Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 97

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 97

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Hence, "watching a lick" was a phrase often heard among sportsmen in that part of the country ; and it was common to see a kind of scaffold or nest among the branches of a neigh- boring tree, in which the gunner awaited the approach of the unsuspecting animal to its favorite lick. Many deer were killed in this manner.

About the year 1812 or 1813 an old lady named Deemer discovered an oozing of salt water at low-water mark on the Indiana side of the Conemaugh river, about two miles above the present site of Saltsburg. Prompted by curiosity, she gathered some of the water to use for cooking purposes, and with a portion of it made mush, which she found to be quite palatable. This discovery very shortly led to the development of one of the most import- ant business interests in the county. About the year 1813 William Johnston, an enterpris- ing young man from Franklin county, com- menced boring a well at the spot where Mrs. Deemer made the discovery, and at the depth of 287 feet found an abundance of salt water. The boring was done by tramp or treadle, the poles being connected with open mortise and tongue, fastened with little bolts. The salt was manufactured by boiling the water in large kettles, using wood for fuel, until with the opening of additional wells the wood from

The Salt Works were located at what is now White's Station, on the Conemaugh division of the Pennsylvania railroad. For the last five or six years coal has been successfully mined at this place and a company store has been established.

Churches of Conemaugh .- Presbyterian Churches at Ebenezer, Clarksburg and Tun- nelton; Conemaugh United Presbyterian Church ; Baptist Church at Tunnelton; Meth- odist and United Evangelical Churches at Nowrytown; Covenanter Church at Clarks- burg.

At one time a select school was conducted at Lewisville, but in recent years no select schools have been conducted in the township except in the borough of Saltsburg.

The first election in Conemangh township was held at the house of Samuel Marshall March 20, 1807, when Archibald Marshall was elected constable; Robert Fulton and John Matthews, supervisors; Robert Ewing and Thomas Reed, overseers of the poor. The elec- tion officers at that time consisted of two

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

judges, John Marshall and Alexander grated from the old countries and were gen- erally acquainted with each other.

Thompson.

At March session of court, 1807, the per- sons appointed to divide the townships of Armstrong and Conemaugh made a report and presented a plat or draft of the division, dividing said townships into five, to wit: Blacklick, Conemaugh, Center, Armstrong and Washington, which report and draft was approved by the court.

The assessor's book for 1913 shows the fol- lowing: Number and value of horses assessed, 403-$17,595; number and value of cows as- sessed, 379-$9.383: taxables, 1.160; taxable real estate, $749,853; cleared land, $18,977; timber land $1,390; money at interest, $53,- 699; cost of assessment, $97.04.

SALTSBURG BOROUGH

The first survey in the vicinity of Saltsburg bears the date of June 20, 1769, and the ap- plication was made April 3, 1769, by William Gray. The tract was called "Gray's Mount," and was conveyed to James Montgomery, May 8, 1772. The tract is described as situated west of Black Legs town, on the north side of a small run including several small springs. An Indian trail is shown on the plat as pro- ceeding toward Fort Pitt.

In the same year an application was made for a survey of a large tract lying between Black Legs creek and Kiskiminetas and Cone- mangh rivers (on part of which Saltsburg was afterwards located), by Hugh and Thomas Wilson, to whom we are informed the warrant and patent were afterwards granted. At this time the wilderness was scarcely broken by the "white man's foot." "Wild animals of every description adapted to this latitude roamed the forests in countless numbers." The purchase of 1768 had called attention to the backwoods and now the law of 1769 per- mitting the application of survey was immedi- ately taken advantage of by many hardy pio- neers who rolled the wave of immigration so rapidly that in 1773, Westmoreland county was organized, and the settlement was ex- tended upon the upper portion of the river. But the frequent attacks of the savages forced the people often to retiré to the older settle- ments and there was no security of life or property till after the treaty of 1795.

In the winter of 1816 and 1817 Andrew Boggs, the father of the late Judge Jackson Boggs, of Kittanning, who had purchased a considerable body of land and located upon it at this place, laid out and sold the first town lots. In a short time a town began to rise from the woods. From its inception, by common consent, it received the name of Saltsburg, purely from the great interest which at that early day absorbed the attention of the peo- ple of this locality. At the time of the first sale, January, 1817, one lot was deeded to the "Congregation of Saltsburg," there being no other religious denomination here, it would seem, but the Presbyterian.

The first house was erected in 1819-20 on the lot occupied by the Presbyterian Church. It stood in the rear of the site of the church. The first tavern was opened in 1820 by John Williams, who remained only a short time. He stayed away till about the time of the build- ing and again made an attempt at the tavern business. He was succeeded by Isaac Fitz- gerald, who left in 1821. Both of these houses were rude cabins and were illy constructed to afford much entertainment for the weary traveler.

John Carson, about 1827, was the first tailor. Joseph Anderson, in 1831, was his successor. He also was among the early landlords. The first blacksmith was Daniel Davis. The first merchant was George John- ston, in 1829. In 1831 the merchants were: Edward Carlton, George Johnston and Robert MeIlwain, the latter receiving as partner in that year, William MeIlwain (who continued in business till 1875). In that year a small school was kept in a little log house which stood near the trestle work of the railroad bridge. Abner Whittlesey was the first teacher, and John Bucklin the second. Weaver did the tanning and made hats. A story is told of his preparing a wonderful hat out of the shaggy coat of a colt. Simon Drum was the next tanner. His tannery was in the rear of the Earhart house. There was not a located physician. Doctor Kirkpatrick, of Salem occasionally visited the place, when the disease was beyond the usual home relief.

The first canalboats that reached Saltsburg were the "Pioneer" and "Pennsylvania," of David Leech's line, on the 15th of May, 1829. They proceeded as far as Blairsville and re- turned to Saltsburg. For several years after the completion of the canal and the opening

These early pioneers were generally Scotch- Irish, and according to Findley "were a more sober, orderly people than commonly happens in the first settlement of a new country." A great portion were farmers' sons who emi- up of navigation through the main line from

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Harrisburg to Pittsburg, no business of any imagine I am a boy again playing around the importance marked the history of Saltsburg, old familiar places that I am about to describe. save the boatbuilding industry. In 1835-36 I can never forget the Indian shows-with real Indians ; for months after the show had gone, the hills resounded with our Indian whoops and yells, and with faces painted, and feath- ers on our heads and down our backs, we went forth on the warpath and in our imagination scalped many a white man. I will commence this story with a description of the old brick church which stood at the north end of town on the spot now occupied by S. M. Kiebler as a planing mill. The memory of the old brick church is very dear to me, for in it the writer along with about one hundred other young people made a public profession of our faith in Christ, a decision the wisest and most important any young person can make; for a truly successful life depends upon this deci- sion, and youth is the time to decide this im- portant matter before the cares of business and the pleasures of this world crowd upon us and we forget Robert Young, Butler Myers, Jacob Newhouse and others leased several acres of ground above Point street and prepared a yard for the construction of canalboats and for a num- ber of years this business was vigorously pushed forward. Some of the finest and most symmetrical heavy freight boats on the canal were constructed in this yard. It gave em- ployment to quite a number of workers in wood and added not a little to the progress and improvement of the town. With the in- vention of section boats constructed in three or four compartments, which were clasped to- gether for navigation and separated and placed on trucks for conveyance over rail- roads to save reshipment of freight, the boat- building interest received an impetus. Ways were erected for the purpose of drawing boats from the water for repair and this in connec- tion with the construction yard gave employ- ment to a large number of laborers, summer "There is a time we know not when, A point we know not where, That marks the destiny of men For glory or despair." and winter. This enterprise continued quite vigorously until the purchase of the main line by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, when the business was abandoned.

In 1882 the tracks of the railroad were changed and placed on the bed of the old canal. In 1884 a new station was built at the present location, and the old station is now used for the Town Hall.

WAY BACK IN THE SIXTIES-A PEN PICTURE OF SALTSBURG

(J. C. Moore, February 21, 1913)

I want you to wander back with me to the scenes of my boyhood, to a little village called Saltsburg, situated on the banks of the Cone- maugh and Kiskiminetas rivers-not the Saltsburg of today but the one I lived in away back in the sixties.

"Backward, turn backward, oh time in your flight; Make me a child again, just for tonight."

The old church had two doors in front and one at the upper side. The pulpit was high and reached by many steps. The choir box in the rear of the church was also high and boxed in with entrance in the center and reached from each aisle; seats, pulpit and choir box painted white. The fronts of the front seats were made to let down and were used as tables at communion season, also tables were set in the aisles to accommodate communicants. All members of the church were obliged to get from the elders a little lead token which would entitle them to the privilege of communion. These tokens were collected by the elders as soon as the communicants were seated at the tables.

About half the basement next the road was used for a Sabbath school room, for prayer meeting and old fashioned singing school.

Across the street was a house and a large yellow warehouse fronting on the canal basin. The basin was very wide so that boats could be turned there. Next on the basin and on the

I want to sit at the old familiar spot at the Point where we would catch great strings of fish ; I want to hear the plaintive song of the whip-poor-will and the tinkling of bells on the spot occupied by Harry Starry as a garage was distant hills sweetly mingling with the happy Kingsley & Kelly's general store; across the chorus of the song birds in their morning or alley James Alcorn's general store, in part of the building occupied by the Alcorn heirs ; op- posite the Alcorn and Black properties the canal lock, and a bridge across just below the evening serenades ; or hear the musical note of the boat horn giving the signal to open the lock on the old Pennsylvania canal. A vision of the happy past opens before me and I can lock; on the west side of the lock the Hugh

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Kelly property. Hugh Kelly was the lock Joseph Andre was the sawyer and a good, tender and we boys thought of Samson when jolly, kind-hearted man he was. In one part of this sawmill they had a shop for turning the great high posts used in those days for making beds. And don't I remember the old mill dam and swimming hole below the dam ! We could dive off that dam and go down so deep that the water was as cold as spring water. But now, alas, there is neither a dam by a mill site or a mill by a dam site. Now I don't mean to swear, and it reminds one of the little boy who asked his papa if it would be swearing to say cofferdam. "Why, no, my son, but why do you ask ?" "Why, if grandma don't quit her coughing she'll coffer- dam head off." we would see him open the great gates him- self. On the east side of the lock Henry Blank, the baker, lived and such good big ginger cakes he did bake-big as a butter plate and all for one copper cent; across the alley the stone house occupied by William MeQuiston as dwelling and store room, and fronting on canal his large warehouse ; another old house, then the tenpin alley, about where the depot now stands; across the alley below the Freet property an old house (can't recall who lived there), but in the basement of the house Wil- liam Fulton had a butcher shop. He butch- ered about once a week. If you wanted to get a good piece of meat you had to get up On the plot of ground where Joe Serene's house stands was a large tanyard and shop, and only one other house until you cross the alley at the Doughty property. There was one other house, another tanyard and the Andre property. Where the glasshouse now stands was a large sawmill and a bridge crossed the canal at this point. Now coming back to Washington street, where the Freet house stands was an ice house; where Joe McClar- an's drug store is now was Portser's car- penter shop ; opposite the Freet house was the John Reed and Dr. John McFarland property, the Marshall tavern ; and on Allison's corner the Redpath general store; where A. J. Mc- Quiston now lives was an old house occupied by Alexander Fleming, and at the other end of the lot where H. L. Weamer has his store was Fleming's harness shop ; the Onstott prop- erty was occupied by Mrs. MeIlwain as a dwelling and general store; across the alley, the building now occupied by Delisi as fruit store, J. S. Robinson's drug store ; next a little white frame which stood about a foot below the level of the street where Elmer Goodlin's drug store is was Hawkin's tailor shop, and where my store room stands was a little black schoolhouse, where I got my ideas started to shoot and they have been shooting ever since -seldom hitting anything worth while. Next the Carnahan property, used as dwelling, tailor shop and many years as postoffice; west on Point street the John Kilpatrick dwelling and store; next below was the Captain Me- Intire house; Captain MeIntire was the cap- tain of a military company called the "Black Hornets;" to my mind this was the first mili- tary company I ever saw. West of the Me- Intire property, the large brick, the Taylor property, occupied as dwelling and harness shop; below that an old tumbled down and at three or four o'clock in the morning, go stand in line and wait your turn, just about like the arrangement you have now for getting your tickets marked off for the lecture course ; first come, get the pick; last come, a soup bone. A high bridge crossed the canal on this street. West of the present depot and across the canal the V. Blank property; at the river bridge the tool house on the south side of Washington street below the canal and two old houses on the James P. Watson property. Opposite the depot, the old stone house occu- pied by William MeIlwain as general store. This is the stone store referred to by the "little customer's" first visit to the burg-who saw such wonderful things beyond Hood's hill. The house below was the warehouse and stood in the rear of the stone house at that time. Another large warehouse and stable stood be- tween that point and C. J. Martin's property. An old warehouse where C. J. Martin's res- taurant now stands. Another high bridge crossed the canal here on Point street where John McPhilimy has his furniture store, and was occupied by Stewart, Robinson & Co., gen- eral store. At this point on the canal the packets always stopped ; just east of the Salts- burg House was a large white house occupied by Mr. MeWilliams, the miller, and west on Point street the old stone house, and the Weaver property on the corner now occupied by T. N. Forbes ; opposite was the Laird prop- erty and above that next to the canal a little frame house (I think at one time occupied by my friend, R. J. Irvin, with his mother and sister). On the site formerly occupied by the Patterson Milling Company was Major Laird's flour mill, and further out in the river a large sawmill, and under the sawmill was a great place to gig or spear fish ; many a fine string of fish I took home from that spot. vacant house; where the Taylor bargain store

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

now stands was a dwelling occupied by George and repair yard; opposite the T. M. Duncan Myers; east of that an old vacant house, and property was a row of stables; in the rear of next to that a very large building, the Gosser the bank a large barn or livery stable; in tavern; and between that and Dr. W. B. front of W. T. Rhea's livery stable was a Ansley's property was a lumber yard. The manure pile which covered half the street, where dozens of hogs slept. Many a time we boys would pick out each a nice fat hog, catch him by the ears, jump astride, and with a grunt he was off and we enjoyed a regular bronco ride so long as we stuck. S. S. and William Moore property, then the large brick, the Earhart tavern. I have seen Point street from the Earhart tavern down past the Gosser tavern nearly to the canal filled with wagons loaded with lumber brought from the north and going to market, and many of these teams on their return loaded up with salt at Saltsburg to be taken north.

Going south on Salt street the same old buildings are there that were there when I was a boy. . Where Mrs. McFarland lives was a long, low house, property of David Hender- son ; then from there to the large warehouse, at the spot where Joe Ferguson's house stands, the following new houses on the south side of the street: H. L. Weamer, R. V. McClaran, D. C. Whitesell and Joe Ferguson's houses, and am not sure but Albert Smith's house was built since. The balance of the houses on that side of the street have been greatly improved and very much changed.

Where Frank Bell lives was a house occu- pied by James Daugherty, a cooper by trade, and he was considered a great violinist in those days. This part of town I was not very familiar with. An old house stood where Sumner Stahl's building now stands. The Methodist Church is new, also the property just north of the church occupied by H. F. Dixon. A little low house stood where Hugh Gallagher's house stands and where L. R. Moore's house stands was a cabinetmaker shop, and the power used for turning bed- posts, etc., was dog power. On the ground occupied by R. A. Walker was the William Sample property, the house occupied as dwell- ing and tinshop. An old house stood where James W. Robinson's house now stands, with a carpenter shop on Market street, facing the Stahl property. The cornice of this old shop was bored full of holes by the bee borers. I remember we boys had quite an argument as to whether these borers could sting or not. F. M. Rombach was one of the boys on the negative side of the argument and to convince the rest of us that he was right, and, being venturesome, he knocked one down, and plac- ing his finger on the danger spot settled the point of discussion by exclaiming, "By · George, they can sting." So I would advise the boys to keep away from the business end of a horer. Where Davis Brothers' lumber yard is now was Butler Myers' boatbuilding

The whole block from Stahl's to the post- office and up to the alley below Elmer Good- lin's property nothing remains as it was then. About as far back as the rear of the Odd Fellows' building was a store and frame house (rear stone and front frame) owned and occu- pied by John Guthrie; about where Stahl's building stands was a large barn, and from that corner all along the street was a row of cherry trees extending to the postoffice and from there up Point street to the alley. The balance of the property was an apple orchard. About where O. L. McGogney's house stands was the old cider mill with a stone spring house in the rear. In this old farm house, barn and orchard I spent many a happy day with my boyhood friend, Page Guthrie. Well do I remember the large fireplace in the kitchen with its iron cranes hanging with cooking pots and kettles and the wide shallow kettles on the hearth with lids turned up like pans to hold the hot coals to bake the bread and roast the meat. Everybody used the old dip candles in those days and it was my de- light to snuff the candle. The property where R. T. George has his store was the old Porter homestead. James Porter, father of David Porter, of Avonmore, owned clear up to the old railroad. I can imagine I see Mr. Porter yet, coming to the front door and ringing a large dinner bell that could be heard all over the little village for the boys to come to meals, and it was the signal for the rest of us boys to go to "eats."

Going north on Salt street was a little black shoe shop kept by Squire Young. Then the Haller property and James Daugherty prop- erty, now Mrs. Graham's property ; then the stone house next to the church, where Dr. J. A. Barker lives. I think Dr. Woodend lived there or Rev. Hughes. Between that

and Washington street was the Jamison home- stead, a large stone house which stood back from the street within five feet of the railroad wall; a walk extended between a row of trees down to the street, and along the street in front of where the Presbyterian Church now stands were two or three large Balm of Gil-

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

ead trees, very high, and the boy who could matter up and go back to the time the old throw a stone over them was considered a bridge was built and the old Academy. The hero. Where the fountain stands the old weigh scales stood and the Mrs. B. S. Kelly property was owned by James B. Robinson, and next to it his furniture store; then came Robert McCrea's drug store and house; then the little brick on the corner of the alley, occu- pied by Andrew Taylor, the baker; across the alley where Dr. Montgomery lives was a small grocery and next to it a blacksmith shop; then J. & C. S. Moore's store and the large double house on the corner; above the church on the hillside the John Martin property, and where N. S. Ames lives the Walkinshaw homestead; the John White property, where Davis Ewing lives; across the street the William MeIlwain property; I don't recall anything above this point but fields. only man living today that I know who worked on the building is S. S. Jamison. There are D. Galbraith, C. Hart, J. S. Hart, Maj. R. J. Irvin, S. S. Jamison, Dr. J. K. Weaver, F. M. Rombach, Theodore Fleming, W. E. Martin, J. Clark Moore, Dr. W. I. Taylor, W. S. Daugherty and David Porter. These men, if they would, could add some very interesting history in regard to the old salt works and the early days of Saltsburg, but perhaps when you read this document you will feel like a certain young man who took his best girl out riding and his admiration of her got the better of his judgment and he said: "Susie, will you be my wife?" and of course she said : "Yes, George, I will." Then George subsided into a very thoughtful and quiet mood. When Susie remarked: "George, why don't you say something ?" he said, "there has been too much said already."

On Point street above the old railroad on the north side of the street was the Stittsell property, and just above it, where the James Ewing house stands, was a large brick church -- the United Presbyterian ; then the little house above the Ewing house, occupied by Alex Akeman, the cooper; and just across the street the old Academy building, where I fin- ished my education-too soon; above this point I am lost again on this side of the street, unless it would be the old house opposite the M. V. Patterson property, occupied then by John Campbell, Esq.

On the other side of the street above the old railroad was an old carpenter shop and brick house, then owned by James Hart ; above that a very large building, the Rowe & Clark carriage shop, extending from Elmer Good- lin's house to High street; above that point there were a few houses: on Market street above the railroad were three houses on the north side of the street and one little frame house on the other side of the street. just below the present school building. On the site of the present school building stood an old two-roomed schoolhouse, one room up- stairs and one down. In those days you were promoted down, and your health wasn't good unless you got a good licking at least once a week-and as my health wasn't very good I got licked every day and sometimes twice a day. Above this point was fields and woods. There may have been other houses back over the hill, but if there were any I don't recall them.

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Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 97

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