USA > Pennsylvania > Beaver County > History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and Its Centennial Celebration, Volume II > Part 25
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This petition was presented at the November Sessions, 1804, and the court at the same Sessions appointed David Drennan, Henry Kuykendall, and Samuel Caughey as viewers to enquire into the propriety of granting the petition. A return was made by the viewers at February Sessions, 1805; and at the same Sessions a remonstrance was presented against the division of the said township, which was held under advisement by the court until the May Sessions. Samuel Caughey filed a dissent from the return of the other two viewers. At May Sessions, 1805, the court confirmed the report of the viewers and divided the township, "the south part of the division to be called Ohio
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History of Beaver County
township and the other to retain its original name of South Beaver." I
As stated above, the south side of Beaver County was, at the time of its erection, divided into three townships, viz., Hanover, First Moon, and Second Moon. The desire of the in- habitants of that part of the county for a rearrangement of the township divisions of the territory was later made evident to the court by their petitions praying for a division of the same. Three petitions were presented. The first was presented at the November Sessions, 1810, and was continued for consideration to the January term, 1811. This petition, with its signers, is as follows:
To the Honorable Samuel Roberts, Esquire, President, and his Associates, Judges of the Court of Quarter Sessions in and for the County of Beaver :--
The petition of sundry Inhabitants of said County humbly represents that the townships within said county south of the Ohio river were originally erected when under the jurisdiction of Washington County, and secondly attached to Allegheny County-that in running the lines of the aforesaid counties, some of the Townships were cut into a triangular form, and other Townships west of the Ohio were erected and laid off under the jurisdiction of the Court of Quarter Sessions of Allegheny County by natural lines and irregular bounds and size, and that except in one or two instances they have remained without alteration ever since the organization of Beaver County-That it is in many instances inconvenient for Township officers to discharge the duties of their offices, and for the citizens in general to convene in Township meetings as the places of meeting in several adjoining Townships would be more con- venient for a number than in their own Townships.
Your Petitioners do pray for a division of one or more Townships and are humbly of opinion that it would be necessary to new mould the whole-
Your Petitioners humbly pray your Honorable Court would take the premises into consideration and grant them relief by laying out the whole county anew into regular and convenient sized Townships having regard as far as practicable to the local situation of the Inhabi- tants of the different quarters of the county, and the present lines and names of the Townships, either by appointing a number of suitable characters to view and lay off the same, or in what way you your Honor- able Court may direct, and your petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray
Dated the 9th day of October, 1810.
Hugh Mccullough, Robert Barbett, Robert Laughlin, Jun., Thomas Laughlin, Robert McCaskey, David Hays, Saml. Laughlin, James Huston, 1 Road Docket No. 1., No. 34. Nov. Sess., 1804.
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History of Beaver County
John Cahoon, David Heckeythorn, Thomas Smith, Wm. Harshe, Joseph Smith, James Lowden, Wm. Bunting, Henry Kykendall, John McCahky, Joseph Laughlin, Rezin Barnes, George Campbell, Matthew Neilson, John Neilson, William Campbell, Wm. Frazer, Dawson Blackmore, Wm. Dawson, James Samson, N. Krehl, James Hall, James McCaskey, Joseph Smith, Thos. Foster, James Eaton, David Boyd, George Dawson, James Thornsburgh, James Thompson, George Harris, Saml. Blackmore, Hugh McFall, Zebulon Kinsey, Samuel Grossman, John McFall, James Lake, Henry Moss, William McMillin, Danl. McCasky, James Mccullough, Francis Cross, Benjamin Hooke, James Reid, Joseph Justice, Danl. Christy, Jacob Lyon, George Campbell, Samuel Calhoon, George Goshorn, John Bunting, Wm. Bunting, Robert Miller, Michael Hertle, Alexander Laughlin, Neil Carney, George Cristler, Alexander Reed, Robert McIlheny, T. L. Dunlap, George Hackeythorn, George Hackeythorn, Jun., Wm. Carnagey, Wm. Littell, Abrm. Lyon, Mattw. Scott, David Patton, Robert Carnegy, Jun., John Langfitt, N. Blackmore, John Parks, Thos. Bell, James Dungan, Edwd. Crail, Thos. Potts, Wm. Slone, Henry Hays, Samuel Moore, Henry Wilson, Alex'r Allison, Hugh Skillin, Andrew Poe, John Ewing, Moses Hays, John Ralston, Jas. Harshe, John Mccullough, Hugh Miller, D. D. Dungan, James Miller, William Mccullough, Samuel Conlin, Joshua Nash, John Harshe, James Steele, Benjamin Laughlin, Joseph Calhoon, Park Hind, William Calhoon, Robert Gray, David Park, Andrew Ingles, Wm. Kirkpatrick, Robt. M. Scott, Jas. Carothers, James Swaney, Jacob Willaby, Solomon Fink, Andrew Vance, Noah Potts, Thomas Swaney.1
This petition asked that the whole county be reformed in its township divisions, and apparently the court did not take any action upon it. Perhaps too much was asked at one time. At the November term of the same year another petition came from sundry citizens of the same territory, asking for the division of the south side into four townships. This, with its signers, is as follows:
To the Honorable Samuel Roberts, Esq., and his Associates, Judges of the Court of Common Pleas, etc. Now sitting for Beaver County in the State of Pennsylvania :-
The petition of a number of the inhabitants of the east [properly south, Ed.] side of the river in the county aforesaid humbly sheweth that whereas, your petitioners labor under great difficulty from the scattered form and the largeness the townships is now in, which makes it very in- convenient for the people to attend at the township meetings, and whereas, the place of holding the place of the general election must be moved from Georgetown on account of Handover and Ohio being formed into a dis- trict election by themselves, and, whereas, it appears it would be much more convenient for the people to have the three townships on this side " Road Docket No. 1, No. 181, January Sessions, 1811.
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History of Beaver County
of the river divided into four. We therefore pray you to consider our situation and appoint men for to arrange and lay off these townships, and your petitioners will ever pray
Matthew Neilson, Johnston Calhoon, N. Blackmore, Robert Park, William Bunting, Sr., James Dungan, Charles Blackmore, Henry Conkle, James Thompson, James Linn, Andrew McCleary, Thomas Parks, Hugh McCready, William Campbell, Sr., Thomas Swaney, Andrew Ingles, Robert Leeper, Henry Hays, John Witherspoon, George Scott, John Thompson, Edward Crail, Robert McElhaney, Samuel Christlow, Robert Gill, William McMillen, William Frazer, John Calhoon, John Knowles, John Ingles, William Calhoon, Robert Miller, James Eaton, William Kirkpatrick, Samuel Patton, Robert Swaney, John Swaney, James Thornburgh, Henry Wilson, William Dawson, William Gilliland, James Chambers, Thomas Foster, James Ferrel, Sr., John Boyd, Matthias Hooke, John Boyd, Sr., John Mccullough, Thomas Dawson, David Hays, Samuel Park, William Wilson, Thomas Laughlin, Alexander Reid, Robert Wright, John Harshe, James McScott, Robert Laughlin, Joseph Laughlin, John Dallaghan, John Allison, Solomon Linn, Alen Cowen, William Calhoon, Samuel Carothers, Zachariah Swearingen, William Winch, Thomas Moore, William Campbell, Henry Campbell, Samuel Willson, Charles Murray, Andrew McCalley, William Langfitt, James E. Hueston, John Conley, Rezin Barnes, Benjamin Laughlin, Hugh Mccullough, David Patton.
The court appointed James Carothers, Thomas Foster, and David Scott, Esqs., as viewers.1 These gentlemen, for reasons now unknown, did not do anything, and their delinquency is made the ground of the following petition,2 which, with its sub- scribers, is given in full:
To the Honorable Samuel Roberts, Esqr., president, & his associate Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the County of Beaver :-
The petition of a number of the inhabitants of that part of said county wh. lies south of the Ohio river, humbly sheweth, that whereas said in- habitants did forward a petition for having that part of said county laid off into four townships, the present divisions being very inconvenient and grevious to the inhabitants, in consequence whereof your honors granted an order for the same appointing three men to execute the busi- ness, which said men have not executed the business, and consequently the grievances are not removed; therefore we the subscribers pray your honors to appoint other persons to execute the said business-And we will pray
John Harshe, David Gordon, James Anderson, Wm. Bunting, Jr., Rezin Barnes, Benjamin Anderson, Isaac Wood, Benj'm Hooke, John Crail, Thomas Stephen, Christopher Jordan, Robert Gray, Thos. Smith,
1 Road Docket No. 1, No. 192, Nov. Sess., 1811. ' Id., No. 196, Jan'y Sess., 1812.
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History of Beaver County
Michael Hertle, Wm. Dawson, John Park, Andrew Poe, James E. Hueston, Joshua Barnes, Francis Cross, Saml. Wilson, Noah Potts, James White- hill, Matthew Neilson, James Heuston, John Mccullough, John Calhoon.
On the back of the original paper is this note:
No. 196 January Sessions 1812. Petition for a division and new modeling of the townships south of the Ohio. January Sessions 1812.
R
M
O
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EN
HOPEWELL
HANOVER
County
Allegheny
Drati of Your Townships stunted
South of the Ohio River in Beaver Count- Po, as sunoged by order of control Jungen Sessions 1812 Raum March Session 1812 05 0DOME
THAT SMILES I NO NON Washington County
Drafted from the Aircond
DRAFT H.
Granted viewers: James Whitehill, John Mccullough, Daniel Christy, Esqr.
The persons named above, John McCullough, James White- hill, and Daniel Christy performed their duties as viewers with commendable promptness, for we find that at March Sessions following (1812) they made a report stating that "they have
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History of Beaver County
examined the premises and find the original boundaries are very inconvenient and grievous to the inhabitants in general, and they have laid out by courses and distances four townships, as represented in a draft annexed." The survey for this purpose was made by John Harshe ' in February, 1812. From the original draft of these four south-side townships we have had a transcript made for this work by ex-County Surveyor James Harper, which appears here. (Draft H.)
Although no decree of the court confirming the above de- scribed division of the territory of the south side is discoverable, it was certainly confirmed at this time or soon after, for the four townships named by the viewers, viz., Hanover, Greene, Moon, and Hopewell, are from this time onward recognized always, as in the appointment of constables, in township elec- tions, etc.
At the November Sessions, 1814, a petition was presented asking for the division of South Beaver and Ohio townships. Viewers were granted, viz., John Martin, Samuel Jackson, Esq., and Armstrong Drennan. At the January Sessions, 1815, the viewers reported that "they have made a division of the town- ships agreeably to a draft annexed, and with submission to their honors, named the new township Brighton." ? A remonstrance against this report being filed, and, at the August term, 1815, another petition being presented asking for a division of the same townships, a re-view was granted, and James Carothers, George Dilworth, and John Beer were appointed as viewers. At the January term, 1816, two of these viewers, viz., George Dil- worth and John Beer, made a return, together with a diagram annexed, recommending the division of the aforesaid townships. This return suggests the division of South Beaver and Ohio townships into four townships of nearly equal size and shape as shown in their diagram, with Ohio and Brighton on the south, and South Beaver and Adams on the north. The name Adams was probably given in honor of Dr. Samuel Adams, who settled at Adamsville, or the upper part of what is now Beaver Falls, sometime before 1800. While no decree of the court confirming this division can be found, such a decree must have been made (the name Adams being changed to Chippewa), since the present
1 See note on John Harshe or Harsha, vol. i., page 408.
" Road Docket No. 1, No. 233, Nov. Sess., 1814.
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townships of South Beaver, Chippewa, Ohio, and Brighton cor- respond in a general way to those shown on the diagram an- nexed to the report in question,' and at the spring election following, the election returns show for the first time the election of township officers from Brighton and Chippewa townships. The names of Brighton and Chippewa townships also occur for the first time in the list of constables appointed by the court at the March Sessions following (1816). Since the above was written we have found at Harrisburg an old map by Hugh Mccullough, D.S., a reproduction of which faces this page. This map confirms our conclusion, since it was made in 1817, only one year later than the division in question, and shows the lines and names of the townships as we have supposed them to have been. Hugh Mccullough was born in County Antrim, Ireland. Emigrating to this country at an early age, he settled at George- town, Beaver County, and for many years followed the occupa- tion of a surveyor. He was a member of St. Luke's Episcopal Church, and is buried in the cemetery at Georgetown.
January Sessions, 1824, a petition was presented asking for the division of North Sewickley township. The court appointed as viewers, Sampson Peirsoll, Esq., Stephen Runyon, Esq., and James Stockman, Esq. The viewers reported at April Sessions that they had, by certain courses and distances laid down in their report, formed three townships of the two Sewickleys .? No names of these new townships recommended by the viewers are given in their report, and there is no record that we can find of any action of the court in the matter.
October Sessions, 1825, another petition for the division of North Sewickley township was presented. Viewers were granted, viz., Andrew Jenkins, William Cairns, Esq., and James Sholes. The docket says:
Exit order to divide 10th January 1826 continued. 12th April, 1826, Andrew Jenkins and William Cairns report the following divisions, to wit, Commencing at the mouth of Conoquenessing creek thence up the same to the Butler County line. April Sessions 1826 approved. 3
At the August Sessions of 1826 a petition for a re-view of the division of North Sewickley township was presented to the
1 Road Docket No. 1, No. 254, Aug. Sess., 1815.
' Id., No. 477, Oct. Sess., 1825. * Id . No. 445. Jan'y Sess., 1824.
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History of Beaver County
court, and Joseph Hemphill, Esq., Benjamin Adams, Esq., and Thomas Henry, Esq., were appointed to review the premises. At the August term, 1827, the gentlemen named reported un- favorably to the division of the township as recommended by the first viewers.1
At the August term, 1826, a petition for the division of New Sewickley township was presented, and the court appointed as viewers Joseph Hemphill, Esq., Stephen Stone, Esq., and Thomas Henry, Esq .? They made their return recommending the division, and accompanied it with a diagram showing the lines of the two new townships suggested, and on this diagram the decree of the court is recorded as follows:
April Sessions, 1827. The court after hearing a remonstrance and argument confirm the division of New Sewickley township according to the diagram herewith annexed and referred to in the report to which this order of confirmation is attached, and direct that the township marked on the said diagram with the letter "C" and called Sewickley be called Economy township, and that township marked on the diagram "B" be called New Sewickley township and for the present retain the Beaver creek for its boundary, and that the division of Brighton town- ship be held under advisement until the next August term.
The reference in the last clause above may be to one or both of the two following petitions.
At the August Sessions, 1826, a petition from sundry in- habitants of New Sewickley and Brighton townships asked for the division of Brighton township. The viewers granted were Joseph Hemphill, Esq., Benjamin Adams, Esq., and Thomas Henry, Esq. A remonstrance was also filed against the pro- posed action.3 We have been unable to find any record of the action of the court in regard to this petition unless the clause noted above refers to it, but there is on file in the office of the clerk of courts an undated paper, a petition, which sets forth:
That a new Township has been laid off out of parts of Brighton and New Sewickley Townships at January Sessions, 1827, and has been held under advisement to the present Sessions [not named], and now awaits the confirmation of the court.
At the January Sessions, 1827, a petition was presented ask- ing for the erection of a new township out of parts of Brighton
1 Road Docket No. 1, No. 490, Aug. Sess., 1826.
* Id., No. 491, Aug. Sess., 1826.
' Id., No. 402, Aug. Sess., 1826.
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History of Beaver County
and New Sewickley townships, to be called Falls township. No action of the court is recorded unless as above.
At the October Sessions of 1827 a petition was presented from a number of the inhabitants of the townships of Ohio, Brighton, and South Beaver, praying for the erection of a new township to be formed out of parts of those townships. Viewers were appointed, viz., Adam Poe, Thomas Barclay, and Barnard Anderson. Two remonstrances were filed against this division at the same Sessions. The viewers reported at the January Sessions, 1828, showing that they had surveyed and laid out a new township, but there was no decree of the court in the mat- ter, and it was suffered to fall.1
At the December Sessions, 1832, a petition was presented asking for the erection of a new township to be formed out of parts of Greene and Moon townships. This petition was signed by the following persons:
John Potter, Cunningham Clifford, Matthew Johnston, Edward Crail, Robert Moffet, Abraham Vaghn, James Scott, Edward Owen, Wm. Can- non, John Cannon, Wm. Rambo, James Conner, James Lyon, John Withrow, Benjamin Crail, John Weyganott, Henry Weyganott, John Mowry, James Ingles, Jun., Wm. Littell, John McCormick, Rezin R. Gamble, James Ingles, Sr., George Langley, John Kerr, Jr., John Breaden, Saml. Gormley, Wm. Hales, A. V. Hayden, James Laferty, John Wilson, Jesse Wallace, John Crail, James Ewing, John McConnel, James Tod, Jonathan Cross, Thomas Reed, Henry McConnel, Alexander Ewing, Jr., Henry Ewing, John Gormley, Adam Kerr, Samuel Shuster, George Frank, Peter Rambo, William Hendrickson, S. M. Crail, Michael Rambo, George Mowry, Sampson Kerr, Boston Risor, John Lafferty.
The court at the same Sessions appointed as viewers, Henry Davis, George Dawson, and James Scott, whose return was made at March Sessions, 1833, establishing the new township, which is called Raccoon. The decree of the court confirming their return was made at the September term, 1833.2
At the June Sessions, 1836, a petition was presented praying for the division of Shenango township. The court granted as viewers, Major Andrew Jenkins, Edward Hoops, and John C. Stamm. This petition was signed by
' Road Docket No. 1, No. 522, Oct. Sess., 1827.
' Id., No. 2, Dec. Sess., 1832.
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History of Beaver County
Wm. Cairns, Andrew Mckay. James Jackson, Isaiah White, P. Pollock, George Leslie, Philip Smith, William McConnel. John C. Ault, Andrew Conner. A. C. Cubbison, Nickles Wimer. Wm. Cubbison, Thos. Lutton, Daniel Miller. B. Pollock, Jacob Lutton, Thos. Joseph, Charles Campbell, James Johnston, James Frew. Jacob Houk, Wm. Houk. John Houk, John Allen, Henry Mershimer. John Bell, Philip Houk, Sr., Lawrence Miller, John Booher, Joseph Baldwin, Jeremiah Cochran, Joseph Batow, Wm. D. Alexander, David Robertson. John Newton, Isaiah Smith, James John- ston, Jr., James Rigby, Thomas Alford, R. M. Gibson, Frederick Miner, Peter Hage, A. Nelson, M. Graham, James Shaw, William Adams, Jacob Miller, Thomas Hennon, Joseph Gonsollis, Samuel Stevens, Cornelius Miller, J. M. Cunningham, Robert Vanemon, James Mowry, James Ault, Samuel Rodgers, Jacob Boot, Wm. Brown, Burton Joseph, Jacob Conner, John Gaston, Wm. Jackson, Thomas Hanna, Isaac Rigby, Jacob Stoner, William Pence, Jeremiah Barnes, J. T. Warnock, C. Stone, John A. Vance, G. Allan, J. Walker Vance. John Catterson, J. T. Dushane, John Eckles, John Alford, James Cubbison, Wm. Lutton, John Wolton.
The report of the viewers was favorable, and at September Sessions, 1837, the court finally approved the division, "the part on the west to be called Shenango and the part on the east to be called Slippery Rock." 1
At the September Sessions of the court in 1836, a petition was presented praying that when Shenango township is divided into two townships the eastern end should be called Mendham .? No such division was ever made, or that name given to a town- ship in Beaver County.
Rochester township was erected by an Act of the Legisla- ture, approved April 14, 1840. Section 52 of this Act provided:
That that part of New Sewickley township in the county of Beaver contained within the following lines, to wit: Beginning on Big Beaver at the lower line of the borough of New Brighton, thence running with said line in an easterly direction, so far as to include that part of Mitchell's tract of land not included in said borough. thence to James Black's, thence to James Porter's, thence to Daniel Cable's, thence to David Trindell's, thence to Jonathan Kelly's, including the several tracts of land on which said persons reside, thence to intersect the western line of the borough of Freedom, thence by said line to the Ohio river, thence down said river to the mouth of Big Beaver, and thence up Big Beaver to the place of beginning, be and the same is hereby erected into a new township, to be called Rochester, and that their general and township elections, shall, in future, be held in the school house in the village of Rochester, with all the powers and privileges usually exercised and enjoyed by other townships in this Commonwealth. 3
' Road Docket No. 1, No. 20, June Scss., 1836.
' Id., No. 7, Sept. Sess., 1836. VOL. 11 .- 18.
' P. L., 341.
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History of Beaver County
Patterson township came into being in 1841, in consequence of the following petition and action of the court thereon:
To the Honorable the Judges of the Court of Quarter Sessions & Common Pleas in and for Beaver County :-
The petition of the subscribers, citizens of Brighton District Beaver County respectfully represents that the Legislature of the State some years since separated this "District" from Brighton Township as an election district in connection with Fallston, and afterwards into an in- dependent "Election & School District" with power to elect "Supervisor and other Township officers"-that as now we are neither Township, Town or Borough, and in consequence labor under some inconveni- encies and disadvantages-among others-we are by the decision of the authorities at Harrisburgh pronounced incapable of choosing and electing our Justices of the Peace-a privilege secured by the Constitu- tion to the people of Towns, Townships and Boroughs-and which power we are desirous to enjoy with other of our fellow-citizens-We your petitioners once before addressed ourselves to your Honors on this sub- ject, and understood you had appointed a commission to report on the subject, but have never heard of any further action. We this session petitioned the Legislature upon the subject, but a "Standing Rule' prevented them from acting in our favor.
We therefore pray your Honors to erect our District (within our present boundaries) into a "Township" to be known by the Stile and Title of Township, and as our elections for justices are held in the spring and as we wish to have the opportunity to elect a Justice, and as there will and can be no objection raised, having been for years separated from Brighton Township, We very respectfully and earnestly solicit your Honors to grant our prayer before the adjournment of the Court-and your Petitioners will ever pray
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