History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 186

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 186

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in the common schools and Blairsville Female Semi- nary. married Andrew M. Fulton, Esq., of Greensburg, Jan. 14, 1874, and died December 12th of the same year. William Johnson, the third child, was born July 4, 1844, and died in infancy. Joseph A. was born Dec. 11, 1846. He is a farmer, and resides with his father. He married Violette H. Elliott, of Jef- ferson township, Sept. 20, 1876; they have two chil- dren, Ada and Sallie. The youngest child, Robert Johnson, was born March 21, 1849. He received his early education in the common schools, entered Yale College in 1872, and graduated in 1876. He began the study of law in Greensburg with A. M. Fulton, Esq., in 1877, and completed his course in the office of Hon. John H. Baily, of Pittsburgh. He was ad- mitted to the har in 1878, and was married April 26, 1881, to Annie Wells, of Pittsburgh, and sailed for Europe. He is now in Leipsie, Germany, studying. They have one child, born in Germany. He was eap- tain of the Yale boat crew from 1873 until 1876. He was sent by Yale to England in 1873 to learn the English stroke.

Mr. Cook has never held a political office outside of the township, and never sought one. He has been a member of the Presbyterian Church for many years. His father, James Cook, was born Aug. 13, 1772, upon the Cook homestead, and was a farmer. May 6, 1806, he married Mary Bell, who was born in Ire- land, and emigrated to this country when eleven years old. They had six children,-five sons and one daughter. John was the second. The sons were all farmers. The daughter married a farmer. Only three of the children are living,-John B., William E., and Martha Hough.

Mr. Cook's grandfather, Col. Edward Cook, was the pioneer of civilization in this region. He moved here in 1770 from Conococheague, Franklin Co., where he married Martha Crawford. They had but one child, James Cook. To his character the legends of the times say that the inscription upon his tomb- stone (composed by the Rev. William Wylie, pastor of the Rehoboth Church of Rostraver township, Westmoreland Co., from 1803 to 1815), is a fitting tribute. It is, "In memory of Col. Edward Cook. He died on the 27th of November, 1808, in the sev- enty year of his age. Few men have deserved and possessed more eminently than Col. Cook the con- sideration and esteem of the people in the Western country. In publie spirit, disinterestedness, and zeal for the general welfare he was excelled by none. In private life, his unsullied integrity, his liberality, and the amiable benevolence of his temper endeared him to his friends, and marked him as a sanctuary to which the poor might confidently resort for relief. Through a long life of piety and active exertion to promote the interests of the Christian religion he had learned to set his heart upon a nobler inheritance than that of this world. He therefore received the approach of his dissolution with resignation and com-

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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

COL. EDWARD COOK.

posure, under a lively hope that the end of life here would be to him but the beginning of infinite hap- piness."

Col. Edward's wife was born Dec. 25, 1743, and died April 20, 1837.

John B. Cook possesses many of the virtues of his grandsire.

SAMUEL C. GRIFFITH.

Samuel C. Griffith was born in Westmoreland County, Pa., Nov. 28, 1795. When young his father moved to Washington township, Fayette Co., and located upon the farm which his son afterwards owned, and upon which his widow now resides. Mr. Griffith's early years were spent in farm-work, factory- work, and attending the district schools.

When seventeen years of age he engaged in school- teaching. For forty years he continued in this work during the winter season, only missing one winter. He was one of the best and most widely-known sur- veyors in the county, and spent much of his time, when not engaged in teaching, in surveying. His father, William Griffith, becoming involved by indorsing for some of his neighbors, the farm was sold by the sheriff, and Sanmel bought it; that was in 1822. He was married March 27, 1823, to Esther Farquhar, of Washington township, Fayette Co., Pa. They had seven children, six of whom are living,-Mary, mar- ried to Levi B. Stephens ; Elmira, married to David P. Stephens; Emlen B., married to Margaret A. Guf- fey, and again to Elizabeth Crouch ; Euclid C., mar- ried to Martha Stephens ; Sarah, married to Thomas Watson ; and Esther F., married to Thomas C. Griffith.

Mr. Griffith was a member of the Quaker meeting till the time of his marriage. He was turned out for marrying out of the Society.

He was a justice of the peace for many years, and was a general business man, wrote and acknowledged many deeds, married people, wrote articles of agree- ment, etc.

His widow thinks his father's people came from Wales. His moral status, like that of all Quakers, was good. Ile was a jovial man, and a valuable and respected citizen. He was industrious, always en- gaged in some useful work. He was much above the average in intelligence, a great student of mathe- matics and history. He was a careful workman. His penmanship was elegant. All of his work was done well. He died July 11, 1873, mourned by the entire community. His remains rest in Little Redstone Methodist Cemetery.

LEVI B. STEPHENS.

Levi B. Stephens was born Oct. 28, 1821, on the old Stephens homestead, in Washington township, Fay- ette Co., Pa., where he grew to manhood. His edu- cation was limited to the district schools of his native township, where he laid the foundations for an active and successful business life. On the 10th day of April, 1845, he was joined in marriage to Miss Mary Griffith, daughter of Samuel C. and Esther (Far- quhar) Griffith. She was born in Washington town- ship, Fayette Co., Pa., Jan. 25, 1824. Their union has been blessed with three children, as follows : Elmira, born Jan. 26, 1846, married Jehu Luce, Oct. 19, 1865 ; Esther J., born Oct. 1, 1848, married June 29, 1870, to John W. Smith (Esther died Sept. 17, 1878) ; and Adeline, born March 14, 1851, married Dec. 6, 1877, to James H. McKnight. Arrived at man's estate, Mr. Stephens first bought the farm now owned by John Patterson, in Perry township. This he sold, and in 1850 moved upon the farm in Wash- ington township, still belonging to his estate. He afterwards purchased another farm, which he owned at his death, which occurred Dec. 29, 1874. He is spoken of by his neighbors as a man of sterling qual- ities, one whose word was as good as a bond, and one who, in his dealing with his fellow-men, always remem- bered the golden rule, " Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Mr. and Mrs. Stephens were for many years members of the Methodist Epis- copal Church.

LEVI STEPHENS.

The Stephens family is one of the oldest and largest in Fayette County. The first of whom the family here have any account was one John Stephens, who emigrated from Wales when seventeen years of age, and settled in Eastern Pennsylvania, probably in Bucks County. He had a son Levi, who came to Fayette County when about eighteen years of age,

Levi Stephens

Devi & Stephens

DENTON LYNN.

John Brown

827

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

as a government surveyor. He took land for his services, and owned all the lands now in posses- sion of his progeny. He married Elizabeth Brown, of Chester County, Pa. They had seven children, -- | He was married Dec. 12, 1844, to Sarah H. Power, of Nathaniel, Sarah, John, Levi, Nancy, Elizabeth, and Thomas,-who grew to manhood and womanhood and married. Two of their children died in infancy.

Levi, the last surviving member of this family, was born Sept. 10, 1790. He spent his early life tilling his father's farm and attending the district school of the neighborhood. In 1813 he was married to Mary Farquhar, of Washington township, Fay- ette Co. They located upon the farm where his widow now resides, and his entire life was spent here as a farmer. He died Jan. 13, 1878. His widow survives him, aged eighty-six. They have had nine children. Six are now living. Robert, Esther, and Aaron are dead. Jehu, Israel, Johnson, Rachel, James, and Mary are living, married, and have families.

Levi Stephens never had time to hold an office. He was a busy farmer, and gave all his children a pe- cuniary start in life. He was an amiable, benevolent gentleman. He was not a member of the church, but his moral standing was excellent, according to the testimony of his discreetest neighbors.

JOHN BROWN.

The first of the family of the late Mr. John Brown, of Washington township, and who died April 15, 1872, of whom there is any special record at hand was An- drew Brown, who was born in Ireland in 1759. He emigrated to America in 1779, and settled on West Conococheague Creek, in Franklin County, Pa, His wealth at that time consisted of one shilling. He remained there just long enough to make the money to bring him to Fayette County. When he came here he settled on Mill Run, one and a half miles east of Fayette City, where he bought a farm from Col. Ed- ward Cook. He engaged in farming, and continued in that occupation all his life. April 24, 1788, he married Jane Bigham, of Westmoreland County, Pa. They had seven daughters and three sons. Of the children, Hester and Andrew died young ; Elizabeth married Hugh C. Ford; Nancy died single; Polly married Capt. Duncan Campbell ; Jane married John Moore; Martha C. died single; Margaret married James Torrance.

John was the seventh child, and the only one of the sons who grew to manhood. He was born April 1, 1805. His early life was passed upon his father's farm. His opportunities for early education were limited, being confined to the common schools. The little learning he gathered there was supplemented by ex- tensive reading in after-years. His father died in 1823, and the management of the farm devolved upon ' name of Thomas Mifflin, first Governor of Pennsyl-

him. He proved himself a successful manager, and although a liberal giver to all benevolent causes, he added largely to what he inherited from his father. Allegheny County, Pa. They had five children. Ada and Anna died at two years of age; Nannie J. died at the age of twenty ; Mary Emma, married to M. M. Willson, of Westmoreland County. They have one child living, Andrew Brown Willson,

Andrew Brown, the only son, resides with his mother upon the old homestead. John Brown held the office of justice of the peace for a number of years. Ile was a man of peace. He rarely charged anything for his services, and always counseled an amicable settle- ment of difficulties between neighbors. He was for many years an active member and liberal supporter of the Rehoboth Presbyterian Church. His family are all members of the same communion. Ile left his family valuable possessions, a good name, lands, etc.

His family and friends bless his memory, and love to tell of his charities, gentleness, lowliness of heart, and many other Christian graces, His virtues were many.

Andrew Brown, Sr., was for fifty years an elder in the Presbyterian Church of Rehoboth. Ile died March 27, 1823. Jane, his wife, departed this life April 7, 1833, aged sixty-nine years.

DENTON LYNN.

Denton Lynn, of Washington township, is of Irish descent, and was born upon the farm where he now re- sides fifty-one years ago. His education was received in the common schools. He early learned the business of farming, and has been engaged in it ever since. He was married Feb. 8, 1857, to Margaret A. Corwin, of Belle Vernon. She died May 22, 1881. There were born to them eleven children, all of whom are living,-Sylvania, married to Johnson Hough, Jo- anna, Olive R., John C., Charles Sumner, Joseph Denton, Robert Finley, Martha D., George E., Nellie, and Mary Emma.

Mr. Lynn has held the usual township offices. His father was John Lynn, who was born in 1794, and lived and died upon this farm. He married Drusilla Curry, of Fayette City. They had eight children. Denton is the youngest. His grandfather's name was Andrew Lynn. He was born on Town Creek, Alle- gany Co., Md., Sept. 23, 1766. When very young his father, whose name was Andrew, settled upon Big Redstone, in Redstone township, upon the farm which James MI. Lynn now owns. Soon after settling there Andrew (1st) purchased the land owned now by Denton Lynn from the Indians. He added to his first purchase a farm of 130 acres, owned by one Pearce. The deed was made in 1790, and bears the

828

HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

vania. Upon this tract are some of the largest locust- trees in the State, one, measuring twenty feet in cir- cumference, and known to be nearly two centuries old, is probably the progenitor of all the living locusts of this region. It also contains the remains of "Fort Sedgy." The tract was known by that name. The fort consisted of a strong stone wall about four feet high, built in the shape of a horseshoe. Many relics have been found here, such as tomahawks, skeletons, etc.

One human skeleton here found measured eight feet in length.

Mr. Lynn's possessions are chiefly lands, and he has added considerably to what he inherited. He is a prudent business man, and has a comfortable home. He is noted for his sobriety, industry, and honesty.

Mr. Lynn's great-grandfather, Andrew Lynn, was a colonel in the Revolutionary war, and served during the entire struggle.

WHARTON TOWNSHIP.'

Boundaries and General Description-Indian Trails and Graves-Battle- Grounds of 1754-Roads-The Old Braddock Road-The National Road-Braddock's Grave-Fayette Springs-Pioneers and Settlement -Township Organization and Officers-Villages-Cemeteries-Mail Service-Wharton Furnace-Religious Denominations-Schools.

WHARTON is one of the nine townships into which Fayette County was originally divided by the first court for the county, at December sessions, 1783. After naming eight of the townships the record mentions Wharton, the ninth, in the following language: "The residue of the county, being chiefly mountainous, is included in one township, known as Wharton town- ship." Wharton, in order of size, is first ; in order of age is the fifth, and in order of designation is the ninth of the twenty-three townships into which the county is now divided. It is bounded on the north by Dunbar, on the east by Stewart and Henry Clay, on the south by Mason and Dixon's line, on the west by Springhill, Georges, South Union, and North Union. It is the southwestern of the five mountain townships of the county. Its greatest length from north to south is eleven and one-half miles, and its greatest width from east to west is thirteen and one- quarter miles.

Wharton lies in the southern part of the Ligonier Valley, between two ranges of the Allegheny Moun- tains, but in reality presents very little appearance of a valley. Its surface is broken, and high hills with abrupt slopes extend through the centre. On the west the deep cut made by the waters of Big Sandy only prevents Laurel Hill Ridge from uniting with the high hills of the centre. In the southeast a small portion of the township is an elevated plain known as the Glades. Wharton is from 1800 to 2000 feet above the level of the sea.

The township at the time of its settlement was heavily timbered, lacking the heavy undergrowth now so abundant,-on the hills, oak ; on the mountain ridges, oak and chestnut ; on the creek bottoms, oak,

pine, poplar, sugar, and cherry. The timber has been greatly, and in many cases needlessly, cut off to sup- ply furnaces and tanneries, yet the township is well timbered to-day.

The soil is clay loam on the hills, and sand loam on the chestnut ridges, streams, and glades, and the surface in some places rough and rocky. The town- ship is admirably adapted to stock - and sheep-raising, the only bar to agriculture being the length of the winter season. Over 2000 feet above the level of the sea, the climate is healthy, with pure air and excellent water, with short summer and long winter seasons.

In 1840 coal was hardly known here; now ten different coal-beds have been opened, varying from one and a half to nine feet in thickness, on Big Sandy, Little Sandy, Stony Fork, and Great Meadow Run.

Limestone was thought twenty-five years ago only to exist in' mountain ridges, but now has been dis- covered in many places in the township. On Big Sandy Creek a vein of ten feet has been found, and a vein twenty feet thick one mile from Wharton Fur- nace. The Morgantown sandstone shows twenty feet thick near Wharton Furnace, and is a splendid build- ing stone. It weathers dull gray, splits well, and is abundant. Fire-clay exists in several places, but contains lump iron ore.

Iron ore is abundant and of excellent quality. There are many legends of zinc, lead, and silver- mines, and traces of these metals have actually been found, but upon examination proved not to be in paying quantities,-lead above Elliottsville, silver in Little Sandy, near Gibbons' Glade, zine on Mill Run, near Victor's old mill. Water-power is abundant. Big Sandy and its branches, Little Sandy, and Great Meadow Run afford many locations for saw-mills, flouring-mills, and factories. Mineral springs of re- ported curative properties exist in several places, -a large red sulphur spring at Baumgardner's, near Gibbons' Glade, chalybeate springs at William

1 By Samuel T. Wiley.

829

WHARTON TOWNSHIP.

Smith's, on the turnpike, a very strong sulphur spring near Farmington, and the celebrated Fayette Springs, near Chalk Hill, on the National road, where some summer seasons from two hundred to three hundred persons have been boarders to try its virtues.

In July, 1783, Wharton was erected a township of Westmoreland County, comprising all of Springhill township east of the top of Laurel Hill to the Youghiogheny River. It included all of what is now Henry Clay, and all of that part of Stewart west of the Youghiogheny River, with all of Dunbar south of Laurel Hill. The first court of Fayette County, December sessions, 1783, laid it out as a township of Fayette. In 1793 that part of Dunbar south of Laurel Hill was taken from Wharton and added to Franklin. In January, 1823, Henry Clay was erected from Wharton. In November, 1855, Stewart, west of the Youghiogheny, was erected, including that part of Wharton. Afterwards a small portion of Henry Clay was added to Wharton on the east side.

The township contains three villages,-Farming- ton, Gibbons' Glade, and Elliottsville. Farmington is in the northeastern part on the National road. Gib- bons' Glade, six miles from Farmington, is in the southern. part on Little Sandy, and on a weekly mail- route from Farmington to Brandonville, W. Va. Elli- ottsville is in the western part on Big Sandy, at the junction of the Haydentown and Uniontown roads, and is four miles northwest of Gibbons' Glade, and five miles southwest of Farmington.

In 1796 Wharton contained 34,319 acres ; its valua- tion was $41,567. In 1870 its population was 1478. In 1880, as shown by the census of that year, its population was 1704, with over 400 farms.

The Indians, it seems, never had any villages in Wharton, and only came into the township to hunt. At Dennis Holland's, on the Old Braddock road, in a deep hollow head, some years ago the marks of wig- wams were to be seen near a spring. It was supposed to have been a hunting-camp. Some stone piles on Sandy and back of Sebastian Rush's on the pike, mark Indian graves, while flint arrow-heads and spear-points are found all over the township. Nemacolin's path or trail, running east and west, passed through Wharton, leading from the "Forks of the Ohio" (Pittsburgh) to Wills' Creek (Cumberland). Its route afterwards became the Braddock road. Another Indian trail (running north and south ) came past Delancy's Cave and down Big Sandy into West Virginia. Just beyond the Wharton line (below Mason and Dixon's line ceme- tery) was a camp, and a short distance west of the trail, where the Tuttle school-house stands, was sup- posed to be an Indian burying-place. The remainder of the township was used only for hunting purposes, and no trails were made through any portion of it.

HISTORIC SPOTS.

Jumonville's camp is nearly half a mile south of Dunbar's Camp, and five hundred yards east of the

Old Braddock road. One-quarter of a mile south of Dunbar's Camp is Dunbar's Spring, and nearly one- quarter of a mile down the run from the spring, about ten feet from the right bank, is the spot supposed to be Jumonville's grave ; then west about twenty yards

JUMONVILLE'S GRAVE.

in a straight line is the camp, half-way along and di- rectly under a ledge of rocks twenty feet high and covered with laurel, extending in the shape of a half- moon half a mile in length in the hill and sinking as it approaches, and dipping into the earth just be- fore it reaches Dunbar's Spring. Thus situated in the head of a deep hollow, the camp was almost entirely concealed from observation. Here in the dawn of morning light Washington fired the first gun of a great war that swept New France from the map of the New World and established the supremacy of the English-speaking race in North America.

Fort Necessity .- Authorities differ on the shape of the fort. Col. Burd says in his journal in 1759 the fort was ronnd, with a house in it. In 1816, Freeman Lewis made a survey of it, and says the embankments were then near three feet high, and the shape and dimensions as follows : An obtuse-angled triangle of 105 degrees, base on the run eleven perches long. About the middle of the hase it was broken, and two perches thrown across the run. One line of the

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HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

angle was six and the other seven perches long, em- bracing near one-third of an acre. Outside the fort the trenches were filled up; inside ditches about two feet deep still remained. Sparks, who saw it in 1830, makes the fort to have been a diamond shape. At the present time it presents the shape of a right- angled triangle. It was a stockade fort or inclosure, hastily constructed under Washington's direction by Capt. Stobo, engineer. The French demolished it, and five years elapsed before Col. Burd visited it, and some of its outlines may have been indistinct by that time, and seeing ruins on both sides of the run, may have concluded the fort was round. Mr. Facen- baker, the present occupant, came to the property in 1856, and cut a ditch, straightening the windings of the run, and consequently destroying the outline. The ditch is outside the base-line, through the out- thrown two perches. A lane runs through the south- east angle. The ruins of the fort or embanked stockade, which it really was, is three hundred yards south of Facenbaker's residence, or the Mount Wash- ington stand, in a meadow, on waters of Great Meadow Run, a tributary of the Youghiogheny. Ou the north, 200 yards distant from the work, was wooded upland; on the northwest a regular slope to high ground about 400 yards away, now cleared, then woods; on the south, about 250 yards to the top of a hill, now cleared, then woods, divided by a small spring run breaking from a hill on the south- east 80 yards away, then heavily, and still partially, wooded. A cherry-tree stands on one line and two crab-apples on the other. The base is scarcely visi- ble, with all trace gone of line across the run. Mr. Geoffrey Facenbaker says he cleared up a locust thicket here, and left a few trees standing, and that it was the richest spot on his farm. About 400 yards below, in a thicket close to his lower barn, several ridges of stone were thrown up, and here he thinks the Indians buried their dead .. He found in the lane in ditching logs five feet under ground in good preservation.

In 1854, W. H. N. Patrick, editor of the Democratic Sentinel, urged a celebration on the 4th of July, 1854, and a monument at the site of the old stockade. celebration was held by Fayette Lodge, No. 228, A. Y. M., of Uniontown, and citizens. Col. D. S. Stewart laid the corner-stone of a monument, but nothing more has ever been done since towards its erection. Mr. Facenbaker says no plow shall ever turn a sod on the site of the old stockade while he owns the land, and he would give an acre of land and the right of way to it if any parties would erect the monument and fence the ground.

Braddock's Grave .- A few yards west of the Brad- dock Run stand. on the north side of the road, is the grave of Gen. Braddock. When the road was being repaired in 1812 human bones were dug up a few yards from the road on Braddock's Run; some mili- tary trappings found with them indicated an officer

of rank, and as Gen. Braddock was known to have been buried on this run, the bones were supposed to be his. Some of them were sent to Peale's Museum in Philadelphia. Abraham Stewart gathered them

BRADDOCK'S GRAVE.

up as well as he could secure them, and placed them under a tree, and a board with "Braddock's Grave" marked on it. In 1872, J. King, editor of the Pitts- burgh Gazette, came out to Chalk Hill, cut down the old tree, inclosed the spot with the neat fence now standing, and planted the pine-trees now standing round the grave. He procured from Murdock's nur- sery a willow, whose parent stem drooped over the grave of Napoleon at St. Helena, and planted it over the supposed remains of Braddock, but it withered and died over the grave of England's brave but ill- fated general.

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History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 186

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