Volume 27  Issue 2   Spring 2007

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Rembrandt Peale

and the town of

saint benedict

From the book:

Mines, Memories, and More—The History and

People of St. Benedict, Pennsylvania

By Dr. Barry P. Michrina

When the coalfields of northern Cambria County were being developed around 1900, one man played a major role in transforming the peaceful farming region into a bustling, noisy, and obtrusive industrialized area. Rembrandt Peale, a successful coal producer from Clearfield County, began purchasing coal rights and land in Indiana and Cambria Counties. His major operation was in Glen Richey, but the future lay further south. He was a man of impressive stature and character, and a man with great business acumen. He was for a time the most prosperous independent coal producer in the world. While there were larger companies, they were usually incorporated, with shareholders and corporate officers. Rembrandt ran all aspects of his business: purchasing coal rights, overseeing mine development and operations, managing housing and stores for the workers and their families, and brokering coal in New York. He also served on boards of companies such as the Clearfield Bituminous Coal Co. and the New York Central Railroad Company. Rembrandt also contributed philanthropically to organizations such as churches and the Red Cross, serving on their boards as well. He was, for many years, president of the Central Pennsylvania Coal Producer's Association and served on the United States Fuel Commission during WWI.

Having already opened small mines like Jackman, Brawley, Burley, and Snyder in the vicinity of Carrolltown, Peale made the decision to increase the size of his operations by opening two large mines, Victor No. 9 and No. 10, and to build a field office, summer residence, and a new company town. Around 1900, he purchased the Boyle Tract, a wooded property within a hilly farming area. By 1901, he employed carpenters to build the houses which would comprise St. Benedict. He named his town for the Benedictine priests of Carrolltown, Fr. Wirtner having helped him to obtain coal rights for Victor No.10 mine.

Soon Joseph Fox, an enterprising farmer whose tract adjoined Peale's, began building Foxburg. Two hotels, a row of apartments, and a livery were the early beginnings. Fox also enjoyed a new market for dairy products among the mining families moving in. Later, the public school and miners' hall would be built in Foxburg.

In 1901, carpenters were busy building company houses for a contingency of newcomers. Rembrandt Peale had hired Alex Dunsmore, a mine foreman from Tioga County, as his mine superintendent. The mine owner in Arnot was not respectful of miners' needs, forcing an eight-month strike in 1899­-1900. Hearing that Peale was friendly to unions and that he would build schools for miners' children, dozens of Tioga County mining families (from Arnot, Blossburg, and Barkley) followed Dunsmore to the new company town. Most of the families were of Scottish origin: Hanwell, Caldwell, Jack, Wilson, Hoskins, Rennie, Cowan, Hunter, Daugherty, Davies, Herron, and Evans. The Pavlocks, who were of Polish descent, also moved from that area to work in the mines, but bought a farm rather than living in town. This group always referred to Tioga County as back home, referring to each other as "backhomers."

For several years, the town mired in mud. The company had cut down all the trees to make room for the town, and the yellow clay turned slick and sticky with rain. When it dried out, it turned brick hard, and the landscape took on the appearance of a desert. Track was being laid for both the New York Central and Northern Cambria Railways, company buildings were being constructed, water lines laid, and power lines strung. Bob Cowan was the pumper who sent water from the reservoir to two water tanks - one for the locomotives and one for the townspeople. When the backhomers arrived, they found a two-room schoolhouse built in the adjoining town of Foxburg and a Methodist church in town. They soon helped to build a miners' union hall and the Presbyterian Church. Within a few years, Peale, Peacock and Kerr Company hired Poles, Slovaks, and other Eastern Europeans who moved into houses on the east end of Dunsmore Avenue. Residents began calling that area Hunky Town. Likewise, Italians found their niche on lower Jackman Road, which was referred to as Little Italy.

      Most lots were 100 feet by 187 feet with an outhouse in the far back. In the 1930s and 40s, rent was seven to eight dollars per month with free water. As employment decreased in the 1940’s, some houses stood unoccupied, and the company tore down those that had deteriorated - first out Railroad Street, then along Dunsmore Avenue. In 1946 the company began selling its houses, giving those families currently living there the first chance to buy and taking payments out of the workers' paychecks. Tom Daugherty, who represented the Spangler Bank, sold the remaining units. Harry Painter bought his house in 1946 for $900, which he points out was only a little more than the cost of the furnace he soon put in it.

Foxburg and St. Benedict are twin towns, being born together, but they have been far from identical. When Rembrandt Peale purchased the Boyle Tract in 1900, Joe Fox owned the land south of that land parcel on both sides of the main highway. By 1903, when Peale was completing construction of the facilities in St. Benedict, Joe Fox had already sold land to Joe Evans and Gus Flick for the construction of hotels, to the township who built a public school, and to the UMWA local for its miners' hall. Fox went on to build next to Flick's Hotel a tenement house called "Fox's Block" with seven apartments.

Often newlyweds would "set up housekeeping" in a room in one of the hotels, or in Fox's Block, until they could find an available house.

With time, houses went up along the highway and behind Flick's Hotel. Some other early businesses include Lesnock's shoe repair, a general store run by the Jack family next to the Evans' Hotel, Bostrom's grocery store, and of course, Fox's Dairy.

With the closing of the Peale, Peacock and Kerr Company in 1957 and the loss of the Central Trading Company store to fire in 1958, the town lost its nucleus…

...They (the St. Benedict Development Organization) decided to purchase the Peale office building for use as a community center. Eager to liquidate their holdings and feeling philanthropic with regard to the community they had helped to create, Rembrandt, Jr. and Richard Peale gave the organization the deed to building and property for one dollar.

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vv in the news   vv

New Book For Sale                   You've heard it was coming– now Bill Rogers’ new photography book, A Year in the Life of Ebensburg, has been published. See the insert for details.

Computer Donation                  Our Society recently received a donation from the Clinton Arthur Thomas and Kermit Bennett Thomas Fund through The Pittsburgh Foundation. The amount was not earmarked for a specific item and it was decided to put it toward a much needed new computer. Thank you Thomas brothers.

Vietnam Oral Histories                     Along with Deacon Ann Staples of the Coal Country Hangout Youth Center in Northern Cambria, our Society is applying for a grant from The History Channel. Approximately 20 teenagers will create a 60 minute video documentary using interviews with local Vietnam War Veterans.

Risk Management                    The advantage of having a diverse mix of people on an executive board is the expertise the board members bring with them. Board member Bill Rogers worked for the Gleason Agency as a safety expert. Bill is currently in the process of completing a long-overdue risk management assessment for our headquarters at the A W Buck House.

New Trail Opening                    Four miles of the “Path of the Flood” Trail will officially open on May 26, 2007 at the trail head in Ehrenfeld Park at 1:00 PM. This new section connects Ehrenfeld with Mineral Point along the path of the 1889 Johnstown Flood waters. At Mineral Point the trail connects to the existing two mile trail that ends at the Staple Bend Tunnel.

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RECENT ACCESSIONS

Artifacts

Bank draft, First National Bank of Cambria County, Beaverdale – donated by Judy Davis

Bethlehem Steel I.D. Tag – donated by Lewis Ripley, Jr.

Caplock shotgun – donated by Michael Kirchner

Hem marker – donated by Ebensburg food pantry

Letter on St. Charles Hotel, Gallitzin stationery dated July 1892 – donated by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

Scrapbook and supplement, Ebensburg Cambria High School Class of 1946–60^th Reunion – donated by Ina Claire Huber

Watercolor painting of A.W. Buck house – donated by Mrs. Loretta H. Safko

Watercolor painting of Ebensburg

Cambria High School –donated by Mary Lessard

Books

Pennsylvania State Police History 1905-2005 - donated by Pennsylvania State Police Centennial Committee

Industrial Archaeology in the Blacklog Narrows- A Study of the Juniata Valley Iron Industry – donated by Scott D. Heberling/Heberling Associates

Genealogies

The Ford-Paul Family Book 2006 – donated by Russell C. Golden

Peter Litzinger Family – donated by Elaine Wilkinson

Photographs

Ebensburg American Legion Post 363 – donated by Bill Davis

Ebensburg Cambria High School Class of 1946 - 60^th Reunion – donated by Ina Claire Huber

Johnstown Flood 1889 – donated by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

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Dog on a Train-

Under the category of believe it or not, we found this news article that was only labeled “early 1900’s– donated by John Kovach.”

“A most amusing incident occurred on a Pennsylvania Railroad Company Passenger Train between Cresson and Gallitzin recently. It involved an elderly man, who was smoking a pipe in the smoker car, and a woman, who is a great lover of dogs, particularly poodles.

From information gathered here, the woman had boarded the train in Altoona, with Cresson as her destination. When the conductor was making his rounds on the train in the vicinity of nationally known horseshoe curve, he discovered the small canine in the possession of the woman.

The conductor objected to the presence of the dog in the day coach, and ordered the woman to have the flagman deliver it to the baggage car. The woman refused to part with her pet and the conductor ordered her to the smoker. She was seated in the smoker car directly behind an elderly man, and immediately objected to his smoking a pipe, saying that the fumes were annoying her. She raised a window to let the smoke escape. The cold air was too much for the aged man, and after she refused his demand to close the window, he grabbed the poodle and threw him along the railroad right-of-way.

The angered woman grabbed his pipe and heaved it out the window, in the vicinity of the overhead bridge near the MO tower. Seconds later the train pulled up to the Cresson depot and stopped.

The elderly man and the woman continued their argument. The debate was settled a minute after they alighted from the train in Cresson. The dog came roaring down the Number 3 right-of-way, the pipe gripped in his mouth.”

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TIDBITS  TIDBITS  TIDBITS  TIDBITS

from 100 years ago. . .

FARMERS WANT TELEPHONE SERVICE
Will Build Line from Bradley Junction to

Loretto and Munster

On Wednesday afternoon of last week a meeting was held in the Parochial Hall at Loretto for the purpose of organizing a telephone line from Bradley Junction to Loretto and Munster. The meeting was largely attended and an organization was formed as follows: President, W. A. Sanker; secretary, Michael J. Bradley and treasurer, W.J. Hogue. Joseph Griffin and William J. Hogue had made a preliminary canvass of the field and reported at the meeting that the following persons had signified their desire for the improvement. From Bradley Junction-Hugh Driskel, W. J. Buck, L. E. Saylor , M. J. Bradley, Alphonsus Boley, George Driskel, George Stock, W. T. Sanker, Joseph McMullen, James Driskel, Michael Bovin, Joseph Hannan, Isadore Seymore, W. J. Hogue, M.P. Thomas, Ann Thomas, Joseph Griffin, Michael Farabaugh and George Farabaugh. Several Munster residents and a large number of Loretto people were also willing to join in. It was decided to go on with the work of securing poles and supplies and push the erection of the line. Many who were unable to be present sent applications for stock and telephones.

Cambria Freeman– February 8, 1907

Iceman

Iceman John Blair and the various hotel keepers in town are taking advantage of the present cold snap by harvesting ice off the lake.

Cambria Freeman– February 8, 1907

Keepin’ Them Down on the Farm

Philip Sanders, of Munster township, was in Ebensburg yesterday. Mr. Sanders is lamenting the fact that all the boys are leaving the farms these days and either go to the cities to seek employment or take up railroading as an occupation, thus making it almost impossible for the farmer to secure sufficient help to conduct his farm.

Cambria Freeman– February 8, 1907

Railroad Deaths

The railroads of Pennsylvania killed 3,872 persons and injured 33,825 during the fiscal year ended June 30th last. Of the killed eighty eight were passengers and the rest were employees of the various companies and persons other than passengers and employees.

Cambria Freeman– February 8, 1907

Regarding Y. M. C. A. Membership

Persons desiring membership in the Ebensburg Y. M. C. A. will please hand their names to John E. Evans, J. W. Leech, Harvey Tibbott or John E. Thompson. All persons who have signed the membership lists can secure their "Membership Cards" from B. Frank James, the treasurer. The Y. M. C. A. will likely be opened the second week in February with a membership to start, conservatively estimated at one hundred and seventy-five.

Ebensburg Mountaineer-Herald—January 31, 1907

School Program

The teachers of Barr township will hold an institute at the Killen School Saturday Feb. 9, and the following program will be carried out:
Afternoon session

Homer Stephens– Value of blackboard work

Walter Gibson– How to prevent tardiness

W. R. Calhoun– Benefit to be derived from home study

Evening session- 7 p.m. Debate, Resolved, That Foreign Immigration to the United States Should be Prohibited.

                                                  Ebensburg Mountaineer-Herald—January 31, 1907

Moxham Ladies Visit Ebensburg 

Thirty Moxham ladies drove to Ebensburg Thursday in two big sleds and took dinner at the Mountain House. They left Johnstown between 8 and 9 o'clock and reached the county seat soon after noon. They were given possession of the dining room at the Mountain House, and after an excellent chicken dinner had been served, the ladies were escorted through the County Jail and the Court House. They started on the return trip between 4 and 5 o'clock and reached Moxham at 8 o'clock.

Ebensburg Mountaineer-Herald—January 31, 1907

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 The Five Synagogues of Johnstown

           Pre-Synagogue Era– Along with the great wave of immigration from Eastern Europe during the 1880’s, many Russian Jews joined the few Jewish families already living in the Cambria City section of Johnstown. Regular religious services were held and Hebrew taught in Jewish homes. The first officially chartered Jewish congregation was  Rodef Sholom Congregation (without a synagogue building) in 1889 with 30 families. There was no synagogue to serve the Jewish community in Johnstown until 1905.

The First Synagogue: Rodef Sholom

The Iron Street Synagogue 1905-1950

          This synagogue was located at 51 Iron Street (now Walnut Street) across from the Pennsylvania Railroad Station. By 1910, it received 100 families. This synagogue was located close to the center of the Jewish community so that most of its members (mostly Orthodox) could walk to Sabbath. Through it’s 45 year existence, it became less Orthodox and more Conservative. The building was converted into a store, owned by Charles Lisowitz, in 1951 and then demolished in 1962.

The Second Synagogue: Ahavath Achim

Hornerstown (7th Ward) 1923-1973

          Comprised mostly of 40 Orthodox families from the Iron Street Synagogue, these members had been walking from the Hornerstown section of Johnstown to the Iron Street Synagogue. After a peak of about 60 families, by the 1970’s it had only two members. Most of these families had moved to the West Hills area. The building was sold to the 7th Ward Civic Association Ambulance Service and in 1995 it was demolished.

The Third Synagogue: Beth Zion Temple

Vine Street Temple 1924-1950

          This Reform congregation met in the impressive former home of the Nathan family starting in 1924. Its second president, Hulda N. Elasser, is believe to be the first woman to be elected as President of an American Jewish congregation. For many years the congregation organized the Beth Zion Forum, a very successful lecture series, which because of its popularity had to be held in the Cochran Junior High School Auditorium. The last service was held in 1950 when the congregation moved to Westmont. The site is now occupied by the Vine Street Towers.

The Fourth & Fifth Synagogues: “new” Rodef Sholom & “new” Beth Zion

Westmont Synagogues 1950– current date.

          At about the same time (c.1950), the Rodef Sholom congregation built a new synagogue at 100 Dartmouth Avenue in Westmont and the Beth Zion congregation built a new synagogue at 700 Indiana Street, also in Westmont. With a declining population, both congregations agreed to merge in the early 1970’s in the Beth Zion building. The “new” Beth Sholom congregation accommodates both the Reform and Conservative practices of Judaism. Friday night services are based more on Reform Judaism, while Saturday morning services are based more on a Conservative (and slightly Orthodox) tradition.      

 from the book: Insecure Prosperity: Small-Town Jews in Industrial America, 1890-1940 by Eva Morawska