Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 79

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 79

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came into existence, improvement was rapid, business increased and education and religion made great advances.

Between 1800 and 1833 the settlement in Franklin Township was increased by a number of families which subsequently be- came very important, and among these may be mentioned the McClures, Joneses, Kirkpatricks and Riddles. In 1799 came Adam Albert, who may be called the pio- neer of the Luther faith in Butler County, and in the same year came Henry Shaffer, who was the first orchardist of the settle- ment, planting apple seeds from which have been developed the fine fruit of this section.

The early settlers of Franklin Township were not unmindful of their duties in re- gard to educating their children. Seven years after the first settlement was made, John Thompson fitted up a log cabin and conducted a subscription school for a time and was then succeeded by Charles Sulli- van, who in turn was succeeded by Samuel Cook. A building for school purposes, of log construction, was put up in 1811, near the Sullivan farm, and various teachers were employed, each year showing a larger student roll. Franklin Township now has as fine a school system as any of her sister townships and as intelligent a class of citi- zens. There are seven schools in the town- ship, exclusive of the borough and the joint high school in Prospect, the seven schools having an enrollment of one hun- dred and ninety pupils.

The churches outside of Mt. Chestnut and Prospect are not numerous, ample transportation making attendance easy. The Muddy Creek Baptist Church, the pio- neer religious organization, was founded October 19, 1819, and its membership was made up of residents of Franklin, Brady, Muddy Creek and Connoquenessing Town- ships. The United Presbyterian Church .at Mt. Chestnut was organized in 1857 by Rev. William Brandon. It now has a mem- bership of 164, with a flourishing Sunday

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school. The United Presbyterian Church at Prospect, which was formerly known as the Associate Reformed Church, dates back to 1823. The Emanuel Evangelical Lu- theran Church was organized January 2, 1843. The German Reformed and Lu- theran Church completed its organization about 1843. The Bethel Methodist Epis- copal Church was organized in 1844. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church, which was dissolved in 1887, was organized about 1844. On July 8, 1887, the Presbyterian Church at Prospect was organized. These include the leading church bodies in the history of Franklin Township.

Mt. Chestnut and Prospect are the prominent centers of the township. In 1850 the land now covered by Mt. Chest- nut was surveyed around the home of James D. Anderson, who had cleared the land and in 1849 had built the Stevenson Hotel. He was a merchant and was the first postmaster. The next settlers were Jesse Dutter, Joseph Dufford and others. In 1856 came J. J. Stevenson, who was a blacksmith, hotel keeper and for eighteen years postmaster. Village industries of all kinds flourish and the town is the source of supply to a large out-lying territory.

Prospect Borough, which is situated near the south line of Franklin Township, is the central point for a large and rich agricultural region. In 1825 it was laid out and surveyed on those portions of the farms of Andrew McGowan, Matthew Mc- Cullough and David Davis which cornered at the crossing of the Franklin and Pitts- burg and the New Castle and Butler roads. The first merchant, George A. Kirkpatrick, gave the name to the place. In 1836, in partnership with Robert Allen and G. W. McCaskey, he opened a stock of goods in the first frame building erected in the village. The first postmaster was Dr. M. W. Spear. The first burgess after the place was incorporated as a borough was Lewis Roth-March 28, 1846-and the first justice of the peace. was Samuel Piper. A

large amount of business is transacted at Prospect, where many men of enterprise have invested capital. The Prospect Sav- ings Bank was opened for business on May 1, 1874, with David Marshall as pres- ident and J. M. Lieghner as cashier, the latter subsequently becoming sole propri- etor, in 1893 being succeed by J. H. Mc- Lure. The Morrow Tannery was one of the early industries. It was started by Robert Allen and was later conducted by Andrew Douglas, and later by William Morrow. Other tanneries did business for a number of years in this section, con- ducted by Henderson Dick and Alfred Rid- dle. In October, 1880, occurred a fire which destroyed a steam grist-mill and steam saw-mill, owned by Martin & Edmundson. The present milling activity is due to Will- iam Ralston, who owns the Ralston Roller mill and a saw-mill. The Prospect Cream- ery is an important local enterprise and butter made in this plant is shipped to dis- tant points. Secret societies are well sup- ported, all the leading organizations being represented, and excellent school facilities are afforded. The Prospect Academy, an institution of considerable note, attracts students from near and far on account of the high educational standard maintained.

Among the leading business concerns in Prospect at the present time may be men- tioned the following: W. R. Riddle & Co., T. J. Critchlow and E. L. McCleary, gen- eral merchandise; J. G. Glenn, furniture and funeral director; J. C. Scott, hard- ware; A. Bowers, druggist; J. H. McClure, private bank; James H. Myers and J. B. Dick, livery stables; Roath Milling Com- pany, planing mill; R. S. Weigle, Martin Heyle and J. W. Heyle, blacksmith shops; Drs. J. B. Thompson and T. D. McConnell, physicians; L. M. Roath, dentist, P. L. Hunter, proprietor of the Hunter Hotel.

The fraternal orders are represented by Rustic Lodge, I. O. O. F., organized in 1874, present membership 100; Prospect Camp, Woodmen of the World, No. 120,

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organized 1904, and a Ladies Branch of the Maccabees, though the membership of the last mentioned is not as yet large.

Prospect Borough has a fine brick public school building, with an enrollment of sixty-five pupils, and two teachers. The high school, which is a joint school for the borough and township, has an enrollment of twenty,with one teacher.

Borough Officials (1909) : Burgess, T. D. McConnell; council, S. S. Mccullough, L. M. Roath, W. R. Riddle, J. W. Neely, G .. A. Warren and A. Bowers; school board, J. H. Barr, L. M. Roath, J. H. McClure, P. L. Hunter, C. E. Weigle and James Moore; justices of the peace, John Weigle and J. F. McKee; constable, A. W. Mc- Clure; assessor, J. W. Schaffer; collector, Peter Kramer; auditors, G. C. Schaffer, Hugh Weigle and G. W. Beighley. Post- master, Reuben Shanor.

Isle is a settlement in the northwestern part of the township having a Baptist church, with Rev. Warren, pastor. There is also a general store, kept by William Watson & Sons, and a blacksmith shop.

The Patrons of Husbandry are repre- sented in Franklin Township by a flour- ishing grange.

Township Officials: School directors, David Pflugh, John Barkley, Ira Thomp- son, William Scott, Harvey Morrison and Ed. Scheiver; justices of the peace, J. T. McBride; constable, Augustus Shannon; assessor, A. G. Shannon; collector, J. J. Riddle; auditors, Geo. Barkley, Mr. Hack- ett and Jacob Albert.

ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP.

Allegheny Township, located in the northeast corner of Butler County, was or- ganized in 1854 and was created from parts of Parker and Venango Townships. The Allegheny River touches the northeast cor- ner. Its greatest resource has been oil, its surface being too broken and uneven for an agricultural township, although there are many excellent and productive

farms within its limits. There are a few small coal banks. The oil wells now in operation are small, and there is but little gas.

There was quite an influx of people here in the closing years of the eighteenth cen- tury, beginning in 1797, when John Lowrie, John Crawford, Sr., John and George Crawford, Samuel and William Porter- field, Charles and James Pollock, Alexan- der Grant and John Rosenberry arrived, probably in the order named. James An- derson was here in 1797, or 1798, as were also George Parker, Alexander Brown, Ebenezer and John Brown. William Jack, a soldier of the Revolution, settled on the site of Byron Centre in 1798, and the same year witnessed the arrival of Samuel Gra- ham, a son of a Revolutionary soldier, and himself a soldier of the War of 1812, in which he lost his life. John Redick, Sr., John Allen, Levi Gibson, and Samuel Coul- ter were all located here in 1799. Levi Gib- son established a small distillery on his place, which was in operation for some years on a small scale. John Truby also was one of the pioneers and on his farm of 400 acres erected a small mill, the site be- ing the same as that used by Pierce and Black, when they erected their mill on Bear Creek in 1846. This latter changed hands a number of times, being later known, first as the Adams Mill and then as the Horner Mill. John Turner and Ben- jamin Law were other early arrivals. The first white child born in the township was probably John Allen, the date of his birth being 1799. One of the first deaths record- ed was that of James Crawford, Sr., Jan- uary 18, 1891, as a result of injuries re- ceived while on a hunt with a party of friends. At the confluence of Allen Run and the North Branch of Bear Creek, they fired the brush in order to drive out the game; the fire got beyond their control and they climbed trees for safety, all being seriously burned. John Parker, another of the hunting party, suffered through life

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY

from the injuries received, which prob- ably hastened his death.

John Lowrie, who settled on 800 acres of land in Poplar Bottom, opened a store there in 1811, it being later conducted by a man named Dumars, and still later by Pierce and Black. Walter Lowrie, a son of John, was reared there, and afterward rose to distinction, becoming United States senator. The Lowrie saw and grist mill was erected at an early date, as was also the more pretentious and better equipped Rogers mill. A mill was erected by Sam- uel Anderson in 1834, and later was known as the Sedgwick mill. Maple Furnace was established in 1844 by George and James Bovard, was sold in 1847 to Henry Graft, and in 1854 to M. S. Adams, who operated it until it was abandoned in 1865. The store established the same year as the fur- nace survived the latter three years. The Kensington Furnace was in operation from 1846 to 1852, and was owned by Church, Carruthers & Crawford. The township was very backward in its devel- opment until the oil boom, when its popu- lation increased rapidly. It has never de- veloped a village of any size, Maple Fur- nace, Kensington Furnace, Six Points, Sandy Point, Byron Centre and Register City not being more than small trading points at any stage of their existence. A post-office was established at Six Points in 1866, with James McMahon as postmaster ; and later one at Byrom Centre, which was founded in 1879 after the oil developments.

Allegheny Township has six schools with 168 pupils. The school board in 1908 was composed of J. A. Crawford, T. L. Ander- son, H. H. Gates, W. A. McQuiston, M. E. Blair and James Meek. The educational facilities are good and a high grade of scholarship is maintained.

The Methodist Episcopal Church, of Maple Furnace, was organized in 1854 by M. S. Adams, through whose instrumental- ity, largely, a church building was erected.

The principal members at that time were the men employed at the furnace.

Mount Olive Evangelical Church of Al- legheny Township was organized March 20, 1869, by Rev. A. S. Miller, and the fol- lowing year a $3,000 church building was erected on a lot purchased from James Crawford, located near Six Points. Eleven of the members of the congregation had formerly belonged to Mt. Pisgah Church of Venango Township. Among the pastors of this church may be mentioned Rev. Isaiah Delo, Revs. Reese, Smith and Zim- mer.

The Allegheny Presbyterian Church was organized May 20, 1875, by Revs. Coulter and Williams, and Elder James Crawford. The elders were John R. Allen, S. P. Eakin, A. R. Carnahan and C. C. Cooper. J. C. Kiskaddon and J. P. Milford were added to the session. In the pioneer days of the township, the Presbyterians crossed the Venango County line and attended services at Scrubgrass Presbyterian Church. Rev. James Coulter was the first pastor of Allegheny Church, and was suc- ceeded in 1880 by Rev. Samuel A. Hughes, who continued as stated supply for two years. Rev. William J. Hazlett was in- stalled as pastor September 24, 1883, and continued with this charge for a period of ten years, when the pulpit again became vacant. The present pastor is Rev. Mr. Witherspoon. The church has a member- ship of eighty.

The Grant Methodist Epsicopal Church was organized by Rev. Peters in 1876, and in 1877 a house of worship was erected on the farm of John Rosenberry.

The Allegheny Church Cemetery had its inception in a charter granted, January 11, 1876, to J. P. Milford, S. P. Eakin, J. R. Allen, D. S. Allen and Henry Jamison, with authority to establish and maintain a cem- etery. Including the church site, the prop- perty includes six and three-quarters acres obtained by purchase from the John Ros-

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enberry and Mrs. Martha Allen farms, a part of the purchase money being turned back to the church by the sellers. It is a well-kept burying ground and is a credit to the church and township.

At Bonus there is a store operated by J. Meek. Six Points, northwest of the cen- ter, has a store and country inn kept by E. Parks. At Byron there is a school and two or three farm houses.

Township officials: Tax collectors and assessor, J. S. Glenn; constable, J. K. Boozell; road commissioners, J. T. Joseph, W. R. Bennett and E. C. Parks; auditors, N. Louchner, J. Anchors and A. Wilson.

FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP.

Fairview Township, for a number of years distinguished on account of the re- markable development of oil, making it one of the most productive of this com- modity in all Butler County, has many other claims to particular notice and at the present writing has a population of substantial farmers and progressive busi- ness men. It was established in March, 1846, by a legislative act providing that it be formed out of Donegal Township, and was given its present area in 1854. On ac- count of the rise and ebb of the oil indus- try, its population has fluctuated.

The first actual settlers in Fairview Township were Samuel and John Wallace, in 1795, although, in the previous year Ru- dolph Barnhart had made a temporary stay of a few months. From that date on up to what may be called the close of the pioneer period, came many others, mainly home-seekers, and in a large number of cases their descendants still occupy the land. The old names, many of them fa- miliar because of the sterling character and enterprising efforts of their owners, included John Hemphill, Jacob Barnhart, Jr., Daniel Barnhart, Joseph Smith and son John, the latter later known as a Meth- odist preacher, John Craig, Paul McDer- mott, Matthew Smith, William Wilson,

James Bovard, Alexander Storey, Samuel Kinkaid, Thomas Jackson, Patrick O'Far- ren, William Ray, Samuel and Stephen Hall, Leonard Reep, George Robertson, Samuel Riddle, John Irwin, William Moore, John Cumberland, David and Rev. William Morehead, John and James Craig, Andrew Campbell, Charles McClung, Sam- uel Irwin, John Snow, John and George Emrick, William Fleming, Jonathan Kep- pel, together with the Thorns and Hays.

The early settlers of this township were of the sturdy type that gave promise of future excellence. At first they were con- cerned in the acquiring of land and the developing of farms and probably up to 1826 few merchants had opened up stocks in any part of the township. Here, as in other districts, a lack of good roads pre- vented much social intercourse, the sep- arated settlers often having to travel long distances to attend a "preaching" or to reach a mill with their bag of grain. Nev- ertheless settlements eventually grew into hamlets and these into villages, while the boroughs, Fairview and Petrolia, and the village of Haysville, for some years occu- pied the limelight as great oil centers.

Fairview. Between 1826 and 1839, thir- teen houses, including a tavern, a store, a cabinet and a blacksmith shop, comprised what is now the borough of Fairview. In 1844, Col. James A. Gibson and M. B. Adams established a foundry, which, un- der other owners was operated until 1872. In September, 1867, the petition for the incorporation of Fairview as a borough was granted and four years later, after a placid growth of forty years, the place be- came one of the noisest, busiest, and for a time one of the most reckless spots in all Pennsylvania, the people, in every walk of life apparently having become crazed by the oil fever. The first oil was discovered just west of Petrolia in the fourth sand. From a village of 200 population in 1870, it grew by 1876, to one more than 1,000. Local enterprise, together with outside

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capital, rapidly provided for the increased number of inhabitants, and hotels and business houses went up with remarkable celerity. A number of concerns started and flourished for a short season, but when the great boom was over, suspended oper- ations and in some cases caused heavy losses to those who could but poorly af- ford it. The borough has suffered from a number of destructive fires and the loss of much property and some life. In Au- gust, 1872, occurred the great fire at the Jameson well.

Fairview Borough has now about 235 in- habitants. Among business enterprises may be mentioned the Hotel Adams, pro- prietor, Mrs. Adams; the general store of C. Scott; and the cigar and notion store of S. H. Templeton, who is also postmaster. There is one school, with about forty pupils.

Of churches there are the United Pres- byterian, dating back to 1834, with a pres- ent membership of 145, Rev. Campbell, pastor; the Presbyterian, organized in 1875, which now has forty members, Rev. Stewart, pastor; and the Methodist Epis- copal, organized in the thirties of the last century, whose present pastor is the Rev. Lowthian, membership thirty.

Petrolia. In February, 1872, when the "Fannie Jane" oil well was drilled with such surprising results, the present bor- ough of Petrolia was represented by the farm homes of J. B. Jameson, A. L. Camp- bell and George H. Graham. W. E. Clark in that month erected a small building. By December, 1873, there were standing four hotels, twelve grocery stores, two hard- ware stores, three clothing stores, two bak- eries, seven barber shops, three machine shops, two meat markets, two drug stores, two billiard halls, one news room, three physicians' offices, while several lawyers had put out their shingles, and, while prob- ably there were more saloons than all other business houses together, there was at least one organized church, the pioneer

being the Methodist Episcopal. Petrolia is described as having been an extraor- dinary place between 1875 and 1877, over- run by an outside element totally foreign to the one which had originally settled along Bear Creek. Among the characters still remembered by Petrolia and vicinity, and recalled as typical of a certain class that inevitably appears, wherever gathers a large and irresponsible population led by greed and excitement, was Ben Hogan, who, after a spectacular career of vice, relieved by astonishing charities and at- tempts to gain official recognition, later be- came an evangelist, but in this capacity never returned to Petrolia. Fortunes were made and lost during the height of the oil boom. As at Fairview, destructive fires have occurred in this borough, several of them destroying a large part of the busi- ness and residential sections of the town. Local enterprise, however, has been equal to the emergency, and Petrolia, in spite of other misfortunes, still is a leading point of interest and business in the town- ship. The great flood of July, 1879, was most disastrous, causing a loss estimated at $75,000.

The town is supplied with telegraph and U. S. Express, and has the Bell and Speechley telephone systems installed. The Standard Oil Company supplies gas for lighting purposes. The leading business firms are: W. H. Daugherty & Co. and Thomas Roach, oil refineries; W. C. Fos- ter, drugs and shoes; Geo. Yough, cloth- ing; William Stoughton, groceries and hardware; C. M. Williams, groceries ; Mrs. J. Duffey, proprietor Central Hotel; J. M. Hawk & Son, general store and furni- ture; E. P. Chesbro, dry goods; O. P. Berry, machine shop; Imbrie Bros., hard- ware; Rinky & Spence, general store, and J. M. Barney, boiler shop. The postmas- ter is C. J. Gray. The fraternal orders are the Royal Arcanum, the Maccabees, the Knights of Pythias, the Modern Woodmen and the G. A. R.

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Petrolia has three churches-the Meth- odist Episcopal, organized in 1873, which now has 100 members, with Rev. Recht as pastor; the Presbyterian, organized in 1877, now having ninety-eight members, Rev. Stewart being the pastor; and the Roman Catholic (St. James'), presided over by Father Hopkins, which has a mem- bership of fifty-eight. Petrolia has one school, with an attendance of about 100 pupils. Town Officials: F. M. Fritz and C. Butzer, justices of the peace; C. Butzer, tax collector; H. Cromblin, constable; C. Butzer, tax assessor; J. Hover, road com- missioner; W. Stoughton, R. Imbury and T. Gibbons auditors; M. Roach, burgess.

Karns City was incorporated as a. bor- ough in January, 1875, with L. D. Akin as first burgess. The history of this remark- able oil town is told, in large measure, in those of Fairview and Petrolia. The first well, on the Hugh P. McClymond's farm, was named the "Shasta" and in June, 1872, it was producing 120 barrels of oil a day. Believing that a permanent town would be built here, from the excitement and interest shown, the McClymonds made a plat of their land and the borough, when incorporated, included this farm and ten acres of the Riddle farm. In honor of a prominent citizen the place was named Karns City and it became the terminus of the Parker & Karns City Railroad. On the McClymonds farm great subsequent oil development took place, the famous "Rob Roy" well being produced here., A great population of speculators, drillers, pumpers and all classes of workmen and representatives of almost every profes- sion, as well as those of none, poured in, with the usual results. Amazing fortunes were made daily, others were lost as quickly, pretentious buildings were put up and lavish expenditure gave a metropoli- tan air to the place. However, from a population of over 2,000 in 1876, by 1890, it has fallen to 427. Fire and flood did fearful damage to Karns City; as to the

other oil towns, one particularly distress- ing conflagration being that of the burn- ing of the Bateman House, in March, 1877, when Mrs. Bateman, her three chil- dren and a guest, were burned and F. E. Bateman and son and another guest later died as the result of their injuries.

The leading firms in Karns City are the Pennsylvania Refining Company, the Star- light Refining Company, the Cleman Hard- ware Company, J. Wersh Jr., proprietor, and the J. Wersh general store. The Methodist Church, organized in 1874, is now presided over by Rev. Lowthian. Its membership is about twenty.

The town is lighted by gas and there is one school with about eighty-five pupils. The Odd Fellows and United Workmen are here represented by lodges, and there are express, telephone and telegraph conven- iences. The present population is about 200.

To indicate the large amount of business done in the township of Fairview, includ- ing those of the boroughs and of the vil- lages of Beuna Vista, which was surveyed in 1847 and a very important oil district in the fall of 1873 and later; Argyle, An- gelica, Iron City and Haysville, may be mentioned : the Argyle Savings Bank, the Oil Exchange, the Washington Building and Loan Association, the machine shops of the United Pipe Lines Company, the latter forming a great industry, the ma- chine shops of Ireland & Hughes, the boiler works of Frank W. Quinn & Com- pany, the Petrolia Refining Company, the oil refinery on Oil Creek, of W. H. Daugh- erty & Sons, with numerous other refin- eries, and the Petrolia Creamery. This does not include the many financial insti- tutions which were of short duration.

The township still produces considerable oil, there being probably some 1200 wells in operation, though all are small pro- ducers. Drilling is still going on, though nothing large has been struck in recent years. There is enough gas to provide

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for local consumption. The Starlight Re- fining Co., the M. H. Daugherty Refining Co., the T. Roach Refining Co. and the Pennsylvania Refining Co. operate impor- tant refineries.

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Century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and representative citizens 20th, Part 79

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