|
Washington PA Newspapers:
|
Both Sites:
|
McDonald PA Newspapers:
|
|
Remainder of Genealogy / Family Sites
| Use every search for best results. |
Notice: In order to continue using the free side of
Pico Search, the 2 Sites had to be split into separate searches. |
Focusing on the lives
of any person or family who has lived in Little Washington,
Washington County, Pennsylvania at anytime throughout
history to recent times, through data and family stories.
NEW SEARCH BOX ADDED
COAL CENTER, PA
Originally called Greenfield
Genealogy and family history
research in the area of
Little Washington, Washington County, Pennsylvania from 1700 to present.
Located in the eastern point of Washington
County, on the Monongahela River north of the mouth of Pike Run, the town is 1/2
mile northwest from California, PA; 24 mi. southeast of the city of Washington;
and 49.3 mi. from Pittsburgh. The latitude of Coal Center is
40.068N. The longitude is -79.901W.
On a huge hill to the West, Nathan Lynn took in the sight of the curving
Monongahela River, with a small area of flat-land next to the river. He
had secured the original patent to this tract of land called
"Ararat.". But, for reasons unknown, Mr. Lynn sold his title to
this land to Robert Jackman Sr. on December 16, 1784. The Jackman family
erected many mills in this river area, including a flour mill. By
1814, Mr. Jackman's son and namesake, Robert Jr. had inherited his father's
tract and chose to lay out the town which he named "Greenfield."
Crumrine
writes that:
"Prior to 1784 a man named Samuel Young resided upon or near the town
site, having some right or title to it. During the year last mentioned,
however, Robert Jackman2 (having purchased Young's interest) obtained a patent
for a large tract of land, which covered the sites of the present boroughs of
California and Greenfield, besides hundreds of acres lying back and around
these towns. He had six sons, viz., James, William,3 Dixon, John, Robert,4 and
Henry, besides two or three daughters, and at his death, which occurred Aug.
26, 1813, at the age of seventy-four years and four months, the land was
divided among those sons, James and William inheriting the grounds now partly
included within the corporate limits of the borough. Subsequently this land
was sold at sheriff's sale to Seth Buffington, who soon after transferred the
same to John Ringland.5
2 Robert Jackman was a native of Ireland, and a descendant of a family which
originated in Germany, thence migrated to Wales, and finally settled in
Ireland.
3 William, the father of the present William W. Jackman, lost his life by
drowning in the Monongahela.
4 Robert Jackman, the oldest son of Robert Jackman, Sr., was the proprietor of
the town of Greenfield.
5 Ringland was one of the original members of the Brownsville or Monongahela
Bridge Company, which company was chartered March 6, 1830.
The Jackmans were famous mill men, and only seemed contented when engaged in
building or operating grist- and saw-mills. Robert Jackman, the elder, built a
very early grist-mill at Brownsville, and he built a dwelling-house on the
site of his grandson's residence (William W. Jackman) nearly one hundred years
ago. A majority of the family of this name, however, finally emigrated
westward, settling in Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa."
- [end of quoted material]
In twenty years (1834) Greenfield was incorporated as a borough by an act of
legislation. It is recorded that the borough limits were extended twice,
once in 1874 and again in 1886. Greenfield's name was changed in January
1883 to "Coal Center." Probably the oldest site of coal
mining in Washington County was located in Greenfield, dating back to the 1820s.
Although the mining was on a small scale, it was one of the first commercial
mines in operation. It also had a large distilling business in these early
days. John Carr was the first man to erect a house at Coal Center and was
also the first to bring a General Store to this town. Prior to Carr,
citizens had organized a cooperative called the "Farmers and Mechanics
Commercial Store" where farmers brought their produce and sales made, but
the cooperative soon failed.
Coal that was donated by the Ailes family and dug out by volunteers was rafted
down the river to a southern point to raise money for The Presbyterian
congregation to erect a church. From their organization in March 1836
until the church building was erected, the members had met in an abandoned
distillery. In the same year (1836) The Methodists filed a property deed
in December by John Springer and Wife. The Coal Center Methodist Episcopal
Church traces its history back to at least 1822, making it the oldest religious
organizations in the Monongahela Valley. The Roman Catholic congregation
was a late-comer to this area, not organizing until about 1875. They
formed the Saint Thomas of Aquinas Roman catholic Church of Coal Center. Life
in small towns like Coal Center centered around three things: family, work and
church.
Coal remained the
primary activity in the town, bringing in foreigners from overseas and citizens
of the county to work and live in the borough. Like in so many mining
towns, the railroad was to have an integral part in this growing commerce.
The Pittsburg, Virginia and Charleston Railway came in 1881, building its track
right through the center to town, where stream engines pulled cars laden with
tons of black diamond (coal). Rows of homes were built on two tidy
streets parallel to the river. From there the town spreads away from the
river, extending back to a Y-split in the road and beyond. Coal
Center's growth has always been limited by the space it can occupy, with natural
boundaries of its huge hill making a western blockade and the Monongahela
forming a second natural boundary. With no room to expand, the town has
faced economic and civic challenges throughout its history. From times
when coal mines had numerous jobs and more people, the estimated population in
2003 had fallen to just 133 persons. But this old town has raised sturdy
citizens whose resilience is only outdone by evidence of a strong work ethic and
pride in their roots.
Regional
area of Washington County (east section)
SEND ME YOUR PICTURES OR MEMORIES OF
COAL
CENTER
(washington.co.pa.webmaster@gmail.com - and put Coal
Center in the subject line)
Go Back to TownTalk Index
Site History and Updates: Dec '05; Jan '05; Mar
'06
Email
Washington.Co.PA.Webmaster
(c) Judith Ann Florian
159 E. Main St.
Girard, Ohio 44420
Copyright Notice - Data / info. for individuals and surnames may be
reproduced for personal family histories only, but not for any commercial use or
sale. Please give credit to Judith Florian and Catherine L. Caldwell for
locating newspaper items and original documents. You may use J. Florian's
research conclusions if credit is given. No other data or images may be
reproduced without permission. © 2005-present, Judith Florian, Copyright All
rights reserved.
This page was last updated on Friday, January 16, 2009 00:15
|
|
The background was chosen specifically to
emphasize the matriarchal role of women in "the life" of
children and families, and the resilience of all the women of
southwestern Pennsylvania. |
|
