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Page 97
JOHN RUMBARGER
CHAPTER XIX
JOHN RUMBARGER was born in Warriors Mark, Huntingdon
County, Pennsylvania on the 25th day of May 1811. He was named after
his father and was one of a family of 10 children. Mr Rumbarger was
married in 1834 to Elizabeth Leathers, who died several years after,
and in 1845 he again married Elizabeth Erhart. There seems to be no
previous history of Mr. Rumbarger other than above narrated. He left
his native county of Huntingdon in 1850, settling at Kittanning,
Pennsylvania. He entered into the lumber business and from time to
time advanced up the Allegheny River, finally getting as far north
as Brookville. While living at Brookville he purchased the Heberling
farm in 1865, moving into the old homestead that had been built of
hewed logs, which residence is still standing.
At the time Mr. Rumbarger purchased his lands from
David Heberling it is doubtful if he had any conception of the
future of the territory into which he moved. At that time he was
engaged in cutting lumber for Alfred Bell, who later became the
promoter of the mining firm of Bell, Lewis & Yates.
At the time Mr. Rumbarger located on the Heberling
property his nearest Post Office was Jefferson Line, which Post
Office had been established by the Government on the 3 1st of March
1854, and of which office William Chamberlain was the first
Postmaster. The other Post Office was at Luthersburg, six miles
away.
At that time the people along the pike looked upon Mr.
Rumbarger 's location as being "backwoodsy". There was scarcely any
settlement east of DuBois until one got into the Penfield Valley
about Penfield and very little settlement west until Reynoldsville
was reached.
After the Low Grade Railroad began building, in 1870 to
1871, John DuBois came in and located a site for his mills.
On the 11th of July 1872 Mr. Rumbarger secured the
services of George C. Kirk, of Luthersburg, to lay out town lots on
his farm.
On the 19th of August, the same year, Mr. Kirk
relocated his plan of lots. This plan of lots seemed to commence
west of Main Street, probably as far up as State Street, and as far
south as the first alley parallel with Long Avenue, extending north
to the creek and as far east as Franklin Street.
Mr Rumbarger immediately advertised these lots for sale
in the Clearfield and Brookville papers. He named his town "Rumbarger"
and the following is a copy of an advertisement of July 17, 1872 :—
"One hundred lots for sale in the town of Rumbarger, in
Brady Township, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.
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