Class. Book, i VI CopiglitlJ"- COESRIGIO' DEPOSm ) Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/historyofgreensbOOvogl Borough Centennial Souvenir CiREEMSBIIRCi ILLVSTKATED I 1785— CHOSEN AS THE COUNTYSEAT. ISCliHI'OHATKIl AS A IIIIBOI-O II- t"l«». HISTORY OF- MAh 24 ibM GREENSBURG I UK.STIIDHKI.AS 1. COISIV. !• K.\ \ s V I. \ A M A I AND GREENSBURG SCHOOLS. ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY LOCAL ILLUSTRATIONS. COPYRIGHTED 1899 IMMSTKl» \NI> IM I1I,1*»MK1) ItV VOGLE &. WINSHEIMER, GHEEXSBl-Ki;. I'A. J L Allcy •-1 i. ^ -* 9 :j ? V* i* - To Mt. p. ^\CK. t? ■S ■-i ■^ m M «v ■-J n o AL o '•K ^ ^ t» Sti^eet •R. W W f^A.if^ ^ -^ r* c>w c^ c^ - •^ ^ V ^ o -V ■i -fi ■^ ^ O J. -t^ 1^ jfT' StI^EET 01?, CHUR.OH "-< •*l 5 ^ •^ \ ^ ■^ \ S^ ^ X •«s s •^ N Sti^eet ^ — I ^ a * 5 ^ 4 5- TkVO COPIES REC-IVcO [( MAR241899 ^ 2 i * S ^ .? / FLAX OF KAKI.V (; R EENSBIT KU. \^5~^l \r\ ^» A o.^-^^^^ GREENSBURG ^^^^^^ GREENSBURG SCHOOLS. BT B. F. VOGLE. <^>SSS-3SS©®©-S®©^S®SS®S9S>3Sv W IREENSBURG was named in honoi' of that valiant and illus- trious Revolutionary soldier, General Nathaniel Greene. Many of the patriots from Westmore- land, in the war for Independence, were under his command and shared with him the trials and triumphs of Monmouth, Brandywine, German- town, Princeton, Trenton and the fateful Southern campaign. Before and for some months after it was determined upon as the county- seat, this locality was called Newtown. As it embraced only a few log huts, at that time, one would, on;first thought, conclude that the name was intended to represent what the place hoped to be rather than what it then was. There is good reason to believe, how- ever, that Christopher Truby origin- ally designated the little cluster of ^-cc-c-esc-sss-ssg^®®®® e i a a m ® I. MAJ. GEN. NATHANIEL GREENE. j cabins Newtown. He was one of the pioneer settlers of the site of Greens- burg. Truby emigrated to this vi- cinity as early as 1771, two years be- fore the organization of Westmore- land county. He came here from Bucks county, Penn'a. Newtown, still a flourishing village, for many years prior to 1812, was the seat of justice of that (Bucks) county. It was likewise the headquarters of Gen- erals Washington and Greene, in 1776, vfhile the American army was guarding the Delaware river. Doubt- less, it was in fond recollection of his native county that Col. Truby con- ferred upon his new home in the western country, as this section was then known, the old name. Careful research has developed very nearly the exact time when the change was made from Newtown to Greens- M mm ^S rk^ wm m burg. In a certificate of a minil)er of the .fiistiecs of the Peace of Westmoreland county, (|)Lil)lisl)cd elsewhere in this volume), l)earino^ (late of August 10, 1786, they allude to a Court House and prison having- been erected "at Newtown." An Act of Assembly, passed September 19, 1786, pertaining to election districts, refers to "Cireenshurg, otlierwiso New- iia^lfsf Ifiii hni I II i\1 town." In still another legislative measure, enacted Decem- ber 27, 17SG, relating to the Tru.stees for locating the seat of justice, mention is made of "the place now called Greens- burg, in the Township of Hemptield." It vpill thus be seen that the change of the name from Newtown to Greensburg was made between the middle of August and the middle of September. 1786, and the latter recognized by the General Assembly as the only name before the close of that year. Gen. Nathaniel Greene died near Savannah, Ga., on June 19, 1786. Because of the slow method by which news was transmitted at that early period, it is quite likely that the melancholy intelligence did not reach the western country for fully two months thereafter. Touched by the untimely death of this distinguished patriot and gallant conunander, (he was only forty-four years of age), it was very natural and highly credital)le to the citizens and soldiers of West- moreland, that they offered loving tribute to his memory by giving the new countyseat his name. BANK & TRUST BWLDINO. Corner of Main and East Ottcrman Streets. Locating the Seat of Justice, Greensburg, like nearlj' all county towns, came into being amid the sharp rivalry or strife of con- tending interests. At the time Westmoreland county was established, February 26, 1773, the house of Robert Hanna, at the settlement subsequently known as Hannastown, was desia;natecl as the place of holding the elec- tions and courts "until a Court House shall be built for said county." Messrs. Robert Hanna, George Wilson, Samuel Sloan, Joseph Irwin and John Caveat, or any three of them. were named and empowered to purchase land in some con- venient place, in trust, and thereupon to erect a Court House and prison; provided, that the sum to be expended did not ex- ceed £1,00. "Robert Hanna's house," as specifically named in the Act creating the county, was located on the road es- tablished by Gen. John Forbes, in the expedition against Fort Duquesne, in 1758. Hanna, with other pioneers, settled there (at Hannastown) some years before the formation of the county. Trav- elers were entertained at Hanna's house, and, in 1773, that little settlement was the most important point between Fort Ligonier and Fort Pitt. Both liefore and after that place was selected for hold- ing the courts, until a countyseat should be def- initely decided upon, many influential men urged that Pittsburg be chosen, temporarily and per- manently, as the seat of justice. In 1773 Hannas- town and Pittsburg were of about the same im- portance and proportions. Although a majority of the Trustees, on one occasion, made a recom- mendation in favor of Hannastown for the county- seat, the opposition was sufficiently strong and active to prevent sanction on the part of the authorities and cause delay. Border troubles and the Revolutionary war like- wise intervened with the effect of still further re- tarding decisive action. The burning of Hannas- j^ ■j^^ » M ^ 1^ town ))y the Indians in July, 1782, was fol- lowed by renewed agitation for a ehan2:e of UESIDENCE OF MK. S. P. BROWN North Main Street. the place of holding the courts. A supplemental Act of Assembly, accord- ingly, was passed on March 22, 1784, setting forth that, whereas, the Trus- tees appointed l)y the law esta))lishing the county had not complied ^vith the powers given them, John Irwin, Benjamin Davis, Charles Campbell, James Pollock and Joseph AVilkins, or any three of them, were authorized and empowered to perform the duties recited in the Act of February 26, 1773. Divided in the choice of a location, and members being firm in their pref- erences, the second board of Trustees was displaced by still another Act of the (leneral Assemlily. liearing date of September 13, 1785. At this .stage of the contest the advocates of Pittsburg appear to have lost weight with the legislative powers. The rivahy then was almost entirely between the resi- dents north and those south of the Forbes road. The new statute stated that — "Whereas, the seat of justice of Westmoreland hath not heretofore been established bylaw, tor want of which the inhabitants labor under great inconveniences, j^*^ it shall and may be lawful for Benjamin Davis. Michael Rough, .lohn yhields, John Pomroy and Hugh Martin, of the county of Westmoreland, or any three of them, to purchase and take assurance in the name of the Commonwealth, of a piece of land, in trust for the use of the inhabitants of Westmoreland county: Provided said piece of land be not situated further east than the nine-mile rnn. nor further west than Bushy run, further north than Loyalhanna, nor further sonth than five miles south of the old Pennsylvania road leading to Pittsburg; on which piece of ground said Commissioners shall erect a Court House and prison, sufficient to accommodate the public service of the said county." It was further directed that the sum to be raised for purchasing the ground and erecting the Court House and prison should not exceed £1,000. In the meantime a new road was proposed, and, in fact, already in use, be- tween Fort Ligonier and Pittsburg, by way of Newtown (Greensburg). It was claimed, and rightly so, that this would be more direct than the Forlies or old Pennsylvania road. Of the new Tru.stees Benjamin Davis resided in Rostraver township, ^Michael Hugh in Heniptield, Hugh Martin in Mt. Pleasant, John Shields in Salem and John Pomroy in Derry township. It will thus be seen that three of the Trustees lived south of the Forbes road, [4] and that that part of Westmoreland, in and about Pittsburg, had no representative on the board. Within five weeks after being empowered, the Trustees viewed the territory pre- scribed by the General Assembly. A meeting was held by them at Hannastown on November 1 and 2, but no conclusion was reached. Another meeting took place in the second week of December, at Newtown (Greensburg), and that locality determined upon for the seat of justice. Messrs. Shields and Pomroy, advocates of Hannastown, dissented, and thereafter did not act with the other Trustees. Messrs. Davis, Rugh and Martin, constituting a majority of the board, however, on December 10, entered into an agreement with Christopher Truby and W^illiam Jack, to which Ludwig Otterman subsequently became a party, for the purchase of two acres of land on which to erect public buildings. Al- though the details of the agreement were somewhat changed two days later, that date, viz: December 10, 1785, may be accepted as the exact or official time of the selection of Greensburg as the countyseat of Westmoreland. First Court House and Jail at Greensburg. No time was lost by the majority of the Trustees in begin- ning work on the public buildings. Philip Hartman was engaged, within a few days after the agreement for the pur- chase of the ground was concluded, to construct the founda- tion for the prison. Two months later, in February, 178f>, one Anthony Altman entered into a compact to erect the Court House, the work being prosecuted under the direct supervision of Trustee Michael Rugh. Both the Court House and jail were embraced in one building, which was composed of logs and heavy boards or plank. The prison was in the rear part of the modest temple of justice and walled for a distance both below and above ground with More than ordinary effort was made in pushing the "@ m w^, enterprise. Uy the end of June the public liuildincf or build- ings, located on the same site as the present Court House, were completed and ready for occupancy. A formal report to that effect was made by the Trustees to the court, at the ensuing July Term, held at Hannastown. Taking cogni- zance of the same, the annexed certificate was formulated and signed by the Justices of the Peace named, who were likewise Judges of the Court of Common Pleas: JUSTICES' CERTIFICATE. We, the subscribers, Justices of the Peace, in and for the county of Westmoreland, upon receiving a written report from the Trustees of said county, informing us that a new Court House and prison was erected in Newtown, and that a number of other convenient buildings were also erected and open for entertainment, found that we were warranted by law in adjourning our courts to the said town; and be- ing desirous as soon as possible, to take leave of the many inconven- iences and difficulties which attend our situation at Hanna's town, as well as to avoid the cost for rent for a very uncomfortable house, in which we held our courts, we did, therefore, accordingly adjourn to the said town. And we do certify that we found a very comfortable, convenient Court House and prison, included in one commodious building, together with a number of large commodious houses, open for public entertainment, in which we enjoyed great satisfaction dur- ing our residence at court. We do further give it as our opinion that the situation is good, and possessed of every natural advantage that can contribute to the comfort and convenience of an inland town; that it is as nearly centrical to the body of the people as any spot that can be found possessed of the same advantages; that it lies in direct course between Ligonier and Pittsburgh, and will admit of the straitest and best road between those two places: that its situation is in the centre of the finest and wealthiest settlement in this western country, and cannot fail of being supplied with the greatest abundance, upon the most reasonable terms; in short, we think the said Trustees have done themselves honor in their choice and proceeding through the whole of this business. Given under our hands the Kith of August, 1786. Hugh Martin, George Wallace, Richard Williams, William Jack, John Miller. Christopher Truby, Alexander Mitchell, George Baird. It was not until January, 1787, however, that the first regular Quarter Sessions term of court was held in the new Court 'House at Greensburg. The following gentlemen en- joyed the distinction of serving as jurors on that notable occasion : Grand Jurors— David Duncan, James Carnahan, John Carnahan, John Sloan, Abraham Fulton, Charles Baird, William Best, Nathaniel McBrier, Joseph Mann, James Fulton, William Mann, Charles Johns- ton, Jacob Huffman, Samuel Sinclair, John Craig* ^„j»^jjM^^^^ Traverse Jurors— Alexander Craig, John McCready, Peter Cherry, John Giffen, John Buch, Philip Coons, Patrick Campbell, George Swan, Isaac McKendry, Robert McKee, John Anderson, James Wat- terson, Lawrence Irwin. The term lasted for three days, and the compensation of the "good men and true" was five shillings per day. In its presentment, at that session, the grand jury reported that the jail vpas insufficient and lacking in security to hold prisoners. HJ Kf^'l ^.1 w ^ n^ffli hI s^'^ ^inH 1 H^^M^o* ^nfl w y. 11 r^ |;,-s*h| hi^^ RESIDENCE OF MRS. ADA B. M'CDLLOGH. Corner Weet Otterman Street and Harrison Avenue. The Trustees Superseded Very naturally the selection of Greensburg, as the countyseat, was followed by expressions and manifestations of dissatisfaction from the oppos- ing elements on and north of the Forbes road and about Pittsburg. This culminated in a hostile Act of the General Assembly, passed December 27, 1786. By that measure the powers and authority given to the Trustees to purchase land and erect a Court House and jail were superseded "until the Legislature shall further and otherwise direct." Moreover, the Trustees were enjoined and requir- ed to exhibit their accounts, with proper vouchers, of all expenditures made by them, to William Moore, Charles Campbell, and James Bryson, who were authorized to pass upon said accounts and vouchers, which were also to be laid before , the Justices and grand jury of the Court of Quarter 1% m Sessions. William Moore, of the auditing commission, was a resident of Rostraver BUSINESS BUILMNO, OWNED BY MR. H. P. Main Street. township; Charles Campbell, of Wheatfield township, (subsequently embrac- ed in Indiana county); and James Bryson, of Pittsburg, making a majority from the unfriendly localities. Some conception of the feeling prevailing, in the conflict over the location of the seat of justice, may be formed from a few extracts from communica- tions to the Pittsburg Gazette, at that time the only journal published within the far-reaching borders of Westmoreland county. "A Friend of His Country," in a letter from Brush Creek, which was presented in the Gazette of October 26, 1786, among other things, said: "It is well known that the establishment of our present seat of justice was not a hasty, rash or inconsiclerate piece of business. Almost sixteen years elapsed since it tirst claimed the attention of government; it has been deliberately cniisidcned and cautiously conducted: the sense of the people have been generally and reiiratrdly known by peti- tion, remonstrance, etc., and in consequence thereof no less than four different Acts of the Legislature have been passed to effect and complete its establishment. When we reflect upon the many evils which have resulted from the want of such establishment, I think we rather ought to congratulate ourselves on the event, and rest perfectly satisfied that it is at last fixed anywhere nearly centrical to the body of the people." 11. }I. Brackenridge, a resident of Pittsburg, and one of the Representa- lixes in the Legislature from \A^estmoreland, in an epistle liearing date of Philadelphia, December 16, 1786, produced in the Gazette of January 6, I7.S7, observed: "A bill is published superseding the powers of the Trustees for building a Court House and jail in Ureensburg. The object is to prevent any further expenditure of public money in public buildings at that place, inasmuch as the Court House and jail already erected are sufficient, at least, for a number of years. This appeared to us. the Repre- sentatives from Westmoreland, to be sufficient for the present. It must remain with future time to determine whether the seat of justice shall be removed or a new county erected on the Kiskiminetas. The last, I believe, will be deemed most eligible." In the issue of the Gazette of February li), 1787, the following appeared from the pen of "A Friend of Westmoreland:" "We find by Mr. Brackenridge's late piiblication that the seat of justice in this county yet remains an object of envy in our Legislature, as 'A bill is published superseding the M m m m m m powers of the Trustees for buil(\ins a Court House and .iail in Greensburg.' I wonder when we Khali see an end of the cavilings on this subjeft, and the succession of ridiculous laws occasioned thereby! By the first law we find a number of Trustees appointed for erect- ins a Court House and prison, &c. By the second law we find their proceeding rejected, thoujih perfectly legal, and the former repeal- ed, and another set of Trustees appointed, with more extensive and conclusive powers. A third law approves and confirms their pro- ceedings, and a fourth law supersedes their powersin the midst of the duty assigned them; and, to carry the farce a little further, I think the fifth law ought to amount to the total annihilation of the county." Cost of the First Court House and Jail, In confoniiity with the requirements (rf the Act of Deeemlier 27, 1786, the Trustees sulDiiitted their accounts, with vouchers. The items were arranged in the folhiwing order by the auditors: 1 3. (1 No, 1. Cash iiaid Peter Covich tor shingle wood ;,■ :■•. ""o ' 2. Chrislian Myer 105 lbs. o( iron at 8 penee per lb • -. • ••-■■■■• : i iv u 3. Jacob Hugh for hauhng boards and _ aloucs ' 1, Jiiioh Hugh for hauling 100 feet of boards ••■■•■•■•■■ i " " ,T I'liiliii Hurlniiin tor underDinning and ' ■ Blopping the eraeks of plaistcring the gaol ,-.■ : '*' ^' " 6. MnrUn Short for attending masons at theiiublick buildings............ ■ 4 1) ■! 7. ChrislopherTrul)y,Ejq..torboavdsand phinli for building Court House 7 l.'S 'J 9. 10 H 12 13. 14. 13 16. 17. IS. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 21. Ferdinand Phini/.y tor a stove for pub- licjc use .-■ 11 "0 Antliony Altnmn for his serviecs in building the Court House •.• uO 00 Conrad Hawli for services done at the publick buildings ■--• ,,?.,, LudwiekOderman for lath, &c 1 10 Micliael Truby for lath. &c., for pub- lick liuildings ., -■ ■ ■ ■ - ^ I» J ThouKis Williams for2000 feet of boards 8 6 o Jolianiias Silvevs for blacksmith work. S lb 2 Pclcr Itugh for hauling timber and _ stones ^ Samuel isioane for a look for the gaol door ••.■ ;•■ 1 « 6 William Stewart for making a pipe and door for a stove i JI X naiiicl Williams for lime ■■ 110 Patrick Campbell for 141 lbs. nails at U pence lb y:yv-- ^ ^' ^ Adam Bandhieter tor carrying the be- fore-mcntioncd nails and a licgg... . ■ - 1 lb u Joicph Cook for 521 lbs iron for the publick use ■. • — ;■■ 1 la Daniel Dornev for making sashes for wiurtows, tables and benches fur the Court House .......... ,i 1- f. Philip .\ltiii:ui tor iiiakmga noorinrhc Courl llnusi- 2 19 .5 Jobaiiiiii^Salliniiii forquarryingstoncs 18 Mich.iLl Truby for plank to floor the n'Tchaei iiiigii. 81 panes of glass furnish- ed lor the Court House 4 pence per pane ^ *^ Robert McConnell for 76 lb--, iron at 8 pence per lb •,■.■■•;•■ y,- ' V, ■ ■; 2 lo s Ludwick Custard lor lime for the Court House ;,;■■•■/■■■/■■ ^ Bcii.1aniin Davis amt. as a Trustee for the county of Westmoreland ^1 "0 Michael Hugh amount as ditto 8 li b Michael Kugh superinlcnding the building of the Court Hnilse "? ?S 5 Hugh Martin amount as I rustce 3 i^ ?. ,lohn Puniroy's amount as Trustee.... b 00 o John Shields' amount as 'I rustee 10 Total «'S9 87 Annexed is the account of Micliael Hugh against the County of Westmore- land for his service in the capacity of a Trustee: 17S5 £ s. d Oct. 20. To 3 days viewing the limit of ground pointed out by Act of As- sembly. 1100 Nov. 22. To 1 day at meeting at Hanna a Town in order to conclude about the countyscat 10 Dec. To 4 days when the eountyseat was concluded on by the Trustees and agreeing with a man to build the 1786 prison 2000 Feb. To 3 days employing a man to build the Court House and givingorders to the Commissioners to lay the tax for defraying the Publick nuildings 1 10 April 8. To 1 day viewing and giving orders for h.aulhig stones for to underpin gaol 0100 July Term To 1 day making report to the Court the Publick Buildings were ready for them 10 Oct. Term To 1 day attending to laying out publick lots and 1 day selling said lots .and 7^^ paid for crier lo sell 1787 the lots 1 7G May 31. To 2 day.s sitting with the gentle- men appointed by Act of Assembly for that purpose 100 fi 8 17 6 Sulijoincd is the account of Benjamin Da\is as Trustee appointetl liy Act of Assembly: 1785 * s. d. Get. 20, To 5 days viewing the limit of ground pointed out by Assembly.. 2 10 Nov. 2. To 2 days at a meeting at Hannah's Town in order to conclude about the counlyseat 1000 Dec. To days when the eountyseat was conrhuled on by the Trustees and cng;iging a man to build the Prison 3 00 Feb. To i days engineering and drawing articles with a man to build the Court House and giving orders to the Commissioners for to lay the tax for to defray expenses of the Publick Buildings 2000 To 2 days viewing and prcpnring and giving orders for hauling stones for to underpin the gaol ... 1 00 July Term To 3 days making report to the Court that the Publick Building was ready for them 1 10 Oct. Term To 3 days attending the laying of lots on the Hublick Ground and 1787 dranghing the same for their use. May 31. To 3 days sitting with the gentle- men appointedby Act of Assembly June 29, To I day at another settlement 1 00 1784 Dr. for acting in conjunction with the former Trustees 1 10 4 XO 1 10 £ 21 00 Below is the account of Michael Rugh for superintending the building of the Court House: £s d. To 1 day when cutting wood for the prison. ... 10 1 day laying the foundation 10 5 days hauling the logs 2 10 1 day impluying the Masons and materials 10 1 day getting lime 10 To 3 days attending the .Commissioners getting orders at different times 1 10 1 day providing the shingle trees 10 3 days providing the iron for the hinges, etc 1 10 1 day providing nails 10 1 day imploying a Joiner for to make Tables and Window Sashes 10 11 days attending on the Treasurer to receive money o iO 2 days getting the Collector,for to get money 1 00 1 day providing stones 10 1 day laying the floors 10 2 days getting boards 1 00 4 days getting the hands for hauling logs and boards 2 00 4 days settling with the workmen 2 00 £22 00 In its report the auditing commission surcharged the Trustees, for various reasons, with £65.. 14.. 4. The accounts and exceptions were laid before the court and grand jury on July 12, 1787, but the Trustees permitted the proceeding to pass without protest or being present. Superseding Act Repealed Much complaint was made by the inhabitants in and about Pittsburg of the long distance they were compelled to travel to court, both at Hannas- town and Greensburg. The active opposition, in various forms, of such men as Brackenridge and rl Brisnn (residents of Pittsburg) to the action of the Trustees, in the selection of (ireensliurg as the countyseat, and the erection of puljlic buildings there, it is believed, had for its main purpose the pa\ing of the way for a new county. Such a result followed on September 24, 17S8, when Allegheny county was organized. The territory for the same was set off from Westmoreland. In less than five months thereafter, February 14, 1789, the superseding Act was repealed and the Trustees directed to proceed in the matter of providing a substantial and perm- anent Court House and prison. It was recognized in the pre- amble to the repealing Act that the log and plank structure was merely intended for temporary purposes, and that only aliout one-tifth of the sum originally levied for the express purpose of the purchase of ground and construc- tion of public liuildings, viz: £1,000, had been ex- pended. The remainder was available for the pro- posed new and more pretensious buildings now au- thorized. KESIUEN'OE liK Mil. I'llAliLK: North Main Street. Sale of the Public Lots. A scojie of two acres, of course, ^vas more than was needed for the county buildings. However, it was evidently the original purpose of the Trus- tees, as well as the laudo\vners who virtually donated the ground, (the consideration of five shillings was merely nominal), that the county prop- erty should consist of an entire town square. The opposition element maintained that the Trustees were not empowered to purchase more land than an amount necessary on which to erect public buildings. Desiring, no doubt, to minimize all cause for contention, and have the cost of the structure fall as lightly as possible on the tax- payers of the county, the Trustees decided to sell Or "^ Ci the surplus ground. The two acres were divided into ten lots by Benjamin Davis; one of the Trustees, who was also a civil engineer. On a day in October, 1786, duly announced, nine of the lots were disposed of at public sale. Be- low are given the names of the pur- chasers, with the amounts for which the lots were sold, ^_^.^^___ together with a com- plan of the public lots. putation of the sums realized in dollars and cents, based on the modern value of the pound (|i.85): PUBLIC BUILDINGS. ^I crj !» MAIN STREET. No. of Lot. 1. Purchaser's Name. Michael Rugh a 3 (,0 11 Peter Rugh 2 96 Dewalt Macklin 4 gO Peter Rii^h 5 54 Isaac VVyely 7 5 William Beuck g 15 Michael Huffnagle, Esq 9 10 Joseph Cook g 10 Jacob Rugh 3 00 Amount of Sale. $14.55 12.00 20.86 25.61 35.16 12.44 43.89 43 89 14.55 £53 2 10 $252.88 After the sale of the public lots, there was some discussion as to whether the authority vested in the Trustees warranted them in taking [13] m Wi m m p such fiction. To remove all doubt, however, as to the future and make the titles adequate and secure, a supplemental measure was enacted by the General Assembly on ISIarch 21, 1795. It provided that the sale of sundry lots of ground, made by the Trustees appointed by the Act of September 13, 178.5, "be, and the said sales are hereby declared to be valid for the conveyance of the estate said to be granted by said sales, as if by the said recited Act the said Trustees had been authorized to sell any part of the piece of ground aforesaid to private individuals.'' KKSUiKNl F, OF .MR. J. P. ZIMMERMAN. North Maple Avenue. Greensburg During the Whiskey Insurrection, Greensburg was affected by the uprising in resistence to the Federal exise law, or as it is historically known, the AVhiskey Insurrection, in 1794. Although there were few or no persons in direct or active sympathj^ with the move- ment, in the town, a number of daring characters in Hemp- field township were in full accord with the insurgents. All through the southern section of the county, from the Laurel Hill to the Forks of the Yough, a still more violent spirit prevailed. Greensburg being the seat of justice, where the public records were kept, and her citizens not evincing a disposition to join or aid the insurrection, but rather to deprecate it, an ugly feeling was developed against the county town. Threats of the organization of banded parties to march to Greens- burg for the purpose of committing outrages upon individ- uals, mutilating or destroying the public records, and burn- ing property, were given currency. So repeatedly and persistently were these reports circulated, that they pro- duced a feeling of alarm, not only in the town, but, also, among law-abiding citizens throughout the county. Accord- ingly, toward the latter part of May, the subjoined appeal, signed by prominent citizens of various sections of the coun- ty, was made to Gen. William Jack, the militia leader for Westmoreland: Sir: — As attempts have been made to raise an armed force to dis- turb the peace of this County and prevent the due Execution of the Laws, and an attack has been premeditated to be made on the Town of NULL HOUSE, PROPERTY OF LEVI PORTZER. ' Corner Main and West Otterman Streets. Greensburgh, we have thought proper to address you as the Com- manding Officer of the Militia on a subject so distressing to the minds of all Well disposed Citizens. If such proceedings are not checked in their first Career, it is more easy to imagine than to point out the Calamities which may be the Consequence. We would be happy to have it in our power to say that the disposition to submit to the Laws was so prevalent that any extraordinary exertion of Government for that purpose and protecting well disposed Citizens in the Enjoyment of their Rights and Liberties was unnecessary. Recent examples con- vince us to the Contrary. Until that protection can be afforded, we are of opinion that besides Voluntary associations among such as are well inclined, a Small corps of Militia Volunteers, embodied by your direc- tion, to be kept in service so long as you shall judge the exigency of the case may require, will Essential- ly contribute to maintain the peace, and under the Civil authority to assist in Suppressing Riots and traitorous designs. From the tenor and sentiments manifested by the Executive, we make no doubt that your Conduct in Calling such a body of men into service for a short time will meet with the most unequivocal approbation, and the Expense be De- frayed out of the publick Treasury. We add to this our personal assurance of your being re-imbursed any expenses which may be incurred by you as to the pay and Rations of the officers and men whom you may think proper to call out for the Salutary pur- poses above mentioned. We are. Sir, your Humble Serv'ts, Wm. Pindlev, Timothy Boell, Sam'l Porter. John Parker. Wm. Todd, Peter Classon. Thomas Hamilton, John Contz, James Guthrie, John Kirkpatrick, James M'Kellip, Ch'r Trdby, John Hutoheson, Rob't Williams, Peter Tittle, Rob't Taylor, John Denniston, Simeon Hovey, George Smith, James Perry, Robert Bole. Wm. Maghee, Jno. Branden, Frederick Rohrer. David Beans, Terrence Campbell, Conrad Colmeb, Jos. Cook, James Hill, Nathan Williams. ^ m. 'Ji!«, « m WESTMORELAND NATIONAL BANK Bl'ILDINO. Main Street. On tlic niffht of July l?ti, the post-boy, en route from Pittsbnrsf to Philintel- pliiii. was attacked l)y two meu, a short distance from Grcenshurg:, and the ITuited States mail rifled. The purpose of the men was to secure the letters being forwarded by the United States officials in and about Pittsburg to the Federal authorities in Philadelphia. In this they were successful. All mail matter not referring to the insurrection was left undisturbed. The possession of the ollicial rejiorts by the insurgents caused the writers thereof to quickly and secretly leave Pittsburg anil remain in concealment for some time. Sulise- quent investigation developed the fact that the mail robbers were John Mitchell and William Bradford, both residents of Washington county. Mitchell was arresteni})lete list of the names, occupa- tions and total valuation of the taxable inhabitants under the first borough as- sessment, is herewith presented: Armstrong, George, attorney • S 832 Armstrong;. Joseph, Avheehvright Brown. Robert, merchant Beaty, Robert, merchant Brownslon, Asa, hatter Brady, James, innkeeper Bai_on. Daniel, nailor CoultiM-, Mrs. PrJscilla, widow Coulter, Henry, merchant Crocket. Andrew, young man Cojie. WiUiani, plasterer Collins. Daniel Codciman, George, wagonmaker Crisiman, George, barber Cooper. Robert, carpenter Cook. Joseph Dickey. Robert, merchant Drum, Simon, innkeeper Drum, Philiij. young man Kwin^. Adam, merchant Km mitt, Samuel, landlord ■ Kow kr. John, joiner Fleincr. John, blacksmitii Flcc^^L-r. Peter, blacksmith ... Fricdi, William, young man Graham. Kobert. shoemaker . Niithaniel, merchant 315 2-10 430 7(>4 140 330 155 388 loO 100 180 190 80 100 230 486 430 1026 100 365 280 75 105 225 2;i0 235 (lianas, Knos, joiner. HaiMia. John, saddler UatniUon, Thomas, Prothonotary . llili. John, tailor-. H H n II lnuli. Peter, innkeeper Tliomas, merchant , Wiiliain. tailor -;. .bi.uh. clockmaUer i, William, brickmaker... lliiii~.M-. John, aged man I hii-.i I'lcr, widow Ihiur.s. Bernard, barber Hai wick, Joseph, wheelwright Jameson. John, wheelwright.. . [34] 125 255 656 120 745 4-t5 260 3t0 1110 225 30 80 100 135 Johnston, Alexander, innkeeper $ 520 Kirkpatrick, John, ex-mcrchant 270 Keller. Daniel, saddler 155 Kuhns. John. Sheriff 972 Kerns, John, hatter 490 Lukins, Thomas, cabinet-maker 250 Lutz, Godfrey, bakur 100 Michly, Daniel, tailor 50 Morrison. John, merchant 265 McCorkle, William, printer 100 McCleland, John, weaver 120 Marshal, John, innkeeper 305 Morrow, Paul, attorney 515 McKeehan, David, attorney 270 McOuirc, Thomas, innkeeper 359 IMurfoni, Lfwifl, shoemaker 135 Mct'ully. Ami row, copper and tinsmith 100 McKce, Samuel, .iourneyman tanner 100 McGaughey. Daniel, laborer 100 McLaughlin, Joseph 35 McRanaghau, W'iUiam. shoemaker 50 Mahon, Barney, shoemaker 50 McCaskey, John, mason 205 McCaskey, James, mason 75 Postlewaith. James, doctor 465 Painter, Jacob 30 Rohrer, Frederick, merchant 411 Rohrer, George JiO Ryan, George, coppersmith 100 Stewart, John, butcher 60 Snowden, John M., printer 265 Stewart. Alexander, butcher 65 Sliaefer, John, merchant 425 Stewart. Nathaniel, mason 145 Smith. John, shoemaker 50 Siiiith. John, blacksmith 23.T Shuman. Peter, tanner 165 Ringer, Simon, blacksmith 180 Shaeffer, Adam, saddletree-maker 75 Taylor, Joseph, merchant 360 Triibv, Christopher, Jr.. potter 240 W'ise, Henry, clockmaker 175 W'eaver, Hcnrv. merchant JoO Wells. John. Collector of Excise 621 W'illiams, Nathan, mason 15 W'eltv. Hcnrv, skin dresser 285 Watt, Robert, hatter 205 West, Samuel, shoemaker 24 WiUiams, Robert, saddler 60 Young. John, attorney 1105 Young, (broLlier of the above) 19 1 Day, Nicholas 24 Non-resident ' Jackson, Richard 20 won resmeuc McCleland, Joseph 30 taxables. [ Nvhoff, Gerhard 200 J Tfuby, Christopher, Esq 160 wm M ^& m m m ^& m m ^& m m m PI ©I SECOND COURT HOUSE AT GKKENSBUKG, Brccled 1798. The total number of taxables was 97; total valuation, §25,555; num- ber of houses and lots, 76; out-lots, 26; stores 11; taverns, 6; single men, 23; horses, 50; cattle, 42; posts of profit, 8; trades and occupa- tions, 31; tan yards, 2; stills, 2. In a majority of instances the assessed valuation, as given in the list, here presented, also represents real estate possessions which were located outside of the borough limits. Moreover, in many cases, tax- ables were not the owners of the real estate with which they were tax- ed, but merely tenants. Second Court House at Greensburg. Although authority was granted by the Act of February 14, 1789, for the displacing of the first rude Court House with a new and better one, it was not until eight years thereafter that the work was actually commenced. The old or first Court House was in use for offices until demolished, but the sittings of the court did not take place in that building after January, 1791. From June of that eventful year (dur- ing the Whiskey Insurrection) until April, 1795, the courts were held in'the house of Robert Taylor, an innkeeper. In the three succeeding years the public house of Bartel Lafi'er was used for that purpose. The first Court House was torn down in the year 1797. While the second or new one was ready for partial occupancy, in the winter of 1798, the main structure, prison, adjoining office buildings and sur- roundings were not entirely completed until 1801. Brick and stone were the materials used in the construction. In the early years of the present century the Westmoreland Court House was renowned as a very handsome public building. The state supreme court sat in the new edifice in 1790, beginning its session on May 27. A statement, in detail of the cost of the edifice, with the prison and oftices, is annexed: Natlmniel Williams for building Court House and offices and finding •JGT.GliI bricks at 40 s. per m $2,414.60 David Pollock for materials provided and carpenter work done to Court House and ofHccs 4,209.68 Samuel Alexander for nails and smithwork for Court House and ;iail. . . Alex. Beans, for smithwork ■ Daniel Bacon, for ditto Peter Horebach. for ditto Peter La\\Ter. for nails John Probst, for screws. Jacob Hugus, for spouts and pipes Tarence Canipljill, slicct and bar iron Goudy ami A\'illiains. for glue George Bl-cR. Ini^ making stove pipes Robert Williams, for paint and glue Lancflut Armstrong, for lettering office doors James McLaughlin for digging foundation of prison yard wall, U'.i' yds. al 1 s. per yard John .Shaffer, for a stove for Court House William Cope and Frederick Rhorerfor plastering offices, in part William Harris, for brick and hauling WiUiatn Harris, for brick and hauling Julm I*'lrru:r|-, roi" inalciiik' stn\-<' pipe, i.-lc I'riali Whrcl.T, !'urdiL'L;iiik' pari (pfjail well TliuTuas McCamiLh, labur at Court House Peter Helich, for repairing tin pipes.. Nathan Williams for painting brick work of Court House and offices Nathan W'illiams. in part for building jail wall John Flccgcr, in part fur public well John Fleeger, for smithwork William Cope, in full for plastering the offices and part of the Court House John McCaskey, for cutting and laying steps at Court House and offices ■ Timotliy Bucll. for covering jail wall, making gate, etc Peter Eckhart. for hauling stone for jail yard wall Nathan Williams, for work done on jail and jail yard Williams and Stewart, in part for paving front of the Court House Joseph Hostettcr. for a bell Extra expenses for use of public buildings William Cope for plastering the under story and part of the upper story of the Court House, in full — John McCaskey for paving the under floor of the Court House... Williams and Stewart, for paving before Court House and offices Nathan Williams, for digging and walling a well in the jail yard and paving about the same John Shryock. for pulling a pump in ditio Joseph Arnistrontr, fur pulling' up banisters, rails and gates bet ore the Court lluusf and olliccs and painting the same.. . Simon Singer, smithwork done about Court House, jail, jail yard, pump, etc ■ ■ 293.54 127.72 33.37s 15.92 18.H6I 7.31 46.80 10.35 .40 12.66!i 10,88 7.00 11.93 24.00 310 00 11.33i 3.164 21.62 4.00 3.00 29.33i 36.26 811.78 12.00 17 30 313,973 105.33J 91.49ii 125.53 ir*^^ 224.39i ^^^ 165.78 &^^ 70.10 206.00 loO.no 10.47 101.75 26.20 Total $10,185.73 As will he seen by the illustration of the .same, the second Court House was a two-stoiy structure. It was m^ S^l surmounted by a cupola or open belfry. Court House, jail and adjoining office buildings were re- duced and removed, in 1864, to make way for the present edifice. A ground plan of the second Court House and its immediate surroundings, is shown in the diagram which follows: PROPERTY OF MR, JAJIKS < '( K'lll: ANE. East Pittsburg Street. Alley U 15 2 13 3 Yr. 6 7 8 11 \\ 1 1 2 1 9 m H H 5 10 is \ \/ MAIN STREET. 1. 3 Market house. Jail, two-story stone building, about 30x30 feet. 3. Sheriff's house, one-story stone building, about 25x2.5 feet. 4. Coal house, frame. 5. House where town fire engine was kept. 4 and 5 were really one building with a partition between the two parts. 6. Wing of Court House, brick, one-story. For many years it was occupied as a law office by the late Hon. H. D. Foster. 7. Part of same building as No. 6. Occupied as County Com- missioners' office. 8. Court House. "i>, 10, 11, IL'. Two-story brick building. First floor. 9, ' Prothonotary's office; 10, Treasurer's office. Second floor, 11, Eecorder's office; 12, vacant room, used for storage, and subsequently as Coniuiissioners' office, while present Court House was being erected. l.S. Jail yard, with stone wall 1.5 feet high on west and north sides. Windows of buildings on east and south sides had iron gratings. Prisoners were sometimes permitted in ■the yard, but always under guard. 1-i. Gate. 1.". Sidewalk. RESIDENCE OF MR. N\aLLI.\M F. BRINKER. Corner North Maple Avenue and Grant Street. Period When Slaves were Sold, It will impress the average reader of the present generation as being almost incredible that slaves were sometimes sold at auction, on the corner of Main and "\^'est Pittsburg Streets (in front of the old market house), in (ireeusburg. Such, how- ever, is the fact. In verification of the statement an advertisement, published in the Pittsburg Ga- zette, December 13, 1788, is subjoined, with other information on the same subject: "Was committed to the Greensburgh gaol in December lust. :i NeKi'o JIaii, about 4o years of age, tall and slim niaiie, bas lust some of his fore teeth; be has been adver- ti'spil several times, but no owner has appeared. This is til give ribtjic'e that unless his master comes and pays his tVes; he will be sold on the second Thursday of January next. WiLLUM Pehry. Sheriff." "Greensburgh, December 8, 17?8." In other instances resident owners of slaves, de- siring to dispose of them, posted handbills giving notice of the time wlien they would expose such property to public sale, at the place above stated. m ei pSs> 1# S m Eveu less than seventy-five years ago transactions of that character occurred within the shadow of the Westmoreland Court House. On October 17, 1817, George Armstrong, Esq., advertised as follows in one of the local papers: "For Sale— A Black Man, aged 33 years 1st of May last, and to serve until 28. He is stout, active and good natured, well acquainted with RESIDENCE OF .JOSEPH J. JOHNSTON, North Main Street. ESQ. farming. If not sold previous to Wednesday, 20tb instant, he will on that day be sold at public sale in the borough of Ureensburgh. Three months' credit will be given." Mr. Armstrong was not himself a slave-owner, l:iut was acting in his professional capacity as an attorney. The an- nexed appeared in the columns of the Greensburgh Gazette, on June 6, 1817: '•For Sale— The time of a Negro Girl, who is 17 years of age and has 11 years to serve. She is of a good moral char- acter, and would not be sold but that the owner is about to move to the westward. Inquire of the printer." A citizen of Greensburg, in June, 1816, advertised a runaway slave, ofl'ering a reward of S30 for his apprehension. The outfit worn by the negro was evidently of a gorgeous and striking character. A glimpse thereof is furnished by the advertiser, and will, no doubt, be interesting to the reader of today. After describing the physical characteristics of his absent slave, the master added: "His clothing con- sisted of a blue cloth cotee with gilt lauttons, a pair of mixt casinet overalls with bullet buttons at the ankles, a black silk vest, a fur hat with a green cover, a muslin shirt with ruifles, and boots with tassels. He also v?ore an indifferent silver watch, with a va- riety of seals and trinkets, and a large brooch on the bosom of his shirt." An Act was passed by the Legislature on March 1, 1780, for the gradual abolition of slavery in Penn- sylvania. By this statute children born to those in slavery were to remain in servitude until twenty- f FIRST REFORMED CHURCH. Knst Third'Stroct. First Building. Log. 1795; 2d. 1815; 3d, 1882. eight years of age. Slaves brought into Pennsylvania from other states under covenant were not to be held after they attained the age of twenty-eight, but could be held until that time. Owners of slaves were required to register them liy Novemljer 1, 1780. If they refused or neglected to do so, the slave or servant was not to be deemed a slave or servant for the prescribed period. By an Act of April 13, 17§2, inhabitants of Westmoreland and Washington counties, who were doubtful, before the boundry between Pennsylvania and Virginia ■was settled, as to which state they belonged, were allowed until January 1, 1783, to register such slaves or servants as they held on September 23, 1780. The provisions of this law were still further extended by a measure enacted September 23, 1784. Under these several Acts, l^etween September 2.5, 1780, and January 1, 1783, there were (lO") male and female slaves registered in Westmore- land county, which, at that time, of course, included all the original territory of Westmoreland, except that cut off and emliraced in Wash- ington county. In 1798 there were twelve slaves in Hempfield town- ship, which tlien still comprehended Greensburg. Three years later, 1801, the number of slaves in the entire county was one hundred and thirty-six; in 1810, twenty-one: and, in 1820, seven. One slave, a female, was reported in Ls-tO, being the last in Westmoreland county. Some of the white liond-servants, of early days, were likewise sold in Greensburg. They were known as redemptioners, as they had the right of redeeming themselves. Most of them sought passage from European countries to America, to escape persecution, and, not having means, agreed with the owner of a vessel to be sold for a term of years, on their arrival, to pay for their passage. It was such persons, who are referred to in the appended sample advertisement, which ap- peared in a Greensburg paper, of the date given (the name of the advertiser being omitted) : "German Redemptioners for Sale — The time of a man, aged 40, the wife, aged 45, and a son aged 15 years, who have two years and a half to serve. Enquire of ." "Greensburgh, March 5, 1819." KESIDENCE OF MR. ADAM FISHER. Corner North Main and Tunnel Streets. Town Site in Court, Messrs. William Jack and Christopher Truby, on the 14th of March, 1800, preisented a petition to the Court of Com- mon Pleas regarding the site of Greensburg. President Judge Alexander Addison and the Associate Judges of that court were on the bench. The petitioners stated that they had "lately discovered that a certain Tvriting purporting to be articles of agreement be- tween them of the one part and Benjamin Davis, Michael Rugh and Hugh Martin, Trustees for the county of Westmoreland," had been entered on the county records, "whereby the said William Jack and Christopher Truby are bound to make a clear patent, free from all incumbrances to the said Benjamin Davis, Michael Rugh and Hugh Martin, Trustees, or their successors, and promis- ed to lay out a certain quantity of land for the use of a county town, containing sixty acres, as there- in described, and to allow the inhabitants of said town free incourse and recourse to the North branch and West branch of Sewickley, at certain places, as the Trustees should think proper, not to be an injury to the bottom on said waters, and to sell the said lots of ground at the rate of forty- five shillings per acre." The petitioners averred that they had never entered into or executed such articles of agree- ^m m m m merit. "The only contract which' was 'ever made and confirmed in that respect related to the making over by your petitioners to the Trustees appointed by the said Act (Sept. 13, 1785) a lot of two acres or there- abouts for erecting public buildings, &c., in the centre of the said town, and selling the lots originally laid out to the first adventurers by lottery, who complied with the terms thereof, at six dollars for each lot, which contract has always been complied with on their part.'' The peti- tioners further declared that they had recently learned that the paper; entered on the county records as genuine but which in reality is not, was in the possession of Joseph Cook, of Greensburg (then Chief Bur- gess). Accordingly, the petitioners added, that they had Ijrought the alleged articles of agreement "into court for the examination of your honors, and also pray an order for taking the depositions of witnesses touching the premises in perpetuam, rei memoriam^ that your said peti- tioners ma)'' be enabled to have the lienefit of such testimony in opposi- tion to any claim or demand of right, title or interest which might or could l)e desired by virtue of tlie said iirotcudod articles of agreement, provided the same were genuine, against said William Jack and Chris- topher Truby, their heirs'or assigns." In conformity with the prayer of the petitioners the court appointed Messrs. John Irwin, William Todd and George Smith to take the de- positions of the Trustees for thedocafion of the seat of justice and erec- tion of public buildings, under the Act of Sept. 13, 1785. In due time the sworn statements of the Trustees were secured and returned to the court. As the depositions embody the Trustees' own story of some of the circumstances attending the selection of Greensburg as the county- seat of Westmoreland, they possess greater interest to the present gen- BUSINESS BUILIHNU (IF MKt^SHS. Main Street. L. KECK & CO. eration as a matter of local [42] history, than in a legal sense. Some ex- tracts, therefore, with the historic feature in vie-.v, will be quoted from the statements. TRUSTEES- DEPOSITIONS. Michael Rugh, who had removed from Hempfield to Frank- lin township, in the interval, that the articles agreement, referred to in the complainants' petition, had never been executed. He stated "that the Trustees at first agreed to purchase of them (Jack and Truby) sixty acres at four dollars an acre, but no articles were drawn, but he and the other two Trustees, immediately after, concluded that this measure would give them too much trouble, and relinquished the agreement and agreed to take a grant of two acres for the use of the public buildings, and the said William and Christopher were to sell and convey the town lots as they might think proper. That articles of agreement were afterwards entered into for that purpose and a conveyance made for the two acres by the proprietors of the ground." In the course of his evidence Benjamin Davis like- wise declared that the purported articles of agreement had not been confirmed, and, that the paper in ques- tion, he did not recollect of ever having seen, until recently. Mr. Davis added: "There was an article made between the said William (Jack) and Christo- )her Truljy, of the one part, and the Trustees of the other part, by which the said Trustees agreed to pur- chase of the said William and Christopher a certain quantity of land for the use of a county town, which the deponent believes was .sixty acres, or thereabouts, which article was disannulled the second day after it was wrote, by the consent of all parties, and a new contract entered into by which the said William and Christopher agreed to give and grant to the Trustees 'SSSpil for the purpose of erecting pulilie bnildings the quantity of two acres in the centre of the town of Greensl)urgh. That to the best of this deponent's knowledge and ))elief this last mentioneti agreement was the only one which was ever con- Hrnied between the said William and Christopher and the said Trustees; and, in pursuance thereof, a senior partners and withdrew from the pi" mm FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING. Main Street. linn. About April 1, ISSS, John M. Peoples, Esq., became identified with the proprietorship of the Tribune and Herald and the firm name was changed to Mc- Afee, Atkinson & Peoples. On the death of Mr. McAfee, in April, 1890, the newspaper property was purchased in its entirety by the surviving partners. A stock company, called Tribune Publishing Company, which was incorporated Septeml)er i, 1890, became possessed of the good will and printing establishment. The stockholders, constituting the company, were j\Iessrs. D. S. Atkinson, John 'SI. Peoples, W. J. Hitchman, George F. Huff, E. F. Houseman and Elmer E. Lyon. The capital stock, as stated in the charter, is §2.5,000, divided into two hun- dred and fifty shares, of SlOO each. In the meantime, however, the Greensburg Daily Tribune had l)een established, the first number being issued February 4, ISSK. The publication of the weekly. Tribune and Herald, was continued until June 10, 1896, when it was converted into a semi-weekly joarnal. Although there have been some subsequent transfers, as to the ownership of a part of the stock, both the daily and semi-weekly issues have since been and are now published liy the Tribune Publishing Company. The Pennsylvania Argus was estaljlished in 1832 liy Messrs. Jacob S. Steck and George liippey. Then, as now, it was Democratic in polities. ^Nlr. Rippey died Jul}' 27, 1833, and his interest passed into the possession of Mr. Steck. The latter, during his editorial career, for a short time, also published a German paper, in connection with The Argus. Mr. Steck continued as owner and director of The Argus until 1839, when Jeremiah M. Burrell, Esq.. subsequently President Judge of the Courts, purchased the estalilishineut and assumed the editorship. In July, 1841, Joseph Cort succeeded Mr. Burrell as the owner and editor. He con- tinued in that capacity until July, 1844, when he disposed of the outfit and good will to Messrs. Samuel S. Turney and William H. Hacke, both of whom were practical printers. Those gentlemen published the paper until 1850, when it was purchased by John ]\I. Laird, Esq., also a practical printer and experienced news- ' [T6] ^ iSi m m m paper man. Mr. Laird continued in active direction of The Argus, with the assistance of his sons, in later years, until the time of his death, January 25, 1887. The ownership and editorship then passed to Messrs. James M. and F. V. B. Laird, sons of the deceased, by whom the paper is still con- ducted, under the fii-m name of John M. Laird's Sons. The Greensburg Press was founded by Messrs. James H. Kyckman and James B. Laux. The initial number of the daily edition, called The Evening Press, appeared May 18, 1881. It was an independent, local journal. June 6, 1881. was the date of the beginning of the weekly issue, entitled The Greensliurg Press, which was an avowed Republican paper. The printing press and outfit of type, which had been purchased by the gentlemen named, were the same that had been used at various times prev- iously in the puljlication of Frank Cowan's Paper, The Democratic Times, The National Issue, and The Daily Evening News. Mr. Ryckman, at the end of three and one-half months, September 1, 1881, sold his interest to Hilary J. Brunot. Very soon there- after Mr. Brunot became sole owner. In January, 1889, The Evening Press was changed from an inde- pendent to a Republican paper. The weekly issue was transformed into a semi-weekly in the spring of 1896. Although Mr. Brunot was the proprietor of The Press from 1882 until the atitumn of 1897, its editorial management, during that period, was under the direction, at different times, of James B. Laux and R. M. McCreary. About the middle of Septem- ber, 1897, The Press establistment and good will were purchased by a number of gentlemen, who se- cured a charter of incorporation on October 2.5, 1897, as the Greensburg Press Company. The capital stock of the company is §15,000, divided into one hundred SECOND UEFORMF.D CHURCH. North Main Street. First Building, erected 1851; second, 1 and fifty shares of §100 each. Messrs. James S. Beacom, James B. Ham- mond, John :\I. Jamison, Walter J. Christy and David L. Newill constitute the stockholders. Mr. Christy is the editor of the several editions of The Press. PAPERS OF THE PAST. Western Press was the name of a German paper in existence at Greens- bnr^ in 1816. Although not definitely known, it is believed that its editor or pul)lisher was Jacob Schuee. At that time Mr. Schnee conducted a German book store and printing office on Main Street. He printed Ger- man A B C books, almanacs and catechisms. His books were sold in Pitts- burg and many of the cities and towns of Ohio. Westmoreland News was the title of a Republican journal, started in Greensliurg in 1862, and discontinued the following year. The editor was John B. Crooks. Frank Cowan's Paper was established in :\lay, 1872, by the gentleman whose name it bore. Its aim was to promote the development of the re- sources of Southwestern Pennsylvania. The publication was continued for three years. The Democratic Times was pulilished from September 1, 187.5, until the spring of 1877, by Edward J. Keenan, Esq., B. F. Vogle, "William P. Fischer and F. Flam Rhorer. As the name indicated, it was a Democratic journal. The National Issue, a Greenback party organ, was started in September, 1878, by Messrs. John T.Fulton, John Rugh, George W. Rumbaugh, William Armbru.st and L. F. Armbrust. Aliout April 1, 1881, The Issue estalilishment passed into possession of John T. Fulton and Rev. Uriel Graves. They liegan the publication, in addition to The Issue, of a paper [78] called The Daily Evening News. A month later the good will and printing outfit were sold to Messrs. Ryckman and Laux. The Greensburg Record was founded April 1, 1886, by Messrs. Darwin Musick and Daniel P. Stahl. It was issued as a daily and weekly. Both were Democratic journals. The publication of the daily edition was discontinued in Decem- ber, 1892, and the weekly on September 11, 189.5. The Independent was the name of a weekly paper, devoted to the interests of labor, established by L. F. Armbrust. The first number appeared August 6, 1887. It was published until July, 1891. The Greensburg Sun ^vas the title of a weekly, inde- pendendent journal, the first and last issue of which was presented July 1, 1896. Its projectors were Messrs. Darwin Musick and George Wagoner. RESIDENCE OF MR. I. OPPENHEIM. North Harrison Avenue. Coming ol the Railroad. During the first half of the present century, West- moreland's Senators and Representatives in the General Assembly were men of more than ordinary ability and influence in State afi'airs. They were vigilant in guard- ing, and tireless in trying to promote, the interests of the county which they represented. By their alertness and sagacity, they managed to have Westmoreland in- cluded in all the great internal improvements under- taken and fostered by the Commonwealth, such as the turnpikes, canals and railroads. Moreover, in those days citizens were likewise active in sustaining their Representatives by petitions, and county and town meetings, in which local sentiment was expressed by »_ [79] formal resolutions, on matters of public concern. So it was when the railroad from the eastern to the western section of the Strife was proposed. Although the lirst train did not run through from Philadelphia to Pittsburg until December, 18ii2, the residents of tiroensburg began preparing to effect that notalile event twenty years previously. A public meet- ing was held in (Jreensbarg on April 19, 1836, at which the action of the Legislature, at a recent session, in passing an Act ]3roviding for the survey of a route from the western base of the Laurel Hill, liy way of (ireensburg, to Pittsburg, was higlily approved. The survey wasinade l)y Engineer Charles DeHaas, under the direction of the Canal Commissioners. His report, made in .lanuary, 1S37, was of a favorable character so far as related to that part of the route in the vicinity of (ireensburg, which was specially mentioned as a point to be embraced in the line of the proposed road. The Act incorporating the Pennsylvania Railroad Company was passed by the Legislature on Ajjril 13, lS4-(i, and the charter granted by the Governor on Fel)ruary '_';">, 184-7. Work on the construction of the Pennsylvania Railroad, in the immediate vicinity of Greensburg, legan in the year 1849. That section of the line including the tunnel and the extensive embank- ments, tills or "'dumps," for about one-half mile to the east, and the same distance to the west of the tunnel, was awarded to Contractor Michael Malone. The section west of the town, or Lud- wick borough, which comprehended the old Rade- l)augh tunnel, was under the contract of Richaril !McGrann, Jr. Charles McCausland was the con- m m pi m m It tractor for the section to the eastward, beginning with the excavation or "cut" at the old Fair Grounds. The tunnel, cut and large embankments on the north side of Greensburg, as can be readily imagined, was exceptionally heavy and tedious work. It required about three years for Ci W:^ •'"'^^^Kvta CARRIAGE WORKS CONDUCTED BY MR. H. 51. GUY. Comer East Pittsburg Street and St. Clair Avenue. the completion of that .section. Contractor Malone had ex- tensive Ijlacksmith and repair shops, during the progress of the construction, located on the Commons, in the vicinity of of what is now Tunnel Street, between North Maple Avenue and North Main Street. When the hour for ceasing labor arrived, at noon and night, a huge, sonorous horn was blown at the lilacksmith shops and the array of men, with the hundreds of horses and carts, stretching in a continuous line from the "Y,"' east of Greensburg, to the western limits of Ludwick borough, presented a \ very animated spectacle in hustling for their quarters. The men employed were almost entirely hardy and light-hearted sons of Erin's isle. All the earth for the extensive embankments, east and west of the Greens- l)urg tunnel, was transported in carts. In excavating for the tunnel, and the cuts on both sides, a large amount of heavy blasting was necessary. It was custo- mary to prepare a score or two of blasts and discharge them simultaneou.sly. At such times, the detonation was like the bombardment of an army. All the win- dows in the quiet town rattled under the force of the concussion, and the nervous housewives were seized with many fits and starts. The presence of the vast multi- tude of railroad laborers was frequently made manifest in the evenings and on wet days, about the village, by numerous fights and small riots. When not at work most of the laborers visited the Ijarrooms and imbibed freely, the price of a prime brand of fighting whiskey at that time being three cents a glass. Only in one instance, during the wet-day general drunks, however, did a fatal en- counter occur. A man was mortally injured, in a maudlin quarrel, at a doggery on South Main Street, opposite the Masonic Temple. Comparatively few disputes or differences arose between employers and employes on the sections of Sett » RESIDENCE OF THE HEIRS OF JNO. ARMSTKONQ, ESQ. North Main Street. [ 82 railroad construction in Greensburg and vicinity. A strike occurred in thi.s locality in November, 1850. Because of the shortness of the days, or daylight, at that season, the con- tractors issued orders that wages of the common laborers be reduced, for a time, from one dollar to 87i cents.per day. It was against such reduction that the strike was inaugurated. An adjustment was effected, however, after a week of idleness, and work i-esumed. The first locomotive which entered West- moreland county, crossed the western border. It arrived at Radebaugh's (two miles west of Greensburg) from Pittsburg on ^Monday, July 5, 1S52. Intelligence as to the time and place of the first appearance of the "iron horse," had spread throughout the surrounding country for many miles. As a result, there was an immense crowd assembled to witness the uuprecedented event. Many persons went from Greensburg to Radebaugh's on that day. An enterprising indi- vidual, with an eye on the main ciiance, had pro- cured a license and was on the ground early with a 1 iberal store of whiskey. As was to be expected, with such a large gala day gathering, the liquor dealer did a brisk business. It 'is almost need- less to add that the usual consequences followed. There were numerous drunken tights, with the attendant bloody noses, contused eyes and broken heads. Visitors who were not addicted ] drink and those who remained sober viewed the railroad engine with deep and curious interest. It was the first locomotive that nearly all of them had ever seen. It was scanned and studied in all its parts to discover, if possible, the secret of its hidden, mighty power. As the day of the "iron horse's" fir.st visit to Westmoreland was the one immediately following Independence Day, which had fallen on Sunday, the occasion also embodied the festal and patriotic spirit of a Fourth of July demonstration. The Railroad Company, on Thursday, July 1.5, 1852, began running trains regularly from Pittsburg to Radebaugh's. An accommodation train left Radebaugh kStation at 6 o'clock, a. m., and arrived at Pitt.sburg at 8 o'clock, a. m. Returning, the train left Pittsburg at 6:30 o'clock, p. m., and arrived at'Rade- augh at 8 o'clock, p. m. The fare either way was 80 cents. PIRST LOCOMOTIVE INTO GREENSBTJRG. Monday, November 29, 1852, was the most eventful day in the history of the railroad, so far as it ailected Greensburg. A ocomotive made its appearance for the first time, on that day, within sight of the borough. It passed and repassed over the large embankments on the east and west sides of the Greens- burg tunnel. The purpose was to test the stability and safety of those massive fills. On the afternoon of that day, a train traversed the entire length of the railroad, without mishap, through Westmoreland county. Citizens of the borough gener- ally, of all ages, sexes and conditions, gathered in the neighbor- hood of the railroad to observe the first train passing through from the east to the west. It was not until December 10, of that year, however, that the first train ran the whole distance from Philadelphia to Pittsburg. A small frame station building was erected by the Railroad Company for the accommodation of its Greensburg patrons, on m •mm jsd il ZIU.N'S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH. Comer Pennsylvania Avenue and West Seeond Street. First Building, erected 1851; second, 1878. the site of the present brick building. At the time the railroad was tirst put in operation, and, until 18(it), the passenger station was outside of the bor- ough limits. Notwithstanding that fact, however, the Board of Burgesses felt so kindly toward the new enterprise, that they had a plank walk con- structed from the corner of Penu.sylvania Avenue and West Otteruian Street to the railroad station, at the expense of the borough. Pending the completion of the connecting link of the railroad, between Beatty's Station and Kadebaugh's, passengers were conveyed from one point to the other by stage-coach. It may be here added, as a matter of historic interest, that, during the building of the railroad and for some time after its com]iletion, there was much mournful murmuring of the distress and ruin that it would produce. It was claimed that the railroad would supplant all the wagons and stages, operating on the turnpike, and throw hundreds of persons out of employment, and render almost valueless the investments in the vast number of wagons and stage-coaches. It vras likewise maintained that the railroad would divert travel from the turnpike, and therel;)y finan- cially ruin all the innkeepers along that thoroughfare. While these claims were not without foundation, it was impossible then, as now, to check the spirit of progress. Wagoners, stage-coach owners and drivers, and turnpike tavern-keepers, gradually adapted themselves, but not without some pecuni- ary loss, no doubt, to the new conditions. John Fulhvood was the tirst ticket and freight agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad at (h-eeusburg. Below is the schedule of the arrival and departure of trains at (ireensburg, April 21, 1853: Eastward. — Fast passenger train, l(i:35 \.' m.; second passenger train, 10:45 p. ji.; accommodation to Latrobe, 7:06 r. m.; freight, 0:25 i". Ji. Westward. — First passenger train, 4:16 A. m. ; accommodation train, 6:(»5 A. M.; fast passenger train. 6:01 a. m. : freight, 12:20 a. m. [ 84 ] gs^i B ^3^ Freight rates. — Flour, to Philadelphia, 75 cents per barrel: whiskey, to Philadelphia, 40 cents per 100 pounds. All freight 20 cents lower than winter rates. Both passenger and freight traffic increased very rapidly, from day to day, after the line was put in regular operation. »_ RESIDE^X•E OF MR. JOHN W. POLLINS. Corner South Pennsylvania Avenue and Fourth Street. For some time, immediately follo\ving the opening of the road, there were frequent delays and irregularities in the movement of the trains, as compared with the scheduled time. All such causes of complaint, however, were speedily overcome as the employes of the road became more familiar with their duties, and the imperfections in the road- bed were removed. The total tonnage of freight shipped from Green.sburg, between January 1 and June .30, 1853, was 3,fiSl,304 pounds. The official report of the Railroad Company, for the year 1S53, showed that 17,319 passengers departed, and 15,553 arrived, at Greensburg, during that year, and that the cash receipts at the Greensburg station for pas- sengers were §14,698.17. Some information as the kind of goods shipped from Greensburg is furnished in the annexed state- ment, which represents the freight dispatched from this place for the week ending January .31, 1854: 1,151 barrels of flour; 68 barrels of whiskey; 20 barrels of cloverseed; 5,744 pounds of pork; 430 reams of paper; 200 bushels of corn; 100 bushels of oats: 911 pounds of fresh butter; 392 pounds of lard; 55 dozen of brooms; and 2,571 dozen of poultry. Prior to Fel^ruary 15, 1854, trains on the Pennsyl- vania Railroad crossed the Allegheny mountains by way of the old Portage road. On that day, however, the new line of the road, "without incline planes," was completed and put into use, together with the [85] ^' big: Gallitzin tunnel. Referring to this great acliievement, a local paper, of that date, said: "The time between Greens- burg and Philadelphia, by the Express train, will be 13 hours, 34 minutes; and between this place and Pittsburg, 1 hour and 15 minutes. This, truly, is annihilating time and space. But SIUENLI! I>F MK. GEORGE A. HAYS. Harrison Avenue. a short time .since a man thought he was doing well to make Philadelphia in 60 hours; now he can do it in one-fourth the time that he could then, and travel the same distance with infinitely less expense and fatigue. Verily, this is an age of progress." At the time the Pennsylvania Railroad was com- pleted and ]3ut in operation, work on the proposed Hemptield Railroad, from Greensburgto Wheeling, W. Va., by way of Washington, Pa., was well ad- vanced. Intheautumn of 1S53 there were froml, 500 to 2,000 men employed on the various sections in the labor of construction. It was e.stimated that the cost of the entire road, with the rolling stock, etc., would be §2,986,778. A large proportion of that sum had already been subscribed or provided for. Opposition to the completion of the eastern part of the line; that is, from Washington to Greens- burg, was manifested in various forms, by citizens of Pittsburg, who could not reconcile themselves to the idea of that city being passed by. The op- position was very active and finally crystallized in the building of the Ghartiers road from Washing- ton to Pittsburg, and in the ultimate abandonment of the eastern end of the Hemptield Railroad to Greensburg, the work on which had been well under way. Another enterprise under serious consideration, about the same time, was the Uniontown Branch « m Kailroad, from Greensburg to Uniontown. It was a propos- ed branch of the Pennsylvania Kailroad and was to be carri- ed forward under the aid of that corporation. By an Act of the General Assembly, passed March 19, 1853, the Burgesses /'"S.--" -< - ■. . :i.iL-J-^-^=^ isaiiiB^^^^SS^^m ^^^^tt^a^^^»^^^MH|W^9PBi j^BS^MsH^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^'f^^^^^^^l^^^^HB^n' ^^^^L„I^^^B __ _ KESIDENCE OF MR. L. KECK. North Main Street. [87] of Greensburg were authorized to subscribe for not exceed- ing 1,000 shares of the stock of the Uniontown Branch road, and issue borough bonds therefor (650,000), provided the same was approved by the taxable inhabitants of Greensburg at an election to be held for that purpose. Such an election took place on March 7, 1851, and eighty-five votes were cast for the subscription, and seven against the same. The project, however, for some reason, likewise failed at that time, but a similar enterprise was carried to com- pletion twenty years afterward, and is now recognizable in the thrifty Southwest Pennsylvania Kailway. Still another railroad project, in which citizens of Greensburg, and some other sections of Westmoreland county, took a deep interest, in 1854, was a proposed line from Greensburg to connect with the Monongahela & Eavenswood Railroad, across the state of (West) Virginia to the mouth of the Big Sandy, on the Ohio river. It was intended that this road should con- nect with the Pennsylvania Railroad, at or near Greensburg, and act as a feeder to the same. A number of public meetings, pertaining to the enterprise, were held in Greensburg and delegates appointed to attend similar meetings at Fairmount, and other points, in Virginia. The contemplated road, however, failed to mater- ialize. DRUG STORE OF MR. A. E. MARTIN. Corner Main and East Pittsburg Street. TELKGRAPH LINES. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company commenced prepara- tions for a telegraph service within less than a year after trains began running regularly. A railroad tele- graph line was erected through Westmoreland county in 18.oi. A telegraph .system, with a single wire, had been constructed along the turnpike a few years previously. After the railroad tele- graph line was completed, however, that aligning the turnpike fell into disuse, along with the thor- oughfare itself, and the general business drifted to the railroad route. The telegraph office, for a number of years, was in a basement room of what is now the Fisher House, on West Pittsburg Street. There was no other office between Greens- burg and Pittsburg. At Greensburg, as well as elsewhere, when the telegraph was first introduced, less than sixty years ago, it was but vaguely or imperfectly un- derstood by persons not familiar with the latest discoveries in science. It is said to have been a verj' ordinary sight, immediately following the erection of the line along the turnpike, to see per- sons standing on that highway at various points, viewing with wrapt interest the wire in both direc- tions as far as it was within sight. The invariable explanation as to their purpose, on the part of such individuals, was that thev were watching to m « T^^ M see a message go by. The notion which most persons, of ordinary intelligence, entertained at that early day seemed to be that the messages were transmitted after the manner of articles on a rope or "wire ferry," across a river or ravine. Imagining that the message was an object, instead of an elec- tric current, the curious spectators could not satisfy them- selves as to just how the message passed the posts to which the wire was attached, and it was mainly to solve that mys- tery that the watchers desired to observe a message go by. KESIDEXCE OF MRS. MARY J. WOODS. South Main Street. Third Court House and Jail at Greensburg. In the course of the decade between 1S40 and 1850, the population of Westmoreland increased over 9,001), being greatly in excess of any like period in the preceding half century. The building of the Pennsylvania Railroad, together with the proposed construction of several other railroads through sections of the county, and the prospects of the early commencement of the active development of the great coal fields of Westmoreland, aroused the representative citizens to the belief that an era of unprece- dented activity and prosperity, was aliout to dawn on this section. Accordingly the need of more modern and commodious public buildings was recognized. The erection of a new Court House and prison was generally discussed and approved. Formal recommendations to that effect were made by the grand jury and author- ized by the court. ^m Is m m In conformity therewith, in the spring of 1853, County Commissioners Henry Swartz, Simon Detar andJesse Walton adopted phiiis for a Court House, Sherifl"s dwelling and prison, furnished liy J. Edgar. Those plans were subsequently set aside, however, and a new plan, formulated liy Architect TIMKI) CCIVRT HOISE AT (iREENSBlKU. Erected 1554. .Samuel Sloan, a resident of Philadelphia, but a native of Westmoreland, were substituted. A contract was entered into with Messrs. Bell & Arnold to remove the old buildings and erect the new ones. The price concluded upon was $i6,7O0, with allowances for extra work. Very soon thereafter the building of the Sheriff's house and jail was commenced. These buildings were located on lot No. 6, (see plan, page 13), which the county had acquired. They aligned on the «est side of the alley, the Sherifi's dwelling running out to and facing on West Pittsburg Street. The house was a large two-story stone and brick structure. Immediately back of and connected with the Sheriff's dwelling was the county prison, a two-story stone building. Entrance to the corridor of the jail was through the main hallway of the Sheritt's house, the two being divided or separated liy a large iron grating and an inside iron door. The prison con- tained ten cells on the tirst floor and a like number in the second tier. In the basement were four dungeon apartments. The corridor of the jail extended from the first floor to the roof, in which was a skylight. The Sheriff's house was ready for roofing in December, 1853, and the heavy foundation walls of the jail had been laid, but work on the latter was dis- continued for several months because of cold weather. In the east side of the Sherifi's house, on the first floor, were several spacious office rooms, entrance to which was by way of the alley. Early in A])ril, 1^^.51, the contractors began tearing down the old jail, in the rear of the Court House, on the Court House lot (see diagram, page 37). During the interval be- tween the demolition of the old prison and the completion of the new one, the prisoners were kept in the Allegheny coun- ty jail. The work of razing the old Court House commenced EESIDENOE OF irii. JAMES C. WENTZELL. West Newton Avenue. the first week in May, 18.54. In the meantime, some of the county ofEces were removed to the office apartments in the new Sheriff's house, while others occupied the old office buildings on the Court House lot. In August of that year, however, all the county offices were removed to the Sheriff's house. The May term of court, 1854, was held in the basement of the Methodist church, then a comparatively new building. The courts at all subse- quent terms, until the completion of the present Court House, in 1856, sat in that church. LAYING OF THE CORNER STONE OF THE COURT HOUSE. About the only notable formality in connection with the new Court House was in the laying of the corner stone. The proceeding took place on Tuesday, October 24, 1854, in the presence of a large and representative assemblage. Officers for the meeting had been selected by the Board of County Commissioners, and were an- nounced by Major William H. Hacke, clerk of the Board, as follows : President — Gen. Henry D. Foster. Vice Presidents — John Armstrong, Sr., Esq., Samuel Hill, Esq., Major Joseph Jack, General C. P. Markle, Peter Uncapher, Dr. B. R. Marchand, Dr. John Morri- son, John Kuhns, Esq., John Snodgrass, Esq., Dr. Thompson Richardson, John Covode, Dr. Baldridge. ^§^ Secretaries — ^Messrs. March:ind and Graham, of The West- ^|§[ moreland Republican; Laird and Rook, of The Pennsylvania ^2^ Argus; Keenan and Klingensniith, of the Greensburg Demo- crat; D. W. Shryock, of the Westmoreland Intelligencer, and Major Israel Uncapher. RESIDENCE OF MR. JOHN V. STEPHENSnN, Corner Park Street and Walnut Avenue. After a few introductory remarks bj^ the President of the meeting, he called upon Rev. Mr. Valentine, who opened the exercises with a beautiful and appropriate petition to the Throne of Grace. David K. jNIarchand, one of the Secre- taries, then read a list of the articles to be deposited in the corner stone, as follows: 1. Early history of Western Pennsylvania and of the West, including an account of the burning of Hannas- tow n, said to be from the pen of the late Judge Coulter. 1'. English and (lerman Bibles. 3. First annual Report of the State Agricultural Society of Pennsylvania. 4-. Williamson''s Traveling Guide through the United States and Canada. 5. Thomson's Autographical Counterfeit Detector. 6. Thomson's Coin Chart Manual. 7. Map of the Horough of Greensburg. 8. English and German Almanacs for 18.54 and 18.55. 9. Newspapers — Weekly National Intelligencer, Semi- Weekly National Intelligencer, Washington Globe, Washington, D. C. ; The Westmoreland Republican, Westmoreland Intelligencer, The Pennsylvania Argus, (ireensburg Democrat, Greensburg, Pa.; Valley Demo- crat, Ligonier; Daily I'nion, Daily Morning Post, The Evening Chronicle, Western Republican, (German), Pittsliurg, Pa. ; The Pennsylvanian, The National Argus, Philadelphia, Pa.; the Keystone, Harrisburg Union, Harrisburg, Pa. ; New York Tribune, Weekly Herald, New York. 10. Stamps of the Seals of the County Officers of AVest- moreland county, with the autographs of the respective Officers. 11. Certificate of the County Commissioners of the laying of the corner stone, signed by them and the contractors. 12. Sample of Westmoreland Corn, raised by Alex. Hitch- man, of Mt. Pleasant, Pa. Sample of Westmoreland Countj^ Wheat, presented by Eanisey & Neely, millers, Greensburg, Pa. Sample of Westmoreland County Oats, presented by Alex. Hanna, Esq., South Huntingdon township, Westmoreland county. Pa. Sample of Westmoreland County Rye, presented by Jesse Walton, Esq., of Franklin township, Westmoreland county. Pa. Sample of AVestmoreland County Buckwheat, presented by Simon Detar, Esq., of Hempfield township, Westmore- land county. Pa. 13. An Engraving, being a relic from the Congres- sional Library which was destroyed by fire on the 24-th of December, 18.51, with the respects of Linn Boyd, Speaker of H. R., presented by Col. D. K. Marchand. 14. List of the National, State and County Officers of the United States of America, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, County of Westmoreland and Borough Officers for Greensburg borough, for 18.54. 15. Seventh Annual Report of the Directors of the Pennnsylvania Railroad Company. 16. List of the County Officers of the State of Penn- sylvania. 17. An abstract of the Seventh Census, 1850, show- ing the population of the several Counties of Pennsyl- vania. g^im^. UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH. Corner West Otternian Street and Bruston Avenue, First BuildinK, erected 1857; second, 1879. 18. A Statement of the Receipts and Expenditures of Westmore- land County for 1853. Reports of County Auditors. 19. " List of Churches, Congregations and Pastors worshiping in Green sburg. 20. Autographs of the Attorneys of the County. 21. Dechiration of Independence, Constitution of the United States and of the State of Pennsylvania. 1 JSIessrs. Simon Detar,'Jesse Walton and Alexander Hanna, Coun- ty Commissioners, and William Bell and John Arnold, the con- tractors, next placed the copper box, containing the deposits, in the corner stone. Following that proceeding, the stone was put in po- sition at the southeast corner of the proposed Court House. When it was announced that the stone had been tirinly and properly laid, Edgar Cowan, Esq. , delivered a fitting, scholarly and eloquent ad- dress. The ceremonies closed with a benediction, pronounced by Rev. Mr. Geisy. The building operations progressed in a satisfactory manner until August, 18.7.5. Differences then arose between the contractors and Commissioners as to whether the specifications were being fulfilled. By mutual consent, the contract with Messrs. Bell & Arnold was can- celled. An agreement was then made with ISlessrs. Johnston & jMcFarland to complete the work, for $28,688, and reasonable com- pensation for changes or extras. According to the provisions of the compact, the court room was to be in condition for holding the May term, 1856, and all the work finished by August, of that year. That result was attained, both as to the public buildings and surroundings. It was carefully estimated at that time that the total cost of the Court House, Sheriff's dwelling and the jail, with the outside work on the [94] m 8 8 8 M 8 lots, aggregated $100,000. Many persons imagine that the Court House is constructed entirely of stone. Such, however, is not the case. The east (front) and south sides of the build- ing are composed of cut stone, but the west and north walls are brick, covered with cement and skillfully scored to rep- resent stone. COURT HOUSE BELLS. That now in use is the second Court House bell pur- chased by the county. Neither bell nor belfry adorned the primitive log and plank cabin erected in 1786. When that building was supplanted by the pretentious brick structure of 1798, with its lofty cupola, a bell was deemed necessary in connection with the other modern features then introduced. One was procured from Joseph Hos- tetter at a cost of §134.2.5. Thirteen years later the first bell was removed to make way for a more massive one cast by George Hedderly, of Philadelphia. Its cost and carriage from the Quaker City was §442.97. Messrs. James Estep, Andrew Finley and Joseph Collins consti- tuted the Board of County Commissioners that made tlie change. For nearly ninety years its iron tongue has salut- ed the ears of citizens of Greensburg, running the gamut of almost every human passion. In years past it has pealed joyously when the blushing daughters of the village were led to Hymen's alter, and tolled in slow and solemn measure when their white-haired fathers paid the debt of nature. It has sternly called the lagging youth, with shining morning face, to school; it has convened the sage citizens in town meeting for the consideration of borough concerns or weighty affairs of state. It has rang for ex- hibitions of negro minstrelsy, and has prompted the seri- ons and devout to repair to the sanctuary. Its clarion tones have broken the mi(hught stillness, in bidding a last fare- well to the closing year, or arousing the slumbering inhabi- tants to gaze in terror upon the lurid glare of the tire demon. It clanged exultantly over Perry's Isrilliant victory on Lake Erie and the fall of the City of Mexico; and sounded sadly for many hours, in keeping with the throljs of the sorrowing hearts of the people, «heu Abraham Lincoln, the great Presi- dent, during the civil wa,r, was struck- down Ijy the the foul hand of an assassin. Ki:siiii:Nrr. of mr. friedo[.[N miller. Kast Fourth Street. Exciting WaryTime Incident. Like every other community throughout the coun- try, Greensburg was thrown into a state of great ex- citement on Saturdaj^ morning, April 15, 186.5, by the startling intelligence that President Lincoln had been assassinated the night before. The fact that the assassin had not been apprehended added to the in- tense anxiety of the public mind. Some conception can, therefore, be formed of the effect on this com- munity of the receipt, on Monday, April 17, by the I'rovost ^Marshal, at Greensliurg, of a telegram an- nouncing that a man suspected to be John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of tKe President, was a passenger on the Fast Line, westward, which would arrive at (ireensburg shortly before one o'clock, noon. This scnsatit)nal information spread throughout the town like an alarm of fire. Even the coolest and most sedate citizens became feverish with excitement and rushed to the railroad station. In the meantime, ^1 a company of soldiers belonging to the Invalid Corps, quartered at this place in connection with the Provost Marshal's office, was hastily brought forth by the com- mander, Captain Leddy, and marched under arms to the de- pot. An immense crowd had assembled. When the train RESIDENCE OF JOHN F. VVENTLING, North Main Street, ESQ. arrived the soldiers were lined on both sides of the track. A number of officers entered the cars, while the multitude with- out surged and swayed in eager expectancy. After some minutes of suspense, a small, dark-complexioned man, with a black mustache, and wearing on his head an oil cloth cap, was dragged forth by the officers. The soldiers surrounded the terrified individual and he was taken, under military guard, to the Provost Mar- shal's office, at the corner of East Otterman Street and St. Clair A\'enue, followed by the thoroughly aroused crowd. Many of the agitated spectators, who had read descriptions of the personal appear- ance of the assassin, were satisfied that the man in custody was John Wilkes Booth. At the Provost Marshal's office all persons not connected there- with were excluded, and the crowd kept at a re- spectful distance from the building by a military guard. A searching examination of the prisoner took place, but some time elapsed before the feverish curiosity of the citizens, as to the result, was appeased. The investigation developed the fact that the suspected man was one Emerson Davis, a citizen of the State of Illinois, and that he was or had been a traveling agent of the Christian Commission. He was kept under arrest for nearly a week, however, until the authorities satisfied themselves beyond all doubt that he was guiltless of any connection with the awful tragedy. ^m w^ Had he been the murderer of the Chief Executive, doubtless, he would have been sorely tried by remorse on Wednesday, April 19, the date of the funeral obsequies of the deceased President. On that day, in Greensburg, all business w^s suspended and there was a solemn hush resting on the town, which was emphasized by the mournful tolling of the Court House and church bells from 6 o'clock a. m. until 12:30 P. M. / III Mil I* if 11. V).' Iff ff' -ri" Mv ^ s'lWULES AND PI I'.Ll' llAl.l, mi- m li. .k i| l\ ■ South Maple Avenue. [98] Fourth County Jail at Greensburg. At no time, after its completion and occupancy, was the stone jail, erected in 1853-1, satisfactory in the important features of security and ventila- tion. The atmosphere became fetid and breaches of prison were frequent. In 1865 it was decided that some action was necessary as to the jail. There was a division of sentiment among the county officials on the question of whether a new prison should lie built or the existing one rear- ranged and repaired. A grand jury, charged with the task of making a thorough investigation of the matter, recommended the latter course. Changes were accordingly made at a cost of aliout !BS.5()0. Four iron or steel cells, the walls, floor and ceiling all being of that material, were constructed on the first floor, as aft'ording greater security against jail breaking, and a sewerage system, extending l,'2(i(> feet, for bettering the noisome atmosphere, were among the principal improvements intro- duced. m )>; ." m FOURTH COUNTY PRISON AT OREENSBURLl. Krected 1883. Although the remodeling partially corrected the defects, it did not entirely remove them. In 1882 the old prison was condemned by the State Board of Public Charities and the grand jury advised the building of a new one. Such a course was determined upon by the County Commissioners. As the ground on which the old jail stood was insuiScient for the proposed new one, the adjoining lot, No. 5 (see plan page 13), was purchased by the county from Mr. George Dorn, the consideration beingSl4,000, which, of course, also represented the value of the buildings erected thereon and subsequently torn down. In the two lots was secured a frontage of 125 feet on West Pittsburg Street, and a depth, aligning on the alley and Pennsylvania Avenue, of 110 feet. Plans and specifications for the new Sheriff's dwelling and prison were prepared by Architect E. M. Butz, who had but shortly be- fore acted in the same professional capacity in connection with the new Western Penitentiary, at Riverside. Mr. Butz's plans met the approval of and were adopted by the Coun- ty Commissioners and the court. The contract for the erec- tion of the buildings was awarded to Messrs. Huckenstein & Co., of Allegheny City, on April 6, 1883, the bid of that firm being S134-, 700. Both the dwelling and prison were com- pleted and ready for occupancy in December, 1884. The total cost of the several structures, with the improvements on the lot and the interior furnishings, was about §15.5,000. The Westmoreland county jail is pronounced by competent judges one of the best in Pennsylvania. It is absolutely se- cure and modern and complete in all its appointments. The m m m M pi m m m ©I proportions of the Sheriff's residence are 40x49 feet; the main structure, or jail building, 46x125; the jail tower 26x25, and 104 feet in height; and the boiler house, 20x25 feet. Iron, stone and brick were the only materials used in the con- struction of the prison, excepting the window frames and sash, which are of wood. It is pronounced lire-proof throughout and cannot be destroyed either purposely or by : Yard. Boiler House. Yard. : Air mc Light u O U O O c '3 [)orr dor. ■ CeUs. Cells. : Corridor. Corridor. : Cells. CeUs. : Air and Light Corridor. " | : Yard SheriCE's Dwelling Jail Tower. Yard. : WEST PITTSBURG STREET. RESIDE.NCE OF MR. JAMES B. ROBINSON. South Pennsylvania Avenue. PLAN OF THE INTERIOR OF THE JAIL. accident. There are three prison departments in the main jail building — two for males and one for females. In the male departments are seveuty-two steel cells, and in the female section live, making in the three tiers a total of seventy-seven cells, capable of quartering two hundred prisoners. Every one of the cells is supplied with a wash-l)asin and vvater-closet. All the cells are eight feet square and a like distance in height. The walls of the cells are composed of one-fourth inch steel plate, and the floors and ceilings of five-inch flag stone. The female ward is entirely separate from the male, being located over the guard room, and is only accessible through the Sheriffs office in the tower. All the cells are four feet from the outer walls of the building, lea\'ing an air and light corri- dor between the walls and the rear of the cells. As the rear sections of the cells are grated, by this arrangement, the jail guard can have a full view of the interior of the cells. Pris- St RESIIjEXCK of i>lt. LEMUEL OFFUTT. West Otterman Street. oners can be admitted to the exercise corridors, which are ] 6x40 feet, without having access to the main jail hall. From the se^'eral platforms, in the latter, the guard can constantly keep the corridors on either side under scrutiny. Prisoners cannot gain entrance to the air and light corridors. The pur- pose of dividing the jail into two compartments is that the prisoners awaiting trial or sentence, and those serv- ing sentence, may be separated. Between or connecting the Sheriff's dwelling and pri- son is the lofty tower. The main entrance to the latter is reached by a covered walk along the east side of the Sheriffs house. On the first floor of the tower, of course, is the doorway to the central hall of the prison; on the second floor are the Sherifi's office and the guard room, while on the third floor are the hospital depart- ment and prisoners' bath rooms. The heating of the jail is on the fan system. There are two blowing and one exhaust fans. Fresh air is taken in at an air-shaft on the west end of the building, at a distance of eighty feet above the ground, drawn down the shaft, forced through two heating chambers, containing radiators, thence disti-ibuted through warm air ducts, and thence through registers to the cells. The vitiated air is exhausted through flues from each cell, connected with the main vitiated air ducts in the basement; thence it is forced up through a main in the east end of the building. m m [101] »^ SI SEVERAL MORE RECENT EXECUTIONS. But one execution took place in the stone jail built in 1853. A culprit named Hugh Corrigan, however, had been sen- tenced to death but cheated the gallows. Corrigan was a resi- dent of Derry township, in 1856, and had murdered a woman UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURrH. Corner West Third Street and Pcnnsvlvania Avenue. Erected 1880. [ 102 ] who was living with him as his wife. He burned her body in a brush-heap in the hope of concealing his crime. Being detected, he was arrested, tried, convicted and the death penalty imposed. A few nights before the date fixed for his execution, he committed suicide through the agency of poison. Samuel Beighley, a native of Washington township, was hanged in the stone jail on January 20, 1875. Beighley had laid in wait and deliljerately murdered Joseph Kerr, a farmer and shoemaker, residing in Franklin township. His guilt was easily established, and he confessed the same to his spiritual advisers ije- fore his death. Beighley was but twenty-one years of age. Although reared in a good family, by respectable parents, both as a boy and young man Samuel evinced a vicious and dejjraved disposition. The unpleasant duty of fulfilling the stern mandate of the law was per- formed by Sheriff John Guffey. Tiie remains of the deceased were interred in Washington township. A double execution occurred in the present prison on Thursday, July 18, 1895. It devolved upon Sheriff P. F. ]\IcCann to carry out the extreme penalty of the law at that time. William Freeman and John Good, hath colored, were the names of the men who expiated the crime of bloodguiltiness. Both were natives of Virginia and aged twenty-seven years. Freeman had been con- \'incted of the murder of his mistress, (xertrude Timber- lake. The tragedy took place in a room adjoining the barroom in the Hotel Simpson, Mt. Pleasant, on the 8 evening of July 26, 189i. Freeman and the woman had been conducting a disorderly house at Mt. Pleasant, and quarreled about the division of the money realized. Freeman drew a revolver and shot the female, inflicting a mortal wound. John Good was found guilty of the willful killing of another colored man, named Max Slaughter, at the village of Morewood, on November 29, 1891. With other colored coke workers, they had been engaged in the negro game of '"craps." There was considerable drinking and quarrelling. Slaughter's wife went after her husband and was taking him home. Good followed. As Slaughter was about to enter his house. Good fired the fatal shot and the former fell dead in his own doorway. After the execution, on July 18, 1895, the re- mains of Good and Freeman were interred in one large grave in a section of the new St. Clair ceme- tery set apart for the burial of colored persons. Borough Boundaries. The original boundaries of the Iiorough of Greens- burg are defined in the first section of the Act of incorporation (see page 23). Those outlines are more intelligibly shown in the early plan of Greens- burg, presented on another page. No change in the corporate limits occurred for sixty-one years after the establishment of the borough. On jNIarch .30, 1860, what was entitled a "Supplement to an Act to erect the town of Green esburgh, in the county of Westmoreland, into a borough, ap- p ft m m ^ oipiieai m THK BARCLAY BANK BUILDINU. Main Street, proved February 9, 1799," was enacted. Under that statute, the boun- daries were enlarged, as described below : "Beginning at a point in the centre of the track of the Pennsylvania Railroad, im- mediately over the centre of the arch which passes the Greensburg and New Alex- andria road; thence north (iBJ^ degrees west 1,683 feet to the northeast corner of the Greensburg academy grounds; thence south 87 degrees west 1,284 feet to a point in the centre of the Greensburg and Harrison City road; thence along the centre of said Greensburg and Harrison City road, to the centre of the track of said Pennsylvania Railroad; thence along the centre of the track of said railroad to the corner of the borough of Lndwick; thence along the east side of said borough of Ludwick south 17i degrees west 346 feet to a point in the centre of the Greensburg and Pittsburg turn- pike; thence along the centre of said pike north 83 degrees west 193 feet; thence south 891 feet to the centre of the old Greensburg and Pittsburg turnpike; thence along said old turnpike south 82 degrees east 330 feet; thence along a road leading from said old turn- pike to the Greensburg and New Stanton road south 34 degrees east 1,531 feet; thence along said Greensburg and New Stanton road north 63 degrees east 700 feet; thence along the east side of a road leading to the Greensburg and Mount Pleasant voad south 32 degrees east 350 feet; thence south 53* degrees east l,03ii feet, to a point in the centre of the Greensburg and Mount Pleasant road: thence south 31 degrees east 266 feet; thence north 80 degrees east 350 feet; thence north 23 degrees east 3.m0 feet, to a point in the centre of the Greensburg and Stoystown turnpike; thence north 9+ degrees east 1.338 feet to the centre of the track of the Pennsj'lvania Railroad, im- mediately over the centre of the arch which passes the Sewiekley creek; thence along the centre of the track of said Pennsylvania Railroad south 74A degrees west 593 feet to the place of beginning." The next extension of the borough lines was on the north side. In February, 1891, residents and property-owners of that suburban locality, who sutfered many inconveniences, petitioned the court for the "Annex- ation of a part of Heniptield township to Greensburg borough." There was some division of sentiment at that time as to just what course would be the most expedient. A few of the citizens and real estate owners, of the section atfeeted, did not approve of any change. Still another element desired the establishment of a new and separate borough. On April .5, 1891, persons favoring the latter course applied to the court for the in- corporation of the "Borough of North Greensburg." After various pro- [104] m m m m m m w. a ceedings before the court, and some readjustmeut of the lines of the territory as first proposed, the peti- tion for the annexation of that section, to the bor- ough of Greensburg, was granted on February 20, 1892, and all exceptions dismissed. In the approved % m s w B ^m i m RESIDENCE OF MRS. JOHN W. TURNEY. West Pittsburg Street. petition it was stated "that the said limits so desired to be annexed include a part of the plan of lots laid out by the Ciilbertson heirs^ John Barclay, Dr. Metzgar, Jehu Taylor's estate and Joseph J. Johnston, Esq., and a collection of houses, collected after a regular plan in regard to streets and lanes.'' The description of the annexed territory in detail is as follows: "Beginning at a point at the nortiieast corner of Academy lot: thence north- ern bonndary of Greensburg borough south 87 degrees west 1.284 feet to a point; thence through the Harrison City road north 18 degrees o minutes west 315 feet to a point: north 20 degrees 25 minutes east 663. 5 feet to the northwest corner of Barclay plan of lots: north 33 degrees W minutes east 911 feet through Salem road to the northwest corner of Dr. jMetzgar's plan of lots; north 74 degrees 10 minutes east 288.6 feet to the northwest corner of said plan; south 12 degrees east 919.8 feet to a point at noi'therly line of Best Street; north 77 degrees 25 minutes east 502 feet along Best Street to a point: south 12 degrees 35 minutes east 664.2 feet to Grant Street: north 77 degrees 25 minutes east 33i> feet to an alley; thence south 12 degrees 35 minutes east 674 feet to a point; north 66 de- grees 15 minutes west 1,037.2 feet to the place of beginning." BUNKER HILL BOROUGH ANNEXED. An Act of Assembly, approved June 6, 1893, to promote the merging of abutting or contiguous boroughs, was regarded so favor- ably by many of the citizens of Greensburg and Bunker Hill bor- oughs, that the consolidation of the latter with the former was pro- posed. To afford the residents of both places an opportunity to give expression to their sentiments on the subject, in an orderly and legal manner, the annexed joint agreement was executed between the Bur- gesses of the two boroughs : Whereas, The Burgesses and Inhabitants of the Borough of Greensburg, in the County of Westmoreland, and the Borough of Bunker Hill, two boroughs, duly incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, are adjacent and are of such compact and contiguous territory as to form one muni- cipal division, and [105] s m mi /. -^^W ^M _M':? cmasTiA.N ciiuucu. West Second Street. Erected 1891. Where.is, The said boroughs are desirous of being consolidated into one borough, so that all the propert}'. rights, franchises and privileges now vested in both of said boroughs may be transferrrd and vested in the new borough formed by such consoli- dation, as provided by Act of Assembly, approved the 6th day of June, 1893, entitled "An Act to provide for the consolidation of boroughs and the government and regula- tion thereof," Now this .ioint agreement, made and concluded this 39th day of January, A D. 1894, by and between the Burgesses and Inhabitants of the Borough of Greensburg, in the County of Westmoreland, of the one part and the Borough of Bunker Hill, of the other, witnesseth that it is hereby agreed that the aforesaid Boroughs, to-wit: The Burgesses and Inhabitants of the Borough of Greensburg. in the County of West- moreland, and the Borough of Bunker Hill shall be consoliilated into one Borough and shall embrace all the territory now comprised in both of the Boroughs aforesaid. That the Borough formed by such consolidation shall be known as "The Borough of Greensburg." That said Borough of Greensburg, so formed by said consolidation, shall be divid- ed into five wards, the territorial boundaries of which shall be as follows: Ward number one shall embrace all that portion of the present Borough of Greens- burg which is situated west of Main Street and north of Pittsburg Street. Ward number two shall embrace all that portion of the present Borough of Green,sburg which is situated east of Main Street and north of Pittsburg Street. Ward number three shall embrace all that portion of the present Borough of Greensburg which is situated east of Main Street and south of Pittsburg Street. Ward number four shall embrace all that portion of the present Borough of Greensburg situated west of Main Street and south of Pittsburg Street. Ward number five shall embrace all the territory now embraced in the present Borough of Bimker Hill That this agreement shall be submitted to the qualified electors of each of the said Boroughs, on Tuesday. 20th of February, 1894, which election .shall be held by the regularly con stituti'd election officers in and tor said Biinmuhs. ;nul in accordance with the provisions of the laws of this Commonwealth regulating elections by the people. In witness whereof, the Burgesses and Inhabitants of the Borough of Greensburg, in the County of Westmoreland, has caused this agreement to be signed b}' its Chief Burgess, and attested by the Town Clerk and has caused its coporate seal to be here- unto affixed, and the Borough of Bunker Hill has caused this agreement to be signed by its Burgess and attested by the Secretary of the Town Council and has caused its corporate seal to be hereunto affixed. J. COVODE REED. Chief Burgess of the Burgesses and Inhabitants of the Borough of Greensburg, in the County of Westmoreland. A. G M.\rsh. Town Clerk. G. W. MILLER, Burgess of Borough of Bunker Hill. [ 106 ] J. H. Johnston, Secretary. (P In conformity with the provisions of the foregoing agree- ment, a vote was taken at the general election on Tuesday, February 20, 1894, in both boroughs on the proposition for consolidation. The result of the ballot in Greeusburg was as follows : KESIDENCE OF MR. J. K.1PPE MYERS. North Main Street. , WARDS. , 12 3 4 Total. For consolidation 182 80 61 129—452 Against consolidation 61 37 48 87—233 Annexed was the expression of the electors of Bunker Hill borough : For consolidation 150 Against consolidation 14 It being evident that a very large majority of the citizens desired that thereafter the two bor- oughs should be one, and the same being officially reported to the Chief Executive of the Common- wealth, the union was consummated in the form sub- joined : Letters Patent— Greensburg and Bunker Hill— Consolida- tion; In the name and by the authority of the Common- wealth of Pennsylvania, E.xecutive Department. To All Whom These Presents Shall Come, Greeting : Whereas, In and by an Act of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth, entitled, "An Act to provide for the con- solidation of Boroughs and the government and regulation thereof," approved the (ith day of June, A. D. 1S93, it i.s inter alia provided in the Hrst section thereof that two or more Bor- oughs, duly incorporated under the laws of this Common- wealth, of such compact and contiguous territory as to form one principal division, may be consolidated into one Borough. And it is further provided, in section two of said Act that the Town Council of each Borough may enter into a joint agree- ment, under the corporate seals of each Borough for thecon- solidation thereof: and that such agreement shall be submitt- ed to the qualified electors of each of the said Boroughs at an election to be held therein, provided the returns of which election shall be endorsed upon the joint agreement, and the agreement so adopted, or a certified copy thereof, with all its m m m endorsements, shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of the Com- monwealth, and, upon tbe filing thereof, the Governor shall cause letters patent to be issued, nnder the great seal of the State, erecting the said consolidated Boroughs into one corporation, by the name set forth in the .joint agreement; and Where.\s, It appears from the certified copy of the .joint agreement entered into by The Burgesses and Inhabitants of the Borongh of Greensburg, of the County of Westmoreland, and the Borongh of Bunker Hill, for the consolidation of said Boroughs, together with the returns of the election held for the ratification of said .ioint agreement by the election of said Boroughs, on the 20th day of February. A. D. 18B4. as filed in the office of the Secretary of the "Commonwealth, that a ma.iority of the electors of each of said Boroughs, voted in favor of the ratification of said joint agreement; and Whereas, The requirements of the above recited Act of the General Assembly have been fully complied with by the said The Burgesses and Inhabitants of tbe Borough of Greensburg, in the County of Westmoreland and the Borough of Bunker Hill. Now, therefore, know ye that I, Robert E. Pattison. Gov- ernor ol^ the said Commonwealth, in compliance with the provisions of the said Act of tbe General Assembly, and by virtue of the authority in me vested, do bj' these presents, which I have caused to be made patent and sealed with the great seal of the State, hereby constitute and erect the said consolidated Boroughs into one corporation and do hereby constitute the same a body corporate and politic by the name, style and title of The Borough of Greensburg, and by the same name to be vested with all the rights, power and privi- leges, with full force and effect and subject to all the duties, requirements and restrictions specified and enjoined in and by the said Act of tbe General Assembly, approved the 0th day of June. A. D. 189:3. Given under my hand and the great seal of the State, at Harrisburg this loth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety-four, and of the Commonwealth the one hundred and eighteenth. ROBERT E. PATTISON, [L. s.] By the Governor, A. L. TiLDEN, Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth. RESIDENCE OF WILLI.VM C. PEuI'LES, ESQ. North Main Street. [108 J Borough Officers. In the succeeding pages are presented tbe names of borough officials, provided for under the "old chart- m m m M M m er," so far as they have been obtained, from the incor- poration of Greensburg, in 1799, to the year 189i, when the consolidation with Bunker Hill took place. Although the list is not complete, it is as nearly so as much patient labor and wide research could make it. The minute book of the Board of Burgesses, prior to 1858^ has been missing for a number of years. Moreover, the records of the Quarter Sessions court do not contain the names of the borough officials elected annually as seemingly intended in Section 3 of the Act incorporating the borough : CHIEF BTJEGESS. Year I'yoo Oeorge Armstrong.. 1500 Joseph Cool; 1501 Georg;e Armstrong.. 1S03 John Young 1S03 George Armstrong.. lSll|Simon Drum. Jr 1S13 George Armstrong.. lS13|Abraham Horbach.. BURGESS. Simon Drum Robert Cooper. .. John Wells Peter Horbach.. John Young John Wells Samuel Guthrie. ASSISTANT BURGESSES. Jacob HugUB. Robert Cooper, Tliomas McGuire John Hanna., James Brarly, Robert Graham Henry Coultei', Heni-y Weaver, Andiew McCulley — Simon Drum, Daniel Bacon, Nathaniel Williams John Kuhns, Daniel Hacon, Andrew McCulley Simon Singer, Samuel Guthrie. Robert Williams John B. Alexander. Abrahan^ Horbach, JohnWilUams TO^VN CLEEK. John Morrison John Morrison John Morrison Nath;iniel George. John M. Snowden. John M. Snowden. HIGH CONSTABLE. Alexander Stewart.. Alexander Stewart.. Alexander Stewart. - Simon Singer Simon Singer Si m on Singer Waller Forward Simon Sinj^er. I Simon Singer . m, Year CHIEF BTTHGESS. r m Wk i 1814.Iotm Wells lSl.-i.7uhn Kiihris lHl(>'.l..|iu AX'.'Jls 1817 .lohn Wrils ISIS .lolm Kulins 1S19 Kichiird Coulter 1831 Richnrd CoultiT 1S23 Itichard Coulter 1S3;S Uichard Coulter 183.-. Uichard Coulter 1«3(: Uichard Coulter 1837 .rohuY. Barclay 1«3« Kli Coulter 183y ^-.li Coulter 1830 John Y. Barclay 183(> John Y. Barclav 1837 Rnndat McLaughlin. 183i> John Y. Barclay 1840 Joh-i Y. Harclav 1S41 Uichard Coulter 18+3 Joseph Russell 1843 Jacob Wcltv 1S44 Jnlm Armstrong 1841 II. Y. UraJv IS.-.lj Daniel Welty 18,-,-.'!|l Miirl Wrliv 18-»3 i:i.li;Mil Coulter 1S-.4 ili.h.inl Coulter IST).". Uichaid Coulter 18->nry Kettering. — 18i;.-. Henrv Weltv 18iJ(i .lames C.Clarke 18G7 Jacob Turney 18(J8 Honry Kettering ISfiO Jamfs Uorlin 1870 Ir;, Uvjin 1871 Juhn ,M. .Smith 1873 L Wi.isheimer 1873 John L. Holmes , 1874 John M. Smith 187.". Jnincs liorlin 187(; Jolm :\l. Smith 1877.1'hilii) Kiihns 187Slllugh Ward 187!) Jolin M.Smith 1880| Jainea C. Clarke BURGESS. ASSISTANT BURGESSES. TOWN CLERK. John Kuhns John Fleeter, Wm. S. Gr-aham. Robert Gniham. John Wells i Robert Graham. Jacob Kerns. Simon Singer John B. Alexander ISamucl Singer. Jacob Kern. John Kvihn'? John B. Alexander IRobeit Williams. Jolin Flceger, Samuel Singer.. Eli Coulter John Fleeger. Robert Williams James Brady ! Jacob Turney, Robert Williams. John Kuhns. . - David Maclean I Jacob Turney. Peter Fleeger, Win. Johnston. Daniel Grant " ■ '"" Daniel Grant A. W. Foster Alex. W. Foster Rli Coulter John V. Barclay Jfihn Y. Barclay Uichard Coulter John Kuhns Jacob M. Wise Dr. S. P. Brown I)r S. P. Brown Jacob Weltv Jehu Taylor Richard Coulter. .\. Uumbaugh H. Brenneman 3. B. Ramsey D K. Marchand James C. Clarke James C Clarke James C. Clarke James C. Clarke .John Loor John W. Turney Alex. McKinney C. H. Sf.ark Henry Kettering. . . Tsrael Uncapher — .lumcs C. Clarke — C. H. Stark.. J. A. Marchand Simon Detar -Samuel Alwine C. R. Painter Samuel A'wine I, H. Welt.y John M. Smith Samuel Alwine, Sr. It. W, Sinsier Lewis T. Bott. H. S. Coshey. Arthur Carr. Abr;i John Kuhns, Arthi Jacob Weltv. Willi James GoodJin, Sai Randal AlcL uiKhlii Peter Fleeger, Frcderiek Maeklin, William Herwick. . Peter Fleeger. David Kuhns, George Shiras Jabob Turney, Jehu Taylor, John Fleeger .lehu Tavlor. James Fleming, F. A. Wise. . F. A. Wise. Arthur r;iri-. Randal McLauL^ilin Arthur Carr, Randiil Md, ui^HiIin. F. A. Wise llni'lMcii. .Inlui Kuhns ar. Aiiiahain llorbaeh McK'iiincy. .h.hu T.iylor I Kiihii-^, \^'illiam Ramsey jini Iviilnis, 'I'homas Armstrong Rand!>l McLaughlin.. lohn Kuhns. Thomas Armstrong John Kuhns, Samuel Kuhns. Joseph Russell Bcn.1. Highberger. Jacob S. Steck, Thomas L. Drum Dr. S. P Brown, Simon Cort, John Kuhns H. Gilchrist, J. L. Turney Jacob .Vl. ^Vise, Jnmcs Goodlin D. K. Marchand, Hugh Artcrs, Henry Kettering — Israel Uncauher. D VV. Shryock, H. D. Foster Kdgar Cowan. S. S Turney. Jno. Armstrong, Jr Edgar Cowan. John Armst rong, Jr., Samuel S. Turney Edg.ar Cowan, John Armstrong, Jr.. .S. S. Turney — Samuel Alwine. John Loor. W. H. Markle Edward J. Keennn. C. R. Painter. Daniel Kistler, Jr .lohn Loor. Daniel Kistler, John Morrison Daniel Kistler, Jr , Joseph Greer Z. P. Bierer F. Y. Clopper, Lawrence Winsheimer, Eli Fisher. . James F. Woods. John D. Coffin, Samuel Alwine. . William Dixon, William M. Given, A- A. Stewart. E. J. Keenan, A. A. Stewart. Thos. Donohoe. Z. P. Bierer. G. A. Allison, R. W. Singer J. J. Hazleit. Cornelius Miller. Adam Baer W. F. Rock, D. J. Clin. -.John M.Smith R. M. Reed. John H. Highberger. Peicr Welsh Frank Sarver. D. J. Cline. James H. Wclty Joseph Bowman, Eli Beck, George L. Turney R. M. Reed. John Kuhns, C. H. Stark Solomon Traugcr. W. H. Huckc. Simon H. Baker.. , Lewis Kline, F, V. B, Laird. Liicien Clawson J. \V. Turney. Willinrn Dixon. F. V. B. L.iird James K. Stuari, Peter Si pes. Joseph Boutnan John Kuhns, J. K. J)ick, Lueien Clawson . Samuel Alwine |.\.B. Brown, F. Y. Clopper, J. C. MeCausland [110] Richard Coulter. . . . Richard Coulter.... Uichard ConJter Ricliard Coulter — William Friedt JiKuh M. \Vi^,e , Jacnh M. Wise Dr. .luhn Morrison. Dr. Jno. Morrison.. Dr. J no. Morrison.. Dr. Jno. Morrison.. I*r. Jno. Monison. . Dr. John Morrison. Dr. Jno. Morrison. . Dr. John Mori'ison.. Dr. Jno. Morrison. . Dr. Jno. Morrison. . Dr. John Monison. . Dr. John Morrison.. H. C. Marchand H. C. Miirchand H. C. Marchand — Andrew Ross Reuben Shi-um Reuben Shrum Reuben .Shruni Reuben Shrum Reuben Shrum Caleb A. Steck Caleb A. Steck John L. Fisbel A. G. Marsh A. G. Marsh J.M.Liird W. K. Wise V\'. C. Holmes J.M. Laiid J. A, Marchand F. V. B. Laird John F. Fishel h\ S. Rock Thomas McCabe. ... Thi)m;is McCabe.... A. G. IMaish (i. Marsh A. G Marsh , A. G. Marsh A. G, Marsh , W. C. Loor W. c. Loor R, B. Patterson , R. B. Patterson F. U. Rohrer J. A. Sampsel Samuel West Samuel West John B. Hornish. . . Le\^ is Morford Lewis Morford Peter Fleeger John Porter John C. Wiliiams.. Peter Bossart Peter Bossai t Henry G.Kiehl.... Henry G Kichl — Henry G. Kichl Henry G. Kichl — Heni-y G. Kiehl — HIGH CONSTABLE. Simon Singer Christian Drum Daniel Grant Daniel Grant John Williams.. John Laughrey. . John Laughrcy.. John Laughrcy.. John Bricker. ... Michael Hawk.. . Jeremiah King.. . Samuel Suinii' Jernniah King.. . Jeremiah King. . . Geo. W. Lung Peter Everett Dan"l Hawk Tlius. Poulson. ... Peter Everett Peter Everett Carl Mvers.. Carl :\lycrs Thnnia> Pmilson. C'yrus .Mc^u vide. Cyrus .IMcQiiaide. Charles Harkins.. Alex. Stitt il m m ISSIJ. E. Gatchell John M. Smith.., 18831Z. P. Bierer Jacob Turney 1SS3,Z. P. Bierer C. H.Stark J884'S. R. Patterson Ijohn M. Smith... 1885 H. S. Ackerman jRlchard Coulter. 18SG L. W. Doty F. Y. Cloppei- 188-!' J. A. Marchand A. M Sloan 1888 J. A. Marchand 'D. Musick 1889, F. Y. Clopper lA. M. Sloan 189o! John O. Kelfer 'O. R. Snyder H. Byers Kuhns. William Walthour. Charles Diehl I James E Keenan,. P. S. Kuhns, Henry Lau^hrey, Joseph Tinman Jas. K Clarke J. T. Kirkwood, Henry Laughrey, Alex. Gress 'G E. Kuhns J. R.Bell. J. W. B. Kemorcr. Jno. Walthour C. R. Miller James C. Clarke. Edward Keenan. F. C. Gay ID. S. Ferguson Adam Turney. F. C. Gay. Alexander Eicher G. E. Kuhns Charles F. Ehalt. James E. Keenan. R. A. F. Lyon Iw. W. Keenan John Bonier, John Stoker. John B. Kuhns " Cyrus Gross H. S. Coshey. Joseph Bowman. Geo. W. Kline Cyrus Gross William Orr. Samuel Alwine. Sr . John M. Keener I A. G, Marsh HIGH CONSTABLE. Emanuel Noel Alexander Stitt Michael Hawk Carl Myers Carl Myers Emannel Noel Carl Myers ('arl Myers Carl Myers Carl Myers I'ear. Chief Burgess. .John B. Keenan . F.C. Gay .T. Covode Reed. . . William Snito... 1891 1893 189.-! 1894 Burgess. J. A. Marchand . Frank Goodlin.. . E. H. Bair J. W. Pollins Assistant Burgesses. Alex. Gress. Daniel Bierer, John Bonier. W. S. Bvers. .. Ij. Offutt. Henry Cosliey,. . . James Cochrane I'ear. Assistant Burgesses. 1891|,Tohn M. Keener 1892 Samuel Bierer 1S93 Alex. Gress lS94:Edward Donohoe. L. Offutt. Town. Clerk. A. G. Marsh A. G. Marsh A. G. Marsh — A. G. Marsh High Constable, John Wilhart G. W. Hazlett.... G. W Hazlett.... John Wilhart William Friedt was the iirst Tax Collector of the borough, acting in that capacity during the year 18G1. The total amount of the tax duplicate, for borough purposes, in that year, was §122. ST-^-. Simou Singer performed the duties of Collector, as as well as those of High Constable, in 1802. In that year the aggregate tax assessed was S250.71. This marked increase, over the preceding year, was evi- dently regarded as excessive, as the sum at no time during the ensuing eighteen years, reached §200. The greatest amount of the borough duplicate, from 1801 to 18-1:5, was in the year 1830, when it attained the proportions of $297.96. •mM. m RESIDENCE OF MR. WEORGE W. GOOD. Alexander Street. [Ill] f^s"!) « GREENSBURG SCHOOLS, Si mi m r mi A Record of More Than One Hundred Years of Educational Effort, BROWN BUSINKSS BUILDING. Main Street. I WllOTWITHSTANDING the perils and hardships which confronted l^^l the early settlers of Greensburg and vicinity, they were not in- f^^J seusilile to the importance of providing some means of education for their children. The school house was l)uilt only a few years after the block house. Although many of the pioneers themselves had not enjoyed the advantages of schools (of forty applications for pensions, presented by Revolutionary war veterans to the Westmoreland courts, be- tween the years IS'20 and 1830, which have come under the writer's notice, nineteen signed their names in English, five in German and .sixteen made a mark) tliey were evidently unwilling that their offspring should be similarly deprived. A log school house, of a type similar to that of the cabins of the first settlers, in and adjacent to Greensl)urg, was erected at an early period on the spot where the small lirick building now stands, near the spring, in the old St. Clair cemetery. It was built by a fund subscribed by residents of the neighborhood. While the exact time of the erection of the log school house is not known, there is good reason to believe that it was be- tween 1784 and 1787. In a deed (reproduced on another page of this vol- ume) convej^ing that ground to the Burgesses and inhabitants of the bor- ough of Greensburg, executed April 18, 1803, William Jack characterizes the log cabin as the "old school house." [ 113 ] « m m m * !* 4 !jdU ., \\A'i'. , ^ ft^^^ K F^^fl U^HN l^jl^^^^S g*^" 1' iijL'ail ^MJ RESIDENCE OF ME. JOHN S. SELL. Corner South Main Street and Maple Avenue. One Thomas HoUiday was a schoolmaster in this locality prior to 1788. In that year, as shown by an old account, he was paid -fii and fifteen shil- lings for tuition by the administrators in the settlement of a decedent's estate. Michael Huffnagle and Robert MeConnell (the former then Pro- thonotary and Clerk of the Courts, and owner of the lot now occupied by the Barclay office building) in a bill of goods bought of Wendel Keller, merchant, of McCallistertown, on September 1, 1789, purchased "twelve spelling books, twelve primers and twelve Dutch spelling books." A single man, named McQuoin, was a schoolmaster in and about Greensburg in 1789 and 1790. John McClelland, wdio settled in Greensburg in 1791, and resided here until his death in 1846, aged 92 years, was a schoolmaster and weaver. William Roselierry, who lived in this neighborhood in 1795 and 1798 was likewise a schoolmaster and engaged in that occupation. In addition to the English school, conducted in the log cabin, there were also several German, or, as they were more commonly called, Dutch schools, in the vicinity of Greensburg, in 1788, and for many years there- after. One of the Dutch schools was situated about one mile southeast of the town. In 1839 a tract of land, including the ground on which the Dutch school house was located, was exposed to sale by the Sheriff. Some of the citizens of that neighborhood formal Ij^ protested against the school house propertj' l)eiug embracetl in the proposed sale, setting up as a claim that it had been in possession of the patrons of the school for more than thirty years. The writer has seen an article of agreement, bearing date of April 8, 1799, indenturing a youth of this vicinity as an apprentice to the trade of a blacksmith, which bound his master to send the young man "four months to the Dutch school," during the term of his apprentice- ship. « - MASONIC TEMPLE. Erected 1871. Remodeled 1898. Main Street. Immediately following the ineorporrttion of Greensburg as a borough, the Bni-gesses were referred to as trustees of 'the log cabin school. Whether they were recognized as such merely by common consent, or were vested with that authority by some form of law, is a matter that cannot now be readily deter- mined. It is known, however, that the Burgesses acted iu that capacity after the transfer of the lot on which the school house was located, April 18, 1803, by virtue of it then being borough prop- erty. The humble structure was sub- sequently always designed as the "Bor- ough school house." James McLean announced in The Farmers' Eegister, on May 10, 1800, that "A Gramraar or Latin and Greek school has been opened at or atljoining the borough of Greensljurg, (on Mon- day, the '2Sth of April last), under the care and tuition of the subscriber, who will, if applied to, board his pupils." On April 15, 1801, this information was laid before the citizens of Greensburg, through the medium of The Register: "A c[uarterly examination of the scholars of the grammar school, under the tuition of Mr. McLean, will be held on Tuesday, the Itith instant, at the school house in this borough; and on the day following, they will deliver orations on various subjects in the Court Hou.se. The exhibition will commence precisely [114] GREENSBURG S FIRST SCHOOL HOUSE. Erected About 1785. is 12 o'clock. The presence of the trustees, and the friends ': literature is requested." ^m By the same journal the public was furnished with the fol- lowing intelligence, on February 13, 1802: "The trustees and fi'iendsof classical learning are requested to attend a quarterly examination of the scholars of the Greensburg grammar school, at the school house, on Thursday, the 16th instant; and, on the day following orations, on varit)us subjects, will be delivered iu the Court House by the young gentlemen. The ex- hibition to begin at 12 o'clock." Deed foe "The Commons," A copy of the deed, already referred to, trans- ferring "The Commons," as the lot embracing the Borough school house was popularly known for a half century, is presented below at length: Know all men by these presents that I. William Jack, of Hemprield township, Westmoreland county, Pa., Esquire, being desirous to promote the welff re of the borough of Greensburg, have given and do hereby give, grant and confirm to the Burgesses and Inhabitants of the said Borough of Greensburg, in the County of Westmoreland, all that lot or piece of ground within the said borough, beginning at a post on Front street, thence north fifteen degrees west sixty feet; thence north seventy-five degrees east two hundred and fifteen feet: thence south fifteen degrees east sixty feet; thence south seventy-five degrees west two hundred and fifteen feet to the beginning, containing forty-nine perches and two-tenths parts of a perch of land, to- m ^< €4 ^^" gether with the use and benefit of the spring ad.iacent to'said lot and free right and passage thereto, being the same lot which was hereto- fore appropriated for the use of a school and upon which a log tene- ment house was erected by and at the expense of the Inhabitants of the said borough and of its vicinity. Also, all that certain other lot or piece of land, within the bounds of the said borough as laid out in the Act of Assembly erecting the same, beginning at a post, thence north eighty-eight degrees west one hun- dred and ninety-eight feet, north thirteen degrees west one hundred and sixty-five feet and one-half foot to a post in the line between the said William Jack's land and William Best's, thence south eighty-eight degrees west by a lot. given by the said Best to the said borough, two hundred and thirty-five feet, thence south two degrees west one hundred and sixty-five feet and a half to the place of beginning, containing one hundred and thirty-one perches. To Have and To Hold the said first described lot to the said Burgesses and Inhabitants to and for the use of them and their successors forever for the purpose of ei'ecting. when convenient, thereon a house and other proper buildings for the instruction and educa- tion of the youth and the accommodation of the teacher who may be employed, reserving nevertheless the rights of the Inhabitants and others, subscribers to the old school house, until the same be waste and unfit for that use, and To Have and To Hold the said described lot to the said Burgesses and Inhabitants to and for the use of them and their successors forever to erect thereon as soon as con- venient a house for the public worship of Almighty God, the administration of the sacraments of the Christian Re- ligion and preaching from the sacred Scriptures of Truth, not less than sixty feet square, to be set apart as a site, on the southwesterly part of the said lot, for the said house of worship and ground adjoining, and the residue of the said lot for a place of burial of the dead In witness whereof the said William Jack, Esq., have hereto set my hand and seal the I8th day of April, 1803. WM. JACK, [SEAL]. Sealed and delivered in the presence of John Matthews, Robert Shields. Before the .subscriber, one of the Justices of the Peace for Westmoreland County, came William Jack. Esq., the grantor within named, and acknowledged the foregoing grant as his act and deed to be recorded as siich. Witness mv hand and seal dated as above. ROBT. DICKEY, [sealJ. RESIDENCE OF MR. JAMES A. BENNETT. Corner East Pittsburg Street and Talbott Avenue. [116] Recorded March 1 and 108. 180i. Deed Book Vol Old Greensbutg Academy, Realizing the need of an institution that would furnish a higher and more systematic education than that supplied by the scattered and irregular subscription schools, a movement was inaugurated by leading citizens of the county for the founding of an academy at Greensburg. The project was presented and met with the en- do rsem en t of the General As- sembly. Ac- cordingly, an Act was passed and approved by Governor Simon Snyder, March 7, 1810, directing "that there shall be, and hereliy is established in the Borough of Greensburg, in the County of Westmoreland, an academy or public school for the education of youth in useful arts, sciences and literature, by the name and style of 'The Greensburg Academy.'" The trustees named in the Act of incorporation were Judge John Young, John Morrison, John M. Snowden, Rev. William Speer, Thomas McGuire, Dr. James Postlethwait, Dr. David Marchand and HON. JACOB TURKEY. m m m ^£5 6»" Thomas Hodge. It was prescribed that none of the trustees should continue in office for a lonsfer term than four _years without being re-elected by the people of the county annually, at the general election, on the second Tuesday of October, in the same manner and under the same laws, rules and regula- tions as members of the Legislature are chosen. To deter- mine the tenor of the first trustees' terms the Act set forth OLD GREENSBURG ACADEMY. Erected 1810. Destroyed by Arc, 1830. that they should meet on the first Tuesday of May, after the enactment of the law, and cast lots as to the order of their retirement, to create the necessary vacancies to be supplied at the general elections during the ensuing four years. An appropriation of §2,000 ^\'as made from the State treasury, of which sura §1,000 was to be applied to the erection of a suit- able building, if the trustees deemed that course to be the "most advantageous for promoting the object of the said institution, and the remaining 81,000 shall be placed in some safe productive fund or funds, and the income there- of shall Ije forever applied in aid of other revenues to com- pensate a teacher or teachers in said academy, and there shall be admitted into said academy, in consequence of the aforesaid grant, any number of poor children that may at any time lie offered in order to be taught gratis; provided, tlie number so admitted and taught shall at no time be greater than four, and that none of the said children so admitted shall continue in said academy to be taught gratis, should others ajjply, longer than two years." jMany prominent residents of the county, but mainly in (ireensljurg, subscribeil to the fund for the purchase of ground, erection of a building and maintenance of the in- stitution. Of the state appropriation §1,000, together with an amount of the moneys arising from individual contributions, sufficient to make an aggregate of §1,989.46, was invested in stock of the Farmers' and Merchants' bank, of Philadelphia. The account of Thomas Hodge, treas- ^%m m m m sS3) m WB urer, showed the receipts from the State, private donations and earnings of the bank stock, from October, 1810, to May, 1814, to be as subjoined : Cash received of William Finley, State Treasurer, being the.'ippropriation made by the Legislatue to the Academy 52.000.00 SUBSCRIPTIONS. William Fricdt 2000 George Armstrong 50.00 John Young, in part 120.00 John M. Snowden 10.00 William S. Graham 20.00 Robert Brown 20.00 Mr. Boggs 5.00 Mat thew Jack 5.00 Thom.as Hodae 50.00 Joseph Baldridge 10.00 Joseph Weigley, Esq 50.00 Henry Isett 20.00 Arthnr Carr 20.00 Or. llavid Marchand 20.00 William Jack. Esq 20 00 Dr. Jas. Foil Id hwait. in part 20 00 John B. Alexander 20 00 John Kuhns. Esq 30.00 Walter Forward. Esq 20 00 Thomas McGuire 20.00 John Wells 20.00 Robert Williams (saddler) 10.00 Simon Drum. Jr 20.00 John Schaeffer 20.00 John Taylor's estate 2.00 John Morrison, Esq 20.00 Judtie Young. 40.000 brick, in full of his subscription 180.00 Saumel Bushfleld 10.00 Joseph Weigley, Esq., for li-shares of bank stock 961.10 Henry Wise 10.00 Michael P. Cassilly 20.00 Pcler Tittle 2.00 Andrew Allison 2.00 James Fleming 20.00 John Reed, Esq 5.00 John Sloan, Ksq 5.00 David Maclean 5.00 James Shields 5.00 Marniadnke Wilson 2.00 Six months' dividends on 29 shares of bank stock, at 10 per cent, per annum 145.00 Nicholas Day, Esq 20.00 Dr. Postlethwait, 2d installment 20.00 Samuel M. Reed 10.00 Charles Campbell. Esq 20.00 Samuel Guthrie. Esq 5.tJ0 James Brady. Esq 8 00 John Kirkpa trick :^0.00 John McCune 10.00 Jame-" Montgomery, Esq 5.00 Frederick Kohrer. Esq 5.00 Simon Singer 10.00 Samuel Sinner 5.C0 Frederick Macklin 2.00 Philip Kuhns 5.00 Robert Williams 10.00 Samuel Denniston 10.00 Alexander Johnston 30.00 John Young. Esq 150.00 Total ?4,384.10 RESIDENCE OF MRS. BARBARA WELTY. North Main Street. In addition to the above amounts John Christie, Jr. , was credited with a contribution of §1, and James Sloan with a donation of §2. This money, however, was refunded, as those gentlemen had intended extending that aid to a theological school, which was in progress in Greensburg, at that time, but the persons who were charged with delivering the same had mistakenly handed it to the treasurer of the Greensburg Academy fund. After the receipt of a sum sufficient to warrant proceeding with the enter- prise, the trustees purchased a piece of ground, embracing one acre and 119.5 perches, in Hempfield township, near the borough of Greensburg, from William Best, the consideration being Sll,5. The deed bears date of Decem- [119 1 fm m m m 1 m m SI it Oils ber 13, 1811, althoug-h the purchase was really made over one year Isefore. In detining the Ijoundary of the hind in the iustrnnient, the point of beginning is designated as on the ''east side of the Puekety road." Mrs. Best was also paid S4 "for signing the deed." The site selected was the RESIDENCE OF MR. OLIVER P. LONG. Oakland Avenue. most commanding eminence in proximity to to the borough, being a part of what is now the beautiful public school plot on North Main Street and North Maple Avenue, or Academy Hill. A building (occupying the same location as the present No. 1, or red brick, public school house) of a very substan- tial character, for that period, was erected. It was a plain two-story brick structure, with a like number of windows on both the front (west) and rear sides, and a commodious entrance. Neither door nor window broke the solid walls on the north and south. The tirst story of the building was divided into four rooms for dwelling purposes. On the second floor were two large school rooms and a small apartment for a teacher's studio. The first session of the academy opened on June 3, 1811. William Clarke was the preceptor in charge. Beside the higher English branches, he also taught Latin and Greek. His compensation was §60 per annum, with the free use of the dwelling rooms in the building. Although both young men and ladies were accepted as students, the se.xes occupied separate school rooms. That regulation prevailed during the entire history of the institution, and extended even to a dividing line on the campus and periods of recess. The one teacher taught in both rooms, which were connected by a large door. Ordinarily there were three terms, of twelve weeks each, in the academy, during the course of a year. They usually began in January, June and October. [120] As showing that the attendance was reasonably good, it may be stated that in the summer of 1817, for instance, the number of students was 34 young men and 40 young ladies. The rates of tuition, that generally prevailed, for a term of twelve weeks, were as follows: Classical, So; English branches, S3. Boarding, with light and fire, in the academy, was 81.50 per week. Below is a complete list of the teachers employed in the in- stitution from the period of its opening until the destruction of the building by fire : 1811-1812— William Clarke. 1813— William Clarke, James Coe.* 1814 — William Heaton. 1815 — Joseph McCarrell. 1816-1819- Jonathan Findlay. 1820— Mr. Smith. 1821-182^^Mr. Lucus. 1825-183.5— Thomas Will. 1836-1838 — James Jones. 1838 — Thomas Farnesworth. 1839 — Thomas Farnesworth, John Lloyd. 1840 — John Lloyd, Rev. B. Ames. 1841-1842- William W. Woodend. 1842— John W. Duff, Wm. W. Woodend. 1843— William W. Woodend. 1844 — Thomas J. Keenan, Rev. Sam'I Sherwell. 1845 — Rev. Samuel Sherwell. 1846— John Campbell. 1847-1849— Rev. Samuel Sherwell. 1860— Rev. William D. Moore. * Where two persons are named in one year, each taught one or more of the three terms, during that year. All the teachers were men of scholarly attainments. Mc- Carrell was a graduate of Jefferson college; Thomas Will of St. Anthony's, Scotland; James Jones, of St. Omer's, France; Thomas Farnesworth, of Union college. New York, and the others of like celebi'ated educational institutions. Si m m m f Findlay was a brother of Gov. Wm. Findlay. Nearly all the above teachers subsequently gained distinction in the pulpit or at the bar. ilr. Ames became a noted )iishop in the Methodist Episcopal church. Many of the students, who received a goodly part of their education at the old Greensburg academy, attain- ed high stations in life and reflected honor upon their alma mater. Among them were Gov. William Freame Johnston, United States Senator Edgar Cowan, Hon. Albert G. Marchand, Hon. Augustus Drum, Hon. Thomas Williams, of Allegheny City, Hon. Henry D. Foster, Hon. Jacob Turney, Judge J. M. Burrell, ex- Judge Thomas ^Mellon, the Pittsburg financier, Hon. Peter G. Shannon, a Judge of the Allegheny county courts and subsequently Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Dakota, Brigadier General Richard C. Drum, of tlie United States army, together with manj'- others in almost ever walk of life. Fire completely destroyed the academy building on the night of July 2, 18.50. Nothing was left of the structure but a mass of debris and the shattered founda- tion walls. Just how the disastrous outbreak originated was never definitely ascertained. A student of mis- chievous and reckless disposition was suspected by some persons, at the time, of having set the building on fire, but no attempt was ever made to fix the guilt upon him. RESIDENCE OF THE LATE HON. JAMES C, South Main Street. m H Early Subscription Schools. It would be impossible to furnish a complete list of the subscription schools that were conducted in Greensburg and vicinity during the period from 1800 to 1837, when the com- mon school system was permanently established. Such schools had a precarious existence and were of irregular tenor. As each teacher acted for himself or herself, and was responsible, in most instances, only to the parents of the pupils, no permanent records were kept of those schools. They were mainly formed by migratory schoolmasters canvassing the families of the town to secure subscribers for enough pupils to warrant the opening of a school. On some occasions the heads of families would meet at a public house or other designated place, in response to a published call for such a gathering, and determine upon the expediency of procuring a room and employ- ing a teacher to instruct their children. Conferences of that character were convened in this manner, the an- nouncement appearing in the Greensburg and Indiana Eegister, February 5, 1811 : "Parents and others interested in the education of youth, are requested to meet at the house of Abraham Horbach, in this borough, on Monday next, at 10 o'clock, A. M., for the purpose of consulting and fixing on a suitable teacher." At times, but with no degree of regularity, the Bur- gesses, who were the custodians or trustees of the Bor- ough school house, employed a teacher and put the school in operation. An advertisement, published by those officials in the Greensburg Gazette, April 2, 1819, was as follows : ta ''A Teacher Wanted. — A person of respectable character and competent qualifications for teaching the various branches ^^« of an E^nglish Education, is wanted to take charge of the Borough School in Greensburg. Applications to be made ^5|» immediately to the Burgesses, trustees of the school." Although the Borough school house was frequently used as the place of holding the subscription schools, such was not always the case. More desirable and comfortable quar- ters, elsewhere in the town, were procured sometimes by the teachers or parents. ^ m m m ufM RESIDENXE OF D.1TID A. MILLER Corner Mill and Third Street. ESy. SOME OF THE EARLY TEACHERS. William Hara, who claimed to have been "a public teacher for a space of ten years," prior to coming to the United States, taught a school in Hemptield township, "near Hanna's Town," in 1799, and for several years thereafter. Youth were "instructed in the following branches of literature, viz : Reading, writing, arithmetick, book-keeping, geography, geometry, logimetry and altimetry, with their application to mensura- tion, surveying, navigation, gauging and dialing." Subsequently Mr. Hara came to Greensburg. He was the teacher of a school in the borough for about live years prior to 1808. Robert Williams, a young man, whose parents resided in Greensburg, was a schoolmaster in the borough for six or eight years, beginning in 1807. Ephraim Carpenter opened a school "for the education of j^outh," in the brick building of James Shields, in the autumn of 1814. Mr. Car- penter also conducted an evening school, during m m^ the winter of that year, which commenced at 6 o'clock and closed at 9 o'clock. INIrs. Gill, whose husband was a tailor, "lately arrived from London," taught a private school for the instruction of young ladies, during the winter of 1815-16, and also the spring and summer of the latter year. The course of study RESIDENCE OF DR. E. B. MARSH, West Otterman Street. embraced reading, orthography, English grammar, writing (on Jenkins' plan), composition, arithmetic, geometry and painting in India ink and water colors. The tuition was $8 a quarter, and boarding, §30. George Rohrer was a resident schoolmaster in Greensburg from 1816 to 1820, as was also Gad H. Tower. Misses de Bartholt opened a school for young ladies, in May, 1820. In addition to the English branches, instruction was also given in music, drawing, painting, and plain and fancy needle- work. John Armstrong taught mathematics in 182.3. R. E. Stoxe conducted a school, with all the Eng- lish .studies, in 1821, Edward Geary, Samuel L. Carpenter and D. C. ^Morris likewise conducted schools, at various times, during those years and also in 182.5. James Goddard was the teacher of a night school, compi'ising all the English branches, in the autumn and winter of 1826. William McGowan occupied the Borough school house in the summer of 1827. Besides the ordinary English studies instruction was given in bookkeep- ing and the higher mathematics. Miss Lj^die Biddle was the teacher of a school for smaller children, in a log building on the site of the Methodist church, in 1828 and 1829. m &v ©i t J I te^ ^^HBtei 1 ^^^^^^^^^HEN"^"- HrKEfi«>''. The purpose was to erect a commodious school building at that point. . Pending decisive action as to ways and means, however, a movement was inaugurated for the enlargement of the liorough limits, which then terminated at Tunnel Street, on the north. The new boundaries, as contemplated, would bring the ground of the old Greenshurg academy within the lines of the Ijorough, and the school district likewise. Under those conditions the acquisition of the academy lot for a common school building suggested it- self. That beautiful plot had been practically abandoned for school purposes after the burning of the academy building. Funds were lacking to replace the structure. Attempts had been made to conduct an academy or ad- vanced school, under the supervision of the academy trus- tees, in rented rooms at \arious places in the town, but they were irregular and the attendance somewhat discour- aging. In the meantime the spacious lot had been con- verted into a place for holding county fairs, horse races, circuses, and a resort for disorderly characters. By an Act of the General Assembly, approved March 30, ISfiO, in the nature of a supplement to the original statute of in- corporation, the borough lines were materially extended and included the academy lot. Formal action followed to Wy ^ 1^^ have the property transferred to the Greensburg school district. It was believed that such could be done without impairing the object of the founders of the academy. Instead of being detrimental it was decided that it would be advan- tageous, both to the academy and the common schools, as one spacious and substantial building could be erected that would be capable of accommodating both schools. Moreover, by combining their resources, the academy corporation and the common school district could accomplish what would be almost impossible for the former and a very heavy burden upon the latter. Public sentiment being favorable to such a consummation, the Legislature passed a special Act, approved April IT, 1861, which provided "That the trustees of the Greensburg academy, in the county of Westmoreland, be and they are hereby authorized and empowered to convey by deed, in fee simple, all the real estate of the aforesaid corporation, and also to assign and transfer all the personal property and funds belonging thereto, to the school district of Greensburg borough, in said county, for the purpose of common school educa- tion; provided, that two-thirds of the said trustees shall join in such conveyance and transfer, and that the same shall be approved by the Court of Conunon Pleas of said county." Ju.st at that time the awful realitj' that civil war was at hand, burst upon the nation, and so agitated the public mind, that other matters were left in temporary abeyance. At the next session of the Legislature, in a general Act, approved May 20, 1862, bearing the title of "A further supplement to the Act, entitled 'An Act for the regulation and continuance of a System of Education by Common « @ ^ mm pi m m m pi m Schools,' approved the 8th day of May, 1854," was em- bodied, as section sixteen, the following^ : "That the trustees of any academy' or seminary, in this commonwealth, which received money or land therefrom. RESIDENCE OF MR. THOMAS L. JONES. East Second Street. for educational purposes, are herel)y authorized and em- powered to convey, by deed of not less than two-thirds of their number, to be approved by the Court of Common Pleas of the proper county, all the real estate, buildings and prop- erty, and funds of, or belonging thereto, to the Board (if Directors and their successors in office, of the com- mon schools of the district in which the main building thereof may be situated, to be used and applied by said Directors for the purposes of common school education therein, and for no other purpose: Provided, That when a high common school shall have been established therein, by means of said property, the citizens of the county within which said district is situated, shall have the right to have their sons and daughters admitted into such high school, if duly qualided, on paying the treas- lu-er of .said district the same rate of tuition, for each, which it shall annually cost .said district, per student, to keep .said higli school in operation, without adding any- thing thereto for the use of the building." Fully satisfied with the authority and power granted l)y those two statutes, Messrs. Joseph 11. Kvdins, Jacob Welly, John !M. Laird, David K. Marchand, William II. Markle, John Loor, Caleb H. Stark and John Arm- strong, composing the board of trustees of the Greens- burg academy, executed a deed, conveying the original lot, purchased from William Best, embracing one acre and l-tSt.o perches, to the Greensburg school district; and, "further, the trustees aforesaid do by these pres- ents, in consideration of the agreements or stipulations here- inafter mentioned, transfer, assign and set over to the said school district aforesaid all moneys and stocks of or belong- ing to the said trustees, for the purpose of common school education, to have and to hold the same to the said school district aforesaid, its successors and assigns forever. "In consideration of the foregoing conveyance and transfer, it is especial- ly understood and agreed by the Di- rectors of the said school district afore- said, for themselves and successors, by the acceptance of this conveyance, that they, the Board of School Directors of the Greensburg school district aforesaid shall and forthwith proceed to erect upon the lot of ground here- in conveyed to them, a suitable build- ing for school purposes, in which they shall provide ample and sufficient school rooms and privileges for an academy, which shall be set apart for the use of said academy, and be and remain under the control and direc- tion of the said trustees and their successors to be used and enjoyed by the same, free of any charge, so long as the said trustees shall deem it ex- pedient to do so; provided, that if an academy be not put in operation and maintenance, in said building by said trustees, and a high school should at te m i any time be estaljHshed by said Board of School Directors, the children of the citizens of Westmoreland county shall be admitted thereto, if duly qualified, on paying to the Treasurer of said district the same rale of tuition for each which it shall annually cost said district, per student, to keep said high school in operation. This conveyance and trans- fer made by virtue of the authority contained in the Act of As- sembly of ITth April, 18(51, and the Act of 11th April, 1862." The deed was dated and signed Isy all the trustees on May 20, 1862. After due consideration the transfer was formally ap- proved in open court. RESIDENCE OF MRS. E. W. TOWXSEXD. North Main Street. New Academy, or School Building No, 1. With a perfect title to the ground, and stipulations which the}' were able to fulfill, the Board of School Directors prompt- ly proceeded toward the erection of a spacious and sul)stantial building. In addition to the ground, §1,850 in cash was receiv- ed from the trustees of the old academy. Subsequently the lot at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue 'and Third Street was disposed of for sJ-triO, and the District School house property, on South Main Street, for §831. The contract for the new structure was awarded, on June 12, 1862, to the building firm of Lyon & Bierer, composed of Messrs. Gordon ]\I. Lyon and Z. P. Bierer, at §'.i,-tO0. Work was commenced without delay and prosecuted with vigor. The site of the new structure included and covered the ground occupied by the old academy. It was .stipulated in the contract that the new building must be com- pleted, or, at least, ready for occupancy, early in June, 1863. That result was accomplished. The interior arrangement of the handsome house was practically the same then as it is at present. There are four large rooms on the first floor, with a broad hall, [ 143J_ and two school rooms, a principal's office and an assembly room, 'about 45x60 feet, on the second floor. Between the time of the awarding of the contract for the structure, and its completion, because of the civil war, the price of building material and the wages of skilled labor, underwent a marked advance. With the additional allowances made the contract- ors, and the furnishings, the cost of the new .school house was about Sl2,000. The building was first occupied for school purposes in July, 1863. The four rooms on the lower floor were put into use as common schools, with John ^. Caldwell, Joseph S. Walt- hour, Miss Maria Baughman and Miss Isabella J. Williams as the' corps of teachers. It was designed that the upper floor should be set apart for the academy. Repeated efforts were made during the ensuing two years to re-awaken interest and re-establish that institution. They were not attended with very satisfactory or encouraging results, however, and the project was reluctantly abandoned. Accordingly, a High school de- partment was introduced into the common school course, in the spring of 1864. It has since been maintained and the stand- ard gradually raised and improved. Although the house here referred to is now generally designated Xo. 1, or Second Ward school building, it was commonly called "the new aca- demy,"' for a number of years, and thereafter "the academy," until 1883, when school building No. 2 was erected. The new academy was built under the control of the fol- owing Board of Directors: Messrs. Jacob Turney, James C. te ^M^ Clarke, C. R. Painter, J. C. McCausland, Thomas J. Barclay and Alexander Kilffore. In February, 1876, the Board of School Directors purchas- ed an adjoining lot, on the south, from !Mr. Leopold Furt- Tvangler, for ^2,1)00, embracing 10!.ix'205 feet, and added it to the ground acquired from the trustees of the Greensburg academy, thus mak- ing the beautiful plot, now possessed by the school district, with a frontage of over 550 feet on Main Street and a like frontage on Maple Avenue. The funds for the purchase of the Furtwangler lot were almost entirely in the nature of tines, which accrued to the school dis- trict under the operations of the "local option law." RESIDENCE UF MR. A. E. MARTIN. West Pittsburg Street. No. 2, or Fourth Ward School Building. Owing to the con.stantly increasing attendance at the schools, it became apparent in 1S81 that provisions were necessary for permanently en- larged quarters. After careful delilieration, the Board of Directors determined upon the erection of a new or additional building. As No. 1 school house is located in the northern part of the district, it was deemed advisable that the proposed new structure be placed in the southern section of the town. What was re- garded as a suitable lot, situated at the corner ^m of Third Street and Euclid Avenue, was purchased on October 11, 1881, from Hon. James C. Clarke, for ^,000. It had a frontage of 152 feet and a depth of 300 feet. Mr. Clarke also agreed and did donate a sufficient amount of ground to open or extend Fourth Street along the south side of the lot. To meet the cost of the ground and building, the Board of Direc- tors created a Isonded loan of §21,, 500. Satisfac- tory plans and specifications having been pre- pared, and bids solicited, the contract for the new structure was awarded, on April 10, 1883, to Louis W. Bott, for 820,417. In less than a year thereafter the elegant edifice, shown on this page, was ready for partial occupancy. The extreme dimensions of the building are 86ix661 feet. It is constructed of brick and cut stone. The walls of the first story are eigh- teen inches in thickness, and above, thirteen inches, while the partition walls are also of brick, and nine inches in thickness. There are eight airy, well-lighted school rooms, 2.5x35 feet each, all having a connecting cloak room or apartment. The three hallways are tweh-e feet wide, with an octagonal rotunda, 22x22 feet, and two broad stairways. On the second floor, in addition to the four school rooms, is a prin- cipal's ofiice and book room. Having a mansard roof, there is also a lofty attic. The heating and ventilating system, in use in the building, is of the most approved modern pattern, and m ^215 the general sanitary arrangements are excellent. The ample grovmds, surrounding the building, are adorned with trees, ^^> shrubbery, ilower plots, smooth sward and graceful terraces. ^S3I Messrs. John Latta, Joseph J. Johnston, Eli Beck, J. J. ^^i> Wirsing, James S. Moorhead and John H. Highberger form- ed the Board of Directors at the time the splendid building was constructed. RESIDENCE OF MR. P. F. M'CANN. Oakland Avenue, No. 3, or Fifth Ward School Building, Although Bunker Hill borough was duly incor- porated on December 10, 1887, ofBcials for the same were not elected until the ensuing general election, on the third Tuesday of February, 1888. Included within the corporate limits was a sub- stantial, one-story brick school house, which had been erected while the territory of the new bor- ough was yet a part of the Hemptield township school district. Pending arrangements for the construction of a more modern and commodious building, the whilom township school house was utilized for common school purposes. Its situa- tion, however, in the extreme northwestern part of the young borough, was not regarded as a favorable one for the proposed new building. The Board of School Directors, accordingly, purchased two lots, on April 1, 1889, from Mr. Uriah G. Kemp, the consideration being §1.100. Together, the lots had a frontage of 100 feet on Spring Street, and an equal depth of 170 feet, aligning ou an alley, on the west. The location was near the centre of the district. Soon after securing: the ground the Board of Directors, composed of Messrs. J. C. Rohrbacher, Lewis Sanders, Adam Deemer, John Rohr- bacher, John S. Eicher and Amos Plutchinson, awarded the contract for the erection of a building, in conformity with certain plans and specifications, to Mr. Robert Fulton, the cost of the same, when fijiished, being about §7,000. To provide for the outlay, a bonded loan of ST, 000 was negotiated. By diligent work on the part of the contractor, the structure was brought to a sufficient stage of completion to be occupied for school use in the autumn of 1889. The dimensions of the building are 80x40 feet. Brick and stone were used in the construction. The building embraces four large school rooms, two good-sized halls, a broad stairway and an attic. The district having no further need of the old township school house and ground, disposed of the same, and the little brick building was converted into a dwelling by the purchaser. When Bunker Hill borough was merg- ed with Greensburg, in 1894, as the Fifth ward, of course, the school prop- erty was likewise brought within the Greensburg school district. It was then that it became known as No. 3, or Fifth ward school building. After the con- solidation a number of important im- provements were made in the building, km m in the way of heating, ventilation and other sanitary feat- ures. On October 31, 18!I4, two additional lots were pur- chased from Mr. Uriah G. Kemp for Si, 000. Those two lots adjoin the others, belonging to the school district, on the north, making the aggregate frontage of the school grounds 190 feet on Spring Street. The betterments of the building and surroundings, and the additional lots, have increased the value of the property of the school district, in that ward, about §6,000. CE OF W. S. BYEES, ESQ. Mill Street. [148] Greensburg High School. Following the opening of the schools on Sep- tember 9, 1S9.5, it was discovered that there was a very large increase in the number of pupils in attendance. No more rooms being available on the upper floors of the school buildings, tem- porary apartments were provided in the base- ments of iSos. 1 and 2 buildings, formerly occupied by the families of janitors, and addi- tional schools established therein for about one hundred pupils. Notwithstanding those ar- rangements, it was found that all the regular rooms were still in a crowded condition. Be- cause of the Compulsory Education law, which had been approved in jSIay, and would Ijecome operative at the opening of the ensuing school year, and. in all probability, further increase the number of pupils, the Board of Directors realized that an additional building was neces- sary. At the regular monthly meeting of the Directors, on September 16, the situation was ^ PI r I 1^ carefully considered and a new building virtually determined upon. However, a committee was appointed to inquire into the subject, in all its features, and report to the Board. After receiving the report of the committee, on November 18, and a thoughtful discusssion of the condition of affairs, DRUG STOUE OF MR. S. L. WALTHOnR. Main Street. [150] the Board of Directors decided upon the erection of an addi- tional Ijuilding. It was determined that the new structure should be for High school purposes: that its location should be on the old academy, or Second ward grounds, north of No. 1 building; that it should have accommodations for 350 pupils, 200 in the preparatory department and 160 in the High school proper, and that an architect Ise employed without delay to prepare plans. In the deJD^erations as to the character of the contem- plated new building, the Board 'of Directors regarded the probable'demands of the future as to school facilities. It was maintained that at no far distant day all the subur- ban or abutting Ijoroughs would likely be merged with Greensburg, both in the matter of municipal and school government. As all those boroughs are provided with comparatively new and substantial buildings, well adapted for primary and intermediate ward schools, the paramount need, under- such 'conditions, would be a central High school. It was like\yise_agreed that, even if a general con- solidation of the cluster of boroughs and' school districts should not occur, the most pressing need of the Greens- burg district was a High school building. With a school census of 1,.500, and the Greensburg district being obli- gated at all times to receive students from any part'of Westmoreland county into its High school department (of which there are always a number in attendance) on the payment of the same rate of tuition which it annually costs the district, per student, to maintain that department. under the covenant on which the old Greensburg academy lot was acquired, it was decided that the increasing at- tendance in the secondary grades rendered the erection of a building, of the character indicated, the most expedient, both for the present and the future. Plans and specifications were prepared by Mr. W. S. Fra- zer, of Pittsburg, the architect chosen for that work, in con- formity with the style of building outlined by the Board of Directors. Proposals for its construction having been solicit- ed, a number were received and opened on May .5, 1896. As they all exceeded the sum which the Directors felt warranted in expending, the architect was instructed to make certain changes in material, to reduce the cost, preserving at the same time the general outlines of the building as originally, designed. Bids having again been received, based on the modified plans, they were opened on June 1. Messrs. Kennedy, Hamilton & Fair being the lowest bidders, were awarded the contract on that day, at 858,027. Ground for the splendid structure, which is now the pride of the school district, was first broken on Tuesday, June 16, 1896. Mr. James Wentzell supervised the work, as the representative of the Directors, from the beginning until the building was completed. At the time the erection of a High school struc- ture was determined upon, and the plans adopted, the Board of Directors was composed of the following persons : First Ward — Joseph J. Johnston, .Tames S. Moorhead and A. M. Sloan. Second Ward — John M. Jamison, John M. Zimmerman and B. F. Vogle. Third Ward— C. T. Barnhart, T. F. Lyon and Theodore Hammer. Fourth Ward — Leonard Keck, George H. Hugus and 1© Wf^^ [165] #1 1894. No. of schools 17 No. of teachers 17 No. of pupils 780 Average attendance 072 Taxes for school and building purposes. $12,217.04 Cost per pupil, per month 1.85 State appropriation 4,246.85 1895. J8 19 1,175 815 $13,414.21 1.46 5,711.02 1890. 24 21 1,0% 844 1897. 27 27 1.178 923 $20,120.38 $21,192.78 1.80 1.80 5,711.62 5,497.83 For the current school year, ending June 5, 1899, the en- rolhiient is 1,22.5 pupils and the average attendance about 1,075, with thirty teachers, including the Borough Superin- tendent, employed. PROPERTY OF HON. FR.iNK B. HARORAVE. Seminary Avenue. Free Schools and Pay Schools. For a number of years after the public or free schools were put in operation in Greensburg, pri- vate or pay schools, of the primary and inter- mediate grades, were likewise conduced at inter- vals in the town. The terms of the public schools during the first fifteen years were somewhat ir- regular and the vacation periods protracted. In many instances, accordingly, the pay schools were opened during the prolonged vacations of the public schools. Moreover, lor a time, there was a reluctance on the part of some parents to place their children in the public schools. They gave two main reasons for entertaining that feeling. One was that there was a close association of good and bad children, and that the contact with bad or evil schoolmates might be detrimental to those who had enjoyed better home influences and training. Another strong reason was based on sanitary con- ditions. It must be confessed that in the earlier years of the public schools the personal habits of [166] the pupils were not of the model character, and were not re- garded as being within the authority of the teacher as now. Those juvenile afflictions, such as itch, mumps, chicken-pox, lice, etc. , frequently prevailed among the pupils, and it some- times happened that the presence of a few children so afflict- ed soon contaminated the entire school. AVhen the New Academy, or No. 1 school building, was erected, and a High school department established, however, the public schools became more orderly and better systemat- ized, and inspired stronger public confidence. Thereafter the pay and select schools, of the elementary grades, found few patrons and soon disappeared entirely. Since that time, in Greensburg, citizens of all classes have sent their children to the public, or, as designated by law, the common schools. Among the schools of the past was an academic institu- tion, known as the Muhlenberg Institute. It occupied an old building on Bunker Hill and was in operation during the years 18i7-'4S-'49. It was conducted under Lutheran auspices, and was the beginning of what is now Thiel college, located at Greenville, Pa. From 1845 to 1870 a German school was conducted at, intervals in Greensburg and Hetnpfield township, under a legacy from Jacob Buergy, left jointly to the Lutheran and German Reformed congregations for that purpose. Thereafter the fund was applied to the Sunday schools of those churches. C. D. Hass, on June 2.5, 1814, opened what he called a military academy in the Court House. It was not an edu- cational institution, as has sometimes been stated, how- ever, but was only for instruction in broad-sword exercise and infantry and cavalry discipline. The drills were con- fined to four periods a week, of two hours each. m M M M M M M M m m RESIDENCE OF W. A. GRIFFITH, ESQ. Oakland Avenue. m ST. JOSEPH S ACADEMY— SETON HILL. In Charge of the Sisters of Charity. Erected 1887. [168] The Pioneer Schoolmaster, One Balthaser Meyer, a German settler from eastern Pennsylvania, was the pioneer schoolmaster of the vicinity of Greens- burg, and, no doubt, Westmoreland coun- ty. About 1764 he located two miles south- east of Greensburg, in the vicinity of Har- old's church, and instructed the youth of the few pioneers in secular knowledge and the Lutheran catechism for over twenty years thereafter. School Bells. When the common school system was inaugurated in Greensburg in 1837, the Court House bell was brought into requisi- tion to notify the youth of the district when the hour had arrived to repair to the several places of instruction. At that period there were but two large bells in the town, the one on the temple of justice, and the other, a smaller and less far-sound- ing one, in the little belfry of the old German church (popularly known as "the Bee Hive"). As the use of the Court House bell for that purpose was freely granted by the county officials, it became the regular medium thereafter of summon- :*.^ ^Ml THE SEMINARY— SETON HILL. In Charge of the Sisters of Charity. Erected 1887. [169] ing the children to school. It served in that capacity for a quarter of a century, or until the New Academy (No. 1 school building) was erected. A bell was then procured and placed in the tower of that structure. During the spring school term of 1S7S, however, a lad who was permitted to ring the bell, at the appointed hour, by the janitor, either through a lack of knowl- edge or by design, put so much energy into the work that he cracked it, and, that par- ticular bell was forever silenced. In the autumn of 1878 the Board of Directors purchased a new bell from a Pittsburg founder, and had it placed in the belfry of No. 1 school building. The new bell weighed 1,01.5 pounds, being much larger and of better tone than the old one. About 1891 it was removed to the tower of No. 2 school building, where it still does duty daily during the school term. « Other Educational Institutions. The corner stone of the Greensburg Seminary was formally laid on July 18, 1874. The institution was projected by Rev. iM mL Lncien Govt, and cnnducted under the care of the Pittsburg Synod of the Reformed church. It was originally design- ed as a seminary for the education of young ladies, and was first opened on April 7, 1875, with fifty students in attend- ance. In July, 1888, it was leased and subsequently pur- RESIDENCE OF MR. W. D. WALTHOUR. Oakland Avenue. chased by the "Educational Society of AVestmoreland Coun- ty." Although under the control of members of the Lutheran faith, it is conducted in a non-sectarian manner. By the new management the institution was opened to students of both sexes. In connection with the Seminary there has been established a l)usiness college. In all its departments the in- stitution is on a substantial and successful basis. In recent years the attendance has been fron 300 to 350 students. The main building, or Seminary proper, is located on a large lot, bounded on the east by Seminary Avenue, and on the west by Oakland Avenue. Its situation is an elevated one and commands a view of the entire western section of Greens- burg. The Iniilding is an excellent brick and stone struc- ture. St. Joseph's Academy for the education of young ladies, and St. Mary's Seminary, for the instruction of small boys, occupy the most commanding eminence in this vicinity. They are located on Seton Hill, the northwestern suburb of Greensburg, and are in charge of the Sisters of Charity. The corner stone of this magnificent edifice was placed in position, with befitting ceremonies, on April 21, 1887. The building was constructed in the most substantial manner of brick and cut stone, and embraces every modern comfort and convenience. The frontage is 171 feet and the depth 73 feet. The height of the main building is 47 feet, with a handsome tower 52 feet, making the aggregate height 99 feet. With the furnishings the total cost of the massive and superb structure was about §150,000. Both the Academy and Seminary are well attended during the school terms, and their educational character is of the highest order. Surrounding the beautiful buildings is a fertile and carefully cultivated farm of about two hundred acres, also owned by the Sisters of Charity. In 1896 an elegant chapel was erected, which adjoins the Academy on the north. It is liO feet in length, 72 feet wide and .58 feet high on the interior. St. Benedict's parochial school, connected with the Most Holy Sacrament (Catholic) church, is situated on the west side of North Main Street. It is an excellent brick and stone structure, and contains four large, airy and cheerful school rooms. It is attended by from 200 to 250 pupils. The building was erected in 1892, at a cost $8,000. It is contemplated, in the near future, to enlarge or double the size, adding four more commodious rooms. A parochial school has been maintained by the Greensburg Catholic con- gregation since 1860. Two other school houses, of a less pretentious character, were erected at different periods, prior to the pres- ent substantial building. t© T&SS Pase. j^ccount of Trustees for Locating- Countyseat. ■.. 10 Act, Superseding Trustees Repealed U Armed Attack on Greensburg Threatened 15 Borough Officers, the P'irst 28 Building of the Turnpilce 63 Business Rivalry at Greensburc in 1815 *>2 Borough Votes S5U,000 for a Railroad 87 Borougli Boundaries 103 Bunker Hill Borough Annexed 105 Borouf^h School Houses I'iS Buertjy German School 16? Courts at Robert Hanna's House 3 Court House and Jail, the First at Greensburg — 5 Countyaeat Contest Expressions in a Newspaper in 1786 8 Court House and Jail, the Second 35 Conestoga Wagons 59 Commencing the Railroad Work at Greensburg. - - 80 Court House and Jail, the Third 89 Corner ^tonc of Tliird Court House Laid 91 Court House Beils - 95 County Convention of School Delegates. \8Ai 130 Disavowed Aerceinent as to Cuuntyseat Siie 46 Deed for the Public Square 47 Dress of the Early Packers and Movers 50 Distributing Newspapers in 1799 51 Deed for "The Commons" ■■ — 115 District School House 1:^6 Deed for tlic ruder wood Donation Fund 161 Early Miiil Meiliods 51 Earliest U;iilro:id Tirao Tabic at Greensburg 84 Exciting War-Time Incident 96 Executions in the Jails 102 Earliest School Teachers 113 Early Subscription Schools I'i'i Early School Text Books 127 First Locomotive Into Westmoreland 82 P^irst Locomotive Into Greensburg S3 First Railroad Shipments 85 First Telegraph Lines 88 Fourth t'ouniy Jail at Greensburg 98 First Borough T.ixes and Collector Ill First Scliuol Exhibitions H4 First Coiuuinn Schools in Greensburg 132 First Borough School SupurintendeiiL l.io Free Schools and Pay Schools 166 Greensburg, When and Why so Named 1-2 Greensburg Durine: Whiskey Insurrection 14 Greensburg Incorporated as a Borough 22 Greensburg Innkeepers in 1788 oK Greensburg & Pittsburg Turnpike, First Offlcers. 56 Greensburg Ward Divisions 106 Greensburg Feuuvle Seminary 135 Greensburg High School Building 148 Gov. Gearv's Visit to the Schools l-"'6 Growth of the Schools 16,5 Greensburg Seminary 169 Holding Court in Taverns 35 Hempfield Railroad ■ 86 Itemized Cost of First Court House 10 Itemized Cost of Second Court House 36 Jurors for the First Term of Court at Greensburg, 1787 V Locating the Seat of Justice 2 Law and Order Meeting in 1794 18 LrlUrs TiiU-ntfor Merging Bunker Hill 107 Lisi ol llori.u-rh Offlcers Since 1799 109 Militia Slatioued at Greensburg iu 1791 16 Market Houses 31 Mail Stage Schedules in 1807 and 1813 52 Morrison, Dr. John, Bequest to the Schools 160 Muhlenberg Institute 167 Newtown, whence derived 1 Newspaper History 71 New Aciidcmv. or School Building No. 1 142 No.2ScIhhi1 Huildhig 144 No.3 S.'Ik.i.I liiiil.ling 146 Old Gri'CMslMutJ^ Academy 117 Old Academv Lot Acquired 138 Plan of the Public Lots 13 Purchasers of the Public Lots 13 Plan of Second Court House and Jail 37 Pack Horses and Karly Roads 49 Public Executions. First, and Last 70 Public Journals of the Past 78 Pennsylvania Railroad Built 79 Principals of the Greensburg Schools 154 Pioneer Schoolmaster 168 Removing the Courts from Hannastjwn 6 Hugh, M., Bill for Superintending First Court House II Resid. Bair,K H Bennett, James A iin Bierer. late Z. P 1?S Byers. VV S., Esq lis Bell, A. H., Esq 162 Cole, Dr. T. P 18 Cochrane, James 37 44 Cribbs, Christopher n7 OliBord, Dr. E, M m Carroll, James ef>. Clopper, Frank Y 93 Clarke, late Hon. Jas. C 1-fi Coshey, Henry S 138 Clarke, John K loU Dohnohoe, Edward Dick, Edward K HI Horn, Jo.m fii Donoiioe. Thomas, Sr 18+ Kicher. Henry K 67 Fogg. Charles H 1" Fisher, Adam i- Furtwangler, Leopold l"S Foight, Samuel B I'tl Gratf, Frank N M LJross, E. M., country .i6 Glunt, Israel 1U3 Good, George W III Gaither, Paul H., Esq 1"7 Gill, John D.,Esq 13+ Gross, E. iM l.nS Griltith, W, A., Esq 167 Huff, Hon. Geo. F 36 Hammer, Dr. R. B 74 Hays. George A R6 Huff.Llojd B \->.{ Hargrave, Hon. Frank b 166 Irwin.D. M 71 Johnston, J. J.. Esq 39 Jamison, Robert S 73 Jones Thomas L 140 Kline, S. A , Esq at Kuhris, Mrs. John .^3 Kunkle. John E.. Esq 63 Keck, Leonard 87 Lane. W. S 83 Long. Oliver P 120 Lynch, Thomas 139 Loor, W, C 152 McCuUough, Mrs. Ada B 7 M oore, Mrs. J. W 27 Meanor, Mrs. Elizabeth 29 Murphey, John S 32 M archana, Mrs. J. A 45 Moorhead, James S., Esq 47 McCaudland, Mrs. Anna 64 Miller, Fridolin 96 Myers, J. Kappe 107 Miller, David A.. Esq 124 Marsh, Dr. E. B 125 Martin, A. E 144 McCann, P. F 146 Miles, J. Nathaniel 153 McGrew, A. B 158 Uppenheim. 1 79 Off ut. Dr. Lemuel lul Piiiiiter, Morris L 31 PoUins, John VV 85 Peoples, W'm. C, Esq 108 Patton, J. Howard 161 Robbins, Hon K. ii,. -10 Rask. Bennett 69 Robinson. Jame-* B \m Rumbaiigh, J anies 157 Scott. John W 17 Sell, Eli 49 Stark, Mrs. C. H 75 Stephenson. John V 92 Sell. John S 113 Turney, Mrs. John W 105 Turney, Mrs. Jncob 117 Townsend, Mrs. E W U2 Taylor. Jeff W., \£.i(\ it3 Whiiclield, Edward 26 Wouda, ,Mrs. Mary J 89 Wentzell, Jitnies C 91 Wentling. John F., Esq 97 Welty, Mrs. Barbara 119 Welty, A. D 154 Walthour, W. D 170 Zinmierman. J. F. 14 Zimmeiman, John, Heirs 137 BUSINESS BUILDINGS. Bank fc Trust 2 Barclay Ortice Building 13 Blank Brothers 50 Barnhart, C. T 68 Barclay Bank 104 Brown, Wm., Heirs 112 Eicher. Henry R 8 Fisher House 25 First National Bank 76 Guy. Harry M 81 Glunt, Israel 95 Greensburg Steam Laundry 13o Greensburg Ice & Coal Co 174 Hotel St;irk 19 Huff Office Building 52 Kciiggy Theatre 22 Keck, L. & Co 42 Mitinger, John F ao Martin, A. E 88 Null House 15 Pollins, Messrs 48 Painter, C. R.. Heirs 16t Reed, J. Covode 43 Shields, Painter & Sloan 24 Stoner, J. W 66 Sondles. John C 98 Troutnian, A E., & Co 60 Thomas, H. F 80 The Kelly & Jones Co 109 Westmoreland National Bank 16 Walthour, S. L 150 Zimmerman House 3 POKTKAITS. Greene, Gen. Nathaniel 1 Turney, Hon. Jacob 117 VIEWS. Greensburg in 1840 132 Greensburg in 1874 171 /(S s,^ &, W « m t 11