History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 64

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

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Next west of the two last-mentioned original tracts was the Hiltzimer, No. 5146, included in the Brodhead purchase and devise, noticed in the sketch of Wayne township. John Rutherford must have settled on this tract in 1819, as he was first assessed with 150 acres of it in 1820; from 1823 until 1834, with 200 acres. Jacob Peelor was first assessed with 300 acres of it in 1826, to whom Rebecca J. Johnston conveyed the same, January 17, 1828. He conveyed, December 12, 1832, the

tract which he had thus purchased, containing 323 acres and 54 perches, to John Rutherford for $533.50. In this last deed it is described as " beginning at a white-oak corner in the line of Samuel Bryan," west 120 perches, and on which Rutherford was then living. Rutherford conveyed 38 acres of it, May 21, 1833, to James McFarland, who conveyed the same, March 14, 1835, to James Brice for $100. Rutherford agreed with his son James to convey to him 60 acres and 14 perches thereof, on which the latter then lived, for $152.75, but died without executing the deed therefor, which his executors did, April 21, 1835, by virtue of a decree granted by the court of common pleas of this county, for the specific performance of that agreement, and which James Rutherford conveyed to James Brice, April 30, 1835, for $167.75. Brice conveyed these two last-mentioned tracts, aggre- gating 99 acres and 14 perches more or less, to Jacob Lias, May 11, 1853, for $800, on one or the other of which he has, within the last few years, made several fish-ponds, which are situated in the forks of the two branches forming the fifth north- ern tributary to the Cowanshannock west of the Indiana county line. Pond No. 1 is 20×20 feet; No. 2 is 24×44 feet; No. 3 is 20×24 feet. Each pond is supplied from a spring of pure cold water. They are well arranged, and contain about 5,000 trout and perch, which are in a thriving condition. Lias obtained his first stock from Seth Green & Co.

The Cowanshannock portion of this Hiltzimer tract will be otherwise recognized as that of por- tions of which William J. Burns, William T. Burns, S. Cassiday, D. Whitacre and J. Borland are present owners, and on which Hugh Ruther- ford commenced his trade as a tailor in 1837.

George Roberts, of Philadelphia, merchant, in or about February, 1795, purchased twelve origi- nal tracts the territory of which is now within the limits of this section of this township, aggregat- ing, according to the original surveys, 34042 acres, patents for which were granted to him March 28, the same year, which, with other tracts elsewhere in this and in other counties, by his will dated December 13, 1800, he devised to his sons George and Hugh Roberts and three others of his lineal heirs. Among the latter was Elizabeth F. Roberts, whose share, or undivided one-fifth part, of those lands then unsold, and one-fifth part of all the purchase money then remaining due and unpaid, she conveyed April 25, 1836, to her nephew, George Roberts Smith, in consideration of natural love and affection and the sum of $1. Those and other tracts are designated in her father's will as "unimproved and back lands."

299

COWANSHANNOCK TOWNSHIP.

The following tracts are included in the Roberts purchase :

The John Denniston tract, No. 3830, called " Abington," which contained, according to the original survey, 1703 acres. William and John McFarland were first assessed with portions of it in 1838. They had probably settled on it in 1836 or 1837.

The John Sloan tract, No. 5639, called "Stan- ton," 2263 acres, with a portion of which Peter Brown was first assessed in 1822-3.

The Roberts heirs conveyed parts of these two last-mentioned tracts, containing 201 acres and 46 perches, to James Cunningham, June 17, 1837, for $362.

The John Denniston tract, No. 3829, called "Dublin," 1802 acres, with 180} acres of which William Abercrombie was first assessed in 1834, and John Gallagher, with 50 acres, in 1838. This entire tract was conveyed by those heirs to William Patterson, April 16, 1836, for $285.

The Joseph Cook tract, No. 5637, called "The Grove," 383 acres, with 80 acres of which Richard Crim and Thomas Duke were each first assessed in 1836. Ninety-three acres and 139 perches of it were conveyed by those heirs to Samuel Patterson, April 16, 1836, for $125, and on October 30, 1839, 80 acres and 112 perches to Richard Crim for $161, and 205 acres and 80 perches to William McFar- land for $411.

The Joseph Cook tract, No. 5636, called " Wheat- field," 4474 acres, with 184 acres of which Robert Stoops was first assessed in 1833. The Roberts heirs conveyed 164 acres of this tract to Allen Foster, April 16, 1836, for $328, and 183 acres and 100 perches to John Simpson, November 24, 1838, for $367.

The Aaron Wor tract, No. 5483, 447 acres, with 108 acres of which Stewart Fitzgerald was first assessed in 1831, and Robert Adams with 97 acres in 1837. The Robertses conveyed 320 acres off the west end of it to James Simpson, November 20, 1830, for $640, and 128 acres and 26 perches to Isaac Simpson, December 19, 1834, for $288.97.

The John Craig tract, No. 3652, called "Leeds," 245 acres of which Alexander Foster purchased May 24, 1828, for $612.50. Craig's run traverses it in a southerly course nearly through, a little west of, the center.

The John Denniston tract, No. 3618, 309 acres, with which Robert McElwain was first assessed in 1828, and which the Robertses had conveyed to him January 30, 1827, for $675. He conveyed the same as containing 401 acres and 109 perches to Samuel R. Ramage, April 3, 1836, for $4,000,

which he conveyed January 20 and 28, 1848, and April 4 and 10, 1850, to Alexander and James Dixon, John Walker, William Dill and John Mc- Couch, as containing 423 acres and 53 perches for $5,056.82. John McCouch conveyed the 150 acres which he had purchased to John McCauley, March 31, 1857, for $3,000, or at an advance of $750 since April 10, 1850.

The William Denniston tract, No. 3620, called " Hopewell, " 220 acres, on which William and Thomas McElhinney settled in 1830. It was con- veyed to them by the Robertses May 12 of that year, for $450. The first store within the limits of this township was opened by them on this tract in 1831. They were assessed for the first time as merchants in 1832, and the last time as such in 1833. They probably kept that store open about three years. William McElhinney conveyed his undivided half, except 20 acres therefrom sold to Archibald McGaughey, to James McElhinney for $220, and James and Thomas McElhinney conveyed their interests to Rev. Bryan B. Killikelly, Sep- tember 23 and 27, 1844, for $1,567, who conveyed the entire tract, 221 acres, to William and Joshua Hall, February 1, 1865, for $1,779.20.

The John Denniston tract, No. 3622, called " Deerry "- probably a clerical error for Derry- 239 acres, with 120 acres of which Andrew Stew- art was first assessed, and James McGaughey with 80 acres, in 1835. The Robertses conveyed the whole tract as containing 280 acres and 21 perches to James McGaughey, April 16, 1836, for $490.21.

The Samuel Denniston tract, No. 3621, called " Alexandria," 2553 acres, with 190 of which William McGaughey was first assessed in 1838. W. Hall and J. Peoples are present owners of por- tions of it.

The William Findley tract, No. 5638, called "Fidelity," 100 acres, on which John McAfoos settled in 1834, to whom the Robertses conveyed 120 acres and 134 perches, December 23, 1836, for $188.50 ; to Samuel Patterson, April 16, 1836, 55 acres and 54 perches, for $101.37, and December 23, 106 acres and 114 perches for $50; of which Peter Brown purchased 50 acres and 32 perches April 20, 1837, for $225, on which Peter Brown, Jr., was first assessed with a tannery in 1862, which is still in operation.

The Findley lands, besides the last-mentioned tract, which Findley conveyed to Roberts, con- sisted of the four following:

The William Findley tract, No. 751, called "Will- iamsburgh," 409 acres and 140 perches, bordering on the purchase line and Valley township, 313 acres of which were first assessed to Daniel River in

300

HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

1828, and 311 acres to James Elgin in 1831. The patent to Findley for this tract is dated May 27, 1796. "ByThis will, dated March 20, 1820, he de- vised this and other tracts to his children-John Findley, Elizabeth Patterson, Eleanor Caruthers and Mary Black. John Findley was authorized, February 1, 1828, by all parties in interest, except Elizabeth Patterson, who appointed her son, Find- ley Patterson, to divide and convey these lands, and, on the 7th of March, all the devisees released the undivided one-fourth part to one another. John Findley, May 25, 1830, conveyed 311 acres of " Williamsburgh " to James Elgin for $900, who by his will, dated January 2, 1834, devised it to his son Samuel Elgin, in whose possession the major part of it still (1876) remains. Huskins run empties into the Cowanshannock on the south side at or near the center of "Williamsburgh," about fifty rods slightly east of south from Samuel Elgin's residence. There is a tradition respecting John Huskins, who, it is said, gave this stream its carly name, which, the writer thinks, is a mixture of truth and error. It is traditionally related that he was employed by Penn's agents to aid in making treaties with the Indians ; that the condition of one treaty was that the Penns were to have as much land as a man could walk over between sunrise and sunset, starting from a point on the west branch of the Susquehanna, formerly called Canoe Place, now Cherry Tree, and proceeding westward ; that Huskins, having the reputation of being a great walker, was employed for that purpose ; that, with Indian guides to halt him at the proper time, he started for the above-mentioned point on the Sus- quehanna at sunrise on a certain day, and, having passed over hills and valleys along the purchase line, and having arrived at that part of " Williams- burgh " near the Boyer's sawmill, he and the In- dians collected, through the night, a quantity of stones and piled them up around a tree, some of which are still there; that the Indians, being wearied, exclaimed, " White man, big walk !" and that on the next morning Huskins went to that stream and christened it "Huskins' run." When that event occurred is not known. One thread of error woven into the web of that tradition is, that the quantity of territory between the Susquehanna and the Allegheny was to be ascertained by a day's walk, for the boundary line of the purchase of 1768 between these two rivers was agreed upon and clearly defined in the treaty made at Fort Stanwix .* " Huskins run " is mentioned in the report of the viewers who laid out Plum Creek township in 1809, to designate a point in its western boundary line.

* See sketch Kittanniug borough.

The name of this run is, then, quite ancient, and it is probable that John Huskins originated it. He may, perhaps, have accompanied the surveyor who ran the purchase line, or he may have traversed this region at a later period. However that may be, the narrators of his expedition have, at one time or another, confounded the walking purchase* of 1737 with the later one of 1768. Another proh- able thread of error in that web is, that the walk from one to the other of the above-mentioned points was a " big" one for hardy foresters of those times, who were thoroughly accustomed to traveling on foot, the distance between these points being about thirty miles.

The William Findley tracts, Nos. 3833, 1974 acres, and No. 3658, 100 acres, contiguous to each other, the former lying between " Williamsburgh " and the latter, No. 3658, was probably first occu- pied by Daniel in 1825, he having been first as- sessed with it in 1826. Thomas Patterson, a son- in-law of William Findley, was first assessed, in 1830, with 340 acres, as of No. 3833, but of course in- cluded portions of one or more other Findley tracts. His sons, Jolin and Findley Patterson, were jointly assessed the next year with the same, and the latter as a merchant, and thereafter separately, the former with 125, and the latter with 200 acres, until 1834; in 1835 John was assessed with 345 acres of the McClenechan tract, No. 515, and the next year with the same and 75 acres of No. 3658.

John Patterson settled on No. 3833 in 1829, and gave the name of Rural valley to that part of the Cowanshannock valley east of Laurel Grove, for- merly called the Narrows, but now Greendale. He resided there until his removal to the portion of the Pickering & Co. tract, No. 11, which he pur- chased, as hereinafter mentioned, in 1836. The Rural Valley postoffice was established May 19, 1830, and he was its first postmaster, keeping the office at his residence.

Findley Patterson moved farther down the Cowanshannock in 1834-5. Ebenezer Smith, of Cross Creek township, Washington county, Pennsyl- vania, soon thereafter hecame the purchaser of a considerable body of these Findley lands, it having been represented to him that the erection of a grist- mill and other improvements in their vicinity would induce those in quest of new homes to set- tle in this part of this beautiful valley. Thomas and Elizabeth Patterson, by Findley Patterson, their attorney-in-fact, conveyed to him 88 acres and 99 perches of No. 3658, March 30, 1835, for $1,070; and John Patterson conveyed to him 156 acres and 84 perches of tract No. 3833, May 23, the

* See general sketch of this county.

301

COWANSHANNOCK TOWNSHIP.

same year, for $1,500, making a total of 245 acres and 23 perches, which had been allotted to Thomas and Elizabeth Patterson in the above-mentioned parti- tion. Smith settled thereon in 1837, and lived in the house on No. 3833 theretofore occupied by John Patterson. He purchased, February 25, 1843, 29 acres of " Williamsburgh " from Samuel Elgin, for $125. He sold about eight acres of the latter to John Boyer, February 5, 1843, for $8, and 125 acres and 11 perches of No. 3833 to Samuel Elgin, February 19, 1848, for $800, two days before which he had conveyed 246 acres and 19 perches to Robert McFarland for $5,045, and removed thence to McKeesport, Allegheny county. That farm is. designated in Rogers' Geology of Pennsylvania as the "Smith tract." (Vide sketch of Elderton.)

John Findley had dedicated two acres of tract No. 3833, adjoining " Williamsburgh," prior to Smith's purchase, for a site for a schoolhouse, common bury- ing-ground and a meeting-house, or meeting-houses, and conveyed the same, November 27, 1836, to Will- iam McKean, Robert McIntosh, James Elgin and Findley Patterson, in trust for those purposes, giv- ing an equal right to the Presbyterians of the Gen- eral Assembly church, the Associate Reformed or the Associate church to build, if they so wished, their respective houses of worship thereon, granting to the congregation that should first do so full liberty to choose the site, provided that they should do so in such manner as would not render it impracti- cable for either of the other denominations to erect their church edifice thereon. His grant was qualified by the restriction that those two acres should not be sold for or dedicated to any other purposes than those above mentioned .*

The Robert McClenechan tract, No. 515, drawn by lottery, 3282 acres, the warrant for which was granted to McClenechan, of Chester county, Penn- sylvania, May 19, 1785, and the patent August 17, 1787. He conveyed this entire tract, March 15, 1796, to William Findley. In the partition between the latter's heirs it was allotted to his daughter Eleanor Caruthers, and it was first assessed to her husband, Richard E. Caruthers, in 1830, 100 acres and 116 perches of which they conveyed to Will- iam F. Caruthers, January 6, 1842, for $1.

The northern tributaries of the Cowanshannock in this part of the township are : Elgin's run, traversing " Williamsburgh," so named by James Elgin, who first traced it from its mouth to its head; Hill's run, traversing tract No. 3833, so called because it rises in and flows through at least a part of the Hill settlement north of that tract ; Rose run, traversing tract No. 3658, so called be-

cause of the great quantities of wild roses that erst fringed its banks.

The Bryan lands included a number of tracts in this township. Tract covered by warrant No. 674, partly in Wayne, granted to Dr. William Smith, of Philadelphia, druggist, October 20, 1780, as containing 5494 acres, which Smith conveyed to George Bryan, December 31, 1787, " particularly in consideration of the sum of five shillings." The act of assembly of March 17, 1820, subsequent to Bryan's death, authorized Jacob Spangler and Thomas Smith, of Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, and Robert Orr, Jr., of this county, to make par- tition of his real estate, and it also authorized his son, George Bryan, Jr., to sell and convey all the title to and interest in the same of Sarah, daugh- ter of the elder Bryan. Among the lands thus allotted to her was the eastern half of this tract, which George Bryan, Jr., conveyed to Robert B. Stille, October 12, 1826, for $1,200, and which the latter reconveyed to the former four days after- ward for the same consideration, who conveyed it August 6, 1833, to Archibald Marshall for $800. The earliest settlers upon it were probably Harmen Lenhart, who was first assessed with 30 acres in 1832, and Adam Lenhart, with 90 acres in 1833, who migrated thither from the Le Roy & Co. tract No. 3045. It was sold in June, 1834, for taxes, by Samuel McKee, county treasurer, to George Bryan, who again conveyed it to Archibald Marshall, April 15, 1837, for $1,300, to whom the patent was granted June 6, 1840. The latter conveyed 108 acres and 135 perches to Samuel Mccarthy, Jan- nary 1, 1841, for $979, and 163 acres and 53 perches to Robert McMeans, December 3, 1841, for $637.873. The tannery on this tract was probably established in 1850. John Marshall was first assessed with it in 1851. William Gallagher's store is also on the same original tract, which he opened there in 1873-4.

The George Bryan tract No. 669, 5484 acres, adjoined the above-mentioned Dr. Smith tract on the southwest. It became vested in Richard R. Bryan, to whom the patent was granted February 13, 1850, who conveyed it April 6, 1851, to Robert Orr, Jr. Its earliest settler appears to have been Michael Thomas, in 1835. John Butler, Jr., was first assessed with 125, and William McGanghey with 208 acres of it in 1838. Gen. Orr conveyed 14 acres and 127 perches of it to John Marshall, April 10, 1872, for $369. It is traversed by a southern branch of Pine run, on which, about 100 rods above its mouth, is schoolhouse No. 3. Samuel Gourley was first assessed with a tanyard on this tract in 1844.

* See sketch of Presbyterian church, Rural village.

302

HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

The George Bryan tract No. 672, 1,097} acres, the warrant for which is dated October 20, 1785. John Schrecongost, Sr., and Martin Schrecongost, brothers, were each first assessed with 100 acres of it in 1814, and John Schrecongost, Jr., with 1,000 acres in 1819. The elder John began the manu- facture of plows with wooden moldboards, soon after he settled here. He was called " Gentleman John " because of the comparative neatness of his apparel and his comparatively polished manners and gentlemanly bearing. Martin owned a part of this, but resided on another tract containing about 100 acres, which he purchased from Archi- bald MeGanghey. The former acquired title to about 550 and the latter to 100 acres of this tract by "improvement," as it appears from the assess- ment lists. Bryan's heirs conveyed this tract to Richard R. Bryan, October 9, 1847, by whom it was conveyed to Gen. Orr, April 6, 1859, who con- veyed 48 acres and 14 perches thereof to C. O. Schrecongost, January 30, 1872, for $681.79 ; and 59 acres and 98 perches to Henry Giger, Novem- ber 25, 1874, for $1,031.41.

Two military companies - the Wayne Artillery and the Pine Creek Infantry - and a large num- ber of citizens celebrated the Fourth of July, 1837, at Martin Schrecongost's house. The Declaration of Independence was read, and some remarks were made by Mr. A. L. Robinson. The other features were the parade and evolutions of those mili- tary companies, and volunteer toasts of a decided partisan tone given by members of both of the po- litical parties, Whig and Democrat.

An early resident on a portion of the Bryan tract, No. 672, was James Cogley, who was first assessed with 100 acres in 1818, and continued to be until 1834. He was one of the pioneer school- teachers in this region before the passage of the common school law of 1834. His knowledge, like that of most of the other teachers of those early times, was limited to reading, writing and arith- metic. Some of the older citizens of this county, though not his pupils, remember him out of his pedagogical sphere, as an entertaining singer of the entire ballad of "Robin Hood," and other shorter ones. He was a nephew of the surveyor Robert Cogley elsewhere mentioned.

Robert Orr conveyed 94 acres and 77 perches to Thomas Foster, March 30, 1871, for $2,078.

The Pleasant Union Evangelical Lutheran church edifice is situated in the northwestern forks of the cross-roads fifty rods northwest of Thomas Foster's residence.

The Reynolds and Clark lands consisted of one tract, partly in Wayne, covered by warrant No.

6041, granted, probably, in 1817 to David Reynolds and William Clark. It was returned on the un- seated lists of Plum Creek and Wayne townships from 1818 until 1843. It adjoined the Bryan tract No. 672 on the east and the Holland Company's lands on the north, west and south. It was prob- ably not much occupied except by Philip Drum, a hunter from some other county, who had a cabin and hunting-camp, located near the present resi- dence of John H. Hill, for ten years or so from about 1790, until after Alexander and Absalom Reynolds, David Reynolds' executors, and James Clark, guardian of Julia, James and William Maize, heirs of William Clark, conveyed it, De- cember 8, 1859, to Henry Clever for $1,125. On the 21st of that month he conveyed one-half of it to Judge Buffington and one-fourth to Horatio N. Lee for the last-mentioned sum. They conveyed 114 acres and 120 perches to John H. Hill, March 24, 1866, for $918, and 34 acres and 54 perches to Joseph Keifer for $248.90, who, five days after- ward, conveyed the same to William Garner for $300; 100 acres to Samuel and Wilson Schrecon- gost for $800; and 196 acres to Henry Clever, May 10, for $1. Clever conveyed 30 acres and 9 perches to Jacob McAfoos, May 2, 1870, for $360.60, and 46 acres to George McIntire, March 2, 1871, for $552, small portions of which are in Wayne township. The public schoolhouse No. 1 and the Salem Reformed church edifice are situ- ated on this original tract, 425 rods nearly south- east of the northwest corner of this township.

Next west of the Reynolds and Clark was the Le Roy & Co. or Holland Co. tract, No. 3036, viz., of allotment No. 1, and tract No. 368, the main portion of which was in what is now Valley town- ship. The first settler on the Cowanshannock por- tion of it was the eccentric Frederick Altman,* to whom Wilhelm Willink and others conveyed 160 acres, December 19, 1833, for $90. He probably settled on it in 1834, as he was first assessed with that number of acres in 1835, and built his sawmill in 1839, with which he was assessed from 1840 until 1846. He also manufactured for awhile stone pumps, which were one of his inventions. The next earliest settler on this tract was probably Andrew King, who was first assessed with 155 acres of it in 1843.

Adjoining the last-mentioned on the south was another of the Holland Co. tracts, No. 3022. The earliest settler on the Cowanshannock part of it was probably Andrew King, to whom Wilhelm Willink and others conveyed 1554 acres of allot- ment No. 3, June 18, 1828, for $77.88, with which

#: See sketch of Burrell township.

SAMUEL ELGIN.

MRS. SAMUEL ELGIN.

SAMUEL ELGIN.

James Elgin, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in County Derry, Ireland, in the year 1760., In 1782, having attained his majority, he came to America, and in 1791 was married. He first settled where Elderton now is, at a time when the region around him was a perfect wilderness, and while the Indians still infested the country. After passing many years as a pioneer in this locality, he removed to Cowanshannock, then Wayne, township, in 1830. The remainder of his life was spent quietly there, and he died December 20,1837.

His son, Samuel Elgin, whose portrait appears above, was born December 1, 1811. He was mar- ried October 1, 1836, and lived at the old home- stead until his death, which occurred July 25, 1876.

He was a farmer by occupation, and led a busy, useful, honorable life, and stood well in the esti- mation of all who knew him. He held various offices in the township in which he resided, and discharged the duties of each and every one of them conscientiously and efficiently.

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History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 64

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