USA > Pennsylvania > A history of the Juniata Valley and its people, Volume I > Part 16
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tion. The question again came before the court late in the year 1842, when William Dunn, Thomas Stinson, and William Sharron were appointed viewers. They reported in favor of the petitioners, and recommended the formation of a new township, the territory of which was to be taken from Milford township, the dividing line to be "a public road, first laid out in 1768, from Tuscarora creek to a point near Shade mountain, and from the top of that mountain to the Tus- carora township line." On February 8, 1843. the court approved the report of the viewers, and ordered the erection of the township as rec- ommended. By the act of March 15, 1853, the area of the township was slightly increased by the annexation of John Woodward's farm, which had previously been in Milford township. Beale township is bounded on the north by the Blue Ridge, which separates it from Gran- ville township, Mifflin county; on the east by Milford; on the south by Spruce Hill, and on the west by Tuscarora. It was named for one of the oldest families in Juniata county, particularly for John Beale, who was one of the influential citizens of the township at the time of its formation.
Squatters came into the territory now comprising Beale township before the lands in the Juniata valley had been purchased from the Indians. An old agreement, or deed, dated June 1, 1854, recites that Robert Taylor, "for and in consideration of eighteen pounds," trans- ferred all his "Right property and interest of an improvement of land situate on ye Tuscarora Creek to ye said James Waddle." Then fol- lows a description of the boundary lines of the land, and Robert Taylor binds himself "in ye Pennal Sum of Thirty & Six Pounds Current money of Pennsylvania, allways Excepting ye Indians & Proprietor of this Province," etc.
The instrument is witnessed by Samuel and Charles Kenny and William Beale, who must have been squatters in the vicinity. James Kennedy and Robert Pollock had also established homes in the imme- diate neighborhood of Academia, where the above transaction took place. The property received by Waddle (correct spelling Waddell) from Robert Taylor was conveyed to William Beale on October 14, 1760.
One of the first land warrants was issued to Alexander Maginty on February 3, 1755, for 312 acres. Others who entered land in that
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year were: James Williams, eighty-nine acres on the river; Thomas Freeman, 163 acres; James McMahan, 100 acres; Samuel Brice, 202 acres; John Woods, who located in the upper part of the township; John Irwin, 200 acres on Tuscarora creek. Irwin obtained a warrant, but before he got the land surveyed it was included in the claims of others. Ten years later he entered 350 acres in the best part of the Tuscarora valley. In 1762 warrants were issued to Ralph Sterrett, John McMahan, Samuel Finley, and some others for lands in what is now Beale township. David Bowel (or Bole), who was appointed one of the trustees to organize Mifflin county in 1789, took out a war- rant in 1767 for sixty-seven acres, which he later sold to one of the Beale family. James Scott, Abraham Dewitt, Joseph Scott, and others came in 1767, and in that year Abraham Sanford appears on the assess- ment rolls as a renter of a grist-mill on the west side of the Juniata, the first mill on that side of the river. Other early settlers were Clement Horrell, David McNair, Samuel Fear, Robert Walker, the Pomeroys, the Beales, Robert Campbell, Thomas Harris, William Reed, and sev- eral others, all of whom had located in the township before the Revo- lutionary war.
Beale township is bounded on the north and east by Milford, on the south by Spruce Hill, and on the west by Tuscarora. The principal villages are Academia and Walnut (or Johnstown). The former is located in the southern part, on the tract of land transferred by Robert Taylor to James Waddell in 1754, and the latter is in the northeastern corner. Academia takes its name from the Tuscarora Academy, which was the outgrowth of a classical school opened by Rev. John Coulter in 1800. It is the principal postoffice and trading point for the neigh- borhood in which it is situated, and in 1910 had a population of 186. Walnut was laid off by John Beale, and took the first name of the founder, but when the postoffice was established there it was named Walnut, to avoid confusion with the postoffice at Johnstown, Cambria county. The population was 150 in 1910. About half-way between these two villages was once a settlement called Allendale, but it does not appear on the modern maps.
Delaware township was erected in 1836. Early in the year 1835 a petition asking for a division of Walker and Greenwood townships was presented to the court. John Patterson, S. Turbett, and A. Gus-
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tine were appointed viewers and made a report on September 2, 1835, recommending the division and the formation of a new township to be called "Delaware," but at the December term the report was referred back to theni for certain corrections. An amended report was filed in January, in which the viewers said: "On reconsideration began at a post corner southeast corner of Fayette township; then south five degrees, east three miles and 132 perches to a chestnut oak on the sum- mit of Turkey Ridge, standing in the line of Perry county ; thence along the different courses of the same as aforesaid, as represented by the red line through the above draught, and humbly submit the same to the court."
No action was taken at that session, but on February 3, 1836, the report was read in open court and confirmed. As thus established Delaware is bounded on the north by Fayette township; on the east by the townships of Monroe and Greenwood; on the south by Perry county, and on the west by Walker township. Cocolamus creek flows across the northeast corner, and Delaware run empties into the Juniata near Thompsontown, which is the only borough in the township.
In the early settlement of Juniata county many tracts of land in what is now Delaware township were taken up by speculators, who had no intention of becoming residents. Among those who settled in the township were Thomas Evans. James Gallagher, Edmund Huff, James McLin, Edward Edwards, Duncan McDougal, and William Stewart. The last named was a native of Ireland, who settled in Perry county in 1753, but was driven out by the Indians. In 1761 he located on the Juniata about a mile above Thompsontown. When the settlers in that section were driven off by the Indians he went to Carlisle, where he married, and in the fall of 1766 returned to the settlement just above the mouth of the Delaware run. In 1774 his name appears on the list of contributors to the sufferers of Boston on account of the Stamp Act, his contribution being sixteen shillings. He was also one of those who associated themselves together for the protection of the frontier in 1780. Other pioneers who came before the Revolution were Edward Nicholas, Hugh Micheltree, John Thompson, Gabriel and Samuel Fry, Joseph Cookson, John Kepler, and Thomas Jordan. Edward Nicholas was killed by the Indians in 1756.
About 1776 John Hamilton built a grist-mill and saw-mill on the
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Cocolamus creek, near the northeast corner of the township. Twenty years later this mill became the property of Jacob Sellers and later of Joseph Sellers. One of the first schools in the Cocolamus valley was at this mill. In December, 1818, a contract was made by certain citi- zens, as subscribers, with John Keller "to teach a school in the school house on the premises of Joseph Sellers, for a term of three months, beginning on Monday, the 28th of December, which school shall be taught in spelling, reading, writing, and arithmetic, in English." The subscribers agreed to furnish twenty scholars, at $1.50 each, and "a sufficient supply of firewood at the door."
The village of East Salem, near the northwest corner, was founded by Samuel M. Kurtz in the spring of 1844. In 1848 John Caveny opened a store there, and two years later a two-story house was built by John Kurtz, in which Curtis Winey kept a store. A little later a postoffice was established, and for several years Mr. Winey served as postmaster. Methodist and United Brethren churches were established there, a school house was built, and East Salem gave evidence that "it had come to stay." The population in 1910 was 140.
Fayette township was the first one to be erected after Juniata be- came a separate county. At the December term of court in 1833 a petition was presented, asking for a new township, to be formed from parts of Greenwood and Fermanagh. Alexander Patterson, George Gilliford, and James Hughes were appointed to consider the merits of the petition and, if they found it advisable to establish a new township, to report the boundaries thereof. Their report was made in March, 1834, but was not acted upon by the court until the 4th of the follow- ing December, when it was confirmed, and the new township was named Fayette. It is bounded on the north by the counties of Mifflin and Snyder, on the east by Monroe township, on the south by Delaware and Walker, and on the west by Fermanagh.
As early as 1749 white men came up the Juniata to the mouth of Doe run and followed that stream to its source at the Cedar Springs. After exploring the surrounding country they returned to Harris' ferry. When a second party, influenced by the report of the first, attempted to visit the region they made the mistake of following Delaware run. and consequently failed to find the beautiful valley described by their predecessors. This is said to be the origin of the name "Lost creek."
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No permanent settlers came in until after the lands had been purchased from the Indians in 1754. On February 3, 1755, William Armstrong, John Irwin, David Hope, and William Giltnockey took out warrants for four tracts of land in the vicinity of McAlisterville. David Hoge soon after sold his land to Samuel Mitchell, who built a cabin upon it, but in 1756 all the settlers in that part of the valley were forced to abandon their homes on account of Indian hostilities. Hugh McAlister bought the tract entered by John Irwin, and settled there in 1756. During the Indian war he served in the company of Captain Forbes, and in 1776 he was a member of Captain Hamilton's company, which joined Washington's army the day after the battle of Trenton. He rose to the rank of major and, after the war, was in command of the forces at Potter's fort, in what is now Centre county, and led an expedition against the Indians. His son William served in the War of 1812, and at its close built a fulling mill where the little village of Cocolamus now stands.
Other pioneers in Fayette township were John Quigley, James Jamison, Michael Stuhl, Joseph Bogle, Samuel Sharon, William Martin, Epenetus Hart, Hugh Watt, Jonathan Kearsley, Reuben Leonard, Rich- ard Dunn, John Pauly, the Shellenberger family, and others. Joseph Woods, a Revolutionary veteran, came into the township soon after the close of the war and settled near the mountain, where he remained for many years, when the land was claimed by some Philadelphia specu- lators, and he was forced to vacate.
Most of the early settlers were of Scotch-Irish extraction, and were members of the Presbyterian church. The Cedar Spring church was organized in 1763, and a branch of the congregation was established at Lost Creek. It became an independent congregation in 1797, and a log house of worship was built by Hugh Watt. A school house was built on the church lot in 1799, though a school house had previously been built on the road between Oakland Mills and McAlisterville. Wil- liam Pelaw was one of the first teachers. Other pioneer teachers were George Keller, Andrew Banks, and Stephen George.
The villages of Fayette township are McAlisterville, Oakland Mills, and Cocolamus. McAlisterville was laid out by Hugh McAlister in December, 1810. The original plat contained seven lots of one acre each. Two of these lots were sold to John Lauver for sixty dollars,
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and Lauver put up a blacksmith shop. In 1811 the proprietor of the town erected a stone house, in which Knox & Gallagher opened a store. Four years later they sold out to Hugh McAlister, who removed the goods to a new building and continued in the business until his death in 1844. The brick hotel was built by Mr. McAlister in 1816. An addition to the town was laid out by Peter Springer in 1813, and a postoffice was established in 1815, with Hugh McAlister as postmaster. In 1821 the name of the postoffice was changed to Calhounville, and remained so for about four years, with Michael Lauver as postmaster, but in 1825 the name was changed back to McAlisterville, Hugh Mc- Alister was reappointed postmaster, and held the office until his death. According to Rand & McNally's atlas the population in 1910 was 578. The village has a national bank, a hotel, good public school building, several neat church edifices, a number of stores, and is the chief trading center for a rich agricultural district.
Oakland Mills received its name in 1830, when Dr. Thomas White- side built the mill at that point and gave it that name. Before the close of that year David McClure established a store near the mill, and at the same time was appointed postmaster. A settlement gradually grew up about the mill and store, a public school was established, other business enterprises came in, and in 1910 Oakland Mills had a popula- tion of 121.
Cocolamus, located at the forks of the creek in the eastern part of the township, is located on the tract of land entered by John Gallagher in 1762. Gallagher sold to William McAlister, whose intention was to lay out a town, but for some reason it was not done. A fulling mill was built in 1814, a store was opened in 1862, a postoffice was established in 1865, with Abraham Haldeman as postmaster, a tannery was started, and Cocolamus became quite a pretentious little place. In 1884 the United Brethren put up a frame church near the village. The population in 1910 was 220.
Fermanagh township was erected by the Cumberland county authori- ties either late in the year 1754 or early in 1755. The earliest mention of it is in a deed given by James Patterson to William Armstrong, on April 20, 1755, for "one hundred and fifty-five acres of land situated in Fermanagh township. near the Juniata river." When it was at first created it included all that part of the new purchase lying north
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of the Juniata river and that part of Mifflin county south of the river extending to the Black Log mountain. It has been repeatedly reduced in size by the formation of other townships, until now only a small part of the original territory comprising it bears the name of Fer- managh. It is bounded on the north by Mifflin county, on the east by Fayette township, on the south by Walker, and on the west by Mil- ford, from which it is separated by the Juniata river.
Among the first settlers were Alexander Lafferty, James Purdy, Thomas McCormick, James Sharon, Joseph Wiley, John Watson, James Banks, the Darrs-Adam, George, John, Peter, and Philip-William Riddle, Christian Lintner, Jacob Kauffman, Azariah and John Reed, Robert Nelson, and William Henderson. Alexander Lafferty took up the tract of land where the borough of Mifflintown is now located. James Purdy settled at Jericho, and in 1770 put up a grist-mill, the first in that locality. Two of his sons, Hugh and William, were killed at the time of General St. Clair's defeat, November 4, 1791. James Sharon's land descended to his sons, William and Hugh, and at Wil- liam Sharon's house was held the meeting, in 1776, to organize Captain John Hamilton's company of cavalry, in which Hugh McAlister was the first man to enlist. It was also at William Sharon's that the set- tlers met in 1780 to take steps for the protection of the frontier. An- drew Douglas, who was one of the first settlers on Lost Creek, was wounded while on the expedition to Kittanning with Colonel John Arm- strong in 1756. During the Revolution the house of Robert Nelson was a rendezvous for the friends of the American cause. From his private resources he raised funds to pay soldiers, which devotion to the cause finally placed him in such financial straits that he sold his farm near Cedar Springs and removed to Ohio. He married Martha, daugh- ter of James Purdy, and after their removal to Ohio their daughter Caroline became the wife of John Brough, who was at one time gov- ernor of that state.
Fermanagh has always been an agricultural community. The bor- ough of Mifflintown is the only town or village of consequence within its borders. One of the earliest school houses in the township was built about 1800. The "Union" school house was built about 1810 by the subscription of the people living in the neighborhood. Some of the early teachers were James Cummings, William McCoy, John Purdy,
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and James Mathers. The Pine Grove school house was built about 1815. After the introduction of the public school system the directors divided the township into six districts, and the public schools of the present compare favorably with those in other portions of the state.
Greenwood township, when erected by the Cumberland county court in 1767, embraced all that part of Perry county east of the Juniata river and south of the mouth of the Cocolamus creek and the southern parts of the present townships of Greenwood and Susquehanna, in Juniata county. In the latter county the boundary was marked by Mc- Kee's path and the little Cocolamus creek. At the June term of the Mif- flin county court in 1791 a petition was presented, asking that a line be struck "from the mouth of Delaware run, at Juniata, by the planta- tions of William Thompson, Joseph Cookson, William Stewart, and Hugh McElroy, leaving William Thompson and Hugh McElroy to the westward, and Joseph Cookson and William Stewart to the eastward, and thence northwest to the Shade Mountain, and that the part of Fermanagh eastward of the line thus described may be struck off therefrom and annexed to Greenwood township."
The court appointed Samuel Osborne and Samuel Curren to have the divisional line run in accordance with the prayer of the petitioners, and report to the next court. In September following, on the petition of Hugh McAlister and others, the line was changed so as to allow the house of William Stewart to remain in Fermanagh township, but the remainder of the territory was added to Greenwood. Part of Fayette township was taken from Greenwood in 1834; another portion was taken to form Delaware in 1836, and in 1858 Monroe and Susque- hanna were cut off, leaving Greenwood in its present form. It is bounded on the north by Monroe, on the east by Susquehanna, on the south by Perry county, and on the west by the township of Delaware.
About 1763 Edward McConnell warranted a tract of land and built a cabin where the Seven Star tavern was afterward located. His house was the first hewed log house in that section of the county. Three weeks after he took possession he was compelled to fly, with the other settlers in that section, to Carlisle on account of the Indian uprising. The following year he returned, accompanied by his brother Henry, who took up 122 acres adjoining. This was the beginning of what became known as the "Cocolamus Settlement." Other early settlers in
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Greenwood were Stephen Marshall, Leonard Pfoutz, the Wilts, the Dimms, Joseph Castle, William and Church Cox. William Cox started the first tannery in that section of the county. Joseph Castle was an Irishman by birth, and came to the Cocolamus settlement about 1778. In 1819 he was elected justice of the peace, and held the office for many years.
The first school house in the township was built about 1788, on what was known as the Stroup farm, but little can be learned of its early history. In 1810 another house was built near the Seven Star tavern, which was built in 1818 by Peter Stroup. Shortly after the public school system was accepted in 1836 the township was divided into four districts. Greenwood is an agricultural township without towns or villages of any considerable size. Dimmsville reported a popu- lation of 78 in 1910. It is located on the Cocolamus creek in the southern part of the township.
Lack township was one of those created by the Cumberland county authorities on October 23, 1754, when the court records show the fol- lowing entry: "And we do further erect the settlement called the Tuskerora Valey into a sepparate Township and nominate the same the Township of Lac, and we appoint John Johnston to act therein as con- stable for the remaining part of the current year."
Many of the early settlers were driven out by the Indians, but most of the fugitives returned after the cessation of hostilities. The assess- ment for 1763 showed eighty taxpayers, only a few of whom resided within the present limits of the township. Those known to have lived there at that time were John Little, George McConnell, John Williams, and David Wallace, who owned 200 acres at a place called "Wallace- town." During the next five years Hugh Glenn took up 200 acres at the mouth of George's creek, John Gemmill located where Peru Mills is now, Jonathan Kearsley and David Magaw settled on George's creek, James Stone, John Harvey, Andrew Ferrier, William Kirk, George and Thomas Woods, John Wilson, John Glenn, David Glenn, William Brice, John Brady, and a few others took up lands and established homes.
Lack has been reduced by the formation of other townships, but it is still the largest in the county. It is bounded on the north by Mifflin county, on the east by Tuscarora township, on the south by the
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counties of Perry and Franklin, and on the west by Cumberland county. Through the southern part the Tuscarora creek flows east- ward, and closely following the line of the stream is the Tuscarora Valley railroad, with stations in the township at Perulack, Ross Farm, Leonard's Grove, and Waterloo. The first three are small places, and the population of Waterloo in 1910 was but 70. A postoffice was estab- lished there in 1820, with William C. Kelly as postmaster. A wind- mill factory was started there many years ago, and for a time did a thriving business. William Campbell erected a building for an academy, but after being used for a school for a few years it was sold to the Presbyterian church for a parsonage.
The village of Peru Mills, near the center of the township, is located on the tract of land warranted by John Gemmill in September, 1762. After several changes in ownership it became the property of John Ferrier, who erected a grist-mill there about 1790, or perhaps a few years before. Andrew Ferrier, the father of John and a partner in the mill, while attending court at Lewistown in 1792, slept in a bed the covers of which had been purchased by the hotel keeper at an auction in Philadelphia. It developed that the bed clothes were infected with yellow fever, which Ferrier contracted, and he and several others about the mills died. The mill subsequently passed to Jolin Patterson, who put up a saw-mill in connection. A postoffice was established there in 1850, and William H. Patterson was postmaster for about eight years, after which his brother John held the position for about thirty years. James Lyon was engaged in merchandising at Peru Mills as early as 1816. A large tannery was started there in 1846, and did a good busi- ness for several years, closing in 1872. The population of Peru Mills in 1910 was 40.
Milford township, lying directly across the Juniata river from Fer- managh and Walker, was erected by the court of Cumberland county in 1768. At the October term a petition was presented which set forth that "The township of Lack is Very Unconvenient for all the Town- ship Offices, it being of such an Extensive Length, viz .: of above Thirty miles, Which makes us pray your Worships to order a De- vision of s'd Township from Tuskerora Mountain, by James Gray's, to William Scot's, at the foot of Shade Mountain," etc. On November 7, 1868, the court ordered the division to be made so as to leave James
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Gray and William Scott in Lack township, the lower part to be known as Milford township. The name adopted for the new township comes from the mill ford, or the ford at the mill. The township is irregular in form, the northern part running several miles farther west than the main body. It is shaped something like a pipe, the narrow strip run- ning up the Licking creek valley being the stem, and the top of the bowl the southern boundary line. It is bounded on the north by Mif- flin county, on the east by the Juniata river, on the south by Turbett and Spruce Hill, and on the west by Beale township. Beale also forms the southern boundary of the "pipe-stem," the western end of which is bounded by Tuscarora township.
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