Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 14

Author: McKee, James A., 1865- ed. and comp
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1526

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William Campbell, Jr., was reappointed clerk, George Miller treasurer and John McLelland attorney, for 1835. In April of that year Moses Crispin was employed as janitor of the courthouse and bell-ringer. It was the duty of the bell-ringer not only to ring the courthouse bell for the sessions of court, but to ring it on Sunday morning to indicate the hour for church services, and this custom existed as late as 1883, when the courthouse was destroyed by fire. After the completion of the new courthouse in 1885, the custom was not re- vived. In October, Hugh Stevenson was elected commissioner to succeed Robert Graham, whose term had expired, and Jacob Zeigler was appointed clerk to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Campbell. Under date of October 17 this minute was recorded in the transactions of the commissioners, "employed in fight- ing with Joseph McQuistion." The cause of the battle and its result remain untold. It appears that John Vanderlin was then a member of the board.

Early in 1836 John N. Purviance was re- appointed counsel to the commissioners and the salary increased to $35. John B. McGlaughlin was appointed treasurer and the salary of that office fixed at two per cent. on the tax levy. Nathan Skeer quali- fied as commissioner to succeed Vanderlin at the organization of the board in Octo- ber. The auditor's report shows a rev- enue of $8,314.59, and a balance in the treasury of $1,136.12.

William Criswell was elected to succeed Joseph Graham as commissioner in this year, and John N. Purviance was re- appointed counselor at a salary of $30 per annum. Bridge matters formed an im- portant item in the year's business and contracts were awarded for a bridge over the Connoquenessing below Butler, one

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near Boyd's mill, one at Malachi Richard- son's and one at Gilleland's. The treas- urer's receipts for the year amounted to $8,372.16, and the balance unexpended was $2,743.47.

Jacob Shanor qualified as commissioner October 28. James Frazier was appointed treasurer and Jacob Zeigler clerk. These appointments were made in January. The treasurer's receipts for the year were $8,177.28, and the unexpended balance at the end of the year $1,005.84.

In January, 1839, Jacob Zeigler was chosen clerk and counselor to the com- missioners, his pay as clerk being $1.25 per day, and as counselor $30 per annum. This arrangement was not of long dura- tion, for on January 8, George Zeigler was appointed clerk at $1.25 per day, John N. Purviance counselor at $35 per annum, and Jacob Mechling, Jr., treasurer at three and one-half per cent. on the tax levy. The change in the clerkship was caused by the election of Jacob Zeigler as prothonotary. Thomas R. McMillen qual- ified as commissioner in October, as the successor of Nathan Skeer, whose term had expired. The sum audited for 1839 was $8,030.47, including $166.76 advanced by the treasurer to meet bills against the county.

The appointments made in 1840 were: E. M. Bredin, attorney; William Camp- bell, treasurer; George W. Zeigler, clerk; and John McCollough, bell-ringer. Toward the close of October, George Miller quali- fied as commissioner to take the place of Criswell. The receipts of the county for the year were $9,403.83.

The appointments made by the com- missioners in 1841 were: Andrew Carns, treasurer ; William Timblin, clerk; George W. Smith, attorney; and William John- son, bell-ringer. The bell-ringer appears to have been a boy of rather tender years, for one of the incidents of the year was the receipt of a petition from leading citi- zens of Butler borough against continuing

a boy of William Johnson's years as bell- ringer and custodian of public buildings, and recommending the employment of John McCollough, Jr. The commissioners acquiesced in this petition without delay and McCollough was duly installed as bell-ringer. In August of this year John Ross was awarded a contract for painting the courthouse and public offices.

TIE VOTE FOR COMMISSIONER.

The elections held in October of 1841 re- sulted in a tie vote for county commis- sioner, and the contest that resulted was heard on November 10 by commissioners McMillen and Miller sitting with the Court of Quarter Sessions. The claims of Mc- Curdy and Moyer, two of the contestants, were set aside, and John Ray, of Donegal Township, was chosen, the new member taking his seat on November 20. The rev- enues of 1841 amounted to $9,237.52, all of which were disbursed. The school fund then amounted to $254.15, or $111.66 from unseated land tax, and $142.49 paid by former treasurer.

In January, 1842, the trustee of the Butler Academy owed the sum of $2,457.70. This sum included $1,101.36, the amount of John Negley's judgment, and $150 subscribed toward the support of the institution.

Under the constitution of 1838 the office of county treasurer became elective and the first election held in the county after the new law went into effect was in 1841, when Andrew Carns was chosen county treasurer for the term of two years. He presented his certificate of election in October, and qualified January 1, 1842. Alexander S. McBride was appointed clerk, George W. Smith attorney, and Samuel R. Williams bell-ringer, for the year. In October, John Ray was reelected commissioner and Abraham Moyer, who was one of the defeated candidates in the contest of 1841, was also elected commis- sioner, and with Thomas R. McMillen

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formed the board for the ensuing year. The warrants issued for the year repre- sented $8,309.75.

In the early part of 1843 Alexander Mc- Nair was appointed attorney at a salary of $25 per annum, and John Gold bell- ringer at a salary of $50. Maurice Bredin qualified as commissioner on October 14. The total treasurer's credit amounted to $11,677.21; and the value of warrants, $7,292:47.

Daniel Coll qualified as treasurer on the 1st of January, 1844, and Alexander S. McBride was reappointed clerk, and John Gold bell-ringer. On October 26, W. W. Dodds qualified as commissioner.

The board of commissioners in January, 1845, consisted of W. W. Dodds, Maurice Bredin and Abraham Moyer. The firm of . Gilmore & Purviance were appointed county attorneys, and the reappointment of Alexander S. McBride clerk, and John Gold bell-ringer are mentioned. Thomas H. Bracken was elected commissioner at the October election, and took the place of Abraham Moyer.

John Bredin, Jr., was appointed clerk at , the meeting held the 1st of January, 1846, Oren Baldwin attorney, and John Gold bell-ringer. In April, David Douthett was appointed commissioner as the successor of Maurice Bredin, and on October 24, Lewis Z. Mitchell was appointed mercan- tile appraiser under the act of April 22, 1846. This was the first appointment made for this position. John Anderson qualified as commissioner on the 27th of October as the successor to David Douth- ett, who had been appointed to fill a vacancy.

George W. Crozier was appointed clerk to the commissioners in January, 1847, and the salary increased to $1.50 per day. John Borland was appointed attorney and John McCollough bell-ringer. At the October election Joseph Douthett was chosen to succeed Commissioner W. W.

Dodds, and William Timblin was ap- pointed mercantile appraiser.

Andrew Simpson succeeded Bracken as a member of the board in 1848, and imme- diately after the organization of the board a resolution was adopted changing the system of fuel contract for the public buildings. The resolution was as follows: "That the coal should be shipped by those who will supply it at four cents per bushel and not take more than four hundred bushels from any one at any one time; also to supply the jail in the same way."

The year 1849 appears to have been one of disasters and floods. An entry refers to the floods of July and speaks of county bridges being damaged at Amberson's, at Robb's, and one on Breakneck Creek. George W. Crozier was reappointed clerk, and John Sullivan counsel and mercantile appraiser. Thomas Kelly was elected commissioner this year to succeed An- derson.

In January, 1850, George W. Crozier was reappointed clerk, and John McCol- lough bell-ringer, and William Timblin attorney, at a salary of $25 per year. The board was composed of Thomas Kelly, Andrew Simpson and Joseph Douthett. Thomas Welsh was elected commissioner in October to succeed Joseph Douthett, and at the organization of the board in November, James White, of Prospect, was appointed mercantile appraiser.

The appointments made by the commis- sioners in 1851 were: James A. McNair, clerk; Arcus McDermit, attorney; and William Williamson, bell-ringer. McNair resigned as clerk in October, and John Sullivan was appointed to fill the vacancy at the last meeting of the old board. James Mitchell succeeded Andrew Simp- son as commissioner on October 28, and on the last day of the year John Greer, of Prospect, was appointed mercantile appraiser.

The principal business before the com-

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missioners in 1852 was the building of a new courthouse. In January John Sulli- van was appointed clerk, Ebenezer McJun- kin, attorney, and John McCullough, bell- ringer. ' On the 28th of May of this year, Architect Barr was in consultation with the commissioners over the plans for the proposed new courthouse. Subsequently the commissioners, Kelly, Welsh and Mitchell, spent twelve days visiting the county seats of Lawrence, Beaver, Alle- gheny, Washington, Green, Fayette, Blair, and Indiana counties to obtain information relative to the courthouse buildings, and continued to give this subject their atten- tion until July 16, when they awarded the contract to William Bell, of Warren, Penn- sylvania. John Miller succeeded Thomas Kelly as commissioner in November, and David McDonald was appointed mercan- tile appraiser.

THE NORTHWESTERN RAILROAD.

There are no changes in the appoint- ment of the commissioners in 1853, until the close of January, when George W. Crozier was appointed temporary clerk. The Northwestern Railroad, which was the first project of the kind started in Butler County, was a subject of consideration by the county commissioners in March, 1853. It was proposed to build this road from New Castle to Butler, and thence to Free- port. On the 31st of March, the commis- sioners unanimously agreed to subscribe $250,000 to the capital stock of the North- western Railroad Company, as recom- mended and found by the grand jury, and in accordance with the act incorporating that company. This resolution was duly signed by the commissioners, and the clerk, John Sullivan. The Northwestern Railroad Company afterwards failed and the road was never completed, while the commissioners of the county were involved in litigation over the subscription made to the capital stock of the concern.

At this time the commissioners were also

engaged in watching the progress of the new courthouse, and in making repairs on the jail so that their positions were any- thing but sinecures. One of the sanitary acts of this period must be credited to the board; this was the construction of a sewer from the jail to the creek, which was the first improvement of this class made in this section of Pennsylvania. Another important item of business transacted by the commissioners in this year, was the re- districting of the county into thirty-three townships, and the establishing of the township lines. At the October election, William C. Campbell was elected commis- sioner to succeed Welsh.

Pursuant to the action taken the pre- vious year the commissioners issued rail- road bonds in October, 1854, to pay for the subscription to the capital stock of the Northwestern Railroad Company, and in the same month a contract was made for a new courthouse bell. John Kennedy was elected commissioner and qualified in No- vember.

The new courthouse was finished during the summer of 1855, and the commission- ers were engaged in purchasing furniture and office fixtures for it. There is no minute to the effect that contractor Bell ever finished the structure, or of its ac- ceptance by the commissioners, but a min- ute recorded on December 7, 1855, in re- gard to the cleaning of the interior of the courthouse, indicates that Bell had ob- served a notice to finish his contract. Sam- uel Marks was appointed clerk for that year.

In January, 1856, the commissioners re- appointed Samuel Marks, clerk, E. McJun- kin, attorney, and John McCollough, bell- ringer. In August, Architect Barr and Contractor Bell met with the commission- ers and made the final settlement for the construction of the new courthouse.

General dissatisfaction seemed to exist over the affairs of the Northwestern Rail- road Company, and in February, 1857,

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John Graham was appointed agent of the county and ordered to visit Philadelphia to attend a meeting of the directors of the Northwestern Railroad, on March 3d, and find out the condition and policy of that corporation. Little satisfaction was ob- tained at this meeting, and towards the latter part of the year the members of the board visited the directors at Pittsburg. On March 11th of that year Contractor Bell was given a warrant for the final pay- ment of work done on the courthouse. Samuel P. Irvine was appointed clerk.

Anxiety about the intentions of the rail- road company prevailed in 1858 and occu- pied considerable time of the county com- missioners. Bridges at Evansburg, Black's mill, Bovard's mill, and Zelienople were repaired or built during the year, and mention is made of a law suit in which the commmissioners were interested, being tried at Pittsburg. Subsequently the case is referred to as Duberry vs. William Har- bison, Charles McClung, and Butler Coun- ty.

In 1860 the board was composed of William Harbison, Charles McClung, and Thomas MeNeese. Samuel P. Irvine was reappointed clerk, and appointed attorney for the board. Irvine resigned the clerk- ship in August, and Samuel Marks was appointed.

The board in 1861 was composed of Matthew Greer, Thomas McNeese, and Charles McClung. William S. Jack was appointed clerk, and John M. Thompson attorney. On April 30th Jack resigned and enlisted for service in the war, and John H. Niblock was appointed his successor as clerk.

The board in 1862 was Abner Bartley, Matthew Greer, and Thomas McNeese. John H. Niblock was reappointed clerk, but resigned in March, and Harvey Col- bert of Butler was appointed his successor and continued in the office until the close of 1866. Early in 1862 mention is made of the relief work of the board, and on July

31st of the commissioners agreeing to give each volunteer in three companies of nine months' men, $25.00 each as soon as mus- tered in. On August 26th this bounty was paid to the soldiers of Capt. Anderson's company. In October, John M. Thompson having resigned to enter the United States service, Charles McCandless was chosen attorney. Commissioner Greer attended the court of Pittsburg for several days during this year in the matter of the rail- road suit, and was credited with 209 days' service from January 1 to December 31, together with 36 days' service in 1861, as against 477 days of Mr. McNeese.

DISPUTE OF BOUNTY CLAIMS.

The payment of bounties to soldiers ap- pears to have been the cause of trouble in 1863, when certain citizens who resided near the line of Lawrence County, suc- ceeded in imposing on the commissioners of Butler County, and were paid bounties they did not deserve. In April, 1863, a meeting of the commissioners of Lawrence and Butler Counties was held to settle some disputed points about soldiers' boun- ties, and determine on which side of the line certain claimants for bounty lived. To avoid further trouble in the matter it was suggested that on whichever side of the line the home was, the land could be assessed in that county, and the soldier paid the bounty from the treasury of that county. A meeting was held at Porters- ville, September 17th to fix the boundary line, when Messrs. Sutton, Wilson, Greer and Bartley were appointed to take the southern end of the line and James For- rest, Thomas McNeese and Harvey Colbert the northern end. Samuel Leason was elected commissioner to succeed Thomas McNeese in October, and with commis- sioners Bartley and Greer brought the business of the year and the boundary line question to a satisfactory close.

No changes were made in the appoint- ments for 1864, and in February a tax

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of fifteen mills on assessed value of prop- erty was authorized; being four mills for county purposes, three mills for state purposes, and eight mills for railroad charges. The auditors for the year 1864 apparently did not associate the 314-day services charge by the commissioner's clerk with the increased work of the times; but the commissioners did. At the close of their report auditors John H. Cratty, W. H. H. Riddle and Simeon Nixon made the following note: "We, the undersigned auditors of Butler County, having exam- ined the foregoing account of the commis- sioners' clerk of Butler County, do report that Congress must either make more days in the year, or we shall compel the com- missioners to commute his rations." The commissioners evidently did not agree with the auditors, for Harvey Colbert was reappointed clerk two days after the re- port was filed. The report of taxables in the county for 1864 showed that there were 216 citizens of the county assessed five per cent. of their incomes under the law pro- viding for an income tax. A. C. Christy was elected a member of the board in Oc- tober, 1864.

Under date of March 15, 1865, a minute was entered which recalls a tragic na- tional event. It reads as follows: "Abra- ham Lincoln, president of the United States, was shot last night in Washington City by an assassin, and died this morning -requiescat in pace."

The fight against the railroad company was carried on this year by commission- ers Bartley and Leason. In October Will- iam Dick was elected commissioner to suc- ceed Abner Bartley.

In January, 1866, the commissioners re- appointed the old officers, but in the latter part of the month Clerk Harvey Colbert resigned, and George W. Kneiss was ap- pointed to succeed him. In November a vacancy was caused in the office of county treasurer by the death of W. E. Moore, and

J. Christy Moore, of Center Township, was appointed to fill the vacancy.

The tax rate of 1866 was eight mills, or nine mills lower than the rate of 1865. This rate was continued for 1867.

In May, 1867, the commissioners re- ceived bids for the erection of a new jail and sheriff's residence, and on June 14th the contract was awarded to S. G. Purvis & Company of Butler. There were no changes made in the appointments this year. Charles Hoffman was elected com- missioner at the October election.

At the meeting of the board in January, 1868, the clerk's salary was placed at $700 and the attorney's was still held down to $25; but the bell-ringer had his pay in- creased to $150. James M. Lowe was the commissioner elected in October.

The new commissioner elected in 1869 was John S. Campbell. In September of that year George Kneiss resigned as clerk and Thomas B. White was appointed to fill the vacancy. On November 6th of this year the board elected a president in the person of Charles Hoffman, he being the first to serve under that title. One of the transactions of the commissioners for the year was to discard the old digest pur- chased in 1804, and to purchase a new edi- tion of Purdon for the office.

The transaction of the commissioners in January appears to have been fixing a tax levy of seven mills and awarding the con- tracts for printing the auditor's report to John H. Negley for $50. Railroad matters came up again in February, and in that month the commissioners borrowed from the First National Bank for ninety days the sum of $1,500, and in March a warrant for $116,798 was issued to Robinson, banker, for railroad bonds and coupons. This transaction seems to close the busi- ness between the commissioners and the old Northwestern Railroad Company. In November, James Lowe was chosen presi- dent of the board, and before the close of

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the year W. H. Black was appointed attor- ney, and the clerk and bell-ringer were re- appointed. An estimate of the expendi- tures for the current year was placed at $40,000.

In April, 1871, Thomas B. White re- signed as clerk to the commissioners to become postmaster of Butler, and William L. Spear succeeded him as clerk. In June the commissioners had under considera- tion the claims of John M. Thompson and Charles McCandless for defending Butler County in the case of Lawrence County vs. Butler County growing out of the subscrip- tion of the Northwestern Railroad Com- pany. The claim, which was a bill for a fee of $10,000, was finally tabled until "equitably adjusted either by law or com- promise." In July when the trial was re- sumed, James Bredin was employed to represent Butler County, the consideration being a fee of $500 and traveling expenses.

The use of iron in the superstructure of bridges in the county is first mentioned in the transaction of the commissioners in re- gard to bridge work in 1872. The records say that the new iron bridge in Cherry Township was completed in October and an iron bridge at Harmony near Enslen's was also finished.

The commissioners appear to have led a strenuous life during 1872. Part of the trouble was caused by a threat to proceed according to law against collectors who neglected to pay off their tax duplicates before January 1, 1872. On January 8th, a record is made that every one having business with the office had fault to find with everyone and everything. Mention is made at this time of the overseers of the poor and from the entry it appears that the poor people of the county were sent to Dixmont Hospital in Allegheny County. In March, the financial embarrassment of the county treasury was relieved by an unexpected draft from Harrisburg, which. enabled the commissioners to lift an over- due note of $600 held by Mrs. S. C. Sulli-

van. In June it appears that one-half the jurors were excused and the commission- ers hurried payments to them, saying, "they are no use here-the sooner they are discharged the better for the county." On the 22nd of June an entry states that on the previous day the hardest rain that the oldest citizens remember of had fallen in the southwestern part of the county, taking away bridges and doing much dam- age to fences and grain. Heavy rains in August of that year damaged bridges and delayed the rebuilding of those that had already been destroyed by the floods in June.

It would appear from an entry made on October 29th, that the residents of Clear- field Township were keeping up the Irish reputation as lovers of a strenuous life and combat. After settling with the wit- nesses in attendance at court, the commis- sioners caused the following entry to be made on the minute book: "The witnesses are all from Clearfield, and a hard set of fellows they are to get along with." And again under date of October 31, "Court in session. Trying Dutchman for burning a barn near Saxonburg; found him guilty, being out only fifteen minutes."

The matter of the $10,000 fee for legal services claimed by. Thompson and Mc- Candless was under consideration in this month, and on December 22nd arbitrators were appointed. On the 28th of Decem- ber Judge Kerr, James F. Robinson and Judge Mitchell met under the appoint- ment, but nothing was accomplished. Rob- ert Barron became a member of the board in November, 1872, and on the 25th of the month John B. McQuistion was appointed clerk to fill the vacancy caused by the death of William L. Spear, which occurred on November 24th.

The board in 1873 was composed of James P. Christley, Robert Barron, and Benjamin F. Garvin. The most important item of business transacted was the carry- ing out of the order of court made in Sep-

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tember, to have all books and dockets re- bound, and such dockets as were mutilated transcribed and bound. In order to meet payment of bills and current expenses, a temporary loan of $2,448 from John Berg & Company, with the understanding that the money was to remain in the bank "to be drawn out as needed."

The board in 1874 was composed of John C. Riddle, James P. Christley and Robert Barron. E. J. Cratty was ap- pointed clerk to succeed John B. McQuis- tion, and Thomas Robinson as attorney to succeed W. H. Black. The business of the commissioner's office for the year appears to have been unimportant and consisted of routine work.

James C. Donaldson was the new mem- ber elected in 1875, and was the last officer elected under the old law, which required one commissioner to be elected each year. At the meeting of the board held in Feb- ruary, I. S. P. DeWolf was chosen clerk at a salary of $700 per year, and Clarence Walker, attorney, at $40 per annum. In June, George Maxwell of Center Town- ship was appointed clerk to succeed De- Wolf. Affairs about the courthouse were enlivened on the night of October 18th, by an attempt made by burglars to blow up the safe in the treasurer's office. The attempt proved a failure, in so far as get- ting the safe doors open was concerned, and the force of the explosion wrecked the inside of the office. As a consequence of the damage to the doors of the safe, pay- ment of warrants was checked for a few days until experts could be sent for and the doors of the safe opened. The bur- glars were never apprehended.

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Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 14

Author: McKee, James A., 1865- ed. and comp Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1526

Author: McKee, James A., 1865- ed. and comp
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1526