History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 208

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 208

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Samuel Rutan, from Sussex County, N. J., estab- lished his home in this township soon after the close of the Revolutionary war. He married Miss Eleanor Beadle, and their eight children were Jacob, Abra- ham, John, Sarah, Elizabeth, Catharine, Annie, and Fanny Rutan. Several of these emigrated with their families to Ohio.

Matthias and Philip Minton were brothers who emi- grated from Morris County, N. J., to Morris township, Washington County, in 1786. They purchased a part of the tract "Fox Chase," warranted by the Lindley family, and Matthias Minton married Sallie S., a daughter of Caleb Lindley. The children of Matthias and Sallie Minton were ten,-Caleb, Mary, Matthias, Josephus, Kezia, Rachel, Cynthia, Phebe, Eliza, and Matthias. The first son named Matthias died when but an infant of one month ; the second of the name grew to manhood, married Margaret Hanna, and re- sides in the village of Prosperity, where he holds the office of justice of the peace. The son Caleb died at the age of three years, Josephus was drowned when of the same age, and Rachel, who remained single, died in 1825. Mary became the wife of Leonard Vail, of Vermont. Kezia married Rev. Stephen Win- get, and. resided in the village of Prosperity. Cynthia became the wife of C. C. Kaine, the editor of a jour- nal called Our Country, and died in Harrisburg, Pa. Phebe married Henry Wilson, and still lives in Wash- ington. Eliza, who became the wife of Dr. J. W. Blachly, is a resident of Prosperity village.

Caleb Winget was a native of New Jersey, and lived there until he had become a man of family. Some time before 1786 he removed with his family to Wash- ington County, Pa., where the tract of land he located in Morris township was warranted in the name of his son, Daniel Winget.

Caleb Winget had six children,-Reuben, Ziba, Stephen, Daniel, William, and Hannah. William Winget's wife was Nancy Hampton, and the number

of their children was ten,-Moses, John, Reuben, Stephen, Elizabeth, Hannah, Margaret, Sarah, Ann, and Phebe Winget.

Hugh Hanna, a native of Ireland, moved into Morris township about the year 1790, and purchased the farm on which Henry M. Conklin at present re- sides. Upon this place he passed the remainder of his days, and at his death left a family of eight chil- dren. They were John V., James, Hugh, Thomas, Nancy, Elizabeth, Martha, and Rebecca Hanna. John V. Hanna married Lydia McCollum, and set- tled upon a farm near that of his father, where he lived for many years. He afterwards purchased and resided upon another farm, remaining on it until his death. Of his children, the son Thomas lives upon the farm where his father died, the daughter Matilda became the wife of John Braden and lives in Rankin- ville, and Margaret, who became the wife of Matthias Minton, resides in the village of Prosperity. James Hanna, the son of Hugh Hanna, Sr., removed to Ohio; Hugh, Jr., went to Connellsville, in this State, and Thomas died young; the daughter Nancy married Jacob Hathaway, and lived on the home farm; Elizabeth became the wife of Samuel Clutter, of Hopewell township; Martha married Dr. Spencer Blachly, of Waynesburg, Pa., and Rebecca died un- married.

About the year 1790, Arthur Langdon removed from the vicinity of Baltimore, Md., to Morris town- ship, bringing his family with him. His children were John, Nimrod, Sarah, and Nancy Langdon. Nimrod Langdon married Mary Huston, and resided all his life in West Finley; Sarah Langdon became Mrs. Moses Braddock; Nancy Langdon married John Brooks, and died in this township; John Langdon married Mary Miller, and lived and died in Morris township. His sons, Gibson and Hiram Langdon, reside in Ten-Mile village. , Daniel, Isaac, and Fran- cis Langdon, the sons of Nimrod Langdon, are resi- dents of Washington and Greene Counties.

Bethuel, Luther, and Daniel Day were three brothers who came from their native State, New Jersey, to Morris township, accompanied by five or six sisters. Luther Day's wife was Mary Vankirk, and their children were seven, four sons and three daughters. The daughter Priscilla married Benja- min McVay, Lavina married Demas Lindley, and Maria married Ira Dille. The son, William Day, married Sarah Patterson, and still lives in this town- ship. Daniel married Lavina Clutter, and also resides in Morris township. Arvidi married Elizabeth Bald- win, and lives in the village of Prosperity. Artemas married and removed to Ohio.

William Ringland emigrated from Ireland in the year 1795, coming almost directly to Morris town- ship. He located upon the property now owned by Joseph Ringland, Esq., a grandson. The children of William and Prudence Ringland were George, Thomas, James, William, Margaret, Eliza, Molly,

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Jane, Catharine, and Nancy. The homestead of William Ringland was situated on Ten-Mile Creek, and upon this place he resided until his death. Wil- liam Ringland, Jr., married Mary Bane, George mar- ried Miss McGuire, and James married Miss Sarah Stockdale. Joseph Ringland, who now owns and occupies the old homestead, is a son of James Ring- land, and the only male representative of the family in Washington County.

James Connit, whose home was in Bound Brook, N. J., came to Morris township in 1802. His wife was Jane Powell, a native of the State of New York. Their family numbered thirteen children. Of these Sarah, John, Milton, Joseph, Jane, and Lydia Connit all died single. Melissa is still living un- married. James Connit married Rebecca Cary. He is still living on the Demas Lindley tract of land, near Prosperity, and is eighty-six years of age. He has but one child, Isaac N. Connit. Eliza Connit married Daniel Ferrell, and lived and died in East Finley township. Priscilla became Mrs. Norman Powers, and is now a resident of Greene County. Isaac Connit, Sr., married Abby French, and re- moved to Ohio. Spencer 'Connit died in Greene County.

George Hafris, a Revolutionary soldier, who fought at Monmouth and Princeton, settled in the township very early, and died Feb. 3, 1822, at an advanced age, leaving a numerous family and descendants.

A four-hundred-acre tract of land was warranted in this township, July 17, 1785, by Samuel Parkhurst. It adjoined the lands of Caleb Lindley, Daniel Park- hurst, and Jacob Rude. He was one of the constitu- ent members of the Ten-Mile Baptist Church, which was organized in 1772, and was the clerk of the church in 1773. He married a daughter of the Rev. David Sutton.

Village of Prosperity .- The village plat was laid out in 1848 by Robert Wallace, who built the first house, which is still standing, owned by John M. Day, and occupied as a store. The first postmas- ter was T. D. Minton. Arvidi Day is the present postmaster, and has occupied the position twenty-six years.

The town contains at present fourteen dwelling- houses, a school-house, and the Upper Ten -Mile Pres- byterian Church. The business places are the store of Miss Mary E. Brownlee; shoe-shop of Nathan Daley; blacksmith-shop, A. L. Hayden; drug-store, David Dille; Matthias Minton, justice of the peace ; two physicians, and a lodge of Odd-Fellows, viz. : Morris Lodge, No. 936, which was organized on the 10th of August, 1876, with the following officers : Samuel Houghland, N. G .; Silas Young, V. G .; Isaac Mankey, Sec .; and William Miller, Treas. The present officers are Joseph Dunn, N. G .; James B. Allison, V. G. ; M. Minton, Sec. The society has a member- ·ship of forty-five. Nineveh Lodge, No. 583, of Greene County, was consolidated with Morris Lodge in 1881. 54

Upper Ten-Mile Presbyterian Church. - The churches of Upper and Lower Ten-Mile were organ- ized Aug. 15, 1781, as one church. Prior to that time, however, services had been held by these people in different places, the first time upon the visit of the Rev. Thaddeus Dodd in the spring of 1777. He was a graduate of Princeton College, and had been li- censed by the Presbytery of New York. He remained with this people, preaching in private houses in the forest, and in the different forts or block-houses in this section of country, till August of that year, when he returned to the East, and was ordained by the Presbytery of New York in the early part of October, 1777. He visited this place again later in the year, and returned home after a short stay. He was pre- vailed upon by Lindley, Cook, and others to come out to this people and become their pastor. This he promised to do. After his return home he preached in Maryland and Virginia, and had strong induce- ments to remain, but he had given his promise, and in the September of 1779 he arrived at Ten-Mile with his wife and two children (one of whom, Cephas, became a minister and pastor over the church his father organized). Services were held at different places, but no distinct effort was made towards a permanent organization until August, 1781, when twenty-three persons gathered at the house of Jacob Cook and organized a church, of which the following named were the constituent members, viz. : Thaddeus Dodd, V.D.M., and Phebe, his wife; Demas Lind- ley (elder) and Joanna, his wife; Jabez Baldwin ; William Leonard and Mary, his wife; William Hays and Anna, his wife ; David Dille and Elizabeth, his wife; Jacob Cooke and Phebe, his wife; Daniel Axtell and Ruth, his wife; Joseph Coe and Abi- gail, his wife ; John Eddy and Mary, his wife ; Daniel Dodd and Charity, his wife; Abner Brown and Paul Brown; and Jacob Cook, Joseph Coe, and Daniel Axtell were chosen elders. " After this," says the church record, "we set several times when we should have the sacrament of the Lord's Supper ad- ministered, but could not compass our designs on ac- count of the incursions of the savages." The next entry is as follows: "Wednesday, April 30, 1783. The session met at Mr. Lindley's fort. Present : Thaddeus Dodd, V.D.M., Demas Lindley, Joseph Coe, Jacob Cooke, Daniel Axtell, elders. At this session twenty-two persons joined."

The sacrament of the Lord's Supper was first ad- ministered1 on the third Sabbath of May, 1783, by the Rev. Thaddeus Dodd, their pastor, assisted by the Rev. John McMillan. The meeting was held in Daniel Axtell's barn.

The church increased in numbers under Mr. Dodd's efforts, and became strong. Mr. Dodd died of con- sumption May 20, 1793, after a ministry of nearly

1 Much of the following history is taken from a historical sermon de- livered by the Rev. Dr. E. C. Wines, Ang. 28, 1879.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

sixteen years. The funeral discourse was preached by the Rev. Dr. McMillan from Rev. xiv. 13. From the record of the Redstone Presbytery it is found that in October, 1793, this church, then styled the United Congregation of Upper and Lower Ten-Mile, presented a call to Mr. Thomas Marques, a licentiate of the Presbytery of Redstone. This call was not accepted. On the 10th of April, 1794, the society presented a call to Mr. Thomas Moore, a licentiate of the association of Bristol, Mass., who had been taken under the care of Redstone Presbytery. Mr. Moore accepted the call on the 19th of August, and was or- dained and installed in September or October, 1794. Mr. Moore continued pastor of this people ten years. The years 1799, 1802, and 1803 seem to have been sig- malized by an abundant increase. The two latter years embrace the period known as the " Falling Re- vival." Rev. Cephas Dodd, a son of Rev. Thaddeus Dodd, succeeded Rev. Moore. The same meeting of Presbytery dismissed Mr. Moore and ordained and installed Mr. Dodd, 14th December, 1803, and though it was midwinter, all the services connected with them were held "in Joseph Riggs' sugar-camp, with the open canopy of heaven for a temple, the snow for a carpet, and the wind whistling through the leafless branches of the trees as an accompaniment to the solemn music, as it pealed forth from a choir consist- ing of hundreds of voices." Mr. Dodd was dismissed from his double charge April 15, 1817, and thence- forward the two congregations became distinct bodies.

The Rev. Thomas Hoge, of Washington, succeeded the Rev. Mr. Dodd as stated supply, and served the people for about two years. His successor was Rev. Andrew Wylie, D.D., president of Washington Col- lege, from about 1819 to 1821. Next was the Rev. Boyd Mercer, long an associate judge of the county court, who supplied this church for two years. Next was Rev. Ludovicus Robbins, supply for one year.

A period of several years elapsed before the con- gregation were again under the charge of a regular pastor. In December, 1827, the Rev. Cornelius Laughran was installed as pastor of the congrega- tion of Upper Ten-Mile. In the fall of 1830, Rev. Jacob Lindley, a member of the Presbytery of Wash- ington, became the stated supply of this congregation. Laughran had been dismissed, tried, and convicted by the Presbytery of Washington on charges pre- ferred by the congregation of Upper Ten-Mile. Chagrined and exasperated by this rebuke, he and his friends wrote to the Cumberland Presbyterians in Tennessee, inviting a visit from them. This invita- tion was accepted, and the next year (1831) five of their ministers, among the ablest in their body, came on. Before their arrival Mr. Lindley preached a ser- mon in this pulpit, in which he exhorted the people to give them a generous welcome. In the course of the summer and autumn these ministers held camp- meetings at different places, preached with zeal and fervor, producing great excitement, and numbered

their converts by hundreds. A joint session of this new church with the Presbyterians was held Sept. 11, 1832. Sixty-two persons were received; only thirteen joined the mother-church. A Cumberland Presbyterian Church was immediately organized. Rev. Lindley was about to be tried for his disloyalty to the interests of his church when he withdrew from that body. His name was stricken from the list of Presbyterian ministers. "The whirlwind of 1831 swept with a desolating fury over this fair and lovely Zion, prostrating towers and battlements, and in one brief hour laying in ruins the whole stately structure. When, in 1832, Presbytery sent a committee to in- quire into the condition of things here, only seven individuals in a concourse of hundreds gathered upon the occasion were found willing to rise in their places and declare themselves old-fashioned Presbyterians. Five members of the session bent to. the storm, and five stood firm to their post. These latter were Jacob Hathaway, James Reed, Reuben Sanders, Zenas Con- dit, and Lewis Dille. The condition of the church became a by-word. It remained without a pastor for many years. The venerable Dr. Elliott, of Washing- ton, preached here twice in 1832. In the year 1838 Rev. James M. Smith was ordained and installed pas- tor of this long-vacant congregation. Mr. Smith was dismissed in 1841. Two years again pass without a regular pastor. The supplies were Alfred Paull, Mr. Miller, Rev. John R. Dundas."

In the spring of 1846 the Rev. Nicholas Murray, a professor in Washington College, received and -ae- cepted a call. Murray continued with this church until his decease, March 23, 1853.

Rev. Cyrus Braddock, then a licentiate, supplied the church for a season, when the Rev. E. C. Wines took charge.

In 1854 the third house of worship was erected upon the site occupied by its two predecessors. The house was paid for by the congregation. A handsome com- munion-service was presented by a kind Methodist brother of Morris County, N. J., whence the original settlers had emigrated. The pastorate of Dr. E. C. Wines having terminated, the people of Ten-Mile, early in the spring of 1859, called as their pastor the Rev. N. B. Lyons. He was installed by a committee of the Presbytery of Washington on the second day of June in that year.

In January, 1860, the congregation was called to suffer the loss of their almost new church by fire.

Services were held in the mean time in the public school-house, and during fair weather in the grove. A brick church was erected on the site of its three pre- decessors in 1860, and dedicated to the worship of God.

Rev. Mr. Lyons asked to be released from this church in the year 1868, to assume the labors of an- other congregation. He preached his farewell ser- mon to the congregation Jan. 26, 1868. His successor was Prof. Henry Woods, of Washington and Jefferson College.

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Rev. Mr. Lyons died May 19, 1868. Rev. Henry Woods remained in charge during two and one-half years, until the fall of 1870. Rev. William Ewing then preached one year. In the fall of 1871 the Rev. S. M. Glenn was invited to take the pastoral oversight of the church.

The pastoral relations were again broken Septem- ber 1, A.D. 1878, when the Rev. S. M. Glenn took charge of another field,-Sandy Lake, Pa. The present supply (1882) is the Rev. J. H. Sherrard. A parsonage, with four acres of land, was purchased for two thousand nine hundred dollars, and first occu- pied by the pastor in 1872.

The first house of worship was erected in 1792 on land donated by Demas Lindley "for the occupancy and use of a Presbyterian church and for no other purpose whatever." The second house-a frame building forty-five by fifty feet in size, with twenty- five feet posts, and with a gallery on two sides and one end-was erected in 1818. The erection of the third house of worship in 1854, its destruction by fire in 1860, and the building of the present brick edifice have already been mentioned.

There is a Sabbath-school (organized in 1825) con- nected with the church. It has one hundred and thirty pupils, sixteen teachers, and a good library.

Mount Zion Methodist Episcopal Church .- The house of worship of this congregation was erected in 1856, about two miles west of Prosperity, on the farm of Robert Andrews. The church is united in the Claysville charge of Washington district, with Clays- ville, Stony Point, and Liberty Chapel. It has at present seventy members. The pastor in charge is the Rev. Thomas Patterson, who succeeded the Rev. G. W. Sheets. The names of earlier pastors will be found in the history of the Claysville Methodist Episcopal Church.

Physicians .- About the year 1794 one Dr. William Blachly moved to this county and settled in Morris township, at what is now known as Lindley's Mills Station. He practiced medicine in that region of country for some twelve or fifteen years, after which he moved to the State of Ohio. He was the first physician located in the township. It is said of him that he was more remarkable for his energy and bold- ness of character than learning and skill in the pro- fession. He was succeeded by Dr. Henry W. Blachly, son of Dr. Ebenezer S. Blachly, of Paterson, N. J., and a distant relative of the aforesaid Dr. William Blachly.

Dr. Henry W. Blachly received his medical educa- tion in New York City, and practiced one year in " LOOK HIERE. copartnership with Dr. William Budd in that city " The Subscriber informs the public that he has laid out a town ou the waters of Ten Mile, Morris Township, Washington County, 11 miles from Washington, 14 from Waynesburgh, and 16 from Alexandria. Sand town lies between the Middle and North fork of Ten Mile, and in a beautiful Situation ; being on the public road that leads from Washing- ton to Rinson's Station, and surrounded by a rich country. There are five Grist-mills and five saw-mills adjacent thereto. Also a Fulling-mill within one mile of this town, and there is a great abundance of build- before coming to Morris township, where he settled near the village of Prosperity in 1806. He had an extensive practice for over forty years, and ever held a first rank in the profession. He was also a surgeon of much skill, and kept himself in readiness to operate when necessary. He had a number of medical students | ing stone and stone coal-banks. The lots will be laid out in a parallelu-

under his tuition, and left four sons and two sons-in- law in the profession at his death. His end was sud- den and unlooked for, having attended his patients until within a few hours of his death, at the age of sixty-three. His widow still survives, at the great age of ninety-three.

Dr. Stephen L. Blachly, son of Henry W., suc- ceeded his father, having been his partner in the practice for twelve years. He still continues in the practice. A more extended biographical sketch of Dr. Blachly is given elsewhere in the history of this township.

In the year 1849, Dr. Joseph Warren Blachly, also son of Henry W., located after his father's death in the village of Prosperity, and continued the practice of medicine for some ten years in that vicinity. His health failing him he removed to Washington, and engaged in the drug trade.

For the last five years Dr. Oliver L. Blachly, son of Stephen L., has been associated with his father in general practice. He graduated in his scientific course at Waynesburg College, and in his medical course at Jefferson College, Philadelphia. He is a member of the County Medical Society, also of the State and United States Medical Associations, and the Alumni Association of Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia. Thus have the Dr. Blachlys adminis- tered to the wants of suffering humanity in Morris township for a period of eighty-seven years success- ively.

In the year 1865, Dr. Ezra Cary, formerly of New Jersey, located in the village of Prosperity. Dr. Cary was associated with the medical corps of the army for some time during the war of the Rebellion, after which he took his degree from the Jefferson College, Philadelphia. He is a member of the County Med- ical Society. His practice has been remunerative and honorable.

Concord is a hamlet situated in the southwest cor- ner of the township, and contains three dwellings, a grocery-store, a blacksmith-shop, a post-office, of which T. W. Minton is postmaster, and the old Con- cord Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The history of this church (the first of this denomination in the county) will be found in an article on Cumberland Presbyterianism in the general history, contributed by the Rev. Azel Freeman.

Sparta .- The old village (if it could properly be so termed) of Sparta was laid out in 1816, as is shown by an advertisement found in the Washington Reporter of January in that year, as follows :

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

gram square, so as to contain one-fourth of an acre of land. Good spring-water in abundance to be had very convenient. Any persons de- sirous of purchasing lots in this beautiful situation may have the terms of sale made known by application to the proprietor.

" JOHN BROOKS.

"P. S .- This town is adjacent to places of public worship and school- houses.

"Jan. 29, 1816."

The town, so magnificent in its location and advan- tages, was evidently all on paper. It does not appear that any of its lots were sold, nor is there found in any records anything to show that John Brooks ever bought, sold, or owned any lands in this township. But that there was a post-office located there at that time or not long afterwards appears from an advertise- ment of Aaron Kerr, postmaster, dated "Sparta, Washington Co., Aug. 17, 1818," in which he requests "all wishing mail sent to this office to notify him." Mr. Kerr opened a store and remained as postmaster till 1822. A notice in the Reporter of June 1st of that year says, "John Lindley is appointed post- master of Sparta, in place of Aaron Kerr, removed," Mr. Lindley at this time lived on the adjoining farm. About 1830, Leonard Vail, who also lived near, opened a store at Sparta and did a thriving business for several years in wagoning, buying cattle, and sell- ing goods. He was appointed postmaster in 1835. At this time there were two other post-offices estab- lished on the route from Washington to Waynesburg, -one at Van Buren, two and a half miles north of where Sparta post-office was then kept, and another three miles east of Sparta, called Lindley Mills post- office. The growth of the country by this time de- manded another post-office westward from where Sparta was then located. The citizens of this region petitioned for the removal of Sparta post-office west- ward two and a half miles, which gave about equal distances between the three post-offices above named, and after a vigorous contest the department granted the removal and appointed Dr. S. L. Blachly postmas- ter in 1842. That removal settled the location of Sparta up to this time. It has for many years been a busi- ness point for the accommodation of the surrounding country, and now is furnished with a daily mail. Sparta is situated twelve miles a little west of south from Washington, and fourteen miles north of Waynesburg, on a branch of Middle Fork of Ten- Mile. Sparta at present contains six dwellings, a smith-shop, store, post-office, grist-mill, and two phy- sicians, Dr. S. L. and Dr. O. L. Blachly.

Lindley's Mills .- This village (also post-office and railway station of same name) is situated in the south- east part of Morris township, and contains eight dwell- ings, a store, blacksmith-shop, mill, and the depot of the Waynesburg and Washington Railroad. The post-office at Lindley's Mills had been established before the removal of the office from old Sparta three miles up the Middle Fork. The present postmaster of Lindley's Mills is John Nickerson. The site of Lindley's Mills was included in a tract taken up in

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History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 208

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