USA > Pennsylvania > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 71
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There was a Dr. Young located in Uniontown as physician and druggist in the year 1796. No informa- tion has been gained concerning him, except what appears in the following advertisement, which is found in the Western Telegraphe of Washington, Pa., of May 17th in the year named, viz. :
"DR. YOUNG
Respectfully ioforms the Public that he has lately received from New York and Philadelphia a neat and general assort- ment of Drugs and Medicines, Patent Medicines, &e., which he is now selling at his shop near the New Market House in Union Town, on as moderate terms as can be afforded. He likewise continues to practice in the different branches of his profession ; and hopes to merit the approbation of those who may please to employ him.
" UNION TOWN, FAYETTE COUNTY, " May 6, 179G."
Dr. Solomon Drown, a native of Rhode Island, came to Uniontown in, or prior to, 1796,1 and on the 4th of January in that year purchased from IIenry Beeson thirteen acres, and two lots (similar to village lots) of land on the east side of Redstone Creek, and includ- ing the site of the Madison College buildings. That he practiced medieine here is shown by a minute in the commissioners' records of the allowance of his account for attending prisoners in the jail in the year 1801. He is also remembered by Col. Samnel Evans, though not very distinctly. How long he remained a resident in Uniontown is not known. The property which he purchased of Henry Beeson was sold April 29, 1833, by William Drown, his attorney, to Charles Elliott.
Dr. Adam Simonson came from the East, and set- tled in Uniontown prior to 1795. In that year he became purchaser of a village lot in "Jacob's Addi- tion." He married a daughter of the Rev. Obadiah Jennings, of Dunlap's Creek Church, and remained a practicing physician in I'niontown till his death in 1808.
Dr. Daniel Marchand and his brother, Dr. Lewis Marchand (sons of Dr. David Marchand, a physician of long standing and good repute in Westmoreland County ), came to Fayette, and first established in practice in Washington township, whence Dr. Daniel Marchand removed to Uniontown as early as 1803,
and remained until about 1820, when he was suc- ceeded by his brother Lewis, who increased the prac- tice largely. He married a daughter of Dr. Samuel Sackett, and continued in practice in Uniontown about twenty years, highly respected as a man and a physician. He removed from this place to Washing- ton township, where he died in 1864.
Dr. Benjamin Stevens (born Feb. 20, 1737) was a relative of Jeremiah Pears, who came to Fayette County in 1789 and settled at Plumsock. Dr. Ste- vens settled on a farm in North Union township, and practiced medicine in that vicinity. About 1811 he removed to Uniontown. His office and residence was in a building that stood on the site of the present Con- cert Hall. He died on the 3d of January, 1813, and was buried with Masonie honors by lodge No. 92 of Uniontown. During the long period of his practice in the old township of Union and the borough of Uniontown he stood high in public estimation as a good physician and citizen. Some of his descendants are now living in Uniontown.
Dr. Benjamin Dorsey, Dr. Daniel Sturgeon, Dr. Wilson, of German township, and Dr. Wright were students with Dr. Stevens while he lived on his farm (where Robert Gaddis now lives in North Union). Dr. Wright married a daughter of Andrew Byers, and lived on Redstone Creek, near where the Chicago Coke-Works now are. He practiced bnt little.
Dr. Daniel Sturgeon was a native of Adams County, Pa., born Oct. 27, 1789. He attended Jefferson Col- lege at Canonsburg, Pa., after which (about 1810) he came to Fayette County and commenced the study of medicine with Dr. Benjamin Stevens, who was then on his farm in Union township, where Robert Gaddis now lives. He continued his studies with Dr. Stevens for more than a year after the removal of the latter to Uniontown. He then went to Greensboro', Greene Co., and commenced practice, but had been there less than a year when he was invited by his friend, Dr. Stevens (who was then suffering from the illness which soon after proved fatal), to return and assist him in his practice in Uniontown. Dr. Stur- geon accepted the invitation, but before he had com- pleted his arrangements Dr. Stevens died. His li- brary was then purchased, and his practice assumed by Dr. Sturgeon, who from that time became a resi- dent of Uniontown. He married Naney, daughter of Mrs. Nancy Gregg.
Dr. Sturgeon early entered political life, and filled many offices, both State and national, among which was that of United States senator from Pennsylvania, which he held from 1840 to 1851.
As a physician he was trusted, respected, and de- servedly popular. He died July 2, 1878, in the eighty-ninth year of his age. Ilis son James was a printer, but later received the appointment of pay- master in the army. He died about 1847. Another son, John, studied law at Uniontown. He went into the Mexican war in Capt. Quail's company of Roberts'
1 It will be noticed, in the account given on a preceding page of the Fourth of July celebration in Uniontown in 1796, Dr. Drown is men- tioned as the oratur of the day on that occasion.
311
UNIONTOWN BOROUGH.
regiment, but died before reaching the city of Mexico. Dr. William H. Sturgeon, another sou of Dr. Daniel Sturgeon, studied medicine with Dr. Alexander H. Campbell, in Uniontown, in 1847-48. IIe attended Jefferson Medical College in 1848-49, after which he returned to Uniontown and commenced practice, which he has continued till the present time, with the exception of a few years spent in Pittsburgh and Phil- adelphia.
Dr. Robert McCall was a native of Shippensburg, Cumberland Co., Pa., where he studied medicine with Dr. Simpson. He was an army surgeon in the war of 1812-15, and soon after its close moved to Union- town, and opened his office in a building that stood where the law-office of Daniel Downer now is. In 1819 he married Anna, daughter of Samuel King, and practiced in Uniontown till his death in 1823.
Dr. Hugh Campbell was born in Uniontown, May 1, 1795. In 1812 he entered Jefferson College, at Can- onsburg, Washington Co., but after a year of study came back to Uniontown, and entered the office of Dr. Daniel Marchand as a student of medicine. After two years' study with Dr. Marchand, he attended a course of lectures at the University of Pennsylvania, and graduated in 1818. He returned to Uniontown, and soon afterwards became associated in business with Dr. Lewis Marchand. From that time he was in practice during the remainder of his life, except from 1864 to 1869, when he was warden of the peni- tentiary at Allegheny City. He died Feb. 27, 1876, aged eighty-one years.
Dr. C. N. J. Magill was in practice in Uniontown in 1835. On the 23d of September in that year he advertised that he had " opened an office for surgery and the practice of medicine next door to E. Bailey's watchmaker shop, on Main Street. Dwelling, No. 3 Stewart's Row, Morgantown Street." He afterwards removed to Salt Lick township, and died there.
Dr. H. C. Martherns was an early practitioner in Smithfield, and removed thence to Uniontown. In April, 1836, he announced that he "has removed his office to the brick dwelling formerly occupied by Mrs. Gregg, four doors east of the court-house, where he will attend to all calls." How long he continued in practice in Uniontown has not been ascertained.
Dr. Alexander Hamilton Campbell was a son of Samuel Y. Campbell, and a native of Uniontown. He studied medicine with his uncle, Dr. Hugh Campbell, about 1840, then attended lectures at Jef- ferson Medical College, in Philadelphia, and after graduating returned to Uniontown, where he prac- ticed till his death in 1859.
Dr. David Porter was a native of Virginia. His father, William Porter, was a teacher in Washington County, Pa., where he lived until March, 1794. He then moved to Wheeling, Va., where his son David was born. After the death of his father, about 1798, he was adopted by William Woolsey, a retired sea- captain, then living on a farm in Rostravor township,
Westmoreland Co., near the Fayette County line. It was on this farm (which he afterwards owned) that he was reared. He received a liberal education under the tutorship of Gad Tower, a noted classical teacher of that time. At the age of about twenty years he commenced the study of medicine with Dr. Lewis Marchand, who was then living on his farm below Brownsville; Dr. Leatherman, of Canonsburg, Washington Co., being a fellow-student with him under Dr. Marchand. He attended a course of lec- tures at Philadelphia by the celebrated Dr. Benjamin Rush, and practiced about two years, then attended lectures at Baltimore.
After graduating he returned to Rostravor town- ship, and practiced there for several years. From there he removed to Cookstown (now Fayette City), and remained two years, then located in Brownsville, whence after a few years he removed to Pittsburgh. There he obtained au extensive practice, but after about two years returned to his farm in Rostravor, where he remained for thirty years, but was only a part of this time in active practice there. In Janu- ary, 1869, he removed to Uniontown, where he lived until his death, which occurred Sept. 22, 1875, at the age of eighty-three years.
Dr. Porter was recognized as standing in the high- est rank of his profession, and consultations with him were constantly sought by the best practitioners in his section of country, including the city of Pitts- burgh. He said of himself, " My mind was always slow." But if slow, there were none more sure. " He was fifty years in advance of his age," was the opin- ion expressed by Dr. John Dixon, an eminent physi- cian of Pittsburgh, on Dr. David Porter.
Dr. John F. Braddee (who has already been no- ticed in the account of the great Uniontown mail robbery ) was a man concerning whom there is a doubt whether his name ought to be mentioned with those of respectable members of the medical fraternity of Uniontown, but the question has been decided in the affirmative by some of the present leading phy- sicians of the borongh. He was a charlatan, a man of little or no education, but fertile in resources. IIe was said to have come into this section of country about the year 1830 as an assistant to a party of horse-dealers from Kentucky, and having for some cause severed his connection with them, and finding himself in a very low financial condition, he came to Uniontown and boldly announced himself as a physician. Being a man of fine personal appear- ance, of pleasing address, great tact and unbounded assurance, he became at once successful, and se- cured a more extensive practice than was ever enjoyed by any regular physician of the town or county. It is said that in a single day nearly one hundred patients from the surrounding country came into Uniontown for treatment by Dr. Braddee, and waited for long weary hours to see him in their turn. He was soon enabled to purchase the National Hotel
312
HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
property, at the corner of Morgantown and Fayette Streets, and in that house he made his professional headquarters. His remarkable success, however, did . not deter but rather seemed to incite him to illegiti- mate projects for money-making, and in 1840 he, with the aid of confederates, executed a cunningly devised plan for robbing the United States mail while in transit through Uniontown. For this offense he was arrested, tried, and convicted, and in 1841 his professional career in Uniontown was closed by a sen- tenee of ten years at hard labor in the penitentiary.
Dr. H. T. Roberts is a native of Allegheny County, and a son of Judge Roberts, late of Pittsburgh. Having studied medicine in that city, he located in Uniontown in 1841 and practiced a few years, after which he removed. Some two or three years since he returned to Uniontown, but is not in practice.
Dr. Frederick C. Robinson, a native of Saratoga County, N. Y., removed thenee to Erie, Pa., when quite young. In 1841 he came to Uniontown, and commenced the study of medicine with Dr. H. F. Roberts. In 1844 he removed to Ohio, where he completed his studies, and remained in practice till 1850, when he entered the Jefferson Medical College. Hegraduated in the winter of 1850-51, and returned to Uniontown, where he has followed his profession until the present time. He was examining surgeon of this district during the war of the Rebellion, and examining physician for the United States Pension Office for thirteen years.
Dr. Robert M. Walker is a native of Franklin County, Pa. He was educated in Ohio at Franklin College. He studied medicine with Dr. Joseph Me- Closkey, of Perryopolis, and Dr. John Hassan, of West Newton. In the spring of 1843 he commenced practice in Uniontown. In the winter of 1844-45 he attended lectures at Jefferson Medical College, and at the elose of his course in Philadelphia returned to Uniontown, where he is still in practice.
Dr. Smith Fuller, born in Connellsville, Pa., studied medicine with Dr. John Hassan from the spring of 1838 till 1840, when be went to Philadel- phia and attended lectures at Jefferson College. He then practiced medicine in Uniontown until 1846, when he resumed his course at Jefferson College. In 1847 he returned to Uniontown, where he has since been constantly in active practice, except when serving in the State Senate from 1861 to 1863. His sons, John M., Smith Jr., and William B., are physicians, the first two now (June, 1881) practicing in Uniontown, and the last named attending lectures in Philadelphia.
The present physicians of Uniontown are: Dr. Smith Fuller. Dr. J. B. Ewing.
R. M. Walker.
" H. F. Roberts.
Smith Fuller, Jr.
John Sturgeon.
" A. P. Bowie.
S. W. Hiekman.
John Boyd. L. S. Gaddis.
HOMEOPATHY.
Years ago several attempts were made to introduce homeopathy in Fayette County. Dr. C. Bael and Dr. Ridley practiced in Brownsville, but the exact date of their commeneing practice is unknown. B. F. Connell, M.D., a convert from the old school, practiced a few years in Uniontown, but subsequently moved to Ohio, and from thenee to Connellsville, where he practiced several years.
Dr. J. G. Heaton practiced for a short time at Fair- chance Furnace. None of the above practitioners remained long enough to establish the practice, and for a long time after the above practitioners left for other fields homeopathy was without a representa- tive.
According to the "History of Homeopathy," pub- lished by the World's Homeopathie Convention, which met in Philadelphia in 1876, "To A. P. Bowie, M.D., belongs the credit of the successful estab- lishment of homeopathy in Fayette County." Dr. Bowie commeneed in Uniontown in 1869, and is still in active practice in the borough. The other practi- tioners in this county are S. W. Hiekman, M.D., Uniontown ; W. J. Hamilton, M.D., Dunbar; and S. C. Bosley, M.D., Connellsville.
LAWYERS.
The early attorneys of Uniontown have been men- tioned in preceding pages, in connection with the bar of Fayette County. The list of lawyers now (1881) residing in and practicing in the borongh is as fol- lows :
Daniel Kaine. S. L. Mestrezat.
Alfred Howell. J. L. Johnson.
John K. Ewing. J. M. Ogelvee.
A. E. Willson, Pres. Judge. A. H. Wyckoff.
John Collins.
G. W. K. Minor.
Thomas B. Searight. P. S. Morrow.
William II. Playford.
William Parshall.
Charles E. Boyle.
William Guiler.
Daniel Downer.
T. B. Schnatterly.
A. D. Boyd.
Robert Hopwood.
Edward Campbell.
Alonzo Hagan.
Nathaniel Ewing.
F. M. Fuller.
Samuel E. Ewing.
Robert Kennedy.
SCHOOLS.
The earliest reference found in any record or other document to schools or to places where they were tanght in Uniontown is in the act erecting the county of Fayette, passed Sept. 26, 1783, which directs that the court shall be held "at the school-house, or some fit place in the town of Union, in the said county," and in the letter (before quoted) written a few months later by Ephraim Douglass to Gen. Irvine, describing the new county-seat. he says it contains "a court-
= F. C. Robinson.
William H. Sturgeon.
John M. Fuller.
John Hankins.
L. H. Frasher. Daniel M. Hertzog.
H. Detwiler. George Hutchinson.
M. M. Cochran. George B. Kaine.
313
UNIONTOWN BOROUGH.
house and school-house in one," etc. Several deeds of about that date mention in their description of boun- daries, a school-house lot evidently near the present court-house grounds. In a deed of lot No. 43, exe- cuted in 1783, Colin Campbell is given the title " teacher," which probably, but not as a matter of course, had reference to his occupation in Union- town.
A school was organized in Uniontown before the year 1800 under the auspices of the Methodist Church. That school will be found more fully mentioned in the history of that church.
Miss Sally Hadden, who was born in Uniontown in the year 1800, and has always lived on the spot of her nativity, says the first school she remembers, was taught by an Irishman named Burns in a log house which stood on the north end of lot No. 39, now the property of Mrs. David Porter. Afterwards she at- tended the Methodist school on Peter Street, taught by a Mr. Cole.
Jesse Beeson, grandson of the original proprietor of the town, was born in 1806. He first attended school in a log house where the Methodist Episcopal house of worship now stands. The school was taught by a Mrs. Dougherty. He afterwards attended at the school-house on Peter Street mentioned by Miss Hadden. A teacher in the Peter Street school about that time was Silas Bailey, father of William and Ellis Bailey.
The following notice, which appeared in the Genius of Liberty in April, 1817, is given here as indicating the progress which had then begun to be made towards the free school system,1 which was adopted in the State some years later :
1 At that time, and for more than twenty years afterwards, Uniontown (like most other villages of its size and importance, particularly county- seats) was prolific of private schools, "select schools," and so-called "academies," some of them having metit, but the greater part being poor and of short duration. Generally they were quite pretentious in their announcements, and nearly every scholar whose parents were able to incur the expense (which was not heavy) attended some one of them, for a "terai" of three months if no more.
In the Genius of Liberty of June 6, 1820, ars found the advertisements of two of these schools, One is to the effect that " Mr. and Mrs. Baker present their respectful compliments to the people of Union Town, soliciting their support of a School for the instruction of Young Ladies io all the usual branches of an English education. Also plain sewing, marking cotton-work of all kinds, Embroidery, Tambour, Filagree, Fringe, Netting, Drawing, Painting, and Music, vocal and instru- mental."
The other, in this same column, is that of John A. Donne, who an- oounces that " Persons desirous of placing pupils under the care of the subscriber may be accommodated by making early application at his residence, two doors east of Mrs. Gregg's. His room is spacious and con- venient, and his prices accommodated to the times, and proportioned to the different branches taught. Ao enumeration of the branches is thought unnecessary.
" Withont arrogating to himself any superior pretentions, the sub scriber respectfully suggests that he has had some years' experience in teaching, has made it a profession, and not embraced it merely as a temporary expedient. Grateful for past patronage, he respectfully solicits a continuance of it, and without promise to perform miracles, pledges himself that his exertions to merit it shall be unremitted.
"JOHN A. DONNE.
" March 25, 1817.
" To the Assessors of the County of Fayette :
" You are hereby authorized and required to notify the parents of the children hereinafter named that they are at liberty to send their children to the most convenient school free of expense, and also transmit a list of the names of the children as aforesaid to the teachers of schools within your towuship, agreeably to the eleventh section of an act of General As- sembly passed April 4, 1809."
The act of the Pennsylvania Legislature "to es- tablish a general system of Education by Common Schools," approved April 1, 1834, declares that,-
"WHEREAS, It is enjoined by the constitution as a solemn duty which cannot be neglected without a disregard of the moral and political safety of the people; And whereas the fund for commou-school purposes, under the act of the Second of April, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-one, will on the fourth of April next amount to the sum of five hun- dred and forty-six thousand five hundred and sixty- three dollars and seventy-two cents, and will soon reach the sum of two million dollars, when it will produce at five per cent. an interest of one hundred thousand dollars, which by said act is to be paid for the support of common schools; And wbereas pro- visions should be made by law for the distribution of the benefits of this fund to the people of the respec- tive counties of the commonwealth; Therefore [it was enacted] That the city and county of Philadel- phia, and every other county in this Commonwealth, shall each form a school division, and that every ward, township, and borough within the several school divisions shall each form a school district; Provided, That any borough which is or may be connected with a township in the assessment and collection of county rates and levies shall with the said township, so long as it remains so connected, form a district, and each of said districts shall contain a competeut number of common schools for the education of every child within the limits thereof who shall apply, either in person or by his or her parents, guardian, or next friend, for admission and instruction. . . . All moneys that may come into the possession of the county treasurers for the use of any school district or districts within their respective divisions shall be paid over by the said treasurers to the treasurer of the said dis- triet respectively at such times as the commissioners of the respective counties shall order and direct."
" A Since handing the above for publication it has been suggested that I should decline taking young ladies in favor of a certain Mr. Baker & Co., who propose establishing a school here, and confine oryself to the instruction of boys, and lest, as it frequently happens, conjecture should in the course of circulation be given for fact, I deem it proper to state that I shall not agree to any such arrangement, but shall continue to admit into my school all the young ladies as well as all the boys that may offer."
At about the same time Patrick Talbot modestly advertised that he was abont to open a school in Uniontown for teaching the English branches.
" UNION, March 1, 1820."
314
HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
Under this law the county commissioners of Fayette at their December session in that year ordered the levying of a tax of double the amount of school money received from the State. The court of Fayette County at the January term, 1835, appointed school directors for the townships and boroughs of the county, those appointed for Uniontown being Richard Beeson and James Piper. On the 1st of December, 1835, the borough complied with the terms of the law, and the directors reported to the county treasurer. The amount of State money apportioned to the borough in that year was $73.66; from the county, $147.32; total, $220.98.
Free common schools were first opened in Union- town in 1836,1 the following being the first official action of the board of directors in the matter, viz. :
" At a meeting of the school directors for Union Borough on the 19th day of March, 1836, it was resolved to open four frec schools in said borough, to commence about the 15th day of April next and continue for six months, which period will be divided into two sessions of three months each. There wi.l he a vacation or recess between the sessions uf one mont!, which will happen in August. It was also resolved that the dircetors will receive proposals until the 8th day of April next from persons wishing to become teachers in any one of said schools. The proposals will set forth the price per month for the whole term of six months (excluding the vacation), or the sum for which the teacher will take charge of a school for the whole time it is proposed to keep the schools open the present year. One of the schools at least will be put under the charge of a female instructor. Proposals from females wishing tu en- gage in the business are respectfully invited.
" JOHN DAWSON, A. L. LITTELL,
" WILLIAM REDDICK, JAMES BOYLES,
" HUGH ESPY, WILLIAM WILSON, " Directors.
" March 19, 1836."
The east part of the lot of land on which the pres- ent school-house stands was purchased of William Salter in 1838, the deed bearing date September 6th of that year. On the lot stood a foundry, which had been occupied by Salter for several years. It was re- modeled and fitted up with four rooms for school purposes. This alone was used until about 1850, when another building, also containing four rooms,
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