Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 41

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 41

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 FREE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Was formed from a portion of the Hopewell congregation in 1844, owing to differences on the subject of slavery. Rev. John Knox, who must have been supplying Hopewell at the time, joined the Free Church and was its first pastor. This congregation built themselves a church, the same build- ing afterwards used as the town hall.

The history of the Methodist Episcopal Church of New Bedford is difficult of as-

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certainment from the fact that it has been so frequently changed from one charge to another. The following pastors have served the charge: Nathan Morris, D. W. Wamp- ler, J. K. Mendenhall, J. L. Mecklin, R. A. Buzza, S. E. Winger, Washington Hollis- ter, W. A. Merriam, S. L. Mills, H. H. Blair, M. B. Riley, J. M. Drake, A. O. Stone, Rev. Lackey, Rev. King, A. C Locke and R. W. Skinner. The member- ship of the church is sixty-four and the Sabbath-school fifty. In 1884, the congre- gation built a new church, across the street from the old building where they held the services formerly. The official members of the church are as follows: Samuel Cover, W. H. Bentley, S. E. Cover, Frank Moeschberger, Robert Lawson, Charles Stuver, Dr. Tobey, Thomas Vaughn and Andrew Onstott.

VILLAGE OF PULASKI.

The first settler on the land where Pu- laski now stands was probably Daniel Ault, who first located on Deer Creek, west of town. He built a grist-mill on the west side of the Shenango, about 1800, and af- terwards built one on the run north of town. The old mill stood opposite the lat- ter and a little farther down the stream, and the old dam also was built by him. There was also a saw-mill at the east end of the dam, possibly built by John Piper after the grist-mill was erected.

In the neighborhood of 1835 a carding- mill was built by a Mr. Brenneman, on the west side of the Shenango, just above the old grist-mill. It was operated a number of years and finally removed. A saw-mill, which later burned, stood just above it, probably built by Hunter & Watson.

The Erie extension of the Pennsylvania Canal was completed to Pulaski about 1836, the village having been previously laid out, during the vear 1832 by William Byers and John Piper. Union Street was the dividing line of their property, Byers having all south of it, and Piper that which was on the north. The first dwelling erect-

ed on the new town plot was a log house built by John Crawford.

William M. Stitt came to the village July 21, 1833, and opened the second tailor shop in Pulaski, the first one having been start- ed by John Porter. When Mr. Stitt came to the town it contained only eight dwell- ings, they being owned by James Dawson, John Crawford, Andrew McWilliams, William Watson, John Hunter, Samuel and Andrew Tannehill, Marcus Best and D. C. Matthews. James Hooper had a gen- eral store there at the time. A number of buildings were erected in the fall of that year.

Andrew McWilliams and William Wat- son had kept a store-the first one in the place-and the one opened by D. C. Mat- thews was the second. William Dickey and John P. Wright also had a store after- wards, and William and Amos J. Waugh another. James F. Scott came to the vil- lage in 1839, and, in company with Hugh Bell, opened a general store.

David A. McKee came to the town in the spring of 1837 from Shenango Town- ship, and, after 1842, conducted a harness shop. He learned his trade in the shop of Caldwell & Morrison, which had been established by A. E. Caldwell, and was the first in the village. McKee's shop was the second in town. The first blacksmith shop was opened by B. T. Harris in the spring of 1833. John Hunter came next, and made edged tools. Allen B. Wallace came to the village about 1837-38.

The first hotel in the place was probably kept by James Byers, in a building stand- ing at the northwest corner of Union Street and the Mercer Road. At one time there were five or six taverns in town, and every one of them had a bar in connection. The first physician in Pulaski was Dr. William Wood, who came in the spring of 1833. Henry King had a shoe-shop early, possibly the first one in the place. David and John Carnahan and a Mr. Somerville opened the first wagon shops. The grist- mill, later owned by Hull & Swogger,.was

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built by MeWilliams & Wright, about 1840-44. The covered wooden bridge across the Shenango at Pulaski was built by a man named Bingham, in the fall of 1833, and was afterwards rebuilt.

A planing mill was built on the bank of the canal by Seott & Wallace, in 1863, the only one ever in the place, and a saw-mill was run in connection.

John H. Porter, Esq., came to Pulaski in 1842, and in 1843 established a foundry. He erected a new foundry building in 1854, and he began work in it in 1855. It was a very flourishing business enterprise and was afterwards successfully operated by his son, N. M. Porter.

About 1872 four brothers, named Reno, united and formed a partnership under the style of Reno Brothers, for the manu- facture of "Reno's French Umber Filler." The basis of this popular paint is a pe- culiar mineral mined in Lawrence County. These men established a mill on the Erie & Pittsburg Railway, 45 by 60 feet in size, with a capacity of about two tons daily, and built up a trade in many parts of the country.

A postal route was established between Mercer and Youngstown in 1827, and passed through New Wilmington, Pulaski and New Bedford, the latter and New Wilmington then being the only towns laid out. The first postmaster at Pulaski was Andrew Tannehill, the office being estab- lished about 1832.

About 1803-4 a log schoolhouse was built on the James McCready place. One of the first teachers was John Byers, who taught in 1806-7, and probably before. He was a son of William Byers, who laid out the south part of the town and was the first sheriff of Mercer County, appointed November 9, 1803.

The second schoolhouse in the neighbor- hood, a log structure, stood on what later was the Frank Wilson farm, nearly a mile east of Pulaski, and John Bellows was the teacher.

The third schoolhouse was also built of logs, and stood on the hill east of the town.

A two-story frame schoolhouse was built in the summer of 1876, at a cost of $1,500, and unexcelled educational advantages was afforded the children of the village.

Charles E. Terrill has been postmaster at Pulaski for the past six years. El. Ayers is engaged in the manufacture of galvanized iron top churns, which he ships to Pittsburg, from which point they are distributed. Pulaski Roller Mills-David W. Swogger, proprietor-were purchased by their present owner in 1903. The mills have a capacity of seventy-five barrels of flour per day. Reno Brothers Paint Com- pany was founded in the early seventies, and for almost forty years has made a specialty of the manufacture of Reno's French Umber Filler. The president of the concern is D. S. Kennedy, and the sec- retary and treasurer, J. W. Benner, both of whom are residents of Pittsburg. Charles E. Hull, of Pulaski, is the man- ager.

PULASKI PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. -- A meeting of the Presbyterians of Pulaski and vicinity was held May 25, 1837, at the house of T. M. Best, with a view of estab- lishing a church in the village. William Wilson was appointed to make application to the Presbytery. The request was grant- ed, and Rev. William Nesbit was appoint- ed to organize the church. In the fall of the same year the organization was com- pleted, with a membership of thirty-seven, the members being from the congregations of the Neshannock and Hopewell Presby- terian churches. The first meeting was held in the schoolhouse, and the second in the grove east of where the church now stands. The first elders were Patrick Wilson, Alexander Cotton and John P. Wright.

Revs. William Wood, Absalom Me- Cready and Robert Sample were stated supplies until June, 1845, when Rev. Henry Webber was installed as the first regular

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pastor. He had been with them since No- vember 30, 1844, and continued his pastor- ate almost eight years.

The second pastor was Rev. David Wag- goner, who was installed in the fall of 1853, and had charge until 1864, then Rev. R. T. Price supplied for about eighteen months. Rev. J. P. Fulton was installed as third regular pastor May 12, 1866, and continued until October 5, 1869. Rev. T. B. Anderson came in the spring of 1871, and Rev. A. C. Campbell in the spring of 1874, remaining until April, 1876.

Rev. Seth R. Gordon was the next pastor in order, and was followed successively by Revs. James P. Irwin, K. C. Hayes, J. M. Mealy, J. L. Godfrey, C. J. Jordan, George T. Scott, A. R. Shultz, J. C. Ambrose and F. A. Shape, who is the present incumbent. The names of the church officers are as follows: S. M. Porter, Sabbath-school su- perintendent; J. C. Marquis, S. M. Porter, William Cotton and Julius Wallace, elders. The present church membership is 170, and that of the Sabbath-school is 100. Since the spring of 1874, Pulaski Presbyterian Church has been a sole charge; prior to that time it was united with the Hopewell charge. The Sabbath-school was organized in the fall of 1843 or 1844.

A frame church building was begun in the fall of 1840, and finished in the spring of 1841, the lot on which it was built hav- ing been donated by William Byers for church and school purposes when he laid out his part of the town. The first sermon in the church was that preached by Rev. Absalom McCready, early in May, 1841, on the death of President W. H. Harrison.

THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH Was organized in 1854 or 1855, their first meet- ings being held in the schoolhouse. Their first pastor was Rev. Robert Caruthers. A frame church was built in the fall of 1856, and was dedicated some time during that winter.

Among the subsequent pastors to serve this charge were Revs. H. H. Moore, Boyle, R. M. Bear, S. Gregg, Shattuck, J. F.

Perry, J. Crum, J. C. Colton, J. S. Card, J. K. Mendenhall, E. L. Beardsley, H. Hen- derson, H. C. Smith and A. M. Lockwood. A Sabbath-school was organized during Rev. J. F. Perry's pastorate.

CHRISTIAN CHURCH .- This society held its first meetings in Pulaski in the fall of 1864, using the schoolhouse, the Methodist Episcopal Church and other places. It was for some time in connection with the con- gregation at Edenburg, in Mahoning Township. In 1870-71 it was organized as a separate congregation by Rev. Henry Camp. The first regular pastor was Rev. Orange Higgins. After him came Revs. S. B. Teegarden, Thomas Hillock, Henry Camp and William F. Cowden. After Rev. Hillock took charge, services were held in the brick block erected in Pulaski by Henry Kyle in 1870, there being a hall upstairs. About the year 1875 a Sabbath-school was organized, with James Mitcheltree as su- perintendent.

MILITARY.

REVOLUTIONARY WAR .- James Steven- son, who was located in what is now Pu- laski Township for a brief period, served in the Revolutionary army, and was taken prisoner by the British at Philadelphia, and held nine months. He is the only vet- eran of that war of whom we have any knowledge who settled in the township, al- though descendants of some of the vet- erans became residents here.

WAR OF 1812 .- Andrew Marquis served in Capt. Matthew Dawson's company, and went to Sandusky and Fort Meigs with General Harrison's army. Joshua Bent- ley went to Sandusky, and afterwards to Erie. James, Jr., David and John Mc- Cready, John Somerville, Matthew Black, William Lockhart and William Sheriff's father were also in the service. James and Alexander Neal were at Erie, the former twice and the latter three times. John Mc- Farland (son of Francis McFarland) was out twice to Erie. John Gealey also went to Erie. James Walker served in Capt.

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Alexander Thompson's company at Erie, and helped haul Commodore Perry's fleet over the bar.

MILITIA COMPANIES .- The "Shenango Marksmen," a rifle company, was organ- ized some time after the War of 1812 and held its drills at the settlement where Pu- laski now stands. Its officers were, at dif- ferent times, William Sheriff, Ebenezer Byers, William Allen, Samuel Byers and others, the organization having been main- tained about thirty years. Its first uni- form was a yellow hunting shirt with a white fringe, red sash, and a citizen's hat having a white plume with a red top. It was a volunteer company, and was one of four companies composing a battalion which held its reviews at Mercer.

During the rebellion of 1861-65 the town- ship furnished a considerable number of troops for the Union army. It was repre- sented in several regiments, but principal- ly in the famous Round Head (100th) Regiment, and quite a number laid down their lives in battling for the cause.

SCOTT TOWNSHIP.

When Lawrence County was created, one of the original townships was North Slip- pery Rock and included what is now Wash- ington, Scott and Plain Grove Townships. Washington and Scott were formed from it, April 13, 1854, the former being erected from the north half, and the latter from the south half, thus abandoning the name "North Slippery Rock" entirely. On the 14th of February, 1855, Plain Grove (or Plaingrove) Township was erected from the eastern portion of Washington and Scott, and, February 15, 1859, Washington Township was enlarged by the addition of narrow strips taken from Plain Grove and Scott, leaving the three townships in their present shape.

Scott Township has an area of about 11,800 acres, most of it valuable farming land, there being very little, if any, waste land in it, although the surface is generally uneven and hilly. It is highly improved

and populated with a thrifty and intelli- gent people, who have ever been among the foremost in the various progressive steps taken for the advancement of the best interests of the county.

Scott Township is watered by Slippery Rock Creek and its tributaries, East Brook or Hettenbaugh Run, Big Run, and numer- ous small streams, the most of which fur- nish fine power. Along Slippery Rock Creek, particularly, the power is extensive, and has been utilized to some extent, though the mills in the townships have been principally erected on the smaller streams. Hettenbaugh Run rises in Washington Township and empties into Neshannock Creek near Eastbrook Station, being some five miles in length and furnishing power for various mills and factories. Seven dams were constructed in this stream. Big Run takes its rise in Scott Township, and, after a southerly course of two or three miles, turns to the west, and, flowing across a corner of Slippery Rock, and through Shenango Township and the southern part of the city of New Castle, it discharges into the Shenango River. The run also affords considerable power.

A portion of the township is in the "Academy lands," which were granted by the State to the Pittsburg Academy. It is surveyed diagonally to the other lands, and one corner of it extends into Plaingrove Township. The act providing for the sale of the "vacant lands" was passed in 1792, but it was not till 1795-96 that they began to be settled and improved. Something over one-third of the territory in the town- ship, located in the western part, is in the second district "donation lands," and was settled at about the same time as the va- cant lands.

The timber of the township was origi- nally abundant and of fine quality. Lime- stone abounds in considerable quantities along the runs, and crops out in many of the hills, but has never been burned to a great extent, as it is unfit for building pur- poses. It is also in many places more or

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less impregnated with iron; quite a thick vein is found in the hill west of Harlans- burg, and it is also abundant in places along Hettenbaugh Run. Iron ore is found in numerous places along Slippery Rock Creek and elsewhere, generally in small quantities. It is of the red quality, and contains a large percentage of iron. The coal deposits are principally along Hetten- baugh Run, where mining was begun on a comparatively large scale sixty or seventy years ago.

A company called the "Aladdin Oil Com- pany, of New Castle," was formed in the winter of 1876 for the purpose of putting down test wells for oil somewhere in the neighborhood of Harlansburg; but the re- sults were not such as anticipated.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS.

Robert MeCaslin came to the county in the neighborhood of the year 1800, and lo- cated first near the subsequent site of Neshannock United Presbyterian Church. He bought a 200-acre tract in Scott Town- ship, and two of his sons, Joseph and Sam- uel, lived upon it.

John Elder was the first settler on the place later known as the Jacob MeCracken farm, coming from Bradford County, Pennsylvania, and locating upon it in 1805.

William and John Wilken came to the county early and, for a year or two after, lived on the bank of Neshannock Creek, near the "old forge" just above New Cas- tle, now within the city limits. The latter afterwards came to Harlansburg, about 1816, and his brother and the rest of the family, after moving around for several years from place to place, finally followed him there.

Zachariah Dean came from Huntingdon in 1815 and purchased a 200-acre tract in Scott Township, on which a squatter had erected a log cabin and made a small clear- ing. The squatter had left prior to Mr. Dean's arrival. Jacob Dean came in 1816, and for a time lived on a portion of this tract.

Prior to 1800, John Shaw located in the township. The farm settled by him he aft- erward sold in part to Colonel Bernard Hubley, from whose widow the farm was purchased by Robert McFarland in 1822. A part of this farm was purchased by Hugh Wilson, who located upon it in 1806. In 1815 he removed to Shenango Township.

Adam Pisor was one of the first settlers, coming to what is now Scott Township about 1798, locating on the east side of Slippery Rock Creek, on the farm later owned by William Pisor.

William Allison also came early and set- tled a tract near to Mr. Pisor. Farther down the creek, and on the same (east) side, a number of the Emerys located, they being the first settlers in that neighbor- hood.

In the year 1798 William McNees came with his family from Westmoreland County, and settled on Slippery Rock Creek, in the northeast part of the town- ship. He had been out the previous year -- 1797-and made improvements, afterwards going back for his family. In 1800 Mrs. MeNees died, being one of the early deaths in the neighborhood.

Charles Martin received patent to a farm in Scott, dated March 16, 1814, and made the first improvements on the place; in 1815 James and John Martin pur- chased it.

The farm formerly owned by George Hettenbaugh, in the northeast part of the township, was settled by his father, George Hettenbaugh, Sr., who was the first settler in the present township of Washington. This tract originally comprised 500 acres, and the first improvements were made on it by Mr. Hettenbaugh, about 1821-22, al- though most of the land in the vicinity had been settled and improved long before.

Hamilton Young came from Slippery Rock Township in 1841, and purchased a lot off the Hettenbaugh farm, on which he set out a small orchard and put up a dwell- ing and harness-shop.

John Cooper came from Ireland previous

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to the year 1800, and brought his wife and three children to Scott Township, where he bought sixty acres of William Locke.

The farm on which the "Lawrence Nurs- ery" was afterward located was originally settled by George Rivheal, about 1798. At about the same time the Hettenbaughs, Michaels and other German families came and located in the same neighborhood. The "Lawrence Nursery" was started in 1870 by a stock company composed of a number of gentlemen residing in Pittsburg. The nursery became one of the largest and best in Western Pennsylvania.

William Locke came from Ireland some time during the Revolutionary war, and became a soldier in the Continental Army. After the war he came to Washington County and made his home in the Char- tiers Valley. Some time in the year 1792 he came to what is now Lawrence County for the purpose of selecting a piece of land. The site chosen was in the present town- ship of Scott, about one mile northwest of Harlansburg, and that year he made im- provements on a 400-acre tract in the dis- trict belonging to Dr. Peter Mowry, who resided in Pittsburg, and was an extensive jobber in the "warrant lands."

After Mr. Locke made his improvements he went back to Washington County, and, in the spring of 1796, returned with his family, making a permanent settlement. Mr. Locke had learned the weaver's trade before he left Ireland, and after his set- tlement here built a small shop and worked at the business as long as he was able.

James Brown, also a native of Ireland, settled a farm between Mr. Locke's place about 1796-8.

Robert Wallace settled, in 1796, on a farm on the west side of Slippery Rock Creek, opposite Rockville, or "Pumpkin- town." He came, when a young man, from Washington County, with his brother Ja- cob, and the two settled some 800 acres.

The farm known as the George W. Mc- Cracken place was settled previous to 1800 by Daniel Sutton, and is the oldest settled

farm in the southwest part of the town- ship.

George and Jacob McCracken came to the township in 1819 from County Derry, Ireland.

CHURCHES.

A Covenanter or Reformed Presbyter- ian church was built about 1835, on an acre of ground donated for church pur- poses by James R. Martin, who owned 500 acres in the neighborhood. The church was a frame building, made of hewed sap- lings, but was never completed. Preach- ing was occasionally held in it in the sum- mer, and in case it rained was of little pro- tection to the congregation, for the roof was but little better than a sieve. Rev. James Blackwood at the time had charge of all the Reformed Presbyterian congre- gations in the southeastern and eastern parts of the county, and made this one of his charges as long as it lasted. Mr. Mar- tin, who was the prime mover in organiz- ing and building the church, was killed by the fall of a tree he was cutting, the win- ter after the frame was put up, and that was the main reason the church was never finished.

SCHOOL AND SCHOOL TEACHERS.

A schoolhouse was built about 1800, a short distance northeast of Harlansburg, on the line between the farms of Jonathan Harlan and James Brown. It was one of the primitive style of log buildings. The teacher of this school was an Englishman named Cornelius Stafford.

Another log schoolhouse was built about 1817, northeast of where Jacob Harlan lived, and a preacher in the Baptist Church at Harlansburg named Henry Frazier was among its early teachers.

Other schoolhouses were built in differ- ent parts of the township, all of the same unique pattern. After the law establish- ing free schools was passed, in 1834, a change took place in the character of schools and their equipment, and improve-

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ments of different kinds were adopted un- til the present system is as nearly perfect as it is possible to have it.

There are at present in the township, including the village of Harlansburg, eight schools, with an enrollment in 1908 of 145. Eight teachers are employed, the amount paid them in 1908 being $2,572. The total expenditures for school purposes were $3,407.94.

MANUFACTURERS.

Robert and John Turner built a frame grist-mill some time between 1840 and 1850, on "Harlansburg Run," south of the village, and it was operated with great success, doing an extensive custom busi- ness.

Jonathan Harlan put up a grist-mill on Slippery Rock Creek, just above the pres- ent bridge, below Harlansburg, about the year of 1808, but prior to that time had built one at Harlansburg. George Mc- Cracken afterwards purchased the prop- erty, and, in 1839, built a second mill on the same site, which stood for many years after it ceased operation.

A man named Totten built a distillery below the mill, near the east end of the bridge, possibly a short time before 1839, and operated it for several years, but fin- ally abandoned it.

Numerous saw-mills have been in opera- tion in the township, mainly portable mills, but with the supply of timber exhausted they were forced out of business.

MILITARY RECORD.

REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS .- Col. Bernard Hubley, an early settler, was a soldier of the Revolution, and, as his title indicates, served with distinction. William Locke, who settled northwest of Harlansburg, as before mentioned, came from Ireland dur- ing the war and was in the service several years.

WAR OF 1812 .- Among those who an- swered the call for men to go to Erie and

prevent the British from destroying the town, which was thought to be in danger, were Robert McCaslin, Robert and John McFarland, John, David, William and James Locke, Robert Wallace and Jesse Harlan. James Locke was at the time but eighteen years old, and served four months. His brother David escaped the draft, but went out as a substitute. Robert Wallace was commissioned colonel of mil- itia after the war, and held the position until about 1828, when he resigned his commission and removed to the Mahoning Valley, near Edenburg. Jesse Harlan was under Commodore Perry, and in the mem- orable and gallant naval fight on Lake Erie, September 10, 1813, was killed.

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Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 41

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