USA > Pennsylvania > Washington County > History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 191
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Centreville is located on the line separating the townships of East Bethlehem and West Pike Run, lying partly in each, and equidistant from Washing- ton and Uniontown. The village was laid out upon the land of John Cleaver, who built the first house in it. The recorded plat of the place shows it to have been laid out in 1821. It contains fifty-three building lots and a brick-yard lot. Prior to this, however, Robert Vale had purchased some land of Mr. Cleaver, and divided it into building lots. Lot No. 17, on the corner of Main Street and Pine Alley, upon which is located the hotel of Joseph B. Jeffreys, is the first lot that appears as having been sold, and is one of those purchased by Robert Vale, April 7, 1819. Centreville has a number of fine buildings, the Methodist Episcopal Church being the most con- spicuous. There are thirty-eight dwelling-houses, and the business part of the village is well built up. The hotel is at present under the management of Joseph B. Jeffreys. John R. Van Gilder, Lewis N. Cleaver, John Dabinett, Emmer Griffith, and Abra- ham Deems are engaged in the dry-goods and grocery trade, and Lewis N. Cleaver deals in drugs and hard- ware. William Wolf, Sr., is proprietor of the wagon shop; James Floyd has a boot and shoe store; Wil- liam Wolf, Jr., has a blacksmith shop, and Jonathan K. Teale carries on the cabinet-making business. The physicians residing and practicing in Centreville are Dr. William Colton and Dr. I. C. Farquhar. Rev. Charles McCaslin is the resident pastor in charge of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Cedar Lodge, No. 633, I. O. O. F., was instituted May 20, 1868. The charter was granted at that time, and the charter members were Barnet Johnson, Thomas B. Theakston, Samuel M. Geho, Joshua N. Grimes, Thomas West, Joseph Farquhar, Joseph S. Gray, Ross McMillen, John R. Dunlap, Joseph Wilkes, Alexander McKee, S. B. Paxton, Joshua B. Deems. The first officers of this lodge were W. N.
Harkins, N. G .; E. S. Geho, V. G .; L. M. Cleaver, Sec .; E. H. Griffith, Asst. Sec .; William Fisher, Treas. The members of Cedar Lodge in 1881 num- bered forty.
Centreville Encampment, No. 224, was instituted ten years ago, and the charter was granted Feb. 17, 1882. The lodge has a membership of fifteen per- sons. The following are the present officers : Ahira Jones, H. P .; E. H. Griffith, C. P .; Thomas West, S. W .; Eli Farquhar, J. W .; T. B. Theakston, Scribe; Lewis M. Cleaver, Treas.
Bethesda Church .- The first society of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church at Centreville was organized in the year 1828. The following are the names of the pastors from the first to the present time : S. R. Brockman, William Tipton, John Spencer, David Cross, David Sharp, Abner Jackson, Jeremiah Knox, George McCaskey, John White, Richard Armstrong, - - Stinchcomb, Josiah Adams, - Dorsey, John L. Irwin, James G. Sanson, Warner Long, J. D. Tur- ner, George B. Hudson, John S. Wakefield, Matthias M. Eaton, John Brown, Josiah Mansel, T. C. Mc- Clure, D. B. Campbell, John McIntire, J. L. Stiffey, J. H. Henry, Josiah Mansell, W. A. Stuart, and Charles McCaslin, the present pastor.
In 1834 a lot was purchased of Daniel McJunkin by Battey White, Samuel Dotson, John Stuthers, John Iliff, and Hugh Hetherington, trustees. This was in the village of Centreville. A church was erected on it, and was occupied until 1874.
In the year 1872 the handsome church edifice in Centreville was begun, but the building was not com- pleted until 1874, and the dedication took place in September of that year. At the time of the dedica- tion the membership was one hundred and nineteen persons. The society was divided into two classes, the first having sixty-four members under the leader- ship of L. F. Baker. Class No. 2, with A. H. Deaves as leader, had fifty-five members. The present church edifice is located in the town of Centreville, on the south side of the National road. The society is in- cluded in the Beallsville District, which is composed of four appointments, Bethesda or Centreville, Tay- lor's, Beallsville, and Fairview. The entire member- ship of these different societies is three hundred and thirty-seven. The land on which the Methodist Episcopal Church has been built was first donated by Dr. Cotton, but as he afterwards exchanged the site with Joseph Jones for some ground in another loca- tion, to the latter gentleman belongs the honor of having presented the ground upon which the edifice stands.
The Village of Millsborough is situated in the extreme southern part of East Bethlehem township, and was founded about the year 1817. The first house built in the place was erected by Robert White, and the second (a brick building on what is now Water Street) by Henry Wise, both of which were put up sixty-five years ago. Both White and
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EAST BETHLEHEM TOWNSHIP.
Wise were inn-keepers. In the year 1840 the citizens of Millsborough applied to the Legislature to have their village created a borough, which was granted by an act approved June 12, 1840, which provided and declared
" That the town of Millsborongh, in the county of Washington and territory included within the following boundaries, to wit : Commenc- ing at low-water mark in the Monongahela River; thence south seventy- right and a half degrees west forty-two perches; thence sonth fourteen and three-fourth degrees east five perches and two-elevenths; thence south seventy-three degrees west seventy-one and seven-tenth perches; thence south eleven degrees west one hundred and thirty-nine perches ; thence south twenty-one degrees east forty-three and five-eleventh porches to low-water mark in Ten-Mile Creek; thence following low- water mark it Ten-Mile Creek to the Monongahela River three hundred and fifty-one and two-eleventh perches unto the place of beginning, are hereby erected into a borough, which shall be called and styled the ' Borough of Millsborough.'"
The first borough election in Millsborough was held July 6, 1840, when the following-named officers were elected, viz. : Burgess, John H. Bowell; Council, Weaver Heaton, David Spindler, P. F. Vernon, Paul Rankin.
The last officers of the borough of Millsborough (for the year 1878) were: Burgess, Thomas H. Carter ; Council, Isaac Bell, Joseph Dunn, Jesse Virgin, George W. Horner.
The following-named persons were elected justices of the peace for Millsborough during its existence as a borough, viz. :
Remembrance Hughes, July 31, 1840.
Wmn. W. Hawthorn, April 13, 1841. Persifer F. Vernon, April 15, 1845. Thomas Dalby, April 11, 1848.
| Wm. W. Hawthorn, May 5, 1863. Joshua M. Ammons, April 12, 1859. Jacob Conn, April 20, 1864.
Wm. W. Hawthorn, May 30, 1868. Jacob Conn, April 21, 1869.
John H. Bowell, April 19, 1872. John H. Bowell, Jan. 31, 1874.
William Bramley. April 10, 1849. David Bumgarner, April 15, 1851. Wm. W. Hawthorn, April 13, 1853. Jacob Conn, May 24, 1874.
Isaac Sharp, April 11, 1854. Wm. W. Hawthorn, May 18, 1858.
Josh. M. Ammons, March 17, 1875. John H. Bowell, March 21, 1877.
In 1847 an addition was made to Millsborough on the north side, the survey being made January 26th of that year by Samuel Linton for Jesse Bumgarner. In 1878 Millsborough ceased its existence as a bor- ough and passed again into the township organization of East Bethlehem.
In the sixty or seventy years of the existence of Millsborough as a town, various industries have been carried on with greater or less success. One of the earliest was the old Bumgarner mill, built by Jesse Bumgarner, which is still standing, and is located on the river, opposite the mill or factory built by Henry Heaton, Jesse Bumgarner, and others, in Fayette County. At this point the river was dammed. The power to run the mills was obtained from a water- wheel, which was so constructed and placed as to have the water strike the paddles as it passed through a lock.
The Millsborough foundry, established many years ago by Baen, Eaton & Co., was situated on the bank of the river, on Water Street. To some of the com- pany it was a financial success. In 1881 the build- ings were burned, and have not yet been rebuilt.
The distillery of James Emery, situated on the Mo- nongahela River, in Millsborough, was erected in 1867, at a cost of $2000. It has a capacity for man- ufacturing twenty bushels of grain into liquor daily. This distillery is next the old Franklin factory build- ing, a stone structure three and one-half stories in height, which is used by Mr. Emery in connection with his distillery.
The Southwest Normal School was established in Millsborough by that pioneer educator, Thomas Hor- ner, who is mentioned at length in the educational article of the general history of the county in this volume.
The Millsborough Fair Grounds are a portion of the land called Sandy Plains, located midway between Millsborough and Clarksville, and are owned by James Emery & Co. The grounds were purchased in 1873, and the first fair was held Nov. 4 and 5, 1874. Millsborough has now two hotels, two dry-goods stores, two shoe-stores, two gun-shops, a millinery- store, a cabinet-shop, a tannery, a foundry, and a dis- tillery, beside the churches, schools, and other social institutions. The only secret organization is Invin- cible Lodge, No. 741, I. O. O. F., which was organ- ized Nov. 15, 1870. The officers are James Adamson, N. G .; Harry H. Weaver, V. G .; William F. Orr, Sec .; William A. Hoge, Asst. Sec .; John S. Gibson, Treas.
Churches .- In the early days of Millsborough the believers in the different Methodist faiths joined in the erection of a public house of worship. The house, a log building, was built in 1830 and 1831, upon ground donated by Jesse Bumgarner for that purpose, and the Methodist Episcopal people were to have the preference of occupancy, the Methodist Protestant Society to come next in the order of privilege. The persons who organized and became members of the Methodist Episcopal Church were Jesse Bumgarner, Elizabeth Bumgarner, Israel Dolby, Polly Dolby, Martha, Susan, Rachel, and Elizabeth Phillips, Jemima Herbert, Susan Bumgarner, Hannah Dille, Mary and William Barker, Jacob Spindler and his wife, Elizabeth Spindler, Emily Schoolie, Salome O'Brian, and Sarah Totten. The following-named ministers have been in charge over this religious organization : Revs. S. Brocooner, Spencer, Lemon, Coil, Samuel Lock, L. P. Saddler, Garrett, Jordan, Reuter, Wakefield, and the present preacher, Rev. D. Gogley. There was a Sabbath-school in connection, which was first superintended by Samuel Pedan, of Washington, who married Miss Rachel Carroll, of Millsborough. His memory is honored by the grate- ful remembrance of all who knew and profited by his good works.
The Methodist Protestant Society was regularly organized in 1834 by Rev. Thomas Flower, the original members being Rachel Emmons, Rachel Sharp, John Rigy, Caleb Harford, Paul and Margaret
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
Rankin, William Rigy, and Nancy Rankin. A great many persons joined this church from time to time, until a large congregation was in regular attendance and the society was in a flourishing condition. After a few years the members to a great extent emigrated to the West and other parts, and the membership gradually diminished until finally the society was dis- banded, the four remaining members going to the Mount Zion, the Old Side Methodists, and the Cum- berland Presbyterian Churches. Among the minis- ters who presided over this charge were Revs. William Dunleavy, R. J. Simonton, Nelson Watson, and Mr. Browning. In 1855 the handsome brick edifice known as the "Methodist Church" was erected on the site of the log house built in 1830 and 1831. It is the property of the Methodist Episcopal Society, which has grown strong in numbers and influence in its ex- istence of a full half-century.
The records of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church show that on June 17, 1838, a few people of that faith formed themselves into a society. They were George W. Bumgarner, Henry Alexander, Mary Alex- ander, Lebeus Clark, Mary Clark, Rebecca N. Eaton, .Matilda Van Kirk, Nimrod Grabill, Zeniah Grabill, Mary Ann Johnson, Tirzah Bowers, Harriet Clark, Nancy Rush, Mary N. Beatty, Elizabeth Wilson, Matilda Jennings, Samuel Beatty, Caleb Harford, Jane Gibbons, Jane Harris, Eliza Gibbons, Jeremiah Evans, Jane Jennings, Catharine Bumgarner, Jane . Wilson, Milton Michener, and Abraham Black.
In 1840 this congregation built a handsome and .commodious brick church, which is located on the 'road from Millsborough to Fredericktown. In the ·same year it was dedicated, Rev. Mr. Bryan, their 'first clergyman, officiating. Among the ministers upon :this charge succeeding Rev. Mr. Bryan have been Rev. John Cary, who remained until 1844 (except .the year 1843, when Rev. I. Adams supplied the .place); Rev. I. N. Cary held the place in 1847, 1848, 1849, and 1850; Rev. Williams was the minister in 1855; Rev. Jacob Mornyer in 1858; Rev. John S. Gibson in 1870; Rev. A. W. White preached for the society in 1877; he was followed by Rev. R. J. P. Lemon, and in 1881 Rev. I. N. Cary was the presid- ing minister.
Outside the towns and villages of East Bethlehem township are three other churches to be mentioned in this history. The Westland meeting-house, the ·place of worship of the Society of Friends, was built seven-eighths of a century ago. On April 12, 1792, James Townsend and his wife sold ten acres of the i "Fecund Valley" tract to the trustees of this society upon which to build a meeting-house. This land is situated at the head-waters of Two-Mile Run, in East Bethlehem township, and was purchased for twenty · pounds by Nathan Heald, James Crawford, Abraham .Smith, John Townsend, John Heald, and Isaac Jen- ·kinson. The deed given for the land described it as
" containing ten acres, be the same more or less, it being a part of tract 'Fecund Valley,' for £20; and whereas, the society of the people called Quakers, of Westland Meeting, did nominate and appoint the said Nathan Heald, James Crawford, Abraham Smith, John Townsend, John Heald, and Isaac Jenkinson trustees for the purpose of securing a certain lot of ground included in said survey for the purpose of a meeting-house, burying-ground, and other necessary purposes for the only particular use and behoof of said Society," etc.
Upon this land the Quakers built a stone church forty-eight by fifty-two feet in size and eleven feet high. It had twelve windows and four doors, with chimneys at the corners, which were evidently built with the church. The house is still standing, and appears to have been remodeled and enlarged at some time, but is now in a very dilapidated condition. The following, copied from the books of the society, gives the dates and reasons for discontinuing the meetings. and selling their property, which they did some fifteen years ago :
" Last meeting of the Westland Friends, held the twenty-first day of fourth month, A.D. 1864. Members transferred to Salem Monthly Meet- ing, Ohio (being the nearest meeting we have), namely : Samuel End- land and family, Elizabeth Taylor, Ellis Phillips, Mary Harry, Ellis Lilly, Susanna S. Cleaver, Homer C. Lilley, Hannah Ann Farquahar, Isaac Cleaver, John Cleaver, Ann Cleaver, Peter Cleaver, Jane Cleaver, Nathan Cleaver, Sarah L. Cleaver, Martha M. Cleaver, William McGuier, Rebecca McGuier, Lewis Harry, Sarah Harry, Josiah John, Joseph S. Crossdale, Morris Truman, Ann Crawford, Aun McGuier, Facy Endland, Ruth Jackman, Elisha Bennett, Thomas W. Lilly, Hittis Linton, Comely Harry, John Harry, Olive M. Linton, Jesse Harry, Isaac A. Cleaver, Mary A. Phillips, Letitia Griffith, Esther Pyle and children, Isaac Mc- Girr, Joseph M. Pursey and family, Eliza Jane Griffith, Samuel Griffith, Amos G. Cleaver and family, Eli R. Griffith, Philena G. Barker, Oscar J. Griffith, John E. Cleaver, Benjamin Cleaver, Elizabeth Cleaver, Mary Eliza Cleaver, Ellis N. Lilly, Phebe Ann Lilly, Mariah Jordan, Matilda Linton, Benjamin L. Linton, Caroline Maxwell, Mary Ann Taylor, David John, Asenath John, Taylor John, Emma Jolin, Joseph John, Oliver R. Griffith, Milton Marsh, Eliza G. Marsh, Israel L. Griffith, Hannah G. Marsh, Ruth Ann Phillips, Elizabeth Bennett, William Phillips, Ruth Swan, Solomon Phillips, Thomas Phillips, Elizabeth Philips, James Phil- lips, Ellis Phillips, Martha Jane Phillips, Hiram Cleaver, Isaac N. Clea- ver, Eli V. Cleaver, Seth B. Cleaver, Philena Cleaver, Jefferson Cleaver, Joseph Lewis, Mary S. Lewis, William H. Shriver, John F. Lewis, Ra- chel O. Lewis, John F. Lewis, Mary L. Lewis, and Helen M. Lewis.
"The business requested to be attended to by the Quarterly Meeting having been transacted, finally concludes and is now laid down.
"JOSEPH LEWIS, Clerk.
"WHEREAS, The Quakers of Westland Meeting aforesaid were a branch of the Redstone Quarterly Meeting, and having decreased in numbers by death and removals so much as to be unable to maintain a meeting, the Redstone Meeting aforesaid, in accordance with the disci- pline of the Society of Friends, took charge of the real estate, and ap- pointed Amos Griffith and Lewis Campbell to sell the property."
They sold it April 16, 1866, to William- Fisher, Amos G. Cleaver, and Joseph Farquhar for three hundred dollars.
The regular organization of a Baptist Church took place in East Bethlehem township in 1849. It was under the care of the Ten-Mile Baptist Association. The constituent members were William Wood, James C. Hawkins and wife, Mary A. Hawkins, Nathan Ullery and wife, Jacob Zollars and wife, Thomas
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EAST BETHLEHEM TOWNSHIP.
Hawkins and wife, Susan Zollars, James Greenfield and wife, and George Zollers and wife. Rev. William Wolf was the first pastor, and he was succeeded by Revs. Samuel Kendall, Job Rowell, Charles Tilton, James Miller, and W. W. Hickman, the latter at present established over this charge. The society has a membership of one hundred and sixty. They still occupy the frame church which they built soon after their organization. It was built on land donated to the society by James C. Hawkins for that purpose.
In 1853 the Methodist Protestant people who belong to the Mount Zion society built a neat frame church, which is beautifully situated midway between Fred- ericktown and Beallsville. The land upon which the church was erected was purchased of Reuben Smith. The house was dedicated by Rev. George Brown. The members were Reuben Smith, Amos Bentley, Abraham Keys, John Baker, Nathaniel Smawley, John Register, John C. Smith, and their wives, and Mary, Rebecca, and Stephen Hill. Many ministers have presided over this society,-Rev. Mr. Laton, who died of cholera in Pittsburgh, Revs. Joel Woods, Jacob French, William Betts, Davis Jones, Mr. Simonton, Henry Lucas, Isaac Francis, Jesse Hall, Valentine Lucas, Milton Stillwell, Harry Stillwagon, Mr. Wallace, Mr. Goodridge, G. I. Crowder, Henry Stone, Mr. Jordan, Mark Taylor, Mr. Colheur, Jere- miah Simpson, and the present pastor, Rev. Henry Lucas. An excellent Sabbath-school is connected with this church. Some of the history of this church is embraced in that of the church of the same de- nomination in Greenfield, to which the reader is referred.
The Plum Run Baptist Church edifice is located on the head-waters of Plum Run, a short distance west of Beallsville and south of the National road. The deed for the land on which it stands was made by Joseph Hill, Sr., to Hugh Jennings, and dated Feb. 18, 1804. The first pastor of the Plum Run Church of whom any recollection is now had was Henry Speers, but the duration of his pastorate is not known. He was succeeded by Francis Downey, who was in turn suc- ceeded by Cephas McClelland. The next pastor was the Rev. Adah Winnett, who continued in charge till about 1862, after which for a number of years the church was without a pastor. The pastor at the present time and for the past eight years is Elder Mc- Inturff. The church has now no trustees, and but seven members, of whom six are females. There has never been any Sabbath-school connected with the church.
Schools .- The first record from which any positive and reliable. information is obtained concerning schools in East Bethlehem township is in an assess- ment-roll of the year 1800, wherein are contained the names of John Donaghoo and Peter R. Hopkins, schoolmasters. Of the latter nothing more is known
except the fact that he taught in that year. His name is not mentioned in the assessment-roll of 1801. John Donaghoo taught in the township many years. For several years he taught in a log house on the farm of William Welch, Esq., and later at Beallsville and at Hillsborough, at which last-named place he taught his last term, and entered into the mercantile business there. In 1826 he removed his stock to Fredericktown, where he remained until his death, in 1864. While teaching at the Welch school-house, he was in the habit of walking to Brownsville (seven miles) to take lessons in grammar, algebra, and geom- etry, which he afterwards taught successfully. He was one of the first to introduce the "word method" of teaching the pupils words and sentences. He was a good scholar, an able debater, and was an ardent supporter of the free-school system.
The old school-house in the woods, on the hill northeast of the residence of Daniel Crumrine, was built about 1815, at the corner of four farms,-those of George Crumrine (now Daniel), of Adam Hewitt (now William Buckingham), of Daniel Zollers (now Neal), and of George Pricker (now Richard Craw- ford). The teachers were George Dobbs (who lived on the farm adjoining and south of Daniel Crumrine), Hiram Baker, a Mr. Boyd, father of the late William P. Boyd, of Fredericktown, then living at Frederick- town, and walking each day to his school, a distance of nearly four miles. Jeff. McClelland taught there in the winter of 1818-19. Peter Crumrine, lately de- ceased at the age of seventy-nine years, also taught there. The old road to Fredericktown passed within a few rods of the school-house. At a later date the road was changed to its present location. The school- house above mentioned continued in use for only ten years, and was then abandoned for the Buckingham, or Grove school-house, built on the Buckingham farm in 1825. In 1848 John Reed, an excellent teacher and fine scholar, was discharged from this school for the reason that he taught his pupils words before they knew the alphabet. On this site in 1854 was erected a good brick school-house, which was then considered the best in the county outside the borough of Wash- ington. Joseph B. Wise and - Buffington were among the earlier teachers in this house.
A log school-house was erected at Fredericktown about 1810. The most noted of the early teachers in this house was Jonathan Knight, afterwards chief en- gineer of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. In 1816 a school was taught in a log house at Millsborough by George Dobbs, before mentioned as one of the teachers in the Hill school-house, at the corner of the Crumrine, Hewitt, Zollars, and Pricker farms. Another very old log school-house was located at the Sandy Plain Fair Grounds, and there were several other primitive school-houses of the same kind in different parts of the township.
In 1835, under the operation of the free school law of the preceding year, the sum of $439.19 was assessed
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
and collected in the township for school purposes. The first school directors under the law (elected in March, 1835) were John Bower and J. Cleaver, by whom the township was divided into districts. In 1836 the report for the township was "non-accepting, nothing raised, but $171.50 received from the State." In 1838 the amounts from all sources for schools in the township was $574.74.
For the year ending June 2, 1863, the school report showed as follows: Number of schools in township, 9; number of teachers, 9; number of pupils enrolled, 464; amount of school fund, $1601.77.
For the year ending June, 1873, there was shown : Number of schools, 9; number of teachers, 10; num- ber of pupils enrolled, 404; amount of receipts form- ing school fund, $2585.27.
The report of 1880 gives the following : Number of schools in the township, 10; number of teachers, 10; number of pupils enrolled, 413; amount of receipts for school purposes, $3211.58.
Justices of the Peace.1-Following is a list of justices of the peace of Bethlehem and East Bethle- hem from the erection of the former, viz. :
Thomas Crooks, Nov. 21, 1781. Eleazer Jenkins, March 3, 1789. Zephaniah Beall, Sept. 20, 1790. Joseph Hill, Aug. 29, 1795. Isaac Jenkinson, June 3, 1795. Henry Alexander, April 5, 1799. Zephaniah Beall, May 2, 1802. Jesse Morris, July 21, 1809. John Bower, Dec. 10, 1813. Jesse Bumgarten, Jan. 23, 1816. William Welsh, Dec. 10, 1816. John White, July 1, 1817. Henry Alexander, Dec. 10, 1817. Robert Quail, March G, 1823. Ephraim L. Blaine, April 12, 1827. John W. Davis, April 23, 1828. Jesse Cooper, April 20, 1829. John Freeman, Jan. 24, 1833. William Hopkins, Jan. 24, 1834. John Grable, April 24, 1834. Andrew Bower, Aug. 10, 1836. Andrew Cox, Jan. 18, 1838.
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