Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 31

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 31

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"Springs are numerous and constant; timber is abundant; desirable building sites are found in almost every locality ; the lover of the beautiful in nature can have. his most exquisite taste gratified; the manufacturer finds every facility for pro- moting his business in its various branches; the health of the community is excellent ; schools and churches of the best character serve to immense advantage in furthering the social, moral and intellect- ual standing of an already prosperous and refined people; numerous and costly im- provements evince the taste and refine- ment of the inhabitants; the student of ge- ology and history finds his research amply rewarded; and, taking into consideration these manifold advantages, with others we have not space to mention, the township may be classed as one of the first in the county.

Coal of an excellent quality has been found in the township, but the vein is quite thin, and on that account chiefly, not much worked. Some, however, is mined for local use, and a considerable quantity has been taken to New Castle, the glassworks at Croton formerly making use of it. This was obtained from a bank just outside the city limits on the Harlansburg road.

Iron ore of a good quality has been found in paying quantities along the Ne- shannock Creek, but the same disadvan- tages attend its development which are met with in opening the coal veins, or at least some of them. It lies generally close to the surface, and in taking it out the land is broken to a greater or less extent, ren- dering it unfit for agricultural purposes. On account of these drawbacks, compara- tively little has been done toward bring- ing out in full the resources of the town- ship in this line.

The township contains the village of Eastbrook, and the station of the same

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name on the New Castle and Franklin Railway. The railway was completed in 1874, and affords ample facilities for ship- ping the products of the neighborhood, both agricultural and mineral.

In a few localities limestone is quarried, but is not of sufficiently good quality to be used as a building stone. A lime kiln was put in operation a number of years ago, a short distance from the city limits of New Castle, on the Harlansburg road. The stone has a bluish cast, and is by no means equal to that found in greater quantities in other portions of the United States. It has been used for fluxing purposes in blast furnaces.

Sandstone is found largely throughout the township, and is utilized for building purposes, and also ground up and used in the manufacture of window glass. The sandstone deposit forms the principal geo- logie foundation of Hickory Township.

The first coal-bank opened in the vicin- ity was worked about 1830. A coal-bank was opened on the Harlansburg road, by Michael Ryan in 1870, on land belonging to Anthony Henderson. The vein aver- aged about two feet in thickness, and was largely used by the Croton Glass Works.

A considerable number of persons have been engaged in the business, and a few banks have been worked out. The coal veins increase in thickness as they trend northward, and reach the maximum thick- ness somewhere in the neighborhood of Stoneboro, Mercer County. They also dip to the south on about the same grade as the beds of the different streams.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS.

In the year 1798, Robert Gormley, an immigrant from Ireland, settled on the farm now owned by John H. Gormley. He had first worked for a while east of the mountains. While in the eastern part of the State, he witnessed a transaction be- tween a Revolutionary soldier and a per- son to whom the soldier sold a tract of land, donated him by the State for his

services during the war. The price paid for the land was a quart of whisky, the hero of Revolutionary fields considering that worth more than the land, which he said was "somewhere out West, but didn't know exactly where." The tract thus cheaply disposed of embraced 500 acres.

Mr. Gormley also purchased 500 acres, which was divided among his brothers, John and Thomas, who had followed him from Ireland, William Patton, and him- self-making 120 acres each. The price paid was fifty cents per acre. Schoolhouse No. 5 is located on a part of the tract. Mr. Gormley built a hewed log house, 20 by 22 feet, in 1804, and it was considered a very remarkably fine house for the time. It stood until the fall of 1869.

Robert Gormley was married in 1807-08, to Sarah Hammond, of Washington Coun- ty, and John Gormley married her sister, Elizabeth. The first birth in the Gormley family was probably that of Martha, daughter of John Gormley, about 1809. The first deaths were also in that family, two sons and a daughter dying during the year 1822.

The first road through the neighborhood was what is known as the Harlansburg road. Previous to its being laid out, the only highways were zig-zag paths through the woods, following the best route they could around hills and across streams- the latter always being forded. Grain was carried to mill on pack-saddles, and Mr. Gormley often "packed" corn from Beavertown, where he paid a dollar a bushel for it. Wheat could not be raised to any extent for some time, on account of the great number of squirrels, deer, "ground hogs," and other animals which came into the fields and destroyed the crops.

Deer were so tame that they would come into a wheat field in broad daylight, and had to be repeatedly driven off. Wild tur- keys were also exceedingly plentiful, and in the fall of the year created sad havoc among the fields of buckwheat.

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Agriculture was carried on according to somewhat primitive methods. The first metal plow in the neighborhood was owned by Francis Irvin (or Irwin), and Robert Gormley had the second one. The plows in use before these had wooden mould- boards, and a paddle was carried to clean the plow at the end of every furrow. The harrows also had wooden teeth, and both plows and harrows were rude and clumsy affairs, compared with the vastly im- proved implements of the present, al- though they answered their purpose and. their owners were content, knowing of no better ones.

Robert Gormley died March 26, 1858, at the ripe old age of eighty-six years, and sleeps by the side of Sarah, his wife, in the old Neshannock graveyard, his wife having died on the 18th of June, 1853, at the age of sixty-five years. Though six- teen years her husband's junior, she made him a loving and exemplary wife for forty-four years. John Gormley died De- cember 27, 1848, aged seventy-nine years, and his wife, Elizabeth, followed him March 27, 1858, aged seventy-four.

William Patton was originally from Ire- land, and settled first in Center County, Pennsylvania. From there he came to Lawrence (then Mercer) County, and set- tled on a portion of the Robert Gormley tract. When he came from Center County, he had a horse and an ox harnessed to- gether to haul his goods. Mr. Patton and the Gormleys afterward donated ten acres each to Thomas Speer, in order to get him to settle near them. Mr. Speer was from South Carolina, and came to Hickory Township about 1805-6. He lived to a very old age, and died within a few years past.

"Some time during the year 1802 Sam- uel McCreary came from the Buffalo Val- ley, in Union County, in the eastern part of the State, and located on the east side of Neshannock Creek, about two miles northwest of the present village of East- brook. He was the first settler on the

place, and made the first improvements. He built a round log house, and lived in it with his wife and one child, Enoch Mc- Creary, who was but two years of age when his father came to the county. Mr. McCreary's brother, Thomas, accompa- nied him, and they each took up a tract of one hundred acres. Shortly after their settlement Thomas McCreary died, and his was consequently one of the first deaths in the neighborhood. Samuel Me- Creary was out several times to Erie dur- ing the War of 1812-15. He eventually became the owner of some 600 acres of land in the vicinity of the place where he set- tled, chiefly lying along the Neshannock Creek. He died shortly before the break- ing out of the Southern rebellion. The McCrearys were originally from Ireland, emigrating from that country at some pe- riod subsequent to the War for Independ- ence between the American Colonies and Great Britain. He was the father of ten children. The first birth in his family after he came to Lawrence County was that of his daughter, Betsey, about 1804. In 1806, another daughter, Sarah, was born, and in 1808, a son, Thomas.

Robert Simonton, who lived for a num- ber of years in Hickory Township, settled originally on the Shenango River, in Ne- shannock Township. He was out during the War of 1812, and went to Erie. He died about 1853-54, at an advanced age. John C. Wallace, also a soldier of 1812, having served as captain of militia at that time, was an early settler in the southeast part of Hickory Township.

- Jacob Baker settled near Mr. Wallace, in the southeast part of Hickory Town- ship, and was a soldier of 1814. He lived in the county in the neighborhood of fifty years, a part of which time he resided in New Castle.

Abel McDowell came from Westmore- land County early, and lived for several years with his uncle, Thomas Fisher. He afterwards located in the northwest part of Hickory Township.

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About 1812-15, George Hinkson came from Chester County, and located in Washington County, where he stayed un- til about 1817, when he removed to Bel- mont County, Ohio. There he lived for eleven years, or until 1828, when he again packed up his worldly goods and came back to the Keystone State, this time lo- cating in Hickory Township, on a 500-acre tract, later owned by his son, Aaron Hink- son, and others.

All the lands in the township are "do- nation lands," and the fact that the terri- tory was not settled until a comparatively late day is attributable to that circum- stance. But few of the original patentees ever located in the county, and the land at that time was deemed too far away to be reached. It was not, however, until the completion of the Erie Extension Canal that the growth of any part of the western portion of the State became marked; but since that time the development has stead- ily and generally gone forward.

Samuel Casteel, a veteran of the second war with Great Britain, came from Alle- gheny County in 1816, and located near the Neshannock Creek, southeast of the pres- ent Eastbrook Station. By his industry and frugality he amassed considerable property, and when over eighty years of age, the sound of martial music, or the strains produced by a more pretentious band of brass instruments, would awaken the old military fire within him, and recall to his mind the scenes and incidents dur- ing the strife of more than sixty years be- fore.

Thomas Glass, John MeKnight and John Stunkard came from near Pittsburg in the year 1825, and purchased a 500-acre tract. The McKnights and Stunkards still reside on the old homestead. These persons were the first actual settlers on the tract, al- though two or three squatters had been there before them. One of these squat- ters was a roving character named Chair, who did little else than hunt.

CHURCHES.

The Covenanters or Reformed Presby- terians organized about 1818, and held their first meeting in William Patton's barn. Rev. William Gibson presided at the organization, and also took charge of the congregation as its first pastor. After the first meeting in the barn, they held "tent meetings" in a rude structure made of corner posts and roof, and fit only for warm weather worship. The "tent" was put up principally for the use of the min- ister, while the congregation occupied log seats in front of it. Their first church was a rude log building, about 22 by 24 feet in dimensions, and covered with a shingle roof, being about the first roof of the kind in the neighborhood.

About 1833 a frame church was com- menced near the site of the old one, and finished some two years later. This build- ing was burned down in April, 1867. A building committee was at one appointed, and work was immediately begun on a new structure-the fine brick church now standing. Just one year from the day the old church was burned, or April 14, 1868, the first sermon in the new building was preached by Rev. Mr. Martin. In the fall of 1868 or 1869, owing to considerable trouble having been previously experi- enced in securing preachers, the church changed to a United Presbyterian congre- gation.

The Associate Presbyterians built a church east of Eastbrook, about 1840-41. The building, a roomy frame structure, is still standing. The denomination is now United Presbyterian. The first pastor was Rev. William A. Mehard, and the second Rev. R. Audley Browne. The building oc- cupies a pleasant situation in a grove, on the hill which rises on the south side of Hettenbaugh Run, or Eastbrook.

A Methodist Episcopal society was or- ganized in 1847, and meetings held in schoolhouse "number two," a mile north- west of Eastbrook. It is not definitely

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known how many members there were in the original congregation. On the 17th of March, 1851, an acre and fourteen perches of ground were purchased of Robert Rea and wife, and the frame church erected, which is still standing. The trustees, at that time (1851), were Samuel Black, Cor- nelius Miller, Robert Rea, Enoch Mc- Creary and William Rea. A graveyard occupies a portion of the ground pur- chased.

SCHOOLS.

About 1815-16 a round log schoolhouse was built near the south line of what is now Hickory Township, on the road run- ning south from Neshannock United Pres- byterian Church. A hewed log schoolhouse was put up in the corner of the graveyard, near the old Neshannock Church, about 1828-29. This was the only hewed log schoolhouse in this part of the country, and the first teacher was a man named John Tidball.

There are at present seven schools in the township. The total value of school property for 1908 is about $6,000. The number of pupils enrolled for 1908 was 169. The total expenditure for school pur- poses in 1908 was $3,452.23, of which amount $2,448 was paid to seven teachers.

For many years subsequent to the set- tlement of the township there were no grist-mills erected, and the nearest one in the early times was to the south, in the present Shenango Township.

About 1825 Henry Reynolds built a grist-mill on Hettenbaugh Run, a mile east of the village of Eastbrook, and operated it until 1837, when he sold out to William Adams and went West. This mill was the first one erected within the present limits of the township, and became very popular, the work done being excellent. The supply of water in the run is usually large enough so that no inconvenience is experienced with a low stage. It is fed almost entirely by springs.

The "Eastbrook Mills" were built orig-

inally by John Fisher, in 1836, and rebuilt in 1859. The mill is a fine, large building, containing three run of stone.

About 1816-17 Thomas and John Fisher built a sawmill near the site of the grist- mill. Two have since been erected at the same place, the last one is still standing, though unused and much dilapidated.

A woolen mill was built east of East- brook about 1830-32, by Lot Moffatt, who sold out in the spring of 1837 to Joseph Burnley & Company. These parties oper- ated it until about 1840, when they in turn sold to James Glover. Glover died and the mill became the property of his daughter, Mrs. J. B. Hardaker, and it was after- wards carried on for some time by Mr. Hardaker, though doing but a small busi- ness.

About 1872 John Hickson built a shop on the south branch of Eastbrook (Hetten- baugh Run) for the manufacture of prun- ing shears, using an engine which had been used since 1861 in a saw-mill on the same site.

VILLAGE OF EASTBROOK.

About 1816-17 some members of the Reynolds family put a man named Buck- master as a tenant on the tract of land near where Eastbrook now stands in order to hold their claim. Thomas Fisher, having an eye on the same tract, kept a close watch, and when Buckmaster left it for a time he put a man on the place and kept him there till he became entitled to the land by settler's right. Buckmaster after- wards settled elsewhere and the Reyn- oldses also.

A man named Terry was a very early settler in the neighborhood, and located on the farm now owned by John McCreary, northwest of Eastbrook. A part of the tract is owned by James Patton.

John Fisher was a soldier of the War of 1812, and came from the Ligonier Valley in Westmoreland County. He settled the tract, including the site of Eastbrook, about 1819; this was the third tract he had

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located upon, the first being in 1809. His brother, Thomas Fisher, came afterwards.

Thomas Fisher (the first) came to the county in 1802, and located in the present limits of Neshannock Township, on the Shenango River, where he put up a carding machine, said to have been the first one in the State west of the Alleghenies. About 1817 Thomas and John Fisher built a woolen-mill in Eastbrook, above the site of their saw-mill.

John McCartney also built a woolen-mill about 1850, and operated it for some time. It was afterwards bought by David Stew- art, and still later by James Craig. The mill was in operation the greater portion of the time, for many years, and its capac- ity was often taxed to the utmost to supply the demand for the products, but little if any manufacturing is now done there. The manufactures were stocking yarn, woolen blankets and barred flannel.

The saw-mills built along the brook since the country was settled have been almost without number, and we have merely men- tioned the first ones and not taken the trou- ble to hunt up all of them. Many of the old frames are yet standing.

The first store at Eastbrook was kept by John Fisher, about 1835-6. It was a gen- eral store and still stands at the west end of the bridge. Another store the same class was opened in 1838 by T. H. Harrah, who afterward built another, which he and J. B. Hardaker operated together. James McFarlane & Co. also kept a store for a year and a half or two years subsequent to 1844, the firm afterward being changed to Dickey & McFarlane. McFarlane finally removed to Morris, Grundy County, Illi- nois, and Hardaker & Harrah continued the business. Hardaker & Simonton were in it from 1852 to 1856. In the spring of 1860 John Waddington went into the firm, which was known for a time thereafter as J. B. Hardaker & Co., then it was again changed to John Waddington & Co.

The first postoffice was established in 1837, the petition being circulated by Jolin

Waddington. The candidates for the posi- tion of postmaster were T. H. Harrah and John Fisher; the latter was the successful man. after Harrah had done most of the work to get the office established. However, Harrah afterwards had his ambition satis- fied, and obtained the office after its af- fairs had been administered by Fisher and Alexander Carpenter.

The first shoe-shop was opened by Oliver Bascom, about 1840; after him Carson Campbell had a shop; Samuel Douglas opened one about 1841-3.

The first blacksmith-shop was opened by Phillip Crowl, in 1832. He has had quite a number of successors.

John MeNickel had the first wagon shop in 1840, and it afterwards became the prop- erty of his son, John M. MeNickel.

The village and postoffice take their name from the stream which flows through the place. The stream was named by Thomas Fisher (the first), the spot on its banks upon which he located being just five miles directly east of the place where he first set- tled on the Shenango.

The first schoolhouse in the village was built in the neighborhood of 1825.

"About 1843 a volunteer rifle company, known as the 'Eastbrook Rangers,' was organized, and drill was kept up for seven years. The officers were: Captain, Andrew Buchanan ; first lieutenant, Alexander Car- penter; second lieutenant, John Staton; orderly sergeant, William McConahy. The company numbered about 100 members and was uniformed with white pants, blue coats and red sash, and a hat trimmed with cord and green feather. They were armed with common rifles, in the use of which they were very expert. The officers held com- missions from the Governor of the State.

"Another company was partially organ- ized in 1860, just before the rebellion broke out, but when the war came on they consoli- dated with a small company from Prince- ton, in Slippery Rock Township, and the two were mustered in as Company F, of the 100th (Roundhead) Regiment, which after-

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ward saw much hard service in the Caro- linas, Virginia and elsewhere."

EASTBROOK STATION.

This place was established at the comple- tion of the New Castle and Franklin Rail- way. Thomas Walton opened a grocery store soon after and a number of dwellings were erected, a short sidetrack laid, and a fine iron and wooden truss wagon-bridge built across Neshannock Creek, which stream here makes an extensive and beau- tiful bend, receiving just east of the sta- tion the waters of East Brook or Hetten- baugh Run.

"Part of an extensive colony of German Mennonites, or Amish, occupies a consider- able portion of the north and west part of the township, the remainder of them being in Wilmington, Neshannock and Pulaski townships. They came principally from Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, and have schools, and a church of their own, the church building being in Wilmington Township. They are a quiet, industrious class of people, keep their farms in good order, and but two or three of the original families have left the township since they came into it."

MAHONING TOWNSHIP.

Mahoning is one of the original town- ships of Lawrence County. It was erected when the territory was within the limits of Mercer County, some time between the third Monday of November, 1805, and the third Monday of February, 1806. It orig- inally comprised a part of the old Pyma- tuning township, erected in February, 1804, when the first court was held in Mer- cer County.

The Mahoning, from which the township derives its name, and numerous smaller streams, afford abundant water facilities, and are noted for their beautiful scenery. The surface of the township is mostly a table-land, only those portions along the streams being broken to any considerable degree. The soil is rich and productive,

and the improvements throughout the township are of a high order.

The township has an area of about twen- ty six square miles, or 16,640 acres. The old bed of the Cross-cut Canal lies along the foot of the hills, on the north side of the river, and on the south side is built the Ashtabula, Youngstown and Pittsburg rail- way, operated by the Pennsylvania Com- pany; and on the north side is built the Pittsburg and Eastern Railway, operated by the Baltimore and Ohio Railway, and also the Pittsburg and Lake Erie Railway.

Coal exists throughout the township, and compares favorably in quality with that mined in other parts of the county.

Iron ore also exists in some places, but has never been worked to a great extent.

Limestone has been quarried in a num- ber of localities, and shipped principally to the furnaces at Youngstown, Ohio. It is also manufactured into lime in a few places. Along the south side of the Ma- honing, at Hillsville Station and vicinity, large quantities of the stone have been quarried.

EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWNSHIP.

The first actual white settlers, after the Moravians brought their families into what is now Lawrence County, located in Mahoning Township, as early as 1793. In June of that year a party of about forty- five persons left Allegheny City and started for the valley of the Mahoning, in- tending to settle on the north side of the river, accompanied by a surveyor named Arthur Gardner. They came down the Ohio to the mouth of the Beaver, and then proceeded up that stream on the east side. Somewhere about the mouth of Conoquen- essing Creek stood a block house, garri- soned by a small company of men com- manded by a lieutenant. Here they were cautioned against Indians, who were prowling around, but they proceeded on their way and, happily, were not molested. About where the city of New Castle now stands they forded the Shenango and went

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to the westward. In some manner they passed the State line, and brought up on the spot where Youngstown, Ohio, now stands. At this time many of the party became dissatisfied and returned to Alle- gheny. The rest, some seventeen in num- ber, came back into Pennsylvania and finally settled farms on both sides of the Mahoning, instead of adhering to the plan of settling on the north side only.

Among those forming this party were Francis McFarland, James, John and George . McWilliams, John Small, Henry Robinson, Alexander McCoy, Edward Wright and Arthur Gardner; the latter was the surveyor and probably made no claim. They all settled (except Gardner) in what is now Mahoning Township. In 1793 they made "deadening," built cabins, planted apple and peach seeds, and made other arrangements necessary for their future comfort. After completing their improvements they returned to Pittsburg, and in 1794 most of them brought out their families. Francis McFarland afterward removed to what is now Pulaski Township, and located on the farm where his son, J. C. McFarland, now or recently lived.

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Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 31

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