History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 178

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 178

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Wilson N. Paxton rose to the grade of captain in the regiment, and was killed at the battle of the Wil- derness. Another brother, Thomas, was a sergeant. He was wounded and captured at Gettysburg. Wil- liam and Oliver, sons of John, are now residents of Canonsburg. Henry, also a son, resides in Walla Walla, Washington Territory. John Paxton, the father, is now living at Clokeyville.

Thomas and Samuel Fergus, natives of Scotland, came to this country and settled first in Carlisle, and about 1803 they came to this county. Samuel settled in South Strabane township, and Thomas in Chartiers, purchasing two hundred acres of land July 13, 1803, of Moses Coe and John Crawford, who were the ex- ecutors of Josiah Crawford, deceased. This was part of a tract of land patented to Andrew, Alexander, and William Crawford on the 8th of March, 1803, as the heirs of Josiah Crawford. On the tract Thomas Fergus purchased he settled with his wife and children and died there, leaving four daughters,-Martha, who be- came the wife of James Taggert and settled in Canton township; Margaret (Mrs. Thomas McCall) moved to Ohio; Sarah (Mrs. Joseph Donaghy) settled in Buf- falo; and Nancy, who married James White, of Canton township. Of the sons, Hugh married Nancy, daughter of John McClean. After a few years' resi- dence in Canton township they settled on the old Fergus homestead tract, where they lived and died, leaving three sons, of whom John lives on the home- stead; Thomas settled and now lives in Garnet, An- derson Co., Kan. Hugh D. Fergus was in the army in the late war and died at White House, Va.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

John McClean settled early on a tract of land in Chartiers township. He died in October, 1813, and left his farm in shares to his widow and children. Ebenezer McClean, on the 8th of April, 1837, sold a portion, eighty-eight acres, to John Boon, and lived on the remainder till his death. Matthew McClean now lives on the place. John, one of the sons of John, settled in Wheeling. William settled in Kentucky. Nancy became the wife of Hugh Fergus. Margaret married Henry Cooke, of Canton; their son Willard resides on the homestead. Martha married Edward I. Cundall, the present superintendent of the County Home. Hannah J. married Capt. H. P. Boon, of Washington, Pa. Mary became the wife of Capt. William Johnston, of Mount Pleasant.

James Ryburn, of York County, Pa., was a soldier in the Revolutionary war from April 1, 1777, to April 1, 1780, when he was discharged. He came to this county and bought a tract of land of James Smith, which had been a part of the "Smithfield" tract, patented by James Ramsey. On this land he lived and died, leaving four children, Matthew, Elizabeth, James, and David. Matthew lived on the homestead where his son, John Ryburn, now lives. He married Catharine, daughter of Thomas Gordon, of Buffalo township. She is now living in her eighty-fifth year on a farm. adjoining the homestead with her son Mat- thew and daughter Elizabeth. David, a son of James, purchased land of his father and died there a bachelor.

Robert McCloskey was a settler in this township as early as 1785. On the 8th of February in that year a warrant was issued to him for land on a branch of Chartiers Creek, which was surveyed to him on the 8th of March following, and was named "Fressan," containing two hundred and seventeen acres. Another mention of this tract gives the name as "Turkey." It was adjoining lands of Andrew Russell and Thomas White. He lived on this farm, and about 1799 he sold to Robert Montgomery three and a half acres of land on the creek, on which Montgomery built a full- ing-mill. The place where Robert McCloskey lived is now owned by Alexander Moore. The land was part of the military patent of Crawford and Neville. Settlement was made, and quit-claim deed granted to McCloskey December, 1803. Robert McCloskey died in July, 1815, and left a widow and three sons-John, Wallace, and Robert-and three daughters,-Jane (Mrs. Campbell), Catharine (Mrs. McMillan), and Agnes (Mrs. Mushman).

Matthew Bowland bought of John Struthers, Jr., one hundred and fifty-two acres of land on the 1st of April, 1790, part of "South Hill," and settled upon the farm where he lived and died about 1824. He left sons, Alexander, Robert, and Matthew; a son James died prior to his decease. A daughter Sarah became the wife of Reynolds C. Niel ; Agnes married Hugh McGill, of Canonsburg; Ann married James Allison, a son of William Allison ; later she became the wife of a Mr. Lyon, of Cadiz, Ohio, who is at

present a banker in that place. To Alexander his father left the farm, but to Matthew the use of one- half of it during his life. He died a few years later. The homestead is now in the possession of Samuel Skiles. Robert, son of Matthew, moved to Cadiz, Ohio, and settled there.

Paul and Thomas White settled on the lands of the Crawford-Neville military patent. Robert Rus- sell owns the Paul White tract. Thomas died about 1803, leaving a widow, three daughters-Mary, Sarah, and Jane-and six sons, John, William, Robert, Paul, James, and Thomas. Each of them had a farm given them by their father before his decease.

William Harsha, on the 10th of March, 1797, pur- chased about two hundred acres of land of James Campbell, a part of a larger tract that was patented to Campbell Feb. 14, 1793. William Harsha died on the 8th of April, 1814, and the land was divided between the three sons,-the east part to John, the middle to James, and the west portion to Thomas. On the 4th of February, 1817, John sold his portion to David Boyce. James died about 1830, and left a widow and nine children, most of whom married and settled near the homestead.

Andrew Miller, native of Ireland, came to this country about 1800 with his wife, and bought land in Mount Pleasant township of John Miller, on the road from Hickory to Canonsburg; later he moved to about one and a half miles northwest of Hickory ; later still he removed to Chartiers township to the farm on the north fork of Chartiers Creek, where his grandson Andrew now lives. James C. Miller, a son of Andrew, studied law with the Hon. Isaac Leet, of Washington; removed to Wooster, Ohio; practiced there, and died in 1844. Mrs. John Haft and Thomas Miller, of Canonsburg, are also children of Andrew Miller.

John Bennett, a native of Ireland, came to this country many years ago, and purchased one hundred acres of land on the head-waters of Plum Run. He had two children, William and Ann. The former settled first in Canonsburg, and later in Guernsey County, Ohio. His son, Henry Bennett, is now as- sistant cashier of the Canonsburg Bank. Ann be- came the wife of Ebenezer Fulton, a son of Samuel Fulton, of Chartiers township. After a few years they removed to Ohio.

Henry Miller settled in this township and raised a family of children, of whom John settled on the homestead now owned by William Caldwell, a son- in-law. Elizabeth married James Dunlap, of Cecil township; Nancy became the wife, of Samuel John- ston, and moved to Ohio; Christina married William Bennett. They settled for a time in Canonsburg, and later removed to Muskingum County, Ohio. Henry Bennett, of the Canonsburg Bank, is their son.

James McNary was a son of James McNary, who settled in Hanover township; a brother of John Mc- Nary, who bought in North Strabane township. He

James & M'Nary

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CHIARTIERS TOWNSHIP.

came out to this county in 1780, before his father, and on the 19th of April purchased two hundred and thirty-three acres of land in Chartiers township, near the County Home. He married Margaret, daughter of Thomas Paxton. He was chosen elder of Char- tiers United Presbyterian Congregation April 17, 1811, and died in February, 1815, leaving eight chil- dren, of whom Samuel married Mary, daughter of Jacob Miller, and settled near Hickory; John P. McNary, a son of Samuel, lives about half a mile from Canonsburg, in Chartiers; Jane, a daughter, became the wife of Thomas Forsythe, and resides in Canonsburg.

William McNary was a son of John McNary, of North Strabane. He purchased a tract of land, on which his son, John C. McNary, now resides. He had twelve children. Martha became the wife of Robert Russell; Thomas M. resides in Canonsburg; William P. is pastor of a United Presbyterian Church of Bloomington, Ill .; James is pastor of a church of the same denomination in Sparta, Ill.

Robert and John Welch were settlers in the town- ship of Chartiers before 1800, and located on land where their descendants still live. James P., an only son of Robert, resides on his father's homestead. Thomas P. Welch, the youngest son of John, resides on the homestead of his father. John and James C. Welch, sons of John, settled early in Hopewell town- ship (now Independence), near Mount Hope Church.

Andrew Russell and his wife, natives of Scotland, emigrated to this country and located near Oxford, Chester Co., Pa., where he lived several years. In the year 1782 he came to this county and purchased a tract of land in Chartiers township, on which he lived and died. It was a part of the Crawford-Neville Mil- itary Patent, but was taken out under a Pennsylvania warrant, and later was released from the claim under the military patent by a quit-claim deed that was granted by Presley Neville in 1803. Russell also took a warrant for a tract of land on the north branch of Chartiers Creek on the 17th May, 1802. His family consisted of his wife, seven daughters, and three sons. The log cabin that was first built was later used for a blacksmith-shop, when a larger and more commodious house was erected. His son Andrew inherited the farm, and lived upon it till his death, in 1862, at the age of eighty-five years. He married Anna McClel- land, by whom he had eleven children,-James, An- drew, Alexander, Robert, John, William, Jane, Isa- bella, Ann, Eliza, and Nancy. James married Miss McElroy, and resides in Unionport, Ohio. Robert, John, and William are all prosperous farmers in this county. John resides on the homestead of his father and grandfather.

Houstonville .- The land on which this town is lo- cated was part of a tract of two hundred and fifty-six acres, purchased Jan. 4, 1827, by Daniel Houston, of the executors of John Haft. It embraced parts of two tracts of land, one of which was patented to Jolin

Martin and William McClean, April 22, 1794, and sold respectively to James Mercer, David Gault, and Joseph Holines. The other was patented to James Gault, April 23, 1794, and was sold respectively to Hugh Scott, John Jordan, and Joseph Holmes. The latter conveyed it to John Haft, May 3, 1809. Daniel Houston came to this county from Franklin County, Pa., and settled in Middletown for several years, and later bought a farm of William Patterson, in Mount Pleasant township, and in 1827 purchased the land mentioned above, and in a few years after removed to the brick house, where he lived and died. After the completion of the Chartiers Valley Railroad, David C. Houston laid out the present town of Hous- tonville. The first dwelling-house in the new town was built by Alexander T. Haft. A depot was estab- lished and a store soon after started. Shipments of milk were soon made from this station to Pittsburgh, and at the present time the farmers of the surround- ing country are nearly all engaged in shipping, and this station is one of the most important along the line of the road that supplies the city of Pittsburgh with milk. The town at present contains a depot, post-office, school-house, church, two blacksmith- shops, wagon-shop, boot- and shoe-shops, and a saw- mill. Two lots were donated by Mr. Houston for school purposes, and in 1878 the present school-house was erected. About 1874 a lot was deeded to the Seceder Congregation, which society erected a small brick church edifice. This society is few in numbers. The members are mostly residents of the county. Among them are John Nesbitt, Samuel Skiles, Mrs. Hugh Huston, John Smith, Sr., and John Smith, Jr. The church is served by the Rev. Mr. Nealy as stated supply.

Locust Hill, or McConnel's Mills .- This village is located on the north branch of Chartiers Creek. It is on the tract of land that was taken up by Val- entine Crawford and Col. John Neville on a military patent, and on that portion of it that was settled on by William Gabby. In 1847, Alexander McConnel built the grist-mill on the creek, and about 1857 a store was erected near, and has been kept by Daniel Leg- gett, Samuel Paxton, and others. About 1865 a post-office was established in the neighborhood, and was kept at different places by Joseph McKnight, Robert Miller, and James Cotter. In 1872 it was re- moved to its present location, and became known as " Locust Hill." Since that time the office has been kept by Samuel Paxton, Alexander McConnel, and William Sprowls, who is the present postmaster. There are at present in the village three stores kept by James Borland, Thomas Paxton and William Sprowls, a grist- and saw-mill, and one physician, Dr. B. A. Lacock.

Allison's Coal-Works, owned by the Hon. Jon- athan Allison, are situated on the line of the Clar- tiers Valley Railroad, in the township of Chartiers. Coal was first discovered on the James Allison tract

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

of land about 1800, and was mined many years for domestic use and blacksmith purposes at twenty-five cents per bushel. Prior to 1874 the drift was not more than one hundred yards in extent, but upon the completion of the Chartiers Valley Railroad the works were extended, and mining commenced for a foreign market. The coal being of superior quality, a demand was soon created in the west and southwest markets. At the present time (1882) the main entry extends about one thousand yards to the northwest. There are four side entries, three on the southwest side, each about six hundred yards in extent, and the one on the northwest side about four hundred yards. About one and a half million bushels of coal are mined annually, requiring the labor of seventy-five miners.

Chartiers Cross-Roads United Presbyterian Con- gregation.1-From the slight knowledge obtained, it is learned that this church was organized by the Presbytery of Monongahela in the year 1810. The first pastor, Dr. Samuel Findley, labored in the con- gregation in connection with West Middletown. Dr. John Graham, who followed, divided his labors with a congregation in Washington, which was afterwards abandoned. Dr. Alexander McCahan, the third pas- tor, had as his charge the Cross-Roads and Canons- burg congregations. Rev. David Ferguson, professor of languages in Washington College, being a licen- tiate, was stated supply for some years. Following him was Rev. T. L. Speer, who died while pastor of the congregation, in 1851. Rev. Joseph Andrews was in charge from 1853 to 1858. Rev. J. C. Her- ron was installed June 19, 1860, and released Feb. 19, 1867. Rev. H. A. McDonald was ordained and installed Oct. 14, 1869, and released Oct. 17, 1872. The present pastor, Rev. J. A. Grier, was ordained and installed June 23, 1874. The trustees of the society purchased the lot on which their house stands, containing one and a half acres, of Nathan- iel Woods on the 30th of September, 1816, it being part of 398 acres granted to Robert Hughes, Nov. 13, 1786. Additions have been made to this, and a cemetery is now on a part of the church grounds. The congregation has had three places of worship,- the "tent" which was common in early days, the frame building which stood in the area of the present graveyard, and the brick building which is now occu- pied. They also have a parsonage.

The present elders are Alexander McConnell, E. J. Agnew, Joseph Henderson, and Robert Henderson. The present trustees are James Ross, Jonathan Nes- bitt, and Robert Anderson. The membership of the church is 235, and the Sabbath-school in connection has 159 pupils.

Miller's Run Reformed Presbyterian Congre- gation .- In the early years of the present century a number of Covenanters were scattered over Wash- . Hugh Mcknight. In 1807, Daniel Black and Samuel

ington County, a large number residing in the neigh- borhood of Canonsburg. About 1808 these people were organized into a congregation, and soon after- wards erected a log house for.a place of worship on the west side of Main Street opposite the residence of John Briceland. Upon the same lot a burial- place was also used. In 1810, Rev. D. Graham received a call from the congregation of Canonsburg. He was a native of Ireland. He accepted the call of this church, though for some reason was not installed as pastor. After preaching two years to this people he was suspended, and left Canonsburg and the church, and studied and practiced law in New York City till his death. "He was a man of great elo- quence and personality, and was successful in mul- tiplying converts ; but it is evident they joined the man rather than the church, for when he left the congregation they left it likewise." The church was without a settled pastor for a short time when a call was extended to the Rev. William Gibson, who was installed as pastor about 1815, served nine or ten years, and resigned his chargé. Soon after Gordon T. Ewing was called to the pastorate, accepted, was ordained and installed. At his suggestion the old log church at Canonsburg was torn down with the intention of rebuilding, but the health of Mr. Ewing failed, and the church was not rebuilt. His health continuing delicate, at the end of about two years he resigned the charge and returned to Ireland, his na- tive country. On the site of the old foundation a dwelling-house was erected. Several graves are still to be seen at the west end of the church lot. In the year 1834 the Rev. John Crozier was called to the Monongahela congregation, and served this church as a stated supply, but was not regularly installed. He resigned in 1842, and in 1843 the Rev. William Slater, the present pastor, was ordained and installed, and is now serving the congregation in the fortieth year. Soon after the settlement of the Rev. Mr. Crozier the church site was changed from Canons- burg to the present site, five miles north, and a brick house of worship erected, and the society became known thenceforward as Miller's Run congregation. The brick house was in use till the year 1870, when a frame building, larger and more commodious, was erected. The present number of communicants in full and regular standing is 101.

Schools .- The assessment-roll of Chartiers town- ship for the year 1800 contains the names of William Guthrie, Samuel and Isaac Miller, George Munroe, William Tate, and George Welsh, schoolmasters. At this time there were four log school-houses in the township. One on the John Hays farm (now owned by Mrs. Quivy) at the foot of the hill, near where the little stream enters Plum Run. Another was on I the line between the farms of Daniel Miller and Miller were teaching. Between 1815 and 1830, Price | Cornwell, John Haft, and others were teaching. At

1 Py the pastor, the Rev. J. A. Grier,

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CHARTIERS TOWNSIIIP.

the time of the passage of the school law (1834) there were 438 persons in the township liable to taxation for school purposes, and $360.91 was collected for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of the act. The township was divided into seven districts, and in 1836 comfortable school-houses were erected. In this year there was received from the county tax $732, and $144.15 received from the State fund, making a total of $876.15, and in 1837 the total amount received for school purposes was $696.62. This township was among those that accepted the provisions of the act from the first, and raised its quota of tax regularly. The town of Canonsburg was embraced in the school district of Chartiers until 1857, when it became by act of. Legislature an independent district. In 1863 there were eight school districts containing 387 schol- ars; the amount collected for school purposes was $1138, and the expenses were $1121. In 1873 the scholars were decreased to 290, and receipts were $2600, with expenses of $2454.11. In 1880 there were ten districts, with ten teachers and 369 scholars. The receipts for school purposes were $3106.75, and expenses $3556.75.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

WILLIAM HILL MONARY.

As his name implies, he was of Scotch-Irish origin. His great-grandfather, James McNary, was born in Scotland about the year 1711. The traditions of his family' say that he resided a short time in Ireland, and then emigrated to America with his family, con- sisting of a wife, four sons, and a daughter, some time previous to the year 1760. During that year he bought a tract of land in York County, Pa. He was the head of the largest family of McNarys in the United States, the father of all the MeNarys in Washington County. Three of his sons, James, Thomas, and David, emi- grated to Washington County with their families. James settled on a farm in Chartiers township, near the poor-house. Thomas bought a farm in North Strabane township (the Sheriff McClelland farm). David settled in Hanover township, near the West Virginia line. He, being the youngest of the sons, brought his father with him, and at his house the old patriarch died in the year 1796, and was buried in the Harmon's Creek Seceder graveyard, near Paris.

John, the grandfather of our subject, was probably the oldest of these four brothers. He also came to Washington County, and bought a tract of land in North Strabane township. He then went back to York County for his family, and died there in 1802.

John McNary, the father of our subject, was the third son of John, of York County. After the death of his father he settled up his father's estate and brought the family to the new home in Washington

County, and thus became one of the pioneers of the county.

At the time of his death, in 1844, he owned the farm his father bought, and it is still in the possession of his son, James S. McNary. He was a man of upright character, thrifty in business, and an elder in the Chartiers Seceder Church, and raised his family under the old Scotch system of family discipline. He was married to Jane Hill, of Dauphin County, a woman of similar origin, of fine, large physical form, and of very marked character. She was well suited to sup- port him in his pioneer labors, and left the impress of her character upon his children.

William Hill McNary, the subject of this sketch, was their oldest son. He was born on Nov. 26, 1805, amid the forests and stumpy fields of that early set- tlement. What little schooling he received was ob- tained in a log school-house, with puncheon floors, seats made of split logs with four legs. It consisted of reading, writing, and arithmetic as far as "the single rule of three." From his very childhood the Scotch-Irish blood began to show itself in his char- acter. Besides being a good reader and penman, he became a diligent student of books, and intuitively selected the books that furnished the best food for his mind. He became very familiar with the theological and religious books that were to be found in the family libraries of the community, and always kept himself acquainted with the political literature of his times.

At the age of twenty-two he was married to Mar- garet Murray, a daughter of George Murray, who lived on the hill above Vaneman's Station, a woman of like descent, and of meek and gentle spirit, who by her piety promoted the religious culture of her husband and children, and by her patient industry ministered to his temporal prosperity. They had twelve children, of whom seven survive in 1882,- John C. McNary, Esq., of Chartiers township, who lives on the old homestead ; Mrs. R. H. Russell, also of Chartiers township; Rev. James W. McNary, of Sparta, Ill .; Rev. William P. McNary, of Bloom- ington, Ind .; Thomas M. McNary, of Pittsburgh ; Mrs. Rev. E. G. Mckinley, of Ligonier, Pa .; and Mrs. Rev. J. B. Jackson, of Elderton, Pa.

Soon after his marriage he bought what is now known as the McNary homestead, on Plumb Run, in Chartiers township, and having settled upon it his character began to develop and his influence to be felt in the community. He was naturally a progres- sive man, and had a foresight which enabled him to place himself in the advance in almost everything among the men of his generation.

He took a great pride in improving his farm and making a pleasant home for his family; introduced improved machinery upon his farm ; introduced an improved stock of merino sheep, and had one of the best flocks of sheep in the county as long as he lived on the farm. It is said that he had the first horse- rake and two-wheeled mower in the county.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

He took a special interest in education. Believing that the best is the cheapest, he always endeavored to get the best teachers that could be found at any cost, and when the subscription was not sufficient he quietly made up the salary out of his own pocket in order to secure such as he desired. In this policy he was zealously supported by some other patrons of the school, and, as a consequence, the Plumb Run school became somewhat celebrated as one of the most ad- vanced schools in that part of the county.

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History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 178

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