History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 185

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 185

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Capt. Jacob Miller received a Virginia certificate for four hundred acres of land in Donegal township, which was surveyed to him Sept. 23, 1785, under the name of "Wild Cat's Forest." He married Ann Lefler, and their family was a large one-four boys and five girls. Adam Miller married Miss Hewitt, and for many years they lived on Ten-Mile Creek. Being left a widower Adam was married again, to Miss May Hootman, and they removed to Ohio. Isaac Miller married Catharine Kelley, and they lived and died in Licking County, Ohio. John Miller's wife was Margaret Miller, and they lived on Buck Run, in this township. Jacob, Jr., fourth and last son of Capt. Jacob Miller, married Rebecca Miller. Mary, Capt. Miller's oldest daughter, married Nich- olas Clemens. Ann married Christian Horn, and Catharine became the wife of Jacob Winter, who in those days was a minister of considerable celebrity. Jacob Winter, of Ohio, a politician of note and popu- larity, is a descendant of theirs.

John Hupp was one of the early settlers in Done- gal, coming here from the East before 1780. An ac- count of the manner in which he was killed by In- dians at Miller's block-house in 1782 is given on page 112 of this volume. The block-house mentioned stood on the farm now owned by Clinton Miller. Two miles

distant, on Buffalo Creek, was another called Rice's block-house. This was on the farm now owned by Charles Burrick. The locality where Hupp and Mil- ler were killed is between West Alexander and West Middletown, in Donegal township.

Isaac Cox might properly have been termed one of the pioneers of Donegal township, as well as of Wash- ington County. In 1776 he held the military grade of captain, and was afterwards colonel. He took part in Crawford's campaign, with Col. John Canon and many other prominent people in the county: On Nov. 3, 1786, Col. Cox took up one hundred and seventy-eight acres of land in this township, to in- clude his previous improvement on the waters of Buffalo Creek, James Clemens, James Russell, and James Williams being the adjoining owners.

Robert Humphreys took up the tract of land upon which West Alexander is built, and on it he laid out the town as elsewhere mentioned. He was a Vir- ginian, and lived nearly on the State line between Virginia and Pennsylvania. Robert Humphreys was a Revolutionary soldier, and also took active part in the numerous expeditions against the Indians. He was a farmer afterwards, and for fifty years was an elder in the Seceders' Church. He died Aug. 19, 1834, aged nearly eighty-three years. His son Robert owned his farm after his death, and it is now the property of William Rice. The descendants of Robert Hum- phreys, Sr., are few. Miss R. Humphreys and Thomas Patterson, Esq., are said to be lineal de- scendants, as is also Robert Humphreys, of West Virginia.

William Humphreys took up, on a Virginia certifi- cate, four hundred acres of land on Buffalo Creek, which was surveyed to him Jan. 27, 1786, under the title of "Venice." It was situated close upon the State line, and adjoined the lands of David McClure, John McPherson, and Robert Humphreys.

Robert Stephenson came into this section from York County just after the close of the Revolutionary war, in which he served as a soldier. He owned four . hundred acres of land in Donegal township, near the present railroad station near Vienna. His wife was Elizabeth Baird, of Virginia, and they had eight children. John Stephenson married Sally Porter, and Esther became the wife of Andrew Kerr. Robert Stephenson was a justice of the peace during his resi- dence in Donegal township. After some years living here he sold his property to Thomas Stokely, and re- moved to Brown County, Ohio.

James Stephenson, a brother of Robert, on April 18, 1796, warranted ninety-two acres of land on the waters of Buffalo Creek, in Findley township. He also had two hundred and two acres adjoining, called "MeCauley," which was warranted July 13, 1786. He was a member of the State Legislature of Penn- sylvania, and died during one of the sessions. James Stephenson had but one son, John, and he never married. The daughters were Margaret, who married

1 In Donegal township about three miles sonth-southwest of the site of West Alexander, and only two or three rods from the State line.

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DONEGAL TOWNSHIP.

Benjamin Anderson, and lived and died on the old farm; Mary, who married John Barr, and emigrated to the West, where she died; Ann, who married David Brownlee, and also went West and died; Nancy, who is the wife of Adah Ramsey, and resides in Ohio ; and Catharine, who married James Deni- son, and lives on a part of the old James Stephenson tract.

John and William Bryson bought land in Donegal township as early as 1792. On August 27th of that year they purchased two hundred acres of David M. Clemmens, who had bought it of John and Andrew Moore. The land was described as "lying on Castle- man Run," and was held by the last-named gentle- men by virtue of an old improvement. William Bry- son also bought one hundred and sixty-six acres of land in this township of John Williamson, Nov. 30, 1808. John Bryson's wife was Priscilla Lefore, and their family numbered ten children,-five sons and five daughters. Of the daughters, Margaret married John Lowe, and after some years removed to Ohio and died there. Mary married another John Lowe, a cousin of the former, and also went to Ohio. Jane became the wife of Kennedy Kerr, and lived in Ken- tucky. Hannah was the wife of William Bryson, who purchased the land with her father, John Bryson. Priscilla became Mrs. Andrew Anderson, and emigrated to Ohio. Of the sons of John Bryson, three-Jolin, Thomas, and James-never married. Isaac married Jane Kerr, and went to Kentucky. William also mar- ried, and removed to that State. William Bryson, who was a son-in-law of John Bryson, had a family of six children. His daughter Margaret married Thomas M. Hughes, and resides in Taylorstown. John married Nancy Chambers and lives in Missouri, and William married Louisa Wyatt and emigrated to Texas. Mary is Mrs. David Winters, of Donegal township. John married Isabella Rizer, and lives near the Virginia line, and Hannah is still unmarried. The farm of the elder John Bryson is now in the pos- session of his grandson, Joseph Bryson.

Christopher Winter emigrated from Germany to this country, stopping first in this State east of the mountains. There he married Miss Catharine Shaf- fer, and with her crossed the mountains, and settled in Donegal township. He took up a tract of land containing four hundred acres, and afterwards bought three hundred acres of the McClelland tract. The land which Christopher Winter took up is now the property of the Linvilles and David Winter. The family of Christopher Winter was four sons and four daughters. John, the eldest, married Miss Fremmer, and removed to Indiana. David married Elizabeth McCoy, and remained in Donegal township. A son of theirs lives on the Winter homestead. Samuel Winter and his wife, Catharine Ravenaught, went to Hancock County, Va. Jacob Winter became a min- ister. His wife was Catharine, a daughter of Capt. Jacob Miller, and their home was in Licking County,

Ohio. Christopher Winter, Jr., married Catharine Simmons. Catharine Winter became Mrs. Simmer, and emigrated to Kentucky. Elizabeth was the wife of Samuel Sheller, and lived and died in Washing- ton County. Daniel Sheller, of Claysville, is her son. Mary Winter married Solomon Reed, and moved to Coshocton County, Ohio. The Winter family has been intimately associated with the church of the United Brethren in Christ.

William Bonar was of Scotch-Irish descent. On Jan. 28, 1797, he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land of Charles Bonar, a part of the three hundred and seventy-five acre tract called "Quarrel," for which Charles Bonar received a patent in 1786. Barnet Bonar, a son of William Bonar, married Miss Jane Doncughey. They had a family of nine children. William married and went to Indiana. David married Miss Dickey, and emigrated to Fair- field, Iowa. Joseph married Miss Brotherton, and went to Ohio. Samuel married Elizabeth Andrews, and lives in this township on the old Bonar home- stead. Mary Bonar became Mrs. Kirkpatrick ; Eliza- beth became Mrs. McCullough ; Sarah became Mrs. Kelley; Martha died in infancy ; and nothing is learned of Margaret.

Robert Gourley was a resident of this township in 1798, and at that time lived on the farm now owned by John Stewart, which is the Gourley homestead. He was a son of the Mr. Gourley who was killed many years ago near Claysville. Robert Gourley married Margaret Roney, whose people lived in Wheeling, Va., where her mother died in 1852. The children of Robert Gourley numbered nine, five sons and four daughters. Of these Robert, Eliza, Thomas, and James never married. Robert, Thomas, and James are residents of Illinois. Alexander married Hester Richey, and they live in Montgomery County, Iowa. John married Mary J. Marshal, and Sarah is the wife of Rev. N. L. Laferty, of the United Presby- terian Church, and lives in Illinois. Catharine mar- ried James Mercer, also of Illinois, and Susanna died unmarried in 1850. Robert Gourley and his wife are still living, both octogenarians. They have had no death in their family for thirty years.

James Campsey was a farmer, who came from the north of Ireland in 1794, and first located in the East. From there he came to Washington County, arriving here May 1, 1801. He purchased one hun- dred and thirty acres of land in Donegal township and built him a cabin after the fashion of those days. He reared a family of five children,-four sons and one daughter,-all of whom are dead save the two youngest, James Campsey and Mrs. Rebecca Con- naughey. The nearest neighbors to the cabin home of James Campsey were the Bonar and Roney fami- lies, and that of James Hutchinson. The Roney descendants now live in East Finley township. Be- fore Mr. Campsey's arrival the Roneys had erected a fort as a place of refuge in times of danger, which

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

was located on Hercules Roney's farm. Another fort was built on the farm now belonging to T. C. Noble, near Claysville. North of the site of Claysville was the renowned Rice's Fort, built by Daniel Rice, who owned the farm upon which it was built. Northeast of that was the property of Robert Walker, who also built a block-house; and not far west of Claysville was still another block-house, built and owned by Thomas Wallower. Notwithstanding Robert Walker had built a place of safety upon his own farm, the Indians captured his wife and took her down the Wheeling Creek trail, but she escaped and returned home. Thomas Stokely took up and received a patent for a tract of land containing three hundred and fifty- two acres, on the head-waters of Buffalo Creek, in Donegal township, which was called "Stockdale." This property still remains in its original shape (save improvements that have been made upon it), and has never changed hands but once, when James Camp- sey, Sr., its present owner, purchased it of the Stokely heirs. James Campsey, Sr., is the son of the subject of the beginning of this sketch, and is now in his seventy-ninth year. He has a property of one hun- dred thousand dollars made by farming. He has a fine home in Claysville, and, having placed his splen- did farm in the care of his son, James Campsey, Jr., is enjoying the evening of his life in the midst of plenty, and surrounded by his family and numerous friends.

Charles Stoolfire was a farmer who lived and died in Donegal township. His home was a farm of one hundred and six acres of land, which he purchased of George Humbaugh, Aug. 18, 1804, a part of the tract "Freedom," patented to Mark Causland Jan. 15, 1798. The homestead of Charles Stoolfire is now owned by Mr. Ralston. He had a very large family of children, eleven of whom reached mature age. Joshua married Margaret Miller. Jacob, who mar- ried Isabella Rogers, and Margaret, the wife of Alex- ander Hunt, both live in Licking County, Ohio. Catharine married Jacob Grear, and went to Han- cock County, Ohio. Lydia also married, and lives in Ohio. Sarah became the wife of James McKey, and removed to Illinois. George married Nancy Madden, and lives in this State. David went to Kansas, where he married, and Susan, who became Mrs. Joseph Ritchie, lives in Ohio. Nancy is Mrs. John Rush, and resides near West Middletown, in this county. Eliza died single. Mrs. Daniel Sheller, Mrs. Ruth Hayburn, and other residents in this vicinity are lineal descendants of Charles Stoolfire.

George Morrow came with his family from the north of Ireland directly to Donegal township in 1819. He settled on a farm containing one hundred and sixty acres, which he bought of Adam Weaver. It is now owned by Abraham Morrow, his son, who was born in 1817, two years before their emigration to America. George Morrow had a family of ten children, two of them, girls, dying in infancy. Of and got on and off the beast without assistance. Up

the others, Thomas died when five years of age, and Isaac died quite young. David married Emily Sned- baker, and now lives in Licking County, Ohio. Abra- ham married Jane Defrance, and lives in this town- ship. Noah married Mary A. Guy, and went to Delaware County, Ohio. Mary became the wife of Joseph Alexander. Their only son, Joseph, resides in Athens County, Ohio. Elizabeth Morrow married John M. Sloan, and removed to Ohio; and Matilda Morrow, who became Mrs. Milton Samburn, removed to Athens County, in that State.

James McQuown, who died in 1864, at the age of eighty years, was an early settler in this township. In 1805 he married Miss Sarah McGaw, and in 1810 they settled in West Alexander, where he followed the trades of carpenter and cabinet-maker. In 1840 he was county surveyor. He purchased a farm of William Hawkins, which is at present owned by John G. Page. His wife, Sarah McQuown, died in 1858, aged seventy-six years.

John Laird was born in Ireland, and with his father, John Laird, Sr., emigrated to America, and after some years came to Donegal township. John Laird, Jr., bought the tract of land which is now the property of the widow of Alexander Hayborn. He had five children,-Jesse resides in Kansas, Robert is in this township, John resides in Claysville, and Mary Jane died after her marriage. The daughter Margaret died many years ago.

Jacob Rizor was a settler in Donegal township be- fore 1787, as his name is found on the assessment-roll of that year. He purchased by verbal contract from Jacob Leffer, the father of his wife, fifty acres of land, to which he did not obtain a legal title during his lifetime. On the 20th of October, 1825, the land was conveyed to Elizabeth, widow of Jacob Rizor, for her use during her life, to go at her death to the sons of Jacob and Elizabeth Rizor, viz. : John, Abra- ham, Jacob, George, and Henry Rizor. An account of an interview with the last-named son of Jacob Rizor, by a correspondent of the Chronicle, was pub- lished by that paper in the fall of 1880, as follows :

" At Dutch Fork there resides an old man, Henry Rizor by name, who it was said could possibly relate something about the Indian ravages in the county. Thither the writer bent his steps, and had the pleasure of meeting a white-haired old man, whose health was quite vigorous until within a year since. He was born at Dutch Fork Feb. 29, 1790, and if he lives until next February he will be ninety-one years old. A year ago he was knocked down and run over by a buggy. He was ruptured, and has since been unable to perform work or go far away from the house. He distinctly recalled the incidents connected with Abra- ham Rice's block-house, and says at one time two hundred Indians appeared at the fort. Until within a year ago Mr. Rizor rode to Claysville, distance twelve miles, on horseback every Saturday evening,

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DONEGAL TOWNSHIP.

to that time he was also in the habit of walking to Acheson post-office for his mail. The distance is two miles. 'If the sun shines,' said Mr. Rizor, 'I can see to read without spectacles. Until I was hurt I could chop and haul wood with any of them. I could make seventy-five rails a day,-a full day's work.' Mr. Rizor has been married twice, and lives in the old- style log cabin, with the veritable latch-string on the outside of the door."

Justices of the Peace of Donegal.1-The follow- ing-named persons were and have been appointed and elected to the office of justice of the peace in Donegal township from the time of its erection to the present, viz. :

Samuel Mason, July 15, 1781. Samuel Williamson, July 15, 1781. William Johnstone, Feb. 9, 1786. Julin Stevenson, March 12, 1793. Jacob Wolfe, June 7, 1793. Samuel Taylor, Aug. 29, 1797. Joseph Alexander, Feb, 9, 1799. William Clemens, Feb. 5, 1801. Robert Stevenson, June 22, 1803. Joseph Henderson, Jan. 7, 1805. Jacob Lefler, Jan. 7, 1805.

Samuel England, Oct. 24, 1807. Isaac Mayes, July 13, 1811. Isaac Leffler, Feb. 172 1813. Henry Emlow, Dec. 10, 1816. David Frazier, Dec. 10, 1816. Joseph Alexander, March 26, 1817. David Winter, Sept. 20, 1819. Thomas Miller, April 4, 1822. Jacob McVey, Ang. 12, 1827. Jesse St. Clair, Aug. 13, 1827. Hugh Armstrong, Oct. 29, 1829. Nathan Rockafeller, April 24, 1834. Amos Eulow, April 24, 1834.

Humphrey Blakeway, May 6, 1835. David Peden, May 6, 1835. Isaac Mayes, April 14, 1840. John Sutherland, April 11, 1843. Jolın'Miller, April 15, 1845. John Sutherland, April 11, 1848. John Miller, April 9, 1850. John Sutherland, April 13, 1853. Hugh Defrance, April 13, 1853. Shepherd L. Guy, May 19, 1857. Wm. S. Alexander, May 19, 1857. John C. Hervey, April 10, 1860. Joseph F. Mayes, April 21, 1862. James Noble, Aug. 23, 1864. John Jameson, July 12, 1865. Joseph F. Mayes, April 17, 1867. John Jameson, April 13, 1870. Joseph F. Mayes, April 12, 1872. John Jameson, May 27, 1874. T. C. Noble, March 24, 1874. Alex. Chapman, March 17, 1875. T. C. Noble, March 27, 1879.

George Y. Holmes, March 30, 1880.

Borough of West Alexander .- Upon a tract of four hundred acres of land lying in the extreme western part of Donegal township, very near the Virginia line, Robert Humphreys2 (who was the original owner of the tract, having taken it up on a Virginia certificate) laid out and platted a town in the year 1796, and called it West Alexander, in honor of his wife, who was Martha Alexander. In the plat and charter he reserved and set apart certain grounds in the northern part of the town as a common for the perpetual use of the inhabitants. A suit at law was brought by Thomas Stokely against the proprietor, Mr. Humphreys, for this tract of land, which suit resulted in a compromise.

Immediately after the laying out of the town a considerable number of the lots were sold, and these were from time to time resold by the first purchasers.

On the 21st of May, 1806, John Wilson sold a number of town lots in West Alexander to William Carroll, who, on the 8th of January, 1810, sold them to John Sargent. Many other similar sales were made, and in the mean time something was done (though not as much nor as rapidly as Humphreys had anticipated) towards the creation of a town. The first store in the place was opened in 1801 by John Craig, some of whose accounts are still in existence, kept in pounds, shillings, and pence. He received his goods from Philadelphia at a cost of about three pounds, Penn- sylvania currency (eight dollars), per hundred- weight for transportation, and in about six weeks' time after they were purchased in the city.

A tavern was opened in the town in 1797 (the year following the laying out) by Duncan Morrison, who called his house the "American Eagle," and had a picture of the national bird painted on his sign, which hung from a horizontal arm extending from a tall post planted in front of his door. The town had a resident physician, Dr. Potter, who came here about the year 1800. The post-office was estab- lished here in 1809, with James Stephenson as postmaster. He held the office for forty-two years, until his death, May 18, 1851. His successors have been John Baird, B. L. Craven, Joel Truesdell, and Lizzie A. Ray.

Most of the town lots sold by the original proprie- tor, Humphreys, were resold by the first purchasers to other parties, who in turn transferred them to others, and by these transfers, or otherwise, the greater part of the lots came into possession of Charles De Hass, who also became owner of other lands adjoin- ing the town. Having thus become principal pro- prietor of the place, he made an effort to do that which the original proprietor, Humphreys, had failed to accomplish to any considerable extent, viz., to found a town or village of size and importance. On the 22d of May, 1817, De Hass advertised to be sold on the 10th of June following "a number of town lots adjoining the east end of the continued part of West Alexandria,"3 and adding, as an inducement to purchasers, that a " brewery and distillery are erect- ing, a brick-yard is established and another one progressing, and a nail-factory is in contemplation." This was at a time when the National road was in process of construction, and had been actually opened for travel from Cumberland west to the Youghiogheny River, and it was believed that all the towns upon its route must become places of prosperity and impor- tance. West Alexander (or Alexandria) was one of these, and the result was that De Hass sold many of his lots, and a number of additional dwellings and places of business were built; but the town received

1 The township of Donegal was a separate district from the time of its erection till 1803, when Finley was included with it in District No. 11. In 1838, Donegal agaîn became a separate and independent district, aud has so continued to the present time.

2 Robert Humphreys, proprietor of West Alexander, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, aud served under Lafayette. When the marquis visited this section of country in 1825, Humphreys made himself known to his former general, and a published account of the meeting of the two veterans says " the scene was most affecting." Robert Humphreys died Aug. 19, 1831, at the age of eighty-two years, ten months, and ten days.

3 De Hass changed the original name " Alexander" to " Alexandria," and the change was. adopted to a considerable extent. In the recordis and all public documents having reference to the construction of titu National road, the place is almost invariably mentioned as West Alexun- dria, or still more frequently Alexandria.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

a severe blow in the destructive fire which occurred on the 4th of May, 1831, destroying more than twenty of the best buildings in the place. It was a severe disaster, but the town slowly recovered, and in the succeeding twenty years-which was the period of the greatest prosperity for the National road-it became one of the important points on the great thoroughfare, having three or four good stores, several other places of business, and two principal public- houses, the latter patronized respectively by the rival stage-lines on the road.

The keepers of public-houses in West Alexander, successors of Duncan Morrison (proprietor of the " American Eagle" in 1797, as before mentioned), have been Charles Mayes, Zebulon Warner, John Cooding, John Woodburn, William McCall, Solomon Cook, James Sargent, Charles Hallam, Mary Warner, James Bell, Silver Gillfillin, Samuel Beymer, James Mathers, John Irons, Moses Thornbury, Samuel Doak, Joseph Lawson, Joseph Dondal, William F .. Gordon, William Mccutcheon, and perhaps some others whose names are not now remembered. There are at the present time in West Alexander two hotels, the Wheeling House and the Centre House, both of which are fairly patronized.

Since John Craig (the pioneer merchant before mentioned) opened his store in West Alexander in 1801, a multitude of mercantile firms and individual merchants have been established in the town, among whom have been James Stephenson, John Mayes, John Alexander, George Wilson, John Gallagher, G. W. and W. B. Hall, Hall & Waddell, James T. Mc- Vey & Co., A. R. Howe, Bryant & Craien, McVey & Ewing, Holmes & Frazier, B. L. Craien, Joel Trues- dell, L. R. Gilfillan & Co., John Limback, Aaron Strouse, Eli & Pollock, Isaac Post & Co. There are now in the town ten stores (exclusive of two grain and feed dealers) besides other smaller places of busi- ness, stores and shops.

It has been mentioned that the first physician of the town was Dr. Potter, who commenced practice here about the year 1800. Among the medical prac- titioners in the place since that time have been Drs. Mott, E. Warring, J. F. Byers, William Gilfillan, Samuel McKeehan,1 Cunningham, Joseph Davidson, Crawford, Marshman, Sartz, and Little. There are now here in active practice Drs. W. M. Gilfillan, D. S. Eagleson, and J. B. Reed. Dr. R. Davidson has now retired from practice.

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History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 185

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