The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-01-28
A HISTORY OF SOMERSET BOROUGH
BY loHs HENRY FrckfSc.

The Borough Of Somerset, with pope
lation Of LILO, is situated near the cen
tral part Of the county, and has been the
seat ofjustice since I795. The previous
name Of this place was knwon as Milford.
This Borough ami county formerly coz
stitu;ed q part Of Bedford county. 1t
remained 50 until April; 1875, when an
Act Of Assembly was passed making al
that part of Bedford west Of the crest Of
the Allegheny mountains TO the top OF
Laurel Hill mountain, a new county.
which was named Somerset. The boun-
dary line was changed on the southe1st
By the addition of Southampton town
shin. which has since been divided into
hse different sections. namely Alleghe-
nv. Izrimer Northampton, Greenville
and southampton townships. The first
settlement made in this county was made
at that point now known as TurkeyfoOt
township bat the exact time al which il
was made i not known. Il has the high
est county seat in the Commonwealth Of
PENNSYLVANIA, its altitude being nearly
, 200 feet above the level Of the sea It
appears that Hiram Husband was the
original owner Of this place. At a very
early day he gave the Burners 80 acres.
which, before the year l7s3, was laid out
in town lots. sheets, etc, and named
Brunerstown. Adam Snyder then be-
came the owner Of BrunerStown. Articles
of agreement we're made and signed on
the 24th day ofSeptember, 1877. Somer-
set was iirst named after man by the
name Of Bruner, who laid ont the town,
and had bis home on what is Dow known
as the Main street Of Somerset. The ar
tiele of agreement by which Burners
town lor the present borough of somer-
set and the lands which had been made
10 Ulrich Drummer, were made to Adam
Snvt9er. The parties who signed this
agreement, with the exception Of Hiram
Husband. wrote their names in German.
The agreement itself was prepared BY
Husband, in a plain style This place
xss named Somerset on September =,
I7g5. Somerset was made borough by
an Act Of the General Assembly passed
March ), 1904, yet it appears it Was not
assessed as 3 separate place until two or
three years later
Fires have destroyed the minutes Of
sown cOuDcils, but from the books and
papers on file in the Prothonotary.s Office
can be learned when the Chief Burgess
and school Directors were elected TO their
respective Offices, As Shown by citizens
who resided here at that time
THE FTzE OF 1858.
On the morning Of October l6. 1853,
a great fire occurred ia the Borough Of
Somerset The cry Of fire. Was given az
80 in the morning, which was heard by
the people Of this town It was found to
be in the house belonging to Joshua +.
Cox Es,- and occupied by several fami-
lies. and bv quite number Of mechanics
as shops. It spread in an awful fame in
very few moments The haste with
which It spread. both east and west, and
notwithstanding the most energetic efforts
which were made dy the citizens TO con-
1uer It. its progress vas not erased until
every house between the street which
crosses Main street was entirely eousnm-
ed. About an hour before daylight ho-
tel belonging 10 - Webster, on one
side Of the streeG and the house Of John