Surnames: Snowdon, Smith, Jacobs, Roberts
Captain John Snowdon, deceased. John Snowdon came to Brownsville, Fayette county, Penna, in 1818 from Yorkshire, England. He was a blacksmith by trade and about all he possessed was a wife and two children. His household furniture was scanty as we find in a sketch published of him in the Brownsville CLIPPER of July 24, 1867, his bed was the bare floor, his chair a block of wood and his table a store box.He commenced work as a journeyman in the shop of John Weaver at one dollar a day and was the first man who received so large an amount for wages as a blacksmith at Brownsville. His first work outside of the regular line in the shop was to make an English oven or stove fro Mr George Hogg. After that he made several more, which were probably the actual introduction of the use of the stove into this section of the country.
Mr Hogg asked him why he did not start a shop of his own, the reply was that he had not the means. Mr Hogg furnished him with all of the necessaries of the trade for starting a small shop on Market street. He showed superiority in his work and added to his "shop" different departments of work, until he became proprietor of the foundry, machine and other works.
The "shop" was the nucleus around which was built a machine shop, then a foundry and pattern shop. At these works the engines were built for the steamer Monongahela in 1827. In 1831 he built larger shops and in them were built the engines of the iron clads Manayunk and Umpqua.
This plant stood where the rolling mill now stands and was destroyed by fire September, 1853. In 1853 - 1854 he built the present "shops." In 1853 he built the rolling mill and operated it individually for some time and later in connection with his sons under the firm name of John Snowdon & Sons.
The following from a sketch of the life of Captain John Snowdon, published in the Brownsville CLIPPER of July 24, 1867, gives a epitome of the works of the man:
" He established as we at present see them, a foundry, machine and pattern shops of an aggregate length of 685 feet and in which have been employed on an average for the last five years nearly 200 hands; he has built steamboats or the iron portion of them for the States of Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Texas, Michigan, California and other States to the number of almost 300. Having himself established the business in this place, and he built one of the first two boats that ever navigated the
Monongahela river, also boats for government to run on the Rio Grande during the Mexican War as well as gunboats for the government during the late War of the Rebellion at a contract price of $1,500,000 besides building an iron steamboat for a private party during the same time that the two government boats were in progress.He built the first boat that ever ran on the Sacramento river and the iron bridge across the creek between Brownsville and Bridgeport, more than forty years ago built by him which is still standing as firm and substantial as ever and as a specimen of bridge architecture is embraced in the list of studies on engineering at West Point Military Academy. This is supposed to have been the first iron bridge built in America. He made the iron mileposts for the National Pike."
From the same paper we also clip the following with reference to his losses in business:
"He lost by the bankrupt law of 1841 more than $40,000. In 1853 his whole establishment including machinery, patterns, etc, amounting to upwards of $80,000 was destroyed by fire upon which there were only $5,000 insurance. He lost by the failure of the Southern contractors in consequence of the rebellion some $25,000 and these several sums no means cover all the losses he has sustained since the day he sat upon a wooden block and took his meals from the cover of a store box.In 1852 he took a trip to England, visiting the World's Fair, was presented to Queen Victoria by the Hon James Buchanan, then minister plenipotentiary to the Court of St James and afterward president of the United States.
In 1860 he took another trip to England, visiting his old home, his relatives and friends. He went as a passenger on the steamship Great Eastern on her first trip across the ocean. Upon his return home to
Brownsville he was received by the citizens with the ringing of bells and the firing of guns. This in passing will give the esteem in which he was held by his fellow citizens of his adopted country and especially so by his friends and employees.Captain John Snowdon was born at Martin, near Scarborough, Yorkshire, England, March 22, 1796. His early education was of a limited character; his trade was learned in England and he was married there. In 1818 he migrated to the United States and the remainder of his life and history
belong to this country. His life and character was that of an upright man, full of kindness to his fellow men and bestowed much money in assisting the poor, helping the laboring man, and often carrying men on his payroll who were not needed in his works. He bestowed aid upon widows and orphans of his former employees.As a citizen he stood high in the estimation of all of the community in which he lifed. As an employer he was generous and just, gentle and careful of the feelings and condition of his men. Having gone through the path of the laboring man himself, he could sympathize with him. He appreciated the duty he owed to his men as fully as that which they owed to him.
The result of this was that he had the full affection and respect of his men. As an instance of this we cite the presentation of a very fine cane to him by the employees of Snowdon's foundry and machine shops, which took place on Saturday, July 13, 1867. The whole affair was gotten up by the men, and Captain Snowdon was not aware of the cause for which he had been called to the foundry till John L Snowdon presented him a beautiful ebony stick heavily mounted with gold and bearing the inscription:
"Presented to John Snowdon by his employees, July, 1867."
Captain Snowdon was an F and A M for many years before he died. He was married in 1816 to Miss Mary Smith. They had the following children: Ann Snowdon, wife of Adam Jacobs of Brownsville; Elizabeth Snowdon, wife of Walter Smith of Cincinnati, Ohio; Samuel S Snowdon, of St Louis, Missouri; I W Snowdon of Brownsville; and Sarah M Snowdon, wife of I H Roberts of Allegheny, Penna.
Captain Snowdon did more than to build up the business and wealth and to advance the interests of Brownsville during the fifty seven years of his residence there than any other man who ever lived in the town. Captain Snowdon died at Brownsville on the 25th of January, 1875, universally mourned by all. His wife also died at Brownsville.