Allegheny County PA Archives: Area History: PORT PERRY: Allegheny County, PA

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by John R. Mort   mortjr@ibm.net


USGENWEB NOTICE:  In keeping with our policy of providing free information on 
the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as 
this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be 
reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation.

                                      
[from Directory of "The Monongahela and Youghiogheny Valleys" by George H. 
Thurston, 1859]


This village is a bustling shipping point for coal, and a population of from 800 
to 1000 persons. .

It is located at the mouth of Turtle Creek, on the right bank of the Monongahela 
river, twelve miles from Pittsburgh, at Lock No. 2.  The extensive coal works of 
Messrs. McCloskey, Cosgrave & Co., are situated at the upper end of the village, 
of which a full account will be found in the portion of this volume devoted to 
the coal works of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers. There are three or 
four stores here; that attached to the business of McCloskey, Cosgrave; Co., 
under the able management of GEO. W. Murphy ESQ., is extensive, and comprises 
every thing usually kept in a first class country store.

The town was originally laid out in 1790, by John Perry, and improved and 
extended in 1849, by Col. Wm. L. Miller, the then proprietor of the town and who 
still resides near the village, on the hill.

In addition to the business created by the various coal works in this vicinity, 
there is also a large Flouring Mill, carried on by Messers. Miller, Nickel & 
Co., With three run of stone, and a capacity of 100 barrels a day, and giving 
employment to six or eight hands.

The same firm carry on a large Saw Mill, located at the Lock, which turns out a 
large amount of stuff used in building coal boats. Both of these establishments 
are run by water power, created by the head of water at the Lock.

There is easy communication by the Pittsburgh & Connellsville Railroad with the 
Pennsylvania Railroad at Brinton's, and thence to Pittsburgh or eastwardly, by 
all the various trains on that road.