USA > Pennsylvania > Butler County > History of Butler County, Pennsylvania. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 88
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Nathaniel Cooper died on his farm. It is now ocenpied by G. W. Forsyth. a native of Armstrong County, who settled in this county in 1872. Stephen Cooper's family went to the West. Nathaniel's children were Nathaniel. Polly (MeGowen), Stephen and William B. Allare. now dead. Nathaniel, the last survivor. died in 1950. at the age of eighty six. The Coopers underwent the usual difficulties of pio- noers. At one time salt was $16 a barrel, and scarce at that price. It had to be brought over the mount ains from the Eastern part of the State. Zebulon went to Pittsburgh and brought home. on horseback. the first kettle that he owned.
At the time the Coopers came, Adam Barber lived southwest of their tract. and David Cross lived sonth of Barber. A man named Barrows and his son William lived south of the Cooper farm.
Philip Snyder came from Lancaster County. Youn .. and about the year 1901. settled on the farm how owned by Hiram Snyder. To pay his taxes, he had to resort to every method of vengomy which he could possibly practico. He made maple sugar and carried it to Butler to sell, thus earning a little money. In 1503, a son (Heury) was taken sick and died. There was then un physician nearer than Harmony. and the boy received no medical aid. Philip Snyder died in 1857. aged eighty three. He was twice mar- ried. His first wife. Sarah Stephenson, bore six chil- dren -Henry. JJohn. Jane ( Pillow), Elizabeth ( Barnes). Sarah (Smithi and Philip, all of whom are dead except Mrs. Barnes The children of his second wife, Deborah Fannohill. are all living: Nancy R (Braham). Hiram, Jonathan. Eleanor (Wrigat ). Deborah (Shanor), Hiram and Eliza P. (Broham) Snyder are the parents of eleven children: three sons and three daughters have been
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY,
school teachers and taught during the year ISS1. One son. Samuel B., has recently been admitted to the bar of this county.
James McKee, father of Hon. David Mckee, of this township, built the first house on the Eli Beck- with farm. Finding that he had located on lands bo. longing to the Pittsburgh Aeadomy. he moved to the farm now occupied by his son. The Pittsburgh Acad- emy. now known as the Western University. owned several four-hundred-aere tracts in this township. which were gradually sold to settlers Three of these tracts were in a body, commencing at the north of the township and running south as far as Centreville. Mrs. Weekly and her son William next occupied the farm. but were not able to pay for it. William Hogy then lived for a time upon the place. In IS19, Joel Beckwith came and bought the farm from the Academy Trustees, returning to his native State,
Connectiont. for his family They left Burlington, Conn .. Jannary 17, 1820. and four weeks and one day later arrived at their new home, having traveled the entire distance in a one-horse sleigh. Mr. Beck with and his son -. Alvah and Eli. Joel Beckwith died on the farm in 1848. Alvah studied medicine, resided in Indiana and Ohio and died in Ashtabula. Ohio. Eli, who was in his seventeenth year when he enine, is one of the few surviving early settlers. Since he came here he has resided in the county contin. nally. excepting twelve years. He married Asenath Bigham, who is still living. They have reared three daughters and two sons, all of whom are living.
Henry Woolford was among the first settlers. His son. Henry, who occupies the old farm, is now one of the oldest residents of the township.
John Walker. of Irish descent, came to this county from Alleghany County, and settled west of Centre- ville in 1805. His sons were William, Samnel. James. John and Robert. Only the latter resided per- manently in this county. John was cashier of a bank in Chillicothe. Ohio, where he died. Robert settled in 1816. where the borough of Harrisville now is. His sisters were Sarah (Carnahan), Elizabeth (Big- ham). Jane, Mary (Martin) and Margaret ( Reed). All lived in this county but Mrs. Carnahan.
Thomas Bigham, of Scotch-Irish descent, came from Adams County on horseback in 1806. and pur- chased of the Pittsburgh Academy the farm on which his son William now lives. After living alone two years, Mr. Bigham married Elizabeth Walker. He was a soldier of IS12. He died in 1564, in the eighty-third year of his age. Names of his children: Will.am. Ann Eliza. Sarah, Catharine (Hodge). Mar- gay't J. (Davidson), Jolm, Asenath (Beckwith) and Minerva . Davidson . William and Mrs. Beckwith are the only survivors.
The primitive denizens of the Forest- - the bears. wolves and panthers-did not desert their haunts nn. til many years after the advent of the settlers. One evening Peggy Walker was returning home just at "ansk from her neighbor Arinstrong's house, situated near Wolf Creek. riding horseback. When about one mile from home, she was startled by the terrifie seream of a panther which sprang from the bushes close by the path. Hor horse was frightened and ran: the panther followed, often coming close upon the horse and rider and occasionally making a leap at them. The horse was the swifter. however, and the savage animal was at length left behind. The girl reached her home in safety. though ahnost overcome with fright. It is related that a man was set upon by wolves near Wolf Creek at night, just as he was about to cross the stream. The wolves were on the opposite bank from him: to advance would be destruction. and to retreat, equally perilous. He therefore walked back and forth upon the log all night. with a stout elnb in his hands, keeping the wolves at bay. It was a long and terrible night for him. At dawn his for retreated into the forest and he continued his way unmolested
The J. D. Stephenson farm was settled by James and Jane (Me Murray) Stephenson. James Stephen son came to this county from Ireland, in IS17, and first resided a year or two near Harrisville. He then moved to the above-mentioned farm, where he died in 1846, and his widow in 1872. William Stephenson, his father, eame from Ireland with his son and lived with him. He worked at shoe-making and weaving. and his services were very useful to the settlers. Mr. Stephenson paid $3 per acre for his land. purchasing from James McGill. He erected a house of round logs. in which he lived until 1841. when he built a substantial stone house. He was the father of Mar- garet (Walker). Jane ( Walker). John. William (first ). William (second ). Rachael (Hogg). Elizabeth (Neely ), Isabel (Morrison), James D. and Elijah L. Five are living-John, Rachael. Elizabeth, J. D. and E. L. William (first) was drowned by falling in aspring when a small boy. The second William died in the army. J. D. Stephenson began the manufacture of pottery in 1866, which business he continues to conduct snecessfully, making from $1,000 to $1.500 worth annually.
Philip Kiester, the pioneer of the southeastern part of the township. eame here in 1522. when the en- tire neighborhood was a wilderness. Many excellent farms have been made from the primitive forest since that date. Mr. Kiester was a native of Westmoreland County. His wife was Margaret Shaffer, whose father, Jacob, was an early seitler in this county. Mr. Kies ter died in his eighty third year. in 1963. His widow
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
survived him eight years. Their children numbered ten. eight of whom reached mature years, viz .: Jesse, Jacob. Leah (Christley). Sarah (Christie). John. Abraham. Paul and Mahala (Christley). Sarah and Abraham are dead. Jesse and Jacob are among the oklest residents of this township. They recall the time when nearly all the settlers need sleds for haul. ing hay and grain, and remember distinctly a cart or wagon with wooden wheels (sawed from the end of a log) made by their father. Wooden plows, which in- variably clogged up between the coulter and the point: pitchforks made by blacksmiths; broad Dutch scythes. sharpened by means of a hammer and anvil. were some of the farming implements in use in early days.
John and Michael Christley, natives of West- moreland County. and sons of George Christley. an carly settler of Mercer County, came to this township about 1822, and settled on an unimproved farm. John Christley was a cabinet-maker, and carried on his trade in connection with his other business. Com- mencing about 1525, he was gate-keeper a number of years on the old Pittsburgh & Erie Turnpike. He also kept a publie house known as the Half-Way House, it being situated about midway between Butler and Mercer. In 1841. he was tax collector. and the val- uation of the township. which then included three times the territory now in Slippery Rock, was, accord- ing to his book. $108.450. Two hundred acres of land were taxed 84.
John Christley died in 1872. in his seventy-fifth year. He married, first. Mary H. Smith, and second. Elizabeth Smith. His children were James P. (liv- ing). William G, and John (dead), by the first mar- riage. The children of his second marriage are Thomas F .. Washington E .. Mary J., Samuel J. (dead). Sarah E .. Curtis I .. Catharine F., Margaret C. and Caroline B .. all living but Samuel.
Robert Patterson. who died during the war of 1812. came from Eastern Pennsylvania and settled hear Sunbury about the beginning of the present cen. tury. James A., his son. came to Slippery Rock Township in 1825. and purchased a farm in company with Smith Neill. but afterward bought Neill's share. J. A. Patterson died in 1870. His widow (née Amy Mitchell), is still living with her son Lewis, who is an extensive farmer. The children of J. A. and Amy Patterson are Norman, Lewis. Eli (deceased). Asa (deceased), and Sarah (Patterson).
Hon. Samnel Kerr came from Maryland to Mercer County with his father, who was one of the early sot- tlers in that county. When the Mt. Etna furnace was built, he came to this township and was manager of the furnace five or six years. He was elected State Senator from this county. He moved to New Castle.
and was appointed by Gov. Porter as Superintendent of the canal. He also served as a member of the Leg- islature from Mercer County. He died at Browns- ville. in ['S73. aged eighty-three years. He was mar- ried in Mercer County to Mary Moore, who bore eleven children. viz. : James. John. Jane (McConnell) . Mary (MeCleary). Martha (Alexander). Sarah (Pollock). Samuel. Lafayette. Clinton, Lucinda (Barker). and ('aroline ( Brown). All are living except Lucinda and Lafayette. The latter died in the Mexican war James (Judge Korri and Samuel reside in Harrisville, and Mrs. McConnell in Slippery Rock Township.
William Miller came from Ireland and settled in [S30, where his son William now lives. Ho located in the midst of the woods and lived many years in a small log cabin. Deer were so plenty that they had well-beaten paths around the house. William Mil- ler's children were Ann (Stephenson), Mary ( Kiester), Jane (Kiester), Eliza ( Kiester). William, James and George. The daughters are dead.
T. J. Shannon, a native of Allegheny County, came from Columbiana County, Ohio, in 1840. and set- tled in Worth Township, whence he removed in 1847, to the farm he now occupies. This farm and others in the neighborhood, situated east of the Franklin road. were in Cherry Township until 1854.
John Orr was born in Ireland. He lived nine years in Pittsburgh, and in 1840 moved thence to his present farm. The children of John and Mary E. (Watt) Orr: Mary J. ( Woods). Sarah (Bell. de- ceased): James W., Nancy (Hicks), William H .. John, Charles F. and Andrew P.
William Crocker came to this township from New- castle. in 1841. bonght 100 acres north of Centre- ville, which he cleared and improved: he then dis- posed of it, and in 1857 settled upou the farm which he still occupies. Mr. Crocker has a coal bank. pro- dneing about 12,000 bushels of coal per year.
Richard Critchlow settled in this county in 1850, and in Slippery Rock Township in 1871. William Renick, a native of Germany, settled in 1855, on the farm where he now resides. He had worked at black- smithing many years. His father was an early Ger- man settler in Jefferson Township.
Michael A. Medirath settled in this township in 1860. Hon. D. Wadsworth came from Ireland at the age of eighteen: lived at Pittsburgh 1830-39, and at North Liberty, Mercer County, 1539-64. He was a member of the State Legislature in 1846. and in 1860 was Assistant United States Marshal and census enumerator. He settled in this township in 1864.
Thomas Taylor. a native of Ireland, and a shoe- maker by trade, came from Philadelphia and settled in this township in 1851. He died the same year at the age of fifty seven. His children were Williams,
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
Ann, Robert, George and Mary Jane.
Centreville Station. in the northeastern part of this township, is an incipient village, containing a store, post office and a few houses. H. E. Wiek is proprietor of a large store and lumber yard, and is doing a good business. A lime-kiln near the station is also in operation.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
The following persons have been chosen as Jus- tices of the Peace in this township. since 1540. For list of Justices prior to that time, see general history. IS40. Alexander MeBride: 1510. James I. Hoge: 1845, James I. Hoge: 1845. Thomas Mitlin: 1850, William Moore: 1850. Thomas Mitlin: 1554. Nathan- iel Cooper: 1855, Jacob Kiester; 1859, Nathaniel Cooper: 1860, Jacob Kiester: 1864, E. D. De Wolf: 1865, Jacob Kiester: 1866. H. H. Vincent: 1871, H. H. Vincent: IS73, Jesse Kiester: 1877. Dawson Wads- worth: 1877. Jesse Kiester: 1882, H. H. Vincent: ISS2. Jesse Kiester.
THE MOHAWK MURDER.
On the last Saturday of June, 1843. in the south- ern part of Slippery Rock Township, was enacted a ‹leed of brutal slaughter as fiendish and as savage as any embraced in the annals of Indian warfare. An Indian known as Mohawk, who had passed down the road to Butler from the upper lumbering county some days previous, came to the Stone House on the stage on Friday. late in the evening. In Butler he had been drinking and acting suspiciously. On his arrival at the hotel, without a knock or a warning. he passed np stairs into the room where the landlord. Mr. Sill. was sleeping. Sill ordered him out and picked up a club to hasten his departure. The Indian left. and it is supposed that he passed the night among the rocks near the Stone House. as he was seen going up the road early the next morning. He went directly to the house of James Wigton, who was away from home, having gone to the house of his father. a mile distant, to get a horse to use in his farm work. Mrs. Wigton and her five small children were alone in the home. Just what passel there no one was left to tell. Before the return of the husband. Lemuel Davis, who. with his wife and son, had come to help Wigton abont his hoeing, entered the house and beheld a scene such as no pen can depict. Mrs. Wigton was lying dead in a pool of blood. Evidently she had not yielded her own life and the lives of her children without a strng. gle. One of her hands was cut nearly off, as though a knife had been forcibly drawn through it. It is supposed that she tried to defend herself with a butcher knife which was found near by. stained with blood. Her babe in the cradle, was, at first, thought to be unharmed: but when it was taken up, the hor
rible discovery was made that its brains had been beaten ont. Four children up stairs in the sleeping room were found -all dead, and their blood stained the floor, wall and ceiling. A stone which had been used in the fire place of the wash house, in place of an iron, was found covered with blood. This had been the instrument of death in the hands of the fiendish sav- age, and the heads of every victim bore marks of the blows inflicted by it.
Mr. Davis aroused the neighbors, and soon more than a hundred excited people, who had come from the Hickory Furnace and the neighboring farms, were at the scene of the murder. It was soon learned that the Indian had been at Joseph Kennedy's and had thrown a stone at young Joseph. Mohawk was hotly pursued and ran to Philip Kiester's house. There were no men about the place, and the women, who were already informed of the murder. hastened to leave the house. The Indian entered and ran up stairs. The pursuers rushed after him. and one of the num- ber. Mr. Blair, was knocked down by a stone thrown by the savage. It is supposed that Mohawk had gath- ered np a pocketful of stones on his way to the house. The Kiesters informed the pursners that there was a loaded pistol in the room where the murderer had taken refuge, and a shot from it was momentarily ex- pected: fortunately the Indian never discovered it. Next an attempt was made to get a dog up stairs, but to no purpose. Then several of the men. carrying a board over their heals. to keep off the missiles of Mohawk, made a rush up the stairway, seized the In- dian. overpowered him and tied him with a bedeord. Then they led him to the house where the mangled bodies of his vietims lay: he acknowledged his guilt, but said nobody could prove it.
The citizens were mostly in favor of lynching the savage at once. But William Stewart, a man of con- siderable influence, connseled otherwise and urged obedience to the law. The Indian was taken to But- ler. tried in due course, and sentenced to death. He was hung in the spring of IS44.
After the arrest there was great excitement in all the northern part of the county, and even in other counties. People who were familiar with the Indian traits feared that the savage would somebow be able to escape from the jail. Previous to the trial. com- panies of armed men-one company from New Castle and several from the northern part of the county - gathered at Butler, with the intention of lynching Mohawk. Great excitement resulted. The companies rendezvoused at Jacob Schleppey's tavern, and there they were met by a number of the most prominent men of Butler who argued and expostulated and fi- nally restored peace and order. No whisky or am- inunition was sold in Butler during the day. Some
IHISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.
of the more violen! advocates of mob- law oven threat ened to burn the town. Fortunately no evil resulted from the excitement occasioned by this " great poplar uprising."
MOUNT ETNA AND HICKORY FURNACES.
In 1522. Dr. John Thompson came from New Lisbon, Ohio, and purchaseJ an extensive friet of land in this township, upon which he erected a stone stack and started a coldblast charcoal furnace for the manufact ure of pig-iron. The first iron was made in 1823. Dr. Thompson also erected a l'orge for the manufact. nre of bar iron, made castings, built a saw-mill and grist-mill. and did an extensive business, employing many hands. In 1829, the property was sold at Sher it's sale for 87.500. which was less than one-fourth of its worth. and was purchased by one of the credi- tors. David MeJunkin, father of Judge MeJunkin. Thompson afterward returned and paid every dollar of his indebtedness. MeJunkin ran the furnace suc- cessfully from five to seven years. It was then rented to Ephraim Rose. John Near & Co. and Robert MeGowan, successively. It went out of blast about IS40. In 1535.35. William S. Bingham. now of C'en- terville, was one of the company operating the fur- nace. About fifteen tons of iron were produced weekly. Transportation to Pittsburgh cost $5 a ton.
In 1836, Joseph C. Swearingen commenced build. ing a furnace farther up the creek, which was known as the Hickory furnace. Ho owned 500 acres of land here and projected a large business. After a short experience. Swearingen found himself ruined tinan cially, and the property was sold by the Sheriff to C. C. Sullivan and William Stewart. They rented the furnace to William Jack, who did not make a sue- cess of the business. Sullivan & Stewart next took the management and made it pay well. In 1543, they erected the grist-mill now owned by John Kiester. Robert Allen next ran the furnace a few years. It went ont of blast in 1860. Good iron was made both at Hickory and Mt. Etna.
EARLY SCHOOLS.
In early times, the schoolbonses were few and far apart, there being not more than two or three school- houses where there are now eight or ton. One of the first schoolhonses in the township was a rude log building. erected on the Woolford farm. Among the early teachers were Squire Cooper. William Parker and Adam Dunn. Among the first female teachers were Rachel Cotton and Miss Beekwith, who taught in a log schoolhouse on Abrahmm Suyder's farm. abont 1825. The free school system was established against much opposition.
BETHEL UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
A congregation of Covenanters or Reformed Presbyterians was organized in 1983, in the northern part of the township, and met for some years in a small log building which was also used as a school- house. In 13, the present house of worship was erected. The first Ruling Elder was Sammel Hogy, who continued the only Elder until 1531. when Sammel Braham was elected. Among the members were the Hogy. Braham. Wickley. Shields. Curry and MeElwain families.
The first pastor, Rev. Andrew W. Black. officiated until 1838. There was no pastor then until IS48, when Rev. Josiah Hutchinan was called and labored nutil 1852. The remaining pastors were Rev. David Kennedy. 1852 55, and Roy. J. F. Hill, ES58 -66. Tu 1568, the church was re-organized by Rev. W. Hutchison, and having united with the New Hope congregation, became the Bethel United Presbyterian Church. Rev. W. D. Ewing has been the pastor since 1570. In 1868, the membership was sixty-two. It is now 130. The first Sabbath school was organized in IS52.
MILLS AND OTHER INDUSTRIES.
Dr. John Thompson erected a grist-mill on Slip- pery Rock, near his furnace, in 1822-23. The dam built by him is still standing. A new mill, standing where Thompson's forge was. is owned by Shepard & Dougherty. Hiekory Mill. on the same stream. was built in IS43.
James Vincent and his son Robert purchased 200 aeres, including a mill site on Wolf Creek, and erected a grist mi !! about 1532 A saw-mill farther up the stream had been built two years before. After the death of James Vincent, his son William became the owner of the mill, and after it had been run by the Vingent- for about thirty years, it was sold to Will- iam F. Rumberger. It has since been owned by Robert, MeKnight. Jones MeKnight and J. H. Christ- ley. Mr. Christley is the present owner. The first mill was burned a few years after it was built, and the one now standing was erected.
New Hope Woolen Factory. now one of the most important industries of the township, had its origin in the need of a carding-mill and cloth- fulling estab- lishment experienced by the early settlers. In 1824, the citizens, having formed a stock company, erected a small log bnifling and started a carding and full- ing mill. with William Smith in charge of the Works. Stock* was held at Sh a share. In 1940, the stock- holders solt out to James Criswell, who put in addi-
The pull-site was formerly a part of the farm of James McKee, who was a large stock-hohler The original dam was built for Stoo, and the embankment tor $34 50. a part of the cost to be paid in trade, James Mc Kee's son and Samuel Kelly did the with These patientats were finished by llon. David Me-
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
tional machinery and began the manufacture of cloth. | thing- - it was part of the merchant's work to trans- Samuel Curry was a partner with Criswell About form farm prodnets, and oven shoop and cattle, into eash. Mr. Pearson sneceeded well in business, and built the large brick house now occupied by Will- iam S. Bingham. He died here in Ist4. 1842, the original mill was burned and Criswell went ont of the business. Curry built more extensive works and ran the business about five years. He be- eamo involved, and the property was sold by the Sheriff. About the time Curry was moving away. the mill was burned. The fire was doubtless the work of an incendiary.
William F. Rumberger next purebased the site and built the mill now standing, about the year 1847. Rumberger ran the works on a large scale, gave em- ployment to many hands and conducted a paying busi. ness. The next owners (abont 1554), were Edward Faber and John MeCarnes, who sold out. in 1864, to Totten and Curry brothers. Totten withdrew after three years, and in 1870, Thomas and Joseph Curry also withdrew. Mr. William Curry, the present owner, has been sole proprietor of the factory since 1870. He is managing the factory on shrewd busi- ness principles, and the enterprise is paying him well.
Salt manufacture was attempted by John McKee and James George about 1545. The business was abandoned after a short trial, on account of gas in the salt well.
CENTERVILLE.
This town was founded by William Hill and , terest in the foundry. He died in 1844. His ehil-
Stephen Cooper. The first survey of lots on Hill's farm was made in 1820; and a few years later, ad- ditional lots were laid off on the Cooper farm. The plat of the town was recorded in 1825.
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