Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1891-02-20
Recoliections of Butler; or Fifty Years
Ago.
CoLL-sTEwART SQUARE.
(ContiHued.)

Ago.
CoLL-sTEwART SQUARE
(ContiHued.)
THOMPSON BLACKSMITH LOT.
We closed our last with recollections OF
the house which stood fifty years ago
where present John A. Richey bakery
is The next lot to this, and where now
stands the Aland merchant tailor shop, we
will call the Thompson blacksmith lot
Our first recollection of it is in seeing a
blacksmith shop there. Five brothers of
the name of Thompson are said to have
lived on it in the early days of the town.
James Thompson, spoken Of in the history
of the borough as the sturdy blacksmith"
of the town, we suppose was one of the
| five. We do not recollect him, nor two of
the others, John and Joseph. Bnt another
one, Samuel P. Thompson. we recollect
we'll He removed from here down to
Middlese1 township where he died but a
few years ago. He will be remembered as
a very good, honest and inoffensive man.
Another, DR.. VIM. c. Thompson, now of
Indianapolis, Ind, we have met. He is
yet living and last visited Butler about
three years ago, on business and to see cid
friends here. He is said to be very sue
cessful physician in indianapolis at
present. and is the only one Of the five
brothers known by any of our citizens to
be vet living Where this old blacksmith
| -
ed at one TINA by Mr.. Christian Otto, yet
living. The late Robert and James Cum
ningham had their store there for a while,
about ls45. A Mr.. Douglass followed with
a drug store there and had as clerk young
man named Wythe who is said to be now
a successful manufacturer of drugs in Phil
adelphia DIR. r. l.. McCurdy followed
with q drug store there. The Democratic
Herald was published there from about
1850 to March, 1855.
The Stehle new brick now adjoining the
AIand one was erected in 1874, by the
late Mr.. Thomas Stehle, who became the
owner of same. Mr.. Stehle died 1887. The
Aland new building was built only short
time before the death, October 1888, of the
late Mr.. William Aland. Where the
Stehle one stands was brick, erected or
owned by our present Mr.. Conrad Smith,
in which late Hon. William Beatty lived
for a short time and IN which also the late
National Bank had its first origin and was
| first kept, 1864. The Producers Bank OF
Butler County was also kept there for a
| short time afterwards
The next building TO this is the present
Mr.. M. Buchele one, shoemaker and now
barber shop. Mr. Buchele bought this
| from the late Michael Zimmerman, Esq,
who lived there at one time. Our first
recollection Of a building there. or about
| there was an old frame one in which Mr..
i SamneI Johnson lived and had a candy
shon. He and his family were a rather
queer set having good deal OF trouble
| with their neighbors. Where they went or
| what became OF them we suppose no one
now living here knows or cares very much.
STEWART LOT.
Next TO this is the present Mr.. Harvey
| CoIbert's fine hat and cap store on part OF
| the old Stewart let. Mr.. Colbert bought
this of the late William Stewart, Esq, or
| his agent here, about 1865, and carried on
/ the hating business there in connection
with his father. the late Mr.. Isaac Colbert, |
| from that time to 1869, when the partner |
| ship ceased An old frame also stood there |
| fifty years ago. Mr.. Harvey Colbert erect |
ed the present brick one. Mr.. Isaac Col
| bert, his father, was halter by trade and
came TO Butler about 1886. He manufac |
tured hats and had his shop in several |
other places before being in with his son
Harvey, the last Of which was nearly |
| across the street from there in small shop |
erected by him where present a d II.
| Reiber store now stands. Hating IN his |
day here and before was very different |
| business from what it is now. Within our
recollection almost every man got his hat
| made at home here, generally OF the old
| stove pipe fashion. The batters, therefore, |
were more numerous in those days than |
now and the business was among the chief
| industries of the town, three or four shops |
being carried on at the same time. If you |
| wanted a hat made, or dressed up, you |
went to the Gilchrist shop, the Ben. Nib |
lock shop, the Frank Gilmore shop, or in |
| later days, to Mr.. Colbert's shop. Mr. |
| Colbert, we believe, was the last manufac- |
| turer here of hats. Now we have the fine |
| nat and cap stores, made and brought from |
abroad, the Derby and the soit felt being |
| the ruling fashions.
Mr.. Isaac Colbert was known by all as
strictly honest man. All we have said as
| 10 the character of Mr.. Daniel Coll in that |
respect would apply TO Mr.. Colbert. They |
| were both chosen TTcasurers Of the county |
on account Of their honesty OF character. |
Mr.. Colbert followed Mr.. Coll in that Office |
| and we well recollect the arguments made |
use Of for electing him, about lS45, were |
| the same as used for Mr.. Coll, to wit, his |
sterling integrity. About ls42 Mr. Col |
bert bought the property down North Main
Street, where he lived and which IL yet III |
the possession Of his heirs He died July |
l 1872
| The John Bickel boot and shoe store |
comes next. Where il stands was frame |
| in which the Sentinel newspaper was pub |
lished. first by the late Moses and John |
Sullivan, Esqs. then by late VIM. Stew |
art, afterwards by late George W. Smith,
Esq, and Parker G. Purviance, l84O, and
last, we believe, by John j. Butler, ESD |
| Mr.. George Frederick became the owner |
of the lot and erected the present brick |
| there, IN which he had his boot and shoe |
store for some years previous To his remov- |
| ing TO Ohio. When sold as the property Of
| Mr. Frederick il was bought in by Mr.. |
John Berg, who in turn sold the same TO |
present Mr. John Bickel.
TIE corner house of this square, now |
owned by Messrs. J. and B. Kemper with |
their fine saddlery shop aud business, was
| built l.y the late Hon. William Stewart |
4 w q 90 not ItcOlltCL tllC UNIV h"i thc
| ferent owners Of this property before being |
purchased by present Mcssrs: kcmpcrs.
Mr. Stewart once lived in IL and afterwards |
| the late Hon VIM. Haslett lived there for |
some time.
Mr.. STEWART.
Mr.. Stewart was an active citizen Of the
town fifty years ago He had been Pro-
thonotary Of the county and IN 1853 was
elected To represent it in the Legislature
and reelected in 1854. While there he
was one of about thirty members who
stood out and prevented the election Of
the late Simon Cameron in one Of his carly |
efforts 10 get TO the United States Senate
| from this State. Before that Mr.. Stewart
was associated with the late Hon. Charles
g. Sullivan in the ownership and improve
ment of what il known the Hickory |
Mills Of SIipperyrock Twp, this county, to
where he removed in 1874 and remained
until 1856. From there he went to Roy /
Furnace, Lawrence county, in which prop
crty he was interested and where be lived
some time. From there be removed TO his
Winfield Furnace property in Winfield
| a I