History of Venango County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, including, Part 55

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 55


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John Lamb, born in Centre county, Pennsylvania, in 1806, became a resident of Venango in 1827. He was a tanner by occupation and estab- lished the first tannery in the township. He was also engaged in lumber- ing in Forest county, and in merchandising. Through his efforts a post- office was obtained for the neighborhood; it bore his name and was kept at his house, which was quite a popular stopping place with travelers over the Warren and Franklin road.


Jacob Blanck, a native of New York city, purchased a thousand acres of land in this county in 1831 and removed his family thither in the following year. He died in 1877 at the age of ninety.


Among others who may be mentioned as pioneers were Thomas Mitchell, James McCasland, Robert Ensign, and William Haworth.


Early Industries .-- The first mill between Cherry run and Tidioute was built by Alpheus Jones prior to 1833 on Pithole creek. The machinery was improved by John Haworth, proprietor for a time, who sold the property to Samuel W. Stewart, its present owner. The second mill was built by Nelson Tyrrell on Pithole creek below the mouth of Dunham run.


William Haworth had a distillery on his farm at an early date and for many years. The tannery of John Lamb was the only industry of that nature.


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540


HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.


SCHOOLS.


The earliest school houses of the township were situated at Concord church and Asbury chapel. One of the first teachers at the former was a Scotchman who boarded himself at the school house, in defiance of the usual custom, and taught without books, notwithstanding which he is remem- bered as a successful instructor. One Brown taught at Asbury chapel at an early date. The Brodhead school house was built on land given by C. Brodhead. Nancy J. McBride, Elvira Hall, and Cornelia Mix were among the first teachers. The Neillsburg Academy was established and sustained largely by the efforts of the citizens of Allegheny township.


CHURCHES.


Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church .- At a secluded spot near the the county line an abandoned frame building, blackened by exposure to wind and weather, may be seen from the Titusville and Tionesta road. In Gregg's History of the Erie Conference it is stated that a meeting house was built at Pithole in 1821; and while it is problematical whether this old building is the one referred to, it is well authenticated that there was an organization in this neighborhood within a short time after its first settle- ment. Reverend Andrew Hemphill preached at "Dawson's" in 1804; Joshua Monroe, in 1810; R. C. Hatton, in 1815; John P. Kent, in 1816, and others whose names are given in connection with the Franklin church. With the death of its older members the organization gradually weakened and finally disbanded.


In the burial ground adjacent are the graves of many of the pioneers of this part of the county. Among those buried here are:


James Dawson, who died March 13, 1814, aged sixty-one years.


John McAdam, who died April 6, 1848, aged sixty-three years.


James Allender, who died November 12, 1851, aged seventy-five years, seven months, and twenty days.


Thomas Dawson, who died November 27, 1851, aged seventy- five years, nine months, and twelve days.


James Dawson, who died Jamuary 12, 1852, aged seventy-two years.


John Horrobin, who died July 24, 1857, aged sixty-eight years.


William Haworth, born in Acrington, England, died April 24, 1859, aged eighty-nine years.


Gilbert Clark, who died May 8, 1871, in the sixty-eighth year of his age.


Joseph Allender, who died June 25, 1878, aged seventy-six years, five months, and twelve days.


Concord Presbyterian Church first appears upon the minutes of Presby - tery in 1826 when it became a part of the charge of Reverend Thomas An- derson, who commenced his ministerial labors here May 7, 1826, and was duly installed September 19th of that year. He was released April 13, 1831.


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ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP.


Reverend G. W. Hampson was installed June 27, 1832, and released in 1837; Reverend James Coulter, installed September 14, 1842, was released in 1846; Reverend M. A. Parkinson, ordained September 11, 1850, was re- leased October 20, 1854; Reverend W. J. Alexander, installed December 19, 1855, was released January 7, 1857, and was the last regular pastor. The organization has disbanded. The Pleasantville and Neillsburg churches were formed from a membership that formerly worshiped here. The meet- ing house has also disappeared.


As the former location of a venerable church edifice and the resting place of several generations of many of the old families of the surrounding coun- try, the Concord burial ground is invested with a sacred interest. There are a number of graves marked only by common stone with nothing to in- dicate who their occupants are. The earliest inscriptions read as follows:


Sacred to the memory of David Copeland, who was born October 11, A. D. 1760, and departed this life December 8, 1825.


In memory of John Neill, who was born in the Isle of Man, 1740, and died Febru- ary 29, 1829, æ. eighty-nine years.


Others of the older citizens buried here are the following:


Samuel Bevier, who died March 30, 1835, aged seventy-eight years, eleven months, and twenty-seven days.


Hugh Morrison, who died November 20, 1839, in his seventy-ninth year. Samuel Jones, who died May 1, 1838, aged sixty-nine years.


William Neill, who died February 17, 1841, aged sixty-eight years.


Joseph McCasland, who died July 26, 1843, aged sixty-five years.


James McCasland, who died August 1, 1843, aged sixty-two years.


William Brodhead, who died May 6, 1846, in the sixty-ninth year of his age.


Cornelius Brodhead, who was born January 10, 1777, and died Febru- ary 1, 1847.


James Carson, who died June 10, 1854, aged fifty-five years.


Michael Farel, who died June 5, 1862, aged fifty-nine years, seven months, and twenty-one days.


John Lamb, who died November 18, 1863, aged fifty-seven years, five months, and five days.


A Catholic Church was built at some time in the fifties on the Warren road a short distance from Neillsburg to accommodate a few scattered fam- ilies of that faith. It was dedicated by the bishop of the diocese. Within a few years afterward, the membership having left this locality, the building was removed to Titusville.


Carsonville United Brethren Church .- This society was formed by Rev- erend William O. W. Pringle in the summer of 1883. A frame church building was erected on ground given for the purpose by S. W. Mason and dedicated July 22, 1883. This class forms part of Pleasantville charge.


542


HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.


CHAPTER XXVII.


SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP.


ORGANIZATION-BOUNDARIES-PIONEERS-VILLAGES-CHURCHES-SCHOOLS.


( NE of the three townships of Venango county erected by the Crawford county court, October 6, 1800, was Sugar Creek, which comprised the extensive territory north of French creek and the Allegheny river and west of Oil creek. In 1806 Plum and Cherry Tree were formed from the northern part of this area, and Oil Creek from its southeastern part. The latter was attached to Sugar Creek for municipal purposes and never sus- tained more than a nominal existence. November 26, 1832, the court of quar- ter sessions was petitioned by a number of the inhabitants of Allegheny and Sugar Creek to form several new townships from the territory included within their limits; Richard Irwin, John Anderson, and Aaron McKissick, to whom the matter was referred, reported favorably to the erection of a new township from the contiguous portions of Sugar Creek and Allegheny and another from the central part of Sugar Creek, the remaining parts of the respective townships to retain their original names. This report was con- firmed November 28, 1833; the township about the mouth of Oil creek received the name of Cornplanter but the western part of Sugar Creek was called Canal, instead of Sugar Creek as suggested by the viewers. The boundaries of the latter as established by these proceedings were as follows:


Beginning at the southeast corner of a tract of land settled by George Tarr, thence along the southern boundary of said tract westwardly to the southwest corner thereof and so on in the same direction to the eastern boundary of lot No. 1109 in the sixth donation district, thence by the same southwardly to the southeast corner thereof, thence by the southern boundary of the same and the southern boundaries of tracts No. 1108, 1107, 1106, 1105, 1104, 1103, 1102, and 1101 westwardly to the southwest cor- ner of the last mentioned lot, thence along the uorthern boundary of a small tract surveyed in the name of Henry Herring and the northern boundary of a tract surveyed in the name of James Alexander westwardly to the north boundary of the fifth dona- tion district, thence along said district linc westwardly to the north west corner of lot No. 102 in said district, thence along the western boundary of said lot southwardly to the north boundary of a small tract warranted in the name of Robert Beatty, thence by the same westwardly to the northwest corner thereof, thence by the western boundary of the same, the western boundary of a tract warranted in the name of said Beatty and Oliver Ormsby, the western boundary of a tract warranted in the name of William Thompson and said Ormsby, the western boundary of a tract warranted in the name


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SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP.


of William Power, Jr., the western boundary of a tract warranted in the name of Da- vid Mead, the western boundary of a tract surveyed in the name of John D. Hawthorn, and the western boundary of a tract surveyed in the name of James Rice's heirs south- wardly to French creek, thence down said creek to the mouth thereof, thence up the Allegheny river to the western boundary of Cornplanter township, thence along said boundary line northwardly to the place of beginning.


The township presents no natural features worthy of special notice. The largest stream that flows through its territory is Sugar creek, which flows into French creek not far from the line of Canal, receiving the waters of Lupher's run, Foster's run, and Decker's run in the lower part of its course. Two Mile run drains a large territory on the east, and between these two principal streams is Patchel run, a branch of French creek. Brannon run and Shaffer run empty into the Allegheny east of Two Mile run. The surface is broken and not well adapted to agricultural purposes. There are some fine farming lands in the valley of Sugar creek, however. The well known Franklin oil district, of which a full account is given in Chapter XXII, is principally located within the limits of this township.


The population in 1850 was eight hundred and seventy-five; in 1870, one thousand, six hundred and fifty-six; and in 1880, one thousand, nine hundred and twenty-three.


PIONEERS.


The taxables of Sugar Creek in 1808 were Robert Arthur, James Arthur, Joseph Allen, John Andrew, Arthur Boon, John Armstrong, Francis Bu- chanan, James Brown, Andrew Bowman, John Brown, James Bowls, David Blair, Robert Beatty, Nathaniel Cary, John Carter, Francis Carter, Thomas Carter, Hugh Clifford, William Cousins, Samuel Cousins, William Crane, Martin Clifford, Philip Cutshall, Thomas Cousins, William Crozier, Peter Dempsey, Yost Deets, Joshua Davis, Alexander Fowler, John Foster, Ross Foster, James Foster, Patrick Gordon, David Gilmore, Charles Gordon, James Gordon, James Henry, William Hayes, John Greer Hayes, John Hayes, Francis Halyday, Robert Huston, William Hood, William Harrison, James Johnston, Alexander Johnston, William Johnston, George Kain, John Kelly, Philip Kees, Hamilton McClintock, Francis Mcclintock, Rob- ert Mcclintock, Alexander McCormick, James Mason, John McCalmont, William McMaster, James McCune, George Murrin, John McDonald, David Martin, James McCurdy, Dennis Pursell, James Patchell, Ambrose Rynd, Jonah Reynolds, William Reed, Samuel Ray, Ebenezer Roberts, Jacob Rice, Matthias Stockbarger, Jean Story, George Sutley, Robert Shaw, Hugh Shaw, Jacob Sutley, Christian Sutley, James Shaw, William Shaw, Abra- ham Selders, Luther Thomas, William Thompson, Isaac Walls, John Whit- man, Jacob Whitman, John Wilson.


The township then extended from Oil creek to the Crawford county line and north so as to include a large part of Oakland and Jackson, so that the


544


HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.


larger number of those whose names appear in the foregoing list resided be- yond its present limits. The Third ward of Franklin was also one of the earliest settled parts of the township, but its settlement with the early mills and other industries established there, has been treated in the chapters on that city.


Jacob Whitman was among the earliest of the pioneers of Sugar creek valley. He had previously lived in the Susquehanna valley and came to this county with three sons: John, Jonathan, and William. It is probable they had been boatmen on the Susquehanna river, as this occupation and the con- struction of rafts and boats seems to have engaged their attention here. John, the oldest of the sons, settled in this township upon a tract of one hundred acres, now known as the Mclaughlin farm. He married Jane Da- vis and reared seven children, of whom Jacob was the progenitor of the pres- ent generation of the family. He was a boatman, and when the naval stores for the equipment of Perry's fleet were transported up French creek assisted in that work.


Ebenezer Roberts settled the poor house farm in 1796, and was probably the earliest resident in that part of the Sugar creek valley. In that vicinity his early neighbors were Samuel Hays, near the Canal township line; Darius and William Mead, sons of the founder of Meadville and brothers-in-law to William Moore, first prothonotary of the county; John Hathorn from Ken- tucky, whose farm is now owned by Robert L. Cochran, and the Cousins family, the father of which had been in the military service at Fort Venango and remained in the county when that garrison was disbanded.


Angus McKinzie was one of the pioneers of the northwestern part of the township. He was born at Inverness, Scotland, in 1736, and after his mar- riage immigrated to America, landing at Baltimore. He then proceeded to Pittsburgh, and after a residence of about eight years in this country found his way to Venango county. The land upon which he settled was purchased from Oliver Ormsby, of Pittsburgh; it was situated in the valley of Sugar creek adjoining the line of Jackson township, and formed part of an exten- sive body of level land known as "the prairie." He reared four children: Alexander, who was two years old when his parents landed at Baltimore; John, justice of the peace and an energetic business man; William, who en- gaged in the lumber business on the Allegheny river, and Mrs. Elizabeth Frazier, one of the oldest residents of this part of the county. Angus Mc- . Kinzie died August 22, 1846, at the remarkable age of one hundred and ten years. Christina, his wife, lived to the age of ninety-three years, dying February 27, 1851. Both are buried at the Sugar Creek Presbyterian church.


William Thompson first settled a tract of land purchased in 1837 by Henry Homan and Henry Snyder. Thompson was born June 7, 1777, and died in April, 1823. Homan was a native of Maryland and of German de-


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SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP.


scent. He lived in the township until his death, in 1872, and was the father of Thomas R. Homan, who was elected county commissioner in 1878.


The Valley furnace farm was originally owned and first settled by Thomas Wilson, and the land on the opposite side of the creek was the property of the Rodgers family at an early date. A numerous family of the name of Crain lived on the high ground east of Valley furnace. The locality on the old Cooperstown road, known as Bowman's hill, derives its name from a numerous family, one of whom was Andrew Bowman, sheriff of the county and a prominent citizen of Franklin.


The year 1803 witnessed the coming of the McCalmonts, a family destined to play a prominent part in the future history of the county. The father was John McCalmont, who was born in County Armagh, Ireland, January 11, 1750; he immigrated to America in 1766, and served through the Revolutionary war, locating in Philadelphia county at its close. He subsequently removed to Mifflin county and thence to Centre county in 1787. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Henry and Jane Conard, of Philadelphia county, their first residence after marriage. Their children were: Thomas; Henry, who did not come to this county until 1819, removed to Cornplanter in 1821, and founded the village of Plumer; Rob- ert, born August 27, 1783, who came with his brother Thomas to this county in 1802, settled a tract on the Dempseytown road five miles from Franklin, and with the assistance of Jacob Whitman and John Lupher, built the cabin into which their parents and family moved in 1803; James, who volunteered for service in the war of 1812, was wounded at Lundy's Lane, and died at Black Rock, near Buffalo; Alexander, teacher, merchant, lawyer, and judge, and proprietor of one of the first iron works in the county; John, county treasurer and manufacturer; Joseph; Elizabeth, wife of Will- iam Shaw; Jane, who married James Ricketts, and Sarah, Mrs. George Crain. John McCalmont, Sr., died August 3, 1832, in his eighty-third year, and is buried at the old Seceder church in Cornplanter township. The death of his wife occurred August 10, 1829, aged seventy-seven years.


William Shaw was the earliest settler on the Dempseytown road. He was from Centre county, and, as evidenced by the assessment list of 1808, had acquired property prior to that date. The land that he settled is now known as the Deets farm. One of his sons was a pioneer of Cornplanter township.


The old hotels on the Meadville turnpike were important institutions in their day. One was situated half a mile east of Sugar creek; it was owned by James M. Russell and conducted by him a number of years, although previously owned by -Dinsmore, James Mcclelland, and others. The other, two miles and a half from Franklin, was owned by Andrew Webber and conducted by various persons.


Early Industries. - John McKinzie built a mill on Sugar creek two miles


546


HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.


below Cooperstown in 1846. It has been enlarged at various times and is still in operation. The present proprietor is Francis McDaniel.


Valley furnace was a flourishing establishment from 1846 to 1852. Messrs. Lee, Porter & Rhoads, and Raymond, Gray & Company were suc- cessively interested in its operation. The hauling of charcoal, ore, and pig metal was an important branch of this industry.


VILLAGES.


Reno, a station on the New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, and Lake Shore and Michigan Southern railroads, is situated upon a savannah on the north bank of the Allegheny river nearly equidistant from Franklin and Oil City. It was also the terminus of the Reno, Oil creek, and Pithole railroad during the brief period that line was operated. This locality was first settled by Hugh Clifford, an Irish Catholic, and a soldier in the war of 1812, whose right, acquired by settlement and improvement, was transferred in 1817 to Joel Sage, by whom a patent was obtained in 1836. The land was suc- cessively occupied by Robert Alcorn, Andrew Howe, and Joseph Shaffer; it was purchased by the latter in 1836 and remained in his posesssion until the oil excitement. The site of the village (with the exception of a few lots), and a considerable tract of land adjacent is owned by the Reno Oil Company, of which J. H. Osmer is president; C. V. Culver, vice-president; John R. Penn, secretary and treasurer, and James R. Adams, superintend- ent. The original predecessor of the present company was the Reno Oil and Land Company, organized at New York in December, 1865, and reorgan- ized under different names at various times. The territory has proven per- manently productive. It is not, however, the policy of the company to sell land, and consequently the village has remained practically stationary. There are several stores, two refineries, and a population approximating two hundred.


The Empire Oil Works were originally established in 1879 by G. L. Confer at the present location. Mr. Confer came to Reno in 1870 and had been interested in refining to a small extent from that date. The plant was entirely destroyed by fire July 24, 1889, and is being rebuilt with the same capacity as before, five thousand barrels of crude per month.


No information regarding the other refinery was obtainable.


Reno Union, No. 156, Equitable Aid Union, was instituted May 27, 1889, with George E. Stock, president; G. W. Conner, vice-president; Emma Eaton, secretary, and James Fitzgerald, treasurer.


Galloway (Fee postoffice), derives its name from the owner of the farm upon which it was built. During the first development of the heavy oil district there was quite a village here, but it has almost entirely disappeared. Two churches continue to bear the local name, which still retains popular significance.


547


SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP.


Sugar Creek is a post-village and railroad station in the western part of the township. The county poor house is situated in the immediate vicinity.


CHURCHES.


Forest Chapel Wesleyan Methodist Church originated in a revival effort conducted by Reverend Howard at a school house on the Crain farm about the year 1850. This resulted in the formation of a class, of which Jacob and William Fleming with others of that family, William Lutton, William McElhaney, Charles Coxson, and others were at various times leaders or prominent members. A frame church building was erected some years after the organization of the society and is the present place of worship.


Methodist Episcopal .- The Reno and Sugar Creek circuit includes three societies in this township. The class at Reno was organized in the autumn of 1867 by Reverend R. F. Keeler, then stationed at South Oil City, and was composed of S. A. Darnell, leader; A. J. Darnell, Emily Daniels, Martha C. Simons, Isabella Hoffman, Albert Simpson, and Marilla C. Simp- son. The Sunday school was formed in 1865 with J. M. Dewoody as its first superintendent. A room in the Reno Company's building is the place of worship. Large accessions have oocurred as the result of revivals in 1872, 1878, and 1880.


The society at Galloway was organized by Reverend J. M. Dewoody in 1875 and numbered sixty-eight members, of whom the first officers and leading laymen were Thomas Fee, Silas Smith, William Reading, James R. Neely, N. C. Smith, and Amos Dunbar. Services were held in the school house until 1881, when the present church building was erected. The ma- terials had previously formed the Methodist church at Petroleum Center.


A class was formed at Smith's Corners, four and a half miles from Frank- lin on the Cooperstown road, in the winter of 1876 by Reverend J. M. De- woody. The first official laymen were William McElhany, Charles S. Cox- son, Clark Worden, and Martin Smith. A frame church building was erected in 1889.


The circuit has had the following appointments since its formation in 1870: J. H. Vance, 1870-71; R. S. Borland, 1872-73; E. K. Creed, 1874; W. O. Allen, 1875; S. E. Winger, 1876; J. M. Thoburn, 1878-79; J. H. Miller, 1880; W. P. Graham, 1881-82; J. W. Fletcher, 1883; supplied in 1884; Z. W. Shadduck, 1885-86: S. A. Dean, 1887; John Eckels, 1888.


Galloway Evangelical Church was dedicated December 18, 1887. Reg- ular services were first conducted here by Reverend Theodore Bach in July, 1885. The society is connected with Franklin mission.


EARLY SCHOOLS.


Probably the earliest school house in the township was a log building erected by the united exertions of the neighborhood upon the farm of


548


HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.


Thomas Brown in the valley of Sugar creek. William Mead, Samuel Hood, and Margaret Robinson were the first teachers. Josiah Longwell, who died recently at Franklin at an advanced age, taught several terms in a vacant house near French creek above the mouth of Patchel's run, this being the first educational effort in that locality. William Mead also taught a num- ber of terms in a nondescript log building on the Satterfield farm, so called from the family of that name in Meadville by whom it was owned. The first school house in the vicinity of Galloway was situated a short distance east of the Dempseytown road and about a mile from Franklin.


CHAPTER XXVIII.


SCRUBGRASS TOWNSHIP.


ORGANIZATION-EARLY LAND ENTRIES-PIONEER SETTLEMENTS-INDUSTRIES AND RESOURCES-VILLAGES-SCHOOLS-CHURCHES.


T THE commission appointed at March sessions, 1806, to divide the county into townships, reported in favor of the erection of Scrubgrass with the following boundaries: "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," which included about half of Clin- ton in addition to its present area. The erection of the former, in 1855, re- duced Scrubgrass to its present limits. The population in 1870 was nine hundred and ninety-seven; in 1880, one thousand five hundred and three.




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