History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 112

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

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Samuel Denniston and Nicholas Day, adminis- trators, conveyed 250 acres, the Denniston purpart of " Duncannon," to Hugh Milligan and Robert Wallace, September 11, 1811, for $150, the unpaid balance of $500, in pursuance of an agreement between John Denniston and them, October 21, 1803, 150 acres of which they conveyed to Neil McBride, November 19, 1811, for $560, who, by his will, dated April 30, and registered May 9, 1827, devised this parcel equally to his sons John and Miles. The latter conveyed 77 acres and 119 perches to the former, May 22, 1847, for $600, who conveyed 24 acres to Enos McBride, February 1, 1850, for $192, 2 acres and 150 perches to Enos McBride, January 2, 1858, for $50.

Milligan and Wallace conveyed 100 acres of the eastern part of " Duncannon " to Robert Boyd, November 19, 1811, for the express consideration of $1, who, by his will, dated February 16, and registered March 22, 1813, devised this parcel to his heirs equally, except Elizabeth, after the death of his wife, whom, and his son John, he appointed

530

HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

his executors. It continued to be occupied by Mrs. Boyd, to whom it was assessed until 1849, when it was transferred to Thomas Burns.

It may be remarked in passing that Burns was a stanch opponent of the county superintendency until the winter of 1859, because he thought the superintendent's salary was paid out of the school or county tax. Then he happened to be present when that officer visited the school in the Quinn schoolhouse, and remarked to another citizen of this township, that if necessary he would "will- ingly pay a dollar more of tax to keep the superintendency."

This tract was named after Duncannon, a mari- time village on Waterford harbor, in Leinster, county of Wexford, Ireland.

Immediately east of "Duncannon" is vacant land on the Gapen map, but on the other it appears to have been Abraham Yockey's. He settled on it quite early, and built a gristmill on a western tributary of Little Buffalo, it is said, in 1800, with which, 100 acres, 2 horses and 4 cattle he was assessed in 1805, at $142, and the next year with 1 cow less, at $136. Anthony Cravenor having ob- tained judgment against him for $492.43, exclu- sive of costs and interest, a writ of fi. fa. was issued, by virtue of which Jacob Mechling, sheriff, levied on 110 acres, on which he returned, there appeared "to be no cleared land," but "with a shingle-roofed house, cabin-house and gristmill thereon erected." A writ of vend. ex. was issued to No. 86, December term, 1830, on which it was sold by James Douglass, then sheriff of this county, to Cravenor, the plaintiff, for $450. This property afterward became vested-the records do not show how-in Rev. R. P. O'Neal, who, by William Galla- gher, his attorney-in-fact, conveying 110 acres to Stephen McCne, January 20, 1862, for $20. It was occupied several years by Francis O'Neal, noted for his singularities.

The vacant land south of that Yockey-O'Neal tract and "Duncannon " was settled very early by Christian Yockey, to whom 300 acres were assessed in 1805-6, at $140. He was some years af- terward assessed with only 100 acres-the last time in 1827. Peter Yockey was afterward assessed with 30 and John Yockey with 73 acres, who is still assessed with 75 acres, at $975.

Adjoining the last-mentioned parcel on the east or sontheast is vacant land on which Nathaniel Pat- terson made an improvement and settlement in or about 1820 .*

There is a considerable scope of country west and southwest of " Duncannon " which appears on

both maps to be vacant. It, however, embraces 97 acres and 35 perches of the "Thomas Hindman tract,* which his sole lineal heir, John Hindman, conveyed to Daniel Boyle, June 6, 1843, for $900. About 320 acres, perhaps more, were vacant. Stephen McCne obtained a patent for about 120 acres adjoining " Duncannon " on the east, which George Smith, sheriff, sold to Alexander Colwell, on a judgment in favor of William Crow, and con- veyed the same to him December 18, 1844, which Colwell conveyed to McCne, November 20, 1851, for $611, on which he erected his distillery, with which he was first assessed in 1864.+

North of that tract was one of 117 acres, to which Owen Quinn acquired title by early improve- ment, settlement and residence, with which and 83 more acres and 4 cattle he was assessed, in 1805, at $112. Having died intestate without obtaining a patent, it was granted to his son Henry in trust for Owen's heirs, September 30, 1847. The inter- ests of the other heirs-Owen left eight children- were transferred by releases of all but James, who devised his interest to James McElroy, to Mary Bromfield, James McElroy and Henry Quinn, who conveyed 39 acres to Stephen McCne, February 15, 1858, for $1,287. By an amicable partition Mrs. Bromfield became possessed in severalty of 39 acres, which by article of agree- ment April 4, 1868, she agreed to sell to William Robbitt for $1,000, and which she afterward, March 31, 1874, conveyed to Stephen McCue for $1,000. The claims of these two vendees of course clashed, which were adjusted by an agree- ment between them that McCue should pay Rob- bitt $950 ont of the money he expected to receive from John Graham, Jr., to whom he had sold this and some other parcels of land, and if the latter neglected to pay, McCue was to pay Robbitt. Hence arose litigation on that agreement, namely : Robbitt vs. McCue, No. 292, June term, 1875, in the common pleas of this county.}

McCue conveyed 130 acres and 91 perches, in- clnding the last-mentioned parcel, which he had purchased from Mrs. Bromfield, to John Graham, Jr., April 17, 1875, for $6,000.

ST. PATRICK'S CHURCH.

The above-mentioned church is located in Sugar Creek township, and its congregation is composed of people of this and Butler counties. The Catholic settlers of 1796 mainly located in Butler county. The first priest who visited the settlement was

* See West Franklin.

+ He conveyed this tract to his son Stephen June 21, 1877, for $7,500. The verdiet was rendered March 12, 1877, in favor of the plain- tiff for $1,064.

# Sce West Franklin township.

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SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP.

Father Lanigan, who performed baptisms here in 1801. The next visit was made by Rev. P. Ileil- bron, in 1803, who also performed baptismal services at Sugar Creek and Slippery Rock. In 1805,* Rev. Lawrence Sylvester Phelan-also known as Father Whelen or Whalen-came to Sugar Creek, and located where the church was subsequently built. The Catholic people were greatly pleased with the thought of having a priest among them, and, soon after Father Phelan's arrival, held a meeting to devise measures for securing him a home and building a church. It was decided to send men among all the Catholics to solicit donations. The territory to be canvassed was at least fifteen miles square. Four collectors were chosen and districts assigned them as follows : Casper W. Easly took the southern district, near Slate Lick; James Sheridan the southwestern, or Clearfield township ; Neil Sweeny took Butler and vicinity, and C. Rod- gers McCue the north and northwestern, or Done- gal township. These solicitors were successful in their mission, although they received no subscrip- tion larger than the sum of $2.

The present farm, consisting of nearly 200 acres, was purchased and a small log cabin was built for the priest. Then, upon a certain day, each of the four who had solicited subscriptions was required to meet at the farm, bringing with him as many men as would be required to cut and hew logs enough for one side of the church. Patrick McElroy was assigned the work of making shingles and obtaining and driving the nails. The building was erected the fall after Father Phelan's arrival, but, as nails could not be secured, it was not roofed until the next spring. It was then put under the invocation of the Apostle of Ireland. The building is still standing. It is 22×35 feet, with a gallery and altar standing against the end wall. Each side contains three small windows, and each end of the gallery one. This is the oldest Catholic church now standing in the entire west- ern part of the state. It was attended by people from all the surrounding country for ten miles or more. People often walked ten or twelve miles, fasting, to be present at the services. The sta- tions which the priest was obliged to visit were so numerous, and so far apart, that mass was not celebrated more than once a month, and, in some instances, one in two months. There was then but one priest in the whole district west of the Allegheny river from Erie to Beaver.

Father Phelan withdrew in 1810. From 1810 to 1820 the congregation was visited occasionally

by Fathers O'Brien and McGuire, from Pittsburgh, and by Father MeGirr, from Sportsman's Hill. In 1821, Rev. Charles Ferry came to the church and resided here. Ile visited all the surrounding dis- trict, a territory at least thirty miles square, which was then estimated to contain about 140 families. He remained until 1827, when he was succeeded by Rev. Patrick O'Neil, the first resident priest at St. Patrick's, who also performed missionary work in Butler, Armstrong and adjacent counties. IIe remained until 1834, and subsequently was engaged in missionary labors in the West. He died in 1879, in the 84th year of his age, and the 58th of his ministry.

In the summer of 1834, Rev. Patrick Rafferty was placed in charge of the mission and resided at Freeport, visiting St. Patrick's one Sunday in a month. He remained in charge about two years, then withdrew. He was pastor of St. Francis church, Fairmount, Philadelphia, and died in that position in 1863. He was a man of great learning and ability. St. Patrick's remained without a pastor until the summer of 1837, when Rev. Joseph Cody was appointed to the pastorate and took up his residence at the church. Mass was celebrated here two Sundays in the month, the remainder of the pastor's time being given to Freeport and Butler. By 1840, the congregation had become so large that a larger church was needed. A brick edifice, 45×80 feet, with a sacristy, a separate building against the rear of the church, was erected. It was dedicated July 29, 1842, by Very Rev. M. O'Connor, V. G. In 1844, the pastor's field of labor was rendered somewhat smaller by the ap- pointment of a pastor at Butler, who also had charge of Murrinsville and Mercer. Father Cody, however, visited Brady's Bend occasionally, and a little later officiated at the newly established church at Donegal (now North Oakland). In 1847, Free- port and Brady's Bend were assigned to another priest, and thenceforth Father Cody gave three- fourths of his time to St. Patrick's and the remain- der to North Oakland. In 1854, the log parsonage was replaced by a brick residence. After about the year 1861, Father Cody, on account of age and failing health, ministered only to St. Patrick's congregation. At length he was obliged to cease from labor, and at the end of the year 1865, Rev. J. O. G. Scanlan was transferred from Kittanning to St. Patrick's. Father Cody soon afterward went to the Mercy hospital, Pittsburgh, where he died August 7, 1871, in the 70th year of his age. He was buried from St. Patrick's, and his remains repose in front of the church.

Father Scanlon set about improving the interior

* Others say 1806 or 1807; but the date above given is believed to be correct.

532

HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

of the church, but before the work could be accom- plished he was transferred to another congregation, and Rev. James P. Tahany became pastor in Octo- ber, 1868. He collected means and carried out the proposed improvements and the church became one of the most beautiful in the diocese. In . November, 1871, Father Tahany was succeeded by Rev. S. P. Herman. On the night of January 1, 1872, the church was destroyed by an incendiary fire. It was a severe loss, as there was still a small debt and no insurance. The congregation then re- turned to the old log church as a place of worship. Rev. Thomas Fitzgerald became pastor and re- mained about a year. He was succeeded by Rev. P. M. Doyle, who remained in charge until the fall of 1875, when he was obliged to retire on account of ill health. He died in July, 1876, in the 47th year of his age and the 22d of his ministry.

On the 9th of January, 1876, Rev. P. J. Quilter became the pastor. He at once took measures to replace the church which had been destroyed, and succeeded well. The corner-stone of the structure was laid August 5, 1876, with ceremonies by the bishop. The church was finished the next summer and dedicated by Very Rev. R. Phelan, adminis- trator of Allegheny, on the 3d of July. The building is of Gothic style, brick, 45× 90 feet, with a basement. It is furnished with three altars and beautifully finished. Butts, of Pittsburgh, was the architect, and William Feigel, of Butler, con- tractor. There was perfect harmony between Father Quilter and all concerned in building the church. It was only by a great effort that the congregation was able to erect so large and costly an edifice. The debt is now reduced to $1,800. The membership is about 100 families at present. Oil developments gave the church a temporary in- crease. Millerstown, a new parish, is under the care of the pastor of St. Patrick's.

HISTORY OF THE DONATION LANDS.

Thus ends the sketch of that part of the present township of Sugar Creek south of the division line between the depreciation and donation lands.

Before commencing the sketch of its northern half, a brief account of those donation lands is here requisite. It was enacted by section 5 of the act of assembly of March 12, 1783, for the purpose of effectually complying with the letter and inten- tion of their resolve of March 7, 1780, promising to the officers and privates belonging to this state, in the federal army, certain donations and quan- tities of land, according to their several ranks, to be surveyed and divided off to them severally at the end of the war, a donation district be appro-

priated thus: A certain tract of country, beginning at the mouth of "Mogulbughtiton" creek (now Mahoning); thence up the Allegheny river to the mouth of " Cagnawaga " creek ; thence due north to the north boundary of the state; thence west to the northwest corner of the state; thence south by the western boundary of the state to the northwest corner of the depreciation lands, and thence by these lands to the place of beginning ; and was divided into ten districts, which were numbered 1, 2, 3, and so on. That portion of this county lying between the division line separating the deprecia- tion and donation lands and a parallel line extend- ing due west from a short distance below the foot of the bend in the Allegheny river, just above IIillville, to the Butler county line, constituted the first donation district. The act of March 12, 1783, further provided that former improvements on these donation lands should be null and void ; that officers and privates entitled to land should make their applications within two years after peace, which by subsequent acts was extended, the last limitation ceasing April 1, 1810; and that they should not sell their shares of land before they were actually surveyed. By the act of March 16, 1785, suchi lands were exempted from taxation during the life of the officer or soldier, unless the same were aliened to another person or persons. The appointment of deputy surveyors to survey and lay off in lots the donation lands. It was pro- vided by the same act, among other things, that all officers and soldiers of Pennsylvania regiments, or of independent corps, acknowledged by this state as of its quota in the Federal army, officers who were citizens of this state when they entered the service, not attached to the line of any state, who had served therein until the close of the war; such officers who had been " deranged by the regu- lations and arrangements of the army according to the act of congress " of October, 1780, or at any subsequent period of the war; and the widows and children of those officers and privates who had been slain in battle, or died in the service, should be entitled to lands according to their pay and rank just before they left the service, except such rank as was obtained by brevet unless paid in accordance therewith by the United States ; that the lots should be of four descriptions, one to con- tain 500 acres each, another 300 acres each, another 250 acres each, and another 200 acres each, with the usual allowances; that a quantity equal to what might be necessary for the major-generals, brigadier-generals, colonels, captains, and two- thirds of the lientenant-colonels, should be laid off into lots of 500 acres each ; a quantity equal to

WILLIAM A. WILSON.

MRS. WILLIAM A. WILSON.

FMG

RES. O.F. WM. ARMSTRONG WILSON.

533

SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP.

what might be necessary for the regimental sur- geons and mates, chaplains, majors and ensigns, into lots of 300 acres each ; a quantity equal to what might be necessary for one-third of the lieu- tenant-colonels for the sergeants, sergeant-majors, and quartermaster-sergeants, into lots of 250 acres each ; and a quantity equal to what might be necessary for the lieutenants, corporals, drummers, fifers, drum-majors, fife-majors and privates, into lots of 200 acres each.

The surveyor-general and each of his deputies were required to be sworn or affirmed that in lay- ing off those lots he would not select the best land, either as to quality or situation, to favor anyone of those four classes of lots to the prejudice or injury of the others, or of this state, and in running the boundary lines of the lots, each surveyor should cause them to be well defined, by marking the trees on the lines, at small distances, and particularly the angles, and on the northwestern corner-tree of each lot should be marked, in Roman figures, the number of the lot, but if there should be a post at any such corner, on the tree in the lot nearest to the post. When all the lots had been laid off, a draft of them should be made, which should be deposited in Rolls-office after all the applications were satisfied. The supreme executive council was required to cause numbers, corresponding to each of the four classes, to be made on square pieces of white paper of uniform size, or as nearly so as might be, and in their presence to roll and bind well those numbers separately and carefully, with silken thread, as uniformly as possible, and deposit them in four wheels, " like unto lottery wheels," which, before any applicant should be permitted to draw therefrom, should be repeatedly "well turned round." Those wheels were to be safely kept and remain sealed, except when drawn from, under the direction of a committee of three members of the supreme executive council, who were to judge and determine on the right of each applicant to receive grants of land, with the right of appeal in all cases of doubt and difficulty to the supreme executive council, whose decision thereon was final and con- clusive. The successful applicants were entitled to draw thus: A major-general, 4 tickets from the wheel containing the numbers on the 500-acre lots; a brigadier-general, 3 tickets; a colonel, 2 tickets; a lieutenant-colonel, 1 from that wheel and 1 from the wheel containing the numbers on the 250-acre lots; a surgeon, chaplain or major, each 2 tickets from the wheel containing the numbers on the 300-acre lots; a captain, 1 ticket from the wheel containing the numbers on the 500-acre lots; a lieutenant, 2 tickets from the wheel containing

the numbers on the 200-acre lots; an ensign, or regimental surgeon's mate, respectively, 1 ticket from the wheel containing the numbers on the 300- acre lots; a sergeant, sergeant-major or quarter- master-sergeant, respectively, 1 ticket from the wheel containing the numbers on the 250-acre lots; a drum-major, fife-major, drummer, fifer, corporal or private, respectively, 1 ticket from the wheel containing the numbers on the 200-acre lots. Be- fore the boundary line between Pennsylvania and New York was definitely established, some of the donation lots were laid off on territory of the latter state. It was provided by acts of April 5, 1793, and February 23, 1801, that those who had drawn lots in that territory should be allowed, under prescribed regulations, to draw others in lieu of them from the undrawn ones in any of the donation districts within this state. After April 1, 1810, the undrawn donation lots reverted to the common- wealth, which were to be disposed of in such man- ner as the legislature should thereafter by law direct.

By the act of April 9, 1828, the secretary of the land office was authorized to extend the provisions of the act to encourage the warranting and patent- ing of lands north and west of the Ohio and Alle- gheny rivers and Conewango creek, passed March 1, 1811, to the settlers or owners of the nndrawn donation lands.

As the Gapen map of surveys does not extend northwardly beyond the division line between the depreciation and donation lands, the other here- tofore-mentioned map is the only one representing the early surveys in the west of Sugar Creek town- ship, on which at the southwestern part of the do- nation lands in this township is one, a rectangular parallelogram, 400 acres, for which a warrant was granted to John Cox March 1, 1797, whose interest was probably purchased by Charles Campbell, to whom the patent was granted July 28, 1817. Rob- ert McCutcheon settled on it first. He was assessed with it, with 2 horses and 2 cows, in 1805 and 1806, at $122. There was an early agreement between him and Campbell that he should have 200 acres and one-half of the excess of 400 acres that might be in the tract at the valnation made by two or three re- spectable freeholders, with such proof of settle- ment as would enable Campbell to obtain the pat- ent. Mccutcheon conveyed his interest in the major part on the depreciation and donation line, June 7, 1807. It appears from the map that 150 acres of the northern part were laid off to Mc- Cntcheon, who sold or agreed to sell 50 acres of the northern part to Dennis Quinn, and agreed to convey the other part, 100 acres, to William D.

534

HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

Mccutcheon, June 15, 1809, for $500 in annual payments. That Mccutcheon purpart, 150 acres, was sold by Robert Robinson, sheriff, on Vend. Ex. No. 86, September term, 1823, in Philip Mechling, late sheriff, es. Robert and William D. McCutch- eon, to William Ayers and John Bredin for $230, 50 acres of which they conveyed to Dennis Quinn, February 5, 1842, for $100, having previously sold to him the other 100 acres, which last-mentioned parcel he conveyed to John Boyle, Jannary 5, 1846 for $600, with which the latter is assessed in 1876 at $1,400. Quinn appears to have been in posses- sion of the Campbell half of the excess over 400 acres, which Campbell had sold or agreed to sell to James Wilson, who instituted an ejectment for it against Quinn to No. 64, June term, 1843, in the common pleas of this county, which was tried and resulted in a verdict for Wilson for 48 acres to be released on payment of $140.67, in twelve months from September 15, 1844, which Wilson conveyed to Quinn, October 2, 1845. Quinn conveyed one- fourth of an acre on the eastern part of his land to the school directors of this township for school purposes about April 9, 1839, in which is what is known as the Quinn schoolhouse.

Adjoining the Campbell-Mccutcheon tract on the north is one of the same shape, 439 acres and 101 perches, contiguous to which on the north, chiefly in what is now Brady's Bend township, is another, 436 acres and 108 perches, for both of which pat- ents were granted to Charles Campbell, and the two together were named "Campbelltown," on which Nicholas Allimong and his family were early settlers, which Campbell, in Allimong's lifetime, agreed to convey to him, and which he did convey to his executors, Jacob Allimong and Jonathan King, in trust for his legatees, August 19, 1809, and those executors the same day conveyed the southern tract, or southern half of "Campbell- town," and part of the northern, thus : 200 acres by King to Jacob Allimong, 100 acres to Elizabeth Shectley, and 200 acres to Susanna Wiles. Mrs. Wiles, her husband, conveyed 118 acres and 158 perches of her purpart to Frederick Wiles, Sep- tember 21, 1841, for $400, which he conveyed to William McCrea, May 14, 1842, for $1,250, and 117 acres and 40 perches to Samuel S. Sander- son, April 16, 1851, for $1,260.43, which by his will, dated January 15, and registered May 21, 1872, devised to his son James. Mrs. Shectley conveyed her purpart to David Sheakley, October 1, 1853, for $850.

There is a narrow strip of the northern tract of " Campbelltown " in this township, on which Har- rison Miller resides, being a part of his purchase

elsewhere mentioned,* together with the southern part of the tract adjoining it on the east.

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History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 112

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