USA > Pennsylvania > Fayette County > Uniontown > A history of Uniontown : the county seat of Fayette County, Pennsylvania > Part 73
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First :- I devise and bequeath unto Ephraim Douglass of Uniontown and Ellen, his wife, their heirs and assigns, all my property within the borough of Uniontown and lying south of the street called Elbow street in said town, containing three town lots, with a brick dwelling, a log in front, and several other erections, and a meadow lot containing between four and five acres.
Second :- I devise and bequeath unto Bertha, the wife of Samuel Swearingen of Union township, one lot of ground situated on the north side of Elbow street in Uniontown, being the eastward of two lots owned by me on that side of said
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street, to hold the same with the tenements and appurtenances to the said Bertha, her heirs and assigns forever.
Third :- I devise and bequeath unto Louisa, the wife of Samuel Miner of Union township, my meadow lot situated on Redstone creek one mile below Uniontown, containing about thirty acres, with the tenements and appurtenances thereto belonging, to hold the same to the said Louisa, her heirs and assigns forever.
Fourth :- I devise and bequeath unto Ann Keller, daughter of Daniel and Sarah Keller, the westermost of two lots I own on the north side of Elbow street, to hold the same with the tenements and appurtenances thereto belonging, to her, the said Ann and her heirs and assigns forever.
Fifth :- I devise and bequeath unto Douglass Keller, eldest son of Daniel and Sarah Keller, the small farm I now live on in Union township, containing about one hundred acres more or less, to hold the same with the tenements and appurtenances thereunto belonging, unto the said Douglass Keller, his heirs and assigns forever.
Sixth :- I devise and bequeath all the rest and residue of my estate, real and personal, to my executors hereafter named in trust for the use and benefit of Eliza Douglass of Uniontown, Erwin Keller, Mary Keller, Sarah Keller and Harriet Keller, to each of whom I request my said executors to pay the sum of six hundred dollars out of the said hereby devised to them as soon as practicable after the same may be collected if they be respectively of age, and provided the sum will admit of such dividend, and I hereby appoint my said executors or the sur- vivor of them, testamentary guardians of such of the last mentioned legatees as may not have attained twenty-one years of age, and shall remain unmarried at the time they, my said executors shall have collected the said fund or any part thereof, and may think proper to strike a dividend of such part or the whole as they may in their discretion think most advisable for the accommodation of all the legatees. If the fund hereby de- vised to my executors in trust as aforesaid shall not yield suf- ficient to divide six hundred dollars to each of the last named legatees, five in number, then it is my will that said fund be equally divided between the said five legatees, but if it should yield a surplus, I will and bequeath that the surplus equally to be divided to and among all the devisees and legatees named in
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this my will, but I charge the whole of said fund with payment of my just debts, if there should be any, with payment of my funeral expenses and with all charges and expenses of carrying the trust hereby confided into execution by my said executors, or the survivor of them.
Seventh :- If any of my devisees or legatees shall die under age and unmarried, it is my will that his or her estate or legacy be reduced to money and divided among the survivors equally, and of any of those already married should die before the estate or legacy devised to him or her shall become vested, it is my will that his or her child or children shall take such estate or legacy as such child or children's parents so dying would have taken, had he or she lived until his or her devise or legacy might have vested such estate or legacy to be reduced to money by my executors or survivor of them, and the proceeds thereof to be paid all to one, if but one child, or divided into as many shares as the parent dying has left children, and paid over to them or their guardians. If Ephraim Douglass or his wife, Ellen, should die before his or her estate or interest hereby de- vised and bequeathed to them shall become vested without issue living at his or her death, it is my will that the estate and legacy hereby devised and bequeathed to either so dying shall keep and vest in the survivor of them as fully and for such estate and interest as either so dying could or might have been entitled to hold and claimed if he or she had lived.
The preceding seventh section is intended to whether the death of any devisee or legatee shall happen before or after the death of the testator.
I do hereby constitute Ellis Baily and Isaac Beeson of Uniontown, executors of this my last will and testament, with the hope that they will undertake the execution thereof.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 24th day of July, 1826.
Signed and published in presence of
John Lyon. Henry Ebert.
Recorded July 19, 1833.
On January 2, 1913, the remains of General Douglass were removed from their original burial place, which had become neglected and were re-interred in Union cemetery where the
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grave will be decorated with flowers on each recurring memorial day.
DOCTOR SOLOMON DROWN.
Doctor Solomon Drown was a resident of Morgantown when he selected a tract of fourteen acres of land just east of the then village of Uniontown in 1794, and became a resident of the town two years later. He was a gentleman of means, education and refinement as well as a physician of extensive practice and high rank. His presence soon made a favorable impression upon the community that a century of years has not effaced.
Dr. Drown was born in Providence, Rhode Island, March 11, 1753, and was married to Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Russell, in Hillston, Mass. They both died at Hygeia, at Foster, Rhode Island ; he on February 5, 1834, and Mrs. Drown on March 15, 1844.
Dr. Drown was graduated at Rhode Island college, now Brown University, in 1773; studied medicine and received medical degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, and also from Darmouth college, New Hampshire. He entered the United States service in 1776 as surgeon's mate in the general hospital under John Morgan, director general of hospitals, and was located in New York, West Chester, New Castle, Newark and other places. In 1777 he was located in Rhode Island State hospital for seven months, after which he was promoted to the rank of surgeon in Colonel Crary's regiment, and was in Sul- livan's expedition on Rhode Island. He was afterwards in Bristol, and in 1780, was appointed surgeon to Lieut .- Col. At- well's regiment. In the fall of this same year he went on a cruise, as surgeon, in the private sloop of war "Hope," his journal of which has been published.
Dr. Drown won the regard of Lafayette, the Counts de Rochambeau and D'Estaing as well as other French officers to such a degree by his medical ability and skill as a surgeon that the chief of the medical staff entrusted their individual soldiers to his care when they left for home.
In 1783 Dr. Drown was elected to the Board of Fellows in Brown University, and through his labors and contributions a botanical garden was established in connection with the uni- versity, and part of the college campus was set apart for the
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cultivation of rare and interesting shrubs and trees. A year later he went to London and spent several years in traveling over England, and in visiting the hospitals and medical schools of that country, and in May, 1785, he visited Holland and Belgium for similar purposes and then went to Paris. While in France he was often the guest of Dr. Franklin at Passy, in whose society he met Mr. Jefferson and other gentlemen of distinction. On his return to Providence he resumed the prac- tice of medicine, but in 1788, he journeyed to Ohio and took up his residence at Marietta, where he remained for nearly a year. While there he delivered a funeral eulogy upon Gen. James M. Varnum, whom he had attended in his last sickness, and also the first anniversary oration on the settlement of Mari- etta, April 7, 1789. He was also present and participated with General Arthur St. Clair and others in the treaties at Fort Harmar in 1788-9, with Corn Planter and other Indian chiefs. Returning to his native town, he continued the practice of medicine until 1792, when he removed to Morgantown, now West Virginia, stopping enroute to visit General Washington at Mt. Vernon.
Upon his locating in Uniontown, Dr. Drown resumed the practice of his profession, and at a Fourth of July celebration in 1796, he was the orator of the occasion. This address was delivered in front of the court house on the occasion of a military and civic parade, and it is a matter of regret that the address was not preserved.
Dr. Drown remained a resident of this town seven years, and in July, 1801, he concluded to return to Rhode Island. Besides the property above mentioned, Dr. Drown owned a farm of 200 acres in Springhill township, none of which was disposed of until after his death. The mansion property at Uniontown was divided into small parts and sold by Richard Beeson, Esq., as attorney for the heirs. Dr. Drown retraced his steps to Rhode Island, removing his family and household effects by the slow, tedious and expensive way of wagoning, and being a man of energy and still in the prime of life, became impatient of the lumbering wagons as they crossed the moun- tains. He cut for himself a hickory walking stick, by the aid of which he walked a considerable portion of the way to his native state. This walking stick was kept as an heirloom in the family.
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Soon after his return to Rhode Island Dr. Drown settled in Foster and purchased a farm of 200 acres on the highest point in the state which he named " Mount Hygeia." On this he erected a large and commodious but plain frame mansion, being the third dwelling ever erected on the farm. In this he spent the remainder of his days practicing his profession and cultivating flowers and choice plants for the study of botany.
At the time of his purchase of this farm there stood on it an aged apple tree of the variety known as the Rhode Island Greening. This tree was known to be sixty years old at the time Dr. Drown purchased the farm and by his care and skillful treatment that tree bore fruit up to the year 1900, and was supposed to be the oldest tree of its kind then in the United States.
Dr. Drown left a widow, three sons and five daughters, and in his death his family, friends and community at large sus- tained an irreparable loss, and it is with pride that Uniontown can boast that among her former citizens was Doctor Solomon Drown.
DR. SOLOMON DROWN'S FAREWELL TO HIS UNIONTOWN GARDEN.
Adieu, my sweet garden, to thee ! Adieu to each favorite flower,
The woodbine that mantles the tree, Constructing simplicity's bower,
Adieu to the sweet blushing rose, To the lily as fragrant as white,
The crocus in autumn that blows, Protracting the pasture's delight, Adieu to the pleasures of May, Each plant in my garden so fair,
The tree that rich blossoms display, And burdens with odors the air, Adieu to each picturesque scene, That grove of choice persian bloom You spartium of delicate mein, Enchanting the summer's perfume. Adieu to the nest in the hedge, Let virtue perennial prevail,
The younglings in safety shall fledge, And harmony pour o'er the dale,
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Adieu ! rising village, adieu ! Ye inhabitants, generous and kind,
Our hearts shall return oft to you, Whom reluctant we now leave behind, Attracted by dear natal soil, The spot where our relatives dwell,
We boldly encounter each toil, And bid you a cordial farewell.
HENRY CLAY DEAN.
Henry Clay Dean, although not a citizen of this town for a great length of time-from his eccentricities, his wonderful ability to remember what he read, and his national reputation as an orator, is remembered as a brilliant member of our local bar. He was born at McClellandtown, Fayette county, Pa., October 27, 1822. His mother being incompetent to care for him, he was taken in infancy by Thomas Wilson of near Middle Run, German township and was nursed at the breast of Mrs. Wilson and reared as one of the family, and by them given the name of Henry Clay.
After attending the schools of the day he taught a number of sessions, after which he attended several sessions at Madison college at Uniontown. He then entered the law office of the Honorable Andrew Stewart as a law student about 1840, but Mr. Stewart being engaged in politics he recited to Nathaniel Ewing, Esq. He followed Mr. Stewart politically until the breaking out of the civil war, which he denounced in the most emphatic terms.
He was admitted to the Fayette county bar, probably in 1863, but never practiced here. For several years he was a minister of the Methodist church in Virginia, where he gained much renown as an orator, although his youthful teachings were Calvanistic. He next settled in Van Buren county, Iowa, in 1850, on a thousand acre farm and continued preaching until the split in the Methodist church, when he quit preaching and resumed the practice of law. He next drifted into Missouri where he located on an eighteen hundred acre farm, on the Chariton river, naming his place the "Rebel's Cove," at the same time resuming the practice of law. He defended many murder cases and never lost one to the gallows. He defended seven cases of murder in one year, and cleared every one,
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so powerful was the persuasive force of his marvelous eloquence.
One writer describes him as he addressed a jury in a very important case when pitted against other legal giants, thus: "He spoke as though all the illustrations suited to his argu- ment were piled up before him like a rick of bricks to be taken down and used one after another, without loss of time, yet each fitted to its place; and as he warmed up to the closing, it seemed as if he had the Bible, Shakespeare, and in fact, the whole range of English literature on a blackboard before him." His library of 4,500 volumes and his household effects were all destroyed by fire. He was elected chaplain of the United States senate in 1855, on the recommendation of George W. Jones, U. S. senator of Iowa. He was on the electoral ticket for Stephen A. Douglass for president in 1860, but always refused to become a candidate for any office.
When asked why he left Iowa he replied : " The Black Republicans came into power in Iowa; they enacted the ne- farious prohibition law, there was whisky gone; they abolished capital punishment, there was hanging gone; now they are drifting into Universalism, there is hell gone. I will not live in a state that does not believe in whisky, hanging and hell."
Although he was opposed to secession and disliked Jeffer- son Davis and denounced slave holding, language failed to furnish him adequate adjectives to express his vituperations against the civil war, and especially against Abraham Lincoln. He was arrested and confined in jail for several weeks for his disloyal expressions. His acrimonious attitude towards the government was based upon his opposition to secession of the Southern States, believing that diplomacy could have settled the differences between the two sections.
He prepared the manuscript for two volumes entitled " The Crimes of the Civil War," wherein he expressed his views in emphatic and bitter terms. But one volume was published; the manuscript of the other was destroyed in the fire that de- stroyed his library.
Personally he was uncouth in manners, slouchy and slovenly in dress, and in many ways repulsive, yet his conversational powers and his matchless gift of oratory attracted throngs of anxious hearers.
He was married near Beverly, West Virginia, and died in
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Putnam county, Missouri, February 6, 1887, leaving a family of seven children.
" CRAZY BILLY."
A familiar and mysterious character whose name was Wil- liam Stanford, and was known as " Crazy Billy," was a resident of Uniontown for more than half a century.
He was a native of England, and coming to the United States, he secured employment for a while in several of the eastern cities before he made his sudden and sensational ap- pearance in Fayette county.
On Saturday, January 15, 1831, he made his appearance at the home of Alexander Crow, then in Springhill, now in Nichol- son township, and behaving rudely, Mr. Crow attempted to eject the intruder when "Billy " seized an ax and drove the family from the house. A posse was summoned and "Billy" was overpowered and tied astride a horse and brought to Uniontown and committed to jail. The following day Mr. Crow made in- , formation against " Billy " before Peter Stentz, a justice of the peace, and he was held for trial. While " Billy " was confined in the jail one John Updegraff was arrested for drunkenness and disorderly conduct and placed in the jail, where while sleeping off his stupor, " Billy " took a billet of fire wood and with one blow killed Updegraff. This occurred on the 14th of March, and on June 14, " Billy " was placed on trial and pro- nounced insane and remanded to prison. He was heavily ironed and kept in close confinement for several years, but when Wil- liam Snyder became sheriff in 1847, his kind-hearted wife, con- cluding that "Billy" was not vicious, allowed him his freedom about the jail and court house, where he became useful as chore boy.
Although his conversation was incoherent and he was much given to unintelligible mutterings, he apparently never enjoyed a lucid moment, nor was he subject to violent attacks of insanity. His disposition was even and mild, and once when asked if he had not killed a man in the jail he replied: " No, but I once killed a sheep in the jail." His clothing, apparently, was that cast away by the different sheriffs under whom he served, and at whose hands he received the kindest treatment. He was not filthy in his habits, but careless in his dress-never having his shoes tied, and his coat thrown over his shoulder. He was re-
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garded as a mascot about the court house where he made him- self useful as an errand boy.
He died at the sheriff's residence January 26, 1883, at the age of about eighty years. After his death his body lay in state in the court house, where it was viewed by many sympathetic friends. His remains were interred in Oak Grove cemetery with the Episcopal burial service, and a section of one of the columns of the old court house was placed to mark his grave. A small marble block surmounts the sandstone base, on which is inscribed " William Stanford, died January 26, 1883."
The last words spoken by " Billy " were in his dying throes, when, it appears, a flash of light fell across his beclouded memory, he turned his eyes upon his attendant and calling him by name, said: "Oh, Gardner, if I could only see my mother -. " Colonel Searight, who knew " Billy " intimately, in his history of the " Old Pike," closes his notes on " Billy " with the following touching and beautiful paragraph: "This was not a lucid interval in the ordinary meaning of the phrase, but an expiring thought, a final flash of affection, a wonderful testimo- nial to the sweetest of all names, and a most forcible and strik- ing illustration of the ineffaceable impression made by a mother's care and love, and all the more, since at no time before, during his long sojourn at Uniontown, was he ever known to have mentioned his mother or his father. A poor, unfortunate luna- tic, separated for more than a half century from the parental roof, a stranger in a strange land, tossed by the billows of a hard fate, and lying down to die, light flashes upon his long distempered mind, and his last and only thought is 'Mother.'"
CHAPTER XXXIII.
SECRET ORDERS-A MASONIC LODGE IN 1802-LAUREL LODGE NO. 215, F. AND A. M .- FAYETTE LODGE No. 228, F. AND A. M .- UNION ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER NO. 165-MADISON LODGE NO. 419, K. OF P .- RISING STAR LODGE NO. 533, I. O. O. F .- TUNNALEUKA LODGE No. 365, I. O. O. F .- ROYAL ARCANUM COUNCIL No. 388- SAINT OMER'S COMMANDERY NO. 3, KNIGHT'S TEMPLAR-UNION- TOWN COMMANDERY NO. 49, KNIGHTS TEMPLAR-FORT NECESSITY LODGE No. 254, I. O. O. F .- FAYETTE ENCAMPMENT No. 80, I. O. O. F .- LAUREL LODGE No. 9, I. O. S. M .- INDEPENDENT ORDER OF B'NAI B'RITH No. 471-ROYAL ORDER OF LIONS, DEN NO. 600- BLUE LODGE NO. 228-ALPHEUS E. WILLSON LODGE, KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS-BEESON LODGE, KNIGHTS OF HONOR NO. 2614-PRO- TECTIVE HOME CIRCLE-RED MEN-B. P. O. OF ELKS-ROYAL ORDER OF MOOSE NO. 20-ORDER OF OWLS, AND SEVERAL OTHERS. THE UNIONTOWN HOSPITAL-THE OLD HENRY BEESON MANSION.
A Masonic lodge was chartered in Uniontown April 2, 1802, with the following-named officers: Abraham Stewart, W. M .; George Manypenny, S. W .; Christian Tarr, J. W .; John Van Houten, Tyler. This lodge continued until 1817.
Laurel Lodge, No. 215, F. and A. M .- This lodge was instituted June 30, 1828, under charter granted by the R. W. Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, June 2, 1828. Its first officers were: Thomas Irwin, W. M .; L. W. Stockton, S. W .; Gabriel Evans, J. W .; William Salter, Treas .; Moses Hampton, Sec. This lodge existed for a short time only, closing its work Feb- ruary 11, 1831.
Fayette Lodge, No. 228, F. and A. M .- Upon the petition of John Irons, Zalmon Ludington, James Piper, John Keffer, P. U. Hook, John McCuen, William Doran, Moses Shehan, Rev. S. E. Babcock, and Samuel Bryan, the R. W. Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania granted a warrant or charter to open a lodge in the borough of Uniontown, to be known as Fayette Lodge, No. 228. John Irons to be first W. M .; Zalmon Ludington to be first S. W. and James Piper to be first J. W. The first regular meeting of this lodge was held Monday, April 3, 1848, at which meeting ten were admitted to membership, and at the close of the Masonic year the lodge numbered fifty-two members. The
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first member admitted was William Thorndell. John Irons, the first W. M., died of cholera July 29, 1850, and was buried the following day with the honors of Freemasonry, and over whose tomb the lodge erected a monument. The following brethren have served as Masters: Robert Boyle, for year 1851-52; James L. Bugh, 1853; Moses Shehan, 1854; Zalmon Ludington, 1855; George W. K. Minor, 1856; Thomas Semans, 1857-58; James H. Springer, 1859; Daniel Smith, 1860-62; Thomas Semans, 1863-67; George W. Litman, 1868; Thomas Semans, 1869; Charles E. Boyle, 1870; William Hunt, 1871; William C. Snyder, 1872 ; P. M. Hochheimer, 1873-74; S. M. Baily, 1875-76 ; D. J. Hopwood, 1877.
Union R. A. Chapter, No. 165 .- The Grand Holy Royal Arch Chapter of Masons of Pennsylvania granted a charter and established a Chapter of Royal Arch Masons at Uniontown upon a petition signed by P. U. Hook, John Irons, S. E. Babcock, Wil- . liam Searight, Daniel Sturgeon, and John McCuen. The peti- tioners were convened and the Chapter organized as Union R. A. Chapter, No. 165, May 15, 1849, and the following officers elected : P. U. Hook, H. P .; William Searight, K .; John Irons, S .; Wil- liam Thorndell, Treas .; Richard Huskins, Sec.
The work of the Chapter was carried on until St. John's day, December 27, 1855, from which date the work was sus- pended until the 15th of April, 1872, when the Chapter was resuscitated and new officers were elected and the work resumed.
Madison Lodge, No. 419, K. of P .- Was chartered De- cember 10, 1873, with the following charter members: G. W. K. Minor, Henry Delaney, Joseph M. Hadden, John W. Wood, John S. Roberts, John S. Breading, George B. Rutter, Levi Francis, Jacob D. Moore and George H. Thorndell, Sr.
Rising Star Lodge, No. 533, I. O. O. F .- Was organized June 21, 1880, by George Whitsett, and the following named were then elected and installed: P. C. Baxter, W. C. T .; Miss M. V. Jackson, W. V. T .; Joseph B. Jackson, W. Sec .; Miss Susan Moxley, W. F. Sec .; William Albert Henry, W. Treas .; C. A. Jenkins, W. Chaplain; Eli Truly, W. Marshal; Samuel Miller, Inner Guard ; James Carter, Sentinel.
Tonnaleuka Lodge, No. 365, I. O. O. F .- Was chartered June 18, 1849, and organized on the 11th of July following, with the following officers: James Piper, N. G .; Daniel Smith, V.
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G .; John K. Fisher, Sec .; William Barton, Jr., Act. Sec .; Robert T. Galloway, Treas.
Royal Arcanum Council, No. 388 .- Was organized in Sep- tember, 1879, and was chartered May 3, 1880.
St. Omer's Commandery, No. 3, Knights Templar .- Organized at Uniontown December 14, 1853, under charter granted by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. The first officers were: John Bierer, Eminent Commander; Andrew Patrick, Generalissimo; William Thorndell, Jr., Captain-General ; James Piper, Prelate; William Thorndell, Jr., Treas .; Richard Huskins, Recorder-Scribe. The Commandery was continued until October 17, 1854, when it was discontinued, but subse- quently revived and removed to Brownsville.
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