PAGenWeb McKean County, Pennsylvania Chronological History of Eldred 1878-1903 HISTORY OF ELDRED 1878-1903 Compiled & Published by The Eldred Eagle Printing House 1830 Post office is established, Nathan Dennis, P.M., called Allegany Bridge. 1878 July, 1878: Central House completed,; R. Dennis, prop. Aug., 1878: Kendall & Eldred narrow gauge opened. Cost $150,000. Aug. 7, 1878: "Eldred Express" started by A.J. Hughes. Discontinued Sept. 6, 1879. Aug. 24, 1878: "Eldred Eagle" started by A.D. Gould. Sept., 1878: Bloomberg’s store built by I. Dornberg. Oct., 1878: Surveyed by B.E. Cutler, to incorporate as borough. Dec. 22, 1878: M.E. church dedicated. 1880 Jan., 1880: Ten licensed places, nine doctors, 14 groceries, 3 dry goods, 3 clothing, 3 millinery, 6 feed stores, 4 saw mills, 6 laundries in town. Jan. 13, 1880: J.R. Jones Post, G.A.R., organized. Feb., 1880: Post Office changed from Allegany Bridge to Eldred. March, 1880: First oil shipped from loading racks. June, 1880: Population 1,165 people; 242 families. Aug. 14, 1880: Central House burned. Dec. 22, 1880: Incorporated into borough. 1881 Jan. 19, 1881: New Central House opened. Apr. 13, 1881: W.D. Lamphier drowned near Wolcott’s mill. Sept. 22, 1881: First through train on Eldred, Ceres & Wellsville railroad. Sept., 1881: Town burned. Dec., 1881: Bank company organizes. 1882 May 24, 1882: Brick yard started near bottling works June 12, 1882: St. Elmo opens (formerly Dolan House) B.W. Rice. July 10, 1882: Eldred & Rew R.R. completed. Sept. 26, 1882: F. & A. M. lodge No. 560 instituted. Dec. 6, 1882: Eldred Gas Co., applied for charter. 1883 Jan., 1883: A.R. Sloan begins work in bank April 7, 1883: Felix Bartlett chokes to death at St. Elmo. June, 1883: Town hall contract let to M.H. Dean & Co. June 30, 1883: C.M.B.A. organized. July 3, 1883: Instruments received for Eldred band. July 12, 1883: Began work on water line, tank on Chrisman’s hill. Dec. 11, 1883: Morse well shot. Reopens Eldred’s oil excitement. 1884 Jan., 1884: Postoffice made a presidential appointment office. Aug. 4, 1884: K.O.T.M. lodge instituted. Aug. 28, 1884: Mrs. Wm. Knapp died, aged 64 years. Sept. 10, 1884: New opera house opened with ball by Eldred band. Sept. 11, 1884: Eldred Bank robbed; about $2,500 taken. Sept. 17, 1884: St. Elmo burned, loss $11,000, ins. $4,500. "Old Heck" burned. Nov. 10, 1884: Opera house opened by "Bankers Daughter". 1885 Jan. 3, 1885: Geo. Dana’s glycerin factory at Windfall goes up, J. Simmons & C. Thompson killed. Mar. 10, 1885: 6,000 pounds of glycerin in factory at Custer City go killing H. Pratt & Wm. Harrington. Mar. 29, 1885: Five buildings at Larabee burn; loss $10,000. Mar. 30, 1885: Ella Wainman died, aged 23 years. May 18, 1885: Eldred Cemetery Ass’n formed. June 18, 1885: Akron, NY; band tournament; Eldred got 3rd prize. June 26, 1885: Portville burned; loss $75,000. July 15 , 1885: Cordela wife of T.C. Wainman, died, aged 47 years. July 28 , 1885: Ed. Groshong died, aged 24 years. July 31, 1885: Oscar Carpenter, Larabee, died; 70 years. Aug. 2, 1885: Maggie (13 years), Nellie (9 years) Kane, drowned at Larabee. Aug. 20, 1885: Grand Tournament of Eldred band. Sept. 25, 1885: Dr. E. Barden died; 85 years. Oct. 18, 1885: St. Raphael’s dedicated by Bishop Mullen of Erie. 1886 Jan. 21, 1886: Charles & Shaw’s sawmill burned; loss $2,500. Apr. 18, 1886: Central House barns burn; loss $3,000. May 26, 1886: Band got new uniforms; blue, gold & white. June 9, 1886: Eldred band gets first prize; Port Allegany Tournament. July 29, 1886: Eldred band gets first prize; Friendship Tournament. Aug 28, 1886: Eureka lodge I.O.O.F. No. 164 instituted. Nov. 19, 1886: WRC instituted. 1887 Jan. 24, 1887: Rev. S.D. Morris died; 71 years. Feb. 17, 1887: Alford & Dean’s glycerin factory explodes 3 tons of dynamite. June 22, 1887: Eldred Band wins second prize at Akron, NY tournament. Aug. 2, 1887: Eldred band wins first prize at Cuba, tournament. Sept., 1887: W.A. Quirin tannery located here. (?) Sept. 17, 1887: Attorney F.L. Armstrong died; 31 years. Dec. 4, 1887: Dean’s planing mill burned; loss $4,000. 1888 Jan. 18, 1888: Hall’s saw mill burned; loss $7,500. June 29, 1888: Mrs. S.D. Freeman suicides at St. Elmo. 1889 Jan., 1889: M. Warner builds saw mill where Hall’s burned. Feb. 10, 1889: P.O. Heasley died at Bradford. April 21, 1889: Coleman’s hotel burned. May 17, 1889: Lester Greenman drowned; age 22 years. June 1, 1889: High water, 17 feet above level; losses, $7,125. July 11, 1889: John Blake killed on railroad at South Wales, NY; aged 18 years. Aug. 6, 1889: Wreck near W. N. Y. & P depot; 3 Italians injured; 2 die, Aug. 24, 1889: Knights of Pythias lodge instituted. Oct. 12, 1889: Eldred band returns form Washington, DC where they accompanied the Lake Erie Commandery, K of T. Oct. 21, 1889: J.J. Newman’s mill. etc., at Larabee burned, loss $40,000. Nov. 2, 1889: E.C. Wolcott died; 46 years. Nov. 3, 1889: Baptist church dedicated. Nov. 30, 1889: New school house dedicated. 1890 Apr. 24, 1890: C.H. Haven’s mill at Windfall burned; loss $3,000. May 23, 1890: Wreck at B. E. & C. and W. N. Y. & P. crossing; Wm. Lewis died. July 4, 1890: New driving park opened. Aug. 4, 1890: Eldred band goes to Butler, PA, with Bolivar Hose Co. Dec. 16, 1890: L.C.B.A. No. 50 organized. 1891 Jan. 19, 1891: D.L. Robbins’ shoe store burned; loss $10,000. June 27, 1891: Wainman’s saw mill burned; loss $6,000. Sept. 11, 1891: Eldred vs. Austin ball game, hottest ball game ever in Eldred; score 3 to 0 in Eldred’s favor. Nov. 11, 1891: Wainman’s new saw mill started. Dec. 31, 1891: Iver’s building burned; loss $900. 1892 Feb. 24, 1892: Walter Mullett killed by cars; 51 years. April, 1892: Jas. McFarlin of Ridgeway, buys St. Elmo. April 28, 1892: C.M. Coleman burned in his hotel; 58 years. June 26, 1892: Barden’s store burned; loss $12,000. June 30, 1892: H. Krohn’s store burned; loss $12,000. July 24, 1892: Dr. J.C. Cheeseman died; 78 years. Sept. 20, 1892: Henry Schrader killed by fall. Oct. 10, 1892: R.H. Owen died; 54 years. Nov. 14, 1892: T.J. Ivers’ tailor shop burned. Nov. 16, 1892: A. Harmon’s store burned. Nov. 19, 1892: Ralph Crossmire kills his mother at Farmers Valley. Dec. 11, 1892: Parker, Krohn, Hopewll & Ogilvie’s burned; loss $5,200. 1893 Jan. 10, 1893: H.W. Morgan frozen; died Jan. 12. June 23, 1893: M. Warner’s planing mill burned; loss $10,000. June 20, 1893: Band tournament at Emporium; Eldred second prize. Aug. 10, 1893: I.O.O.F.’s big day here. Aug. 16, 1893: H.D. Ault died; 63 years. Aug. 31, 1893: J.M. Geuder died; 68 years. Sept. 3, 1893: H. Hrohn dies; 44 years. Sept. 11, 1893: Eldred Band accompanies N.Y. Templars to Buffalo. Nov. 27, 1893: A. Lampka died at Buffalo; 35 years. Dec. 14, 1893: Ralph Crossmire hanged at Smethport. Dec. 28, 1893: First basketball game; Olean 9 vs. Eldred 3. 1894 Mar. 17, 1894: Geo. McDivitt killed on railroad track; 45 years. May 20, 1894: Flood beats record of 89 by 4 inches. Water covered floors of 70 buildings in town. Aug. 6, 1894: Commercial hotel burned (on Railroad St.). Aug. 15, 1894: G.T. Dennis died; 75 years. Oct. 7, 1894: Dr. E. Rumsey died; 64 years. Nov. 1, 1894: C.F. Trank found dead in bed. Dec. 27, 1894: Dr. Lewis Balfour died; 44 years. 1895 Feb. 12, 1895: Wesley Colegrove killed at Austin. Mar. 30, 1895: F.A. Carter died; 45 years. April 7, 1895: Polly Rockwell gets judgement against Borough for injury, from fall on sidewalk, for $524. July 5, 1895: Eldred Band gets second prize; Franklinville tournament. July 30, 1895: Arthur Wainman died; 24 years. Aug. 11, 1895: Walsh’s, Cull’s, depot, etc, burn. Aug. 25, 1895: Martin Knapp died; 79 years. Sept. 17, 1895: Lorenzo Murgittroyd died at Syracuse; 41 years. Oct. 14, 1895: Engine & 11 cars ditched by open switch above depot, Fireman Jesse Baxter killed; 28 years. Nov. 15, 1895: Mrs. F.D. Wheeler died; 58 years. Dec. 3, 1895: Wainman’s saw mill burned; loss $20,000. Dec. 18, 1895: H. Eaton’s house burned; loss $2,100. 1896 April 6, 1896: T. J. Lewis died; 60 years. May 5, 1896: Prof. J.E. Myers elected County Superintendent. May 27, 1896: Blanche Hoffman died; 23 years. July, 1896: M.H. Welch purchased Douglass livery. Aug. 8, 1896: J.E. Walsh died; 41 years. Aug. 13, 1896: E.A. McKee’s house burned. Sept. 20, 1896: First Service held in new Episcopal Church. Nov. 1, 1896: T.C. Wainman’s house & barn burned; loss $3,500. Nov. 22, 1896: L.L. Owens died at Clearfield; 40 years. Nov. 27, 1896: Frank Hull died at Franklinville; 42 years. 1897 Jan., 1897: P.H.C. organized here. Jan. 12, 1897: Nelson Hooker died; 67 years. Mar. 7, 1897: Wm. Hooker died; 69 years. Apr. 4, 1897: Jacob Olmstead died; 73 years. Apr. 13, 1897: Seth Rockwell’s house burned; loss $1,500. July, 1897: Platts’ Cutlery Factory locates here. July 30, 1897: Mrs. Ida Day died; 74 years. Sept. 30, 1897: John W. King died; 74 years. Oct. 25, 1897: Chas. W. Dorrion died; 36 years. 1898 Feb. 21, 1898: Wellman G. Bennett died; 35 years. Mar. 6, 1898: Norman Wright died; 76 years. Mar. 13, 1898: Henry Foster died; 90 years. Mar. 18, 1898: Adolph Ortman died; 61 years. April 21, 1898: Order of Eastern Star, Rata Chapter instituted. May 7, 1898: Mrs. L.F. Winsor died; 58 years. May 13, 1898: L.F. Winsor died; 64 years. July 24, 1898: Wm. H. Otto died; 43 years. July 28, 1898: Mrs. Ezra Marsh died; 64 years. Sept. 8, 1898: Abram T. Barden died; 68 years. Sept. 15, 1898: Squire Gatutia died; 68 years. Sept. 19, 1898: Amos Vaughn died; 69 years. Oct. 24, 1898: Seth Rockwell died; 74 years. Oct. 30, 1898: Ira S. Anthony died. Nov. 26, 1898: Mrs. Lucinda Knapp died; 78 years. Nov. 27, 1898: B.E. Prescott died; 69 years. Dec. 6, 1898: Thomas Barkus died; 73 years. Dec. 14, 1898: Mrs. A. DeGoff died. Dec 28, 1898: B. Alford died; 57 years. 1899 Feb. 11, 1899: McFarlan’s bottling works burned. Mar. 4, 1898: James Wright died; 55 years. Mar. 26, 1898: T.S. Bennett died; 73 years. Apr. 9, 1898: Richard Rice died; 69 years. Apr. 17, 1898: William Dorrion died; 80 years. May 14, 1898: Mrs. Mary Carpenter died; 79 years. July 14, 1898: New water works completed. Aug. 19, 1898: F.W. Crowley’s shop burned. Sept. 19, 1898: Hattie M. Burr died; 17 years. Dec. 18, 1898: Mildred Dunbar died at Hattiesburg, Miss.; 31 years. Dec. 21, 1898: Chas. Platts, Sr. died; 63 years. Dec. 24, 1898: Mrs. Ed Cox died; 28 years. 1900 Feb. 22, 1900: Martha E. Royce died; 59 years. Mar. 2, 1900: Elisha Moody died; 75 years. Mar. 11, 1900: Mrs. Ulic Welch died; 68 years. Apr. 13, 1900: George Ogilvie died; 55 years. Apr. 27, 1900: Delphine E. Marsh died. May 5, 1900: Nathan Ayers died; 67 years. May 17, 1900: B.T. Hopewell died; 46 years. May 29, 1900: P. McDonald died; 59 years. June 16, 1900: Squires’ planing mill burned; loss $9,000. June 24, 1900: Mrs. James Shields died; 36 years. July 4, 1900: Mrs. Lillian Cohen died; 24 years. July 22, 1900: Miss. C. Hauenstein died; 32 years. July 22, 1900: A.C. Douglass died in Buffalo; 64 years. Sept. 2, 1900: Mrs. Ada Rice died; 36 years. Nov. 8, 1900: Mrs. Thos. Horan died; 45 years. Dec. 21, 1900: Mrs. R. Templeton died. 1901 Jan., 1901: Land for new Barden Brook cemetery purchased. Jan. 2, 1901: Mrs. C. Bloomberg died. Jan. 12, 1901: Simeon Sherwood died. Feb. 4, 1901: Mrs. Krohn’s and Cycle b’ldgs. burn; losses $10,000. Feb. 13, 1901: Mrs. Editha Wright died; 82 years. Feb. 15, 1901: Jennie E. Newton died; 49 years. Mar. 12, 1901: Mrs. C.W. Slack died at Attica, NY; 28 years. Mar. 21, 1901: Glass plant contract signed. Mar. 25, 1901: Post office robbed; loss $911.99. Apr. 6, 1901: Hon. P.R. Cotter died at Harrisburg. Apr. 13, 1901: Mrs. B.H. Lanphiere died; 73 years. June 10, 1901: S.P. Groshong died; 77 years. June 22, 1901: Crowley’s tailor shop robbed; loss $200. July 14, 1901: Mrs. Ester Robinson died; 82 years. July 16, 1901: Mrs. A.W. Dodge died; 72 years. Sept. 2, 1901: Iver’s store damaged by fire. Sept. 16, 1901: Pres. McKinley’s train went through Eldred @ 10:36 AM. Sept. 23, 1901: Almina Keyes died; 80 years. Oct. 2, 1901: Dan’l J. Keyes died; 80 years. Oct. 9, 1901: Henry Eaton died; 75 years. Oct. 15, 1901: Owen Charles died at Hattiesburg, Miss. Oct. 17, 1901: Col. J.N. Duffy died in Newport, KY; 72 years. Nov. 2, 1901: J.B. Fenzie died; 44 years. Dec. 8, 1901: Mrs. S.P. Groshong died; 75 years. 1902 Jan. 11, 1902: A.W. Dodge died; 74 years. Jan. 27, 1902: Chas. See killed by cars near Squires’ Mill. Feb. 1, 1902: First rural route out of Eldred established. Feb. 4, 1902: L.J. Wright died; 68 years. Feb. 19, 1902: Alonzo Shaw died; 89 years. Mar. 12, 1902: Wm. Dunbar died; 70 years. Mar. 14, 1902: Geo. Wonder died; 69 years. Apr. 19, 1902: Eunice J. Rumsey died; 68 years. Apr. 23, 1902: Elizabeth Havens died. Apr. 23, 1902: Ella S. Durlin died; 42 years. May 20, 1902: John C. Welch died; 45 years. May 25, 1902: W.T. Langdon died; 74 years. June 3, 1902: Fred F. Brown died; 42 years. June, 1902: Bennett Street opened to Mechanic. Sept. 1, 1902: Glass factory begins blowing. Oct. 26, 1902: C.H. Odell died; 60 years Nov. 21, 1902: Mrs. I.G. LeSuer died; 75 years. Dec. 1, 1902: Rural routes Nos. 2 and 3 start. Dec. 20, 1902: Mrs. Ethel Monroe died; 20 years. Dec. 23, 1902: Mrs. D.L. Robbins died; 54 years. 1903 Jan. 27, 1903: Anna E. Carey died; 73 years. Feb. 4, 1903: Almira Rice died; 89 years. Mar. 8, 1903: Phineas Morgan died; 89 years. Mar. 31, 1903: Mrs. J.C. Clement died; 40 years. Apr. 3, 1903: Mrs. W.T. Boone died; 84 years. Apr. 18, 1903: Anthony Welch died; 80 years. Apr. 23, 1903: Burdette Hammond died; 60 years. May 8, 1903: Mrs. Jacob Olmstead died; 74 years. May 9, 1903: Wm. Boone died; 73 years. May 10, 1903: S.A. Griggs died; 74 years. May 15, 1903: Mrs. Henry Donlon died; 22 years. Mat 19, 1903: Mrs. Mary Dorrion died; 80 years. June 19, 1903: McKean-Potter League opened at Eldred vs. Port Allegany. Aug. 20, 1903: Miles Loop & daughter killed by flyer near river bridge. Aug. 20, 1903: Riley Preston died; 86 years. Aug. 25, 1903: John Sweeney died at Buffalo; 17 years. Sept. 20, 1903 Mrs. H.B. Doolittle died; 46 years. Nov. 5, 1903: S.C. Andrews died; 71 years. Nov. 15, 1903: Ulic Welch died; 69 years. Nov. 25, 1903: Mrs. P. Cull died; 50 years. Dec. 4, 1903: Ruth Williams died; 11 years. Dec. 31, 1903: Mrs. M.H. Walsh died; 33 years. Contributed by Joseph Welch Transcribed by Paul Oliver pcoliver@juno.com