USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 64
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Rev. Samuel Miles, mentioned above, came from good old Baptist stock from away back, the name being closely identified with the history of that denomination. The subject of this sketch is the oldest active minister in the county, and perhaps in the State. He can trace his genealogy back to 1701, when Richard Miles left his home in Wales, emigrated to America, and settled at Radnor, Delaware county, Pa. Samuel belongs to the fifth generation since their settlement in this country. He claims to be a citizen of the United States in a peculiar sense. He is the son of John and Mary Miles, and was born in the United States arsenal, on the Schuylkill, at Gray's Ferry, about three miles from Philadelphia, but now in the city, November 12, 1806. He was one of a family of nine children-five sons and four daughters. All of the sons were Baptist ministers except John, mentioned in the history of Fer- guson township. Samuel came with his father to Milesburg, Centre county, Pa., where his grandfather had preceded him, purchased the land, and laid out the town. He entered the ministry, and was ordained at Milesburgh in 1834. His first work was at Beech Woods, where he located the same year, but also preached at Luthersburgh, Curwensville, Clearfield, and in Jordan township. He went to Venango county, Pa., in 1838, where he remained two years. From there he came to Jordan township in 1841, where he has remained ever since, with the following exceptions. He spent two years in Brooklyn, Ia., where he lost his companion, whose name, previous to her marriage to Mr. Miles, was Mary Ann Lipton, of Milesburgh. In 1866 he returned to Pennsyl- vania and located at Reynoldsville, where he served as pastor nine years, and during his stay here married Miss Elizabeth Robinson, his present wife. From there he moved to New Washington, Pa., where he remained seven years, and then returned to his former charge at Ansonville. Since that time he has built a comfortable home in that village, and will probably remain there the
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balance of his natural life. He has been moderator of the Clearfield Baptist Association many years, and it is said has possibly preached more funeral ser- mons than any minister in the country. His fame in that particular ministra- tion is widespread. John, his eldest son, one of the first merchants in the village of Ansonville, married Ellen Wright, of Pike township. He moved to the West and died there. The other sons living are: Robert, hardware mer- chant, of Ansonville; George I., of Chest township, and Joseph, who lives in Kansas. The daughters living are: Kate, Anna, and Hannah, of Jefferson county, Pa., Mary, of Zanesville, O., and Eliza, of Argentine, Kan.
The Roman Catholic Church, in Jordan township, was built, as near as we can learn, about 1845. It is located on the Gilligan farm, about two miles from Ansonville. It is still in fair condition, although somewhat neglected. Rev. Father McEntee, of Coalport, holds service once a month. The mem- bership is not large.
Ansonville is pleasantly located on the elevation or dividing ridge between the headwaters of the South Fork of Little Clearfield Creek and Potts Run. The land now occupied by the village was once owned by the Swans, and the place was named in honor of Anson Swan, a deaf and dumb brother of John and Henry Swan. The population of the place, including Strawtown or Bret- zinville, approximates three hundred. The first building in the place was built by a Mr. Singer, who is not now here. It is situate between R. L. Miles's store and the Presbyterian parsonage, and was at first occupied as a store by John Miles and James Foutz, being the first in that vicinity. The house is still standing in a fair state of preservation, and is now occupied as a dwelling. The present owner is Mrs. W. T. Bloom.
In 1853 Henry Swan built a large store-room on the corner opposite the Ansonville Hotel, and occupied it as a general store until 1874. Soon after this it burned down, and the lot remained vacant until 1884 or 1885, when Dr. A. E. Creswell purchased it and built the large store-rooms and dwelling since purchased by C. D. McMurry, and at present occupied by him as a general store, and by H. Gilliland as a clothing store.
The hardware store in the building erected by W. T. Bloom in 1885 is doing a good business. Robert L. Miles is the proprietor and knows how to handle that class of goods successfully.
In the summer of 1883 Nate Arnold, of New Washington, Pa., built the large store-room nearly opposite the Baptist Church. It is now occupied by Barney Rubinowitz as a general store. A large skating-rink was built the year following, but it was only remunerative while the craze for that sport lasted ; it is now seldom used. Bloom Brothers are the proprietors.
The Ansonville Hotel, the only one in the village, was occupied for several years by J. A. Dillen. It was purchased about two years ago by W. W. Nor- ris, who, on account of the large influx of people in 1885, repaired it and built
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a large addition to it. He then sold to Sanford McNeal, who now entertains the traveling public.
Cal. Davidson, the contractor and builder, and George W. Bollinger, the stone-mason of the town, are located here, and have lately built for themselves neat and attractive homes. Dr. S. J. Miller, a graduate of the University of New York City, located here in March, 1886. He is the only physician in the place, and enjoys a large practice. About three years ago Ansonville had three physicians-A. E. Creswell, J. K. Wrigley, and J. A. Murray. Dr. Creswell is now located in Florida, Wrigley in Maryland, and Murray at Mahaffey, Pa.
As near as we can learn, the Ansonville post-office was established some thirty years ago. Eliza Chase, now Mrs. W. T. Bloom, was postmistress. Henry Swan had the office from 1864 to 1868, and was succeeded by Joseph Thomson, and he by Arthur B. Straw. J. C. Johnston succeeded Mr. Straw, and had charge of the office several years until 1886, when C. D. McMurry, the present incumbent, was appointed.
The place supports two brick-kilns-one owned by John W. Leonard, and the other by Frank Wise. John Klinger is the only blacksmith in the place, and has been a citizen of the town for several years. In April, 1886, the Patriotic Order Sons of America, organized a lodge ; it convenes in the neat little hall owned by John Leonard, and is in good working order.
The Ansonville Gazette, a weekly paper, was started by Wilson Dillen, who was editor and proprietor, in the early part of 1886. Unlike the omnibus, it seemed there was not room for one more, and the venture was not successful, consequently was abandoned six months after its introduction. Mr. Dillen is now filling a lucrative position in Colorado.
A portion of Gazzam is located in the township, and is the seat of the coal operations. The prospects are that the mining interest will soon usurp, to some extent, the agricultural. The mineral under some of the best farms has been sold, and operations will, no doubt, be extended as the demand increases for this product, which is said to be of a superior quality. Miles Bloom owns the principal private bank, which is the largest and best vein yet opened, and from it the local demand is supplied. Besides the mills already noted, we find two others now in operation; one is owned by the Clearfield Bituminous Coal Company, and is located on the Little Clearfield Creek, above Gazzam ; the other is owned and operated by Straw, Ferguson & Straw, and is located near James McKeehen's.
In the not far distant future, Jordan township will be divested of its former immense wealth in oak, pine, and hemlock timber.
Schools .- The first school-house built in the township was erected in 1820, near where Mrs. Lafayette Bloom's house now stands, and not far from where the Fruit Hill Presbyterian Church was afterwards built. The house was built
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of logs. A square pen-shaped arrangement was built inside to do service as a flue. The windows were made by cutting one or two logs off in the side of the building and pasting greased paper over the hole to keep the wind and cold out. The writing desks were made by driving pins in the walls of the building and fastening thereto a slab with the flat side up. The seats were also made of slabs, with the round side up. The first teacher of this school was David Cathcart, who afterward located in Knox township, where he pur- chased a large tract of land, part of the timber of this land being recently sold by his sons for a considerable amount of money. He had a large family of children, most of them now living in Knox township.
Robert Patterson, sr., whom we have mentioned elsewhere, also taught here, and some say, was the first teacher, but others, that Cathcart was the first. We find also that John Watson taught here, but are not able to learn what became of him. Some years after a little log school-house was built near where Major Wise now lives. Asil Swan, an uncle of John and Henry, was one of the first teachers. The house has long since gone the way of all old houses, and history fails to record any of the exploits of its graduates. The old log school-house that stood near where the old Zion Church now stands is also one of the things of the past. Rev. S. Miles taught school and preached in this house as early as 1843, and the house was built previous to. that time. The school facilities have been improved as well as the land, and at this time six schools are required to accommodate and educate young Amer- ica. They are divided into districts as follows : Ansonville, Fruit Hill, John- ston's, Whitmer, Patterson, and Green's Run. The directors are John Swan, jr., Reuben Straw, James Raney, Joseph McNeal, James McKeehen, and David Johnston. Mr. A. M. Buzard taught the first select school in Ansonville dur- ing the summer of 1884, with forty students in attendance. He also taught the two succeeding years with an increased membership, and was assisted by Harvey Roland. Mr. Buzard is at present in the drug business here, and the school is taught by J. F. McNaul, of Curwensville.
Fruit Hill Presbyterian Church .- In 1835 Revs. David Mckinney and Samuel Wilson were sent as missionaries to Clearfield county, and preached in private houses-Jordan township being part of their field of labor. The or- ganization at Fruit Hill was effected August 23, 1839, by Rev. Samuel Hill, minister, and Thomas Owens, elder. The members enrolled at the organiza- tion were John Thomson, jr., William W. Feltwell, Esther Feltwell, Isaac Mc- Kee, James Johnston, Isabella Johnston, Thomas Witherow, Agnes Witherow, Thomas McNeel, Nancy McNeel, James Rea, Mary McNeel, Robert Mc- Cracken, jr., James Dickson, Jane Dickson, Rebecca High, John Orr, Cather- ine Patterson, Hannah McKee, Margaret Mccullough, Robert Johnston, Mary Johnston, Donald McDonald, Elizabeth Patterson, and Rachel McCracken, with Robert Patterson, sr., James McNeel, sr., John Thomson, sr., and Robert McCracken as the first elders.
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About two or three years after the church was organized preparations were made to build a house of worship. I am told that only fifteen dollars was sub- scribed, and that by Rev. Betts, of Clearfield. The balance was paid in work done by the members, who also furnished the material. The church was finally completed in 1845. It was a plain, wooden structure, and was used by the congregation until 1877. During that year the present large brick struc- ture was completed at a cost of between nine and ten thousand dollars, and dedicated in the autumn of the same year by Rev. Dr. Wilson, of Birming- ham, assisted by the pastor, Rev. D. H. Campbell, and others. Rev. William Murphy came to the charge in 1846, but only served a short time, Rev. Al- exander Boyd being installed pastor in 1848 or '49. James Hamilton also preached to this congregation for some time, but whether as a supply, or regular pastor, I could not learn. The charge must have been served by sup- plies for several years, as the next regular pastor of whom we have any ac- count is Rev. William M. Burchfield, who was installed pastor in 1863, having served as a supply for some time previous. He is now living at Du Bois, Pa. Rev. Newall supplied the charge some three years. The next regular pastor was Rev. David H. Campbell, now of Mount Union, Pa., who stayed with this people about ten years. December, 1886, Rev. E. P. Foresman received and accepted a call, and is the present pastor. The membership now numbers two hundred and thirty, perhaps the largest country church in the county. The present elders are William A. Bloom, John G. Wilson, Reuben Caldwell, and Robert M. Johnston. The trustees are Joseph Patterson, Conrad Bloom, Da- vid Johnston, John T. Patterson, James Hunter, and Joseph R. Thomson. The Sabbath-school is under the direction of the pastor, who is superinten- dent. On account of a number of the members living at too great a distance to attend, the school has but one hundred and twenty-five members.
Berwinsdale is located at the head of North Whitmer Run, on the Clear- field and Jefferson Railroad, which was built during the year 1886. It is the second town both as to age and size in Jordan township. The first improve- ment at this place was a saw-mill, built by David Mckeehen about 1847. The property was afterward successively owned by Joseph Patterson, sr., William Irvin, Henry Swan, Hezekiah Patterson, and Swan & Co., the present owners, who came in possession in 1883, at which time the town began to grow, and now has a population of about one hundred souls. Besides the large saw-mill for manufacturing rough lumber, the company also manufactures building materials such as shingles, lath, siding, and flooring. They also have a chop-mill in operation. A general store is kept by Barney Rubinowitz, be- ing a branch of his Ansonville store. The post-office here was established in 1883, and named after the village. Anson Swan was appointed as the first postmaster. He was succeeded in 1886 by Michael Smith, the present incum- bent, who is also engaged in the mercantile business. The shipping of bitu-
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minous coal, which was commenced in April of this year (1887), is likely to become the principal industry. During the winter of 1886-7 Rev. J. A. Miller, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, held a protracted meeting, and organized a class, of which Mr. Rush is the leader, and Revs. Henry N. Minnigh and Bruce Hughes, of Lumber City circuit are the first regular pastors. This is the first and only church organization in the place. They worship in a small house fitted up for the purpose, but subscriptions are out and a church will probably be erected in the near future.
CHAPTER XLIII.
HISTORY OF KARTHAUS TOWNSHIP.
T THE initiatory steps toward the erection of a new township from off the eastern part of Covington, were taken during the summer and fall of the year 1839, by the presentation of a petition as follows : The petition of divers inhabitants of the township of Covington, in said county (Clearfield), humbly sheweth. That your petitioners labor under great inconvenience for want of a division of said township. Beginning at a point at or near J. F. W. Schnar's landing on the river, and thence a northerly course to the termination of said township. Your petitioners thereupon humbly pray the court to appoint proper persons to view and lay out the same according to law, and they will ever pray. The signers of the petition were thirty-four in number. A remon- strance was presented to the court at the same time, setting forth, among other things, that the petition was " only got up and presented by a few, interested alone by selfish principles and views without any regard to the interest of many of their neighbors," and pray that the court may not grant the petition of those who pray for it. It was subscribed by forty persons, then residents of Coving- ton township. The court by an order dated the 4th day of September, ap- pointed A. B. Reed, A. K. Wright and Thomas Hemphill commissioners to view and determine upon the propriety of granting the prayer of the peti- tioners.
By their report, dated the 3d day of December, 1839, the commissioners did find a division of Covington township to be necessary, and recommended a new township to be taken off the lower or easterly part of said Covington, be- ginning at a white oak, corner of a certain survey number 1494, on the bank of the river, thence the several courses and distances agreeable to the plot or draft annexed to the report. The west boundary of the new township is an irregular line, made with the evident intent to satisfy all parties, leaving those
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in the mother township that desired to remain there, and setting off the lands of others to the new formation. The report was confirmed by the court Feb- ruary 3, 1841, after a series of hearings, reviews and like proceedings known and peculiar to law. The final proceeding bears this endorsement : " 3d of February, 1841, confirmed by the court, and by request named 'Karthaus,' in honor of P. A. Karthaus, esq., proprietor of a portion of that section of the county," " Moses Bogg," " James Ferguson."
Geographically, Karthaus township lies in the extreme northeast portion of the county, having as its south boundary the devious winding Susquehanna ; on the east lies Clinton country, and on the north Cameron county. Coving- ton township, from which it was formed, bounds Karthaus on the west. The marked geographical and topographical feature of the township is the Horse- shoe Bend, at which the current tends directly south, then bends around and runs nearly direct north, all within a small area. At the loop on the south side of the river the Moshannon empties almost at the center of the bend. No township in the entire county is more irregular in form than this, and no two sides are parallel. Its greatest length, north and south, is not far short of eleven miles, while its average length is about seven miles. From east and west measurement the township extends a distance of about six miles, but the average in this direction is only about four miles. The surface of the town- ship, generally, is hilly, broken, and mountainous, the altitude above tide-water averaging something like fourteen hundred feet. The township is well watered by the West Branch on the south, and the auxiliary streams, Mosquito Creek, Salt Lick and Upper Three Run, the first and last being fair sized mountain streams having several smaller tributaries.
The pioneer history of Karthaus township was made many years prior to its separate organization, and while it was still a part of Lawrence township. Before Lawrence was erected, the township of Chincleclamousche embraced the territory that subsequently formed Lawrence, Covington and Karthaus, excepting, however, a small tract that was added to the county subsequent to its erection in 1804, which tract was taken from Lycoming by an act of the Legislature and annexed to this.
The West Branch appears to have been the main thoroughfare of travel to and from the entire valley, except for such of the pioneer families as came from the south part of Centre county, and from the valley of the Juniata. One of the earliest settlers in Karthaus or the lands that were afterward embraced by it, was G. Philip Geulich, who located there during the month of April, 1814. He first came to the county in 1811, with Charles Loss, as representatives of the Allegheny Coal Company, by whom they were sent to ascertain if the reports concerning an abundant supply of superior coal were true. They first came to Clearfield Creek, where they remained during the winter. Upon their report the company purchased the land known as the Ringgold tract, on Clear-
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field Creek, and another tract comprising some three or four thousand acres on the Moshannon. After having fulfilled the object of his visit, Geulich was determined to return to Huntingdon county, but was finally persuaded to pro- ceed to the lands on the Moshannon, and make an improvement. About Christmas time, in the year 1813, in company with Joseph Ritchie, he at- tempted to ascend the West Branch, but finding the river so filled with snow and ice, was compelled to return. Having procured two boats and a supply of provisions, and accompanied by John Frazer and James Bowman, another attempt was made, this time successful, and at the end of a three days' journey the party landed at Karthaus, on the bank of the Moshannon, on the 8th day of April, 1814. Here they built a cabin, after which several weeks were spent in clearing lands for the future operations of the Allegheny Company at that point. Geulich did not remain long in this vicinity, owing to a misunder- standing with one Junge, upon which he determined to return to the east. When about ready to leave, the families of Frederick W. Geisenhainer, and John Reiter came to the neighborhood, and they urged him to return to the Ringgold tract on Clearfield Creek, which he did. Here he lived until 1818, acting as agent for the company, until their lands were all sold, after which he purchased the Kline property, and still later resided at the county-seat. In 1829-33 he was treasurer of the county.
It may be said, and with much show of reason, that the early settlement of Karthaus township was materially hastened by the knowledge of her extensive coal and iron deposits. Bituminous coal was in great demand at the time, and this demand gave rise to the development of the Karthaus field and shipping therefrom, at a very early day, considerable quantities of coal in arks down the West Branch. A substantial ark could be built having a carrying capacity of several hundred bushels, and thus loaded was transported to Columbia, where it sold readily at thirty-seven and one-half cents per bushel. Geisenhainer and Reiter and those who accompanied them, settled on lands about a mile and one-half back from the river, where they built a log house and barn. They found, not far away, a bed of coal four feet in thickness, which supplied their wants at home and enabled them to mine some for the market. This they shipped down the river in arks, each containing about fifty tons; unfortunately, however, but little of this ever reached the market, as the channel was ob- structed with rocks and sunken trees, that proved fatal to many a cargo of the then valuable commodity.
In the year 1815, Peter A. Karthaus, his son, and J. F. W. Schnars, under the guidance of one Green, a hotel-keeper from Milesburg, Centre county, came to the vicinity. Green was on foot, and the others had two horses be- tween them. They followed the old Indian path, and, after leaving the Alle- ghenies, found but two habitations on the route hither ; those of Samuel Askey and John Bechtold. Worn and tired, they arrived one evening at John Rei-
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ter's house. There they found David Dunlap, a mill-wright by occupation, engaged in building a saw-mill on the coal company's land, at the mouth of the Little Moshannon. Some years later this mill was arranged with country- stones, and the grinding for the settlement was done at this place .. This proved a great convenience to the people, who had been compelled to convey all flour and feed, either from the Bald Eagle Valley or from Clearfield town, nearly twenty-five miles distant, with no thoroughfare other than the old Indian path.
J. F. W. Schnars, who was the companion and friend of Peter A. Karthaus, was a German by birth, born in the year 1785. In the year 1810 he came to Baltimore, and found employment with Karthaus, who was an extensive mer- chant, engaged in foreign and domestic trade. In 1829 Schnars was chosen county commissioner, and still later county auditor. He was commissioned postmaster of his township in 1832, and held that office a score and a half of years. The family name is still extensive in the county, represented by the descendants of this old pioneer.
Peter A. Karthaus and his son, returned after a time, to Baltimore, but again came to this vicinity, bringing his family. He became the owner of a large tract of land in the township, and by his efforts and enterprise in busi- ness, did more toward the settlement and improvement of it than any other person. In recognition of his services, worth and integrity, the township was named in his honor.
In the year 1815, Junge and Schnars purchased lands of Karthaus and Gei- senhainer, and commenced extensive improvements and settlements thereon. About the same time several other families came in ; among them, Hugh Rid- dle, Jacob Michaels, William Russell and others, former residents of Bald Eagle, Centre county. (They made purchases, and at once began improving the lands.
Soon after the first settlements in the township, a deposit of bog ore was dis- covered near the head of Buttermilk Falls, some four miles down the river from Karthaus. The lands were purchased from Judge Bowdinot, of Burlington, N. J., who owned them, by Geisenhainer & Schnars. The tract comprising three parcels was conveyed to Peter A. Karthaus. In the year 1817 he, with Geis- enhainer, built the old furnace at Moshannon Creek. The ore was conveyed up the river in flat-boats and canoes, and there made into iron. Connected with this a foundry was built, and hollow iron wares, stoves, and other articles manufactured. The river was cleared of obstructions that had proved fatal to the coal transports, and the manufactured iron wares were shipped to market. The people interested in the enterprise lacked experience, the place of manu- facture was so far distant from the market, and the expense and danger inci- dent to river traffic was so great that the enterprise was finally abandoned. Many of the families induced to settle here on account of the favorable reports concerning locality, became discouraged at the prospect and returned east.
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