|
Tri-Counties Genealogy &
History by Joyce M. Tice
Reference Book Section
|
 |
|
Bradford County PA
|
Chemung County NY
|
Tioga County PA
|
History & Geography
of Bradford County by Heverly
|
|
|
Joyce's Search Tip - December 2007 -
 |
Do You Know that you can search just the
Reference Books by using the Books button in the Partitioned search
engine at the bottom of the Current
What's New Page? Sone of the books have their own search partitions,
such as 1883, Bradsby, heverley, etc. so that you can search just one book. |
|
|
|
Joyce's Search Tip - December 2007 -
|
Do You Know that you can search just these
Heverly books by using the Heverly button in the Partitioned search
engine at the bottom of the Current
What's New Page? |
|
Barclay Township
Submitted by Dana Richter who typed this from Heverly - History
and Geography of Bradford County 1615-1924 p512-514
Chapter L Barclay Township
Barclay was so named in Honor of Robert Barclay of London, England,
who in 1794 purchased 21,000 acres of land lying on what is known as the
Barclay mountains.
Geographical. Barclay,
the mountainous, coal-bearing township, comprising 1-58 of the area of
Bradford county, is situated between the townships of Franklin to the north,
Monroe and Overton to the East, Leroy to the west and Overton on the south
from which it is separated by Schradar Creek. The summit in the western
part of the township has an altitude of 2041 feet. The general slope is
towards the southeast, drained by Coal run and other small streams, flowing
into the Schradar. This region, a section of the Towanda range, known as
the Barclay mountains, generally, was heavily timbered, even on the slopes,
with pine, hemlock, and hardwood. Here among the rocks was the favorite
habitat of bears, wolves and wildcats, while on the heights, elk, deer,
and wild turkeys abounded. The Schradar swarmed with the largest brook
trout and eels in abundance. The township has an area of twenty square
miles and was formed from Franklin in 1867.
History: Discovery
of Coal. Prior to 1812, Barclay was only known as a rugged region, abounding
in big game. Coal, that year, was accidentally discovered by Absalom Carr
while hunting. Soon After it was first used by Jared Leavenworth, a blacksmith,
residing near the mouth of Towanda creek. In the beginning coal was brought
down the mountain on sleds. The demand grew, different beds were found
and opened, notably the Mason and Cash mine, to which roads were built,
and the coal hauled away in wagons to supply blacksmiths in Northern Pennsylvania
and Southern New York. Mining and Towns. Mining did not become an important
industry until after the completion of the Barclay railroad in 1856, when
the Barclay Coal company took men and equipment to the mountain and began
working the original mine. In 1864 the Fall Creek Coal company was organized
and the first shipment made from the fall creek mines in 1865. The carbon
run mines operated by the Schradar Coal Company, were opened in 1874 and
the Long Valley mines, operated by the Towanda Coal company, in 1880.
Barclay was at its best in 1875 when three mines, Barclay, Fall Creek
and Carbon Run, were in operation, producing 380,000 tons of coal annually.
There were five mining villages, Barclay, Fall Creek, Graydon, Dublin and
Foot of Plane, besides Carbon Run on the line between Barclay and Leroy.
Barclay and Carbon Run, numbering several hundred inhabitants each, were
the most important, with stores, shops, churches and schools. Extent of
Production. The Fall Creek mines were closed in 1875, those at Carbon Run
in 1885 and those at Barclay in 1890. Up to the time of discontinuing operations
in December 1890, there had been mined and shipped from the lands of the
Barclay Coal company 4,256,924 tons of semi-bituminous coal.
A considerable village was established at Long Valley where mining operations
were continued until 1909. Since then mining in the Barclay field has been
conducted only in a small way as an individual enterprise at Long Valley
and in the Carbon Run district. Lumber and Manufacturing. Barclay had become
almost depopulated and her villages gone to ruins and decay, when in 1902,
she was given new life by the establishment and operations of the Laquinn
Lumber Company. Around the big mills a village grew of several hundred
inhabitants. It was called Laquinn and provided with a church, schools,
stores, hotel, shops and other accessories. In 1920 Barclay had a population
of 841; it was greatest, 2009, in 1870.
