Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-25

The town will be in gala dress tomorrow
morning. 1t is expected that not a house in
the borough will be without decoration, and
on the main streets the gaudy trimmings
will be elaborate and profuse. Business
men will close their houses at noon, and the
balance of the day will be surrendered to the
festival The procession will move at / 80,
headed by the Second Brigade Band. DIR.
G. r. B. Robson, one of the oldest resi-
dents, will act as chief marshal, Henry ].
Heinz as chief of staff and Alf G. Lovd as
adiutant general. The aids are R. NJ Coyle,
George I. Lewis, George j. Weitz Charles
tosh, L. S. Gibson, A NJ Chalfant, G. M.
kellv. r. I. Graham and s. n Wagner
The column will be divided into six di-
visions and will embrace some novel dis
plays. In one division will be the numer-
Gus secret societies and other civic organi-
cations, including club of 80 fantasies
and the Bachelors Club of 100 members
Another division will consist of the fire de-
partments of the three sister boroughs,
Sharpsburg, Etna and Millvale, and engines
from each of the two cities will take part
This division will be under command of w.
c. Never, one of the towns solid business
men, who organized and has had charge of
the fire department ever since its organiza-
tion in 1871. Two or three military organi-
cations will form part of this division The
other divisions will consist of mounted Or
ganizations, trades displays, floats and rep
resentatives OF neighboring boroughs and
townships.
The Features of the Parade.
A feature of the parade will be float
showing the postofice as it was in 1S42,
when Thomas Gardner. grandfather of the
present postmaster, L. S. Gibson, held that
position. Another will be an old mail
coach which did service before the Penn
svlvania Canal was built. Many other nov
elites of this kind will be included, and the
school children in wagons will occupy a
place in the line. The parade will cover
the principal streets of the town and Dor
tion of the Etna streets, and at its conclu-
sion will be reviewed at South Bridge and
Main streets, while Battery fires a salute
of 30 guns
Sharpsburg was incorporated as a borough
on March 26, 1912, 81 houses then consti-
tuting the settlement. Local history has
little to say about the place prior to 1896,
although in Meningitis popular historical
novel, sold Fort Duquesne, he mentions
1t as the home of the Guyasuta, tie famous
Indian warrior From the best authority
obtainable, Benjamin r's.,vrs a soldier
under Washington at -. ,l.,sc cf the Reyo-
lutionary War, purchased q tract of land
from the Indians which included the site of
Sharpsburg and extended up the Allegheny
river to point above where the workhouse
stands. He built a log cabin on
the present site of the PRESBYTERIAN
Church in 1890, his nearest neighbors
being family named Dick, who were the
only residents of the territory now in
cluded in Etna borough, and James Sam
pie, who owned large tract adjoining that
OF Simon Girty, whose name is indelibly
stamped on the history of Western Penn
sylvania. A remnant of the Sample farm
still exists, and the borough of Millyale
occupies portion of it. In Powers time
the country was overrun with Indians and
raids and murders were of frequent occur
renee. AT one time the Dick family were
captured in a raid, and were held in cap
tivity for nearly year. when their release
was effected by treaty made with the In
dians at Detroit
The Founder of the Borough.
Powers sold his property in 1904 to Gen.
eral Wilkins, who in 1914 sold 25O acres of
it to Elisha Brooks, a farmer, who occupied
1t until 1896, when James Sharp, bright
Young Scotch-Irishman, purchased the tract
for Sl3 an acre. The land conveyed in the
sale included all the territory between the
Allegheny river and the top of the hill, and
from Sixth to Fifteenth streets, covering
what is now the business part of the town.
Brooks had erected log cabin on the hill
side, commanding a view of his farm, and of
unusual dimensions and style for those days
When Sharp took possession he made this
cabin his residence. Some Is wears later he
built large frame residence near it, to