History of Perry County, Pennsylvania, including descriptions of Indians and pioneer life from the time of earliest settlement, sketches of its noted men and women and many professional men, Part 104

Author: Hain, Harry Harrison, 1873- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Harrisburg, Pa., Hain-Moore company
Number of Pages: 1102


USA > Pennsylvania > Perry County > History of Perry County, Pennsylvania, including descriptions of Indians and pioneer life from the time of earliest settlement, sketches of its noted men and women and many professional men > Part 104


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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Naming of properties, according to the old English custom, was then in vogue. In 1755 James Dixson warranted fifty-five acres which later be- came the Neilson lands. The stone house on this property was built in 1767. In 1788 he warranted 220 acres, fifty-five acres which he named "Dixson's Park," and 220 acres shown on the title as "St. James." The Neilsons came into possession of most of these lands. William Neilson came from Chester County and kept a tavern a few years at Sterrett's Gap. He warranted 250 acres in 1786, and 241 acres in 1793. William Power warranted 225 acres in 1763, and two tracts of 597 acres in 1775. He was a saddler and also warranted other lands and purchased many. He was at one time the largest landowner in the county.


An early resident of the county was Thomas Barnett, who emigrated from Germany before 1767, in which year he was a resident of Rye Town- ship, Cumberland (now Perry) County, and assessed with fifty acres of


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BOROUGHS, TOWNSHIPS AND VILLAGES


land, which was within the confines of what is now Penn Township, and in the part then known as Barnett's Cove, but since termed Allen's Cove, The Cove, etc. Until 1785 he warranted no lands, but then he war- ranted 400 acres in the Cove section (evidently under the right of George Allen), and in the same year 418 acres at and adjoining the present county seat, bordering the lands of William Long and Alexander Stewart. The right to the latter tract he purchased of David Mitchell, who had erected a house there. The stone house on this property was built in 1795. He had it patented in 1796 and named it "Bloomfield." Shortly after the pur- chase a sawmill and a gristmill were erected. Thomas Barnett died in 1814, leaving two sons, George and Frederick, the latter settling at The Cove, in Penn Township, where his descendants resided until recently. The other son, George Barnett, purchased the "Bloomfield" tract and mar- ried Jane Smiley, from whom descended three sons, Frederick, George and Charles A. The latter was president judge of the Perry-Juniata district from 1881 to 1891, and his son, James M. Barnett, was elected to the same position in the fall of 1919, and assumed the office on January 1, 1920, on the one hundredth anniversary of the county's formation. Of the descend- ants of George, two have entered the professions, George R. Barnett being an attorney with offices in New Bloomfield and Harrisburg, and Dr. Rob- ert T. Barnett, practicing at Lewistown, Pa.


Matthew McBride warranted lands about 1780 and purchased others of Rev. Hugh Magill. He had a blacksmith shop, a distillery and a tilt hammer, manufacturing sickels. Rev. Hugh Magill warranted lands in 1758 and 1762. Matthew McBride, in 1774, took up two tracts. The tract adjoining the western border of New Bloomfield was warranted by James Cowen, on February 4, 1755, just one day after the opening of the land to settlers. In 1794 he warranted 294 acres. In 1762 John Darlington war- ranted 345 acres. In 1766 tracts of 107 and 193 acres were warranted to James McConaghy, but surveyed to William Power, Jr.


John and Margaret Clouser had settled and made improvements upon a tract but failed to patent it until after his death, when, in 1794, Margaret, the widow, took out the warrant in favor of his heirs. The Oliver Rice farm was warranted by Francis McCown, who was for years a justice of the peace. It was later owned by Finlaw McCown. Joseph Whelan war- ranted the 247-acre farm lying east, which later passed to the hands of Congressman Joseph Bailey, and was owned recently by Charles L. John- son. The lands later owned by Andrew Comp, Wesley Soule and others was warranted in 1793 to Robert McClay. The warrant called for 436 acres. Other warrants were: John Parks, 50 acres in 1767; Adam Slack, 265 acres in 1784; Enoch Lewis, 110 acres in 1788; Joseph and Michael Marshall, 263 in 1769; Edward Irvin, 130 acres in 1773; John Moore, 284 acres in 1793, and Robert Hamilton, 330 acres in 1767.


The first gristmill was built upon the Barnett tract very early, being demolished in 1841. It stood a short distance west of the site of the pres- ent mill, where a mill was built in 1838, but destroyed by fire, March 30, 1840. It was rebuilt in 1841 and still stands.


There is record of a sawmill being located above the gristmill's present location as early as 1795. There was a mill known as the Lupfer mill, which was purchased by George Barnett and dismantled, the lumber being used in the erection of the Barnett barn in 1820.


Matthew McBride, a son of the first Matthew, who had located the land, sold a plot of twelve acres, in 1831, to Matthew Shuman, who erected a stone gristmill, later known as Clark's mill. The mill passed to Joseph Kline in 1833, to George Loy in 1836, and to Edwin and David Clark in 1839, from whom it took its name. The Clarks were in possession of the


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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA


plant until 1884, when it passed to Leonard & Baker. William Shoaff owned it later, and sold it to Silas Baker, each of whom operated it. In 1916 it was purchased by William Zeigler, a Schwenksville merchant, who converted it into a cold storage plant.


About 1835 James McKee built a sawmill farther down the stream, and the ruins of another still farther down are remembered by old residents. These mills were built on a stream which flows into Little Buffalo Creek. In 1808 David Watts, of Carlisle, became part owner of a tract warranted to James McConaghy in 1766, and surveyed to William Power, Jr., and with others erected Juniata furnace. William Shoaff was later in posses- sion, and the property is now owned by Ellis Shoaff. This mill was built by John McKeehan and James McGowan, about 1840. It has long been out of use as a gristmill.


Less than two miles east of Bloomfield there flows a number of streams which join and form Trout Run-one of many streams of that same name in Perry County. Upon that stream, in 1833, Absalom Martin erected a woolen, carding and fulling mill. In 1836 he sold to Jacob Billow, who operated it until 1838, when he sold to John Witherow and Thomas Pat- terson. Mr. Witherow rebuilt the mill on a larger scale and added a saw- mill and cider press. The fulling mill was operated for many years. Farther down the stream Ralph Smiley had purchased forty acres of land from William Gardner, in 1823, and erected a gristinill. It was destroyed by fire, Sunday, March 21, 1830, with 1,500 bushels of wheat, 600 bushels of rye and corn, and about eighty barrels of flour. The mill had then been in operation less than two years. It was an old stone mill and was rebuilt by Daniel Gallatin, who purchased the property in 1833. As early as 1849 Atkinson, John and William Bergstresser milled there, selling to Samuel Comp, who in turn sold to Samuel Fravel. These two mills were in opera- tion until 1890 to 1900, but the old race and dam alone remain at the former, and a crumbling stone wall alone remains of the latter. The Fravel mill burned down and the property is now owned by Phares D. Royer.


In 1891, D. P. Clark and J. M. Gilliland, trading as Clark & Gilliland, erected a steam mill a half mile west of New Bloomfield, and operated it until 1898, when it was sold to C. N. Reeder. During the same year it burned to the ground, but was rebuilt by Mr. Reeder. Later it went out of business and was dismantled and torn down.


Mannsville is a village situated at the northern boundary of the town- ship, near the Saville Township line. It was first known by the name of Phoenixville. Daniel Swartz owned all the land in the vicinity, and in 1850 sold a small tract to Adam Doren, who erected and operated a tan- nery there for many years. He later sold it to Jolm Bower, who continued the business until his death in 1870, when it ceased operation. William Burd opened the first store, and shortly after a post office was located there and named Mannsville.


On the Barnett farm, at New Bloomfield, the first schoolhouse of which there is any record, was located. It was south of the mill race and was built of logs. The site was in use until 1838. There is a tradition that the pupils were required to stand on a near-by rock as punishment. Among the early teachers were Messrs. Elliot, Ferguson and Robert Kelly. From 1832 to 1840 there was a building on the old McBride farm. Laurel Grove, a short distance away, replaced it. John, James and Joshua Triplett were teachers. George Barnett (a son of Thomas Barnett), on whose lands this building was located, not only erected the building but hired the teacher, paying therefor from his own private funds and allowing all the children of the community to attend. While it was the first free school in Perry


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BOROUGHS, TOWNSHIPS AND VILLAGES


County, it still had a greater distinction, as it was the first public free school in the State of Pennsylvania, west of the Susquehanna River.


The lands long owned by Wesley Soule, Andrew Comp and others was warranted by Robert McClay, in March, 1793, the Soule tract being noted as the location of the "box huckleberry," one of the most rare species to be found in the United States. See "Features of Distinction," page 31.


Centre Township was the early location of both Juniata and Perry fur- naces, their history appearing under the chapter devoted to "Old Land- marks, Mills and Industries." It was also the location of Ferguson post office, at the McKeehan place, in later years. Annie L. McKeehan, and later Ada C. McKeehan, were the postmistresses.


The business places in Centre Township, according to the report of the mercantile appraiser, are as follows, the year being the date of entering the business :


George R. Lightner (1919), established by Lightner Bros. (1913), Cornelius Clouser (1914), general stores; J. F. Rudy, groceries ; George Eckerd, meat market ; Myers Bros., cigars; Chas. S. Bruner, fertilizers; Tyson Reeder, wall paper; J. Arden Rice, George B. Coller, oils; Jacob S. Kitner, grocery.


There was once a United Brethren Church at Mannsville, which be- longed to the Eshcol Circuit, long since out of existence. The church was sold on August 15, 1911, to the Maccabee Lodge, located in that village.


Mansville Lutheran Church. The residents of Mannsville and vicinity first attended church at Loysville and New Bloomfield, later at Eshcol, Markelville, and "Little Germany." The first services were held in the old log schoolhouse in 1856, in both German and English. During the same year this congregation was admitted as part of the New Bloomfield charge, to which it still belongs. The church was built in 1864, on lands of Daniel Swartz, donated for that purpose. The trustees at that time were Daniel Swartz, George Swartz and John Lepperd. The pastors have been the same as those at the New Bloomfield church and will be found in that chapter.


DUNCANNON BOROUGH.


Duncannon Borough is located on the western bank of the Susquehanna River, at the very farthest point westward of that noted river in its long course, for while it flows in a southwesterly direction that far, at the very heart of Duncannon its trend starts southeastward. Duncannon is a long town, extending all the way from the point where the Juniata's waters join those of the Susquehanna to Juniata Creek, which flows into the Sus- quehanna not many rods above where Sherman's Creek empties into the river. It is within the limits of Penn Township, to which it belonged until 1844, when it became the Borough of Petersburg. It was a part of Rye Township from 1766 until 1826, when Wheatfield was formed, which included it. When Penn Township was formed in 1840, it was a part of Penn until it became a borough. In 1865 the name was changed to Dun- cannon, it being incorporated as a borough under that name.


Here the Susquehanna's break through the mountains creates as mar- velous mountain scenery as can be seen anywhere in the state. Southwest of the town is Duncannon Hill, a veritable mountain, yet cleared and once tilled, its grassy slopes being used for grazing to this day. The view from this hill includes the junction of the two rivers, the hundreds of acres of .cultivated homelands, the water gaps both here and above Marysville, where the Susquehanna breaks through, the famous and historic Duncan's and Haldeman's Islands nestled in the rivers above, and the broad valley of the Susquehanna stretching away among the mountains.


The present town of Duncannon was long known as Petersburg (being incorporated as Petersburg Borough in 1844), and the adjoining village of


Bird's Eye. View of Duncannon


Juniata Creek Road


TWO VIEWS OF THE DUNCANNON SECTION.


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BOROUGHS, TOWNSHIPS AND VILLAGES


Lower Duncannon, lying between Juniata and Sherman's Creek, was known as Duncannon. Petersburg only extended to Ann Street, Dr. Ebert owning the field lying north of that. The original borough only extended from Juniata Creek to an alley, where the present electric light plant is located, ยท but in 1900 it was extended to include the western end, which had been known as Baskinsville, and the Carver's Hill section, both of which bear the name of pioneers.


While these two outlying sections were made a part of the borough there are yet several outlying settlements which contain considerable population. These are Lower Duncannon, the settlement south of Sherman's Creek known as Boston, and another at some distance known as Stewartsville, named after William J. Stewart, a son of Richard Stewart, one of the first merchants of the town. The name Duncannon was derived by con- tracting the names of Duncan & Morgan, which firm operated the iron works. The changing of the name of the borough from Petersburg to Duncannon was done to avoid confusion in the mails and in other ship- ments, as there were towns and post offices named Petersburg in Somerset, Huntingdon and Adams Counties, the latter county having had two places known by that name.


The tract of land on which the original Borough of Duncannon was located was warranted by John Brown, on June 3, 1762, and contained 267 acres of land. It was purchased in 1777 by Robert McHassy, who died a few years afterwards, and his administrator, Samuel Goudy, gained pos- session. Marshall Stanly, assignee of John Brown, obtained judgment against Goudy, as administrator of McHassy, and the property was sold by the high sheriff of Cumberland County, to Samuel Postlethwaite. He sold it to Robert Armstrong in 1786, and in 1792 Armstrong sold a part to Christian Miller, who at once laid out lots and named it Petersburg. There was a driveway along the river shown on the plot as Water Street, now largely occupied by the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks. Lot No. 2 was purchased by James Beatty, on February 20, 1793, and is at this time in the possession of Frank Harper, who has resided there and used it as a busi- ness place for over thirty years. It is located on the plot and described as "the corner of Water and Cumberland Streets, extending back to Mar- ket," and lies to the left going from the new Pennsylvania Railroad station.


On December 20, 1792, Alexander McLaughlin purchased the lot owned in recent generations by Joseph Mayall, at the southeast corner of Market and Ann Streets. In 1823 Robert Stewart purchased it and conducted there for many years a general store. In 1795 the lot owners were Robert Arm- strong, Christian Miller, Dr. McNaughton, William Beatty, James Beatty, Levi Owen, Isaac Jones, James Mehaffy, James Brown, Peter Kipp, Samuel Harvies, Philip Swisher, George Glass, John Elliot, Robert Wallace, Thomas Eccles, Thomas Tweedy and Alfred Snider.


Christian Miller, who laid out the town, died before 1820, when the county was created, and his wife and children moved to New Berlin, Union County. In that year the property holders were: Daniel Baker, a shoemaker; Robert Clark, David Carnes, heirs of Maximilian Haines ; George Jones, a blacksmith; William Irwin, a merchant; James Kirk- patrick, John Leedy, heirs of Christian Miller; Nathan VanFossen and Samuel Mckenzie, blacksmith. In addition to the above, in 1828, lots were owned by Samuel Alexander, Robert Bonner, heirs of Alexander Bonner ; William Hunter, John Ashbel, Lewis Gryan, a hatter; David McCoy, Rich- ard Stewart, a merchant; Philip Swisher, John Steel and Nathan Van- Fossen, the latter having several lots and a tanyard.


According to tradition, in 1830 there were only eight houses from the


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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA


cabins surrounding the rolling mill to the Clark's Ferry post office (then at Clark's Run), and they were rough and erude. In 1794 Christian Miller built a log house at the lower end of Market Street, near where the iron bridge crosses Juniata Creek, which stood until the latter part of the last century. Jacob Young's dwelling was where the building yet known as the Stevenson building is located. The lot then ran clear black to the creek and was fenced in. Nathan VanFossen's dwelling was on the square. An old log building stood where Joseph Michener later was in business for so many years, and was owned by Adam Mell, the grandfather of Mrs. Michener. It stood until 1883. The lot of John Heffly, now occupied by the Photoplay theater, was occupied by Polly Reed. Margaret Harmon owned the northwest corner of High and Ann Streets, known as the Lewis property more recently. Her daughter was Mrs. Oliver Cummings, who lived on High Street where Miss Margaret Cummings resided until her death in 1921. Mrs. Harmon kept a candy shop, and her daughter often related how a bear, smelling the sweets, tried to get in the window one night. Mrs. Harmon raised an alarm and John Boden, who lived at Broad and Front Streets, now owned by Adam Keel, came to her relief. From this point to the house at the ferry where John Couffer kept the post office, there was but one dwelling.


The history of Penn Township contains so much that is coincident with that of Duncannon that the reader is referred there, also to the chapter on Old Industries, where the Duncannon Iron Company's history will be


Photo by N. R. Zeigler.


SHERMAN'S CREEK As it nears the Susquehanna at Duncannon.


found. The chapters on the Indians and the one on Duncan's and Halde- man's Islands contain much that is closely related to the early history of the vicinity.


Just when the first schoolhouse was erected in Duncannon is unknown. but as early as 1797 there was one, as an act of the State Legislature of that year designated the Union schoolhouse at Petersburg (now Duncan- non) as a voting place for Rye Township. This building was in use until 1840, when it was succeeded by a frame building. This original school- house stood where the Duncannon National Bank now stands. It was built of logs and "chinked" with clay, being covered with boards on the outside. It was about twenty-five feet square and had a broad fireplace at one side. The tables and seats were of slabs, and the seats were without backs.


According to Wright there was a schoolhouse in Penn even older than this one, near Young's mill. Joseph McIntire was its first teacher and it was attended by pupils from a radius of four miles, some coming from Fishing Creek Valley, in Rye Township. Wright, in one of his historical articles, also tells of a school building in Duncannon, near the site of the present one, burning down in 1814. If that be a fact it probably was the one which stood where the Duncannon National Bank now stands, and its


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BOROUGHS, TOWNSHIPS AND VILLAGES


successor would then have been the one which was in use until 1840. The next schoolhouse was erected upon the site of the present building and was in use until 1873, when it was moved to Ann Street and was remodeled for residential purposes. In that year the present building was erected. In 1857 Petersburg had three schools, two being designated as "high schools." The teachers were Lewis B. Kerr, with 32 pupils; Lydia A. Fenstymaker, 20, and Henry Hall, 25.


During the "early seventies" the Susquehanna Building and Loan Asso- ciation was in existence at Duncannon. The late John Wister, president of the Duncannon Iron Company, was also its president. The section known as Baskinsville was laid out in 1869, by Dr. Joseph Swartz, John Shively and Win. C. King. Geo. Kinter's store was blown up with powder, on March 8, 1852.


Duncannon has the unique experience of having had one of its streets extended by an act of the Pennsylvania Legislature. An act was passed on March 29, 1849, extending Ann Street, in the Borough of Petersburg, "so as to connect with the great road leading to New Bloomfield."


The western landing of Clark's ferry was in Duncannon, on lands war- ranted to Samuel Goudy, in 1766, consisting of 215 acres. Goudy lived upon it and later sold it to John Clark, whose father had established the ferry, and who later conducted it himself, as also did Robert Clark, of the third generation. The Indians had a fording here which they called "Queenaskowakee." John Clark built a tavern building (now occupied by Joseph Smith), and kept the first tavern there. It was later kept by his widow, by her son, Robert Clark, John Boden, Henry Lemon and William Wilson, in turn. Jacob Keiser was postmaster at one time when the Clark's Ferry post office was located in this stone tavern building, and a Mr. Keesberry was the first postmaster after the town became known as Petersburg. The large shade trees about Duncannon were largely planted by William Lindley, who came to the place with Fisher & Morgan, in 1834, and who died in 1881. He was a benefactor and trees planted by him still cast their shade upon the wayfarer and cool the brow of the toiler. One of the merchants of the middle of last century was George Kinter. On April 2, 1851, a boy who slept in his store was tied in the second story and the building set on fire by burglars who got away with over $500. On March 9, 1852, his store was blown up with powder. The first fire com- pany in the town was the Spry Fire Company, which existed in "the early fifties."


The first news stand located in Perry County was opened in Duncannon in November, 1881, by Harry H. Sieg, now a justice of the peace. In those days only four Sunday papers came to Duncannon, two on order and two extras to be put on sale. During the Spanish-American War, seventeen years later, his standing order was for over a thousand copies.


Joseph M. Hawley, who died in 1889, was a prominent business man and left his mark on the community.


The oldest lodge in Duncannon is Evergreen Lodge, No. 205, I. O. of O. F., instituted October 10, 1846, with Wm. Stewart, noble grand; Wm. Allison, vice grand; Jos. D. Simpson, secretary, and John Shearer, treasurer.


The stone gristmill, owned by the Duncannon Flouring Mill Company, was begun in 1814, and put in operation July 4, 1817, by Ramsey, Clark & Boden. John Chisholm, a native of Scotland, did the building and for a number of years was the miller. About 1839 it came into possession of Amos Jones, and from him to Griffith Jones. Later it was owned and operated by Stewart, Young & Rife, and later by Stewart & Young. In 1885 it was purchased by George Morris, who in 1889 conveyed it to Jos-


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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA


eph M. Hawley, John Sheibley, William Grier, and James Elliott. From them it passed to W. F. H. Garber, in 1895. In 1909 Mr. Garber sold a two-thirds interest to E. S. Heckendorn and W. G. Wagner. It is a three- story stone mill doing a good milling business.


In 1883, S. K. Sankey & Company erected the Duncannon planing mill, which has had a varied experience. William Bothwell was later associated with Mr. Sankey, and on his withdrawal it was operated by Sankey & Son. Their successors were Dr. R. H. Moffitt and William Bothwell, who in turn sold to the Duncannon Planing Mill Company, limited, of which E. B. Hartman was manager, the owners being non-residents. Since about 1900 the plant, now owned by Duncan & Wills, has lain dormant.


In1 1894, through a newly formed Board of Trade, Duncannon citizens obligated themselves for the erection of a fine brick building to be used in the manufacturing of brass specialties, but it was operated less than a year by those for whom it was built. This building, ownership of which rested in the Duncannon Improvement Company, a limited partnership, of which P. F. Duncan was president, and W. A. Laird, secretary, was sold to the Standard Novelty Works, and became their main workshop. Sev- eral small knitting mills and another shirt factory were operated for short periods at various times, but have passed out of existence.


The Trout Run Water Company was incorporated August 20, 1894, by John Wister, president; W. L. Coover, secretary; P. F. Duncan, treas- urer ; George Pennell, William Wills and J. C. Hawley. The reservoir was constructed on the northern side of Cove Mountain, and on December 10, 1894, the first water passed through the pipes. Later, in 1907, an addi- tional supply was piped into the reservoir from the Washington Fritz lands at "the Loop." The system is entirely by gravity and the water un- excelled. P. F. Duncan is president of the company, and B. Stiles Duncan, secretary.




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