USA > Pennsylvania > Armstrong County > Armstrong County, Pennsylvania her people past and present, embracing a history of the county and a genealogical and biographical record of representative families, Volume I > Part 7
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The above cited act of March 13, 1783. also provided that the unreserved portion of the tract of depreciation lands should be laid out thus : The surveyor general, in accordance with such directions as should be given him by the supreme executive council, should cause it to be laid out into lots of not less than 200 and not more than 350 acres cach, numbering them in numerical order. As soon as the whole tract, or a hundred lots of it, were surveyed, the surveyor general, secre- tary of the land office and receiver general were directed to sell them, in numerical order, at such times and places, and under such regulations, as should be prescribed by the supreme executive council. The amounts bid at these sales were to be paid into the receiver general's office either in gold or silver or in those certificates ; whereupon, and on the pay- ment of the expenses of surveying and the fees of the different offices, patents should be issued to the vendees, and whatever specie the receiver general thus received he was to pay into the State treasury for the purpose of re- deeming such of those certificates as remained unsatisfied at the close of these sales.
Three pounds and ten shillings, including the wages of chainbearers and markers, were allowed for laying out and returning the sur- vey of each lot into the surveyor general's office, to be paid in specie before the patent could be issued. But very few lots or parcels of that depreciation tract were sold until after the passage of the act of April 3, 1792, re- specting the provisions of which enough has already been given in the sketch of the Hol- land Land Company.
PIONEERS AND THEIR TRIALS
Wiser laws and a more liberal interpretation of those existing, caused the country to be settled much more rapidly after 1796. The pioneer settler of Armstrong county was Capt. Andrew Sharp, who settled in the Plum Creek region in 1784. with his wife and infant child. He resided there for some years, suffer- ing much from the depredations of the Indians, until finally tiring of the exertions necessary for existence in that harassed region, he de- cided to return to Kentucky. In May, 1794, he
kiminetas river. At the mouth of Roaring run, near the rapids, they decided to halt for the night, preferring to shoot the rapids by day- light. However, they had scarce started for the bank ere they were fired upon by a band of Indians, who had lain in wait for them.
In the ensuing fight McCoy and Connor's son were killed and Connor and Sharp severely wounded. The boat was quickly pushed off from the bank and rapid progress made away from the danger point. Owing to the wound- ing of the men, Mrs. Sharp was compelled to row the boat all night, but at daybreak she succeeded in attracting the attention of some men on the bank, who took charge of them and piloted the freight of wounded and dying to Pittsburgh, where Sharp died July 8th. From that city Mrs. Sharp went with her brother- in-law. Andrew, to Cumberland county, re- maining there three years, later returning to her former home at Plum Creek after the con- ditions were more favorable.
Her second daughter, the first white child born in Armstrong county, was the wife of David Ralston, and later of James Mitchell.
Other pioneer settlers in this county will be found mentioned in the sketches of the differ- ent townships and boroughs.
HOME BUILDING
In early times neighbors were scarce and far apart and mutual cooperation was a necessity. The interchange of the heavier labors was frequent. When a log cabin was to be raised the inhabitants for several miles would assem- ble at the proposed site, with their teams, axes and other necessary implements. Such a cabin was generally one and a half stories high. roofed with clapboards weighted down with poles, with openings cut in the sides and ends for doors and windows. The logs were round. the loft covered with puncheons, and the chim- ney of stones and sticks daubed with mud. Greased paper was used in place of glass for the windows. The only tools to be had were the ax, the heavy saw, the drawing knife. adze. broadaxe and the now obsolete centerbit, which was often made at some rude forge by the carpenter himself.
A suitable spot was selected on which to erect the house and on the appointed day a company of choppers felled the trees, cut them to proper lengths, and hauled them to the chosen spot. Meanwhile the carpenter had selected a straight-grained tree and was split-
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
ting out the clapboards. These were split with some bright colored cloth. The expansive a large "froe" and were four feet long by bosom of the shirt served as a pocket to hold a chunk of bread, gun wadding or other neces- sities of the hunt. The heavy buckskin belt had manifold uses. Mittens and the bullet bag were stuck in the front, the tomahawk on one side and the hunting knife on the other, there still being space for smaller articles between. The shirt was generally made of linsey, some- times of coarse linen, and a few of dressed deerskins. These last were very cold and uncomfortable in wet weather. the greatest width the tree would allow. Next puncheons for the floor were made of trees eighteen inches wide, halved and faced with a broadaxe. All being ready, on the second day the neighbors gathered and assisted in the "house raising." On the third day the house was furnished. A table was made of a slab, supplied with sapling legs driven into auger holes. Several three-legged stools were made in the same manner. Pins stuck into the logs served to support the clapboard shelves for the A pair of breeches, or drawers and leggins, were the covering of the legs. Moccasins an- swered much better than shoes for the feet. kitchen, and were receptacles for the few pewter dishes, plates and spoons; but often the tableware consisted of wooden bowls, They were different from the modern design "trenchers" and "noggins." When even these were scarce, gourds and hard-shelled squashes made up the deficiency. A few iron pots, knives and forks had been brought from east of the mountains, together with salt and the bed- ding, by means of packhorses. of moccasin, being made of dressed deerskin, in a single piece, with a gathered seam in front and at the heel, as high as the ankle joint. Flaps were left at each side, reaching some distance up the legs, laced with deerskin so as to exclude the snow and dust. The ordinary moccasin cost but a few hours to make, while shoes were expensive and hard to procure. In cold weather the moccasins 'were stuffed with deer hair or dried leaves for warnith.
A pole with a fork near the lower end was driven into an auger hole in the floor and the upper end fastened to a roof joist. Poles were laid across the fork to the walls and supported through the cracks between the logs, forming the frame of the bed. Across these were laid other poles to bear the grass mattress, which was later filled with corn shucks after the ornament at the neck. In summer they went crop was gathered. A few pegs around the
The linsey petticoat and gown were the universal dress of the women of pioneer days. A small home-made handkerchief was the only barefoot, and in cold weather wore moccasins single room, to suspend the few dresses of the and hand-made "shoepacks." Stockings were women and the coats of the men, completed the a luxury. When any head covering was worn, "furniture."
Then came the "house-warming," and a real
Most of the clothing of the pioneers was one it was, lasting for days, or as long as the hung on the pegs around the cabin walls, and limited supply of "corn-juice" held out. The nights were occupied with dancing until alniost dawn.
It required two days to notify the men then living within a circuit of thirty miles of such a raising. Until as late as 1834 trees suitable for building logs on this and adjoining tracts were considered common property. If any one saw a tree which would answer his purpose, either on the tract on which he had settled or on any other, he appropriated it to his own use, without leave from any one.
COSTUMES
The universal costume was a composite of civilized and Indian dress. The hunting shirt was universally worn. It was a loose frock, reaching half way down the thighs, with large sleeves, and so wide as to lap over in front a foot or more when belted at the waist. It often had a cape collar, handsomely fringed with
it was the universal sunbonnet.
visitors could readily estimate the wealth of the occupants by the visible display of wearing apparel.
HOME MANUFACTURES
In early days every cabin was a factory where clothing was manufactured. Busy hands kept the spinning-wheel and loom buzzing and slamming early and late. In almost every household there were a large number of mouths to feed and bodies to clothe. Shoes were used sparingly by the lucky few who possessed them, for leather was high and money scarce. Often girls and women would walk to church bare- footed, carrying shoes and stockings, which they put on when near the house of worship. Tow and linen, buckskin and similar home- made goods formed the clothing worn by males of all ages. The girls' best dresses were frequently spun, woven, dyed, cut and made by the wearers. An old resident remarks: "The
WOOL SPINNING WHEEL, AND REEL (C'alled also Quill or Bobbin Wheel)
0
SPINNING WHEEL-FLAX
0
FLAX BRAKE
THE NEV PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LENOX TILDEN FOUNDATIONS
MARY
UX
LIONS
- THE NEW YORK APLIC LIBRARY
R. LENO
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
girls were just as pretty in those days as they were the breads for breakfast and dinner ; are now, and were probably satisfied with their mush and milk a standard dish for supper. costumes, but could one of our present fash- ionably-dressed belles have stepped among them, they might have gone wild with envy and excitement.'
TRAVELING IN PIONEER TIMES
All the travel of the settlers was performed on foot or on horseback. Wagons were almost unknown within the memory of men now living, while carriages are a comparatively modern innovation. As in most new settle- ments, the first lines of travel were paths marked by blazed trees. Afterward trees and underbrush were cut away, and some of the principal routes of travel were converted into highways. There is, however, scarcely a road Westmoreland county, he went literally loaded with errands, generally taking several pack-
in the county that follows its course as orig- inally traced. Thoroughfares were built at the horses along to bring back supplies. cost of a great expenditure of time and labor.
THE CHASE
'Skill in hunting was the chief accomplish- ment of the men and boys, and from childhood they were trained in the use of weapons. The boys emulated the Indians in the use of the bow and arrow and became almost as expert as their red rivals. Throwing the tomahawk and knife, running, jumping and wrestling were also frequently indulged in by all. In ad- dition, most of the males could imitate the cries of the wild fowl and beasts of the forest, and thus bring them within shooting distance.
MORALS
Honesty was held in great esteem in those days, and a thief not only received what justice the few laws imposed, but was often ostracised by his neighbors as well. Lying was not a common practice, and offenders of that kind were soon labeled by their companions. Female virtue was respected and as a general rule the morals of the early days might well be set up as a criterion for those of the present times. One curious custom was for an aggrieved party to challenge the aggressor to a "fisticuff" match, and if one or the other thought he was physically overmatched he could obtain a sub- stitute.
Milk was often scarce and a substantial dish of hominy took its place. Mush was frequently eaten with sweetened water, molasses, bear's oil or fried meat gravy.
The early settlers found game abundant, and very little hunting enabled them to keep a con- stant supply of fresh meat on hand. Grain food was not so easily procured. The farmer's supply of wheat and flour was often exhausted before harvest time; and in such cases wheat was cut while in the milk, and boiled, making a very palatable and wholesome food. Salt was a valuable commodity and very scarce. The settlers were obliged to go to the eastern coun- ties to obtain it. When a man made a trip "east of the mountains," or to Pittsburgh or
AMUSEMENTS
The amusements in rural districts in carly times consisted chiefly of frolics, or "bees," grubbings, railmaulings, corn-huskings, quilt- ings, singing-schools at private houses, and occasional dances at frolics. In 1828 there was a prevalent mania for circular fox and wolf hunts. The areas of the several circles covered nearly the entire territory of the county. Several columns in the papers were filled with notices of the routes, times and arrangements. Those hunts temporarily excited a deep and general interest in the aged, middle- aged, and the young. They were designed not only for amusement, but for the beneficial pur- pose of exterminating these pestiferous and de- structive animals.
PROMINENT PIONEERS
One of the settlers of Sugar Creek town- ship was David Rumbaugh, who was an orig- inal genius in his way and a great practical joker. He had the likeness of a clock painted on the gable end of his house next to the public road, being what is now the Kittanning and Brady's Bend one, the hands representing the time to be II :45 o'clock, and he was occasion- ally amused by travelers comparing the time indicated by their watches with and setting them by it.
FOOD Such was the class of pioneers who formed the population of this county in early times. "Hog and hominy" constituted the principal They were rough but honest, poor but enter- diet of the first settlers. Johnnycake or pone prising, limited in education but religious, and 2
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
had as fine a standard of life as we hold at Kittanning, her factor and confidential mer- the present day. To show that the feeling of neighborliness has not been destroyed by modern civilization, we will relate a little incident that occurred in December, 1912. Mr. and Mrs. Levi J. Cook, of Bethel township, celebrated their golden wedding Christmas Day. They were both born on the same day and also were married on their birthday. In issuing the invitations they were anxious that none should be omitted, so instead of writing the messages they had the school teachers an- nounce the affair in the schools, with a promise of welcome to all who would come. In the language of modern slang, "Can you beat it?"
A STRANGE MARRIAGE CONTRACT
Among the early settlers in the southern part of the county, in the section afterward allotted to Burrell township, was George Shoe- maker, a very successful farmer. At his death he left all his property to his wife Margaret without reserve. In due time after his death the widow married the second time a man named Barnard Davers. Before the wedding she in- sisted on his signing an agreement that she was still to hold possession of the property left by her former husband, to dispose of as she wished, and that at her death it should go unreservedly to her children by the first hus- band. In the event of his death she was to be free of his debts and the property was to remain in her possession. She also agreed that she would never lay claim to any of his individ- ual property either before or after his death. The marriage occurred early in 1825, and they used, managed and occupied their separate estates distinctly and independently of each other, pleasantly and harmoniously, until Davers' death in December, 1829.
Again in proper season another suitor sought her hand-George A. King, a substantial farmer. Her children had then grown up, some of them were married, and with her were cultivating and managing the fertile acres of "Monmouth," which their father had devised to her. In that emergency-as related by the then editor of the Pittsburgh American, and whose statement is reproduced in Sherman Day's "Historical Collections of Pennsylvania" -she consulted the late Samuel Houston, of
chant. When she had stated to him her inten- tion to marry again, he is reported to have said, "I should suppose that one so happily situated as you are, with everything rich and comfort- able about you, and your sons and daughters grown up, would not think of such a think at your time of life. I would advise you by no means to entangle yourself again in any mar- riage alliance." "You tink not. Mr. Houston ?" "Why, it is very sincerely the advice I would give you, if that is what you want." "Well, dat may be all very well and very goot : but, see here, a man I vant, and a man I vill have!" "O, that is a very different thing altogether, and in that case, I would advise you by all means to marry."
She, however, would not accept her new suitor's proposal, unless he, too. would enter into an ante-nuptial agreement, like that with Barnard Davers, which he did. The date of this second agreement is March 8. 1832. They were subsequently married, and man- aged their respective estates as she and Davers had done. In both instances husband and wife were separate, on their farms, from Mon- day morning until Saturday night each week; their accounts were kept separately ; they knew hardly any more about each other's business affairs than if they were single. There were no clashing interests, no coveting of each other's possessions, to cause trouble and dis- cord. At the death of her third husband. in the spring of 1843. as at that of her second one, the Shoemaker estate was left intact. She never claimed dower in either Davers' or King's estate. From loyalty to her first hus- band's estate, not from stinginess, did she. by ante-nuptial stipulations, require each of her last two husbands to pay. as they cheerfully and regularly did, an annual stipend in flour for his boarding and horsekeeping from Sat- urday night until Monday morning of each week of their singular, and, in this county, unprecedented, conjugal lives. She is said to have been well educated in German. She sur- vived her last husband several years, having enjoyed the affection of her kindred, and the esteem of friends and acquaintances, to which the good qualities of her heart and mind justly entitled her.
CHAPTER III
AGRICULTURE, FISH AND GAME
CLEARINGTHE LAND- PRIMITIVE IMPLEMENTS OF HUSBANDRY-EARLY GRISTMILLS-CATTLE AND SIIEEP-THE GRANGERS-AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES-STATISTICS, OLD AND NEW-FISH AND GAME
The pioneer farmers of this county had iron moldboards and wrought-iron colters. little to aid them in the reclamation. of the Ilis plows of both kinds are still remembered soil. The ground was covered with dense as having been excellent ones. The locality where he made them is in the northern part of Burrell township, near the head of a spring run which empties into Pine run above its junction with Crooked creek. undergrowth and weeds, the removal of which required the most arduous labor by hand. Small quantities of grass seed were sown. The principal crops were rye, wheat, corn, oats and buckwheat. The latter was often used as a roughland crop, frequently saving the day when other crops failed. In 1819 the price of wheat was 50 cents a bushel, rye 40 cents and oats 20 cents.
An accompaniment to the burning of the brush piles at night were the mournful howls of the wolves, so it is seen that the settlers had some natural music to divert them. In these modern days we have the mournful dog and tuneful cat of our next-door neighbor to ac- company our attempts at slumber.
Wooden plows were used after one or two crops had been planted with the hoe and mattock. Later the "Western" plow, with metal moldboard, was introduced, and after that came the cast-iron plow. One of the old timers was the "Bull" plow, so named from the power required to run it. Those were the days of the "chaff piler" threshers and flails.
The first metal plow was introduced into this county by James Elgin in Plum Creek township, in 1811. He was so proud of it that he would never allow others to use it, and on occasion would resent any attempt to borrow it without his consent.
AN ORIGINAL CHARACTER
Altman must have been endowed with a good degree of mechanical ingenuity and in- ventive genius. Besides guns and other things, he made a good pocket-knife with twelve blades, and invented an auger with a chisel attachment, by which he bored holes in his wooden moldboards, etc., which were nearly square. He was certainly eccentric enough to have been a man of genius. One of his eccen- tricities was his constant refraining from speaking to any of his children. Their mother was the medium of communication from him to them, except on one occasion, which was when he and one or more of them were going to Kittanning in a wagon. When they were descending, or about to descend a hill he said to his son Isaac, in German, perhaps involun- tarily, "Nun yetz der wagon must gespert sein !" "Now the wagon must be locked," equivalent to "down brakes."
Threshers began to be used in 1849, and reapers and mowing machines came into use about 1860. The sulky rake was introduced in 1863. One of the reasons for the slow adoption of these labor-saving machines was the extremely broken surface of the country. As the methods of soil culture become more advanced the use of machines gains greater headway, and they are made more adaptable to the peculiarities of our farm structure.
Nearly a century ago Frederick Altman commenced, and continued for some years, the manufacture of plows with wooden mold- PRIMITIVE MILLS boards. He advertised in the Kittanning Gasette, Sept. 21. 1825, that he was then mak- The gristmills of those days were marvels ing half-patent plows, that is, those with cast- of originality and ingenuity, when we consider
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
the crude implements used in their erection ard. This was noticeable in the Jerseys, Short and the lack of proper materials. Many of Horns, and the Holsteins among the cattle, them were made almost without a piece of and the Clydesdales and Percherons among iron or a nail. One of the earliest was that of William Green in North Buffalo township, of which the following description will be of in- terest to readers who never see the process of making flour now.
The bolting chest of the first gristmill was made of the trunk of a large, hollow button- wood tree, which was divided into two equal parts, one placed above the other, with an in- other parts of this and surrounding country. terval of about two feet between them. The With such famous horses at the head of the entire interval on one side was closed by stud as "Highland Baron" and "Arcady," and shaved clapboards, and all on the other, except standard bred mares from the best Kentucky stock for many miles and the old "Purviance" strain of horses made a very desirable class for crossing. about four feet in the middle, which space was ' strains, his enterprise attracted the lovers of covered by a piece of homemade linen cloth, nailed on the upper, and which dropped on the inside of the lower part of the trunk so as to keep the flour from falling out of the chest. About 1838 a superior breed of sheep was introduced into the county, this stock being later improved by crossing with the native strains. Were it not for the custom of some Instead of a leather belt, a rope made of straw was used, which required moistening to make it effective. People brought their grists to that mill from twenty miles around. One of its residents of sporting proclivities of keeping a customers was a little Irishman from Butler number of useless dogs, which annually go forth on sheep-killing raids, the sheep indus- try would be further advanced than it is now. county, who fell asleep while waiting for his grist. As he awoke, he saw the large cog- wheel and the trundle-head turning between him and the moonlight which penetrated a THE GRANGE crevice in the wall. Being alarmed, he screamed and yelled lustily. On being asked what was the matter, he replied, "I thought I was in hell, and the big devil and a little one were after me."
All of these mills were operated by water- power, sometimes from an undershot, but generally by an overshot, wheel. Our illustra- tion of the Cowanshannock mill will give an idea of the appearance of the better kind of water mill.
LIVE STOCK
the types of horses. Within the last fifteen years racing and coach horses have received marked attention, some of the best breeds of trotters and pacers being found on many farms. One large stock farm, the Pleasant Valley, owned by A. Wayne Smith, has done much toward improving this latter class of horses not only in the neighborhood but in
Much interest in later years has been awak- ened by the agricultural colleges, experiment stations, and by the "back to the farm" move- ment of the wealthier citizens of the great cities. Not least in this movement to renew the vocation of agriculture and add to the wealth of the farmer is the help given by the State and National Grange.
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