USA > Pennsylvania > Dauphin County > Middletown > The chronicles of Middletown : containing a compilation of facts, biographical sketches, reminiscences, anecdotes, &c., connected with the history of one of the oldest towns in Pennsylvania > Part 7
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IMPROVEMENT OF THE SUSQUEHANNA.
September 5th, 1789, a meeting of the inhabitants was held in the Court House, to consider what steps should be taken to remove "the obstructions in the river Susquehanna," particularly at Conewago Falls. It was resolved that a subscription be raised for the purpose of "clear- ing" those falls, so that the river might be navigated as far down as Wright's Ferry (Columbia), and that certain responsible persons be appointed and meet at Mr. Archibald McAllister's in Paxton township, Dauphin county, on October 19th.
On this date "a number of the inhabitants of the counties of Lancas- ter, York, Cumberland, Northumberland, Dauphin, Huntingdon and Mifflin," met. Parties were selected to "raise subscriptions in their sev- eral counties," and a treasurer and five commissioners were appointed to carry the project into execution.
November 9th, the State Council instructed them as to the territory
Burd, James, Esq.,
Kennedy, Dr. Robt., King, Thomas,
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CHRONICLES OF MIDDLETOWN.
they were to examine, and the necessity of having their report of prob- able expense, &c., ready to be laid before the General Assembly during their "present session." This report was received, and March 31, 1790, the General Assembly instructed the President of the State, and Su- preme and Executive Council, to appoint three suitable persons to re-ex- amine, &c.
April 6th, 1790, Timothy Matlack, John Adlum, and Samuel Maclay were appointed commissioners to examine and survey the waters of the Quattapahilla, Swatara, part of the Susquehanna, &c. April 8th, in- structions were given them.
April 23rd, Timothy Matlack and John Adlum, Esqrs., two of the commissioners apply to Council for the funds, provisions, tents, instru- ments, &c., necessary for their expedition.
Their estimate of time, provisions, &c., is as follows :
Men.
Days.
Days.
From Sunbury down to Middletown 3 men, and stay there 13 days, .
3
I3
39
From Middletown to there,
Sunbury and stay
5
6
30
From Sunbury to mouth of Consua
8
5I
408
Three men returning with horses,
3
IO
30
From Consua to Juniata,
5
78
390
Commissioners,
3
148
444
Day's provisions,
1,34I
Provisions.
£
s d
25 bls of Flour,
25 00 00
150 lbs of Chocolate boxes, &c.,
8 00 00
160 lbs of Sugar,
7 10 00
800 lbs of Pork and Bacon,
20 00 00
Pease and Rice,
2 00 00
Other small stores,
6 00 00
68 10 00
4 horses @ £12 10,
50 00 00
4 pack saddles,
6 00 00
Axes and adze,
2 05 00
Rope, Nails, gimblets and small stores not in the Arsenal,
3 00 00
(much too low.)
Casks for packing, &c.,
4 00 00
Boat, .
15 00 00
Men's pay, equal to 30 months, at 75s,
II2 10 00
Baggs, say 8, at 5d,
2 06 00
195 01 00
-
£263 II 00
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CHRONICLES OF MIDDLETOWN.
No rum is estimated, but there must be either in pay or something else as compensation.
Contingent expenses.
And carriages across from Connemach.
Carriages, &c., &c.
Powder and Lead.
Estimate of Time.
On the Quatapahill and Swatara, 7 days.
To the Juniata, including unavoidable delay at Middletown, 3 days.
To Sunbury, including the time for viewing Berry's Falls, McGee's Half Falls, Berger's Riffle and Shamokin Falls, 6 days.
(From Sunbury they estimate expenses to Sinamahonging exploring the Consua Toby's Creek, the Presquile, the Kiskeminetas Stoney Creek from the Juniata.)
Total number of days, 148.
And in this estimate very little, if any allowance is made for rainy weather, and everything is supposed to go straight forward, without delay of any kind.
The commissioners left Philadelphia May 6th, 1790. Met Maclay at Lebanon and commenced the survey, (which it is not necessary to give in detail). They found the people on the Quitapahilla opposed to them; and not disposed to aid them; had no time to go "in search of people of more good sense," and so came on down the Swatara, "which we found to be a very fine stream of water with much less fall than we had been led to expect," &c. "We found it necessary to stop at Middletown, to procure several articles of provisions, which detained us until Friday morning, when we set out for Sunbury."
In 1795, attention was again directed to the navigation of the Sus- quehanna. There was no definite action taken, however, until March, 1823, when an act was passed by the Legislature for the improvement of the river from Northumberland to tide-water, and Jabez Hyde, Jr., John McMeans, and Samuel L. Wilson were appointed commissioners to superintend the work. Jan. 14, 1826, they made their report, stating that contracts for the improvement of the river between Northumber- land and Columbia will be incomplete until further appropriations are made; that contracts between Columbia and tide-water were nearly completed, and that when finished, "crafts will be able to descend from Columbia to the head of the Maryland Canal carrying from fifty to sixty tons at a stage of water at which, previous to the improvements, they could not arrive at the latter place, with more than one-half that quantity."
The total amount of expenditures made by these latter commissioners up to January 14th, 1828, was, from Northumberland to Columbia $1,- 201.50; and from Columbia to the mouth of the river $14,323.37; making a total of $15,524.87.
But altogether considerable sums were thus spent in improving the
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CHRONICLES OF MIDDLETOWN.
navigation of the Susquehanna and its confluents, the anticipated bene- fits to be derived therefrom, owing doubtless to the subsequent con- struction of canals and railroads, running parallel therewith, were never realized.
SLAVES.
Slavery had existed in most, if not all, of the Colonies prior to the Revolution ; but slave labor never was profitable in northern latitudes, and one by one the States north of Mason and Dixon's line abandoned it. March Ist, 1780, the Pennsylvania Assembly passed an act for its abolition. There were at the time quite a number of slaves owned in this State; in Paxton township of Lancaster county there were upwards of a hundred. In the immediate vicinity of Middletown, among other slave-holders, Colonel James Burd owned four, viz: Lucy, aged 35; Cuff, aged 13; Diana, aged 7; Venus, aged 2. Captain James Crouch owned eleven, viz: Bodly, aged 60 years; Sambo, aged 50; Phillis, aged 50; Jack, aged 30 years; Lucy, aged 30; Peter, aged 15; Nan, aged 12; Ket, aged 9; George, aged 7; Nell, aged 3; Isaac, aged 9 months. William Kirkpatrick owned one, viz: Richard, aged 27 years. Joshua Elder owned five, viz: Jack, aged 36 years; Pero, aged 29; Gin, aged 19; Susanna, aged 2; Silvia, aged 6 months.
XV.
(The following sketch was written by George Fisher, a. son of the founder of Middletown. A more comprehensive biography of Mr. Frey may appear in the forthcoming volume.)
GEORGE EVERHARDT (FREY).
After Mr. Fisher, the founder of the town, settled on his estate, among the hands whom he hired to assist in ploughing his fields and clearing his new land, was George Everhardt, then a penniless German lad. George lived with Mr. Fisher some years until he had saved a little fund, when investing his money in a stock of trinkets, finery, and other articles suitable for Indian traffic, he mounted his pack and started up the Susquehanna. Passing the mountains, he encountered a party of soldiers from the garrison at Fort Hunter, a few miles above, who ar- rested him as a runaway redemptioner (a servant who had been sold for a time to pay his passage from Europe), a character common in those days, and far more consistent with George's appearance and language than that of a peddler, for what peddler, said they, would risk life and property thus alone and on foot, on this dangerous Indian frontier ? "Ich bin frey, Ich bin frey" (I am free) repeated George earnestly in German, in reply to their charges.
He succeeded in convincing them of his independence, and went with them to the garrison, where he became quite a favorite; the soldiers
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CHRONICLES OF MIDDLETOWN.
knowing him by no other name than "Frey" which they had caught from his first reply to them.
He sold out his pack at a fine profit, and continued to repeat his ad- ventures, still passing as George Frey, until he was able to start a little store in Middletown, and he afterwards erected a mill. Near the close of the Revolution, when the old Continental money was gradually de- preciating, George, who always kept both eyes open, contrived to be on the right side of the account so that instead of losing, he gained im- mensely by the depreciation; and, in short, by dint of untiring industry, close economy, sharp bargains, and lucky financiering, he at length owned a great part of the real estate in and around the town. He had not, however, all the good things of this life; although he was married, Heaven had never blessed him with children-a circumstance which he bitterly deplored. The property, therefore, of the childless man, was destined to support and educate the fatherless children of a succeeding age. He died in 1806 and the brick building still standing on the ground adjoining St. Peter's Lutheran church, and now occupied by several families, was, after many years of expensive and vexatious liti- gation, built about the year 1840. It was used as an orphan asylum until 1874, when in a commanding and beautiful situation north of the town, the handsome and commodious "Emaus Institute," was erected. In a conspicuous position in the grounds surrounding it is a monument to the memory of George Frey (why his nickname was used instead of his patronymic is a conundrum).
FREY'S MILL.
John Fisher, who was born November 3rd, 1760, and died February 27th, 1779, inherited jointly with his brother (George Fisher, Esq.) the patrimonial estate. He built a mill, constructed a dam (traces of which can be seen at low water, a short distance above the feeder dam of the Pennsylvania Canal Company) and dug a mill race. His original in- tention was to make a canal from the Swatara, so that boats could load and unload at his mill.
He associated with himself John Hollingsworth, a practical miller. In 1784 Fisher withdrew, and December 21st of that year, Hollingsworth went into partnership with George Frey. The new firm purchased of Dr. Fisher his improvements, together with four acres and twenty perches of land, for £500.
According to the articles of agreement entered into between Hollings- worth and Frey, they were to carry on a general milling business, manu- facturing flour, middlings, &c., Hollingsworth was to do all the buying of grain, furnish all the barrels for flour, &c. Frey contracted not to retail any mill products at his store, but to send all such purchasers to the mill.
Matters progressed favorably for a while, but soon Hollingsworth detecting Frey violating the contract, forthwith demanded a dissolution
Fisher's Bridge, an old Middletown, (Pa.) Landmark.
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CHRONICLES OF MIDDLETOWN.
of the partnership. On Frey's refusal, he brought suit for a partition of the property in the Dauphin Common Pleas Court. The judges of this court, Timothy Green, John Glonninger and Jonathan McClure, referred the case to the Supreme Court without deciding it. The suit was docketed in the Supreme Court, September term, 1787.
Hollingsworth had many creditors clamorous for pay; Frey brought forward counter suits against him, and assigned claims of Hollings- worth's creditors to eat up his part, so that finally he was obliged to make an assignment.
On November 19th, 1790, both parties entered into an agreement that judgment should be entered for Frey, unless Hollingsworth, or his as- signee, Robert Ralston, should pay one-half of all the money which Frey had expended, or was entitled to on the mill, within six months from July 3rd, 1761 ; said amount to be determined by three arbitrators, viz: John Kean, Joshua Elder, and John Carson.
April 13th, 1791, the arbitrators brought in their report, granting George Frey £3646 6s 24d specie, that being the "one-half of his ex- penditures on lands, mills, and other appurtenances in question after giving John Hollingsworth credit for the money expended by him on the same lands."
Hollingsworth filed a bill of exception, which the Supreme Court overruled, July 2nd, 1791, and gave judgment on the report. He was now reduced to great straits; the mill property was worth considerably more than twice the amount he was to pay Frey, but he was unable to raise it, and thus was likely to lose all. It was not until five years later that he procured the requisite sum, which, September 26th, 1796, he sent his son to tender Frey; the latter refused to accept it. Then Hollings- worth brought an equity suit in the United States Circuit Court, October term, 1800, complaining that Frey had failed to produce his books and accounts in court, although notified to do so; that the conduct of the referees was improper in various particulars ; that the books, accounts, &c., laid by Frey before the referees were untrue and fraudulent; that the latter had suppressed various material documents which he alone possessed; and that the value of the moiety of the property in dispute was at least £10,000. He asked for a perpetual injunction; for an ac- count ; for a partition of the premises, and for general relief.
The court decided that Hollingsworth had been guilty of gross negli- gence in allowing five years to elapse before proffering the amount awarded; "although he had previous notice, that he did not avail him- self of an appeal to the discretion of the court, but suffered judgment to pass against him without making any objection," and dismissed the case. The decision was given by Judge Patterson, associate judge of court ; Judge Peters, of the district court, dissenting.
Thus Frey became the sole owner. During the progress of the suit, to wit: June 24th, 1789, he purchased from John Fisher and wife "the privilege of cutting a canal or mill race" through their lands "for the purpose of conveying water to turn a mill or mills, or other water
5
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works;" granting to John Fisher, on the same day, the right to irri- gate his meadow from said race. The deed was witnessed by John Joseph Henry and Frederick Oberlander. He rebuilt and enlarged the mill, increasing its capacity and making it the largest in Pennsylvania, if not in the United States, extending his race, making it a mile and a half in length, and constructed the present dam across the Swatara, above the Iron Mine Run. After the race and dam were completed, the former was found not to be large enough to carry the water required, consequently Frey had to go to the Legislature again for a permit to make it deeper. This was given on condition that he first secured the assent of the owner of the land.
The business transacted at this mill was enormous. Teams came here from far distant points. Flour was shipped (as appears from his books) to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Baltimore; to Maryland, Virginia and the Carolinas; in one instance at least, a ship load going to Europe. The river brought an immense trade-one item will give some idea of its magnitude-in 1790 (during the progress of the law suit) there were over three hundred and fifty thousand bushels of wheat brought down the Susquehanna and passed through Middletown for the Phila- delphia market.
After George Frey's death the mill was run by the estate until 1843, when Thomas McAllen leased it; in 1845 William Ellinger; in 1847, George Allen; in 1848, John D. Heft, William Rewalt and Abraham Fisher leased it in partnership; in 1849, Philip Zimmerman was added to the firm; in 1850, John D. Heft leased it; in 1852, Henry Vogel and John K. Buser; in 1860, Edward Stover; in 1868, Michael Connelly and M. R. Alleman; then Fortney and Singer; then Edward Allen ; then Gottleib Mayor; then the Swatara Mill Co., and finally the Mid- dletown and Swatara Water Co., the present lessee.
THE STUBBS' FURNACES.
Among the first of the Friends (or Quakers) who followed George Fisher to his settlement on the Swatara river, were the Crabbs, Min- shalls, Allisons and Stubbs. (Although members of the peaceful de- nomination which took the lead among the abolitionists and temperance reformers of a subsequent era, I find that none of them objected to a social glass, or a profitable investment in slave property.) Daniel and Thomas Stubbs, brothers, opened a store on the corner of what is now known as Union street and the Square. (The Rodfong property.) They seem to have done an extensive business. Both had families. In 1796 the brothers erected a furnace on what is still known, in the South ward, as the "Steel Furnace Lot." Thomas Stubbs was manager. They manufactured an excellent quality of steel, for which ready sale was found at remunerative prices. This is said to have been the first steel manufactured in America. June 6, 1803, Thomas married Mary Taylor. Oct. II, 1804, she died. In 1805 a son of Daniel's, in partner- ship with John Elder, purchased the works, and erected a much larger
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CHRONICLES OF MIDDLETOWN.
establishment further up the Swatara, near Frey's mill. For a time they carried on the business successfully, but finally discontinued it. Their retorts or chambers were still standing some years ago.
XVI.
William Penn, in his proposals for a second settlement in the prov- ince of Pennsylvania, published in 1690, alludes to the practicability of effecting a communication by water between the Susquehanna and a branch of the Schuylkill. Canals and turnpikes were unknown at this period, even in Great Britain.
In the year 1762 David Rittenhouse surveyed and levelled a route for a canal to connect the waters of the Susquehanna and Schuylkill rivers by means of the Swatara and Tulpenhocken creeks. The Union Canal afterwards was constructed over a portion of this route-the first which was surveyed for a canal in the colonies.
The views of the projectors of this enterprise, were, if the difficulties to be encountered are considered, gigantic. They contemplated the junction of the waters of Lake Erie and the Ohio with the Delaware, on a route extending several hundred miles. A portage over the Al- legheny mountains was recommended (an expedient which was subse- quently adopted).
Duly to appreciate the enterprise of that age we must remember that the great valley of the Ohio was one boundless forest, uninhabited save by wild beasts, or wilder Indians; moneyed capital was almost unat- tainable; the term "engineering" was unknown to the vocabulary of those days; no canal was yet in existence (in England two had been commenced, but were unfinished) and public opinion looked upon them as visionary.
In 1769, a survey, authorized by the Provincial Legislature was made over a course reaching 582 miles to Pittsburg and Erie, and a report issued strongly advocating the execution of the project. But the Revo- lution, and the financial depression following the struggle, caused the plan to be postponed.
The great scheme of Pennsylvania was allowed to slumber until Sept. 29th, 1791 (about a century after William Penn's prophetic intimation) when the Legislature incorporated a company to connect the Susque- hanna and Schuylkill by a canal, and slackwater navigation. Robert Morris, David Rittenhouse, William Smith, Tench Francis and others were named as commissioners. By a subsequent act of April 10th, 1792, a company was incorporated to effect a junction of the Delaware with the Schuylkill river by a canal extending from Norristown to Philadel- phia, a distance of 17 miles. The Schuylkill river, from the former city to Reading, was to be temporarily improved; and thus form, with the works of the Susquehanna and Schulykill company, an uninterrupted water communication with the interior of the State; with the intention of extending the chain to Erie, and the Ohio.
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CHRONICLES OF MIDDLETOWN.
Experience soon convinced the two companies that a greater length of canal was requisite, in consequence of the difficulty of improving the channels of the rivers; hence the company last mentioned determined to extend their canal from river to river, a distance of 70 miles. In conjunction with the former company, they nearly completed 15 miles of the most difficult parts of the two works; comprising much rock excavation, heavy embankments, extensive deep cuttings, and several locks (which were constructed with bricks). In consequence of com- mercial difficulties, both companies were compelled to suspend their operations, after the expenditure of $440,000.
Frequent abortive attempts were made, from the year 1795 on, to resume operations, but notwithstanding the subscription of $300,000, subsequently tendered by the State, they maintained only a languishing existence.
In the year 1811 the two bodies were united, and re-organized as the Union Canal Company. They were specially authorized to extend their canal from Philadelphia to Lake Erie, with the privilege of making such further extension, in any other part of the State, as they might deem expedient.
In 1819 and 1821, the State granted further aid by a guarantee of interest, and a monopoly of the lottery privilege. The additional sub- scriptions obtained in consequence of this legislative encouragement, enabled the managers to resume operations in 1821. The line was relocated, the dimensions of the canal changed, and the whole work finished in about six years from this period; after thirty-seven years had elapsed from the commencement of the work, and sixty-five from the date of the first survey.
The canal (including the Swatara feeder, &c.) was 89 miles in length from Middletown to a point on the Schuylkill a short distance below Reading. At Middletown it connected with the main line of the Penn- sylvania canal; at Reading with the work of the Schulykill Navigation Company. The descent from the summit to the Schuylkill was 311 feet accomplished with 54 locks; to the Susquehanna 208 feet accomplished with 34 locks.
The summit (between the Swatara and Tulpehocken) was 6 miles 78 chains in length; to which must be added to the navigable feeder, which extended several miles to the coal mines at Pine Grove. On this section the canal passed through a tunnel 729 feet in length, hewn through the solid rock. (This was the first tunnel constructed in the United States. )
This summit was supplied by the water of the Swatara, conducted to it by the feeder already mentioned. As the summit was above the level of the feeder, two large water wheels and pumps were used for the pur- pose of raising water to the requisite height. Two steam engines, one of 120, the second of 100 horsepower, were provided for the purpose of supplying the feeder in case of accident to the water works.
In 1828 about $1,600,000 had been expended in the construction of
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CHRONICLES OF MIDDLETOWN.
the work in addition to the proceeds of the lottery, and excluding the sums expended on the old work.
A great error was committed in making the dimensions of this canal too small. It arose, partly from the great scarcity of water, and partly from erroneous views entertained by engineers and others having charge of the work. The locks of most of the State canals accommodated boats of 40 or 50 tons, while those of the Union being adapted only for boats of twenty-five tons, excluded the greater portion of those plying on the other canals. Between 1857 and 1860 it was enlarged. And there still being a scarcity of water three large reservoirs were constructed in 1866; two near Lebanon and one near Myerstown. However, the increasing competition by railroads gradually reduced its traffic to a minimum. It long since ceased to pay expenses, and was finally aban- doned in 1885.
XVII.
THE TURNPIKE.
Soon after the settlements began to grow the necessity for roads was apparent, and a road was laid out from Lancaster to Shippensburg, pass- ing through Middletown as early as 1736.
With the increase of travel came the necessity for turnpikes. The first turnpikes in this country were built in Lancaster county, Pennsyl- vania. The system of roadmaking known as macadamizing received its name from Mr. Loudon McAdam. He went from this country to Eng- land in 1783, and introduced his roads there.
The leading feature of his system was setting a limit in size and weight to the stones to be used in the roads, the weight limit being six ounces, each stone to pass through a three inch ring. Then covered with gravel and rolled with an iron roller.
THE CONESTOGA WAGON.
These spendid wagons were developed in Pennsylvania and took their name from the vicinity in which they were first in common use, viz : Conestoga, Lancaster county.
They had a canoe shaped bottom which fitted them specially for a hilly or mountainous country, for in them freight remained firmly in place at whatever angle the body might be. The wagon body was painted blue and had red side boards. The rear end could be lifted from its sockets; on it hung the feed-trough for the horses. On one side of the body was a small tool chest with a slanting lid. This held hammer, wrench, hatchet, saw, pincers, and other simple tools. The wheels had tires sometimes six inches broad. The wagon bodies were arched over with six or eight bows, of which the middle ones were the lowest; these were covered with a strong, pure white, hempen cover, corded
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