Dewar {at wF all BY PRP. GRAY MEEK. THE STORY OF 4 CENTURY A Town 100 Years Old. THE BELLEFONTE OF LONG AGO THE BELLEFONTE OF TO-DAY. A Pen Picture of the Proud Home of Governors and Other Distinguished Men — A Town City, Rich in Everything. An epoch has been marked in the history of a town. A century has passed and left the impress of its ad- vance upon Bellefonte. The inaudi- able and noiseless feet of time have moved on and on until to-day the hun- dredth mile-stone of the journey is reached and evolution presents a thriving, bustling, ambitious town to look back over the past and view the chrysalis which germinated the gay butterfly of to-day. Bellefonte has a history. A proud, noble history which we can well af- ford to pause a moment to study be- fore starting on in ambitious haste to add more to the pages, already teem- ing with names and deeds that cast an illustrious halo o'er a finished century. “The flood of time is setting on We stand upon its brink.” Bellefonte was laid out in 1795 by James Dunlop and his son-in-law James Harris on what is known in the original survey, as the *Griffeth Gib- bon tract.” These gentlemen were associated in the founding of the town in this way. The former settled in Bald Eagle township about 1794 when he purchased a part of the “Gibbon tract’ of land. James Harris having married Dunlop's daughter in 1790 moved from his home at Mifflintown to what was then called Spring Creek, really the site of Bellefonte. The two men then set about laying out the town. Harris had had considerable knowledge of such ventures, since his father had founded Mifflintown. Col. Dunlop erected the first house which stood on the site now occupied by the Jacob Valentine residence, on the corner of High and Spring streets and the rear portion of which is standing there to-day. The origi- nal plat was laid out entirely upon the Giffeth Gibbon warrantee ap- plication of the 3rd of April 1760, No. 248, surveyed July 20th, 1769, owned by William Lamb, patented Feb. 5, 1794 and conveyed to John Dunlop, Nov. 3rd 1797. The growing of the town has since made it necessary to include the William Moore warrant of Dec. 1st, 1772, surveyed May 29th, 1784 and patented to Col. Thomas Hartley and the William Sharon Jr. application No. 2681, April 3rd, 1769 and the James Sharon, No. 1923, of same date. Both of these latter tracts were owned originally by William Lamb and were deeded to James Harris in 1707. Los NAMING THE TOWN. The town was laid out with the streets running parallel and perpen- dicular with the south line of the ori- ginal tract upon which it was located. When it came to naming the place Mrs. Harris conceived the idea that the wonderful spring, which had bad much to do with its site, should bear some significance in it. Accordingly she suggested the French for beautiful fountain and it was christened Belle Fontein deference to her wishes. FIRST PROPERTY OWNERS. Besides the proprietors the following persons owned lots in the new town : William Petriken, the lot now occupied by Daniel Garman’s residence ; Adam McKee, the lots now occupied by the T. R. Reynolds estate and Miss Mol- lie Petriken’s houses on High street ; Alexander Diven, the lot on High street now occupied by the W. R Jenkins house ; John Hall, the lot on Spring street now occupied by Mrs. Mary Hasting’s house and Hugh Gal- lagher, the lot now occupied by Mrs. Louisa Bush’s on Spring street. The first house was Col. Dunlop's part of which can be seen in a picture on another page. It was used for the first courts that sat in the town in 1801. The next house to be built was that of James Harris which stood near Willowbank, the present poor house, on the banks of Spring Creek. Petri- ken’s house was the third one and Adam McKee’s tavern was fourth. John Hall was a blacksmith who had come up from Chester county at the solicitation of Mr, Harrie. He built the first blacksmith shop in 1797 and in the same year Alex Diven built his house. The Bellefonte forge was built in 1797 at the edge of town and three years later Dunlop’s son-in-law, James Smith, built a grist mill on the site now occupied by Gerberich Hale & Co's mill and right beside old William Lamb's saw mill. That same year Roland Curtin opened a store where Joseph Bros. & Co's. building stands now. It was noc uniil 1307 that a great demand encouraged Harris to build a mill on the present site of the Phoenix mill. VOL. 40 STATE RIGHTS AND FEDERAL UNION. BELLEFONTE, PA., JUNE 7, 1895. hs +5 \ NO. 23. Zn THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE POST-OFFICE. April 1st, 1798, saw the opening of a post-office in Bellefonte. James Harris was its first master. He was succeeded in order by R. T. Stewart, Hamilton Humes, Charles Treziyulny, William Graffius, Ellen Graffius, Hen- ry McLaughlin, J. Kidd Shoemaker, Capt. William Cook, W, W. Mont- gomery, John T. Johnson, Dr. James H. Dobbins, J. A. Fiedler, under whom the free delivery service was incorpora- ted, and D. F. Fortney, Esq. the pres- ent encumbent. BELLEFONTE A COUNTY SEAT. When Centre county was erected in 1800 the town of Milesburg was vieing with this place for the location of the county seat and the apathy that was born between the towns, then strug- gling for the honor of being the seat of Justice, has existed in one manner or another ever since. It is not so very long ago that venturesome Bellefonte boys invariably met with a good pounding when they visited Milesburg and it is needless to say that the youngsters from down that way car- ried home many a black eye, the re- sult of contact with Bellefonte fists. This nagging spirit was not conflned to the youth alone. The continual fighting between the residents of the places has become almost traditional, though we are glad to say the best of feeling ex- ists at the presentday, as will be evidenced by the participation of sever- al Milesburg orgarizations in our Cen- tennial parade. The latter place set up the claim of standing at the head of navigation on the Bald Eagle creek, but this was successfully conteracted when the Bellefonte boomers piled a lot of se- cond hand furniture on an old flat boat and dragged it up Spring Creek, to where the present Half Moon road crosses Logan's Branch at Pheenix mill in this place, with a team of mules. The old stove that formed part of the cargo of that boat is now in the possession of S. A. McQuistion, of West High street, but unfortunately so true a relic of the town is not on exhibition with the other early day curios at the school house. Straightway they sent couries to Lan- caster to announce that Bellefonte was the true head of navigation, since the first freight boat had reached this was passed accordingly and Bellefonte became the capital of the new county. RESIDENTS IN 1801. Had a census of the town been taken in 1801 the following residents would have been found : William Alexander, hatter ; Col. Dunlop, Hugh Gallagher, tavern keeper; John Hall, Conrad Kyler, weaver; John McCord, Adam McKee, George McKee, Samuel Pat. terson, William Petrikin, William Riddle, mason; George Williams, carpenter ;: Joseph Williams, tanner; Dr. William Harris, David Irvine, lawyer; Abraham Lee, Isaac Lee, John G. Lowery, John McKee, shoe- maker ; Jeshur Miles, cabinet maker ; Jobn Miles and Robert T. Stewart, lawyers. These men with their fami- lies made up the inhabitants of the village. INCORPORATAD AS A BOROUGH. In 1806,0n March 28th, the borough was incorporated and included the most part of its present territory except that portion lying west of Spring creek and Logan's Branch That district was called Smithfield and did not come into the borough until March 18th, 1814. Even after the ad- mission of Smithfield the relation be- tween the residents of the united towns was not of the friendliest, for as late ag 1860 there was a continual war- fare kept up between them. Smith- field came to be lcalled “Cheapside” and whenever a boy from that. portion of the town ventured to poke his head though the old covered bridge, that spanned Spring Creek near where the WarcnxyAN office now stands, a perfect hail of stones and other missiles told bim that the original Bellefonte youth were jealous of their uptown territory and who can say that there is not still a lurking feeling of this self same sort. WHO WERE EARLY DAY BUSINESS MEN, William Petrikin was the first mer. chant in the town. He was a tailor and had a shop in 1796. Roland Cur- tin followed him in 1800 and these two seem to have held sway until Robert Stewart and his brother * William opened places of business in 1809. The town was growing then and Ham- ilton Humes was attracted hither to embark in the milling business. He place but a few days before, The act | started in Smith’s place where Ger- berich, Hale & Co's. mill now stands. He tired of such a life, however, and built a tavern, in 1814, on the site now occupied by the new Brockerhoff build- ing, “Temple Court.” A year later he traded his tavern for John Irvine's store, on the Diamond, and began to build up the mercantile business that was the foundation for the great wealth of the estate recently left by his son, the late F.C. Humes. James Wat- son and Jacob Rothrock then became proprietors of thejhotel,the latter nam- ing it the “Conrad House’ after some Philadelphia friends. In 1811 John THE GROWTH OF THE TOWN. Owing no doubt to the limited means of travel the early growth of the town was slow. Fifteen years after it was founded we find only 203 inhabitants; five years later the number had grown to 433. In 1830 there were 699 souls in the town and in 1840 the census shows a population of 1032. In this year there were 2 engaged in farming, 11 in com- merce, 138 in manufactures and trades, 1 in navigation, and 21 in learned pro- fessions and engineering. The bor- ough then boasted 130 dwellings, a Irvin. Jr. opened a shoe shop on the Presbyterian, Methodist, United Breth- Bellefonte in 1822.—Reprod “Diamond” and worked there until 1822. In 1811 Samuel Harris opened a furniture store at the corner of Bish- op and Spring streets. It would seem that business grew rapidly for in 1814. A newspaper the American Patriot, was established by Alexander Hamilton and there were | many additions to the business houses in the town, W.C. Welch had em- barked in the shoe making business, Ebenezer McGee went to cabinet making, William Keever and A. Vandyke were saddlers, J. Kline | made things interesting for his comp- etitor Petrikin in the tailoring business, { Thomas Beatty opened a general store and Benner & Cambridge flourished in the same businessuntil 1817. Not much is known as to the exact date of beginning of many of the other early business houses in the town, but trom files of the old Centre Patriot we find the names of these merchants here between'1821 and 1829. James and An- drew McClelland, proprietors of the Bellefonte Mills; J. Lambert & Bro., weavers ; Dr. Fisher (who advised any patrons not understanding or speaking German to bring an interpreter); Wil: liam Armor and Charles Callahan, tailors ; Abraham Weaver & Co., tin- ners; Stewart & Carland, tailors ; John McKee, general store ; Rankin & Steel, wool-carders ; W. Robinson, sil- versmith ; Charles Johnson, silver. ‘smith ; Charles Mackey, wagon-maker and blacksmith ; Eli Cadwallader. cooper ; William Wood, tailor ; James Rothrock, fur-buyer ; S. W. Hull, sad- dler ; Jacob Roop, gunsmith ; W. My. ers, tailor ; George Rothrock, saddler ; William Alloway and Elijah Reeves, watchmakers ; John Hammond, gen- eral store; Gillespie & Smith, shoe- makers ; Hammond & Page, general store; James Kent, wagon maker; Theophilus Kekeler, general store ; William Patton, tavern; Joseph Up- degraff, landlord of the Gen. Jackson House ; William C. Welch, shoemak- er; Barr, Pruner & Baker, carpenters ; William Mann, Sr., blacksmith ; Cook & Ammerman, carriage-makers ; Beat- ty & Humes, copper and tinsmiths ; P. Cambridge, general store ; Cambridge & Black, general goods ; John Raukin, tavern-keeper; C. F. W. Seligman, druggist and grocer ; Cambridge & Pet- rikin, general store; Peter Felmilee, wagon-maker ; W. Ward, tobacconist; Harris & Smith, druggists ; Franklin B. Smith and Andrew Gregg, Jr., gen- eral store ; Abiel Davis, wagon-maker. In 1829, Theophilus Kekeler started a cotton factory near where the Snow Shoe depot stands, and in 1830, Octo- ber 28th, the firm of Brockerhoff & Kekeler, merchants at Bellefonte, was uced for the WATC photograph of the town that is known to have been taken. The view was made from the ‘““old Milesburg road” at the turn, which is now the corner of and Linn streets, and looks south on the former thoroughfare. The first house on the right was an old stone house that stood where the Episcopal church now stands and right across the street from it can be seen the site of the “Red Lion’ hotel and later, Gov. Hastings’ home. The old fulling mill, terian church and the Academy are to be seen on the right, while the Court House and Methodist church are on the hill on the left. a 1 L HMAN fr m the oldest Allegheny the Presby- ren and Catholic church, an academy, was issued until July 1874, when 1t was discontinued. In 1875 the same gentlemen issued the first number of a paper called the Industrial Advocate, which had an existence of but a few months. In 1878 The Centre Demo- crat was started by a stock company under the management of Hon. S. T, Shugert and Maj. R. H- Forster. Itis still owned by the company, and pub. lished under its direction. The publication of the Daily News was begun in 1880 by the proprietors of the Republican. The Keystone Gazette was first issued by Cassidy & Fiedler in 1885, and the Centre Magnet, a temper- ance paper by N. S. Bailey in 1893. Of all the papers named above the WATCHMAN, Democrat, Gazette, News, Magnet and Republican are the only ones issued at this time. What Bellefonte was during the early years of its organization can be understood from the above. What Bellefonte is to-day with its great build- ings, magnificent residence, its mills, its shops, ite scores of mercantile establish. ments, its pure and abundant water, its electric light, steam heat, gas and other modern improvements, its clean shaded streets, beautiful drives and happy and prosperous people can only be known and appreciated by being seen. Brief biographies of its public men and short notices of its public institutions, its schools,churches and newspapers will be found elsewhere in this issue. The story of Bellefonte since 1860 has hardly become history yet. Most of our institutions of to-day were in exis- ence then and memory will serve our readers if they desire to recall what has transpired in the last three and one-half decades. Bellefonte has become exact- ly what you see her to-day, beautitul, substantial, prosperous. It might, how- ever, have occurred that none of you have realized what has brought about this crown of a century. You need but look about you to comprehend the milk in the cocoanut. Situated as she is on so many hills perfect health is assured, 7 stores, a fulling mill, a woolen fac- tory, 2 tanneries, a printing office issu- ing a weekly newspaper and 4 schools at which 120 scholars were taught. | NEWSPAPERS BELLEFONTE HAS HAD. The first newspaper published in the best of sanitary conditions are nat- ural with the town, since an underlying strata of lime stone makes a most excel- lent channel for the drainage, the hilly streets are cleansed with every rain and the water supply from the ‘big spring” is without an equal anywhere in the | Bellefonte ‘was the American Patriot by Alexander Hamilton who issued the first number Feb. 15, 1814. How long it was continued is unknown as but three issues of it can be found. In 1816, Hugh Maxwell established the Indepen- dent Republican, which had a brief ex- istence of less than one year. In 1818, Gen. William Brindle issued the first number of the Bellefonte Patriot, which was continued under different publish- ers, until 1838, when it was removed by W. A. Kinsloe to Lock Haven and published under the name of the Ly- coming Eagle. On the 1st of Novem- ber 1827, Gen. Philip Benner establish- ed the QOentre Democrat under the management and editorial control of Thos. Simpson. It was continued un- der different publishers, as the Demo- cratic organ of the county, until 1854, when it was sold to M. P. Crostwaight and W. W. Brown who changed it to a Know-nothing paper. It steadily lost influence and standing and in 1862, was of existence. A paper called the Free Press was started, by the Federalists or Whigs in 1838, under the management of Jas. F. Hale, Esq., Dr. Harris and Isauc B. Gara. It had an existence of less than a year. In 1851, Jobn Kidd Shoemaker, started the Democratic Whig, which was published until 1858, when the office was sold to John G. Kurtz, who changed the name of the paper to the Central Prees. It was published as such until 1868, when it was sold to a company and the name was changed to the Bellefonte National. November 1855, Henry Hays, issued the first number of the Democratic Watchman. After numerous changes it became the property of its present pro- prietor in 1862, and has since been con- tinuously under his control and man- agement. In 1869, the Bellefonte Republican was started by A. B. Hutchinson & W. W. Brown, and in 187C, the Bellefonte National was consolidated with it. In 1871 what was known as the “Bellefonte Press Company" started a monthly paper under the title of The Christian Union Work which was after- ward changed to the Union Work and later to the Christian Giver. The same company published for a short time the Christian Temperance Alliance, and the Safe Guard all of which papers ceased to exist after a short and ex- pensive career. Feb. 1873, W. W. Brown, started | formed. Brown's Bellefonte Republican. which ' abandoned by its owners and went out country. High and Thomas streets with right resting on Water. THE ROUTE OF PARADE will be out Spring street to Bishop, Bish- op to Allegheny, Allegheny to Linn, Linn to Spring, Spring to High, High to P. R. R. depot, countermarch on High to Spring, Spring to Bishop, Bish- op to Allegheny and pass reviewing stand to Howard street, after which all organizations and exhibits will drop out of line. All exhibitors who cannot turn their displays in the countermarch at the P. R. R. depot will pull aside on North Spring street and fall into line in their proper place when that division again enters Spring street. The parade will form at 10 o'clock a. m., and all organi- zations and exhibitors are hereby noti- fied that it will move at 11 o'clock a. m., sharp. In the afternoon Gen. Beaver will de- liver the historical address in the court house at 3 p. m. The visiting bands will give a grand concert in the evening. The display of fireworks from along the water of Spring Creek near the P. R. R. station will conclude the exercises and end Bellefonte’s days of centennary revelry. AN EXHIBITION OF RELICS. The ladies comprising the Commit- tee on Relics have arranged a most complete exhibition of articles and curios that have significance with the history of the town. Itis being dis- played in the North ward schoo! build- ing and is such that every citizen and visitor should see it to fully comprehend what Bellefonte was in her infancy. Among the most remarkable exhibits are some of the original deeds for prop- erties in town. For instance the lot now the home of the late Gov. Curtin’s family sold for only $48, while the present national bank site commanded $40, neither one could now be purchased for $20,000. Next week we will give a complete review of the exhibit. A ——————— Some of the Visitors and Their Connec- tion With the Town. —Miss Helen Hastings, daughter of Gov. Hastings and great-grand-daughter of William Rankin the second sheriff of the county. Her grandfather, James A. Rankin was a member of the Bellefonte Bar from 1841, til his death in 1893. —Mrs. W. 8. Simpson and the Misses Simp- son, of Lock Haven, are the guests of Mrs Margaret Brockerhoff. More than forty years ago, Henry Tammany Mrs. Simpson's father, in company with John Mitchell operated the Hecla furnace. The family home was an old stone house where the Episcopal church now stands. —Among the former residents of the town, who have come back to see what kind of a place the home of their birth has become, is Col, James E. Kent, who is now a prosperous stock broker at Grand Junction, Col. He was born here in 1826 and wasa grand son of Jas. Rothrock, the first hatter in the town. They lived then in a house on the site of the home now owned by Mrs. Margaret Wilson, of High street. Old Mr. Rothrock’s hat factory was on the rear of the lot, and he later went into the ur business. A Birds-eye View of Bellefonte in 1895, from a photograph taken from the ¢“Half Moon’’ hill by Fred Blair. dowed 1n mineral and has profited by her location. coal and profit in lime. hand to her wealth: «=n altitude of 737 feet above sea level. zenship that has always been active in pushing the town into recognition, re- markable facilities for manufacturing little wonder that Bellefonte seas the of prosperity. CENTENNIAL DAY. To-day the Centennial anniversary proper will be held, the order of which will be as follows : The aids to Chief Marshall Dr. H. K. Hoy, are Col. Amos Mullen, Major J. L. Spangler and John Shugert. The first division will be marshalled by ris and H. C. Valentineas aids, and will consist of National Guards and G. A. R. posts. The State College cadet corps having decided not to come at a meeling yesterday morning, they will not appear as intended in this division. The second division will be marshall- ed by J. C. Meyer, Esq., with Hard P. Harris and J. Will Conley as aids, and will consist of the military and semi- military branches of the Knights of the Golden Eagle, other civic organizations and firemen. The third division wil be marshalled by Robert F. Hunter with Chas. R. Kurtz and John N. Lane as aids, and will consist of living pictures represent- ing our march in progress from very early history to the present time, follow- ed by a grand display of industrial ex- hibits. g The association of wheelmen will lead the parade. in the formation of the parade the wheelmen will form on High street, east of Spring, with right resting on Spring. The first division will form on north Spring with right resting on High, The second division will form on High street west of Spring, and north Water In the heart of a county so richly en- agriculturaf wealth, ie it any wonder that Bellefonte From the sturdy farmers of her fertile surrounding valleys she draws tribute in trade ; from ‘the earth she claims royalties in iron and Nature seems to have contributed with a most lavish The town is located in 40°51\ north latitude and longitude 40\ west of Wash- ington. The rain-fall averages forty inches per year and we look down from With such conditions as these, a citi- and transportation of products, there is dawn of a new century kissing the peaks of her many hills with a roseate glow Joseph Montgomery with T. K. Mor- —Col. James Milliken, just home from the Black Hills, South Dakota, where he says “a snow fell last week,” is here to partici pate in the Centennial of the town which rates among its distinguished names, none higher than Milliken. —Townsend Moran, of Fhilipsburg, Town. send is a direct descendant ot Col. James Dunlop, who built and occupied the first house In the town. His mother Mrs. Mary Moran Burchfield, is the only daughter of the ven- erable 8. T. Shugert, whose first wife was John Dunlop’s daughter, Deborah. —Miss Katharine Lieb, who came up from her brother Dr. Andrew Liebs’ home in Bethlehem, to enjoy the Centennial is a daughter of the late John D. Lieb’s. Her father wags for yearsa pominent businessman and Methodist in the community and Ler mother, Margery Mitchell, was a grand-daughter of Hon. Andrew Gregg. —Robert Cassidy of Ohio, appeared on the scene Tuesday and although itis forty years since he worked as an apprentice boy in “Bill” Brown's painting office he can relate many a good incident our moss covered citizens have forgotten. Shortly after the war he went to Canton, where he is the head of a good paying job office, a respected Methodist and an ex- Mayor, yet with it all he still hankers’ after Bellefonte. —Very few of the residents and not any of the visitors are better posted on the town and its affairs than Thomas Campbell of Rich- mond, Ind. In '42 he and his brother built the stone house on Howard street, right next door to Henry Harris’ and it is fifty years since he left Bellefonte. Mr. Campbell is over 80 years of age but he is so well and ac. tive and bright that he will enjoy the Cen- tennial more than many a younger man. —Mrs. J. R. Loomis, of Lewisburg, Her grandfather Hon. Andrew Gregg was a mem- ber of the House of Representatives of the United States for sixteen years, was United States Senator from 1807 to 1813, was Secretary of the Commonwealth under Gov. Hiester and was the first president of the old Centre Bank located in what is now Mrs, Eliza Cur tin’s home on the southeast corner of Alle= gheny and Howard streets. Mrs. Loomis’ hus- band was for several years president of Bucl- nell University, —Mrs. Clevan Dinges, of Williamsport. Her father F. Potts Green is a direct descendant of Col. Samuel Miles, 1st Mayor of Philadelphia. Gen. Joseph Miles, his son, was one of the first officers of the old Centre ban k and for fifty years was identified with the business inter- ests of the county, He built the stone house on the northwest corner of Allegheny and Howard streets, which has long been occupied by the Humes family and from him his grand street, with right resting on Spring. The third division will form on West children the Greens inherited much that is historical and valuable.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers