Jackson Township
Cambria County, Pennsylvania
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Chapter 5
Annals
Of Jackson Township
In Jackson township particularly in that part that is now Nanty-Glo, we
have
many residents who are of Welsh descent. After the founding of
Pennsylvania in 1682, the Welsh were the most numerous of immigrants
coming over and many towns in Pennsylvania are named for them. After
1700, however, according to "Making of Pennsylvania" by Sydney George
Fisher, when English, Germans, Scots and Irish started coming in large
numbers, they became fewer in number, and emigrated farther west. Penn
had given a tract of land consisting of 40,000 acres of ground near
Philadelphia, and there they had a little government of their own.
Later,
however, when the land was opened to other nationalities, they started
west
and many of them came here. Summerhill, which is near this township, is
a
Welsh settlement and the name Nant-y-Glo is Welsh, meaning vein of coal.
The town of Ebensburg, also, was first a Welsh settlement. Thomas Davis,
who was born in Wales in 1851, came here when 15 years of age and has
many living descendants living here.
When these first pioneers migrated west, they made paths that followed
routes that could be little improved upon. The Lancaster Turnpike was
originally the path of the wandering Welsh, it being first a rough path
through the woods. The first road built in Jackson township was the one
officially known as the Frankstown, or Galbreth road, but in this
vicinity is generally referred to by
old timers as the Washington road. It was first laid out in 1790 and
entered the township where later Joseph Burkhart cleared the land and
established
his home, which in later years was occupied by John Shultz, but which
has
long since returned to its original seemingly untouched state. It
crossed just
north of where the Pike Brethren Church now stands, followed a route to
the
top of Pergrim Hill, thence north west a short distance and on to the
top of
Laurel Hill Mountain, crossing what is now the Vintondale road just
slightly
north of the Wm. Penn Highway, paralleling that highway for some
distance
and then intersecting it on the west slope of the Laurel Hill Mountains.
The
Frankstown Avenue in Pittsburgh is the western terminus of this road.
Portions of this ancient highway may still be seen in some parts of the
township. On the old Burkhart farm, now a favorite hunting ground,
hunters
have watched for deer coming down the old roadway.
There was lots of travel along this highway which resulted in the
organizing of a number, of turnpike companies of different names, one
being Harrisburg, Lewistown, Huntingdon and Pittsburgh Turnpike company.
It
developed, however, that the road could be kept in better repair by
shorter
operating companies. There was the New Alexandria and Conemaugh
company (1816), and the New Alexandria and Pittsburgh company (1821).
Roads first built were of plank. Timber was plentiful and easy to get
and a
smooth road was quickly made. The drawback was that planks soon wore
out and had to be replaced. Here and there clay pikes were built. Little
work was required to keep them in repair good enough for the wagons and
pack horses that traveled over them.
In the days of the Washington road, large droves of horses, sheep,
cattle and hogs and turkeys would be driven overland, for that was
before the days of easy shipping by train. Sometimes as high as 500 hogs
would be herded for
a long distance to a market. There was also one instance of 2,300
turkeys
having been fed at a certain place during one month.
Route 22 that passes through Mundy's Corners follows an old Indian trail
which in turn followed a buffalo path. The bridle path followed the
Indian
trail and was in turn the wagon road. Some places the wagon road was
corduroy, made from small wooden ties about eight inches in diameter and
12 feet long, especially used through swampy places. Glimpses of these
roads may still be seen in places. Later the road was piked, using
stones set
on edge then covered with soil.
This road, Route 22, was first known as the Huntington, Indiana and
Cambria turnpike, or Northern Pike. It was authorized on March 10,1810
but the road was not finished until 1821. The year following its
completion
money from tolls amounted to $5,838.25 and the expense of upkeep was
$4,267.60. This road led from Hollidaysburg to Pittsburgh and there were
nine toll gates.
Over this highway stage coaches were a familiar sight, and teamsters
Travel in this way was sometimes very pleasant, for there was not the
hurry
to get places that there is today. It was slow, but every few miles
there were
inns where travelers would stop and refresh themselves, Roads were not
graded at that time as they are today, and it would be a long pull to
the top of the numerous hills through this part of the country. At that
time, too, a
circus would travel overland, and the old watering trough that stood on
the
Mundy place at Mundy's Corner was often the scene of a large gathering
of
strange animals, foreign to these woods. Covered wagon traveled through
here, too, emigrants on their way farther west. The first toll gates
used were
of iron, later wooden posts being used. When the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad was completed in 1852 much of the necessity of the stage coach
and
wagon was taken away, and from then on the turnpike was not so
flourishing.
On September 9, 1819, while the Northern Pike was being built, a road
was laid out leading from Johnstown to what is now Mundy's corner, then
known by another name. It was 35 feet wide. This route has been the main
highway between Johnstown and Ebensburg ever since. Before that time
travel between those two points was by the way of Sumnterhill. The road
from Nanty-Glo
to the Teeter school was built about 1903 and the one from Nanty-Glo
to Mundy's Corner, which is a very old one, connected Indiana and
Johnstown.
Another old road that is now abandoned entered the township near Nanty-Glo,
on what was the Murray tract, went up past the Adam Shuman farm to
the old Lambaugh cemetery and to the top of Chickaree Mountain. The road
was abandoned before 1860, but is still visible in many places.
About 1910 automobiles came into use in this community after which a
different type of roadbed was built. In 1917, however, there were still
more
horsedrawn vehicles than automobiles. Women began taking their place
behind the wheel about that time. Mrs. Harris Wakefield of Vinco lays
claim to being the first woman automobile driver in this section of the
community. |