USA > Pennsylvania > Clarion County > History of Clarion County, Pennsylvania > Part 51
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Horses, cattle, sheep, and swine are the principal animals found in Clarion township. There are many and fine breeds of horses represented, those known as the English draught and the Clydesdale being the most popular, from the fact that they are large and strong, thus being well adapted to heavy work, which is much more requisite in this section than mere roadsters.
At present writing, herds of Jerseys Guernseys, Alderneys, and the cele- brated Shorthorn breed may be seen grazing on the beautiful hillslopes, or ru- minating beneath the boughs of some stately shade-tree. Sheep are perhaps the best paying animals reared on the farm. Many breeds are represented in this township, but the breed known as the Southdown is perhaps the best adapted to the climate, and produces the most wool.
C. LEEPER.
A. LITTLE. PHILA.
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Swine are extensively raised, and furnish the chief article of meat diet. The Berkshire is the most popular.
Within the limits of this township there are four flouring-mills, several saw and shingle-mills, and one or two stave-mills. The flouring-mills are situated, one in the eastern part of the township on Little Mill Creek, and belongs to J. B. Jones, of Corsica, Jefferson county, Pa .; two in the northern part of the township on Big Mill Creek, and are respectively known as the Dean grist-mill and the Spangler mill ; the other one is in the southwestern part of the town- ship on Brush Run, and is now owned by a Mr. Shingeldecker, who recently purchased it from Mr. Cover. These are not merchant-mills, but grind only the grain taken there for that purpose by the farmers. As they are supported by people from neighboring townships as well as by those of Clarion, they all are enabled to do a good business. They run by water power, and in seasons of protracted drought do little work. The saw and shingle-mills are all situ- ated in the north and northeastern part of the township, on Mill Creek and tributaries. The stave-mills are employed in sawing barrel-staves, which are all shipped away, there being no cooperage in Clarion county.
The only village not incorporated, within the limits of the township, is situ- ated near the southern boundary, and is called Mechanicsville, or Frampton P. O. At present it contains a dry goods and grocery store, belonging to and kept by Mr. J. P. Kahle, a hotel known as the Mccullough House, a black- smith shop, a post-office, which has a daily mail, and is kept by Mr. Ed. M. McIntire ; a wagon shop, and office of the justice of the peace, A. J. Framp- ton, esq., also several private residences. The post-office was so named in honor of William Frampton, esq., one of the oldest settlers of the place, and father of the present justice.
Education in Clarion township is given fair attention, there being within its borders ten public schools. In the early history of the township schools were established and fostered. Judge Peter Clover gives the following de- scription of one of the first buildings erected within the present limits of the township for school purposes : " It was built of round logs, and about eight feet high, and with five corners, one of which was part of the chimney as far up as the mantel-board, and from that to the square it had four corners, and roofed with clap-boards, and logs laid crosswise to hold on the boards. The building was chinked, as they called it, between the logs, and then daubed with clay, or mud mortar. The fire-place was a large back-wall of stone, and the chimney was built out of small poles and clay as high as it was required. The floor was laid with hewed puncheons; the upper floor was laid with the same kind, and covered with earth to keep out the cold. The seats were made of long slabs, round side down, and about high enough to prevent the chil- dren's feet from touching the floor. The writing desks were made by putting sticks in the wall, said sticks having hooks on the ends, and a board laid 50
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HISTORY OF CLARION COUNTY.
across these. These boards were placed at an angle of about forty-five degrees. Instead of windows, a piece of log was taken out, and sticks put across, over which oiled paper was fastened in order to let in light." In such houses did the youth receive their education, being instructed by masters of Scotch-Irish descent, whose pronunciation was rather broad for good Eng- lish. The first schools were supported by subscription, at the rate of about five or six dollars per year for each scholar. The teachers always boarded around among the patrons of the schools. The text-books were the United States Speller, and the scriptures of the Old and the New Testaments for a reader. The Western Calculator was the work on mathematics, and the stu- dent who worked to the double rule of three was considered a graduate in arithmetic. But the world is progressing. The schools are no longer sup- ported by subscription, but by public money. There are used in the schools at present the most approved series of text-books. Young men and women especially trained to teach are the instructors. True, there are some poor school-houses in the township, and we must say that there are none as good as they ought to be, or even might be. Patent furniture has been placed in a few of the school-houses, while others are funished with mere benches. The minimum length of the school term is five months,1 while the number of children of school age will probably reach five hundred. The township has within its present limits, three religious denominations, with as many houses of worship.
The first church building erected in what is now known as Clarion township was built on land bordering on Brush Run, in the southwestern part of the township. The building was erected on land donated by the Rev. McGarrah, of sacred memory, and was situated in the midst of a burial ground. This burial ground was the only place of interment for many miles around. Occa- sionally a body is laid to rest there even yet, but the fence that once enclosed the sacred spot has crumbled into ruin, and many of the beautiful white grave- stones that marked the places where dear ones rest, awaiting the dawn of resurrection morn, are leveled with the dust. In this old grave-yard lie buried many of the first settlers, who will be noticed hereafter. The name of this first church was Rehoboth, and Rev. McGarrah was the first pastor. The denomination was Presbyterian. It is said that this good old man was very highly educated, and mighty in prayer ; but his speech was slow, and it often took him three hours to deliver a sermon. He used no notes while preaching, and his sermons were delivered with great earnestness. It is related that he often became so earnest while delivering discourses, that great drops of tears would fall from his eyes to the floor. I am told that he often preached more eloquently by his tears than by the power of his voice. No trace of this old church remains, but a new Rehoboth church, situated about one mile south of
1 By a late act of the Legislature passed since the above was in type, the minimum school term has been increased to six months.
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Strattanville, has taken its place. The denomination is Presbyterian, and is presided over by the Rev. Britt. The building is a modest frame structure, oblong in form, one story high, and has a seating capacity of about four hun- dred. Around this church is also a burial ground of about two acres. This is the only Presbyterian Church within the limits of the township. The con- gregation is composed of quiet, intelligent citizens, and numbers about one hundred. Church services are held in the church every other Sunday, and Sunday-school on the first day of every week the entire year.
The second house of worship erected within the township was built near the site of old Rehoboth, and is called the Seceder Church. It remains to this day, and is sometimes used by the Methodists for church services. It is also a frame structure, and can seat about one hundred and fifty persons. The Rev. John Lickey was its first pastor. At present the Seceders do not have a congregation in this township. There are two M. E. Churches, known as the Asbury and Fair Haven churches. Flourishing congregations worship in both, and their influence for good is felt far and near.
The number of inhabitants of the township is about 1,200. The first set- tlers of the precinct came from Westmoreland and Centre counties during the years 1801 and 1802. The Young, Maffet, Guthrie, Maguire, Potter, Clover, and Corbett families were represented among the pioneer settlers. These brave people came all the way on horseback, having no road except Indian trails on which to travel. They also brought with them on horseback as many personal and household effects as possible. They endured all the hardships and priva- tions that settlers of a new country usually encounter, there being at first but one thing plentiful, and that was game. But the land which they purchased and on which they settled was new, and the soil being rich, the wilderness ere long was made to blossom as the rose. Farms were laid out, trees felled, houses and barns erected, all of which was evidence that these people had sought a new section of country which they determined to make their home. The first white male child born in Clarion county was born within the present limits of this township, in a small house which stood beneath the shade of an old oak tree, which stands by the side of the turnpike between Strattanville and Clarion boroughs. The name of the child was Thomas Young, and his birth occurred in 1802. This child lived, grew, and waxed strong, and his children are among the best citizens of the county. The Hon. Hugh Maguire, son of James Ma- guire, one of the earliest settlers, is believed to have been the second white male child born within the limits of the township. The old gentleman is still living, and resides on his farm just east of Strattanville. His father was a scythe maker, and made the first scythes manufactured in Clarion county, thus being one of the most useful men among the early pioneers. Others who were also very useful were Philip Clover, jr., a blacksmith, his being the first shop in the township, situated near where the Stone House now stands ; John Corbett, a
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HISTORY OF CLARION COUNTY.
surveyor ; John Roll, a cooper ; John Love, a weaver ; and Philip Clover, sr., was a tanner and shoemaker. The remainder of the early settlers all followed farming. At that time these brave pioneers were compelled to travel to Kit- tanning, Armstrong county, in order to reach the nearest store. This distance is thirty-five miles, and the road on which they traveled was a mere pathway in the forest. During the first two years of the settlement flour was brought from Westmoreland county on horseback. Iron was also packed from this and other counties, and cost fifteen cents per pound. Salt cost ten dollars a barrel. At that time coffee and tea, luxuries of life, were little used on account of their excessive price, tea being four dollars and coffee seventy-five cents per pound. As early as 1800 Alexander Guthrie, John Guthrie, Thomas Guthrie, and William Maffett, of New Derry, Westmoreland county, Pa., came to this town- ship and made settlements. They erected some small cabins, and made other improvements, returning to Westmoreland in the fall of 1800, blazing trees as they went, to guide them on their return the following spring. The ancestors of the Guthries and Maffetts above named were originally from Scotland, whence they fled to Ireland during a period of persecution; shortly after, they came to America. Mr. James G. Maffett, of this township, had in his posses- sion (and it still remains in possession of the Maffett family) an old music book, written by William Maffett, grandsire of the above named William Maffett, in 1717, on one page of which is written :
" Written by Me, By Me. " William Maffett, April the 18, 1717. " William Maffett, his musick book."
John Maffett, father of William Maffett, the author, came to America from Ireland, about 1774, as the following certificates will show. The originals of these certificates are now in possession of the Hon. J. T. Maffett, of Clarion borough. They read as follows :
" That John Maffett hath lived in the bounds of this congregation from his Infancy, and allways behaived himself honestly, soberly and Inoffensively, free of any publick scandal -known to us -is certifyed at Drumareth this 12th day of April, 1767. JAMES BIREK."
"These are to certify that John Maffett and his wife Elizabeth have always behaved with strict sobri- ety and honesty, and maintained fair moral characters.
" Given at Dromore, Mar. 19, 1773.
WM. HENRY."
We next find him in what is known as York county, Pa., as the following will show :
"YORK COUNTY-SS. I do hereby certify that John Maffett hath voluntarily taken and subscribed the oath of Allegiance and Fidelity, as directed by an Act of General Assembly of Penn'a, passed the 13th day of June, A. D. 1777.
" Witness my hand and seal the 27th day of May, Anno Domini, 1778.
'. No. 161.
WM. MCCLEAN. [L. S. ]"
A number of the first settlers of this township enlisted in the War of 1812, but all returned home without a wound or a scar. Not so fortunate, however, were those brave men of this precinct who enlisted in the great struggle known as the Civil War. Many upon setting out for the field of action bade their
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friends and relatives farewell for the last time. True, many returned, and those yet living, and who reside at present within the limits of the township, have organized themselves into a Grand Army Post, with headquarters at Strattan- ville, q. v. These living heroes annually decorate the graves of their dead comrades with flowers, thus cherishing the memory of those who have gone before. The present inhabitants of the township are, generally speaking, a sober and industrious people, striving to make their homes pleasant, and pro- mote the general welfare of their country.
The major part of the people are farmers, the remainder every-day labor ers, merchants, millers, miners, blacksmiths, carpenters and teachers. The total number of farmers in the township is about one hundred and thirty-one. The number of laborers, that is, those who work at whatever they can get to do, is perhaps twenty or twenty-five. There are two merchants. The millers num- ber three or four, while perhaps there are not less than a dozen miners. Those who follow the remainder of the occupations above named are not numerous, there being but one blacksmith now actively engaged within the limits of the township. Many of the resident teachers teach in adjoining townships, and some have gone to labor for the time being in neighboring counties.
An association known as the Clarion District Camp-meeting Association has within the limits of the township, and situated one mile north of Strattan- ville, an enclosure of about twenty acres of woodland, which is devoted to the purpose of holding annual religious gatherings denominated "camp-meetings." Many members of the association have erected fine cottages upon the grounds, and other improvements are being made from time to time, so that the grounds present quite a respectable appearance. These camp-meetings are held by the Methodist Episcopal denomination of Christians, and are always attended by large numbers of people. A high board fence surrounds the entire ground. An auditorium, with a seating capacity of about one thousand, has been erected, and on Sabbaths the hearers usually fill every seat. An endeavor will be made to gradually merge this camp-meeting into an assembly, modeled somewhat after the great Chautauqua Assembly.
Clarion Township in 1816 .- The summer of 1816 is memorable as being the coldest summer ever witnessed by the oldest citizens of Clarion township. Vegetation grew but little, and what little there was, was destroyed by repeated hard frosts. There was but one man in the township that had any corn, and that was John Guthrie, now deceased. His corn grew, but did not harden in the ear. Mr. Guthrie thought he would endeavor to do what nature failed to accomplish, and, accordingly he built a kiln for the purpose of curing it; but one night the kiln accidentally caught fire, and burnt away, consuming corn and all. In the words of Paine, "These were times that tried men's souls." Famine almost stared the early settlers in the face, but they quailed not. In order to secure flour, Messrs. Samuel and John Jones, who have long since
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HISTORY OF CLARION COUNTY.
passed to " that undiscovered country, from whose bourne no traveler ever re- turns," together with others of the early settlers, hewed out a canoe on the banks of Mill Creek, manufactured five barrels of pine tar, placed the tar in the canoe, then " poled " the cargo all the way to Pittsburgh, Pa., a distance of one hundred and ten miles. Landing at Pittsburgh, they exchanged their five barrels of tar for as many barrels of flour, and then "poled " the flour back home in their canoes.
CHAPTER XLIX.
HISTORY OF CLARION BOROUGH.1
F EW of the county seats of the Commonwealth arose under circumstances similar to those of Clarion. It came into existence on a spot, which, a year previous, was destitute of a single occupied habitation ; its origin was purely political, the very site having been determined by the commissioners. A town erected under such circumstances, with a forced growth we may say, is one of the rare exceptions to the rule which makes a rapid rise followed by a rapid decline. But its selection as the seat of the law's administration assured for it a permanency that will endure as long as the execution of justice remains a part of our social existence.
The land on which the county seat now stands lay on each side of a notably level stretch of the turnpike, which had been at times utilized by rural horse- men as a racing ground. On either side extended a thicket of pines of medium growth, interspersed by some goodly oaks and chestnuts. There was a small but abandoned clearing on the old academy lot. The only opening beside the turnpike was a path which led off southwardly through the dense under- wood to the " old camp ground " on the hillside, north of South street, and east of 5th avenue.2
Some time in the fall of 1839 (the date cannot be exactly ascertained, but it was probably early in October, soon after the delivery of the deeds), the town plot, containing two hundred acres, was surveyed by John Sloan, jr.
The original bounds of the village - rectangular in form -- were, on the north, the line of the outlots north of Liberty street and parallel thereto, ex- cept an offset fifty yards wide, and the length of an outlot, at the western end of Liberty street, and another, the width and length of an outlot occurring at the corner of P. Slattery's Heirs ; on the east, the western side of Sth avenue;
1 By George J. Reid.
2 See " Methodist Church in Clarion county."
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on the south, a line parallel to and the width of two outlots, or 32 rods back of South street ; on the west, beginning at the southwest corner of the Prot- estant cemetery, the eastern side of the yet unopened Ist avenue. The streets running lengthwise were Liberty, Main, Wood, South ; those crosswise, 2d East (7th avenue), Ist East (6th ave.), Market (5th ave.), Ist West (4th ave.), 2d West (3d ave.), and 3d West (2d ave.) Main and Market streets were made 80 feet wide; 4th and 6th avenues 70 feet, and all the others 60. The alleys are each 20 feet in width. The inlots, 275 in number, measure one- fourth an acre each, being 60 feet wide and 180 in length; the outlots, of which there were 50, averaged an acre and a half in area. The lineal angle of the town is 62 degrees west of north.
The public sale of lots began October 30, 1839, and continued three days. The underbrush had been cleared out and the streets were opened through the trees. The commissioners and their crier proceeded along these avenues, stopping at each lot and offering it for sale to the highest bidder. Many sales were made, a large crowd was present each day, and the bidding was spirited. Lots went off at what were considered very good figures for a town in embryo. No. 25, now covered by M. Arnold's block, brought the highest price ; it was purchased by William Jack, of Westmoreland county, for $757.50. No. I, the Kribbs corner, opposite, was the next in value, selling to Jonathan Agey for $560. The town was named by Commissioners Pritner, Potter, and Hamilton.
Early in May, 1840, people began to arrive and erect houses. The sud- den advent of a population, composed chiefly of the mechanics and laborers engaged by the jail contractors, prospective merchants, tradesmen, hotel and boarding-house keepers, found the place unprepared to shelter them all. Those who could not find accommodation at the four houses which I shall presently mention, went to Strattanville for the night. After the frames were up, rough boards were hastily clapped on, shanty fashion, to answer the demand for shelter, and the work of putting on weatherboards, then wrought by hand, and requiring much time and labor, was deferred till more pressing wants were supplied. People were packed in half-finished houses, windowless, door- less, and with the merest modicum of furniture ; everything much as in a new oil town so far as " roughing it " amid discomfort, mud and disorder were concerned- the comparison extends little farther.
In 1838 a rather large cabin, having two or three rooms on the ground floor, a loft, and with a log stable in the rear, stood on what is now the southwestern corner lot at South street and Sixth Avenue, near the spring on South street. Traces of the foundation and chimney yet remain. Who built it and when it was built, is uncertain, but it probably dated back to camp-meeting times. In 1838 Philip Clover, sr., put James Brinkley into it to hold possession against McFadden and the Kellys who had set up a claim to the land. Brinkley and his family occupied it till the winter of 1839, and it gave accommodation to
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HISTORY OF CLARION COUNTY.
some of those who attended the sales. It appears then to have been deserted until it fell into the hands of William Clark in the spring of 1840. Clark built a shed addition to it, to be used as a kitchen and dining-room. Under his proprietorship and that of George Lightner, a German, besides the family of the host, this house sheltered between fifteen and twenty-five unhappy boarders.
Samuel Garvin, in the early '30's, had taken down a small frame-house at Clugh's Mill, moved it and put it up on a little property he had purchased east of the future town. It stood on the lot now belonging to - -- , nearly opposite J. E. Wood's residence. Here Mr. Garvin plied his trade of shoe- maker, cleared a few fields for cultivation, and occasionally burnt a tar-kiln, and boated the product to Pittsburgh. This house and the South street cabin were the first houses worthy of the name on the site of Clarion. It is doubtful to which belongs the priority ; probably to the former.
As soon as the county-seat had been located, a Mrs Kate Empy, who had lived a short time in Strattanville, and kept a shrewd eye on the prospective town, began to erect a frame dwelling just outside of the town limits; it is now the residence of Dr. Strickler. Here she opened a cake and beer shop, and entertained many during the sales, realizing in the three days the snug little sum of $roo, quite a bonanza for those days. This is the earliest new build- ing within the present limits of the borough. Subsequently, when the town actually began, Mrs. Empy sold this property and opened a public-house in a more central situation.
In 1839, before the laying out of the town, Peter Clover built a log house of one story and a half, at the west end of Main street, and soon after sold it to John R. Clover, who with his family first occupied it. It stood where Martin Meisinger's dwelling now stands. Amid a number of new buildings that sprang up almost simultaneously in May, 1840, it is difficult to ascertain the very first one. It was probably Empy's tavern, afterwards the residence of Colonel William T. Alexander, now the property of S. Frampton's heirs. The first brick house was J. Kerr's block, now owned by J. C. Reid, commenced in 1840, and completed early in '41 ; the next was McLain's brick building near the corner of Third Avenue and Main street, since destroyed by fire. The first house on Wood street was Jos. Kelly's, at the corner of Third Avenue, now the dwelling of William Forkum. Money did not abound in those days ; none of the first comers were wealthy, and the majority were of very limited means. As a consequence a great many were compelled to begin at the wrong end in building houses, erecting a small building or shed first, back from the street, as a rear wing, and leaving the front in expectancy. For the first year or so most of the private houses were small, mean structures of this sort, set back among the pines and underwood. The uncouth appearance of the infant town may be gathered from the following description by an old citizen who arrived in August, 1840:
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