Bagdad, about the middle of the last century, became prominent as a salt producing community, and some of the best wells along this river, famous then for this industry, were drilled at this place and above and below it, most of the salt boilers and miners living in the little village. Among the old-time salt manufacturers were the late Daniel Hill, David Lynch, Daniel Kistler, Capt. Samuel Kistler and his brother John, the latter being one of the few yet living; his home is in Freeport. There were also the Clines, Stulls, Shusters, Sherbondies, Shirys, Klingensmiths, and Walters and a host of others, the long roll of which it is impossible now to record; it is regrettable they were not recorded earlier.

Capt. R. D. Elwood was among the last to engage in the business, having bought a salt works from Jonathan Stoops. He traded these works to a man named Parker, who sold to a Mr. Rowan. The last salt made here was produced by Ashbaugh & Wray (B. B. Ashbaugh and H. Wray constituting the firm), who leased the works from Mr. Rowan. David Lynch, then in his seventy-eighth year, managed the works and acted as salt boiler. This was in 1882, and the salt was the last made on the river, except at Gamble's works, near Roaring run in Kiskiminetas township, which ran about one year longer. Thus closed an industry for which the entire valley, from Saltsburg to White's station, had long been famous. New discoveries of great salt beds in Louisiana and the West reduced the price. so that this territory could not compete.

NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENT

To a great extent credit is due the citizens of Leechburg and vicinity for the use of natural gas in lighting homes and business establishments. When William Porterie, a Greek, came to Aladdin in 1890 to work over the waste from the oil works, he and some associates from Freeport organized the Consumers' Gas Company, and drilled several wells, all of which were successful. A pipe line was laid to Leechburg and for some time they supplied gas to the Leechburg Gas Light & Fuel Co., the first natural gas company chartered in Pennsylvania. The latter company also drilled several wells, so that this district soon sprung into prominence as a center of the gas industry. The Gilpin Gas Company was later chartered by local men and is still in operation. S. C. Bole, a noted gas well

operator, next organized the Good Luck Gas Company, and put down several wells in the exact center of Gilpin township. He was successful and the company is a prosperous concern in this year of 1913.

The lines of the Carnegie Gas Co. are across the township near Leechburg, and they have a pumping station near the borough limits. It is not an exaggerated estimate to say that in the last twenty years this section of the county has produced over $250,000 worth of fuel gas, and the field is still not overcrowded.

The Great Seaboard Oil Co. pipe lines also cross the county near Leechburg, carrying oil from far-away Oklahoma to the Atlantic ocean ports.

CHURCHES

The only church outside of the towns in this township is the Zion's Lutheran, also called "Forks Church," from its location at the forks of Elder's run. The congregation incorporated in 1849, the officers named in the charter being Rev. Henry Isensee; John Torney, Henry Wanamaker, elders; Griffith Baker and Jonathan Moyer, deacons; John Allshouse and Henry Klingensmith, trustees. The members at that time were few, but in 1880 the total was over one hundred.

Their first edifice was a frame one. It was destroyed by fire in 1869 and the present frame home was built at a cost of $3,000.

Among the ministers of fifty years ago was Rev. Charles Ehrenfeld, whose home was in the township on the banks of the Kiskiminetas river, overlooking Westmoreland county, and is still occupied by one of his sons, while two other sons live near. A large and beautiful cemetery, or what was formerly called the "Burial Ground," adjoins the church lot, where lie many of those who helped to make our county's history, among them being many brave men who fought in the Civil war, in the war with Mexico and in 1812. This congregation has a fine parsonage, built in 1905, with large grounds and most delightfully situated. Rev. John Ashe, the present pastor, also serves St. Paul's in Park township, formerly known as "Highfield's."

This township has nearly two miles of macadam road which almost covers the stretch from Forks Church to Leechburg on what is known as the Leechburg and Kittanning road, making it very convenient for the farmer, traveling man and market gardener.

north. Two and a half miles above its mouth, the Upper Freeport coal is about one hundred and eight feet above the canal, due east and twenty-five feet higher than at Freeport. Four miles above the mouth the Freeport sandstone has passed the fourth axis and descended below water level, dipping southeast. There the Upper Freeport coal is sixty-nine feet above the canal, all the strata below it being shales. At the canal level are black shales from four to five feet thick. The mass of shales dips up the river rapidly, and at the same time changes into sandstone beds still interstratified with shales.

A fourth of a mile below Leechburg the following section exhibits the coal at a much lower elevation than there: Descending from the surface-shale, 9 feet; Upper Freeport coal, 3 feet 3 inches; shale, 22 inches; coal, 7 inches; shale, 3 feet. Freeport limestone, blue, 2 feet; soft sandstone, 1 foot; shale, 17 feet to bed of Pine run, not much above slack water.

At Leechburg, five and a fourth miles above the mouth of the Kiskiminetas, above which is a gentle undulation of the strata, the following section of rocks was obtained at the quarries: Sandstone and shale, 16 feet; Upper Freeport coal, 42 feet, 63 feet above slack water; blue-black shale, 14 inches; light shale, 6 inches; coal, 4 inches; light shale, 14 inches; iron ore, 3 inches; Freeport limestone, I foot; calc slate, shale, 3 feet; shale and large chunks of limestone, 3 1/3 feet; limestone, 32 inches; shale, with calcareous nodules and flags, 5 feet; calcareous shales, 6 feet, 8 inches; shale, sandstone, etc., 3 feet; sandstone, I foot; shales, a little bituminous, I foot; blue ferriferous shale, 7 feet; shale and sandstone, 6 feet; massive Freeport sandstone, 42 feet; Lower Freeport coal, interstratified with slate, 4 feet.

The Freeport sandstone, near the water's edge, is a fine quartzose conglomerate, containing vegetable impressions and pebbles of nodular carbonate of iron, of all sizes, and so numerous as to compose the whole mass of the rock for a thickness of 6, 8 or even 10 inches. A slip appears to combine with the original oblique bedding of the sandstone to express to the eye of the spectator an unconformity of stratification at the upper limit of the sandstone, and upon its apparently upheaved edges rest the calcareous slates and coal above. Something similar may be ob

served elsewhere along the Kiskiminetas, at a point seven miles below Saltsburg.

In the northern portion of the township, east of Johnetta, is located the highest point, a hill 1,430 feet above tidewater.

JOHNETTA BOROUGH

The town of Johnetta, established in 1892, is located at one of the most beautiful points in the Allegheny valley, the houses being built on a high bluff overlooking the river. Each house is surrounded by a large plot of ground suitable for gardening, and fruit and shade trees have been planted along the streets. The town depends entirely upon the operations of the Pittsburgh-Buffalo Company, controlled by the Jones interests, John H. Jones, president of the company, residing there all the year round. He is unusually popular with the employees and takes a strong personal interest in their welfare.

The town is thoroughly sewered and supplied with good water, so that a more picturesque and healthful manufacturing location could not be imagined.

The amusement hall is an interesting feaThis contains standard ture of the town. bowling alleys, billiard and pool tables, refreshment stand, and a large roller skating rink, which is also used for a meeting place and for popular entertainments. There is also a playground for the children.

The town consists of 140 frame houses, sixteen brick residences, a store, schoolhouse, and the Johnetta Memorial Church, presided over by Řev. Walter Kennedy.

The houses are heated by gas taken from the company's own wells, which have a pressure of 80 pounds to the square inch.

The population is 662, of which about 500 are employees of the company.

THE BRICK PLANT

The Johnetta Plant of the United States Sewer Pipe Company utilizes the famous Kittanning clay for the manufacture of refractory products. This clay immediately unin advance of the clay, and which finds a ready derlies the Kittanning coal, which is mined market at the northern lake ports. The clay seam is about 15 feet in thickness, of exceptional purity, and adapted to the manufacture of pavers, high-grade face brick and sewer pipe.

The clay is hoisted from the same shaft which handles the coal, the clay cars being

run across the coal tipple and dumped into a bin, in the bottom of which is a crusher. This crusher reduces the clay lumps to pieces of about one inch diameter. From the crusher, the clay is fed into dry pans, where it is ground to the size required for brick and elevated to the screens. After being screened, the ground clay is dropped into the pug mills, where it is tempered with water and then pressed through the brick machine. This machine forces out the clay in a long column the exact size of the brick. A wire cutting apparatus separates the bricks, which are borne away on a belt. Three represses are located near this belt. With these machines the better grades of paving bricks are finished. The dryers are built on the waste heat principle, and are of ample capacity to handle the largest day's run. The bricks are burned in improved down draft kilns, both the round and the rectangular types being used. The circular kilns are used for burning both brick and sewer pipe. Repressed and wire cut waterproof face brick are made in all shades and the greatest care is taken in all the operations to produce first-class bricks, packed and shipped so that they may reach the buyer in the best possible condition.

It is evident from the constantly increasing demand for a road material that will stand hard service without heavy maintenance cost, that all principal county roads will soon be built of brick. For such purpose the paving brick and block made at this plant are unsurpassed, as they are tough without being brittle, and are vitrified, and consequently impervious to water and unaffected by frost. The great capacity of this plant, over 100,000 per day, makes it possible to fill the largest orders for all grades of brick at short notice. In the yards, all building brick are stacked according to their shade and quality, and in such manner as to be convenient to the cars for loading. This arrangement is of great service in filling large orders promptly.

JOHNETTA MINE

The property consists of about 2,400 acres, underlaid with the coals of the lower productive measures, of which the Upper Freeport and Lower Kittanning are workable. The latter vein is reached by shafts at a depth of about 100 feet below the surface and is a fine gas and domestic coal.

ity, the power being furnished by two 200 K. W. generators in parallel.

The steam generating plant consists of six 150 horse-power tubular boilers, equipped with underfeed stokers fed from overhead bins.

The Johnetta Foundry & Machine Company was incorporated in Pennsylvania on Oct. 29, 1906, with a capital of $5,000.00, for the purpose of operating a machine shop for the general repair of mining and brick works equipment and the reconstruction of railroad cars. Upon the opening up of the Ten Mile field in Washington county, and the projection of the new town of Marianna and the location of the new mines at that point, the old building at Johnetta was sold, the capital stock increased to $50,000.00, and a new property acquired at Marianna upon which a large shop building of steel and brick has been erected and new machinery installed.

The superintendent of the plant is Mr. L. E. Allen. The resident physician is Dr. D. O. Thomas. W. A. Reed is the postmaster and storekeeper; Joseph Walbert, hotelkeeper.

SCHOOLS

returns of the commissioners show that the Johnetta is a separate school district. The number of schools in 1913 was 2; average months taught, 8; male teachers, 1; female teachers, 1; average salaries, male, $55, female, $55; male scholars, 68; female scholars, 53; average attendance, 98; cost per month, State, $435.56; other sources, $1,728.33; value $1.05; tax levied, $1,867.40; received from of schoolhouses, $6,300; teachers' wages, $962.50; fuel, fees, etc., $366.71.

The school directors are: Dr. D. O. Thomas,

president; S. B. Pierce, secretary; Samuel Wilson, treasurer; H. W. Smith, Alex Hoffman, James A. Iddings.

POPULATION

ILY

SCHOOLS

RELIGIOUS

As was the case with Bethel and Gilpin, this township was formed from the territory of the original Allegheny township, now obsolete. It is bounded on the north and east by Bethel and Burrell, on the southeast and south by Kiskiminetas township and the Kiskiminetas river, and on the west by the same river and Gilpin township, giving it a fine water front. It is also drained by Carnahan's run and Guffy's run. It has very fertile farm lands with towering hills bordering some of the streams, also some beautiful valleys and fine table-lands running for two or three miles at a stretch, especially from the first river branch back of "Farmer's Delight," owned by Robert Parks, past Laurel Point through the Hill, Parks and William Crosby lands, all this being formerly known as the "Martian" or old "Dutch Martin" tract, but later purchased by the late Hon. Jacob Hill, who represented this county in the Legislature in 1847; he served for two terms. His son Winchester still occupies a large tract of the land. The entire valley for five miles up Carnahan's run is a rich farming country. It is on this run and only one mile from its mouth that for years was located one of the most famous old flouring mills in this part of the State, known as "Stitt's Mill." The building was a log one, most of which is still standing, and the mill race and dam are well defined. It was built in 1847 by Frantz and Levi Stitt, two famous old-time millwrights, whose father John had owned the site before them. For nearly seventy-five years the expression "As good as wheat in Stitts' Mill" has been used, quoted and requoted from Pennsylvania to California, or wherever an Armstrong county man located. One of the builders, Frantz Stitt, met with a sad death by falling off the railroad bridge at Leechburg, in his old age, in about 1895. His son

POPULATION

GEOLOGY

Levi seems to have inherited his ability and has for many years been a master mechanic, or held other positions requiring skill in mechanism, first with the Apollo Iron & Steel Company and later with their successors, the American Sheet & Tin Plate Company. Another son, Thomas, lives with his mother on part of the old farm. The other builder, Levi Stitt, died a few years ago, after having opened coal mines at North Vandergrift only a mile south of the old mill.

We may say just here that North Vandergrift is the only town in this township and has been built up in the last ten years, owing its existence to the locating, in 1904, of a large plant of the American Sheet & Tin Plate Company at Vandergrift, Westmoreland county, just across the river. The town has now about one thousand inhabitants.

Settlers in this township were few before 1814, among them being Samuel and David Hill and John Carney, who located on Carnahan's run; Jacob and William Hesselgesser and Robert Hanna, who had their homes on the Kiskiminetas; John, Samuel and William Stitt, who settled on and near Taylor's run, and Elijah Eakmon, in the eastern part, near the river.

Peter Le Fevre kept the first ferry just below the mouth of Carnahan's run, from 1800 to 1825, when he left for other fields.

Among the names of later settlers were those of John Guthrie, Samuel Crosby, Philip Kearney, Greenberry Wilson, Thomas Foster, Jesse Graham, Jacob Painter, the Eakmons, Girts, Wyants, Gourleys, Bowmans, Heckmans, Stitts, Altmans, Shaners, Kepples, McIntires, Hawks, Lannings, and others. We want to add here that Richard Lanning, the head of that family, lived to be one hundred and four years old, notwithstanding the fact that he had a leg broken when he was one