USA > Pennsylvania > Venango County > Centennial Discourse: A Sketch of the History of Venango County, Pennsylvania. > Part 4
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Whilst this county has not the level plains and fertile soil of many other counties, it has yet a respectable soil and many portions of it are well adapted to agricultural pursuits. The valley of Sugar Creek, and parts of French Creek are not excelled by any por- tions of the State. Portions of Allegheny township, Scrubgrass, Richland, and Rockland, abound in fine farms, and richly repay the labors of the farmer.
In the years of the lumber, iron and oil business, agriculture was too much neglected. Many of the farmers turned their atten- tion to lumbering, to teaming, in connection with the furnaces, and to laboring at the oil wells. Latterly many good farms have been abandoned to the pursuit of oil. But with proper attention, the farms of the county would not be behind those of the majority of the counties of the Commonwealth.
FRANKLIN.
The first actual settlement in the county was at Franklin. In the same place where JOHN FRAZIER, the Scotchman, had set him- self down to tinker up old guns for the Indians, and to sell them new ones, in exchange for furs and skins, in 1745 to 1747, GEORGE Pow- ERS came in 1790, to engage in much the some business, except the gunsmithing. JOHN FRAZIER had probably built his log cabin down near the Allegheny bridge, as we find the Frenchman, JONCAIRE, occupying his house whilst building Fort Machault. GEORGE Pow- ERS pitched his tent near the upper French Creek bridge, perhaps because the United States Garrison was located there, and he desir- ed company and protection. The town was most probably named after the Fort.
GEORGE POWERS had come here first in 1787, with the soldiers to assist in building Fort Franklin. He seems to have had some connection with the army officially, that perhaps terminated with the completion of the Fort. He returned in 1790 with the intention of making it his home, bringing with him a small stock of goods in or- der to carry on a traffic with the Indians. He became a famous In- dian trader, and spoke the language of the Senecas with ease. His store was on the bank of French Creek, between Thirteenth and West Park streets, a little below the upper bridge. Near this, at the corner of Otter and Elbow streets, he built his stone house in 1803, that was pulled down in 1872. This was a famous house for
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many years .. It and Colonel McDOWELL's stone building were the grand houses, to which strangers were pointed as they look- ed at the new town. It was used as a hotel in 1823. Mr. Pow- ERS at first kept house with his mother. In 1802 he was mar- ried to a sister of ANDREW BOWMAN, who became a prominent citi zen of the place in after days. Ile was a shrewd trader and was on particularly good terins with CORNPLANTER. But In tians are shrewd too. On one occasian he purchased from a hunting party a very nice fox skin, and threw it up on the loft of his store. A few hours af- terward another fine skin was brought in and dispose 1 of in the same manner, until at intervals of two or three hours through the day, a fine skin was brought in and sold. Suspicions were excite I and an investigation showed that bat one skin had been in possession of the party, and had been quietly removed by climbing up to a back win- dow in the loft of the store, and resold.
GEORGE POWERS always claimed that he was the first white set- ler who commenced work in the county. He died April 2, 1845, in the eighty-fifth year of his age. Many of his descendants are citi- zens of the town at the present time. Colonel ALEXANDER. Mc- DOWELL came here in 1794, but did not bring his family until 1797. He was a Surveyor and Agent for the Holland Land Company, and was from Franklin county, Pennsylvania. EDWARD HALE settled here in 1797. He was the father of Mrs. BOWMAN and Mrs. JAMES KINNEAR. He died May 19, 1806, in the thirtieth year of his age .- Colonel JAMES G. HERRON came to Franklin in 1800. The family came by land, the furniture was brought from Pittsburgh by keel-boat, and was three weeks in making the passage. At that time there were six families in town. These were the families of GEORGE POWERS, Colonel McDOWELL, Captain GEORGE FOWLER, EDWARD HALE, MARK IIULINGS, who lived just at the foot of West Park street, and ran a keel-boat between Franklin and Pittsburgh, and ABRAHAM SELDERS. These, with Captain HERRON, formed the pop- ulation of the town at the beginning of 1800. Captain GEORGE FOWLER had been a British officer during the Revolutionary War, and had married and settled in the new town. He lived at first in the old Garrison, afterwards on Elk street, near Ninth. He was a Justice of the Peace for many years. Captain HERRON had been an officer in the Revolution. He was afterwards one of the important men of the county.
Colonel McDOWELL was one of the prominent men of the town from the first. A remarkable surgical operation is recorded as hav- ing been performed by Mrs. McDOWELL, in their carly days. She had but two chickens, and vegetables were scarce. A seed cucum- ber had been ripened and the seed taken out and laid on a table to
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dry in the sun, To the horror of this good woman, on looking out, she discovered that one of these hens had just completed her meal by devouring those precious seeds. The hen could not be spared; the seeds must not be lost. To decide was to act. Seizing the hen, Mrs. McDOWELL cut open her crop with scissors, forced out the seeds and then sewed up the wound with a needle and thread, when the hen went on her way rejoicing.
In 1801, the first sermon was preached in Franklin. It was by a Presbyterian minister, at the house of Captain HERRON. Soon af- ter this, a log cabin was erected for a school house, and covered with clapboards., Mr. MASON, from Sugarcreek, was the first teacher.
In 1803, General SAMUEL HAYS arrived. He was born in Ire- land, and was always one of the men Venango county delighted to honor. He held at different times nearly every office in the gift of the people. IIe died in 1868, in the eighty-fifth year of his age .- Colonel McDOWELL. at first lived in a log cabin on the bank of the creek, just below the present dam. Afterwards he built a log house on Elk street below Eleventh. This was in 1803. The house was weatherboarded, and stood until a few years ago. There was no house carpenter in the place, and JOHN BROADFOOT, afterwards a citizen here, was brought from Oil Creek to do the work. It was occupied for some time without windows, as glass was a luxury not easily obtained. Still it was esteemed a very comfortable and stylish house. Some time after, the first wall paper ever seen in Franklin was brought from Philadelphia, and hung in this house. It was of a quaint style, with white ground and blue pictures of boys and dogs scattered over it. This paper came in sheets, and being thick and strong, lasted until the house was pulled down in 1874. Colonel Mc- DOWELL died in 1816, in the fifty-third year of his age. Mrs. SARAH McDOWELL survived her husband just half a century, living chiefly in the old house erected by her husband, and serving as a connect- ing link between the ancient and modern times. She died in 1866, in the one hundred and third year of her age. There are portraits of these old pioneers still extant. Judging from these, Colonel Mc- DOWELL was a sedate, dignified gentleman, of the Washingtonian school, used to prominent position, and well versed in the amenities of life. Mrs. McDOWELL was a small woman, quite beautiful in person, attractive in conversation, and was esteemed by her acquaint- ances as a most desirable friend and neighbor. She lived to see great changes in the town. Many of their descendants are with us to-day.
JOHN BROADFOOT, the carpenter, became one of the first Elders in the Presbyterian church. He was a Scotchman, and a very sedate, reliable man. His son, JOHN, remained a bachelor, and was a Jus- tice of the Peace. Three of his daughters married here; one to
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General SAMUEL. HAYS; one to ROBERT. and the third to ALEXAN- DER MCCALMONT. A fourth, BETSY, was never married, but died at an advanced age, March 16th, 1864.
During these years the Indians were freqnent visitors. They usually encamped on the point above French Creek, bringing their furs and skins to trade for such necessary articles as they required. At such times, with the suspicion that whisky was among their pur- chases, they held many a frolic that continned far into the night, of- ten awaking the citizens with their wild yells, and reminding them of forest life, and the weak points of savage nature. Yet withal, they were peaceful, and very seldom committed any positive mis- chief. CORNPLANTER was in the habit of making frequent visits to consult his old friends. On one occasion he came to consult Colonel DALE as to the propriety of paying taxes on his lands on Oil Creek, alleging that the Indian asked no tax from the white man, and ask- ing .the same immunity for himself and brethren. Colonel DALE replied that there were some bad white men in the country who re- quired punishment, and that courts and prisons must be provided for this purpose, and all this required money, and to raise this money taxes must be levied. " Well," replied the old Sagamore, " there are bad Indians too, that must be punished, but we attend to that ourselves, and never ask the white men to assist us, and what is good for the Indian must be good for the white man." This was the stern logic of the Indian, to which he always adhered, whether it was satisfactory to the white man or not. This question of taxes was one the Chief never could comprehend. It gave him great trouble. Finally, an act of the Legislature was passed exempting his lands from taxation, while they should be in his possession and that of his descendants.
At this early day improvement moved slowly. The citizens were accustomed to meet on moonlight nights and grub stumps from the public square. At one time EDWARD HALE had a portion of this ground under cultivation. The following witness of this fact still survives :
" We the Trustees for the County of Venango, agree to lease to EDWARD HALE, all that part of the Public Square in the town of Franklin, which the said EDWARD HALE has now under fence, at the rate of one dollar a year, until the ground which the said HALE has now in cultivation is wanted for public use, for the use of said county.
" JUNE 10th, 1801. "JAMES MCCLARAN,
" ALEXANDER MCDOWELL,
"Attest :- JOHN JOHNSTON.
"Trustees."
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Many persons remember the Old Diamond Well, on the Park, just below the Kinnear House. There is an old document extant that attests its age;
" We the subscribers appointed to measure and ascertain the depth of a well dug by JOHN WITHERUP, for EDWARD HALE, SAM- UEL PLUMER and SAMUEL HIAYS, do allow that the wall of said well is good, and the depth of said well according to our judgment and measurement is forty-four feet, eleven inches and one-half.
" Witness our hands this second day of October, 1808.
" WELDEN ADAMS,
" JOHN WHITMAN, " RICHARD GRIFFITHI."
There are some indications that the early fathers of Franklin were rather "gay and festive," at times. On one occasion an ordi- nance was passed that every person found intoxicated should be compelled to dig out a stump from the Public Square. It is further related that another ordinance consigned to the jail every one found in a similar condition on the Sabbath, and that on the Sabbath fol- lowing the enactment of the law, nearly every solid citizen of the lown was found in limbo.
In the early days, Court week wasa grand occasion in Franklin and to the county. People thronged the streets and Court House, whether they had business or not. All took an interest in the trial of causes, and entered into the merits of the cases.
The first Sabbath School was established in the month of March, 1824. It was held in the Academy. The first Superintendents were ANDREW BOWMAN and LEVI DODD. The first teachers were WIL- LIAM PARKER, GEORGE MCCLELLAND, WILLIAM RAYMOND, F. G. CRARY, ROBERT MCCALMONT, Mrs. DAVID IRVINE, Mrs. WILLIAM RAYMOND, Mrs. SARAH MAYES, Mrs. SARAH SAGE, Miss MARY AN- DERSON, Mrs. ARNOLD PLUMER, Mrs. JANE SNOWDEN. Mrs. N. R. BUSIINELL and Mrs. S. F. DALE, were amongst the first scholars .- Afterwards it was held for a time in Mr. BOWMAN'S shoe shop, on Elk street. This was a Union School. Afterwards it took on the de- nominational form, and other schools were organized, as churches followed in the wake of increasing population.
ANDREW BOWMAN came to Venango county in 1795. Ile pur- sued the business of tanning and shoemaking, and moved to Frank- lin in 1813. In 1816, he erected the house on the corner of Elk and West Park streets, once a famous house, but now showing the changes of time. LEVI DODD came to the county in 1821, and to Franklin in 1823. He was born in Washington county, Pennsyl- vania. February 28. 1799, and is now one of our oldest citizens.
Mr. DoDD speaks of the population of the town at the time of
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his coming as about two hundred and fifty. There were then prom- inent amongst the families, the PARKS, the PLUMERS, MCCLELLANDS, MCCORMICKS, KINNEARS, MCCALMONTS, CONNELYS, GALBRAITHS, RIDGWAYS, MORRISONS, MARTINS, CLARKS, SAGES, DEWOODYS, HU- LINGS, CRARYS, BLACKS, SMITHS, MAYS, SEATONS, BRIGHAMS, SMI- LEYS, BAILEYS, KINGS, GURNEYS, KELLOGGS, GRACES, MCDOWELLS, HAYS', BROADFOOTS, WILLIAM RAYMOND, Dr. ESPY, JOHN J. PEAR- SON, and STEPHEN SUTTON.
WILLIAM and JAMES KINNEAR were brothers. The former acted as Justice of the Peace. He had a large family, the members of which nearly all settled in Franklin. He came in 1812, and died in 1844, in the sixty-seventh year of his age. JAMES KINNEAR came in 1816. He was County Treasurer for one term; also Associate Judge. He died February 13, 1851, in the fifty-sixth year of his age. Rev. HEZEKIAHI MAY was a Presbyterian clergyman from Marble- head, Massachusetts. He sojourned here for a time, when he re- moved to Tionesta, where he spent the remainder of his days. He died July 4, 1843, in his seventieth year. JOHN GALBRAITH was law- yer and editor here in 1821. He removed to Erie, where he became Judge of the Sixth Judicial District. He died June 15th, 1860 .- JOHN J. PEARSON removed to Mercer, and is at the present time President Judge of the Harrisburg District.
Others came after this. Among them were the BARCLAYS, HANNAS, MACKEYS, DEWOODYS, ALEXANDERS, IRWINS, SNOW- DENS, ADAMS', THOMPSONS, RENOS, WOODS', ANDERSONS, HOOVERS, LAMBERTONS, COCHRANS, DUBBS', and others, until the time would fail to enumerate them all. Judge LAMBERTON came in 1830; Mr. MACKEY in 1831, and Judge IRWIN in 1834. The persons named above have nearly all passed away, but many of their descendants are our fellow-citizens to-day.
The first store was opened by GEORGE POWERS, followed by General WILKINS. They were followed by ARCHIBALD TANNER. WILLIAM CONNELY, ARTHUR ROBISON, ALEXANDER MCCALMONT, and others.
PATCHELL was the first hatter. On one occasion he manufac- tured a wonderful hat from the long hair of a neglected colt. This hair had been shed in the spring, in large masses, and was utilized in this remarkable manner. The subsequent history of that hat would be interesting, but it is lost. PATCHELL was succeeded by his pupil, ANDREW DEWOODY, who carried on the business for many years. Who of the older citizens does not remember ANDREW DEWOODY's fur hats? He was an honest workman, in every sense of the word. He never spared material. The bodies were strongly made, the fur put on most lavishly. Indeed one of these honestly
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made hats would last a lifetime, for fashions did not change them as now, demanding a new hat with every change. Mr. DEWOODY died March 11th, 1862, aged seventy-six years. ABRAHAM SELDERS had been the first stone-mason, and builded as good walls in his day as could be expected with cobble-stones and spawls. With the grand stones on which the hills rest, begging to be quarried, it was only in later days that they were used for building purposes. The early walls were all built of stones that could be gathered up without quarrying.
LUPHER did the blacksmithing. SERVICE made saddles and bridles. JAMES ADAMS had a pottery down in the neighborhood of the old Forts. The ware was probably more useful than ornamental, but it answered a good purpose. He was followed in this line by ABRAHAM KENNEDY. NATHANIEL CARY was, in later days, the tai - lor. The SMITHS, JOHN and ISAAC, were watermen and river pi- lots, as was also that wonderful drummer, JAMES BROWN. JOHN SINGLETON was the brickmaker. ELIHU BUTLER repaired the watch- es, and at times practiced dentistry. J. R. SAGE was the housebuilder. Mr. HOUSER carried the mail to Warren and back. JOHN RIDG- WAY was the boat-builder. And so every man found his mission, and there was plenty of work for all who wished to be employed.
The first lawyer that settled in Franklin was DAVID IRVINE .- He came in 1806, and died in 1827. He was the son-in-law of Judge HERRON, and his widow is still living in Erie, at the age of eighty- seven years. After him were JOHN J. PEARSON, JOHN GALBRAITH, JAMES THOMPSON, JAMES ROSS SNOWDEN, S. P. JOHNSTON, JOHN W. HOWE, ALEXANDER MCCALMONT, WILLIAM STEWART, and others.
The first physicians were SMITH, BASCOM, GILFILLAN, ESPY, WOOD, FAULKNER, SNOWDEN, GILLETT, and others. For many years previous to their coming, physicians came from Meadville to visit the sick.
The first church in town, regularly organized, was the Presby- terian, in 1817. The first pastor was THOMAS ANDERSON, from 1826 to 1837. The second, CYRUS DICKSON, D.D., from 1840 to 1848 .- The Methodist church was organized at an early date. The first church edifice was the Presbyterian, in 1833, with a new one in 1867. The first Methodist church was built in 1835, with a new one in 1867 .- Other churches have followed in order.
In 1823, there were three hotels in the town. GEORGE POWERS, the old pioneer, had a hotel on Otter street, in the old stone building that has recently been torn down. GEORGE MCCLELLAND had one on the site now occupied by the United States, and Colonel JAMES KINNEAR was occupying the old brick, still standing on the corner of
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Liberty and West Park. The Kinnear House was a famous hotel in its day. Travelers throughout the country considered it a luxury to stop there. The Colonel was so genial and kind, his table so home- like and quiet, that it seemed more like visiting at the house than receiving public entertainment. But withal, the house was some- what exclusive. There was a majesty and a precision, with all its neatness and kindness, that showed there was a choice in the guests. Old GEORGE, the hostler, perhaps illustrated the idea in a conversation with one of the traveling guests: " If a man comes along with a buggy and sleek horse, with a silk hat and gloves, he can stop, sir. But, if he comes with a wagon, or on foot, with a straw hat and coat off, he can't stop, sir; he must go on farther, sir." RENO, fath- er of General RENO, kept a hotel afterwards, on the corner of Otter and Thirteenth streets. JEREMIAH CLANCY accommodated the pub- lic on the corner of Elk and Thirteenth. EDWARD PEARCE had a hotel on the west side of the lower French Creek bridge, then a ferry. Later, LUKE TURNER was a prominent hotel man, as was also LUCIUS PIKE. There was a famous hotel too, on Liberty street, on the site of MARTIN & EPLEY's drug store. HULINGS, JOHN EVANS, and ARTHUR ROBISON, kept there. But few of these land- marks now remain. They have yielded to the pressure of time.
There are at the present time eleven church organizations in the city : Presbyterian, Methodist Episcopal, Lutheran, Wesleyan, United Presbyterian, Protestant Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Israel- 'itish Synagogue, Evangelical, Methodist Episcopal, colored; and Baptist. All of these have commodious houses of worship that are a credit to the community and a comfort to the worshippers.
There are two fine Public School buildings, with arrangements - made for two more, for the accommodation of the eleven hundred entitled to the benefit of public schools. The number of public schools is seventeen, with a general Superintendent. In addition to these, there are about a half dozen private schools, supported by in- dividual enterprise. In addition to the secular schools, nearly all the churches have Sabbath schools for the instruction of children and youth.
The Allegheny and French Creek were anciently crossed by fer- ry-boats. The Allegheny had a ferry some sixty rods below the pres- ent bridge. French Creek had two ferries. The lower one was at the foot of South Park street, the upper one at the foot of West Park. The bride across the Allegheny was always a toll bridge. The first structure was covered. This was destroyed by a burning oil boat floating down from Oil City. The second was a suspension wire bridge. This was destroyed in December, 1870, by a burning house, at the western approach, burning off the cables. The present struc-
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ture was completed the next year. The first bridge across French Creek was built in 1819 or 1820, by a company, assisted by the State. It was a toll bridge for a number of years. The present iron bridge was erected by the county. The lower bridge was also built by the county. The first structure was covered, and was carried away by the terrible flood of March 17th, 1865. It was succeeded by another structure, partly iron. This, too, was carried away in the breaking up of the ice in the creek. The present substantial iron bridge was built a few years ago, and will probably be permanent, as it is elevat- ed above the water, and above the level of former works that pre- ceded it.
As Franklin has always manifested more or less ambition, it was incorporated as a Borough in 1829. WILLIAM CONNELY was the first Burgess. Later, its citizens applied for a City charter. This was granted by an act of Assembly in 1868. T. A. DODD was the first Mayor, under this charter.
The public improvements of the city are worthy of commenda- tion. A Water Company was organized in 1864, that supplies the citizens with pure spring water, drawn from the neighboring hills. The reservoirs have a sufficient hend to carry the water to the high- est rooms in the city. In 1870, a Gas Company was organized, that furnishes a very good quality of gas; but the competition is difficult with our native oil at ten cents per gallon.
Perhaps no town of its size in the whole country is so well sup- plied with good, permanent, sidewalks as Franklin. The flags are found in our hills, and stones of almost any size can be obtained .- Every prominent street has been supplied with these flags, until miles of the finest walks are found that will not soon need to be renewed. Many of these flags bear marks of a very high antiquity. Rain pats and ripple marks are found on the smooth face of many hoary slabs, bearing the record of the ages, and noting the changes that they bring.
Franklin has not suffered much from fire. Anciently the citi- zens had a good faculty of turning out in cases of alarm. Men and women, and boys, forming lines, passed water in buckets to extinguish fires. Some twenty years ago the postoffice was burned. The most serious fire in its history occurred on February 1st, 1866. It com- menced in a suspicious house on Liberty street, just above the cof- ner of Thirteenth; swept down to Thirteenth and along that street to Elk; then down Liberty, on the north side, to what is now Centre Block, where it was stayed. A few years afterwards the Exchange Hotel was burned, but the fire extended no further. A very efficient force of fire companies has been in organization for a number of years. This, with the fire police, has rendered very efficient and successful service during the progress of some recent fires.
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According to the census of 1850, the population of the town was 933. At that time among the professional men were Drs. N. D. SNOWDEN and B. GILLETT, as physicians. The lawyers were ALEX- ANDER MCCALMONT, JOHN W. HOWE, JAMES S. MYERS, N. R. BUSH- NELL, R. S. MCCORMICK, JAMES K. KERR, E. C. WILSON and W. H. LAMBERTON. ADAM WEBBER was postmaster. The merchants were ROBERT LAMBERTON, JAMES G. LAMBERTON, MYRON PARK, WIL- LIAM RAYMOND, JOSIAH ADAMS, S. L. ULMAN, JAMES BLEAKLEY, SAMUEL BAILEY, JOHN H. SHANNON, and NICKLIN & BRYDEN .- ANDREW BOWMAN was tanner and shoemaker; LEVI DODD was cabinet maker; I. B. ROWE was housebuilder; C. W. MACKEY was wagonmaker; GEORGE GRISHABBER was blacksmith; ANDREW DE- WOODY was hatter, and THOMAS MOORE was saddler. There were but two churches then, Presbyterian, and Methodist. S. J. M. EA- TON was pastor of the former, and MOSES HILL of the latter. There were two newspapers, The Advocate and Journal, edited by E. S. DURBAN, and The Venango Spectator, edited by A. P .. WHITAKER. This was the position of the town a little after the first half century of its life had closed.
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