USA > Pennsylvania > A pioneer outline history of northwestern Pennsylvania > Part 9
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HISTORY OF NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
brigadier-general, fifteen hundred acres; a colonel, one thousand acres; a lieutenant-colonel, eight hundred acres; a surgeon, chaplain, or major, six hundred acres; a captain, five hundred acres; a lieutenant, four hundred acres ; an ensign or regimental surgeon's mate, three hundred acres; a sergeant, sergeant-major, or quartermaster-sergeant, two hundred and fifty acres; and a drum-major, fife-major, drummer or fifer, or private, two hundred acres. Another section provides for the issuing of patents, to be signed, sealed, and delivered by the president or vice-president of the Supreme Executive Council and prescribing a form for the same, the con- sideration being " services rendered by -, in the late army of the United States." The only expense to which applicants were to be subjected was the fee for "surveying, drafting, and returning," including the cost of chain- bearers, markers, etc. The sum fixed was three pounds for a lot of five hundred acres, two pounds for a lot of three hundred acres, and one pound ten shillings for lots of two hundred and fifty and two hundred acres, to be paid by each applicant before he could be permitted to draw for his lot. There were other provisions of the act for the purpose of fully carrying into effect the in- tentions of the General Assembly in making the grant, especially in Sections XX. and XXI., which provided for the employment of an agent for the pur- pose of exploration to ascertain and note the quality of the land and the topo- graphic features of the country. This agent was particularly to note such parts of land as he might deem unfit for cultivation.
Three days before the act of March 25, 1785, became a law a committee chosen by the officers of the Pennsylvania Line, who were no doubt acquainted with the provisions of the proposed law, and concerned for their own interests, united in a letter to the Supreme Executive Council, recommending the appointment of General William Irvine, the commanding officer at Fort Pitt, as agent to explore the lands. After calling attention to the provisions in the proposed law for the employment of such agent, they say, "We therefore pray that Council will be pleased to appoint William Irvine, Esq., to that office, if the bill passes in its present state, as he is a gentleman well acquainted with the land appropriated for that purpose, and who is, we humbly conceive, worthy your confidence, as well as that of your most humble servants." (Pennsylvania Archives, vol. x. p. 425.) The Supreme Executive Council acted so promptly upon the recommendation of the committee of officers, that two days after the bill became a law, General Irvine was appointed agent, and having on the same day, March 26, 1785, subscribed his oath of office, an order for ninety pounds was issued in his favor as part of his pay. On the. same day he received his instructions, which appear in Volume X., page 427, Pennsylvania Archives. They read as follows :
In Council, March 26, 1785.
" Sir: By virtue of the authority vested in us by the act of assembly for directing the Mode of distributing the Donation Lands, promised to the
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HISTORY OF NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
troops of this Commonwealth. We have appointed you Agent to perform the duties of this office, it will be necessary that with all possible Dispatch & accuracy, you explore the country to be laid off agreeably to Directions of that Act, noting the quality of the land in the several parts thereof, the hills, mountains, waters, creeks, marshes, uplands, bottom lands, &c., and such other occurrences as may deserve notice with their situation, & distance, but particularly the parts of the land which you may deem unfit for cultivation, &c .; and from time to time transmitting us your remarks, notes, and descrip- tion of the Country."
This letter is signed by John Dickinson, and addressed to " The Honor- able General William Irvine." General Irvine appears to have entered upon his duties of exploration, under the instructions given him, with little delay, and to have exercised good judgment, assiduity, and perseverance in pur- suing them. A report of his notes and observations was transmitted to President Dickinson, in a letter dated at Carlisle, August 17, 1785. These papers are replete with interest and are here reproduced as they appear in Volume XI., pages 513 to 520, Pennsylvania Archives.
" CARLISLE, August 17, 1785.
" To His Excellency, John Dickinson, Esq.
"Sir: You have herewith transmitted my description of the donation tract of country, together with a sketch. These will, I hope, prove satisfac- tory to your Excellency and the honorable the council, and answer the public purposes for which they are designed.
" I observed in a former letter that few of the deputy-surveyors attended on my first going into the country, these agreed to postpone the business till September. On my return to Fort Pitt, after my tour, so late as July I found three of the gentlemen preparing to set out to survey. I did not consider it my duty to attend so small a number of them, as it would be spending the public money and my own time to little purpose, besides the law gives me no other control over them than to report to the Surveyor-General should they neglect or delay performing their duty. And I find sundry of them conceive they have not only a right, but are in some measure obliged to survey the land, good or bad, as each of them are instructed to survey a certain number of lots, for instance, two hundred and sixty of different descriptions and sizes, with- out any regard to water, bottom, upland, or any of the usual modes observed in laying of land. 'Several of the districts has not twenty lots of good land in them, yet the deputies are each instructed to survey upwards of two hun- dred and sixty, when others contain perhaps double the quantity directed.'
" Unless the Surveyor-General alters his instruction materially, or coun- cil, or the Assembly, take order in the premises, the whole end designed will be defeated as no man of common understanding will accept of pay for survey- ing such land.
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"I am of opinion there is more than sufficient of good land on the tract appropriated to answer the purpose, provided the western boundary line of the State strikes the west branch of Beaver Creek as high as is generally supposed. Mr. McLane is of opinion it will cross at least sixteen miles higher than where his line does. In this case I propose this alteration for the consideration of council, that the deputies be instructed to begin at the west line of the State and survey all the land on the several branches of Beaver within the tract, before any other is laid off, if this should not prove sufficient, then proceed to the forks and upper branches of Tunck and Oil Creeks for the remainder. This mode will, I conceive, be better for the troops as their settlement, or vicinity to others will be more compact, consequently the land more valuable and it will certainly be more advantageous to the State, as whatever lands of value may be along the river and upper end of the tract will be reserved unculled, to dispose of as may be judged most expedient; and notwithstand- ing the spots of good land are detached, yet some of them are of such excellent quality, and so well situated on account of water carriage, easy communication with Lake Erie, and so well calculated for stock-farms, that the State may be much benefited by reserving them for future disposal.
" This mode will occasion an alteration, perhaps, with respect to the number of deputies, as fewer than the present number appointed would execute this mode best, and four or five would doubtless perform the business, provided they are allowed to employ assistants; these four or five might have constant communication with each other, and act as it were superintendents over the assistants, by which they could determine when the number of lots of each class required is done. I know it may be urged, in opposition to this, that sundry of these gentlemen have already gone to considerable expense in equipping themselves for the business and that it will be hard to dismiss them under these circumstances. To this I answer that the private advantage of two or three men ought not to be put in competition with that of as many thousands, particularly where the interest of the State at large is concerned also. I farther answer that these men may be employed by the principals, and will venture to assert that some of them are scarce fit even for this subordinate station, as perhaps the first chain or compass they ever saw was purchased for this occasion. The number, however, that I have proposed may be found among the gentlemen who understand both theory and practice extremely well, and are men of approved integrity, and I believe the State will find their account in this or some such mode, if they even pay the trifling expense the gentlemen have been at.
" I have the honor to be, " With the greatest respect, "Sir, Your Excellency's most " Obedient humble servant, " WM. IRVINE."
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" Notes taken and observations made (by) the Agents appointed to ex- plore the tract of country presented by the State to the late troops of the Penn- sylvania Line, of the American Army.
" In exploring the donation land, I began on the Line run by Mr. Mc- Lane, between that and the tracts appropriated for redeeming depreciation certificates which he ascertained by a due North Line to be near thirty miles from Fort Pitt, and by the Common computation along the path leading from Fort Pitt to Venango on the mouth of French Creek, which some affirm was actually measured by the French when they possessed that country. I found it forty miles ; East of this path along Mr. McLane's Line for five or six miles, the land is pretty level, well watered with small springs, and of tolerable quality, but from thence to the Allegheny River which is about Twenty-five miles due East, there is no land worth mentioning fit for cultivation; as far as French Creek all between the Venango Path and the Allegheny there is very little land fit for cultivation, as it is a continued chain of high barren mountains except small breaches for Creeks and Rivulets to desembogue themselves into the River. These have very small bottoms.
" As I proceeded along the path leading to French Creek about five miles to a Branch of Beaver or rather in this place called Canaghqunese I found the land of a mixed quality, some very strong and broken with large quantities of fallen Chestnut, interspersed with strips covered with Hickory, lofty oak, and for under wood or Brush, Dogwood, Hazel, &c .; along the Creek very fine rich and extensive bottoms in general fit for meadows; from hence to another branch of said Creek called Flat Rock Creek, about ten miles distant, the land is generally thin, stony and broken, loaded, however, with Chestnut Timber, the greatest part of which lies flat on the earth, which renders it difficult travelling-at the usual crossing place on the last named Creek, there is a beautiful fall over a Rock ten or twelve feet high at the fording imme- diately above the fall, the bottom is one entire Rock, except some small per- forations which is capacious enough to receive a horse's foot and leg-it is here about forty yards wide and runs extremely rapid. From Flat Rock to Sandy Creek by Hutchins & Scull called, Lycomie, is about Twenty-four miles ; on the first twelve there are a considerable quantity of tolerable level land tho much broken with large stony flats, on which grows heavy burthens of Oak, Beech, and Maple, particularly seven or eight miles from the Creek there is a plain or savannah three or four miles long, and at least two wide, without any thing to obstruct the prospect, except here and there a small grove of lofty Oaks, or Sugar Tree, on the skirts the ground rises gradually to a moderate heighth from which many fine springs descend, which. water this fine Tract abundantly-along these Rivulets small but fine spots of meadow may be made, from hence the remaining twelve miles to Sandy Creek is a ridge or mountain, which divides the waters of the Allegheny, the Beaver, and Ohio, and is from East to West at least three times as long as it is broad
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-on the whole of this there is little fit for cultivation, yet some of it is well calculated for raising stock. But a person must be possessed of very large Tracts to enable him to do even this to purpose.
"From Sandy to French Creek is about seven or eight miles from the mouth, but it soon Forks into many small runs, and is but a few miles from the mouth to the source-there are two or three small bottoms only on this Creek-to French Creek is one entire hill, no part of which is by any means fit for cultivation.
" On the lower side, at the mouth of French Creek, where the Fort called Venango formerly stood, there is three or four hundred acres of what is commonly called upland or dry bottom, very good land. On the North East side, about one mile from the mouth, another good bottom begins of four or five hundred acres, and on the summits of the hills on the same side tho high, there is a few hundred acres of land fit for cultivation-this is all in this neighborhood nearer than the first fork of the Creek; which is about eight miles distant. On the Road leading from French to Oil Creek, within about three miles and a half of Venango, there is a bottom of fine land on the Bank of the Allegheny, containing four or five hundred acres, there is little beside to Oil Creek fit for cultivation.
" French Creek is one hundred and fifty yards wide.
" From French to Oil Creek is about eight miles-this is not laid down in any map, notwithstanding it is a large stream not less than eighty, or perhaps a hundred yards wide at the mouth, a considerable depth, both of which it retains to the first fork, which is at least twenty miles up, and I am certain is as capable of rafting timber or navigating large boats on as French Creek in the same seasons this high. On the North East or upper side of this creek, at the mouth, is four or five hundred acres of good bottom, and about a mile up there is another small bottom on the South West side, which is all the good land to the first fork.
" Oil Creek has taken its name from an oil or bituminous matter being found floating on the surface. Many cures are attributed to this oil by the natives, and lately by some whites, particularly Rheumatic pains and old ulcers; it has hitherto been taken for granted that the water of the Creek was impregnated with it, as it was found in so many places, but I have found this to be an error, as I examined it carefully and found it issuing out of two places only-these two are about four hundred yards distant from (each) other, and on opposite sides of the Creek. It rises in the bed of the Creek at very low water, in a dry season I am told it is found without any mixture of water, and is pure oil; it rises, when the creek is high, from the bottom in small globules, when these reach the surface they break and expand to a surprizing extent, and the flake varies in color as it expands; at first it appears yellow and purple only, but as the rays of the sun reach it in more directions, the colors appear to multiply into a greater number than can at once be comprehended.
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" From Oil Creek to Cuskakushing, an old Indian Town, is about seven- teen miles-the whole of this way is barren, high mountains, not fit for culti- vation ; the mountain presses so close on the River that it is almost impassable, and by no means practicable when the River is high, then travellers either on foot or horseback are obliged to ascend the mountain and proceed along the summit.
" At Cuskushing there is a narrow bottom about two miles long, good land and a very fine Island fifty or sixty acres, where the Indians formerly planted corn. From Cuskushing to another old Indian Town, also on the Bank of the River, is about six miles; this place is called Canenacai or Hick- ory Bottom; here is a few hundred acres of good land and some small Islands, from hence to a place named by the natives the Burying Ground, from a tradition they have that some extraordinary man was burried there many hun- dred years ago, is about thirteen miles ; most of this way is also a barren and very high mountain, and you have to travel greatest part of the way in the Bed of the River. To Brokenstraw Creek, or Bockaloons, from the last named place is about fourteen miles, here the hills are not so high or barren, and there are sundry good bottoms along the River. About half way there is a hill called by the Indians Paint Hill, where they find very good red oker. Brokenstraw is thirty yards wide, there is a fine situation and good bottom near the mouth on both sides, but a little way up the creek large hills covered with pine make their appearance. From Brokenstraw to Canewago is eight or nine miles-here is a narrow bottom, interspersed with good dry land, and meadow ground all the way, and there is a remarkable fine tract at the mouth of Conewago, of a thousand or perhaps more acres, from the whole of which you command a view up and down the main branch of Allegheny, and also up Conewago a considerable distance. Conewago is one hundred and fifty yards wide, and is navigable for large boats up to the head of Jadaque Lake, which is upwards of fifty mile from its junction with the east branch of the River. The head of Jadaque Lake is said to be only twelve miles from Lake Erie, where it is also said the French formerly had a Fort, and a good Waggon Road from it to the Lake. Conewago forks about thirty miles from the mouth of the East Branch, is lost in a morass where the Indians frequently carried their canoes across into a large creek called the Cateraque, which empties into the Lake forty or fifty miles above Niagara.
" This account of the branches of Conewago I hade from my guide, an Indian Chief of the Senecas, a native of the place, and an intelligent white man, who traversed all this country repeatedly. I have every reason to believe the facts are so-tho I do not know them actually to be so as I went only a small distance up this creek, being informed there is no land fit for cultivation to the first fork or to the lower end of Jadaque Lake, which begins seven miles up the West Branch, except what has already been mentioned at the mouth of the creek, the appearance of the country, in a view taken from the
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HISTORY OF NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
summit of one of the high hills, fully justified this report, as nothing can be seen but one large chain of mountains towering above another-here, perhaps, it may not be amiss to insert the supposed distances in a collected view-and first from Fort Pitt to McLane's 40
To fourth branch of Canaghqunese
5
Rocky, or Flat Rock Creek
Sandy Creek
24
French Creek
8
Oil Creek,
6
Cuskacushing
17
Cananacai
6
The Burying Ground
13
Brokenstraw
14
Conewagoo
9
152
Deduct from Fort Pitt to Mc'Lenes line between the depre-
ciation and donation tracts 40
Leaves the donation land to be 112 Miles long.
" For the same reason that I did not proceed far up Conawago, I re- turned the most direct Road to the burying ground-here three old Indian paths take off, one to Cayahaga, on Lake Erie, one to Cuskusky, on the West branch of Beaver Creek, and the third to a Salt Spring, higher up the same branch of Beaver-from hence I crossed the chain of mountains, which runs along the River, and in traveling what I computed to be about twenty five miles, reached the first fork on Oil Creek, on the most easterly Branches there are vast quantities of White Pine, fit for masts, Boards, &c. In this fork is a large Body of tolerable good land, tho high, and along the West Branch very rich and extensive Bottoms fit for meadow, of the first quality- this continues about fifteen miles along the creek, which is a beautiful stream, from thirty to forty yards wide, and pretty deep. From the West Branch of Oil Creek I proceeded on a Westerly course, about ten miles along a ridge which is difficult to ascend, being high and steep, but when you get up it is flat on the summit, four or five miles broad, very level, and fine springs issue from the declivity on both sides, the land heavily loaded with Hickory, large Oak, Maple, and very large Chestnut. From the West end of this ridge several large springs rise, which form the most easterly branch of French Creek-there are five branches of this creek, which is called Sugar Creek, by Mr. Hutchins, all of which have fine Bottoms, excellent for meadow and pasturage, but the upland or ridges between are stony, cold, moist and broken. chiefly covered with Beech, Pine and scrubby Chestnut.
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HISTORY OF NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
" At the fork or junction of Sugar Creek with the main or West Branch of French Creek (which is only eight miles up from Venango), there is some fine plains or savannahs, and a large quantity of meadow ground-there are but few bottoms, and little or no upland besides what is above mentioned, for twenty miles up this branch, where there is a considerable quantity of excellent meadow ground, beside which there is not much good land until you reach Le Berroff (Boeuf's).
" From Venango, I returned along the path leading to Pittsburg to within about seven miles of Flat Rock Creek, here I took a West course along a large dividing ridge already noticed, about ten miles, where I struck a branch of Canaghquenese or Beaver, about thirty yards wide, and which joins Flat Rock before it empties into the main branch of Canaghquenese-on this creek is very fine and larger bottoms, and in some places some good upland, tho' much broken with high, barren hills and some deep morasses. This creek is not laid down in any map that I have seen. After having explored this creek and lands adjacent, I proceeded on a South course till I struck Mr. McLene's line within eight miles of the great Beaver Creek, which I followed to the Creek; all this distance is very hilly, there are some small bottoms, but the major part of those eight miles is not fit for cultivation.
" From where Mr. McLane's line strikes the great or West Branch of the Beaver, I continued exploring the country up the several western branches of the Beaver, Viz, the most Westerly, and two branches denominated the She- nango. The distance from the above named line to an old Moravian Town is three or four miles, from thence to Shenango, two and a half or three miles; thence to a fork or second branch, two miles; from the mouth of Shenango to Cuskuskey, on the West branch, is six or seven miles, but it was formerly all called Cuszuskey by the natives along this branch as high as the Salt spring, which is twenty-five miles from the mouth of Shenango. There is such a similarity in almost all the lands on all the branches of Beaver Creek, that a particular description of each would be mere (repetition). I shall therefore only briefly observe that the bottoms generally are the most excellent that can be well imagined, and are very extensive-the upland is hilly, and some bad, but most of the hills are fertile and very rich soil-from the falls of the Great Beaver up to the head of the West Branch, and twenty miles up the Shenango branch, is to a considerable distance on either side those creeks there is little land but may be cultivated, and I believe no country is better watered.
" I herewith transmit a sketch of that part of the country only which my duty as agent obliged me to explore. This, together with the remarks herein contained will, I flatter myself give a juster idea of the tract than any map yet published. Tho' I do not pretend to say it is correct, as the distances are all supposed, and there are probably several omissions in this sketch, yet more creeks, hills, &c., are noticed than have been before and their real courses and near connections & division by Hills & Ridges ascertained.
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HISTORY OF NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
" No Creek is laid down or branch which is not upwards of Twenty yards wide-smaller runs are not noticed-on the whole I have endeavored as well in the remarks as in the sketch,* so far as I have gone, to answer the end for which I was appointed Agent, as well as in my power.
" WM. IRVINE, " Agent.
" N. B. The dotted lines show the several courses taken in exploring the country on the sketch-besides the several offsets were made to gain summits of hills for the benefit of prospects. All the Branches of Canaghquenese, which are six or seven in number, join and form one large Creek before it enters the Beaver, the junction is about eleven miles above the mouth of Beaver from above the falls and four below McLene's line. I have been unavoidably obliged to leave the North and West lines open in the sketch, as I could not do otherwise till these boundary lines are run; this also prevented my compleating the business, not being able to determine perhaps within several miles, where the line may run. I am persuaded the State of Penn- sylvania might reap great advantages by paying early attention to the very easy several communications with Lake Erie from the western parts of their country, particularly Conewago; French Creek and the West Branch of Beaver, from a place called Mahoning to where it is navigable for small craft is but thirty miles to Cayahuga River, which empties into the lake. A good waggon road may be made from Fort Pitt to the mouth of French Creek, & all the way from the mouth of Beaver to Cayuhuga, which is not more than 80 miles. The breadth of the tract cannot be ascertained till the Western Boundary is run. Mr. McLene suspends for this reason extending his line further West than the Great Beaver, which he has found to be 47 miles from the mouth, Mogwolbughtitum, from this part of Beaver Creek it is conjected the West line of the State will run 10 or 12 miles."
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