USA > Pennsylvania > Beaver County > History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and Its Centennial Celebration, Volume II > Part 52
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History of Beaver County
formerly editor of the Mercer Lewinary. Jos. Gordon, was editor and John Rankin, Corresponding Editor. Its subscription price was $2.00 per year.
Arthur B. Bradford .- Towering above all others in the terrible in- tensity of his anti-slavery convictions and in the complete consecration of his time, talents, and energy, stood Arthur B. Bradford, of Enon. He was born in Reading, Pa., in 1810, a son of Judge Ebenezer Bradford and a direct descendant of Wm. Bradford, of the Mayflower. He attended the Military Academy at West Point for a year or so, but changed his course and became a theological student at Princeton Seminary. His uncle was John (or Samuel) Bloomfield, of Philadelphia. The colonization of the negro in Africa was advocated by many at that time but Mr. Bradford thought it impracticable and unwise. While a student at Princeton, he talked often with the Philadelphia negroes to whom he preached during this time. His uncle Moses Bradford owned a large plantation in Maryland, and the young theological student spent his vacations there studying the "Negro problem." After graduation he preached for a while at Clinton, New Jersey, and it is an early sign of his unerring instinct that he at once thrust aside the belief in the efficiency of colonization or any other remedy save that of emancipation. For sixteen years he was pastor of the Mt. Pleasant Church, at Darlington, then the largest church west of Pitts- burg, and for seven years at New Castle.
Inheriting from his Puritan ancestors their love of truth, from his judicial-minded father his love of justice, deriving self-control and mental discipline from West Point and Princeton, and enlightened by his obser- vations of the Philadelphia free negro and the Maryland slave, he seemed to have been born into the kingdom for such a time as this. All other questions paled into insignificance in his mind and preaching besides the freedom of the slave. The Bible became to him a wonderful Abolition Book. Never a Sabbath went by but that a hard knock was given to slavery either in prayer or sermon. He was not what might be called an evangelical preacher; he was a born reformer. One of the old ladies of his congregation once said "Mr. Bradford is a mighty interesting preacher but he preaches more politics than he does doctrine."
His activities were ceaseless. He fairly strode over western Pennsyl- vania and eastern Ohio lecturing in almost every village and developing Anti-Slavery sentiment. Many of the men of the present day secured their Anti-Slavery principles from hearing him in some little country church or schoolhouse. He traveled extensively at great expense to himself and lectured in Boston and in New York and went as far west as Iowa. As a public speaker he was remarkable. A competent judge says of him: "I shall always consider Arthur B. Bradford the smartest man I ever heard." He was endowed by nature with a fine presence. In head and face he greatly resembled John Brown. He was possessed of a fine, rich well modulated voice which held his audience as silent as the grave. Toward slavery and its adherents he was sarcastic beyond description. As an orator in many respects he resembled Beecher. His conspicuous qualities were fire; earnestness of the John the Baptist order-and
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simplicity of the John Bunyan stripe so that a child could understand him. Above all he loved the truth no matter where it led him.
He was hardly less distinguished as a writer than as an orator. He was a constant contributor to the Beaver Argus, the Pittsburg papers, Garrison's Liberator, the New Castle Courant, the Boston Index and the New York Truth Seeker and the Boston Investigator, besides being the author of numerous Anti-Slavery pamphlets. He edited the Free Church Portfolio-one of the organs of the Free Presbyterian Church. In Volume I., Number 7, July, 1859, are found these prophetic words: "The duty of the Free Presbyterian Church is plain. It is to stand in her lot, bearing her testimony against the great sin of our country. Our principles are spreading all over the land and being right must ultimately prevail. The Fugitive Slave Law, of 1850, is not entitled to the sacred name of law."
The exceptional activity and ability of the man brought him into touch and correspondence with the national leaders of the Abolition movement whom he kept informed of the growth of sentiment in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. He was a particular friend of Joshua R. Giddings, the most distinguished Anti-Slavery man in the Halls of Congress, and a frequent visitor at "Buttonwood, " Mr. Bradford's home, at Enon. He was intimately acquainted with Wendell Phillips and Wm. Lloyd Garrison, although he was not a Garrisonian Abolitionist, for he believed in voting. Abby Kelly (Foster) a noted anti-slavery lecturer from Lynn, Massachusetts, and Grace Greenwood, spent a summer at Mr. Bradford's home. Parker Pillsbury was also a visitor.
The Fugitive Slave Law provided a penalty of $1000 upon any one convicted of assisting slaves to escape, so in order to protect his wife and children Mr. Bradford temporarily transferred his property to a friend. But, although oftentimes his neighbors were bitterly opposed to his course and even threatened him with tar and feathers, he never suffered personal violence.
He gave the main part of his life to the cause of Freedom and spared neither time nor expense in his travels. Mrs. Bradford frequently took clothes off the backs of her children and put them on the fugitives, many of whom stayed weeks after with the family and worked in the fields. Mr. Bradford attended the Garrison Convention, in Boston and after the war went to Alliance, Ohio, to be present at the last meeting of the old Abolitionists at which the roll was called, the affairs of the so- ciety were wound up and it adjourned sine die. Among others at the final meeting equally distinguished with himself were Marcus Robinson, Caleb Steel, Parker Pillsbury, and Jacob Heaton.
Mr. Bradford was in the struggle from the first to the last. As a delegate he attended the Free Soil Convention, in Pittsburg, in 1852, which nominated Hale and Julian. He actively supported Fremont throughout western Pennsylvania on the stump In the Beaver Argus, of October 29, 1856, there appears this notice:
"REV. A. B. BRADFORD "
"This gentleman addressed a Republican Meeting in the court-house, Thursday Evening. October 23, in his usual able and eloquent manner.
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History of Beaver County
His remarks in reply to those who denominate our laborers 'Greasy Mechanics' and 'Filthy Operatives' were heartfelt and scathing, severe and to the point. Mr. Bradford may very justly be termed one of the most effective and argumentative orators in the army of Freedom."
NEW BRIGHTON'S CONGRATULATIONS TO DICKEY, HALE, AND OTHERS "To Giddings, Palfrey, Hale, and Dickey. Members of Congress:
"As the friends of Freedom we deem it incumbent upon us to send you a word of sympathy and cheer for your efforts to repel the insolent de- mands and aggressions of the Slave Power.
"At this eventful crisis, when the world is struggling so vigorously for Freedom, when resolutions are shaking down kingdoms and empires, when mind is bursting its fetters and mankind asserting its rights in other lands, we are watching with an increasing intensity of interest the movements in our own land touching the cause of Freedom. We have seen attempts to strike down the liberty of Speech and the Press by those who a moment before were shouting huzzas, and affecting to rejoice over the triumphs of Freedom and Republicanism in the old world,-even worse still, have seen the same freedom loving republican men-hunters giving chase, like so many hounds, to men, women, and children who were fleeing from the very Capital of this boasted Republic in quest of Liberty. We have seen these poor victims thus pursued, recaptured, and thrown into prison to await the sound of the auction hammer which is to sunder the dearest ties, and consign them to a system of oppression and tryanny, one hour of which is worse than an age of that which our father's rose in rebellion to oppose.
"We assure you you do not stand alone. That as far as you resist the encroachments and existence of this accursed system, you have Justice, Truth, Righteousness-the sympathy and co-operation of all good men throughout the world, and the blessing of millions that are ready to perish, and are sighing for liberty, on your side. Then be not daunted, rely with a moral heroism upon the justice of your cause. Be intimidated by no threats. Whether you stand or fall, in the battle for Freedom, your re- ward shall be sure, and the triumph hour will be hastened, which will come at last. Error is of a day-an age. Truth is immortal and invincible. All hail that happy day! When Liberty shall be proclaimed throughout all the land and the Scepter of Peace be swayed from sea to the mountains, and from the rivers to the end of the earth! Faithfully Yours.
"New Brighton, Pa., May, 4, 1848. Paul Diamond.
Milo Townsend.
T. W. Rogers.
Talbot Townsend.
Joseph McCreery.
James Wilson.
Evan P. Townsend.
Wm. Blanchard. Isaac Winans.
Presley McKinsie.
Alexander Nicholson.
Thomas Morgan.
M. T. Kennedy.
Milton Townsend. Seth C. McClure.
John Collins.
Alfred G. McCreary.
John Gilliland.
I. G. Bemberger. James Erwin. John Pugh.
John Kulin (Muhn). Joseph Thompson.
Thomas Reed.
Silas Merrick."
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History of Beaver County
It was the good fortune of the county to have as its representatives in Congress men who strongly reflected the Anti-Slavery sentiment of her people. Especially noticeable was the friendship existing between the Hon. John Dickey, a member from 1844 to 1849 and the Hon. John Allison from 1851 to 1853, and Joshua R. Giddings, the heroic champion of the slave from the Western Reserve. An inspection of the Congressional Globe shows that Mr. Dickey's name is found almost exclusively in con- nection with Anti-Slavery discussions. "He enunciated the principle that while slaves are recognized as property by the local municipal laws of the States, they are recognized as persons by the Constitution of the United States. He appealed to the South to cease pressing claims upon Congress for payment of slaves as property, a question which had long agitated the country; the bonds of the Union would thus be cemented, and we would continue a united people and prosperous people for all future time."
Mr. Allison, December 23, 1852, presented a remonstrance from A. W. Townsend and seventy-eight others, citizens from Beaver County, Pa., against an appropriation of certain moneys in aid of the Coloniza- tion Society. These remonstrants were not to be led away by any ephemeral scheme but wished the issue disposed of on our own soil. The Beaver County Argus of April 16, 1856, contained an able eight column speech delivered by Hon. John Allison, in the House of Repre- sentatives, April 1, 1856, on the "Slavery Question."
To show the temper of Beaver County in relation to slavery irre- spective of party this incident is suggestive. Hon. Thomas Cunningham, a Democrat and one of the ablest lawyers the county ever produced, was appointed by President Buchanan a Federal Judge in Kansas, with headquarters at Leavenworth. It is said that Judge Cunningham, de- manded Federal troops of the President for the protection of the courts and the neighborhood but they were never sent. He and Governor Geary roomed together. He resigned his commission in less than a year and came home. He had seen the activities of the Slave Power and had become acquainted with the thing itself. In his emphatic way he declared: "I was disgusted on the threshold as I discovered that the damned pro-slavery villains were determined to force slavery upon the State, and not being particeps criminis, I resigned. The Slave Power has become arrogant and will have to go. In my opinion 'The Kansas Iniquity' has sounded the death-knell of slavery in the United States." In a great speech at the Beaver court-house he detailed his Kansas ex- periences and related the methods of the Border Ruffians. With Hon. Alexander R. Thomson, in Beaver and Lawrence counties, and Governor Curtin he canvassed the State in defense of the war.
When Colonization schemes had failed, when petitions had availed nothing, when the arguments and prayers of the North had fallen un- heeded upon the South the Anti-Slavery people began more and more to look to the ballot box for the solution of the problem. This ultimate hope gained an impetus in Beaver County, in 1855, that finally overcame all resistance. In the Argus of that year, on July 25th, appeared an
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address to the citizens of the county, signed by several hundred prominent gentlemen designating August 39, 1855, as a time for the holding of a County Convention to select candidates for the several county offices, and to complete the organization of the Republican Party.
The signers of this paper say: "Believing that the recent and con- tinued aggressions of slavery have rendered necessary the disbandment of all existing political organizations, and a close and intimate union of those who think resistance to each and every aggression of slavery paramont to every other political issue, we earnestly invite all who are in favor of freedom and free labor, and of the restoration of freedom to the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, to engage in such measures as will accomplish the purpose sought."
The Argus (M. and J. Weyand, Editors), says editorially in the same issue:
"Appended to the call for the Republican County Convention to be held on the twentieth day of August, will be found the names of persons recently belonging to all parties. The time has been short, consequently but little effort has as yet been put forth. A number of printed calls have been sent out to different points of the county. Those who receive them we trust will pass them around expeditiously, those who should not happen to see any we hope will evince sufficient interest in the movement to clip the call out of this paper, procure all the signers they can, and forward to us without delay for publication. Every thing now depends upon speedy action. The people are ripe for this move. The elements are at hand for the upbuilding of a powerful party, if they are but used aright. Friends of Freedom, be active, constitute yourselves a com- mittee to take hold of the matter in earnest, and roll in the names to us previous to the convention."
The Convention met, nominated a ticket, and selected a County Committee. The Beaver Argus, in July has this strong editorial in regard to the first State Republican Convention to meet in Pittsburg in the fall.
"Let the convention adopt only an anti-slavery platform-one that will be practical and the people will move irrespective of party discipline. All can and should rally in vindication of a great principle separately. The political question of the nation now demands that parties in the North unwedded to the Slave interest should disband. In doing this a great and practical Northern party can be formed without giving it any of the distinctive phases, belonging to those now existing. It is necessary that every free State be carried in the Presidential canvass of 1856 and to do this there must be perfect harmony and a safe mode of action adopted. On the single anti-slavery issue this can be effected-on a dozen of issues this movement must inevitably fail."
This convention was held. Passmore Williamson, Esq., of Philadel- phia was nominated for Canal Commissioner, an important office in those days. His fame had been gained by being jailed in Philadelphia for assisting slaves to escape. It was not sufficient to make him a strong candidate. Thomas Nicholson, one of his opponents, was a Beaver Countian.
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History of Beaver County
The vote on Canal Commissioner in the county was:
Plumer.
Democratic.
I334
Nicholson
Fusion.
1090
Williamson
Republican. 581
K. Cleaver.
American 130
Total
3135
The vote of the following boroughs and townships shows locally where Anti-Slavery was weak and where it was strong.
Plumer.
Nicholson.
Williamson.
Cleaver.
Borough
114
142
29
Chippewa
29
41
25
Darlington
34
50
41
Fallston.
22
5
25
34
Frankfort.
24
31
33
Sewickley
III
45
2
Independence.
32
18
17
New Brighton.
33
24
112
Ohio.
37
64
25
Raccoon.
47
72
35
South Beaver
31
63
37
McGuire's.
45
14
45
-
559
569
426
34
Early in 1856 a call was issued for a Republican National Mass Con- vention, February 22, 1856, at Pittsburg, Pa., Hon. John Allison, of New Brighton, a member of Congress at the time; Thomas Silliman, a farmer of Little Beaver township and B. B. Chamberlain, Esq., of New Brighton; and Jacob Weyand, one of the editors of the Beaver Argus; the two latter appointed by the County Committee, were in attendance.
A National Party was formed and a National delegated convention was called for June 17, 1856, at Philadelphia, to nominate candidates for President and Vice-President.
Richard P. Roberts, Esq., attended this convention at Philadelphia, as the delegate from Beaver County, and the Hon. John Allison, was a delegate at large.
Fremont received 2658 votes in the county against 1905 for Buchanan.
Hon. John Allison represented the county at the Chicago Convention of 1860 when Mr. Lincoln was nominated. Hon. John F. Dravo, then a resident of Allegheny County, had been in attendance at the Pittsburg Convention of 1856, and was a delegate from Allegheny County at the Chicago Convention.
Beaver County cast 2682 votes for Curtin for governor against 1715 for Foster in October, 1860.
President Lincoln, on September 22, 1862, issued his Proclamation of
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History of Beaver County
Emancipation, and his supplementary document on January 1, 1863. January, 1865, the National Congress voted an amendment to the Con- stitution abolishing slavery and by the end of that year it had been ap- proved by an overwhelming majority of the State legislatures and had become a part of our law.
In all this agitation and struggle extending through many years Beaver County had taken a part above the average of her sister counties -a part honest, conspicuous, and unique.
Mr. Weyand was followed by Prof. Scudder H. Peirsol, the well-known educator of Bridgewater, whose subject was "The Early Teachers and Schools of Beaver County."
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen:
The early settlers of Beaver County were not indifferent to the educa- tion of their children, and as soon as there were a sufficient number of families in a neighborhood to form a school, they would meet together and build a schoolhouse. The building was made of round logs, the crevices between the logs filled with chunks of wood and mortar; they were usually floored with puncheons, and roofed with clapboards, held in place by means of weight-poles.
The seats were made of the same material as the floor, with pins for supports and without backs.
The desks resembled the seats, with this exception-the pins for sup- port were driven into the wall, and the puncheons laid on them. The windows were simply openings covered with greased paper. The door was made of puncheons, with wooden latch and wooden hinges.
The room was heated by an immense fireplace at one end, the fuel being great logs cut from the surrounding forest. There was so much similarity in the structure of these schoolhouses throughout the county that the purpose of the building could be detected on sight. These buildings not only served the purpose of schoolhouses, but in many instances they were used as places of worship, and for all manner of public meetings.
As the settlements increased in size and number, so, also, the number of schoolhouses increased.
Among the earliest of the schools was one erected in 1798, near the old Bassenheim Furnace, in what is now Franklin township-another, near Wurtemberg, now Wayne township, Lawrence County-one, in the present North Sewickley township, near Cunningham's bridge-a second in North Sewickley township, taught by Master McQuiston, but difficult now to locate-another, where Rochester now stands, near the site of Captain Maratta's present residence. This was the school, Master Robert Darragh being the teacher, that was visited by Aaron Burr, while waiting for the completion of his boats, which were being built at the mouth of the Beaver River, for his trip down the Ohio to Blenner- hasset Island.
Another schoolhouse stood on the farm of the late Ritchey Eakin, in
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History of Beaver County
Brighton township-another in New Sewickley township, near the nite of the present Unionville school building-another, a blacksmith shop with the earth for a floor, in New Sewickley township, near the residener of the late Alexander Eaton-one in South Beaver township, near the site of the Limekiln school-one in Greene township, between Hookstown and Georgetown, on Mill Creek-one on the farm of Jumen Bigger, Hanover township-one on the farm of Wm. Hammond-one on Ander- son's farm, on Little Travis Creek-one in Frankfort borough -- one near the Robert Patton farm-one in Independence township, near the Moffat farm.
There were, doubtless, many other schoolhouses in the carly time in the county, but nothing definite could be learned of them.
School supplies consisted chiefly of a United States Speller, Pike's Arithmetic, and the Western Calculator, Introduction to the English Reader, the English Reader, and the Old and New Testaments, called in school, the Bible and the Testament. The writing equipment consisted of a quill pen, soapstone pencil, lead pencil hammered out, paper, unruled and unsized, and slates not comparing in quality with that used for roofing, at the present.
The pupils procured the pencils from the soapstone in the hills, and put them in shape with their jack-knives. The ink used in the whoola was usually prepared at home from the bark of various trees and copperas. The ink fountain was a small block of hard work with a hole bored in the center. No blackboards, no maps were in use. One of the chief duties of the teacher was making and mending pens and "setting" copies, The method of instruction was different from the present time. The first thing was to learn thoroughly the English Alphabet. The second, to learn to spell, both on and off the book, pronouncing wach syllable. and pronouncing the whole part spelled after each new syllable. Follow. ing the spelling, the reading exercises in the spelling-brook-many of the older citizens of our county may still remember the leavm :
"My son. do no in. Go not in the way of bad men Bari men go to the pit . O. my an. go not in the way of sin."
From these exercises to the New Testament, following that the Inwa duction to English Perder then the English Karter. The alphabet class recited five of six times daily, the spellera on the brak, former times daily ; spelling off the train. Large poplie and small twice a day, before the missing at home and seeing. Park pupil was required to memorize a verse in the Viene Testament of a pration of the Shooter Catechism to be to- cited each mormmq.
Arithmetic, which we by far the most important branch taught in the school, Tas ire. & through memorizing of the cables of addition. subtraction, Internation and division and then practice in there tables. tables of descrmare Inmisura followed and these also must be thoroughly memorized. There was an samification in arithmetic : it was each one
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History of Beaver County
for himself. When a difficult problem was reached, it was carried up to the teacher's desk for solution. There was no analytical, nor mental arithmetic, no asking nor explaining why or wherefore; the answer was the principal object to be obtained. Much of the studying was done in an audible tone, especially in preparing the spelling lesson. When the hum of voices seemed to weaken, the master knew mischief and not study was the order; instantly, the sharp order-" Keep on, keep on," and again the hum would strengthen. In very few of these very early schools was anything taught but the three "R's"; the other common English branches did not come into general usc in the common school of the county for some time. The schoolmasters of the early time were a distinctive class: usually men of age and experience. As a rule, the discipline was very severe. At the opening of the term, the teacher wrote out and placed conspicuously, a long list of rules for the benefit of his pupils. This plan, also, was general all over the county. Each rule had its attendant punishment laid down. Occasionally a very ridiculous rule was in the list, as "No snowballing allowed," which could be read in the short summer term, as well as when "zero" weather prevailed.
Pupils were also taught their "manners" in school. Each boy was taught to take his hat off and bow his head to every person he met, and every girl made a courtesy; frequently at noon, a stray passer-by would find the pupils lined up on each side of the road, "making their manners." No girl bowed, that was a masculine privilege. This form of "manners" was required on entering and leaving the schoolroom. One very particu- lar rule was "No tales told out of school" under penalty of severe pun- ishment.
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