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 118

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 118

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).

The members of the Presbyterians, first noted as "seceders," and later as the United Presbyterian Church, had erected a small church near Hickory Grove schoolhouse many years ago. They later removed to Church Avenue, Duncannon, and still later their church was purchased by the German Reformed congregation. Early in "the nineties" a Church of God was erected on the Leedy place, near the new Lower Cove school- honse, at which services were held for ten or more years. It has been torn down and removed. The township has no other churches, as it sur- rounds Duncannon, where its people worship.

Perdix Chapel. With the growth of Perdix as a summer colony there seemed need of services of some character, and song services were held in various cottages, the result of which was the erection of an interdenomina- · tional chapel during 1920. It is a community church, and is now presided over by Rev. Sloan, a Dickinson College student. The first trustees of the organization were B. F. Allen, E. C. Keller, George Shope, H. B. Baker and W. U. Aldinger.

RYE TOWNSHIP.

Long before Perry was a county Rye was created as a separate township of Cumberland County, there being but two older townships of the terri- tory now comprising Perry County, the townships of Tyrone and Toboyne. Rye was created out of a part of Tyrone in 1766. Tyrone originally con- tained all the lands in the county lying west of the Juniata. At the Janu- ary sessions of the courts of Cumberland County, in 1766, a petition was presented asking for the erection of a new township out of the lower end of Tyrone. Upon due consideration the following order was issued by the court at the March term :

"Upon petition of Severall of the Inhabitants of Tyrone Township to this Court, Setting forth that Said Township is too large, it is adjudged and ordered by the said Court, that from the North Mountain to the Tuskarora Mountain by Mr. West's, and from that to Darlington's and to Strack the Tuskarora about William Noble's be the line, and the name of the Lower be called Rye Town- ship."

It will be of interest to note that Rye Township, as then created, con- tained besides its present territory, the townships of Penn, Wheatfield, Miller, Oliver, Juniata, Tuscarora, and parts of Centre and Carroll. It remained to such extent until 1793, when Juniata Township was created, with its southern boundary at the top of Mahanoy Ridge, which auto- matically became the northern boundary of Rye. Rye Township is

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bounded on the north by Wheatfield and Penn Townships, on the east by Marysville Borough, on the south by Cumberland County, and on the west by Carroll Township.

Colonel Samuel Hunter, of Dauphin County, warranted lands in the lower end of the township, including the location of the Borongh of Marys- ville, in 1755, 1756 and 1757. His holdings covered a tract extending two miles along the river and three miles westward in Fishing Creek Valley. Adjoining Hunter on the south William Swanzey warranted 322 acres with a river frontage of only thirty rods, and below him on the river as far south as the county line Hartley Wormley warranted 312 acres in 1792. His warrant, dated September 8, 1755, was the first in the township as now constituted. Other warrants were those of John W. Kittera, 372 acres in 1792; Alexander Berryhill, a tract; Duncan Stewart, 142 acres ; Barefoot Bronson, 91 acres in 1784; Henry Robison, 240 acres; James Starr, 359 acres; William Swanson, 322 acres; William Davis, 327 acres ; George Mclaughlin, 442 acres; John Bowman, a tract on which he had a gristmill, a sawmill and a carding machine; John Wiley and John Bolton, 307 acres, in 1792; Alex. Johnson, 400 acres ; Humphrey Williams, 31I acres; James McFarlane, 329 acres in 1792; Thomas Buchanan, 329 acres in 1793; William McFarlane, 322 acres in 1793; David Ralston, 323 acres in 1792, on which for years was the post office called Keystone; John Clons (or Cless), 281 acres in 1789; Robert Wallace, 337 acres; Robert Whitehill, 105 acres in 1795, on which was located for years the Grier's Point post office.

Ralph, John and James Sterrett during 1788 warranted 400 acres ex- tending for a distance of three miles east of Croghan's Gap, which later took their name, and by which it is known to this day. The main valley road was laid out by the pioneers and was used as a post road, Peter, Samuel and John Harold being postriders. Thomas Burney warranted 300 acres in 1765; Robert Allen, 50 acres in 1795; Martin Dubbs, 400 acres in 1793, and William Glover, 150 acres in 1774.

Nancy Bovard took up two tracts, one of 150 acres, and one of 250 acres, in 1815, and her father, Charles Bovard, in the same year warranted 250 acres. Bovard had come from Carlisle, in 1815, and settled in the valley. Here he built a tavern which he conducted until 1834. It was located on the old road from Carlisle to Sunbury. Keystone is located partly on this tract. One of Bovard's daughters married .Zachariah Rice, who was an early mail route contractor in Perry County. This hotel was the only one in the valley from Sterrett's Gap to Marysville. The store and post office there were long kept by Charles Barshinger.

The Gambers and Ensmingers were early settlers of the Fishing Creek Valley, practically all of which lies within Rye Township. However, the entire section just north of the Kittatinny Mountain, east of the Susque- hanna River, to Schuylkill County, bears this same name.

In the year of its erection-1766-the assessment list of Rye Township was as follows :

John Adams, 100 acres; John Anderson, 100; Cornelius Atkinson, 100 ; Thomas Armstrong, 100; James Baskins, 150; Thomas Barnett, 50; John Black, 200 ; Roger Brown, 100; Johnathon Cummins, 100 ; Neale Dougherty, 50; John Dougherty, 5; Thomas Dougan, 100; Edward Eliot, 100; David English, 400 : Francis Ellis, 100; Samuel Galbreath, 150; Samuel Goudy, 100; Robert Hearst, 100; Tobias Hendricks, 100; Samuel Hunter, 200 and sawmill : Joseph Junkin, 100; James Irwin, 150; Thomas Johnston, 100; Joseph Jacobs, 100; James Loudon, 100 ; John Montgomery, Esq., 100; Henry Moile, 100; Michael Marshall, 200; Joseph Marshall, 100; John McCune, 100 ; Finlaw McCune, 100; Neale Mckay, 50; John Mitchell, 100; Robert Meek, 50; William McPherson, 150; Robert McGrory, 50; Francis McGuire,

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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

100: William McCroskey, 200; William McNitt, 100; David Miller, 100; John Orr, 50: William Power, 150; William Parkinson, 100; Samuel Power. 75; James Patton, 150; John Parkinson, 100; Mary Quillon, 50; William Richardson, 200 and sawmill ; Samuel Robinson, 100; William Stewart, 200 ; Robert Stewart, 50; John Stewart, 100; Andrew Steen, 100; William Smiley. 100; Archibald tewart, 100; Frederick Watts, 200; Robert Watson, 100; Francis West, 100.

Grier's Point, once a post office, is located in Rye Township, over a mile east of the Carroll Township line, nine miles from Marysville. It was named after Samuel Grier, who settled there shortly after the crea- tion of the new county. Mr. Grier kept a hotel known as the "Hunters' Home." Captain William Messinger kept the first store here, Samuel Grier succeeding him. David P. Lightner succeeded Grier upon his death. It is now owned by Harry A. Miller.

On the old Valley road, near the George Kocher property, now owned by the James Bell estate, a log schoolhouse was built before 1800. It was lighted by inserting panes of glass between the logs, and was covered with a clapboard roof. Fourteen miles west of Marysville, on the old Valley road at Daniel Cowen's, were located at different times two schoolhouses, one built long before 1800, and the other in 1805. The latter was in use in 1830. Among the teachers were Isaac Gray and Samuel Coble.

On February 2, 1819, Jacob Sidle sold forty perches of land to Chris- tian Ensminger, William Messinger, Peter Foulk, Conrad Sloop, Peter Gamber, George Albright, Conrad Yohe, Philip Hench, George Shade, Daniel Yohe, David Shade, Solomon Finicle, David Myers, James White, Peter Billow and Jacob Sidle for the purpose of erecting a schoolhouse thereon. The deed recites that they were to pay "unto Jacob Sidle the sum of one dollar fur their shears of said school, and the said subscribers is to pay an Eaquel Portion fur building said house and to keep the said house in good Repear."

On the Bovard lands a schoolhouse was built before 1828, and was named "Congruity." On June 28, 1828, Bovard deeded the ground on which it stood to the school trustees.

In 1797 Christian Ensminger was possessed of abont 600 acres of land lying between Fishing Creek and Pine Hill, on which he built a sawmill, which was in use long after 1820. Jacob Sidle, an early settler of Fishing Creek, in 1820 was the owner of 480 acres, a sawmill and a gristmill. He then lived in the upper end of the valley, in Rye Township. Shortly after 1820 he took down his gristmill and moved it across Pine Hill to the present site of Dugan's mill.

Jacob Bishop built a sawmill about 1835, about four miles west of Marys- ville, which stood until 1878. Charles Bovard built the sawmill later known as Keller's, located west of Keystone. It burned many years ago. Captain William Messinger built the chop and sawmill, east of Keystone, about 1835. Peter Billow built a sawmill about 1835.

The mill in Rye Township known to the older generation as Hartman's mill, was one of the mills erected in the county's territory before 1800. It was built in 1708 by Nicholas Wolf and his son-in-law, John Bowman. At the same time and place they built a carding mill and a sawmill, which have long since disappeared. The gristmill was destroyed in 1880, being then owned by Neihart & Son, who rebuilt it and sold it to Alexander Hartman, who in turn remodeled it and installed rolls. From Hartman it passed to John Cowns, then to Henry Fisher, from whose estate it was transferred to P. H. Heishley, the present owner, in 1910. The community surrounding the mill is now known as Glenvale, and the mill as the Glen- vale Roller Mills.

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According to the mercantile appraiser's report the following business houses exist in Rye Township, the date following being the time of enter- ing the business :

General stores, Mrs. E. L. Bell (1906), established by C. Barshinger (1866) ; J. W. Hummel, Mervin Swinn (1919), H. A. Miller, L. I. Leonard Estate.

James Bell Estate, fertilizer and groceries ; P. H. Heishley, flour and feed.

As early as 1825 Dr. Frederick Klineyoung located at Keystone, where he practiced until his death in 1846. Dr. F. A. Konghling succeeded him in 1846, and practiced there until his death in 1855. Dr. Kaechline, a Ger- man, began practice at Grier's Point in 1853, but was found frozen to death while in the performance of professional duties, three years later. Dr. Joseph Swartz succeeded him in 1857, practicing there for three years, when he removed to Duncannon. Dr. Edward Ebert practiced at Grier's Point for several years, beginning about 1857. Dr. Theodore Lightner was here for a short time in 1880. Dr. C'has. W. Dean, a graduate of the Eclectic Medical School, 1871, located near the top of the Blue Mountain at Dean's Gap, and practiced in both Perry and Cumberland Counties.

About 1838 or 1840 the Evangelical people had built a church about a inile west of Marysville, at the Sitterly graveyard, but it was removed about 1867, its membership being the nucleus of the Marysville church.

Bethel Evangelical Church. Bethel Evangelical Church came to be erected through the results of meetings held in schoolhouses during the few years previous to its erection. For a period it was served by the pas- tors of the Marysville Evangelical Church. It was known as the Fishing Creek charge until 1907, since which it has been known as Keystone charge. The first church was erected in 1846, at a cost of $800. Among the first members were Martin Souder, Mary Souder, George Fenicle, Sarah Fenicle, B. F. Leonard, Elizabeth Leonard and George Kocher, Sr. This church was replaced by a new one in 1889. The pastors have been : 1862-69-Rev. W. C. Bierly. 1892-96-Rev. L. K. Harris.

1869-71-Rev. W. E. Detwiler. 1896-97-Rev. S. E. Davis.

1871-73-Rev. J. M. Young.

1897-00-Rev. W. N. Fulcomer.

1873-74-Rev. W. H. Stover.

I900-03-Rev. E. W. Koontz.

1874-75-Rev. T. M. Morris. 1903-07-Rev. G. S. Albright.

1875-77-Rev. S. I. Shortess.

1907-10-Rev. M. W. Stahl.

1877-79-Rev. G. E. Zehner. 1879-82-Rev. George Joseph. 1882-85-Rev. L. K. Harris.

1910-14-Rev. J. E. Newcomer.

1914-16-Rev. F. D. Sherman.

1916-17-Rev. B. G. Hoffman.

1885-86-Rev. I. C. Yeakle.

1917-19-Rev. W. E. Yingling.

1886-87-Rev. Wm. Minsker.

1919-20-Rev. L. E. Teter.

1887-89-Rev. J. W. Bentz.

1920-21-Rev. H. H. Jacobs.

1889-01-Rev. J. H. Welch.

1921- -Rev. F. F. Mayer.

1891-92-Rev. W. C. Bierly.

From this charge there entered the ministry of the denomination, Rev- erends B. F. Keller, J. M. Dick, H. A. Benfer, J. M. Dice and others.

Salem Evangelical Church. The first meetings of the Evangelicals of the Salem territory were held in conjunction with those of the Bethel Evangelical Church in the valley. In 1856 a church was built and was in use until 1905, when it was replaced by a new one. Among the first mem- bers were Israel Dick, Elizabeth Dick, Henry Foulk, Jacob Bitner, Sr., Frances Bitner, Emanuel Keller, Chas. Barshinger, John Kreamer, Sarah Kreamer, David Benfer and Matilda Benfer. It was a part of the Fishing Creck charge until 1907, since which it has been known as Keystone charge. The pastors are the same as those of Bethel Evangelical Church, men- tioned previously.

Glenvale Church of God. Services of this denomination were first held in the Oak Grove schoolhouse at Hartman's mill, or Glenvale, as it is now

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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

known, long prior to 1882, when the new church was built there, costing $1,800. This was largely made possible through the will of a Mr. Welty, who willed $1,000 towards building a church there. A Mr. Bowman do- nated the plot of ground where the church and cemetery are located. Prior to the erection of the church James Wagner held a successful re- vival in a wagonmaker shop. Rev. McDonald was the pastor at the time of the erection of the church. Among the original membership were Jacob Fortenbaugh, Sr., and Alexander Hartman and their wives. David Maxwell, Henry Clay, Win. McFadden and A. Swartz were early minis- ters. The Marysville ministers of the same faith have served this people.

SAVILLE TOWNSHIP.

Saville Township was the seventh township to be formed in the terri- tory which comprises Perry County and the last to be formed while it still was a part of Cumberland. Saville's territory was a part of Tyrone Township from the time of its formation in 1754, until 1817, when it was made a township. It has retained its original formation, with the excep- tion of contributing a part of Centre and a strip on the west, which be- came a part of Madison Township when that township was formed. It is bounded on the north by the Juniata County line, on the east by Tusca- rora, Juniata and Centre Townships, on the south by Centre, Spring and Tyrone Townships, and on the west by Madison.

At the April term of the Cumberland County courts, in 1817, a petition signed by citizens asking that Tyrone Township be divided, was presented. The court appointed John Darlington and David Grove as viewers, and at the November term they presented their report, of which this is the last paragraph :

"That by confirming the division of said township agreebly to the draft presented, would conduce greatly to the convenience of the inhabitants of the respective sections thereof, and that the 'limestone ridge, along which the division line runs the whole distance from east to west, is the natural and proper division of said township."

It was dated June 24, 1817, and was confirmed at the November term, being named Saville. It is one of the largest townships in the county, containing about forty square miles of land. Its principal stream is Buf- falo Creek, noted in many provincial affairs as the location of depreda- tions by the Indians.

On the day of the opening of the land office. February 3, 1755, for the location of lands in Perry County, Thomas Elliot, whose father had set- tled seven miles north of Carlisle, warranted 200 acres. At the same time William Waddell warranted the adjoining tract. These locations were for the low lands along Buffalo Creek, later owned by the Bodens and others. On the same day Mr. Elliot took up an adjoining tract of fifty acres, and in 1767 another fifty acres. When he first located lands he was but twenty- five years of age, and probably his knowledge of "the lay of the land" came from being one of the many parties of citizens from south of the Blue Mountain who came to the aid of their more unfortunate fellows who were suffering at the hands of the Indians. The Indian uprisings that fol- lowed Braddock's defeat drove all the settlers out of the county, and Elliot was of course included. It was 1762 before it was again safe to return, and then he brought with him Edward, Charles and John Elliot. Edward located lands later owned by Jonathan Swartz. As will be noted in a chapter on the Indians, it was at this place that the men were har- vesting when apprised that hostile Indians were in the neighborhood. A party of men organized to send aid to the less fortunate were ambushed at the Nicholson place-later the Orris farm-and five of them were killed.

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BOROUGHS, TOWNSHIPS AND VILLAGES

In the party were Charles Elliot and Edward McConnell, who escaped but were shot while ascending the bank of Buffalo Creek a little later. Rev. Dr. Elliot, an account of whose life appears elsewhere in this book, is a descendant.

In 1793 Robert Elliot, a descendant of this first Elliot family, warranted forty-one acres and bought the adjoining 187 which had been warranted by John Sanderson in 1767. William and James Elliot warranted lands in 1793. The Hall place was owned by John Black before 1774, as other warrants name his lands as "adjoining." Robert and James Irvine came from Ireland in 1752, and in 1774 Robert warranted 300 acres of land on the west side of Buffalo Creek, adjoining lands of Edward Elliot and John Black on the east and Conococheague Hill on the north. He accumulated other lands, and at his death 330 acres passed to his son James, who pat- ented it in 1812; 250 passed to another son, William, who patented it the same year, this being the tract on which the old stone house stands, and another 200 to his son John.

Part of the land taken up by William Elliot, Jr., was later in possession of former county superintendent of schools, Lewis B. Kerr. In 1755 John Smith warranted fifty acres, in 1774 Alexander Sanderson warranted 300 acres, and James Sanderson fifty acres, and in 1786 Charles Weise and James Bartley, 300 acres, the latter tract being near the Saville and Juni. ata Township line.

Located along Buffalo Hills David McClure warranted 125 acres in 1762, fifty acres in 1770, and forty-eight acres later. In 1774 these lands were surveyed to William Power. John McCluire warranted 220 acres in the same vicinity. Thomas Patton took up 250 acres on both sides of Buf- falo Creek.

James Adair had made an improvement on a tract, which was sold to Col. Thomas Hartley, of York, Pennsylvania, an officer in the Revolution and a member of the United States Congress for twelve years, who war- ranted the tract, containing 300 acres in 1786. This tract was on Buffalo Creek, above Roseburg. Michael Loy warranted 200 acres in 1793, ad- joining the Hartley tract. The same year Andrew Crouse warranted 200 acres adjoining Loy's, and Thomas McKee warranted 200 acres adjoining Crouse on the side of the mountain, including Winn's Gap. Thomas Rob- inson warranted a tract in 1796, and had another before 1794. Mary Buchanan, of Tyrone Township, owned an adjoining tract.

The Nicholson lands which passed in later years to the Orris family, lay north of Ickesburg. The roads which now meet near "the gap" at an earlier day met there. This was the scene of the Indian skirmish of 1763. The first Orris was Adam, who was the father of three sons, his son Adam attaining possession of the homestead. He also had three sons, Captain D. C. Orris succeeding to the title of the home. Of his other sons, H. O. became a physician at Newport, and Solomon Stanhope Orris became a college professor and one of the greatest Greek scholars then known. In 1785 William Linn, a brother of Rev. John Linn, warranted 178 acres on Buffalo Creek, and in 1793 he warranted 400 acres adjoining Archibald and Andrew Kinkead. Here a mill was built which has always borne the name of the Buffalo mill. The Lutheran and Reformed church is located here. The Kinkeads, named above, warranted 300 acres of lands in 1786, and others later.

In 1772 David Sample warranted 220 acres. It is described as including a survey made by Samuel Finley in 1761, and situated "on the north side of Limestone Ridge, opposite to Samuel Fisher's house." This tract is in the southwest corner of the township, north of Elliottsburg. The Fisher

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HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

tract adjoining was also an adjoining tract of John Sanderson's, which is described in Spring Township and which was the subject of much early litigation in so far as the title was concerned.

Among other early warrants were those of William McMeen, for 150 acres in 1766; David Hamilton, for fifty acres in 1775; Lawrence Mealy, for 300 acres in 1786; William Marshall, for 258 acres in 1786; Robert Kearney, for 200 acres in 1789; John D. Creigh, for 300 acres in 1792; Patrick Duffield, for 200 acres in 1792; William Robinson, for 150 acres in 1794, and Adam Hays, for eighty acres in 1796.

The Milligan, Elliot, Hench, Dromgold, Rice, Ickes, Hartman, Shull, Boden, Flickinger, Blair and Liggett families are of Saville's earliest and most substantial settlers. Jacob Hartman, who emigrated from Chester County, took up a tract of land and erected upon it a house of hewed logs. In the center of it was a large chimney surrounded by three fireplaces, one in the parlor, one in the bedroom, and one in the kitchen. This house stood as late as 1900. The log barn, erected at the same time, is yet in use. On September 18, 1810, Andrew Shuman warranted 328 acres on Buffalo Creek, where Eshcol is located. He had located here in 1804, and shortly thereafter built a mill. In 1824 he erected a mill further up the creek. In 1830 he donated ground for a Union church, which was built the next year. He died in 1852, and the upper mill passed to his son John, and the lower mill to his son Andrew. In 1867 Andrew Shuman sold the lower mill to Isaac Weaver. The upper mill was sold in 1871 to John Kendig and John Hostetter. These mills are no longer in business. The adjoining tract above was of the John Hays warrant, and in 1852 William Rosensteel pur- chased forty-three acres from the lands of both Hays and Shuman and erected thereon a tannery with a capacity of fifteen hundred hides an- nually. Prior to 1870 the tannery had passed to Jacob Spanogle. It was sold to Samuel Hench and Henry Duffield, under whose ownership it ceased to operate.

When the county was formed Robert Hackett had a distillery in Saville. At that time Andrew Linn was conducting a store, a distillery, a gristmill and a sawmill. In 1882 Edward Miller built a fulling mill on Buffalo Creek, two miles south of Ickesburg, and in 1831 was conducting a store and a sawmill at the same place.

George Sanderson was assessed with a tanyard in both 1821 and 1831. In 1820 Henry Trostle was operating a distillery, and two years later a sawmill, but in 1831 the distillery was no longer in use. In the assessment of 1820 there were 194 taxpayers in Saville, which included four stores, five sawmills, five gristmills, five distilleries, one fulling mill, seven black- smith shops, four wagonmakers, one tanyard, and three cooper shops.

About 1897 the Hench and Dromgold families, which were nurtured on Perry County soil, but now spread over many states, began holding annual reunions or picnics in Perry County. Other families were added, until it included the families of Hench, Dromgold, Rice, Ickes, Hartman and oth- ers. John Hench, the progenitor of the Perry County families, attended St. Vincent German Reformed Church in Chester County, where he resided, and among those on that church record who emigrated to Perry County, are Hench, Shull, Happle, Yeager, Acker, Foose, Hartman, Wagner, Miller, Kepner. Reiss, Haas, etc. John Hench was one of 114 farmers who lost his land by the foreclosure of an old English mortgage which had not been satisfied when they purchased their lands. Another who lost his farm in the same manner was Zachariah Rice, the father of twenty- one children, John Hartman and others, when then located in Perry and Juniata Counties. John Rice, a son of Zachariah, was married to a daugh- ter of Mr. Hench, and located in Perry County about 1790 and worked as

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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 118

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

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