USA > Pennsylvania > Greene County > History of Greene County, Pa. : containing an outline of the state from 1682, until the formation of Washington County in 1781. History during 15 years of union. The Virginia and new state controversy--running of Mason's and Dixon's line--whiskey insurrection--history of churches, families, judges, senators, assembly-men, etc., etc. > Part 6
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In the year 1831 a new denomination called the Cumberland Presbyterians, in the State of Tennessee and Kentucky, sent out John Morgan, Alfred Bryan, Reuben Burrow, Robert Donnel. Leroy Woods, Milton Bird and Alexander Chapman, as minis- ters to Westsrn Pennsylvania in the interest of the new church. These men came to Washington county, into what is some- times called the "Jersey Settlement," on the North Fork of Tenmile, near where the town of Prosperity now stands. They came out at the invitation of Luther Day, Odle Squier, William Stockdale and Isaac Connet. These men were very genteel in their appearance, exceedinly fluent in speech, entirely Presbyterian in their forms, and above all they sustained the semi-sacred character of missionaries preaching the Gospel with- out money and without price, for the only seeming purpose of having sinners converted. They made no effort to organize rival churches, but labored day and night for the seeming purpose of- having the old Presbyterian Church gloriously revived. If all parties had been wise as serpents and harmless as doves, no doubt great and permanent good would have been accom-
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
plished. But human nature often involves the actors in trouble. Instead of taking the advice of Gamalie they first became "too good" to last, and then became hostile rivals. I never could see any good reason for envious rivalry between these denomi- nations. Be this as it may, such was the case in Washington county. This and other reasons induced these missionaries to come to Greene county, where they held a meeting in the pine grove before mentioned, which was attended with great success, and where the enemy of souls was very anxious to do evil. While some one was preaching at the stand on Sabbath day, the sharp eye of the Rev. John Morgan discov- ered that preparation was being made some thirty rods from "the stand for a horse race. IIe immediately descended from the stand, slid noislessly through the crowd until he was in the midst of the sportsmen, when he opened his Bible and read the text, "Why stand ye here all the day idle," from which he preached a powerful sermon, standing on a pine stump, and that was the end of the horse race. A Cumberland Church was the result of these meetings, to which I ministered twenty years ago, and for all the membership who composed the Church at that date, and all who survive, I have nothing else but feelings of the highest respect-many of their names I recall, some of them I mention, viz: IIon. Thos. P. Pollock and family who re- sided at the mill : also the two sons who resided in town ; Wm. Davis and family, Richard Hawkins and family, John Prior and family, John Lindsey and family, Francis Moudy, whoso wife was a Baptist, but none the less hospitable on that account, M. W. Denny, etc. W. T. H. Pauley owned a farm in that neighborhood then, and would occasionally call in and see us, especially when I preached at the school house near his country residence. He often took me home with him, where he, on one occasion, offered to help me to a piece of the "Rocky Mountain Shad." On another occasion in my sermon I had
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maintained that those who laid claim to the highest perfection in the present life often came much farther short of it than those who did not make such high sounding pretentions. As an illustration I referred to a Western Reserve Yankee, who asserted that he was as perfect as Adam was in the Gar- tlen of Eden before he fell ; yet I had seen this man go out on Sabbath morning to hunt his cow that had strayed off on Thursday previous. After we were seated in Mr. Pauley's par- lor, he said with a serious air, there was one thing he would like to know-"whether that man ever found his cow." But I give it up, who could describe the editor of the Messenger ? But I will for the present leave this smooth, level region, prom- ising to return again and extend my history of this section so soon as I am fully informed on some subjects that I now only have a partial knowledge of ; and as I leave them for the pre- sent I shall go to a region very justly ealled Richhill, for al- though the part I have been describing is almost destitute of hills, the county at large has certainly no reason to complain ; and as one portion has been so nearly exhonerated, it seemed but reasonable that the other part should have a double portion ; and for fear the inhabitants of this section should be dis- posed to complain, as they vainly tried to farm both sides of some of their hilly aeres, an indulgent Creator determined if they did have hills they should have a deep fertile soil : hence the "fathers" in their wisdom put both these facts together in the name they gave this township. But inasmuch as our data for history does not extend back into the last century, but is wholly confined to this, I deem it proper at this place briefly to notice the erection of the county itself. In the year 1781, the Supreme Executive Council and Legislature of Pennsylvania erected "All that part of the State of Pennsylvania west of the Monongahela river, and south of the Ohio, beginning at the junction of said rivers, thenee up the Monongahela river afore-
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said, to the line run by Mason & Dixon, thence by the said line due west to the end thereof ; and from thence the same course to the end of the five degrees of west longitude, to be computed from the river Delaware ; thence by a meridian line extending - north until the same shall intersect the Ohio river, and thence by the same to the place of beginning, to be called henceforth the county of Washington." All will see at a glance that this boundary included the whole of Greene county. The town- ships of Morgan, Cumberland, Franklin, Greene and Richhill, in their original undivided forms, were townships in Washing- ton county, and so existed until the 9th of February 1796, when by act of the Legislature Washington county was divided, the southeastern portion of it being erected in a new county to be called Greene. The boundary line is described in these words : "Beginning at the mouth of Tenmile on the Monongahela river; thence up Tenmile to the junction of the north and south forks of said creek ; thence up the north fork to Col. William Wal- lace's Mill; thence up in a southwestern direction to the nearest part of the dividing ridge between the north and south forks of Tenmile creek ; thence along the top of said ridge to the ridge which divides Tenmile from Wheeling creek ; thence by a straight line to the head of Enlow's branch of Wheeling; thence down said branch to the western boundary of the State; thence by State line south to the end of Mason & Dixon's line; thence along said line east to the Monongahela river, and thence down said river to the place of beginning." On the 22d of January, 1802, by authority of the Legislature of Pennsylvania, the following alteration took place in the line between Greene . and Washington counties : Beginning at the present line on the ridge that divides the waters of Tenmile from Wheeling, near Jacob Babbit's ; thence by a straight line to the head wa- ters of Hunter's fork of Wheeling creek, and thence down the same to the mouth thereof, where it' meets the present county
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
line. It will thus be seen that Richhill was one of the original townships of Washington county, and was entirely without di- vision or subtraction (except this little piece) set over into Greene. Of its early inhabitants I have but little information. It seems to have been hampered and injured by three large land grants, known as the "Lieper Lands," "Cook Lands," and "Ry- erson Lands," all of which I propose to more particularly de- scribe in an appendix to this work. As it was uncertain where the boundaries were, or in whom the title was vested at differ- ent dates, it led in many instances to the partial settlement of land without a title, and as the occupant felt that he was only a "squatter," as a matter of course he made as little improve- ment as possible, skimmed the surface of the soil for the scanty pittance it afforded, sowed no grass for enriching the land, cut no hay for the wintering of his stock, depending on the little straw from which he expected to pound his wheat with a flail, whenever dire necessity compelled him to do so. The few shocks of tops that he cut off his corn stocks, and the husks that were thrown into the rail pen at the "husking," made up the balance of his winter feed, which was usually all exhausted by the first of March. His only dependence from that time till grass came, was "brows," which was procured by cutting down the small maples and hickories, the buds and young leaves of which were a substitute for a better feed. A consid- erable portion of the township was thus deprived of that health- giving emulation that is produced only by ownership. Habits of idleness was the result of this state of things up to the be- ginning of the present century. Soon after that date a differ- ent kind of people began to arrive, who were not willing to "squat," on any man's land, but either took out their patent · from the Land Office at once, or purchased their land from some one who had previously done so. Among this number was Francis Braddock, who settled on land still owned by his de-
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scendents, in 1805. This man was of Scotch descent on his mother's side, and of English descent on his father's side, (a distant relative of the unfortunate English General who figured so prominently in the campaigns of 1754-5.) He was undoubtedly a good judge of land, having selected some of the finest in the township. He was a zealous, earnest, uncompro- mising Presbyterian, and seems to have been the means of gathering kindred spirits of the same faith and order around him. In the year 1809, two brothers, Moses and Thomas Dins- more, who were of Scotch Irish descent, became settlers in this township, on lands still held by their descendants. They also were Presbyterians. One peculiarity of both these original families was the number of their sons that became ministers in the Presbyterian Church. Three of the sons of Francis Braddock, Sr., viz: Francis, Jr., Cyrus G. and Joseph, were inducted into the ministry. While David and James H. still hold the original lands, they are both elders in the Presbyterian Church of Unity. Of the sons of Moses Dinsmore six studied for the ministry, and have gone to different parts of the land, principally in the West, while the two sons of Thomas Dins- more, Robert and John G., still own the original land. The latter of these was recently the High Sheriff of Greene county. John Conkey came as a poor boy from Virginia, early in the present century ; he worked for a long time as a hired hand on Ruff's creek, then near Amity, Washington county, carefully husbanding all his wages, until he was in possession of a suffi- ciency to purchase a good farm pleasantly situated on the south fork of Tenmile, adjoining lands of the Braddock settlers. From this beginning he eventually came into possession of some of the best farms in the neighborhood. He still lives, and is up- wards of ninety years of age. He is a quiet, conscientious man, a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Immedi- ately below Mr. Conkey, lived, until a few years ago, anoth-
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e" old settler, David Enoch. The organ of acquisitiveness was very fully developed in this old man. The situation was favorable for making money, being right on the great Drove Road from west to east. Fifty years ago, during the summer months, this road was crowded with light beef and stock cattle. In the fall and early winter it was tedious traveling westward on this road from the fact that you were continually meeting droves of fat hogs. In March and April the large fat cattle from Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, began to arrive. They left the road in a fearful condition ; treading in cach others steps they would form ridges across the road making travel in a car- riage almost an impossibility. These drovers left a large amount of money with Mr. Enoch, which he husbanded with great care, putting it out on interest always in safe places, and although he could not write his name, he never made a mistake in the calculation of interest. Even when partial payments were made his calculation was said to be right. Immedi- ately below on the same road lived until a few years ago, Dr. Wm. B. Porter, who made a fortune in the practice of medicine, farming and keeping stock. I was acquainted with his ances- tors in Fayette county, high-toned honorable, pious people, al- ways ready for every good word and work. The Dr.'s wife was a daughter of Dr. Henry Blachley, of Washington county, who always seconded his efforts for the improvement of his farm, the beautifying of his buildings, at the same time never forgetting the wants of the poor and the necessities of the church, of which she was a consistent member.
About one mile north of the State road lived for many years Abraham C. Rickey, who even down to old age was a living illustration of the advantage of being "diligent in business" as well as "fervent in spirit." He began the world under unfavor- ble circumstances, grubbed out the saplings where afterwards his buildings stood, improved his rough acres until he was
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one of the foremost grain raisers in the township. He early gave attention to the improvement of stock, until instead of raising small-bodied cattle with large horns, he succeeded in raising large bodies and small horns. In the last years of his life he was a successful raiser of fine sheep. While thus care- ful about worldly things he esteemed "the. prosperity of Zion above his chief joy." He was always one of the burden-bear- ers of the Church, and during the last two years of his life he gave two hundred dollars towards erecting a new church at . Graysville, and it seemed to afford him abundant satisfaction on his death-bed to think that he could leave the little church, for which he had prayed and labored so long, in possession of a neat, comfortable house. In this township has long lived portions of a family of Teagardens ; some of them still living in and around Clarksville. They are so numerous that they deserve special mention, and I will give such facts and figures about them as I have gleaned from various sources as well as from personal knowledge. Abraham Teagarden settled at Red Stone Old Fort (Brownsville) in 1767, two years before any portion of Greene county was settled. About two years afterward, two of his sons, William and David, crossed over into what afterwards became Greene county, and made Toma- hawk improvements, one along the river, including the landings of both the ferries that have long been known as "Jerry David- son's" and "David Davidson's." The other son took up one thousand acres of land on Tenmile creek, between Millsboro and Clarksville. This son, after making his pre-emption marks around his land, returned to the "old Fort," where he was mar- ried to a Miss Treble. After the honeymoon was over he be- came very anxious to improve his land, and his young wife, like a true help-meet, consented to accompany him, although she was to be surrounded by savage beasts and more savage men. Soon the logs for a cabin are cut, hauled to the place,
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and the few settlers that were found on the west side of the river, are invited to the raising. Just as the first log is about to be laid in its place, lo! a freebooter of the woods put in an appearance and claimed the land as his own, and forbade the improvement going on until the question of title was settled by a fist and skull fight. Teagarden was young and active, but his antagonist was a man of war from his youth, yet he (Tea- garden) quailed not. Having asked his friends to show nothing but fair play, he "buckled in." After a long, bloody and doubt- ful battle, victory perched upon Teagarden's banner. The bul- ly, a brave but unprincipled man, acknowledged himself van- quished. After he had washed himself and the wife of the man whose rights had been called in question, had dressed his wounds, he turned in and helped raise the cabin, formally re- linquished all claim to the land, took up another tract lying alongside of Teagarden's homestead, where both victor and vanquished lived as good neighbors for many years. Some time after this event, William Teagarden sold his magnificient land on the Monongahela, with a view of emigrating to Ken- tucky, which was then known as the"dark and bloody ground." He received his pay in Continental money, which soon depre- ciated to that extent that it became utterly worthless. The man was financially ruined. But his spirit was unbroken. Wending his way westward he again braved the forest, and began another improvement in Richhill township, between Ryerson's Station and Ackley's. Here he and two of his boys, Abraham and Isaac, enlisted in Capt. Seals' company and did valiant service under General Anthony Wayne in his vigorous campaign against the western Indians. Abraham Teagarden married a Miss McGuire and raised a family of ten children. I have had some personal knowledge of different members of this numerous family. Among the rest was Reuben Teagarden, of Clarksville ; his second wife was the widow Alexander of Fred-
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
erictown. Precisely what way he is connected with the origi- nal stock I cannot tell. I also knew his son John, and other members of his family whose names I have forgotten. I also k new Hamilton Teagarden, now residing in Richhill. He is an elder of the Presbyterian Church of Unity, a blacksmith by trade. His wife was a Burns, one of the numerous family of that name in this township. He has also two sons, Warren and Will, who are now regular M. D.'s, the one practising in Burnsville, Washington county, the other in Haneytown, West Virginia. William Teagarden, now an old man, resides on En- low's branch of Wheeling creek, near the late residence of Joshua Ackley. Isaac Teagarden resides in Waynesburg, but I have no acquaintance with him. But I must not forget the metropolis of Richhill, Jacksonville, or "Jacktown," as it is usnally called. The Quaker said to the dog who was gnawing his hides, "I will not kill thee but I will give thee a bad name." Eighteen hundred years ago the question was asked by a good man, "Can any good come out of Nazereth?" Hence that great dramatical writer was right when he said, "Yes; there is some- thing in a name." The greatest being ever found in human form came out of Nazereth, notwithstanding its bad name. It is true that Jacktown has not yet produced either a Solomon or a Solon, but we should remember that we are to "judge nothing before the time." Perhaps against this place is as old as the places that gave those great men birth, even Jacktown will produce some man that will astonish the world with his mighty deeds. But I must not prophesy, for this has already been tried on this village and failed. Upwards of forty years ago, as tradition has it, a drover passing through the town was as- sailed by some bad boys, when he lifted up his hands and in a solemn manner said, "Yet forty days and Jacktown shall be destroyed." Time has proven that he was a false prophet, and as I am not inspired, as the poor fool who shot the President
-
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
claims to have been, I will venture no prediction, lest my name should add another to the long list of false prophets. But to speak more seriously, Jacksonville is by no means entitled to the bad name it has at a distance. It cannot be denied that riots, routs and rowdies have taken place in these streets from time to time. But who were the actors on these tumultuous occasions? Not the citizens of the place, but the roughs from the surrounding country and neighboring towns who presumed to misbehave just because they were in Jacktown. On the contrary there is a great deal of sobriety and virtue and even piety in this place, notwithstanding its bad name. The Meth- odists have a flourishing Church here, the Cumberland Pres- byterians have a numerous society and a church building, while the Disciples have regular ministrations in the Odd Fel- lows Hall. This Order of I. O. of O. F. is also progressive and happy. There are also two large stores. A. J. Goodwin has a large stock of almost everything usually kept in country stores. William Drake has a splendid building in which will be found at all times a large stock of seasonable, fashionable and serviceable goods. A. J. Goodwin is also principal partner in a carriage factory which has already turned out, and has on hand a multitude of carriages of as fine finish and durable material as ean be found within the bounds of my knowledge. But time would fail me to tell of carpenters, masons, shoemak- ers, blacksmiths, wagomakers and butchers, the last named selling a better article of beef for less money than can be pur- chased elsewhere. A splendid fair ground, on the south side of the town, has at least its annual attraction, where better order, finer stock and far less picking of pockets can be met with than in places that boast of their refinement and morality. The name of the Postoffice here is "Windridge," which seems to have been given to it in consequence of its elevated position, and the long northwestern slope, which sends old Boreas
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across here with considerable fury. Graysville is another vil- lage of Richhill township, but itcannot boast as great antiquity as the town I have just been describing. The name of the postoffice here is "Harveys," and for many years, indeed until! - quite recently, the locality was known far and near as the "Brick," from the fact that a large brick hotel has long been kept, and although different proprietors have entertained the traveling public, the reputation of this house has usually been good. Mr. Loar, its present occupant, has a reputation for uprightness and integrity, fully equal to his predecessors. The reason why the village is called by its present name is that about the commencement of the present century quite an ex- tensive family by the name of Gray settled on this site, owning all the lands around for a considerable distance. At the house of David Gray, on the 27th of August, 1814, a com- mittee, consisting of Rev. John Anderson and Rev. Joseph Stephenson, met the few Presbyterians of this neighborhood, and the Church of Unity was organized by electing David Gray, Jacob Rickey, Francis Braddock and Moses Dinsmore, Elders. This was on the farm owned and occupied by the late Mrs. McClelland, a little below the present village. Although the Church was organized on this spot, the place selected for a church edifice was more than a mile above on the lands of Francis Braddock, Sr., where the people worshipped in a log school house until 1840, when they erected a frame church on the lot where the graveyard still is. In 1879 this building was consumed by fire. The congregation almost immediately began the erection of a new church in the village of Graysville, which was dedicated on the 20th of June, 1880. A large and flourishing Sabbath School composed of the children of the village, seems to promise success for the future. Quite a num- ber of small, neat frame houses have been put up here within the past year or two, adding considerable to the number of the
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population. Maj. Jas. W. Ilays was for a long time the only merchant of the place. Ile still keeps on hand as good a stock, and as varied in its kind, as can be found in any country vil- lage ; this added to the fact that the old gentleman and his son are unsurpassed anywhere as kind, obliging, honest salesmen, secures to this firm a large trade. Mr. Higgins & Sons have recently opened a store in this place, embracing quite a variety. But it is too soon to say how they will succeed; as far as I am individually concerned his manner and prices have been ex- tremely accommodating. Robert Johnson is engaged in run- uing a large flouring mill and saw mill driven by steam. His buildings are commodious and durable; his engine is unsur- passed ; his skill as a miller and a sawyer cannot be called in question, and his customers are as numerous as desirable. The only drawback is the great distance which he is compelled to wagon his coal. But he and his neighbors all hope the time is not far distant when their quiet valley will be disturbed by the neighing of the iron horse, and then their coal will be trans- „ported on rails of iron instead of on roads of mud. Why not? Living right in the valley of the South Fork of Tenmile Creek, ·not a single tunnel would be needed between here (Harveys) -and the Monongahela river. One and a half miles from here r the dividing ridge is reached, where a ent of forty feet deep will allow the cars to pass over to Wheeling Creek in a direct route for the metropolis of West Virginia. But we must bide . our time, and for fear our readers will think we are tarrying too long in Richhill, we will give a few biographical sketches, and take our departure, promising to return and tell them a great deal more as we get further along in our history.
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