USA > Pennsylvania > Venango County > Centennial Discourse: A Sketch of the History of Venango County, Pennsylvania. > Part 2
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On June 29th, Mr. ELLICOTT writes in regard to the Fort here : "On my arrival, the place seemed so defenceless, that, with the con- currence of Captain DENNY, and the officer commanding at the Fort, we remained there some time, and employed the troops in rendering it more tenable. It may now be considered as defensible, provided the number of men is increased. The garrison, at present, consists of twenty-five men, one-half of whom are unfit for duty, and it is my opinion that double that number would not be more than suf- ficient, considering the importance of the safety of the settlement on French creek."
But it is strongly probable that the danger menacing the settle- ment arose rather from outside Indians than from those under the im- mediate command of CORNPLANTER. The more northern tribes were still in no small degree under the influence of the French, who, although giving up the idea of conquest, were not averse to keeping up an irritated feeling amongst the Indians, in revenge for the dis- appointment of the past.
These dangers and annoyances gradually gave way, and there was the promise of peace and tranquillity in the new settlement.
After the coming of General IRVINE and Mr. ELLICOTT with a military escort of fifty men, tranquillity was restored. CORNPLAN- TER was pacified with the promise of having his lands surveyed at once. This being done he became the fast friend of Colonel Mc- DOWELL and Colonel DALE, and so continued during their lives.
CORNPLANTER always exerted a strong influence upon the minds of the Indians. Although he was in favor of the French during their temporary possession, yet, after the Revolution, he was the
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firm friend of the United States, and at the settlement here wished but his rights. He was a just man, and had but to see the right in order to pursue it.
Scrubgrass township was one of the first points in the county set- tled outside of Franklin. THOMAS MCKEE came in 1796. About the same time were THOMAS BAIRD and Major GHOST, ROBERT CALVERT and ROBERT RIDDLE. The next year JAMES CRAIG and Mrs. ABI - GAIL COULTER came. The latter was the mother of Rev. JOHN COULTER, and grandmother of Rev. J. R. COULTER, now of the same township. JOHN WITHERUP, the first Sheriff, came in 1799 .- The first mill was built that year. In 1800, Colonel CAMPBELL'S mills were built. The same year the first sermon was delivered in the county. It was by Rev. WILLIAM MOORHEAD, at the house of Mrs. COULTER, and within forty rods of the present Scrubgrass church. In 1802, the first church built in the county was erected .- It was of round logs, with earthen floor and split logs for seats .- This was in Scrubgrass. It was a Presbyterian church. In 1805 the first Methodist church was built; this was in the same township.
Among the other early settlers were MICHAEL MULLEN and JAMES SCOTT, in 1796 ; JAMES LESLIE, SAMUEL WEST, WILLIAM SLOAN, JOSEPH REDICK, JAMES MCDOWELL, WILLIAM SHANNON, JOHN CULBERTSON, JOHN FRITZ and DANIEL SAY, came in 1798.
In 1812, DAVID PHIPPS built mills at Kennerdell. In 1825, the first furnace was built in the county by JOHN ANDERSON, in this township. The PHIPPS's were amongst the early settlers.
Richland and Rockland, then a part of Frenchcreek, were settled early in this century. In Richland, the first settlers were the MCCASLINS, RITCHIES, PORTERS, STEUARTS, MCCLATCHIES, RUSSELLS, CARNES, PLATTS, DONALDSONS, BELLS, and NICKLES. In Rockland were the SHANNONS, JOLLEYS, WATTS, CAMPBELLS, MCDOWELLS, SMITHS, DAVIDSONS, and MAITLANDS.
Irwin township was settled a few years later. The first citizens were the Ross's, BAKERS, DAVIDSONS, BEACHES, HENDERSONS, AYRES's, MARTINS, and WANDERS.
The Valley of Oil Creek was settled from 1797 to 1802. Old CORNPLANTER, the Indian Chief, owned the first tract above the mouth of the Creek. Above him NATHANIEL CARY settled in 1800. Next above him was HAMILTON MCCLINTOCK, who came in 1797 .- A part of this farm afterwards belonged to SAMUEL HAYS, who erected a saw-mill on it. Next above was JOHN MCCLINTOCK, where Rouseville now stands. AMBROSE RYND was the next above. He came in 1800. Next above was FRANCIS BUCHANAN, then JAMES STORY and his son ROBERT. They all came in 1800. Next was FRAN- CIS MCCLINTOCK, who came in 1797. On this farm Petroleum Cen-
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tre was afterwards located. All these farms will be recognized as connected with the oil business in modern times. Above MCCLIN- TOCKS' was SAMUEL GREGG, who came in 1800. His farm is the present site of Pioneer. Above this ANDREW MILLER and his son JAMES settled. Above him were ANDREW FLEMING and his brothers, DANIEL and EDWARD. They came in 1802. The same year ARCHIE HAMILTON and BARNEY GRIFFIN came to make their homes and seek their fortunes.
The first settlement in Cherrytree township was begun in 1797. It was by WILLIAM REYNOLDS and his son JOHN, afterwards of Meadville. It was on the present site of the village of Cherrytree. The following year JAMES TUTHLIL and JOHN STRAWBRIDGE settled in the same neighborhood. In 1800 JOHN IRWIN, who afterwards became one of the first Associate Judges, and SAMUEL DALE, one of the early Surveyors and Representatives, came from Northumber- land county. In 1801, SAMUEL, JAMES, and NINIAN IRWIN, brothers, settled on farms near the common settlement. SAMUEL IRWIN was the father of the the present Judge IRWIN. HENRY PRATHER, a blacksmith, had come in 1800. In 1802, the HAMILTONS, McFAD- DENS, GRIFFINS, ARCHERS, STEWARTS, TARRS, and others came.
Along the Valley of Sugar Creek, the settlement commenced at an early day. The land was inviting and the water good. THOMAS CARTER, ROBERT BEATTY, JOHN RODGERS, and WILLIAM COZZENS, all came in 1796. In the Valley of French Creek, EBENEZER ROB- ERTS settled what is now the Poor House Farm, in the year 1796 .- Farther up the Creek the DUFFIELDS had their early home about the same time. In 1793 or 4, BRICE GILMORE came; JOHN GORDON in 1796, near Utica ; John GILMORE in 1798; in 1794 SAMUEL and ADAM COOPER; in 1798 JOHN MARTIN; in 1799 THOMAS RUSSELL; fol- lowing these were JOHNSTON and CUTCHALL; JAMES ADAMS Was also one of the early settlers.
On the Franklin and Meadville road, at the Seven Mile Spring, CLEMONS settled in 1797. In the region of Waterloo, GIBSON Was the first settler: He sold to JEWELL, and he to AARON MCKISSICK, who laid out the village of Waterloo, in 1839. In the same region the TEMPLES were early settlers.
At the month of Sandy Creek, SAMUEL POLICY had settled as early as 1798. Further up, VAN SICKLE had settled at Raymilton. PATTERSON came in 1795.
In what is now Oakland Township, LAWRENCE DEMPSEY settled in 1798 ; ISAAC WALLS came in 1804.
The MCCALMONTS came to the county in 1803. The oldest son, ROBERT, popularly known as "Uncle ROBERT," had preceded the family, coming in the fall of 1802. The family settled in Sugar-
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creek township, about five miles from Franklin, on the Dempseytown road. JACOB WHITMAN and JOHN LUPHER had settled there before them. ROBERT MCCALMONT died November 15, 1875, in the ninety- third year of his age.
WILLIAM CONNELY, who afterwards represented the county in the Legislature and was an Associate Judge, came to the county in 1804. He died May 23, 1871, in the ninety-fourth year of his age.
In other portions of the county there were settlers reaching back as far as the beginning of the century.
In Cranberry township SAMUEL POWELL was an esteemed and influential citizen. Farther west were the HENDERSONS, SIMCOXES, MCCLARANS, WHANNS, ADAMS'S, and others. In 1803, GEORGE MCCLELLAND came to Sandy Creek. He afterwards moved to Franklin. SAMUEL PLUMER was here in 1808. PHILIP HOUSER was also one of the pioneers. After the war of 1812 quite an influx of population came from Eastern Pennsylvania.
The public buildings of the county have not been numerous .- The county was organized for Judicial purposes in 1805, but was for a time without Court House or Jail. The first Court was held in a log house on Liberty street, long afterwards occupied by Mr. DUBBS as a drug store. It was demolished in 1863. The first Court House was built in 1811. It was a stone building. Its site was on West Park, just opposite PLUMER's Block. A new brick Court House was built in 1848, a little to the south of the present building. In 1869 the present fine structure was erected.
The Old Garrison on the bank of the Creek was used as a jail from 1805 to 1819, when the first building for this purpose was erected. It was a quaint, funny looking building and stood near the site of the present Court House. The material was stone, but not very formidable looking for a prison. On the southern end there was a yard about twenty feet square, surrounded by a stone wall perhaps twelve feet high. Here the prisoners were let out to breathe the fresh air. On circus days they could sit on the top of the wall and see the show, as the canvas was usually pitched in the neigh- borhood. The cells of this prison were lined with oak plank, some five inches in thickness. There was a well in the jail yard. In 1853, a new prison, with Sheriff's house in front, was erected on Elk street, fronting South Park. The prison was of stone taken from the locks of the old canal. In 1868, this prison was remodeled and made more secure.
There have been two Academy buildings. The first was built some sixty years ago; the second about 1850. The latter building is now owned and occupied by the Evangelical Church.
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At the laying out of the town, lands were reserved for purpo- ses of education. Two thousand acres had been set apart for town and school purposes. Some of these Academy lands were sold and the proceeds used for building an Academy, the benefits of which should accrue to the entire county. By this means the Academy was kept in operation for many years, and was productive of good.
But the free school system began to interfere with the prosperity of the Academy. Taxes were to be paid for school purposes, and the taxpayers naturally desired to receive the benefit of them. And just in proportion as the grade of the public schools was raised, in the same proportion did the patronage of the Academy decline .- Finally it was abandoned and passed into the hands of the Directors of the Public Schools.
The only remaining County building is the Poor House. It is situated on French Creek about two and one half miles above Frank- lin. It is a brick building and erected at the cost of about one hund- red thousand dollars. It was finished in 1870.
The County was for five years connected with Warren, Erie, Mercer, Butler and Crawford counties, for Judicial purposes, with the seat of justice at Meadville, Judge ADDISON presiding. The first Judge appointed for this District was JESSE MOORE. He held the office until 1825, and was succeeded by HENRY SHIPPEN, until 1839. He was succeeded by N. B. ELDRED; succeeded by GAYLORD CHURCH, ALEXANDER MCCALMONT, JOSEPH BUFFINGTON, JOHN C. KNOX, J. S. MCCALMONT, GLENNI W. SCOFIELD, JAMES CAMPBELL, ISAAC G. GORDON and JOHN TRUNKEY. In 1839, JAMES THOMPSON was appointed Judge of a District Court that included Venango .- This Court was limited to five years.
The first Associate Judges of the county were JAMES E. HER- RON, THOMAS MCKEE, and JOHN IRWIN. They were succeeded by RICHARD IRWIN, ROBERT MITCHELL, JAMES KINNEAR, B. A. PLUM- ER, ROBERT CROSS, DAVID PHIPPS, SAMUEL HAYS, J. H. SMILEY, W. W. DAVIDSON, ALEXANDER HOLEMAN, JOSHUA DAVIS, ROBERT LAMBERTON, WILLIAM CONNELY, R. S. MCCORMICK, and JAMES L. CONNELY.
The first Sheriff was JOHN WITHERUP, of Scrubgrass; succeded by JOHN HAMILTON, ANDREW BOWMAN, ARNOLD PLUMER, ARTHUR ROBINSON, in 1828; SAMUEL HAYS, in 1832; ALEXANDER MCCAL- MONT, in 1833; JOHN EVANS, in 1839; J. W. SHUGART, in 1844; SAMUEL PHIPPS, in 1847, and others.
The first Prothonotary was WILLIAM MOORE. He was succeed- ed by ALEXANDER MCCALMONT, ANDREW BOWMAN, ARNOLD PLUM- ER, G. W. CONNELY, and others.
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In 1857 the offices of Prothonotary and Register were divided. The first Prothonotary after the division was R. L. COCHRAN; the first Register and Recorder was Dr. N. D. SNOWDEN.
The first Court Crier was JOHN MORRISON. He had opened the first Courts in Mercer, Warren and Butler counties. He learned that wonderful speech with which the Courts are opened from Colo- nel DALE. He held his honors long, and died in the ninety-eighth year of his age. His portrait, painted by JOHN COXSON, is still pre- served in the Court House. He was succeeded by ROBERT MCCAL . MONT and he by ROBERT LYTLE, the present incumbent.
The first member of Congress representing the District was JOHN GALBRAITH. He represented it in 1832-4 and 8. ARNOLD PLUMER represented it in 1836 and '40; SAMUEL HAYS from 1842 to 1844.
In the State Legislature, Colonel SAMUEL DALE was the first Representative from the county. He was elected first in 1807, and re-elected annually until 1813. SAMUEL HAYS represented it in 1816-17; and WILLIAM CONNELY in 1819-20.
ARNOLD PLUMER was at one time Marshal of the Western Dis- trict. He was also State Treasurer and Canal Commissioner Gen- eral SAMUEL HAYS was also Marshal of the Western District. Dr. GEORGE R. ESPY was Auditor General. JAMES ROSS SNOWDEN Was first, State Treasurer, then Director of the Mint at Philadelphia, af- terwards Prothonotary of the Supreme Court. JAMES THOMPSON and JOHN C. KNOX, were both elected to the bench of the Supreme Court of the State.
The public has not been slow to recognize merit in our public men. And the record of these public men has been uniformly good. It will compare favorably with the record of any set of men in any period of the country's history. And there has been the opportunity of judging. Old Venango has always had her share of the public offices, and her county seat is well entitled to be called "the nursery of great men."
The first church organized in the county was called Lower Sandy. It was a Presbyterian church and was organized in 1800, near Utica. WILLIAM WYLIE was the first pastor.
JAMES ADAMS built the first woolen mill in the county. This was at Utica. At the first settlement the women manufactured the cloth without the aid of machinery. They carded, spun and wove, colored and fulled the fabric, all within themselves. And when this was done they made the clothing, without the aid of tailors or fashion plates.
The first settlers, both men and women, made a brave record, in their struggles for life and fortune, here. And it will be well if we,
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their descendants, make as good use of our advantages as they did. Their names are placed on record; and let their virtues in like man- ner be perpetuated.
The people who settled this county when it was a wilderness are worthy of all honor and kind remembrance. A late writer has said: " A more intelligent, virtuous and resolute class of men never settled any country than the first settlers of western Pennsylvania; and the women who shared their sacrifices were no less worthy." They came here, many of them, in poverty. They found little but hardships for very many years. They found the land covered with timber. There were for many years neither mills nor factories. With their own strong arms they must cut down the forest and fence the fields and build log cabins. Some of the first settlers lived on potatoes chiefly. the first year of their coming.
An old veteran, out to the west of us, who came here about the beginning of the century, thus relates his experience : " Me and the woman came out on foot, driving one little cow, and carrying all our effects on our backs. The first year we eat potatoes and slept on good clean leaves gathered up in the woods. The first wheat I rais- ed, I took a bushel on my back, walked to Pittsburgh, got it ground and carried back the flour." And this was no uncommon experience. Sometimes they pounded their corn in mortars cut out of stumps.
Some of our first settlers on French Creek took their wheat and corn in canoes and skiffs up to Meadville to be ground. They were obliged to live within themselves. Clothing was made at home .- Shoes and hats were manufactured in the household. Out on Sugar Creek ANDREW BOWMAN commenced tanning for himself and neigh- bors by laying down his hides in troughs cut from chestnut trees. This was about seventy years ago.
Houses were built with round logs, with the cracks chinked and daubed. The roofs were covered with clapboards split from a straight red oak. The floors were of puncheons split from the trees. Some- times there was neither sawed lumber, nor nail, nor bit of iron in the entire building. The chimney was made of split sticks covered with mortar made of clay and straw.
These houses did not cost much. The neighbors turned out and assisted each other. A raising was a grand occasion. It brought the people together. They came with their axes, cut off the logs, notched the corners and laid them up, split out the clapboards and puncheons, and by evening the house was completed. If they could not procure glass, muslin or oiled paper answered the purpose of glass for windows.
The furniture too, was of the most primitive kind. At first the bed was a kind of bunk made against the wall of the cabin; then a
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home-made arrangement of timber, with elm bark cordage, and the bedstead was supplied. The first chairs were made at home. A rude frame work was constructed and the seat made of splints, ob- tained by pounding strips of black ash until the growths separated, and with a little dressing were ready for the purpose.
Then gradually mechanics came in and the arts of civilization ministered to the comfort and convenience of the people.
The early settlers were eminently social in their habits. Neces- sity and self-protection helped to make them so. They not only as- sembled to build each other's houses, but they had " frolics," as they termed them, to chop down the trees; they had loggings, and flax-pull- ings, and scutchings, and huskings. The women had their frolics; their quiltings, their spinnings, their hatchelings, and other devices of handicraft.
In those days they did not aspire to carpets. Rag sewing, in which ladies have delighted in modern times, was unknown. But in other species of feminine industry they excelled. Flax was made into linen for men's wear and for women's wear. It was the choice and only covering for the table; it was the material for sheets, for toweling, and was bleached white as the snow of winter.
These frolics brought the people together. They cultivated so- ciability. They promoted good feeling, and in the absence of ma- chinery were often the only means of carrying on the operations of life. They were the practical exemplification of the maxim: " In union there is strength."
As far as the opportunity was afforded these early settlers were a church-going people. The religious meetings might be held in the cabins of the neighbors, in some early constructed barn, or in the leaf sheltered forest. We have seen that as early as 1800, a Presby- terian congregation was gathered at Lower Sandy, near Utica, and in Scrubgrass another was formed two years after, and a Methodist church erected in 1805. But in addition to these we hear of the Presbyterian missionary coming through the settlements, preaching where he could find hearers and going on his way to seek new dwell- ers in the wilderness. The Methodist circuit rider often sought the new countries, extending his circuit until it should embrace the most distant dwellers in the forest.
And the old fathers tell us what diligence was used to attend these preachings in the forest. When word came that there would be preaching on a given Sabbath, men would make it their business to go far and near to notify their neighbors. When a minister, Rev. JAMES SATTERFIELD, announced his coming to a neighboring town- ship in 1801, a few men made it their business to notify every family in the township.
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And they came from great distances. They traveled on horse- back and on foot. On special occasians of Sacraments or camp- meetings, they came five, ten, and even twenty miles. They were not particular about their dress. Clean linen, even though it was of coarse texture, was thought to be becoming and proper. Men came without their coats in summer, or carried them on their arms. The young women would walk and carry their shoes and stockings until within sight of the meeting place, when they would sit down on a log and put them on, and so present a decorous appearance at the preaching.
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Kindness and hospitality were prime virtues those days. When a neighbor killed a deer or a bear, he always felt it his duty to send a piece of the game around to the nearest neighbors; and they in turn returned the favor. The families who lived nearest the place where these religious meetings were held, felt it their duty to entertain those who came from a distance. Often such houses would have the entire floor covered with extemporized beds. And all was done in the most free and decorous manner.
Honesty and truth and fair dealing were prime virtues. No wonder they did not need courts of law to settle difficulties, as we find that no court was held in the county until 1805.
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The military record of the county has been good. In the war of 1812, during the threatened invasion of Erie by the British, every man that could possibly be spared from home duties, went thither. They were connected with a regiment of which RALPH MARLIN, of Meadville, was Colonel, and SAMUEL DALE, of this county, was Lieutenant Colonel. This regiment was called out again in 1814, at the time of the burning of Buffalo. There is an interesting fact in this connection relative to the old Chief CORNPLANTER. On the news of the war, he came to Franklin to see his old friend Colonel DALE, and enquire into the cause of the strife. When the matter was explained to him, he said: "Well, you are going to the war, in defense of the country; I will go with you with two hundred braves. The country has been kind to me, and it is but right that I should lead my young men to her defense."
Colonel DALE informed him that it was not necessary that he should go; it was but a small matter. But the Chief insisted that he should go; the corn was planted and he could go just as well as not. He was only satisfied by Colonel DALE promising to notify him when any necessity should arise requiring his services.
In the Mexican war a few soldiers from this county were engag- ed. Several officers in the regular army were in the service. HAYS, RENO, BOWMAN and MCCLELLAND, were in active service through the entire war.
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In the recent war of 1861-5, the county was well represented. Several entire companies were raised here; and a large number went in squads, and as individuals.
The Soldiers' Monument, standing in South Park, contains some four hundred names of our dead soldiers, who died on the field of battle, in prisons, in hospitals, and at home; who died of wounds received in battle, of sickness incurred in camp, of starvation in the hands of the enemy. They died for themselves and for us. They died that this grand Government of ours " should not perish from the earth."
Amongst our dead braves, whom we are proud to remember this day, are Brigadier General ALEXANDER HAYS, who fell in the terrible battle of the Wilderness, May 5, 1864; Major General J. L. RENO, who fell at the battle of South Mountain, September 14, 1862; Major W. B. MAYS, Captain WILLIAM EVANS, Lieutenants J. D. and S. H. COCHRAN, GEORGE W. BRICKLEY, and others, whom it would be pleasant to mention.
These all have their names written on that marble shaft that the people of this county so well love to garland with flowers at our an- nual May decoration.
Many of them sleep in unknown graves; graves unmarked by stone or cenotaph; graves that will be forever hidden until the voice of the archangel and the trump of GOD shall awake all earth's sleep- ers from the dust of the earth; but they are held in grateful re- membrance to-day.
And we would not forget Brigadier General A. B. McCALMONT, so gallant in the field, so genial in social life, so noble in heart, who has so recently gone from amongst us. Still more recently, Colonel JAMES K. KERR has been called away, and must not be forgotten,
And there are gallant officers and soldiers amongst us still, whose services will never be forgotten. They bore the brunt and storm of battle, some of them through the whole of the war, then came back to be citizens once more in the quiet walks of life. Some of them bear the marks of honorable warfare upon their persons. There are empty sleeves and halting limbs that tell us of the fiery charge, of the " imminent deadly breach," and of the leaden and iron rain that filled the air with deadly horrors. These brave men are here amongst us to-day, and are worthy of all honor.
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