Mercer County PA Miscellanous News Articles From the Past
The Republican Compiler
9 Jul 1823 Page 6
Mercer, Pa., June 17
A distressing accident took place near Byer's mill, a few miles from this place, on Thursday last. The circumstances were as follows:
The neighbors of Mahoning township and its vicinity, had assembled at Mr. Peter Gundy's for the purpose of raising a barn: the building was framed without braces & c. While in the act of running the wall-plate over the last bent, not having adopted the precaution of following poles, the pressure against the top of the bent was so great as to crowd it over against its fellow, when the whole, four in number, instantly fell precipitating twelve or fifteen men, which were on the top to receive the place, to the ground, a distance of nearly thirty feet, wounding and bruising the greater number of them in a shocking manner. Of the number wounded, three or four are severely, perhaps fatally injured: - three have had their sculls fractured; four their legs or arms broke. One of the former had his head pressed between two large pieces of timber, into the space of four inches and three sixteenths of an inch.
The many accidents which result from carelessness, or something else, at raisings, ought to operate as a warning to those who superintend the process, and the greatest circumspection is necessary, where the lives of men depend entirely upon caution, prudence and carefulness. - Press.
Mercer, Pa., April 22, 1854
On the 15th inst., sixteen hundred and eighty-seven of these troublesome little animals' scalps were brought into camp in Lachawanock township. Two detachments were sent in pursuit of them - Maj. Gault commanding one detachment and Capt. Dawson the other. Gault's company succeeded in taking 858, Dawson's company 829. It is supposed that upwards of two thousand were deprived of life. - Monitor.
Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
June 23 1824
Squirrels: At a hunt in Springfield township on the 14th May, 17 hunters killed 1200 squirrels - pretty well for one day. A party of 10 from this borough and vicinity, killed 033 on the 29th.
Mercer, (Pa.) Monitor
Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
July 14, 1824
Mercer, Pa, June 28.
Fire: The Union Meeting house was struck by lightning and consumed to ashes about 3 o'clock this morning. The heavy rain that fell when the fire burst out and was at its highest element, protected the neighboring buildings from sustaining any injury. - Monitor.
Morning Herald (Titusville, Pennsylvania)
September 11 1868
Sharon is to have a National Bank, arrangements having been completed for transferring the First National Bank of Plumer, Venango county, to that place. The bank will be opened on the first of October.
Morning Herald (Titusville, Pennsylvania)
April 15 1868
The Atlantic Iron and Nail Works, at Sharon, Mercer county, have been sold to Peter Kimberly, who designs setting them in motion very soon.
Gazette Bulletin (Williamsport, Pennsylvania)
May 10 1870
Railroad Project. The Sharpsville, Wheatland, Sharon and Greenfield railroad of Mercer county, Pa., has been incorporated, with a number of gentlemen from the western part of Mercer county as corporators. The capital stock is fixed at $50,000 at $50 a share, with power to increase as much as may be deemed necessary to carry out the full intent of the charter. On the subscription of 500 shares an organization of the company is authorized. The proposed road runs south from Sharpsville through Sharon to Wheatland Furnaces crossing State street in Sharon at its intersection with Sharpsville street or any more suitable point. The Greenfield branch commences in Sharon and runs up Pine Run to Keel Ridge, and thence to Greenfield.
Titusville Morning Herald (Titusville, Pennsylvania)
June 21 1870
The Sharon Times of the 16th says "Just as we go to press we learn that F. H. Braggins, Esq., of the Mercer Dispatch, was thrown from a buggy, fracturing his skull, inflicting a dangerous and probably fatal injury."
Titusville Morning Herald (Titusville, Pennsylvania)
July 23 1870
The thriving village of Sharpsville, Mercer county has eight hundred and fifty three inhabitants and thirteen manufacturing establishments employing one hundred and fifty four men and a capital of $482,800.
Indiana Progress (Indiana, Pennsylvania)
December 15 1870
Azariah Moses, of Mercer county, made the journey from Connecticut, via Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, to his present place of residence, in 1798, with an ox team, being forty-two days on the route. At that time New Castle contained six or seven log houses, and Sharon was inhabited only by Indians; the first white settler of the latter place being a man named Jones. Mr. Moses is a hale and hearty bachelor of eighty years and considers himself good for several years of life.
Titusville Morning Herald (Titusville, Pennsylvania)
July 12 1872
Mercer County has not a licensed house in it, and as a matter of course Judge Trunkey is becoming very unpopular with the few "gin pegs" of that truly Puritane community. The new hotel at Sharon, (Commercial) has opened its bar on strictly temperance principles, and advertises lemonade, buttermilk, etc., on draught.
Titusville Morning Herald (Titusville, Pennsylvania)
March 6 1873
D. W. Findley was last week admitted to practice law in the several courts of Mercer county, under a suspension of the rules.
Rev. B. M. Kerr, of Mercer, has been made the recipient of money and presents to the amount of $117 by member of his congregation and other friends.
The Mercer Woolen Mills, in Mercer owned by a stock company, were totally destroyed by fire on Thursday night. The loss is heavy, being estimated at from $25,000 to $30,000.
The Greenville Argus says that Ruloff Aarris, a brakeman on the S. & A. railroad was arrested on Thursday for bigamy. In default of bail he was committed to the lock-up, but some kind friend unbarred the doors Thursday night, and now Ruleff has gone away.
James Hanna, indicted for both assault and rape of the person of Eleanor Mathers, plead guilty to both indictments. On the first charge the prisoner was sentenced to pay a fine of one dollar and costs, and on the second charge to undergo an imprisonment in the Western Penitentiary for the term of twelve years.
The Indiana Democrat (Indiana, Pennsylvania)
July 3, 1873
A brief telegram in Thursday's dailies announced the death at Mauch Chunk on the previous evening of one of Mercer county's worthy sons - Hon. Michael C. Trout, of Sharon. He dropped dead in the Mansion House at the above place, from heart disease. So closely has Mr. Trout been allied with the varied interests of our county, that this sudden taking off cannot but carry sorrow to all hearts. He was so well known that the mere announcement of his death will be an obituary. - Greenville Argus.
Daily Gazette and Bulletin (Williamsport, Pennsylvania)
February 5 1874
Sharon, Mercer county, has five blast furnaces, two rolling mills, two machine shops and two foundries. About 900 kegs of nails, 60 tons of hoop and bar iron and 150 tons of pig iron are produced there daily.
Indiana Progress (Indiana, Pennsylvania)
March 2 1876
Mrs. R. C. Love, of Greenfield, Mercer county, has in her possession, and still occasionally uses, a spinning wheel that is over one hundred years old. The wheel was given to Mrs. Love by her grandmother, Mrs. Thompson, who resided at Little York during the Revolution, and whose husband served seven years in the Continental army.
The Indiana Democrat (Indiana, Pennsylvania)
August 2 1877
At Sharon, Mercer county, on Thursday, of last week, a powder magazine, containing six hundred and twenty-five kegs of powder, exploded. Trees in the woods are almost completely trimmed and the ground is almost entirely covered with leaves and branches. Here and there you can find trees as thick as a man's body completely twisted off. Small pieces of powder kegs can be seen everywhere. Many are not half as large as a man's hand. The track belonging to the Pacific coal slope is completely torn up, while the shute, scales, screen, cars, etc., are badly damaged. Several frame houses in the neighborhood are completed demolished, while all over the city glass was broken in the houses and locks torn off doors a mile away. Large plate glass in business houses was broken. Even the doors of a few business houses were opened, breaking both lock and bolts. It is said the explosion was heard very plainly and distinctly at New Castle, twenty-two miles from Sharon. A man, supposed to have entered the house for the purpose of stealing powder, was torn to pieces. The loss is 75,000.
Indiana Progress (Indiana, Pennsylvania)
August 7 1879
State Industrial Items
In Sharon, Mercer county, the old mill, Westerman Iron Company, puddle and sheet mills, double turn, bar and place mill, single turn, nail factory, off one day, spike factory full time and likely to remain so.
The Indiana Democrat (Indiana, Pennsylvania)
January 15 1885
Killed With an Ax
Sharon, Jan. 17 - Near Middlesex, five miles from this place, James Kirsch, a wealthy farmer, was murdered about eight o'clock last night by his farm hand, James Hilands. They had been drinking cider, and both were in a quarrelsome mode. Kirsch found the hay ladders broken in the barn, and accused Hilands of doing it, and this intensified the feeling between them. In the house they had a fight, in which Kirsch was thrown heavily to the floor.
After this Hilands apparently went away, and the family were conversing about it, when the door panel few out and Kirsch went to the door with a stick. As he opened the door and was going to strike he was struck by Hilands with an ax. He was hit between the neck and right shoulder, the ax blade going toward the chest, severing the jugular vein. Kirsch died instantly. Hilands went to bed after committing the murder, and when arrested this morning asked "What do you want me for."
Kirsch was about forty-five years old,
And leaves a wife and boy aged twelve years. Hilands is about twenty-eight years old, low in stature and heavy set, blue eyes, and wears a light slouch hat, and is shabbily dressed. His face is badly scratched on the left side. Although he is a tough-looking customer, Squire King committed him to jail at Mercer to await trial.
Indiana Progress (Indiana, Pennsylvania)
January 9 1889
William Clark, of Sharon, Mercer county, a veteran of the war of 1812, and in his early life a friend of General William Henry Harrison, grandfather of President-elect, is contemplating a trip to Indianapolis to visit General Benjamin Harrison, who doubtless would be more than pleased to see him. Mr. Clark is ninety-four years old.
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