History of the counties of McKean, Elk, Cameron and Potter, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections; including their early settlement and development; a description of the historic and interesting localities; sketches of their cities, towns and villages biographies of representative citizens; outline history of Pennsylvania; statistics, Part 110

Author: Leeson, M. A. (Michael A.) comp. cn; J.H. Beers & Co., pub
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1320

USA > Pennsylvania > McKean County > History of the counties of McKean, Elk, Cameron and Potter, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections; including their early settlement and development; a description of the historic and interesting localities; sketches of their cities, towns and villages biographies of representative citizens; outline history of Pennsylvania; statistics > Part 110
USA > Pennsylvania > Potter County > History of the counties of McKean, Elk, Cameron and Potter, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections; including their early settlement and development; a description of the historic and interesting localities; sketches of their cities, towns and villages biographies of representative citizens; outline history of Pennsylvania; statistics > Part 110
USA > Pennsylvania > Elk County > History of the counties of McKean, Elk, Cameron and Potter, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections; including their early settlement and development; a description of the historic and interesting localities; sketches of their cities, towns and villages biographies of representative citizens; outline history of Pennsylvania; statistics > Part 110
USA > Pennsylvania > Cameron County > History of the counties of McKean, Elk, Cameron and Potter, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections; including their early settlement and development; a description of the historic and interesting localities; sketches of their cities, towns and villages biographies of representative citizens; outline history of Pennsylvania; statistics > Part 110

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The lease by the Mckean & Elk Land Improvement Company to Hiram D. Faulkner, Courtney Schenck and W. W. Baldwin was made December 23, 1864. This document provided that their lands in Elk, Cameron and Mckean should be divided into three parcels of about 12,000 acres each, and leased for three years to the persons named, the consideration being the sinking of a well on each parcel to a depth of 600 feet, unless oil be struck at a lesser depth, and a strict geological record of the strata penetrated in each parcel. Of course regulations for carrying on the oil trade, etc., were made. The lessees in this case at once assigned to the Kinzua Petroleum Company .... W. B. Carskadden leased from F. J. Housler in December, 1864, and subsequently rented large tracts from Benjamin Lewis, F. A. Lewis, A. A. Eddy, William Lewis, N. Britton, M. Lewis, Aden Housler and S. B. Fairchilds & Co., all in Shippen township.

The Emporium and Cherry Run Oil & Mining Company was incorporated June 14, 1865, with J. M. Judd, S. H. Storrs, Paul Felt, Amos Fenton, G. C. Manley, C. C. Fay, John H. Dyer and George Metzger, members. The loca-

extensive lumbering and saw-mill plants in the United States, located at Ashland, Wis .. on Lake Superior. in the fall of 1889. The purchase includes 40,000 acres of pine lands, saw, lath and planing-mill. The mill has a capacity of 150,000 feet per day, and is operated day and night.

IS Wiley

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HISTORY OF CAMERON COUNTY.

tions selected for operating were Shippen and Gibson townships ... . In Jan- uary, 1865, F. H., J. B. and W. M. Smith, H. W. May and others rented from Ralph MI. Williams a tract for oil well purposes; also from Thomas Logue, Isaac Bowen, James Gorman, George Goss, C. C. Lyman, and William Wykoff, of Grove township ... . In August, 1865, P. H. Mason, of Gibson township. leased to William W. Elliott his lands, which lease he assigned to the Sinne- mahoning Oil & Mining Company ... . In January, 1865, Robert Richey leased oil lands in Lumber township to E. B. Eldred; Joseph Moore, in Shippen township, to A. McCormack: T. L. Mercereau, in same township, to E. P. Stars; H. F. Sizer and William L. Ensign to Hunsicker, Annable & Co., in same township. In March, 1865, Elihu Lewis leased to the Otsenings Oil & Mining Company his lands in Shippen township. This company also leased L. T. More's land.

The Portage Creek Petroleum Company was incorporated February 23. 1865, with John H. Lewis, James W. Husted, Augustus Maroo, William Allen, Charles Johnson, G. A. Poppe, Eli Osborn, C. B. Fisk, William Poppe, H. A. Phillips, Edwin Hillyer and George W. Wilson, stockholders. The business of the company was to be carried on at Smethport and near Emporium. The first tract leased by this company was that on Warrant 1196, from C. Weller, the second from William Ensign, and in March, 1865, the tracts hitherto leased by Hunsicker, Annable & Co .... George Metzger leased lands in Portage Township from H. F. Sizer in April, 1865, and Jacob Stahlschmidt from Daniel Miller, of Gibson Township, James Bailey, of Grove, Levi and John Hicks, Mrs. Barr, A. Dent and Henry Mix, of Gibson.

In April, 1872, the Emporium Oil & Mining Company, through Vice- president S. T. Smith and Secretary W. N. Taber, leased oil lands from W. L. Ensign, E. D. Sizer, Daniel Barr, C. S. Robison, Fred Smith, N. P. Minard, D. Burlingame, Louisa A. Shepherd, Hiram Havens and Samuel Lucore. ... In March. 1877, F. Prentice leased oil lands in Shippen Township, from Phelps & Matteson, H. M. More, C. B. and William Howard, William Andrews, L. G. Cook, N. P. Minard, James Hobson, C. C. Craven, A. Russell, M. B. Edsall, J. R. Buckwalter, J. T. Lanning, G. Bliss, Phil. Lewis, S. S. Hacket. B. Sweazey, W. S. and R. K. Cross, N. H. Parker, Franklin Hausler, John S. Wiley, H. Martin & Co. and C. L. Hathaway. The leases for about 1.800 acres were obtained by Hughston, the agent of Prentice. The latter failed in business shortly after, but Hughston essayed to carry out his intentions. and in September exploration was begun near the mouth of Salt run. How much capital was invested in such ventures has never been estimated, but the disap- pointments have been many, and in some cases disastrous.

The Shippen Coal Company was incorporated April 1, 1864, with Joseph Leslie, Samuel Wood, Charles M. Hall, J. W. Clark and Amos C. Noyes, stock- holders, each of whom claimed 10,000 shares of $10 each. The object was to develop the mineral deposits in lands within the boundaries of Warrant 5556. and part of Warrant 5464. In 1863 John Brooks and E. B. Eldred sold to a company organized in the city of New York, under the name of the Cameron Coal Company, an extensive tract of land comprising 2,200 acres, near the vil- lage of Cameron, for the sum of $90,000. The company from time to time endeavored to work the mines, and employed quite a number of men, but for various causes -notwithstanding they had coal of an excellent quality. and in large quantities-did not succeed. In May. 1866, their engineer. M. L. Davis. was driven from the works by the angry miners, so that unpopular employes as well as an unpopular system of payment ruined this old-time coal industry. In May of this year the company advertised as follows:

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HISTORY OF CAMERON COUNTY.

THE CAMERON COAL COMPANY,

CAMERON, PENN.

Miners of Fine Bituminous Coals,

Suitable for Locomotives and Steam purposes aud of Superior quality for Gas, highly approved by Iron Founders and Blacksmiths, and as a Fuel for Grates it has no Superior. Also offer for sale, from their Steam Mills,

PINE. OAK AND HEMLOCK BOARDS, And PINE SHINGLES, PICKETS AND LATHS.

Orders Received for Sawing Bill Stuff.

H. B. VAN BENTHUYSEN, Superintendent.

In May, 1866, the Canoe Run Coal & Lumber Company entered into com- petition with the Cameron Coal Company. L. H. Simpson & Co., of New York, were the proprietors. The location was near the village of Cameron . ... In later years the Cameron Iron & Coal Company came to develop the coal and iron deposits of the county. In July, 1887, this company contracted with John Haas to take out 2,000 perches of stone from the monntain, near the water tank, one and one-half miles east of Emporium for their buildings, and, as stated in the history of the county seat, established their furnaces soon after. In 1889 the coke-ovens were built, the iron works enlarged and the coal deposits worked .... The Northwestern Pennsylvania Natural Gas Com- pany was chartered January 15, 1886. One of the articles provided for the construction of a pipe line through the counties of Elk, McKean, Forest, Potter and Cameron.

In the chapter on railroads, reference is made to the meetings held in early days to foster railroads and to the results. In 1864 the Philadelphia & Erie road was completed. In 1872 the Buffalo road was completed to East Em- porium. John A. Miller, an engineer on the Buffalo division of the Erie. from 1863 to 1872, entered the employ of the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad Company in the latter year, and hauled the first schedule trains-Local Freight Nos. 11 and 12, into Emporium. In 1873 he took charge of Loco- motive No. 38, and pulled the passenger trains Nos. 4 and 1, until May 1, 1889, when he retired. In May, 1869, the depot at West creek was discon- tinued, and one at Swift's mill established.

The following is a correct list and classification of retailers of foreign and clomestic merchandise, spirituous liquors, etc., within the county of Cameron, for the year 1866.

Emporium borough .- Mather & Wiley, tax $40; S. S. Hacket, $25; S. H. Storrs, $12.50; J. P. Felt, $12.50; Peters & Doan, $12.50; George Metzger. 87; C. Henman, $7; A. H. Boynton (assignee of Dyer & Morton), $7; John Wier, $7.

Milliners. - Miss A. M. Cole, $7; Miss Kate Zacharias, $7; Mrs. Joel Shives, $7; Mrs. Amos Chandler, $7.

Dealer in spirituous liquors. - A. H. Boynton, $25.

Shippen township. - L. T. More, $10.

Cameron. - Cameron Coal Company, $25.

Sterling Run. - B. J. Earl, $15.

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HISTORY OF CAMERON COUNTY.

Driftwood. - B. Jay & Co., $15; John Earl, 87; Asa Ingalsbee, $7.

Sinnemahoning. - George B. Barclay, $20; D. P. Baird, $12.50.

The Shippen Cemetery Company was incorporated July 7, 1875, Philip Lewis, M. Wright, J. W. Ingram, J. C. Lewis and Richard Chadwick repre- senting the company.

Cochran post-office was established in July, 1887, one and one-half miles east of Beechwood, and named Truman.

Beechwood is a very neat village, and round the depot, well improved, the mills of Hall & Kaul, at this point, form an important industry, and large piles of lumber, covering a wide area, tell of their capacity .... Truman is another busy milling village. The pretentious depot at this point, and the mills and lumber-yard on the opposite side of the track, tell of the extent of milling in- dustry at this point ... . Howard is the name given to the site of Howard's. upper mills. . .. At West Creek the old sash and blind factory is idle, but the mills of Hall & Kaul are in operation.

The elections for Shippen township in February, 1890, show John M. Wise. Jr., and E. E. Smartwood to be chosen supervisors; N. P. Minard and Jolin W. Lewis, school directors; C. C. Craven, poor-master; Henry Lyons, clerk ; William Thomas, auditor, and John Adams, constable.

BOROUGH OF EMPORIUM.

* The first citizen within the present limits of the borough of Emporiun was John Earl. In the month of May, 1810, John Earl started with his family from Otsego county, N. Y., for Ohio. Edward Shippen and Mr. Allen were on their way up the river, with men and horses, to some lands owned by them, at the mouth of North creek, and Earl sent his son, John Earl, then only ten years old, and a younger son, named William, with them, he intending to follow in a short time with the rest of the family. As the party came up the river, the first citizen whom they found within the present limits of Cameron county was Stephen Berfield, a hunter, living at the mouth of the First Fork, in a log house. The party took dinner with Berfield, and were served with bear's meat, Berfield having killed a fine bear that morning. There were no other settlers at that point, and no one living up the First Fork except George Logue and family, residing in a log house about two miles up the stream. After leaving Berfield's, they next came to the log house of Birge, between Sinnemahoning and Driftwood. Mr. Birge was busy planting corn when they came up, and had quite a little clearing, having lived there three or four years. Here they first saw a native of Cameron county in the shape of a large rattlesnake, lying in the road beside the fence; one of the party dismounted, and drawing a sword-cane, ran it through his snakeship's head.

At Driftwood they found Overturf and family, living in a hewn- log house, near the point between the Driftwood and Bennett's branch, and John Jordan on the right bank of the Driftwood. Up Bennett's branch there was only one family, William Nanny, who lived about two miles above Driftwood. As they came up the Driftwood, the next settler was Andrew Jordan, who had a small clearing, and lived in a small log house on the first flat, about a mile and a half below Hickory bottom; he had been there one year. The next and last settler was John Spangler (father of " Chris" Spangler), who had moved in two or three weeks before, and was living on what is now known as the "Strawbridge farm," above Sterling Run. He had not had time to put up a house, but had put up some poles, and covered them with bark, and was living in the " camp"

* Compiled from the Centennial sketches of John Brooks, J. B. Newton and Dr. Lanning, and from original records.

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HISTORY OF CAMERON COUNTY.

thus formed, until he could get his house up. There were no settlers above Spangler's, none on the Portage, and none on West creek; so at that time, May, 1810, the only settlers within the country were those mentioned above- in all seven families.

After leaving Spangler's, the party continued on up the Driftwood, passing the present site of Emporium, which was then a "howling wilderness," and arrived at the mouth of North creek at 1 or 2 p. M. Here they found a log storehouse, called "Elliott's store," built by Elliott, who opened the State road from Big Island, below Lock Haven, up the Driftwood, and through to Erie. This road was built by the State for the accommodation of immigrants going west. At "Elliott's" the party stopped, and young Earl and his brother remained several days, waiting for their father to come up, and continue the journey west. On the arrival of Earl, with the balance of his family, Edward Shippen and Allen, who owned a large amount of land in what was then called Sergeant township, but which is now called Shippen, prevailed upon him to remain, offering as an inducement for him to settle here, fifty acres of land for himself, and fifty acres each for the boys, John and William. Mr. Earl finally accepted the offer, and at once went to work and put up a house at the mouth of the run, where Housler's steam saw-mill was afterward built, about a mile and a half above Emporium. This was the first dwelling house built in the county above Hickory Bottom. Earl's nearest neighbor-besides Allen, who located in Elliott's storehouse, at the mouth of North creek-was John Spang. ler, just above Sterling Run. Earl lived here during the summer of 1810, and cleared about twenty acres of land. In the fall he commenced building the first house ever put up in Emporium, and in January, 1811, completed it, and moved in, thus becoming the first settler in Emporium. The house was located southeast of the Buffalo, New York & Pennsylvania Railroad passenger depot. and very nearly on the site of Seneca Freeman's new dwelling house. In 1811 Earl cleared off the point of land between the Driftwood and Portage creeks, and in 1812 he had some eighty or ninety acres cleared.

In 1811 two families, those of Phineas Perry and Charles Maston, came in. and settled at the mouth of North creek. In 1811-12 John W. Housler and family came from New Jersey, and settled near where Joseph Housler now lives. In 1812 William Wardle came in, and built a grist-mill at the mouth of Clear creek, bringing the stones up the river in a canoe. It was a small mill, grinding about ten bushels as a big day's work. Mr. Earl says that, when a boy, he usually had to take his father's grist to the mill, and ordinarily had to wait through the night to get it ground. In 1813 or 1814 Elihu Chadwick settled at North creek, building a saw-mill at that place-the first in the county. It had a single upright saw, and would cut not to exceed two thousand feet of lumber a day. The Indians had all left this section of the country when the first settlers located in Emporium, and. although they would gen- erally return winters to hunt, no one was ever molested by them. The war of 1812 15 does not seem to have affected or disturbed the few people then liv- ing here, as we learn that no one volunteered or was drafted from the town. In 1814 and 1815 times were hard, and no settlers came in.

When Earl arrived, in 1810, there was a State road from the mouth of the Portage, up that stream to Keating summit; and thence down the Allegheny Portage to Canoe Place (now Port Allegany). It had been opened eight or ten years previous for the accommodation of immigrants. who desired to go west by water. Those going west this way, came up the Susquehanna, Sin- nemahoning and Driftwood in canoes, to the landing at the mouth of the Port- age, near where J. S. Wiley's saw-mill now stands. At that place they hauled

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HISTORY OF CAMERON COUNTY.

their canoes out of the water, took them apart, loaded them with their house- hold and other goods, on to wagons, and hauled them up the Portage and over to "Canoe Place," where their canoes were put together again, their goods loaded in; then they continued their way down the Allegheny river to French creek, Ohio, and other points in the west. At the time of Earl's arrival, the road had not been used for several years, and had grown up with bush, briars, etc., which rendered it impassable. In 1814 the authorities con- cluded to open it again, and the work was to be done by Shippen and McMur- tree, on the northern end, and by Earl, on the Emporium end. Soon after the work was commenced, Mr. Earl sent young John, who was then only fourteen years old, with a yoke of oxen, through the woods to meet Shippen and MeMur- tree. Pursuing his solitary way all day, through the almost impassable woods, the brave boy reached the Allegheny Portage by night, without encountering man or beast. Not daring to travel in the woods after dark, however, for fear of getting lost, he tied up his oxen and slept on the ground all night. The next morning he started out bright and early, and had hardly gone a mile before he met Shippen and the other party. With the extra team thus fur- nished them, the Shippen party continued the work vigorously, so that the road was soon opened; and was never afterward closed until the building of the present State road, which runs in the valley instead of on the side hill where the old road was.

In 1815 Earl left Emporium, and moved across the Driftwood creek, to a house then standing at the southwest end of the bridge, at the mouth of West creek; and Elihu Chadwick, whose family came up at that time, moved into the house vacated by Earl. In 1816 David Crow and Brewster Freeman came to Emporium. Crow settled where the old Freeman house now stands, on the northwest corner of Allegheny avenue and the Portage road. Freeman built. for himself a house outside of Emporium and below the Portage creek. The same season (spring of 1816) a young man named George Wright came in and put up a small building near the large spring in the lower end of the bor- ongh. and on the north side of Allegheny avenue. During the year others set- tled here, and among them Lemuel Lucore, from Massachusetts. At this time, and for a number of years afterward. the inhabitants of Emporium had to go about twenty-two miles, to a place called Instanter, afterward known as Tentona (in Mckean county), to vote. All those who were so unfortunate as to have busi- ness in court, either as parties. witnesses or jurors, had to go to Williamsport (100 miles distant), where the courts were held. From 1816 to 1820, inclusive. the population increased very slowly. In 1820 there were not more than seven families in what is now Emporium borough, viz. : Hiram Sizer, Lemuel Lucore, David Crow. Sylvester Wright, George Wright, John All and Jerry Bliss. Earl then lived just across the Driftwood, at West Creek, and Freeman below the Portage. The principal occupation of the inhabitants was working ont the road taxes, which then amounted to about $2.000 per year. They lumbered a little and ran their lumber, boards and square timber to Middletown, and wherever they could find a market. The usual price for lumber then was $4 and under per 1.000 feet, for boards one and one-fourth inches thick, with the extra one-fourth inch counted out in the measurement, and 3 to 4 cents per foot for square timber. There was but very little farming done, the inhabitants not raising sufficient to live on. In 1814 Earl built a saw-mill at the month of West creek, near the west end of the highway bridge, and in 1819 David Crow built a saw-mill on the Portage, above Emporium, near where Judge Minard's mill now stands. John All brought in a few goods and sold them from a little dwelling-house, near where J. L. Overhiser now lives. There was

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HISTORY OF CAMERON COUNTY,

a blacksmith shop at Freeman's, below the Portage, but there was then (1820) nothing in Emporinm excepting dwelling-houses.

In 1830 there had been no perceptible increase of the population. In 1940 there was a population of about forty-five men, women and children. In 1850 it had increased to ten families, and fifty souls, all told.

In 1848 Eli Felt came here and built and opened the first regular store ever opened within the present limits of Emporium. He also, the same year, built and opened the first hotel, nearly opposite to where the St. Charles hotel now stands. As late as 1853 there was no village in Emporium. The few people who lived within its present limits were widely scattered, each family living on a small clearing of its own. In 1853 or 1854 Felt commenced put - ting up what was afterward known as "Felt's Block." and a few families set- tled around or near it, thus forming the nucleus for a village. From this period, and from this small beginning, we must date the starting of the village of Emporium. The population, however, increased very slowly. In 1860-61 Cameron county was formed out of the adjoining counties of Mckean, Elk. Potter and Clinton, and Emporium was selected as the county seat. This, of course, was a great help to the village, and naturally gave it a good start. although as late as 1862 there was in the village only thirteen dwelling houses, two hotels, one school-house, one store standing alone, "Felt's Block" (con- taining seven stores, with dwellings on the second floor), one blacksmith shop, one wagon shop, one grist mill, and the court-house (not then finished), in all, twenty seven buildings, and about one hundred and ten permanent inhab- itants. There was however, a number of transient people stopping in the village, boarding at the hotels and private houses, who were connected with the railroad that was then building, and who gave the town the appearance of being quite lively, and much larger than it really was.

On October 20, 1863, the Philadelphia & Erie Railroad was opened to Emporium, and the event was celebrated in grand style. Railroad nabobs, and prominent men from towns and cities between Emporium and Philadel- phia. inclusive, were in attendance, Judge More furnished a fine ox, which was roasted whole in the court-house square, after the most approved style of Kentucky barbecues, and after the conclusion of the speaking and singing, it was served up to the hungry multitude, and in a very short time it had become. like the speeches, a matter of history. Altogether it was an event never to be forgotten by those who were in attendance.

In December, 1872. the Buffalo, New York & Philadelphia Railroad was opened from Buffalo to Emporium. The event was properly celebrated by a large excursion party from Buffalo, who were handsomely received and enter. tained by the Emporiumites with a grand dinner at the opera-house. This road has been of great benefit to the place. and gives employment to quite a number of people.

The hotels of Emporium in 1873 were the Biddle House, conducted by Caleb Sweazey; the Occidental, opened in 1871; Cook's hotel: The St. Charles Hotel, near the Buffalo, New York & Philadelphia depot, by Fay, and Warner's railroad hotel near the Philadelphia & Erie depot. During the year Joel Shive's block was built for hotel and store purposes, and a large number of dwelling and mercantile houses were erected.

Emporium has always been noted as being remarkably healthy, and up to 1866. so few people died in the place, that the necessity for a regular cemetery was not felt, the few who did die having been buried in private lots. In 1866. however, public sentiment began to require a regular and permanent place for the burial of the dead, and during that year J. B. Newton purchased the tract

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HISTORY OF CAMERON COUNTY.

of land, now known as "Newton's Cemetery." It is admirably suited for the purpose, on the bench below the borough, and he has cleared and laid it out for a cemetery. Up to the present time, however, there have been but very few buried, and it is asserted that in no other town in the State is the death rate so low as it is in Emporium.

The first person born within the limits of Emporium was Simon C. Earl, born in 1812. The first death was that of a son of David Crow, aged twenty- one or twenty-two years, who was killed by a falling limb striking him on the head while felling a tree, breaking his neck. The first wedding came off at the house of Mr. Earl in 1813. The young lady who thus early set such a good example to the other young ladies of Emporium, was Miss Thankful Lindsley.

In early years Phelps, Dodge & Abbott and Col. James H. Johnson, who had about 15,000 acres of timber lands, sold to William, Aaron and Horace Bracket in 1835 or 1836. George Knapp, the general agent here, built a house where Leonard Taggart's house now is, and his principals built a store where the bank building stands. In 1846 D. K. Jackman (who with Horace Greeley signed Jeff Davis' bail bond), Frederick Crocker and Amos C. Noyes. all of Grafton county, N. H., came here immediately after George Dodge, who was their agent in the purchase of the saw-mills where Wiley's mills now are, in the vicinity of which lumbering operations were commenced-the price paid for stumpage being $1 a thousand, or $5 per acre.

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Author: Leeson, M. A. (Michael A.) comp. cn; J.H. Beers & Co., pub Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 1320

Author: Leeson, M. A. (Michael A.) comp. cn; J.H. Beers & Co., pub
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1320