USA > Pennsylvania > Carbon County > History of the counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pt. 2 > Part 29
USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of the counties of Lehigh and Carbon, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pt. 2 > Part 29
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The next are the pits of the Thomas Iron Company, | at Ironton, known as Nos. 1 and 2, which have al- ready been referred to as the oldest openings in the township. They have proven to contain the most valuable deposits of ore in this region. Between 1860 and 1880 there was taken from these two open- ings about three hundred and twenty-three thousand tons of clean, merehantable ore. How much was taken out before 1860 cannot now be told, although it is evident the quantity must be large, as mining at No. ; lease by the Bethlehem Iron Company.
found the David Ruch mine, opened about four years ago upon lands of Lewis Sieger, of which the aver- age annual yield for the last three years has been seven thousand tons. Southeast of Ruch's are the mines of Daniel Henry and Horace Guth. The de- posits here are not considered as large, although the ore is. of as good quality as those before mentioned. Next, and last, are the mines of the Sieger Brothers, at Siegersville, which were opened in 1840 by Samuel Sieger. The opening is large, and the mine is con- sidered one of the best in the county. It is held under
1 has been going on since 1826. Its present depth is A number of slate-quarries have been opened at various times all along Fell's and Mill Creeks, in the eastern part of the township, in the vicinity of Laury's Station. Only one of these is in active operation at one hundred and twenty feet. These two mines are : now regarded as practically exhausted, although there is still some ore to be found on the south bank of No. 1. Adjoining this is the mine owned by the heirs of ! present, that of Messrs. Crump & Brereton, on Mill Stephen Balliet, which has been worked for twenty- | Creek. This quarry was originally opened about
524
HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
1828, and it is claimed that this and the Union Slate- Quarries (of which more below) were the first quarries uncovered in this country. The opening of the North Peach Bottom Quarry was made, as stated, about 1828, by Jacob Dinkey, who manufactured roofing-slate of the best quality for about one year, when he leased the quarry to John T. Schofield. The latter operated it for another year, when it eame back into the hands of Dinkey, who then sold two-thirds interest in it to Anthony Preston, of Washington, D. C., and William Bailey, of Baltimore. This was on the 21st of Jan- uary, 1830, and they operated it for about fifteen years, when Jonas Rinker beeame the owner. Both he and his predecessors occupied themselves mainly with the manufacture of table-tops and mantels and trimnings for buildings, furnishing (among others) the dressing for the public buildings at Washington, D. C. In 1853, C. M. Ruuk, Esq., of Allentown, acquired the title of Mr. Rinker, and devoted himself to the full develop- ment of the quarry, and through his exertions the true value and character of the quarry were shown. Roof- ing-slate were now manufactured, and they were found to be of a quality unexcelled in the world. The North Peael Bottom Slate Company was formed about 1877, having obtained Mr. Runk's title, and continued opera- tions until February of this year (1884), when Messrs. John Crump and Richard Brereton, of Philadelphia, the present owners, purchased the quarries. They are now manufacturing ten squares of roofing-slate per day, and the slate have the best reputation of any in the market. They are of a deep unfading blue color, and for strength and durability are not surpassed by any in the world.
At the mouth of Fell's Creek, ten miles north of Allentown, the bed of the Lehigh presents a smooth and level surface, being slate-rock. The Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company built at this place a dam, fourteen feet high, which soon became widely known as the "Slate Dam." This attracted the attention of Mr. Thomas Lymington, an experienced slater, of Baltimore, who, in 1828, came to the Slate Dam in search of roofing-slate. About a mile west of the river, along Fell's Creek, he discovered a place where, in his opinion, rooting-slate might be found. He took a sample to Baltimore, and it was found good. Ile soon after leased a few acres of land and commenced quarrying. The same year the Baltimore Slating Com- pany was formed, with a capital of thirteen thousand dollars. They purchased the farm of one hundred and sixty acres, on which Mr. Lymington had his lease. Ile transferred his interest to the company, and a large quarry, under the name of the Union Slate- Quarries, was opened. The company operated the quarry with indifferent success for ten years, when they began leasing it to different parties, among them Messrs. Fell & McDowell, until 1849, when they sold all their interests to Messrs. Stephen Balliet, Jr., and Stephen Graff, who worked it for a time and then abandoned it. The slate produced were of a brownish | Peter Rinker, John Helfrich, Peter Grimm, and Henry
eolor, and were not of the best quality. An effort was again made, about 1872, by Messrs. Freeman, Knecht, and others, to operate the quarry, but it was found unprofitable, and was abandoned, and has since lain idle.
On Coplay Creek, about a mile south of Ironton, a slate-quarry was opened about 1868 by the Grant Slate Company, of which William Fry. Esq., of Tamaqua, was the president, who purchased fourteen acres of land from Henry B. Schadt. The slate formation was of the cement order, and were not used except for posts, mantels, ete. The quarry was discontinued after three or four years' operating, no market being found for the slate.
Large quarries of the best blue limestone are found along Coplay Creek, in the neighborhood of the old Grant Slate-Quarry. The stone is used for fertilizing purposes, and is also sold to the furnaces along the Lehigh. Those of Charles Lobach, of George Kleck- ner, and Lewis Falk, and of Monroe Newhard, Frank J. Newhard, and Solomon Rueh are the largest and most productive in the township. Smaller quarries have also been opened in other parts, as along Mill Creek.
Cement-stone is also found in the direction of Egypt, but has not been developed to any extent in North Whitehall. In the northeastern part of the township, especially upon the lands of Daniel Peter, vast fields of clean white moulding and building sand are found.
Roads and Bridges-The Ironton Railroad and Siegersville Extension .- It is very probable that the oldest road in the township is what is known as the old Mauch Chuuk road, leading from Allentown over the Blue Mountains to Manch Chunk, and passing through Ruchsville, Ironton, Ballietsville, and Union- ville. In the time of King George III. a public high- way was laid out from Philadelphia to the Buckhorn Tavern, at Shimersville, thence through Siegersville and Schnecksville to the country north, crossing the Blue Mountains at the Bake Oven Knob. In 1753, a road was laid out from the Bake Oven Knob to Allen- town, past Helfrich's Springs, in South Whitehall township. These were the principal of the old high- ways running north and south. A number ran in a westwardly direction from the Lehigh River, prinei- pal among which was the one from Siegfried's bridge to Kohler's mill, at Egypt ; thence to Ruchsville and Siegersville. On the 22d of September, 1761, a peti- tion was presented to the court of Northampton County for a road leading from Paul Polyard's tavern to Jacob Coller's mill, thence to Willson's mill, thence to Easton. It is probable that this is the highway, branching off from the Manch Chunk road about one-fourth of a mile below Ballietsville to Egypt, running thenee to Siegfried's bridge, crossing the Lehigh there and proceeding to Easton. On the 4th of May, 1813, George Yundt, Esq., Jacob Mickley,
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NORTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP.
Schneider, viewers, appointed at the preceding ses- sions to lay out a road to lead from Siegfried's ferry up the river Lehigh through the lands of Conrad Leisen- ring, David Miller, Peter Lobaeh, George Scheurer, and Jolin Metzger to the publie road leading from Stephen Balliet's to Neiglehardt's ford, at the bank of said river, reported the road as laid out.
In the northern half of the township the soil is of a slaty shale formation, and the road beds in this por- tion, which is called " the Gravel," are not surpassed by any macadamized or paved way. At all seasons of the year and in any kind of weather they present the same smooth, well-drained surface.
The Jordan Creek flows through the western portion of the township, and is crossed by three or four small bridges. The Coplay Creek flows in a southern direc- tion nearly through the entire length of North White- hall, and near the southern boundary line deflects eastwardly. There is one small covered stone bridge over this stream, near Maj. Thomas Rueh's; it was erected in 1833, at a cost of four hundred and twenty- five dollars.
The Lehigh River forms the greater portion of the eastern boundary line of North Whitehall, but no bridge at present crosses the river within the limits of the township. An effort was made about 1831 to build one at Kuntz's ford, and a company was formed for that purpose, but the project failed of ac- complishment. Lately a charter has been obtained by a new association for a like purpose, and twelve thousand dollars have been subscribed towards the expense of building. The corporation is now re- ceiving proposals for the work upon the bridge, which is to be of iron, and is to be located at Cherry Ford, about one mile north of Lanry's,
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The Ironton Railroad extends through the southern and central portions of the township. Its termini are Ironton and Coplay, and its course follows in the main that of Coplay Creek. The contract to grade it was awarded about the latter part of July, 1859, and work was begun in the following month. The con- 1 struction of the road was divided into five sections, of .: Schmidt, Edwin Deibert, and Sylvester Woodring.
about one mile each. The contract for building the first two was given to James Andrews, of Mauch Chink ; for number three, to William Andrews; and for sections four and five, to Messrs. Chapman, Simp- son & Brady. The road was projected by and built under the personal superintendence of Tinsley Jeter, Esq., then of Philadelphia, and now of Bethlehem, Pa., and it was intended for the convenient transpor- tation of iron ore from the beds at fronton, and of limestone from Coplay Creek to the furnaces along the Lehigh River.
The Siegersville Branch of the Ironton Railroad was graded in 1861, and put into running order carly the following year. It is abont three and one-third miles in length, and follows closely the course of Cop- lay Creek, along the southern boundary line of the township, to the ore-beds at Siegersville, for the pur-
pose of conveying the produets of which it was con- structed.
Mr. Jeter first sold a part of his interest in these roads to E. W. Clark & Co., who afterwards disposed of it to Robert Lennox Kennedy. About 1866, Mr. Jeter and Mr. Kennedy owned the whole of the roads, and in that year the latter became the sole owner, and so continued until the Ist of February, 1882, when he sold all his interest in the roads, as well as in the mines at fronton, to the Thomas Iron Company, the present owners.
The Villages of North Whitehall are Ballietsville, Unionville, and Neffsville ( which in reality form only one, commonly known by the former name, but called by the latter by the postal department), Ironton, Ruchsville, Siegersville, Schnecksville, Laury's, Roek- dale, and Kernsville.
Ballietsville is the oldest. It lies near the eentre of the township, upon land formerly owned by Paulus Balliet, after whom it is named. He settled here in 1749, and possibly converted a portion of his dwelling- house into a hotel a few years after; for the old court records show that a license was granted to him to keep a hotel on the 22d of June, 1756, and again at June term, 1759. It was built of logs, and in later years was weatherboarded. It was known as the Whitehall Hotel. Standing on the old Mauch Chunk road it attracted considerable custom, and its sign of the flowing bowl cheered the heart of many a traveler of the olden days. It was also a post station for many years, where the daily stage coaches changed horses, until David Frantz's hotel, about three-fourths of a mile above, was substituted for that purpose. The old log hotel stood until 1840, when the main portion was torn down by Stephen Balliet, Jr., and the present brick edifice erected in its place. The residue of the house, comprising the kitchen, was leveled about April of the present year (1884). The landlords fol- lowing Paulus Balliet were Stephen Balliet, Paul Bal- liet (since 1857), Dr. Jesse Hallman, John Schantz, Joel Lentz, David Kline, Charles Lemberger, John
In connection with the hotel a store was also gener- ally kept by the landlords, beginning with Paul Bal- liet in the frame building immediately below the present store. This store stand is one of the oldest in the county, and in its time took the lead of all other country stores for doing business. Before the Revolution it was a station from which the Indians received their supplies. It was kept also by Stephen Balliet, Paul Balliet alone and in partnership with Dr. Jesse Hallman, John Newhard, John G. Wink & Co., and others, and is now kept by Benjamin Ritter & Brother.
From the earliest times a post-office was estab- lished here, the only one in Whitehall township. It was known as Whitehall post-otlice, and later as North Whitehall post-office. Abont 1861 it was re- moved to Ironton, but after a short interval retrans-
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526
HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
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ferred to Ballietsville. Among the postinasters have been Stephen Balliet, who held the office for nearly his entire lifetime, and up to the time of his death ; Paul Brown, Stephen Groff, with Charles Lemberger as assistant, for sixteen years; and John Newhard for six years ; Benjamin Ritter is at present the post- master.
About 1840 the polling-place for the township was removed from Hersh's tavern, about three or four miles west of Ballietsville, to the village, where all township elections have since been held.
The tannery was built by Nicholas Seager in 1794. It was afterwards owned and operated by Peter Graff (who purchased it from Seager in 1801), after him by Stephen, his son, and then passed into the hands of Allen Handwerk. It is now the property of Edwin Kuhns.
The people of Ballietsville and the vicinity were always eager for the promotion of educational mat- ters. They early ereeted a log school-house in the ' valley along the road leading to Siegersville. This ; gave way to the brick building erected by the Eng- lish School-House Society, and the latter was used for twelve years, until its foundations began to weaken, when it was transformed into a dwelling-house, and the school transferred to the top of the hill.
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Ballietsville is pleasantly located on several small hills, and is well supplied with the springs of pure water which form part of the sources of Coplay Creek. It has about a dozen dwellings, and its popu- lation in 1880 was fifty-four. Among the residents are Samuel A. Brown, Paul Balliet, Aaron Balliet, P. Frank Brown, and Franklin P. Mickley, Esqrs., all of whom occupy fine houses, perched on the slopes of the hills.
Unionville and Neffsville .- These two villages in reality form but one place, to which the former name was always given, until the Post-Office Department gave it the latter name, since which time it has been known indiscriminately by both. They are situated in the northern part of North Whitehall, near the Washington township line. Jacob Snyder built a residence here, in the vicinity of the Union Church, in 1815, which he sold to John Ringer, who received a license to keep a hotel in 1821, at which time he transformed the old Snyder dwelling-house into a tavern, and continued in that business till his death, in 1831, when the property was bought by Peter Butz. The latter was the landlord till 1847, when he was succeeded by David K. Watring, who has kept the hotel since that year, becoming the owner of the property in 1869. The store is older than the hotel, its origin dating from 1815. It has been kept by John Ringer, Stephen Ringer (his son), Enoch Butz, Abra- ham Woodring and Solomon Boyer, Eli Kuhns and Daniel Woodring, and since 1847 by David K. Wat- ring, the landlord.
Netl'sville is named after Abraham Neff, who lived here and carried on the coach-making business for |
many years, and who, about 1840, laid out the village. In 1855 he received a license to keep a hotel in the house built by Andreas Hausman. He has been suc- eceded as landlord by his sons, Edward and Peter Neff, and by Nathan Eck, and the hotel is now kept. by Lewis Bittner. A store was opened in the spring of this year by Andreas & Cole. The business of stone-cutting is carried on by Frank Schlosser, and P. & R. Semmel are engaged in the tannery business. There are also two coach manufactories, conducted by Wright & Shoemaker and by Frantz Brothers.
Abraham Neff was the first postmaster, and con- tinued in service, with Clinton Metzger as assistant, until his death, in 1881, when Frank Schlosser, the present postmaster, was appointed.
Neffsville is the terminus of a mail-route and coach- line from Allentown, carried on by Abraham Mosser.
There are seventeen dwellings at Neffsville, and the village has telegraphic connections.
Ironton is a village of comparatively recent origin. It is located in the heart of the iron district and in the midst of the ore-mines, to the development ot which industry it owes its origin and growth. Mining had been going on here sinee 1835, but it was not till 1859-60 that it was carried on with vigor. In that year Tinsley Jeter, Esq., of Bethlehem, Pa., laid out the village in regular building-lots, which were rap- idly taken by the laborers in the ore-mines, and it may be said Ironton was built up in one year.
In 1860, Horaee Balliet erected a brick hotel and store building, and he has since been the landlord and storekeeper, as well as the postmaster. The other hotel, kept by Joseph Koeher, was formerly the dwelling-house of Adam Scheurer, who originally owned the land upon which fronton is located, and who erected this house in 1778. It was licensed as a hotel in 1858, and was kept for a number of years by Abraham Lueas. He and a few Germans and Irish comprised the first residents of Ironton.
Deep excavations at the northern extremity of the village mark the ore-pits of the Ironton Railroad Company, the terminus of whose line, extending from Coplay on the Lehigh Valley Railroad, is at this point.
There is a school-house here, and a Catholic chapel. The dwellings number forty-nine, and the population is two hundred and seventy-seven.
Ruchsville is situated at the intersection of two of the oldest roads in the township, and up to the time of the construction of the Lehigh Valley Railroad was one of the liveliest villages in the county. The old hotel stood on the same ground as the present one, and was built by John Saeger about 1800. It afterwards passed into the possession of John Troxell, and later of Lawrence Troxell, who were also for some time the landlords. The latter was succeeded by Gen. Peter Ruch, an active militia officer, after whom the place was named. In his time all the bat- talion musters and military parades were held at
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NORTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP.
Ruehsville. It was also the seene of many a fair and tionary war, the Sieger farm-house was early found to be a convenient stopping-place for travelers on the highway, and it was, therefore, soon converted into an inn. It is said to have been the first country hotel in the county. After the death of Melchior Sieger the old hotel and store were enlarged with a stone addition, and were kept by his son, Samuel, after him by Michael Sieger, and then by Elias Sieger. It was abandoned as a hotel and store about 1856, when the present brick hotel, kept by Franklin Schlauch, on the opposite side of the street, was erceted, the store being removed to its present location on the corner, diametrically horse-race, the course for the latter extending from the eross-roads down the Egypt road to William Ruch's house, which was a distance of exactly one mile. On these occasions many people were attracted from near and far, many of them coming long before dawn of the gala day. Gen. Ruch was succeeded as landlord by his son, Thomas Ruch, and the latter by Eli Steckel, both of them militia captains of no sinall renown. Reuben Bahl was then the innkeeper, and on his discontinuing the business it passed, in 1858, into the hands of Owen Schadt. The latter ereeted the present three-story double brick tavern in ; opposite. The old building still stands, and is used that year, and has been the landlord continuously for as a shoe-factory, tinware-shop, and as a dwelling- house. thirty-six years. Mr. Sehadt also built the briek store building opposite to the hotel, in 1860, and be- The store has been kept by George Miller, Michael Seligsohn, John Faust, Aaron Eisenhard, Thomas Ruch, and Frank Guth, and is at present conducted by A. Vietor Diefenderfer. sides this and the hotel, has ereeted a brick barn and two double frame houses. The store has been sue- eessively kept by David Kaull, David Scholl, Edmund Erdman, Alfred Ruch, Henry Kern, then by Erd- man & Brother, and is now again conducted by Ed- mund Erdman.
The post-office building is next to the store, and was established about 1844. The storekeepers were generally also the postmasters. The list includes Hiram Kaull, Martin Scipel, and Owen Schadt, after whose term the station was removed to Mechanics- ville, about half a mile below. After it was re-trans- ferred to Ruchsville, Mr. Schadt again became the postmaster. After another removal to Mechanicsville it was finally transferred to Rnchsville, where it now remains, with Mr. Alfred Rueh as postmaster, and Mr. Sehadt as his deputy.
There are altogether about eighteen houses in Ruehsville, and the population, according to the last census report, was ninety-two. The village is con- nected by telegraph with neighboring communities, and efforts are being made at present to establish telephonie communication besides.
Siegersville lies partly in North Whitehall and partly in South Whitehall townships. It is located on land originally owned by the first of the Siegers, namely, Melchior Sieger, who settled here about 1750, if not earlier, being attracted to the spot by the never- failing springs of water and the abundance of serub- oak among the heavier timber, to clear which required a less expenditure of time and labor. About that year he built a residence of rough hewn logs, the floor and sides of which were packed with smaller timber and plastered with mud. It was used both as a dwelling, granary, and store-house, and as a fortress for the protection of the neighborhood against the assaults of the Indians, being provided for that purpose with narrow port-holes. Being located on the old road leading from Philadelphia to the Buckhorn Tavern, at Shimersville, thence through Siegersville to the Bake Oven Knob on the Blue Mountains, and thence to the country beyond, which road was laid out in the time of King George III. long before the Revalu-
Siegersville was made a post-office about the 28th of February, 1833, and Elias Sieger appointed the first postmaster. His successors in the office have been Aaron Eisenhard, George Roth, Frank Guth, and A. Victor Diefenderfer, who holds it at present.
The village is surrounded by iron-ore pits, and the operations at these sustain in part its life and activity. Being situated at the intersection of two main thor- oughfares, it has always been a thriving place, inde- pendent of the support derived from the ore-mines, and in the olden days it was the scene of many a festal gathering. One especially is remembered,-a grand celebration on the 4th of July, 1817, which was en- livened by the presence of Capt. Keller's rifle com- pany. On that memorable occasion Gen. Henry Mertz presided, and John Sieger, Esq., was the vice-president. The Declaration of Independence was read by George S. Eisenhard, and a staggering number of toasts were drunk, and patriotie speeches by the dozen were made. Siegersville had also always been a great rallying- place during political campaigns. The village has tele- graphie communication, and the Siegersville Branch of the Ironton Railroad connects it at Coplay with the Lehigh Valley Railroad and the great outer world of commerce.
A school-house stands at the upper end of the vil- lage, in the upper story of which services have been occasionally held by Rev. E. J. Fogel and others for the past score of years.
Siegersville had in 1880 one hundred and sixty in- habitants. Its dwelling-houses number thirty or thirty-five, and among them is the residence of Hon. Amandes Sieger, at present a member of the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania. The village owes its greatest and earliest improvement to Squire Jolin Sieger and his brother, Michael, the former of whom conducted a large tannery here.
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