Article clipped from Connellsville Courier

VOL, '.4*NO.Yir ?TWENTY-FOUR PAGES.CONr'tELLSVILLE, PA., F.RIDAY EVENJNG, NOVEMBER 10, 1905.PRICE, ONET CENT.. - -w-gfiDimbaris - Payette, /.county’s-V onlyFurnace town, . The iron' Industry,'which lias made Pennsylvania- so -fam-' ;’pSts,had.its.’.birth there away; back 5H' pioneer .days, ; Tho day ol/Jhe; char* : ratal •. :tuma.ce . has- piist ;pnl y ' ' ruins -. stand • where more than dozen •• ,o£ , these. onceV flourished: ^/Fayette 'coimV. „ty.'. Dunbar l^riiace*‘-alone/ has- en«across the country to Brownsville, on naee, instead of charcoal. - They pro-the Monongahela river, and thereJoad-ed‘ into flat-boats. • These floated down llie .Ohio and Mississippi. The iron was exchanged for corn, pork, whisky, etc., which were carried- on -to New Orleans -and traded lor sugar- and m63as'ses. v These latter /’commodities were sent around by sea to ’Baltimoreduced about-ten tons of iron dally. Their stack was thirty-two feet liigh and six feet aerosa, In 1S58, William Baldwin bought the,furnace ant* suffered it to If a idlo three years. Inthe signal for a substantial boom in the progress'of the town. Lots were sold, houses-erected, stores established, coal purchased - and coke'ovens built. The old .era had given place to the new and although the .growthI860 he sold it to the Youghlogheny i was not sporadic. It was. steady andbarged .and improved with the advance and’In. turn exchanged for groceries,Jand:. improvement. ..The. Dunbar;..Fur* nace/is one . of Dunbar’a sterling in-' dustrles. It’s historyis' well worth :reading. • - ' :■ •' : .Col..' Isaac ■ Mea^nV-vDunhar’sgreat {.innftowxier.- in early tinies^ Vand’.; the ' towh'a’.-.xoost conspicuous- citizen/ pro-ejected and /completed in 1791 -the then '.important, work'-of making iron in a ' blast furnace.’ -'He built a small stack \on X?un,bar Creek, about three hundreddry goods, etc;, which, loaded on .Conestoga wagons, were hauled three hundred miles over the mountains to the. furnaces whence the iron, had started many months before/'. • “Ail old furnacbman told me/* saysthe Writer, '“that he once conductedbusiness continuously for.three years,Coal Iron Company, of which Charles Hath way was the president. The company changed the location of tho furnace in 1S«J5 to the present site/ and built a stono stack fifty feet high with a capacity of from fifteen to eighteen tons d^ily. In 1866 the Dunbar Iron Company (E. C. Pechin bolng the president) became the proprietors, rebuilt tho stack; and made additions of blowing engines and hotnixd saw .during that time only ten {blasts. The company suspended indollars in money/’. Another curious phase of’that early life was the inser*• yards Wbove./the present: location* of .[tlon. of. a* .clause In .all contracts for [ the/, stacks • of the .-Dunbar : Furnace i labor that a certain quantity of \ Company! Tradition- says .that the Xfn: \ whisky was to bo allowed each day /ion*. Furnace ; (by which • Meas-m's j In addition to wages. A stoppage of /works'/were known) was •• put in. blast I whisky , rations' was about tho only .'•in/March,- 1791/ It was doubtless a-August, XS73, obtained an- extension,substantial. -. •Soon tho IltLlG valley vms not large enough to hold the enterprise, and houses began to - dot the adjoining plateaus. First S.^eer’s Hill was a favorite locality and quite a healthy growth developed thereon. Then tho plateau northwest.‘threw off Its coatplants to which Dunbar is as convenient a real dental town as can be found.Dunbar lias four. churches within‘'characters of Dunbar diedcave near Cow Rock, where for a period of siiity years or more he had led the life of a rectnse; This singular.,per-the town-und three others jusu outside somige, never known by any other the borough -limits, Two first class • designation that Captain • Cook/' Is hotels, 20 stores, and. two well ©stab- i said’ to have come to Fayette county lished banks, the Fix-st National Bank! from Ensland simply to show his' r.ey-ard the Central, Sound,'safe and sue- cronee for the memory of Gen. Brad cessful where deposits reach into the hundrod thousands auci are constantlydock. White' In 'IlLs ,English home he read in a book the story of Brad dock's incr cosing, Two railroads, the Penn- fate, and straightway felt a very: 5: in the 'evening. This, train,: in thopresent schedule, is known as No. 7. Afc'-* CoDJiellsvilie this train will - connect • with No. 14, Teaching Cumberland at 6^20 in the evening, Washington 11.20, Baltimore 12.25 midnight, Philadelphia 3 A. M. and New York at 5.40 A. M. / These figures are only approximate/, as the schedule has not yet been pub-' lishecLsyLvania railroad’ and the Baltimore Ohio railroad furnish ready means of travel to tho cities in all sectionsand soon it had j distanced Speer’s of the country and ample shippingHiJl in the TVcmbtfji', If not quality, of the residences. Coke ’ ovens multiplied on three sides of the town while on the east i he. furnace has doubled.and in July; 1874, wero sold out.. The ■; trebled, .quadrupled In capacity. Lastfacilities. lor tho growing trade. The adjacent mountains not only beautify the landscape and Invito the- sportsmen, but insure an abundance of pure air, pure water and namral Tiarks for.3TENUOUS B0RGU6strong desire to ' visit ; tho regionwherein that unfortunate general -met j [n. ghoi-t Life -Everaon Ha* Mad* his death. He came to America, and I Na.me for Herielf.to Fayette county,;Jn Dunbar township, cast of Union Furnace, and near the river, he found a cave that suited him for a home. Of it he took ,squatter possession, and In it he paasod the remainder of hisconcern was bought by tho first inert- jcamc the trolley-line into town and its trie, romantic. Not only this, but these ; Ufo, which was, by tho way, a lifegago bondholders, represented by ; location on. Connellsvino-street deter-i mountains arc ric 11 in limestone, fire ; conspicuously devoid of an object,Samuel Dickson. They leased the I mined at onco-nod for all tin? os the'stone and sand stono ol first quality \ oxcopt, perhaps, in respect to his sat-works for fourteen months to *W 111 torn j direction of growth of' the-town. No j to' invite, hold and enrich those who isfaction in being near the scenesBeeson, and in March, 1876, tiro Dun-j mare surely, does n magnet aitxaet cause in those days that would pre-jTuiLr Furnace Company purchased thajeteel than the.trolley line, with Its toipitdto a labor strike,' . j creditors’ interests. I cheap travelling facilities, attracts a!small affair, bnt ^hat ita capacity, wa3 ■ • is* not. known..In 1793] Col', Mimson .. and ..Moses DiHoir jained in TehuHding ./it and -enlarging Union Furnace, Their ;;joanuticmrcs included stove-oastings, ■; liots/.Gog-irons, and’ saft- fcettlos. At-a. .{inter ;date' Col. established, in/connection with, hiii . furnace a ; forge Von 'what is nowlcnown as the Thomas ! place/ an'd a second one at thoc!o\elop them. AVItbln these Tuoun-Uilne are many historic and interesting spate Hint invito those of an hi-AXtfir Col, MeaEon*B death, in 1819,1 Laurot Furnace, commonly called,‘citizen looking for'a^hbnle, nn all eyee \ vcstlgatlng mind and amply pays forturned with longlng'eyes to the fur tile ! these investlgaUons. . levers' Leap, acres* on North ConnellsvIUo streat j Handing Rock, Elk Rock, Betty Knox'shis son Isaac carried .on the .business, j “Old Laurel,” was built in 1794 by Upon his retirement th§ furnace lay | Joshua Gibson and Samuel Faxon, on idle for sometime, but was revived by [Laurel Ttun; near the eastern base ofthat surrounded Braddock when he died.It 5s said that for as long as six months at a time he would keep himself utterly secluded from the gaue of man. Near his hut wa3 a bank* ofJust across Jacob’s creek, directly -opposite Scottdale, is one of the young-est boroughs of Fayette county. It.ia known as Everson and was incorporated as a borough in the year 1904.: Everson, during its short existence*, has made a name for itself. The^lawa of the town are enforced as strictly, as in any borough in the coimfcy,. too much, so some people complain. Let’ some reckless chautleur speed hia automobile a notch over the.six mile limit and he will eoo a patriarchal police officer, clothod with authority; and a long white beard, jump in front, of-the machine and hold him up. AArthur;1 Palmer anti Israel Miller In :i832. Tlio only person then Jlviug onthe.furnace property was ‘Widow Mattie. Glenn. Jones Mi33er succeeded them and in 1844 the last named ArmChestnut Rltfo. In JSOCb Reuben j street where •. desirable -locations a re (Hog .Kecks, ‘Laurel Furnace and Old make a few fk*e bricks, and descendMochubce and . Samuel Wnrtz bought lt;abundant. Good and convenient school i Center Furnace are a lew of themtho.property. They built also on In-! facilities add'to the desirableness of filan. Crook, In Springfield township, i that location, and the: many and finewhose history would fill pagos. Old Tough river dashes down, tho steepsInto tha Furnace settlement for the purpose of exchanging the bricks for provisions. His mission concluded, heed the name of tho furnace from “tin-, ion” to .“Dm/bar/’ In 1846, A- J. Bryson enterM ■ Mr. Crcigh's employ, and after that time- Mr,- . Bryson was/mouth of Dunbar Creek.: In' -181G he gave place to J, D. Crcigh, who clmng. hull t-!'at Piumaock, on [the Beds tone,.. tho. first rolling mill west of the A11-ghfees, and about ihat tiina built, a scialf rolling 'mi J I. on Ptihhqr- Creek;■ ••near;... where Reid Company’s cbke • works are. ' Touching1. the,' manufac-,/tufe of iron in Dunbar about 1800 it - •has..been, written; '*.■■■-.’■.• “The difficulties'under which -the •Ironmaster.labored in' these days wereand especially the west side of that 5 Path, Dunbar’s Camp, the Narrows, j fire clay, and onca In a while ha would ; ligLt fine of $6 or ?10 vri?l be assessed’ ’ for his little fun and the old officer■will slide out lor another scout after, offenders of the law.Some time ago this officer got lt; into his head that the street cars were;running too fast through', the. townand ac a result aeveral inotormen. and • 'conductors were placed under arrest.. ..The company retaliated by cutting out the stops In Everson and a long war ; resulted. The matter was flnaUy coin-promised, but the cars ceased to speeda forge which they called “Hampton i roaidcncoB going up on its borders in- ] and sleeps in the valleys, her water [would return to his mountain den, andForge/’ Old Laurel Furnace was aban-.rdtaa.te tho wisdom of its setilers. Nowuiltve with bass, while the c rye ml [ emerge zio more Cor months. •tloned in 1S12. New Laurel Furnace \ i» ii any wonder that Dunbar la at-} mountain streams bear trout in abund- \was built by James Pauli Sonsi tra?:tteg fi large.-population when it isjance, whore the disciples of Walton }•ujejj. .^uoujjjej n VThe Board of Trade of Morgantpwnupon I^aurcl Itxra. about one mile be-1 considered that-it* is. virtually sur-may tholr much lovod sport, 1 by a strong letter written by PresidentThis depicts the Dunbar of today {SLirfftes, baelce i by the petition'Of all-with I to excellent schools, healthful i: tho business men-of Morgantown andiow Old Laurel, nod kepi In blast, by ; rounded, by .thriving industrfcH? With continuously at work at the furnace; thorn until 1S3L Then tho property i in. easy distuned is’Dunbar furaaqpeunder nl.iio different adialnlstnilionB. j paesed'into the hands of Dauicl Kalue, | with its accompanying coal, coke and [ climate/pure air, pure mountain wat-|ihe representations of the AmericanCreigh made from a-ton and a hrjt \ who carried it on until 1S38. ' Sineo j electric plant, Gmuloylng ever a thou-;er, good solid progressive people who Sheet Tin Plate Company, bav© se- though the borough,,to two tons of iron per day, and cm* j then nothing has been-done there. 5 suml men; the Continuous glass Preps i believe in tholr town In pushing her cured Trom tho B. . 0. an additional ! when the Mountain Water- Supplyployed eight men. . In 1848 he fa.ilcd; j In 1815, CoL Isaac IIeases and his i Company employing fifty men,, the j interests, teaming Industries on ev-ahd'a Mr, Shrayer ‘Succeeded him. j sons Isaac and Thomas erected'1'Dun*/; Sand Manufacturing Company employ- cry Hide, good businoss. sites yet to curious cx^es.;Not' only /was/ he j com-1 Shrayer died in 1852, when the works j bar Furnace un 'Duobar Creek, near i log fifty men; the Duribar Bund Com-; be hnfl; prospects and promise of addi-j *-;p©lled to wdrk.'with torude; ihaiililner:.* i pnsaed to the -possession of Watt | tho Ijne betwoen Dnnbav aud \\qiarton.' pany emplayius not fewer thnu fifty 1 tional industries to bo here located, ? this month, tho, Morgantown/'/and fffiperfect kaowledgc,. but Ms-e£-j Larnicr* who put-in the. first steam j-which was afterwards known aa Cen-?men, tho Pop a Cernonc A'.Brick Cam-j enhancing land values—push, energy, j saystrain between Oonueilsvllle and Mor- j Company started to build its pipe line-gautown, which’will go iutd effect with, through town on the Pennsylvaniathe fall ached al e about the middle ofPost•forts .to ..realize- onhis;;. labors... were engine and the first liot-btest stove the j tre Furnace, The furnace was ‘to ; piuiy onqt hundred and fifty more, the‘life—who would not like such a home? j This train leaving Connellsville atherpylean..; vTbe drou • was run irito furnace had had, - -Previous to their ) blmst until 2830, ac(l under ?.hc control J new Blues tone'Quarry fifty more, the) Who would not desire such a loea- j 7.55 A. M. and known os No. 52 now/-numerous castings suitable, fo^.-fron-- advent Dunbar Cfeek furnishedV the ; of Col. hfoasou’s sons at tho last. In j Dunbar FJro Brick Company onn hun- : tloa and the’ privilege in shoring in its i rims to Smilhfield aud Leekroue. .It’’ *5o»- • Iffa'-v ny: mannfofihirarl •fit’ crrtnlli mrtfft-'rti nr%xoM» ’ - Ti^ IRrC'it- TlnJflwlri £r ilC*3rt It'woo rria*nn i*»i Ar»A v«r - *1 w*,! r*»^A ■ nrHttlni-nr I ri«-ncr.*n#- nfrtci^nrln*- acldlDg tiiCir Gil- ! Will gO O- TXtO MorgUIlto WH, rfiacblTlSgreater success? i that place about 10:20, and returningabout 12 o’clock, -which will reach Coa-neltoville about 2.30 and Pittsburg atElection Day Year Ago; .Election day one year agoit:showed, and was very cold. - ' • *s-railroad right of way the borough, again got busy and held tho work xiji ■_ by. injunction, proceedings,• The pipe, line was not laid through -until sever-, al fire plugs were secured by the: town. ' v
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Connellsville Courier

Connellsville, Pennsylvania, US

Fri, Nov 10, 1905

Page 29

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Becky H.

USA 26 Aug 2019

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