USA > Pennsylvania > Warren County > History of Warren County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers > Part 55
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
Organization of the Borough .- In 1862 the borough of Tidioute was or- ganized, and on the 27th day of June of that year the first election under the new charter was held. The following were the officers elected : Burgess, Luther Green; council, Samuel Culbertson, W. S. Cohill, Thomas Goodwin, R. Christy, and J. Hunter. Isaac Scott was appointed clerk ; constable, R. Magill.
At this time the inhabitants of the town were doubling and trebling in number every year, houses and shanties sprang up as if by magic, and still there were not accommodations for the incoming throng. All classes of men, from the speculator and honest workman to the blackleg and knave, came with this great rush. The prices of lands in various parts of the township be- came fabulous. Speculation in real estate became at once a great business. Lands were bought or contracted for, stock companies formed for operating and controlling the same, and the stock sold in many of the eastern cities, chiefly New York. The throng of all classes became so great that it soon be- came necessary to have a change in the municipal control. The government necessary for the quiet village of Tidioute would not answer for the booming oil town. In response to a call of the citizens, a small hall was crowded ; many men of rank and ability were present, and after the object of the meeting was stated by one of the old citizens, a judge from Buffalo was elected chairman. A
462
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
police force was appointed at this meeting and two hundred dollars raised for the purpose of erecting a lock-up. Within three days the lock-up was built, and in less time it was filled with the worst kind of roughs. Some of the pris- oners, being assisted by parties without, escaped, and it was found necessary to guard the lock-up day and night. Different citizens were detailed for this duty, and they paced their beats as regularly and faithfully as a sentinel upon an advanced picket line. The parties arrested were tried and fined according as they deserved. By this means good order was soon restored in Tidioute, and has been maintained ever since.
At this time Babylon and Triumph, oil towns adjacent to Tidioute in Deer- field, appeared and flourished as business centers for a while; but as the oil was exhausted in their vicinity their prosperity faded out. Babylon, at one time mighty in sin and debauchery, has long since fallen. Triumph clung to life longer than the average oil town on account of the quality of the oil-bearing rock of this section, which has not been excelled in any part of the oil regions. The rock here was often found seventy-five and one hundred feet thick, and it has proved the longest-lived oil territory yet discovered. Many wells in this locality are still yielding a small production.
A little later Fagundus loomed up in the extreme southern part of Decr- field township. A small but rich yielding territory was found here, and Fagundus became for a while a flourishing banking town ; but it has met the sad fate of other similar oil towns, and there remains now only a relic of what there once was.
All these towns were tributary to Tidioute, and their prosperity only added vigor to its flourishing business of that day.
Several daily and weekly papers sprang into existence at this time in Tidioute. The Morning Journal and the Evening Commercial both had their day and death. The Weekly News, ably edited by Charles E. White, is the only publication now issued in the borough. Mr. White is not surpassed in this part of the State in neatness and dispatch of job work.
The Oil Creek and Allegheny River Railroad was laid through Tidioute in 1866, and was completed in 1867. The first bank in our borough was under the title or Wadsworth, Baum & Co., afterwards changed to Grandin & Baum, and at present Grandin Bros. The Tidioute Savings Bank and the People's Savings Bank were started in 1872; the latter was closed some years ago.
The present water system was commenced by Luther Green in 1872. In December of the same year a stock company was formed, which purchased the works and completed them. Since that time a supply pipe has been laid four miles up Tidioute Creck, which secures pure spring water and a natural flow into the reservoir.
The Tidioute and Economy bridge across the Allegheny River was built in 1873, and the same year the gas works were completed .*
Samt Grandin
463
DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP.
The early history of Deerfield having been so fully and thoroughly written by Mr. Kinnear, little is left to write but such mention of the present business and professional interests as is customary in works of this nature. Deerfield town- ship, as now constituted, is of irregular formation, having no fewer than eight or ten sides, and is bounded north by the townships of Pittsfield and Broken- straw, east by Allegheny River, separating it from Pleasant, Watson, and Lime- stone, south by Allegheny River and Triumph, and west by Triumph, Eldred, and Pittsfield. The beginnings of settlement within the limits of the present borough of Tidioute date very early in the century, as has well been shown. About the year 1825 the settlers within these limits, on the north side of the river, were about as follows: Beginning in the extreme western part of the borough, and partly outside of the line, was the place owned and occupied by Samuel Parshall. Next east of him was William Kinnear (1826); Thomas Arters was his adjoining neighbor on the east, the territorial succession east- ward being Samuel Hunter, Anthony Courson, and no others that have not received mention.
The history of this township would be indeed incomplete without some mention of one who has done more, probably, than any other one person for the upbuilding and prosperity of Tidioute, viz., Samuel Grandin. A more detailed sketch of Mr. Grandin appears in later pages. As will be seen by reference to that sketch, he came to Tidioute from Pleasantville, Venangor county, in 1840, and began dealing in general merchandise and trading exten- sively in lumber. This business he continued on an ever-increasing scale until his practical retirement from business, about 1860. His present residence he built in 1867. He has ever had the welfare of Tidioute at heart, and has never been tardy in extending his aid and influence for the furthering and suc- cess of any project looking to its material or moral advancement. He is de- servedly an honored man. His sons have displayed the sagacity and public spirit which might, in the circumstances, have been expected, and have wielded, and do still wield, an influence in affairs which extends far beyond the borders of this township, or county, or State. The banking firm of which they are the members was formed in 1870, and the large brick block which they now occupy was built in 1872. As to their other interests, and their general repu- tation, no better idea can be gained than by a perusal of the following extract from one of the leading newspapers of the day :
"The proneness, as it were, of the oil people as a rule for the concentration of capital in single industrial lines is proverbial. This mode of procedure is, in some instances, attended with the most gratifying results; and again it is followed by consequences most disastrous to the investor. There are excep- tions, however, to every rule; among this class may be cited the firm of Grandin Brothers. Everything undertaken by the Grandins is gone about in the most practical and matter-of-fact way, and about everything they take a
464
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
hand in turns into money. Their one thousand and one successful oil ventures is a matter of public information in this region, where the gentlemen are widely known and uniformly respected, and a reiteration of the same here and now would only be to dispense stale news. The Grandin boys have been called lucky, and their luck has been extolled far and wide, while the truth of the mat- ter is, there never has, perhaps, been a business firm in this or any country that depended so little on the deceptive tyrant luck. They have made what the world would call unlucky investments, but by the exercise of good horse sense or shrewd business judgment, as you will, they seldom make large losings. In 1873 the Jay Cook failure cost the firm $93,000; in the final settlement with Cook they accepted Northern Pacific Land scrip for their claim, in lieu of Cook's personal acceptances. This gave them 38,000 acres of land. Being practical men, they set about it at once to develop the soil. In due course they had a wheat production and the annual clean up, showing a handsome profit ; other land purchases followed, and now the boys find themselves in possession of a little garden patch of 86,000 acres of the best wheat lands on the American continent. This small farm has been split up in two smaller farms of unequal proportions. In the Grandin farm there are 38,000 acres, and 26,000 in the Mayville farm. The wheat production of this year for both farms was 315,000 bushels. The Grandin farm produced 215,000 bushels, the balance belongs to the Mayville farm. There is about 18,000 acres under cultivation, leaving 68,000 acres of virgin territory in which the plowshare has never trespassed. The Grandins have their own line of elevators, and a steamer on the Red River, and by means of their own traffic-arrangements deliver their wheat in Duluth. This comes pretty nearly managing one's own business. Each farm is managed by a superintendent and financial agent. During the harvest season they find employment for 400 men and 350 mules. Their Mayville farm is operated more for stock-breeding purposes than agri- culture. For several years past the profits in wheat production has been greater than oil; when oil is depressed the Grandins turn their attention to wheat, and vice versa. There has not been a year in the past ten when their Dakota farms' products did not pay a sum equivalent to the $93,000 supposed to have sunk in the Jay Cook collapse. All this shows what pluck and enter- prise will do for those who are wise enough not to carry their eggs in one basket."
Present Mercantile Interests .- Of the merchants now in trade in Tidioute, W. D. Bucklin is of the longest standing, as he dates his arrival here in the year 1861. James L. Acomb started his drug store here in 1866, at which time he came from Pithole. His stock is valued at about $2,500 A. Dunn opened a grocery store in Tidioute in 1866, and in the fall of 1886 he put in an additional stock of clothing, and boots and shoes. Hle carries about $10,000 in stock at his store, besides stock in flour and feed at his grist-mill, worth on
465
DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP.
an average about $2,000. W. R. Dawson has kept a variety store in this place something more than twenty years. He has been postmaster since Jan- uary 5, 1886. The jewelry store of Henry Ewald was opened here by the present proprietor in 1867. The store of C. Kemble & Son (William W. Kemble), containing a full stock of drugs, artists' materials, paints, oils, wall paper, etc., and a general line of holiday goods in season, was first opened by the senior member of the present firm in 1871. The firm was formed in 1878. J. O. Strong has carried a good stock of stoves and hardware in Tidioute for more than fourteen years. The dry goods and general store of John Siggins was started here by the present owner about fourteen years ago. At that time Mr. Siggins came from East Hickory, where he had been in business since 1864. He now carries stock valued at about $15,000. D. M. McCall, dealer in all kinds of furniture, picture frames, pianos, organs, etc., and undertaker, has been in business in this place since February, 1876. He then came from Crawford county, where he had been engaged in the furniture trade since 1857. R. Chaffey, the grocer, who carries stock worth some $2,500, started in Tidioute in 1877, and first occupied his present corner in 1881. H. F. Head, merchant tailor, has been here more than five years. E. A. Culver, dealer in groceries, provisions, etc., established his present trade about three years ago. The store of C. P. Bucklin, dealer in dry goods, boots and shoes, etc., was opened many years ago by Maybie & Hunter, who were succeeded by the present owner in 1883. His stock is valued at about $10,000. J. A. Ulf, merchant tailor, began here on the Ist of January, 1884. The dry goods and clothing dealers, Hopkins & Co., conduct a business established in April, 1885, by H. J. Hopkins and J. H. Lockwood. Their stock is now valued at about $12,000. The harness shop of A. Allen was started by the present pro- prietor in the fall of 1885, he then succeeding Scott Allen, who had been here several years previously. C. A. Allen, dealer in general furnishing goods, has been in Tidioute in business since January, 1886. H. W. Kunn established his boot and shoe trade here in April, 1886.
Other Interests .- The steam grist-mill, now owned and operated by A. Dunn, was built by Kemble & Coleman about 1877. In 1880 Mr. Dunn rented it from the estate of Peter Evans, and in the fall of 1886 purchased it. Others mills are the planing-mill belonging to the estate of Z. M. Jones, who started the mill some fifteen or sixteen years ago; the machine shop of R. J. Carson, which has been in operation in Tidioute about fifteen years ; the chair factory, operated by the Chair Company (limited), whose general manager is M. Clark. This business was established in September, 1881. The capital is about $50,000. About 500 chairs are manufactured here daily. The hub factory of Martin (Joseph) & Homer (C. S.) was established also in the fall of 1881.
Hotels .- The oldest hotel in Tidioute at present is the Shaw House, which
466
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
was built by the present proprietor, W. P. Shaw, more than twenty years ago. The National Hotel was built for mercantile purposes by H. Greiner, a num- ber of years ago, and converted by W. D. Bucklin, the present owner, into a hotel some fifteen years ago. The Hanchett House, so named from the pro- prietor, N. N. Hanchett, was built, and for some time kept, by Mr. Wheelock. Mr. Hanchett has owned and kept it now for about twelve years.
Physicians, Past and Present .- The first physician to practice in Deerfield township was Dr. Kellogg, of Titusville, who used to come out this way with his horse and saddle-bags about once in three months. This he began as early as 1826, and continued for a number of years. The physician now in prac- tice here who deserves the distinction of belonging to the longest residence is Dr. F. A. Shugart, who was admitted to practice in 1838, and after practicing in Philadelphia and other places came to Deerfield township in 1849, and has continued here ever since. Dr. Charles Kemble came here about ten years later, and also remains here yet. Dr. Freeman, who died a few years ago, had also been here for many years. Dr. J. L. Acomb came here from Pithole about 1866. Dr. A. C. Magill came in March, 1885, immediately after grad- uating from the Detroit Medical College. Dr. N. W. Shugart was admitted to practice from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Baltimore on the 13th of March, 1885, and after an experience of a few months in the Bay View Hospital came here and went into practice with his father.
Post-office .- We have already seen who was the first postmaster in town, and the date of his service. The present incumbent, WV. R. Dawson, owes his appointment to the present administration. He was preceded by James C. Long, who served more than eight years; Thomas B. Monks, his predecessor, held the position about two years, having succeeded Levi L. McCall. S. H. Evans was postmaster from December 1, 1866, to June 30, 1874. He was preceded by Mr. Hanna, and he by S. H. Evans again. H. H. Evans was postmaster next previous to S. H. Evans. In Deerfield township also is a post-office called Parthenia, which was established through the efforts of the Grandin brothers, in the summer of 1886. Here these gentlemen have a saw and planing-mill, which they have been successfully operating twelve or fifteen years.
The members of the Colonel George A. Cobham Post 311, G. A. R., and the citizens of Tidioute and vicinity are justly proud of one of the finest soldiers' monuments in this part of the State. It was erected mainly through the efforts of Major Curtis and others in this neighborhood, in the spring of 1885, and dedicated on Memorial Day of that year. It stands in the center of a plot of ground set apart for the purpose years ago by the projectors, in the ceme- tery. The circle is about sixty feet in diameter, and is finely graded from the circumference up to the monument. The structure itself is imposing and beautiful. It is from the Monumental Bronze Company of Bridgeport, Conn.,
467
SPRING CREEK TOWNSHIP.
and is built of white bronze, one of the most durable substances known. Its height from base to top is sixteen feet and eight inches, while the base stands about four feet above the surrounding ground. The base is fifty-two inches square. On the several tablets are appropriate inscriptions, among them being the names of the following members of Company F, One Hundred and Forty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers, killed in action, or from the effects of wounds received : O. S. Brown, John T. Roberts, Darius W. Hunter, George W. Alcorn, R. J. Ar- ters, Thomas Acocks, Sullivan Baker, J. C. Brennesholz, Shambert Chambers, Stephen Chambers, Philemon Clark, J. Clonay, Thomas Clark, Daniel Cochran, John J. Gorman, Charles W. Grove, Leonard Horn, David E. Jones, Ransom Kendall, Jesse Kightlinger, Samuel C. King, Virgil Libby, Joshua Lloyd, Samuel May, Thomas J. Magee, William Magee, George B. Miller, John M. Pearce, Sim- eon J. Roosa, Jacob Rutledge, George W. Shay, William Shreve, Reuben Swag- gart, Charles Thompson, John Thompson, John Tuttle, Hiram K. Young. On the west base are the following names of soldiers in varrious regiments killed in action : One Hundred and Eleventh Pennsylvania Volunteers-J. R. Brough- ton, jr., Walker H. Hogue, William M. Jones, Charles Miller, John M. Rich- ardson, Samuel Sturgis; Fifty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers-Samuel Rich- ardson ; Fifty-seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers-Theodore Barber ; Seventy- fourth New York Volunteers-Zachariah Barber, W. H. Brown, Washington Magee, Grandin Magee, James Magee, Amos Magee, Joshua Richardson ; Regiments Unknown-Solomon Cias, Daniel Henderson, John Russell, Frank West.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
HISTORY OF SPRING CREEK TOWNSHIP.
S PRING CREEK township was formed from the original town of Broken- straw on the 8th day of March, 1821, and was called "Number Two" until the inhabitants named it as it is now known, from the stream which drains its soil. It is in the western tier of townships in the county, and is bounded north by Columbus, east by Pittsfield, south by Eldred, and west by parts of Craw- ford and Erie counties. Brokenstraw and Spring Creeks are the principal streams in the town. The surface is pleasantly diversified by hill and dale, and the soil is fertile and excellently adapted to agriculture, being especially favor- able to dairying and stock raising.
Early Settlements. - The first settlement made within the present boundary lines of Spring Creek was on the Brokenstraw Creek, south of the State road,
468
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
by Andrew Evers and Elijah Jackson. These two men came to this then wil- derness together on the 10th day of November, 1797, and built the first cabin in the vicinity, a few rods nearly north of the present dwelling house of Will- iam M. Jackson. They came from what was then called Union Mills, now Union City, Pa. Elijah Jackson settled on the farm now owned and occupied by his son, William M., a sketch of whose life appears in later pages of this book. He (Elijah) was born in Litchfield, Conn., on the 27th of October, 1772. When he was a youth his father removed to Ontario county, N. Y., whence, upon attaining his majority, he went to Marietta, Ohio. There he and his companions were in constant apprehension of attacks from hostile Indians, hav- ing to remain in barracks when their business did not demand their presence elsewhere, and at such times being under the protection of an armed guard. Not liking this kind of life, Mr. Jackson came to this part of the country. In this town he remained-on the farm which he was the first to clear and culti- vate-until his death on the Ist of September, 1845. He was worthy of the esteem in which he was universally held. He was a farmer and lumberman of enterprise and honesty, and a citizen of public spirit and fearless utterances.
Soon after their arrival, Andrew Evers removed to the farm now owned and occupied by Clinton Horn, where he remained until his death, some thirty- five or forty years afterward. He was of a quiet disposition, industrious and conservative - a good citizen. None of his descendants are now in Spring Creek. He used to say of himself that he was a citizen of the world, for he was born (of Irish parentage) in mid-ocean, in a vessel bound for America.
In 1798 George Long, with his wife and three children, came from the Susquehanna, and lived until 1801 with Andrew Evers. Then he removed farther down the creek, built a dwelling house, and in 1802 erected the first saw-mill in town, on the site now occupied by the Horn mill. In that year Elijah Jackson made the first clearing on the site of the present village of West Spring Creek, where he was succeeded by Joshua Whitney. About the year 1800 James Watt came from Lancaster county and settled west of the Broken- straw, on the line afterward occupied by the State road, and on the farm since in the possession of Jamieson & Co. In 1801 Daniel Horn purchased the property of George Long, now called Horn's Siding, and resided there until his death in 1869, at the ripe old age of ninety years. He was born in New Jer- sey, and served as lieutenant in the War of 1812. He was the third sheriff of Warren county, receiving the election in 1825 ; and in 1830 and again in 1838 was chosen county commissioner. He was a very active and successful business man. He operated a saw-mill on his place as long as he continued in business. His sons Clinton and Stephen are on the old homestead. Other children are Mrs. 1). S. Prentiss, of Garland, and Irwin, Martha and Ellen, in Illinois. O. D., E. D., and D. D. Horn, of this county, are sons of Hiram and grandsons of Danicl Horn. John Horn, a brother of Daniel, was here at the beginning
A LITTLE PHIL #
Mm M. Jackson
469
SPRING CREEK TOWNSHIP.
of the present century and lived with Daniel until the time of his marriage, not far from 1830, when he removed to Missouri and passed the remainder of his days.
Andrew Evers, Elijah Jackson, and James Watt were the first settlers on the William Miles, now the Irvine farm. Charles McNair and James Culbert- son, bachelors, came in about the same time. Culbertson settled a few rods east of the place of Elijah Jackson, and McNair lived with him. There they built a saw-mill, which continued in operation until they removed to what was, at the time of their going, Deerfield township, in the second quarter of the cent- ury. Robert Boner settled previous to 1806 in the northern part of the town and built a log grist-mill. His was the first grist-mill in town. He was a good business man and public spirited, and it was a loss to Spring Creek that he remained here but two or three years.
The first list of taxables of the town, made out in 1822, reveals the names of the settlers who had made this town their home previous to that time, and attests that they were men of the right sort to open a new country-men of nerve and courage, who were willing to suffer hardships and privations for the promised reward of a settled habitation, where a competence might with dili- gent application be obtained ; men of enterprise and foresight sufficient to see the benefits of living in a country covered with such valuable timber, and to take advantage of their sagacity. Such of them as remained in town long enough to identify themselves with its history are mentioned in the paragraphs immediately following, in alphabetical order :
Horace B. Abbey was something of a lumberman, who settled about the year 1821 a little southwest of the site of West Spring Creek. As early as 1840 he removed southward. James Benson was a farmer and commenced clearing a farm just north of the present place of William M. Jackson. He was there only five or six years, however, after which he went to Waterford, Pa., where a num- ber of his descendants are now living. Daniel Boardman came to Spring Creek in 1821, and lived until about the year 1850 next to the farm settled by Benson. He was a farmer, and did not spend much time or money in the lumber busi- ness. Luther Chase came about the same time and lived in the same neigh- borhood, but went to Columbus soon after this time. He was a farmer and lumberman, and a man of unusual enterprise. Daniel Corbet is mentioned in this list, though all accounts of his settlement agree that he had gone to Co- lumbus before this time. He was the first settler on the farm afterward occu- pied by Benson and Chase. It is probable that he is mentioned at this time as a property owner, not as a resident.
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.