Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 3

Author: Hazen, Aaron L. (Aaron Lyle), 1837- comp. and ed. cn
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1058

USA > Pennsylvania > Lawrence County > New Castle > Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th > Part 3

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).

The early operators were unfamiliar with the peculiar characteristics of the oil- bearing rock, and did not have the nec- essary mechanical apparatus for obtaining the oil. Not until vast sums had been ex- pended, and positive knowledge obtained by costly practical experience, did they discover the right way to proceed.

Tubing the wells to keep out the sur- face water was not at first thought of. Notwithstanding the numerous failures, hundreds of wells were sunk, and the coun- try was covered with derricks. Oil was invariably found at about the average depth of 300 feet, and always of the same variety-the heavy amber, or lubricating oil. The oil-bearing sand-rock of this vi- cinity has been traced from a little west of the Ohio line eastward to the Slippery Rock, dipping gradually toward the south- east. It is very close-grained, and acts as a filter, cleansing the oil of a great share

of the foreign matter which is found in the oils produced on the eastern margin of the district. Borings have penetrated it at New Castle, on the Big Run, and in the Slippery Rock Hills, west of the creek. It has an average thickness of about thirty feet.

Operations were carried on in the Ma- honing Valley for about four years, and a few isolated wells were worked for a num- ber of years, or well along into the seven- ties, but the surface water gradually com- pelled the abandonment of the whole re- gion. In the hands of a wealthy corpora- tion, with the wells cleaned and plugged, a successful business might be inaugu- rated, for there is no doubt that the ma- terial exists in large quantities, requiring only judicious management to develop a profitable industry.

Late in the seventies, at the iron bridge on the Slippery Rock, there were three wells in one vicinity producing altogether twenty-three barrels of fine lubricating oil daily. In 1863, Messrs. Smith & Collins sunk a well in this vicinity, which yielded altogether about 4,000 barrels, when the surface water drowned it.

Lawrence County has extensive mineral resources, without counting oil. Her coal and iron deposits, her ferriferous lime- stone, and her fire clays and inexhaustible building stone, are tangible assets that, when utilized to their fullest extent, can- not fail to make her one of the most pros- perous counties of the state. A part of this prosperity she is already enjoying, but the end is not yet, and with the im- proved and more economical methods of operation that the future will doubtless provide, there will come an expansion of wealth and greatness not now conceived of, but from which our citizens will all profit in greater or less degree.

CHAPTER II

INDIAN NATIONS

Ancient Traditions-French Missions-First English Explorers-The Moravians.

ANCIENT TRADITIONS.

The ancient or pre-historic people, gen- erally known as the "Mound Builders," have left some evidences of their former presence in Lawrence County, though they are not as numerous as in some other por- tions of the state and in some neighbor- ing states. The well known mound situated near the village of Edenburg, and also near the site of the famous Indian village of Kush-Kush-Kee, is undoubtedly the work of their hands.

"The traditions of the Lenni-Lenape (or Delawares) and Mengwe nations, whom the first Europeans found inhabit- ing the vast region stretching from the At- lantic Ocean and the St. Lawrence River to the Mississippi Valley and southward to the Carolinas and the Ohio River, point unmistakably to this mysterious people, who rose and flourished, who built exten- sive cities and gigantic fortifications ; who worked the wonderful copper deposits of Lake Superior, and who manufactured mil- lions of the elaborate stone implements of war and husbandry still found upon the hills of the Ohio, the grand prairies of the West and the broad savannahs of the South.

"The Indian nations had a tradition that their ancestors came from the far western wilds of the continent many cen- turies ago, and crossing the great river Mississippi, which they called Namoesi- sipu, or river of fish, fell upon this ancient

people and after many years of bloody and terrific warfare succeeded in driving the shattered remnant of the once powerful race toward the vast region of the South and West. After this great conquest, the Lenni-Lenape and the Mengwe, who had joined hands against the Allegewi, as the conquered people were called, divided the country between them; the Lenape, or Del- awares, as they were known by the Eng- lish, taking the region lying along the Ohio-the famed 'La Belle Riviere' of the French, and the Mengwe, the Iroquois, or Six Nations, or 'Mingoes' of the French and English, choosing the region lying around the Great Lakes and on both sides of the St. Lawrence River."

At a subsequent date hostilities broke out between those nations, and the Lenape were finally subdued by the all-conquering Iroquois. The first knowledge obtained by white men of this region was due to the French traders and explorers, who as early as 1616 had penetrated into the wilder- ness as far as the west end of Lake Su- perior.

FRENCH MISSIONS.

French Catholic missionaries had estab- lished themselves at various points in the vicinity of the northwestern lakes by the middle of the seventeenth century, and Chevalier De La Salle had journeyed from the head of Lake Michigan to the mouth of the Mississippi River in 1682.

HISTORY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY

There were two routes from Lake Erie to the Ohio River-one was by way of Erie (Presq' Isle), French Creek, and the Al- legheny River; the other was from Presq' Isle over the dividing ridge, and down the Shenango or Mahoning and Beaver Riv- ers. The traders and missionaries prob- ably began to visit this region about 1731, for the English colonies of Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia were complaining of their encroachments in that year. The Neshannock Creek is said to have been named by the Delawares, and the Shenan- go by the Senecas, then the dominant In- dian nation in northwestern Pennsylvania. Among the lesser organizations, the Corn- planter tribe of the Seneca nation (called after one of their chiefs) was the most powerful and numerous one in this region. Their principal village was on the Al- legheny River.

FIRST ENGLISH EXPLORERS.

"The first white man who visited this region from the English colonies was Christopher Gist, the friend and companion of Washington, who went in the interests of the Ohio Land Company, on a visit of exploration, as far west as the Miami, in 1750. He did not, however, visit the ter- ritory of Lawrence County, but probably, passed down the right bank of the Ohio River.

"It is probable that the first white man from 'beyond the mountains,' who visited the territory now comprised within the limits of Lawrence County, was Christian Frederick Post, a Moravian missionary, who was sent on a peace mission to the western Indians, in the year 1758, in ad- vance of General Forbes' army, then on its way toward Fort Du Quesne. He arrived, according to his journal, at Kush-Kush- Kee, the Indian capital of King Beaver, on the 12th of August. This was twelve years previous to the settlement made by the Moravian missionaries, Zeisberger and Senseman, at what is now Moravia station. "Whether 'King Beaver' was identical

with the Chief Pack-an-ka, who ruled in the valley afterwards, we cannot know, but it is at least probable. On the 17th of August, a grand council was held. All the chiefs and rulers for many miles around, were present, and there was also a French captain and fifteen men on the ground. Among the celebrated kings and chiefs present were King Beaver, King Shingis, Teedy-Us-Kung, and Delaware George, of the Delawares, and there was present, also, a party of Shawnese and Mingoes." This French detachment may have thrown up the fortification at old Mo- ravia village in Taylor Township, as a protection against the always possible treachery of their savage allies. From that date, until the spring of 1770, we know little of the history of this region. Hunters, traders and trappers probably visited it, but the savages were the reign- ing lords and masters.

THE MORAVIANS.

The year 1770 was marked by the advent of the Moravians, two missionaries of that sect-Zeisberger and Senseman-coming into the valley of the Beaver River, in April of that year, by invitation of the principal chief, Pack-an-ka. These mis- sionaries had attempted to establish a mis- sion at the mouth of the Tionesta Creek, but meeting with discouragements, they gladly accepted Pack-an-ka's offer of land and protection, and commenced a settle- ment a little west of where the old village of Moravia now stands. A few weeks later, however, they crossed the river and made their permanent settlement on the high bluff a little northwest from the pres- ent Moravia station on the E. & P. Rail- way. This mission flourished for nearly three years, after which, in 1773, the mis- sionaries removed to a point on the upper waters of the Muskingum, in the present State of Ohio. Post describes the village of Kush-kush-kee as being composed of four separate towns, and containing about "ninety houses, and 200 able warriors."

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

Pack-an-ka was the head chief, or king, and his capital, called New Kas-kas-kunk, was located on the ground where New Castle now stands. Another town called Old Kas- kas-kunk, was located near the mouth of the Mahoning River. The principal chief and orator, under King Pack-an-ka, was called Glik-kik-an. He was afterwards

converted to Christianity by the Mora- vians, and finally perished in the massacre at the mission towns in Ohio, in March, 1782. Though never converted, the king remained the steadfast friend of the mis- sionaries as long as they continued in the Beaver Valley.

CHAPTER III

SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION OF LAWRENCE COUNTY

Its Original Geography-Land Warrants and Land Companies-Early Settlements- Early Customs-Organizations of the County-Location Wrangle-Population- First Election-County Officials-First Courts - Original Townships - Agricul- tural.

ORIGINAL GEOGRAPHY.

The pedigree (so to speak) of the coun- ties covering the territory from which Lawrence County was formed, is as fol- lows: First, Chester, one of the original counties of the province; second, Lancas- ter, formed from part of Chester, May 10, 1729; third, Cumberland, formed from part of Lancaster, January 27, 1750; fourth, Bedford, formed from part of Cumber- land, March 9, 1771; fifth, Westmoreland, formed from part of Bedford, February 26, 1773, and, in 1785, a part of the pur- chase of 1784 was added; sixth, Allegheny, formed from parts of Westmoreland and Washington, September 24, 1788; seventh, Beaver and Mercer, formed from part of Allegheny, March 12, 1800; eighth, Law- rence, from parts of Beaver and Mercer, April 5, 1849.

The region covering about twenty coun- ties in the northwestern part of Pennsyl- vania was purchased from the Six Na- tions by the Commonwealth, at the treaty of Fort Stanwix (now Rome, N. Y.), in October, 1784.

LAND WARRANTS AND LAND COMPANIES.

"The lands north and west of the Ohio and Allegheny Rivers were surveyed into what were known as 'warrant' and 'dona- tion' tracts. The former, supposed to con-

tain an average of 400 acres to each tract, and the latter (which were surveyed to ac- commodate the soldiers of the Pennsyl- vania line, who served during the Revolu- tion) into tracts of 200, 250, 300 and 500 acres. Soldiers' certificates and warrants were purchased and speculated in by im- mense corporations, 'Population' and 'Land Companies,' and by individuals. The most prominent of these were the 'Pennsylvania Population Company' and the 'Holland Land Company.' Consider- able tracts known as 'academy lands,' etc., were reserved for the benefit of schools and churches."

On April 3, 1792, the State Legislature passed an act providing that all the lands north and west of the Ohio and Allegheny Rivers and Conewango Creek, not pre- viously reserved for public or charitable purposes, should be offered for sale to per- sons who would cultivate, improve and settle them, at the rate of 7 pounds and 10 shillings (about $50) per hundred acres, with an allowance of 6 per cent for highways. For such as had made actual settlements, it was provided that warrants should be issued for tracts of not more than 400 acres to each settler. The ninth sec- tion, however, read: "No warrant or sur- vey to be issued or made in pursuance of this act, for lands lying north and west of

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

the rivers Ohio and Allegheny and Cone- wango Creek, shall vest any title in or to the lands therein mentioned, unless the grantee has, prior to the date of such war- rant, made or caused to be made, or shall within the space of two years next after the date of the sale make or cause to be made, an actual settlement thereon, by clearing, fencing and cultivating at least two acres for every hundred acres con- tained in one survey, erecting thereon a messuage for the habitation of man, and re- siding or causing to reside thereon, for the space of five years next following his first settling of the same, if he or she shall so long live; and that in default of such actual settlement and residence, it shall and may be lawful for this commonwealth to issue new warrants to other actual settlers for the said lands or any part thereof, reciting the original warrants, and that actual set- tlements and residence have not been made in pursuance thereof, and so often as de- faults shall be made for the time and in the manner aforesaid, which new grants shall be made under and subject to all and every one of the regulations contained in this act. PROVIDED, always, nevertheless, that if any such actual settler or grantee, in any such original or succeeding warrants shall, by force of arms of the enemies of the United States, be prevented from such actual settlement, or be driven therefrom, and shall persist in his endeavor to make such actual settlement as aforesaid, then, in either case, he and his heirs shall be entitled to hold the said lands in the same manner as if the actual settlement had been made and continued."

The first, or one of the first, applicants for land under this act was John Nichol- son, who applied at the land office for 390 warrants, to be located in the "Triangle," and for 250 warrants, to be located on the waters of Beaver Creek, representing in all about 200,000 acres. Shortly after, however, before completing his purchase, he became president of the Pennsylvania Population Company, then just formed, of

which he was made president, and Messrs. Cazenove, Irvine, Mead, Leet, Hoge and Stewart, being managers. This company, whose capital stock was divided into 2,500 shares, purchased 500,000 acres of land. Taking over to this company Nicholson's claims they completed the purchase, and, in addition, bought 500 more warrants for lands in the "Donation" District. "In order to induce emigrants to settle on their lands, the company proposed to grant in fee simple to every settler 150 acres of land, if he should comply with the requisi- tions of the law imposed upon THEM; and in that way it was designed that the oc- cupant should secure his land, together with his implements, and the company should secure 250 acres through him. But the fact that each actual settler could se- cure for himself, by the payment of the stipulated purchase money, a tract of 400 acres under the law, prevented, in a great measure, the success of the company's scheme of monopoly. Settlers, generally, indeed, located themselves on lands covered by their own warrants, though in some cases these infringed upon lands of the company. In consequence, suits of eject- ment were instituted against those who had encroached upon the lands to which the company had an incomplete title, and this state of things became a fruitful source of litigation for many years." (Surveyor General's Report-1865.)

The Academy Lands were mostly situ- ated in the southeastern portion of the county. Benjamin Chew, of Philadelphia, the owner of the celebrated "Stone House," which lost Washington the bat- tle of Germantown, secured a large tract of land-some four miles in width, and eight or ten miles in length-in the south- ern portion of what is now Lawrence Coun- ty, it being included in the present town- ships of Big Beaver, Wayne, Slippery Rock and Perry. This land was known as the "Chew Tract," and was mostly surveyed into smaller tracts of 400 acres each, each settler being allowed one-half for settling.

HISTORY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY

In the vicinity of New Castle, the lands, which were mostly "donation" tracts, were entered upon soldiers' warrants-a portion of them by the original holders of the war- rants, but probably a majority by parties to whom the patents had been sold and transferred. There were eight tracts, lo- cated principally in what is now Perry Township, that were designated on the sur- veys as "depreciated lands," or lands unfit for settlement, but it being discovered that they included some of the finest lands in the county, they were speedily taken by settlers. It has been thought that these lands were so designated by the early sur- veyors with the view of preventing or post- poning settlement thereon, in order that they might have an opportunity of subse- quently acquiring them on easy terms.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS.

In 1793, soon after the departure of the Moravians, the first white settlers ap- peared in Mahoning Township. They num- bered about forty-five persons, who had come from Allegheny City with the inten- tion of settling on the north side of the Mahoning River. They had one Arthur Gardner, a surveyor, with them, upon whom they depended to locate the lands they were in search of, but he seems not to have been competent, as they passed by the lands, and went as far west as the present site of Youngstown, Ohio. Here many of the party, being discouraged, re- turned to Allegheny. About seventeen of them, however, returned to Pennsyl- vania and settled on both sides of the Mahoning. Not long after other settlements were made in different parts of the county and continued to be made for a number of years. New Castle was first settled and a town laid out, by John Carlisle Stewart and others, in April, 1798.

EARLY CUSTOMS.

In early days everybody was practiced in the art of horsemanship, and many were

the exciting races and adventures partici- pated in by the settlers. On wedding oc- casions it was customary for them to gather from every direction, sometimes from a distance of over twenty miles. Occasionally as many as sixty couples were present, and the entire number divided into two parties, called respectively the "bride's company" and the "groom's com- pany." Then everybody mounted. The "groom's company" took possession of the "bottle," which was a necessary article at all such gatherings, and both parties had a race for it. Altogether they had sport enough, and enjoyed it as none but people with their limited means of amusement could.

The following description of a "house- warming," as it used to be celebrated in the days before Lawrence County was set- tled, particularly in the times from 1763 to 1783, is taken from a book published in 1824, by Rev. Joseph Doddridge.

"I will proceed to state the usual manner of settling a young couple in the world. A spot was selected on a piece of land of one of the parents, for their habitation. A day was appointed, shortly after the marriage, for commencing the work of building their cabin. The fatigue party consisted of choppers, whose business it was to fell the trees and cut them off at proper lengths; a man with a team for hauling them to the place and arranging them, properly as- sorted, at the sides and ends of the build- ing; and a carpenter, if such he might be called, whose business it was to search the woods for a proper tree for making clap- boards for the roof. The tree for this pur- pose must be straight-grained, and from three to four feet in diameter. The boards were split four feet long, with a large frow, and as wide as the timbers would allow. They were used without shaving. Another division was employed in getting puncheons for the floor of the cabin. This was done by splitting trees about eighteen inches in diameter, and hewing the faces of them with a broad-axe. They were half

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

the length of the floor they were intended to make.

"The materials for the cabin were mostly prepared on the first day, and some- times the foundation laid in the evening. The second day was allotted for the rais- ing.

"In the morning of the next day the neighbors collected for the raising. The first thing to be done was the election of four corner-men, whose business it was to notch and place the logs. The rest of the company furnished them with the timbers. In the meantime the boards and puncheons were collecting for the floor and roof, so that by the time the cabin was a few rounds high, the sleepers and floor began to be laid. The door was made by sawing or cutting the logs in one side, so as to make an opening about three feet wide. This opening was secured by upright pieces of timber, about three inches thick, through which holes were bored into the ends of the logs, for the purpose of pinning them fast. A similar opening, but wider, was made at the end for the chimney. This was built of logs, and made large, to admit of a back and jambs of stone. At the square, two end-logs projected a foot or eighteen inches beyond the wall, to receive the butting poles, as they were called, against which the first row of clapboards was supported. The roof was formed by making the end-logs shorter, until a single log formed the comb of the roof. On these logs the clapboards were placed, the ranges of them lapping some distance over those next below them, and kept in their places by logs placed at proper distances upon them.

"The roof, and sometimes the floor, were finished on the same day of the raising. A third day was commonly spent by a few carpenters in leveling off the floor, making a clapboard door and a table. This last was made of a split-slag, and supported by four round logs set in auger-holes. Some three legged stools were made in the same manner. Some pins stuck in the logs at

the back of the house supported some clap- boards, which served for shelves for the table furniture. A single fork, placed with its lower end in a hole in the floor, and the upper end fastened to a joist, served for a bed-stead, by placing a hole in the fork, with one end through a crack between the logs of the wall. This front pole was crossed by a shorter one within the fork, with its outer end through another crack. From the front pole, through a crack be- tween the logs of the end of the house, the boards were put on which formed the bot- tom of the bed.

"Sometimes other poles were pinned to the fork a little distance above these, for the purpose of supporting the front and foot of the bed, while the walls were the supports of its back and head. A few pegs around the walls, for a display of the coats of the women and hunting-shirts of the men, and two small forks or buck's horns fastened to a joist for the rifle and shot- pouch, completed the carpenter work.

"In the meantime the masons were at work. With the heart-pieces of timber of which the clapboards were made, they made billets for chunking up the cracks between the logs of the cabin and chimney. A large bed of mortar was made for daubing up these cracks. A few stones formed the back and jambs of the chimney.

"The cabin being furnished, the cere- mony of the house-warming took place be- fore the young couple were permitted to move into it. The house-warming was a dance of a whole night's continuance, made up of the relations of the bride and groom. and their neighbors. On the day following the young couple took possession of their new mansion."

Before fulling mills were extensively es- tablished, it was common to have "bees" for the fulling of flannel, as for log-rollings and raisings. At these gatherings the bare-footed young men and women would seat themselves in two rows upon the puncheon floor. facing each other, so that the feet of each of the former would just

HISTORY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY

reach those of a fair damsel, the ladies being, of course, gallantly accorded seats with their backs against the wall. The flannel was then well soaked and laid be- tween them, and by successive kicks in con- cert from each side, the same object was accomplished that was afterward gained by the more modern inventions.

Besides these pastimes there were "log rollings," "husking bees," etc., and life among the pioneers was by no means unen- joyable.

ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY.

The erection of a new county from por- tions of Mercer, Beaver and Butler Coun- ties began to be agitated as early as 1820, and in spite of many failures and discour- agements, the agitation was continued until the spring of 1849, when the supporters of the movement saw their efforts crowned with success. The people residing within the limits of the proposed new county could advance many valid reasons for its crea- tion. New Castle was a town of rapidly growing business importance, and the con- verging point of numerous roads from all parts of the surrounding country. The line between Beaver and Mercer Counties passed through the borough, cutting it in twain, and thus a part of its inhabitants were compelled to attend the capital of Beaver County, and the rest that of Mer- cer County, for the transaction of all their legal business. A process issued in either county against parties living in New Cas- tle could be readily avoided by their step- ping across the county line. New Castle was centrally and conveniently located for the business of the region proposed to be formed into a new county, and, in the na- ture of things, must sooner or later become a large and flourishing town. Among the prominent advocates of the division were Hon. L. L. McGuffin, William Dickson, William Moore, John L. Warnock, Joseph T. Boyd, James Dickson, Isaac Dickson, William Watson, Diskron Watson, Thomas Falls, Joseph Kissick, John N. Euwer, Dr.

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 New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 3

Author: Hazen, Aaron L. (Aaron Lyle), 1837- comp. and ed. cn Publication date: 1908 Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold publishing co. Number of Pages: 1058

Author: Hazen, Aaron L. (Aaron Lyle), 1837- comp. and ed. cn
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1058