Sewickley Herald

              PEC 2 6    l?03
Kerolfe.
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Fear no man, and do justice to all men."
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SEWICKLEY, PA., SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26; 1903.
No. 15
M HISTORIC     j
STRUCTURE.
he Old Weimer Tavern—Recollections of A "Forty-niner"—
Ghanges in Ownership.
HREE-FOURTHS OF A CENTURY.
There is an old structure 56!ti Beaver
treet  undergoing  a    transformation
hich has an interesting history.    It
i the building next to Walker's drug
tore, in which the Sewickley Valley
rinting office is  at present located,
he property was recently purchased
y Mrs.  Sophia E. Harbaugh, and is
ow being remodeled (or the use of I
lr.   W.   H.   Chapman,   who  will   rei-1
love his  grocery  store and  harness
hop into it.    The building when fin- i
ihed, will have a plate glass    front |
nd  be  up-to-date  in"'every  partlcu-
ir. 'ws^ 2 ;
While excavating for '";the new!
)undation recently the workmen
iscovered a cellar in the rear part
f the building which- had ,been hidj-
en for many years. This discovery
roused a desire to know something
f the past history of this building,
nd the ones that ante-dated, it. In
earching for information upon this
oint we came upon an old resident,
lr. John C. Anderson, who remem-
ered well in his boyhood days the
riginal structure on this site. The
ata received from him, ^ together
fith some obtained elsewhere, ena-
les us to weave a story,' which we
elieve will bo in^eilestjng *o dm:
eaders,
In looking over the records we And
haj in 1828,, the year ;n wh|ch Mr
trc'.erson was born, a large tract of
'nd, known: as-"Loretta Farm," was
till by Thomas Hoey to Rev. Charles
horn. This tract was triangular
ii shape, arid was bounded on the
astern side by Jhei line of Division
Lreef, extending to the, riveif; its
iorthwestern boundary was at Acad-
my avenue to the river.
'REv!'"k. S. REES,
, On the site mentioned above stood
a long low- building known as Wei-
mer's Tavern. It was first kept by a
Mr. Weimer, and later by a man named Hood,. Thjs old tavern was a favorite stopping place for those engaged in the overland transportation
of merchandise via the Pittsburg and
Leaver road, from Ohio to Philadelphia. The terrible condition of the
roads in cei'tain seasons of the year
required six;-horse teams to be used
in transporting the merchandise. A
iaige number of taverns, as they
were then called, were scattered
d,long the route. There were four or
five in Sewickley then. Large droves
of sheep and cattle, and even of turkeys, were a common sight in the
slays before a railroad passed through
here.
In 1837 this tract again changed
hands, Rev, Charles Thorn .conveying it to John R. Garrison, who in
turn sold it to Thomas Hamilton in
1840,    About  this  time Bryce  Clark
Anderson, a brother of John C. Anderson, opened a, grocery store; in
one end of the building. Hex.contin-
uec1 in business for several years.
He died in 1857 in Steubenville, O.
In 1840 Rev. Charles Thorn purf
chased at sheriff's sale, a portion of
the tract. About 1840 Thomas Hamilton sold to Tracy and Schoefield this
portion of the tract. They opened
a wagon shop in it and engaged in
contract work for the government in
tin Mexican war. «
In 1851 Bruce Tracy cams into possession of it, and in 1S54 conveyed
it to Frederic Ringley, who erected
ths present structure for a residence.
In 1868 Mr, Ringley, conveyed it to
John Ague, who used it as a store
and postofflce. 'Afterward 'Squire
Johnston kept store in it, •
In 1887,.'Seme time after the'tfeath
of Mr, Ague, his widow, Isabella
Ague; deeded the property to Robert
McCartney,   who  tr$.n&fyrjr|ted   it    in
'\ '"
(Continued on Page 12.]
The Rev. M. S. Rees, of Rochester,
N. Y., will reach Sewickley some time
to-day, and the programme as outlined for his meetings will be:
Preaching services in the United
Presbyterian church, Sabbath morning, December 27th, at 11 a. m.   Un,-
ion  services  of all  the   churches  in
i
this place in 'the evening at the M: *B.
church, at 7:45 p. m. At '3 p., m. Mr.
Rees Will address the young men of
Mr. Way's'Bible Class at the Y. M: C.
A. rooms. Subject, "Some Problems
of Manhood."
' Commencing on Monday eveining,
7:45 o'clock,' and continuing each evening until further notice, except Saturday, Mr. Rees will bold Evangelistic meetings iii "the Baptist-1?efcurch
for men only. On Sabbath. morning
at 11 o'clock, January 3rd, he will
preach in the M. B; church, andi ,at
7:45 p. m. a union. service in. the
Presbyterian church: will be-held.-; At
the Sabbath servieeg'^the public is inj-
vited. >, <>'--> •■'■<■
Beginning on Tuesday-1 afternoon"-at
3 o'clock, and continuing urMl -further notice, except Monday arid-^Saturday, Mr. Rees will hold special ineet-
ings for women in the Baptist, church,
and arrangements are being made to
give every woman in the Valley an
opportunity of hearing Mr. and Mrs.
Rees at these meetings.
Mr. xvees and his wife come to Sewickley with the recommendations of
the '■■ State Committee of the Young
Men's Christian Association, and the
local Association have ascertained
from other localities where Rev. Rees
has labored, that he is in every way
fitted, both by Love for God and foi
humanity to arouse in this Valley r
sense of the need of a spiritual awakening.  •        J:      . •   .
It is hoped .that the people of this
place will see that Mjr. Rees has a
heartfelt welcome among us, and the
.encouragement, of a large and enthusiastic,, attendance. Special music,
under' the direction of Mr, A. H.
Diehlt is being prepared, and, it is expected that a magnificent chorus will
add to the enjoyment and success of
the meetings.
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