| Introduction | Historical Background | Chronology | Geography | Biography | Technology | Ownership and Financing | General Bibliography |
| Middle Atlantic States | Pennsylvania | Chicora |
Chicora was incorporated as the borough of Millerstown in 1855. The name of the local post office was changed from Barnhart's Mills to Chicora in 1891 and the borough name was changed to Chicora in 1959.
A water system was built in 1874 by local businessmen for fire protection. That same year Hugh McGrattan started a water company and supplied many customers. Mr. A. Sutton purchased these works around 1881 and Henry A. Leopold bought the system in 1884. He owned the system until his death in 1918, after which his sons Herbert and Edward operated the works for many years.
A fictitious name filing for the Millerstown Water Works was filed on June 38, 1937. Edward E. Leopold is listed as the water company superintendent in the 1940 U.S. Census.
The Municipal Authority of the Borough of Millerstown, County of Butler, Pennsylvania was incorporated on January 10, 1947. It is not known when the borough acquired the water system.
Water is provided by Borough of Chicora.
References
1883 History
of Butler County, Pennsylvania. With illustrations and biographical
sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers
Page 316: In 1874, after the destructive fire, the absolute
necessity of providing some adequate means of fire protection presented
itself to all, and at an informal meeting held by the business men, they
decided to raise money by subscription for the purpose of building water
works. A subscription paper was started and some $6,000 was pledged. Two
brick reservoirs, with a capacity of about 20,000 barrels, were built on
the old John Schackley farm, and, as this supply from wells dug beside
them was inadequate, water was pumped into them from Buffalo Creek and
this was used until about two years ago. Recognizing the fact that
the public would be benefited by the water works, the borough Common
Council had in the meantime assumed the indebtedness incurred by private
individuals and issued bonds to meet the obligations incurred. In the
meantime (1874), Hugh McGratton started a private enterprise by drilling a
well and putting up a tank on the property of H. L. Westermann. He also
laid water mains and supplied many private parties with water. About
two year's ago. Mr. A. Sutton purchased these water works aud now supplies
the borough with water, the other works now being abandoned. The water
works, like many other municipal enterprises, were a failure as far as
extinguishing fires were concerned, hence the destructiveness of the
fires of 1875 and 1877.
1888 "Millerstown," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 1.
1890 "Millerstown," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 2.
1891 "Millerstown," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 3.
1895 History
of Butler County, Pennsylvania, Volume I, by Robert C. Brown
Page 523: In 1874 committees on finance, streets, gas, water
and fire, police and health were appointed. I. M. LANDERS was chosen
superintendent of the water works at $1,000 per annum, and the municipal
body became for the first time really an active corporation, winding up
the year's work by an appeal to the people to help the borough
financially. The water system was the only useful improvement brought into
existence by the council of that year.
1897 "Millerstown," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 4.
1913 Water
Resources Inventory Report
Pages 1080-1081: Millerstown Borough, Butler County.
1918 Henry A. Leopold (1838-1918) grave
1918 "Chicora
Veteran of Civil War Dies," Butler Citizen, February 4,
1918, Page 1.
H.A. Leopold, Sr., Aged 80, succumbs from infirmities of old age. He
had owned an operated the Chicora water plant since 1884.
1927 History
of Butler County, Pennsylvania, Volume 2, by Chester Hale Sipe
Pages 1117-1118: E. E. Leopold is among the highly esteemed business
men and well known residents of Chicora, where he has spent practically
his ep.tire life. He was born at Mercer, Pennsylvania, December 28, 1872,
and is the son of H. A. and Catherine (Shaffer) Leopold.
H. A. Leopold, deceased, was a veteran of the Civil War. He was born in
Germany and was sixteen years old when he emigrated to the United States.
He was a soldier for eight years and sailed around the world. He then
located in Boston until the outbreak of the Civil War, when he volunteered
for service and served throughout the war period with the First
Massachusetts Cavalry. He then came to Oit Creek, Pennsylvania, and was
interested in the oil fields of western Pennsylvania until 1884, at which
time he took over management of the Chicora Water Company. He was actively
connected with this concern until his death, which occurred in 1918. His
wife, a native of Venango County, Pennsylvania, died in May, 1900. Mr. and
Mrs. Leopold had three sons: H. A., lives in Salina, Kansas ; E. E., the
subject of this sketch; and Frank, who died in 1906.
E. E. Leopold grew up at Chicora and attended the schools here. At an
early age he entered the water works and with the exception of five years,
which were spent in the oil fields of West Virginia, Mr. Leopold has
devoted his entire time to the management and operation of the Chicora
Water Company. Since 1918 he and his brother, H. A. Leopold, have had
entire management of the business.
1962 Edward Everett Leopold (1872-1962) grave
1962 Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette, November 26, 1962, Page 17.
Obituary. Edward E. Leonard, 89 former owner of the Millerstown
Water Co. and prominent Butler businessman, (Nov. 23) in his Chicora home.
© 2019 Morris A. Pierce