Ligonier Valley Rail Road Newspaper Articles
We have compiled over 1,400 newspaper articles that mention the Ligonier Valley Railroad, or related subjects. The articles were originally published starting in 1873 and our collection runs through 1995. Enjoy!
Ligonier Echo
Wednesday, July 20, 1904
Colonial Coal Company Organized
Seger Coal & Coke Company And Glen Easton Merged
Segers Interested As Heretofore Excellent Holdings In Ligonier Valley And In West Virginia Mines In Ligonier Valley Being Opened And Tipple Erected
Westmoreland Central Railroad To Be Built In Near Future To Connect With Pennsylvania Railroad New Officers Of Colonial Company Elected Last
Thursday At Pittsburgh
One of the most important consolidations of coal interests this year was unanimously voted for by the stock holders of the Seger Coal & Coke Company Thursday afternoon in Pittsburgh. Upon the face is simply meant the change of the name of the company to the Colonial Coal & Coke Company. This change of name was first proposed by the Seger Bros. and was made entirely by the Seger's consent. The reason for change of name of
corporation was that the company has become quite extensive and the present name is more comprehensive and not confined to a locality and family name. The Seger Bros. are holding the same interest in the company that they did before change of name. The real issue at stake, however, was the merger of the Seger Coal & Coke Company and the Glen Easton Coal Company and the operation of the extensive properties of both of these companies by one organization. The Glen Easton's holding are near Moundsville, W.Va., on the B & O line and Ohio river frontage. The announcement made in connection with this merger was that the stock issue of the Glen Easton Coal Company had been secured by the old Seger Coal & Coke Company interests some time since, and it was decided to merge the interests of the two companies for greater economy in operating expenses. The new company will by this merger become the operator of some of the larger and more modern coal mines that come within what is termed the Westmoreland district.
The Seger mines in the vicinity of Ligonier are being opened up and prepared for operation and the plans have been made for the opening of several other mines on the property owned by the company in the near future. These will be located along the line of the new Westmoreland Central railroad, which is now under construction and which is being financed by the Colonial Coal & Coke interests. This line will extend from Ligonier to Bolivar or New Florence, where a connection will be made with the main line of the Pennsylvania railroad at the point, giving the company an outlet for Eastern
shipments. The company's general offices will remain in Pittsburgh in the Keystone bank building.
With the reorganization, officers had to be elected, and those chosen were: President, Samuel Garrison; vice president, W. E. McMillan; treasurer, John Seger; secretary, A. H. Schowe; general manager, W. C. Cronkright; chairman of the board, A. Rasner. The first five officers, together with Charles Reif, Lewis Knaube and Thomas Reynolds form the board of directors of the company. The company has strong financial backing and is
rapidly making its way among the leading coal producing corporations of Western
Pennsylvania.
A delegation of the Westmoreland Central Railroad recently met a number of the farmers at Liberty Hall in Fairfield township in consultation in reference especially to securing rights of way down the valley to the P.R.R. line. The meeting was well attended by the farmers of that section who are deeply interested in having this road extend through Ligonier valley, thus affording an outlet to West Fairfield, Ft. Palmer district and
other villages and penetrate the Pittsburgh and Freeport coal fields and some of the best timber lands of Ligonier valley, besides stone and other products. Many of the farmers have offered free right of way through their farms while a number of rights of way have been secured.
Work preparatory to building the tipple about four miles north of Ligonier is progressing and the contract for the erection of the tipple has just been let and the contractor expects to commence work at once.
This will be one of the big enterprises of the valley and will assure the development of industries that are destined to cause the town and valley to become an active business center. Seger Bros. deserve much praise for the energy and business tact displayed in interesting other capitalists in our section. We have the material which if properly developed will decidedly increase the wealth of this community and its importance as a
business center.