History of Bedford, Somerset, Fulton counties Pennsylvania, Part 36

Author: Waterman, Watkins & Co.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 967

USA > Pennsylvania > Bedford County > History of Bedford, Somerset, Fulton counties Pennsylvania > Part 36
USA > Pennsylvania > Fulton County > History of Bedford, Somerset, Fulton counties Pennsylvania > Part 36
USA > Pennsylvania > Somerset County > History of Bedford, Somerset, Fulton counties Pennsylvania > Part 36

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

Horton, Zophar P., en. April 25, 1861, in Co. F 8th Penn. Res., and served three years; re-en. Jan. 24, 1864, in Co. H 191st Penn. Vola .; wd. June 9, 1864, in front of Petersburg, Va .; leg frac .; disch. June 29, 1865.

Hoon, Stacy, en. in March, 1865, in the 2d regt. Md. Inf .; disch. in June, 1865.

Huff, Isaac G., Co. D 6th Penn. Res .; served a full term. Hurley, William, en. Sept. 20, 1862, in Co. E 84th regt. Penn. Vols .; wd. at Spottsylvania, Va., May 12, 1864; disch. June 18, 1865. Irons, John, served a full term in the 5th regt. Penn. Res.

Jackson, M. J., Co. M 22d Perin. Cav .; en. Feb. 24, 1864; disch. Nov. 6, 1865.

Keeffe, John (who had served as 2d It. of the Bedford county company during the Mexican war), en. in Sept., 1861, in Co. B 3d Cal. Vols. At the expiration of three years, re-en. in Co. C 2d regt. Cal. Vols., and remained in service nntil close of war. Par- ticipated in various engagements with the Indians.

Lambert, Josiah, Co. K 5th regt. Penn. Vols., m. in Aug., 1868; disch. July, 1865.

Lenhart, Peter, a member of Co. K 29th regt. Penn. Vols .; died since the war.

Lenhart, Zarr, a member of the 2d Iowa Inf .; killed at the battle of Fort Donelson, Tenn., 1863.

Ling, Thompson, en. Sept. 1, 1864, Co. K 5th H. A. ; disch. June 18, 1865.

Lohr, H. D., en. Feb. 22, 1862, in Co. G 19th regt. Penn. Vols .; cap. at Chickamauga, Ga., 1868; disch. Sept. 12, 1865.

Lysinger, George, Co. H 107th regt. Penn. Vols. ; cap., died as prisoner, at Salisbury, N. C.

Lyainger, John, served as a member of a nine-months regi- ment.

McDaniels, George, Co. L &d regt. Penn. H. A .; m. March 19, 1864; disch. Nov. 9, 1865.

Mellott, Frederick, served as a member of the 12th regt. Penn. Bes.

Mellen, Thomas R., who after serving in Capt. Filler's Co. for three months in 1861, re-en. in Co. D 6th regt. Penn. Res. He was a gallant soldier, and was killed in the battle of Fred- ericksburg, Va.

Mellen, William 8., dr., m. as a member of the 99th Penn. Vols. March 17, 1866 ; disch. July 1, 1865.

Miller, Aaron J., Co. M 21st Penn. Cav. ; en. Aug., 1868; disch. Feb., 1864; re-en. Co. K 5th H. A .; disch. July, 1865.

Miller, William H., Co. G 93d regt. Penn. Vols .; en. in Sept., 1864 ; disch. June, 1866.

Miller, A. M., Co: C 92d regt. Penn. Vols., en. Nov. 14, 1864; disch. close of war; wd. slightly in front of Fort Fisher.

Miller, M. C., m. Feb. 24, 1865 ; disch, May 5, 1865; served with the 149th regt. Penn. Vols.

Mock, Samuel A., m. Sept. 21, 1864, in Co. 1 91st regt. Penn. Vols .; disch. May 80, 1865.

. Moore, James, served in the 5th regt. Penn. Res.

Moore, Cyrus B., en. in 1864 in Co. K 5th regt. Penn. H. A.

Myers, Luther, en. Feb. 28, 1866, in Co. H 99th Penn. Vols. ; disch. July 10, 1805.

Nicola, Moses, served as a member of the 61st regt. Penn. Vols. Penrod, John B., Jr., en. in Co. F 8th Penn. Res., April, 1861; cap. at Gained' 'fill; re-en. July 12, 1864, in Co. I 194th Penn. Vols., for three months; en. third time in 97th Penn. Vols. ; disch. June 17, 1866.

Potts, Theodore B., en. in 1868, Co. E 2d bat. Penn. Vols; disch. Feb., 1864; re-en. Sept., 1864, in Co. B 6th Penn. H. A .; disch. June, 1865.

Redinger, August P., en. Sept. 18, 1861, Co. D 1st Md. Cav .; disch. Sept. 20, 1864; re-en. in same regt. and co. Sept. 20, 1864; disch. as Ist sgt., June 28, 1865.

Ritchey, Adam 8., en. in Co. C 188d regt. Penn. Vols., for nine months in 1862; en. a second time in the 197th regt. Penn. Vols.,. and the third time in Co. K 97th Penn. Vols.

Rice, Cornelius, en. Feb. 28, 1865, in Co. K 78th Penn. Vols .; disch. Sept. 11, 1865.

Bohn. John, served as a member of the 12th Penn. Res. Robinson, T. 8., served as a member of the 2d Vt. Vols. Schlag, P. B., Co. C 52d regt. Penn. Vols .; en. Sept., 1864; disch. as corp. July, 1865.

Schaffer, Z. A., Co. F 91st Penn. Vols .; en. Sept., 1864; disch. June, 1865.

Sheeder, Henry F., Co. C 53d Penn. Vols., served three years ; re-en. as vet. in same command; disch. June 30, 1965; wd. in battle of Fredericksburg, Va.

Shuss, Adam, Co. F. 56th regt. Penn. Vols., dr., served nine months.

Shroyer, John, Co. C 210th Penn. Vols .; disch. June 27, 1865.

Sigel, Stephen (a member of the Bedford county company during the Mexican War), en. in Sept., 1861, in Co. A 11th Penn. Res .: disch. on account of wds. in Jan., 1863.

Sigel, R., who served in the 11th Penn. Res.

Straight, Abraham, a member of the 5th regt. Penn. Res.

Tannehill, Alfred, died in service as a member of the 14th Iowa Inf.

Tannehill, Eli. a member of the 112th regt. Penn. Vols., killed near Petersburg, Va.

Thomas, Isaac, Co. G 186th regt. Penn. Vols., enlisted March, 1864; disch. Aug., 1865.

Valentine, Samuel, Co. C 210th regt. Penn. Vols .; disch. June 27, 1865.

.Van. Ormer, William W., Co. I 58d regt. Penn. Vols .; en. Sept., 1861 ; disch. July, 1865; was wd. at Antietam and Spottsyl- vania.

Wenling, A. J., Co. C 210th regt. Penn. Vola; m. Sept. 8, 1864; disch. June 27, 1865.

Wertz, George F., Co. F 56th Penn. Vols .; en. Sept., 1864 ; disch. June 4, 1865 ..

Weimer, H. H., Co. H 95th regt. Penu. Vols; in. March, 1865 ; discb. July, 1865.

Wilson, David B., Co. G 11th Penn. Cav .; en. Oct.,. 1862; disch. Aug., 1865.

Woy, James H., Co. B 126th regt. Penn. Vols. ; m. Aug., 1862, for nine months; wd. at Chancellorsville through the arm, at Fredericksburg with bayonet in foot; re-enlisted in Co. H 208th Penn. Vols .; served till close of war.

Younkin, Alfred, died in service as a member of & Kas. regt.

Younkin, Frederick J., a member of the 52d regt. Penn. Vols., died since the war.

Younkin, Foster, a member of a Penn. regt., died since the war.

Zimmerman, Jacob J., Co. G 98d regt. Penn. Vola. ; m. Sept. 17, 1864; disch. June 20, 1865.

Zimmerman, John H., Co. G 98d regt. Penn. Vola .; m. Sept., 1864; disch. June, 1865.

CHAPTER XV.

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

How the First White Men Penetrated this Region - The Military Roads of the French and Indian War Period - Mention of Some of the Provincial Roads Authorized after the Organiza- tion of Bedford County - The Western Road - Early Bridge Building - The National Road - Turnpikes and Stage Coaches -Railroads- Baltimore and Ohio - Pittsburgh and Connells- ville - Berlin Branch - Ursina Branch -Salisbury Branch - Somerset and Mineral Point, and Johnstown and Somerset, form the Present Somerset and Cambria Branch - Hunting- don and Broad Top - Bedford and Bridgeport - Dunning's Creek - The Proposed Harrisburg and Western.

T THE first white men to visit this region- the Indian traders, and the equally adven- turous hunters and trappers - found their way from hill-top to mountain crest, from cove to cove, and from one valley to another by following the trails or paths then in use by the Indians. The latter certainly displayed much astuteness, or, if we may use the term, engineering skill, in the choice of their routes of travel, for the same

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HISTORY OF BEDFORD, SOMERSET AND FULTON COUNTIES.

paths were pursued by the traders with their packhorse trains. Next they were followed by the rude military roads hewed out by the pioneers attached to the armies led by Washington, Braddock, Forbes, Burd and Boquet. Next came the great highways constructed under state and national authority. Then followed the more modern turnpikes, and lastly the railroads of the present day.

Without a doubt the first attempt at road- making in the territory now embraced by these counties took place during Washington's brief and disastrous campaign in the Youghiogheny valley in 1754. The following year Braddock's troops passed over nearly the same route. Hun- dreds of his soldiers on the outward march were daily employed in the work of building roads for the purpose of moving forward the artillery and ammunition and supply trains. Thus was opened a highway over which hundreds of settlers from Maryland and Virginia found their way into southwestern Pennsylvania, im- mediately after the close of the French and Indian war, and' thus was indicated much of the route of the afterward famous National road. Meanwhile, during the year of Brad- dock's disastrous campaign (1755), the authorities of Pennsylvania began the work of cutting out a road from Fort Loudon to the Turkey-Foot or Three Forks of the Youghiogheny. It was in- tended by means of this road to throw forward succor and supplies to Braddock's army. But after a road had been opened nearly to the Alleghenies, the project was abandoned by reason of the strength and hostility displayed by the Indians under pay of the French. From Col. James Smith's" account, we learn that in May, 1755, three hundred men were sent out by the provincial authorities to cut out a wagon road from Fort Loudon to the Three Forks of the Youghiogheny. The advanced party of wood-choppers was in charge of William Smith, Esq. (a brother-in-law of James Smith), of Cono- cocheague. They had passed Raystown - the site of the present town of Bedford-and com- pleted their work to near the foot of the main range of the Alleghenies, when young Smith (James Smith was then but eighteen years of age) was sent back toward Juniata crossings with orders to hasten forward the wagons there halted. He had proceeded but a short distance,

.The Col. James Smith of " Black Boy " fame. See chapter seventh.

however, or to a point about four miles northwest of Raystown, when he was captured by a party of Indians, and, as related in another chapter, held a prisoner by them for five years. Indeed, the Pennsylvania provincials found the woods and mountains teeming with hostile Indians, and in consequence the design was abandoned.

For three years next succeeding Braddock's defeat and death, the French, and the Indians under their control, dominated over all this part of the province. No English-speaking white settlers were permitted to remain, and for that reason no lands or roads were improved. In the summer of 1758, however, Gen. Forbes' campaign against the French and Indians at Fort Du Quesne began, and closed with the capture of that fortress and the final repulsion of the French from the limits of Pennsylvania. As a result of the movements of Forbes' army, a road sufficient for the passage of artillery and wagons was cut out by the Maryland and Vir- ginia troops under Cols. Washington and Burd, from Fort Cumberland northward to Raystown, or Fort Bedford. During the same time, the road partly finished from Fort Loudon to Raystown by the Smith party in 1755 was still further improved, and finally a broad though rough highway was opened from Rays- town westward to the "breastworks".on the top of the Allegheny mountains, thence in a general northwest course across the present county of Somerset to Ligonier, in Westmore- land county, and onward to Fort Pitt. Over this road supplies were sent forward from Philadelphia, and military detachments marched to and from Fort Pitt during the continuance of the French and Indian war. After the close of that struggle for supremacy at the head- waters of the Ohio, or during a period of many years, beginning about the year 1764, it was the only avenue by which the interior of Bedford and Somerset counties could be reached. True, it afterward became a state road, and finally a turnpike, managed by chartered corporations, but it was the same old route, nevertheless.

Until the erection of Bedford county, it is probable that the road just described was the chief, if not the only, highway worthy of the name, intersecting these counties ; but after the event referred to - the organization of Bedford county, in 1771 -much attention was paid to these indispensable adjuncts of civilization- wagon roads. We will allude, in a brief man-

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ner, to a few of them: In October, 1771, a road leading "from the plantation of John Hinkston at Squirrel Hill, on the Conemaugh, via Arthur St. Clair's mill, to Ligonier," was laid out by John Hinkston, John Woods, Thomas Jamison, James Pollock and Garrett Pendergrass, viewers. At the same time a road from the town of Bedford, " separating from the Great Road, which leads from the town of Bed- ford to Fort Pitt, at a small distance to the westward of Smith's run ; from thence extend- ing by James Anderson's and joining the said Great Road about one mile to the westward of the Shawanese Cabin creek," was laid out by a board of viewers consisting of Thomas Kenton, George .Wisegarver, William Riddle, Allen Rose and James Dalton.

In October, 1772, viewers John Nicklo, James Wells, Jr., Thomas Kenton, John Ferguson and Richard Brown laid out a road leading from the town of Bedford to the Youghiogheny river, by way of "the glades of the Youghiogheny and Stoney creek and Sewekely." A road " from the foot of Stony Batter to Daniel Royer's mill " was authorized in October, 1773, after having been viewed by William Kearney, Hugh Rankin, John Mckinley, Jacob Castner, An- drew White and Bryan Coyle. A road extend- ing from "the Maryland line to the provincial road at Bedford " was also laid out in the fall of 1773.

The road from Standing Stone (Huntingdon) to Bloody Run (Everett) was viewed and con- firmed in July, 1774. In April, 1775, a road leading from John Malott's to Henry Warford's in Bethel township was confirmed. Four years later, or July 14, 1779, the road "from Bedford town to the Black Lick settlement," a distance of thirty-seven miles, and fifteen perches, was confirmed, after having been viewed by Thomas Blackburn, Frederick Reichart, Matthew Tay- lor, William Clark, Jr., and Adam Croyle. Many other highways were laid out prior to the revolutionary war in the vast region then em- braced by Bedford county, but it is not deemed necessary to follow their courses further.

THE WESTERN ROAD.

Soon after the close of the revolutionary war, in response to the many prayers and urgent pe- titions of the inhabitants residing in the western counties of the state, the general assembly in- augurated measures to the end that a state

wagon road - to follow the general direction of Forbes' road - might be speedily constructed from the Susquehanna river, through Shippens- burg and Bedford to Pittsburgh. In accordance with this sentiment, on the 25th of September, 1785, the assembly passed an act authorizing the appointment of commissioners and the con- struction of such a highway. The work of lay- ing out the route began soon after, and on the 24th of November, 1787, the courses and dis- tances of the western road leading "from the widow Miller's spring through Shippensburg as far as the town of Bedford " were confirmed by the supreme executive council.

One month later, or on Saturday, December 22, 1787, the following proceedings took place in the council :

WHEREAS, Divers inhabitants of the county of Bed- ford have prayed that the State highway appointed by act of Assembly of the 25th of September, 1785, may be confirmed and made good;

And whereas, the money appropriated by the said Act of Assembly is insufficient for making the said road sixty feet wide as the law directs, and Council being desirous of complying with the said request as far as the money appropriated will admit: Therefore,

Ordered, That such part of the said road as leads from this side of Sideling Hill to the opposite side of Ray's Hill, in the County of Bedford, be cleared and made good and sufficient, to be twelve feet wide on the sides of the hills or among the rocks, and not less than twenty feet wide on the other ground, and room. to be made for not less than three wagons to draw off to one side in the narrow places at a convenient dis- tance for others to pass by, and the waters to run next to the hill sides.

At the same time it was made public that proposals for doing the said work would be re- ceived until the 1st of April, 1788.

On March 14, 1789, the supreme executive council of the state resolved that Alexander McLean, of Fayette county ; James Guthrie, of Westmoreland county, and John Skinner, of Franklin county, be appointed commissioners "to view and mark out " the " Western Road," leading from Bedford to Pittsburgh. This was done in accordance with a resolution of the general assembly passed November 21, 1788. Mr. McLean began his labors alone on Decem- ber 3, 1789, and he soon ascertained, by measur- ing northward from the 158th mile post, "that Bedford town laid 19 miles and 290 perches north of Mason and Dixon's line."

During the succeeding year (all of the mem- bers of the board of commissioners engaging in

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the work) the route was surveyed through to Pittsburgh. The report of the commissioners, describing the courses and distances, was ap- proved by the executive council on Tuesday, September 28, 1790. It was traversed by Gen. Lee's army during the whisky insurrection in 1794, and, known as the old "Pennsylvania Road," it served as the best means of communi- cating between the eastern and western portions of the state until after the close of the war of 1812-15, when the era of turnpike-building began. The same general direction across the state was still maintained in constructing the turnpikes, but the route was shortened at many points and the mountain tops gained by less abrupt gradients.

EARLY BRIDGE-BUILDING.

In November, 1795, the county commissioners of Bedford county resolved to . rebuild " the three bridges near Bedford town"-two over the Raystown branch of the Juniata and one over Dunning's creek. Also to build a new bridge over the Raystown branch "near Thomas Kenton's, on the Glade road." For such pur- poses $6,000 were ordered to be levied and collected the following year. Work upon these bridges was not commenced until 1797, when the commissioners contracted with John Knisely to build a bridge and causeway over the Rays- town branch at his mill, west of Bedford, for £550; with Robert Spencer to construct a bridge and causeway over Dunning's creek " where the state road passes over the same east of Bedford," for £650, and for small bridges and approaches near the same, £350; with William Anderson and Robert Small for a bridge over the Raystown branch "east of Bedford, where the state road passes the same," for £500. These bridges were built, in a very substantial manner, of stone, oak and iron, and all were completed before the year 1800.

THE NATIONAL ROAD.

"An Act to Regulate the Laying Out and Mak- ing a Road from Cumberland, in the State of Maryland, to the State of Ohio " was passed by the senate of the United States on the 30th day of December, 1805. It was then debated and passed in the house of representatives, and be- came a law March 29, 1806. The commissioners appointed by the president under this act to designate the route of the proposed road were Col. Eli Williams (a revolutionary officer whose

home was at Williamsport, Maryland), Thomas Moore, of Maryland, and Joseph Kerr, of Ohio, who, after an examination of the country, made their first report in the latter part of 1806, which was presented to congress, with the mes- sage of President Jefferson, January 31, 1807. In a special message to congress, February 19, 1808, referring to the report of the commission- ers, he said :

I have approved of the route * therein proposed for the said road as far as Brownsville, with a single deviation, since located, which carries it through Uniontown. From thence, the course to the Ohio and the point within the legal limits at which it shall strike that river is still to be decided.

In 1811 congress passed an act appropriating $50,000 with which to begin the work of construc- tion. The first contracts, in sections, for the first ten miles from Cumberland, were made April 16 and May 8, 1811. These were finished in the autumn of 1812. The next letting was of eleven miles more, to Tomlinson's, in August, 1812, which were nearly completed in 1814. From Tomlinson's to Smithfield, eighteen miles were let in August, 1813, but not finished until 1817, owing to the scarcity of laborers during the war, war prices and the fear of failure of some of the contractors. The next letting was of about six and a half miles west of Smithfield in September, 1815, in sections, to John Hagan, Doherty, McGlaughlin and Bradley, William Aull and Evans and Ramsay. In February, 1817, about five miles more were let (taking the road to Braddock's grave) to Ramsay and McGarvey, John Boyle, D. McGlaughlin and Bradley and Charles Mckinney. And in May, 1817, it was let about nine miles farther, to Uniontown, to Hagan and McCann, Mordecai

* Just prior to the passage of the act regulating the laying out and making a National road, various citizens of the southwest- ern counties of Pennsylvania (among whom were Thomas Spencer, Abraham Morrison, James Mitchell and John McClean, of Somerset county) had secured the passage of a state legisla- tive act, incorporating a stock company, for the purpose of "making an artificial road from the western side of Laurel Hill, near Uniontown, to the State line, in a direction toward Cumberland in the State of Maryland." "The company was em- powered to erect toll-gates and collect toll on the road, the work to be commenced within six years, and completed within ten years from the date of the act, under penalty of forfeiture of its franchises, and the state to have the right of taking the road at any time after 1830 by reimbursing to the company the cost of its construction. But the act of congress passed soon afterward, providing for the construction of the National road, caused the abandonment of the project for constructing the "Union and Cumberland Turnpike."

Another proposed turnpike route was known as the "Harris- burg and Pittsburgh." The road to extend from the Susquehanna river opposite Harrisburg through Bedford and Sonlerset coun- ties to Pittsburgh. In the spring of 1806, George Kimmel, Abra- ham Morrison, Peter Kimmel and John Shull, of Somerset county, and John Davis, John Anderson, Jacob Bonnett and Henry Wertz, Jr., of Bedford county, were appointed by the governor as commissioners to superintend the work of surveying and con- structing the road, but it seems that the project miscarried and was abandoned.

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INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

and James Cochran, Thompson Mckean and Thomas and Mathew Blakeley.

Having shown the date of its construction, and by whom, from Cumberland to Uniontown, it is not deemed necessary to follow its course and to mention its builders, etc., further. Suffice it to say, then, that the road was open for travel with scarcely a break (except some heavy masonry) from Cumberland to Uniontown in the summer of 1817. On August 1, 1818, the first stage-coach from Cumberland, carrying the United States mail for the west, left that place by the National road, and passing over the com- pleted as well as unfinished portions, arrived at Wheeling, on the Ohio, in due time. The por- tion of the road last finished was that part lying between Uniontown and Brownsville, which was completed and made ready for use in the fall of 1820. On the 19th of December, 1820, the Genius of Liberty of Uniontown announced in its columns :

The National turnpike is now completed and in the use of the public from Cumberland in the State of Maryland, to Wheeling in the State of Virginia, a distance of about one hundred and thirty miles.

When completed the road had cost the United States government nearly $1,700,000, and it was one of the best and most substantial turnpike roads ever built in this country. A main thoroughfare between the East and the West, it was to be expected that an immense amount of travel would be attracted to it ; but all the expectations which could have been previously entertained of the vast volume of travel and traffic which would pass over the National road between the Ohio and the Potomac were trebly verified by the result. There were the stage- coaches carrying the mail and passengers, loaded to their utmost capacity from the first, and con- stantly increasing in number from that time until the opening of the railroads banished them forever. By these conveyances all the promi- nent public men of the West, and many of those from the South - presidents elect from Ten- nessee, Ohio and Louisiana, on their way to inauguration ; presidents-in-office passing to and fro between the city of Washington and their southwestern homes; ex-presidents on their way to the shades of private life ; senators, members of congress, and numberless officials of lesser grade -all made the National road their highway to and from the National capital. Then, too, there were the long, almost intermin-

able trains of Conestoga wagons, laden on their eastward trips with flour, whisky, bacon and other produce, and returning west with loads of iron, salt and every kind of merchandise, their numbers being swelled on the return to the West by the addition of equally numerous trains of the same kind of wagons, freighted with the families and household effects of emigrants from the East, bound to new homes beyond the Ohio. Besides these, the road was crowded with various other kinds and descriptions of wagons, laden and unladen, with horsemen and private conveyances innumerable. "But the passengers' on foot outnumbered and outate them all. The long lines of hogs, cattle, sheep and horses, working their way on the hoof by the month to an Eastern market, was almost endless and countless. They were gathered in from the Wabash, the Scioto, the Muskingum and the Ohio valleys, and the men, all tired and dry and hungry, had to be cared for at a great cost, for it was like feeding an army every day and night."

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History of Bedford, Somerset, Fulton counties Pennsylvania, Part 36

Author: Waterman, Watkins & Co. Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Number of Pages: 967

Author: Waterman, Watkins & Co.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 967