USA > Pennsylvania > Butler County > History of Butler County, Pennsylvania. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 43
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CHAPTER XIX.
CONNOQUENESSING.
Peter MeKinney, the Hunter, Trapper and Pioneer Settler-John Ekin -- Scotchi Settlers-The Grahams, MeLeods and McDonalds- Early German Settlers-The Beighles and Mobileisens-Juridenis of Pioneer Life-Whitestown and Pelorsville -The Old Churches at Mount Nebo and White Oak Spring.
"THE original township of Comognenessing was set apart in 1804, at which date all of Butler County wasincluded in four townships, viz. : Slippery
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Rock, Buffalo. Connoquenossing and Middlesex. When the first tax was levied. the valuation of the county was 8258.810, apportioned as follows: Slip- pery Rock. $15,261: Buffalo, $13,637: Connognenes sing. $131,836; Middlesex, $35,513.
Connoquenossing Township, as it now is, was or- ganized in IS51. from portions of Connoquenessing and Butler Townships. Two small villages. Whites- town and Petersville, are included within its limits. Connognonessing contains some beautiful farming lands, with buildings and improvements that will compare favorably with the rest of the county. The people of the township have ever been prominent in promoting religions and educational interests. Many of the best known teachers of the county received their early training in the schools of this township, and many men of prominence in county affairs have been furnished by old Connoquenessing.
SETTLEMENT.
The early settlers of this township were of three distinct types, viz .: Trish. Scotch and German- American. Only chaner settlers located in this part of the county previous to the year 1796. In that year. a great number of families from Westmoreland County established themselves here, and were mainly permanent settlers.
One of the first white men to penetrate the wild- of this part of Western Pennsylvania was Peter Me. Kinney. He was born in the eastern part of the Stato. The " Me" in his name was probably a prefix bestowed during his soldier days, as his pension pa- pers were always made out to Peter Kinney. He was of a bold. adventurous nature, and was attracted into the wilderness by a fondness for hunting. Mekin- ney was left an orphan at an early age by the death of his father, and, when a boy, was bound out to a man named Turnbull. Ho served through the Revo- lutionary war as a drummer and tifor, and, after its close, was seven years in the service during the In dian troubles. In 1791, ho married Mary Shorts, at Braddock's Field, Westmoreland County, and. the for- lowing year, came with his wife to the Connoquenes- sing Valley. Indians wore almost his only neighbors. and wild game was so abundant everywhere that he seemed to be living in a veritable hunter's paradise. MeKinney built his first cabin on the farm now ocen pied by Fred Dambach, in Forward Township, where he took up a 400-acre tract. He afterward built a cabin on the farm where his son. C. A. Mckinney. now lives, now in the southern part of Comoquenes- sing Township, where he also settled 300 acres. He traded 100 acres of land to Barnet Gilliland for a Merino sheep, and sold another hundred for a sorrel horse.
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
Mrs. MeKinney was as well fitted by nature for pioneer life as was her husband. She made frequent trips to Pittsburgh to obtain groceries, often going and returning on foot, following the faintly marked Indian trails through miles of uninhabited forests. She died in 1539, aged sixty -three years. Peter Mc- Kinney died in 1849. at the age of ninety-one. He was widely known throughout the county, as his house in the village now called after his name was for many years a tavern, and he the landlord. He was a man of small size, and very active in his move. ments. He worked many years at shoemaking. Dur- ing the last twenty-one years of his life, he was blind. The children of Poter and Mary MeKinney were thir- teen in number. All of them lived to mature years except two- Richard and Mary. Two are still living -John M .. in Ohio: and C. A. MeKinney. Esq., on the old homestead. Following are the names of the family in the order of age: Elizabeth. Richard, Rob- ert. Peter, Jane (Purviance). William S., James, Thomas, Sarah, Richard, John M .. Mary and C. A. Two of the sons, Peter and Robert, were in the war of 1812.
The date of the settlement of this family in Butler County is the earliest of which there is any authentic account. The first of the above named children, Elizabeth MeKinney was born March 23, 1792. ou the farm where her father first located. This was doubtless the first birth of a white child in Butler County.
A great part of the land of this township was held by Dunning MeNair, a land-jobber, who encouraged settlement with the promise of securing to each settler a patent to the land he should occupy. A number of families were persuaded to settle by him during the year 1796. He and several who were looking for lands were here in 1795, and had their headquarters in a little eabin on the farm where James McCandless now lives, McNair failed to make good his promises, and each settler was obliged to obtain a title for him- self. The Scotch settlers all came at his instigation.
Jolm Girty, a relative, and some say a brother, of Simon Girty, the renowned white savage, was one of the earliest settlers. He lived about a mile south of Whitestown. west of the Franklin road. He died here, and his mother also. They were buried in the woods, and nothing marks thei . final resting place. Though the family had an unenviable reputation, nothing discreditable is charged against them during their residence here. The early settlers were super- stitious, and some of them believed Mother Girty to be a witch. For years no youngster dared to pass by her grave alone.
The early settlers found inch of the southern part of the township covered with a light growth of
sapling timber, as the result of fires. " Bald Ridge," where the oil field now is, was so named on account of the naked appearance of the land.
John Fkin was one of the first of the pioneer set- tlers. Ile and Leonard Shannon came to this county together. erected cabins and returned to Westmore- land County for their families. John Ekin was born in York County. In 1796, he moved his family, con sisting of his wife and three children, to this county. A horse carried the furniture and bedding of the household in bundles. Mrs. Ekin rode on his back, with one child in front of her, while her other chil- dren were snugly tied up in the bedding, with their little heads protruding from the bundles one on each side of the horse. Arrived at the cabin, Mr. Ekin went to the nearest settler's house (Mr. Crawford's) to obtain some fire. During his absence, Mrs. Ekin took the ax and cut a path to the spring. John Ekin died in 1837. aged seventy-six. llis wife, Agnes, died in 1833, at the age of sixty-eight. They had fourteen children. Eight reached mature years, and one, Margaret (Sanderson), born in 1790, still sur- vives. The names were as follows: Margaret, Rob- ort. Jane (Hamilton), Samnel. Nancy (Dodds), Will- iam, John J. and Elizabeth. John J. lived in the same neighborhood, and died in 18$1, aged eighty years. He married Rachel Cunningham, and was the father of the following children: Eliza J. (Gra- Dne). Robert S .. William F., Margaret and Mary R .. living: Nancy (Brown) and Rachel, deceased.
For a time there were only two families-the Ekins and the Crawford --- in the neighborhood. Supplies were packed from Westmoreland County, a trip for this purpose being made about once in three months.
Francis Sanford came soon after the Ekin family. David Moon, a German, settled near the present site of Allen's Mill.
A number of Scotch families came to this county from Westmoreland in 1796, and took up lands be- tween the Little Connoquenessing and the Connoquen- essing Creek. For years, this part of the county, now in Forward and Connoquenessing, was known as " Scotland." These families were the Grahams (five or six families), the McDonalds, MeLeods, MeLains and others. all more or less intimately related.
Daniel Graham, like many of the original settlers, had served in the American Army during the Revolu- tion. He moved here from Allegheny County in 1796, and died in 1810, in his eighty-ninth year. He had three daughters and two sons, who settled here with him -Naney (MeKce), Margaret (Graham) and Catherine ( Walling). John and Alexander. John was engaged in flat boating on the Mississippi River ; 1812. A trip from New Orleans to Pittsburgh re
Norman Graham, of Connoquenessing, was tremain that township May 12. 1811. and is a direct descendant of the Grahams, of the Isle of Lewis. the MeKinzies. and the MeLeods-names ever familiar as well as emi- nently respectable. according to the annals of -Anld Scotia."
It appears that during the days when the adher- ents of the Roman Catholic Church were in the ascen- daney in Scotland, when great numbers of Scotch prot- estants wore either killed outright or driven beyond the limits of their native heather, a family of the Graham clan found safety on the Isle of Lewis, which is the largest of a group lying off the west coast of Scotland.
On the Isle of Lewis, about the year 1749. was born Daniel. the grandfather of the present Norman Graham. The former came to America in 1770, and at the con- clusion of a voyage of thirteen weeks and three days duration. made the city of Philadelphia his home. In that city he married a Miss MeKinzie, and remained. until about the year 1783. when he moved to the neigh- herhood of Carlisle. Penn .. where his oldest child, JJohn. was born in 1784. Others of his children were Alex- ander. Nancy, Catharine and Margaret. About 1794. the whole family slowly wended their way westward over the Alleghany range, and located in the vicinity of Braddock's Field: but that proved to be only a halting place. however. for. in 1796, all again removed to the Connoquenessing settlement in Allegheny County. or the region now embraced by the townships of Conno- quenessing in Butler County. This has been the home of this branch of the family since, and here Daniel Graham, formerly of the Isle of Lewis, died in 1839. at wie great age of about ninety years.
As before mentioned. John the oldest child of Daniel Graham, was born near Carlisle. Penn .. in 1754. while
DG RIAHfgryerly Miss Mary MeLeod --- was born near the same place in 1785. The former died in Conno- quenessing in 1827: the latter in the same township August 1. 1867. Their children were Norman (the subject of this memoir), who was born May 12. 1814: Jane. now a resident of Michigan : Nancy, deceased; Daniel; Mary Ann. deceased; and Alexander.
After passing through the various vicissitudes inci- dental to boyhood life in a new country, working on the farm throughout the year. except for a period of from six to eight weeks each winter. when the typical log schoolhouse was visited between " chores " and the rudi- ments of the "three R's" learned, Norman Graham attained to years of manhood; yet he did not take unto himself a wife until June 28. 1849, when he married Miss Elizabeth L. Witty. of Pittsburgh. born in 1830. She died August 31. 1881. They were the parents of nine children. two of whom died in infancy. Those living are William W .. Norman MeL .. Robert IL .. James D. George M .. Millenora and Edward H .. all of whom are at home, or in the immediate vicinity, except Norman Mel. and James D .. who are residents of Colorado. The brothers of Norman Graham. Daniel, who served in the army four years during the war of the rebellion. and Alexander, also reside with him. upon his well-culti vated farm of two hundred and forty acres.
We add. in conclusion, that for generations the Gra- Inuns have been known as farmers and good citizens Never seeking office, yet. stanch supporters of law and order. They are Republicans. In Scotland they were Sereders and Covenanters. In America, they have been members of the United Presbyterian organization. of the White Oak Springs Church more particularly. which was organized by Rev Dr Niblock about the beginning of this century.
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
quired six months. Fancy the labor involved in pro- pelling a boat with poles that distance! John Gra- hat died in 1827. He married Mary Me Leod and was the father of six children, four of whom are liv- ing - Norman, Jane, Nancy (deceased), Daniel. Mary Ann (deceased) and Alexander.
Mordecai McLeod took up the tract on a part of which Norman Graham lives, but sold out to John and Daniel Graham. Another Daniel Graham-" Big Daniel." in distinction from the one already men- tioned-had three sons-Alexander, John and Daniel -- and two daughters-Ebbie (Critchlow) and Polly (Crane). Alexander Graham, son of Daniel, died on the farm where his son, Thomas Graham, now lives, in 1855. He married Elizabeth Raney in this county. Their seven children were as follows: Jane (Bren- nermer) Hiram, Sidney. Daniel, Thomas, John and Theophilus. Of these, all are living except Daniel.
A third Daniel Graham lived in Forward Town- ship, adjacent to Petersville. He had a son, Squire Daniel, who lived upon the place until 1858, and then moved West. William MeLain and his chil- dren, John, George, William. Robert. Polly, Nancy, Minerva, Elizabeth and Margaret, lived in Forward Township, on the farm now belonging to Leslie Hays. One of the MeLeods-William-was the first person buried in the White Oak Spring Cemetery.
Colen McDonald lived where Peter Thomas now resides. His sons, William and John, died in In diana. Among his daughters were Ebbie. Nancy and Flora. John McDonald settled upon a tract east of Norman Graham's farm. He was away at work to earn money to pay taxes when John Bayles squatted upon the land, and finally succeeded in becoming the possessor of it. Bayles was killed by being thrown from his wagon as he was returning from Martin's Mill. He lived about a week after the accident.
Enos Graham lived on the place now known as the Anderson farm. His first residence was a small bark-covered shanty, erected for a shelter until a more substantial cabin could be built. He had served in the Revolutionary war, and his sons, Alexander and Mordecai, were in the war of 1812. Enos and Nancy (McDonald) Graham had nine children, eight of whom lived to mature years. One, Mrs. Julia Duncan, born in 1809, still survives. Names of the family: Mary (Kirk), Alexander, Mo decai. Nancy (Boggs), Margaret (McDonald), Enos, John and Julia (Duncan).
It is related that Mrs. Enos Graham once brought a bushel of corn-meal from Pittsburgh, on foot and alone, through the almost pathless forest. The thought of such a task is enough to make a strong man tremble.
.John Beighle, who was born in Maryland of Ger- man parentage, came to this township with his broth-
ers and commenced work upon the land which was to be his farm, in 1796. In 1795, he moved his family here from Westmoreland Counts. Nicholas Muhlei son-Milliron in English - came about the same time and settled with his family in 1797. Henry Beighl first built where George Kneiss now lives, in 1796. but afterward moved to another part of the same tract and lived on the Crab Run bottom, south of his brother John. This stream was so named from the abundance of crab apples which the early settlers found growing wild along its banks. The Beighles and Muhleisens made frequent trips back and forth to Westmoreland County on foot while they were get ting their families settled here, and afterward to ob. tain supplies. John Beighle died in 1546, aged eighty-two. IL's children were Mary, John, George C., Catharine (Myers), Margaret and Rachel. Only two are living Mary (Myers), born in Westmoreland County in 1796, and George, born in this county in 1799. George Beighle is the oldost native resident of this township. He married Jane Dunn, daughter of Jolin Dunn, who settled near Evansburg. She is still living and is also a native of this county, born in 1803. They have seven children living.
A house erected by John Beighle in 179, with a chimney in it, built in 1799, is still standing and is now the home of his grandson. In this house was taught one of the first schools in Butler County. Here was also the place of worship of the German people in early times. A log barn, built by John Beighle in 1805, is still in use. This barn was floored and a roof put on in 1806. The floor was made of puncheons. While the men were at work laying it, the great solar eclipse occurred, and can- dles had to be brought to enable them to continue.
Henry Beighle died in 1836. His children were John, Henry, Jacob, Christina, Susan, Betsey, Cath- erine, Mary, Martha and Lydia. Two survive-Mar- tha (Kneiss) and Lydia (Roth). Three brothers of John and Henry Beighle-George, Jacob and Peter -- also settled in this county -- George and Peter in Lancaster Township, and Jacob in Clay.
Nicholas Mühleisen was a German who came from east of the mountains to Westmoreland County. H. was a weaver and a cooper and was quite adept at all kinds of " tinkering." He reared a large family, six- teen children, not one of whom now remains in the neighborhood. He was a jovial man, with a taste for practical joking. Once when his neighbor, John Beighle, was going to Westmoreland County with a sled load of produce, Mableisen hid a grindstone in the straw. When John arrived at his destination and found that he had been hanting the grindstone all the way, he was not in the humor to see the point of the joke.
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
The Beighlos and Minhleisen and a man named Campbell. who lived on the Myers farm frequently engaged in bear hunts in the spring of the year. Their method was to tree the bears, which usually took refuge in a hollow tree, then make an " Indian ladder " by felling a tree against the one in which the game was, climb it. and pound on the hollow trunk with a hatchet until the bears came forth. One spring they killed eleven bears and enbs. They trad- ed the skins for a cross eut saw, which was owned in partnership by the hunters, and passed from one hand to another until it was soon good for nothing.
James Phummer was a pioneer on the Matthews farm.
George Matthews, who died in 1869. and was buried on the one hundred and third anniversary of his birthday, was one of the pioneers of the western part of the town-hip. He moved from the eastern part of the State to Allegheny County in 1806. He was a soldier of the war of 1812, and served as a Lientenant of Capt. MeCurdy's company. In 1913. he came to this county and settled on Crab Run. Pioneer customs then prevailed. All kinds of stock ran in the woods. Hoys, after a summer of freedom, became wild animals, and in the lall it was necessary to hunt them up and shoot them. as they were fre- montly so fond of their wild life that they could not be indneed to return to their former stys.
George. Matthews was the father of ton children. of whom three survive. Nancy died young. David resides in Lancaster Township. Elizabeth (Thomp- son) and Sarah (Thompson) are dead. Mary (Lin- ton) and Jane live in New Brighton. Rachel. Mar- garet (Stevenson), James B. an Isaiah are dead. The two sons last mentioned died upon the old farm. Isaiah died in 1869. and James B. in 1882. Their widows reside upon the old farm.
James B. Matthews was widely known throughont the county, and his long service in the schools do- serves to be held in gratofn) remembrance by every friend of edneation. He gained a wide reputation as an instructor. was Principal of the Butler Schools. County Superintendent. etc. His labors in educa- tional matters covered a period of forty years, and during all that time he worked zealously and faith- fully.
The pioneers dressed very simply. Drawers and undershirts were things unknown. Shoes were worn the year round, except by such as chose to go bare- footed during the summer. Overcoats were not in use. Yet the people were generally robust and hearty and suffered little from coughs and colds.
Abdiel MeLure, a native of Ireland. was an Amer ican soldier during the Revolution. About 1796. he moved from Westmoreland County and settled sonth
of Whitestown. The children of Abdiel and Nancy MeLure, who lived in this county, were Robert and Koziab (Martin). The remainder of the family lived in Wheeling. W. Va. Robert MeLure died in 1866. aged seventy-tive. Ho was a wagoner at the time of the 1812 war. He married. first, Agnes Me- Lood. and second. Margaret Mcleod. Of his six children, four are now living.
Alexander Bryson, an Irishman by birth and an American Revolutionary soldier. moved from West- moreland County and settled on the Little Conno- quenessing in 1798. He and his two sons were bricklay- ers and stonemasons by trade. He went to Ohio to teach school and died there. His sons were Joseph, Richard, James and David. Joseph and Richard were in the war of 1810. His daughters were Mary (Black). Margaret (Dodds), Jane (Stevenson). Nancy (Greer). Tasy (Shanor) and Elizabeth. Mrs. Sha. nor is the only survivor.
John Welsh. a Revolutionary pensioner, who was shot through the body at the battle of Brandywine. settled on the farm where his descendants still live previous to 1800. He was one of the early temper- auce workers and for many years was a total abstain- His children were William, James, Thomas, John. Sn an (Brandon), Elizabeth (Shannon) and Mrs. Morrow. The sous were in the war of 1812. James died in 1875. on the old farm, at the age of ninety .three.
Thomas Gray was an early settler on the farm where his grandson Thomas now lives. His children were dames. Thomas. William, John. Boyd and Nancy (Graham).
The farin on which P. I Barnhart has lived since 187I was settled by A. Baker and owned for many years by William Ayres, an attorney of Butler. George King, who had been a wagoner in the war of 1812. was Ayres' tenant upon the farm. He brought to it the first wagon ever in the neighborhood. The barn upon this farm, a substantial and strongly framed structure, was made in 1514, and is one of the oldest frame buildings in Butler County. The frame was made by Mr. Bowers for Ayres. In this barn the congregation of the White Oak Spring Church frequently worshipel. and here the first. baptism took place. Jacob Enslen lived upon the farm after King.
Thomas Dodds, an early County Commissioner. was born on the ocean while his parents were eross- ing from Ireland to America in 1760. He lived in Cumberland County and was there married to Mary (inthrie. After some years' residence in Westmore- land Conuty, about 1500, the family came to the northeast part of this township, with Mr. Dodds' father, James Dodds. Thomas Dodds died in 1842.
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
The names of his children were as follows: William, James, John, Joseph, Andrew, Thomas. George, David, Margaret (Bryson), Jennie (Stevenson), Sarah (MeCandless). Three sons William, James and John-were in the service in IS12. All lived to raise families except James, who died while engaged in tlat-boating on the Mississippi after the war of 1812. Sarah. the last survivor, died in 1582. Joseph set. tled in 1825, where his son Ebenezer now lives.
John McGinnis was a substantial citizen of the early times. He was a large, portly man, who reared a large and respectable family. He lived east of the creek. His son Robert still survives, in Franklin Township
Henry Pillow was an early settler. His son Will- iam was a prominent man, who served as Colonel of militia and held other public positions.
Fox nunts, deer hunts, whisky drinking and occa- sional fights enlivened the monotony of life in the woods. The silence of the forest was sometimes bro- ken by such a din that an observer, not knowing what was going on. might have suspected that an army of demons was " running amuck " through the woods. But it was all caused by a hunt: boys, men, dogs, guns, horns, drums, pans and kettles were mak- ing all the noise they could produce: the captains and the hunters were scouring the woods and attempt- ing to drive the game toward a certain point. It was dangerous sport and usually resulted in securing but very little booty.
Israel Gibson and a large family of children lived on the R. S. Hays farm early. A frame barn on this farm is probably the oldest in the township. with one exception.
Matthew White came about 1800, and chose some of the best land in the township, his farm being the land on which the village of Whitestown now is. He was a native of Franklin County, and came to Butler County from Allegheny County. He was one of the early County Commissioners, and while at- tending to his duties used to walk to Butler and back. Returning home at evening, when he neared the eastern line of the township, he could hear wolves howling in the Little Connoynenessing bottom: far- ther on. another band would be heard near the Semi- conon, and thus the dismal sound attended him al the way home. He died in 1812. The children of Matthew and Frances (Spear) White were the follow. ing: Alexander, Jane (Shannon). Andrew, Martha ( Welsh), Edward. Ann (Shannon) Barbara, Jemima and John. All are dead. Barbara, who died in 1801. was the first to be buried in the MEt. Nebo Cemetery.
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