Hostetter House
Return to Milestones Vol. 3, No. 2
The name "Kobuta" has all but disappeared from the map, only thirty-five years since it first appeared. A combination of the names "Koppers" and "butadiene", Kobuta initially was the name of the World War 11 defense plant operated by the Koppers United Company, where the chief product was butadiene [a component of synthetic rubber, so necessary during the war). A housing project near the plant site was called -Kobuta Homes".
Today, the same site has become known as the Beaver Valley Plant of ARCOlPolymers, Inc., producer of polystyrene and expandable foam plastics. Only the railroads remember Kobuta, which is still listed in the tariff books as a freight terminal at the Beaver Valley Plant.
The following story was excerpted from articles in the "Kobutascope", an early plant magazine, some thirty years ago. The author, an employee with a historical curiosity, presents a history of the land that is both interesting and informative.
Before the white man came to the United States, the Delaware and the Shawnee tribes lived in the area around the mouth of the Beaver River. In the early seventeen hundreds, an occasional white trapper or missionary would come through the territory, most usually down the Ohio River, and so began a very lucrative trade with the Indians. When the colonies still belonged to England, a group of men formed the Ohio Company that was organized in Virginia in 1748 through a petition which was approved by the King. Their charter gave them a grant of 500,000 acres of which Kobuta was a part. The Company thrived for a short time but was only in existence for four years. The Indians remained in control of the land for many years after, but slowly the white man, with the push of the Revolutionary War, moved westward. in 1770, George Washington, on a surveying trip, paused at the mouth of Raccoon Creek while sailing down the Ohio and noted -- ". . . at its mouth and up, it is a good body of land."
Settlers came to this area during and soon after the Revolutionary War, but life was hard and many were driven back over the mountains. One of these settlers was Robert Wallace who built a farm up Raccoon Creek. In 1782, hostile Indians raided the farm, scalping Mrs. Wallace and their infant son. Soon after, two brothers - Anderson and William Braden came down the Ohio from across the Alleghenys and settled on the land which is now Kobuta. Shortly after their trip out, William was killed by Indians, and Anderson, not one to be stopped easily, traveled back over the mountains to the East and brought back other members of the Braden family. One of these, James Braden, staked out a large claim in the area of Raccoon Creek, and with the help of other settlers drove out the Indians once and for all.
After the claim was settled, James returned home to get his future wife, Mary Phillips, and returned to the area, bringing with him a man by the name of Douds who has many descendants living throughout the Beaver Valley.
James Braden, Jr. had two daughters, Becky and Margaret, who married the Potter brothers, John and Robert, respectively. They eventually inherited two Potter farms and two Braden farms which came to a total of 1200 acres. A later member of the Braden family, William owned the area which now holds the Tank Farm - he sold this to Raymond Jefferies who in turn sold it to the United States government just prior to World War 11. Bob Braden, who owned the land which is now Kobuta, sold it to Charles A. Weaver and John C. Bardall of Moundsville, West Virginia. Prior to the turn of the century, Robert Potter and Joseph Fronk worked at several little industrious enterprises in and around the Kobuta area. They dug a well (on the east side of Raccoon Creek) out of which came both gas and salt water. They would put the salt water in large flat pans, burn the gas under the pan and make salt - of which they shipped out about ten barrels a week. The boys also worked in a few small coal mines and built a saw mill and a grist mill. They would take in work from the surrounding settlers and charge them for sawing wood' and grinding feed. Some of the prices in those days appear rather interesting in this year of 1952: one gallon of whiskey - $1.85; one pound of sugar - 35c; one pound of coffee - 58c; one bushel of salt - $3.75.
The deeds of the transfer of property tell an interesting history and herein is a story of those deeds as accurately as could be ascertained from the early writings and the devious lawyers' language.
The tracing of land was confined largely to the area which is now the Kobuta Plant proper. The original holdings contained some 750 acres (James Braden - 550 and his son, John - 200), while the plant proper now covers only about 300 acres. The first land grant (to James Braden) was made on September 11, 1788 (surveyed April 10, 1785) by the Virginia Certificate Patent and the area was called "Naid's Delight". It was interesting to note on the old grant map that the two adjoining territories; one, where the Phthalic Plant and the sludge pits are located was called "The Contest", and two, where the Kobuta Homes were built was called "The Owl's Nest". These grants were made in 1785. Land in those days was marked out, not in degrees and feet. but from sugar tree, to dogwood tree, to hoop ash walnut, etc., and the distance between measured in perches (equal to one rod).
John Braden, son of James, had his grant registered March 15, 1820, and he also inherited his father's acreage when the elder passed away. John was a member of a company titled Braden, Hemphill, and Hamilton, who owned and operated a salt well (later run by Joseph Fronk and Robert Potter), and subsequently sold his interest and share of the land (5 acres) for $25 each to Hemphill and Hamilton. In his later years he sold 183 acres to Robert Potter for $3,000 and sold 422 and 316 acres to his sons, James and John Anderson, respectively for $1.00 per tract. John Anderson's land bordered the river and covered what is now Kobuta.
John A. died without leaving a will and so in June of 1864 the Orphans Court of Beaver (some of the children were minors) partitioned his land to each of four children, Melinda Rebecca, Robert H., Oliver C., and Mary A. and to his wife, Rebecca. No mention is made in the partition of his other son, William J. R. Braden, so it is assumed that John gave him a section of land before he died. He also sold 69 acres to a Thomas Huddleston three years before his death.
Rebecca, John Anderson's widow, purchased 69 acres from son William in 1869 for $4,840.15 and later passed this piece on to daughter Mary A.
The transfer of deeds was straightforward up through the time of Theodore R. Hostetter. He died suddenly on August 3, 1902 and D. Herbert Hostetter, a relative, was made guardian of the estate for Hostetter's widow, Allene Tew, and the two minor children, Greta and Theodore R. Jr. The land was given entirely to the children on August 1, 1903 and on December 5, 1905 was sold to J. Walter Hay for $80,000. It is rumored that Hay purchased the land with speculation in mind and the rumor is borne out by the fact that on September 14, 1912, M. C. Wallover, Sheriff, did place on Public auction and sell to the Allegheny Trust Company the entire estate for the sum of $11,000. This action followed a suit filed by D. H. Hostetter vs. Hay.
The Allegheny Trust Company held the property until March 24, 1942, and at that time sold it to the Defense Plant Corporation (created by RFC) for $135,065.00. Hay had the right idea but not the right time.
Koppers has since purchased some of the land from RFC. - the largest purchase being made on December 20, 1946.
Oddly enough after tracing deeds of this land for over a century and a half, we find a strange similarity between one of the first and the last.
John Braden sold his land to sons James and John Anderson "for and in consideration of the sum of $1.00 as well as for natural love and affection . . ."
The Reconstruction Finance Corporation sold a large section of their land to Koppers United Company "for $1.00 and other good valuable considerations
The land which is now Kobuta remained largely in the hands of the Potter and Braden familids for a century and a half (1750-1900) until one Theodore R. Hostetter, who had accumulated quite a fortune in the manufacture of 'bitters, came to this section.
On November 16, 1892, Hostetter purchased a 196 acre tract (all of the Kobuta landsite) for the sum of $20,000. On November 6, 1893, he purchased an additional 69 acres from Joseph Allen, Jr. for the sum of $2,971.30.
After the acquisition of this second piece of property, Mr. Hostetter became very active in the planning of his country estate, this activity being confined mostly to the improvement of the grounds. Then in the late '90's, the Hostetter mansion was built where the Power Plant now stands. It was a replica of the California State Building that was on exhibit at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. The home was constructed principally of California red wood, but contained at least one board from every state in the Union, and was the scene of many gay parties of a past era, when a "Bicycle Built for Two" and the like were in their hey-day.
It has been said for years that it was in this unusual home, Mary Roberts Rinehart, the celebrated authoress, conceived the idea and wrote her novel, "The Circular Staircase. "
The approach to the Hostetter mansion was befitting to such a home. Tall, stately poplars lined a long curved road from the old state road up to the mansion. When driving to the home, one would first come to a covered bridge (since torn down) spanning Raccoon Creek, go for a short distance and then turn sharply to the right onto the driveway. It was a memorable sight to see Mr. Hostetter driving the "tally-ho" (a four-in-hand coach) pulled by six magnificent horses.
Mrs. Hostetter had some twenty sorrel horses and would be seen frequently riding about the estate, occasionally jumping a fence or small creek.
The Hostetters had a polo field where the Butadiene Units now stand, and it was the scene of many a fast and hard-riding game. The story goes that Mr. Hostetter once lost a billfold on the polo field which contained $700. A man named Charley Summers found it, and Hostetter immediately turned about and rewarded him with $75.
In addition to the mansion and the polo field, there were three barns (to keep their many and well-bred horses) and a house (of considerable size) for the tenant.
During this period of the Gay Nineties, many weekend parties journeyed from Pittsburgh to Monaca by boat at which point they were met by the Hostetter's surrey drawn by the above-mentioned, well-groomed horses. Grown-ups, as well as children, lined the path of these processions and always looked forward to the arrival of the guests with keen anticipation. A landing was later built on the river below the home so that guests could make the entire trip by boat.
Mr. Hostetter later purchased the first auto in the area (a small affair with no top), and it was enjoyed by everyone except Mrs. Hostetter, for it frightened her sorrel horses.
Twenty-five bedrooms took up a large part of the home, and there was a large drawing room and expansive banquet hall. The cost is estimated at upwards of $100,000. This home, upon the death of the Hostetters, was taken over by the Allegheny Trust Company of Pittsburgh. A caretaker with his family was placed in the home to look after the bank's interest. For his services he received free rent and ten dollars monthly. Late in August of 1936, the house caught fire and was completely destroyed. Some of the family heirlooms were never removed from the home and they too were destroyed in the conflagration.
This writer had the pleasure of meeting a gentleman, Billy Manor, whose family had worked for many of the people listed in the chapters above. Billy Manor is a little fellow, standing about five feet, who now resides in the Beaver County Home.
When Oliver and Robert Braden owned a good portion of the land which is now Kobuta, they hired Calvin Manor as a hand on their farm; and Calvin, Billy's father, considering them good men to work for stayed on for some time. After Billy was born (circa 1875) and became of age, he worked with his father on various farms (all of them right around Kobuta) but left the immediate area after Theodore R. Hostetter passed away.
Billy relates that David and Sam Collins built a race track when they bought the property and ran it here for six or seven years. Billy thinks that commercial races were not held here but that it was used mainly as a training track by the two Collins, They kept about twenty horses on hand all the time.
When John C. Bardall bought the land (he also ran the penitentiary in West Virginia), he put Calvin Manor on it to run the farm, and Billy helped his father. Bardall did not keep the race track up but used the land merely to raise grain and hay.
After Hostetter bought the land, Billy stayed on as helper and, of course, saw quite a change take place. Hostetter built a polo field where the race track was and kept some forty horses for gaming and for breeding. Billy said that Hostetter was a first-class fellow to work for and had few worries in life for his father had left him some $3,000,000 he had acquired from the manufacture of bitters. Hostetter was a short man - 5'6" - 160 pounds and seemed never to sit still. He had a nine-hole golf course laid around the house, and kept a large number of hunting dogs which he used here and also took with him to Tallahassee, Florida when he went south in the winter. Billy said Hostetter kept six or eight farm hands all the time and Billy's main job was to take care of the driving horses.
When the Allegheny Trust Company bought the land they placed Mr. and Mrs. Robert Strouck on the place as caretakers. They lived in a small house and used one of the small barns for their personal needs. The Stroucks adopted a girl and brought her to the place to live. Evidently the girl had a bit of the arson bug in her for one time when Mrs. Strouck gave her a licking, she got mad, went upstairs in one of the bedrooms in the big Hostetter mansion and set fire to the place, burning it to the ground. The need for a caretaker was of course gone and so the place became run down and overgrown with woods and briar.
As the world crisis became more acute just prior to World War 11, the government took steps to insure a safe supply of rubber, both natural and synthetic. Koppers United Company (changed to Koppers Company, Inc. in 1947) was one of those chosen to construct and operate a butadiene plant whose product would be used in the manufacture of synthetic rubber.
Koppers immediately awarded their Engineering and Construction Division the contract to build the plant. The first question was, of course, where shall it be located? Tremendous amounts of alcohol would be used as the raw material of butadiene, and it followed that a great saving in shipping costs would result if the plant could be located on a river. Also, large storage capacity was necessary with such tremendous quantities of alcohol being purchased. Prior to this time the Air Corps had built a tank farm a few miles up Raccoon Creek which was used to store aviation gasoline. (Teddy Yarosz, who owns and operates "Teddy's" just across Route 18, was former welterweight champion of the world, and trained for fights on that area which is now the tank farm.) It was agreed, that if the landsite on the Ohio at the mouth of Raccoon was agreeable for building the plant, then Koppers could use these storage tanks for their alcohol.
Supplies and alcohol could be barged all the way from this point to the Gulf of Mexico, so it suited the transportation needs. Also, the river bank was suitable for loading docks, and was also high enough to prevent damage to a plant from floods. Therefore, it was decided to locate the plant at this most advantageous spot.
When Koppers construction forces arrived at the plant site early in 1941, most traces of earlier settlers had vanished, and the entire area was covered with trees and dense undergrowth. There was a government road running along the river bank to Montgomery Dam. This road cut toward the river just this side of Raccoon bridge, ran through the area now occupied by Buta Unit No. 2, and then took a sharp turn down the river bank. Engineering and Construction built 3,000 feet of new road from Route 18 past the Kobuta Homes to connect with the old road. Drainage was quite a problem here, and above average rainfall (during construction) didn't help matters.
The Power House was located on the site of the old Hostetter home. Hostetter had built many wine cellars and tunnels, and these all had to be checked and filled in preparation for laying the heavy foundations of the Power Plant.
Editors Note: Mr. MacArthur's article concludes with a review of some of the engineering problems encountered during plant construction.