USA > Indiana > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong counties, Pennsylvania > Part 33
USA > Pennsylvania > Armstrong County > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong counties, Pennsylvania > Part 33
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85
In 1880 a gentleman who was well acquainted with the township gave the following facts in connection with its surface minerals and early settlers :
"The soil is a rich loam, well adapted to ag-
rieultural purposes. The principal minerals are coal, iron ore and lime-stone. The surface is lilly. It is well watered by the Black Legs creek and numerous other streams that empty into the Conemaugh and Kiskiminetas rivers, bordering on the south.
"The first settlers in this locality were priu- cipally Scotch aud Irish, who came from the old counties of the State, and were a very sober and industrious people. From 1770 to 1794 the settlers were quite insecure on account of the hostility of the Indians. A block-house was erected on the Dixon farm as a means of defense. One of the Indian war-paths was along the Loyalhanna. There was an Indian town about one mile below Saltsburg, on the left bank of the Kiskiminetas. Notwithstand- ing the frequent interruptions by the Indians, the settlement was rapidly extended. Among the carly settlers here were the Wilsons, Wrays, Millers, Marshalls, Lemons, Pattons, Loves, Drums, Johnstons, Robinsons, Hendersons, McBrides, Colemans, Thompsons and others. A number of these had been raised under Pres- byterian influence, and they brought with them the Bible and held family worship. Robert Robinson, Sr., came to this locality in 1766 and built a cabin in sight of the river opposite Coal- port, and soon after built his residence, which is still standing upon the farm now owned by W. J. Sterett, where he lived and died. The Rev. James Power, afterward D.D., became pastor of Mount Pleasant and Sewickley churches, and began to preach as stated supply at Unity. Unity, fourteen miles distant, was the nearest point from Saltsburg for public worship prior to 1783, the close of the Revo- lutionary war. From that time the Presbytery of Redstone, which then embraced all of this region in its field, sent out numerous supplies iuto the thinly settled districts, by whom churches were organized. There were no set- tled pastors until 1790. On the 22d of No- vember of that year, old Salem, Congruity and
249
INDIANA COUNTY.
Polk Run obtained under-shepherds-Mr. John McPherrin being ordained and installed pastor of the first (in connection with Unity) and Mr. Samuel Porter of the other two. The Rev. Joseph Henderson was called to the coll- gregation of Ebenezer, April 9th, 1799, and became their pastor. To those points where tents, and afterwards rude log houses of worship, had been erected, our forefathers from the sur- rounding country gathered with their families for public worship.
" A log grist-mill was erected on Johnson's Point at a very early day, to which the settlers packed their grain to be prepared for food. From the Indiana side they came from five to ten miles across a region of country but thinly settled, and winding through unbroken wood- land to the very edge of the river; they forded it at a point just above the junction of Loyal- hanna. Later there was an oil-mill and still- house built upon the point, and business began to centre here. Flat-boats were laden at the point with home products for New Orleans. This was the only source of communication for trade until the opening of the Pennsylvania canal in March, 1829, on the opposite side of the Conemaugh, which did away with flat-boats. From this date there were no more bills of shipment made out at Johnson's Point. The line of trade passed by on the other side and touched at Saltsburg. The early rising town faded in the disappointment and went down, and to-day a lone rude dwelling-the oldest in all the country around-marks the place. The early discovery and manufacture of salt in this locality is accredited to one William Johnson, who came from Franklin county in 1800, and settled upon the point. In 1813 or '14 he bored the first well, in the pursuit of salt, in the bed of the Conemaugh, about two miles above its junction witlı the Loyalhanna. At the depth of 287 feet he found an abundant fountain, strongly impregnated with salt. Hc was soon in the full tide of successful experi-
ment, making about thirty bushels per day, all of which found a ready market; and some of it at first sold as high as $4 per bushel. Others soon embarked in the business, and the manu- factory of salt was carried on quite extensively for twelve or fourteen years, when the low price discouraged its production. There are but three wells in operation at the present time. These are from one to five miles above Salts- burg. The deepest of these wells is 1,000 feet. In 1825 a salt well was sunk on the left bank of the river a short distance above the mouth of the Black Lick ; but to the grief of all the parties interested, it only poured forth a stream of useless dirty looking oil. They filled up the well and abandoned it. Of late search has been made to find the oily well, but in vain."
The Saltsburg axis passes nearly through the central part of the township, and divides into two parts, of which the western one lies in the Saltsburg sub-basin and the eastern one in the Marion sub-basin of the Fourth Great basin. The eastern part is entirely in the Lower Bar- ren measures which carries the Upper Freeport coal, while the western part, west of Black Legs creek, is principally in the Upper Coal measures, and carries the Pittsburgh coal-bed- which has not yet been fully developed-up to the Armstrong county line. The geologists say that the Pittsburgh coal-bed appears as a slaty and much-parted seam in the Saltsburg basin. Including its partings and roof coal, it ranges from 8 to 11 feet in thickness, main- taining these dimensions, with trifling varia- tions, from the Conemaugh river to West Leb- anon. The coal is very rich in hydrocarbon gases-richer by from 3 to 7 per cent. than the coal from the same bed at Blairsville. And the few analyses made of it show also that it is here less pyritous than at the latter place.
The coal makes a broad distinct bencli on nearly every slope over which it runs. By means of this bench, aud with the aid of tlic geological map of the county, the observer
250
BIOGRAPHIES OF
in the field will have no difficulty in tracing the bed across the numerous ravines by which the basin is gashed, to the northernmost end of this coal in Indiana county.
Moreover the bed has been so frequently opened up in this basin that allusion here can only be made to suchi mines as were ex- amined, and in which measurements of the bed were made. Generally speaking, only the lower half of the seam is wrought in the Saltsburg basin, the roof coal being so muchi parted by thin bands of slate that there is little inducement to take it down in mining. Moreover the shales over this roof coal are so soft and friable that they render this plan of mining almost imperative, without an elaborate and expensive system of timbering.
In the Saltsburg basin the Pittsburgh bed exists in three belts of nearly equal size. All of these have their western limits across the borders of Armstrong county, but the great bulk of this coal area is in Indiana county. The first of these belts extends from the Con- emaugh river to Big run, a small stream which empties into Black Legs creek, near Clarksburg; the second belt extends from Big run, northeast to Whiskey run, while the third area embraces tlie region between Whiskey run and the headwaters of one branch of Gobbler's run at West Lebanon. Beyond this latter place there are a few small detached outliers of Pittsburgh coal, but as before stated, this seam does not cross the main val- ley of Gobbler's run, two miles northeast of West Lebanon.
The deep ravines dividing this coal area in separate belts furnish long lines of outcrop, by means of which all the coal in this basin could be easily and cheaply mined. The strata are nearly horizontal, the gentle rise from the synclinal only assisting the operations of the miner.
At present the bed is worked in this basin only in a small way to supply the home market.
Many years ago the coal was quite exten- sively mined on the Rhea property, near Coal- port, but developments here terminated when the canal ccased to be used. Further down the river the bed is now being mined be- low Loyalhanna station, in Westmoreland county, by the Loyallianna Coal and Coke com- pany.
The outcrop of the Pittsburgh coal bed skirts the high western bluff of Black Legs creck. In the vicinity of Clarksburg, on Black Legs, five miles above Saltsburg, several mines have been opened on the Pittsburgh seam. The village of Clarksburg is in Lower Barren rocks, 200 feet below the Pittsburgh coal, nearly all the intervening measures being ex- posed in the little valley of Harper's run, which joins Black Legs at Clarksburg.
In the Conemaugh valley there are several salt wells, from which is manufactured an ex- cellent quality of salt. About the year 1812 or 1813 an old lady namcd Deemer discov- ered an oozing of salt water at low-water mark on the Indiana side of the Conemaugh river, about two miles above the present site of Saltsburg. Prompted by curiosity, she gatliered some of the water to use for cook- ing purposes, and with a portion of it made mush, which she found to be quite palatable. This discovery very soon led to the develop- ment of one of the most important business interests in the county. About the year 1813 William Johnston, an enterprising young man from Franklin county, commenced boring a well at the spot where Mrs. Deemer made the discovery, and at the depth of two hundred and eighty-seven feet found an abundance of salt water. The boring was done by tramp or treadle, the poles being connected with open mortice and tongue, fastened with little bolts, The salt was manufactured by boiling the water in large kettles, or graimes, using wood for fuel, until, with the opening of additional wells, some fifty or sixty acres of woodland had been
251
INDIANA COUNTY.
consumed for this purpose. Originally the pumping was done by blind horses, and the salt sold at five dollars per bushel retail, but as the wells multiplied the price came down to four dollars. With the increase of the trade came new machinery and appliances in the manufac- ture of the salt. The unwieldy kettles were dis- pensed with, and large pans of half-inch iron, some twenty feet long, ten to eleven feet wide and eight inches deep were used instead ; coal was used as fuel, and the blind horses were put aside, and the steam-engine introduced for both boring and pumping. The place was called the Great Conemaugh salt works, from the name of the river upon which they were located, and a post-office with that name was established there.
The seven wells along the river, on the West- moreland side, were all put down prior to 1820 and 1822, and from that date till 1830 the group of hills on both sides of the river was like a great bee-hive; yet the expenses of pro- duction, in many instances, exceeded the income. The coal and machinery had to be hauled from Pittsburgh by wagon, or brought by the river in keel-boats-both expensive means of trans- portation.
The population of Conemaugh township at each census, from 1850 to 1890, has been as follows : 1748, 1701, 1493, 1346 and 1530.
The principal towns of the towship are: Salts- burg, Kelly's station, where John Kelly made the first improvement prior to the Revolution- ary war; Clarksburg, situated in the Pittsburgh coal field, with 200 population, and Tunnel- ton.
Black Lick Township .- This township lies north of Black Lick ereek, and the Indiana axis divides it into two nearly equal parts ; tlie western part is in the Marion sub-basin of the Fourth Great basin, and the eastern part lies in the Blairsville or Third Great basin. Between two tributary streams of Blaek Liek creek is an area of the Pittsburgh eoal-bed.
Crossing Blaek Liek and ascending the
northern slope of the valley, the Pittsburgh bed first appears in a small knob on the Campbell farm at the summit of the slopes. Here it is exposed. Then in a knob of similar size, but separate and distinct from the Campbell out- crop, and to the northwest of the latter farm it again appears. But the most important area north of Black Lick creek is that embracing the Doty and J. Dixon farms, which, with a small out-lier in the S. Dixon property, termi- nates the basin.
The coal as opened on the Doty farm is 55 feet higher in level than in Coleman's ; this being nearly along the strike of the rocks ex- presses the gentle rise in the synclinal towards the northeast-the rise that thrusts the Pitts- burgh coal from the basin and covers the coun- try beyond with Lower Barren rocks.
In the Doty mine the coal is very uniform and regular, and is decidedly more free from pyrites than where exposed at any other point in the basin. It carries, however, considerable slate, especially near the floor, the bottom bench being almost worthless in its lower part.
The geological structure of Blaek Lick Val- ley will be further noticed in East and West Wheatfield townships.
The township was formed from Armstrong township in 1807, and its chief productions are wheat, eorn, oats, coal and limestone. The surface is moderately hilly, and its citizens give particular attention to raising fine cattle. Among the early settlers were George Ault- man, Rev. Henry Baker, Patrick McGee, Gen. Charles Campbell and Jacob Bricker. Mollie Furnace, who came with the Dixons, frequent- ly told of having nursed Gen. George Wash- ington. Gen. Charles Campbell and five others of the early settlers were captured by the In- dians and held as prisoners for five years. John Dixon, who died in 1843, at seventy-two years of age, was the first white ehild which was born in the township.
Newport, the first town in Indiana county,
252
BIOGRAPHIES OF
was founded half a mile below the junction of Black Liek creek and the Conemaugh river, by Alexander Dennison, some time between 1785 and 1790.
A block-house was erected and the town pros- pered for a few years. Stores were opened, two taverns were started, and among other build- ings erected were a church, mill, carding fac- tory, tannery, hatting shop and scythe factory. A new county was agitated at that time, and Newport, being in the centre of its proposed territory, expected to become its future county- seat. The Conemaugh being made the bound- ary line of Westmoreland destroyed all possi- bility of the new county, and Newport went down, until to-day not a vestige of any of its buildings are to be seen.
We give the following list of taxable inhabitants resident within the bounds of Black Lick township, in the county of Indi- ana, as returned on the assessment lists for 1807:
Robert Anderson, weaver; Philip Altman, Jacob Altman, blacksmith; George Altman, John Anderson, James Brunson, mulatto ; John Burns, Mary Bell, spinster; George Bell, tailor; Jeremialı Brown, Thomas Bell, David Byers, weaver; Tobias Byers, Henry Byers, Jacob Bricker, Benjamin Closson, con- stable; Philip Cribs, Jolin Casaday, Charles Campbell, judge; Michael Campbell, Josiah Closson, Richard Closson, George Cribs, Sr., John Conkle, John Cowen, James Caldwell, John Caldwell, James Craig, George Cribs, Jr., Samuel Coulter, David Campbell, weaver; John Compton, shoemaker; Jean Dean, spin- ster; Samuel Dixon, Esq., Andrew Dickson, James Dickson, Davis Davis, William Davis, Sr., William Davis, Jr., William Downcy, Samuel Downey, John Downey, Mary Downey, spinster; Thomas David, William Deviney, Esq., Andrew Deviney, Samuel Douglas, cabi- net-maker; Steward David, shoemaker ; George Daugherty, Abraham Dehavens, William Dona-
hew, Henry Ebrick, carpenter; Mary Elder, spinster; Joseph Elder, Elizabeth Elder, man- tuamaker; John Fair, Peter Fair, James Fer- guson, Sr., James Ferguson, blacksmith; David Ferguson, Hance Ferguson, Alexander Fails, Susanna Glenn, spinster; James Gordon, John Gibson, Hngh Gibson, Samuel Gray, tailor; William Green, Michael Heir, weaver; Robert Hunter, shoemaker; James Hunter, George Hays, doctor; John Hamilton, weaver; Henry Frederick, John Herrold, Sr., John Herrold, Jr., Daniel Herrold, David Herren, Ruban Jewel, Patrick Jack, Rev. John Jameson, Wil- liam Jameson, John Jameson, painter; Isaac Jennings, Samuel Keton, Archibald Kelly, Charles Kenning, Joseph Kenning, James Kelly, stone-mason; Patrick Kelly, coverlid weaver; Amos Laurence, William Laurence, Reynold Laughlin, James Lyon, Alexander Lyon, Jacob Lepley, wagon-maker; Henry Livingston, wagon-maker; Conrad Lintner, tavern-keeper; Andrew Lowers, James Lock- erd, Jos. Loughry, cooper; Nicholas Loughry, William Loughry, Daniel Levear, John Miller, James McConnal, David Mercer, John Meri- man, wheel wright; Archibald McEwen, Pat- rick McGee, distiller; Rebochah Moorhead, weaver; Jonathan Martin, stone-mason; James McComb, assembly; George McComb, tanner ; William McFarland, John McFarland, miller; William Martin, Hugh McIntire, Andrew McCartney, carpenter ; Arthur McGuff, John McCready, John Meason, trader; William Mecum, tavern-keeper; Joshua McCracken, shoemaker ; Robert McElhaney, Jane McClure, spinster; Robert Murdurgli, Peres Means, Eli- zabeth McCartney, spinster; John McCrea, William McFarland, James Mitchell, Robert Nixon, merchant; Robert Nixon, Jr., mer- chant; John O'Conner, school-master; Robert Patten, Peter Palmer, Charles Palmer, Susan- nah Palmer, spinster; John Palmer, Sarah Reed, weaver; Samuel Reed, Jane Rapine, spinster; James Rapine, Daniel Rapine, John
253
INDIANA COUNTY.
Rapine, mill-wright; William Rankin, George Rankin, Andrew Rankin, James Reed, Chris- topher Rapine, George Rapine, fuller; Agnes Rain, spinster ; Christian Ruch, Jolın Robins, shoemaker; Catherine Rhees, spinster; Robert Rhees, Michael Buch, Joseph Smith, Daniel Smith, blacksmith ; William Smith, shoemaker ; David Still, James Shields, Garvin Sutton, Joseph Shields, cooper; John Scott, shoe- maker; Thomas N. Sloan, Esq., John Spires, Jane Smith, negro, jobber; Catherine Thomas, spinster; Joseph Turner, wheelwright; Sam- uel Talmage, doctor; Michael Tarry, Daniel Ulam, Aaron Wear, Hugh Wear, George Wear, wheelwright; Joseph Wear, Abraham Wear, William Wallace, Samuel Wallace, tailor; James Williams, Catherine Wolf, tavern-keep- er; James Wilson, Hugh Wiley, cooper ; John Wiley, miller; Adam Walker.
The population of Black Lick township at each census from 1850 to 1890 has been : 2043, 1130, 1016, 798 and 924.
Burrell Township is in the Blairsville basin and lies between the Chestnut Ridge axis on the east and the Indiana axis on the west. grove and meadow, which is divided into farms,
About one-third of the eastern part of the township lies in the Lower Coal measures, while the remainder is situated in the Lower Barren measures, which carries the Upper Freeport coal. A small area of the Pittsburgh Coal-bed extends north from Blairsville towards Black Lick creek, while in the extreme south- east the Mauch Chunk Red Shale, XI, Pocono Sandstone, X, and Catskill formation, IX, crosses the township. In the northeastern part the Red Shale again appears.
The fire-clay deposit of Burrell township has acquired some commercial celebrity, and justly so, because the clay when carefully selected, and the two varieties properly mixed, produces a brick of high refractory power. It exists in great abundance, is easily mined and is favor- ably situated; moreover, it loses nothing in thickness or in character in ascending the
stream, remaining in all respects even and reg- ular. It has been traced as far up the creek as Berry's house, where it has been worked, but beyond this point, aside from its outcrop, it is not known, having hitherto been overlooked in the explorations on Dr. Simpson's property.
The plastic clay immediately underlying the coal is not worked, sufficient clay of this variety and of better quality being obtainable just be- low the band of hard clay, an interval of about one foot separating the two deposits.
This deposit of fire-clay resting immediately on top of Formation XII is one that is widely outspread in the bituminous coal regions. It is this clay that is worked by Mr. Hawes, at Mineral Point, in Cambria county, and it is likewise this deposit that supplies the brick- works along the line of the Tyrone and Clear- field R. R., in Clearfield county.
Burrell township was formed, in 1853, from Black Lick, and was named in honor of Judge J. M. Burrell. The township has a very irreg- ular boundary, as may be seen from the map. The surface is an alternation of hill and dale,
most of which are highly productive. The minerals are coal, iron ore, fire-clay and stone- ware clay, and limestone. The surrounding hills are teeming with bituminous coal, large quantities of which are mined and shipped east. Chestnut ridge, extending from Westmoreland county into the castern portion of this town- ship, is cut at this point by the Conemaugh river, which separates Indiana and Westmore- land counties, leaving "Pack Saddle" upon the left bank, and "Oakes Point," which is an ele- vation of about 1200 feet above the river, upon the right bank. This eminence affords one of the finest views in all the country around. The bank of the river about half a mile above Blairsville, is very high and precipitous, and is known as the "Alum Bank." There is here an upright wall of nature's own masonry, in some places fifty or sixty feet high, and below
254
BIOGRAPHIES OF
this, an abrupt descent of about one hundred feet, to the water's edge, covered with forest trees. This cliff is a mile or more in length. Several veins of iron ore and coal have been opened upon its face. There is also an exten- sive vein of fire-clay, and an alum deposit.
The population of Burrell township at eachı- decennial census from 1860 to 1890 has been : 1251, 1374, 1770 aud 1450.
" Among the manufacturing interests of In- diaua county the Black Lick Manufacturing company, of Burrell township, deserves especial mention. Its works are located about seven miles north of 'Black Lick Intersection,' on the Indiana branch of the West Penn railroad, one and one-quarter iniles east of Black Lick station, and connected with the station by a tram railway. They were erected in 1869 for the purpose of making fire-brick and tile. The firm was composed of E. Robinson, C. Hadley and F. McKinter. The works at this time consisted of a clay-mill driven by an engine of thirty-five horse-power, and a yard capacity of four thousand brick per day, with two kilns of each thirty thousand capacity. In May, 1872, Mr. Robinson sold his interest to J. M. Guth- rie, of Indiana, and in July of the same year E. W. Giddings and E. J. Mildren, of Johns- town, Cambria county, bought the establish- ment. They immediately doubled the size of the yard, also the capacity, by running day and night. In November, 1873, Mr. Mildren, the present proprietor, purchased the interest of Mr. Giddings, and in addition to the manufac- ture of brick aud tile, commenced making ' Bessemer Tuyers,' on what is known as the 'Ostrander machine.' . In 1874 Mr. Mildren added another clay-mill driven by a twenty- five horse-power engine, and a powerful steam 'Tuyer machine.' In connection with fire-brick he manufactures nozzle-stoppers, chimney-tops, fire-clay dust, gas-retorts and settings. Iu 1875 the two old kilns were removed and two crown-kilns were built, with a capacity of
forty-five thousand each. At these works are employed upwards of one hundred men and boys."
Wheatfield township was formed in 1779, and at one time embraced all of what is now Indi- ana county, south of the purchase line. Old Wheatfield might well be called the mother of the county, for within her limits the early set- tlements began, and sixteen townships are now embraced within what were once her original boundaries. In 1859 Wheatfield was divided into East and West Wheatfield townships. The name is said to have been derived from the " barrens," or places destitute of timber, afford- ing a good soil for wheat, hence the " wheat fields."
The first settler was undoubtedly George Findley, who had come to the Pumroy and Wilson settlement in 1764, and in the following year had "tomahawked " a tract of land in what is now East Wheatfield township, and his home was spoken of, May 29, 1769, as the " Findley cabbins," in some application warrants of that year. There were many early settlers whose graves were scattered in out-of-the way places through the township, of whom no ac- count is given, save that they were pioneers. William Clark was prominently mentioned among the pioneers. His improvement was not surveyed till June 22, 1776, and is described as situated on the "path between Conemaugh and Black Lick, adjoining George Findley, and including Wipey's cabbiu."
Shoupstown was laid out about 1807, by Heury Shoup, on the old Frankstown road. It was situated on the hill opposite the present residence of John Schrock. At one time it boasted of a store and a half-dozen cabins. The pike's erection gave it a death-blow, and there is not to day a single vestige of its existence left on the hill to tell the story of its downfall.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.