Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 96

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 96

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).

Clymer, a prosperous coal town located at In the vicinity of Clymer there are two good the mouth of Dixon's run, along Twoliek. commercial seams of coal, known as the

497

HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Lower Freeport, or bed "D," and the Miller chased principally by two firms, the Alphons seam, or bed "B."

The Pioneer Coal Company has its hold- ings in Cherryhill and Green townships .and has two large developments on Buck run, just east of Clymer, and one at Starford in Green township. This company is operating the "B" seam and is producing an excep- tionally fine quality of steam coal.

The Russell Coal Mining Company, which is affiliated with the Rembrandt Peale oper- ations, has two extensive mines on Dixon run and another on Buck run.

Rembrandt Peale with his affiliated com- panies is the largest independent coal pro- ducer in the Clearfield district. He has large holdings in Green, Cherryhill and White clay. townships.

J. L. Mitchell, who was one of the pioneers in the coal interests iu Cambria county, owns several thousand acres of coal in Cherryhill township in the Penn Run district. These lands are undeveloped, but are readily acces- sible to the Cherrytree & Dixonville railroad and will no doubt furnish the basis for a large mining industry at no distant date.

Clymer Brick and Fire Clay Company .- This company was incorporated April 9, 1907, by the following board of incorporators : Hon. John S. Fisher, president ; G. W. Lenk- erd, secretary; Robert M. Wilson, treasurer. The original board of directors were: John S. Fisher, president; G. W. Lenkerd, seere- tary; Robert M. Wilson, treasurer; T. L. Snyder, of Clearfield; H. A. Kratzer, Clear- field ; H. N. Widdowson, Mahaffey; Henry Hall, Indiana ; Thomas Bellis, Altoona; Wil- liam D. Kelley, Philadelphia. The board re- mains the same except that on the death of Robert M. Wilson, R. A. Henderson, Indiana, Pa., was elected to his place ; and H. C. Christy and W. S. Hamilton, of Indiana, Pa., fill the vacancies caused by the deaths of Thomas Bellis and William D. Kelley.

The company owns about two hundred filed October 28, 1907, and the order of court acres of land in Cherryhill township which it purchased from Giles Stephens and the Pioneer Coal Company. It has a modern brick plant of fireproof construction, which in- eludes a power house, machinery room, waste heat dryer, ten rectangular down draught kilns, stock sheds, blacksmith shop, etc. The investment in the plant amounts to $150,000.

The product of the plant consists of paving and building brick and radial chimney brick. The principal business is the manufacture of radial brick, of which 30,000 tons per year are made. The product of the plant is pur- 32

Custodis Chimney Construction Company and the M. W. Kellogg Company, and marketed in all the Eastern States, including the New England States, Canada, Porto Rico, Cuba and Honolulu.

The clay deposit is considered one of the finest in the State. It is about seventeen inches in thickness and immediately underlies a three and a half foot vein of coal.

Indiana county possesses great areas of clay and shale suitable for the manufacture of paving and building brick and other clay products. These deposits have scarcely been touched. One of the greatest resources of the county lies in the undeveloped beds of

The clay deposits of the United States, which were valued at $172,000,000 last year, rank third, being excelled only by the de- posits of coal and iron. The clay product of Pennsylvania amounted to $21,000,000 last year, being excelled by only one State, Ohio. Indiana has its share of the clay deposits of the State and its manufacture will become one of the leading industries of the county.

The first resident of the new town was John A. Dillon, who came to Clymer from Clear- field in 1905, and started a boarding house on Hancock street. During the first year he had from fifty to sixty boarders, mostly engineers and officers of the C. B. Coal Corporation, who were superintending the building of the new town. Mr. Dillon, having kept hotel at Ansonville for fifteen years, and the restaurant in the New York Central station in Clearfield for seven years, soon established a reputation for satisfying "the inner man," although it was with some difficulty that he could get enough provisions from the surrounding coun- try. Mr. Dillon, in 1912, moved to a private residence on Sixth street where he still lives.

The petition to make Clymer a borough was

authorizing it as a borough was filed February 29, 1908. The survey of the borough shows that it is bounded by the lands of the Pioneer Coal Company, Clymer Brick & Fire Clay Company, J. W. Ackerson, William Kephart, Mrs. L. Dearmin, Bituminous Coal Corpora- tion, Kinter Brothers, John McHendricks, Mrs. M. J. Oberlinan, James W. Davis, Wil- liam Barnett, Mrs. J. S. Rowe, and Twolick creek, and contains 304.78 acres.

The election for the borough officers was held April 4, 1908, in room No. 1 of the second floor of the Clymer Hardware Company's

498

HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

building, on the corner of Franklin and Sixth tive of Cherryhill township, is the only den- streets. Frank Fleming was appointed by the tist in the town. court to give due notice of said election. The There are two hotels, the "Neely Hotel," court directed that Alexander Hunter be W. F. Neely, proprietor, and the "New Cly- judge and A. F. Roser and J. H. Fagan in- mer House," Edward Dwyer, proprietor. spectors. The election resulted as follows : Burgess, J. A. Dearolph ; justices of the peace, H. D. Smith and J. C. Davison; tax collector, J. G. Lixfield; assessor, Orvil Krough; audit- ors, W. H. Brewer and L. C. Bence; judge, A. F. Roser ; inspectors, A. W. Hetrick and James Irwin ; poor overseers, J. E. France and Ira Brown ; high constable, John Wolf; constable, H. F. Fleming ; treasurer, W. F. Neeley ; coun- cil, H. R. Depp, A. Clemenson, Dr. H. N. Pro- thero, John McGuire, Dr. W. A. Evans, Joseph Christy, and John Morrow; school directors, Dr. L. E. Ackerson, Walter Robins, James St. Clair, T. C. Stanley, David Black, and David Abram.

Principal stores :

The A. F. Kelly Store; the Victor Trading Company ; W. C. Strong & Son, who occupy a brick building on Franklin street, built in 1906, into which they moved in 1907, conduct- ing a general merchandise store; George Dixon & Son, located on Franklin street, who have conducted a general merchandise store since 1906; other merchants are H. Levinson,

J. C. Christy, Peter Paytash, Frank Pertra- year a two-room building was constructed

tis, there is also Thomas' Five and Ten Cent store. The principal meat markets are con- ducted by T. C. Stanley and John Rozella. There are two druggists in the town, John W. Evans and Thomas Kirkman, who purchased the store of the Lydick Drug Company. There are two hardware stores, those of the Clymer Hardware Company and the Eureka Hard- ware Company. Naum Cooper has a tailoring establishment. John Dearolph is an under- taker and furniture dealer. C. B. O'Neil, jeweler.

The physicians are Dr. Benjamin Coe and Dr. J. S. Miller. Dr. L. E. Ackerson, a na-

Clymer National Bank .- The Clymer Na- tional Bank began business January 16, 1911. The handsome brick building 50 by 60 was erected in 1911. The first floor is occupied by the bank and a mercantile establishment, and the second floor by office rooms. There is a photographer's room and a barber shop in the basement. The bank was organized with a capital stock of $25,000 and has increased its resources very rapidly. The officers are as follows: Ed Widdowson, president; Dr. L. E. Ackerson, vice president; H. Andrews, cashier; E. C. Meek, assistant cashier. The directors are : David Ober, W. A. Evans, S. A. Krider, C. E. Fulton, Peter Paytash, J. A. Dearolph.

The churches of Clymer borough are First Presbyterian, Methodist Episcopal, Greek Catholic and Christian.

There are two brick school buildings. The eight-room school building was erected soon after the town was started, but not being suf- ficiently large to accommodate the rapid in- crease in the number of school children, last

near the street car line. There are ten teach- ers employed and a two-year high school course was added to the curriculum in 1912. The principal of the school is Ernest Me- Laughlin, a graduate of the Indiana State normal school. He was reared in Shelocta borough.

The assessor's book for 1913 of Clymer bor- ough shows the following : Number and value of horses assessed, 53-$2,250; number and value cows assessed, 67-$1,340; taxables. . ' 669; taxable real estate, $187,661; money at interest, $11,795.39; cost of assessment, $90.72.

CHAPTER XXXI

CONEMAUGH TOWNSHIP-SALTSBURG BOROUGH

Conemangh township was formed from Armstrong township in 1807. It received its name from the river which forms its southern boundary. It lies in the southwestern corner of the county. In 1870 it had a population of 2,152, including Saltsburg, and in 1910 the population was 2,510, not including Saltsburg, which alone had a population of 1,044.

The soil is a rich loam, well adapted to agri- cultural purposes. The principal minerals are coal, iron ore and limestone. The surface is hilly and is well watered by Black Legs creek and numerous other streams that empty into the Conemangh and Kiskiminetas rivers bordering on the south. An old citizen gives the origin of the unique name of Black Legs creek. It appears that among the relics that were early discovered along its bank was an old gun barrel upon which were the initials "B. L.," and the nameless creek was called Black Legs. The Kiskiminetas river is formed from the confluence of the Conemaugh and Loyalhanna, south of Saltsburg.

The first settlers in this locality were mostly Scotch and Irish, and came from east of the Alleghenies, especially from Franklin and Columbia counties. They were a very soher and industrious people. From 1770 until 1794 the settlers were quite insecure on ac- count of the Indians. A blockhouse was erected on the Dickson farm as a means of defense. One of the Indian war paths was along the Loyalhanna. There was an Indian town about one mile below Saltsburg on the left bank of the Kiskiminetas river. Notwith- standing frequent annoyances by the Indians, the settlements were rapidly extended. Many of the residents had been reared under Pres- byterian influence and brought their Bibles with them, and held family worship regularly.

In 1776 Rev. James Power became pastor of Mt. Pleasant and Sewickley churches, and began to preach as stated supply at Unity, fourteen miles distant from Saltsburg, the nearest point for publie worship prior to 1783, the close of the Revolutionary war. From that time the Presbytery of Redstone, which then embraced all of this region, sent ont numerous supplies into the thinly settled distriets, by whom churches were organized. There were no settled pastors until in 1790. On the 22d of November of that year, old Salem, Congruity, and Poke Run obtained under shepherds, Mr. John McPherrin being ordained and installed pastor of the first (in connection with Unity), and Mr. Samuel Por- ter of the other two churches. Rev. Joseph IIenderson was called to the congregation of Ebenezer April 9, 1799, and became its pastor. To these points, where tents and afterwards rude log houses of worship were erected, our forefathers from the surrounding country gathered with their families for public wor- ship.

A log gristmill was erected on Johnston's point in Westmoreland county, near Salts- burg, at a very early date, to which the set- tlers packed their grain to be prepared for food. From the Indiana county side they came from five to ten miles across a region of country but thinly settled and winding through unbroken woodland to the very edge of the river, which they forded at a point just above the junction of the Loyalhanna with the Conemangh. Later there was an oil mill and "still house" built upon the point, and busi- ness began to center at this place. Flatboats were laden with home products for New Orleans. This was the only route for trade until the opening of the Pennsylvania canal, which did away with flatboats.

In 1766 Robert Robinson, Sr., came to this locality and built a cabin in sight of the river Other old mills were Thompson's mill on Altman's run, Lytle's mill on Elder's run, Treas's mill on Black Legs run, near Salts- opposite Coalport, and soon afterwards built his residence upon a farm afterwards owned by W. J. Sterrett, where he lived until his burg. These mills were all run by water death.

power-overhead wheels with buckets. At

499

500

HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

present there are no gristmills in the town- county. At present there are thirteen schools ship, but a number of the farmers now supply and 458 pupils. For many years Conemaugh township stood in the first rank along educa- tional lines. The early schools of Saltsburg, the largest town and only borough, are dis- cussed elsewhere in this book, themselves with gasoline engines for chopping purposes. The real discoverer and manufac- turer of salt in this locality was one William Johnston, who came from Franklin county in 1800 and settled upon the point. A full de- scription of the salt works is found elsewhere in this book.

The first schoolhouse within the limit of Indiana county of which the writer has any knowledge was in Conemaugh township, about a half mile from the Kiskiminetas river. It was an abandoned dwelling house, being the first cabin built in the county. The building was owned by Robert Robinson, and the school was taught by James McDowell. The school was kept open about three hours in the even- ing. The date of this school was not later than 1785, but there are reasons to believe that it was as early as 1777 or 1778.

Before Rev. Joseph W. Henderson began to preach at Ebenezer, in 1797, there was a schoolhouse built near where the church now stands, and a Mr. Meldron was the teacher. In 1780 there was a schoolhouse about one mile above Saltsburg, near what is now White sta- tion on the West Penn railroad. It was an old house then. Thomas Irwin taught that year. Mr. McCreery taught school in a log house about 1790, where the United Presbyterian church of Conemaugh now stands. The base of the chimney of this house still stands on land owned by the James Oliver heirs. Mar- garet Coleman, who died in 1912, at an age of ninety years, attended this school. In 1802 or 1803 a schoolhouse was built north of Lew- isville. Master Fulton taught the school in 1806 and for ten years afterwards. Some time before 1805, a schoolhouse was built where the

Tunnelton, a very progressive little town along the Conemaugh division of the Penn- sylvania railroad, was formerly known as Kelly's Station. The first improvement here was made by John Kelly before the Revolu- tionary war. Being driven out by the In- dians, he buried his pots, etc., and returned to Lancaster county and enlisted in the army. He applied for a patent for the land March 1, 1775, in the name of his father, James Kelly. He returned home from the army with camp fever and died. The patent was granted to James Kelly for the land, 200 acres, adjoining lands of Joseph Williams and Thomas Reed, above on the river, and William Osprey, be- low, on November 3, 1784. Samuel Kelly, a brother of John, enlisted in the Revolutionary war at the age of seventeen years, and at the close of the war came and settled on the tract, and was followed by his father, James Kelly, a few years later.

Clarksburg is a beautiful village located in the northern part of Conemaugh township on Black Legs creek. It is five miles from Salts- burg, which is connected with it by a macad- amized road. The daily trains at Saltsburg are met by an automobile conveyance, which runs to Clarksburg, and this accommodates passengers who wish to go to Clarksburg, Eldersridge and Iselin and who at that point can take the train on the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg railroad to Indiana and north- ern points.

There are two general stores in Clarksburg. night school before mentioned was kept. The The one is conducted by W. A. and J. M.

Hart, who keep the postoffice, and the other is conducted by J. T. Young. Samuel Baroni has a grocery and meat market.

first teacher was Robert Work. He was suc- ceeded by John Reed, Me Vicar, James May and Cornelius Campbell. Soon afterwards another schoolhouse was built, between 1800 By a special Act of the Legislature Clarks- burg had been an independent school dis- triet and had but three school directors, but when the new code became a law the district again became part of the township. In com- pliance with the code the citizens of the dis- trict made application to the court for an in- dependent school district. The application was granted and the court appointed five school directors. and 1805, on land owned by Thomas Shirley, Sr. In 1809 or 1810 a schoolhouse was erected on land of Richard Clawson. The teachers were Master Nesbit and James Coulter. Shortly afterwards a schoolhouse was erected on land of Silas Fulton, and about the same time one on land owned and occupied by Sam- uel G. Miller. The teachers of the school last named were James Duncan, William Martin, John Jamison and Samuel Craven. In 1840 Among the very old settlers of the town- ship were the following : Conemaugh township had five schools and 337 pupils. At that time it had more schools and Robert Robinson settled in the southwestern more pupils than any other district in the part of the township, and his descendants are

501

HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

among the largest of any connection in the father of Samuel Nesbit, who was treasurer county. Soon after 1780 he moved from Big of Indiana county and lived on the old home- stead which was patented by Joshua Elder March 18, 1788, and known as the Alexander Thompson farm. The farm has been owned by four generations of the Nesbit family since 1817. It was surveyed by Thomas Mur- ray October 5, 1773. The claim is said to have been sold at one time for five shillings. An- Sewickley on packhorses, crossing the Kiski- minetas river in a canoe, and floating the horses over the river, and settled on a tract of land, the warrant of which is dated February 25, 1780. The tract was called "York" and contained 210 acres. The consideration was the sum of three pounds, eight shillings, law- ful money. The land was situated on the other claim in the same neighborhood was north side of the Kiskiminetas river at the traded off for three yards of shirt cloth. mouth of the Robinson run.

John Marshall settled on the old Marshall farm of 424 acres about 1768. His family was driven away by the Indians to the eastern part of the State, where they remained for several years. William Marshall located on a farm of 428 aeres about the same time, and Samuel Marshall on a farm of 287 acres.

Nicholas Coleman took up land on the Cone- maugh in 1771, near the Conemaugh church: He built a shanty and planted peach seeds brought over the mountains. The Indians approaching, his wife carried their child on horseback to a fort near Greensburg, and then to their home east of the mountains. When they returned to the farm, in 1774 or 1775, the peach trees they planted were laden with peaches, which they made into peach brandy and sold in the frontier town of Kittanning. They dug up their pewter spoons, kettles and utensils, which they had buried from the In- dians. Their descendants are still living on this farm (Robert M. Coleman).

Joseph Rhea settled in 1806 at a point gen- erally known as Coalport. The Coalport farm is supposed to have been settled by the Hindmans, but no record can be found of them earlier than 1800. They were an un- fortunate family-one drowned, one killed at a raising, and another met an accidental death in some manner, all in the space of one year. This farm received the name of Coalport at the building of the canal. James Alcorn had the first store about 1829, and for some years a store was kept at this point by Samuel N. Kier, of Pittsburg, and George Wilson, of Indiana, Pa. The business of the place ceased with the closing of operations on the canal. On this farm have been found skeletons of men, probably Indians, and from old burial places on this farm some old settlers think the Indian town, Old Town Bottom, opposite, across the Kiskiminetas, extended across the river on the present Indiana county side. From one of these graves enough stones were taken to build a chimney.

Matthew McDowell, who came to this coun- try not long after the Revolutionary war, set- tled on a tract known as "Black Walnut Bottom," on Black Legs creek. The tract contained about 400 acres, all of which is tillable. A patent for this tract was applied for by George Armstrong, April 3, 1769, and was deeded to Samuel Dickson July 15, 1771.

Robert Shirley settled on Black Legs about two miles from Saltsburg. Samuel Kier set- tled in 1806. John Ewing came to this vicin- ity and settled on what was afterwards Me- Farland's mill in 1788. James Nowry, a pio- neer on Black Legs creek in 1811, settled on the homestead afterwards owned by his son, Archibald M. Nowry. John Fleming settled about 1772. Alexander Lytle settled in 1800 on a tract situated on Lytle's run ; there was a small improvement when he purchased the tract and he built the first sawmill in that neighborhood in 1811, and the stone mansion now occupied by the widow of John Lytle.

James Hart settled on the farm known as Cooperstown in 1806. The first survey of the farm was made in 1773. John Drummond, Sr., settled on the Osprey tract, adjoining the Kelly tract, in 1812. There was an old Indian camp on the Osprey tract on the site of which there were mounds of shells and broken pieces of crockery ware, which seem to have been burned, of some coarsely pulverized material. Robert MeGaughey in 1818 settled on part of the Thomas Reed tract near Tunnelton. Sam- uel Lyons settled one mile from Saltsburg in 1793. Robert Wilson settled about two miles from Clarksburg in 1791. He was driven away by the Indians three summers, but re- turned to his improvements as soon as he deemed it safe.

CIRCULAR HUNT IN CONEMAUGH TOWNSHIP

At a large representative meeting of the cit- izens of Conemangh township and Armstrong township, held at the residence of Col. John Neal on Wednesday, February 20, 1828, for

Samuel Nesbit, who came in 1816, was the the purpose of agreeing on measures prepara-

502

IHISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

tory to a general circular hunt in said town- some fifty or sixty acres of woodland had been ship, Capt. John Smith was appointed chair- man, and Archibald Cunningham, secretary. At the meeting it was decided the neighbors of Indiana, Armstrong and Westmoreland counties should attend the hunt on March 11, at eight oclock A. M., to commence at James Smith's in Conemaugh township. Divisions of the circle were formed and men appointed to have charge of each division. No firearms were to be brought on the ground, but each man was to be armed with a suitable cudgel, and, if convenient, have a horn; but no dog was to be let loose until commauds were given by the men and officers.

consumed for this purpose. Originally the pumping was done by blind horses, and the salt sold at five dollars per bushel retail, but as the wells multiplied the price came down to four dollars. Mr. Johnston's success in- duced many others to embark in the business, most of whom were successful. Very soon the hitherto silent and solitary banks of this river were all bustle, life and enterprise. Well after well was sunk; competition ran high, and brought the price of the article lower and lower, until it was reduced to one dollar a barrel. This was too low. Some establish- ments were abandoned, others were carried on midst every difficulty. However, a reac- SALT MANUFACTURE tion, which was naturally to be expected, at last took place; the price was fixed at two In the Conemaugh valley there were several salt wells from which was manufactured an excellent quality of salt. The existence of salt water in this section was indicated by the ooz- ing of water, slightly brackish, through the fissures of the rock. These places are called licks, from the fact that deer and other ani- mals resort to them, to drink the water and dollars per barrel, which afforded a fair profit. The business regained its former spirit, and the quantity manufactured rapidly increased. With the increase of the trade came new ma- chinery and appliances in the manufacture of the salt. The unwieldy kettles were dispensed with, and large pans of half-inch iron, some 20 feet long, 10 to 11 feet wide, and 8 inches liek the mud or rocks, though the salt is deep, were used instead; coal was used as fuel, scarcely perceptible to the human taste. the blind horses were put aside, and the steam engine introduced for both boring and pump- ing. The place was called the Great Cone- maugh Salt Works, from the name of the river upon which they were located, and a post office with that name was established there.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 96

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