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 38
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" GEO. WOLF."
1831 .- An act relieving the prothonotary, register, and recorder of Jefferson County from payment of State tax on his fees and commissions, and refunding all such taxes already paid by him.
1831 .- Commissioners of Jefferson County authorized to alter the location of, and to lay out and make one mile and ten perches of, the Sus- quehanna and Waterford turnpike, where it passes through the village of Brookville.
1831 .- Township supervisors of Jefferson County authorized and re- quired to expend at least two-thirds of the annual road tax in the repair and improvement of the public roads of their respective townships, on or before the Ist day of October in each and every year.
February 7, 1832 .- Boundary line between Jefferson and Venango Counties fixed, Richard Irvin, Esq., having run and marked the same " to the entire satisfaction of both counties."
1833 .- Jefferson County placed in the Eighteenth Judicial District by section 8 of the act of 1833, which reads as follows :
" And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That from and after the first day of September. Anno Domini one thousand eight hun- dred and thirty-five, the said county of Potter. and the counties of Mckean, Warren, and Jefferson, shall be formed into a separate judicial district, to be called the Eighteenth District, and a person of integrity, learned in the law, shall be appointed and commissioned by the governor to be president and judge of the Courts of Common Pleas within the said district, which president shall receive the like salary, and have and exe- cute all and singular the powers, jurisdictions, and authority of president judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Jail Delivery, Orphans' Court, and justice of the Court of Quar- ter Sessions of the Peace, agreeably to the constitution and laws of this Commonwealth. The courts in Potter County shall be held on the first Mondays of February, May, September, and December of each year ; the courts in McKean County on the first Monday after those in Potter County ; the courts in Warren County on the first Monday after the courts in Mckean County; and the courts in Jefferson County on the first Monday after the courts in Warren County, the courts in each county to continue one week if necessary."
1834 .- Recognizances and bonds of the sheriff of Jefferson County fixed at $7000.
1835 .- Courts of Jefferson County authorized to be held on the second Mondays of February, May, September, and December.
1835 .- Wheat, rye, and corn flour, designed for exportation as a product of Jefferson County, to be stamped.
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
1839 .- An act authorizing one person to hold and exercise the several offices of prothonotary, clerk of the courts, register, and recorder in the county of Jefferson. This act remained in force until 1893.
1840. - Commission appointed to run and mark the division line be- tween the counties of Jefferson, Warren, McKean, and Clearfield, consist- ing of Jonathan Coalgrove, of the county of Mckean, Elijah Heath, of the county of Jefferson, and John S. Brockway, of the county of Clearfield.
1840 .- An act to encourage the destruction of wolves and panthers, giving a bounty of twenty five dollars on wolves and sixteen dollars on panthers. Repealed in 1841.
1841 .- An act requiring township elections in the county of Jefferson to be held on the second Tuesday of February, annually.
1842 .- Township elections to be held on the fourth Monday of Feb- ruary, annually.
1842 .- County commissioners of Jefferson County authorized to issue orders to supervisors on county treasurer for road taxes collected on un- seated lands, and prescribing the form thereof.
1842 .- Jefferson County commissioners authorized to issue orders on county treasurer for school taxes collected on unseated lands in favor of the school treasurers of the respective townships, and the form thereof prescribed.
1843 .- Act granting premiums on destruction of wild-cats and foxes repealed as to Jefferson County.
1843 .- Mechanics' lien law extended to Jefferson County.
1843 .- Elk County erected out of parts of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Mckean Counties. Timothy Ives, Jr., of Potter County ; James W. Guthrie, of Clarion County ; and Zachariah H. Eddy, of Warren County, appointed commissioners to " ascertain and plainly mark the boundary lines of said county of Elk."
By same act, Jefferson County to receive and provide for all Elk County prisoners for three years, or until Elk County erects a jail.
1843 .- Jefferson County placed in the Twenty-third Congressional District, composed of the counties of Erie, Warren, Mckean, Clarion, Potter, and Jefferson.
1843 .- Jefferson County placed in the Twenty eighth Senatorial Dis- trict, composed of the counties of Warren, Jefferson, Clarion, Mckean, and Potter. Same act places Jefferson, Clarion, and Venango Counties together in one legislative district, and authorizes the three counties to elect two members.
1844 .- Supplement to the act erecting Elk County, regarding the bringing of suits, liens, revival of judgments, and the issuing of execution writs, etc.
1845 .- All expenses for laying out and opening roads in Jefferson County to be paid out of the road funds of the several townships through
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which the same may pass. All expenses for the election of township offi- cers in said county to be paid out of township rates and levies. Super- visors in the county of Jefferson required to give bond in double the amount of the sum assessed for road purposes ; and township auditors, within ten days after settlement with supervisors, to file a copy of said settlement with the clerk of the quarter sessions.
1845 .- An act authorizing but three road and bridge viewers in Jef- ferson County, and requiring all to view.
1846 .- Certain deeds made and improperly executed by Jefferson County commissioners legalized.
BROOKVILLE BOROUGH.
1830 .- County commissioners authorized to lay out the town, and limits thereof defined by courses and distances.
1834 .- Borough incorporated. Election of borough officers author- ized, and Thomas Hastings and Jared B. Evans, Esqs., to publish notice "and see to the opening of the election."
1835 .- Manner and time of electing constable for Brookville pre- scribed.
1837 .- Six school directors to be elected in the borough on the first Monday of January annually.
1837 .- Brookville to have and own the school taxes assessed against its own citizens by Rose township.
1838 .- Brookville Academy established " for the education of youth in the English and other languages, and in the useful arts, sciences, and literature, under the care and directions of six trustees and their suc- cessors in office." The six trustees first appointed were C. A. Alexander, Thomas Hastings, John J. Y. Thompson, Levi G. Clover, John Pearce, and Richard Arthurs. By same act the State appropriated $2000 to said Brookville Academy.
1838 .- Brookville Female Seminary authorized and established, and Andrew Barnett, Thomas Hastings, Levi G. Clover, William Jack, Elijah Heath, C. A. Alexander, John Bell, Charles K. Barclay, and John W. Jenks appointed trustees.
1841 .- County commissioners authorized to subscribe $500 to the Brookville Academy. Three trustees thereafter to be elected annually " by the qualified voters of the county."
1842 .- After payment of the $500 to the Brookville Academy, to be subscribed and paid by the county, trustees of the said academy to be elected by the voters of the whole county.
1842 .- Brookville borough to elect two constables and one assessor annually.
1843 .- Voters of Jefferson County not to vote for trustees until the
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
county commissioners have subscribed and paid the aforesaid $500 here- tofore authorized to be subscribed.
1845 .- Borough officers to be elected on the first Monday of March annually.
1845 .- Market, Water, Jefferson, and Church Streets. of the borough of Brookville, authorized.
TOWNSHIPS OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
1804 .- Pine Creek was the original township, coextensive with the county as erected in 1804.
PERRY.
1817 .- Perry township made a separate election district, and elections therein to be held in the house of John Bell in said township.
1826 .- Elections in Perry township to be held at the house of Jacob Heterick in said township.
1830 .- Auditors of Young and Perry townships authorized to audit and settle the accounts of John Van Horn as supervisor of Perry town- ship previous to its division into the said townships of Perry and Young, and to apportion the balance found due him between the said townships.
1835 .- Elections in Perry township to be held at the house of William Stunkard in said township.
1842 .- Perry township divided into two school districts, -Perry and Whitesville.
YOUNG.
1826 .- Young township to hold its elections at the house of Elijah Heath, in the town of Punxsutawney.
RIDGEWAY.
1827 .- Ridgeway township made a separate election district, and elections to be held at the house of James Gallagher.
ROSE.
1828 .- Rose township made a separate election district, and elec- tions to be held at the house of John Lucas in said township.
1834 .- Rose township elections to be held at court house, Brook- ville, Pennsylvania.
1836 .- Rose township divided for election purposes, the western end thereof to hold its elections at the house of Darius Carrier.
1838 .- Rose township again divided for election purposes by a dif- ferent line from that established by the act of 1836 ; but both parts of the township were required to vote at Brookville. This was very un- satisfactory, and so in 1840 this act of 1838 was repealed by a revival of the act of 1836, permitting again the western end of the township to vote
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
at the house of Darius Carrier, the site of which is now, in 1897, within the limits of the borough of Summerville.
1838 .- Boundaries of Rose township determined and fixed, extend- ing to the Armstrong County line.
1842 .- Rose township elections to be held at the court-house in the borough of Brookville.
BARNETT.
1832 .- Barnett township elections to be held at the house of John Wyncoop in said township.
1835 .- Barnett township elections to be held at the house of Alexan- der Murray in said township.
YOUNG.
1838 .- Young township divided for election purposes by an east and west line, and all electors north of that line to hold their elections "at the Paradise School-House, near Jacob Smith's, in said district."
ELDRED.
1836 .- Eldred township declared a separate election district, and elec- tions to be held at the house of James Linn in said township.
SNYDER.
1835 .- Snyder township declared a separate election district, and elections to be held "at the house of John Mclaughlin on the Brockway road in said township."
1838 .- Elections in Snyder township to be held on the third Tuesday of February, instead of the first Friday of March.
1842 .- Elections in Snyder township to be held at the house of James M. Brockway in said township.
WASHINGTON.
1838 .- Washington township declared a separate election district, and elections therein to be held at the house of John McIntosh in said township.
JENKS.
1838 .- Jenks township in Jefferson County declared a separate elec- tion district, and elections therein to be held at the house of Cyrus Blood in said township.
PORTER.
1840 .- Porter township declared a separate election district, and elec- tions therein to be held at the house of Henry Freese in said township.
CLOVER.
1842 .- Clover township elections to be held at the house of Darius Carrier, in the village of Troy in said township.
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
GASKILL.
1842 .- Elections in Gaskill township to be held at the house of Henry Miller in said township.
18/4 .- Elections in said township to be held at " Miller's District School- House."
WARSAW.
1842 .- Warsaw township declared a separate election district, and elections therein to be held at the house of William Weeks in said town- ship.
TIONESTA.
1838 .- Tionesta township, in Jefferson County, declared a separate election district, and elections therein to be held at the house of John Noeff in said township.
1844 .- One-fourth of the road taxes levied and collected in Tionesta township, in the county of Jefferson, to be applied annually for six years to repairs and improvement of the Warren and Ridgeway turnpike.
HIGHWAYS OF JEFFERSON COUNTY AS MADE BY ACT OF ASSEMBLY.
1798 .-- Red Bank Creek declared a public highway from its mouth to the "second great fork," which is the North Fork.
1817 .- One thousand dollars appropriated by the State " for the pur- pose of improving the navigation of Red Bank Creek from the mouth thereof as far up as it is declared navigable."
1820 .- Sandy Lick Creek declared a public highway up to Henry Nulf's saw mill in the county of Jefferson.
1798 .- Toby's Creek, now Clarion River, declared a public highway from its mouth up to the second great fork thereof.
1817 .- Two hundred dollars appropriated by the State " for the pur- pose of improving the navigation of Toby's Creek."
1808 .- Big Mahoning declared a public highway from its mouth up to the mouth of Canoe Creek, and permission given and regulated to erect dams in said creek.
1817 .- Appropriation by the State of $800 " for the purpose of re- moving obstructions in Big Mahoning Creek, and improving the navi- gation of the same between the mouth of Little Mahoning and the confluence of said creek with the river Allegheny."
1835 .- Big Mahoning Creek declared a public highway from the mouth of Canoe Creek to the forks of Stump Creek in Jefferson County.
1845 .- Incorporation of the Mahoning Navigation Company author- ized, and J. W. Jenks, William Campbell, and James Torrence appointed commissioners to procure books, solicit subscriptions, and organize the company.
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
1812 .- Incorporation of the Susquehanna and Waterford Turnpike Company authorized. Governor of Pennsylvania to subscribe $125,000 in the stock of said road.
1814 .- Supplement to said act extending the time for subscriptions to the stock of said company three years from the 22d of February, 1815. 1818 .- Supplement extending the time five years from March 20, 1818.
1821 .- Governor of Pennsylvania, on behalf of the State, authorized to subscribe $15,000, in addition to the amount before subscribed, to the Susquehanna and Waterford Turnpike Company. By a report made in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, March 23, 1822, it appears that the contemplated length of this road was one hundred and twenty- six miles, one hundred and seventeen of which were completed at that date. About twenty six miles of this turnpike were laid out within the limits of the county of Jefferson.
1838 .- Susquehanna and Waterford Turnpike Road Company author- ized to open their road one hundred feet wide through marshy places, "so as to let the light and air upon the same."
OLEAN ROAD.
1819 .- This State road was authorized by the following act of As- sembly :
"AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE GOVERNOR TO APPOINT COMMISSIONERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF LAVING OUT A STATE ROAD FROM THE TOWN OF KIT- TANNING TO THE STATE LINE, IN DIRAECTION TO THE VILLAGE OF HAMILTON, IN THE TOWNSHIP OF OLEAN, IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK, AND ALSO FROM MILESBURG IN CENTRE COUNTY TO CLARION RIVER IN JEFFERSON COUNTY.
"SECTION 1. 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 is hereby authorized and required to appoint three commissioners, one of whom shall be a practical surveyor, to view, mark, and lay out a State road from the town of Kittanning, in the county of Armstrong ; thence on the nearest and best route to the State line, on a direction to the vil- lage of Hamilton, on the Allegheny River, in the township of Olean, in the State of New York ; and the commissioners so appointed shall pro- ceed to perform the duties required of them by this act on or before the first Monday in June next, and shall make out and deposit a copy of the draft of said road in the office of the clerk of the Court of Quarter Ses- sions in each county through which said road shall pass, and the said clerks shall enter the same in their respective offices, which shall be a record of said road ; and from thenceforth the said road shall be, to all
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
intents and purposes, a public highway, and shall be opened and kept in repair in the same manner as roads laid out by order of the Court of Quarter Sessions of the county through which said road passes."
Section 2 provides for the oath of the commissioners, their pay, and the settlement of their accounts.
Sections 3 and 4 pertain only to the other State road mentioned in the title of the act.
" Approved-the twenty-third day of March, one thousand eight hundred and nineteen."
1821. - Appropriation of $8000 to the Olean road by the nineteenth section of " An Act for the Improvement of the State," which reads as follows :
" SECTION 19. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the sum of eight thousand dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated for the opening and improving a State road, recently laid out from the town of Kittanning in Armstrong County to the State line, on a direction to the village of Hamilton, in the State of New York, which passes through Armstrong, Jefferson, and Mckean Counties, to be expended in the said counties through which said road passes in proportion to the distance it passes through the same respectively. And the governor is hereby authorized to draw his warrant on the State treasurer in favor of the following named persons -that is, for that part of the said road which lies in Armstrong County in favor of David Lawson and James Cochran, Armstrong County ; and for that part of said road which lies in Jeffer- son County in favor of John Sloan, Jr., of Armstrong County, John Matson, and John Lucas, of Jefferson County ; and for that part of said road that lies in Mckean County in favor of Brewster Freeman and Jo- seph Otto, of Mckean County, who are hereby appointed commissioners to receive and expend the said sum in opening and improving the said road within the limits of the counties to which they are appointed to superintend, etc.
" Approved-March 26, 1821."
1819 .- State road from Kittanning to the mouth of Anderson's Creek, in Clearfield County, authorized by
"AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE GOVERNOR TO APPOINT COMMISSIONERS TO LAY OUT A STATE ROAD FROM THE TOWN OF KITTANNING IN A DIREC- TION TO THE MOUTH OF ANDERSON'S CREEK.
" 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 is, and he is hereby authorized to appoint three commissioners, one of which shall be a practical surveyor, to view, mark, and lay out a State road from the
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
town of Kittanning, thence by the nighest and best route on a direction towards the mouth of Anderson's Creek, in Clearfield County, to inter- sect a road from Bellefonte to Erie. And the commissioners so ap- pointed shall proceed to perform the duties of their appointment at such time as the governor shall direct. And they shall make out and deposit a draft of said road in the office of the clerk of the Court of Quarter Sessions in each county through which said road shall pass, and the said clerks shall enter the same in their respective offices, which shall be a record of said road, and from thenceforth the said road shall be to all intents and purposes a public highway, and shall be opened and kept in repair in the same manner as roads laid by order of the Courts of Quarter Sessions of the counties through which said road passes.
" Approved-January 27, 1819."
1821 .- Appropriation of $2500 to the State road from Kittanning to Anderson's Creek, Clearfield County, by " An Act for the Improvement of the State."
" SECTION 18. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the sum of two thousand five hundred dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated for the purpose of opening and improving a State road re- cently laid out from the mouth of Anderson's Creek, in Clearfield County, to the town of Kittanning, in Armstrong County, which passes through the counties of Clearfield, Jefferson, Indiana, and Armstrong, to be ex- pended in the same counties through which said road passes in proportion to the distance it passes through the same, and the governor is hereby authorized to draw his warrant on the State treasurer in favor of the fol- lowing named persons,-that is, for that part of said road which lies in Armstrong County in favor of James Hannagan and Joseph Marshall, of Armstrong County ; for that part of said road which lies in Indiana County in favor of James McComb and William Travis, of Indiana County ; for that part of said road lying in Jefferson County in favor of Charles C. Gaskill and Carpenter Winslow, of Jefferson County ; and for that part lying in Clearfield County in favor of David Ferguson and Moses Boggs, of said county, who are hereby appointed commissioners to receive and expend the said sum in opening and improving the said road within the limits of the counties to which they are appointed to superintend, and the said commissioners shall each be entitled to receive as a full compensation one dollar and fifty cents per day for every day they shall be necessarily employed in performing their respective duties. " Approved-March 26, 1821."
1824 .- State road from Warren to Brookville authorized.
1825 .- "State road from Indiana through Punxsutawney, in the county of Jefferson, and Smethport, in the county of Mckean, to the
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
town of Ceres, in said county of Mckean," authorized, and Meek Kelly, of Indiana County, John Sloan, Jr., of Armstrong County, and Charles C. Gaskill, of Jefferson County, appointed commissioners to view, lay out, and mark the same.
1826 .- Warren and Jefferson County Turnpike Road Company author- ized " for the purpose of making a turnpike road from the town of War- ren, in Warren County, to the Susquehanna and Waterford Turnpike, at or near the bridge over the north fork of Sandy Lick Creek, in Jefferson County," and Joseph Hackney, John Andrews, and Archibald Tanner, of Warren County ; Thomas Lucas, Charles C. Gaskill, and John Matson, of Jefferson County, appointed commissioners to solicit subscriptions and organize the company.
1826 .- An act to improve the leading roads in McKean and Jefferson Counties.
1826 .- Clearfield and Jefferson Turnpike authorized, and Charles C. Gaskill, Dr. John W. Jenks, Andrew Barnett, and Thomas Lucas, of the county of Jefferson ; and Greenwood Bell, John Irvin, David Ferguson, and Alexander B. Read, of Clearfield County, appointed commissioners to procure books and solicit subscriptions for said road, and generally to as- sist in the organization of the company, to be known as " The President, Managers, and Company of the Clearfield and Jefferson Turnpike Road."
1826 .- Sandy Lick or Red Bank Creek declared a public highway from the eastern boundary of Jefferson County to its mouth, for the passage of descending boats, rafts, etc. ; and permission granted, and regulations prescribed, for the erection of dams in said creek.
1828 .- Little Toby's Creek, in the counties of Clearfield and Jeffer- son, from the mouth of John Shaffer's mill-run, on the main branch of Toby's Creek, and from the forks of Brandy Camp (or Kersey Creek) to the Clarion River, declared a public highway for the passage of rafts, boats, and other craft, and permission given to erect and regulate dams on said creek.
1833 .- North Fork Creek, in Jefferson County, from its mouth to Ridgeway, declared a public highway.
1834 .- State road from Kittanning to Brookville authorized, and John Sloan, Jr., Alexander Duncan, and James Corbett appointed commission- ers to view and lay out the same.
1835 .- Commissioners appointed to lay out State road from Kit- tanning to Brookville: William Jack, John Cribbs, Jr., and Robert Richards.
1838 .- Luthersburg and Punxsutawney Road Company authorized, " for the purpose of making a turnpike from the town of Punxsutawney, in the county of Jefferson, to the town of Luthersburg, in Clearfield County," and Lebbeus Luther, John Jordan, Benjamin Bonsall, David Irvin, Jacob Flick, Benjamin Carson, David Hoover, David Henny, and
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
Jeremiah Miles, of the county of Clearfield ; William Campbell, Charles R. Barclay, Charles C. Gaskill, James Winslow, James W. Bell, and John Hoover (miller), of the county of Jefferson, appointed commissioners to solicit subscriptions for stock, and generally to assist in the organization of the company to be known as " The Luthersburg and Punxsutawney Road Company."
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