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Gc 974.801 B57w 1840759
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00826 6535
1
74.79
BIOGRAPHICAL
AND
PORTRAIT
CYCLOPEDIA
OF
BLAIR COUNTY, Pa.
PENNSYLVANIA.
EDITED BY
SAMUEL T. WILEY AND W. SCOTT GARNER.
ILLUSTRATED.
GRESHAM PUBLISHING COMPANY, PHILADELPHIA, PA. RICHMOND, IND. 1892.
CHICAGO, ILL.
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/biographicalport00wile_1
1840759
THE CAPITOL, WASHINGTON.
-
PRESSES OF M. CULLATON & CO., RICHMOND, IND.
REFACE.
1190377
ISTORY and biography are inseparably connected, for history is the synthesis of biography, and biography is the analysis of history. Ilistory is philosophy teaching by example, and most of its important and useful lessons are derived from the lives of the men who shape and control the events of their day. Biographical history is history by induction, which is the natural and philo- sophical method. It is far more complete in its scope than the annals of public events, for in it is contained all the elements of history and the details of biography.
In the centennial year of the American Republic, it was appropriate and fitting that the representatives of the people in Congress assembled, should, by joint resolution of both houses, recommend to every city, town, and county the duty of collecting for permanent preservation their local history and the biographies of their worthy citizens. lui the first century of our National life, the annals of town and county, and the indi- viduality of the citizen, were absorbed in the popular story of the State and the more masterful theme of the life of the nation; but in the second century of our existence as a nation, local history and biography have received a larger share of attention, although biographical history is yet in its pioneer stage. It was never systematically attempted in any county within the Keystone State until 1889, when John M. Gresham, one of the publishers of this volume, became the pioneer in this line of work in Penu- sylvania, and issued the first cyclopedia of biographies ever published in the State.
Blair county is worthy of especial notice, as it has developed from a forest region into one of the beautiful, productive, and wealthy counties of the State. Distinguished for the intelligence and industry of its citizens, blessed with a healthy climate and a fer- tile soil, and possessing great mineral wealth, its future for prosperity is assured.
No labor or expense has been spared in the preparation of the historical part of this volume, and the historian of the company, Samuel T. Wiley, made an extensive
vi
PREFACE.
research among public and private documents in order to present a full and accurate account of what little is known of the Mound Builders and Indians in this county.
The geology given has been taken mainly from the volumes of the Second Geologi- cal Survey of Pennsylvania; and the names of those from this county who fought for the preservation of the Union have been accorded ample space, for Blair county's war record is one of which she may well be proud, as her sons served faithfully and with honor on many a bloody battlefield, where many of them fell to rise no more.
Census statistics have been specially introduced to supply a feature that is wanting in nearly every county history published in the United States. While numbers are not the progress measure of county life, yet their rapid increase indexes every great stride in the development of a county's material resources; and their marked decrease chronicles every great drain by emigration. The condensed statistics of agriculture, manufacture, and wealth, will forcibly tell their own story without need of illustration or explanation.
Contemporary history has been given in connection with ancestral history, and thus is presented the lives of the enterprising and progressive citizens of the county, from it's formation down to the present time. Great care has been taken in the prepara- tion of these biographies, and the larger part of them have been written by the editors in charge of the work, though they have been assisted to some extent by others.
In this cyclopedia of biographies, presenting the life-record of so many worthy and enterprising citizens of Blair county, we would strive to incite its sons to aims of usefulness and lives of integrity, honor, and distinction.
THIE PUBLISHERS.
NTENTS
HISTORICAL.
PAGE.
Allegheny Portage Railroad. 54
Altoona and Tyrone. 58
Anglo-Saxon Pioneers 49
Arch Spring. 39
Banks
98
Blir County 33-156
Blair County Home. 149
Blair County in 1855. 143
Census Statistics
136-141
Agricultural Statistics. 139
Colored Population 137
Manufactures, Statistics of. 138
l'opulation, Statistics of. 136
Population of Minor Civil Divisions
136
Race and Nativity
136
School, Military, and Voting Ages.
138
Wealth
140
White Population
137
Churches
95
African Methodist Episcopal. 97
Baptist 96
Catholic 96
Church of God. 96
Evangelical 96
Evangelical Association 97
Hebrew
97
Methodist Episcopal 95
Presbyterian 96
Reformed
96
Tunker (German Baptist )
96
United Brethren.
97
PAGE.
. Cities and Boroughs
120
Altoona.
125
Bellwood. 132
East Hollidaysburg 135
East Tyrone 134
Gaysport 134
Hollidaysburg. 121
Martinsburg 133
Newry .
135
Roaring Spring.
133
Tyrone
130
Civil Roster -1846-1892
.56-57 and 141-143
Commissioners 56
County Treasurers, 56
Prothonotaries and Clerks 56
Registers and Recorders. 56
Sheriffs
56
Civil War, The
58
Third Pennsylvania Infantry 58
Company A 58
Company B 59
Company C. 59
Company D
60
Company E.
61
Company H.
61
Fourteenth Pennsylvania Infantry
62
Company H. 62
Company I
62
Fifty-third Pennsylvania Infantry.
63
Company C.
63
viii
CONTENTS.
Civil War, The, continued. PAGE.
Sixty-second Pennsylvania Infantry 65
Company M.
65
Seventy-sixth Pennsylvania Infantry
66
Company C.
66
Company F
68
Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania Infantry 69
Company F.
70
Eighty-fourth Pennsylvania Infantry
70
Company A.
71
Company C.
71
Company E.
72
Company I
74
One Hundred and Tenth Pennsylvania Infantry 75
Company A 75
Company C.
76
Company H 78
One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Pennsylvania Infantry 80
Company A. 80
Company B 81
Company D
82
Company E
83
Company G
84
Company K
84
One Hundred and Ninety-Second Pennsylvania Infantry 87
Two Hundred and Fifth Pennsylvania Infantry, 87
Company A 87
Company C. 88 Company I. 89
Two Hundred and Eighth Pennsylvania Infantry 90
Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry 79
Nineteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry. 85
Twenty-second Pennsylvania Cavalry 86
Blair Men in Other Regiments 90
Coal Measures. 36
County Formation 55
County Societies, 98
Drainage
38
Early Courts and Lawyers 149
Early Furnaces and Forges. 54
Early Physicians 150
Early Schools
97
Fort Roberdeau
52
Frankstown
50
PAGE.
Free Masonry
151
Geology
34
Grand Army of the Republic 151
Healthfulness
151
History and Literature. 148
Hollidaysburg.
55
House of Representatives, Members of.
92
Indian Murders
53
Trails.
48
Villages
48
Indebtedness
141
Industrial Development 90
98
Iron Ore.
37
Knights of Pythias
151
Kossuth's Visit
58
Lead and Zinc Deposits. 37
Lead Mining in 1778 52
Levels Above Tide
38
Lewistown Limestone
37
Mexican War
152
Miscellaneous
141
Associate Judges
141
Auditors
141
Coroners
141
Directors of the Poor 142
District Attorneys - 1846-1892 141
President Judges
141
Surveyors
141
Mound Builders.
40
Altar Mounds. 43
Effigy Mounds 42
Fortifications
42
Fortified Heights. 43
Old Forts
42
Temple Mounds.
42
Tomb Mounds
42
Odd Fellowship.
98 and 151
Old Roads
53
Patriotic Order Sons of America 151
Pennsylvania Canal. 54
Pennsylvania Railroad 57
Political History.
91
Popular Vote for Presidential Candidates
93
Insurance
ix_x
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
Postal History. 93 Present Railways 91
Presidential Vote from 1824 to 1888 155
Press, The.
94
Roaring Spring.
40
Revolutionary War
50
Greenfield 106
Captain Robert Clugage's Company.
51
Savage Period. 44-48
Secret Orders
98
Settlers' Forts 51
Sinking Valley Cave
40
Snyder
111
Sons of Veterans
151
State History 152
State Senators, 1848 to 1892
92
Summer Resorts
150
Taxation
141
Territorial Changes. 34
Topography 37
Tory Expedition. 52
Townships
99
Allegheny
99
Townships, continued.
Antis 100
Blair 102
Catharine. 102
Frankstown
103
Freedom
105
Huston 106
Juniata
107
Logan.
107
North Woodbury.
109
Taylor
112
Tyrone
113
Woodbury
120
Villages 135
Williamsburg
135
Duncansville
135
Henrietta
136
War of 1812
152
William Penn.
155
PAGE.
xi
CONTENTS.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
PAGE
Acker, De Walt G
277
Acker, Henry D.
395
Ake, Jacob.
597
Alexander, Milton
194
Allen, J. Wesley, M. D.
516
Ambrose, William A.
389
Amies, Edwin M
522
Arney, George F., M. D.
256
Arthur, Richard.
532
Aukerman, Henry T.
290
Anliz, Capt. Ambrose M.
527
Baker, John Q.
574
Bare, Daniel M ..
453
Barron, Rev. David H., D. D .. 299
Bartley, Calvin B
367
Bassler, Rev. Jacob S.
208
Bell Edward.
574
Bell, Elias Cline.
451
Bell, G. Thomas
535
Bell, William.
554
Bell, Rev. P. G 251
Bell, Martin,
549
Bell, Martin.
565
Bell, Major Francis M
404
Berlin, Samuel.
355
Borant, Bernard Lee
512
Beyer, William M.
247
Beyer, Francis D.
411
Biehl, Jacob
460
Blackburn, Joseph
210
Blackburn, Dr. E. R. C. 451 Blair, George Dike. 165
Blose, Joseph U., M. D
345
PAGE.
Bobb, Col. Alexander
599
Books, Benjamin F., M D.
439
Bowles, Prof. James B.
297
Coleman, Thomas
598
Boyles, Henry A.
268
Collin, John B.
409
Condron, James
482
Confer, John W
311
Cowen, Alfred M.
276
Craine, W. Monroe C.
546
Crawford, Col. Jesse R.
304
Crawford, James
587
Crawford, Isaac
431
Criswell, John T.
228
Crowley, Charles M.
471
Crum, Andrew J.
296
Crum, Newton
585
Crumbaker, Harry E., D. D. S. 293
Crosthwaite, D. Wilmot, M. D 518
Cryder, Michael.
600
Cunningham, Newton F
544
Curry, W. E.
379
Davis, Harry Irvin
206
Davison, Capt. George C
555
Dean, Hon. John.
157
Canan, John A.
494
Delaney, Patrick J.
378
Casanave, Germain
263
Cass, Joseph K
260
Cherry, Emil T., M. D
184
Clapper, John.
283
Clark, John.
201
Clark, Charles B.
265
Clingerman, John
324
Coffey, George A
597
PAGE.
Coffman, Jane Gibson.
590
Cole, Thomas W.
506
Bridenbaugh, Michael
551
Bridenbaugh, Philip.
552
Crawford, James
593
Brombach, Jacob.
570
Brotherlin, H. Hale, M.D., A. M. 335
Buchanan, Alexander.
352
Bunker, Benjamin M.
517
Burchfield, Hon. Theodore.
487
Burke, Thos. J.
540
Burley, Jonathan H.
402
Burket, Peter
569
Burkholder, P. G.
573
Burkholder, Thos. J
436
Bush, Very Rev. E. A., V.F.
478
Bushman, Thomas.
225
Calderwood, Howard B.
464
Calvin, Hon. Samuel.
275
Dern, Henry C.
294
Diehl, Rosanna M
401
Donelly, Rev. James E
438
Dunmire, William Worth
434
Earlenbaugh, Henry R.
354
Eberman, Edwin S.
330
Eichholtz, George M.
383
Bramell, Chas. J.
507
Brandt, Frank.
539
Brennecke, Christ
380
Brenaman, James A.
465
xii
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
Elway, Henry ..
316
Elliott, C. B , M D.
428
Ellsworth, Josiah F.
482
Enzbrenner, John M.
336
Ermine, Sylvester ..
510
Evans, Henry J., M. D.
173
Ewing, Cicero M., M. D.
408
Fair, Lemuel L
387
Fay, Orville J.
486
Fay, George.
602
Ferguson, Harry E.
219
Fisher, Isaac.
592
Fleck, George
591
Flanigan, John.
343
Flick, Edward H
282
Flynn, Patrick
195
Forgeus, Rev Solomon F
554
Forney, Elsworth S.
538
Fouse, William A.
315
Fox, Jacob A.
505
Fraser, William Mark
351
Funk, James.
461
Gardner, Osmond W
240
Ger sey, Charles
396
Gersey, Jacob.
597
Gheer, Thomas P.
242
Gilson, Thomas B.
344
Gillam, James S.
237
Glunt, Jonathan,
249
Gray, Miles D
167
Graffius, H. Price
526
Gr.on, M. A.
163
Greene, Edgar B
514
Greevy, Thomas H.
571
Guyer, Caleb ..
183
Gwin, James Hervy.
355
Haines, Edward R.
472
1. Ifpenny, Col. John.
592
Halton, John.
403
Hamilton, John.
545
Il .milton, Jonathan,
544
Hamlin, Rev. B. B., A. M., M.D. 168
PAGE.
Hamor, Walter J
385
Hammond, William S.
444
Hare, William M.
394
Harnish, William
466
Hart, Joseph
386
Hartman, Eldon W
427
Hartman, Jesse L.
264
Hawksworth, George W
579
Hearn, John
357
Heess, Albert S.
248
Heims, Theo. Bentz
170
Hicks, Josiah D
214
Hileman, Joseph B
211
Hiller, John A
213
Hoelle, Martin
460
Hogue, James H., M. D
298
Hogue, Davis A., M. D.
481
Holliday, Fleming
440
Holliday Family ..
594
Homer, Matthias, jr
227
Hooper, Linda E.
587
Lehman, Solomon S.
561
Hoover, John B.
467
Hostler, W. S.
509
Hoyer, Samuel M.
382
Huff, Henry B.
172
Hughes, James C.
327
Linton, Harvey
185
Humes, James R , M. D.
279
Hunter, Matthew S.
281
Hutchinson, Joseph M
412
Ike, Edgar M.
283
Isenberg, Peter S.
469
Isenberg, J W., D. D. S.
209
Isett, Jacob
576
Irwin, James
597
Jackson, George F
278
Jones, C. Blythe.
319
Jones, Capt. C. S. W
499
PAGE.
Keefer, John B., D. D. S.
176
Keith, Prof. David S.
188
Kellerman, William
377
Kelly, P. H
341
Kendig, Henry B
174
Kinkead, Maxwell
600
Kimberling, Henry A.
359
Kipple, Andrew.
432
Klemmert, Gustave
218
Kline, John G
244
Kloss, David Shelley
285
Heinsling, Henry T.
334
Kyle, Samuel
599
Lamade, Louis G.
437
Landis, Aug. S.
418
La Porte, Adolph. M.
388
Laughman, Daniel.
474
Law, Jacob W
563
Layman, William
590
Leader, William L
468
Leatherman, Daniel J., M D ..
583
Lehrsch, Adolph C.
578
Leighty, James F
502
Leisenring, Jacob Shindel.
300
Leet, Hon. Jonathan
410
Lemon, Hon. John A.
502
Levengood, Wellington Y., M.D. 553
Liebegott, Christian
291
Long, Dr. Charles.
405
Lots, George.
381
Loudon, John
258
Loudon, William.
268
Loudon, Thomas
561
Love, John D.
372
Lowrie, W. L., M. D.
497
Lytle, Edward H.
562
Mackey. Martin H.
235
McAllister, Hon. Archibald
442
McCahan, Capt. Thomas S.
192
Jenks, Henry F. W
325
McCamant, Hon, S.
384
McCarthy, Samuel L., M. D. .
447
McCauley, Herman K.
580
Henshey, John.
596
Hewit, Hon. B. L.
375
Hewitt, Benjamin L.
583
xiii
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
McClain, Frank
271
McClellan, Jacob.
566
McClellan, Capt. Geo. A.
189
McCoy, Gen. Rob't A.
533
Mccullough, David G.
329
MeDermitt, Lt. Col. William A. 266
McDowell, Jacob Emery
274
Mel'arlin, Daniel M.
207
Mcfarland, Thomas B
501
Mc Feeley, William J.
525
McIntosh, Malcolm,
593
McKee, Alexander J
471
Mc Master, James.
566
Marshall, Capt. James H
191
Mathers, Rev. Joseph H.
231
Meadville, Graham McCamant. 550
Michen, Arthur W.
280
Mi izker, William L.
302
Miller, John H.
220
Mitchel, Richard.
498
Moffitt, Thomas F.
588
Mohr, John H., LL. B
515
Moiloy, Frank P.
314
Montgomery, C. Howard
221
Moore, Warren H.
331
Moore Family
589
Meore, Joseph.
602
Morrison, John S.
416
Morrow, Frank M
177
Morrow, John H
564
Morrow, Anthony S.
308
Murray, David,
489
Neason, James E.
586
Nel, Daniel J.
348
Neif, John K.
349
Nowell, Mary Elizabeth, M.D .. 490
Outman, James J., M. D.
358
('Connor, Rev. John B.
423
O'Neil, John
222
O'Reilly, Rev. Nicholas J.
435
O: borne, Prof. Wilson W
547
O: man, Absalom
203
Over, David
305
PAGE.
Parker, David E.
205
Parker, Hiram H.
236
Patterson, James
262
Patterson, John K.
303
Patterson, Frank G.
485
Pennock, William L
318
Plummer, J. Lee
320
Price, Austin V.
204
Price, George, M. D
523
Porter, John Lyon
558
Powell, William J
430
Pruner, Edwin J
429
Raugh, David A.
473
Ray, Daniel Pattee.
245
Ramey, David K.
239
Reamey, Daniel K.
476
Reem, Prof. William C.
557
Reed, John G.
361
Reifsnyder, Joshua L
537
Rhine, George W
572
Rhodes, Jacob A.
292
Rhodes, Thomas O.
368
Rhodes, Daniel G.
390
Rhodes, John M.
424
Rhodes, Christian A.
576
Rittman, Mary.
362
Roberdeau, Gen. Daniel.
164
Robinson, Charles M
338
Robinson, James T
493
Robison, Robert W.
577
Robison, James Blair
491
Roelofs, Richard
200
Rohrer, Hon. Jacob A.
595
Roller, Jacob.
577
Ross, Samuel M., M.D.
182
Ross, John D., M.D.
226
Sausser, Clinton W
369
Schmucker, Samuel R
567
Sell, John.
569
Shaw, Hon. Edmund.
425
Shellenberger, William L
467
Shelley, Philip.
295
PAGE.
Shimer, Dr. William S.
508
Shollar, Capt. James S
223
Sholly, Henry L.
559
Shuff, Samuel.
371
Sink, Amandus G.
521
Slep, Harry
364
Smith, Albert S., M. D.
253
Smith, James M., M. D
326
Smith, Alfred A.
342
Smith, Judge Samuel.
347
Smith, Rev. Thomas P
360
Smith, William R
370
Smith, David A.
422
Smith, John C.
543
Sneeringer, Pius
328
Snively, Daniel ..
366
Snyder, William C.
414
Spang, Hon. Geo. H
492
Sparr Family.
457
Spanogle, Albert L., M. D
541
Spendley, Robert H
307
Sprankle, John A
230
Stahl, John B.
520
Stephens, William H.
504
Stevens, Adie Allen
397
Stern, John
570
Stewart, Rev. John D.
399
Stewart, George M.
317
Stewart, Samuel Calhoun.
462
Stewart, Prof. James A
363
Stich, Laurence P
511
Stone, William
536
Study, Edwin L
581
Stultz, Daniel.
353
Stultz, Harry L.
531
Symington, T. M. T
263
Taylor, Dr. James R
415
Thompson, McLeod W
393
Tierney, Frank S.
508
Trout, Thomas
289
Van Brunt, George E.
257
Vogt, William.
454
xiv
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
PAGE.
PAGE.
Waite, John G. 337
Wheatley, William M. 596
Wolf, Adam J. 433
Waite, Abram
273
Whitbred, Andrew A. 312
Wood, Daniel D. 178
Walter, John W., M. D. 292
White, Harry J. 513
Woodcock, William L 199
Woodle, Rev. Allen S.
496
Waring, William G.
456
Wigton, Theodore H. 159
Wray, David L. 254
Watts, James
548
Wilson, John F. 306
Weaver, John H., M. D 477
Wilson, James Harvey 243
Yerger, Paul 601-
Webber, J. W. 503
Wilson, James T., M. D. 309
Yingling, John M. 313
Weiser, Conrad
167
Wilmore, John J. 222
Yon, David A. 284
Wentzel, Ira
332
Winn, James E.
519
Westley, John B.
187
Winter, Ferdinand A
542
Zeigler, George.
485
Waring, Robert 449
White, Thomas
584
XV
CONTENTS.
ILLUSTRATIONS.
FACING PAGE
The Capitol, Washington.
Frontispiece.
Lair County Alms House
149
Ilir County Court House
124
I uch, Rev. E. A.
478
Fullin, John B.
409
Dean, Judge John
157
Green, M. A
163
Hewit, Hon. B. L. 375
Ilicks, J. D 214
Horse Shoe Bend
528
Lundis, Aug. S.
418
FACING PAGE
Mackey, M. H
235
Marshall, Capt. James H.
191
McCarthy, S. L., M.D.
447
McCarthy, Dr. S. L., Residence of.
449
McClain, Frank
271
Plummer, J. Lee
320
Robinson, Charles M.
338
Stevens, A. A.
397
State Capitol at Harrisburg.
152
Thompson, McLeod W
393
Trout, T. J
289
Wood, Daniel D.
178
Woodcock, William L
199
1
HISTORICAL SKETCH
OF
BLAIR COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
"Boundaries and Area- Territorial Changes- Ge- Jogy - Topography - Arch and Roaring Springs - Sinking Valley Cave- Mound Builders - In- dians - Anglo-Saxon Pioneers - Frankstown - Revolutionary War - Settlers' Forts - Tory Ex- pedition - Lead Mining under the Continental Congress - Fort Roberdeau-Old Roads- Early Furnaces and Forges - Pennsylvania Canal - Allegheny Portage Railroad - Hollidaysburg - County Formation and Civil Roster - Pennsylva- nia Railroad - Altoona and Tyrone - Kossuth's Visit - The Civil War and Lists of Soldiers - In- dustrial Development and Present Railways -Po- litical and Postal History - The Press, Churches, Schools and Banks -County Societies - SSecret Orders- Insurance-Townships and Boroughs- t'ensus Statistics - Miscellaneous - State History.
It is impossible in a work of this character to treat extensively of history ; yet the pub- listers desire to record, briefly, the important events in the history and development of the present territory of Blair county, before making record of the biographical sketches of the county's leading citizens.
BLAIR COUNTY, Pennsylvania, is in the beautiful and far-famed Juniata valley, and lies between the forty-first and forty-second degrees north latitude; and the seventy- eighth and seventy-ninth degrees west longi-
tude from Greenwich, England, or the first and second degrees west longitude from Washington city. As a political division of the State, it is bounded on the north by Cen- tre and Clearfield counties; on the east by Huntingdon county ; on the south by Bed- ford county ; and on the west by Cambria county. Of the sixty-seven counties of the State, in order of age, it is the fifty-ninth ; in order of alphabetical designation, the seventh; and in population ranks nine- teenth. In geographical position Blair county is one of the south central counties of the State, while its geographical center and center of population are not very far apart, and both are located in Frankstown town- ship, a few miles north-east of Hollidaysburg. Blair county has an estimated area of five hundred and ten square miles by Small's legislative hand book of 1888, and five hun- dred and ninety-four square miles, or 380,160 acres, by the second geological survey of Pennsylvania ; was named for Hon. John Blair, a worthy man and public- spirited citizen; and is one of the rich mineral counties of Pennsylvania.
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
The county is in the XVIIIth Congres- sional and 33d State Senatorial districts, while it constitutes the 24th Judicial district of Pennsylvania, and sends two representa- tives to the State legislature.
Territorial Changes. - The present terri- tory of Blair county was a part of the following counties for the respective times specified :
Chester, from 1682 to May 10, 1729.
Lancaster, May 10, 1729, to January 27, 1750.
Cumberland, January 27, 1750, to March 9, 1771, and under which county, in 1767, was organized as a part of Bedford and Barre townships.
Bedford, March 9, 1771, to September 26, 1787, and under which county, in 1775, was included in Frankstown township.
Huntingdon and Bedford, September 20, 1737, to February 26, 1846, the former in- cluding all of Blair, except the territory of North Woodbury and Greenfield townships.
(Feology .- Prof. J. P. Lesley, in the sec- ond geological survey of Pennsylvania, de- serbes the characteristic features of Blair county as follows :
The Allegheny mountain (2000' to 2500' A. T.) is the boundary on the northwest, and its many short, deep ravines, all con- taining the lowest Productive coal beds at their upper ends, issue, between short pro- jecting knobby spurs of Catskill and Pocono rocks, and lower down as Chemung and Hamilton vales, into the long transverse water bed of the Little Juniata, flowing along the soft Marcellus outerop, from Al- toona (1178' A. T.) north-eastward to Ty- rone city (896' A. T.). Ilere, re-enforced by the similarly arranged Bald Eagle creek, coming from Centre county, it turns and gaps the mountain, exposing VII, VI, IV,
and III, and crosses Sinking Creek valley to the end of Canoe mountain. The drain- age of the southwest townships is more complicated. The mountain ravines here pour their rainfall into the Juniata through a hatchet-shaped synelinal basin ; from which it issues by the Williamsburg gap through Canoe mountain to traverse the Canoe val- ley limestone rocks to the gap in Tussey mountain. " Canoe valley opens southward into Morrison's cove, which is drained back- ward through McKee's gap in Dunning mountain into the river above Hollidays- burg. The vast antielinal arch of Nittany valley dies southward up Sinking Creek valley ; while the equally huge arch of Mor- rison's cove dies northward against it at Frankstown. Thus the important Lower Helderberg limestone No. VI outerop, and the still more valuable Clinton ore beds No. V, not only run the whole length of the county, but fold back into the Frankstown cove, greatly increasing the exposure of ore and flux. Immense holes along the lime- stone outerop of No. VI (as at Blair fur- nace), have been filled with brown hema- tite; while in Canoe valley at Springfield, and elsewhere, and in Morrison's cove on Roaring Spring run, still larger deposits of pipe and ball ore (occupying ancient cav- erns in the limestone of No. IF long since uncovered by erosion), once stocked the first small furnaces of Dr. Shoenberger, and still support in whole or part the Rodman, Hol- liday, Martha, Frankstown, Bennington, Springfield, AEtna, Rebecca, and Sarah fur- naces, some using coke and others charcoal. The Pennsylvania railroad tunnel through the crest of the Allegheny mountain (2126' A. T.) cuts through the Freeport upper coal bed (5' thick) with a westward dip of 1º, the railroad gradient upwards in that direc-
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OF BLAIR COUNTY.
tion being also 1º. Below it are six other coal beds from 2 to 4 feet thick, which crop ont around the heads of all the ravines along the mountain wall for many miles. The Mahoning sandstone makes the range of' knobs along the summit of the moun- tain; and the thickness of coal measures under it is 350'; descending we have ex- posed, at first with gentle, and then with steeper and steeper dips, until they become quite vertical in the Bald Eagle mountain, the following formations: Conglomerate XII, 220'; red shale XI, 280'; gray sandstone X, 1240'; old red sandstone, &c., IX, 2560'; mid- dle and lower Devonian VIII, 6520'; Oris- kany sandstone VII, 50'; limestone VI, 900'; red shale and fossil ore V, 1330'; the three sand-rock divisions of the Bald Eagle moun- tain IV, 2900'; the dark slates of III, say 900'; and a measured thickness of Canoe valley limestone strata II, 6600', without reaching the Potsdam No. 1, which no- where appears; i. e. 23,855 feet of Palæo- zoie strata, all of them exposed in detail at many points in the county. The original height of the great rock arches over Sink- ing creek, Canoe valley and Morrison's cove must have been nearly five miles above the present surface; and the lowest limestone strata visible at Birmingham, Springfield, and Bloomfield, must plunge vertically un- der Altoona to an equal depth beneath the Allegheny mountain. The Nittany arch is broken between Birmingham and Tyrone city by a fault, and the Morrison cove arch by a similar fault along the east foot of Danning mountain. Two small transverse cracks throw the Bald Eagle rocks west- ward north of Tyrone city; and Canoe mountain is still more apparently dislocated by a diagonal fault just north of Williams- burg. The range of picturesque roofed
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