History of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens 20th century, Part 42

Author: McFarland, Joseph Fulton; Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1474

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The slope of the Monongahela for nearly 70 miles above Pittsburg is not more than 8 1-2 inches per mile. The Monongahela, in its 90 miles within the limits of Pennsylvania, has no islands or bars dividing its chan- nel. On the whole the river is easy for navigation, hav- ing ample width for steamboats with fleets or barges to pass each other with large margins for safety, the river averaging a somewhat greater width than in 1883. This widening of the stream is without doubt due to the wave action of steamers undermining the clay banks, causing them to cave in where the docks and dams have increased the volumn of water in the channel. In the lower reaches of the river the caving of the banks has practically ceased, many miles of the shore being pre- vented from further erosion by the almost vertical walls of slag or other protection.

The Monongahela was always a stream of ever-changing volume. In the summer, sand bars here and there glis- tened in the sun, past which a slender stream gurgled over ripples too shallow for any craft save those es- pecially constructed for the purpose. The bark canoe, so light that it could be carried past the swift or shallow water, comes first on the list of boats.

Instead of these, the early settlers made their canoes of logs hewn to a semblance of the birch canoe, then

hollowed them out, giving the name of "dug-out." From one log they grew in size by being made of two logs pinned together and hollowed out in the same way. The small ones were paddled, the larger ones poled or even drawn up stream by a tow line. In different sizes they were used for every purpose by the pioneers who, lacking roads through the densely-wooded country, turned to the streams as their one means of transporting mer- chandise. The "dug-outs" continued to be used until a slight improvement in the river channel allowed of larger boats. This change was first inaugurated by the river mills.

In 1770 steam was, of course, unknown, and power for driving machinery was obtained either by treadmill, in which horses or cattle were made to walk over an ever-turning wheel, by wind, or by water: the latter being used wherever there was a stream with fall enough to turn a wheel.

Owing to the shrinkage of the creeks and rivulets in dry weather, rivers were used where possible, but owing to the great cost of damming them and the risk of de- struction of both mills and mill dams by ice or floods, it was a great undertaking to build a river mill. Once in operation, however, they were a source of profit. The unlimited power that drove them constantly night and day through the driest summers, attracted the settlers from a great area surrounding. Such a mill was built by Benjamin Parkison in 1772, opposite the mouth of Mingo Creek. In turn, there were many others, above and below the Ferry, which we now call Monongahela City. "As the mill-dams were built to take advantage of a slight fall or ripple an improvement in the channel was the result, when most of the river was forced into the narrow chute. Wing walls of boulders were thrown. up at other places where there were no mills, and in a short time after the river mills came they had an improved channel from Pittsburg to Redstone or Brownsville. It was then practicable to navigate the Monongahela with an improvement on the dug-outs, and the flat boats came next, followed by keel boats, so called because they were sometimes timbered and built on a keel, instead of hewn from single logs, or planked crosswise on gunals or "gunnels."

The keel boats, with a regular crew, carried a cap- tain, and when the National Road, the great thorough- fare between the "far east" and the unknown west, be- gan to heap the landing at Brownsville with freight, or throng it with passengers from the stages and Conestoga wagons, there were always two personages of more than ordinary importance on hand. These awe-inspiring mortals were the stage driver and the keel-boat captain.

The National Road was completed to Brownsville in 1819, to Wheeling two or three years later, and from that date until the Pennsylvania Railroad, in 1852, en-

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tered Pittsburg, the freight and passenger traffic was immense.

Over this limestone ribbon the travel of the divided con- tinent surged for 30 years. The stages carried annually more than 20,000 people, while 4,000 freight wagons a year hauled enough to load a modern train each day, the greater portion of which passed up or down the river, and until after the dams were completed, keel-boats had most of this trade to themselves.

Capt. Caleb Harvey, ran a keel-boat called the Re- porter, from Pittsburg to Brownsville, making quite regular time. A selected crew were carried, who from long service became expert in poling. As several men on each side set their poles and ran the boat forward at the same time, it was necessary to act in concert. The unfortunate man who made a misset was often thrown overboard by the pole in his hand being struck by the boat.

Previous to this date little had been done towards the permanent improvement of the Monongahela. A few wing-walls of boulders gathered the water into a deeper channel in places the mill dams with chutes through them also contributed to the same end, but when the river grew low in summer even the lightest keel-boats could not get through to Brownsville, and the National Road, completed to Wheeling, diverted the travel to that point on the Ohio, where the water was deep enough at all seasons for flatboats.

Kentucky was attracting emigration, the lower south- west country was being populated and an increasing traffic demanded a better route from the East than the long haul from Cumberland to Wheeling.

In 1782 the State of Pennsylvania had enacted that the Youghiogheny and Monongahela, as far up as they were navigable for canoes, within the bounds of the Com- monwealth, were public highways. In 1814 the Assembly passed an act which provided that the Governor should appoint three competent men, one of whom was to be an engineer, to examine the different ripples, the distance apart, and estimate the cost of constructing dams.

The survey was not made as contemplated, and on the 15th of March, 1815, another act reviving that of 1814 for three years, was added. The examination of the river was made, but nothing resulted in the line of improve- ment by the State. In 1817 still another act was passed authorizing the Governor to incorporate a company to make a lock navigation of the river. This act appointed twelve men from Washington County and seven from Allegheny County to open subscription books for stock, which was to be $78,000, in 2,600 shares of $30 each. As soon as five hundred shares were subscribed the Gov- ernor was directed to issue the charter. The conditions of the act were not complied with, and forfeiture of the franchise resulted in 1822.

A few days after the expiration of the charter another act of assembly took the improvement of the river into the hands of the State and appointed three commissioner's, with power to remove all obstructions which impeded or injured navigation, to employ suitable persons to perform such work, and $10,000 of the money previously subscribed by the State was to be used for this purpose. The earliest suggestion of an improvement of the river by a system of dams and locks was in the report of a survey made for the State by E. F. Gray, a civil engineer, in 1828. Nothing further was done until 1832, when Andrew Stewart made an effort in Congress to have it done by the Federal Government. A public meeting at Waynesburg, Greene County, November 18, 1835, recommended and urged an improvement by the State, as Congress had declined to do it. Then came the Monongahela Navi- gation Company, authorized by act of Assembly of March 31, 1836. The stock was to be $300,000, in shares of $50. The company started in 1837 upon the following subscrip tion of stock :

Citizens of Allegheny County. $ 47,400

Citizens of Fayette County. 25,400

Citizens of Washington County. 1,000

Citizens of other counties. 4,300

Monongahela Bank of Brownsville 5,000

Bank of U. S. . 50,000

To which the State added. 125,000

Total $258,100

This, until after the work was completed to Browns- ville, was its entire capital basis, and much of this was never realized.

The river was surveyed in 1838 by Milnor Roberts, and the length and altitude was found as follows: To Brownsville, 551/2 miles, altitude above Pittsburg 331/2 feet; Virginia State line, 9012 miles from Pittsburg, altitude, 741/2 feet. Several changes were made in the different laws that had established the height of the dams, and work was commenced.

Dam No. 1 was let by contract to J. K. and J. B. Moorhead, December 17, 1839; No. 2 to Corey and Adams, and on October 18, 1841, both dams were put in use. July 15, 1840, No. 3 was let to Bills & Foreman, and No. 4 to Fenton & Patton, but in May, 1841, work on these two locks was suspended for lack of funds.

The two lower locks were completed for use October 18, 1841. A most disheartening crisis in the company's undertaking came up in 1842. The U. S. Bank broke up and failed to subscribe its second $5,000 and the State had to give the company its bonds for a large portion of its subscription, these having to be sold for one-half their nominal value. In 1842 the State's financial condi- tion was so low that the Legislature directed the sale of all its corporation stocks. This induced a number

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

of men of enterprise and capital to buy and complete the work to Brownsville. These men deserve to be held in high remembrance. They were James K. Moorhead, Morgan Robertson, George Schnable, Charles Avery, Thomas M. Howe, John Graham, Thomas Bakewell, J. B. Moorhead and John Freeman. On November 13, 1844, the entire improvement was completed to Browns- ville. Before the work had been completed the B. & O. Railroad had been built to Cumberland, 75 miles distant, over a fine road. The Pennsylvania Railroad did not reach Pittsburg until 1852. Here was a great harvest for the slack water and the Eastern division of the National Road to Cumberland. It taxed the road to its greatest capacity. It was literally crowded with stage coaches and wagons. In 1850 the Navigation Company carried 18,379 stage passengers and in each of the pre- ceding years a greater number.

In 1852 the Pennsylvania Railroad was completed to Pittsburg and carried the travel and much of the freight previously carried by boats on the Monongahela. But by this time the local business of the valley had so developed that it made no serious drawback.

Then began the actual development of the Mononga- hela Valley, which has continued with uninterrupted progress from that day until the present time.

The construction of locks and dams Nos. 5 and 6 followed in later years, the Legislature by enactment in 1854 making it incumbent upon the company to put them under contract. Lock No. 7 was not to be com- pleted until the United States Government had com- menced work on the upper part of the river. Locks and dams 8 to 14 inclusive were built by the general govern- ment, thus giving the river a navigable stage to Fair- mont, W. Va., to which point packets can now run during the entire year, except during freshets and freezeups.

Steamboat navigation began on the Monongahela River in 1814, when the Enterprise, which was built at Browns- ville, left that place under command of Capt. Henry M. Shreve, and passed down the Monongahela, Ohio and Mississippi to New Orleans. This was the first boat to make the trip to the Crescent City and return. Since that day the development of navigation on the three rivers has assumed mammoth proportions, as shown by the reports of the United States Engineer's office at Pittsburg, and in other cities along these great rivers.

In 1845 there were 4,605,185 bushels of coal taken through the locks; in 1872, 54,208,800, and in 1902, 170,- 000,000. The traffic on the Monongahela River for the last fiscal year amounted to 12,772,508 tons, an increase of almost 1,000 tons over the previous year.

Other boats followed the Enterprise, and their success no doubt stimulated boat building everywhere, and Elizabeth, Monongahela, Belle Vernon, California and

West Brownsville became centers of shipbuilding, from whose yards many fine steamers were turned out.

One of the best known boat yards was located near the site of the present paper mill in Monongahela City, from which the commodious packet, Belle of Memphis, was launched many years ago.

At Elizabeth, in 1801, the steamer Monongahela Farmer was built, being owned by the builders and farm- ers of the neighborhood. The boat was loaded with a cargo of flour and she sailed via New Orleans for New York. In 1803 the brig Ann Jane, of 450 tons, was built for the Messrs. McFarlane, who loaded her with flour and whiskies and sailed her to New York. This vessel was one of the fastest packets of her day, and was run as a packet to New Orleans for some time.

Passenger steamers were not neglected by these boat yards, and many fine packets were cradled on the ways along the valley, the business finally centering at Browns- ville, where the Jacobs family had large interests, and who for years controlled the passenger steamers on the rivers. Up until 1867 but one line of steamers was in commission, when opposition steamers, the Christian and Elector, made their appearance. During the life of the old line such steamers as Josephine and Consul in 1844 were followed in regular order by the Louis M'Lain, Baltic, Atlantic, Jefferson, Luzerne, Gallatin, Elisha Bennet, the line including the Chieftain and Elector after the consolidation. After that time the Geneva, Germania, James G. Blaine, Adam Jacobs, the I. C. Woodward and the Columbia, the last two boats being still in commission, and making regular trips between Pittsburg and Fairmont.

Development of the bituminous mines along the valley naturally resulted in the building of steamboats of a more powerful pattern. The boats of the olden days were good in their class and transported millions of bushels of coal to the southern markets. Many of the boats built over 40 years ago are still in commission, although in some cases nothing but the name survives. New boilers replacing the old ones, new engines, replaced piece by piece, while the woodwork renewed from year to year has completely transformed the old timers.

Of later years boat building, especially of the towing steamers, has made great strides. Unfortunately the industry has for the time being disappeared from the Monongahela River, and the only yard that makes any pretense to ship building is the one located at Eliza- beth and owned by the Monongahela River Consolidated Coal & Coke Company. While boats are repaired at this plant, new work is the exception, but one new boat, to the writer's knowledge, ever having been built at these yards, the new "Enterprise," successor to the boat of the same name formerly owned by the W. W. O'Neil Coal Company, and sold to the Monongahela River Con-

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

solidated Coal & Coke Company at the organization of the corporation nine years ago.

As to the later boats on the river, the "J. B. Finley" and "Sprague" offer the most advanced type. Both steamers are of the low pressure pattern, with great power, capable of handling immense tows of coal on the southern rivers, for which they were especially de- signed. The "Sprague" in particular offers many fea- tures not found in any other towing steamer in the world. Built in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1902, of steel hull, and compound machinery, she has been capable of de- veloping sufficient power to easily handle 50,000 tons of coal in one tow on the Mississippi River. Her scene of action is between Louisville, Ky., and New Orleans, La., towing coal to the southern ports and bringing immense tows of empties north. An idea of the im- mensity of this towing steamer is found in the fact that her wheel, which is 40 feet wide and 36 feet in diameter, equals in weight some of the smaller towing steamers now in use on the Monongahela River.

These immense boats handle the products of the Monongahela Valley almost exclusively. Coal is the prin- cipal item of freight, but of recent years big trade has been developed in shipping steel rails, wire nails, and other bulk freight to the Southwest, and from there dis- tributed to the various centers.

On a smaller scale the development of the towing steamers on the Monongahela River have kept pace with the traffic. Many improvements have been made on these smaller boats, which have been important advance- ments over the old time steamboat, as exemplified in those of earlier days. The dimensions of the hull have been increased, until the ideal towing steamer at the present time, in view of the increased dimensions of the locks, measures 150 feet on deck, with 28 foot beam, and 41/2 feet depth of hold. Engines capable of developing from 500 to 600 horsepower are installed, which makes them capable of handling tows of good size in the upper Ohio River, as well as caring for all the pool traffic. Late boats of this character are the "Monitor, " formerly the "(W. H. Flint,"' and the "Rival," both fine examples of their class.

The development of coal in the upper pools is keep- ing pace with the advance in boat building. Since the completion of the locks and dams above Morgantown the slack water system is extended to Fairmont.

Notwithstanding the increased rail traffic, the traffic the transportation by water will always be a factor in the commercial life of the nation. The United States Government has finally come to the realization of this phase of national life, and ultimately the Ohio River will be canalized its entire length with a nine-foot stage of water, making it navigable for large shipments at

all seasons of the year, instead of during freshet periods, which at times come with great irregularity.

At the present writing there awaits shipment in the Pittsburg harbor and the pools of the Monongahela River about 15,000,000 bushels of coal, destined for the south- ern markets, and which will be placed as soon as navi- gation will permit. From the Monongahela River to the coast country, in the immediate vicinity of New Orleans, is a matter of 2,000 miles. Over this long stretch of natural canal, only a small portion of which at the present time is improved, boats and barges containing from 750 to 1,000 tons of coal are transported at a small comparative cost, delivering it to the customer in the southern land at a reasonable figure, making it possible to develop the great industries of that country. Without this means the southland would never have been able to make the development she has in the past years, espe- cially in the growing of sugar cane, which forms such a prominent part of the agricultural development of many of the southern states.

Time and space forbid an extended history of the various boats that plied the Monongahela River, and assisted so materially in its commercial development. The pioneers in the coal trade, the firms established over - forty years ago, did much to bring to the valley that su- premacy which its products justified. The Browns, the Waltons, the O'Neils, the Gilmores, of which Capt. John Gilmore was the controlling factor, all did great work in this development. This latter firm began coal devel- opments in Rostraver Township, below Webster, before the outbreak of the Civil War. Capt. John Gilmore opened the Wildcat mine, in the lower end of the present town of Donora, in 1863, and ten years later opened a tract of coal in the town of Webster. In the vicinity of Monogahela City the late Lewis Staib did much to develop the coal trade, operating at one time the present Catsburg mine, as well as many others in this immediate vicinity. The late James Warne was another pioneer in the coal trade, the Ivil mine being originally opened by him, to be sold later to the Jones interests, and later by them to the Monongahela River Consolidated Coal & Coke Company.

In conclusion. Recent years have found the Mononga- hela Valley making great strides. In 1892 Monongahela City celebrated the centennial anniversary of its found- ing. At the time Cherleroi was but a small village. It is true its promoters had great faith in its future, but its growth has surprised even its most ardent supporters. Monessen was not thought of, and not even a shadow indicated that Donora would ever exist. Like water seeking its level, modern business demands have made it imperative that industiral establishments locate near their fuel supply, and the result is the towns which have just

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

recently become such prominent features in our everyday life.

One hundred years ago the forest, lonely and un- broken, the river shallow and useless. Today the valley teeming with thousands of operatives, pulsating with the ceaseless throb of commerce, as it takes from the hills its "sunbeams in carbons," or fashions in the mill the mighty structures which assist in the development of other lands, bringing in exchange the many blessings we enjoy.

TELEGRAPH LINES.

Among the very early telegraph lines was that con- structed between Pittsburg and Steubenville along the old turnpike. It was dismantled about the middle of the last century and its stock was worthless before 1860.

The first telegraph office in Washington was opened in 1849, the line following the National Pike. It was a private enterprise and was in charge of Operators Alex- ander Wilson and Freeman Brady, Jr., both of whom in after years became prominent attorneys. The enter- prise was soon abandoned.

A telegraph line was put in successful operation again between Washington and Pittsburg in 1863. The line had been removed from the Cumberland Road about eight years previous to that time, and the people of Wash- ington "were isolated from the rest of mankind as far as intelligence was concerned." The line was soon com- pleted through to Wheeling. Washington County is now served by the Western Union Telegraph lines.

TELEPHONES.

The first telephones to enter the county were familiarly known as the Bell. In 1884 its rights of way and fran- chises were obtained under the name of the Central Dis- trict and Printing Telegraph Company. Its introduction was slow and rates high.

The Federal Telephone Company secured franchises and rights of way in the eastern part of the county and through Washington and bid fair to be a strong competi- tor with the Bell. It was either originated by the latter company to prevent real competitors or was absorbed by it. Many of its poles are still standing and in use with the electric lighting company under a restriction not to permit any telephone company to use them. This restric- tion has encumbered several streets with twice as many poles as would otherwise be needed.

While the Federal company was being gradually strangled the service of both companies was extremely unsatisfactory, affecting the eastern and middle portions of the county. Other companies had been formed and attempted to reach the center of the county, but were discouraged and defeated in their plans. Some of these were promoted by citizens of Washington County and

the dates of their organization and tendency of their short life, as well as their extinction, is indicated in the following sentence. The Federal company has ceased to operate and an ordinance was passed by the Wash- ington council December 23, 1907, granting its petition and repealing among other ordinances the grant to the Washington Telephone Company dated April 16, 1894- to the West Penn Telephone Company, January 24, 1902 -to the Home Mutual Telephone Company, May 9, 1899-to the Washington County Telephone Company, June 21, 1898. The final clause of the ordinance shows a part of the consideration for this surrender to be that the Federal company "shall leave standing all its poles, to which are now attached the wires of the Fire Alarm System of said borough, and release and relinquish its rights and property in said poles to said borough for its sole and only use and remove the remainder of said poles by the first day of February, 1908."

Notwithstanding this contract, certain poles which were left standing were sold to the electric lighting company at $5 each with restriction they should not be used for telephone purposes.

In 1904 and 1905 franchises were granted to the American Telegraph and Telephone Company and the Pittsburg and Allegheny Telephone Company, respec- tively, over the streets of Washington. This was followed soon by underground conduits laid on Main Street, Wash- ington, and the National Telephone Company taking advantage of the above mentioned grant to the P. & A. was admitted to a direct competition with the Bell.

In 1905 the Bell Telephone Company enlarged the capacity of its exchange in Washington and installed the central energy system by which one calls "Central" by removing the receiver instead of cranking a bell as formerly. At this time the long distance service was improved by the addition of two new lines to Pittsburg, making five lines to Pittsburg, two to Wheeling and one to Waynesburg. On July 1, 1903, there were 563 Bell telephones in Washington and 72 in Canonsburg. Now there are almost 2,000 in Washington and nearly 400 in Canonsburg.

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History of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens 20th century, Part 42

Author: McFarland, Joseph Fulton; Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1474

Author: McFarland, Joseph Fulton; Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1474