What was Monongahela like when the first Anglican services were held here in 1860?
The city was founded as Parkinson's Ferry in 1769 and was originally situated primarily around the mouth of Pigeon Creek. By 1860, however, the town had been incorporated, changed its name to Monongahela City, and was spreading northward along the river.
A bustling river town, Monongahela City had a population of 999 according to the Census of 1860. At the time there were in town five dry goods stores, six grocery stores, two clothing stores, two shoe stores, two drug stores, two millinery shops and five or six other commercial establishments. There was a bank, Alexander & Co., and two newspapers. Industry in town included two paper mills, a planing mill, a boat building yard, a foundry, a flour mill and a coal car factory. The public school had six teachers and served three hundred fifty students.
When Anglicans first gathered here there were already five other Christian bodies worshiping in town. Two Presbyterian groups, along with the Methodist and African Methodist Episcopal churches were already well established. The Baptist Church first met in February of 1860. Four of those churches still exist.
In 1860, the shoe store pictured here, stood at about where St. Paul's church stands today.
The city was founded as Parkinson's Ferry in 1769 and was originally situated primarily around the mouth of Pigeon Creek. By 1860, however, the town had been incorporated, changed its name to Monongahela City, and was spreading northward along the river.
A bustling river town, Monongahela City had a population of 999 according to the Census of 1860. At the time there were in town five dry goods stores, six grocery stores, two clothing stores, two shoe stores, two drug stores, two millinery shops and five or six other commercial establishments. There was a bank, Alexander & Co., and two newspapers. Industry in town included two paper mills, a planing mill, a boat building yard, a foundry, a flour mill and a coal car factory. The public school had six teachers and served three hundred fifty students.
When Anglicans first gathered here there were already five other Christian bodies worshiping in town. Two Presbyterian groups, along with the Methodist and African Methodist Episcopal churches were already well established. The Baptist Church first met in February of 1860. Four of those churches still exist.
In 1860, the shoe store pictured here, stood at about where St. Paul's church stands today.
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