USA > Pennsylvania > A history of the Juniata Valley and its people, Volume I > Part 8
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Cromwell township was taken from the townships of Shirley and Springfield and was organized in January, 1836. It was named for Thomas T. Cromwell, who was one of the early manufacturers of iron in Huntingdon county, and who served two terms in the lower house of the state legislature. On the north it is bounded by Shirley township; on the east by Shade mountain, which separates it from Dublin and Tell townships; on the south by Clay and Springfield, and on the west by Jack's mountain, which marks the line between it and Cass township. The principal stream is the Aughwick creek, which flows through the township from south to north. One of the first white men to locate in the township was George Irvin, who, as early as 1760, had a log store near where Orbisonia now stands and was engaged in trading with the Indians. The Cluggage family came soon after Irvin and Captain Robert Cluggage served with distinction in the Continental army in the Revolutionary war. The first iron furnace west of the Susquehanna river was built here by Colonel Cromwell and George Ashman in 1785.
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The Rockhill furnace began operations in 1831. Two boroughs- Orbisonia and Rockhill-are located in the township, both on the line of the East Broad Top railway, and there are several small villages. Cromwell township is not without its story of hidden treasure. For many years the rumor has been current that Captain Jack, the eccentric character mentioned in another chapter, was once closely pursued by Indians at a time when he bore a heavy bag of gold and silver. This bag encumbered his flight and he secreted it on the side of the Black Log mountain, not far from the narrows. Despite repeated efforts, the treasure has never been found.
Dublin township, one of the original six townships within the present limits of the county, was erected in October, 1767. The Cumberland county court records for that session describe it as "Bounded by Air and Fannet townships on the one side, and Coleraine and Barre town- ships on the top of Sideling Hill on the other side." Its original area has been much reduced by the erection of Tell and Springfield town- ships, both of which were taken from Dublin. It is situated in the extreme southeastern corner of the county and is bounded on the north by Tell township; on the east by the Tuscarora mountain, which separ- ates it from Franklin county; on the south by Fulton county, and on the west by Springfield and Cromwell townships, from which it is separated by Shade mountain. The Indian trail, over which early traders and explorers traveled, passed through this township. Among the early adventurers to follow this route were Conrad Weiser and George Croghan in 1748 and John Harris in 1754. A few land war- rants, dated prior to the Revolution, indicate that white men had found a lodgment there, but little is known of the settlers of that period. About 1765 Alexander Blair and his wife Rachel came from Chester county and bought a part of the tract of land warranted to George Croghan near Shade Gap. Their son, John Blair, subsequently became a prominent citizen of the township, holding the office of justice of the peace for many years. David Cree brought his family from Philadelphia about 1773. John Walker and James McCardle located near the foot of the Tuscarora mountain about the same time. During the decade following 1780 the number of settlers increased rapidly. In 1782 George Hudson located about where the borough of Shade Gap is now, built a cabin and began purchasing some squatter claims for
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which no warrants had been issued. He was soon followed by William Swan, Hugh Robinson, Alexander McIlroy, George Wagner, Andrew Sands, James, Jonathan and Robert Cree, James Hooper, James Morton, William Fleming, Robert and William Marshall and some others. Joshua Morgan, of the Black Log valley is said to have been the first man to drive a team through Shade Gap.
Franklin township was erected in March, 1789, from the old town- ship of Tyrone, and was the first new township to be established after the organization of Huntingdon county. It extends from the Center county line on the northeast to the Little Juniata river on the south- west, and from Warriors Mark township on the northwest to the summit of Tussey's mountain on the southeast. Among the early settlers were Alexander Ewing, Zephaniah Weakland, George Mattern, Jacob Miner, Abraham Sells, Richard Ricketts, James Hunter, James Armitage and the Hendersons. The township has rich deposits of iron ore, which were first worked about 1795 or 1796, when the Huntingdon furnace was built in the midst of the ore beds and the Pennsylvania furnace in the northern part of the township, near the Center county line. Spruce creek rises in this township and flows almost the entire length of it, emptying into the Little Juniata. The water power of this stream was utilized as early as 1785 to run what was long known as the old Bebault mill. Many years later W. D. & J. D. Isett established the Stockdale Woolen Mills at the mouth of the stream and about a mile farther up J. Q. Adams started an ax factory. Franklinville and Graysville are the principal villages.
Henderson township, established in November, 1814, was formed from part of old Huntingdon township, which was one of the six in existence when the county was erected. It was named for General Andrew Henderson, a Revolutionary soldier, the first register and recorder and the second prothonotary of the county. The original area of Henderson township has been greatly reduced by the erection of Brady, in 1846, and of Oneida in 1856. It is bounded on the northwest by Oneida township; on the northeast by Barree; on the east by Brady; extends southwest to the Juniata river, and adjoins the borough of Huntingdon. Among the early settlers was John Fee, who served in Captain Blair's company that was organized during the Revolution to drive out the Tories. Other early settlers were William Porter, John
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Brown, Matthew Campbell and the Hight family. Gorsuch and Union Church, near the center of the township, and Ardenheim, a small station on the Pennsylvania railroad, two miles east of Huntingdon, are the only villages of consequence.
Hopewell township was erected in July, 1773, when the Bedford county court ordered that "that part of Barre township including all the waters that empty into the Raystown Branch of Juniata below the mouth of Yellow Creek and up said creek to Tussey's Mountain is hereby erected into a township by the name of Hopewell township." It was therefore one of the six original townships when the county was erected in 1787. Union township was taken from it in 1791; Penn in 1846, and Lincoln in 1866. These curtailments have left it one of the smallest townships in the county. It is located in the southwest corner and is bounded on the north by Lincoln township: southeast by Tod and Carbon, from which it is separated by Terrace mountain ; southwest by Bedford county, and northwest by the county of Blair. The Hunt- ingdon & Broad Top railroad traverses it from northeast to southwest and the Raystown branch of the Juniata follows the same general direc- tion. The earliest settlers, of whom there is any record, were Jeremiah and William Smart, Michael Diamond, George Elder and his sons, Michael and Felix Skelly, Jacob Weaver and George Russell, who en- tered lands along the Raystown branch.
Jackson township, taken from Barree on January 15, 1845, occupies the northeast corner of the county. It is bounded on the north by Center county ; on the east and southeast by Mifflin county: on the west and southwest by the township of Barree. It was named for Joseph Jackson, one of the first settlers in that part of the county, several members of the Jackson family settling there about the same time. Another noted pioneer was William McAlevy, who won renown as a soldier and officer in the Revolutionary war and later achieved a rather unenviable notoriety by leading the rebellion against the United States constitution. He was of Scotch-Irish stock, brave, resolute and faithful to his friends. He married a sister of John Harris, the founder of Harrisburg. In 1770 he came to what is now Jackson township, selected a location, made a canoe and paddled down the Standing Stone creek and the Juniata and Susquehanna rivers to Harrisburg for his family and such of his household effects as he could carry in his light
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craft. He acquired a large tract of land around McAlevy's Fort, a place which still bears his name. Joseph Oburn, who served in Mc- Alevy's company during the Revolution, was another early settler. Others who located there either before or during the Revolutionary war were the Cummins family and John Oaks. Agriculture was the chief occupation of the old settlers, their farms being located in the valleys of the two branches of Standing Stone creek. The manufacture of iron was begun in 1833, when Patton & Norris built the Greenwood furnace, which subsequently passed to the Logan Iron and Steel Com- pany. The Mitchells erected a small furnace about a mile north of McAlevy's Fort in 1841, but it proved to be an unprofitable venture and was abandoned. About 1870 a charter was granted for the construc- tion of the Stone Creek & McAlevy's Fort railroad, but the panic of 1873 came on before anything had been done and the road was never built.
Juniata township, erected on November 19, 1856, was originally a part of Huntingdon township, though at the time of its erection its territory was taken from the township of Walker. It is bounded on the northeast by Henderson township; on the southeast by Terrace mountain, which separates it from Union; southwest by Penn, and on the northwest by Walker, the summit of Piney ridge forming the northwestern boundary. One of the early settlers in this township was the father of Captain Samuel Brady, the noted scout and Indian fighter, who located at the mouth of Vineyard creek. William Corbin, Caleb and Amos Folk, William Enyeart and William Dean were likewise early settlers. The township, at the time it was settled, was covered with a heavy growth of valuable timber, but this has nearly all dis- appeared. Large quantities of lumber, tan-bark and railroad ties have been taken from the township and farming is now the leading occu- pation.
Lincoln township, named in honor of Abraham Lincoln, the mar- tyred president of the United States, is situated in the southwestern part of the county and was taken from Hopewell on August 18, 1866. It is bounded on the northwest by Blair county; on the northeast by Penn township; on the southeast by Tod, and on the south by Hopewell. The Raystown branch of the Juniata flows northward through the township, its principal tributary being Coffee run. The earliest settlers
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in that part of Hopewell township now comprising Lincoln were John Plummer, Henry Schultz, John Keith, James Entriken and a man named Summers. Tanneries were established at an early date on Coffee run, on the Bedford road, and about a mile north of the present town of Marklesburg, which is the only borough in the township.
Logan township was taken from West in April, 1878. As early as 1755 Barnabas Barnes secured a land warrant for a tract on the north side of the Juniata river at a place called Two Springs. In 1768 he sold that land to Rev. William Smith, the founder of Huntingdon. There is nothing to show that Barnes ever occupied the tract and the probabilities are he entered it purely for speculative purposes. Among the early settlers in this part of West township were Samuel Anderson, Jacob Neff. John Reed, Jacob Hiltzheimer, Charles Elliott, Hugh Mears, Peter Shoenberger, Bartholomew Maguire and the Wilsons. The first settle- ments were made along the Little Juniata or in the lower part of the Shaver's creek valley. When West township was divided to form Logan, the borough of Petersburg was thrown in the new township and it is the most important shipping and commercial point.
Miller township was formed in May, 1881, from part of Barree. As early as 1857 a movement was started for the formation of a new township south of Warrior's ridge. On November 1, 1859, the question was submitted to the voters living in the territory south of the ridge, but a majority expressed themselves as opposed to the erection of a new township. The agitation was kept up, however, until a majority was converted and the township was organized in 1881. The pioneer history of this section of the county is rather meager. Matthew Miller, for whom the township was named, was one of the first settlers. Gil- bert Chaney settled on Warrior's ridge at an early date. John Coy and the Cunningham family were also among the pioneers.
Morris township, one of the smallest in the county, was taken from Tyrone in August, 1794, and with its erection the township of Tyrone ceased to exist. It is bounded on the north by Franklin township, from which it is separated by the Little Juniata river ; on the east by Tussey's mountain, which separates it from Porter; the other boundaries are formed by the Frankstown branch of the Juniata, Fox run and Canoe mountain, which separate the township from Blair county. The greater part of the township is the elevated plateau known as Canoe valley. The
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soil is fertile and agriculture is the principal industry. Edward Beatty and his eight sons, John Tussey, for whom Tussey's mountain was named, Michael Wallace, John Bell, Christian Harnish, John Martin, William Davis and John Fergus were the first settlers. In 1796, two years after the township was organized, there were fifty-nine land owners on the tax lists. About 1793 a furnace was built by Jacob Isett where the village of Union Furnace now stands, but the dam was washed away soon after and nothing further was done until 1810, when it was rebuilt by Dorsey & Evans. It was a charcoal furnace, with a capacity of thirty-five tons weekly, and continued in operation until 1852.
Oneida township was erected on August 20, 1856, from Henderson and West. It is a small township adjoining the borough of Huntingdon, the Juniata river forming its western border. It was named for the Oneida Indians. The Standing Stone creek flows through it from one end to the other, a distance of about ten miles, between the Standing Stone mountain and Warrior's ridge. There are some fine farms in the valley, whose products find a ready market at Huntingdon. Nathan Gorsuch, William Carter, John Stewart, Joshua Kelley, William Wheeler, Jacob White, Elisha Green and Nicholas Decker were the first settlers. While the Pennsylvania canal was under construction a great deal of timber was supplied from what is now Oneida township. The first packet-boat-the Lady of the Lake-that ever plied the waters of the canal was built at William Foster's saw mill. After the supply of timber was exhausted the people turned their attention to the cultiva- tion of the soil, and agriculture is now the leading occupation of the inhabitants.
Penn township was created on November 21, 1846, when the old township of Hopewell was divided into two nearly equal parts and the northern part named Penn, in honor of the founder of Pennsylvania. It is bounded on the north by Walker and Juniata townships; on the east by Union, Cass and Tod ; on the south by Lincoln, and on the west by Blair county. It extends from Terrace mountain on the east to Tus- sey's mountain on the west, about eight miles, and it is about six miles in extent from north to south. The surface is broken by numerous ridges, the most important of which are the Mulberry, Warrior's, Piney, and Allegrippus. Along these ridges are found rich deposits of iron
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ores and thousands of tons of ore have been shipped to Johnstown, Dan- ville and other iron manufacturing centers. Some lead ore has been found in Warrior's ridge, but not in sufficient quantities to make min- ing profitable. In the Woodcock valley, which lies between Warrior's ridge and Tussey's mountain, the valley of the Raystown branch, which runs along the base of Terrace mountain, and in most of the smaller valleys the soil is fertile and farming is here carried on successfully. A list of the early settlers would include the names of Hartsock, Bishop, Kough, Hart, Owens, Graffius, Fleck, McMath, Keith, and Brecken- ridge. Michael Garner came from Maryland in 1789 and about five years later purchased a part of the tract known as "Penn's Manor," in the Woodcock valley. Some of his descendants still live in the town- ship. Thomas Wilson, Jacob Brumbaugh, Ludwig Hoover, Jacob Grove, John and Peter Beightell, Adam Auman, John, Adam, Henry and Jacob Boyer and some others had located within the limits of the township before the year 1800. Marklesburg is the only borough and there are but few villages.
Porter township was erected in November, 1814, when the old township of Huntingdon was divided into two new ones-Porter and Henderson. It was named for General Andrew Porter, an officer in the American army during the Revolutionary war and afterward sur- veyor-general. The original area of this township has been much re- duced by the formation of Walker township in 1827 and Smithfield in 1886. A portion of it was also taken to form the township of Spruce Creek in 1895. The old Indian path passed through this section of the county and Porter township was one of the first to be settled, the first land warrants being dated in 1755. the year following the pur- chase of the land from the Indians. The first settlements were made in the vicinity of Alexandria.
Shirley township, one of the original six, is located in the south- eastern part and is one of the largest in the county, extending from the Juniata river to the Cromwell township line, and from Shade mountain on the southeast to Jack's mountain on the northwest. Between those two ranges are the Black Log mountain, Blue, Sandy, Owens', Chestnut and Stony ridges, so that the general surface is alternatively hill and valley. Iron ore is mined in the hills and farming is carried on in the valleys. The township derives its name from old Fort Shirley, which
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was erected at the time of the French and Indian war. Among the early settlers were the Galbraiths, who located in the Germany valley ; the Warners, who settled where the borough of Shirleysburg now stands ; the Matthews family, who settled farther south, and the Davis, Morgan, Cluggage, and Sharrer families. Two powder mills were operated a century or more ago by the Sharrers-one near Shirleys- burg and the other on Sugar run. Samuel Drake, an Englishman, said to be a descendant of Sir Francis Drake, established a ferry across the Juniata a short distance above Mount Union, on the pathway from eastern points to the Ohio river, and Drake's Ferry was an important land-mark for many years. The East Broad Top railroad connects with the Pennsylvania railroad at Mount Union and runs south through Shirleysburg, giving the township and outlying region ample transporta- tion facilities.
Smithfield is one of the newer townships of the county, having been organized in March, 1886, from Porter, Walker, and Juniata. It lies directly across the Juniata river from Huntingdon borough, the village of Smithfield forming practically a suburb of the county seat. The Huntingdon & Broad Top railroad runs southwest through the township.
Springfield township, located in the southern part of the county, was organized in December, 1790, from the townships of Dublin and Shir- ley. Its original area has been much reduced by the erection of Crom- well in 1836 and Clay in 1845. It is bounded on the north by Cromwell; on the east by Dublin; on the south by Fulton county, and on the west by the township of Clay. John Bailey, a Revolutionary soldier, settled on the banks of the Aughwick creek soon after that war. He was soon joined by William Jones, John Robertson and William Ward. Then came a tide of immigration from Maryland, the Browns, Mad- dens, Ramseys, Lanes, Cutshalls, Wibles, and several other families locating in what is now Springfield township. Thomas Stains settled where the village of Meadow Gap is now, and the village of Maddens- ville bears the name of one of these pioneer families.
Spruce Creek township, the youngest, but one in the county, was erected in September, 1895, from the townships of Morris, Franklin and Porter. It takes its name from the stream which empties into the Juniata river opposite the village of Spruce Creek. The early
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history of this township is included in the sketches of those from which it was taken.
Tell, one of the southeastern border townships, was erected in April, 1810, its territory being taken from Dublin township. It lies between the Tuscarora and Shade mountains and its surface is divided into several small valleys by parallel ridges running from northeast to south- west. Although a populous township there are no boroughs within its limits and only a few small villages. The first land warrant was issued to Barnabas Barnes on February 3, 1775. Among the early settlers were Samuel McMath, Robert Vaughan, James Stonkard, Thomas Morrow and Jacob Goshorn, all of whom were located in the Shade valley by 1780. Between that time and the year 1800 came the Sharps, Wilsons, Chilcotts and the Cisney, Waters and Parsons families some of whose descendants still live in the township. Tell township is an agricultural community without a railroad, the nearest stations being Orbisonia and Shirleysburg on the line of the East Broad Top railway.
Tod township was formed from Union in April, 1838. It is located in the Trough creek valley and is bounded as follows: On the north- east by Penn and Cass townships; on the southeast by Cass and Clay; on the southwest by Wood and Carbon, and on the northwest by Hope- well and Lincoln. Nearly all the pioneers came from Maryland. About 1760 John Plummer settled in the Trough creek valley. On September 20, 1762, Colonel Henry Bouquet received four warrants for lands in that locality and in August, 1767, four tracts, aggregating nearly 1,500 acres, were surveyed for him by Richard Tea near the base of Broad Top mountain. John Edwards came in 1785. Jacob Houck in 1786, Michael and William Houck in 1787, John Taylor and others in 1795. Walter Hudson built a log mill on Trough creek some time between 1790 and 1800, the first in the township. Paradise furnace and Eagle foundry were both located in this township, but they ceased operations long since.
Union township was taken from Hopewell in June, 1791. Before the erection of Cass and Tod townships it included nearly all of the Trough creek valley, extending from the Juniata river on the north to the Broad Top mountain on the south, and from Jack's mountain on the east to Terrace mountain on the west. Settlements were made some years before the township was organized. John Shoop (or
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Shoup), John Loughrey, Henry Freed, Jacob Miller and Henry Dell located in Hare's valley; Hughey Johnson, Levi and Eliel Smith, Asa Corbin and some others settled in Smith's valley; Richard Chilcott, John Wright, William Estep, James Estep, the Deans and Bumgart- ners established themselves in the Trough creek valley. The borough of Mapleton is located in this township and there are a few small vil- lages within its limits.
Walker township was erected in April, 1827, from part of Porter. At the time of its organization it extended from Piney ridge on the southeast to the Blair county line on Tussey's mountain, and from Porter township on the north to Penn township on the south and south- west. Its boundaries were changed and its area reduced by the forma- tion of Smithfield township in 1886. One of the first settlers was Henry Lloyd, who came from Virginia. Alexander McConnell, the founder of McConnellstown, Joshua Lewis, William Moore, Samuel and Henry Peightal and the Entriken family were also early settlers. The township was named for Jonathan Walker, who was at one time the president judge of the judicial district in which Huntingdon county was situated. There are considerable deposits of iron ore, some of which have been developed, the ores being shipped to Johnstown and Danville.
Warriors Mark, the most northwestern township of the county, was erected from Franklin in January, 1798. Originally it included a portion of Snyder and Tyrone townships, now in Blair county, and a part of the present county of Center. It is bounded on the north- west and southwest by Blair county ; on the northeast by Center county ; and on the southeast by Franklin township. It derived its name from a settlement in the central part, established at an earlier date. There is a tradition, not very well defined, that the Indians had marks of some kind upon the trees near the settlement, indicating a meeting place or place of holding councils. Michael Maguire, who settled there in 1773, said some years later that the marks were stones placed in the forks of four oak trees and that these stones were almost covered by the growth of the trees. John Baynton, Samuel Wharton and probably some others, who came in 1766, were probably the first settlers. Nathan and Thomas Ricketts came in 1777, and when the township was or- ganized in 1798 there were over one hundred land owners. A school
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