USA > Pennsylvania > Armstrong County > History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania > Part 94
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125 | Part 126 | Part 127 | Part 128 | Part 129 | Part 130
North of "Stephen's Green," on that map, is a tract containing 361} acres, one parcel of which, adjoining the river-253 acres, 119 perches-were surveyed by Stephen Gapen to John Green Septem- ber 12, 1789, which adjoined another parcel on the south which had been previously surveyed to Green, bearing the name of William Van Dyke, and with which he was assessed, probably several years, before 1805. It was assessed to his executors as an improvement in 1806; then to Barbara Van Dyke until 1809; then to George Van Dyke until 1815, and then to the heirs of William Van Dyke until 1820, when George was assessed with 475 acres. Nicholson's run flows southeasterly through the central part of it, and crosses the line between it and "Stephen's Green," about 100 rods west from the river. The entire tract remained in the pos- session of the Van Dyke heirs for many years. From recitals in some of the conveyances of por- tions of this tract, it appears that these heirs, some time prior to 1837, it is not apparent from the ro- cords just when, conveyed 233 acres and some
442
HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.
perches of the eastern portion to William Bitts, Sr., and by agreement of the vendor and vendee the patent was issued to Archibald McCall, who con- veyed to Bitts, to whom a warrant of acceptance was issued for 158 acres and 22 perches August 29, 1837, and the patent the same day. Bitts con- veyed the last-mentioned quantity to John D. Bitts November 13, 1838, for $600, which the latter in his lifetime agreed to sell to Andrew McCaslin for $1,000. A part of the purchase money having been paid in Bitts' lifetime, and he having died without executing a deed, his administratrix, by virtue of the decree of the proper court, exe- cuted one February 26, 1853, which was delivered on payment of the unpaid balance of the purchase money. MeCaslin was first assessed with this par- cel of land in 1846, and with the gristmill, which he erected on it, in 1849, and with his sawmill in 1853. He conveyed 30 acres and one-half of the gristmill to Eliza McClelland February 15, 1856, for $1,800. In that year the assessment on the grist- mill was increased $250 for the addition of steam. The next year George McClelland was first assessed with one-half of the mills.
William Bitts conveyed 133 acres of what he had purchased from the Van Dyke heirs to George B. Sloan November 15, 1847, which the latter conveyed to John Boyd September 9, 1856, for $1,700, with reservations respecting coal and lime.
The MeVille postoffice was established here May 5, 1864, Robert McCaslin postmaster. The same year John Boyd opened his store about 35 rods northwest of the steam mill on the west side of Nicholson's run. The first and only resident clergyman at MeVille is Rev. Jacob F. Dean, Baptist, who settled here in 1868.
The heirs of Elizabeth, widow of George Van Dyke, conveyed 75 acres and 146 perches of the southern part of the original tract to Jacob Shoop, of Freeport, January 11, 1851, for $911, which Shoop conveyed to Joseph Spangler September 26, 1851, ten acres of which Spangler conveyed to George McClelland April 20, 1863, for $150.
Next above or north of that Vandyke-Bitts tract is one on that map containing 440 acres, the south- western part of which is traversed by Nicholson's run, and the northeastern part is in what is now North Buffalo township, being in shape almost a scalene, the township line and the original north- ern and northeastern boundary lines of the original tract giving that portion such a form, and which was claimed by Jacob White as early as 1794. " The heirs of Steele Semple and Samuel Massey " are inscribed on it. It is not apparent how Semple
acquired any title to it. Robert Fleming gained an interest in it by early settlement-before 1805- which was sold by John Orr, sheriff, and conveyed by him to Samuel Massey, June 20, 1808, under a judgment in favor of Mark Kelly against Samuel Dickenson, as Fleming's administrator. Massey conveyed it to Samuel S. Harrison, June 1, 1815, who conveyed it to Philip McCue, as per agree- ment with Charles McCue, August 23, 1818, for $200. It was conveyed as the property of McCue and as containing 400 acres more or less by Robert Robinson, sheriff, on a judgment in favor of Will- iam Coulter to Alexander Colwell, September 18, 1823, for $84, who conveyed it to Francis Duff, February 5, 1824, for $270. A comparatively small portion of it is now owned by Duff's heirs. Among other owners of other portions in this township are Philip Mechling, Wm. Hartman and A. Decker. As far back as 1836-7 Duff and White had occa- sional disputes about their respective lines. Duff conveyed a parcel of it to James Hartman, March 4, 1840; Hartman to James, and he to James Long; James Long to Charles Long, 3 acres and 20 perches, August 20, 1842, for $200, who reconveyed it to James Long, November 14, 1850, for $- and he to H. N. Lee, November 14, 1850, for $-, and Lee to Robert S. Connor, the present owner, January 2, 1860, for $1,000.
Glancing at a map of the connected surveys made by Deputy Surveyor Stephen Gapen in 1793-4, the territory on this side of the Allegheny river and below the line between the donation and depreciation lands in this county and a part of the adjoining territory in Butler county, being then in his, that is, the eighth surveyor district, con- tiguous to " White's Claim," i. e., the above-men- tioned Fleming-Massey-Harrison tract, on the west is seen the Richard McCall tract, 402 acres and 112 perches, the eastern part traversed by Nichol -. son's run and the central by a western tributary to that run. Adjoining it on the south is the Jasper McCall tract, 408 acres and 50 perches. On the south of the greater it is the John Bell, Jr., tract, 292 acres and 139 perches, through the central part of which flows a run southeasterly, and south of which is a portion of "Stephen's Green." Im- mediately west of these several last-mentioned tracts are seen two others, the southern one David Todd, 412 acres, and 117 acres; the northern one John Rambo, containing the same quantity as the Todd one, both traversed by what is now called Knapp's run. Adjoining these last-mentioned two tracts on the west are those of John Jackson, Jr., James Mehaffy, William Todd and John Scott, tracts whose boundaries and quantities are not
443
SOUTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP.
given. West of the last-named is Samuel Paul tract. North of it is the Peter McCall tract, 406 acres and 100 perches, very near the center of which is the sharp southeastern bend in Pine run, with Peter Pieper a short distance above its northern line. West of it and the Samuel Paul is another David Todd tract, 411 acres and 90 perches, trav- ersed by Buffalo creek and adjoined on the west by depreciation lots No. 148, also traversed by Buffalo creek, and No. 149. A considerable portion of territory north and northeast of this Todd tract appears to be vacant, though not so men- tioned. The inchoate titles to those tracts acquired by Gapen's surveys do not appear to have been consummated. So passing from the Gapen surveys to the other mentioned map of surveys or original tracts, which are the surveys made by Joshna Elder in the fifth surveyor district, in place of the Richard McCall, is seen the Patrick McCue tract, 437 acres and 33 perches, called "Wood Lawn," the patent for which was granted to Archibald McCall and McCue, July 30, 1806. The latter settled on and improved it prior to 1805. It is probable, though the records do not show it, that he and McCall made partition of the tract and released to each other. McCall's heirs conveyed 240 acres of it to William MeIntire, October 4, 1845, for $565. The latter conveyed 70 acres of his parcel to James McIntire, February 14, 1848, for $700, and 170 acres, except the ground which he had reserved for a public schoolhouse, to John Step, September 4, 1850, for $2,000. McCue was assessed with 250 acres of it as held by patent until 1812, but what disposition he made of his interest therein is not apparent from the records. He was assessed with another parcel of 368 acres as held by "improvement" in and after 1810. Somewhat east of the center of that McCall-McCue tract is the junction of a small western tributary with Nicholson's run.
Next south of "Wood Lawn" is seen on the later map the McCall-Stoup tract, called "Con- cordance," in place of the Jasper McCall one on the Gapen map. It was settled by Vensel or Wen- del Stoup before 1805, and the patent for 403 acres and 107 perches was granted to him and Archibald McCall, February 3, 1809. Stoup conveyed 15 acres of his part to Sebastian Spangler, May 2, 1828, for $37.50. McCall's portion was included in his transfer to Du Pont, who released 200 acres to Samuel Ferguson, June 20, 1831, for $1.
Next south of "Concordance," on the later of the two last-mentioned maps, is seen the Frederick Razer and A. MeCall tract, 313 acres and 104 perches, called "Mount Hope," the greater part of
which was included in Gapen's survey to John Bell, Jr. Razer's improvement began in August, 1793, and the patent for which was granted to Razer and MeCall, February 6, 1809, who made partition of it between themselves, and McCall conveyed 165 acres of it to Razer, May 23, 1813, and Razer conveyed the remaining 148 acres to McCall, June 21. Razer conveyed 165 acres and 104 perches to John Reamer, June 21, 1813, for $828.123, which Robert Robinson, sheriff, sold to Samuel S. Harrison on pluries ven. ex., No. 55, March term, 1823, in the common pleas of this county, for $280, which the latter conveyed to Hugh and James Forrester, April 2, 1833, for $500, of which about 50 acres were then cleared, " with a cabin house and cabin barn." Hugh Forrester con- veyed all his interest in these 165 acres to Stephen Forrester, Jannary 8, 1859, for $1,100, and on the same day the widow, administrator and adminis- tratrix of James Forrester released to Stephen all their interest therein, to whom it still belongs.
On the west of " Mount Hope " lay the McCall and James Clark tract, 412 acres and 87 perches, called " Temperance," included in Gapen's survey to David Todd, the patent for which was granted to McCall and Clark May 16, 1807. Clark's settle- ment and improvement began several years before, by virtue of which the tract was surveyed to him and McCall May 7, 1805. "Temperance " was included in the transfer from MeCall to Du Pont, and in the re-transfer from Du Pont to McCall, the latter conveyed 100 acres to William Vandike, June 20, 1836, for $-, which, with two other par- cels, one which he had purchased from Sype, a part of " Temperance," and the other, which was a part of "Mount Pleasant," aggregating 138 acres and 125 perches, which by his will, registered May 12, 1847, he devised to his children, by whom the same was conveyed to Hiram Vandike, March 21, 1868, for $4,000. McCall conveyed 97 acres and 47 perches of "Temperance " to William Sipe, June 25, 1837, for $59.75, and he conveyed 12 acres and 122 perches to William Vandike for $62. Clark's interest in 120 acres of "Temperance " was conveyed by Samuel Hutchison, sheriff, on a judg- ment in favor of Nathaniel Torbett's administra- tor to James Clark, Jr., September 20, 1836, for $200, 68 acres and 96 perches of which he conveyed to William Vickers, June 10, 1841, for $300, and which the latter conveyed to George Hill, July 15, 1847, for $550. James Clark, the younger, conveyed 80 acres and 152 perches to Jacob Best, February 1, 1825, for $320, which had been devised to him, a part of which he had sold to John Clark, which the lat- ter had agreed, March 2, 1824, to sell to Best.
4
444
HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.
Adjoining "Temperance " on the north was the McCall and Enos McBride tract, 410 acres and 14 perches, called " Mount Pleasant," included in (apen's survey to John Rambo. The warrant for it was granted September 7, 1808, and the patent to McCall and McBride, February 6, 1809. Mc- Bride's improvement and settlement began in April, 1796, and it was surveyed to him by George Ross, September 13, 1801. McCall and McBride having made partition of "Mount Pleasant " be- tween themselves, the former conveyed to the latter 205 acres of it, September 2, 1809, and the latter to the former the remaining portion at or about the same time. McBride and Isaac Frantz traded lands on or before October 15, 1823. Mc- Bride conveyed his 205 acres of "Mount Pleas- ant to Frantz for the latter's 118 acres, on which he then resided, and a carding-machine. Frantz conveyed the 205 acres to which he had thus ac- quired title to Jacob Frantz, December 23, 1823, for $1,862.76, about two-thirds of which consisted of a certain writing obligatory which Jacob held against Isaac.
McCall conveyed 50 acres of " Mount Pleasant " to John Graham, October 22, 1841, for $450. McCall's heirs conveyed 168 acres and 140 perches to William B. Clymer and Amos N. Mybert, Au- gust 7, 1858, and Mybert conveyed his moiety to Clymer, October 7, who conveyed the entire parcel to William McCain in March, 1859, for $411.40, 60 acres of which the latter conveyed to Joshua Nickle, June 1, 1859, for $600.
Adjoining "Temperance" on the west was a tract, 438 acres and 40 perches, for which a patent was granted to John Sloan, of Derry township, for- merly sheriff of Westmoreland county, March 31, 1813, which appears to have included portions of the earlier surveys by Gapen to John Scott and William Todd, to a part of which James Sloan had acquired a right by settlement. William Sloan was assessed with the entire tract as early at least as 1805. On August 21, 1818, John Sloan conveyed 40 acres to Charles Sipe, for £50 ; 32 acres and 48 perches to Abraham Lowman, for $226; and 284 acres, exclusive of James Sloan's part, then adjoining Conrad Colmer, William Sloan, James Steel and others, to Mrs. Lavinia Culbertson, Mrs. Martha Orr and Mrs. Aun Rals- ton, for $1,704. On June 17, 1829, the three last- named vendees with their husbands, Alexander Culbertson, Samuel C. Orr and William Ralston, conveyed 77 acres and 6 perches adjoining the lands of Monteith's heirs and William Sloan, Sr., to George Best for $308.17; 94 acres and 19 perches to Henry and Jacob Keever for $376; and
117 acres and 84 perches to George Isaman for $468.21.
The St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran church was organized by Rev. David Earhart, in 1846. It was incorporated by the proper court, June 22, 1848. The trustees named in the charter, to serve until the third Saturday in March, 1849, were Rev. David Earhart, John Myers, George Grinder, George Baker and Jacob Somers. The church edifice, about 25×38 feet, frame with clay filling between studs, and hence called " the mud church," was erected during Rev. Earhart's pastorate on 80 square perches, "part of a tract patented to John Sloan, March 31, 1813," which George Isaman con- veyed to the church, December 18, 1848, for $10 .* The number of members in 1876 is forty-eight. The ground of the graveyard was cleared by Charles Sipe, Sr., in 1796, and put in corn. It is recited in the deed from William Sloan to Samuel Sloan, September 8, 1845, for 3 acres and 48 perches, for $13.80 "and natural affection," that Mrs. Culbert- son and others had conveyed the parcel purchased by them from John Sloan to William Sloan, and which is reiterated in the latter's will, dated Jan- ary 15, 1847, and registered April 21, 1849. As their deed to him is not on record, and as they conveyed nearly the same quantity, which they had purchased from John Sloan, to their other vendees, there is an ambiguity in that recital which the records do not explain. A small parcel, 10 acres, of the John Sloan tract, which William Sloan devised to his son Samuel, has been several times transferred since that devise, with consider- able variations in price. Samuel Sloan conveyed it to Isaac Aker, March 30, 1859; Aker to Stephen Stokes, March 31, 1863, for $600; Stokes to Maria Daniels, in 1864; Daniels to James C. Edwards, October 2, 1866, for $1,200; and the latter to Will- iam Sloan, March 1, 1873, for $1,700, on which is " Ginger Hill," so called from a ginger-cake shop that was kept here on the public road many years ago, about 75 rods northeasterly from which, or where there was a blacksmith shop in and after 1860, is the public schoolhouse No. 5, called the Sloan schoolhouse,t where the elections in this township are held.
Immediately west of that John Sloan tract lay another one in his name on the Lawson and Orr map of surveys, 282} acres, and adjoining it on the north and west-seeming to be carved out of its original area-is another 155 acres and 120 perches, in the name of James Sloan, included
* That edifice has, since 1876, been removed, and a new one erected at McVille.
+ A new schoolhouse has since been erceted about 60 rods west of this one.
11
445
SOUTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP.
apparently in Gapen's surveys to Samuel Paul, John Scott and William Todd.
Contiguous to those last-mentioned Sloan tracts on the west were the two Colmer, or Coleman, tracts, including most of the Gapen survey, to Paul, and about half of his survey to Peter McCall. The southern one, 383 acres and 3 perches, adjoined " Bolton," "Wigan " and " Poulton " on the south, on which Abraham Colmer made an improvement in August, 1793, an actual settlement in October, 1795, which was surveyed to him by George Ross, deputy surveyor, May 8, 1801, to whom the war- rant was granted, January 15, 1802, which he con- veyed to John Craig, November 3, to whom the patent was granted June 30, 1804, 81 acres and 843 perches of which Craig conveyed to Nicholas Isa- man, May 10, 1806, for $271, and another portion of it to Conrad Colmer, May 16, 1806, who devised it to his son, George Colmer, he to John Sheaffer, May 17, 1817, he to Philip Heckman, January 22, 1822. There was a conveyance from Heckman to Michael Fry, whose administrator, Peter Phil- lipi, conveyed it to Robert Morrison, September 19, 1836, he to William Carson, March 16, 1846, whose agent, John Carson, conveyed 119 acres and 148 perches to Stephen Stokes, April 3, 1849, for $2,200.
The Conrad Colmer or Coleman tract, 385 acres and 115 perches, called "Cole Mount," was probably settled and improved by him in or about 1795. The patent for it was granted to him and McCall, May 11, 1807. They having made partition between themselves, Colmer by his will, dated November 8, 1809, and registered June 14, 1813, devised the 100 acres on which his second son, Abraham, then resided, to him, who conveyed the same, as containing 99 acres, to John Craig, July II, 1814, for $400. Conrad Colmer also devised to his third son, Daniel, that portion of his pur- part then, i. e. at the date of his will, occupied by the latter, to whom Du Pont, by his attorney J. C. McCall, released his and the McCall interest therein, September 5, 1820, and on October 31 Daniel conveyed 120 acres to Catherine Colmer and George Holebach, for $600, which Holebach conveyed to James Tracy, of Ohio, November 19, 1827, for $650.
One hundred and seventy-one acres and 36 perches of "Cole Monnt" were included in the purchase from McCall's heirs by William F. John- ston for himself and for Brown & Gilpin.
Adjoining "Cole Mount " and the Abraham Col- mer tracts on the west was the McCall and Nicho- las Myers tract, 442 acres and 36 perches, called " Mount Charles ;" 442 acres and 36 perches were
surveyed them, May 9, 1805, by virtue of actual settlement and improvement. The patent to Mc- Call and Myers is dated July 30 in that last-men- tioned year. They having made partition between themselves, McCall by his attorney, Thomas Col- lins, conveyed 125 acres to Myers, April 6, 1808. Eli Myers was assessed with a gristmill in 1811 and 1812, which was, perhaps, on this parcel of " Mount Charles." McCall's heirs conveyed 298 acres and 115 perches to William F. Johnston for himself, Brown and Gilpin, which then (1846) ad- joined lands of John Beatty and George Todd.
William F. Johnston conveyed 100 acres and 8 perches of the McCall purpart of "Mount Charles" to William Bickett, November 16, 1853, for $700.35, which the latter conveyed to Charles McCafferty, October 5, 1855, for $1,800. Martin Wackerlie purchased a portion of "Mount Charles " some twenty or more years later, and John W. Johnston, attorney-in-fact, and John Gilpin conveyed 22 acres and 3 perches to George Otterman, January 1, 1875, for $264. Wackerlie conveyed 105 acres to Barnet Step, February 26, 1875, for $1,867.67.
On the west of the southern part of "Mount Charles " lay a tract, the warrant for which was granted to Aaron Wor, and which contained 214 acres and 105 perches, 209 acres and 145 perches of which were surveyed to Nicholas Myers, May 9, 1805, by virtue of improvement and settlement, the patent for which was granted to him February 7, 1815, who conveyed it to his son, John Myers, February 5, 1835, for $1,000, who still occupies it.
North of the Wor tract and west of the north- ern part of " Mount Charles," lay the depreciation lot No. 149, 234 acres and 8 perches, the patent for which was granted to Joshua Elder, May 9, 1791, which, at least a part of it, having become vested in George A. McCall, he conveyed 125 acres and 80 perches to George Todd, May 1, 1838, for $1,004, with which he was first assessed in that year.
Next north of No. 149, lay depreciation lot No. 150, 235 acres and 8 perches.
Immediately north of the last-mentioned tract lay the depreciation lot No. 152, 23576 acres, called "Le Cher Maurin," partly in Butler county, was included in the patents to Peter B. Andibert, and in his sales to Lewis A. Dupuy, and of him to Maguire and Donath, of which John Gilmore, at- torney-in-fact for Donath, and the executrix and executor of Maguire, conveyed 20 acres to David Bricker, April 1, 1836, for $120.
Immediately east of No. 150 lay depreciation lot No. 145, 314 acres and 8 perches, divided by Buffalo creek, there being about an equal portion of the tract on each side of the deep northwestern
28
446
HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.
bend. A portion of it and portions of its southern adjoiners, " Mount Charles " and " Cole Mount," ap- pear to have been included in Gapen's survey to David Todd. It is not manifest from the records that any portion of it was occupied by any settler so early as its adjoiners. Abraham Leasure ap- pears to have been first assessed with 100 acres of the southwestern part of it in 1809, and afterward with 125 acres, which he conveyed to John Empey, January 3, 1820, for $288.76, which the grantor described as the parcel on which he then lived, on Buffalo creek, adjoining Robert Galbraith on the north, Samuel Dickason on the east, Nicholas Myers on the south and David Moorehead on the west, some of whom may have then occupied other portions of it. George Ross surveyed 442 acres and 36 perches " on Buffalo creek south by Con- rad Colmer and A. McCall," to Dickason, May 25, 1808. In the southeastern part of this tract, near its southern line, at a rather sharp eastern bend of the Buffalo, is the junction of Pine run with that creek. There is a considerable cleft in the rocks at the mouth of this run, in which the early white settlers were accustomed to watch the Indians. This was one of the Audibert tracts called "Lami Rous." The patent to Peter Benignus Audibert is dated February 9, 1787. His administrator, James J. Mazerie, conveyed it to Lewis Alexander Dul- puy, November 2, 1785, for $-, who conveyed it to Joseph Donath and Mazerie. The latter by his last will authorized his wife as his executrix, and John H. Roberjot, his executor, to sell it. Mrs. Mazerie, Donath and Roberjot conveyed it to John Beatty, November 4, 1831, for $625. It having become vested in John G. Beatty, he conveyed 200 acres of it to William Ewing, April 1, 1864, for $5,600, a portion of which Ewing subsequently conveyed to Martin Wackerlie, on which he built his sawmill about 1870.
Adjoining No. 145 on the north and No. 152 on the east was depreciation lot No. 151, " La Janton Ray," traversed in its eastern portion by the Buffalo in a nearly southerly course, and its cen- tral part by Cornplanter's run in a nearly south- eastern course, the two streams forming a junction in the southeastern part of the tract.
It may in this connection be stated that this run is so called after the distinguished Indian chief, Cornplanter, who was born at Conewagus, on the Genesee river, his father, a white man, said to be a resident of Albany, New York. After the war of the revolution he was an unswerving friend of the whites, and performed some valuable services for them, for which he received grants of land in vari- ous localities. The fact that he and some of his
people once resided at and near the mouth of Corn- planter's run, where they raised corn, has come down from early explorers of and settlers in this region to James P. Murphy and others. It was related by Charles Sipe, Sr., who fished and hunted along these streams in and after 1796, that he, and his sons could see the rows of cornhills on a parcel of about three acres opposite the mouth of Corn- planter's run and on another parcel on the west side of the creek about half a mile up. A hatchet was plowed up, many years since, about three-quar- ters of a mile above the mouth of the run. Jacob Bricker, Charles Sipe and others, in opening a road, found another hatchet about 150 rods above the mouth of the run, opposite what is now known as Bricker's milldam. . About four rods below was a stone-pile, on removing which they found a full set of very large human bones, the skull-bone being three-fourths of an inch thick. In 1830-1 James Law plowed up a set of puzzling-irons in the same vicinity. It does not seem improbable that John O'Bail, as Cornplanter was also called, derived his Indian name, Ki-en-twa-ka, from those cornfields. The Cornplanter had two sons, Charles and Henry, who survived him. He and one or the other of them and others of his people occasionally passed down and up the Allegheny, stopping some times at Kittanning, whom Philip Mechling and some otbers of the oldest citizens remember hav- ing seen. He died at his home on his long-loved Allegheny, in Warren county, March 7, 1836, in or about the one hundred and fifth year of his age.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.