History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 92

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

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432

HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

which are intersected by an unnamed street about 42 rods north of the southern end of the plot of the town. Two several orders having been granted by the court to the administrator to sell those lots for the payment of debts, the first sale, May 28, aggregated $3,844, and the second one, July 13, $2,502.

The creek is spanned by an iron bridge at the lower or southern end of Laneville, it having been pre- ceded hy one or two wooden ones, which were swept away. By the act of January 13, 1840, the com- missioners of this county were authorized to appro- priate $500 ont the county funds to aid in building a bridge across this stream where the Butler and Freeport road crosses it. The present is a county bridge.

The first separate assessment list for Laneville was in 1871, when it contained about a dozen tax- ables, one tannery, one miller and four laborers. The number of taxables in 1876 is nearly 40; labor- ers, 26; tanners, 2; carpenter, 1; cooper, 1; miller, 1; old man, 1; tinner, 1. Michael Conrad was this year first assessed with his brickyard on what is known as the brickkiln lot, about forty rods above the Freeport flouring-mill. This mill, with 63 acres of circumjacent land, became vested in C. M. Bird, after Lane's sale to Hilnes and Kurtz, from whom it passed by sheriff's sale, March 5, 1873, to Joseph B. Way for $5,300, who conveyed it the same day to Adolph Fisher, the present owner, for $5,500. It was then a three-story frame steam and water mill, with three runs of stone.

Next north or above "Plombiers " lay " Mount Joy," a tract containing 4002 acres, partly in But- ler county, for which a patent was granted to John Harbison, December 11, 1807. He had resided there before 1805, for in that year he was assessed with a sawmill, 200 acres of land, two horses and two cows, at $250. His gristmill was erected after- ward, and was first assessed to him in 1819, with which he continued to be assessed until 1815. He, like other pioneer settlers, was dependent on his neighbors to aid him in erecting his mills, other buildings and dam. He was wont to say, in invit- ing them, that he wished they would bring their - own provisions, except whisky, which he probably obtained from William Hazelett's distillery, which was not far distant, which was first assessed at $20 in 1807. His wife Massy frequently tended the mill. He conveyed 50 acres, including these mills, to Aaron Dyer, Jr., May 6, of that year, for $1,600, which Dyer, two days afterward, conveyed to Thomas W. Carrier, of Broome county, New York, for $2,500, with which he was assessed for several years, until the same were conveyed by Philip

Mechling, sheriff, to William Ayres, of Butler, March 21, 1820, for $281, having been sold on a judgment in favor of John Harbison. Ayres leased this property for several years : To David Kirkpatrick from 1820 till 1824; to John Kelty from 1824 until 1832; to John Hoover from 1832 until 1833, and on October 2 conveyed it, with other 50 acres of "Mount Joy," which Wm. Colmer had conveyed to him February 1, 1832, to Joseph Mclaughlin and Samnel Thompson as tenants in common, for $500. Those 100 acres and the grist- mill were assessed to Mclaughlin until 1843. He conveyed his undivided half of the land and mill to Asa Rowley, April 1, 1845, for $1,000. It was last known as the Rowley mill, but a few vestiges of which now remain, and only 36 acres of the land are now (1876) assessed to Rowley at $360. The old Pittsburgh and Kittanning road crossed the creek a short distance above that mill. Other portions of "Mount Joy" on the west side of the eastern bend in the Buffalo are now owned by Samuel Hepworth and L. Johnston, the former being assessed with 52 acres at $1,040, and the latter with 50 acres at $1,000. Massy Harbison released her dower for $30, and Benjamin, James, John and Thomas Harbison their interests for $30 in 18 acres of that part of "Mount Joy" east of the Buffalo, March 8, 1833, to James Patterson.

The southern one of the two tracts which skirted "Mount Joy " on the east was depreciation lot No. 69, called "Bar-le-Duc," 277 acres, the patent for which was granted to Claudius Antonius Bertier, Decem- ber 14, 1786. This tract was named after an ancient and important town in France - Bar-le- Dnc, or Bar-sur-Ormain, which is the chief town of the department of the Mense. It is situated at the base and on the declivity of a hill, on the river Ormain, a tributary of the Marne, 125 miles east of Paris, and consists of an upper and lower town, the latter being the more modern and respectable of the two. Long after this tract was named from it, it became a railway station on the Paris and Strasburg line, and not far from which is the Marne and Rhine canal. A college, a normal school, an agricultural society, a society of the arts and a public library are some of its educational facilities. Its only building of mark is the half- decayed body in marble which originally formed a part of the René of Chalons, Prince of Orange. The castle which was the nucleus of the upper town was built by Frederick I, duke of Lorraine, in the tenth century. Louis XI got possession of the town and caused it to be fortified in 1474. It was dismantled under Louis XIV in 1670, but it still retains a few relics of its ancient works. All

433

SOUTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP.

extensive traffic is there maintained in wines, wood and wool, and its mannfactures of cotton stuffs, hats, hosiery, leather and confections are very extensive-its confections being especially noted. Its population in 1872 was 15,175. From 959 till 1354 the district of Bar was governed by a series of counts, and was then raised to a duchy, which was ceded to René of Anjou in 1419, and thereafter followed the fortunes of Lorraine. The motto of the dukes, which has been adopted by the town, was Plus penser que dire. Their coins were usually distinguished by two barrels.

Bertier's widow and heirs, by their attorney-in- fact, conveyed "Bar-le-Duc " to Jacob Weaver, April 10, 1815, for $1,500, 97 acres and 103 perches of which he conveyed to Andrew Patterson, De- cember 23, 1816, for $529.25, and 155 acres to Jacob Mechling, September 4, 1823, for $750, which the latter devised to his son Jacob, and he conveyed 175 acres and 86 perches to Andrew R. Stewart, October 20, 1863, for $5,000. Near the center of " Bar-le-Duc " is the junction with Big run of one of its northwestern tributaries, which is abont 25 rods west of the division line between the Mech- ling and Patterson parcels of that depreciation lot . No. 69.

There was a vacant tract extending from a point opposite the mouth of the Kiskiminetas up the right bank of the Allegheny, nearly to the foot of the bend ; thence westerly along the John Craig tract and depreciation lot No. 72 to the southwest corner of the latter, and thence by various courses and distances along "Bar-le-Duc " and "Union " to the place of beginning, which contained 95 acres and 31 perches, to which Andrew Patterson acquired title by settlement and improvement, probably made prior to 1800. He was a carpenter, and built the first dwelling-house in Freeport, ad- joining the old blockhouse on Water street. The earliest assessment list for Buffalo township acces- sible to the writer is for the year 1805, when he was assessed as a wheelwright with 95 acres, at 25 cents per acre, and two cattle, amounting to $55.75. It is not clear to the writer just when he bored the salt-well about 225 rods above the Kiskiminetas, on this tract. An agreement was entered into be- tween James, John and Lindsey Patterson with John and Thomas Robinson, April 26, 1825, by which the latter, as lessees of that well, agreed to put one pan in operation immediately, and a second one if there should be sufficient water, by January 1, 1826, and to pay as annual rent 100 bushels of salt for each pan, if the water yielded 20 bushels to each pan every 24 hours, and more or less in proportion to the yield. If the well should not

produce daily 15 bushels to each pan, the lessees were immediately to bore to the depth of 75 feet if necessary, and if there were not then sufficient water they were to bore 125 feet deeper, with the privilege of quitting at the end of that or any future year, and remove the apparatus belonging to well and works. If the well should not yield more water than would be sufficient for one pan, the lessees were to pay as rent every fourteenth bushel of salt so made. They do not appear to have operated the well more than a year or two. By his will, dated February 4, and registered Septem- ber 19, 1832, he devised to his sons Andrew and John, respectively, the "undivided one-half of the land lying between the salt-works land and Craig's line." These works were assessed for the first time to "J. J. & L. Patterson," in 1838, at $750, and to John and James for several years afterward, and were for awhile operated by Thomas Donnelly; 111 acres, partly of this tract and partly of "Bar-le- Duc," were not devised or disposed of by Andrew Patterson's last will, for the division of which a writ of partition was issued at No. 19, June term, 1852, in the common pleas of this county, which the inquest divided into four allotments, and, not having been taken at the appraisement, were sold by sheriff Watson, under an order of the court, December 6, 1852. " A," opposite the mouth of the Kiskiminetas, 35 acres and 80 perches, its lower line extending 108 and its upper line 123 perches back from the river, was appraised at $20 per acre and purchased by Rev. Wm. Galbraith for $561. "B," next above "A," 34 acres and 70 perches, its lower line extending 123 and its upper 136 perches back from the river, was appraised at $30 per acre, and pur- chased by John Patterson for $799. "C," next above "B," 34 acres and 20 perches, its lower line extending 136 and its upper 144 perches back from the river, was appraised at $40 per acre, and was purchased by Lindsey W. Patterson for $995. "D," 25 acres and 94 perches and salt-works, its lower line extending 34 and its upper 40 perches back from, and 102 perches by various courses and distances up, the river, was appraised at $5,500, and was purchased by John Patterson for $2,540. The Keystone Company located their two oil-tanks" near that salt-well in 1875, their capacities being, respectively, 8,000 and 3,000 bar- rels, into which oil was pumped from St. Joe, in Butler county.

Northeast of the Patterson tract and east of No. 72 lay the John Craig tract, 394 acres and 30 perches, to which he acquired title by the purchase

* Since removed.

434

HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

of Samuel Paul's interest in it, October 2, 1794, for $90, and by settlement and improvement which he commenced in the summer of 1795. It probably attracted his attention while he was commandant of the blockhouse at Freeport. He brought with him that summer a two months' supply of provi- sions and built a cabin near a spring on the parcel now owned by L. W. Patterson. Craig, while re- turning to his home in Westmoreland county, met Charles Sipes, who was moving his family to this region. Not having a cabin of his own, he asked for and obtained leave to occupy Craig's until he could build one. On the arrival of Craig with his family, the next spring, Sipes declined to give up his possession of the cabin and survey. Craig en- camped his family and built another cabin on the opposite side of the spring, and prosecuted Charles Sipes, Sr., No. 3, June sessions, in the court of quarter sessions of Allegheny county, and Charles Sipes, Jr., No. 4, same sessions, for forcible de- tainer. Those cases were tried at the next Sep- tember sessions, and there was a verdict of guilty against the elder, and of not guilty against the younger Sipes. Still that litigation cost Craig about $100, which in the then great scarcity of money was a heavy burden to a pioneer in the wilderness. The war between those claimants of that tract was a very civil one, for they were, during the whole of their contest, on friendly terms, used the same springhouse for their milk, and their families shared with each other such rarities and delicacies as either obtained. Sipes removed soon after that trial on to another tract of land. Craig was as- sessed with two distilleries from 1808 till 1810. In his younger days he had belonged to what was then called "the flying camp." He was taken prisoner by the Indians, and was confined in a guardhouse on an island, sixty miles above Mon- treal, from which he was released after the surren- der of Cornwallis. He was one of the earliest justices of the peace in this county, and resided upon and improved that tract of land until his death, in 1845, on which he was buried, being then almost a centenarian, with failing mind and memory.

Contiguous to the John Craig tract on the east was "Sugar Bottom," 109 acres, which became vested in Samnel Murphy, adjoining which on the east was " Bellemons," 205 acres, depreciation lot No. 76, the patent for which was granted to Joshua Elder, October 18, 1786, which Elder conveyed to William Todd, March 27, 1795, and which Todd conveyed to Samuel Murphy, April 18, 1798, for "£57 current money," on which the latter, with his family, soon after settled. His farm consisted

of "Bellemons" and "Sugar Bottom." On the former, nearly opposite the foot of Murphy's island, in the field above the private road from the public road to the river, were vestiges of a circum- vallation, which were quite distinct for many years after his settlement. Its shape was nearly circular, with an opening to the river. The distance from one lune to the other was five or six rods. The parapet consisted chiefly of gravel and sloped from the top to the base, the latter being eight or ten feet wide, and enclosed about half an acre on which a tree of considerable size had grown up. Pieces of crockery and copper kettles were found in the adjacent fields, and a tomahawk about thirty rods below it. An iron instrument, hollow, about eight inches long and one in diameter, probably . a whistle, for it had an aperture for blowing in the middle, was exposed about forty years ago by the caving-in of the river bank at a depth of eighteen inches below the surface, not very far from the site of that circumvallation. The northwestern part of "Bellemons" and the central part of "Sugar Bottom " are traversed by Knapp's run, so- called from John Knapp, who built a cabin and resided on the upper part of it from 1822 until 1837, in single blessedness all those fifteen years. Whether it had any other name before it was thus christened is not manifest to the writer. James Mehaffey kept a store about seventy-five rods above the mouth of that run on the river bank, near the southeast corner of "Sugar Bottom," in 1792-3-4, in the vicinity of which old coins have been occa- sionally exhumed. "Bellemons " and " Sugar Bot- tom " have in later years been known as "Mur- phy's Bend."

Samuel Murphy conveyed 52 acres and 40 perches of "Bellemons " to Benjamin Murphy, April 20, 1839, for $1 and " natural affection." By his will, dated January 26, 1844, and registered November 4, 1851, he devised the residue of " Bellemons" and "Sugar Bottom " to his other sons, George P., James P., John and William, share and share alike, except the quantity of the latter tract which he had appropriated for a burying-ground, and for which he had executed a deed. They made parti- tion among themselves and released to one another.

Samuel Murphy was born at Bullskins, Frederick county, Virginia, in 1756. As he informed Dr. William Denny, a son of Major Denny, who visited him a few years before his death, he first came to Pittsburgh to get a saddle which had been lent to Dr. Conolly, where he first met Major Denny, and passed the night with him at "Granny Myers'," at Turtle creek. Hle accompanied the Earl of Dun- more's expedition as far as it proceeded in 1774.

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SOUTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP.

(The Earl, he said, was "a large, full, red-faced man, who looked as if he lived high; was near him when, on foot among the men, he came to Hocking; saw him step into the water and wade the river with the unconcern of an Indian, rejecting the offer of a young sergeant to carry him over.") He served in the 8th Pa. regt. through the revolutionary war. He was captured by the In- dians on the north fork of Salt river, in Ken- tucky, and taken by Simon Girty to an island in the St. Lawrence river, sixty miles above Montreal, in the fall of 1781. The Indians who had cap- tured Col. Archibald Lochery, Capt. Robert Orr and Samnel Craig were there. John Craig used to relate, that Murphy, one quiet morning, jumped to the ceiling of the guard-room and gave the war- whoop, being incited to do so by the sentinel informing him, that if he would not mention it, he would tell him something that would make him very gład, Murphy having promised to keep the secret, the sentinel slowly whispered in his ear- "Cornwallis is taken !" Murphy then told the sentinel that he had dreamed it three nights in succession. When that event became known to the prisoners, that night, there was a boisterous jubilee among them.

Murphy rendered much and valuable service in defense of the frontier after the close of the revolutionary war and during the succeeding Indian war. In accordance with the act of assembly, passed January, 1792, providing for the defense of the frontiers of this commonwealth, Gov. Mifflin, on the 29th of that month, issued his circular to the lieutenants of Allegheny, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties, directing three de- fensive companies to be raised, which were to con- sist of not more than 228 non-commissioned officers and privates, each company to consist of one cap- tain, one lieutenant and one ensign, to be ap- pointed and commissioned by the governor, four sergeants, four corporals, two musicians and sixty privates, for the term of six months, unless sooner discharged, to commence on the 1st of March. Murphy was appointed ensign of the third company, which was directed to "be sta- tioned at the Kittanning, ranging thence up and down the river." When the capture of Massy Harbison and her children became known, he and a squad of his company pursued the captors to the Kiskiminetas, but did not overtake them. The act of assembly of February 28, 1794, having provided for the defense of the frontiers, a com- pany was raised in Allegheny county, of which Eben Denny was appointed captain, Thomas Bell Patterson, lieutenant, and Samuel Murphy, ensign.

Patterson resigned and recommended the appoint- ment of his brother James in his place. Murphy .was, however, appointed to fill that vacancy, and James was appointed ensign, March 1. Gov. Mifflin in his circular to them directed them to apply to . their captain " for instructions to raise your com- plement of non-commissioned officers and men ; and I rely upon your rendering all the assistance in your power in that respect, as well as upon your zeal and spirit in executing the other duties of your commission." Capt. Denny wrote to the governor May 2, 1794, from Pittsburgh : " Lieutenant Mur- phy and Ensign Patterson have been abont three weeks away endeavoring to find men for the Alle- gheny company. Patterson has been tolerably successful. I have not heard from Murphy-he is in Fayette county. They must both be here in a few days," and they were. In his military journal, April 4, he states that Murphy had "been out since the 24th of March."

Captain, afterward Major, Denny, as stated by his son, was wont to say that "Samuel Murphy was the best soldier he ever knew." Often for several years after his discharge, he plowed the bot- tom portion of "Murphy's Bend " with a rifle on his shoulder. Dr. William Denny presents him as he saw him in August, 1849, thus : "I was taken by his two maiden daughters to the original cabin, a rod or two detached from the present family dwell ing, where he sat on a chair in the middle of the puncheon floor, with his hat on, in his Sunday suit, which hung loosely upon him. It was evident that the noble and gigantic form was wasting away with age."

Adjoining "Bar-le-Duc" on the north was the Kincaid tract, 440 acres, on which James Kincaid made an improvement, November 14, 1793, and which was surveyed by Stephen Gapen on the 21st. Kincaid conveyed his interest in it to Samuel Kin- caid, November 21, 1794, for $40; the latter to Col. Charles Campbell and John Denniston, July 16, 1795, for $80; they to Samuel Denniston and his wife, to whom the warrant was granted, August 25, 1796; and they to John B. Alexander, February 10, 1818, for $1,000. This tract having become vested in the Westmoreland Bank of Pennsylvania, which, under its corporate seal, conveyed it to Hugh Y. Brady, John Kuhns and Morrison Underwood in trust for its creditors, who conveyed 318 acres of it to John Atkinson, April 27, 1831, for $1,470.75, of which he conveyed 100 acres to James B. Atkinson, February 24, 1848, for $2,000, and which the latter conveyed to James Ralston, November 29, 1855, for $3,000. John Atkinson died intestate in March, 1853. By subsequent proceedings of

436

HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.

partition in the orphans' court of this county, the 156 acres and 103 perches which he had not dis- posed of in his lifetime were divided into two pur- parts. "A," containing 95 acres and 145 perches, · was appraised by the inquest at $38.33 per acre, and taken thereat by James B. Atkinson, the eldest son. "B," containing 60 acres and 118 perches, appraised at $55.92, was taken by Robert Morris, of Freeport, in trust for his ward, George Atkin- son, the second son. The western part of the latter purpart is traversed by Big fun, on which the saw- mill was erected by John Atkinson in 1842, and which, with 13 acres, was first assessed to Joseph Atkinson in 1859 at $239.

The assignees of that bank conveyed the other portion of the Kincaid tract as containing 2053 acres to George Keener, January 23, 1833, for $1,007.47, who subsequently conveyed the same to James Hill and William Selkeld.

Passing on further west on the north of " Mount Joy" on both sides of the Buffalo and partly in Butler county lay a tract which had been occupied several years by Jacob Weaver, for which a patent was granted him March 10, 1817, on which, on the left or north branch of the creek, Robert Mc- Cormish built a gristmill in 1803-4, with which he was assessed until 1805, to Wm. Colmer in 1809-10, and which was thereafter assessed to Jacob Weaver until 1814. He conveyed 116 acres and 34 perches, with the mill, to Isaac Frantz, August 18, 1817, for $1,200. The adjoiners then were Isaac Hughes, Young's heirs, William Col- mer and George Weaver. Frantz was assessed with the gristmill from 1815 until 1823. Adjoin- ing that was another tract for which Jacob Weaver obtained a patent, October 6, 1823, of which he conveyed 150 acres to James and William McEl- wain, January 2, 1835, for $1,000, the former of whom was assessed with that mill until 1857. Their assignees, John George and John Irwin, con- veyed 166 acres and 26 perches, not including the mill, to John Dampman, of Venango county, Sep- tember 30, 1857, for $5,750, which then adjoined lands of Robert J. Hill, William Hughes and James Patterson, and the Kittanning road. The mill has not been in operation for several years. The building, a three-story frame of considerable dimensions, is still standing, opposite which on the right bank of the creek is Harbison station on the Butler branch of the West Pennsylvania Railroad.

FIRST SCHOOLHOUSE.

The first schoolhouse within the limits of South Buffalo township was built in 1800 on this Weaver- McElwain-Dampman tract, about sixty rods west

of Big run. The first teacher was James Clark, whose only surviving pupil is John Patterson. The second teacher was Evangelus Jones, one of whose pupils studied the German and another the Latin language. His only surviving pupils are James P. Murphy, James Patterson* and his wife, and John Patterson. The third teacher was Edward Gorrellt- commonly pronounced Girl - who taught the usual English branches of that period. llis penmanship was excellent; the copies which he set looked like copperplate. The late William W. Gibson was one of his pupils. The only surviving ones are Jacob and John Iseman, Mrs. Martha Mechling, James Patterson and wife, and John Patterson.

Dr. Benjamin Franklin purchased 11 deprecia- tion lots in Elder's district No. 5 at sales of depreciation lands at the Merchants' Coffee House, Philadelphia, some of which he paid I penny and for some 2 pence an acre, for which patents were granted to him, November 1, 1787, which are noticed respectively below, 10 of which are in this township. By his will, dated July 17, 1788, he de- vised them and other property to his son-in-law, Richard Bache, who by his will, dated January 2, 1810, directed that all his property of whatever kind be divided into seven equal parts, and ap- pointed David Lenox and Louis and Richard Bache his executors. Lenox renounced, and the other two acted. Bache devised and bequeathed as fol- lows: One-seventh of all his estate respectively to his executors and their survivors in trust for the chil- dren of his son Benjamin F. Bache; to his execu- tors in trust for William Bache and Catherine, his wife, and their children; to Lonis Bache; to Rich- ard Bache; to his executors in trust for his daugh- ter Elizabeth Franklin Hamond and her children ; to his daughter Deborah Duane; and the remain- ing seventh to his daughter Sarah, wife of Thomas Sergeant. Richard Bache having authorized his executors to sell any or all of his real estate, they as testamentary trustees for the above-mentioned devisees and the other devisees, seven parties, and Randall Hutchinson, of Philadelphia, party of the eighth part, agreed upon a partition of those eleven tracts or depreciation lots. Eight of them, rec- tangular parallelograms, occupied a range extend- ing from the eastern part of Butler county along the above-mentioned Weaver-McElwain-Dampman, Kincaid, John Craig, and beyond "Sugar Bottom " and " Bellemons" tracts and lots on the south, and the other three, a range along the Allegheny river, as hereinafter specified. Those devisees and

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History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 92

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