USA > Pennsylvania > Jefferson County > History of Jefferson county, Pennsylvania, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 62
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The first land was cleared in South Rose by Robert Morrison and Joseph Millen, the latter making the first improvements. The first person born in this part of Rose was H. J. Millen, and the first marriage was William McGeary and Mary A. Hall, in 1837. The first death was Robert Morrison, who was accidentally killed. The first grave-yard was located on the farm of Andrew Ohl, and the first buried there was Mrs. Josiah Lehman, in 1837, and in 1839 four children of Joel Spyker. The next was on the farm of Joseph Millen, in 1 842, Moses Campbell being the first buried there in 1844.
The first school-houses were built on the farm of William Carr, in 1837, and in Belleview in 1842 ; and the first churches on the land of Andrew Ohl, in 1836, and at Joseph Millen's, in 1842.
The first saw- mill was built by John J. Miller, in 1843, on the place now belonging to the Shaffer heirs, and the first lumber was run in 1835. The first coal was dicovered on the Dougherty farm in 1840.
Lumber and Saw mills .- The timber has nearly all been cut off Rose, and there is now but one saw-mill within its boundaries - the large mills of Wainwright & Bryant.
This mill was erected in 1872 by Robert J. Nicholson, who sold the property to Straub & Burkett, from whom it was purchased in 1884 by C. P. Wainwright, and W. L. Bryant, of Philadelphia. Since the new firm com- menced operations they have put in new machinery, consisting of' one circular saw, one gang saw, edger, lath and pick mill. They also, in 1887, placed in their mills a new patent "band saw" with the necessary machinery for its successful operation, at an expenditure of about $5,000. The new saw is simply a band, and while it will do as much and better work than the circular saw generally in use, cuts a kerf fully one-eighth less, and saves lumber to
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that extent, making eight inch boards where the old process would make but seven. The gentlemen have given the new saw a trial, and they are sat- isfied that it will do all that is claimed for it.
Their saw-mill cuts about 13,000,000 of pine and hemlock per year, and employs seventy men. They also have a planing and shingle-mill. The former was destroyed by fire in 1886, but at once rebuilt. They manufacture all kinds of dressed lumber, flooring, siding, etc. The shingle mill cuts about 25,000 eighteen inch, and about 15,000 twenty-four inch shingles per day, and employs twenty men. These mills are situated on Redbank, at Nicholson Station, on the Low Grade Railroad, about two miles below Brookville. Mr. Willis L. Bryant, the junior member of the firm, resides in Brookville, and gives a general supervision to the business. The superintendent at the mills is Frank Jobson, and J. R. Brannan attends to the shipping of the lumber after it comes from the mill. R. E. Clover, of Brookville, is book-keeper. The firm controls some 5,000 acres of timber land in the northern townships.
Farms .- Farming is the principal business of the citizens of Rose since the decline of the lumber trade, and there are some excellent farms in the town- ship, with good buildings. Among the best in the northern part of the town- ship are those of Uriah Matson, Robert Matson, W. H. Gray, D. G. Gourly, William Green, Eli Snyder, H. C. Litch, K. L. Blood, and in the southern portion are those of Andrew Ohl, George and Jacob Diener, Henry Boden- horm, James Breakey, John Hill, John Johns, William and Enoch McGeary, William Hall, Samuel Thrush and Abner Spyker.
There is only one post-office in Rose, Stanton, at Belleview, the majority of its citizens receiving their mail matter through the Brookville office.
BELLEVIEW.
Belleview is the metropolis of Southern Rose, and is quite a brisk little town. It was laid out and named by Hugh Campbell in 1844.
The first stores were kept by John Philiber in 1849, and James Hill in 1850. The latter came to Jefferson county in 1838 and purchased one hun- dred and seventy-five acres of land in the vicinity of Belleview, now occupied by his son, John Hill. In 1850 he removed to Belleview, where he kept store until his death, in 1863. His wife, née Mary Kinnear, died just six weeks be- fore her husband. Both were natives of Ireland. Hill was succeeded by A. J. Smathers, and the Reitz brothers -Manuel W., Edward and Aaron, who bought the Hill property in 1866. The store is now the property of E. Reitz & Son. Joseph Spare has also a store in Belleview.
The first cabinet shop was started in Belleview in 1849. The present shops are the wagon and blacksmith shops of Joseph Spare and William Mooney.
There is a temperance hotel in Belleview, kept by Mrs. Carrie Simpson.
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Belleview is noted for its morality, temperance and education. It contains three churches, the United Presbyterian, organized in 1842; the Reformed Presbyterian, organized in 1846, and the Methodist Episcopal in 1871. It also contains large and excellent select schools. The population of Belleview in 1880 was ninety-six.
Elections .- As there was no returns made of the elections held in Jefferson county in 1828,' the first record of votes cast by the township is that of 1829, copied from the records of Indiana county, as follows :
" Rose township .- At an election held at the house of Jno. Lucas, in said township, on Friday, the 20th of March, 1829, the following named persons were duly elected, to wit : Supervisors, Moses Knapp had 39 votes, James Shields, 30 ; poor overseers, John Lucas, 10, John Avery, 10; auditors, John Hughs, 50, Alonzo Baldwin, 42, Robert K. Scott, 36, William Morrison, 32 ; constable, William Love, jr., 51 ; fence viewers, Jno. Kelso, 16; Elijah M. Graham, 14; town clerk, Jno. Christy, 3; James Corbett, 3. Signed Alonzo Baldwin, Jno. Lucas, judges."
At the election held February 15, 1887, the following persons were elected : Constable, George Boner ; supervisors, Gilmore Vasbinder, J. N. Hall; school directors, J. Snyder, Nathan Diener, Edward McLaughlin; auditor, Alexan- der Kennedy and James Chambers (tie vote 114 votes each); assessor, Joseph Thrush ; tax collector, J. R. O'Conner ; township clerk, Abner Spyker ; over- seer of the poor, William H. Hall; judge of election, Newton Lantz ; inspec- tors, W. C. Kelly and J. J. Hinderliter. The justices of the peace in Rose are Abner Spyker and M. W. Reily. The members of the school board pre- viously elected are E. V. Richards, R. D. Richards, David G. Gourley, Uriah Bender.
Arca, Taxables and Population .- In 1831 the " statistical table " of Jeffer- son county gives length of Rose township as 39 miles; breath, 12 miles; area in acres 289,520.
In 1828 the number of taxables was 123, with one deaf and dumb person. The votes cast at the spring election were 65, and at the general election 66.
In 1829 the number of taxables was 115; in 1835, 252 (this included the taxables in the borough of Brookville) ; in 1842, 232; in 1849, 104; 1856, 132; 1863, 173; 1870, 271 ; in 1880, 480; in 1886, 561.
The population by the census in 1840 (including Brookville) was 1,421 ; 1850, 559 ; 1860, 828; 1870, 1,058; 1880, 1,601.
Assessments and Valuations .- The triennial statement for 1886 gives the number of acres seated in Rose township as 10,321 ; valuation, $65,646; aver- age value per acre, $5.36; houses and lots, 407 ; valuation, $31,453 ; grist and saw-mills, 3; valuation, $8,850; unseated, 843 acres; valuation, $2,789 ;
1 Hazard's Register gives the number of votes cast at township election for 1828 as 65, and at gen- eral election 66.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
average value, $3.31 ; number of horses, 226; valuation, $7,523 ; average value, $33.29; cows, 294 ; valuation, $2,829; average value, $9.62 ; occupa- tions, 131 ; valuation, $3,125 ; average valuation, $23.85 ; total valuation subject to county tax, $122,265 ; money at interest, $39,965.
School Statistics .- The number of schools in Rose is 8 ; length of term, 5 months; 2 male and 6 female teachers ; average salary of teachers, $30 ; num- ber of male scholars, 216; females, 201 ; average attendance, 313 ; per cent. of attendance, So; cost of scholar per month, 62 cents; number of mills levied for school purposes, 13 ; for building, 5 ; whole amount of tax levied for school and building purposes, $1,495.67
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
HISTORY OF BARNETT TOWNSHIP.
3 ARNETT is the sixth township, organized in 1833, and was named for Joseph Barnett, the pioneer of Jefferson county. It was taken from Rose township, and until 1838 comprised all that part of Jefferson county lying north of the Clarion river. This township is now bounded on the north by Forest county, from which it is divided by the Clarion River ; on the east by Heath township ; on the south by Eldred, and on the west by Clarion county.
Topography and Geology .- Situated at the western side of the county, Bar- nett is one of the northern tier of townships. The greater part of the town- ship is a wilderness. Its northern side is a long slope five hundred feet in height, stretching to the Clarion River. Its southern side, bordering on Eldred, is traversed nearly its whole length by the ravine of Cathers Run, which heads at the eastern side of the township, and deepens rapidly westward. A narrow strip, therefore, of high land, trending east and west, occupies the center of the township, along which runs its main road, leading from Brookville to Clar- ington, in Forest county.
The coal beds are of the Mercer group, and are from 2' to 3' in thickness, and where opened has been found good, clean coal. Iron ore is also found, that at Orin Butterfield's having been tested by Mr. S. W. Smith, of Brook- ville, and found to be 2' on the west face, and 4' on the eastern face of the hill. It is a brown hematite ore. This deposit might become valuable were there any railroad facilities to allow of its being brought to market.
Early Settlers .- The first to settle in what is now Barnett township, were William, George and Samuel Armstrong, who came from Crawford county
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about 1827, David and Joseph Reynolds, John Cook, John H. Maze and Alex- ander Murray came about 1829. David Reynolds cleared the first land, and made the first improvements.
Alexander Forsythe, Robert Wallace, Richard Burns, and William Thomas also came at an early day. Orin Butterfield came from Watertown, Jefferson county, N. Y., in 1837. Probably the first birth was Evaline Armstrong, daughter of William Armstrong, and the first record to be found of any mar- riages are those of Thomas Maze, who married Martha Hall in 1836, and Rob- ert Hulings and Polly Maze, in March, 1837; then in 1838 William Maze and Sophia Herron were married by Orin Butterfield, esq.
The first deaths were those of James Maze, who died in 1831, and was buried in what is said to be the first grave-yard, at the old school-house at Troutman Run ; then David Reynolds and Alexander Murray died about 1838, and were the first buried in the grave-yard on the Armstrong land, at Clarington.
The first school-house was built at the mouth of Troutman Run. It was built of round logs, and a huge rock formed one end of the building, against which the fire-place was made. The next was built at Butterfields, in 1840. The first saw-mill was built by William Armstrong, at the mouth of Maple Creek, about 1829, and the first lumber taken out about 1829 by David Rey- nolds. The next saw-mill was erected by John Cook, at the mouth of Thom's Run.
The first grist-mill was built by William Armstrong, on the Clarion River, at what is now known as Clarington, and he opened the first store at the same place about the year 1830. Charles Johnson afterwards built a saw-mill and opened a store on Maple Creek.
The first hotel was kept by Alexander Murray, afterwards by his widow ; then Grove Reed kept the first licensed house. Oramel Thing also kept a hotel at an carly day, on the Clarion River. The first blacksmith shop was started by Mr. Armstrong at his mill, and an Englishman named Andrew Clough, was the first blacksmith. The old settlers now living are: Mrs. Polly Williams, a sister of the Armstrong brothers, who has resided in Barnett township about fifty-five years, and is past eighty years of age. Orin Butter- field has resided there fifty years. Mr. Butterfield first purchased the farm where he now resides from Richard Burns and William Thomas, who had arti- cled for the same with C. C. Gaskill, agent for the Holland Land Company, but had made no payments upon it. He has resided upon it ever since, and has now a good farm of about two hundred acres, and four hundred acres of timber land, from which most of the timber has been cut. Mr. Butterfield has been one of the most prominent citizens of the township, having been four times elected justice of the peace. He has now a comfortable, pleasant home, the result of his hard labor, and where he is enjoying the evening of his days
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
in comfort and luxury. He is over eighty years of age, but is as hale and sprightly as a man of sixty.
Among other prominent settlers of later years are : John Dobson, whose wife is a daughter of John H. Maze, she having been born and raised in the wilds of Barnett; A. J. Maze, Mrs. Dobson's brother, John Agnew, William Painter, the Wallace brothers and G. G. Frazier.
Present business .- The only store in the township is that of S. & W. Shields, at Clarington. There is no hotel now in Barnett. The saw-mills are those of Abram Braden, above site of old Armstrong mill, George G. Frazier (this mill was, in 1887, disposed of to a Reynoldsville company), William Wallace, George Shawkey, George Means, and Peter Stahlman ; A. C. Wiggins does the blacksmithing for the community with a shop at Clarington.
There are three school-houses, at Butterfield's, Wallace's, and at Pine Grove. There is no church in Barnett, but one is about to be built at Pine Grove.
The present grave-yards are located, one at Pine Grove, one on the James Daniels farm, and one on the Wing farm, now Shields place.
There are now two post-offices in Barnett-the Clarington office having been in 1887 moved to the Jefferson side of the Clarion River, and the office of Ella, on Hominy Ridge, at William Painter's.
Farms .- Although a lumbering region, Barnett boasts of some excellent farms, well cultivated, and with good buildings, and upon which the finest varieties of apples, peaches, pears, cherries and grapes are grown. The best farms in the township are those of William and Archie Wallace, Grant heirs. Orin Butterfield, J. W. Daniels, John and James Truby and Thadeus Songer,
The stock raised in Barnett is confined to the common grades.
Elections .- At an election held in the township of Barnett, in the year 1833, the following named persons were elected township officers : Constable, John Maze; supervisors, David Mead, William Armstrong; auditors, John Wynkoop, William Manross, Edwin Forsythe; overseers of the poor, Enos Myers, John Maze.
At the election held February 15, 1887, the following persons were elected : Constable, D. L. Henry ; supervisors, Michael Asel and James Cook ; school directors, John Campbell and W. W. Braden ; auditors, Henry Dunkle and A. R. Braden ; poor overseers, J. R. Cook and J. H. Grant; assessor, WV. W. Braden; township clerk, W. A. Mathews ; collector, W. W. Braden ; treas- urer, William Wallace ; judge of election, W. W. Callen ; inspectors, A. R. Braden and Robert Wolford. The justices of the peace in Barnett township are J. F. Songer, John H. Kuhns. The members of the school board pre- viously elected are Robert Wolford, WV. W. Braden, John Coon, O. D. Butter- field.
Population and Taxables .- The number of taxables in Barnett township in 1835 was 70; in 1842, 67 ; in 1849, 75 ; in 1856, 78; in 1863, 50; in 1870,
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67 ; in 1880, 92; in 1886, 103. The population in 1840, by census, was 259 ; 1850, 579 ; 1860, 303 ; 1870, 223 ; 1880, 296.
Valuation of property .- The valuation of real and personal property in Barnett township, according to the triennial assessment of 1886, gives the number of acres seated land as 5,213; valuation, $13,625 ; average value per acre, $2.61. Grist and saw-mills, 2 ; valuation, $550. Acres unseated, 2,844 ; valuation, $11,264 ; average per acre, $3.96. Number of horses, 44 ; valua- tion, $1,660; average value, $37.02. Number of cows, 65 ; valuation, $663 ; average, $10.20. Occupations, 30; valuation, $1,435 ; average value, $47.83. Total valuation, subject to county tax, $29,442.
School statistics .- Whole number of schools in 1886, 4 ; average number of months, taught, 4; I male and 3 female teachers ; average salary of teach- ers, $23 ; number of scholars, males 53, females 44 ; average number attend- ing school, 53 ; average per cent. of attendance, 65 ; average cost per month, 83 cents ; number of mills levied for school purposes, 13; total amount of tax levied for school and building purposes, $536.85.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
HISTORY OF SNYDER TOWNSHIP.
S NYDER, the seventh township, was organized in 1835, being taken from Pine Creek, and was called for Governor Simon Snyder. In 1843 a por- tion of the township was taken from it, on the formation of Elk county. The present boundaries of Snyder are : On the north, by Elk county ; on the east, by Elk and Clearfield ; on the south, by Washington township and Clearfield county, and on the west by Polk and Warsaw.
Topography .- The northern part of the township is an almost unbroken wilderness on both sides of the Little Toby, being made so by the near ap- proach of the Homewood sandstone, in very massive condition, to the uplands there. The southern part, covered mostly by coal measure strata, is the agri- cultural part, and is generally cleared land. The Ridgway road crossing the township from east to west, very nearly defines the forest region from that under cultivation. The drainage is mainly into the Clarion River, through the valley of Little Toby, and its tributaries. At the western side of the town- ship, the headsprings of Mill Creek interlock with one branch of the North Fork. It is interesting to observe how very small is the interval separating these Redbank waters from the Little Toby. Those of Mill Creek, in fact, approach in places, nearly to the abrupt hills which overlook the other stream.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
Geology .- Snyder township is one of the principal coal producing districts of the township, as will be seen from the report of the Clarion mines. The coal seam worked is the Freeport Lower, averaging four feet in thickness. The Northwestern Mining and Exchange Company, operating these mines, own the mineral on 5,791 acres in Snyder township, the assessed value of which is $11,582.
Early Settlers .- In 1822 Alonzo and James W. Brockway settled on the Pfeffer tract, lottery warrant No. 34, which their father, John P. Brockway, had purchased at treasurer's.sale, in Indiana, the year previous. This was the first settlement in Snyder township, and is where the town of Brockwayville now is. The next to settle in what is now Snyder township, was Jacob Shaffer, who located in 1823 on the Henry Sivert tract, and his brother-in-law, Henry Walborn, who located on the run known as Walborn Run, about a mile and a half above Brockway's.
Although the land was heavily timbered and hard to clear, they found the soil very productive, and the Brockways soon found themselves able to live comfortably, and even luxuriously, in the wilderness. Wild game was abun- dant, and with elk, bear, deer and wild turkey, to furnish the meat, the bees the honey, and the magnificent groves of sugar maple the molasses and sugar, while the luxurious vegetation furnished their cattle with abundant food, there was no lack of good wholesome food. Flour was the hardest to get, but soon mills were erected, as we have already stated, and this difficulty was obviated in a measure, and cornbread, or " pone," as it was called in those days, took the place of the white rolls made from the Vienna flour of the present day. .
Ami Sibley was one of the pioneers of Snyder township, locating in that region in 1818. He was one of the most noted hunters in the northern part of the county. He died in 1861. Mr. Sibley raised a family of nine children, nearly all of whom are now residents of Snyder, and among her best citizens.
Among the settlers who followed the Brockways into Snyder were James Pendleton, Hiram Wilson, Henry and Ira Walsh, A. R. Frost, Samuel Beman, William Bennett, Stephen Tibbetts, Jacob Myers, Alonzo Firman, James Mc- Minn, R. W. Moorhead, Bennett Prindle, Paul Robinson, J. H. Robinson, Thomas Brian, John Johnson, James Marshall, Thomas Calhoun, James Pen- field, Benjamin Shaw, John Atwell. James W. Green, Robert McMinn, William McMinn.
There are some excellent farms in Snyder, among the best improved being those of John Atwell, Mathew Bovaird, Charles Bovaird, John Bryant, Joseph Barber, John Calhoun, James Calhoun, Alonzo Firman, Thomas Hutchison, John Keys, James McMinn, Joseph and Robert Morrison, Daniel Pendleton, John H. Robinson, Mrs. Mary M. Lane, Henry Kearney. The fruit raised, such as apples, pears, plums, is equal to that of any of the other townships.
Lumber and Saw- mills .-- The first thing that the early settlers of Snyder
Afterman
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SNYDER TOWNSHIP.
turned their attention to was lumbering. Dr. Clark's account of the first timber run out of Little Toby, has already been given. Then it took several weeks to dispose of the small fleet, and the highest price paid for " clear stuff" was only ten dollars per thousand feet, while the common lumber only brought about four dollars per thousand. Though this first venture almost proved a failure, the business was prosecuted with renewed vigor from year to year, and as it was the only business that brought money into the township, the timber was ruthlessly sacrificed. In 1828 John S., Alonzo and James M. Brockway, built a saw-mill, and about the same time the mill about three miles above Brock- way's, called the " Balltown mill," was built by Isaac Horton, Chauncy Brock- way, Hezekiah and L. Warner and Alanson Vial.
One of the first mills built in Snyder was that erected by Dr. William Bennett, father of Dr. J. T. Bennett, of Brookville ; it was afterwards called the Jenkins mill.
In 1836 Hoyt & Wilson bought timber lands of Jacob Shaffer, about two miles above where Brockwayville now is, built a saw-mill, and ran it for some time, when the property was purchased by Alonzo Firman, who erected a new steam mill. This mill cuts about half a million feet per year. Mr. Firman owns some seven hundred acres of timber land in connection with the mill property.
In 1845 William McCullough built a mill on the site of the present " Lane mill." It was then owned by Hyde & Scott, then by Lane, Conklin & Phelps, who erected the present large establishment. The property, which is sit- uated on Little Toby Creek, about two miles south of Brockwayville, is now owned by Mr. N. B. Lane, and cuts three million feet per year. There is about two thousand acres of timber land belonging to this property.
James Pendleton, in 1841, built a saw-mill, grist and carding-mill, on Rat- tlesnake Run, about one mile south of where Brockwayville now is. The saw- mill was rebuilt in 1846, and is now owned by Daniel Pendleton, son of the first builder. This mill cuts from one to two hundred thousand feet per annum, and has about one hundred acres of timber land connected with it.
The Forest Lumber Company's mill, formerly the "Galusha mill," was built by Peter Galusha in 1850, who owned it until his death. It is now the property of the Forest Lumber Company, and has about forty thousand acres of timber land in connection with it, and cuts four million feet per an- num. A store is connected with this establishment.
The Atwell mill, located four miles west of Brockwayville, on the Brook- ville road, was built by Shaw & Atwell in 1878, and is now owned by Nelson Atwell ; its capacity is about half a million per year.
The Buzzard mill, situated on Little Toby, one- half mile north of Brock- wayville, was built by E. G. and C. M. Carrier in 1874. The property was then owned by John Alexander, and is now the property of R. L. Buzzard.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
It cuts from three to four million feet per annum, and has about three thou- sand acres of timber land in connection with it.
Allen's mills-grist and saw-mill-built in 1874 by Dillis Allen. The car- penter work was done by Philo Bowdish. Since the death of Mr. Allen the property is owned by his estate and William Bond, as Bond & Allen. The flouring mill is run by F. J. Lord, lessee, and is known as the Eureka Flour Mill. The saw-mill is run by S. C. Bond, who has leased it for a term of years.
G. S. Himes, planing- mill, situated in Brockwayville ; built in 1885.
Planing and shingle-mill, built in September, 1886, by William Frederick.
Elections .- At an election held in Snyder township in 1835, the following persons were elected township officers :
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