History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, Part 21

Author:
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1288

USA > Pennsylvania > Mercer County > History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania : its past and present > Part 21

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Salem for 1802: David Beatty, William Butler, Adam Burns, John Chess, James Clingan, Andrew Connor, Gabriel Colnan, John Colnan, Sr., John Col - nan, Jr., John Cowan, Catharine Campbell, Alexander Dumars, Robert Ellis, John Gravat, William Gravat, David Hastings, Gotlieb Hubler, Jacob Honnel, David Honnel, Hugh Hill, Edward Kelly, William Kinnear, Joseph Long, William Lossee. Thomas Loughead, James Langhearty, Benjamin Lodge, Henry Murray, William McClunie, John McClunie, Duncan Mathews, David McClurg, Joseph McClurg, George McFetridge, Thoroughgool North, John Reed, Abraham Smith, John Speir.

Sandy Lake Township taxables for 1801: Samuel Anderson, William Anderson, Joseph Alexander (mulatto slave), Joseph Alexander, Jr., William Alexander, Benjamin Alexander, John Alexander, Elias Axtell, Isaac Axtell, Thomas Axtell, Nathan Axtell, Daniel Axtell, Lincoln Axtell, John Arbuckle, James Armstrong, Robert Bowman, Jolin Bowman, Joseph Barkley, Cyrus Beck- with, Henry Beckwith, George Bradley, Aaron Boylan, Ross Byers, William Byers, Caleb Ball, Robert Brisband, John Brooks, Benjamin Blyth, Benjamin Bennet, Matthias Clark, Isaac Clark, Abraham Clark, Abraham Clark, Jr., John Clark, Jabez Coulson, Thomas Coulson, Frederick Coffman, John Craig, John Craig, Jr., Samuel Coleman, Nathaniel Coleman, Joshua Coleman, Robert Caldwell, David Caldwell, John Caldwell, Alexander Caldwell, Joseph Caldwell, David Chess, James Chess, William Carroll, William Carroll, Jr., Duncan Carmichael, John Carmichael, Thomas Crossan, John Custard, Richard Custard, David Condit, Ira Condit, Francis Cochran, James Dixon, Ralph Dawson, John Duncan, Robert Davis, James Davitt, Rufus Dodd, Ithiel Dodd, John Dunham, Francis Drain, William Egbert, William Egleson, Peter Finall, Robert Fowler, Adam Forker, James Fulton, John Garvin, David Garvin, Thomas Graham, William Graham, John Grace, Charles Giebner, William Geddes, John Gibson, George Gibson, Samuel Gibson, Charles Gibson. Samuel Gildersleeve, Matthias Hollenbeck. George Hackney, Joseph Hackney, Jehu Hackney, Aaron Hackney, Daniel Harper, Samuel Hawthorn, James Hawson,

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HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY.

Hugh Hawson, Francis Huey, William Henderson, John Henderson, Robert Henderson, Robert Henderson, Jr., George Haivy, Jeremiah Haivy, Isaac Holloway, John Holloway, Adam Hill, George Hilderbrand, Samuel Johnston, Zachariah Johnston, James Johnston, John Johnston, David Jones, James Jeffers, William Jeffers, John Kelly, Samuel Kelly, William Kile, Patrick Kilgore, David Kilgore, Samuel Kilgore, James Kilgore, John Larimer, Abraham Ludwick, James Lynch, John Littleford, Charles Lucas, Rev. William McClintock, Thomas McLean, David McLean, James Mustard, John Mustard, John Mitchell, William McCullough, William McCullough, Jr., Joseph McDonald, Theophilus McDonald, John McDonald, Thomas McMillan, Thomas, McMillan, Jr., William McMillan, John McMillan, John McElheny, John McNulty, Caleb McNulty, James McNulty, John Morrison, John Mateer, Alexander McCracken, Robert McCartney, Hugh Mccutcheon, James McBride, James McBride, Jr., Robert McBride, Charles McBride, John Monhall, William McCormick, James McCormick, Thomas Mullen, John McClelland, Robert McClelland, Robert McGugan, Robert Morgan, Edward Mattocks, John McElvey, John Montgomery, James Montgomery, William Montgomery, Patrick McCloskey, James McCloskey, Robert McClure, Andrew McClure, George Myers, Joseph Nelson, Alexander Noble, William Osborn, John Penny, William Penny, William Pangburn, William Pangburn, Jr., James Parker, William Parker, (grist miller), Daniel Perrine, William Perrine, Alexander Porter, James Porter, John Pew, John Patterson, Daniel Perkins, Jacob Reed, Hugh Richardson, Patrick Rice, James Rice, James Rice, Jr., Clement Rice, John Rice, Thomas Rice, Edward Ross, Jacob Ross, Israel Ross, Thomas Robb, Robert Robb, James Robb, James Robb, Jr., Jacob Robb, James Rinn, Stephen Riggs, John Severs, James Simpson, James Stevenson, Joseph Shepard, Benjamin Stokely, Benjamin Stymitts, Alexander Turner, William Vaughn, Peter Wilson, (grist miller), William Wilson, Samuel Worden, Josiah Winters, Samuel Waldron, Daniel Waldron, William Waddle, Morris West- lake, John Westlake, John Wolverton, Daniel Wolverton, Hugh Wright, Matthias Zahniser, Matthias Zahniser, Jr., Michael Zahinser, Valentine Zahniser.

Cool Spring Township taxables for 1801: Samuel Allen, Alexander Andrews, James Alexander, William Boghall, William Brandon, James Brandon, William Barnett, Michael Brown, James Brown, Charles Blair, John Bennett, William Bennett, John Bradley, Joshua Buckmaster, Will- iam Buchanan, John Buchanan, William Cochran, Samuel Campbell, Jacob Campbell, Garrett Covert, Brisalla Carter, John Craig, William Craig, Val- entine Cunningham, Samuel Christy, James Denniston, George Denniston, William Denniston, Andrew Denniston, Sr., Andrew Denniston, Jr., George Divens, William Daugherty, Sr., William Daugherty, Jr., Isaac Daniels, Jonathan Donalds, Cornelius Donovan, Joseph Elder, William Evans, Alex- ander Ewing, William Ewing, Jacob Emery, John Emery, William Elliott, Hugh Foster, James Foster, James Gormly, Robert Gilmore, John Gilmore, Robert Glenn, James Glenn, William Glenn, Henry Gealy, James Gealy, (tanner), John Gealy, James Gilfillan, John Gilkey, James Gilkey, Charles Gilkey, James George, John Galbraith, Jolın Gilman, Robert Huston, John Hoover, Abraham Hoover, Michael Hoover, Hugh Hamilton, Jonathan Harlan, (grist-miller), George Huttenbaugh, Henry Hagins, John Hagarty, Philip Hoon, Barney Johnston, Joseph Jeffers, Marmaduke Jamison, Robert Jamison, Peter Kenner, Adam Laffer (blacksmith), Thomas Love, Alexander Love, William Lock, Daniel McMullen, Gideon Miller, Robert Miller, John Miller, James Miller, Charles Marlen, Dennis McConnell, John McElwain, Thomas

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HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY.

McKay, Adam Murphy, James Monnel, William Mathers, Arthur McCann, John McCann, James McCannon, John Mackey, Adam McCracken, James Maxwell, Thamer Mckay, David McAnely, David McDowell, Robert McDowell, John Magee, James Moore, Moses Martin, Smith N. Neal, William Nicholson, William Nelson, Frederick Poicers, Jonathan Phillips, Benjamin Pearson, John Powell, Joseph Powell, Isaac Pond, James Patterson, Ambrose Quillan, David Robinson, John Robinson, Nathaniel Rogers, George Rogers, Sr., George Rogers, Jr., William Rogers, Henry Rudecel, James Rice, Daniel Rice, John Ralston, William Ralston, William Reese, John Richy, Ephraim Rose, Andrew Rose, James Ramsey, John Sharp, James Sharp, William Seeds, George Siegler, Gustavus Shaw, John Shaw, John Smith, James Smith, Thomas Smith, William Smith, Daniel Sutton, Solomon Sutton, John Sutton, James Stuart, Daniel Stuart, Thomas Sweezy, John Sutherland, Peter Urey, Adam Urey, John Wolford, Robert Wallace, John White, Alex- ander White, William Ward, James Whitaker.

Cool Spring for 1802: Joseph Alexander (negro slave), Joseph Alexander, Jr., William Alexander, Benjamin Alexander, John Alexander, Samuel Ander- son, William Anderson, Elias Axtell, Isaac Axtell, Thomas Axtell, James Arm- strong, Robert Bowman, John Bowman, Joseph Barcley, Cyrus Beckwith, Henry Beckwith, George Bradley, Caleb Bole, Robert Brisband, Benjamin Bennett, Jabez Coulson, Thomas Coulson, Isaac Clark, Abraham Clark, Frederick Coffman, John Craig, Jr., Samuel Coleman, Nathaniel Coleman, Joshua Cole- man, William Carveal, Sr., William Carveal, Jr., John Carmichael, Duncan Carmichael, Thomas Crossin, Joseph Caldwell, John Caldwell, Robert Cald- well, Francis Cochran, Carey Cooper, Timothy Conoway, William Clancy, John Duncan, Francis Drain, James Davitt, Sr., James Davitt, Jr., Thomas Doyle, William Egbert, Robert Fowler, James Fulton, Adam Forker (black- smith), Thomas Graham, William Graham, John Grace, John Garvin, David Garvin, Charles Giebner, John Greene, Matthew Hollenbeck, George Hackney, John Hackney, Samuel Hawthorn, Francis Hughey, William Henderson, John Henderson, Robert Henderson, Robert Henderson, Jr., Jacob Hilderbrand, George Hilderbrand, Adam Hill, Daniel Harper, Samuel Johnston, Zacariah Johnston, James Johnston, Sr., James Johnston, Jr., John Johnston, David Jones, James Jeffers, William Jeffers, John Kelly, Samuel Kelly, Daniel Kelly, William Kile, Robert Latta, Abraham Ludwick, James Lynch, John Littleford, Charles Lucas, William McMillan, Thomas McMillan, John Mc- Millan, William McCullough, Sr., William McCullough, Jr., John McElheny, . Caleb McNulty, John McNulty, John Morrison, John McDonald, Theophilus McDonald, Hugh Mccutcheon, James McBride, Sr., James McBride, Jr., Thomas McBride, Charles McBride, William McCormick, James McCormick, Thomas Mullen, Patrick McCloskey, James McCloskey, Robert McClure, Andrew McClure, George Myers, Jacob Myers, William McClintock, Thomas McLean, David McLean, James Mustard, John Mustard, Joseph McDonald, Hugh Mckean, John Mitchell, William Osborn, James Ogle, John Penny, William Penny, William Pangburn, William Pangburn, Jr., James Parker, William Parker, Alexander Porter, James Porter, Daniel Perrine, William Perrine, John Pew, John Patterson, Patrick Rice, James Rice, Sr., James Rice, Jr., Clement Rice, John Rice, Thomas Rice, Peter Rambo, James Richard, John Severs, James Stephens, Benjamin Stokely, Benjamin Sty- mitts, James Simpson, Alexander Turner, Rev. Samuel Tait, William Vaughn, Isaac Van Camp, Peter Wilson, Samuel Warden, Isaiah Winters, Samuel Waldron, Daniel Waldron, John Waldron, Barris Westlake, John Westlake, Daniel Woolharton, William Wilson, Matthias Zahniser, Sr., Matthias Zahn- iser, Jr., Michael Zahniser, Valentine Zahniser.

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HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY.

Taxables of Sandy Creek Township for 1802: Daniel Axtell, Nathan Axtell, Lincoln Axtell, Amzy Axtell, John Arbuckle, William Byers, Ross Byers, John Brooks, Aaron Boylan, John Custard, Richard Custard, David Condit, Ira Condit, Alexander Caldwell, David Caldwell, David Chess, James Chess, Adam Carnahan, John Clark, Matthias Clark, Ithiel Dodd, Rufus Dodd, Ralph Dawson, John Doran, William Egleson, Peter Finall, Samuel Gibson, Charles Gibson, John Gibson, John Giffen, Isaac Holloway, John Holloway, James Hazen, Evans Harriott, Jeremiah Henry, George Henry, Hugh Hasson, James Kilgore, David Kilgore, Samuel Kilgore, Patrick Kilgore, John E. Larimer, Alexander McCracken, James Montgomery, John Mont- gomery, William Montgomery, Robert Morgan, Robert McClenand, John McClenand, John Metier, Robert McCartney, Robert McGugan, Andrew McGugan, Edward Mattocks, Joseph Nelson, Alexander Noble, Daniel Perkins, Thomas Phillips, John Patten, William Reed, Jacob Reed, Hugh Richardson, James Rinn, Stephen Riggs, Amos Robbins, Robert Robb, James Robb, Thomas Robb, Jacob Ross, Allen Ross, Aaron Ross, Edward Ross, Edward Ross (carpenter), William Wiley.

Taxables of Pymatuning Township for 1802: Benjamin Bentley, Davis Bentley, John Bentley, James Black, William Budd, William Budd, Jr., Martin Cunningham, Nathaniel Cozad, Henry Clark, John Carmichael, John Duffey, Phineas Dunham, Phineas Dunham, Jr., Jonathan Dunham, John Dunlap, John Elliott, Thomas Fulton, Henry Gillman, George Hervey, John Hull, James Hawthorne, George Hofius, Bashara Hull, Elijah Hull, Daniel Hull, Henry Hoagland, Henry Hovert, Peter Hovert, John Kindle, Pearson Kindle, Jacob Loutzenhiser, Robert McCully, John McCrumb, James McBride, Christian Miles, William McKee, Andrew Patterson, David Porter, Susannah Porter, Daniel Rankin, Vincent Robbins, Charles Reno, Robert Savage, James Swasick, Thomas Thompson, Ephraim Thompson, Robert Walker, James Young.

Taxables of Wolf Creek Township for 1802: Alexander Anderson, James Anderson, Samuel Allen, James Brown, Michael Brown, William Bennett, John Bennett, Joshua Buckmaster, Charles Blair, John Buchanan, James Buchanan, William Buchanan, John Barnwell, William Brandon, William Bothwell, William Barnett, James Braden, Valentine Cunningham, James Caldwell, Samuel Christy, William Craig, James Craig, Brazilla Carter, Gar- ret Covert, Joseph Campbell, Samuel Campbell, James Collins, Benjamin Cochran, Isaac Daniels, Jonathan Daniels, Cornelius Donovan, George Dennis- ton, William Denniston, James Denniston, Johnston Denniston, Andrew Den- niston, George Diven, William Daugherty, Jacob Emery, John Emery, Alex- ander Ewing, William Ewing, William Evans, Joseph Elder, William Elliott, Hugh Foster, James Foster, John Findley, John Gilmer, John Gilmer, Jr., Robert Gilmer, John Gilkey, Charles Gilkey, James Gealy (tanner), John Gealy, James Gilfillan, William George, James George, James Gormly, John Galbraith, Henry Geuss, William Glenn, James Glenn, Robert Glenn, Samuel Glenn, Jonathan Harlan, Hugh Hamilton, George Hutten- baugh, John Hagerty, Henry Hagom, Philip Hoon, John Hoover, Abra- ham Hoover, Michael Hoover, Robert Jamison, Marmaduke Jamison, Joseph Jeffers, Barnabas Johnston, William Lock, Adam Lotfer, Thomas Loffer, Alexander Love, Thomas Love, Peter Kenner, John McCann, Arthur Mc- Cann, James McCann, James Manuel, John Mackey, William Matthews, Daniel McConnell, Charles Martin, James Maxwell, Daniel McMillen, John McMillen, Hugh McKee, James McKee, Sr., James McKee, Jr., John McKee, James McCannon, Adam McCracken, John McElwain, Adam

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HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY.

Murphy, James Moore, John McGee, Robert McDowell, David Mc- Dowell, William Montgomery, Daniel McClure, James Miller, John Miller, Robert Miller, Gideon Miller, David McKinley, Thomas McCoy, Thomas Mc- Coy, Jr., Joseph McCoy, William Nelson, William Nicholson, Smith Neal, Jonathan Phipps, Isaac Pound, Frederick Pisor, Benjamin Pearson, John Perry, John Powell, Joseph Powell, Ambrose Quillan, John Robinson, Nathaniel Rogers, William Rogers, George Rogers, George Rogers, Jr., Andrew Rose, William Reese, Henry Rudisch, William Ralston, John Ralston, James Ramsey, Daniel Rice, James Rice, Richard Stephenson, Abraham Snyder, James Smith, John Smith, James Sharp, John Sharp, Gustavus Shaw, John Shaw, Daniel Sutton, John Sutton, Solomon Sutton, Stephen Sutton, Christian Stantuff, Thomas Sweezy, William Seeds, Daniel Stewart, James Stewart, George Seigler, Thomas Smith, William Smith, Richard Spencer, John Sutherland, James Taylor, James Tagart, Adam Urey, Peter Urey, Simon Vanosdal, Robert Wallace, Alexander White, John White, James Whittaker, William Ward, John Wolford.

CHAPTER IV.

ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION-WHERE TIIE FIRST COURTS WERE HELD AND THE OFFICIALS AND LAWYERS PRESENT-FIRST GRAND JURY-PUBLIC BUILDINGS, FIRST COURTS AND STATISTICS-COURT-IIOUSES AND JAILS- COUNTY FARM-FIRST COURTS AND CASES-STATISTICS-ROSTER OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS-MEMBERS OF CONGRESS-STATE SENATORS-STATE REPRESENTA- TIVES-PRESIDENT JUDGES-ASSOCIATE JUDGES-DISTRICT ATTORNEYS-COM- MISSIONERS-PROTHONOTARIES-REGISTERS AND RECORDERS-CLERKS OF . COURT-SHERIFFS-TREASURERS-AUDITORS-CORONERS-POOR DIRECTORS- CANAL COMMISSIONERS-JURY COMMISSIONERS-SURVEYORS.

A LTHOUGH declared a county by act of assembly in 1800, for all practi- cal purposes Mercer constituted a part of Crawford County until 1803, when the first county officers were appointed. In February, 1804, the first and second courts were held at the house of Joseph Hunter, situated on Mill Creek, on the mill property now (1876) owned by the Hon. Wm. Stewart, in February and May of that year. A false impression seems to have gotten out to the effect that the first court was held in Cool Spring Township, at the house of William Mc- Millan, now the property of John McEwen. It doubtless grew out of the fact that boarding accommodations at the time were scarce and imperfect, render ing it necessary for some of the court attendants to go several miles into the country for entertainment. The commissioners at the time were Robert Bole, Andrew Denniston and Thomas Robb. At their first session, November 10, 1803, they received proposals from citizens of Mercer and vicinity to furnish places in which to hold the courts of the county. They finally contracted with Joseph Hunter to use his house for the February and March terms of 1804 absolutely, at the rate of $1 per day, with the privilege of using it also for the two remaining sessions of the year on the same terms. This building, how- ever, was not used beyond the first two terms. In October, 1804, the commis- sioners removed their office from Hunter's to the house of Jacob Myers in Mercer. The jail building, described further on, was ready for occupancy by

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HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY.

the close of that year, and its upper story was finished and used for a court room.

At the first term the commission of Hon. Jesse Moore, as president judge of the circuit composed of the counties of Beaver, Butler, Mercer, Crawford and Erie was read, also the commissions of Alexander Wright and Alexander Brown, as judges for Mercer County. The various commissions of John Find- ley, as prothonotary, clerk, etc., of the county, was also read; so, also, that of William Byers as sheriff, James Braden as coroner, and John W. Hun- ter as deputy prosecuting attorney. As there had been as yet no election in the county all of these offices were held by appointment from the executive of the State. The attorneys admitted to practice at the first court were John W. Hunter, Joseph Shannon, Cunningham S. Semple, S. B. Foster, Alex, W. Foster, Ralph Marlin, Edward Work, Patrick Farrelly, William Ayres, Henry Baldwin and Steel Semple. The two Fosters, Farrelly, Ayres, Baldwin and Steel Semple all afterward turned out to be men of mark and ability, and forty and fifty years back from this writing (1876) it was a rich treat to hear the men of that day recite the tricks, strategems and anecdotes of which they were the perpetrators. At the second term, held in May, the commis- sion of William Anderson as an additional judge of Mercer County was read. This gave three associate judges. The writer of this, * who, as a little boy, occasionally dropped into the court-house along between 1812 and 1820, was indelibly impressed with the grand dignity of the president judge. He was a heavy, solemn-looking man, and retained the dress of the old style gentle- man-small clothes, shoe buckles, knee buckles, bald-headed, but hair long behind and done up in a queue, and head and hair and collar of the black coat covered with a white powder sprinkled thereon. He has since seen the supreme court of the United States in session, their black gowns, and the compar- ative quietness enforced certainly give to it a very dignified aspect, but still there was lacking the grand old powdered head and queue that gave Judge Moore the advantage in imposing dignity.

The first grand jury that assembled in the county consisted of Hugh Ham- ilton, Joseph McEwen, Thomas Scott, James Waugh, William Welch, James Denniston, John Alexander, William Alexander, Cyrus Beckwith, Daniel Kelly, William Pangburn, John Grace, Duncan Carmichael, Robert Moore, William Nicholson, John E. Larimer, Alex. McCracken, James Montgomery, Jacob Loutzenhiser, Alexander Bean and Joseph Smith, all of whom have long since paid the great debt of nature, but most of whom are yet alive in the genera- tions that have followed and still reside in the county.

PUBLIC BUILDINGS, FIRST COURTS AND STATISTICS.

The land on which Mercer, the county town, was originally located, being very near the center of the county, consisted of 200 acres, presented to the county by John Hoge, of Washington County, who owned large tracts in the vicinity. The trustees to lay out the town and dispose of the lots were John Findley, William Mortimer and William McMillan (commonly designated " Lit- tle Billy," to distinguisli between a large man of the same name). It was with the funds arising from the sale of these lots that the first court-house, standing in the center of the diamond, was built. On the 18th of May, 1807, John Cham- bers, John Leech and William McMillan, the county commissioners, contracted with Joseph Smith and John McCurdy for the building thereof for the sum of $7,116. In 1840 there was an addition put to this building, to get better office accommodations, at a cost of about $1,500, and the whole was burned to the

*William S. Garvin.

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HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY.

ground in February, 1866, after which the present beautiful and substantial structure was erected at a cost of $98,000. It was erected in 1867. Barr & Moser, of Pittsburgh, were the architects, William Maskrey had the superin- tendence of the stone and brick work, Oliver Alexander of the roof and gen- eral carpenter work, and William M. Gibson of the glass and finishing work. The men were employed by day's labor. The first place used for court-house and jail, however, was a log structure on the grounds now occupied by the First National Bank,* the lower story for a jail being built of squared logs, let down flat and dovetailed at the corners, and the court-room above, which was reached by stairs from the outside of the building. Until this structure was ready for prisoners, the commissioners rented a room from James Braden, which they had fitted up as a prison. They made their contract with him at their second session, held Tuesday, December 6th, 1803, to use a portion of his house at the rate of $7 per month, the time to commence with the confinement of the first prisoner.

The second jail was a stone building, erected by Thomas Templeton in 1818-19, directly north of the first one, on the next street. It was used until 1869, when it was purchased by Mr. Lafferty and converted into a temperance hotel. It is now used as a private dwelling.

The present brick jail was erected in 1868 at a cost of $67,000. Barr & Moser were architects, S. Runser & Co., of Sharon, did the iron work, and William M. Gibson, of Mercer, the finishing. The structure was completed and occupied in 1869.

County Farm .- On the 3d of November. 1851, it was resolved by the poor directors that "Enoch Perrine be appointed to visit the poor house at Girard, in Erie County, to make observation and take a draft of said house, and also to get information as to the rules and regulations in the management," also, that " William F. Groves and Samuel Wood be appointed to visit the poor house in Washington County, and any others that they can visit conveniently, for simi- lar purposes. " The first poor farm was situated in Cool Spring Township, and was purchased in 1851 of Henry Moore. It being in poor condition and in- conveniently located, an act of Assembly authorized the securing of the pres- ent one, which was purchased of Thomas Pearson May 15, 1852. A building had already been begun on the Moore place when the change of location was made, and the directors, Enoch Perrine, Samuel Woods and William F. Groves, only secured the renewal of the contract by adding $525 to the original cost, and "dispensing with the floor in the garret." The old farm was sold for $2,800. The present farm includes 206 acres. The house was opened and the first inmates received January 4, 1853. There were fourteen. Of this number two are yet living: Mary Jewett, from Hickory Township, concerning whom the following notes were made: "Fifteen years of age, entirely simple, has many traits of the snake, bites herself and is very vicious." Harriet Hart- suff, from Sandy Lake. "The cords and ligaments of her legs are contracted or stiffened so that she cannot walk. She is intelligent and cheerful. Eight- een years old." The first inmate registered was Minerva Mitchell from Dela- ware Township. She was forty at the time and nearly blind. She died November 18, 1886, aged seventy-nine years. Samuel Clingan, from Shenango, is said to have been the most comical and distinguished inmate ever admitted. Entry: "Cute, cunning and comical, yet very simple." He died August 5, 1886, aged seventy years.

*This was true in 1876. The site is occupied at present (1888) by the law office of Johnson Pearson, Esq, the bank having recently been removed into the Miller-Gordon block, several doors west of its former site.

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HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY.

The stewards in charge of the institution have been : William Breckenridge, Sandy Lake Township (2 years); Johnson Graham, Millbrook, Worth Town- ship (2 years, 3 months); John Woods, of West Middlesex, Shenango Town- ship (3 years); John Smith, Mercer (3 years); John K. Roberts, West Salem Township (8 years); Amos Taylor, Mercer (3 years); William Clark, Shenango Township (2 years, 9 months); J. C. Cubbison, Fairview Township (4 years); Amos Taylor, Mercer (5 years), and George H. Caldwell, the present steward, from Deer Creek Township, who took charge in January, 1886.

The physicians have been: Dr. George W. Yeager (2 years), Dr. S. S. Mehard (2 years), Dr. John P. Hosack (16 years), Dr. James Magoffin (3 months), Dr. Pawley (3 months), Dr. James Woods (1 year), Dr. Frederick Beil (1 year), Dr. James Mehard (3 years), Dr. Devinney (5 years), and Dr. Robert Hope, who is now serving his seventh year.

The total cost of the new building, one of the best in Western Pennsylva- nia, including grading and ornamentation, was $110,000. The ground for the site of the structure was broken in August, 1880. The structure was opened in 1883. The contractor was Simon Harrold, of Beaver Falls. The plumbing and heating were done by N. J. Butler, of Erie. The architects were Drum & Stein, of Pittsburgh. The house is under the efficient management of Mr. and Mrs. George H. Caldwell, who are peculiarly adapted to making the inmates feel that they have a real home. The oldest person in the county is still an inmate-Mrs. Melinda Hilliard. She was born near Albany, New York, June 13, 1790, and is consequently in her ninety-ninth year. Another old inmate is John Davis, a Welshman, aged eighty-three. He is one of the oldest puddlers in the United States, and began his trade in 1819.

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History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, Part 21

Author: Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Brown, Runk Number of Pages: 1288

Author:
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1288