USA > Pennsylvania > Blair County > Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Blair County, Pennsylvania > Part 4
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Thatcher describes the battalion, of which this Bedford county company was a part, as follows :
"They are remarkably stout and hearty men, many of them exceeding six feet in height. They are dressed in white frocks, or rifle-shirts, and round hats. These men are remarkable for the accuracy of their aim, striking a mark with great certainty at two hundred yards' distance. At a re- view, a company of them, while on a quick advance, fired their balls into objects of seven inches diameter at the distance of two hundred and fifty yards. They are now stationed in our lines, and their shot have frequently proved fatal to British ofli- cers and soldiers who expose themselves to view, even at more than double the distance of common musket shot."
This battalion was designated as the 2d regiment until January 1, 1776, when it became the 1st Pennsylvania regiment of the Continental line, and participated in various battles until the close of the revo- lutionary struggle.
The Bedford county company, in which were some officers and men from what is
-
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OF BLAIR COUNTY.
now Blair county, was commanded by Capt. Robert Clugage, and its roll was as follows :
CAPT. ROBERT CLUGAGE'S COMPANY .- OFFICERS.
Robert Clugage, captain. John Holliday, 1st lieutenant. Robert Mckenzie, 2d lieutenant, died in 1776.
Benjamin Burd, 2d lieutenant.
James Holliday, sergeant, killed at Bran- dywine.
Daniel Stoy, sergeant. Querinus Meriner, sergeant.
David Wright, sergeant.
Angus McDonald, corporal. Joseph Mckenzie, corporal.
William Lee, corporal. Aquilla White, corporal.
Timothy Sullivan, drummer.
PRIVATES.
Anderson, Adam.
Beckey, Philip.
Bowman, John.
Broughdon, Thad- deus.
Brown, Thomas.
Bruner, George. Campbell, John. Casek, Thomas. Cessna, Stephen. Clark, Patrick. Conner, Philip. Corrowan, James. Craig, Joshua. Crips, John.
Crugen, Alexander. Cunningham, Thos. Curran, James. Davis, John.
Dilling, Cornelius. Donelin, William. Dougherty, Matt.
Dowling, Lawrence. Franks, Daniel.
Freeman, George.
Garrett, Amariah. Gemberland, Daniel. Gillespy, Reuben. Hardister, Richard. Hanning, Conrad. Jamison, Francis. Johnston, Andrew. Judry, Matthias. Kelly, John. King, Peter.
Knight, James.
Laird, William. Lenning, Charles. Leonard, Robert. Lesley, John. McCartney, Henry. McClain, Daniel. McCune, John. McDonald, John.
MeDonald, Patrick. Stoy, Daniel.
McFarlane, Thomas. Stuart, John.
Magee, Thomas. Taylor, Jonathan.
Magum, Daniel. Thompson, John.
Miller, Michael.
Turmoil, James.
Piatt, Robert.
Tweed, Andrew.
Pitts, John. VanZandt, James.
Plumb, Samuel. Vanderslice, Daniel.
Reynolds, Martin. Vaughn, Thomas.
Rhoads, Daniel.
Wallace, Samuel.
Ritchie, Philip.
Walker, Solomon.
Shehan, Thomas.
Warford, James.
Shives, Francis.
Ward, Thomas.
Simonton, Alex. Wilson, Alexander.
Smith, Emanuel.
Whitman, George.
Smith, Henry.
Woodward, Samuel.
Settlers' Forts. - These forts, which were often called Indian forts, were mostly erected in 1777 and 1778 by the whigs to protect themselves against the Indians and the tory residents of the Juniata valley. Jones, in his History of the Juniata Valley, says (page 194): "These forts were generally stock- ades, built of logs or puncheons, with loop- holes made to flare on the outside, in order to bring rifles to bear in several directions." J. Simpson Africa, in his History of Hunt- ingdon and Blair Counties, states that "Those (forts ) most elaborately built were made of timbers set on end and firmly im- bedded in the ground, and were called stockades. Inside were magazines for the safe storage of ammunition, and barracks for the accommodation of soldiers and those seeking protection."
The first of these forts in Blair county was built about one mile above Hollidays- burg, near the site of MeCahen's mill, and was called Fetter's, or Frankstown fort. One mile below Hollidaysburg, opposite the second lock, Peter Titus' log barn was forti- fied by Mr. Holliday and some others, and
52
BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
went by the name of Holliday's fort. Far- ther northward a fort was built in Sinking valley, near the house of Jacob Roller, and was named after him. Roberdeau's, or the Lead Mine fort, which was the largest and best defended fort on the frontier, was also built in Sinking valley, in 1778. Lowry's fort was built in Canoe valley, near the site of the Reformed church, but being small, the house of Matthew Dean, farther up the valley, was also fortified. The inhabitants of Clover creek, Jones says, forted about three miles above the site of Williamsburg, at the house of Captain Phillips.
Tory Expedition .- According to Edward Bell, the most of the tories in Blair county resided in Canoe valley, where, Jones says, they held secret meetings at the house of John Weston, who was the tory leader of the Juniata valley. These meetings were , often attended by tory emissaries from De- troit. "It appears that a general plan was formed to concentrate a large force of In- dians and tories at Kittanning, then eross the mountains by the Indian path, and at Burgoon's Gap divide- one party to march through the Cove and Conochocheague val- leys, the other to follow the Juniata valley, and form at Lancaster, killing all the in- habitants on their march. The tories were to have for their share all the fine farms on the route, and the movable property was to be divided among the Indians."
In the spring of 1778, about thirty tories started at night, after electing John Weston as captain, but when near Kittanning they were fired on by the Indians through a mistake. Weston was killed, the remain- der scattered, and most of them never re- turned to Blair county. Richard Weston, a brother of Capt. John Weston, stated after being arrested, that the Indians fired on the.
party before they reached Kittanning; while Samuel Caldwell, in an account com- piled from statements of the early settlers, says that Capt. John Weston halted his party near Kittanning, entered the village, and was returning with a body of Indians to escort his company into the Indian town, when his men rose up and moved forward with their, arms in their hands, which so alarmed the Indians that they shot Weston and fired on his company, which sought safety in flight, with the loss of eight or ten men. The account of Richard Weston is presumed to be the correct version of the mistaken attack of the Indians on the tories. Jones says that Captain Logan, the Cayuga chief, was the spy that reported the march of the tories from Canoe creek, and that in forty-eight hours after their departure they were pursued by Capt. Thomas Blair and thirty-five men, who met two of the return- ing tories, and learned from them of the destruction of Weston's company by the Indians.
Lead Mining under the Continental Con- gress .- The lead mines of Sinking valley were well known to the Indians, and from the extensive ruins of a ditch and shaft, made prior to the advent of English settlers, would indicate that the French, not later than 1750, had sought for silver or lead in the valley. The searcity of lead in the American army caused Congress, in 1778, to accept the proposition of General Rober- deau, to mine lead in the Sinking valley for the use of the Continental armies.
Fort Roberdeau. - It was familiarly known as the Lead Mine fort, and was built by General Roberdeau in 1778, and garrisoned by Major Clugage with a regular company from Cumberland county. Two cannon were placed on its walls, and plenty of
53
OF BLAIR COUNTY.
small arms and ammunition was provided by the Continental Congress for its defense against the Indians and tories. The most vigilant watch was kept, and the most rigid military discipline was enforced to prevent its surprise, as Congress relied largely upon the mine which it protected for lead for the American armies.
Indian Murders. - No account was ever written by the early settlers of their adven- tures, hence of the many who were slain upon the present territory of Blair county we have but the names of a few which have been preserved in tradition. The year 1777 seems to have been the time when the Indians commenced their raids into the county, which lasted until 1781, or a period of four years. Jacob Neff killed two Indians who attacked him at his mill at Roaring Spring, in November, 1777, and fled, after which the entire war party came up and burned his mill. In July, 1778, Captain Phillips, of Williamsburg, and ten men went on the fateful "Bedford scout," which re- sulted in the massacre of the entire party by the Indians, except Captain Phillips and his son. During 1778 John Guilliford was killed, but not scalped, while looking over his erops near the site of Blair furnace, and in August of that year William, second son of Samuel Moore, was shot in Scotch val- ley, while hunting his horses, by an Indian, who received his death wound at the hands of George McCartney, a boy of only four- teen years of age, who was with Moore at the time. In 1780 Matthew Dean's wife and three children were murdered and the house set on fire, while Dean and his older children were in the field at work. In May, 1781, a man by the name of Houser and his son fell beneath the tomahawk and scalping knife of the Indian. In August,
1781, William Holliday, with his sons, Patrick and William, and his daughter, Janet, went from Fort Roberdeau to their farm to take off a second erop of hay, when a band of ten Indians attacked them and killed both sons and the daughter. In the fall of the same year Jacob Roller and a man by the name of Bebault were killed in Tyrone township, and with their massacre closed four years of cruel murders by the Indians.
Old Roads .- The oldest road in the county that was made by the English was the old Frankstown road, which came from Hunt- ingdon and through Water Street gap into Canoe valley and thence to Frankstown, from which it crossed the Alleghenies into western Pennsylvania. This was the great highway in early days from central to west- ern Pennsylvania, and it and the Forbes road constituted the two main routes of early travel from eastern to western Penn- sylvania. Several minor bridle roads branched off from the Frankstown road, and the principal one of these was the Bald Eagle road, which ran from Frankstown to near the site of Milesburg, in Centre county. The revolutionary war interrupted the lay- ing out and building of roads, and the larger streams were declared public highways, and on them trade was carried on by means of the ark and the keel boat. In 1787 the State-road, over the Allegheny mountain, was authorized by the legislature, which afterward made appropriations of one hun-
dred and one hundred and fifty pounds to pay Robert Galbraith for opening said road from the Frankstown branch to a branch of the Conemaugh, which road, he reported, was fifty-four miles long, and "sufficiently opened, digged, and bridged so that wagons and horses could pass and repass."
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
The wagon road was succeeded by the turnpike, and as early as 1806 legislation was had for a turnpike from Harrisburg to Pittsburg, to run through Blair county. On March 20, 1810, the Huntingdon, Cambria & Indiana Turnpike road was authorized by the legislature. A company, of which John Blair was president, was formed and in- corporated to construct the road, and in its construction from Huntingdon to Blairs- ville (a distance of seventy-seven miles) considerable quantities of "script" was issued to meet accruing debts for work performed.
Early Furnaces and Forges. - In 1716 Thomas Rutter commenced the manufac- ture of iron in Berks county, and in 1756 l'eter Dieks had a bloomery in York county, west of the Susquehanna, and the first fur- nace in the Juniata valley was Bedford furnace, which was built in 1785, in Hunt- ingdon county.
The first iron works in Blair county were Etna furnace and forge, in Catharine town- ship, built in 1805 by Canan, Stewart & Moore. Cove forge, northeast of Williams- Irarg, was erected between 1808 and 1810 by John Royer, and Allegheny furnace was built in 1811 by Allison & Henderson. The next furnace was Springfield, built in 1815 by John and Daniel Royer, and it was fol- lowed by Rebecca furnace, erected in 1817 by Dr. Peter Shoenberger, who afterwards became the most prominent iron master in the State. Elizabeth furnace, of Blair county, was the first in the State to use gas from the tunnel-head for the production of steam. The gas was first used in 1836, and the improvement was patented about 1840 by the furnace owner and inventor thereof, Martin Bell. These furnaces manufactured the celebrated "Juniata charcoal iron," so
much sought for in the market three-quarters a century ago.
Pennsylvania Canal .- In 1826 the legis- lature provided for the construction of the Pennsylvania canal, and in 1831 the main line of the canal, from Philadelphia to Pittsburg, was completed at an expense of over thirty-five million dollars. John Blair was largely instrumental in securing the canal route through Blair county. On June 1, 1831, a letting of the work on the canal, between Huntingdon and Hollidaysburg, was made at Williamsburg, where three thousand spectators were present and over four thousand bids were handed in for the work. The plans embraced fourteen dams, forty-three locks, seven guard-locks, and seventy-three sections. The work was pushed with rapidity, and the Frankstown line of the Juniata division of the Pennsyl- vania canal, extending from Huntingdon to Hollidaysburg, was completed in a little over one year. The passage of the first canal packets over the Frankstown line was honored with ovations at all the towns along its route. The building of this canal led to the formation of Blair county, through the efforts of IIon. John Blair and others.
Allegheny Portage Railroad. - To carry passengers and freight across the mountain from the Frankstown line to the Cone- maugh division of the Pennsylvania canal was the idea that led to the building of the Portage railroad. Jones says that the stately and learned Moncure Robinson was brought from England to survey the route. The road, divided into thirty-five sections, was let at Ebensburg, this State, May 25, 1831, and on March 18, 1834, was opened as a public highway. The Portage railroad was thirty-six and two-thirds miles in length, and consisted of eleven "levels," or
55
OF BLAIR COUNTY.
grade lines, and ten inclined planes, five on each side of the mountain. At the head of cach plane was stationed two engines of thirty-tive horse-power, which gave motion to the endless rope to which the cars were attached. The aggregate cost of this road was over sixteen hundred thousand dollars.
Hollidaysburg .- The establishment of the western terminus, or basin of the canal was necessitated, at Frankstown, or in its immediate vicinity. Ewing & Slep, in their History of Altoona and Blair County, say : Jacob Wertz's refusal to sell land for the basin at Frankstown, although offered ten thousand dollars for the same, led to the abandonment of Frankstown, then the me- tropolis of the county, and the substitution of the hamlet of Hollidaysburg as the ter- minus of the canal, where the reservoir was built on the farm of Patrick McCloskey. This change of the basin was, however, largely due to the efforts of Hon. John Blair, and from the moment of this change Hollidaysburg had an assured future safe from decline as long as any other rival route of travel was not carried across the Alle- ghenies.
County Formation .- As early as 1839 the citizens of Hollidaysburg, Hon John Blair, and a few others, agitated the formation of a new county from parts of Huntingdon and Bedford counties, with its county seat at Hollidaysburg, but the movement met with determined opposition upon the part of the counties named, who succeeded in prevent- ing any favorable action by the legislature until 1846. Blair county was created by act. of legislature, as approved by Governor Shunk, on February 26, 1846. The new county was composed of the townships of North Woodbury and Greenfield, of Bed- ford county, and the townships of Allegheny,
Antis, Snyder, Tyrone, Frankstown, Blair, Huston, Woodbury, and the west part of Morris township, of Huntingdon county. Governor Shunk, under the provisions of the act creating Blair county, appointed Henry McBride, of Westmoreland, Gen- eral Orr, of Armstrong, and Judge Christy, of Juniata counties, as commissioners to run the county lines and select a county seat. They performed their duties, and designated Hollidaysburg as the seat of justice.
The first court was held by Judge Jere. S. Black, on Monday, July 27, 1846, in the old Methodist Episcopal church, and John Mahony's stone building, adjoining the church, was used for a jail. On July 4, 1846, Daniel K. Reamey became the con- tractor to build a court house and jail, which he completed by 1847 at a cost of $14,576.18. In 1875 this court house was found to be too small, and on August 11th of that year the commissioners contracted with John Schrei- ner, of Pittsburg, to erect the present court. house for $103,700. This court house is in the modern Gothic style of architecture, with towers, and in form resembles some- what the letter T, and is heated through- out by steam. It has fire-proof rooms for its records, is regarded as one of the finest court houses in the State, and was dedicated to public use by appropriate ceremonies on July 2, 1877.
The present jail was built in 1868-69 by Jonathan Rhule, at a cost of about $100,000. It is built in the most approved style of prison architecture, the corridors are well lighted and ventilated, and at the same time are perfectly secure.
The county home and house of employ- ment is one and one-half miles north of Hollidaysburg, and was built in 1849-50
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56
BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
by Peter Empfield and John B. Westley for $7,866.50. It is a fine brick building, two stories and a half high. The farm con- tains two hundred and sixty-seven acres of good land.
CIVIL ROSTER .- 1846-1892.
For the following list of prothonotaries we are indebted to the kindness of Charles Geesey; for that of recorders to J. Lee Plummer; for that of sheriff's to John Orr; of treasurers to Martin Grafius; and of conimissioners to Jacob D. Weyant, the efficient clerk of the present board. Lists of the other county officers, which are not yet fully compiled, will be found under the head of miscellaneous, while members of the legislature and State senators are given in the political history.
PROTHONOTARIES AND CLERKS OF COURTS.
1846. J. Cunningham. 1846. Joseph Smith. 1849. George W. Johnson.
1852. Hugh McNeal.
1855. Joseph Baldrige.
1861. (Dec. 1) Anthony S. Morrow.
1873. (Dec. 1) James P. Stewart. 1883. (First Monday in January) Charles Geesey. 1892. (First Monday in January ) J. L. Hartman.
REGISTERS AND RECORDERS.
1846. J. M. Gibbony.
1847. Lewis II. Williams.
1856. Hugh A. Caldwell.
1865. David M. Jones.
1875. Abraham Lingenfelter.
1881. James S. Plummer.
1887. Charles R. Downing.
1889. James Roller.
1890. (January 6) J. Lee Plummer.
Mr. Downing died January 7, 1889, and James Roller was appointed in his stead.
SHERIFFS.
1846. Benjamin E. Betts.
1846. Samuel J. Royer.
1849. Thomas Rees.
1852. William Reed.
1855. George Port.
1858. James Funk.
1861. Samuel McCamant.
1864. Martin L. Bechtel.
1867. John MeKeage.
1870. Henry B. Huff.
1873. Alexander Bobb.
1877. James M. Stiffler.
1880. G. T. Bell.
1883. George Fay.
1886. Graham M. Meadville.
1889. John Orr.
1892. Thomas D. Ilughes. COUNTY TREASURERS.
1846. Robert II. McCormick.
1848. Joseph Morrow.
1850. John Penn Jones.
1852. Alex. M. Lloyd.
1854. James M. Hewett.
1856. Joshua McCord.
1858. Samuel Hoover.
1860. John Lingenfelter.
1862. John McKeage.
1864. James II. Cramer.
1866. David Stiteler.
1868. John HI. Black.
1870. John M. Clark.
1872. Joseph Baldridge.
1874. George M. Metz.
1876. Isaac F. Beamer.
1878. Alexander Rutledge.
1880. J. C. Akers.
1883. John G. Lingafelter.
1886. David Over.
1889. Martin Grafius.
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OF BLAIR COUNTY.
COMMISSIONERS.
1846. William C. McCormick.
1846. William Bell.
1846. Valentine Lingenfelter.
1847. Edward McGraw.
1847. William Bell.
1847. John K. Neff.
1849. Jacob Hoover.
1849. David Caldwell.
1849. Jacob Burley.
1850. Samuel Dean.
1851. John Bennet.
1852. John Lowe.
1853. John Campbell.
1854. James Roller.
1855. James Hutchison.
1856. David M. Confer.
1856. Jacob Barnhart.
1857. John R. McFarlane.
1858. Enos M. Jones.
1859. George L. Cowen.
1860. George Koon.
1861. James M. Kinkead.
1862. Daniel Shock.
1862. Joseph Irwin.
1863. George W. Hewitt.
1864. Robert Waring.
1865. John C. Biddle.
1866. R. R. Hamilton.
1867. Joshua Roller.
1868. David Henshey.
1869. Jacob Walter ..
1870. David S. Longenecker.
1871. Samuel Morrow.
1872. David Aurandt.
1873. John Clark.
1875. Alexander Caruthers.
1876. John Halfpenny.
1876. Jonathan Slippy.
1876. John Hileman.
1879. John Halfpenny. 1879. Samuel B. Confer.
1879. James McIntosh.
1882. John S. Calvert.
1882. Joshua II. Roller.
1882. James McIntosh. 1885. John S. Calvert.
1885. John Wighaman.
1885. James McIntosh.
1888. J. B. Cowen.
1888. John Wighaman.
1888. C. Blythe Jones.
1891. J. B. Cowen.
1891. M. H. Fagley.
1891. C. Blythe Jones.
Pennsylvania Railroad. - The construc- tion of the Pennsylvania canal led to the establishment of Blair county, and the de- velopment of Hollidaysburg from a hamlet to a prosperous city, but the building of the Pennsylvania railroad was the death of the old canal, and the establishment of the cities of Altoona and Tyrone, caused Hol- lidaysburg to decline in prosperity until some years later, when it revived and re- ceived a new impetus by being connected by rail with its two formidable rival cities, and becoming a railway center for diverging lines to Williamsburg and Roaring Spring. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company was incorporated by act of legislature on April 13, 1846, and in June, 1850, the road, with a single track, was completed to Hunting- don. On September 17, 1850, trains ran cia Altoona to Duncansville, and on the 10th of December the first train ran through from Philadelphia to Pittsburg, by using the Portage railroad and its inclined planes. The mountain division of the road was completed on February 15, 1854, and on that day trains first ran through from the Quaker to the Iron City. From a local single line in this State, the Pennsylvania Company has extended its operations, and
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
has control of roads in fifteen different States, and is now the greatest highway of travel and traffic in the world.
.Iltoona and Tyrone. - Altoona was cre- ated by the Pennsylvania Railroad Com- pany, when it determined upon its site as the spot where the low grade of their road in the Juniata valley terminated, and as thus being the spot for the location of their shops at the eastern base of the Alleghenies. A. the railroad grew and prospered, so Al- toona has built up and flourished. It was incorporated as a city in 1868, contains the largest railroad car and machine shops in the world, and is the metropolis of the Alleghenies. The building of the railroad also brought Tyrone into existence in the year 1849. It was incorporated as a bor- ough in 1857, and has rapidly grown into importance, since 1876, as one of the most populous towns and railroad and mining centers of central Pennsylvania.
Kossuth's Visit .- On Saturday, January 17, 1852, Louis Kossuth, the distinguished Hungarian patriot, visited Hollidaysburg, in his tour through the United States, and was warmly welcomed by over five hundred people. Ile was given a banquet at the Mountain house, and remained over Sunday at the county seat.
The Civil War .- The roar of Sumter's guns rolling northward awaked the nation to the reality of open rebellion and civil war, and when President Lincoln's call was ismed for troops to sustain and enforce the authority of the government, no county in Pennsylvania was more ready than Blair to respond with hundreds of soldiers, many of whom fell in defense of their country's liberties. In three days after President 'Lincoln issued his call for seventy-five thousand men, six companies from Blair
county were on their way to Harrisburg, where they were mustered into the service on the 20th of April, 1861, and formed the larger part of the 3d Pennsylvania infantry.
The 3d Pennsylvania moved from Harris- burg to the vicinity of Baltimore, afterward was stationed at various places in Pennsyl- vania, Maryland, and Virginia, where it guarded communications and protected sup- plies, besides being twice sent against Con- federate forces. It served until its three months' term of enlistment expired, and was discharged at Harrisburg on July 29, 1861. Many of the men in these companies re- enlisted in other regiments and served through the war.
We give the following list of soldiers from Blair county in the Federal armies :
OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE THIRD PENNSYLVANIA
INFANTY FROM BLAIR COUNTY.
COMPANY A. - OFFICERS.
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