History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 27

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

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Another terrific ice-gorge occurred in the second week of March, 1875. For several days the ice accumulated above and below Kittanning-several miles each way. It was called the "ten-mile gorge." The severely cold weather which had pre- vailed through the winter made the ice very thick and hard. Though it was not piled up as high as it was in 1837, the gorge was considerably longer, and, for a few days, there was a great, a very un- comfortable apprehension that immense damage would be done by sweeping away the bridge and parts of the town, which would probably have been the case if the water had risen suddenly and rapidly. Such of the inhabitants on Water street

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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

and other low ground as could found quarters on higher ground. After several days' waiting and watching and fearing a direful calamity, relief came on Monday afternoon, March 15. For then- it was a clear, warm, beautiful afternoon -- the lower end of the gorge broke, and the vast body of ice, which had given the river an arctic look for miles, moved slowly and majestically down the Allegheny, an earnestly wished for sight, which all who could thronged the river bank to witness.

EARTHQUAKE.

Between 11 and 12 o'clock Sunday night, March 9, 1828, a lively shock of an earthquake was felt here. Those who noticed it described the motion as having at first been undulating and easy, and afterward quick and vibratory. It continued from one to two minutes, and was more sensibly felt in Pittsburgh at the same time.

FIRES.

Besides the serious conflagrations already men- tioned one occurred about 3 o'clock A. M. Thursday, June 26, 1828, which destroyed the hatter shop of the late Hugh Rodgers, which adjoined his -brick dwelling-house on lot No. 76, corner of Arch and Jefferson streets, now belonging to the, estate of the late Gen. Orr. The fire had made such progress before it was discovered that it was impossible to save either the shop or its contents, and it required a very vigorous and well directed effort to saye

the house. Very high commendation was desery- edly bestowed upon the ladies, who freely volun- teered on that occasion to assist in conveying water to the engine. They entered the lines with alacrity and steadily remained at their posts until the danger was over. Without their assistance it would have been very difficult to have saved the dwelling-house.

On Friday, April 10, 1835, two houses belonging to Mrs. Cust and the cabinet and chair-making shop of Nathaniel Henry and George W. Ross, on lot No. 122, north side of Market street, were burned ; and on Monday night, April 25, then instant, McCartney & Shields' tannery, northeast corner of Jacob and Jefferson streets, was nearly consumed by fire. On both of these occasions also the ladies were prompt and active in aiding to check the conflagrations.

Another occurred Angust 7, 1862, which origin- ated from a young boy's playing with matches in the large stable of Lightcap & Piper, on lot No. 70, on the west side of Jefferson street, which destroyed that stable and the houses of A. L. Rob- 1 inson and Judge Boggs, and other buildings on the square or block between the public alley bound-

ing that lot on the south and Arch street, and endangered other buildings in the vicinity. There were several other fires, at earlier and later periods, which would have been extensive ones if they had not been checked in due time.

The most extensive robbery ever committed here, or at least acknowledged to have been, was on Wednesday night, November 28, 1832, when the store of Philip Mechling was entered by cutting a hole through one of the window-shutters, on the Water street side of the building, removing a pane of glass, taking the key out of the bolt-pin by which the iron bar was fastened across the outside of the shutter, hoisting the sash, and thus effecting an entry. Mr. Mechling was thus robbed of about $2,000 worth of property, consisting chiefly of bank notes. Although a reward of $300 was offered for the apprehension of the robber, he has thus far eluded detection. If he is still living the pangs of a remorseful conscience ought to impel him to make restitution ere he shall receive the final and irrevocable sentence of eternal condemnation.

CHURCHES.

As early as April, 1806, the Presbyterian congre- gation of Kittanning applied to the Presbytery of Redstone for supplies, although there was not then a church organization here. The congregation probably consisted either of members of the Pres- byterian church elsewhere or of those who pre- ferred that denomination. Those supplies having : been ordered, the first of them was by Rev. Joseph W. Henderson, on the second Sabbath of June, 1806. Supplies were afforded by hini and other members of the Redstone and Erie Presbyteries at the rate of one to five times a year, until a church organization was effected, August 31, 1822, when the number of members was twenty-one, and Thomas Hamilton, David Johnston and John Patrick were elected elders. From that time until January 1, 1825, there were occasional supplies. A stated supply was then commenced by Rev. Nathaniel P. Snowden, which continued until the latter part of 1827 or the beginning of 1828. Then followed occasional supplies until August 11, 1830, when the first pastor, Rev. James Campbell, was installed. He preached here three-fourths of his time. He resigned his pastoral charge October 4, 1831. The church was then dependent on sup- plies until the second Sabbath of April, 1834, when the late Rev. Joseph Painter, D. D., commenced his ministerial labors. 1Ie was installed November 14, 1834, and continued to be the active pastor until December, 1863, preaching here two-thirds of his time, and to other congregations the other

James Mosq?

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THE BOROUGH OF KITTANNING.

third, until the spring of 1853. During the last ten years of his active pastorate all his time was given to this congregation. He was assisted for several months in 1863 by Rev. George P. Hays, D. D., now president of Washington and Jefferson college. The present pastor, Rev. T. D. Ewing, was installed May 10, 1864.

The membership of this church was 32 in 1834, 146 in 1864, and it is 318 in 1876. Its Sabbath school was organized in 1830. Its present number of scholars is 270. For several years after 1830 there was in this place a union Sabbath school of all the Protestant denominations.

Prior to the erection of the first court-house, re- ligious services were held in private houses, after- ward in the court-house, until a church edifice was erected in 1830-31. To aid in building it Thomas Hamilton, by his last will and testament, probated and registered October 30, 1829, bequeathed the sum of $400, and specified that it be "a neat brick building, to be called the First Presbyterian Church." Some of his other bequests were $100 to aid the funds of the first Sabbath school organ- ized within this borough ; $100 to aid the first Bible society organized here ; $100 to purchase Bibles-one Bible to be given gratis to any poor family in this county, if so many were then un- provided, and the residue to single individuals. He also directed $200 to be paid to the American Bible Society, $200 to the Foreign Missionary So- ciety, and $400 to Princeton College, New Jersey, and $400 to Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, to be applied in aiding indigent "pious young men of competent talents in defraying the expenses of their education for the Gospel ministry." These last four bequests were to be paid out of the pro- ceeds of the sale of a certain 150-acre tract of land. After deducting from the amount of these proceeds the expenses of the sale, the balance was applied to the payment of the legacies of those two societies in full, and $305.32 to each of those colleges.

That church edifice was erected on lot No. 177, east side of Jefferson, and second lot below Jacob street, where, in its remodeled state, it still stands. Its conveniences and style of architecture do not compare favorably with those of some of the more modern temples of religion elsewhere. A vigor- ous effort is being made to erect a new one in an- other part of the borough, on a scale comporting with the wants of the congregation and the esthetic taste of this age of progress and im- provement.

This church was incorporated by the court of common pleas of this county June 26, 1841. The

trustees named in the charter were Alexander Col- well, Adam McConnell, A. L. Robinson, Joseph McCartney, Darwin Phelps, John R. Johnston and James E. Brown, who were to continue as such until the election to be held on the third Wednes- day of November then next. A supplement was granted by the same court, amending articles 4, 5 and 6 of the charter, March 8, 1865.

The Lutheran church was organized in 1820. The records for several years after its organization were imperfectly kept, so that a considerable por- tion of the knowledge of it which the writer has been able to acquire is traditional. Until 1840, the preaching was chiefly, if not altogether, in the German language, by Revs. Adam Mohler, - Ezardfels, G. A. Reichert,* - Burnheimer and Stackfeld ; from 1840 to 1858, by Revs. George F. Ehrenfeldt, W. A. Passavant, D. D., Asa Waters, Michael Sweigart, and - Reck -partly in Ger- man and partly in English.

St. John's-the English branch-was organized May 13, 1858, of which Rev. J. A. Ernest was the pastor from October, 1859, until October, 1867, when he resigned and was succeeded by the present pas- tor, Rev. J. A. Kribbs. Trinity, the German branch, recalled their former pastor, Rev. G. A. Reichert, in 1858. The present membership of both branches, 218, with 190 scholars in their two Sabbath schools.

In 1830-31, the Lutheran and Episcopal congre- gations united in erecting a church edifice, a brick structure, with a tower, in which was the vestry room, on lot No. 33, on the east side of Water, above Arch street, where Simon Truby now lives, which was alternately occupied by these two con- gregations until July 21, 1845, when it was blown down by a violent storm of wind, accompanied by thunder and lightning and copious rain, which did other damage in this borongh. For some time previous to this casualty, the Episcopalian rector insisted that his congregation must have the ex- clusive use of that edifice, because it was contrary to the rule or canon of the Episcopal church for any other denomination to have services in the same building, the force of which was not percep- tible to the pastor of the Lutheran congregation. The contest thus begun was ended, so far as actual occupancy was concerned, by that act of God. The Lutheran congregation then worshiped in the court-house, until they became possessed of the first edifice erected by the Union, now United

# Rev. G. A. Reichert preached his farewell sermon to his congre- gation in the Methodist Episcopal church, Sabbath, December 17. 1837-in English in the forenoon, and in German in the afternoon. HIe had accepted a call to hecome pastor of a German Intheran church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after visiting once more the several congregations then under his charge.

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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

Presbyterian, congregation, on the parts of lots 174 and 180, fronting on Jacob street and on one of the public alleys, a frame building, now occupied by the German branch. The erection of the brick edifice, now occupied by the English branch, was commenced in 1867 and finished in 1872. Services were held in it before its completion, the first hav- ing been in January, 1869.

The Methodist Episcopal church is the out- growth of class-meetings held and preaching enjoyed here more than sixty years ago when occasional services were held in private houses, one of which is still standing on the corner of Market street and a public alley, on lot No. 127, and in the court-house.

Among the first circuit preachers, about 1816, were Revs. Bair and Baker, and about 1821, Rev. Thomas Hudson, heretofore mentioned. This point became a station in 1861. The station preachers, Revs. E. Hingeley, 2 years, A. H. Thomas, 3 years, M. W. Dallas, 1 year, W. P. Turner, 3 years, N. G. Miller, 3 years, J. B. Uber, 1 year, and the present pastor, M. J. Sleppy, now in his second pastoral year. The present membership is 240; Sabbath school scholars, 150.

The first church edifice was erected near the head of the extension of Market street, on the south side, on that part of out-lot No. 24, now owned by James Mosgrove. The deed to the trustees of the church is dated December 29, 1838, and the house was probably erected in 1839. It was one-story brick, and of adequate size for the then congregation. The present edifice is brick, two stories, and situate on the old jail lot, corner of Mckean strect and the public alley between and parallel to Arch and Market streets. It was commenced in the fall of 1860, and completed in the winter of 1862. It was incorporated by the court of common pleas of this county, June 5, 1871, and James Piper, Daniel B. Heiner, Samuel C. Davis, W. D. Mullin and W. R. Milliun were named as charter trustees.

The Episcopal-St. Paul's-was organized in 1824. Prior thereto an effort was made to secure aid for this point from the Society for the Ad- vancement of Christianity in this State, as appears from an autograph letter, in the possession of James B. Neale, from the venerable Bishop White, who was appointed chaplain* to Congress during the time of its flight to York, Pennsylvania, and was thereafter annually chosen until the capitol of the United States was located at Washington,

dated at Philadelphia, March 26, 1822, in reply to one which he had received from Dr. Neale, in which he wrote : "I have received your letter of 6th instant, and shall hand it to the committee of missions in order that if it should be in their power, during the ensuing summer, to employ a missionary to go beyond the mountain, there may be due attention to your request.

"The Society for the Advancement of Chris- tianity in Pennsylvania feel most keenly the pressure of the times. We shall, however, continue to aid our distant brethren as much as the funds afforded to us will permit."

The efforts of the late Robert Brown and Dr. Samuel S. Neale were effective in establishing this church.

There was occasional Episcopal preaching here before 1824, by Rev. Mr. Thompson. Services were held in the court-house from 1824 until the erection of the edifice by the Episcopalians and Lutherans in 1830-31.

Rectors-Rev. Moses P. Bennett, from 1824 until 1827; Rev. William Hilton, from 1829 until 1832, and again from 1839 until 1871, since which time he has been, and he still is, emeritus rector; Rev. B. B. Killikelly, D. D., from August, 1834, until October, 1839; Rev. O. S. Taylor, from 1871 until his death, April 6, 1874; Rev. R. W. Micou, the pres- ent rector, commenced his clerical labors in July, 1874.

Membership-(In 1876) 151. Sunday-school scholars, 140.

The present church edifice, brick, one story, with vestry-room in the rear, is on lot No. 105, on Water street. The corner-stone was laid September 21, 1846, when the late Bishop Potter, who died at San Francisco, California, July 4, 1865, was present and delivered an eloquent and appropriate address .*

This church was incorporated by the proper court September 26, 1846. The wardens named in the charter were David Patterson and Joseph Boney, and the vestrymen Robert Brown, Joseph Buffington, John Portsmouth, Ephraim Buffington and George W. Smith, who were to continue as such until the next regular election. It was con- secrated by Bishop Potter, August 27, 1847.

The choir is aided by a large, good-toned organ. A neat, comfortable brick manse, one and a half stories, has been erected near the church within the last few years, valued at $6,000.

The Associate Reformed, now United Presby- terian, Church was organized September 18, 1845.

* In a postscript to a letter from his sister, Mrs. Robert Morris, to their mother, dated March 15, 1777, she said: "Billy has been told that the Congress appointed him their chaplain when in Baltimore, but has not yet heard it from them, and begs it may not be men- tioned."

* Bishop Potter, in his annual address or report to the sixty-third annual convention, held in St. Andrew's church, Philadelphia, 1847, said : "I delivered an address and laid in a beautiful position the corner-stone of a new edifice for St. Paul's church, Kittanning."

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THE BOROUGHI OF KITTANNING.

Before that time Rev. John Dickey, deceased, and other clergymen of what was formerly called the Seceder, and then the Union, Church, preached occasionally to congregations in the old court-house. The following is a copy of a subscription paper, in the handwriting of the late David Reynolds:

Under a strong and impressive presumption that it will enforce on the minds of the rising generation an important view of eternity, we, either as parents or guardians of families, feel it an incumbent duty in which we are bound, for our offspring as well as ourselves, to have the Scriptures publicly preached amongst us. Therefore, we, the subscribers, do hereby promise to pay the sums annexed to our respective names for the yearly support of the Rev. John Dickey, as a minister of the Gospel, for the part of Associate Presbytery denominated Kittanning.

February 17, 1815.

The writer is not informed whether that was one of the several other like papers. The amount of subscriptions on it appears to have been $76.

Some time previous to the date of the organiza- tion application had been made to the Presbytery of the Lakes, by persons living at and in the vicinity of Kittanning, for preaching and for the organization of a congregation. By order of that Presbytery Rev. Isaiah Niblock and S. G. Purvis and A. P. Ormond, Sr., met at Kittanning, and having constituted a session, received forty per- sons into the fellowship of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, administered the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, presided at the election and ordination of John Cunningham, Moses Patterson, Hugh Rodger and Alexander Henry as ruling elders, and thus completed the organization. At that time Rev. Joseph Kerr Riddle was preaching as a stated supply to this people, and he continued thus for a year or more afterward. He was fol- lowed by Rev. Joseph Buchanan as stated supply for another year, and then by several other min- isters, who were sent hither by order of the above- mentioned Presbytery.

In the winter of 1849 a call was moderated by order of Presbytery, which was made out for Rev. John N. Dick, D. D., which was presented at a meeting of Presbytery, held in April of that year, and was accepted. He commenced his pastoral work that month, the church roll showing the number of members to be thirty-two. He was ordained and settled as pastor October 16, 1849, and continued thus until February 2, 1876, when the charge was dimitted and the Butler Presbytery released him from the pastorate. The present number of church members is 95; number of Sab- bath-school scholars, 35. A large portion of the congregation reside in the surrounding country.

The Associate Presbyterian and the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Churches united in 1858, thus forming the United Presbyterian Church of North America. The denomination to which this congregation belonged having entered into that union, it has ever since been known as the First United Presbyterian congregation of Kittanning, under the care of the Butler Presbytery. It has been dependent on supplies ordered by Presbytery since Dr. Dick's resignation. It is not improbable that another pastor will be called before the next 4th of July. The present church edifice is a large brick building, containing an audience room, lecture room and pastor's study, situate on the northwest corner of Jacob and Jefferson streets, on lot No. 166.

The Associate Reformed Church was incorpo- rated by the proper court March 23, 1850, and the trustees named in the charter were James Colwell, Robert Speer and Samuel C. King, to serve until the election held on the first Monday of January, 1851.

The United Presbyterian Church was incorpor- ated by the same court June 15, 1859, and the council of deacons named in the charter were George Bovard, John M. Daily, William McClel- land, Samuel M. Sloan and John Barnett, to serve for one year.

The First Christian Church, Campbellite, was organized about 1853. The deed for lot No. 172, on Jacob street, to the trustees thereof is dated October 20, 1853. A two-story brick edifice was erected on that lot. The audience room is in the second story, and lecture and Sabbath-school room, two other rooms and vestibule are in the first story. . The membership was small and the organization was short-lived. That lot and build- ing subsequently became the property of J. E. Meredith.

The Reformed (St. Luke's) Church was organ- ized August 30, 1869, by adopting a constitution and electing Fred'k Smith elder and David Knoble and Diederich Stoelzing deacons, with a member- ship of twenty-five. Rev. C. A. Limberg, of Butler, Pennsylvania, preached to the congregation in Ger- man, as a supply, prior to the organization of the church, from some time in the fall of 1858 until some time in the following spring, when, by order of the Clarion Classis, the service was changed from German to English, and Rev. J. F. Wiant was designated to preach as a supply, which he did semi-monthly until he was relieved by that classis in 1872. Rev. L. B. Leasene, of Irwin's Station, Pennsylvania, was then elected and continued to be the pastor during the next eight months, preach-

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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

ing semi-monthly. The present pastor, Rev. D. S. Dieffenbacher, received a call, which he accepted, and entered upon his pastoral duties June 1, 1873. The present membership is 156; Sabbath-school scholars, eighty-five.

The congregation, feeling the urgent necessity of a church edifice, appointed a committee, Sep- tember 26, 1870, to secure one, and succeeded in effecting a purchase of the above-mentioned edifice of the First Christian Church for $2,500. The deed is dated June 15, 1871. During the summer of that year the congregation caused the building to be finished, beautified and made a comely and inviting place of worship. It was dedicated October 8, 1871, under the name of St. Luke's Reformed Church.

St. Mary's (Catholic) church was organized in or about 1851. The first services were held at the house of William Sirwell, near the head of Jeffer- son street, and subsequently at other private honses, in the academy and court-house, until the present church edifice was erected in 1853, which is a neat, comfortable brick structure, at the cor- ner of High and Water streets, on lot No. 1, and is furnished in the usnal style of that denomina- tion. The first priest who had charge of this church was Rev. Mitchell, who was followed by Revs. Gray, Scanlan, Phelan, O'Rourke, Lambing and Dignam, that is until July 4, 1876, and the number of families belonging thereto is fifty.

SCHOOLS.

The first school in Kittanning was taught by Adam Elliott, in a log house situate on lot No. 69, near the public alley, between Water and Jeffer- son streets, which lot is now owned by Mrs. Mary A. Craig. Its only pupils known to be still living are Mrs. Catherine Truby and her brothers Jacob and John Mechling.

That school was opened in 1805, and continued to be kept in that house until the completion of the first jail, to one of the upper rooms of which it was transferred and from which it was subse- quently removed to a private house on lot No. 165, corner of Jacob and Jefferson streets, now owned and occupied by John Croll.

Adam Elliott continued to teach for many years, and sometimes used the rod quite vigorously. One of his pupils, now a grave and respected senior, related to the writer that, on a certain occasion, Teacher Elliott gave him a severe flogging which he thought he did not deserve. Feeling aggrieved, he told his father all about it when he went home. After listening to the grave story of his boy's fancied wrong the father consoled him by saying

that he must go and see the teacher about it. Father and son proceeded to the schoolroom, the latter in high glee, fondly expecting the teacher would suffer a penalty, of a reprimand at least, for the injustice which the pupil considered had been inflicted upon him. After entering the school- room the father inquired of the teacher whether he had flogged his son. Being answered in the affirmative, he wanted to know whether he really deserved a good flogging. The teacher said that, in his opinion, he did. "Well, then," said the father, "give him another one." That affair took a turn so different from what that young hopeful wished and expected that he never again com- plained at home for being punished in school.

There is in the Gazette, of Wednesday, March 22, 1826, an editorial notice of an examination of the students then under the tuition of Rev. Na- thaniel G. Snowden on the next previous Satur- day evening, written by Josiah Copley, in which he said: They " were examined in the presence of a numerous andience who were well pleased with the proficiency they had made, and which was highly creditable to them and their teacher. After the examination the scholars gave a few specimens of their elocution, in which their teacher appears to have spared no pains to instruct them in ges- ture, emphasis and pronunciation. We were par- ticularly pleased with the easy, clear and unem- barrassed manner in which the young ladies recited a number of pleasing pieces, in the selec- tion of which they manifested fine taste." The writer has learned from one of the participants* in that first school exhibition in Kittanning that the late Thomas McConnell was so well pleased with the exercises that he presented to the teacher twenty-five dollars as an indication of his apprecia- tion of his ability and of his fidelity to his pupils. That school was taught in one of the jury-rooms in the court-house, and the examination and exhi- bition were held in the court-room. Of the pupils who participated in these exercises the following are the only ones known to be still living, namely, Mrs. Geo. A. Barnard, Mrs. Mary M. Johnston, Mrs. Mary M. Killikelly, Mrs. Margaret Nulton, Mrs. Mary Watson, Alexander Reynolds, Sr., and James Ross Snowden. The two last named appeared in the amusing dialogue entitled "The Gentleman and the Farmer."

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History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 27

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