HISTORY: “Valley of the Conemaugh” by Thomas J. Chapman, 1865 Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Diann Olsen , September, 2008 Copyright 2008 All rights reserved. http://http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cambria/ _______________________________________________ THE VALLEY OF THE CONEMAUGH. BY THOMAS J. CHAPMAN. ALTOONA, PA.: McCRUM & DERN, PRINTERS. 1865. --------------------------------------------------------------------- CHAPTER V. JOHNSTOWN AND ITS SUBURBS. Johnstown is the metropolis of the Conemaugh valley. It is situated on the point of land between the Conemaugh, and Stony Creek, at their junction. Its location is very similar to that of Pittsburg. The ground upon which the chief part of the town is built is nearly a dead level; there being scarcely fall enough in any direction to answer the purposes of proper drainage. In military parlance, Johnstown is "commanded" by high hills. It lies in the narrow basin between the Alleghanies and the Laurel Hill. Lofty hights girt it round about on every side. There is no good farming lands in the immediate vicinity of Johnstown; but the surrounding hills are "full" of valuable minerals, to which the town owes its importance. Conrad Weiser, Interpreter of the Province of Pennsylvania, seems to have been the first white man that ever set foot upon the site of Johnstown. It is true that ere his time white captives may have passed over this spot on --------------------------------------------------------------------- THE CONEMAUGH. 101 their melancholy way to the western wilds but if so, we have no account of them. In 1748, Wieser was despatched with a. large present to the Indians. on the Ohio, to confirm them in their allegiance to the British cause. George Croghan, a celebrated frontiersman of that period, was sent along to conduct the expedition through the Indian country. On the eleventh day of August, 1748, the little party of Weiser left Berks county on their important mission. After traveling nearly two hundred miles, August 22d, they “crossed the Allegheny hills, and Came to the Clear Fields." The day following they "came to the Showonese Cabbins," a distance of thirty-four miles. Here they met about twenty of the horses sent by Croghan to convey the goods from Frankstown. By the Showonese Cabbins," we believe is indicated the present site of Johnstown; as it is well known that a Shawanese town once stood here. The distance from one point to another, as he names them, considering the route they probably pursued, which it is likely was not far from a straight line, would just about bring them to this place. On the 25th, they crossed what he calls the "Kiskeminetoes Creek," by which he means the lower Conemaugh, and came to the Allegheny river, then called the Ohio, at --------------------------------------------------------------------- 102 THE HISTORY OF the distance of fifty-eight miles from the "Showonese Cabbins." Ten years later, in November, 1758, Christian Frederick Post, on a message from the government to the Indians on the Ohio, also passed through this place. Post came over from Raystown, now Bedford. While coming through Somerset county, he found to his dismay, near Stony Creek, as he says, "one of the worst roads that ever was traveled." -- Some people believe that the road supervisors haven't been along that route since. On the 11th of November he came to an old Shawanese town, called Kickenapawling. This village is said to have occupied the spot upon which Johnstown now stands, and was, then, identical with the 14 Showonese Cabbins" of Weiser. At the period of Post's visit it seems to have been long abandoned, for he speaks of it distinctly as the old Shawanese town, and further says, that it was so grown up with "weeds, briars and bushes," that they could scarcely get through. The following lines from Campbell are perhaps descriptive of the village as it appeared to Post: "All ruined and wild is their roofless abode, And lonely the dark raven's sheltering tree; And traveled by few is the grass covered road, Where the hunter of deer and the warrior trode To his hills that encircle the sea." --------------------------------------------------------------------- THE CONEMAUGH. 103 Post spells the flame Heckkeknepalin. This is undoubtedly a lapsus pennae, or a misprint. We think the correct name is Keckkeknepalin. By what authority it has been changed to Kickenapawling, we are at a loss to tell. Probably the name Keckkeknepalin was given to the village some time subsequent to the visit of Weiser, in honor of a chief of that name who probably afterward lived here. This chief was a conspicuous person during the French and Indian troubles of 1750 -- 1760. He was the leader of a gang of Indians that made an onslaught on the settlers near Penn's Creek, on the sixteenth of October, 1755, killing fifteen, and taking prisoners ten more, whom they carried to Kittanning. We also find his name among the "Captains and Councillors" who delivered a speech to Post, at Cuscusking, September 3, 1758. His partners in this were King Beaver, Delaware George, Kill Buck, and others. Post also mentions a visit which he received from him at Old French Town, at the mouth of Beaver Creek, on the seventeenth of November of the same year. These facts lead us to the opinion that Keckkeknepalin and his people had migrated to that section some time before. On leaving Kickenapawling, Post and his --------------------------------------------------------------------- 104 THE HISTORY OF companions, ascended a very steep hill, perhaps what is now called "Benshoof's. Hill," and the horse of Thomas Hickman "tumbled and rolled down the hill like a wheel," whereupon Thomas grew angry, and declared he would go no farther with them; but not being able to find another road, and perhaps not liking the hospitalities of Kickenapawling, he very wisely reconsidered his resolution, and rejoined the party shortly afterward, feeling, as the ingenuous Post says, “a little ashamed." He adds, however, that they were “glad to see him." This unfortunate fellow would seem to have been born to bad luck. Post relates another little mishap that befell him on the 9th of September, 1758: "We took a little foot-Path," says he, "hardly to be seen, we lost it and went through thick Bushes till we came to a mire, which we did not see till we were in it, and Tom Hickman fell in and almost broke his leg." In 1791 or 1792, Joseph Johns, an enterprising German, who had not the fear of the red men before his eyes, strayed over to the ancient village of Kickenapawling. He seems to have liked the locality better than the former inhabitants did who had abandoned it so many years before, for he determined to settle --------------------------------------------------------------------- THE CONEMAUGH. 105 here. He did more than this; he determined to found a city on the ruins of Kickenapawling. Perhaps visions of its future greatness and prosperity filled up the vacuity of many a lonely hour! As this was the head of navigation to those seeking the western waters, Mr. Johns was not long the only settler in this wild region. Other hardy spirits soon joined him here. The whole territory hereabouts was then known as the “Conemaugh country." By 1800, the number of settlers here was so numerous that Mr. Johns proceeded to carry out what we fancy was his darling project: to establish a town; for, November third, of that year, he filed a charter in Somerset describing and legalizing the town of “Conemaugh," as he chose to christen it. The venerable Abraham Morrison, Esq.,* of Johnstown, then a practicing attorney in the town of Somerset, was a witness to this document. From this charter we find that the town was then comprised in "one hundred and forty-one lots, ten streets, six alleys, and one Market Square." Johns conveyed to the use of the public, “one acre for a Burying ground," the square on Main street containing the ----- *Died February, 1865. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 106 THE HISTORY OF Lots No. Forty-nine, Fifty, Fifty-one, & Fifty-two for a County Court House and other public buildings," and declares that "all that piece of ground called the point, laying between the said town and the Junction of the two rivers or creeks aforesaid, shall be reserved for commons and public amusements for the use of the said Town and its future in- habitants for ever." Among the earliest settlers in the town of Conemaugh were Peter Goughenour, Joseph Francis, and Ludwig Wissinger. The descendants of Goughenour and Wissinger still live in the neighborhood. The following incident we find in A. J. Rite's little volume entitled "The Hand-Book of Johnstown. It describes the final exit of the last of the Shawanese that figure in the history of Kickenapawling: "Long after the white man had opened his lodge on the 'flat,' a solitary Indian remained, who spent his time in hunting, and fishing along the rivers contiguous. He is described as having been a venerable looking man, and of a peaceful disposition, neither interfering with the affairs of the whites nor encroaching on their property, but who quietly set his traps for beaver or sat by the stream at his favorite fishing-grounds, deeply wrapt in thought. --------------------------------------------------------------------- THE CONEMAUGH. 107 One day, while paddling peaceably in his canoe, near town, a rifle, in the hands of a renegade white man, was fired from a neighboring thicket, and the old man fell dead into the stream. "The scene of this tragic occurrence was on the Conemaugh, opposite where the Red Mill now stands, fronting Hingston's Gap." Though Johns had conferred the name of "Conemaugh" on the new village, it gradually changed to Johnstown. The infant settlement slowly but steadily increased in size and importance. A road was cut through the wilderness to Frankstown, on the eastern side of the mountains. This road was the great trans-Alleghany route for many years. The early history of Conemaugh was marked with but few incidents which have been thought worthy of preservation. It is recorded that in 1808, and again in 1816, the village was overflowed with water, and the inhabitants were obliged to fly to the hills for safety. About the year 1812, the first grist-mill was erected. A small forge was also put up about the same time. The manufacture of iron was thus an early pursuit in Johnstown. The transportation of this article was long performed by means of pack-horses and mules. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 108 THE HISTORY OF At a little later period this business was carried on in rafts and flat-boats. These craft made the trip from Conemaugh to Pittsburg, then a thriving young city, whenever the stage of water was favorable. In 1816, the first keel-boat was built by Isaac Proctor, one of the earliest merchants in the village. It was built on the bank of the Stony Creek, near the site of the Union Graveyard. One or two other iron forges were subsequently erected. One of these is known to have stood on the bank of the Stony Creek, a little below the place where Bedford street comes out upon the creek, and another on the Conemaugh, near the spot where McConaughy's steam tannery now stands. Mr. Hite says, that while digging the race for this last forge, old fire brands, pieces of blankets, an earthen smoke pipe, and other Indian relics were discovered twelve feet below the surface of the earth. Broken occasionally by such slight ripples as these, the stream of time in ancient Conemaugh glided calmly along until the year 1828. In that year the long debated public improvements were commenced. We have treated of this matter at length in another chapter. Johnstown, for by this name the village was universally known, fortunately for --------------------------------------------------------------------- THE CONEMAUGH. 109 herself lay just where it was necessary to make the connecting point between the canal and the railroad. This fact gave to Johnstown some importance. A large canal-basin was dug, and depots, machine-shops, warehouses, and all the other paraphernalia belonging to the termini of the railroad and canal were erected. In the course of a few years the line was completed, and the arrival and departure of the boats and railroad trains imparted a degree of life and activity to the town. In the year 1831, the town was incorporated by the name of Conemaugh. It then had a population of about seven hundred souls. By 1840, it had increased to 912; 1850, to 1269; 1860, to 4185, and at this time, 1865, it cannot be far from 6000. In 1846, a furnace was erected on the bluff just across the canal from where the railroad station now stands. It furthered materially the prosperity of the town. In 1864, it was completely torn down, having lain idle for some years immediately preceding. About 1830, the first foundry in Johnstown was built by Sylvester Welsh, the chief engineer of the Portage Railroad. It stood upon the ground now occupied by the store of Wood, Morrell & Co. In 1831 or --------------------------------------------------------------------- 110 THE HISTORY OF 1832, a new firm became proprietors of the concern, and a new foundry was built on what is known as the “Island," the new enterprise supplanting its predecessor. This foundry passed through different hands, until, in 1864, it came into the possession of the Johnstown Mechanical Works Company. At about 12 o'clock on Tuesday night, June 5th, 1865, the foundry was discovered to be on fire, and in a few hours this venerable enterprise lay in ashes and smouldering ruins on the ground. In 1852, S. H. Smith, Esq., then owner of the foundry, connected with it a large establishment for the making of cars and machinery. By an act of the legislature, approved April 14th, 1834, the name of the town was changed from Conemaugh to Johnstown. In 1861, an act was passed extending the limits of the borough so as to include that suburb known as “Goose Island." By the same act, we believe, the town was divided into five wards. The fifth ward comprises Kernville, and lies on the southern side of the Stony Creek. A neat, substantial bridge connects the two sections of the town. The first newspaper published in Johnstown, we believe, was the "Johnstown Democrat," which was started about the year 1834. --------------------------------------------------------------------- THE CONEMAUGH. 111 In 1836, the "Ebensburg Sky," which had been published by the late Hon. Moses Canan,* was removed to Johnstown, where it was published by his son, John J. Canan, Esq. These early papers have had numerous successors -- the “Cambria Gazette," the "Johnstown News," the "Cambrian," the "Transcript," the "Allegheny Mountain Echo," the "Cambria Tribune," &c. The papers now published here are the "Johnstown Tribune," by J. M. Swank, Esq., and the Johnstown Democrat," by H. D. Woodruff & Son. The last named is a new paper started in 1863. The real progress of Johnstown dates from the year 1853. In that year the Cambria Iron Works were built. This mammoth enterprise at once attracted to the town a large amount of business, and a vast increase of population, as may be seen above. Scores of new houses were immediately put up. Besides the increased importance of Johnstown proper, offshoots from the town sprang up like the creations of Aladdin's lamp. These offshoots now compose the boroughs of Millville, Cambria, and Prospect. Conemaugh Borough also swelled its attenuated outline to more respectable proportions. ----- * See sketch of his life, Chap. X. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 112 THE HISTORY OF Johnstown proper contains, as we have said, about 6000 souls. It is divided into five wards. It contains a large number of stores, shops, offices, and manufacturing establishments of different kinds. There are several creditable hotels, and a large number of elegant private residences. Religion and education are fostered, and churches and schools are numerous. Of the churches the Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist Episcopal, and Roman Catholic are very fine edifices. The people of Johnstown and vicinity, indeed, of the whole valley, are industrious, enterprising, and patriotic. During the late terrible war no section of our country supported the government with more zeal and unanimity than did the people of the Conemaugh valley. SUBURBS OF JOHNSTOWN. Conemaugh Borough. -- This is a comparatively old borough. It was incorporated March 23d, 1849. It was formerly the great business centre of this neighborhood. It contained, in the palmy days of the old main line, many large warehouses, which have now entirely disappeared, or are in the last stages of dilapidation, the State depot, and so forth, all of which have --------------------------------------------------------------------- THE CONEMAUGH. 113 long since gone round the Horn. It contains at present a population of about 2500. In it are two or three hotels, several. stores and drinking saloons, a brewery, the “Johnstown Mechanical works," four school houses and two churches. The business of shook making is carried on to some extent in this town. Conemaugh Borough is divided into two wards. The sidewalks are generally covered with planks, but the streets themselves in wet weather are in a deplorable condition. The glory of the town departed with the abandonment of the old public improvements, and but little business is now carried on in it. The people generally depend upon the rolling mill for employment. Prospect Borough. -- This is a small village lying upon the high hill overlooking Johnstown on the north. It was incorporated in 1863. The population is about two hundred and twenty-five, principally miners. Millville. -- This borough lies on the western side of Johnstown, and is separated from it by the Conemaugh river. A fine bridge built in 1861, and the old aqueduct, connect the two towns. Millville was incorporated in 1858. It contains about 2300 inhabitants. In this town are the most important improvements in --------------------------------------------------------------------- 114 THE HISTORY OF the Conemaugh valley. In it are the Cambria Iron Company's rolling mill, foundry, machine, pattern, blacksmith, carpenter, wagon maker, cabinet maker, and harness maker shops, a flouring mill, offices, and four large blast furnaces. The greater part of this town was built and is owned by this company. It is peopled almost exclusively by the employees of the rolling mill. In it are a hotel, several stores, a large steam tannery, the railroad station, and four school houses. The lower part of the town is called Minersville. A substantial bridge, upon which is a roadway for wagons and pedestrians, a railroad track for a locomotive, and another track for the company's coal trains, spans the river, and connects this town with Cambria Borough, that lies just on the opposite side. At the upper end of the town a handsome iron bridge is thrown across the river, upon which the Pennsylvania Railroad runs. Cambria Borough. -- This town lies west of Johnstown, and on the southern bank of the Conemaugh. It was laid out about 1853, and was incorporated in 1862. It is usually called Cambria city. It has a population of about 800. It is principally made up of employees of the Cambria Iron Works. In it are two or three stores, three or four hotels and boarding --------------------------------------------------------------------- THE CONEMAUGH. 115 houess, a fine brick church edifice belonging to the German Catholic congregation, and a large school house. Cambria Borough is beautifully situated on a broad, flat tract of land that stretches away for a mile or more. beyond the present borough limits, which will allow the town to expand with the demands of the times. At the upper extremity of the town, and just outside of the borough, are the extensive cement works of A. J. Haws, Esq. Conemaugh Station, or, as it is sometimes called, Sylvania, is on the Pennsylvania Railroad, about one mile east of Conemaugh Borough. It is an important fuel and water station for the locomotives used on the road. Here is a large "round-house," which will accommodate sixteen locomotives, a blacksmith and machine shop, a water station, a large coal scaffold some twenty-five feet high, to which the trucks loaded with coal ascend by means of an inclined plane, a telegraph office, and a boarding house, all the property of the railroad company. There are also three or four stores, two or three hotels, a church, and two school houses. The Conemaugh river runs through the village, dividing it into nearly equal parts. The river is spanned by a railroad bridge, and another bridge for the convenience of foot. --------------------------------------------------------------------- 116 THE HISTORY OF passengers. Large quantities of shook are made here. At this place is a blast furnace but recently erected. - It was built by E. F. Hodges & Co., of New York. It has a capacity of about 100 tons per week. The furnace is well located, and has every facility for making good metal. It stands but a few rods distant from the railroad, with which it is connected by a branch. The population of Conemaugh Station is about 500. The town is not incorporated. It is a very pleasant village to live in. Woodvale. This town, which was laid out in 1864, lies in the beautiful flat extending between Johnstown and Conemaugh Station, and forms an articulating link between the two places. A substantial bridge is thrown across the river, and connects the upper end of Conemaugh Borough with the lower end of the new town. Woodvale was laid out by the Johnstown Manufacturing Company, the proprietors of the site. It embraces an area of nearly one hundred acres of the best land in the neighborhood of Johnstown; being a rich alluvial soil, with a descent of about twenty feet in the mile. This will afford sufficient drainage to keep the town dry and healthful. The Conemaugh flows along one side of the --------------------------------------------------------------------- THE CONEMAUGH. 117 town, and the Pennsylvania Railroad passes along the other. The principal street, which is nearly a mile long, extends the length of the town, and runs east and west parallel with the railroad. This street is sixty feet in breadth, and has been graded and neatly and substantially paved with stone. Along the river bank a stone wall six feet high and about a mile in length has been built to prevent the washing away of the shore. A street railroad will be made, running from Woodvale to Johnstown. This will bring this new town into such close connection with the business part of the older town, that, what with the beauty of the location, and the exemption from the dust and an- noyances of Johnstown and the rolling mill, which the citizens of Woodvale will enjoy, it will cause the latter to be the most attractive spot for houses in all this neighborhood. The Company's new woolen mill is located here, and a beautiful town is springing up around it as if by enchantment. There is no doubt that in a very few years Woodvale will be the most flourishing and pleasing suburb of Johnstown.