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 8
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27
93
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
the settlers there with their families, commencing to improve the land and set things in order.
After this long digression in following lines and consc- quences, let us return again to the original Greene township, where we find a very early settlement at Garard's Fort, located in a beautiful valley on the left bank of Big Whiteley creek ; the name of the postoffice now is Whiteley, which is situated a short distance west of the spot where the old fort stood in those "times that tried men's souls." The first Christian association ever formed on the territory of the present Greene county, was at this spot, on the 7th day of October, 1776, three months after * the signing of the immortal Declaration of Independence. This society was organized by the Redstone Baptist Association." It has long been known by the name of Goshen Baptist Church. Among its early ministers were two brothers by the name of Sutton, who preached here at different periods of time. But perhaps its most distinguished minister in those "troublous" times, was Rev. John Corbly. This man settled on Muddy creek prior to May, 1782, for at that date we find him suffering some of the most excruciating sorrows that our poor humanity is heir to. We cannot do better than to give this tale of horror in his own words as, we find them in a letter written to Rev. Dr. Rogers of Philadelphia, dated Muddy creek, Washing- ton county, July 8, 1788: "On the 2d Sabbath of May, 1782, being by appointment at one of my meeting houses about a mile from my dwelling house, I set out with my dear wife and five children for worship. Not suspecting any danger, I walked behind some two hundred yards with my Bible in my hand, meditating. As I was thus employed all at once I was greatly alarmed by the frightful shrieks of my dear family before me. I immediately ran with all the speed I could, vainly hunting for a club, till I got within forty yards of them. My poor wife see- ling me, cried to me to make my escape. An Indian then ran
94
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
up to shoot me. I fled and by so doing out-ran him. My wife had a suckling child in her arms. This little infant was killed and scalped. They then struck my wife several times, but not getting h'er down, the Indian who aimed to shoot me then ran up and shot her through the body and scalped her. My little boy, an only son, about six years old they sunk the hatchet in his brain and thus dispatched him. A daughter besides the infant, they also killed and scalped. My eldest daughter who is still living, was Ind in a tree about twenty yards from the place where the rest were killed and saw the whole pro- ceeding. She seeing the Indians all go off as she thought, got up and deliberately crept out of the hollow tree ; but one of them espying her, ran up, knocked her down and scalped her ; also her only sister, on whose head they did not leave more than an inch round either of flesh or skin, besides taking a piece of her skull. They still retain their senses, notwithstanding the painful operations they have already and must yet pass through." Among the prominent members of this church none were more so than Pierson Minor, who was not only fer- vent in spirit, but also diligent in business, being extensively engaged in droving, and one of the active participants in the. affairs of the Farmers & Drovers Bank of Waynesburg.
Still further back "in the years beyond the flood" we find - Moredock, one of the pillars that for more than a half century assisted in holding up before a gainsaying world this portion of the primitive heritage of our Lord in these western wilds. Another of the leaders of this old church was Hon Jonathan Garard, a Deacon whose exemplary character was so highly appreciated by his fellow citizens that they elevated him to the position of Associate Judge. He was also extensively engaged in droving, an excellent judge of stock, always saving himself, and at the same time doing ample justice to those with whom he dealt. Among those who have ministered to these people,
95
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
"lo, these many years," were Revs. William Whitehead, John Thomas, William Wood, Levi Griffith, Charles Tilton and Francis Burwell. In the bounds of this old township, in what is now Monongahela township, stands a little hamlet of a few houses called Mapletown, situated on Big Whiteley creek. This town is surely small of its age, for it had its existence at a very early day. The first flouring mill ever erected in this county, was built near this point by Colonel John Minor, a short distance up the creek from the present mill. I am not positive, but I think it probable that the ancestors of Robert Maple and Thomas Maple gave name to it. I had some knowledge of these men. Thomas Maple was a local Methodist preacher. They were both men of large property and large progressive ideas, by which they not only were an advantage to themselves but to all their neighbors. 'In the extreme southern end of this old township, we find a large creek called Dunkard, which empties into thé Monongahela river a short distance above the town of Greensboro. This stream derives its name from the fact that three brothers by the name of Eckerline, came from the east- ern part of Pennsylvania, and took up their abode among sav- age beasts and poisonous reptiles, on the western side of the "muddy river." These men were Dunkards .by profession, claiming to be "at peace with all mankind, and wishing to maintain friendly relations with the rest of the world." They named this stream after their denomination of Christians. Ilere, amid the seclusion of the forest, they lived, obtaining. their provision by cultivating a few of the rich acres of these ' unsurpassed bottom lands, and by occasionally slaying one of- the denizens of the forest, such as bear, deer, elk, etc., that' then abounded all about them. They spent much of their time' . : in exploring the country about them, in whose sublime soli- tudes they found ample fields for contemplation where their .... hearts were "carried up through nature's works to the thrones "
96
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNT ..
of nature's God." Eventually they removed their camp from Dunkard creek to "Dunkard bottom," near the mouth of Cheat river, where they made a more permanent residence, and where they remained unmolested for some years, while a deso- lating war was raging at no great distance from them, the probabilities being that even the sharp eye of the Indian had not yet discovered the place of their retreat. When their stock of salt, powder, lead, etc., was nearly exhausted, one of their number, whose name was Thomas, concluded to cross the Mountains for the purpose of replenishing their stock of abso- lute necessities. On his return westward, to rejoin his broth- ers, he lodged on the south branch of the Potomac at Fort Pleasant. After stating that he and his brothers had lived all these long years in the "midst of war's alarms," without a sin- gle visit from the hostile foe, those who "listened to his won- drous story," either honestly or dishonestly, arrested him as a spy who was returning to the seat of war with contra- band articles in his possession. In vain he asserted his inno- sence, offering to conduct his persecutors to their home in the woods, where he felt confident his loyalty would be vindicated, and his story proven true by meeting with his brothers. His proposition was finally accepted by those who had deprived him of his liberty. A guard of armed men accompanied him across the mountains who were instructed to return him a pris oner if there was the least evidence that the charges preferred against him were true. In due time the guard and the pris- oner arrived at the designated spot. But instead of being met and welcomed by his brothers, a pile of smouldering ruins marks the spot where so lately their cheerful cabin stood. In the yard lay the mangled remains of the two brothers. The suspicious guard who so lately thought they had a felon in charge, now have all their sympathies enlisted in behalf of the man whom they had thus far wronged. They now assist in
-
97
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
mournful duty of giving sepulture to these ill-fated men whose peaceful principles had not succeeded as well with the savages as perhaps those of Cromwell would, viz :
"Face death and danger with a level eye, Trust in God and keep your powder dry."
But our readers will think it is surely time we should pay our respects to Franklin township and Waynesburg, the county seat. The first time I ever visited Waynesburg was in 1843, at a grand volunteer parade. In the year 1841, I became a mem- ber of the George's Creek Cavalry, in Fayette county. Dur- ing the next year I was promoted to the "high position" of Orderly Sergeant. James M. Oliphant was our Captain, when we were invited to attend a three days' parade at the county seat of little Greene. Our Company met at Mason- town, crossed the river at McCann's Ferry and came through Carmichaels to Jefferson. . There we halted some time to wait for the arrival of the Monongahela Cavalry. This company was trained to a high state of perfection by Colonel James C. Simminson, with whom I was acquainted. The company was at that time commanded by Captain James Davidson. We were met here by Captain John Harper, who lived near Car- michaels, who most heartily welcomed us to Greene county. We now took up our line of march for Waynesburg. We were met at the end of the bridge near Morrisville, by several marshals wearing blue sashes, who acted as an escort to our place of encampment, which was about one-half mile west of town, up a little hollow on the right hand side of the present pike. One of our escort made us a speech welcoming us to the State of Greene. The parade came off on the two follow- ing days, partly in a large field adjoining the grove in which we were encamped, and partly in a large meadow on the south side of Tenmile creek, where a sham battle was fought on the second day of our encampment. I believe there were thirteen
7
.
98
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY
companies ; the names of some of them I have forgotten ; but I recollect in addition to those already mentioned, the Cooks- town Cavalry, and Tenmile Troop. Of infantry, Iremember the Waynesburg Blues, Cumberland Rangers, Union Volunteers of Uniontown, the Sixty Majors of Smithfield-a rifle com- pany that had received this nickname in consequence of the shape of their caps. On the first night of our stay a propos :- tion was made by Colonel Sam Austin, of Uniontown, that we should visit Waynesburg in dress parade, which was that each volunteer should lay aside his coat and cap, tie up his head in a red, bandana handkerchief, double his blanket, throw it over his shoulders and fasten it around'his neck with a strap. When all were thus prepared, the order to march was given, the only music being a gourd fiddle, on which the valorous, but afterwards unfortunato Sam Austin continuously played the then new tune of "Old Dan Tucker." As the line of march was from the encampment directly to the town, along the side of the hill, we came in contact with a rail fence, when it was suggested that soldiers ought not to go unarmed ; each one, as by general con- sent, shouldered a rail. With these we paraded the streets, oc- casionally receiving the command to "order arms," which was followed by a sound and jarring sensation somewhat resem- 'bling a small earthquake. I afterwards visited Waynesburg in 1849 or 1850, when I had a small business transaction with Thomas Porter, Esq., son of Moses B. Porter, of Fayette county, who had lately opened a law office at the county seat of Greene. I had not again visited this town for twenty years until the evening of December 15, 1881, when I met a few men I had formerly known as men in the prime of life, but who now, like myself, show by many unmistakable signs, that we are all approaching "that country from whose bourne no traveller shall ere return." Some four miles from Waynesburg, near the road leading to Washington, on lands now owned by Geo.
99
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
Wisecarver, fifty years ago lived a very singular man, whose name was Wm. McNurlin. I saw him just once in Fayette county in an old Lutheran church, where he unexpectedly made his appearance, walking slowly up the aisle, with his coat and pants turned wrong side out, while his straw hat was filled with turkey and chicken feathers. He seemed to be intently listen- ing to what the preacher said, until something was uttered that he did not believe, when he elenched his fist and raised his arm ' in a threatening attitude, and said, "now that ain't so; now, don't say that again." To this the preacher aptly replied, "You sit down, Mac, and I wont say it again." At this, McNurlin immediately sat down and remained very quiet during the remainder of the service. This man was by no means an idiot, for doing most of the time he was exceedingly bright; his mental aberrations were only occasional. The first evidence of the coming on of one of these periodical visita- tions was that he would take his position on some rising ground, and there mark out the course he proposed to travel, which was always in a straight line, crossing hills, fences, creeks and even haystacks, if they stood in his bee line. In this way he would often travel until he was sometimes nearly ore hundred miles from home. When the hallucination would pass off, and reason again ascend the throne, if he could find his reckoning without inquiry he would preserve a profound silence ; if he could not tell where he was, he was compelled to ask. On one occasion he had almost reached Lake Erie, and when he became sane again, he was in a dense forest, with no human abode in sight. Night eame on, the snow began to de- scend, and after wandering round and round, he was compelled to pass the stormy night in the woods. Some portions of his flesh were frozen. From the effects of this exposure he never fully recovered.
As to the town of Waynesburg. it seems to have had no ex-
100
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
istance at the time of the passage of the act for creating Greene county. But the act passed 1796, constituted David Gray, Ste- phen Gapin, Isaac Jenkenson, William Metkirk and James Seals, Commissioners to procure, by grant or purchase, any quantity of land, not to exceed five hundred acres, within five miles of the centre of the county. These men eventually pur- chased 1582 acres of land from Thomas Slater, called Eden, for which they gave $2,376. They run off and offered for sale 201 lots on the 29th of the following September. The lots sold at various prices ranging from five to one hundred and forty dollars, according to situation. They then proceeded to erect a Court House and Jail. The first courts were held at the house of Jacob Kline on Muddy Creek, near where the late Eli Long resided. The first Court House of Greene county was built of logs which can yet be seen at the corner of Greene street and Whisky alley, on lot 195, (now owned and occupied by D. M. Anderson.) The borough was incorporated on the 29th of Jan- uary, 1816. Its present population is a little less than two thousand. Its situation is pleasant and somewhat romantic, being near the centre of the county in a rich valley on the north bank of the south branch of Tenmile creek, surrounded by towering hills and fertile valleys, well adapted to raising stock, the climate being mild. All the grains and fruits of the temperate zone flourish and yield abundantly in this immediate vicinity. After the first excitement of locating a county seat had died away, the town seemed, for many years, to have been finished. Its situation was extremely isolated, having no thor- oughfare of travel except the great Drove Road, which, while it was the means of bringing large quantities of money into the county, held out much greater inducements to locate in the country than in town. There was another cause for stagnation of trade in this town, from the fact that, in 1818, the great Na- tional Turnpike was opened through the neighboring towns of
.
101
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
Wheeling, Washington, Brownsville and Uniontown. Along this grand thoroughfare three daily lines of stage coaches con- veyed the Congressmen and merchants from the West to the East. Here the traveler was scarcely ever out of sight of those broad-tread wagons, with their snowy covers and ponderons horses that transported the merchandise of our sea-board cities :o) the rapidly growing West. Along the track of that old road almost every other house became a hotel, where the spacious stables were filled with horses, and the large dining rooms were occupied by substantial tables that litterally groaned with the abundance of the magnificently cooked food that was placed upon them. After 9 o'clock r. M., the floor of the large old- fashioned bar-room was covered over with beds, on which the tired wagoners slept and snored like the Seven Sleepers, while up-stairs in forty-pound feather beds the horse-back or foot-sore traveler shivered or sweat, whichever the season of the year rendered the most fashionable. All these things contributed to t irn the attention of money-seeking or fun-loving parties away from a town so completely isolated as Waynesburg. But a brighter day is approaching. The little cloud, although "no bigger than a man's hand," seems to be "big with blessings." The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad had been completed to Cum- berland. Md., and her representatives come knocking at the door of the Pennsylvania Legislature, asking the right of way through this immediate neighborhood. But oh! the wisdom of the citizens of Fayette and Greene counties, through which the road was expected to pass, instead of hailing the proposition with delight and receiving the representatives with open arms, they rise up in fierce opposition. R. T. Galoway, of Union- town, and Dr. J. C. Cummings, of Connellsville, were the Repre- sentatives of Fayette county in the State Legislature at the time. These men were possessed of sufficient intelligence to know that the railroad could not be permanently halted at Cum-
102
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
berland. Not so the people. I listened to the sophistical ar- guments of some of the demagogues of that day, in which they asserted that the iron horse could not eat oats or corn. "Let us just compel them to stop at Cumberland, and then all the goods will be wagoned through our country, all the hogs will be fed with our corn and the horses with our oats. Go away with your railroad ! We don't want our wives and chil- dren frightened to death by the screaming of the locomotive. We don't want our hogs and cows run over and killed by the cars of a soulless corporation." Meetings were held and in- structions formulated and forwarded to the Representatives in the Legislature warning them of the fearful precipice on which they were standing, and notified them of the all-important fact that the people had a heavy "rod in soak" for them, if they dared to violate the will of their constituents. These men did in part violate the instructions and reaped the bitter conse- quences. But how were the applicants treated ? They re- ceived a negative answer. The Baltimore & Ohio Company built their road over the almost impassable mountains of Vir- ginia, almost touching Pennsylvania at the south-west corner of Greene county, leaving the regions that had said "no," to reap the consequences of their folly, while that proud, imperi- ous company "sits and laughs at their calamity," not even deigning to build them a branch road, that would no doubt be a very profitable feeder to their main trunk line. But at last Waynesburg has a railroad, which, although only a Narrow Gauge, is a great improvement on the old system when this town sustained an annual blockade of mud from two to five months. I traveled over this road a few days ago, and was agreeably sur- prised at the smoothness of the track, the speed at which trains run, and the extremely polite treatment I received from officers and employees. Prominent among these officers I found Jus- 'tus F. Temple. a man descended from the old Quaker stock'
103
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
who settled in Cumberland township one hundred years ago. He has by his own unaided merit risen up until he has filled different positions of honor and profit, both in the county and in the State, occupying the important position of Auditor Gen-' eral of Pennsylvania, in 1875 to 1878. When I met him he hailed me as an old acquaintance ; spoke encouraging words with reference to the history I am engaged in writing.
Another old acquaintance whom I met, after an absence of twenty years was, W. T. H. Pauley. Although we had known each other for twenty-five years, we never knew until now that we were both native "Buckeyes," born within six miles of each other, in the vicinity of Youngstown, Ohio. He, like myself. was left an orphan boy in poverty's vale, the same injunction being set before us both, viz: "root hog or die." I met with men in different parts of the State, who although differing widely with Mr. Pauley in politics, yet always admit that he never allows political differences to interfere with his gentlemanly conduct ; but on the contrary always seems dis- posed to be particularly obliging to a political opponent, never concealing his opinions for a single moment, but always avow- ing them. He watches closely for the place where the laugh comes in at his opponent's expense. Thus he renders himself a most enjoyable traveling companion in a crowd, and if he should inadvertently give offence, no man is more ready to apologise and seek reconciliation; for if there is a man in the county who honestly abhors a mean, dirty trick more than he does, he is hard to find. But it would be a work of superaroga- tion to attempt to write a history (to inform the people of Greene county) of a man they already know much better than I do. He has for many long ye us been the editor and proprietor of the Waynesburg Messenger. the oldest paper in the county. I can remember his predecessor, John Irons, in Uniontown many years ago. A full history of all the papers of the county will
104
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
be given as soon as I can collect the necessary information.
A long step has been taken in the last thirty years in the way of education. Waynesburg College, while it has not yet reached the height of fame and usefulness acquired by older institutions, is nevertheless a light in what was previously a dark place. I have known its President for the past twenty- five years, during which time he has tenaciously hung on to that institution, through evil as well as good report. Although often poorly paid and sometimes all manner of evil has been spoken falsely against this institution, yet he resembles that lady who said that if her body should be opened after death, she had no doubt they would find "Calis" at her heart. So with Rev. A. B. Miller, D. D .; if he should be subjected to a post mortem examination after his death, Waynesburg College might be said to be at his heart, for I know of no man who has per- sisted all these long years in rendering so much unrequited ser- vice. For it cannot be denied that with the education, talents, energy and self-denial of Dr. Miller, he could obtain a far more lucrative position at almost any time.
Among those that I have personally known as prominent residents of Waynesburg, none were more so than General Jesse Lazear, a self-made man, who began low down on the ladder of fame and also finance, but by diligence in business , and rigid economy, he gradually rose to be one of Greene ,county's men whom her sons delighted to honor. He was . for many years Cashier of the Farmers & Drovers Bank of . Waynesburg. Among the first five dollar notes I ever owned was one on this old Bank. In those days when the first thing to be done after receiving a note was to call on some one that had in his possession either "Bicknell's Detector," or "Sibbett's Western Review." I being ignorant of what was good and what was bad, presented one of these notes to see whether it was good. The answer I received was, "Whenever
105
HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
you get a note with Jesse Lazear's name on it you may rest easy, for if the bank should break, he will pay it himself." Mr. Lazear's friends made him prominent as a politician, not that he had any political aspirations, but he was willing to serve the people of this county whenever they demanded his ser- vice. Hence he was called on to represent his District in the National Legislature at Washington, D. C., which he did to the entire satisfaction of those who sent him. He was aiso exceedingly benevolent. I presume he never knew, much less did any one else know, what sums of money he contributed at different dates for liquidating the debt of Waynesburg College, as well as numerous acts of liberality. One of the most re- markable of these occurred in 1859. On the morning of the 5th of June, although almost in midsummer, yet the fields, gardens and roads were glistening with an iey frost that fell in small cakes about the size of a dime, freezing to the core all vegetation that was then in a luxuriant state of growth. Dark, gloomy and awful were the forbodings of many with reference to the question, "What shall we eat ?" Many sat down in sul- len silence during that Sabbath day, when it was not yet known that the wheat was killed. But when Monday and Tuesdays' suns had revealed the fact that the staff of life was broken by the destruction of the wheat, then the pitious wails became loud and long. Some rushed to the heads of market and purchased flour enough at fabulous prices to do them a whole year. Others confiscated the flour found in the neighboring mills and divided it out among a favored few, while others who had promised flour to their shoemaker, their blacksmith or day laborer at six dollars a barrel, immediately put the price up to twelve dollars. Some refused to let it go at any price, while one man whom I knew, told his wife they would have to eat their children! While all this storm of foolish nonsense was going on what was General Lazear en-
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.