USA > Pennsylvania > Erie County > Popular history of Erie county, Pennsylvania > Part 13
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Another authority says, the bell was used to call the people to arms during the railroad war, and that three taps of this silver-toned relic, would bring out hundreds of able-bodied men with guns to intimidate the railroad laborers. The bell was rung with more violence than it could stand in that campaign and be- came cracked in consequence. Regarding the railroad war, the Gazette of Jan. 12, 1854, says: "Never in the history of our city have we witnessed popular ex- citement equal to that which now prevails. God grant that it may speedily subside."
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PUBLIC BUILDINGS
The Court House-The corner-stone of the present Court House was laid Aug. 17, 1852; Hon. John Galbraith, President Judge delivering an address for the occasion. The first court was held therein, May 7, 1855. The Commis- sioners undertook the job by day work and on May 1, 1854, after about $30,000 had been expended, contracted with Hoskinson and Hill to complete the structure, and its surroundings, for $31,000 additional. An allowance of $2,392 for extras, brought the entire cost above $63,000 and with subsequent additions and repairs the sum had been increased to $100,000, prior to the L addition which was contract- ed in 1889 by Riblet Brothers for $27,983. W. J. Butler secured the plumbing and steam heating work at $3,686 and with furnishings and extras, the addition cost the County about $40,000. The court house is fire proof and very commodious, al- though somewhat ancient in appearance. The old portion is 61x132 feet and the L 40x100 ft. all two stories in height. It contains rooms for the various county offices, as well as ample court rooms, apartments for juries, consultation rooms, etc. The lot was purchased by the County in 1804.
Jails-A small log jail was erected on the southeast corner of Holland and Second street, in 1803, and court was held in this a few times. A brick jail was erected, on the site of the present Court House, 1830, and the present sheriff's res- dence was built in 1850, at a cost of $12,657. The present jail with 36 iron cells was built, in 1869, making a cost of about $52,000.
The residence and jail are each three stories in height, and two rows of cells are found on each floor. Each cell is provided with a heavily grated iron door, and fitted with water closet and wash bowl. The floors stairways and galleries are of iron and back walls of stone, making it fire proof and difficult of escape.
Prisoners each receive a loaf of bread per day, to which is added coffee for breakfast, meat and potatoes for dinner and tea for supper. Through the kind- 'ness of the sheriff, roast turkey and other delicacies are furnishd on the principal holidays. The average number is from 25 to 75. A warden appointed by the sher- iff, has charge of the prisioners and jail. The incarcerations for 1892 were 1,075 and for 1893 over 1,000. As many as 85 prisoners have been confined at one time, be- fore the session of court. After the discharges and sentences the number de- tained is sometimes reduced as low as twenty. Old criminals are sentenced to the Western Penitentiary, milder case to the Allegheny Co. Workhouse, and incor- rigible girls and boys of tender years are sent to the Morganza Reform School.
March 15, 1824, an act passed the. Legislature to allow those indebted to the State for in and out lots of Erie, or any lands lying in Erie County, to pay the same to the County Treasurer until the donation of $2,500 had been cancelled.
County Alms House-In 1832, John H. Walker, procured an act ceding the third section of State land, comprising about 2,000 acres in Millcreek tp., to the borough; the proceeds to be used in constructing a canal basin at the harbor. The act, reserved 100 acres to the County, on which to erect an Alms House. The poor house farm was selected by the commisioners May 8, 1833. To this, a tract of 8} acres was added by purchase from Martin Warfel Sr., in 1877, and some five acres additional was secured from the abandoned canal bed. A proposition to build a County house was voted down in 1839, but passed by a majority of four at the spring election of 1840. The original building was of brick and suited to the times, but the results of the late war, left many widows and orphans unable to care for themselves and the present imposing edifice was commenced in 1870. It was nearly completed in 1871, although some of the finishing continned until 1873. The entire cost as shown by the requisitions, 1869-73, was $118,000. To this $10,-
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ERIE COUNTY HISTORY.
000 appropriated in 1874, was applied to the improvement of the buildings and grounds, the erection of barns and putting down a well for natural gas. The latter supplies the premises with fuel and lights and has proven to be a paying invest- ment. An addition for insane male persons, was made in 1875, at a cost of $2,000.
Warner, Beers & Co's 1884 history says: "The Alms House stands on a rise of ground between the Ridge road and Lake Shore railroad, facing the former, with which it communicates by a wide avenue, lined on both sides with shade trees. The main building is of brick, four stories high, 188 feet long by 44 to 46 wide, with a cupola in the center and another at each end. Extending from the center on the north side is a three-story brick wing, 86x30 feet, and a short distance to the west is the small two-story brick building above referred to, for the care and safe- keeping of insane males. On the first floor of the main building are the Steward's office and family apartments, the men's sitting room, store room, etc. The three other floors are divided into sleeping rooms, except that a large space at the west end of the second story is used as the female hospital. The north wing con- tains the paupers' dining room and kitchen on the first, the women's insane de- partment on the second, and the men's hospital on the third floor. The capacity of the building is for about 300 inmates. All the cooking for the paupers is done by steam. The heating is effected mainly by steam generators, in part by natural gas from wells on the farm, which also supply the light. The water is pumped from a spring to a tank on the fourth story, from which it is distributed over the entire building. Attached to the building is a medical depository and a small li- brary, the later contributed by Hon. Henry Souther."
The poor house farm is one of the best in the County, and has generally been kept under fine cultivation. A few rods north of the building is a large spring, which furnishes an ample supply of water for all the needs of the institution. The barn is of the modern style, with basement stable. A little to the east, in- closed by a ncat fence, is the new pauper burial ground, which already contains 100 unfortunates. Each grave is marked by a stone and a number corresponding with the one in the death book.
The food supplied to the inmates is plain but is clean and abundant. It con- sists largely of potatoes, bread and butter, soup, tea, coffee and vegetables. The sleeping apartments are plain but comfortably furnished, and scrupulous cleanli- ness is observed, in order to prevent the spread of contagion,
The charity system of the County is in charge of three directors of the poor, one of whom is elected annually. They employ a steward of the Almshouse,a sec- retary and treasurer, an attorney,a physician for the almshouse, (who also attends to Erie poor), and one physician each to Corry, North East, Union, Waterford, Albion, Harborcreek, Edinboro, Mill Village, Girard, Wattsburg, Middleboro, Springfield and Fairview. The subordinate employes at the Almshouse are one engineer, two farmers, one keeper and one nurse for the insane men, one keeper of the hospital, one janitor at the office, two keepers for the insane women, and four female servants. Only those who are thought to be incurably insane are kept at the istitution of whom there are 20. Those for whom there is still hope are sent to the State hospital at Warren.
The amount expended upon the poor of this County for 1893 was about $40,- 000, of which more than $22.000 was out of door relief, the other $18,000 having beon need in the care of the Almshouse. Of the 235 inmates, for the early part of 1894, nearly half were men and boys, able to earn a livelyhood if they could Lave sacurod suitable work. The foreign element largely predominates.
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NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS
MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS.
Newspaper Extracts-In looking through the files of the Gazette, Obser- ver, Dispatch and Advertiser, many items of interest appear that are difficult of classification, and we shall here insert a chapter of unclassified and miscella- neous notes. In the first issue of the Gazette, Jan. 15, 1820, we find the following report of the trustees of Waterford Academy:
1812 rent from Thomas Ford, $ 7.69 Pd. for building, on farm No. 2, $726.27
1812-13 " " Wm. & C. Colt, 61.87
" N. Colt work on barn. 50.00
1812-13 " " Wm. & N. Colt, 176.00
" P. Ford 20 perches stone, 40.00
1813-14 " " James Blair, 85.13 " building house on farm No. 4, 377.81
1812-16 “ " Peter Ford,
241.60
" For building fence, 15.00
1814-18 “
" Wm. Bracken, 284.21
1814-18 “ " A. Watson 371.54
1813-18 " John Robinson, 407.76
" 2 log houses, farm No. 6, 297.62
1817-18 “
" G. W. Reed, 169.12
" Postage on 2 petitions, .87
1814-18 **
" Adams & Blair, 348.14
" Printers and blank book etc. 10.50
Sold Lot No. 1, J. & M. Kelly,
260.00
" Nails and fence, 17.11
No. 3, H. Hamilton,
236.00
" Leases and surveying 15.50
" Trustees 1813-19, 80.62
6 No. 7, Asa Gilbert,
75.00
Cash on hand Jan. 1, 1820, 200.00
No. 8, Amos Judson, 150.00
Negotiable obligations, 839.10
Total Dr. $2994.06
Total Cr. $2994.06
S. Ball, gold and silversmith, requested persons who had watches, which had been left with him, one to three and even six to seven years, to redeem them or they would be sold to pay the expense of repair. .... Geo. Selden of Erie, mar- ried at Meadville to Miss Louisa Shattuck, February 21, 1820.
"In order to disseminate small change as extensively as possible, throughout the different parts of the U. S. the Mint at Philadelphia, on account of the Bank of the United States, will issue SILVER DISMIS, [ten cent pieces,] to any moderate amount."-Gazette 1820.
Small Boats-In the first ten or twenty years of this County's pioneer history small boats from Buffalo, via the lake, and the raft or keel-boat on French creek, played an important part in development. Following this came the palmy days of stage-coaching and the subsequent steamboating era.
A private school, known as the Erie Grammar school, was started by F. W. G. Camp, at the residence of Mr. Gunnison in 1820 .... Gazette of Jan. 1822 says the paper was made by Atkinson, Magaw & Carr's paper mill near Meadville.
GAZETTE, 1825-PAY THE PRINTER: The following articles will be received in payment of debts due at this office, il delivered soon viz: wheat, rye, corn, oats, pork, butter, sugar, honey, tallow and candles, beeswax, wood and rags ...... Among the prominent advertisers of that date were S. Hutchins & Co., general merchandise, Waterford; in Erie, R. S Reed, Wm. Fleming and P. S. V. Hamot, general merchandise; Geo. Selden, John A. Tracy & Co., hardware; and numer- ous other smaller concerns.
JOHN Q. ADAMS' inaugural address, given March 4th that year, congratu- lates the States for increase in population from four millions at close of the Revolu- tionary war to twelve millions at that time ..... The latest news in the paper from New York was 12 days past and from London a month old ...... The first is- sue in March, states that no ice had been seen at Erie since the 12th ofFebruary,
" Taxes 1812 to 1819. 15 65
" Barn and cabin, farm No. 5, 308.01
66 No. 6, Thos. Humphrey, 120.00
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ERIE COUNTY HISTORY.
ADVERTISEMENTS appear for labourers wanted on the harbour improvements, at $10 per month ...... There were notices of Reed's mill in Erie, Cochran's in Millcreek tp., Sam'l G. Dougllas, boots and shoes and Samuel Hays shoe and lea- ther shop: Jas. Barr, tailor; Rufus Clough and Wm. Sizer, S. & D. Burton, black- smiths: Thos. Dillon manufacturer of edge tools; John Riddell, attorney and Dr. Jacob Vosburg had cards in the paper ...... Geo. Selden, treasurer of the Erie & Waterford Turnpike declared a dividend of $2 per share ... The advertised let- ter lists showed John Knox, P. M. at Erie; James Smedley, at North East; Sam'l Hutchins at Waterford ...... Henry Shippen was president Judge; John Vincent and John Grubb associates.
R. Marlin of Meadville, was brigade inspector of the Penn'a. militia in this section; A. McClaskey Col., of the 104 (Erie Co.) Reg. and Thos. Forster, Jr., Capt. of Erie Guards ...... The Brigs Lawrence, Niagara, Queen Charlotte and De- troit were sold at auction in July 1825, by Geo, Budd commander of the United States Naval station at Erie.
JUNE 1825-J. Hoge Waugh, editor of the Gazette ...... Wm. Himrod and Aurelia H. Reed, of Waterford, were married June 6th, by Rev. J. Eaton ...... A camp meeting was held on the farm of John Riblet, Sr., Harborcreek .. .. Dr. S. Hitchcock, practicing at Eagle Village ...... P. S. V. Hamot advertises for the re- turn of a negro slave (until 28 years) as follows: "No mark but the mark of Cain -six cents for the return of a negro servant, 19 years of age. He is a very bad subject and is capable of every bad deed.
JANUARY 1826-In was reported in New York, that watchmen in different parts of the city, had seen an angel in the sky, who announced that the great metropolis would be swallowed up on the 18th, inst. More than 100 families moved out of this sodom; but when in was later given forth by the Millerites, that the whole world was to be involved in the great catastrophe, emigration from New York city ceased. [William Miller's authentic information regarding Christ's second coming was not given to the public until 1833, and the date for the end of earthly things, set for 1844.]
The Erie hand fire engine did good service at the burning of Alvah Flynt's fulling mill ...... Noah Webster, advertised in the Gazette of 1826, that he had completed a dietionary after 20 years of labor and at a cost of $30,000. Up to that time seven million of his spelling-books had been sold ..... Erie officials were J. C. Wallace, Burgess: S. L. Forster, High Constable; Robt. Brown, Jno. Morris, P. S. V. Hamot, John Warren and Joseph Henderson Councilmen. .. The Navy Yard lease privileges, public buildings, wharves etc., were sold at auction, June 12, 1826 and the station here discontinued.
JULY 4, 1826-The fiftieth anniversary of American Independence was cele- brated in this County with great enthusiasm. A dinner was served to the surviv- ing soldiers of the Revolution, by Mr. Fluck, at the Steamboat Coffee House, cor- ner of Second and French streets. R. S. Reed was president of the day, assisted by Capt. Budd, U. S. N., Hon. Thos. Sill and Capt. Maurice. Rev. F. Judd in- voked a blessing and the Declaration of Independence was read by Geo. A. Elliot, after which a number of toasts were drank. The proceedings at Waterford were about the same. The day was memorable from the fact that two of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, both ex-presidents, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, passed away on that day.
SEPT. 10. 1827, Perry's victory was celebrated at Miscry bay, upon the British ships, Queen Charlotte and Detroit. The crowd was taken out by the revenue
145
NEWSPAPER CLIPPING
cutter *Dallas, and about the hour of the British surrender to Perry, a national salute was fired. W. W. Dobbins had charge of the dinner served on the boats and in the evening a grand ball was given at the "New York Hotel." ...... A no- tiee of oper. tions on the Baltimore & Ohio R.R. appeared in the Gazette in 1827. .. The paper on which the Gazette was printed, was made at the mouth of Walnut creek by Chas. Loord. Upon his decease, Halsey Pelton succeeded to the business.
OBSERVER 1832, records that the Centenial anniversary of Washington's birthday at Philadelphia, had a procession five miles long ..... Just at that time. Feb. 18 22.1832. the Ohio river was at high flood stage showing 49 ft. at Wheeling, which the paper says was nearly five feet above the fiood of 1813. Over 20 build- ings were swept away in Wheeling in the flood of 1832. The Erie Observei says: "A subscriber who recently compelled us to pay 10 cents postage, for being informed that he wanted his paper discontinued at the end of the year, is requested when he writes another letter of no more profit to us, to have the P. M. endorse 'Paid' upon the back of it.". . The cholera was brought to this port by emi- grant .. It was quarantined and but few deaths occurred.
SOUTH CAROLINA passed the nullification act and refused to pay certain tariff duties. President Jackson's annual message appeared in the Observer, Dec. 10, 1832, and in summing up the South Carolina matter, he said: "I consider then, the power to annul a law of the United States, assumed by one State, to be in- compatible with the existence of the Union, contradicted expressly by the letter of the Constitution, unauthorized by its spirit, inconsistent with every principle on which it was founded and destructive of the great object for which it was formed ...... The Pennsylvania Legislature in 1832, appropriated for railroad from Philadelphia to Columbia. $657,000; Incline Plane R. R. over the Alleghen- ies $414,000. and about a million dollars for canal purposes ...... Nov. 2, 1832, the Anti-Masons of Erie, burned in effigy, President Jackson, who was a candidate for re-election. At a celebration on Jan. 8, following, to commemorate Gen. Jack- son's victory at New Orleans, eighteen years before, the burning act was loudly denounced and the perpetrators made to apologize.
"Monday May 23, 1836, Commissioners met, present James Love, James Miles and Stephen Skinner: contiued in session three days. Accepted the proposal of J. W. Smith and J. F. Benson, for laying lower floor of jail with cut stone. Went to the poor house tract and staked out the cellar for the poor house. Rented the 100 acres to George Daugherty, five years at $100 per year." ...... In 1846, $525 was paid for rebuilding the west half of the jail, which had been erected in 1830 and which continued until 1850.
The Gazette of 1840 reports five states, not having a daily paper. In census mat- ters, of this County, there was reported 4,997 farmers, 1,448 persons employed in manufacturing, of which 440 were in Erie; 134 in Millcreek tp; 170 in Girard and other villages less than 100. The number of males in the County was largely in excess of the female population and the Gazette said: "The unmarried ladies have a smarter chance for husbands and not quite so smart a chance as other sections."
JUNE 6, 1842 -- There was frost and ice at various places in the County ..... On July, 13. Martin Van Buren arrived from the west, in the steamer Fairport, and was escorted to the Eagle Hotel, by three volunteer militia companies, riding in a carriage with P. S. V. Hamot ...... The taking of exact likenesses, by the Da- guerreotype process was advertised by Mr. Clark.
*Another revenue cutter named Dallas, succeeded the Erie, in 1846.
146
ERIE COUNTY HISTORY.
JULY 1842, frost in Northwestern Pennsylvania .. . Lard oil was mannfac- tured and first used in lamps instead of sperm oil ...... Diphtheria epidemic in North East, known then as black-tongue or putrid-sore-throat. The Chronicle was published about this time and for some ten years subsequent also the Commer- cial Advertiser. . A great earthquake, at Porto Rico and Windward Islands, was reported in which 10,000 persons were supposed to have been lost.
IN 1843, Moses Koch opened the "Jew Store" on North Park; Dr. P. Hail also commenced the drug trade and Judge Jno. P. Vincent was practicing as an attor- ney. Two of these gentlemen are still in active business and Mr. Koch though not in trade enjoys good health ..... Dec. 17, 1844, Wm. M. Gallagher was elected chief of the fire department and P. Metcalf Ist assistant ...... Michael Hare, of Union tp, died March 4, 1843, aged 116 years. He was interred in the Waterford cemetery. In 1840 Mr. Hare was the only person in this County above 100 years of age and there was but one other person who had reached the age of 90 years.
OBSERVER, 1843, says good cows can be purchased as low as $3.50 ...... The steamship Great Western, in May. '43, crossed the Atlantic, from Liverpool to New York, in 12} days; up to that time the quickest record made. This by mo- dern methods has been reduced one half ...... Snow on June 6, in New York, Ohio and l'ennsylvania. Albany Tribune reported it five inches deep.
The tariff questions a half century ago were agitating the public mind about as at present and were discussed on very nearly the same plane. This difficult po- litical problem, seems to be no nearer a correct solution, than it was 50 years ago. Horace Greeley visited Erie and made a great tariff speech Sept. 1843. ..... The manufacture of steel pens was noted as one of inventions of the age ...... From an explosion of manufactured gas, the Presque Isle Foundry, burned Feb. 13, 1844. Loss $25,000. . Newspaper postage in the County as well as outside was 52 cents per year. . . . The Erie Benevolent Temperance Association, held meetings Mar. 13, 1843, and from time to time at the pattern shop of the Erie Foundry.
GAZETTE 1844, noticed that Joe Smith the founder of Mormonism, was de- manded by the enraged citizens of Illinois and the assembly was to be driven from Nauvoo ...... The Clay party called themselves Democratic-Whig and the opposition was known as Locofocos. An emigrant woman was taken with smallpox and removed to a shanty on the peninsula which was then called the Island opposite the town ...... A political mass meeting was held at Harborcreek. The Erie delegation was joined at the Cabin by the Fairview delegation, in which was a vehicle bearing the inscription "In 1813. Wm. Sturgeon of Fairview, used this wagon in drawing Whig. oak and pine, with which the fleet was constructed that defeated the British on the lake. In 1840 the sons of Wm. Sturgeon and Whigs of Fairview used it in the great Whig battle."
GAZETTE New Years 1845 issued a carriers address. . ... . Perry Fire Co., Jan. 7, '45, elveted A. W. Brewster, Pres : Jas. Lytle, V. P .: R. P. Hulbert. Sec .; J. B. Gunnison Treas .; G. A. Bennett foreman .. .. . Air-tight stoves were advertised as an innovation, the old open Franklin having been the style to that date ...... P. Rowley petitioned for license, for the Reed House, which petition was endorsed by T. W. Storrett, R. S. Reed. W. W. Wells, P. Metcalf, H. L. Brown, J. H. Ball, M. Goodwin, S. Shears, C. McSparren, J. C. Bebe, Dan'l Dobbins and S. Smyth.
The Michigan was reported as the best war ship belonging to the U. S. navy. The Giddings of 300 tons was launched and put in commission at Conneaut harbor. . The Clarion of Erie was launched a few weeks later.
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MILITARY COMPANIES
PUBLIC SQUARE, now Central Park, planted to trees 1846 ...... James K. Polk declared war with Mexico, May 13th ...... Rufus S. Reed died June Ist. ..... Daily steamboat mail line from Buffalo established ...... A notice of the Lake Erie Tel- egraph Co. via Buffalo to Detroit was made and the Gazette says: "By means of proposed Telegraph, we may have important news conveyed to us from N. Y. in an instant. Wonderful!" The stock to be issued was $170,000.
Henry Warfel sold in the Erie Market a hog weighing 649 pounds ...... Popu- lar vote for President in the United States, Clay, 1,297,912; Polk, 1,336,196: Bir- ney, (Abolitionist) 62,127. Of the latter 10,000 votes were cast in Mass; 15,000 in N. Y .; 8,000 in Ohio; 9,000 in Maine and New Hamphire and the remaining 20.000 votes, scattering ...... Tron steamer Albert was built at Buffalo, winter 1844-5.
A report of the coal mined in Pennsylvania, for 1847, showed 4,685, 732 cons of anthracite and ten million bushels of bituminous, a total value of $40,000,000 ..... The O'Reily telegraph commenced operation in Erie Jan. 1848 ...... Gazette Mar. 2, 1848 dressed in mourning for the death of Ex-President J. Q. Adams. ..... The Observer commenced, publishing a tri-weekly, May 1, 1848, diseontinuing the same a few months later ...... Erie Bank suspended May 1848, but Gen. C. M. Reed, pledged its stability, the bank again revived and redeemed all its notes.
Military Companies-In the early history of the States the organized mill- tia was a prominent feature and important protection. The "Erie Light Infantry" was organized in 1806, with Thomas Forster, Capt .; Thomas Rees, Lieut .; Thomas Stewart, Ensign; Thos. Wilkins, Sergt .; John Hay 2nd Sergt .; Rufus Clough, Fifer; J. Glazier Drummer. This company was among the first to tender its services to the President in the war of 1812, when it was ordered to Buffalo with the brigade; Capt. Forster was made brigade inspector and J. E. Herron chosen captain in his stead.
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