USA > Pennsylvania > Blair County > A history of Blair county, Pennsylvania. From its earliest settlement, and more particularly from its organization, in 1846 to June 1896 > Part 3
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This peculiar relation between the Indian nation that occupied, and that which claimed a paramount jurisdiction over, the soil of Pennsylvania, tended greatly to embarrass and complicate the nego- tiations of the proprietary government for the purchase of lands; and its influence was seen and felt both in the civil and military history of Pennsylvania until after the close of the revolution.
The term savage, as applied to the aboriginese, is naturally as- sociated with the idea of barbarism and cruelty-to some extent per- haps justly; yet a closer acquaintance often discloses in them traits that exalt the human character and claim the admiration or sympathy of civilized man. The Indian considers himself created by an al- mighty, wise, and benevolent spirit, to whom he looks for guidance and protection; whom he believes it to be his duty to adore and worship, and whose overruling providence he acknowledges in all his actions. Many Indians were in the habit of seeking out some high mountain from whose lonely summit they might commune with the Great Spirit, and pray to him. But while they worshipped the Creator they were not unmindful of their duties to their fellow-creat- ures. They looked upon the good things of the earth as a common stock, bestowed by the Great Spirit for the benefit of all. They held that the game of the forest, the fish of the rivers, and the grass or other articles of spontaneous growth, were free to all who chose to take them. They ridiculed the idea of fencing in a meadow or a pasture. This principle repressed selfishness and fostered generos- ity. Their hospitality was proverbial. The Indian considers it a duty to share his last morsel with a stranger."
"CHIEF LOGAN."
The term Logan, as appeared to various sections of country, public-houses, halls, etc., in this region, was derived doubtless from the Cayuga chieftain known to the first settlers in the Tuckahoe Valley as Capt. Logan. He came here from the valley of the Sus- quehanna prior to the year 1768, and settled at the spring, near Davidsburg, now owned by David Henshey, a locality still known as Logan Valley.
On the Susquehanna it appears he was the chief of a band of wariors, but in an engagement with another tribe he lost an eye by
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Semi=Centennial History of Blair County.
an arrow from the enemy. This was considered by the indians a mark of disgrace, and he was deposed. He abandoned his tribe therefore, and took up his residence in the Juniata Valley. Capt. Lo- gan, of course, was not his proper name, but a title bestowed upon him by the whites. He was a man of medium height and heavy frame, but was fleet of foot and always on the move. During the revolutionary war he resided at the beautiful spring, now in the heart of Tyrone City. A firm friend of the Americans during the struggle for independence; he it was who discovered and disclosed the diabolical plot of John Weston and his tories.
Although he had learned to read from the Moravian mission- aries when a lad, he knew very little of the forms of land purchases; so through his ignorance of the customs of civilized communities, he failed to purchase the spot on which his cabin stood. As a conse- sequence, after the war, some envious white man bought the land and warned the friendly savage off. He was too proud and haughty to contest the matter, or even bandy words with the intruder; so about 1785 he left and located at Chickalamoose, where Clearfield now stands, and there continued until the Great Spirit called him to a happy hunting ground.
Indian Massącrcs.
Undoubtedly there is some fiction mixed with the stories of the Indian depredations and massacres in the early settlement of this country and the narratives are often highly colored. This results from the fact that they were not accurately recorded at the time, if at all, and are chiefly personal recollections of the witnesses thereof after many years had elapsed. Some even being based on recollec- tions of aged persons who heard it from the lips of parents or grand- parents when they themselves were young. Yet the actual facts were certainly bad enough and may have been even worse than the story as we have it to-day although the particulars as to individual action, dates, names, and locations are far from correct. One can readily conceive the terror of women and children and even strong men, situated in a vast forest region, thinly populated with whites, and infested by Indians whose numbers, though unknown, the imag- ination would be sure to exagerate to myriads, when a rumor became current that a massacre was contemplated or occasional lurking sav- ages were seen, and it is certain that the early settlers of this region did live in the constant and well grounded apprehension of harm from this source for a period of twenty years, during which time au- thentic records prove that within the limits of Blair a score or more of men, women and children were slain by the red men.
The state of mind of the colonists in this region in 1777 may be seen by the following extract from a letter written to the president of the Council by George Woods and Thomas Smith, two justices- of-the-peace, and dated at Bedford, Pa., Nov. 27th, 1777: "Gen- tlemen :- The present situation of this country is so truly deplorable that we should be inexcusable if we delayed a moment in acquaint- ing you with it. An Indian war is now raging around us in its ut- most fury. Before you went down they killed one man at Stony Creek ; since that time they have killed five on the mountain against the head of Dunning's Creek, killed or taken three at the Three Springs, wounded one and killed some children at Frankstown, and had they not providently been discovered in the night and a party gone out and fired on them, they would in all probability have de- stroyed a great part of that settlement in a few hours. A small party went out into Morrison's Cove scouting, and unfortunately di- vided; the Indians discovered Que division, and out of eight killed
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Semi-Centennial History of Blair County.
seven and wounded the other. In short, a day hardly passes with- out our hearing of some new murder, and if the people continue only a week longer to fly as they have done for a week past this county will be a frontier. From Morrison's, Crayls and Friend's Coves, Dunning's Creek, and one-half of the Glades they are fled or forted, and, for all the defense that can be made here the Indians may do almost what they please. We keep out ranging parties, in which we go out by turns, but all that we can do in that way is but weak and ineffectual for our defense, because one-half our people are fled. Those that remain are too busily employed in putting their families and the little of their effects that they can save and take to some place of safety."
What is known as the great Cove massacre occurred in 1762 (this is know known as Martin's Cove, in Blair County) and the number of killed and captured is unknown now but of the captives were the family of John Martin, consisting of his wife and several children. In July, 1780, Captain Philips was surprised and over- come by a hostile band of Indians in Woodcock Valley, and all his men, ten in number, were killed, except his son Elijah. Captain Philips and his son were held in captivity for some time, with the expectation, no doubt, that they would be ransomed. They were carried to Detroit and from there to Montreal, and finally made their escape, or were liberated by the British to whom the Indians had delivered them.
In the autumn of 1788 the wife and three of the children of Matthew Dean, great grandfather of Justice John Dean of the Su- preme Court, were slain by the Indians at their home in Canoe Valley. Catharine Township, about three miles west of Waterstreet, while Mr. Dean and the other children were at work in the fields some distance away and a son of Captain Simonton who was at the Dean residence, was carried away and never recovered. In 1781, in Tyrone Township, Jacob Roller was shot and scalped by Indians while out hunting and a man named Bebault, living alone, was killed at his house nearby, by the same band. In the summer of 1777 or 78, a man named John Guilliford cleared a small patch near where Blair Furnace Station, in Logan Township, now is and erected a cabin near the present site of John Trout's house. The next spring after putting out some crops he became alarmed for his safety and fled to Fetters Fort but soon after believing the Indians to have gone away he ventured back to see how his crops were coming on. but they must have been lying in wait for him as he was found the same day by two hunters, Coleman and Milligan, lying dead on the
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Semi-Centennial History of Blair County.
threshold of his cabin, having evidently been shot by the Indians as he was entering the door. He was buried near the spot by these two men who then endeavored to follow the murders and avenge the the death of their neighbor but in this were unsuccessful. About this time Thomas Coleman while hunting alone came upon two un- armed Indians who were carrying off two captive children : and level- ing his rifle at them with a stern command to halt! they quickly dropped the children and fled.
Coleman was a great Indian fighter well known and feared by the red men of the Juniata valley. It is said that he killed a number of them to avenge the death of a brother slain by the savages years before in the Susquehanna valley.
In August, 1781, Adam Holliday with several of his children was at work in a field just above where Gaysport now stands when they were attacked by Indians, Mr. Holliday seized the youngest chikl and suceeded in making his escape with it but his daughter Janet and a son Patrick, were captured and killed.
SLAVERY IN BLAIR COUNTY.
In Blair County, since its organization, slavery never existed, but in the territory of which it is composed it was not unknown as late as 1800, the assessment lists of the county disclose the fact that a few negro slaves were held in bondage here. In 1794 there were three slave owners in Allegheny township.
Date of Organization of the Different Townships and Chartering of Boroughs and Cities.
AHegheny Township.
1793.
Altoona Borough Chartered. . . 1854.
Antis
ISIO.
Altoona City
.1868.
Blair
1839.
Bellwood
..
Catharine
18.46.
Gaysport Borough
.1841.
Frankstown
.prior to 1775.
Hollidaysburg
1836.
Freedom
..
1857.
Juniata
1893.
Greenfield
. . prior to 1800.
Martinsburg
Huston
1S12.
Newry ..
1832. 1876.
Juniata
1847.
RoaringSpring
ISSS.
Logan
1850.
Tyrone
1857.
N. Woodbury' "
. prior to 1800. 1841.
Williamsburg
.. 1828
Taylor
.4
. IS55.
Tyrone
prior to 1& .
Woodbury
.. prior to 1787.
East Tyrone
. .
Snyder
to 1841 and charter forfeited by failure to elect officers.
Development
OF A GREAT THOROUGHFARE AND BLAIR COUNTY'S PART IN IT.
The growth and development of the channels of travel is an ex- tremely interesting study. As early as 1740 and 1750 white men traversed old Indian paths leading from Harrisburg up the Susque- hanna to the Juniata; up the Juniata to its headwaters in the Alle- gheny mountains and across these, through narrow gorges, whose highest point was considerably less elevated than the main ridge. These paths, or trails, were only passable for pedestrians and all the rivers and smaller streams had to be forded.
After passing the Alleghenies the headwaters of the Conemaugh river were reached and its course followed to the site of Johnstown, thence on to the Allegheny river and down that stream to Pittsburg. Occassional short cuts were made from one bend of the stream to to another where the pathi would be a considerable distance from its channel, but generally the streams were followed pretty closely. This was the earliest thoroughfare between the east and the west in this part of the wilderness. About the year 1788 a road was cut through on nearly the same lines. It extended from Huntingdon westward to Frankstown on the site of Hollidaysburg and Duncans- ville, and up the Blair Creek and gap to near where Cresson has since grown up and from thence to the confluence of the Conemaugh and Stony Creek rivers. It was barely passable for wagons, and the large streams were not bridged.
This road was paid for by the state was constructed by Robert Galbraith, a resident of Blair County, and it served the purposes of a highway for the early settlers, for 25 years. Soon after the begin- ning of the present century the idea of a pike road along the same route with bridges over all the streams was entertained and public spirited citizens urged its construction, and aided to build it. By 1820 it had been accomplished, through private enterprise largely and John Blair, a native and resident of this county, was president of the Huntingdon, Cambria and Indiana Turnpike Road Company.
No sooner was the pike completed than the project of a canal between Philadelphia and Pittsburg was set on foot and although its construction would be a detriment to the turnpike, yet John Blair, president of the Turnpike Company, was so public spirited as to aid and encourage it to his full ability, and he lived to see it completed to Hollidaysburg. The canal was exclusively a state institution, the cost being too great for private enterprise at that time, but Blair County people were leaders in the movement and high in the coun-
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Semi-Centennial History of Blair County.
cils of control, Hollidaysburg was a port of entry and the location of a great basin at the western terminus of the eastern division. The canal, supplemented by the Allegheny Portage Railroad across the mountains, was a wonderful thing in its day, but still the people were not satisfied and the first boat had hardly traversed the full length of the canal and passed over the mountains on the new railroad, demonstrating the value of such a mode of travel and transportation, than the idea of an all rail route began to take definite shape and in ten years time a company to build it was incorporated although it would cost much more than the canal and must be done entirely by private enterprise. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company had its birth in 1846. Simultaneously with the beginning of this road in whose construction and management Blair County and Blair County people have had a most prominent place, the management of the Pennsylvania canal tried to preserve their ascendency by doing away with the inclined planes on the mountain road and the New Portage was begun: thousands of dollars of the public moneys was spent and a road without inclines was constructed almost parallel with the "Okl Portage." It was a useless effort, for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company had their all rail route finished and public sentiment was so strong against state management of the Public works, as the canal and Portage railroad were called, that they were sold to the Penn- sylvania Railroad Company, who, by the purchase, absorbed a par- allel and competing line and became master of the situation. The State received about one-fourth the cost of these works by the sale. The Pennsylvania railroad deviated a little from the route of the ok canal, pike and first public road, following the little Juniata almost to its source, near the site of Altoona, and crossing the mountains through the Kittanning Gap. This railroad company, which soon forged ahead of all others and whose gross receipts per annum are now more than twice that of any other railroad in America, had for its president many years, Thomas A. Scott, whose youth was largely spent in Blair County, and who may with propriety be called a Blair County man. Blair County contains the principal shops of the com- pany and is the headquarters of the General Superintendent, and General Superintendent of Motive Power.
Thus in less than 100 years an uninhabited forest has been changed to a rich, populous and productive region, and a scarcely distinguishable trail, passable only on foot, has been superseded by a steel railroad over whose length, glide ahnost with the speed of light pondrous trains of cars bearing thousands of tons of freight or hund- reds of travelers. Blair County has taken a prominent part in this progress and if any further improvement is possible Blair County people will be found leading the van.
Educational .--- Schools.
Beginning very early in the history of this region we find schools were established by private enterprise of public spirited citi- zens long before the enactment of our present wise and liberal school laws. Subscription schools were quite common and the little log school house, erected by the people of a district by mutual agree- ment, and supported by their voluntary contributions, was found in every community.
In 1834 the general common school law was enacted and since then education has been as free as the air they breath to every child of this favored state. Tution was free from 1834 to 1893; the text books, however, had to be furnished by the parents or guardians, but the legislature, in 1893, provided that the directors must furnish pupils text books for use in the school room without charge.
The length of terms in the country districts are now six to seven months and in the boroughs and City of Altoona, eight and nine months. Altoona has twelve large school buildings, the aggre- gate value of which is nearly half a million dollars. Over six thous- and pupils are in attendance and one hundred and forty teachers are employed at salaries ranging from $30.00 to $100.00 per month. Prof. D. S. Keith has been Superintendent of the city schools for sixteen years. The borough public schools of Tyrone and Holli- daysburg are in an equally flourishing condition. Prot. H. S. Wertz is superintendent of the schools of the county, outside of Altoona City. The higher education of the youth of the county has received some attention; and the graduates of Altoona, Tyrone and Hollidaysburg schools are well fitted for useful life or to enter college, if they so desire.
In 1860 a school of some considerable pretensions was estab- lished at Martinsburg under the name of the Franklin High School and Blair County Normal Institute. The name was afterward changed to Juniata Collegiate Institute. It was erected by a joint stock company at a cost $8,ooo.oo and was a chartered institution. Some years later, not proving a financial success, it was sold to the Lutheran Synod for $3,000.00. Later it was owned by J. G. Herbst who sold it to Prof. Lucian Cort for $5,000.00. Prof. Cort, in 1868, enlarged it at a cost of $8,000.00, to its present dimensions, 100 feet front and 75 feet deep. It is a brick building, four stories
Semi-Centennial History of Blair County.
in height and will accomodate eighty boarding students. In 1875 it was purchased by Prof. P. H. Bridenbaugh for $10,700 who, for a number of years carried on a very successful school. Later, while still in the possession of Prof. Bridenbaugh, it was used for several months to shelter the inmates of the Blair County Alms House when the old one burned down. At present no regular school is in opera- tion there.
The Hollidaysburg Female Seminary, at Hollidaysburg, is one of the finest buildings in the county. It is constructed of stone and is 150 feet in front, extends back 160 feet; four stories in height and was erected in 1869 by a joint stock company at a cost of $75,000. It is now owned by Major William Williams, one of Hollidaysburg's most prominent and wealthy citizens, and is conducted by Mrs. Hitchcock and is a well managed and flourishing school with many boarding scholars, and many others who live at home and attend during the day. It contains a large and well appointed school hall, laboratory, recitation, reading, music and art rooms as well as the residence rooms of the principal and dormitories of the pupils. The location is one of great beauty, on an eminence from which the view of the surrounding country is superb. The campus consists of five acres of ground. Rev. Joseph Waugh was the first principal, serving from 1869 to 1877, after which time Prof. W. P. Hussey held the position. The school, while not sectarian, is yet in control of Presbyterians and may be classed as a Presbyterian institution. All honor to this church, which in years gone by, has established more seminaries in the United States, probably, than any other protestant denomination.
In Altoona there are several business colleges, so-called, wherein short-hand, typewriting and business and commercial forms are taught, the leading one now being "Anderson's School of Business and Shorthand" in the Mateer building.
The Roman Catholic church, always solicitous to educate the youth of her adherents in their own faith, have parochial schools in connection with all their churches in Altoona, Hollidaysburg and Tyrone, where all branches of learning are taught in a systematic and thorough manner, especial attention being paid to music in the girls' school in the convent of St. John's church, Thirteenth street and Thirteenth avenue. A large three-story brick building for a boys school also belongs to St. John's church and stands on the op- posite corner from the convent and church.
The school building attached to St. Mary's German Roman Catholic church, situated on the corner of Fourteenth street and Fourth avenue, is also a fine brick building and from its elevation is a prominent landmark, seen from many parts of the city.
Religions.
CHURCHES OF THE COUNTY.
The first permanent white setlers of Blair County, coming into the southern end of the Great Cove, or Morrisons Cove, as it is now called about 1760 or earlier, were Dunkards, and that is probably the first religious denomination to obtained a foothold in Blair County territory, followed closely, however, by the Presbyterians and Methodists.
We have not been able to discover any historical incident con- cerning this sect that would prove of special interest to the readers of this sketch, but it is a well attested fact that these people were deeply pious, conscientious in their business relations with their fel- lows and noncombatative. They were plain and unassuming, and did not leave any monuments to their memory in the shape of large and costly church edifices; Being content to worship their Creator in plain, and what many would consider, insignificantly small and poor buildings. Many of their descendants are still found in the county and they have a few places of worship, one in Altoona, but not being an aggressive people, their numbers do not keep pace with the increasing population of the county.
That the Dunkards preceded the Presbyterians may be disputed by some but the foregoing statement, we think, will be found correct. It is however recorded in Africa's history of Blair County, published in 1883 that in 1756 when John Armstrong marched to Kittanning, in September of that year, that he was accompained by Rev. Charles Beatty a Presbyterian minister, and that he preached a ser- mon one Sunday morning to the little band of soldiers while en- camped at Beaver Dams, the location of McCann's Mills, now in Blair County. The truth of this assertion is not doubted or denied, but it is likely that the Dunkards, who resided here, as above stated, held religious services at a still earlier date, and that the congrega- tion consisted of residents of territory now within the bounds of Blair County.
In 1770 or 1772, however, there was a sufficient number of people in the vicinity of Frankstown and Hollidaysburg to make a small congregation and the Presbytery at Carlisle sent the Rev. Dr. King, of Mercersburg, here, who preached the first Presbyterian sermon to residents of Blair in that year at the house of William
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Semi-Centennial History of Blair County.
Holliday. Rev. Mr. McDougal, from Path Valley, also came here at a very early day and preached occasionally. After the close of the Revolutionary war preaching was quite frequent by Presbyterian ministers who were stationed farther east, and who occasionally en- dured the fatigue of a long ride through the forest to preach to the early settlers at Hollidaysburg. A tent or pavilion was erected at Blue Spring, where services were held about 1784 or 1785. This was replaced or superseded in 1790 by a church building and it was called Bard's Meeting House, from Rev. David Bard, a Presbyte- rian minister, who located here in 1788. A congregation was regu- larly organized at this time, and Captain Thomas Blair, father of Hon. John Blair, Thomas McCune and James Smith, Sr., were the first ruling elders. The stated salary of Rev. Bard was $100 per annum. The Bard Meeting House stood on the present cemetery site and was constructed of unhewn logs. It was occupied as a church till 1818 when it was destroyed by fire. A hewed log build- ing was immediately erected, and stood until 1837, when a brick church was built, in its stead, on the corner of Walnut and Clark streets, where the present elegant and commodious church-erected in 1869-70-now stands. Rev. Bard was retained as pastor until his death in 1816, during part of which time he was a member of the House of Representatives in the Congress of the United States. Rev. James Galbraith succeeded Rev. Bard and served the congre- gation here and at Williamsburg until 1835. For the following three years the congregation was served by John A. Dunlap, a licentiate. In 1838 Rev. William J. Gibson, of Philadelphia, was called and re- mained until 1841. Next came Rev. David Mckinney, D. D., who preached until 1852, being succeeded by Rev. David X. Junkin, from Washington, D. C., who was installed January 7. 1854.
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