History of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens 20th century, Part 79

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 79

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The Pittsburg, Virginia and Charleston Railroad, an affiliated line of the Pennsylvania, the world's greatest

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

railroad, passes directly through the city, while the Pittsburg and Lake Erie traverses the opposite side of the Monongahela River, but affording shipping facili- ties from Charleroi to any point on the great Erie sys- tem or its outlets. To both these great railroads, and the river, is due to a great extent the remarkable in- dustrial growth and ever-increasing manufacturing de- velopment of Charleroi.

Probably the most important event of the year 1907 to the Monongahela Valley was the growth of the trolley systems which connect the many towns and make prac- tically one big city of them. During 1907 the link has been completed that connects Charleroi and Monessen, Westmoreland County, and when Donora is brought into direct communication with the other valley towns the chain will be complete. The lines which have just been opened are up-to-date in every particular and are oper- ated on correct principles.

The new $320,000 bridge, crossing the Monongahela River at North Charleroi, has made possible this develop- ment. Heretofore the only means of crossing the river was by bridge at Speers, or by ferrying, both means be- ing disagreeable in rough weather and consuming much time also. The new bridge is provided with two tracks and affords direct trolley communication between prac- tically every town in the valley with the exception of Donora. The Westside Electric Railway is now operating a regular schedule over the bridge, and by this line direct connections are made between the trolley lines of the west and east side of the river. The Westside line runs from Charleroi to the eastern end of the bridge where the tracks of the Webster, Monessen, Belle Vernon and Fayette City Company, composed of the same capi- talists, are used. Cars are run direct to Monessen and to Arnold City through Belle Vernon, Arnold City being two miles beyond Belle Vernon. On the Washington County side of the river, Monessen and Belle Vernon people make connections with the Charleroi division of the Pittsburg Railways Company which operates cars between Charleroi and Pittsburg on a half-hourly sched- ule. Local cars are also run to Roscoe, seven miles south of Charleroi, and as Monongahela is on the Pittsburg line a complete network joins these towns.

The developments west of Charleroi in this county will in time come to be a benefit to the valley, if present plans materialize. It has long been the dream of capi- talists to extend the Westside Electric Street Railway, now operating between Charleroi and Monessen, to Ells- worth and Bentleyville. It is bound to come in time, for the immense coal developments in that region make it imperative that some communication be established between these towns. The surveys have been completed for some time for this extension and numerous plans have also been on foot by capitalists of Monongahela

to establish trolley connections between that city and the Ellsworth region. All these developments are yet in their infancy and when the future brings about their accom- plishment there is no doubt about the greatness of the big industries that are sure to materialize. Altogether it is an alluring spectacle.

During the year 1907 the Charleroi Telephone Com- pany was successfully organized, and a system is now in operation in that city. The new company is capital- ized at $50,000, and although service has been supplied for but a few weeks, about 70 subscribers have taken advantage of it. The service is made possible by a modern plant which cost $35,000 to install. This in- cludes an up-to-date central office, where the central energy system is used, and the cables are all placed un- derground, the company's lines covering 14 blocks. H. L. Lamb is treasurer of these companies and is general manager of the whole.

The promoters intend to eventually add Monongahela and Donora to the system by the organization of similar companies, and plans are now progressing on a line from Charleroi to Washington, by which direct connections can be made with the county seat. The plans will be carried out as soon as possible. The company now gives service to Pittsburg by connections with the P. & A. 'phone in that city. The Bell Telephone is also used at Charleroi.

The gas company of Charleroi , while a separate or- ganization, was controlled by the same interests, until it was sold out to the Greensboro Gas Company. The water company, another organization, had the same course for its financial support for projectment. The electric light company, still another organization, se- cured its capital from nearly the same financiers. Its birth followed closely on the heels of the advent of the first company. It was called the Charleroi Electric Power Company.

As the town increased in population, the needs of more electrical power was manifest and to economize the cost of generating the electrical currents the com- pany changed its personnel who named the new concern the Monongahela Valley Electric Company. The merg- ing occurred in 1897 and since that time it has de- veloped into a large affair. It now supplies electricity for the street railway line, which operates cars between Lock No. 4 and Fayette City; furnishes power to illu- minate Monessen with arc lights and incandescents; gives similar quantities of electricity to Belle Vernon, Fayette City and California, besides liberally supplying the demands of Charleroi.

The Charleroi Water Company expects soon to build a filtration plant; another public service corporation is the Western Union Telegraph Company. The Adams Express Company has offices at Charleroi.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

SCHOOLS.

The borough was organized in June, 1892, and in Oc- tober of the same year the public schools were formally organized by Prof. J. A. Snodgrass. The township sup- plied a school prior to this time, but Prof. Snodgrass organized the first graded school.

As soon as the schools were organized, a building was erected at Fifth and Meadow Streets. It was built of brick and contained eight rooms. The population in- creased to such an extent that in 1896 an annex was built to it. The population still increased and in 1898 another school was built at Ninth Street and Mckean Avenue. This school has 11 rooms besides the offices, lecture room and several small rooms used for various purposes.

The borough has built four school buildings at an ex- pense of over $90,000, some costing as high as $25,000 each.

There were in 1908 in Charleroi, schools, 35; teachers, 40, (males 5, females 35) ; enrollment of pupils, 1,788; average number of months taught, 5; average salary of teachers per month, males $97.66, females $54.73; cost of each pupil per month, $1.68; number of mills on the dollar levied for school purposes, 9; estimated value of school property, $230,000.

Fire Department-The credit of the department, to a great extent, belongs to the efforts of Joseph S. Elliott, whose energy and adaptibility has won for him the friend- ship of the entire department.

The municipality has furnished the company with gum coats, hats and boots. The apparatus is in first-class condition, while the water supply is adequate to enable the department to cope with the most disastrous con- flagration. The city has a splendid team of horses for use in the hook and ladder truck.

The Daily Mail is a daily newspaper, owned and pub- lished by the Mail Publishing Company, of which T. P. Sloan is editor and manager. It was established in 1900 by W. H. and Robert Cramer. The former was its editor and manager until last February, when he sold his interests to the present company and retired.

T. P. Sloan purchased an interest in the Mail in 1902. At that time he was serving as county commissioner, having been elected to that office on the Democratic ticket three years previously. At the expiration of his term he became actively associated with the Mail, and a short time afterward secured the control and manage- ment of the establishment. The paper is independent Republican in politics and a member of the Monon- gahela Valley Press Association. The Charleroi Mirror is also published by the Mail Publishing Company. Both papers have a circulation of 1,500.

L'Union Des Travailleurs is a French newspaper es- tablisheu at Charleroi in 1900, and now has a circulation of 2,000.

For the year 1908 Charleroi ranked second in Wash- ington County according to bank deposits and postoffice receipts.

First National Bank of Charleroi-The First National Bank was organized in 1891, with a capital of $50,000. Its incorporators were J. W. Moore, W. D. Hartupee, James S. Mckean, A. M. Sloan and James K. Clark. The late Col. J. W. Moore, one of the incorporators, was its first president.

This bank was the first financial institution to be started in the town. The First National Bank building was the first brick building erected in Charleroi, and stands where 18 years ago was a cornfield on the farm of Robert Mckean. The building cost $20,000.

The development of the bank's business has been remarkable. It is plainly shown by the fact that the bank's deposits for the first year were $54,000, while in 1908 they were $671,603.49. Over 100 per cent has been given out in dividends to the original stockholders since the organization.

The president of this bank is J. K. Tener, repre- sentative to Congress from Washington County; vice president, S. A. Walton, and R. N. Rush, cashier.

Bank of Charleroi-The Bank of Charleroi was organ- ized January 24, 1894, with a capital stock of $75,000. Figures show plainly how steadily and rapidly the bank has grown. In the first eight years the bank earned $178,124.28, which amount was equal to 237.49 per cent on the capital stock, or on an average of 29.68 per cent for each year. It had paid in dividends $18,750. In 1908 this bank gave out the highest percentage of divi- dends of any State Bank or Trust Company in Wash- ington County, to wit, 10 per cent.

The president is T. L. Daly; vice president, J. C. MeKean; cashier, Kerfoot W. Daly, and assistant cashier, Samuel C. Todd.

The Charleroi Savings and Trust Company dates back to 1901, when the company was organized with a capital stock of $125,000. Since then it has built for itself a home costing in the neighborhood of $50,000, which was opened to the public January 31, 1903. It is located at the southeast corner of Fallowfield Avenue and Fifth Street and its architectural beauty adds very materially to the charm of the busy life of the Magic City.

Though the youngest bank in Charleroi, the company is in a rich and flourishing condition. Its resources in 1908 were $476,306.40.

The officers are George A. Mabeth, president; Jesse

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

K. Johnston, vice president; Joseph Underwood, second vice president ; J. K. Tener, secretary and treasurer, and E. W. Hastings, assistant secretary and treasurer.

Charleroi has six comfortably furnished and commo- diously appointed hotels. One of the first of these hostel- ries to be opened was the Hotel Monier, erected in 1899. The other hotels are Hotel Arthur, Hotel Charleroi, Hotel Walfred, Myford Hotel and The Wilbur.

There are six retail and one wholesale liquor estab- lishments in Charleroi.

The first hotel, Hotel Redd, was built out in the field several squares up the river from the center of the present town. It was the evening gathering place of the newly arrived glass workers and all the other newly ar- riving men, its bar counter being each night lined with men often three rows deep.

INDUSTRIES.

Charleroi is at present the natural center of the circle whose richness is as yet hardly sampled. Washington County is supplying the greatest part of that circle's richness, and the immense tracts of coal land bordering on the river and extending back into the country bid fair to yield their ever-increasing harvest of black dia- monds for years to come. The thick, rich vein of Pitts- burg coal which lies west of Charleroi is practically untouched. South of the Magic City, in the region of the Vesta and California mines, the vein is being rapid- ly worked out along the river, and in the same manner on the north the mines in the region of Monongahela are taking out thousands of tons. These mines, how- ever, are taking away only the borders of the area west of Charleroi which some day will be brought into promi- nence. The only outlet for this is that small river front- age directly at Charleroi, practically within the borough limits.

The town lies right in the heart of the great bitu- minous coal belt, with an abundance of natural gas as additional fuel.

About 20 years ago capitalists began to locate iron mills and glass factories along the edge of the Monon- gahela River at this point. This brought large crowds of skilled and well-to-do workmen and a city began to spring up in a community that was before but sparsely populated.

Since its organization up to May, 1903, it has paid out in cash and values over $100,000 as bonus for manu- facturers to locate their industries in Charleroi.

The Charleroi Chamber of Commerce, organized dur- ing 1902, has as its object the promotion of trade of Charleroi; to add to their business enterprises by en-

couraging manufacturers to locate here; the fostering of mercantile and manufacturing industries already es- tablished, and generally, through united effort, to ad- vance the industrial mercantile and municipal welfare of Charleroi. The organization will give substantial assistance to worthy business enterprises where there is an imperative necessity to do so. It is not the inten- tion of the Chamber of Commerce to give bonuses or cash donations to experimental enterprises.

Charleroi has developed into one of the leading ship- ping points in the Monongahela Valley. It is as a manufacturing city, that Charleroi takes precedence from a commercial standpoint, possessing as she does, some of the largest industrial plants of their kind in the world, and the city's importance in the world of trans- portation is being enhanced from year to year. At all hours of the day and night traffic by rail and water continues, trains and boats, ladened with manufactured goods, leaving the city bound to many points, near and remote, their destinations being inland, lake and sea- board.

The payroll of the factories of Charleroi is very heavy. The figures we quote below are approximately correct and are based on the number of men employed in the various plants and the average wage of the employes .

Macbeth-Evans Chimney Works. $ 45,000

Pittsburg Plate Glass Co. 30,000

Hamilton Bottle Works. 25,000

Hussey, Binns & Co., shovel works. 6,000

Charleroi Coal Works.

15,000

Henderson Coal Co.

6,000

Charleroi Lumber Co 10,000

Walton Lumber Co .. 3,000

Charleroi Brewing Co

2,000

Charleroi Brick Works.

1,500

Government Machine Shop.

3,500

Government employes. . 1,000

Other contractors and builders.

17,000

Total $170,000

The figures given above apply wholly to the industries proper of Charleroi.

Charleroi is pre-eminently a glass manufacturing town. Though there are a number of other industries, the domi- nant factor in the town's prosperity is the production of her glass houses. Chief among these is the great plant of the Pittsburg Plate Glass Company, the enterprise which created and gave growth to the magic city.

The first industry to locate in the town, the magnet which first drew together from all parts of the country the skilled and unskilled workmen, was the Charleroi Plate Glass Company. This gave employment to suf- ficient men to give Charleroi an envious population. It was through Mr. McKean's influence that this company located in Charleroi.

In 1896 germs of the consolidation of capital mani-

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

fested itself in this company and it was merged with other companies and called the Pittsburg Plate Glass Company. Following this industry were several similar corporations.

This factory is one of the leading industrial features of Charleroi, or of Washington County for that matter. It employs about 1,000 men and being well treated, they get along with their employers in the most harmonious way.

The plant turns out the famous Carrara glass. This glass is beautiful and of a high standard, and has be- come famous throughout the country. Mirror plate and plate glass of the regular and best kinds are produced at the factory. The fact is admitted all over the coun- try that the products of the Pittsburg Plate Glass Com- pany are at the top of the list.

R. M. Stillwell is superintendent of the factory. He is a highly esteemed official and is most certainly an able one. He formerly had charge of the company's Tarentum plant and made quite a flattering record there. He is popular with the employes.

Macbeth-Evans Chimney Factory-In 1894 the George A. Macbeth Glass Company located in Charleroi.

The Macbeth-Evans Glass Company has made exten- sive additions to its large plant, and is now operating with a weekly payroll of over $12,000, employing about 1,300 men.

The Macbeth-Evans Chimney Works, the largest fac- tory of the kind in the world, gives employment to hun- dreds of men, boys and girls. This is a magnificent plant, whose equipment is unexcelled and particularly as regards its sanitation. From a paper published in 1898 we take the following:

"Although the labor unions have gained a strong foothold in the valley, there is one big plant that has had enough and runs a non-union plant, and successfully, too. This is the big Macbeth-Evans chimney factory at Charleroi, where it will be remembered a great deal of controversy was aroused three years ago over the change from union to non-union operation. Considerable

talk was aroused the latter part of 1907 by the state- ment that the Macbeth plant would start up under union rules the first of the year, after the annual shut-down of two weeks for stock taking. An item stating this fact was published in a Marion, Ind., paper, the com- pany having one of its plants at that place, and the re- port naturally caused a great deal of comment among labor circles.

"The management has emphatically denied this, how- ever, and the plant will continue to run as heretofore. Thomas Evans, of the firm, made the statement that no such proposition had been made by the glassworkers' union, nor had the company made overtures to the union. The plant has been working steadily and peaceably for

the past three years, and as the men employed are all good workmen and their work entirely satisfactory to the company there is no immediate prospect of any change being made. The plants will without doubt be conducted in the future as they have in the past."

Hamilton Bottle Works-Another important industry is the Hamilton Bottle Works. This is one of the most complete and up-to-date plants in the manufacture of flint bottles of all descriptions in the country, and gives employment to a large number of skilled workmen and boys. The plant has greatly enlarged its capacity and has a payroll of $5,000 per week.

Charleroi Brick Works-One of the most important of Charleroi's industries is the making of bricks. Under- lying a large area of territory, adjacent to the city are many fine deposits of clay adapted to brick manufacture, and these have been taken advantage of to an extent that guarantees to builders and contractors an almost unlimited supply of this necessary building commodity. A majority of manufacturing buildings and dwelling houses in Monongahela Valley are built of bricks and the material for a large number of these were furnished by the Charleroi Brick Works. This company was or- ganized March 23, 1899, and purchased the interests of Mckean Bros., J. P. Grant and others. The output of the plant is from 25,000 to 30,000 brick daily. The vein of clay from which the works draw is over a 25 feet layer.

The Methodist Episcopal Church had its inception in Library Hall, Lock No. 4, under the care of Rev. W. E. Cummings, the pastor of the Venetia circuit, of which the Charleroi appointment became a part. At first the congregation was only a handful, but by degrees it grew until now it ranks among the largest in the Monongahela Valley. It was during the pastorate of Rev. Cummings that the site on which the church now stands was se- cured.

Rev. W. E. Cummings was succeeded by Rev. R. E. Mansell, D. D., under whose care the edifice now located on Sixth street was erected. The appointment then being made to sever from the Venetia circuit it was made a station and Rev. N. J. Jiles was appointed pastor. During his time a parsonage was erected and additional work done to the church. The additions cost $3,000.

The present handsome brick church building was erect- ed in 1907 at a cost of $20,000. The membership of the congregation is 375 and the pastor, Rev. A. M. Doak.

St. James A. M. E. Church-Its inception started in 1891 and since that time has grown wonderfully con- sidering the number of colored people residing in the city.

During 1891 Mrs. Rosa Strauthers and a few others,

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

feeling the necessity for a place of worship to be es- pecially their own, came together in a worshiping band and began holding meetings from house to house. The interest increased until the congregation felt the neces- sity of some one to preach to them. It decided to send for Rev. Peter Bowman, of Monongahlela. He respond- ed to the invitation and the first services were held at Charleroi, March 7, 1892, in a hall on Washington Ave- nue, occupied by various other church congregations.

On October 2, 1902, the congregation was favored by the presence of Rev. W. G. Ralph and Rev. W. H. Pal- mer, D. D., M. D. After the sermon the formal organi- zation of the church was effected according to discipline. Since that time the church has prospered wonderfully. The present membership is 46.

First Baptist Church-In September, 1902, while Rev. Maynard R. Thompson, a pastor at Jermyn, Pa., was spending his vacation in this section, he was provident- ially led to visit Charleroi. Becoming interested in the Baptist cause here, which up to that time had been sadly neglected, he called a few of the Baptist people together for Sabbath services on October 5. The out- come of those two meetings, was the organization of a mission, with about 20 members. Rev. Thompson re- turned immediately to his church in the east. The mis- sion continued regular Sunday afternoon services, invit- ing Rev. Trick, of Monongahela City, Rev. Hallowell, of Monessen, and others to come and preach. The faithful labors of these men greatly encouraged the hearts of the people. About November 1, Rev. Thompson offered to return and take charge of the work. The people having voted unanimously to receive him, he came with his family December 2, 1902, and took up the work as pastor.

Soon afterward, in 1903, the congregation was organ- ized. Since then a church has been built. The present pastor is Rev. J. H. Palmer. The number of members in the congregation is 85.

Slavish Roman Catholic Church-The Slavish Roman Catholic Church had its beginning with the organization of the St. Andreas Society which was organized about 14 years ago.

This society from which emanated the church was organized by a number of Slavish people. For several years the members occupied a hall. The society grew until it was compelled to secure the use of the Mountsier Hall. In January, 1903, the society had increased to such proportions that it was deemed advisable to organize a congregation, which was given the name, Slavish Ro- man Catholic Church. Since its organization it has purchased a piece of ground corner Tenth and Fallow- field Avenue on which was erected in 1902 a $20,000 edi- fice, which is one of the largest and finest in the city.

Rev. Alexander Kovach, of Austria-Hungary, was

called to the pastorate of the church, and he accepted, coming to this country for the sole purpose of taking charge of the new congregation. The church is a brick and frame structure and has two stories. The first story is the lecture room and the second floor the church proper.

Since Rev. Mr. Kovach the following rectors have served the congregation: Revs. M. Pekar, John Hodyc, John Gay, John Uhlarik, Francis Polivka.

Since the Slavish Roman Catholic Church was organ- ized four other foreign churches. have sprung up-the St. Jerome's Roman Catholic on the corner of Seventh and Washington Avenues, Rev. William D. Fries, rector; the Russian Orthodox, corner of Lookout and Eleventh Avenues, Rev. J. Sechinsky, rector; the Slovak Lutheran, 713 Lincoln Avenue, Rev. Andrew O'Lsavsky, pastor, and the Holy Ghost Greek Catholic, corner Ninth and Meadow Avenues, Rev. Emil Seregelly, rector.

Charleroi is represented by the following secret or- ders and societies :

Knights of Pythias, Knights of Columbus, Royal Arcanum, Independent Order Odd Fellows, Free and Accepted Masons, Patriotic Sons of America, Jr. Order United American Mechanics, B. P. Order of Elks, Knights of Malta, Knights Templar, Fraternal Order Eagles, Odd Fellow Encampment, Ancient Order Hiber- nians, Protective Home Circle, Tribe of Ben Hur, Mac- cabees, of the World, Ladies of Maccabees of the World, Daughters of Rebecca, Catholic Mutual Benefit Associa- tion and Turn Verein.

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History of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens 20th century, Part 79

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