USA > Pennsylvania > Washington County > Washington > Century history of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Vol. I > Part 66
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Newkirk's grist mill was located elose to the site of the present borough of Bentleyville. The mill was run by water power. A mill was operated on Pigeon Creek prior to the year 1787 by Sheslibazzar Bentley, Sr. Fred- erick Ault built a mill on the North Branch of Pigeon Creek in 1785. He operated it until 1837, and it was later owned by Hon. James Gordon.
About the beginning of the nineteenth century William Ramsey erected a flouring mill on the waters of Little Chartiers Creek. In 1788 there were twelve stills in the township, there having been eighteen in the year previous.
The following physicians have practiced in Somerset Township: Dr. Ephraim Estep, 1807-10; Dr. Crawford, Dr. Robert Mercer, Dr. Bishop, Dr. Boyd Emory, Dr. Boyd Emory, Jr., Dr. John Keyes, Dr. Jefferson Scott, Dr. Stephen E. Hill, Dr. Henry MeDonough, Dr. Wheeler, Dr. Milton Allen, Dr. Joseph Shidder and Dr. Joseph Leatherman.
Schools were started in Somerset Township as early as 1801, and by the time the public school law was passed in 1834 there were many in operation. Some of them had a three months' term and were private enterprises.
The schools in general were supported by public sub- scription. The fees were often paid in rye, as that product could be easily turned into whisky by the school- master aud transported over the mountains eastward for sale. At first private dwellings were nsed for school buildings, but about 1803 the settlers comemneed the erection of special school buildings. These were crude affairs, not much resembling the handsome and com- fortable schoolhonses of the present day. They were generally constructed of logs and fitted with puncheon seats withont backs. They were heated by large opeu fireplaces in one end, and lighted by openings about ten inches in width, covered with oiled paper. These schools were attended only by boys, as it was considered un- necessary for girls to be educated. The boys were tanghit the three Rs-Reading, (W) riting and 'Rithmetic.
One of the earliest schools of this township was taught by Samuel Lawrence during the year 1798 iu a log cabin located on the present Mrs. Joseph Scott farm, then the Vance farm, on the Middle Branch of Pigeon Creek. This school was also taught afterwards by Johu K. MeGee. Another school was soon started on the farm now owned by John D. MeDonough, one half mile east
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
of the Vance school, and was later taught by Leonard Blaine. In 1800 a school was in operation on the Thomas Richardson farm. David Johnson taught in 1804 in a school house on the South Branch of Pigeon Creek, near the Carey Mill. A school was operated from the year 1814 to after 1834 on the Greer McIlvaine farm. John McIlvaine, the first teacher, was followed hy Jesse Wood- ruff. Mordecai Hoge taught school as early as 1814. From 1827 to 1833 he conducted a school at Hoge's Summit. For the uext two years he taught a school near Pee's Mill. Then returning to Hoge's Summit he taught till about 1860. Soon after Prof. John Messenger huilt a small school huilding here and called it Hoge's Summit Academy. Many young men got an educational start and increased ambition from this teacher. He after- ward was a member of the State Legislature.
The township erected ten school huildings in 1837, after the school law was passed. In 1850 there were eleven schools and 415 scholars.
In 1860 the township had nine schools, nine teachers, and 348 pupils enrolled; in 1873, only eight schools, eight teachers, and 220 pupils.
There were in Somerset Township in 1908: Schools, 8; teachers, 8 (males 1, females 7); enrollment, 192; average number of months taught, 7; average salary of teachers per month, males $60.00, females $58.56; cost of each pupil per month, $2.81; number of mills on the dollar levied for school purposes, 11%; estimated value of school property, $4,000.
The first high school for this township is being started at Vanceville this year in two rooms.
Pigeon Creek Presbyterian Church is located near the north branch of Pigeon Creek, three miles northwest of Vanceville. Rev. John McMillen preached the first sermon within the hounds of Pigeon Creek in the year 1775, and hecame the permanent pastor of the Pigeon Creek and Chartiers congregations in 1778. He thus remained until 1794, heing succeeded hy Rev. Boyd Mer- cer. Numerous pastors have since served this church, Rev. J. C. Loughlin occupying the pulpit at the present time. The membership of the church is 240.
This church has experienced not less than five seperate revivals, as many as seventy-eight persons heing added to the church on one communion day. In the early times during the summer, meetings were held in the open air, with a tent for the protection of the preacher.
The first meeting house was a log structure with a claphoard roof and door. During the first winter it was not heated. This huilding and the stone one that suc- ceeded it were situated within the bounds of the present cemetery.
On one occasion while services were heing held the floor gave away, carrying the audience down with it, but for-
tunately no one was seriously injured. The families provided their own pews, and it is said the variety of style was almost as great as the number of pews. In 1829 the present hrick building, seventy hy fifty-six feet, with four doors, was erected on the hill north of the cemetery. In 1790 there was no fence ahout the church or cemetery and each grave was enclosed with a fence of poles or logs, or any material that could be easily procured. In 1871 a parsonage was built at a cost of $4,000. The church at Fairview organized at Munn- town, and the church of Mount Pleasant were organized with congregations, the members of which came largely from Pigeon Creek Church. Ten years ago the church was remodeled.
United Presbyterian Church of Pigeon Creek-The Horse Shoe Bottom Associate congregation was organized in 1816. The name was changed to Pigeon Creek in 1820, although the church is situated three miles from the waters of Pigeon Creek. Services during the year 1816 were held in the house of Thomas Hall. After- wards "Hall's Tent," a roofed platform, was built for the use of the pastor and the services held outdoors. The first meting house was a log structure huilt ahout 1819 on a site now included in the graveyard of the Pigeon Creek U. P. Church. This meeting house was replaced by a hrick huilding sixty by fifty feet constructed at a cost of $2,500. The present building was completed in 1871, at a cost of $18,000, and a parsonage was huilt at a cost of $4,000 in 1873. Rev. J. E. Springer has heen pastor since 1905. The present membership is 150.
Pigeon Creek Baptist Church is oue-half mile east of Vanceville. The congregation was organized August 27, 1803. Services were held at first in a tent on the land of Henry McDonough. In 1830 land was donated by Solomon Huffman. Later a hrick church huilding was erected. It was torn down and the present hrick building huilt in 1858, one hundred yards east of the old huilding. The old church stood within the hounds of the present cemetery. The present pastor of Pigeon Creek Baptist Church is Rev. J. F. Miller; membership, 104.
German Lutheran Church-In 1816 land in Somerset Township was warranted to Jacob Kintner, John Onstott and George Miller, trustees, on which the German Luther- an congregation soon huilt a log church which has since heen replaced hy a hrick edifice. This church is in the eastern part of the township, six miles west of Monon- gahela City. The membership is small.
SOUTH FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP.
This township was formed by a division of Franklin Township into North and South Franklin Townships, February 8, 1892. South Franklin Township is bounded
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
by Buffalo and North Franklin on the north, Amwell on the east, Morris and Amwell ou the south, Buffalo and Finley on the west.
Among the familiar early names in this township are Henry Dickerson, Abram Dill, Luther Axtell, Cracrafts, the Weirs, Days, Coopers and MeCrackens.
There are five schools in South Franklin Township and six teachers (males 2, females 4) ; average number of mouths taught, 7; average salary paid teachers per month, males $42.50, females $45.75; cost of each pupil per month, $2.07; number of mills on the dolar levied for school purposes, 1; estimated value of school prop- erty, $4,000.
School directors: S. B. Dodd, president; W. A. Cra- craft, secretary; J. M. Davis, treasurer; H. R. Post, W. R. Gunn, and L. II. Ramsey.
The total mileage of public roads in Sonth Franklin Township in 1904 was fifteeu miles. The work road tax is still retained in this township. The road tax was 11/2 mills in 1908, and amounts to $2,274.18.
The old plank road, constructed by the Upper Teu- Mile Plank Road Company, about 1851, passes through South Franklin Township, extending from Prosperity to Washington. Toll was collected upon this road until 1906, and it was kept in better condition than any road leading out of Washington. It was condemned by a petition to the court in 1906, damages being paid to the company.
Bethel Presbyterian Church, which was organized and existed as a Cumberland Presbyterian Church until the union in 1903, is located in South Franklin Township at Van Buren, on the Prosperity Plank Road. The con- gregation was organized in 1833. It was started by the majority party of the Upper Ten-Mile Presbyterian Church, which adopted Cumberland theology. The pres- ent, a splendid brick edifice, is the second house of wor- ship erected by this congregation. There is a member- ship of about 200 at the present time. The first pastor was Rev. John Morgan. The Rev. Howard M. Evans has been the pastor since May, 1908.
In connection with the church are the Christian En- deavor Society, the Young Ladies' Missionary Circle, and the Women's Auxiliary Society. W. R. Gunn, H. M. Riggle, J. N. Andrews, J. J. Riggs and H. R. Post are the present elders.
The Sabbath School has for its superintendent, Hamil- ton Post.
Bethel was organized May 30, 1832, and this with Old Concord took so many members from Upper Ten- Mile Presbyterian congregation as to almost cause its complete dissolution.
A Presbyterian Church ouce stood across the old plank road from Bethel Church and abont a mile southeast. It had been built eight years when the Cumberland church excitement began in that region. The time of the pastor at Lower Ten-Mile was divided between this loca- tion and Amity. The influence of the Cumberland ad- herents smothered this little congregation which had just started or was a mission of Lower Ten-Mile. Preaching ceased abont 1870, aud nothing remains to mark tho spot but the small graveyard.
Liberty Chapel, built by the Methodists, is uear Van- Kirk Station of the Washington and Waynesburg Rail- road, which runs along the eastern side of this township.
This township is rich in coal, oil and gas and comprises a number of very sucesfnl and interesting farmers. The homes and farm improvements compare favorably with the best in Washington County. For more thau twenty years there has been more or less activity in the oil and gas field of the township. The well on the A. O. Day farm was the first producing oil well here. The first gas well in the township was located on the farm of John G. Clark about 1888.
The first oil well on the farm of C. II. Trussell is pump- ing at the present time and has been producing for four- teen years. This well is located in what is knowu as the Fifty-foot sand. The Crude Oil Company has several wells, also the Manufacturers' Light and Heat Company has wells in this county on the Cracraft farm.
Grayson & Co. operate on the Anlt farm. The South Penn Oil Co. operates extensively in this township. This township is underlaid with a vein of coal being from six to seven feet in thickness, much of which has either been optioned or sold.
The Pittsburg and Freeport veins of coal are to be found in this township.
On the William and James Tucker farm, near Cham- berlain dam, the diamond drill test hole record shows the depth of the valnable and continuous Pittsburg vein or seam as 641.67 feet; thickness of coal, 6.17 feet; sul- phur, .79%; phosphorus, .01%.
Frank Sanders conducts a general store at Vanburen. James Mannon conducts a small grocery store five and a half miles from Washington on what is known as the Plank Road, now a pike. The few honses and toll gate formerly here were called "Toledo." This road is a pike from Washington running south through the town- ship into Morris Township. There is a splendid tele- phone service throughout the township.
The survey made for the Wabash R. R. runs through the center of this township almost parallel with the pike.
Adam Weir, the present postmaster at Vanburen, was appointed to that offiee by President Grant, and has filled the office to the present time.
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
The township voted on and adopted the cash payment plan for collecting road tax; mills levied for roads in 1908, 11/2. South Franklin has no county or Flinn Road and no State highway road; five miles of pike, formerly called the Prosperity Plank Road, was condemned and freed from toll in 1906.
Township officers (1909) : Justices of the peace, W. C. Cracraft, Joshua Dickerson; tax assessor, James C. Price; tax collector, Lewis Elliott; supervisors, Frank McClain, Samuel Dodd, Adam Weir.
SOUTH STRABANE TOWNSHIP.
This township was formed May 3, 1831, by a division of Strabane Township. It is bounded on the north by North Strabane and Chartiers; on the east by Somerset and West Bethlehem; on the south by North Franklin and Amwell, and on the west by Washington, East Washing- ton and Chartiers Township. Its greatest length is nine miles, breadth four and a half miles.
It contains the towns of Laboratory, sometimes known as Martinsburg, and Pancake, a small village southeast of Washington, and originally laid out as Williamsburg; and Manifold.
There were in South Strabane Township in 1908: Schools, 12; teachers 12 (males 3, females 9) ; average number of months taught, 8; average salary of teachers per month, males $53.33, females $50.00; cost of each pupil per month, $1.86; number of mills on the dollar levied for school purposes, 21/2 ; estimated value of school property, $23,000. The school directors for 1898 were Seth H. Reynolds, president ; Frank P. Keeney, secre- tary; Robert J. Henry, treasurer; W. J. Munce, Jr., J. C. Davis, and J. R. Taylor.
This township lies north and east of the Borough of Washington. In addition to being one of the best agri- cultural townships in Washington County, it is under- laid with a rich vein of coal from five to six feet in thickness. The field, for the past four and a half years, has been extensively operated. The Pittsburg Coal Co. began sinking a shaft at what is now Manifold, in Octo- ber, 1903. It laid out the town on a spur of the C. V. R. R., and erected about 170 houses for employees. The company, when operating at full capacity, employ about 500 men.
There are several stores at Manifold, also a postoffice, but the town depends for its chief support on the coal mine, which is a large and well equipped mine. There is also a Miners' Union at this place, and several stores in the township.
Davidson Chapel, a frame building beside the National Pike, five miles east of Washington, at the southeastern corner of this township, was built by the Methodists. Until the close of the Civil War this congregation was
located two miles further north, close to the eastern side of the township on a location now occupied by the Mount Pleasant Presbyterian congregation, of which Rev. Thomas R. Alexander, of Washington, is pastor.
The first oil well in the township was put down on the farm of Alvin Smith, about two miles north of Wash- ington, in the spring of 1884. The second well was on the same farm during the same year and proved to be a gasser. Mr. Smith owns the farm at the present time and had purchased the same only a short time prior to the discovery of oil and gas. The farm was formerly the property of George Munce and known as the Munce farm. Both wells were put down by the Chartiers Oil Company. While the oil well was soon abandoned, though producing from eight to nine barrels a day, owing to the very low price at which oil was selling at that time. The gas well is still producing. One of the largest producing wells in the township was put down on what was known as the Martin Heiss farm by the Mckeown Oil Company, and came in with a production of about 3,300 barrels a day.
One of the very largest oil wells was struck May 23, 1886 on George M. Cameron's farm in the center of this township. It produced an average the first year of over 2,000 barrels per day. One of the famous wells was drilled near the center of the township, and was well known in this region as the "Bunghole Well." It was drilled on a small, narrow lot leased by C. M. Reed and others from an aged colored woman. The land owner was made rich from this well and No. 2, which could scarcely be crowded upon the same lot.
The earliest coal works in this township was the En- terprise Coal Works opened by sinking a shaft in 1873 about two miles northeast of Washington to a depth of 150 feet. This mine and the Pittsburg Southern Railroad, upon a spur of which it was located, are both abandoned.
The railroad ran out of Washington upon the location of the present North avenue in East Washington, and passed under the Williamsburg or Monongahela pike near the present residence of Mrs. George Davis, nearly two miles east of, but in sight of, the court house.
The spur made a very large curve. Through the Tay- lor and Samuel Farley farms to drop down to the mine. The coal works opened by Walters & LeMoyne were after- wards owned and operated successively by V. Harding, J. V. Cook & Sons, and others. Later the owners opened a shaft to connect with the Chartiers Valley R. R. below Arden station. The shaft and new dwellings on this later location were abandoned.
There is one store and a brick yard at Vance Station, in this township.
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
LABORATORY.
Laboratory, on the National Turnpike, two miles east of Washington, is situated in a high, healthy location. T. B. Horn & Co., groeers, and J. A. Chambers, general store, are merchants here. There are also two black- smith shops and a shoe shop, which, with Nazer's whole- sale and retail butchering plant, constitute the business houses of this place. This village had, in 1900, a popu- lation of 105. It has a schoolhouse and contains some beautiful homes.
CLOKEYVILLE.
This is a small village with a population of fifty, lo- cated on the B. & O. R. R. It was of some importance years ago, because located on the Washington and Mo- nongahela Turnpike.
The Washington and Williamsport Turnpike, known as the Washington and Monongahela Turnpike, runs through the middle of this township and the National Turnpike along the south line. The first has been taken over by the county as a county road, and the last by the State Highway Department, to be kuown as a State road.
The present township officials are: Justice of the peace, James A. Seaman; assessor, Mr. Harshman; col- feetor, Mark Keeny; supervisors, W. J. Munce, Jr., Hiram Rankin and James Helm.
The township has not voted on or adopted the law requiring all road taxes to be paid in cash. The levy for road tax in 1908 was 31% mills. There is in this township two miles of county or Flinn roads, from Wash- ington to McLane's Bridge; five miles of State highway or Sprowls road, from Washington toward Manifold; five miles of the former Monongahela Pike and two miles of the former Pittsburg Pike.
The old work road tax is still used in South Strabane Township. In 1908 the road tax was 31% mills. This township has several excellent roads, some of which are the Washington-McClain's Bridge Road, the Quail Road, the Meadowlands Road, and the old National Pike. The first mentioned is a county or Flinn road, and the second two are State or Sprowls roads. The Washing- ton-McClain's Bridge Road is 11,200 feet in length and is twelve and twenty-four feet wide iu stone and grading, respectively. It was completed in 1908 by the Hallam Construction Co., costing $25,591.79 for construction, $1,289.59 for engineering.
The Quail Road is 17,100 feet in length and was com- pleted in 1908 by the Hallam Construction Co. The stone construction is fourteen to sixteen feet wide, and the grading twenty-six feet wide. The construction of the road cost $37,330.52, and the engineering, etc., $1,- 695.68.
The Meadowlands Road was built in 1907-8 by the
Hallam Construction Co. its total length is 9,205 feet, and it is fourteen to sixteen feet wide in stone and twenty-six feet wide in grading. The total cost of this road was $19,018.48.
Other good roads in this township are the Mononga- hela, or Washington and Williamsport Pike, which was formerly owned by a turnpike company, and the Pitts- burg Pike.
The real estate valuation of South Strabane Township amounts to $2,386,164; personal property, $107,913. There are 550 taxables in the township.
In 1850 the population numbered 1,390; in 1860 it was 1,063; in 1890, 3,079; and in 1900, 1,333.
In 1850 South Strabane Township had 215 voters; in 1904 it had 344, and in 1908 it had 443.
UNION TOWNSHIP.
Union Township was erected March 31, 1836 from Peters aud Nottingham Townships. In 1862 the boundary line was changed slightly. The present boundaries of Union Township are Allegheny County on the north, Allegheny County and the Monongahela River on the east, Carroll and Nottingham Townships on the south, and Nottingham and Peters Townships on the west. Its greatest length is six miles, and breadth 3 miles. The Mingo Creek marks part of the southern boundary. The only other stream of any importance is Peters Creek, which runs through the northwestern corner of the town- ship. Fertile bottom lands one-eighth to three-fourths : of a mile in width lie along the Monongahela River. : Back of these rise abrupt hills, from which uplands stretch back into the interior. The township is well adapted to farming and the Pittsburg vein of coal crops out in many places, especially along the river bluffs, where it is taken out by drift mines.
In this township was the hot-bed of the Western In- surrection in 1794, when its men were called "the Whis- key Boys." Its inhabitants have always since that date . been among the most orderly and law abiding people of the county. This township has now four retail licensed saloons, a distillery at Elrama and a brewery at Court- ney.
Below Mingo Creek in Union Township mining opera- tions have been very active for a long time and still are continued in some of the large mines, but the Pittsburg . coal near the river is almost exhausted and supplies have ? to be brought from new territory at a considerable dis- tance back.
The Redstone coal near Coal Bluff shows about sixty feet above the floor of the Pittsburg coal, with a thiek- ness of fonr feet six inches. In this region it usually : occurs from fifty to sixty feet above the base of the Pittsburg coal and ranges from two to four feet in thick-
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
ness. In a general way the importance of the Redstone coal appears to increase toward the north. It is, how- ever, frequently distributed by clay, horsebacks and veins, so that its value is not so great as would appear from some of its exposures. In this region the quality is usually good, and it makes very good fuel. The mines of this township are very old and many are worked out. The reader will find them fully described in the chapter on coal.
The B. & O. Railroad follows Peters Creek through the northwestern corner of the towuship. The stations on this road are Finleyville and Gastonville. The B. & O. Railroad Company bought the Pittsburg Southern Rail- road (narrow gauge) in 1885 and standardized the gauge. The railroad was first constructed by the Pittsburg Southern Railroad Company in 1879, but its course after leaving Finleyville was through Castle Shannon, reaching Pittsburg by going down Sawmill Run.
The Monongahela Division of the Pennsylvania Rail- road follows the west bank of the Monongahela through- out its length in Union Township. The following sta- tions are located on this railroad: Elrama, Shire Oaks, Coal Bluffs, Houston Run, Courtney.
This railroad passed into the control and management of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company in 1879. The railroad originally was built by and belonged to the Pittsburg, Virginia and Charleston Railway Company. Its construction was completed in 1873.
The trolley line between Finleyville and Monongahela starts south from Finleyville and follows Mingo Creek through Union Township. This line is a part of the Pittsburg and Charleroi Street Railway, chartered in 1901. It is operated by the Pittsburg Railways Com- pany.
A project has been proposed for constructing a street car line between Washington and Finleyville. The pro- posed line follows North avenue in Washington to the old excavations of the Pittsburg and Southern Railroad Company to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and thence it follows that line to Finleyville by way of Eighty-four, Wyland, Thomas and other smaller towns. The only place it leaves this line is in the vicinity of Wyland to Gilkeson station to avoid the great loop of the B. & O. Railroad.
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