History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Part 95

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


USA > Pennsylvania > Armstrong County > History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania > Part 95


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).


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The depreciation lot No. 151, 300 acres, called " La Janton Ray," is the one traversed as above mentioned by Cornplanter's run. The patent for it was granted, February 9, 1787, to Peter Benignus Audibert, a French merchant of Philadelphia, who took the oath of allegiance September 20, having then resided there two years. Under an order of the proper court, James Mazurie, Audibert's admin- istrator, conveyed this tract to Lewis Alexander Du Puy, November 2, 1795, who conveyed it the next day to Mazurie and Joseph Donath. They conveyed it to James McCormick, April 26, 1817, for $1,101.80, who conveyed 138 acres and 13 perches of it to John McCormick, June 29, 1826, for $500. The latter conveyed 117 acres to Will- iam Kiskadden, April 27, 1829, for $550, and 203 acres to Joseph Ralston, July 3, 1826, for $100. James McCormick conveyed 623 acres of " Le Jan- ton Bay " to John Bricker, June 29, 1826, for $200, and 7 acres and 38 perches, the same day, to Nich- olas Bricker for $78, ou which latter parcel Nicholas Bricker built his sawmill, with which he was first assessed in 1830, and his gristmill, with which he


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SOUTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP.


was first assessed in 1831, and with both of which John Bricker was assessed from 1844 to 1855, and thereafter to David and Harvey Bricker, and to Harvey and Hiram A. Bricker after October 20, 1865, when John Bricker agreed to sell the same to them. They conveyed 140 acres, with the grist- mill and machinery, to Peter Clark, January 8, 1872, for $6,000, and he to Samuel A. Barnes and George B. Sloan, December 31, 1874, for $4,000. The mill and the land were assessed to Alexander Storey in 1876 .*


Twelve of Peter B. Audibert's tracts in this and other townships in this county were sold by Joseph Brown, sheriff, and purchased by Audibert. The sheriff's deeds to him are dated March 21 and 22, 1815. In 1817 he gave Gabriel Philibert Lobeau a power of attorney to sell these lands, both being then naturalized citizens of the United States. Lobean as attorney-in-fact conveyed depreciation lot No. 153, 2982 acres, called "La Bonne Gene- vieve," to Nicholas Bricker, September 28, 1817, for $450, and depreciation lot No. 156, 235 acres, called "Louis Thomas," partly in Butler county, to Bricker, January 4, 1818, for $20, the amount bid by Joseph Audibert at the sheriff's sale. Those two tracts adjoin Nos. 151 and 152 on the south. Adjoining "Louis Thomas " on the north was No. 155, 23815 acres, called "La Marie Possessante," partly in Butler county, and the northern part of it traversed by the southern boundary line of North Buffalo township, and which Joseph Audi- bert by his attorney conveyed to Arthur Hill, of Vesailles township, Allegheny county, January 29, 1818, for $200.


Adjoining " La Marie Possessante " on the east was depreciation lot No. 154, 59876 acres called " La Maria Rosallie," traversed in a southeasterly course by the Buffalo, and was included in Joseph Audibert's purchase at sheriff's sale, and was con- veyed by his attorney-in-fact G. P. Lobeau, to John Ralston January 24, 1818, for $400, on which he appears to have settled in 1814, when he was first assessed with one horse and one cow, and the next year with 74 acres of the land. The first Masonic. lodge constituted in this county held its meetings in an upper room of his log house for several years after its erection, as the writer has been informed by one of his grandsons. He conveyed a portion of this tract to James Rea July 21, 1837, who con- veyed to George Rea February 8, 1857, and he conveyed 51 acres and 15 perches to Isaac Acker, the present occupant, April 2, 1864, for $1,200. Another portion is in possession of W. L. Ralston.


Adjoining " La Bonne Genevieve " and a small portion of "La Maria Rosallie" on the east was a tract, 133 acres and 153 perches, surveyed by George Ross to Nicholas Bricker, by virtue of his improve- ment settlement thereon in October, 1797, where he followed his occupation of tailor, with which he was assessed before and after 1806. This tract may have been included in the 230 acres which he transferred to John Bricker December 15, 1852, for 25 cents.


Adjoining that last-mentioned Bricker tract on the east was one surveyed by George Ross May 26, 1802, to Jacob Everhart, by virtue of an improve- ment made in February, 1793, and actual settle- ment March 5, 1796, who afterward removed to Trumbull county, Ohio, and conveyed 145 acres, more or less, called " William farm," to William Morrison, of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, November 24, 1807, for $500. In the first decade of this century, perhaps in 1804-5, a log church edi- fice was erected on this tract by the German Re- formed and Lutheran congregations, or it may have been by one of them, and the other united after- ward. The earliest record evidence of the time of the erection of that edifice, accessible to the writer, is in Road Book A, page 18, which shows. that on the 18th of March, 1807, upon the presenta- tion of the petition of sundry inhabitants of Buffalo township, the court of quarter sessions of this county appointed David Hall, James Hill, James Matthews, Jr., James McCullough, John McKean and John Painter, viewers, to lay out a private road " from the Dutch meeting-house, on the Pittsburgh road, to intersect with the Bear creek road at the house of James Rebarn " (Ray- burn, meaning), to be opened, bridged and kept up at the expense of the petitioners, which the court, September 18, allowed to be opened as a private road fifteen feet wide. Morrison conveyed 676 acres of his tract to "the trustees of the Blue Slate congregation " May 16, 1825, for $1.50. The cemetery is about 25. rods northwesterly from the meeting-house, north of a small run. The writer regrets his meager information respecting those two churches. The members of this church ceased to worship in this locality soon after the organiza- tion of St. Matthew's church. The preaching and other exercises in that "Blue Slate " church were mostly, if not altogether, in German, which was very acceptable to the older members, but not so to the younger. It was by the aid of the latter, chiefly, that Rev. David Earhart succeeded in or- ganizing St. Matthew's. Some of the oldest mem- bers, who were attached to German language, as well as to the locality of the " Blue Slate " edifice,


* $1,400 taken off the valuation in 1878, in consequence of the mill being burnt.


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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.


were not pleased with the change, and some of them said they were just trampled on, deprived of their choice, by the younger members.


Northwest of the last-mentioned tract lay two parcels, Robert McCreary's and John Crookshanks', which were, perhaps, included in the survey to Jacob Everhart, 2393 acres, called "Rathfuland," for which a patent was granted to McCreary for himself and in trust for Crookshanks. The south- western one of these two parcels was settled by McCreary in 1806, and in the assessment list of that year, opposite his name is this notation, " bought a part of Jacob Everhart's place," and the above- mentioned patent is dated July 5, 1810. This par- cel was inherited by his son, William McCreary, who conveyed 1 acre and 20 perches of it to John Keener, April 12, 1829, for $7, and 130 acres to John Monroe, April 13, 1832, for $950, who con- veyed 127 acres and 31 perches to John Monroe, Jr., December 2, 1847, for $750, and he to Isaac Monroe, April 1, 1854, for $1,100. Crookshanks' parcel having become subject to liens of certain judgments under the control of Thomas Blair, attorney, Kittanning, he and Crookshanks agreed, April 28, 1824, to sell it to John Keener. Thomas McConnell, sheriff, by virtue of a sale for taxes, conveyed it to Blair June 25, 1824, for $300.01}, and he to Keener, February 4, 1828, for $400, and William McCreary released to Keener whatever title he had inherited from his father, April 10, 1829.


Adjoining the four last-mentioned tracts or par- cels on the north, was the tract, 417 acres and 130 perches, for which a patent was granted to John Sipe, Jannary 10, 1809. About half its territory is now in North Buffalo township. Sipe's run flows through the northwestern part of it into the Buffalo. Sipe conveyed 209 acres of the eastern part of it to Thomas Kiskadden, January 8, 1810, for $185.


East of the southeastern part of the Sipe tract, and north and east of the Crookshanks parcel of the Everhart survey, lay that part of the James Ray- burn tract in this township, on which, near the township line, are the sites of the United Presby- terian church edifice, parsonage and cemetery. This church, as the Buffalo Associate, was organ- ized in or about 1811 or 1812. The first edifice was a log structure. The present frame one, about 35×45 feet, was erected in 1844. This church was incorporated by the proper court, December 1, 1862, The trustees named in the charter were Robert Galbraith, Robert Huston, David McCune, Robert Ralston and James Rayburn, who were to act until their successors should be appointed, accord-


ing to the form of discipline of the United Pres- byterian church of the United States .* Its mem- bership is 80; Sabbath-school scholars, 70.


James Rayburn conveyed 211 acres of the west- ern part of his tract to James Ralston, December 15, 1832, for $1, of which the latter conveyed 168 acres to George F. Keener, February 15, 1839, for $3,000, on which the latter erected a large two- story frame mansion house, and made other im- provements, for the sale and purchase of which, for $6,300, he and David C. Boggs entered into an agreement, February 19, 1866, which and another parcel, a part of Matthew Rayburn's farm, are in South Buffalo township.


East of the before-noticed depreciation lots Nos. 145 and 151 and south of the William Morrison and Nicholas Bricker tracts, was the tract on which Nicholas Best made an improvement and settle- ment in March, 1796, and which was surveyed to him by George Ross as containing 439 acres and 52 perches, May 25, 1802, by virtue of a settlement and improvement made in March, 1796. The war- rant was granted December 7, 1802, and the patent March 26, 1806. Best conveyed 231 acres and 26 perches, then adjoining John Painter and Jacob Everhart, to Abraham Gardner, January 2, 1808, for $800, on which Gardner had settled before 1805. He conveyed the last-mentioned quantity to William Todd, of Kiskiminetas township, March 24, 1828, for $900, 10 acres of which Todd con- veyed to William Morrison, October 9, 1858, for $190. Todd's executors, John Graham and George Todd, conveyed to Isaac Pearce, July 14, 1855 ; Pearce to John McMurry, December 1, 1859, in- cluding the 10 acres conveyed by Todd to Morri- son; McMurray to Jacob Frantz, October 3, 1865, for $6,500; and Frantz to Andrew Ivory, June 15, 1870, for $44. Best died about the 12th of Janu- ary, 1845, and not having devised his real estate to any person by name, his executors, George Best and John Keener, obtained an order from the proper court to sell. They conveyed 218 acres and 26 perches of the eastern portion of the original tract to John A. Patterson, October 30, 1847, for $1,898.01, who built the sawmill on Pine run in 1850.


There must have been a surplus in this parcel, for Patterson conveyed it as containing 253 acres and 96 perches to Harvey Gibson, the present owner, June 18, 1875, for $10,000, which, with 2 acres, was reserved in the conveyances to Patter- son. Nicholas Best, Jr., manufactured pottery- ware in " the pottershop " from 1843 until 1845.


$ The charter was amended July 5, 1879, changing the name of trustees to that of deacons.


1


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SOUTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP.


Adjoining about 150 rods of the southern part of the Best tract and about 25 rods of the northern part of " Cole Mount" was a tract of 219 acres and 36 perches, adjoining which on the east was a tract of 208 acres, which appears to have been cov- ered at one time by a warrant to Aaron Wor for 208 acres, January 10, 1796, who conveyed his in- terest in it to John Craig, January 5, 1801, for $40, and Craig probably conveyed it to Matthews soon after, for George Ross surveyed 427 acres and 36 perches, the aggregate quantity of those two con- tiguons tracts, to Matthews, September 18, 1801. He conveyed 149 acres of the eastern part of the Wor tract to George Mckean, June 7, 1811, for $409.25 ; 4 acres to Enos McBride, October 10, for $14; 56 acres and 105 perches to Charles Sipe, the same day, for $198.18 ; and his executrix and executor 100 acres of the other or western tract to George Keener, Jr., April 1, 1837, for $700, of which George, Henry, Jacob and John H. Keener conveyed a fourth of an acre to Abraham Frantz, John H. Keener and Henry Shoup, trustees of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, August 21, 1843, for $1. McKean conveyed 25 acres of his parcel to Samuel Ferguson, January 8, 1823, for $100. Keener was choked by eating cherries, made a nuncupative will and died July 4, 1846, which hav- ing been duly certified by George Best and Ellis Limpkings, was registered on the 14th, by which he devised that parcel of land to his son William, and appointed his brothers, Jacob and John H. Keener, to settle up his business.


A small parcel, 20} acres, in the northwestern corner of the Wor tract, appear on the map to have been surveyed to John McKean.


North of the last-mentioned two tracts lay a body of land, 422 acres and 100 perches, on which John Painter made an improvement in October, and a settlement in November, 1795, and which was surveyed to him as 416 acres and 2 perches May 20, 1802, but for which George Ross obtained a patent for himself, and in trust for James Fore- man and Colen McGinley, to whom he released their respective shares June 9, 1816. Their parcels each contained 100 acres. McGinley conveyed his to Thomas Jones, October 13, 1810, for $400, which the latter reconveyed to him, April 3, 1811, for the same consideration. It has of late years been occupied by Simon Hauk and William Jewell. James Foreman devised nearly all his parcel to his son David. North and east of the McGinley and south of the Foreman parcel was the residne of the quantity, 222 acres and 100 perches, included in the patent to Ross, which the latter conveyed to James McCormick, May 1, 1816, and which McCormick


the next day conveyed, with the 20 acres and 48 perches which he then purchased from George McKean, to George Keener for $1,600. The latter was first assessed in that year with these two parcels as 240 acres, 1 horse and 3 cattle, at $398. Ilis name was on the assessment list for the last time in 1842, when that land was valued at $1,944. It was thereafter assessed jointly to Jacob and John H. Keener until 1853, when it was “ surveyed and divided." It was found by that survey to contain a surplus of several acres. For the next year Jacob was assessed with 125 and John H. with 124 acres.


With the exception of minor portions of two other tracts, which will be elsewhere noticed, the only remaining original tract whose territory was within what is now South Buffalo township was one of 435 acres and 53 perches bearing on its face on the map of original tracts the name of " Kers- caddon," which appears from the ancient list of warrantees or owners to have once belonged to Ar- thur Kiskadden, whose inchoate title to it does not seem to have been perfected. Perhaps he sold, though it does not thus appear from the records, his interest to the hereinafter - mentioned pat- entees. Its adjoiners on that map are James Ray- burn on the north, " Kerskaddon," probably James Kiskadden, and Enos McBride on the east, Aaron Wor on the south, James McCormick, James Fore- man and John Crookshanks on the west, or rather on the south of west. Jacob made an improve- ment on it in February, 1793, and a settlement in March, 1796, by virtue of which George Ross sur- veyed it to him May 20, 1802.


Adam Ewing acquired at an early day an interest in the southern portion of it, for he conveyed 151 acres and 131 perches to Joseph Graham and John Ralston, January 18, 1809. A patent was granted to them, February 4, 1833. Graham conveyed 75 acres to John Graham, June 9, 1836, for $5,000 ; and Ralston 80 acres to George F. Keener, June 13, 1837, for $1,000, on which the latter soon after opened a tavern, and was first assessed here as a merchant in 1846. He and Christian Shunk agreed, May 9, 1853, to sell and purchase this parcel of land, including the tavern stand and the mer- chandise in the store, for $7,100, to be paid thus : $5,000 on completing inventory of the goods in the store, and $900 annually with interest at 3 per cent, to begin May 20, 1854. Shunk having refused to pay those last-mentioned installments as they be- came due, Keener brought his action of ejectment to No. 52 September term, 1855, in common pleas of this county. The case was arbitrated, tried in court, the defense being divers liens on and a de- ficiency of the land included in that contract or


450


HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY.


agreement. A verdict was rendered in favor of the plaintiff for somewhat over $1,900, on which judgment was rendered, which, being taken to the supreme court, was affirmed, and the plaintiff be- came repossessed of the land by a writ of habere fucias.


Another patent for 125 acres of that tract was granted to John Beatty, March 24, 1824, who con- veyed 11 acres and 7 perches thereof to James Foreman, May 4, 1826, for $80, and 113 acres to John Rea, November 15, 1328, for $550, and he, the same, to George F. Keener, June 1, 1839, for $3,000, and he to James Brown, 109 acres, April 9, 1852, for $2,600, said in the deed to be the entire quan- tity which Keener had purchased from Rea.


Robert M. and William Kiskadden obtained a patent for about 160 acres of the northern and northeastern part of that tract, January 9, 1839, of which 5 acres and 16 perches were conveyed to David Robinson, April 4, 1853, for $250. By order of the proper court, Joseph B. Smith, surviving ex- ecutor of the last will and testament of Robert M. Kiskadden, deceased, conveyed 108 acres and 73 perches to Andrew L. Eakman, of Allegheny town- ship, March 3, 1873, for $7,204.99, and he to James F. Adams, the present owner, April 10, 1874, for $7,703.66.


Slate Lick, so called from a deer-lick, on that part of the last-mentioned tract which was in the early times Arthur Kiskadden's farm, has been a promi- nent point since the first settlement of this region. Its territory consists of parts of the lands included in the patents to James Rayburn, John Beatty, Joseph Graham and John Ralston, Robert M. and William Kiskadden, and the Crookshanks parcel of the McCreary patent, and the Foreman and McCor- mick parcels of the patent to Judge Ross, on the last-mentioned of which is the public schoolhouse No. 6.


As early as, perhaps earlier than, 1802, initia- tory steps were taken by the few and widely separated settlers of this region to organize a religious society. Slate Lick became the central point of their operations, from which resulted the "Slate Lick Congregation," and from which origi- nated the first Presbyterian church in this county, the exact date of whose organization cannot now be ascertained. At the first meeting of the pres- bytery of Erie, held at Mount Pleasant, Beaver county, April 13, 1802, calls from the churches of Slate Lick and Union were intrusted to John Boyd, who had been licensed by the presbytery of Red- stone, April 23, 1801, who, at the next meeting of the presbytery, at Union, or what is now Middle- sex, in this county, June 16, 1802, was ordained and


installed pastor of these two churches. The first subscription paper at this point reads thus : " We, the undersigned, subscribers of Slate Lick congre- gation, do promise to pay the several sums annexed to our names, and that in regular half-yearly pay- ments from the commencement of the year, which begins the Ist of January, merchantable wheat, at five shillings per bushel, rye and corn, at three shillings per bushel, and the other half of the sums in cash, and this for the stated one-half of the labors of the Reverend John Boyd in the Gospel as long as he shall be the regular and stated pastor of this congregation. In testimony whereunto we do hereby set our names," which were as follows: "Adamı Maxwell, $2, 3 bushels of wheat; William Barnett, 50 cents, 1} bushels wheat; Joseph Cogley, $1; William McNinch, $1; James Green, $1, 2 bushels wheat; James Travis, 67 cents; John Jack, $1; Thomas Jack, 50 cents, 13 bushels wheat; George Ross, $3; Charles Boner, $1; William Park, ; George Byers, $1.33, 2 bushels wheat; Isabella Hill, $1; Jean Kiskaden, 50 cents; David Reed, 1} bushels wheat; Thomas Cumberland, 50 cents, } bushel wheat."


Thomas Fails, George Long and Adam Maxwell were the first elders of the Slate Lick church. The walls of the first church edifice were built of logs hewn, it is said, by George Bell, after they were brought upon the ground, as the voluntary contri- butions of the members of the congregation, and was covered with a shingle roof, which was then a rarity, and the floor consisted of loose boards, and without seats, stoves or fireplace, for many years called "Mr. Boyd's lower meeting-house." It was built on the Arthur Kiskadden tract, and was thought to be within the limits of the Beatty patent, for John Rea, after his purchase from Beatty, conveyed 1 acre and 44 perches to "the trustees of Slate Lick congregation," July 31, 1824, for $5. It must have been ascertained by a later survey that it was not included in the Beatty pat- ent, for Robert M. and William Kiskadden, after they had obtained their patent, conveyed the same, less 40 perches, to " the trustees of Slate Lick con- gregation," May 29, 1839, for $5 .*


As the lack of money was incident to the pioneer settlers of this as well as of many other regions, the first members of this congregation were neces- sarily constrained to contribute their time, labor and material to its erection. They, of course, had but little if any money with which to pay the salary of their pastor, and were, like some other pioneer congregations, compelled to pay much of


* James S. Brown conveyed 80 perches to this church, October 14, 1878, for $100.


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SOUTH BUFFALO TOWNSHIP.


it in the products of their labor. This congrega- tion was not anomalous in this respect. Some other congregations in the United States, older, larger, and that have become far wealthier than this one now is, once paid their ministers in products in- stead of money. For instance, John Emerson, who was graduated at Harvard in 1656, the third minister of the congregation in Gloucester, Massa- chusetts, the record shows, was paid " sixty pounds per annum in Indian corn, peas, barley, fish, mack- erel, beef or pork."


That primitive edifice was ample enough for ordinary or the usual weekly service, but on com- munion occasions, when an unusually large number of people from far and near assembled here, its capacity was inadequate. On such occasions there was erected a short distance from the edifice a tent in which the minister stood while conducting the communion services, and the communicants sat at the table extending from the tent into the grove. James Hill and Jonathan Moore were elected elders in 1808. The latter having removed to the west the next year, William Morrison was elected in his place. The pastorate of Rev. John Boyd continned until April 17, 1810, when at his own request he was released from his charge and re- moved to Ohio, and this church was dependent on supplies for nearly five years.


The original of the call to the second pastor of this church is in these words : "The congrega- tion of Sleate Lick being on sufficient grounds sat- isfied of the ministerial qualifications of you, John Redick, and having good hopes from our past ex- perience of your labouers that your ministrations in the Gospel will be profitable to our spiritual inter- ests, do earnestly call and desire you to undertake the pastoral office in said congregation, promising you in the discharge of your duty all proper sup- port, encouragement, and obedience in the Lord; and that you may be free from worldly cares and avocations we hereby promise and oblidge our- selves to pay the sum of $150 in half-yearly pay- ments, the one-half to be paid in grain, wheat at 75 cents, corn and rye at 50 cents per bushel, in regular payments during the time of your being and continuing the regular pastor of this church. In testimony whereof, we have respectively sub- scribed our names this third day of November, 1814.


"N. B. This call is designed for the one-half of your labours in the gospel.


"James Hill, Adam Maxwell, James Matthas, Jr., Jacob Young, Sr., Jacob Young, Jr., Patrick Callon, John Boney, David Feales, Thomas Cus- kaden, George McCaine, John Ralston, David


Ralston, James Clark, James Boles, William Morrison, Robert Morrison."


That call having been accepted, he was ordained and installed as the pastor of Slate Lick and Union churches, September 28, 1815, on which occasion his preceptor, Rev. Robert Johnston, of Meadville, preached the sermon and Rev. John McPherrin, of Butler, delivered the charges. His pastorate con- tinued until the autumn of 1848, when because of his infirmities he resigned his charge, which had extended through a period of thirty-four years. During his pastorate, Arthur Hill and James Green (about 1830), James Blain, John Boyd and Joseph Galbraith (March 19, 1844) were elected elders ; a brick church edifice was erected in 18-, and fronted " the lower road," whose building commit- tee consisted of James Hill, John Rea and James Smith. Although deemed a substantial structure, it was defective. During the communion services on a certain Sabbath-day, a large number of people being present, the floor sunk or gave way, cansing a fearful panic. There were several outer doors through which the multitude passed, many being slightly, and only Mrs. Ann Ralston being serious- ly injured. The edifice was soon repaired, but the confidence of the congregation in it was not re- stored. The first frame edifice, fronting south, whose building committee were George F. Keener, George B. and James Sloan, was erected on the foundation of the brick one in 1842, and was used by the congregation for more than twenty years after the close of the second pastorate.




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