Area History: A Centennial History - Mahanoy City CHAPTER IV - First Families PAGES 17-21 This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Shirley Ryan sryan@enter.net USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission fromthe submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. __________________________________________________________________ CHAPTER IV - FIRST FAMILIES (MAP OF 1864) PAGES 17 - 21 A CENNENTIAL HISTORY: THIS MATERIAL IS TRANSCRIBED FROM THE 1963 CENTENNIAL BOOKLET ENTITLED "MAHANOY CITY, SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA 1863-1963, A HISTORY". THE HISTORIANS WHO COMPILED THIS HISTORY WERE: JOSEPH H. DAVIES, CHAIRMAN CHARLES H. ENGLE ELWOOD M. YOUNG Transcribed by: Shirley E. Thomas Ryan June 22, 2002 Page 17 - CHAPTER IV FIRST FAMILIES (MAP OF 1864) Mrs. Thomas L. Thomas wrote as follows on "First Families of Mahanoy City" using as the basis for her study a pictorial map of the young borough. "Valuable data has been gleaned from an old map of 1864. The surveys were made in 1862 by Walter Scott and W. J. Cox, of Philadelphia. On the borders of the map are pictures of several large coal breakers existent in Schuylkill County but the only Mahanoy City operation is the one known in the early days as Hills (later Mahanoy City), which was owned by Hill and Harris. The breaker on this map stands in the foreground showing the trestling leading from a point midway between the breaker and the present Lehigh Valley tracks, to the tip of the breaker. A fair view of the town can be seen in the background". "There is an excellent view of Main Street, looking toward the Mansion House, which is easily recognized beyond the Philadelphia and Reading railroad bridge. Houses are dotted here and there amidst a dense forest that covered the town in 1862. A clump of pine or spruce trees, judging from the shading on the map, can be seen at what is now the corner of Main and Pine Streets and the corner of Main and Spruce Streets. These trees gave the names to these streets at a later period. There are also two pictures on this map of collieries in the vicinity of Mahanoy City which were owned by Bowman Brothers and Wiggan and Trebels". "A directory of Mahanoy City printed with this map gives the names of town's leading businessmen. As might be expected in a boom town, there are many civil and mining engineers, stonemasons, plasterers, carpenters, blacksmiths, wheelwrights and saloonkeepers. There is only one church - the Presbyterian". "Among the civil and mining engineers are the names of P.J. Collins, Frank Carter, William N. Carter, David Stewart, Thomas B. Westcott, J.E. Van Horn, R. B. Davies, who was the superintendent of the Hill and Harris Colliery and Charles King, agent for the railroad company". "The stores were conducted by Thompson & Brother, grocery and drygoods; R. B. Swayze, George R. Goodman, Edward Boyer, Nathan Fehr, E. F. Smith & Co., hardware; Michael Allebach, jeweler; C. C. Hagenbuch, and Dr. Phaon Hermany, druggists. The four doctors of whom the community boasted were Phaon Hermany, Geroge F. Brendle, Robert B. Swayze and Louis M. Thompson". "The hotels were: Mansion House, southwest corner of Main and Centre Streets, Wilbur F. Smith, proprietor; Washington House, northwest corner of Centre and First Streets, owned by Harrison Derrick; Mahanoy House, (10 East Centre Street), owned by Emanuel Boyer; and Eagle Hotel (site of old Kaier Hotel on North Main Street), owned by Seth Kaley". "Liquor stores and restaurants were owned by Charles D. Kaier, Thomas Landy, John Hoffman, Joshua Holt, whose saloon was known as The Miner' Arms; Carl Scheurman, whose establishment was located at the southwest corner of Six and Mahanoy Streets and Joseph Hughes, who had a saloon and restaurant known as The National House in the middle of the 200 block on West Centre Street, north side". "Blacksmiths listed included: William Schweitzer, Phineas Gerber, H. Baumgarten and Philip Fox, who was also a wheelwright". "Carpenters were M. P. Wallerius, Evan J. Griffiths, J. C. Ritner, Frank Roth, John Mahan, Lawrence Brennan, Samuel Rinehart, Solomon Faust, James B. Hawley, John F. Murphy, Charles Krebs and Edward Banks". "Stonemasons and plasterers were John Miller, C. Bartholomew, R. Vastine, John Fricke, Henry Litsch, John Mayer and M. L. Johnson". "Harnessmakers were Jacob Bricker and a Mr. Hughes". "Butchers were John Knapp and John Quinn". "Boot and shoemakers were Daniel A. Crawshaw and Jacob Dreher". "One attorney-at-law is listed, John R. Conyngham, Esquire". Page 18 - "The map also displayed the course of the creek in 1862. The channel of the creek crossed from Mahanoy Street over to Fourteenth Street, turning north at Twelfth Street to Centre Street. It then ran west on Centre Street as far as Eleventh Street, turned south and flowed back nearly to Pine Street. It again crossed Market Street near Eighth Street where it was augmented by a northern branch. Then it took its present course until it was again augmented by a southern branch near Linden Street and a northern branch near Catawissa Street. Here it crossed Centre Street and flowed along the railroad embankment. The creek then turned south and flowed around an island in the middle of Centre Street between A and B Streets. Continuing, it coursed over to Pine Street and again turned north at C Street when it again continued along the railroad. Comparing the course of the Mahanoy Creek in 1862 to the course it now has, under Market Street, one must admire the construction skill of the engineers who confined its course between walls of mountain stone". "This map shows the names of lot owners. On Centre Street, just east of Main Street, on the south side, were four houses: Emanuel Boyer's hotel, Smith's store, Edward Boyer's grocery and drygoods store, and George R. Goodman's grocery and drygoods store. On the north side of the street were: Dr. Louis M. Thompson's general store (site of The Union National Bank); Walborn's saloon (Snyder's property, now housing the Morris Cutrate store); Peter Otterbach's saloon; E. F. Smith and Company store (site of H. J. Heiser Co.), and Sump and Derrick Hotel (Washington House) at First and Centre Streets (site of Edward Timm property)". "Between First and Second Streets, on the south side of Centre Street were properties of Messrs.Gunther, Brown, F. Kear, J. Turner and R. Kear, who owned six lots. On the north side were the Stichter and Thompson hardware store (site of Morton furniture store), Thomas Land's liquor store, Charles D. Kaier's liquor store, Jonas and Peter Bowman's homes (site of Kasko Café and Elks building)". "Between Second and Third Streets, on the south side of Centre Street, resided W. Davis and D. Fisher. The north side was vacant except for a house at the corner of Third and Centre Streets, owned by Edward Britt". "Between Third and Fourth Streets, on the south side of Centre Street, were the properties of Henry Litsch, M. Wallerius, J. Howell and a family named Webster. On the north side resided the families of J. Quin and T. and S. Lebo". Page - 19 - "Between Fourth and Fifth Streets, on the south side of Centre Street, were the properties of William Monroe, who had a saloon (site of the Ginthner residence); and a Patrick Ryan, who was blinded by a premature explosion at one of the mines and had a saloon also. The other houses on this side of the street were owned by Messrs. Kingeter, Wolf and Walborn". "Between Fifth and Sixth Streets, on the south side of Centre Street, resided a family named Bausman. On the north side resided R. P. Jones". "Between Sixth and Seventh Streets, on the south side of Centre Street, J. Kanute resided". "Between Seventh and Eighth Streets, on the south side of Centre Street, there were no houses but on the north side resided a family named Lebo at the corner where the road turned toward Delano". "On Centre Street, west of Main Street, on the south side, stood the Mansion House. On the north side were the properties of F. Ritter, Miss Lebo (store), and in the middle of the block, the office and home of P. J. Barry, contractor". "Between Locust and Linden Streets, on the south side of Centre Street, were the E. S. Fry store and the store of Cowley and Enterline. These two premises were the only ones in that side of the street. On the north side were located Coleman and Crawshaw, boot and shoe makers". "Between Linden and Catawissa Streets, on the south side, were the four buildings of John Wilde, Alexander Fister, P. Silk and George Wiggans store (managed by Samuel Parmley)". "On the north side of Centre Street, between Linden and Catawissa Streets, were four houses owned by Enoch Wilde, Joseph Hughes, J. Hofman and Henry Sharp, whose house was located on the site of the Old Pennsylvania Hotel". "There was only one house west of Catawissa Street, on Centre Street, and it was owned by J. Mahan. It was located at 330 West Centre Street". Page 20 - "On North Main Street, north of the Philadelphia and Reading railroad bridge, on the east side of the street, were the homes of Roth, Faust and M. Fry families, the Eagle Hotel, owned by Seth Kaley; and premises of Solomon Faust, Evan J. griffiths, W. J. Williams and a family named Reese. On the west side of North Main Street resided the families of Thomas and Michael Fitzgerald, M. L. Johnson, William Nagle, Joshua Holt, who owned The Miner's Arms, and a family named Knowles". "On South Main Street, on the east side, at the corner of South Street, stood the Presbyterian Church, the only church building in the community at that time. Next to the church, to the south, were the homes of P. Miles, W. Keagan, Phineas Gerber, and a family named Wallace. On the west side of the street resided C. Bartholomew (site of the Robert B. Gray property)". "On East Mahanoy Street there were only a few houses. On the south side, between Main and First Streets, was a vacant lot owned by Dr. L. M. Thompson and two houses owned by William Jones and David Stewart. Between First and Second Streets, on the south side of Mahanoy Street, were three houses owned by John Fricke, a family named Walf and Michael Flanagan". "On the north side resided John Tobias. Between Second and Fourth Streets, on Mahanoy Street, there were no houses. Between Fourth and Fifth Streets, on the north side of Mahanoy Street, on the north side of Mahanoy Street, resided the families of K. Smith, J. Horsker, Jones and P. Haster. There were no houses on the south side. Between Fifth and Sixth Streets, on the north side of Mahanoy Street, resided the families of Henry Pirman (William?), Richards, and Rutehart, while on the south side, at the corner of Sixth and Mahanoy Streets, Carl Scheurman had his hotel. Between Sixth and Seventh Streets, on the south side, resided the families of Washington Raegan, Tobias Schroeder and William Raegan. The Bensinger, Porter and Landy families resided on the north side. Between Seventh and Eighth Streets, on the south side of Mahanoy Street, resided the family of J. Ryan". "On West Mahanoy Street, between Main and Locust Streets, on the South side, were the homes of Dr. Louis M. Thompson, corner of Main and Mahanoy Streets; Nathan Fehr and Rufus Vastine resided at 32 and 34 West Mahanoy Street. On the north side, between Main and Locust Streets, was the home of Charles Egolf, at the corner of Main and Mahanoy Streets. At the corner of Locust and Mahanoy Streets was the home of Charles Morgan, Sr. Between the Egolf and Morgan houses were the homes of the Bernard Banks and Galvin families. Between Locust and Linden Streets, on the south side of Mahanoy Street, was Raegan Brothers sash factory and opposite, on the north side, was a lumber yard". "On West Spruce Street, between Harrison and Locust Streets, on the south side, resided the Boyer, Stine and Botton families. Opposite, on the north side, was one house, the owner of which is not known". Page 21 - "Between Locust and Linden Streets, on the south side, resided the families of David M. Lewis, Daniel Faust, Bartley Gorman, David Reese, John Morgan and John Leach. On the north side resided the families of Charles Latham, David Faust and a Mr. McTavely". "The log schoolhouse was on the same side but nearer to Linden Street. Between Linden and Catawissa Streets, on the south side of Spruce Street, resided the Gabbert, Kline, Miller, Rhoads and Feichtner families. Between Catawissa and A Streets, on the south side, resided the families of Samuel Rinehart and E. Miller". "Between B and C Streets, on the south side, resided a family named Hanake. There were no houses on the north side nor beyond what is now C Street until the Stony Point section. Here there were eight houses. Alexander Fister resided there when he was a foreman at Silliman's Colliery. Lawrence Brennan resided there also. The Dresch, Rowbottom, Harry Skeath, James Becker, Mrs. Bridge Madden and Hassel families resided here also". "On East Spruce Street, on the north side, resided the Fox and E. Bast families". "On West Pine Street, between Main and Locust Streets, on the north side, stood the Mansion House livery stables. Between Locust and Linden Streets, on the north side, were three houses but the identity of the owners is not known. Between Linden and Catawissa Streets, on the north side of Pine Street, resided the families of M. Ryan, Shissler and Edward Fogarty, Sr.". "On East Pine Street there were no buildings". "The streets were not named in the early days as they are now. Frank Carte, who mapped the town in 1859, built the property at 30 East Spruce Street. His brother resided in a small house at the eastern end of town later known as Hesse Stadtel because many Germans from Hesse Cassel resided there". "The only church was the Presbyterian. Other congregations such as St. Paul's Reformed, the First Congregational and Christ Lutheran, which founded churches the same year the town was incorporated, met there in or in the log school house on West Spruce Street. Several congregations secured large tents in which to hold worship services". .txt