USA > Pennsylvania > Crawford County > Gazetteer and business directory of Crawford County, Pa., for 1874 > Part 13
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" About the first of May, Cornelius Van Horn, Christopher Lantz, William Gregg and Thomas Ray, volunteered to leave the fort at Frank- lin, and return to Meadville, with their guns in their hands, and endeavor to put in a crop of corn. To do this it was necessary that Van Horn should first get his horses from Pittsburgh ; and accordingly he went after them. In returning he was obliged to follow a wild path through the woods, from Pittsburgh to Venango, and he describes his ride as lonely, desolate and disagreeable. Crossing the Slippery Rock Creek the first day, he en-
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camped for the night in a deep ravine. He had obtained some bread and two pounds of butter at Pittsburgh, out of which he made his supper, and then threw himself on his blanket to sleep with his gun by his side. Shortly afterwards he was awakened by the crackling of the fire, and found that, spreading among the dry leaves, it had communicated itself to his butter. In his endeavors to extinguish the flames, his hands were so severely burned as to prevent him from sleeping any more for the night. At day break he found that his harness was much injured by the fire, and that the horses he had turned out to browse had wandered away, so that it was ten o'clock before he was able to find them, and pursue his journey.
" The second day he progressed as far as Sandy Creek, and slept again in the woods. On his route he encountered one Indian, who was on his way to Slippery Rock, and whose good will he endeavored to gain by shar- ing with him from his bottle and his remaining stock of bread. On the third day he reached Franklin in safety, where he found the officer, with about twenty-five of his men, preparing to set out in a few days for Erie.
" On the fifth day of May, (Christopher Lantz being too unwell to ac- company them,) Cornelius Van Horn, William Gregg and Thomas Ray, having returned to Meadville, went to their field to plant it with corn. They worked during the morning, Van Horn ploughing, and the others planting until noon, when Ray and Gregg returned to their cabin for din- ner, leaving Van Horn ploughing alone, they engaging to bring his dinner to him. Shortly after they left, Van Horn, who had laid his gun on the bag of corn, at the end of the furrow, observed his horses to appear fright- ened, and on turning round, discovered two Indians running towards him. The foremost one threw down his bow and arrows, knocked off Van Horn's hat, and drew his tomahawk to strike. Van Horn, who, though short, was a stout built man, seized the tomahawk and held it with such force that the Indian could not wrest it from him. The second Indian, having laid down his gun, now came up and endeavored to get a stroke with his tomahawk, but Van Horn managed to keep up so much action, and to throw the other Indian between himself and the danger, that he could not accomplish it. Van Horn pleading for his life, the Indians con- ferred a moment together, when one of them, who spoke English, after cautioning him, with an oath, to make less noise, told him they would spare him, and that he might go with them. The Indians commenced un- harnessing the horses, but Van Horn requested them to take the gears along, promising to plow for them. They took each a horse, and Van Horn ran between them. Crossing the Cussewago near its mouth, and going west, up a ravine, for about a quarter of a mile, they came to where two other Indians were waiting for them on the hill. Here the Indians in- quired of Van Horn the situation of the settlement, and on learning how things stood, three of them took up their arms and went back, leaving the remaining one, an elderly Indian, in charge of the prisoner. After re- maining about three-quarters of an hour, the Indian put Van Horn on one of the horses, while he rode the other, and they pursued a dim Indian path until they came to Conneaut Lake. After crossing the outlet they dis- mounted. The horses were fettered so that they could not escape, and the Indian then tied the rope which confined the arms of his prisoner, to n tree and left him, going back upon the trail, it is supposed, either to fish in the lake or to watch if they were pursued. When left alone, Van Horn, who had given up his knife and powder-horn to the Indian who had cap- tured him, began to search in his pockets to see if he could find any in- strument to escape with. He fortunately discovered a small toy knife, which he had picked up the day before. It was deplorably dull, but, after whetting it on the key of his chest, and sawing awhile, he succeeded
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in cutting off that part of the rope which confined him to the tree. He immediately ran down the outlet, crossed it, and after struggling through the swamp, succeeded in making his way eastward, until he came to a path leading up French Creek, which he followed until he reached a small nursery of apple trees he had planted near Kennedy's Bridge. Finding the nursery full of weeds, and apprehensive if the fire got among them that his trees would be injured, he commenced weeding, as well as he could with his arms fettered. He had been at work but a few minutes, when he heard some one call to him from across the creek. Fearful of danger, he dared not to answer ; but when the call was repeated, he recognized the voice of John Fredebaugh, an old acquaintance. He im- mediately left his work, and, though the water was deep and cold, he waded through it to Fredebaugh, who conducted him to Ensign Jeffers, who, with thirty soldiers and three Indians, was at Mead's house. Jeffers cut the cord which bound Van Horn, and immediately ordered sentinels to be posted, and sent part of his men to the island for his horses, intend- tending at once to leave for Franklin. The horses were all found but the Ensign's, and he with his men left, leaving behind two Indians and Van Horn, the latter refusing to go until he had collected some articles lie wanted. He passed the night with the two Indians under some oak trees east of the present village, [Meadville] and in the morning, finding he had nothing to eat, he returned to the field where he had the day before been made a prisoner, and where he discovered, in a basket, the dinner which had been brought out for him the day before, by Gregg and Ray. After breakfast, having succeeded in catching the missing horse of Ensign Jeffers, he put his own saddle upon it, and gave it to one of the Indians to ride, while the other Indian and himself took a canoe, and descended to Franklin by water. The Indian on horseback was not heard of afterwards, and probably took his booty and rode off with it to the west.
"William Gregg and' Thomas Ray, whom we left going to their cabin, after dinner went out to where they had left Van Horn, and found that he was gone, and immediately after discovered the three Indians approaching them. They retreated, but as Gregg was crossing the Cussewago Creek, near its junction with French Creek, he was shot through the thigh, and disabled for further flight. He called to Ray to assist him. Ray stopped, and the Indians came up. Both Ray and Gregg appear to have been panic stricken, or they might have defended themselves. The Indians took Gregg's gun (their own being unloaded) and shot him with it, as he was seated on the bank of the creek. They scalped and left him, taking Ray with them as a prisoner.
"They followed the trail of the Indian who had preceded them, and on arriving at Conneaut Lake found their comrade, and learned from him that Van Horn had made his escape ; a circumstance which, the Indians told Ray, was entirely in his favor, as they had determined to risk taking with them but one prisoner, and that either he or Van Horn must have perished, if the latter had not eluded them. * * After un- dergoing the usual vicissitudes of Indian captivity on his way to the west, his captors brought him at last in the neighborhood of a British garrison, near Detroit ; here Ray, who was a Scot by birth, recognized one of the British officers (a Captain White) as a fellow-countryman, whom he had seen in Scotland. On making known his situation to Captain White, the latter, with generous benevolence, purchased his liberty from the Indians, gave him a suit of clothes, and paid his passage in a schooner to Buffalo. On reaching the latter place, Ray met with a Mohawk chief, of the name of Stripe Neck, who resided at Meadville, and who conducted him to Franklin, and from thence he proceeded to join his family at Pittsburgh,
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to the agreeable surprise of his relatives and friends, who had relinguished all expectation of having him return."
In the early part of 1794, the settlers organized a military company, and Cornelius Van Horn was chosen captain.
Watsons Run Church (German Reformed) was organized in 1825, by Rev. Philip Sizer, the first pastor ; and the church edifice, which will seat 250 persons, was erected in 1847, at a cost of $1,200. There are about 100 members, who are under the pastoral care of Rev. - Apple. The Church property is valued at $2,000 .- [Information furnished by Mr. John Andrews.
Watsons Run United Presbyterian Church was organized with forty members in 1870, in which year was erected, at a cost of $1,800, the church edifice, which will seat 200 persons. The first pastor was Rev. Samuel Black, who is also the present one. The Society numbers forty, and its property is valued at $2,050 .- [Information furnished by Mrs. Shartel.
WAYNE was formed in 1811. It lies near the center of the south border of the county, and contains 20,066 square acies. The general shape of the township is that of a right- angled triangle, the hypothenuse or south-east line, bordering on Venango county, consisting of a series of right-angles, pro- ducing a somewhat singular conformation. The streams are French Creek, which crosses the extreme south-west corner of the township, and Sugar Creek and Deckers Run, which run parallel with the former stream through the township-in a south-easterly direction-and empty into it in Venango county. Sugar Lake in the north part, on the creek of the same name, is a small sheet of water, about a mile in circumference. The Franklin branch of the Atlantic & Great Western R. R., extends along the left bank of French Creek, across the south-west cor- ner of the township.
The population in 1870 was 1,464, all of whom were white, 1,359, native and 105, foreign.
During the year ending, June 3, 1872, it contained eleven schools and employed twenty-one teachers. The number of schol- ars was 469; the average number attending school, 365; and the amount expended for school purposes, 82,174.54.
DECKARDVILLE, (p. o.) situated in the south part, on Deck- ers Run, four miles east of Cochranton, contains three churches, a school, two groceries, a shoe shop, blacksmith shop and fifty to seventy-five inhabitants. It is pleasantly located and is grow- ing rapidly.
WAYNE CENTER post office, which was established about 1862, was discontinued in 1822.
We cannot state definitely in what year nor by whom the settlement was commenced, though it was doubtless at a much earlier date than we are able to record. We can do no
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better than give the names of a few of the early settlers. James D. Allen and - Wheeling, father of Mr. Jacob Wheel- ing, settled in the township in 1819. Allen is a native of Ire- land, and is now sixty years old. He located where he now resides, when the locality was a wilderness infested by wild beasts. His nearest neighbors, the Brawleys, were two miles distant. Francis McDaniels, who was born in Ireland in 1788, immigrated to this country in 1818, and to this township in 1822, having previously resided in Lancaster county. He set- tled in the woods and had to make a clearing to erect his dwell- ing. Wm. Record, who was born in Allegheny county, in 1808, moved to his present place of residence in 1824, and was one of the first to settle in that locality. Jacob Rees came in from Philadelphia in 1829, and located on the site of Deckardville, when there was no house there and the locality was covered with a dense forest, and was the haunt of wild beasts. He was obliged to cut a road to the place of his settlement. Some idea of the animals and game which abounded here may be formed from the fact stated by Mr. John Ferry that his uncle, James Ferry, killed near Sugar Lake eighteen bears and eight hun- dred deer of which he kept a record. Many encounters with these denizens of the forest, involving great personal danger to those who engaged in them, are related, but the scope of this work does not admit of their repetition here.
The Evangelical Reformed Church at Deckardville, was organized with twenty-one members, in June, 1861, by Rev. L. D. Leberman, the first pastor, and the church edifice, which will seat 200 persons, was erected in 1859, at a cost of $1,000. At present the Society numbers seventy, and its property is valued at $1,250. The pastor is Rev. D. B. Ernest .- [In- formation furnished by Henry Hoffman and E. Noll.
The The Church of the United Brethren, at Deckardville, was organized with twenty-six members, in 1865, by Rev. Wm. Cadman. Their house of worship, which will seat 200 persons, was erected in 1855, at a cost of $1,100. The first pastor was Rev. Daniel Bolster ; the present one is Rev. R. Crispen. There are forty members. The Church property is valued at $1,200 .- [Information furnished by Mr. Wm. Holtz.
The Freewill Baptist Church, at Deckardville, was organized with forty members in September, 1865, by - Chase. Their house of worship was erected the previous year at a cost of $1.500. It will seat 200 persons. The first pastor was Rev. Bumpus. At present the Church is with- out a pastor, and its membership has dwindled to fifteen. The Church property is valued at $1,600 .- [Information furnished by Mr. John Waldo.
Zions Church, (Dutch Reformed,) at Wayne Center, was organized with thirty members, July 17, 1870, by Rev. John Kretzing, the first pastor, and their house of worship, which will seat about 300 persons, was erected about the same time, at a cost of $1,600. The Church is dis- continued. Its property is valued at $1,700 .- [Information furnished by Mr. Thomas Allen.
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WEST FALLOWFIELD.
WEST FALLOWFIELD was formed from East Fal- lowfield in 1845. It lies upon the south border of the county, west of the center, and contains 6,629 square acres. The sur- face is undulating and heavily timbered, principally with pine, oak and chestnut. The soil is a clayey loam. The principal stream is Crooked Creek, which separates it from East Fallow- field. The old Beaver & Erie Canal extends through the east- ern part of the township, in close proximity to Crooked Creek. The population of the township in 1870 was 691, all of whom were white, 664, native and 27, foreign.
During the year ending June 3, 1872, the township con- tained five schools and employed nine teachers. The number of scholars was 204; the average number attending school, 137 ; and the amount expended for school purposes, $1,173.12.
HARTSTOWN (p. v.) is situated a little north of the center of the township, on the line of the old Beaver & Erie Canal and at the outlet of a large reservoir which fed the Canal, but from which, since the latter's abandonment, the water has been drawn. It was incorporated as a borough in 1851, and had, in 1870, a population of 188. The number of inhabitants has not materially changed since then. It has three churches, one school, a hotel, two stores, one harness shop, three carriage shops, two blacksmith shops, a barrel factory, a shoe shop and a steam grist mill, just completed, containing two runs of stones. The reservoir which supplied the canal at this place covered about 600 acres, and being well stocked with fish was a favorite resort for the lovers of piscatorial sport. Bass, white fish and pickerel were caught here in great abundance. The water was drawn off in 1872. Before the canal was abandoned Hartstown was a thriving village.
ADAMSVILLE (p. o.) is situated in the southern part of the township and contains two churches, (and a Society of Old- School Presbyterians who have no edifice,) three stores, two blacksmith shops, two shoe shops, one carriage shop, a steam flouring mill, (with three runs of stones and a capacity for grinding forty bushels of grain per day,) thirty dwellings and about 150 inhabitants.
Settlement was begun in the latter part of the last century. Hugh Fletcher was the first to settle in the northern part of the township. He was a native of Ireland and came here in 1797. His daughter, Sarah, was the first white female child born in Shenango township. Hugh Blair, also from Ireland, came in 1802 and settled upon a tract of one hundred acres about one mile north of Hartstown.
The Hartstown United Presbyterian Church was organized in 1830, by Dr. Dinwiddie. The first pastor was Rev. S. F. Smith. The first church edi-
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fice was erected in 1830, and the present one in 1855, at a cost of $2,500. It will seat 500 persons. The present pastor is Rev. H. H. Hervey, our in- formant, and the number of members, 130. The Church property is val- ued at $3,000.
The M. E. Church, at Hartstown, was organized with fifteen members in 1840, in which year was erected the church edifice, (which will seat 175 persons) at a cost of $500. The pastor is Rev. H. S. Goodrich, and the number of members, 35. The Church property is valued at $400 .-- [In- formation furnished by Mr. Enoch Ellis.
The Adamsville Freewill Baptist Church was organized with twenty-one members, in April, 1852, by Revs. J. S. Manning and J. B. Page, the former of whom was the first pastor. Their house of worship, which will seat 250 persons, was erected in 1853, at a cost of $1,200. The Society numbers fifty-five, and is under the spiritual tutelage of Rev. N. H. Farr, our informant.
WEST SHENANGO was formed from South Shenango August 14, 1863. It lies in the south-west corner of the county, being separated from South Shenango by Shenango Creek, which is the only considerable stream. It contains 5,195 square acres. The surface is level and the soil adapted to the culture of fruit and grain. The Ashtabula & Franklin R. R., passes through the township adjacent to Shenango Creek.
The population of the township in 1870 was 357, all of whom were white and all, except 13, native.
During the year ending June 3, 1872, it contained four schools and employed eight teachers. The number of scholars was 89; the average number attending school, 75; and the amount expended for school purposes, $589.23.
TURNESVILLE (p. o.) is situated in the eastern part of the township and is distant from the A. & F. R. R. one-fifth of a mile. It contains one hotel, a school house, store, harness shop, wagon shop, two blacksmith shops and twenty-one dwell- ings.
ROYALTON (West Shenango p. o.) is situated in the south-west corner of the township.
Settlement is believed to have been commenced in 1800, by Andrew and John Betts, father and son, the latter of whom pre- ceded his father a few months. They came from Fayette county and located on the farm now owned by Henry Betts, on road 6. Andrew followed hunting for a number of years and his son John relates that in one season he killed deer to the number of 175. John subsequently became a preacher of the Methodist persuasion. Benjamin Snodgrass and Thomas Loughery also came in 1800. They both emigrated from Ireland. The former settled near where Matthew H. Snodgrass now lives. Samuel Scott and John White, the latter from Perry county, were earl
y
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settlers. A son of the latter advises us that his father settled about 1791, on the farm which he (the son) now owns, and that Scott settled about two years prior to that time. There is reason, however, to doubt this statement. Jeremiah Yokes, from Fayette county, settled in 1801, on the farm now owned by Alfred Kinne, and Robert French, from Redstone, settled in the northern part of the township in 1802. The first school in the township is believed to have been taught by Edward Hatton, who located on the place now owned by his son Leonard Hatton.
State Line M. E. Church was organized with fourteen members, about 1819 by Rev. E. Morse, the first pastor. The Society first worshiped in a school house, and in 1851, their church edifice, which will seat 400 persons, was erected, at a cost of $1,100. The present value of Church property is $1,875 .- [Information furnished by Mr. Francis H. Royal.
WOODCOCK was formed in 1830. It is an interior township, lying upon the east bank of French Creek, a little north of the center of the county, and contains 18,702 square acres. The surface is pleasantly diversified by upland and valley, and is well watered by streams flowing into French Creek, the principal of which is Woodcock Creek, which enters the township in the south-east corner and extends in a north- westerly direction to the southern limits of Saegertown. The north branch of that creek rises in the north-east part of the township and flows south along the east border to its recipient. Bussard Run is a smaller tributary to. Woodcock Creek in the central part of the township. The northern and north-western parts of the township are drained by Gravel Run and the south branch of that stream, which unites with its recipient near the confluence of the latter with French Creek, in the north- west corner of the township. Many small streams discharge their waters in Woodcock Creek on the south, the surface in the south part of the township having a slight declination toward that stream. The surface has a gentle ascent as it recedes from French Creek. Along this stream a steep bluff seventy-five to one hundred feet high extends from one and one- half miles below to two miles above Saegertown. A beautiful valley of great fertility commences between the sources of the north branch of Woodcock Creek and Gravel Run, (both of which rise in the north-east part of the township,) and extends in a southerly and westerly direction, through the central part, to French Creek. The soil in this valley consists of a rich, alluvial loam, the most elevated portions containing the most loam. It is marked by many fine farms, especially in the vicinity of Saegertown and along Woodcock Creek. The soil of the township is generally of a fine quality and produces
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good crops of corn, wheat, oats and grass. Dairying is the chief branch of agriculture, the milk being converted into cheese.
The industries of the township are represented by three cheese factories, which receive the milk from 1400 to 1500 cows; four water-power grist mills, one at Saegertown, one a mile west of Woodcock borough, on Gravel Run, and two on Woodcock Creek; five saw mills, four of which are propelled by water and one by steam, and which are located, one on Gravel Run, one on French Creek, two on Woodcock Creek and one on the north branch of Woodcock Creek; and two wooden bowl manufactories, both situated on Woodcock Creek.
The Atlantic & Great Western R. R. crosses the township along French Creek, and passes through deep cuts in the steep declivities of the bank above and below Saegertown.
The population of the township in 1870 was 1,943, all of whom were white and all, except ninety-six, native.
During the year ending June 3, 1872, it contained seventeen schools and employed twenty-seven teachers. The number of scholars was 702; the average number attending school, 519; and the amount expended for school purposes, $4,928.17.
SAEGERTOWN (p. v.) is pleasantly situated upon a beautiful plain on the east bank of French Creek and on the A. & G. W. R. R., and is distant six miles north of Meadville. It is sur- rounded by some of the best farming lands in the county. It was organized as a borough in 1851. It contains three churches, (Reformed, Lutheran and M. E.) a fine school building, two hotels, two stores, two groceries, a tin shop, two cooper shops, four blacksmith shops, two shoe shops, one millinery and three dress making establishments, a large flouring mill, a saw mill, lath mill, gun shop and about five hundred inhabitants. The population in 1870 was 441.
Three bridges cross French Creek within the limits of the township connecting it with Hayfield township. One of them located in this borough is substantially constructed of iron.
WOODCOCK BOROUGH (p. v.) is situated on the north line, about two miles from Venango Station on the A. & G. W. R. R. It was organized as a borough in 1845, and contains three churches, (one M. E. and two Presbyterian, but, owing to the unification of the two Presbyterian Societies, only one of the latter is occupied by that denomination,) one hotel, three dry goods, one drug and one jewelry stores, a tailor shop, harness shop, a cheese factory, using the past season the milk of 500 cows, though having a capacity for twice that number, and about forty dwellings. The population in 1870 was 220.
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