History of Erie county, Pennsylvania. Containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, villages schools, churches, industries, etc, Part 31

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 31

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" Eighty years ago not a pound of coal or a cubic foot of illuminating gas had been burned in the country. All the cooking and warming in town as well as in the country were done by the aid of a fire kindled on the brick hearth or in the brick ovens. Pine knots or tallow candles furnished the light for the long winter nights, and sanded floors supplied the place of rugs and carpets. £ The water used for household purposes was drawn from deep wells by the creaking sweep. No form of pump was used in this country, so far as we can learn, until after the commencement of the present century. There were no friction matches in those early days, by the aid of which a fire. could be easily kindled, and if the fire went out upon the hearth over night, and the tinder was damp, so that the spark would not catch, the alternative remained of wading through the snow a mile or so to borrow a brand from a neighbor. Only one room in any house was warm, unless some member of the family was ill; in all the rest the temperature was at zero during many nights in winter. The men and women undressed and went to their beds in a temperature colder than our barns and woodsheds, and they never complained."

Churches and schoolhouses were sparsely located, and of the most primi- tive character. One pastor served a number of congregations; and salaries were so low that the preachers had to take part in working their farms to pro- cure support for their families. The people went to religious service on foot or horseback, and the children often walked two or three miles through the woods to school. There were no fires in the churches for a number of years. When they were finally introduced they were at first built in holes cut in the floors, and the smoke found its way out through openings in the roofs. The seats were of unsmoothed slabs, the ends and centers of which were laid upon blocke, and the pulpits were little better. Worship was held once or twice a month, consisting usually of two services, one in the forenoon and one immediately after noon, the people remaining during the interval and spending the time in social intercourse. It is much to be feared that if religious worship were at- tended with the same discomforts now as it was eighty to ninety years ago, the excuses for keeping away from the house of God would be many times mul- tiplied.

GAME, ETC.

When the county was opened to settlement, it was covered with a dense for- est, which abounded with deer, bears, wolves, rabbits, foxes, raccoons, squir-

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rels, opossums, minks and martens. * This was a fortunate circumstance for the people, as the flesh of the wild beasts afforded them the only fresh meat many could obtain. Every man kept a gun and went into the woods in pur- suit of game whenever the supply of food in his household ran short. Deer were abundant for years. There were numerous deer-licks, where the animals resorted to find salt water, at which the hunters lay in wait and shot them down without mercy. Bears were quite numerous, and did serious mischief to the corn fields. Wolves were also plenty, and committed much havoc. Packs of these animals often surrounded the cabins and kept their inmates awake with their howling. A bounty was long paid for their scalps, varying in amount from $10 to $12 per head. Accounts are given of sheep being killed by wolves as late as 1813. Occasionally a panther or wild cat terrified whole neighborhoods by its screaming. The last panther was shot at Lake Pleasant by Abram Knapp in 1857.

Besides the animals, the country was full of pigeons, ducks, geese, part- ridges and turkeys, in their season, all of which were more tame than now. and fell easy victime to the guns or traps of the pioneers. The lake, of course, contained plenty of fish, and most of the small streams abounded in tront. The rivulets emptying into French Creek were particularly famous for this favorite fish, and the stories told of their size and readiness to leap into the sportsman's hands are enough to drive an angler wild with enthusiasm. It does not appear that the county was ever much troubled with poisonous snakes. There were some massassaugies and copperheads on the peninsula, but the interior seems to have been remarkably free from dangerous reptiles.

Taken altogether, while they had to endure many privations and hardships, it is doubtful whether the pioneers of any part of America were more fortu- nate in their selection than those of Erie County. Every one of the settlers agrees in saying that they had no trouble in accommodating themselves to the situation, and were, as a rule, both men and women, healthy, contented and happy.

CHAPTER XIII.

COMMON ROADS, STAGE LINES, MAIL ROUTES, TAVERNS, ETC.

HOSE who have familiarized themselves with the preceding chapters will re-

T member that the French cut a road from Presque Isle to LeBœuf in 1753, the first year of their occupation, and kept it up as long as they maintained posts in Western Pennsylvania. This was the first, and for more than forty years the only road in Erie County. The French road began at the mouth of Mill Creek, ran south on a line parallel with Parade street, in Erie, to the corners in Marvintown, and then across Mill Creek Township, by the farms of George Rilling, Judge Vincent, Judge Souther, and others, to the Waterford Plank Road near the George Woods pump factory. From the plank road it extended across the hills to the Turnpike, and continued partly on the same route as the latter to LeBoeuf Creek in Waterford Borough. Although rough and hilly, it was perhaps the most practicable line that could have been adopt- ed at the time. Wherever necessity required, the road was "corduroyed " ---

* A French memoir, written in 1714, says : " Buffalo are found on the south shore of Lake Erie, but not on the north shore."

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that is, trunks of small trees were cut to the proper length and laid crosswise, close together-making a dry and solid, but very uneven surface. When the first settlers came in, the traveled road was pretty much in the same location as the old French route. The latter was still easily traceable, but was much grown up with trees.

An act passed the Legislature of Pennsylvania in 1791 to open a road from Presque Isle to French Creek, and another in 1795 for the survey of a route from LeBœuf to the Juniata River in Mifflin County. The Susquehanna & Waterford Turnpike was located by Andrew Ellicott in 1796, from Lake Le Bœuf to Curwensville, in Clearfield County, by way of Meadville and Franklin. Its purpose was to give a continuous road from Erie to Philadelphia.

The earliest road opened after the American occupation was by Judah Colt, as agent of the Population Company, in 1797, from Freeport, on the lake near North East, to Colt's Station, and from the latter place to the Forks of French Creek, or Wattsburg, late in the season of 1798. The Eastern road through Greenfield, from North East to Wattsburg, was laid out about 1800; the ones from Waterford to Cranesville through Washington Township, and from Waterford to Edinboro, about 1802, and the road from North East to Waterford, by way of Phillipsville, in 1804.

The State opened a road through the northern tier of counties, from the head-waters of the Delaware River, in almost a direct line, to Ohio, in 1802 or 1803, which is still known as the State road.

So far as can be ascertained by the writer, these were the first roads in the county, though others may have been opened at a date not much later. The burning of the court house in 1823 destroyed all of the original surveys and records. An act of Assembly was obtained, legalizing a re-survey of the roads in the county. Three parties of surveyors were set to work, headed respect- ively by William Miles, Thomas Forster and Elisha Marvin. The first took charge of the eastern part of the county, the second of the central, and the last of the western. Every one of the roads originally provided for in the county now follows, in the main, the route marked out by these gentlemen.

Below is a historical sketch of the principal roads leading into the county from the city of Erie:

BUFFALO ROAD.

The route from Erie to the New York State line, through East Mill Creek, Harbor Creek, and North East, became known from the very start as the Buffalo road. It begins at the intersection of Peach and Eighteenth streets in Erie, and extends, at an almost uniform distance of about two miles from the lake, to the Niagara River at Buffalo. The road was surveyed by James McMahon in 1805, and appears to have been ready for travel in the same year. For some cause, the road was only opened westward in a direct line to Wesleyville, at which place travel diverged by a cross-road to the Lake road, and reached Erie, which consisted of a small collection of houses at the mouth of Mill Creek, by the latter thoroughfare. On petition of the farmers between Wesleyville and Erie, the court, in 1812, ordered the completion of the road to the latter place, and it was thrown open to travel some time in that year. The Buffalo road generally follows a nearly straight line, but there is an abrupt jog at the Saltsman place, on the east side of the city, the reason for which has been a puzzle to many. It is said to be due to two causes, first, there was an ugly swamp on the straight line, south of the present road; and, second, it was con- sidered desirable to enter the city on the line of Eighteenth street. John Ryan kept a public house in the old building which still stands on the east side of the jog, and it is possible that his influence had something to do with

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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY.

the location. The Buffalo road forms the principal street of the borough of North East, and of the villages of Wesleyville, Harbor Creek, Mooreheadville, and Northville. The distances from the park in Erie by this route are as fol- lows: Buffalo, 90 miles; Northville, 19; North East, 15; Mooreheadville, 10}; Harbor Creek, 72; Wesleyville, 4}.

THE RIDGE ROAD.

The Ridge road is practically a continuation of the Buffalo road, and is connected with it by the southern part of Peach street in the city of Erie. It follows the line of the First Ridge and traverses the western part of Mill Creek, and the entire width of Fairview, Girard and Springfield Townships to the Ohio line. It was opened in 1805, the same year as the Buffalo road. The purpose of making the jog at Peach street is not exactly known, but it is sup- posed to have been done to avoid the swamps, which approached the foot of the ridge more closely than in the eastern part of the county. These have since been effectually drained, but in those days of poverty they seemed an insurmountable obstacle to a good road. Whatever the cause, the projectors of the route deserve the everlasting gratitude of the people of the county, as the hard, gravelly bed over which the road passes makes it the best in the county, seldom becoming muddy in winter or dusty in summer. The Ridge road passes through and constitutes the principal streets of Girard and Fair- view Boroughs and the villages of Weigleville, Swanville, West Girard, East Springfield, and West Springfield. It is 100 miles by this route to Cleveland, 25 to West Springfield, 21 to East Springfield, 16g to West Girard, 16 to Girard, 12 to Fairview, 9 to Swanville, and 22 to Weigleville, measuring from the parks in Erie City.

THE LAKE ROAD.

The Lake road crosses the entire county from east to west, at a distance from Lake Erie varying from a few rods to half a mile. It enters Erie on the east by Sixth street, and leaves on the west by Eighth street. It becomes merged into the Ridge road at or near Conneaut, Ohio. It was laid out in 1806, and opened partly in that year and at intervals of several years after, as the county became settled. The only place directly reached by the road is the village of Manchester, at the mouth of Walnut Creek, ten miles west of Erie. Although passing through a good country, the Lake road is less traveled than either the Buffalo or Ridge roads.

WATERFORD TURNPIKE.

The Erie & Waterford Turnpike was originated by Col. Thomas Forster who seems to have been the foremost man in most of the early improvements., Previous to its completion, the travel between Erie and Waterford was wholly over the old French road, which had been but slightly repaired and was in a horrible condition. The turnpike company was formed in 1805, its avowed object being the building of a link in the great contemplated thoroughfare from Erie to Philadelphia by way of the French Creek, Juniata and Susque- hanna Valleys. The first election for officers was held at Waterford, and resulted in the choice of the following: President, Col. Thomas Forster; Treasurer, Judah Colt; Managers, Henry Baldwin, John Vincent, Ralph Mar- lin, James E. Herron, John C. Wallace, William Miles, James Brotherton and Joseph Hackney. Work was commenced in 1806, and the road was completed in 1809. It was a herculean undertaking for the time. In laying out the road, a circuitous course was taken to accommodate the settlers, many of

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whom were stockholders in the company. The turnpike was a paying property until 1845, when it ceased to be remunerative to the stockholders. It was soon after abandoned by them and accepted as a township road.

Judge Cochran opposed the building of the " pike " on the ground that it was unconstitutional to make the public pay toll. The right of way was taken through his farm against his protest, and when the road was finished his hos- tility was aroused to such a degree that he felled trees across it. The toll question was tested before the County Court, and Judge Moore gave an opin. ion sustaining the constitutionality of the act of incorporation. None of the other settlers opposed the right of way, and most of them looked upon the enterprise as one that would open up the country and add to their worldly, wealth.

The turnpike originally ended at Waterford, but twenty years later the Waterford & Susquehanna Turnpike Company was organized, which extend- ed the route by Meadville and Franklin to Curwensville, Clearfield County, where it connected with another turnpike running across the State, making a good wagon road from Erie to Harrisburg and Philadelphia. In laying out the " pike," fifty feet of land from the center were taken on each side of the road. The first toll gate out of Erie was kept by Robert Brown, near Ding- more's mill, and the second by Martin Strong, on the summit of the Main Ridge.

The pike commences on the southern border of the city, at the Cochran farm, and from there extends past the coffin factory and over Nicholson's hill to Walnut Creek. A little south of the crossing of that stream it ascends the Main Ridge, and from there to Strong's there is a continnal up grade. Leav- ing Strong's, there is a regular descent to Waterford, in the LeBœuf Valley. The elevation of the road at Strong's is upward of eight hundred feet above Lake Erie. The only village on the route is Kearsage. The distance from Erie to Waterford by the turnpike is fourteen miles.

EDINBORO PLANK ROAD.

The Erie & Edinboro Plank Road Company was organized in 1850, with Hon. John Galbraith as President. The road was completed in 1852. It fol- lowed the course of the Waterford Turnpike to a point a little south of Wal- nut Creek, where it branched off and adopted a route partly new and partly the old Edinboro road. The road bed was covered, as the name indicates, with heavy planks, and the grade being in general quite moderate, furnished an easy and pleasant thoroughfare. The Edinboro & Meadville Plank Road, completed simultaneously, with Hon. Gaylord Church as President of the com- pany, formed a smooth, continuous route from the lake to the county seat of Crawford County., Though the travel was large, neither road proved a profit- able investment, and both were abandoned as plank roads and became township roads in 1868 or 1869. The Edinboro Plank Road passes through Middleboro, Branchville and McLane. The distances are eighteen miles to Edinboro, fourteen to MeLane, twelve to Branchville, ten to Middleboro and four to Kearsage.

The following amusing story in connection with this road was related in the Erie Observer of October 20, 1880:

"Mr. Reeder, the stage driver between this city and Edinboro, tells a funny story about an Irishman who traveled with him last summer, and who, never having gone over the road before, did not understand the 'lay of the land.' A little south of Kearsage, where the plank road diverges from the pike, the sign board reads: '9 miles to Waterford.'

William Carroll

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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY.

"Going a few miles farther, they came to the sign board in the valley of Elk Creek, which also reads, '9 miles to Waterford.'

" This seemed to strike the son of Erin as something curious, but he gave no audible utterance to his sentiments. Reaching Branchville, another sign board was seen bearing the familiar legend: '9 miles to Waterford.'

" By this time the passenger's curiosity was strained to the highest pitch. He jumped out of the stage while the mail was being changed, and walking close to the inscription read over to himself several times, '9 miles to Water- ford,' as if to make sure that his eyes did not deceive him. The conveyance started toward Edinboro and when McLean was reached, once more rose up the strange words: ' 9 miles to Waterford.'

" The Irishman could contain himself no longer. He rose up in his seat in a state of great excitement, and stretching his neck outside of the stage as far as it would safely reach, yelled to the driver:

"' Be Gorra, what sort of a place is that Waterford, anyhow ? It seems to be nine miles from everywhere ?'"

WATERFORD PLANK ROAD.

The Erie & Waterford Plank Road was commenced in 1850 and completed in 1851, one year in advance of the similar improvement to Edinboro. Col. Irwin Camp was President of the company; John Marvin had the contract for building the road; Wilson King was the chief engineer, and David Wil- son was the first assistant. In laying out the road an entirely new route was adopted, following the valleys of Mill Creek, Walnut Creek and LeBœuf Creek, and obviating the heavy grades of the old turnpike. The road, for a good part of its length, is nearly or seemingly level, and the only grades of conse- quence are at the summit hills between the streams, which, are overcome by comparatively easy approaches. So skillfully was the engineering and grading performed, that a horse can trot most of the length of the road. The stranger traveling over this easy route would scarcely believe that at the Walnut Creek summit he was about 500 and at Graham's summit between 650 and 700 feet above the level of Lake Erie. There were three toll gates on the line-one a short distance north of Waterford, another at Capt. J. C. Graham's, in Sum- mit, and the third near Eliot's mill, a mile or more outside of the then city limits. The road never paid a profit, and was abandoned to the townships in 1868 or 1869. No towns or villages are located along the line of the road, un- less the little settlement at the Erie County Mills might be classed as such. The distance between Erie and Waterford is slightly more than by the turn- pike.

About the same time that the above plank roads were built, another was pushed through from Waterford to Drake's Mills, Crawford County, to prevent the diversion of travel that was feared from the opening of the Erie & Edin- boro and Edinboro & Meadville roads. This enterprise was no more of a financial success than the others, and, like them, was given up to the townships.

THE SHUNPIKE.

The stage company owning the line between Erie and Waterford had a quarrel over tolls with the turnpike company in the winter of 1827-28, which resulted in the construction by the former, at considerable expense, through Summit, Greene and Waterford Townships, of a new road, to which was given the suggestive name of the Shunpike. The route adopted commenced at Waterford, where the plank road and turnpike separate, followed the line of the former to a run on the Jesse Lindsley place, up that one-half or three-

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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY.

quarters of a mile to the Summit Township boundary, across Summit to the L. A. Hull place, and from there by the old French road to Erie. That por- tion of the road from Graham's Corners to near Waterford, being the Shun- pike proper, is still in use as a township road. Through Summit Township the Shunpike is nearly midway between the turnpike and plank road.

WATTSBURG PLANK ROAD.

A road was opened in 1809 from Erie to Wattsburg, through Phillipsville. It was poorly located in spots, and in 1828 a re-survey was made under the authority of the State, which appropriated a small sum for the purpose. This resulted in some changes in the location. In 1832, the road being in a bad condition, the citizens of Erie, Wattsburg and along the line made a subscrip- tion for its improvement. The road continued unsatisfactory until 1851, when the Erie & Wattsburg Plank Road Company was formed, with J. H. Williams as President. The plank road was completed in 1853, a year after the one to Edinboro, and two years after the one to Waterford. In the adoption of a route the old road was pretty closely pursued to the Diefenthaler place in Greene Township, where a diversion was made to the Bailey farm. There it struck the original line and afterward either followed or ran parallel with the old road to the farm of C. Siegel. From Siegel's an entirely new route was adopted through Lowville, leaving the balance of the old road undisturbed. The course of the plank road is southeasterly, across Mill Creek, Greene and Venango Townships. The highest points are at the H. L. Pinney and Bailey places, in Greene Township, the elevation being some five hundred feet at the former and six hundred at the latter. Conrad Brown and George W. Barr were the constructors of the road and owned most of the stock, which they sold in a few years to John H. Walker.

There were three regular toll gates-at Lowville, kept by William Black; at Diefenthaler's, kept by Mr. Clute, and at Marvintown, kept by F. E. Ger- lach. The rates of toll charged were 31 cents for a double team from Erie to Wattsburg, and 25 cents for a single team. The farmers having found a way of avoiding the toll gate at Lowville, by driving over the Blore road; in the winter of 1852-53 a fourth toll gate was put up at Oscar Sears', in Venango Township, but the next spring it was abandoned. From the start the road was a non-paying enterprise, and it was allowed to run down though toll was still exacted. In the spring of 1865, public feeling became so much excited that a party of farmers was formed who started at Erie and tore down every gate on the road. Though they were severely threatened, none of the party were tried or punished, and no toll has been charged on the road since. It is now kept up by the townships through which it extends. Besides the village of Lowville, the road passes through Belle Valley and St. Boniface. The distances from Erie are: To Wattsburg, twenty miles; to Lowville, eight- een miles; to St. Boniface, seven and a half miles; and to Belle Valley four miles. It is said to be a mile further by this route to Wattsburg than by the old road. Phillipsville, on the remaining portion of the latter, after it branches off at Siegel's, is fourteen miles from Erie.

LAKE PLEASANT ROAD.

The first road in the direction of Lake Pleasant was opened in 1821-22 from Erie to a point near the Martin Hayes farm, in Greene Township, about a mile beyond the line of Mill Creek Township. In 1826-27, at a heavy ex- pense for the period, the county continued the road past Lake Pleasant to French Creek, where it meets the thoroughfare between Union and Wattsburg.

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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY.

At the era last spoken of, the country south of the Hayes place was almost an unbroken forest clear through to Lake Pleasant. The distance from Erie to Lake Pleasant is twelve miles, and to French Creek two and a half miles further. It is said to be two miles shorter from Erie and Wattsburg by this road than by the plank road. The road branches off from the Wattsburg plank at the Davidson place, about two miles outside of Erie, and running in a gen- eral southwestern course passes through the corner of Mill Creek Township, enters Greene, which it cuts through the center from northwest to southeast, traverses the southwestern corner of Venango and terminates in the north- western corner of Amity.

THE COLT'S STATION ROAD.

The road from Wesleyville to Colt's Station, through parts of Harbor Creek and Greenfield Townships, was once of more consequence, comparatively, than now, but is still considerably traveled. It was laid out about 1813, to give a route between Erie and Mayville, N. Y. At Colt's Station, an intersection is made with the North East & Wattsburg road.

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History of Erie county, Pennsylvania. Containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, villages schools, churches, industries, etc, Part 31

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

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