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 20

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 20
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 20
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 20
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 20

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 Bradford Railroad, fourteen miles to the intersection of the Kinzua Railroad, was opened in July, 1881. The Kinzna Railroad from that point to Kinzua, twelve miles, was also built. The Bradford & State Line Railroad Company was incorporated September 23, 1881, to build a road from Bradford to the crossing of the State line at Tuna creek. The consolidation of the Alle- gheny & Kinzua and Bradford & Corydon Roads, embracing what is known as the " Bullis Lumber Roads," was effected in February, 1890. The Allegheny & Kinzua had ten miles of road constructed from Red House on the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad to Freck's lumber station, the Bradford & Corydon Railroad, fifteen miles from Bradford to Coffey run. S. S. Bullis was chosen president, and C. D. Williams, of Bradford, superintendent. The branch road connecting Freck & Gilbert's mills up the west branch, runs through ten miles of dense forest.

The third railroad connecting Bradford with Buffalo was opened November 19, 1883, by the Rochester & Pittsburgh Railroad Company. It is known as the Buffalo division, extending to Punxsutawney, about 182 miles. The inaug- uration train was in charge of Joe Consalus, with William Hayden, engineer, and James M. Nevins, baggageman.

In December, 1878, a meeting was held at Eldred to consider the question of building the Wellsville & Eldred Railroad, Guerdon Evans presiding. In May, 1881, this narrow gauge railroad was commenced, W. F. Jones being president: William Duke, vice-president; L. S. Anderson, secretary; W. A. Baldwin, treasurer, and C. A. Farnum, attorney at the time. Work on the Eldred & Rew City Railroad was commenced May 28, 1882. In May. 1886, the contract for building the narrow gauge from Mount Jewett to Ormsby was sold to Tennant & Johnson. This road was suggested in 1858 by Gen. Kane. The Mount Jewett, Kinzua & Riterville Railroad Company was chartered in April, 1889, with Elisha K. Kane, president. The capital stock was placed at $80.000. The line is eight miles long, extending from the junction of the Big Level & Kinzua Railroad at Monnt Jewett to the junction of the New York, Lake Erie & Western Railroad, near Crawfords Summit. The work of con- struction was at once entered upon, and by the close of July the road was ready for the iron to Kushequi, or crossing of Kinzua creek, where Mcclellan & Kane's large saw-mill was being built. The road was completed to Doyle's mill, two miles below, in September. It is proposed to build the road through to the mouth of the Kinzna. The Philadelphia & Erie Railroad branch between Johnsonburg and Clermont was completed in May, 1889.

In 1885-86, during the oil excitement at Kane, James Bros., of Kane, constructed the Kane Oil Field Railroad, from Jo-Jo Junction, one mile south of Kane, to Jo-Jo, an ephemeral village near the confluence of West and Wind runs of East Branch, Tionesta creek. It is not now operated.

In 1886 West & Britton, of Kane, constructed a lumber railroad, which

C. H. Foster

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HISTORY OF MCKEAN COUNTY.

they called the North Kane Railroad, from the Philadelphia & Erie Railroad, at Kane, for two miles down the south branch of Kinzua creek. In 1888 they sold their mills at North Kane and the railroad to G. W. Campbell & Sons, who made the North Kane Railroad form a portion of their Kinzua Creek & Kane Railroad. The Kinzua Creek & Kane Railroad was chartered to run from Kane to Neely's mill on the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad, and about six miles have been completed. In consideration of right of way and of a loan of money necessary for its construction this railroad was ex- tended to a connection with the Pittsburgh & Western Railroad, forming a belt line through the borough, and entered into a permanent contract with Elisha K. Kane, by which any manufacturer locating upon its line within borough limits is entitled to free use of the tracks, or to have cars brought to his works and returned to the main railroad at a charge of only 75 cents per car.

In 1882 a railroad was built between Condersport, in Potter county, and Port Allegany, in Mckean county, known as the Coudersport & Port Allegany Railroad. The Kinzna Creek Railroad Company was chartered in February, 1890, to build twelve miles of track from Anderson switch, of the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad, to the big bridge on the New York, Lake Erie & Western Railroad.

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HISTORY OF MCKEAN COUNTY.

CHAPTER X.

BRADFORD TOWNSHIP AND CITY OF BRADFORD.

BRADFORD TOWNSHIP- GENERAL DESCRIPTION-C'ENSUS STATISTICS-EARLY SETTLERS - LAND WARRANTS AND COMPANIES - EARLY SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES-SOME FIRST THINGS-BRADFORD VILLAGE IN 1875-TOWNSIIIP OFFICERS ELECTED IN 1890-VILLAGES.

CITY OF BRADFORD-PIONEERS-ORIGIN OF THE TOWN-OIL BOOM, ETC .- FIRES-MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS-LIGHT AND HEAT COMPANIES-BANKS, ETC .- OIL EXCHANGES - POST-OFFICE-HOTELS-SCHOOLS-CHURCHES-CEMETER- IES-HOSPITAL-SOCIETIES, ETC .- MANUFACTURING AND OTHER INDUSTRIES -CONCLUSION.

B' RADFORD TOWNSHIP is bounded on the north by the south line of Foster township, south by Lafayette and Keating townships, east by Otto township, and on the west by Corydon township. The east branch of Tuna creek*, running north from Lewis run, near the center of the south line, forms a confluence with the west branch at Bradford, while at Tarport and Babcock the main stream receives Kendall creek and Foster brook. The west branch heads in Two Mile run and flows northeast from the southwest corner of the township to Bradford city. Kendall creek rises in the southeast corner and flows northwest to Tarport, and Foster brook rises near the east line of the northeast quarter of the township, flowing almost west to Babcock. Ma- rilla creek, the principal feeder of the west branch, comes down from the heights in the northwest corner. A hundred smaller streams are found here, some finding a way to the main streams through deep cauons. Mount Raub, a mile east of Bradford, is the highest measured point, being 2,225 feet above level. The lowest point (1,415 feet) is where Tuna creek enters New York State. All the higher points are capped by Pottsville conglomerate, which is either the Kinzua creek sandstone or the Olean conglom., while in the south and west the Johnson run sandstone is found resting on its Alton coal bed. The dip of the Olean and, consequently, the oil sand from Rock City to Tar- port (nine miles) averages five and one-half feet per mile; Tarport to Bradford, thirteen feet; Bradford to DeGolier, twelve and one-half feet; DeGolier to Lewis run, thirty-seven feet; Bradford to Marilla summit (summit elevation 2,040 feet, and distance six miles), three feet per mile, and the average dip from Tarport to the southeast corner of the township is fourteen feet per mile. The total thickness of rocks explored in the outerop or wells is 1,977 feet ex- tending from cap of Mount Raub to the Chemung formations. Bold outcrops of Olean conglomerate are visible in the Tuna Valley, and west of Custer City they take the peculiar features of the formation at Olean, Rock City, where the summit is 2,350 feet above tide. In the Marilla region occurs the extreme northern outcrop, in the United States, of the Appalachian coal basin, but the area is so small it is held in little estimation by coal men. At Lewis run is the black band iron ore (under a bed of black band shales) which yielded on test 43.75 per cent of metal. Near the head of Two Mile run, just across

* Tuna creek derives its name from the eddy at its mouth, called by the Indians Ichunuagwant or Big Cove with Large Mouth.

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HISTORY OF MCKEAN COUNTY.

the south town line, five varieties of ore exist, one of which yields 48.65 per cent of metal, and one as low as 23. 10 per cent. The mineral paint ore on the Foster farm was largely used by the Erie Railroad Company some years ago in paint- ing depots, bridges and cars. It was ground and mixed with crude oil, and found to be very desirable for an outside paint. There being no mill near in which it could be ground, the expense of transporting it to Buffalo, having it ground and then sent to market, was too great for the limited capital of the party engaged in its manufacture. A barn now standing near Smethport built some years ago by Col. Wilcox is entirely constructed of Mckean county prod- ucts except the nails, and is painted with the paint in question.

The population of Bradford township and village in 1870 was 1,446, of which 100 were foreign-born citizens. In June, 1874, the number was esti- mated at 1,500, including 350 in the village. The oil production for the pre- ceding six years was roughly estimated at twenty-one barrels per day, which sold for $1.30 per barrel. One lumberman ran over 5,000,000 feet of white pine logs and manufactured over 3,000,000 shingles that year, and with the other lumber and bark interests of Zeliff, Clark & Babcock, Peterson, J. W. Hilton and P. T. Kennedy brought to the township at least $150,000. Three hun- dred cows yielded $12,000 worth of butter and $3,620 worth of cheese, while grain and root crops, cattle, sheep, hogs and horses contributed largely to the township's wealth.

The population of Bradford township in 1880 was 2,699. In 1888 the township gave 270 Republican, 132 Democratic, 41 Prohibition and 19 Labor votes, or a total of 462. This number multiplied by six, as in the case of Bradford city, gives the population, at the close of last year, 2,772.

The population of Bradford city in 1880 was 9, 197. Of this number 2.622 resided in the First Ward, 1.704 in the Second, 2,603 in the Third, 1,520 in the Fourth, and 1,228 in the Fifth. In November. 1888, there were 178 votes cast in the First Ward for the Republican candidate for president, 265 for the Democratic, and 8 for the Prohibitionist; in the Second Ward the figures were 242, 112 and 15, respectively: in the Third, 143, 181 and 17; in the Fourth, 228, 106 and 7, and in the Fifth, 122, 73 and 9, while Streeter received 7 votes in all the wards, or 913+737+56+7 -- 1,713, multiplied by 6 equals 10,278, the population based on vote.

The resident tax-payers of Bradford township in 1844-45 were Philo Ack- ley, N. J. Buel, Smith Barton, William Coleman, John Dudley, James Cooper, Orrin Fuller, C. Lukins, Hiram and J. O. Beardsley, Phil. Barron, Chester Barron, Asmit Brown, Bradley & Fobes (saw-mill owners), Jones and A. L. Buchanan, A. W. Buchanan, George Brookmire, William, Beardsley, Aaron Boon, James Babcock, H. C. Blakesley; James Blair (assessed $100 for a gold watch), Andrew and W. P. Browne, John Boyd, Henry Conklin, Erastus Croak, Ed. Case, J. L. Colegrove, Dyer Cramer, John Corwin, Henry Collins, John and Orrin Coleman, J. F. Clark, Jared Curtis, Philetus Corwin, Dana & Smith (grist- and saw-mill owners), William Dikeman, Joe DeLong. Ben., Dan. and Sam. Dikeman, Lorenzo and Silas Drake, James, Abel, David and William DeGolier, Nathan DeGolier (saw-mill owner). F. E. Dodge, Tom Doloff, Samuel and Darius Emery, H. Edson, P. D. Dean (owner of a gold watch), L. Dewey (owner of a silver watch), Nathaniel, Newton and Warren Edson, William Fisher (saw-mill owner), G. W. Fisher, H. Fox, M. Filler, Jonathan Fuller & Son, Isaac Farr, Ephraim Foster, David Foster, Edmond Freeman (farmer, near Custer City), C. D. Foot, L. S. Foster, Daniel and H. W. Glass, R. Gates, Nathan Green, A. and A. L. Houghton, Hiram Hagadorn, William Hook, O. Hegle, Orrin and Benjamin Havens, Simon Hamond, A. O.

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Hunt, Hunt, Bradley & Fobes (saw-mill owners), John and Absalom Hutchi- son, Lyman Imus, John Inglebee, G. W. and Timothy Kelly, James Lilly, James Meddock, William Miller, W. G. McKean, William and Simeon Morris, Amos Moore (saw-mill owner), Dr. McDougall, J. F. Melvin, Melvin & Whea- ton (saw-mill owners), G. W. Mantz, Michael McCullough, Sands Niles, Dr. E. C. Olds (tan-yard owner), Barnabus Pike, R. C. Phillips, R. B. Rogers, George Reynolds, John Rutherford. Seth Scott, William Sherman (saw-mill owner), Silas Stormes, J. P. S. Snape (a foreigner). W. Snyder, H. Stellon, Amos Shepherd, W. C. Shedd, Silas Sutton, William Tanner, Jerry Totton, Col. L. C. Little (agent for Boston Land company), William Vansickles, L. R. Vaughn, Henry Webb (saw-mill owner), Roswell Walker, J. S. and T. L. V. Waggoner, Allen Whittaker, Matt. Woodruff, Matthew Withrow (saw-mill owner), Sabines Walker, Henry Welks, John & Willard Whipple (saw-mill owners) and Eli Whipple. L. S. Foster was assessor.

In 1846 the stores in Bradford village were those of L. C. Little, A. K. John- son, R. Walker & Co., Melvin & Wheaton and R. P. Allen, the grocery of Seth Scott and the tavern of S. Walker. In December of this year Kingsbury & Fuller, the Boston Company, Sam. W. Bradley and Noble & Tozer were merchants.

The merchants of Bradford township in 1852 were S. Holmes & Co. (J. H. Porter), J. F. Melvin, B. Chamberlain and B. McCoy, H. Hazzard & Co., David Hunt, G. A. S. Crooker and Daniel Kingsbury. McCoy, Melvin & Co. paid a tax of $10, while the others paid $7.

In 1829 David DeGolier and his wife took three days to move from the site of the present town of Eldred to their farm on the east branch of the Tuna. The Beardsleys, Fishers, Dollops and Fosters were then in the valley, and Henry Bradford Dollop was the first white child born there, in that same house above Sawyer City which was destroyed by the glycerine explosion of 1880. Of the two first houses built on the site of Bradford, one was occupied by the Hart family, six boys and six girls, including three sets of twins. The Deacon speaks of wolves being very plentiful, even in 1867, when the well drillers appeared on the west branch, the time whistles would be chorused by packs of wolves. He further states that No. 1 well, on the Tibbett farm, was the first suc- cessful one on the east branch. The farm was purchased by Louis Emery, Jr.

Warrant 3906 dated July 17, 1793, to William Bingham, the consideration for 1,100 acres being £5, 8s. The patent was signed by Gov. Mifflin Decem - ber 12, 1794. On February 6, 1795, Bingham deeded the warrant to Robert Morris and John Nicholson, but it fell into the hands of the Binghams in 1799 as shown in Deed Book F, page 41. In 1851 the United States Land Company deeded this tract to Daniel Kingsbury.

Col. Levitt C. Little, agent for the United States Land Company, who had purchased 250,000 acres in Mckean county, settled where Bradford city now is, and the place was called Littleton. The first log house was constructed in December, 1837, where the old calaboose stood; but later a frame house was erected where the Berry block stands. The plan of the town was drawn in 1838 by Leech, of Boston, after the Colonel's idea. In 1840 another plat was drawn by C. D. Webster, wherein is shown the space for a church-house where is now the St. James Hotel. Main street was known as the Smethport road; the south extension of Mechanic street, the Warren road, and northward, the Olean road. Congress street was a short alley, which connected Main street with the Corydon road. The old lumbering town of Littleton was down in Egypt until IS5S, when a weekly newspaper, the Miner, was inaugurated, and the name of Bradford assumed.

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HISTORY OF MCKEAN COUNTY.

In December, 1849, when Judge Ward came from Cattaraugus county, N. Y., he settled at Tarport and took charge of the large school there. He was at once struck with the remarkable progressive character of the people and merchants, and equally so by the pupils. Prof. F. A. Allen was then county superintendent and principal of the Smethport Academy. Tarport was then the business center of the Bradford lumber field, and here were the large stores of John F. Melvin (who came as a lumberman in 1826), and Benjamin Cham- berlain, his partner, who lived in Cattaraugus county. Sylvanus Holmes and Joseph Porter also had a large store there. Hiram Hazzard was also a mer- chant, and like the others, engaged in lumbering. David Hunt was solely a merchant; Sabines Walker carried on his grocery; Harvey D. Hicks was post- master (it is thought deputy to Mr. Melvin) and hotel-keeper; Dr. Goit Brown was physician there, while Dr. Peckham was at Littleton. Johnson & Leech were sole dealers in pine lumber and shingles. There were four saw-mills run- ning, of which W. R. Fisher owned one and Melvin & Chamberlain the remain- ing three. The school building was a large one, ornamented with a cupola, and in this building the Methodists, Baptists and Congregationalists used to worship. Elder Porter (who owned the farm on which Judge Ward's house now is) was minister of the last-named denomination, while the energetic Will- iams watched over the Methodists and Elder Prosser over the Baptists. Judge Ward presided over this school for two sessions, then moved to Bradford to take charge of the village school, and about 1855 he established the Bradford Academy, with Mr. Sellick, assistant. This select school continued only two years, but Judge Ward continued teaching at Limestone, and after the war completed his school experiences at Salamanca. After Mr. Kingsbury's office was really established Tarport began to decline, and Littleton to advance.

At Littleton was Daniel Kingsbury's little store, also that of G. D. H. Crooker. The Boston Company's land office was just opened with Mr. Kings- bury in charge, and Col. Little, agent. The double mill stood just west of the Mechanic street iron bridge; a frame school-house stood on what is now the corner of Corydon and Mechanic streets. Therein religious services were held by the preachers named in the history of Tarport. From this period the progress of Littleton dates. Thomas J. Melvin, Loyal Ward (who, about war times carried on a store at Tarport) and Nelson Parker estab- lished their business at Littleton after the war. E. C. Old's tannery was here in 1849. Among the leading lumbermen were Fuller and Miller, of Bolivar run. The firm of Bradley & Fobes had three mills on Foster brook. At the State line, on the Tuna, was the Webb and Leech & Johnson mills; up Ken- dall creek was F. A. Moore's mill, also Whipple's and Silas Sutton's. Up the south branch was N. DeGolier's mill, and above Bradford Fobes & Bradley had a mill. The Judge is convinced that this list covers the mills in operation forty years ago. All over the country shingle makers found a home, bringing the shingles to the lumberman in the evening and receiving their pay. The square timber industry was also very extensive, as the pines were large and clear. The large timber was rafted and run down the Tuna to the Allegheny, and thence to the Ohio.

The first golden wedding celebration ever held in Tuna Valley was that of July, 1883, by W. R. Fisher and wife. Forty years prior to this date they settled on the Tarport road in a log cabin which this old settler erected. In 1847 he built the house in which the celebration was held. Dan Glass, who for forty years played the violin throughout the Tuna and neighboring valleys, contributed the music on this occasion.

In September, 1875, when C. L. Wheeler came to Bradford, the business

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HISTORY OF MCKEAN COUNTY.

of the village was represented by Thomas Melvin, who kept a general store, Frank Davis, the druggist and telegraph operator, and Wilbur DeGolier, watchmaker and postmaster. J. K. Pomeroy kept a dry goods store; Albert DeGolier had a general store, the popular Bradford House, Green's Hotel on Main street, while the old St. Nicholas Hotel stood where the Producers' Ex- change now is, The hotel formerly kept by P. M. Fuller was in existence in 1875.

The officers of the township elected in February, 1890, are as follows: Supervisors, J. L. Morris, H. Boss; school directors, W. H. Emery, H. G. Cutting; auditor, M. Ingalsby, Sr. ; collector, J. L. Morris; constable, G. W. Eddy; town clerk, H. C. Chesney; judge of election, First District, C. A. Wilbur; inspectors, C. E. Seely, Louis Brown; judge of election, Second District, W. W. White; inspectors, George A. Brown, James Bell.

T'illages .- Custer City, south of Bradford, was brought into existence dur- ing the days of the oil stampede up the east branch. Here are the works of the Rock Glycerine Company noticed in the history of the city. The bull and bear fight of July 1, 1879, took place at Custer City, under the management of one Marsh. The officers of the Pennsylvania society for prevention of cruelty to animals, tried to stop the fight; but the people threatened to pitch them into the pit, and ultimately drove them as far as Bradford. The fight went on, but the bear, escaping from the infuriated bull, ran through the crowd, was recaptured, placed in the pit and made fight to the death, The agent had twenty men arrested for participation in this brutal affair, but with- out satisfactory results. The fire of December 16, 1881, destroyed seven buildings, including the Straight House. In March, 1885, the explosion of 6,000 pounds of glycerine at Custer City resulted in the deaths of H. V. Pratt and William Harrington.

DeGolier, north of Custer City, was named in honor of the pioneer. of whom mention is made in the history of Bradford. As a settlement it is among the oldest in the western part of the county. The DeGolier Cemetery Association was incorporated in December, 1869, with M. Ingalsby, H. J. Hammond, Phil. Shaffner, Aug. M. Cram, Michael K. Dexter and John K. Haffey, trustees. The United Brethren Church of DeGolier was incorpor- ated April 12, 1888, with L. E. Cutting, Allen T. Foster, W. C. Freeman, M. Ingoldshy, G. W. Foster, Spencer Tibbits and H. E. Bryner, officials.

Howard Junction, near the south line of the township, is a lumbering village.

CITY OF BRADFORD,

Throughout the pages devoted to general history and particularly those on the Bradford oil field, a good deal has been written relating to this capital of oildom. In the foregoing sketch of the township many names, inseparably connected with the early agricultural and lumbering interests of this section are given, so that little of the early history of the old village remains to be told. How often the Indians camped in this beautiful valley of the Tuna will never be learned any more than the history of the people who were here before them. How often the ancient Mount Raub was ascended by the watchmen of the tribes to give warning of the advance of hostiles of the same race, or to signal the approach of friends, as they turned the distant valley curve, can never be known, but enough has been told by the Cornplanters to point out the fact that Indians hunted here before the coming of Seneca or Delaware, and that the valley, from Foster brook to Marilla creek, on the west branch, and Rutherford run on east branch, was a favorite site for their camps. As

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HISTORY OF MCKEAN COUNTY.

told in the third chapter, remains of ancient settlement were unearthed a few years ago.

From 1823 to 1827 the pioneers of a new race appeared on the scene. Dr. William M. Bennett, after whom Bennett's branch is named, the Pikes, Farrs, Scotts, Fosters, Beardsleys, Harts, Dollops and Fishers came into the beauti- ful wilderness. This immigration took place almost a quarter of a century after Robert Morris, of Revolutionary fame, lost his title to lands here, leav- ing them to revert to the Binghams. The Hart family, fourteen members, settled on the site of Bradford in about 1827. For years they held possession of the Forks, welcoming new comers and hailing new settlers. They saw a thriving village built up north of them at Tarport, and south of them the De- Golier settlement was winning recruits; but their chosen spot was merely a mark in the forest.

In 1837 Col. Little purchased 250,000 acres in and around Bradford, and built a log house. In 1838 the village was surveyed, and named Littleton. In 1851 a large tract was sold to Daniel Kingsbury by the United States Land Company, and to that year we must look back for the first faint beginnings of the city, though not until 1858 did the new proprietor make a determined effort to build up the place. Thirty-two years ago the name Littleton was cast aside, and the present name chosen. Messrs. Kingsbury and Haffey estab- lished a newspaper to aid in building up a village; Old's tannery, the mills, stores, schools and religious societies referred to in Judge Ward's reminiscences were all here sharing in the hopes of Kingsbury; but all their efforts were rewarded with very limited results, the mercantile and manufacturing interests named in the history of the township being the only material response. During the Civil war the oil fever penetrated the valley, and new hopes were built up, only to be cast down; after the war, a series of disappointments waited on the attempts to find oil; but amid all such reverses men came and remained, a few of whom in after years, took a foremost place among those to whom the honor of developing the resources of this section is credited. They decided to carve out for themselves a home in this valley and fashion out a city in the forest, which would one day be regarded as the goal of enterprise, where scholars would find a home and religion 10,000 adherents. They built well! Only a few years of hope deferred, and a city sprung out of the ancient forest, extending from hill to hill, and stretching down the valley. In 1873 the people asked for borough government, and the demand was granted. Within three years the locality was filled with busy men, and the oily ocean was yielding up its wealth of petroleum; the forest fell, and in its place hundreds of houses and a thous- and derricks grew up, as it were.

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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