USA > Pennsylvania > Clarion County > History of Clarion County, Pennsylvania > Part 62
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At that time the township embraced a wide territory, and belonged to Ve- nango county. It was covered by a dense forest of pine and oak timber, and was inhabited by wild animals, such as deer, bears and panthers, which were more or less troublesome to the early settlers. As the population increased,
1 By D. A. Bryner.
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PAINT TOWNSHIP.
new townships were erected, but the writer will only give the history for what is now known as Paint township.
Schools .- In 1828 a log school-house was built on the pike, near the lands of John H. Groce. One of the first teachers was Jacob Phipps, and the series of books was the United States spelling book and the Bible. A man who could read and write well was considered a teacher fit to educate the children of the early settlers. Some children went to the school from a distance of five or six miles. They would board with their neighbors living near the school during the week, and return home on Saturday. A few years later a school-house was built in the southern part of the township on the lands of Daniel Brenne- man. It was used for a school-house and church, and was afterwards aban- doned and a new one was built a mile farther south, known as the Manor school-house. It was built about the year 1850, and the first teacher was Miss Messenger.
In 1850 a school-house was built on the Pike, a mile west of the Clarion River. The first teacher was Robert Livingston. The old house still stands, although a new one was built in 1878 near the same place. In 1859 a school- house was built in the northern part of the township on the land of Isaac Hicks ; it was abandoned in 1877, and a new one was built a mile further south known as the Goble school. In 1880 a school-house was erected at Paint Mills.
Churches .- The township has but one church within its limits. It was erected in 1880, near Paint Mill Station, on the line of the P. and W. Railroad, and dedicated as a union church.
Lumber .- The principal lumber manufacturing was operated first at the mouth of Little Toby on the Clarion River ; the mills were built by Myers & Shippen about the year 1825. From 1825 to 1858, the writer cannot give the different names of the proprietors. From 1858 to 1864, it was owned and ope- rated by Zigler and Baker. They were succeeded by Corbet & Wilson, and in 1883 they sold the property to Thomas Rane, who is still engaged in the man- ufacturing of lumber and boat-building.
From 1857 to 1865 Curll, Pritner & Company were engaged in the manu- facture of lumber, at a place known as Penn Mills, on Little Toby. The capacity of their mills was about thirty thousand feet of sawed lumber per day. The engine that drove their machinery was made by Nathan Myers, of Clarion, and is still in use at the mills of Porter Haskell, at or near Tylersburg.
In 1870, Hahn, Metzgar & Wagner purchased of Jacob Black a tract of pine and oak timber, on Paint Creek. This was considered one of the finest tracts of timber land in the township. The firm erected mills known as Paint Mills and engaged in the manufacture of lumber. They were succeeded by Wagner & Curll, who are still in the business.
In 1880 Arthurs Coal and Lumber Company purchased a tract of timber land in the northern part of the township, on the line of the Pittsburgh and
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HISTORY OF CLARION COUNTY.
Western Railroad. Their timber has been all cut and shipped, and what was once a forest of pine and oak timber, has been reduced by the woodman's ax, to a forsaken lumber camp, and is growing up with brush. A few more years will wipe out the lumber industry in Paint township. The rising generation will then have to look elsewhere for building material. What their forefathers manufactured and shipped to Pittsburgh and other markets, they will have to buy from other sources.
Coal .- The first coal bank was opened in 1839 on the Sebastain Cook farm. The township is underlaid with different veins of coal, and of late years a num- ber of banks have been in operation.
Oil .- In 1864 Shandler & Company drilled a test oil well on the John H. Groce farm, better known as the Patrick farm. It was drilled a wet hole, and was tubed and pumped for weeks, but it could not be made to produce any oil. In those days a leather bag filled with flax seed was fastened around the tubing at a depth of five or six hundred feet. In this way they could shut off the water from the oil-bearing rock so long as they did not need to pull the tubing.
In 1876 Jacob Black drilled a test well on the same farm. A small flow of gas was found, but no oil, and the well was abandoned.
In 1878 C. Leeper & Company drilled a well on the Joseph Banner farm in the northwestern part of the township. It produced five barrels of oil per day, and was the first producing oil well in the township. Nothing more was done in oil until 1885 to 1887, when quite a number of producing wells were drilled in the same locality.
Farming .- The early settlers did not turn their attention to farming. They were mostly engaged in boat-building, lumbering, and daily toil for the iron manufacturers, and they used their farms mostly for a home to live on, and only tilled them when work was scarce about these manufactories; but in later years the farmers have been turning their attention more to agriculture, and at present a number of well tilled farms may be seen in different parts of the town- ship.
Area of township, 13,51I acres. Population in 1887, 437.
Township officers in 1887 : Justice of the peace, George Cook and H. G. Verstine ; judge of election, John M. Wagner ; inspectors, John Near and Amos Wagner; constable, Sebastian Cook ; assessor, S. D. Young ; overseers of the poor, George Cook and Joseph Heppinger; supervisors, Fred Stark and William Bish; collector of tax, J. P. Rapp; school directors, George Cook, Joseph Heppinger, William Brenneman, Samuel Brenneman, Martin Wagner and Christopher Shultz ; auditors, D. A. Bryner, C. G. Thompson and Martin Wagner.
War Record .- The little township of Paint furnished thirty-two men for the late rebellion, and there are still living in the township Sebastian Cook, who
PERRY TOWNSHIP.
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enlisted January 19th, 1862 ; was discharged July 13th, 1865, having spent nine months in a rebel prison. Alexander Goble enlisted November 1, 1861 ; was discharged June 10th, 1865. John Smith enlisted February 13, 1862 ; was discharged June 29th, 1865. Frederick Brenneman enlisted in 1861, and served three years for his country's cause. J. W. Young enlisted July 1, 1861, and was discharged March 23, 1863. Wolff Heppinger was killed at the battle of South Mountain. Alf Rynard and A. Whistner were killed at the battle of Gaines's mill. Joseph Groce died in prison. David Thomas and Horace Young died in the hospital. Horace Kiskadden, Andy Smith, John Young, John Goble, Dock Goble, Burt Goble, John Shull, John McDonnell, David Sheets, Lewis Dolby, Charles Harps, Miles Brenneman, and some five or six others were credited to the township, as they were citizens at the time they enlisted. The population of the township at the time of the rebellion was about 330. The majority of her young men fit for military duty were in the army. Thus closes the chapter for Paint township.
CHAPTER LXIII.
HISTORY OF PERRY TOWNSHIP.1
T `HIS township lies in the extreme southern part of the county. It is bounded on the north by the Clarion River, east by the Clarion River and Licking and Toby townships, south by Toby township and the Allegheny River, and west by the Allegheny and Clarion Rivers. The township con- sists mainly of high ridges, broken by numerous small streams, which empty their waters into the Allegheny and Clarion Rivers, and into Licking Creek. The principal small streams are Freedom, Camp, Black Fox, and Troutman Runs. Perry township was originally a part of Armstrong county, and was settled soon after the land office opened. Tradition says that settlement was made as early as 1800, and it is a well. proven fact that one Gideon Gibson settled, built a house, and made other improvements on what is now known as the Allen McCall farm, and sold the same in 1802 to Mr. McCall, the ancestor of Allen. In 1804 John Black built a house near the Licking-Perry line, east of C. Lobaugh's present homestead. In the same year John Wilson built a house on the Robert Pollock tract, and William Miller built on the Yingling tract. Other early settlers were Joseph Everett, Benjamin Coe, the 'Hagans and the Pollocks.
Industries .- The industries of the township are varied. The southern part
1 By John M. Beer.
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HISTORY OF CLARION COUNTY.
is principally the site of the coal mining interests, the north of the oil interest, and the other portions of the township are farming communities.
Along in the forties a company began the erection of a furnace in the southern part called Red Fox. This company sold to a Welsh firm, who fin- ished the work and called it Black Fox Furnace. This firm sold out to Ver- num & Adams, who became involved, and a disputed title threw the property into the sheriff's hands, who sold it, and it was bought by Painter & Graff. This company made iron here till 1859. In the summer of 1860 William Moore tried to start the furnance to use up some stock he had on hand, but in attempting to get up steam, the boiler exploded, killing two men named William Kortz and Benjamin Kogan. Thus it has been truly said that "Black Fox Furnace blowed out in 1860," at least it blew up. It never made iron after that event. In its best days it made from fifteen to twenty tons of char- coal, or cold blast metal daily.
There have been a number of grist-mills on the various streams in the township, viz .: Elliott's, at Matildaville, built in 1843; Hagan's, on Hagan's Run ; McGarrah's, on Rattlesnake Run ; the Dan Snyder mill, now owned by Copes, and the Shaw steam-mill at Perryville.
In 1855-6 Elijah Davis built a saw-mill near West Freedom, which is still in use. Copes have a saw-mill near their grist-mill, and James Bell & Son have a steam saw-mill on the Clarion River at Turkey Run Eddy, in connec- tion with which they have a large boat scaffold whereat many men find em- ployment.
The A. V. R. R .- This important public highway passes through the town- ship along the banks of the Allegheny. It was built in 1866-67. Two important stations, Parker and West Monterey, are on the township's seven miles of river front over which the road passes. In the early history of the road Bear Creek was also an important station. At Upper Hillville there is also a station.
Oil Wells .- In 1867 oil was found in a well at East Parker just above the railroad station. It was put down by James E. Brown, and is still producing. It is said that this well during its twenty years' existence has produced $90,000 worth of oil. The " Piper" well has been producing for fifteen or sixteen years, and still yields twelve barrels daily. From 1873 to 1876 great excite- ment prevailed about the Logue farm development, and quite a town sprang up on that tract. The Gailey fram, near Perryville, produced a great deal of oil, as did also the Fox farm, on the Clarion. The production at present has fallen off very much, and many of the oil kings are poorer than they were be- fore the excitement.
Tron Tanks .- With the advent of oil came the building of tanks. At first shipments were made entirely by rail, but now it is principally by piping. Four or five iron tanks were built at Perryville in 1873. Now there are about
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forty, all the property of the United Pipe Lines, which is only another name for the National Transit Company, or Standard Oil Company. The capacity of each tank is about 35,000 barrels. The township authorities assess these tanks for local purposes. . It is said the tax on each tank amounts to $150 per year, $50 each for school tax, poor tax, and cash road tax.
Schools .- Little definite information has been obtained by the writer rel- ative to the establishment of schools in the township. There are at present fourteen schools (twelve houses) in the township. A graded school of two rooms is located at West Freedom, and a similar school at Perryville. The other schools are the Neff, Logan, Pine Hollow, Dutch Hill, West Monterey, Black Fox, Logue Farm, Pollock, Mckibben and Fox. The latter was estab- lished in 1854. The West Freedom Academy building was erected in 1860-61. It was not completed when the war broke out. The academy has ceased to exist from all appearances, but it left the names of the following gentlemen who conducted the institution : Prof. Hosey, Rev. Burton, Prof. Green, Prof. A. S. Elliott, A. J. Davis, Prof. P. S. Dunkle, Prof. J. V. McAninch, and Prof. Lynn.
One of the old-time teachers of the township, Mr. James C. Mckibben, still takes an active part in educational matters.
Many of the teachers who have taught in the Perry schools, have become men of affairs in the world. The following names will be recognized by many : David Latshaw, J. W. Dunkle, P. S. Dunkle, G. G. Sloan, W. A. Beer, A. M. Neely, O. E. Nail, J. G. Anderson, H. H. Pollock, H. P. Elliott, C. W. Elliott, A. S. Elliott, C. C. Poling, George W. Mathews, J. B. Bollman, J. C. Bryner, W. W. Wolfe, and others. This list includes two county superintendents, and all the others have in some way been prominently before the people, two having been members of the Legislature at the same time, one a presiding elder in the M. E. Church, and one led a company from this county through the civil war.
Churches .- Concord Presbyterian Church is the oldest in the township, having been organized in 1807. The Methodist Church building at Perry- ville and the Presbyterian Church building at the same place, were erected in 1871. The congregations, however, were previously organized. For many years the Methodist congregation at West Freedom worshiped in a church on the hill east of the town, just above the cemetery, and later in the old academy. In 1876 the present fine structure was erected. There is also an M. E. Church at West Monterey, and a Lutheran Church at Dutch Hill. The M. E. Church also holds service at intervals at the Logue farm and at Pine Hol- low. At one time it had a class meet in the Pollock school-house. The West Freedom and Perryville M. E. congregations belong to the Callensburg charge.
Benevolent Societies .- The I. O. O. F. has two lodges in the township- one at West Monterey and one at West Freedom. Formerly West Freedom also had an encampment, but it is now defunct.
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HISTORY OF CLARION COUNTY.
Villages .- There are no incorporated boroughs in the township; but West Freedom, West Monterey and Perryville are towns of importance, and sev- eral other small villages such as Matildaville, Hagantown, and Dutch Hill add to the population. West Freedom is situated on the Parker-Clarion road, mid- way between Parker and Callensburg. The first lots were sold by Joseph . Yingling in 1848. The first buildings erected were a dwelling house and a blacksmith shop, by John Baker, in 1848. The first merchants here were Phipp & McGuff. Later came H. W. Jordan and George Yingling in the gen- eral merchandise line, and they are still in business here. S. S. Jordan opened up a drug and variety store, and did business till only a few years ago. He was also postmaster, one of the few Democrats who held such a commission under a Republican administration. John Coon, E. Slaughenhaupt, H. Y. Howe, and others did business here. At present S. K. R. Smith does business at the place once occupied by Coon. He is also postmaster. The fact that Jordan, a Democrat, held the office under a Republican administration, is off- set by Smith, a Republican, holding it under a Democratic administration. Smith was commissioned by President Arthur's postmaster-general, and has not been removed. The town also has a millinery store, a harness shop, two blacksmith shops, and a carpenter shop, also two hotels. West Monterey, on the A. V. Railroad, is a thriving town. It is chiefly maintained by the coal industry. The Company's store, Steel's furniture store, Giles's general store, and other places of business meet the wants of the people.
At Perryville there was quite a town during the excitement, and a large amount of business was done ; but at present the general store of J. L. Fox, the grocery store and meat market of H. M. Best, the millinery store of Mrs. Lash, and the blacksmith shop of Miles Baker are the only places of business. The post-office (Pollock) is kept at Parker Station by S. C. Burkholder, also a Republican. Perryville was laid out in 1879 by Callen Reichard.
Hagantown was settled by Paul Scheuster, who had an ashery there. Matildaville was settled by Isaiah Elliott. Martin's Ferry connects Perry and Richland township. A bridge was once built across the Clarion at this point, but it never was opened to traffic, and soon fell down.
Public Officers .-- Benjamin Miller was once county commissioner; J. B. Watson, prothonotary ; Alexander McCall, associate judge ; S. D. Sloan, com- missioner from 1875 to 1878, and O. E. Nail, register and recorder from 1875 to 1881.
Miscellaneous Items .- The prosperity of the township is largely due to the energy of such citizens as the McCalls, Stewarts, Pollocks, Terwilligers, Jor- dans, Sloans, Yinglings and many others whose names call up the best memo- ries of the general thrift of the people.
In 1840 the population of the township was 1, 122.
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PINEY TOWNSHIP.
CHAPTER LXIV.
HISTORY OF PINEY TOWNSHIP.
T HIS township lies south of the central part of the county. It is bounded on the north by Beaver, east by Monroe, south by Toby, and west by Licking and Beaver. The surface of the township is generally hilly, and por- tions of it are very rough. The main elevation begins at the Licking line, at the Mount Zion Church, and passes through the township to the Monroe line near Reidsburg. This range of hills is broken up into cross ranges and spurs. At the Licking line for a considerable distance eastward the main elevation is known as Chestnut Ridge. One of these cross ranges starts from Chestnut Ridge and extends southward to Licking, near the mouth of Anderson's Run. Another extends from the James Callen farm to Licking at Sligo. This last range is considerably broken by small valleys.
North of the Wm. Wyman farm the territory lying between that place and the river at the mouth of Piney is a high ridge once covered with pine and oak timber. North of Piney Creek is another highland almost unbroken by valleys and principally covered with small growth timber. South of Licking Creek a ridge terminates at Sligo, which ridge occupies all that portion of the township lying between Licking and Little Licking. South of Little Licking the strip of land lying between that stream and the Toby line is a highland. The Clarion River forms the northwest boundary of the township, which bound- ary is the Beaver-Piney line. Piney Creek enters the township near the site of the town of Reidsburg. It flows southwest and empties into the Clarion a few miles below where the Monroe-Piney line strikes the river. Licking Creek enters the township near the town of Curllsville and flowing through to the northwest passes into Licking township at the mouth of Sugar Creek Run. Many other streams pass through the township, the principal ones being An- derson's Run, Mineral Run and Little Licking, all of which flow into Licking. Piney Creek has numerous tributaries, also, and these small streams make the drainage system of Piney township one of the best in the county.
The wooded valleys retain the snow and ice in the spring much longer than the cleared lands do.
The original growth of timber was oak and chestnut on the interior high- lands, with heavy oak on the lowlands, while along the Clarion and Piney Creek there was a considerable strip of pine and hemlock. The township has yet a good portion of its territory in wild and uncleared land. The small wild animals common to this region still abound in these woods, and occasionally a deer passes through the woodland.
Early Settlements .- The first settlement within the limits of the township was made quite early.
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HISTORY OF CLARION COUNTY.
It is a tradition in the Laughlin family, that in 1798 John Laughlin made a settlement on the tract of land now known as the James Callen farm. The warrant for said tract was issued October 19, 1803.
The tradition to the effect that the settlement was made in 1798, is as fol- lows: John Laughlin, father of Captain R. Laughlin, of Callensburg, left his father's house in what is now Indiana county, to seek a home on Stump Creek. He came to the spring northwest of the hill where the Callen homestead now is, and built a cabin there. He cleared some land and lived on the tract long enough to give him a legal right to the warrant, which time was two years. He then prepared to go east and procure his warrant, but before doing so he concluded to squat on another tract, and to the end that he might get posses- sion of this additional tract, he built a cabin on the Kifer tract, and moved his effects into it. This second cabin is supposed to have been built at the large spring in the woods, below the Thomas Reese homestead. Having made his improvement on this second tract, he proceeded to Indiana. Soon after reach- ing Indiana, he ascertained that a tract of 187 acres near his father's farm was still vacant, and he at once went upon that tract and began to improve it, and for it he afterward got the warrant and patent, and it became the beautiful farm known as the John Laughlin farm. Then, following up his settlement and im- provement on Stump Creek, he procured a warrant for that tract in 1803, and his brother, James Laughlin, came to what is now Piney township, and settled at the cross roads known as the Laughlin place. In proof of this tradition, the following facts are submitted : John Laughlin was born in 1777. He left home for Stump Creek when he became of age. He returned and took up his Indiana farm prior to receiving his warrant for the Callen tract. While at home in Indiana he purchased the Packer tract at the mouth of Deer Creek on the 18th of January, 1803, from Robert Brown (see Beaver township), while his Piney tract warrant was made in October, 1803.
From these facts, and as the story goes, it seems to be true that John Laughlin settled in what is now Piney township prior to the year 1800, and probably as early as 1798, as has been claimed.
In the western part of the township Louis Switzer settled and built a house in 1804 on the land now owned by Hiram H. Whitmer. In 1801 Alexander Wilson settled on the farm near Curllsville, now occupied by Thomas D. Stoner. In 1815 John Bole, sr., settled near Curllsville, on the land now occupied by John Bole, jr. In 1816 John McKee settled near Bole's place. The Arm- strongs came in 1815. About the year 1817 Richard Reynolds settled where Sligo now is. A man named Dyehammer settled the Kearney farm at an early date, and in 1812 traded it to Alexander Beck for a yoke of oxen. John Myers, Samuel Nelson, Joseph McEwen, Thomas Burns, and John Boyles came in 1822. Thomas Magee, Mr. Kifer, Allen Wilson and others came here early, but we are unable to give dates.
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PINEY TOWNSHIP.
Occupations and Products .- Since its settlement the township has been cultivated more or less, and at present there are some very good farms. It produced great deal of charcoal, iron ore, limestone, and bituminous coal, and within the last twenty years a large quantity of fire-clay has been mined and shipped.
About 1842 Mathias & Co. built Madison furnace on Piney, a few miles above its mouth. Lyon, Shorb & Co. built Sligo furnace on Licking Creek in 1845. Soon after this they bought Madison from Mathias & Co. This firm made iron at Madison till a recent date, and also at Sligo till 1870.
Madison shipped its iron at Piney in boats, and Sligo shipped hers at Cal- ensburg, loading their boats at Crary's dam.
The first grist-mill in the township was Fisher's mill, on Piney, below the site of Madison furnace.
Grist-mills were run in connection with the furnaces, and at Madison there was also a saw-mill. Both are now owned by Jacob Arner.
The mill at the mouth of Piney was originally built by Allen Wilson. Later it was owned and run, with boat scaffold in connection, by Jacob Hahn, Hahn & Wagner, Wagner, Metzgar & Co. etc. At present it is run by Betz & Hahn.
Before the war a Mr. Copely dug and shipped some fire-clay. After the war other firms began to operate. In 1867 and 1868 George Beer and Henry Reese began to dig on the lot then owned by Henry Reese. The miners at this bank were Henry Kifer, with his three sons, George, James, and David, and Charles Beer, with his two sons, D. J. and W. A. The Star Fire Brick Company, managed by S. P. Harbison, soon made contracts for fire-clay, and in 1879 the miners named, with many others, were engaged by that firm, and heavy shipments at once began.
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