History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 171

Author: Crumrine, Boyd, 1838-1916; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Hungerford, Austin N
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : H.L. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1216

USA > Pennsylvania > Washington County > History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 171

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South Buffalo United Presbyterian Church.1 --- The United Presbyterian congregation of South Buf- falo was organized A.D. 1811. The original members were from Buffalo (now North Buffalo) Associate Presbyterian congregation. The following are the names of some of the original members : John Mil- ligan, John McMillen, Alexander Sawhill, John Mc- Neal, James Mitchell, John Mitchell, Samuel Wright, Isaac Carson, John Graham, Robert Graham, Wil- liam Gregg, John Grimes, James Brownlee, Hamilton Brownlee, Thomas Moore, William Sawhill, James Rallston, George Knox, James Crothers. The original members of the session were Alexander Craig, James Carson, James Hutchison, and Thomas Whitehill.

The first church (10g) was built about the year 1811. In the year 1834, having increased until the number of members was about one hundred and seventy, the congregation built a large substantial brick church, in which it still worships. The first pastor was the Rev. David French, whose time was divided between this congregation and North Buffalo. He was in- stalled pastor at the organization, and continued to labor in it till 1852, when he was released because of the infirmities of age. He continued to preach at North Buffalo two years longer, when, having received a stroke of paralysis, he was compelled to refrain from preaching. He lingered a few months longer, and died March 30, 1855.

The second pastor was J. G. Carson (now Dr. Car- son, of Xenia Theological Seminary). His pastorate extended over a period of ten years, being ordained

and installed November, 1856, and released in the spring of 1867. He was a fearless advocate of truth, being pastor during the stirring time of the war of the Rebellion ; he was unsparing in his denunciation of those who in any way sympathized with the ene- mies of our government.

The third pastor is Rev. Alexander McLachlan, who was installed pastor April 15, 1873, and continues in the congregation at the present time.

In connection with the church lot there is a grave- yard, first used as such about the year 1811, and now crowded with graves.

East Buffalo Presbyterian Church.2-This church is located in Buffalo township, and about five miles west of Washington. The time when it was formally organized cannot now be definitely fixed. The earliest mention of East Buffalo ecclesiastically is in the min- utes of the Synod of Pittsburgh, where the Presbytery of Ohio reports Rev. Thomas Hoge as stated supply at Upper Ten-Mile. and East Buffalo in the year 1818, one year previous to the formation of the Pres- bytery of Washington.

It, however, must have had some kind of existence prior to that time, and cotemporary with a German Lutheran congregation that existed in the same place until perhaps near 1840, when by removals and deaths it ceased to exist. It was doubtless to accommodate both these elements that existed in the neighborhood that induced Hardman Horn, Laurence Streker, and Michael Ely to make a deed to the "German Socie- ties" of this neighborhood being of the Presbyterian Church and persuasion, and also, "that for and in consideration of the sum of five shillings," convey- ing certain boundaries containing three acres (about one acre from each) " for the use of school-house, meet- ing-house, and burying-ground forever." The deed was made March 5, A.D. 1802. In the above-men- tioned deed the word "Lutheran" must have been omitted by the person who wrote it, for we find in the deed of Laurence Streker's executors to William Brownlee, and dated June 12, A.D. 1820, the follow- ing : "Excepting and reserving at all times one acre of the said land for the Presbyterian and Lutheran meeting-house, best known by the name of Wolf's Meeting-House." This last name, no doubt, came from Wolf's Fort and people of that name which were in the immediate neighborhood of the church. The church was granted a charter of incorporation by the court on the 17th day of August, 1869, as " East Buffalo Presbyterian Church [Old School]."

The following are the dates and relations of the ministers who preached to this church : From records of the Synod of Pittsburgh, Presbytery of Ohio re- ports that on the 17th of April, 1816, Mr. Thomas Hoge was received as a licentiate from the Presby- tery of Tyrone, Ireland; also that on 21st of January, 1817, he was ordained to the office of the ministry.

1 By Rev. A. MeLachlan.

2 By A. S. Engleson.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

In 1818, Rev. Thomas Hoge is reported as stated supply at Upper Ten-Mile and East Buffalo. By Presbytery of Washington, in 1819, he is reported as stated supply at East Buffalo alone; in 1820 stated supply at East Buffalo and Claysville.

From records of Presbytery of Washington, Pres- bytery met at East Buffalo on June 26, 1821; on June 27th, Rev. Thomas Hoge was installed pastor of the united churches of East Buffalo and Clays- ville. According to the same records the pastoral relation continued until Oct. 6, 1825, when Presby- tery met in West Liberty, and Mr. Hoge asked a dissolution of the relation, which was granted. At the same meeting he was dismissed to the Presbytery of Baltimore. He was again received into the Pres- bytery of Washington from the Presbytery of Ohio, Dec. 8, 1829, and became stated supply at Claysville, and probably preached part of the time at East Buffalo, as there is no record of any one at East Buffalo until 1832. He was dismissed to the Pres- bytery of Philadelphia in 1835.

Rev. W. P. Alrich was the next stated minister. He was received by the Presbytery of Washington from the Presbytery of New Castle, as a licentiate, Dec. 20, 1831, and was ordained April 17, 1832, and reported as stated supply at East Buffalo. The fol- lowing is a copy of the report of the church to April meeting, 1832, signed by him, showing the condition of the church at that time : Number of communicants last reported, 26; received on examination, 1; died, 1; suspended, 1; total communicants at present, 25.

Rev. W. P. Alrich continued as stated supply at East Buffalo until the early part of the summer of 1864. There is reported to have been quite a revival about the years 1856 and 1857.

Dr. Alrich was succeeded by the Rev. James Black, also a professor in Washington College, about the 1st of October, 1864, who continued as stated supply until Aug. 2, 1868, when he accepted the presidency of the Iowa State University.

The Rev. W. J. Alexander began his ministrations to this church about the 1st of October, 1868, and was elected pastor on the 12th of the same month, and la- bored faithfully, intending to accept the call, until his death Jan. 20, 1869. An interesting revival and an addition of sixteen to the church was a result of his three months' service.

On the 10th of April, 1869, a call was made for the Rev. R. S. Morton, who began his ministrations May 23d, and was installed pastor June 28, 1869. He con- tinued pastor until January, 1871, when he resigned.

Rev. Henry Woods, then and now a professor in Washington and Jefferson College, succeeded the Rev. Morton in January, 1871, and still continues his labors as stated supply. In connection with his min- istry a great revival of religion occurred in the winter of 1879 and 1880, when nearly seventy were added to the church, and during 1880 the third house of worship was erected. The present membership is one hun-

dred and forty-two. The following are the present members of session : Elisha Ely, Joseph C. Johnson, Israel Weirich, and Andrew S. Eagleson. Present Board of Trustees, William A. Ely, William C. Ramsay, Simon Ashbrook, Adam Mounts, David Hagerty, and Isaac Calvin Mounts.

The following is a list of those who have been mem- bers of the session as far as they can be ascertained : Joseph Donahey, Sr., Archibald Brownlee, Martin Ely, James Mitchel, James Thompson, Joseph Don- ahey, Jr., Joseph Clark, Joseph Vankirk, John G. Clark, and James Rankin.

The first house of worship (date of erection un- known) was a log building, and stood about in what is now the northeast corner of the graveyard. Within the recollection of some still living, it was used jointly by the Presbyterians and Lutherans during the min- istry of Rev. Mr. Hoge, and for some years after the Rev. Mr. Alrich began to preach to this congregation. The logs yet form an old house owned by Leet Dye, in Canton township. The second house was built of brick, forty-five by fifty feet, and erected about 1836, on ground adjoining original lot, and bought of Wil- liam Brownlee. The deed for this ground was not made until April 9, 1849, when, for and in consideration of $13.28, Mr. Brownlee conveys to Joseph Clark and Oliver Wallace, trustees of East Buffalo Church, eighty-three perches of ground therein described. This church building was occupied for the last time on Sabbath, May 30, 1880. It was then torn down, and on the same ground the third building (also of brick) was erected that year and completed in Feb- ruary, 1881, and was occupied as a house of worship for the first time on March 4, 1881, and formally dedi- cated on the 27th of the same month. The building is about forty by sixty feet, of rather a unique form, yet one of the most tasteful and convenient churches in the Presbytery. The entire cost was about $5600.

There has been a Sabbath-school in connection with the church for a great many years. It has now eleven classes, with as many teachers and nearly one hundred pupils enrolled. Superintendent, A. S. Eagleson ; Assistant, W. C. Ramsay; Librarian and Secretary, Walter Ely.

Buffalo Baptist Church .- This church was organ- ized June 1, 1861, at Buffalo Town, under the juris- diction of the Wheeling Baptist Association, sixty members of the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church of East Finley having requested a letter for the purpose of forming the new organization. The first pastor was Rev. H. R. Craig, who remained till June 11, 1804, and has been succeeded by the following: Revs. G. W. Wharton, W. R. Mayberry, John S. Snodgrass, - Blaine, L. S. Colburn, William Ryan, J. R. Foulks, and the present pastor, Rev. J. S. Simpson. The present deacons are Lewis McKahan, Samuel Kelly, G. Y. Holmes, John S. Miller, and James Murray. The church has at present seventy members.

Schools,-One of the first school-houses in Buffalo

BUFFALO TOWNSHIP.

was a primitive one, built in 1803, near the site of the North Buffalo Church. It was a rude log struc- ture, chinked, but not "daubed," with clay in the in- terstices, and was without floor, other than the ground on which it stood. The first teacher in this house was a Mr. Anderson; who his successors were has not been ascertained. The Brownlee school-house, nearly as old as the one first named, stood on the Thomas Brownlee farm. In this house John Wolf taught in 1808. He was succeeded as teacher by John Reed, after whom came John McMillan. ' An- other early school-house of the same kind stood on the Donohoo farm, the first teacher in this being the John Reed before mentioned. Other school-houses of the same character and pretensions were built in other parts of the township, and in these subscription schools were maintained during a small part of each year down to the time of the adoption of the free school system under the law of 1834.

The provisions of the public school law were ac- cepted by this township in 1835, and in that year the first school directors (Messrs. Ritner and Ely) were elected. There was but little change in the character of the schools until about the year 1840, when the idea of classification began to be adopted, especially in arithmetic. The adoption of the county superin- tendency marked an era in the development of our schools. John L. Gow, the first superintendent, in- sisted on more thorough scholarship in the schools, a truer idea of the teachers' work. From 1840 to 1846, in what is known as the Science Hill School, in Buffalo township, beside the common branches, algebra, geom- etry, natural philosophy, chemistry, physiology, rhet- oric, logic, and intellectual philosophy were success- fully taught. That school was established and was first taught by Nathaniel McDowell, who is now, or was recently, a clergyman of the United Presbyterian denomination, preaching in Iowa. After him the school was mainly taught by teachers from the ranks of its own pupils. The school continued in successful operation till 1846, and during the period of its ex- istence the district sent out twelve or fifteen teachers, most of whom achieved success. Gen. Wallace Mc- Williams was president of the school board of Buffalo township for a number of years, and was a model school officer. There was no school in the township but what he visited often with words of cheer and encouragement for both teacher and scholars. He is remembered by those who knew him as an untiring, ardent, and successful worker in the cause of educa- tion. John McMannis became a member of the board in 1848, and served in that capacity in Buffalo township for more than twenty years, during fifteen years of which time he was president or secretary of the board.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.

JOIN IRWIN.

Thomas Irwin was a native of North Ireland, where he married Mary Scott. They emigrated to America in 1788, and settled in Buffalo township, Washington Co., Pa., upon a farm purchased from James Snod- grass. They lived upon this farm the rest of their lives. Thomas died in June, 1829, aged seventy-six years. His wife died in 1835. They were both buried in the cemetery of the North Buffalo United Presby- terian Church, of which they were members. Their children were John, Mary, William, Sarah, Elizabeth, Martha, and Jane.

John Irwin was born in Ireland about two years before his parents came to America. He spent nearly all of his life in Buffalo township, Washington. Co., Pa., and his business was farming. He led a quiet and industrious life, and bore a good reputation. He lived and died in the faith of his parents, and was a consistent Christian. He was married in 1811 to Elizabeth Anderson. She also was a native of Nortlı Ireland, and came with her parents to America about the year 1790. They first settled in Cumberland County, Pa., but about two years afterward removed to Washington County, and settled in Buffalo, town- ship, near the Irwins.

John Irwin died in December, 1829. His wife, Elizabeth, died in April, 1857. Their children were Thomas S., Leviah, Mary Jane, Matthew A., Saralı M., and Elizabeth M.

Thomas S. Irwin was born in Buffalo township, Washington Co., Sept. 28, 1812. He attended the district schools, and worked upon his father's farnı until nineteen years of age, when he left home to learn the carpenter trade with George Wilson, of his native township. After serving an apprenticeship of three years, he began work for himself, and followed his trade, building houses, barns, etc., until 1855, when he and his brother built a steam saw-mill, which he operated for eight and one-half years, and since that time his principal employment has been farming.

During the late war he was enrolling officer of the Donegal district. From 1837 to 1845 he was major of the First Battalion, Tenth Regiment, of the State militia, and from 1846 to 1848 he was lieutenant- colonel of a regiment of volunteers of Claysville. In 1872 he was appointed postmaster of Claysville, which has been his home since 1834, and still occu- pies that position, having been reappointed as his commissions expired. In politics he is a Republican, and has been since the organization of the party. He began life at the bottom of the financial scale, and by his own efforts has acquired his present pos- sessions. In 1847 he united with the Presbyterian Church, and since 1863 has been an elder in the same. He is trusted and respected wherever he is known

686

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

His first wife was Elizabeth Henderson, to whom he was married Feb. 24, 1842. She died May 26, 1846. By this marriage there were three children, all of. whom died in infancy. He was married to his second wife, Mary Jane Frazier, June 1, 1848. By this marriage there are five children, all living,-William A., who is assistant postmaster of Claysville; Thomas F., who, after graduating at Washington College in 1880, read law in Keokuk, Iowa, where he was ad-

mitted to the bar soon before this writing ; Catharine E., Daniel K., Jennie May.

Thomas S. is a clever, intelligent man, and very bright and active for one of seventy years. He is the oldest and only male representative of his family now living of his generation. His home is very comfortable. He came from Buffalo township to Claysville in 1834, and has been here ever since. He is respected by those who know him.

CANTON TOWNSHIP.

CANTON was erected from parts of the territory of the townships of Morris, Hopewell, Strabane, and Chartiers, but it was not, as was often the case, the large extent of any one of these that caused the reduction of their areas and the formation of the new township. A petition was presented for the erec- tion of Canton township to the Court of Quarter Sessions of Washington County in 1791, which was granted on the 10th of June in that year, erecting the township of Canton with limits which remained un- changed until 1853, when a portion of its territory was taken off to form a part of Franklin township. Following is a list of persons who were and have been appointed and elected to the office of justice of the peace 1 in Canton township, viz .:

William Slemmens, Nov. 1, 1799. Jonathan Leet, Jan. 2, 1802. Joseph Irons, April 2, 1803. James White, April 14, 1840. Julin Brownlee, April 14, 1840. Samuel K. Weirich, April 15, 1845. George W. Boyd, April 15, 1845.

Robert R. Reed, April 11, 1848. Hervey N. Clark, April 10, 1849. Alexander G. Marshman, April 14, 1863 ; May 30, 1868.

A. S. Eagleson, April 28, 1873 ; Jan. 16, 1874; March 25, 1878.

Settlements .- Zachariah Pumphrey received a Virginia certificate, dated at Coxe's Fort, Feb. 22, 1780, certifying that he is "entitled to four hundred acres of land in the county of Ohio, on -Shirtees' Creek, to include his actual settlement made in the year 1774." It was surveyed in the year 1785, as containing three hundred and fifty-three and three-eighths acres. On this land he lived till about 1795, but in the mean time sold parts of it to Abram Swearingen, Abram Robertson, John Ferguson, Isaac Leet, Jr., James Young, and Isaac Warrich. In 1795 he had sold the entire tract. This tract was in Strabane township until Canton was erected in 1791, when it became a part of that township. On this farm was located the

old Razortown (of which but little is known), before the county of Washington was erected. Later the small parcels were purchased and again became mostly in one tract, and were known respectively as the Wylie, Kelly, and Montgomery farm. It forms now the fine and productive farm of Gen. John Hall.

William Johnston was in this territory as early as 1778, and in January, 1780, he received a Virginia certificate for a tract of land "situate on the waters of Chartiers Creek." It was surveyed as "John- ston," and contained three hundred and ninety-one acres ; patent for it was obtained Nov. 20, 1786. In April of this year he was appointed justice of the peace and of the Court of Common Pleas. On the 6th of May, 1795, he sold to Nathaniel Mitchell two hundred and one acres. William Johnston had two sons, John and Robert. John married a Miss Noble, but left no descendants. Robert married Grizella Pollock. They had twelve children, namely : Mary, Jane, Nancy, John, William, Martha, Margaret, Grizella (1st), Grizella (2d), Robert, and Samuel.

Mary married John McMillan, and settled in Char- tiers township. Jane married Barclay Mclain, and located in Buffalo township. Nancy became the wife of Robert Patterson, and moved to Beaver County, Pa. John married three times : first, Margaret Tag-' gert; second, Ann McClelland; third, Rebecca Brown- lee. William married Mary McLain, and settled in Mount Pleasant township. Martha married John Hammond, and emigrated to Belmont County, Ohio. Margaret and Grizella both died young. The next daughter (also named Grizella) married David Mor- row, and now resides in the township. Robert mar- ried Isabella McConnaughey, and resides on the old homestead. -

Nathaniel Mitchell came to this county in 1795, and on the 6th of May in that year purchased two hundred and one acres of William Johnson, and on the 4th of June the same year bought one hundred acres of land of William and James Bailey, a part

I From the erection of the township in 1791 to 1803 it was under the jurisdiction of the justices of the district from which it was taken. In the latter year it was united with Buffalo in District No. 2, and re- ma'ned in that district until Is, when it became an independent dis- trict.

687

CANTON TOWNSHIP.

of a tract named "Labrador," on the head-waters of Brush Run, which had been granted to Henry Mar- tin on a Virginia certificate. From 1799 to 1828 he purchased several other tracts, amounting to nearly four hundred acres, in the vicinity. James, son of Nathaniel, married Elizabeth Irwin, by whom he had six children,-Jennie, Margaret, David, John, Ann, and Elizabeth. Jennie never married. Mar- garet married Samuel McConnaughey ; they had four children,-James, Joseph, David and Margaret; the latter became the wife of John Hodgins. David, a son of Nathaniel Mitchell, married Ann Hatcher, of Ohio. John, brother of David, married Rachel St. Clair; moved to Indiana. Ann became the wife of Eleazer Brownlee, and moved to Ohio. Elizabeth married James Pollock, and emigrated to Ohio.

Enoch Dye emigrated from the eastern part of the State to what is now Washington County about 1778, and settled upon a tract of land- for which he obtained a Virginia certificate Dec. 16, 1779. It was surveyed to him' on the 25th of January, 1786. It contained three hundred and ninety-three acres, and was named "Spencer," and at the time of survey was adjoining lands of John Leman, Richard Yeates, David Irwin, David Clark, and James Leet. He married Rebecca, the daughter of Isaac Leet. Their children were Daniel, Enoch, Isaac, William, Eliza- beth, Sarah, Susan, and others. . Daniel married Jane McIntyre, and emigrated to Licking, Ohio, with a large family about 1815. Enoch, who married Mary McIntyre, was killed by the fall of a tree. Isaac married Margaret Clidellen, and settled in Canton township, where he died. William died when a young man. Elizabeth became the wife of Wil- liam Thompson. Their descendants are now in the township and in Canonsburg. Sarah married Sam- uel Crawford and emigrated to Ohio. Susan became the wife of Samuel Carruthers, and removed to Mansfield, Ohio.

Samuel Prigg, a native of Lancaster County, Pa., emigrated to Washington County and purchased lands of Enoch Dye, whose daughter Hetty he married. There were two block-houses on the tract, which were about one hundred and fifty yards apart, to which the settlers were in the habit of gathering. Samuel Prigg settled on this land and lived and died there, leaving five sons and two daughters, namely, John, Robert, William, Enoch, James, Margaret, and Rebecca, who are all living with the exception of Robert. John married Jane Dye ; they left no descendants ; Robert married Mary A. Bell, by whom he had two children, Hamilton and Hetty; the former resides in Kansas ; the latter became the wife of Joseph McDaniels, of this county ; William married Rebecca Mountz; Enoch married Matilda McDaniels; James married Caroline Mountz.

Of the daughters of Samuel Prigg, Margaret became the wife of Daniel Dye. The above all reside in the township except Robert, who is deceased.

Rebecca became the wife of Isaac Cooper, and moved to Waynesburg, Greene Co., Pa., where they now reside.

John Leman emigrated from Ireland to this coun- try, and settled for some years in Chester County. About 1779 emigrated with his family to what soon after became Washington County, and took up land, for which he received a Virginia certificate Feb. 18, 1780. This tract was surveyed April 11, 1785, as "Care," and contained three hundred and forty-nine acres. At the time of the survey it was adjoining lands of Robert Stockton, James Brownlee, and other lands of Leman. The other land here mentioned was a tract named "Leman Grove," to which he re- ceived a patent March 3, 1786. He sold a few years later one hundred acres of "Leman Grove" to James Latimore. He died in the summer of 1794, and left a widow, five daughters, and no sons. The daughters were Jane, Margaret, Martha, Sarah, Isabella, and Mary. Jane became the wife of James Brownlee, and settled in Franklin township; Margaret married Wil- liam Brownlee, and also settled in Franklin ; Martha married Ludowyck McCarroll, and settled near Hick- ory, in Mount Pleasant township; Sarah married James Latimore, who purchased a part of the " Leman Grove" tract in 1793; Isabella remained single; Mary, the youngest daughter, married first a Mr. Stuart; they had one daughter, Isabella. After the death of Mr. Stuart she became the wife of Thomas Patterson, of Mount Pleasant, who died soon after, and she became the wife of James Ridgway, and set- tled on property adjoining land of Thomas Patterson.

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History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 171

Author: Crumrine, Boyd, 1838-1916; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Hungerford, Austin N Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia : H.L. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 1216

Author: Crumrine, Boyd, 1838-1916; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Hungerford, Austin N
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : H.L. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 1216