History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 115

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

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The Campbell purpart was included in the con- veyance of Jacob Mechling, sheriff, to Daniel Stannard, December 7, 1828, who conveyed 200 acres to James Hart, June 5, 1855, for $1,000, who conveyed 67 acres and 44 perches to Thomas Templeton, May 20, 1841, for $326.

Adjoining the eastern part of that Campbell- Crawford tract on the north and the Buchanan- Vensil tract on the east is a hexagonal one, 448 acres and 89 perches, the southern part of which extends, like the short blade of a carpenter's square, eastward into what is now Washington township. The map indicates that the warrantee was James Buchanan. The warrant was granted to him Febru- ary 3, 1794, but in one of the conveyances, Charles Thompson, is mentioned as the warrantee. Its earliest settler was Archibald Thompson, who made his improvement in February, and settlement on it April 9, 1801, surveyed by Ross, deputy sur- veyor, November 3, 1802, and who was assessed with 400 acres of it and I horse, in 1805 and 1806, at $120. It was sold for taxes, and Robert Brown, county treasurer, conveyed it to William Brown, - September 17, 1816, for $9, who assigned his inter- est in it to James Monteith, December 11, for $13. It is in that treasurer's deed that Charles Thomp- son is mentioned as the warrantec. Monteith ob- tained a judgment against Archibald Thompson for $56 of debt, on which it was sold, and was con- veyed by Joseph Brown, sheriff, to Monteith, Sep- tember 17, 1816, for $20, who conveyed it to Philip Templeton, Sr. He, by his will heretofore men- tioned, devised it to his sons Samuel and Thomas, the former of whom transferred his undivided half to the latter in 1829, and conveyed it, July 14, 1836, for $200, to whom the patent was granted, June 26, 1838, he having been first assessed with 200 acres of it, and 1 cow, in 1824, at $76. He erected his sawmill near the mouth of Snyder's run, in 1843, which was then assessed at $150. T. Templeton & Co. were first assessed with 2 mills, in 1849, at $300, and 1 factory, at $150 ; T. Temple- ton with a furnace in 1852, and with a distillery, in 1854, at $50. His last assessment with mills was in 1856, at $100. Thomas Templeton con- veyed 120 perches to the school directors of this township, October 31, 1850, which parcel was to revert to him if it should cease to be used for school-purposes for a period of three years ; and, May 13, 1855, 111 acres and 158 perches, nearly all off this tract, to his son James S., for $600 "and natural love and affection ;" and 106 acres and 56 perches, small portions of which were taken off the parcels which he had purchased from James Hart and Thomas McKee, to his son John, for the same

545

SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP.

consideration. James conveyed his parcel to his uncle, Philip Templeton, October 14, 1864, for $1,800; and as administrator, by virtue of an order of the orphans' court of this county, he conveyed the residue of his father's real estate, about 332 acres, to the same, June 6, for $4,500; 22 acres of which he conveyed to David Hepler, April 12, 1873, for $1,100.

In 1865 the Templeton Oil Company was organ- ized and drilled a well about 1,500 feet deep, near the mouth of Snyder's run, on this tract, at a cost of about $6,000. There was in the course of the drilling a slight but not remunerative show of oil, the " smelling " for which was not of course suc- cessful.

The Sugar Creek and Phillipsburgh Ferry Com- pany, with a capital stock of $300, each share $10, was organized in 1878, for the purpose of trans- porting passengers, animals, vehicles and freight across the Allegheny river, with its principal place of business at this point, named Ferryton in the charter. John Templeton was chosen president, Henry C. Pritner secretary and treasurer, John E., Thomas and William B. Templeton, directors of the company for the first year. The letters patent were granted by Governor Hartranft, January 2, 1879.

Adjoining that Buchanan-Thompson tract on the east and north is a trapezoidal one, 390 acres, the warrant for which was granted to Adam Maxwell, and the patent to James Watterson, February 8, 1820, who, in pursuance of a previous agreement, conveyed it to Archibald McCall and Samuel A. Gilmore, August 9, 1836, for $1, who conveyed it to Joseph White, July 9, 1839, for $300, and which he conveyed to Joseph Hicks, March 31, 1846, for $1,400, to whose heirs it now belongs, being partly in Washington township.

Contiguous to the Buchanan-Thompson tract on the south is one, 447 acres and 116 perches, a rect- angular parallelogram, partly in what is now Washington township, the warrant for which was granted to James Campbell in 1794, on which John Elder was the early settler, with 400 acres of which and 1 horse he was assessed, in 1805, at $185, and the next year, with the same and 1 cow, at $190, when it was transferred to Andrew Blair, to whom it was assessed until 1812, after which it was occupied by James Elder, to whom 100 acres of it, 1 horse and 1 cow were assessed, in 1813, at $76. The patent for the entire tract was granted to Charles Campbell, June 2, 1828, who conveyed it, the same year, to Thomas Foster, who conveyed 150 acres of it to James Elder for $1 and the set- tler's right, which he conveyed to Robert Thorn,

shoemaker, March 9, 1833, for $300, which the latter conveyed to Joseph Thorn, August 15, 1844, for $500, 75 acres of which he conveyed to David Hays, August 20, 1844, for $750, and 83 acres to David W. Burk, six days later, for $800, which he conveyed to David Hays, April 26, 1847, for $550. Hays conveyed 186 acres to Robert Hays, May 19, 1852, for $625, and 12 acres and 82 perches to Henry Coffman, February 6, 1861, which the latter conveyed to Robert Hays, February 16, 1862, for $191.

Foster conveyed 265 acres and 135 perches of his purpart to Thomas McKee, September 15, 1831, for $450, 5 acres and 2 perches of which he con- veyed to Thomas Templeton, April 28, 1832, for $14. McKee resided on this tract until his decease, where he opened his store prior to 1860. 1Ie died intestate, and in proceedings in partition the in- quest valued the residue of this parcel, 264 acres, as surveyed by J. E. Meredith, February 2, 1867, at $8,470, which was not taken by any of the heirs at the appraisement, but all of them except one having conveyed their interests to Thomas V. Mc- Kee, the court decreed, June 3, 1867, that this land be awarded to him.

Between that Campbell-Elder tract and the de- preciation line is a similar one, 367 acres and 52 perches, the warrant for which was granted to Samuel Dixon, March 1, 1794, who conveyed his interest in it to Charles Campbell, June 19, 1814, for $400, to whom the patent was granted, June 16, 1816, on which Samuel Elder was the carly set- tler, to whom it was surveyed by Ross, deputy sur- veyor, March 6, 1805, and with 200 acres of which, 1 horse and 2 cows he was assessed in 1805, at $117, and the next year, with 1 cow less, at $111. His widow remained in the tenure of it several years after his death, who was succeeded by Abra- ham Swartzlander in 1827, who was assessed in 1834, as a shoemaker. This tract was included in the conveyance of Jacob Mechling, sheriff, to Daniel Stannard, December 7, 1828, and in the agreement between James Campbell and Dr. Gil- pin, and in Stannard's conveyance to the latter, January 29, 1840. McCall claimed an interest in it, which Charles Campbell in his lifetime agreed to purchase. George A. McCall, then of Memphis, Tennessee, having brought an ejectment against Abraham Swartzlander and other occupants in the circuit court of the United States to recover it, Gilpin purchased his interest, which was conveyed to him, October 26, 1839, for $500. Gilpin con- veyed 100 acres to Jacob Hepler, Jr., August 25, 1845, for $650, and 135 acres and 118 perches to George Kenworthy, June 21, 1854, for $1,357.77,

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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

which Kenworthy conveyed to William B. Srader, September 27, for $2,443.27, and which the latter conveyed to Isaac C. Steele, August 9, 1871, for $6,400. Those two parcels are chiefly, if not wholly, in what is now Washington township. Elder, widow Elder and Swartzlander probably occupied the western part of the tract. The records are obscure respecting the disposition of the settler's purpart. It is noted on the assessment list for 1837, which was made in the fall of 1836, that the 256 acres that had been assessed to Swartzlander for several years were "transferred to Alexander Fos- ter, Sr.," of whose farm the western part of this tract was a portion included in his devises to his sons Christopher and William.

The first census taken after Sugar Creek was re- duced to its present area was that of 1860, when its population was 1,101. In 1870, it was: Native, 969; foreign, 54. Its number of taxables in 1876 is 287. The assessment list made in the last-men- tioned year shows the occupations of the inhabitants exclusive of the agricultural portion to have been: Laborers, 25; carpenters, 6; blacksmiths, 3; mer- chant, 1-there were at least 3; miller, 1; shoe- makers, 2.

1860. Number schools, 9; average number months taught, 4; male teachers, 9; average salaries per month, $20; male scholars, 196; female schol- ars, 163; average number attending school, 204; amount levied for school purposes, $884.88; cost of teaching each scholar per month, 56 cents; received

from state appropriation, $143.35; from collectors, $520; cost of instruction, $720; fuel, etc., $90; cost of schoolhouses, $20.

1876. Number schools, 9; average number months taught, 5; male teachers, 5; female teach- ers, 4; average number salarics per month, both male and female, $30; male scholars, 143; female scholars, 129; average number attending school, 200; cost per month, $1.06; tax levied, $1,860; received from state appropriation, $227.85; from taxes, etc., $2,327.90; paid teachers, $1,350; fuel, etc., $771.75.

The people of this township voted on the license question, February 28, 1873, thus: Against grant- ing licenses, 63; for licenses, 39.

Geological .- The surface rocks in this township consist largely of the Lower Barrens. This is evident from the smooth condition of its upland farms. The lower productive rocks skirt the east- ern edge of the township, and in the northeast cor- ner, where the river touches the ferriferous lime- stone, are also above water-level for a short distance on Little Buffalo creek near Foster's mills. The upper Freeport coal is small and unimportant in this section. Further west below the Catholic church it expands to four feet thick, and has its limestone underneath it.

Structure .- An anticlinal axis extends across the southeast corner of the township, so that, westward from this past Adams, the dip is to the northwest, which explains the absence of coal and the presence here of the Lower Barrens.

CHAPTER XXV.

WASHINGTON.

The Township Struck off from Sugar Creek in 1858 -First Election of Officers - Major Part of the Town- ship South of the Donation Land Line-The Pioneers and First Owners of the Principal Tracts - Church of the Brethren of Christ - Lands North of the Donation Line - Van Buren Laid Out - Watter- sonville - Methodist Episcopal Church - Statistics- Geology.

THE petition of citizens of Sugar Creek township was presented to the court of quarter sessions of this county April 3, 1858, representing that their township was entirely too large to be convenient, being nearly sixteen by six or seven miles ; that many of them living on the river and in the out- skirts were virtually disfranchised on account of their great distance from the place of holding the elections and "the difficulties of the roads," and prayed the court to appoint suitable persons to divide their township by a line beginning on the southern boundary east of William Campbell's farm, and extending to or near Nicholas Cook's, on the Allegheny river, and to name the part east of that line Washington. The course of the proposed line was nearly from southwest to northeast. Other citizens remonstrated against such a division. The court, August 11, 1858, appointed James Douglass, Franklin Reynolds and James Stewart the com- missioners. Their report, presented September 18, was adverse to the proposed division, because the proposed line would not " divide the township fairly ;" would " destroy two school districts and disturb a third," "running within eight feet of the Templeton schoolhouse and within 17 perches of McClatchey's schoolhouse," and would leave many of the voters in as " bad if not worse condi- tion than they were in before." They believed " Sugar Creek township large enough to make two good townships, giving to each an area of about thirty square miles, by a line running north and south." They therefore recommended to the court such an alteration in the order given them as would make the division satisfactory. Their report was held over until October 18, when, by consent of the attorneys for the petitioners and the re- monstrants, the court granted leave to withdraw the petition and the order to be so amended as to give those commissioners full power to divide the townships by such lines as they should think best, and an alias order was accordingly issued. The township was then divided by a line beginning at a point on the Allegheny river, on the heretofore-

mentioned Maxwell-White tract," and extending somewhat southeasterly to the Franklin, now the East Franklin township line.

The first election held in Washington township, in February, 1859, resulted thus: Leonard Fair and David Wolf were elected justices of the peace; Geo. W. Cousins, constable; Samuel H. Dickey, treasurer; Geo. L. Davis, Jacob Woods and David Wolf, audi- tors; James F. Cowan and David Yerty, supervisors; John A. Foster, town clerk; William S. Campbell and George Claypoole, overseers of the poor; George C. Claypoole, James F. Cowan, John A. Foster, Philip Templeton (of S.), David Wolf and Jacob Woods, school directors; George W. Cousins, assessor; Jacob Woods, judge; and John A. Foster and Absalom Wolf, inspectors of election. For the place of holding elections, Henry Helzel, 69, Adam Wyant, 52, and William Groves, 5 votes.

The greater portion of the territory of Washing- ton township is below or south of the depreciation and donation line, the original tracts of which will be first sketched. The eastern portions of the Michael Red and David Henry tracts, as hereto- fore mentioned,t are in the southwestern part of this township. Adjoining the Henry tract on the north is one, a rectangular parallelogram, 4074 acres, extending north to the donation line, and west into what is now Sugar Creek township, which is but partially bounded on the Gapen map, on which is the name of " Alexr. Denniston," to which Charles McClatchey acquired title by im- provement and settlement, to whom it was surveyed by Ross, deputy surveyor, April 23, 1805, 407 acres and 91 perches, with 400 acres of which, 1 horse and 1 cow he was assessed in 1805 and 1806 at $191, and which he conveyed to Archibald Dickey, March 1, 1834, for $400. The latter conveyed it to John McGarvey, October 25, 1836, for $700, who conveyed it to his sons: 213 acres and 148 perches to William, November 16, 1849, for $100, in the northeastern part of which is the McClatchey

* See Sugar Creek township.

+ See Sugar freek township.

548

HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

schoolhouse. He conveyed 113 acres and 106 perches to Peter Mobley, June 5, 1850, for $904, which he conveyed to John Sutton, April 11, 1855, for $ -- , who conveyed 57 acres to Christopher Foster, May 29, for $803.70. John McGarvey to his son David, other 213 acres and 138 perches, the southern part of the tract, December 13, 1849, for $1,000, of which he conveyed 25 acres to James B. Morrison, September 8, 1864, for $500, and 38 acres and 30 perches to John McBride, April 24, 1866, for $826.

Adjoining the northern part of that Denniston- McClatchey tract on the east is a partially bounded one, a rectangular parallelogram, if completely bounded, lengthwise, east and west, with the name of "Arch'd Denniston." John Kerr was its original settler, to whom it was surveyed by Ross, deputy surveyor, May 4, 1805, as containing 403 acres and 123 perches, with 350 acres of which, and 1 cow, he was assessed in 1805, at $93.50, and the next year with the same and 2 additional cat- tle, at 108.50. James Fulton obtained a judgment against Kerr, for $109.32 of debt, on which the latter's interest in this tract was sold by Jonathan King, sheriff, who conveyed it to Robert Orr, December 19, 1809, for $46, who conveyed it to Paul Morrow, December 21, 1810, for $50, which Morrow conveyed to Nathaniel Stewart, April 9, 1813, for $200, who conveyed it to Joseph Taylor, August 12, 1816, for $1,000, the last-mentioned names being on it on the other map. The records do not show what became of Taylor's interest in it.

Matthias Buiheimer claimed, acquired an inter- terest in, obtained a warrant for about 75 acres of the northern part, which David Johnston, county treasurer, sold to Alexander Colwell, for taxes, and conveyed the same to him, June 26, 1830, for $2, which he couveyed to Michael Fair, September 8, 1838, for $103, which he conveyed to Simon Fair, April 8, 1841, for $75, who conveyed 234 acres to William McClatchey, September 30, 1843, for $50; 40 acres to Nicholas Clark, March 16, 1842, for $67, both of which parcels have been considerably subdivided.

James Cowan was first assessed with 240 acres of it, and 1 cow, in 1825, at $180. He continued in the occupancy of it until 1843. That portion of it was thereafter assessed to James F. Cowan, to whom the warrant was granted April 24, and the patent July 3, 1848, for 241 acres and 156 perches for 39 cents, exclusive of the amount paid on obtaining the warrant, to whom Orr conveyed whatever interest he had in it by virtue of Sheriff King's sale to him, November 23, 1867, for $1. Cowan conveyed 7 acres March 9, 1868, and 241

acres and 56 perches, the same day, to John W. Littey, for $7,500, and removed to the West. The northern part began to be cleared about 1856, and it has since been occupied by divers persons, whose proper title is not apparent from the records. A portion of the northwestern part became vested in David Hays, which he conveyed to John Donnell, who conveyed it to William Donnell, who conveyed 67 acres and 100 perches of it to Michael Fair, Feb- ruary 1, 1865, for $500, reserving 1 acre and 40 perches, the Methodist church lot, on which a frame church edifice was erected in 1854, while Hays owned it, as stated by David J. Reed, who was the contractor and builder.

Adjoining that Archibald Denniston-Kerr tract on the south is an incompletely bounded one on the Gapen map, bearing the name of "Jas. Nich- ols." On the other map is a hexagonal one, the northern part, like the short blade of a square, ex- tending castwardly, and the other part, like the long blade, extending southwardly along the Henry, and the northern part of the Red tract, on which the original settler appears to have been Robert Galbraith, who was assessed with 400 acres in 1805 and 1806, at $100. He probably had some one else on as settler for him, for he had a tannery near where Worthington now is, where he died in 1807, when the 75 acres which he had there occupied were "rated to David Graham, doctor." Gal- braith's interest in this tract, 150 acres, was sold by Jonathan King, sheriff, on a judgment in favor of Samuel Matthews for $50 of debt, and $2.50 of costs which the sheriff conveyed to James Mateer, September 16, 1811, for $60.25, and which Mateer agreed to sell to William Gibson, tailor, June 8, 1813, for $200, one-half in cash and the other half in trade, who was first assessed with 400 acres in 1814, at $100, to whom it continued to be as- sessed until 1828, when it was noted on the assess- ment list as "seated by John Green." John Remor was also a settler on this tract, against whom James Monteith obtained a judgment for $27.37 of debt, on which fi. fa. to No. 41, June term, was issued and a levy taken on 400 acres, about 4 acres of which were cleared, on which a cabin house and barn were erected. Inquisition was held and the land was appraised at $744 and condemned. It was sold by Robert Robinson, sheriff, to Monteith for $55, who devised it to his daughters, whose husbands, Gilpin and Johnston, obtained a patent for the entire tract March 29, 1837. They and their wives conveyed 121 acres and 64 perches in the central part, including the settler's improvement, to Nancy McGregor, to whose husband, Allen McGregor, it was assessed

549

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

after John Green left, July 25, 1837, for $75, which she conveyed to Conrad Helm, August 1, who con- veyed the same to Jacob Helm, June 12, 1849, for $200. They and their wives conveyed 137 acres and 32 perches of the southern part to William Dickey, July 25, for $411, to whose estate it still belongs. They also conveyed 55 acres of the northern part to James Porterfield, August 12, 1848, which he the same day conveyed to his son James C. Porterfield, which he conveyed to Robert Dickey, April 8, 1854, which he conveyed to Philip Templeton, July 25, 1857, for $1,200.

Adjoining that Nichols-Galbraith tract on the south, vacant on the Gapen map, is one on the other map, a rectangular parallelogram, lengthwise north and south, 399 acres and 146 perches, on which Jacob Steelsmith began an improvement in 1793, a settlement May 7, 1796, which Ross, deputy surveyor, surveyed to him July 9, 1801, and for which, called "Smith's Choice," the patent was granted to him September 3, 1810, who conveyed 100 acres and 8 perches to John Leard, April 11, 1814, "for $325, which the latter by his will, dated No- vember 29, 1814, and registered March 16, 1821, devised to his son Oliver.

Steelsmith conveyed that portion of "Smith's Choice " on which he then lived, 110 acres, to his son Simon, August 16, 1816, for natural love and maintenance ; also the 116 acres and 116 perches heretofore mentioned,* which latter parcel he con- veyed to Michael Fair, who conveyed to John Fair, who conveyed 56 acres of that part of it in what is now Washington township, April 16, 1866, for the comfortable maintenance of himself and wife the rest of their lives.

East of "Smith's Choice " on the Gapen map is vacant territory, but on the other is a square tract, 331 acres, on which Anderson Truitt was the origi- nal settler. He was assessed with 300 acres of it, 1 horse and 1 cow, in 1805, at $101. On the assess- ment list of that the land is noted as "trans- ferred." He and Elijah Mounts agreed July 30, to sell and purchase 150 acres of it for $350, in payments : £50 in hand, and the rest in annual payments of £50, except the last, which was to be £17 10s, Truitt to make "a clear deed" by May 1, 1806, which he did not do. The warrant was not granted to him until February 5, and the pat- ent July 5, 1810. He conveyed this tract, called " Albany," to John Beatty, November 15, 1813, for $220, which he conveyed to Robert Beatty and David Rankin, November 15, 1813. Rankin hav- ing released his interest therein to Beatty, the lat- ter conveyed the entire tract, 353 acres, to Martin

John, Jr., January 13, 1833, in pursuance of an agreement made November 16, 1827, for $430, 20 acres and 6 perches of the western part of which he conveyed to Oliver Leard, July 3, for $50, and 85 acres and 96 perches to his oldest son, Michael, April 19, 1855, for $1 and " natural love and affec- tion," with which the latter is assessed in 1876 at $1,190, and by his will dated March 8 and regis- tered April 30, 1856, devised the rest to his wife " to have and to hold for her living and to dispose of as she pleases," and which she by her will, dated December 27, 1866, and registered September 12, 1870, devised to her son Christman John, who con- veyed 106 acres to George II. Foster, June 10, 1873, for $3,930.

Adjoining "Albany " and "Smith's Choice " on the north is vacant territory on the Gapen map, with the name of " Allan McCard," for 400 acres of which, a rectangular parallelogram length- wise east and west, John Mounts obtained a war- rant November 13, 1807, and the patent January 16, 1809, 200 acres of the western part of which he conveyed to Leonard IIearley, June 6, for $800, which he conveyed to Christian Ruffner, October 17, 1812, for $1,809, which he occupied until his death. All his heirs except Hannah Marvin and Daniel Ruffner released their interests to Alex- ander and Solomon Ruffner, December 15, 1843, for $500. In subsequent proceedings in partition this parcel was divided by the inquest, May 26, 1859, into two purparts, "A," 91 acres and 70 perches, valued at $731.50, and "B," 121 acres and 20 perches, at $969. "A" was awarded by the court to Alexander, and "B" was accepted by Solomon, September 7, at the valuation. Daniel was absent and had not been heard from for more than twenty years prior to the inquisition, and was supposed to be dead.

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History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 115

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