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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.