 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Colonel John Holker was a silent partner of John Turnbull and Marmie. It is supposed that Mr. Turnbull became financially involved and on the 1Oth of Feb. 1797, he and Marmie conveyed to John Holker "all that message, forge, furnace, and tract of land called "'Rockbury" and other tracts," etc., for 2000 pounds. Colonel Holker was a French Naval Officer during the Revolutionary War and the histories say he resided in Philadelphia, but the writer examined one of the deeds that Mr. Turnbull and Mr. Marmie gave him and it is marked "And John Holker of Frederick Co., in the state of Virginia, of the other part." A Mr. Stingicum managed the furnace for Holker until 1802 when its fires went out forever. In 1807 the Alliance Furnace and property was offered for sale, but it seems no purchaser was found. In 1821, Col. Holker conveyed the lands to Paca Smith, in trust to give over to Henry Schweitzer and in 1822, Smith conveyed by deed, the property to Henry Schweitzer and Jacob Bowman. The Jacobs Creek Oil Company afterwards purchased the greater part of these lands and are the present owners. The Alliance Furnace has stood amid the hills of Jacobs Creek for 140 years. It played an important part in the settlement of that region and helped to lay the foundation for the great iron industry of Western Pennsylvania. The fact that it is the oldest iron works West of the Allegheny Mountains and that it has entered into the early history of Pennsylvania and the west, should be cause enough for its preservation. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has a commission appointed for the preservation of historic sites. Is not this old furnace worthy of its care and protection? NOTE: Though Mr. Medsger has proved beyond a doubt that Marmic died a natural death, and that the legend of his committing suicide by jumping into the furnace after having driven into it his pack of hunting dogs, is only a myth, yet to make the story complete of any old fairy tale of romance, some ledging of witches and goblins that hold midnight revel much as they did in "Alloways"' old haunted Kirk that Burns pictures so graphically in "Tam '0 Banter"'. Associated with the folk lore of this place, we have the story as related by ancient dames of how they had heard the bugle notes of Marmie's hunting horn by which he cheered his pack of hounds as they went madly galloping among these hills on dark and stormy nights. Or howl belated horsemen in passing these ruins in the small dreamy |
|||
|
|
Site design, concept, and non-submitted information copyright 2001 - 2006 southhuntingdon.com. southhuntingdon.com is a non-profit site.
Please read the Terms and Conditions. |
||||