History of Erie county, Pennsylvania. Containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, villages schools, churches, industries, etc, Part 3

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902; Whitman, Benjamin, 1940-; Russell, N. W. (Nathaniel Willard); Brown, R. C. (Robert C.); Weakley, F. E; Warner, Beers & Co. (Chicago, Ill.)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : Warner, Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1280


USA > Pennsylvania > Erie County > History of Erie county, Pennsylvania. Containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, villages schools, churches, industries, etc > Part 3


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 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125 | Part 126 | Part 127 | Part 128 | Part 129 | Part 130 | Part 131 | Part 132 | Part 133 | Part 134 | Part 135 | Part 136 | Part 137 | Part 138 | Part 139 | Part 140 | Part 141 | Part 142 | Part 143 | Part 144 | Part 145 | Part 146 | Part 147 | Part 148 | Part 149 | Part 150 | Part 151 | Part 152 | Part 153 | Part 154 | Part 155 | Part 156 | Part 157 | Part 158 | Part 159 | Part 160 | Part 161 | Part 162 | Part 163 | Part 164 | Part 165 | Part 166 | Part 167 | Part 168 | Part 169 | Part 170 | Part 171 | Part 172 | Part 173 | Part 174 | Part 175 | Part 176 | Part 177 | Part 178 | Part 179


Tenth Street Methodist Episcopal Church ... 570 The African Methodist Episcopal Church .... 571 The First Baptist Church ... 571


First German Baptist Church. 573


St. John's Evangelical Lutheran aud Re- formed Church ...


573 St. Paul's German Evangelical Church ........ 574 Salem Church of the Evangelical Association 575 The English Evangelical Lutheran Church .. 576 The German Evangelical Lutheran Trinity Church 579 Anschai Chesed Reform Congregation 579 United Brethren Church 580 The First Universalist Church 580 St. Patrick's Catholic Pro-Cathedral 581


St. Mary's Catholic Church. 583


St. Joseph's Catholic Church 584


St. John's Catholic Church ... 585


St. Andrew's Catholic Church. 585


CHAPTER V .- EDUCATION AND SOCIETIES .. 586-600


Erie Academy 591 Erie Female Seminary .. 592 Catholic Schools. 592


Secret and Other Societies 594


CHAPTER VI .- PRIVATE CORPORATIONS, CEM-


ETERIES AND CHARITABLE INSTITU-


Erie Gas Company 600 Telegraph, Telephone and Express Compa- nies ... 601 The Erie City Passenger Railway Company 601


Banks 601


Insurance Companies 603


Cemeteries .. 604


Charitable Institutions .. 606


CHAPTER VII .- LEADING MANUFACTURING IN-


TERESTS .. 613-649 Board of Trade and Business Statistics .. 649-651


PART IV.


TOWNSHIP HISTORIES.


CHAPTER I .- MILL CREEK TOWNSHIP. 655-666


Lands ..


G55


Reservations 656


Creeks and Bridges 656


Public Highways 659


Schools. 659


Villages and Post Offices 660


Other Prominent Points. 661


Religious Societies. 662


Mills 663


Early Settlers. 663


Public Men. 664 Miscellaneous 665


CHAPTER II .- WATERFORD TOWNSHIP AND BOROUGH OF WATERFORD. 666-684 Lands of the Township 666 Tax List in 1813. 609


Streams and Lakes 670


Roads, Bridges and Mills 670


School History 671


Waterford Station.


672


BOROUGH OF WATERFORD 672


The French Fort ....... 673 Pontiac's Conspiracy 673


Beginning of the Town 673


First Settlers. 674


Early Events 675


The Lytles.


675 The Boating Trade. 676 Societies, etc .. 676


Incorporation 679


The Academy. 680


The Cemetery 680


Religious Societies. 681


State and County Officers. 682


Postmasters


683


Newspapers .. 683


Manufactories. 683


Religious Societies. 671 Miscellaneous .. 684


Anti-Slavery


499


Oldest Men and Women .. 499


Thanksgiving Day 500


ix


CONTENTS.


PAGE.


CHAPTER III. - UNION TOWNSHIP AND


BOROUGH OF UNION CITY .. 684-695


The South Branch and its Tributaries. 685


Bridges and Mills 685 Political. 743


Churches and Graveyards. 686 Religious Societies. 744


Early Settlers. 686


Political. 689


BOROUGH OF UNION CITY 690


The Founder.


Growth of the Town 690


Societies.


691


Manufactories.


692


Church Organizations .. 693


Newspapers 694


Miscellaneous 695


CHAPTER 1V .- LE BOEUF TOWNSHIP AND


BOROUGH OF MILL VILLAGE. 696-703


Early Settlers .. 696


Streama and Mills 699


Valleys and Ridges. 699


Holland Land Company .. 700


Common Roads ..


700


Churches 701


Schools. 701


Public Men 702


702 Villages.


BOROUGH OF MILL VILLAGE. 702


CHAPTER V. - VENANGO TOWNSHIP AND


BOROUGH OF WATTSNURG ... 704-715


704


Taxables in 1800. 705


Political 705


War of 1812.


705


Streams, Lake and Bridges ....


706


Public Roads ...


706


Mills, Factories and Schools. 709


Churches


710


The Middlebrook Church-Graveyards 710


Villages


711


Recollections of a Native of the Township .. 711 BOROUGH OF WATTSBURG. 712


Incorporation ... 713


Religious 713


Societies, etc .. 713


Rusinesa Features. 714


Public Men ..


714


Schools and Newspapers 714


CHAPTER VI. - HARBOR CREEK TOWNSHIP


715-723


General Description 715


Creeks and Gullies. 716


Milla .....


719


Roads, etc .. 719


Wesley ville 720


Harbor Creek and Moorheadville. 720


Religious Societies. 721


County Officers. 722


School History.


722


Miscellaneous. 723


CHAPTER VII .- NORTH EAST TOWNSHIP AND BOROUGH OF NORTH EAST 723-739


Early Settlers


724


First Things. 725 Lands 790


Railroads and Common Roads 725 Streams and Mills. 790


The Creeks.


726


Manufacturing Establishments 726


The Grape Culture. 729


Villages.


729


Cemeteries.


731


BOROUGH OF NORTH EAST


732


Religious Societies ... 733


Public Schools and College. 734


Hotels, Banks, etc ... 735


Newspapers ..


736


State and County Officers. 736


CHAPTER VIII .- FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP AND


BOROUGH OF FAIRVIEW 739-749 General Description 740


Lands and Streams. 741


Bridges and Mills ... ......... ..... 742


Schools


742


Common Roads, Railroads and Canals. 743


Manchester and Swanville. 744


Other Matters. 745


BOROUGH OF FAIRVIEW. 746


690 Early Incidents 746


Other Churches 749


Miscellaneous .. 749


CHAPTER IX .- SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP ... 750-760 Lands, etc ... 750


Early Settlers 751


Incidents of the Pioneers .. 752


Streams, Mills and Factories 752


Burial Places


753


Public Men. 754


Academies and Schools 754 Railroads, Common Roads and Hotels. 755


Churches ...


756


Villages. 759


CHAPTER X. - CONNEAUT TOWNSHIP AND


BOROUGH OF ALBION 760-769 The First Settlers. 760


Creeks and Bridges .. 761 Land, Litigation and Pre-Historic Remains. 762 Rairoads, Canals and Common Roads. 763


Schools, Mills and Burial Places. 764


Villages 764


Miscellaneous ..


765


BOROUGH OF ALRION.


765


Churches. 766 Business, Schools and Societies. 766


Factories, Newspapers, etc. 769


CHAPTER XI .- ELK CREEK TOWNSHIP. 770-775


General Description. 770 Roads and Streams 771


Churches.


772


Schools


772


Wellsburg


772


Cranesville


774


Pageville


774


CHAPTER XII. - MCKEAN TOWNSHIP AND


BOROUGH OF MIDDLEBORO ... .. 775-782 Streams and Lands. 775


Mills and Schools .. 776 Churches, Cemeteries and Roads. 779


Villages


780


Early Settlers.


760


Public Officers 781


BOROUGH OF MIDDLEBORO. 781


CHAPTER XIII .- GREENFIELD TOWNSHIF .. 782-786 Beginning the Settlement. 783 Other Matters. 784


Streams and Mills. 784


Village and Churches. 785


Schools ..


786


Roads, etc.


786


CHAPTER XIV .- GREENE TOWNSHIP 789-793


First Settlers .. .789


Roads aud Railroad 790


Hamlets and Churches 791


Public Men


792


CHAPTER XV .- WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP AND BOROUGH OF EDINBORO. 793-802 First Settlers. 793


Roads ... 794


Streams, Lake and Lands. 795


Villages and Churches. 795


Schools


796


Factories and Mills. 799


General Description .. 800


Churches. 800


Secret Societies, Newspapers and Post Offices 801 State and County Officers 802


The Normal School.


802


Schools. 731 792 730 Schools ..... Rev. Cyrus Dickson ...


Miscellaneous 736 BOROUGH OF EDINBORO 800


PAGE.


Early Settlers.


x


CONTENTS.


PAGE.


CHAPTER XVI .- CONCORD TOWNSHIP AND BOROUGH OF ELGIN. 803-806 Public Schools. 834 County Officera. 803 Lands, Villages, etc. 834


Early Settlers.


803


General Description.


804


Streams


804


Railroads, Common Roads, etc. 805 Schoola and Churches 805


Miscellaneous .... 806


BOROUGH OF ELGIN


806


CHAPTER XVII .- CITY OF CORRY .809-823


How the City Started. 809 Mills and Churches ..


Rapid Growth ..


810


Borough and City


810


The City in General. 811


Oil Works .... 812


Other Leading Industriea 813


General Business Featurea. 814 Hotels and Factories 845


City Government 814 Square, Monuments, etc. 846 846


School Building .. 815 Public Men ..


Newspapers. 816


Secret Societies 816


Gas, Gas Wells and Public Halls, 820


Religious Societies 820


823


Miscellaneous


CHAPTER XVIII .- WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 824-832


Lande and their Value .... ... 824 The Streama. 825 Village of Beaver Dam 825 Carter Hill and Hare Creek. 829 Schools, Mills, etc .. 829


The State Fish Hatchery. 830


The Pioneers. 830 Prominent Men 831


The Greeleys.


831


CHAPTER XIX .- AMITY TOWNSHIP. .832-835 Streams and Bridges. 832


Miscellaneous ..


860


PART V.


BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES-ERIE AND CORRY.


City of Erie (alphabetically arranged) 863-975 City of Erie (not alphabetically arranged-Hon. S. M. Brainerd) 976


977-1006


PART VI.


TOWNSHIP BIOGRAPHIES.


Amity Township ... 3


Concord Township.


11


Conneaut Township.


16


Elk Creek Township


29 Springfield Township. 152 Fairview Township. 37


Summit Township. 164


Franklin Township. 45 Union Township. 168


Girard Township.


Greene Township. 70


. Washington Township. 203 Greenfield Township 75 · Waterford Township 216 Harbor Creek Township. 80


- Wayne Township .. 233


- Le Bœuf Township.


98


Mckean Township ... 102


Mill Creek Township 116


North East Township .. 134


835


Early Settlers ...


CHAPTER XX .- GIRARD TOWNSHIP AND BOR- OUGHS OF GIRARD AND LOCKPORT ...... 835-851 Early Settlers. 836


Lands and Roada .. 839


Railroads and Canal. 839


Streams, etc. 840 840


Mouth of Elk Creek


841


Schools and Mounds.


842


Miles Grove.


842


Weat Girard. 843


844


BOROUGH OF GIRARD


Churches, Schools. etc. 844


Newspapers and Banks. Miscellaneous 850


BOROUGH OF LOCKPORT. 850


CHAPTER XXI .- FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP ..... 851-854 First Settlements. 852 General Description 852


Mills and Schools. 853


Churches and Graveyards. 853


Village and Quarry 854


CHAPTER XXII .- SUMMIT TOWNSHIP. .855-860


The Pioneers 855 Railroads and Common Roads. 855 Streams and Valleya. 856 Religious Societies. 856


School History. 859


Mills, Quarry, Etc .. 860


849


PAGE.


Mills and Roads 833


City of Corry.


53 Venango Townahip 183


xi


CONTENTS.


PORTRAITS.


PAGE.


Bennett, J. H., Venango Township. 887


Bowman, Ralph, Elk Creek Township. 607


Bowman, Jane, Elk Creek Township ... 608 McKee, Thomas, Mill Creek Township 268 Metcalf, Prescott, Erie .. 507 Bowman, Lucretia, Elk Creek Township 518


Boyd, Charles C., Waterford Township. 727


Brightman, William, Wayne Township. 848 Brown, Samuel M., Mill Creek Township. 668


Burton, John, Mill Creek Township


468


Carroll, William, Union Township. 238


Casey, James, Erie .. 597


Chambers, James, Harbor Creek Township. 187


Chapin, Pliny, Venango Township


708


Cochran, Robert, Erie ...


388


Colegrove, Isaac, Corry. 398


Cook, J. L., Waterford Township. 827 Reeder, Moses, Washington Township. Custard, Robert, North East Township 927 Russell, N. W., Erie .... 377


Dobbins, Daniel, Erie. 79


Downing, J. F., Erie 657


Sanford, G., Erie ........


Sedgwick, John, Waterford Township. 367


Ebersole, Joseph, Harbor Creek Township 307 Ebersole, Joseph J., Harbor Creek Township ..... 697 Ellicott, Andrew, Erie ..


Sill, Thomas H., Erie 257


Sill, James, Erie .. 818


.Frontispiece Elliott, Thomas, Harbor Creek Township. ..... Smith, Samuel, Wayne Township 407 318 Farrar, F. F., Erie ... 897 Stafford, Henry C., Erie .. 938


Foot, Jabez B., Venango Township. 358 Staples, F. E., Erie.


Foote, David E., Venango Township .. 578 Sterrett, A. J., Erie .. 738


Galbraith, John, Erie .. 227


Hammond, Paul, Concord Township. 427


Hamot, P. S. V., Erie. 134


Hartleh, Mathias, Erie .. 768 Hasbrouck, William, Concord Township. 637 Haynes, J. H., North East Township 218


Henry, Robert H., Harbor Creek Township. 788


Kennedy, D. C., Wayne Township ..


438


Kincaid, John, Wayne Township ... 777


Koch, Moses, Erie ...


757


Loop, D. D., North East Township. 347 Weschler, Jacob, Erie .. 837


Lowry, N. D., Harbor Creek Township .. 558


Wheeler, Silas, Corry.


178


Marshall, James C., Erie .. 497


587 Wilson, David, Union Township.


677 Marvin, Elihu, Erie. 327 Woodruff, S. E., Erie


MISCELLANEOUS.


Errata.


12


Map of Erie County


13-14


Map Showing Various Purchases From the Indians ..


113


Diagram Showing Proportionate Annual Production of Anthracite Coal Since 1820. 118


Table Showing Amount of Anthracite Coal Produced in Each Region Since 1820 119


PAGE.


McCreary, D. B., Erie .. 747


Moore, M. M., Harbor Creek Township 918 Nash, Norman, North East Township .. 338 Nicholson, Isabel, Mill Creek Township. 867 Orton, J. R., Conneaut Township. 688 Ottinger, Douglass, Erie .. 537 Putnam, William, Union Township. 878 Rea, Samusl, Springfield Township. 277 Rea, Johnston, Girard Township .. 447 45


Reed, Seth, Erle ...


Reed, Rufus S., Erie 157


Reed, Charles M., Erie. 297


288


Salshury, A. P., Conneaut Township 527 167


Duncombe, Eli, Amity Township 488 Eagley, John, Sr., Springfield Township .. 857 Selden, George, Erie ... 247 Short, Alfred North, East Township. 567


Sterrett, Joseph M., Erie. 148 Stinson, William S., Harbor Creek Township 907 Stranahan, P.G., Union Township. 648 Strong, Martin, Erie


Thayer, Alvin, Erie. 797 207 Taylor, Isaac R., Washington Township. 547 Tracy, John A., Erie. 417


Hecker, A. W., Corry ..... 628 Henderson, Joseph, Erie. 807


198 Tracy, John F., Erie .. 617 Vincent, John, Erie


Vincent, B. B., Erie.


457


Vincent, Strong, Erie


717 Weed, William B., Greene Township 477


947


ERRATA.


Page 214-For "after the last war," read "before the last war."


Page 263-Mccullough's mills were built in 1802.


Page 272-The steamboat Walk-in-the-Water was wrecked in 1821.


Page 272-The steamboat Missouri was bought, not built, by Gen. Reed in 1840.


Page 274-The U. S. revenue cutter Benjamin Rush was built in 1828.


Page 293-The block-house referred to as having been built in 1795 stood on Garrison Hill.


Page 324-William Wallace located in Erie in 1798.


Page 332 -- The name of the first court crier was Daniel Nangle, instead of David Langley.


Page 341-William Hoge was a resident of Washington County.


Page 401-The Democratic vote for Congress in Warren County in 1878 was 821, instead of 1821. Page 425-For Sylveras E. Webster, County Surveyor, read Cyrenus E. Webster.


Page 429-For David Langley, Court Crier, read Daniel Nangle.


Page 433-The first passenger train came into Erie January 9, 1852.


Page 463-The Observer office was the first to introduce a power press, not steam power.


Page 495-For Isaac Miller read Israel Miller.


Page 499-For Daniel Stancliff read Lemuel Stancliff.


Page 500-For Benjamin Colton read Benjamin Collom.


Page 500-John Teel, second, died April 21, 1872.


Page 656-For Benjamin Russell read N. W. and G. J. Russell.


Page 664-For Tract 47 read Tract 247.


Page 664-For Mr. Martin Stough read Mra. Martin Stough.


Page 675-George W. Reed settled in Waterford in 1810.


Page 679, also 139-The park in Waterford Borough is about a mile from Waterford Station on the P. & E, road, making the distance by rail from Erie about twenty miles.


Page 680-For James Judson read Amos Judson.


Page 732-Rev. Cyrus Dickson completed his college course in 1837.


Page 741-For John M. Kratz read Joseph M. Kratz.


.


MAP OF


COUNTY ;


1


NORTHVILLE


NORTHEAST


MpOM.LAWYERTH


EAST


PENN.


HARBORGALCK


IRVINES PESCAVE


HARBOR GREEKE


GREENFIELD


K


SIXMILECREEK


GREENFIELD !!


C


1.


ST-BONIFACE


HAUVETTED EASAGREENEPO.


GREENE


SMMIT


VE


NAANGO


GOODAD RO.


PHILLIPSVILLE


LOWVILLE


WEST, GREENCP.O.


ESTEPACETANIA


WATTSMURG


MIDDLEBO


LINE


TILLTOWNS CASEELEASANT PO,


SPRING CURSO


WATERFORD


APRINAFIERDAL


LOCKPORT


BRANCHVILLI


DE HATCHHOLLOW


JUVAPO


SAMCLAN 1


FRANKLIN


BEAVER DAM


WAYNE P.O.


MORAVIAN


Sherrifle MELKCRIAKPO


Ration


ONNE AUTI


LUNAY'S LANEPO


ANCOR


D


JALATAN


ELK CREEK


EDINBORO


MILLVILLAGE


MEN'S ANCAS


TRACY POI


TRACY STATION


PO.


.


..


LAVÓNIAPO.


.E.A.FAIR VIEW


FAIR VIEW


WHEELOCK P.O.


WATERFORD


FRANKLINCORNERS


GRANT


CHERRYHILL P.O.


DE BOEUF


UNION


ELGIN


WASHINTON


CARTERHILL P.D.


TiSWANVILLE


ـو


PRESQUE ISLE DA


ERIE


1


HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.


CHAPTER I.


INTRODUCTORY - CORNELIS JACOBSON MEY, 1624-25-WILLIAM VAN HULST, 1625- 26-PETER MINUIT, 1626-33-DAVID PETERSEN DE VRIES, 1632-33-WOUTER VAN TWILLER, 1633-38.


TN the early colonization upon the American continent, two motives were principally operative. One was the desire of amassing sudden wealth without great labor, which tempted adventurous spirits to go in search of gold, to trade valueless trinkets to the simple natives for rich furs and skins, and even to seek, amidst the wilds of a tropical forest, for the fountain whose healing waters could restore to man perpetual youth. The other was the cherished purpose of escaping the unjust restrictions of Government, and the hated ban of society against the worship of the Supreme Being according to the honest dictates of conscience, which incited the humble devotees of Christianity to forego the comforts of home, in the midst of the best civilization of the age, and make for themselves a habitation on the shores of a new world, where they might erect altars and do homage to their God in such habiliments as they preferred, and utter praises in such note as seemed to them good. This pur- pose was also incited by a certain romantic temper, common to the race, es- pecially noticeable in youth, that invites to some uninhabited spot, and Ras- selas and Robinson Crusoe-like to begin life anew.


William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, had felt the heavy hand of persecution for religious opinion's sake. As a gentleman commoner at Ox- ford, he had been fined, and finally expelled from that venerable seat of learn- ing for non-comformity to the established worship. At home, he was whipped and turned out of doors by a father who thought to reclaim the son to the more certain path of advancement at a licentious court. He was sent to prison by the Mayor of Cork. For seven months he languished in the tower of Lon- don, and, finally, to complete his disgrace, he was cast into Newgate with com- mon felons. Upon the accession of James II, to the throne of England, over fourteen hundred persons of the Quaker faith were immured in prisons for a conscientious adherence to their religious convictions. To escape this harassing persecution, and find peace and quietude from this sore proscription, was the moving cause which led Penn and his followers to emigrate to America.


Of all those who have been founders of States in near or distant ages, none have manifested so sincere and disinterested a spirit, nor have been so fair ex- emplars of the golden rule, and of the Redeemer's sermon on the mount, as William Penn. In his preface to the frame of government of his colony, he says: " The end of government is first to terrify evil-doers; secondly, to cher- ish those who do well, which gives government a life beyond corruption, and


{


16


HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.


makes it as durable in the world, as good men shall be. So that government seems to be a part of religion itself, a thing sacred in its institution and end. For, if it does not directly remove the cause, it crushes the effects of evil, and is an emanation of the same Divine power, that is both author and object of pure religion, the difference lying here, that the one is more free and mental, the other more corporal and compulsive in its operations; but that is only to evil-doers, government itself being otherwise as capable of kindness, goodness and charity, as a more private society. They weakly err, who think there is no other use of government than correction, which is the coarsest part of it. Daily experience tells us, that the care and regulation of many other affairs more soft, and daily necessary, make up much the greatest part of government. Governments, like clocks, go from the motion men give them, and as govern- ments are made and moved by men, so by them are they ruined, too. Where- fore, governments rather depend upon men, than men upon governments. Let men be good, and the government cannot be bad. If it be ill, they will cure it. But if men be bad, let the government be never so good, they will endeavor


to warp and spoil to their turn. * * * That, therefore, which makes a good constitution, must keep it, men of wisdom and virtue, qualities, that because they descend not with worldly inheritances, must be carefully propagated by a vir- tuons education of youth, for which, after ages will owe more to the care and prudence of founders and the successive magistracy, than to their parents for *


their private patrimonies. * * We have, therefore, with reverence to God, and good conscience to men, to the best of our skill, contrived and composed the Frame and Laws of this government, viz .: To support power in reverence with the people, and to secure the people from the abuse of power, that they may be free by their just obedience, and the magistrates honorable for their just administration. For liberty without obedience is confusion, and obedi- ence without liberty is slavery."


Though born amidst the seductive arts of the great city, Penn's tastes were rural. He hated the manners of the corrupt court, and delighted in the homely labors and innocent employments of the farm. "The country," he said, "is the philosopher's garden and library, in which he reads and contemplates the power, wisdom and goodness of God. It is his food as well as study, and gives him life as well as learning." And to his wife he said upon taking leave of her in their parting interview: "Let my children be husbandmen, and house- wives. It is industrious, healthy, honest, and of good report. This leads to consider the works of God, and diverts the mind from being taken up with vain arts and inventions of a luxurious world. Of cities and towns of concourse, beware. The world is apt to stick close to those who have lived and got wealth there. A country life and estate I love best for my children."


Having thus given some account at the outset of the spirit and purposes of the founder, and the motive which drew him to these shores, it will be in place, before proceeding with the details of the acquisition of territory, and the coming of emigrants for the actual settlement under the name of Pennsyl- vania, to say something of the aborigines who were found in possession of the soil when first visited by Europeans, of the condition of the surface of the country, and of the previous attempts at settlements before the coming of Penn.


The surface of what is now known as Pennsylvania was, at the time of the coming of the white men, one vast forest of hemlock, and pine, and beech, and oak, unbroken, except by an occasional rocky barren upon the precipitous mountain side, or by a few patches of prairie, which had been reclaimed by annual burnings, and was used by the indolent and simple-minded natives for the culture of a little maize and a few vegetables. The soil, by the annual


17


HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.


accumulations of leaves and abundant growths of forest vegetation, was luxu- rious, and the trees stood olose, and of gigantic size. The streams swarmed with fish, and the forest abounded with game. Where now are cities and hamlets filled with busy populations intent upon the accumulation of wealth, the mastery of knowledge, the pursuits of pleasure, the deer browsed and sipped at the water's edge, and the pheasant drummed his monotonous note. Where now is the glowing furnace from which day and night tongues of flame are bursting, and the busy water wheel sends the shuttle flashing through the loom, half-naked, dusky warriors fashioned their spears with rude implements of stone, and made themselves hooks out of the bones of animals for alluring the finny tribe. Where now are fertile fields, upon which the thrifty farmer turns his furrow, which his neighbor takes up and runs on until it reaches from one end of the broad State to the other, and where are flocks and herds, rejoicing in rich meadows, gladdened by abundant fountains, or reposing at the heated noontide beneath ample shade, not a blow had been struck against the giants of the forest, the soil rested in virgin purity, the streams glided on in majesty, unvexed by wheel and unchoked by device of man.


Where now the long train rushes on with the speed of the wind over plain and mead, across streams and under mountains, awakening the echoes of the hills the long day through, and at the midnight hour screaming out its shrill whistle in fiery defiance, the wild native, with a fox skin wrapped about his loins and a few feathers stuck in his hair, issuing from his rude hut, trot- ted on in his forest path, followed by his equaw with her infant peering forth" from the rough sling at her back, pointed his canoe, fashioned from the barks of the trees, across the deep river, knowing the progress of time only by the rising and setting sun, troubled by no meridians for its index, starting on his way when hie nap was ended, and stopping for rest when a spot was reached that pleased his fancy. Where now a swarthy population toils ceaselessly deep down in the bowels of the earth, shut out trom the light of day in cutting out the material that feeds the fires upon the forge, and gives genial warmth to the lovers as they chat merrily in the luxurious drawing room, not a mine had been opened, and the vast beds of the black diamond rested unsunned beneath the superincumbent mountains, where they had been fashioned by the Creator's hand. Rivers of oil seethed through the impatient and uneasy gases and vast pools and lakee of this pungent, parti-colored fluid, hidden away from the coveting eye of man, guarded well their own secrets. Not a derrick protruded its well-balanced form in the air. Not a drill, with its eager eating tooth de- scended into the flinty rock. No pipe line diverted the oily tide in a silent, ceaseless current to the ocean's brink. The cities of iron tanks, filled to burst-


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ing, had no place amidst the forest solitudes. Oil exchanges, with their vex- ing puts and calls, shorts and longs, bulls and bears, had not yet come to dis- turb tbe equanimity of the red man, as he smoked the pipe of peace at the council fire. Had he once seen the smoke and soot of the new Birmingham of the West, or enuffed the odors of an oil refinery, he would willingly have for- feited his goodly heritage by the forest stream or the deep flowing river, and sought for himself new hunting grounds in less favored regions.




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