USA > Pennsylvania > Jefferson County > History of Jefferson county, Pennsylvania, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 69
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The first grave-yard was started on the hill east of Isaac Temple's, in 1835, and Mrs. Chloe Johnson, wife of Milton Johnson, was the first person buried there.
Warsaw has four post- offices, Richardsville, Warsaw, Allen's Mills and Ha- zen. The Warsaw office was established in 1836 at Temple's, but in 1887 was removed to John A. Fox's.
There are eleven school-houses, five churches and three cemeteries,-one in East Warsaw and two at Richardsville, one of which is controlled by share- holders.
There are, in addition to those mentioned, the stores of Rickard & Petti-
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bone, at Warsaw post-office, and M. Culver & Co. at Allen's Mills. John A. Fox keeps a hotel at Warsaw.
Farms .- Farming claims the attention of the citizens of the township, and some excellent farms are found, prominent among which are those of Joseph Steel, Benjamin Snyder; Jacob Raught, in East Warsaw; Joseph McCrack- en, Perry Smith, Mathew Humphrey, S. M. Humphrey, J. Moorhead, Zina Vanorman, Thomas Brownlee, Frank Carrier, Alvy Stewart, William Aljoe and Lewis Evans, in West Warsaw.
All the fruit grown in the county is cultivated in the best varieties, Mathew Humphrey having about the best orchard in the township.
Very little attention has been paid to raising thoroughbred stock, James Suffolk being the only one who has given the matter much attention, having on his farm a fine herd of Short-horn Durham cattle.
RICHARDSVILLE.
The first improvement in what is now the village of Richardsville, was made by William R. Richards, who came there about 1839. He built a house, and then commenced in 1840 or 1841 to build a dam. Mr. Mathew Humph- rey says he helped to place the first log in the dam. After the dam was ready he built a saw-mill, grist-mill and woolen factory ; the former was in running order in the fall of 1840, and the woolen-mill was in operation in 1844. In the spring of 1843 he moved his family from Indiana county to their new home. The first marriage in the new town was that of John Moorhead and Nancy A., daughter of William R. Richards, who were married February 13, 1844, by Rev. David Polk. George W. Richards, the only surviving member of the family of William R. Richards, says that his father's house was small, but they had quite a gathering for those days. There were fourteen of the Moorhead family, and these, with the family of Mr. Richards, and the neigh- bors invited, filled the house to overflowing. Mr. Richards was a very good violinist, and they had quite a jolly dance ; no doubt the first of the kind ever held in the neighborhood. Mr. Richards died in 1867.
The first death was that of Henry E .. son of William Humphrey, who died October 8, 1842. The first grave-yard was laid out near the Presbyterian church, and the first interment was in January, 1851.
The first store in Richardsville was opened in 1847 by D. W. Moorhead, who also kept the first hotel. The first school was taught about 1840, by a Mr. Wilson, in an old log school, that stood where Miles Flack now lives. He was followed in 1841 by Miss Rachel Drain.
Present Business .- There are two stores in Richardsville, those of Mathew Humphrey and William Evans, both doing a fair business.
The Moorhead Lumber Company have a steam saw-mill, planing-mill and grist-mill. G. W. Richards owns and operates a steam tannery.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
There are three churches at Richardsville,-the Presbyterian and Baptist, built in 1858, and the Methodist, in 1871.
Jackson Moorhead, a son of Joseph Moorhead, was one of Richardsville's most enterprising and best citizens. He was postmaster for about twenty- three years ; kept the only store, for a long time. In 1867 he built the saw- mill now operated by his heirs as the Moorhead Lumber Company, and in 1873 erected the large grist-mill. In 1881 removed to Brookville, but still superintended his business at Richardsville until his death, which occurred very suddenly August 19, 1885.
Richardsville is quite a pleasant little town, but grows quite slowly. In 1853 it contained one store and about eighteen dwellings. The census of 1880 gives its population at eighty-three.
MAYSVILLE OR HAZEN.
Another little town situate in East Warsaw, was, for a long time, called " Boot-Jack," from the roads that center there, forming a place, in which the town is built, in the shape of a boot-jack. The name given to the place was, however, Maysville; but in 1882 a post-office was established and named Hazen, for the first assistant postmaster-general, since which time the place has taken that name. It is quite a brisk little town, and in 1886 its citizens erected a large school building in which an excellent select school is main- tained and well patronized.
Maysville has one store kept by Trimble & Company, and the hotel of W. R. Anderson. In 1880 the town had a population of eighty-two. Joshua Vandevort first settled in Maysville in 1825. He died in 1861, aged eighty- six years.
PEKIN.
This little hamlet, situate between Brookville and Richardsville, was set- tled in 1845 by Emory Bartlett, who built a chair manufactory there which he successfully operated until a short time before his death, in 1883. He was then eighty years of age. Mr. Bartlett's chairs were substantially and well made and found a ready sale, and there are few houses in Jefferson county that do not own one of his comfortable, old-fashioned rockers. This manufac- tory is now carried on by his son, A. J. Bartlett.
The name of Pekin was given to the place by Mr. Bartlett, for one of the chief cities in the celestial empire, though he did not carry his admiration so far as to encircle his little town with an impregnable wall.
Elections .-- At the first election held in Warsaw township, in 1843, the fol- lowing persons were elected : Inspectors of election, Thomas McCormick, Peter Chamberlain ; judge of election, John Moorhead ; supervisors, William Weeks, James K. Hoffman ; school directors, Ira Bronson, O. P. Mather, G. D. Fred-
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erick, Arad Pearsall, James A. Wilkins, Peter Chamberlain ; constable, David C. Riggs ; assessors, Andrew McCormick, Jacob Moore, Eli B. Irwin ; audit- ors, John Pearsall, Finley McCormick, Thomas McCormick ; overseers of the poor, Jacob Vasbinder, William R. Richards ; town clerk, Ira Bronson.
May 9, 1887, by a decree of court, Warsaw township was divided into two election districts, East and West Warsaw ; the former holding its election at Maysville, and the latter at Richardsville. The following is the result of the election held February 15, 1887, for both precincts : Warsaw, East-Justice of the peace, J. R. Trimble ; constable, N. P. Clark ; supervisors, Isaac Lyle, An- drew Shaffer ; school directors, Lewis Evans, Simon Stahlman ; tax collector, T. Satterlee ; poor overseer, G. W. Corbin ; assessor, Joseph McCracken ; audi- tor, J. G. Allen ; town clerk, S. M. Humphrey ; judge of election, Reuben Mc- Intosh ; inspectors, Moses Slawson, A. C. Williams. Warsaw, West-Judge of election, Perry Smith ; inspectors, Amos Riggs, James Yount. The justice of the peace for West Warsaw is William Wasson. The school directors pre- viously elected are, Thomas Love, Perry Smith, G. H. Hilliard, S. W. Temple.
Taxables, Population, Assessments and Valuation .- The number of taxa- bles in Warsaw township, in 1842, were 77; in 1849, 149; in 1856, 156; in 1863, 220 ; in 1870, 336; in 1880, 402 ; in 1886, 437. The population, ac- cording to the census of 1850, was 870; 1860, 930; 1870, 1,122; 1880, 1,414. The number of acres seated in Warsaw township in 1886, was 18,675 ; valuation, $86,226 ; average value per acre, $4.62. Eighty-seven houses and lots, valuation $8,215. Grist and saw-mills 9; valuation, $3,700. Acres un- seated 11,443 ; valuation, $56,143 ; average value per acre $4.92. Number of horses 299; valuation, $11,540; average value $35.53. Number of cows 386; valuation, $4,603 ; average value $11.92. Number of oxen 10; valua- tion, $285. Occupations 139; valuation, $3,954; average $22.69. Total valuation, subject to county tax, $173,866. Money at interest $13,940.
Schools .- The number of schools in Warsaw township, according to the re- port for year ending June, 1886, was 11 ; average term five months. Number of male teachers 6 ; females, 5. Average salary of male teachers $38.28 ; females, $30.28. Number of male scholars 267 ; females, 209. Average attendance 311. Per cent. of attendance 85. Cost per month 77 cents. Number of mills levied for school purposes 13. Total amount of tax levied for school pur- poses $2,048.71.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
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CHAPTER XLVII.
HISTORY OF WINSLOW TOWNSHIP.
T 'HE next to form in line, making the sixteenth township, was Winslow, which was organized in 1847, being taken from Washington, Pine Creek and Gaskill. It was named for Hon. James Winslow, then one of the asso- ciate judges of the county. It is situated on the east side of the county, and its boundaries are as follows: On the north by Washington, on the east by Clearfield county, on the south by McCalmont and Henderson, and on the west by McCalmont and Pine Creek. It is almost square-the distance across it north and south is six and a half miles, and east and west about seven and a half miles.
Much of its surface is uncultivated, owing to the steep slopes of the valley, and in others to the rocky condition of the land from the out-crop of sand- stone deposits. Decidedly, the best farming land in the township is on the uplands south from Reynoldsville, around the heads of Trout Run, where the barren measure shoals and slates make a smooth soil, mingled with much lime.
Topography .- The topography of Winslow township is much diversified, with alternating hill and valley. Sandy Lick is the main artery of the drain- age system, to which all the other streams, excepting Stump Creek, are trib- utary. It follows an irregular course through the township, entering at the northeast corner and flowing first westward, then southeast by a sharp turn upon itself at Sandy Valley, and then west again from Reynoldsville by another turn equally sharp. Both bends are closely connected with the Perrysville anticlinal, whose structure has indeed in a large part created them. The creek bed falls from about 1,350 feet above tide level at Evergreen to about 1,300 feet at Prindable's, which, as the creek flows, is a fall of less than five feet to the mile. Some high points in the uplands attain an elevation of more than 1,800 feet above tide level, but the average range of the upland region is between 1,600 and 1,700 fect.
Geology .- The Freeport lower coal is so exceedingly excellent a bed throughout the Reynoldsville region that it has given great value to all the land it overlies. The work of development has been vigorously conducted for several years, but still there is a vast expanse of coal untouched. This coal is found seven feet thick, and is of so good a quality that it is in great demand for gas and steam purposes. A number of collieries have been opened upon it in the Reynoldsville basin, which are now all controlled by Bell, Lewis & Yates, who are vigorously prosecuting their mines. A large number of coke ovens are in operation, but the company not being willing to furnish any statistics of their mines, it has been impossible to give any account of the production, as has been given of the other mines in the county.
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Other coal beds are found in the Reynoldsville basin, but they are of so inferior a character to the Freeport lower coal that, until it is exhausted, they will receive no attention.
The Freeport lower limestone is found at Pancoast and at Reynoldsville. Mr. W. G. Platt, in his report, says of this limestone stratum :
"Another exposure of it is in a small ravine on the property of A. Reynolds, adjoining Powers and Brown, where it shows two feet of excellent stone, grey- ish in color, streaked with calcite, and non-fossiliferous. The same stratum was worked some years ago further west, at Douthitt's saw-mill, to obtain lime for the masonry work at the time the Bennett's Branch Railroad was building. Mr. Wilson, engineer of that road, informed me that all the lime required for his purpose in the vicinity of Reynoldsville was obtained at small expense from this quarry. Under such circumstances, and considering the scarcity of lime in this neighborhood, and how much it is required upon every field being cul- tivated there, it is surprising to me that the farmers have allowed the quarry to fall shut and the draw-kiln to go to decay. I know of no limestone stratum than this Freeport lower in all the measures of Winslow township, and even that stratum is very irregular and uncertain. But in those places where its existence is proved, and in good condition, the farmers should certainly avail themselves of it for a fertilizer."
Early Settlers .- The first settlers in what is now Winslow township were John Fuller and Rebecca, his wife. Mr. Fuller, who was born in Saratoga county, N. Y., May 5, 1794, and served in the War of 1812, came to Pennsyl- vania in 1818, and in 1820 married Rebecca Cathers, of Armstrong, now Clarion county. In 1822 they located in Winslow township, making the first trip to their new home on foot, through the wilderness, the only house on their route being at Port Barnett. They built a cabin on the spot now covered by the Fuller garden on the old homestead, and went to work to hew and dig out a home in the wilderness. Mrs. Fuller worked early and late by her husband's side, and the first season dug over a piece of ground, upon which the stumps stood too thick to admit of its being ploughed, and planted their first potatoes. Their first team was an ox and a cow.
Mr. Fuller was a blacksmith, and was frequently called away from home to do work at his trade. At one time he was absent six weeks helping to build a bridge over the Susquehanna, and Mrs. Fuller remained at home with her little children, the only door to the dwelling being a quilt hung up before the entrance, and at night she would lie and listen to the cry of the wild beasts that infested the woods, the howling of the wolves bringing fear to her heart.
She was expert in the use of the rifle, and with it over her shoulder would take long tramps through the woods in search of her cows, who would stray a long distance from home, often going as far as the present town of Luthersburg.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
On one occasion she was out hunting the cows, accompanied by one of her little boys and her dog, when night came on and she could not find the way home. She sat down on a log, near where the coke ovens of Bell, Lewis & Yates are now built, and put one arm around her boy and the other around the dog, both of which nestled up to her and were soon sound asleep ; but no sleep visited her eyes-she could hear the wild beasts in the distance, and did not know how soon they would come prowling about her. Along in the night she heard her husband calling her, but as he was very hard of hearing she knew that he would not hear her, and she feared to answer him for fear of dis- covering her whereabouts to some of the wild animals that she knew were lurking in the forest. At length, towards morning, she heard the shouts of the McCreight boys, whom Mr. Fuller had called up to help him in his search, and answering them they soon found her and she was conducted home.
Mr. McCreight, who had moved into the neighborhood in 1832, did not know of the presence of the Fullers, nor had they any knowledge that they had any neighbors nearer than Port Barnett, until one day, when Mr. Mc- Creight was out hunting his cows, he heard a crashing in the bushes, and great was his amazement to see emerging therefrom, instead of the deer or bear he expected to see, a woman with a rifle over her shoulder, Explanations fol- lowed, and each was glad to find that they had a neighbor.
Mr. Fuller first dug the coal out of the creek bed at Reynoldsville to use in his blacksmith work, as it increased the heat of the fire. He would fre- quently go to Pittsburgh or Indiana and carry home bars of iron on his shoul- ders. He done all the first blacksmith work in the county, and as far as can be learned was the pioneer blacksmith.
These were days of toil and deprivation, and with no mills near, and no stores from which to purchase any of the necessaries of life, it was no easy task for Mrs. Fuller to provide for and raise her family of fifteen children. She was obliged to toil early and late, and then when the outdoor tasks were done, to contrive something to clothe her little ones. The home also was to pay for, and there was no revenue coming in. The land that was cleared barely afforded a sustenance, and the main source of revenue was the making of maple sugar, which sold at eight and ten cents per pound. To this was added occasionally a few dimes received from some isolated traveler after the making of the Waterford and Susquehanna turnpike opened up a thorough- fare through their place. As the money was gathered penny by penny and sixpence added to sixpence, it was tied up in an old stocking and deposited in the bureau drawer until enough to make a payment on the farm was gotten together, and then at stated times the landowners, or their agents met pur- chasers to receive these payments. Miss Beckie Fuller says that she has heard her mother relate how, on one occasion, they had almost enough saved to make a payment (sixty dollars being the desired amount), and while she was
HILITLE
T. B. LONDON.
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absent helping to work in the fields, some tramp stole the precious stocking, with the hard-earned savings. In those days there were no bolt nor bars, the latch string always hung out, and the bureau drawers were also unlocked, and the thief, perhaps some tramp whom they had befriended, as no one was ever turned from their door, had taken the opportunity to pillage the house while Mrs. Fuller was absent ; then all had to be gone over again, the payment was delayed, and the slow process of saving went on as before. Mr. Fuller as soon as he got the land cleared planted a large orchard of apple trees, which soon yielded him quite an income, and he sold the first fruit in Brookville.
In time they built a larger house, which has now given place to the com- modious, and pleasant home where Mr. George W. Fuller, the youngest son, with his family resides. It is also the home of the youngest daughter, Miss Rebecca Fuller. Mr. Fuller died in 1868. Mrs. Fuller survived him several years. They both sleep with their nine children, who preceded them, in the "Fuller grave-yard," just " across the garden wall."
The McCreight family were the next to penetrate into this wilderness. Mr. McCreight came first in 1832 and prepared a home for his family in what has since been called the Paradise Settlement. After clearing a small potato patch and building a small log house, Andrew McCreight, in the winter of 1832-3, brought his family from his former home in Indiana county, to this paradise in the wilderness. The family consisted of Mr. McCreight, his wife, Ann Sharp McCreight, and ten children, aged from three to twenty-one respectively. On the way one of the little ones was lost from the load, and had not some of the boys been walking behind and picked her up, she would perhaps have been devoured by wild beasts, or perished with cold before her loss was discovered from the bedding amid which she had been placed for safe keeping. She was carried for some miles in the arms of her brothers after being found in the road. The ax in the hands of the sturdy boys soon felled the trees, and cleared the land, and it was not long before a home of plenty and comfort was made where they found a dense forest.
The parents, more than twenty years ago, went to their reward ; full of years they passed out from the scenes of their early toil, but of the thirteen children, the three younger of whom were born in Jefferson county, all are living, though the family is now widely scattered. Thomas and Smith now own the old homestead farm, and in October, 1884, twelve out of the thirteen gathered about the old fireside, only one brother, Jamieson, living in Kansas, being unable to be present.
About the year 1834 Tilton Reynolds came to what is now Winslow town- ship, from Chateaugay, N. Y. The family, which consisted of Mr. Reynolds, his wife and three children, his brother, William Reynolds, and a young French boy, Francis Delorm, by name, who afterwards married a sister of Thomas Reynolds's wife, and yet resides in Winslow, traveled in a wagon drawn by
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
two yoke of oxen, and were four weeks on the road in making this journey of eight hundred miles. Dr. William H. Reynolds was the eldest of these chil- dren, and the youngest was a babe in its mother's arms. On account of this babe the mother put up at hotels when they could be found, the rest generally slept in the wagon, and cooked their meals by the roadside.
After they reached their destination they staid one week at the house of Mr. John Fuller, until their cabin was built, which stood on the present site of Rathmel. Tilton Reynolds went to Punxsutawney to buy land from C. C. Gaskill, who wanted to article for it at once, but Mr. Reynolds thought this would not be exactly right, as Rossell Luther had made some improvement on the land, though he had paid nothing for it, so he went to Luthersburg and struck a bargain with Mr. Luther by giving him one of the yoke of cattle for his improvements, and then made his bargain with Mr. Gaskill.
The Reynolds brothers had been to Chester county some time previous and on their way home passed through this part of Jefferson county, and were so much pleased with the immense forests of pine timber, that they went home and at once made preparations to move here. Soon after they got settled Tilton's wife's brother, Samuel B. Sprague, and two sisters, Rebecca Smith and Anna Welsh, and her father, came and settled near them, and soon also their brother Thomas followed them to their new home. He found them comfortably settled in a log cabin, where Rathmel now is. The first fall they captured fourteen swarms of bees ; they also made a large amount of maple sugar. Tilton and William Reynolds kept the first store in the township at Prospect Hill in 1839. William died in 1854 and Tilton some years later.
Thomas Reynolds, whose biographical sketch will be found in another part of this work, surveyed and named Winslow township, he being a warm friend and admirer of Judge Winslow, for whom it was called.
Valentine A. P. Smith, father of Mrs. Thomas Reynolds, also settled in Winslow in IS35. He came from Dutchess county, N. Y., and located on the farm now owned by T. B. London. Samuel, David and Joshua Rea, Patrick Fehley, Thomas Doling preceded the Reynoldses to this region. The Yeomans, Yohes, Alexanders, Claytons, Brodheads, Welshes, Ferrises, were among the early settlers in Winslow township.
Old Mr. Yeomans, the father of the wives of Samuel and Joshua Rea, was frozen to death in Cold Spring Hollow while on his way home from Reynolds- ville. His granddaughter, Miriam Rea, who was living at Thomas Reynolds's, was on her way home, when she found his dead body lying in the road.
David Rea, one of the three brothers noted above, was killed by a limb that had lodged in a tree. He went to the spring to get water with which to prepare breakfast, when the limb fell and killed him instantly. His wife, Sally Wilkins, wondering what kept him so long, went to see, and found him dead. She afterwards married Truman B. London.
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The oldest residents of Winslow township now are Mrs. Benjamin Clayton, aged about eighty years, Mrs. Fannie Wilkins Rea, about the same age, and Mr. Truman B. London, who is in his eightieth year.
Farms .- Farming is the general business of the citizens of Winslow, and among the many well cultivated farms with excellent buildings, are the follow . ing :
In East Winslow, Sharp and John McCreight, G. W. Fuller, Truman B. Lon- don, Thomas Reynolds, sr., estate, George D. Sprague, Francis Delorm, James A. and W. T. Cathers, William H. Reynolds. West Winslow, Amos, Jacob, Noah and Martin Strouse, Noah, Joseph and Daniel Syphert, Henry Stevens, Levi Shuckers, David Reynolds, Zackariah Deemer, Alexander Dickey, Will- iam and John Dougherty, Henry Kroh.
Cemeteries .- The first burying-ground in Winslow township was just back of the old school-house in Cold Spring Hollow, where Mrs. Joshua Rea, with her two children, and several others were buried. The Fuller burying-ground, which is a private one, was started at an early day, when a child of John Ful- ler's died, and they had no place to lay it. The dysentery, which was very fatal in that region, took several more of their children, who were also laid there, and now the father and mother, with nine of their children, are buried there, only five out of fifteen surviving. Joshua, the eldest son, died and was buried at Brookville, Mrs. Rachel Cathers, Mrs. Fuller's mother, and her brother, Robert Cathers, and his wife are buried in the Fuller grave-yard.
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