Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 7

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 7

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).

table to the poor, and accommodated many a worthy debtor when in trouble. He was successful in his business transactions, and accumulated a handsome property. He built the brick building known as the "Wilder," on the south side of the "Dia- mond," and also the large brick dwelling situated on the northwest corner of Wash- ington Street and the "Diamond."

EARLY JUSTICES.

As we have before stated, the first jus- tice of the peace in New Castle was prob- ably John C. Stewart. The second justice was Arthur Hurry, an Irishman. He was a man of very fair education, but, beyond the fact that he served for several years as a justice of the peace, we have little knowledge of him.

William Dickson, the father of Isaac and John Dickson, was the third justice of the peace, He carried on the business of tan- ner for many years in New Castle.

FIRST POST-OFFICE.

For several years after the first settle- ment of New Castle, the nearest post-office was at Fort McIntosh, on the site of the present town of Beaver. The mails were, most likely, carried on horseback, as is customary in all new countries. The first post-office in the little town was established in the year 1812, under Mr. Madison's ad- ministration, and the first postmaster was Joseph T. Boyd. The office was located in the new log store built by him and John Wilson, on the corner of the lot now oc- cupied by the Disciples' Church. Mr. Boyd must have been a very popular postmaster, for he held the office from that date until about 1838, and afterwards for about eight- een months.

EARLY CHURCHES.

"The Presbyterians were the pioneer re- ligious body in New Castle, erecting the first church building here about 1804. Pre- vious to that date the congregation had worshipped in what was called a 'tent,'

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

which consisted of a board shelter for the preachers, and logs in front for the people to sit upon. Their first church building was of round logs, and stood near the present residence of Mr. John T. Phillips, and not very far from a spring which still bubbles from the hillside. Rev. Alexander Cook was the first pastor ordained and in- stalled, in 1801. The second church build- ing, belonging to the Seceders, was built about 1814, and stood at what was then the head of Beaver Street, though the street has since been extended northward, passing directly over the ground occupied by the church and burial ground.

"The Methodists were the third congre- gation to erect a church building in New Castle, which they did about 1815 or 1816, on the ground now occupied by St. Jo- seph's German Catholic Church, on South Jefferson Street. There is some difference of opinion regarding the time this church was erected. Seth Rigby, a former resi- dent of Shenango Township, said he hewed the logs for it before he entered the army, which he did in 1814. Joseph Justice said there was no church erected when he left the town in 1815. It is probable that both of these gentlemen were right. Mr. Rigby might have hewed the logs and they may have lain a year or two on the ground be- fore the church was erected."

The town grew very slowly and, conse- quently, the price of real estate kept a cor- responding pace. In 1806, eight years after the place was laid out, it is said the best lot in New Castle could have been bought for TEN DOLLARS.

Alexander Boyles, a blacksmith, did actually purchase the whole square, bound- ed on the west by Beaver Street and on the north by North Street, for $10. As late as 1825, John Reed sold a lot on Mercer Street to Thomas Rigby for $30.

GILLESPIE'S ADDITION.

In November, 1811, James Gillespie laid out an addition to New Castle, consisting of thirty lots, and bounded by Washington

Street on the south, by East Street on the east, by Apple Alley on the west, and ex- tending to the foot of the hill on the north. This addition was probably on land bought of Nicholas Vaneman, and formerly a part of John Carlysle Stewart's original pur- chase.

NEW CASTLE IN 1813.

The following is a list of the more promi- nent citizens of New Castle in 1813: John C. Stewart, Joseph T. Boyd, John Wilson, Arthur Chenowith, Jesse Du Shane, Rob- ert Wallace, John Frazier, Burton Rust, Alexander Hawthorne, Michael Carman, James Gillespie, William Dickson, Arthur Hurry, Samuel McCleary, James Dunlap. Dr. Alexander Gillfillan, Crawford White, David White, Philip Painter, Alexander Boyles, Isaac Jones, James M. Cunning- ham, Daniel Hendrickson, Joseph Thorn- ton, Samuel Pershall, Arthur G. Long, John B. Pearson, John Hull, John Downey, Elijah Farr, Jacob Quest, John Gormly and William Cox. In the same year Hon. James McClane and Joseph Justice also settled in New Castle. At that date there were four mercantile houses in the place, to-wit: One owned by Joseph T. Boyd and John Wilson, situated on the northeast corner of the lots now occupied by the Disciples' Church; one belonging to Sam- uel Parshall, situated on the north side of the same lots; one by Arthur G. Long, on the south side of the "Diamond," and one by John B. Pearson, situated on the east side of Jefferson Street, not far from the present site of the United Presbyterian Church.

There were three hotels, or "taverns," as they were then called, in New Castle, two of them being log buildings. One known as the "Pokeberry Exchange," and stood on the corner of North and Mercer Streets; another, kept by Arthur Chenowith, was in the "Old Stone Corner," on the "Dia- mond"; the third, situated in a log build- ing, on the subsequent site of Clendenin's Block, was kept by Robert Wallace.

HISTORY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY

Arthur Chenowith came from Virginia to New Castle about the year 1810, he bringing with him the first colored man ever seen in the place. Mr. Chenowith lived, for a short time after he came to New Castle, in a log house on the hillside, a little distance west of what is now called Shaw's Hill. In 1812 he built the "old stone corner" on Jefferson Street and the "Diamond," in which he subsequently con- ducted a hotel until his death, about 1826.

The trades and occupations of the prin- cipal citizens were as follows: William Dickson was a tanner; John C. Stewart a speculator and manufacturer; Samuel Mc- Cleary a stonemason ; Philip Painter a cab- inet-maker; James D. Cunningham shingle-maker; Alexander Boyles and Eli- jah Farr, blacksmiths; John Hull a wheel- wright; John Gormly and John Downey, shoemakers; Burton Rust a carpenter; Isaac Jones a hatter; Joseph Thornton a teacher; Arthur Hurry a justice of the peace; Crawford White a farmer; J. T. Boyd and John Wilson, merchants; Jesse Du Shane a coachmaker, and Chenowith, Wallace and Hawthorne, "tavern" keep- ers.

Up to 1813 there were only a few log cabins in the portion of New Castle lying east of Mercer Street. Of these, three or four were in the neighborhood of Shaw's Hill, and a few more near Vaneman's grist mill. East and south of the Neshannock there were no buildings except those of David White and James Squier, who lived about half a mile from the "town."

"In 1813, the steep river bank on the west side of the Shenango, along which there is now a good public road, sometimes called 'the Narrows,' was so rocky and precipitous that it was hardly passable for pedestrians. A few years later a path was made along which horses could pass, but it was several years before a wagon- road was constructed.

"It is said that in the same year there was only a cow-path running from the 'Diamond' eastward to the Neshannock,

winding among wild crab-apple trees and hazel brush.

"The number of buildings in New Castle at that date did not exceed thirty. These were mostly of logs. The first frame build- ing in the town was erected about 1808, on Mercer Street, a short distance north of Washington Street. It was boarded on the outside with shaved clapboards. The sec- ond frame building was situated near the site of R. M. Allen's present residence. The buildings were mostly log structures as late as 1817. The population in 1813 was probably less than 200.

EARLY BRIDGES.

The first bridge over the Neshannock was constructed about 1814, and was on the site of the present iron structure at the head of Washington Street. It was a wooden rustic bridge.

The first bridge over the Shenango was erected in 1815, subscription papers being circulated among the citizens of New Castle in December, 1814, for the purpose of raising funds to build the same, the sum of $705 being raised. What the total cost of the bridge was, we have no means of know- ing. It was also a wooden trestle bridge, and perhaps cost about the amount of sub- scriptions. It was built by a man named Kirk.

In 1812 the town of New Castle had grown to such importance that the gov- ernment established a post-office, and the Hon. Gideon Granger appointed Robert Boyd postmaster, which office he held until some time during the administration of President Van Buren, or about twenty- eight years. He also held the office at a subsequent period for about eighteen months. Colonel Boyd, who came from the Colony of Delaware, was a man pos- sessing many rare and excellent qualities. He was particularly noted for his gentle- manly manners and great goodness of heart, never speaking ill of any one. His wife, Martha, was the daughter of Joseph Thornton. They had a son, Joseph Thorn-

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

ton, who was born in Chambersburg, Pa., in April, 1781. In his later days Colonel Boyd united with the First Presbyterian Church, under the care of Dr. D. X. Jun- kin. He died in the beginning of March, 1868, aged nearly eighty-seven years. Be- tween the years 1832 and 1838, Colonel Boyd was one of the directors of the Penn- sylvania and Ohio Canal Company.

"About the year 1807 David White, a brother of Crawford White, from Cumber- land County, Pennsylvania, came to New Castle and settled on tract No. 55, lying south of the line between districts one and two of 'Donation Lands.' The tract con- tained about 200 acres, and included the point of land lying between the Shenango River and Neshannock Creek, and adjoin- ing John C. Stewart's land. Crawford White purchased all the land lying in the point between the streams, amounting to about thirty acres, of his brothers, about 1815. He also purchased a strip along the east side of the Neshannock; sufficient to cover the overflow.

"On the 17th of July, 1817, a tract, lying east of the original town plot, and including a strip on the east side of the Neshannock, was sold at sheriff's sale for debt. It contained twenty-six acres and twenty-nine perches, and was probably a portion of J. C. Stewart's property. Craw- ford White and Arthur Chenowith pur- chased this property in company, and, about 1818, built a brush-dam, a few rods above where the canal-dam now is. In the same year White alone, or in company with Chenowith, erected mills on the present site of Raney's mill. In 1820 Chenowith quit-claimed his interest in all the above described lands to White. The considera- tion which White and Chenowith paid for the twenty-six acres was $650. Crawford White, before his death, sold this prop- erty to his son, James D., who rebuilt the mills, and laid out an addition to the town, south of the original plot between the rivers, in 1837. All of James D. White's property remaining at his death was sold

to the Etna Iron Company. The canal- dam, when built, flooded the old brush- dam."

At this date one of the oldest living citi- zens of New Castle was Joseph Justice, who first came to the town in 1813. His father, Jacob Justice, was a Revolutionary soldier, who had emigrated from Franklin County, Pennsylvania, in 1797, intending to settle in what afterwards became Law- rence County, but through fear of trouble with Indians and from other considera- tions, located in Washington County for two years, when he again started with his family, and finally located in what is now North Beaver Township, Lawrence Coun- ty, on land which he drew for his services in the Revolution, remaining there until his death, which occurred in 1829. In 1813, Joseph, then eighteen years of age, came to New Castle to learn the hatter's trade, with Isaac Jones, who had been here for some eight or ten years. He worked at the trade about two years, when he left New Castle, and worked in various places as a journeyman, and, finally, located in Hookston, Washington County, where he carried on the business for about two years. In 1819 he again came to New Castle, and took up his permanent residence here. He carried on the business of a hatter for many years, until it became unprofitable, when he gave it up.

He held various offices, and was the third burgess after the town became a borough, about 1827. At the time of his death he had attained an advanced age.

James Cunningham, familiarly known as "Uncle Jimmy," was quite an early set- tler. It is said that he was the first owner of a frow, a broad-axe and an auger in New Castle. He was a shingle-maker by trade. Mr. Cunningham served during the War of 1812. He married, in 1813, Miss Mary A. Cruise, an orphan girl, a native of Delaware, who lived in the family of Cornelius Hendrickson. She often assist- ed at the ferry kept by Mr. Hendrickson, crossing in a "dug-out," which was pro-

HISTORY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY

pelled by an oar, or setting-pole, as occa- sion required. She was remarkably skill- ful, and often crossed when ice was running in the stream to a dangerous extent. The newly married couple first lived in a log house, which is still standing (weather- boarded) on the northwest corner of the "Diamond." He afterwards built a log cabin of his own on the lot now owned by the heirs of Webster Justice.

Robert Wallace, the grandfather of R. W. Clendenin, owned, at a very early period in the history of New Castle, nearly all of the square between Mercer Street and the "Diamond," on the north side of Washington Street, where for many years he kept a hotel in a structure built of logs. It is said that in the rear of this "tavern" there was a large yard, to which those who had any personal difficulties to settle repaired and stripped to the buff, and then and there took satisfaction by knocking each other down till one of the combatants cried "enough!" when they shook hands, took a drink, and parted "good friends." This practice was quite common in the early days of Western Penn- sylvania, as indeed it has been in many other sections of the country.

AMUSEMENTS.

Though living under pioneer conditions during the early days of the existence of the place, the people of New Castle were not devoid of healthful and rational amuse- ments. These consisted of log-rollings, raisings, wrestling, leaping, running foot- races and throwing stones of various weights. The log-rollings consisted of all the men and boys within a radius of five or ten miles getting together and assist- ing a settler in hauling and rolling the logs together on a newly-cleared piece of ground, for the purpose of burning them. Every man carried his own dinner, consist- ing, generally, of corn bread, bear meat, venison, or wild turkey. After the work was accomplished the whole party betook

themselves to some familiar game, which they pursued, until "chore time" admon- ished them to start each for his cabin, scat- tered here and there at long intervals in the forest. Many a thrilling adventure with the wild denizens of the forest oc- curred to them on their homeward paths, when they encountered the prowling bear, the fierce and dangerous panther, or a pack of more dangerous wolves. At log- rollings and raisings, the proprietor fur- nished nothing but whiskey, which was then considered an indispensable article, with- out which no outdoor work could be prop- erly done. For the female portion of the community there were apple-parings, or "bees," quiltings, dances in the rude log cabins, and corn huskings.

Frequently a quilting was improvised on the same day and at the same place when the men were having a log- rolling; and, in the evening, after the out- door work was finished, a jolly time was enjoyed around the big old chimney, where an immense fire furnished both heat and light at the same time. In those early days furniture was not as plentiful or as costly at at the present day, and frequently it happened that there were more young men and maidens than there were chairs and seats to accommodate them. On oc- casions like these, the young men, in the intervals of the dance, gallantly sat them- selves down on the chairs and stools and took each a young lady on his lap, and held her until the next dance was called.

Besides the above mentioned amuse- ments, there were rail-splittings and wood- choppings, in which the quantity of sturdy timber reduced to rails and cord-wood in a day would astonish the men of the pres- ent generation. The sports and employ- ments of those days were calculated to de- velop a hardy, enduring type of men and women, and, doubtless, some part of the vigor and health enjoyed by the present generation is due to the hardy and health- ful sports and labor of our pioneer an-

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

cestors. As quoted a previous historian of this county :

"They were a sturdy, rude race and strong- Our grandsires and granddames of old- And they conquered the forest with song, Though the battle was fierce and long, And hardships were many and manifold.

"For they worked with the vigor of men Who came to this forest-clad land To win from each valley and glen- Though beaten again and again- A home for each heart in the band.

"And they conquered: The forest is gone long ago; The wild beast departed in fear; The factories smoke in the valley below, And the thunder of traffic goes to and fro, Where the savage once hunted the deer."

PIONEER COSTUME.

Previous to the War of 1812, the settlers generally wore hunting-shirts made of deer-skin, or some durable kind of cloth. It had a large cape covering the shoulders, and was usually trimmed with fringe. A belt was generally worn around the waist, in which were inserted the hunting-knife and tomahawk, for these articles were quite as commonly carried by the whites as by the Indians. The powder-horn was slung around the shoulder.

NEW CASTLE MADE A BOROUGH.

New Castle was made a borough on the 25th of March, 1825, some twenty-four years before the erection of the county. "The petition forwarded to the Legisla- ture for the erection of the borough, it is claimed, contained not only the names of all the legal voters in the place, but also those of nearly all the boys. The people no doubt acted upon the maxim that 'all is fair in war,' and left no stone unturned which would assist them in the accomplish- ment of their object. The population of the new borough is not known with any degree of certainty, but it did not exceed 300. The first burgess elected was Rob- ert McConahy. John Frazier was second, and Joseph Justice third.

"The merchants at that date, as they are remembered by the oldest citizens,

were Joseph T. Boyd, John Wilson, Sam uel MeCleary, Alexander McConahy and John B. Pearson. The hatters were Isaac Jones, James Dunlap, William Cox and Joseph Justice. The blacksmiths were George Myers, John Reed and David Sei- bert. Joseph Emery and Matthew Justice were carpenters; Thomas Falls and Will- iam Dixon, tanners. Michael Carman was a tailor; Nathaniel McElevy a shoemaker; James Lutton a saddler; Eli Rigby a wag- on-maker. Mr. McElevy was one of the earliest shoemakers in New Castle, hav- ing commenced the business as early as 1810."

THE TOWN RE-SURVEYED.

It having been discovered that the town, as originally laid out by J. C. Stewart, was very imperfectly plotted, a re-survey was ordered by the burgess and council, about 1826-7. Three leading citizens-Jo- seph Justice, Joseph Emery and Nathaniel McElevy-were appointed a committee to superintend the survey, which ran all the lines over, and established permanent corn- ers, as far as practicable.

David Crawford, a printer, came to New Castle, from Mercer, in 1825. His widow in after years described the appearance of the little borough, at that time, as seen from a distance, as that of a large meadow dotted here and there with sheep-pens. "Mercer looked bad enough," she said, "but New Castle looked worse!" In De- cember, 1826, Mr. Crawford commenced the publication of the first paper in New Castle. It was a five-column folio, called the New Castle Register. Subscription price, $2 per year. It was published in a room on the first floor of a log house, then standing on or near the present site of R. M. Allen's residence. He published the paper about two years, when he re- turned to Mercer, and remained there until about the year 1831, when he came back to New Castle. (See chapter on The Press.)

About 1828 John Wilson, the merchant,

HISTORY OF LAWRENCE COUNTY

erected the two-story brick building on the "Diamond," later known as the "Wilder House," and which is said to have been the second brick house erected in the place. Its erection was considered at the time as a striking mark of progress.

In 1828-9 Joseph T. Du Shane, Esq., built the American House, on the corner of Washington Street and Apple Alley. He then traded the property to his father for part money and part land in Beaver County. He removed to the land, but re- turned in 1829. The old gentleman kept the hotel for about two years, when he rented it to his son-in-law, Andrew Rob- ison, who kept it a year or more, when Jesse Du Shane sold the property to An- drew Lewis, who continued the business very profitably for a number of years, when he sold it to David Harlan. It is now known as the St. Cloud Hotel.

In 1831 Joseph Kissick, from Westmore- land County, Pennsylvania, came to New Castle and in December of that year, opened a general store in a small two- story frame building, situated on the pres- ent site of Wood's block. He afterwards, in 1833, removed his stock of goods and household furniture to the "Old Fort" (see military record), which stood near the present site of the First National Bank.

Dr. Charles T. Whipp, a native of the State of New York, and a civil engineer by profession, though having previously practiced medicine, also made his first visit to New Castle about 1833, coming as prin- cipal engineer of the Beaver division of the Erie Extension Canal. In 1834 he made this city his permanent residence, be- ing then about fifty years old. He pur- chased a large tract of land near the vil- lage of Croton, of Moses Crow, and lived on it until the time of his death, which oc- curred about 1855-6. His residence was outside the borough, and, hence, he never figured in local politics, but he was al- ways a prominent man in the community, and was connected with various enter- prises. A short time before his death he

was one of the original incorporators of the Bank of New Castle, organized in 1855. He was also president of the board of trustees of the New Castle Female Semin- ary, in 1838. The doctor left quite a large amount of property at the time of his death. He never practiced medicine after coming to Western Pennsylvania.

In 1831 Joseph T. Boyd and John Wil- son, his old partner, were trading-Boyd in the store, built by Boyd and Wilson, on the lot now enclosed around the Disciples' Church, and Wilson in the building later known as the "Wilder House."

Other storekeepers were: Robert Mc- Conahy, John B. Pearson and Samuel Mc- Cleary.

There were four hotels, or "taverns," in New Castle at that date; one kept by John Shearer, in a two-story frame build- ing, afterwards the site of the Leslie House; one by Jesse Du Shane, in what is now called the St. Cloud Hotel; one by Alexander Hawthorne, called the "Poke- berry Exchange," on the southwest corner of Mercer and North Streets, and one by Andrew Lewis, in a log cabin building on the north side of Washington Street, be- tween the "Diamond" and Mercer Street. Hotel prices were not extravagant in those days-supper, breakfast and lodging was "three shillings," or thirty-seven and a half cents, and horse feed, "sixpence," or six and a quarter cents.

The physicians at that time were Dr. A. M. Cowden and Dr. William Shaw. The former lived in a frame dwelling on the east side of Mercer Street, and the latter lived in a story-and-a-half stone house on East Street.

Prominent among New Castle citizens in those days was Thomas Falls, who came here with his parents, Henry and Susan Falls, in 1804. His father located on the tract of "Donation Lands," No. 1951, next east and adjoining Crawford White's tract, the only other residences at that time be- ing the cabins of John Carlysle Stewart, the original proprietor of the town; Joseph

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

Townsend, William Munnel, and probably John Watson. Mr. Falls remained with his parents until he was of age, when he went to Mercer to learn the tanning trade. After serving an apprenticeship of three years he went to Pittsburg, and worked at his trade there one summer. In the autumn of 1815, he returned to New Castle on foot, with his savings of $76 in his pocket. With this limited capital he founded the tannery which many years afterwards was the property of his son, Thomas Falls. After making the vats himself and getting his tannery ready for business, he went to Mercer on horseback and bought a small quantity of leather, which he carried to Hillsville and placed in a store to be ex- changed for hides. These hides he tanned, and thus started a business which grew and prospered in his hands. His manufac- tured leather was disposed of in his own shop. His lampblack and oil were pur- chased in Pittsburg, to which city he made frequent visits on foot. Three years after commencing business for himself, during a portion of which time he kept "bachel- or's hall," he married Miss Sarah Wil- son, daughter of Adam Wilson, who re- sided near the Neshannock Church, and began housekeeping in the old John Car- lysle Stewart house.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Century history of New Castle and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Part 7

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