History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 111

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

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LOG CHURCH BUILT 1806.

PRESENT STRUCTURE ERECTED 1876.

ST. PATRICKS CHURCH, SUGAR CREEK, PA.

525

SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP.

to Nathan Williams, on which Robert Nelson, blacksmith, was an early settler, with 400 acres of which, 1 horse and 2 cows he was assessed in 1805, at $155, and in 1807 with the addition of 1 more cow and a yoke of oxen at $186. By his will, made in 1826, and registered December 20, 1827, he devised this tract, his title to which he had ac- quired by improvement and settlement, to his niece Sarah Nelson, who was wooed and won by William Campbell, to whom she conveyed it, February 20, 1827, for $5, and in consideration of the solemniza- tion of their marriage, which by their mutual agree- ment was soon to occur, with which he and his son John are still assessed-in 1876, at $4,400.

Adjoining the Nelson-Campbell tract on the north is one, a rectangular parallelogram, surveyed, by Gapen, deputy surveyor, to Joseph Irwin as containing 396 acres and 18 perches, who perhaps conveyed his interest to McCall. James and Will- iam Blain made an improvement and settlement on it in August, 1797, and to whom it was surveyed by Ross, deputy surveyor, as containing 410 acres and 20 perches, November 17, 1803. The whole of the Blain interest seems to have become vested in James, for McCall, to whom the patent was granted October 2, 1828, conveyed 200 acres to him, June 22, 1829, for $1, and Blain by his will, dated March 27, and registered December 6, 1815, devised his purpart equally to his sons, James, John and William. The two last-named conveyed their interests to their brother James, March 3, 1839, for $150 each.

Adjoining the western part of that Irwin-McCall- Blain tract on the north and "Lewisburgh " on the west, its northern boundary being the dividing line between the depreciation and donation lands, is an incompletely defined one, nearly a rectangular paral- lelogram, on the Gapen map, to which on it Edward McKee appears to have had a claim. John Davis had a subsequent interest in it, against whom Thomas Collins had a judgment for $300 of debt, and $5.20 of costs. By virtue of a vend. ex. thereon, Alexander Johnston, sheriff of Westmore- land county, sold it to Nicholas Day as containing 200 acres more or less, for $403, and conveyed it to him June 30, 1808, which the latter conveyed to James Fulton, October 31, for $500. On the other map it appears as belonging to Fulton's heirs, to whom it still chiefly belongs, and as containing 182 acres. Nicholas Snow was first assessed as a blacksmith on this tract, in 1810, who is said to have been the* first one within the present limits of Sugar Creek township.

Adjoining the northern part of the Fulton tract on the west and lengthwise along the depreciation

and donation line on the north is one on the Gapen map, a rectangular parallelogram, on which is in- scribed the name of " Jolin Denniston," a part of which became vested in John Brown, thus: The patent for it was granted to Charles Campbell and Elisha Wick. Campbell and Denniston, before the latter's death, became "jointly and severally seized of 250 acres" of it. They entered into an agreement, February 7, 1804, with Brown, who then resided at Salem, Westmoreland county, to sell those 250 acres on which Wick then resided, at 19 shillings an acre. Brown paid the latter in his lifetime $353.14. But the deed not having been executed before his death, the agreement hav- ing been proven as provided by the act of March 31, 1792, the court ordered Denniston's administrators to join with Campbell in the conveyance, which they did, September 21, 1826, in the payment of the balance of the purchase-money, $512, with which, as containing 250 acres, 2 horses and I cow, he was first assessed, in 1806, at $146, where he resided when he was commissioned by Governor McKean as a justice of the peace, " for district No. 2, called Buffalo district," January 1, 1807, and he took his oath of office February 9. He resided on this tract until his death, which, by his will, dated February 18 and registered September 22, 1835, he devised to his sons, Matthew and Robert. The latter conveyed 80 perches on the south side of his purpart, where a schoolhouse had been erected, to the school directors of this township, October 31, 1848, for $1. In 1874-5 a new and larger frame schoolhouse was erected about 125 rods north- westerly from the site of the old one where Joseph McElroy's blacksmith shop formerly was, at a slight western bend in the Kittanning and Brady's Bend road, on the Robert Brown purpart, which is adapted to both school and church purposes, and is used for the latter by the Midway Presbyterian church, which was organized by a committee of

the Kittanning Presbytery, September 4, 1875, with 46 members,* and the present pastor, Rev. W. J. Wilson,t entered upon his pastoral duties April 1, 1876. Members, 49; Sabbath-school scholars, 50. John Adams and Daniel L. Rankin were the first elders.

Adjoining the eastern portion of that Brown tract on the south is an octagonal one not fully defined on the Gapen map, bearing the name of "John Barron," but on the other map that of "John Orr," and " 400"." What became of Orr's interest in it is not manifest from the records. Adam Moyers obtained a patent for about 107

* The membership has increased to 65. Five adults and fifteen infants have been baptized. + Since left.

526

HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

acres of the northern part of it, April 13, 1838, which he conveyed to James Hutchison, who con- veyed 66 acres and 128 perches, January 20, 1839, who conveyed 13 acres to Harmon Vasbinder, Jannary 16, 1847, for $65, and 57 acres to Matthew Brown, February 29, 1848, for $400. A patent for the other portion of it and some vacant land, an irregularly shaped and comparatively narrow strip or tongue standing from the southwestern part of the tract beyond the Little Buffalo, aggregating 400 acres and 52 perches, was granted to Elijah Davis, June 28, 1838, surveyed June 3, 1837, in pursuance of a warrant granted to Thomas Barr, March 5, 1794. Davis conveyed 230 acres and 47 perches to Joseph Blain, September 1, 1848, for $1,100, 10 acres of which Blain conveyed to Thos. H. Foster August 11, 1855, which the latter con- veyed to George Pence, April 3, 1860, for $120. Blain conveyed 145 acres and 103 perches to Foster, June 28, 1838, for $1,747.50. The rest of the Blain purchase has been subsequently owned by Thomas Patton and D. C. Mobley. Davis conveyed 150 acres and 80 perches, including the above-men- tioned tongue, and 25 acres and 26 perches of the 150 acres conveyed by McCall to Ebenezer Davis' executors, August 7, 1828, to which their testator had acquired title by previous settlement, to John Cowan, June 29, 1852, for $2,400. Ebenezer Davis was first assessed with a gristmill in 1809, and Elijah Davis with a sawmill in 1815 and a grist- mill in 1817, which were situated on the northeast- ern tributary of Little Buffalo, whose head branches rise respectively in the southwestern part of " Lewisburgh " and the southeastern of the Brown tract. These mills were rebuilt by Cowan after his purchase from Davis. Cowan conveyed the two parcels and the mills sold to him by Davis, to John Burford, April 3, 1856, for $5,000, which the latter conveyed to Christopher, James and Thomas H. Foster, April 1, 1859, for $4,400, since known as Foster's mills, which have been remodeled by them, and their store opened soon after. The postoffice, James Y. Foster, postmaster, was estab- lished here May 5, 1862. About 100 rods north- easterly from the mill is the site, 80 perches, “ on the road from William Campbell's to Cowan's mills," which John Cowan conveyed to the school directors, February 2, 1849, on which they erected a schoolhouse, which has been recently substituted by a new one on another site, about 50 rods to the north.

Adjoining that Barron-Orr-Davis-et al. tract on the south and the Williams-Nelson-Campbell one on the west is one, a rectangular parallelogram, on the Gapen map, bearing the name of " John Bell,

Sr.," and " 403ª.24," as surveyed to him by Gapen, deputy surveyor, but on the other map is the name of "Samuel Templeton," and "403ª, about one- sixth of which is in what is now West Franklin township. Bell probably conveyed his inchoate interest in it to Alexander Campbell, which the latter transferred to Archibald McCall in February, 1800, who claimed an undivided interest, to whom the patent was granted, October 2, 1828. He con- veyed 150 acres and 38 perches to Samuel Temple- ton, October 24, 1832, for $1 and certain notes and bonds. Philip Templeton, Sr., claimed a part of it as settler's right. It was his intention to con- vey the other portion of it to his son, William, but inadvertently omitted to do so in his lifetime, and doubts having been likely to arise as to his inten- tion to make that devise, his other heirs released their respective interests to William, July 10, 1836, who conveyed it to McCall, July 15, for $250, and which was included in his heirs' conveyance to Will- iam F. Johnston, of which he conveyed 20 acres to John Cowan, Sr., August 9, 1853, for $300, and 115 acres and 96 perches to Harmon Vasbinder, October 9,1866, for $1,600. Twenty acres of this tract hav- ing become vested in James C. Burford, he con- veyed the same to Christopher Foster April 1, 1859, which he conveyed to James and Thomas H. Foster, March 28, 1865, for $220, being the 20 acres conveyed by Johnston to Cowan. Immediately west of the last-mentioned tract is a hexagonal one, nearly square on the Gapen map, with " Dan'l Mor- rison, 432} " on its face, and traversed southwest- crly by the Little Buffalo, but on the other map " Ab'm Lennington & A. McCall, 400," and in the northern part " Eben'r Davis, 60ª." Lennington and Davis, May 18, 1809, made this trade : Len- nington sold Davis the gristmill which he had re- cently erected and 75 acres of land, in consideration of which Davis sold him his interest in 125 acres of this tract, on which he then lived, and obtained a clear patent therefor as soon as it could be con- veniently obtained from McCall, and to pay him $400, thus : €25 March 1, 1810, in rye, at 3 shil- lings a bushel ; £25 in cash, May 1, 1811; £16 13s 4d, March 1, 1812, in rye, at 3 shillings a bushel, and the last-mentioned annually thereafter until the whole amount of boot money should be paid. Lennington agreed to sell 125 acres adjoining Samuel Templeton, April 12, 1817, for $700. The patent was granted to McCall November 22, 1827, and he conveyed 150 acres to Davis' executors. Davis had agreed in his lifetime to sell those 125 acres to Jacob Schless, but did not execute a deed. Their agreement having been duly proven and the court of common pleas of this county having ad-

527

SUGAR CREEK TOWNSILIP.

judged the same to be sufficient, March 22, 1827, Davis' executors conveyed this parcel to Schless, who conveyed it to Thomas Stewart, April 1, 1830, for $500. His heirs, after his death, released their interests in it to Mary Stewart, who con- veyed it to Thomas McKec, April 5, 1847, for $900, which, and 7 acres and 98 perches adjoining, he conveyed to his son, William W. McKee, January 17, 1855, for the last-mentioned amount, and he conveyed 125 acres to Jchu and John B. Fulton, April 2, 1868, for $3,475, with which, and 15 more acres, Mrs. Maria Fulton is now assessed. Between this parcel and the other parcel of this tract, 247 acres and 146 perches, which was included in the sale by McCall's heirs to Johnston, is a narrow strip, 45. acres, belonging to George Elsor, as is seen on J. E. Meredith's connected draft of several contigu- ous parcels, and extending a few rods south into what is now West Franklin township. Elsor also occupied a considerable portion of this tract west of that strip, and conveyed 225 acres of it to Ben- jamin Shaffer, June 28, 1862, for $500, 110 acres of which Shaffer conveyed to George Forster, Novem- ber 17, 1875, for $300. Elsor's title to which was acquired by his "living on it for near 30 years," the southeastern part of which being in what is now West Franklin township.

Adjoining that Morrison-Davis-Lennington-Mc- Call tract on the north is the above-mentioned tongue of land included in the patent to Elijah Davis, immediately north of which on the Gapen map is a partially bounded tract bearing on its face, " Alex'r Craig," but on the other two tracts, one of which, a pentagon, 112 acres and 13 perches, with the name of " R. McDonald," which was included in the patent granted to Christian Yockey, No- vember 2, 1807, which he and Abraham Yockey conveyed to John Patton, September 5, 1817, for $100, which Patton conveyed to Robert Orr, Sr., for $300, which he conveyed to John Orr, Septem- ber 10, 1817, for $800, who conveyed it to James Monteith and Philip Templeton, as guardians and executors in trust for the heirs of McDonald, Sep- tember 17, for $800. This tract subsequently be- came vested in James Monteith, and descended to his daughters Mary and Nancy who, with their husbands, William F. Johnson and Dr. John Gil- pin, conveyed it to Samuel Dinsmore, April 7, 1840, who conveyed it to Elizabeth Dinsmore, September 26, 1845, and she to Matthew Wilson, to whose estate it belongs, March 12, 1856, for $1,905. It looks on the map as if it had been, though it was not, carved out of the southeastern part of a larger tract adjoining it on the north and west.

That last-mentioned one, 391} acres, a heptagon, with which John Patton was first assessed in 1809, at $145, and to whom the patent was granted February 20, 1810, in the northeastern part of which he built his mansion-house, where he resided when he was elected county commissioner in 1825, near which he established his tannery in 1824. About one-third of this tract is west of the Little Buffalo. By his will, dated April 4, and regis- tered May 8, 1849, he devised to his son James H. a part, including the tannery and its stock and tools, to his son John the other part of his land east, except the sawmill which his three sons were to enjoy equally, and to his son Robert, who was first assessed as a wheelwright in 1826, all west of Little Buffalo creek.

The third schoolhouse in this township was crected in 1821, near John Patton's mansion-house, some vestiges of which were recently visible.

Adjoining that Patton tract on the north is an incomplete rectangular parallelogram, lengthwise east and west, with the name of "Win. Dennis- ton." On the other map it appears in two pur-

parts, with the name of "Thos. Foster," " 250ª,"? on the eastern, and "Jno. Gillespie," "150"," the western part of the entire tract. Foster was assessed with 200 acres, I horse, 2 cows, and 1 dis- tillery in 1805, at $157. They probably purchased Denniston's interest, for the patent was granted to Gillespie, May 12, 1818, and he conveyed 250 acres of it to Foster June 12, for $1. Foster by his will, dated February 25, and registered December 16, 1839, devised the farm on which he then lived to his son Thomas H., his son James to have one-half the products until 21 years old, he to do one-half the work, and to his sons Christopher and William the farms on which they respectively lived, the three farms to be valued and made equal. Thos. H. is assessed with 242 acres of this tract in 1876 at $1,356.

The first schoolhouse, a primitive log one, erect- ed in 1812, within the present limits of Sugar Creek township, was situated on that part of the Foster purpart of this tract, near the Painter spring on the farm now owned and occupied by Thomas H. Foster, the first teacher in which was Hugh Rogers, of Kittanning.

Gillespie by his will, dated April 5, 1850, and registered January 3, 1856, devised his purpart to his son Henry, who conveyed it thus : 2 acres and 80 perches to I. R. Wick, May 10, 1862, for 875, and 157 acres to William Devinney, April 6, 1872, for $3,950.

Between the Barron-Orr, the Gillespie-Foster tracts and the division line between the deprecia-

528

HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

tion and donation lands, is one, a rectangular parallelogram, lengthwise east and west, bearing the name of " John Denniston " on the Gapen, but of "J. Wick " on the other map, on which Elisha and John Wick appear to have been early settlers. Elisha, Sr., was assessed with 150 acres, 1 horse and 3 cattle in 1805, at $151, and the next year with an additional horse and cow, at $171. John was assessed in both of these years and in 1807 with the same quantity of land, 1 horse and 2 cattle, at $82, after which his name does not appear on the assessment list.

Elisha Wick, by his will, dated July 17, and registered August 17, 1807, devised 75 acres of the west end to his son Jeremiah, and the rest, about 220 acres, to his son Elisha, whose heirs released their interests in 99 acres to Chambers Wick, September 28, 1854, for $100, and in 121 acres to John R. Wick, January 6, 1855, for the same con- sideration. Chambers Wick conveyed 99 acres and 71 perches to Thomas Foster, March 16, 1856, for $2,000.

West of that Wick tract is one partly of the same width, which part is nearly a rectangular parallelogram, but the other part is a long narrow strip, extending along line dividing the deprecia- tion and donation lands, vacant on the Gapen, but with the name of Reuben Burford on the other map, on which he probably settled before 1800, for he was assessed with 300 acres, 1 horse and 5 cattle in 1805, at $183, and with 2 cattle less the next year, at $160. He acquired title thereto by im- provement, settlement and residence. By his will, dated August 12, 1847, and registered October 28, 1852, he directed his farm on which he then lived to be divided into three parcels, the eastern one of which he devised to his son Reuben, the western one to his son David, having previously given the central one to his son George, with which parcels they are still respectively assessed.

Adjoining the narrow portion of the Burford tract on the south is a quadrilateral, nearly a triangular one, having two right angles, one acute, and one obtuse angle, contiguous to which on the southeast is a pentagonal one, lengthwise from northeast to southwest, having three right and two obtuse angles, across which on the Gapen map are inscribed, " Daniel Brodhead, Esq .- two tracts." The records of this county do not show how he disposed of his interest in them. The former con- sists, on the other map, of two parcels, the smaller of which being a quadri but not an equi lateral one, in the northeastern part with the inscription, " Widow Gallagher, 100"," and the larger parcel of similar shape, with the inscription, " John Gillespie

& A. McCall, 310"," the latter of whom probably purchased Brodhead's interest, and the former was the settler who probably commenced occupying it about 1797, and was assessed with 400 acres and. 1 horse in 1805, at $200, and the next year with the land only, at $100. The first patent was granted to Gillespie, January 8, 1829, who conveyed 215 acres to McCall, June 20, for 21, and a second one to McCall, September 9, 1837. Gillespie conveyed the above-mentioned " 100ª " parcel to Mary Riley, formerly widow Gallagher, March 23, 1844, which she conveyed to Henry Gallagher the same day for $60, to whom the heirs of Adam Gallagher re- leased their respective interests, April 9, for $102.

McCall's heirs conveyed 55 acres and 40 perches to Daniel Black, June 29, 1846, for $386, and another portion to William F. Johnston, who con- veyed 108 acres and 42 perches to Michael Maley, July 2, 1849, for $920.12, and 100 acres and 94 perches to Patrick Lacey, October 5, 1854, for $995.30.

On the other Brodhead tract is this inscrip- tion on the other map, " Griffith & heirs of Quin, 4103ª." The warrant for this tract was granted to James McCoy, February 3, 1794, and the patent to A. McCall, May 22, 1835. It was settled and im- proved by John Griffin, who was first assessed with 300 acres, 1 horse and 2 cows in 1814, at $182. Partition having been made between him and McCall, the latter conveyed to him 100 acres and 80 perches, June 25, 1837, as settler's part, who by his will dated February 17, 1840, and registered June 2, 1842, devised this purpart to his son Andrew, who by his will dated November 17, 1853, devised it to his son John A., which he conveyed to Theresa and Stephen McCue April 2, 1860, for $1,220. McCall's heirs conveyed 169 acres and 48 perches to William B. Clymer, January 20, 1852, which the latter by A. N. Mylert, his attor- ney-in-fact, conveyed to Patrick Red, December 23, 1856, for $1,470.65, in pursuance of an agree- ment between McCall and Red, June 1, 1852, with 165 acres of which Red was first assessed in 1843. He conveyed 70 perches, including the schoolhouse then erected on it, of this parcel to the school direct- ors of this township, November 24, 1847, for $1. Red conveyed 164 acres to William Robbett, June 10, 1861, for $3,000.

A. McCall conveyed 100 acres and 30 perches of this tract to John McBride, October 22, 1841, for $1,000, which he conveyed to John M. Gillespie, March 3, 1871, and which, with other 3 acres, the latter conveyed to Francis Miller, April 25, for $3,500.

An early warrant was granted to James Rankin

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SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP.

for 385 acres and 86 perches hereabouts, whose interest therein Nicholas Day, as Rankin's legal representative, conveyed to Jolın Gillespie, Febru- ary 17, 1813, for $100. Another somewhat later transaction shows the value of personal property in early times in this part of Sugar Creek township. Richard Price sold "1 mare and colt, 3 cows, 3 calves, 5 year-old steers, 1 two-year-old heifer, 10 sheep, 4 lambs, 3 beehives, all the grain in the ground (on the land occupied by Price), oats and and flax, all goods and household stuff, and imple- ments of household and husbandry " to Gillespie, June 25, 1817, for $135.18.

West of the narrow portion of the Reuben Burford tract and of the Broadhead-McCall-Gil- lespie one is vacant land to the county line on the Gapen map, except narrow strips of the eastern ends of tracts surveyed by Gapen to "Peter Car- dan," "Jonathan Craig," "Wm. Craig" and " Mar- tha Craig." On the other map, in the angle formed by the intersection of the line between the depreciation and donation lands with the eastern line of the "Peter Cardan " tract, is a nearly square tract, "340ª." Was it "Burns' Surplus " men- tioned in George and Thomas Stewardson's con- veyance of 35 acres to John Doulatty, October 23, 1863, for $100 ?

Patrick Boyle settled 150 acres of the vacant land next below or south of the last above-men- tioned tract in 1807, with which he was then assessed at $22.50, 76 acres and 47 perches of which he conveyed to Hugh Boyle, May 23, 1846, for $214.93.

Adjoining the before-mentioned Brodhead-Mc- Coy-McCall-Griffin-Quin tract on the southeast is an undefined one on the Gapen map, claimed by "Jolın Denniston," the patent for which, 400 acres, called "Duncannon," was granted to Samuel Den- niston for himself and in trust for the heirs of John Denniston, June 25, 1807. The latter had agreed, March 11, 1797, to convey 150 acres of it to An- drew Bullman, part of the tract on which he had made a settlement, for 1 penny, and making the improvement, settlement, and continuing the actual residence required by law. The deed not having been made before John Denniston's death, the proper court, on due proof of the performance by Bullman of his part of the agreement, ordered decedent's administrator to execute to him a deed for that quantity of land, which they accordingly did, June 8, 1809. He, by his will, dated July 18, and registered August 5, 1833, devised his purpart equally to his sons Andrew and Joseph. The for- mer conveyed his interest to the latter, December 24, 1838, for $400, 100 acres of which the latter

conveyed to Robert Dickey, June 17, 1839, for $875, who died intestate in 1841, leaving one daughter, whose guardian, George F. Keener, by order of the orphans' court of this county, sold it to Connell Boyle and Philip Lowe, on Monday, September 1, 1851, for $1,215, 34 acres and 95 perches of which they conveyed to Daniel Boyle, March 15, 1854, for $245, on which he opened his store, and 14 acres and 30 perches to Stephen McCne, the next day, for $125, which he conveyed to his wife, June 29, 1874, for $1,000, which slic had received from the estate of her brother, Michael Maloney. Boyle and Lowe subsequently made partition, and Lowe released 54 acres and 132 perches to Boyle on the last-mentioned day, which the latter conveyed to James Forquer, August 13, 1855, which he conveyed to Patrick McBride, March 12, 1859, for $1,000, and which parcel was included in the 90 acres which McBride conveyed to Martin Wick.

Joseph Bullman continued to occupy the rest of this purpart until shortly after he was elected register of wills, recorder of deeds and clerk of the orphans' court of this county in October, 1845. He conveyed 56 acres to Jacob Hepler, Sr., July 27, 1846, for $675, who, by his will, dated June 21, 1859, and registered June 17, 1864, devised it equally to his sons Isaac, Jacob, Moses and Tobias, which they conveyed to Archibald Black, Decem- ber 18, 1866, and which, with other 12 acres and 88 perches, a part of the McBride parcel of " Duncan- non," he conveyed to Chistopher Malone, April 17, 1869, for $1,600.

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History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 111

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