USA > Pennsylvania > Erie County > The history of Erie County, Pennsylvania > Part 9
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In July, 1805, the first section of the town of Erie was erected into a borough, and the May following the first borough officers were chosen.
In 1807 the sum of $2000 was granted by the State to the commissioners, to expend in erecting buildings for county purposes. This court-house was destroyed by fire in 1824, with all the records. Another was immediately erected upon the same foundation, and after the same plan, which was not superseded until 1853. This second building served not only for courts and county purposes for thirty years, but for all lectures and public meetings of the citizens. Almost every church originated and held its meetings there, until otherwise provided. The famous railroad convocations were
* During Mr. Scott's term of office the sentence of the law was car- ried out in the execution of Henry Francisco, whose death warrant was issued December 12th, 1837.
This is the only instance of capital punishment in the history of Erie County, though others have doubtless been guilty of the crime of murder.
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the last held there, and at that time it had become decidedly a gloomy and out-of-date edifice
COURT-HOUSE BUILT IN 1824.
In 1852 the corner-stone of the present commodious and imposing structure was laid. Judge John Vincent, who was present at the ceremony, and had filled the office of associate judge since 1805, remarked that he himself had selected and purchased the ground for the county commissioners forty- eight years before.
The ground plan of the building is sixty-one feet by one hundred and thirty-two, and the height from the ground to the top of the vane one hundred and twenty-eight feet. It is of the Roman-Corinthian order, and was designed by Thomas H. Walter. The whole cost of the building was between $64,000 and $65,000.
March 20th, 1811, an act passed the legislature "that the beach of the lake from the upper corner of the garrison tract, and for twenty perches back from the water's edge, down the lake to the out-lots, and from thence down the same, including all the land between the out-lots and the
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water's edge to the tract of land No. 38, shall be and remain a public landing for the use of the inhabitants and others."
In 1833 the inhabitants of the borough petitioned for an alteration in the law incorporating the borough, "stating that on a fair experiment they have found the existing laws insufficient to promote conveniency and good order and pub- lic utility." This resulted in the alteration of the whole charter, excepting a part of the tenth section.
In 1833 a fine was imposed, of five hundred dollars or imprisonment not exceeding six months, for cutting timber on the peninsula, or setting fire to the shrubbery. R. S. Reed was appointed superintendent for five years.
In 1833 the third section, belonging to the common- wealth, of in and out lots was granted to the borough of Erie to construct a canal basin in the Bay of Presqu'ile op- posite the borough of Erie ; provided that one hundred acres of the said land be reserved for the use of a county poor-house, to be selected by three persons appointed by the county commissioners.
The question of having a poor-house was put to vote soon after, and carried by a small majority. Suitable buildings were soon after erected. The number of inmates during the year 1860 was 107 ; the number of deaths, 4; 4 were bound out, and 44 discharged. The receipts and cash in the treasury, $10,375 94. Expenditures, which include some old debts and expenses for a new building, $7629 14. A requisition of $8000 annually has been made on the county for several years past, for the support of the institution.
In 1834 the bounds of the borough were extended north- wardly 1300 feet into the Bay of Presqu'ile.
In 1835 a resolution passed to proceed against any who might erect any tenement on the peninsula or upon any part of the work erected to deepen the entrance to the harbor, or to place wood or other materials upon the public works or any sand-bar.
Also, in 1835, Erie was authorized to borrow $50,000 to
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supply the borough with water. This contemplated improve- ment was never carried ont.
In 1841 Erie was supplied with water by wooden pipes communicating with a spring a mile or two distant, the ex- penses being paid by the consumers.
In 1838 a sale of one row of water lots in the second section was authorized, to pay the expense of grading and improving the streets and grounds of the second section.
In 1841 an act passed the legislature to prevent the pick- ing or gathering of cranberries on the peninsula, between July and October, with a fine of not less than ten dollars or more than twenty-five against every person so offending .*
In 1843 an act passed the legislature repealing the Nich- olson Court of Pleas, which had been instituted in 1840. Without affording time for investigation, this court threatened to sell many of the farms in Erie County, as well as in other parts of the State, and dispossess those who had resided upon them for more than forty years. John Nicholson, President of the Population Company, was also State Treasurer and a defaulter; hence, a lien was supposed to rest on the lands once held by him. In the central part of the State the plea was more plausible ; most of the lauds in Erie County hav- ing been purchased after John Nicholson was divested of all interest in them.
In 1851 the government of the borough of Erie was
* The first day of October has been from that time denominated "cranberry day," and in the popular sense has become an "institu- tion." Whole families cross, the night before, kindle a fire, and are in readiness by the earliest dawn to proceed to the marshes where the eranberry abounds. The uninitiated may search and wander the day long and scarcely find a handful, while many a thrifty family has been provided with comforts for the winter, or even their dwellings respectably furnished by this day's profits. The number of boats being limited, toward evening an undue eagerness sometimes results in the swamping of boats and other accidents, which are often aggra- vated by intemperance.
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changed to that of a city, and divided into the East and West Wards. It now has four, bounded as follows: First Ward-East of State, and north of Eighth Streets; Second Ward-East of State, and south of Eighth Streets; Third Ward-West of State, and south of Eighth Streets; Fourth Ward-West of State, and north of Eighth Streets.
Erie, in 1860, had 11,113 inhabitants within its city limits of about four square miles; thirteen churches, (particularly described in Chapter XII .; ) two fine public school-houses ; a flourishing academy, and several excellent select schools. There are no incorporated banks in the county at present, but six private banking-houses. For manufactures in iron there are two founderies, and the Eagle Furnace of Atchison & Henry, just without the city limits. The "Erie City Iron Works" of Liddell & Marsh employs 90 men, and manufac- tures steam engines, freight and passenger cars, drilling tools and pipe for oil-wells, agricultural implements, mill gearing, farm bells, etc. They have also a planing-mill and mould- ing-room in connection with the furnace. The "Old Fur- nace" of Barr & Johnson employs 60 men, and manufactures stoves, farming implements, and mill, building, and machinery castings.
There are four grist-mills in the city : Fairmount Mills, Crouch & Brother, has three runs of stone; Erie City, C. McSparren, four runs of stone; Canal Mill, Wm. Kelley, three runs of stone; and Reed's Mill, Mrs. R. S. Reed, two runs of stone. Near the city are Elliot's Mill, J. Elliot, three runs of stone; Hopedale Mill, H. Gingrich, two runs of stone; six flour and feed stores, one wholesale.
There are three planing-mills, two machine shops, two sash, etc., two stone potteries, and several petroleum oil refineries in different stages of progress. A piano-forte manufactory of Wm. Willing sometimes employs twenty men; the instruments are of a fine tone, and in demand. The pump manufactory of L. W. Olds supplies the home market, and sends a large number West. Besides this there
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is one brass foundery, five breweries, one gun shop, five watch shops, five saddle and harness shops, three for hats and caps, three coffinmakers, five cabinet and furniture stores, two soap and candles, four tin shops, four drug stores, two book, five hardware, eight millinery, one shirt manufactory, four dentists, three confectionery, two carriage manufactories and several small wagon shops, four daguerreian artists, four commission merchants on the dock, eleven dry goods stores, wholesale and retail, eight shoe stores, five of clothing, five wholesale groceries, twenty-one retail groceries, and ten dealers in bituminous coal.
The first borough election was held May 5th, 1806, and resulted as follows: John C. Wallace, Burgess ; Judah Colt, Rufus S. Reed, George Beuhler, Robert Hays, George Schantz, Town Council; Robert Irwin, High Constable.
At the first meeting James E. Herron was appointed Town Clerk; Thomas Forster, Wm. Wallace, James Baird, Street Commissioners; Wm. Bell, Treasurer. Burgesses- Thomas Wilson, 1807; George Beuhler, 1808 and 1809; John C. Wallace, 1810 and 1811; Samuel Hays, 1812; Judah Colt, 1813; George Moore, 1814 and 1815; Thos. H. Sill. 1816 and 1817; George Moore, 1818 and 1819; Judah Colt, 1820 and 1821; John Morris, 1822, 1823, and 1824; John C. Wallace, 1825, 1826, and 1827; Tabor Beebe, 1828; Thos. H. Sill, 1829 ; Wm. Johns, 1830; Geo. A. Elliot, 1831; Thos. Forster, chosen 1832, Tabor Beebe acted instead; Thos. H. Sill, 1833; J. M. Sterrett, 1835 ; J. B. Laughead, 1836 and 1837; James L. White, March, 1838; Wm. Kelley, 1839; Myron Goodwin, 1840; Rufus S. Reed, 1841; Thomas Stewart, 1842; Thomas H. Sill, 1843 and 1844; Charles W. Kelso, 1845; Wm. Kelley, 1846 and 1847; Chas. W. Kelso, 1848; A. W. Brewster, 1849; B. B. Vincent, 1850; Thomas G. Colt, 1851, from May acting Mayor; M. Whallon, April, 1852; A. King, March, 1853 and 1854; W. Laird, 1855 and 1856; Jas. Hoskinson, 1857; W. Laird, 1858; S. Smith, 1859 and 1860.
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The first city officers were elected May 15th, 1851.
Mayor-T. G. Colt.
High Constable-A. C. Landon.
Select Council-East Ward : A. W. Brewster, F. Sevin, Clark McSparren. West Ward : S. M. Carpenter, John Zimmerly, Wm. M. Gallagher.
Common Council-East Ward: P. Metcalf, L. L. Mo- meyer, O. D. Spafford, J. D. Dunlap, A. A. Craig, Josiah Kellogg. West Ward: James Skinner, Wilson King, Thos. Dillon, S. W. Keefer, D. G. Landon, Adam Atchison.
Collectors of the Customs for the Port of Presqu'ile- Thomas Forster, 1801; Edwin J. Kelso, 1836; Charles W. Kelso, 1845; William M. Gallagher, 1849; Murray Whallon ; James Lytle, 1853; John Brawley, 1857; Murray Whallon ; Charles M. Tibbals, 1859.
District of Presqu'ile embraces the whole coast line of the State of Pennsylvania on Lake Erie; it contains about forty miles of shore, and has three shipping points-Erie, the port of entry, Northeast, and Elk Creek, the business of the two latter being principally the shipment of staves and lumber.
Postmasters in Erie-John Hay; John Gray, 1809; Robert Knox, 1811-resigned after having filled the office to general acceptance seventeen years; James Hughes, 1828; Robert Cochran, 1833; Smith Jackson, 1840; An- drew Scott, 1842; Robert Cochran, 1845; T. H. Sill, 1849; B. F. Sloan, 1853; Jos. M. Sterrett, 1861.
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CHAPTER IX.
First Road-Population Company Roads-Erie and Waterford Turnpike -- Salt Trade- General O'Hara's Contract-Road to Buffalo-First Coaches-Erie Canal-Railroads-Erie or Wattsburg Railroad-Sun- bury and Erie-Erie and Northeast-Franklin Canal Company -- Pitts- burg and Erie Railroad-Plank-roads.
THE opening of the first road in Erie County, as we have seen in Chapter III., was by the French, in 1753, from Erie to Waterford. This is still a good road, and in use for seven miles in a southerly direction from Erie; it is then scarcely traceable, but soon after is merged into the Erie and Waterford plank-road, the site of the "new Shun-pike." In 1795, when the first settlers came to the Triangle, the traveled road was in pretty much the same location, as they allude to trees growing up in its path .*
The Pennsylvania Population Company made many of the roads. T. Rees, Esq., their agent, opened one in Har- bor Creek in 1797, and Mr. Colt, who succeeded him, says : "June 3d, 1797, set a number of men at opening roads lead- ing to the intended station, nine and a half miles south of the mouth of Sixteen-mile Creek."
There was a road to Walnut Creek, Forster's mill being the first erected in the county ; to Conneautte Lake, where Alexander Powers was located; to Conneaut Creek, Colonel
* The first intention seemed to have been to make a military road, to level the hills and elevate the valleys; and cavities where the roots had been grubbed out, could be discerned for about half the distance from Erie. Hence it has been called the grubbed road, not as is usually supposed from the families of the name of Grubb on its line. Cannon balls, accoutrements, harness, and other implements were found along this route as late as 1825.
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Dunning McNair's station ; and to the head-waters of Beaver Creek, where Mr. Jabez Colt was assistant agent ..
August, 1801 .- Mr. Colt says : "General Paine called to obtain a subscription in money for the purpose of opening a road from the east end of the Triangle to Buffalo Creek, and presented a letter from - Kirtland, agent of the Connecticut Land Company, on the subject." Mr. C. waived the matter until he should write to his principals, and after dinner General P. was furnished with provisions to carry him through the woods to Buffalo. The latter part of October the road was completed from Buffalo, eigh- teen miles, at the expense of the Connecticut Company.
In 1805 the first election was held at Waterford for offi- cers of the Erie and Waterford Turnpike Company. Colonel Thomas Forster was chosen President, and Henry Baldwin, John Vincent, Ralph Marlin, James E. Herron, John C. Wallace, Wm. Miles, James Brotherton, and Joseph Hack- ney, Managers; Judah Colt, Treasurer.
This road was completed in 1809, and was a desirable improvement. Its location was less direct, and on higher ground than the French road, for the purpose of accommo- dating the farmers who were large shareholders.
The Waterford Turnpike was a particularly useful im- provement, as all the salt for Pittsburg, and even down to the Falls of the Ohio, (Louisville,) passed from Erie to Water- ford. Besides this, manufactures of iron and glass, whisky and flour from the Monongahela, and bacon from Kentucky came up the Allegheny to Waterford, and from thence to Erie, which was then the depot for the lake country. The road was from two to five miles wide, diversified with stumps, logs, log-heaps, and very deep mud-holes. With such hin- derances by the way, and from four to six oxen to guide, it was not unusual for a load of salt or provisions to be four days crossing the portage of fifteen miles. Often a part of the burden had to be abandoned. An instance is handed
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down of a barrel of whisky being rolled at least half the distance by one of our most persevering and wealthy citizens.
At the risk of losing "the thread of the discourse," a few remarks will be introduced on the subject of the salt trade. Vessels leaving Buffalo for the West, from 1805 to 1810, were freighted principally with salt. In 1808, 6000 barrels were registered at the custom-house at Erie, and it is said 18,000 were at another season. It was the currency of the county. In Mr. H. Russel's journal we find, "January, 1808, exchanged a pair of oxen for eight barrels of salt." In the Erie Mirror, dated January, 1809, is a well-written letter, signed "An Old Salt-hauler." It had been ques- tioned whether the salt trade was beneficial to the county : that perhaps it interfered with the cultivation of farms. In reply, he says the farmers were obliged to haul salt to pro- cure the comforts if not necessaries of life, such as sugar, tea, coffee, wearing apparel, etc., as salt seemed to be the cur- rent specie during the existence of the embargo. Indeed, it was the only commodity they had for market or exchange, and in proportion to the increase of the traffic the farmers of the county progressed in the improvement of the soil. Freightage from Buffalo to Erie was 874 cents per barrel, and 124 cents for storage ; 12,000 barrels, in 1809, had been landed, according to the collector's books, which would amount to $12,000. The price of hauling from Erie to Waterford had been hitherto $1 50, amounting, on the same quantity, to $18,000. One dollar more was paid to convey it by water to Pittsburg. These several items made an aggregate profit to the inhabitants of the county of $42,000. The newly- finished turnpike diminished the profit of the hauler from $1 50 to 50 cents ; but it facilitated the carriage proportion- ably, as a team on the road could transport thirty-two bar- rels in the same time, and with greater ease than it formerly had done six ; so that it was still more lucrative, provided there was sufficient salt to employ the usual number of teams. Salt was ordinarily from four to six months on the
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road from Salina to Pittsburg, and of one hundred barrels leaving the Springs seventy-five were required to pay the charges. Boats were built at Waterford expressly to float it down the river, and their construction was such as to pre- vent their return. This did not, however, add to the ex- pense, as families removing still farther down were glad to purchase them.
The opening of the salt wells on the Kanawha and Kis- kaminitas, about 1813, by affording a supply to that region, after a time materially affected transportation here.
In Pennsylvania Historical Collections we find the fol- lowing : "General James O'Hara at an early day entered into a contract to supply Oswego with provisions, which he sup- posed could be furnished cheaper than from the settlements on the Mohawk. He had obtained correct information in relation to the manufacture of salt at Salina, and had in his contract an eye to supplying the Western country with salt.
" This was a project few would have undertaken, and fewer still carried out. The means of transportation had to be created : boats and teams must be constructed to get the salt from the works to Oswego, a vessel built to land it below the falls, wagons to carry it to Schlosser, and boats provided to carry it to Black Rock; there another vessel was required to convey it to Erie. The road to the head of French Creek had to be improved, and the salt carried across the portage in wagons; and lastly, boats built to float it to Pittsburg.
" Mr. O'Hara packed his flour and provisions in barrels suitable for salt, and these were reserved in his contracts. Two vessels were built-one on Lake Erie, and another on Lake Ontario. The plan succeeded : salt could be sold of a fair quality at four dollars per bushel-half the price ob- tained by packing over the mountains. The vocation of packers was gone. Soon after, Onondaga salt was sold at twelve dollars per barrel of five bushels."
A duty of four cents per bushel was paid the State of New
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York, and it was forbidden by law to sell at the works for more than sixty cents per bushel.
The journey to Buffalo by land was much dreaded even to the completion of the railroad ; previous to 1815 or 1820 it was absolutely dangerous. Travelers finding the land road through Cattaragus woods almost impassable for wagons, would be induced, if the weather was not very boisterous, to pass around the point of rock projecting into the lake. Many fatal instances are recorded of persons unacquainted with the country being overwhelmed by the waves. The nature of the soil through the woods would scarcely admit of a good road, and a journey once made was scarcely forgotten, for passengers felt that then and there, they escaped narrowly with their lives. In "December, 1829, the road from Buffalo to Fredonia (in some places having been turnpiked late in the season) was so bad that two yoke of oxen were attached to the stage to draw it through, and all the male passengers worked their passage. The mail was three hours-more than a mile an hour-coming from Buffalo."
The following advertisement is found in the Erie Gazelle for September 15th, 1820 :-
" Proposals will be received at the General Post-office for carrying the mail on the following route, until the fourteenth day of October next :
" From Buffalo, by Hamburg, Hanover, Fredonia, Port- land, Westfield, Ripley, and northeast to Erie, Pennsylvania, once a week, ninety miles.
" Leave Buffalo every Saturday noon, and arrive at Erie the next Monday by six o'clock in the afternoon. Leave Erie every Tuesday at six A.M., and arrive at Buffalo the next Thursday by noon."
This was nothing new, though the mail to Pittsburg and by Philadelphia was more sure for the East. This, too, came in but once a week. The day this was due, people were seen standing in the street looking for " McGill," who, at first, with
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his mail came on horseback ; afterward, the increased weight required a horse for the mail alone, which he led by his side. On one occasion the eager expectants looked and looked in vain ; a bear had crossed the carrier's path, and the frightened mail horse fled to the woods, where, after a search of two or three days, he was found.
In the Erie Gazette for December, 1820, we find the fol- lowing, being something new : that a stage for the convey- ance of passengers as well as the mail would run regularly once a week from Erie to Buffalo and back, after the first of January. It would leave Erie every Tuesday, and arrive at Buffalo on Thursday ; leave Buffalo on Saturday, and arrive at Erie on Monday. The proprietors (Messrs. Bird and Deming) did not expect to make money in the business; the convenience of the public seemed to require the experiment to be made, and if it met with support was to be continued and enlarged.
January 8th, 1824, we find a stage had commenced run- ning twice a week between Erie and Cleveland. Arrange- ments were also making for carrying the mail twice a week.
February 10th, 1825, the mail-coach commenced running through in a day from this place to Buffalo. This may be said to terminate the ancient history of highways and con- veyances in Erie County.
In the Erie Gazette, July, 1826, is an article intended to arouse Pennsylvanians to the importance of a canal, and it is well adapted to our purpose. It speaks of the wondrous improvement in this region in the previous thirty years. " Then the site of the village was a wilderness, and the path of the Indian the only guide for the daring traveler. Now it has upwards of a thousand inhabitants, and roads leading to Buffalo, Cleveland, and Pittsburg, three great points of interconrse equal to any in the Western part of the Union. From these three places we have twenty-seven arrivals of stages every week, all of which remain here over night. From Buffalo there are fourteen arrivals, from Cleveland
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ten, and from Pittsburg three. Three years ago we had three arrivals : once a week from Cleveland, in a one-horse wagon ; once a week from Buffalo, in a two-horse wagon ; and once from Pittsburg, in a hack. Now there is not a vehicle enters our village for the conveyance of travelers but post-coaches, with teams equal if not superior to any in Pennsylvania.
" In addition to this, three steamboats for the conveyance of passengers enter and leave our harbor every week, and in a few days there will be five. There are also from two to ten schooners which enter and clear our harbor each week. What an important point this would be to Pennsylvania, if she would do her duty ! This unexampled inerease of travel and business owes its existence entirely to the New York canal. * Pennsylvania is waiting for experience. She will soon have more of it than she wants in contrasting Philadelphia with New York."
There was much delay in prosecuting the Erie extension of the Pennsylvania Canal, for the want of decision as to the route ; one of the first efforts at settling the question was the appointment, in 1823, of Thomas Forster, of Erie, Jas. Herrington, of Crawford, and William Marks, Jr., of Allegheny, commissioners to explore the different routes, and report to the Governor.
In 1825 a survey was made by Major Douglass, of the army .* In 1835 an appropriation of $200,000 was made,
* The latter part of October, 1825, while the surveyors of the canal route were engaged in sounding the lake off the mouth of Elk Creek, a melancholy accident occurred. The boat, having in it four persons, was much dashed by a fresh breeze, and began to fill. Mr. Cranch, a son of Judge Cranch, of the District of Columbia, being an expert swimmer, for the purpose of lightening the boat deliberately plunged into the lake, having first with care placed an elegant gold watch, which he highly valued, between his teeth, to prevent its being injured by the water. He had reached a few perches from the shore when he suddenly sunk. He was immediately taken out, but could not be resuscitated.
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