PRINTER'S NO. 3686
No. 334 Session of 1992
INTRODUCED BY ANDERSON, VAN HORNE, FARMER AND DERMODY,
JUNE 1, 1992
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, JUNE 1, 1992
A RESOLUTION
1 Honoring the Borough of Tarentum on its Sesquicentennial.
2 WHEREAS, The territory where Tarentum exists was once
3 occupied by the Delaware Tribe of Indians and the Shawnee Tribe;
4 and
5 WHEREAS, In 1793, a blockhouse was built at the mouth of Bull
6 Creek where numerous battles, led by Robert Orr, were fought
7 with Indians; and
8 WHEREAS, In 1796, Felix Negley settled on 202 acres of land
9 in what is now West Tarentum; and
10 WHEREAS, In 1826, additional land was obtained from Judge
11 Brackenridge who supervised the creation of the street plan of
12 this section of Tarentum; and
13 WHEREAS, Since the completion of the Pittsburgh-Philadelphia
14 Canal in 1928, Tarentum has played a strategic role in regional
15 transportation networks, including waterways, railroads and
16 highways; and
17 WHEREAS, Tarentum became the third incorporated borough in
1 Allegheny County on March 7, 1842, with a population of
2 approximately 300 people; and
3 WHEREAS, Tarentum's land was rich in minerals providing for
4 its development through the salt, glass and coal industries; and
5 WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company evolved
6 here out of the numerous salt wells in the area; and
7 WHEREAS, In 1883, the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, located
8 in Tarentum, manufactured the first successful plate glass in
9 the United States; and
10 WHEREAS, The Valley Daily News was founded in 1904 to inform
11 the local citizenry and is now known as the Valley News
12 Dispatch; and
13 WHEREAS, Tarentum was home to political leaders such as Judge
14 Samuel Gardner (County Court), Judge Nelson McVicar (United
15 States District Federal Court), State Representative Kenneth L.
16 Leydic, State Representative George Stuart, State Representative
17 William E. Brown and Senator John M. Walker; and
18 WHEREAS, Such community leaders as A.N. Marvin, W.N. Marvin,
19 Oliver C. Camp, Shields Stockdale, John Crawford, C.L. Leydic,
20 J.A. Baechtel, R.F. Pitcairn and Frank Irvine played an
21 instrumental role in assisting Tarentum to forge ahead in
22 finance; and
23 WHEREAS, In the fields of art, music and theater, Tarentum
24 has contributed Bernard W. Shaffer, Don Nesteruk, Mrs. Thomas
25 Kimes, Elba Schmitt Salsgiver, Margie Mapel, Russell E. Smith,
26 Ronald Betush, William T. Larkin, Bob Moorehead, Helen Sefton,
27 Charles Schmitt, George Voight and Evelyn Nesbit Thaw; and
28 WHEREAS, Tarentum was the home of sports personalities such
29 as William Galbraith, Kenneth Leydic, Raymond Kennerdell,
30 William F. Schwartz, Dan Friel, Jack Onslow and Albert "Rosey"
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1 Rosewell; and
2 WHEREAS, Tarentum has continued to grow and prosper to become
3 a vital business district and an outstanding family community in
4 this Commonwealth; therefore be it
5 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor the Borough
6 of Tarentum on its 150th Anniversary.
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