Beaver in Beaver County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Early Industry And Development 1815-1860
Photographed By Craig Doda, July 3, 2021
1. Early Industry And Development 1815-1860 Marker
Inscription.
Early Industry And Development 1815-1860. . This period of our county history saw the establishment of early industry and the infrastructure that would support it. Prior to this time, ferries, not bridges, had been used to move wagons and people across the rivers. Boat building- first flatboats, then steam-powered riverboats-became a major industry due to the vast migration of persons heading west through our area.
During this time the German Communal Harmony Society (aka the Harmonists) moved into the county to found their final home in what is present-day Ambridge. They brought with them knowledge, expertise, and a strong work ethic, resulting in industries that prospered and helped the county to grow.
On the transportation front, canals replaced wagons as a quicker, more efficient way to move both freight and passengers across the county. Their heyday was short-lived, however, with the coming of the railroads in the middle of the century.
The institution of slavery was a controversial national issue that gallvanized abolitionist sentiment among our citizens. Beaver County had a large anti-slavery contingency and was a major player in the Underground Railroad, which helped many slaves escape to freedom.
November 11, 1815 , A wooden truss toll bridge over the Beaver River opened between Brighton (lower Beaver Falls) and New Brighton in 1816, becoming one of the earliest bridges over a large stream in western Pennsylvania.
Early 1820s , John Boles established perhaps the first boatyard in the county on the Beaver River at Bolesville (between present-day Rochester and New Brighton) for building flatboats, keelboats and finally steamboats.
1825 , The German communal Harmony Society established the Village of Economy at the present site of Ambridge.
The Townsend Company was established in Fallston, becoming one of the county's first major industrial enterprises.
1829 , James Patterson built a dam across the Beaver River (current Patterson Dam) to run his flour and cotton mills.
Ca. 1830 , Edward McGinnis developed Frankfort Mineral Springs in 1835 into a health resort. building a large, three story brick hotel called the
This period of our county history saw the establishment of early industry and the infrastructure that would support it. Prior to this time,
ferries, not bridges, had been used to move wagons and people across the rivers. Boat building- first flatboats, then steam-powered
riverboats-became a major industry due to the vast migration of persons heading west through our area.
During this time the German Communal Harmony Society (aka the Harmonists) moved into the county to found their final home in
what is present-day Ambridge. They brought with them knowledge, expertise, and a strong work ethic, resulting in industries that
prospered and helped the county to grow.
On the transportation front, canals replaced wagons as a quicker, more efficient way to move both freight and passengers across the
county. Their heyday was short-lived, however, with the coming of the railroads in the middle of the century.
The institution of slavery was a controversial national issue that gallvanized abolitionist sentiment among our citizens. Beaver County had
a large anti-slavery contingency and was a major player in the Underground Railroad, which helped many slaves escape to freedom.
November 11, 1815
A wooden truss toll bridge over the Beaver River opened between Brighton
(lower Beaver Falls) and New Brighton in 1816, becoming
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one of the
earliest bridges over a large stream in western Pennsylvania.
Early 1820s
John Boles established
perhaps the first boatyard in
the county on the Beaver
River at Bolesville (between
present-day Rochester and
New Brighton) for building
flatboats, keelboats and
finally steamboats.
1825
The German communal Harmony Society established
the Village of Economy at the present site of Ambridge.
The Townsend Company was established in Fallston,
becoming one of the county's first major industrial
enterprises.
1829
James Patterson built a dam across the Beaver River
(current Patterson Dam) to run his flour and cotton mills.
Ca. 1830
Edward McGinnis developed
Frankfort Mineral Springs in
1835 into a health resort.
building a large, three story
brick hotel called the
Location. 40° 41.883′ N, 80° 17.818′ W. Marker is in Beaver, Pennsylvania, in Beaver County. Marker is on East End Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Beaver PA 15009, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 13, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 11, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 128 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 11, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
