USA > Pennsylvania > Jefferson County > History of Jefferson county, Pennsylvania, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 64
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ELDRED TOWNSHIP.
before they learned what good, rich cream was like. Mr. Cowan, after clear- ing the farm in Eldred, now owned by Milton Stahlman, sold it, and removed to Union township, where he purchased the farm of Richard Hughes, where his wife and several of his children reside. He died in 1878. He was an ex- cellent, upright man, and was able to enjoy the fruits of his hard labor in his later days His eldest son, William B., follows his father's occupation, and has one of the best coal banks in Union township. Peter, from the day he first took the plow in his hands, when but a boy, was delegated to follow that occu- pation, and until a year or so back, when he engaged in other business, has had charge of the home farm. While living on the farm in Eldred, Mr. Cowan one day while carrying home some fruit trees to set out, stopped at the house of Paul Fiscus, and while resting employed the time in pruning the trees. Mrs. Fiscus gathered up the twigs and planted them, and thus started a good orchard on her own farm.
One of the best known citizens of Eldred township was Michael Woods, who was born in County Letrim, Ireland, in 1822, and who emigrated to America when he was about eighteen years of age. He worked for about two years in Philadelphia, where he met Levi G. Clover, who took a great liking to the young Irishman, and brought him to his home in Brookville. He re- mained in the employ of Mr. Clover for two years, when he married Margaret Kerr, and moved on to the farm of John Dougherty, (now the Marlin farm), about two miles north of Brookville, in Rose township, where he lived about five years, and then bought a farm from Benjamin McCreight, in Eldred town- ship, where he resided until his death, which occurred October 11, 1877. He was buried at the Red Bank Roman Catholic cemetery, in Clarion county.
During the time that Mr. Woods worked for Clover and Dougherty he carried the mail, for about seven years, from Brookville to Indiana, making one trip a week, the round trip occupying two days and a half. He held many lo- cal offices in Eldred township, being tax collector and constable for a period of almost twenty years, and served as court crier for about eighteen years. He was a man of the strictest integrity, whose word was as good as his bond. His wife and sons reside in Eldred, where they are among its best citizens.
None of those who first settled Eldred township are now living. The old- est citizens are Joseph White, eighty-five years of age, settled in township in 1850; George Weirick, eighty-three years, in 1871; William McAdoo, seven- ty-five years, in 1846, and James Frost, sixty-five years, in 1849.
First Improvements .- The first church was built in 1856 near Sigel, and the first school-house, called Hall's, in 1839. John Burns built the first saw- mill about 1849, and Fullerton & Truman started the first store. The first hotel was kept near Sigel in 1847, by A. Shall. The first lumber was taken out in 1847, and the first coal discovered by James Summerville.
The first death in the township was a child of D. Coder, and the first
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
grave-yard was made at Mount Tabor, a child of J. Beer being the first in- terred therein.
Lumber and Saw- Mills .- This township was well covered with fine tim- ber, principally pine ; but the first settlers, who had no idea of its value, seemed to have but one wish in regard to it, and that was to get rid of it as fast as possible, and a vast amount was wantonly destroyed, the value of which cannot be computed. The greater part of the timber has been cut off. The saw- mills are now those of Stephen Oaks, H. R. Moore and Garrison & Het- zell, each with a daily capacity of about 10,000.
SIGEL.
This is the only village in the township, and is a pretty little hamlet lo- cated on the road from Brookville to Clarington. In 1880 the population was 115. There are two stores in the place owned by Henry Truman and White & Hepler, and two hotels, kept by J. J. Henderson and T. Jones, but no li- censed house in the township; and the blacksmith-shops of Jerry Tapper, Henry Mathews and J. G. Gumbert. Sigel post-office is located here. The other post-office in the township is called Howe. It is kept in the store of B. H. Whitehill, about four miles north of Brookville.
There are four churches in the township, a history of which has been given elsewhere. There are three cemeteries.
Since the timber, that once engrossed the attention of all classes, has disappeared, the citizens have turned to farming, and Eldred is now taking a first place in that respect. Among the best improved farms are those of Timothy Caldwell. A. M. Larrimer, John White, R. R. Mckinley and James Frost. Apples, pears, cherries and grapes are the fruits grown, and are of excellent varieties.
Considerable attention is being paid to the introducing of thoroughbred stock in the township, and there are some fine herds of short-horn Durham, Jersey and Holstein cattle, and Cottswold sheep.
Elections .- The first election was held in Eldred township in the year 1836, and the following persons were elected : Constable, Elijah M. Graham ; super- visor, Thomas Arthurs, Thomas Barr ; school directors, George Catz, Henry Boil, Thomas Hughes, Thomas Hall, Jacob Craft, John Maze ; overseers of the poor, Michael Troy, Thomas Callen ; town clerk, Jacob Craft.
The election held February 15, 1887, resulted in the election of the follow- ing persons: Justice of the peace, William Park; constable, Joseph Wilson ; tax collector, H. G. Katz ; supervisors, H. G. Katz and W. M. McManigle ; school directors, David White and George Gailey; poor overseer, Jacob Mine- weaser ; auditor, Thomas McNeal ; assessor, Jeremiah Greeley ; clerk, F. Cald- well ; judge of election, William Snipp; inspectors, W. H. Alford and Peter Mineweaser. The justices of the peace in Eldred are William Park and J. J.
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JENKS AND TIONESTA TOWNSHIPS.
Henderson. The members of the school board previously elected are Filmore Caldwell, R. R. McKinley, Milton Stahlman and J. W. Knopsnyder.
The number of taxables in Eldred township in 1835, was 37 ; in 1842, 123 ; in 1849, 97; in 1856, 157; in 1863, 188; in 1870, 211; in 1880, 338; in 1886, 412. The population in 1840 was 395; 1850, 492; 1860, 826; 1870, 832; 1880, 1,271. The census of 1850 gives the number of houses as 88 ; families, 93.
According to the triennial assessment of 1886, the number of acres seated in Eldred was 18,266; valuation $66,678 ; average value per acre, $3.65. Forty-two houses and lots; valuation $2,790. Seven grist and saw-mills, $275. Number of acres unseated 8,776; valuation $29,445 ; average value per acre $3.35. Number of horses, 263; valuation $7,338; average value $24.00. Cows, 343; valuation $2,831 ; average value $8.22. Fourteen oxen ; valuation $260. Occupations 115 ; valuation $2,865 ; average $24. Total valuation subject to county tax, $112,482. Money at interest $11,830.
There were eight schools reported in Eldred for the year ending June 30, 1886 ; average number of months taught five ; number of male teachers three ; number of female teachers five. Average salary $28.00. Number of male scholars 279 ; females 186. Number attending school 258 ; average per cent. of attendance 82 ; cost per month 53 cents. Number of mills levied for school purposes 10. Total amount of tax levied for school and building purposes $1,230.
CHAPTER XLI.
HISTORY OF JENKS AND TIONESTA TOWNSHIPS.
J ENKS township was organized in 1838, and made the tenth in line. It was taken from Barnett, and comprised all that portion lying north of the Clarion River. It was named after Dr. John W. Jenks, who was then one of the associate judges of the county.
At the same time Tionesta was also organized, making the present town- ship, being also taken from Barnett township, so that these two have very properly been called the twin townships. Tionesta was called for a stream of that name.
Taxables and Population .- In 1842 the taxables in Jenks township num- bered 16, and in 1849, 32. The population in 1840 was 40, and in 1850, 88.
The number of taxables in Tionesta in 1842 was 9, and in 1849, 24. The population in 1840 was 27, and in 1850 it had increased to 106.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
First Election in Jenks Township .- At an election held in Jenks township in 1838 the following township officers were elected : Constable, Cyrus Blood ; supervisors, Cyrus Blood, John Hunt; school directors, Cyrus Blood, John Hunt, Aaron Brockway, Aaron Brockway, jr., Josiah Lacy, John Lewis; au- ditors, John Hunt, Aaron Brockway, sr., Aaron Brockway, jr. ; overseers of the poor, Cyrus Blood, Aaron Brockway, sr .; town clerk, John Hunt ; . fence viewer, Aaron Brockway, jr .; inspector of election, John Hunt.
First Election in Tionesta Township -At an election held in Tionesta township in 1838 the following were elected : Burgess, D. W. Mead ; inspector of election, John Nolf.
Colonel Cyrus Blood was the pioneer of Jenks and Tionesta townships. About the time that Brookville was first laid out Colonel Blood, who was re- siding in Hagerstown, Md., had a dream that impressed him greatly. He thought he was traveling northward, and came to a beautiful country, with magnificent trees, springs of the purest water, and the land rolling and fertile. He awoke, clapping his hands and crying, "Come on, boys, my fortune is made ! "
Unable to get rid of the impression this dream had made, Mr. Blood started northward to look out for such a location as his vision indicated. He traveled all over this tier of counties without finding what he desired, until he penetrated into the wilds of what was afterwards Jenks township, when he realized that he had found the spot described in his dream. He at once purchased six thousand acres of land and proceeded to clear a farm in the wilderness, he being the first white man to set foot in Jenks township. His home was for a long time called "Blood's Settlement." He returned to Hagerstown and brought his family to the new home in 1833. He made arrangements for about twenty families of his neighbors and friends from Hagerstown to follow him to the new settlement ; but some time after he had arrived at his new home, he was one day, while working in the woods, suddenly impressed with the idea that his presence was needed in his old home, and so strong was this feeling that he threw down his tools, mounted his horse and started for Hagerstown. On his arrival he found that cholera had broken out and devastated the place, leaving very few of those whom he expected to join him in building up his new home in the wilderness of Jefferson county, his brother, Parker Blood, being one of the victims. In those days there were no telegraph and very lit- tle mail facilities, and Mr. Blood had no news of the cholera until he reached Hagerstown. This terrible visitation put an end to the colonization scheme, only one of those who had intended coming to join the Bloods in Jefferson county, Trumbull Hunt, settling in the place.
When Mr. Hunt moved his family he had to cut his way through the woods from Brookville, camping out each night at the end of the road made, several days being consumed in making the trip from what is now Clarington
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JENKS AND TIONESTA TOWNSHIPS.
to the present site of Marienville. At that time that region of country was full of Indians, and panthers, wild cats, deer and bear. Foxes, mink and marten abounded, while elk were also occasionally seen, and some very narrow escapes were made from panthers, wolves and wild cats. Parker P. Blood, the young- est son of Colonel Blood, who was not yet two years old when his family moved into the woods, remembers being chased by these ferocious animals ; but he says his worst fright was caused by being chased by a large buck. This deer, which had been caught when a small fawn, after a couple of years escaped to the woods and became quite wild and cross. It had been accustomed to man long enough to lose all fear of him, and did not hesitate to attack any one it met. The animal, when captured, had been adorned with a small sheep bell, which was suspended from its neck by a leather strap, which was securely sewed together by a " wax end," so that he was easily recognized. On one occasion Parker Blood, then a boy of about twelve years, had been sent on an errand to a neighbor living some four or five miles distant, and on his return home, while passing through a chopping, he heard the "tingle " of a sheep bell, and looking back, to his horror discovered the big buck in swift pursuit. Mr. Blood says he made " tall time," and reached a small hemlock into which he climbed just in time to escape the infuriated animal, which took up its po- sition beneath him, snuffing the air, stamping the ground with its sharp hoofs, and occasionally shaking the tree with its huge antlers. The boy, as night came on, was devising means of escape, when a dog came along and engaged the deer in a fight, and while this was going on he slipped from the tree and ran home.
Game was so plenty that a good hunter could kill seven or eight deer in one day, while in the streams trout by the hundreds could be caught. This abundance of game and fish caused the Indians to frequent this region, but they were always peaceable and friendly visitors. On one occasion a party of them came to Colonel Hunt's and asked for supper, throwing down a fine saddle of venison, which they said was to pay for their meal, but intimated that they wanted some of it cooked for their supper. Marien Blood went to work to cook it for them, and the more she cooked the more they ate, until only the bones remained. Her brothers and sister yet delight to remind her of the time the Indians gave her a saddle of venison in exchange for their supper.
As soon as he got his family settled and his farm cleared Colonel Blood began to agitate the idea of a new county, and it was owing to his persever- ance and energy that the county to which he gave the name of Forest was established, April 11, 1848. It was formed from the counties of Jefferson and Venango, taking from the former that portion lying north of the Clarion River, and which comprised the townships of Jenks and Tionesta.
It was through the efforts of Judge Gillis, then member of the State Senate
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
from the district, that the bill creating Forest county was passed. He had passed in the Senate a resolution creating the new county, which also passed the House of Representatives, and is the only instance in the history of the State where a new county was created by a joint resolution. It was at once approved by the governor and thereby became a law. It was near the close of the session, and the joint rules would not allow of its passage in any other form. Judge Gillis did this to oblige his fellow pioneer in the wilds of the new county, Colonel Cyrus Blood. Subsequently Forest county was enlarged, as it at first only comprised four townships, with the county seat at Marienville. The new town Colonel Blood had named for his eldest daughter Marien, who, as the wife of Mr. John D. Hunt (brother of Trumbull Hunt, who came with her father), still resides on the old homestead at Marienville, which continued to be the county seat until 1868, when the county was enlarged and the county seat moved to Tionesta, a town situated at the western side of the county. That portion of the county made up of our seceding townships of Jenks and Tionesta is still called "Old Forest." Colonel Blood was the first associate judge of the new county, and was well-known throughout Jefferson county, every part of which he had visited as county surveyor. He died at his home in Marienville in 1860. Of his children, besides the daughter already men- tioned, Mrs. Clarine Rohrer also resides at Marienville ; Mrs. Louisiana Hunt (wife of Dr. R. S. Hunt) died in Brookville, June 26, 1881 ; Kennedy L. and Parker P., the sons, reside in Brookville. The latter remained on the farm at Marienville until the summer of 1852, when he joined an engineer corps, who were surveying a railroad almost along the route now traversed by the Fox- burg Narrow Guage Road. In the winter of that year he taught school in Farmington township, Clarion county, and the following April went to Brook- ville to clerk in the store of Cummins & Blood.
CHAPTER XLII.
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.
W ASHINGTON, the eleventh township, named in honor of the "Father of his Country," was organized in 1839, being taken from Pine Creek. It is bounded on the north by Snyder and Warsaw townships; on the east by Clearfield county; on the south by Winslow township, and on the west by Pine Creek and Warsaw.
Washington is one of the largest townships in the county. Its surface area is about fifty square miles, or nearly one-twelfth of the entire surface area of
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WASHINGTON TOWNSIIIP.
the county. It is over seven miles long from north to south, at its longest part, and nearly nine miles wide, from east to west at its widest part.
Geology .- The principal coal bed in Washington township is the Freeport Lower, the principal coal mines are at Beechtree, on the Rattlesnake Run, a branch of the Little Toby, which starts at the Covenanter Church, and flows in a direct course eastward along the northern edge of the township. The thick- ness of the seam, etc., are given in the report of the Beechtree mines in a pre- ceding chapter. The Jefferson Coal Company owns 3,269 acres of mineral in Washington, and the Rochester and Pittsburgh Coal and Iron Company 2,825 acres. The superb coal which is found in Washington was always known to exist there, from the fact of its outcrop in the ravines. The ferriferous lime- stone is found in Washington. It is very near the surface, of good quality, and could be easily and cheaply quarried, and would be of inestimable value to the farms, which would be much benefited by its use.
The village of Rockdale stands at the edge of the coal measures, just above the Homewood sandstone. Within this latter formation, and close to the vil- lage store, is an extensive bog, the soil of which is saturated with natural oil- petroleum-that has oozed from crevices in the sandstone Pits and holes dug into the bog attest the presence of oil.
In 1880, during the excitement that prevailed in the eastern part of Jeffer- son county, this locality was seized upon by practical oil men, as a favorable spot for drilling, the bog being regarded as an almost sure indication that the Bradford sands 1,500 feet below the water level were oil-bearing, but after going down some 1,500 feet the well was abandoned, no oil being found, indicating that the oil is merely on the surface.
The Early Settlers .- In 1824 Henry Keys, Alexander Osborn, John Mc- Intosh, John McGhee and Thomas Moore, first settled in what is now Wash- ington township. To their new home they gave the name of " Beechwoods," from the great quantity of beech trees which they found growing there, an appellation which still clings to the locality. They were followed in 1826 by Andrew Smith, William Cooper and John Wilson, with their families, and in 1829, James Smith, with his family, also located in the Beechwoods. These first settlers came from the eastern counties of Centre and Adams.
The early history of this section of the county has been graphically por- trayed by Rev. Boyd Mccullough, who settled with his parents in the Beech- woods in 1832, in his "Sketches of Local History," and the " Shamrock." published by him, from which the following interesting incidents are taken :
"In 1828 there was a beautiful fall. Keys's folks sowed wheat in Novem- ber. The next spring was favorable, and it was a bountiful crop. This was a great loss to the settlement, for the people were encouraged to sow as much wheat as they could get in any time through October, and the rust generally ruined it, till they learned wit by dear experience.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
The winter of 1831 was a very cold one, and in the severest part of it the house of John Hunter was burned down. The neighbors soon gathered to- gether and put up a log house for him, but he lost nearly everything he owned by the fire.
It was in the spring of 1832 that we moved into the woods. There were seventeen families in the woods at the time. We stopped at Andrew Smith's. I was seven years old. The next morning I ran in with the news that there was an ass with very slim legs and a small nose in the yard. I was told that it was a deer. They had petted several young deer at different times.
That fall the first school was started in the place. The log school-house had one regular window, with six lights. The other window was made by removing a log and placing the panes of glass in the cavity joining each other. A writing desk was made by driving pins in a log below this window, and laying a rough board upon it. The fire-place was made by building a stone wall against the logs as high as the loft, from this a kind of flue was made of pine sticks and clay. Sometimes the smoke found its way up the chimney, and sometimes it wandered through the house. William Reynolds taught this first school for ten dollars a month, half in cash, and half in grain, after harvest. People who do not know half as much would turn up their noses at treble that pay now.
The kindly spring came gently on, and we then commenced to make sugar. Right pleasant it is to see the luscious juice drop, drop, dropping from the trees all over the hill, while the roaring fire makes the syrup go foaming and dancing in the kettle till it is time to take it out and put fresh sap in. It is hard work, but then you can see the progress you are making, and you get your pay immediately.
There was no school in summer, but we attended Sabbath- school in the school house. This school was organized by Rev. Mr. Riggs (in 1831), but it existed before that. Robert McIntosh and Betty Keys had started it when there were but a few families in the place. It went from house to house be- fore there was any schon1-house.
James and Andrew Smith, father and son, Thomas Ledlie and Alexander Cochran might be mentioned as men whose deep thought gave an intellectual tone to the discussions. Robert McIntosh, sr., was the first superintendent. He was not a man of extensive information, but his devoted spirit, and warm, cordial impulse gave a great interest to his devotional exercises, and made him universally respected. Well do I remember the last time I saw him in the Sabbath-school. He closed by singing the sixth psalm, long meter, in the old version: " Lord, in thy wrath, rebuke me not." That was in the fall of 1833, and he died in the fall of 1834.
Betty Keys was also the life of the school, as long as her health enabled her to attend. She was said to be very self-willed and opinionative, and on one
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WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.
occasion the young women, returning from Sabbath-school, were walking ahead, and the men in a company behind, all except Oliver McClelland, who was walking with the girls. She invited him to fall back in the company of the men, and so maintain the decorum due the day. That she loved to rule might be true, but certain it is that if she ruled, it was by the gentle power of love. We, children, no matter what class we belonged to, were ac- customed to look up to her as to one superior to the rest, and as one who could scarcely do anything wrong. We carried our dinners with us, as there was Sabbath-school in the morning and prayer-meeting in the afternoon.
When we came to the Beechwoods the soil was rich and the vegetation luxurious, but the subsoil is poor. Thousands of years ago great currents of water must have swept westward carrying the soil into Ohio, Indiana and Ill- inois, leaving the heavy deposits of iron and rock. When the climate became dryer and the streams shrank to their present size, a growth of forest followed. The decaying leaves of two or three thousand years formed this rich mold. Scarcely was the snow of winter gone when the wild leeks peeped up like corn. At first they had not much of their rampant taste, and cattle nipped them off greedily. Before they got strong the curly weed showed itself; vel- lera and broad leaf followed. All these had a thick, juicy root, which lived over winter. By the middle of June the wild pea vine gave pasturage. Be- sides these, which the cattle ate, there were many flowers that they did not eat, the mandrake, the sweet-william, the phlox, the honeysuckle and the violet.
Bees found homes in the hollow trees, as conveniently as food in the flowers. The blossoms of the trees also gave them their choice honey. The crops were often good. In 1835 we planted a bushel and a half of potatoes in one patch of new ground, covering them with leaves, and scratching enough clay over them to keep the leaves down. It was a wet season, which was the most suitable for such planting, and we dug thirty-six bushels of potatoes. The same year the Keyses had four hundred bushels to the acre. Another year James Smith had as good a yield.
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