Parsons Brothers

Image Source: Courtesy of the Lewiston Daily Sun - January 20, 1947, page 18.

What's in Direction?

The Parsons Brothers Slate Company, which was in Pen Argyl, had a long and interesting history like many of the companies of the Slate Belt. The slate from the quarry was dark blue and was used for roofing, blackboards and structural purposes. The quarry itself was approximately rectangular in ground plan, measuring only about 350 by 175 feet which was moderately sized for an opening associated with an operation this large. (This is in contrast to the Old Bangor quarry which was 1200 by 550 feet). Work was conducted on several levels, the lowest of which was 725 feet below the surface in 1931-probably the deepest quarry in the United States. It is claimed that the greatest depth the quarry ever reached was around 900 feet. All the more interesting since the quarry is now filled in.

The "ribbon", or direction of the slate bed, which was almost vertical at the surface, curved slightly to the south with increasing depth and at a depth of about 520 feet began to curve back toward the north. The ribbons were far enough apart to permit the separation of many blocks of clear stock suitable for blackboard manufacture. The slate was also used for structural electrical and roofing purposes. The quarry floor was parallel with the slaty cleavage which was nearly flat, unusual when compared with most quarries of the region. The grain of the rock was vertical and ran a little east of south. The quarry walls were maintained approximately parallel to the ribbon and grain.^1.

Photographs by Bliss, Easton, PA. Courtesy of Slate Belt Heritage Center.

The Industry in 1920

In 1908 the company had three derricks and two mills and employed about 125 men.^2. By the 1920's the slate industry in Northampton County was represented by forty to fifty companies who gave employment to about three thousand employees, the majority of whom were recent immigrants. The companies that employed over fifty people each included Parsons Brothers and were as follows:

1. American Slate Company
2. Bangor Vein Slate Company
3. Columbia Bangor Slate Company
4. East Bangor Consolidated Slate Company
5. Hammann Slate Company
6. Keenan Structural Slate Company
7. J S Moyer Company
8. North Bangor Slate Company
9. Old Bangor Slate Company
10. Northampton Hard Vein Slate Company
11. ML Tinsman & Company
12. Alpha Slate Manufacturing Company
13. Phoenix Slate Company
14. Albion Vein Slate Company
15. The Crown Slate Company
16. The Diamond Slate Company
17. Jackson Bangor Slate Company
18. Parsons Brothers Slate Company

Image source: Antique Trader Tools Price Guide

An advertising sign for Parsons Brothers, date unknown.

Killed at Bangor PA

While Parsons Brothers quarry in Pen Argyl would eventually gain recognition as one of the deepest quarries in the world, Parsons Brothers, like most companies in the district, was not without deaths, although not many other companies had the unique distinction of losing one of its principles from a quarrying accident. In 1902, William Parsons fell to his death from a derrick in his own quarry.

How William Parsons Met His Death in a Quarry.

PORTLAND. Pa., Sept. C. Wm. Parsons of the firm of Parsons Bros., and one of the most prominent slate operators in this state, was instantly killed at Bangor today. In coming out of the quarry hole he stepped on the elevator box and it began to slide throwing him back into the hole. He struck on a shelf 30 feet below and had his skull fractured. He was one of the owners of the Golden Rule quarry. He was 60 years of age.

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Many men who owned slate companies did more than just dig holes and in the case of the Parsons family, one of the members, in the late 1930's, secured two patents for tools and methods in the industry. Below is the description provided with the patent application for a slate cutter which is still in use today.

"This invention relates to cutting tools especially adapted for severing sheet-like materials such as tile, slate or composition shingles and has for the primary object the provision of a portable, efficient and inexpensive device of this character which may be easily carried by a workman and set up for use to cut material to a selected size and shape and embodies a construction which permits cutting operations to be carried out with breakage and waste of the material reduced to a minimum and also may be employed for punching holes in the material."^3.

Image Source: Pennsylvania Geological Survey

A view down into Parsons Quarry in 1924.

An extensive collection of images are available at the Slate Belt Heritage Center including images from Parson's Quarry. (To see a list of available images of Parson's Quarry CLICK HERE)

Pen Argyl Pa February 27, 1928

Chief Engineer Rare Metals Division Bureau of Mines

Washington DC

Dear Sir,

Recently we have been contemplating a consolidation of the slate interests in Pennsylvania and of course through this we were brought together with our friendly competitors and learned many things for the good of the slate business. Working with the New Brunswick station last year, your engineers perfected the wire saw for us that is going to revolutionize the ideas of quarrying for the slate industry which to the man they all certainly do appreciate. Now as we discover 90 per cent of our business runs in such a half hearted way and on account of its many diversified uses we have an idea that the best thing for our business at this particular time is for you people to arrange some way to determine the cost of manufacturing slate products. These figures surely will startle about 99 per cent of the people in the slate business and will have a tendency to stop this ugly price war. It is certainly a darn crime that the Government allows the slate people to run their business the way they are doing it. We are sure if you will allow giving the slate manufacturers your help in showing them how to work up their costs and about what it costs them to make their products it will go a long way. We trust that you will carefully consider this letter and agree to work with us to get the slate business on its feet. We remain yours very truly .

Parsons Bros Slate Co

H Lucas Parsons

(NEEDS OF THE MINING INDUSTRY, FRIDAY FEBRUARY 15 1929, United States Senate Committee on Mines and Mining Washington DC )

The End

Chapman Quarries closed in 1959, and Old Bangor closed in 1960 clearly showing the trend of the industry at that time as a whole in the district. In a court case on March 9, 1961, the counsel for the the owners of Parsons Brothers Slate quarry, notified the Department of Highways, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, that they would accept $65,000 in settlement of the taking of segments of their land in connection with a Commonwealth highway project. It was the opinion expressed in court that the land taken by the Highway Department contributed to the untimely closing of the company. The letter specified: "This will advise you that we, owners and lessee of said property, will accept the sum of $65,000, gross, in full settlement of all damages, provided this settlement is processed promptly. This letter is written without prejudice to press for damages in a larger amount, in the event settlement is not effected, within a reasonable time, on the above basis."

Within six days after receipt of this letter the Commonwealth delivered to one of the attorneys for Parsons Brothers a deed of release and quitclaim which stated that, in consideration of $65,000, the property owners remised, released, quitclaimed and forever discharged the Commonwealth from damages and claims arising out of the taking of their property.

The plaintiffs however refused to sign the deed of release and quitclaim and filed in the court of common pleas a petition for viewers' proceedings. The board of view, after hearings and inspection of the property, filed an award of damages in the sum of $168,000. The Commonwealth appealed and, in the ensuing jury trial, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the property owners in the amount of $200,000.^5.

This type of suit certainly draws into question whether Parsons Brothers knew that the end was close, seeing what was happening at other quarries in the area, and therefore took an angle that would provide them with the most benefit.

Above: An original Parsons slate cutter and punch.

Below: The Stortz 51C Genuine Slate Cutter currently available for sale from Slate Roof Warehouse is virtually identical in every way to the original Parsons slate cutter shown above, right down to the hole punch located on the arm of the handle.