Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 78

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 930

USA > Pennsylvania > Indiana County > Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I > Part 78

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was an unpardonable blunder. The proceeds of the sale of the town lots was applied to the erection of the county buildings, and thus the old courthouse (a most creditable building in its day) and the old jail were built without taxation and without costing the people a

Thomas Allison made the survey of the town. His son, Andrew Allison, and James Allison, carried the chain and placed the stakes, and James McClain assisted in keeping the notes. Along Church street they were obliged to cut a path through the thicket be- fore running the line. By an entry on the books in the commissioners' office, it appears that Alexander Taylor also did some survey- ing. He probably laid off the outlets. The sale of lots commenced on the 10th of Decem- mer, 1805, by public outcry, and was con- tinued on the 11th and 12th. Another sale took place on the 29th and 30th of April, 1806, and a third on the 1st of July, 1807. The prices paid for lots ranged from $5 to $204. Some unsold lots were disposed of by the commissioners in 1809 and a small num- ber of others were resold in 1812.

The courthouse was built in 1808-09. John McAnulty made the brick, John Mathews was the mason and bricklayer, and John Huey and John Ross were the carpenters. The "Johns" bossed that job. Indiana was incorporated as a borough March 11, 1816, John Taylor, being the first burgess. Its growth has been gradual and substantial ; its citizens generally thrifty. The present courthouse was completed in 1871 at a cost of $150,000. The population of the borough at that time, including West Indiana, numbered about 3,000. The population in 1910 was 5,739.

The stone county jail was commenced in 1806 and completed in 1807. Rev. John Jamieson was the contractor. The original draft was drawn by George Weir. The dimen- sions laid down were 36 by 30 feet ; the lower story 9 feet, and the upper 8 feet. James Mahan did the masonry and Thomas Sutton the carpenter work. The court held its sit- tings in the upper jail rooms during several terms, until the erection of the courthouse. Prior to the erection of this building the sheriff, having some prisoners in charge, had a temporary jail constructed of hickory logs, the sides and floors being of the same material. The superstructure was about twenty feet square and was covered with clapboards. It stood on the public grounds near the center of the town. Conrad Rice assisted in hauling

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

For want of a more convenient and com- maker was Thomas McCartney. James Camp- modious building, the commissioners, for sev- bell was the first shoemaker prior to 1810. eral years after the organization of the county, kept their office in the second story of Philip Rice's springhouse, south of the town. The first cabinetmaker was Samuel Douglass, who was the first jailer-he had his shop in the stone jail. After his death his widow still retained charge of the jail. He was succeeded by Mr. Ferguson.

The first building within the borough limits was erected near a fine spring by Henry Shry- ock in the fall of 1805, and was the only build-

Prior to 1810 the following were located in

ing in the village when the first lots were sold. Indiana : Samuel Barr and John McAnulty,

It was a round log building and was situated about the center of East Philadelphia street, about midway between Fifth and Fourth streets. It was kept as a public house during the first sale and for several years following, two additions being made to the first house. A little later Samuel Young erected a cabin on Water street, on what was afterwards the brickmakers-the latter made the brick for the first courthouse; John Ross and John Huey, carpenters ; William Lawson, the tanner, whose yard was situated on the southeast corner of Philadelphia and Fourth streets ; David Gilles- pie, brick and stone mason; the latter's last work was the building of the brick house on Philadelphia street afterwards occupied by William H. Kerr lot, the logs of which were Lawrence Keslar, Jr .; John Lucas and William subsequently torn down and used in the con- struction of a house on Church street after- wards owned by Thomas Rockett. About the same time William Coulter erected a cabin on what was afterwards called the Crawford lot on Philadelphia street, and a few other rude houses were erected in the winter of 1805-06. Lucas, tailors-the former erected (1817-19) the stone house on Philadelphia street which was occupied by the Hon. A. W. Taylor; the latter built the residence on the northeast cor- ner of Philadelphia and Seventh streets; and William Douglass (a son of Samuel Douglass), watchmaker and clockmaker.

The first two houses of any importance were the two-story shingle-roofed tavern buildings of James Moorhead and Peter Sutton, erected in the spring of 1806. The former was located on the lot afterwards occupied by Col. D. T. John Galbreath, Presbyterian. The first teacher was Henry Coleman, who taught in 1807 in a log house on Water street, where a grocery store is now conducted by McGregor Brothers.

Porter's residence, Philadelphia street, and the latter on the site of the Indiana Hardware Store.

The next building was the frame house of Sheriff Thomas McCartney, erected in 1806 on the present site of the "Indiana House." There he made chairs and wheels and subse- quently kept a hotel. Afterwards Charles Kenning built a public house on the John Den- niston corner, now occupied by W. R. Loughry & Co. In 1807 James Moorhead built the log house on Philadelphia street which was after- wards the residence of Alexander T. Taylor.

In 1807 a building was erected for a carding machine on Clymer, near Sixth street. This was afterwards used as a printing office by James McCahan, and afterwards as the resi- dence of ex-Sheriff Joseph R. Smith.

The first regular merchant was John Den- phia and Fourth streets, and Joshua Marlin.

niston, in 1806. His store was a hewed log building 16 by 18 and was situated on the lot on Philadelphia street, just west of Fifth street. The first blacksmith was Philip Rice, of the "Kinter Honse." William Tintoff was the painter. The carpenters were Alexander Stewart and Matthew Rankin. John Douglass was the constable. These were all prior to 1819. who resided on a farm adjacent to the village, and whose shop, erected in 1806, was situated not far from the residence of Wood Clark. In was justice of the peace and Samuel Douglass 1816 William W. Caldwell opened a black- smith shop. The first wheelwright and chair-

Jonathan French was the first physician, and James M. Riddle and Daniel Stanard. who located here in 1807, were the first resident attorneys. The first located minister was Rev.

The first child born in the place was (1806) Sarah Parker, daughter of Joseph and Mary Parker. nee Young. The second birth was that of William Moorhead, son of James Moorhead, born February 14, 1807, in the James Moor- head tavern. A story is told by Elizabeth Shryock, then a little girl five years old, that the Indians were frequent visitors in Indiana, and that she could remember how she used to hide among the trees in the town from the Indians. This little girl afterwards became the wife of Ephraim Carpenter.

The tanners were Abner Kelly, in a log building on the northeast corner of Philadel- in a log building on the southwest corner of the same streets. The shoemaker was John Golden, in a log building on the present site

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

[The following is quoted from the "Pennsylvania Park." In 1842 Mr. Clark sold the tannery Gazetteer," 1833.]

"Indiana post, borough and seat of justice, Indiana county, latitude 40 degrees 38 minutes north, longitude 2 degrees 8 minutes west from Washington City, distant about 157 miles west of Harrisburg, 26 miles southeast from Kit- tanning and thirty-five northeast from Greens- burg.

"It lies on the line between Washington and Center townships, and contains about sixty dwellings, a courthouse of brick, a prison of stone, commonly untenanted, eight stores, five taverns, one Lutheran, one Presbyterian and one Seceder Church, an academy of stone, 60 by 25, in which the languages and mathe- matics are taught, incorporated 28th March, 1816, and to which the State gave two thou- sand dollars.

"The turnpike road from Ebensburg to Kit- tanning runs through the town. The town was laid out on a tract of 250 acres of land, granted for that purpose, by George Clymer, in 1805."

The first mill within the limits of the county seat was a horse mill situated within a two- story log building 40 feet square, which was located in front of what was afterwards the tannery of Turner & Co., on East Philadel- phia street. The mill was erected by Joshua Marlin about 1821. The mill, according to several parties who witnessed it working, was in active operation in dry weather a short time

prior to 1810. The farmers had not only to pay the toll, but also to furnish the horses for the power. For several years there were no bolting cloths, and corn, wheat and buckwheat were ground indiscriminately on the single run of country stone. Sometimes as many as fifty persons were waiting for their turn and some would be obliged occasionally to wait three or four days before their turn would come. The mill, even then, was used as a sort of inn, and gradually its business changed until it was kept as a hotel by William Craw- ford. Subsequently it was used as a private dwelling until 1878, when it was removed.

to William Henry. The next proprietor was William Houston, who after a few years gave way to John G. Thompson, who was the last occupant. The second tannery was erected by Maj. Abner Kelly on the northwest corner of Philadelphia and Fourth streets, in or about the year 1823. After an occupancy of several years he disposed of the property to Robert Whitby, who managed its operation till 1844, since which time it has not been in use.

The next tannery was erected by Judge James MeKennon in 1841 on land purchased from Robert Whitby in 1840 at the southeast corner of Cherry alley and Philadelphia street, and now owned and operated by the Robin- steen Collar & Leather Company. This tan- nery, like all others of that time, was a "cold water" tannery, no steam being used. It is the largest tannery in Indiana county, its ca- pacity for harness leather being about 150 hides per week. Mr. MeKennon operated the tannery until 1845, when it was sold by his executors to Charles B. Campbell, who twelve years later disposed of the property to John R. Campbell and N. P. Turner, they in 1864 selling it to Philip Marshall, who in 1865 im- proved the plant by adding steam power. Marshall operated the tannery until about 1876, when it passed into the hands of the estate of William Beck, deceased. In 1877 the property was leased and operated by N. P. Turner and later by Turner & Company (N. P. Turner, Prof. J. H. Young and Thomas Sutton) for about three years. In 1880 the property was leased by Samuel and George P. McCartney, who ran the business until the fall of 1882 under the name of S. McCartney & Son. In December of that year the property was purchased of the William Beck estate by Edward Rowe, who operated the tannery until 1884, when the "Indiana Tanning Company," a partnership concern, was formed, compris- ing G. P. McCartney, Prof. J. H. Young, Ed- ward Rowe, Robert Milliken, Sr., and Robert Milliken, Jr. The Indiana Tanning Company largely rebuilt and improved the plant. oper- ating it quite successfully until 1893, at which time the Millikens, Sr. and Jr., sold their in- terest to the other partners, who added the manufacture of leather belting to the output. In 1897 J. H. Young sold out to McCartney & Rowe, who in 1898 sold the property to B. L. Junker of Pittsburg, who discontinued the manufacture of belting, confining the product

The first tannery in the county seat was erected by William Lawson, not long after the founding of the village. and at first had only three vats. He sold to Joshua Marlin, who in 1835 disposed of his interest to James Clark, a justice of the peace of West Indiana, who removed the tannery from its former position on the southwest corner of Philadelphia and Fourth streets to the opposite side of Fourth street, corner of Philadelphia, and the prop- to that of harness leather principally, and still erty was afterwards occupied as an "Ice under the name of the Indiana Tanning Com- 26

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

pany. Mr. Junker improved the plant by in- posed of the lot to C. U. Gessler, who, in com- stalling a new engine and some other machin- pany with his brother, E. Gessler, erected a tannery on West Philadelphia street. There were twenty-five inside and eighteen outside vats. A fourteen-horse power engine and three men were employed. The capacity . per annum was 2,500 hides. The product was rough leather, generally shipped to Eastern

ery and in 1905 turned the property over to the "Robinsteen Collar and Leather Com- pany," a Pittsburg industry, moved to Indi- ana that year, the product of which is horse collars; the latter company (a corporation) has improved the property by the erection of a collar factory, about 50 by 140 in size and cities for a market.

two stories high, facing on Philadelphia street, The first man to sell goods was Samuel and by the addition to the tannery of "tan- Young, who in 1806 had a small stock of goods in a log cabin which was situated on a lot on Water street afterwards occupied by John McGill's pottery. Mr. Young, before the founding of the village, had resided on a tract north of the place, now a part of the farm of Gen. Harry White.

ning wheels" that enable them to tan and turn raw hides into finished collar leather, ready for use, in from three to four weeks. The old "cold water" processes required about four months for collar, six months for harness and almost a year for sole leather. The little old "cold water" tanneries, of which there The first steam engine in the town was brought in 1853 by Shryock & Johnston to a were many scattered throughout the county, tried to tan and make nearly everything in the sawmill located below Daugherty's planing- leather line, but that they were not always mill. successful is illustrated by a story of one out Mr. Ephraim M. Carpenter says: The first house built in Indiana was in 1806 on Philadelphia street, in front of where the Thomas flats now stand. The spring which is there now was there at that time. The build- ing was a small cabin built by Henry and Leonard Shryock. The first building where the "Moore Hotel" now stands was used as a hotel and afterwards as a dwelling. on Buck run, fifty or sixty years ago: An old cobbler by the name of Wright said of J. R. Buterbaugh, a tanner : "Jake Buterbaugh can make good upper leather, all right, but damn his sole." Tanning, as an industry, in Indiana county, is now almost extinct; forty to sixty years ago every village had its tan- nery, some of them two or three, and many were located throughout the country along the Beginning at the alley east of Daugherty's drug store, extending west one mile, and south across the run near the Oakland cemetery, and east, south of Indiana normal school to rail- road, thence north irregularly to place of be- ginning, was the farm of Francis Gompers, roadside, but practically all have been aban- doned. The Indiana Tannery is now believed to be the only one in active operation; from 1885. to 1905 it was at its best as a "harness" leather tannery, the number of operatives em- ployed being about eighteen; at present it the grandfather of James Gompers. Mr. makes nothing but "collar" leather for the use of the collar factory, the number of em- ployees in both plants being about fifty. The product of the collar factory is shipped all over the United States and many are exported.

The next tannery was established in 1851 by James Clark and was situated on the north- west corner of Sixth and Water streets, and was afterwards used by Isaac Beck for his car- riage factory. In 1865 Mr. Clark sold the property to Mr. George Stadtmiller, who occu- pied it as a tannery for about six years, and was the last to use it for such purpose.

Gompers' large bank barn stood where the Episcopal church now stands. It would cer- tainly be odd to see this tract of land in wheat, oats, corn and potatoes instead of the normal and public schools, churches, flouring-mill and dwelling houses that now cover the entire tract.

On the east side of this triangular tract, Augustus Drum owned several acres where the large oak trees stand in the beautiful campus owned by Hon. John P. Elkin. A man by the name of James Todd, the grandfather of Mrs. J. T. Bell, deceased, owned where the old stock- yard stands. James Sutton owned where Hon. John P. Elkin now lives. James E. Coulter purchased a lot where Daugherty's drug store now stands. A large flouring-mill was built by Mitchell (father of Johnson

In 1858 a steam sawmill erected several years prior by John H. Shryock was sold to Hodgen & Morrow, who changed it into a steam tannery. In 1869 James Clark became the owner, and after carrying it on for sev- eral years sold the property to John Wetling. Mitchell, deceased) & Boyle, about the time In the fall of 1872, while the latter owned it, the railroad came to Indiana. It stood on the tannery was burned. Mr. Wetling dis- Church street, where the Buchanan wholesale

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

grocery now stands. The plans for the build- building was made of logs and weather- ing were made by Mr. Treese, of Saltsburg. boarded. It had a double frout with an "L." He estimated the cost of the building at $8,000, It is said that the first court of the county was held in this building. This two-story struc- ture was burnt in daylight February 12, 1840, catching fire from a stovepipe which ran through the floor. and the real cost was $20,000. His reason for making such a low estimate was that if he had given a true estimate the building would not ·have been erected. This caused financial trouble and it was purchased by David Ellis and Conrad Hoffman. The mill was burnt July 29, 1858. There was no insurance on buildings at that time.

The first celebration in Indiana was held July 4, 1843, in the Drum grove, under the large oak trees on the lot now owned by Hon. John P. Elkin. The dinner was prepared by W. B. Clark, who kept a hotel where Godfrey Marshall's harness store now stands. Large, long tables were set in the grove, and dinner served there to those who wished to buy. The first brass band that ever came to town came from Saltsburg on that occasion. The boys went to the hill near Oakland cemetery to meet the band and escort them to town. They came in large road wagons, as that was the only mode of conveyance at the time. It must have been a very interesting celebration, for Philip Youngblood, one of the old citizens, re- plied, "I'se seen more than a thousand Fourths of July and I never seed one like on the paper-mill.

this."

On the corner where the W. R. Loughry & Co. store now stands Mr. James McKennan conducted a general store, his stock including whiskey. The next building west was owned by Isaac M. Watt, father of J. M. Watt, de- ceased. He lived in a brick house on the south side of the lot and kept a harness shop on the street. He afterwards built the house occu- pied by Sloan Brothers. Next came the build- ing where the deposit bank now stands. It was a general store conducted by James Sut- ton, uncle of Thomas Sutton. As was the cus- tom in those days he sold whiskey, but was converted by an evangelist who came here about the time the Washingtonian Society was in vogue, and after he was converted emptied all his whiskey into the street. Whiskey was sold at fifty cents per gallon.

In the next building Samuel C. Brown kept a harness shop and sold beer and gingerbread. It seems that he made money in this way, for the beer cost very little, being made of sugar. molasses and rainwater mixed together, and standing until it fermented.

The next was an old house on the corner. It was built by Thomas Sutton. Ephraim Carpenter lived on the corner where the Cun- ningham Company store now stands. The

In the next building a drug store was kept by Mr. Evans, who was a Whig. He and W. B. Clark had a bet on Clay and Polk, who were then candidates for president of the United States. Mr. Evans bet his store and lost out, and turned the key over to Clark. Finding that the bet would not hold, he asked for the key to feed. his horse and would not give it up again. The same year the Demo- crats had an ox roast on Vinegar hill, west of Henry Prothero's honse. There was a large crowd and most of the people from a distance either walked or came on horseback. There were few buggies.

The first paper-mill was built in 1854 by Sutton, White & Co. and Shryock, and was located where the B., R. & P. depot now stands. The drying grounds were where the woolen- mill now stands. The mill was burned in July, 1859, just one year after the flouring- mill was burnt. There was $3,000 insurance

The mill was rebuilt and the next firm was Sutton & Allison, who introduced the steam drying machinery, and in 1867-68 remodeled the mill. In 1869 the firm name became Sut- ton & McCartney. They employed thirteen men, using three tons of straw per day, and producing daily two tons of strawboard. They had two engines of 125 horse power and three tubular boilers of 160 horse power. Sutton & McCartney built a brick structure with a slate roof, making it as far as possible fire- proof. These expenditures with additional machinery involved an outlay of $15,000. The product of this mill was sold in New York City. It was a favored brand in the market, owing to the strength of the fiber of the rye straw, and the softness of the water used in its manufacture.

There were six acres of ground on Philadel- phia street connected with this mill, and all the conveniences of water and buildings to afford desired facilities. We present the bor- ing record of this main well, "of which there are several, as well as ponds to give a needful supply of pure, soft water." The diameter of this well is 6 inches. The record of boring shows : Clay, 12 feet ; mud. 2 feet ; black slate, 20 feet ; white sandstone, 30 feet ; black slate, 52 feet; black and white clay, 95 feet; white

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

fire clay, 6 feet, and white sand rock, 31% feet. court confirmed the judgment of the grand The water rose to within 8 feet of the surface. jury and decreed that the said town of West

"Indiana, the seat of justice for Indiana Indiana be incorporated into a borough. The county, is located on a beautiful plain, fifteen miles nearly north of Blairsville, and fifty miles north of east of Pittsburg. The county of Indiana is an agricultural one, having, be- sides the seat of justice, Blairsville, Armagh, Strongstown and Saltsburg in it."

Directory of Indiana .- Postmaster-James McKennan. Merchants - William Houston, Robert Nixon, Jonathan Ayres, John Patton, David Ralston, J. and J. Sutton, W. and J. Taylor. Druggists-Mitchell & Gettys, Wood- roe Douglass. Attorneys at law-Daniel Stan- ard, William Banks, John Myers, . Augustus Drum, Joseph J. Young. Physicians-James M. Stanard, John Gettys, Robert Mitchell. Innkeepers-William Henry, William Clarke, Robert Nixon, W. W. Caldwell. Justices of the peace-Fergus Cannon, Woodroe Doug- lass. Prothonotary-Thomas Laughlin. Reg- ister and Recorder-Woodroe Douglass. Pres- ident judge of the district-Hon. Thomas White .- [ Harris' Directory of 1837.]

EARLY HOTELS

The early hotels were, in order, those kept by Henry Shryock, Peter Sutton, Jr., James In 1895 West Indiana borough incorporated with Indiana borough and Indiana borough was divided into four wards, and on Tuesday, February 18, 1896, elections were held in the various wards resulting as follows : Moorhead, John McAnulty, Charles Kenning, Thomas McCartney, on the site of the "Indi- ana House"; Leonard Shryock, in a building erected by John Douglass and Peter Sutton, Jr., in what was afterwards known as the In the First ward the election was held in the courthouse and the following officers were "Kline House"; Chester O. Jones, in the Mitchell building on the site of the I. O. O. F. chosen: Judge of election, John H. Pierce ; inspectors, Edson Beck and Fred Selig; con- stable, Jacob Wetling; school directors, S. J. Telford and J. N. Laughlin; town council, James C. McGregor, J. M. Dixon, John F. Steving.

hall; W. W. Caldwell, in the brick building occupied by Michael Swaney's "Black Horse Tavern"; Robert Nixon, in the stone building formerly occupied by him as a store; George Selvers, in what was afterwards known as the "Derr House," where he had a brewery, and he simply added the hotel to the brewery; William Crawford, in the old Joshua Marlin log mill; Bennett Wissel, in a brick building on the east side of Clymer street, between Church and Philadelphia streets; William McCracken, in what is now the "Kinter House"; and John A. Jamison, in the Robert Whitby brick building, north side of Phila- delphia street, on the second lot west of Fourth street.

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Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 78

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 930

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 930