Petersburg (Addison postoffice) is a small village, situated on the west side of Winding Ridge, at an elevation of twenty-one hundred or twenty-two hundred feet above sea-level. It was laid out by Peter Augustine, on his own land, in 1818. The first house in the place was erected on lot number one, by Henry Stuller in 1820. The same year John Brown built a tavern-stand in the eastern part of the village. The first store was kept in the tavern by Andrew Mitchell and Henry Wentling. Among their successors in the tavern were John Rissler, James Connelly, Matthias Fry and Col. Samuel Elder. The old tavern was torn away in 1878, and in its place a dwellng was erected by George W. Turney, who now occupies it. The brick house known as the Central Hotel was built by Zel Hagans, who died very soon after moving into it. This was about 1831. Robert Hunter may be said to have been the first landlord who really opened this house, which, except for one or two short intervals has always been used as a hotel. One of the earlier lines of stages stopped at this house. A foundry was put in operation in 1844, by Thomas J. and Nathan Cooper, who carried on a successful business for many years. The business ceased in 1881. The first schoolhouse in the place was built about 1832. Samuel Gaither, Esq., now of Somerset, was probably the first teacher. The present school- building, adapted to the wants of the graded school, was erected in 1822, at a cost of about fifteen hundred dollars. In 1883 Addison contained five stores, two boarding-houses, three blacksmith-shops, three wagonshops, three shoemakers’ shops, two tanneries, one cabinetshop and one saddleryshop. One physician, Dr. William F. Mitchell, practiced there.
General Moses A. Ross commenced his mercantile life as a clerk in the store of John C. Darreil, of Somerfield. From this store he went into business on his own account at Selbysport, Md., but only for a short time. In 1829 he opened a store in Petersburg and conducted a successful business for more than sixty-five years.
The tannery was erected by Richard Brooks, about 1825. Dean Brothers, who are the fifth proprietors, purchased the property of John Shaw in 1870. H. L. Dean & Brother have been running the tannery at Petersburg since 1870. H .L.Dean is a native of Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and his brother, S. A. Dean, of Garrett county, Maryland. These gentlemen came to Addison township in 1857. In February, 1864, H.L. Dean was mustered into the service of his country in Co. K, 116th regt. Penn. Vols. He was wounded at Petersburg, June 17, 1864 mustered out in August, 1865. S. A. Dean entered the service in March, 1864, in Co. K, 3d regt. Md. Vols.; was mustered out as first sergeant in June, 1865. Dean Brothers have also been, engaged in the mercantile business since 1875.
Lot Watson, a native of Fayette county, came to Addison township in 1850, and engaged in farming for about eleven years. In 1864 he bought the hotel of James Albright, in Petersburg, and kept a licensed house until 1872. He died in 1880. His son, William M. Watson, who came to the township with his father, is now the owner and keeper of the hotel.
Among the institutions of Petersburg is an Odd Fellows’ Lodge, and a division of the Sons of Temperance, which has held its charter for almost sixty years-the only one out of a half dozen or more in the county at one time that has continued to do so. The First National Bank of Addison was established in 1903. William M. Watson is president. Within the last few years the town has awakened from the lethargy into which it had fallen after the decadence of the pike, and there are now (1906) eight or ten retail stores doing business.
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