History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 116

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

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Mounts conveyed the eastern part of this tract, 200 acres, to Martin John, Sr., September 20, 1809, for $250, which, and 325 acres in Toby town- ship, he conveyed to his sons John and Peter, and his sons-in-law, John Christman and Henry Helsel, June 4, 1836, for $5 and "natural love and affec- tion."

Adjoining that Mounts-John-Ruffner tract on the north is a hexagonal one, "435"," bounded on the north by the depreciation line, surveyed by Gapen, deputy surveyor, to " Arthur Denniston," on which the original settler was William Free- man, to whom and A. McCall it was surveyed by Ross, deputy surveyor, May 3, 1805, 422 acres. Freeman was assessed with 400 acres of it and 2 cows, in 1805, at $112, and the next year, with the same and 1 horse, at $122, and the last time with

* See East Franklin.

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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

the same in 1812, at $125. What disposition he made of his settler's right is not apparent from the records. Henry Heltzell was assessed with it and 1 cow, in 1825, at $106. The patent was granted to him and McCall, October 29, 1831, 200 acres and 50 perches of which McCall conveyed to Heltzell, June 21, 1832, for $1, 31 acres of which the latter conveyed to Valentine Bowser, who conveyed the same parcel to John Ellen- berger, Sr., which the latter conveyed to John Ellenberger, Jr., and was included in his convey- ance of 108 acres and 30 perches, the major part of which was included in the survey on warrant to John Ellenberger, Sr., April 16, 1830, to Simon Ellenberger, June 4, 1859, for $2,200. Heltzell by his will dated July 15, and registered August 4, 1866, devised the rest of his purpart, about 160 acres, to his stepson, "Emanuel Rydybush " (Roudabush). McCall conveyed 100 acres and 122 perches of his purpart to Peter John, July 10, 1834, for $250. The other portion, 130 acres and 18 perches, was included in the sale by McCall's heirs to William F. Johnston, 80 acres and 16 perches of which he conveyed to Gideon Morrow, June 24, 1856, for $568.70, which the latter had occupied for several previous years, where he opened a store in 1860 and started a distillery in 1865, and 50 acres and 100 perches to Alexander Chilcott, August 9, 1853, for $354.38,

The place for holding the elections in this township has been since its organization at Heltzell's, and since his death at Rondabush's house.

Adjoining that Denniston-Heltzel-McCall tract on the east is one, nearly a rectangular parallelogram, extending south and lengthwise from the deprecia- tion line, which appears on the Gapen map to have been surveyed by Gapen, deputy surveyor, to "Simon Hovey, 400ª.120." Contiguous to it on the east and the depreciation line on the north is one just like it, except a slight southern projection of its south- eastern part, which appears from that map to have been surveyed by Gapen, deputy surveyor, to " John Elliott, Jr., 410.80." The original settler on the former of these two tracts was Valentine Bowser, with 100 acres of which, 2 horses and 1 cow he was assessed, in 1804, at $55, and the next year at $67. This tract was surveyed to him and McCall as containing 375 acres and 63 perches, by Ross, deputy surveyor, May 4, 1805. He was assessed with 400 acres and the same stock, in 1806, at $182, and the next year at $186. One or another of his sons appears to have been afterward assessed with it, or a portion of it. The name on the latter of these two tracts in not legible; on the

other map there is nothing but its boundary lines and " 410ª."'

James Sloan, " farmer," appears from Ross' de- scriptions of the lands surveyed to Bowser and McCall to have been the original settler, for " James Sloan," there mentioned as the eastern adjoiner, and in his survey to McCall and Elijah Mounts as a southern adjoiner. He was assessed with 400 acres, 2 horses and 2 cows, in 1804, at $172, and the next year with the same, less 1 horse, at $172. Patents for these two tracts were granted to McCall October 29, 1829. He conveyed 185 acres to Valentine Bowser, June 21, 1832, for $1, who by his will, dated October 21, 1835, and regis- tered March 12, 1836, devised this land, on which he then resided, to his children " as tenants in com- mon, and not as joint-tenants," in equal portions, except that his danghter Christina should have $50 over the otherwise equal proportion. All or nearly all of this purpart still belongs to his heirs.

McCall conveyed 150 acres and 94 perches of his purpart of this tract to John McCauley, July 16, , 1834, for $602. Sixty-one acres and 110 perches of it were included in the conveyance from McCall's heirs to William F. Johnston, which he agreed to sell to William Neville, who failed to pay the pur- chase money, so that an ejectment was brought to recover either the land or the purchase money. The land was restored to the vendor by a writ of habere facias, which was subsequently purchased by John McCullough, the stepfather of Neville's heirs. It is not apparent from the records what disposition was made of the settler's right to a portion of these two tracts. A. and Daniel Bowser appear to have acquired it, for they con- veyed 85 acres and 8 perches of it to Christian Yerty June 20, 1831, who conveyed 108 perches, including the cold spring, on which schoolhouse No. 13, then in Sugar Creek township, was to be erected, to the school directors, September 8, 1849, for $1. Yerty's heirs conveyed this Bowser-Yerty parcel to Benjamin S. Bowser, July 13, 1863, for $725. Daniel Bowser conveyed 94 acres and 28 perches to McCall, June 17, 1833, for $330. Mc- Call's heirs conveyed 338 acres and 64 perches of this tract, among other parcels, to William F. Johnston, 120 acres and 118 perches of which he conveyed to William Grover, August 9, 1833, for $955.90, on which the latter opened his store and hotel ; 101 acres and 45 perches to John John, An- gust 2, 1854, for $706.40, which the latter's heirs conveyed to Benjamin S. Bowser, March 22, 1862, for $1,350 ; 1033 acres to Frederick R. Bowser, June 27, 1856, for $826.

Adjoining these two last-described tracts on the

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WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

south is a very nearly square one on the Gapen map, which was surveyed by Gapen, deputy sur- veyor, to "Sam'l Kincade, 400.38." Kincade's interest in it having become vested in Archibald McCall, by the transfer to him of Kincade's survey and obtaining a warrant of acceptance, McCall and Elijah Mounts entered into an agreement re- specting it, August 30, 1796, the terms of which were: McCall having paid the purchase money, Mounts agreed to improve, settle, and reside on it as required by law, to enable McCall to obtain a patent for it, who agreed to make title to Mounts for 120 acres, " including Kincade's improvement," "to be taken of good and bad according to the quantity and quality of the whole tract." It was accordingly settled by Mounts, to whom it was sur- veyed as containing 399 acres and 93 perches, by Ross, deputy surveyor, March 5,1805, and resurveyed by him as containing the same quantity, December 18, 1806. Three hundred acres were assessed to Mounts in 1805, at $105. The warrant was granted to McCall and Mounts' administrators, John Mounts and Jesse Young, March 6, 1809, to whom McCall conveyed 120 acres of the western part of the tract, making a hexagonal parcel, March 5, 1815, which they conveyed to Martin John, Sr., May 16, 1817, for $450, and which was included in his above- mentioned conveyance to his children, being a part of the 320 acres which they agreed to sell to Jacob Frick in his lifetime, who by his will, dated Octo- ber 12, and registered November 6, 1838, bequeathed and devised all his personal and real estate to his wife Elizabeth during her life or widowhood, to be divided equally among his children, except Michael, who had received his share, after her death or marriage. This parcel of 120 acres and the 200 acres which John had purchased from John Mounts were conveyed by John's heirs to Mrs. Frick, May 4, 1839, for $3,000. Some of Jacob Frick's heirs subsequently conveyed their interests in the residue of the real estate which their father and mother had left, to Adam Wyant, some of which he conveyed to Christian Wyant, March 21, 1864.

The patent for this tract was granted to McCall, November 2, 1827, whose purpart was included in his heirs' sale to William F. Johnston, who con- veyed it, October 5, 1854, thus: 134 acres and 85 perches to Peter Bowser, for $1,100, and 173 acres and 51 perches to David J. and Samuel M. Reed, for $1,473.20. Bowser conveyed his parcel to Henry Isaman, April 13, 1857, for $2,152, whose widow, guardian of his children, conveyed 114 acres and 85 perches of it to Christopher Wyant, by virtne of an order of the orphans' court of this

county of March 13, 1865, for $1,000. The Reeds conveyed portions of their parcel, March 28, 1863, 92 acres to Bartholomew Wyant, for $1,472; 4 acres to Adam Wyant, for $80, and 20 acres to Bartholo- mew Bucher, for $360.

Adjoining that Kincade-McCall-Mounts tract on the south is the northern and major part of the Francis Johnston tract heretofore mentioned .* Alexander W. Johnston, executor of Alice Johns- ton, who was the sole executrix of Francis Johns- ton, conveyed the Johnston purpart of this tract, February 26, 1839; 106 acres and 7 perches to Eli Fair for $212, who traded 7 acres with Martin John for an equal quantity, June 17, 1845; con- veyed 4 acres to George S. King, September 1, 1847, for $40, and 95 acres and 7 perches to Philip Christman, May 2, 1849, for $650, Johnston con- veyed 108 acres and 146 perches to Peter Fair the same day as to Eli, for $217.75, which the latter for $1 "and natural love and affection " conveyed to Leonard Fair, August 17, 1849.

The early settlers in this section were Lutherans, to whom Rev. Gabriel A. Reichert occasionally preached in private houses, barns and groves in his early ministerial itinerations. In February, 1824, he organized the Limestone Evangelical Lutheran church, of which John Christman and Michael Fair were the first elders. They and their wives, Frederick Christman, John Ellenberger, Peter Fair, Peter and William Toy, David and John Wolf, and their wives, and Jacob Wolf were the original members. The religious services were held at the house of John Crissman from 1824 un- til 1844, and at the house of Leonard Fair there- after until 1855. The name of this church was changed in 1844 to Bethlehem, and in 1855 to St. Mark's, its present one. The present number of members is 150, and Sabbath-school scholars 50. The various pastors of this church have been Rev. G. A. Reichert from 1824 till 1837; Rev. John Errenser, from 1843 till 1844; Rev. Krantz, from 1844 till 1847; Rev. J. A. Miner, from 1847 till 1851; Rev. M. Steck, from 1851 till 1854; Rev. A. C. Ehrenfeld, from 1855 till 1858; Rev. F. Ruther- auff, from 1858 till 1859; Rev. C. Whitmer, from 1860 till 1862; Rev. J. Singer in 1863; Rev. H. J. HI. Leneke, from 1864 till 1866, and from then Rev. J. W. Schwartz, the present one, to whom the writer is under obligations for these faets. The present church edifice, frame, painted white, 30×40 feet, on the right bank of the Limestone, was erected on the Johnston purpart of this tract. Leonard Fair conveyed 135 square perches of the parcel which his father conveyed to

*See East Franklin township.

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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

him to John Fair, Jr., and Jacob Toy, trustees of this congregation, November 1, 1859, and Philip Chrissman, 343 square perches of the parcel which he purchased from Eli Fair, to these trustees, March 17, 1860, each for $1.

Adjoining the central part of that Johnston- McKee tract on the east in what is now Washing- ton township, about one-third of the heretofore described Ingersolt-Henry tract,* contiguous to which on the north is a hexagonal one which ap- pears on the Gapen map to have been surveyed by Gapen, deputy surveyor, to " Alex'r Trimble, 431.60," whose interest became vested in Archibald McCall, on which Benjamin Leasure was the ori- ginal settler, who was assessed with 400 acres of it and 1 cow in 1804, at $86, and the next year with the land only, at $80. The patent was granted to him and McCall, February 13, 1809, in which this tract is named "Canton." McCall not having re- leased the settler's portion to Leasure before his assignment to Du Pont, the latter by Thomas White, his attorney-in-fact, conveyed 150 acres of the southern part to Benjamin Leasure, as his purpart, June 21, 1832, to whom Du Pont himself conveyed it, May 24, 1836. Leasure conveyed 85 perches off the north side of his purpart, including schoolhouse No. 23, to the school directors of Sugar Creek township, in January, 1846. Leasure by his will, not dated, but registered March 19, 1847, devised his "plantation on which George Hooks lived," which was this purpart of " Canton," to his son George, who became satisfied from his father's acts and declarations, both before and after making his will, that the person who wrote it had erred in limiting the devise to George-that his intention was to devise it to both him and his brother Abraham. They, therefore, made an ami- cable partition, and George conveyed one parcel of 29 and another of 34 acres to Abraham, August 19, 1853.

The Brethren in Christ church was organized in this part of what is now Washington township, about 1842, by Rev. George Shoemaker, and was sometimes called the "Shoemakerian church." The church edifice, frame, was erected in 1858 on the above-mentioned portion of "Canton," con- veyed by George to Abraham Leasure. For the purpose of conveying a moiety of the edifice and ground to the Church of God, Abraham Leasure conveyed the lot to Nicholas Leasure, Samuel Stouffer and Adam Wyant, February 13, 1864, which they conveyed, the same day, to Abraham Leasure and J. C. Plowman, who conveyed "one half of a house of worship and graveyard

with all the appurtenances " and the 80 square perches on which they were situated, to "John Hovis, chairman of the Standing Committee of the West Pennsylvania Eldership of the Church of God," March 26, 1866, for $302.67, since when the property has been jointly owned by both congre- gations. The membership of the Brethren in Christ church is about 25; number of Sabbath- school scholars, 15.

The McCall purpart of "Canton," 272 acres and 130 perches, passed from his heirs to William F. Johnston, a part of which he conveyed to Abraham Leasure, Jr., July 19, 1852, 61 acres and 150 acres of which, including about 32 acres previously con- veyed, he conveyed to Abraham Leasure, Sr., August 25, 1853, for $587.50, that is for both par- cels. Johnston conveyed a portion of the land to John John, June 27, 1856, whose heirs conveyed 72 acres and 27 perches to Philip John, January 26, 1869, for $500, which their father in his life- time had agreed to sell to him.

Adjoining "Canton'" on the north is another hexagonal tract, which appears on the Gapen map to have been surveyed by Gapen, deputy surveyor, to "Jas. Trimble,* 354 " acres, whose interest be- came vested in McCall. The original settler was Samuel Clark, to whom and McCall it was sur- veyed by Ross, deputy surveyor, as containing 361 acres and 43 perches, May 3, 1805, who was assessed that and the previous year with 400 acres and 1 cow, at $106, to whom it continued to be assessed until 1816, then to Robert Colgan until 1817, when it was transferred to John Wolf, who

* Alexander Trimble, father of the one of that name above men- tioned, came, it is supposed, from the north of Ireland. Little is known of him, says Mrs. Paul Graff in her contribution to the Penn- sylvania Magazine of History and Biography, He was member of the Second Presbyterian church of Philadelphia, while it was under the pastorate of Rev. Gilbert Tennent. He died prior to 1769, leaving several children, of whom James, above mentioned, was the eldest. Mr. Hamilton states that he was apprenticed in the land office about 1770, when he was fifteen years old. He was a subordinate clerk of the state council as early as 1775. When Timothy Matlack became secretary of the commonwealth, March 6, 1777, James Trimble was appointed deputy secretary, or assistant secretary, of the supreme executive council. Alexander J. Dallas, the first secretary of the commonwealth, under the constitution of 1790, appointed Trimble deputy secretary March 12, 1791. He was deputy secretary through all' the administrations from 1777 until 1837. " In the judgment ofhis cotemporaries be was a faithful publie servant; a man of unim- peachable integrity, of obliging manners, respected by the community at large, and beloved by his family, to whom he greatly endeared himself by his kindness and affection."

James Trimble married the widow of John Hastings April 22, 1782. Her maiden name was Clarissa Claypoole, a descendant of James Claypoole, an intimate friend of William Penn, who emigrated from England in 1682, accompanying the first settlers of Germantown, on the Concord, and a brother of John Claypoole, who married Oliver Cromwell's daughter Elizabeth. James Trimble aided in packing and removing the state papers when the British occupied Philadel- phia, and when the seat of government was removed to Lancaster in 1799, and thence to Harrisburg in 1812. He was a member of and a pewholder in the Second Presbyterian church in Philadelphia, which he attended until he removed to Lancaster in 1799. After his removal to Harrisburg he was appointed trustee and treasurer of the Presby- terian congregation there, which position he held until his death, January 26, 1837, in his eighty-third year, having served his state faithfully for sixty-seven years. The mortification of his removal from the position which he had so long and creditably filled, al- though for mere partisan reasons, was too intense, for he died of a broken heart in eleven days after it oceurred. There is a portrait of him, painted hy Waugh from an original by Eieholz, in the chamber of the secretary of the commonwealth.

* See East Franklin township.

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WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

probably acquired the settler's purpart, which chiefly belongs to his heirs.

The patent for it was granted to McCall May 28, 1833, 203 acres and 47 perches of which his heirs conveyed to William F. Johnston, of which . he conveyed 134 acres and 34 perches to Bartholo- mew Wyant, April 15, 1852, for $739.52, and 64 acres and 156 perches, August 16, for $505.80, who soon afterward sold 6 acres to John Wolf for $10 an acre, and about three years later 25 acres to Matthias Wolf at $17.40 an acre. Johnston con- veyed 72 acres and 77 perches to Daniel Woods, August 31, 1854, for $497.37, which the latter con- veyed to Barbara Woods, October 19, 1857, at the same price, which she and her husband, Jacob Woods, conveyed to Bartholomew Wyant, March 17, 1866, which he conveyed to Jeremiah Wyant, April 5, 1879, for $2,900. There must have been a considerable surplus in this tract.

Adjoining that James Trimble-McCall tract on the north is a pentagonal one, the boundary of whose northwestern part is the depreciation line, its northeastern side being skirted by the Alle- gheny river. From the Gapen map it appears to have been surveyed by Gapen, deputy surveyor, to "Thos. Patterson, 334.132." William Fish ap- pears to have had an early claim to it, to whose son John it was assessed as containing 370 acres, in 1804 and 1805, at $92, on which another of his sons, Robert Fish, settled in 1809, and was then as- sessed with 330 acres, 1 horse and 1 cow, at $100. He became its permanent occupant, to whom John Fish and Rebecca, his wife, as legatees of William Fish, September 23, 1814, released all manner of ac- tions and claims which they ever had or might there- after have, concerning the management and dis- position of the lands and tenements of William Fish in Sugar Creek township, or of any money, rents, issues and profits received therefrom by him, or by reason of any matter, cause or thing whatso- ever, "from the beginning of worlds until the date" thereof, and to whom this tract continued to be assessed until his death in 1824, which was thereafter assessed to his widow until 1841. Pat- erson's interest became vested in McCall, to whom the patent was granted November 11, 1830, and to whose heirs Fish's heirs conveyed their interest in 190 acres, August 13, 1849, who by Amos N. Mylert, their attorney-in-fact, conveyed 179 acres and 100 perches, the settler's purpart, to Robert Fish's six heirs, October 5, 1849, for $1. There was probably a surplus of 18 acres and 96 perches in this purpart, as each heir's share seems to have been subsequently ascertained to have been 33 acres and 6 perches. The heirs released to one

another : Elsa Phillips and her husband conveyed her share to William Hooks; William Fish con- veyed his interest in 86 acres and 80 perches to Andrew Henry, July 5, 1851, for $10 ; Mary Bow- ser and her husband conveyed her share, 33 acres and 6 perches, to John Paxton, September 1, 1849, for $440, which he conveyed to John McClatchey, May 23, 1863, for $700, which the latter conveyed to Joseph and Simon Fair, and William T. Rich- ardson, February 18, 1865, for $1,000; Sarah Adams and her husband conveyed her interest in her father's heirs' purpart to Matthew S. Adams, November 30, 1843, who conveyed it to Andrew Henry, March 22, 1844, for $75; Alexander Adams' interest was conveyed by John Tuly, sher- iff, to David Wolf, March 23, 1842, for $57, which he conveyed to Henry, May 4, 1848, for $100.

McCall's purpart was conveyed by his heirs to William F. Johnston, who conveyed 86 acres and 126 perches to Andrew Henry, October 5, 1854, for $683.90. The interest of Henry and his wife in this parcel, and in their share of her father's heirs' purpart, that is in 120 acres, was conveyed by George B. Sloan, sheriff, to Philip Templeton, of Kittanning, September 9, 1861, for $480, who reconveyed it to them June 1, 1863, " for value received." David Wolf conveyed one-fifth of 129 acres of the Fish estate, which John Tuly, sher- iff, had conveyed to him, March 23, 1842, to Andrew Henry, May 9, 1848, for $100. He, his wife and her mother, Elsie Guld, formerly widow of. Robert Fish, joined in conveyance of 123 acres, partly of the Fish and partly of the McCall pur- part, to Joseph and Simon Fair, and William T. Richardson, February 20, 1865, for $10,000, which Joseph Fair conveyed to Samnel Fair, August 26, 1868, for $3,500, subject to the payment of a mortgage on the land to Walter Titley for $1,200.

Between the Patterson-McCall-Fish tract, the James Trimble-McCall tract and the Allegheny river and other as yet unmentioned tracts, is a pentagonal one, which appears on the Gapen map to have been surveyed by Gapen, deputy surveyor, to " George Elliot, 402 " acres, on which John John was an early settler, who was first assessed in Sugar Creek township as a single man and with 1 horse, in 1810, at $25, and in 1815 with 400 acres, I horse and I cow, at $66. He acquired title to the southern half of this tract, about 200 acres, by im- provement and setttement, one-half acre in the eastern corner of which he conveyed, Jannary 5, 1838, to the school directors of Sugar Creek town- ship, so long as it should be used for school purposes, on which schoolhouse No. 1 had been erected in accordance with the provisions

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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

of the school law of April 1, 1834, and its supplements. He agreed to sell about 50 acres of the eastern part of this parcel to his daugh- ter Esther, wife of Elijah Flanner, but did not execute the deed before his death, which his heirs conveyed to her daughter Esther Florence March 1, 1866. He conveyed about the same quan- tity of the western part to his son Adam C. John. There were 119 acres left undisposed of at his death. The inquest in subsequent proceedings in partition valued this parcel at $20.41 per acre, June 28, 1867, at which it was taken by his eldest son, Martin John, on which is the first brick house erected in what is now Washington township.

The legal title to the rest of this tract became vested in John W. Johnston, which, 202 acres and 118 perches, he by John Gilpin, his attorney-in- fact, conveyed to Robert L. Brown, George F. Frishcorn, William H. HI. Piper and Simon Truby, Jr., April 28, 1871, for $3,097.82, in pursuance of a previous agreement with William Bartheld and Piper.

Next south of the Elliott-John tract is a hex- agonal one, its southern part projecting castward, which appears on the Gapen map to have been surveyed to " William Trimble, 432.65ª," on which William McAnninch was the original settler, who was assessed with 400 acres of it, in 1804 and 1805, at $80, who conveyed his interest in it to Mordecai McDonald, July 9, 1806, for $300, which he conveyed to John McNickle, August 7, for the same consideration, but what became of his inter- est the records show not. The patent, in which it is called " Williamsburg," nevertheless, was granted to McAnninch and McCall, to the latter of whom Trimble's interest had passed. "Williams- burgh " was included in McCall's assignment to Du Pont. Samuel Matthews, county treasurer, sold it for taxes to William Wylie, to whom he con- veyed it September 17, 1820. Du Pont reconveyed it to McCall January 17, 1833, whose heirs con- veyed whatever interest they had in it to Wylie, July 27, 1847, for $500, who conveyed a portion of it to John J. John July 2, 1857, a portion of the northwestern part of which he conveyed to Adam C. John, and another parcel he agreed to sell to his son Isaac, to whom his heirs conveyed it after his death. A small parcel of it, 9 acres and 105 perches, remained undisposed of at his death, which the inquest valued at $36.66 per acre, at which it was taken by John J. John. Wylie con- veyed the remainder of "Williamsburgh," 212 acres and 47 perches, to George Leasure, Septem- ber 30, 1852, for $615. John John agreed in his lifetime to convey parcels of his part of " Will-

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History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 116

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