USA > Pennsylvania > Pennsylvania, colonial and federal : a history, 1608-1903, Volume Three > Part 40
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Danville, the seat of justice of Montour county, is numbered among the older towns of the Susquehanna valley, having been laid out in 1790. It was at first the county seat of Columbia county, and derived its earliest importance from the extensive iron manufacturing plants started soon after the completion of a part of the Sunbury, Danville and Pottsville railroad. These early industries were afterward increased in number and capacity and in subsequent years Danville became noted for its manufac- tures. It became the county seat of Montour county in 1850.
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The State hospital was founded there in 1868. The population in 1840 was about 8,000, and in 1900 was 8,0.42.
Middleburg, the county seat of Snyder county, was laid out in 1800, when the township of which it was a part was one of the minor divisions of Northumberland county. It became a seat of justice in 1855. The population in 1900 was 573.
Emporium, the county seat of Cameron county, was laid out in 1861, and was incorporated in 1866. Its population in 1900 was 2,463, being more than one-third of the county's total popu- lation at that time.
It is also proper in this chapter that some brief allusion be made to the larger municipalities1 of the State which are neither cities nor county seats.
Shenandoah, first in point of population among the numerous towns of Schuylkill county, owes its existence wholly to the de- velopment of the coal mining resources for which the region is noted. The town was planted less than thirty years ago, and has made rapid strides in the accumulation of population, the number of inhabitants being 2,951 in 1870; 10,147 in 1880; 15,944 in 1890; and 20,321 in 1900.
Shamokin, in Northumberland county, was laid out in 1835 as a part of a coal mining enterprise of the Shamokin Coal com- pany, and owes its importance to subsequent operations in the same direction carried on by other proprietors and companies. It is the most populous borough in the county, having 18,202 in- habitants in 1900. Shamokin was once the abiding place of a considerable body of Indians, and to the early missionaries was known as "Shaumokin." Count Zinzendorf, Conard Weiser and others visited the place in 1745, and in the same year Rev. David Brainerd labored earnestly but with discouraging results for the conversion of the Indians.
1Only towns having more than 5,000 pop-
ulation in 1900 are mentioned in this con- nection.
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Planting of the Cities
Braddock, a busy center of iron manufacture, belongs to the Pittsburg group of municipalities which have sprung into promi- nence during the last thirty years. This town, however, has an interesting early history, and was named for General Braddock, an officer of the English army who met disastrous defeat on the borough site during the French and English war in 1755. But the modern town of Braddock is devoted to industrial pursuits, and now is filled with an army of wage earners rather than armed soldiers. In 1880 the population was 3,310, and in 1900 was 15,654.
Pottstown, second in size among the towns of Montgomery county, was laid out in 1752 by John Potts, for whom it was named, and was incorporated as a borough in 1815. It derives importance from the number and magnitude of its industries, ex- cellent railroad facilities, healthful surroundings and notable in- stitutions. The population in 1900 was 13,696.
Plymouth, now third in rank among the populous coal produc- ing towns of old Luzerne county, was deemed of little conse- quence half a century ago, and was referred to by a writer of local history in 1840 as "a pleasant village on the high bank of the Susquehanna river, beyond the flats." The original name of the place was Shawneetown, indicating its early Indian occupancy. The modern Plymouth owes its existence and prosperity to the production of coal in the vicinity, and in this respect it stands in the front rank of mining towns in the anthracite region. In 1880 its population was 6,065, and in 1900 as 13,649.
Mahanoy City, a flourishing mining town in Schuylkill coun- ty, was founded soon after 1850, and began to show evidences of municipal life about twenty years later. In 1880 the population was 7, 181, and in 1900 had increased to 13,504.
South Bethlehem, on the site of the "Moravian farms." set- tled by the missionary colony soon after 1741, was laid out as a town under the name of Augusta soon after the discovery of ex- tensive beds of zinc ores, in 1845. In 1853 the Lehigh Zinc
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company began operations and soon built up a flourishing settle- ment which took the name of South Bethlehem, and was incor- porated as a borough in 1865. Two years before this the Bethle- hem Iron company had established its works in the town, from which time South Bethlehem dates its most progressive history. In subsequent years one industry after another has added to the wealth and population, until the town has taken rank with the foremost manufacturing centers of the State. Just south of the borough stands Lehigh university, one of the notable educational institutions of the State, and which has been a factor for good in local annals. In 1880 the borough population was 4,925, and in 1900 had increased to 13,24I.
Mt. Carmel, in Northumberland county, is distinctly the out- growth of the development of mining resources in the rich coal fields of the region, and became an incorporated borough in 1870. The population in 1880 was 2,378, and in 1900 was 13, 179.
Dunmore, in Lackawanna county, is a flourishing town of mining and industrial prominence, being regarded in some re- spects a desirable suburb of Scranton. In 1880 the population was 5, 151 and in 1900 was 12,583.
Homestead, in Allegheny county, is an industrial borough of wide fame and forms a part of the great Pittsburg manufacturing district. The town is of recent creation, having been organized from part of Mifflin township since 1880. In that year the popu- lation was 592, and in 1900 was 12,554.
Columbia, in Lancaster county, second in population and busi- ness importance in the county, was settled in 1726 by a number of representative Quaker families, who left Chester and estab- lished themselves on the Susquehanna river a few miles west of Lancaster. However, the town itself was founded and laid out by Samuel Wright in 1787. In the same year, according to Lan- caster county history, Columbia was seriously considered as site of the permanent seat of the National government, the measure therefor having been defeated in Congress by a single vote. Dur-
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ing the early years of the last century Columbia became a town of some consequence, and was a convenient crossing place on the Susquehanna on the usual route of travel between the eastern and western parts of the State. Later on canals and railroads were built, which in connection with river traffic established a business center. In this respect in subsequent years the borough has lost none of its old-time importance and now is regarded as one of the best localities for manufacturing in that part of the State. The act of borough incorporation was passed in 1814. In 1830 the population was 2,046, and in 1900 was 12,316.
Nanticoke, in Luzerne county, dates its history from about 1870, when mining operations on a large scale were begun there. In 1880 the town's population was 2,884, and in 1900 had in- creased to 12,116.
Steelton, in Dauphin county, on the Susquehanna just below Harrisburg, is noted for its manufactures, especially in iron and steel products, and was founded as a hamlet and postoffice under the name of Steel Works in 1866. The locality at one time was known as Baldwin. Steelton had a population of 2,447 in 1880, and 12,086 in 1900.
Wilkinsburg, in Allegheny county, was a hamlet of little consequence in the Pittsburg district previous to 1878, but in later years it has developed into a borough of more than ordinary note. The town was planted about the date first mentioned, and has increased rapidly both in population and industrial impor- tance. It was originally a part of Wilkins township, from which the borough name is derived. The population in 1880 was 1,529, and in 1900 was 11,886.
Beaver Falls, the largest and most important borough in Beaver county, dates its history from 1802, when David Hoopes & Co. built its first mills and factory on the site. In 1806 the town was laid out under the name of Brighton, and was so called until about 1831, when the old name of the locality-Beaver Falls -- was adopted. For a full hundred years the town has
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been noted for its manufactures, but the greatest advances in in- dustrial pursuits have been made within the last twenty years. In 1840 the town had hardly more than 300 inhabitants, and in 1880 the number was 5,104. The population of the borough in 1900 was 10,054.
DuBois, the most populous town in Clearfield county, has sprung into active municipal life within the last twenty years, and owes its existence largely to the operations begun something more than a quarter of a century ago by John DuBois, a lumber- man from New York State. He built one of the largest saw mills then known in the region, and on the site where his prin- cipal works were erected in old Sandy township a flourishing municipality has since been built. The saw mills now have given way to other industries, and the town enjoys special benefit from the bituminous coal products of the locality. In 1880 the popu- lation of DuBois was 2,718, and in 1900 was 9,375.
Phoenixville, in Chester county, derives its importance from manufactures, and was founded as a town about 1810, when the waters of French creek were first used for mill purposes. In 1900 the population was 9, 136.
Duquesne, in Allegheny county, is the historic name of a flourishing modern borough in the Pittsburg manufacturing dis- trict. The population in 1900 was 9,036.
Sharon, in Mercer county, a country village previous to about 1836, owes its founding and subsequent prosperity to the con- struction of the Pennsylvania canal and the development of coal lands. The population in 1900 was 8,916.
Carnegie, in Allegheny county, was founded less than ten years ago in connection with the outspreading of Pittsburg man- ufacturing interests. The borough was named in honor of An- drew Carnegie, manufacturer and philanthropist. The popula- tion in 1900 was 7,330.
Bethlehem, in Northampton county, the home of the Mora- vians since 1741, the seat of noted institutions and domestic con-
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Planting of the Cities
tentment for many years, is now a prosperous center of trade and industry. The town is rich in history and the sources of mate- rial wealth, and in the development of the latter has increased from a population of less than 1,000 in 1830 to 7,293 in 1900.
Tamaqua, in Schuylkill county, was brought into existence through the development of anthracite coal tracts, and dates its best history from about 1860. The population in 1900 was 7,267.
Bristol, in Bucks county, the second incorporated borough in the State, and the first county seat of Bucks county, was laid out on lands granted by Governor Andros, of the province of New York, who assumed to exercise authority over the territory of this part of Pennsylvania. The borough was chartered in 1720, and was re-chartered in 1785. Although many changes have been wrought in Bristol during the last half century, and particularly during the last score of years, the borough still re- tains many of its old time buildings and institutions, and to the student of history offers numerous subjects of investigation. Nevertheless the town is, and for many years has been, progress- ive, and with increasing population and modern methods it has taken rank with the best municipalities of the same class in the State. The population in 1810 was 511, in 1840 was 1,438, and in 1900 was 7,104.
According to the census of 1900 there were eleven incor- porated boroughs in this State whose population was less than 7,000 and more than 6,000. Of these Bloomsburg, Greensburg and Huntingdon, county seats, have been mentioned; the others may be grouped and mentioned briefly.
Sharpsburg, Millvale, Mckees Rocks, and North Braddock are flourishing municipalities of Allegheny county, within the radius of the great industrial district which has gained such wide fame throughout the land. New Brighton is a busy center of manufacture on Beaver river, and dates its history from the early years of the last century, and its material progress from about
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1830. Ashland, in Schuylkill county, is in a locality noted for coal products, and first came into prominence soon after 1860. Olyphant, in Lackawanna county, is a growing borough in a rich coal producing region and has sprung into existence since 1865. Milton, in Northumberland county, was laid out in 1792, became an incorporated borough in 1817, and is chiefly noted for its manufactures and worthy public institutions.
The census of 1900 credits Pennsylvania with twenty cities and boroughs of more than 5,000 and less than 6,000 inhabit- ants. Corry and Monongahela, cities, and Clearfield, a county seat, in this class of municipalities are already noted.
Charleroi, on the Monongahela river, in Washington county, has come into municipal life within the last ten years, having pre- viously formed a part of Fallowfield township. Jeannette is the largest of several boroughs in Westmoreland county, and was incorporated in 1889. Tyrone, in Blair county, was laid out soon after 1849, and took its name from the iron works in the vicinity of old Tyrone Forges. The borough derived early im- portance as a lumbering center, later as a railroad town, and finally as a seat of manufactures and coal mining interests. West Pittston, Freeland and Edwardsville are important boroughs of Luzerne county, in the heart of the anthracite region, and are of comparatively recent origin. Conshohocken became a borough in 1850, and for more than sixty years has been an important center of trade and manufacture. The town was founded as a result of the improvements accomplished by the old Schuylkill Navigation company. Coatesville, in Chester county, owes its existence to the utilization of the water power on the west branch of the Brandywine in that locality, which resulted in building up a prosperous town. The borough was incorporated
in 1867. Old Forge and Archbald, in Lackawanna county, are borough incorporations of recent years, the natural result of min- ing operations in the anthracite region. Middletown, the oldest town in Dauphin county, was laid out in 1755 and incorporated
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Planting of the Cities
as a borough in 1828. It gained early importance as a station on the line of the Union and Pennsylvania canals and the Harris- burg and Lancaster railroad, and acquired additional population in 1857 by the absorption of Portsmouth. It is a seat of edu- cation and many industries. Tarentum, in the Pittsburg group of manufacturing boroughs, dates its history to about 1860, and since has shown rapid development. Waynesboro, an indus- trial municipality in Franklin county, was laid out as Waynes- burg about 1800, and became a borough under its present name in 1818. Etna is an iron manufacturing borough in Allegheny county about five miles above Pittsburg. Hanover, in the south- west part of York county, was founded in 1764, and was incor- porated as a borough in 1815. Its first settlers were Germans. Kane, in Mckean county, was established as a railroad town and later became a center of oil operations and manufacture. Sayre, in Bradford county, near the New York line. is a railroad and manufacturing town of much importance.
In the present connection it may be stated that Pennsylvania in 1900 contained twenty-five boroughs having more than 4,000 and less than 5,000 inhabitants, and forty boroughs of more than 3,000 and less than 4,000 inhabitants. Many of them were founded as towns during the first half of the last century, and a few were of still earlier origin ; but the greater part of the entire number have been brought into active municipal life within the last fifty years, and were planted as a result of the great work of development of natural resources in the the State.
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Index
Abbott, Philip, 515 Academies at Canonsburg and Washington, 9I founding of by Presbyterians, 13 Academy, founding of in Philadelphia, 87 of Philadelphia, 123-129 Act providing for an artificial road, 261, 262 providing for State roads, 260, 261 for regulating the militia, 211, 220, 223, 235 for organizing military, 210
Adams, David, 378 Dr., 155, 156 Adjutant-General, act providing for, 224 duties of, 224 report of, 235, 236 Adjutant-Generals, list of, 253 Agnew, D. Hayes, 135
Agricultural implements, scarcity of, 477 products, increase of, 485 productivencss, 471, 472 reading matter, 478 statistics, 486, 488 Agriculture, 471-491 conditions of 1799, 481, 482 early conditions of, 476 early progress of, 476, 477 early transportation of products of, 483 effect of wars on, 480
improvements in methods of, 478, 479 influence of the civil war on, 485, 486
influence of the revolution on, 482 influence of war of 1812 on, 484 in its geological relations, 472-474 in relation to climate, 475
Agriculture, in relation to topography, 474 in the western parts, 480, 481 movement westward, 482, 483 neglect of fertilization in, 478 organizations to promote, 483, 484 report concerning, 481 society for the improvement of, 477 Alden, John, 354 Mason F., 354
Alleghany coal field, the, 424 college, 94 Portage railroad, the, 292-295 Allegheny county, iron industries, 1898- 190I, 379 county, iron works in, 378 furnace, 358, 37I oil district, the, 450, 452 sketch of, 514, 515
Allen, James, 532 William, 338, 347, 532 Allentown academy, 180, 181 college for women, 94 sketch of, 532, 533 Alliance iron works, 361 Altoona, sketch of, 530, 531 American cement company, 465 institute of homeopathy, 183 Journal of the Medical Science, 143 Medical Association, the, 144, 145 medicine, 143 Anatomy, early demonstrations in, 123 Anderson, Dr. Matthew, 151, 172 Annual encampments authorized, 247 Anshutz, George, 372 Anshutz's furnace, 375 Anthracite coal, 390-416 discovery of, 396, 397 589
Index
Anthracite coal, discovery of at Plymouth, 397 early market for, 398, 399 early Philadelphia market, 401 early shipments of, 401 early transportation of, 399-401 early use in iron manufacture, 402 experiments in burning, 397, 398 fields, acres of, 391 note, 393 fields, geographical divisions of, 393 first shipment of, 397, 398 in Wyoming valley, 396, 397 Mehoopany field, 392 mines, men employed in, 415 mining, 390 region, divisions of, 391, 392 the Pottsville field, 391
production of by counties, 393-395
production, statistics of, 415, 416 shipments of by rail, 403, 404 supply, duration of, 395 Upper Lehigh field, 392 Western Middle field, 391
Wyoming' and Lackawanna field, 392
Anthracite inspection districts, 394
Appropriations for schools, 80
Archbald, 586
Armory at Carlisle, 350
Armsby, H. P., 490
Armstrong county, furnace in, 371
Articles of Association of Pennsylvania, 216, 217 of war, 210
Artillery of the province, 212 Ashland, 586
Ashman, George, 355
Ashurst, John, jr., 135
Associate judges, office of, 104 justices, 117, 118
Association of city and borough superin- tendents, 76 Pennsylvania educational, 76
Athertou, George W., 490 Atlas Portland cement company, the, 465, 466 Atlee, John Light, 165 Washington Lemuel, 165
Bache, Dr. Franklin, 136, 138 Bachly, Dr. William, 159 Baird, Dr. Absalom, 159 Baldwin, Ilenry, 371
590
Baldwin locomotive works, the, 308 M. H., 308 Bannon, Benjamin, 59 Baltimore Sun, the, 187 Barber-surgeons, 120
Bar iron, early manufacture of, 351
Barnsdale, Meade & Rouse, 442
Barree forge, Huntingdon county, 357 Barton, Benjamin Smith, 131
Bartram, John, 122 Basse, Detmar, 370 Bassenheim furnace, 370
Bates union, the, 412
Bayer, Dr. C., 175
Beale, Thomas, 355
Bear creek furnace, 371
Beatty, Rev. Charles, 428
Beaver county, blast furnace in, 369 Falls, iron industry at, 370 Falls, sketch of, 583, 584 oil district, the, 451 Becker, Dr. Benjamin, 172, 176 Rev. Christian J., 176 Bedford, Dr. Nathaniel, 155 furnace, 355, 356 sketch of, 560
Bebne, Dr. John H., 175
Bell, Andrew, 21
Bellefonte, sketch of, 568
Benner; Gen. Philip, 357
Bennett, James Gordon, 201
Berkshire furnace, 340
Bessemer steel, manufacture of, 384
Bethlehem, sketch of, 584, 585
Bibles, early printed in Pennsylvania, 86
Biddle, Nicholas, 402
Bigler, William, 47
Binney, Horace, 187
Bird, Mark, 349 William, 340 Bissell, George H., 440 Bituminous coal, 416-437 apparent supply of, 436, 437 description of beds of, 417, 418 field, the, 425, 426 first use of in iron making, 433 fluctuation in price of, 435, 436 geological relations of, 416-420 increase of demand for, 431 increase in production of, 435 mining districts of, 434, 435
Index
Bituminous coal, near Richmond, Va., 427 origin of, 417 source of supply of, 416 the first mined, 428 the first shipped from Pittsburg, 431, 432 the lowest bed of, 417 the Pittsburg region, 419
Blachly, Dr. Henry, 159
Dr. Henry W., 159 Dr. Stephen L., 159 Block, Charles A., 48
Blair county, furnace in, 358
Blakely, Dr. W. J., 177
Blanchard, Dr. J. A., 175
Blast furnace, the first west of the Susque- hanna, 349 Blister stecl, 345 Bloomsburg, sketch of, 576
Blossburg coal basin, the, 423 coal field, the, 420
Board of War, 216
Bolles, Prof. A. S., 18
Bond, Dr. Phincas, 123, 124, 127 Dr. Thomas, 127, 129, 146
Books, early demand for, 3 early printed in two languages, II
Bower, Dr. Jacob, 172
Bowman, Jacob, 363
Boyer, Dr. Francis, 176
Braddock, sketch of, 581
Bradford, Dr. L. G., 176 oil district, the, 450 oil district, production of the, 451 sketch of, 546, 547 Branson, William, 343. 346
Breading, Nathaniel, 361
Breck, Samuel, 31
Brewer, Watson & Co., 442
Bridge companies, incorporation of, 266 over the Schuylkill, 267 the first draw, 267 Bridges, list of the early, 267
Bristol, sketch of, 585
Brigadier-General, act providing for a, 224
Broad Top coal region, the, 424
Brookville, sketch of, 570
Brooks, Dr. Edward, 64
Brugger, Dr. Ignatius, 175
Brunot, Dr. Felix, 156 Bryan, Dr. Thomas, 178
Bryn Mawr college, 93 Buchanan, Archie, 442 James, 28, 230 Bucknell university, 94 William, 93 Bulls.head tavern, 299
Burd, Col. James, 428
Bureau of internal affairs, 434
Burgher, Dr. J. C., 175
Burke, William, 428
Burrell, Thomas, 367
Burrett, Dr. Alexander H., 176
Burrowes, Dr. Thomas H., 43, 51, 68
Bute, Dr. George H., 165, 170 Butler county, furnaces in, 371 county, gas in, 458 oil district, the, 451 sketch of, 567
Cadwalader, Dr. Thomas, 123
Caledonia, stcel making at, 360
Calls for troops, 239, 240
Cambria county as an iron center, 368 county, early forge in, 367 forge, 367 Canal divisions, details of construction of, 258-292 divisions, list of, 283 company, the Delaware and Hudson, 275 company, the Muncy, 277 company, the North Branch, 290 company, the Pennsylvania, 277, 278 company, the Susquehanna, 275 commission, report of, 279 commissioners, board of, 280, 281 construction, beginning of, 256 the Brewer division, 291, 292 the Delaware division, 291
the Erie extension, 288, 289
the Juniata division, 287 the North Branch division of, 289, 290
the Pennsylvania, 278-282
the Susquehanna division, 287 the Tunkhannock line, 290
the Tioga line, 290
the West Branch division, 289 the western division, 286 the Wiconisco, 286 the Wyoming extension of the, 290 Canals, extent of, 257
591
Index
Canals, finances of the 283 list of owned by the Pennsylvania railroad company, 277, 278 the eastern division of the, 285 sale of by the State, 277, 278 sale of the State, 283-285 and roads, improvement of, 255, 256 beginning of, 255, 256 building of the State, 256
Cannon, early manufacture of, 340
Castle Fin forge, 352, 353
Carbondale, sketch of, 547, 548
Carlisle College, 88 sketch of, 559, 560 ( armichael, Dr. John F., 155 Carnegie, Andrew, 88, 93 institute, 163 sketch of, 584
Carrick furnace and forge, 353
Carson, Joseph, 135
Caspari, Dr., 172, 175
Catawissa furnace, 354
Catholic parochial schools, 15
Cement, 459-471 antiquity of, 460 center of the industry, 470, 471 component parts of natural, 466 component parts of Portland, 467 dry kiln for making, 468, 469 economy of the dry process, 469 experiments to produce in Pennsyl- vania, 464 industry, the, 464 objections to American Portland, 470 Portland, 463
product of the Lehigh district, 471 selection of raw material for, 467, 468 Smeaton's experiments with, 463 works in America, 464 the wet process of making, 468 works, list of, 471
Centre county, furnace in, 357 furnace, 357 Cereal crops, early production of, 480 Cereals, waste of, 480 Chambers, Benjamin, 353 Col. James, 353 George, 353 William, 353 Chambersburg Repository, the, 190, 191
592
Chambersburg, sketch of, 561, 562 Chance, Dr. H. M., 436 Chandler, Joseph R., 195, 196 Chapese, Dr. Henry, 156 Chapman, Dr. Nathaniel, 135, 143 Charcoal era, the, 380 industry, the, 383 Charleroi, 586 Charming forge, 343 Charity schools 8 decline of, 12, 13 society to aid, 21
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