History of Venango County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, including, Part 57

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 57

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This organization formed part of Clintonville circuit from 1846 to 1881, and since that date has been attached to Farmington circuit, with the fol- lowing pastors: 1846, G. F. Reeser, D. King; 1847, G. F. Reeser, W. N. McCormick; 1848, E. Hull, H. M. Chamberlain; 1849, S. Baird, E. Hull; 1850, J. Wrigglesworth, G. Stocking; 1851, D. M. Stever, J. S. Lytle; 1852, J. G. Thompson; 1854, J. Howe; 1856, H. Luce; 1857, J. McComb, S. 'S. Nye; 1858, J. McComb; 1859, C. W. Bear; 1860, W. R. Johnson, C. W. Bear; 1861, R. B. Boyd, S. K. Paden; 1862, R. B. Boyd; 1864, G. Moore, S. Hubbard; 1865-66, A. H. Domer; 1867, C. Wilson; 1868, D. W. Wampler; 1869-70, J. M. Groves; 1871-72, E. Bennett; 1873- 74, C. Peters; 1875-77, J. L. Strattan; 1878-84, J. Lusher; 1884-87, Louis Wick; 1887, L. Merritt, W. H. Hoover; 1888, Sylvester Fiddler.

Scrubgrass Cumberland Presbyterian Church is successor to one of the earliest organizations of that denomination in this part of Pennsylvania. As early as 1835 Reverends Sylvester Murphy and Simeon Law from Wash- ington county passed through this locality, preaching on their periodical visits to a society that numbered among its members Abraham Witherup and wife; George Berringer and wife, Andrew Shiner and wife, David Phipps and wife, William Shorts and wife, David Witherup and wife, William Henderson and wife, Richard Major and wife, Ernest Hovis and wife, and Sarah Witherup. The first services were held at the school house at Phipps' furnace, and the early camp meetings were conducted on Sandy creek. In the township of that name, now Victory, a small frame church building was erected on the Pittsburgh road where the Evangelical church now stands. The membership having become very weak in that locality the place of wor- ship was changed to the McQuiston school house in this township, and the school house at Kennerdell. In 1866 a frame church was built at the latter place; this building is still standing, but is owned by the Kennerdell estate. In 1887, Francis and Mary Witherup having given two acres of ground for that purpose, the present frame church edifice was erected at a cost of nine-

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HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.

teen hundred dollars. The dedication occurred January 15, 1888. The last reorganization occurred about the year 1860 with Joseph Phipps, Joseph McQuiston, and George Berringer as elders. George Berringer, T. J. Eakin, David Buchanan, and S. D. Porter constitute the present session. The Sunday school was organized more than fifty years ago; S. D. Porter is the present superintendent. Among the early preachers were Reverends Jesse Adams, - Wall, James Gallagher, Joseph and Samuel Bowman, and - Mcclellan. Joseph Bowman was pastor from 1865 to 1883; J. F. Johnson, 1883-85; D. A. Cooper, 1885-89; and R. N. Grossman, the present incumbent, assumed charge in 1889.

Zion Church, Church of God .- The itinerant preachers of this church preached at the McQuiston school house as early perhaps as 1850. Among them were the Reverends Grimm, Long, Domer, Bartlebaugh, and Howis. A regular organization was formed in 1868 with Robert and Cyrus McQuis- ton as elders; among the member were Benjamin, Joseph, and Elizabeth Latshaw, Ira McQuiston, and Sarah McQuiston. After the school house burned worship was conducted in the tannery of David H. McQuiston; and in the last years of Mr. Howis' pastorate the frame church building, still in use as a place of worship, was erected on ground given for the purpose by William R. Crawford. Since that time the succession of pastors has been as follows: Matthew Davis, George Bartlebaugh, J. W. Davis, David Leech, Absalom Flowers, and J. W. Davis. The Sunday school has been an adjunct of the church since its organization, the first superintendent having been Cyrus McQuiston.

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FRENCH CREEK TOWNSHIP.

CHAPTER XXIX.

FRENCH CREEK TOWNSHIP.

ERECTION - BOUNDARIES-TOPOGRAPHY-INDIANS-PIONEERS - MILLS AND FACTORIES - BOROUGH OF UTICA, ITS EARLY SETTLEMENT. GROWTH, BUSINESS INTERESTS, AND OFFICIAL RECORD -BOROUGH OF POLK, ITS PAST AND PRES- ENT-CHURCHES-CEMETERIES- SCHOOLS.

F RENCH CREEK township, so called from the creek which forms its northern and northeastern boundaries, was created by a commission appointed in March, 1806, with the' following outlines, to-wit: "Begin- ning at French creek on the western boundary of said [Venango] county, thence by the same south to the north line of a survey made in the name of John Hetler; thence by the same and Jacob Hetler, eastwardly to the northeast corner of the latter; thence by the same southwardly 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." These boundaries have been modified at different times by the formation of other townships, and it was not until the erection of Min- eral township that the boundaries, as they now exist, were definitely fixed and established. The township includes an irregular area of territory lying in the western part of the county, with Sandy Creek, Victory, and Mineral townships on the south, Mercer county on the west, and the town- ships of Canal and Sugar Creek on the north and northeast.

Topographically the face of the country may be described as broken with valleys alternating with hills of romantic boldness among which are deep ravines and thickly wooded glens. The principal water courses are French and Mill creeks, which, with their tributaries, water and drain a large area of territory in this and other divisions of the county. Building stone of a superior quality is found in various parts of the township, much of which has been utilized by the citizens for chimneys, foundations for buildings, etc. In the development of the great oil interests of Venango county, French Creek has not been behind her sister townships, a number of wells having been opened in the sixties, several of which are still in active opera- tion. Others have been drilled from time to time, and, although not so

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HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.

productive as formerly, are still a source of considerable revenue to the pro- prietors.

When first seen by the French and English explorers this part of the country was the home of the Redman, and vestiges of his handiwork are still visible in various parts of the township. On the Heydrick farm about three miles above Utica was the principal headquarters of a tribe of Delawares known as the Wolf tribe, called the Loups by the French and Monceys by the English. The village took its name from the chief of the tribe, Custa- loga, and was a place of resort, not only by the Delawares but by other tribes, all of whom left the country soon after its permanent settlement. When the Martin family came to the township the Indians were still cul- tivating the flat lands on the west side of Deer creek, upon which small crops of corn and vegetables were raised. A full account of Custaloga and his village will be found in a previous chapter.

The population in 1880 was one thousand two hundred and eighty-six.

SETTLEMENT.

The first white men to penetrate the wilds of what is now French Creek township were the early French missionaries and explorers of the Allegheny valley. They navigated the waters of French creek and other streams, and made surveys of the country several years before settlement or colonization were effected. In December, 1753, George Washington, then a young man, went up the creek on his celebrated mission to the French command- ant at Le Bœuf and was one of the first Americans to set foot upon this part of Venango county.

About the year 1796 a spirit of inquiry led a number of hardy and dar- ing pioneers from the east to explore the country embraced within the pres- ent limits of French Creek township for the purpose of locating homes. Among these indomitable and energetic characters was John Martin, who came from Maryland in the above year, and located a tract of land on French creek about three miles above Utica, upon which he made the first improve- ments in the township. He kept a ferry for some years at his farm, which was known as Martin's ferry, and is remembered as a man of great physical endurance and a true type of the honest, energetic pioneer of the period in which he lived. He had five sons: David, Thomas, John, James, and Solo- mon, all of whom grew to manhood in this township and, with the excep- tion of John, Jr., who died in French Creek in 1862, subsequently moved to other parts of the country. John Martin, Sr., died on the old homestead at an early date. Mrs. Dewoody of Franklin and Mrs. Allen of Crawford county are daughters of John Martin, Jr.

Contemporary with the Martin family was John Chapman, who took up land in different parts of the township, but whose sojourn, owing to his thriftless disposition, was only temporary. He appears to have been impa-

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tient of the restraints of civilization, so much so, indeed, that as soon as settlements began to increase he disposed of his few improvements, and with a few other spirits as restless and discontented as himself, drifted further westward.

John Gordon became a resident of French Creek township as early as 1797 or '98, settling the Adams farm on Mill creek a couple of miles west of Utica. John Cooper came about the same time, and made an improvement on the Duffield place near Utica, while a brother of Cooper moved into the township prior to the year 1800 and purchased what is known as the Glenn farm on Mill creek.

William Duffield came to Venango from Centre county about the year 1798, accompanied by his daughter, and after selecting a tract of land one and a half miles southeast of the present site of Utica, he left the latter to hold the place while he went back east for the rest of the family. As soon as matters could be conveniently arranged, he returned with his family and was soon safely settled in his new home among the high hills and deep for- ests of French creek. Mr. Duffield was a native of Ireland and a descend- ant of a large and intelligent family of that name, which came to America about the year 1767. He was a prominent resident of French Creek until his death, which occurred in the year 1827. His sons: John, Armstrong, William, and James, were all leading citizens of the community, and their numerous descendants are among the substantial people of Venango county at this time.

John Lindsay was an early settler on Mill creek, the date of his arrival being about the year 1799 or 1800. He was also an Irishman, and claimed to have been the pioneer mill builder of French creek, having erected a small flouring mill above it, where Utica now stands, as early as 1804. It was while cutting ice from around the large water wheel of this mill that he afterward met with a violent death by falling among some timbers, which closing together caught his neck so that he was left hanging until life be- came extinct.

About this period the Adams family moved to the township, Welden Adams locating about one mile east of Waterloo, and James making his first improvements on the present site of Utica. The former bore a prominent part in the early developments of the country, and at one time served as commissioner of Venango county. He reared a number of children, one of whom, John, was drowned in Mill creek a short time after the family came to the county, while another son of the same name, "Uncle" John Adams, of Polk, is the oldest native resident of French Creek, his birth having oc- curred on the old farm in February, 1807. James Adams, Jr., also a son of Welden Adams, settled the place where his son W. S. Adams lives, a couple of miles west of Utica, and is remembered as a man of local promi- nence, having served as county commissioner and commissioner of the French Creek canal.

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HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.

James Adams, Sr., who settled at Utica, was for many years an active business man, and did much for the community in the way of building mills and factories. These were afterward operated by his son James, whose de- scendants still occupy the family homestead in Utica.

Thomas Russell, the first of the well-known Russell family to settle in this part of the country, came from Huntingdon county about the beginning of the present century, and settled on French creek about one mile above Utica. His son Alexander, then a small boy, accompanied his father to the new country and bore his share of the many trials and hardships incident to a life in the backwoods. The following incident is related: On one occa- sion after the family had been without flour several days, and tiring of corn meal and potatoes as a substitute for bread, young Alexander was sent on horseback with a bag of wheat to the mill at Franklin. Getting his grist he started homeward in the afternoon, and on reaching "Hanna's gap " a large black bear came out into the road and deliberately stopped in front of the horse. Badly frightened the boy hastily dropped the sack of flour, and ap- plying the switch to his horse, was soon out of the reach of danger. On reaching home the badly frightened boy related his thrilling experience and the father, arming himself, went back to the scene of the incident, where he found the sack of flour untouched. Bruin was not visible.

As early as the year 1800 the following settlers additional to those al- ready noted were living within the present limits of French Creek township, viz. : James and Robert Greenlee and William Vogan, all of whom located in the western part near the Mercer county line.

Jacob Runninger, a native of Holland, came to the United States in 1777, and settled in the eastern part of Pennsylvania, thence in 1801 moved to Venango county, and bought three hundred and seven acres of land in French Creek township, a part of which is still in possession of his descend- ants. He was an active business man and died in 1825. His son, Jacob Runninger, came at the same time. Jacob Jr., James P., Conrad, David, and John Runninger, sons of the latter, are among the older residents of the township at this time.

Hugh and John L. Hasson, father and son, became residents of French Creek in 1799 or 1800, moving here from the eastern part of the state by means of a horse and pack saddle, and a horse and sled. They settled a short distance from Utica, where Hugh Hasson died in 1815. John L. sub- sequently (about 1824) moved to Canal township, where a number of his de- scendants still reside.

Another early settler was John Hanna, who immigrated from County Down, Ireland, and landed at New Castle, Delaware, in 1796. After a res- idence of two years at Lancaster, Pennsylania, he moved to Mifflin county, and in 1802 came to Venango, arriving at the Blair farm, lately the home- stead of Major George C. McClelland, in French Creek township, on Christ-

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mas day. After remaining there a short time he settled what is known as the "Hanna tract " on the creek a few miles below Utica.

James Gilliland came to the township about the year 1804, and improved a farm one and a half miles north of Waterloo. He was one of the early teachers of French Creek, and did as much if not more than any other man toward awakening an interest in the cause of religion and establishing churches in the township. His sons, Joseph and Alexander C., are still liv- ing near the place of original settlement.

Peter Patterson, a pioneer of French Creek township, was born in Juni- ata county, Pennsylvania. He first visited this locality prior to 1800, and through his brother-in-law, James Greenlee, then a resident of this county, was induced to make it his permanent residence, which he did in 1807, set- tling a tract of two hundred and fifty acres in the extreme western part of the county adjacent to the Mercer county line. He was a member of the Associate Reformed church and died in that faith in 1840. Although a member of the organization at Cochranton, meetings were frequently held at his house, ultimately resulting in the formation of the flourishing United Presbyterian church of Sandy. His wife, whose maiden name was Eliza- beth Donnelly, survived her husband until 1862. They were the parents of twelve children, six of whom are now living: Annie, widow of Alexander Turner; Samuel, a farmer of Jackson township, Mercer county; Ellen, Mrs. Reese Byers; Jane, widow of Dennis Kennedy; William, of Nebraska, and James D., county commissioner.

John Temple and sons, John, David, and Robert, were among the first permanent residents in the vicinity of Polk, as was also Seth Jewel, a Rev- olutionary soldier, who improved a part of the ground upon which the vil- lage now stands. Other early settlers near Polk were William Evans, James Nicholson and sons David and Robert, James Cannon, and James McClaran.

Among others who came at an early date and bore a part in developing the country the following may be noted: Augustus Shaw, John, James, and Andrew McGinnis, David Vincent; David Gilmore and sons John, David, Brice, William, and Robert; Jonas Reynolds and sons Wolcott, Joel, Hiram, Jonas, and Erastus; William and Walter Gibson, Aaron McKissick, Mr. Johnston, Samuel Bunnell, Edward Hughes, George Cummings, John Cum- mings, William Cummings, James Hays, Charles H. Heydrick, Doctor Christopher Heydrick, A. W. Raymond, and others.

MILLS.

Of the industries of French Creek township that of milling has always been the most important, the waters of Mill creek having been early utilized as the motive power for machinery. As already stated, the pioneer mill- builder in this part of the county was John Lindsay, who built a small saw mill near Utica as early as the year 1804. This was a very primitive affair,

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HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.

and owing to the scarcity of water in the creek was in operation for only a short time.

Mr. Lindsay built a flouring mill about one and a half miles from Utica a little later, which, like the saw mill, received its motive power from Mill creek. He operated this mill until his death, which has already been noted, and did a very successful business. It was afterward operated by members of the Lindsay family until its destruction by fire, about the year 1854.

BOROUGH OF UTICA.

This enterprising little village is pleasantly located in French Creek township, eight miles northwest of Franklin and three miles southeast of the Mercer county line, and marks the site of one of the earliest improved farms in French Creek township. Settlements were made in the vicinity of the village on French creek before the beginning of the present century, and it is stated with a reasonable degree of accuracy that a transient settler, name unknown, made a few temporary improvements upon the present site of the place as early as the year 1796 or 1797. The first permanent settler, however, was James Adams, who, about the year 1800 purchased that por- tion of the town known as the original plat, upon which he built a residence and made other necessary improvements. His neighbors were the Lindsay, Duffield, Martin, Gordon, Chapman, Cooper, and other early families, who located their respective homes within a few miles along French creek.

Mr. Adams appears to have been a man of great energy, as is attested by the fact that in addition to clearing land and developing a good farm he early utilized the splendid water power of Mill creek by erecting a saw and grist mill and woolen factory, all of which were highly valued by the early settlers of Venango and Mercer counties. The woolen mill was the first of the kind in Venango county, and although quite a primitive affair, it ap- pears to have been operated almost constantly during the early years of the French creek settlement. The flouring mill, erected about the year 1805, was a small frame structure, two and a half stories high, and stood about one hundred feet south of the present mill. It was operated quite success- fully until 1842. The saw mill, which stood near the spot occupied by the ruins of another mill of the same kind erected at a later date, supplied the early settlers along French creek with lumber and building material for a number of years.

While these mills were the means of attracting attention to the place, which early became the nucleus of a very thriving settlement, it was not un- til the construction of the French Creek canal through the country that the advisability of locating a trading point on the present site of the village be- gan to be considered. It was while work on the canal was in progress that one John Floyd erected a small store room above where the iron bridge now crosses the creek, and stocked it with a miscellaneous assortment of mer- chandise for the purpose of trading with the contractors and workmen.

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The venture proving financially successful he continued the business about four or five years and then disposed of his stock and went to Pittsburgh, in which city he subsequently engaged in the wholesale trade, and became quite wealthy.

The substantial growth of the town, however, dates from the advent of A. W. Raymond, who, foreseeing the future advantages of the place as a com- mercial point, purchased the land from the Adams family and in 1830 proceed- ed to lay out a town to which he gave the name of Utica, after his old home, the city of Utica, New York. Antecedent to the above year there were only a few dwellings on the present site of the borough, among which was the residence of James Adams, which is said to have been one of the first brick houses ever erected in Venango county. It is still- standing and despite its great age is remarkably well preserved. Mr. Raymond soon became the presiding genius and inspiration of the community. He devoted his time and means toward building up the new town and developing its industries, and one of his first substantial improvements was a frame store building which stood a short distance east of the old Adams residence. In this build- ing he opened a general store and within a comparatively limited period succeeded in building up an extensive and successful trade. After continuing the business several years he sold out to Adam Cooper, binding the latter by written agreement to keep in stock all the goods necessary to supply the de- mands of the community and agreeing to make no attempt at opposition in the business as long as the pledge was faithfully observed. It appears that within a short time Cooper's stock of goods was allowed to run down where- upon Mr. Raymond, considering the agreement violated, brought a second store to the place, the immediate result of which was an action by Cooper for breach of agreement which was tried in the court of Frankin. Mr. Ray- mond proved to the satisfaction of court and jury that the violation was not upon his part and so won the case.

His second store building stood on the lot occupied at this time by the residence and shop of C. H. Yard, but subsequently, in 1839, he erected a brick store room on Chestnut street, in which he conducted a successful trade for several years. In the meantime he purchased the mill property and later opened a hotel "The Traveler's Home " which early became a fav- orite stopping place for the traveling public. After carrying on the mercan- tile business a few years he rented the store to James McGill of Mercer and went to Raymilton in Mineral township, of which village he was also founder and proprietor. He subsequently returned to Utica and resumed business which he carried on until about 1850, when he disposed of his interests here and moved to Franklin where he still resides.

Several years prior to 1850, William Smiley and Brice Gilmore began selling goods, the former where Mr. Perrine's grocery now stands and the latter in a small building on the same street. They did business with limited

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HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.

capital and were in the trade but a short time. W. S. Devore was one of the successful merchants of the place, as was also Thomas Nesbit, who is still identified with the business interests of the borough. The firm of Nes- bit, Stevenson & Company was in existence for some time, also the firm of Gilmore, Stevenson & Company. Messrs. Nicklin & Bryden were among the mercantile men of the place and one James Fiscus was also an early grocer, whose principal stock in trade consisted of "mountain tangle foot " which brought him numerous customers of a certain class.

Industries .- As already stated, the first manufacturing enterprises of Utica were the mills and woolen factory erected by James Adams, anterior to the founding of the village. The first woolen mill stood on Mill creek near the southwest corner of the borough. It was a small frame building supplied with fair machinery, operated by water power, and was kept run- ning almost constantly for a number of years in order to supply the great demand for its products. It ceased operations in 1846, at which time Mr. Adams erected a larger factory, a three-story building thirty by forty feet in dimensions, supplied with machinery for carding, spinning, cloth dressing, and the manufacture of woolen fabrics such as the community at that time demanded. This factory was greatly prized by the farmers of the vicinity in that it made sheep raising profitable by furnishing a home market for wool. It was operated by the Adams family 'until its destruction by fire about the year 1869.

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History of Venango County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, including, Part 57

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