History of Venango County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, including, Part 37

Author: Bell, Herbert C. (Herbert Charles), 1868-
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago : Brown, Runk & Co.
Number of Pages: 1323

USA > Pennsylvania > Venango County > History of Venango County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, including > Part 37

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).

Lewis T. Reno, father of General Reno, kept a hotel afterward, on the corner of Otter and Thirteenth streets. Jeremiah Clancy accommodated the public on the corner of Elk and Thirteenth. Edward Pearce had a hotel on the west side of the lower French creek bridge. Luke Turner was a prominent hotel man at a later date, as was also Lucius Pike. There was a famous hotel too, on Liberty street, on the site of Martin & Epley's drug store. Thomas Hulings, John Evans, and Arthur Robison kept there. But few of these landmarks now remain. They have yielded to the press- ure of time.

THE PRESS.

The history of the newspaper press, given in a previous chapter, forms an interesting study. For years it had a constant struggle, but at last it is well patronized. The first newspaper was called the Venango Herald, established in 1820. After this were the Venango Democrat, in 1824; the Democratic Republican; the Franklin Intelligencer, in 1834; the Democratic Arch, in 1842, and the Franklin Gazette, in 1844.

There are some copies of these papers yet extant, and they relate a per- sonal history, as well as throw light upon the history of the county. They tell of poverty and self denial. The early papers were small. The ma- terial of the office did not not admit of good work, and the poverty of the people did not admit of good patronage. It was not easy to make a good paper in those days. Mails came once a week, and then the news was slow in finding its way. A fragment of a paper of the date of April 22, 1820, has, as one of its news items, an account of the duel between Commodore Decatur and Commodore Barron, near Washington, that occurred just one

362

HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY. .

month before. The papers of the county now are equal to the best in the country.

"THE NURSERY OF GREAT MEN."

The public has not been slow to recognize merit in our public men. And the record of these public men has been uniformly good. It will com- pare favorably with the record of any set of men in any period of the coun- try's history. And there has been the opportunity of judging. Old Ve- nango has always had her share of the public offices, and her county seat is well entitled to be called "The Nursery of Great Men."

As an evidence of this, John Galbraith was congressman; Arnold Plumer was congressman, marshal of the western district, state treasurer, and canal commissioner; Samuel Hays was congressman and marshall of the western district; Doctor George R. Espy was auditor general; James Ross Snowden was state treasurer, director of the mint at Philadelphia, and prothonotary of the supreme court; James Thompson, John C. Knox, and John Trunkey were judges of the supreme court of Pennsylvania, and Generals Jesse L. Reno, Alexander Hays, and Alfred B. McCalmont won distinction in de- fense of their country's flag.

EARLY PHYSICIANS AND LAWYERS.

The early fathers did not seem to feel the necessity of physicians for trifling diseases as we do in modern times. There were plenty of herbs and plants in the fields and on the hillsides. These were gathered in their sea- son and hung up in the chimney corner to dry. Hemlock boughs could be obtained at any time. Many a careful mother could treat measles and whooping cough equal to a professor, and when there were no medical men at hand, self-reliance, experience, and common sense were all called into requisition and generally succeeded very well. Still, professional physicians were desirable, and judging from the testimony of the old people, this town has been favored with very skillful medical men.

The first to hang out his sign was T. G. Symonds, who located here about the close of the last century, and probably remained but a short time. The next was Thomas Smith, said to have been a skillful physician, but an eccentric man. Doctor George R. Espy appears upon the scene in 1820. He disposed of his practice in 1831 to J. Bascom. Another popular physi- cian of this period was John D. Wood, while Doctors Peter Faulkner, J. Dowling, and Gilfillan were equally well known. Doctors N. D: Snowden and B. Gillett did nearly their entire professional life-work here, and were alike beloved and trusted. The former had a large country practice; the labor and exposure incident thereto wore him out prematurely. Doctor Gil- lett had a taste for surgery, and his operations were characterized by a deft- ness and precision rarely equaled.

Lawyers also came early. This region was newly settled, and they

363

CITY OF FRANKLIN.

probably thought to grow up with the country. The pioneer in this profes- sion was David Irvine, then a young man of considerable talent, who came in 1806. The next was David La Fever, and the third was John Galbraith, who removed here from Butler in 1819, thence to Erie in 1837. Alexander McCalmont was admitted to practice about 1820, and John J. Pearson came to Franklin from Mercer in 1823, but after a few years went back to that town. Then follow in succession James Thompson, subsequently chief justice of the state; John W. Howe, and James Ross Snowden, both of whom held high official positions; Samuel Porter Johnson, Thomas S. Espy, William Stewart, Jonathan Ayres, and James S. Myers. These were the most prom- inent members of the early bar. The legal profession had something of an itinerant character in those days. The attorneys followed the judge on his periodic visits to the different county seats, thus acquiring a wide acquaint- ance in the counties comprising the district. All of the foregoing attorneys are spoken of in the chapter on the bench and bar of the county.

SOME OLD MINISTERS.

Very early in the history of the town came the ministers of the gospel. The first sermon was in 1801, by a Presbyterian minister, no doubt one of the missionaries sent by the Synod of Pittsburgh or Presbytery of Ohio. The services were held in David Irvine's house. After this a log house was built for public purposes, and used as a school house, and for preaching by any missionary who might come to our place. This was not very often for the first few years, but gradually. as the town improved, these ministrations became more frequent. Ordinarily the missionaries took long trips, commencing at Pittsburgh and stopping at each settlement as they passed, reaching Franklin, and so on up the river to the Pithole set- tlement, as it was called, to Warren, and then across to Erie, and back, by the way of Meadville, home. They rode on horseback, and depended on the hospitality of the people, who were always glad to receive them and entertain them.

One of these missionaries relates that on one of his tours he carried with him a small paper of tea, as the families usually made tea of hem- lock boughs. Feeling greatly fatigued with the ride, he asked the woman in whose house he had stopped to make him some tea, giving her his pack- age of tea. Greatly to his surprise, when invited to sit down at the table, he found that the entire package had been boiled at once on the supposi- tion that it was designed for greens.

After some years had passed a prayer meeting was commenced, led by Mr. Bowman and Mr. Dodd, assisted by others. It met first in one of the jury rooms in the old court house, and was kept up until a church was regularly organized, and the ministrations of the gospel procured. Who shall tell the influence of these early religious meetings in forming and crystallizing public opinion in the town ?

364

HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.

Franklin has not been a " Saint's Rest." Yet several of the old ministers of the country have had their dwellings here. One of the first was Reverend Hezekiah May. He was of old Puritan stock, and was born at Haddam, Connecticut, on Christmas day, 1773. His early opportunities were good, and he so improved them that he was able to take his degree at Yale Col- lege about the time he was of age. It is probable that according to custom in those days he studied theology privately and was licensed and ordained in the Congregational church. The Penobscot Indians were then numerous in New England, and Mr. May embarked in missionary work among them under the care of " The New England Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Maine." Here he remained, in the neighborhood of Bangor, several years, visiting the Indians, studying their habits, and endeavoring to minister to their spiritual comfort.

In 1816 he removed to Binghamton, New York, then to Oswego, and then to Painted Post, preaching as opportunity offered, and making himself generally useful. He came to Franklin in 1830, preaching and caring for the interests of the Bible society. Next we find him in the neighborhood of Tionesta, and after awhile settled in the village of Tionesta. Here he spent the remainder of his days. He died July 4, 1843. In his mature days he was a fine, portly looking man, with great native dignity. He had a vein of wit that afforded great amusement to his friends at times. On one oc- casion, a neighbor was lamenting that he had no family coat of arms. "I can suggest one," said Parson May. "I will be greatly obliged to you if you will." Said Mr. May: "Two stiff-standers, one cross-beamer, one down- hanger with a noose at the end." The neighbor might have replied in dis- gust that he would be hanged if he would accept such a coat of arms. Mr. May was married early in life to Margaret White of Boston.

Reverend Robert Ayres was one of the early ministers. He came from Fayette county, Pennsylvania. He made his advent on horseback with his family, and was long a prominent figure in society here. He was an Epis- copal minister, but gave his attention chiefly to teaching, being one of the teachers in the old academy. He was a very precise man, and always main- tained himself with great dignity. His home was down on the corner of Liberty and Eleventh streets. One of his daughters was married to Thomas S. McDowell, one to John Galbraith, and a third to Mr. Brashear. Mr. Ayres was born in 1761, and died in Franklin, October 5, 1845.

Reverend Nathaniel Randolph Snowden was another of the ancient min- isters. He came from east of the mountains, and was a man of good educa- tion and culture. In 1793 he was pastor of the Presbyterian churches of Paxton and Derry, near Harrisburg. In 1805 he was pastor of the Second Presbyterian church in Pittsburgh; in 1824 he was at Millersburg, Pennsyl- vania. Whilst here, he, too, taught in the old academy. He was the father of Doctor N. D. Snowden, J. Ross Snowden, and Mrs. Judge Thomp- son, all of whom resided here.

365

CITY OF FRANKLIN.

Another of the teachers was Reverend Thomas F. Magill, a Presby- terian. He was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, November 16, 1811, and was here about 1833. He afterward preached at Wellsville, Ohio; also at Urbana, where he died September 20, 1852, of typhoid fever. He was a good and useful man, and stood in his lot until his work was done.

THE FIRST SUNDAY SCHOOL.

Sunday schools are a very important feature of religious work in Frank- lin at the present time. It will be interesting to look to the beginning of the work, and see some of the people who were engaged in it. A very few of them linger among us still. And the influence of this first school was most blessed on the town and community. It was the nucleus of other schools and churches, as the years rolled by.

The first Sunday school was founded in 1824 through the direct influ- ence of Reverend Timothy Alden, president of Allegheny College of Mead- ville, Pennsylvania. He was a Presbyterian minister, but the school was undenominational, the whole town joining in the work. The real founders were John Lupher and John Martin, who were Methodists, and Andrew Bowman and Levi Dodd, Presbyterians. These men acted as superintend- ents during the first year, and some of them for many years. The school was opened in the academy, and its novelty drew many of the people to en- gage in its duties, or to look on and see how the others were employed. From S. C. T. Dodd's history of the school, we learn that the first teachers. were John Lupher, John Martin, Andrew Bowman, Levi Dodd, William Parker, William Raymond, Nathaniel G. Crary, Robert McCalmont, Mrs. D. Irvine, Miss Nancy Kinnear (afterward Mrs. William Raymond), Miss Sarah Parker (afterward Mrs. Sage), Miss Mary Anderson, Miss Margaret McClelland (afterward Mrs. Arnold Plumer), Miss Jane McClelland (after- ward Mrs. N. D. Snowden). Mrs. N. R. Bushnell, Mrs. Jacob Mayes, Mrs. S. F. Dale, and G. C. McClelland were at first scholars and afterward teach- ers. Of these teachers, all have gone except William Raymond, Mrs. Bushnell, Mrs. Mayes, and Mrs. Dale.

During the second year of the existence of the school, it met in one of the jury rooms in the first court house. The school was small, not averag- ing more than twenty scholars, and for many years lived only through the persistent labors of Mr. Bowman and Mr. Dodd. In the year 1829, it met in Mr. Bowman's shoe shop on the corner of Elk and West Park streets. Gradually as the town increased, and regular churches were organized, the school crystallized in a Presbyterian Sunday school, and a Methodist school was organized in 1832. Both schools prospered and did a good work, and as other churches were organized, other schools were established and equipped for work. A small library from the American Sunday School

366

HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.

Union was procured at the first start of the school. This has been supple- mented again and again, as the need required, to the present time.

The mode of instruction at the first was to take a portion of the Script- ure and read it in turn by the scholars. Then questions were asked and difficulties explained, according to the taste and ability of the teacher. After- ward the Union Question Book, published by the American Sunday School Union, was procured for many years. At one time, commencing in 1850, the school commenced with the first chapter of Genesis and went regularly through as far as Hebrews, when the present international lessons were adopted. This work required twenty-one years to accomplish. This little school, so humble in its origin, no doubt accomplished great good through all the years of the past. Many persons have testified that they there got the direction that made their lives a success, and that was leading them to a better life beyond.

INCIDENTS AND LANDMARKS.

The old people who have passed away related a tragic incident connected with Indian life and Indian law. It was a case of trial followed by imme- diate execution, and was witnessed by Mrs. Bowman in her early childhood. The victim was an ancient squaw, and the charge was witchcraft. Just how the charge was substantiated, and how the witchcraft was practiced has not come down to us, but we know the place and the circumstances con- nected with it.

The scene was on the bank of the little stream that then crossed West Park street,near the front of the Presbyterian church. It was a point half- way from West Park to Thirteenth street. A council had been called. They sat in sol- emn silence for a time, with the victim in the midst. After pow-wowing for a while the charge seemed to be sustained, the poor squaw in the meantime sitting silent and unmoved. Another moment of silence, when a warrior arose, approached the woman with his knife, raised her left arm, and plunged the blade into her heart. As it occurred among the Indians, and was in accordance with the unwritten law of the savage, the white people took no notice of it. But the child that was an unwilling witness to the deed was almost distracted, and fled to one of the neighboring houses.

Another early tragedy was the murder of George Power's brother on his way to Pittsburgh, by the way of what is now Harrisville. The murder was the act of an Indian, and occurred about twelve or thirteen miles from Franklin. It had been premeditated, and the object was robbery. It was cowardly, too, as the savage had cut a tree so it would fall across the road, lodging upon another on the opposite side. In this ambush the Indian lay until his victim came by, when he fired upon him and compassed his death. The Indian was afterward seen with Mr. Power's gun, but no punishment followed.

367

CITY OF FRANKLIN.

The old diamond well was an ancient landmark. It is no longer visible, but the older citizens well remember it. It was located just by the side of the walk leading from Snook's block to the court house, perhaps a hundred feet from the corner of Snook's block. The well seems to have been the joint contribution of several public-spirited individuals for the welfare and comfort of the neighborhood. There is an ancient document that tells just how deep it was, and who were responsible for the work and the payment for the same, It runs on this wise:

We, the subscribers appointed to measure and ascertain the depth of a well dug by John Witherup for Edward Hale, Samuel Plumer, and Samuel Hays, do allow that the wall of said well is good, and the depth of said well, according to our judgment and measurement, is forty-four feet, eleven and a half inches.

Witness our hands this 2nd day of October, 1808,

WELDEN ADAMS, JOHN WHITMAN, RICHARD GRIFFITH.

From this old well two generations drew water, A few years ago a large stone was placed over its mouth, and this covered up so that the very location will be unknown to the younger generation. But there is many a man here now who, when hot and thirsty, longs for a drink from that old diamond well as he remembers

" The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket,

The moss-covered bucket that hung iu the well."

The old chestnut tree on the diamond was another landmark. It stood nearly in front of Judge Richard Irwin's house, and was perhaps the only member of the primeval forest that was left standing. The first Methodist sermon was preached under its spreading branches. The small boy resorted to it in summer to gather chestnuts from its spreading boughs. The cattle and sheep were thankful for its cool shade, and gathered around it at noon, and with the tinkling of their bells kept the neighbors from dozing. But the old chestnut tree has passed away. Violent hands were laid upon it, and in its old age it was the victim of those who had climbed into its boughs and gathered its fruit.

We have a dim view of the parks, as they are now called, in 1801. The engineer, Andrew Ellicott, "builded better than he knew" when he left that ground vacant. He probably thought that the small boys might play ball there in the summer, or hunt chipmunks, or rob birds' nests, perhaps not dreaming that they would become the joy and the crown of Franklin in days yet to come. At the date referred to South park or the public square, as they called it, was full of stumps; briers and brambles grew where the large trees had been subdued, with here and there a bush or sapling. Both men and women assembled at times on moonlight nights to grub stumps and gather brush and make log heaps in order, if possible, to clear off the ground and get it ready for useful purposes. These purposes for many

368

HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.

years consisted of sheep and pig and cow and horse pastures, for which the ground was thought admirable. They were just as anxious three quar- ters of a century ago to cut down and root out and destroy every tree and sapling and bush that nature had planted on the public domain, as they are now to plant and shelter and protect them. They wished to get away from nature then; we are anxious to return to nature.

It was even whispered here, before the good pioneers had passed away, that there were ranks in the aristocracy of that day. The down-towners were envious of the up-towners, and lost no opportunity of showing that they could grub stumps as well as they, and that they also could uproot saplings and get out into the sunshine. And between the two factions, the streets were soon opened and the forest trees destroyed.

The upper or West park had been cleared and brought under cultivation and was really leased annually for that purpose. But the northern side was cut by a deep ravine, through which a brisk run took its way down to French creek, near the brush factory. This was the stream that now reaches the Allegheny near the site of the French fort. Leaving its present bed on Buffalo street below Fourteenth it crossed over to Liberty street a little above the Exchange hotel, then diagonally across to Elk street above J. G. Lamberton's store and the Clancy corner into the lots between Elk and Otter, and down to the front end of the present Presbyterian church into Elk street running parallel to the houses on Elk street to Twelfth, when it sought the creek and was merged in its waters. What is now a beautiful street was then a deep, dark ravine, full of bushes and water plants, and even frequented by wild animals. The women of the neighborhood sought to utilize it by building their fires and doing their washing at its waters. At that day it was no doubt a large stream and in places the water was clear and pleasant. The Indians frequently made their temporary camps by its side.

THE OLD WAY OF TRAVELING.

Washington came on foot. The first traders came in small boats. After the town began to crystallize, traveling on horseback became common. Then flat boats were pushed up the river and creek. But it was very laborious business. As roads were cut through the woods travel gradually became easier, but the roads never did become good. The stones never wore out. The hills never decreased in altitude. The miles were always long and wearisome. The mail was carried on horseback about once a week, and the time did not seem long because the people did not expect much when it did come.

But at last a stage was started. It came from Meadville, and went on to Butler and Pittsburgh and after a while to the east, by way of where Clarion now is. It was a grand thing when the first stage came to Frank-

369

CITY OF FRANKLIN.

lin, although it had but two horses, and came but thrice in a week. But it brought the mail, and a passenger now and then came, and the people here could get out into the great world without going on horseback. Some time after this we had a four-horse coach; it did not continue long, but was reduced to two again.

Many now here remember the "Huckleberry stage" that ran to Pitts- burgh and back. The route was by way of Harrisville, Stone House, and Prospect. There were two horses, with a wretched conveyance called a hack. It had very stiff springs that pitched the passenger wildly about as it went over the rocks and down the steep hills. In cold weather the ragged cur- tains flapped in and out, and greatly added to the discomfort of traveling. Ladies were not expected to walk and work their passage, but gentlemen were expected to walk up the hills, and if need be, carry rails to pry the wheels out of the "sock holes," as the drivers called them. This trip to Pittsburgh and back always involved a ride all night, both going and com- ing. But the Huckleberry stage was better than nothing.

Then we had a steamboat on the river at last. The first boat was the Duncan. It came up in 1828. Its advent caused great rejoicing. After- ward there was a succession of "Belles" that came regularly during high water. Sometimes they went up as far as Warren. In a single instance a steamer, the Allegheny, went up to Olean in 1830. These boats afforded a fine opportunity of going down to Pittsburgh and returning, at certain sea- sons. But there were certain difficulties in the way, as the river began to fall. The getting down was all beautiful, but the coming back was not always so romantic. Good Captain Hanna would say: "The Belle will do her best, but she cannot run on a dry channel. I think we can at least get above 'Charley's Oven,' possibly all the way." But generally the boat would come to a dead stop at Emlenton, some twenty-two miles below. Then some farmer was persuaded to take his farm wagon, without springs, and bring the Franklin passengers over the hills, amid the rocks, jolting and rattling as he went over the Cranberry road, glad to see the old town from some bend in the hill road. But we knew no better way then, and were content with the best that could be done.

ANCIENT ROADS.

There were Indian paths that led in several directions. The old Venango trail or path led down until it struck the Ohio at Logstown, not very far from Beaver. Another path led northward or northeast reaching the lakes. Then when the French had possession here, there was a road leading up to Waterford through Sugar Creek township, called the French road. Traces of it remain to the present day. When the white people began to settle here roads became a necessity. Meadville was the nearest neighbor. Then the next was Warren, then Pittsburgh. At first they were merely paths, and

370

HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.

as the emergencies of trade and travel required, they were enlarged and improved.

In 1812 the first attempt was made in the way of increasing the facilities of travel. This was the Waterford and Susquehanna turnpike. An act of legislature had directed the survey of the route. General Mead was the engineer. It was considered rather a delusion and a snare, and was called by some "General Mead's war trail, " and seemed as though it would die of neglect. But it did not wholly die. It was re-surveyed in 1818 and was completed from Erie to Bellefonte in 1820 and thence to Philadelphia in 1824. This road was guarded by toll gates, and for a time seemed to instill new life into the towns along its line.

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.

History of Venango County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, including, Part 37

Author: Bell, Herbert C. (Herbert Charles), 1868- Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago : Brown, Runk & Co. Number of Pages: 1323

Author: Bell, Herbert C. (Herbert Charles), 1868-
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago : Brown, Runk & Co.
Number of Pages: 1323