History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 198

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 198

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Thomas Stockton settled on the homestead of his father, where he lived till his death. Of his children Mary became the wife of David Slack, and settled in Marshall County, W. Va .; Thomas settled in Licking County, Ohio ; Sarah became the wife of - Vance, and later of Alexander Gordon, and is now living at Washington, Pa .; Robert settled on the homestead, which is now owned by his son, Dr. John W. Stock- ton, a practicing physician in Washington, Pa.

The Rev. Dr. John Stockton was born on the home- stead on the 18th of November, 1803, and entered Washington College, where he graduated on the 3d of October, 1820. He studied theology with the Rev. Dr. John Anderson, of Upper Buffalo, and on the 25th of April, 1825, was licensed by the Presbytery of . Washington to preach the gospel, and afterwards spent a year at Princeton College. He received a call through the Presbytery from the Cross Creek Presbyterian Church, which he accepted, and remained as their pastor half a century, when, on account of declining health, he resigned March 29, 1877, to take effect in June. He remained at Cross Creek, the scene of his lifelong labor, and died May 5, 1882. His son Thomas is a physician at Cross Creek, his native place.

James Brownlee emigrated to this country from Scotland, and settled east of the mountains in Penn- sylvania. He was a millwright by trade, and came to this county with several others. After staying through the winter they returned to the East, con- cluding that they were too far beyond the bounds of civilization. He returned a year or two later, and purchased land near Sugar Hill of Hugh Wiley on the 2d of January, 1792. He married Jane, a daughter of John Leman, and settled on the farm, where they

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FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP.

raised a large family of children, many of whom set- tled in the township and county. The old homestead has been in the family many years, and occupied until recently by the heirs of Samuel Brownlee.

William Brownlee, a brother of James, took up a tract of land, the warrant for which bears date March, 1785. It was surveyed November 19th of the same year, and named " Virtue," containing three hundred acres adjoining John Virgin, William McCombs, and Dr. Henry Moore. He married Margaret, a daughter of John Leman, by whom he had a large family.

Thomas Ringland was a prominent man in the township for many years. An ardent Democrat, twice elected to Congress, and in 1835 was one of the leaders in the support of the public school law. He emigrated West before the Rebellion, and died about 1870.

Van Buren .- The land on which this hamlet is lo- cated was the early home of Gobles. The old home- stead and tavern stand (the latter kept many years by Daniel L. Goble) is now the property of Adam Weir, whose father, Adam Weir, purchased the property now Van Buren April 18, 1818, and opened a store, and became the postmaster at the office soon after es- tablished at that place. He was postmaster many years, and was succeeded by Stephen Pipe, who was succeeded by Adam Weir, Jr., the present incumbent. A store was kept a short time previous to the purchase of Adam Weir, Sr., near the Goble tavern by Sample Sweeny. The town is situated on the plank road that leads from Washington to Prosperity. The Bethel Church is near the settlement.

Toledo is a small hamlet situated on Chartiers Creek about three miles from Washington, and on the plank- road leading from Washington to Waynesburg. It contains a grist-mill, blacksmith-shop, shoe-shop, post- office, a toll-gate, and a few dwellings. The post-office was established Sept. 22, 1875. Christiana Miller was appointed the first postmaster, and was succeeded by S. D. Harshman, the present incumbent.

Presbyterian Church .- From the history of Lower Ten-Mile Presbyterian Church the following account of this branch of that church is taken. This society erected a brick edifice not far from Van Buren, on the road from that place to Lone Pine. "In 1825 the congregation of Lower Ten-Mile built of brick a house of worship on the farm of Mr. Jonas Condit, about five miles northwest from Amity. It was long known as the 'brick meeting-house.' After Nov. 10, 1825, by request of the congregation, Mr. Dodd preached one-half of his time in this house until 1844, when a resolution was adopted by the congrega- tion that two-thirds of his time be occupied in Amity and one-third in this house. In 1852, Dr. McKennan was requested that one-half of his services be in this house. In 1871 this house was sold for $213.70." It was removed soon after. In the little graveyard on the lot where the church once stood rest several of the early settlers, among whom are Jonas Condit, died

July 17, 1850, aged eighty-one years ; Luther Axtell, died Feb. 7, 1868, aged eighty-five years; and James McFarland, aged eighty-two years.

Bethel Cumberland Presbyterian Church .- This society was organized on the 30th of March, 1832, by the Rev. John Morgan, as the Upper Ten-Mile Cum- berland Presbyterian Congregation. It was composed in part of Presbyterians from the Upper Ten-Mile Presbyterian Congregation. The causes that led to its organization will be found in an article on Cum- berland Presbyterian Churches in the general history. The following is from the minutes of the church :

" At a meeting of the Upper Ten-Mile Congregation, held at the house of Stephen Dille, on Tuesday, the 2d day of August, 1832, for the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety or impropriety of erecting a house of worship in that vicinity for the Cumberland Presbyterian order, Abraham Vanvoorhis was appointed Moderator, and Luther Day Clerk, when, after much deliberation, the following resolution was adopted :

" Resolved, That for the express purpose of forever putting to rest all grounds for hard thought from the minority of Upper Ten-Mile Congre- gation, that we adjourn this meeting until the 6th day of September, that the minority may have another and sufficient opportunity to.meet the Committee previously appointed for the purpose of effecting a com- promise with regard to the time each occupy our present meeting-house, and that a copy of the proceedings of this meeting, so far as they relate to the above object, be communicated by the Secretary of this meeting to the elders of the minority of the Upper Ten-Mile Congregation. " LUTHER DAY. ABRAHAM VANVOORHIS."

The congregation met on the 6th of September ac- cording to adjournment, and the committee made the following report:

" That they, the committee of Upper Ten-Mile Congregation and the committee of the minority, met on the 5th of this inst., and all the com- mittee of the minority were instructed to do was to allow the majority the privilege of occupying the present meeting-house 1 one-half the time until the first of April next, provided, however, that the majority make no movement towards building a new house of worship. On motion, . Resolved unanimously, that we will not accede to the above proposition. On motion, Resolved, That we build a meeting-house on lands of Joseph Weir, of brick, sixty feet long and fifty-one feet wide, without galleries. Resolved, That Samuel Weir, Thomas Axtell, Jeduthan Sanders, and Jo- seph Weir be a committee to circulate subscription to raise funds to build said house. Resolved, That Sylvanus Cooper, John Wolf, and Thomas Axtell be the building-committee, and Samuel Weir, Ephraim Cooper, Stephen Dille, and Jeremiah Post be a committee of council. Resolved, That Thomas Axtell be our delegate to Presbytery, to be held in Union- town, Fayette Co., on the 20th of this inst.

" ABRAHAM VANVOORHIS. " LUTHER DAY."

At a meeting of the congregation on the 14th of January, 1833, it was " Resolved, That we apply to the Presbytery for the labors of the Rev. John Morgan as our stated pastor for one year half of his time." At a meeting of the congregation on the 6th of April the same year, it was " Resolved, That we change the name of this congregation from Upper Ten-Mile to that of Bethel." The church was built as stated, not on the land designated, but on a lot containing one acre and one hundred and three perches, which was purchased by Samuel Weir and Isaac Condit, trustees of Bethel Congregation, of Daniel L. Goble on the 28th of July, 1833. The Rev. John Morgan became their pastor for a time. Ephraim Cooper, Sylvanus Cooper, Thomas Axtell, John Wolf, and Samuel Day having

1 The brick church near Van Buren.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

been elders in the Presbyterian Church, were elected elders in this organization. Later, Samuel Weir, Isaac Condit, and Archibald McCracken were added to the number.

This is the largest society of this denomination in the county, having a membership of over one hun- dred and seventy-five. The present pastor is the Rev. P. H. Crider. The society owns a parsonage near the church.

Liberty Chapel .- The church known as Liberty Chapel is situated about four miles from Washington, and nearly on the township line between Franklin and Amwell townships. It is one of four stations in this section of the Methodist denomination, and is in charge of the Rev. Thomas Patterson. It has at present forty-nine members. The church edifice is a neat and commodious frame building.

Schools .- The territory now comprising the town- ship of Franklin was in 1835 embraced in Canton and Morris. In District No. 5 Henry Dickerson sold a lot on the 18th of April, 1837, to the school directors of the township for a nominal sum, to be used for no other purpose than schools. In 1853, when the town- ship was erected, it was divided into seven school. districts. In the year 1863 twelve teachers were employed in the seven districts, three hundred and twelve scholars were enrolled, and the amount of money raised for school purposes was $1301.80. The amount of money expended was $1419. In 1873, with the same number of districts, seven teachers were employed, $2422.36 was received, and $2269.80 was expended; in 1880 there were three hundred and seventy-nine scholars, $1807.75 was received, and $1861.11 expended for school purposes.

HANOVER TOWNSHIP.

HANOVER is the extreme northwestern township. of Washington County, having the county of Beaver and the State of West Virginia, respectively, for its north- ern and western boundaries. On the east it is bounded by Robinson and Smith townships, and on the south by Smith and Jefferson townships. The only streams of any size or importance belonging to Hanover are Raccoon and Harman's Creeks, which respectively mark parts of the eastern and southern boundaries of the township, and King's Creek, which flows in a southwesterly course across the northwestern corner of Hanover.

The territory now forming the township of Hanover was originally embraced in Smith township, and so remained for five years after the erection of the latter, Hanover being erected a separate township in 1786. On the 17th of January in that year a petition of cer- tain inhabitants of Smith township praying for a di- vision of that township was presented to the Court of Quarter Sessions. The petition was granted by the court, and the action confirmed by the Supreme Ex- ecutive Council on the 2d of September in the same year. The part of the township set off by this division was named Hanover, and embraced the territory lying north of Harman's Creek and Brush Run to the Ohio River, bounded on the east by Raccoon Creek, and west by the Virginia line.

The line dividing the township from Cross Creek and Smith townships ran up Harman's Creek to its source near the old McCurdy farm ; thence across the ridge to the head-waters of Brush Run; thence down the run to Raccoon Creek. The village of Florence

was in Smith township until the action of court on the 11th of March, 1830, by which the territory south of Brush Run and the heads of Harman's Creek and north of the present line of Hanover and Smith was attached to Hanover.

Two years after Hanover became a township, the erection of Allegheny County, Sept. 24, 1788, took a large portion of its territory, after which this township embraced the following : "Commencing at the inter- section of the Ohio River with the State line ; thence south along the State line to Harman's Creek ; thence up the creek to its source, across the ridge to the head- waters of Brush Run, down the run to its mouth, and down Raccoon Creek to White's Mill; thence north- west in a straight line to the Ohio River and the State' line, it being the place of beginning." It so remained until the 24th of March, 1800, when the erection of Beaver County took all that portion of territory north of the line at right angles from White's Mill on Rac- coon Creek.

An addition was made to its territory March 30, 1830, by order of court, which embraced the land north of Smith township as at present.

In April, 1793, a petition (indorsed " a petition for Riche township"), and signed by William Ferguson and twenty-three others, "Inhabitants of Smith and Hanover townships," was presented to the court ask- ing for the erection of a new township to embrace a part of Hanover by bounds specified. It was con- tinued to the September term of the same year, when " a petition of a number of the inhabitants of Han- over township" was presented, remonstrating against

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the granting of the prayer of the first-mentioned petition, and setting forth :

" That they can not see the propriety of dividing the said township in the manner proposed by a petition which was read last sessions for that purpose. It would leave the old township (in shape) unlike anything in the Heavens above or the Earth beneath as far as we know, and as we apprehend the above-mentioned petition, which has been read, was presented with the View to make a Justice of the Peace of one James Fling, a near relation of him your Honors read of in the Pittsburgh Gazette of Aug. 3, 1793, if we mistake not. We therefore object to the Division as proposed in said petition, but we object not to Di- vide it in the following Manner. that is to begin at the house of Adam Vinnage (formerly of James Dornan) which is on the line be- tween Smith and Hanover townships, and from theuce to the nearest branch of King's Creek, and down King's Creek to the State line, which course will be nearly parallel to Allegheny County line, and will leave our Township in a good form and by no means large."

Both petitions were disregarded by the court, and the territory of Hanover township remained intact.

Settlements .- In the assessment-roll of Hanover township for 1800 are found the following names of residents of the township, with their occupations at that time, viz., John Buchanan and John Dornan, merchants; John Gillillan and Robert Leeper, tan- ners; Samuel Glasgow, justice of the peace; John Irwin, James Nelson, John H. Redick, millers ; Jona- than Potts, Daniel McConnell, and William Kerr, blacksmiths. William Carruthers was licensed to keep tavern in the township in 1796, and he kept until 1812. In 1813 the same house was kept by Jane Car- ruthers. One of the oldest grist-mills was the White Mill, mentioned in 1789 as a point in the boundary line of Beaver, Washington, and Allegheny Counties. This is now at Murdochville, in the northeast corner of the township.

One of the earliest settlers in what is now Hanover township was Samuel Johnston, though the precise date of his settlement here has not been ascertained, nor is it known on which of his several tracts of land he made his home, but there is little doubt that it was on the tract "Johnston Hall." The lands he took up were in both the townships of Hanover and Smith. In February, 1780, he was granted two Virginia cer- tificates for lands on Raccoon Creek, one containing four hundred and five acres, and the other (adjoining) of one hundred and eighty-two acres. In the survey (made July 11, 1785) the former was named "John- ston Hall," and the latter "Mill Town." He patented another tract named "Guadeloupe ;" and still other large tracts he acquired by purchase from other par- ties. He also made many sales of land in this sec- tion, one of which was of one hundred acres of the "Johnston Hall" tract to Alexander Reed, Feb. 13, 1787. Reed sold it the same day to Matthew Welch, and it is still owned by his son, M. R. Welch. Another sale from the "Johnston Hall" tract was of one hundred acres to John Montgomery, Aug. 24, 1787, and another hundred acres (same date) to John Dodd; this being adjoining lands of James Edgar and David Hays, in Smith township. And on the

same date Johnston sold one hundred acres to Job Stout, adjoining lands of John Moore, James Dornan, Isaac Pierce, Philip Jackson, and William Runnell. This last-named sale was from the "Guadeloupe" tract, and on it the village of Florence was afterwards laid out.

On the " Mill Town" tract Mr. Johnston built a mill, and Oct. 12, 1785, he sold the mill property to Hum- phrey Montgomery. Mr. Montgomery received the deed for this land, Jan. 2, 1795, from Andrew Swear- ingen and John Hutchinson, " Assignees of the es- tate of Samuel Johnston." He had become heavily embarrassed in his pecuniary affairs, and from this time his name disappears from the records of town- ship and county.

Samuel Johnston was a man of excellent abilities, and was prominent in that section of the country from his first appearance to 1795. He was nominated and elected with James Edgar as a justice of the peace for Smith township at the first election after the formation of the township. At the same time when he was confirmed by the Supreme Executive Council (Aug. 23, 1781) as justice of the peace he was ap- pointed and confirmed by that body as a justice of the peace of the Court of Common Pleas and of the Orphans' Court of the county. None of his descend- ants are now living in Hanover township or vicinity.

Alexander Duncan emigrated from Lancaster to Washington County, and located a'tract of land in Smith township. His sons were Daniel and John. Daniel was killed by a tree falling upon him during a heavy storm. John Duncan married Elizabeth Moreland. He was ordained an elder in the Three- Spring Church in 1803. His residence was near the present town of Florence. His living children are James, Daniel, and Susan (Mrs. Culley), who is now living in Florence in her eighty-second year.

James Proudfoot emigrated from York County in the year 1782, and settled in what is now Hanover township. On the 8th of December, 1787, he pur- chased one hundred acres of Job Stout. This was a part of the tract " Guadeloupe" patented by Samuel Johnston, and the same land now owned by James Proudfoot, grandson of the elder James. The farm lies near the town of Florence, and adjoining Philip Jackson.

James Proudfoot, the pioneer, was an elder in the Cross-Roads Presbyterian Church, and justice of the peace for thirty-four years. He married Jane Wal- lace, of Hanover township, and lived on the home- stead all his days, and died May 2, 1856, aged ninety- six years, leaving many descendants.

Nathan Dungan took out a warrant for a tract of land, which was surveyed to him on the 14th of June, 1785, called " Amity," which contained three hun- dred and fifty-one acres. It was patented April 25, 1788. The family were settlers in the county before its erection. Levi Dungan was a collector in 1781, then of Smith township, now Hanover. He kept

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

tavern in the township many years, and owned a tract of land adjoining Nathan Dungan.

James McNary, a native of Scotland, emigrated to this country prior to 1760, and settled in Chanceford township, York County, Pa., where he bought a farm. A son, James, in 1780, removed to Chartiers township, in Washington County, and in 1783 he removed to Hanover township, and purchased a farm near Paris, where he lived till 1796, and died aged eighty-five years, and was buried in Harmon's Creek churchyard. He had five children, of whom David came ,with his father, and settled near him, having purchased three hundred acres Oct. 27, 1783. He married Esther Cowden. He was an elder in Dr. Anderson's Har- mon Creek congregation. He died in 1817, leaving seven children, of whom Mary married Samuel Mar- tin ; William married a sister of the Rev. James Ram- sey ; John, a son of James, remained in York County for some years, and in 1801 bought three hundred and forty acres in what is now North Strabane township, and returned home and died early in 1782. His family came out to the farm in May, 1802, and his son John took possession of the property, on which James McNary, a grandson, now lives.

Michael Dillow located a tract of land on Dillow's Creek, a branch of Raccoon Creek. He settled before 1780, and in that year received a Virginia certificate for the land on which he had located. It was adjoin- ing the land of Thomas Armour and James Crawford, and a short distance from Thomas Bigger. A survey of Samuel Beeler, made in 1782, shows a road from Fort Dillow to Fort Beeler, and east from there to Turner's Mill. The tract of land was surveyed June · 8, 1787, and named " Dillow's Fort," containing three hundred and ninety-nine acres. A warrant of the board of property, dated March 24, 1798, was returned to Abraham Kirkpatrick. The land warranted by Matthew Dillow is now owned by Robert R. Coventry. Some time after 1782, Matthew Dillow and his son, John, were at work in the clearing when Indians in ambush shot the father and took the son a prisoner. He saw them secrete the body of his father near a large log before starting on their march. The boy was kept a prisoner for several years, and upon his return was questioned as to what became of the body of his father. He recalled and narrated the inci- dents of his capture. A number of friends gathered together, and after a search found the skeleton of the elder Dillow. It was brought to near the old fort and buried. A large yellow poplar stands near the site of the old fort. John Dillow built a cabin up the creek from the fort on land now owned by Robert Cooley, whose residence is near the site of the Dillow cabin.

Thomas Armor received a Virginia certificate for a tract of land "situated on the waters of Raccoon Creek, to include his improvement made in the year 1776." This certificate was granted at Cox's Fort Feb. 4, 1780. The land was adjoining Capt. Kilpat-

rick Hollingsworth and William Dunnam. It was surveyed on the 16th of February, 1785, named " Gol- gotha," and contained three hundred and eighty- eight acres. Grace Fuller, a female slave, who was the property of Thomas Armor, lived to be one hun- dred and seventeen years of age. She remembered being in Dillow's Fort when about seventeen years of age, at the time of an attack by the Indians, about the year 1778. She was later owned by a man of the name of Pierce. A daughter was born to her on Raccoon Creek, who was sold when about ten years of age to Daniel Swearingen, who lived about four miles from Paris. She lived to be upwards of eighty years of age. Her mother had been married to three different husbands, all slaves, two of whom were sold and sent South and one died. She was the mother of eight children. Thomas Armor lived on the tract which he settled upon in 1776 until his death in June, 1826. His sons were William, John, Thomas, and James. His daughters were Nancy and Mary. William came into possession of one hundred and forty-four acres adjoining Raccoon Creek. Nancy became the wife of Benjamin Bubbett, and received one hundred and fourteen acres of the home tract. He was justice of the peace many years, and an elder in the Robinson United Presbyterian Church. John received one hundred and forty acres, on which he resided. Mary, the wife of James Thompson, came into possession of one hundred and fourteen acres on Dillow's Run. Thomas inherited one hundred and forty acres, lying principally in Beaver County. James inherited one hundred and eighty-four acres, the remainder of the home tract. The family is numerous in the township, and the original lands are still in possession of some of them.

A large tract of land in Robinson and Hanover townships was taken up by one Hollingsworth. Isaac and William Donaldson, natives of Ireland, purchased a portion of the tract, part of which is now owned by Andrew B. Donaldson, a grandson of William Don- aldson. William Elder occupies the part on which Isaac settled, and is owned by the heirs of Richard, son of Isaac. On a portion of the Hollingsworth tract Joseph Scott settled, and built a mill in this township near Bavington. He had two sons, Benja- min and Joseph. On the 17th of July, 1835, Joseph sold to Robert Withrow, and he to Richard Donald- son. The mill was in operation till about 1879, being then owned by James Donaldson. John Travis came from Ireland shortly after the Revolution, and bought a farm of one hundred and fifty acres of John Sher- rard in Dunbar township, Fayette County. In 1798 he purchased a farm about a mile and a half east of the cross-roads, on one of the branches of Raccoon Creek, where he settled. He was an elder in the Laurel Hill congregation, and was chosen an elder in the Cross- Roads Church, formerly King's Creek Church. He became insane while living in Dunbar township, but had entirely recovered before removing to this place.

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History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 198

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