Company Town Housing

Company housing from the HABS survey, the brick companies didn't just employ workers, they housed them. Entire neighborhoods were built and owned by the plant. Families lived in company houses, shopped at company stores, and depended on the company whistle.

From the record

Passages about this subject, quoted from county histories now in the public domain. Each one names the book and the position in the text so it can be checked. Spelling is as printed.

Spruce creek rises in this township and flows almost the entire length of it, emptying into the Little Juniata. The water power of this stream was utilized as early as 1785 to run what was long known as the old Bebault mill. Many years later W. D. & J. D. Isett established the Stockdale Woolen Mills at the mouth of the stream and about a mile farther up J. Q. Adams started an ax factory. Franklinville and Graysville are the principal villages. Henderson township, established in November, 1814, was formed from part of ol0 Huntingdon township, which was one of the six in existence when the county was erected. It was named for General Andrew Henderson, a Revolutionary soldier, the first register and recorder and the second prothonotary of the county. The original area of Henderson township has been greatly reduced by the erection of Brady, in 1846, and of Oneida in 1856. It is bounded on the northwest by Oneida township; on the northeast by Barree; on the east by Brady; extends southwest to the Juniata river, and adjoins the borough of Huntingdon. Among the early settlers was John Fee, who served in Captain Blair's company that was organized during the Revolution to drive out the Tories.John W. Jordan, ed., History of the Juniata Valley and Its People (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing, 1913) · character 186,600 of the scanned text

The making of that chosen treasurer. In 1821 these gentlemen were reelected. The friends of the improvement persevered, and ultimately succeeded in opening the entire line of road from Huntingdon to Blairsville, a distance of seventy-seven miles, A considerable length of the line passed through a rugged and sparsely-settled region, unable to contribute any substantial aid, many of the subscribers were tardy in paying installments on their subscriptions, and the managers felt compelled to resort to the issue of "scrip" to meet accruing debts for work performed. The above is a fac-simile of one of the "shinplasters" put out by the company. At the elections of 1824, 1825, and 1826, John Blair was continued as president, and J. George Mytinger, treasurer. For the last-named year the board of managers consisted of John Patton, Joseph Patton, John CANAL, RAILROADS. 33 Stewart, Maxwell Kinkead, Thomas Jackson, John Cresswell, John Lyon, William R. Smith, Silas Moore, Moses Canan, George Mulhollan, Jr., and James Elliott. THE Lewistown AND HUNTINGDON TURNPIKE RoaD ComMrANY was organized and incorporated under the act of March 4, 1807, and constructed the road between those two boroughs.J. Simpson Africa, History of Huntingdon and Blair Counties, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts, 1883) · character 234,605 of the scanned text

II. sent, at his own expense, in two ships, a company of Huguenots to South Carolina, in order that they might thre cultivate ^he vine, &c. In 1690, William III. sent a large colony of them to Virginia, in addition to which, that colony received three hundred families in 1699. Before 1720, settlements had been extended northward, beyond the Chickasalunga creek. Donegal township, Lauacster county, which was organized in 1722, had been principally settled by Irish, or Scotch immigrants. Settlements were now made^ northward, and along the Susquehanna river. John Harris, a native of Yorkshire, England, had made an attempt, prior to 1725, to settle near ^ the mouth of Conoy creek, not far from the present site of Bainbridge ; but it seems he preferred to settle higher up the Susquehanna, near an Indian village called Peixtan, at or near the present site of Harrisbujg. Harris was in a few years followed by others, principally emigrants direct from the north of Ireland, and some from Donegal township. At this time settlements were also made on the west side of the Susquehanna, within the present limits of York county, by Germans; and some English, intruders from Maryland, and some Irish on Marsh creek. Samuel Blunston, agent for the proprietors, had received a commission dated January 11, 1733-34.I. Daniel Rupp, History and Topography of Northumberland, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Centre, Union, Columbia, Juniata and Clinton Counties (Lancaster, 1847) · character 91,168 of the scanned text

Checked 2026-07-16 · Historic Mount Union collection

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