In the Spring of 1855, when the coal trade of Cleveland was,
comparatively, in its infancy, and before the Mahoning Railroad was built,
the late Oliver H. Perry and David W. Cross set about investigating the
coal deposits in the Mahoning Valley, which resulted in their making some
leases of coal lands, and in purchasing a coal tract of about one hundred
and fifty acres, known then as the old Heaton coal bank, of Mineral Ridge
coal. In January, 1856, Perry, Cross & Co. commenced operations in
earnest, opened an office and coal yard on Johnson & Tisdale's dock and
mined and brought to Cleveland the first cargo of Mineral Ridge coal. It
came by the way of the Pennsylvania and Ohio canal from Niles, Trumbull
county, Ohio.
At that time, when a gold dollar was only worth a dollar, the coal was
mined at forty cents per ton, the canal freight about one dollar and
seventy-five cents per ton, "dead work," handling, dockage, &c., about
seventy-five cents, making the total cost of that coal on the docks in
Cleveland ready for delivery, about two dollars and ninety cents per ton.
This mine produced about a hundred tons per day. The company that year
also received about eight thousand tons of Briar Hill or "block coal" from
Powers' bank, about two miles below Youngstown. This coal was also brought
in by canal boats.
In the year 1859, Hon. Henry B. Payne, who had an interest in the
original purchase of coal lands, with a view of establishing his son,
Nathan P. Payne, in business, bought the entire interest of Mr. Perry in
the concern and the business was continued in the name of D. W. Cross & Co.
Mr. N. P. Payne, then an active young man just from his collegiate studies,
took charge of the retail trade, and Isaac Newton had charge of the books.
In 1860, arrangements were made with the late Lemuel Crawford to run his
Chippewa and Briar Hill mines in connection with the Mineral Ridge mines,
and it resulted in forming the company known as Crawford, Cross & Co., for
one year, at the expiration of which time the firm of Cross, Payne & Co.,
composed of D. W. Cross, Nathan P. Payne and Isaac Newton, carried on the
business. This firm made extensive explorations for coal. They discovered
and opened the Summit bank coal mines, near Akron, built a locomotive
railroad three miles long to the canal at Middlebury, and to the Cleveland
& Zanesville and Atlantic & Great Western railroads; repaired the feeder
canal from Middlebury to Akron, built a basin capable of holding eight
canal boats, extensive shutes, docks, &c., capable of handling four
thousand five hundred tons per day. This coal tract includes between three
and four hundred acres. The coal is a superior quality of the Massillon
grade, about four and a half feet thick, and for steam, manufacturing and
domestic uses is claimed to have no superior. The company employed at this
mine from seventy-five to a hundred and fifty men; built extensive shaft
works for elevating coal to the surface; erected about forty comfortable
tenements for the workmen and miners, and, in short, used all their past
experience to make this a model mine. It is the nearest coal bank to
Cleveland now open.
They also, in connection with the late W. A. Otis, Charles A. Otis and
James Lewis, leased and purchased several hundred acres of coal lands in
Brookfield, Trumbull county, Ohio, and opened the extensive works known as
the Otis Coal Company's bank.
A shaft on this tract was sunk to the coal eight by sixteen feet and a
hundred and fifty-five feet deep, in sixty-one days by Isaac Halford,
superintendent, through solid rock, said to be the quickest work ever
known in the valley. This tract produces an excellent quality of the Briar
Hill grade of coal; a locomotive railroad connects it with a branch of the
Mahoning Railroad, and the works are capable of mining and raising three
hundred tons of coal per day.
In February, 1867, Mr. Cross retired from the business, and the present
firm of Payne, Newton & Co., composed of N. P. Payne, Isaac Newton and
Charles J. Sheffield, now carry on the extensive business of the entire
concern. They have ample facilities for mining and handling five or six
hundred tons of coal per day.
After the completion of the Cleveland & Mahoning Railroad the Pennsylvania
and Ohio canal was abandoned, the Railroad Company having obtained control
of the stock, and fixed so high a tariff as to cut off all competition
with themselves. This effectually killed the canal, except that portion
between Akron and Kent. The active trade on this part of the Pennsylvania
and Ohio canal will insure its preservation, and as it is an important
feeder (supplying water and trade) to the Ohio canal, the State will
undoubtedly take possession of it. The capital invested by this concern in
the coal trade is about $250,000.
Since his retirement from the coal trade, Mr. Cross has been actively
interested in the Winslow Car Roofing Company and the Cleveland Steam
Gauge Company, both carrying on their manufactories in Cleveland.