ANTHRACITE ROCKS AT NEW PHILADELPHIA

The Chronicles of New Philadelphia Borough booklet was the 1976 bicentennial committee’s publication to preserve local history – based on intergenerational interviews with the town’s best storytellers and verified in primary sources … The paperback Chronicles booklet was published “so your children can tell their children.” ( Pennsylvania bi-centennial theme) . Further details, photos, and references can be found in the booklet.

Early dates align with the 1914 New Philadelphia Borough Manual

TRACTS

Before the borough of New Philadelphia was incorporated in 1868, settlers were locating to the land known as Silver Creek Countie, Valley Furnace Estates, Valley Furnace Tract, or Evans and Barlow Tract. PROSPECTORS were interested in area tracts because they contained iron hematite. They built forges and furnaces near streams.

1830

When the Schuylkill Valley Railroad was extended from Port Carbon to Tuscarora 1829-1830, it ran train cars loaded with timber pulled by horse/mule power and connected to the Schuylkill Canal. One horse could pull eight train cars on wooden rails. A 1830 map revealed the developments here : a forge and a “valley furnace” near a stream between the Broad and Sharp Mountains; a town plot and dwellings, a church, tavern, a proposed state road, turnpike road, railroad, a grist mill and a saw mill at the intersection of the Schuylkill River and Silver Creek.

After the 1850 summer drought, Silver Creek reservoir was constructed to feed the Schuylkill Schuylkill Canal.

1922 – state highway from Tuscarora to Tamaqua ( covered some old stagecoach road)

PIG IRON AND STONE COAL (ANTHRACITE)

Rev Dr FW Geissenhainer, a scientist and Lutheran clergyman (who had studied chemistry,
mechanics and mineralogy in Prussia) experimented at his charcoal furnace here as early as 1804 and by 1833 patented his hot blast method for using “anthracite only as fuel” in smelting pig iron here. (The furnace was near Caleb Parker’s slope.) Before 1820 he also had a forge at Valley Furnace.

By the summer of 1836, Geissenhainer’s experiments drew the attention of Pennsylvania Gov. Joseph Ritner who visited Valley Furnace to see it for himself. Gov Ritner reported the new process to the 1837 General Assembly who realized the value of cheaply produced iron to the economy of Pennsylvania.

Geissenhainer’s declining health forced him back to his New York Church and the operations at Valley Furnace were abandoned by 1846. By 1875 only stones and debris remained .
An 1876 centennial speech by Abraham Pott was read in Pottsville and credited Geissenhainer for his discovery at Valley Furnace.

A blue PA historical marker on US Route 209 east of New Philadelphia was dedicated October 20, 1948 to commemorate his accomplishment at Valley Furnace.

INCORPORATING THE BOROUGH

By 1841 two houses existed built by Nathan Barlow ( a justice of the peace) and Andrew Bubb, Barlow’s family had roots in Scotland.

1858-60 the first election polls were held ( as part of Blythe Township).

1868 the first borough council meeting convened at the house of (Chief Burgess) Charles

Tanner whose family had roots in England. (Tanner received $20 for raising a flagpole).

Becoming Borough Council president, he also provided the borough with its first loan (8%).

The borough was named for the City of Philadelphia and planned by Mr. Wetherhill on land
owned by Barlow and Evans ( all street names along Valley Street).

1899- A Municipal Building was built by Alliance Coal Company ( cost deducted from taxes)

1875 – Valley Street Hotel existed ; Also Farmers’ Hotel and Miners’ Saloon (1971 fire)

1914- Arch built over Silver Creek at Water Street

THE PITS :

Mammoth Vein- at Silver Creek; Kaskawilliam Coal Corp.
Ledger Vein-Valley Furnace Company
Primrose Vein-Caleb Parker’s slope was on the second dip at Valley Furnace, left of the turnpike,(above the old furnace) He built a dam on Silver Creek to propel his machinery
1874-Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company acquired the Valley Furnace tract .

Some Surrounding Collieries:
Eagle Hill,Hines & Co (1871 fire) The Shoofly,(1890 fire)
PJ Kelly Washery, ( 1891 first shipment of coal)
Alliance Coal Mining Co.
1875 New Phila Coal Mining Co.
1894 Silver Creek Colliery first shipment of coal;
1914 diamond drill first used at Silver Creek Colliery
UNION 1868 Workingman’s Benevolent Association (United Mineworkers of America)
Union Cooperative

THE TOWN
1868 Taverns: Margaret Kelly, DJ Brennan, Jonathan Reber ,Sarah Powell
A&P ; ACME

Factories: Phillips and Jones Branch No.1;1959 State Mfg., 1970 Mindy, 1928 Onyx,
ILGWU Rischel and Crosby furniture

Bakeries : Benulis (1944 fire) ; Daskus “Restaurant”

Bottling: Ferrence Beverages , EP McQuail, Joseph Matta (Bottler) , New Phila. Bottling Works

1917 Flood’s Theater

1921 Sacred Heart- MGM silent movies

1933 Lyric Theater (1949 fire)

Auto Dealers-1920s Cornelius Walters; Anthony Lucas ; Victor Elenausky

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

1875 map shows a school on Barlow Street
1893 new school built on Quality Hill. (School Bell was rung at 8:30 and 9AM)
The school became overcrowded ( classes held at second floor of fire house and some
students did not speak English ) 60 students
They built another school which operated till 1958.
Eden Park was situated on Quality Hill (Public School Hill) and featured a bandshell
New Phila Band played in Middleport for 1918 Memorial Day
New Phila also had a Girls Drill Team (1917)
New Phila School (and others in County) started school before Labor Day in 1920s

EARLY EDUCATION

1832 Nathan Barlow was paid as school teacher ( school on 1830 map)
Before 1837, Pay Schools ( in log cabins) cost 50 cents/ month
Valley Furnace Night School ( for breaker boys after work at 4PM)
1847 Felix O’Hare -a teacher from Montreal came to Valley Furnace School
1875 Valley Furnace School Fire
Local schools existed in Valley Furnace, Silver Creek, Tumbling Run, Tucker Hill, Cumbola,
Kaska, Lorraine, Windy Harbor, Bear Ridge

BLYTHE TOWNSHIP HS

HS built in 1925. Stadium dedicated in 1933. In1936 a new wing added.
Seven Blythe students participated in 1928 Penn Relays.
1928 Girls Basketball team- 12 out of 12 games won
1939 State Championship in football (12-0 vs.Clearfield)
This Blythe game with Clearfield initiated the Birthplace of the AP all-state team.
Blythe fire was October 10,1956
Polio vaccines given to school age children in the 50s
Blythe HS was discontinued in 1962.
1964 – Joined St Clair Area Joint School District.

CHURCHES SCHOOLS CEMETERIES

New Philadelphia Catholics attended St Stephen’s in 1847.
By 1866 they established Holy Family Church.
Their small church completely burned in 1880 and they rebuilt on the site.
Also built rectory. Cemetery
Holy Family School was built in 1902 during the miner’s strike. In 1923 a Commercial course was available at Holy Family Business School.
1973 Catholic schools merged- Holy Cross

1896 Sacred Heart members built a small church.
(Sacred Heart Society met in the New Philadelphia Public School building before that)
1898 cemetery;
1901 built new church with organ; 1905 rectory
1914 Sacred Heart Choir participated in the first Lakewood Park Lithuanian Day
Church membership ( 1800)
1915 built a larger church ; 1926 Sacred Heart School was ready.
1984 new church dedicated;
Catholic parishes merged as Holy Cross .
2020 – Twin parishes with St.Clare of Assisi ( St Clair)
Preaching at Squire Barlow’s stone tavern ( Primitive Methodist)
1849 Lutheran Church
1855 Methodist – New Philadelphia , Tucker Hill, Big Vein, Middleport met in school houses
1860 Methodist Episcopal Church
Sunday School-Presbyterian

EVENTS

Veterans: (1919) American Legion Post 677, (1946) Catholic War Vets Post 1079,(1975)Amvets Post 256
Memorial Honor Roll WWI, WWII at Town Square
1976 Memorial replaced Honor Roll Memorial at Town Square
Civic organizations: Civil Defense, Rotary
1861Wynkoop’s Artillery of Silver Creek, Company E,16th Regiment volunteers ( guarded
railroads)
Memorial Day ceremonies held at Eden Park Public School Hill prior to 1918;
1918 proclamations by President and Gov. to remember the boys of 1865,1898, and 1918
1918 Spanish Flu-epidemic spread through Soldiers (5000 Schuylkill Co. victims died)
Homecoming Parade after WWII – 525 participants ( 4 divisions) Masses at Sacred Heart and Holy Family cemeteries, Methodist services, fireworks at Blythe, dance at Holy Family Hall
1959 – JFK motored through New Philadelphia on Valley Street.
Bi-centennial 1976 parade, fireworks at Little League, reference library, license plates, buttons
Wedding receptions held Holy Family Hall, Sacred Heart Hall
Block parties sponsored by churches, Good Intent Fire Company

SPORTS

1920s Walters Hall boxing events
1920s New Philadelphia Tigers
1925-26 Pirates ( South Anthracite League baseball
1954 Little League ( at Tigers Field) sports pavilion, path
1955 Little League Swimming Pool : other swimming pools : Legion, Elliott’s (behind Furnival)
2015 New Philadelphia FireDogs – professional basketball

A PROGRESSIVE TOWN

1904 Fire Company ; 1905 Hose House; 1922 reorganized Fire Company as Good Intent
Later- 1955 Ambulance Association
1910 Pharmacy Dr. JJ Curran
1923 Silver Creek Pharmacy ( John Darrowshefski) :
Bus Stop and available tickets at Drug Store
Medical Practices :Dr W. Walters, Dr Boord, Dr. NW Stein, Dr. Fischer, Dr, Ko, Dr MJ Julian, Dr, Zawisza
Dental Practices:1914 Dr. EA Flanigan
Later Dr. Clement Zerdy, Dr, Alfonse Zerdy, Dr.Leo Shaudis, Dr Jonathan Keyes
Funeral directors Bartashus , Schwab, Zalonis

1887 Street Lamps
1900 Bell Telephone Lines
1902 Electric ; Electric Trolleys ran 1902-1932
1902 first sewer on Water St
1918 Silver Creek State Bank became Union Bank and Trust in 1964
Reading Railroad Depot – where many WWII soldiers left for service
2017 Schuylkill Headwaters – Big Creek Limestone Soil Reclamation project

POSTAL SERVICE

“Turnpike roads” for mail delivery
1850 Silver Creek PO
1952 New Philadelphia PO
1961 new PO building dedicated
1963 home delivery

LAW AND ORDER

1877- The first police were paid.
ELLIOTT ST – Harry Elliott murdered in his home. Murderer hung at Pottsville 1900
MOLLIES murdered William Williams ( owner) at his 1865 Eagle Hotel on Valley St -BILLY’s
HILL was named for him.
1864-James Shields, company E , murdered at Silver Creek by Mollie Maguires ;
Murderer was sentenced to Eastern Penitentiary.
BOROUGH LOCK UP-used for Knights of the Road (hobos ) and disorderly conduct

Some 1914 ORDINANCES :
No baseball or games on Sunday.($1Fine).
No spitting on the sidewalk.
No loafing on sidewalks, corners or storefronts. ($1Fine )
Drains forbidden from privy into any culvert or sewer without permission.
9 PM CURFEW for children under age 16.(The police may arrest them without warrant and
place them in confinement. Parent,guardian or responsible person will be fined $2 or confined to the BOROUGH LOCK-UP for a few days.)
Later 1965 – Union Bank & Trust Robbery ; another hold -up in 1995