USA > Pennsylvania > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 148
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 | Part 180 | Part 181 | Part 182 | Part 183 | Part 184 | Part 185 | Part 186 | Part 187 | Part 188
655
MENALLEN TOWNSHIP.
William Dickson adjoining Sidwell on the west when the latter settled, and near him a number of Quakers. John Hackney died in 1868, at the age of eighty-five. He had seven children, of whom four are living. Of these Hiram H. and John are residents of Menallen.
In 1793 there was a school-house on the Sidwell farm, at which John Hackney's wife (James Sidwell's daughter) took her first lessons in education from Daniel Roundtree, who taught a long while there and in the neighboring school-houses.
Caleb Woodward moved from Chester County at an early day, and set up a blacksmith's shop in Menallen, on James Sidwell's farm. He was a somewhat noted mechanic, and was esteemed especially skillful in the manufacture of plows, chains, etc. The plows of his day were made of wood and plated with strips of iron. People came to him from afar off, nine miles and more, to have him make for them chains and plows. He did also a brisk business in plating saddles. He settled eventually on a farm now occu- pied by Joseph Woodward, and died in New Salem. Caleb's brothers, John, Joshua, and Joseph, located in Menallen about the same time. All of them were farmers. Joshua's home was on the place now owned by his son Ellis.
William Barton came also from Chester County about 1775. He bought of a man named Rayall the land now occupied by J. W. Barton. His sons were William, Joseph, Robert, Thomas, and Benjamin. His daughters were two in number. All the children were born on the Menallen place. His son Thomas married Priscilla B. Gaddis, of South Union. She died in Menallen, aged, it is said, one hundred years. Her father, John Gaddis, saw an extended period of active service during the war of 1812. There was a school-house near the Barton place in 1805, to which Barton's children went, and in that year had as teacher a Mr. Thomas.
The Quaker settlement near New Salem was in- creased in 1795 by the arrival of Caleb Antram, him- self a Quaker, who migrated from Virginia, with a family consisting of a wife and three children. He bought one hundred and fifteen acres of land of Henry Vandement, and after he had been in a short time bought also the William Dickson farm. Antram died in 1840, aged eighty-seven years. Of his seven children but two are living, Caleb and Joshua. John Butterfield was living upon the site of New Salem village when Antram made his location, and there were also in the vicinity, besides those already men- tioned, the Rodericks, Campbells, Millers, Woods, and Johnsons. Daniel Johnson had been living on the present Abram Roderick place since 1783. He was a cabinet-maker by trade.
Robert Jackson settled about 1790 on the John Dearth farm. His son Zadoc married a daughter of Caleb Woodward. Giles McCormick, a native of Ireland, came to Fayette County in 1808, and bought of Mr. Watt a farm in Menallen, upon which James
Gaddis now lives. There Mr. McCormick died in 1835. Samuel Harris and Ralph Higinbotham were early settlers in the Mendenhall neighborhood ; Jere- miah Piersol (who died in 1881, aged ninety-five), the Campbells, the Shaws, the Grables, Colleys, and Keys, near Searight's; and the Vails, Gaddis, McGinnis, Works, Fullers, Rutters, Coopers, Osborns, Kellys, and Radcliffs, near Plumsock.
Redding Bunting, who died May 22, 1878, was born near New Salem, and was one of the noted stage- drivers on the National road ; was stage agent, tavern- keeper, mail contractor, and generally a busy man in matters appertaining to stage-coaching in its palmy days.
Immediately after the close of the Revolutionary war, Col. William Roberts migrated from Bucks County to Southwestern Pennsylvania, and settled upon a three-hundred-acre tract of land that included what is now known as Searight's, on the National road. William was commissioned colonel of the Fourth Battalion of militia in Bucks County, May 6, 1777, and after serving through the war, was at its close comissioned major of the Third Battalion of Bneks County militia, Oct. 11, 1783. Both commissions are now in the possession of his granddaughter, Mrs. Zenas Van Kirk, of Redstone township. She has also a certificate of the marriage of William Roberts and Rachel Griffith, dated Aug. 7, 1760. The docu- ment is signed by the contracting parties, the officia- ting clergyman (John Thomas), and no less than fifteen witnesses. Col. Roberts lived in Menallen until his death. All of his sons except Benjamin moved to the far West. He lived a while at Plum- sock, and ended his days at the house of Mrs. Zenas Van Kirk, in 1845. His brother John had been one of the county commissioners, and he himself a justice of the peace twenty-five years. His son, William B., of Uniontown, was an officer in the Mexican war, and died in the city of Mexico.
"Searight's," on the National road, five miles west- ward from Uniontown, has for many years been a well-known locality to travelers upon that thorough- fare, and in the days of great traffic over the road was a somewhat famous stopping-place for stage-coaches and freighters. There are at that point now a tavern, post-office, store, blacksmith-shop, and perhaps a half- dozen honses, but the bustling activity that once marked the spot when the National road was in its glory has given place to a dozing quietude, albeit the tavern still greets with entertainment occasional way- farers. The tavern was built by Josiah Frost in 1819, bnt before he had made it ready for business he sold it and adjacent landed property to William Searight.
William Searight was by trade a fuller, and in 1807 had a mill on Dunlap's Creek. From there he moved to Cook's Mills, and thence to Perryopolis, where he built a fulling-mill. While there he bought the tav- ern stand property, and when he had completed the erection of the buildings, including with the tavern a
656
HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
blacksmith's and wheelwright's shop, he leased them, but to whom is not now remembered. In a little while Mr. Searight sold his Perryopolis mill, and removing to his new possessions on the National road, became himself the landlord of the wayside inn, which he soon made a noted and popular halting-place. In that day there was a great volume of travel over the National road, and as the tavern was maintained in most excellent order, "Searight's" soon became well known from one end of the road to the other as a place where good cheer for man and beast awaited all comers, and where great numbers of people and teams were constantly entertained. Four-horse passenger-coaches rolled over the road in rapid succession, and as Sea- right's was a "stage-house," there was always plenty of business, bustle, and profit at the "Corners."
Before James K. Polk was chosen to the Presi- dency, and while he was a congressman, he rode with his wife by stage-coach over the National road en route to Washington to attend a congressional session. When near Searight's the stage-coach broke down, and it being decided that the journey could not be resumed before the following morning, Mr. and Mrs. Polk walked to Searight's, where they proposed to pass the remainder of the night, it being then well on towards morning. They found the landlord up, in anticipation of their arrival, and they found, too, the floor of the great bar-room thickly strewn with sleep- ing wagoners, who had halted there for the night. In response to their request for a room with a fire the landlord made ready to execute their commands, but expressed the fear that they might be annoyed over the delay in the making of the apartment comfortably warm. At this declaration Mrs. Polk, looking earn- estly at the cheerful, brightly-burning fire in the bar- room grate, as if charmed with its inviting warmth, proposed that they should sleep there. A " shake- down" was accordingly made, and they passed the remainder of the night in the bar-room. In the morn- ing they breakfasted and went forward upon their journey. The accidental visit of Mr. and Mrs. Polk to Searight's was for a long time afterwards a topic of interesting discussion among those who tarried to enjoy the hospitality of the tavern, and Searight's was greatly profited by the incident, in fame if not in exchequer.
August 12th. Col. William Hopkins, of Washington County, was nominated in his stead and elected. Mr. Searight's widow, who survives him, lives in Uniontown, where also live his sons, Thomas B., Wil- liam, and J. A. Ewing, another son, resides upon the old tavern property.
In 1830, Mr. James Allison (who had worked in Mr. Searight's fulling-mill on Dunlap's Creek) came to Searight's, and at the Corners he has lived ever since. He found Hugh Keys keeping a store there. In 1833 a post-office was established at Searight's, and Thomas Greer, the blacksmith, appointed postmaster. He served until 1834, when the office was discon- tinued. In 1849 it was revived and James Allison appointed postmaster. He was the incumbent until Iss0, when Elias Hatfield, the present postmaster, was appointed.
Hngh Graham, a carpenter and architect, landed in Philadelphia in 1822, and worked two years for Stephen Girard. His entire possessions upon reach- ing Philadelphia amounted to ten guineas and a chest of carpenter's tools. In 1824 he journeyed on foot from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, and although suf- fering from an injured foot (is said to have) made the trip of three hundred miles in six days,-most excel- lent time if true. En route he passed the house of Jacob Black, in Menallen, near which, at a spring, he saw Mr. Black's daughter Margaret washing clothes. She was so much amused at the appearance of Gra- ham's foot-gear, consisting of a big boot and a small shoe, that she laughed most immoderately. This in- cident was Graham's introduction to Margaret Black, and as he happened to return that way from Pitts- burgh, after a sojourn of two weeks at the latter place, he stopped for rest at Jacob Black's house, and renewed his acquaintance with the young lady. The acquaintance proved to be so satisfactory upon both sides that Miss Margaret eventually became Mrs. Gra- ham. Mr. Graham became a builder and architect of some renown at Uniontown, and in 1835 he retired to a farm in Menallen that was originally taken up by Hugh Crawford. In 1840 he came into possession of the Jacob Black farm, and lived there until his death, which occurred May 19, 1878, when he had reached the age of eighty-five years. His father-in- law, Jacob Black, was a German, and came to Men- allen about 1790. His location was made upon the farm now occupied by his grandson, Thomas B. Gra- ham, and there he died.
One McDermott was a landlord at Searight's at an early day, and so was old Johnny Gray, but it is likely that some Boniface had possession before Mc- Dermott's time. Mr. Searight himself did not take William Wheatley enlisted from New Jersey for the war of the Revolution, and served through the conflict as captain of a company of light cavalry. After the Revolution he settled in Menallen An old account-book kept by him and beginning with the date June 15, 1785, is now in the possession of his great-grandson, John S. Marsh, of Cook's Mills. Mr. Marsh has also a full set of silver buttons worn by Capt. Wheatley upon his Revolutionary uniform. charge of the tavern until 1828, or two years after his marriage. He presided as landlord a few years, and then retired to his adjacent farm, after leasing the tavern stand to Joseph, son of old Johnny Gray. Mr. Searight was appointed by Governor Porter su- perintendent of that portion of the National road passing through Pennsylvania, and in 1852 he re- ceived the Democratic nomination for the office of canal commissioner. Before the election he died, ; Anthony Cummard, an early settler in Franklin, mar-
657
MENALLEN TOWNSHIP.
ried one of Capt. Wheatley's daughters. She used to tell how during the battle of Trenton she sat in the Wheatley mansion when a cannon-ball tore its way through the house. Anthony Cummard himself fought through the Revolution, and shared in the victory of Yorktown. Thomas Marsh, grandson of Capt. Wheatley, died in Indiana. His living children are Mrs. Westcott, of Fayette City, Mrs. Duval, of Ohio, and John S. Marsh.
In 1808, Menallen's taxable property was assessed at $117,950. The quota of county tax was $177. The taxable acres numbered 12,944. There were seven mills, one forge, one rolling-mill, two tan-yards, eleven distilleries, one slave, three hundred and sixty-five houses, and three hundred and twenty- eight cattle.
EARLY ROADS.
At the March term of the Court of Quarter Sessions in 1793 mention of an early road was made in the following report: "We, the undersigned subscribers, being by Yonr Honors appointed to view a road from Ebenezer Finley's saw-mill,1 to intersect the road leading from Uniontown to the old fort at or near the Episcopal church,2 according to order, etc." In September, 1785, a petition was granted by the court to Menallen for a road from Jeremiah Pears' saw- mill3 door (from which the Uniontown road bore south 16° 45' east), past Robert Gadds' house, on the middle of Peters Street and centre of Middle (Meadow) Alley. June, 1784, a petition was pre- sented for a road "from Robert McGlaughlin's to Jeremiah Pears' inill, from there to strike the road that leads from Uniontown to Middle Run near John Watson's." December, 1794, a petition was pre- sented for a road from Meason's furnace (in Dun- bar) to Pears' forge,4 to intersect a road from Union- town to Redstone.
EARLY TAVERNS.
At the March term of court in 1784, John McMar- tin was recommended for a license as tavern-keeper in Menallen, but he did not at that time obtain it. At the December term, 1784, Reuben Kemp and Jacob Hewitt were licensed ; December, 1785, Mat- thew Campbell ; June, 1786, Joseph Price and John Heath; June, 1790, Patrick Tiernan and John Far- quar ; December, 1791, George Kruman. In addition to the list given, Josiah Tannehill was licensed June, 1788; George Mitchell, March, 1789; Zachariah Doty, June, 1789; Ephraim Hewitt, March, 1795; Robert Willis, John Ayers, and William Ayers, June, 1795; George Kinnear, September, 1790; Jon- athan Hickman, Richard Weaver, Anthony Swaine, John Brown, and John Grier, September, 1795; Wil- liam Cox, December, 1795 ; Amos Wilson and Ben- jamin Bowman, September, 1796 ; John Jones, Fran-
cis Griffith, and Peter Kinney, September, 1797 ; James Brown, December, 1798, and Alexander Wil- liamson, March, 1800.
TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION AND LIST OF OFFICERS.
Menallen was one of the original townships created by the Court of Quarter Sessions at the December term in 1783. The court decreed as follows:
" A township, beginning at the mouth of Redstone Creek ; thence np the same to the mouth of Jennings' Run; thence up the same to the head of the west fork thereof; thence by a straight line to the head of the Burat Cabia branch of Dunlap's Creek ; thence down said branch and Dunlap's Creek to the road that leads to Oliver Crawford's ferry ; thence along the said road to Mckibben's Run ; thence dowo the same and Dun- lap's Creek to the river; thence down the same to the begin- ning, to be hereafter known by the name of Menallen township."
In March, 1797, the petition of sundry inhabitants of Menallen township prayed for a division of the township. In response thereto the court, at the De- cember term in 1797, set off and erected Redstone township from the west and northwest part of Men- allen.
The records containing the civil list of the town- ship are imperfect. From 1784 to 1808 the elections of township officials are recorded and kept. From 1808 to 1840 nothing of consequence has been pre- served. From 1840 to 1881 the records have been kept, and from them the lists for that period have been taken, as given below :
AUDITORS.
1840. Robert Boyd. Joho Cunningham.
1861. James McCormick.
1862. William McCormick.
1842. Adam McCray.
1863. L. Colly.
1843. Wilson Scott.
1864. W. McGinnis.
1844. Joseph Gray.
1865. G. Colley.
1845. William McGinnis.
1866. J. Dixon.
1846. Robert S. Henderson.
1867. W. McCormick.
1868. G. MeCrary.
1847. Ebenezer Finley.
1848. Adam McCray.
1849. Robert S. Henderson.
1871. J. McCormick.
1850. William McGinnis. Simon Johnston.
1872. James Nickel.
1851. Thomas Barton.
1873. W. J. Johnston.
1874. James McCormick.
1875. Abram Osbora.
1853. William Jobastoo.
1876. Alfred Frost.
T. B. Graham.
1877. E. Courtney. Charles McCormick.
1855. Hugh Poundstone.
1856. Hugh Keyes. Andrew Lyno.
1878. Ewing Searight. 1879. S. W. Colley.
1857. John McCray. Ewing Searight.
1858. Nathan Holloway.
1881. Joshua Woodward.
Hiram B. Jackson.
1860. William McGinnis.
TOWNSHIP CLERKS.
1840. Adam MeCray.
1850. Joseph Smith.
1842-46. John Dixon. 1851-52. John McCray.
1847-48. Andrew Springer.
1853. William Krepps.
1849. Aaron Beal.
1854. John Ferren.
1 In Redstone. 2 In Menallen, on the National pike.
3 In Menallen, at Plumsock. 4 At Plumsock.
1869. T. Jeffries.
1870. W. McCormick.
1852. William Bolsinger. William McGinnis.
1854. William McGinnis. Albert G. Hague.
1859. William I. Johnson.
658
HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
1855. John McCray.
1856. Joseph I. Smith.
1857. George Friend.
1873. Joseph McCray.
1858-60. Joseph Smith.
1874. W. Gunison.
1861. Francis Marion.
1875-79. F. M. Smith.
1862-65. F. M. Smith.
1880. F. M. Smith.
1866-69. A. Stewart. 1881. Amos Fry.
SCHOOL DIRECTORS.
IS41. Ebenezer Finley.
1862. Taylor Jeffries.
William McMillan.
I. I. Harris. 1863. J. C. Grable.
1842. Hugh Graham.
James Dunn.
Peter Colley.
1843. Warwick Miller. Thomas Hazen.
J. Kelly.
1844. Caleb Antram. 1865. T. Jeffries.
James Allison.
I. I. Harris.
1845. Thomas Dixon. Daniel Espey.
J. C. Grabie.
1846. Nathan Lewis.
1867. J. Kelly.
Simon Johnson.
I. Cowell.
1847. John M. Claybaugh. James Campbell.
William McGinnis.
1848. Robert Boden. Taylor Jeffries.
E. Searight.
1869. E. Campbell.
1449. Mifflin Jeffries.
William MeGionis.
1850. David Poundstone.
Robert Powell.
E. O. Leonard.
1871. J. Woodward.
Robert Powell.
M. V. Whetzel. E. Searight.
1852. Charles S. Sexton.
Thomas Moxley.
1853. Warwick Miller. James H. Lewis.
1854. Isaac Cowell.
David Phillips.
1855. Thomas Moxley.
S. C. Chalfant.
1856. C. V. Tracy. William J. Johnston.
1857. Samuel Lynn.
M. V. Whetzel.
Robert Finley.
1858. Warwick Miller.
1877. Joseph Woodward. Ethelbert Courtney.
Daniel Bions. Nicholas Deffenbaugh.
1878. W. B. McCoy. John Shaw.
1859. William Boyd.
Taylor Jeffries.
1860. Robert Powell.
Peter Colley.
1861. Isaac Coma.
John Kelley.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
1840. Simon Johnson.
William Morrison.
1845. William Balsinger. James Dixon.
1848. John Kelly. Hiram MeCoy.
1850. Hiram Jackson.
1852. William Allison.
1872. W. MeGianis.
1853. Joseph W. Miller.
A. J. Tait.
1-54. John Kelly.
1857. Hiram 11. Kackney.
1858. Daniel Binns.
1860. Matthew Arison. 1862. John Kelly.
Lyman S. Herbert.
1867. J. Kelly. R. A. Moss. 1868. T. Dixon.
1869. M. Hess.
1877. A. J. Tait.
M. V. Whetzel.
THE TOWN OF NEW SALEM.
New Salem, also known as "Muttontown," is a small village of about one hundred and fifty1 inhab- itants, lying on the western border of Menallen town- ship. It contains three stores, a post-office, an Odd- Fellows' ball, three churches, and a fine public school, the district in which it is included being independ- ent in school matters from the township. The vil- lage site was owned by John Butterfield in 1790, and later by James Vandement, who was also the owner of no inconsiderable land tracts in that locality be- sides. David Arnold bought the village property in 1799, and Angust 17th of that year laid out a village which he named New Salem, containing sixty lots. Why he called it New Salem no one knows. From a copy of the original plat of the town it appears, however, that the land upou which he laid it out had been called "Stuffle's Policy." The nucleus of the village was James Thompson's grist-mill, a rude log structure, built some time before Arnold conceived the idea of founding a town. Others than himself thought favorably of the village prospects, for one Solomon Hickman opened a tavern there in 1802, at the same time that his father, Dr. Hickman, located as the village physician. In 1803, John Funk came from Maryland in pursuit of a favorable opening for trade, and found at New Salem one to suit him. He put a few goods into a log cabin on the " Odd- Fellows' corner," and traded a year, until 1804, when he died. There was John Boner, the village blacksmith, and soon afterwards Alexander Campbell, who thought the field so promising that he too opened a smithy. Campbell was, moreover, a firm believer in his ability to discover the secret of perpetnal motion, and be- stowed so much time upon his efforts in that direction that he did not spare much time to the blacksmithing business. He did something in the way of making pottery, but perpetual motion was his hobby, and of course he wore himself out without achieving the object of his ambition. Dr. Hickman and Alexander Campbell lived in two log houses that stood near to- gether. Campbell's house has been demolished ; Dr. Hickman's still stands, and is now the home of Henry Funk, son of John Funk, store-keeper in New Salem in 1803, at which time Henry was two years old. After that he lived back from the village until 1835, when he resumed his habitation at New Salem and set up a blacksmith-shop. Since 1835 he has lived in New Salem, although long since retired from active business.
For some reason unexplainable at this day New Salem soon assumed and maintained a reputation for immorality and disorder that made its name a by- word and reproach among peaceful and law-abiding people. What especial circumstance led to this is not now apparent, nor is it necessary to inquire. But by common consent New Salem was mentioned as a
1 The population by the census of 1880 was 158.
J. Graham. J. Dixon. 1870. H. McGinnis.
¥1851. Jesse Johnston.
1872. J. Cromwell. A. Colley. 1873. J. B. Graham. M. V. Whetzel.
1874. John Dearth. Hiram Miller.
1875. Benjamin Beall. John Williams.
1876. J. B. Graham.
1879. M. V. Whetzel. Levi Beall.
1840. Ethelbert Courtney. Levi Beall.
1881. E. Campbell. John Shaw.
1870. N. Holloway. 1871-72. A. Stewart.
1864. I. Cowell.
1866. P. Colley.
1868. J. Woodward.
659
MENALLEN TOWNSHIP.
place conspicuous for dram-drinking, horse-racing, drunkenness, and vicious idleness. Well-behaved people shunned it, and in derision rechristened it Muttontown,-some say because many a stolen sheep was traced to the village. Taverns, so called, but really whiskey-shops, were numerous and flourish- ing.
In 1816 certain keen-eyed speculators concluded a bank would pay at New Salem, and accordingly built a stone banking-house in that year upon the lot now occupied by J. W. Scott's store, and without delay began to issue seductive-looking bank-bills of all de- nominations, ranging from six and a quarter cents upwards. The bank was called The Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank of Fayette County, at New Salem. Aaron Torrance was president, and Timothy Smith cashier. The people of the surrounding country failed to exhibit any very great confidence in the matter of depositing money in the bank, but Messrs. Tor- rance, Smith, and others managed to keep themselves moderately busy and the bank in a state of temporary prosperity by an industrious issue of bills, which pene- trated not only into remote corners of Pennsylvania, but into Maryland, Ohio, and other States. In a little while, when no more hills could be issued, the col- lapse came, for of course a collapse was inevitable. The banking-house was closed. Torrance, Smith, and their associates departed for other scenes, and the unhappy bill-holders, whose name was legion, were left to bewail an overweening confidence in promises to pay. This New Salem bank was from the outset looked upon with distrust by the State banking au- thorities. It appears that a letter of inquiry concern- ing the bank came to the Union Bank at Uniontown in June, 1816. To that letter the cashier of the Union Bank made the following response :
"UNION BANK OF PENNSYLVANIA, July 11, 1816.
" DEAR SIR,-Your letter of the 27th ult. was duly received. As I could not answer it before this day (when our Directors meet), I laid your letter before them ; they say from informa- tion received in regard to the Association named in your letter that they have reason to believe that such does exist, but that the persons composing it are not of sufficient respectability to render it reputable; for myself, I know none of the names meu- tioned, and from that am led to believe they are not men of mueb consequence. The village where the bank in question is to be established contains a few small log houses, as I am in- formed; 'tis situated about six miles from this place, and five or six miles from Brownsville, where there is a chartered bank.
" I am, respectfully, your oh't servant,
" J. SıMs, Cashier.
"E. P. IlARRISON, EsQ."
There is still in preservation one of the plates from which were printed bills of the New Salem Bank of the denominations of one, three, and five dollars. The one dollar notes bore the vignette of a recumbent female holding a sheaf of wheat. Over the figure is the line "Instituted in 1816." Below the figure ap- pears the following :
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.