Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 70

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

USA > Pennsylvania > Butler County > Butler > Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th > Part 70

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Zion Reformed Church, near the june- tion of the Meridian and Harmony Road, was organized in 1845 among the German- speaking residents of the district by Rev. Samuel Miller of Westmoreland County. The first meetings were held at the Hen- shaw schoolhouse. The cornerstone of a new church edifice was laid May 28, 1847, and the building was dedicated in the fol- lowing December. In June, 1870, Rev. W. M. Landis organized an English society under the name of St. John's Congrega- tion, and both societies used the same building and were supplied by the same minister. Previous to 1877 the German Congregation had been united (in 1873) with the church at Harmony as one pas- toral charge. This charge had been united with Prespect and Butler, the three being known as the Butler Charge. The German Congregation was constituted an indepen- dent charge in 1877, known as the Henshaw Charge, and in 1880, Rev. Josiah May, be- came the pastor of both congregations.

After this period the German congrega- tion dwindled in numbers, while the Eng- lish congregation increased. The former being too weak to maintain a pastor and hold regular services, the latter undertook to gain possession of the church property. This resulted in both congregations being incorporated in 1887, and the German con- gregation retaining possession of the prop-

510

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

erty. The English congregation then with- drew and erected a new church. In 1889 the members, to the number of nineteen, united themselves with St. Mark's Church, . and the Zion Reformed Church passed out of existence.

St. John's congregation of Zion Re- formed Church, was organized June 19, 1870, by Rev. Landis, who was at that time pastor of the German congregation of Zion Reformed Church. In the fall of 1870 the congregation united with the German con- gregation in calling Rev. F. A. Edmonds of Harmony as pastor. A dispute over the legal title to the old church building having been settled in 1887, in favor of the Ger- man congregation, the new society con- cluded to erect a house of worship of its

own. A lot was donated by Andrew O. Eberhart at the junction of Meridian and Harmony Roads, and a frame building was erected at a cost of about $1500.00. This building was dedicated in February, 1889. In 1901 St. John's congregation was united with the Connoquenessing congregation under the title of Olivet Charge. In 1904 the church building was enlarged and re- modeled at an expense of $4500.00. The present membership is two hundred and five. St. John's cemetery was established the same year that the new church was built-1889.

The Butler Camp Meeting Association flourished in this township for many years, meetings being held under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Brownsdale. These meetings attracted people from all over the country for about ten years. They were abandoned in 1890.

Eureka Grange was organized in 1875 and for many years held meetings in a hall that stood on the A. O. Everhart farm. About 1892 a hall was erected at Buttercup post-office in Connoquenessing Township, where the meetings were held until 1905, when the present hall was erected at the intersection of the Harmony and Meridian

roads. In 1908 the membership was one hundred and fifty.

TOWNS AND VILLAGES.

The only towns within the limits of But- ler Township are the shire town of Butler and the steel car town of Lyndora. The latter had its inception in 1902, when the Standard Steel Car Works was built at Butler. The Lyndora Land Company that year purchased a tract of land known as the John McElroy farm and erected four hundred houses for the use of the employes of the works. The population of the town varies with the condition of the times, and is mostly foreign. It has two public schools, a Roman Catholic Church, a Greek Cath- olic Church, and a night school for foreign- ers. There are a number of business houses doing a large trade and the town is a thriv- ing suburb of the county seat. A post office was established in 1903. The admin- istration of justice is in the hands of Squires Joseph Criswell and James Mc- Nally.

West Butler is a small hamlet that had its inception in the real estate boom that struck Butler in 1902. A party of Pitts- burg capitalists purchased the Kennedy Marshall farm one mile west of the Car Works, plotted it into lots, and commenced the construction of an electric railroad from Butler through the tract of land to the John Forcht farm on the west. A pub- lic sale of lots was held in September, 1903, and a number of houses were erected that year. The financial troubles of the owners of the land caused a suspension of the building and nothing was done with the property until 1908, when a number of additional houses were erected.

In 1903 P. A. McCool and others pur- chased a tract of land on the Connoquenes- sing Creek from J. R. Kearns about one mile north of the Transfer, and plotted it into lots for building and manufacturing purposes. A financial depression in the

GRAMMAR AND HIGH SCHOOL, MARS

STATE NORMAL SCHOOL, SLIPPERY ROCK

WEST SUNBURY ACADEMY

Public School

PUBLIC SCHOOL, RENFREW

PUBLIC SCHOOL, BRUIN

OLD WITHERSPOON INSTITUTE

513

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

spring of 1904 was the means of the enter- prise being dropped, and no building was done at that location. The name given to the proposed town was North Butler. About the same time McJunkin and Stover plotted a tract of land at the junction of the Bessemer Railroad and the Butler and Millerstown Road and erected a number of houses. Since that time an extensive vil- lage has grown up at the Transfer and this is sometimes called North Butler.

The Butler Brick & Tile Company has a manufacturing plant at the Transfer which is described under the manufacturing in- dustries of Butler borough.

The pioneer schools of the township are identified with those of Butler borough. One of the early schoolhouses under the public school system stood near the site of Zion Reformed church on the west side of the township. When the present township was erected in 1854 it was divided into seven school districts. The frame, octagon- shaped school houses erected that year was the conception of Garret Pierce, who also built a dwelling-house on the same plan. These curiosities have long since disap- peared and modern buildings have taken their places. The encroachments of Butler borough reduced the number of schools to six at the close of the last century, but since 1902 the number has increased to nine. The enrollment of scholars in 1908 was over 400 and the total receipt of the dis- trict were $6462.00.

The population of the township has varied. The extension of the borough from time to time has taken liberal slices of ter- ritory and also drawn heavily on the inhab- itants. The population in 1810 was 453, including the town of Butler. The next decade saw the incorporation of the bor- ough and in 1820 the population of the township was 472. There was a gradual growth until 1850, when the census showed 2622 inhabitants. The re-division of the townships in 1854 split the population of Butler in half and it did not get above the

1300 mark until the beginning of the new century. The last census shows a popula- tion of 1591, while the estimated popula- tion in 1908 was 2850, based on the regis- tered vote of the election district. This does not include the foreign population of Lyndora.

CENTER TOWNSHIP.

On account of its geographical location in the county, Center Township acquired its name (formerly spelled Centre). Not only is it favorably situated but it has been dowered by Nature with fertility of soil and with coal deposits which have brought much revenue into this section. Its most elevated point is 1400 feet and this is about 5000 feet north of its south line on the Butler and Unionville road.

Center is principally a farming township. There are three small coal banks that are being operated chiefly for local consump- tion, the respective proprietors being E. D. Eagle, G. B. Heck, and R. D. Elliott. No operations are being carried on in oil or gas, and there are no large towns or bor- oughs.

The history of Center Township is inter- esting from the fact that its pioneers came in a colony and took up residence here with- out the assistance of constitution or by- laws-a somewhat unusual proceeding. This colony was made up of sixty hardy men, who came from Allegheny, Westmore- land, Juanita and Cumberland Counties, in 1796. They were home-seekers and were men of peaceable disposition, willing to subscribe to the will of the majority and we find them the founders of the leading families that now maintain the integrity of the township. The land was unsurveyed and, while each member was, according to their agreement, entitled to 400 acres of land, they realized that the survey might disturb some of the selections, therefore they entered into a pledge that such differ- ences should be amicably adjusted. Sub- sequently seven of the sixty colonists set-

514

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

tled in what is now Franklin Township and a few wandered farther afield but later many of these returned to become perma- nent residents of Centre Township. A number of these early settlers were of Irish origin, as their names indicate, and their descendants have filled many places of honor in Butler County and in other sec- tions. There appears to have been com- paratively little trouble with the Indians encountered by the early men of Center Township, the most notable disturbance having taken place in 1797, when the sav- ages made demonstrations which resulted in some of the colonists returning to the more civilized part of the State. The names of the early possessors of land-those who became permanent settlers-are as fol- lows: Baumgartner, Byers, Cook, Curry, Elliott, Fleeger, Freeman, Fryer, Gal- braith, Hoge, McCandless (a large family), McCleary, McGrew, McKissack, Moore, McJunkin, Rudebaugh, Scott, St. Clair, and Thompson, while many others came a few years later than the original body.

It was recognized very soon that in order to promote public business and provide for contingencies, proper courts and officers must be established. Hence, on October 8, 1805, following the organization of the Township, an election was held, votes being cast for governor, congressman, senator and county commissioner. The justices of the peace were selected from well known families and were in general men of ability, well competent to discharge their official duties, as indeed they have been since.

One of the earliest demands of the intel- ligent pioneers of Center Township was for the establishment of a schoolhouse and in 1803 a log structure was erected on the farm of Benjamin Wallace. It is probable that the first teacher was William Wallace. A second schoolhouse was shortly after- ward built on the farm of David McJunkin and here Samuel Cook, Samuel N. Moore, one of the Sloans from Venango and one

of the Campbells, of Washington, are known to have taught here prior to 1835, when the common school system was adopted. The township now has six schools with 185 pupils. The directors (1908) were Warren Aggus, H. F. Herold, Geo. H. Shanor, J. D. Smith, W. R. Bartmas, and Daniel Reiger.

Evangelical Lutheran Church. The first regularly organized religious denomination was the Evangelical Lutheran Church, which was organized in 1843 and adopted articles of association in 1848. This meet- ing was presided over by Christopher Rider, with Rev. Eli Fair as secretary. When the society was incorporated the board of trustees was made up of Jacob Rider, Sr., Daniel Heck, Jr., and William Byers. The first church structure was put up in 1844 and the first pastor was Rev. Gottlieb Bassler. The present pastor is the Rev. Ibauch and the congregation has about seventy-five members.

The Holyoke United Presbyterian Church was made up of a large body of earnest Christians, who, prior to the erec- tion of their first church edifice, assembled for worship in Robert Miller's barn. . They put up their early building in 1874, having organized on August 28, of that year. The first regularly installed pastor was Rev. W. P. Shaw. The church now has about forty-two members, with Rev. Breaden, pastor.

The Unionville Presbyterian Church, which was organized October 30, 1877, was made up of members of the Presbyterian faith, who, for three-quarters of a century had worshipped at different points in this section of Butler County, not having a church home near at hand. The first pastor was the Rev. Samuel Williams. There is now a strong congregation of 104 members, with Rev. Shaw, pastor.

The "Church of God" was represented in the seventies by a congregation organ- ized in 1872 by Rev. Joseph Grim. In 1874

515

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

they built a frame house of worship. They enjoyed some years of subsequent growth and prosperity.

Unionville, in the northwest corner of the township, was founded by Samuel Thompson, in 1828. He was the first mer- chant, his brother, James Thompson, suc- ceeding him in 1830. David Stewart suc- ceeded the Thompsons and other early merchants were: Blaisdell & Cornish, David and Mark McCandless and Joseph Coulter. David Stewart was the first post- master, in 1839. The place has a general store, conducted by D. C. Miller, who also operated a hardware store, the two stores being located in different buildings. There is also a drug store of which Dr. D. A. Holdman is the proprietor.

Fleeger, in the north-eastern part of the township, is simply a locality marked by a store owned by F. Fleeger. There is sub- stantially no settlement here.

Jamisonville, located in the northeastern part, is a station on the Bessemer Railroad. It has the Wells-Fargo Express and a tele- graph office, but no stores.

Oneida, also a station on the Bessemer railroad, is located in the eastern part near the center. It has the Speechley telephone and a telegraph office.

Township officials : Justices of the peace J. G. Renick and S. S. Allen; tax col- - lector-J. G. Renick; constable-D. P. Smith; tax assessor-E. Albert; road com- missioners-J. G. Renick, A. Pollock, and N. McCall (serving on unexpired term of G. W. Vernon) ; auditors-W. Stevenson, A. Rieger, and A. Blain; clerk-George Smith.

VENANGO TOWNSHIP. .

Venango Township, on account of the fertility of its valleys, became the home of the pioneer at a very early date and when the development of its rich coal deposits began, its population outgrew that of some of the larger townships. It is one of the original thirteen divisions of the county,

made in 1804. When the question of sub- dividing the county was discussed in 1853, the leading men of Venango Township of- fered objection, on the ground that the pro- posed change would disarrange the school districts and increase taxes beyond their ability to stand. Their protest, however, bore no fruit and the subdivision of 1854 was effected.

The physical characteristics of Venango Township include many waterways, includ- ing Slippery Rock Creek, Little Scrub Grass and Bear Creeks and many tribu- taries, ensuring large sections of well watered land and making agriculture not only a possible but a profitable occupation. The highest elevation is at Farmington, where the land rises 1,550 feet above sea level. Coal deposits may be found in almost every part of the township, not all of these being promising as to development, but cannel coal and Brookville coal have long been extensively mined and without per- ceptible decrease in either quality or quan- tity. The oil industry has also been an important factor in the commercial devel- opment of the township, though the busi- ness has been carried on quietly since 1895 and there are now no large producers. The oil is obtained in the northern part of the township.

The Manufacturers' Heat and Light Company are the largest producers. The township also contains extensive beds of limestone, which, however, have never been opened up. The Bessemer Railroad-the only one in the township-has a branch line running to Goff.

Settlement was made very early in Ve- nango Township, probably in 1792, when it is known that Thomas Jolly visited this section, but he did not establish his perma- nent residence here until 1796, when he came with companions, to accept the offer of the owner of what we know as the Field tract, the latter giving a deed for 150 acres of land. Thomas Jolly and his companions lived together in a log cabin

516

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

through the first year, and then returned east for their families. It is related that he brought fruit trees from Armstrong County and set out the first orchard on his farm of 300 acres. Samuel Barron owned 200 acres and built a weaving-shop, and Samuel Thompson cleared 170 acres. The Murrins were among the earliest settlers and were among the most enterprising of the pioneers. Hugh Murrin owned 400 acres and built one of the first mills and later a distillery, Michael Kelly became the owner of 400 acres and Nicholas and John Vanderlin, acquired 540 acres of land. Both were Revolutionary soldiers, natives of Holland, and they came in 1799. Other representative men were Samuel Campbell, Robert Cochran, . William Adams, John Logue, Thomas and James Coulter, Samuel Sloan, Robert Leason, Joseph Kerr and James and John Shields. Among other pioneers who settled here prior to 1812 were John Watt, Samuel Culbertson, Alex- ander Strain, Ephraim Turk, Andrew Maitland, Levi Williams, John Donaldson, John Jamison, the Stalkers, the Williamses, James Porter, William Parker, Robert Cunningham and John and William B. Stewart, the latter of whom is credited with building the first frame house in But- ler County. A number of these men of sturdy strength and courageous spirit had been soldiers in the Revolutionary War, and many more left their pioneer farms and mills to serve in the War of 1812. They were an industrious, frugal class, nat- urally intelligent, although but few had enjoyed educational advantages, and being inured to hardships, they cheerfully faced conditions of living that none of their de- scendants would willingly undergo.

The Associate Presbyterian Church of Unity is the name of the old Seceder Church, organized as early as 1800. This body separated from the United Presby- terians in 1858. In 1868 a frame church building was erected, but in recent years better accommodations have been afforded

and the church was incorporated in May, 1888. Its list of members today shows many of the names of the original families.

East Unity United Presbyterian Church was organized in 1802, by Rev. Thomas Mc- Clintock, who was installed pastor in May, 1803, and continued his ministry until March, 1832. The original elders were: Samuel Sloan, Reuben Irwin, Robert Rid- dle and Robert Crawford. The humble little log church was made use of from 1802 until 1820, when a more commodious building, also of logs, was erected, for cold and inclement weather, for during the sum- mer seasons the congregation worshipped under a spreading tree or in a tent. A brick structure, put up in 1868, was de- stroyed by fire in 1875, but in the same year a very substantial modern edifice took its place.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Farmington, up to 1851, had no special church edifice, services being held in vari- ous places, including tents, groves, school- houses and private dwellings. For twenty- one years thereafter the earnest little body of Christians used a small frame church building, but an increasing membership made a new edifice necessary and under the efforts of Rev. James Groves the present handsome church building was completed in 1872.

St. Alphonsus Catholic Church of Mur- rinsville has always been largely supported by the Catholics of Venango Township. A history of this old church organization is given in the record of Marion Township.

Venango Township's schools deserve more than a passing comment. Prior to 1800, Hugh and John Murrin instructed the numerous Murrin children, the family be- ing a large and prolific one. In 1802 Rob- ert Cunningham kept a subscription school in a log hut standing two and one-quarter miles north of the present town of Eau Claire. There are now seven schools in the township with 244 pupils, while the Eau Claire Academy, which was founded in

517

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

1893, affords academic advantages to ambi- tious students.

The leading villages of Venango Town- ship are Eau Claire, formerly Farmington, and Ferris, of Keystone, Deegan and Goff.

Ferris is chiefly a product of the Turner Coal, Coke and Mining Company. It has a population of about 125, mostly foreign- ers. E. L. Stevens is postmaster and man- ager of the company's store. The Erie Coal & Coke Company of Summit County have a mine here and employ about 100 men with an output at present of 200 tons daily.

Eau Claire, or Farmington, was sur- veyed in 1848, on John Rosenberry's farm, and in June, 1849, William H. Tebay built and occupied the first house. A hotel was shortly afterward put up, merchants en- gaged in business and other interests grew, but it was not until 1870 that a brick struc- ture appeared in the shape of a store build- ing for A. M. Reynolds. In March, 1856, a post-office was established at Bovard's store, but in a few years it was removed to Farmington, which was officially named Eau Claire. H. A. Sloan is the present postmaster. The town was incorporated December 5, 1900, under the title of Eau Claire Borough, the petition being signed by twenty-six free-holders. and twenty-one voters of the district. There are two gen- eral stores here conducted respectively by Coulter & Reynolds and W. C. Jameson & Company, while W. P. Stickle conducts a harness business, and is also justice of the peace of the borough; Wm. A. Rosenberry is burgess, J. W. McCandless conducts a blacksmith and repair shop, W. H. Shaffer a meat market, while R. L. Allison and R. J. McMichael are physicians. Eau Claire has the Speechley Telephone.

Eau Claire Academy was established in the fall of 1893 under Professor Robertson, with Miss Chapin, teacher of music, and has made a good record as an educational institution. An Academy building was erected in 1894, which is now used for high

school purposes by the borough and town- ship.

Deegan-The village of Deegan, near the west line of the township, owes its existence to the Goff-Kirby Coal Company which is operating extensively in that locality. A switch has been built from the Hilliard branch to the mine, and the town of a cou- ple of hundred in population has grown up the past few years. There is one store in the village, conducted by Charles Black, who is also the postmaster, the new office having been established in 1907.

Goff is a settlement of about 200 people, mostly foreigners. The Goff-Kirby Coal Company is located there and has a com- pany store. The postmaster is W. Black.

Extensive oil interests have contributed to the development of all this section, mak- ing Venango one of the most important townships in Butler County.

Township officials: Justice of the peace -J. Blair; tax collector-M. Higgins; con- stable-M. Higgins; tax assessor, M. Hig- gins ; road commissioners-M. Williams, G. Vanderlin; auditors-F. Sloan, L. Cold- mere, and J. Meals; clerk-E. Jamison. W. H. Campbell was also justice of the peace and road commissioner, but died in the fall of 1908.

JACKSON TOWNSHIP.

This township, lying in the southwestern part of Butler County and adjoining Bea- ver County on the east, was erected in 1854, but it is the early settlement and develop- ment of the territory therein embraced, and its various communities, that is of peculiar interest and renders its history distinctive from that of the other town- ships of the county. It is not only a good agricultural township but has important mineral resources, including deposits of iron, ore, coal and limestone, though but one coal mine of any size is being worked at present. The volume of business in the various industries and in agriculture has been very large ever since the Harmonists

518

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

became well established here early in the nineteenth century. The land is well drained by Connoquenessing Creek, and numerous tributaries.

The first of the pioneers of Jackson Township was James Magee, a native of County Down, Ireland, who made settle- ment in 1797. He afterward fought in the War of 1812 and continued to reside here until his death in 1846. William Martin, also a native of Ireland, located one mile west of the present borough of Evans City in 1797. His brother, Michael Martin, came in 1800, as did Thomas Wilson, Thomas Scott; John Dunn, who was killed at the forks of the Youghiogheny, while returning to his former home; David Young, James Donaldson, and Joseph Morris. Dr. Det- mar Basse, or as he came to be known, Dr. Müller, settled at Zelienople in 1802, and

Christian Buhl, a shoemaker by trade, lo- cated there later in the same year. In that or the following year, Morris and Philip Covert made settlement, and the former be- came a soldier in the American army dur- ing the War of 1812. Daniel Fiedler set- tled on the site of Zelienople in 1803, and there were others who came in during the pioneer days who are mentioned in the his- tory of the boroughs of the township. John Nixon came to this locality from New Jer- sey in 1812, and afterward settled in Penn Township, where he was instrumental in having the Harvest Home feast celebrated after the departure of the Harmony So- ciety from this vicinity. John Fleming, the teacher, came in 1815; also Jacob Kel- ker and Samuel Beam; Thomas H. Harper came in 1820; John Hartzell in 1820; Lewis Gansz and Jacob Dambach in 1832; George and Henry Marburger, with their father, in 1839; Henry Stoker in 1846; and Dr. Adam Weiser in 1856.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 70

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