History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 96

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 96

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Э.8. Плотцей. ·

Joseple Poisson.

421

BROWNSVILLE BOROUGH AND TOWNSHIP.

when Soisson & Son came into full possession of the business, which they have since conducted with great success. The company manufactures all kinds of briek on order, but coke-oven brick are their spec- ialty, of which their works produce about 1,300,000 per year. They also make a fine article of pavement tile.

In 1872, Mr. Soisson, John Kilpatrick, and John Wilhelm, as Kilpatrick, Soisson & Co., established a fire-briek works at Moyer's, near Connellsville, which is now owned by Soisson & Kilpatrick (son of John Kilpatrick), Wilhelm having withdrawn, and at which

about eight thousand coke-oven and other bricks are made per day.

Mr. Soisson has ever maintained an excellent repu- tation for moral character as well as business enter- prise.

In March, 1853, he married, at Hollidaysburg, Miss Caroline Filcer, daughter of Michael Filcer, of Centre County, who was born and married in Ger- many, some of his children being born there, Caro- line, however, being a native of Centre County. Of this union are four daughters and seven sons. Three of the daughters are married.

BROWNSVILLE BOROUGH AND TOWNSHIP.

THE borough of Brownsville is situated on the right bank of the Monongahela River, at and extending below the mouth of Dunlap's Creek. Within its boundaries was the residence of the old Indian chief, Nemacolin, and the site of the pre-historic earthwork, known for a century and a quarter as " Redstone Old Fort," as also the site of "Fort Burd," which was the earliest defensive work reared by English-speaking people in the Ohio River valley, except that which was partially construeted by Englishmen (hut com- pleted by the French) where Pittsburgh now stands. The building of Fort Bord and the opening of a road to it from the East by Col. Burd, in 1759, gave to this place a great comparative importance, which it sus- tained in succeeding years, through the periods of Western emigration, of flat-boat and keel-boat build- ing, of successful steamboat navigation of the Monon- gahela and Ohio Rivers, and of travel and traffic over the old National road, embracing a total of more than three-fourths of a century, until, by the completion of the Pennsylvania and Baltimore and Ohio Railroads, in 1852, and the consequent diversion of trade and travel, the old town was shorn of much of its former importance, and from that time, for almost thirty years, it has remained in a comparatively obscure and isolated situation until the spring of 1881, when, by the opening of the Pittsburgh, Virginia and Charles- ton Railroad Line, from Pittsburgh to West Browns- ville, the boroughs on the Monongahela at the mouth of Dunlap's Creek were for the first time placed in possession of railroad connection with Pittsburgh and the marts and markets of the Atlantic and the lakes.

The borough is almost encireled by the township of Brownsville, which extends around it from the Mo- mongahela River and Redstone Creek, on the north and northeast, to Dunlap's Creek on the south, its

longest boundary line, on the southeast, being against the township of Redstone, of which it originally formed a part. The township, by the census of 1880, contained a population of 246; that of the borough of Brownsville being returned in the same census at 1489.

With the possible exception of a few transient squatters1 who clustered around Fort. Burd for a few years just after its erection, there is little doubt that Michael Cresap was the earliest white settler within the territory now embraced in the limits of the bor- ough of Brownsville. He has been mentioned as such in all published accounts of the settlement, and it admits of no doubt that he was the first who came here with the intention of making the place his per- manent home, though permanent settlers preceded him on the opposite side of Dunlap's Creek, and also at several points not far to the eastward and southeastward of the present borough. One of these was Thomas Brown (afterwards founder of the town), whose settlement in this section antedated that of Cresap a few years.

Michael Cresap was the son of Col. Thomas Cresap, of Oldtown, Md., who had been connected with the operations of the Ohio Company as its agent, and who had been one of the earliest travelers to the Mo- nongahela country over the old Nemacolin path, as also one of those who accompanied Col. Burd to Fort Redstone in 1759. Whether the knowledge which he thus gained of this place had any influence in caus-

1 Such were probably John and Samuel McCulloch, traders, who made claim to a large tract of land, including all that is now the borough of Brownsville. It is not certainly known whether they ever lived here or not, but it is probable they were located here for a time temporarily in their trading operations. They claimed under an alleged military permit, granted by Col Bouquet. Whether valid or not, their claim was afterwards purchased by Thomas Brown to make his title complete.

422

HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ing his son to settle here is not known. He (Mi- chael) first came as a trader about the year 1769 (though the exact date of his first visit is not known ) to the mouth of Dunlap's Creek. "This post,1 known in border history as Redstone Old Fort, be- came the rallying-point of the pioneers, and was fa- miliar to many an early settler as his place of em- barkation for the 'dark and bloody ground.' In the legends of the West, Michael Cresap is connected with this Indian stronghold. In those narratives Cresap is spoken of as remarkable for his brave, adventurous disposition, and awarded credit for often rescuing the whites by a timely notice of the savages' approach, a knowledge of which he obtained by unceasing vigi- lance over their movements. This fort was frequently Cresap's rendezvous as a trader, and thither he re- sorted with his people, either to interchange views and adopt plans for future action, or for repose in quieter times when the red men were lulled into in- action and the tomahawk was temporarily buried. These were periods of great conviviality. The days were spent in athletic exercises, and in the evening the sturdy foresters bivouacked around a fire of huge logs, recounted their hairbreadth adventures, or if, perchance, a violin or jews-harp was possessed by the foresters, it was certainly introduced, and the monotony of the camp was broken by a boisterous 'stag dance.""

" Michael Cresap discovered at that early day that this location would become exceedingly valuable as emigrants flowed in and the country was gradually opened. Accordingly he took measures to secure a Virginia title to several hundred acres, embracing the fortification, by what at that time was called a ' toma- hawk improvement.' Not content, however, with girdling a few trees and blazing others, he determined to insure his purpose, and in order that his act and intention might not be misconstrued, he built a house of lewed logs with a shingle roof nailed on, which is believed to have been the first edifice of this kind in that part of our great domain west of the mountains. We are not possessed of data to fix the precise year of this erection, but it is supposed to have occurred about 1770."

For about five years after that time Capt. Cresap made the month of Dunlap's Creek the base of his trading operations, but still having his family and home in Maryland. "Early in the year 1774 he en- gaged six or seven active young men, at the rate of £2 10x, per month, and repairing to the wilderness of the Ohio, commenced the business of building houses and clearing lands, and being among the first adven- turers into this exposed and dangerous region, he was enabled to select some of the best and richest of the Ohio levels. "3 It appears that he had considerable

means at his command, for in addition to the busi- ness of his store which he kept in operation at Red- stone Old Fort, he purchased various tracts of land in the surrounding country,4 as well as at several points on the Ohio River, and he was also, appar- ently, a loaner of money to some extent on landed security.

After the close of "Dunmore's war," in the com- mencement of which Capt. Cresap took part as a sub- ordinate officer (for which his name and character were afterwards severely but unjustly assailed ), he "returned to Maryland, and spent the latter part of the autumn of 1774 and the succeeding winter in the repose of a domestic circle from which he had been so long estranged, but in the early spring of 1775 he hired another band of young men and repaired again to the Ohio to finish the work he commenced the year before. He did not stop at his old haunts, but de- scended to Kentucky, where he made some improve- ments. Being ill, however, he soon left his workmen and departed for his home over the mountains, in order to rest and reeover his health. On his way

4 The following facts in reference to some of Cresap's land transactions in the vicinity of Dunlap's Creek are gathered from the oldl Angusta County, Va., court records, which are st Il in existence in Washington, l'a :

On the 2xth of September, 1773, Robert Denlow deedled to Michael Cresap, "for the consideration of fifteen poniels, Pennsylvania money, a tract of land in Westmoreland County, adjoining lands of David Rod- gers and Joseph Branton [Brinton ?]. on Monongahela, being part of a luger tract of land I [Denlow ] purchased of James Brantob, and con- taining by estimation two hundred and fifty acres." The deed of con- voyant + was executed in presence of George Brant, Joseph Dorsey, and Henry Branton. aml " at a court cont ned and held for Angusta County [Virginia] at Pittsburg, September the 21st, 1775, this deed of Bargain am1 Sale was proved by two of the subscribing witnesses, and ordered tu be recorded."

On the 1st of September, 1775, "John Corey, of Dunlap's Creek Settle- ment. for the consideration of F fty Pouls, Pennsylvania Currency, to him in hand paid by Michael Cresap, Sent, "Å mortgaged to the sa'd Cresap "all the parcel of land contained in the within [not found] Bill of Sale from Jusias Little to me [Corey ], dated March 18, 1774." This mortenge was given to secure the payment of a certain sum of money named in a lunil given by Corey to Cres ip, dated Dec. 19, 1772. The mortgage was witnessed by John Jeremiah Jacob, and " by his oath proved at it court, continued and held for Angu-ta County, Va., at Pittsburg, Sept. 21, 1775, and ordered to be Recorded."

On the 5th of September, 1775, " James Brinton, of Augusta County, Virginia, Monongahela Settlement," in consideration of fifty pounds, Pennsylvania currency, " in hand paid by Michael Cressp, Sen.," cou- veyed tu him by deed "a certain tract or parcel of land lying alamt one mile distant from the Monongahela River, and bounded by the follow- ing persons: John Adams on the North East, Edward Poisry on the East, Thomas Brown, west, and Edward White on the North ; with all abd Singular the Appartenances thereunto Belonging or in any ways appartaining; containing by Estimation about two hundred and fifty Actes, be the same more or less,"-the grantor guarantering the same against the Lawtul clams and demands of " all manner of Person or Per- sons, the Lord of the Soile excepted only." The deed was witnessed by Robert Denbow [luis mark ] and John Jeremiah Jacob, and " At a Comt Continued and held for Angusta County at Pittsburg, September 21st, 1775, this Deed of Bargain and Ste was proved by the oath of John Jeremiah Jacob, one of the witnesses thereto, and ordered to be Recorded. Test : John Madison."

The instrument was indorsed, " Examined and delivered, John Jere- minh Jacob, October 8th, 1775."

* There was a younger Michael Cresap, the son of Daniel Cresap, brother of Michael Cresap, Sr.

1 Extract from " Logan and Cresap," by Brantz Mayer.

" These festivities were doubtless joined in by the few soldiers of Fort Burd, for at that time, nud for some years after wards, that work was oc- copied by a small garrison.

3 Jacob's " Life of Cresap."

423

BROWNSVILLE BOROUGH AND -TOWNSHIP.

across the Allegheny Mountains he was met by a faithful friend with a message stating that he had been appointed by the Committee of Safety at Fred- erick a captain to command one of the rifle com- panies required from Maryland by a resolution of Congress. Experienced officers and the very best men that could be procured were demanded." 1

This occurred in June, 1775, and on the 18th of the following month Capt. Cresap, at the head of his company (of whom twenty-two men were volunteers from west of the mountains, doubtless mostly from the Monongahela settlements), set out from Frederick, Md., and after a march of twenty-two days joined Washington's army investing Boston. But his mili- tary career in the Revolutionary army was short. " Admonished by continued illness, and feeling, per- haps, some foreboding of his fate, he endeavored once more, after about three months' service, to reach his home among the mountains, but finding himself too sick to proceed he stopped in New York, where he died of fever on the 18th of October, 1775, at the early age of thirty-three. On the following day his remains, attended by a vast concourse of people, were buried with military honors in Trinity churchyard."1 In that burial-ground they still rest, and the head- stone of his grave may be found much dilapidated, but with the yet legible inscription,

"IN MEMORY OF MICHAEL CRESAP, FIRST CAPT. OF THE RIFLE BATTALIONS, AND SON TO COL. THOMAS

CRESAP, WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE OCTOBER THE 18, 1775."

Michael Cresap left a widow and four children. His widow, in 1781, married her first husband's friend and employé, John Jeremiah Jacob, who, at the age of about fifteen years, had commenced as a clerk for Cresap in his store at Redstone Old Fort, and who, on his employer's departure for the army in 1775, was left in charge of the business, and so remained for several months after Cresap's death, closing up the affairs. In July, 1776, he entered the army as ensign, and served nearly five years, rising to the grade of captain. Later in life he became a clergyman of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and died highly es- teemed in Hampshire County, Va. He was the au- thor of the "Life of Capt. Michael Cresap," and by the facts which he gathered and gave to the public in that work successfully vindicated the character and cleared the memory of his dead friend from the terrible charges which were made, and for years gen- erally believed, against him in reference to the mur- der of the relatives of the Indian chief Logan in the war of 1774.

Thomas Brown, who laid out the town which then took, and still bears, his name, was one of the earliest

settlers who came to the vicinity of Redstone and Dunlap's Creeks, his name being found in the list of "The names of the Inhabitants near Redstone" re- ported by the Rev. John Steele as living in this re- gion in the spring of 1768. He was not then a resi- dent in what is now the borough of Brownsville, but came here a few years later, and having purchased the right which Michael Cresap had acquired to the land afterwards the site of the town, and having also bought out whatever interest the Mcculloughs had in the same, he settled here and commenced im- provement in 1776. The correctness of this date is made certain by the certificate which was given him for the tract by the Virginia commissioners at Red- stone Old Fort, Dec. 16, 1779. In that certificate there is added to the description of the tract granted to Thomas Brown the words, "to include his settle- ment made in the year 1776." The tract was sur- veyed to him March 21, 1785. It is described in the survey as being "situate on the dividing ridge be- tween Redstone and Dunlap's Creeks;" the name by which the tract was designated was "Whisky Path."

Basil Brown, Sr., brother of Thomas Brown, did not become a resident of Brownsville, but lived on a tract " near Redstone Old Fort," in the present town- ship of Luzerne. On this tract he settled in 1770, and remained there during the remainder of his life. His son, Basil Brown, Jr., however, removed to Brownsville, where he lived at or near the corner of Morgan and Market Streets. His sister, Sally Brown, who was a cripple, lived with him, both remaining unmarried. He died in Brownsville many years ago, at seventy-five years of age. Sally, who survived him a number of years, is still remembered by many of the older citizens of the town.

From the time of the opening of Burd's road, in 1759, the point of its western terminns on the Monon- gahela became a place of considerable importance, and this was more especially the case after the time when westward bound emigrants began to pass through this region, making this the end of their land travel and the point of their embarkation in flat- boats for their passage down the river. A very heavy and constantly increasing emigration was setting to- wards the Southwest, particularly Kentucky, and to all emigrants traveling to that region the smoothly- flowing currents of the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers offered the easiest, cheapest, and in every sense the most eligible highway, a route by which, with very little labor to themselves, the rude craft on which they embarked at the mouth of Dunlap's Creek would land them without change almost on the spot of their destination.

These were the considerations which induced mul- titudes of western bound travelers to lay their route over the road which brought them to the Mononga- hela at Redstone Old Fort. Such as could con- veniently make the arrangement usually chose the

1 Mayer's ' Logan and Cresap."

424

HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

latter part of the winter for their exodus, because at that season the friendly snow still lingered upon the roads, and mitigated in some degree the horrors of the passage from the mountains to the river. If they had rightly timed their journey, and the melting time came soon after their arrival at the place of embar- kation, then all was well with them, but if the spring thaws delayed their coming, and the shivering, home- sick wayfarers were compelled to remain for weeks (as was sometimes the case) in their comfortless shel- ters, awaiting an opportunity to proceed on their way, then their condition was pitiable indeed. "John Moore, a very early settler, used to relate" (says Judge Veech) "that in the long, cold winter of 1780, a proto- type of those of 1856-57, the snow being three or four feet deep and crusted, he said the road from Sandy Hollow (Brubaker's) to the verge of Brownsville, where William Hogg lived, was lined on both sides with wagons and families, camped out, waiting for the loosing of the icy bonds from the waters and the preparation of boats to embark for the West, the men dragging in old logs and stumps for fuel to save their wives and children from freezing."

The great amount of emigration and other western travel centring at the mouth of Dunlap's Creek as a point of embarkation rendered necessary the build- ing of a large number of flat-boats and other primi- tive river-craft;1 and the construction of these, as well as the furnishing of supplies to the voyagers for their long trips down the river (for by the time of their arrival here many of them had exhausted the supplies with which they had set out on the journey ), produced business activity, and gave to the place the promise of future prosperity and importance.

These facts and considerations caused Thomas Brown to conceive the project of establishing a town upon that part of his " Whisky Path" tract lying adjacent to the Monongahela and Dunlap's Creek. Accordingly, in 1785 he platted and laid out the town of Brownsville with streets and alleys nearly the same as they now exist in that part of the present borough which was embraced in the original plat. A " public square" (which still remains as such ) was laid out on the southwest side of Front Street, and adjoining it was the early burial-place of the town, in which the Browns, the Washingtons, and many others were in- terred as elsewhere mentioned. It has been said that this spot was donated and set apart by Thomas Brown

1 These boats were most generally (in the earlier times) constructed by the emigrants themselves, at the mouth of the creek and below that point on the river, but were sometimes purchased (hy such as had the means) from pioneer boat-builders, who had come to the place for the especial purpose of supplying this demand. Some idea of the number of boats thus built here, even as early ns 1784, may be had from a petition presented at the September term of the Fayette County Court in that year "for a road from Redstone Old Fort along the river-side to the grist- and saw-mill at the mouth of Little Redstone and to Collo, Edw'd Conk's," it being represented in this petition that the road was necessary because " the intercourse along the river is so considerable, by reason of the number of Boats for passengers which are almost constantly build- ing in different parts along the River-side."

as a public burial-ground, but of this there is no proof. An addition to the town was afterwards made by Chads Chalfant, and another by Samuel Jackson, who purchased from Thomas Brown certain lands ad- joining the original plat and laid them out with streets and alleys ; Church and Spring Streets were included in this addition to the town.

The proprietor of Brownsville offered his lots for sale, subject to conditions nearly identical with those imposed by Henry Beeson in sales of his lots at Union- town. All dwellings erected on them were required to be equal to twenty by twenty-five feet in dimen- sions, substantially built, and in all cases to have a chimney or chimneys of brick or stone. Quit-rents were required in nearly all cases, but these were some- times waived, for reasons which are not made appa- rent.

Thomas Brown ocenpied (so says that dubious au- thority, tradition) the shingle-roofed house built by Michael Cresap from the time of his purchase from the latter until his death, which occurred in 1797, at the age of fifty-nine years. He left two sons-Thomas Brown, Jr., and Levi Brown-and three daughters,- Mrs. Elizabeth Cox, Mrs. William Crawford, and Mrs. Ewing. There are no descendants of his now living in Brownsville or vicinity.

The following-named persons were purchasers of town lots in Brownsville from the original proprietor. Many others purchased from his estate after his death. The years indicated are those of the record, not the execution of the respective deeds :

Robert Elliott. 1786

Nathan Chalfant. .1793

Matthew Campbell. 1788

James lligginson ..

Robert Clark

Alexander Nelan. 1794

John Rhoads

John Ayers

Basil Brashear. 1795

Jacob Bowman

John Fry.

Andrew Bogg

1791

John Blackford. 1796

Edward llale ..

William Hogg

George Kinnear ..

Basil Brown, Sr 1793

Charles Armstrong.

Mahlon Schooley. 1788

Patrick Tiernan.

Jonathan Hickman ..

John MeCadden.

George F. Hawkins

Robert Ayres

Chads Chalfant.

Christian Yost .. 1795

Arthur Dempsey

Henry Bateman

Amos Townsend 1796

John Restine ..

John Christmas ..

James Hawkins.

Thomas Mekibben "

John Jaques ...

Thomas Gregg 1797

Matthew Van Lear

Andrew Brown.

Isaiah Rateliff

Amos Wilson

James Long .. 1790

Josiah Tannehill

Elij ih Fredway .... 179]

Ayers Sinn.

Basil Brown ..

Isaae Sinn.

Andrew Seott.

1793

John McClure 1802

Basil Brown, who was the purchaser of a large number of lots from his brother, Thomas Brown, made sales of them from time to time to the following- named persons, viz. :

William Cox

Charles Ford

Jacob Bowman I792

Ignatius Brown

Samuel Workman ..

John Ekin

John Yateman. 1793

Thomas Newport

Samuel Jackson, 1794

Amus Townsend.

John Wildman ..

Gideon Walker ..

Charles Sumption.

John Yateman. .1789

John Bowman 1796 Andrew Sinn. 1799

Stephen Duluth

425

BROWNSVILLE BOROUGH AND TOWNSHIP.

Thomas Brown, Jr. 1788

William Hogg. 1799

Otho Brashear. 1791 Adam Jacobs. 1800 Thomas Brown. John Laughlin. 1799

Thomas Newpert ... 1792

Basil Brashear 1800

William Goe .. 1794

John Hagan

Chuds Chalfant 1796

Jonathan Miller 1803

Samuel Bell

Barrack Brashear. 1805 John Wildman

Jacob Bowman 1809 William Pricc. 1797

Robert Elliott, the earliest purchaser whose name appears in the above list, came from Washington County, Md., to Brownsville, and purchased (April 28, 1786) a town lot for the consideration of £10. The lot was No. 17, adjoining lot of Robert Taylor. Col. Elliott was engaged here in the purchase of sup- plies for the United States government, in which business lie was associated with Col. Eli Williams and Jacob Bowman.

Jacob Bowman, whose father emigrated from Ger- many to America about the time of the " Old French war," was born at Hagerstown, Md., June 17, 1763, and when twenty-four years of age came to Browns- ville, and commenced the business of merchandising, he and William Hogg being the first two permanently- located merchants in the town. He was also engaged in partnership with Col. Elliott and Eli Williams, as before mentioned, in purchasing supplies for the Western army under Gen. Anthony Wayne, and he was made commissary to the government troops which were sent across the mountains to suppress the Whiskey Insurrection in 1794.

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History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 96

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