Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 43

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 43

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WAR OF THE REBELLION .- The men who took up arms against the South served in various regiments, but principally in the 100th (Round Head), commanded by Col- onel Leasure, of New Castle. Six com- panies of this organization were from Lawrence County. Among the other regi- ments represented were the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth, Seventy-sixth, Seventy- eighth, etc. Two companies, F and H, Twelfth Regiment, of three-months men, were recruited at New Castle, and Battery B, Pennsylvania L. A.

MANUFACTURERS.

Robert McWilliams built a log grist-mill on Big Run, southeast of New Castle, about 1816, and some time afterwards built a frame mill at the same place. He also had a saw-mill, and did considerable business while his mills were in operation. They

have long since been torn away, and noth- ing remains of them.

About 1841-42, John Armstrong, Esq., erected a grist-mill in the northeast corner of the township, on Big Run, where he had fine power. The mill was a frame build- ing, and occupied the site of the frame mill afterwards owned by David Fox and Jo- seph Frew.

John Miller, whose accidental death we have mentioned, built a grist-mill on Big Run, a mile below New Castle, about 1811. It was built of logs, and stood till about 1828-30, when Mr. Miller's son-in-law, William McMurray, tore it down, and in its place put up a frame structure, which was burned down in 1845. Before the sec- ond mill was burned, Mr. McMurray had sold the property to John Struthers, who owned it at the time of destruction. After this disaster Struthers became unable to make the remaining payments, and the property reverted to McMurray again, and he sold finally to Stewart & Bryson, who erected a mill in 1849. They in turn sold to Abraham Hartman, who operated it for a while, then sold it to Henry Wolfe. The latter ran it till the spring of 1873, when he sold out to John Sechler, who, in com- pany with his son, operated it for a time, then sold to C. F. Alborn and F. E. Al- born, who operated it with great success. The Alborns are still in the milling busi- ness, have a modern plant, and do a large business. While Mr. McMurray had the property he built a saw-mill and a distil- lery, some time previous to 1835. The saw-mill rotted away and the distillery was taken down and the stone used to build a house for the miller.

About 1837-8, McMurray put up a build- ing intended for an oil-mill, but becoming somewhat embarrassed, sold it to Joseph Clifton, who built another dam, and con- verted the oil-mill into a woolen factory, which he operated from 1844-5 till the fall of 1870, when it was dismantled. While Mr. Clifton had the woolen mill, he at- tached a drill to his machinery and bored

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for oil. He went down about four hundred feet, getting only a fair showing of oil.

Miller put up a saw-mill several years before he built his grist-mill, and, when he concluded to have a grist-mill attach- ment he took as a partner a man named Ault. The grist-mill and saw-mill were in the same building, with the water wheel between the two apartments, and for a time a good, lucrative business was carried on.

Robert Patterson built a saw-mill at Big Run Falls at an early period, but did not run long. These falls are just below the stone arch bridge, where the Pittsburg Road crosses the run, and were originally twenty-five feet high. In order to cut a race for the saw-mill the rock was blasted out for several feet, and the falls are not now as high. The scenery below them is wild and romantic. The tract of land on which they are situated has always been known as the "Falls Tract." Big Run Falls and surrounding lands are now Cas- cade Park, a resort largely attended by the people in the surrounding country.

A distillery was built at Normal Glen by James Cubbison, and run until some time subsequent to 1835.

NORMAL GLEN.

This place was given its name from the fact that it was the seat of a select school conducted by Joseph Baldwin about 1857- 8. It has never made any pretension as a village, it being a point where is located a cluster of houses, and roads spring out in seven directions.

COAL, IRON AND LIMESTONE.

The greater portion of the coal taken out of the township has been mined in the southwest part, in "Hog Hollow" and vicinity. Coal was taken out in the neigh- borhood as early as 1846, and Zachariah Tindall opened a bank in 1850. It abounds on probably every farm in the neighbor- hood, and being of the upper vein is easily worked. A vein of limestone from thir-

teen to eighteen feet in thickness crops out towards the summits of the hills. It is of a bluish tint, lies in thin layers, and is fit only for burning, making a beautiful white lime.

Iron ore abounds in the same neighbor- hood, and has been extensively worked. The ore in Western Pennsylvania is us- ually found next above the limestone, but in this case they dug, and blasted through shale, sandstone and limestone for some twenty feet, and finally limestone grad- ually merged into the ore, the last few inches of it being considerably impreg- nated with the iron. This was in the "Big Bank."

Ore abounds in greater or less quantities in the entire neighborhood, and generally of a fine quality. A three-foot vein was opened in the summer of 1876, on the same farm with the "Big Bank," and it was also found on the farm of Mrs. J. R. Sherrard and other places.

In the "Big Bank" there are four grades of ore; first, at the top, three feet of "red keel;" then about three feet of "yellow keel;" then solid "striped ore" for about six feet; and, lastly, a "shell ore" for another six feet. The latter is easily taken out, and is very rich; the other grades, especially the "striped ore," re- quires more or less blasting.

The "Big Bank" is probably richer than the others in the neighborhood, but are ex- tensively worked.

SCHOOLS.

About 1810-12, a schoolhouse was built of round logs on the place where Hon. Geo. T. Weingartner now lives, and stood but a few rods north of his present residence. It was the first one in this part of the town- ship. An Englishman named Cornelius Stafford, who taught in various other townships in the southeast part of the county, was the first teacher.

A schoolhouse was built about the win- ter of 1813, on the farm then owned by Robert Irwin. The first teacher was John

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Gibson, who had settled near by. Mr. Gibson was one of the superior class of teachers, and under his tutorship a school always flourished. This was the only reg- ular schoolhouse built for a long time in that vicinity.

A log cabin, originally built for a dwell- ing, stood on the John Martin farm, and in it James Leslie "kept school." This was about 1810-11. A schoolhouse was built of logs as early as 1806-7, on the Henry Tin- dall farm, and the first teacher was Will- iam Arnold. A school, though not of the earliest, was built in the north part of the township, near the Hickory Township line, and was first taught by a Mr. Supple.

The number of schools in the township at present is seventeen, with an enrollment in 1908 of 395. The total amount paid the seventeen teachers was $5,624; the total expenditure for school purposes, $8,315.81.

CHURCHES.

A Methodist Church ("Morris Chapel") was built about 1870, in the northeast part of the township, on land originally owned by Andrew Guire, who settled it, and be- longing to his wife and children when the church was built. For some time the con- gregation had no regular pastor, some of the members themselves occupying the pul- pit. Revs. Patrick O'Connor, Dyrie, and J. C. Rhodes came in order, and were the first regular pastors.

The Congregation of Disciples at Nor- mal Glen .- " As early as 1833, Elder San- ders and Elder William Hayden, of Ohio, delivered a number of discourses in the country, about three miles to the southeast of New Castle, but there was no church un- til about the year 1844, when Elder John Applegate, of Ohio, organized one in that vicinity, afterward known as Normal Glen. This organization was maintained until after the Christian chapel was built in New Castle, when most of the members of the Normal Glen congregation united with the church in New Castle. There was a chapel

erected in about the year 1847, which con- tinued to be a house of worship, after the Disciples Congregation ceased to use it, various ministers of different denomina- tions delivering discourses in it for the benefit of the people in that vicinity. There was also a Sunday-school taught in it. The ministers serving the congregation of Disciples at Normal Glen resided in the Western Reserve, in Ohio, among whom were Elders John Applegate, Calvin Smith, Harvey Brocket, B. F. Perky and others."

The "Savannah" Methodist Episcopal society was organized probably about the year 1820, their first meetings being held at the house of Laban Joseph, who lived near where the present church stands. They also held meetings in the Austin schoolhouse, which stood on the hill back of the MeCandless farm, on land now in Taylor Township. After this they held them in the "Savannah" schoolhouse, and finally, some time between 1853 and 1856, their brick church was built, on land pur- chased from Robert McCandless. A cem- etery is located just north of the church, but is used as a general burying place, and does not belong to the society. The name "Savannah" was given to the valley which extends for several miles north and south, in the western part of the township, and near which the church is located. The schoolhouse was named from it, also, by Thomas Berry, at one time county super- intendent of schools.

"Greenwood" Methodist Episcopal Church was organized about 1858. Meet- ings were held for a year or two in the Warnock schoolhouse, and in 1860 a frame church was built by A. P. Schaffer, on land donated to the society for church and burial purposes, by William Harbison. In 1858 a Methodist class was organized, con- sisting of E. J. Moore and Eliza, his wife, and Mrs. W. C. Harbison, all from New Castle. Soon after the organization of the class a revival meeting was held, conduct-

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ed by F. Bennett and Rev. S. K. Paden, and some thirty or forty people joined the society.

While the meetings were held at the schoolhouse, Revs. S. K. Paden and Sam- uel Bentley preached, and during their time the church was built. Mr. Paden con- tinued to preach for them, and a circuit was not long afterwards formed, including "Greenwood," Croton, "Savannah," Mo- ravia and "Mt. Pleasant" church, on Snake Run.

The first regular pastor in the new church was Rev. John McCombs, and after him came Rev. Z. W. Shadduck. A Sab- bath-school was organized in connection with the society at the schoolhouse, before the church was built. Its first superin- tendent was E. J. Moore, who held the of- fice until the church was built, when W. C. Harbison became superintendent.

Center United Presbyterian Church was organized from 1820 to 1825, as a "Union" or Associate Reformed congregation. A petition was circulated for a "call" for a minister to come and "talk to them," and a subscription raised to defray his ex- penses. Tent meetings were first held in the grove where the present commodious brick church now stands, before the society was organized. The church was organized as "Slippery Rock," and afterwards changed to its present name. Two or three years after the society held its first tent meetings, it organized and put up a frame church, which stood a few feet east of the present brick structure. Two acres of land for church and graveyard pur- poses had been given by James Warnock.

Possibly different ministers preached to them occasionally for a while, but Rev. David Norwood was ordained and installed their first pastor April 5, 1826. His charge consisted of Slippery Rock (Center), Mount Jackson and Shenango, and he con- tinued to preach to them until about the 1st of October, 1833, when he resigned. Their second pastor was Rev. Mr. Fergu- son, who came from Mercer. Rev. John

Neal preached for them for twenty years; Rev. Samuel Patterson a year or two; Rev. Joseph Barclay, five years. Rev. J. H. Peacock came about 1867 and stayed until some time in 1874. Rev. John D. Glen took charge November 1, 1874, in connection with Wurtemburg; Rev. A. Y. Houston came next; Rev. J. J. Imbrie came in 1880. Rev. Dr. R. A. Brown in 1885; Rev. R. W. McGranahan in 1892, Rev. J. W. Burn- ley in 1900, Rev. W. U. Grove in 1904, and Rev. L. S. Clark in 1907. The session con- sists of Rev. L. S. Clark, Elmer McCreary, J. L. Fisher and Joseph Pyle. The church membership is sixty-five, that of the Sab- bath-school fifty-five.

In 1900 the Center and Eastbrook churches were united under one charge. .

THE NEW CASTLE POORHOUSE.

This institution is located in this town- ship, on about forty-four acres of land presented to the city for that purpose by Charles M. Phillips. A special act of leg- islation in the winter of 1865-66, was passed for the establishment of a poor- house, and James B. McKee and William B. Lutton appointed commissioners to at- tend to the location and erection of build- ings. A vote was taken by the citizens of the county, and the institution voted against by all the townships except Pol- lock, now the Third, Fourth and Fifth wards of the city of New Castle. There- upon Mr. Phillips made out his deed of the property to the city. The buildings were erected in the summer of 1867, at a cost of between four and five thousand dollars, and were made good, substantial frame structures. The entire cost of improve- ments made on the farm is in the neighbor- hood of $15,000. October 14, 1897, the New Castle Poorhouse was destroyed by fire, but fortunately the sixteen inmates es- caped without injury.

After the original buildings were com- pleted, the commissioners, on the 27th day of November, 1867, appointed Messrs. Archibald Cubison, Robert Reynolds and

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George Pearson poor directors, and they constituted the first board. Mr. Reynolds especially stood by the institution in hours of need, and sustained it largely through his own efforts.

The average number of inmates since the poor farm was established has been about twenty. Many stayed but a short time and went away. The present number of inmates is twenty. The buildings are located near the old Pittsburg Road, in Shenango Township, about three miles southeast of the city of New Castle. The institution is sustained by a tax raised by the people of the city.

SLIPPERY ROCK TOWNSHIP.

One of the original townships of the county before the erection of Lawrence, within the bounds of Beaver County, was Slippery Rock, which is one of the larger divisions of Lawrence County, having an area of about 18,700 acres. Its surface is much diversified, but for the most part is very hilly. Along Slippery Rock and Mud- dy Creeks and the smaller tributaries of the former, there are many localities of nearly primitive wildness. Almost the en- tire distance along Slippery Rock Creek, from its entrance to the northeast part of the township to the spot where it crosses the southern line and enters Wayne, is one grand display of nature's beauties.

Slippery Rock Creek affords excellent power, and the fact was not overlooked by settlers, for mills were erected on its banks at an early period, some of which are yet in operation, though numbers have been abandoned.

The soil of the township is generally well adapted to the growth of various agri- cultural products. Coal, limestone and iron ore abound, the former in immense quan- tities, and with both the mineral and agri- cultural resources it possesses, the town- ship may be ranked among the foremost in the country. The coal vein averages about thirty or thirty-two inches in thick- ness in the southern part of the township,

and is generally of a fine quality. During the fall of 1876, Nesbit & Dimick, an oil firm, bored a test well on the farm of Jacob Shaffer, in what is known as "Cove Hol- low." These gentlemen put down a well in Wayne Township in the summer of 1875, several hundred feet, but found no oil. They concluded, judging from the Butler County oil districts, that they were too far south, and consequently came to Slippery Rock Township, but met with no greater success than in Wayne, although the show- ing was much better. Manufacturing of different kinds has been carried on in the township to greater or less extent, several iron furnaces having been operated on na- tive ores.

In the southern part of the township are two "darksome dells," called respec- tively "Hell's (or Big) Hollow," and "Cove Hollow." In each of these hollows a small stream threads its way along, and in each the stream disappears through a hole in the rocky surface of the ground, and after running underground for some distance, reappears below. "Hell's Hol- low" was named by the early settlers, the appellation being an appropriate one, for a gloomier place can hardly be found. It is related that the origin of the name comes from the fact that a traveler in an early day passed the night in the hollow, and when asked the next day where he had slept, answered that he "didn't know, un- less it was in hell!" "Cove Hollow" de- rives its name from a "cove" or recess formed by an overhanging rock some- where within it.

A greater portion of the land in Slip- pery Rock Township is in the First Dona- tion District. A portion in the southern part is in the "Chew District." Benjamin Chew was a resident of Philadelphia, and had several thousand acres of land in the southern part of what is now Lawrence County, and settlers were entitled to half a tract (tracts included 40 acres) for set- tling. After Mr. Chew died, his son, Ben- jamin Chew, Jr., attended to the business.

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He laid out the village of Chewton, in Wayne Township.

The township contains the village of Princeton and Rose Point, or "Stoner- town," both situated in old settled dis- tricts, and averaging well with other vil- lages of their size in the country.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS.

Matthew Young, who came from Ireland about 1797-98, settled in the township about the spring of 1813, on the farm owned at a later period by Robert Young .* He had first stopped near Noblestown, Al- legheny County, and was married there. He afterwards removed to a place in Bea- ver County, near the present village of Enon Valley.

Robert and John Burnside came from Ireland in 1817. Robert settled the place which in more recent times has been known as the Samuel Burnside farm, and made the first improvements upon it. John Burnside was the first settler on the place later owned by John Fox, into whose pos- session it came about 1836.

Peter Fox came from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, in 1809, and settled on the east side of Slippery Rock Creek, on the farm later owned by Thomas L. Kelty, Jr. Mr. Fox afterwards purchased a farm in the north part of the township.

A grist mill was built by Jacob and John Fox, on Slippery Rock Creek, about 1828. It was a frame building, containing one run of stone. This mill was purchased by Enoch Dean, who tore it down, and, about 1830, built the one now standing, contain- ing four run of stone. Jacob and John Fox built a log dam, sheeted with plank and split timber. It was removed, and a stone dam put in by Hosea Kennedy. That was washed away, and the stone dam now standing put in by the same man. Andrew Fox owned the mill a short time, just pre- vious to the Rebellion. He sold it to Hosea Kennedy.

Andrew Standley came from New Jersey in 1815, and located first in New Castle.

He built a house and lived there a number of years, but about 1826-27 purchased a farm in Slippery Rock Township, upon which he moved. Mr. Standley was twen- ty-one years old when he located in New Castle, and while there followed the trade of a carpenter, conducting a shop.

James Taylor settled early on the farm owned later, successively, by William Hoyne and Orville Jackson.

Miller Kennedy came originally from Emmetsburg, Frederick County, Maryland, was located in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, some years, and about 1808 settled near the site of the present village of Princeton. He settled 100 acres, pur- chasing it from James Mower, who lived near the mouth of Beaver River. He came out in the spring of the year, and, after making the improvements on the place, he, in the fall, put in a small piece of wheat. After Mr. Kennedy settled near Princeton, he purchased two additional farms, one of them that on which his son, Henry, afterwards lived, north of Rose Point. Henry Kennedy was the first set- tler in this place, as late as 1824. He is now dead.

Samuel Stickle came from Westmore- land County, Pennsylvania, about 1803, and located on the farm later owned by James P. Aiken and Samuel Stickle, Jr. The family stopped one night before they reached their new home on the bank of the run which empties into Slippery Rock Creek, just below the village of Rose Point. Several of their descendants re- side in the township now.

George, James and Margaret Kildoo settled in the township about 1802. James and Margaret were children, and George was twenty or twenty-five years old. Their father died before they came out, and they came alone into the wilderness. George went back after provisions, and left the younger ones alone for six weeks. Every night the wolves came snarling around the

* Another authority says on the farm owned by David Heckathorn.

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cabin, and it was no pleasant situation to be in.

George Fischer came about 1801-2, and settled on what is known as the Jacob Fischer farm. After George Fischer died, his son, Henry, purchased the interest of the rest of the heirs. Henry Fischer died in the fall of 1875, and his son, Jacob, then came into possession of the place.

John Motherlin came about 1800, and lo- cated first on the E. M. MeMillin place, northeast of Princeton. Motherlin was from Chester County, Pennsylvania. He afterwards went to Canada, where he died. His family after his death settled the farm afterwards owned by Alexander Frew, near Princeton.

About 1770-71, John Frew was brought from Ireland by his parents, being but eighteen months old at the time. His par- ents first settled in the State of Maryland, and afterwards removed to Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. About 1794-95, John Frew started for what is now Law- rence County, and on the way met a man who had been out and made improvements on a 400-acre tract of land in the Chew dis- trict. He was open to a bargain, and Mr. Frew purchased his claim for a trifle, and came on and found the place correspond- ing with the description given him by the man from whom he bought it. A small cabin had been built on the tract, and a clearing made. The next year after he purchased the farm, Mr. Frew brought the whole family to it from Westmoreland County, and made a permanent settlement. In the winter of 1800 or 1801, Mr. Frew made a trip to Ligonier Valley, Westmore- land County, and when he returned he brought a wife with him. Her maiden name was Margaret Hammill. In the lat- ter part of 1801 (November 18th) their son, Alexander Frew, was born. Mr. Frew raised grain the same year the family came out, and a year or two afterwards set out an orchard. John Frew was the first one of the family married after they came to Lawrence County, and Alexander Frew

was one of the first white children born in the township.

Nathan Hazen, son of Nathaniel Hazen, a Revolutionary soldier, came from the valley of the Conoquenessing, in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, about 1810-11, and bought a 200-acre tract of land where his son, Levi Hazen, lately lived. He was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, and came from there when young.

The J. W. Boak farm in Slippery Rock Township was patented to the widow of Abraham Morris, in trust for her children. Her husband was a private in the Revolu- tionary Army. On the 27th of September, 1815, the land was conveyed to William Wigton, who was the first settler on the place .. He owned it until 1831, when he sold it to George Magee.

Charles Boak settled about 1815, on the farm owned later by his son, Aaron Boak. He came from Ireland in the year 1800, and at first stopped in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He first settled on the tract he located in this township, purchasing 115 acres. He moved from Lancaster County to Dauphin, thence to Beaver, and finally to Lawrence.

James Mullen settled the tract after- wards owned by his son, James Mullen, Jr., in the year 1800. He was from Wash- ington County, Pennsylvania, where he lived in the same neighborhood with John Shaw, who also arrived in the neighbor- hood in 1800. Mr. Mullen and Mr. Shaw settled a 200-acre tract between them. Mr. Mullen leased his part for a while to a man named Joseph Buck of Buckmaster, who, with his brother, Joshua, had been in the neighborhood since an early period.

Edward MeMillin located on the farm subsequently owned by Archibald McMil- lin, in 1822. He was a native of York County, Pennsylvania. His parents moved from there to Mifflin County, thence to Westmoreland, coming to the latter county in 1818. There they lived until 1822, when they removed to what is now Lawrence County.

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Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 43

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