USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 6
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83
Daniel Ogden died in 1819, at the advanced age of eighty-four years. His wife died in 1835, aged ninety-eight years. Several of the children returned to New York State. Daniel, jr., moved over to the Allegheny River. Joab went West, but returned and settled near James Woodside, in Brady township in 1804, and was the second white settler in that locality. He died there.
Arthur Bell came up the river from Big Island, in the same year, and soon after Daniel Ogden. He remained a few days with Ogden and helped put up his house, after which he went farther up the river, and commenced an im- provement. Bell, who in after years was known as Squire Bell, came from Path Valley, Centre county. He, and his brother John, who also came about the same time, were veterans of the Revolution, having served on a privateer. Arthur was made justice of the peace in 1802. He was a great " fiddler," and exceedingly popular among the settlers. He was a tall, muscular man, of determined spirit, kind, and obliging, and the recognized leader in the settle- ment. Grier Bell, his son, was the first white child born in the county. He was so named after Rev. Grier, of Williamsport, who came to baptize him. Squire Bell used an old coffee-mill for grinding corn until Mat. Ogden's mill was done. He raised a family of several sons and daughters. Of his children William married a Miss Henry, and died, leaving a large family. His widow afterward married John P. Dale. Greenwood was a rheumatic, and suffered severely from that complaint. Grier, the first child born in the county. Le- titia, who married James Young, and three other daughters who married respectively William, Thomas, and James McCracken, sons of James Mc- Cracken, sr.
John Bell, perhaps better known as "Little John," and "Demi-John," 8
54
HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
made a clearing on the north side of the river, on the farm now owned by Samuel Snyder. Whatever John lacked in industry and thrift, he made up in popularity. No " frolic " was complete without him, and hardly any joke was perpetrated without John being in some way connected with it.
Soon after the Bell family, came Casper Hockenberry and James Mc- Cracken with their families, and settled in the neighborhood. Their wives were sisters of Squire Bell's wife, and through the Squire's influence they were induced to make their settlement.
Thomas McClure, afterward known as "Squire " McClure, came to the county from Cumberland in 1799. He made an improvement, but did not bring his family until 1800. Squire McClure was one of the county commis- sioners at the time the contract for erecting the county buildings was made. In his family were two sons and four daughters.
About the year 1800 the people of the settlement discovered the old In- dian path leading from Chincleclamoose to Milesburg, and this afterward was made the route for transporting goods to the place.
Along this path there came one day a stranger into the settlement, who took up her abode in the lower part of the borough, about on the spot where A. F. Boynton's barn stands. This person proved to be the Widow Lewis, who became familiarly known as "Granny Lathers." She located here and started a distillery, but about the time the War of 1812 broke out, Granny departed and was known no more, except through the exploits of her son David. This son was a wayward youth, and his success in minor offenses led him to attempt greater ones. He and two comrades, named Connelly and McQuire, were in the habit of stopping and robbing the wagons of Bellefonte merchants, till at last a vigilance committe of Centre county citizens, and one or two from this locality hunted them down. David was shot through the arm and captured. He refused to have the injured member taken off, so he died from the effects of the wound.
In the year 1801 settlement became more rapid, and this and the three years following witnessed the advent of several families whose names, through their own, or descendant's efforts, have become prominent in the affairs of the county.
Martin Hoover settled on the river, in what is now Lawrence township, in 1801. He came from York county. Hoover was a thrifty, energetic, and pros- perous man. In 1814 he was sent to the Legislature; at another time he was county treasurer. He died in 1841, having raised a large family. His brother George was an early settler in the county, but did not come until some years later. He had a large family also.
Next to Hoover's on the river settled about this time Frederick Hennich, or Haney, as he was more commonly known. He built a grist-mill near the mouth of Montgomery Creek. Haney also built the first " coal ark" used on the river, but its life was short, as it " staved " on the river at " Rocky Bend."
55
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
Abraham Hess came from York county about 1803, and settled on Clear- field Creek, where he died. Hess was twice married, and had thirteen chil- dren. A propos the settlement of Haney and Hess, a good story is told on the latter. Rev. Samuel Stewart came to Hess's place to baptize some children, and in preparing the family for the solemnities of the ceremony, took a Bible from the table and began to catechise the head of the family. "Who built the first ark ?" "Fred Haney !" innocently replied Mr. Hess, and the ceremony proceeded without further questioning.
Paul Clover made a settlement at the mouth of Anderson's Creek, about 1801. He remained here several years, keeping a " public house " or tavern, and did some work as blacksmith. Clover died of a cancer, after which his widow and children moved to Clarion.
Robert Askey came in and settled about this time a short distance below Clover's place, on the river near the fording place He often helped people in crossing the river, and is remembered as a kind and obliging person. Askey took up some land about a mile and a half back from the river, and made the first clearings on the ridges. He served in the war under General Wagner. At the time of his death he had a large family, who have become numerous in the county.
Joseph Leonard, it will be remembered, occupied the cabin of Captain Rickerts in 1801, while the latter was away after his family. Leonard was of Irish descent, and came here from Huntingdon county. Soon after his com- ing, his sons, Isaac and Thomas, came. They had commenced an improve- ment below the Ox-bow on Clearfield Creek before Rickerts returned. Thomas remained here but a short time.
David Litz came from Centre county and settled on the river near the place where the old bridge was afterwards built. Here he made a good farm, and raised a large family. Litz run the first raft of logs down the river, in the year 1805. This was the first rafting done in the county.
Abraham Leonard was born in Ireland, and emigrated from there before the present century, and took up his residence in Huntingdon county. In 1801 he came to this place and located near the old toll-gate, on the Snow- shoe and Packersville turnpike, about two miles east of the borough. He made his clearing and house, and brought his family here in March, 1804. His family then consisted of his wife and three children-James T., Thomas, and Elizabeth. Elizabeth married John Spackman. The children born Abra- ham after coming here were Rachel, who married Jonathan Hartshorn; Zenas, Hannah, who married William L. Moore; Robert, Agnes, who married Abra- ham Pierce, and Andrew.
John Owens and Robert Graham were neighbors of Leonard in Hunting- don, and came here about the time he came, but settled on the opposite side of the creek. The Owens became a numerous family in the county in after
56
HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
years. Graham had nine children, five of whom were born here. In 1813 Graham left the creek and settled near Plum Island.
Abraham Passmore came from Chester to Centre county, and was there some time before coming to this locality. He moved here and settled on the river in 1802. Passmore was a good blacksmith, and his coming was a great blessing to the residents here. He did the work for the whole surrounding country. In 1806 he left the river settlement and moved upon the ridge, north of the West Branch, where he opened and commenced a good farm. A num- of his descendants are still living in the county.
On the site now occupied by the brewery, north of the railroad depot, in the year 1801 or '2, came Henry Irwin, a native of Ireland, with his wife and three children, John, Mary, and Joseph. Mary married Richard Shaw. The children of Henry Irwin born after his settlement here, were William, Henry, Margaret, who married Zacheus Mead; Jane Ann, who became the wife of John Spackman ; James, and Nancy, who married Asahel Swan. The family moved here in a rudely constructed vehicle, something like a car, which was drawn by a steer over a road cut by Daniel Ogden. Henry Irwin became bondsman for a fellow-countryman named Connor, and as the latter did not appear when required, Irwin was compelled to sacrifice his property to meet the bond. He afterwards located about three miles down the river, near and below Wolf Run.
About this time Thomas Mapes came and located nearly opposite where Irwin first lived. Mapes came from the East. He married Elizabeth Ogden, and after several years moved to Ohio. Several of the descendants of the Mapes family still live in Lawrence township.
Prior to the Revolutionary War, Daniel Turner resided in Westmoreland county. He became largely interested in lands in this county, and fre- quently visited the locality before making a residence here. The first visit of Turner to these parts was in the year 1794, after which time many surveys were made in his name, and his wife's also. In 1802 Turner settled near the head of Clearfield Creek, and made a farm there. Before he came here he had many conflicts with the Indians, but he was a bold, daring, and powerful man. One day in the year 1813, while hunting near John Ferguson's, he had a " rough and tumble " conflict with a panther, but succeeded in getting the animal by its hind legs and holding it in such a manner that it could not bite or claw him, until Joseph Turner came and dispatched this dangerous foe with a tomahawk. At another time he wounded a panther, and the animal re- treated to a cave· like place between two large rocks. Turner followed, and by attaching a sword-like bayonet to the muzzle of his gun, stabbed the panther to death. Few men would care to tackle a wounded panther in a place like that. Turner resided in Bellefonte before he came here and after he left West- moreland county. While in the former place he was an extensive operator,
57
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
but misfortunes came and swept away his property, and he was induced to move to this country.
About the time that these settlements were being made in the central part of this county, there were attempts being made still further down the river, near the Centre county line.
In 1801 Jacob Wise, sr., a native of Berks county, but of late a resident of Penn's Valley, commenced an improvement on the Moshannon.
During the same year Robert Anderson, an Irishman, and a man named Potter also settled in the vicinity. The place occupied by Anderson was afterward known as the Hawkins property. Potter settled on the old State road a few miles north of the creek. None of these three remained long, but left for the Bald Eagle Valley. Potter sold his right to Nicholas Kline, and it was afterwards disposed of to one Shimmel, a Hessian, who served under the British during the war. Shimmel made a clearing and built a distillery on the land.
John Kline came to the county as early as 1802, and made an improve- ment on lands owned by Montgomery, a Philadelphian, not knowing whose they were. Montgomery came soon after to see the settlers along the creek, (Montgomery) and found Kline on his land, but would not compel him to move on account of the improvement he had made. He sold the land to Kline at a reasonable price. Kline bought another tract from a German named Jacob Anspach, a bachelor, in the year 1805. This was afterward occupied by George Philip Guelich.
Hugh Frazier, a Scotchman, lived near the mouth of Wolf Run as early as 1802. Frazier had served in the Indian war. He died during the dysentery epidemic in 1824, leaving four children - two sons and two daughters.
John Carothers came here with his wife from Centre county, about this time. He was a weaver, shoemaker, and hunter. His wife was equal to him in hunting, and was often seen dressed in a hunting skirt, felt hat and moc- casins, with gun and ammunition, out in the woods after game. Carothers settled down the river about three or four miles, near the place called for him, Carothers's Bend. They moved from here to Sunbury, where John Carothers was afterward found frozen to death with a jug of whisky near him.
Alexander Read was born in Maryland and came to Center county in 1794. In the year 1802 he came to Clearfield and occupied the land on the ridge in Lawrence township where the stone house now stands, the property of James Mitchell. There were two families of this name, but spelled differ- ently. The Reeds did not come here until 1811. The heads of these families bore the same christian name, i. e., " Alexander," and to distinguish them in conversation, they were known as " Red Alex." and " Black Alex."-the for- mer applying to " Read," and the latter to " Reed." These appellations were given them on account of the color of their hair. The children of Alexander
.
58
HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
Read were, Sally, who married William Dunlap; Alexander, jr., Thomas, Rachel, who married Alexander B. Reed; John R., James A., and Amos. Marriage alliances were frequent between these families for several generations, and they were often mistaken for one family, but such was not the case. Alexander Read was commissioned by Postmaster-General Gideon Granger as postmaster at "Reedsboro," the place on the ridge above referred to, and he was the first postmaster in the county. The office was kept there until about 1819.
In 1803 Squire Arthur Bell sold the upper part of his farm to Benjamin Fenton, a resident of Half Moon Valley, Centre county. That year Fenton cleared three acres, put in seed for vegetables and wheat, built a cabin, and then returned to the valley for his family. During the winter he brought part of his goods, and in April following the family came. With them also came a Scotchman named Alexander McNattin. Elisha, Thomas, George, and Mary Fenton were children of Daniel Fenton.
William Bloom was born in Germany, and came to this country during the latter part of the last century. He first located in New Jersey, but soon came to Centre county, and in the part thereof known as Penn's Valley. In the year 1803 he moved with his family to this county, and located in what is now Pike township, about three-fourths of a mile above the mouth of Ander- son's Creek. Here he and his sons cleared one hundred acres of land. The children of William Bloom were Anna, who married Thomas Price; Isaac William, Elizabeth, who married Matthew Ogden; John, Peter, Benjamin, Mary, who became the wife of Matthew Caldwell; Abraham, Sarah or Sally, who married Richard Rowles, and James. The Blooms have been the most prolific of any of the families in the county, and among them have been num- bered some of the foremost men of the county ; and although they have never sought social or political preferment, there has been hardly a year during the last three-quarters of a century that some member or descendant of the origi- nal stock has not been prominently before the public, either in county or town- ship affairs.
A short distance above the place where William Bloom settled, and at the point called the "pee wee's nest," there lived the family of Robert Cresswell. They were poor, and had a large number of children. Cresswell died after a few years, and the balance of the family moved to Huntingdon. Robert Cress- well's funeral was the first that occurred in the county.
A little further down, below Robert Askey's place, lived Benjamin Jordon, about opposite Wright's nursery. Jordon was a Marylander by birth, and had served in the Revolutionary War. He came from Centre county, and there became related by marriage to General Potter. Jordon, by his large and pow- erful figure and military bearing, became quite a dignitary in the settlement. The greatest day in those times was "general training," and these were held
59
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
at Jordon's place. He had five children. His three daughters married, re- spectively, Thomas, Alexander, and James Read.
Benjamin Jordon had a brother Hugh, who came here about the same time, 1803, and settled on the ridge near the place afterward known as the " Irish- town Settlement." Hugh Jordon was made associate judge of the county, and Jordon township was named in his honor.
Opposite Benjamin Jordon's place lived George and John Welch. George Welch had a family but John had not. In crossing the Alleghenys John Welch was frozen to death. William C. Welch, who became prothonotary, and died while holding that office, in 1850, was a son of George Welch.
John Ferguson was born in Ireland, and came to this country in the year 1775. He enlisted in the Revolutionary service, and served under General Sullivan. He was at Freeland Fort when captured by the Indian and British forces under Captain Butler. He was also engaged on the frontier, guarding against Indian depredations. Ferguson settled on the north side of the river, just below the site of Lumber City, in the year 1803, but did not bring his family here until the next year. On this place John Ferguson lived and died. He was the father of thirteen children, and many of his descendants still live in the county.
About this time Samuel Ewing located about one and one-half miles below the mouth of Muddy Run, near the place known as " Ewing's Bottom," but he made no farm there.
William Brannian located about this time on the south side of the creek, near the Ox-bow, and shortly after Major Evans located in the vicinity. The latter made some improvement and built a house about two miles above Tur- ner's place, but did not bring his family here. Hugh Gallagher came in about then, occupied the house, and made a good farm there.
Lands were cleared on the river near " Ardery's Dead-water," and a set- tlement made about 1803 by Peter, or, as he was more familiarly known, " Pete " Young. Young kept a "tavern " on his farm, and operated a distil- lery. He built the greater part of the Milesburg and Le Bœuf road, east of Chest Creek. His brother William also made a clearing on the river, but sold to George Wilson in 1805.
In the same year another settlement was made in the Moshannon neigh- borhood by Conrad Kyler. He was a weaver by trade. Conrad Kyler died in 1816, leaving a family. They remained and built up a considerable estate. Many descendants of the family are still living in the east part of the county.
Leonard Kyler commenced a clearing in the Hard Scrabble locality, but not until a couple of years after Conrad came there. He soon sold out, how- ever, to his brother John, and went to Bald Eagle Valley. The hamlet of Kylertown was named for these families.
Peter Erhard, a German, made a settlement on the creek, near where New
60
5
HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY.
Millport is now located, in 1803. He cleared land and erected a distillery. Peter was drowned in 1827. His sons built mills here at an early day, and from that fact the place was afterward named New Millport.
Nicholas Straw made an improvement on the river in 1803.
Samuel Fulton first visited this locality in or about the year 1797, with a party of surveyors. From that time to the date of his settlement he was a frequent visitor, and became fully acquainted, not only with the country, but the inhabitants as well. Fulton was an Irishman, and immigrated to this country with his mother in 1794. On one of his visits here in 1805, he pur- chased lands about three miles down the river; the next year he married, and in 1807 he became a resident of the county. Fulton was one of the characters of the settlement. He was short, stout, full of life and activity, and always ready to crack a joke; yet, withal, he was one of the leading men of the county. He was made the first prothonotary of the county ; was afterward deputy sheriff, county treasurer, commissioner, and clerk of the commissioners. Fulton had four sons, James, Moses, Washington P., and Thomas, and five daughters, who married respectively, Archibald Shaw, Joseph Shaw, Richard Shaw, William Fullerton, and Thompson Reed. During the early civil history of Clearfield county, no person occupied a more prominent position than Sam- uel Fulton.
In 1804 George Hunter, an Irishman, came from Huntingdon county, and built a cabin on the farm afterward occupied by John J. Reed. Hunter is remembered as an exceedingly whimsical fellow, odd in his habits and conver- sation. He died on the place he had improved.
At or about the time of the organization of Clearfield as a county, March, 1804, families came and settled much more rapidly than before the erection was made.
Among the many who then found homes by purchase, or grant, was the family of Thomas Forcey, a former resident of New Jersey. Forcey settled at " Polk's Bottom," now on the site of Reedsville. . His children were Jane, who married Peter Owens; Catharine, who married George Connelly ; Tamer, who married Samuel Tate; Nancy, who became the wife of Seth Maines; Matthew, and Thomas who died during infancy. Matthew Forcey married Margaret Murray, who bore him seventeen children.
Joseph Patterson came from Penn's Valley about 1805, accompanied by his son Robert. Patterson made spinning-wheels, and Robert taught school.
John Moore was a relative of the Pattersons and arrived here about the same time. He occupied a place adjoining Patterson's. He died in 1821.
William Tate came up from Huntingdon county in 1804. His log house stood near where the Catholic Church stands. In 1808 Tate's house was burned, and his family barely escaped with their lives. The Tates became a prominent family in after years. The children were Dinah, Samuel, Lydia, Joshua, Martha, George, William, Levi, and Jesse.
61
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
Daniel Ogden, Frederick Haney, and Matthew Ogden had each built mills prior to 1805. Daniel Turner soon after built one on Clearfield Creek ; and in 1808 Robert Maxwell erected a mill near Curwensville, and William Kersey had a saw and grist-mill at Kersey's settlement about the same time. James and Samuel Ardery built a mill near where the old Clearfield bridge afterward stood in 1808. Benjamin Hartshorn built a tannery on the place where he settled in 1806. This is now Pike township, not far from Curwensville. This was the first tannery built in the county.
From this time, 1805, until 1812, the influx of families became so rapid that their settlement cannot be accurately fixed, nor can the names of all be recalled.
Benjamin Hartshorn came in 1806, bringing his wife and six children. He crossed the river near Jordon's, and cut his way to his forest home with an ax, making a road sufficient to allow the passage of a wagon. After he had made a clearing and built a cabin, the tannery above mentioned was built. At the time of his death in 1821, Mr. Hartshorn had a family of eight children, viz .: Margaret, Anne, Jonathan, William, Benjamin, Nancy, Eliza, and Mary Ann.
So far as its settlement is concerned, that part of the county known as the " Grampian Hills," can be divided into districts - one part lying toward the river, and that still further back on the hills. Here the land was taken up by John Bennett, Nun England, William Hepburn, Joseph Spencer, Francis Stephens, Samuel Cochran, and other. From 1805 to 1808 this was claimed by Charles Smith, but he never made his claim successful.
Samuel Cochran was an escaped slave, and came here from Lycoming county in 1804. He first settled near the Fergusons, where he built a cabin and made an improvement. Later he took up about three hundred acres on the "hills," made good buildings, and cleared up the farm. His house was frequented by the teamsters on the Kittanning road.
James Gallagher made a settlement and cleared the land for a farm a short distance above where Glen Hope now stands. And about the same time, 1806, Hugh Carson made a clearing near the place afterward known as " Beccaria Mills."
The family of James Moore located on the "hills " at an early day, near where Pennville now stands. Religious meetings were held at Moore's house by Rev. Daniel Stansbury, a Methodist minister, in 1806. These indulged meetings, as they were called among the Quaker element, were about the first religious services held in the county.
Soon after the Moores, came other families, among them the Johnsons, Da- vid Wall, Caleb Davis, Gideon Widmire, Jonathan Wain. Samuel Johnson afterward moved to Ohio, leaving part of his family here. David Wall moved over into Brady township.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.