History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 175

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 175

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James Bunyan was from New York City, and had formerly been a sea captain. In 1795 John Morgan, a son of Col. George Morgan, married his only daughter Margaret, and as the Morgans removed to Morganza Mr. Bunyan was induced to come also to this section. He purchased two hundred acres of land belonging to Samuel Long and James Philips in the township of Cecil, on Chartiers Creek, opposite Morganza. John Morgan settled here ; their son, Thomas Gibbs Morgan, became a leading lawyer in the State of Louisiana, and judge of the courts of that State. Another son, James, is now living in Pittsburgh. A colored man, Elias Prall, who came out with the family as a slave, is now liv- ing at Canonsburg at the age of eighty-five years.

Matthew Ritchie patented several tracts of land in this township. A part of one that was patented March 17, 1788, was sold to John Harper, who, on the 4th of April, 1814, sold to Hance McClelland two hundred and fifty-nine acres. Three years later he died and left it to his sons, John and Ebenezer. The latter sold his portion, one hundred and thirteen acres, Aug. 31, 1838, to Alexander McCloy, and pur- chased a portion of the Morganza tract.

There were many families of the name of Fife, who settled early in what is now Allegheny County. John Fife came to this township, and on the 22d of February, 1799, purchased four hundred acres of land of Patrick Jordan, adjoining land of Reuben Waits. He had seven sons, William, Andrew, Robert, John, James, Thomas, and Nathaniel. The latter went West. William, Robert, Thomas, and James, all

settled on the homestead. William and Thomas are still living there; the others are dead.

William Craighead, son of George Craighead of North Strabane township, came to Cecil in 1806, and on the 25th of April in that year purchased one hun- dred and eighty acres of Reed and Sally Bracken, heirs of Thomas Bracken, a part of the tract called " The Three Shares." His son George settled in Peters township. James and John, also sons, live on a farm adjoining Canonsburg. The homestead of William is now owned by William R. Craighead, son of George and grandson of William.

Robert Miller was a resident of the territory be- fore it became Washington County. He took up under the offer of Virginia to settlers several tracts of land for which he received a Virginia certificate in 1780. One was surveyed Jan. 3, 1787, under the name of " The Cell," and contained three hundred and eighty-nine acres. It was at that time adjoining lands of Matthew Ritchie, William Hays, George Frazer, Robert Miller, Matthew Johnson. A war- rant was granted to him by the Board of Property dated March 25, 1795, and returned April 1st, the same year. On the 27th of October, 1793, he sold ninety acres of this tract to Joseph McCombs. Another tract containing three hundred and eighty acres, called "The Valley," was surveyed Jan. 3, 1786. This tract was adjoining Joseph Brown, John May, and Matthew Ritchie. Patent for it was ob- tained in May, 1798. One hundred and one acres of it was sold May 16, 1794, to Nathaniel Caughey, and two hundred and one acres, April 13, 1795, to Wil- liam Kerr. On the 28th of April, 1795, Robert Miller authorized Craig Ritchie to make a deed for John Hays and Nicholas Smith of a tract of land containing four hundred acres, adjoining land of William Kerr, John McCombs, Matthew Johnson, William Hays, and others, "in such sort that Joseph Hays is to have one hundred and one acres whereon he now lives, and Nicholas Smith the remainder where said Miller lived." Prior to the execution of the deed Miller moved to Kentucky. Joseph Mc- Combs purchased ninety acres of land Oct. 27, 1793, of Robert Miller, and lived there till his death. He had seven or eight daughters who became widely scattered by their settlement in life. Joseph Thomp- son, a native of Ireland, emigrated to the eastern part of Pennsylvania, where he lived several years, and in 1802 came to this township and settled north- east of Canonsburg, where he had purchased forty acres of land. He had three children,-Joseph, Wil- liam, and Elizabeth. Joseph married Hannah, daughter of Thomas Bracken, and settled on Pigeon Creek. William settled on the home farm, and lived there till his death. His son Joseph settled in Can- onsburg over fifty years ago, and is still a resident. Elizabeth became the wife of a Mr. McMillan, and settled on Pigeon Creek near the Newkirks.

Robert and Thomas Hill came from Adams County,

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Pa., before 1781, and settled in Cecil township. Robert purchased two hundred acres of land now owned by Arthur Hooper. He lived to be over ninety years of age, and left three sons and six daughters,-William, Amos, James, Ann, Sally, Bet- sey, Polly, Temperance, and Jane. William and Amos settled on the homestead. James went West. But two of the family ever married, -the oldest daughter and the youngest son. Thomas Hill pur-, chased at sheriff's sale one hundred and fifty acres of what was known as the Rowley Patent. He married a daughter of William Hanna, who lived at that time in Allegheny County. In 1812 he built a log cabin on the site of the present residence of his son Wil- liam. He died in 1824, and left two sons and four daughters. William was born in 1794, and now lives on the homestead. Thomas, the other son, was a carpenter and moved to Pittsburgh, where he still resides.

Alexander and Matthew McConnell, brothers, came from Cumberland, Maryland, and located in this township, and in 1785 .patented a tract of land con- taining three hundred and twenty acres, now occu- pied by D. L. and J. P. McConnell, grandsons of Matthew. Alexander was a soldier in the Whiskey Insurrection. He bought part of a farm, on which his grandsons Alexander and D. T. McConnell now reside. Alexander, Sr., had three sons,-Alexander, David, and Matthew. Alexander bought part of the farm is now owned by John and Alexander McCon- nell, his sons. The former lives on the farm, the latter at McConnell's mills in Chartiers township. David settled on the home farm in Cecil, and his sons now own the farm. Matthew also settled on a farm adjoining, and his sons reside there.

William Berry, a son of John Berry, who lived on the Washington lands in Mount Pleasant township, bought the mill property and a farm at and near what is now Venice, where he lived until 1834, when he moved to and lived one year on the Slater farm, and in 1836 went to North Strabane township and pur- chased a tract of land of Craig Ritchie, now owned in part by his son Matthew Berry.

William Acheson bought lands now owned by Joseph Cowden. He had three children, who all emigrated. He sold a part of the farm to one Stephen- son, who sold to Cowden. A part was sold to Benja- min Fisher.

James and Hugh Sprowls were early residents in the township. The former was assessed on four hun- dred acres, and the latter on two hundred acres, in 1788. They lived on or near the county line.

Robert Wilson lived on a farm nearly opposite Morganza. Among his sons were Rev. Thomas Wil- son and James and William Wilson.

Alexander May came from Lancaster, and pur- chased a tract of four hundred acres of land. He had five sons-Arthur, John, Alexander, Samuel, and David-and two daughters, Margaret and Mary. Arthur and Alexander were physicians, and practice l in Lancaster and Chester Counties, Pa. Arthur died in 1810. John married a Miss Ross, and settled in this township. Alexander, his son, married a daugh- ter of John Berry, settled on the homestead, and died in Venice. His son, John B., lives in Canonsburg. John married the daughter of William Berry, Esq.,

Neil McCloy was a native of Ireland, and a physi- cian. He emigrated from Lancaster with two sons, of whom Alexander became a physician, and prac- ticed in that county. He came to this county in 1835, purchased, October 19th of that year, eighty ' and settled on land now owned by Mankadick and acres of John Bracken, part of the Robert Miller tract, John Hays. Samuel was a teacher, and settled in which had been sold to Kerr, and in 1838 purchased Chanango, Pa., and died there. David settled on the homestead and died there, leaving two sons-Alexan- der and David-and a daughter, Jane. Alexander went to Virginia; David settled in Peters township; Jane became the wife of Lewis Grier, and settled in Smith township. Margaret, the eldest child of Alex- ander May, Sr., became the wife of David Reed and settled in the township. Mary became the wife of Joseph Cowden, and settled in Cecil. one hundred and thirteen acres of land of Ebenezer McClelland, now owned by Nathaniel McKnight and John Hays. David D. McCloy was the only son of Alexander by a first wife. Other children, by a second wife, emigrated West, except Samuel, who settled on the home farm, where he lived till well ad- vanced in life, and sold the farm and moved to Can- onsburg, where he died.

A. J. Hopper is a son of Samuel Hopper, who settled in Allegheny County in 1812. In 1847 he came into Cecil and purchased the property on which he now lives of the heirs of Joseph Hill, a son of Robert, who was a resident in the township from about 1791. In 1880 he purchased the McDowell Parks estate.

Samuel McPherson came from Lancaster Co., Pa., in 1849. He married Rebecca, the daughter of Andrew Giffin, of Cecil, and purchased of one Ken- Morganza tract, and lived. there till he died. The nedy a part of the old Logan farm. He built the grist-mill and a distillery ; the latter was running for many years. He was for many years an elder in the United Presbyterian Church of Canonsburg. He died in 1877. His sons, J. H., W. B., and Robert S., are now living in the township.

William Elliot came from Canton township to this section, and purchased a part of the tract of land taken up by Robert Ralston. On this farm he settled, and the farm was left to his son, J. S. Elliot, who was born on the place, and was at one time county com- missioner. His son, J. S. Elliot, and his widow, now reside on the property.

Samuel Moorhead bought the farm on which his : sons W. B. and J. Moorhead now reside. Ile married

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Elizabeth, daughter of Hugh Sprowls, of Cecil town- ship. He was at one time justice of the peace.

William Gladden came from the East, and pur- chased lands in Cecil township, now owned by his son Richard. He married Mary, the daughter of Benjamin Kelso, of Allegheny County. She is still living on the homestead.

The family of Hickman were early settlers in Alle- gheny County when it was yet a part of Washington County, but it was not until 1832 that any of them came to this county. At that time Benjamin Hick- man inherited a farm from his father which was in the limits of Cecil township, and on which his son John now resides. Moses Hickman, also a son of Benja- min, bought the old Logan farm in 1865, and still resides there.

James Little came from the north of Ireland, and took out a warrant in 1785 for a tract of land on a part of which his son Joseph and a grandson now reside. He had three sons and one daughter,-John, Nicho- las, Joseph, and Isabella. John lived and died on the homestead. Nicholas was a bachelor. Isabella was unmarried. Joseph settled on the homestead, where he still lives. He is now seventy-five years of age, and can remember hearing his father relate that when he first came to the county they were in the habit of working on the farm in the daylight, and at night going to the block-house at McDonald's. James Lit- tle married a Miss Robb.

Joseph Cowden, a son of John Cowden, of Mount Pleasant, came to this township in 1848, and pur- chased the Oram farm, on which he now resides. He married Mary, the youngest daughter of Alexan- der May. Mrs. Ewing, of Allegheny County, who was killed by the Indians in one of their raids, was his grandmother.

Cornelius Borland came from Allegheny County in 1846, and bought the Rev. Dr. Riddle farm. His ancestors were early settlers in that section. He married Rebecca, daughter of Benjamin Kelso. His sons, M. H., A. C., and J. K. Borland, now own the farm.

In 1781, when Washington County was laid out, John Armstrong lived on Miller's Run, where now the county line crosses the creek. He also had a mill in operation. Nothing has been learned of his his- tory ; the place, however, has been occupied as a mill- site through all these years. The present mill was built by Samuel Morgan, and was for several years owned by A. Greer. It is now owned by William Crane.

Justices of the Peace .- Following is a list of per- sons appointed and elected to the office of justice of the peace in Cecil township from its erection to the present time, viz. :

Matthew McConnell, July 15, 1781.

John Reed, July 15, 1781.

Jolin Canon, Oct. 6, 1784.

John Reed, Nov. 8, 1788.

Craig Ritchie, Nov. 14. 1784.

James McBurney, April 3, 1799. . Alexander Murdock, April 2, 1804. George Morgan, Jr., Feb. 6, 1807. Samuel Miller, Oct. 20, 1808.

George Anderson, Apr:1 1, 1800.

John Watson, April 14, 189. John White, March 21, IsIo. William Berry, Der. 13, Ist. James Moore, April 14, 1819. John White, JJan 23, 1819. William Colmery, Jan. 5, 1825. Jeremiah Emery, Jan. 11, 1x28. John Morgan, Oct. 15, 1832, David Inys, May 21, 1831. James McClelland, March 15, 1836. Joseph Vanemen, April 19, 1838. Samuel McPherson, April 14, 1840. John Moorhead, April 14, 1840. Henry Donnell, April 15, 1845. John Moorhead, April 15, 1945. Julin McCord, April 0, 1850.

Henry DonneB. Apul 16. 153. Joseph Reed, April 1, 1-6

Julin A. McCord, April 10, 186). Henry Donnell, April 10, 1860. Jolin A. McCord, May 2, 1866 James S. Elwell, April 17, 186G. W. B. Moorhead, June 17, 1870. Jumes Espy, April 1, 1871. W. B. Moorhead, Jan. 26, 1-74. James Espy, Jan. 31, 1874. M. II. Borland, March 17, 1875. A. J. Hopper, March 17, 1875. M. HI. Borland, March 30, 1880. Arthur J. Hopper, March 30, 1880.

Venice .- The town of Venice was laid out by James Mclaughlin in 1844, on land formerly owned by Ephraim Johnson and - - Welch. It was bought by Samuel MeLaughlin, who owned the mill property on Miller's Run at that place. A post-office and store were opened about 1848. The mill has been operated many years. At an early day it was owned by David Andrews, who sold to one Walker, and he to William Berry. It descended to his son John, who sold to MeLaughlin. It is now owned by J. Byerly.

· Venice contains a store, post-office, school-house, two carriage-shops, two blacksmith-shops, and about ten dwellings. The people of this section worship at the Miller's Run Presbyterian Church and the United Presbyterian Church.

Fawcett Church (Methodist Episcopal) .- The date of the organization of this church is not known, as no minutes 'were kept prior to 1842. The first record having reference to it is a survey of the lot on which the present church edifice is erected. The lot was donated by Andrew Fawcett, and was surveyed Aug. 12, 1812. A log meeting-house was-afterwards built, and services were held occasionally when an itinerant preacher chanced to pass that way. The first mention of a board of trustees is in minutes kept by them from April 4, 1842, with regularity till 1850, when many years intervene before records were again kept. The old log church was used as a place of wor- ship till 1833, when the present brick church was built. It has from the first been a station supplied by ministers from other charges. In 1877 the Rev. D. M. Hollister was appointed pastor of Canonsburg and Fawcett Churches. In 1878 the Rev. M. L. Weekly had the charge. After that time it was placed with Bridgeville in one change, and under the care of the Rev. R. C. Wolf. It is at present in the care of the Rev. George Hudson. It has now fifty members.

United Presbyterian Congregation of Venice .-.- On the 4th day of September, 1849, a petition from certain persons living in the neighborhood of Venice was presented to the Associate Presbytery of Char- tiers, asking for the organization of a congregation in their vicinity. On the 25th day of the same month a similar petition from persons residing in the same neighborhood was received by the Associate Reformed

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Presbytery of Monongahela. Each Presbytery granted the prayer of its petitioners. The Rev. Thomas Hanna, D.D., by authority of the Presbytery of Chartiers, organized the " Associate Congregation of Miller's Run" on the 24th day of September, 1849, at which time Alexander Reed, James McPeak, and Joseph Little were elected ruling elders.

The Rev. James Greer, D.D., having been appointed by the Presbytery of Monongahela, organized the " Associate Reformed Congregation of Venice," about the 1st of March, 1850. John Cockins, John Rowan, and Samuel McLaughlin were elected elders.

The first named of these congregations enjoyed, almost from the date of its organization, the joint pastoral services of Drs. Anderson and Beveridge, who were professors in the theological seminary, then located at Canonsburg. By the death of Dr. Anderson (which occurred the 8th day of May, 1855), and the removal of Dr. Beveridge with the seminary to Xenia, Ohio, the same year, the congregation was left, for the remainder of its separate history, without pastoral care.

The Rev. J. L. Fairley was the first and only pastor of the Associate Reformed Congregation of Venice. His pastorate began June 28, 1853, and ended Dec. 25, 1855. Thus these two congregations, which had struggled into existence together, which had erected houses of worship the same season on adjoining lots of ground, and which had obtained the pastoral ser- vices of good and faithful men, became " vacancies" the same year, and continued for about the same length of time dependent on their respective Presby- teries for supplies of preaching.

The union of the Associate and Associate Reformed Churches in the spring of 1858 prepared the way for a speedy consolidation of these hitherto rival organ- izations. They were formally united under the name and title of the United Presbyterian Congregation of Venice on the 8th day of November, 1858. The session of the united congregation consisted of James McPeak, Joseph Little, John Cockins, Samuel More- head, John R. White, and John P. McConnel.

The present pastor was installed April 17, 1860. The present elders are Joseph Little, John P. Mc- Connell, John B. Kelso, Joseph Cowden, John P. Scott, Charles Wallace, David White, and John Maw- kinney. James Patterson, Andrew Borland, and S. W. Scott constitute the present board of trustees. Superintendent of Sabbath-school, S. W. Scott; Secretary and Treasurer of Sunday-school, W. W. Kelso. The present membership of the congregation is 215.

Miller's Run Presbyterian Church .- At a cele- bration of the fiftieth anniversary of the settlement of Rev. William Smith, D.D., held at the Miller's Run Presbyterian Church, May 14 and 15, 1873, Dr. Smith delivered an address, in which he gave a his- tory of the congregation, from which the following account is mainly taken :

The Miller's Run congregation was organized about the year 1800. This is inferred from the fact that its name appears for the first time on the records of the Ohio Presbytery for that year. On the 26th of June in that year Rev. John Watson was ordained and installed pastor. He died Nov. 20, 1802, and was succeeded by Rev. James Dunlap, who preached as stated supply till the 22d of April, 1812, when he re- moved to the bounds of the Redstone Presbytery. Rev. Andrew Wylie was ordained and installed June 23, 1813, and remained pastor till May 28, 1817. He was succeeded by Rev. William McMillan, who la- bored as stated supply till April, 1823. (All the min- isters named above were presidents of Jefferson Col- lege.) At the April meeting of Presbytery in 1823, in accordance with a request of the people, Dr. Smith was appointed to supply the congregation without any limitation as to time, and on the first Sabbath of May in that year he commenced his labors as stated sup- ply. He was ordained, sine titulo, to the office of the ministry Dec. 31, 1824, but was never formally in- stalled pastor of the congregation. The following are the names of the elders who officiated in the congre- gation when he commenced his ministerial labors in it: Alexander McElroy, William Simpson, John Aiken, John Lindsay, Andrew Vaneman, and James Jerviss. The first meeting-house was built of logs, about the year 1790. It was very uncomfortable, and when the weather was favorable the congregation pre- ferred to meet at the tent in the grove, a little below where the sexton's house now stands.

In 1823 the number of communicants was eighty- five. This increased to one hundred and thirty. Three hundred and fifty communicants were admitted on examination during the ministry of Dr. Smith. In the fifty years of his ministry seventeen young men in the congregation received a liberal education. Eleven became ministers of the gospel. When he commenced his labors in the congregation there was not a carriage, buggy, or vehicle of any kind to be seen on the ground belonging to the congregation. Those who had horses came to church on horseback ; those who had none came on foot. It was not an un- usual thing to see girls on their way to church carry- ing their shoes and stockings, which they put on when they came near the church. When the religious ser- vices were ended they proceeded a short distance from the church, unshod themselves, and returned to their homes barefooted as they came. This was customary not only at Miller's Run Church, but all over the Western country.

The ministry of the Rev. Dr. Smith was closed by his resignation after about a half-century of service. After his retirement the Rev. William Ewing, who has charge of the Canonsburg Academy, was ap- pointed by the Presbytery as a supply, and is still in charge.

Schools .- But little is known of the early schools of the township, except that they were scattered, kept

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irregularly, and by subscription. About 1804 and 1805, Joseph Reed remembers attending school on the farm now owned by Jane Oram. It was taught by Samuel May in a log cabin. He taught about one and a half years. The close proximity of the township to the Canonsburg Academy, and later Jef- ferson College, gave. to the rising generation a great advantage over more remote townships, but it was not until the passage of the school law in 1834 that any step was taken towards the establishment of general education, and then Cecil was backward in accepting the provisions of the law. In 1835 there were 251 persons living in the township liable to tax- ation for school purposes, and in that year the amount raised by taxation and collected was $206.12. In the two succeeding years (1836 and 1837) the township did not accept the requirements of the school law, and only the State tax of $69.07 was raised in 1836, and the State tax only in 1837. After that time the township fell into line with the others of the county. It was not, however, until 1838-39 that the people favored the erection of the township into school dis- tricts. At that time seven districts were laid out, and these remained practically unchanged until about 1878, when another district was erected. In 1863 there were 283 scholars enrolled, $1894.48 was raised for school purposes, and an expenditure of $2379.24. In 1873 there were 253 scholars; receipts for school purposes, $2259.46 ; expenditures, $2035.96. In 1880 there were 260 scholars ; receipts, $2939.79 ; expendi- tures, $2482.91.

Pennsylvania. Reform School .- The Legislature of the State of Pennsylvania, on the 22d of April, 1850, granted a charter for a "House of Refuge," to be located in Allegheny County, and under the con- trol of twenty-six managers, a part of whom were appointed by the Governor, and part elected by the contributors to the institution. An organization was effected in 1851, and a contract was made in Au- gust, 1852, for a building, which was completed and formally opened on the 13th of December, 1854. The institution opened with five inmates (as appears from the first report of the superintendent). The numbers increased rapidly, and inmates were received from Allegheny and adjoining counties.

The managers appointed by the Governor in 1869 were John W. Irvine, R. P. Nevin, James P. Barr, R.,S. Waring, A. F. Keating, of Allegheny County ; Thomas McKennan, of Washington County ; and Jacob Weyand, of Beaver County. The following from the report of the managers made in 1878 shows the progress of the school and the change to Mor- ganza, its present location :

" From 1854, the time of its first opening, until December, 1876, the school was conducted under the congregate system, and the inmates were trained be- hind high walls and bolts and bars. With further light and a wider experience upon such matters, in 1872 the ' family plan' was discussed, and a commit-

tee of the board was appointed to visit the 'con- gresses' held for the advancement of such objects. After due consideration it was resolved to adopt the ' family system,' and to remove the school to a loca- tion some distance from the city. After a thorough examination of various sites, the 'Morganza' farm was purchased."

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History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 175

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