History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 103

Author: Smith, Robert Walter
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago : Waterman, Watkins
Number of Pages: 790

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Adjoining "Sugar Tree Grove" on the west, " Oakland " on the south, and the northern part of "Toddsborough " on the north and east is an octagonal tract on the Gapen map, 366 acres and 72 perches, surveyed by Gapen to David Bell. Gilbert Wright settled on this tract in the early part of 1807, Archibald McCall having obtained a warrant of acceptance for it. He, by his attorney, Thomas Collins, and Wright entered into a writ- ten agreement, June 18, the terms and conditions of which were : That Wright had settled on it; that McCall and he should divide the land between themselves ; that the " one-half to be the estate of said Wright and to be laid off at the end where he has improved, and the other to be Archibald Mc- Call's ;" that Wright should make due proof of his settlement, and McCall should, at his own ex- pense, take out the patent, or, if it should issue jointly, they should execute to each other deeds of partition agreeably to their contract. The patent was granted to both of them, February 3, 1809, in which the tract is called "Mount Lorenzo." In 1811 the site of Worthington was so thickly cov- ered with blackjacks and underbrush that one could not see through them, and forty years ago the former were so thick on other parts of " Mount Lorenzo," on what is now Peter Kerr's farm, that the chain-carriers for the surveyors were obliged to crawl on their hands and feet in carrying the chain through them, and rattlesnakes were abundant.

Judge Barr erected a sawmill on that Glade run within the limits of " Mount Lorenzo," about 1808. It was first assessed to his son William in 1809, and was in the course of a few years removed and a distillery erected on its site, which was first assessed to James Barr, Jr., in 1813, and was noted the next year "not in use." It was removed and on its site James Barr, Jr., erected a gristmill with one run of stone, which was operated for several years. Some vestiges of it are still visible. Not many years since the buhr-stones used in it were on or near its site.

James Barr, Jr., was assessed as a " schoolmas- ter" on the list for Buffalo township in 1806-7, but just where his school was is not known. The en-

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tire tract was included in MeCall's assignment to Du Pont. The latter, by his attorney, the late Judge White, conveyed 202 acres of it to James Barr, a son of Judge Barr, December 31, 1830, for $1. Wright conveyed his entire interest in " Mount Lorenzo " to Barr, March 22, 1831, for $760, and McCall's heirs conveyed their ancestors' purpart, 164 acres and 67 perches of the eastern side, to Neven and Peter Kerr, June 20, 1844, for $99.35.

Barr, soon after perfecting his title to the pur- part which he purchased from Wright, laid out the town of Worthington in the spring of 1829, on that part of "Mount Lorenzo " adjoining the north- ern line of "Toddsborough," consisting of 38 lots, each one-fourth of an acre, east and west of several acres traversed by a northern tributary of Glade run, and all of them north of the Kittanning and Butler turnpike, 19 of them between Ross street and Virgin alley, the latter 14 feet wide, and the other 19 between that alley and the turnpike, the course of the pike and Ross street being nearly east and west, and both intersected at right angles by Bear and Brown (now Church) streets, each 30 feet wide, and Glade alley, 14 feet wide, about mid- way between the two last-mentioned streets. In the original plan* of the town there are 3 lots varying in their areas, south of the pike and west of Bear street. The sale of lots, soon after they were laid out, were cried by William Cowan. The traveling facilities of this region were increased about that time by the construction of the Kittanning and Butler turnpike.

The records do not show many sales of these lots by Barr in his lifetime, or by his executors, to whom he gave power to sell in his will. Barr, before his death, conveyed lot No. 24 to William Q. Sloan, April 2, 1831, for $22, and the same No. to James Gallagher, April 30, for $23.50, which the latter, the same day, conveyed to Samuel Hutch- inson for $50, to Levi Bowser lot No. 20, May 9, 1831, for $15, and he to Christian Kemen, July 21, 1836, for $17; to David Claypoole, May 9, 1831, lot No. 11 for $4; to John Craig, lot No. 27, for $8. Barr, by his will dated September 26, 1822, and registered August 24, 1833, anthorized his executor, David Barr, his brother, and Joseph Shields, to sell to the highest and best bidders all the lots of ground in the town of Worthington sold at the sales, and the purchasers had not at the time of his death complied with their contracts, and that the part of his piantation adjoining that part, "Toddsborough," then occupied by Jeremiah Hare, and adjoining the land of David Barr, near

the culvert, "over the run which flows through David Barr's meadow," enough to pay all his debts, and devised the rest equally to his six chil- dren, subject to affording his wife as comfortable a living as possible out of his plantation. His executors conveyed lot No. - , "on which the blacksmith-shop is erected," to Samuel Hutchison (one of the sheriffs of this county), March 19, 1835, for $15.52. They conveyed 40 acres and 40 perches of the plantation to David Johnston, September 22, 1838, for $100. The decedent in his lifetime had agreed to sell to his brother David 82 acres and 52 perches, which agreement was so far executed as that the purchase-money had all been paid before his death, but the deed had not been made. The proper court decreed a specific performance of that contract, and that the other executor make and execute a deed therefor, which he did, November 15, 1841.

The first separate assessment list of the "tax- able inhabitants in Worthington " appears in the assessment list for Buffalo township for 1832, the assessments having been made in the latter part of 1831. Fourteen lots were then assessed to eleven persons, six of them at $5 each, 4 at $10 each, 1 at $25 and 1 at $50, aggregating $145. As none of these lot-owners were assessed with either occupa- tions or personal property, it is probable they were all then non-residents of Worthington. This town, the next year, was in Franklin township, when its separate assessment list showed one person having an occupation, Christian Kenson, weaver, whose occupation and the lot he had purchased from Levi Bowser were valued at $60 and one of Samuel Hutchison's lots, and the "house and stable " on it, at $58. George Claypoole's lot was valued at $58. All the others at $4 and $8 each.

The growth of Worthington in population and in the various trades and occupations was for years quite slow. James Sample was first assessed with his lot on the south side of the turnpike and west of Bear street, in 1833-4, and with a tavern stand in 1837-8; William C. Piper as the first merchant in 1837-8; Charles Foreman and John McDonald as the first tailors, and Matthias Burnheimer as the first shoemaker, in 1838-9; Robert Staley as the first blacksmith in 1840-1; Robert Armstrong, first wagonmaker; Jacob McDonald, first carpenter, and William Cratty as the first tanner in 1841-2; John McDonald as the second landlord in 1842-3. As late as 1845 the number of taxables did not exceed ten. Its being a point on the stage route from Freeport to Brady's bend and Clarion and its proximity to Buffalo Furnace contributed somewhat to the maintenance of its life and business.

* Recorded September 20, 1848, in deed book, vol. 16, p. 316,

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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

The petition of thirty-four inhabitants of the town of Worthington was presented to the court of quarter sessions of this county December, 1854, representing that there was a large number of chil- dren in their town who needed schooling, but labored under great inconvenience on account of their schoolhouse being a mile or more distant from their homes; that the taxes collected off the inhabitants of their town ought to be applied to the repairs of its streets and alleys, but were expended on the roads of the township, to the great inconvenience and damage of the inhabitants of · the town and the traveling public; and praying the court to incorporate their town into a borough under the act of April 3, 1851. The grand jury approved of their application, and the court ap- proved it December 6, but took off the approval on the 8th, but ordered and decreed, March 15, 1855, that the town be incorporated into the borough of Worthington and established the boundaries speci- fied in the petition: Beginning at or near an apple- tree on John Shields' lot, which is the northeast corner of the borough; thence south 100 perches to a post on Peter Kerr's land; thence north 83 degrees east 20 perches to a post on Peter Kerr's land; thence south 104 perches to a post on Peter Kerr's land; thence west 238 perches to a post on Henry Ehrenfeld's land; thence north 20 degrees east 228 perches to a post on James Barr's land; thence east 140 perches to the beginning, containing 254 acres, 2 roods and 20 perches, as protracted by R. L. M., including portions of " Mount Lorenzo " and " Toddsborough." The election officers appointed by the court were : A. D. Keely, judge; John W. Green and S. B. Gamble, inspectors. The borough officers elected at the spring election, 1856, were : Dr. John K. Maxwell, burgess; Michael Duffey and Adam Rhodes, justices of the peace; Jacob Mech- ling, constable; J. G. Clark, H. S. Ehrenfeld, Joseph C. King, John McNarr and James Monroe, town councilmen; James Barr and Samuel Monroe for three years, and Dr. John K. Maxwell for two years, school directors; John T. Ehrenfeld, assessor; David Landis, borough auditor, and John Blain and Samuel Lego, overseers of the poor.

This borough contained the next year after its incorporation nearly 70 taxables, 3 blacksmiths, 2 carpenters, 3 clerks, 2 coachmakers, 1 cabinetmaker, 6 farmers, 1 grocer, 1 harnessmaker, 1 huckster, 10 laborers, 2 merchants, 1 manager, 1 preacher, 1 miller, I physician, 3 shoemakers, 1 saddler, 1 teacher, I tanner, 1 theological student, 1 tailor, 1 wagonmaker.

The Evangelical Lutheran church of Buffalo Furnace (changed to Evangelical Lutheran church

of Worthington) was organized in 1847 by Rev. George F. Ehrenfeld. Its first officers were : Peter Graff, elder; John Barr, William Blain and John Schantz. Its original members : James Barr, Sr., John and Susan Barr, Peter and Susan Graff, George Hutley, Jacob and Barbara Mechling, Mary C. Mechling, John and Elizabeth Porterfield, Nancy Porterfield, Francis and Sydney Regis. Its pastors have been Rev. George F. Ehrenfeld from 1847 until 1848; Rev. A. C. Ehrenfeld from 1848 until 1858; Rev. F. Ruthrauff from 1858 until 1859; Revs. C. Witmer and H. J. H. Lemicke until 1867, and from then the present one, Rev. J. W. Schwartz. This church in 1876 has a membership of 120; Sabbath-school scholars, 125.

For about two years the congregation worshiped in a small chapel at Buffalo Furnace. The present edifice, brick, 42×52 feet, ceiling about 15 feet, erected in 1849, is situated in that part of Worth- ington about 20 rods east of the western borough line, in the western part of "Mount Lorenzo." The lecture room is in the upper story, a building near the church edifice, in which the teachers' county institute was held in April, 1860, whose lower story was formerly used as a public schoolroom. A young lady who taught the school there one winter had occasion to flog one of her juvenile male pupils. His irate father the next day rushed into the schoolroom and gave her, as indiscreet parents sometimes do under like circumstances, a severe scolding, and intimated that if she were not a woman he would flog her. She promptly replied, " Oh, you needn't make that an excuse. Try it and I'll flog you." He didn't try it.

The Associate, now the United Presbyterian, church here was organized in 1848. It depended the first year upon supplies. Rev. J. N. Dick, D. D., was its first pastor. He preached here semi-monthly until 1851. Then there were supplies for two years. Rev. John Jamison was pastor for about three years, then supplies for nearly a year, when Rev. Thomas Seaton became pastor and continued as such six or seven years-supplies two years, followed by the present pastor, Rev. J. L. Grover. The number of members in 1876 is 77; Sabbath-school scholars, 50. The church edifice, frame, one-story, ceiling 12 feet, 40×40 feet, is situated on lot No. 9, which adjoins Ross street on the north, and Brown, now Church, street on the cast.

The Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1849, and its first pastor was Rev. Mr. Cooper. Rev. Mr. Tiballs, one of his successors, was in the war of the rebellion. Membership, in 1876, is 80, with a union Sabbath school. Its edifice, frame, one- story, 40×35 feet, ceiling 12 feet, is situated on lot

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No. 15, adjoining Glade alley on the west and Ross street on the north, which Samuel Porterfield, De- cember 26, 1849, for $50, conveyed to John Blain, Peter Mobley, Elijah Newton, James B. Porterfield, James, Samuel and Thomas Scott, trustees in trust that they should " erect thereon a place or house of worship, for the use of the members of the Meth- odist Episcopal church." This lot was conveyed by James Barr to Joseph Claypoole (of David), May 5, 1831 ; by Claypoole to Francis Dobbs, February 16, 1842, and by Dobbs to Porterfield, March 3, 1848.

The Free Presbyterian church, of Worthington, was organized by authority of the Presbytery of Mahoning, March 10, 1850, and at first consisted of 12 members, who withdrew from the Old School Presbyterian denomination on account of their con- viction of the crime and injustice of the institution of slavery in the United States, and especially its proposed extension by the abrogation of the Mis- souri compromise line. Hence, although they ad- hered to the tenets of the Old School Presbyterian church, except what they deemed its pro-slavery sentiment, they separated and organized a distinct denomination, which they distinguished from the one they had left by the qualifying word "Free."

Its stated supply until 1860 was Rev. George McIlhenny, and thereafter until 1866 Revs. T. S. and J. W. Moffit. Its edifice, frame, one-story, ceiling 12 feet high, about 40×40 feet, situated partly in Worthington and partly in West Frank- lin townships, on the northern line of the borough, being equally divided by that line, was erected in 18- on that parcel of " Mount Lorenzo " conveyed by James and Samuel Monroe to the church, 1 acre, December 26, 1852. The anti-slavery pastor, church members and congregation that worshiped here felt and manifested a deep interest in the political as well as religious affairs of our country. They did not hesitate to open the doors of their temple of religion to the political assemblages of the anti- slavery element, uninfluential as it then was with the great mass of the American people. A conven- tion of those belonging to that element, or the "Free Democracy of Armstrong county," was held in this church edifice July 4, 1853, of which Rob- ert Robinson, of Kittanning, was chosen president; John Craig, of Franklin township, and Dr. J. E. Stevenson, of Kittanning, vice-presidents, and Robert M. Kiskadden, of South Buffalo, secretary. On motion of its pastor, Rev. George McIlhenny, Rev. William Smith and Dr. S. A. Marshall were appointed a committee to draft resolutions, who reported the following, which were adopted :

WHEREAS, In the judgment of this meeting, the time has come in which the cause of humanity and equal rights

demand at our hands a full, free and determinate posi- tion in their defense, such as was maintained by our Pilgrim Fathers for the right of all mankind : There- fore,

Resolved, That we acknowledge no affinity with any of the old political parties of the day, nor can we hope for their aid in preventing the curse of slavery from blighting the hopes of the free territories of our nation.

Resolved, That the free democracy having adopted a platform consistent with the Declaration of Independence and maintaining the truths therein exhibited, it is our duty and the duty of those who hold these truths to sup- port that party.

Resolved, That, trusting in the rectitude of our cause and the help of our God, we will doall in our power toad- vance the cause of equal rights under the broad banner of the free democracy of the nineteenth century.

Resolved, That. the growing opposition to American slavery, both at home and abroad, the increasing popu- larity of anti-slavery literature, the unabating energy of the free democracy throughout the states, and the facili- ties now enjoyed by means of the press for scattering our principles broadcast over the land, and, above all, the healthy sentiments inculcated from many pulpits of our country, give us strong hope that the triumphs of the free democracy may be nearer than we or our political opponents had supposed.

Resolved, That we will use all honorable means in our power to elect our candidates for the different offices in our county and district.

Resolved, That we hereby approve the nominations of the Harrisburg convention, and will support them to the extent of our power.

Resolved, That the freedom of more than 3,000,000 of our colored brethren from degrading and cruel bondage and bitter prejudice is a cause next in importance to the procuring of our liberties by our revolutionary fathers.

Resolved, That in view of the evils arising in our coun- try from the use of and traffic in intoxicating drinks, it is the opinion of this meeting that the interest of our state demands a prohibitory liquor law, and has no right to license any class of men to traffic in an article so ruin- ous to itself and its citizens.

The last and only other resolution was in refer- ence to signing the proceedings of the convention by the officers, and publishing them in the Kittan- ning and several other papers .* Several animated addresses were delivered during the session of the convention.

The feeling of hostility to the encroachment of slavery continued to deepen, widen and strengthen in this county as well as in other portions of the free states, and a sequel to that convention was another one, held at the court-house in Kittanning, Thursday, September 30, 1855, to organize a Re- publican party. It will be borne in mind that the American, or, as it was commonly called, the Know-Nothing party, had carried the elections in this county and various other parts of the country

* Vid. Kittanning Free Press, July 14, 1853.

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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

by immense majorities in 1854, and that the next year it had made open nominations-in this county prior to the meeting of the last-mentioned conven- tion. That first Republican convention in this county was organized by electing Dr. David Alter, of Freeport, president; John Craig, of Franklin township, and Alexander Henry, of Kittanning, vice-presidents; and Dr. S. A. Marshall, secretary, and by appointing Josiah Copley, Rev: William Galbraith, Rev. William Smith, Hugh Reed and John Burford a committee to prepare business and report resolutions, who reported the following:

WHEREAS, A crisis has arrived in the history of the country which has made the question of slavery para- mount to all other issues in its politics, a crisis forced upon us in the first place by the abrogation of the Mis- souri compromise, followed, as it has been, by a series of outrages upon the people of Kansas territory, unparalleled in our history,

It was therefore

Resolved, 1. That the people of the Free States owe it to their brethren in Kansas to stand by them and aid them by every means in their power, with the border ruffians Achison and Stringfellow, for the avowed purpose of forcing slavery upon them against their will.

2. That if the people of the Free States expect to do anything effective, they must stick together. The people of the south do so in favor of slavery ; we must do so in opposition to it.

3. That to this end we give the right hand of fellow- ship to every man, of whatever party, who affiliates with us in this great struggle.

4. That we cordially adopt the platform of the late Republican convention, at Pittsburgh, as our declaration of sentiments.

5. That we deem it inexpedient at present to put in nomination candidates for the legislature and for the several county officers to be chosen at the ensuing elec- tion, because it is the opinion of many friends of liberty that the gentlemen put in nomination by the American party agree with us in sentiment on the great question of slavery, but in order that there may be no doubt on that question,

6. That a committee of three be appointed to corre- spond with such of them, and draw from them a full and explicit declaration of their sentiments, so that such correspondence be published.

7. That in taking this course we do not wish to be un- derstood as approving of the organization or of the pecu- liar principles of the American or Know-Nothing party.

All the foregoing resolutions were received and adopted. The following minority report of the committee was read, and, after some spirited dis- cussion, was rejected:

Resolved, That this meeting proceed to nominate a Republican ticket for this county, independent of the Democratic and American parties, and that they ap- prove of the nomination made by the state convention for canal commissioner.

The president of the convention appointed Dr. S. A. Marshall, James M. Brown and Josiah Cop- ley a committee to correspond with the candidates of the American party. That committee presented each of these candidates with a copy of the fore- going fifth and sixth resolutions, with pointed questions as to whether they were hostile to the further encroachment of slavery, in favor of the repeal of the fugitive slave law and the restoration of the Missouri compromise, to which the committee received satisfactory answers - from Darwin Phelps, candidate for assembly; Andrew J. Faulk, for county treasurer; William W. Hastings, for county commissioner, and Hamlet Totten, for county auditor. Thus all the anti-slavery elements became consolidated in the Republican party, which, in this county, sprung from the proceedings of that convention. The writer remembers the hearty and pleasant greetings of some of those original anti-slavery men, as he met them in Kit- tanning just after the convention had adjourned. They were gratified. A good old John Craig, with a smiling countenance, said: "We rejoice that we now can act together on this great politi- cal question." He, James Walker and other kin- dred spirits had the still higher gratification of knowing, ere they left for " the better land," that one of the compensating results of the war of the rebellion was the restoration to freedom by Presi- dent Lincoln's emancipation proclamation of the four millions of dusky slaves, whose bondage they had so long lamented and abhorred.

A congregational meeting of that Free Presbyte- rian Society was held August 26, 1866, by which it was unanimously resolved : "That we, as a con- gregation, respectfully request the Presbytery of Allegheny (O. S.) to take us under their care and grant us supplies, and we will endeavor to seek the peace, the purity and prosperity of the church." That request was presented to the Presbytery at Brady's Bend, October 16, by John Craig and James Stephenson, elders, and the request was cheerfully granted. This church had previously been called Buffalo, but afterward Worthington. At the reconstruction of Presbyteries this church was assigned to that of Kittanning. Rev. A. S. Thompson was ordained and installed as its pastor for half time, November 20, 1867. Its member- ship in 1876 was about 75 ; Sabbath-school scholars about 90.

The farmers and some others of Franklin and adjacent townships held an agricultural meeting on Wednesday and Thursday, October 4 and 5, 1865, on the farm which Joseph M. Jordan sold to James and Samuel Monroe, that part of "Mount

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Lorenzo " adjacent to the Free Presbyterian church, at which, for so limited a local one, there was a very creditable display of animals and agri- cultural and mechanical products. .

James Barr, Jr., was assessed as a "schoolmas- ter" in 1806-7, whose school was probably on or near " Mount Lorenzo."

Worthington became, of course, when incorpo- rated as a borough, a separate school district, and a frame schoolhouse of adequate size was erected in the obtuse angle formed by the junction of Ross street and the public road extending northeasterly through the northeastern corner of the borough. Its statistics for 1860 : One school ; average nnm- ber of months taught, 4 ; teachers, male, 1; monthly salary, $20 ; male scholars, 24; female scholars, 37 ; average number attending school, 48 ; cost of teaching each scholar per month, 41 cents ; levied for school purposes, $127.25 ; levied for building, $127.25 ; received from state appropriation, $24.95; received from collectors, $122 ; cost of instruction, $80 ; fuel, etc., $18.66. For 1876 - one school; number months taught, 5; male teacher, 1; monthly salary, $35 ; małe scholars, 28 ; female, 37 ; average number attending school, 37; cost per month, 64 cents ; levied for school and building purposes, $188.41 ; received from state appropria- tion, $53; from taxes and other sources, $192.24; paid for teacher's wages, $175; for fuel, etc., $43.62.

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History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 103

Author: Smith, Robert Walter Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago : Waterman, Watkins Number of Pages: 790

Author: Smith, Robert Walter
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago : Waterman, Watkins
Number of Pages: 790