History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 54

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

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The Pine Creek Station on the Allegheny Valley railroad, which was extended to this point in the winter of 1866, and the junction of Brown & Mos- grove's narrow guage railroad are in the north- western part of this purpart. The Peart's Eddy postoffice was removed hither and the second Brattonville one was established December 8,

252

HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

1870, James Hull being the first and present post- master.

Adjoining the southeastern portion of "Pine Grove " was an eighty-acre tract on Lawson & Orr's map of original tracts, in the shape of a rectangular parallelogram; and another adjoining the latter on the east, in the shape of a trapezoid, containing 220 acres, both designated as Samuel Calhoun's. The latter was called " Amherst," the warrant for which, No. 3831, was granted to Charles Campbell April 22, 1793, and the patent July 15, 1795. Campbell conveyed it to Calhoun March 28, 1816, for $1,000. The minor portion of it was in what is now Valley township. Calhoun was assessed with it in 1806 on the Toby township list, and with one horse, at a total valuation of $165. His name appears on the assessment list of Kittanning town- ship for the last time in 1827. He left a widow, who was assessed with it in 1828, and three children, James T. Calhoun, who was first assessed with it in 1829, Eleanor M. Calhoun and Mary Calhoun, intermarried with Tate Allison. Mrs. Allison and her husband conveyed their interest therein to James T. Calhoun July 11, 1839, for $119.663. James McCauley was first assessed with 102 acres of it in 1857, which he still occupies. James T. Calhoun, Eleanor M. Walker, Tate and Mary Allison conveyed 40 acres and 113 perches to Alexander McAllister February 23, 1864, for $60, which the latter conveyed to Brown & Mos- grove April 14, for $1,000. Other portions of those Calhonn tracts became vested in Robert Orr by patent dated August 9, 1842.

Next east of " Amherst " was a tract covered by a warrant to John Nicholson, No. 1152, dated April 20, 1792, containing 1,100 acres, called " Mexico," which Nicholson conveyed to Gen. Alexander Craig February 11, 1794. Craig con- veyed it to Robert Walker, February 19, 1812, for $800. About one-fifth of "Mexico" was in what is now Valley township. It appears in the Law- son & Orr map as the Walker & White tract. Walker settled on it in 1800; his brothers Abra- ham and James, then or soon after ; and David White in 1803. They came to this "Mexico" in the wilderness from that part of Westmoreland near where Shelocta now stands, in Indiana county, Pennsylvania. Robert Walker was first assessed with a distillery in 1808, which he had started the year before. It was situated on a small run about midway between the present roads from Kittan- ning and Pine Creek Furnace, and about seventy- five rods north of the present Valley township line. James Walker was assessed with it in 1820 and a few years afterward.

The first schoolhouse erected within the present limits of Pine township was built of round logs, and was situated about ten rods below the head branches of White's run, at or near the center of "Mexico" or "the Walker settlement," in which Wright or Right Elliott was the first teacher, hav- ing taught reading, writing and a little of arithmetic to ten or twelve scholars there between 1805 and 1811. The second schoolhouse within the limits of this township was on the Samuel Wallis tract, No. 4148, about two miles a little north of east from the mouth of Pine creek, on land now owned by John Leinweber, in which the first teacher was David White, Sr. His scholars numbered about twenty-five, some of whom came from the west side of the Allegheny river. His immediate suc- cessors were William White and David Hull. One of the first schoolhouses under the common school law was a log one on or near the site of the first one, which continued to be used until the present one was erected, about 275 rods northeast of it.

Religious services were held for some years in private houses, barns, and, in pleasant weather, in the woods. The Associate Reformed church (com- monly called Seceder) was organized probably about 1826, by Rev. John Dickey. It was depend- ent for many years on supplies. Its first pastor was Rev. John. Hindman, whose pastorate con- tinued from April 29, 1840, until May 19, 1853. Its second pastor was Rev. David K. Duff, whose pastorate continued from some time in June, 1856, until the summer of 1870. Since then the congre- gation has depended on supplies. Each of those pastors gave this church half his time. David White, Sr., and Francis Dill were among its early elders. The present number of members is sixty.

The first church edifice, log, 20 × 20 feet, was erected in 1827, a short distance below the site of the first schoolhouse, on the east side of White's run. The present frame edifice was erected on that site in 1855 .* The ground on which it stands was given to the congregation by William White, who conveyed one acre and thirty-eight perches, October 9, 1832, to Noah Calhoun, Moses Dill, William Lowry, Alexander Oliver, William Tem- pleton and James White, trustees of Lower Piney congregation, in trust for the use of "Pine creek congregation," for the nominal sum of $1.

The first wagon owned by any occupant of "Mexico" was purchased by William Moorhead, after Pine Creek Furnace went into operation.

" Robert Walker-he was commonly called Col.

* The third, a neat frame edifice, was erected in 1878, in the grove on David Devers' farm on the Wallis tract, No. 4147.

ISAAC WARNER.

MRS. ISAAC WARNER.

ISAAC WARNER.

Isaac Warner was born in Loudoun county, Vir- ginia, May 16, 1800, and came to this country with his parents, who settled in Kiskiminetas township, where his widow now lives, in August, 1808. He married in 1828, Elizabeth Scott, who was born January 10, 1806, in County Tyrone, Ireland. Her parents, Andrew and Jane (Hall) Scott, were natives of Ireland and born respectively in 1777 and 1779. The former died here in 1851 and the latter in 1861. Andrew Scott emigrated to America with his son Hugh in 1820, and very soon located in this township of Armstrong county. In 1825 he sent his son back to Ireland to bring over his wife and other children. They had altogether ten children, some of whom were born in this country. Their names, in the order of their ages, are as fol- lows: Hugh, Elizabeth, Isabella, Margaret, Mary Jane, Andrew, Sarah, Samuel, Stewart, and an infant who died unnamed. Of these, Elizabeth, Margaret, Sarah, Samuel and Stewart are now living.

To Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Warner five children

were born, as follows: Isabella (wife of Samnel F. Cooper), a resident of Kiskiminetas; Abram, who lives upon the old home farm ; Mary Jane (wife of Robert Hunter), a resident of Indiana county ; Andrew S., who lives in Freeport, and Isaac W. Warner, who resides in the West. The father of these children had purchased soon after arriving at manhood about 160 acres of heavily timbered. land, on which at the time there was not more than two acres cleared. He labored very industriously to clear this land, and by the time of his death had seventy acres in excellent tillable condition. In 1871 he was thrown from a wagon by the running away of a team of horses at Spring church, and the injury received resulted in his death June 7, 1871. His widow and son Abram live upon the farm which he left them. The latter, born Decem- ber 11, 1832, was united in marriage, May 13, 1875, with Miss Maria E. Crosby, who was born July 7, 1838. They have two children - Jennie, born March 18, 1876, and Ralph Irwin, born February 24,1879.

253

PINE (INCLUDING BOGGS, TOWNSHIP.

Walker, either on account of his military services as a spy on the upper Allegheny during the Indian wars, or his rank in the militia afterward-par- celed and conveyed the major portion of " Mexico " thus : To his brothers, Abraham Walker, 302 acres and 131 perches, April 1, 1820, for $319.98 ; James Walker, 402 acres, June 20, 1824, for $266; to David White, Sr., his brother-in-law, 78 acres and 80 perches, September 20, 1824, for $312, to whom James Walker conveyed 174 acres and 95 perches, December 6, 1827, for $600. The house erected by White in 1813, on his first-mentioned portion, is still standing, and which has been for many years occupied by his son James, commonly called Major White, and latterly by his grandson, David White. David White, Sr., conveyed 94 acres and 50 perches to Wm. White, December 11, 1827, which the lat- ter, for " one dollar and natural love and affection,"

The Wallis lands in this township consisted of nine tracts, contiguous to one another, and eight of which are rectangular parallelograms and the other a trapezoid in shape, aggregating 8,0893 acres, an allowance of six per cent for roads, according to original surveys, but in each of which, as in nearly all others, there was probably found to be a considerable surplus by later and more accurate surveys. On Lawson & Orr's map of original tracts and on their list of warrantees, the name of the warrantee of these tracts is Samuel Wallace. He, however, spelled his surname Wallis in his letters from his home to Timothy Matlack, secre- tary of the Supreme Executive Council of Penn- sylvania, in one of which, dated "Muncy Farm, Ang't 8th, 1778"-then in Northumberland county, in which these lands then were-he wrote :

I find that from the attention paid to this county of late, particularly with the Continental Troops, that the spirit of the people seems to be returning to them; great numbers have returned, & I hope the majority of them will shortly get back to their homes. Col. Brod- head's Reg't did great service, & the spirited manner in which Col. Hartley is now acting will, I doubt not, ren- der assential service to the Country. I observe that the Council has been pleased to order a Considerable num- ber of militia into this County, amongst which 300 is ordered out into Immediate service of the militia of this County. I am at a loss to know what kind of Intel- ligence the Council hear. Sure I am that if they had been well informed of the Distressed, Distracted & Con- fused situation which the people have not yet recovered from, they would have Judged it Impossible to call 300

Troops of our militia Immediately into actual service. Experience will prove to you that what I say is right.

5 o'clock, afternoon .- Since wrighting the foregoing part of this letter we have been alarm'd with Intelli- gence of a reaping party of about 14 being attack'd in the field early this morning by a party of about twenty Indians-two kill'd & scap'd, one (the son of Cap'n Brady) mortally wound'd & scalped, & one taken prisoner-the other ten made their escape. Lurking partys of Indians are constantly seen about us. Several attempts have been lately made to take off our Centenals in the night. I shall be much obliged to you for a line by the return of the Express with a Newspaper inclosed.

I am sincerely your friend, &c., SAML. WALLIS.

Fort Muncy, erected by Col. Thomas Hartley, in 1778, at the mouth of Muncy, or Wolf, creek, was sometimes called Fort Wallis.

These nine were a part of the fifty tracts covered by warrants granted to him October 2, 1793, and conveyed to Wm. W. Moorehead, December 20, were covered by warrants Nos. 4140-1-2-3-4-5-7- 1842, 28 acres and 59 perches of which Moorehead conveyed to David Rowland, March 27, 1874, for $1,248. Other occupants of that portion of "Mex- ico" in this township are James Moorhead, Jacob Peters, Jacob Upperman and Abraham Walker. 8-9, all of which Wallis, February 2, 1797, con- veyed to Thomas Duncan, of Carlisle, Pennsyl- vania, afterward one of the associate justices of the supreme court of this state, who conveyed the same to Thomas Stewardson, Sr., of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 30, for $6,067.12}, who, by his will, dated the 20th day of the eighth month, 1840, devised all of these tracts to his wife Anna Stewardson. He also directed in his will that his "backlands" should remain in the care and management of his executors, George Stew- ardson, Thomas Stewardson, Jr., and William E. Vaux, and their survivors, seven years from the day next after his death, and gave them power to sell and convey them. His widow, "for divers good causes and considerations, and especially for and in consideration of $5," conveyed all these nine tracts to George Stewardson the "4th day of fourth month," 1845.

Tract No. 4147 adjoined " Mexico " on the east. The public schoolhouse, heretofore mentioned, is in the northwest corner of it, situated on a part of the 230 acres conveyed by George Stewardson to Samuel Mateer, February 12, 1855, for $1,150, on which the latter settled in 1843, for several years kept a hotel, and on which he now resides. Other portions of this tract were in the occupancy of James and William Oliver from and after 1832, and John Oliver later. Stewardson's executors conveyed 127 acres and 60 perches to William Oliver, June 29, 1848, for $700.50. George Stew- ardson conveyed a part of this and parts of Nos. 4140-1 to James E. and John P. Brown and James Mosgrove, aggregating 683 acres and 148 perches, March 8, 1850, for $2,735.50. To David Dever, 122 acres, May 13, 1852, for $226.37. He conveyed

254

HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

111 acres and 74 perches to John Kneas, February 12, 1855, for $778, described as situate in "Pine Creek township." Some of its later occupants, that is before and since 1850, have been Robert Martin, William Stewart and Hugh Williamson.

The Pine township postoffice, Wm. Gallagher, postmaster, was established July 16, 1855, and re- moved to or merged in the Pine Creek Furnace one, May 21, 1872.

George Stewardson conveyed to William and Robert Mccutcheon, proprietors of Ore Hill Fur- nace, 4,219 acres of those Wallis lands, September 7, 1849, for $13,804.82, which embrace the whole of tract No. 4142 and the residue of Nos. 4143-4-5 remaining after the sale of 119 acres and 13 perches to James Nolder, Sr. and Jr., for $297.70, and exclu- sive of interferences by older surveys, and parts of Nos. 4141 and 4149. John Cochran was first assessed with 1633 acres of No. 4141 in 1841, of which Stewardson conveyed to him 109 acres and 74 perches, March 8, 1850, for $463, on which is the public schoolhouse at which the elections are held. He conveyed 114 acres and 95 perches to Barnabas Reedy, March 8, 1850, for $571.80. The tract covered by warrant No. 4148 corners the last-mentioned on the southwest, with a portion of which James McGinniss was first assessed in 1849, and to whom Stewardson conveyed 131 acres and 22 perches, July 27, 1859, for $1,049.

As late as 1808 there was an Indian camp west of Bull Lick, run on the north fork of Pine creek, on this tract. Some of the Indians were addicted to stealing. One or more of them stole some deer- skins and other articles from Col. Robert Walker. Taking his gun he went to their camp the next day and told them that if they failed to return the stolen property on the following day he would attack their camp and chastise them all. They soon returned the stolen property.

Higher up the North fork, about 100 rods below the little hamlet called "Slabtown," are vestiges of an ancient earthwork-a circular basin about sixty feet in diameter, which appears to have been origin- ally excavated to the depth of about three feet, which has been gradually filled up with a soft marshy soil, formed of decayed vegetable matter, until it is now within a foot below the surrounding surface. This formed soil is very soft, and when the writer's informant, Alexander T. Ormond, vis- ited it several years since, he easily sunk a pole into it to the depth of thirty inches, where it struck against a hard substance which he con- cluded must be the original bottom of the basin. It approaches at the nearest point to within about four feet of the stream, and is connected with it

by a trench about a yard wide, probably designed for an outlet for the water that would naturally collect in it. The old inhabitants of this region suppose that this curions basin was made by the Indians, but for what purpose is merely conjectural. Whether it is the work of Indians or of a prehis- toric people is a question for the antiquaries.

These tracts were sparsely settled before they were sold in small parcels. They are still com- paratively so. After they ceased to be required for Ore Hill Furnace, its proprietors conveyed por- tions of them, after the allotments had been made, to William Mccutcheon and the heirs of Robert Mccutcheon, respectively, in the partition in the court of common pleas of this county: 1860, June 18, to Robert Patrick, 98 acres and 120 perches, for $473.75; to Samuel Anderson, 54 acres and 96 perches, for $327; 19th, to Adam Reilstein, 58 acres and 108 perches, for $340.50; to Frederick Thran, 60 acres and 3 perches, for $290; Novem- ber 5, to John Houser, 60 acres and 38 perches; 1863, February 21, to John Adams, 98 acres, for $500; 1864, July 14, to Martin McCoy, 46 acres and 132 perches, for $234; December 2, to William C. Gibson, 48 acres and 16 perches, for $288; 1865, January 24, to William Anthony, 66 acres and 80 perches, for $465.50; to James Nolder, 40 acres and 157 perches, for $286; 26th, to S. M. Peart, 41 acres, for $346.10; 30th, to Leonard Brice, 91 acres and 140 perches, for $735; February 9, to George and John Kneas, 108 acres, for $540; May 1, to John B. Finlay, two parcels (subject to mineral rights), 135 acres and 135 perches, for $2,000; 23d, to James S. Cochran, 59 acres and 76 perches, for $250; June 3, to Robert Thompson, 190 acres, for $1,075, which he conveyed to I. H. McGee, Febru- ary 6, for $4,000. Other small parcels may have been conveyed, the deeds for which have not yet been recorded.

Christian Shunk, who had made the manufac- ture of iron a specialty and the subject of thorough and extensive study, and had thus, and by his close and varied observation, become a good judge of suitable locations for furnaces, in 1851 selected the site of Stewardson Furnace and the adjacent lands containing the requisite material for that manufacture. He, Alexander Laughlin and Will- iam Phillips erected this furnace and purchased various tracts of land. William and Robert Mccutcheon conveyed to them 2,601 acres and 123 perches of the Wallis-Duncan-Stewardson lands, December 24, for $12,358.40. This furnace is situ- ated on or near the northern boundary of the tract covered by the Wallis warrant No. 4144, about 375 rods slightly north of east in an air line from the

255

PINE (INCLUDING BOGGS) TOWNSHIP.

mouth of Mahoning, in a deep northern bend of this stream. It was built for coke in 1851, but was not then as such successful, and was changed to a charcoal hot-blast until the spring of 1855, when coke was successfully substituted. Its first product of pig-iron was in 1852. Shunk conveyed all his interest in this furnace, personal and real, to Laughlin & Phillips, December 2, for $5,000. Phillips conveyed all his undivided one-fourth interest therein to John Bert February 1, 1856, for $10,000, and Bert, the same day, conveyed his in- terest therein to Laughlin for $20,430.21, the respective contracts having been made prior to the dates of the conveyances. The furnace was burned down in September, 1858. It was soon rebuilt and went into blast in January, 1859. Its stack is forty feet high, the distance across the bosh being eleven and a half feet. This furnace produced in thirty-two weeks, in 1856, 1,147 tons of pig-metal- 120 tons of which were by coke-out of limestone carbonate ore from the coal measures two miles around. The number of dwelling-houses for pro- prietors and employés is forty, nearly all frame, one and a half story. The proprietors' residence is a two-story brick, 38×52 feet, built in 1861, at a cost of $6,000 ; six of the employés' buildings are brick, one-story. A store is connected with the furnace, in which a general assortment of merchan- dize is kept, varying in value from $4,000 to $5,000. The quantity of land belonging to its proprietors in Pine and Madison townships is about 3,100 acres. The sawmill on Scrub Grass run on the Wallis tract, No. 4143, was erected in 1866-7. After the death of Alexander Laughlin, Sr., this furnace and property became vested in his sons Franklin B. and Alexander Laughlin, by whom as partners the former has since been operated .*

Major portions of three of the Harmon, LeRoy & Co. or Holland Land Company's tracts were in the southeastern portion of this township, namely, of No. 3047, south of the Wallis tract No. 4147, between it and Pine creek; of tract No. 3141, east of the Wallis tract last mentioned; and of No. 3046, south of the last-named Holland one. Alex- ander Oliver was first assessed as a single man in 1808, and with 120 acres of the western part of No. 3141 and one horse, in 1809, at $140. The Holland Company conveyed to him 113 acres of allotment No. 7, tract No. 365, July 10, 1822, for $153.33. Noah A. Calhoun was first assessed with 150 acres of the Holland land, covered by warrant No. 3046, two horses and two cattle, in 1808, at

$202. Paul Burti, by his attorney in fact, con- veyed to him 197 acres and 144 perches of allot- ment 4 of tract 368, September 22, 1813, for $247.35. It has been retained by him and his lineal heirs for more than sixty years. It is now owned and occupied by his grandson, James Cal- houn. The latter has related to the writer that, between 1820 and 1830, it was not uncommon to see squads of farmers transporting potatoes on pack-horses, each farmer having two horses, along the road from where Belknap in Wayne township now is, to Kittanning, which was then their best market, where the price of those esculents was then twelve and a half cents a bushel. So many of them were carried over that road that Thos. Donaldson named it the " Potato road," by which it was known for some years.

Burti conveyed to Peter Seegrist 480 acres ad- joining Oliver on the east, consisting of allotments 2 and 6, tract 365, warrant No. 3141, September 21, 1814, for $600, with which the latter was first as- sessed the next year, and of which he conveyed 119 acres and 17 perches to Solomon Seegrist, February 10, 1823, for $299. After his death in 1853 his land was divided into two purparts by proceedings in par- tition in the orphans' court of this county, which were valued by the inquest at $1,621.713. His eldest son, Peter Seegrist, during the pendency of those proceedings, conveyed to Samuel Mateer his undi- vided one-eighth part of 131 acres and 90 perches, of which those purparts consisted, for $125. Peter Seegrist, Sr., conveyed 121 acres and 58 perches of the quantity he purchased from Burti to Susannah Zimmerman November 1, 1837, which she and her husband conveyed to John Zimmerman, April 8, 1850, for $50. The latter was first assessed with a portion of No. 3141 in 1839. Other portions were conveyed: by B. B. Cooper to Ellen, Samuel and William Dill, 150 acres and 65 perches, October 7, 1819, for $300.80; to George Dill, same day, 89 acres and 85 perches, for $179; by Wilhelm Wil- link and others to George and Moses Dill 119 acres and 15 perches December 16, 1828, for $59.50; to Margaret Campbell 50 acres March 20, 1832, which she conveyed to Moses Dill, June 11, 1844, for $125.

Willink & Co. conveyed 84 acres of allotment 5 to Simon Robinson, April 14, 1837, for $40.

Southwest of that tract and south of the Wallis No. 4147, was the tract of the Holland Company's land covered by warrant No. 3027, traversed in a northwesterly course and nearly equally divided by Pine creek, 991} acres, somewhat more than half of which was on the north side of this stream. The patent therefor was granted to Benjamin B. Cooper October 18, 1826, who conveyed 180 acres,

# Alexauder Laughlin, Jr., died in June, 1878. He provided in his will that the furnace might continue to be operated by his brother and copartner, without dissolution, for ten years.

256

HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

being all of allotment No. 6 and part of No. 3 of tract 369, lying on both sides of the creek, to Alexander White, November 1, for $90 ;* to Alex- ander McCain allotment No. 2, 126 acres and 74 perches, June 19, 1827, for $63.25, who conveyed the same to Francis Powers, December 31, 1834, for $253, and 110} acres of allotment 3 to McCain, June 17, 1828, for $50. Cooper conveyed allotment No. 5, 157 acres and 62 perches, to Major James White, of Wayne township, December 19, for $82.t

The Holland Company conveyed allotment No. 1 of tract 369, covered by the last-mentioned war- rant, 126 acres and 74 perches, to John Yorkey, June 17, 1831, for $63.25, which Yorkey conveyed to Henry Bossinger, October 30, 1839, for $175, with which the latter was first assessed in 1840, and on which he erected a sawmill in 1846, with which he was last assessed in 1867, James Hanne- gan having inadvertently cleared several acres north of the line of his purchase, bought 50 acres in what is now the southeastern part of this town- ship, which he subsequently conveyed to John Ludwick, with which and a distillery the latter was first assessed in 1851, and with a mill in 1852. Here were the Hannegan mills, grist and saw, with which Thomas Hannegan was first assessed in 1841; William Hannegan with the gristmill in 1842, with which James Hannegan, Jr., was as- sessed in 1843, and William with the sawmill. Ludwick conveyed this parcel of land to Robert E. Brown in 1849-50, whose administrator, by virtue of a decree of the proper court for the specific per- formance of contract, conveyed it to John Jordan, July 24, 1867, for $854.77. Within this section of this township is the parcel of land purchased by Peter Beck from the Holland Land Company, now owned and occupied by his son Jacob Beck, and on which the former erected a gristmill many years ago, but which has not for a long time been used.

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History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 54

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