History of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens 20th century, Part 51

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

USA > Pennsylvania > Washington County > Washington > History of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens 20th century > Part 51

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Buffalo Township, in addition to being one of the best agricultural townships in the county, is rich in oil and gas production. The entire township is underlaid with bituminous coal, but there has been but little attention given to its development. There has been great activity in the development of both oil and gas for more than

twenty years, which has proved a great source of wealth to the citizens of the township as well as to the operators. Nearly every farm is dotted with derricks. Notwith- standing the added sources of income to the owners of the land, agriculture has not been neglected. Splendid homes, commodious barns and well-cultivated farms are the rule rather than the exception. There is some atten- tion paid to the raising of live stock, especially sheep.

The first producing oil well in the township was on the William Knox farm.

The first gas well was on the Samuel Carson farm, about 1886. The John McManus well was located in Blaine Township at this time (in Buffalo at the time it was put down) was drilled during the summer of 1885, and the first production was in July of that year. The well is producing at the present time.

Alter Burial Ground-In the Alter burial ground on the farm of Mrs. John W. Stewart, half a mile south of North Buffalo U. P. Church, is a headstone in mem- ory of Lieut. Joseph Ritner, of the United States Army, who died February 18, 1834, in the 27th year of his - age; various members of the Alter family are also buried here. Two or three pine trees mark this quiet little spot, which is close to the line between the farms owned by the Alter family and Isaac Leet in the early days.

Buffalo Township has a real estate valuation of $10,- 483.80. Its personal property valuation is $41,245; num- ber of taxables, 253.

In 1850 it had a population of 1,210. In 1860 the population was 1,578; in 1890, 2,381, and in.1900, 1,046. In 1850 the township had 218 voters; in 1904, 249, and in 1908, 248.

Buffalo Township had sixty-four miles of public high- ways in the year 1904. The cash road tax was accepted in 1906. In 1908 the road tax of the township was 3 mills, and amounted to $3,103.74. No county or State roads have yet been constructed in this township.

About two miles west of the Coulson House, on the National Road, stands the well remembered and popular wagon stand of John Miller, who moved to this point in 1836. The Miller House is a large brick building, situ- ated on the north side of the road. Previous to 1836 Levi Wilson kept this house, which is now used as a pri- vate residence.

Crothers Station, located on the B. & O. R. R., is the only town or village in Buffalo Township. The popu- lation was fifty in 1900. There is one store, conducted by Samuel Blayney, who is postmaster at that place.

The present township officers are: Justices of the Peace-J. M. McDow, James White; tax assessor- Thomas Knox; tax collector-Simeon Risher ; supervisors -A. H. McCrerey, Samuel Flack and Milton Irwin.

CHAPTER XXVI.

History of Canton, Carroll and Cecil Townships.

CANTON TOWNSHIP.

Canton Township borders on and lies directly north- west of the Borough of Washington. It was erected June 10, 1791, as the result of a petition by the inhabit- ants, and was formed from parts of Morris, Hopewell, Strabane and Chartiers Townships. It was originally bounded on the north by Chartiers Township, on the east by Chartiers Township, Washington Borough and Am- well Township, on the south by Amwell Township and on the west by Hopewell Township. The territory of the Township remained the same until 1853, when it was reduced by the formation of Franklin Township. The boundary line between Canton and Chartiers Townships was changed in 1863. West Washington Borough was organized from part of Canton Township in 1891, but it is now the Eighth Ward of the Borough of Washington, by ordinance 15th of July, 1907.

Several additions to Washington have been made from Canton Township lands. The latest was the western part of the Seventh Ward, or Tyler Ward, Washington, which cut off parts of the Clark, Hess and parts of other plans of lots already built upon, and contributed a large area and population to the old borough in 1902, making the Chartiers Valley Railroad tracks a part of the township line

Canton Township has a fertile soil, which is richly un- derlaid with oil, gas and coal. The township is drained by the hcadwaters of Chartiers Creek.

The valuation of real estate in Canton Township is $2,140,609. The valuation of the personal property is $93,865; number of taxables, 585.

The population in 1850 was 1,281; in 1860 it was 587 (the loss due to the formation from part of Canton of Franklin Township in 1853) ; in 1890, 1,830, and in 1900, 2,177, which shows a rapid increase.

In 1850 the voters in this township numbered 218; in 1904, 541, and in 1908, 496.

EARLY SETTLERS.

Among the early settlers of Canton Township were those mentioned below, who were holding land or had come to this township at or before the time stated: Zachariah Pumphrey, 1774; William Johnston, 1788;

Enoch Dye, 1778; John Leman, 1779; Adam and Robert Wylie, 1784; Mathew Morrow, 1791; John Dodd, 1785; William and John McCombs, 1785; John Wolfe, 1780; William Slemmens, 1787; Robert McGowen, 1785; Will- iam Reed, 1783; John and Thomas Douglas, 1782; James Taggert, 1784; James Dinsmore, 1795, Joseph Jonathan and John Nesbitt, 1800; Samuel McCloy, 1800. Other early settlers of the township were Thomas Allison, Da- vid Irwin and Francis Cunningham.

There were two blockhouses on the Samuel Prigg farm, and one on the James Dinsmore farm.

Three miles west of Washington, on the National Pike, Robert Smith kept a tavern as early as the year 1818. At this point the National Pike crossed an ancient road- way leading from Washington to Wheeling. The tavern was a frame house on the south side of the road, and in after years became the homestead and private residence of Jacob Weirich, who died its possessor.

Less than a mile west of Smith's, John Coulson kept a tavern as early as 1820, and probably before that date. His house was a frame building on the south side of the National Pike. The old building was torn down many years ago and a brick structure erected in its place. Coulson, the last proprietor, has been dead sixty-five years, and at his death the tavern was closed and not again reopened as a public house.

In 1870 Canton Township contained one fulling mill, one woolen factory, one flouring mill, one grist mill and four sawmills. None of these industries remain to-day, but there are in Canton Township, near Washington Bor- ough, large factories engaged in the manufacture of glass, iron, tin and other products. These plants will be dis- cussed in connection with Greater Washington.

A short railway runs down Gordon Valley, connecting the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad with the Pennsylvania, and serves these plants. A trolley road has been surveyed to traverse almost the same course.

Among the schoolhouses of Canton Township before the passage of the public school law in 1834 were the log schoolhouses on the Morrow and William Wolf farms. Some of the early teachers were Stephen Woods, John Allison, John Conner, John Smiley and Benjamin Work.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

In 1850 there were seven schools in the township with 561 scholars. In 1863 there were the same number of schools and 153 pupils. In 1871 the township had five schools with 198 scholars, the tuition of each pupil per month being $.71 and in 1880, four schools and 125 scholars.

In 1908 there were in Canton Township eleven schools with ten teachers, two males at an average salary per month of $66.25 and eight females at a salary of $50.00. There were 445 pupils and the average cost of tuition for each pupil per month was $1.90. The school tax was 1.34 mills. School was in session eight months.

School directors-Thomas Brownlee, president; A. L. Farrer, secretary; W. R. Weirich, treasurer; C. L. Tag- gart, H. B. Forringer, J. A. Jordan.

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad traverses the south- ern part of Canton Township and the old National Pike follows the southern boundary line. Toll was collected on this pike until 1905.

Canton Township has retained the work road tax. The tax for 1908 was 31/2 mills and $6,323.82 was worked out. In 1904 it had 45 miles of public high- way. In 1904-5-6 the Washington-West Middletown Flinn road in Canton Township was constructed for the county by the Hallam Contracting Company. The road is 15,900 feet in length. The width of stone was 10 feet and width of grading 23 feet. The cost of con- struction was $37,716.83, cost of engineering $1,942.51, cost of repairs $11,887.01.

The West Middletown Flinn road extension was built in 1907-8, one mile of it being in Canton Township and one in Hopewell. W. E. Howley & Co. were the con- tractors. The entire length of the extension was 10,860 feet and it is 12 feet in width of stone and 24 in width of grading. The cost of construction was $30,295.84, cost of engineering $1,534.79; total, $31,830.63.

This road was formerly known as the Washington and Wellsburg State Road.

WOLFTOWN.

The only village of any importance in Canton Town- ship is Wolftown. This town is only about one-half mile northwest of Washington and has grown up in recent years. The postoffice at Wolftown was known as Fortune, but was removed and the village given free rural delivery. The village is made up of 50 dwellings, a schoolhouse and two stores.

OAK GROVE.

Oak Grove is a station on the Chartiers Railway near the corner of Washington Borough and Canton and Chartiers Townships. The Beaver Oil Refinery is lo- cated at Oak Grove station, is engaged in refining oil and making by-products.

WOODELL.

Woodell is a stop on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad a few miles west of Washington. The Woodland Park, Tylerdale Land Company's, Canton Land Company's and Gordon Land Company's plans of lots lie west of Washington in Canton Township and form a part of Greater Washington. The first two mentioned plans include a tract of land familiarly known as "Goat Hill. "

Canton Township had a private park of fine oak trees beautifully situated on the hill above the Tyler Tube Works and Washington Tin Plate Mill at Tylerdale station on the railroad. It had a steep approach and was only used for a few summers after the street cars began operating on Jefferson avenue. The park was called Woodland Park and after it ceased to be used for that purpose the trees were cut down and the park laid out in the Woodland Park plan of lots.

The Wylie homestead is situated on the West Middle- town Road. Formerly a private race track was laid out on the farm when it was owned by Joseph Ells- worth. He and Benjamin Clark and brother owned many valuable horses. Prior to this time John Hall had used the farm for raising fancy cattle. The farm is owned at the present time by Edward Murphy and brothers. This was a good farming and sheep-raising community before the oil was discovered. .

Canton Township is included in the Washington- Taylorstown oil pool. The township is rich in both oil and gas, almost all of it being found in the Gantz and 50-foot sands west of Washington and around the head of the basin northwest of Woodell. One of the most expensive fires around Washington was that of the gas from the great gas well of W. W. Price and brother in the central part of Canton Township, which boomed and roared for years, lighting the country for miles around. The operator would not use the gas because he con- sidered the royalty provided for the farm owner too high.

The first gas well struck near Washington is de- scribed in the Washington "Reporter" of April 30, 1884. A big flow of gas struck at the Hess well at noon; hundreds of persons visited the well a short time after the news was given out; gas changed from the main pipe into two-inch pipe pointed across the creek, then lighted; W. G. Gibson, contractor; drilling com- menced March 18, 1884; well drilled by Peoples Light and Heat Company; capital stock, $25,000; 250 shares; 21 stockholders; gas struck at depth of 2,068 feet; the great progress of Washington in wealth and population may be dated from this day.

This well on the farm of John C. Hess, Grant E. Hess, Esq., and sisters was about 200 yards up the creek

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

from the present location of the Tyler Tube and Pipe Company Mills. The Hess well where natural gas was first struck near Washington, and the wells which gave to the world the name "Gantz sand" and "Gordon sand" were all in that part of Canton Township which is now embraced in the Borough of Washington. These two sands are very prolific producers and Gantz sand wells hold up for many years.

The Gantz sand was discovered and named from the Gantz mill lot well, about 300 feet from and directly in front of the Chestnut street depot of the Chartiers Valley Railroad.

The Gordon sand took its name from the Gordon farm well developing a little deeper sand. The Gordon farm lay half a mile west of the Gantz mill lot and from it arises the name of the "Gordon Valley." This farm lay in the fork formed by Catfish stream and the branch of Chartiers Creek. Up the valley along this branch has been constructed the railroad familiarly known as the "Little Connecting Road." It was organized by Col. William P. Tyler, to carry freight between the Chartiers Valley Railroad (of the Pennsylvania system) and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, thus forcing the roads to receive freight from each other and giving ship- ping facilities over either railroad from the manufactur- ing plants up the Gordon Valley. This was a very wise arrangement and gives shippers the advantage of com- petitive rates both east and west.

A branch of the Wabash Railroad has been surveyed and much or all of the right of way has been obtained, leading from Avella station on the Wabash Railroad in Independence Township to a point near the Tyler Tube mill. A railroad line has been surveyed to the same mills from Wellsburg, up Buffalo Creek and Brush Run over the Davis Hill and down the stream through the village of Wolftown.

The Thayer well on the Clark farm adjoining the Hess farm at a point near the junction of Catfish with Chartiers Creek flowed over 2,000 barrels of oil daily when fresh.

One of the first wells to produce oil in the "Fifth Sand" was in this township. Fifth sand was not dis- covered for several years after the field began pro- ducing.

The Pittsburg or river vein of coal is found about 350 feet below the surface of land in this township near Washington.

Washington and Little Washington Coals-The Wash- ington coal is mined in Canton Township along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from Woodell Station to Washington, one of these or both the Washington and Little Washington coal beds are exposed in each cut. The lowest point at which the Washington coal was

found in outcrop is at the sandstone quarry one-fourth mile west of Woodell Station. Northward the steep rise of the rocks soon carries this coal well up toward the tops of the hills. It outcrops on the road uphill above the valley. On the Washington-Buffalo pike it is exposed at the top of the divide between Chartiers Creek and Brush Run. On the ridge road northwest from Wolftown the first outcrop of this coal occurs at a sharp bend in the road on the high point south of the residence of McClain Johnson, 110 feet higher than the outerop west of Wolftown. Half a mile farther on the coal shows again at least eight feet thick in front of the first house to the north of Mr. Johnson's. Along this ridge to the north the Washington coal underlies a narrow strip to the township line, and from this point northward along the eastern side of the ridge to the Mount Pleasant line west of Gretna. Its last outerop in this direction is on the nigh ridge road three-fourths . of a mile west of Gretna.

On the ridge road just west of Gretna the Waynes- burg coal is soft and shaly, with a total thickness of not over 14 inches. A little farther up the hill near the sharp bend to the west the Waynesburg "B" coal is exposed in a shaly bed of less than one foot in thick- ness. At this point the "B" coal is about 65 feet below the Washington coal. On the road west from Georges Run the Waynesburg coal, exposed at the foot of a steep hill, is less than two feet thick. At this point the distance to the Washington coal above is not less than 115 feet. The Jollytown coal is only six inches in thickness.

A number of the largest manufacturing plants of Washington are located outside the borough limits to the westward in Canton Township, namely: The Tyler Tube and Pipe Mill, McClure Tin Plate Mill, Griffith Charcoal Iron Tin Mill, Jessup Steel Plant, Washington Glass House, Hazel Glass House No. 2, Finley Clay Pot Works, The Capitol Paint and Varnish Company and The Beaver Refinery. The Railway Car Springs Works recently removed from the county. The above are all important industries, giving employment to a large number of men. There are near the limits of Washington in this township several stores as well as several miles of macadamized roads.

The majority of the citizens of the township are in- terested in general farming and gardening. Among the leading merchants are A. L. Farrar, Craig & Clay- ton, A. J. Knox and H. B. Forringer.

Officials: Justices of the peace, Zenas Wansetler and Squire Charlton; assessor, Alvin Weirich; collector, W. H. Boon; supervisors, James Wiley, John Eagleson, William Linn.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

CARROLL TOWNSHIP.

This township was formed September 30, 1834 from Nottingham and Fallowfield Townships. It was named by the viewers Knox Township, but the court changed the name to Carroll. It is situated in the great "Horse- shoe Bottom" formed by the Monongahela River. Its boundaries are the Monongahela River, Union Township and Monongahela City on the north, the Monongahela River and the Borough of Donora on the east, Fallow- field Township and the Monongahela River on the south and Nottingham and Fallowfield on the west. It is cen- trally distant 19 miles from Washington. Greatest length eight miles, breadth three miles.

Carroll Township is drained in the northern part by Mingo Creek and Dry Run and in the central part by Pigeon Creek and its tributaries. The land of this town- ship has always been noted for its fertility. It is under- laid richly with the Pittsburg vein of coal. The coal mines along the river have been operated since early days, as they always had transportation by river and have had railway transportation since 1873. Some of the earliest settlements in the Monongahela Valley were made in Carroll Township.

The total population of Carroll Township in 1900 was 2,626. In 1850 there were 1,469 inhabitants, in 1860 there were 1,907, in the year 1870 there were 3,178, in 1880, 2,064, and in 1890 there were 1,919.

The registration of voters in 1850 was 312; in 1903, 656, and in 1908, 1,002. The population was materially but temporarily decreased by the formation of the Borough of Donora in 1901, which has an estimated population of 8,000 at present. The value of the real estate of the township is $2,134,556, value of personal property $82,615; total, $2,216,901.

The Pittsburg, Virginia and Charleston Railway was completed from Pittsburg to Monongahela City in 1873. It was extended from Monongahela City to West Brownsville in 1881. It followed the course of the river throughout the township. This road passed into the control and management of the Pennsylvania Rail- road Company in May, 1879. It is known and operated as the Monongahela division of the P., C., C. & St. L. R. R.

The Ellsworth branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad connects Monongahela City with the mining towns of Zollarsville and Marianna in West Bethlehem Township. This road was constructed as far as Ellsworth about 1900 and extended to Zollarsville in 1907. A branch of this railroad has been surveyed up Innes Run to Ginger Hill to reach a coal field owned by Cleveland capitalists.

C. Mckay Watts, chief engineer for the proposed Mingo and Monongahela Railroad, has been in Monon- gahela and the surrounding territory lately securing

rights of way. It is planned to make the line a con- necting link in the Mingo Valley running from the mouth of Mingo Creek on the Pennsylvania road to Gilkeson Station on the Baltimore and Ohio.

The line will connect with neither road, however, and is an independent venture. If the line goes through it will mean the opening up of a coal field estimated at about 50,000 acres. Pittsburg and Monongahela capi- talists are behind the undertaking.

The Pittsburg and Charleroi Street Railway Com- pany, operated by the Pittsburg Railways Company, has constructed its trolley line through the township follow- ing the river a part of its course and then cutting straight across country, avoiding the "Horseshoe Bend" of the river and the Borough of Donora. The construc- tion of the Pittsburg, Monongahela and Washington Street Railway is about to be commenced. This line will start at Monongahela City and run through Carroll and Fallowfield Townships, to Bentleyville, Ellsworth and Cokeburg, crossing the National Pike near Scenery Hill, thence to the Marianna and on to Washington. The name of the company is the Pittsburg, Monongahela and Washington Railways Company.

The earliest petitions for roads in Carroll Township were those for roads from James Parkinson's to the Swearingen and Castner road in 1793, from the mouth of Pigeon Creek to Castner's Ferry (the site of the present manufacturing town of Donora) in 1800, from Samuel Black's Ferry to the Washington Road in 1800, from John Campbell's Ferry to Williamsport (now Monongahela City), and Castner's Ferry in 1814.

The Washington and Williamsport Turnpike traverses the northern part of the township between Monon- gahela City and Ginger Hill. The road was completed between Washington and Williamsport (now Monon- gahela City) soon after 1831. Toll was collected on this road until June 4, 1895, when the road was made free from toll. The whole 15 miles and 3,979 feet of this pike is to be repaired by the county, the plan hav- ing been approved by the grand jury, but the contracts not yet let. The cost of this undertaking is estimated at $151,629.00.

Carroll Township passed the cash road tax bill in 1906 in place of the former work road tax. The road tax for 1908 was 6 mills and $10,220.56 was collected.

In 1904 there were 133 miles of public highway in Carroll Township. The following county road has been approved by the grand jury, but the contract has not yet been let: Monongahela to Donora, a distance of two miles, 957 feet, estimated to cost $27,294.02. The Monongahela to Ginger Hill road was built by the county. It is practically completed and turned over to the county. It is three miles long and was built at an estimated cost of $31,904.68.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

Three miles of the Dry Run Road are under contract, and if favorable weather continues, the contractor should complete the work during 1909. The survey for the State Road between this city and Finleyville has been completed, and all the data has been forwarded to the State Highway Department, and it is believed that this improvement will be made within the next year.

This will make Monongahela the terminal point of one of the finest systems of improved and up-to-date roadways in the State. The Dry Run Road will be of macadam construction, the Donora Road will be of brick, one of the first in the county built by the county, while the projected improvement through to Finleyville will be of brick as far as the Riverview switch.

There are no commercial coal mines above Pigeon Creek in Carroll Township except the Catsburg, Ivil, Black Diamond and Schoenberger, which are near the mouth of the creek. The reason for the scarcity of mines along the river from Baird to Charleroi is found in the geologie structure, which would make mining ex- pensive, since the coal would have to be lifted up the slopes of the Bellevernon anticline, whereas the mines near the mouth of Pigeon Creek, located in the synclinal basin and extending their entries to the south and east, are drawing the coal down the slopes of the anticline. The coal has been well prospected in the bend below Charleroi. At three-quarters of a mile below North Charleroi the roof division has a thickness of 3 feet 3 inches, the main clay 11 inches, the lower division 5 feet 8 inches. In the northern part of the quadrangle the roof division becomes exceedingly complex, consisting of many thin alternating bands of clay or shale and coal. At the mouth of Pigeon Creek the coal is about 50 feet above the water, but it dips below water level within about a mile from the river and does not again rise above it. About three miles above the river it has been reached by the shaft of the Hazel Kirk mine at a depth of 85 feet below the flood plain of the creek. It is also reached by shaft by the Ellsworth Colleries Company above Bentleyville, several miles beyond the western limit of this territory and of Carroll Township.

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History of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens 20th century, Part 51

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