History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 46

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

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White, McKennan and Ralston sold portions of that tract as follows: To Robert Borland, 14 acres, 93 perches, strict measure, September 9, 1843, for $246.50; to James McQuoun, 90 acres, strict meas- ure, January 17, 1844, for $1,150; to Robert and John Borland, 41 acres 20 perches, March 13, 1844, for $740.25; to Robert Marshall, 25.5 acres 102 perches, March 25, 1844, for $4,607.78; to William Cochran, 84 acres 102 perches, March 25, 1844, for $800; to John Marshall, 32 acres 11 perches, March 25, 1844, for $577; to John Hamilton, 231 acres 20 perches, January 16, 1845, for $4,696; to John Lias, 130 acres, January 31, 1845, for $1,200; Thomas White to John W. Marshall, undivided third part of 76 acres 107 perches, June 3, 1853, for $300; McKennan's executors to same, May 13, 1853, for undivided two-thirds of 76 acres 107

perches, for $600; White to Watson S. Marshall, undivided one-third of 60 acres 41 perches, for $300; McKennan's executors to same, two undi- vided third parts of 600 acres 41 perches, for $600; White to Margaret A., Joseph L., James K., and John McK. Marshall, the undivided third of 180 acres 87 perches, September 30, 1862, for $741.66, and McKennan's executors to same two undivided thirds of 180 acres 87 perches, September 23, 1862, for $483.33.

The Glade Run Academy and the principal part of the borough of Dayton are situated within the limits of that tract.

The map of original tracts indicates that a hun- dred acre tract of Joseph Marshall, the warrantee, adjoined that of Pickering & Co. tract on the south- east, and the Alexander McClelland tract, warrant No. 1731, dated January 31, 1786, on the northeast. These two tracts were adjoined on the east by Har- mon LeRoy & Co. tract No. 3115, occupied or seated by William and Joseph Marshall. Con- tignous thereto on the north was the Harmon Le- Roy & Co. tract No. 3102, of which Benjamin Irwin purchased from the Holland Land Company, by deed dated April 16, 1832, 119 acres and 17 perches for $135. A portion of it was also occu- pied by Robert and Hugh Martin. Next north of that was a vacant tract about 200 rods wide along its southern boundary, about the same distance along the Indiana county line, its eastern boundary, and about 450 or 500 rods along the Mahoning creek, its northeastern boundary, and thence by a straight line south to its southern boundary, being the northeastern portion of the township. Adjoin- ing the northwestern part of the above-mentioned Pickering & Co. tract No. 262-the number of the warrant meaning-was another Pickering & Co. tract No. 391, containing 439} acres, with a con- siderable portion of which Enoch and Reuben Hastings were assessed, the latter for a few years and the former from 1825 until after 1839. Ad- joining thereto on the east was the Harmon Le- Roy tract; covered by warrant No. 3108, contain- ing 890 acres, 400 acres of which became vested ill Robert Beatty April 26, 1814, who also purchased a portion of the McClelland tract because it was supposed to interfere with this one. Beatty then conveyed 400 acres to Thomas Taylor March 15, 1819, for $1,600, who conveyed the same to Jacob Pontins February 6, 1824, for $3,200. The Hol- land Land Company sold the upper or northern portion of this tract: 100 acres to John Hyskell May 24, 1837, for $100; 76 acres and 105 perches to Joseph Glenn June 9, 1838, for $212; 1463 acres to John Henderson June 19, 1838, for $109.70; 204

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acres and 68 perches to Samuel Coleman May 25, 1843, for $204.50. Contiguous thereto on the north was the LeRoy & Co. tract, covered by warrant No. 3109, small portions of which were on the north side of Mahoning creek, and a large portion of which was in a considerable northern bend of that stream, and which contains the principal part of " Lost Hill."

This hill was called " lost " in consequence of a man, on a certain occasion, going out upon it in pursuit of a deer, which he killed, and on his return homeward became bewildered and lost the points of compass, owing to the peculiar formation of the surface, and to the dense and extensive forest. Other persons were on various occasions lost on it. He and they, however, were found by their neigh- bors.

The first assessment of any part of this tract was made in 1832 to Thomas Wilson, Jr., for 165 acres, which with that on one head of cattle amounted to $129.75. In the course of a few years Robert and Samuel Black, Joseph and Archibald Glenn, James Wilson, Sr., Joseph Marshall, Jr., Samuel Irwin, Joseph McSparren, Andrew D. Guthrie, and others who have more recently settled thereon.

Immediately west of the northwestern part of the Hiltzimer tract, surveyed on warrant No. 5147, and the southwest part of the Pickering & Co. tract, surveyed on warrant No. 262, was a tract sur- veyed to Samuel Wallis-sometimes spelled, Wal- lace-on warrant No. 4163, which contained 990 acres, which Wallis conveyed to George Harrison, July 28, 1797, who conveyed it to Joseph Thomas, October 18 next following, who conveyed it to Thomas W. Francis, Edward Tighlman and Thomas Ross, August 13, 1798, who conveyed it to Peter Thomas, January 13, 1813, for $990, who conveyed 200 acres thereof to Archibald Marshall, May 19, 1815, for $200; 218 acres and 15 perches to Peter Lias, May 9, 1828. Thomas sold different other tracts, containing various quantities, from 1818 until 1836, to George Scott and others, generally at $1 an acre. The 150-acre tract, which he sold to Scott, became revested in him and he then conveyed it to Wm. Wirt Gitt, March 13, 1836, for $800, or at the rate of $5.333 per acre.

Gen. Robert Orr purchased two other Wallis tracts, covered by warrants Nos. 4126-7, containing, respectively, 990 and 1,100 acres, from Henry Pratt, who had purchased the same from the trustees of Joseph Thomas by deed dated June 1, 1803. Pratt's conveyance to Orr is dated March 3, 1835. John Butler, Sr. and Jr., and Theodore Wilson purchased portions of the former in 1851 and 1858, and George Ellenberger, William Pontius, Samuel

Black, John Gould, and John Bargerstock, portions of the latter in 1840-41-50.

The tract covered by warrant to Wallis, No. 4146, situated between those covered by warrants Nos. 4163 and 4126, was sold by John Sloan, sheriff of Westmoreland county, for taxes to Thomas Hamilton, of Greensburgh, for $13, October 2, 1807, who, having lost the sheriff's deed, conveyed it by another deed dated at Kittanning, April 16, 1811, to the assignees of Joseph Thomas for $20. It having afterward become vested in Gen. Orr, he sold portions of it to J. W. and G. W. Marshall in November, 1858. Gen. Orr also purchased several other Wallis tracts. He conveyed portions of the one covered by warrant No. 4131 to Charles Ellen- berger and John Buchanan in September, 1840. Buchanan conveyed his to John Steele in October, 1849. Gen. Orr conveyed a part of the Wallis tract-warrant No. 4128-to John Hettrich in November, 1847; and a portion of the Wallace tract-warrant No. 4132-to Adam Baughman in February, 1851.

The North American Land Company became possessed of several large tracts in this township, covered by warrants dated December 24, 1793. That company was organized in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 20, 1795, by written articles of agreement. It consisted of Robert Morris, the great financier of the revolutionary struggle: John Nicholson, who was commissioned comptroller general of Pennsylvania, November 8, 1872, and escheater general October 2, 1787, and James Greenleaf, and those who should become purchas- ers, owners and holders of shares in the company. At the final meeting of the shareholders, Decem- ber 31, 1807, Henry Pratt, John Ashley, John Vanghan, Robert Porter, John Miller, Jr., and James Greenleaf were constitutionally elected presi- dent, managers and secretary of the company. It was also constitutionally determined at that meet- ing by the holders and legal representatives of more than two-thirds of the whole number of shares issued that all the business of the company should be thenceforth conducted by the above-mentioned president, managers and secretary, or a majority of them, or their survivors or a majority of them. and that they should have full and unlimited power to barter, sell or convey all or any part of the land and property of the company on such terms and conditions as they might judge to be fit, and to act in all possible cases relating to the same as they might deem most proper and expedient .* They, as surviving managers, conveyed, February

* Deed book No. 43, p. 227 et seq., Philadelphia.

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8, 1836, to the late Gen. Robert Orr all of that company's land in this county excepting and reserv- ing such parts as were claimed by the Holland Land Company and their assigns, by the adverse surveys of Samuel Wallis, Alexander Craig, Thomas Hamilton and others. The tracts thus conveyed were covered by warrants to John Nicholson, Nos. 4573-4-5-6-7-8-9-80, and to Robert Morris, Nos. 4533-4-5 and 4528, aggregating about 9,500 acres. The consideration expressed in the deed is $2,385. Patents for those tracts were issued to the pur- chaser February 5, 1840, who soon after commenced selling that large body of land in tracts of suitable size for farms, at reasonable prices and on other terms easy to the purchasers, to whom he was indulgent, too much so in some instances for his own pecuniary interest. The earliest purchasers of the tract covered by warrant No. 4578 were Andrew Walker, Noah A. Calhoun, May 11, 1840. John Calhoun and Samuel Porter, June 24, and the same day, for $1, five acres to Jacob Kammedinier and Jacob B. Hettrich, trustees for the German Reformed Church. Adjoining that tract on the south was the one covered by warrant No. 4579, containing 1,100 acres. Peter Kammedinier, who had settled there in 1825, was the first purchaser of a part thereof, namely, 286 acres and 46 perches, June 24, 1840. Between that and the next tract that formerly belonged to the North American Land Company was the Thomas Smullen tract, assessed to John Alcorn for the first time in 1830. Adjoining that on the south was the tract covered by the Nicholson warrant, No. 1123, called " Alex- andred," a patent for which was issued to Alexander Craig, February 25, 1799, who conveyed 100 acres of it to Alexander and James White, November 18, 1813, for $200, and the same quantity to John and Joseph Powers, November 7, 1821, for $425. Adjoining " Alexandred " on the northwest was a vacant tract surveyed to John Alcorn on a warrant dated February 19, 1839, and to whom a patent was subsequently granted. West of " Alexandred" was the Robert Morris tract, covered by warrant No. 4533, containing 440 acres, which was the southwestern tract that Gen. Orr purchased from the North American Land Company, who conveyed, May 29, 1843, 255 acres and 8 perches of it to Alexander White for $382.75.

About 200 rods east of the sontheast corner of the Morris tract - was the northwest corner of the Nicholson tract, No. 4573, which cornered on the southeast corner of "Alexandred," and contained 300 acres. It was included in the Orr purchase, and it is probably the one from which Mrs. Eliza- beth McClemens, May 4, 1868, and Leopold Drahn,

April 13, 1874, purchased their respective tracts --- those being the dates of their deeds.

Directly north of that tract was the Wallis tract, covered by warrant No. 4132, immediately north of the western half of which was the Nicholson tract, covered by warrant No. 4574, included also in the Orr purchase. The deed to Thomas Foster for 23 acres and 31 perches thereof is dated No- vember 13, 1847, and the deed to Joseph Clever for 301 acres, February 16, 1859.

Next north of that and the Wallace tract, cov- ered by warrant No. 4131, was the Nicholson tract, covered by warrant No. 4575, a part of the Orr purchase, about 60 acres of which were conveyed to Eli Schrecengost, June 26, 1843. Next north of it was the Nicholson tract, covered by warrant No. 4576, included in the same purchase, about 290 acres of which were conveyed to John Rees- man, August 28, 1847; about 182 acres to Joseph Schrecengost, December 24, 1860, and about 150 acres to Joseph Steele, January 4, 1845, both being parts of the last-mentioned two Nicholson tracts.

Another tract, situated in contiguous parts of what are now Wayne and Cowanshannock town- ships, covered by warrant to Dr. William Smith, No. 675, dated October 20, 1785, which having become vested in William C. Bryan, he conveyed it to Gen. Orr, August 6, 1840, who conveyed abont 121 acres of it to Mark Campbell, August 16, 1850, for $845, and abont 1084 acres to Michael Clever, the same day, for $280.

Adjoining that on the north and east was the Samuel Wallis tract, No. 4162, containing 1,070 acres, who conveyed it to George Harrison, who conveyed it to Joseph Thomas, through whose trustees it became vested in Robert Brown, who conveyed it December 23, 1818, to Jacob Beer ;. who sold portions of it to Jacob Beer, Samuel McGoughey, Jacob Rupp and others. .

Adjoining the Smith tract on the northwest was one containing 549 acres and 61 perches, called "White Oak Bottom," covered by warrant No. 695, issued to Isaac Meason, of Fayette county, Pennsyl- vania, member of assembly from Westmoreland county in 1779, and Robert R. Cross, of Philadel- phia. A patent, dated April 21, 1788, was granted for one undivided third part to Meason and for two undivided third parts of it to Cross' executors. Contiguous to that, on the northwest was another Meason & Cross tract, covered by warrant No. 692, containing 549 acres and 68 perches, called " Walnut Bottom," which, with another tract, called "Salem," on the waters of Toby's creek, was included in that patent. These three tracts having become vested in Robert O. Cross, of

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Philadelphia, mariner, he conveyed them July 3, 1809, to Thomas Hamilton, of Greensburgh, Penn- sylvania, for $1,100. The latter devised "White Oak Bottom " to the late Thomas McConnell, and "Walnut Bottom" to Isaac Cruse. The former conveyed 200 acres of his tract to Hugh Gallagher, September 1, 1831, for $600, and the latter con- veyed 200 acres of his to William McIlhenny, No- vember 1, 1832, for $753.43.

A vacant tract adjoined these two tracts on the northeast, on which Frederick Soxman and Jacob Rupp settled, and for all, or a portion of which, a warrant was obtained. With the exception of a vacant tract adjoining "Walnut Bottom," on the northwest, occupied by Adam Rupp, the land in the remaining or southwestern portion of this township belonged to the Holland Land Company, a sketch of which is given in Chapter I. Some of the lands belonging to that company were con- veyed to purchasers by Paul Burti and by Benjamin B. Cooper, as well as by Wilhelm Willink and others.

The earliest purchase made from that company in this part of the township appears to have been by George Beck for 145 acres and 52 perches for $209, by deed dated September 21, 1813, being a part of their lands covered by warrant No. 3046, on which he erected many years ago a two-story brick house, being the first of the kind in this region. Noah A. Calhoun's deed for a portion of their land covered by that warrant is dated the next day. The quantity mentioned in his deed is 197 acres and 140 perches, and the consideration therein expressed is $247.35. Some of the later, yet com- paratively early, purchasers from that part of the land covered by that warrant still in this town- ship (a part of it was in what are now Pine and Valley) were Susan, Eliza and Margaret White, December 19, 1827 ; Jacob Beck, March 17, 1830 ; and Adam Beck, December 19, 1832, according to the dates of their deeds.

Some of the early purchasers of that company's land in this township covered by warrant No. 3045 were Jacob Smith, to whom 1823 acres were conveyed June 17, 1829, the consideration ex- pressed being $92.34; John McIntire, June 19, 1832, 95 acres for $47.50 ; George Kline, April 28, 1834, 97 acres and 96 perches for $165; and Joseph Buffington, June 19, 1845, 417 acres and 61 perches, consideration $50. The hamlet, called Echo, is located on allotment No. 6, tract No. 367, covered by the last-mentioned warrant, and on the same tract conveyed to Jas. A. Knox by Henry Clever, September 5, 1855, containing 46 acres, consider- ation $300.

The Holland company conveyed, October 7, 1819, to George Dill 89 acres and 85 perches in this township, covered by warrant No. 3141 for $179, being a part of allotment No. 3 and tract No. 365, and to Moses and George Dill, December 16, 1828, 119 acres and 51 perches for $59.50.

Adjoining the land covered by the last-men- tioned warrant, on the east, was that covered by warrant No. 3139, of which Wilhelm Willink and others conveyed, March 22, 1831, to John Kline 127 acres, consideration $55, being in allotment No. 6, in tract No. 336, and April 7, 1837, to James White 550 acres, consisting of allotments Nos. 1, 2, 3, and part of No. 4, consideration $230.90.

The above-mentioned allotments and tracts are those indicated on the map of the Holland com- pany's lands.

The foregoing presentation of the original tracts and the naming of some of the early purchasers will, the writer thinks, enable all readers ac- quainted with the territory of Wayne township to understand the topography of those tracts ; and the mention of the consideration, expressed in some of the deeds of conveyance, seems to him sufficient to afford at least a proximate idea of the increase in the market value of those lands, as it ranged in the second, third, fourth and fifth decades of this century.

The dates of the deeds of conveyance do not generally indicate the times of settling upon the lands thus conveyed. Most, if not all, the early settlers occupied and improved portions of those original tracts for years before they knew or they could reach those who could grant valid titles ; so that there was in early times a good deal of " squatting" and occasional shifting of locations. But when the owners of those lands or their au- thorized agents became accessible to the settlers, the latter readily entered into contracts for pur- chasing on such terms and conditions as were, in most cases, easy for them to fulfil.

Nearly all the tracts in this and other townships purchased from the Holland Company, are de- scribed as being "in Brodhead's former district No. 6." It was so called because it was the one of which John Brodhead, elsewhere mentioned, was deputy surveyor-general. He was commis- sioned April 28, 1794. His district began at the southeast corner of district No. 5, granted to William P. Brady, which was at Canoe Place, or what is now called Cherry Tree, on the Susque- hanna river, and extended thence by the Brady district to the northern boundary of Pennsylvania ; thence due west until it intersected a line extend- ing due north from the mouth of Conewango river ;

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thence south by that line to the Allegheny river ; thence down that river, by its courses and dis- tances, to the Purchase line of 1768, at Kittanning ; and thence along that line to the place of begin- ning .*

The earliest settler in the eastern part of Wayne township, on Glade Run, was William Marshall, who came from Indiana county, settled, made an improvement, erected a log cabin and barn on the Pickering & Co. tract covered by warrant, No. 262, of which he occupied abont 80 acres, known in that region as the "old Glade Run farm," now lying south of the borough of Dayton, between it and the boarding houses of the Glade Run Acade- my. An orchard was planted on it soon after its first occupancy by Marshall, which is still thrifty, and known as the " old Glade orchard."

The only other white settler then within what is now the territory of this township was James Shields, who occupied a part of the above-men- tioned vacant tract, the farm since owned by C. Soxaman and James Gallagher, Jr., about fonr miles west of south from Marshall's. The latter's next nearest neighbors were the Kirkpatricks, nearly south, on the Cowanshannock, another fami- ly about four miles to the east, and others not less than ten miles to the north. The nearest grist- mill was Peter Thomas', about fifteen miles dis- tant on Plum creek, near where the borough of Elderton now is. Even fourteen years later, the population of this region must have been very sparse, for Philip Mechling relates that he then found but very few habitations, and they were far apart, as he passed from Red Bank township to Thomas' in Plum Creek township, when he was collecting United States taxes, levied for paying the public debt incurred by the war of 1812. There were then only bridle-paths from one point to another. The streams were not spanned by bridges. When he reached the ferry kept by Robert Martin, at or near where Milton now is, he could not find either canoe or ferryman on the Red Bank side of the Mahoning. A canoe was on the other side. With dry chestnut logs, an ax and an anger, he constructed a small raft on which he ventured across the turbid stream and landed a considerable distance below his objective point. When he reached the canoe the ferryman had ar- rived. They crossed over to the Red Bank side and then returned to the Phim Creek side, guiding the horse by the rein or hitching as the latter swam alongside of the canoe.

* Official list of deputy surveyors in the land office. Sketch of Brady's district among the Brodhead papers, in the possession of E. A. Brodhead, Kittanning.

The pioneer of Glade Run, after making con- siderable improvement on the "old Glade farm," left it because he could not obtain what he deemed a valid title, and removed thence to the Harman Le Roy & Co. tract, covered by warrant No. 3115, 188 acres and 125 perches of which Benjamin B. Cooper conveyed to him by deed, dated October 10, 1816, whereof William Marshall, Sr., conveyed 136 acres and 110 perches to John Marshall, Sep- tember 8, 1824, for the nominal sum of $30.

Another cotemporaneous settler on Glade Run was Joseph Marshall, the eldest son of William Marshall, Sr., being twenty-two years of age when they settled there nearly three-quarters of a cen- tury ago. Their new home in the wilderness was then in Toby township. In 1806 Joseph Marshall was assessed on the Kittanning township list with 100 acres of land, 1 horse and 1 head of cattle, at a total valuation of $86, and his father, on the same list, with two tracts of land, aggregating 565 acres, with 1 horse and 2 head of cattle, at a total valuation of $412. Joseph Marshall, in later years, when the Marshalls in this part of the county became quite numerous, was distinguished from others bearing the same name by the appellation of "big Joe Marshall." He died in his eightieth year in 1859. His father had nine children, of whom the only one surviving is Robert Marshall, who on the centennial anniversary of American Independence was in his seventy-seventh year. The descendants of William Marshall, Sr., if all were living, would number about 350. The. de- scendants of his brothers John and Archibald, who were somewhat later settlers in this region, are quite numerous. Hence, the frequency of the name of Marshall in this and other adjacent townships. The Marshalls, like many of their cotemporaries bearing different names, have generally been of good repute in their public and private relations.

The eastern portion of this township received nearly all the settlers in the first decade of this century. Thomas Wilson was assessed with 300 acres of land, part of the James Hamilton tract, and with `2 horses and 1 head of cattle in 1806, so that he must have settled there as early as 1805 - then and until 1809 in Kittanning township. The records show that the other settlers in this section during that period were Hugh Martin, who settled on the Harmon LeRoy tract, covered by warrant No. 3102, as he was first assessed on that township list in 1807 with 150 acres; Alexander and Thomas McGaughey the same year, each having been assessed with 50 acres in 1807, portions of the Pickering & Co. tract, covered by warrant No. 262; James Kirkpatrick, Sr., assessed with 100 acres, a

THE DAYTON SOLDIERS ORPHANS HOME, DAYTON, PA.

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part of the Hiltzhimer tract, covered by warrant No. 5147; and John Calhoun in 1807, he having been first assessed with 200 acres in 1808, a part of the last-mentioned tract, to whom the county com- missioners issued an order November 9, 1808, for $8 for catching and killing a full-grown wolf No- vember 21, 1807.

Chistopher Rupp settled in 1805 about four and a half miles west of the western line of the last- mentioned tract, in the vicinity of what is now called Echo, on the tract of the Holland Company, covered by warrant No. 3045. He was assessed with 400 acres of land and 3 head of cattle, valued at $215. He was assessed twenty years later with 800 acres of the John Nicholson tract, covered by warrant No. 4575.

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History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 46

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