Washington County "Little Washington" Pennsylvania
Genealogy and Family History 

May 23, 1896

McDonald PA Outlook

Brick in McDonald

The era of frame buildings in McDonald is passing away. Brick buildings are taking their place, and the better class of structures are going up, both business houses and residences, are of brick. Two years ago there was not a brick building in McDonald; it is probable that there is now $200,000 invested in such buildings here now. No brick here has ever suffered from fire, and the insurance rates on the brick blocks are less than on frame buildings adjoining them. Brick house cost less than frame; the cost of the brick walls is about $150 more on each $1,000 than wooden walls, and this is more than in the painting, the insurance and the greater solidity of the brick.

It is not generally known that we have in McDonald a firm that keeps up to the demand for brick here, besides shipping vast quantities of brick to other places. NICHOLSON & ARTHURS, the proprietors of the West End, have been in the brick-making business for a quarter of a century. Mr. N. was one of the firm that made the brick with which all the Panhandle Railroad tunnels are lined. This West End yard furnished the brick for the McDonald school house, the HOLMES-GLADDEN, PLANCE-WILLIAMS and GIFFIN-MOORHEAD blocks, and other buildings. They furnish the brick for the J. P. SCOTT residence, a picture of which we give this week.

At this brickyard, fifteen men make 12,000 brick every day. The shale rock, soapstone and clay, from which the brick are made, are taken out of the hill behind the yard and ground up and molded into brick which are as hard as iron after being burnt. Three grades of brick are made--red building brick, chimney brick and foundation brick.

Messrs. NICHOLSON and ARTHURS hold themselves in readiness to undertake any contract, large or small, for laying or furnishing brick for any kind of building, chimneys or foundations, and to guarantee its completion promptly and in a satisfactory manner. In addition to the force at the brickyard, this firm keeps on hand a large force of bricklayers in order to take care of building contracts. If you think of putting up any kind of a building-business house or residence-- before you begin see NICHOLSON & ARTHURS and let them show you for how little money and in what quick time they can put you up a brick.

June 12, 1897

McDonald PA Outlook

The History of a Boom - How It Began, Grew Great, and Withered, in a Day -- 
Thirty Thousand Dollars for a Glass Plant Raised on McDonald's Streets on a Day's Notice.--But Not This Plant This Time Will Get It, But Some Other Plant Some Other Time.

A glass works is forced to move by high fuel rates and taxes. They said they would bring their works to McDonald if our people would buy from a tract the company would get here one hundred lots at $400 each. The works would employ not less than 250 and maybe as many as 500 men. Half of these would be skilled workmen getting $5 or so a day. The company's monthly pay-roll has been for years about $10,000 a month.

The managers liked McDonald for two things--the good and cheap fuel and water. The company paid for fuel last month $1560. This money would be paid to McDonald coal miners, for coal would bee the fuel here.

The company would get sixteen acres from Edward MCDONALD lying in a block just north of the Catholic church and running from Station across Third and Fourth Sts.; and in this were the hundred lots. The money from the lot sale would be put in one of the McDonald banks, and when the glass company would have done what they said they would do, the money would be paid to them. If the company would not have their plant set up and running by September next, the money would be returned to the lot buyers. There was no risk to the lot-buyer; if the plant came, he bought the lot; if it didn't, he got his money back. The lots were worth the price any day, plant or no plant. The lots would be sold for cash, or for $100 down, $100 in six, $100 in nine, and $100 in twelve months. It was suggested that the buyers draw lots for the lots they get.

The plant would cover 8 acres, and would likely be in the East End bottom. They thought to build one "twelve-pot" and two "ten-pot" furnaces.

The facts given above wee put before a citizen's meeting Tuesday night by Chairman C. R. BUCHHEIT. Mr. Edward MCDONALD, Mr. HOEY, Mr. T. T. GILLESPIE and others spoke at the meeting saying what a boon such a plant would be. Several present said they would take lots, and the chairman appointed P. HOEY, F. F. FRENCH, Henry ROGERS, Richard GLADDEN and E. S. MCWREATH a committee to go around and see if they could sell the hundred lots.

The committee named walked about on Wednesday and Thursday, and the following citizens and firms signed a paper, wishing to take lots:

P. HOEY, John M. ABRAHAM, Henry ROGERS, D. L. WILLIAMS, C. R. BUCHHEIT, W. H. YOUNG, Pierre MATHIEU, A. C. FORINGER, J. R. GLADDEN, F. F. FRENCH, J. C. MAY, A. VALENTOUR, E. S. MCWREATH, Richard GLADDEN, S. H. COOK, J. P. SCOTT, Samuel SHANE, S. S. JOHNS, MCCARTY & ROBB, W. T. REED, J. A. BASTIAN, C. R. POTTER, G. S. CAMPBELL, G. J. BUCHHEIT, F. L. ROBBINS (5 lots), Neil MCGINLEY, James J. DONAHUE, Thos. GILLESPIE, S. D. JONES, T. WALKER, Geo. W. SCHLEUDERBERG, J. D. SAUTERS, T. E. SAUTERS, LEWIS Bros., C. G. HADDEN, G. W. SMITH, W. B. MOORHEAD, Bennie FRANKLE, A. B. MCBETH, GARDNER Bros. J. C. ROGERS, Wm. MADGWICK, J. A. HUNTER & Son, SHORT & WADE, W. S. DUNCAN, Kate MOLONEY, Dr. G. H. COOK, H. S. INGRAM, J. J. GEORGE, Dr. W. A. LAROSS, A. C. HOOBLER, B. D. TILLINGHAST, WILLIAMS & LOCKHART, McDonald Supply Co. (two), David CAMPBELL, Frank COLLINS, C. M. WILLIAMS, Miss I. V. STEEN, Dr. W. A. JAMISON, Dr. G. H. MILLER, Dr. W. R. DICKSON, Dr. W. L. SCOTT, Samuel STURGEON, JOHNSTON & ROBBINS, Aug. WEITZEL, Sr., R. M. CONLEY, James ROBB, Wm. O'BRIEN, J. S. JOHNSTON & Co., J. G. COOK

Well--here was $30,000 subscribed to bring here the glass plant. And on Friday Edward MCDONALD and C. R. BUCHHEIT went to tell the glass men to come on; and the glass men backed square down--said they couldn't come at all. And that is the end of this story.

But it shows how easy it is to get $30,000 in McDonald for such a thing. And this will be useful again.

The McDonald Board of Trade desires to thank the public for their cordial support in this matter. The Board will now try to have a branch of the Lake Erie Railroad run here from Montour via the Champion valley.





July 3, 1897

McDonald PA Outlook

The Bastian Hotel

It is on the corner East Lincoln-Arabella, McDonald, and was opened to the public last Saturday. It is four story, with Pompeiian brick front. Its barroom is little surpassed anywhere in the magnificence of its appointments. $2500 (maybe $3500) was spent in the fixtures in this room. The reception room, parlor and dining room, on the second floor, join each other with folding doors, and are each elegantly appointed. The dining room floor is of polished oak. An office and a sample room are on the second floor. On the third and fourth floors are eighteen sleeping apartments and suites of rooms. All are heated by the hot air and water system of the house, and besides most have small gas stoves. No bedroom has less than two windows. The bedsteads are brass. Bath rooms and other such conveniences are at hand on every floor. Stairways are numerous and broad. Halls, rooms and stairways are richly carpeted in different shades of carpet.

The elevator shaft and fire escapes on the rear end of the building are not yet in place. The view from the upper stories is most enjoyable. In the center of town, the hotel gives a good view of the whole town.

A 20-horsepower gas engine and 180 light electric dynamo in the cellar furnish light for the house. An automatic water heater is so arranged that turning the water on in any part of the building puts the heater in operation at any time without further formality. Besides city water, water is supplied by a __ foot well in the cellar, for the baths and the 23-barrel tank on the fourth floor.

The beer vault in the basement has walls of four-inch hollow tile with a half-inch of pitch and a brick wall outside of that. The basement has also a complete wine cellar and other apartments. A siphon helps drain the basement.

Mr. BASTIAN has now spent more that $200,000 on his hotel, and he is not through with it yet. Mr. BASTIAN is a most pleasing and efficient host, and his hotel is a remarkable one, and McDonald is proud of it.





July 7, 1905

McDonald PA Record

A Thriving Industry

One of the most important industries in McDonald is the machine shop of B. D. TILLINGHAST. This shop is so crowded with work that the proprietor has found it necessary to make several important improvements. A new engine house has been built and in it installed an Olin gas engine of 20-horse-power, replacing one less powerful. Two new drill presses and a lathe have been added, thus making necessary the increased power. Within the last two months the proprietor has found it necessary to double the number of his employees. Besides doing a large and growing business in general repair work he is extensively engaged in the manufacture of oil well supplies and gas engines. Mr. TILLINGHAST believes in keeping abreast of the times and it is safe to say that in no manufacturing plant in this region is there more or better system than is in vogue in his shop. By and ingenious system of records he is enabled to tell exactly the cost of production on any piece of work as soon as it is completed and these cards are filed and indexed so that reference can be made to any one at any time.

The continued enlargement of the volume of business transacted in this plant warrants us in prophesying that ere long the TILLINGHAST shop will be one of if not the largest manufacturing plant in this valley.



Feb. 29, 1908

McDonald PA Outlook

A Nice New Hotel Midway on the McDonald-Oakdale Car Line

At Champion City where the street cars meet every half hour, a new hotel goes up that will be surpassed by scarcely any in the valley with its appointments. The Hotel Voye is a three story-brick at the corner, with a front that is one of the handsomest in style among all the business blocks up and down the road. Sixteen rooms has the new hotel, each with annunciator (sic) bells, hot and cold water, and every modern improvement. The water system is based on a tank that will be built on the hill back of the hotel and which will give fire protection to all Champion City beside hotel purposes.

Mr. Joseph VOYE, Jr., proprietor of the hotel, has been at Champion in the hotel business seven years, and in all that time no complaint of any kind has ever been registered against him. He is a man who appreciates the intent of the Brooks Law to the full and succeeds in living up to it.





Feb. 12, 1909

McDonald PA Record

Jacob WILL, formerly proprietor of the McDonald Hotel, and late owner of Hotel Beatty at Monongahela, was in town this week to complete plans for the erection of a brick building in place of the frame structure heretofore known as Hotel Dunlap. Contractor ZEIKFROW who has already built three hotels for Mr. WILL and who erected the VALENTOUR & THOMASSY block and Lafayette hall, will begin work at once by tearing down the Dunlop. The new hotel will be three stories high and an additional story will be added to the brick building adjoining which Mr. WILL purchased from W. C. ROBISON.



Dec. 24, 1909

McDonald PA Record

Opening of New Opera House

The three-act farce comedy, "Captain Racket", given under the auspices of the McDonald Relief Club on Friday evening, was the success of the season. From the time the curtain went up until the close of the last act the audience was convulsed with laughter.

The cast, composed entirely of local talent, is all to be commended. They took their parts like old timers. A special feature of the evening was the music furnished by the new MOTTE Orchestra. This was the first time many had heard them and all expressed surprise and appreciation at the fine program rendered. Particular attention was paid to Miss DE BRUXELLES, one of the leading violinists. A lady member of an orchestra is something rarely seen in the larger towns. The members of this orchestra are all students of the leader, Mr. Eli MOTTE, who deserves the credit and the encouragement of our citizens. Everyone was enthusiastic in praise of the new Opera House. It is well lighted and comfortably heated. The acoustics were perfect, every word spoken on the stage being plainly heard in all parts of the house. The management is to be commended on the perfect order maintained, and if this precedent is established, we bespeak for him success in his new venture.

The ladies of the Relief Club acted as ushers and seated the large audience in a creditable manner, notwithstanding the more or less confusion caused by the loose chairs, the regular opera chairs not having been placed yet. Taking it all together, it was a very enjoyable evening and we could stand more such entertainments.



Feb. 8, 1924

McDonald PA Record

Plant to Resume Operation

The General Foundry & Machine Co. of Pittsburgh on Monday of last week purchased from the Allegheny Forging Co. the plant located in the Eastend, McDonald. Engineers of the General Foundry & Machine Co. are now at work rearranging and setting machinery into shape, and it is said that within 60 days the plant will be ready for operation.

Among the articles manufactured by the General Foundry & Machine Co are flexible pipe joints, railroad axle boxes and an invisible auto jack, attachable to the chassie of an automobile. By turning a lever this jack goes into place and raises the car from the ground.

A. F. NORDENSKJOLD of Pittsburgh will superintend the work at the plant. Mr. NORDENSKJOLD states that a considerable number of men will be employed here when the plant goes into full operation. The office of the company are in the Peoples building, Pittsburgh.



Aug. 16, 1946

McDonald PA Record-Outlook

Commercial Hotel Sold to Local Firm

The Commercial hotel property in East Lincoln avenue was sold Monday to Masquelier Brothers for $11,600. The property was formerly owned by Benjamin FRANKLE and was sold by virtue of an order of the Court of Common Pleas by the Washington County Commissioners, giving title clear of all taxes, mortgages and liens.

Outstanding taxes against the property total $5, 368.62. Of this, the borough will receive $2,242.30, the school district, $2,069.47, and the county, $1,049.85.

The property fronts 50 feet on Lincoln avenue, extends to Barr street and includes the building now occupied by Louis GAMONDE as a barber shop. In January the MASQUELIERs purchased the adjoining property on the east from the Fred NOURIGAT estate of Midway. They plan to tear the buildings down and erect a modern drive-in gasoline service station and automobile showroom. Their present garage in Barr street will be used for automobile repairing.

The Commercial hotel building was erected in the spring of 1898 by J. A. BASTAIN, who operated under the name of Bastain hotel. It was one of the most up-to-date hotels in this part of Western Pennsylvania. Mr. FRANKLE purchased the property in 1909.

See also the Obituary of Julian MASQUELIER