USA > Pennsylvania > Warren County > History of Warren County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers > Part 69
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MEAD TOWNSHIP.
and variety store of Driscoll (J. H.) & Whitling (M. H.), the purchasers in No- vember, 1885, of the business which F. H. Cauley founded in 1881 ; the gro- cery of G. Brown, which he established in the spring of 1882; the business as merchant tailor of G. E. Ihlenfeld, started in August, 1882; the grocery and provision store of Boyd Brothers (H. P. and A. J.), which they started in Au- gust, 1882 ; the Palace drug store, established by W. H. Sanborn & Co. in the fall of 1882, and purchased in October, 1885, by Dr. J. C. Russell and M. E. Sanborn, who still conduct the trade under the name of Dr. J. C. Russell & Co .; the grocery and provision store of Thomas Painter, founded by him and his brother in August, 1883 ; the stoves and hardware store of H. Spitler, founded by him in June, 1883 ; the jewelry store of J. G. Lemmer, started in 1883 ; the grocery of J. Stevenson, started two years ago or more; the dry goods store of I. Samuels, founded in the spring of 1885 ; the grocery and provision store of Goal (J. C.) & Weaver (Z. T.), established in August, 1885 ; the furnishing goods and clothing store founded by M. Harris, and now owned by his brother, Albert Harris, since September, 1885 ; the drug store which A. S. Knight founded in the fall of 1885 and still owns ; the wholesale liquor store of James O. Allen, established by W. H. Crowell, who sold to the present proprietor in June, 1885 ; the trade in gentlemen's furnishing goods (we won't say gents'), started here in the fall of 1885 by M. Jackson & Brother, who own a similar business in Kane; the trade as merchant tailor, conducted since April 1, 1886, by C. Weil ; the tobacco store of James Morris, which has been under his management since April 12, 1886; the dry goods and fancy goods store of Henry L. Hershfield, which he founded in October, 1886; the furni- ture store opened on the 21st of October, 1886, by S. M. Rhodaberger ; and the confectionery and restaurant opened in November, 1886, by Mrs. W. J. Mullen.
Hotels .- Besides the Keystone House, which has received mention, there are now in Clarendon borough the following hotels : The Clarendon Hotel, built at the beginning of Clarendon's history by Reed & O'Connor, improved in 1881 by Captain W. H. Crowell, from Oil City, who was succeeded by T. W. Dempsey, and he in turn by the present landlord, K. Campbell ; the Henry House, built next after the last above named ; the Weaver House, built by Z. T. Weaver, and now kept by T. Mahoney ; and the hotel built by Carl Pru- dentz in 1883.
The Opera House in Clarendon was built in 1881, at a cost of nearly $2,000, by Z. T. Weaver, T. S. Flynn, H. W. Brown and others, and has a seating capacity for about 400. The stock is now owned by T. S. Flynn and the estate of the Brown brothers.
The Mutual Gas Company was organized in September, 1884, as a mate- rial protest against the rise in the tariff resulting from the sale of a former company's stock to the Warren County Heat and Light Company. The mem-
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
bers of this company laid their own plant and claim to be the only company in the State which the Standard Oil Company cannot buy. It started on a basis of a $5,000 capital, which was doubled in a year. There are 500 share- holders. The first officers were H. C. Huntington, president; M. S. Booth, secretary ; T. S. Flynn, treasurer ; H. E. Norris, vice-president, and six directors. No member can hold more than ten shares, and each member has but one vote. No officer is empowered to sell the stock of the company. The present officers are R. I. Shugart, president ; L. Murkett, vice-president ; J. W. Dunkle, secretary ; A. H. Simpson, treasurer ; H. Gandy, H. E. Wau- gaman, James Davis, T. S. Flynn, E. H. Bradley, and R. S. Gray, directors.
The Fire Department, which now consists of two hose companies and a hook and ladder company, was organized in 1881, by the election of A. R. Bahny, chief of the department. The companies have done remarkably good work since their organization, and by the bravery and zeal of their members have saved the borough thousands of dollars in property.
Clarendon Village .- Three-fourths of a mile southwest of the depot is the location of the old town, which is owned entirely by F. H. Rockwell & Co. Some thirty-nine years ago a water mill was built near where the present steam mill stands, and for a number of years was owned and operated by Joseph Hall; but in the course of time it was burned, and Hall sold the ad- joining land to a New York oil company about nineteen years ago. The oil fever failed to take permanent root in this section at that time, and no devel- opments were made. The first improvements worthy of note were begun in 1871 by F. H. Rockwell, of Honesdale, Pa., and Thomas Clarendon, of New York, under the firm name of Rockwell & Clarendon. During that summer the above firm erected a substantial saw-mill and tannery, built a number of residences for the families of their employees, and practically started the old town.
Schools and Churches .- The first school-house in the township was built not far from 1850, on what is now Main street in North Clarendon. It was roughly thrown together of logs, and was the work of Samuel Grossenburg, Michael Itle, " Sterry " Packard, and S. J. Severance. In 1854 school-house number three was built, Alson Rogers, S. J. Severance, S. Only, jr., N. S. Packard, Orren Hook, and Nash Abbott being directors. They were to pur- chase half an acre of land, for which they were not to pay to exceed twenty dollars, and were to pay not more than $240 for the school-house. Miss Mary Hodges was the first teacher, at the following wages: eight dollars a month, and eight dollars being allowed for her board and fuel for four months. In 1855 school-house number two was built at an expense of $250. Sarah A. Shaw first taught in this building. Mary J. Brown taught the same year in number three. In 1856 school-house number one was built at an expense of $179. Sarah Jones taught the first school in this building. There are now
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CHERRY GROVE TOWNSHIP.
six schools in the township, if we include three that are in Clarendon borough. The public school, having three departments, in the borough, was built in 1879 by the township, and after the organization of the borough was pur- chased by it.
There are seven churches in Mead township, one at Stoneham and the rest in Clarendon borough. (For the Roman Catholic Church, see history of War- ren). The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in September, 1885. The original members were Z. Salisbury and wife, A. H. Beighley and wife, E. A. Beighley, Ada Bean, Helen Howard, Mrs F. C. Campbell, Mrs. Morse, Flora Groat, Mary Ort, Catherine Spence, and others. The house of worship was erected-the Evangelical Church-in May, 1883, of wood, at an expense of fifteen hundred dollars, and the Methodists have held services therein ever since. The pastors of the Methodist Church have been as follows: C. W. Miner, Henry Reecer, A. B. Phillips. The present value of the church prop- erty is about $3,000.
The Trinity Evangelical Church was organized in 1882, meetings being held at first in the old opera house under the direction of D. M. Baumgardner. His successors have been Revs. M. L. Weaver, from March, 1883, to April, 1886, and C. H. Miller to the present. The first members were Solomon Funk and Ann, his wife, A. C. Houser, Elizabeth Houser, Elsa Houser, Cath- erine Wolf, J. W. Walter, Margaret Nail, Mary Nail, Jennie Farnsworth, Helen Van Gorder, Jacob Knopf, Anna Knopf. The membership now numbers about eighty. Besides these churches and the Roman Catholic, of more recent for- mation, are the Episcopal Church, of which Rev. Joseph T. Wright is rector, meetings being held in Barn's hall; the Congregational Church, Rev. Row- land, pastor, services being held once in two weeks; and the Presbyterian Church, Rev. H. Webster, pastor, services being held Sunday mornings in the M. E. Church.
CHAPTER LII.
HISTORY OF CHERRY GROVE TOWNSHIP.
HERRY GROVE township was erected from the old township of Sheffield, C on the 7th of December, 1847. Sheffield, Mead, and Cherry Grove were originally included in the old township of Kinzua. In the month of May, 1832, Adam L. Pratt, now of Sheffield, and Richard Dunham, with his wife and infant child, crossed the Allegheny River at Shipman's Eddy, assisted by Matthew Morrison, and were met on the south side by John Inglesby, who had previously settled in the dense forests of Cherry Grove, but becoming dis-
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
heartened, had moved out again. He guided the party to his former home in Cherry Grove, which was about half a mile from the present residence of Montgomery Farnsworth, and on the site of Garfield. There they remained several weeks, while they repaired an old cabin on Dunham's land, about a mile to the north. In June they removed to this cabin, chopped and cleared ten acres, sowed it in wheat, and had an excellent crop in the ensuing season.
The same year, 1832, a Mr. Gardner settled on what is now the Farns- worth place, and three brothers by the name of Coon, all young, unmarried men, settled about two miles west of Gardner. In the spring of 1833 Elijah Coon, the youngest of the three, was killed by a falling tree. A little previous to this time the parents of the Coon boys immigrated hither from Steuben county, N. Y., and occupied the improvements made by their sons. This was the beginning of the settlement of Cherry Grove.
The township lies in the southern row of townships of Warren county, and is bounded north by Mead, Pleasant, and a corner of Watson, east by Sheffield, south by Forest county, and west by Limestone and Watson. It is not yet thickly settled, nor entirely, nor half cleared. The soil is good enough for farming purposes, but the rugged climate renders the seasons too short for agricultural achievements. It is frequently the case that sleighing lasts almost without intermission from November to the middle of April. A good portion of the present population now consists of Swedes and Danes, who come from a rugged climate, and therefore are better able to struggle with the Cherry Grove winters.
In 1833 Richard Dunham left his farm in Cherry Grove and settled perma- nently in Sheffield. Silas Aber and H. Cooper, from New York State, settled in 1833 near the Farnsworth farm. They cleared a fine farm, by slow degrees. After the death of his wife Silas Aber returned to New York and left his property with his son, who remained on it until his death, in 1873. The prop- erty is now in the hands of his heirs.
Josiah Farnsworth, a native of Vermont, when a young man went to the vicinity of Whitehall, N. Y., thence to Erie county in the same State, and soon after to Yankee Bush, in Conewango township in Warren county, Pa., and in August, 1835, settled in Cherry Grove, on the place now owned and occupied by his eldest son, Montgomery Farnsworth. This is about a mile east of Gar- field. Josiah Farnsworth had a family of nine children, eight of whom reached maturity. He died in December, 1857, aged about sixty-seven years. Two of his sons, John and Montgomery, now reside in Cherry Grove.
Other settlers, who came previous to the formation of the township in 1847, werc as follows:
Harrison Sweet came about 1840 and settled next west of the Farnsworth place, where he remained until his death, about 1853 or 1854.
Ira S. Patterson came about 1845 and settled on the lot east of Josiah
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CHERRY GROVE TOWNSHIP.
Farnsworth. He remained about five years and then went away. About 1839 or 1840 Amos Young and his father, Jesse J. Young, settled for a time north of the Farnsworth place and near the present farm of E. M. Farnsworth. John M. Ford came soon after 1840 and settled on lot 687, in the eastern part of the township. About 1867 he went to Nebraska, soon came back to Shef- field, and later still went to Kansas.
About 1837 Luther Whitcomb settled a short distance northeast of the site of Garfield. He now lives in Sheffield, where he went many years ago. He married a daughter of Thomas, brother of Josiah Farnsworth.
With Luther Whitcomb came Thomas Farnsworth, his son Joseph, H. T. Houghton, and afterward Mrs. H. T. Houghton, and all settled on one lot near the site of Garfield.
Josiah Farnsworth built the first saw-mill in the township, on his place, about 1853, and kept it in operation until his death. His eldest son operated it a year or two afterward, and then allowed it to go into decay. The mill now owned by John Farnsworth came into his hands in 1882. There are two other saw-mills now in town, both of recent construction, one owned by W. A. Ray and the other by L. B. Wood.
Cherry Grove has exemplified the peculiarity of growth and decay incident to so many towns which have felt the thrill of petroleum excitement. In 1882 George Demmick and his partner, Mr. Grace, while experimenting on the ground of Cherry Grove for oil, discovered that sparkling blood of the rocks in great quantities, and started the famous boom which led to the erection of a village almost in a day. Within two or three months people flocked to the site of Garfield (which was named from President Garfield), wells were drilled, shanties erected, dwellings built and stores and hotels raised, and a village of about 6,000 population palpitated on the old farm of Richard Dunham. There is now but one hotel, the Jamestown House, in the village. It was opened by Thomas Hill in 1882, and is now owned by John Farnsworth. There are only two stores, that of P. Wrin, who came in the spring of 1882, and that of Tiffany & Ewing, who bought out A. C. Myers, in June, 1885. Mr. Myers started about a month or six weeks after Mr. Wrin opened his store in 1882.
As Cherry Grove was not organized until thirteen years after the passage of the school law of 1834, it was not troubled with the embarrassments and drawbacks of subscription schools that the older towns suffered. There are now three schools in the township, two in one building at Garfield, and one at Farnsworth's. There is also a Union Church and a Roman Catholic Church, composed of Swedish and Danish congregations, at Garfield.
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
CHAPTER LIII.
HISTORY OF FARMINGTON TOWNSHIP.
F ARMINGTON township was formed from Pine Grove by an order of the court confirming the report of commissioners, the date of the order being October 12, 1853. It lies in the northern tier of townships in the county, and is bounded north by Chautauqua county, N. Y., east by Pine Grove, south by Conewango, and west by Sugar Grove. As its name implies, its principal in- dustry is agriculture, for which it is by nature well adapted, and which attained its prominence quite early. In earlier times the lumber business predominated, and the forests sheltered many a saw and shingle-mill, from which the manu- factured products were taken to Russellburg, and thence down the river to the market. But as soon as the timber was taken from the land, the inhabitants turned their attention to farming, and discovered as much wealth concealed in the soil as they had found upon it, though it gave up its hidden treasures more reluctantly.
Early Settlements .- It is not positively known who was the very first in- habitant of what is now Farmington township, though it is generally and with reason supposed that Hugh Marsh is entitled to that distinction. From family records it is ascertained that he immigrated hither from toward the rising sun (see sketch of William S. Marsh) in 1798, and settled about a hundred rods south of what is known as Marsh, or Averill Corners, on the farm now owned by Lorenzo D. Phillips. Hugh Marsh was one of the most prominent of the early settlers, taking an active interest in the industrial, educational and relig- ious improvement of the community that grew up about him. He was a Quaker, and was gifted with all the admirable qualities that have for centuries been the distinguishing characteristics of that peculiar sect. His intimate con- nection with the best interests of the town will be noticed by the reader in the frequency with which it will be necessary to mention his name in the course of this chapter. He died on the 16th of February, 1829, aged sixty-five years, and his wife survived him until the 27th of May, 1848, when she had attained the age of eighty-two years. He was the father of sixteen children, whose descendants are now numerous in Warren county. His brother John, who was born in New Jersey on the 9th of March, 1767, came to this township soon after Hugh, and resided here until his death October 9th, 1842. He had five children, of whom mention is made in the sketch of William S. Marsh, appear- ing in later pages of this volume. An anecdote is related of one of his sons, Joseph, which of itself is valuable for the idea which it gives of the condition of life in Farmington before the township was surveyed into existence. Wolves, bears, and deer were among the brute inhabitants of this wilderness previous
Wm S Marsh
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FARMINGTON TOWNSHIP.
to the clearing of the forest primeval. In the early part of this century Jo- seph Marsh (born March 10, 1795 ; died February 14, 1881) started out to hunt for deer just off the line of his father's farm, leaving word that if he dis- covered any deer and needed help to take it he would shout, upon hearing which his father, John, was to come to his assistance. It was not long before Joseph saw a huge buck rubbing his neck against a tree. He fired and hit the buck, bringing him to the ground. Supposing his victim to be dead, young Marsh ran up to him, and putting his foot on the buck's neck, began cutting his throat with a dull knife. He had just succeeded in bringing blood, when the beast began to revive and to make the most desperate struggle to rise. In his frantic efforts he kicked every stitch of clothing from Marsh's body, and at last got upon his feet and stood in a defiant attitude. At this point the hunter shouted for help, and though before his father, with the dogs, reached him, the buck had beaten a hasty retreat, they found him and carried him home in triumph.
Almost contemporaneously with the settlement of Hugh Marsh, Hugh Frew settled on what was afterward the Spencer Johnson place, just west of the site of Lander. Here he built a grist-mill in after years, but abandoned it at an early day and went to Chautauqua county, N. Y., where he became the founder of Frewsburg.
Another early settler within the limits of Farmington township was John Portman, who, previous to 1806, took up two four hundred-acre tracts just north of the present farm of William S. Marsh. He was well known around here and at Sugar Grove, where he has descendants at this day.
John Mahan, of Irish descent, came to what is now Farmington as early as 1815, from Philadelphia, where his parents had then but recently died of the yellow fever. He boarded with the family of Hugh Marsh, and attended school here until he was old enough to take care of himself. He then began business as an operative in the several saw-mills in this part of the county. He died on the 21st of May, 1882. His son, David Mahan, is now a citizen of Farmington.
After the close of the War of 1812 the population of this part of Warren county began to increase quite rapidly, and was composed more and more of that steady element which contributes to the permanent prosperity of a town. They were men and women who desired to establish homes in the wilderness, and were willing to toil, in order that they might enjoy the blessings of peace- ful and intelligent industry. Previous to the year 1822 the following persons had settled within the limits of Farmington, as those limits now run :
Captain Garrett Burgett settled a short distance west of where the Center, or Lander post-office now is, and engaged extensively in farming and lumber- ing. He died on the 16th of October, 1862. He was the father of Peter Bur- gett, who lived at this period on the farm now occupied by his son, Ira Bur- 38
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
gett. Peter Burgett was also a farmer, and a successful man. He was prom- inent in township affairs and was for some time a justice of the peace. He died on the 5th of May, 1874. His mother lived until about 1873, when she died at the advanced age of ninety-seven years and five months.
Levi Chappel lived on the rise of ground east of Lander, and engaged in farming. He was one of four sons of Noah Chappel, who also lived near Lan- der, and who was a soldier of the Revolutionary War. The fires of "'76" never died out in Noah Chappel's heart while it throbbed with life, and he loved, with a soldier's zeal, the country which he had helped to create. He always had the stars and stripes floating over his house on Independence Day. He died on the 23d of March, 1849. Andrew Chappel was another son of Noah, and he had served in the War of 1812, as had John Mahan. Andrew Chappel died on the 29th of October, 1864, and his widow is still living in Farmington. Another son of Noah, Alanson by name, lived south of Lander from the time of which we write (1821) until his death in 1879. The other son, Shubel, died in 1864.
Alexander Chestney, a bachelor of a quiet and reserved disposition, lived for a time on the farm now owned by Nelson Philo, and afterward in the north- ern part of the township, on the farm now owned by Thomas M. Knapp. He died on the 15th of September, 1868.
William Heaton owned and worked a farm just south of the farm of John Mahan, now owned by R. L. Gardiner. He settled in town quite early, and once, in a time of scarcity, carried half a bushel of salt on his back from Pitts- burgh to Farmington.
Silas Rowland was living in 1822 in the "Hollow," on the county road. He moved away very soon after this. His brother Carroll was a stone-mason here for a time. Another brother, Stephen, went from here to Butler county, about eighteen miles below Franklin.
Levant Rathbun was a temporary settler of this period on the State road in the northern part of Farmington, but soon became a Baptist minister and removed to other fields.
William Shelden was one of the earliest and most prominent of the pioneers in Farmington township. He was born in 1766, and followed Hugh Marsh closely to this country from the East. It is stated by some that he built the first saw-mill in the county, and was running at full speed previous to 1803. It stood on Fairbank Creek on the farm now owned by Isaac Howard, and was but a few rods from his house. His daughter Ruth married Joseph Marsh, and was the mother of William S. Marsh. William Shelden died (was killed by a rolling log) on the 15th of March, 1834. His wife, Parthene Sherman, who was born in 1770, became his wife in 1788, and died on the 23d of Feb- ruary, 1844. Their son William was a blacksmith, and for years engaged in his chosen trade near the home of his father, soon after whose death he went west.
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FARMINGTON TOWNSHIP.
Jonathan Thompson lived in 1822 on the place now owned by Frank Wil- cox in the northern part of the township. He moved away quite early.
Spencer Johnson lived about half a mile north of Lander, on the farm now owned by his sons, Calvin and Isaac. He was a man of earnest purpose in life, a good and prominent citizen and a pattern in his domestic relations. He died on the 9th of July, 1865.
Joseph Jenkins lived on the country road about midway between Lander and Russellburg, on the place now occupied by his son Theron. A short time previous to his death, which occurred on the Ist of August, 1862, he was stricken with total blindness.
Ozanı Kilbey lived about three-quarters of a mile south of Marsh's Corners. He married a sister of Joseph Marsh. He remained on this farm until some time between 1840 and 1850, when he removed to Indiana.
Colonel Jeremiah C. Newman settled, sometime before 1822, in the eastern part of the town, on the the farm now divided between Paul Brown and Aaron Wright, his sons-in-law. He was drowned in Irvine's mill-pond on the 25th of February, 1866, when he had reached the age of sixty-eight years two. months and seven days. He was an uncle to William S. Marsh. His descend- ants are now numerous in this township.
Lewis Osborn, a shoemaker, lived on the farm next south of the place now owned by William S. Marsh, where he died in April, 1833. Descendants of Lewis Osborn still reside in Farmington.
James G. Stanton lived in the eastern part of the township, in what is now called Stanton Settlement, where three of his sons, Alexander, John, and James, are now living. James G. Stanton died on the 4th of June, 1865.
Esquire Phillips lived on the place now owned by Frank Wilcox, in the northeastern part of Farmington. He was a pensioner of the War of 1812, and engaged industriously in farming and coopering. He was a former resi- dent of Bennington, Vt., and resided here until his death, not far from the year 1850. Levi, son of Esquire and Anna Phillips, was born in Bennington, Vt., on the 24th of June, 1795, and died just south of Marsh's Corners in 1883, leaving two daughters and one son on the old homestead.
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