Well authenticated
records fully establish the fact that an Indian tribe or nation known as
the "Eriez," dwelt upon the southern shore of Lake Erie ere the
coming of the white race to this portion of the continent, and that this
tribe was exterminated or driven farther toward the southwest by the
terrible Iroquois more than 200 years ago. When the French took possession
of this region of country, it was a favorite hunting ground of the
victorious Iroquois, commonly known as the Six Nations, with the Senecas
nominally occupying the territory now embraced in Northwestern
Pennsylvania. The vicinity of Erie seems to have been a favored locality,
perhaps, for the reason that the beautiful bay of Presque Isle provided a
safe retreat for their frail canoes from the lake storms.
The French early built up a large trade with the Indians, and in 1753
Sieur Marin, commander of the French expedition of that year, erected a
fort or block-house at Presque Isle, thus taking possession of the site
whereon the beautiful city of Erie now stands. A road was constructed from
Presque Isle to Fort Le Boeuf, on French creek, and all was completed
early in August, 1753. On the east bank of Mill Creek, a little back from
the lake, a French village sprung up, which at one time numbered 100
families, besides numerous Indians, with a Catholic priest, a
schoolmaster, grist mills and other concomitants of civilization. They
cleared land and cultivated corn fields in the vicinity of the fort, but
it is believed that the village was abandoned after an experiment of four
or five years' trial, as it was not in existence in 1757-58. A garrison of
French soldiers occupied the fort, which stood on a bluff immediately west
of the mouth of Mill Creek near the shore of the bay.
The long and bitter struggle between the French and English for possession
of the country west of the Alleghanies, eventually ended in favor of the
latter, and though peace was not declared until 1763, the French abandoned
Presque Isle three years prior to that event, and Maj. Rogers, in behalf
of the English, came on and occupied the fort at this point in 1760. It
was the last post west of Niagara given up by the French, and was always
considered by both nations an important point in their chain of defenses,
as well as an invaluable supply depot.
Pontiac's conspiracy flamed out in 1763, bringing destruction and death
upon nearly all the Western forts. Presque Isle was attacked on the 22d of
June, and after an obstinate resistance was surrendered to the savages.
Many conflicting accounts have been published of this event, but as the
principal facts connected therewith are given in Chapter VI of the general
history of Erie County, we refer the reader to that chapter for further
information on the subject.
In 1764, Gen. Bradstreet, in command of 3,000 British solders, stopped at
Presque Isle on his way to the relief of Detroit, and upon his return
occupied the fort at this point. On the 12th of August, 1764, he made a
treaty with the Shawnee and Delaware tribes of Ohio, which, however, was
of short duration. For the succeeding twenty years, little appears to have
transpired at Presque Isle worthy of mention, and the old fort seems to
have been abandoned during this period.
Though the war between England and the Colonies ended in the recognized
independence of the latter by the treaty of 1783, and though the English
Government then gave up all claim to the Western region, they still kept a
garrison at Presque Isle in violation of said treaty. In fact, it was not
till 1795 that the American occupation of this territory actually took
place. With the dawning of peace the American Government came into
recognized though nominal ownership of the whole Western interior, and by
treaties executed with the Six Nations in 1784 and 1789, those tribes
signed away their title to this portion of the State. Some dissatisfaction
with the treaties, however, existed among the Indians, and in 1791 the
Government paid to the Seneca tribe a certain sum of money, in
consideration of which they agreed to waive forever all claims to the
lands in question. In 1792, the State acquired the "Triangle" by
a purchase from the United States Government, and the same year the
General Assembly of Pennsylvania passed an act to stimulate the settlement
of the lands around Presque Isle; but the Indians, encouraged by the
English, would not consent to the scheme, or allow a garrison to be
stationed at the fort. The savages, abetted by their white allies, began
to make hostile raids upon the scattered settlements, and in May, 1795,
attacked four men who were coming from Fort LeBoeuf to Presque Isle, near
where the railroad bridge crosses State street in Erie. Ralph Rutledge was
killed and scalped, while his son was shot and scalped, but survived until
he was taken to LeBoeuf. The father's body was buried on the west side of
State street, close to where he fell, and his son was interred at the fort
previously mentioned. Wayne's victory at the battle of "Fallen
Timbers," on the Maumee River, in 1794, crushed the spirit of the
Indian tribes, and the treaty of Greenville, consummated August 3, 1795,
with the Western Indians, and the treaty with the Six Nations the
following November, ended all hostile demonstrations in this locality.
On the 8th of April, 1793, an act was passed by the General Assembly and
approved by Gov. Mifflin to lay out a town at Presque Isle. The act
provided for the survey of 1,600 acres of land into town lots of not more
than one-third of an acre each, and 3,400 acres adjoining in outlots of
not less than five acres nor more than ten acres each. The Governor was
authorized to reserve within or without said plat for the use of the
United States so much land as he thought necessary for forts, magazines,
arsenals and dock yards. It was also provided that the first two hundred
persons who should settle in said town before January 1, 1794, would be
entitled to one town lot. They had, however, in compliance with said act,
to erect a house sixteen feet square, containing one stone or brick
chimney, and reside in the town three years ere becoming actual owners.
Provision was also made for the sale of 200 lots exclusive of those
granted, the purchaser to erect a similar residence, and reside in the
town the same length of time as the previous two hundred settlers. In
February, 1794, an act was passed which provided for a detachment of
soldiers to protect the settlement at Presque Isle; but through the
treachery of the English, who themselves coveted this post, the Indians,
as already mentioned, were stirred up into opposing the settlement and
garrisoning of Presque Isle by the Americans. For prudential reasons,
which are fully explained in the general history of the county, operations
were for the time suspended, and the subsequent victory of Wayne inspired
such a wholesome terror among the Indians that it hastened the treaties of
1795, through which all opposition to the settlement of Presque Isle was
swept away, and the title of Pennsylvania unreservedly acknowledged.
In the meantime, the General Assembly passed an act, April 18, 1795,
somewhat differing from that of 1793, and repealing the latter. The
Governor was authorized to appoint two Commissioners, who were instructed
to survey 1,600 acres of land for town lots, and 3,400 acres adjoining
thereto for outlots, "at or near Presque Isle, on Lake Erie; and the
said lands so surveyed shall respectively be laid out into town lots and
outlots, in such manner and with such streets not more than 100, nor less
than 60 feet wide, and such lanes, alleys and reservations for public uses
as the said Commissioners shall direct, but no town lots shall contain
more than one-third of an acre, no outlot more than five acres; and the
town hereby directed to be laid out shall be called 'Erie,' and all the
streets, lanes and alleys thereof, and of the adjoining outlots, shall be
and forever remain common highways."
The Commissioners were authorized to sell one-third of said town lots and
outlots to the highest bidders, the purchasers to erect on each town lot,
within two years from the date of purchase, a house sixteen feet square,
containing one stone or brick chimney. Half of the purchase money of each
lot had to be paid within three months from the date of sale, and the
balance within one year, together with lawful interest. The sale was not
to be valid, and no patent was issued until such time as these terms were
complied with in every respect.
Reservations were made of sixty acres on the south bank of the harbor and
near the entrance thereof, thirty acres on the peninsula at or near the
entrance to the harbor, and one other lot of 100 acres on the peninsula
for the use of the United States in erecting forts, magazines, arsenals,
dock-yards, etc. It was further provided, "That if the mill seats on
the creek running near the ruins of the old French fort should fall within
the cessions hereby made to the United States, the same shall nevertheless
be and hereby are reserved for the use of this State, with the right of
erecting mills thereon, but no buildings (mills excepted), shall be
erected within 600 yards of the center of any fort which may be erected by
the United States on either of the lots ceded to them as aforesaid."
Pennsylvania did not, however, cede to the General Government "the
jurisdiction or right of soil in and to the said three last mentioned
lots, but only the occupancy and use thereof for the purposes
aforesaid."
By an act passed February 19, 1800, that portion of the act of 1795 which
made it obligatory for purchasers of lots to erect houses thereon ere
becoming bona fide owners, was repealed; and lots previously forfeited on
account of non-compliance in full with said law were allowed to be
pre-empted by their former purchasers at the original price, provided
application was made within twelve months from the passing of this act.
The leniency here adopted was continued by subsequent enactments, thus
making it easy for the first settlers of Erie to become owners of real
estate.
The first permanent American settlement effected on the site of Erie
occurred in the spring of 1795, when Thomas Rees, who had been appointed
Deputy Surveyor of this land district on the 16th of May, 1792, pitched
his tent near the mouth of Mill Creek, and began his labors in this field.
The previous year he had done some surveying in this portion of the State,
but on account of Indian threats, the undertaking was very hazardous, and
the work was abandoned until 1795. Mr. Rees was a native of Northumberland
County, Penn., and was the agent of the Population Land Company, all its
first sales being made by him at his tent upon the bank of Presque Isle
Bay, the first real estate office opened at Erie. While living in Erie,
the Duke de Chartres, who subsequently became Louis Phillippe, King of
France, made him a brief visit, accepting the rude but generous
hospitality of Mr. Rees, with befitting dignity. On the 31st of March,
1796, he was appointed by Gov. Mifflin, Justice of the Peace for the
district consisting of "the township of Mead, in the county of
Allegheny," which then embraced all of the territory now composing
Crawford and Erie Counties. He was thus the first Justice of Erie County,
his term of office being "so long as he shall live and behave himself
well." In the fall of 1795, his wife joined him in his Western home.
In 1796, he was succeeded by Judah Colt as agent of the Population Land
Company, and became State Commissioner for the sale of lots, which
position he held until 1806. Mr. Rees had obtained a large quantity of
land in Harbor Creek Township, and thither he removed in 1802. He divided
his land into farms, since known as "Rees' Reserve," and here he
died in May, 1848, having survived his wife some years.
In the spring of 1795, a detachment of Wayne's army under the command of
Capt. Russell Bissell, landed an Presque Isle, and began the erection of
two block-houses on the high point east of Mill Creek, where the Wayne
Block House Monument now stands. The work was completed during 1795-96,
and here December 15, of the latter year, Gen. Wayne closed his earthly
career, one of the most brilliant in the annals of American history.
Gens. William Irvine and Andrew Ellicott, the State Commissioners
appointed to lay out the town of Erie, arrived in June, 1795, accompanied
by a corps of surveyors, and escorted by a company of State troops,
commanded by Capt. John Grubb. This latter gentleman located permanently
in Erie, and though subsequently settling on a farm, may be called the
second settler of the town. Capt. Grubb and wife were noted as being the
tallest couple in Erie County. He spent the balance of his life in the
county, dying in June, 1845, was one of the pioneer Justices, and an
Associate Judge of Erie County for many years.
Erie was laid out in three sections, each about one mile square, and
extending from the bay south to Twelfth street. First section ran from
Parade to Chestnut; second section from Chestnut to Cranberry; and third
section from Cranberry to West street. The outlots extended south to
Twenty-sixth street, east to East avenue, west to the western boundary of
the almshouse farm, and north to the bay of Presque Isle, thus embracing
the whole face of the harbor from its entrance to within a short distance
of "The Head," which was the intention of the commissioners when
laying out the town. An old map made by Col. Thomas Forster from the
original surveys, presented by him to George A Eliot, of Erie, and now in
possession of his son, John Eliot, shows the original town as here
described. The streets were laid off twenty rods apart, with State street
running north and south as the center of first section, the streets west
of State, and parallel with it, being named after trees, and those east of
it after nationalities, excepting Parade, which was so called on account
of starting from the old French fort or parade-grounds. Parade street was
almost identical with the old French road to Fort Le Boeuf, and for years
was the only road leading into the town, except the lake road from the
east side of the county. The streets running parallel with the bay were
numbered from one to twelve, though First street was called Front, and has
since been known by that title, At the center of each section, a plot of
land was reserved for public use, and in first section was utilized for
the court house, market house, etc., throughout the earlier years of the
county's history, and up until the erection of the present county
building.
Soon after the surveyors began their labors at Erie, another arrival is
chronicled, doubtless the most important during the pioneer history of the
town. On the last day of June or 1st of July, 1795, Col. Seth Reed, with
his wife Hannah, and sons Manning and Charles J., dropped anchor in the
harbor and landed on the peninsula, thinking it more secure from Indian
attack than the main land. The family had come from Buffalo, in a sail
boat owned and operated by James Talmadge. The Colonel built a rude
one-story log cabin, covered with bark, near the mouth of Mill Creek, and
concluding that the settlement needed a public house, put up a sign as the
"Presque Isle Hotel." This was the first house erected in Erie,
and though insignificant in appearance, was provided "with plenty of
good refreshments for all itinerants that chose to call." Mrs. Hannah
Reed was the first white woman to locate at Erie, and as such her name
deserves perpetuation as the pioneer of her sex in this county. In
September, 1795, Col. Reed's sons, Rufus S. and George W., came to Erie,
and with the Mrs. Thomas Rees and Mrs. J. Fairbanks. The following year
the Colonel erected a large two-story log house on the southwest corner of
Second and Parade streets, which he placed in charge of his son Rufus S.,
who kept a tavern and store in it until 1799, when it was burned down. The
next year, Rufus S. Reed rebuilt it, and for many years afterward carried
on business at that place. Col. Seth Reed removed to a farm on Walnut
Creek, where he died Marcy 19, 1797, his widow surviving him until
December 8, 1821. A lengthy sketch of the Reed family, from the pen of
another historian will be found elsewhere in this work.
The only settlers of 1795, besides those already mentioned, were James
Baird and family. Doubtless, many persons came and went, but careful
investigation has failed to find the names of any others who located here
permanently during that year.
On returning to the East, after the completion of their work as
Commissioners, Irvine and Ellicott were appointed State agents, in
conjunction with George Wilson, for the sale of the lots in the towns they
had laid out. The following is a copy of their advertisement of the sales,
printed in 1796:
Agreeably
to instructions from His Excellency, Thomas Mifflin, Governor of this
Commonwealth, we shall offer for sale the following town and outlots of
Erie, Waterford, Franklin and Warren, at the time and places hereafter
specified, viz.: The sale of that portion of town and outlots of the
several towns to be disposed of in the city of Philadelphia will
commence on Monday, the 25th day of July next. That portion of the town
and outlots of the several towns to be disposed of at Carlisle will
commence at that borough on Wednesday, the 3rd of August next; and the
sale of that portion of the town and outlots of the said towns to be
disposed of at Pittsburgh will commence at that borough on Monday, the
15th day of August next.
William
Irvine,
Andrew Ellicott,
George Wilson,
Agents.
The following
statement of prices paid by the Harrisburg & Presque Isle Land Company
at the public sale of lots in the town of Erie, held at Carlisle on the 3d
and 4th of August, 1796, will be of interest in this connection:
INLOTS
|
No. 1359,
corner Seventh and German |
|
$7
|
No. 1403,
Seventh, near State |
|
18
|
No. 1996,
Sixth, between German and Parade |
|
8
|
No. 2809,
corner Fourth and Liberty |
|
40
|
No. 2810,
corner Third and Liberty |
|
41
|
No. 2838,
Third, near mouth of Cascade |
|
21
|
No. 3277,
Second, corner Parade on road to Fort |
|
260
|
No. 3292,
corner Second and German |
|
260
|
No. 3420,
corner Liberty on Lake |
|
106
|
|
Five-Acre
Outlots
|
No. 277 |
|
$38
|
No. 278 |
|
33
|
No. 283 |
|
49
|
No. 378 |
|
56
|
No. 418 |
|
45
|
No. 519 |
|
50
|
No. 523 |
|
57
|
No. 565 |
|
69
|
Lots No. 2045, 2046,
2047 and 2048, included in the block bounded by State, Peach, North Park
Row and Fifth streets, were purchased at Carlisle in 1796, by Thomas
Huling, Thomas Forster and Alexander Berryhill, bringing respectively
$152, $21, $70 and $112. Lot No. 2050, northwest corner of Sixth and
Peach, now occupied by the residence of Mrs. Charles M. Reed, was bought
at Philadelphia, in 1796, by Alexander Addison for $34. Lots No. 2041,
2042, 2043 and 2044, where the Reed and Ellsworth houses now stand, were
purchased September 1, 1801, by Thomas Forster and David McNair, for $54,
$30, $10 and $21, respectively, Mr. McNair buying the two center lots and
Mr. Forster the corner ones. Lot No. 2049, the site of the First
Presbyterian Church, was bought by Thomas Hamilton August 3, 1801, for
$30.
Lots No. 1937, 1938, 1939 and 1940, lying between State, Peach and Seventh
street and South Park Row, now occupied by the Dime Savings Bank, Park
Presbyterian Church, etc., were purchased by Joseph Kratz, January 23,
1806, for $110; and on the same date he bought Lots 3326 and 3327, corner
of Fourth and State streets, for $88. Lots No. 1401 and 1402, west side of
State street, between Seventh and Eighth, were purchased, the first one by
Samuel Smith, March 23, 1802, for $30, and the other by Thomas Hughes,
April 1, 1801, for $30. Lots No. 1399 and 1400, east side of State,
between Seventh and Eighth streets were purchased, the first mentioned by
William G. Signor, May 13, 1801, for $30, and the latter one by Abraham
Smith, March 23, 1802, at the same price. Lots No. 1287 and 1288, west
side of State between Eighth and Ninth streets, were purchased
respectively by John Hay, for $54, and John Vincent, for $31, June 11,
1804. Lots No. 1289 and 1290, east side of State street between Eighth and
Ninth, were purchased by Andrew Willock, May 25, 1801, for $30 each. Lots
No. 727 and 728, east side of State street, between Ninth and Tenth, were
purchased, the former by Samuel McKelvey, June 12, 1804, for $20, and the
latter by John Lewis, March 30, 1805, at the same figure. Lots No. 729 and
730, west side of State street, between Ninth and Tenth, were bought
respectively by Joseph F. McCreary and Basil Hoskinson, the first June 15,
1804, for $20, and the latter June 12, 1804, for the same price. Lots No.
735 and 736, on Peach street, between Ninth and Tenth, the site of the
Erie Academy, were purchased August 15, 1805, by Samuel McKelvey for $20
each. Lot No. 1280, northwest corner of Peach and Ninth streets, the site
of the Downing Block, was bought by John Leninger, July 23, 1804, for $30.
Lot No. 1936, northwest corner of Peach and Seventh streets, the site of
the Wetmore House, was purchased by Abraham Smith, March 23, 1802, for
$25.
There is doubtless a greater difference between the prices paid for
outlots when originally purchased and the value of the same ground to-day
than there is between the inlots. For instance Outlot No. 375, located
between Peach and Sassafras and Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets, and now
the site of the Union Depot, was bought by David McNair, March 1, 1801,
for $20. Mr. McNair also purchased on the same date, Outlot 376, bounded
by Peach, Sassafras, Fifteenth and Sixteenth streets at the same price;
also Outlot 407, comprising the large block lying between Twelfth and
Fourteenth and State and Peach streets for $25. On the 23d of November,
1805, William Wallace purchased Outlot No. 466 for $25, which also extends
from Twelfth to Fourteenth, and from State to French streets. Joseph Kratz,
purchased Outlot No. 540, which lies in the eastern part of Erie, between
Ninth and Tenth streets, January 23, 1806, for $20.
There were 169 inlots and 33 outlots in Erie disposed of at Philadelphia,
Carlisle and Pittsburgh in 1796, from which was realized in principal and
interest $4,165.20. The prices for the inlots and outlots which are here
given, may be taken as a fair estimate of those paid at the first sales as
well as throughout the earlier years of the town's existence. For the
benefit of our readers, we will here state that a complete transcript of
these original sales, from which we obtained our information is in the
possession of J. W. Wetmore, of Erie, the same book containing the date of
first sale, name of purchaser and price paid for every inlot in the first
section of Erie, from 1 to 3381, and every outlot from 1 to 604; also a
similar record of the first sales made in the second section of the town.
The settlement and building up of Erie was now but matter of time, and in
1796 we Capt. Daniel Dobbins casting his fortunes with the little hamlet,
followed in 1798 by William Wallace, and in 1799, by Jonas Duncan and John
Teel. Jonas Duncan was among the very first carpenters and joiners who
came to Erie; he arrived in 1799, and brought his apprentice, John Teel,
with him, who proved a fixture, and for over half a century, the leading
carpenter and joiner of the place; he died a few years since, respected
and esteemed. From that year until 1815 the following are believed to have
become residents of the place: Col. Thomas Forster, John Gillespie, Thomas
Hughes, Thomas Wilson, Robert Irwin, John Gray, Richard Clemment, Judah
Colt, Capt. John Richards, John Wilson, John Cummins, Mary O'Neill, Robert
Knox, Stephen Wolverton, Giles Sanford, William Lattimore, W. W. Reed,
John Dickson, Capt. William Lee, David Cook, P. S. V. Hamot, Gen. John
Kelso, Barnabes McCue, Thomas Wilkins, George Gossett, Basil Hoskinson,
George Landon, Holmes Reed, Hugh Cunningham, William Lamberton, Archibald
McSparren, James Duncan, George Leninger, Willard Cotton, Thomas Laird,
Joseph Kratz, Mrs. Silverthorn, Robert L. Curtis, Marmaduke Curtis, John
Lewis, George Schantz, Samuel Hays, Robert Hays, John McDonald, James
Sydnor, Robert Brotherton, Jonathan Stratton, James Wilson, George Moore,
Thomas Large, Robert Brown, Collender Irvine, Robert Large, Jonathan
Baird, Isaac Austin, B. Rice, Amos Fisk, Peter Grawotz, George Buchler,
Thomas Stewart, John E. Lapsley, John Hay, Rufus Clough, David McNair,
Ezekiel Dunning, John Woodside, John Miller, James McConkey, William Bell,
John C. Wallace, Thomas H. Sill, Jacob Spong and Rev. Robert Reid.
Doubtless, there may have been a few others who came during that period,
but whose names are "lost mid the rubbish of forgotten things."
Many of those pioneers had families, and the children are often better
remembered than the parents, whose energies were spent in building up
homes for those who came after them. While some of those mentioned became
prominent in the affairs of the county or State, and are duly recognized
throughout this history for the work which they accomplished, little is
known of others, only that they here settled, lived and died, leaving no
record of their often adventurous lives.
Some of their names we find connected with the early lake navigation,
building boats through which to carry on a commercial business with the
older settlements. In 1799, Capt. William Lee and Rufus S. Reed, built a
boat called the "Good Intent" at the mouth of Mill Creek; and in
1800 Eliphalet Beebe built the "Harlequin." In 1805, the
schooner "Mary" was constructed at Erie, and owned by Thomas
Wilson, while many other boats purchased from time to time by citizens of
Erie, prominent among whom were Rufus S. Reed and Capt. Daniel Dobbins,
added much to the commercial prosperity of the town.
By the act of March 12, 1800, which erected several counties out of
territory previously embraced in Allegheny, Erie was designated as the
seat of justice for Erie County. For three years the county was attached
to Crawford, but on the 2d of April, 1803, a separate and distinct
organization was effected. The court met at the hotel of George Buehler,
which stood on the corner of French and Third streets, subsequently known
as the "McConkey House," and the headquarters of Commodore
Perry, while building his fleet in 1813.
The war of 1812 is treated of in a previous chapter, and a detailed
account is given of Erie's connection with that eventful period; yet we
think it appropriate to here mention the fact that the gunboats Porcupine,
Tigress and Scorpion, were built at the mouth of Lee's Run, afterward the
site of the "Navy Yard," and subsequently occupied by the canal
bed; while the Lawrence, Niagara and Ariel were constructed at the mouth
of the Big Cascade, the present site of the Erie & Pittsburgh Railroad
docks. Perry's victory brought a feeling of safety to Erie, that it had
not known since the beginning of the struggle against tyranny, and his
victorious return to the town was hailed with the wildest enthusiasm. All
classes vied with each other in paying the youthful hero due honor, and
the streets of the little borough resounded with the boom of cannon and
the glad shouts of rejoicing. In fact, throughout this period, Erie was a
kind of military camp, but with the close of the war the life of the town
again settled down to peaceful avocations.
Scraps of History
A custom prevailed in Erie prior to 1810, which required every man to
spend each Saturday afternoon in grubbing out stumps from the streets.
There was also an ordinance in operation until June, 1846, requiring every
man who got on a spree to dig three stumps from the highway, as a penalty
for each similar offense against the morals of the town. We are not aware
how far intemperance was checked through this ordinance, but may safely
conclude, that though, doubtless, having a salutary effect upon those
addicted to the vice, men's appetites then as now cannot be eradicated by
force or stringent laws.
In 1813, there was a fine drive on the sand beach of the bay, from State
street to the mouth of Big Cascade. This drive had been used for several
years, and was a favorite one among those who were so fortunate as to
possess a saddle horse or turnout.
In 1812, the hotels were one on the corner of Third and French, kept by
Thomas Rees, Jr.; one on the corner of Fifth and French, by James Duncan,
known as the Globe Hotel, which he was still running in 1826; the old
stone on the corner of State and South Park Row, by Robert Brown, who
erected it in 1811, opened it as the American House in the fall of 1812
and kept it till 1829, being succeeded by Joseph Y. Moorehead who carried
on the tavern for several years. Thomas Laird had a hotel in 1812, on the
corner of Eighth and State; and soon after the war closed John Dickson
built a tavern on the corner of Second and French, known as the Steamboat
House, which he carried on for many years, as in June, 1825, Lafayette was
here entertained at a grand banquet given in honor of his visit. The old
hotel erected by George Buehler on the corner of French and Third was used
by Commodore Perry as headquarters during his stay at Erie. It was at that
time occupied, and long afterward carried on by Thomas Rees, Jr.
An old landmark that will be well remembered by the older inhabitants of
Erie, was the "Bell House," erected in the fall of 1805, on the
corner of Sixth and French streets. The guilder was John Teel, and the
owner William Bell, who occupied it as a store and residence in the spring
of 1806. In the winter of 1812-13, it was opened as a hotel, but in a
short time Fox and Bailey bought out the stock of Mr. Bell's store, who
died in December, 1813, and occupied the whole building till 1819, when
they returned to the East. It was then opened as a hotel by William
Hughes, an Irishman of fine education, who, having been an actor in his
youth, organized a dramatic company among the young men of the borough,
and gave exhibitions in a building that stood on French, between Third and
Fourth streets. John W. Bell succeeded Hughes in the hotel, and a Mr.
Jennings organized the first dancing class of the village in this
building. It was used successively by George Selden, Thomas G. Colt &
Co., John C. Beebe and S. Smyth as a business place; but in 1871 it was
torn down to make room for the Becker Block.
The South Erie Hotel was built by Nathan McCammons, on the corner of Peach
and Twenty-sixth streets, in the winter of 1817-18. It was purchased by
Capt. John Justice in April, 1821, and in 1824 passed into the hands of
James Parks, and was subsequently kept by George Kelly, Abraham Shank, M.
B. Mills, James Gray, John Willey, George Tabor and others. During the
speculation of 1837, this property sold for $17,500. There were also
hotels kept at various times on Federal Hill by George Moore, Thomas
Laird, Ira Glazier, George Kelly, Thomas Childs, N. M. Manly, Simeon Dunn
and others.
Another early tavern was Ryan's located at the elbow of the Buffalo road,
near John Staltzman's, and afterward kept by a Mr. Taggart. It was a great
stopping place, and will, doubtless, be vividly remembered by many of our
readers.
Two hotels of a later day than some of those mentioned were the Farmers
Hotel, built by James Duncan on the corner of Fifth and French in 1820,
which is yet (1883) standing, and the Park House, erected by John Morris,
for a residence in 1829, on the corner of Peach and South Park Row.
The court house, Mr. Hughes' house on Seventh street, and Mr. Hamot's on
German, north of Second street, ere the only brick buildings in Erie in
1820; while Giles Sanford & Co., P. S. V. Hamot, C. & S. Brown,
Wright & Kellogg and George Selden were the only merchants.
The total borough tax in 1820, as shown by the duplicate of that year, was
$175.20. Rufus S. Reed stood highest in valuation of real estate, viz.,
$6,798, followed by the heirs of John Kelso with $3,740; P. S. V. Hamot,
$3,120; Judah Colt, $2,940; John W. Bell, $2,052; Giles Sanford, $2,012;
Thomas Laird, $1,579; Samuel Hays, $1,552; Benjamin Wallace, $1,461; heirs
of William Wallace, $985; Thomas H. Sill, $730. The corner where the Dime
savings Bank stands, with the buildings then occupying it, was valued at
$1,600; the four lots occupied by the Reed and Ellsworth Hotels at $656;
the Teel House, with two lots, corner of Peach and Ninth streets, at $290;
house and two lots corner of Seventh and Sassafras, at $49; Farmers'
Hotel, $587; lot corner French and Second, $850; Capt. Dobbins' house and
lot, $575; two lots of George A. Eliot, corner of Peach and Sixth, $300;
the lot on which Caster's and Murphy's stores stand, $150; house and two
lots on the northeast corner of State and Tenth, $164; sixteen lots,
corner of Twelfth and Parade, on the west side of the latter street, $64;
thirty-two lots north of these, $172; the lots on which Rosenzweig's
block, Rindernecht's and others stand, were purchased by John Warren in
1824 for $300. Tax was then collected by the High Constable, but the
reader can readily discover from the amount of borough tax collected in
1820 that his duties were not very arduous.
On the 23d of March, 1823, the court house, with all its contents, was
destroyed by fire. It stood in the West Park, a little north of the
soldier's monument, and was built in 1808. A new court house was erected
on the same site and finished in the spring of 1825. The bell that hung in
the cupola of this latter building originally belonged to the British ship
Detroit, captured by Commodore Perry in the battle of Lake Erie. It was
transferred to the United State brig Niagara, where it did service until
1823, when it was placed in the navy yard at the mouth of Lee's Run, in
Erie. In 1825, the navy yard was abandoned and the material sold at
auction. Rufus S. Reed purchased this bell, and again sold it to the
county. It did good service until the purchase of the bell for the present
court house in 1854, when it was stolen, but recovered in a few months,
and subsequently bought by the city authorities. The present fine building
on Sixth street, west of Peach, was completed and occupied in May, 1855.
Rufus S. Reed built the Mansion House in 1826. It was long the leading
hotel of Erie, but on the 22d of February, 1839, the town was visited by
the most destructive fire that had yet occurred, and the Mansion House,
together with all the outbuildings, containing stage coaches, horses,
etc., also several frame houses and stores, were consumed. It was all the
property of Mr. Reed, excepting the stages, stock, etc., which was
principally owned by the Messrs. Hart and Bird. With his usual energy and
public spirit, Mr. Reed covered the burnt district with a new hotel, known
as the Reed House, which was burned in March, 1864, rebuilt, and again
destroyed by fire in September, 1872, the present elegant structure
succeeding the last fire.
Another event of 1826 was the organization of "The Active Fire
Company of Erie," on the 22d of February, Washington's birthday. It
was the pioneer fire company of Erie, and included in its roll of
membership nearly all the male residents of the borough who were old
enough to be of any assistance.
The first steamboat built at Erie, the "William Penn," was
launched at the Cascade May 18, 1826, and commenced its regular lake
business in August of that year, John F. Wright, master.
The revenue cutter, Benjamin Rush, was built at Erie, about 1825, by Capt.
John Richards, and intended for service on the upper lakes. In March,
1833, the cutter Erie was launched at Reed's dock, and placed in charge of
Capt. Daniel Dobbins, who also was the second commander of the Benjamin
Rush.
Gen. C. M. Reed built the steamboat Pennsylvania at the foot of Sassafras
street, and launched her in July, 1833. He also constructed the Thomas
Jefferson in 1834, and the James Madison, in 1837, at the same yard; and
in 1840, he built the Missouri.
The ill-fated steamer Erie was built by the Erie Steamboat Company, at the
foot of French street in 1837, and in 1841 burned on Lake Erie with
terrible loss of life.
The United States gunboat Michigan was brought to Erie, in sections, from
Pittsburgh, put together and launched on the 9th of November, 1843. It was
accepted and commissioned by the Government August 15, 1844, and is the
only vessel of war on the chain of lakes.
In the fall of 1828, Joshua Beers opened a store in the brick block
previously erected by him on the northeast corner of State street and
North Park Row, then a deep ravine and quagmire. The same year, Dr. C. F.
Perkins put in a stock of drugs in one of the rooms of the Beers Block. It
was a business much needed in Erie at that time, and the Doctor's
enterprise was thoroughly appreciated by the people among whom he spent
the balance of his days.
The Erie Bank, the first banking institution opened in the town, began
business in January, 1829. It was organized principally through the
influence of Rufus S. Reed, who was its President, with P. S. V. Hamot as
Cashier.
In 1835, Hiram L. Brown purchased of Joshua Beers the brick block erected
in 1827-28, and in the spring of 1836 opened the Eagle Hotel. He carried
on the hotel business in that building until its destruction by fire April
1, 1851. Mr. Brown immediately erected a five-story structure on the site
of the old building. This house was kept by Mr. Brown until his death in
March, 1853. It was long called Brown's Hotel, but since coming into the
possession of Col. Ellsworth has been known as the Ellsworth House. The
colonel sold the property early in the summer of 1883, since which time it
has not been in operation as a hotel.
In 1832, the third section of Erie, both in and outlots, was donated by
the commonwealth to the borough, divided into fifty acre lots and sold to
the highest bidder, excepting 100 acres located in the southwest corner of
said section, which was reserved for an almshouse farm. The money obtained
form this sale had to be used in building piers and wharves, and
constructing a canal basin in the bay of Presque Isle.
The borough was authorized, in 1835, to borrow $50,000 for the purpose of
furnishing a water supply for the town, but the project was never carried
out. In 1841, water was brought from a spring a mile or two distant,
through wooden pipes, each consumer to pay $1 rate for his supply. These
were the first water works that Erie possessed, and, doubtless, were of
much service in furnishing the borough with good water.
In 1834, the borough limits were extended into the bay 1,300 feet, and
four years afterward the sale of one row of water lots in the second
section was authorized, to pay the expense of grading and improving the
streets in said section.
The year 1836 is especially noted on account of the reckless speculation
that prevailed throughout the country. Erie was no exception to the rule,
and its sales of real estate during the month of February, 1836, exceeded
$1,000,000, Eastern capitalists and speculators being the principal
purchasers. The leading cause of this speculating mania at Erie, and the
sudden rise in the prices of real estate, was the passage of the Canal and
United States Bank bills. Values at once leaped upward, and in one week of
March, 1836, the sales of Erie lots amounted to over $1,500,000. A piece
of ground, which sold in February for $10,000, was repurchased the
following March, by a company at Buffalo, for $50,000. These enormous
prices could not last long, and upon the failure of the United State Bank,
in 1840, they rapidly declined until the depression in real estate was so
great that it could scarcely be disposed of at any price, and was actually
"a drug on the market." The local newspapers earnestly
encouraged the speculation in every way, and a species of reckless
extravagance seized upon all classes, only to be dispelled when the
victims awoke from their dream to find, in many cases, instead of riches,
that the earnings of years had been swept away.
In 1837, Lieut. T. S. Brown, of the United States Engineers, made a
resurvey of the first section, by authority of the borough, and
established the corner of the street crossings. The map of Erie, prepared
at the time by A. G. Steers, from Lieut. Brown's surveys, may be found in
the City Engineer's office. It shows the passage which then existed
through the west end of the peninsula, and connecting Lake Erie with the
Bay of Presque Isle, also many other points of interest relating to the
plat of the town at that date.
The large building on State street, known as the Custom House, was
erected, in 1837, by the United States Bank, for a branch of that
institution, as also the residence adjoining, for a cashier's home. The
parent bank failed in 1840, and the Erie branch went down with it. The
bank building was purchased by the Government, for a custom house, in
1849, for the sum of $29,000. It is a fine brick structure, faced with
marble, containing marble steps and columns, its architecture being of the
Grecian temple order.
At a meeting held early in 1846, it was resolved to plant the public
square with trees. B. B. Vincent, Elisha Babbit, W. C. Lester and C.
McSparren, were appointed a committee to co-operate with the town
authorities. The project was carried out, and, June 2, 1846, a meeting of
congratulation was held in front of the Reed House, because the square had
been adorned and beautified by the planting of shade trees, which to-day
are one of the principal ornaments of Erie. The square had been previously
known as the "Diamond," but at this meeting it was resolved to
call it "Perry Square" in honor of the victor of Lake Erie. It
was also resolved at this meeting to erect a monument to Commodore Perry,
but this and all other efforts in that direction came to naught, and even
the parks do not bear his name, so soon are the dead forgotten.
The Erie Extension Canal was finished to the bay in the fall of 1844, and
December 5, the R. S. Reed, loaded with coal, and the passenger packet,
Queen of the West, arrived, amid general rejoicing, on a through trip from
the Ohio River. The canal ceased operations in 1872, and has since been
abandoned.
The Erie & Northeast Railroad was the pioneer road built to Erie, its
first train arriving January 10, 1852. It subsequently became a part of
the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, one of the great trunk lines of
the United States.
By the act of March 10, 1848, the borough limits were extended so as to
embrace the territory bounded on the east by Ash, south by Eighteenth, and
west by Liberty streets, the northern boundary being the north shore of
the peninsula, "the jurisdiction of the corporate authorities being
extended to the island of Presque Isle." Erie was divided into the
East and West Wards in 1840, State street being the dividing line. On the
14th of April, 1851, a city charter was granted, and a city government
took the place of the old order of things. In 1858, the city was divided
into four wards, and so remained for twelve years. Under the act of
February 25, 1870, another extension of the city limits occurred, running
south to the southern line of the reserve tracts, which are about 1,900
feet south of Twenty-sixth street; east, 1,770 feet east of East avenue;
and west to Cranberry street. Two more wards were erected at that time,
and, since then, no change has taken place in the corporate limits of the
city.
The official census of 1820, the first one taken separate from the
township of Mill Creek, gave Erie 635 inhabitants. Since that time its
growth has been as follows: 1830: 1,329; 1840, 3,412; 1850, 5,858; 1860,
9,419; 1870, 19,516; 1880, 27,757; and at the present it contains an
estimated population of 35,000.
The following items may be of interest as matters of history, showing
price of wood, stone and brick at certain dates: On the 24th of September,
1835, the County Commissioners contracted for one hundred cords of
"good, dry, hard wood," at $1.12 1/2 per cord. Subsequent
contracts were made as follows: $1.50 per cord in 1837; $1.45 in 1841;
$1.25 in the fall of 1841; $1.06 1/2 in the fall of 1842.
A contract was made by the County commissioners on the 27th of October,
1829, for twenty to eighty cords of stone at $5 per cord.
David Kennedy, on the date last mentioned, offered to furnish one hundred
thousand brick for the proposed new jail at $3.25 per thousand. This offer
was thought to be too high and was not accepted. The brick for the court
house was furnished, in 1852, by Daniel Youngs, at $3.87 1/2 per thousand.
|