Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 34

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 34

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At this point, which is probably the finest water power on the creek, Reynolds erect- ed a grist and saw-mill. The gearing was mostly of wood. The grist-mill contained two run of stone, made from material found in the vicinity. The bolt was a primi- tive affair, and was turned by hand by means of a crank. The mill was driven by a large breast-wheel.

Mr. Reynolds carried on the milling business until his death, which took place about 1831-32. His heirs, by different deeds dated from 1833 to 1839, transferred the property to Frederick Zeigler, who tore away the old grist-mill and built a new one, still standing. He also built the large stone house on the hill, now, or late- ly, owned by George Reynolds. The new grist-mil! contained three run of burrs. In addition to his other work, Zeigler built a distillery, which was in operation a good many years, in connection with the grist mill. The business was finally abandoned about 1855-56. Zeigler sold the property, September 3, 1850, to William F. Reyn- olds, who built a new dam and tore down and rebuilt the saw-mill in 1857. In May, 1868, he sold to John G. and Peter Reyn- olds the mills and water power and forty- four acres of land. These parties deeded the property to James Robinson, April 3, 1871. This transfer probably included about seven acres of land, and the total consideration was about $5,200. Henry Jordan purchased the property of Robin- son, May 1, 1875. Mr. Jordan rebuilt the dam in a most substantial manner, and made extensive alterations and improve- ments in the grist and saw-mills at an ex- pense of over $2,000. The mill is now one of the best in the country, and has long done a good business in both merchant and custom work.

The New Castle & Franklin Railway crosses the creek at this place (where the company has a station), on a truss bridge constructed of wood and iron, and the creek is also spanned by a fine iron road- bridge near the mills. The creek flows here

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in a deep, harrow gorge worn through the rock, whose precipitous cliffs are over- hung by a dense growth of hemlock and other trees, making a most picturesque and enchanting locality.

Johnston Watson, son of William Wat- son, started a pottery on his farm near the United Presbyterian Church about 1825, before his marriage. He had learned the potter's trade of one White in Mercer County, and had also worked at the busi- ness in Beaver County. The clay was found on Isaac Gibson's place. The "slip clay" was brought from near Pulaski.

A coal mine was opened on Thomas Falls' land as early as 1845. Several other mines have been worked out in this vicin- ity

A small mining town called Coal Center sprung up around the shafts of the New Castle Railroad & Mining Company. It has one or more churches, a justice of the peace, two or three groceries, several blacksmith and wagon shops, and some fifty or sixty dwellings.

SCHOOLS.

Some of the earliest schools in the town- ship were taught on the Watson and Baker farms, most probably in the dwellings, from 1812 to 1815. The first teacher was Miss Sarah De Wolf, who taught in many parts of the country, and was very popu- lar, if we may judge from her record. Miss Tidball was also one of the earliest teach- ers. A school was afterwards opened in an empty house on the King farm, now owned by Thomas Greer. This was taught by John Galbreath, in the years 1816-17-19. A man named Andrews succeeded Gal- breath, and taught in the years 1820, 1821 and 1822.

A school building was erected on the Barker farm, about forty rods east of King's Chapel, where a school was taught by Samuel Richards in the years 1823, 1824 and 1825. This building was unfor- tunately burned, but the people soon man- aged to build another, in which James

Watson taught in 1826, and John Maitland in 1827. Mrs. Mary Maitland taught a select school for young ladies, where they learned needle work in addition to other things. She was a very successful teacher. About 1829-30, the school building near by was moved upon the church lot at King's Chapel, where one Gillespie taught in 1831 and 1832. In 1833 and 1834 William Lock- hart was the teacher, and John Mitchell

also taught. A school was taught in the Pomeroy neighborhood about 1820, by Thomas Gillespie, whom the scholars of those days remember as a terrible fellow with the rod. One Holloway and Robert Madge were also early teachers. About 1810-12 a log school-house was built in the eastern part of the township, near where John Graham now lives. The first teacher was a man named Stoops.

At this time (1908) there are seven schools in the township, all good, substan- tial buildings of briek and stone, costing an average of $1,000 each. The total num- ber of scholars is 338. Total expenditures, $4,078.61.

KING'S CHAPEL.

The Methodist Episcopal Society, known as "King's Chapel," claims the honor of having been the first organization of this denomination in Lawrence County. In 1802 William Richards came with his fam- ily from Center County, Pennsylvania, ac- companied by John Rea and Robert Si- monton, his son-in-law, and their wives, and settled in the neighborhood of "King's Chapel." Mr. Richards was a soldier in the American army during the Revolu- tionary War. At the close of the war he had engaged in the iron business at Belle- fonte. He had been licensed as an exhor- ter in the church previous to settlement in what is now the county of Lawrence, and soon after his settlement commenced hold- ing religious meetings in his own house.

At that time Rev. Asa Shinn was the preacher on Shenango circuit, and often preached in Mr. Richard's cabin. In 1803,

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HISTORY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY

George Askin was on the circuit, and un- der his superintendence a class was formed in the Richards neighborhood, con- sisting of William Richards and wife, Mary Rea, Robert Simonton and wife, Rachel Fisher, Rebecca Carroll (afterwards Mrs. Ferver), and Mrs. Warner. Several per- sons from Edenburg joined the class, and, according to Hon. David Sankey, several others from New Castle. A class was soon after formed by Mr. Richards at New Cas- tle, and meetings were held alternately at that place and at King's Chapel. The first of these meetings were held in New Castle about 1810. The following are the names of those constituting the class in New Cas- tle, according to Rev. Thomas Greer: Ar- thur Chenowith and wife, John Bevin and wife, William Underwood and wife, Rob- ert Wallace and wife, and Phillip Painter and wife. Soon after they were joined by Michael Carman and wife, and Mr. Car- man was appointed leader.

Marinus King and family, from Center County, settled at King's Chapel in 1804, and joined the class. The meetings were held both at the house of Richards and of Mr. King, in 1806 and 1807.

William Young and family joined the settlement at an early day and united with the church. Mr. Young was also a licensed preacher and a man of more than ordinary talents. Others came to the settlement, and soon quite a large community were gath- ered here. The meetings were now held at three places-Rev. Young's, Richards' and King's.

In 1821 John Greer and wife joined the settlement, from Sewickley, Allegheny County. Mr. Greer had married a daugh- ter of Rev. William Young. He was ap- pointed steward soon after his arrival, and his house was made a preaching station alternately with the first three mentioned. Some time afterwards a small building was erected on the ground where King's Chapel now stands, which was used both for church and school purposes.

Thomas Greer and wife came to this lo-

cality from Zelienople, Butler County, in 1830. They had certificates from the church at that place, and were received into the church at their new home. Mr. Greer was soon after appointed class-leader and exhorter, which he held with great success until 1852, when he was licensed as a local preacher. He also held the office of or- dained local elder for some years.

In 1835 a new and neat frame church was erected in the place of the old one, 30x40 feet in size, which was occupied until 1856. During this period of twenty-one years the church experienced a revival of religion every year, with one or two ex- ceptions. During the first session of the Erie Conference, Rev. Bishop Hamlin preached at King's Chapel. The session was held in New Castle, and Major Eze- kiel Sankey brought the Bishop out in a two-horse carriage, accompanied by quite a number of the brethren from New Castle.

A large number were added to the church during the period between 1835 and 1856, and the house became too small to accommodate the wants of the society. In 1856 the frame church was removed, and a brick structure erected in its stead, 40x50 in dimensions. It was in this house that Ira D. Sankey, the famous Gospel singer, recently deceased, made a public confes- sion of the Christian religion, and united with the society. Mr. Sankey was con- verted under the labors of Rev. J. T. Boyles.

The congregation of King's Chapel re- placed the church which had been built in 1856, at a cost of $3,000, with a new one, more commodious and modern, in 1899, containing an audience room and an apart- ment for Sabbath School at a cost of about $5.000. The names of the pastors since 1877 are as follows: Nathaniel Morris, J. K. Mendenhall, D. W. Wampler, J. L. Mechlin, C. M. Morse, C. W. Foulk, H. H. Blair, Frederic Fair, S. L. Mills, J. C. A. Borland, H. W. Hunter, F. R. Yates and A. B. Smith, the present pastor. The names of the church officers at present are :

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Trustees, W. McQuiston, Frank B. Chapin, George Greer, F. W. Hutchinson, Andrew McKay, Harry Green, David B. Reynolds, Miller Kegrise and David R. Greer; stew- ards, J. R. Shearer, Harry Green, Eugene Robinson, William McQuiston and D. R. Greer. James R. Shearer is superintend- ent of the Sabbath School, which has about sixty members. The number of church members is about 120.

A Methodist Episcopal church was built about 1884 or 1885, in what is usually called Coal Center, on the eastern border of the township, and Rev. A. B. Smith is pastor of this as well as King's Chapel. The Free Methodist Church, in the center of the township, was built about 1891 or 1892, and of this Rev. J. Grill is pastor.

PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHURCH.

The Primitive Methodists first began to have meetings at Coal Centre about 1866. The first local preachers were William Borle, Henry Blews, Edward Blews, Jr., and Samuel Simon. The original society consisted of about ten members. Rev. Thomas Dodd was the first itinerant who preached here, about 1870. He staid only a short time. The second itinerant preacher was Benjamin Barrar, who staid with the society for two years, when he was succeeded by Rev. Thomas Bateman, who preached at Coal Centre once a month. The society at one time numbered as high as twenty members, but hard times and the consequent removal of some of the people to other localities reduced it to a very small number. There is now no organization in the township, the former members attend- ing at New Castle.

SHENANGO CHURCH ( UNITED PRESBYTERIAN ).

The history of Shenango congregation was for about a quarter of a century the history of almost the entire Associate Re- formed Presbyterian Church in the boun- daries of what is now Lawrence County. To most of the churches of this denomina-

tion Shenango stood in the relation of a mother church.

The white frame-house of worship stands three and a quarter miles north of New Castle, on the road to Mercer via New Wilmington. Around it stand primeval oaks, and behind it slumber many of the dead that once worshiped within its walls. The lot was donated for church and burial purposes by John Pearson, of the Society of Friends, who had obtained titles among the earliest to a large tract of land lying between Shenango and Neshannock Creeks. Of those who organized Shenango Church and constituted its early member- ship none, perhaps, settled in the wilder- ness earlier than 1805-6. The names of James Mitchell, Hugh Braham, John Cup ningham, William S. Rankin (afterwards of Mercer), Jean Sankey (wife of Ezekiel Sankey, and grandmother of Ira D. San- key, Mr. D. L. Moody's celebrated evan- gelistic co-laborer), George Kelso, Dr. Al- exander Gillfillan (settled in New Castle in 1813), Robert McGeary, Mrs. Jane Cubbi- son, wife of James Cubbison, with others, seem to have settled in 1806, or soon after, and to have been from the first supporters, and then, or soon after, communicants in the new organization. An occasional min- ister of the Monongahela Presbytery, from the neighborhood of Fort Pitt, as the new borough of Pittsburg was still called throughout the country, rode through these and other opening settlements in North- west Pennsylvania, giving them an occa- sional Sabbath's or week-day's preaching. Among these were Rev. John Riddell, D. D., and Rev. Mungo Dick, who were men of great ability and learning. But it was not till 1811 that this community of Associated Reform people received a pas- tor, and then his labors were divided equally with Mercer and Mahoning congre- gations. How long before this date the con- gregation was regularly organized, is not known. Their first pastor, James Galloway, first preached to them and other new sta-

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tions in the Northwest, in the summer of 1810. His first records extant show that in 1813 the session consisted of Hugh Bra- ham, John Cunningham and William S. Rankin; but James Mitchell, who died in 1812, had been an elder in Franklin Coun- ty before his arrival, in 1806, and was from the first, an earnest friend of the Shenango enterprise. The next record of the elder- ship shows that in 1821, Rev. J. L. Dinwid- die, ordained as elders, Peter Mitchell, son of James Mitchell, and Walter Oliver, who had immigrated some years before to She- nango Valley.

James Galloway, the first pastor, and the earliest Associate Reformed minister set- tled in Northwestern Pennsylvania, was born August 4th, 1786. His family removed that year from Big. Cove, Bedford County, to Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County. He was born in the latter place. He had graduated at Jefferson College in 1805, had entered for a legal course in Greensburg, but, upon the death of his legal preceptor, had placed himself as a candidate for the ministry under the Monongahela Presby- tery, and afterwards had enjoyed the ex- cellent training for four years of that dis- tinguished theologian and pulpit orator, John M. Mason, D. D., in the Associate Re- formed Seminary in New York City. He was licensed to preach, June 28th, 1810. He was eminently social in his qualities, of lively wit, of tender sensibilities; in the pulpit earnest, grave and edifying. His visit to the new settlements was most ac- ceptable. December 17th, a call was made out for him by the three congregations of Mercer, Shenango and Mahoning. The Presbytery placed it in his hands February, 1811. An appointment was made for his ordination and installation for April 10th, in the Shenango settlement. There was as yet no church The preaching had mostly been conducted hitherto in Peter Mitchell's house or barn, which was already crowded with people, many of the audience being from Mercer, fourteen miles north, and Mahoning, thirteen miles west. Thus was

ordained the first of a long line of pastors in the Associate Reformed Church of this region, and placed officially by the Pres- bytery over their people in what now com- prises territorially the two entire counties of Mercer and Lawrence.

Under Mr. Galloway's ministry, the lot donated by John Pearson was occupied by a small, log building, put up by the sturdy settlers in the spring of 1812, and first used for worship before it was yet floored. On this ground, in that year, the Lord's Supper was first dispensed. The corners of this log building were four large boulders, which can still be seen just north of the present church. When the latter was erect- ed the logs were removed to the northeast corner of the lot, and did humbler service for years as a schoolhouse, which at last fell in disuse and decay.

Mr. Galloway had hard service in so ex- tensive a charge. He had to fill his ap- pointments often by crossing the Neshan- nock, Shenango and other streams when they were swollen with rains; and not un- frequently did his horse swim the Shen- ango, while his master, seated in a canoe, held the bridle-reins. A deep-seated cold followed his preaching in wet clothes upon one occasion after such exposure. He never got well, though he continued his labors for months while gradually growing worse, till, in April, 1818, he resigned his charge. The 21st of May he died. His home had been in Mercer, and there he lies buried. His wife was Agnes Junkin, whose father, Joseph Junkin, was one of the earliest members of his Mercer congre- gation. They were married March 12, 1812, by his brother-in-law, Rev. George Buchan- an, Associate Reformed pastor in Steuben- ville, Ohio. They had three sons, two of whom survived him, and one of whom, nineteen years later, succeeded him in the pastorate of Shenango. Mrs. Buchanan and Mrs. Galloway were sisters of Dr. D. X. Junkin, once pastor of the First Pres- byterian Church of New Castle.

The second pastor, Rev. James L. Din-

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widdie, D. D., was ordained and installed over the Shenango and Mercer congrega- tions, at Mercer, November 22, 1820. He was born in Adams County, February 23, 1796, and had pursued his college studies, but without being graduated, at Washing- ton College. After Dr. Matthew Brown, President of Washington, became presi- dent of Jefferson College, the board of the latter conferred the honorary degree of A. B. upon him, and at a later date the de- gree of D. D. These honors were well be- stowed. He was one of the most finished scholars of his church. He was a man of brilliant mind, of perfect address socially, and in the pulpit eloquent. It was a sad day in Shenango Church when, after a ministry of thirteen and a half years, he preached his last sermon, preparatory to the acceptance of a call in Philadelphia (Sixth Presbyterian Church). This Phila- delphia charge he resigned seven years af- terwards, rejoined the Presbytery in which he was ordained, and became pastor of the Second Associate Reformed Church, of Pittsburg, and professor of Biblical Lit- erature and Sacred Criticism in the Theo- logical Seminary, Allegheny. His pastorate in Pittsburg, after a term of two years, was relinquished in April, 1844, to devote himself more entirely to his professorship, to which he had been elected September 13, 1843. In the midst of his labors, when he was just fifty years of age, he was struck with paralysis of the brain, February, 1846. He never recovered his splendid powers. He died in Baltimore suddenly, from a second stroke, January 11, 1849.

Mr. Galloway's pastorate in Shenango ended in 1818, and Mr. Dinwiddie's in 1834. Important changes had meanwhile taken place in the northwest. The country had greatly developed and the churches had gained by this growth. The Associate Reformed Church as well as the others had made decided progress. A pastor had been settled in Erie, in 1812-Rev. Robert Reed, -- who died in that city after a pastorate of thirty-two years.

In Butler, Rev. Isaiah Niblock, D. D., had commenced in 1819 a long pastorate of forty-five years. In 1820 two congregations were formed on the borders of Shenango: one at Mount Jackson, five miles southwest of New Castle; the other at Slippery Rock, now called Center, five miles southeast. At Center and Harmony, a pastor was settled -Rev. James Ferguson-and an arrange- ment was made for him to preach part of his time in New Castle, but his pastorate only lasted from September, 1823, to April, 1824. Rev. David Norwood was afterwards settled as pastor over Center, Mount Jack- son and Mahoning. He resigned his charge, October 16, 1833. In Crawford County, Rev. S. F. Smith had been settled as pastor, in 1828, over the congregations of Sugar Creek and Crooked Creek, a relation which continued till his death, March 10, 1846.

Out of these five pastorates, with sev- eral other congregations (the whole num- ber being fourteen), a new Presbytery was formed. It was constituted in Mercer on the first Wednesday of January, 1829, called the Presbytery of the Lakes, and territorially occupied six counties. Of all the origina! congregations in these bounds not one has been the mother-church of so many new congregations as Shenango. Up till the union of 1858, seven congregations had been formed on its borders or within its original territory. In addition to Cen- ter and Mount Jackson, already mentioned, in the year 1840, Eastbrook was organized to accommodate those members who lived across the Neshannock, and in the same year was also formed the Deer Creek or Beulah congregation, west of the Shenan- go, from which locality attendance at She- nango Church had become very difficult, owing to the fact that the completion of the Erie Extension canal had, by means of the dam at New Castle, made a pool or level extending for seven miles up the stream, that destroyed all the original fords for this distance.

Later, namely, 1849-51, during the pas- torate of Rev. R. A. Browne, D. D., three

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more congregations-New Castle, New Wil- mington and the Harbor,-were also struck off from Shenango, as will be seen further on in this article. And so far had the church grown in these six counties of the northwest that in 1852 an act of Synod pro- vided for the erection of two more new Presbyteries, called the Presbyteries of Lawrence and Butler. The Presbytery of Lawrence was organized in New Castle, in the Associate Reformed Church, on Jeffer- son Street, April 20, 1853. Rev. John Neil, pastor of Mount Jackson and Center, preached the opening sermon from Heb. xiii, 17, and constituted the Presbytery with prayer. Mr. Neil was elected mod- erator, and Mr. Browne, clerk. Three other ministers, with these, constituted the Pres- bytery, namely: Robert William Oliver, pastor of Beulah and Bethel (Mercer Coun- ty) ; William A. Mehard, pastor of East- brook and New Wilmington, and John P. Chambers, without charge. The Presby- tery included thirteen congregations, four of which, however, were located outside of the city. At the union of 1858 the Law- rence Presbytery was merged into the United Presbyterian Presbytery of Mer- cer; and still later, Shenango and all the congregations south of that latitude to the Ohio River, were merged again in a new Presbytery called Beaver Valley, which was erected November 7, 1871.

This episode gives a brief view of the history of Shenango Church in its sur- roundings and relations. What remains to add has reference to its own special history. From the resignation of Rev. James L. Dinwiddie, 1834, till 1841, with the exception of one brief pastorate of a year and a half -- that of Rev. John Mason Galloway-the congregation of Shenango was a vacancy, its pulpit filled only by supplies from the Presbytery of the Lakes.

Rev. Mr. Galloway was succeeded by Rev. Thomas Mehard, who was ordained and installed June 30, 1841, in Shenango, Eastbrook and Beulah, the two latter, as already stated, having been organized the

previous year. Beulah was first known as Deer Creek. Some years later the con- gregation decided to change their place of worship to West Middlesex, three miles distant; but a portion of the members re- mained to worship in the old building, and are now the Reformed Presbyterian Con- gregation of Beulah. Mr. Mehard was a graduate of the Western University, Pitts- burg, and of the Associate Reformed Theo- logical Seminary, Allegheny. He was genial in his disposition, agreeable in his address, and pleasing and edifying in the pulpit. His ministry was full of labors and fruits, with large promise of future usefulness, when, suddenly, at the close of his fourth year of pastoral duty, he was called away by death. The stroke startled the entire community as well as his congregations and his wife, who was left with two infant daughters to mourn his loss. He died at his home in New Castle July 16, 1845, at the age of twenty-nine years.

The fifth pastor of Shenango, succeed- ing Mr. Mehard a year after his death, was Robert Audley Browne. Mr. Browne was born in Steubenville, Ohio, December 3, 1821 ; was graduated at the Western Uni- versity, 1839, and the Associate Reformed Seminary, Allegheny, 1843; licensed by the Monongahela Presbytery in his twenty-first year, and ordained without charge by the same Presbytery, December 31, 1844. He was at that time stated supply in the Sec- ond Reformed, now Third United Presby- terian Church, of Pittsburg. He visited the congregations of Eastbrook and She- nango in July, 1846; was at once called, and was settled over these congregations in September following. He was pastor of Eastbrook three and a half years, and of Shenango over thirteen years, demitting that congregation to the Presbytery, Jan- uary 9, 1859. The last ten of these years his pastoral charge included the congre- gation of New Castle, in which he still continued to be pastor, and in which, after an interval of absence, he remained pastor until his death. When he entered on his

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Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 34

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