Beaver Falls

By Kenneth Britten and Beaver Falls Historical Society

During Beaver Falls' first 150 years, residents of the town built it into a self-supporting community committed to family values.

Initially known as Brighton before its incorporation, after it became Beaver Falls, the town saw extensive industrial development, and the city was described as "one of the most well-established manufacturing towns in western Pennsylvania." Carefully preserved images from the Beaver Falls Historical Society are combined with revealing and informative text, and this fascinating history includes some of the homes and businesses of early Beaver Falls families, as well as the railroad, canal, and river that connected the town to the rest of the state. Newly discovered images and sources of the community's history make this book a rare and timeless keepsake.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Jul 28, 2000
• ISBN: 9781439610510

Kenneth Britten

In 1945, several residents formed the Beaver Falls Historical Society. Fifty-five years later, another group of Beaver Falls residents has come together in the same spirit of preservation to compile an unprecedented pictorial history that chronicles the unique story of Beaver Falls and its people. Released just in time for the 200th Anniversary celebrations, Beaver Falls is a fitting tribute to a cherished community.

Book preview

Museum.

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to what we hope is an entertaining and informative look at Beaver Falls from its earliest days to the end of the millennium. In March 1999, the Beaver Falls Historical Society decided to produce a book about Beaver Falls that would help mark the end of the century and help celebrate the 200th anniversary of Beaver County. A nine-member committee was formed to determine the book’s direction and to review photographic material and historical records upon which the book would be based. The majority of the photographs seen here have never been published in any other books about the area. A special effort was made to utilize only material about the city of Beaver Falls and to exclude material from neighboring communities.

Some members of our committee felt that we should begin this book with an overview of the town’s early history. Thus, the first chapter in the book is entitled Early History, and the first picture is the oldest known structure, the Black Horse Tavern, built c. 1804. Even earlier than that, however, Gen. Daniel Brodhead on April 3, 1792, purchased the original tract of land on which the city later stood, and in 1806 the plan for the town was laid out. The town was originally named Brighton, then Old Brighton, and finally Beaver Falls because of the community’s proximity to natural falls in the Beaver River, which runs along the town’s eastern edge. On September 14, 1849, the Christian communal group from Germany known as the Harmony Society purchased the site and augmented it with additional acreage. This is when the city took on the size, shape, and layout that we are familiar with today. Incorporation was accomplished on November 8, 1868, and third-class city status followed on January 1, 1930.

Over time, we have seen older structures in our community being replaced by newer ones. The second chapter, Something Old, Something New, is a compilation of before and after pictures that show the way things used to be and the way they are now. It is funny to consider how easily we can say goodbye to the past in favor of something new, only to find that after a while we begin to look back on the past with fondness.

Since the beginning of our recorded history, churches have been a strong factor in our development as a community. A chapter entitled Churches recognizes denominations from past and present, spotlighting several churches that represent local denominations. Beaver Falls was a melting pot of diverse nationalities, and our churches have helped teach us to work with our neighbors and to serve the community.

Schools have also played an important part in shaping our community. The chapter entitled Schools is a tribute to these institutions, which have served as the training grounds for our community and its leaders. Schools will always hold a special place in the hearts and minds of former students. Beaver Falls is also proud to be the home of a fine four-year institution of higher learning, Geneva College.

As a society, we are fascinated by cars and by transportation. In the chapter entitled Transportation, we look at the various modes of transportation that we have seen in Beaver Falls over the years, from trains and trolleys to automobiles and buses.

For a city of its size, Beaver Falls was graced with an extremely large number of clubs and organizations. The chapter entitled Clubs and Organizations catalogs some of the many clubs that have served our community. A community’s clubs and organizations are a reflection of the variety in the population, and we have surely been blessed with great ethnic diversity.

Following the chapter on clubs and organizations, we have included a chapter entitled Faces, which is composed of the images of individuals. Our most important resource is our people, and faces reflect our heart and soul. Along with our local personalities, we have included the face of Pres. Jimmy Carter, one of several presidents (including Pres. James Garfield, Zachary Taylor, Woodrow Wilson, William Taft, Herbert Hoover, and John F. Kennedy) whom we have hosted over the years.

Two chapters, entitled Merchants and Industrial Heritage, respectively, open a window to the local economy of days gone by. At times, Beaver Falls merchants and industries were unmatched in the state, and a roll call may have read like a Who’s Who of the day. In 1902, Beaver Falls had 88 industries, and a sign at the entrance to town declared it the Biggest Little City in the USA. Times have changed, however, and less than half that number of industries exist today.

Our final chapter, entitled Yesteryear around Town, is an extremely interesting collection of sights from yesteryear. These include street scenes and neighborhoods, hotels, and even a men’s haberdashery.

Each of these pictures is surely worth more than a thousand words; we hope you enjoy the story they tell.

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EARLY HISTORY