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 43
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The pioneer settler in what is now Perry township was John Bell. He erected his cabin there in 1809. His nearest neighbor was nine miles distant, in Indiana County, and the Barnetts were the nearest on the north side. Bell came from Indiana Town. He died on the 19th of May, 1855, in his eighty-sixth year. He was an intelligent, industrious farmer, a justice of the peace, appointed in 1818 by Governor Findley, and held this office for twenty-five years by appointment or election. Once, while on his way home from Port Barnett, he observed an Indian taking aim at him with his rifle from behind a tree. Mr. Bell said in his lifetime, " That Indian was never seen afterwards." Mr. John Bell was a great hunter, during his life in Jefferson County he killed two panthers, ninety-three wolves, three hundred and six bears, and over six hundred deer.
The next settler in Perry was Archibald Hadden. He came from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, in IS10, and settled near Mr. John Bell. In 1812, Hugh McKee, a soldier of this war, settled near Perrys- ville. John Postlethwait came in 1818, Reuben Hickox in 1822.
Reuben Hickox's hunting exploits alone would make a book. He,
430
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
in three days, caught six bears, and in the early part of the season, in less than three months, secured over fifty of the " bruin" family. He trapped and hunted principally for bears and wolves. Wild cats were numerous, and often got into his traps, but he cared naught for them,
F
Perry township.
as their fur was valueless, only bringing in the market ten cents apiece. As for the deer, they formed the major portion of his bill of fare. Turkeys, wild ducks, etc., were numerous, and whenever he had a desire for fowl, his trusty rifle would soon secure an amount far in excess of the wants of his family.
Other early settlers in Perry were William Johnston, Benjamin Mc- Bride, William Stewart, Isaac Lewis, Samuel Newcomb, and Thomas S. Mitchell.
One of the most useful and prominent citizens of Perry township was Thomas Sharp Mitchell, who migrated in 1828, at the age of fifteen years, to the wilderness of Perry township, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania. He came in the employ of Alva Payne, from Armstrong County, Penn- sylvania, who in the year 1828 opened the pioneer store in what is now Perrysville. Young Mitchell was Payne's clerk. In addition to being salesman in the store, Thomas peddled with a wagon among the pioneers, trading goods for deer pelts, furs, etc. In this vocation he sometimes ex- tended his trips into the adjoining counties. He peddled and clerked in
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
this way for about two years, when Payne left the country for parts un- known. From 1831 to 1837, Mitchell peddled for himself. In 1837 he and his brother James opened a general merchandise store in Perrysville, and continued in active operation as a firm until 1842, when James moved to Indiana County, Pennsylvania, leaving Thomas still engaged in merchandising, lumbering on the Mahoning, and droving. Our enter-
Early barn.
prising merchants were drovers of horses and cattle, and Thomas S. Mitchell was a successful one. For several years he " drove" several droves each season, a single drove sometimes containing as many as four hundred head of cattle. Thomas S. Mitchell's mother was Agnes Sarah Sharp, daughter of Captain Sharp, one of the pioneers on the Kiskimini- tas, and of some fame as an Indian fighter. He died of wounds received in an engagement with redskins outside of Fort Pitt. But the hero cap- tain landed his wife and children in Fort Pitt, where he died in fourteen days from his wounds.
Thomas S. Mitchell married Miss Sarah Blose, of Perry township, in 1831. She was a daughter of George Blose, who emigrated from West-
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
moreland County, Pennsylvania, to Perry township, Jefferson County, in the twenties. George Blose owned the land where Perrysville is now located.
Thomas S. Mitchell was a large man of exceedingly fine presence, able, intelligent, genial, social, and popular. He served a term as sheriff. I knew him well, and remember him with great kindness and respect. He died in August, 1883. His wife died in 1875.
The pioneer church was built in 1835, at Perry ; the pioneer school- house in 1820, in what is now Perrysville. The pioneer saw mill was built by Elijah Heath, above the Round Bottom. The pioneer hotel in Perrysville was kept by Irvin Robinson, and the pioneer store was opened by Alva Payne. The pioneer graveyard was located where Perry church was built, and Robert Stunkard was the pioneer burial.
At the pioneer election held at Bell's, on Friday, March 20, 1818, the following were contestants for the township offices,-viz. : " Con- stables, David Hamilton, 5 votes ; Jacob Hoover, 3 votes. Supervisors, John Bell, 5 votes ; Hugh McKee, 5 votes. Auditors, Archibald Hadden, 5 votes ; Jesse Armstrong, 5 votes ; James McClennen, 5 votes ; Michael Lance, 5 votes. Fence Appraisers, Joseph Crossman, 5 votes : Adam Long, 5 votes. Overseers, Henry Lott, 5 votes ; Elijah Dykes, 5 votes. Signed, Archibald Hadden, Hugh McKee, judges.
" At the next election the voters had increased to eight, and at the last election before Young township was formed the number of voters ap- pears to have been seventy-seven. At this election in 1825 'schoolmen' appear to have been voted for, John W. Jenks, Charles C. Gaskill, and John Bell being elected. This is the only record of any such office in the election returns of the county from 1807 to 1830. These elections were held at the house of John Bell, and in the first ten years he was eight times elected to office, being supervisor, auditor, overseer of the poor, and schoolman."
Act of the Legislature, No. 174, establishing the polling-place :
" SECTION 29. The electors of the township of Perry, in the county of Jefferson, shall hereafter hold their general elections at the house of William Stunkard, in said township. Approved-April 15, 1835."
Among the pioneer and early settlers along Little Sandy Creek, in Perry township, were Andrew Shaffer, David Milliron, and Mr. Vanlear.
Daniel Geist erected his cabin there in 1834, and founded Geistown, now called Worthville. He built a grist mill in 1840. Henry Frease located also near where the town of Ringgold now stands, and erected a grist-mill about 1840. John Philliber, Ludwick Byerly, Henry Nulf, Conrad Nulf. Solomon Gearhart, George Reitz, and Michael Heterick all erected cabins on farms in the early thirties. Thomas Holt, a veteran of the war of 1812, settled there in 1837. Samuel Lerch, a carpenter and cabinet-maker, erected his cabin near Ringgold in 1836. Farther
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
up the stream from Geistown, near where the Indiana and Brookville road now crosses, William Hadden settled in 1831, and, being a great hunter, killed annually turkeys, bears, and deer. George and William Newcomb erected cabins in 1825, John Jones in 1826, Peter Depp in 1828, Alex- ander and William McKinstrey in 1833, Joseph Manners in 1835. James Gray, in 1836, opened a small store near McKinstrey's. James Gray was postmaster for Cool Spring. In 1833, Frederick Sprankle erected a grist- mill near the junction of Big Run and Kellar's Run. Adam Dobson located his cabin in 1833, John and William Coulter in 1841, and Samuel Burket in 1842.
YOUNG TOWNSHIP.
Young, the third township, was organized in 1826, and was taken from Perry township. The township was then of very large proportions, but is now rather attenuated. It was named after Judge Young, then president judge of the Westmoreland judicial circuit.
The taxables in the township were, in 1828, 73 ; in 1829, 70 ; in 1831, 70 ; in 1835, 146; in 1842, 271. The population by the census in 1840 was 1321.
Abraham Weaver was the pioneer settler in Young township. In 1818, Dr. John W. Jenks, Rev. David Barclay, and Nathaniel Tindle came to what is now Young township, prospecting for a future home, and they were so well pleased that in the spring of 1819 they returned with their families and settled where Punxsutawney now stands. Phineas W. Jenks was the first white child born. Rev. Barclay and Dr. Jenks donated and laid out the ground for the present cemetery.
Isaac P. Carmalt, John B. Henderson, and John Hess came in 1821, Joseph Long came in 1824, James St. Clair came in 1831, William and Robert Campbell and John Dunn came in 1832, Obed Morris came in 1824, Daniel Graffius came in 1823.
Among the early lumbermen were Jesse Armstrong and William Neel.
The pioneer church erected was a hewed log building,-Presbyterian. The first school-house was built of round logs in 1822, on or near T. Pantall's farm. Rev. Barclay laid out Punxsutawney for " a white man's town" in 1821. In 1832 it contained fifteen dwellings, two taverns, and a store. Adam Long was the pioneer hunter.
The pioneer tavern was kept by Elijah Heath, and his first license to sell liquor was in 1824. This tavern was built by Elijah Heath in 1824
The pioneer military company was organized in the thirties. William Long was captain in 1840. The company was attached to the Third Battalion, Second Brigade, Fifteenth Division, Pennsylvania Militia.
The pioneer election held for the township of Young after it was sep-
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
arated from Perry, as the returns appear in the office of the prothonotary at Indiana, are as follows :
" Young township return for 1826: Constable, Joseph Long had 32 votes, John Hum 11 votes. Signed Philip Bowers, judge, etc."
At an election held at the house of Elijah Heath, in Punxsutawney, Young township, on the 16th of March, 1827, the following persons contested for the township offices : Constable, Joseph Long, 22 votes ; Obed Morris, 13 votes. Supervisors, Nathaniel Tindle, 29 votes ; Benoni Williams, 32 votes. Auditors, Andrew H. Bowman, 30 votes ; Josiah Caldwell, 27 votes ; Matthias Clawson, 24 votes ; Philip Bowers, 18 votes. Poor Overseers, Frederick Rinehart, 15 votes ; Christian Rishel, 20 votes. Fence Appraisers, Adam Long (cooper), 20 votes ; John Hum, 9 votes. Signed, Frederick Rinehart, Joseph Long, Josiah Caldwell, judges ; Matthias Clawson, A. H. Bowman, clerks.
" TURNPIKE NOTICE.
" The stockholders of the Armstrong and Clearfield Turnpike Road Company are hereby notified that an election will be held at the house of James Caldwell, in Punxsutawney, on Wednesday, the 17th day of September next, to elect officers of said company for the ensuing year. By order of the President.
" WILLIAM CAMPBELL, Secretary.
" PUNXSUTAWNEY, August 17, IS34."
" One of the first settlers of the southern portion of the county, and, if tradition serves us right, one of the earliest lumbermen of the Maho- ning, was Jesse Armstrong, who built his cabin in a bend of the creek, now called Armstrong's Bend, a short distance below where the mill of J. U. Gillespie now stands. He, with William Neel, devised the plan of constructing a raft, and early in the spring of ISIS the two men, with Sally, Armstrong's wife, and, tradition says, assisted by two Indians, who had been in the neighborhood, perhaps visiting the graves of their people, started on their raft to explore the lower waters of the Mahoning, a peaceful enough stream in summer, but when swollen by the spring rains and melting snows a veritable rushing, foaming river. The raft, which was not one of the deftly put together square timber or board rafts of the present day, but constructed of round logs roughly withed together, was swept down the mad current. The oars were poor, and the oarsmen and pilot unskilled and ignorant of the stream ; and at length the frail craft struck on the rocks, and the crew barely escaped with their lives to the shore. Indeed, poor Sally Armstrong would have found a watery grave had not Billy Neel caught her long red hair and pulled her out of the seething flood. It is said that the eddy where this catastrophe
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
occurred was ever after known as 'Sally's Eddy.' Just before this mis- hap occurred, Sally had prepared some food from the stores which they had with them ; but Owenoco, one of the Indians, said, ' No, no, we no eat now ; maybe never eat.' At the same time he was trying with great strength and skill to keep the tossing craft from dashing against the great rocks that loomed up on every side. Suddenly they were drawn into the fearful eddy, and, the oar of Owenoco breaking off suddenly, he lost control of the craft. Extricating themselves with difficulty from their perilous predicament, the white men and Indians finally got their broken raft safely moored to shore and tied fast to a tree. Then, by the aid of a flint and torch, the Indians called down a sacred fire, which they as- cribed as a gift from their Manitou, and soon the little band of lumber- men and the poor drenched lumber-woman were gathered around the welcome fire. All their provisions, with the exception of some bread and salt Sally had placed in a box, which was saved, went down into the watery flood, with some crocks of honey, the product of wild bees, which Sally was taking to Pittsburg to purchase finery with. The bows and arrows of the Indians soon, however, procured them food, and in the cheerful light and warmth of the fire they soon regained their spirits, and after a night's rest were ready early the next morning to again under- take the perilous journey, and without any more serious mishaps gained their journey's end, being safely landed at Pittsburg, where their dusky companions bade them farewell forever and wended their way to Canada, there to join the remainder of their tribe.
"Armstrong and his wife exchanged their logs for such provisions and wearing apparel as they could carry, and returned on foot to Punxsu- tawney. It was after night when they came in sight of their cabin, where Adam Long and his wife dwelt with them. The loud barking of the dog announced their coming, and Adam said to his wife, ' I bet a deer-skin it bees Jess and Sall comin'; and soon the weary travellers were seated around their own fireside, enjoying the rest they so much needed ; and while they partook of the repast of bear's meat, etc., that Mrs. Long hastily provided for them, they told the story of their perilous journey and its successful ending, and Adam Long in turn narrated the story of his fight with the bear whose skin was then drying on the wall of the cabin, and which he had killed near their very door. 'Oh, lor', but I am tired !' said Mrs. Armstrong. 'I would not do that again for all the plagued raft and honey. I feel so crippled up I can scarcely walk.' ' Yes,' said Adam, ' but you give the honey to the fish an' to te allegators.' ' Yes, I lost my seven crocks of honey, and if it hadn't been for Billy Neel I would have went with the honey. I'll always respect him for that. Jesse never tried to put out his hand to catch me,' said the irate dame. ' Why, Sally,' said Armstrong, 'you know that when you jumped in I was trying to save myself on the other side of the raft.' 'But what
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
te tivel you do mit Neel ?' said Adam. ‘Did de Injun kill him, or did you sell him mit your raft ?' 'Oh,' said Jesse, 'Neel went with us to Pittsburg, where we left him. We got on Leslie Ramsey's boat. I helped to push the boat up to Kittanning, and Sally and me come afoot from there along the Indian path. We come it in two days.'
" Then Adam Long told the story of the bear's death. His dog had started the bear on the hill above the creek, and they had followed it from crag to crag until at last, just on the bank of the creek, it turned and gave them battle, and caught the dog in its embrace, when the hunter dealt the huge beast a powerful blow with his hatchet. The furious animal relaxed its hold on the dog and sprang at Adam with ex- tended jaws, and seemed to realize that the conflict was for life or death. The hunter's gun was useless. He had no time to aim at the bear, but, springing aside, he drew his long, keen hunting-knife and returned to the charge. The huge black beast was standing erect, and received the thrust of the knife in his neck, and as Long was about to give him an- other blow with his knife he struck him with his powerful paw and stretched him on the ground, while the knife flew from his hand into the creek ; and had not the dog at this juncture come to the rescue, poor Adam would never have lived to tell of this exploit ; but seeing his master at the mercy of their common enemy, he sprang upon the bear, and there ensued a fierce struggle : but the bear was badly wounded, and the dog at last threw him almost into the creek, when the bear gave up the contest, and, springing into the water, made for the other shore, the brave dog still holding on to his flank. Adam Long had by this time recovered his faculties, and, reloading his gun, fired at the bear, the ball taking effect in his shoulder. He then plunged into the creek and en- countered him upon the other shore with his hatchet, and soon despatched him. He believed that the huge beast would have weighed at least four hundred pounds. Adam always loved to narrate this story."-History of Jefferson County.
Among the early settlers of Young township, east of Punxsutawney, on the Mahoning stream, were Jesse Armstrong and John Grube in 1833, Daniel Smeyers in 1839, Abraham Rudolph in 1833, Jacob Bowersock, and Daniel Graffius. John Hess built a saw-mill in 1828. James H. Bell settled on this stream in 1831, built a grist-mill in 1833, and opened a store in 1840. James McCracken erected his cabin near Bell in 1839, building saw-mills and farming. Mr. McCracken was an active, popular man. John Pifer erected his cabin in what is now known as Paradise in IS29.
The pioneer church in the Pifer settlement was built in 1840. Other early settlers to erect cabins on farms north of the Mahoning in 1830 were John Smith, John Deemer, William Best, Samuel McGhee, and others.
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
Joseph and Daniel North erected cabins in the early thirties. The pioneer saw-mill was built on Big Run by William Best in 1830. This illustration is of South Side pioneers who, by invitation of D. S. Altman, Esq., and wife, partook of a dinner at their home in Punxsu-
Morris.
Wall.
McKee. Carmalt.
Law.
Bell.
Coxen. Drum. Kurtz.
Rodgers. Evans.
J'os. Winslow. Ruth.
Willard.
Jas. Winslow. Hickox.
South Side pioneers.
tawney, Pennsylvania, on the 8th day of February, A D. 1877. This picture was taken with the pioneers seated and standing in the snow. The first name is in the standing row, and the second name in the row
of seated pioneers.
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
Name. Date of Birth. Where Born. Located in Jef- ferson Co., Pa.
Rev. Jacob F. Wall . . June 29, 1805 . . Allegheny County, Pa. . . . 1854
David Willard . June II, ISOI . . Westmoreland County, Pa. . 1837
Thomas McKee
Oct. 24, ISO1 . . Centre County, Pa. 1839
Isaac P. Carmalt Sept. 9, 1794 . . Philadelphia, Pa. ISI9
Robert Law . Nov. 10, 1802 . . Huntingdon County, Pa. 1836
James Winslow Apr. 14, 1798 . . Maine ISIS
James H. Bell . Oct. 18, 1800 . . New York City IS26
Reuben Hickox
. Nov. II, 1794 . . New Haven, Conn. IS20
J. K. Coxen, Esq. . July 12, 1802 . . Mercer County, Pa. 1844
John Drum, Esq. . . . July 12, 1806 . . Westmoreland County, Pa. , 1831
Dr. George Kurtz Nov. II, 1792 . . Germany 1836
Isaac Rodgers . June IS, 1806 . . Huntingdon County, Pa.
Ellis Evans . Feb. 13, 1788 . . Schuylkill County, Pa. 1837
Joseph W. Winslow . . Dec. 10, 1804 . . Maine
ISIS
Abraham Ruth.
Obed Morris . . . . Dec. 8, 1792 . . Bucks County, Pa. IS24
These old pioneers met after this event annually for a few years at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Altman, to partake of a dinner and relate inci- dents of pioneer hardships ; but sickness, extreme old age, and death soon stopped their pleasant reunions.
"A PIONEER POSTAL ROUTE.
" More than sixty seven years ago the first Tuesday of April, 1830, a bright, beautiful morning, I started forth from my log cabin home with a United States mail-bag, on my black pacing horse Billy, with Bob Thompson, then about my own age (twelve years), on his dwarf mule Bully, to penetrate the wilderness through a low grade of the Allegheny Mountains, between the Allegheny River at Kittanning and the west branch of the Susquehanna River at Curwensville, sixty-five miles and return each week, Robert going along to show me the way.
" I have climbed the Rockies with a burro since that period in search of gold and silver, but I have never met either so primitive a people or a rougher route of sixty five miles than that wilderness route. The post- offices were Glade Run, Smicksburg, Ewing's Mill, Punxsutawney, and Curwensville. The first of these was eighteen miles from Kittanning, near where is now the little town of Dayton.
" In about three months the route was changed up the Cowanshan- nock, and the Rural Valley post-office established about two miles above Patterson's mill. The changed route intersected the old one at Glade Run post-office. The next place east of Glade Run was the residence of George McComb, where I rested for dinner and fed my horse. A stretch of over two miles brought me to Smicksburg, as now spelled, but the original founder spelled his name Schmick. Mr. Carr, the blacksmith,
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
was postmaster. For more than four miles there was not a single house on the road, though a cabin was to be seen in the distance, until I reached Ewing's Mill, another post-office. My place of lodging for the first night was with James McComb, four miles from Punxsutawney, and never did a boy find a more pleasant home
" The second day I rode ten miles for breakfast, passing Punxsutaw ney, where Dr. Jenks was postmaster. The town was a mere hamlet, principally a lumbering camp, surrounded with the finest of white pine, which was rafted in hewed logs down Mahoning Creek to the Allegheny River, and thence to Pittsburg. It is a rapid, rocky, crooked stream, and the logs were hewed square to make their transit over safe, both by reducing their size and securing a smooth, even surface. Six miles farther on was a farm, a few acres, the home of Andrew Bowers, where I ate breakfast, then entered a wilderness of sixteen miles. Those sixteen miles of wilderness were then a most dismal district of country, heavily timbered with pine, spruce, hemlock, and chestnut, with much under- growth of laurel In this dreary waste I saw every animal native to the clime, except the panther, of which more hereafter.
" After emerging from this wilderness, in which the sun was never visible, there was a settlement of Quakers, known as the Grampian Hills, near the centre of which was a fine farm, the home of a colored man, Samuel Cochran, where I took dinner, and then passed on to Curwens- ville, the end of my route. I returned to Cochran's for the second night's rest. The object of this return was to be ready to enter the wilderness and give good time to get through it before the shades of evening had fallen. Once I realized the wisdom of this plan when high water delayed me, so that I was compelled to stop at Bowers's place for the night and ride through the wilderness twice in a day, entering at the dawn of morning and reaching the place of departure amid darkness.
" Was I lonely ? If the shriek of the panther, the growl of the bear, the howling of the wolf, the hooting of the owl is society, I was far from lonely. When I realized my situation I drove the spurs into my horse and rushed him with all his speed. My heart-beats seemed to drown the racket of his hoofs upon the stony road. The return was but a repetition of the outgoing journey. I never made such a trip again.
" My predecessor was John Gillespie, of whose history since I know nothing, but there was a story that in his ambition to create a favorable impression of the importance of his charge he frequently horrified a good Presbyterian preacher, who was the Glade Run postmaster, by stuffing the mail-bag with crab-apples, and made indignant the good Mrs. McComb, where he had lodged the night previously, by laying the mis- chief to the McComb children. A plethoric mail-bag always opened the eyes of the rural postmaster, and it was fun to John to witness the indig- nation of the good Mr. Jenks and hear the screaming of laughter of the
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PIONEER HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNA.
villagers, just arrived to get the latest news, when a peck of crab-apples, but no letter, rolled out on the floor at Punxsutawney.
" Those were the days of William T. Barry as postmaster general. I used to collect government's moiety in each of the little post offices in driblets of five to ten dollars, with the plain signature of ' Wm. T. Barry, P. M. G.,' attached to the orders, and looked at the great man's name with admiration, until I really think I could distinguish his handwriting now.
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