History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 223

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 223

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In 1880 the township contained seven districts ; number of scholars, two hundred and thirteen ; amount of tax levied for school and building pur- poses, $1488.43. Total receipts, $2049.94; total ex- penditures, $2008.34. The present school districts of the township are :

Robinson, No. 1, near Robinson Church.

Pike, No. 2, near John Donaldson's.

Beech Hollow, No. 3, near Candor.

McAdam, No. 4, near McAdam farm.

McDonald, No. 5, at McDonald.

Nos. 6 and 7, at Midway ; two (graded) schools in one house.

Physicians .- Dr. John Martin, of Beaver County, was a practicing physician in the township from 1830 to 1847. He lived with Squire Miller. After his death he married his widow, and lived in the house now occupied by Dr. B. F. Hill.

Drs. Matthews, John Clendenning, - Patterson, and John Coburn all lived in the township, the latter about 1848. He lived in the house now occupied by Dr. B. F. Hill, and remained till about 1863, and removed to Beaver County. Dr. Goshorn came here before Dr. Coburn, and died in Candor. A Dr. Weaver was a resident at Candor a short time, and moved away about 1860. Dr. George Shillitos prac- ticed a year or two. Dr. W. V. Riddle came here in the spring of 1869, but did not remain long. Dr. B. F. Hill studied medicine with Dr. Bradley, of Bur- gettststown, attended lectures at Sterling Medical Col- lege, Columbus, Ohio, in the spring of 1856, and com- menced practice at Candor in the fall of that year. Upon the breaking out of the Rebellion he joined the One Hundred and Fortieth Regiment of Pennsylvania volunteers as assistant surgeon, and remained in that capacity till the close of the war. He returned to Candor, and still continues in practice.

Dr. Caleb McNulty, of West Middletown, studied medicine with Dr. John M. Wilson; graduated at Cleveland Medical College in the winter of 1868-69, and commenced practice at Bethany, Va .; practiced there a year, then spent a year in the West, and came to Midway in October, 1870, and opened an office and commenced a practice in which he still continues.

Dr. A. C. Stevenson, of Cross Creek township, came 58

to Midway in the spring of 1871, and practiced about five years, and removed to Oakdale, Allegheny Co. He sold'out his practice to Dr. George W. Miller, who remained two years and removed to Mansfield, Allegheny Co., Pa. Dr. David McMasters, of Pitts- burgh, a regular physician, came to Midway from Pittsburgh in January, 1881, and is in practice at the present time.

Pittsburgh and Walnut Hill Coal Company .- In 1869, E. A. Wheeler, of Sharon, Pa., and Rapalye & Gulick, of New York, purchased six hundred acres of the Johnston, Elder, and McBirney tracts. An opening was made in Smith township, on the John- ston tract. The tipple and tracts are in Robinson township. The main entry extends (1881) half a mile in a southerly direction. Nine side entries, averaging a quarter of a mile each, extend east and west. Coal at first was shipped east, but at the present time it is all shipped west. From fifty to one hundred and sixty men are employed. The works are at the east end of the village of Midway, and the tract connects with the Pittsburgh, Cincin- nati and St. Louis Railroad tracks. A company store is in operation at the offices. In 1873, John Ar- · not, of Elmira, and T. Burr Robbins purchased the entire interest of the company, and still own and conduct it.

Midway Coal Company .- In 1870, John and Thomas Taylor purchased the coal rights of two hun- dred acres of land, parts of the Elder tract and the Peter Kidd tract. A main drift was opened, and now extends about half a mile in a southerly direction. The works are now owned by Joseph Crawford. The vein of coal worked at this mine is four and a half feet thick. An average of one hundred men are employed. These mines are located at the west end of Midway village, and are also connected with the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railroad by tracks.

Robbins Block Coal Company .- In 1873, T. Burr Robbins purchased two hundred acres of the Jacob George and Cochran farms, and that portion of the John McBirney farm lying south of the railroad. Operations commenced in 1874, and a main entry opened in 1875 that extends at present (1881) about one-third of a mile southerly. Five side drifts extend east and five west. . In 1881, Mr. Robbins purchased two hundred acres of coal right from the Kelso farm. Most of the land used is in Mount Pleasant township, but the delivery station is in Robinson township. Every engine that passes over the Pittsburgh, Cin- cinnati and St. Louis Railroad is coaled at the chutes of this company. From Saturday night to Monday morning it is not uncommon to use two hundred and sixty tons for that purpose. About one hundred and forty tons per day on an average are used. A store is maintained at Primrose for Robbins Block, and another at Willow Grove. The Willow Grove Mines are in Allegheny County, below the Laurel Hill Mines, and are also owned by T. B. Robbins. From

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

the three mines, Walnut Hill, Robbins Block, and Willow Grove, from six to seven hundred tons of coal are mined per day.

Briar Hill Coal Company .- These works are sit- uated at McDonald Station, on the south side of the rail- road, and east of the station. They were started in 1869 by Dougherty and Richardson, and are at present oper-

ated under a lease by J. D. Sawters and Alexander Pat- terson. The main drift extends southeasterly about half a mile; two sides extend about one-quarter of a mile southwesterly. About one hundred and twenty men are employed, and an average of two hundred tons per day are mined. Coal-banks used only for private purposes are in all parts of the township.

SMITH TOWNSHIP.

BY a provision in the act erecting Washington County, passed March 28, 1781, the trustees appointed to lay off the county into townships were required to have them laid out before July 1st of that year. This 'was accomplished, and the township of Smith was the last one set off of the original thirteen. It was so named at the suggestion of Judge James Edgar (one of the trustees), in honor of the Rev. Joseph Smith.

The original township was bounded on the north by the Ohio River, on the east by the townships of - Robinson and Cecil, on the south by Hopewell town- ship, and on the west by the State of Virginia. It retained this large extent of territory for five years only. 'On the 5th of January, 1786, the inhabitants presented to the Court of Quarter Sessions of the Peace held at Washington an application for a division of Smith township. This application was favorably considered, and a certificate was sent to the Supreme Executive Council, and read before that body March 8, 1786. No action was taken upon the subject until the 2d of September of the same year, when it was again brought before the Council and confirmed. By this action that portion of the territory north of Har- mon's Creek and north of Brush Run to the Ohio River was set off and named Hanover township. The original line dividing these townships ran "up Harmon's Creek to the source near Steven Smith's [the old McCurdy farm], thence across the ridge to the head of Brush Run, and down the run to Raccoon Creek." On the 11th of March, 1830, by order of court, the territory north of the present line between Smith and. Hanover, not included in above, was set off from Smith township and attached to Hanover. Upon the erection of Mount Pleasant township, May 12, 1806, a portion of Smith was set off to form its territory. The eastern line of Smith at that time ex- tended from near the present north point of Mount Pleasant township southward along the west line of Chartiers township, passing through Hickory, to the , pendent district.'

north line of Cross Creek, about one mile and a half south of that town.

The present boundaries of the township are Han- over township on the west, north, and northwest, Robinson on the northeast, Mount Pleasant on the southeast, and Cross Creek and Jefferson townships on the southwest.

Following is a list of justices of the peace for Smith township 1. from its erection to the present time, viz. :

Samuel Johnston, July 15, 1781. James Edgar, July 15, 1781. James Edgar, Sept. 30, 1788. John Riddle, March 4, 1796. John Wilkins, May 31, 1803. James Proudfit, March 11, 1809. Robert Bowland, March 13, 1810. Matthew Provines, Dec. 9, 1811. William McCreery, Dec. 10, 1816. James Keys, May 16, 1818. James Leech, Dec. 5, 1818. Robert Polkerson, Dec. 5, 1818. James McFarren, Aug. 29, 1821. Moses Stephenson, March 12, 1822. Thomas Biggart, June 12, 1822. Edward McDonald, Ang. 15, 1822. Benjamin T. Bubbett, Dec. 8, 1823. David Miller, March 4, 1824. John Buchanan, Dec. 13, 1824. Archibald Hunter, Feb. 14, 1825. Ebenezer Boyce, Oct. 4, 1828. Alexander Kidd, Nov. 18, 1835. William L. Bobb, April 3, 1835.

William M. Moore, June 7, 1836. John Smith, Dec. 17, 1836. Ebenezer Robb, March 28, 1837. Joseph Campbell, April 14, 1840. Alexander Kidd, April 14, 184". William Galbraith, April 15, 1845. John Ferguson, April 9, 1850. John Stephenson, April 9, 1850. John L. Proudfit, April 16, 1855. Jolın Ferguson, April 10, 1855. Samnel P. Riddle, April 10, 1860. John B. Hays, April 10, 1860. Samuel P. Riddle, June 3, 1865. J. L. Patterson, June 3, 18G). Alex. E. Walker, April 21, 1869. Samuel P. Riddle, March 29, 1870. James L. Patterson, Nov. 30, 1870. James L. Patterson, Jan. 19, 1874. Samuel P. Riddle, Jan, 27, 1874. Samuel P. Riddle, March 17, 1875. George M. Tenan, March 16, 1876. John P. Wood, March 30, 1880. Thomas W. Pedicord, April 9, 1881.

Settlements .- One of the earliest settlers of Smith township, but one of whom but little is known, was Henry Rankin. He was in nowise related to the Ran- kins who settled in the valley of Mount Pleasant. On the 15th of June, 1778, Henry Rankin and Alexander

1 From 1781 to 1787 the township of Smith wa's an independent elec- tion district. ' At that time the county was divided into six election dis- tricts, and this township became part of the Sixth District; another change was made in 1803 Changes in the boundaries were frequent, and it has been impossible to follow them by township. Since the change in the constitution in 1838, the township has been an inde-

SMITH TOWNSHIP.

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McBride purchased of George McCormick five hun- dred and sixty-four acres of land adjoining Nathaniel Patton, Boston Burgett, and Joseph Phillis. He took out a Virginia certificate for the land, which was sur- veyed to him as "Chance" on the 23d of February, 1785, and patented Feb. 15, 1786. A small portion of this tract was sold by Henry Rankin to Thomas Mil- ler Aug. 9, 1805.

The earliest record of a land title in Smith town- ship is dated May 10, 1776, of one hundred and eighty-six acres of land which was sold by William Crawford and Henry Houghland to Joseph Phillis, located on Raccoon Creek, "which lands the said William Crawford and Henry Houghland are enti- tled to by improvement, according to the custom of the country."

Arthur Campbell was a native of Ireland, who em- igrated to America and settled near Winchester, Va. After remaining there a year or two he removed to Redstone Old Fort (Brownsville), and in looking over the country for land on which to settle he se- lected the tract in Smith township on which his grandson, John Campbell, now lives. It was owned by Andrew and Adam Poe, who both lived on the place at the time. Upon the purchase of the land of the Poes Mr. Campbell moved into the house occupied by them, which was built of hewed logs, one and a half stories in height. Arthur Campbell lived and died on the homestead, leaving five sons, William, John, Arthur, Robert, and Joseph, and three daugh- ters, Nancy, Margaret, and Elizabeth. William, the eldest son, settled in Jefferson County, Ohio, where his descendants still live. After the death of Arthur Campbell, Sr., the farm was left by will to John and Robert Campbell, the latter a son of Arthur, by whom it was divided, John retaining the homestead, it being the north part, and is now owned by his son John. Arthur, another son of John, resides in Wisconsin, and a daughter, Margaret, is the wife of Allison Vance. Robert inherited the south side of the farm, and left three sons. Arthur and Ebenezer B. still live on the farm, and William, a third son, resides in Cal- ifornia.

Arthur Campbell, Jr., had two sons,-Arthur, who settled in Jefferson township, on the Cassidy farm, and died there; Joseph studied medicine with Dr. McClean, of Florence, married his daughter, prac- ticed medicine in Pughtown, and died in Eldersville. Nancy, a daughter of Arthur, died unmarried. Eliz- abeth married James Gibson, of Hanover township, and settled there. Margaret married Thomas Elder, the founder of Eldersville. Robert, son of Arthur Campbell, Sr., left three daughters. Ellen married John L. Proudfit, Esq., of Burgettstown. Elizabeth died unmarried. Margaret married Samuel P. Wil- son, and settled in Virginia. A James and a William Campbell lived where George and N. B. Campbell now reside, in Smith and Cross Creek townships, but were not related to the family of Arthur Campbell.

James Leech emigrated to this country from Ire- land with his wife and three children, and settled first in Northampton County, Pa., and was in the Revolutionary war. At the close of the war he pur- chased land of Robert Walker, of Cecil township, under date of Feb. 11, 1782. A part of the deed is as follows :

"Unto James Leech, of the county and township aforesaid, lying and binding on the waters of Raccoon Creek, adjoining William Renkins on the one side and Redefords [Rutherfords] on the other, James Stephenson and Henry Hoglan and William Bash- ford, containing Three Hundred Eachers of land."

On the 22d day of February, 1786, he took out a war- rant for a tract of land, which was surveyed June 30, 1786, under the name of "Litchfield," containing two hundred acres. This land is now occupied by his grand- sons, Robert and Joseph P. Leech. On the 30th of No- vember, 1802, he purchased the mill property on Rac- coon Creek, containing one hundred and five acres, of John Wishart, with liberty to construct a dam farther up the creek and race-way to the mill through Wishart's land. In 1811 a road was ordered laid out from James Leech's mill to John Marshall's, in Cross Creek township. On the Litchfield tract he built a cabin, barns, and still-houses, about half-way between Wil- liam Rankin's and where Robert's house now stands, and later built a larger house of hewed logs near the spring. He died in 1823, and was buried at Burgetts- town. His sons were John, William, Thomas, Samuel, Robert, and James. John went to Ohio, and later to Putnam County, Ill. The rest removed to Cohocton, Ohio, except James, who remained on the homestead for a time. He married a daughter of John Wishart, purchased the property on the creek, where he lived and died. He served in the war of 1812, and was a justice of the peace of the township from Dec. 5, 1818, many years. He was the father of Joseph P. and Presley Leech. The property is now owned by Joel Case.

George Mccullough with his wife and family emi- grated from Little Britain township, Lancaster County. Pa., to Smith's township, and took out a warrant for a tract of land, which was surveyed to him by the name of "Gretna Green," a patent for which he obtained in April, 1785. He died in Feb- ruary, 1811, and left seven daughters and one son, the latter of whom died young. The name became ex- tinct. The daughters married as follows: Christinia married James Wilson, and emigrated to Trumbull County, Ohio, near the town of Poland (now Mahoning County) ; Betsey married Thomas Mccullough, and went to the same locality ; Jane married Joseph Mc- Nall, who resides in Finley township, Allegheny County, Pa .; Mary married James Brown ; Margaret married James Tenan, of Smith township. They settled on the "Gretna Green" tract, having bought out the heirs. Sons of this union were George M. Tenan, Esq., and James B. Tenan, both residents of

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Burgettstown. James Tenan, Sr., emigrated from Londonderry, Ireland, to Washington County ; mar- ried here and settled in Smith township, on land now owned by Andrew Proudfoot. His son, James Tenan, married Margaret Mccullough, as mentioned above.

A tract of land was warranted to Abram Scott Sept. 23, 1784, situated on the waters of Raccoon Creek, adjoining Joseph Phillis, Henry Rankin, and William Thompson. It was surveyed on the 21st of Febru- ary, 1787, to John Smith, as the assignee of Abram Scott, under the name of "Shady Grove," and con- tained four hundred and ten acres.

Mr. Smith purchased two hundred and ninety-nine acres, a part of a tract of land which was patented by Jacob Neusly March 21, 1787, containing three hun- dred and ten acres. This was also on the waters of Raccoon Creek, adjoining William Thompson and Cornelius Murphy. On the 18th of February, 1794, Mr. Smith sold the two hundred and ninety-nine acres of the Neusly tract, and twenty-five of the "Shady Grove" patent to Andrew McClean. James McClean, the son of Andrew, was a bachelor; studied theology, and preached in the Presbyterian denomination; and lived on the homestead several years. The place is now owned by James Simpson. A part of the Smith tract was sold in 1792 to John Bell and John Patton. Bell sold to Thomas Miller Dec. 24, 1804.

Cornelius Murphy owned land adjoining John Smith. He had but one daughter, who married a . man of the name of Dodd, and removed to South Carolina. Squire John Riddle became the executor of Mr. Murphy after his death, and suits were pend- ing for several years, the heirs of Mrs. Dodd claim- ing the property.

Among the officers who received grants of land for their services in the Dunmore war was Lund Wash- ington, a distant relative of George Washington. A patent of the State of Virginia, dated Nov. 20, 1779, was granted him by which two thousand acres of land were conveyed. This tract lay on the head-waters of the middle branch of Raccoon Creek, and in the town- ships of Smith and Mount Pleasant.

On the 8th of June, 1791, Washington sold three hundred acres to John McKibben. This tract is now owned by Charles Provines, the heirs of Ebenezer Smith, and the heirs of Robert Smith. On the 20th of January, 1792, Washington conveyed all of the re- mainder of the tract to George McCormick. In the deed to McCormick a statement is made concerning the large tract granted by the Virginia patent as fol- lows : "Said to contain two thousand acres, but in fact contain's only one thousand acres, and is bounded," etc. A part of this tract was sold by George Mc- Cormick, Feb. 7, 1792, to David Hays, who left it by will to his son, Joseph Hays. The latter conveyed it to Josiah Allen on the 3d of February, 1795, and two years later, May 4, 1797, Allen conveyed it to Rob- ert Glass. Upon his death this portion of his estate fell to his son, Thomas Glass. He retained it till

April 6, 1804, when he sold one hundred and fifty- nine acres of land to Samuel McFarlane. In this deed it is recited that it is part of the tract conveyed by the Virginia patent to Lund Washington. A small por- tion of the tract conveyed to McFarlane formed parts of two other tracts, one of which was patented to Thomas Edwards April 3, 1797, the other to Andrew Swearingen Aug. 15, 1787.

Samuel McFarlane emigrated from Ireland to this country about 1800, and in 1804 made the purchase above mentioned, and on the 3d of September in the same year purchased one hundred and two acres of Ephraim Chidester. This tract was part of a tract patented to George McCormick Aug. 15, 1787. It was called "Hayes' Bottom," and contained three hundred and fifty-nine acres. McCormick sold it to David Hays September 13th the same year, and in June, 1797, the one hundred and two acres was sold to Ephraim Chidester. Samuel McFarlane settled upon the tract purchased of Thomas Glass, and where his youngest son, Thomas McFarlane, now owns. He lived here many years, and died at an advanced age at the residence of his daughter in Cross Creek.

Of his children, William settled on a farm near his father's, and adjoining the Judge John Farrar farm, where he died. David studied theology, and became a Presbyterian minister. He settled first in Peoria, Ill., and later went to Santa Fé, New Mexico, San Diego, Cal., and finally to Iowa, where he served as a mis- sionary among the Indians, and died there. Joseph went to California when the gold excitement was at its height, in 1849, and has not since been heard from. John removed to Ohio. Andrew settled at Cross Creek, and later moved to Burgettstown, where he still resides. Samuel located on a farm left him by his father in Robinson township, near the town of Candor, and now lives in Burgettstown. His son, J. F. McFarlane, is an attorney in Washington, Pa. A daughter of Samuel McFarlane, Sr., married Thomas Farrar, lived in Cross Creek many years, and moved to Peoria, Ill., and died at the residence of her daugh- ter in that city in 1880.

James Edgar was one among the earliest settlers in what afterwards became the township of Smith, and he was for a period of thirty-five years one of the most respected citizens of Washington County. He was born in York County, Pa., on the "Slate Ridge," Nov. 15, 1744. His father's family emigrated from Pennsylvania to North Carolina, but he was never in the latter State, except on a visit to his relatives. He represented his native county in the Constitu- tional Convention of 1776. In the summer of 1779 he migrated west of the mountains and settled in what is now Smith township, Washington County. July 10, 1784, he warranted a tract of two hundred and seventy acres " on the waters of Raccoon Creek," surveyed to him Feb. 22, 1785. And on the 6th of September, 1787, he warranted another tract of one hundred and forty-two acres, surveyed to him Oct.

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SMITH TOWNSHIP.

17, 1787, as "Nineveh." In November, 1781, he was elected with Col. John Canon to represent the county in the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, and in the same year was elected to the Council of Censors. In 1788 he was appointed associate judge, which position he held till disabled by infirmities which compelled his resignation. Dr. Carnahan says of Judge Edgar,-

" This truly great and good man, little known be- yond the precincts of Washington County, had a good English education, had improved his mind by read- ing and reflection, so that in theological and political knowledge he was superior to many professional men. . . . He lived in retirement on his farm except when the voice of his neighbors called him forth to serve the Church or the State. He was a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church, and on one occasion ad- dressed a congregation of at least two thousand peo- ple on the subject of the insurrection, with a clearness of argument and a solemnity of manner and a tender- ness of Christian eloquence which reached the under- standing and penetrated the heart of every hearer. The consequence was that few, if any, in his neigh- borhood were concerned in that affair."

Judge H. H. Brackenridge mentions Judge Edgar as follows : "He was an associate judge of Wash- ington County, and a kind of rabbi in the Presby- terian Church in the Western country. His head was prematurely hoary with prayers and fastings and religious exercises ; his face thin and puritanical, like the figures of the old Republicans in the Long Parliament of England." He died June 8, 1814. The Reporter (of Washington, Pa.), in its issue of August 22d of that year, published the following obituary notice of him :

" Departed this life on the 8th day of June last James Edgar, of Wash- ington County, Pa., in the seventy-first year of his age. The character of this eminent and respected patriot and father in the church is exten- sively known in our county and in the churches. He was a native of this State; in his early youth he hopefully became a subject of true religion; while young was chosen and ordained a ruling elder in the church, which office he continued to fill with good effect while able to act. In the year 1776 he was called into public life as a statesman, being chosen to the convention which formed the constitution of the Stato, after which time he was repeatedly chosen a representative in the Leg- islature from the counties of York and Washington. In later life he several years filled the office of associate judge of Washington County, until disabled by infirmity he resigned. Till his last he continued to manifest himself a sincere friend of the cause of Christ and of his country ; was much engaged to promote the interests of the church and the good of the State. In his last long illness he bore his affliction with Christian patience, breathing the spirit of Christianity. His end was peaceful and quiet. The evening before his departure he, with consid- erable confidence, informed his family that he hoped to get his dismis- sion from the body that night; accordingly about three o'clock in the morning he resigned his last breath without a struggle or any indication of pain."

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History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 223

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