USA > Pennsylvania > Greene County > History of Greene County, Pennsylvania > Part 45
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
CHAPTER XLIII.
MORGAN TOWNSHIP.
EVERHART HUPP-INDIAN TRAINING-ONLY FEAR-MRS. HUPP, FIRST WHITE WOMAN-COOKING-BOUNDARY -- SCHOOLS-DIRECTORS- RECOLLECTIONS OF AN OLD SETTLER-SCHOOL-HOUSE-SHOEMAKER -FROZEN TO DEATII.
FORGAN TOWNSHIP was one of the earliest settled in the county. Everhart Hupp, who lived to be one hundred and nine years old, married Margarett Thomas, who lived to the age of one hundred and five years, and purchased of the Indians a large tract of land on Ten Mile Creek, for which he paid one black mare and one rifle gun. On running the lines agreed upon with the Indians, he found it contained 1,400 acres, and embraced lands north of Ten-Mile Creek and stretching across the North Fork, and conse- quently overlapping a portion of Morgan Township, where some of his descendants live to this day. The Hupps were always on good terms with the Indians, for the reason that they were always made welcome and given whatever the cabin afforded. Mr. Hupp used to declare that a feeling of fear of the Indians was never excited in his mind but onee. On that occasion he had gone out upon the creek to do some work in a grove where he was shielded from view of his cabin, but where he could himself observe it. Going to the only point of observation, he was startled to see several stalwart Indians, trieked out in his own militia trappings, marching around the house and pretending to go through the evolutions of a squad of soldiers. At this sight his heart was in his mouth, fearing that his wife had been murdered and that the savages were bent on mischief. His agony for the moment was indescribable; but to his great joy he soon saw his wife coming from the spring-house, bearing a pan of milk, evidently preparing something for the red men to eat. IIe soon re- turned to his dwelling and had a friendly chat, while they partook of the table d' hote set for them by Madame Hupp, when they departed, highly elated by their entertainment.
Mr. Evans, in his thirty-first Centennial sketch, says: "At this time, 1767, there was but one white woman west of the Mononga- hela River known to the settlers. She was the wife of George Hupp [probably Everhart Hupp] who located a large body of land on the
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
north bank of Ten-Mile, and erected a cabin near the creek and about two miles from its mouth. Her frugal repast consisted of johnny cake [journey-cake] shortened with bear's fat, dried venison and Adam's ale. Their hospitality soon became proverbial with the sparse inhabitants, who were else all males, and the Hupp cabin be- came the Sunday morning rendezvous for all the men in the settle- ment. Nauseated with their own unpalatable cooking, they would carry their choice game and fish to her, and enjoy a toothsome meal prepared and served by the veriest lady in the land."
On account of its contiguity to Redstone fort, which was a rally- ing point in time of danger, and the point at which the new comer tarried until he could find a tract on which to blaze his title, that pleased his fancy, the lands of this township were early appropri- ated. This was one of the original townships at the time of the or- ganization of Washington County, and was at that time much larger than at present. It is bounded on the north by Washington County, on the east by Jefferson, on the south by Jefferson and Franklin, and on the west by Washington. The surface is very broken but the soil is fertile, and the farms well improved. It is well watered by North and South Ten-Mile Creek and their tributaries. Clarksville, the only village in the township, a place of some 350 inhabitants, is situated on a peninsula formed by the two forks of Ten-Mile Creek at their junction, at the head of the creek proper. It has three churches and the usual business of a centre of a fine farming coun- try. In the report of Secretary Burrowes, in 1836, Morgan is cred- ited with four schools and 155 pupils, that of Secretary Black in 1854, with six schools and 360 pupils. The report of 1859 says: " The directors of this district are a philanthropic band, who have the interest of the rising generation at heart. They have increased the school fund, and have paid their teachers liberally. Therefore, the cause of education has advanced very rapidly in this township within the past three or four years. All the school-houses are fur-
nished with blackboards and maps." The good report thus early won has been maintained and it still holds a foremost rank. The directors for the current year are: J. M. Thistlethwait, President; Joseph Adam- son, Secretary; Edward Van Kirk, George Hughes, Solomon Cum- rine, and Robert Buckingham.
Below we give some reminiscences of the olden time related by an aged citizen and published some years ago in the Waynesburg Republican:
"The first school-houses were built of logs, with dirt floors and greased paper for windows. The seats were made of sticks driven into walls and slabs laid on them. The first teachers I remember were Francis Lazear and John McGuire. The books used were U. S. speller and the New Testament. The schools then, as now, were
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
only open in the winter season, and the little folks had often to go' several miles through the woods, with the snow two feet or more deep; and as there was no such thing as boots then, it was a very cold operation.
"There were shoemakers in that day, but they did not have shops as they have now, but went around from house to house, shoeing the whole family before leaving. We never got but one pair of shoes in a year. Often times little children had no shoes at all, wearing noth- ing but stocking's.
" I will tell you a story of one of these traveling shoemakers. Ilis name I have forgotten, but I remember he came to my father's and made us all shoes. He was a jolly good fellow, but loved his drink. After he got through at our house, he got his money and started for home. The weather was very cold and as he had to pass a still-house, he stopped and got a jug. As he journeyed on towards home, he frequently imbibed, until he had reached within about one hundred yards of home-that haven of rest where a wife and several children awaited his coming -- when he suceumbed to the influence of the liquor and got down, where he was found a short time after frozen to death. It created a great deal of excitement in the neigh- borhood, but like such things to-day, had no influence, as whisky continued to be made and drunk just the same."
CHAPTER XLIV.
MORRIS TOWNSHIP.
MILLIKEN -- FIRST COURT HOUSE - NINEVEH-BEULAH CHURCH- METHODIST CHURCH-UNITY CHURCH-CARL BROTHERS MUR- DERED.
DOBERT MILLIKEN was born in Ireland in 1772, and died in 1865. He was one of the early commissioners of Greene County, and was the first Justice of the Peace of Morris Township. HIe built a house on the site of Waynesburg, where John Buchanan's house stands, about the year 1798. He was a brick moulder by trade, and built the first brick Court House in Greene County in the year 1800. To this time courts had been held in the house since occupied by Charles S. Hickey. He married Mary, a daughter of
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
David Gray. IIe afterwards owned the farm on Brown's Fork, Mor- ris Township, now owned by his son, James Milliken. Mrs. Mary Milliken was one of two children that made the midnight flight to Jackson's fort, elsewhere mentioned.
The principal village in this township bears the bible name of Nineveh, pleasantly located on Brown's Fork of Ten-Mile Creek. William Day purchased a small plot of ground on which the village is located as late as 1845, and having erected a small house, his son Francis opened a store therein. Mr. Day laid out streets through his plot of ground and soon a number of dwellings were erected. In 1850 a Cumberland Presbyterian Church was built, which was thoroughly repaired and modernized in 1881. The place has become of considerable importance as a business center, being in the midst of a fine agricultural section. A wagon shop is reputed to turn out excellent work. It has a substantial brick school building.
The Bates' Fork Baptist Church is located near Sycamore Sta- tion on the Waynesburg railroad close to the border of Washington Township. It was organized on the 29th of December, 1842, by Revs. Isaac Pettit, Levi Griffith, William Woods and Thomas Rich- ards. Fifty-one members were received by letter. Lewis Ketchum, Thomas Taylor and John Pettit were chosen deacons. The following named persons have officiated as pastors, as shown by its records: Elders Pettit, Sigfried, Pool, Ellis, Richards, Camonson, Charles Til- ton, Parcell, Rossell, Scott, Morgan and Tilton.
The Beulah Baptist Church is located on the water-shed which divides the basins of Ten-Mile and Wheeling creeks, near the Wash- ington County line. The meetings were first held at the house of Lewis Ketchum as early as 1823. Elder Isaac Pettit was one of the early laborers, though for several years preaching was had only occa- sionally, and sometimes at long intervals. In 1843 Elder Trevor Richards commenced preaching once a month at the school-house near by. Soon afterwards a church organization was effected, Elders Pettit, Brown and Richards officiating on the occasion, and a house of worship was built. The following named persons have officiated as pastors or supply: Elders Trevor Richards, John Thomas, Will- iam Whitehead, Charles Tilton, Caleb Rossel, S. L. Parcell, Job Rossel, H. K. Craig. W. F. Burwell, Patton, C. Haven. The church has been weakened from time to time by withdrawals to found other churches and to unite with other organizations.
The Methodist Episcopal Church of Nineveh, Greene County, Pa., was organized January 31, 1881, with five members, viz .: W. S. Throckmorton M. D., and wife; John Vancleve and wife, and Edward McVey. During the preceding summer the first church building was erected. The society then organized was in the Waynesburg
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
circuit, Pittsburg Conference, Rev. W. D. Sleas, pastor, with Rev. Geo. Il. Huffman as his colleague.
The society at once began to exercise a marked influence on the community, so that at the close of the first year a membership of sixty-five had been gathered into the church.
Rev. E. S. White succeeded to the pastorate, and during his term a new charge was formed, composed of Nineveh and Hopewell, a society that had been organized perhaps sixty years before.
On December 29, 1883, the beautiful little church building at Nineveh was entirely consumed by fire, and but for the faith, courage and liberality of Dr. Throckmorton and his devoted wife this grow- ing and promising society must have been blotted out. On the next day, Sunday Dec. 30, the Quarterly Conference was reconvened and resolved to rebuild. The same building committee was reappointed and the work began at once.
On Monday the smoking debris was cleared away and preparatory work for rebuilding was vigorously begun.
On Sunday Sept. 21, 1884, the new church building, superior in every respect to the one it has replaced, was dedicated.
During the time of its erection, one of the most commodious, convenient and comfortable parsonages, within the bounds of the conference, was also erected by the charge on a beautiful lot adjoin- ing the church.
Rev. R. S. Ross succeeded to the pastorate, and during his term of three years, provision was made for the liquidation of all debts against the church and parsonage, and the membership grew to one hundred and twenty. In all departments of church work the society has prospered while it has gained proportionately in temporal things. At present (1888) the charge is under the pastoral care of Rev. N. P. Kerr.
The Unity Presbyterian Church at Harvey's, Greene County, was organized in 1814. In the spring of that year the Presbytery ap- pointed a committee consisting of Rev. John Anderson and Rev. Joseph Stevenson to organize a church here. Among those of Presby- terian faith who had settled in this neighborhood was Francis Brad- dock who came in 1805 and occupied the farm now held by his son, J. H. Braddock. In 1812 Moses and Thomas Dinsmore came and secured lands where their descendants now live.
The committee appointed by the Presbytery met on August 27, 1814, at the house of David Gray, now occupied by Mrs. McClelland, where after holding religious service the Church of Unity was formed. The ruling elders ordained and installed were David Gray, Jacob Rickey, Francis Braddock and Moses Dinsmore. The families of Messrs. Dodd, Holden and Kent were also represented in the organ- ization. Supplies were appointed by Presbytery who came about
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
six times a year and received from two to five dollars per Sabbath for their services. The Sacrament of the Lord's supper was usually ad- ministered in autumn when the roads were good. The names of some of those who came as supplies were Rev. John Anderson, Joseph Stevenson, James Hervey, David Hervey, Reed, Marquis, Dodd, MeCurdy, Mercer, Moore, Wylie and Patterson.
- In 1828 the churches of Wolf Run and Unity united in calling Rev. A. Leonard as stated supply, and he was succeeded in 1831 by Rev. W. D. Smith, in 1834 by Rev. Samuel Moody, and in 1835 by the unfortunate Rev. John Knox. Several young men licensed by the Presbytery of Washington supplied for limited periods. Rev. James Fleming preached for a time in 1839, and afterwards occasional sup- plies until 1842 when the congregations of Unity and Wolf Run settled and installed Rev. John Whittim, who was succeeded in 1844 by Rev. Alexander McCarrell. Upon the establishment of a Presby- terian Church at Waynesburg, the two churches united in calling pastors who served half time at each place, Messrs. MeCarrell, Ros- borough, Calhoun and Miller in succession having charge of these flocks. In 1854 Rev. Samuel Jeffrey became pastor and served faithfully till his death in 1859. The Rev. J. A. Ewing, Rev. William Jeffrey, Rev. William Hanna and Rev. William S. Vancleve served in succession from 1860 to 1867. At this time the church at Waynes- burg engaged the entire time of a pastor and Unity was without a stated supply. The Rev. Samuel Graham became pastor in Decem- ber, 1869, conducting a select school at the same time at Jackson- ville. In 1872 Rev. J. B. Stevenson supplied it until 1875. Rev. Robert P. Farrar in the following year served Unity in connection with the church of Cameron. He was succeeded by the Rev. Samuel Graham, who in addition to the pastoral work has a select school at Graysville, and is still officiating (1888).
For many years the congregation worshipped in a log school- house which stood below the old grave-yard. A frame structure 45×50 was erected at a cost of $700. Francis Braddock, senior, donated the ground and contributed liberally to the building fund. In 1880, after forty years of service, this house was destroyed by fire, and a new edifice was erected at Graysville to take its place. It is 34x54 feet and 17 feet to ceiling and was built at a cost of $2,250. It was dedicated on the 20th of June, 1880, the Rev. Joseph S. Brad- dock preaching the dedicatory sermon. The Sabbath-school con- nected with this church was established in the days of the old log school-house, and Francis Braddock, senior, was the first Superin- tendant. It has done efficient work ever since.
The church has been the nursery whence has gone forth a number of able heralds of the cross. Of the family of Francis Braddock, senior, three-Francis, Cyrus and Joseph, became ministers, and of
27
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
the sons of Moses Dinsmore, six-Robert S., Francis B., Thomas II., John, Moses and William, studied for the ministry. The Session having been reduced in 1837 to one member, the congregation elected four additional members, A. C. Rickey, Francis Braddock, Jr., Obadiah Vancleve and Thomas Dinsmore. By removals and death the Session had again become weakened, Francis Braddock, senior, after a long and devoted life having been called home, and in 1856 the following were elected: William Loughridge, David Braddock, John Carter and John Reed. Thomas Dinsmore, at the age of eighty-six, William Loughridge, at the age of ninety-five, and Abraham C. Rickey, at the age of seventy-seven, fathers in Israel, were removed by death. On the 7th of July, J. H. Braddock, Hamilton Teagarden and Daniel Clutter were chosen, and subsequently Thomas Henderson. The church has enjoyed many seasons of refreshing from the Lord.
In the early days Robert Carl, his wife and two small children, and his two brothers, John and Hamilton, dwelt in a cabin on a branch of Wheeling Creek not far from Beulah Baptist Church. One night whilst Robert was away from home an alarm of Indians came and the inmates prepared to flee to Lindley's Fort. At dawn the two brothers went out to gather dry sticks with which to cook their breakfast when they were both shot dead by Indians lying in wait. The mother with a two-year-old child in her arms and leading the other four-years-old by the hand, escaped from the house into a dense field of corn and succeeded in eluding the wily savages. In attempt- ing to enter the cabin the Indians were met by a furious bitch which had a litter of pups under the bed and so much time elapsed before she could be put out of the way that the mother with her precious charge escaped. The murdered brothers were scalped, the cabin pil- laged even to the destruction of the feather-beds. The mother made her way to Lindley's Fort some ten miles away, where not many days after she gave birth to another child.
" There is another tradition," says Evans, " that on Crab Apple Run there lived in the troublous days, on lands now owned by David G. Braddock, a family by the name of Hume. This family consisted of father, mother and five or six children. The murderous savages came one day, and without a moment's warning massacred in cold blood the entire family, a deed of horror that could not be surpassed. In this same general neighborhood at various times Indians slaughtered a family by the name of McIntyre, one by the name of Beeham, one by the name of Link, another by the name of McIntosh, a Mrs. Nancy Ross, and tomahawked and scalped two Beekman boys, and committed many other depredations, the traditions of which have become so dim by the erasure of time that I have been unable to elicit sufficient particulars to justify an attempt at relating them."
1
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
CHAPTER XLV.
PERRY TOWNSHIP.
SURFACE -- SOIL-PRODUCTIONS-BOUNDARIES - MOUNT MORRIS-IN- TELLIGENCE -- SCHOOLS -- DIRECTORS-JEREMIAH GLASSGOW-PER- .SONAL CONTEST-FIRST SETTLER-WAR PATHIS.
THIS township is situated in the southern part of the county. Its surface is broken, and along the streams precipitous, the rocky strata that underlies the soil being exposed to view, piled in massive layers one above another, often overhanging the foliage below, along which the road winds in seeming dangerous proximity to the cliff. But notwithstanding the immensity of the hills, the soil is fertile and produces abundant crops of corn, wheat, rye, oats, potatoes, and roots on which sheep and cattle are fed. The broken and untillable por- tions are covered with heavy growths of fine timber, thus covering up the deformities of nature and making every part picturesque and beautiful. The township is well watered by Dunkard Creek and its numerous tributaries. There are portions of the territory which have never been improved, being still covered by forest; but the greater portion is under a good state of cultivation, and fine breeds of sheep, cattle, horses and swine are everywhere noticeable. The township is bounded on the north by Whiteley, on the east by Dunkard, on the south by Mason and Dixon's line, and west by Wayne.
At the southeast corner of the township, on the right bank of Dunkard Creek, bordered by towering hills, is the pleasant village of Mount Morris. It is regularly laid out, and has an air of prosperity, though its growth has for some time been impeded by a number of causes which now fortunately seem to be passing away, and an era of prosperity appears to be opening before it. The village has always been noted for the intelligence and public spirit of its people, and here was established one of the earliest graded schools in the county. Secretary Black's report in 1854 gives this township eight schools with 220 pupils, and Mount Morris one school with seventy-five pupils. The report of 1887 gives the township ten schools with 336 pupils, and Mount Morris two schools and ninety-two pupils, thus showing a marked increase. The report of 1859 says: "Mount Mor- ris has one school. The directors of this district manifest a determi- nation and active zeal in the work of educational reform worthy the
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
noble cause in which they are engaged. This school stands number one." The directors of the township for the current year are: Perry Fox, President; Z. T. Shultz, Secretary; G. W. Headley, David Fox, Isaac Cowell, J. K. Headley; and of Mount Morris, Dr. M. N. Reamer, President; D. L. Donley, Secretary; J. H. Barrack, Dr. Hatfield, John W. Maxim, M. C. Monroe.
About the year 1765, Jeremiah Glassgow, who had been the com- panion of John Minor in settling at Redstone, hoping to better his condition, crossed the Monongahela and traveled through the forests and thickets which cumbered all the valley of this placid stream, until he came to the neighborhood of Mount Morris, in what is now Perry Township. On the goodly lands which here border Dunkard Creek he selected as pleased his faney, and toilsomely blazed his traet. At winter time he returned to his former home in Maryland. On returning in the spring he found that a giant of the forest by the name of Seott had, in his absence, taken possession of his traet, and would not be persuaded to give it up to the rightful, or rather original, claimant. Who was the rightful owner was yet to be deter- mined, not by the Marquis of Queensbury rules, but by those of the backwoodsman. It was accordingly agreed that the two should fight for possession, and he who proved himself the better man should have it. Accordingly Glassgow chose his friend John Minor, who had accompanied him from Redstone and had taken lands at Maple- town, as his second, or best friend, and the contestants stripped for the trial. Glassgow was much the smaller man, though well built. In the first encounters Glassgow was worsted; but practicing wily taeties, in which he seems to have been skilled, he grappled with his antagonist and threw him heavily to the ground. The giant was soon up, but no sooner up than he was again tripped and came heavily to the ground. This was repeatedly practiced until the big man found himself so bruised and exhausted that he could not shake off his assailant. Glassgow was now easily able to give him all the punishment he desired, and when he called for a cessation of the bat- tle, the two arose, shook hands and agreed that the land belonged to Glassgow. Thus in true Horatian and Curatian style was the dispute settled, and Glassgow held the ground which his blood had moistened. Disputes like these were not unusual in those early days of settle- ment, and we may learn by this example how the land was originally acquired.
Glassgow was undoubtedly one of the earliest settlers who came to stay and eultivate his lands, in the county, and it was the grit dis- played in this contest which enabled him to face all the difficulties and dangers which were the lot of the pioneers after the defeat of Braddock. As the great war-path of the natives passed through this township, the inhabitants were exposed to their cruelties.
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
"The great Catawba war-path," says Mr. Evans, "entered Fayette County from the south at the month of Grassy Run, thence north- ward to Ashcroft, on Mrs. Evans Wilson's land, by Rev. William Brownfield's, through Uniontown, through Col. Samuel Evans' high- lands, past Pearse's fort, a little west of Mt. Braddock house, to Opossnin Run, down it to the Youghiogheny, crossing where Brad- dock's army crossed, thence by the Pennsville Baptist Church, thence by Tintsmon's mill on Jacob's Creek, thence on through Westmore- land and Armstrong counties, and on up the Alleghany to its source, and over on the headwaters of the Susquehanna into western New York, the grand realm of the mighty Six Nations.
"The warrior branch of this vast trail left the Ohio River at the month of Fish Creek, up which it followed to its very source. It then crossed over on to the waters of Dunkard Creek, and followed this water-course to its confluence with the Monongahela, making an intersection with the Catawba line in Springhill Township, Fayette County. But the warrior branch was not absorbed, but kept on by Crow's mill, and bearing towards the mouth of Redstone Creek, joined the old Redstone trail near Grace Church, on the national pike." Mason and Dixon were stopped in their survey in November, 1767, at a point in Wayne Township, where these two paths cross.
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