|
Page 106 HENRY SHAFFER
On the 26th of March 1872, Mr. Shaffer sold to
Josephine Whitmer 3 acres of land on the south side of West Long
Avenue, abutting the John Rumbarger east line and fronting on the
public road. On the 6th of March 1873, Mr. Shaffer sold to J. J.
Overdorf, I acre and 135 perches; to J. A. Terpe, 4 acres; to H. M
Steele, I acre; and to Stewart Askey, 1 acre, or more. All of these
pieces of land were on the south side of the public road. These
surveys extending east disposed of all of Mr. Shaffer's lands on
East and West Long Avenue from Rumbarger's line to the Baptist
Manse. These several pieces of land extended some distance south
without streets or alleys. On the 31st of July 1873, Mr. Shaffer
commenced to convey his lands on the east side of what is now North
Brady Street, known at the time as the Shaffer and DuBois land.
These surveys are taken from the notebook of Mr. Kirk,
and the first survey was made for H. M. Harbaugh, the second for
Mitchell Askey, the third for W. A. Kearney, the fourth for R. H.
Bloom. These several surveys reached to the line of John DuBois on
the north, and conveyed all the land fronting on North Brady Street
and from East Long Avenue north to the John DuBois line. Later Mr.
Shaffer conveyed a small piece of land to William Hoover, just east
of the Mitchell Askey land.
Mr. Shaffer's grantees did not know any more about a
town than he did. However, these parties commenced to make
subdivisions, and South Brady Street is on the line between J. A.
Terpe and J. J. Overdurf. These two parties laid out a street 24
feet wide. Mr. Terpe surveyed what was later known as Spruce Alley,
16 feet wide, and what is now East Washington Avenue from South
Brady Street, was an alley 16 feet wide south as far as the Long
addition.
What is known as Spruce Alley had four different
widths, part of it was 20 feet, part 16 feet, part 14 feet and part
12 feet, as to the thought of the person who owned it.
The land on North Brady Street was not subdivided, but
in turn was sold in chunks as a purchaser might require.
By 1875 Mr. Shaffer must have become tired of selling
his land in blocks. At that time J. E. Long, of Brookville,
purchased the remainder of it, consisting of about 50 acres, for
$5,000.00, which he laid out in what was afterwards called the "Long
Addition", and the streets and alleys follow that plan.
Mr. Shaffer went over the hill and bought the land
belonging to his brother, George Shaffer III. On this land he
erected a farm house and farm barn about as far off the highway as
he could get them, in what is now known as the "Tozier Addition". It
was not long until he was again annoyed by people wanting to buy his
land. He sold a block to George Schwem, a piece to Jack Foster for a
brick yard, and a piece of land to Nick Stone. He also had sold a
part of his older holdings to Annie Evans, and Annie Evans with what
she bought from John Rumbarger laid out what is now called the
"Evans Ad-
|
