History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 172

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 172

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Washington. The township as erected by the Fay- ette County Court, in December, 1783, was embraced in the following description of boundaries, viz. :

" A township beginning at the mouth of Jacob's Creek ; thence up the Monongahela River to Mason and Dixon's line; thence by the same to the line of Wharton township on the top of Laurel Hill; thence by the same to the line of Georges township; thence by the same to the place of beginning. To be here- after known by the name of Springhill township."

The surveyor has never yet (in accordance with this description) reached " the place of beginning ;" and Springhill is really only bounded on three sides and a part of the fourth, according to the act of the court. Sixty-two years after the erection into a town- ship, Springhill lost the Egypt of her territory by the formation of Nicholson township, losing all that rich farming land lying between Jacoh's Creek on the north and Georges Creek on the south, including New Geneva with all its historical associations. In New Geneva was one of the four post-offices of Fayette County in 1805, the other three being Uniontown, Brownsville, and Connellsville.

Prominent among the early settlers of Springhill township was Col. Theophilus Phillips. In May, 1767, he, in company with his brother-in-law, the Rev. James Dunlap, emigrated to Fayette County from New Jersey, and settled, or rather squatted, on a stream which has been called Dunlap's Creek for more than a century. After clearing a piece of land and farming it jointly for a time, they dissolved part- nership and cast lots for the land, which fell to Dun- lap. Phillips then purchased a large tract of land in Springhill township, called "Phillips' Choice," con- taining 453| acres and allowance. The patent is dated Dec. 12, 1786. Mr. Phillips enjoyed the respect and confidence of all who knew him, and was often called to fill public positions. It was near his residence that the courts of Monongalia County, Va., were held in the last half of the eighteenth century. The build- ings have long been demolished, and nothing but the foundations of them remain to mark the site. To the left of the New Geneva and Springhill Furnace roads, via Morris' Cross-Roads, and about two hun- dred yards from the same, on a long knoll, with a di- rection northeast, stood the Phillips residence, with many outbuildings, including shop, negro quarters, still-house, and stables. Among his grandchildren

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1 By James Ross.

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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

are Theophilus P. Kramer, Theophilus Williams, and Adolph Eberhart, whose ages are eighty-one, seventy- eight, and sixty-four years respectively. They recol- lect hearing their parents say that the Monongalia court was held in the shop which stood near the old Phillips dwelling-house.

Col. Phillips was ordained an elder of the Mount Moriah Church, in Springhill township, in 1774. He was among the first to ship flour and whisky to New Orleans from Wilson Port, as the mouth of Georges Creek was then called. In 1789 he was elected to the State Legislature, which at that time met in the city of Philadelphia. His boats were ready laden for New Orleans, and he resolved to go with them, and instead | land, and were, with their children, Garrett and Bar- of crossing the mountains, sail round by the Gulf bara, naturalized in that province in April, 1669, as and the Atlantic to Philadelphia. Before starting is shown by the records in Baltimore. Two other children of theirs, Elizabeth and Zachariah, were born in the Delaware counties, and so needed no naturalization. The prefix "Van" was afterwards dropped from the surname of the family, but was used, as we see, as the Christian name of the son of : John Swearingen. he willed his estate, giving to each of his children their portion, in case he should never return. This proved to have been the act of a sensible man, for not long after leaving the port of New Orleans, en route for Philadelphia, he fell a victim to ship-fever, and was buried at sea. Ile left a numerous family. Capt. John Phillips, of the war of 1812, was his son. He died of cholera near Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1832. Of the Williams family, many of whom have been elected justices, are John P., Thomas, Joseph G., and Thomas, Jr., grandsons, and great- grandson of Col. Theophilus. Dr. William Wilson, of Indiana, brother of Mrs. Eli- ezer Robinson, of Uniontown, married a granddaugli- ter, Miss Elizabeth Kramer. Theophilus Phillips married a Miss Joanna Prater. It is said that on several occasions Washington visited the Monongalia court-house, near Col. Phillips' place. It is, however, doubtful whether he was ever in that vicinity more than once,-in the year 1784.

Though Theophilus Phillips was among the earliest, if not the very first, of the actual settlers within the territory now Springhill township (Col. George Wil- son, however, being considerably earlier on the other side of Georges Creek), yet there were a considerable number of warrants taken by others for lands in Springhill antedating the warrant to Phillips of the tract, " Phillips' Choice," on which he settled. Among these early locations of lands in Springhill were the following, viz. : Andrew Contral, a tract containing 347 acres and allowance, warrant dated July 3, 1769, surveyed 2d of July, 1770; Joseph Cox, 302 acres, war- ranted July 3, 1769, surveyed Nov. 17, 1770; Hugh Evans, 181 aeres, surveyed 1785, warrant dated March 23, 1785: Thomas Ashby, 307 acres, warrant dated July 3, 1769. There were a great many others whose warrants and patents are one hundred years old and upwards. Settlements increased very slowly for some years, but much more rapidly after the close of the Revolution, so that in the year 1785 the number of taxable persons, including " single men," in Spring- hill was over two hundred, and the total assessed valuation of property £12,532 5x. 6d. This, however,

included in addition to the territory that is now Springhill a considerable additional territory that is now in the township of Nicholson.

John Swearingen and Van Swearingen, father and son, were among the earliest settlers in Springhill, being here as early as 1770, and possibly in 1769, Van Swearingen being in the latter year twenty-six years of age. Thomas Swearingen, Sr., and his son Thomas came to Western Pennsylvania about the same time, and settled west of the Monongahela. The ancestors of all the Swearingens in this region were Garrett Van Swearingen and Barbara De Barrette, his wife, who came from Holland to America, settled in Mary-

Of this John Swearingen who settled in Springhill township very little is known beyond the fact of his settlement here, and that he was a resident of the township in 1785. His son, Van Swearingen, did not remain long in Springhill,1 hut removed to a new location on the east side of the Monongahela, near the mouth of Redstone, but retaining the ownership of his lands in Springhill at least until 1785. Before that time, however, he had left his second location near Redstone and removed to Washington County, of which he was elected sheriff upon its organization in 1781. After a few years spent hy him in Wash- ington County he removed to land which he had located as early as 1772 in Ohio County, Va., and died there Dec. 2, 1793. Dnring all the period of his residence west of the Alleghenies he was a prominent man both in civil and military life.

The Crow family were very early settlers of this section of country. Michael Crow was born in Mary- land, near Williamsport, and was the first of the name to settle in Springhill. After a short residence in his new home he married Hannah Huhn. (The Huhns owned the property where Crow's mill now stands, but the number of acres is not known.) At the death of Huhn, the father of his wife, Michael Crow, inherited the farm. Here he continued to re- side until his death in 1858, at the age of ninety-eight years. His descendants are perhaps more numerous than those of any of the first settlers of this region. Several of them have filled important county offices. Jacob Crow was at one time treasurer of Fayette

1 Van Swearingen and four other persons were the builders of the old løg fort built as a place of refuge during the Indian troubles of 1774, uvar Morris Cross-Ruads, on lands now owned by Mr. Crow. The In- dians captured a son of his named Duke, whom they never restored. Cato HJardin, a soldier of the war of 1812, after his return from service told several that he believed he saw Duke Swearingen among the In- dians during his stay in Ohio, near Sandusky.

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SPRINGHILL TOWNSHIP.

County. Hon. Alexander Crow, of New Geneva, was associate judge. The family is noted for its firm ad- herence to the principles of the Democratic party. . Mary Duvall's name should not be omitted from the list of early settlers of Springhill, though it does not appear that she ever reflected much credit on the township. Free from fear, she came from the East with the first settlers more than one hundred years ago, and located on a small stream, a tributary of Grassy Run, in an unbroken forest, inhabited only by Indians and wild animals. But the Indians had no terrors for her. "Logan was the friend of the white man," and it does not appear that he regarded this white woman as an enemy. When the Indians visited Springhill they always encamped at her spring and enjoyed her hospitality. If the community feared an Indian raid, and fled to the fort for protection, Mary Duvall remained at home in quiet and peace. Sev- eral years before her death she told many of her friends that the Indians knew of lead-mines not far away from her house, because they were never gone long when they needed a supply of lead, and that they always ran their bullets at her house. She was, it was said, a Roman Catholic, and hated most de- vontly all Protestants, particularly the Methodists. For them, in particular, her hatred was sleepless and untiring. She left a family, mostly boys, who were said to have exhibited strong Indian peculiarities, both physical and mental. They were very quarrel- some, and exceedingly expert in the use of the rifle. Daniel married in Springhill, and emigrated to Ken- tucky, selling his land here to George Hardin. Lewis also emigrated with his brother Daniel. All traces of the other members of the family are lost.

Jacob Gans was an early settler of Springhill, emi- grating hither from Virginia with a large number of other hardy adventurers more than a century ago. Little is to be said of him except that he lived and died in Springhill, and left an untarnished character, as well as a numerous progeny in this part of Fayette : County. To sketch all of his descendants would be to write the biography of a large portion of the citi- zens of the township. Ann Gans, a granddaughter of his, married a Mr. Arnold, and lives or did live on Ten-Mile Creek, in Greene Connty. Susanna, another granddaughter, married Jeremiah Burchinal, one of the most respected citizens of Springhill, and is now living, at a very advanced age, on Grassy Run, west of the old Springhill Furnace property.

Jobn McFarland was one of the early adventurers who dared the dangers of the Indian conntry west of ; the mountains. His settlement was made in Spring- Jones married Lewis Evans. They resided and died

hill, near Cheat River, where he had also a mill and still-house. He left several children, among the num- ber being John McFarland, who married Nelly Mor- ris, daughter of Absalom Morris, after whom Morris Cross-Roads was named. Morris was the tavern- . keeper who resided between the cross-roads and Geneva. From the McFarland and Morris union

have sprung many prominent families of Springhill. The Weltners of Cheat Forks are also connections of the family.

Robert Jones and Benjamin Jones, brothers and natives of Wales, came to Fayette County in 1792, and located in Springhill township. In 1793, Robert Jones entered a large tract of land in this township, and on that tract he, with his brother Benjamin, erected in 1794 the Springhill Furnace,1 and com- menced the manufacture of iron, Robert being the principal man in the concern. After a few years the furnace was leased (and afterwards sold) to Jesse Evans (a son-in-law of Robert Jones), who carried it on with snecess. Benjamin Jones was little of a business man, but of fine scholarly attainments and an ardent promoter of education. While living with his brother Robert, and to some extent concerned with him in the furnace, Benjamin Jones opened a select school in Smithfield-sometimes called Brownfield- town. How long he taught this school is not known, but it is certain that by his example and efforts the people of the township became greatly favorable to select schools, and the establishment of the Springhill Academy was the result. Benjamin Jones was an ardent Baptist, and a substantial supporter of the worship of that denomination in his vicinity. From Springhill township he removed to Greene County, where he died, and was buried in the ground of the Baptist Church near Garrard's Fort, on Big Whitely Creek.

Robert Jones was born in Wales, March 20, 1743, and died April 16, 1809. His executors were his brother Benjamin and his only son, John, but before the estate was settled John died at his residence on Whitely Creek, Greene Co. The furnace and other property of Robert Jones passed to his daughter Mary, the wife of Jesse Evans, who had leased the old furnace in 1797. A son of Jesse and Mary Evans is Col. Samuel Evans, who is now living, at more than eighty years of age, in North Union township, about two miles from Uniontown. He has filled many offices of honor and trust, and has for more than half a century enjoyed the esteem and friendship of many of the most notable men of the State and nation. His sister Eliza-daughter of Jesse Evans-married Mr. Wilson, of Morgantown, Va., who lost his life by drowning in the Monongahela River below Browns- ville. They were the parents of the Hon. Alphens E. Willson, now president judge of the conrts of Fayette and Greene Counties. His sister is the wife of the Hon. J. K. Ewing, of Uniontown. Rachel in Greene County. Lient. Lewis K. Evans, of Waynesburg, is their son.

John Jones left a large family of sons and daugh- ters. The eldest, Robert, married Ann Eberhart and emigrated to Cincinnati, Ohio. His son, Adolph

1 A full account of this old furnace is given in the general chapter devoted to iron-works in the county.

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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Jones, A.M., M.D., is a prominent politician as well as physician. A younger son, Frederick, was killed Dec. 31, 1862, at Stone River, Tenn. The celebrated Robert Jones Burdette is a son of Frederick Burdette and Sophia Jones. He was born in Greensboro', Greene Co., in 1838.

The brothers John and Andrew Oliphant were among the most enterprising men of South Fayette, living on or near Georges Creek. Andrew Oliphant was commissioned a justice of the peace for Spring- hill township Jan. 2, 1804. He married Mary Grif- fin, a daughter of Hon. Isaac Griffin; only two of their children lived to maturity, Mary Ann and James M. Mary A. Oliphant married Edgar C. Wilson, of Morgantown, Va., but died not long after her marriage. Mr. Wilson married as his second wife her cousin, a daughter of John Oliphant. She is still living at Morgantown, W. Va. James M. Oliphant, son of Andrew, was married three times, but left only two heirs. The property once owned by the Oliphants is now in the possession of Samuel H. Hunter, Esq. Just ahove the residence was "Sylvan Forge," established by John and Andrew Oliphant in 1808.

Hon. Joseph Eneix was born June 16, 1788. He married Hester Oliphant, Sept. 20, 1807. His educa- tion was much neglected, and he began life but halt- armed, yet by industry and application he became a prominent man. By trade he was a blacksmith and scythe-maker. Abont 1823 he was elected to the State Legislature from his native county, Fayette. His course in the Legislature meeting the approbation of his constituents, he was returned, serving in all three | terms down to 1835. During President Jackson's second term, in 1834, he received the appointment of receiver of public moneys at Mineral Point, Wis. In 1839 he resigned on account of ill health. He gradually failed in health, and died in 1858. He was a large land-owner at one time, but died comparatively poor. James Eneix is a son of Joseph. A daughter married Samuel Dilliner, Esq., of New Geneva.

Nicholas Blake, an Englishman, was once the owner of "Friendship Hill," which he sold to Albert Gal- latin, and which became the statesman's residence. Blake, before his death, became almost penniless. He left a son, James, who followed butchering. In disposition he was very peaceable and of few words ; he managed to make a living by hard work and rigid economy. Thus he passed his life until about thirty years of age. The surprise of the Springhill people was very great when, in 1808, an attorney from Eng- land arrived at New Geneva and made inquiry for Nicholas Blake or his heirs. James Blake was the heir he found. A large landed estate in England had fallen to him by the death of a relative. The law of England prohibits the sale of certain estates, and this entailed fortune of Blake must remain, and to enjoy his good luck he must become a British sub- ject or lose it. Without money he was unable to , who here ended his brilliant and useful life.

take possession. In this extremity he applied to Jas. W. Nicholson, Esq., who generously furnished the necessary amount of funds. His correspondence with Nicholson is lost, and with it all trace of the sub- sequent career of James Blake in his father's native land.

The celebrated estate called "Friendship Hill," once the home of Albert Gallatin, is situated south- east of New Geneva, in Springhill township. It con- sisted originally of three hundred and seventy acres and allowance, and belonged to Nicholas Blake, as already noticed. Gallatin, after purchasing Blake's warrant for the tract, had it patented in his own name Jan. 26, 1788. By later purchases the number of acres was raised to five hundred. In 1823 the main building of Gallatin's residence was built, dur- ing his absence in Europe. His son James had the management of affairs during this period, but spent most of his time in New Geneva at his uncle Nichol- son's. He, however, found leisure to change his father's plan of the building, changing the front from east to south, and thereby greatly injuring it and ne- cessitating the later addition of a wing and verandas to cover the defects. The elder Gallatin was greatly out of humor when he saw it on his return, and did not fail to express himself in forcible language to that effect.

It was in this house that the Marquis de Lafayette visited Gallatin when he passed through this section in 1825.

Gallatin sold the estate to Albin Mellier, May 26, 1832, nearly fifty years after having purchased it of Blake. Mellier was a kinsman of Gallatin, but lacked essential financial abilities. He had " too many irons in the fire," and so divided his forces that he became the prey of his creditors. To escape their importuni- ties he bnilt two steamboats, in one of which he went down the Mississippi, where he died between 1839 and 1843. The principal creditors were Charles and Frederick Tennig. Upon their claims Sheriff Morris sold the estate, the creditors becoming purchasers. For many years the property was without proper care. In 1858 it was sold to the Hon. John L. Daw- son, who greatly improved it. For several years he resided here, enjoying the quiet of domestic life. Many visitors have expressed their surprise upon visiting this historic mansion, wondering how it ever came that Gallatin or Dawson should choose a place so isolated for a residence. Among these visitors was Mrs. Henry Adams, who accompanied her husband when visiting the place in 1879, just before completing his life of Gallatin. Of the historical interest which clings to this venerable mansion of "Friendship Hill," the greater part is due to the fact that it was for many years the estate and home of Albert Galla- tin, the great financier and Secretary of the Treasury; but only second to this is the fact that in after-years it was the favorite seat of the Hon. John L. Dawson,

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SPRINGHILL TOWNSHIP.

It has already been mentioned that Gallatin's son James superintended the erection of the "Friend- ship Hill" mansion, during his father's absence in ·Europe in 1822-23, and that the elder Gallatin, re- turning in 1823, was disappointed, if not disgusted, at the changes which had been made in the original plan of the building. On his return from Paris, in May of that year, he remained for some time in Washington, then went to New Geneva to inspect his new house, and (presumably) with every hope of finding a commodious mansion suited to his taste. Unquestionably he was disappointed. Meeting his son at New Geneva, they, in company with Ed Brawley, drove out to see the house. On coming within sight of it he turned to his son and made the inquiry, "Which is the front ?" He was told it fronted south-nearly opposite the direction from which it was approached ! Upon this (as is narrated) he used language as forcible and nearly as reprehen- sible as that which Washington used at the battle of Monmouth when he met Lee in full retreat over the causeway. But it was an accomplished faet, and vig- orous language could not change it. He recovered his equanimity, made the best of what was then past help, inspected the mansion, liked it as well as he could, and two or three months later wrote to his daughter a letter somewhat humorons, giving his ideas with regard to the Monongahela country and the new mansion on "Friendship Hill," as follows : 1

"NEW GENEVA, 17th September, 1823.

"Notwithstanding all my exertions you will find it hard enough when you come next spring to accommodate yourself to the privations and wildness of the country. Our house has been built by a new Irish carpenter, who was always head over heels, and added much to the disorder inseparable from build- ing. Being unacquainted with the Grecian architecture, he adopted an Hiberno-Teutonic style, so that the outside of the house, with its port-hole-looking windows, has the appearance of Irish barracks, whilst the inside ornaments are similar to those of a Dutch tavern, and I must acknowledge that these form a singular contrast with the Freneb marble chimney-pieces, paper, and mirrors. On one side of that inass of stones which Lucien calls ' Le Chateau,' and in full view as you approach it, is a wing, consisting of the gable end of a log house, with its chimney in front, and I could not pull it down, as it is the kitchen and dining-room, where are daily fed two masons and plasterers, two attendants, two stone quarriers, two painters, a carpenter, Lucien, Albert's black Peter, and Mr., Made, Mesdlles, et les petits Buffle. The grounds are overgrown with elders, iron - weeds, stinking-weeds, laurel, several varieties of briers, impenetrable thickets of brush, vines, and underwood, amongst which are discovered vestiges of old asparagus-beds and new artichoke-beds, and now and then a spontaneous apple- or peach- tree. As to Albert, he has four guns, a pointer, three boats, two riding-horses, and a pet colt, smaller than a jackass, who feeds on the fragments of my old lilacs and althea frutex. Ilis own clothes adorn our parlor and only sitting-room in the old brick house, for the frame house is partly occupied by the Buffle family, and partly encumbered by various boxes and Albert's billiard-table, tbe pockets of which are made with his stock- ings."

MEDICAL MEN.

The first physician in Springhill township was Dr. Jacob Green. Nothing, however, is known of him, except that his name appears on the assessment-roll of the township in the year 1786. Of those who fol- lowed him in practice in this township were Dr. Samuel Sacket, Dr. Seely, of Greene County, Dr. Todd, Dr. James C. Ramsey, and several others. But a great portion of Nicholson originally belonged to Springhill, including the town of New Geneva, where the greater number of physicians resided.

EARLY ROADS.

The first road laid ont by the Fayette County Court to pass through this township was one petitioned for at the December session of 1783, viz. : " A publie road from Uniontown to the southern boundary of this county, or Mason and Dixon's line, to meet a road that is laid ont and cleared by order of the court of Mo- nongalia County, Va., to the said line near John Mc- Farland's ford on Cheat River." This road is the one now passing through Morris' Cross-Roads, and is the direet Uniontown and Morgantown road. Another road ordered by the court at the same session was " a road from Miller's ferry, on the Monongahela River, across the Laurel Hill, by the way of George Wil- liams', Jr., thence to the Widow Moore's, on Sandy Creek, to join the Pennsylvania or Maryland road." This road connected with the Washington, Ten-Mile, and Muddy Creek road at the Monongahela River, or Miller's ferry, now the New Geneva and Greensboro' ferry. The map of Pennsylvania published in London August, 1792, has this road marked upon it. Starting at Washington, it has a course southeast, passing near or through Carmichael's, Greene Co .; from thence to Minor's Mill, now Mapletown, Greene Co .; thence east-southeast to Greensboro', same county ; then by the route prayed for as above to the Widow Moore's, on Sandy Creek, and thence across Laurel Hill.

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History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 172

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