This borough is situated on the west bank of the Monongahela river, twenty-two miles from Pittsburgh by railroad. At the lower end of the town the river hills trend obliquely from the bank, leaving a triangular level area, which gradually widens to a depth sufficient for several streets. The advantages of the location for a town site were first appreciated by Gilbert Stevens, Erastus Percival, Andrew Craighead and Samuel Frew, by whom, in 1833, the town was laid out. The streets are numbered from First to Seventh in order from the river, and Ferry, Market, Wayne, Mill, Washington, Border, Sinclair and Grant in order from the south. The first house was built in 1834 by John Keenan, at the corner of Second and Market streets. Elizabeth at that time was entering upon its period of greatest prosperity as a boat-building town, and the projectors of the place which shares in its name thought also to gain a share of the population attracted by that important industry. They also sought to foster independent manufacturing interests. Gilbert Stevens and others began the building of boats and barges on an extensive scale, and Eli Bentley established a sawmill on the site now occupied by a similar establishment operated by Joseph Walton & Co. Boat-building was discontinued about 1852. Coal-mining was begun in 1840, by Messrs. Prescott, McCurdy and McIntosh, at the lower end of the town, and after the suspension of boat-building has become the principal business of the town. The coal-works of O’Neil & Co. were originally operated by Owens & Ihmsen, the first to mine on a large scale in this section of country. The mines were under the management of Mr. Owens, who resided at West Elizabeth, while Mr. Ihmsen lived at Pittsburgh, and a large part of the product was consumed at their works in that city.

A great principle of the common law with reference to river navigation and the rights of riparian owners was virtually established in the case of Samuel Walker against this firm. Walker had built a boat of extraordinary size, and in launching it the weight of the boat and force of the current parted the cable. The boat descended with tremendous momentum, and passed under Owens & Ihmsen’s tipple, doing serious damage, for the recovery of which legal proceedings were instituted. Mr. Walker was advised by his counsel, George P. Hamilton, to enter cross-action for obstruction of the river. Both suits were withdrawn, but the principle then advanced by Mr. Hamilton was substantially the same as enunciated by the court in the case of the borough of Elizabeth against the Brownsville Steam Packet line.

The works of Owens & Ihmsen passed to James O’Neil, and then to W. W. O’Neil, J. N. O’Neil, I. N. Large and Hon. S. P. Large, constituent members of the firm of J. O’Neill & Co., the present operators. James O’Neil; upon purchasing from Owens & Ihmsen, opened the incline leading through Mill street, and subsequently transferred his interest in the mines thus developed to Joseph Walton, Peter Haberman and Isaac W. Burton. These works are now operated by Joseph Walton & Co. In conjunction with their mining interests, this firm manufactures barges for use in the shipment of their coal. Their works were built in the autumn of 1871, and destroyed by fire January 29, 1872, but rebuilt at once on a larger scale. A number of men are constantly employed in this branch of the business, and the town is thus relieved from the condition usually experienced in the summer months where the coal trade is the sole reliance.

The borough was incorporated March 3, 1848. The first election was held in the following month, and resulted in the choice of William Coyan as burgess, Ferguson Biggs, John B. McGrew, Isaac Hammett, Thomas F. Thomas, and David Lynch as members of the town council. Wellington D. Harper, William Youdan, James Donaldson and John P. Vance were respectively first borough clerk, treasurer, assessor and constable. The present organization is constituted as follows: Burgess, T. J. Wilson; council, James Arthurs, J, B. McGrew, Isaiah Phillips, W. E. Percival, Dennis White, Charles PercivaL The population of the borough in 1860 was 394; in 1870, 590; in 1880, 839.

The following secret and benevolent societies have been in existence at various times, several of which are still in a flourishing condition:
Star Division, No. 442, Sons of Temperance, instituted April 29, 1850;
William Youdan Lodge, No. 647, I. O. O. F., instituted September 17, 1868;
Alfaretta: Lodge, I. O. G. T., instituted July 20, 1870;
West Elizabeth Encampment, No. 212, I. O. ©. F., chartered May 23, 1872;
the Cooperative Labor Association, instituted August 17, 1875;
a lodge of Knights of Pythias, organized May 6, 1875.

The Presbyterian Church was organized November 9, 1841, with Carey Carroll, Frederick Roads and Alexander Kerr, ruling elders, by a presbyterial commission of which Rev. McMasters was chairman. The following clergymen served as stated supplies during the succeeding twenty-eight years: Revs. J. M. Smith, Adley Calhoun, William Edgar, B. M. Kerr, J. B. Strain, Nathaniel Lyon; and the following as pastors to the present: William Hanna, 1869-73; William McCrea, 1874-79; Joseph E. Andrews, 1879-85; Robert Boyd, 1887- Previous to the erection of a church, services were held in Parkinson’s barn and in the drafting department of the boatyard. Several communion services were held in Mr. Robinson’s orchard. A church-edifice was built in 1846 and a second in 1876, both of brick.

The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1858. A frame church building was erected in 1867, and the present brick building in 1876. Pastors: T. N. Eaton, 1861-62; Brown, 1863-64; T. N. Boyle, 1865-66; Jackson, 1867-68; N. P. Kerr, 1869-70; W. Smith, 1870-71; W. P. Blackburn, 1872-73; E. B. Griffin, 1874; Westlake, 1875-77; S. M. Bell, 1878-80; T. Stover, 1881-83; F. F. Pershing, 1884-86; H. H. Pershing, 1886-. The African Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1879, and forms part of Elizabeth circuit.