History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 195

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 195

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ministers seceding were Orange Scott, Leroy Sunder- land, Luther Lee, Cyrus Prindle, L. C. Matlack, Edward Smith, and quite a number of lesser lights. An organization was effected and a society formed in Greenfield, and a circuit established called Bridgeport Circuit. The first preacher who traveled the circuit was John P. Betker. He was a clear-headed man, considerable of a preacher, and few men dared dis- cuss with him the issues involved as between the Wesleyans and the Methodist Episcopal Church.

The members constituting the Greenfield Society were Job Johnson and wife, W. D. Veatch, S. S. Roth- well, Elizabeth Rothwell, Henry Dowler and wife, James L. Wells and wife, George Hornbake and wife, Henry Hornbake and wife, Albert Wilson, some fif- teen in all, and during the years of their existence as a society quite a number were added. The circuit contained four preaching-places,-Greenfield, Bridge- port, Theaxton's, and one other. They never built a church at Greenfield, but had good churches at the other points. The organization continued in this county until the downfall of slavery, and then went down, the most of the members going back into the Methodist Episcopal Church.

In 1847 the district was changed to Morgantown District, Simon Elliott presiding elder. John Spen- cer and J. L. Irwin were on circuit. In 1854 and '55, T. M. Hudson was presiding elder, and A. Jackson on circuit.

In the years 1858 and 1859 the old church building in Greenfield was torn down, and a larger one erected on the site. In the year 1859, C. A. Holms was pre- siding elder ; in 1861, D. L. Dempsy presiding elder, William McCracken on circuit ; 1863, Greenfield and California became a station, Dempsy presiding elder, and J. J. Hayes on charge ; 1864, William Cox pre- siding elder, and D. B. Campbell on charge. In 1865, William Cox presiding elder, and T. S. Hodson on charge. In 1866, W. A. Davidson presiding elder, and M. B. Pugh on charge. In 1867, Davidson pre- siding elder, and M. B. Pugh to December, from De- cember to March, S. S. Rothwell on charge. In 1868, L. R. Beacom presiding elder, and D. A. Pierce on charge. In 1869, same as 1868. 1870, L. R. Beacom presiding elder, and J. G. Gogueley on charge. In 1871, same. 1872, H. Miller presiding elder, and William Johnson on charge. 1873, same. 1874, same. 1875, H. Miller presiding elder, and Rer. Batchtell on charge. In 1876, T. N. Boyle presiding elder, and Hollingshead on charge. 1876, S. H. Nes- bit presiding elder, and W. F. Lauck on charge. 1877, same. In 1878, J. Baker presiding elder, and Lauck on charge. In 1879, J. Baker presiding elder, and Swan on charge. In 1880 and 1881, same. The membership in the two churches of the charge is three hundred and eighty.

Some time during the year 1873 the church in Greenfield was burned down, and soon the present one was erected on the same site, costing about three

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

thousand dollars. California Church is valued at four thousand dollars. There are two Sabbath- schools in the charge. Number of scholars, three hundred. Greenfield superintendent, Frank Shut- terly ; California, L. W. Morgan.

Cumberland Presbyterian Church .- This congre- gation was organized on the 28th March, 1836, by the Rev. S. M. Sparks. A church edifice was erected in 1839, and a larger one about 1870. The present pas- tor is the Rev. I. N. Cary, who is also pastor of the Millsboro' Church. For more extended information concerning this denomination the reader is referred to the article in the general history contributed by the Rev. Azel Freeman.

Catholic Church .- Catholic services have been held in Greenfield borough only for the last six or seven years. Their first mass was celebrated by Rev. Father Arthur Develin in a frame house situated on the mill property on Water Street, and which is now occupied by George S. Hornbake and family. Prior to that date Catholic services had been held in the village of Granville, at the residence of Barney Sloan, Rev. Father Herman being first in charge of the parish, and was succeeded by Rev. Father Ryan. Since the beginning of the Catholic services in Green- field they have rented for their use the Jackman Hall save for one year, when they worshiped in the house of Daniel O'Connell Lambert. Rev. Father Develin was succeeded by Rev. P. H. Connery ; then came Rev. C. A. McDermott, and he was followed by Rev. P. H. Connery. Two town lots, Nos. 22 and 23, have been purchased, upon which a church edifice is to be erected. The lots were bought of John R. Gregg. The history of the Catholic Church would be incom- plete should the name of Joseph A. Lambert be omit- ted from the sketch. In the strict sense of the term he is not a practical Catholic, but has always been looked upon as one of the number, and has always sustained the church here pecuniarily as well as otherwise.

the State. In that year several school-houses were built, some of them being of brick. Upon the divis- ion of old Pike Run, and the formation of the town- ships of East and West Pike Run in 1839, the new townships were redistricted, and the character of the schools materially improved.

In 1863 the school-houses of Districts Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 in East Pike Run were declared insufficient for the uses of the schools, and new ones were soon. after erected in their stead, and from about that time the schools of this township gradually improved, until they became, as at present, equal in grade to those of any other township of the county. The school re- port of 1863 showed the following statistics of schools in East Pike Run, viz .: Number of schools, 5; num- ber of teachers, 5; number of scholars enrolled, 208; receipts for school purposes, $497.64; expenditures for the same, $544.46. The report for the year ending June, 1873, showed the same number of schools and teachers as that of 1863, while the number of enrolled scholars had decreased to 162. In 1880 the number of schools reported was 6; number of teachers, 6; scholars enrolled, 262; receipts for school purposes, $1464.08; expenditures, $1336.02.

Justices of the Peace .- Following is a list of per- sons elected as justices in East Pike Run township :

Isaac Ailes, April 14, 1840. Simeon Jackman, April 14, 1840. Morrison Chester, April 15, 1845. Isaac Ailes, April 15, 1845. Azariah Crow, April 9, 1850. Andrew Gregg, April 9. 1850. Theodore H. Dowler, April 13, 1853. Andrew Gregg, April 10, 1855. Andrew Gregg, April 10, 1860. C. J. Springer, April 24, 1862.

Angustus Wells, April 14, 1863. H. S. Chalfant, July 12, 1865. C. J. Springer, April 10, 1866. H. S. Chalfant, April 11, 1870. C. J. Springer, April 19, 1872. H. S. Chalfant, Jan. 26, 1874. C. J Springer, Jan. 11, 1874. H. S. Chalfant, April 26, 1875. C. J. Springer, March 14, 1877. James Boyle, March 30, 1880.

Granville is a small village in East Pike Run township, situated on both sides of the stream Pike Run and its tributary, Gorby's Fork. The portion of the village east of Gorby's Fork was laid out by Henry Dowler, and is called Minersville. It contains nine dwellings, one store, and one blacksmith-shop. Granville proper is on the opposite side of the fork on Pike Run, and was laid out by James Gregg, who built the first house there, a log cabin, which is yet standing. It now has thirty-nine dwellings and one store. Nearly all the inhabitants belong to the min- ing class. The name of Granville was given to the place by its founder, James Gregg; who also kept the first store in the place. The merchants at the present time are James Knight, of Granville, and A. W. Bane, of Minersville. The first house erected in the latter place was of brick, built by Moses Billingsby, and now belongs to the heirs of Henry Dowler. The Gregg school-house is also located in Minersville. William Winfield formerly manufactured pottery at this point, and the stock and turning-house of the factory are still standing.

Schools .- The earliest teacher in this section of whom any knowledge has been gained was Robert Quail, who is mentioned as a " schoolmaster" in the assessment-roll of Pike Run township for the year 1807. The schools taught here during the half-cen- tury next succeeding the organization of the county were, like all others that existed during that period in Western Pennsylvania, of low grade, and taught in log houses or cabins for short terms, mostly in the winter season. When the common-school law of Pennsylvania was passed (in 1834) old Pike Run township still remained undivided, embracing the territory now forming East and West Pike Run. The township accepted the provisions of the law in 1835, and raised in that year for school purposes the sum of $341.96, the number of persons in the township liable to taxation for that purpose at that time being 415. In 1836 the total amount of school money received Coal-Works and other Industries .- Just outside for the township was $505.02, including amount from | the borough limits of Greenfield are the extensive

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FALLOWFIELD TOWNSHIP.

works of Jordan S. Neal & Co., consisting of .coal- mines and works, coal-boats, barges, and yard, a saw-mill, store, and two blacksmith-shops. One mile below on the river this firm have other mines, and all the necessary appurtenances for mining and trans- porting coal. The mines at Greenfield yield annually one million bushels of coal, to mine which one hun- dred and twenty-five hands are employed, and paid three and one-half cents per bushel for digging. At the lower coal-works, called the Eclipse Mines, eight hundred thousand bushels of coal are taken out an- nually by eighty miners. In 1881, Messrs. J. S. Neal & Co. built forty coal-boats and sixteen flat-boats. Their saw-mill cuts five thousand feet of lumber per day, and six men are employed to operate the mill. Six- teen men are employed upon the coal-boats and flats,

A steam- and water-power grist-mill is owned and operated by the Gregg brothers, under the firm-name of J. R. and A. J. Gregg. Some two or three mills at wages averaging two and a quarter each per day. have been built upon this site, the present one having These coal-works were established by J. S. Neal & Co. in 1875, and each year finds the firm extending their operations, while they already rank among the most important dealers in the Monongahela Val- ley.

During 1881 they employed eighty hands for digging the coal, and shipped one million two hundred thou- sand bushels of coal.

The Monongahela Distillery is situated near the centre of East Pike Run township, on the branch of Pike Run called Gorby's Run. It was started several years ago by a man named Mess, who sold to Zepha- niah M. and John Boyle. They began the business in 1876, and still continue in it. They occupy a frame building, which is 36 by 50 feet in size and three stories in height, a store 30 by 50 feet, and a warehouse 50 by 100 feet in size. They have a capacity for mash- ing and distilling fifty bushels of grain daily.

been erected by James Ailes, who purchased the prop- erty of Robert Jackman. Two miles from the Gregg mill are a grist-mill and a saw-mill, which are now owned by Washington Smallwood. They have pre- viously been owned and conducted by many different

The Globe Coal-Works in this township are owned : persons. William Forsyth also had a still-house at and operated by Messrs. Crowthers, Musgrove & Co. . or near this point at one time.

FALLOWFIELD TOWNSHIP.

FALLOWFIELD was the sixth of the original town- ' then up the said river to the place of beginning, so ships of Washington, formed soon after the erection as to include a township separate from Bethlehem and Fallowfield." And the petitioners added that if : the court should think it more desirable to draw the line otherwise, "you'll be pleased to make such amendments as in your wisdom shall be judged ex- pedient." This petition was signed by Joseph Dorsey, Barnabas McNamee, Thomas Bishop, William Sloan, David Ruble, William Buckingham, Barzilla Clarke, James Powell, George Myers, Joseph Brinton, and thirty-seven others, but. it was not granted by the court, and in the following year there was presented another petition, praying that of the county in 1781. The next year a part of its territory was taken off in the formation by the Court of Quarter Sessions of the township of Somerset. On the 29th of August, 1788, certain "inhabitants of Fallowfield and Bethleheim townships" petitioned the court, setting forth "that the application to magistrates in cases whereof they have cognizance, from the too great extent of our townships, is ren- dered exceeding inconvenient as well as expensive to many of us ; among other disadvantages, we beg leave to mention that the costs arising on actions brought for the recovery of small sums frequently exceed the "That part of Fallowfield township, viz. : Begin- ning at Peter Drake's where the line dividing Beth- lehem from East Bethlehem intersects the road lead- ing from Redstone Old Fort to Washington; and thence with Summerset township to Henry Coon- rod's, to include him; and then down that branch of Pike Run on which the said Coonrod lives to the Mo- nongahela ; thence up the river to the line of East Bethlehem, be added to East Bethlehem township, and that it be recommended by your honorable bench to the Executive Council to have the said township erected into an election district." debt to the great oppression of a number of good citizens." Wherefore the petitioners prayed the court "that by an order from your honorable court a line be drawn as follows, viz .: Beginning at the mouth of Ten-Mile Creek, and running up the said creek to William Montgomery's mill ; thence with a straight line to Zephaniah Beall's, so as to exclude both, the said Montgomery's and Beal; from thence to Henry Coonrod's, including him, and then down that branch of Pike Run on which the said Coonrod lives, unto its confluence with the Monongahela River ;

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

This petition, made on the 25th of September, 1789 (a petition for a division of Bethlehem into East and West Bethlehem townships having been presented in the mean time), was laid over and held under advise- ment by the court until April 23, 1792, when an order was issued erecting the township of Pike Run, to include territory as indicated previously belonging to Fallowfield. Again, on the 30th of September, 1834, a part of Fallowfield was set off in the formation of the township of Carroll; and on the 14th of June, 1853, by the erection of Allen township from a part of the remaining territory of Fallowfield, the latter township was reduced to its present area and limits, and giving it the following boundaries : North, Not- tingham and Carroll townships; east, Allen township and the Monongahela River; south, Allen, East Pike Run, and West Pike Run townships; west, Somerset township. The only streams of any importance in Fallowfield are the Monongahela River, which forms a part of its eastern boundary, and Pigeon Creek, which passes through the northwestern part of the township, taking a northeasterly course, and flowing thence through Carroll township enters the river at Monongahela City.

Settlements .- Fallowfield township, like all the northeastern part of the present county of Wash- ington, was within the county of Yohogania, as claimed by Virginia, prior to the settlement of the boundary controversy between that State and Penn- sylvania; and it was under chiefly Virginia certificates that the first settlers in this township held their lands. The first entry in the first survey book of Yohogania County is that of "Maiden's Hall," a tract of three hundred and seventy-five acres, for which Joseph Brinton was granted a Virginia certificate, and which was surveyed to him by Col. William Crawford, May 2, 1780, as follows :

" YOHOGANIA, May 2, 1780.

"Surveyed by virtue of a certificate granted by coms, appointed to settle and adjust claims to unpatented lands in the counties of Yoho- gania, Monongalia, and Ohio, for Joseph Brinton three hundred and seventy-five acres of land in said county agreeable to the above plan, one hundred and three acres thereof the property now of Isaac Powell, and is described in the above plan.

"Signed Aug. 4, 1780.

" JOHN BRACH, D. S., ye for " WILLIAM CRAWFORD."

The boundaries of the survey of Joseph Brinton's land place it next the lands of John Adams, John Buffington, Joseph Brown, and Isaac Powell, and it is only by this adjacent property that the tract can be located. In the assessment-roll of Fallowfield town- ship for the year 1788 the names of Isaac Powell, John Adams, John Buffingtom, and Joseph Brown again appear as assessed upon land in the township, showing that they were still residents of this section. The survey of Joseph Brinton's land was made Jan. 31, 1786.

Vincent Colvin was one of the earliest settlers in Fallowfield. He invested quite extensively in land,

and was the possessor of many hundred acres, divided into five or six tracts, taken up at different times. "The Farm" was a tract of four hundred and seventy acres, situated on Pigeon Creek, adjoining the prop- erty of Joseph Plattor, Peter Cheserounds, and Wil- liam McComber. He was granted this on a Virginia certificate dated March 28, 1780. "Triple Ford" was surveyed to him Jan. 5, 1787, containing two hundred acres. "Good Fortune" was the three hundred and twenty-one acre tract, granted on a Virginia certifi- cate, which was surveyed to Mr. Colvin Feb. 22, 1788. Two other tracts, one having upwards of six hundred and the other about three hundred acres, were also surveyed to Mr. Colvin in 1780.

Vincent Colvin had a number of sons and daugh- ters, to whom he left his property by his will, made Sept. 2, 1811, and proved April 22, 1812. To his son, Stephen Colvin, he left the two hundred acres com- prising the homestead. The sons, John, Vincent, Jr., Joshua, Moses, and Lott, had smaller tracts varying in area. The daughters were Agnes, who became Mrs. Powell; Susanna, who married Mr. Wilson ; Charlotte and Lucy, who each married a Mr. Frye; and Harriet Colvin.

Joseph and Christopher Graybill made early settle- ments in Fallowfield township, and each held Vir- ginia certificates entitling them to large tracts of land here. The tract taken up by Joseph Graybill, according to the early survey book, is bounded on the south by Sugar Camp Run, and on the north and east by Pigeon Creek and Cave Run. The land granted to Christopher Graybill was in the immediate vicinity of Joseph Graybill's property, and was sur- veyed to him on the same date. The land of Chris- topher Graybill adjoined the tracts of John Hall, Vincent Colvin, and John Cramer. Cave Run and Joseph Graybill's tract formed the northern, and Pigeon Creek the western boundary. On the map of that survey a mill two stories in height is shown as located at the bend of Pigeon Creek, some distance above the mouth of Cave Run. At the mouth of Sugar Camp Run a road crosses the tract east. and west, which is called the Mill road. Another road branches.off from the Mill road and crosses Cave Run, and near this point is marked a cave, from which the run probably received its name. A little distance above the mouth of Sugar Camp Run, and above the mill, is shown a still-house. The two tracts owned and occupied by Christopher and Joseph Graybill are still in the possession of their descendants.

John Cramer was one of the settlers in Fallowfield township whose land was surveyed in the year 1780. Mr. Cramer's Virginia certificate granted him four hundred acres, which he located next the tracts of Vincent Colvin and - Wallace, on the waters of Pigeon Creek. No further information is gained of him, nor does his name appear in the assessment-roll of the township for 1788. The roll of that year shows that Joseph Allen, Joseph Chester, Samuel

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FALLOWFIELD TOWNSHIP.

Dixson, Robert and John Jackman, Thomas Park- ison, and William Parker were owners of saw-mills, Nathan Heald, Benjamin Hinds, Robert and John Jackman, James Young owned grist-mills, and Thomas Parkison. owned two grist-mills. Peter Carner, 'Neal Gillespie, and Thomas Pew were pro- prietors of ferries. Nicholas Crist, Vincent Colvin, Henry Conrad, John Crow, Matthew Deems, John Dunn, John Hopkins, Jr., Daniel Hamilton, George Nox, William Nitterfield, David Ritchie, George Riggle, John Reed, Henry Speers, Matthew Spane, Conrad Weaver, James Davis, and William Gibson were each assessed on distilleries.

James Innis was one of the largest land-holders among the early residents of Fallowfield township, having two tracts joining each other, and the whole body adjacent to the lands of Noah Williams, Wil- liam Wood, and Daniel Preston. Sugar Camp Run was the southeastern boundary of his property, and Froman's wagon road traversed the southwestern part of the tract. This land came into Mr. Innis' posses- sion under Virginia certificate, and in 1788 he was assessed upon six hundred and ninety-six acres.

The tract of land surveyed to Noah Williams con- tained three hundred and ninety-four acres, and was located on Sugar Camp Run, in the same vicinity that the other tracts mentioned were situated. The land of James Innis was adjoining, and the southern boundary was formed by Froman's road.

In the survey book of 1780 for Yohogania County is a map of the tract of land granted to William Wood in that year. In the map the land of Nicholas Plat- tor is located next to his tract, but just across Innis' Run. The Graybill tracts and that of Daniel Pres- ton are opposite Sugar Camp Run, and the Innis land adjoins the land of Mr. Wood, and lies between the two streams. Mr. Wood's name does not appear among the Fallowfield assessment, nor in any place later than the survey mentioned.

" Pleasant Flat" was the name of the tract of land warranted to Amos Bailey on Feb. 17, 1785, and sur- veyed to him May 29th following. It contained one hundred and seventy-five acres, and was located near the property of Isaac Powell, John Adams, and Jo- seph Brown.

The tract of land surveyed to Henry Krepps, March 1, 1786, by virtue of a certificate which had been granted to him by the commissioners of Virginia, was called " Maiden Head," and contained four hundred and twenty-six acres. It was located near the lands of Alexander Hill, Philip Miller, and Thomas Carson.

Frederick Cooper was a native of Germany, and emigrated to this country before 1770, and settled in Frederick County, Va., where he lived in 1771. On the 20th of April in that year he came to this county and purchased a tract of land (quantity not mentioned) of Andrew Devore, described as "one certain tract or parcel of land lying on the north side of the Mo- nongahela, and bounded by lands of Paul Froman

and James Devore." This tract he retained about a year, and in April, 1772, he sold it to Abraham Mil- ler, who sold it to Samuel Devore, May 22, 1777, by whom it was conveyed September 1st of the same year to Joseph Beckett. When Cooper came here he left a wife and three children, John, Polly, and Bet- sey, in the East. The Indians became so troublesome that after the sale of the property he returned to the East and remained several years. In the mean time his wife died, and he married Elizabeth Kyle, and soon after came back to this county with his family. He purchased a tract of land containing two hundred and eighty-seven acres which had been warranted on the 17th of April, 1769, to Jacob Froman, and sur- veyed under the name of "Wrangle." The warrant was returned to Frederick Cooper on the 27th of De- cember, 1784. Here he lived till his death. The following in reference to the family is taken from a series of historical sketches of early families written by Dr. J. S. Van Voorhis :

" Frederick Cooper, the elder, had several sons and daughters. Catharine married Thomas Ward, who built the first house in Bellevernon; Peggy married John Roland, both of whom died near Wooster, Ohio; Rebecca married Daniel Jacobs, both dead; Nancy we cannot trace; Abraham died a few years since in Guernsey County, Ohio; Frederick lived and died in the Dutch Settlement, and the late Samuel Cooper and F. K. Cooper, who now own the old homestead, were his sons; George lived and died in Ohio, and Valentine lived and died on the original Cooper homestead at the mouth of Maple Creek. He was the father of Jackman, Washington, Jehu, Frederick, and Josiah C. Cooper, also of Nancy, lately deceased, wife of Newton Van Voorhis. . Narcissa married Martin Weaver; after living for a time at 'Fish Pot' removed to Huron County, Ohio, where she died many years ago, and Elizabeth married Apollas Speers. They had five sons and six daughters. Solomon C. owns and resides on a part of the 'Speers' Intent,' on which he has one of the most beautiful residences on the river. He is proprietor of the Clipper Sand- Works, from which he sends to market vast quantities of sand of superior quality for manufacturing. Noah resides at the ferry, of which he is sole owner. Jasper died some years ago. Jacob and Henry live in Mar- shalltown, Iowa. Margaret married Enoch Baker, of Ten-Mile. Nancy, now deceased, married Samuel Frye; she was the mother of the wife of William Jackman, of Allen township. Mary married B. W. Johnson, nephew of the late Job Johnson ; she lives in Marshalltown, Iowa, as does also Clara, who mar- ried James Walker; and Sarah, who married a man by the name of Lucas."

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History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 195

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