Borough of Etna - Centennial Festivities Yearbook (Etna, PA)

Page 19 text:

3'?l1Y'l!!Y5!KYl!!'iX!!1!'GTWl'C?! f ' -.. Y.. .-.- I T, Once surveys were made squatters on the land by utomahawk right had to give way to legal owners. The increase in settlement caused counties and town- ships to be formed. The federal census from 1790 to 1800 shows an increase of eighty-five percent in- crease in the population of the western area. Allegheny County was created in 1788 from parts of Washington and Westmoreland. Etna has at different times been a part of three townships. In 1796 it was a part of Deer Township. In 1805 citizens of Deer requested the June, 1805 session of Allegheny County Court to form Indiana Township. On January 25, 1845, a ---, . ,,,,v.. ,.., .... . In ' 4.-1 petition for the erection of a new township from parts of Indiana and Ross was presented to the Court of Quarter Sessions. By March 20, 18117, the new town- ship was confirmed under the name of Marion but on the same day was changed to Shader in honor of Judge Charles Shaler, a native of Connecticut, alumnus of Yale and Judge in Allegheny Court, 1821-35. Here are shown tax receipts of Mathias Yahres for property at No. 322 Butler Street, Etna when this property was in Indiana Township, Shaler Township, and in the Borough of Etna: 74!vflCir943'rOff!217lZf, Yn4,fJ'I,J4QY M JWZHA -:7,01f20112 fcfvuvza QM al EGYAZ 'QVI -1A!f r A git Q! ca-fdlgx sw -amanda nw mf 9 fifmff 7Z56 f96fiW'rff?fF' '24 lgmafgwp, C fy-Z M if-away :Mui ff My 4,3 jgfflf Qffiwdfyzf for C 2969! e mmm , VIWZVZI f, XY! Zplgfifz V 37-557.7-X ' lliC 'm'y' 5 No. ....-...-. Rcceived,- M1806, 1 State, ...... . W l Pwr, ---- - - of. a4 a------ 1 iitlfm' of Shaler Township, Taxes for 1866, as per margin. per Ct. lm, l-..LQ1l 1 ' ff . ' 4 School Tnx, K N . V Q nnnv , 0 V Bowan. S ,.,,,. 251 0 3'm'1 'l' Emaf 63555081 fff s--1875 special A' 'Ag' 0f 1 ?H1.2..ri,l.. , ,, Dog .,,.. . .,..,....... , Total .3 ..,.. ci .JN ' Borough of Etna, Taxes for 187 3 as pw- JpftL,.g-in flilper Cent -...44v. llvv 'X . f- Amount pnidfzg, 1 -if I i '4 4i 'M'f'+1 ,..., .,... . . ff Y V ,' I X ' Collector. lwutunuuua ' ' ..,..t.1- i -'

Page 18 text:

LAND POLICY Settlers did not always wait for the land to be pur- chased from the Indians or for survey to be made. As early as 1780 the Pennsylvania Assembly had set aside the Donation and Depreciation Lands for the soldiers of the Pennsylvania Line in the Revolutionary War. Provision had been made for issuing to the soldiers certificates of depreciation equivalent to the amount represented by the drop in purchasing power of their pay. These certificates could only be used in the purchase of land in a tract reserved north and west of the Ohio and Allegheny and south of a line drawn due west from the mouth of Mahoning Creek where it enters the Allegheny above Templeton. Names of the surveyors were attached to their districts. The mouth of Pine Creek marks the division between Cunningham's Survey 41515 which extends northeasterly to Bull Creek and that of Jones 414 to the west. Survey preceded legal claim to land but many squatters had prior right to purchase in a given time. Some X - , ,ff of the land owners listed for the Etna district in the Warranty Atlas of Allegheny County are: Edward Bartholomew, Thomas Bradford, Paul Zantzinger, George Wallace, and John Wilkins, Sr. Original owners received patents. Later ones have deeds. The Wilkins family is prominent among those receiving patents. John Wilkins, Sr. was issued War- rant Number 9 on Feb. 1, 1794-, for land in what is now the heart of Etna. This was patented to John Wilkins, Jr. in Aug. 30, 1799, a plot of 309 acres and twenty-seven perches called Newberry, By law all patents received a name. Cabbage Hill was named Dodridge. lts warrant was granted to George Wal- lace on Feb. 1, 1794. The survey was entered on Oct. 28, 1794-. However, it was patented to John Wilkins, Jr. on Aug. 30, 1799. A major. portion of Etna is within the warrant issued to Edward Bartholomew. The survey was made on July 1, 1785, and the patent was issued to Robert Buntin as Willybrook.', A115, sffcfagffets on-1554 of 7 fli' ys l ALLEGHEMW cis ffm 5 PA UL, 1 ZANTZI GER 7 v ' .W e - L 2 0 M3105 r li: ' Th f gag, ' aealiffgir 4..,s,57ff'e Y 1 fp. r: , .1 1 I- 7-V -ix., if' Y im f'-- ----H --AY H .. .Y iw, ,L -NA X- I 'I . X ,Q f -+l x 7 1 N- uf L. .N ,'-1 X gi , W '- t ' 'Q5fAN'yf-,LAT Xll f, L- lfjpfi-.Q p t A jg, A gpffjf 7 I Vfgiyl -Q---as Lew ,L ,W W ' -J 5 C 5 f ag s rr are ,C I J, ' ,felt ,.f-,. , ,' t '-'N ll? fi J l ' fl QD A 1 f ci' f' fbi: F g if ie'-fe +9-A N , s..Ta,g L, .ma ' J! J ii r ...ll . F Y gl'-jv I I X A Vfflffr if l - .. X 1 ft If ' 1 l l Ji- ' 7 limi !iglhf'7P-Z at .f 7 .,,f, VAX ,, .,--a - . , as V, X ',,,,,.,.f I ,f ' -V hlfll' ,MZTIIW X , '7'J ' . .,. K, 4 . ff X 'ff I4 f f , 14 ,-ff fv t J r N 6

Page 20 text:

i 1 ' .,,. .. , xmturzil resources. A dam was ,f five-k was joined by the little ' i Mimi from Thomas Bradford to lienry fi. .1-pang. tillifxfl June 11, 1819, such water rights are mentioned. This was a nine acre plot bought for six hundred dollars. encompassing part of Tract 99515 of the Cunningham Survey. The plot extended from the west side of Kittanning Road across the Butler Turnpike to include the area along the Creek. The purchase included buildings, improvements and damsf' The dam was to be maintained at the same height of water as formerly for the use of Mr. Thomas Crist mills for the grinding of grain were essential for a pioneer community and saw mills soon followed. Later water power was necessary for iron working, as in a deed dated March 12, 1827, from Belknap to McClurg and others the Bill of Sale included iron shafts in water rolling mill. Mineral resources were no less important than water power. A cheap grade of iron ore was found out near the Dorseyville Road. Limestone was available to be used as flux in the iron making process. Hardwood was abundant to be slowly burned into charcoal. The Hodil family, who were among the first settlers in lndiana Township, were expert charcoal burners supplying the Etna lron Works among others. A num- ber of stone quarries furnished the foundations for many structures. One was located where Locust St. joins Butlerg others were along the Butler Turnpike EARLY Some of the early land transactions reveal industrial activity at Pine Creek. The John Wilkins Estate was sold and at public sale James R. Butler bought one hundred acres of it in 1818. He in turn sold it to Morris Belknap at sheriff sale for five thousand dollars. When Belknap acquired it the tract included, all workshops, factories, dwelling houses, offices, barns, and stablesf' When he sold the same land it included, mall engines, machinery, horses, wagons, and other goods and articles. The new purchasers were the firms of McClurg and Co. and Elkin and Ledlie of Pittsburgh. The Bill of Sale from Morris B. Belknap included a number of items which reveal the nature of the industry at Pine Creek on March 12, 1827. First listed was a steam engine said to have been purchased in I6 lx NATURAL RESOURCES where Alex Andres had his home. Underground de- posits of salt were made available by boring Wells to obtain the brine which was boiled down tO yield the valuable grains of salt. Some wells were located in the area along the Creek by the old Etna lron Vvorks. Clay for bricks was available between the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad tracks and the All8gl'lCf1Y RiVC1' near the Hafner Coffee Co. The Chessman family developed the brick industry and supplied the ITlat6TiHl for many buildings including the Locust Street School in 1875. Among all the natural resources, that of prime importance to the first settlers was the alluvial soil in the valleys. This furnished the staff of life for man and beast. At least two yoke of oxen and six horses were part of the bill of sale from Belknap to McClurg and others, March 12, 1827. Feeding these animals and the people necessary for running such an industry was no small task as land had to be cleared and crops planted, cared for and harvested with muscle power. Until World War 1 many truck gardeners existed in the area. Even the ice formed on the Krause pond back of Wilson Street was harvested and stored in sawdust insulated barns against some Fourth of July ice cream orgy. A temperate climate, with a late October frost date, a forty-one inch average rainfall combined to make this area suitable for raising the necessary food for man and beast. INDUSTRY 1824. This was quite an innovation as the first one mentioned in Pittsburgh was sold by Oliver Evans of Philadelphia for a flour mill. Belknap was producing boilers, screws, nails, and plates and brass work for steam engines in addition to the original products, scythes, and sickles. The death of George Ledlie broke up the organization and the survivors sold out to Henry S' Span? Hlld Company of Huntingdon, Blair County. Spang had acquired his first interest in the valley 195' deed dated, June 11, 1819. This purchase involved nine acres of Tract 99515 of the Cunningham Survey. It extended from the west side of Kittanning road across the Butler turnpike and included Buildings, improve- ments, and a dam. The latter was to be maintained at the same height of water for use of Mr. Thomas. N L.