History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, Part 72

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

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Gill came to Liberty Township from Allegheny County. He settled upon the farm which was subsequently occupied by David Dale, near Courtney's mill. Here he began a clearing and erected a small cabin. By continued effort he at

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length succeeded in getting quite a respectable farm in condition for cultiva- tion. An old resident relates that at an early day Gill possessed a yoke of stubborn oxen. One of these was in the habit of lying down in the fur- row while plowing. To prevent this Gill adopted the plan of throwing a blanket over its head, thus smothering the animal until it was willing to arise in order to get fresh air. The sons of Mr. Gill one day took the yoke and started to plow. The refractory ox, as usual, threw itself down upon the ground. The boys endeavored to smother it into obedience, but were unable to do this. They, however, ran to a burning brush pile, secured two or three burning sticks, and with the flaming points of these speedily roused their obstinate beast, which thereafter gave them no further trouble.

In the Western Press of April 20, 1833, occurs the following: " Mr. Gill, of Wolf Creek Township, this county, a Revolutionary pensioner, dropped dead from his feet on Wednesday morning last [17th]. The house of Mr. Gill is a brick one, with a brick kitchen attached to it. While waking the corpse of Mr. Gill on the following night, a violent storm arose, which lifted the roof off the large house and threw it onto the kitchen, which gave way to the immense weight, thereby instantly killing four ladies, and wounding two or three others, who were unfortunately in that part of the dwelling at the time. Three of the ladies were daughters of Mr. Gill."

Elsewhere in the same issue is the following additional explanation: "The account above given of five persons killed is incorrect. The attending physician, Dr. Beckwith, furnishes the following: 'According to the custom of the West, a large number of persons had assembled to wake the dead, and were occupying various apartments in the house, while an adjoining kitchen was occupied by eight females and two males, at the time of the approach of a tremendous tornado, which broke in one end of the large house (which was made of brick), and passing through the upper story, carried away the roof and threw down the other end of the wall upon the kitchen, which was crushed to its basis, burying its inmates in the ruins, four of whom were crushed to death without a groan, viz. : Miss Jane Gill, daughter of the deceased, aged about forty-eight; Miss Eliza Jane Branden, aged sixteen, and Miss Lavina Ritchey, aged six, granddaughter of the deceased, and Miss Rebecca McElree, aged about twenty-eight. On these bodies were broken skulls, broken necks, and broken limbs, together with many shocking contusions. Among the wounded were Samuel Gill (son of the deceased) and his daughter, a daughter of Saml. Hugh Gill, Miss Margaret Anderson and Miss Nancy Tannehill, all of whom were injured to a considerable extent; but Samuel H. Gill and Miss Tannehill received the most serious injury."

The year 1797 brought four additional settlers, in the persons of four brothers, Abraham, Simon, John and Michael Uber, who arrived from West- moreland County, and located in the western portion of what is now Liberty Township. Here they made clearings, planted crops, and after a time set out orchards, of which some trees were standing as late as a few years ago. John built the saw-mill, in 1800, by which the lumber used in the construction of the old court-house at Mercer was sawed.

In 1798 William Dale, a native of Eastern Pennsylvania, arrived in the township. He was a blacksmith, and signalized his advent by securing a tract of land numbering two acres, which he cleared and upon which he erected a small shop. Here he did a general smithing business, and was, in all proba- bility, the first blacksmith in the county. It is not at all likely that he did anything at his trade, though, for several years afterward. Among the other new-comers in the year mentioned above were William Craig, who settled

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upon the farm afterward known as the William Jack place; and Hugh Foster, an Irishman, who came to this country and located in Franklin County at an early day, removed from that locality to Westmoreland County, and at length, in 1798, to Liberty Township, where he settled on a farm situated just a short distance below the site of the present post-office in North Liberty, which afterward was occupied by Mrs. Robert Foster. He brought with. him a wife and five children, two additional daughters being born after his arrival.

David Courtney and his brother Thomas, both of whom afterward became prominently identified with the business and political interests of the old Wolf Creek Township, were among the arrivals of 1802. The present Courtney mill, which they erected, is located on the original tract which they secured immediately upon their entrance into the county. The tract consisted of 600 acres of perhaps the finest land in the region, situated in a beautiful stretch of country, on the bank of Wolf Creek, whose water furnished the motor- power for the mill. David was the builder of this mill, which was erected in 1803. He had been a miller at his old home in Franklin County, and, upon viewing the superb facilities afforded by the swift-flowing stream, he became imbued with a desire to resume his former occupation. The mill was, like most of its fellows at that early day, a combination affair, uniting in one establishment the advantages of a saw and a grist-mill.

Of those who came into the township in a few years afterward, the most prominent were James George, John McKee and Daniel Stewart. Of these the former was a native of Ireland, who immigrated to America in 1796, and settled a short distance east of Pittsburgh, on a small stream called Turtle Creek, where he labored in a saw-mill, helping in the preparation of the timbers used in the construction of Allegheny County's first court-house. He saved a small amount of money by economy and frugality, and began to look about for a suitable investment. He was offered land on the present site of the city of Allegheny for the remarkable price of $8 an acre. This offer he refused, and determined to try his fortunes up in the northwestern county of Mercer. Accordingly, in 1804, he arrived in what is now Liberty Township, purchased the farm on which his son Hugh lived for so many years afterward, and began his career as a farmer. The warrant for the survey of this farm was dated April 8, 1805, while the deed bore date of July 15, 1807. It appears that the land had been originally settled by a squatter named Studebaker, but little is known concerning him.

Mr. George began the erection of a cabin when he first came, and soon afterward set out an orchard. The first dwelling was of round logs. By a process of evolution this gave way to a structure of hewed timber, and this, in turn, to the brick house now standing, which was constructed in 1828 out of 70,000 brick, made the year before by Alexander Blair. The neighbors were James McKee and Hugh Foster. An embryo village named Georgetown was pushed into life on a portion of George's farm, but, as it was located near an unhealthy swamp, the enterprise was abandoned. Mr. George was a very prominent man in local affairs. He was one of the early county com- missioners, and was identified with every public movement. Being of a charitable disposition, his name will be remembered by many whom his bounty and liberality aided.

Of the remaining two, John McKee arrived in 1805, purchased 415 acres of land and located near the George farm. His father and three brothers, James, Hugh and George, came to the township with him. They were all more or less prominent. Daniel Stewart entered in the same year and settled

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a short distance south of the present village of North Liberty. Among other pioneers who came to Liberty during the first two decades of the present century, and who therefore deserve some sort of mention, are Jacob Snyder, who came from Westmoreland County in 1805, and three men named McMil- lan, Miller and Christy. There were, of course, many others, whose names, if not recorded on the printed page, will at least be perpetuated by works on the face of the country they helped to clear and develop.

Villages .- The principal village in the township is that of North Liberty. This was laid out in 1821-22 by James Foster. The building of the Mercer and Butler turnpike through the region, thus opening up a way for better com- munication between the settlers and the communities round about, was chiefly responsible for the establishing of the new town. The first house erected was put up by Robert Waddell. It is still standing, and is at present used for a post-office. Jacob Snyder, mentioned elsewhere, began the first blacksmith shop.

James Stewart, the first innkeeper, built his tavern in 1823. It was a nice little hostelry, and was visited by many guests.

The post-office, under the direction of the first postmaster, Robert Shaw, was established in 1840. The succeeding postmasters are given elsewhere.

The original school-house, erected in 1828, a plain, log structure, was super- seded in 1840 by a frame building, octagonal, in shape. This in turn gave way in 1869 to the present two-story brick building, which amply accom- modates the forty or fifty pupils in attendance at the temple of learning.

Amsterdam, the other hamlet of Liberty Township, is situated in the west- ern part. A blacksmith shop was opened by Charles Wingard in 1874, and several houses cluster about it. The population has never, owing to the difficulty attending the taking of a correct and accurate census, been com- puted, but it is variously estimated at from ten to twenty-five.

North Liberty Presbyterian Church was organized June 1, 1880, by Dr. Robert. Walker and Rev. Samuel Williams, with a membership of seventy-one. The first elders chosen by the congregation were Levi Dale, A. S. Barber and John Boyles. The present church building, a commodious and conveniently arranged frame structure, was erected in the summer of the same year at a cost of $3,500. It admirably serves the purpose for which it was intended. The only pastor the church has ever had is its present efficient minister, Rev. J. H. Wright. Under his charge the congregation has been blessed with a fair measure of temporal and spiritual prosperity, and has grown in member- ship until it numbers at present fifty within it folds. The present elders of the congregation consist of Levi Dale, A. S. Barber, John Boyles, Andrew Breckenridge and James Thorp.

MILL CREEK TOWNSHIP.

In May, 1849, a petition was entered for the formation of a new township out of the original one of French Creek, and presented in court the same month. A board of commissioners, consisting of John Moore, Abraham Pugh and John Findley, was appointed to view, fix boundaries and report upon the advisability of erecting the desired organization. A favorable report being rendered June 28, 1849, the division outlined therein was confirmed Novem- ber 19, of the same year. The name Mill Creek was given the new township, from the name of the stream which flows in beautiful course across its territory. The shape of the township is nearly rectangular. Its area is a little less than eighteen square miles.

The surface in the southern part is undulating, and presents in the sum-

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mer a beautiful picture. The land rises and falls in almost imperceptible terraces, which, when covered with green sod, resembles cultivated parks. In the northern part, however, a change is noticed, where abrupt bluffs and hills abound. Good building stone is found in the strata of the hillsides.

Agriculturally speaking the township is not a marked success. Portions of it have good soil, and rather fairly improved. But the greater part is not well adapted to the general uses of farming, although by no means unproduc- tive. Abundant drainage is supplied by Mill Creek and the tributaries of the Big Sandy Creek. No surplus rain-fall is permitted to stand very long stag- nant.

Pioneers. - The history of the early settlement of the township under dis- cussion is very much shrouded in mystery. The parent organization, French Creek, was the real center of attraction, and but few settlements were made in the southern part, which afterward became Mill Creek. The first settler, though, is believed, in accordance with the best testimony, to have been Jacob Reed, a German, who in the autumn of 1796, attracted by the accounts he had heard of the fertility of the soil lying over in the great northwestern part of the commonwealth, left his home in Westmoreland County and prepared to establish a new one farther from the confines of population centers. He arrived at what is now Mill Creek Township, and finding a portion of land not under claim of land speculators, located upon it in conformity to the act of April 3, 1792, by which such unclaimed land was thrown open to set- tlement, and began the erection of a suitable cabin. After completing the con- struction of this, and effecting a small clearing, he returned to pass the winter in Westmoreland County. When he returned in the following spring he was accompanied by his two brothers, William and George, and a negro named Robert Morgan. The latter settled upon land near the site of the present borough of New Lebanon, while the brothers secured tracts lying just east of Jacob's place. During the summer Jacob was joined by his family, and thus became the first householder in the township. A few years ago there was an old beech tree standing opposite the house of his grandson, Charles, upon the bark of which, hacked deep into the fibers of the tough wood, were carved the initials "J. R., 1796." The growth of the tree had elevated these nearly ten feet above the ground.

About the only other settler of whom much is known was Adam Carnahan. This man's life reads like a record of misfortunes. It appears that some adverse destiny was his, and that a fatality shaped all his ends. He took pos- session of a tract in what was afterward Sandy Lake Township in the summer of 1797, having entered the region from Westmoreland County in the faint hope of bettering his condition in life. Upon this tract he built a humble cabin, made some needed improvements, and had just begun the work of clear- ing for himself a farm, with fair prospects ahead, when a stranger suddenly appeared upon the scene of action, and politely insisted that he (Carnahan) was an intruder upon another's property, and intimated that if he would take the trouble to accompany the said stranger to the other side of the tract in question he (Carnahan) would be abundantly satisfied of the correctness of his (the stranger's) assertions. Upon expressing his willingness to witness any such indubitable evidence, the stranger led off and Carnahan followed. After a short walk they arrived at a pile of upright poles, arranged in some sort of order, which the former declared was the remains of a cabin which he had him- self erected the year previous. Now Carnahan, according to all accounts, was a mild mannered man, averse to creating disturbances, so, rather than raise any question of the stranger's veracity, he merely picked up his things and got

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out. This was misfortune number one. From his recent home he removed to a farm near Milledgeville, where he erected a second cabin, began the culti- vation of crops, and, in short, undertook to retrieve his fallen fortunes. But for some unexplained reason he found it necessary to return to Westmoreland County. Being a confiding man, too, as well as mild mannered, he induced a neighboring family to occupy his cabin during his absence, hoping thereby to prevent any intrusion upon his rights. Here, though, was misfortune number two. For when he returned, after a few months' stay, the family to whom he had intrusted the keeping of his claim refused to yield possession, and, as they had nine points of law, Carnahan was again shut out into the cold, cold world. Stung by these repeated persecutions, and embittered by the reflection that he was nothing but a mere atom of destiny, he wandered off to Mill Creek Township, where in the year 1800 he at length found rest, and located upon a tract of land subsequently occupied by Thomas Burrows.

William R. Cooper, a native of Westmoreland County, came with his wife Mary to Mercer County, and located in what is now Mill Creek Township, in 1800. His family consisted of six children, all of whom have paid the death penalty. He himself died in 1809. Some of his descendants are still living in the county.

Among the other settlers who came in afterward was Francis Dunn, who began a clearing in 1816 upon the place where he lived many years. At the time he entered there were three miles of continuous woodland between the farm on which he settled and the place which afterward became the site of New Lebanon. At that time, when French Creek included both townships, there were but twenty-five votes cast in the entire division. Others followed Dunn in the years that marked the gradual development of that portion of the county. But their entrance was so comparatively recent that they will not be mentioned here.

Of the early industries of the township that of milling was by far the most lucrative and the most important. It was, moreover, absolutely necessary to the community's success, as the locality which had not a mill within easy access, no matter how flattering might be the other inducements held out, would not attract many new-comers. The first grist-mill in the region under treatment was one erected on the property of Samuel Glenn in the year 1816. It was at the time the sole enterprise of the kind within many miles about, and its patronage, therefore, was considerable. A second one was erected some years later at the little village called Kerrtown. Glenn also established the first saw-mill in the township. Two or three others were afterward built, the latest and best being the steam mill erected in October, 1874, near New Lebanon, by Caleb Thompson, which, with its improved machinery and large patronage, was an important addition to the township's industrial wealth. The first tannery was built in 1811 by James McCracken, and was conducted for a number of years, until its further continuance was rendered unprofitable, after which it was abandoned. One or two distilleries were also in operation at an early day, the first one being that belonging to Jacob Reed, which was built as early as 1800. It seems that the demand for whisky antedated even that for flour, as the distillery preceded the grist-mill several years.

The only village in the township, outside of the borough of New Lebanon, is that of Kerrtown, which was named in honor of Judge Kerr many years ago. The town has for a number of years been progressing backward. A few houses now mark its site.

A list of early township officers, given elsewhere, will be interesting, doubtless, to those who desire to understand who the men of early political

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and public notoriety were. A list of post-offices, which is also given else- where, will include the names of the postmasters who have at various times distributed the mail of the residents of the township.

NEW VERNON TOWNSHIP.

New Vernon Township was originally a part of Sandy Creek. But the latter was so large and unwieldy that great trouble was had in collecting taxes over such an extensive area, and also in establishing voting places at points accessible to persons living in all portions of the township. These difficulties, it was thought, would be greatly lessened by a separation from the parent organization and the formation of a new and smaller one. Accordingly on the 18th of December, 1850, a number of petitions were handed in to the Court praying for the appointment of a board of commissioners to view the territory in question, lay out boundaries for the establishment of three new townships, and report upon the general practicability of the scheme. In accordance with these prayers, the Court appointed Joseph Kerr, Francis Beatty and James A. Leech. The latter looked over the ground, decided that a division of the old township into four equal parts would be expedient, and reported accordingly, April 7, 1851. This report was confirmed June 23, and the four new town- ships were named, respectively, Deer Creek, New Vernon, Mineral (now Per- ry), and the fourth retaining the original title, Sandy Creek. Of these four New Vernon was the southeastern division. Its surface is well diversified. The portion adjacent to Big Sandy Creek is rather level, while in the south- eastern part of the township many sharply-marked hills spring up, forming a bluff looking outline. The principal interest in the region is agriculture. The soil is fertile, and good crops are raised from it. The township is one of the best drained in the county. The Little Shenango and the Big Sandy both flow through it, and with their tributaries form a network of sluiceways which carry off all the surplus water. Indeed, considered from an agricultural point of view, New Vernon may fairly take front rank. The history of the settlement of this township is so intimately interwoven with the narrative of the parent organization, Sandy Creek, that the reader is referred to the pages devoted to that. The early settlers were later in arriving in the southeastern part of the old division than in some other portions of the county. But their arrival, even if late, was fraught with beneficent results, both to themselves and to those who came after them.

The Ten Milers .- This was the name of a colony which originally came from New Jersey and settled in Washington County, Penn., some time dur- ing the latter half of the last century, on what was known as Ten Mile Run. These people sold out in Washington County in 1797 or 1798, and removed to Mercer County, settling on the Big Sandy, not far from the present village of New Vernon. The name "Ten Milers," given to this settlement, was derived from the place left in Washington County. In the list of "Ten Milers" were Daniel Axtell, David Condit, Cyrus Riggs, John Holloway, Isaac Holloway, Ithiel Dodd, Stephen Riggs, Price Dilley and Ira Condit, the preacher. Lin- coln Axtell, son of Daniel, built the first grist-mill in the neighborhood. These men were afterward elders in the Fairview Presbyterian Church at New Vernon.

Mills .- In glancing at the industrial interests of New Vernon Township, one is impressed with the fact that they are few in number and unimportant in extent. Not unimportant, either, for nothing can be wholly unimportant which is so intimately associated with the development of any community from primitive wilderness to modern improvements. Yet, compared with some

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of her sister townships, there is an evident discrepancy on the side of the one at present under consideration. The most prominent, and the only one that will be treated, was the saw-mill business. This, of course, in later years, as forests are depleted and torn down, has diminished. But a few years ago it comprised the most striking source of the township's wealth. The first steam mill was built in 1854, near the village of New Vernon, by George Axtell. It did a flourishing business. In 1868 a second one was erected in the south- western part of the township by the firm of McClure & Boyd. In 1870 the third was located at a place about two miles south of New Vernon village. Gill's saw-mill and shingle-factory was built in 1868, by L. J. Gill. It, like the other enterprises named, did a rushing business for a number of years. All contributed largely to the increase of New Vernon's industrial resources.

New Vernon Village is the only one in the township. It was at one time called Middleton, but afterward New Vernon. It is quite an old town, and looks much older than it really is. The houses, which are in nearly every instance unpainted frames, appear to have been erected years ago. The vil- lage sustains two stores, kept by David McElwain and J. N. Mccutcheon, and a blacksmith shop, operated by T. J. Osborn. There is a lodge of the K. and L. of H., in a flourishing condition.

At the first election held after the division of the old township of Sandy Creek the following officers were chosen: Justices of the peace, Archibald Montgomery and David Lynn; constable, Henry Hosack; judge of election, Huston Borland; inspector, John Tuttle; assessor, David Holloway; auditors, Daniel Holloway, R. Forbes and David Bliss; school directors, Lawrence Streight, David Lynn, David Condit, Henry Boyd, Hugh Lackey and Samuel Axtell; supervisors, Joseph Boyd, James Hosack and John Tuttle; clerk, Elk Holloway, and overseers, Hugh Henry and Ithamar Tuttle.

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History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, Part 72

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