USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens > Part 25
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Two years ago, in 1908, a brick building containing eight large school rooms was erected in West Clearfield, and is known as the Third Ward High School. .
Clearfield can also boast a fine Parochial School. This splendid structure of yellow brick stands on North Second Street, and is known as the St. Francis School. It was built in 1904.
Curwensville Schools :- The educational history of Curwensville dates from the year 1831, at which time John Irvin contributed ground for the erection of the Curwensville Academy. This building stood on Filbert Street, on the ground now known as the Samuel Taylor property. After a few years the building was turned over to Pike town- ship, and here a public school was held about 1835, by John Patton, Sr. The public schools continued to be held there until 1852, when a schoolhouse was built on Wal- nuit street. School was also held in the old Methodist church until 1869. Hon. John Patton presented two lots, adjoining the one they already owned on Walnut street. to the school board, and additional build- ings were erected.
In 1854 William Irvin built a brick school- house on State street almost opposite the place where the B. R. & P. station now stands, and for several years it was used as a private school. Later it was rented by the borough and used for many years as a "High School."
The Patton Graded School was built in
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1885. It was so named in honor of Hon. John Patton, who contributed $16,500 and a lot valued at $3,500 for its erection. It is a handsome building of grey sandstone, and originally contained eight schoolrooms. A wing has since been built, adding two large rooms to the original number. For many years the Patton Graded School was the finest school building in the county, and with its many and contin- ued improvements, still ranks among the best.
In 1908 a substantial brick building of four rooms was built in the Second ward and these buildings, together with a school of two grades on the South Side, provide ample accommodations for the six hundred school children of Curwensville.
DuBois Schools :- Although the borough of DuBois is comparatively new it is the finest equipped of any in the county in re- gard to public schools. In 1883 the Central School building was erected, and another building, known as the New Central School, was built in 1899.
The First Ward School was erected in 1892. An addition to this building became necessary in 1902, and in 1909 an entire new building was constructed.
In 1895 a school building was erected in the Third Ward, and an addition built in 1902.
The Fourth Ward School was built in 1892, and two additions have since been built, one in 1895 and one in 1907.
A fine new High School building is now under construction. The capacity of the High School will be 400.
The total number of ward schools is fifty-eight, with a capacity of 2,500.
DuBois has also a fine Parochial school, one of four such schools in the county. The other three are situated at Clearfield, Houtzdale and Frenchville respectively.
Private Girls' Schools :- Although a "fe- male school" was taught in connection with the Clearfield Academy as early as 1841, no separate school for girls was held until about 1867, when Miss Belle Welsh started a "select school" in the old Methodist church building in Curwensville. This school was continued for several years with great success.
About the same year, Miss K. S. Swan began a school for girls in the Keystone building in Clearfield. Miss Swan continued her school until the erection of the Leonard Graded School in 1874.
Other Schools :- In the larger towns, such as Osceola, Houtzdale. Penfield, Kar- thaus, Ramey, Madera, Grampian and Ma- haffey, large and substantial school build- ings have been erected during the past twenty-five years, and to-day there are 538 schools held in this county. The number of teachers employed in teaching these schools is 560, and the number of scholars enrolled 20,71I.
No words are needed to prove the mar- vellous growth in public education in our county. These figures speak eloquently of the interest and ambition of our citizens concerning education, and insure the intel- lectual advancement of our coming genera- tion.
Following is a list of the county superin- tendents :
1854-7-Dr. A. T. Schryver.
1857-60-L. L. Still. 1860-3-Jesse Broomall.
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1863-6-C. B. Sanford. I866-72-G. W. Snyder. 1872-8-J. A. Gregory. 1878-84-M. L. McQuown.
1884-90-Matthew Savage. 1890-6-G. W. Weaver. 1896-1902-E. C. Shields. 1902-W. E. Tobias.
CHAPTER XVII
TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES
Turnpike Days-Water Transportation-The Tyrone and Clearfield Railroad-The Pennsyl- vania & Northern-The Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg R. R .- The Karthaus R. R .- The Becch Creek R. R .- The Cresson, Clearfield County & New York Short Route R. R. -The Philipsburg R. R .- The Clearfield Southern R. R .- The West Branch R. R .- The Curwensville & Bower R. R .- The Buffalo & Susquehanna R. R .- The Franklin & Clearfield R. R .- The DuBois Street Railway-The Philipsburg Street Railway Co.
In no case does the old proverb, "necessity is the mother of invention," hold more true than in the history of the development of rail- roads in Clearfield county. In the days when the lumbering stage coach traveled the "Erie Turnpike," carrying the government mails and the few travelers who ventured east or west, no better or faster means of locomotion was (leemed necessary.
Lumbering was the industry followed by the majority of Clearfield county's citizens, and the many streams connecting with the broad Susquehanna afforded ample facilities for lumber transportation. Although the vast stores of coal and fire clay were known to ex- ist, there had been no need to develop them as yet. This left little need for transportation. and in those peaceful years, before the mania for speed had seized our nation, people were content to live with no other communication with the outside world than that afforded by waterway and turnpike.
But soon rumors of a great civil war stirred our country and quickened it to new life. No
longer were men willing to be cut off from news of affairs which threatened our nation, and it was at this time that the citizens of Clearfield county came to a realization of their need of quicker transportation.
The proposed railroad was called the Ty- rone and Clearfield, a branch of the Pennsyl- vania railroad. About 1862 the track was built from Vail to Sandy Ridge-the top of the mountain, and a year later was extended to Philipsburg. It was not until six years later, and with the financial aid of citizens of Clearfield, that the track was extended to the county seat. Here it again rested from its labors, and six years passed before the rail- road reached Curwensville, aided financially by citizens of that town. For many years Cur- wensville remained the terminus of the Ty- rone and Clearfield railroad, but the coal in- terests farther west caused the road to be ex- tended as far as Grampian in 1891.
Several branches have been added to this road, the most important of which is the Mo- shannon. The Moshannon branch joins the
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main line of the Tyrone and Clearfield rail- road at Osceola, and extends through the coal regions of that section, terminating at McCart- ney. Various branches, leading to the mining towns and coal operations in the vicinity of this line, have been added.
The Pennsylvania and Northwestern Rail- road, formerly known as the Bell's Gap rail- road, extends from Bellwood in Blair county through the northwestern part of Clearfield county by way of Coalport, Irvona and Ma- haffey, having its terminus at Punxsutawney. This road was begun in 1871 and completed in 1887.
The Low Grade division of the Pennsyl- vania railroad was opened through the west and northwest portion of Clearfield county in 1874. It enters this county at Tyler, running southeast to Du Bois and thence west into Jef- ferson county.
The Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburg Rail- road was built through the northwestern part of Clearfield county in 1883. It originally en- tered this county from the northwest, running southeast to Du Bois and then south to Stump Creek, below which it again entered Jefferson county. In 1893 a branch known as the Clear- field and Mahoning Railroad was constructed from Du Bois Junction, by way of Luthers- burg and Curwensville, to Clearfield, being the first and only railroad connecting Du Bois with the county seat. The opening of this branch was celebrated by a public meeting in the court house at Clearfield, June 6, 1893, at which representatives were present from vari- ous towns along the new railroad, as well as officials of the Buffalo, Rochester and Pitts- burg Railroad Company.
The Karthaus Railroad, extending from Keating on the Philadelphia and Erie Rail-
road to Karthaus in Clearfield county was completed in 1883. This road was operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company until 1902, when it passed under the control of the New York Central and Hudson River Rail- road Company at the time of the completion of their West Branch Valley line, of which it is now a part.
The Beech Creek Railroad was constructed in Clearfield county in 1884. It now extends from Jersey Shore, Lycoming county, through Clearfield county to Patton in Cambria county. This road has branches connecting with Philipsburg and Clearfield.
The Cresson, Clearfield County and New York Short Route Railroad was built in the northern part of the county, between Cresson and Irvona in 1886. It is now operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company.
The Philipsburg Railroad extends from Philipsburg to Ferndale, by way of Osceola, Houtzdale and Ramey.
The Clearfield Southern Railroad, com- pleted in 1908, extends from Dimeling station on the Beech Creek Railroad, up Clearfield Creek to Irvona, by way of Madera and Glen Hope. It is operated by the New York Cen- tral and Hudson River Railroad Company.
The West Branch Valley Railroad was completed in 1902 and extends from Clearfield to Keating. It is operated by the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company and is known as the River Line.
The Curwensville and Bower Railroad was constructed in 1903-4. It runs from Curwens- ville up the West Branch of the Susquehanna river to Bower Station, on the Beech Creek Railroad. It is operated by the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company as part of the Beech Creek system, the trains
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY
using the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg Rail- road tracks between Curwensville and Clear- field.
The Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad was built in 1904 and extends from near Tyler through Clearfield county by way of Du Bois and its present terminus is Sagamore, Indiana county.
The Franklin and Clearfield Railroad, now under construction, enters Clearfield county near Du Bois. It is a branch of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad. and the trains now use the tracks of the Buffalo,
Rochester and Pittsburg Railroad between Du Bois and Clearfield.
Street Railways-The only town in Clear- field county having a system of street railways is DuBois. The lines are operated by over- head trolley. The company is known as the Du Bois Street Railway Company, and be- gan business in 1891. It has 21 miles of track.
The Philipsburg Street Railway Company has a line extending to Morrisdale, Winburne and several other mining towns in Clearfield county.
CHAPTER XVIII
MANUFACTURES
The Lumber Industry-Beginning of the Industry-Its Growth by 1854-Method of Operat- ing-Rafting-Log Drivers and Lumber Arks-Conflict with "Square Timber" Men- Marking the Logs-Small Profits of the Business-Erection of Sace-Mills-Decline of the Business-The Fire Brick Industry-Firms and Companies Engaged in the Business -The Tanning Industry
LUMBERING INTERESTS
The traveler who now journeys over Clearfield county for the first time and sees the coal, fire clay and agricultural develop- ment and how little timber remains, can hardly realize that a century ago the whole territory was covered with seemingly boundless forests, the only cleared space at that time being a few acres of land where the town of Clearfield now stands. The work of the pioneers in clearing up the wood-land and opening up roads through these great forests, can hardly be realized by the present generation.
The first lumbering in the county was not for the purpose of shipping the logs and lumber as a business, but the trees were cut into logs in order that land might be cleared to make room for homes for the early set- tlers and sufficient fields to cultivate their scanty crops, and the logs used for build- ing. Although Daniel Ogden and Freder- ick Haney had each built saw-mills as early as 1805 and Daniel Turner erected a saw-
mill on Anderson Creek in 1808 and about the same time Robert Maxwell built one near Curwensville and William Kersey one at the Kersey settlement, and James and Samuel Ardary soon afterwards built a saw-mill near the old Clearfield bridge, it was not until the year 1820 that lumbering operations assumed business proportions.
When the "Raftman's Journal" was founded in 1854. by the late Hon. H. B. Swoope, lumbering had become such an im- portant business in the county, that the name of the paper was selected on that ac- count, and Mr. Swoope, himself, drew the design of the rafting scene, a copy of which is still used as a part of the heading of the "Journal."
For many years lumbering was the chief occupation of nearly every resident of the county. Agriculture was neglected and the magnificent forests were destroyed and the lumber made into "square timber" or logs, was floated down the river, and the pro- ceeds built up the towns of Lock Haven, Marietta and Williamsport where large
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saw mills were erected to manufacture the lumber and great dams and booms con- structed to receive and hold the logs until they could be sawed.
This "square timber" was made entirely with an axe, the trees were first chopped down and then squared by the use of a pe- culiarly shaped axe with which was cut off the branches, bark and sufficient of the tree to square it up. These great timber sticks were then hauled during the winter on sleds to the river bank where they were piled. ready to be made into rafts in time for the spring floods. These rafts were made by placing the great timber sticks side by side in the water and fastening them together across each end and in the center by long sap- lings laid across the timber sticks and fast- ened by hickory hoops held by wooden pins driven into holes bored into the timber sticks. The rafts were steered by immense oars, one in front and one at the rear of each raft. From two to four men operated each of these oars according to the size of the raft. Small cabins or "shanties" were built on the larger rafts in which the crew ate and slept during the trip down the river. These "shanties" were usually equipped with a lot of hay or straw, some blankets and a sheet iron stove, using wood as fuel. A trip down the river occupied from three to four days, and after delivering the rafts at Lock Haven, Marietta or Williamsport, as the case might be, the sturdy raftsmen footed it back home in time, if possible, to make another trip during the same flood. In those days to be a "Pilot" on the river was the great ambition of every boy and young man in nearly every section of the county and, indeed, it required long expe-
rience and considerable skill, to success- fully navigate the different streams and run the chutes at the dams or steer between the rocks at the "Falls" and at other dan- gerous points, and many thrilling stories are told of narrow escapes from destruction of both rafts and crews.
This method of sending the timber to market continued until about 1857, when a new system was introduced by lumbermen from the New England States, who began floating the timber to market in the form of round saw-logs instead of in "square tim- ber." These saw-logs were not made up in- to rafts but were turned into the river and allowed to float down with the flood and in the rear of the "drive" of logs there fol- lowed the log drivers, who were equipped with "spiked" shoes and what are called "cant hooks" for handling the logs, and also had a number of teams of horses to haul the logs into the water. These log drivers lived in "arks," which were great cabins built on rafts and fitted up with bunks for sleeping, dining room and kitchen, and there was usually a separate ark for the horses.
These log drivers were usually the men who had been working in the woods all win- ter, cutting the timber into logs and run- ning them down on the slides to the river bank. They were a hardy and picturesque lot of men and when after their winter's work and their log drive was finished, they landed in a town with their pockets full of money, they usually "painted the town red." and at their appearance, the peaceful citi- zens stayed close at home until the logmen departed. When the first attempt was made to float logs down the river. the "square timber" men fought the innovation
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vigorously ; some of them organized a party and attacked the log drivers on Clearfield Creek, with such effect as to drive them from the Creek. Although some of the at- tacking parties were arrested, tried and convicted for riot, it was many years before the driving of logs on Clearfield Creek was again engaged in. Both the "square tim- ber" and logs were marked on the ends by what was known as the owner's mark or stamp. This mark or stamp was put on with a stamping hammer, the metal head of which had the mark cast on it in sharp re- lief, so that when the head of the hammer was struck against the soft wood of the timber stick or log, it would leave a distinct impression, and thus the timber sticks or logs were easily identified. The law pro- vided for the registering of these log marks in the prothonotary's office, and it was a serious offense to use another owner's mark.
Many million dollars worth of lumber was floated out of Clearfield county during the period referred to and the results were of comparatively little benefit to the own- ers of the timber, the hazard and expense of the lumber operations and the uncer- tainty of the market preventing the Clear- field county lumbermen from realizing the profit that they should have done, and so the mighty forests were sacrificed, and to- day there is comparatively little merchant- able timber standing in Clearfield county.
Had this timber been manufactured at home instead of having been floated off to other points, some permanent advantage might have been obtained in the way of building up the various towns along the river in Clearfield county, but lack of rail- road facilities, want of capital to secure
them and the necessity of the land owners selling their timber in order to make pay- ments on their lands, combined to prevent the manufacture of the lumber at home, with very few exceptions. John E. DuBois, who founded the borough of DuBois, was one of the men who saw the advantage of manufacturing the lumber at home and he erected large saw-mills and created an ex- tensive business, as one of the results of which DuBois is the largest town in the county, and Mr. DuBois accumulated: one of the few fortunes made in the lumber business in this section.
The lumber business in Clearfield county is a thing of the past and while it had its proper place in the development of the county, the rapid cutting out of the forests was really a benefit, because with the de- parture of the timber it became necessary for the inhabitants to engage in some other occupation, and the result was that farming was again taken up, and the people of the county who owned the land, cleared the same up and those who devoted themselves to farming achieved substantial indepen- dence. The coal and fire clay was opened and the great mineral wealth of the county made available.
THE FIRE-BRICK INDUSTRY
From the time that man, in the progress of civilization, discovered the necessity of some material that would withstand the great heat necessary in the use of fire for the purpose of refining metals, many efforts were made to discover a substance suitable for this purpose, but it was not until fire-clay was discovered in Stourbridge, England, in the year 1555, that success crowned the efforts of the experiment-
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY
ers. From that date, fire-clay has been exten- sively mined for the purpose of making a brick to be used as the lining of all receptacles re- quiring protection from the effects of concen- trated licat.
In a country like the United States, where such vast capital is invested in the iron, steel and kindred industries, the search for fire-clay commenced at an early date and the first large deposits were found near Morgantown, West Virginia, and have been extensively developed.
Fire-clay was known to exist in Clearfield county at an early period in its history, but on account of the lack of railroad facilities, no steps were taken to open it up for commercial use until the extension of the Tyrone & Clear- field Branch of the P. R. R. in 1869, provided means of shipping the clay and its products to market, since which time this has become one of the leading industries of the county. As mentioned in the chapter on the geology of the county, large deposits of fire-clay of supe- rior quality have been found. The veins vary from two to six feet and over in thickness and the brick made therefrom have a high reputa- tion in the market.
The Clearfield Fire Brick Company, organ- ized in 1871, was the first corporation to un- dertake the development of this business, this company constructed works at Clearfield, which they operated for a number of years until they were taken over by the Harbison- Walker Refractories Company.
The Harbison-Walker Fire Brick Com- pany, now the Harbison-Walker Refractories Company, was one of the first concerns to mine the clay and manufacture fire-brick on a large scale and their plant at Woodland was among the earliest erected in the county, and has also been one of the most sucessful. This
company, on account of the excellence of its product and the consequent demand therefor, soon enlarged its operations and rapidly se- cured control of much of the best clay terri- tory, and finally of many of the other plants, so that at the present time, the Harbison- Walker Refractories Company is one of the largest producers of fire-brick in the United States. Their headquarters are in Pittsburg, Pa., and their present officers are as follows: President, H. W. Croft ; vice-president, S. A. Walker; general manager of the works in Clearfield county, Neil McQuillan.
The largest independent company is the Bickford Fire Brick Company of Curwens- ville, Pa. This company has what is probably the finest, best equipped and one of the largest fire-brick plants in this country. The officers of the Bickford Fire Brick Company are as follows: President, Howard Janney; Vice- President and General Manager, J. A. Bick- ford: Assistant Manager and Treasurer, S. M. Bickford.
The following are the fire-brick plants in operation in the county at the present time :
IIARBISON-W.ILKER REFRACTORIES COMPANY
PLANTS
Clearfield Fire Brick Co. at Clearfield. Harbison-Walker Plant at Clearfield.
Woodland Fire Brick Works at Woodland. Mineral Springs Works at Mineral Springs. Wallaceton Fire Brick Co. at Wallaceton. Stronach Fire Brick Works at Stronach.
The following are the plants not controlled by the Harbison-Walker Refractories Com- pany :
Bickford Fire Brick Company at Curwens- ville. Wynn Brothers & Company at Blue Ball.
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Osceola Silica Fire Brick Company at Osceola Mills.
Karthaus Fire Brick Co. at Karthaus.
Geo. S. Good Fire Brick Company at Lum- ber City.
Irvona Fire Brick Company at Irvona.
In addition to the foregoing plants manu- facturing fire-brick there are also a number of concerns whose business is the manufacturing of building and paving brick, in which fire- clay is largely used :
Clearfield Clay Working Company at Clear- field.
Paterson Fire Brick Company at Clearfield. Bigler Fire Brick Company at Bigler.
Bigler Reed Fire Brick Company at Krebs.
Wrigley Fire Brick and Tile Co., at River- view.
The combined output of the brick plants of Clearfield is over 1,200,000 brick per work- ing day, and their products are shipped to nearly every state in the Union, as well as to foreign countries.
THE TANNING INDUSTRY
In the early days of the county's history, 01 account of the cheapness of bark, by reason of the abundance of timber, several small tanner- ies were built, two of these were at Curwens- ville, owned respectively by William McNaul and S. B. Taylor, the McNaul Tannery was built in 1819, and the Taylor Tannery in 1851, and there was also a tannery at Clear- field, owned by M. Shirk. These tanneries were run without steam power and tanned only "Upper Leather," but it was not until the extension of the Tyrone & Clearfield Railroad to the county, thus giving facilities for the shipment of leather to market, that tanneries were constructed on a large scale.
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