Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 46

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 46

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Washington County, Pennsylvania, where he bought a farm and remained until 1800, when he removed to the farm at the mouth of "Sankey's Run," now in Union Town- ship, Lawrence County. The territory of Union Township was then in Mercer County, recently erected, and Mr. Sankey was the first sheriff of the said county that was elected by the people-William Byers, the first sheriff, having been appointed by the Governor in 1803.

Mr. Sankey was major of one of the Pennsylvania militia regiments. When en- listments were sought for service in the War of 1812 he and William Sheriff, from the same township, were the only ones from the regiment who responded. Major Sankey was appointed to a position in the commissary department of General Crook's Brigade, which was organized at Pittsburg. After a short visit to Erie to learn what the British were contemplat- ing in that quarter he rejoined Crook's Brigade at Mansfield, Ohio. He after- wards accompanied a portion of it as far west as the Rapids of the Maumee, where Harrison afterwards, in February, 1813, constructed the famous Fort Meigs. Here he remained during the winter of 1812-13, and returned home in the spring, and soon afterwards went to Mercer upon business. While there his health, which had suffered severely by the rigor of the winter and ex- posure in the camp, gave way, and after lying there for some time was removed to his home, where he lingered until his death the 13th day of July of that year. A grand- son of Major Sankey was the late Ira D. Sankey, a co-worker with D. L. Moody, his name and fame as a singer of Gospel hymns being world wide. The formation of Lawrence County and the township of Union was brought about mainly by the influence of David Sankey, youngest son of Major Sankey, and a man of great prominence in this section of the State, with the development of which his name is inseparably linked.

Ezekiel Sankey, brother of David, in

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May, 1836, laid out the town of West New Castle. He became a man of prominence and was intimately connected with a great variety of important enterprises which have built up the busy city of New Castle, its schools, manufactures and banks, and was also closely connected with the poli- ties of the city and county.

The Wallace family was originally from the neighborhood of Londonderry or Done- gal, in Ireland, from whence John Wal- lace emigrated to America about 1765 and settled at Alexandria, Va. Mr. Wallace was a linen merchant, and carried on the business for a short time in Alexandria, where he married Mary Alexander. Soon after he removed from Virginia to Bed- ford County, Pennsylvania, where he pur- chased a farm, which he cultivated, also trading and speculating more or less in lands. After a few years' residence he sold and removed to the Ligonier Valley, in Westmoreland County, where he pur- chased a tract of land and resided until driven away by the Indians subsequent to the Revolution. He served in short enlist- ments at various times during the war. When driven from Westmoreland he set- tled in Washington County, Pennsylvania, some four or five miles from Williams- port, now Monongahela City, on Peter's Creek, near the present line between Wash- ington and Allegheny Counties. He served at various periods against the Indians, and was one of the party who constructed the original Fort McIntosh, at the mouth of the Beaver River. He died in Washington county in 1808 or 1809.

John Wallace, with his oldest son, Rob- ert, visited the Slippery Rock Valley (then in Allegheny County, now in Lawrence) in the fall of 1797, and was so well pleased with it he located 440 acres of land in the "vacancy" lying between the first and sec- ond districts of "Donation lands." His son Robert settled on the land at that time and remained. In 1801 his father visited the Mahoning Valley and purchased about 400 acres opposite where the town of Eden-

burg has since been built. In 1807 he mar- ried Elizabeth Reader, of Washington County. After his marriage he rented the property in Slippery Rock for about two years and lived in Washington County. About 1809 he returned to Slippery Rock and resided there until 1827, when he re- moved to the land lately owned by his son, William R. Wallace, there remaining to the time of his death, which occurred February 12, 1847. He served during the War of 1812 two terms in Captain MeCune's com- pany, which went to Erie. During his last term he was promoted to captain of the company in place of Captain MeCune, re- signed. His commission was issued in the fall of 1814. After the war he served in the State militia with the rank of captain for fourteen years.

William R. Wallace, son of Robert Wal- lace, was captain of the same company of militia which his father formerly com- manded from 1836 to 1842; then was elected colonel of the Twenty-seventh Pennsylvania Militia, which office he held until 1849, when the system was aban- doned. He held the office of county com- missioner from 1852 until 1855, and also the office of justice of the peace for eleven years, from 1856 to 1861, and from 1866 to 1871.

There is a fine little island in the Ma- honing a few rods above the Wallace farm. Across the river, near where Edenburg now stands, was the famous Indian village of Kush-kush-kee, and a remarkable mound, constructed, no doubt, by the pre- historic people known as the "mound- builders."

"PARKSTOWN."

This well known locality on the State Road from New Castle to Youngstown, Ohio, was first settled in the fall of 1800 by a colony from Virginia consisting of William Park and his sons John, James and William, Jr., Joseph Brown and fam- ily, and Thomas Franklin, a son-in-law of Park. They were all from Berkeley

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County, and the men had been out the previous year and purchased the land un- der a "joint article" of one John Cheno- with, a Virginian, and father of Arthur Chenowith, who afterwards settled in New Castle. Joshua Chenowith, brother of Ar- thur, came at a later day, and lived in the settlement until his death. The land pur- chased by the company amounted to 300 acres. William Park, Sr., died about 1806 or 1807, and several of his descendants are now living in Edenburg.

Joseph Brown resided at "Parkstown" until about 1813, when he removed to what was called the Mayberry farm, on the Shenango River, and in 1814 removed to New Castle. He was a tanner by trade and rented William Dickson's tannery and op- erated it for two years, when, finding the business unprofitable, he gave it up. He was subsequently located on different farms in the county, and at his death lived on the farm which his son, William Brown, afterwards owned, in the present town- ship of Mahoning, one mile north of Eden- burg. He died about 1850 at the age of ninety years. Mr. Brown was adjutant of a militia regiment previous to the War of 1812. He and James Park were out to- gether at Erie during the War of 1812. Subsequent to the war he served for some time in the State militia.

A man named Isaac Bryson settled at the mouth of the little run above Grant Street bridge soon after 1800. Joseph Cox and Samuel, his son, also settled in this township about 1802-03. A brother- in-law of Cox, William Miller, settled on the Cameron farm south of the district line about the same time.

Among other early settlers were William Young, who came from Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, and settled the place now owned by the Young heirs, and others, on the New Castle and Youngstown Road, about 1810.

Shubael Wilder came to this vicinity from Massachusetts in 1838 and was en- gaged in erecting the Aetna Iron Works

during that and the succeeding year. He was more or less identified with the manu- facturing and commercial interests of New Castle.

The Crawfords-Alexander L., George W., John M. and James A .- came about 1840-41, and were also identified with the great business interests of the city. Two of the brothers, George W. and James A., resided in Union Township, where they owned valuable property. Alexander L. lived in Taylor Township on a splendid farm just south of the Union Township line. John M. lived in New Castle several years, then moved to and lived in Philadel- phia, Pa., where he died several years since.

John McComb, from Washington County, Pennsylvania, settled in the town- ship of Mahoning, one mile above Eden- burg, about 1806, and lived there some ten years, when he traded for a farm about a mile below Edenburg, in what is now Union Township, living there until his death in November, 1866, at the age of eighty-six years. Mr. McComb was clerk in the old "Seceder" Church in New Castle for twenty years, commencing with its organi- zation under Rev. Alexander Murray.

John Fulkerson, from Virginia, settled in this township about 1810.

John Ray settled at a very early date on the Shenango River about two miles above New Castle. The Rays afterwards removed to Hickory Township, and even- tually to some of the Western States.

This township shares with Washington Township the distinction of not having within its limits a single church or congre- gation. The people attend church outside their own limits-at New Castle, Mahon- ingtown, Edenburg, the "Harbor," and possibly elsewhere, and are liberal in sup- port of religious institutions.

SCHOOLS.

The earliest school in the township was a subscription school, opened in 1806, in "Parkstown," and the first teacher was a

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man named Shearer, an Irishman. The school building was of round logs, and some of the scholars came a distance of three miles to attend. It was not kept up very long, for the few scattered settlers were not able to pay the necessary teach- ers. The schools are now in good condi- tion and a competent corps of instructors is employed.

There are at the present time nine school buildings in the township, with an enroll- ment of 261 pupils. The total amount raised for school purposes in 1908 was $4,894.03, and the amount paid to teach- ers, $3,540.

"WESTERN RESERVE HARBOR."

The Beaver division of the canal was completed to this point in the fall of 1833, and, being the "head of navigation," it at once became an important point. It was so named for the reason that all the freighting and passenger business from and to the rich region known as the " West- ern Reserve," in the northeastern part of Ohio, made this its shipping and for- warding point. Great quantities of mer- chandise cheese, black salts and every kind of commodity entering into the gen- eral business of the country-were han- dled here. Large quanties of sandstone for building purposes were also shipped over the canal from some point near Pitts- burg and landed at the "Harbor" and hauled thence by teams, of which hundreds were frequently on the ground at once. It was a place of great business activity and the volume of business transacted exceeded that of New Castle for many years. This activity ceased with the going of the canal and the place is now but a quiet farming community.

F. J. Clark, from Bridgewater, Beaver County, erected the first warehouse in either 1834 or 1835. It was on the north side of Sankey's Run, and Mr. Clark did a general forwarding and commission busi- ness. David Sankey erected a second

warehouse on the south side of the run about the year 1836, and also built a bridge over the run at his own expense to facili- tate his trade and accommodate the cus- tomers. He did a general forwarding and commission business and was agent for a line of boats called the "Greenville Line." Mr. Clark was agent for a line owned by G. M. Horton & Company.

The two agents did a rival business for a few months, when Mr. Clark came to Mr. Sankey and made a proposition that he should take charge of his business and also take the agency of the other lines. He offered Mr. Sankey a good salary, and the latter finally accepted the proposition. He carried on the business for a year with such satisfaction that Mr. Clark offered him a partnership, which he accepted, though he still continued as agent for the "Greenville Line." Soon after G. M. Hor- ton & Company bought the "Greenville Line," and from this time until the canal was completed to Greenville, in 1840, Mr. Sankey handled the whole business at "The Harbor" with profit to the company and himself, and to the general satisfaction of the people.

A town was laid out at this point about 1835 by Thomas Allison, and quite a num- ber of lots sold. There were two hotels, one a frame building, the other partly frame and partly logs. A general store was also kept by Samuel J. Bolby, and there was a blacksmith shop in or near the town. There were not many buildings erected, for the people soon saw that upon the completion of the canal their business must necessarily leave them.

Mr. Sankey was elected to the State Sen- ate in the fall of 1847. During his term of office complaints came from the lum- bermen on the French Creek, on account of the dams built by the canal company on the creek to furnish water to the feeder not having "slides" or arrangements for running rafts over them, and Mr. Sankey framed a bill requiring the company to

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build the necessary "slides" and "chutes, "' and also incorporated a clause requiring them to build a bridge over the Shenango River at "Western Reserve Harbor."

He was contractor for this latter work, and built a substantial frame bridge about 1852-3, which stood until 1905-6, when it was replaced by a new steel structure. He also procured an act of Assembly author- izing the county commissioners to take charge of it, and it was turned over to them ready for use without expense to the county. After the canal was com- pleted to Greenville, "The Harbor" was abandoned as a shipping point, and the warehouse erected by Mr. Sankey was moved to another locality and used as a stable for a long time. The canal dam at New Castle, which backed the water up six miles, was torn away about 1873.

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

The three townships of Washington, Plaingrove and Scott formerly existed as one-Slippery Rock Township, in Mercer County. When, in 1849, that county was divided and a portion of it assigned to the new county of Lawrence the township was called North Slippery Rock on account of . the adjoining township in Beaver County, also set off as a part of Lawrence County, being called Slippery Rock. North Slip- pery Rock was cut in two April 13, 1854, and two townships formed from it, viz .: Washington and Scott. Washington in- cluded the northern portion of the old township and Scott the southern, and North Slippery Rock Township ceased to exist. February 14, 1855, the eastern por- tions of both Washington and Scott were taken off and a new township erected, called Plain Grove (now often written Plaingrove). On the 15th of February, 1859, the shape of the several townships was finally settled by enlarging Washing- ton on the east by the addition of a strip three-fourths of a mile in width from Plaingrove, and another strip on the south half a mile in width taken from Scott. This

left Washington Township as it is at pres- ent, containing about 10,800 acres, or six- teen and seven-eighths square miles.

The township presents a surface little broken by hills or cut up by streams, and contains abundance of fine farming lands. It is exclusively agricultural in its charac- ter and is in a highly improved condition, bearing witness to the energy and indus- try of its inhabitants, from the first who entered the wilderness as pioneers to the present generation.

Neshannock Creek flows across the northwest corner of the township, and just as it enters Wilmington Township receives the mingled waters of several smaller streams or "runs" which have their sources in Washington Township.

In the southern part of the township Hettenbaugh Run, or East Brook, has its principal source at a fine spring on the Michael Jordan farm, and is also fed from numerous other springs in the vicinity. It flows in a southerly course until it gets into Scott Township.

A portion of the village of Volant is in the northwest corner of the township, on the small strip which lies west of the Nes- hannock Creek. The Western New York and Pennsylvania Railway is built along the west bank of the creek and has about half a mile of track in the township.

Coal underlies the township to some ex- tent, but is not worked within its limits. A fine quality is mined just across the line, in Scott Township, and the vein very prob- ably reaches far into Washington.

Iron ore, of the blue quality, abounds along Neshannock Creek, but at present is not worked in the township. It is so hard and contains comparatively so small a per- centage of iron that it is not manufactured as extensively as the softer ores, although furnaces formerly were in operation for working it, one at Neshannock Falls, in Wilmington Township, having run for some ten or twelve years, getting its sup- ply of ore along the creek.

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EARLY SETTLEMENTS.

Probably the first white settler in the township was George Hettenbaugh, orig- inally from Germany, who came in 1797 and settled on the farm later owned by George and Michael Jordan. He was ac- companied by two sons, Michael and George. Hettenbaugh Run takes its name from this family, who settled at its source.

The same year the Hettenbaughs set- tled a number of families came to the township and located in the immediate neighborhood.

Alexander Anderson came to America from Ireland about 1789-90. Some time during the year 1797 he came to what is now Washington Township and settled the farm now owned by his descendants, the Tottens. James and John Smith came the same year (1797) from the Chartiers Val- ley. James Sharp and family came about the same time and settled in the same neighborhood, as did also Mr. MeLaugh- lin, who located on the farm later owned by Jonathan Bonny. Dennis McConnell was also of that period, coming perhaps a little later. Joseph Campbell came with the first settlers and settled near the Henry Jordan farm. He became quite prominent in after years.

William Michaels came in early and made some improvements on a place, but owing to the fact that he had no title to the land he was obliged to leave it. A few years after, or in the spring of 1802, Rob- ert Mason located on the same farm.

Henry Jordan, Sr., came to the town- ship with his wife and eight children in the fall of 1802 from York County, Pennsyl- vania, and bought for one dollar and sev- enty-five cents per acre 200 acres of land, one hundred of which his son Henry lately owned. In January, 1803, Michael Jordan. who latterly lived on a part of the old Het- tenbaugh farm, was born.

Kinzie Daniels came from New Jersey about 1805-6 and located southwest of the Jordans. Samuel Brown, father of Solo- mon Brown, came from Lancaster County

some time between 1805 and 1810 and set- tled in Beaver County.

About the year 1828 Robert Donley came to the township from Westmoreland County and settled on the farm later owned by John Donley. He was originally from Ireland, and though arriving at such a late day was the first white settler on the 100-acre tract which he bought and located upon in the northeast part of the present township of Washington.

William Martin came from Ireland and settled in Washington Township about 1818-20, purchasing 200 acres of land of a Mr. McClurg.

The first settler on the Samuel Collins place was Robert Collins, who bought the land of Thomas Astley and Enoch Marvin in 1837 and made the first improvements on it.

Adam Grim came from the foot of Laurel Hill, in Fayette County, first to Washington County, where he staid three or four years, and afterwards to Waslı- ington Township, Lawrence County, in the month of July, 1814, or 1815.

REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS .- Henry Jor- dan, Sr., settled in 1802, had served during the Revolution, and was the only one among the settlers of the township who took part in that struggle, as far as we have been able to ascertain, although it is possible there were others.

OF THE SOLDIERS OF 1812 the number is greater. Henry Jordan enlisted in the fall of 1812 for six months, and went with Cap- tain John Junkin's company, the "Mercer Blues," to Fort Meigs, or rather through by way of Mansfield and other points to Sandusky and the Maumee River, or "Miami of the Lakes," where he helped build Fort Meigs. Mr. Jordan was the last surviving member of the original "Mercer Blues." Mr. Jordan's time expired some time during the spring of 1813, and he was afterwards out three times to Erie. His three brothers, John, Nathaniel and George, were also out at Erie, and John Jordan died at Black Rock in the winter

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of 1813. Samuel Anderson, a son of Alex- ander Anderson, was out in 1813 to Erie.

WAR OF THE REBELLION .- In the four years from 1861 to 1865 Washington Town- ship was also well represented and sent many of her sons to the front. The Regi- ment represented principally by Lawrence County men was the One Hundredth or "Roundhead" Regiment, commanded by Colonel Daniel Leasure, of New Castle. and a large number from Washington Township joined this regiment. Other regiments had representatives from this township, but to a small extent.

VOLANT POST-OFFICE.

This post-office was established some time about 1840-45, with William Hoover as the first postmaster. It was kept for a while in the mill which stood on the west side of Neshannock Creek. James Rice afterwards opened a store and had the post-office removed to it, and acted as post- master. When the new town of Locke- ville was laid out, in 1872, the office was removed to that point, and kept by Wil- liam Graham in the store belonging to Graham Brothers, near the railway sta- tion.

A Seceder Church was organized, and a frame building erected on the Martin farm about 1835-6. Rev. Mr. Boyd was proba- bly the first preacher who had charge of the society. The church lot and cemetery were both taken from the farm of William Martin, and included an acre of ground. The cemetery is still in use and well cared for. Meetings have not been held for many years, and there is now no church building in the township, the one built hav- ing long since passed out of existence.

SCHOOLS.

Schoolhouses in the pioneer days were built by voluntary subscriptions and the schools carried on by the same means. A schoolhouse was built in the fall of 1803 on the Jordan farm, of logs. The first teacher was Joseph Campbell, one of the

earlier settlers of the township. The school consisted of from twenty-five to forty pupils, many of whom came a dis- tance of several miles to attend. This was the first schoolhouse and the first school within the present limits of the township. Mr. Jordan donated the land it stood on. The next building for school purposes was erected on land donated by Kinzie Daniels about 1807-8. John Mitchell was the first teacher. A third schoolhouse was put up not long afterwards on the Robert Mason farm.

These three buildings were the first ones erected in the township, and were in use for a number of years.

There are now five substantial school buildings in the township, some of them frame structures and the others built of brick. They are comfortable and neat, well equipped throughout, and the school work has been maintained at a high stand- ard by competent instructors. There are five teachers, who in 1908 were paid $1,520, and there is an enrollment of 102 in the schools.

WAYNE TOWNSHIP.

Wayne Township was created from a part of North Sewickley Township, Beaver County, at the same time Lawrence County was erected, and at first took in only that portion of it north of Conoquenessing Creek; that south of the creek remained as North Sewickley until some time after- wards, when it was added to Wayne.

The township has an area of about 11,- 500 acres, and is peopled with a prosper- ous agricultural class. The improvements throughout the township are of a high or- der of excellence and the resources it pos- sesses, both from an agricultural and min- eral point of view, are almost inexhausti- ble.

The surface is broken to an extensive degree, the hills in many places rising three or four hundred feet above the valleys. The approaches to Slippery Rock and Conoquenessing Creeks are through deep

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gorges and thinly settled localities, al- though along the latter stream the land is more easily adapted to farming purposes. On the south side of it, towards the line of Beaver County, is a broad, level table land, reaching back a mile or two to a range of hills bounding it on the south. The land here is rich and fertile.

The township contains the three villages of Wurtemburg, Chewton and Staylesville, the latter one of the places which sprang up while the old canal was in existence, and was superseded by Newport, in Big Beaver Township, after the canal was abandoned and the railroad built. The borough of Ellwood City also lies within the borders of the township.

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Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 46

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