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150
1913
A HISTORY
OF THE
JUNIATA VALLEY AND ITS PEOPLE
UNDER THE EDITORIAL SUPERVISION OF JOHN W. JORDAN, LL.D. Librarian of Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
VOLUME I
ILLUSTRATED
NEW YORK LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY 1913
PYOUR LIBRARY
AS OR FOX AND 7
K
914 L
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER I PAGE
PHYSICAL FEATURES, GEOLOGY, ETC .- JUNIATA RIVER-PRINCIPAL MOUNTAINS- GEOLOGICAL FORMATION-COAL AND IRON-EARLY MINING-LIMESTONE, SAND- STONES-CLAY, OCHER, LEAD-GLASS SAND 1-13
CHAPTER II
ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS-RELICS IN JUNIATA COUNTY-INDIAN GROUPS: THE FIVE NATIONS, THE SUSQUEHANNAS, THE JUNIATAS, THE TUSCARORAS 14-25
CHAPTER III
THE ERA OF SETTLEMENT-FIRST WHITE MEN IN PENNSYLVANIA-FIRST MENTION OF THE JUNIATA VALLEY-INDIAN TOWNS-THE SQUATTERS-GEORGE CROGHAN -MURDER OF ARMSTRONG, SMITH AND ARNOLD-LAND OFFICE OPENED . . 26-42
CHAPTER IV
FIRST COUNTIES IN PENNSYLVANIA-HUNTINGDON COUNTY-LOCATION OF COUNTY SEAT-FIRST OFFICERS-REDUCTION IN SIZE-PRESENT AREA . 43-67
CHAPTER V
HUNTINGDON COUNTY: PRESENT TOWNSHIPS-LIST OF POST OFFICES-RURAL FREE DELIVERY ROUTES 68-94
CHAPTER VI
MIFFLIN COUNTY-INCLUDED IN CUMBERLAND. COUNTY, CEGANIZATION OF TOWN- SHIPS-FIRST JAIL-COURT HOUSES -REDUCTIONS IN AREA-, CIVIL LIST . 95-115
CHAPTER VII
MIFFLIN COUNTY: TOWNSHIPS, BOROUGHS, ETC.,LEWISTOWN-MCVEYTOWN-NEW- TON HAMILTON-ALLENSVILLE-BELTEY LLE' BURNHAM-GRANVILLE-MAIT- LAND-MILROY-REEDSVILLE-WAGNER-YEAGERTOWN . 116-14I
CHAPTER VIII
JUNIATA COUNTY-FIRST COURT HOUSE AND JAIL-CIVIL LIST 142-152 .
CHAPTER IX
JUNIATA COUNTY: TOWNSHIPS, BOROUGHS, ETC .- PRESENT THIRTEEN TOWNSHIPS- THE BOROUGHS: MIFFLINTOWN, MIFFLIN, PORT ROYAL, THOMPSONTOWN 153-180
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER X
PAGE
PERRY COUNTY-FIRST JAIL-COURT HOUSE-RAILROADS-CIVIL LIST 181-192
CHAPTER XI
PERRY COUNTY: TOWNSHIPS, BOROUGHS, ETC .- THE NINE BOROUGHS: NEW BLOOM- FIELD, BLAIN, DUNCANNON, LANDISBURG, LIVERPOOL, MARYSVILLE, MILLERS- TOWN, NEWPORT, NEW BUFFALO-SHERMANSDALE 193-226
CHAPTER XII
MILITARY HISTORY-EARLY FORTS-INDIAN RAIDS-THE REVOLUTION-JUNIATA COMPANIES-FRONTIER FORTS 227-249
CHAPTER XIII
MILITARY HISTORY, CONTINUED-WAR WITH MEXICO-THE CIVIL WAR-SKETCHES OF REGIMENTS
250-276
CHAPTER XIV
ROADS AND TRANSPORTATION-INDIAN TRAILS-FIRST PUBLIC HIGHWAYS-TURN- PIKES-EARLY STAGE ROUTES-CANALS AND RAILROADS .277-291
CHAPTER XV
FINANCE AND INDUSTRIES- EARLY FURNACES AND FORGES-DUNCANNON IRON WORKS-LOGAN IRON AND STEEL COMPANY-STANDARD STEEL WORKS-MANN'S AXE FACTORY-SHOE FACTORY-CAR WORKS-J. C. BLAIR COMPANY-SILK MILLS-GLASS SAND-COAL MINING-WATER POWER AND ELECTRICITY-AGRI- CULTURAL SOCIETIES AND FAIRS-FARMERS' INSTITUTES 292-310
CHAPTER XVI
THE PROFESSIONS-EARLY COURTS-PROMINENT MEMBERS OF THE BAR-THE MED- ICAL PROFESSION-MEDICAL SOCIETIES 311-327
CHAPTER XVII
EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT-THE EARLY SCHOOLS-PRIVATE ACADEMIES-FREE SCHOOL SYSTEM INAUGURATED -- JUINIATA COLLEGE-LEWISTOWN LIBRARY- THE PRESS-HISTORICAL SOCIETY 328-342
CHAPTER XVIII
RELIGIOUS HISTORY-FIRST MISSIONARIES-THE VARIOUS DENOMINATIONS .
343-375
CHAPTER XIX
CHARITIES AND FRATERNITIES-LOYSVILLE ORPHANS' HOME-HUNTINGDON HOME FOR ORPHANS AND FRIENDLESS CHILDREN-LEWISTOWN HOSPITAL-BLAIR ME- MORIAL HOSPITAL-BENEVOLENT AND FRATERNAL SOCIETIES 376-380
FOREWORD
T "HE present work, "A History of the Juniata Valley and Its People," presents in the aggregate an amount and variety of genealogical and personal information and portraiture unequalled by any kindred pub- lication. No similar work has ever before been presented, and it contains a great amount of ancestral history never before printed. The object, clearly defined and well digested, is threefold:
First. To present in concise form an outline history of the Juniata Valley.
Second. To preserve a record of its prominent present-day people.
Third. To present through personal sketches the relation of its promi- nent families of all times to the growth, singular prosperity and widespread influence of the Juniata Valley, Pennsylvania.
Unique in conception and treatment, this work constitutes one of the most original and permanently valuable contributions ever made to the social history of an American community. In it are arrayed in a lucid and dignified manner all the important facts regarding the ancestry, personal careers and matrimonial alliances of those who, in each succeeding genera- tion, have been accorded leading positions in social, professional and busi- ness life. It is not based upon, neither does it minister to, aristocratic prejudices and assumptions. On the contrary, its fundamental ideas are thoroughly American and democratic. The work everywhere conveys the lesson that distinction has been gained only by honorable public service, or by usefulness in pri-ate station, and that the development and prosperity of the region of which it treats have been dependent upon the character of its citizens, and in the stimulus which they have given to commerce, to in- dustry, to the arts and sciences, to education and religion-to all that is comprised in the highest civilization of the present day-through a con- tinual progressive development.
The inspiration underlying the present work is a fervent appreciation of the truth so well expressed by Sir Walter Scott, that "there is no heroic poem in the world but is at the bottom the life of a man." And with this
goes a kindred truth, that to know a man, and rightly measure his character, and weigh his achievements, we must know whence he came, from what forbears he sprang. Truly as heroic poems have been written in human lives in the paths of peace as in the scarred roads of war. Such examples, in whatever line of endeavor, are of much worth as an incentive to those who come afterward, and as such were never so needful to be written of as in the present day, when pessimism, forgetful of the splendid lessons of the past, withholds its efforts in the present, and views the future only with alarm.
Every community with such ample history should see that it be worthily supplemented by Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of its leading fam- ilies and prominent citizens. Such a work is that which is now presented. And, it should be admitted, the undertaking possesses value of the highest importance-in its historic utility as a memorial of the development and progress of the community from its very founding, and in the personal interest which attaches to the record made by the individual. On both these accounts it will prove a highly useful contribution to literature, and a valuable legacy to future generations. In the production of this work, no pains have been spared to ensure absolute truth-that quality upon which its value in every feature depends. The material comprising the genealogical and personal records of the active living, as well as of the honored dead, have been gathered by men and women experienced in such work and acquainted with local history and ancestral families. These have appealed to the custodians of family records concerning the useful men of preceding generations, and of their descendants who have lived useful and honorable lives. Such custodians, who have availed themselves of this opportunity of having this knowledge placed in preservable and accessible form, have performed a public service in rendering honor to whom honor is due, and in inculcating the most valuable and enduring lessons of patriot- ism and good citizenship.
No other region in the United States presents a field of greater interest for such research. Its history reaches back to the beginning days of the Nation. It is exceedingly rich in Indian antiquities, and here the aborigines have left many of their most indelible marks. It was the scene of historic events during the French occupation, and here The Great Washington, as a young man, came to take part in scenes which led to the French expul- sion. The immigrant settlers in this region were of the best blood and sinew. They fought valiantly and endured the most dreadful privations in the early days, and later they were a part of the very backbone of the Patriot Army in the Revolution. Later yet, the sons of these worthy sires bore their full share in the maintenance of the Union, shedding their blood upon many a glorious field, including that of Gettysburg, in their own
State, destined to form a brilliant page in the history of the Nation to the end of time. The restoration of peace after the close of the Civil War witnessed a remarkable development, and has made this region one of the most wonderfully valuable in the whole land, its natural resources and the products of its labor entering into every phase of commercial and in- dustrial life.
These records are presented in a series of independent genealogical and personal sketches relating to lineal family heads, and the most conspicuous representatives in the present generation. There is an entire avoidance of the stereotyped and unattractive manner in which such data are usually presented. The past is linked to the present in such style as to form a symmetrical narrative exhibiting the lines of descent, and the history of distinguished members in each generation, thus giving to it a distinct per- sonal interest. That these ends have been conscientiously and faithfully conserved is assured by the cordial personal interest and recognized ca- pability of the supervising editors, who have long pursued historical and genealogical investigations with intelligence and enthusiasm. The pub- lishers are under special obligations to John W. Jordan, LL.D., librarian of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; Prof. Jacob H. Brumbaugh, of Huntingdon ; Mr. W. H. Sponsler, of New Bloomfield; and Mr. George R. Frysinger, of Lewistown.
In order to insure greatest possible accuracy, all matter for this work was submitted in typewritten manuscript to the persons most interested for correction. If, in any case, a sketch is incomplete or faulty, the short- coming is ascribable to the paucity of data obtainable, many families being without exact records in their family line; while, in some cases, represen- tatives of a given family are at a disagreement as to names of some of their forbears, important dates, etc. It is believed that the present work, in spite of the occasional fault which attaches to such undertakings, will prove a real addition to the mass of annals concerning the historic families of the Juniata Valley, and that, without it, much valuable information would be inaccessible to the general reader, or irretrievably lost, owing to the passing away of custodians of family records, and the consequent dis- appearance of material in their possession.
THE PUBLISHERS.
History of the Juniata Valley
CHAPTER I
PHYSICAL FEATURES, GEOLOGY, ETC.
The Juniata River-Its Tributaries-Origin of the Name-General Surface of the District Included in this Work-Principal Mountains-How Mountains Are Formed-Geological Society of Pennsylvania-Geological Surveys-Table Show- ing Geological Formations-Economic Geology-Coal-Iron Ores-Their Charac- ter and Distribution-Early Mining Operations-Limestone-Sandstones-Clay- Ocher-Lead Ore-Glass Sand.
T HE Juniata river is formed of two branches-the Little Juniata and the Raystown branch. The former rises near Hollidays- burg, in Blair county, flows northeast to Tyrone, where it makes an abrupt turn to the southeast, forming part of the boundary line between Huntingdon and Blair counties, and follows that general direction across Huntingdon county. The Raystown branch has its source a short distance west of Raystown in Bedford county. Its general course is northeast until it unites with the Little Juniata about half way between Huntingdon and Mapleton to form the Juniata river proper. The principal tributaries of the Little Juniata are Bald Eagle, Spruce, Shavers and Standing Stone creeks from the north, and Canoe and Clover creeks from the south. Coffee run, James and Great Trough creeks are the only tributaries of consequence to the Raystown branch. From the junction of the two branches, the main stream of the Juniata flows southeast for some fifteen miles, forming part of the boundary between Huntingdon and Mifflin counties. It then flows in a north- easterly direction through Mifflin county and enters Juniata county about five miles east of Lewistown. From this point its general direction is a little south of east through the counties of Juniata and Perry until it empties its waters into the Susquehanna river near the town of Duncannon. The principal tributaries of the main stream from the
I
2
HISTORY OF THE JUNIATA VALLEY
north are the Kishacoquillas and Jack's creeks in Mifflin county; Lost creek, Doe run and Delaware run in Juniata county ; and Cocolamus creek in Perry county. Those from the south are the Licking and Tuscarora creeks in Juniata county, and Raccoon and Buffalo creeks in Perry county.
"Juniata" is a word of Indian origin. As early as 1614 the Dutch established a trading post at Albany, New York, and soon after that date three men belonging to the post followed the Mohawk river and by crossing the watershed to Otsego lake reached the head of the Sus- quehanna river. This stream they descended for some distance, when they crossed over to the Delaware river. They were captured by the Minequa Indians near the Trenton Falls, but were released through the efforts of Captain Hendrickson, who was then engaged in exploring the country along the Delaware river and bay. In 1841 a map showing the travels of these three Dutchmen was found at The Hague. Upon this map, in the region of the Juniata valley, is marked the country of an Indian tribe called the "Iottecas" and some writers think this was an effort on the part of the Dutch map makers to write the name from which the modern word Juniata is derived.
During the last half of the seventeenth century a number of maps were published, all showing the Susquehanna river approximately cor- rect, but giving very few details of the country west of that river. Everts, Peck & Richards' History of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys (p. 28) says: "On all these maps, on the west side of the river just where the Juniata belongs, there is the name of an Indian tribe called 'Onojutta Haga'-a name which beyond all doubt contains the root of the word from which 'Juniata' is derived. 'Haga' is the Mohawk word for people, tribe or nation; the first part means a projecting stone."
Throughout the four counties embraced in this work-Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata and Perry-the surface is generally broken or hilly. Bald Eagle ridge forms the northwestern boundary of Huntingdon county, extending from Tyrone to the Center county line. Farther east, along the eastern side of Spruce creek, is Tussey's mountain. Warrior's ridge crosses Huntingdon county near Petersburg. Standing Stone and Jack's mountains form a considerable portion of the boun- dary line between Huntingdon and Mifflin counties. Shade mountain,
3
HISTORY OF THE JUNIATA VALLEY
east of Lewistown, is a broken range extending from Snyder county southwest into Juniata and Huntingdon counties. The Blue ridge forms part of the boundary between Mifflin and Juniata counties. Tuscarora mountain runs along the line between Juniata and Perry, and also forms part of the boundary between the counties of Hunting- don and Franklin. Southeast of the Tuscarora range is the Cone- cocheague hill. Through the central part of Perry county run the Bowers mountain and the Limestone ridge; northeast of the Juniata river is Half Falls mountain; in the southeastern part of the county are the Peters and Cove mountains, while along the southern border, separating it from Cumberland county, runs the Blue mountain. The general direction of these mountain ranges is from northeast to south- west and between them are fertile valleys of varying width, which constitute the agricultural districts of the four counties.
Mountains have been formed upon the earth's surface either by a lateral pressure of the contracting earth, or by the erosion of super- ficial waters. The first of these causes is based upon the theory that, during the process of formation and development, the interior of the earth cooled more rapidly than the exterior and the outside of the earth, following the contracting interior, was subjected to a powerful lateral pressure which continued until the horizontal thrust caused a yielding or upheaval, resulting in the formation of an elevation or mountain range. Several of these ranges lying close together and approximately parallel to each other constitute a mountain system. Early geologists believed and taught that the tremendous lateral pressure upon the earth's surface brought about a great convulsion of nature and the sudden formation of mountains. Those of more modern days teach that the evolution of mountains was a slow process, thou- sands or even millions of years having been required to build up such a system as the Appalachian, to which the mountains of Pennsylvania belong. This theory is sustained by the fact that in many instances streams have cut through mountain ranges, a phenomenon that can be explained only by the supposition that the elevations rose so gradually that the streams were able to cut them down and thus maintain their course. Some geologists insist that the process is still going on and that as the earth continues to grow colder the lateral pressure will add to the height of existing mountains, or new ones will be formed.
4
HISTORY OF THE JUNJATA VALLEY
Regarding the second agency-the erosion by superficial waters --- it is generally conceded that "Isolated peaks, all cross-valleys, all ridges have been produced by erosion, and even sometimes where originally valleys existed now are mountains." Careful estimates show that the sediment carried by the Mississippi river lowers the surface of the entire basin drained by that stream and its tributaries one foot every five thousand years. How a similar work is carried on by the Juniata river is shown by E. W. Claypole, who was connected with the second geological survey of Pennsylvania. On page 39 of Report F-2, he says :
"But very few people have any idea of the amount of work done by a single river like the Juniata in transporting the land into the sea. In ordinary weather, a gallon of Juniata water carries about 8 grains of earthy sediment, or one pound for every 100 cubic feet of water.
"At Millerstown, the river is about 600 feet wide and 4 feet deep, with a current flowing about two miles an hour; that is, 24,000,000 cubic feet of water pass Millerstown every hour, carrying 240,000 pounds (120 tons) of rock sediment. In other words, 1,000,000 cubic yards of the rock waste of Juniata, Mifflin, Huntingdon and Blair counties pass through Perry county down the Juniata river to the sea every year. The water basin from which this river sediment comes measures about ten billion square yards. Its average loss per year, therefore, is about the ten thousandth of a yard. If we take into ac- count the gravel and stones rolled down the river in flood times, and carried down by the ice, it will be safe to call it the five-thousandth of a yard.
"The whole surface of the Juniata country has, therefore, been lowered say one foot in 1,500 years, or 3,000 yards in 13,500,000 years; that is, supposing the climate was always the same and the Juniata river never did more work than it does now. But as there is every reason for believing that the erosion in earlier ages was much more violent, and the river far more a torrent, the time required to account for the erosion of the country may reasonably be reduced to ten or even five millions of years, a length of time justified by the vast deposits of the Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous and Tertiary ages."
This statement of Mr. Claypole may seem unreasonable to many persons who have not studied the subject, but a more startling example of erosion in Pennsylvania is given by J. P. Lesley, state geologist in charge of the second survey. He says:
5
HISTORY OF THE JUNIATA VALLEY
"The coal-beds which were formed just at the sea-level were ele- vated in some parts of Middle Pennsylvania to a height equal to nearly the whole thickness of the Paleozoic system-that is, nearly thirty-five thousand feet, higher than the highest summits of the Himalaya Moun- tains. Frost above, and the undermining rains below, began their rapid work of destruction, which has lasted ever since. Nearly the whole area of the State east of the Allegheny Mountains lost not only its coal measures, but a vast majority of all the mineral strata underneath them. All that escaped destruction was what lay in the deep synclinal basins of the anthracite country, the little patch of Broad Top and the tip of the Cumberland or Frostburg basin. For scores of miles the entire Palæozoic system was excavated and planed down to the lime- stone at the base of the system. Along the central lines of the Kish- acoquillas. Nittany, Canoe and other valleys the old Laurentian system cannot be more than one thousand feet below the present surface. All the rest has been carried off. The destruction was the greatest where the elevation was the greatest-along the middle belt of the Appa- lachian Mountains. Out of this destruction were created, on the eastern side, New Jersey, Delaware, and the tide-water country of Maryland and Virginia: and on the western side, the lower half of Alabama and nearly the whole of Mississippi and Louisiana. In other words, the Protozoic mountains were wasted to form the Palæozoic rocks of the interior ; and the Palæozoic mountains, in their turn, have been wasted to form the Triassic, Cretaceous and Tertiary rocks of the seaboard."
It is a well known fact that the greater portion of the world's mineral wealth is found in mountainous districts, and in the early part of the last century many persons believed that rich deposits of minerals were to be found in the region drained by the Juniata river. The geological surveys of the state have dispelled to a considerable degree this belief. Prior to 1835 but little was known of the geology of Pennsylvania. Articles on certain geological features of the state had been written by such men as Thomas Hutchins, John B. Gibson, George WV. Carpenter and others, and published in scientific journals, but these articles represented only the disconnected researches of private in- dividuals. In 1832 the Geological Society of Pennsylvania was or- ganized with seven members, and John B. Gibson was elected president. It is due to the efforts of this society that the first geological survey was authorized by the act of March 29, 1836, which appropriated $6,400 annually for five years, and Henry D. Rogers was appointed state geologist. The legislature of 1841-42 failed to make an appropria-
6
HISTORY OF THE JUNIATA VALLEY
tion to continue the work, owing to the "financial embarrassments of the Commonwealth," and the first survey came to an end.
The second survey was authorized by the act of May 14, 1874, which provided for a board of commissioners to take charge of the work. This board of commissioners met and organized on June 5, 1874, and appointed J. P. Lesley state geologist, whose final report was made in 1892. Nothing further was done in the matter of a geological survey until April 28, 1899, when the Pennsylvania legislature made an appropriation "for joint work with the United States Geological Survey." That work is still in progress, with Richard R. Hice, of Beaver, as state geologist.
In the first survey, Professor Rogers numbered the main forma- tions of the state from I to XII, ranging from the Potsdam sandstone of the Cambrian age to the Coal Measures of the Carboniferous age. These numbers form the basis of all geological investigation which has been made in the state since that time. On page 36, Report F-2 of the second survey, is a table showing thirteen formations of the Palæozoic rocks, as exposed in the Juniata valley and the counties lying farther south. For the information of the reader that table is here reproduced :
No.
NAME.
THICKNESS.
COMPOSITION.
XIII
Coal Measures,
2,500
Sandstone, shale and coal.
XII
Pottsville,
1,000
Pebbles and sandstone.
Mauch Chunk,
2,500
Red shale.
Pocono,
2,000
Gray sandstone.
IX
Catskill,
6,000
Red sandstone and shale.
Chemung,
3,000
Olive sandstone and shale.
Portage,
200
Shale.
Genesee,
200
Dark shale.
Hamilton,
1,500
Shale and sandstone.
Marcellus,
200
Dark shale and limestone.
Upper Helderberg,
(absent)
( Cauda-Galli,
(absent)
VII
) Oriskany,
25
Sandstone.
VI
Lower Helderberg,
200
Limestone and shale.
V
Clinton,
800
Red sandstone and green shale.
(Medina,
1,500
Sandstones and shales.
IV
Oneida,
500
Conglomerate and shales.
Onondaga,
1,600
Shale.
VIII
7
HISTORY OF THE JUNIATA VALLEY
No
NAME.
THICKNESS.
COMPOSITION.
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