USA > Pennsylvania > Jefferson County > Brookville > A pioneer history of Jefferson county, Pennsylvania and my first recollections of Brookville, Pennsylvania, 1840-1843, when my feet were bare and my cheeks were brown > Part 15
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" WHEREAS, From the increasing population of the northern and northwestern parts of this State, it becomes expedient at this time to pro- vide for the laying out and opening the necessary roads, for the accom- modation of the same ; therefore,
" SECTION I. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in General Assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the governor be, and he is hereby, authorized and empowered to appoint three skilful persons to view the ground and estimate the expense of opening and making a good wagon road from the town of Northampton, in the county of Northamp- ton, to the mouth of Tioga, in the county of Luzerne, and from thence, by the most practicable route, to the northern line of this State; and three skilful persons to view the ground and estimate the expense of opening and making a good wagon road from the Bald Eagle's Nest, or the end of the Nittany Mountain, to the town of Erie, at Presque Isle ; and to cause the said roads to be surveyed and staked out by the most practicable routes ; and also to cause drafts of the roads to be made in profile, and report to the Legislature the proportional parts of the ex- pense that will be incurred in each county through which the said road will pass ; provided that the commissioners thus appointed shall not stake out any part of the said roads when they may be carried on roads hereto- fore laid out and opened agreeably to the provisions of former laws of this State.
"SECTION 2. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the governor be, and he is hereby, empowered to contract, either with
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
individuals, or with companies, for opening a road from Pittsburg, by the way of Fort Franklin, to Le Bœuf, and to draw his warrant on the State Treasurer for a sum not exceeding two thousand dollars, to defray the expense of laying out the roads to Tioga and Erie ; a sum not ex- ceeding four thousand dollars, to defray the expense of opening the road from Pittsburg, by Fort Franklin, to Le Bœuff. Provided always, That all contracts to be made by virtue of this act shall be registered by the governor, according to the directions of the eighth section of the act, entitled ' An Act to provide for the opening and improving sundry navi- gable waters and roads within the Commonwealth,' passed the thirteenth day of April, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one .*
" SECTION 3. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the governor be, and he is hereby, empowered to draw his warrant in favor of Joseph Horsefield for any sum not exceeding five hundred dol- lars, to be applied towards removing the fallen timber and other obstruc- tions in the road leading from Jacob Heller's tavern, in Northampton County, to Wilkesbarre, in Luzerne County. Passed 4th April, 1796."
" DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS, " HARRISBURG, PA., June 7, 1895. " HON. W. J. MCKNIGHT, Brookville, Pa.
" DEAR SIR,-Herewith you will find copies of the contract and the reports of John Fleming relating to the road from Bald Eagle's Nest to Le Bœuff.
" Very truly yours, " JAMES W. LATTA, " Secretary."
" ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT made and entered into this third day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety- nine, between Thomas Mifflin, Governor of the Commonwealth of Penn- sylvania, of the one part, and Samuel Miles and Roger Alden, of the City of Philadelphia, Esquires, of the other part.
" WHEREAS, In and by an Act of the General Assembly, entitled ' An Act to provide for opening a Road from near the Bald Eagle's Nest, in Mifflin county, to Le Bœuff, in the county of Allegheny,' passed the tenth day of April, in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety- nine, the Governor is empowered to contract for opening and improving the said road in the manner and on the terms in the said act prescribed : AND WHEREAS, The said Samuel Miles and Roger Alden have made pro- posals for entering into the said contract upon principles which appear to the Governor most likely to accomplish the good purposes by the Legis-
* For the act referred to in this section, see vol. iv. chap. 1558.
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
lature intended : NOW THESE ARTICLES WITNESS, That the said Samuel Miles and Roger Alden, jointly and severally for themselves, their Heirs, Executors, and Administrators, covenant, promise, and agree to and with the said Thomas Mifflin and his successors, Governors of the Common- wealth of Pennsylvania, in consideration of the Covenant on behalf of the said Commonwealth hereinafter made, That they, the said Samuel Miles and Roger Alden, their Heirs, Executors, and Administrators, shall and will, well and faithfully, and with all convenient diligence, open, extend, and improve the said Road in manner following,-that is to say : That the Road shall be opened generally of such width as to enable and admit two waggons to pass each other, except only in such place or places as from great natural difficulty of Mountains, Hills, Rocks, and Morasses shall render such an undertaking impracticable or unreasonably laborious and expensive, considering the public consideration therefor given. But in all such place or places there shall be a good passage of at least ten feet wide, with proper and convenient passing places in view : And that the said Contractors will advance by anticipation (if necessary) the sums of money requisite to open the said Road in the manner aforesaid. And the said Thomas Mifflin, in consideration of the Covenants and under- taking of the said Contractors, and by virtue of the power in the said Act of Assembly to him given, covenants, promises, and agrees to and with the said Samuel Miles and Roger Alden, their Executors, Adminis- trators, and Assigns, that they shall have and receive the sum of Five Thousand Dollars, to be paid out of the first money arising from the sale of the reserved Lands & Lots at the Towns of Erie, Franklin, Warren, and Waterford : And for which sum of Five Thousand Dollars, the said Thomas Mifflin covenants, promises, and agrees to draw his Warrant or Warrants on the State Treasurer in favor of the said Contractors. In Witness whereof the parties have hereunto set their respective hands & seals the day and year first above written.
(Signed) "SAMUEL MILES, [seal] ROGER ALDEN, [seal] THOS. MIFFLIN. [seal]
"Sealed and Delivered 1 in the presence of A. W. FOSTER, | JNO. MILES."
To the above contract appear the names of George Fox, James Phillips, and Tench Coxe as sureties for its " true, faithful, perfect, and diligent performance," and also the following endorsement on the back of the same :
" The Governor, being satisfied, from three several reports of John Fleming, Esquire, (the two first dated on the 16th of December, 1801,
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
& the roth of January, 1803, respectively ; & the last without date, but delivered into the Secretary's Office in the month of January last, ) that Samuel Miles & Roger Alden, Esquires, have completed their contract for opening a road from near the Bald Eagle's Nest to Le Bœuff, by opening & improving the same agreeably to the terms of said contract, as far as could reasonably be expected from the situation and nature of the country through which said road passes, & the public consideration given therefore, this day directed a quietus to be entered upon the contract.
(Signed) "T. M. THOMPSON, Sec.
" April the 2nd, 1804."
"TO HIS EXCELLENCY THOMAS MCKEAN, ESQUIRE, Governor of the State of Pennsylvania :
"SIR,-In pursuance of your Excellency's letter appointing me a Com- missioner to view and report on that part of the State Road from Miles- burg to Le Bœuff, which was undertaken to be opened by Col. Samuel Miles, I proceeded to Milesburg and viewed the said Road as shewn to me by Mr. Richard Miles, and beg leave to submit the following Report :
" Beginning at Milesburg the road crosses Bald Eagle creek, over which is a sufficient wooden Bridge, thence up the said creek on the north side of it for five miles ; the road passable for waggons. Within these five miles, on the west side of Wallis's run, there is some wet ground a little swampy.
" Leaving the Bald Eagle creek and thence to the foot of the Alle- gheny mountain, five miles, the Road is good excepting some trees that have fallen across it since it was opened.
Across the mountain is three miles. The ascent is one mile, of which 240 perches are dug, in some places, nine feet wide. Towards the top it is too steep for carriages. The descent of the mountain is about two miles and gradual.
" About one mile from the foot of the mountain is a small run diffi- cult to pass.
" Here I must beg leave to remark, as applicable to this as well as to other small runs that may be mentioned in this Report, that many very small streams in the country over which this road passes run in narrow channels, the bottoms of which lie from one to three feet below the sur - face of the earth. A footman can step over many of them, where, from the nature of the soil at the bottom, a horse is in great danger of being mired.
" After crossing the last mentioned run there is a hill of which in ascent there are thirty perches, and in descent twelve perches not pas- sable for waggons for want of digging. Near this are two small runs, both difficult to pass.
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
" To Phillipsburg from thence, a distance of more than eight miles, the Road is good, excepting some very swampy ground on the east of what is called the five mile run, and some miry ground at Coldstream, one mile from Phillipsburg. Some more work is necessary on the hill west of the five mile run. The whole distance from Milesburg to Phil- lipsburg is twenty-six miles.
" Passing Phillipsburg one mile is Moshannon creek. It is not bridged nor is it fordable at the place where the Road crosses it at any season. There is some timber prepared at the place for a bridge. It is about six perches wide with steep banks. There is a Fording about half a mile below. Three miles further the road is good excepting a few wet places. Within two miles further there are two runs, the banks of which are dug, and the road is good.
" Thence to Clearfield creek, four miles, some digging done in two places, and on the hill descending to Clearfield forty perches are well dug ; the road is good.
" Thence to the Susquehanna river, five miles, the road good. The breadth of the river is twelve perches.
" 'Thence to Anderson's creek, nearly three miles, some digging done on Hogback hill. The road in general good.
" Thence to a branch of Anderson's creek, about eight miles, several places dug and some bridges made : the road is tolerably good. More digging and bridging wanted.
" Thence to the waters of Stump creek, about three miles, several bridges made and digging done in some places ; the road good.
" Thence five miles, crossing two ridges on each of which there is digging done, and several runs, two of which are bridged. In the latter part of these five miles are two runs necessary to be bridged. With this exception the road is tolerably good.
" Thence to a branch of Sandy Lick creek, about six miles, in several places the road is dug and some bridges made. The road tolerably good.
" Thence about three miles ; several steep banks, deep runs and wet places ; road not passable.
" Thence to the end of Col. Miles' opening is four miles. The road good.
" From Milesburg until the road crosses the Susquehanna the road is opened from sixteen to twenty feet wide, and from thence to the end it is opened from twelve to sixteen feet wide. The whole length of the road opened as aforesaid by Col. Miles is seventy-four miles and eighty-six perches.
(Signed) " JNO. FLEMING.
" December 16th. 1801."
Only the commonest goods were hauled into this county from Phila- delphia over the old State Road. The freightage from Philadelphia to
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
Port Barnett was about six dollars per one hundred pounds, and it took four weeks to come from Philadelphia. In 1800 wheat brought one dollar and a half a bushel, wheat flour four and five dollars per one hundred pounds, corn one dollar per bushel, oats seventy-five cents, potatoes sixty-five cents. Tobacco was sold by the yard at four cents per yard, common sugar thirty-three cents, and loaf (white sugar) fifty cents per pound. A hunter's rifle cost twenty-five dollars, a yoke of oxen eighty dollars, boots from one to three dollars, a pair of moccasins about three or four shillings.
S. B. Rowe, in his " Pioneer History of Clearfield County," says, " The State, in order to connect the western frontier with the eastern settlements, had laid out several roads, among others one leading from Milesburg to Erie. This road was opened in the year 1803. It crossed the Susquehanna River near the residence of Benjamin Jordan.
" The Milesburg and Le Bœuff road became subsequently an impor- tant and leading thoroughfare. It was a road of the worst kind, laid out with very little skill, and made with a great deal of dishonesty. It had but one bridge-at Moshannon-between Bellefonte and Anderson's Creek, and to avoid digging the hill-side, Anderson's Creek was crossed three times in less than two miles. Large quantities of merchandise passed over it, principally upon pack-horses, companies of which, ex- ceeding a score in number, might often be seen traversing it. Until the place of this road was supplied by an artificial road, located on or near its bed, it was the principal road leading to Erie and the great West. About the time the State Road was supplanted by the turnpike the now almost forgotten Conestoga wagon, with its heavy horses, walking leisurely along, their tread measured by the jingling of bells, afforded cheaper and better mode of transportation for goods. A trip to Philadelphia to purchase goods or to 'see the sights' of that village was then quite an undertaking, and called for weeks of preparation."
" TO HIS EXCELLENCY THOMAS MCKEAN, ESQUIRE, Governor of the Com- monwealth of Pennsylvania :
" Agreeably to your Instructions received through the Secretary of the Commonwealth, I proceeded to review that part of the road leading from Milesburg to Le Bœuff, opened by Major Roger Alden, and beg leave to submit the following report :
" Beginning at the west end of Col. Samuel Miles' opening,
" 2 miles, a hill with some digging ; the road good.
" 11% miles to the crossing of the north branch of Sandy Lick creek. The road good.
" 9 m farther. The road good.
" 4 m of rough road. There is in this distance four streams of water
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
crossing it, with bad hills on each side of each of them. They are gen- erally all dug that carriages may pass.
" 4 m farther to Toby's creek : some digging done on the descent of the hill going down to the creek-the road tolerably good.
" 2 m farther to the hill descending to Little Toby's creek. The road good. When I reported before, this descent to the creek was im- passable with waggons ; since that time the road has been changed, and laid on better ground, and the road dug. The road good. West of the creek the road is somewhat difficult for carriages.
" 4 m. The road passable for carriages.
" I m. A hill descending to Licking creek, bad, as is also the hill on the west side of the creek. There is some digging done here. These hills comprehend a distance exceeding a mile.
" Io m. Road good, lying on chestnut ridges. In this distance there is little difference in the road.
" 4 m to the Allegheny river, lying over pine ridges, some of them steep. The hill to the river near a mile long. Since my last report some bridging and digging has been done. Passable for carriages.
" 6 m from the crossing of the Allegheny river to Pithole creek. The road crosses several ridges, one of which is dug.
" 2 m of good road.
" 2 m of very swampy ground, principally bridged and causewayed. Passable with carriages.
" 3 m to the crossing of the south-east branch of Oil creek There are several bridges made in this distance. There is a good one across the creek. The road good.
" 7 m to the crossing of the N. W. branch of Oil creek. There are several bridges made in this distance. Since my last report the fording of the creek is changed for the better.
" I m. West of the creek for near a mile the road is altered, making the ascent of the hills that I noticed easier. They are still difficult for carriages.
" 7 m to where this road intersects the public road from Pittsburg to Le Bœuff by the way of Franklin. In this distance the road in general is good. A number of bridges are made on it.
" 3 m to the crossing of Muddy creek-several bridges made. The road something wet.
" 12 m to the crossing of French creek-a number of bridges made.
" 3 m to Le Bœuff-a number of bridges made, and the road good. From the intersection of the Franklin road to Le Bœuff the soil is gen- erally wet.
" I would generally observe that a considerable quantity of timber is fallen across the road, and the sprouts in such quantities grown up in many places, since the road was opened, as to render travelling difficult.
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
There has not been any cutting done since I reported, unless where the road is changed in the two places before mentioned.
" I am Sir,
" Your Excellency's very humble servant, " JOHN FLEMING."
"AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATION FOR CERTAIN INTERNAL IMPROVE- MENTS.
" SECTION 14. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the sum of four hundred and fifty dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated to be paid to John Litle and James Weston, for improving the following roads in the county of Erie: to wit, two hundred and twenty-five dollars for the State Road from Milesburgh to Waterford, etc.
" SECTION 17. That the sum of five hundred dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated to be paid to the commissioners of Venango County for improving the following roads : viz., ... and two hundred and fifty dollars for the State Road from Waterford to Milesburgh, where it passes through the county of Venango, and crosses the Allegheny River at the ferry of Eli Holeman.
"SECTION 20. That the sum of seven hundred dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated to be paid to the commissioners of Indiana County for improving the State Road from Milesburgh to Waterford, where it passes through the county of Jefferson, between the counties of Clear- field and Armstrong ; and that the further sum of seven hundred dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated to be paid to the commissioners of Armstrong County ; three hundred dollars thereof for improving that part of the Milesburgh and Waterford road which passes through the County of Armstrong, etc.
" SECTION 22. That the sum of seven hundred dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated to be paid to the commissioners of Centre County for improving the roads in Clearfield County, as follows : viz., ... four hundred dollars for the road from Milesburgh to Waterford between the west branch of the Susquehanna River and the line between the counties of Clearfield and Jefferson, and one hundred dollars for the said road from Clearfield Creek to the line of Centre County.
"SECTION 29. That it shall be the duty of the county commissioners, and trustees, and the commissioners appointed by this act, to whom the sums hereby appropriated are to be paid respectively, to advertise that proposals will be received at a certain time and place, to be by them fixed, for making the improvements in this act specified, and shall contract with such person or persons as will in their judgment secure the most advantageous expenditure of the several sums herein appropriated ; and they shall furnish to the auditors of their several counties a detailed statement of the manner in which the said monies shall have been ex-
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
pended ; and the county commissioners, and trustees, and commissioners appointed by this act, as soon as their accounts shall have been settled and adjusted, shall transmit a certified copy of the detailed statement aforesaid to the auditor-general, together with the vouchers, which ac- counts shall be settled by the accountant department in the usual manner.
"SECTION 30. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That at any time after the first day of August next, the State treasurer be, and he is hereby authorized and directed to pay to the county commis- sioners, and trustees, and commissioners appointed by this act, on their producing satisfactory evidence that the several contracts have been made, and the necessary securities for the faithful application of the monies taken, and the work actually commenced, the several sums hereby appro- priated out of any monies in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.
" Approved-the second day of April, one thousand eight hundred and eleven.
" SIMON SNYDER."
The road was opened and finished to Holeman's Ferry, on the Alle- gheny River, in 1804. This point is now in Forest County. There was no provision made to complete the road from there to Waterford by the Legislature until 1810. At that time Clarion County was not organized, and the part of the State Road that now lies in Clarion County was then in Venango County. As near as can be learned, the following contracts were let for work on the road in the year 1811 :
" Wm. Hays contracted to dig a part of said road on the north side of ' Three Mile Run at 40 cts. per perch.'
" Isaac Connelly contracted to dig a part of said road on the north side of ' Hemlock Creek at 50 cts. per perch.'
" William Hays contracted to dig and open a part of said road on the south side of ' Hemlock Creek at 40 cts. a perch.'
" Samuel and Alexander McHatten agree to open and bridge a part of the said road near Hicks cabin at eight dollars.
" Charles Holman contracted to open and dig a part of said road for 66 cts. per perch for digging, and a reasonable prize for any part which may be opened.
" Samuel and Alexander McHatten contracted to dig and open a part of said road at 57 cts. a perch on the north side of Little Toby's Creek.
" Alexander McElhaney contracted to bridge a part of said road, supposed to be 26 rods, at 99 cts. per perch, and to open and repair at a reasonable price.
" Samuel and Alex McHatten agree to dig and open a part of said road on Toby's Creek Hill at twenty-four and a half cents per perch."
In Brookville the State Road came up the hill between Mrs. Show- alter's and the Lutheran church, turned to the right and over what is now an alley between Dr. McKnight and Robert Darrah.
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
CHAPTER X.
PIONEER AGRICULTURE-HOW THE FARMERS IN THE OLDEN TIME HAD TO MAKE SHIFT-THE PIONEER HOMES-PIONEER FOOD-PIONEER EVEN- ING FROLICS-TREES, SNAKES, AND REPTILES-SOLDIERS OF 1812- PIONEER LEGAL RELATIONS OF MAN AND WIFE-EARLY AND PIONEER MUSIC-LIST OF TAXABLE INHABITANTS IN 1820-THE TRANSPORTA- TION OF IRON-THE FIRST SCREW FACTORY-POPULATION OF THE STATE AND OF THE UNITED STATES.
FOR convenience in description I may here state that the soil of Jef- ferson County was covered in sections with two different growths of tim- ber,-viz., sections of oak and other hard-wood timber, with underbrush and saplings. Some of these sections were called the barrens. The other sections were covered with a dense and heavy growth of pine, hemlock, poplar, cucumber, bass, ash, sugar, and beech, with saplings, down timber, and underbrush in great profusion. The mode of clearing in these different sections was not the same. In the first-mentioned or sparsely covered section the preliminary work was grubbing. The saplings and underbrush had to be grubbed up and out with a mattock and piled in brush-piles. One man could usually grub an acre in four days, or you could let this at a job for two dollars per acre and board. The standing timber then was usually girdled or deadened, and allowed to fall down in the crops from year to year, to be chopped and rolled in heaps every spring. In the dense or heavy growth timber the preliminary work was underbrush- ing, cutting the saplings close to the ground, piling the brush or not, as the necessity of the case seemed to require. The second step was the cutting of all down timber into lengths of ten or fifteen feet. After this came the cutting of all standing timber, which, too, had to be brushed and cut into twelve- or fifteen-foot lengths. This latter work was always a winter's job for the farmer, and the buds on these falling trees made excellent browsing feed for his cattle. In the spring time, after the brush had become thoroughly dry, and in a dry time, a good burn of the brush, if possible, was obtained. The next part of the process was logging, usually after harvest. This required the labor of five men and a team of oxen,-one driver for the oxen and two men at each end of the log-heap. Neighbors would " morrow" with each other, and on such occasions each neighbor usually brought his own handspike. This was a round pole, usually made of beech-, dog-, or ironwood, without any iron on or in it, about six feet long, and sharpened at the large end. Logs were rolled on the pile over skids. Sometimes the cattle were made to draw or roll the logs on the heap. These piles were then burned, and the soil was ready
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