USA > Pennsylvania > Beaver County > History of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and its centennial celebration, Volume I > Part 26
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198
History of Beaver County
William Conner and Sampson Peirsol, justices; the Sixth Dis- trict, all south of the Fifth to the southern line of the county, with 143 taxables and with no justices appointed. Total tax- able population, 1475. These officers were appointed by the governor of the State.
Other early justices in the county, with their districts and the dates of their commissions from the governor, were as follows :
John Boyd, for District No. 2, April 2, 1804; William Harsha, No. 2, April 2, 1804,; George Holdship, No. 3, April 2, 1804; Martin Holman, No. 4, April 2, 1804; William Leet, No. 6, April 2, 1804; William Clarke, No. 3, April 1, 1805; David Potter, No. 4, April 1, 1805; William Forbes, No. 4, April 1, 1805; John Watts, No. 3, April 1, 1806; David Johnson, No. 3, April 1, 1806; Samuel Johnston, No. 3, July 4, 1806; John Johnston, No. 4, April 1, 1807; Thomas Foster, No. 2, July 4, 1807; Thomas Wilson, No. 6, March 29, 1808; David Patton, Jr., No. 1, Sept. 30, 1808; Jacob Woodruff, No. 4, Sept. 30, 1808; Thomas Henry, No. 3, Dec. 24, 1808; William Lowry, No. 4, March 31, 1809; Michael Baker, No. 1, March 31, 1809; Daniel Christy, No. 1, April 8, 1809; Samuel Jackson, No. 3, Dec. 2.1, 1809; Nicholas Venemon, No. 5, April 5, 1810; John Clark, No. 4, June 7, 1810; Samuel Glasgow, Hanover township, com. dated Feb. 23, 1801, recorded Nov. 30, 1810; Stanton Shoals, No. 6, April 1, 1811 ; James Cochran, No. 4, Aug. 27, 1812; David Findley, No. 3, March 18, 1813; William Reno, No. 6, Sept. 8, 1813; James Logan, No. 3, Dec. 15, 1814; Thomas Taylor, No. 3, March 8, 1815; John Edgar, No. 4, May 9, 1815; Charles S. Reno, No. 3, May 10, 1815; John A. Scroggs, No. 4, Sept. 25, 1815; John Harsha, No. 2, Jan. 26, 1816; James Lake, No. 2, Jan. 26, 1816; David Gordon, No. 2, Jan. 26, 1816; James Bell, No. 6, April 22, 1816.
The first deed on record in the county is of interest. It is a conveyance by Joseph Pentecost and his wife Mary of lot No. 74 in "McIntosh at the mouth of Big Beaver creek formerly in Allegheny County, but now in Beaver County," to Wilson, Porter & Fulton, merchants or traders in Beaver. This lot was on Third Street, with a frontage of 120 feet and a depth of 300 feet. The consideration was one hundred and fifty dollars, and the deed is dated August 19, 1803, and was recorded the 18th of November of the same year. This property had been ob- tained by Pentecost from Andrew Johnston, of County Fer- managh, Ireland, February 13, 1799.
The first will recorded is one made by George Riddle, March 18, 1803. The witnesses to this will were Absalom Severns, Ezekiel Jones, and Jacob Myers, and the executors were Mary Riddle and George Brown.
STATE LINE
Panna
SOON VOE SATINDI MIDOS
OHIO
DIST TOM MUITO
JUSTICES
151 Viserall Doncel Patton A
David Christy
Michael Bahar
AA B
A
A.B
Grazie William Horsha
A
Abraham Lyan
30
Borough William Clank
A
Thomas Henry
Chia
David chystan John Wall
57%.
David Findley A
4ª DIST. 5
BigBand Samuel Johnson &
A
John Sprat Daniel Poh
A
James Caughey William Loury A
John Clark William Forbes
Big Beaver
ange William Cairns
Nicholas Kerman A
Thomas Wilson
North Sewickley Twp.
A C
A. B
C
Froersburg
BEAVER
AA
SOUTH 36 MILES & 252 RODS
3º Dist = 624
New Sewickley Two
6™M DIST : 237
0
I
A
RIVER
Greene Twp
19TDIST .- 266
2º DIST. 376
To Nathaniel Boileau
Hopewell Twp.
. Secretary of this Commonwealth We the Commissioners of Beaver
County. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
do certify that the above in the above Draft
we have enderoured to discharge the Du-
Hanover Two
ties enjoined on us by an Act of Assembly passed the 14th day of March 184.
Given under our hands and Seals af Office the 29 th of October 1814
.
A
John Sharp commissioners John Martin
James Dannis Bcover Coury
From an old Draft of Beover County
LAST 8MILES & 100 RODS WASHINGTON COUNTY
Hanover
Samuel Glasgan William Lista
North Beaver TV
Shenango Two
5"" DIST . 305
LITTLE
Ichby Stephen Runyon
Little Beaver TWO.
CAY
Min Vivian Reno
5008988 SATIWAR MEIN
c
South Beaver Two
Ohio TMPCD
Borough AB
Moon Twp
S MILES & 32 RODS
A
BA
RACCOON
ALLEGHENY COUNTY
N 46 € 10 MILES
A
·
A
A
Robert Miller.
199
History of Beaver County
It may interest our readers to see a copy of the receipts and expenditures of Beaver County in one of the early periods of its existence. The following is for the last six months of 1806:
RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES
In the Treasury of Beaver County from the Ist day of July, until the 3Ist of December, 1806, inclusive.
DR.
Balance in Treasury December 31, 1805. $176 45
Received from the Collectors as follows:
Elnathan Coary, Little Beaver tp, 1804. $ 30 58
Moses Louthan, South Beaver tp, 1805. 39 28
John Morton, North Sewickley tp, 1805. 125 31
277 67
Robert Bovard, Little Beaver tp, 1805.
116 15
J. H. Mendenhall, Beaver boro, 1805. 76 33
2 44
John Whitehill, Hanover, 1805 .. ..
62 532
Daniel Campbell, Little Beaver, 1806.
177 89
Hugh Marshall, Big Beaver, 1806.
107 95
Thomas Dawson, 2d Moon, 1806.
171 50
James Leiper, Hanover, 1806. 151 12
William Carson, North Beaver tp, 1806.
300 50
Thomas Evans, Beaver boro, 1806.
46 50
James Jourdan, Ist Moon, 1806.
198 27
Samuel Jackson, Shenango, 1806.
IIO 50
Andrew Johnson, South Beaver, 1806.
153 40
Jacob Yoho, North Sewickley, 1806.
104 64
Rual Reed, Ohio, 1806.
140 00
County and road taxes on unseated land 679 042
Warrants drawn on Treasurer not yet paid. 882 40₺
Total
$4,189 142
CR.
Paid Guion Greer, Treasurer, in full ..
$ 99 16 .
for three locks for prison doors 18 00
for blankets for prisoners 12 40
60
for candlesticks for court. 60 ]
for one year's rent for Comm'r office. 12
50
Fulton, Wilson & Porter, for iron. 67
Robert Moore, Esq., for counsel in sundry cases
14 00
William Gibson, refunding taxes twice paid.
H 20
For express, delivering duplicate to North Beaver tp.
25
Jacob Small, making hinges for prison doors. 21 64
William Leet, New Sewickley tp, 1805.
John Thompson, 2d Moon, 1805 ..
John Irwin, New Sewickley, 1806. 58 51
200
History of Beaver County
William Rhodes, for repairing desks. $
I 55 James Conlin, for fuel for prison and court house; boarding criminals 51 92
John Lawrence, Ist payment for digging a well. 100 00
John Israel, for printing Receipts and Expenditures 24 70
James Carothers, auditor to settle public accounts, I4 days. 18 66
William Henry, Sheriff, for serving notices on constable, elec- tion, Oyer and Terminer 14 732
William Henry, Sheriff, for paper, ink, quills and candles for court.
5 28₺
William Henry, Sheriff, his costs on indictments .. 5 16
David Hays, refunding money paid on land found not to be in the county 3 56
On a bond from the Commissioners of Beaver county to the Commissioners of Allegheny county. 37 60
David Johnston, Prothonotary, for rent of office room. 18 00
David Johnston, Prothonotary, his costs on indictments. 14 14
David Johnston, Prothonotary, for filing election papers. 14 84
David Johnston, Prothonotary, notices to constables, etc. .
4 00
John Bracy, cleaning street through center. 4 75
Constables, attending juries at Circuit Court, Sept., 1806. .
5 00
Jurors, for their attendance during the year. 656 66
961 00
Supervisor, for road taxes on unseated land.
138 00
Inspectors, Judges and Clerks of elections
140 00
James Allison, Esq., his costs on indictments.
8 40
Witnesses in Commonwealth actions
54 96
Constables' costs
2 26
Justices' costs
2 83
Collectors, for errors in assessment. .
30 20
for unseated lands
560 47
for lost taxes.
17 332
fees for collecting 68 852
For wolf scalps. 122 00
Road view orders. 123 00
James Boies, 19 days services as Commissioner. 25 27
John McCullough, 81 days services as Commissioner. 107 73
Samuel Lawrence, 96 days services as Commissioner
127 68
John Saviers, 83 days services as Commissioner
IIO 39
Thomas Henry, 8 days clerk hire.
10 00
Stationery for Commissioners' office
6 69
Fuel 66 66
7 042
Error in statement in 1804
42 42
Warrants given in 1805. 217 232
Balance in the treasury 94 98}
$4,189 14}
Assessors, for 1806.
201
History of Beaver County
AMOUNTS LAID IN TOWNSHIPS IN 1806
Second Moon township.
$248 37
First Moon township.
265 67
Hanover township
250 97
Ohio township.
239 26
South Beaver township
208 16
Little Beaver township.
266 75
North Beaver township.
339 22
Shenango township.
269 69
North Sewickley township
332 62
New Sewickley township
392 76
Big Beaver township
I71 22
Beaver borough
146 98
$3,141 67
AMOUNT PAID BY COLLECTORS IN 1806
Thomas Dawson
$171 50
James Jourdan.
198 27
James Leiper
151 12
Rual Reed
140 00
Andrew Johnson
I53 40
Daniel Campbell
179 89
William Carson.
300 00
Samuel Jackson.
IIO 50
Jacob Yoho
104 64
John Irwin.
58 51
Hugh Marshall
107 95
Thomas Evans.
46 50
Balance due by collectors
1,418 70
$3,141 67
SAMUEL LAWRENCE, - Commissioners.
JOHN SAVIERS,
Feb. 13, 1807.1
ERECTION OF COUNTY BUILDINGS
In the Act of the Legislature of March 12, 1783,2 by which the Depreciation Lands were set apart, the State had reserved for herself on both sides of the mouth of Beaver Creek three thousand acres for public uses, and in the Act of September 28, 1791,3 authorizing the governor to lay out a town (Beaver) and out-lots on this land, the proviso was made that the governor
1 The entries in the above for "quills and candles for court," and of bounties paid for " wolf scalps" are striking evidence of pioneer conditions.
2 2 Smith's L., 62.
3 3 Smith's L., 56.
202
History of Beaver County
should "reserve out of the lots of the said town, so much land as he shall deem necessary for public uses." When the lots were sold the commissioners were instructed "That the four lots in the center and the four corner lots of the town plat marked 'public squares' shall be announced as lands deemed necessary for public uses, and reserved by the governor accord- ingly." We have seen also that the Act of March 12, 1800,1 named three commissioners to "erect the court-house, jail and public offices for preserving the records." Finally, by the Act of April 2, 1803,2 the commissioners were authorized to erect the public buildings "on such parts of the public square as they may deem proper." Accordingly they selected for this purpose two of the centre reserved squares. The first building erected was on the northeastern centre reserved square, now called Harmar Square, on that portion of the square immediately south of the law office formerly that of Samuel B. Wilson, Esq., and now occupied by Wilson & Holt, Esqs. The first story was used for the jail and the second story for the court-room until 1810.3 On the opposite page we give an old view of this build- ing and its surroundings. In that year, 1810, a new court- house was built. Its location was the same as that of the present building, but a little to the east of it. In 1840 an eastern wing was added to the building, and in 1848 some offices for the preservation of the public records were erected on the west side. A search among the old files in the office of the clerk of courts has revealed to us two original papers bearing on the history of these additions. The first paper is the report of the viewers appointed by the court to pass upon the work done in the erection of the eastern wing, and is as follows:
We the undersigned being appointed by the Court viewers to examine the eastern wing of the public offices attached to the Court House lately erected by David Porter, in pursuance of a contract entered into with the commissioners of Beaver County on the second day of April one thousand eight hundred and forty, Respectfully beg leave to report- That we have attended to the duties of our appointment and after a close and particular examination of the work in its several parts and carefully comparing the same with the contract and the changes and
1 3 Smith's L., 429.
2 4 Smith's L., 89.
3 See below in extract from Cuming's Sketches of a Tour to the Western Country, reference to this building, which speaks of it as not yet finished in 1807.
Beaver, 1843. From Day's Historical Collections.
Beaver, 1859. Drawn by Emil Bott.
203
History of Beaver County
alterations thereof by parol admitted to have been made by the con- tracting parties, are unanimously of the opinion that the work is well and substantially executed in conformity with said contract and alteration thereof by parol in relation to the arches; and that although the work has not been completely finished within the time specified in the written con- tract, yet we are of opinion that the Commissioners ought to receive the same from Mr. Porter without any abatement or deduction on that account.
Given under our hands this sixth day of July eighteen and forty one.
JAMES ALLISON
JAMES POTTER
STEPHEN PHILLIPS
JACOB KRONK
CHARLES LUKENS JAMES LOGAN
To the Honorable Judges of the Court of Quarter Sessions.
This report was approved by the court, July 6, 1841.1
The history of the building of the west wing is preserved in the second paper referred to, which is the petition of the county commissioners, asking for the appointment of three fit persons to view the work done, as follows:
To the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Beaver, now holding a Court of Quarter Sessions in and for the said County: The Petition of the Commissioners of the County of Beaver, Re- spectfully Represents:
That it having appeared to your Petitioners that new offices at the west side of the Court House in the Borough of Beaver were necessary to accomodate the several county officers, the safe keeping of the public records, &c .- The same having been approved and recommended by a presentment of the Grand Jury at September Sessions, 1846,-your Pe- titioners procured an estimate to be made as nearly as might be of the probable expense of the same, and under the IIth Section of the Act of 1834, "Relating to counties and townships and county and township officers," did proceed to have said offices or West Wing erected by entering into a contract with Messrs. Dickson & Miller of Allegheny County (they being the lowest and best bidders), for the building of the same for the sum of Two Thousand One hundred and Seventy-five dollars; and that the said offices are now completed agreeably to the said contract. Your Petitioners therefore pray the Court to appoint three fit persons to inspect said offices, and the workmanship thereof agreeably to the Act of Assem- bly, and make report to the next Court of Quarter Sessions, according to law.
ROBERT McFERRAN Commissioners
S. B. WILSON
of
A. MCMILLIN
Beaver County.
I Road Docket No. 1, No. 14, June Sess., 1841.
204
History of Beaver County
This petition was presented at the November Sessions, 1848, and January 10, 1849, the court appointed as viewers Hon. Thomas Henry, William Leaf, and Ellis Howe. January 18, 1849, the viewers made a favorable report, which was confirmed by the court, March 13th, the same year.I
The second court-house, as it appeared with the addition of the wings, is shown in the view opposite this page.
This building came in its turn to be "the old court-house," and its venerable walls that had echoed to the eloquence of two generations of lawyers, among them some of the ablest in the State, had to come down in response to the growing needs of the county, to meet which there was erected, in 1876-77, the present imposing and beautiful structure.
NEW COURT-HOUSE
The necessity for a new court-house had been apparent for several years, and the matter was finally taken up by the grand jury of Beaver County. Presentments of the grand jury were made as required by law at two successive sessions of the court, viz., at the March sessions and the June sessions of 1874, set- ting forth that the grand jury "had examined the present court- house and the adjacent offices, and had found them entirely inadequate for the present needs of the county," and they there- fore recommended "the county commissioners to erect a new court-house for the accommodation of the courts and of the several officers of the county, and for the reception and safe keeping of the records and other public papers in charge of said officers."
The grand jurors for the March sessions were S. G. Caughey (foreman), T. O. Anshutz, Henry Boyle, Daniel Brenner, Samuel Burns, John Craig, Joseph Campbell, Jesse Carothers, Charles Carter, Stephen Calvin, Jerome Douthett, Joseph Ewing, W. C. Fessenden, A. F. Huffman, Wm. W. McCoy, S. R. Mitchell, John Nickum, L. L. Ripper, John Ramsey, J. R. Thompson, John Wilson, and W. F. Read.
The grand jurors for the June sessions were Jas. H. Fife (foreman), J. A. Sutherland, David E. Lowry, Fergus McClel- land, Jas. Anderton, Samuel Gibson, Harvey Reed, John Veon,
1 Road Docket No. 2, No. 8, Nov. Sess., 1848.
--
H. Noss.
Phots New Brighton
The Second Court House. Completed in 1810.
205
History of Beaver County
Gilbert Trumpeter, Wm. Kennedy, M. McGuire, Henry Phillis, Jas. H. McCoy, and John Swaney.
The order of the court approving the finding of the above named grand juries was made July 15, 1874, and certified to the commissioners for their action thereon.
On the 19th day of December following, J. H. McCreery, Esq., the District Attorney of Beaver County, presented his petition to the Court of Common Pleas, setting forth the neglect of the commissioners, viz., H. J. Marshall, Daniel Neely, and David Patten, to erect a court-house as directed, and praying for an alternative writ of mandamus.I I. The same day the court granted the writ. On January 11, 1875, the answer of the commissioners was filed and the case was argued.2
January 25, 1875, the court awarded a peremptory man- damus on the commissioners who were now in office, viz., Daniel Neely, David Patten, and Andrew Watterson, commanding them to proceed forthwith to erect a new and suitable court-house. The commissioners, on February 3, 1875, accepted the service of the writ of peremptory mandamus.
On Thursday, February 4, 1875, by the Board of County Commissioners, the following resolution was unanimously passed :
" Resolved, That the said county of Beaver shall incur an indebtedness of one hundred and twenty thousand dollars ($120,000) for the purpose of erecting a new court-house in obedience to the order of court made January 25, A.D. 1875, and that bonds shall be issued as provided by the second sec- tion of the Act of April, A.D. 1874."
At the same meeting of the board a resolution was adopted levying an annual tax of two mills on the last assessed valuation of taxable property in the county for building purposes, as directed by Act of Assembly passed the 20th of April, 1874. The last assessed valuation of the taxable property in the county was $6,050,738. The actual indebtedness of the county at this time, according to the report of the commissioners, was nothing. To cover the indebtedness to be incurred by the building of the new court-house, a series of 425 bonds, amounting to $120,000,
1 No. 273, December Term, 1874.
2 The petition was represented by J. H. McCreery, J. J. Wickham, S. B. Wilson, and E. B. Daugherty, Esqs., and the county commissioners by Frank Wilson and Robert H. Moore, Esqs.
206
History of Beaver County
was issued. All of these bonds have in due course of time been paid off.
In March, 1875, the Board of Commissioners, with Hon. Henry Hice, the then president judge of the county, and B. F. Wilson, Esq., went to view the court-houses at Mercer, Frank- lin, and Meadville, in this State, and that of Mansfield, Ohio. And on March 29, 1875, the following resolution was adopted by the commissioners, viz., "Resolved, That we locate, and build the New Court House, on the same square on which the present Court House now stands."
On April 15th following, a resolution of the board was passed, reading as follows: "That Thomas Boyd of Pittsburgh be employed as architect to prepare the plans, drawings, and specifications of the new Court House for the consideration of two per cent on the contract price of the said Court House."
On Tuesday, June 29, 1875, the Board of Commissioners awarded the contract for building the new court-house to Wil- liam M. Keyser of New Brighton, by passing the following resolution, viz., "On motion of Mr. Neely, seconded by Mr. Watterson,
"Resolved, That the contract for building the New Court House be and the same is hereby awarded to William M. Keyser of New Brighton for the sum of one hundred and fifteen thou- sand dollars ($115,000)."
On July 1, 1875, the contract was closed by William M. Keyser entering into written articles with the commissioners for the erection and completion of the said court-house, and also by giving a bond with approved security in the sum of fifty thousand dollars for the faithful performance of his contract.
On July 6, 1875, the commissioners, with the assistance of Mr. Boyd, the architect, located the new court-house, making the front line of the building forty-seven and a half feet from the line of Third Street, and in the middle of the square east and west. July 23d a bill for extra excavation and labor for removing two vaults which came in the way of the heavy foundation walls of the court-house was approved and passed, said bill amounting to $336.
Up to this time the Board of Commissioners serving during the period of the erection of the new court-house was com- posed of Messrs. Daniel Neely, David Patten, and Andrew Wat-
-
228
Two Views of Present Court-House.
207
History of Beaver County
terson. On January 3, 1876, the new board, composed of Andrew Carothers, John C. Calhoon, and George W. Shrodes, took the oath of office, and under them the work was completed.
April 22, 1876, the new board awarded a contract for the excavating, walling, etc., of a sink for the court-house for the sum of $641.80.
In June the board, with Mr. Boyd, the architect, and Mr. Keyser, the contractor, went to view the bookcases, seats, and other furniture in the court-houses of Indiana, Armstrong, Venango, Crawford, and Mercer counties, for the purpose of obtaining some ideas in regard to selecting suitable furniture for the new court-house. And on August 7, 1876, there was awarded by the board to William M. Keyser all the balance of the work to be done on the new court-house not included in the first letting or contract, embracing all the bookcases, desks, seats, judge's stand, frescoing court-room, bell, clock, lightning rods, etc., for the sum of $11,953.
The minutes of the Board of Commissioners for January 1, 1877, contain the following entry :
The County Commissioners have this day disposed of all County Bonds authorized by Act of Assembly authorizing the county to issue Bonds to the amount of one hundred and twenty thousand dollars, $120,000, for the purpose of building a new Court House, the same having been issued in denominations and amounts as follows:
180 Bonds of $ 100 each.
$18,000
I25
200
25,000
52
500
26,000
5I
1,000
51,000
Total
$120,000
On Wednesday, February 28, 1877, the commissioners re- ceived the keys of the new court-house from Mr. Wm. M. Keyser, the contractor,' the commissioners, after a thorough
1 Sub-Contractors for the new court-house were: Mr. Cicero Turner, for excavating the basement. He began work on the 5th of July, 1875, and completed his contract in fifteen days thereafter.
The stone contract was awarded to Mr. Altvater, of Allegheny City, the foremanship of which was entrusted to Mr. Richard Morganroth. The main front stone steps were built by Mr. William Fish, of New Brighton.
The brick, common and pressed, were made by Mr. George Agner, of Rochester, Pa. Mr. William Huston, of Beaver, was the superintendent of the brick walls, and the pressed brick were laid by Mr. Jos. C. Hackney, of Philadelphia.
The plastering of the entire building was done by Mr. W. A. Laird, of Beaver. The bill stuff and rough lumber by Messrs. Miner & Co., of Fallston.
Mr. Isaac Lindsay had charge of the entire work, and of the sub-contractors.
208
History of Beaver County
inspection of the building and the workmanship thereof, finding the same to be done according to contract and in conformity to the plans and specifications made by Thomas Boyd, the architect. The original contract with Mr. Keyser was $115,000. Subsequent contracts with him, viz., for bell, clock, seats, desks, tables, stone steps at front door, frescoing, painting, graining, etc., amounted to $14,305.50. An additional payment to Geo. H. Grant & Co. on furniture was $350, making the entire cost of the construction and furnishing of the court-house, $129,- 655.50. The amount in full paid Thomas Boyd for his services as architect was $2586.11.
On Saturday, June 2, 1877, the day advertised for the sale of the old court-house, the same was sold at public outcry to Cicero Turner, including wings, for the sum of $600. The bell was sold to the New Brighton Fire Company for $112; and the seats, casings, steps, out-building, etc. to sundry persons for $171, the purchasers to take down the buildings and remove all debris by the Ist of September, 1877.
The new court-house was dedicated on Tuesday, May I, 1877, the exercises being of the most interesting character. The large court-room was filled to overflowing. On the speakers' stand were the following noted gentlemen; Chief Justice Daniel Agnew, Judges McGuffin, Chamberlin, Hice, Lawrence, and Wil- son; Samuel B. Wilson and Edward B. Daugherty, Esqs., vice- presidents; and Rev. J. K. Miller. At 10.15 o'clock A.M., the meeting was called to order by the chairman, Hon. B. B. Cham- berlin, who called upon Rev. Mr. Miller to make an opening prayer. The chairman then made an introductory address, and in concluding presented Chief Justice Agnew, who made the dedicatory address.I
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