History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 201

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 201

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The Rev. Joseph Smith left three sons and five daughters. To his son, William Cummins Smith, he bequeathed two hundred acres of land; to his daugh- |

ter Mary one hundred acres; and the same amount to his daughter Agnes. These lands were parts of the tracts "Welcome" and "Mount Joy." To his son David, who was a minister of the same denomination, he left seventy pounds in gold " for ye single purpose of supporting my said son David in his learning." To his daughters Esther, Elizabeth, and Naomi Smith he left the tract " Argyle," containing three hundred and eighty-five acres. To his son Joseph he left two hundred and seventy-eight acres, the homestead, it being a part of the tract "Mount Joy." Of the daugh- ters of Mr. Smith, one died in early womanhood ; Mary became the wife of Rev. James Hughes, the first president of Miami University ; Agnes became the wife of the Rev. James Welch; and Esther the wife of the Rev. William Wylie. Another daughter became the wife of the Rev. Joseph Anderson. Of the three sons, one died while preparing for the min- istry. David became a minister, preached with great success for nine years, and died at the age of thirty- two. Several of the grandsons of Mr. Smith also became ministers.

Thomas Polke (whose name is also frequently found spelled Pollock in early deeds and records) has already been mentioned as the purchaser of a piece of land from the Rev. Joseph Smith. The purchase and sale was made May 3, 1786. The land conveyed by Mr. Smith to Polke (or Pollock ) was a tract lying on Cross Creek, which was a part of the body of land granted by Penn- sylvania to Joseph Smith, Dec. 12, 1785. There were eighty-four and three-fourths acres in the tract, and the consideration was five pounds, nineteen shillings, and six pence. The description in the deed is fol- lowed by this remark: " Which said land was for- merly surveyed and patented by a certain John Hall for a certain Thomas Gardner, and afterwards sur- veyed with a tract of land in pursuance of a warrant granted to Joseph Smith, Sept. 30, 1785." After- wards Thomas Polke and Margaret, his wife, sold this same property to "Robert Fulton, a miniature painter, of Philadelphia," for eighty pounds. This "miniature painter" was the same famous Robert Fulton who built and ran the first steamboat on the Hudson River. Upon the tract of land above men- tioned the father, mother, and three sisters of Robert Fulton lived, and the parents died there, the mother last, in 1799. Robert Fulton also purchased a lot in Washington borough, on which his sisters, Mrs. Isa- bella Cooke and Mrs. Mary Morris, lived. The farm was left to the third sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Scott, by Mr. Fulton's will, made in 1814.

David Boyd, one of the best-known, as he was also among the earliest of the pioneers of this township, was a native of Cumberland County, Pa., and came to settle in Hopewell in or about the year 1787, bringing with him his wife, two daughters, and two sons,- James and John. The eldest son, James, known familiarly for many years of the latter part of his life as "Uncle Jimmy Boyd," died in Independence town-

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ship in 1880, in his ninety-ninth year, and immedi- ately after his death there was published a narrative of his father's early life, which embraces events and adventures so remarkable that it is thought worthy of a place in this history. It is accordingly given as follows :

"In the year 1764 two cabins stood in the woods near where Carlisle, Cumberland Co., now stands. They were the dwelling-places of Jolin Stewart and John Boyd and families, and were upwards of a mile apart. One day John Boyd was at the house of the Stewarts when marauding Indians burned the cabin, He hurried home to give the alarm, when he found his own cabin in ashes, and his wife and three children-two boys and a girl-missing. The red devils had annihilated the happy home he left a few hours before. It would appear that two Indians strag- gled from the band which burned Stewart's house, and surprised David and his brother, while they were gathering bark not far distant from the house, and with raised tomahawks frightened them into quietude. They then entered the cabin, helped themselves to what they wanted, took prisoner the mother and daughter, set fire to the house and laid it waste. The mother was not in a condition to travel, and the murderous fiends took her into a thicket a short distance from the house and butchered her. David was then between six and seven years of age, and he not only witnessed the tragedy, but the Indians compelled him to carry the scalp of his loving and affectionate mother. He never forgot this cir- cumstance. It was burned into his heart. He never saw his brother and sister after the murder of his mother, nor did the relatives ever get a trace of them. The Indians parted after the massacre of Mrs. Boyd, David going with one squad, and the brother and sister with another.

" The next thing the youthful prisoner recalled was the Indian camp, where all manner of indignities were heaped upon him by the 'young braves.' Running the gauntlet was one of the favorite pastimes of the braves, and he had to go through it every morning. He soon discovered that one of the Indian boys, in particular, laid the blows unusually heavy, and was bent on punishing him. He was very savage in his attacks. Smarting with pain as well as the indignity, young David re- solved that if the Indian lad continued his malicious attacks he would stop and knock him down, and one morning he executed his design, sending the little redskin head over heels in a twinkling. Instantly there was hilarity in Choctaw, and the chiefs, with raised tomahawks, ejaculated, 'Pale-face make good Indian !' This circumstance, unex- pectedly to David, ended his guantlet experience, and from that time forward he became a favorite with old and young of the band.

"One of the Indian chiefs, an aged man, who had lost a son by death, agreed to adopt David Boyd. He accordingly had his head shaved until there was only a tuft left on the top; then he was taken to a creek and ducked three times, in order to wash out the white blood and introduce the Indian blood. Meanwhile there were incantations and all sort of gibberish. He was then dressed in an Indian garb and had all the priv- ileges of the wigwam and camp. He was in the redoubt erected by Maj. William Grant.1 There were about seventy-three Indians in the fort, and when they left it some of them went up the Allegheny, and others up the Monongahela River. He was with the Indians for three years and six months, and possibly would have remained with them had it not been for the kind-hearted old chief who had adopted him as his son. Recog- nizing the fact that age was creeping upon him, and that he would soon be called to the happy hunting grounds, he resolved on taking the lad to Cumberland County, in order to ascertain if any of his relatives were still living. He found some, and delivered the lad into their custody. David wept bitterly when he came to part with the old chief, and would have returned with him, but the old Indian forbade it. In after-life he often referred to the redskin, and said when provisions were low his Indian father would share his last bite with him. He lived for a while near Carlisle, from which place he removed to what is now Washington County."

Before he came to the West, however, he served in the Continental army through the Revolutionary war.

He was present in the army of Gates when Burgoyne surrendered at Saratoga, in 1777, and was also with Washington when Cornwallis surrendered at York- town. The farm on which he settled in Hopewell township is the same which is now owned by W. W. Dinsmore, located on the road leading from Washing- ton to West Middletown, and three miles east of the latter place.

David Boyd was always a highly-respected citizen, and was a justice of the peace in Hopewell for twenty- five years, holding the office at the time of his death, which occurred about 1830, at the age of nearly sev- enty-five years. His children were four sons,-James, John, David, and William. James was born in Cum- berland County in 1782, and was about five years old. In 1805 he settled in what is now Independence town- ship, and died there, as already mentioned, in 1880, almost a centenarian. John, the second son of David Boyd, was also born in Cumberland County, and was three years of age when he came with his parents to Hopewell. He settled in West Middletown in 1808, and served there as justice of the peace for twenty- five years, being first appointed by Governor Joseph Ritner. He died in 1866, eighty-two years of age. Of his younger brothers, David and William, little has been learned, except that the latter died in Ken- tucky. David Boyd, Sr., had also four daughters,- Sarah, Mary, Nancy, and Betsey,-two of whom were older than James, and born east of the mountains, before their father's settlement in the West.

David M. Boyd, son of John, and a grandson and now the oldest living descendant of David Boyd the pioneer, was born in West Middletown, where he still lives. He was early apprenticed to the carpenter's trade by his father, and followed the business for twenty-five years. He then engaged in flat-boating on the Monongahela, Ohio, and Mississippi, continu- ing in the trade for several years. In 1844 he married Eliza Boyd. In 1853 he was appointed postmaster of West Middletown, and about that time engaged in mercantile business also, in which he still continues. He held the office of postmaster for eight years. Mr. Boyd's wife died in 1865 (leaving an only son), and in 1866 he married Miss Annie McNulty, grand- daughter of Col. David Williamson. In 1872, Mr. Boyd was a delegate to the Republican National Con- vention held at Philadelphia, which nominated Gen. U. S. Grant for President. He is now about seventy years of age, healthy and vigorous. He has served as justice of the peace for nearly twenty years, his father and grandfather before him having each filled the same office in Hopewell township for twenty-five years, as before mentioned.

Thomas Urie was a native of Ireland, who, emi- grating to this country, lived for a time at Bloody Run, Pa., coming from there to Washington County. He received a Virginia certificate for four hundred acres of land by estimation, but when it was surveyed, Jan. 10, 1787, it was found to contain but three hun-

1 This has reference to the time when Maj. Grant was defeated on Grant's Hill, Pittsburgh, in 1758, when pushing forward with the ad- vance-guard of Gen. Forbes' force to attack Fort du Quesne. Young Boyd was with the Indian force that marched out from the French fort to attack Grant; and he witnessed the atrocities committed by the sav- ages on the wounded and captured Highlanders after the defeat and rout of the whites.

815

HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP.

dred and twenty acres. The name given his tract models of neatness and accuracy. Mr. Thompson married Jane Craig for his first wife, and in 1840, having become a widower, he married Mrs. Matilda Ritchie, who still survives him. She resides in West Middletown, but her children are all residents of Washington borough. Mr. James Thompson died in 1863, aged eighty-two years. was "The Constitution." It was situated on the waters of Buffalo Creek, adjoining the lands of George Ramsey, Solomon Shepherd, James Martin, and John Chapman, and upon this place he passed his life. It is now in the possession of Robert Clark and John Brownlee. Thomas Urie had three sons,-Samuel, Solomon, and Thomas,-all men of remarkable stature George Work came into this township in 1802, and on May 4th of that year became the owner of one hundred acres of land, which was a part of the tract and great physical strength. Samuel and Solomon each weighed over three hundred pounds. They were also men of prominence and ability, and Samuel ; of four hundred and eight acres that was taken up by represented his district in the State Legislature, be- John Tweed, situated on the waters of Buffalo Creek, and patented to him under the title of "Tweed." John Tweed left one hundred acres of this land by will, March 16, 1791, to his son John, of whom George Work purchased it. It is now owned by Samuel C. Work, a grandson. George Work married Margaret Dunlap, and they had five children,-James, sides filling the office of justice of the peace from 1810 to 1826. Solomon and Thomas were great hunters, and while thus engaged near Stillwater, Ohio, Thomas was killed by Indians. Solomon escaped, and years afterwards (in 1815), when living at Coshocton, Ohio, he killed an entire band of six Indians, one of whom had made an insulting boast of being the one who ' Alexander, John, Jane, and Mary. James married killed his brother Thomas on the occasion referred to above. Solomon was arrested and taken to Mad River for trial, but was acquitted and returned to his home. He was killed in 1830 by a fall from his horse. George W. Urie, a son of Solomon, was present at the centennial celebration of Washington County in September, 1881.

Thomas Urie, Jr., who was murdered by Indians, as above narrated, left a widow and two children, Eliza- beth and Thomas. The widow married David Craig, and they had a large family of children. Mr. and Mrs. Craig died in West Middletown. Elizabeth, the daughter of Thomas Urie, Jr., married James Mc- Bride, and their descendants live in Independence township.

James Davis came from Delaware to Hopewell township in 1791, locating upon the tract of land now owned by D. C. Ross, which was patented to Joseph G. Chambers. Previous to removing from Delaware, Mr. Davis married Celia Galloway. Their family numbered eight children, three sons and five daugh- ters. Rebecca, one of the daughters, married John France, and went to make her home in Harrison County, Ohio. John married Jane Dolan, and also lived in Ohio, as did Sarah, who married Hanson Hamilton, and settled in Richland County. Mary became Mrs. Robert Sloan, and remained in Wash- ington County. Susan became the wife of Robert Cruthers, and removed to Belmont County, Ohio. Elizabeth married Mr. Tweed, also going to Ohio, Harrison County. Ezekiel married Elizabeth Wylie, and resides in Hopewell township. Joseph died un- married.

James Thompson came with his parents to this country from Ireland in 1796, when he was but fifteen years of age. They came almost directly to Pittsburgh, Pa., and thence to this county. Mr. Thompson was a surveyor by profession, having much and varied experience in that line in the years he pursued the vocation. His books and field-notes are

a Miss Tweed, and their children numbered eight,- George, Elizabeth, Nancy, Sarah, Isabella, Emeline, Ann, and Samuel C. Work. Alexander married Jane Taggart, and they also had eight children,-George, John, James, Jane, Mary, Samuel, Anderson, and Alexander,-all living in Ohio. John married a Miss Brown, and their four children-George, William, Nancy, and Mary-live in Indiana and Kansas. Jane married Andrew Gilmore, and removed to Highland County, Ohio. Mary became the wife of Robert Tweed, and lived and died in Buffalo village, in this township.

Peter McKee, an Irishman by birth, emigrated to America, and soon after his arrival came to Hopewell township, bringing his family with him. He pur- chased one hundred acres of land of John Brown, the deed being made Jan. 20, 1803. This was a part of "Castle Bracken," a tract of three hundred and eighty acres. Peter McKee's children were Thomas, John, James, and Margaret. John never married; Margaret became the wife of Jacob Logan; Thomas 1 married Mary Vincent, and they had three children, -Jane, James, and Samuel. James McKee married Margaret Dryden, and their two children were James and Margaret. The farm that belonged to Peter McKee is now owned by James McKee, his great- grandson.

William Vasbinder came from Carlisle, in this State, and located in West Middletown when that place contained but seven or eight buildings. He was a wagon-maker by trade, also occasionally work- ing at harness-making and blacksmithing. His wife was Mary Buchanan. They had six children, three sons and three daughters. Jane married T. B. Slem- mens, John married Margaret Slemmens, and Marga- ret married John Slemmens. The last-named couple live in Canton township, Washington County. Wil- liam married a Miss Sibley, and emigrated to Louis- ville, Ky .; George married Ann Craig, and lives in Mansfield, Ohio; Mary died single.

816

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

William Craig, who was an early resident in Hope- well township, had four sons,-David, John, William, and Walter. David married the widow of Thomas Urie, and settled in West Middletown. To David Craig and his wife were born a large family of chil- dren, all girls. When Mr. Craig died, in 1857, he left a large landed estate. John Craig, second son of Wil- liam Craig, went to Ohio. William, Jr., settled on the homestead and died there, leaving a large prop- erty, which was divided among his children. Walter Craig, youngest of William Craig's four sons, mar- ried a sister of Col. Joseph Scott. In 1818 and 1819 he was a member of the House of Representatives from this district. After his marriage and his re- moval to Cross Creek village he was elected to the State Senate.

Robert B. McClure is a son of Robert McClure, of Washington, who was a noted draughtsman. He also practiced medicine in Washington for twenty- five years under the "Thompsonian" system, and was very successful in his treatment of cholera during it's prevalence in 1832. Robert McClure died in 1852. Robert B. McClure, his son, settled in West Middletown in 1844, and the following year com- menced the manufacture of threshing-machines. He is said to have been the first to manufacture machines for threshing and cleaning grain in the State of Penn- sylvania. He is still engaged in that business and in the manufacture of carriages and agricultural im- plements. Previous to his commencement of the business in 1845, Mr. McClure had followed the trade of millwright. Since April 20, 1864, he has been a justice of the peace.

Justices of the Peace .- Following is a list of justices appointed and elected in Hopewell township1 during the century of its existence, viz. :

William Scott, July 15, 1781. John Marshall, July 15, 1781. William Smiley, Nov. 11, 1788. Samuel Urie, April 1, 1794. William Slemmens, Nov. 1, 1799. John'Buchanan, Dec. 20, 1799. James Gillespie, Aug. 4, 1801. William Hughes, Jan. 7, 1805. David F. Finney, Oct. 20, 1808. Thomas Smith, March 15, 1809. Thomas Patterson, March 15, 1809,2 Samuel Urie, March 21, 1810. Robert McCready, April 1, 1811. Alexander Adams, Nov. 18, 1811. David Boyd, Aug. 23, 1813. Matthew R. Acheson, Nov. 1, 1813.

Robert Garrett, May 25, 1815. William McClean, May 16, 1818. Alexander Adams, Nov. 13, 1818. George Plummer, June 13, 1822. William Rea, March 6, 1823. David T. Archer, Dec: 3, 1823. Thomas Mckeever, July 2, 1824. James McFadden, March 3, 1826. John Ramsey, Oct. 19, 1829. George Elliot, Nov. 30, 1830. James Lee, Nov. 18, 1835. George Elliot, Nov. 18, 1835. James Donahoo, Nov. 18, 1835. Nathan Patterson, Nov. 18, 1835. John Boyd, Nov. 17, 1837. Henry Smith, Jan. 18, 1838.

George Plummer, April 14, 1840. John H. Smith, April 14, 1840. John H. Smith, April 15, 1845. Thomas G. Allen, April 15, 1845. James E. Lindsey, April 10, 1849. Robert McKee, April 9, 1850. John H. Smith, April 9, 1850. Johu Vasbinder, April 10, 1855. George Linville, April 10, 1855.

Abraham Wotring, April 14, 1857. David Brown, April 14, 1857. Abraham Wotring, April 21, 1862. Jolın White, April 14, 1863. D. M. Boyd, July 11, 1865. Abraham Wotring, April 9, 1867. George W. Richie, April 15, 1873. George W. Richie, Jan. 19, 1874. George W. Richie, March 25, 1878.

West Middletown Borough .- West Middletown is situated within the boundaries of the township of Hopewell, in its northwestern part, on the dividing ridge between the waters of Buffalo and Cross Creeks, and on the main road leading to Washington borough, which road forms the main street of the town. The borough of West Middletown now contains four churches, a school-house, post-office, two resident physicians, five stores, a drug-store, machine-shop, two wagon-shops, a cabinet-maker's shop, two black- smith-shops, a hotel, a livery stable, seventy-five dwellings,-one-third of which number are of brick, -- and a population of three hundred and twelve according to the return of the United States census of 1880.

The site of West Middletown borough is upon parts of two tracts of land that originally belonged to James Martin and Samuel Gill. The tract of James Martin was taken out under a Virginia certificate granted in February,. 1780, and when surveyed was named "Saint Martin," and contained three hundred and four acres. A patent for it was obtained March 4, 1794. The tract belonging to Samuel Gill when sur- veyed was called "Rosegill." Patent for this tract was granted Oct. 28, 1790. One of the first settlers in the locality was Galbraith Stewart, who was a black- smith by trade and for several years previous had carried on his trade near Mount Hope Church, now in Independence township. In the year 1795 he re- moved to what is now West Middletown, where he built one of the first dwellings and opened a black- smith-shop. Soon afterwards David Craig settled there and opened a store. The election district com- posed of Hopewell, Buffalo, and Cross Creek town- ships was erected in 1797, and this settlement became the polling-place and so continued many years. At one time during this period there were three licensed taverns in the town. A post-office is mentioned as being at West Middletown in the Postmaster-General's report in 1805. At this place William McKennan (who afterwards removed to Washington) settled and lived for a time. Robert Garrett (the father of John W. Garrett, president of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail- road) also settled here, and opened a store which he kept many years. It is stated that while living here his son, John W. Garrett, was born. The house in which he lived is now owned by Robert Garrett.

William Mckeever was a hatter by trade, and was also an early resident here. Later, Thomas and Mat- thew Mckeever were prominent men, and they were among the first Abolitionists of the county. Thomas

1 Hopewell township at its erection in 1781 embraced in addition to its present territory that of the townships of Independence, Cross Creek, and Jefferson, and part of that of Mount Pleasant. Upon the erection of Cross Creek, in 1790, that township became a separate district (em- bracing its own present territory with that of Jefferson and a part of Mount Pleasant), and so remained until 1803, when it, with Hopewell, became embraced in District No. 3. In 1822 a part of Mount Pleasant was attached. In 1823 West Middletown borough was erected, but re- mained attached to the district, which remained then with that jurisdic- tion till the commencement of the operation of the Constitution of 1838, under which the office of justice of the peace became elective, and each township a district.

2 Not sworn in until April 27, 1813.

Good Work

817

HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP.

was a justice of the peace, and upon a certain occa- sion a number of Virginians came up from Wellsburg in search of a negro slave, whom they captured at the house of his brother Matthew. He was brought be- fore Justice Thomas Mckeever. The negro claimed that he was a freeman and was born in Somerset County, Pa., and gave names of parties living there to prove it. Justice McKeever returned the case to court, and demanded bail of the negro for his appear- ance. Col. McNulty signed the bond. The justice then demanded bail of the claimant for his prosecu- tion of the claim, and no one responded, but the claim- ant threw down the amount claimed, which the justice refused upon the ground that it was not bail but for- feit. The justice then ordered the handcuffs to be taken from the negro, deciding that he had complied with the law and was a free man. The negro was surrounded by his friends and marched off in triumph. Mckeever was a director of the " Underground Rail- road" for forty years. "I was acquainted," said he, " with a large number of slaves, and also their masters, and I never advised a slave to run away from his master, but when they came to me I helped them all I could."

West Middletown was erected a borough by an act passed by the Legislature of Pennsylvania on the 27th of March in that year, and, in accordance with other provisions in this act, borough officers were elected, and the board organized and proceeded to business, but little of importance was transacted. The road that passes through West Middletown was paved in 1824, but was taken in hand by the citizens, and the burgess and Council, as such, seem not to have been recognized in the action. A call was made for a public meeting of the citizens of West Middletown, to be held on the 19th of August, 1823, "for the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety of laying a road tax for the construction of a paved road through the borough." At a later meeting the same year (December 15th) the citizens decided to build one hundred rods of pavement, to be paid for in two years; to be contracted for in sec- tions of five rods each. It extended from the east end of Joseph Lane's shop to the west end of Samuel Clutter's house. Qn the 26th of December, William Lindsey, Thomas White, and Thomas Mckeever were appointed a committee to lay out the street in sections of five rods each as proposed, which was done, and during the next year the road was paved. It was not until the year 1832 that the burgess and Council took action to procure apparatus for the ex- tinguishment of fires. In the latter part of that year a contract had been made for a fire-engine with parties in Wheeling, and on the 5th of January, 1833, Hugh Hamilton was sent to Wheeling by the Council to nullify the contract. A meeting of the citizens was soon after held, to vote whether or not a fire-engine should be purchased. Forty-one votes were cast, twenty-four in favor and seventeen against. A hand-

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History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 201

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