History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 113

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

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Jacob Allimong by his will, dated March 15, and registered April 12, 1823, devised and bequeathed all his property to his wife so long as she retained his name. He directed his real estate to be sold after her death for the best price that could be ob- tained, and the money arising from its sale to be divided among his son John and the latter's four children, 151 acres of which Jacob Allimong's grandchildren conveyed to James E. Brown, No- vember 5, 1852, for $45.25, which he conveyed to Samuel Sanderson, March 9, 1852, for $1,510; 15 acres and 74 perches of which Sanderson conveyed to James Patty, November 6, 1858, for $400, 8 acres and 44 perches of which Patty conveyed to John McSweeney, and which he conveyed to David Byers, April 4, 1865, for $325.

Adjoining South "Campbelltown " on the east is a tract which seems to have been originally a rectangular parallelogram that contained about 400 acres, the warrant for which was granted to James Buchanan, from the southeastern part of which a smaller parallelogram appears to have been laid off to John Boyers, but when it was the records do not show. It was first settled by Valentine Snyder, probably about 1797 or 1798, with 244 acres of which and 1 cow he was assessed in 1805-6, at $102.60. He transferred his interest in it to Samuel Sanderson in 1807, who was then assessed with 369 acres and one cow, at $169.60. This tract after- ward was known as the " Sanderson tract." The indication on the map is, that James Ramsey set- tled on it, who was first assessed in Sugar Creek township in 1809. The inchoate title to this tract became vested in Charles Campbell. James Camp- bell's executors obtained a judgment against his executors for $3,436.95 debt, and for $3.50 costs, on which a writ of Vend. Ex. was issued by virtue of which Jacob Mechling sold it and several other tracts to Daniel Stannard, of the borough of Indiana, and conveyed it and them to him, Decem- ber 7, 1828, for $780. It was included among the three tracts which James Campbell agreed to con- vey to Dr. John Gilpin, December 12, 1838, and which three tracts Stannard, by Campbell's direc- tion, conveyed to Gilpin, January 29, 1840, for $4,650, the patent having been granted to the lat- ter for 383 acres and 56 perches, January 9, 1839, which he conveyed thus: 2 acres to Peter Keemeser and Henry Wiles, April 9, 1840, for $40; 17 acres and 112 perches to William Morgan, August 9, 1847, for $255; and 100 acres and 1 perch to Thomas Rockett, January 30, 1848, for $2,400; 54

* Vide Brady's Bend.

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SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP.

acres and 64 perches to William Reese, March 22, 1852, for $800; 19 acres and 120 perches to Cath- erine Byers, May 12, 1862, for 8439.75; 126 acres and 32 perches, reserving 2 acres above mentioned, "sold to and occupied by a German churchyard and burial-place," to Henry Bolz, May 30, 1866, for $3,786, 28 perches of which he conveyed to Jacob Ellenberger, David L. and William Kemerer, David King, William Millison, David Sheakley, and George Vensel and their successors, consisting of St. Paul's Reformed church in the United States, August 19, 1871, for $25, and 126 acres and 32 perches with the reservation of the 2-acre church lot, 20 acres theretofore sold to Thomas W. George and the privilege of the spring of water southeast from the church edifice which had been granted by Bolz to St. Paul's church, leaving 106 acres to Michael Myers, May 14, 1873, for $13,500.

About 1835 Rev. Mr. Sweitzerbort of Butler county commenced holding religious services among the Lutherans, who had settled here and hereabout, and were members of the White church in that county, preaching at first to con- gregations in private houses, barns and the grove, which resulted in the organization of the Evangel- ical Lutheran church of Sugar Creek township. In the course of about four years the congregation erected a church edifice, frame, about 40×50 feet, hight of ceiling 12 feet, which had not been com- pleted and furnished when it was broken down by the weight of the heavy snow on New Year's night, 1840. Its site was on the above-mentioned two-acre parcel, the legal title to which being in Henry Wiles and Peter Kemerer, they conveyed it to John Ellenberger, Joseph King, John Mar- chand, David Snyder and Barnhart Vensel, trus- tees of the Evangelical Lutheran church, and John Boyers, Adam and Daniel Kemerer, John Mil- lison and Frederick Wiles, Jr., trustees of the Presbyterian (?) church of Sugar Creek township, and their successors, April 20, 1841, for $40, the St. Paul's having been organized about that time with Rev. Mr. Dale as pastor, and soon after erected their present church edifice, frame, 34×50 feet, hight of ceiling 16 feet, substantially built and painted white and neatly furnished. The next pastor was Rev. J. W. Alspach, who and several members of the church presented to the court of common pleas of this county a bill in equity, pray- ing that the deed from Kemerer and Wiles to the trustees of both of the last-mentioned congregations might be reformed by striking out the word " Pres- byterian " wherever it occurred in the deed, and in- serting in lieu thereof the word " Reformed." It having been duly proven that the former had by mis-

take been inserted instead of the latter, the court ordered and decreed, December 22, that the mis- take be corrected as prayed for. The membership of this church is quite large, probably exceeding 150 members, with a Sabbath school of about 100 scholars. The writer regrets that he has not been able to obtain from the records of these churches more detailed statements of facts.

The above-mentioned 100-acre tract, which ap- pears to have been surveyed off the " Sanderson Tract," was settled by John Boyers-spelled Buy- ers for a few years on the assessment-list-in 1810, when he was first assessed with 100 acres at $100, to whom the patent was granted, May 5, 1818, which he conveyed to David Boyers, February 17, 1849, with certain reservations during his and his wife's lives, on condition and in consideration of the grantee's paying him annually certain quanti- ties of grain and provisions, and which, as con- taining 113 acres and 84 perches, strict measure, he conveyed to Thomas Foster, Jr., February 27, 1868, for $4,600.

Contiguous to those Boyers and Sanderson tracts on the south is one, a rectangular parallelogram, 413 acres, 46 perches, adjoining the division line between depreciation and donation lands on the south, early settled by Josiah White, to whom the warrant was granted April 19, 1804, surveyed January 29, 1805, and the patent was issued to him March 25, 1818. He was assessed with 200 acres and 1 horse in 1805 and 1806, at $110. He conveyed 219 acres and 49 perches of the northern part to Daniel B. Heiner and John Mechling, March 7, 1839, for $3,000, which they conveyed. to James Wilson, April 1, 1840, for $4,400. He, by his will dated November 19, 1870, and registered February 22, 1871, devised it to his wife during her life, and directed it to be sold as soon as convenient after her death, and the proceeds of the sale to be divided among his children, so that each one's share after deducting his or her bequest be equal.

White conveyed 207 acres of the southern part to Andrew Schriver, April 7, 1845, for $1,700, who conveyed 50 acres and 12 perches to John McLaugh- lin, April 1, 1848, for $500; 105 acres to Thomas P. Jenkins, April 1, 1859, for $1,700, and 52 acres to David Bish, June 7, 1847, for $500, which the latter conveyed to John Mclaughlin, April 4, 1857, for $714.

Adjoining the White tract on the east is one of the same shape and area, bounded by the divi- sion line between depreciation and donation lands on the south, the warrant for which was granted to John Chambers March 1, 1794, who probably con- veyed his interest in it to Robert Cathcart, and he

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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

to Leonard Trees, who seems to have been the first settler. He was assessed with 100 acres, 1 horse and 3 cows, in 1805, and the next year with an addi- tional head of cattle, at $126. The patent was granted to him January 24, 1809. He and his step- son, Charles Ellenberger, entered into a written agreement September 17, 1808, by which he agreed to sell to Ellenberger the southern part of this tract, including the orchard, upland, meadow and pas- ture, and all his live stock, excepting a piece of meadow near the house and some of the live stock, in consideration of which Ellenberger agreed to pay Cathcart what was due on the land, all of Trees' debts, and deliver to him annually certain quantities of different kinds of grain, provisions, and, if required, " ten gallons of good whisky," and do certain work in case of Trees' inability to do it. Thus continued that domestic arrangement respecting that portion of this tract until August 12, 1812, when Trees conveyed 100 acres to Ellen- berger for $100, and 89 acres and 60 perches to Peter Hummon for $89. Ellenberger, by agree- ment, October 22, 1847, conveyed 200 acres to Tobias Hepler, in consideration of maintenance, etc., which the latter conveyed to Charles Seckler, April 15, 1869, for $6,500, which he conveyed to Joseph McElroy, May 15, 1874, for $10,500. Hum- mon having removed to Crawford county, Ohio, by William Green, his attorney-in-fact, conveyed his parcel to William Devinney, January 18, 1833, for $700, 14 acres and 38 perches of which he conveyed to Dr. Samuel S. Wallace, September 7, for $81.87, who was the first resident physician within the present limits of Sugar Creek township, and as such was first assessed in 1827. The site of one of the public schoolhouses, called the "Wallace schoolhouse," was on the eastern part of this par- cel. It appeared like quite an old building in 1855. Au affluent farmer of this township accompanied the county superintendent in his visit to the school in that house, in the winter of 1860, during which it so happened that an arithmetical class recited. That officer, in the course of his questions and ex- planations, so elucidated some of the principles on which the rules of arithmetic are founded as on another occasion to elicit from that farmer the re- mark, "That even if the salary of the superin- tendent were paid by the people of the county, he had learned enough while in the school with the superintendent to pay him for what would be his share of it."

Adjoining that Trees-Ellenberger tract on the north was a 400-acre one, the inchoate title to which became vested in Nicholas Day, who agreed to convey it to Joseph Wiles, July 16, 1796, for

₺130, to be paid in installments, and obtain a patent to him "clear of all incumbrances," which was granted to him July 27, 1818, 50 acres of the northern part of which he con- veyed to Peter Hummon, March 1, 1819, for $400, which the latter, with the 89 acres and 60 perches he had purchased from Trees, conveyed to William Devinney, January 18, 1833, for $700, 14 acres and 38 perches of which the latter conveyed to Dr. Samuel S. Wallace, September 7, for $81.87.

By the act of April 11, 1806, Joseph (written Jost) Wiles' house was designated as the place for holding elections in old Sugar Creek township. The portion of this tract of which Joseph died seized descended to his son, Henry, at whose house the elections continued to be held until after the organization of Brady's Bend township, where, says one of the writer's correspondents, there was generally "plenty of Paddy's eye-water,"-meaning Patrick Reed's whisky,-and one or more fisticuffs before the voters left the election-ground.

A call was issued August 19, 1829, " for a meeting at Henry Wiles', on Tuesday, September 1, to de- liberate and advise, but not to dictate to the people, as the opinion was entertained, that there was too much intrigue and mystery involved in the man- agement of political business in both state and county," and requested the people of other town- ships to do so. That meeting was held, of which John Brown was chairman, and James Adams sec- retary, and resolutions were adopted in accord with the spirit of the call.

Henry Wiles conveyed 53 acres and 80 perches of this tract to Solomon Rumbaugh, January 3, 1850, for $1,000, and by his will, dated October 26, 1852, and registered May 27, 1854, he devised 68 acres and 89 perches to his son-in-law, David King, and 30 acres, on which the testator then resided, to his daughter Catherine. The 50 acres which he had in his lifetime surveyed to John F. Wiles, the latter's heirs conveyed to Jabez Griffith, September 26, 1874, for $10.

Adjoining the Joseph Wiles tract on the north was another similar one, a considerable portion of it being in what is now Brady's Bend township, for which a warrant was granted to Samuel Buchanan, James C. Campbell and William Mc- Coy, February 3, 1794, to whom it was surveyed April 19, 1795, on which John Wiles settled and made an improvement in November, 1796, to whom it was surveyed by Ross, deputy surveyor, December 18, 1801, and was one of tracts sold by Presley C. Lane, United States marshal of the western district of Pennsylvania, and conveyed by him to Thomas Stewardson, May 19, 1802, who

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conveyed it and three other similar tracts to Charles Campbell, February 23, 1807, for $398.14. John Wiles was the earliest permanent settler on this tract, with 400 acres of which, 1 horse and 3 cattle he was assessed in 1805, at $196, and which Campbell conveyed to him, March 14, 1818, for $280, to whom the patent was granted January 18, 1819. It appears on the map to have been divided by Wiles into five parcels, rectangular parallelo- grams, the two southern ones lengthwise east and west, each 100 acres, and bearing his own name, and the other three lengthwise from north to south, the eastern one, 127 acres, bearing the name of Peter Wiles, the central one of the same area bear- ing the name of Jacob Wiles, and the western one, 50 acres, bearing the name of Benjamin Swaim, the major portion of all three being in what is now Brady's Bend township. John Wiles conveyed 260 acres, mostly in what is now Sugar Creek township, to John Crawford, May 8, 1820, for $549, which the latter conveyed to Jonathan Muti- more, January 10, 1832, for $1,000. One hundred and forty-one acres and 40 perches of the Sugar Creek portion of this parcel became vested in David Boyers, which he conveyed to Samuel San- derson-the last two conveyances are not on record - which he conveyed to Thomas F. Toule, August 30, 1849, for $2,030, and which the latter conveyed to William D. Watkins, April 27, 1860, for $3,300. The latter, by his will, dated May 14, and registered September 9, 1873, devised and be- queathed all his property to his wife and author- ized her to sell it, and if she should remarry, the property and its effects to be divided equally among his children.

Adjoining the John Wiles tract on the east is one similar in shape and area, 421 acres and 92 perches, the warrant for which was granted to William McCoy, February 3, 1794, to whom it was surveyed April 19, 1795, and on which Conrad Moyers made a settlement and improvement, June 22, 1796, to whom it was surveyed by Ross, deputy surveyor, April 30, 1802. The northern half, or about that quantity, is in what is now Brady's Bend township. Moyer was assessed with 400 acres of it and 1 cow, in 1805, at $166, and after- ward with 200 acres until 1808, when it was trans- ferred to John Pontius. Samuel and William Crawford subsequently obtained all the interests in this tract, to whom the patent was granted January 9, 1839. They, having laid the northern part of it off into small lots or parcels, conveyed the whole tract, 425 acres and 12 perches, to Will- iam F. Johnston, May 16, 1840, for $1,675. The records show conveyances from him to divers per-

sons of about 205 acres, in lots and parts of lots, and parcels, the largest one not exceeding 51 acres, from November 19, 1847, to June 16, 1865, for $4,608.05. The largest number of conveyances on any one day were made August 31, 1854. The town or hamlet of Greenville is situated on this tract along the Kittanning and Brady's Bend road.

Adjoining that McCoy-Moyer tract on the south is one like it, for which the warrant was granted to Thomas Buchanan, February 3, 1794, on which it was surveyed to him April 19, 1795, and on which Adam Moyer made an improvement in April, and a settlement, June 22, 1796. Buchanan having leased it to another party who attempted to obtain possession, a surveyor was employed, either by Buchanan or his lessee, to trace the lines, June 1, 1797. Moyer threatened that he would cripple him if he did not desist, and, with a gun in his hand which he cocked, declared that he would shoot any one who would attempt to settle on this tract. Several persons were thus intimidated from going on this land to make a settlement. Ross, deputy surveyor, surveyed this tract as containing 437 acres and 24 perches to Adam Moyer, April 30, 1802. Buchanan's lessee brought an ejectment suit against Moyer for 400 acres of this land, then in Buffalo township, in Armstrong county, but still within the jurisdiction of Westmoreland county, November, 1803. The case was tried before Smith and Yeates, justices of the supreme court, who charged the jury that, there having been no actual settlement anterior to the plaintiff's survey, the plaintiff's title must prevail unless it had been avoided by his non-performance of the conditions of settlement and improvement. But, they asked, who prevented that performance ? Who expected to derive a benefit from that improper conduct ? The defendant. If they counted the period from which the settlement was to commence, from De- cember 22, 1795, the ratification of the treaty at Fort Greenville, the defendant had, within the time allowed for making the settlement, obstructed the plaintiff or his agents from complying with the law, and, according to all their decisions, should reap no advantage therefrom, and, if the case were even dubious, the defendant's lawless conduct should postpone him, on principles of general pol- icy and safety. Verdict for the plaintiff, in- stanter .*

Moyer remained in possession and was assessed with 400 acres and 5 cattle in 1805 and 1806, at $198, to whom, before his death, Charles Campbell had agreed to convey whatever title he had ae-

* See that case reported in Vol. Il of Laws of Pennsylvania, cd. 1810, p. 224.

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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

quired, which he did to George Moyer in trust for Adam Moyer's heirs, June 22, 1813, for $700, to whom the patent was granted March 15, 1816. Thomas Buchanan conveyed whatever interest he had therein to Philip Moyer, September 28, 1839. Adam Moyer, by his will, dated March 27, and reg- istered June 16, 1812, devised " the old place of 200 acres " to his sons, George and Philip, they to pay the legatees at the rate of $3.50 per acre, and to keep their mother the rest of her life, unless she should remarry. He directed that if Gen. Camp- bell should not make a title for the land they should make it themselves, and keep the expense out of the price of the land, either in two years after their mother's death or in two years after they should obtain the title ; and that they should take a fatherly care of the little boys, clothe and school them until they should be sixteen years old, who should be obedient to them, and then " go to trades." So it continued to be occupied by these heirs until they sold to others. George and Philip Moyer conveyed 200 acres of the southern part to David Rumbaugh, September 19, 1816, for $1,300, who soon erected thereon a large two-story house, which he weatherboarded, and a capacious barn, which were then the best buildings in that neigh- borhood. He had the likeness of a clock painted on the gable end of his house next to the public road, being what is now the Kittanning and Brady's Bend one, the hands representing the time to be 11:45 o'clock, and he was occasionally amused by travelers comparing the time indicated by their watches with and setting them by it. He agreed, April 14, 1841, to convey these 200 acres to his son Solomon, in consideration of the proper maintenance of him and his wife during the rest · of their lives, which agreement must have been complied with, for the latter conveyed 212 acres to James A. Adams and William Varnum, April 2, 1856, for $5,500, 200 acres being assessed to Adams . in 1876 at $3,000, having previously conveyed 1 acre and 26 perches to Dr. Wallace.

George and Philip Moyer conveyed, October 16, 1839, 115 acres and 30 perches of the northern part or " old place," to William Hart for $1,380, and 34 acres and 26 perches to John Marchand for $155. Frederick Moyer conveyed 131 acres, which had become vested in him, reserving one acre for his own use, and the use of the spring, to Jacob Ellenberger, December 8, 1855, for a comfortable maintenance.

Next south of that " disputed territory " is a tract, a rectangular parallelogram, lengthwise east and west, 130 acres, on which is the name of Henry Moore, to whom the warrant was probably

granted, and to whose heirs it was assessed in the unseated list in 1812, and for a few years there- after. It appears to have been subsequently occu- pied by James Adams, who was first assessed with 50 acres unseated in 1825, having previously pur- chased about that quantity from the next herein- after-mentioned tract. He was first assessed with 170 acres of seated land in this township in 1828. The interest of Moore's heirs having become vest- ed in him, he obtained a warrant for at least the greater part of this tract March 27, 1837, and the patent June 2, 1840, a portion of which he con- veyed to Chambers and Robert Orr, and 35 acres and 49 perches of which he conveyed to William Cowan, October 8, 1841, for $1, which the latter conveyed to Dr. Samuel S. Wallace, the same day, for $215, which, with the 14 acres and 38 perches which the doctor had purchased from Devinney, and the 1 acre and 26 perches which he had purchased from Rumbaugh, Dr. Wallace's heirs conveyed to Andrew McElroy, April 1, 1873, for $4,500.

James Adams was first assessed in this township as a single man, and with 1 horse, in 1815, at $20, and the next year as " storekeeper," the first one in this township, and 1 horse, at $50. His store, it is said, was at first kept in the loft of a spring- house on an adjoining tract, but was afterward re- moved to the southern part of this Moore-Adams tract, which point has been for many years known as " Adams." Hay scales, not common in rural districts, were erected here soon after the Great Western or Brady's Bend iron-works went into operation, and proved to be very convenient to the farmers of this section, who sold their hay and other products at these works. The postoffice was established here September 23, 1853, James Adams postmaster. This property still belongs to the Adams estate.

Next south of that Moore-Adams tract is a square one, 300 acres, on which Robert Orr, Sr., settled, and with 197 acres, 1 horse and 5 cattle, he was assessed in 1805 and 1806 at $146.80. The patent for the entire tract was granted to him February 16, 1815; 140 or more acres of the northern part he conveyed to John Conly July 4, 1816, who con- veyed 100 acres, including the orchard and meadow, to William Brownfield, May 20, 1821, for his proper maintenance with an annual supply of “ ten gallons of good whisky, if required." Conly also conveyed 50 acres and 62 perches, in three separate parcels, to James Adams, July 25, 1822, for $158, in whom the Brownfield parcel subsequently be- came vested.

Robert Orr, Sr., continued in the occupancy of the southern half of this tract until he leased it to

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SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP.

Solomon Rumbaugh about 1825, about which time he removed to Kittanning. He conveyed this parcel to his sons, Chambers and Robert, May 7, 1831. He died at Kittanning, September 4, 1833, in his 89th year.

Robert Orr, Sr., was a native of the county of Derry, Ireland, whence he emigrated to this coun- try in 1766, resided in what is now Mifflin county, where he married Miss Culbertson, until 1773, when he and his wife removed to Hannastown, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, where he resided until he settled in what is now this town- ship. He esponsed the colonial cause on the adop- tion of the declaration of independence, and was an earnest, active and devoted patriot, and readily volunteered his services and encouraged others to volunteer theirs, when needed, to protect the west- ern frontier from the Indian incursions and at- tacks. Gen. George R. Clark, of Virginia, having communicated to Archibald Lochery, the lieutenant of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, his deter- mination to enter upon a campaign against the Indians down the Ohio river, in the summer of 1781, and, having requested him to raise 100 volunteers and a company of cavalry in his county, and Lochery having intimated the same to Orr, the latter promptly raised a company of volunteer riflemen and furnished such of its members as were unable to furnish themselves with necessaries for that expedition, chiefly at his own expense, as he could not order the company of militia, of which he was captain, from home. The force consisted of two companies of rangers, com- manded, respectively, by Captains Shannon and Stokeley, and a company of horse, commanded by Captain Campbell, aggregating about 125 men, who rendezvoused at Carnahan's blockhouse, eleven miles west of Hannastown, July 24, and moved the next day, via Pittsburgh, for Fort Henry, where Wheeling now is, where, according to a . prearrangement, they were to join Clark's army, which, they ascertained on their arrival, had ad- vanced twelve miles down the river, having left some provisions and a boat for them. With an inadequate supply of ammunition and provisions, they proceeded down the river, expecting to meet Clark at the mouth of the Kanawha, but were again disappointed, as he was obliged to move his force before their arrival to prevent desertion. Their provisions and forage being nearly exhausted, there being no other source of supply than from what Clark had, and the stage of water in the river being low, Lochery, who was the only field officer in command, dispatched Captain Shannon with four men in a small boat, hoping that they might overtake the

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History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 113

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