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

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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.

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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 -'

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'lfttlt 'WV' QQ, , f The nine 'acres must have included the area where the two Creeks join. It was sold by Thomas Bradford for six hundred dollars. The Spang family had its origin in France. They came to Philadelphia and later had an Etna Furnacev in Catherine Township of Blair County from which they sold the famous Juniata iron which was pack saddled over the Alleghenies to Pittsburgh. Partial completion of the Pennsylvania Canal by 1828 and completion by 1334 facilitated their industry. Farmers and road and canal builders created a demand for iron products. An important member of the Spang family was Catherine, wife of the mill superintendent, Cyrus Cries- mere. Her picture was made in Philadelphia, September 20, 1859. This lovely ambrotype was made available by her lineal descendant, Mrs. Alfretta Tomlinson Ruff. The Griesmere property was located west of Kittanning road at Catherine Street which was named for her. The adjacent area and hill above were laid out as the Cyrus Criesmere Plan, Locust Hill. The original home of the Griesmeres was on Kittanning at Catherine Street, which was named for Catherine Spang, daughter of Henry. 1 -wiv 52? 53 CATHERINE SPANG Daughter of Henry S. Spang tMrs. Cyrus Criesmerel THE BLUE HOUSE The Blue House owned by John Wilkins was for many years regarded as the oldest house in Etna. Located east of Butler Street and in the top of the tri- angle between Bridge and Freeport it was torn down to make way for the Etna Bowling Lanes. It was a large rectangular frame structure with a center hallway. ln its later years it served as a tenement house for as many as four families. Belknap, Bean and Butler were involved in the operation of a sickle and scythe factory at the time of the visit of Lafayette in 1825. ,lames Richard Butleris father, General Richard Butler had commanded the right wing of the expedition of General Arthur St. Clair. Washington had sent St. Clair to subdue the lndians in southern Ohio. in 1791. He had been annihilated and Butler was killed. His son would likely be hospitable to his fatheris comrade-in-amis when iend, Dr. Felix Brunot who had been a doctor at Brandywine, Annapolis and Philadelphia. ln the course of the trip from Pittsburgh to Meadville, Lafayette is said to have spent the night at the Blue House. On the deed at that time, Belknap WHS l1SlCd . P' as a resident of lndlana Township and Butler of itts- he visited his fr burgh. - , The British lsles furnished many pioneers to 11115 district, Irish from Ulster and Scotch-Irish who had -ft X. been forced out of the Lowlands of Scotland made their way to the cheaper land of Western Pennsylvania. Most of them were Protestant and many of their names are on the records of the Methodist, Presbyterian and Covenenter churches of the area. One of these early settlers was David Anderson who laid out the first plan of lots in what he called Center- ville. Starting at High Street it embraced the Butler Turnpike to Locust. It was drawn for him by James Stewart on ,luly 15, 1833. His only child, Mrs. Nancy A. Richey registered it and had it recorded in Allegheny County Plan Book, Volume 5, page 310 on June 4, 1874-. David Stewart obtained land from Anderson. Some of it lay along t.he Kittanning Road but most of it was the area from Bridge to Centre and down to the river. He operated a road house at Peach and Butler Streets and at one time was located at Fairview, out the Kittan- ning Road. Maria, his daughter married Robert McCaw Chessman, a native of Braintree. Massachusetts who proved invaluable in management of the land. Stewart died at an early age and was buried in Pine Creek Cemetery. One of the Chessman real estate transactions can be traced by lineal descent to the present residents on 995241-, X I