The Borough of Bridgewater was originally incorporated on March 19, 1834. Its population, according to the 1960 census, numbers about 1253 people.
Situated as it is, at the mouth of the Beaver River as it flows into the broad Ohio River, it has been known as "The Stepping Stone" of the Indian Tribes in crossing over to the northern part of the great stream as the Ohio
River is known. This was true during prehistoric times, as well as during the advent of the French and English Colonial Period. The settlement blossomed forth with the budding and operation of the Lake Erie to Ohio River Canal and reached the peak of its growth, population and importance during that brief interlude. There is some justification to the popular expression that "Bridgewater was the offspring" of the now all-but -forgotten canal.
Being the major terminus of the above waterway, Bridgewater attracted dockhands and stevedores for loading and unloading barges with all kinds of goods for trans-shipment to various inland points up and down the Ohio River to market places or factories as far as New Orleans. Merchants, traders and mechanics set up shops to meet the increased demand for services. A conglomeration of vehicles accompanied the canal traffic carrying such goods as animal hides, wool, coal, lumber, small manufactured items, tools, raw materials, food-stuffs, nails, horseshoes, agricultural implements, etc. Passenger traffic was also an important factor. Hotels, taverns, repair shops, bakeries, blacksmith shops to accommodate the horses with saddles and shoes, boat building, boat and wagon repairing shops, tanneries, potteries, iron foundaries, saw mills, a grist mill and other minor industries were built. Churches and schools became more prominent as the population grew to slightly more than that of Beaver at that time, and in commercial activity, surpassed that of Rochester. The first bridge over the Beaver River was built at this point: The first passenger-carrying steamboat between Beaver and Pittsburgh was also built right here upon the locks of the canal in the mouth of the Beaver River. Successively built boats bearing such names as "Beaver," "Fallston" and "NewCastle" plowed the Ohio River in both directions. Warehouses were erected to store great amounts of merchandise, especially agricultural products coming to or from Pittsburgh or New Orleans.
The town was eventually merged with what was then the settlement of Sharon, adjacent to Bridgewater and Beaver. Originally no boundary line existed between Bridgewater and Beaver, the former being laid out as "outiots" of the Beaver Plan, until it was incorporated as a Borough by the Act of the State Assembly in 1834.
Additional testimony of the importance of Bridgewater at that time are the following facts:
Aaron Burr, a general in the revolutionary forces and a Vice President of the United States, under Thomas Jefferson spent much of his time and money in and around Bridgewater building boats, gathering supplies and recruiting men in preparation for the conquest of Texas from Mexico, an ill-fated venture that led to his trial for treason and political disgrace.
Martin Van Buren, Vice President under Andrew Jackson, and later President of the United States, also visited Bridgewater, presumably in connection with the impending building of the canal.
President Andrew Jackson made a stop at Stone's Point, a small island at the mouth of the Beaver River, but no evidence exists that he visited Bridgewater proper.
Another man of note who stopped there was Andrew Carnegie during one of his river trips.
There is no claim that the material in the pages that follow is infallible or in any way an exhaustive study of the Borough of Bridgewater. It is only a modest beginning in an effort to describe the past of this unique town, refresh it a bit, and throw some light on an era of almost 175 years. More diligent and better organized and documented attempts must come in the near future when the history of Beaver County hopefully will be written.
The Beaver Area Heritage Foundation will welcome any additional information which may be helpful in making the past history of Bridgewater more complete. In presenting this brief outline for its members, the Foundation hopes to contribute thus to the enrichment of knowledge of our surroundings.
We are grateful to Mr. W. Sutherland Campbell, himself a descendant of a family that settled in this area in 1778. Mr. Campbell is the author of a number of pamphlets and research papers dealing with the past of this region. He is responsible in compiling the facts set forth in these pages.
APRIL 1969
Harry Phillips
For the Publications Committee of the Beaver Area Heritage Foundation