- John Henry McKinney started working for the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1888 when he was 26 years of age. He retired 40 years later on July 1, 1928. He was sent to Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 1889 to help with the relief efforts and with the clean-up and repairs following the flood that occurred on May 31, 1989.
By way of background, the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1877 controlled five thousand miles of track, writes historian Robert V. Bruce, "No private enterprise in the nation's experience had ever equaled the Pennsylvania's wealth and power. . . From the Hudson to the Mississippi, from the Great Lakes to the Ohio and the Potomac, from the prairies of Illinois to the marshes of the Jersey coast, the rails of the Pennsylvania system stretched shining and unbroken." In 1877, this great road was capitalized at $400 million, earned profits of $25 million, and employed an army of twenty thousand men.”
By 1897 the American economy had finally recovered and now the fast-rising tide of Peimsylvania's industrial output-whether Carnegie steel, Frick coke, or Westinghouse products-swamped the PRR. Pittsburgh was a filthy Vesuvius. of roaring capitalism, its putrid black sky proof of its "first place in the world's production of iron, steel, tin-plate, iron and steel pipes, steel cars, air-brakes, electrical machin¬ery, brass, coal and coke,. fire-brick, plate-glass, window-glass~ tumblers, tableware, petroleum, pickles, white lead, and cork. .. It orignates a tonnage of freight nearly five times as great as that of either New York or London; and greater than that of New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia combined." (Source - "Conquering Gotham", Jill Jonnes,The Penguin Group, 2008)
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- Indiana Evening Gazette, Indiana, PA 20 Feb 1929
TREE PLANTATION STARTED IN 1860
HARRISBURG - One of the oldest forest tree plantations in Western Pennsylvania is located near Sligo, in Clarion county, according to a statement made today by State Forester, Joseph S. Illick.
In 1860 Mr. William Maclay Lyon, of Pittsburgh, obtained some small larch and spruce trees which had been imported from Europe and sent them to his brother, John Patton Lyon, who had established a charcoal iron furnace at Sligo, Clarion county. These trees were carefully planted near Sligo. The love of trees must have been one of the fundamental elements in the character of the early iron masters of Pennsylvania, for many of them were greatly interested in beautifying their properties by the planting of trees.
The Norway spruce trees were not planted in any pre-arranged order, but were obtained for hedge and windbreak purposes. The larch were planted with a more definite plan, for there are two small tracts which may be called forest tree plantations.
These trees have now reached a height of 50-60 feet and are from fifteen to twenty inches in diameter. They show clearly, Illick said, what can be expected of Norway spruce and larch in plantations. Transcribed by Pamela Myers-Grewell
- HISTORY OF CLARION COUNTY
edited by A. J. Davis, 1887
CHAPTER LXXI
HISTORY OF SLIGO BOROUGH.
THE territory embraced within the present limits of Sligo borough was settled at an early date, but by whom is not definitely known to the writer. The Craigs settled here early, and Richard Reynolds opened a store where A. B. Miller's house now stands. The furnace being built in 1845, made the furnace bank a lively, village. The furnace used charcoal. It shipped its metal at Callensburg in boats on the Clarion. William Lyon, J. P. Lyon, and other gentlemen of wealth owned the furnace. The company had a store in connection with the furnace and also several farms.
About 1860 or 1861 the Western Union Telegraph Company established an office at this point, and in 1873 the Sligo Branch Railroad was built. During war times, Sligo being a telegraph station, was a central point for gathering news from the field, and many an excited crowd assembled about the store and office in those days.
The Lyon family lived in lordly style, and their houses and grounds, now owned by J. B. Miller, yet remain as monuments of their once proud state. Compared with the usual dwellings of those days, these houses were palaces, while their coachman and servants in attendance gave a southerly air to the surroundings, and even the employees of the store and offices affected to be like their employers. The Lyon family were a genteel people. The workmen respected them as such, and when D. E. Lyon, the oldest son of J. P Lyon, went into the army with Captain Ewing's company, the boys who went with him and their friends felt that a barrier between wealth and labor had been torn away.
The new town of Sligo was laid out by the old furnace company in 1871 Thomas Berrean, sr., built the first house in the new town. The company soon erected a new brick store building, now occupied by Hodil & Company and in 1873 it erected the Sligo Hotel. Other buildings were soon erected among which were the M. E. Church in 1873, and the Presbyterian Church in 1873-4. About the same time the public school-house was erected.
In 1878, on the 20th of September, the borough of Sligo was organized with Dr. J. N. Bech as burgess, and John Anderson, D. C. Low, M. M. Conrad, A. J. Switzer, Conrad Hahn, and George Wagner as council. J. B. Ayres was high constable, and J. M. Craig justice of the peace.
The business houses at present are J. B. Miller & Son, Jacob Hodil, F. C McEwen, J. F. C. Thomas, and George W. Craig in the general store business; N. S. Coulter, drugs and groceries; Conrad Hahn, boots and shoes, and John Hartle, watchmaker.
The blacksmith shops are Low's and Silvis's. M. Anderson and John Shrum have wagon shops. John P. Greer & Son, at the foundation of the new town, dealt extensively in hardware. J. B. Miller's new mill was erected in 1879. In 1874 an Odd Fellows' Lodge was established here, and held its meetings in the brick store. In 1886 the lodge fitted up a room in the Greer building and moved into it. The G. A. R. Post also meets in the same room.
Near the railroad J. B. Miller has a fire-brick factory, where he manufactures and ships a great many fire-brick. These works were built in 1873.
In 1864-5 a well was drilled for oil near the old furnace, and in 1886 another was drilled up stream farther, near the railroad station. No oil was found, but a good vein of gas was struck, which is used for fuel and light. The well was purchased by J. B. Miller, who has laid lines to many of the houses in town.
Rev. J. Mateer was the resident minister of the Presbyterian Church for several years. He was succeeded by Rev. W. J. Wilson, and later by Rev. J. M. McCurdy. The M. E. Church has had the following ministers -. C. C. Hunt, Mr. Shepherd, D. C. Planett, S. J. Garnett, W. A. Baker, L. W. Showers, and Mr. Weldin.
The medical men have been Dr. William Reichard, Dr. Fisher, Dr. J. N. Bech, Dr. McAuley, and Dr. Armstrong.
At the time of Cleveland's election, Mr. Jacob Hodil was postmaster at Sligo post-office. At the beginning of the new administration Mr. Hodil promptly resigned his office. Mr. N. S. Coulter was appointed his successor.
The Sligo Branch Railroad has been used for transporting pig iron, tan bark, hoop poles, iron ore, timber, coal, and stock, all of these commodities being shipped at this point.
One of the oldest industries in the limits of the borough is Craig's woolen factory. In former times this factory wove a great deal, in addition to carding, spinning, and dyeing.
At one time the Atlantic Pipe Line Company shipped oil at this point. Their iron tanks were located on the hill across Licking. The enterprise was soon abandoned and the tanks torn down. Work is now in progress to open a large coal mine here this summer.
As a rule, the citizens of the town are industrious and intelligent, and much more attention is given to education than was formerly done. The town is pleasantly located on the Licking Creek, and embraces quite a large area. Its possibilities are good for a first-class town.
Leader-Vindicator, New Bethlehem, Pa. Thurs., Oct. 12, 1932. p2
The following article was under the headline ?Retired R. R. Men Honored at Sligo?.
John H. McKinney
John H. McKinney, one of the most familiar figures who ever switched a car on the Sligo branch becomes a member of the Roll of Honor of the Pennsylvania Railroad today after 43 years of service. Mr. McKinney has worked 32 years on the branch, sometimes as conductor and sometimes as brakeman. He is the only man who was ever promoted to the position of conductor with rights only on the Sligo branch, a one-crew piece of J H. McKinney railroad ten miles long operated by the Allegheny division.
When business wanted an additional train a night run was put on and he was placed in charge, other times he was a member of Pete Colwell's famous million dollar crew.
John McKinney was born Jan. 10, 1862, at Brinkerton, 5 miles of over the hill from Leatherwood, on a farm his father, Anthony McKinney, inherited from his father, who joined the covered wagon Parade and emigrated from Centre county in the early 40s that he might find a place to build a home to call his own. John was two years old when his father went to war.
"Although I was only three when he came back badly wounded in 1865, I remember his return distinctly, particularly the bluecoat and the brass buttons." He stayed on the farm and helped his father, who was unable to work, until his three brothers grew up. He never strayed far from home, but the lack of employment took him to DuBois in the fall of 1880, where he thought he would go to work into the woods. After carefully surveying the employment situation at DuBois, he took the train for Driftwood. Martin Falen, supervisor of the Low Grade branch, came into the coach and sat beside him. "I told him I was looking for a job and he asked me if I would work if given a chance and I asked for the chance. He put me on the work train with Foreman Dan Nolen. I worked as a laborer a short while, when Mr. Nolan made me ?cookie? in the camp cars.
"I quit in 1883 and went home to run my grandfather?s farm, near Rimersburg I stayed on the farm four years and went back to Mr. Nolan and worked for him as laborer two years. During the Johnstown flood, when the Low Grade [sp], A. B. Weed gave me a job braking. I worked on the ?grade? up to the time I transferred to the Sligo branch, 32 years ago and have been here ever since."
Mr. McKinney is known to every person along the line. He was a good employee and always work on his train as though it were his own.
In interviewing retired men the majority are forced to refer to the family Bible when asked their wedding date, but none ever forgets his best girl?s maiden name. Mr. McKinney knew the date by a queer coincidence. He was married to Miss Rosa L. Stewart of New Bethlehem at East Brady, Sept., 30, 1885, the last day marriage was lawful without a license in Pennsylvania. "We had heard that the licenses were going to cost 50 cents October 1 and as many people didn't have that much to spare in those days we hurried up and got married when it didn't cost anything."
Mr. and Mrs. Kinney had nine children, all living, and most of them connected with the railroad. Fred, the oldest boy, a hostler of Sligo, is recovering from injuries received last November. Mrs. G. C. Stewart of Callensburg, Mrs. Leo Bishop, wife of conductor, Conemaugh division, Pittsburgh; Mrs. Frank Hassen, wife of engineer, Reynoldsville; John B. of Sligo, former clerk and fireman on the P. R. R.; Mrs. C. W. Cole, wife of fireman, Sligo; Mrs. J P. Rhine of Pittsburgh, the latter two girls are twins, Harold B., on his father's farm and Helen at home.
Mr. McKinney has a beautiful home at Sligo and a large farm well-stocked with cattle and valuable horses, a mile from town. He plans to take life easy the remainder of his days, and may they be many.
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