AREA HISTORY:  Gas Company, York County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis

Copyright 2006.  All rights reserved.
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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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THE YORK GAS COMPANY – Page 568

For more than a century, York existed without being lighted by the town authorities.  In front 
of many of the numerous old hotels lanterns, containing tallow candles or lard, were hung by 
the proprietor for the double purpose of lighting the way of footmen and inviting profitable 
customers.  Saloons in the basements were not so common then.  In front of the houses of some 
of the wealthy citizens, lanterns were also placed.  The inner apartments of houses were 
lighted by tallow candles, “fat-lamps,” fish oil and sperm oil lamps.  The invention of 
manufacturing illuminating gas from bituminous coal was made in the year 1792 by William 
Murdoch, of Cornwall, England.  In 1798 he successfully proved his experiment by lighting a 
large foundry with artificial gas.  A great event in the history of science was the 
illumination of the Lyceum Theatre, London, in 1803, by which it was first proven that the gas 
could be conveyed in pipes from one point to another.  The first patent was obtained in 1804, 
and soon after this event the large cities were publicly lighted with gas.

On the 24th of January, 1849, an act was passed incorporating the “York Gas Company.”  Dr. 
Alexander Small, Daniel Hartman, Dr. W. S. Roland, Edward G. Smyser, Charles Weiser, William 
Wagner, Peter McIntyre, A. J. Glossbrenner, Thomas P. Potts, Emerson Case, Dr. Luke Rouse, John 
Evans, Thomas E. Cochran and Matthew Tyler were the commissioners named in this act.  July 3, 
1849, Dr. Alexander Small was chosen president of the company; Thomas P. Potts, secretary and 
treasurer; A. J. Glossbrenner, Samuel Wagner, John Evans, W. S. Roland and Thomas E. Cochran, 
managers.  A contract was made with the Trenton Improvement Company to build the works at a 
cost of $23,000.  The entire amount expended was $35,000.  The gas used until 1857 was made 
from rosin.  The capital stock of the company at first was $20,000 – 400 shares at $50 a share.  
The capital stock is now $70,000.  There at (1885) about 800 consumers and 10,000,000 cubic 
feet of gas are annually burned in York.

The first superintendent of the works was Samuel Crull, who was followed by Samuel Herman, 
Simon Kopp, John Schall and Jacob L. Kuehn.  The last-named gentleman has occupied the position 
and performed its duties with excellent ability since the year 1856.

Philip A. Small was for many years president of the company, and was succeeded by David E. 
Small, who served until his death, when G. Edward Hersh, the present incumbent, was elected.  
The board of managers are John A. Weiser (who has been treasurer for nearly thirty years), 
William H. Kurtz, Latimer Small, George S. Billmyer, John G. Schmidt and Jacob L. Kuehn.  
Entirely new works have been put up since 1868, at a cost of $70,000, and during the summer of 
1885 additional new works were erected in an eligible spot, along the line of Hanover & York 
Railway, at a cost of $40,000.  An improved process of manufacturing gas been introduced.