On this page you will find a history of our borough and some other interesting things to view. It is not meant to be a scholarly work, rather, just a fun page to bring back some old memories.
If YOU would like to share your memories, old photos, or documents, please contact me at the address below. Photos or documents will be scanned and returned to you promptly.Email Dick Backus
Be sure to visit the Dravosburg Links Page DISCLAIMER:
History is rarely an exact science. If you ever played the game “telephone” as a kid, the one where a
person whispers a phrase to the person next to him, then it gets passed around a whole group, you know
what distortions can happen to information in one sitting, let alone over several centuries, and dozens of
generations. Sometimes, in doing historical research, one even finds discrepancies in the written records.
Therefore, the content of this page is accurate to the extent that my ability and time allowed. If there are
any errors or omissions which offend anyone, they are entirely my responsibility, and I am sorry.
Otherwise, have fun ! (This page is not connected in any way with the government of Dravosburg or its
elected officials.)
EARLY HISTORY:
The settlement of the Dravosburg area pre-dates the founding of our country. Once, the whole of south-western Pennsylvania was a hunting ground for the migrant tribes of Indians generally known as Lenni Lenape who inhabited the area long before the coming of the white man.
In 1753, George Washington was dispatched to negotiate with the French at Fort LeBouef, and he passed very close to what is now Dravosburg both ways on his journey. It is recorded in his journal, that, on his way back, in late December, he stopped at the cabin of John Frazier at the mouth of Turtle Creek. Frazier is generally acknowledged to the first English settler on the lower Monongahela. He was a blacksmith, gunmaker, and traded with the Indians. He settled at the mouth of Turtle Creek in about 1742 after being ousted from his former home in Venango by the French. While visiting Frazier, Washington was told that Queen Aliquippa, leader of the Indian settlement at what is now McKeesport was insulted that he had not visited her on his trip north, so he made it a point to visit her then. Washington recorded this in his journal:
"I made her a gift of a watch-coat and a bottle of rum, the latter of which
was considered to be much the better present of the two"Queen Aliquippa was known as a diligent leader, and she posted scouts to keep watch on the rivers. It is likely that at least one of these posts was near where the Irvin Works stands today. Just two years later. General Braddock led his troops across the river at McKeesport, and re-crossed the river just below Kennywood to his ill-fated battle with the French and Indians at what became known as Braddock’s Field.
One history I have states that fourteen years after the above events, in 1769, John and Thomas Penn, sons of William Penn, granted title to a section of land in the Dravosburg area to a man named John Gray, and that the original deed to that land was in the hands of the C.L. Whitaker family. (Except for the land record below, I have not been able to find any historical record of the Grays. Perhaps someone has further information on this which they are willing to share ?)
According to a map of the area dated 1788, the incorporation date of Mifflin Township, the land that is now Dravosburg was roughly divided into two halves of about 320 acres each. The dividing line was along the hollow that is now McClure Street. In those days, it was common practice to name your land. The northern half, owned by John Gray, was called “Mount Gray”, and the southern half, owned by Henry Wood was further divided into “Coventry” and “Rich Lands” In modern times, Mount Gray became North Hill, Coventry the center of town, and Rich Lands, the cemetery and Curry Hollow.
In 1789 , the southern half was deeded to Conrad Latterbock, and, in 1837 to John Curry. Mr. Curry lived in a log house near the intersection of present day Elizabeth Road and Route 837 and farmed the land that later became the cemetery. Curry married Jane McRoberts and they had at least seven children. Mary, Lizzie, Martha, Belle, John, Samuel and Hiram. Mr. and Mrs. Curry both died of typhoid fever, and are buried somewhere in Curry Hollow.
In 1817, the northern half was patented to Eleanor Cunningham and Alexander Snodgrass. Mr. Snodgrass also owned about 350 acres south of town approximately where the Irvin Works is today.
Daniel Risher was one of the earliest settlers in the Six Mile Run area (later known as Streets Run and Hays). His son, John C. Risher, (pictured at right) born in 1815, eventually bought over a thousand acres of land in the area, which included the all of the area where Dravosburg is today.
John C. was in the mercantile trade in the area by 1845, and participated in the California gold rush of 1849. Not having much good luck at that, he returned to the area and settled in Dravosburg, where he went into the coal business. John married Nancy Denny McClure and they had five children. One of the children, Levi, graduated from the Allegheny Theological Seminary, and his first charge after ordination was the Amity Church in Dravosburg. His father donated the land for that church (more later). One of John’s daughters, Sarah, married William Snodgrass, the son of John Snodgrass, one of the pioneer settlers of the area. William was a prominent businessman and owned several coal mines.
Eventually, after the establishment of Allegheny County in 1788, the land inside the bend of the Monongahela between Six Mile Run (now Hays) and where Dravosburg is today all became Mifflin Township.
For an excellent history of Mifflin Township, the lands and the families who helped settle our area at that time (AND the story of a grisly murder!) click
HERE and HEREBy 1854, the Cunningham family was living in a two room log house overlooking the river, which was later became the home of Konrad Goldstrohm.
The Cunninghams later moved to the house which is the present day Airways Tavern, at the intersection of Lebanon Church Road and Pittsburgh-McKeesport Boulevard. Later, the Jebez Grooms family lived in this house for many years.
Konrad Goldstrohm, a native of Darmstadt, Germany, settled in Mifflin Township in 1852. He farmed for three years, and later became a successful butcher. One of Konrad’s ten children, Charles Frederick Goldstrohm, was born in Dravosburg in 1854, married Christiana Foster in 1877, and operated his father-in-law’s coal mine in Jefferson Township for several years. Charles was appointed postmaster in Dravosburg by Grover Cleveland’s first administration, and later was instrumental in getting the Duquesne post office organized. He went on to become a successful businessman in Duquesne. The extended Goldsrtohm family were among the founders of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Dravosburg in 1859. The road leading from Dravosburg to Duquesne was named in their honor.
THE GROWTH:The growth of Dravosburg, like so many of the other towns along the Monongahela, can be attributed to coal. The hills were rich in coal seams and,
with timber readily available, it was relatively easy to build gravity operated tipples to take the coal to the river bank.In 1835 William Whigham, son of Thomas Whigham an early pioneer of Mifflin Township, opened a coal mine at the north end of town and operated it until 1856. It is said that on March 22, 1856, Mr. Whigham hauled some of his coal across the river to McKeesport on ice that was four feet thick. William Whigham was also the president of the First National Bank of McKeesport for several years.
The Whighams sold the mine to William Stone, who operated it until his death, when it was taken over by his heirs. During his tenure Mr. Stone named the area Stonesburg. This was on the hillside below what we now call North Hill.
A second mine was opened in 1840 by James O’Neil who operated it until 1851 when he sold it to Michael Dravo & Sons. The Dravos built six beehive coke ovens and used the slack from the mine to manufacture coke to be shipped by river to southern markets. In 1869 the mine and coke ovens were sold to J.C.Risher.
John Fleming Dravo, pictured at right, for whom Dravosburg is named, was one of the most prominent businessmen in the Pittsburgh area in the mid nineteenth century.
His grandfather, Anthony Dreveau, came to this country in 1794 as a follower of the Marquis De Lussiere. Dreveau was a premier horticulturist in the area.
Anthony’s son, Michael Dravo, came to McKeesport in 1840 and began mining coal. He is credited with being among the first to use horses to haul coal from the mines. Previous to that manpower and dogs were used. Michael was also active in establishing the Methodist Church in the area.
John was born in West Newton on October 29, 1819, and came to McKeesport with his father in 1840. He engaged the coal mining business until 1868, when he sold off his holdings, and established the Pittsburgh Coke, Coal, and Gas Co. in Connellsville. He was President of the Coal Exchange from 1860 - 1870, and later was named to the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce. He worked to improve the rivers, was an early abolitionist, and leader of the Republican Party. He was named Collector of the Port in 1881 by President Cleveland, and continued that post by acclamation under President Harrison.. In 1886 he was induced to go to the Legislature from Beaver County. There, he introduced a prohibition bill, and nominated M.S. Quay for the Senate. Mr. Dravo was a stockholder, director and trustee of many successful companies in the area.
In 1842, he married Eliza Jane Clark, and they had ten children.
Mr. Risher had previously opened a mine known as the Amity in 1851. He leased the Amity to Daniel Bushmiller who operate it until 1859, then took it back. Mr. Risher operated both mines until his death in 1889. Upon Mr. Risher’s death his son-in-law Stephen S. Crump took over operation of the mine and was quite successful , shipping as much as 2.5 million bushels of coal a year from the Amity and Risher mines, in addition to shipping for other mines.
Mr. Crump also owned and operated a general store in Dravosburg, and when the State Bank of Dravosburg was organized in 1903, he was elected its first president. He operated the mine until 1900 when it was sold to the Monongahela River Consolidated Coal and Coke Company.
He was also Vice President of the Tradesman’s National Bank of Pittsburg, President of the Dravosburg Bridge Company, a Director of the McKeesport Title & Trust Company, Treasurer of the Richland Cemetery Company. and Trustee of the J.C. Risher estate.
There were also two saw mills in Dravosburg. One was started by William McCleary in 1865 and sold to Alva Culp in 1880. This mill stood about 300 yards south of Stone’s coal tipple, just about where Boswell Oil Co. is today. Mr. McCleary stayed on as supervisor and the mill did a thriving business. Mr. Culp also owned a boatyard but, two years after buying the mill his hand was cut off by a saw he was operating, and he lost all interest in the business. The mill was abandoned and the machinery was sold off, however, the buildings stood until they were destroyed by the flood of 1936.
The other sawmill and also a boatyard was started by J.C. Risher and stood where the Ingram Barge Co. (Ohio Barge Lines) is today. W.C. McCune purchased it in 1900 and operated it until his death in 1918. It was then bought by the Hillman Coal Co. and used as a boat landing until they moved out in 1951.
In the 1870’s a young man named W.J.E. McLain, son of state senator J.R. McLain of Washington County, came to Dravosburg to be the first principal of the Amity Academy. McLain was educated at the West Alexander Academy and Amhurst College, and taught previously at the fitting school for boys near Lebanon Church. After teaching two years at Amity, he opened a large general store, doing
business as J.R. McLain & Sons.William Richards, who emigrated from Wales and settled in Mifflin township in 1850, had nine children. Among them were George Washington Richards, born in 1868, and Harry E. Richards, born in 1865. G.W. clerked at the above mentioned McLain store from 1883 until 1892 when he went to the Pittsburgh College of Pharmacy and became a druggist. He then went to work in the McLain store in Duquesne and, in 1893, became a partner. The business was later named McLain & Richards. Harry E. went into the grocery business, and in 1905 built a three-story brick building on lower McClure Street intended to be a hotel with three businesses on the ground floor. The hotel was opened in 1907 and the building still housed several popular businesses until it burned down in 1961. When I was a child, Harry’s son, Howard, lived across the street from us and was still running the hotel.
SCHOOLS & CHURCHES:
(The following is just a brief outline of the history of our churches and schools. I hope some of you readers will be able to supply more complete histories of your churches so we can include them under the “Church History” link. If you would like to contribute, please contact me at the link on the menu page.)
In 1850, a small, one-room school was built at the foot of McClure Street and William Hull taught there as long as the school survived. In 1855, a two room addition was built alongside, and Robert L. Riggs taught in the upstairs room, while Miss Lizzie Corey, who later became Mrs. William Whitaker, taught downstairs.
Another one-room school stood at the mouth of Martin’s Hollow near the German Lutheran Church. That school had to be moved when the railroad came through in 1873.
[The history I have states that the Amity Academy was established in 1896, on Washington Avenue. However, the History of Allegheny County, A. Warner & Co, 1889, says that W.J.E. McLain came to teach there in the 1870’s. Again, perhaps one of you can supply further information.]
A frame school building was built in 1891 at the corner of Third Street and Sherman Avenue and it was destroyed by fire in 1905. Classes were held in the Richards building and the German Lutheran Church until a new brick building was completed in 1906. Virtually everyone who grew up in Dravosburg, unless they attended parochial school, attended Third Street School. More information on the school will be added in the “School Records” link in the future.
Churches have always been an important part of the community life in Dravosburg. The German Lutheran Church was probably the first organized church in town. It was located at the mouth of Martin’s Hollow, just below North Hill. There was also a burial ground on the hill above the church. More information on this will appear under the “Church Records” link.
In the 1850’s the Union Sunday School was organized. In 1860, S.S. Crump took charge of the school for two years, and by 1866, Levi Risher had re-organized it into what became the Presbyterian Church. When Mr. Risher left in 1869, the pastors of First Presbyterian Church in McKeesport and Lebanon Church carried on the work. In 1870, Mr. & Mrs. J.C. Risher built the first Presbyterian Church building on Washington Avenue, and it was named Amity Presbyterian Church. The Risher’s son, Levi, returned in 1877 as regular pastor. In 1902 a parsonage was built at the corner of Mound Avenue and Raymond Street, and subsequently lots were purchased for a new church on Euclid Avenue. Work started on the new church in 1924, and it still stands today.
The Methodist Evangelical Church was organized October 31, 1889. Reverand Marshall B. Lytle held services in the German Lutheran Church on Fifth Street until the summer of 1900. In the mean time a tabernacle was built at the corner of Third Street and Euclid Avenue. This later became the home of James Cothery, Sr. The church building was built across the street, completed in 1902, and dedicated by Bishop J.W. Hamilton of Pittsburgh.
On October 6, 1901, the sunday school of the First Christian Church met and organized in the public school building with the Reverend J. A. Joyce presiding. A new church was built on the corner of Duquesne Avenue and Raymond Street on a site which was donated by S.S. Crump. The first service was held on January 18, 1902.
TRANSPORTATION:
From the late eighteenth century, private boats, rafts, and barges ran from above Brownsville to Pittsburgh and beyond. By the mid nineteenth century there was regular commercial service to just about all points on the Monongahela. In 1862 a boat called the Reece was making scheduled trips from Elizabeth to Pittsburgh, stopping in Dravosburg. The fare to Pittsburgh was one dollar.
Some of the early ferry boats to McKeesport were the J.C. Gumbert, the H.B. Sinclair and the Tillie.
On April 22, 1873, the Pittsburgh, Virginia and Charleston Railroad opened service from Homestead to Dravosburg. They had previously completed the line from Pittsburgh to Homestead. Later in 1873 the line was extended to Monongahela City, and the next year to Brownsville. The PV&C was a branch of the great Pennsylvania Railroad system, and helped to connect Dravosburg to the nation.
At this time, what we now know as the tenth ward of McKeesport was the Borough of Reynoldton, but as close as it was to Dravosburg, the only way to get there or to McKeesport was by ferry boat. In 1884 the McKeesport -Reynoldton bridge was completed, connecting Third Avenue in McKeesport with Reynoldton; and in 1891 a company headed by S.S. Crump and John M. Risher built the Dravosburg bridge from the foot of McClure Street to Reynoldton at a cost of $110,000 .
In 1892, the McKeesport and Reynoldton Passenger Railway Company electrified its horsecars and Dravosburgers could now travel from the foot of McClure Street to McKeesport on these modern cars.
In 1895, the company that later became Pittsburgh Railways extended its line from Hays to Dravosburg, terminating about where the borough building is today. Passengers could now take the streetcar from McKeesport and points beyond to the foot of McClure Street in Dravosburg, walk up the public steps to Maple Avenue, and board a car for Pittsburgh. This inconvenience was soon remedied by the building of the viaduct connecting the two lines in 1897. An amusing coincidence is that the wood used in building the viaduct was cut in a Lincoln Place sawmill owned by a Mr. Trestle.
Another street railway served Dravosburg from Duquesne. One source says it opened on September 16, 1910, and another says that it operated from 1908- 1928. In either case, it never enjoyed the success that Pittsburgh Railways did, and one source says that its lone car was destroyed by a collision with a PRR freight train. Transportation to Duquesne was taken over by Duquesne Motor Coach bus company in 1927.
BECOMING A BOROUGH:
By the turn of the twentieth century, Dravosburg was connected to the rest of the country by river, railroad, and streetcar. The mines and coke ovens were thriving, and boatbuilding and repair flourished along the river. Even though the area had been known as Dravosburg since the late nineteenth century, it was still officially part of Mifflin Township.
On March 31, 1903, Dravosburg was officially incorporated as a borough. Election was held on May 6th, and the following people were elected our first leaders:
The first council meeting was held at the Risher Real Estate Office on MayStephen S. Crump - Burgess
W.C. McCune - President of Council
J.D. Myers Councilman
E.E. Chester “
Charles Corey “
C.N. Stoops “
John Ord “
* Harvey Berger “Dr. A.H. Aber Schoolboard
Dr. F.F. Sumney “
Charles Downey “
John Kerr “
G.L. Applegate “
* Mr. Berger died two days after the first meeting.
11th, 1903. After organizing, the first order of business was to hire a policeman, buy a revolver, a mace, and two pairs of handcuffs. It was further ordered that a police station and jail be built on a site just across the railroad tracks from the depot, and that building was completed on June 7th, 1904.