USA > Pennsylvania > Bedford County > History of Bedford, Somerset, Fulton counties Pennsylvania > Part 117
USA > Pennsylvania > Fulton County > History of Bedford, Somerset, Fulton counties Pennsylvania > Part 117
USA > Pennsylvania > Somerset County > History of Bedford, Somerset, Fulton counties Pennsylvania > Part 117
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thousand dollars to be kept as a perpetual fund, the annual interest to be applied to paying the minister's salary.
The first church officers mentioned in the record are Robert Colborn and Isaac Dwire, elders, in 1795 ; Jacob Rush, appointed deacon, vice Reuben Skinner, in September, 1796 ; Rob- ert Colborn was ordained elder and Jacob Rush deacon, October 8, 1796. An examination of the church records shows that the following ministers were serving as pastors at the dates given : Present at the organization, 1795, Isaac Sutton, John Corbley. October 19, 1799, Na- thaniel Skinner, Jr., was ordained to the min- istry by John Corbley and Henry Speers. Suo- ceeding pastors : John Cox, 1817-19; James Fry, 1820-32; William French, 1826; John Thomas, 1832-9 ; Isaac Wynn, 1839-42 ; Gar- rett R. Patton, 1842-5 ; William Hickman, 1845-7; Cleon Kees, C. Gilbert, Isaac Wynn, 1848; William Hickman, 1849 ; John A. Pool (ordained), 1849 ; G. Lanham, 1852-4 ; John Williams, 1854; William Ellis, 1854-7; J. Williams, 1857 ; B. F. Brown, 1860; J. Will- iams, 1861 ; J. R. Brown, 1866 ; J. R. Brown, 1868-72; William Barnes, 1872-3 ; N. B. Scritchfield, 1873-4; J. E. Watters, 1874-7; Wm. P. Fortney, 1877-9; James R. Brown, 1879, present pastor. Membership in Septem- ber, 1888, sixty-five.
Church of God .- The first church in Ursina was the Church of God, built in 1869, at a cost of about seven hundred dollars. The first pas- tor, Rev. William Davis, was succeeded by Revs. Miles Pritts, John Wood and Wm. H. Long. At present the church has a membership of about thirty. A church of this denomination, situated about three-fourths of a mile from Draketown, was erected in 1879, during the pastorate of Rev. Wm. H. Long. It cost about nine hundred dollars. The first deacons were Jehu Rush and Frederick Krieger. This church has a small membership.
Lutheran .- The Evangelical Lutheran church of Ursina was organized in 1869, and a house of worship was erected the same year at & cost of about twenty-five hundred dollars. The pastors have been Revs. Peter Gheen, Wm. Triday, David T. Kooser, A. M. Smith, A. K. Felton and Wm. G. Gettle. The first church offi- cers were John P. H. Walker and John Davis, deacons ; Arnold Kuhlman and Joseph Lichty, elders. Present membership, about forty.
Methodist Episcopal .- The Ursina Methodist Episcopal church was built in 1871, at a cost of about three thousand dollars. The first pastor and his successors in order were : Revs. Wesley Davis, O. A. Emerson, H. J. Hickman, Theo- dore Shaffer, B. W. Hutchinson and N. B. Tannehill. The first classleader was Norman Lichliter.
Confluence Lutheran Church .- The first church in Confluence was erected in 1870-1, by the Evangelical Lutheran denomination. The house is a frame building, and cost about thirty-five hundred dollars. For list of pastors, see sketch of Lutheran church at Ursina.
Methodist Episcopal .- The Confluence Meth- odist Episcopal church was erected in 1872, under the pastorate of Rev. Wesley Davis. It cost about four thousand dollars. For list of pastors, see history of the Ursina Methodist Episcopal church. The first trustees were Jonathan Frantz, A. G. Black, Daniel Mickey, William Pullin . and Sebastian Tissue .. First classleader, Job M. Flanagan.
Draketown Methodist Episcopal Church .- This is a tasty and beautiful church, erected in 1880, at a cost of eleven hundred dollars. The first trustees were A. S. Hyatt, Eli Conn and Thomas Ream. The first classleader, A. S. Hyatt ; the first pastor, Rev. W. P. Hutchinson, was succeeded by Rev. B. Tannehill, the pres- ent pastor. The membership is about thirty.
Methodist Episcopal. - The Harnedsville Methodist Episcopal church was organized about 1855, by Rev. Jackson Endsley, the first preacher in the place, and under whose administration a house of worship was erected at a cost of about five hundred dollars. The present membership is about thirty.
CHAPTER LXX. UPPER TURKEY-FOOT.
Township Organisation - Early Settlers of Irish and German Origin -Families - Paddytown - First Mills -Counterfeit- ers' Headquarters- Tax List, 1848-Kingwood and Cassel- man Villages-Their Origin and Growth -Churches of the Township.
U PPER TURKEY-FOOT township was or- ganized in 1848, its territory, up to that date, having been included in the old township of Turkey-Foot. This region was settled early, but much of the land, owing to its mountainous
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D. YJuly
COL. E. D. YUTZEY,
Col. Yutzey was born in Elk Lick township, Som- erset county, Pennsylvania, February 1, 1835. His father, Daniel Yutzey, was of German nativity and came to this county in 1823, settling in Elk Lick township. He was a farmer by occupation, and in his religious affiliations a Mennonite. The family for many generations had been adherents of this faith, and had been driven from one country to another in consequence of their conscientious scruples against doing military duty. Christian Yutzey, or Jutzi, as the name was originally spelled, was of Russian birth. He. with many others of the Amish and Men- nonite faith, emigrated to Germany in consequence of an edict of the Czar of Russia requiring military duty from all his subjects, which was not at that time required in Germany. However, during the wars of Napoleon First, all'the subjects of the German Empire were required to perform military duty and were con- scripted into the imperial army. * ** * To avoid further encroachments upon their faith they came to this country. Christian Yutzey was the grandfather of the immediate subject of this biography, and died in Somerset county, at an advanced age.
The boyhood of Col. Yutzey was not unlike that of most farmers' boys; the summer's work upon the farm was alternated by the usual term at the district school in winter. At the age of sixteen he was thrown wholly upon his own resources, and, fully appreciating the value of an education, he entered the Mount Union College, Ohio, from which institution he graduated -
with honor. Shortly after his graduation, he went to Harrison county, Kentucky, where he engaged in teaching. From thence he went to Camden, Missis- sippi, where for three years he was the principal of an academy. In 1858 he returned to his native county, and the following year was elected county surveyor and appointed deputy prothonotary. About this time he began the study of the law in the office of Koontz & Meyers, but before the completion of his legal studies the war broke out and he entered the service as private in Co. C, 54th regt. Penn. Vol. Inf. He had recruited for this regiment nearly one hundred and fifty men and was unanimously elected captain of his company ; from this position he rose by successive gradations to the colonelcy of his regiment; he fol- lowed the fortunes of the regiment until they were mustered out of the service, and participated in many decisive engagements, notably among the number the battles of Newmarket, Paducah, Lexington, Kern- town, Lynchburg, Winchester, Fisher's Hill, Snicker's Gap and Cedar Creek, Virginia. In February of 1865 the colonel returned to his home, and the following year engaged in railroad engineering and contracting. In 1874 he was elected to represent his district in the state senate, and upon the expiration of his term was re-elected to the same position. In 1859 Col. Yutzey was married to Miss Nancy, daughter of George Scott, Esq., of Somerset. They have been blessed with two children: Elam E. and Lizzie. In his religious and political affiliations the Colonel is a member of the Disciple church and an uncompromising republican.
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UPPER TURKEY-FOOT.
and rugged features, still remains uncleared. There are few, if any, portions of the county which afford more attractive scenery. This township contains more than an average number of fine farms.
A large number of the early settlers were Irish. Many of their descendants are still liv- ing upon the original homesteads. But it is difficult to conceive the changes that have been wrought since their ancestors penetrated the heart of the wilderness, and, fighting their way against countless obstacles, prepared for the civilization of today. This entire region was filled with wild game, and therefore it was not difficult for the pioneer to obtain the means of subsistence ; but it required arduous and long- continued toil to clear off the forests, subdue the earth and render it fit for cultivation. How dreary, how remote from the world, yet how courageous and how trustful were the lives of the early settlers !
John Cunningham was born in Ireland in 1774. At the age of sixteen he came to America, and after living for a time near Fort Hill, in Addison township, settled near Paddytown, upon a farm, where he died in 1841. He mar- ried Jane McClintock, and was the father of eleven children : Alexander, James, William, John, Jane (Hanna), Mary (Gower) and Eliza- beth, deceased ; Robert, Easton and Margaret (Justice), living. John inherited his father's farm, and lived upon it until his death in 1875. His widow is still living, and also her ten chil- dren. Two of the sons, Brookley and Coston, have charge of the farm, which is a good one, in a flourishing condition. Dr. Wesley Cunning- ham, of Gebhartsburg, is also a son of John, Jr.
Jacob Younkin, an early settler near King- wood, was a native of Germany, and came to this county from Bucks county, Pennsylvania. After his death his farm was equally divided between his two sons, John J. and Henry. John J. was born on the old homestead in 1787, and died in 1839. He married Polly Hartzell, and reared eleven children, three of whom sur- vive: Jacob, Herman and Elizabeth (Hare). Herman Younkin is a farmer, and resides in this township. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church forty years, and a local preacher for thirty years. He has served as assessor and collector several terms.
Frederick Younkin was born in Bucks county about 1762. At an early age he settled near
Kingwood, and cleared up a farm. He was one of the earliest settlers in that neighborhood, and experienced much annoyance from bears, pan- thers and other wild animals which then infested the forests. He was a shoemaker by trade, and also carried on distilling and farm- ing. He died in 1843. His children were Moses, John, Frederick F. (the sole survivor), Henry, Betsey, Polly, Christina (Dull), Catha- rine (Lamer), Sarah (Weimer) and Peggy (Pinkey). Frederick F. was born in 1800, on the farm where he still resides. His son, J. C., lives on a farm adjacent to the homestead. He purchased it of his father in 1857.
Henry Kreger, a native of Germany, settled in Middle Creek township in 1836. He died in Upper Turkey-Foot, where several of his chil- dren now live. His son, Henry S., born in Ger- many in 1800, came to this county about 1834. He has resided in this township since about 1847, and now lives with his son Christopher. His son Jacob, who was born in Middle Creek township, has been engaged in the mercantile business at Kingwood since 1864. He was a soldier in the late war, and lost a leg at Freder- icksburg. Mr. Kreger has held several township offices.
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Baltzer Gerhard, a native of Germany, came to Brother's Valley township in 1826. His son Jacob came to America with him in 1819, and in 1845 settled in this township. He has served as justice of the peace for twenty-three years. Jacob B. Gerhard, son of Jacob, is a native of this township. He was engaged in teaching for a time, but since 1881 has been carrying on the mercantile business in Kingwood.
Rudolph Meyers, a native of Stony Creek township, settled in Upper Turkey-Foot about 1838, purchasing a farm of three hundred and sixty acres of Barney Conolly. He died in 1874. Mr. Meyers was the father of eight children. His eldest son, Jonas, served in the late war from August, 1862, to June, 1865, in Co. C, 142d regt. Penn. Vols., and was wounded at Hatcher's Run and at Cold Harbor. He purchased the farm on which he lives, of William J. Baer, in 1867.
John Henry, whose father was a revolutionary soldier, moved from McConnellsburg to this township about 1808. He settled upon a farm of two hundred and twenty-eight acres, which he cleared and improved. A cabin had pre- viously been erected on the farm by an early
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HISTORY OF SOMERSET COUNTY.
settler named Henry Grove. When Mr. Henry came, and for many succeeding years, the coun- try about him was wild and inhabited largely by wolves and bears, which destroyed his hogs, sheep and young cattle. During the winter of 1835 John Henry and his neighbor, David Whipkey, entrapped and killed thirty-five bears.
During the years 1808-10 there were but few families in the vicinity. The Whipkeys -Hen- ry, David and George; Peter Gary, who had been a tifer in the revolutionary war, and Nicho- las and James Knight, with their families, were the only settlers in Mr. Henry's neighborhood, in this township. . After settling here, John Henry married Elizabeth Imel, daughter of Henry Imel, of Fayette county. They had seven sons. Jacob, who is the eldest, has always resided in this township. He lives on the old homestead, and is now seventy-two years of age. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Peter Gary, and granddaughter of the revolutionary fifer above-mentioned. They have reared eleven children, five of whom are living.
Peter Gary was born in what is now Middle Creek township, about 1785, and lived for eighteen or twenty years on the farm of his father, Peter Gary. John Gary, son of the first- mentioned Peter, was born in 1819, and died in 1883. He married Margaret, sister of Jacob Henry, and was the father of twelve children, of whom eleven are living - Eve, Thomas, Mary, Catharine, Elizabeth, Fanny, Barbara, Jonas, Jacob, William and John. John Gary, Sr., set- tled in Upper Turkey-Foot about 1840.
William Eicher, a native of Fayette county, settled in this township in 1845. His farm is among the best in the township.
John Eicher, brother of William, is also a native of Fayette county, and has resided in this township since 1850. Mr. Eicher has held several township offices. The farms owned by William and John Eichler formerly belonged to James Cunningham, now deceased.
Jacob Augustine, a thrifty farmer of this township, is a native of Addison township, where .both his father, Peter Augustine, Jr., and his grandfather, Peter Augustine, lived. In 1861 Mr. Augustine came to Upper Turkey-Foot, and purchased a farm of three hundred acres of Samuel McMillen. This farm, under Mr. Au- gustine's management, has much improved and increased in value. A recent discovery of a six- foot vein of coal has been made upon this farm.
A postoffice was established at Paddytown probably as early as 1820. John K. McMillen was the first postmaster.\
Paddytown is a small settlement, so named from the fact that the earliest settlers in the locality were nearly all Irishmen.
Probably the first gristmill in Upper Tur- key-Foot was built by Matthew Pinkerton, near Paddytown. It was rebuilt several times, and finally converted into a distillery, which was burned. About 1840 the old mill became a noted place, owing to the operations of a band of counterfeiters, who made it their headquar- ters. The manufacture of spurious silver coin was carried on quite extensively for some time, but at length the counterfeiters were dis- covered, and some of them punished.
In 1880 a manufacturing industry, which promised to be important, was undertaken in this township. Markel & Co., of Pittsburgh, erected a large pulpmill, and began the manu- facture of paper pulp from spruce. The busi- ness was carried on for about two years, when the company failed, and the property passed. into the hands of an assignee.
The following is the assessor's list of owners of real property in Upper Turkey-Foot town- ship in the year 1848 :
Mich. Ansell, Sr., John Ansell, Simon Blu- baugh, Fred. Blubaugh, John Blubaugh, John Brougher, Sr., John Brougher, Jr., Jac. Brougher, Sam. Brougher, Peter Brougher, Wm. Baldwin, Sam Baldwin, John Brook, Silas Buley, Chris. Boyer, miller ; Widow Brad- ford, Widow Briggs, Sam. Cramer, Mesmore Cramer, John Cramer, Henry Conn, Emanuel Conn, Paul Cleavinger, Dav. Crosson, Alex Cunningham, blacksmith ; Robert Cunning- ham, Easton Cunningham, blacksmith ; James Cunningham, John Cunningham, Thomas Caton, Moses Caton, Bernard Creager, Henry Creager, Fred Creager, Bernard Connelly's estate, Hugh H. Connelly, saddler; Widow Connelly, John L. Dietz, Jos. B. Davis, Benj. Davis, Fred. Dull, Jona. Dombold, Shaphet Dwire, Wm. Eicher, Sam Fike, John Friend, Jac. Friend, Jac. Firestone, Peter Fadely, car- penter ; John Gary, Jac. Gerhart, Jona. Gray, shoemaker ; Josiah Gross, John Glacher, Thos. Hanna, Esq., Wm. Henry, John Henry, Jesse Hoover, merchant; John Henry, Jr., Jac. Henry, Melchi Hartzell, Isaac Husband, Jonas Hartzell, Henry L. Holbrook, surveyor ; Jac. N. Hartzell,
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Adam Hochstetler, Jos. W. Herrington, tailor ; Robt. Hare, weaver; Dav. Himebaugh, miller ; Henry Hofalt, Sam. Himebaugh, Alex. Hanna, Sam. K. King, Dan. Knight, Jere. King, wagon- maker ; Sam. King, Wm. Knight, Thos. King, Christo. King, Mich. King, Lem. King, John King's estate, John King, Peter Lanning, John Leiphart, Dav. Lechliter, Levi Lechliter, Sam. Lechliter, John C. Lechliter, Dan. Lee, Margt. Lechliter, John McMillen, tanner ; James Mickey, Geo. Mickey, Anth. Mickey, Uriah Marietta; John May, Henry Minard, Rudolph Moyer, Dan. May, Widow May, Wm. McClin- tock, John Minard, Jac. Minard, Byard H. Mil- ler, Sam. E. McMillen, John McMillen, Esq., Abr. Miller, John K. McMillen, John Miller, cooper ; Chas. Minard, Henry Minard, Jr., Widow Moyer, P. & W. Meyers, Dav, Nichola, John Nichola, Geo. Nichola, Mich. Neff, Mich. Nichola, John Nickel, Chris. Ober, Dav. Phil- lippi, John Phillippi, Abr. Phillippi, Jos. Pritts, blacksmith; Levi Pritts, blacksmith; Dan. Phil- lippi, Wm. Pinkerton, John Phillippi, Geo. Phillippi, Simon Phillippi, Ph. Phillippi, Robt. Parker, Peter Putman, Wm. K. Rush, Jehu Rush, Geo. Ramsparger, Chas. Rose, Easton Rush, Leond. Strait, Jere. Saylor, Simon L. Solomon, Enoch Solomon, Ph. Sullivan, tanner; Jos. Sech- ler, Wm. Spencer, John Shultz, Peter Shultz, Aaron Schrock, Dav. Schrock, Garrison Smith, And. Schrock, Emanuel Schrock, shoemaker; Jac. Shultz, Sam. Storm, Adam Snyder, Henry D. Snyder, Jona. Snyder, Benj. Snyder, Geo. Sny- der, John Shaaf, Abr. Sanner, Dan. Shultz, Henry Tedrow, Wm. Tedrow, Dan. Tresler, Geo. Whipkey, John Whipkey, Dan. Williams, Peter Weimer, Sam. Whipkey, Alex. Whipkey, Jac. Weimer, Geo. Whipkey, Jr., Chas. L. Younkin, Fred. Younkin, John Younkin, Her- man Younkin, Jac. J. Younkin, Widow Younkin, Widow F. Younkin, Fred. H. Younkin, Peter Zufall, John Zufall.
KINGWOOD.
This village consists of about a dozen houses. The first store was erected by A. W. Walter about 1856. It has since been rebuilt, and is now occupied by Jacob Kreger. A. W. Walter also erected the first dwelling-house in the place in 1854. A. J. Shultz built the first blacksmith- shop about 1868. Kingwood's business interests in 1888 were two stores, one blacksmith-shop, one shoemaker-shop, three cabinetshops and one physician. The village contains two churches.
CASSELMAN.
This village was laid out in 1869, by L. L. Wolfersberger and D. J. Phillippi, who were the owners of the land. The plat was made on an extensive scale, but unfortunately the place is slow in building. Casselman contains two stores, one blacksmith-shop and one shoemaker- shop. It is a point from which considerable lumber, bark, charcoal, railroad ties, etc., are shipped. The first house in Casselman was built by L. L. Wolfersberger in 1869. The first store was erected the same year by John R. Weimer. The shookshop, erected by Weak- land & Nutter in 1873, is still in operation and affords employment to six hands. A steam saw- mill, operated by C. Berkley and Isaac Gros- such, manufactures ties and lumber. Jacob Hochstetler, who lives at Casselman, operates a coalbank near the village. Mr. Hochstetler also owns a good limequarry, from which large quantities of limestone are sold. William Zufall and B. F. Snyder also operate a quarry and kiln, carrying on the most extensive busi- ness of any in the township in this line. They employ from six to eight laborers and burn an average number of one hundred bushels per day. CHURCHES.
Methodist Episcopal .- The first church in Upper Turkey-Foot was a log building, erected by the Methodists, at Paddytown, in 1816. Rev. Jacob Gruber held the first quarterly meeting and preached the first sermon in this church. Rev. James Wilson was the first preacher in charge. The following presiding elders have conducted services here : Revs. William Stevens, Robert Boyd, Charles Elliott, Joshua Monroe, Thornton Fleming, David Sharp, Thomas M. Hudson, Samuel Wakefield, C. D. Battelle, John J. Swayze, Franklin Moore, Z. H. Coston, J. G. Sanson, Robt. Hopkins, C. A. Holmes, A. J. Ensley, R. L. Miller, L. R. Beacon, present pre- siding elder.
A new meeting-house was erected by the Methodists in 1874-a. frame building which cost fourteen hundred dollars. The first minis- ter was Rev. M. C. Lichliter; trustees, Herman Younkin, Samuel Phillippi, Wm. Eicher, Dr. Wesley Cunningham, John Blubaugh and John S. Cramer ; classleader, Samuel Phillippi. The present membership is about forty-five.
Wesley Chapel Methodist Episcopal church, situated in the northern part of the township, was erected in 1863, at a cost of one thousand dollars. The first ministers were Revs. Wil-
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kinson and Williams. The trustees were John Lanning, Messimer Cramer, John C. Phillippi, Norman Lichliter, David Lichliter, Jeremiah Pile and Joseph B. Critchfield ; classleader, David Lichliter. Membership about thirty-five.
Kingwood Churches .- The first church in Kingwood was the Evangelical Lutheran, built in 1852, at a cost of about five hundred dollars. The first pastor was Rev. M. F. Pfahler. The present membership is about sixty-five.
The Church of God at Kingwood was erected in 1876. The first minister was Rev. John Hickernell. The first officers were as follows : Trustees, Jacob Kreger, John A. Shultz, Ephraim Schrock; elders, C. H. Kreger, Josiah Gross ; deacons, Wm. Gerhard, Sam'l Metzler. This church cost thirteen hundred and fifty dol- lars. The membership is about thirty-five.
A Church of God, situated about a mile and a half south of Kingwood, was erected about 1859, at a cost of about four hundred dollars. The first preacher was Rev. J. Hickernell, under whom the house of worship was erected. The church officers were : Jonathan Dumbauld and Josiah Gross, elders ; James King and John F. Kreger, deacons. The present membership is about forty-five.
A log church, one mile east of Kingwood, was erected about 1830, by the Disciples. There is no record of the first members or early pastors. In 1887 the house was sold to the German Bap- tista, who now hold services in it regularly.
Casselman Union Church .- The Union church at Casselman was erected in 1878, by the Luther- ans, Methodists, United Brethren and the Evan- gelical Association. It was dedicated by Rev. J. Metzger, of the United Brethren, who was the first pastor of that denomination. His succes -. sors have been Revs. J. Potter, J. N. Munden and B. F. Noon.
CHAPTER LXXI. ADDISON.
A part of the Turkey-Foot Region - Evidences of Indian Occupa- tion - Fort Hill - A Curious Natural Formation -Indian Graves-Braddock's Route - The Graveyard at Bix Poplars -The Oldest Cemetery in Somerset County - Settlers of 1768 - Addison Township Organised in 1800- Early Settlers- Family Sketches - Somerfield - Petersburg - Listonburg - Churches and Societies.
A DDISON township is rich in historic asso- ciations. It is a part of the region known to the Indians and the early white explorers and settlers as Turkey-Foot, embracing the scene of
the earliest settlement in Somerset county. The Youghiogheny river, forming the western boundary of the township, and the Casselman, forming the northern line, each flow through a country rich in picturesque features. Along these streams were the hunting-grounds and routes of travel of the Indians. The number of implements of Indian manufacture which have been discovered in these localities shows con- clusively that large numbers of the aborigines must have frequented this region. Numerous. Indian graves which have been found at Fort Hill and vicinity are also evidences of the same fact.
Fort Hill is one of the many peculiar natural mounds belonging to the terrace formation, which are found in various parts of the United States. It is a hill of considerable altitude, having an area of about one hundred acres, of which seven acres, nearly level, but sloping toward the center, form the top. Its command- ing position doubtless caused it to be occupied by the Indians as a point of observation in times of danger. The number of graves here also in- dicates that the hill may have been the site of an encampment, more or less permanently oo- cupied. There is no evidence that there was ever a fort of any kind at this point.
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