USA > Pennsylvania > Jefferson County > Jefferson County, Pennsylvania : her pioneers and people, 1800-1915, Volume I > Part 15
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95
the front oar. The pioneer oars and stems were then hewn out of a single dry pine tree. Elijah M. Graham was the first to saw oar blades separate from the stem.
The first lot of lumber which Barnett and Scott sent down the Red Bank was a small platform of timber with poles instead of oars as the propelling power.
The first flat-boat that descended Red Bank was piloted by Samuel Knapp, in full Indian costume. In 1832 or 1833 two boats went down loaded with sawed lumber owned by Uriah Matson, which found a good market in Cincinnati, with the proceeds of which Matson purchased the goods with which he opened his store at Brookville.
Up to 1840 there were but two or three gristmills in the county, but more than four times as many sawmills, and the export of the county was lumber solely, unless venison hams be included. Two million feet of white pine boards, etc., were eut in 1830 and rafted down the Big Mahoning, Red Bank or Sandy Lick creeks, and Clarion river, to the Allegheny river, and thence to Pittsburgh and other towns on the Ohio.
Lumbering was carried on very moderately until about 1847, when some experienced "Yankees" in that line from Maine and New York came into the county and engaged in the industry, giving it quite an impetus. In 1854 the lumber trade of the Red Bank valley was estimated at over twenty million feet ; on the North Fork there were twenty-two saws eutting ten million ; on Sandy Lick and its branches, twenty saws, cutting ten millions ; and on Red Bank and Little Sandy, fifteen saws, cutting three million five hundred thousand; total estimate, forty-three million five hundred thousand feet. To this may be added at least five million shingles, and about one million two hundred thousand feet linear or square feet of timber, or about three mil- lion cubic feet.
Before the creation of the Red Bank and Mahoning Navigation Companies, rafting, owing to the obstructions in the channel, etc., was extremely difficult and hazardous, but these companies expended large sums to re- move obstructions and otherwise improve the streams. Before this was done board rafts run out of Red Bank contained from twenty thousand to twenty-five thousand feet; the stream improved, they contained in many instances fifty thousand.
On the Clarion river and its tributaries there was marketed annually not less than thirty million fect of boards. This output, in con-
E. C. HALL. Punto
SKIDDING LOGS
J711
×
CK
1
X٦٠=٥٠
-
BUILDING BOAT ON CLARION RIVER
E.V.HALL
PHOTO.
RAFTING TIMBER, CLARION RIVER
TURNING BOAT
ind
RAFTING ON ALLEGHENY RIVER
65
JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
nection with the timber float, made the trade on that river worth over four hundred thou- sand dollars. You will see from this review that the annual trade from these streams exceeded one million dollars. In addition, millions of shingles were marketed, and five or six flat boats were marketed each year.
At the spring flood of 1869. seventy-four board and three hundred and fifty timber rafts were run out of Red Bank, containing over two million five hundred thousand feet of boards, and six hundred thousand of square timber.
In 1872 there were run out of Red Bank, from the waters of Sandy Lick, North Fork, Little Sandy and Red Bank, nine hundred and seventeen timber, and five hundred and seventy board rafts. The timber rafts from the three former streams averaged sixteen thousand feet per raft, and those from Little Sandy, one thousand feet; the board rafts ran from twenty-five thousand to fifty thousand, mak- ing a total run for the year of one million five hundred thousand feet of square timber, and twenty million feet of boards. These com- prised the "runs" of one hundred and fifty individuals and firms, averaging from one to one hundred rafts each.
In 1873 eight of the principal lumber firms on the North Fork, Sandy Lick and Red Bank sent to market four hundred and twenty-eight board rafts, containing from thirty thousand to fifty thousand feet per raft, and over one hundred timber rafts. The largest of these rafts came from the mill of A. Bell & Co., on Sandy Lick. To this should be added the product of the Mahoning and Little Toby, of which no statistics are obtainable.
On March 30, 1877. the output in the Sandy. North Fork and Red Bank was as follows: Sandy-C. M. & J. M. Garrison, three mil- lion, five thousand feet ; Mill Creek-R. J. Nicholson, four million fect : North Fork- Jackson. Moore & Co., three and a half mil- lion feet ; Five Mile run-R. D. Taylor, two million feet ; Sandy-N. Carrier & Co., ex- ceeding two million feet : Sandy-AAndrews & O'Donnel, one million feet ; North Fork- T. K. Litch, one and a half million feet ; Sandy -. A. Bell & Son, three million feet ; Mill creek-J. Humphrey, one million feet. .
The last square timber raft run on the Clarion was taken down in 1900. The raft was from Wynkoop's, owned by James O'Har- rah and piloted by William Boyd.
The last great output was in 1903, when forty million feet were run to market. Of this great run over thirty million feet was
white oak. This was the last run of white oak.
Keelboating and steamboating ceased on the Allegheny river in 1868.
Rafting a trip from Brookville to the Alle- gheny river required less than two days, a week was usually spent at the mouth in free- ing rafts from the gorge and rearranging them for the three days' run from the mouth to Pittsburgh, and it was customary to "gorge" all rafts at the mouth of Red Bank creek instead of running them out into the river and there coupling them up for the run to Pittsburgh. One who has never seen the ex- tensive lumbering business of those days or one of these gorges at the mouth can form no idea of its extent or importance. I cannot describe what I have seen there in the way of "jam and gorge," and I do not believe any old pilot or lumberman can. Flatboats, board and tim- ber rafts were jammed so closely in these gorges at the mouth that they bridged the stream completely frequently for a mile, some places two or three rafts deep. In this mael- strom rafts were frequently turned upside down and others were torn to pieces. When a raft and crew reached this point, on the creek, the front oar had to be unshipped and the crew run and jump for their lives. Any old pilot in Brookville can verify these facts. This gorge always caused great loss and angry disputes among our lumbermen. About 1866 they developed in lumbering so far as to keep the channel partly open and "coupled up" all rafts in the river.
The lowest price paid for timber was 2 2-3 cents per cubic foot. This was in 1846. The highest price per cubic foot was 27 cents. This was paid in 1863. In 1857 good pine lumber sold from seven to twelve cents per cubic foot. The lowest price paid for boards was three dollars per thousand in 1826-1836. The highest price per thousand was thirty dollars, in 1864.
NAVIGATION COMPANIES
The Red Bank Navigation Company was incorporated by an act of the Legislature May 17, 1854. by which Thomas K. Litch, Thomas Reynolds, Daniel Smith, Darius Carrier and Patrick Keer were appointed commissioners to carry out the provisions of said act,
The third section of the act gave the com- pany power to clean and clear the Red Bank. Sandy Lick and North Fork from all rocks. bars and other obstructions ; to erect dams and locks; to bracket and regulate all dams now
66
JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
erected; to regulate the chutes of dams; to control the waters for purposes of navigation ; to levy tolls not exceeding one and one-fourth cents for each and every five miles of improved creek, per thousand feet of boards or other sawed stuff, for every fifty feet, lineal measure, of square or other timber. These tolls were to be collected at the mouth of Red Bank, or at such other points as was deemed necessary. This section also provided for the appointment of officers and agents to carry the provisions of the bill into effect.
Under the provisions of this act the streams were greatly improved, and during the first three years the tolls collected amounted to over three thousand dollars, the greater part of which sum was expended in improving the channels.
The company was organized August 2, 1856, by electing Thomas K. Litch, president ; P. Taylor, C. H. Prescott, Michael Best and R. J. Nicholson, directors, and Paul Darling, secretary.
The last officers, elected in 1882, were: T. K. Litch, president; S. S. Jackson, N. Carrier, Jr., G. B. Carrier and Abel Fuller, directors.
Thomas K. Litch was continued as president from August 2, 1856, until August 18, 1866, when I. G. Gordon was elected. He held the office until December 27, 1873, when Mr. Litch was again elected, and remained the president until his death in 1882.
A. L. Gordon was appointed secretary, treasurer and collector, October 27, 1886, and served a couple of years, until Charles Corbet was appointed to perform these duties.
In 1830 Robert P. Barr came to Brookville, and about 1832 bought what is now the Cook mill site and two hundred acres of land on the North Fork. In 1834-35 he built an up-and- down sawmill near where the present mill stands, and in 1836 erected a gristmill, on the location of the present one. I knew Mr. Barr well. He was a good business man for that day, and was a useful citizen. In addition to running his sawmill and gristmill he manu- factured brick. In 1849 he sold out to Thomas K. Litch and others, and moved to the State of Iowa.
Mr. Litch moved to Brookville in 1850. Ilis sawmill was destroyed by fire in 1856, but was at once replaced by him with a better one. The new mill had a circular saw, the first one used in Jefferson county. Mr. Litch plotted some of his land lying in the borough, and sold it off in lots, in what is now called "Litchtown." For the period of three years before the saw- mill closed down Mr. Cook in operating the
property carried some eight hundred men on his payroll.
Good-bye, old mill. I have seen and heard you all my life.
The Mahoning Navigation Company was created under an act of Assembly July 31, 1845. There was no organization, but an act of assembly of August 10, 1858, under which an organization was effected and which continued until the industry ceased.
PIONEER FLATBOATS, TIPPLES, ETC.
The pioneer keelboat built on these western waters was made at Pittsburgh in I811, the "New Orleans." The first river steamboat was built in 1817.
The pioneer boats in what is now Jefferson county were built at Port Barnett for the trans- portation of Center county pig metal. In 1830 they were built on the North Fork for the same purpose. In after years, about 1840 when tipples were used, boats were built and tipples erected at the following points, viz .: At Findley's, on Sandy Lick, by Nieman and D. S. Chitister ; at Brookville, by John Smith ; at Troy, by Peter Lobaugh; at Heathville, by A. B. Paine and Arthur O'Donnell: at the mouth of Little Sandy, by William Bennett ; at Robinson's Bend, by Hance Robinson. This industry along Red Bank was maintained by the charcoal furnaces of Clarion and Arm- strong counties. The boats were sold at the Olean bridge at Broken Rock, and sold again at Pittsburgh for coal barges. Some of the boats were sold for the transportation of salt to the South from Freeport. The industry on Red Bank ceased in the fifties.
Anthony and Jacob Eshbaugh built scaffolds and boats for the dealers on Red Bank. The pioneer boat was sixteen feet wide and forty feet long. These boats were always built from the best lumber that could be made from the choicest timber that grew in our forests. Each gunwale was hewed out of the straightest pine tree that was to be found. viz., twenty- eight inches high at the "rake," fourteen inches at the stern, ten inches thick, and forty feet long, two gunwales to a boat. The ties were hewed six inches thick, with a six-inch face, mortised, dovetailed and keyed into the gunwale six feet apart. The six "streamers" for a boat were sawed three by twelve inches, sixteen feet long, and "pinned" to the ties with one pin in the middle of each steamer. These pins were made of white oak one and a half inches square and ten inches long. The plank for the "bottoms" was
67
JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
first-class white pine one and a half inches thick, and pinned to the streamers and gun- wales with white oak pins, calked with flax or tow. All pioneer boats were built on the ground and turned by about ten men-and a gallon of whisky-over and on a bed made of brush to keep the planks in the bottom from springing. All boats were "sided up" with white oak studding two and a half by five inches and six feet (high) long. Each stud- ding was mortised into a gunwale, two feet apart. Inside the boat a siding eighteen inches high was pinned on. These boats were sold in Pittsburgh, to be used as coal barges for the transportation of coal to the lower Missis- sippi. The boats were manned and run by two or three men, the pilot always at the stern. The oar, stem and blade were made the same as for ordinary rafts. The pioneer boats were tied and landed with halyards made of twisted hickory saplings. The size of these boats in 1843 was eighteen feet wide and eighty feet long, built on tipples similar to the present method. The boats are now made from one hundred and twenty to one hundred and fifty feet long and from twenty to twenty-four feet wide, and from spliced gunwales.
More than sixty years ago boats were built on the Big Toby at Maple creek, Cooksburg, Clarington, Millstone, Wynkoop, Spring creek, Irvine and Ridgway. The pioneer boat was probably built at Maple Creek by William Reynolds. The pioneer boats were gems of the art as compared with those made to-day. Now the gunwales are spliced up of pieces to make the required length, and the boats are made of hemlock. The industry, however, is carried on more extensively on the Clarion now than ever for the same market.
From this time, as has been the case for several years past, the boat bottom will be of hemlock, patched of many pieces, spiked to- gether instead of built with long oak pins, and will have to be handled with care to serve the purpose. Of this kind of boat bottoms there is small danger of scarcity.
ACTS OF ASSEMBLY RELATING TO STREAMS
In 1850 the waters of what is now called the Clarion river were as clear as crystal, pure as life and gurgled into the river from the mount- tain springs. In early times this river was called Stump creek. It was called Toby's creek as early as 1758, and as late as 1860. In an act of the Legislature of 1822 authorizing the erection of a dam, the stream was called "Toby's creek, otherwise called Clarion."
In 1855-56 there was one colored teamster in Ridgway, viz., Charles Matthews. He also rafted on the Clarion river and a famous pilot he was, too. On his return trips he had to pass through Jefferson county. In 1856 he was subpoenaed to our court on a liquor case. Charles was put on the stand and asked if the defendant ever sold him any liquor. His answer was, "Yes sah, I have bought a little medicine at times." "Well, what did you do with the medicine?" Matthews slowly said, "Well sah, up in Ridgway where I comes from when we has to take medicine, sah, we gen- erally drinks it, and I reckon, sah, I takes dis medicine dataway."
The Red Bank is not the same old stream that it used to be when I was a boy. It's not the same old bank I strolled along, whistling notes of joy.
In 1798 Red Bank was designated by legal statute as Sandy Lick, but later, by common acceptance, the name Sandy Lick was applied to that portion above where the North Fork unites, and Red Bank from Brookville to the mouth.
There was a flood in this stream in 1806 which reached eight or ten feet up the trees on the flats.
One thousand dollars was appropriated by the act of Assembly "making appropriations for certain internal improvements," approved March 24, 1817, for the purpose of improving this creek, and Levi Gibson and Samuel C. Orr were appointed commissioners to superin- tend the application of the money. By the act of . April 4, 1826, "Sandy Lick, or Red Bank Creek," was declared a public highway only for the passage of boats, rafts, etc., descending it. That act also made it lawful for all persons owning lands adjoining this stream to erect milldams across it, and other waterworks along it, to keep them in good repair, and draw off enough water to operate them on their own land, but required them to make a slope from the top, descending fifteen feet for every foot the dam is high, and not less than forty feet in breadth, so as to afford a good navigation. and not to infringe the rights and privileges of any owner of private property.
An act declaring the rivers Ohio and Alle- gheny, and certain branches thereof, public highways:
"Section 1. Be it enacted, etc., That from and after the passing of this act. . . . . Toby's Creek, from the mouth up to the second fork (now Clarion river, and Johnsonburg was the second fork). .... Sandy Lick, or Red Bank creek, from the mouth up to the second great
JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
fork, he, and the same are hereby declared to be, public streams and highways for the pas- sage of boats and rafts; and it shall and may be lawful for the inhabitants or others desirous of using the navigation of the said river and branches thereof to remove all natural obstructions in the said river and branches aforesaid." Passed March 21. 1798.
The first fork was at Brookville's site. the second great fork, which is the North Fork, at Port Barnett.
1808 .- Big Mahoning declared a public highway from its mouth up to the mouth of Canoe creek, and permission given and regulated to erect dams in said creek.
1817 .- Two hundred dollars appropriated by the State "for the purpose of improving the navigation of Toby's creek."
1817 .- Appropriation by the State of eight hundred dollars "for the purpose of removing obstructions in Big Mahoning creek, and im- proving the navigation of the same between the mouth of Little Mahoning and the con- fluence of said creek with the river Al- legheny."
1817 .- One thousand dollars appropriated by the State "for the purpose of improving the navigation of Red Bank creek from the mouth thereof as far up as it is declared navigable."
1820 .- Sandy Lick creek declared a public highway up to Henry Nulf's sawmill in the county of Jefferson.
1826 .- Sandy Lick or Red Bank creek de- clared a public highway from the eastern boundary of Jefferson county to its mouth, for the passage of descending boats, rafts, etc .: and permission granted. and regulations prescribed, for the erection of dams in said creek.
1828 .- Little Toby's creek, in the counties of Clearfield and Jefferson, from the mouth of John Shaffer's mill run, on the main branch of Toby's creek, and from the forks of Brandy Camp (or Kersey creek) to the Clarion river. declared a public highway for the passage of rafts, boats and other craft, and permission given to erect and regulate dams on said creek.
1833. North Fork creek, in Jefferson county, from its mouth to Ridgway, declared a public highway.
1835 .- Big Mahoning creek declared a public highway from the mouth of Canoe creek to the forks of Stump creek in Jefferson county.
1842. Chutes of dams on the Red Bank and Sandy Lick creek to be twenty feet long for every one foot high.
1845 .- Incorporation of the Mahoning Navigation Company authorized, and J. W. Jenks, William Campbell and James Torrence appointed commissioners to procure books, solicit subscriptions and organize the company.
1846 .- An act relating to dams and ob- structions in the Clarion river.
The act, No. 189, declaring Little Toby's creek, Black Lick creek, Little Oil creek, and Clark's creek public highways :
"Section 1. Be it enacted, etc., That from and after the passage of this act Little Toby's creek, in the counties of Clearfield and Jeffer- son, from the mouth of John Shaffer's mill run, on the main branch of Toby's creek, and from the fork of Brandy Camp (or Kersey creek) to the Clarion river, .... be, and the same are hereby declared, public highways for the passage of rafts, boats, and other craft, and it shall and may be lawful for, etc." The same provisions followed here as in No. 129. "Approved-the fourteenth day of April, A. D. one thousand eight hundred and twenty- eight.
"J. ANDW. SCHULZE, "Governor."
By the act of Assembly of March 21, 1808, Mahoning creek was declared to be a public highway for the passage of rafts, boats and other vessels from its confluence with the Alle- gheny river to the mouth of Canoe creek, in Indiana county. That act authorized the inhabitants along its banks, and others desirous of using it for navigation, to remove all natural and artificial obstructions in it. except dams for mills and other waterworks, and to erect slopes at the mill- and other dams, which must be so constructed as not to injure the works of such dams. Any person owning or possessing lands along this stream had the liberty to construct dams across it, subject, however, to the restriction and provisions of the general act authorizing the riparian owners to erect dams for mills on navigable streams. William Travis and Joseph Marshall were appointed to superintend the expenditure of eight hundred dollars for the improvement of this stream, authorized by the act of March 24, 1817. to whom an order for their services for two hundred and one dollars was issued by the commissioners of this county December 23. 1818.
The act of Legislature, No. 129, declaring part of Big Mahoning creek a public highway, approved April 13. 1833. reads as follows :
"Section 2. From and after the passage of this act, that part of Big Mahoning creek in
.
69
JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Jefferson county, from the mouth of Canoe creek, in said county, is hereby declared a public highway for the passage of rafts, boats, and other crafts ; and it shall and may be law- ful for persons desirous of using the navigation of said creek between the points aforesaid to remove all natural and artificial obstruc- *tions from the bed or channel of said creek, except dams for mills and other water- works, and also to ereet such slopes at the mill- or other dams on said creek as may be necessary for the passage of rafts, boats, and other vessels. Provided, such slopes be so constructed as not to injure the works of such dams. And provided also, that any person or persons owning or possessing lands on said creek shall have liberty to construct any dam or dams across the same, agreeably and sub- jeet to all the restrictions and provisions of an act of the General Assembly of this Common- wealth, passed the twenty-third day of March, one thousand eight hundred and three, entitled 'An Act to authorize any person or persons owning lands adjoining navigable streams of water declared publie highways to erect dams on such streams for mill and other water works.'"
An act, No. 64, declaring the North Fork of Sandy Lick creek, in the county of Jefferson from the mouth thereof to Ridgway, in said county, a public highway, was approved the thirteenth day of March. A. D. one thousand eight hundred and thirty-three, by Gov. George Wolf.
PIONEER AGRICULTURE
For many years after its establishment the county was largely a hunting ground for whites and Indians. But gradually agriculture came to have its place among the important industries.
For convenience in description I may here state that the soil of Jefferson county was covered in sections with two different growths of timber, viz .: Sections of oaks and other hardwood timber, with underbrush and sap- lings-some of these sections were called the barrens; and sections covered with a dense and heavy growth of pine, hemlock, poplar, cucumber, bass, ash, sugar and beech, with saplings, down timber and underbrush in great profusion. The mode of clearing in these different sections was not the same. In the first mentioned or sparsely covered sections the preliminary work was grubbing. The saplings and underbrush had to be grubbed up and out with a mattock and piled in brush piles. One man could usually grub an acre
in four days, or the work could be let as a job for two dollars per acre and board. The standing timber then was usually girdled. or deadened, and allowed to fall down in the crops from year to year, to be chopped and rolled in heaps every spring. In the dense or heavy growth timber the preliminary work was underbrushing, cutting the sapling close to the ground. piling the brush or not, as the neces- sity of the case seemed to require. The second step was the cutting of all standing timber, which. too, had to be brushed and cut into twelve- or fifteen-foot lengths. This latter work was always a winter's job for the farmer, and the buds of these falling trees made excellent browsing feed for his cattle. In the spring-time, after the brush had become thoroughly dry, and in a dry time, a good burn of the brush, if possible, was ob- tained. The next part of the process was logging, usually after harvest. This required the labor of five men and a team of oxen -- one driver for the oxen and two men at each end of the log-heap. Neighbors would "morrow" with each other, and on such occasions each neighbor usually brought his handspike. This was a round pole, made of beech, dog or iron wood, without any iron on or in it, about six feet long, and sharpened at the large end. Logs were rolled on the spike over skids. Sometimes the cattle were made to draw or roll the logs on the heap. These piles were burned, and the soil was then ready for the drag or the triangular harrow. I have looked like a negro many a time while working at this logging. Then money was scarce, labor plenty and cheap, and amusements feu, hence grubbing, chopping, and logging "frolics" were frequent and popular. For each frolic one or more two-gallon jugs of whisky would be indispensable. \ jolly good time was had, as well as a good dinner and supper, and every one in the neighborhood expected an invitation.
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.