Standard history of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Part 82

Author: Wilson, Erasmus, 1842-1922; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926. cn
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: Chicago : H.R. Cornell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1192

USA > Pennsylvania > Allegheny County > Pittsburgh > Standard history of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania > Part 82

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In 1840-41 the new Courthouse on Grant's Hill was in process of erection. In 1840 the city paid as interest on its loans $26,291.80. At this time Pitts- burg and Allegheny were jointly struggling for the location in this vicinity of the National armory.

"The home manufactures and mechanical productions amount to $12,000,000 annually. There are sixty places of religious worship. Here are 100 schools of various kinds, many of them public schools, where the children of all are educated at the expense of the public, as they should be. Here are nine banks and insurance companies, employing a capital of $5,000,000. Twenty news- papers speak well of the intelligence of the people. Daily lines of stage coaches and canal-boats, 20; single and double lines of freightboats, II; annual arrivals and departures of steam vessels engaged in the river trade, 2,500; annual sales of various departments of merchandise, $13,000,000; annual amount of freight on the merchandise and produce passing through the account of non-residents, $3,000,000" (r).

The decade of the thirties ended with the greatest advancement in all par- ticulars Pittsburg had ever enjoyed. Among the many improvements, changes and advancements were the canal, the numerous turnpikes, the public school system, the orphan asylum, the first hospital, the increase in banking strength, the Board of Trade, the new bridges, the increase in the number of newspapers, the wonderful advancement in population, the great multiplication of schools and churches, the commencement of slackwater navigation on the Monon- gahela River, the organization of several insurance companies, the certainty of the early construction here of railways, the public organizations in opposition to the aggressions of both slavery and intemperance, the memorable war of the partisans, the rise and decadence of Jacksonism, the formation of the Whig party, the bitter hostility between the Protestants and the Catholics, the great indus- trial development, the suburban growth, etc.

(q) Richard Biddle's letter, Gazette, January 19, 1839.

(r) Writer in Gazette, October 26, 1840.

714

HISTORY OF PITTSBURG.

In December, 1840, the trustees of the gas-works were authorized to receive 400 additional shares of stock of $50 each, the same to be sold at public auction. In 1841 the salary of the mayor was $700 and of the treasurer $500. By the act of 184I real and personal property owned by the city of Pittsburg and used and kept for public purposes was exempted from taxation except to the Commonwealth. In April, 1841, the new Monongahela House, under James Crossan, with 210 apartments, was opened to the public. In May, 1841, Robert M. Riddle succeeded J. K. Morehead as postmaster of Pittsburg, and Reese C. Fleeson succeeded G. L. Drane as postmaster of Allegheny.

In August, 1841, at a public meeting of the citizens, Harmar Denny, Richard Biddle, John Warden, J. H. Shoenberger and N. B. Craig were appointed on behalf of the city, and Wilson McCandless, William Eichbaum and James May, on behalf of the Board of Trade, to collect facts to show the superior advantages of Pittsburg as a site for the location of the National armory. In 184I it was alleged by the newspapers that fraud had been employed under the contract for building the Courthouse, and that the county had thus been swindled to the amount of $40,000.

The following was the form used in the certificates issued at this time by the city: "The city of Pittsburg is indebted $1 to bearer, bearing an interest of one per cent. per annum, as authorized by ordinance of June 4, 1841, receivable in all debts due the city .- J. A. Bartram, Treasurer." Owing to the interest accruing on these certificates they were handled by the brokers, and in 1843 the latter insisted on the payment of such interest. The city refused and the question was settled by the courts. Early in the forties Pittsburg rebuilt the canal aque- duct, which had been destroyed sometime previously.

The act of March 1, 1845, provided that when 100 or more of the citizens of any section outside of and adjoining Pittsburg, which section contained not less than 300 inhabitants and was not less in extent than one of the wards, should make application to the Court of Quarter Sessions for admission to the city, the judges of that court should fix a day for such district to hold an election to vote upon the question of "admission" or "not admission," and that, if the vote was in the affirmative, the mayor and councils were authorized to admit such section as an additional ward of the city, with all the rights and privileges of the old wards. At this time Lawrenceville and other sections on the east were clamoring for admittance.

In April, 1845, the number of paupers in the city poorhouse was 38; the number discharged, 17; the number of deaths, 7; the number admitted for the year ending April 1, 1846, was 32; and the number remaining in that institution, 30. At this time the city gave much assistance to poor families which were incapable of sustaining themselves, and to needy transient individuals. The poor expense of the city for that year amounted to $8,664.34. In 1845 Alle- gheny had outstanding $36,924 in scrip. Its poorhouse farm and buildings were estimated to be worth $30,000; Nelson's Island, $6,000; market-houses, $7,000; council-house, $2,000; fire-engines, hose, etc., $6,000. It spent on streets $5,929, on fire-engines $1,666.99, on poorhouse $4,080.28, and on salaries $2,364.83. In January, 1846, it was estimated by the auditing committee that the value of the property owned by the city of Pittsburg was, in round num- bers, $700,000.

"Within a day or two we have heard the project of consolidation repeatedly broached by the citizens of Allegheny. The advantages of such an arrangement are obvious, and have been at former periods urged through the Commercial Journal. Why should not some steps be taken to procure an expression of public opinion upon the subject? How would it do to call a public meeting? We

717

HISTORY OF PITTSBURG.

have heard such a course suggested" (s). The tolls on the bridges between Pittsburg and Allegheny were raised by the companies in April, 1846, where- upon public meetings were held favoring a free bridge. Over one such meet- ing in Allegheny Mayor Cassat presided, and a committee was appointed to inquire whether, according to the terms of its charter, the St. Clair Street bridge ought not to be free (t).

In 1845 and 1846 four new wards, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth and Ninth, were admitted to the city. In November, 1846, the new explosive, gun-cotton, was made here for the first time as an experiment. In January and February, 1846, efforts were made in the Legislature by a delegation from Pittsburg to have the councils elected by a general vote of the city, instead of by wards. This step was advocated by the Democrats, but was opposed by the Whigs. The vote for the admission of the Eighth Ward, in November, 1846, stood as follows: For admission, 117; against admission, 26. At this time Croghansville was on the point of admission as the Ninth Ward. The Eighth Ward was south of the Fourth Street road. During the summer of 1846 not less than twenty dwellings were erected in Sligo; also a large iron establishment.

The great fire of April 10, 1845, staggered the citizens at first, but proved in the end, as in all such cases, a real benefit to the city, although it meant the ruin of individuals. As soon as the city recovered from the shock capital poured in, new business men took the place of those who had been burned out, and the city entered upon a remarkable era of development, despite the depressing effects of the tariff of 1846 upon this great manufacturing center. New fac- tories, warehouses and dwellings were soon in progress of erection on every street. Remarkable as it may seem, it was estimated by the newspapers late in 1846 not less than 2,500 buildings of all kinds had either been built or had been commenced. It was observed with pride that the great majority of the buildings were of brick, and that all were substantial and greatly in advance of those which had been swept away by the fire. In all directions, particularly within the fire limits, new and splendid edifices arose over the ruins of the old, and what made the improvement more remarkable was the fact that construction had not commenced to any great extent until early in 1846. "Two thousand five hundred houses in nine months! Can any Western city beat this?" (u).

By the act of March 13, 1847, it was provided that after the town election of 1848 the Select Council should consist of two members from each ward, one to be elected annually for two years, and that the Common Council should con- sist of thirty members, apportioned to the wards according to their population. The construction of the new water-works progressed slowly, but by 1847 they were in a state of high efficiency. The engine of the Allegheny River was 275 horsepower, and it operated two large force-pumps, each capable of discharging 180,000 gallons an hour to an elevation of 160 feet above the river level. The water was collected into a capacious vat, thence forced into an upper receiver, and thence to the discharging reservoir. The old Courthouse on the Diamond continued to stand for several years after the new Courthouse was occupied. It was considered an incumbrance and an eyesore to the inhabitants until its demolition. Late in the forties the most important question before the coun- cils was the subscription of stock to the first railways built to Pittsburg. What was done will be found more fully set forth elsewhere in this volume.

Late in October, 1847, it was estimated by the Chronicle that 2,000 new buildings had been erected in Pittsburg thus far during that year. At this time lots on Market Street in the vicinity of Second varied in price from $3,000

(s) Commercial Tournal, April 6. 1846.

(11) Commercial Journal, November 4, 1846.

(t) Commercial Journal, April, 1846.

718

HISTORY OF PITTSBURG.

to $4,000. By October, 1847, a careful estimate placed the number of buildings which had been erected in the burned district alone up to that date at 609. In 1847 the members of the Common Council numbered 45, but the new law of 1848 restricted the number to 30. In 1847 Knapp & Totten secured the contract to supply Allegheny with engines and pipes for its water-works. By October, 1847, Pittsburg comprised nine wards, Allegheny four wards, and in the vicinity were the boroughs of Birmingham, Mckeesport, Elizabeth, Man- chester, Lawrenceville and Sharpsburg. In November, 1847, the First Ward, with 734 taxables, was entitled to three members of the Common Council; Second Ward, with 684 taxables, to three members; Third Ward, with 1,391 taxables, to six members; Fourth Ward, witli 723 taxables, to three members; Fifth Ward, with 1,620 taxables, to seven members; Sixth Ward, with 704 tax- ables, to three members; Seventh Ward, with 351 taxables, to one member; Eighth Ward, with 353 taxables, to one member; Ninth Ward, with 270 tax- ables, to one member; total, 6,840 taxables and 28 members, with two extra members to be assigned and elected. The two extra members were assigned to the Seventh and Eighth Wards, owing to their surplus taxables over the requirements of the law. In November, 1847, it was definitely settled, after many years of discussion by the City Councils, to take seven feet from the top of Grant's Hill and add two feet to the low ground at Fifth and Smithfield streets.

In 1847 the water-works assessment was $28,315.52, of which amount, by January 1, 1848, $24,687.49 had been collected. The works supplied 5,438 dwellings, 157 hotels, taverns and boarding-houses, 56 steam engines, 13 rectifying distilleries, 15 foundries, 186 new buildings not otherwise noted, besides miscel- laneous establishments-in all a total of 5,908. Old scrip to the amount of $17,000 was replaced with new. Inasmuch as there was an improved demand for real estate, the auditing committee recommended the sale of the city lots on the Allegheny River and on Grant Street, formerly occupied by the engines and the reservoir. Mr. R. Moore, who had been in charge of the Pittsburg works from their commencement, assumed the superintendency of the Alle- gheny Water-works at the close of 1847. The average daily water supply for the year 1847 was 1,595,260 gallons. The only heavy expenses were $17,200 paid on city loans, and $17,657.46 paid on gas stock and interest on city loans. The rent of Diamond market stalls amounted to $4,022.22. In November, 1847, Allegheny authorized an issue of city scrip to take up old debts, as follows: Due the Exchange Bank in 1848, $25,000; David Shields, $5,900; Allegheny Bridge Company, $1,109; N. Voightly, $1,000; John Semple, several amounts past due and aggregating $3,500; Richard Gray, due in 1851, $550; old city scrip to be taken up, $47,500; total, $84,559. This amount was issued in city scrip bear- ing one per cent. interest. On April 10, 1849, the Legislature enacted, "That the cities of Pittsburg and Allegheny be, and they are hereby, authorized to levy upon all property now made taxable by law for city purposes an additional tax, not exceeding one mill, upon every dollar of valuation, to be applied to the redemption of the certificates of loan of the denominations of one, two and three dollars, issued by said cities, until the whole of said issues shall have been redeemed." The total value of city property in January, 1848, was fixed by the auditing committee as follows:

Water-works and lot. $500,000

Lot opposite new Courthouse

38,000

Ground connected with basin 50,000

New basin lot! 10,000

Balance due on old hayscale lot.

7,050

719

HISTORY OF PITTSBURG.

Balance due on water-works lot on Cecil Alley.

$. 23,000

Poorhouse farm. . 9,100

Four engine-house lots 8,900

Allegheny wharf. . 100,000

Monongahela wharf.

250,000

Pricipal of revenue from markets and other sources

192,800

Gas stock.

66,400

Aqueduct.

58,284

$1,313,534

The water assessment for 1847 amounted to $28,315.52. During the year $17,000 in defaced city scrip was destroyed and replaced. At this time there was such a strong demand for real estate that the councils ordered the sale of the city lots on the Allegheny River at the foot of Cecil Alley and on Grant's Hill, formerly occupied by the water-works. During the year 1847 there were laid 3,888 feet of water-mains, and at the close of the year the total length of water-pipes laid was about 153 miles. At this time the average daily supply of water was 1,565,260 gallons. In 1847 about 8,000 feet of water-pipes were bought by the city to be laid in the Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and Ninth wards, at a cost of $7,976.

1840

$28,598.98

$8,070.05

8,588.88

1842

77,482.22

30,499. 53 30,845.98

8,998.34

1843

46,345.95

18,097. 54

5,430.54

1844

47,949.60

16,890.35

5,895.73

1845

32,339.24

8,860. 19

5,053.84

1846

31,036.65

10,207.68

4,796.49

1847

37,556.77

13,325.79

5,688.02

1848

49,734. 19

18,805.67

7,427.18

$469,930.14 236,080. 78

$176,131.71

$59,949.07

176,131.71

$233,849. 36

$236,080.78

From the above table it will be seen that Pittsburg and Allegheny were assessed more than half of the entire county of Allegheny. Previous to the the great fire of 1845 Pittsburg alone had been for several years assessed about two-fifths of the entire county, but after the fire for several years a still greater percentage was required from the city by the county commissioners. This wa's complained of by persons taxed in Pittsburg, who failed to see its justness.

In 1847 the problem of opening Duquesne Way eastward from Wash- ington Street, where it had terminated under the law of 1836, confronted the city authorities and demanded settlement.

During the year 1848 the water-works supplied 6,120 buildings at a cost to them of $30,214. At this time the total gross indebtedness of the city amounted to $932,035.99, the permanent loans amounting to $708,035.99, and the tran- sient loans or scrip to $224,000. In June, 1848, the councils took final action on the various petitions to supply the higher parts of the city with water by issuing $60,000 in scrip of the denominations of $1, $2 and $3. However, it was directed that $30,000 of this amount should be used toward the new water-

184I

County Assessment. $71,563.83 75,921.69

Pittsburg Assessment.

Allegheny Assessment.

720

HISTORY OF PITTSBURG.

works and $30,000 for grading and paving certain new streets. In September, 1848, the old water-works on the west side of Cecil Alley on the Allegheny River were sold to A. Miller for $6,000. The lot had a frontage of fifty feet on Duquesne Way and 100 feet on Cecil Alley. At the same time the water-works lot on the east side of Cecil Alley on the Allegheny was sold to Mr. Tom- linson for $18,000. This lot had a frontage of 120 feet on Duquesne Way and 230 feet on Cecil Alley. In 1848 the citizens of the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth wards entered numerous complaints that they did not receive a sufficient amount of water ..

In February, 1849, a new county called Monongahela, to be taken from Allegheny, Washington, Fayette and perhaps others, was projected, but a strong remonstrance thereto was sent to the Legislature from Pittsburg.

An important act of April, 1849, exempted from taxation the certificates of loan issued by Pittsburg, Allegheny and Allegheny County to the projected railways. The construction of railways and the subscription of immense amounts of stock thereto engrossed public attention, and many important proceedings were neglected in order to press the new measures to a finality. During 1849 several new boroughs were created out of the suburbs of Pittsburg and Alle- gheny. In July, 1849, the scrip of Pittsburg varied from two per cent. to four per cent. discount. The scrip of the county and of Allegheny stood at about the same figure. In 1849 the City Councils borrowed $200,000 of Kramer & Rahm and William Hill & Co., to be used in redeeming city scrip falling due. Bonds to cover this loan were issued and were principally taken in New York City. They were redeemable in coin or its equivalent, and were afterward repudiated and a compromise settlement effected with the holders. From 1847 to 1849, inclusive, the cities and boroughs grew very rapidly. In 1849 sixty- five brick buildings, of which thirty-seven were three stories in height, were built in the Fifth Ward alone.

During 1848 work on the Allegheny Water-works progressed favorably, and it was announced that by the spring of 1849 the city would be able to furnish water to consumers. Previous to this Allegheny had been compelled to resort to pumps and wells for its drinking water and to the river for its laundry water. For years from forty to fifty men, each pushing a cart containing a barrel of water, had supplied Allegheny daily with city water, until it had become a familiar sight to see them traversing the streets, dealing to con- sumers at so much per barrel water for laundry and household purposes The water-carriers had become a distinct class, and the occupation was considered a profitable one, so that when the new water-works were projected they vigorously opposed any such proceeding. The construction of the new works in Allegheny placed the occupation of water-carrying forever in the category of the lost industries of Allegheny.

At the close of 1849 Pittsburg consisted of nine wards, Allegheny of four wards, and there were adjoining the two cities the boroughs of Birmingham, South Pittsburg, Lawrenceville, Sharpsburg, Mckeesport, Manchester, Eliza- beth and West Elizabeth. In 1849 a large company of men, well organized and equipped, left Pittsburg for the gold regions of California. In January, 1850, an immense landslide occurred on the. South Side, which completely covered the turnpike in the vicinity of the old glassworks.

Previous to 1849-50 the streets and grades in Allegheny were without uniformity or convenience. The streets were often impassable, and the water- works which had been in operation had taxed the people to such an extent, and had been so unsatisfactory, that they had been permitted to fall into disuse and decay. At the latter date, however, the citizens awoke to the necessity of improvement, and petitioned the councils to pave and grade certain streets

721

HISTORY OF PITTSBURG.

without delay, and memorialized the Legislature for an act to cover such expense, besides the cost of constructing new water-works. From that date until Febru- ary, 1856, Allegheny spent nearly $200,000 for street improvements. The most important paving law was passed in 1852, but in 1856 a bill having been intro- duced in the Legislature to repeal such law, the citizens of Allegheny, in public meeting assembled, denounced the action of the Senate, and declared that the repeal was not wanted by the great majority of the citizens of Allegheny. About the middle of the decade of the forties the scrip of Allegheny, for some time, varied from fifteen to twenty-five per cent. discount, but by January, 1850, had risen to five or six per cent. discount. In 1850 important suits against the city of Allegheny, on its scrip with interest long past due, were begun by holders, but the defense was set up of the illegality of the issue. Upon trial, a test case was decided in favor of the plaintiff, Judge Lowrie delivering the opinion.

A short time previous to 1850 a few houses began to appear on the top of Coal Hill, opposite the Monongahela bridge. By the act of April 6, 1850, the Pittsburg Councils were required to make provision for the establishment of a sinking fund, to be used in retiring the city indebtedness, but not to a larger amount than $1,150,000, exclusive of the subscription of $200,000 to the Ohio and Pennsylvania Railway. During 1850 there were laid in Allegheny 12,695 feet of water-pipe, and by January 20, 1851, there had been laid a total of 69,585 feet.

The important question of the right of the Mayor of Pittsburg to appoint the night-watch had troubled the authorities for many years prior to 1850. In October of that year the legal aspect of the question having been submitted to Charles Shaler, he expressed the opinion that the mayor had no such author- ity. During 1850 and 1851 the two cities had never before suffered from so many incendiary fires and so many assaults, burglaries and other crimes, and it became an important question among the partisans what should be done to rid the cities of the reign of terror. Many citizens had been sandbagged and robbed, and the newspapers spoke of the times as a veritable "reign of terror."

In 1851 the citizens of Allegheny took steps for the introduction of gas into that city. In 1851 the construction of a new market-house on the Diamond was projected, and by the close of the year the subscription of stock thereto amounted to $19,850. In 1851 the Gas Company reduced the price to private consumers to $2.10 per thousand feet, with a discount of ten per cent. for prompt pay- ment. The total consumption of gas for the year ending July 1, 1851, was 24,160,295 feet, of which private consumers used 17,355,892 feet, and the city gov- ernment used 6,804,403 feet. At this time there were standing 297 public lights; there were 1,143 private consumers. At this time there were in use a grand total of 71,003 feet of gas-pipe mains. To produce this gas 87,712 bushels of coal were consumed. The appropriations for the year 1851 were as follows:

Interest on city loans. .$ 63,000

Salaries of city officers :

Mayor.

$ 700

Clerk to mayor

300

Treasurer

700

Solicitor 250

Wharfmaster, Monongahela. 650

Wharfmaster, Allegheny 500

Stret commissioner, first district. 500

Street commissioner, second district. ... 500

722

HISTORY OF PITTSBURG.

Clerk of markets $ 200

High constable. 450

City constables (eight).

2,400

Clerks of councils .

500

Messengers of councils

200

Clerk to committees.

200

Messengers to committees

150

Recording regulator.

400

Superintendent of water-works

1,000

Assessor of water rents

700

Assessor of taxes

195 $

10,495

Public printing.

1,000

Engine and hose companies.

3,675

City watchmen.

13,250

City water-works.

28,000

Cleaning streets, first district.

2,000

Cleaning streets, second district.

1,800

Public lamps and lighting streets

9,500

Sanitary purposes.

1,000

Cleaning and expenses of other markets

800

Monongahela wharf.

500

Allegheny wharf

500

Contingent fund

4,000

Scrip outstanding

13,000

City loans now due and falling due

III,646

Outstanding warrants.

17,990

Total. $282,156

The following is, as near as can be ascertained, the revenue of the city for the year 1851:

Balance in the treasury. $ 96

City tax

45,600

Water rent. 28,500

15,000

Allegheny wharf.

2,500

Stall rents.

3,000

Clerk of market. 1,500

Mayor's fines, etc.

2,500

Water rents on new buildings

1,500

Interest on bonds, etc.

1,255

Interest on gas stock.

6,000

Dray licenses.

2,200

Sundry resources

4,000

Total.

$113,651

Outstanding taxes

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Standard history of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Part 82

Author: Wilson, Erasmus, 1842-1922; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926. cn Publication date: 1898 Publisher: Chicago : H.R. Cornell & Co. Number of Pages: 1192

Author: Wilson, Erasmus, 1842-1922; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926. cn
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: Chicago : H.R. Cornell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1192