USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 50
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The Bigler Presbyterian Church Society is something like a score of years old, although no established house of worship was provided until about 1870. It is a supply station, under the present ministerial charge of Rev. Koons, of Kylertown. The edifice is a plain but substantial frame building, one story in height, with a spire, and cost about fifteen hundred dollars. The church num- bers among its members some of the substantial families of the township, among them S. A. Caldwell, Samuel H. Gill, John L. Pearce, Abraham Pearce, Jacob K. Pearce, John Livingston, Alexander Livingston, John Henry Kyler, Ellis Pearce, and others. Services are held here monthly.
The Dale Methodist Episcopal Church Society of Bradford is among the older of the religious associations of the township, having been organized some- thing like fifty years ago. Up to about the year 1870, the society occupied a log church building, which was located in the Dale neighborhood, and from which its name was given, about two and one-half miles north from Bigler. The new church building stands near the site occupied by the old, and is a substantial frame building. The pulpit is supplied from Woodland, the offici- ating minister of that charge also supplying the Dale Society. Many of the leading members of this society are residents of Graham township. Among those of the older members who have been prominent in its maintenance from Bradford are the families of John Dale, Matthew Forcey, Elijah McDowell, and John B. Graham.
Of the church societies of Bradford township, that denomination known as the United Brethren, by far outnumbers any other of the several societies of the township, and among them may be found the most substantial families in the vicinity. A camp-meeting ground was laid out and prepared for the first annual meeting, held during the year 1884. These have since been well attended, the number present at the camp service held in 1886, being estimated at fully five thousand persons. The grounds are situate north from the town of Bigler.
The Society of Shiloh Church of the United Brethren is perhaps one of the strongest in the whole township, and by far the most numerous of the societies in the eastern part. Shiloh was organized forty years ago, and until the year 1886 held their services in Shiloh school-house. During this year a commodi- ous church edifice was erected on lands about three hundred yards east of the
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school-house, on the public road. The building cost about two thousand dol- lars. Among the older families who have been from time to time associated with the society, are those of John Woolridge, Peter Graffius, Henry Graffius, John Graffius, Hamilton Graffius, Joshua Graffius, Jacob Williams, Henry Bum- barger, Benjamin Knepp, John C. Cowder, Jacob Peters, David Welkers, Thomas Welkers, Patrick Curley, Robert Livergood, and others.
The regular pastors in charge of the United Brethren societies of Bradford township, have been as follows: Revs. Herrondon, Potts, Keys, Pringle, Kep- hart, Jeffries, Moore, Crowell, Richey, Rankin, Tallhelm, Clemm, Reynolds, Miller, Fulton, Conley, Smith, Woodward, and Noon.
Another noticeable feature and a prominent element in Bradford township is its numerous and well appointed school-houses and the excellent educational advantages afforded the youth, the township residents having the benefits of no less than nine schools, with the "joint " school at Grahamton, which is attended alike by pupils from both Bradford and Graham, in all a total of ten. Besides the joint school at Grahamton, those of Bradford proper are: Upper Woodland, taught by Madge Morrow; Lower Woodland, S. K. Rank, teacher; junction, formerly an independent district, but latterly one of the regular schools of the township, Annie Matthews, teacher ; Bigler, at Bigler, Etta Faust, teacher ; Egypt, situate in the northwest part of the township, Carrie Stewart, teacher ; Pleasant Hill, in the central part, Maggie Forcey, teacher ; Jackson, in the central portion, Grant Smith, teacher; Shiloh, in the northeast part, R. W. McDowell, teacher. The joint school at Grahamton is under the charge of J. Henderson.
That the whole area of Bradford township has an underlying strata of coal of variable thickness, is an undisputed fact ; and further, that its fire-clay beds contain vast quantities of this valuable product is demonstrated in the existence of its extensive brick works at Woodland, and the large quantities of clay shipped to Wallaceton and Clearfield for manufacture.
Bradford lies wholly within the second coal basin, the central line of which crosses it from northeast to southwest. The first anticlinal axis is at Wallace- ton, only a short distance from the southerly line of the township. Under normal conditions the prevailing dip from this axis towards the center of the basin would be northward and westward, but as the anticlinal rapidly subsides at Wallaceton, the prevailing dip is more generally toward the north than the northwest.
At Wallaceton the top of the conglomerate is about 1,720 feet above tide, while at Woodland it is only 1,450 feet, showing a falling off to the northwest of about 270 feet. This rapid dip toward the center of the second basin is plainly shown by some of the railroad cuts between Wallaceton and Woodland. In one cutting a thin bed of coal is exposed for some distance, showing a re- markably sharp dip to the north. The lower portion of the coal measure oc- 58
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cupies most of the surface of the township, and only a smaller portion is suffi- ciently high to take in the upper beds of the series.
The second basin is not as deep in the township as at points further north- east, for the Rock City, near Kephart's, plainly shows the Mahoning sandstone at an elevation of 1,760 feet above tide, while in Girard township, to the north- east, this rock occurs in the center of the basin at 1,550 feet above tide-water. The top of the Conglomerate No. XII is above water-level on all the creeks and runs in the northern and northwestern parts of the township.
The coal beds that have been opened in this township, excepting, perhaps, the Soult bed, are all of rather small size. Nearly all of the country banks are opened on Bed B or C, neither of which much exceed three feet in thickness. The Gray bed, in the eastern part of the township, was opened on the Kit- tanning Upper Coal Bed C; on the Kephart place in the north part, on Bed A of the Intra-conglomerate coal ; the Woolridge bank, near the central part, on Bed D of the Lower Freeport coal, and shows from three to four feet of workable coal, but not of the best quality, being sulphurous. This coal is underlaid by fire-clay and some slate, beneath which is found a band of iron ore, giving evidence of the presence of the Lower Freeport limestone.
Three miles southwest from Woolridge's, and one and a half miles north- west from Woodland, is the Lansbury bank, opened on the Kittanning Middle Coal Bed C, at an elevation of about 1,580 feet above tide. It yields about three feet of coal. The old Lansbury bank is opened on what appears to be the Kittanning Upper Coal Bed C. It shows three feet of clean coal of excel- lent quality.
The semi-anthracite bed, opened on the Soult lands, and in operation since 1886, shows a clean bed of coal four feet four inches thick, and bids fair to develop an extensive industry in the vicinity of Woodland, that has been shown of much value to the lower townships of the county.
The coals of Bradford township, in their various clasifications, are as fol- lows: Freeport Upper Bed E, not well defined and probably quite thin ; Free- port Lower Bed D, average thickness about three and one-half feet, quality fair ; Kittanning Upper Bed C, average about three feet, and good quality ; Kittanning Middle Bed C, from two to three feet, average about two and one- fourth ; Kittanning Lower Bed B, heavier than any other bed, running from four to five feet; Brookville Coal Bed A, estimated as averaging about three feet.
The fire-clay beds of Woodland and vicinity are principally confined to the south side of the railroad, probably because the dip, being to the north, work- ings on the north side are difficult to drain. The mines of the Hope works are opened mainly on the south side of Roaring Run, and within one hundred yards of that stream. Massive sandstone makes the country rock between the stream level and the floor of the mine. The working face of the clay averages
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about five feet of hard, good-looking clay, with softer and impure clay above and below. Another drift, not far distant, shows about the same, but with possibly more inferior and less valuable clay. An analysis of this clay yielded : Silica, 46.250; alumina, 37.500; protoxide of iron, 1.935 ; lime, .168; mag- nesia, . 126; alkalies, 1. 115 ; water and organic matter, 13.540. The clay is hard, compact, of a pearl gray color, and slaty structure.
The Woodland works were opened about half a mile west of the station, on the north side of Roaring Run, and averages from four to five feet of good, hard clay in places, but varying rapidly, the workable layer being sometimes pinched down very thin. An analysis of this resulted as follows: Silica, 45.450 ; alumina, 36.125 ; protoxide of iron, 2.275 ; lime, .168; magnesia, . 342 ; alkalies, 1.290; water and organic matter, 13.730.
Another bed has been opened about a malf-mile northwest from Woodland, and a fourth about half a mile southeast of the Hope works. An analysis of each produces substantially the result shown by the Woodland and Hope beds
CHAPTER XXIX.
HISTORY OF BRADY TOWNSHIP.
B RADY township was named for Captain Samuel Brady, the Indian fighter and hunter. The first white settler was James Woodside, a native of Chester county, Pa. He located on a tract of land which was surveyed to him in pursuance of warrant No. 570, on July 30, 1785, and situated on the head waters of Stump Creek, later known as the " Woodside," and (sometimes) " Luther " place. For a period of twenty-two long years no one came to cheer him, save the red man of the forest. At the expiration of this forced hermitic period, Joab Ogden located about a mile further down the creek- this was 1807-where Carlile Station now stands (on the B. R. & P. Railroad). In the year 1812 George, Michael and Frederick Scheffer located on the waters of Sandy Lick Creek. George located on part of the land where Du Bois now stands. Fred. and Michael located a few miles further up the creek. James, Benjamin and Thomas Carson came in 1814. In 1820 Lebbeus Luther, a native of Massachusetts, bought and located on the tract of land where Luth- ersburgh now stands (the place was named after him). Messrs. Fox & Co., who owned thousands of acres in this section, appointed Mr. Luther as their agent to dispose of these lands. The first tract he sold was to Benjamin Bon- sall, who came from Perry county in 1824. Mr. Frederick Zeigler came about this time and settled on what was later known as the "Thompson " place. Mr. Zeigler came from Centre county, but was a native of York county.
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
In 1826 the township was organized and Benjamin Bonsall was appointed the first justice of the peace, in 1828. John Carlile came from Lebanon county and settled near the present site of Luthersburgh ("Goodlander" place). In 1830 Jacob Kuntz, a native of Bavaria, Germany, came and settled near where the Reformed Church now stands. The Knarrs, Weisgerbers, Wingerts, Korbs, and Yoases came in 1831, followed by Jacob Trautwine, in 1832. Henry Goodlander came in 1837, from Lycoming county. Immigration from now on was so vast and rapid, to preclude any further enumeration; besides, the allotted space compels brevity. The men who were conversant with the toils, hard- ships, and privations of the early pioneers of Brady township, will all, in a few short years, have passed away. All attempts at adornment of this sketch would only impair its value. Most of these sturdy pioneers have passed beyond, and among those who are yet with us-as living reminders of pluck, energy, and endurance, so necessary in pioneer life-the following deserve special mention : Jacob Kuntz, born 1778; Mrs. Kuntz (his wife), born 1800; Frederick Zeigler, born 1799; Mrs. Zeigler (his wife), born 1801 ; John Carlile, born 1803; Mrs. Carlile (his wife), born 1806.
Probably no other township in the county can produce three as old and measurably as healthy couples as the above named, whose aggregate age is 515 years, almost averaging eighty-seven years. They have been, and are, honorable and highly respected citizens, who have been a benefit and blessing beyond the confines of Brady township. Nor will their noble and good influ- ence pass away with them. For their respective services, see "Township An- nals," further on. Among these early settlers, many of them "squatted," i. e., took possession of land without knowing to whom it belonged, and by keeping undisputed possession for twenty-one years, held it the same by right of peace- able possession under the general law.
Topography and Geography .- Brady township is located in the northwest corner of the county, about 2,000 feet above the sea level. ("Cream Hill" or " Luthersburgh Knob" is 2,060 feet above sea level). The surface is rather hilly, gently sloping westward ; climate is salubrious and healthy ; many ex- cellent springs, including several "chalybeate," or mineral springs, abound. . The soil is well adapted for the cultivation of all cereals ; fruitful orchards are met with everywhere, and although agriculture is not as far advanced as it is in some of the older eastern counties, it is rapidly improving. As the lumber disappears, greater interest is taken in tilling the fertile soil.
Mining .- The entire township seems to be underlaid with the lower "Free- port" vein of bituminous coal, which has been opened at different points in the township, near Troutville. At Amos Bonsall's a six-foot vein of most ex- cellent coal is opened. Counting six inches "cannel" coal, fire-clay and lime- stone and other minerals abound.
Lumbering .- There are yet hundreds of acres of virgin timber land, em-
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ploying about eight to ten mills-saw and shingle-mills-which run from six to eight months in the year. Pine is not so plenty, but hemlock and hard wood are abundant. Many hundred acres of most superior pine timber were cut down and rolled on "log-heaps" and burnt, in order to "clear out" farms, in the early history of the township. Such action to-day would be considered vandalism.
Public Roads and Railroads .- There are numerous and convenient roads kept in fair condition, probably considerably better than the average roads in most townships in the county, excepting "Cream Hill" turnpike, running through Brady east and west. This road collects toll under an old charter, which should be considered to have outlived its usefulness, as the tolls are heavy and the road often in an extremely bad condition. "Cream Hill" turn- pike was chartered prior to 1820 as the "Waterford and Susquehanna," or "Sunbury and Erie " (as some authorities have it), and completed from 1820 to 1821. The State had appropriated a proper sum for its opening, but later it was rechartered as " Cream Hill " turnpike. From the time of its opening till about 1855, this pike was a great thoroughfare ; toll-keepers were kept busy all day; hotel and tavern keepers, then known as "landlords," became rich ; six-horse coaches, carrying the United States mail, were the wonder and embodiment of progress.
The " bugle horn " of the " stage driver " was what the whistle of the loco- motive is to-day.
The next in importance is the public road leading from Luthersburg to Punxsutawney, the opening of which dates to the fall of 1830, when the few settlers near where Troutville now stands volunteered their services, among whom were the following: Jacob Kuntz, " Jery " Miles, Jonathan Ogden, and D. Hoover ; and on April 15, 1831, the first wagon passed over it on its way to Punxsutawney; it was an old wagon brought from Germany by Jacob Kuntz.
The township has but one railroad-the B. R. and P .- running through the western border of the township, affording two stations-one, " Jefferson Line, " and the other, " Carlile"-thus affording facilities for shipping lumber, which were long needed.
Pioneer Incidents .- Numerous and indeed interesting must have been the varied experiences of those who undauntedly undertook the herculean task of converting the primitive forests into the beautiful and fertile fields of to-day, enjoyed yet by many of them and their children, reaching to the border of the fourth generation.
Times were considered good, plenty to eat but no money. They lived as one large family. The only incident for weeks would be an occasional circuit rider, coming with a gun on his shoulder, and on his arrival everybody consid- ered it his duty to inform his neighbor, and soon a motley crowd would meet
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in the bar-room in Lebbeus Luther's tavern, some in bare feet, others bare- headed, still others in moccasins, and others coatless, etc., and although they met in a bar-room, their conduct was modest and civil, evincing emotion and a deep religious feeling.
In 1830 there was no mill nearer than Philipsburg, Centre county, Irvin's mill at Curwensville having been burned at this time. The first mill in the township was Ogden's (Carlile Station to-day), the bolting cloth of which had to be turned by hand. On one occasion Mr. John Carlile took a "grist " to this mill, and Mr. Ogden not being at home, Mr. Carlile concluded to do the grinding himself, and succeeded, but when done could not stop the mill.
Game was plenty in those days. Mr. Adam Knarr remembers that about the year 1840 he saw and counted forty deer in a four acre field. Mr. Fred. Zeigler shot over four hundred deer, when he lost his " tally," but thinks that he at least shot sixty or seventy more, shot and captured eighty-two bears, one panther, seven wolves, several hundred raccoons, and an equal number of foxes, and was himself caught in one of his steel wolf traps, having forgotten the exact spot where he had placed it.
" Uncle Billy " Long, the great hunter, shot more deer than Zeigler, but Zeigler shot and captured more bears, having made a special study of their habits. Mr. Zeigler was often " treed " by wounded " bucks," making many narrow escapes with his life. About 1815 or 1816 five brothers, belonging to the " Seneca " tribe of Indians, known as the " Cornplanters," made their appearance in the " Big " Beaver meadow (where Du Bois now stands), where they erected their " wigwams," from which they sallied forth for game. In this family of five brothers were probably more " Johns " than could be found to-day in a single family. There was " Big " John, " Little " John, " Black " John, " Saucy " John, " John " John, and "John " Sites. These " friendly " sons of the forest continued their annual visits up to and beyond 1820.
One day "Uncle Billy" Long met "Black " John, and asked him how many deer he had shot that morning (being about eleven o'clock A. M.) "Black" replied that so far he had had " bad luck," as he had shot only ten deer. On another occasion (about 1823), " Uncle Billy " Long induced these Indian hunters to go with him to Luther's tavern (Luthersburgh to-day) to shoot " mark " (target) with Lebbeus Luther, who, by the way, was a most excel- lent "marksman." He did not at first show his skill until the Indians con- cluded that they would have an easy victory. Then he began to crowd them closer to the "bull's eye," until he proved himself the best shot in the crowd. The Indians began to look at each other in amazement and visible fear, when " Big" John turned to "Saucy " John, casting side glances at Luther, and in a low tone said, " John, we are not safe. That man Luver is a pale-faced medi- cine man or wizzard. Let us go." They went.
How the love of something good to eat may modify even the stern de-
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meanor and legally austere heart of a judge on the bench, the sequel will show. Judge Thomas Burnside, generally known as the " elder," as he was followed on the bench by his son, was exceedingly fond of venison, who would adjourn court at any time to secure a deer " saddle ;" being the first judge on the Clearfield bench, presided when the case of the Commonwealth vs. Jonathan Ogden came up. Ogden had been returned for shooting deer out of season. On hearing the evidence the judge seemed very indignant, pretending by actual statement that he was glad for the opportunity to establish a precedent for hunters in particular, and citizens in general, saying : " I will inflict such a fine on the offender for shooting deer out of season, that it will never be for- gotten." Turning to one of his associates, he asked : " Is 62 cents enough ?" The associates assenting, he threw the change to Ogden, telling him to pay his fine, and proceeded with the regular order of business.
The prowess of the settlers is nicely illustrated by a little incident in which Mr. Whitson Cooper (by the way the first teacher in Brady township) and Michael Shaffer prominently figured.
One Sunday in summer or autumn, between 1820 and '25, Mr. Cooper started afoot, going through the woods to visit Mr. Michael Scheffer. At the same time " Mike " started up the creek, through the large beaver dam along Sandy, to look at a trap he had set for wolves, and on arriving there found the trap gone. He then followed the marks of the grappling hook until he got to a fallen tree which lay across another, and not quite on the ground. He then got on the fallen tree and looked for further traces of the trap, when suddenly a good sized panther looked fiercely up at him, but luckily for Schef- fer, being unarmed, got off the log quickly, and found a small hemlock down out of root ; this he got, broke off the top, and made himself a war club, when he again got on the log, and with well directed blows knocked the panther's brains out; he then hauled him out and with his pocket-knife cut the head off, and sat down at the creek and washed the blood off, a steep bank being close behind him. At this juncture he saw Mr. Cooper coming leisurely along on the bank of the creek, looking as if in a brown study, and when right above him, Scheffer threw the head before him, which frightened him so much that he got quite pale, and for a while could hardly speak. The panther measured eight feet and a few inches.
The dwelling houses in those pioneer days were little better than "shan- ties." It is true there were openings for windows and doors, before which sheets and blankets were hung, as boards were not to be had, as no saw-mills existed. Consequently floors were rare, or did not exist. The roofs were made of split shingles, or clap-boards, held in place by good sized logs known as weight poles.
In 1832 the Knarr residence, the first house, where Troutville now stands, was built; it was probably as good as most in the township; it was made
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of hewn logs, clap-board roof, no second floor or ceiling, a hole in the apex and centre, as to length of the roof, for the smoke to escape. This house had a ground floor, made by placing cross pieces between the "sleepers," close to- gether, so as to hold a layer of clay mortar, which, packed solid and smoothed over and allowed to dry, made a firm and warm floor, which had the ad- vantage, by virtue of its material, to escape scrubbing. The idea of this kind of floor was taken from the old German method of stucco work, similar to old time German threshing floors (not a nail used). Within a stone's-throw of the site of this pioneer cabin is the modern residence of H. E. Ginter, having all the modern conveniences of steam heat, hot and cold water throughout the entire house ; make the comparison between the two, and the vast improve- ment since then, will strongly impress us that the world moves.
Prior to the location of the Knarr cabin, between the years 1821 and 1824, or near those dates, the first settlers located in the southern part of Brady township; these were David Haney, who first began on land which he sold to Lewis Kuntz in 1832, and where Jacob L. Kuntz now resides ; Joseph Hoover at the same time settled on land which a few years later he sold to William Rishel, and where John W. Kuntz now resides, David Hoover at the same time settled on land which he sold to John Aurand, and where Henry Aurand now lives, and Peter Hoover first settled on land which he afterward sold to George Shucker, sr., in 1825; he then bought again and improved land, which in 1832, he sold to George Fred. Kohler, father of the present owner, Fred. Kohler. These first settlers all left except Mr. Haney, who bought about a mile west, where he died some years ago at an advanced age.
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