History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 144

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1314

USA > Pennsylvania > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 144

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Robert Baird, Sr., and his wife were very industrious and frugal, and raised a family of fonr sons and four daughters, all of whom married and raised large fam- ilies. He was a man of true Christian merit, and stood among the best of men in his day. His wife's brothers, Manassah and Michael Reeves, came to Western Pennsylvania soon after, and settled near to where Belle Vernon, Pa., now stands. Some of their descendants are in that section yet.

Mrs. Elizabeth Baird died in 1826, and Robert, Sr., married for his second wife Mrs. Sarah MeClelland, of Greene County, Pa. He lived until Oct. 5, 1835. His oldest son, Alexander, inherited that part where the widow Uriah Higinbotham now lives and where Samuel M. Baird lives; his second son, Aaron, the part where Mr. Grove now lives; and his son Moses, where Jeremiah P. Baird now lives. His youngest son, Rev. Robert Baird, D.D., was educated at Jeffer- son College, Pa., and at Princeton, N. J., where he married Miss Fermine O. A. DeBoisson. Dr. Baird was for a long time corresponding secretary of " The Foreign Christian Alliance," during which time he crossed the ocean fourteen times and visited eighteen different erowned heads. Ile could converse in many languages, and was the author of several works. Ilis " Travels in Northern Europe," "Religion in Amer- ica" (written in French and afterwards translated into English), with many smaller works, live after him. He died in 1861, leaving a wife (who died a year afterwards) and four sous,-Rev. C. W. Baird, D.D., of Rye, N. Y .; Rev. H. M. Baird, D.D., Pro- fessor of Greek in the New York University ; Judge E. P. Baird, of New York City; and William W. Baird, Esq., of the same place. Among the descend- ants of Robert Baird, Sr., now living there are six ministers of the gospel, five ruling elders of the church, and many that are useful mechanics and farmers.

Shortly after Robert Baird, Sr., settled in Fayette County, Pa., a family by the name of Morgan settled near where Morgantown, W. Va., now stands. The Indians were troublesome; the men who cleared the lands had to keep their guns with them or near at hand in the fields. On one occasion the elder son of the Morgans went away on business, and when he

returned he found their house burned, and his father, mother, one brother and sister murdered by the In- dians. Ile stood terror-stricken. Two of the younger children, a boy and girl, had run away and hidden themselves. John Morgan, then and there, took an oath that he would kill every Indian he ever set eyes on. Several years after this, during which time he salt with his pack-horses. In the city one day he saw a small crowd of meu and boys who were having fun over something; as he looked in among them he saw an Indian cutting pranks. Capt. Jack Mor- gan turned pale as he started away, and remembering his oath he turned, went back, pushed into the crowd, and with his knife stabbed the Indian to the heart and walked away. Of course he was remanded to jail for trial for murder. His attorney heard his story, his oatb, etc., then asked if he had no friend that could testify to these things. Ile said Robert Baird, of Western Pennsylvania, could. So Baird was sent for, and when he heard of Capt. Jack's bad luck went to him in time to give testimony before the court and jury that tried the case. After the hearing the jury returned a verdiet of not guilty. Capt. Morgan and Mr. Baird came home together, with their train of pack-horses Jaden with salt, etc. They were fast friends.

Mr. Baird's treatment of his youngest son, Robert, Jr., showed his wisdom and judgment in planning the future of his boy. The parents desired very much to educate their youngest son, whom they had so often prayed God to call into the ministry, so they toiled hard to get means and clothing (home-made at t'.at) to send him to school. There was a grammar school at Uniontown, Pa. ( twelve miles away), taught by a Mr. Gilbert. When the spring of the year came they took Robert, Jr., to the school, arranged for his board and tuition for six months, by which time he could enter college. Robert stayed a few weeks, when he packed up and walked home. It was near noon when he arrived. Ilis mother soon learned with sorrow that he did not want to stay at school. His father came in from work, found his boy there, and learning his dislike to books, etc., or rather staying from home, he said, " Well, Robert, get a mattock, and come with me after dinner down to the thicket and help grub." Here they toifed for several days beneath a hot sun. Robert's hands blistered,-the thorny wild plum was hard to grub,-but still his father did not say a word about a change of work. About ten o'clock, the fourth or fifth day, Robert, Jr., said, " Father, I'll go to school and stay." " Well, my son," said his father, " if you are determined to do so you can go, otherwise this thicket must be cleared." " I'll May." Young Baird went. At the end of six months he entered college, and graduated with honors and became one of the great men of America.

Robert Baird, Jr., was greatly attached to the cause

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IHISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

of religion and education ; gave a great deal to the support of the church and schools and colleges. He was a ruling elder in the Dunlap's Creek Presby- terian Church more than forty years.

None of his children are living now. When his youngest son, Robert, Jr., brought home his wife, a few days after their marriage, according to the cus- tom of those days, there must be a gathering of friends and a dinner. The old father had invited all his children and grandchildren to be present at the old mansion, Oct. 14, 1824, to take part in the festive occasion. They were all present : his three sons and four daughters, with their children, making in all

the family. After dinner Rev. Robert Baird, Jr., made a short address to the young folks. And the old grandfather handed each grandchild, thirty-eight in number, a copy of the New Testament, bound in calf, saying, " My dear grandchildren, this is a small gift, but a very precions one. Make it the guide of your lives." Many of these are yet in the families of those grandchildren.

In September, 1879, the Bairds held a centennial gathering at the old home, in memory of the first set- tling of old grandfather Robert Baird, Sr., on these lands. There were present thirty-eight representatives, a singular coincidence. There are now living descend- ants in Fayette County of the family of Alexander Baird, one; of Aaron Baird, six; of Moses Baird, two; of Elizabeth, who became the wife of Randolph Dearth, one. The rest are scattered in the West and South.

Lewis and John Deem came to Luzerne among the earliest settlers, and located a tract of four hundred and fitty acres, which include now the farms of James Cunningham, I. N. Craft, and John Acklin. Lewis built a log cabin upon the present Craft place in | who served the county as president judge. William 1777. John put up his cabin on the Acklin farm. Miller was on the present William Miller place (lo- cated by Amos Hough in 1784) in 1800, where he died in 1822. Samuel Hurford, one of his farm-hands, married his daughter Margaret, and died in the town- ship in 1842. David Jamison, from Delaware, and afterwards of Washington County, settled in 1804, in Luzerne, near the river, upon land now occupied by A. G. and J. R. Jamison. There were one hun- dred and forty-seven acres in the tract that had been warranted to Jonathan Arnold in October, 1785, at which time also his son, Jonathan, Jr., located an adjoining tract. In July, 1785, William Hammond received a warrant for three hundred and fifty-two acres upon which is now the Andrew Porter farm. The portion now owned by James Cunningham was bought of the Deems by Eber Homan. A part of the house built by Homan in 1780 still serves as a por- tion of the residence of James Cunningham, and, as far as appearances go, is yet stanch and tight. Eber Homan set up a blacksmith's shop on the Cunning- ham place, and employed also a hand-mill for grind- ing corn, not only for himself, but for many of his neighbors, who were glad of even that primitive kind of a mill. Grated corn was a common and sometimes exclusive diet with some people, simply because they were too poor to buy anything else. Instances are given of how farmers, preliminary to harvesting, finding themselves unable to purchase bread, would cut unripe wheat, dry it and take it to mill, so that bread might be provided to feed the har- vesters at their coming to gather the crop.

In the list of Luzerne's pioneers-a list of some magnitude-may be recorded the names of James and William Dearth, the Vernons, Acklins, Ewings, Samuel Durnell, John Patterson, Joseph Ritchie,

John Denny, John McConnell, John Wanee, Swethen Chandler, Charles and John Stewart, Job Briggs, and the Thorntons. Samuel Durnell was a Chester County shoemaker, and about the year 1800 located in Lu- zerne upon a place now owned by William Roberts, where he resumed his trade of shoemaking. He bought a farm later, and in 1819 he sold it, intending to remove to Ohio. While making his preparations for the journey he was taken ill and died.

John Wallace, of Chester County, migrated to Lu- zerne with his family, and settled on the river hill near Jacobs' Ferry. Of his two sons, Robert moved to Washington County ; William settled in Ohio, re- forty-five persons, besides the bride and groom and turned to Luzerne, and died in the township. The only member of John Wallace's family living is the widow of Aaron Baird, now residing in Merrittstown.

Hugh Gilmore, a settler in German township about 1780, built a grist-mill and saw-mill on Redstone Creek, in Redstone township, and gave the charge thereof to his sons, James and Hugh Jr., who lived over the creek in Luzerne. James and Hugh Jr. died in Merrittstown. Three brothers named Dearth came in before 1780, but only two, James and Wil- liam, made actual settlements. The third brother was a great hunter, and devoted himself almost con- stantly to the sports of the chase. As civilization advanced and cleared the forests he kept in the ad- vance, and still clinging to his nomadic life among the wilds, pushed on westward as the pioneer's axe opened the way for the march of progress, and so kept on toward the setting sun a hunter and a roamer to the last. He died somewhere in the far West.

William Ewing, who married one of Jehu Con- well's daughters, lived on the J. W. Conwell place, and operated for some years the distillery started by Jehu Conwell. He was father of Nathaniel Ewing,

In 1784, Rezin Virgin located the lands now occu- pied by Jacob Jamison and William Heller, the prop- erty being known as " Perkins' Beauty." The Richard Covert place was first settled by Kinsie Virgin, and in 1792, John Lawrence located land west of William Hammond. The Nelan property was warranted to Thomas Gilpin, and called "Gilpin's Adventure ;" the William Hurford farm (known as Ulster) to

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LUZERNE TOWNSHIP.

Thomas Lingan in 1785. Daniel Goble and Thomas Goodin warranted lands in 1784 just west of Cox Run, and Obed Garwood tracts near by in 1789 and 1792. Michael Cox received his warrant in 1786, and James Williams his on June 30, 1796. John Covert, who came to the river about 1800, lived there until his death. William Horner and Nicholas Black ranked among the old settlers on the river. Black was one of William Hammond's slaves, received his freedom because of his faithful service, turned basket- maker, and in time earned money enough to buy a farm, upon which his descendants are living at this day

A deed dated Nov. 10, 1777, recites the transfer from John Craig to Charles Porter of three hundred acres (consideration £600), adjoining lands of John Mckibben, Robert Smith, Lewis Deem, and others. Feb. 7, 1798, a tract called "Newery" (adjoining Jonas Kitts) was patented by Robert Adams, and sold by Adams to Alexander Nelan, July 8, 1799.

Before the outbreak of the Revolution James Cun- ningham, of Chester County, Pa., came out to Wash- ington County, and tomahawked a claim near the present site of Washington borough, where there was at that time but one house, and that a log cabin. Mr. Cunningham put up a hut, did a little chopping, and returned to Chester County to make ready for a re- turn trip to his proposed new settlement, looking to a permanent location thereon. He did come back that fall, but found that his cabin was already occupied, and although he hated to be beaten away from what he considered his own by right, he concluded not only to leave the interloper in peaceful possession, but to abandon utterly the project of settling in the Western wilds, being urged to that conclusion, no doubt, by the conviction that the country looked a trifle wilder and more desolate than he at first thought it did. So back he went to Chester County, bought a farm, and pur- sued a quiet and uneventful existence until the toesin of war sounded, and then with four of his brothers, living also in Chester County, he entered the service in the Continental army. His brother John and a William Ramsey were captured by the enemy and confined in one of the abominable prison-ships into which the English thrust many of their captives. The ship in which Cunningham and Ramsey were confined was dispatched to a far-off port, and en route the unhappy prisoners in the dark and reeking hold died each day in great numbers, of actual suffocation. Ramsey and Cunningham were lucky enough to sus- tain life at a small aperture through which refreshing air came to them, but it was at that only by dint of stieking closely and constantly to the opening that they did manage to keep breath in their bodies. Dur- ing their subsequent confinement on shore they had a terrible and painful experience. As a portion of their daily food (it is said) they received bread mixed with lime, and as a part of their daily exercise they found employment in separating the lime from the bread so

that eating the latter seemed possible. They passed safely if not happily through their captivity, to be restored at last to home and friends.

The experiences and sufferings they had endured in common made them fast friends, and at the close of the war they resolved to seek together a new home in the West. Both were bachelors, and a location and settlement in the wilderness was a matter of speedy accomplishment. They bought lands in Luzerne township, Fayette Co., and erected a distillery upon the place now occupied by Armstrong Porter. The log house they built for a dwelling they used in part as a malt-kiln, and in a little while they were doing quite a business in the manufacture of whiskey. Ramsey generally carried the product by flat-boat to New Orleans, and in making the return trip would sometimes come back on foot, but most frequently proceeded by sea to Philadelphia, and thence by horse- back over the mountains, taking occasion also to bring a lot of salt with him, and such necessaries as the backwoods failed to afford.

Some time before the year 1800, Mr. Ramsey con- cluded to leave Luzerne for Cincinnati, where he judged there was a wider and more profitable field for the exercise of his energies. The Luzerne distillery had brought much profit to himself and his partner, but Cincinnati promised more, and so he dissolved his business partnership with his old friend Cunning- ham and moved to the future Queen City. Not rel- ishing the idea of being left alone, John Cunningham wrote to his brother James, still living iu Chester County, that if he would come out to Luzerne and build a good stone house lie might have in exchange one-half of the distillery business, as well as one-half of the land connected therewith. James responded promptly by selling his Chester County farm and moving to Luzerne with his family. The house that he built upon his arrival, according to contract, is the one now occupied by Armstrong Porter. Set in the stone-work is a wooden tablet, bearing the inscription, "James and Mary Cunningham, 1800." Of William Ramsey it will suffice to say that he engaged in busi- ness in Cincinnati, grew up with the town, and became in time one of its wealthiest merchants. John and James Cunningham carried on the distilling business in Luzerne until 1820, and grew rich. The distillery was operated by others until 1833, William Porter being the last proprietor.

John Cunningham died in the old stone house in 1830, at the age of eighty-seven, remaining to the last a bachelor, and bearing wherever he was known the title of "Uncle Jolin." He was a member of the State Legislature thirteen successive years. For the fourteenth time he was nominated, but was defeated in the contest by Charles Porter, afterwards county judge. Unele John took his defeat sorely to heart, but declared he would stand another nomination, just to show that he could beat Porter, and, in fact, both being nominated the next year, he did beat him. His

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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ambition fulfilled, he declined to appear any more as a candidate. Upon his first election he sent to Eng- land for a silver watch, that he might properly support the dignity of his exalted station, and wore it ever after with much pride. It is now in the possession of his ' Swan place. Cox had a large family, and to each of brother's grandson, and although an article of some consequence in Cunningham's time, does not now look like much of a watch as compared to time-pieces of modern production.

John Cunningham's brother James died on the home farm in 1832. Of his two sons, William be- came a merchant at Merrittstown, and died in 1819. John boated on the Monongahela for his father and uncle, and died at an early age. In his school life he was a famous debater, and was, with his brother Wil- liam, a schoolmate of Andrew Stewart, who enter- tained a high regard for John's educational abilities. James Cunningham's daughters were Arabella and Jane. The former married David Porter, and the latter William Gallaher.

Armstrong Porter came westward in 1774, and bought seven hundred acres of land in Luzerne town- ship. including the farm now owned and occupied by W. J. Stewart. He lived in a two-story log house on the present Stewart place. His sons numbered six and his daughters two. The sons were named An- drew, Jared, William, David, John, and Armstrong, all of whom, except John (who moved to Ohio), set- tled and died in the townsbip. Their mother lived to be over ninety, and each of them to an advanced age. Andrew died at the age of eighty-seven ; Jared, at eighty-one; William, at eighty ; David, at ninety- one; and Armstrong (in 1879), at ninety-six,-a re- markable showing of long life in so many members of one family.

deed, but he recovered after a long confinement. John Covert, the boy above named, died in Luzerne in 1881 at the age of ninety-three. Michael Cox died in Luzerne, and was buried upon the present C. H.

his sons gave a farm. One of these sons was a cap- tain in the militia, and, what was singular for a militia captain, invariably appeared upon parade in his bare feet. One day at parade he got a thorn into one of his feet, and halting to repair damages yelled to his men, "Go ahead, boys, and march to yon mullein stalk while I pull this blasted thorn out of my foot."

Upon the farm where C. H. Swan lives a man (whose name is now not remembered ) put up a fulling- mill and carding-machine as early as 1800. He dug at the expense of much time and labor a race through the limestone, and tried hard to make the venture a paying one. It proved instead a failure, and was abandoned by the projector in disgust. After lying idle some time the property was bought by Rev. Wil- liam Johnston.

James Coleman was among the early settlers on the run, and on Oct. 24, 1783, deeded a traet to John Roiley, of Westmoreland, who for a consideration of £575 sold it to Andrew Oliphant, of Chester County. The land is described in the deed as "lying and being in Menallen township, Westmoreland County, ad- joining the lands of Andrew Fraser, William Gray, Thomas Gregg, Michael Cox, Sr., Henry Swindler, and M. Douglas." The Thomas Gregg mentioned was a Quaker, but was charged, nevertheless, with hold- ing his house open as a Tory rendezvous. The name of Gregg is now extinet in Luzerne. A grandson of Thomas has been recently the subject of some publie notoriety in one Elihu Gregg, who burned the jail of Preston County, W. Va., in 1869, was sentenced to be hanged, escaped the day before the date fixed for his execution, was recaptured in Greene County, Pa., two years afterwards, tried a second time, and a second time sentenced to death. Governor Matthews com- muted his sentence to a life-imprisonment, but this old) refused to receive, saying he would have liberty or death. His case was reviewed a year later by Gov- ernor Jackson, who, in April, 1881, issued an uncon- ditional pardon.

Early settlements were made along Cox Run, near Dunlap's Creek. Among them a conspicuous figure was Michael Cox, who was famous as a great Indian- fighter and an ex-Revolutionary soklier. The Coxes were at one time quite numerous in Luzerne, but now may be looked for in vain. A story about Michael Cox and a hog stands as a laughable episode in the ' commutation the prisoner (then seventy-seven years old man's experience. He had been so much troubled by the animal's depredations that he arose one day in his might and swore he would jerk the hog to an unmentionable place, meaning to throw him over a high bluff into a depth known locally as "hell." As an evidence of the kindly and self-denying humanity that characterized some of Luzerne's early settlers stands the story of the man who, coming into the township from Hagerstown to find employment, accidentally broke his leg only a little while after he came in. He was poor and unable to pay for such service as his case required, but eight of the inhabit- ants of old Luzerne improvised a hammock, laid the wounded man thereon, and shouldering the burden marched through the woods and over hills until they reached Hagerstown, and there delivered their charge into the hands of a surgeon, whom they bade attend him at their expense. Five of these men were Accordingly Cox caught the hog by the tail, and dragging him toward the precipice put his available strength into a last pull that was to land the porker | in perdition. Unluckily Cox pulled with such vigor that he fell on the precipice brink, the earth gave way. and Cox promptly relinquishing his hold upon the tail, descended into the place where he had hoped to send the beast. It was a terrible fall and well-nigh killed Cox, who lying where he fell and groaning out hi- misery attracted a lad named John Covert to the scene, and the boy running for assistance Cox was got home and to bed. His injuries were serious in-

C-41

LUZERNE TOWNSHIP.

Thomas Davidson, John Conwell, Michael Cox, Eli Virgin, and William Roberts.

Passing down from Cox Run towards Brownsville, the chronicler of history comes upon an early Quaker settlement south of Bridgeport. Among those promi- nent among the " Friends" were Stephen Darlington, Jonas Cattell, Robert Miller, Obed and Jesse Gar- wood, David Cattell, John Haines, Joshua and John Moore, Jonah and Septimus Cadwallader, and Thomas Gregg. Septimus Cadwallader was a fuller, and set his mill on Dunlap's Creek, where Miller's mill now stands. Jonas Cattell built a tannery in 1808, and hired Samnel Wheaton, now living in Redstone, to dig the vats for him. William Dales became a proprietor of the tannery, and carried it on until his death in 1845. William Binns had also a tannery, which Joel Painter subsequently converted into a malt-house. Capt. I. C. Woodward, who was raised in the family of David Cattell, and began his service on the river in 1834, lives now in the same neighborhood that knew him in his boyhood's days.

The Quakers built a log church about 1800 in the Charleston District, at the site of the old graveyard. This church was destroyed by fire, and when a new house of worship was built the location was changed to Bridgeport. Among the Dearths known as early settlers in Luzerne, John Dearth is known to have been here in about 1780, for in August, 1783, he quit- claimed to Armstrong Porter a tract of land lying on Dunlap's Creek, and adjoining lands of Rogers, Robert and Lewis Deem.

Henry Heaton, at one time a prominent man in Luzerne history, was a miller on the river at Mills- boro', and carried on a mill upon each side of the stream. He was a representative in the Legislature, but far from a handsome man. As to the latter ref- erence to his personal appearance a good story is still extant to the effect that a man calling at his mill to see him was told that Mr. Heaton was attending a ' Legislative session at Harrisburg. The visitor was exceedingly anxious to see him, and accordingly started for Harrisburg. Although a stranger to Heaton he knew the latter as soon as he encountered him at the capital, and at once accosting him pro- ceeded to unfold his business. Heaton appeared to be impatient while the man told his story, and before the latter had got half through broke in with, "See here, my friend, I'm mightily curious to know how you, who had never seen me before, knew me the in- stant you saw me. I'm so curious to learn that your business can wait until I find out." The man fidgeted some and said he'd rather not tell, but upon being informed that he must tell or go without transacting his business replied, " Well, Mr. Heaton, if you must know, I met a man near your mill of whom I asked a description of your personal appearance, so that I could pick you out unaided. He told me it would be the easiest thing in the world for me to know you, for I had but to look about me until I saw the ugliest-

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History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 144

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 1314

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1314