History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 170

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 170

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Abraham, the second son of William Kern, re- moved to Ohio; William, the third son, married Nancy White, and lived and died on the Kooser place. Jacob lived a little south of Springfield vil- lage, where he died about twenty-eight years ago. He was the father of George Kern and William Kern, both of the township. His sons, Abraham and David, died in the Rebellion. Jonathan, the fifth son of William Kern, became a resident of Greene County, and Joshua, the youngest and the only survivor, lives on Indian Creek, more than eighty years old. He has sons named William M. and George yet living in the township ; and John and James died in the war for the Union. The Kerns have become one of the largest and best-known families in Springfield.

Abraham Gallentine, a German, who had served in the Revolution, came from Chambersburg in 1801, settling in the northern part of the township, near the Salt Lick line, but subsequently lived at the Fayette Furnace. He was by trade a cooper, and died about 1830, upwards of eighty years of age. He had sons named Daniel, Jacob, Abraham, and Joseph. The former was married to a daughter of Christian Senff, and died in Salt Lick. Jacob removed to MeKees- port. Abraham lived near the central part of Salt Liek. He served in the Legislature, and subsequently removed to Ohio. Joseph married Sophia Worrick, and also lived in Salt Lick, where he died in 1875, at the age of eighty-five years. Ile was the father of Joseph W. Gallentine, living on the old Benjamin

Davis farm, in Salt Lick, and of other sons living at Scottdale.

John Bailey, a native of Bedford County, Pa., set- tled on the present Bailey farm, south of Mill Run, some time after 1800, and died there in 1828. He reared sons named William, Reiley, and Michael, and four daughters, who married Henry Hess, James Imel, Henry Friend, and William M. Kern.

Jacob Murray moved from the eastern country in 1816, and settled on the old Elder farm, but later made a home on Mill Run, where he died many years ago. He had a number of sons, viz .: John M., de- ceased a few years ago; Samuel, also deceased in the township; and Jacob, yet living on Mill Run. Three of his daughters married Peter Ullrey, Henry Pletcher, and Reuben Eicher.

Robert Bigam was another of the early settlers on lower Mill Run, although his permanent settlement was not made until 1828. He cleared up a great deal of the flats, and still, at the age of eighty-seven years, resides on one of the farms he opened. He is the father of David and John Bigam, residing on parts of the homestead at Mill Run, and of George M. Bigam, a teacher of note at Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland Co. The Bigams moved from the Jersey settlement in Somerset County, where their ancestors were among the earliest settlers.

Peter Kooser moved from the same county in 1832, buying the Ketchum mills, which had been built by Reuben Skinner, on Mill Run. Afterwards he lived on the Henry Phillippi farm, where he died June 25, 1866, aged seventy-two years. He reared sons named Elijah, Samuel, John, William, and Alexander, the latter dying in the United States' service in the Re- bellion. In 1838, George Dull moved from Somerset County and settled on the Johu Harbaugh place at Mill Run, He was a blacksmith by trade, and served many years as a justice of the peace. He died Nov. 1, 1880, at the age of seventy-two years. His sons living in Springfield are Daniel W., Uriah, Jacob, William, and John. Romanus died in the army while a prisoner at Salisbury, N. C., and four of the above also served their country in the Rebellion. The daughters of George Dull married David L. Colburn, Solomon Davis, Hiram C. Sipe, and Alexander Brooke. The Daniel W. Dull farm was improved by Martin Williams, who afterwards occupied the Abra- ham Williams farm, where he died. The William Dull place was long known as the Peter Sipe farm, but was first improved by John McCune. Sipe re- moved to Indiana a few years ago, where he died. A portion of the old Sipe place is now occupied by Cyrus B. Sipe, a grandson of Peter, and son of Jacob, who moved to Somerset County. The Sipes made some of the finest farm improvements in the town- ship.

The Elder family was in early times largely inter- ested in real estate in Springfield, owning about two thousand acres of land, a portion of which yet re-

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SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP.

mains in their possession. Clifford Elder, the head of the family, resided in Somerset County. William G., the eldest son, was a well-known citizen of Wash- ington. Other sons were Clifford, Henderson, Sam- nel, and Robinson. The latter was the only one to reside permanently in the township. He was a man of fine ability, and became celebrated as a lecturer on temperance. He died in the service of the Union in the late civil war. One of the daughters of Clifford Elder was the wife of Dr. Phythian, the first practi- tioner in the township, and a maiden lady, Eliza, was a resident of Springfield until 1873.

In the early history of the county three brothers, Thomas, John, and James Rogers, came from Fred- erick, Md., and settled at New Haven. Their sister was married to Col. James Paull, at that time one of the leading men of Fayette. Thomas and John Rogers remained citizens of Dunbar, but Maj. James Rogers, after living some time at the Findley Fur- nace, settled on Indian Creek, in Springfield, about 1828, and resided there until his death, about 1842. He superintended the building of the Fayette Fur- nace for the mining company, which also controlled about three thousand acres of land, which Maj. Rogers sold to the settlers. He had nine sons,-John, Wil- liam, Phineas, Joseph, James, Thomas, George, Dan- iel, and Erwin. Of these William served in the war of 1812, and died of disease contracted in the service ; George is yet living at Ironton, Ohio ; and Dr. Joseph Rogers, after living in Springfield more than two- score years, actively engaged as a practitioner and a manufacturer, died March 20, 1876, at the age of seventy-nine years. In 1831 he was married to Eliz- abeth Johnston, of Connellsville, who yet resides in that city. They reared sons,-Dr. James K., who died after the late war; Dr. Alexander, residing at Scottdale; John, at the same place ; and William D., yet residing on the homestead.

George Campbell, a Scotch-Irishman, settled in Dunbar some time about 1800. His only son, James, after living in that township a number of years, be- came a citizen of Springfield, and yet resides there at the age of seventy years. In 1841 he was associated with the Messrs. McCormick, Taylor, and Turner in manufacturing the first coke by the improved system of burning. At that time two ovens were built on the site of the old salt-works on the Youghiogheny, in which coke was successfully burned, and shipped to Cincinnati by means of flat-boats. The enterprise proved a failure, so far as these parties were con- cerned, but was afterwards prosecuted with partial success by the Cochrans, of Tyrone.

The Pritts family has lived in the township the past fifty years, and one of its members, Samuel, is up- wards of eighty-six years of age. Another of the old citizens of Springfield is Jacob Lichleiter, who came from Somerset County about thirty years ago. He has attained the unusual age of niuety-three years. The population of the township in 1880 was 1714.

TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION AND LIST OF OFFICERS.

Springfield was organized as a separate township by the Court of Quarter Sessions in December, 1848, but was not constituted with its present bounds until November, 1855, when it absorbed what remained of Youghiogheny township after Stewart was erected. The orders of the court by which this was cffected appear in the history of the latter township, and in the history of Salt Lick, of which Springfield was originally a part, the same being here omitted to avoid repetition.

The list of township officers, including those of Youghiogheny from 1848 till 1855, is as follows :

1848 .- Justices, Jubn Williams, John Harbaugh, and Sylvester Skinner ; Assessor, Samuel Murray ; Auditor, John B. Tede- TOW.

1849 .- Justice, Robert Wortman ; Assessor, Absalom Stryers ; Auditors, Samuel Liston, James Leonard.

1850 .- Assessor, Josephus Woodmansee; Auditor, William Stull.

1851 .- Assessor, Josephus Woodmansee; Auditor, James Kemp. 1852 .- Assessor, George Harbaugh; Auditor, Jacob Tutton.

1853. - Justice, Sylvester Skinner; Assessor, Abraham Skin- ner; Auditor, J. S. Woodmansee.

I854 .- Assessor, David Ogg; Auditor, James Morrison.

1855 .- Assessor, Robert Wortman.

1856 .- Justices, Jobn Brooks, Daniel Dull; Assessor, Simon M. Kern ; Auditor, John Senff.

IS57 .- Assessor, John M. Murray ; Auditor, William H. Mur- phy.

1858 .- Justice, John W. Sherbundy ; Assessor, Leonard Har- baugh ; Auditor, Joseph Colestock.

1859 .- Assessor, Joseph W. Kitenour; Auditor, R. Elder.

1860 .- Justice, John Clark ; Assessor, Daniel W. Dull; Audi- tor, James B. Murris.

1861 .- Assessor, Robert Wortman ; Auditor, Reason Imer.

1862 .- Assessor, Henry King : Auditor, Emanuel Hensil.

1863 .- Justice, John W. Sherbondy ; Assessor, J. II. Miller ; Auditor, James F. Imel.

1864 .- Assessor, George K. Murray ; Auditor, John Brooks.

1865 .- Justice, J. W. C. Brooks; Assessor, Solomon Davis ; Auditor, J. A. C. Murray.

IS66 .- Assessor, David B. Morris; Auditor, J. W. Morris.

1867 .- Justice, Christopher Smultz; Assessor, A. S. Skinner ; Auditor, Henry Crichfield.

1868 .- Justice, Josiah H. Miller ; Assessor, J. C. Gorlet ; Au- ditor, A. H. McCoy.

1869 .- Assessor, Daniel W. Dull; Auditor, John Kern.

1869, October .- Justice, George Dull ; Auditor, Jacob M. Mur- ray.

1870 .-- Assessor, Jacob M. Murray : Auditor, J. B. Morris. 1872 .-- Assessor, J. B. Morris ; Auditor, John Kern.

1873 .-- Justice, Josiah H. Miller; Assessor, M. H. King; Au- ditor, Jacob M. Murray.

1874 .- Assessor, J. W. K. Solomon ; Auditor, S. W. Bailey. 1875 .- Justice, Lewis Hunter; Assessor, Martin Hope.

1876 .-- Assessor, H. H. Livingston ; Auditor, B. A. Lanehill.

1877 .- Assessor, Abraham Friend ; Auditor, Jacob M. Murray.

1878 .- Justice, Henry Crichfield ; Assessor, John Imel ; Audi- tor, J. B. Morris.

1879 .- Assessor, Emanuel Hensil ; Auditor, John Kern.

1-80 .- Justice, George Deed ; Assessor, Emanuel Hensil; Au- ditor, J. II. Miller.

756

HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROADS.

One of the oldest roads in Springfield is popularly known as the " Turkey Foot" road, from the fact that it led through that important settlement in Somerset County on its route to Pittsburgh. It is also known as Smith's road, from one of the commissioners who located it. The road followed in a general way the blazed path of Oliver Drake and William Rush, along which Capt. Harris drove his cattle to the mouth of Mill Run, thence across the hills to the clay pike, near Springfield village, from which it bore to the northwest across Chestnut Ridge to Mounts' Creek, which was crossed at Andrews' (now Long's) Mill ; then northwest across Bullskin to Jacob's Creek, in Tyrone, intersecting Braddock's road near the old chain bridge. It was several miles shorter than Brad- dock's road, and was by some preferred on that ac- count when the other road was rough, not naturally being as good a road as the former. After the Na- tional road was located it was of little importance, and much of its course has long since been effaced, retaining only from Mill Run northward much sem- blance of its original courses. The most important highway in the township is the " clay pike," so called because it has been graded but never piked with stones. Its course throughi Springfield is nearly east and west north of the centre of the township, varying only to get an easier ascent of Laurel Hill. It was surveyed in 1810, but was not completed until about 1820. The survey divided the road into quarter-mile sections, a post being set up at such intervals. These sections were in charge of different contractors, among the builders being Dr. Joseph Rogers, Solomon Kern, and John Williams. The road became the great thoroughfare for the passage of live-stock from Ohio and Kentucky to the East, and immense droves of horses, mules, cattle, sheep, and hogs were almost constantly trudging along its course, often more than a hundred per week passing through Springfield. Consequently many stock-taverns sprung up along the road, some of them having large barns, having stabling capacity for fifty horses, at which the farmers found a ready market for their products. Among the chief drovers' inns were those kept by John Resler, Peter Eicher, Solomon Kern, Samuel Long, Charles King, Mary Taylor, James Crichfield, Henry Garlets, John Prinkey, Thaddeus Aughenbach, and Adam Dietz. After the Pennsylvania Railroad was com- pleted the droves diminished in number, but the road was considerably used for this purpose until the Balti- more and Ohio Railroad was built along the Youghio- gheny in 1871. This railway has stations at Stewarton and Hampton, in Springfield township.

GENERAL. INDUSTRIES.

It is stated on good authority that Reuben Skinner was the first person in the township to employ water- power to operate machinery for milling purposes. Some time after the Revolution be built a small grist-

mill on Mill Run, on the present Elijah Kooser place, which had one run of stones and rude machinery. A saw-mill was put in operation at a later day. From Skinner the mill passed to Jacob Ketchum, thence to Peter Kooser, thence to L. D. Wilgus, and from him to Elijah Kooser. The reconstructed grist-mill had two runs of stones and a fair grinding capacity, and although the mill remains, it has not been running the past few years. The saw-mill is yet kept in mo- tion.

The second mill in the township was built by a man named Van Trice, on Resler's Run, and was a very small affair, the capacity being only seven bushels per day. Daniel Resler subsequently owned the mill, and at later periods the waters of that stream operated saw-mills for John Resler, Josiah Miller, and Maxwell Clark.

On Mill Run, below the old Skinner mill, John Harbaugh built a saw-mill thirty years ago, which is at present owned and operated by James Russell. Yet farther below, George Dull put in operation a saw-mill in 1841, which has had as subsequent owners Daniel Shearer, John A. McBeth and Daniel Dear- born, Bradford & Co., and the present Dr. Gallagher. The capacity is small. Near the mouth of this stream Wm. R. Turner had a saw-mill some time about 1830, to which was added a run of stones for grinding pur- poses. The latter were soon removed, but the saw- mill was kept in operation a number of years longer, when it was allowed to go down. Turner also had a saw-mill on Indian Creek, near the site of Hampden Forge, which was discontinued after that enterprise was abandoned. Several miles from the mouth of Mill Run, John and Elijah Kooser erected a grist- mill in 1851, which is yet operated by John Kooser. The mill-house is a four-story frame, thirty-six by forty-eight feet, and is supplied with three runs of stones. The power was secured by digging a race sixty rods long, whereby a fall of twenty-five feet was secured. The motor is an eighteen-foot overshot wheel. The mill has a large patronage.

In the northern part of the township, on Indian Creek, the Rogers family has had in operation a small grist-mill since 1832, which has been repaired several times and is now accounted a good mill. The saw- mill at this place was built about 1866 by Wm. D. Rogers, and is yet carried on by him. It has a good cutting capacity.

On Stony Ruu a water-power was improved about 1820 to operate a carding-machine for Solomon Kern. It was continued about ten years, when the machinery was removed, but the saw-mill which had been built here meantime was operated a few years longer. In 1837, James Campbell built another saw-mill on that site, which he carried on about five years, when, after having many owners, it was allowed to go down. Near the same time the Brooks family had a mill on the same stream, three-quarters of a mile above, which was carried on about ten years. Other mills

757

SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP.

have been operated on Poplar Run and on the Mid- dle Fork, all of them having a limited capacity; while a number of portable steam saw-mills have been operated for short periods in various localities, of which no account is made here. The shipment of native lumber has been carried on quite extensively the past few years by John J. McFarland, much of the timber shipped being destined for European mar- kets for use in ship-building and fine cooper-work. Locust and oak constitute the bulk of the shipments from the several stations on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in Springfield.

The mountain forests furnish a good supply of bark for tanning purposes, and that industry has for many years held a leading place in the township. At Springfield village, John Crossland began tanning leather in a small way, having half a dozen vats, about 1839, and carrying on the business seven or eight years. He was followed by Alexander John- ston, who enlarged the tannery and made other changes. About 1850, Alfred Cooper became the owner of the property, and while belonging to him the tannery was rebuilt, the number of vats being increased to thirty. He sold it to Schallenbarger & McBeth, and subsequently it was owned by John A. McBeth alone. He still further enlarged the tannery, and was the last to operate it, about 1875. It is a large and well-appointed building, with an engine- room attached, and spacious bark shed adjacent. The eapaeity was 3000 hides per year, tanned into sole and harness leather, which had a most excellent reputation in the markets of the East.

When the tannery was first carried on horse-power was employed, but under the ownership of John A. MeBeth steam was supplied, the boiler having a very much larger capacity than the engine. In 1863 an explosion occurred which wrecked the build- ing, and which would undoubtedly have resulted dis- astrously to the lives of the workmen but for the fortunate fact that they had left the tannery to eat their dinners just a short time before. The ends of the boiler were blown through the smoke-staek, earry- ing with them heavy timbers in their course. The engine was taken up bodily and hurled more than one hundred and fifty yards from its bed, half bury- ing itself in the earth in a semi-upright position in a garden near the tannery. The shoek was felt in the entire neighborhood, and the accident was the theme of conversation for many days.

At Mill Run a tannery was built in 1861 by Daniel Shearer, which is yet in successful operation under the management of Lewis Marietta, as lessee for the proprietor, Dr. Gallagher. There are about thirty vats, capaeitating the tannery to handle two thousand five hundred hides per year. The product is harness- and belting-leather, tanned with rock and chestnut- oak bark. About ten years ago steam was introduced, and is used in connection with water-power. Em- ployment is given to from six to ten men. The saw-

mill at this point belongs to the tannery property, and both have had the same ownership.

The distillation of liquor was engaged in by many persons in the early days of the township, among the chief distilleries being those carried on by Willits Skinner, John Prinkey, and on the Nutt farm by a man named Davis. But the manufacture of iron was a pioneer interest, compared with which all others were of secondary importance. The ores of Spring- field are very rich, yielding a large percentage of ex- cellent iron, with sufficient limestone therein to flux the metal. They are usually found in beds of shale, holding the place of the upper Kittanning limestone of the Johnstown cement-beds. The metal has been found superior for foundry purposes, and only the in- aeeessibility of the mines has prevented the general development of this great mineral wealth. Years ago, when the Youghiogheny River was regarded as a possible channel for the shipment of the products, a forge was built on Indian Creek about half a mile above its mouth, the waters of that stream being nsed to operate it. It was generally known as Hampden Forge, and the owners, when it was first operated, about 1810, were Reuben Mockabee and Samuel Wurtz. The latter subsequently was the sole owner. It was kept in operation nntil some time after 1830. Considerable bar and other iron was wrought, which was carried down the river by means of flat-boats. The raw material was brought from the Laurel Fur- nace, in Dunbar, and the St. John Furnace, on In- dian Creek, several miles above the forge. The latter was built on the eastern base of the Chestnut Ridge, and apparently in an almost inaccessible place. But the ore could be easily procured, and it was believed that flat-boats might descend Indian Creek many months of the year, a calculation which was soon demonstrated to be erroneous, and which ultimately caused the enterprise to be abandoned. St. John Furnace was built about 1807, by Jackson & Gibson, but in a few years became the property of Col. James Paull. It was operated by different parties as lessees, the last by Dougherty & Steele, who blew it out of blast in 1828. While it was in operation that locality was the seene of bustling activity, a large number of men being employed, and a publie-house was main- tained by the MeCune family. The masonry of St. John Furnace was done by Jesse Taylor, and was so substantial that it remained long after everything else had passed away.

A number of miles above, on the same stream, a mining company, composed of Freeman, Miller, and Linton, secured a large traet of mineral lands, which were placed in charge of Maj. James Rogers, under whose direction as superintendent the Fayette Fur- nace was erected in 1827-28. In 1831, Joseph and George Rogers hecame the owners of the furnace, and several years later Dr. Joseph Rogers alone, who kept it in blast until 1841. Its capacity was from two to three tons per day, and much of the metal was cast

758

HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

into kettles, cooking utensils, etc., which were sold at the furnace, or conveyed to Connellsville on wagons and sleds, and thence shipped to Pittsburgh. When the furnace was carried on at its best many men were employed, who lived in small houses in that locality, forming a hamlet, which contained twenty-six build- ings, most of which have been removed.

Almost the entire Indian Creek Valley, with its adjacent hills, is underlaid with fine coal possessing many of the qualities of the celebrated Connellsville coal. It is found in three distinct veins, at different elevations from the bed of the creek, varying from three to six feet in thickness. Coal was first used in the township for blacksmithing purposes about 1835, being taken from a bank on the clay pike, east of Springfield village, in such small quantities that it was carried away in a bag. Soon its value for fuel was found out, and mining at that place and other points was begun, and has been continued to the pres- ent. In 1881 the following mines were in working condition : Jacob Minor's, east of the village of Springfield, the place where coal was first mined ; David Shank's, south of the village ; the old Solomon Kern bank ; John Shultz's and James Gallentine's, on Stony Run ; Jacob Murry's, near Poplar Run; Jack- son Rose's, on Indian Creek ; George Showman's, on the lower part of that stream, the bank being three hundred feet above the level of the creek, and the coal appearing in a five-foot vein ; Garrett Hall's; the Eicher and Solomon Davis' banks, farther up on the ' same stream ; the John Miller bank, on the old Shu- max farm, has a six-foot vein ; and the John F. Campbell bank has been opened to the extent of fifty yards ; the Rogers mine, on Buek Run and Middle Fork, has a working passage the distance of one hun- dred yards, and the coal appears in a vein six feet in thickness. South of Indian Creek, on Mill Run and affluent streams, are coal-banks owned by John Bigam, Eli Grall, John Dull, George Dull, R. W. Workman, Samuel Nickerson, Abraham Williams, and others, which serve only to supply the demand for home use.

VILLAGES AND BUSINESS INTERESTS.

After the completion of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, in 1871, a station was located at the mouth of Indian Creek, which bears the name of the stream, and a post-office established with the name of Hamp- ton. The station is a store, and the post-office was kept by W. F. Walter, but the wild nature of the country in that locality made it advisable to continue the latter two but a short time. The railroad com- pany still maintains a flag-station for the accommo- dation of the farmers of that neighborhood. The history of the post-office at Stewarton Station is given in the township of Stewart, from which the office was removed but a short time ago.

The hamlet of Mill Run is along the old Turkey Foot road, where it crosses that stream, and consists

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History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 170

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