USA > Pennsylvania > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 185
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Joseph Downer, already noticed as Freeport's first inhabitant, was a man of great business enterprise and much respected. Reference to his early settle- ment in Fayette County, and to some of his manu- facturing enterprises on Downer's Run, will be found elsewhere in the history of Washington township, as also a notice of the somewhat famous Downer organ. After his removal to Freeport he lived on the lot now occupied by the residence of Mrs. Roscoe Thirkield, his granddaughter. There he lived until his death, Feb. 14, 1838. His children numbered thirteen, of whom six were sons. The last of the sons was James C. Downer, who died in Louisiana. Three of the daughters are yet living. They are Louisa Roberts, in Michigan ; Mrs. Thompson and Mrs. Thirkield, in Fayette City. Samuel Larimore, known promi- nently in connection with Cookstown's history, was an apprentice to Adam Weamer, the cabinet-maker, and all his life afterwards a carpenter in the town. He died in 1878, aged eighty years. His father, James, was one of Freeport's early boat-builders, and accord- ing to an old record still in the possession of Samuel Larimer's widow, was, on the 25th of July, 1798, "a member of the eighth class of the fifth company of Col. Thomas Johnson's battalion."
The manufacture of glass has been an important feature of Fayette City's industries since 1831. There were at one period no less than three glass-works within the limits of the town, but for many years the manufacture of glass at this point has been confined to one establishment. The business was founded here in 1831 by John Martin and John Baker, who in that year erected what were long known as the " upper works," containing an eight-pot furnace. Moderate success attended the enterprise from the first, but a change in proprietorship brought a change in fortune, and through various proprietary changes there were several failures until 1846, when the works were abandoned permanently. The buildings lay idle for years, until they were demolished to make room for the erection of dwelling-houses upon the site. In 1833 George Whiting built an eight-pot furnace on the "Point," and with William Eberhart, Sr., con- ducted the business for a short time. They were,
being Edward Mansfield. The furnace was supplied with eight pots, and, all told, about fifty hands were employed. Bezill sold his interest to Kyle, who in turn disposed of the works to William Eberhard, Jr. William Eberhard, Sr., succeeded in 1852, and con- tinued until 1857. Adam Blair, previously an em- ployé at the works, became proprietor, and after a three years' experience failed in 1860. After lying idle a time the factory was bought and revived by D. Harmany & Co., of Brownsville. In 1865 they were succeeded by Zimmerman & Co., who in 1872 sold out to Joseph Torrance & Co. In 1872, Torrance & Co. suspended work. „John King & Co. were their suc- cessors, but stopped work in 1873. The Iron City Company were the next in possession, and in 1877 the present proprietors took the property. In 1879 they revived the works, and since that time have operated them with profitable success. Their em- ployés number about sixty. Their weekly product of manufactured glass aggregates three hundred and fifty boxes, or nearly twenty thousand boxes annually. Their sand is obtained from Belle Vernon, and their lime from Tyrone. The annual consumption of ma- terials in the manufacture is about one hundred thou- sand bushels of coal, twenty-five thousand bushels of coke, seven hundred tons of sand, two hundred tons of lime, two hundred and sixty tons of soda.
BOROUGH ORGANIZATION AND OFFICERS.
A petition for the erection of Cookstown into a borough was presented Dec. 5, 1839, and laid over until the March session of court. The report was then made by the grand jury favorable to the erec- tion of the borough, and at the term held in March, 1840, the court confirmed the report of the grand jury and decreed that Cookstown should be erected into a borough or body corporate by the name and style of the borough of Cookstown, agreeably to the boundaries and draft annexed to the petition. September, 1847, a petition was presented to the court for an extension of the line of the said borough agreeably to certain designated courses and distances, and to change the day for the election of borough officers to the day pre- scribed by law for choosing township officers. A favorable report being made upon the petition the court confirmed the report, December, 1847.
Although the borough was organized in 1840, no mention can be found in either county or borough
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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
records of the names of borough officials elected prior to 1847. From that period to 1854, when an act of Legislature changed the name of the borough from Cookstown to Fayette City, the following named have been chosen among the borough officials, the incom- plete records giving, however, no mention of either burgess or councilmen except in 1848 :
1847 .- Justice of the Peace, William D. Mullin : Assessor, William Valentine ; Constable, Alexander Fleming ; Judge of Election, Aaron Bugher.
1848 .- Burgess, Milton G. Ebert : Council, Alexander Flem- ing, Philip $. Kuhns, Bazil Brightwell, John S. Wilgus, Ziba Whiting ; Justice of the Peace, Justus L. Blaney ; Au- ditor, Samuel Larimer ; Sehool Directors, William Krepps, Isaac Banks, Michael Slotterheck ; Assessor, J. V. Layton. 1849 .- School Directors, John Cuonard, Philip S. Kuhns, Wil- liam MeFee; Assessor, Samuel Larimer ; Constable, Alex- ander Fleming ; Judge, John Tiernan.
1850 .- Justice of the Peace, Isaae Banks, William T. Bealle; School Directors, John Tiernan, Francis McKee; Assessor, John G. Thompson ; Judge, William E. Fraser.
1851 .- School Directors, John V. Layton, Noah Jewell, John Long ; Assessor, John V. Layton ; Constable, Henry Hard- esty ; Judge, John Thirkiel.
1852 .- School Directors, John Cunnard, Philip S. Kuhns; As- sessor, John G. Thompson ; Constable, John Wright; Judge, David P. Lutz.
1853 .- Justices of the Peace, William R. Campbell, Francis MeKee; School Directors, Samuel Larimer, Michael Slot- terbeck ; Anditor, Harvey Barker, Seneca MeCrory ; As- sessor, George Whiting ; Judge, John V. Layton.
1854 .- School Directors, John Long, John V. Layton; Assessor, John Cunnard : Judge, John Tiernan : Constable, Samuel B. Ilamilton.
An act approved April 11, 1854, and entitled “ An Act to change the name of the borough of Cookstown, in Fayette County, etc.," provides that "the borough of Cookstown, in the county of Fayette, shall be hereafter known by the name of Fayette City, and under that name shall have all the rights and privi- leges to which said borough is now entitled by law, and shall be subject to all the restrictions and liabilities to which said borough is now by law subjected to."
The civil list for Fayette City from 1855 to 1881 is given below :
1855.1-School Directors, William Banks, Lewis Krepps, Philip S. Kuhns, John Cunnard ; Assessors, Philip S. Kuhns, Jo- seph Evans ; Judge, John Cunnard ; Constable, Samuel B. Ilamilton.
1856 .- Burgess, William R. Campbell ; Councilmen, Job Kitts, Ziba Whiting, Samuel Mansfield, William Krepps, Robert G. Mullin ; School Directors, Edward Mansfield, Samuel Larimer ; Assessor, George Whiting.
IS57 .- Burgess, R. G. Mullin ; Council, Lewis Krepps, Sr., James Ilutton, James Jacobs, Michael Alter, Samuel Mans- field ; School Directors, James Daugherty, Michael Slot- terbeck ; Assessor, George Whiting.
1858 .- Burgess, Griffith Wells: Council, William Haney, Wil- lium Athey, W. E. Fraser, Jr .. P. McPhelin, Wesley Lari- mer : Justice of the Peace, George Whiting ; School Di-
rectors, Wesley Larimer, Jobn Cunnard; Assessors, Sam- uel B. Hamilton, James Daugherty.
1859 .- Burgess. James Johnson ; Council, Wesley Larimer, Ziba Whiting, W. E. Fraser, Jr., David McBain, George P. Ful- ton ; Justice of the Peace, Robert G. Mullin : School Direc- tors, John Long, Harvey Barker; Assessor, John V. Layton. 1860 .- Burgess, John Cunnard; Council, William Krepps, Ed- ward Mansfield, William Troth, G. B. Cook, George P. Fulton ; School Directors, William Krepps, James H. Gor- don, R. G. Mullin : Justice of the Peace, John Branthaffer ; Assessor, William Evans.
1861 .- Burgess, Jobn P. Tiernan ; Council, William Krepps, William Troth, Lewis Krepps, Joseph C. King, George P. Fulton ; School Director's, Henry F. Roberts, Lewis Krepps : Assessor, L. Baldwin.
1862 .- Burgess, Harvey B. Fleming : Council, William E. Mc- Crory, James Hutton, Edward Mansfield, John Stofft, J. C. King ; Justices of the Peace, Robert L. Baldwin, Samuel B. Hamilton; Assessor, Ziba Whiting; School Directors, Samuel Mansfield, Wesley Larimer, Harvey Barker.
1863 .- Burgess, John Cunnard ; Council, James Johnston, R. G. Mullin, James Honseman, L. L. Whiting, Joseph A. MeKee; Justice of the Peace, Wesley Larimer; School Directors, Van Buren Barker, George M. Geho ; Assessor, Samuel Larimer.
1864 .- Burgess, P. McPhelin ; Council, J. H. Bugher, Ed- ward Mansfield, John Pfleghardt, William E. MeCrory, R. G. Mullin ; Justice of the Peace, William Eberhart; School Directors, Joseph King, R. G. Mullin ; Assessor, Daniel MeDonald.
1865 .- Burgess, George Whiting : Council, H. B. Fleming, Samuel Campbell, Jobn Pfleghardt, Thomas Mande, Ziba Whiting; School Directors, James H. Gordon, William Campbell, Wesley Larimer. Charles Wilson ; Assessor, Wil- liam Eberhart; Justice of the Peace, George W. Geho.
1866 .- Burgess, Thomas Jacobs ; Conneil, John Pfleghardt, J. C. King, William Haney, Van B. Barker, Lewis Krepps : School Directors, John Stofft, Lewis Krepps, Van B. Barker ; Assessor, William Eberbart : Justice of the Pence, George Whiting.
1867 .- Burgess, William E. MeCrory ; Council, James II. Gor don, Samuel Campbell, William Williams, George Markle, James Reese ; School Directors, William Campbell, R. G. Mullin, Joseph A. McKee, Michael Alter; Assessor, Daniel McDonald : Auditors, Samuel Mansfield. William Camp- hell, Calvin Mansfield.
1868 .- Burgess, William MeFee; Council, John Pfleghardt, William Lenhart, Thornton F. Baldwin, Isaac Siekman, Daniel Harmany, Ziba Whiting; Justice of the Peace, Samuel B. Hamilton ; Assessor, R. L. Baldwin ; School Di- rectors, William E. Fraser, William E. McCrory ; Auditors, James Todd, Peter MeFeeland, M. Slotterbeek.
1869 .- Burgess, Joseph A. McKee; Council, L. L. Whiting, F. F. Baldwin, Otho Furlong, Chas. Wilson ; School Diree- tors, James M. Gordon, James Measters, William Troth ; Assessor, Samuel Larimer : Auditor, R. L. Baldwin.
1870 -Burgess, Louis Krepps : Couneil, Michael Slotterbeck, J. C. King, Joseph L. Cooper, George Geho, Robert Wil- son : School Directors, R. G. Mullin, Michael Alter : Audi- tor, Samuel Mansfield, John B. Quay.
1871 .- Burgess, R. B. Brown ; Council, Otho Furlong, Chas. Wilson, Samuel Means, John Mullin, S. B. Hamilton ; As- sessor, II. P. Fleming : Justice of the Peace, William Camp- bell : School Directors, W. E. Fraser, Wm. E. MeClory ; Auditor. Thomas Browo.
: 1872 .- Burgess, Joseph A. McKee; Couneil, R. W. Wilson, W.
1 No record of the election of burgess or councilmen.
.
FAYETTE CITY BOROUGHI.
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C. Athey, Joho Pfleghardt, J. P. Krepps, Allen Mansfield ; School Directors, John Baldwin, I. Y. Sloan, H. B. Frye, L. L. Whiting ; Assessor, William Troth; Auditor, Wil- liam Troth.
1873 .- Griffith Wells ; Council, R. G. Mullin, W. A. McCuoe, J. J. McKenna, A. D. Bruce, J. C. King; Justice of the Peace, Samuel B. Hamilton ; Assessor, H. H. Connelly.
1874 .- Burgess, J. C. King; Council, H. B. Frye, James I. McKenna, J. L. Cooper, Edward Mansfield, William Troth, and Wesley Mullin; Justice of the Peace, Joseph A. McKee; School Directors, H. B. Fry, Allen S. Mansfield; Assessor, Samuel Larimer.
1875 .- Burgess, William Beatty ; Council, H. B. Frye, James Hamer, John Pfleghardt, Samuel Mansfield, A. D. Barker, J. M. H. Gordon ; School Directors, Joseph C. King, Isaac N. Cooper, Henry Barker, G. R. Thirkield : Auditor, Wil- liam McKee; Assessor, Samuel B. Hamilton.
1876 .- Burgess, William Reeves; Council, John Pfleghardt, James Krepps, Thomas Maude, Charles Wilson, George W. Patton, William Barker ; Justice of the Peace, Harvey Barker; School Directors, James Campbell, A. D. Barker, R. G. Mullin ; Assessor, R. W. Wilson : Auditor, R. Lin- colo.
1877 .- Burgess, John H. Baldwin ; Council, James MeCrory, Leroy Fleming, Jos. L. Cooper, William Troth, H. B. Frye, I. N. Mullin; School Directors, H. B. Fleming, Daniel Pfleghardt, John Barker, L. L. Whiting; Justice of the Peace, Joseph A. McKee; Auditor, S. B. Ilamilton.
1878 .- Burgess, Charles Wilson ; Council, J. Q. Mckenna; W. W. Whitsett, Thomas Mande, Lewis Billeter, William Reeves, Jacob Showerman ; School Directors, J. L. Cooper, I. N. Mullin, John D. Carr, J. N. Cooper ; Assessor, R. W. Wilson ; Auditors, George Masters, George R. Wilson : Justice of the Peace, S. B. Hamilton.
1879 .- Burgess, J. L. Cooper; Council, J. W. Gordon, Chas. Wilson, John Mullin, Samuel Mansfield, Joha II. Baldwin, James Q. McKenna; School Directors, Joho N. Barker, Thomas Maude; Assessor, L. L. Whitiog ; Auditor, L. K. llamilton ; Justices, G. M. Geho, L. J. Jeffries.
1880 .- Burgess, J. L. Cooper ; Council, R. G. Mullin, Joha Pfleghardt, N. B. Brightwell, W. H. Pattoa, E. W. White, James Leonard ; School Directors, S. Mansfield, J. M. II. Gordon, A. D. Barker, H. B. Frye : Assessor, A. S. Mans- field; Auditor, A. D. Geho.
1881 .- Burgess, Chas. Wilson; Council, W. H. Bians, L. L. Whiting, Daniel Pfleghardt, Isaac N. C'ooper, Wm. Geho, J. C. King ; Justice of the Peace, T. Mansfield ; Assessor, G. W. Geho; Auditor, J. M. Briner ; School Directors, H. B. Frye, J. D. Carr, Thomas Maude, J. M. H. Gordon.
SCHOOLS.
established in the village in a building on Water Street near Union. The structure is now the residence of Mr. Ziba Whiting. Among those who taught there were Isaiah Alden, a Presbyterian preacher, and Maria Dinsmore. In 1818 the people of the town built upon the site of the present school-house a framed edifice, to be free for the holding of a school and | is sixty-five.
for the use of all religious denominations choosing to worship therein. Jacob Woods was the builder ; Wil- liam D. Mullin and U. C. Ford were the trustees. Some of the earliest teachers in that building were Mr. McCormick, Mr. Bosely, Thomas Tomlinson, Samuel Griffith, Francis McKee, John Wilson, and John B. Gould. Mr. Gonld gave up teaching there in 1828, and removed to Belle Vernon, where he still lives at the age of eighty-six years. The house was used for school purposes until 1839, when a brick building was put up and used chiefly for a public school. The basement was used as a public hall. School was held in the brick honse until 1870, when the present fine building was completed. It was commenced in 1869, and first occupied in the fall of 1870. Wesley Lari- mer was the contractor for the mason-work. The edifice is two stories in height, measures fifty by sixty feet, and is surmonnted with a substantial bell-tower, whose top is seventy-four feet from the ground. The entire cost of the building was fifteen thousand dol- lars. There are six rooms and four school depart- ments. In charge of these are Elisha Porter (prin- cipal), Miss Maria Larimer, Miss Mary Malone, and Miss Hattie Harmany. The school directors for 1881 are J. D. Carr, H. B. Frye, Samnel Mansfield, A. D. Barker, Thomas Maude, J. M. H. Gordon.
CHURCHES.
Cookstown had no regularly appointed place of worship nntil 1818, when the citizens built a framed house and set it apart to the free use of schools and churches, or members of any religious denomination desirous of having public devotional exercises.
THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
was doubtless the first religious organization effected in the town. A class was formed as early as 1815 and attached to the Redstone Circuit, and nntil 1820 meetings were held in the stone school-house on the hill, in Crane's old store-house on the river's bank, and in the houses of members. Among the most prominent of the latter were W. B. Mullin and wife, Adam Weamer, U. C. Ford, and Margaret and Jane Hunter. Mr. Mullin was one of the first class-lead- ers, and probably the first. In that capacity he offi- ciated at times until his death. In 1820 the Union church building was occupied by the Methodists in common with other denominations, and until 1842 it
The children of Cookstown were taught in 1812, and before, in a stone school-house that occupied a spot upon the present site of Mount Auburn Ceme- ' was the place of meeting. In that year a brick tery, where at that time there was a graveyard. Three | Methodist Episcopal Church was built. Its dimen- teachers now remembered to have presided there were , sions are forty by sixty feet, and its seating capacity De Wolf, Hazlip, and Bosely. In 1816 a school was , about six hundred. Among the early pastors of the
church may be named Revs. James Sansom, Fleming, Slicer, and Brockcooner. The present pastor is Rev. Mr. Mansell; the class-leader, John Mullin ; the Sunday-school superintendent, J. D. C'arr ; and the trustees, R. G. Mullin, John Mullin, J. D. Carr, Sam- nel Brown, and William Beatty. The membership
824
HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
FREE-WILL BAPTIST CHURCH.
About 1820, Elder John Williams, who had before that been preaching to the Free-Will Baptists of Cookstown, organized them into a church, and after that preached to them in the Union church building. Under Elder Williams' ministrations the organiza- tion flourished apace, and in 1845 had grown so strong that upwards of a hundred people were regularly present in the congregation each Sabbath. In that year a house of worship was built, and matters went on prosperously. By and by Elder Williams found some disfavor among his people, who considered he was growing somewhat dictatorial and aggressive in some respects. Construing their expressions into signs of unwarranted interference with him and his methods, he exhibited a decided independence that eventually led to his retirement from the charge. In 1853 he resigned, after a service of upwards of thirty years. That Elder Williams was the mainstay of the organization after all, is proved by the fact that after his departure the church slowly but surely saw its strength and influence waning. Dissensions and differences multiplied, and as a result a final dissolu- tion took place in 1860. The meeting-house was sold to the Presbyterians, and the Free-Will Baptist Church of this place became extinct.
THE CHURCH OF CHRIST
was organized Oct. 9, 1836, by Rev. James Dorsey, in the village school-house. Who the organizing mem- bers were cannot now be told, but among the names appearing earliest upon the records may be given those of Ralph Whitsett, Abbia Allen, William Sowers, Daniel Torry, Nathan G. Hubbs, Edmund and Samuel Hubbs, Daniel Springer, Robert Stog- dall, Sarah Sowers, Mary Hubbs, Sarah Stam, Polly Allen, Deborah Stogdall, Sister Whitsett, Sarah Springer, Rachel Hubbs, James Dorsey, William Allen, and Elizabeth Hubbs. The records of the church history are vague and imperfect, and afford but little information. It is known that the Union church building was used as a meeting-house to 1869, and that in that year the present church edifice on Second Street was erected. The membership now aggregates about one hundred and twenty-five. The elders are Wesley Larimer, Edward W. White, Thomas Maude, Samuel Mansfield, and James Ha- mer ; the deacons, George Whiting, John Coldren, James L. Krepps, and William W. Whitsett. Sam- uel Mansfield is superintendent of the Sunday-school.
Munnell, Charlotte Allen, Maria Allen, Barbara , private enterprise, but transacts a general banking
FAYETTE CITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The Presbyterian Church of Fayette City was organ- ized about 1870 by members of Rehoboth Church, and purchase made of the house of worship built by the Free-Will Baptists and abandoned by them about 1860. Rev. Mr. Gailey was the first regular pastor. The sub- scribers to the fund for the support of the pastor in 1872 are named herewith, and in that list, it is fair to
assume, appear the names of all or nearly all of the church-members at that period. They were William Bank, Nancy J. Sisley, Mary Conrad, Mrs. Sisley, Dit Church, Dr. Stone, J. C. King, Celia McKee, M. Slotterbeck, Mrs. McKee, D. H. Hough, W. A. Mc- Cune, Daniel Pfleghardt, Mrs. Fulton, Mrs. Stone, Dr. Conklin, Samuel Galloway, Samuel Clark, J. R. Wil- son, George Clark, Naucy Wilson, Mr. Dunlevy, John Brown, A. Dunlevy, H. F. Blythe, H. Patton, Sarah Patton, S. Downs, K. B. Brown, Mrs. Torrence, Mrs. M. A. Kuntz, J. L. McFeter, Sallie Hunter, Eli Allen, L. J. Jeffries, R. C. Santee, William MeCrory, R. G. Mullin, William Lenhart, Mrs. Mullin, J. Dinsmore, Cyrus Hough, W. McCrory, Hugh McKee, Joseph Brown, Mr. Powers, J. Wykoff. The pastor now in charge is Rev. A. B. Lowes, also in charge of the church at Belle Vernon. The elders are M. Slotter- beck and J. C. King. J. C. King is superintendent of the Sabbath-school. The church membership is thirty-two.
FAYETTE CITY WOOLEN-FACTORY.
This manufacturing enterprise, located on Downer's Run, near the borough limits, was founded in 1840 by its present owner, James Hamer. In 1830, Mr. Hamer and James Pilling manufactured woolen goods at Cook's Mills, and in 1835, the firm dissolving, Hamer moved to the Little Redstone, and in 1840 to Cooks- town. His manufactured product embraces chiefly woolen goods and yarns for local supply and country trade. The factory is supplied with three carding- machines, one spinning-jack, and one hundred and fifty spindles. Five hands are usually employed.
BANK.
The only banking-house ever possessed by Fayette City was founded by Binns, Cope & Brown in 1875, who are still the owners of the institution. It is a business upon an ample capital.
SOCIETIES AND ORDERS.
GUMERT LODGE, No. 252, F. A. M .. was char- tered Dec. 27, 1850, to Charles H. Conley, W. M .; Adam Shunk, S. W .; John Swearet, J. W. In 1856 the officers were George Whiting, W. M .; J. T. C. Ford, S. W .; Ziba Whiting, J. W .; Louis Krepps, S. D .; H. Westcott, J. D .; William Troth, Treas .; John Mullin, Sec .; M. Slotterbeck, M. C .; William Gaskill, Tiler. The membership May I, 1881, was forty-four, when the officers were A. B. Troth, W. M .; J. D. Barnum, S. W .; George Treasure, J. W .; L. J. Jeffries, Treas .; Louis Krepps, Sec .; William Fur- long, S. D .; M. Alter, J. D .; Henry Pendleton, Tiler ; John Pfleghardt, M. C .; A. S. Blair, H.
FAYETTE CITY LODGE, No. 511, I. O. O. F., was chartered Nov. 20, 1854. The first officers were Michael Alter, N. G .: James Houseman, V. G .; F. M. Yost, Sec .; E. D. MeClellan, A. S .; John G. Martin, Treas. Although the lodge has contributed
John B book
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WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.
materially to the organization of lodges at Greenfield and Belle Vernon, it has still (May 1, 1881) a mem- bership of ninety-six. It is remarkably prosperous in every way, and boasts a fund of about six thousand dollars, represented by real estate and bonded invest- ments. The officers now are Allen Byles, N. G .; Euclid C. Griffith, V. G .; William Beatty, Sec .; J. C. King, Treas.
JOPPA LODGE, No. 396, K. OF P., was chartered March 25, 1873, to John A. Bivins, George Treasure, Albert Downer, M. Alters, S. R. Walters, T. F. Bald- win, William Vaughn, R. Jones, and T. V. Vaughn. The members numbered fifty in May, 1881. Then the officers were William Lindey, C .; Frank Bell, V. C .; Charles H. Mott, P .; John Pfleghardt, M. of E .; George Krepps, K. of R. and S .; W. P. Vaughn, M. of F .; John Pascoe, M. at A.
AGAPA LODGE, No. 63, A. O. U. W., was organized in 1873. In May, 1881, the membership was twenty. The officers were then as follows : Ralph Gray, M. W .; Lewis Kendall, P. M. W .; Charles Farquhar, Fore- man; Frank Rutherford, O .; F. T. Baldwin, R .; J. T. Brightwell, Financier ; H. B. Fleming, Guide ; Henry Belter, O. W.
MOUNT AUBURN CEMETERY.
This handsomely adorned home of the dead, located upon a commanding eminence that overlooks the town, is owned by Samuel Mansfield. It fronts the State road, and contains four acres, apportioned into three hundred and thirty-five burial-lots in the form of a parallelogram. The entrance is through an arched gateway surmounted with the figure of Hope. There are neatly-kept paths, bright-looking lawns, and many tasteful monuments.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
JOHN BELL COOK.
John Bell Cook, of Washington township, is of the third generation of that name in this locality. He was born Aug. 26, 1808, upon the old Cook home- stead in that township. His early education was re- ceived in the common schools. He learned the busi- ness of farming, and resided with his father until his marriage with Matilda Cunningham, of Washington township, Fayette Co., Oct. 18, 1837, and then moved to a farm on the Monongahela River near Fayette City, where he resided sixteen years. Here all of his children, below named, were born: James was born May 14, 1840, and followed farming until Sep- tember, 1862, when he entered the army. He died at City Point, Aug. 16, 1864, from injuries received in the service. His remains were removed in November of that year to Rehoboth Presbyterian Cemetery. Sarah A. was born Aug. 23, 1842. She was educated
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