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Editor's Note

This is a special issue of Milestones which presents a chronology of Beaver County history. Mr. James Kelbaugh, a frequent contributor to this publication, has spent the last couple of years gathering and organizing this material.

Although he no longer lives in this area, he has made several fact-gathering trips to Beaver County to collect the needed information.

This is an outstanding compilation which should be on the reference shelf of everyone who is interested in local history.

Undoubtedly many readers will find items that they would like included in future printings of this chronology. Please send your suggestions for additions to walkerkiln@earthlink.net. (Note: The numbers in parenthesis are page numbers.)

In the beginning was the land, a wilderness of hills and valleys covered with hardwood trees, watered by numerous streams, and trisected by two rivers - the turbulent Beaver cascading more than 69 feet over the last five miles of its brief southward journey to merge with the broad and beautiful Ohio as it gracefully veers from its early northwesterly course before arcing toward the southwest.

Then came the people. Long before Europeans trod this land its bounty supported large settlements of indigenous people, and the rivers and streams afforded ready highways for their commerce with other tribes along the East Coast the shores of the Great Lakes, and far into the continental interior. Archeologists theorize that those early inhabitants numbered well into the thousands, yet no record has been found to document events, names and other facts considered important by modem folks.

During the 258 years since Conrad Weiser's 1748 expedition to the Indian settlement at Logstown whose original human inhabitants have been completely displaced by countless migrants from Europe and elsewhere who have called this region their home. These recent settlers and their progeny accomplished much in shaping a totally new culture. The purpose of this work is to present a sequential record of major events that have occurred in the unfolding of modem human history upon the land we now call Beaver County.

This project began as an effort to prepare a single reference tool for use while researching the history of my own ancestors in this area. What might have prompted my grandparents, still in their teens, to leave their parents' West Virginia farms during the early 1900s to start anew in Beaver County? What did they find that not only held them here but soon drew their parents and siblings as well. The search for answers to such questions rapidly grew in scope and yielded abundant information that might serve the purposes of a wider audience. Early in the assembly of this record other questions arose that demanded more thoughtful consideration. Considering the innumerable events that have occurred, what criteria should be used to separate the important from the ordinary? The general experience from the particular or individual experience? At what date should the record begin? Likewise, when should it be ended? Others might answer differently, but the following will explain the rationale used to address these issues.

Generally, primary importance was given to the earliest events on record, with additional weight assigned to those that have endured or had strong impact on the development and growth of the region. Significant achievements by individual statesmen, soldiers, musicians, authors, athletes and others, although notable, have been well documented elsewhere and do not meet the express purpose of this work. Although many Westerners reached these parts before Conrad Weiser there are compelling reasons to begin with his 1748 expedition. His journey was made upon invitation from tribes already inhabiting the land, which suggests a measure of hospitality from those people. And his report on the outcome, delivered to the Governor of Virginia, gained wide circulation leading to a surge of exploration and migration from the English colonies. These developments goaded the French into countering actions from their base in Canada in an attempt to protect their conflicting claim to the land. In sum, Weiser's endeavor ignited a competitive process that led to war between France and England and the eventual control by English-speaking people of the land west of the Allegheny Mountains. The final entry, the startup of the atomic energy plant at Shipppingport in 1957, clearly had a strong and lasting developmental impact upon the county, the wider region, and the nation. The significance of events since that date is yet to be determined.

27 Aug. 1748 Responding to a request from principal warriors of the Six Nations, the governor of Virginia dispatches a party led by Conrad Weiser that visits the Indian village of Logstown (now Ambridge), then explores the entire Beaver Valley. 2(38, 970ff, 4(8,9), 6(111), 8(55), 9(72)

July 1749 In response to their petition to the English crown, The Ohio Company, a joint partnership based in Virginia, is granted rights to survey and to settle certain land west of the Allegheny Mountains and south of the Ohio River that had been granted earlier to the Colony of Virginia by royal charter. 8(56ff)

8 Aug. 1749 A party led by Pierre Joseph Celoron de Blainville visits the Indians at Logstown while traversing the region to place lead markers at the mouths of major rivers, laying claim to the area for France. 8(58), 9(73), 16(128), 29(65)

24 Nov. 1753 Major George Washington visits Logstown en route to Forts Venango and LeBoeuf bearing a message from the governor of Virginia to French forces there ordering them to leave western Pennsylvania. 16(140), 29(65)

Spring 1754 French troops from Canada force the Virginians to abandon their partially completed fort at the forks of the Ohio (Fort Prince George), bringing the entire region under French control. The French then build their own fort nearby and name it Fort Duquesne. 6(112), 8(73ff), 29(67)

25 Nov. 1758 A British army commanded by Gen. John Forbes occupies the deserted ruins of Fort Duquesne and renames it Fort Pitt effectively ending French control in this portion of western Pennsylvania. 8(95). 9(78), 29(67)

June 1763 Amid general uprisings, Indians from many tribes seize nine English forts west of the Allegheny Mountains and lay siege to Fort Pitt Two months later an expedition led by Col. Henry Bouquet defeats Indian forces at Bushy Run (Jeanette, PA), breaking the siege and reasserting English military control over the region. Indian settlements within the present boundaries of Beaver County are abandoned soon afterward. 2(64)

Ca. 1772 The earliest recorded white settlements in the county are established on King's Creek and Raccoon Creek (now Hanover Twp.) by Levi Dungan and others. 6(106,107)

Nov. 1778 Fort McIntosh, erected by Pennsylvania and Virginia militia at the present site of Beaver, becomes the first military post of the United States on the "Indian side" (northern bank) of the Ohio River. 1(86), 6(116), 8(191), 9(87)

1778 Troops led by General Lachlan McIntosh build a road named for General Brodhead from Fort Pitt to Fort McIntosh. 2(86, 237), 6(126)

31 Aug. 1779 The Pennsylvania/Virginia boundary, long in dispute, is resolved in conference at Baltimore and confirmed by the Pennsylvania Assembly in November that year. 2(139ff)

12 Mar. 1783 The General Assembly of Pennsylvania sets apart certain lands north and west of the Ohio and Allegheny Rivers for the purpose of redeeming certificates of depreciation awarded to officers and soldiers of the Pennsylvania Line who had served in the Revolutionary War. 2(182, 8(205), 9(143)

1784 Mill Creek Presbyterian Church, the oldest religious institution in the county, is established near the present cemetery on Old Mill Creek Road (Greene Township). 1(84)

23 Oct. 1784 Commissioners of the U. S. and of Pennsylvania successfully conclude negotiations with representatives of the Six Nations Indians at Ft. Stanwix (Rome, NY) to acquire full title to all previously disputed lands, including Western Pennsylvania. 2(183)

30 Sep. 1785 Thomas Hutchins begins the first survey of U. S. public lands at the "point of beginnings" on the north bank of the Ohio River where it crosses the western border of Pennsylvania. This point established on 23 Aug 1785 for use in measuring all lands in the Northwest Territories, marks the SW comer of Beaver County.12(2), 19(68)

Bef. 1786 Thomas White builds a mill on Raccoon Creek near Murdocksville, the earliest recorded mill in the county. 6(123)

1789 Fort McIntosh is demolished and the garrison, commanded by Col. Josiah Harmar, withdraws to a new blockhouse built at the present site of New Brighton. 1(114), 4(13), 6(121), 9(87)

3 Apr. 1792 The Pennsylvania General Assembly passes The Land Act, providing for the sale of vacant public lands to persons who would "cultivate, improve, and settle the same, or cause the same ... [to be done.]" 2(186)

Nov. 1792 Gen. Anthony Wayne takes command of the first Army of the United States at Pittsburgh, relocates the troops to winter quarters at Legionville (Baden), and begins training for war against the Indians. 1(129), 11(65ff)

Nov. 1792 Daniel Leet, authorized by Governor Mifflin, surveys lots for establishing the town of Beaver. 9(275)

21 Apr. 1794 Service Theological Seminary (Associate Presbyterian Church) is established at Service Creek (Raccoon Township), becoming the first theological seminary west of the Allegheny Mountains and only the second in the new nation. 1(79), 6(125), 15(5)

20 Aug. 1794 U. S. Army troops commanded by Gen. Wayne defeat a large force of Indians at Fallen Timbers (Toledo,) OH, greatly reducing threat of further attacks against settlers on the frontier. 2(130), 11(113), 17(395)

3 Aug. 1795 The Treaty of Greenville (OH) with the Shawnee and Wyandot Indians marks the pacification of the frontier. 2(192), 8(203), 11(114)

1796 Old Stone Methodist Church (now Chippewa United Methodist), the first Methodist church in the county, is founded in present day Chippewa. 1(30)

Ca. 1799 John Wolf establishes a flour mill on the east bank of the Beaver at the middle falls (New Brighton), and David Townsend erects a saw mill at the lower falls (Fallston), the earliest recorded mills north of the Ohio River. 2(701ff), 4(87), 6(121)

Bef. 1800 Dr. Samuel Adams settles at the upper falls of the Beaver River (Eastvale), most likely becoming the earliest physician to practice in the county. 2(371)

12 Mar. 1800 The Pennsylvania legislature passes an act establishing Beaver County from portions of Allegheny and Washington counties. 2(193), 6(106), 8(214)

1800 The U. S. Census reports Beaver County population totals 5, 776. 2(275), 3(50), 8(215)

Early 1800s The first dam at Eastvale is built by Dr. Samuel Adams to power a gristmill, a sawmill and a forge. 1(22)

14 Nov. 1801 The first Baptist church in the county, Providence Baptist Church, is established in present North Sewickley Twp. The church is currently located on Chapel Drive, one mile east of Mercer Road (Rt. 65). 1(40), 6(120)

1801 Hoopes- Townsend Co. begins powering a sawmill through a race located near the site of the present Patterson Dam at Beaver Falls (4th Avenue & 6th Street). 1(28)

29 Mar. 1802 The town of Beaver is incorporated by Act of the Pennsylvania Assembly. 2(622), 6(108), 8(434)

1802 Greersburg Academy (Darlington), is established by the Erie Presbytery, becoming the first academy west of the Alleghenies. On 24, Feb. 1806 it is chartered by the Pennsylvania Legislature. 1(12), 8(397), 6(122), 19(160)

3 Sep. 1803 En route to their exploration of the Louisiana Territory, Meriwether Lewis and the vanguard of the Voyage of Discovery expedition traverse the county via the Ohio from Pittsburgh, stopping overnight below McIntosh (Beaver) and again below Georgetown. 18(2-5)

1805 - 1806 Aaron Burr arranges for construction of a flotilla on the west bank of the Beaver River just below the mouth of Bradys Run, in support of his conspiracy to establish a western empire. 2(770ff), 11(137)

1808 Wilson, Barker & Gregg construct an iron blast furnace along the Beaver River on the north bank of Walnut Bottom Run in the area of present Beaver Falls. 2(667), 8(304)

1810 The U. S. Census reports the county population totals 12,165. 2(275), 3(50)

21 Mar. 1814 The Bank of Beaver is incorporated by an act of the Pennsylvania Assembly. 2(665), 8(304)

1814 Bassenheim Furnace is built in Franklin Township by Baron Detmar Basse and his partner, John L. Glasser. 1(35), 6(120)

1814 St Lukes Episcopal Church is organized in Georgetown, the first Episcopal church in the county. 5(491)

21 Jan. 1814 A charter is approved for a toll bridge to be built over the Beaver River at Wolf Lane (Rochester). The bridge is completed by 1816. 2(240ff)

11 Nov. 1815 A wooden truss toll bridge over the Beaver River is opened opposite Brighton (lower Beaver Falls), becoming one of the earliest bridges over a large stream in western Pennsylvania. The bridge is destroyed by flood and ice on 3 Mar 1818. 2(239ff), 4(167), 8(239)

1820 The U. S. Census reports the county population totals 15,340. 2(275). 3(50), 8(316)

Early 1820s John Boles establishes perhaps the first boatyard in the county on the Beaver River at Bolesville (Pulaski Township) for building flatboats, keelboats and, eventually, steamboats. 2(296)

1822 Phillips & Graham establish a boat building operation at Phillipsburg (Monaca). 2(797)

1825 The Harmony Society relocates from Harmony, Indiana to Beaver County where they establish the village of Economy (now Ambridge). 2(292)

1825 The Townsend Co., founded by Robert Townsend in Pittsburgh in 1816, relocates to Fallston where it becomes one of the first industrial enterprises in the county. 1(70)

1829 The Borough of Fallston, already the largest manufacturing center in the county, is incorporated by an Act of the Assembly. 2(729)

1829 James Patterson buys 1300 acres of land in present Beaver Falls and builds many improvements, including a dam across the Beaver River (current Patterson Dam), a millrace, a flour mill and a cotton mill. 1(31), 2(668)

1830 A commercial brickyard, the oldest in the county, is established on Oak Hill (New Brighton), near the entrance to present St. Joseph's Cemetery. 2(709)

1830 The U. S. Census reports county population totals 24,183. 2(275), 3 (50)

26 Jul. 1831 Ground is broken at New Brighton for construction of the Beaver Division of the Pennsylvania Canal System. 2(246),4(87)

6 Mar. 1832 St. Peters Evangelical Church is established in Phillipsburg. 28

1832 Phillips & Graham sell the town of Phillipsburg to seceders from the Harmony Society led by Count Maximilian, who establish The New Philadelphia Society in that place. 1(94), 2(781)

May 1832 Phillips & Betz lay out the town of Freedom and relocate their boat building business there from Phillipsburg. 2(781), 6(114)

28 May 1834 The Beaver Division of the Pennsylvania Canal is opened to freight and passenger traffic from New Brighton to New Castle. 4(89),10 (13),14

Spring 1835 A covered wooden toll bridge is built over the Beaver River at New Brighton, opposite Brighton, replacing the 1815 bridge. 2(240), 4(168)

2 Apr. 1835 The Borough of Bridgewater is incorporated by court decree. 2(771)

1 Oct. 1836 A contract is let for a covered wooden bridge over the Beaver River at Fallston. The bridge opens in 1837 and is swept away by flood on 6 Feb. 1884. 2(242), 4(169)

1836 Moses Metheny builds the Metheny Tavern, a frequent stop for canal travelers, next to the Beaver Division Canal at the mouth of Connoquenessing Creek. 7,20

Feb. 1837 William Vicary lays out the village of St Clair and begins selling building lots. 2(795), 24

29 Jun. 1837 SS Peter & Paul Church, the first Roman Catholic church in the county, is dedicated in Bridgewater on land donated by James Hemphill. 1(68), 2(415)

Early 1838 The Borough of New Brighton is incorporated by an Act of Assembly, and is formally established upon the election of officials on 2 June 1838. 2(722), 14

16 Apr. 1838 The Borough of Freedom is incorporated by an Act of Assembly. 2(783)

I840 The U. S. Census reports county population totals 29,368. 2(275), 3 (50)

6 May 1840 The Borough of Phillipsburgh (Monaca) is incorporated from Moon Twp. by court decree. 2(801), 6(127)

1844 The Beaver Division Canal is extended to Erie. 1(45)

11 Jul. 1848 Surveys begin for the route of the Ohio & Pennsylvania RR through Beaver County. Advocates from New Brighton and Brighton (Beaver Falls) persuade railroad representatives to run the route through those towns. 7(20)

20 Mar. 1849 By Act of the Assembly the northern tier of the county is detached and joined with a portion of Mercer County to form Lawrence County. 21(11)

20 Mar. 1849 The Borough of Rochester is incorporated by an Act of Assembly. 2(735)

1850 The U. S. Census reports county population totals 26,689. 2(275), 3(50)

1850 The Ohio and Pennsylvania Railroad is extended from Pittsburgh to Rochester. 1(49)

30 July 1851 The first train from Allegheny (Pittsburgh) travels up the Beaver River as far as Block House Run (New Brighton) via the Ohio & Pennsylvania RR. The line is completed to Columbiana, OH. on 3 Jan. 1852. 2(254), 7(201f)

Oct. 1857 The first graded public school in the county is established at 9th Street and 5th Avenue, New Brighton. 2(706)

Sep. 1859 The town of Brighton (Beaver Falls), formerly owned by James Patterson, is bought at sheriffs sale by the Harmony Society. 2(669)

1860 The U. S. Census reports county population totals 29,140. 2(275), 3 (50)

Dec. 1860 Oil is discovered in the areas of Upper Dry Run and Island Run (north of Smiths Ferry). 1(77), 19(140)

Ga. 1861 S. M. Kier begins refining petroleum at Freedom. 2(302)

1862 Thomas Elverson establishes a pottery manufactory in New Brighton, perhaps the earliest successful such operation in the county. 1(52). 9(454)

Ca. 1864 The Keystone Bakery is established in Beaver and later moved to Bridgewater. 2(775)

1866 The Harmony Society makes a new survey of the town of Brighton (Beaver Falls) and appoints H. T. & J. Reeves as real estate agents to offer lots for sale. 2(292), 9(407)

1866 A steel bridge for the PFW&C RR replaces the original wooden structure over the Beaver River between Beaver Falls and New Brighton. 7(21)

25 Mar. 1867 St Clair borough is incorporated by court decree. In 1896 it merges into the town of Freedom. 2(795), 9(531)

1867 The Beaver Falls Cutlery Company is established in Rochester and moved shortly afterwards to Beaver Falls. 2(670), 9(483)

1868 The Penn Bridge Works established in New Brighton. In 1878 moved to Beaver Falls. 7(21),9(432)

9 Nov. 1868 The Borough of Beaver Falls is incorporated under provisions of an Act of Assembly. 2(669), 9(411)

1869 The Great Western File Works is established in Beaver Falls. 2(675)

1870 The U. S. Census reports county population totals 36,148. 2(275), 3(50)

1871 The Beaver Division of the Pennsylvania Canal System ceases operations. 4(90)

Spring 1872 The Rochester Tumbler Co. is organized for the manufacture of glass tumblers, etc. 2(744 ff)

1872 C. M. Merrick and Job Whysall establish the Standard Horse Nail Works in Fallston. Following a destructive fire the operation is moved to New Brighton in 1885. 1(53), 4(100), 9(457)

1872 The Olive Stove Works is established in Rochester for the manufacture of cooking and heating stoves and ranges. 2(747)

1875 The Crucible Steel Company is established in Beaver Falls under the name of Beaver Falls Steel Works. 2(675 ff)

I878 The Pittsburgh & Lake Erie RR is completed from Youngstown, OH through Beaver County to Pittsburgh. Passenger service begins in 1879. 2(259ff), 13(65), 22(31ff)

1879 The Freedom Oil Works is established in present Conway and moved to Freedom about 1883. 2(793)

Aug. 1880 The Phoenix Glass Co. is founded in Phillipsburg (Monaca). 1(97),13 (77)

Sep. 1880 Geneva College relocates from Northwood, OH to College Hill (Beaver Falls) on land donated by the Harmony Society. 1(29), 19(18)

1880 Conway Yards is built and opened by the Pennsylvania Railroad Co. 1(102)

1880 The U. S. Census reports county population totals 39,605. 2(275)

1881 The Mayer brothers begin manufacturing china in Beaver Falls under the name of J. & E. Mayer. 1(26)

I882 Keystone Driller Co. is established in Fallston to manufacture and market steam driven drills. 2(678)

19 Nov. 1883 Bridgewater Gas Go. is chartered, the county's first supplier of natural gas for fuel and lighting. 2(270)

8 Feb. 1884 Flooding on the Ohio and Beaver rivers inflicts extensive damage in low-lying areas. Bridges at Fallston and at Wolf Lane in Rochester, are swept downstream taking out sections of the Cleveland & Pittsburgh RR bridge (Beaver River) at Rochester as well as the P&LE RR bridge (Ohio River) between Monaca and Beaver. 2(8, 240ff)

1885 A new iron toll bridge is built over the Beaver River at Fallston. On 4 Jun. 1905 it becomes a tollfree county bridge. 4(169)

4 Jul. 1885 Beaver Valley Street Railway Co., the first street railway in the county, begins operating horse-drawn cars from the PFW&C RR station at New Brighton to the foot of College Hill (Beaver Falls). 2(265)

Late 1880s James I. Park establishes the Park stone quarries and brickyards in Crows Run valley (New Sewickley Township). 1(50ff)

19 Nov. 1888 Beaver Valley Electric Light & Power Co. is chartered by the commonwealth and soon builds a power plant on the Beaver River, becoming the first commercial supplier of electric power in the county. 2(271)

6 May 1889 Union Drawn Steel Co. is organized in Beaver Falls to produce cold drawn steel. 1(32), 2(680)

1889 A bridge is built over the Beaver River at Sharon (upper Bridgewater). 2(243)

1890 The U. S. Census reports the population of the county totals 50,077 and the largest town, New Brighton, totals 5,616. 2(275,723)

1890 Oil wells are drilled in Wallace City, off Conway Wall Rose Road (PA Rt. 689), Economy. 1(55)

1890 The Tenth Street Bridge over the Beaver River at Beaver Falls opens as a toll bridge for highway traffic. The bridge is dismantled in 2001. 4(169)

5 Dec. 1891 Beaver Valley Street Ry. Co. is absorbed by the Beaver Valley Traction Co., which converts to electric power and extends trolley service to Beaver. 2(265)

13 Aug. 1892 Peoples Electric Street Ry. Co. completes a line from Junction Park to St Clair (Freedom) Borough. 2(265ff)

1892 The town of Phillipsburg is renamed Monaca. 13(15)

1893 The Union Water Co. builds a pumping station on the east bank of the Beaver River to supply water to the borough of Beaver Falls through cast iron pipe previously laid in the 1870s. 2(269)

1 Jan. 1895 Beaver Valley General Hospital opens for business in the former Merchants Hotel in Beaver Falls. The next year it relocates to Penn Avenue, New Brighton. 1(43), 2(391)

1895 Construction begins on the Rochester-Monaca suspension bridge, the first highway bridge across the Ohio River between Pittsburgh and Wheeling, WV. 1(51),32

1897 Dawes & Myler establishes a factory in New Brighton for the manufacture of enameled ironware and pump cylinders. 2(710ff), 4(100)

1897 The Rochester-Monaca suspension bridge opens for highway traffic, marking an end to the need for ferry service at that point. 2(245)

1900 The U. S. Census reports population of the county totals 56,432 and the largest town, Beaver Falls, totals 10,054. 2(275,699)

1900 Beaver County General Hospital begins operation as a semi-private hospital in Rochester. The name is soon changed to Rochester General Hospital. 2(392)

Ga. 1900 Junction Park is built by the Beaver Valley Traction Co., off present Rt 65 between New Brighton and Rochester. 1(47)

1901 Ingram-Richardson Co., a leading manufacturer of porcelain enamel products, is founded in Beaver Falls. 1(25)

Spring 1902 H. C. Fry Glass Co. is founded in Rochester by Henry Clay Fry, and becomes a world renowned producer of glass products. 2(46)

Spring 1902 Union Water Co. and The People's Water Co. of Beaver Falls, merge into Beaver Valley Water Co. to supply water to most of the towns in the county. 2(269ff)

1902 Armstrong Cork Company establishes a new manufacturing operation at 27th Street, Beaver Falls. 5(119),10 (117)

1903 Carnegie Free Library is built on 7th Avenue in Beaver Falls, becoming the first public library building in the county. 1(21)

1903 The Sisters of Charity establish and begin operating Providence Hospital in the former Reeves mansion in Beaver Falls. 1(32)

1903 The Beaver Valley Brewing Co. opens on Railroad Street, Rochester. 1(43)

1903 American Bridge Co., a division of U. S. Steel Corp., is established in present Ambridge and eventually becomes the world's largest steel fabricating plant. 1(100), 30(2)

Aug. 1904 Merrill Dam and Lock #6 are opened on the Ohio River, west of present Vanport. 23

1904 Babcock and Wilcox, a New York manufacturer of boilers, purchases the Pittsburgh Seamless Tube Co. of Beaver Falls, a small manufacturer of bicycle tubing. At its peak in 1979, B & W employs over 6,000 people in the county. 1(19)

1905 - 06 The first blast furnace and other facilities of the Midland Steel Company's Midland Works are built. 1(72)

18 Mar. 1907 Flooding on the Ohio and Beaver Rivers invades over 1,000 homes and businesses, and a number of bridges are closed. 5(568)

1908 The Pittsburgh & Lake Erie RR expands to a 4-track system and builds a new double-tack bridge over the Ohio River between Monaca and Beaver. 5(56), 13(73)

1 Dec. 1909 Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp.'s Aliquippa Works produces its first batch of iron. At its peak the facility employs 11,000 workers. 1(94)

1910 The U.S. Census reports population of the county totals 78,353 and the largest town, Beaver Falls, totals 12,191. 21(47), 33

1914 Moltrup Steel Products Co., producers of fine quality cold finish steel, is founded in Beaver Falls. 1(28)

1920 The U.S. Census reports population of the county totals 111,621; Beaver Falls totals 15,445; Aliquippa totals 15,426. 21(47), 33

Jun. 15 1926 The Pennsylvania RR opens its relocated line through New Brighton over the old Beaver Division Canal bed and a new bridge across the Beaver River. In the fall the converted former Ft Wayne RR bridge is opened for highway traffic. 4(169), 26

31 Jan. 1930 St Joseph Lead Co. authorizes the erection of a zinc smelter along State Rt. 18 in Potter Township. On Christmas Eve that year the roaster and acid plants go on stream. 5(128)

1930 The U.S. Census reports the population of the county totals 146,889; Aliquippa totals 27,116. 21(47), 33

17 Mar. 1936 Ice jams up-river combine with heavy snowfall causing the worst flooding on record on the Ohio and Beaver Rivers. The Ohio crests at 54.5 feet, countless homes are flooded and many bridges are closed. All industrial plants in the county are shut down due to high water or electrical failures. 5(568)

16 Jun. 1936 On the Ohio River, opposite Industry, Montgomery Island Lock and Dam are completed and dedicated, replacing several smaller dams and greatly reducing the threat of recurrent flooding in the Valley. 1(75), 27

12 Apr. 1937 In a landmark case the U. S. Supreme Court reverses a decision by the Federal Appeals Court that had declared the NLRB Act to be unconstitutional, thereby validating grievances brought by Beaver Valley Lodge No. 200 of the Amalgamated Iron, Steel, and Tin Workers of America against the Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp. and establishing the legal basis for collective bargaining-between labor unions and employers. 5(219)

10 Aug. 1937 The last trolley car to operate in the county makes its final run to Morado (Beaver Falls) from Junction Park. 10(61), 24, 25

1940 The U.S. Census reports the population of the county totals 156,754; Aliquippa totals 27,023. 21(47), 33

1943 The Koppers Company, Inc. establishes the Kobuta plant in Potter Twp. for the manufacture of butadiene and styrene. 5(121)

1948 WBVP is established, becoming the first radio station in Beaver County. 5(358)

1950 The U.S. Census reports the population of the county totals 175,193; Aliquippa totals 26,132. 21(47), 33

2 Dec. 1957 The world's first commercial electric plant powered by atomic energy goes on line at Shippingport. 1(89)

1 A Guide to Historic Landmarks in Beaver County, PA., Townsend, Bauder & Walton. Beaver Co. HR&LF, 2002.

2 History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Vol. I & II, Bausman. The Knickerbocker Press, New York, 1904.

3 Beaver County Centennial Directory, Wyand & Read, 1876.

4 History of New Brighton, 1838-1938, The Historical Committee of the New Brighton Centennial, New Brighton, PA., 1938.

5 The Twentieth Century History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, 1908-1988, C. W. Beck, Ed. Walsworth Publishing Inc., 1989.

6 Historic Western Pennsylvania, Mulkearn and Pugh. University of Pittsburgh Press, 1954.

7 Beaver Falls Area Centennial Booklet, 1868-1968. Beaver County Historical Research Library, Beaver Falls.

8 The Planting of Civilization In Western Pennsylvania, Buck and Buck. University of Pittsburgh Press, 1939. Page references from second paperback printing, 1979.

9 History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, A. Warner & Co., Publishers, 1888.

10 Beaver Falls - Images of America, Britten and Beaver Falls Historical Society. Arcadia Press, 2000.

11 Spies, Scoundrels and Rogues of the Ohio Frontier, Gary S. Williams. Buckeye Book Press, 2005.

12 Measuring America, Andre Linklater. Walker Publishing Co., New York. NY, 2002.

13 History of Monaca, 1840 - 1940, The Historical Committee of the Centennial, publishers.

14 The Beaver Falls News-Tribune, 25 Aug. 1934 (p. 2.)

15 Caldwell's Illustrated Atlas of Beaver County Pennsylvania, 1876, J. A. Caldwell. Gondil, OH. 1876. Reprinted 1972 by Pennsylvania Record Press with supplemental section. (Page references are from the supplement.)

16 The Indian Wars of Pannsylvania, C. Hale Sipe. Wennawoods Publishing, Lewisburg, PA, 1999. Reprint.

17 Bayonets in the Wilderness, Anthony Wayne's Legion in the Old Northwest, Alan D. Gaff. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK., 2004.

18 The Journals of Lewis & Clark, Meriwether Lewis & William Clark, Anthony Brandt, Ed. National Geographic Society, 2002.

19 Rivers of Destiny, Walton, Walton, Bauder & Townsend. Beaver County Historical Research & Landmarks Foundation, 1999.

20 Beaver Argus, 30 July 1851. Reprinted in The Beaver Countian, Vol. 11, No. 111 (1991) by the Resource & Research Center for Beaver Co. & Local History, Inc. Beaver Falls, PA.

21 Beaver County Bicentennial Atlas, D. Walton. Ed. Beaver County Bicentennial Committee, 1976.

22 The Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad, Harold H. McLean. Golden West Books, 1980.

23 Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Inventory of Historic Places, 19 Dec 1979. Compiled from records of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh.

24 Beaver County Argus, 14 Aug. 1837.

25 The News-Tribune, 31 July 1975 (p. F-11)

26 "Pennsylvania Railroad Day", program booklet. New Brighton Borough Council, Business Men's Association, et al.

27 "Water Over the Dam", Robert A. Smith, winter 1986 quarterly newsletter of the Beaver Area Heritage Foundation.

28 St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Paul Miller Ruff. Monograph, Jan. 2000. From The German Church Records of Western Pennsylvania.

29 Encyclopedia of American History, Richard B. Morris. Harper Brothers, 1953.

30 Milestones, The Journal of Beaver County History, Vol. 23, No. 1.

31 I Remember Monaca, booklet, The Historical Committee of the Centennial, 1940.

32 Souvenir booklet, Formal Opening of the Rochester-Monaca Bridge.