Twentieth century history of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 61

Author: Sell, Jesse C 1872-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Publishing
Number of Pages: 1036

USA > Pennsylvania > Blair County > Altoona > Twentieth century history of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens > Part 61

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The roll of preachers now records the names of D. B. McClosky and L. A. Rudisill, 1868; '69-'71, J. W. Leckie; '72-'74; D. Cas-

tleman; '75-'76, J. W. Cleaver, R. P. Camp- bell; '77, William Gwynn and J. F. Craig; '78, William Gwynn and John A. Wood, Jr .; '79-'81, Martin Luther Smith; '82-'84, Isaac Heckman.

In the term of '85-'86, with William A. Carver as pastor, the charge was again read- justed and was now known as the Martins- burg and Roaring Spring charge. W. W. Reese served from '87 to '89, and in 1890 Roaring Spring was separated from the circuit and made a station with Franklin M. Welsh as pastor, who served for three years.

From the spring of '93 to the spring of '98 Edwin H. Witman served as pastor. During his pastorate the present home for the pastor was built and on February 10, 1898, the ground was broken for a new church. Elton H. Wallace was appointed at the conference of 1898 and on May 24 the corner stone of this house of worship was laid by Rev. Martin L. Ganoe, the services in connection therewith being held in the Bethel church.

The building was completed and ready for dedication by the end of November of that year and on the 29th the formal dedicatory services were held. Dr. George Edward Reed, president of Dickinson college, preached in the morning from the theme, "Kindness," and Dr. E. J. Gray, president of Williamsport Dickinson seminary, in the evening, from the theme, "The Christian's Possessions." Seven or eight other ministers were present on the day of dedication. The congregation in the new church has been served by three pastors : E. H. Wallace serving two years in all; George M. Glenn serving six years, and the present pastor completing his third year.

By the minutes of the conference of 1898, recording the data of the church before en- trance into the new church building, there were upon the records of the church 174 full members. To-day there are 342, a net in- crease of 168. In 1898, property value, par- sonage and church, $4,800; to-day the prop- erty is valued at $23,000, an increase of $18,200.

In pastoral support you have increased

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$500, from $800 to $1,300. In the old church it required for the running expense, both of Sunday school and church, only $279. Last year we reported over $1,100 as current ex- pense in school and church. Though this is perhaps a little higher than the usual by reason of inclusion of some unusual items, yet there is easily an increase of between $600 and $700 in the current expense of the church for main- tenance and extension of local work.

The year before entrance into the new church missions from church collections $125, from Sunday schools, $49; a total of $174. Last year reported $326 from the church col- lection and $250 from the Sunday school, or $576, an increase of $402.

The total for all benevolences recorded in the minutes of 1898 was $211. The total of all benevolences recorded in the minutes of last year was $804, an increase of $593.

Gathering into totals the accumulating data , of the years in this new and beautiful house of worship, we have the following record : Two hundred probationers have been received into full membership. There have been 229 baptisms, 130 children, eighty-nine adult; thirty-two deaths are recorded out of the membership; $22,000 has been expended for church and improvements; $13,577 for pas- toral support, presiding elder, bishops and conference claimants; $6,236 for current ex- penses, church and Sunday school; $5,957 for benevolences. Total, $47,770.

Church of God .- The history of this church is as follows. The first bethel on poplar street was sold and a larger one built on Main street in 1880 and dedicated in February, 1881. This was destroyed by fire, February 24, 1889. The present brick bethel was erected in 1889 and dedicated by Elder George Sigler, December 1, 1889. The main building cost $9,500. Since then one addition has been built for the use of the Sunday school primary department, and another addition for the use of the Ladies' Aid society, at an addi- tional cost of about $1,000. In 1896 or '97, a parsonage was erected on the east side of the same plot of ground, worth now about $3,000.

The present value of the church and parson- age properties is about $13,500. The pastor is Rev. D. S. Shoop. The officers are as fol- lows: Elders, A. F. Books, D. M. Bare, David Gates and Roland Smallwood. Dea- cons, Clarence Hair, George Loose, David K. Loose and John A. Shultz. The present membership is 194. The Sunday school has seven officers and thirteen teachers, the teach- ers and scholars enrolled this quarter num- bering altogether 277. The average attend- ance for the past two years has been 180; en- rollment in home department, forty-five; cradle roll, forty ; school expenses for the past year, $227.82. Paid Findlay college the past year $141.16. The church treasurer's state- ment for the past year shows also the follow- ing :

To missions in East Pennsylvania. $130.00

To missions on frontier states. 30.00

To Foreign missions in India. 60.00

$220.00

ALSO PAID

To support of superannuated ministers $18.00

To support of ministers' widows 19.40

To other benevolent Eldership collections. 60.74

$98.14

In connection with the church there is a Christian Endeavor society; also a Junior Christian Endeavor society. The Senior C. E. society was organized March 5, 1889, with twelve members, the present number enrolled being 102. The Junior C. E. society was or- ganized about 1894. They have a present en- rollment of eighty-five members, and they support and educate an orphan boy in India at a cost of $25 annually ; this they have done the past five years. The boy has lately made a profession of Christianity and expects to enter the ministry in India. In addition to the work as outlined above, the church has an active Ladies' Aid society which has been . a great help to it in a pecuniary way. They built their own room, paid for the pavement in front of the church property, paid for in- stalling the electric lights and for many im- provements and repairs to church and parson-

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age and have carpeted the church throughout twice. They have been organized something more than fifteen years and have raised and spent something over $2,000.

Christ Reformed Church .- Members of the Reformed church mostly from Sharpsburg, organized a Sunday school at the home of Mrs. C. E. Yingling at Roaring Spring, Oc- tober 20, 1901, and continued to meet there up to January 1, 1902. The school has an enroll- ment of forty-five. On January 12, 1902, it

was moved into the Odd Fellows' hall, which it occupied up to June, 1904. The present church organization, which now has a mem- bership of about 140, grew out of this Sunday school. Rev. J. S. Heffner was pastor from the start and continued up to January 1, 1908. During his pastorate a church edifice was erected at a cost of $8,000. He was succeeded by Rev. F. R. Lefever. During his pastorate a parsonage has been erected, with all modern conveniences, at a cost of $3,000.

CHAPTER XXIX.

HISTORY OF TYRONE.

Location-Early Settlers-The Town Due to the Pennsylvania Railroad-Its Growth-Popula- tion-Incorporation-War Bounties-Borough Building Erected-Vote on Gas and Water Supply-Wards-Property Valuation-Receipts and Indebtedness-Water and Gas Intro- duced-The Post Office-Building and Loan Associations-Plank Road-Railroads and Railroad Shops and Yards-A Disastrous Wreck-"Tyrone of Today," a Historical Re- view-Principal Suburbs-Schools-Tannery-Paper Mill-Mining-Foundries-Plan- ing Mills-Other Industries-Churches and Societies-Hotels-Art School-Wilson Chem- ical Company-Post Office-Shoe Factory-Banks-Theatre.

TYRONE.

Tyrone is located in the northeastern part of Blair county on the Little Juniata, 117 miles west of Harrisburg, and is now a place of about 8,000 inhabitants. Its situation is a natural gateway between the mountains and high hills for the construction of railroads, and the Pennsylvania railroad and the Bald Eagle Valley and Clearfield roads, found here their natural outlets which at once attached considerable commercial importance to the place. The town did not bring the railroad, but the railroad brought the town. The land now occupied by the town seems to have been first owned by John Gloninger & Co., iron masters, and formed part of the Tyrone Forge estate. Among the early settlers was Elisha Davis. He opened up a farm and erected a saw-mill on Sinking run. He sold out and left the place as early as 1826. His property went into the hands of William Lyon & Co., who became the owners of the Gloninger es- tate. They built a log house on the Davis farm and rented it. Among the tenants may be named John Henderson and Philip Hoover. On the site of what was called the Central hotel, Jacob Burley had erected and lived in a cabin. On what was afterward named Main

and Allegheny streets, there was erected a log building for a schoolhouse in 1851 and 1852.

No town was projected until the Pennsyl- vania railroad was in process of construction. Then Tyrone sprung into being. The first plot was surveyed in the spring of 1851 by direction of William Lyon & Co. It consisted of seventy-five lots only, lying north of Juni- ata street and west of Main street. During that season six or eight small buildings were erected for stores and residences. A frame house built by Jacob Burley in 1850, where the Study block now stands, was used as a store and dwelling that year, and was the first store in the new town.

No name was given to the place by its pro- prietors at first, but it was called Eagleville by some and Shorbville by others for the first year or two, but when it became apparent that it would grow into a village it was christened Tyrone City, to distinguish it from Tyrone Forge, less than a mile distant, the name being doubtless derived from a town in Ireland. The town grew quite rapidly and in a few years contained enough people to entitle it to a post office, and F. M. Bell was appointed first postmaster, which office he held until

438

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1857, keeping the office in his store. There has been no halt in the growth of Tyrone, al- though it has not increased as rapidly as Altoona. In 1870, the population was 1,800 and in 1896 it was about 8,000.

A report from the grand jury, April 29, 1857, recommended that the prayer of the peti- tioners be granted, and on the 27th of July, 1857, the court confirmed the recommendation, and it became an incorporate body under the acts of 1834 and 1851, pertaining to and reg- ulating boroughs. The time for holding the first election was set for the IIth of August, and Benjamin Jones was appointed judge and William Stokes and Samuel Beslin as inspec- tors of the election then to be held. The officers elected at that time were duly qualified August 17, 1857, as follows: Jonathan H. Burley, burgess; Samuel Berline, William R. Maxwell, John D. Bell, J. W. Jones and C. Guyer, councilmen; C. Guyer, clerk; S. Ber- lin, treasurer; John Marks, street commis- sioner; Alex Bobb, high constable.

November 21, 1857, an ordinance for pro- tection against fires was passed. January 20, 1858, it was voted that a lock-up, eight by twelve, be built on the schoolhouse lot. In 1864, the borough issued bonds for $4,000 in order to pay a bounty of $100 to each man who would enlist in the U. S. army to fill the quoto of men required of the borough.

In February, 1865, bonds were issued for a loan to pay the indebtedness of the borough. February 25, 1865, C. Guyer, J. G. Stewart and A. B. Hoover were appointed a committee to petition the court to extend the borough limits.

On the 9th of March, 1865, the council recognized the petition of twenty-nine citizens of Snyder township asking for admission into the borough. March 26, 1869, fifty-two citi- zens of Snyder township petitioned for admis- sion into the borough. The request was granted, and they soon after became part of the corporation.

In 1872, the - borough's public building on the corner of Spring and Juniata streets was

erected at a cost of $9,086.48. In May, 1874, an act of the general assembly was approved dividing the borough into four wards and authorizing the election of two councilmen and two school directors from each ward. This act went into effect at the 1875 election and so continued until the January sessions of the court of quarter session, when a decree was entered that but six school directors per year should be elected in the borough.

On the 3d of October, 1876, the citizens of the borough voted on the gas and water ques- tion, when 194 voted in favor of a tax to sup- ply the same and fifty-four voted against it.

In 1874 Tyrone had four wards. In 1900 it had seven. The assessed valuation of prop- erty in Tyrone in 1897 was $1,955,040. The borough tax for the same year was 6 mills, this, with 5 mills of county and 73/4 of school tax, makes the total rate of property taxation 183/4 mills per dollar. The receipts of the treasury during the fiscal year were $14,- 128.19, and its expenses $11,320.73. The bonded indebtedness was $27,400. The value of public property was estimated at $16,- 273.81. A large part of this is invested in the public building on the corner of Tenth street and Washington avenue.

The first public building erected was a lock-up in 1857. It was eight by twelve feet. The present one is fifty by fifty, two stories high, and is constructed of brick. It affords shelter for the "citizens' fire engines" and offices for the fire department and the borough council.

A special act of assembly authorizing a stock company to be formed with a capital stock of $20,000 to introduce water and gas into the borough. However, no action was taken, leading to a complete organization till June, 1869. A contract was then entered into and about four miles of mains and pipes were laid. Since that time the town has an abun- dant supply of pure mountain water. Gas was not introduced until 1873. Gas works were then erected, and one and a half miles of mains were laid. Twenty-four lamps were used for lighting the streets in 1874. The

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original cost of gas was $3.50 per thousand. In 1881 it was reduced to $2.75.

Post Office .- The first post office in this part of Blair county was at Tyrone Forge with John T. Matthias as postmaster. During the administration of President Pierce, an of- fice was established at Tyrone and F. M. Bell was appointed postmaster. In 1857 John B. Stewart became postmaster. From him the office passed to Harriet Stewart. In 1861 J. S. Plummer was appointed, which position he held till 1877. Captain F. M. Bell was then appointed, and served a number of years. In 1870 the office was moved into the Cald- well building, where it continued until July 8, 1880, when the room was destroyed by fire. The greater portion of the post office property . was saved. In December, 1880, the office was re-established on the same site in the Flynn block.

It became a postal money order office in October, 1867, and is a distributing office for points on the Bald Eagle and Clearfield rail- roads. In 1883, the number of letters and postal cards averaged about 5,000 per week, and about the same number were received.

Rev. W. H. Wilson, in his book "Tyrone of To-day," 1897, says: "The Tyrone post office is quartered in a commodious building erected in 1881 by the present efficient post- master, W. Fisk Conrad, who has been one of the most active and useful of the business men of the place for a score of years. No town can boast of a better equipped and better man- aged post office than we enjoy."

The lower story of the block on the north end, is finished in one large room 23 by 100 feet. Two doors lead into the space allotted to the public, where are found three desks provided with writing materials. The work- ing apartment has the most improved conve- niences for handling the immense mails which pass through the office. There are sixteen out- going and twenty-one incoming mails daily. The annual report just published shows re- ceipts from stamps, etc., $23,423.81. Money orders issued, $22,125.61, ditto paid $165,- 825.61. Registered matter, 45,222 pieces, of

which 28,583 were delivered in town, the re- mainder forwarded. For the protection of the valuable matter entrusted to it, the office has three fire-proof safes and a vault fire and burglar proof, six feet wide by twelve feet in length and height. The services of ten clerks and carriers were required to handle the mail.

The Tyrone Building and Loan association was organized March, 1870. The capital stock was 1,500 shares of $200 each. Samuel McCamant, president ; J. M. Calderwood, sec- retary; T. B. Heims, treasurer; B. L. Hewit, of Hollidaysburg, was solicitor, but was superseded by A. A. Stephens in 1873. When the business was settled up in 1878, the stock holders netted about 16 1/3 per cent per an- num on their investments.

Bald Eagle Building and Loan association was formed in May, 1872, with the same au- thorized capital as the former. John A. Boyer, president; Henry Crider, treasurer ; W. H. H. Young, solicitor. It was reorgan- ized by electing James. A. Crofford, presi- dent; Michael McCann, secretary; C. Guyer, treasurer, and A. A. Stephens, solicitor. Un- der the first management through insufficient securities about $10,000 was lost. However, when the association closed up its affairs in 1880, they still netted 14 per cent per year on the amounts invested.

Tyrone Building and Loan Association No. 2, was organized in March, 1878, with Samuel McCamant, president, J. M. Calder- wood, secretary; R. A. McCoy, treasurer, and A. A. Stephens, solicitor. The conditions and results were the same as No. I.

There was another called the "Central," which had for its president, A. L. Koons; secretary, H. L. Hessor; treasurer, T. J. Gates, but for its operations we have no data. In 1897 the three associations had assets of $300,000 and loaned the previous year $100,000 to 250 persons. The stock-holders numbered about 500 persons.

A Plank Road .- With the meager data now available, it is impossible to fix the time or place of the construction of the first roads in or about Tyrone. It is presumed that the

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first of any importance was built by or for the Gloninger Iron company. These with their rough beds on dry land and the "corduroy" bridges over marshy places made the hauling of commodities to market by team both tedi- ous and expensive, and as the surrounding valleys found an outlet at Tyrone and pointed to it as a center of trade, the enterprising citi- zens made an effort to improve the highways. The Pennsylvania railroad found here the gateway to the Allegheny, making this the nearest and best market for the grain raised in the rich valleys of Center county accord- ingly. In 1853 a plank road was constructed to Bellefonte. This was a ponderous and an expensive enterprise. It was truly a great im- provement in affording a solid, smoother roadbed, but it was soon found that it would be expensive to keep it in repair, and the en- terprising business men began to look for something better. A railroad was discussed, and in 1856, the Tyrone and Lock Haven railroad company was formed. They under- took to construct the road but failed because of a lack of funds.

In 1861 the Bald Eagle Valley railroad company was formed and with some assist- ance from the Pennsylvania railroad the road was completed to Lock Haven, connecting also with Bellefonte by a branch from Miles- burg. A road to the coal and lumber fields of Clearfield county was also projected in 1856. A stock company was formed and a charter secured and operations commenced under the names of Tyrone and Clearfield company. This company was also unsuccess- ful. The Pennsylvania railroad came to their rescue and the road was completed in 1862.

In 1881-2 the Tyrone and Lewisburg road was partially constructed. These branch roads brought an immense amount of business to Tyrone. In 1862 Tyrone division of the Pennsylvania railroad was established. It embraces part of the main line and a goodly portion of all the branches. This division is one of the most important belonging to the Penn- sylvania railroad system.

The freight traffic over the Clearfield road

is immense, the amount carried since 1876 be- ing 2,000,000 tons per year. The lumber and fire brick traffic is also heavy. The passenger service on all these roads is of the best and is very liberally patronized. Tyrone is the yard of this division and is equipped to handle all business committed to its care. It grew with the railroads; the population increased with the volume of business and its borders en- larged because of its wealth.

In 1868 shops were erected to do all grades of repair work on the running stock of the company. Several hundred.men find employ- ment in the shops and yard. There is also a large roundhouse capable of giving shelter to thirty or more engines.

The first station on the main line was at the Upper Tyrone forge and Arthur Clark was the first agent. In 1853 the present depot was established and Jacob Burley was both ticket and freight agent. He served till 1859. That year the passenger and freight agencies were separated and Caleb Guire took charge of the freight. The station, together with the rec- ords of the division, were destroyed by fire on December 18, 1879. The present substantial brick structure was built in 1880. The build- ing is conveniently arranged, heated by steam, well lighted and sufficiently large to accom- modate all the offices and business of this im- portant division.

On the 30th of May, 1893, there occurred on the Tyrone and Clearfield road, one of the most disastrous wrecks known in the annals of railroading. Walter L. Mains Menagerie and Circus show was on its return from Clear- field. The train was composed entirely of his animals and show paraphernalia, and was heavily loaded. In coming down the steep grade the force of gravity and the mountain became too great for the brakes and engine to withstand, and in rounding a sharp curve at fearful speed a ponderous elephant was hurled violently against the side of the car, which caused it to leave the track with the result that the entire train with all its valuable cargo was wrecked and destroyed. Fifty-three fine, val- uable horses and an unreported number of

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animals were either killed or missing. Some that escaped death had to be shot, as there were no means of capturing them. Four of the employes of the show and two of the train crew were killed. The railroad company as- sumed the responsibility and paid all damages which, was, perhaps, the highest ever paid for the wrecking of a single train.

Although this town is hemmed about with mountains and rugged hills, the site is on a beautiful sloping level or flat. The streets and avenues are laid out at right angles. Becom- ing as it did, such an important railroad center brought to it wonderful prosperity and gave it a steady and healthy growth. Business of every kind increased. New industries sprung up. Costly business blocks were built. Hand- some residences were erected, streets were im- proved and suburbs were being extended on every side.

The following is abridged from Wilson's "Tyrone of Today :"

"The superior advantages of the town from its topography and railroad privileges gradu- ally attracted to it the business of contiguous points and places which were formerly thriv- ing towns, dwindled before its progress.

"East Tyrone (more properly North) was laid out under the instructions from the Penn- sylvania railroad company, by Superintendent Wilkins in 1871, and while for years an in- dependent borough, was in reality a railroad suburb of Tyrone. Between the two places lay a small portion of ground which needed to be improved by drainage, but in this respect was in no worse condition than the original itself before the main streets were raised four feet and sewers established. Old inhabitants remember when the City hotel and other build- ings, now level with the pavement, had to be reached by a flight of steps from the streets, and when foundation walls were laid with the greatest difficulty in standing water. The Seventh ward is now the equal of any part of the town for comfortable residences and ex- celled by none for cheerful scenery. Of the space once existing between the two towns, only a small portion remains vacant. It still

has its own post office which will, no doubt, soon be absorbed by its bigger neighbor. It has two churches and one in prospect. It con- tains some good stores and a brick yard. In this ward and in the Sixth, embracing what is known as "Stony Point," many lots well located and level are held by F. D. Beyer, Rev. J. D. Stewart and Dr. Lowrie.

"Outside the corporation line on the north is Greensburg, where twenty-one families en- joy comfortable and quiet homes, lacking only one thing-a convenient means of reaching the business center. South of the upper wards and of Sinking Run is a settlement laid out by Byers & Co., who still have lots to sell. These are within a short distance of the bor- ough just over the ridge which shuts it in on the west.

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Twentieth century history of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 61

Author: Sell, Jesse C 1872- Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Publishing Number of Pages: 1036

Author: Sell, Jesse C 1872-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Publishing
Number of Pages: 1036