History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 200

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 200

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"The " Rural Female Seminary" was in existence in Florence in September, 1835. It was then in charge of Mrs. Paull, governess, and Miss Cutter, teacher. Neither the date of its establishment nor the period of its continuance is known.

Murdochtown is situated on Raccoon Creek, at the point of intersection of the lines of Washington, Beaver, and Allegheny Counties. Five townships (Hanover and Robinson in Washington County, In- dependence and Beaver in Beaver County, and Fin- ley township of Allegheny County) all corner here. The land at this place was originally owned by John White, and from 1780 to long after 1800 the place was known as White's Mill. A grist- and saw-mill is now owned here by John Withrow. The town was named after James Murdoch, who was an early settler here, and is said to have been the first postmaster. The place now contains nine dwellings, a school-house, post-office, store, blacksmith-shop, wagon-shop, and shoe-shop.

Paris .- This little town is situated in the western part of the township. It was laid out by Samuel Hill and Richard Ward. The latter built the first house in the town, in which he kept a tavern to accommodate travelers on the Pittsburgh and Steu-

benville turnpike, which passed through this place. The building is now the property of Mrs. Freshwater, of Hancock County, W. Va., and is used as the post- office. Among the early residents was Dr. Ramsey, who practiced in this region prior to 1840, and later emigrated to Ohio. Among the early merchants were Wolf, Gibson, McCabe, and McCuen. The town now contains twenty-six dwellings, three stores, two black- smith-shops, a cabinet-maker's shop, two churches (United Presbyterian and Presbyterian), a school- house, and the Paris Collegiate Institute, which was established in October, 1878, by Prof. William I. Brugh, who is still the principal. The resident phy- sician is Dr. James H. Christy.

United Presbyterian Church. - A Seceders' Church was organized and a meeting-house built between Holliday's Cove and Cross-Roads as early as the summer of 1785, near the place where the village of Paris now stands. The congregation at that time was much scattered, and it was first thought best to build about two miles south of Paris, near a spring (which about the year 1860 supplied the mansion- house of Thomas Graham). For that purpose those interested gathered at that place and cut the logs for the house. After further consultation, however, the society concluded to build, and did build where Paris now stands. This place of worship was kept for twenty years, when the society became so reduced in numbers by deaths, removals, and the growing interest of the union of the two parties of the church that the Seceder house of worship was given up to the united congregation, and remains in their possession to the present time.

In 1813 the Rev. George Buchanan accepted a call to preach one-half the time to this society, and the other half to the Associate Reformed Society in' Steubenville. He was a native of York County, Pa., received his early education at Gettysburg, and grad- uated at Dickinson College, Carlisle. He was licensed in the city of New York, and for a year or two preached in the city of Baltimore, and came west of the mountains in 1809, and placed himself under the Monongahela Presbytery. He remained as pastor of these churches for thirty years, and was succeeded by his son-in-law, the Rev. James Galloway, who served until 1851, when he removed to Steubenville, and with the Rev. Joseph Buchanan established an academy, which they conducted, successfully many years.

After the Rev. Mr. Galloway came the Rev. Joseph Buchanan as pastor. He was succeeded by the Rev. James C. Campbell, who began his labors in 1855, and continued until April, 1875. He was succeeded by the Rev. John C. May on the 1st of April, 1876. Mr. May was released in February, 1878. The Rev. William J. Cooper, the present pastor, commenced his labors on the 1st of April, 1880. The elders who have served the church since 1868 are David S. Fulton, June 16, 1868 ; James P. McCalmont, April

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

3, 1876; David Gardner, April 4, 1881; James Morton, April 4, 1881.

The first place of preaching was a log building that stood on the Steubenville pike, on the line be- tween Pennsylvania and Virginia (now West Vir- ginia). Soon after the Rev. George Buchanan became the pastor a new meeting-house was built "out of small hewed logs, with a recess set back for the pul- pit to be placed in, after the plan of many of the early Presbyterian meeting-houses that were built west of the mountains." The house stood exactly on the State line, the preacher being in one State and the congregation mostly in the other. No provision was made for heating the house for many years. On great occasions the society held services in a grove, a tent being erected for the preacher, and the congregation were seated upon logs. After many years a stove was allowed to be put up in the church, and on a cold winter's day the stove was heated so hot that it set the church on fire. All saw the danger, but the old men could not put the fire out, and the young men wanted to see it burn. One old man rose and said, " Young men, will you sit and see the house of God burn down ?" This ap- peal, with a few urgent remarks from Mr. Buchanan, incited the young men to activity, and with snow the fire was finally put out. This building remained in use until after 1843, and under the ministration of the Rev. Mr. Galloway a new brick meeting-house was erected at the east end of the village of Paris, south of and on the Pittsburgh road, where it is still standing and in use.

Methodist Episcopal Church. - This church, whose place of worship is the. "Tucker Meeting- house," was organized in 1824, by the Rev. Thomas Jamison. The original members were John Tucker and wife, Jonathan Tucker and wife, James Jackson, and Elizabeth and Jane Hanlin. A small class had been formed previous to this time, and meetings were held in the house of Jonathan Tucker. A lot of land was purchased of John Tucker, situated on the Pitts- burgh and Steubenville turnpike midway between Florence and Paris, and a stone meeting-house was built, which has been in use to the present time. The society have now under consultation the proposition to erect a new building in place of the present one. The ministers who have been in charge since 1828 to the present time are named below, viz. :

David Merryman, Jacob Young, William Hanlin, George McKaskies, Hiram Gilmore, - McMahon, John Spencer, Richard Armstrong, Wesley Smith, George L. Sisson, - Swaney, Simon Locke, G. Foster, Charles Thorn, John P. Kent, Israel Dallas, Harvey Bradshaw, Elisha P. Jacobs, Ebenezer Hays, W. P. Blackburn, C. Jackson, J. Gibson, J. Boggs, Joshua Munroe, John Gregg, R. Jordan, G. Jones, G. A. Lorrian, --- Dorsey, J. Wright, David Hess, L. Dales, George B. Hudson, D. A. McCready, A. J. Rich, - Burbuage, James Turner, George Dunlap,

S. H. Nesbit, Warner Long, James Hollinshead, M. B. Pugh, J. L. Stiffy, J. Kesler, J. J. Hays, J. Kesler, A. Baker, P. M. Hudson, I. N. Boyle, J. V. Yarnell, J. Jones, J. M. Maver, C. McCaslin, W. P. Blackburn, J. Williams, W. Gamble, G. A. Sheets, M. M. Sweeney, E. Jones, E. Taylor, A. V. Galbreath, G. V. Hudson, D. K. Stephenson, M. S. Kendig.

In the graveyard of the Tucker Church are found inscriptions to the memory of the following-named persons who were buried there, viz. : John Tucker, died April 6, 1831, aged one hundred years; Hen- rietta Tucker, died Nov. 29, 1833, aged ninety-six years ; Edward Shipley, died April 6, 1817, aged eighty-three years; Martha Ralston, died July 1, 1839, aged seventy-three years ; Elizabeth Miller, died July 4, 1846, aged seventy-three years; Ann Cole, died Oct. 8, 1847, aged eighty-eight years.

The burial-place that is used by the people of the town of Paris ' contains among others the following : Robert Gibson, died Oct. 24, 1807, aged sixty-nine years; William Wallace, died Nov. 10, 1825, aged seventy-seven years ; John Gorley, died Feb. 14, 1831, aged seventy-six years; William Leadlie, died Jan. 5, 1835, aged eighty-eight years ; George M. C. Keazy, died Dec. 16, 1836, aged eighty-seven years; James Caldwell, died Oct. 10, 1837, aged seventy-six years ; William McClung, died Sept. 18, 1842, aged eighty years; Joseph Lyon, Sr., died May 26, 1852, aged seventy-seven years; Robert Simpson, died Oct. 29, 1855, aged eighty-eight years.

Schools .- In the year 1805 a Mr. Shaw taught school in a cabin on the farm now known as the D. C. Fulton farm. In 1810, George Cunningham taught one year in the same cabin. In 1817, Rich- ard Shillcock taught in a house on the farm now owned by John W. Duncan. Hugh Barton after- wards taught about two years in the same house, and still later John McCreary taught a school in it. Doug- las Geary taught in a house on the land of Joseph Scott, then in Smith township, now Hanover.

Schools were not taught in the township with any regularity until after the passage of the school law of 1834. David McCoy was appointed from this town- ship to attend as delegate the county convention held in Washington, November 4th of that year, to discuss the question of accepting the provisions of the school law, and whether to levy the tax in ac- cordance with it. When the question was brought to vote, Mr. McCoy was one of five who voted nay. Election was held at the school-house in Florence on the 20th of March, 1835, for directors, and James Braden and Robert Coventry were elected. The next year the township was districted, and houses were erected soon after. In 1863 there were fourteen dis- tricts with fourteen teachers in the township. Six hundred and two pupils were enrolled, and $2218.07 was raised for school purposes. The districts re- main unchanged since then. In 1873 there were 466 scholars, and $5182.86 was raised, and $4705.08 ex-

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pended. In 1880 there were 478 scholars, and $2856.62 received for school purposes, with an expenditure of $3023.17 for the same purpose.

Justices of the Peace .- This township was an in- dependent district from its erection in 1786 to 1803, when it was embraced in District No. 4 and so re- mained till 1838, when it again became an independ- ent district. The names of the justices of the peace who exercised jurisdiction over the territory during the time it was embraced in District No. 4, will be found in the justices' list of Smith township. The names of those appointed and elected in Hanover township during the two periods in which it was an

independent district are given in the following list, together with the dates of their appointments or election, viz. :

Samuel Glasgow, May 7, 1788. Samuel Fleming, Feb. 9, 1799. William L. Robb, April 14, 1840. Benjamin Bubbett, April 14, 1840. John Mccullough, April 15, 1845. Benjamin Bubbett, April 15, 1845. Walter Buchanan, April 11, 1848. John McCullough, April 9, 1850. Walter Buchanan, April 13, 1853. John McCullough, April 10, 1855. Walter Buchanan, April 13, 1858. John Mccullough, April 10, 1860.

Robert Neely, April 14, 1863. John McCullough, June 3, 1865. John McCullough, March 29, 1870. Samuel Martin, March 29, 1870. John McCullough, Jan. 28, 1874. Samuel Martin, May 24, 1874. John McCullongh, March 17, 1875. Oliver P. Shields, March 16, 1876. Alex. McConnell, March 14, 1877. H. A. Jackson, March 25, 1878. Francis Finnegan, March 25, 1878.

HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP.

HOPEWELL, the seventh in the list of original townships of Washington County, formed July 15, 1781, embraced at the time of its erection the terri- tory of the present townships of Hopewell, Independ- ence, Cross Creek, and Jefferson, and part of that of Mount Pleasant. The successive erections of the last- named four townships reduced the area of Hopewell to its present boundaries, which are, on the north, Cross Creek township; on the northeast and east, Mount Pleasant and Canton ; on the south, Buffalo ; and on the west the township of Independence. The principal streams of Hopewell township are the south branch of Cross Creek and Brush Run of Buffalo Creek, which respectively mark the northern and southern boundaries of the township. A number of smaller creeks and runs flow into these streams from the north and south, heading in the dividing ridge which extends in an easterly and westerly direction through Hopewell north of its centre.

One of the earliest white settlers within the present limits of Hopewell township was Jesse Martin, who received a Virginia certificate, dated at Redstone Old Fort, Dec. 6, 1779, for a tract of land in Ohio County, Va. (which county, as then claimed by the State of Virginia, covered all the west part of the present county of Washington), "situate on the waters of Buffalo Creek, and to include his settlement, made in the year of our Lord 1772." This fixes definitely the 'date of Martin's settlement on the tract granted by the certificate. Its location was in the present town- ship of Hopewell. When afterwards surveyed it was found to contain four hundred and five acres, and was named " Buffalo." It adjoined lands of William Slemman, John Johnston, and Hugh H. Bracken-

ridge. It was sold by Martin in 1785 to Robert Caldwell.

William Smiley was a Scotchman, who first settled in York County, Pa. Very soon after, however, he emigrated to Washington, and the year 1779 found him a resident of Hopewell township. In 1780 he had made a comfortable dwelling for his family, and brought them here, settling upon that part of his land now owned by his grandson, William Smiley. The land upon which William Smiley, Sr., located in 1779 was warranted to him Feb. 21, 1785, and sur- veyed September 11th of the same year. The tract contained three hundred and eighty-seven acres, was situated on the waters of Buffalo Creek, and was called " Moab." William Smiley was an elder in the Buffalo and Cross Creek Presbyterian congregations, and al- ways efficient and enthusiastic in the work of the church. He was of a strong mind, very shrewd, and eminently pious. His manners were somewhat blunt, and he had an integrity and honesty about him which would not allow him to connive at anything which he thought to be wrong. He disliked everything which in any way set aside the claims of religion, and did not give it its proper place in the business of life or the enjoyment of the social circle. He held the office of justice of the peace in Hopewell township for some years. His son William married Nancy Cald- well, and reared a family of six sons and one daugh- ter. Margaret, the only daughter, became the wife of Alexander Hamilton. William lives upon a por- tion of his grandfather's original property. He is now in his eighty-fifth year. Robert Smiley married Re- becca Anderson, daughter of a clergyman. He died in Omaha, Neb. James married Nancy Hull, and died in Cincinnati, Ohio, whither he had removed.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

John married Mary Williamson, and died in Mount Pleasant. Samuel married Hannah Cool, and went to Morgan County, Ohio, where he died. David C. Smiley, who married Nancy Tweed, died on the old homestead.

Robert Caldwell was one of the earliest settlers of Hopewell township. On April 7, 1785, he bought four hundred and five acres of land, situated on the waters of Buffalo Creek, of Jesse Martin, it being the tract " Buffalo" previously mentioned in the account of Martin's settlement. Robert Caldwell was of Irish parentage. The property he owned and lived upon here is still in the family, being owned by Samuel Caldwell, a descendant. His family consisted of six children,-Robert, David, Nancy, Margaret, Jane, and Martha. Robert married Jane Caldwell, and lived and died in Armstrong County ; David married Nancy Curry, and died in Washington County ; Nancy be- came the wife of William Smiley; Margaret went with her husband, George Anderson, to St. Clairs- ville, Ohio, and died there ; Jane married a Mr. John- son; and Martha married William Nesbit. They removed to Beaver County, in this State, and died there.

The Rev. Joseph Smith, one of the early settlers in Hopewell, was of English parentage. His father set- tled on the road leading from the Susquehanna River to Wilmington, Del., near what is called Rising Sun, in the township of Nottingham, Md., where Joseph was born in 1736. His early education fitted him for a collegiate course, and he entered Princeton Col- lege, where he graduated in 1764, when he was twenty- eight years of age. He was licensed by the Presby- tery of New Castle to preach the gospel at Drawyers, Aug. 5, 1767. On the 20th of October, 1768, he ac- cepted a call from the congregation of Lower Brandy- wine, and was ordained and installed as pastor April 19, 1769. A short time before he was licensed he had married Esther, daughter of William Cummins, mer- chant, of Cecil County, Md. His relation of pastor was dissolved Aug. 26, 1772. At the same meeting of Presbytery he received a call from the congregations of Rocky Creek and Long Cane, S. C., which he de- clined, and acted as a supply to his former congrega- tion for one year, and also preached at Wilmington, Del. On the 12th of August, 1773, a call from the Second Church of Wilmington was placed in his hands by the Presbytery ; this call he held till the fall of the next year, when the congregations of Wil- mington and Lower Brandywine having united, he accepted a united call, and became their pastor Oct. 27, 1774. In these churches he labored until April 29, 1778, when at his request the connection was dis- solved. In the fall of that year he was taken sud- denly and dangerously ill of a fever, and only recov- ered after a long and severe term of sickness.

At that time Judge James Edgar, who had for sev- eral years been an acquaintance and intimate friend of his, was living in what is now Washington County,

and it has been said that it was largely through his influence that Mr. Smith was induced in the spring of 1779 to visit this section of country, to which the Rev. John McMillan had removed with his family a few months before, and where the Rev. James Power had resided since 1776. A short time after his return from the West Mr. Smith received through his Pres- bytery a call dated June 21, 1779, from the united congregations of Buffalo and Cross Creek, promising him £150 per annum. This call was signed by two hundred and four persons, with an amount of sub- scriptions already raised reaching £197 58.5d. The call and subscription-list were embodied in one paper -an original and singular document-thought to have been drawn up by James Edgar, who had been for some time an elder in the Cross Creek Congrega- tion. Mr. Smith accepted the call on the 29th of October, 1779, and in the following year moved his family to his new field of labor, and settled in what soon after became Hopewell township, and where he passed the remainder of his life.

On the 2d of May, 1780, he purchased from Joseph Wells three hundred and seventy-six acres of land lying on the waters of Cross Creek, the consideration being £1625. Of this tract Mr. Smith afterwards sold eighty-four acres to Thomas Polke, and later it was sold to Robert Fulton. When Mr. Smith purchased the land of Wells he depended largely on the pros- pective income from his salary as a means of meeting the payments, a calculation which brought him no little disappointment afterwards. The Rev. James W. Miller relates an incident having reference to the financial relations between Mr. Smith and his people, as follows :

" He found them a willing and united people, but still unable to pay him a salary which would support his family. He in common with all the early ministers must cultivate a farm. He purchased one on credit, promising to pay for it with the salary pledged to him by his people. Years passed away. The pastor was unpaid. Little or no money was in circulation. Wheat was abundant, but there was no market; it could not be sold for more than twelve and a half cents in cash. Even their salt had to be brought across the mountains on pack-horses, was worth eight dollars a bushel, and twenty-one bushels of wheat had often to be given for one of salt. The time came when the last payment must be made, and Mr. Smith was told he must pay or leave his farm. Three years' salary was now due from his people. "For the want of this lais land, his improvements upon it, and his hopes of remaining among & beloved people, must be abandoned. The people were called together and the case laid before them ; they were greatly moved; counsel from on high was sought ; plan after plan was proposed and abandoned; the congregations were unable to pay a tithe of their debts, and no money could be borrowed. In despair they adjourned to meet again the follow- ing week. In the mean time it was ascertained that a Mr. Moore . . . would grind for them wheat on reasonable terms. At the next meeting it was resolved to carry their wheat to Mr. Moore's mill ; some gave fifty bushels, some more. This was carried from fifteen to twenty-six miles on horses to mill. In a month word came that the flour was ready to go to market. Again the people were called together. After an earnest prayer, the question was asked, 'Who will run the flour to New Or- leans?' This was a startling question. The work was perilous in the extreme ; months must pass before the adventurer could hope to return, even though his journey should be fortunate ; nearly all the way was a wilderness, and gloomy tales had been told of the treacherous Indian. More than one boat's crew had gone on that journey and came back no more. Who, then, would endure the toil and brave the danger ? None volunteered; the young shrunk back and the middle-aged had their

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HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP.

excuse. The scheme at last seemed likely to fail. At length a hoary- headed man, an elder in the church, sixty-four years of age, arose, and to the astonishment of the assembly, said, 'Here am I; send me.' The deepest feeling at once pervaded the assembly. To see their venerated old elder thus devote himself for their good melted them all to tears. They gathered around Father Smiley to learn that his resolution was indeed taken ; that, rather than lose their pastor, he would brave dan- ger, toil, and even death. After some delay and trouble two young men were induced by hope of large reward to go as his assistante. A day was appointed for their starting. The young and old from far and near, from love to Father Smiley, and their deep interest in the object of his mission, gathered together, and, with their pastor at their head, came down from the church, fifteen miles away, to the bank of the river to bid the old man farewell. Then a prayer was offered up by their pastor, a parting hymn was sung. 'There,' said the old Scotchman, 'untie the cable, and let us see what the Lord will do for us.' This was done and the boat floated slowly away. More than nine months passed and no word came back from Father Smiley. Many a prayer had been breathed for him, but what was his fate was unknown. Another Sabbath came ; the people came together for worship, and there, on his rude beuch before the preacher, composed and devout, sat Father Smiley. After the services the people were requested to meet early in the week to hear the report. ,All came again. After thanks had been returned to God for his safe return, Father Smiley rose and told his story ; that the Lord had prospered his mission, that he had sold his flour for twenty- seven dollars a barrel, and then got safely back. He then drew a large purse, and poured upon the table a larger pile of gold than any of the spectators had ever seen before. The young men were each paid a hun- dred dollars. Father Smiley was asked his charges. He meekly replied that he thought he vught to have the same as one of the young men, though he had not done quite as much work. It was immediately pro- posed to pay him three hundred dollars. This he refused till the pastor was paid. Upon counting the money it was found there was enough to pay what was due Mr. Smith, to advance his salary for the year to come, to reward Father Smiley with three hundred dollars, and then have a large dividend for each contributor. Thus their debts were paid, their pastor relieved, and while life lasted he broke for them the bread of life. The bones of both pastor and elder have long reposed in the same churcli- yard, but a grateful posterity still tells this pleasing story of the past."

After the removal of his financial difficulties by the fortunate issue of Father Smiley's trip to New Orleans, Mr. Smith took up more land, including the tracts " Welcome" and "Mount Joy," amounting to seven hundred and sixty-six acres.

In the year 1785 he opened a select school with a special view to the training of young men for the ministry. Mr. Dodd's school on Ten-Mile Creek had just closed, and three young men from that school, James McGready, Samuel Porter, and Joseph Patter- son, began a course of study with Mr. Smith. The class was soon afterwards joined by James Hughes and John Brice. The school was at first taught in a room which Mr. Smith had built for a kitchen, but was afterwards held in a building erected for that especial purpose in his garden. It was continued for some time, and was finally merged in the academy at Canonsburg, afterwards Jefferson College. To the project of the academy Mr. Smith gave his hearty support. He labored with his people until his death, which occurred quite suddenly on the 19th of April, 1792. His remains were interred in the graveyard at Upper Buffalo. His wife survived him more than twenty-eight years, and died Oct. 7, 1820, in the sev- enty-eighth year of her age.

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History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 200

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