Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 76

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 76

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).

isters, who traveled this circuit. During 1854-55 a meeting-house was erected, which was sold ten years later when the class consolidated with the Brownsdale class.

The Brownsdale Methodist Episcopal Church had its origin in the Wigfield set- tlement, where the Wigfield Class was formed and maintained under the leader- ship of Robert Brown for a period of thirty years. The original members were the families of Adam, John and Robert Brown, and Joseph Miller, and was organ- ized by Dr. John Rathbun, a traveling phy- sician. Meetings were held in Robert Brown's house until the church was com- pleted and dedicated, July 7, 1860. Among the pastors who have served the charge may be mentioned Revs. Stover, Henry Long, T. B. Thomas and others.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Petersville (Connoquenessing borough). See Connoquenessing Township.

The Catholic Mission of Forward Town- ship owes its existence to a desire on the part of a few Catholic families to have a building in which services could he held when desired. Purchase was made in 1864 of the property formerly owned by the Richmond Methodist Episcopal Church, by John McNeal and wife, and Francis, Thomas and Eliza McCafferty, who in 1865 conveyed it to Right Rev. Michael Dome- nec, Bishop of Pittsburg, to be held for the use of the Catholic congregation of For- ward Township.

Forward Township is one of the leading oil producing districts of the county, and some of the largest producing wells were put down in what is known as Glade Run. Six wells have been recently completed, and three more are being drilled at the present time.

The Pittsburg Coal and Fuel Company, located at Wahlville, have about the only coal mine of commercial importance that is now being operated. The company is capitalized at $100,000, with W. J. Burke,

554

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

president. Employment is given to about fifty men.

At Browndale there is a grist mill oper- ated by F. D. Nicklass.

Alexander Schilling is carrying on a suc- cessful mercantile business at Reibold.

Aside from the oil industry the popula- tion of Forward Township is chiefly en- gaged in farming.

Township Officials .- Assessor, Geo. J. Marburger; collector, Geo. J. Marburger; auditors. Guy Stamm, Elmer Gelbach, and Samuel Riley; supervisors, D. L. Dunbar, W. W. Hunter and Robert Marshall; jus- tices of the peace, Daniel Dunbar and Alexander Schilling ; constable, A. J. Foltz.

PARKER TOWNSHIP.

Parker Township, lying on the Arm- strong County line and just north of Don- egal Township, was especially noted in the seventies for its rich deposits of oil. Prior to 1872 it was regarded as an agricultural section, and on account of its deep streams, well adapted to manufacturing, while iron ore was also mined. The name of Parker commemorates a family who have every right to lay claim to the honor of being the first settlers. John Parker, of West- moreland County, was sent to this section to survey a large tract of land for a man named Moore, and while in Butler County did other surveying and thus gained a fair acquaintance with the various sections open to settlement in 1794. With other members of his family, he acquired 600 acres of land, 400 of which he owned him- self in what is now Parker Township, while Washington, William and George Parker, each owned large tracts. John Parker, in 1815, surveyed the site of Lawrenceburg and for a number of years did surveying in Butler and adjacent counties. Prior to his death in 1842 he served as associate judge.

Parker Township's early settlers were of an equally good class at the Parkers, a large number of them being natives of the

North of Ireland, a few of a sturdy Ger- man type, and a number, among whom were natives of the eastern counties of Pennsylvania, had served in the Revolu- tionary War and thus, by training and the test of courage, became ideal pioneers in a section where Nature was, as yet, en- tirely unsubdued and Indians still claimed homes in the surrounding forests. As far as preserved, the names of the settlers who came to this region about 1796 were : John, Thomas, John and Charles Martin; Capt. Robert Storey, who later was a soldier in the War of 1812, with Jacob Daubenspeck, with his sons, George and Philip, John Gibson, William Ferguson, and James, William and John Turner. Later settlers were: Archibald Kelly, who was prob- ably the first school-teacher in the town- ship; Charles McCafferty, John and Rob- ert Hindman, John Jamison, Benjamin Fletcher, William Hutchison and probably Henry L. Sanderson, all came before 1800. John Say, Archibald Fowler, James Simp- son and Michael Shakeley all were large landowners in 1803. In 1808 came William Fleming, who was a participant in the Irish Revolution of 1798.

Prior to 1819 the settlers in Parker Township suffered much inconvenience from a lack of grist mills, in many cases long distances having to be traversed in order to have their grain ground, and when Benjamin Fletcher erected his log grist-mill at Martinsburg, he was looked on almost as a public benefactor. Several years later John Shryock established a mill on Silver Creek, not far from the Washington Township line, and in 1824 William Turner built a grist-mill on the north branch of Bear Creek. Other mills were erected and manufacturing and mill- ing was an important industry along the numerous streams long before the aggre- gation of houses at any one point was more than a log settlement. The Harvey Gibson mill at Martinsburg dates back to 1857; there was a saw-mill built by the Fowlers

555

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

on the old Stone House farm; William Sedgwick built both a mill and foundry, and William Martin built a large mill as early as 1833. In 1857 the Dudley furnace was established at Martinsburg and was conducted until 1862. As early as 1845 the Hopewell Woolen factory, an ambi- tious business enterprise, was in operation on Silver Creek, William F. Rumberger and James Dunlap being the proprietors. Woolen goods were manufactured, includ- ing narrow cloths, cassimeres, satinets, white and brown flannel and blankets, and, for a time, the industry was remarkably successful and indicative of a large amount of enterprise. In 1857 the factory was purchased by E. E. Evans, who continued to operate it until 1877, after which it was no longer remunerative.

Bruin. Martinsburg, now Bruin Bor- ough, the chief town of Parker Township, was surveyed for John Martin, in 1837, and it was the proximity of Fletcher's mill that probably caused its selection as a town site. The first cabin was built by Z. B. Sheppard, and shortly afterward other log structures indicated the beginning of the present prosperous place. In 1841 Robert Black opened up a stock of goods and the different trades were soon well repre- sented. In 1851 the post-office denomi- nated Bruin was established, Perry Week becoming the first postmaster. Archibald Martin opened the first regular hotel in the place. From 1857 until 1872 there was no notable growth, but in that year, with the development of the oil industry, came people of different stations in life and the sleepy little hamlet became a stirring and progressive town. The high tide of pros- perity continued until 1877, when a de- crease in oil production marked a falling off, and added to this, the place suffered from an epidemic of smallpox, from which it was long in recovering.

Bruin became a borough in 1901 and now has a population of about four hundred. The place is furnished with electric and

gas lights, the electric plant being owned by local people, but not incorporated. The Woodmen of the World are here repre- sented by a lodge. The Free Methodist Church, Rev. Kelly, has a membership of twenty. The other churches are noticed elsewhere in this article. The postmaster of Bruin is H. A. Ritner. R. M. Black & Son and Sproul & Shiever operate gen- eral stores, H. Sutton keeps a jewelry store, and T. W. Phillips Co. of Butler are en- gaged in the hardware and oil well supply business and also operate a machine shop. P. M. Black & Son and the Gibson Heirs operate grist mills. Bruin is on the B. & O. Railroad and has the U. S. Express, the Bell and Peoples' telephones and is a tele- graph and money order station. S. R. Gib- son is burgess and justice of the peace; H. Steel, J. Steel, T. G. Russell, W. H. Ed- monds, J. W. Kelly and G. Buckley are members of the council; S. Amsler, road commissioner ; J. H. Orr, treasurer ; W. A. Kelly, constable; G. M. Say, tax collector, and W. M. Emerick, G. Helfrich and W. B. Fletcher, auditors. The school directors elected in 1908 were A. J. Edmunds and R. C. Stewart.

El Dorado, a village of about sixty peo- ple, has one store, kept by W. S. Allen. There is also a Methodist church here, of which Rev. Mr. Ritch is pastor, this being the only church in the township outside of Bruin. The membership is small.

Hooks City, near Bruin, was a village that had a brief existence in the days of the oil boom. With the decline of the oil field it went out of existence.

The former importance of Parker Town- ship as an oil field has been already al- luded to, but at present the production of both oil and gas is small. The oil field today is confined chiefly to the northwest corner and the center. There are no coal mines, but several banks furnish coal for local consumption, the largest being those of S. T. Thompson and the Hilliards Bank. The people of the township are chiefly en-

556

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

gaged in farming, and to a lesser extent in oil production. The Baltimore and Ohio Railway affords railway communication with outside points. Stone House is the name of a stop on this railroad.

The schools and churches of Parker Township have been well supported. To name the early teachers in the days of the subscription schools would be to repeat the names of many of the most reliable men of each settlement. Archibald Kelly was a noted educator, his training both in Ire- land and in Westmoreland and other coun- ties having fitted him for far more exact ing duties than he found in Parker Town- ship, while many others were not less well equipped. The first school-house stood on the old Daniel Walker farm. In 1908 there were eight schools in the township, not in- cluding Bruin Borough, which has three. In 1907 the tax levied in the township was $3261; in the borough $1524.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Mar- tinsburg was organized in 1834, and in 1835 Benjamin Fletcher donated land on which a church building was erected, one that sufficed for thirty-nine years. In 1874 a commodious building, in accord with the increased strength of the membership, was erected. Rev. Mr. Rich is the present pas- tor. The membership is one hundred and fifteen.

The Wesleyan Methodist Church of Mar- tinsburg was organized in 1852, and in the same year a small building was erected, but later the society disbanded and the building was used for a district school- house.

The Martinsburg Presbyterian Church was organized in November, 1870, with thirty-two members, the first elders being : John C. Martin, Hamilton H. Say and Amos Young. A fine church building was completed in December, 1873, and was ded- icated in September, 1874. In another part of this work the destructive cyclone which passed through Butler County is men- tioned, and in this disaster the new church

was considerably damaged. Later it was restored and its congregation is in a flour- ishing condition, with a membership of one hundred and eighty. Rev. Mr. Stewart is pastor.

The population of Parker Township in 1810 was 399. It reached its high tide in 1880, when it had 2516. In 1900 the popu- lation was 1317, and its estimated popula- tion in 1908 was 1645, including the bor- ough of Bruin.

Township Officials: Justice of the peace, A. D. Groom; tax collector, W. S. Allen; constable, A. H. Walley; road commis- sioners, G. W. Christy, P. Zeortz and J. W. Everett; auditors, W. P. Hoover, J. Col- lins and J. Billingsley; clerk, J. W. Ev- erett.

SLIPPERY ROCK TOWNSHIP.

Slippery Rock Township, deriving its name from Slippery Rock Creek, which flows through it in a westerly direction, is situated in the northwestern part of But- ler County and is one of its most important and highly developed sections. In 1804, when Butler County was separated into thirteen townships, one was continued as Slippery Rock, a name given when Butler was taken from Allegheny County, and had but four townships in all its territory. Since 1854 it has maintained its present number of square miles. Coal mining and gas development are the main industries, although there are fertile tracts along the streams, and in the larger villages and bor- oughs all lines of activity are successfully engaged in. Limestone has also been mined extensively. The people, as a class, are more than usually intelligent, supporting a State Normal School, newspapers, con- tributing capital to large business enter- prises and founding churches and char- ities.

It is probable that the earliest settlers in the township were Adam Barber, David Cross and John and William Burrows, but as they made no permanent settlement,

557

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

credit is usually given to Nathaniel and Zebulon Cooper, who came from Washing- ton County in 1796 and settled on Wolf Creek in 1798. In 1797 came the McKees, followed in the next year by Adam Funk, and in the first year of the new century came Jonathan Adams, John and Jacob Stillwagon, John Moreland, Alexander Mc- Donald and John Slemmons. Philip Sny- der came in 1801 and found much favor with the settlers on account of his success in making maple sugar, a highly prized commodity in those days. In 1805 came John Walker, followed by William Bigham and sons and Samuel Cross. From this date up to 1840, came the following men, who are recalled on account of their en- terprise, the larger number having been identified with all the material progress the section made within that time: James Stephenson, Samuel Weakley, Philip Kies- ter, Joel Beckwith, Thomas Mifflin, Dr. John Thompson, John Christley, Michael Christley, Samuel Kerr, Samuel Bard, William Hill, Isaac S. Pearson, Dr. Eli G. De Wolf, Cornelius Gill, James A. Patter- son, John McNulty, Samuel Caldwell, Peter Sowash, John Neal, William Miller, Joseph C. Swearengen, Henry Wolford, Jonathan Maybury and John Reed. It was in this township that the brutal murder by the Indian Mohawk took place, that is de- scribed in the chapter on Bench and Bar.

What is known as the Pittsburg Acad- emy Lands, now the Western University of Pennsylvania, consisted of several 400 acre tracts in Slippery Rock Township, which were gradually sold to the settlers. Three of these tracts were in a body, com- mencing at the north line of the township and running as far south as Centerville, now Slippery Rock borough. James Mc- Kee, the pioneer, first settled on a part of this land and built a house on the tract later occupied by Eli Beckwith. Finding that he had located on land belonging to the Pittsburg Academy, McKee moved to the farm now owned by W. M. Humphrey.

The pioneer village of the town bore the name of Mt. Etna, this being suggested apparently because it was built up around an early furnace, established by Dr. John Thompson on Slippery Rock Creek, in 1822. In 1824 a post-office was established there and was named Slippery Rock, but two years later it was moved to what was formerly Centerville but is now known to the Post-Office Department as Slippery Rock. Other villages have been built as various railroad lines have been extended through the township and the most impor- tant of these are Kiesters, Branchton and Wick. Adjoining the first named place is Slippery Rock Park, which is maintained as a summer resort and is of great natural beauty.

Redmond is a mining village that has sprung into existence since the opening of the coal and limestone mines along the line of the Pennsylvania Railroad. It is also the terminal of the railroad in this county. The mines and village are located on the Louis Patterson farm about one mile and a half north of Slippery Rock Borough and at the present time is composed of about one hundred houses besides the buildings of the railroad company, and the Sharon Coal & Limestone Company, the operators of the mines. About three hun- dred miners are employed here when the different mines are in full operation.

The Climax Limestone Company of Pittsburg are operating limestone mines on the Josiah Adams farm, and Heath & Filer of Mercer are carrying on extensive operations at Branchton. From one hun- dred to two hundred men are employed constantly at these mines, the output being used to a great extent by the different mills of the United States Steel Company for fluxing purposes, and also for con- struction of public roads.

Slippery Rock Township has been a pro- lific producer of gas for the past twenty years, and a number of small oil fields have also been found within its limits.

558

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

The vast mineral resources of the town- ship have only come into public notice in the past ten years, and the mining indus- try in the township is yet in its infancy.

The Hercules. Mining Company, of which Henry Lang is the manager, has options on a large acreage along Wolf Creek which will be developed as soon as the railroads can be induced to enter the field. A railroad is now being projected from Franklin to Elwood City and will follow the Wolf Creek valley through this township.

The early industries of the township may be briefly mentioned: The Mt. Etna furnace established by Dr. John Thomp- son, in 1822, has been already referred to; it was continued in operation until 1841; Hickory furnace, founded in 1836, by Joseph Swearengen, was operated for twenty-four years; the Bard & Bingham foundry was opened in 1838; Charles Coulter's fulling and carding mill was one of the earliest built on Slippery Rock Creek; Wolf Creek woolen factory, manu- facturing carpets and Kentucky jeans, was in operation in 1845; prior to 1839 tan- neries were operated by members of the Stephenson, Fleming and Christley fami- lies; the Thompson grist mill on Slippery Rock Creek, was built in 1822; the Wolf Creek mill was built in 1832, by James and Robert Vincent; in 1844 a flouring mill was built by Stewart & Sullivan, at the falls of Slippery Rock Creek; and early saw-mills were built and operated by many of the settlers. The development of coal and gas came at a later date.

The leading point of business in Slip- pery Rock Township is Slippery Rock Bor- ough, previously known as Centerville, al- though, when the Coopers settled here and long after, it was called Ginger Hill. The postoffice was established in 1826. It is a thoroughly modern place, all trades, indus- tries and lines of business being in a pros- pering condition. During the Mexican War it was a busy trading center and the

descendants of those who founded the old business houses and made the first im- provements and formed the first laws, still, in many cases perpetuate the sterling virtues of their ancestors. A Savings Bank was established in 1873 by John T. and Austin F. Bard. The Co-operative Creamery Association (Limited) was in- corporated in 1874. One newspaper, the Slippery Rock Signal, was established in February, 1892. The borough was incor- porated in 1841. There are eleven schools with 222 scholars enrolled. The schools are in charge of the Normal faculty.

As early as 1887 the borough was sup- plied with natural gas by H. P. Griffith, who established a gas plant and obtained fuel from four wells drilled in the limits of the borough. Mr. Griffith continued to operate the plant for a number of years, when it was taken over by the Union Heat and Light Company of Grove City, the present owners.

Dissatisfaction over the prices charged for fuel by the old gas company was the means of a new company being organized and chartered in 1906-the Slippery Rock Heat & Light Company-which was capi- talized at $10,000, and the same year drilled wells in Slippery Rock Township and piped the borough. At the present time the company has a plant valued at about $30,000, and ten producing gas wells. John C. Kerr is president and general manager of the company.

The Slippery Rock Telephone Company was chartered April 24, 1905, and the offi- cers at the present time are as follows: President, John B. Buchanan; secretary, Dr. W. M. Barber; treasurer, John A. Aiken; manager, John P. Caster. The company has a large patronage in the bor- ough and surrounding country, and is in a prosperous condition. It has long dis- tance connections with the local companies at Harrisville, and Plain Grove, and the People's Lines of Butler.

Fire Department. The Slippery Rock

559

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

Volunteer Fire Company was organized in 1907 with a membership of thirty-four, and the company has quarters in a rented building on Franklin Street where the meetings are held and the fire-fighting equipment stored. The equipment con- sists of two hose-carts and eight hundred feet of hose. The officers of the company are as follows: Dr. J. M. McClymonds, president; C. H. Maybury, vice-president ; O. K. Bingham, secretary; and M. A. Gib- son, treasurer.

City Water Works. The borough of Slippery Rock is one of the small towns that owns its own water plant, and oper- ates it successfully. In 1892 John Mc- Gonegal established a private plant about fifty rods north of the buildings of the State Normal School from which he sup- plied the greater portion of the town with water from drilled wells. He continued to operate the plant until 1905, when he sold it to the borough and the latter has since been operating it. The plant now consists of several drilled wells, two storage tanks of 1,600 and 1,000 barrels each, and a pumping plant run by a gas engine. The town is not only supplied by an excellent quality of water, but the plant is operated at a profit.

Borough Officials. The borough officials of 1908 were James S. Wilson, burgess; John Kerr, tax collector; David Wilson, assessor; W. R. Hayes, street commis- sioner; William Kelley, superintendent of the water works; John Stillwagon, high constable; Coulter Campbell, con- stable; and the following members of council: C. N. Moore, president; James I. Hogg, treasurer; John Buchanan, secre- tary; W. R. Hockenberry, C. P. Haucks, and William Moore.

Post-Office. In 1826 the Slippery Rock post-office was established and I. S. Pear- son was appointed post-master. The same Slippery Rock has been continued as the name of the post-office to the present time. From Ginger Hill the official title of the

town was changed in 1841 to Centerville borough, when the village was incor- porated, and the title was again changed in 1896 to Slippery Rock borough to cor- respond with the name of the post-office.

Centerville Lodge Number 331, Knights of Pythias, was organized January 21, 1891. The present membership of the lodge is fifty including twelve members in the endowment rank.

Mylert Lodge Number 435, I. O. O. F., was instituted July 24, 1851, with Joseph M. McNair, Noble Grand, and W. M. Wells, secretary. On account of some irregularity the charter was surrendered in 1856, and the lodge was not reorganized until April 14, 1875, when A. J. Bard, William Claugerts, David Hayes, Jona- than Clutton, Richard Critchlow and twelve other members formed the present lodge. At the present time the lodge has over one hundred members on its roll, and owns a two story frame building on Franklin St., in which the meetings are held.

Slippery Rock Tent Number 307, K. O. T. M., was organized in 1894, and has a membership of thirty-two.

Slippery Rock Council Number 350, Junior A. O. U. M., was first organized September 13, 1889, with twenty-one char- ter members. The Council flourished for a number of years, and then became dis- organized. A reorganization took place in November, 1907, and the present mem- bership is ninety-six.

O. C. Bingham Post Number 306, G. A. R., was mustered in March 6, 1883, with sixteen charter members. At one time the post had a membership of sixty-five, but the roll has decreased to fourteen mem- bers in 1908. Few of the charter members are living. The organization is still kept intact, but the meetings are irregular, and are only called when the post has some business to transact.

Slippery Rock Lodge Number 108, An- cient Order of United Workmen, was or-

560

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

ganized May 18, 1877. The lodge had a large membership for many years, but met with the same misfortune that overtook many of the fraternal insurance orders.

Friendship Lodge Number 1188, Knights of Honor, was organized in August, 1878, with twenty members.

The Alta Club is a social organization organized by the young men of the town in 1907. The trustees are James Gerlach, William Bolton and J. M. McClymonds. The club has a membership of twenty-five, and has a neat and attractive club room on Main Street where the club parties and other social functions are held.

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 76

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