Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1891-01-02
Reeollections Of Butler; or Fifty Years
Ago.

Ed. CIrIzES:-Recently on meeting q
friend, now one Of our older citizens, our
conversation turned upon the wonderful
changes in Butler within our time, and he
suggested they should be written, and that
| should give what he termed my reminis-
cences Of the town. In turn / suggested
that he should perform the task. How
| ever, he urged il on me, and after due con-
siderstion have concluded to do So But
| at the outstart we wish it understood that
these .'Recollections," which name We
prefer to call them, are but our recollec-
tons, as We write only of what "hangs on
memory's walls" without consulting
book, paper or document, and therefore
they are not given or not to be taken as
absolute history. The great change that
has taken place in our town, in men, fam
ilies persons and things during the past
fifty years, has suggested the thought, and
if these recollections Of half q century will
be the means of preserving record Of any
of these, or prove of interest to any of our
citizens, we will have accomplished our
object. At present Butler is like unto
strange city to our older citizens and they
feel and realize the fact that they are al
most strangers in new and strange place.
ORIGINAL BUTLER.
To begin properly it is first of impor-
tance that the original limits or boundaries
of the town should be stated, for its en-
largemsnt from time to time has made 1t
four fold of what it was fifty years ago. All
of the first ward, and much of the second,
third, fourth and fifth wards of the present
| town, have been added To the original.
The following is about the first or old
boundary: On the south, and to what was
known as "The Commons" building lots
were laid out to the alley along and south
| of the present residences of William Camp
bell and r. c. McAboy, the alley running
east and west to near the Connoquenessing
creek at either end; on the west to near
creek and about twenty rods below the
present George Walter mill, as southwest
corner; and on the east reaching the creek
near to and below the present Opera
| House. From there it followed up and
near the creek to large tree that stood on
the bank near where the present bridge
known as the Boyd bridge now is, south
| and not far from the West Penn Railroad
depot. Thence due north along what is
now called Monroe street to where the
| same will meet what is now East Penn
street. but which originally was but an
alley. This was northeast corner. Thence
it went due west along said now Penn St.,
crossing Main St. between the properties
| of the heirs of the late General Purviance
and Isaac Colbert, Esq, and on to point
where present West Penn would intersect
an alley, northwest corner, running thence
due south, crossing Cunningham St. near
residence of Mr.. C. Otto, and on to the
creek again near the present Jail Street
bridge, and from there up the creek some
thirty rods to the place of beginning. SO
it will be seen Butler was not as large in |
territory fifty years ago as it is at present.
By the additions, north, south, east and
west, it is now more than q square mile in |
extent. It's population in 1s4Owas less than
one thousand.
THE COMMONS.
1t should be stated that what was known
as 1.-The Commons" some five or six acres, |
composed q part of the original plan of
Butler, laying on the south end, and run
ming from creek to creek, east and west,
and bounded on the south by the property |
of the late John Negley, who owned all
the balance of land in that bend of the /
creek below the Commons, and then in
Butler township. These Commons were
reserved and set apart as such by the
original donors of the land for our county |
seat, John and Samuel Cunningham. for
the general use and benefit of its people. |
One, and perhaps the principal, use then
derived from them was that enjoyed by the
cows of its citizens, which, on being reliev-
cd of their milk in an evening hastened to
or were driven to "The Commons" there
to repose in comfort and safety for the
night. How different from now, when if
your COW should happen to be out late of
night she is mercilessly seized, by order of
Town Council, impounded and imprisoned
in some small and uncomfortable pen until
you redeem her The Cunningham donors
were good and merciful men, in that they
were merciful to the beasts, III providing
for them. The Commons abounded in
every variety of trees, great and small,
among them, plentifully, being the crab
apple tree, the fragrance of whose bios
SONS in the spring was most enchanting to
the sense of smell and the beauty of whose
flowers most pleasant to the eye. Hickory
nuts, chestnuts, hazel nuts, wild cherries
and berries, were also gathered there by
the small boys of fifty years ago. Good
building stone also covered the Commons
and from which the stone for the founda-
tions of the first houses and barns were
taken. Large rocks were these, upon
which the children climbed and the goats
delighted to sport. The celebrated Fed
eral Spring." named SO in honor of the
politics of the days of General Washington,
is close upon the south borders of the old
Commons. 1t Is now the property OF Mr..
John N. Smith, who has neatly enclosed it
and is no longer accessible to the general
public, who often sought its pure and
refreshing waters. The Indians passing
through Butler in those days made it q
point to reach that spring to quench their
thirst and lay in the sun and rest there.
But the Commons were finally sold-by
virtue Of an act of Lcgislature-and the
proceeds of sales of lots laid out thereon
were devoted to educational purposes the
present large school-house on Jefferson St.
being principally built from the sales, about
fifteen years ago. Upon some of these lots
are now the fine residences of John N.
Patterson, I. J. McCsndless, Mr.. Bole,
John Kopp, John N. Smith, Mrs. Dunn,
AL. Walter, Kafer, Moorhead, Haffner, the
new and very elegant house of Mr.. d. B.
Campbell, Mr.. Eisler, Mr.. Joseph Balph,
and others, some of which it is said will
have to be removed If the contemplated
widening is made of street leading from
McKean to bridge passing over to Spring
dale. MORE ANON.
Butler, Dec. 90, 1890.
West Liberty Again.
Rev. Womer, of the N. E. church, has
been holding revival meetings here for
q couple of weeks. And success has