Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-12-06
BLOT OUTTWO TOWNS
RAILWAY IMPROVEMENTS OBJ
LITERATE PoPULoUs CITIES.
Port Perry and Demmlcr, Pa, Active
and Prosperous Few Years
Ago, Now Practically
Deserted.

In the building Of a railroad there is
something that almost approaches ir-
resistibility. Without cIamor or talk,
a big railroad corporation quietly en-
cages in undertakings that, 10 the or
binary man, seem impossible of accom-
plishment, or if capable Of being ac-
complished, SO expensive that 1t is
mystery where all the money comes
from.
In the big scheme OF Improvement
which is low nearina completion, TWO
of the best known owns in the Mo-
nongahela valley in Pennsylvania have
sheen obllterated. They are Port Perry,
with all its old his torical associations
clustered about it, and Demmler, The
seat of the first tir plate mill in the
United States. Three or four years
ago they were botl populous towns.
To-day Demmler consists OF half a
dozen houses, viii II are occupied by
tenants, living ulGei aotice to move
whenever the railr> I'D company needs
the ground they occupy. Port Perry
has passed slower. There are still
a couple of dozen houses in the
town which are occupied. These
tenants are also under notice to quit
on short time.
A few years ago Port Perry was an
important little place. 1t is much
older town than it's big neighbor, Brad
dock, just across the Turtle creek bot
tom. In the old days, before the Mo-
nongahela Navigation company slack
watered the Monongahela river, there
was ford at this point.
When the locks and dams were built
in the Monongahela Port Perry was
the head of navigation, practically, fol
time. When the dam was built there
the head moved on up to McKeesport
OF course, this applied only in seasons
of low water. A little town grew vi
about the locks at Port Perry, although
there had been several houses there
for many years before the locks ant
dams were dreamed of. A sawmil
gave employment to few men and ,
boat yard, with score of caulkers a
work, raised the echoes along the rive
| valley. 1t was pretty little place
: and 1t felt lie great city at on
. time, when lot of men came alon
] and laid railroad track right throug
] the center of the town. Like many an
. other small hamlet, Port Perry though
J it was bound to become place of som
importance.
: A half dozen years ago Port PER-
boosted couple of hundred houses.
i. couple Of stores, churches, a schoe
building and Odd Fellows hall an
other buildings 1t was a flourishin
{ place then and pretty little towr
) where everybody had garden an
the front yards were filed with floN
ers and the back yards with health
. looking cabbages End all sorts Of sol
satisfying vegetables. Then the LAX
{ Erie, which had also built its track
= through the town, along the rive
i. bank, found 1t needed more room.
!. bought the houses and lots between
. and those OF the baltimore & Obi
That included the Odd Fellows hal
b The despoiiing hand OF the railroad l,
borer soon laid the buildings low an
couple Of dozen houses passed ava
, in month or two. The space the
I occupied is now covered by Lake Er,
: tracks.
A year or two ago the Baltimore
Ohio found It would have to put fou
tracks where one used to answer an
It needed room. It bought the rest {
Port Perry. Nearly all the hous.
have been emptied Of their occupant
and the few residents of the town al
using the empty houses for flrewoo
:. Within few months or less the steal
: shovel will come along there It
= working but couple of miles abo,
now. and all the houses that are lie
will have to make room. So the obi
GRAFTON Of Port Perry. once prospe
:, GUS little town with post office, wi
be complete and It will be dropped el
= tirely from the map.