USA > Pennsylvania > Butler County > History of Butler County, Pennsylvania. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 60
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In 1835, David Wilson came from the North of Ireland and settled on the farm now occupied by his son. M. A. Wilson. The place had been improved slightly by James White, who came here from West- moreland County about 1528. David Wilson died in 1553. His children, who came to this county with him, were four, viz. : William, deceased; M. A .. Buffalo Township: Ann (Mekee), Etna. Penn .; Isa- bella, wife of ex-Lieut. Gov Granger. of California.
In 1837. Abraham Parker came from Pittsburgh and purchased H18 acres of land at $14 per acre --- a large price for those times. The farm had been slightly improved, having some ten acres cleared. Two sons, Joseph and Thomas, came with Mr. Par- ker. They married later, and still reside in the town- ship. Abraham Parker died in 1567. at the age of ninety-two. He never had a day's sickness, and re- tained full possession of his bodily and mental facul- ties until the last. He retired one night. apparently as well as usual, and died during the night. without any evidences of illness or suffering. He was an En- glishman, and had been in this country about ten years before settling in this county. His wife sur- vived him two weeks, and. like him. passed peace fully away. She was but nine months younger than he.
David L. Hoover, a native of Lebanon County. this State, moved from Armstrong County to the farm he now occupies in 1542. The farm was then unim- proved. Its timber was mostly. saplings. No settler had taken it up before, as glades were not considered desirable. Mr. Hoover now has an excellent farm. Soon after he came here, Mr. Heover was chosen as a Captain of a volunteer company of militia. and was afterward elected Major.
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IHISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
The northern part of Buffalo Township contains some very pretty farms. The surface here is gener- ally more oven, especially west of the ereek, than other portions of the township. Here were glades, and consequently they were shunned. Land here was sold for trifling sums, and some was bidden off at Commissioner's sale at exceedingly low rates. In 1824 or 1825, a piece of land was sold to Jacob Sar- ver at. 75 cents per acre, the first payment to be in thirteen years, withont interest.
Adam Peters was quite early on the farm adjoin- ing the MeCaffertys. He sold out, and died in Sar- versville. Adjoining his land was another farm, oc- enpied by Edward Sweeney. Sweeney sold to Tobias Hepler.
William Painter came from Westmoreland County to Freeport, and there worked at tailoring. In 1838, he settled in Buffalo Township. He now resides in Wayne County, Ohio. His son, George W. resides in this township, where he has lived most of his life. In 1811. James McCafferty and his sons, Andrew and James-who are still residents of the township-set- tled, coming from Mifflin County. The place was then purchased from Judge MeClure, of Allegheny County, for $10 per acre. James MeCafferty. Sr., died in 1844, on the farm where his sons now live.
James Atkinson, from Armstrong County, bought his present farm from Barney Egan, and settled upon it in 1845.
The gore of land between Buffalo Creek and Smith's Branch of the Little Buffalo had few im- provements early, except upon the Bell farm, already mentioned. A man named Drum, and a settler named Collar, were quite early on the Andrew Shear- er farm. John Hazlett was an early settler west of the Watt farm. Daniel Sarver settled, lived and died on the farm where his sons, John N. and Milo C., now live.
In 1849, Josiah C. Watt, a native of Westmore- land County, came to this township. His father, John Watt, purchased the farm which J. C. now oe- cupies, for $3.20, per acre. The ground was covered with sapling timber, and was hard to clear. The farm had been somewhat improved by Samuel Gal- breath, son of Robert Galbreath. Mr. Watt estimates that in 1819 there was not more than one-third as mneb land cleared between the two creeks as at pres- ent Mr. Watt was a teacher in this county in 1817 - 48. and notices a vast improvement in our schools since that date. Then he had a school of about sixty scholars on an average. near Leasuresville. There was nothing like uniformity in text-books. The teacher was expected to hear four recitations from each seliol- ar daily, besides making pens and writing copies for the whole school. This last took no small amount of
time, as the larger scholars practiced writing twice a day. Blackboards were not then in nse. School- houses were generally small and uncomfortable.
Alexander Watson, a native of Scotland, came to this county and settled in this township in 1849. He has had a saw mill in operation sinee 1872. Hle set- tled on his present farm in 1861. Jolin A. Watson, his son, lives in the same neighborhood.
John Fleming made the first improvement on the Richards farm. In 1850, this farm was bought of John Y. C. Bell, by Samuel Richards, who now re. sides in Freeport. His son, M. L. Richards, now oc- cupies the farm. The Richards family moved here from Pittsburgh.
John Duerr, a native of Germany, came from Montgomery County and settled on his present farm at Sarversville in 1856.
James K. Dain, a native of Pittsburgh, followed livery and baggage express business in Pittsburgh until 1867, when he bought of John Thrumston the farin which he now occupies. Mr. Dain is engaged in breeding fine stock, making a specialty of Jersey cattle.
Nicholas Ammon moved from Allegheny County in 1869, and settled on a part of the farm formerly owned by John Brown, deceased.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
1840, William Walker: 1840, Emil Marholt; 1845. William Walker: 1845. George C. Sedwick; 1850, George C. Sedwick: 1850, William Walker: 1854, William Barker; 1855, David Kelly; 1859, George C. Sedwick; 1590, David Kelly; 1864. George C. Sedwick: 1869, David Kelly: 1570. 1. H. Morse; 1874. David Kelly; IS75, George W. Cramer: 1877. Thomas Douglas; 1880, George W. Cramer; IS81. George W. Cramer; 18$2. Thomas Douglas.
SARVERSVILLE.
This little hamlet contains one store and a few small shops. The village lots were laid out about 1840. by Henry Halstead. The place was at first called Whalley, but, after a few years, the name was changed to that which it now bears.
Near the village on the Little Buffalo, Benjamin Sarver built the first grist-mill on the creek, and the first in this part of the county. He was the miller at Negley's Mill, where Tarentum now is, and was in- dneed by Patrick Harvey to come to this county and start a mill. Harvey told him of the site, and Sar- ver visited the spot with him. Said he, "I'll have a mill running here in less than a year. if I have only the blue sky above it." And he did: in lieu of blue sky, the machinery was sheltered by a rude log build- ing. The mill, rebuilt and changed several times,
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
continued in operation until about three years ago, when it was burned. Sarver lived in a stone house opposite the mill, and there kept tavern several years.
The first store in the township was kept by F. D. Sehwietring, near Sarversville. He sold out to David Kelly, who continued the business several years. The present store of J. M. Fleming was established by him in 1876.
Sarversville Post Office was established in 18 --. George C. Sedwick, Postmaster. It is the only post office in the township at this writing. It was moved to Sarver Station a few years ago.
MONROEVILLE.
This is a small village of a few bonsos, situated on the old Freeport & Butler Turnpike. The lots were laid out in 1839, by James Dunlap, surveyor, and the sale of them commeneed the same year. Squire Emil Maurhoff, of Saxonburg, made the deeds for the purchasers. J. M. Elliott bought two lots at the first sale, and erected the first house in the place in the winter of 1839-10. The lots were laid out on the corner of three farms, owned by Daniel Duffy, William MeLaughlin and Matthias Cypher. The village was named after President Monroe.
In 1840, a small shop, scarcely entitled to the rank of a store, was opened by Peter Koon. He re- mained but a short time. George Fry was the next merchant, succeeded by a German named Speck, then by Charles Sehwietring. The present merchant, George W. Cramer, bought Schwietring's store, and began business in 1871. Schwietring's was the first store of any importance. Mr. Cramer is now serving his third term as Justice of the Peace.
In 1840, George Weaver built a house here and commenced keeping tavern. A few years later George Truby opened another hotel. A little later, R. J. Gregg followed the same business. There has been no hotel or saloon for several years. Monroeville had considerable business before the railroad was built.
SCHOOLS.
The first school offieers in Buffalo Township were elected in 1834, and from that date until 1840 schoolhouses of hewed logs were erected, in part by the efforts of the citizens and partly by public mon- ey. There was great opposition to free sehools, and public sentiment was about equally divided in favor of the new system and the old plan of tuition sehools. This was a short sighted poliey, for the school tax amounted to only a small sum for each citizen when compared with the amount necessarily expended in maintaining private schools.
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George C.'Sedwiek was the first teacher in the
public schools after their establishment. Ho taught in what is now Distriet No. 2-old Distriet No. 7- where the first schoolhouse was built. The present selioolhouse were erected the year that the township as now eontituted, was organized. They are four in number, of briek, subtantial and convenient. The present valuation of the school property of the town- ship is not less than $1,000.
Very many amusing things could be written con- cerning the pioneer schools, if space permitted. One of the first was on the Elliott farm. It was a slight improvement upon the old log structures in which the scholars of this township had previously attended school, and which are mentioned in the history of Clinton Township. Here Robert Hamilton. an Irish- man, and a Yankee named Jones, were early teach- ers. Hamilton was considered a good teacher in those days. Jones was very strict, and did not spoil the child by sparing corporal punishment. He was always careful to instill into the minds of his pupils a due regard for " manners "-made them say " sir " and "ma'am," and if they passed any one on the road without bowing and greeting him properly, an application of the rod usually resulted.
There was an early schoolhouse on the Walter farm, built after the usual pattern, with greased pa- per for window lights and a chimney in the middle. from the loft up. of stieks and mud.
Robert Cunningham was one of the first teachers in the early sehools.
MILLS.
The first grist-mill and saw-mill in the township were built by Benjamin Sarver. Settlers from a dis- tanee of fifteen miles or more came to the mill on horseback. John Harbison built a grist-mill in 1807, on the Big Buffalo, in the edge of Armstrong County. Soon after. Andrew Smith erected a mill on the site of Jacob Ehrman's mill. Still later, William Colmer and Jacob Weaver built a mill on the Big Buffalo, which was long known as the Gratty Mill. The early mills were of hewed logs, with overshot wheel. They ground but slowly; still, they were of inestimable value to the settlers. who were now spared a long journey through the wilderness in order to obtain meal and four.
The usual eustom of the pioneers was to obtain a supply of flour and meal in the spring months, as during the summer the mills were frequently stopped for want of water.
The mill now owned by Jacob Ehrman was built in 1866, by David Kelly. It is a good mill, run both by steam and water power. Mr. Erhman settled in this county in 1850, and has operated the mill four- teen years.
262
HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
EARLY ROADS.
There were few roads worthy of the name in early times. If a settler had occasion to visit any place frequently, he usually .had a path leading to that point Thus paths which a person on foot or on horseback could travel became quite numerous The first road through this township was the Butler & Karns road. from Butler to the present site of Karns Station, Allegheny County. Next, the Freeport & Butler road (succeeded in 1839 and 1840 by the pike). and the Pittsburgh & Kittanning road, crossing the Freeport road near Sarversville.
EMERY CHAPEL M. E. CHURCH.
We have experienced much difficulty in obtaining faets concerning this organization, as nearly all of its original members are dead, and no records are to be found. The following sketch. however, is believed to be substantially correct.
The Methodists had a class in this neighbo hood quite early. Henderson and Jackson were the names of some of the first preachers. Jackson preached here in 1834. meetings being held in orchards, barns, houses and elsewhere. The class, as at first formed, met at Mr. Lardin's. Some years later, Rev. William Carl formed another class. most of whose members withdrew from the first-mentioned class. This was organized at the house of David Walter, and was the beginning of the Emery Chapel congregation. Among the members were John Morton and wife, John and Adam Ekas, David Walker and wife, Hen- ry Walter, Conrad Upperman. Thomas Roney, Polly Montgomery. Catherine Lardin, James Hunter and Henry Halstead.
About the year 1841. a small frame meeting- house was erected in the eastern part of Clinton Township, dedicated and named Emery Chapel, in honor of Bishop Emery. The church grew and became quite prosperous, and in IS6S the present beautiful and costly church was erected, at a cost of abont $7,000. The site is in the western part of Buffalo Township. Adam Ekas was very active in raising funds for the building of this house. The congregation was lib erally assisted by citizens who were not members of the church. The building is of brick, two stories. Fix 55 feet, well furnished, and finished in a tasty style.
Lately, the congregation has purchased ground and fitted up a large and beautiful cemetery, contain- ing three acres; and here silently sleep many of those who were instrumental in building up and maintain- ing this church.
BUFFALO PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The Buffalo Presbyterian Church was organized Angust 3. 1843. by a committee from the Allegheny
Presbytery, consisting of Rev. Abraham Boyd, Rev. Thomas W. Kerr and Elder William Hill. On the same day. William Cruikshank and Andrew MeCas- key were elected and ordained Ruling Elders. The church. when organized, consisted of twelve members. Rev. Abraham Boyd was the first pastor. He preached for some time previous to the organization of the congregation. Rev. D. D. McKee was the next pastor. Rev. George Cairnes was pastor 1551 67. and was succeeded by Rev. Newton Bracken as sup- ply. The succeeding pastors have been Rev. John V. Miller. IS59 64: Rev. Josiah McPherrin, 1865- 73: Rev. J. T. Patterson. IS74 79: Rev. J. S. Atkin son, ISSI, now in charge. The church now numbers about one hundred members.
The first house of worship was built in 1843 or 1841. It was a frame building, the walls being con- structed by filling in sticks and mnd between the studding. At first, it was seated by benches made from logs, split and howed. Afterward, board seats were constructed. The present house, built and ded icated in 1867, cost about $2.000.
ST. PAUL'S ENGLISH LUTHERAN CHURCH.
This church was organized in 1868. by Rev. J. H. Fritz. An old Covenanter Church. which stood upon the site of the present edifice, was used as a place for meetings until 1870. when the present house was erected. The building is large and convenient, being 44x60 feet. Adjoining it and including its site are three acres of ground, which tract was purchased from the Covenanter organization. A cemeter of four acres adjoins this lot. The ground for the ceme- tery was purchased two years after the building of the church. The house cost $3.100, including furnishing, and is a most tasty country church.
The number of members at first was thirty-four; at present. there are over eighty. The first pastor was Rey. J. H. Fritz; the second, Rev. J. K. Mel- horn: Rav. J. A. H. Kitehmiller was pastor after the house was erecte.l. until the spring of 1882. At pres- ont there is a vacancy.
The first Elders in this church were John C. Em- rick, Henry Smith, Jonathan Hazlett and R. M. Har- bison, who also acted as Trustees. The number of Elders is now six.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
JOSLAII C. WATT.
The subject of this notice is the son of John and Elizabeth Watt, and was born in Westmoreland County, Penn., in 1825. His father was a substan-
MRS. ALEX, WELSH.
ALEX. WELSH.
RES. OF ALEX. WELSH
XX MAY BEESASUE
RESIDENCE OF GEORGE K. GRAHAM, PENN, PA.
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
tial farmer and a good citizen of Westmoreland coun ty, where he removed from his native place. in York County, prior to 1800, accompanied by three of his brothers and his father. John Watt and his broth - ers. William and Davil, were in the service of the war of 1812, and the latter was present at the sur- render of Hull's army. At the time Massy Harbison was captured by the Indians, his mother. her brothers and sisters, all quite young. walked in their night clothes from the house of MErs. Watt's father (John Curry) to a fort at Hannastown. twenty miles distant. The Indians burned the house and its contents short ly after they fled.
John Watt and his wife were members of the 1s sociate Reformed Presbyterian Church. They reared a family of six children George. John. David, Jo- siah. William and Sarah. John, David. Josiah and Sarah are still living. Their father and mother both died in 1839. the former at the age of seventy-two, and the latter aged sixty-two.
Josiah C. Watt was brought up on a farm, and attended the common school. making the most of his limited opportunities for obtaining an education. En 1847-48, he taught school in the Bickett District. now included in Winfield Township, and in 1849 he settled upon the farm in Buffalo Township where he still resides. Forty acres of the farm had been cleared years before, but had been neglected, and was then thickly overgrown with ground oak and other bushes, rendering it very difficult to subdne and bring to a state fit for cultivation. The farmn, then worth about. $10 per acre, is now worth $50 per acre. Mr. Watt is an intelligent, systematic and progressive farmer. He is recognized as one of the leading citizens of the township, always ready to forward any good work. He holds the position of Elder in the United Pres- byterian Church.
Mr. Watt was married, March 20, 1549, to Mar- garet, daughter of Nathaniel and Mary Alexander, of Westmoreland County. Mrs. Watt died June 11. 1876, at the age of fifty-two years. She was the mother of seven children -Albert F .. John A .. Mary E., Samantha, Tillie D., Ida MI. and Maggie A. But three of these children are living-Mary E., the wife of Robert Watson. Clinton Township; Maggie .... now Mrs. James F. Painter, Winfield Township; and Ida MI., at home. In 1881, June 29, Mr. Watt mar- ried Barbara E. Neff, of Freeport. Her parents were Jacob and Ellen Neff. Mrs. Neff died when Mrs. Watt was a child. Mr. Neff reached the age of sev- enty-two, and died in 1871. He was a member of the Baptist Church, and Mrs. Watt belongs to the same denomination.
CHAPTER XXVIII
PENN.
The Humble but Generons Work of the Pioneers The Browns The Rathbuns. Doddses, Mahargs and Bartleys Practical Jokes and Amusing Incidents of Early Days.
DENN TOWNSHIP, as a geographical division of this county, has existed only since the new or- ganization of townships, which took place in IS51. Penn adjoins Butler Township on the south; it lies north of Middlesex, west of Jefferson and east of For- ward. The southern portions of the township was originally included in Middlesex and the northern in Butler.
The natural seenery of this part of the country is rich and varied. Hills. knolls and ridges, with inter- vening valleys: broad fields, smooth, neatly kept and fertile, alternating with stretches of woodland; rocky. unsubdued and wild: roads winding about the hills and through quiet, green dales. where streamlets dash over rocky bottoms and Hash their clear waters in the sunlight-all combined to form a landscape of per- petnal beauty.
The largest stream that enters the township is the Connoquenessing Creek, which passes through a small portion of the northwestern corner. Its valley is deep and narrow. its banks steep, broken and rocky. The stream next in importance is Thorn Creek, which, with its tributaries, drains all of the northern, eastern and central parts of the township. This stream flows in a westerly and northwesterly course, from the eastern line of Penn to its confluence with the Connoquenessing. Its valley is narrow and winding, and extends through the least improved portion of the township.
West of the plank road and northeast of Browns dale lies a considerable tract of elevated land, which is nearly lovel, but the surface of most parts of the township is uneven.
The soil varies From light sandy loam on the hill- tops, to elayey in the valleys. Except in the vicinity of the streams. it is free from rocks, and easily culti- vated. Poun Township is almost wholly an agricult ural community. No coal has been found in paying quantities, and, until the year 1552, no important oil discoveries were made here.
The Pittsburgh & Butler Plank Road crosses this township from north to south. Brownsdale, on the western line of Penn, was the only village until the present year, when Renfrew City sprang into being.
SETTLEMENT.
Penn Township is now a fair and fertile region. peopled by a thrifty and prosperous community of farmers. What was it in 1797? A dense wilderness.
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HISTORY OF BETLER COUNTY.
as unattractive and as forbidding in its aspeet as any of nature's wilds ever could be. Yet the courageous pioneer had already invaded it and laid the founda- tion for that prosperity which is now so conspicnous. Who ean fail to award to the hardy pioneer a tribute of gratitude for his generous toil? He labored not for himself alone, but for the benefit of you and me and generations yet to live.
The first settlers within the present township of Penn located in the southern portion of it -- within the former limits of Middlesex Township. Probably the first log cabin was made near the southwest cor- ner of the township. We have the statement from good authority that Clark Rathbun had begun a elear- ing and erected a cabin here about the year 1796. He was followed by Robert Brown and others, and in a few years quite a number of famil os were living in the neighborhood now included within Penn, Middle- sex and Forward Townships.
The next point of settlement seems to have been near the southeastern corner of the township-the Bartley neighborhood. From these two points, the settlers, as years advanced, proceeded to take up and occupy the southern and central portions of the town- ship. The growth was exceedingly slow until within the last thirty or forty years, but little of the northern part of Penn had been settled. and when farms were made here it was not by immigrants, but generally by the sons of the pioneers of this township and other parts of the county.
Most of the first settlers were Irish -industrions, economical and thrifty; men of robust constitutions, gifted with genial natures, stout hearts and strong arms. Later, a few New Jersey families, and some from Eastern Pennsylvania were added to the settle- ment. That all lived and labored well there is suffi- cient evidence afforded by the present prosperous con- dition; that the first settlers were of good stock. no one can doubt who is at all conversant with the thrift and intelligence of their descendants.
Robert Brown was one of the very first to pene- trate the wilderness once included in the present limits of Penn Township. He was born in New Jer- sey in 1779. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Caleb Brown, early came to Pennsylvania and settled near Elizabethtown. After Robert established his home in Butler County, they also came here and ended their days upon the same farm. In 1797, Robert Brown began the work of making a home in the for- est, on the farm now occupied by his son Nathan, in the southwestern part of Penn Township. He lived to see a mighty change wrought in this part of the country, and died honored and respected, in 1853. He was a Justice of the Peace twenty-five years. His wife was Ruth Rathbun. They had a family of six-
tren children. Thirtyon -five sons and eight dangh- tors-reached mature years, The sons were Caleb, Clark, John, Robert and Nathan; the daughters Sar- ah. Abigail, Rhoda. Elizabeth, Ann, Clarissa, Lydia and Caroline Matilda. Two sons, Caleb and Nathan, survive. The former, now a superannuated Methodist prencher, resides in Deerfield, Portage Co., Ohio. Nathan Brown, born in 1816, still resides upon the old farm, the former home of his father and grand- father. He held the office of Prothonotary of Butler County from December, 1557, to December, 1860. Two of the daughters are also living-Rhoda (Heu- derson), Harrisville, and Caroline M. (unmarried), Penn Township.
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