Youngsville History Compiled by Mr. Richard Young

 

1809 – First preaching in Youngsville by Rev. William McConnelly

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1812 – 12 men from Youngsville join the Army

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1813 – The Methodists Church started with 11 members

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1813 – Methodist Esp Church building built

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1816 – First store opened Henry Kinnear

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1819 – First Post Office opened with Henry Kinnear Postmaster

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1825 – Mathew Young died

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1826 – Dr. James A. Alexander started a practice in Youngsville

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1849 – Youngsville Incorporated as a town

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1849 – The Youngsville Citizen Paper

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1849 – Youngsville Express Newspaper started

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1850 – First Council meeting was held February 15, 1850 with Archibold Alexander, Burgess and with council members William Siggins and John Hull. Such officers elected were: H. P. Kinnear, Clert; Philip Mead, Treasurer; John Siggins, Collector; Daniel Chipman and William Freese, Street Commissioners. Through the years the surnames of Kinnear, Siggins, Hull, Davis, MEad, Blodgett, Alexander, Belnap, Shortt, Day, Kay, Wade, Smith and others appear many times in the chronicle of Borough history.

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1850 – 2 regular school houses were built in Youngsville

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1851 – Hog and Swine Ordinance passed, to keep swine from running at large, $1.00 per animal fine

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1851 – Sidewalk Ordinance passed to regulate sidewalk size to 5 ft. wide and made of wood planks

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1851 – Fairmont Hotel First built

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1852 – David Hazard was Burgess, Alex Siggins, Sam Trask, W. G. Shortt and W. A. Davis were members of council. F.D. Kinnear was appointed clerk. This year saw little activity in the council for unknown reasons but they did resolve to pay the PLathmaster, which at that time numbered two, the sum of one dollar er day. Their duties were to look after the roads and other Borough property and would be similar in duties as thos today of the Borough Superintendent.

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1853 – Wm. A. Davis, Burgess; John Hull, James Davis, A. C. Blodgett and Daniel Chipman, council members. These early city fathers of that year decided that a regular rate of pay should be established for road work. To answer their needs an ordinance was passed giving the authority to the Street Commissioners to allow pay for labor on the Public Roads or Highway at the following rates: For a man or team, ten cents per hour and a wagon to be employed thereon – three cents per hour.

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The taxes along through these early years did not vary a great deal. The millage being set in March of each year and taxes required to be paid between the first of April and the first of August of each year. This tax rate usually required a 2 mill tax on the assessed valuation for Borough purposes and the Road Tax varied year to year between 8 mills and ten mills.

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It was among the many duties of the council during the early years of the Borough to look after any family or person in need. Along this line of duty the records show of several families being cared for my moving said needy families to places where they had relatives, friends or other means of maintenance. One such incident required moving a family to New York State. All such expenses were paid for by the Borough.

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1855 – Having taken care of the swine problem sometime during the first two years of conducting Borough affairs it was discovered that something had to be done about cattle roaming the Borough. In 1855 to take care of this situation an Ordinance was passed making it unlawful for any cows, calves, oxen or other horned cattle to roam at large on any of the streets, lanes or alleys of said Borough after 8 o’clock at night. Such catrtle found roaming after 8 o’clock at night were driven to the pound where they could be claimed by the owner after said owner paid to the Pound Keeper the sum of twenty-five cents per head, this money was the Keeper’s Compensation. Uponfailure of such owner to claim said cattle befor 12 o’clock of the following day, the Keeper would give notice describing the cattle and stating that if they were not claimed within ten days they would be offered for public sale.

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1855 – Rail Road Street layed out and adopted The street to run south from the ‘Siggins’s House’ to York Hill Road.

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1857 – saw the passage of an ordinance that sidewalks required to be constructed in the future must be of plank and those desiring could use brick or stone

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1860 – At the meeting held June 12, 1860, the printing bill of E. Cowan for two years printing in the sum of ten dollars was approved and ordered paid. They also agreed to pay Peter S. Wade $1 lper year for use of his home as a polling place. Thevfoting hours were from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

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1861 – Henry Rouse died. The council of 1861: Daniel Chipman, Burgess; John Hull, C. B. Davis, Charles Kinnear and G. J. Whitney, council members. This year was not too acive, sidewalks were ordered to be built and repaired. They also credited the Road Tax of Wm. Freese $5 for a saw that had be borrowed from Mr. Freese by Street Commissioner, Wm. A. Davis and had been broken.

1862 – T.S. Trask was paid $2.00/week for boarding a citizen of town that was ill and had no means of support

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1863 – Pres. Lincoln called for 1st draft of men for the Civil War, 5 Youngsville men answered the call and were paid $300

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1864 – Pres. Lincoln called for 2nd draft, Youngsville’s quota was 7 men and were paid $300

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1866 – New Bridge built across the Brokenstraw

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1867 – Internments in the old Burying Ground on West Main St. was prohibited as the new IOOF Cemetery was open on Highland Ave.

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1871 – The Union school building built

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1871 – The Roman Catholic Church built in Irvine

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1871 – Jail was built – starting of Police force

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1873 – One case of smallpox in the borough was reported

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1873 – 2 sets of 5 ladders to a 50 ft were purchased by the borough for fire protection

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1874 – Warren County News started

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1874 – There were 17 retail stores in Youngsville

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1874 – Grange Organized

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1875 – Brick Plant opens on York Hill

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1875 – Warren County Press started, ended 1879

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1875 – Youngsville Savings Bank started

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1877 – Our Youngsville Newspaper started and ended

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1877 – The Brokenstraw Valley Press starts

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1881 – Ordinance was passed charging companies hauling nitro-glycerine $50/year to pass through the town

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1882 – Agrelious Drug Store built (Jones)

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1882 – Methodist Church built a new building on East Main St.

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1883 – The bridge across the Brokenstraw was temporarily closed because of damage from high water

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1883 – Swedish Lutheran Congregation started

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1884 – The citizens paid homage to Mathew Young as his remains were taken from the old burying ground to the new IOOF Cemetery, a proper ceremony was held.

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1884 – Fire protection consisted of 12 ladders, 60 buckets were places at various locations about town

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1886 – Episcopal built precamp – 1922 sold to Free Methodist Church

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1887 – The first road scraper was purchased for $150

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1887 – A snow remover from sidewalks was started

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1887 – First graduation at Youngsville school, Miss Rose Filer

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1889 – Forest Gas Co layed pipes and connection of Natural Gas for residents

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1890 – Youngsville population about 1000

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1890 – S. U. Kinnear was paid $2.00 for fixing the town water pump

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1891 – A new biridge across the Brokenstraw, an iron bridge costing $3195 (old bridge was washed out in a flood) Two new gas lights for the ends of the bridge. These lighst only lit at night.

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1892 – July flood did considerable damage to new bridge. A bid for $2000 was received to repair bridge and put in good concition

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1893 – Free Methodist congregation formed

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1895 – The Youngsville Citizen starts

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1895 – The Free Methodists Camp meeting was held in Youngsville

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1896 – Ordinances passed closing all saloons, billard & pool rooms and other places of vice to be closed at 10 pm and closed on Sundays.

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1896 – Cattle were prohibited from grazing along the streets. Swimming and bathing in in the creek within borough limits prohibited between 6 am and 8 pm. All horses could travel at 5 mph.

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1896 – Ordinance passed to prohibit throwing snowballs, loitering or loafing on streets, shooting firearms in the borough, selling goods house-to-house and licensing concerts

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1896 – Youngsville Manufacturing burned

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1898 – New Furniture building started

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1898 – A bicycle pathway was started, the bicycle couldn’t exceed 6 mph.

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1898 – New stone crusher was purchased for the purpose of reconstructing streets with crushed stones