USA > Pennsylvania > Venango County > History of Venango County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, including > Part 12
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120
Beginning at the mouth of Oil creck, thence up the Allegheny river by the differ- ent windings thereof to where the line dividing the counties of Venango and Warren strikes said river, thence west along the line dividing the counties of Venango and Warren to where the Holland Company's mill stands on Oil creek, thence down said creek by the various courses thereof to the mouth, the place of the beginning; to be called Allegheny township.
Also one other township: Beginning at the mouth of French creek, thence up the Allegheny river by the different windings thereof to the mouth of Oil creek, thence up said creek by the branch thereof that leads to the Holland Company's mill to where the line dividing the counties of Crawford and Venango to where the same crosses .French creek, thence down said creek by the different windings thereof to the moutb, the place of beginning; and to be called Sugar Creek.
Also one other township: Beginning at the mouth of French creek, thence down the Allegheny river by the different windings thereof to where the northeast corner of the county of Butler comes on said river, thence west along the line dividing the coun- ties of Venango and [Butler to the southwest corner of Venango county, thence north along the line dividing the counties of Venango and] Mercer to where the same strikes French creek, thence down French creek by the different windings thercof to the mouth, the place of beginning; to be called Irwin.
No provision was made for the territory south and east of the Allegheny river, which, in 1803, contained no taxable inhabitants to the knowledge of the Crawford county commissioners.
After the organization of the county the policy of the court of quarter sessions in the formation of townships was analogous in many respects to that of the legislature in dividing northwestern Pennsylvania into counties. In both instances the respective political divisions were created in advance of any immediate necessity, and, until such time as the influx of population should render individual organization necessary, united in groups under one administration. There was, however, a practical advantage to be gained by the early formation of townships. At that period the county commis- sioners appointed assessors and collectors of taxes, and divided the county into districts for tho appointment of justices of the peace. March 7, 1806, the board drew up a petition, "setting forth that great inconveniences are at pres- ent experienced by the inhabitants of Venango and Warren counties from the too great extent of the respective townships, not only in attending their respective township meetings, but also in assessing and collecting taxes;" and as it was desirable that the district and township lines should coincide, as far as possible, the latter ought to be permanently established. The court appointed Samuel Dale, John Andrews, and Thomas Baird to inquire
.
119
ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION.
into the propriety of acceding to this petition. They prepared a volumin- ous report providing for the erection of twenty-six townships, two of which were in Warren county and fifteen within the present limits of Venango. The respective boundaries of the latter were as follows:
First .- Beginning at French creek on the western boundary of said county, thence by the same south to the north line of survey made in the name of John Het- ler, thence by the same and Jacob Hetler eastwardly to the northeast corner of the latter. thence by the same south wardly to Sandy creek, thence by said creek to the. mouth thereof, thence by the Allegheny river to the mouth of French creek, thence up the same to the place of beginning; to be called French Creek township.
Second .- Beginning at the southwest corner of French Creek township, thence by the county line southwardly to the south line of a survey made on warrant in the name of James Adams, thence eastwardly in a direction that will run the south boundary of tract surveyed on warrant in the name of Hugh Sterling, and to continue that direc- tion to the Allegheny river, thence up the same to the mouth of Sandy, thence by the line of French Creek township to the place of beginning; to be called Sandy Creek township.
Third .- Beginning at the southwest corner of Sandy Creek township, thence by the county line, south to the line of Butler county, thence by the same east, to the dis- tance that a line running north will run the east boundary of the tract on which Philip Ghost lives, and continue thence till it intersects the south boundary of Saudy Creek township, theuce by the same west to the place of beginning; to be called Irwin township.
Fourth .- Beginning at the southeast corner of Irwin township, thence by the county line east to the Allegheny river, thence up the same to the south boundary of Sandy Creek township, thence by the same westwardly to the northeast corner of Irwin township, thence by the same south to the place of beginning; to be called Scrubgrass township.
Fifth .- Beginning at the Allegheny river and north boundary of Venango county, thence hy said boundary west to the west boundary of a tract surveyed on warrant in- the name of Nimrod Ent, thence south to the said river, thence up the same to the place of beginning; to be called Allegheny township.
Sixth .- Beginning at the southeast corner of a survey made ou warrrant in the name of Samuel Will, thence west to Oil creek, thence up the same and the east branch- thereof to the county line, thence by the same east to Allegheny township, thence by the same south to the place of beginning; to be called Branch township.
Seventh .- Beginning at the southeast corner of Branch township, thence by the same west to Oil creek, thence by the same to the mouth thereof, thence up the Alle- gheny river to the line of Allegheny township, thence by the same north to the place- of beginning; to be called Musk township.
Eighth .- Beginning at the southwest corner of Branch township, thence west to. the line dividing McDowell's and Power's districts, thence by the same north to the county line, thence by the same east to the northwest corner of Branch township- adjoining, thence by the same southwardly to the place of beginning; to be called Cherry township.
Ninth .- Beginning where the line dividing McDowell's and Power's districts. crosses the south boundary of the surveys made in the sixth donation district, thence by the same south, seventy degrees west, to intersect the north boundary of the fifth donation district, thence by the same westwardly to Sugar creek, thence up the same and the lake branch thereof to the county line, thence hy the same northeastwardly to the northwest corner of Cherry township, thence by the same south to the place of beginning; to be called Plum township.
.
120
HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.
Tenth .- Beginning at the southeast corner of Cherry towuship, thence by the same west to Plum township, thence by the same south and southwestwardly to the distance that a line running south, four degrees east, will ruu the west boundary of a tract of land surveyed on warraut in the name of Peter Cress, and continue to French creek, thence down the same to the Allegheny river, thence up the same to Oil creek, thence up the same to the place of beginning; to be called Oil Creek township.
Eleventh .- Beginning at the northwest corner of Plum township, thence by the western boundaries of the same and Oil Creek township to French creek, thence up the same to the county line, thence by the north and northeast to the place of begin- ning; to be called Sugar Creek towuship.
Twelfth .- Beginning at the Allegheny river near the mouth of the Six Mile run, thence on the line between the lands granted to John Nicholson, Esq., and William Bingham, east to the western boundary of a tract of land surveyed on warrant No. 2529 granted to William Willink and others, thence by the same north to the north boun- dary of said tract, thence by the same east to the northeast corner, thence north to the said river; to be called Fairfield township.
Thirteenth .- Beginning at the southeast corner of Fairfield township, thence south to the southeast corner of a tract of land warranted to William Willink and others, No. 2502, thence by the same west to the east boundary of tract No. 3513 granted to William Bingham, thence southwestwardly by the southeast boundary of the contigu- ous tracts granted to said Bingham to the Allegheny river, thence up the same to the south boundary of Fairfield township, thence hy the same to the place of beginning; to be called Rock township.
Fourteenth .- Beginning at the south corner of Rock township on the Allegheny river, thence by the southeast boundary to the southeast corner thereof, thence south to Toby's creek, thence down the same to the said river, thence up the same to the place of beginning; to be called Union township.
Fifteenth .- Beginning at the north corner of Fairfield township on the Allegheny river, thence up the same to the west boundary of tract No. 2844 granted to William Willink and others, thence south to the southwest corner thereof, thence east to the northeast corner of tract No. 2826 granted to William Willink and others, thence south to the southeast corner of tract No. 2801 granted to William Willink and others, thence west to the cast boundary of tract No. 2539 granted as above, thence south to the cor- ner thereof, thence west to the southeast corner of Fairfield township, thence by the same north to the place of beginning; to be called Pinegrove township.
They further recommended that Irwin and Scrubgrass each form one township; that French Creek, Sandy Creek, Fairfield, Pinegrove, Deer, and Toby's compose one township, to be called French Creek; that Sugar Creek and Oil Creek be united under the name of Sugar Creek; that Cherry and Plum form one township to be known as Cherry; that the seven townships between Oil creek and the eastern line of the county form one with the name of Allegheny, and that five others in the southern part of the county east of the Allegheny river be similarly united and called Union township. The report was accepted and confirmed, but many of the names were changed. Branch became East Branch; Musk, Windrock; Cherry, Cherry Tree; Fairfield, Cranberry; Rock, Rockland; Union, Richland, etc., etc.
It thus appears that although twenty-four townships were nominally created in Venango county, only seven were actually organized. Irwin, Scrubgrass, and Richland occupied the same relative positions as at present,
121
ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION.
but the latter extended to Clarion river on the southeast, including nearly all of Clarion county that was taken from Venango in 1839. French creek extended latitudinally across the county, bounded on the north by the creek of that name and Allegheny river, and varying in width from seven to fif- teen or eighteen miles. Sugar Creek included Canal in addition to its pres- ent area, and also that part of Cornplanter west of Oil creek with the south- ern part of Oakland and Jackson. The remaining territory west of Oil creek was embraced in Cherry Tree. Allegheny was situated east of Oil creek and north of the Allegheny river, and comprised nearly the whole of that part of Venango which was annexed to Forest county in 1866.
More than a decade elapsed before any change was made in the map of the county. Plum was separately organized in 1817 and Rockland in that or the following year. French Creek lost a large part of its generous area in August, 1824, by the erection of Pinegrove, to which Farmington (Clarion county) was provisionally attached. Cranberry acquired individual autono- my in 1830 with "Six Mile run " (East Sandy creek) as its southern bound- ary, instead of the line between the Astley and Bingham lands, as originally provided. A similar departure was made in the organization of Sandy Creek, November 29, 1834, when the Mercer road was substituted for Big Sandy creek as part of the line of division with French Creek. Tionesta was formed from the eastern part of Allegheny in 1827, and the territory of the latter was further reduced by the erection of Cornplanter, November 28, 1833. Part of Cornplanter was taken from Sugar Creek, from which Canal was also formed, November 28, 1833. Plum, Cornplanter, and Sugar Creek contributed to the territory of Oakland in 1841. Since the erection of Jack- son in 1845 the geography of this part of the county has remained un- changed. President was formed by act of the legislature April 3, 1850, and Oil Creek was erected from the western part of Allegheny in 1866. The contiguous portions of Irwin and Scrubgrass were united by the formation of Clinton in April, 1855. The erection of Mineral, October 24, 1870, and Victory, September 6, 1876, completes the record of township formation.
The boroughs of the county have been formed in the following order: Franklin, April 14, 1828; Pleasantvillle, March 22, 1850; Cooperstown, November 25, 1858; Emlenton, January 27, 1859; Oil City, April 29, 1862; Utica, November, 1863; Pithole City, November 30, 1865; Venango City, December 1, 1865; Siverly, August 27, 1874; Clintonville, January 28, 1878; Sunville, January 27, 1879; and Polk, August 23, 1886. Franklin was in- corporated as a city April 4, 1868, and Oil City, April 11, 1871. The char- ter of the borough of Pithole City was annulled in August, 1877.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
The first official business after the organization of the county was trans- acted by the commissioners at the house of Edward Hale, which stood on
122
HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.
the site of the Snook block. November 4, 1805, permanent offices for the. commissioners and prothonotary were secured at a quarterly rental of fif- teen dollars in a log building on the lot immediately above the United States. hotel on Liberty street. The first courts were also held here. This build- ing was owned by Samuel Hays and John McDonald. It was removed in 1863.
The commissioners were prompt in taking measures for the erection of county buildings, a duty specially enjoined upon them by the act providing for the organization of the county, in which the public square in the town of Franklin was designated as their location. At a meeting of the board December 4, 1806, the probable expense of building a court house was esti- mated and various plans taken into consideration. December 19th the con- tract for digging the cellar and constructing the walls was awarded to John Witherup, the first sheriff of the county and incumbent of the office at that time. A plan for the building was matured January 9, 1807, and a site was staked off July 9th following. But it was not until the 11th of Novem- ber that the board "Agreed upon the permanent seat of the court house; which it is agreed by the commissioners is to stand on the corner of the. diamond where Liberty street and High street cross, and on the west side of High street; to front toward Liberty street." The following minute- appears under date of August 10, 1808: "This day George Fowler, ap -. pointed on behalf of the commissioners, and John Philip Houser, ap- pointed on behalf of the contractors for building the court house to ascer- tain the quality of the brick burned for the same, made report that the same were unfit for the public buildings." This would seem to indicate that it was originally intended to erect a brick building. September 21, 1809, it was "Agreed by the commissioners that two flights of stairs which are to. pass over the judge's bench are to be omitted, and one flight of stairs is to- serve in place of the three mentioned in the original contract, to run up in such part of the house as will be found most convenient."
The records are not prolific in details regarding the progress of construc- tion. Christian and John Sutley were contractors for certain portions of the work, and John Broadfoot was employed as carpenter. Payments were- made in annual installments; the amount received in 1809 by Witherup and. the Sutleys was five hundred dollars. Material assistance was received from the legislature. The other county seats in this part of the state were lo- cated on lands owned by individuals, from whom subsidies amounting to several thousand dollars were usually received for the purpose of erecting public buildings. But the seat of justice for Venango had been located upon the property of the commonwealth, which had a tendency to enhance its value; and as it was but just and reasonable that the county should de- rive the same advantage as if it had been fixed on the lands of a private citi- zen, one thousand, five hundred dollars were appropriated March 28, 1806,
125
ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION.
"to be paid out of the moneys arising from the sales of the town and out- lots belonging to the commonwealth in and adjoining the town of Franklin."
This building was situated in West park aligned with Liberty street, but close to High. It was two stories in height. The first floor was entered from Liberty street and occupied as a court room; an inclosed space at the side opposite the entrance was reserved for the court, attorneys, and jurors. A stairway in the southwest corner led to a landing above, communicating with four rooms, two of which were occupied as offices by the prothonotary and commissioners, while the others served as jury rooms. This was a. square stone building, in appearance substantial rather than imposing, but. withal a credit to the county at the time when it was built. A cupola and bell were afterward added. The date of its completion is usually given as 1811; and while this may be correct, it was not until some years later that the contractors were formally released. October 1, 1816, Robert Mitchell, Alexander McCalmont, and John Wilson, comprising the board of county commissioners, "completed their investigation of the court house with the contractors for building the same, and agreed to enter satisfaction on the judgments entered against them and their sureties, and that their contract. had been complied with." Extensive repairs were made in 1831; the chimneys were rebuilt, the walls plastered, and a partition constructed to separate the stairway and entrance from the court room. A small plat of ground around the building was enclosed by a fence in 1834, adding some- what to the attractiveness of the place.
This venerable structure at length succumbed to the influence of time. The materials used in its construction were principally the loose stones of the surrounding hills, and hence not well adapted for walls of such a height. In 1845 the building had become unsafe for occupancy, and it was decided to brace the walls with props in order to prevent a complete collapse. This rendered the erection of a new court house a matter of immediate and im- perative necessity.
On the 29th of May, 1846, the commissioners-Nathaniel Cary, Pat- rick Culbertson, and David Adams-determined "to adopt immediate measures to effect the building of a new court house by the ensuing year 1847; and also that it would be expedient for the whole board to go to Mead- ville to examine court house of said place." June 5th and 6th Messrs. Cary and Adams went to Meadville and employed a Mr. Tucker of that place to furnish a draft and specifications, which, as prepared by him, were adopted on the 23rd of June. On the following day it was decided by the board "that the new court house shall be located on the public square or diamond, and that the site shall be southwest of the jail, so as to front against the east side of Liberty street, as it comes into the diamond from the west." The proposals of fourteen different individuals or firms were con- sidered July 27th, and the contract awarded to William Bell and I. B. 7
126
HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.
Rowe at their bid of seven thousand and fifty dollars. Two days later a formal contract was entered into, in which Messrs. Bell and Rowe agreed to complete the building by November 1, 1847. August 28, 1846, the commis- sioners were engaged in staking off the ground, and immediately thereafter the work of construction was begun. In consequence of a depression in the surface at the site selected it was found necessary to make the founda- tion deeper and to add two and one-half feet to the height of the wall above the ground. Other changes were made as the work progressed, without, however, materially increasing the cost. This was a brick building, ob- long in shape, fronting on Liberty street, situated in front and quite near the site of the present court house. The offices of the prothonotary and commissioners were on the lower floor, the former on the north, the latter on the south, with a short hall between through which the court room was entered. The second floor was divided into several apartments, used as jury rooms, and a cupola containing a bell surmounted the roof. Septem- ber 11th and 12th, 1847, the records were removed to the new building, which was thenceforth their repository more than a score of years.
The third and present court house is a brick building of ample and sym- metrical proportions, situated in South park and fronting the intersection of Liberty and Twelfth streets. The large volume of legal proceedings inci- dent to the great increase of population and wealth caused by the develop- ment of the oil industry demanded better facilities for the transaction of official business and greater security for the safe keeping of the county records. May 9, 1867, the junior member of the firm of Sloan & Hutton, architects, of Philadelphia, made an examination of the court house in order to determine whether it could be rendered fire proof. His decision was not favorable; and on the 18th of July the commissioners decided to build a new court house, in compliance with the recommendation of the grand jury. Sloan & Hutton were employed as architects; J. L. Hanna and Smith & Hill furnished the brick and William Hayes and James Black the stone for the walls. I. W. Brady was employed as superintendent of construction August 14, 1867, and the work of excavating the cellar was immediately be- gun. Operations were suspended late in the autumn and resumed in the following spring. The corner stone was laid with appropriate ceremonies July 15, 1868, by Venango Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. James S. Myers and John S. McCalmont were the orators of the occasion. The building was finally completed in the summer of 1869.
A wide hall on the first floor extends through the building in the direc- tion of its greatest length, communicating with the offices of the commis- sioner, treasurer, and sheriff on the west, and those of the register and re- corder and prothonotary on the east. Two stairways in front and one in the rear ascend to the second story, which is mainly occupied by the court room, a spacious apartment with seating capacity of one thousand. Three
127
ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION.
jury rooms, the judge's chambers, and the office of the county superintend- ent of public schools complete the internal arrangement. Although com- pleted twenty years ago, this building is superior to many of its class in the other counties of the state, and will doubtless enjoy a longer period of use- fulness than any of its predecessors.
The Jail is the inevitable accompaniment of the court house, and, in the case of Venango county, may be said to have preceded it. Commitments were occasionally necessary in the administration of the law by the local justices, and in such cases the "Old Garrison " was brought into requisition. When it passed under the jurisdiction of the county commissioners they employed John Broadfoot, Samuel Atkinson, and Jacob Whitman to make such repairs as would insure the security of the prisoners confined therein. Even then it was not particularly well adapted to its purpose, and as soon as the court house had been completed and paid for, public attention naturally reverted to the erection of a building more suitable for the comfort and safe keeping of its inmates.
March 19, 1818, the county commissioners-John Wilson, Abraham Seld- ers, and William Kinnear-" were engaged in fixing the site for a public prison." Contracts were made with Joel Sage for lumber and Thomas Hulings for stone. John Lupher agreed to furnish five tons of bar iron. June 1, 1818, proposals for erecting the building were received from George McClelland, John Lupher, Charles Ridgway, Abraham Clark, Thomas Hulings, Samuel Hays, McCalmont & McClelland, and Matthias Stockbarger. The contract was awarded Mr. Stockbarger at his bid of two thousand, nine hundred and ninety-five dollars, and the contract was executed June 4, 1819. The work of construction was pushed with energy. In November, 1819, Alexander McCalmont, William Connely, and Charles Holeman were appointed by the commissioners to measure the stone work, in order to facil- itate an accounting for materials furnished for this part of the building. The walls were practically completed in May, 1820, when Stockbarger pur- chased the lumber that remained unused. In March, 1822, Andrew Dewoody was employed "to collect the loose stones lying about the walls," and fill up the sand holes on the diamond therewith.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.