The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1861-02-07
BEUihH: A DESERTED VILLAGE.
By JAMES n. SWANK.

There Is no more singular fact in the
history of Cambria county-and indeed
we might say in the history of Pennsyl-
vania-than that presented in the founding
and subsequent abandonment of the Welsh
settlement of Beulah. In 1897, Just
sixty years ago, a number of hardy Welsh
men, seeking new home among the AL
leghenies similar in its physical character
Istics and surroundings to the one they
had left among the rocks Of old Wales,
found the realization of their desire in an
exceedingly small Valley or "holIow," j."
upon the banks of the Blacklick, in the
township Of Cambria, county of Somerset,
Cambria county was not then known
upon the maps.) And there they pitched
their tents and founded village, and the
name of that village was "Bculah." All
the elements of healthy growth appear
to have been called into rcquisition in be-
half of Beulah. The location seemed to
be a most favorable one; the climate was
hcalthful; the soil in the vicinity produc-
tive; iron ore, limestone, coal and potter's
clay had been discovered in the neighbor-
hood the water in the springs and streams
was pure and abundant, and good timber
was only too plenty. The woods were
alive with game and the streams with
finny "bea.lties." The settlers were hon
est, hard-fsted, energetic. Trees were
felled !; Beulah was surveyed into streets,
and alleys, and town lots; roads to and
from the village were constructed; dwell
ling houses and workshops were erected :;
religious societies and associations for
mutual improvement we're organized and
a newspaper was established. Why should
not Beulah grow, and flourish, and become
great city? But, alas it did neither
Founded in 1897, it grew to its full sta
ture in 1893, and in 1903 or 1904
when it entered the lists with its young
rival and near neighbor, Ebensburg, for
the honor of being named the capital of
the new county of Cambria, it had COM
mcnced to take very large step back
wards That unfortunate tilt with Ebens-
burg ''fxed" beyond a peradventure the
destiny of Beulah. Its Welsh burghers
soon commenced to turn longing look
upon the county seat; the implements of
husbandry and the tools of the cunning
workman were laid away TO rust /: and the
price of real estate rapidly declined Ere
long Beulah was deserted, and it-remsins
deserted to this day. Where once stood
the bustling little village, now only can
be seen single old fashioned and very
shaky wooden dwelling-a fitting relic and
sorry monument of the departed great
ness of Beulah. All else is gone. Even
the streets, the ''busy streets" Of Beulah
where are they?
The main fact stated above will only be
new to the stranger and newcomer among
Cambrians, butimany an old settler, and
probably even the "oidest inhabitant,"
will lerrn with astonishment that ne,cS
paper was published at Beulah, and that,
too, during the last century But such is
the fact We have before us the first
number of that paper, and therefore speak
only of that which we do know and have
seen This copy has been handed us by
Major Moses Canaan, the pioneer lawyer
of Cambria county, who, in 1907, attended
the first court held in the county. We
purpose briefly to give the reader an idea
of what this pioneer newspaper of Little
Cambria" contains.
THE name of the paper is "The Western
Sky ;" it was printed by Ephraim Con-
rad in 1893; its size IS small quarto-
eight pages, and its typographical execu
tion is rather neat than otherwise Its
columns do not contain a single advertise
ment, but are mainly filed with original
articles upon various local topics. Some
of these We will notice.
1t appears that circulating library was
established at Beulah, as the claws for
the Regulation of the Beulah Library"
are published in full in the "Sky." 1t
also contains the constitution, bylaws and
cot Of incorporation Of the ''Bculah Semi