive element.
THE LEWISBURGH GAS COMPANY .- An act of the Assembly, approved Jannary 31, 1856, em- powered William Cameron, Peter Beaver, Wil- liam Friek, John Walls, George F. Miller, By- ron Ammon and Eli Slifer to form the above company, with a capital of fifty thousand dol- lars; but au effort to raise this amomit by sub- scription met with so little encouragement that the corporators disposed of their interests, in the summer of 1858, to Birkenbine & Mears, of Philadelphia, but restricting the maximum price of the gas the firm intended to produce. In October, 1858, they began the ercetion of the works and excavating for the mains. The build- ing was put up at the east end of St. Catharine Street, and mains were laid np that street to Third, along Third to Market, down Market to Front, and from Market to Fourth Streets. The plant was completed at a cost of about twenty thousand dollars; and the first gas was distributed from it and used in the borough on the night of January 28, 1859. After operating the works a few years, Birken- bine & Mears sold out to John Cowell, of Wil- liamsport, and in the summer of 1866 Jonathan Wolfe became the owner of the plant. On the 27th of November, 1866, the present company was organized, with thirty-six stockholders,
having a board of seven directors, and of which John Walls was chosen president and has so continued to the present. Dr. William H. Marr is the present manager. Soon after the accession of the present company, mains were ex- tended through the principal streets not before supplied and to the college buildings, and, from time to time, other pipes have been laid in re- sponse to the demand for them. Abont two million five hundred thousand enbie feet of gas are at present manufactured and consumed.
LEWISBURGH WATER COMPANY .- On the 26th of May, 1883, a partial organization of the above company was effected, when an application was made to the Legislature for an act of incor- poration, which was granted and approved May 30th the same year. After this the election of officers took place, when Eli Slifer was chosen president, George S. Matlock, secretary, and Alfred Hayes, treasurer.
The plans drawn by S. C. Bates and Joseph C. Nesbit were accepted, and, in the summer of 1883, an engine-house was erected at the foot of Market Street, from which a main, ten inches in diameter, was laid five hundred feet into the river to the place known as the Salmon Hole. A stand-pipe, twelve feet in diameter and one hundred and thirty-six feet high, was erected near the engine-house, from which mains were distributed through nearly all the principal streets of the borough. The plant was completed at a cost of about thirty-seven thousand dollars, and the main filled for the first time November 17, 1883, and the stand-pipe eleven days later.
The present machinery consists of two fifty horse-power boilers and two duplex pimps, either one of which will pump fourteen hundred and eighty-six gallons per minute. In 1881 an average of thirty-six thousand tive hundred and sixty-seven gallons of water was pumped daily, which was increased to an average of fifty-three thonsand four hundred and seventy-four gallons in 1885. At that time there were five miles of pipes and forty-tive hydrants on the streets. Ordinarily the pressure of water in the stand-pipe is about fifty pounds to the square
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