History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 228

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 228

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Socially, he was gifted with a rare combination of qualities, easy, graceful manners, fine conversational powers, and a warm, generous, and sympathizing nature. Regarding no one, however poor and igno- rant, as beneath his notice, nor looking up to any, however wealthy and aristocratic, as above him, he was claimed alike by the high and lowly as a friend.

The universal esteem in which he was held is mani- fest from the positions he occupied at the time of his death. Filling honorable and responsible offices both in the Church and in the State ; chosen to the one by the voice of the members of the church of his child- hood, and to the other by the voice of the citizens of the county of his nativity, are facts that make an eulogy of words superfluous.

His family consisted of a daughter and five sons, viz., Mary L., now Mrs. Billingsly Morgan, of Canons- burg, Pa .; S. Clark, for many years principal of the Second Ward schools, Allegheny, Pa .; Preston W., physician in Nevada City, Iowa; John, a farmer, residing at the old family homestead ; Watson W., a clerk in the Treasury Department at Washington, D. C .; and George W., merchant, at Braddock's, Pa.

J. L. PROUDFIT.

David Proudfit and his brother Robert, natives of Scotland, emigrated to America about the year 1759, and settled in York County, Pa. Two of their brothers, Andrew and James, had preceded them to this country. Andrew, who was a shoemaker, had settled in York County, and James, who was a min- ister in the Associate Reformed Church, had settled in Lancaster County. David and Robert were far-

1 Theology.

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SOMERSET TOWNSHIP.

mers. , The former married Nancy Livingston, by whom he had eight children,-John, Robert, Andrew, James, Elizabeth, Nancy, Mary, and Jane.

John Proudfit was born in York County, Pa., in 1776. He settled in Smith township, Washington Co., Pa., in 1806, where, in 1809, he married Elizabeth Lyle. They lived in Washington County until 1813, : when they removed to York County, where they lived fourteen years, when they returned to Washington County, and again settled in Smith township, where they died. Their children were David, John L., James K., Eliza J., Nancy, Robert F., Cinderella, William, Andrew, and Eleanor K., all of whom are living except David, James K., and Nancy.

4, 1866, leaving three children,-Elizabeth, the wife of W. A. P. Linn, of Shippensburg, Cumberland Co., Pa .; Jane A., the wife of Dr. W. P. Taylor, of No- blestown, Allegheny Co., Pa .; and Martha E., the wife of John Moore, of Smith township, Washington Co., Pa.

John L. Proudfit was married to his second wife, Mrs. Nancy Byers, whose maiden name was Duncan, Dec. 24, 1867. In the spring of 1867 he removed from his farm in Smith township to Burgettstown, where he now has his residence. He still superintends the work upon his farms lying near the town. Since the organization of the National Bank of Burgettstown he has been its president. He was at one time cap- tain of the Burgettstown militia ; has held the office

John L. Proudfit was born in Smith township, Washington Co., Sept. 3, 1812, and the following , of justice of the peace and other important local offices. spring went with his parents to York County, Pa., | He was for many years a member of the Presbyterian where he remained until he was fifteen years of age, Church, an elder in the same, but is now a commu- nicant of the United Presbyterian Church. In his youthful days he underwent all the trials and hard knocks of poverty, and from them he can turn his eyes to his present prosperity with the reflection that to himself and his own exertions he owes it all. when he returned with them to his native township. He received a district school education, and labored with his father upon the farm until after he was twenty-one years of age. He married Eleanor Camp- bell, of Smith township, June 9, 1841. She died Aug.

SOMERSET TOWNSHIP.

SOMERSET was erected in 1782, to comprise terri- ' from its organization to the present time. Upon the tory taken from the townships of Fallowfield, Not- erection of districts in 1803 it became District No. 8, tingham, Strabane, and Bethlehem. No account of | but the boundaries of the district and of the township its erection, however, is found in the records of the were the same. Following is a list of persons who were and have been elected to the office of justice of the peace in Somerset during the century of its existence : court, but they show that at the April term of that year the first business done after organization was the appointment of "Christian Leatherman supervisor of the highways for the township of Summersett." William Parker, April 3, 1792. John Caldwell, April 15, 1845. Henry McDonough, April 15, 1845. John Barr, April 10, 1849. John Stephenson, April 3, 1782. William Wallace, April 30, 1788. Robert Mahon, April 7, 1801. Henry McDonough, Feb. 23, 1801. Isaac Leonard, April 2, 1802. Henry MeDonough, April 10, 1860. John Scott, April 12, 1864. David Mitchell, June 3, 1865. John A. Barr, Jan, 28, 1874. S. B. MeIlvaine, May 24, 1874. John A. Barr, May 24, 1874. William Wallace, Oct. 24, 1807. Robert Mahon, March 24, 1809. James Rainey, Jan. 18, 1813. Shesbaz. Bentley, Sr., Feb. 8, 1819. James Smith, Dec. 13, 1820. David Hart, June 10, 1822. George, Hipple, May 30, 1831. John Caldwell, April 14, 1840. Daniel Burgan, April 14, 1840. Following this appointment is the "order that a new township be struck off," which, though not named Henry McDonough, April 9, 1830. John Scott, April 11, 1854. Henry McDonough, April 10, 1835. Jolin Scott, May G, 1859. in the record, is evidently, by the description of its boundaries, the township of Greene (now the southeast corner of Greene County). From the records above quoted it is evident that Somerset township was erected by the previous court held in January, 1782, and the second term after the organization of the county. This also is evident from the fact that on the 3d of April, 1782, there was read before the Supreme S. B. McIlvaine, March 27, 1879. John A. Barr, March 27, 1879. Executive Council, then in session at Philadelphia, " A return of justices for the township of Somerset in the county of Washington, . .. by which it ap- pears that William Parker and John Stephenson were duly elected justices for the said' township." Its territory has not been materially changed since its organization.

The township has been a separate election district

Early Settlements. - The first persons to make their way into the wilderness of Somerset township were the Newkirk family and William Colvin and family. The Newkirks came from Maryland or Virginia prior to 1777. William Colvin was one of the earliest actual settlers in Fayette County, and located on land ad- joining Brownsville, which he had obtained under a

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

military permit in 1763 and which he afterwards sold to Thomas Brown. Descendants of William Colvin are still living in Redstone, Luzerne, and Browns- ville. Several large tracts of land were located in this section by the different members of the Newkirk family, amounting to nearly nine hundred acres, which lay along Pigeon Creek and north of the pres- ent village of Bentleyville. One tract called " Agri- culture" contained three hundred and eighty-six acres, and was situated on both sides of the north fork of Pigeon Creek adjoining lands of Vincent Colvin, John Wallace, and James Craven. The date of the application for this land is not given, but the survey was made April 6, 1786. It seems there was a controversy as to the ownership of this tract, as appears by the following extract from the survey report : "To this tract of land there are two claim-' ants, each of whom has taken out a warrant for the same land, though differently described, viz. : William Colvin, a warrant for three hundred and sixty-four acres, dated Feb. 13, 1786; Isaac Newkirk, a warrant for three hundred acres, dated Feb. 27, 1786. Each has evidence to support their pretensions and submit to the honorable the Board of Property, on whose warrant the return will be received." The warrant was returned Nov. 3, 1807, to Isaac Newkirk as the rightful owner.

" The Legacy" was a tract which Henry Newkirk was granted upon a Virginia certificate, and the sur- vey was made Feb. 25, 1786. This tract contained four hundred and thirteen acres. Close upon the line between Somerset and Fallowfield townships and in the division of townships the lands of Gray- bill and Colvin came within the limits of Fallowfield, while Henry Newkirk became a resident of Somerset. Besides there were other farms taken up and im- proved by the Newkirks. Three of them are in Fal- lowfield, and are owned by Richard Richardson, Noah Jones, and Thomas Elwood. As early as 1777 the Newkirks erected what was considered a large dwell- ing-house for those times. It was built of hewed logs, and on a stone in the chimney was cut the date of the erection of the house. The dwelling was pulled down in 1838, but the stone mentioned is still preserved in the family. A part of this old homestead comes within the limits of the borough of Bentleyville. The place is now owned by Jacob Spahr, and the old water-mill, known as the Newkirk grist-mill, is also in his possession. It was one of the famous mills of its day, but is now but a relic of the olden time. Many members of the Newkirk family have lived and died in Somerset township, and many others emigrated to other parts. Joseph A. Newkirk is the only male representative of the descendants at present residing here. James S. and Isaac Newkirk reside in Kansas City, Mo.

George Kutner and his wife, Susan Kutner, were in Somerset township as early as 1780, and became possessed of two tracts of land containing together

five hundred acres. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Kutner were twelve, four sons and eight daughters. The sons were Andrew, Jacob, Christian, and Abra- ham Kutner. The daughters were Elizabeth, Catha- rine, Susanna, Christina, Barbara, Sarah, Mary, and Magdalene.

The Leonard family came from New Jersey to Somerset township, and as early as 1780 were in pos- session of land here. There must have been a num- ber of brothers, for the record of property transfers shows that a tract of one hundred and fifty-four acres was owned by several of these. It was first owned by Isaac Leonard, sold by him to Abner Leonard, by Abner to Caleb Leonard, and from him was purchased by John Hawkins. Caleb Leonard married Sarah Burt, and their family numbered seven children, --- Daniel, Joseph, Zenas, Phebe, Rhoda, Mary, and Sarah Leonard. The sons Joseph and Zenas died in Ohio, and Daniel died in this county. The daugh- ters all married and died leaving families. Edmond Leonard, living in Fayette County, and Isaac Leon- ard, of Washington borough, are descendants of these early settlers.

The land of Daniel Swickard adjoined the tract of John Study, and Burnt Run divided the tract nearly in the centre. In 1788, Daniel Swickard was assessed upon two hundred acres of land.

Daniel Swickard's family consisted of four children, -the sons Martin and David, Jr., the daughter Eliz- abeth, who became Mrs. Saltzman, and Eve, who was Mrs. Lash.

James Wherry came from England to this country, and eventually settled in Somerset township. He purchased a farm adjoining those of Nathaniel Reed and Joseph Huffman, where he lived and reared his family of eleven children, the oldest of whom, John Wherry, came from England with his father. In 1783, James Wherry was elected to the office of jus- tice of the peace, serving in that capacity for many years, and was also an elder in the Pigeon Creek Church. He died in 1800. His son David had his own share of the Wherry property and also purchased that of his brother, James Wherry, Jr., who removed to Adams County, Ohio. Eli and William Wherry, grandsons of the pioneer, together with Ira Huffman, now own the old homestead. Miss Elizabeth Wherry, another descendant, became the wife of Adam G. Weaver, and resides in West Bethlehem township. John W. Wherry, also of the family, lives in the same township.

George Myers, who purchased the "Woodstock" tract of Christian Letherman in 1785, was a German, and beside the Letherman purchase bought other lands. He had some seven hundred acres altogether, part of which was in Nottingham township, north of Somerset, and lying along the North Branch of Pigeon Creek. The family of George Myers numbered eight or ten children, none of whom are now living. David, Henry, Andrew, Jesse, Samuel, Levi, Jacob, Hiram,

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SOMERSET TOWNSHIP.

Jeremiah, Abner, William, John, and Anderson Myers, all living in this section, are said to be lineal descend- ants of George Myers. Most of his land is still owned by the family.

On May 13, 1785, Adam Wier purchased of James Johnston seventy acres of land adjoining land of David Delley, Jr., "including a certain spring now used by David Johnston, Sr." Some of the descendants of Adam Wier still own the place, probably those of his daughter Mary, who married Thomas Hall.

On the 8th day of May, 1777, Sheshbazzar Bentley, of New Castle, Del., purchased of Baltzer Shillins, of Redstone Settlement, in consideration of four hundred pounds, "one tract of land containing three improve- ments and ten hundred and fifty acres, except what was cut off by arbitration for Matthew Laughlin, sup- posed not to exceed three acres with all the improve- ments thereon, situated and lying upon Pigeon Creek." A portion of this tract he received a warrant for March 4, 1785. It was surveyed to him December 21st the same year, and was named " The Review," containing four hundred and thirty-two acres. House Bentley, a brother of Sheshbazzar, warranted a tract adjoining the same date, containing four hundred and thirteen acres, and named " House's Grove." It was his son, Sheshbazzar Bentley, who lived at Monongahela City, and was elected sheriff of Washington County in 1840.

Sheshbazzar Bentley, Sr., was a farmer, and also owned and operated a mill on Pigeon Creek before 1787. The first election in the Second District was held at his house in 1787. His son George moved to the mouth of Mingo Creek, but Sheshbazzar Bentley, Jr., remained in Somerset, and laid out the village of Bentleyville, March 4, 1816. Some members of his family still remain in that place.

Henry McDonough was a farmer, a distiller, and also served honorably as a justice of the peace. His family comprised five sons and one daughter. The sons were John, Joseph, James, Henry, and David. John, the oldest son, lived and died on a farm on Chartiers Creek. Joseph and James both died young. Henry married and settled in this township, and his son, also named Henry, lives on his father's farm. David McDonough was the youngest of the five sons of Henry McDonough, and lived on the home farm. His son, Dr. Henry McDonough, now owns and occu- pies the old homestead. The only daughter of Henry McDonough, Sr., became the wife of Mr. Pangborn, of Westmoreland County, and went to reside in Cin- cinnati.

About the year 1785, Frederick Ault erected a mill on the North Branch of Pigeon Creek, in this town- ship, which was owned and operated by him until 1817, when it passed into the hands of Hon. James Gordon. In 1837, Mr. Gordon disposed of the prop- erty to - Newkirk. In 1837 the dam was swept away, and has never been repaired. It is now owned by Jackson Huffman.

Thomas Hall came into Somerset township in 1788, and purchased of Neil Gillespie three hundred and twenty acres of land situate on Pigeon Creek. He was a native of Tyrone County, Ireland, married and had three children when he came to Washington County. Thomas Hall, Jr., was born in this town- ship on the farm bought of Gillespie, and is the only son living.

In July, 1808, Thomas Hall, Sr., bought one hun- dred and sixty-eight acres of land of William Ram- sey, a part of the two-hundred-acre tract warranted by John Stevenson, and sold by him to William Coch- ran in 1796. While the property was in his possession, Mr. Ramsey had built a flouring-mill upon it on Little Chartiers Creek. The United Presbyterian Church is also built on land belonging to this last purchase of Thomas Hall, Sr., but which was donated to the society in 1817 by Thomas Hall, Jr., his father having died in 1814. By will of Thomas Hall, Sr., James Hall, one of the sons born in Ireland, came into possession of part of the original property in this township, and the daughters-Mary, who married Adam Wier, and Jane, who married Henry Vance- inherited the remainder. Mrs. Henry Vance now lives on the property early owned by Joshua Davis. The children and descendants of James Hall are in the West. Thomas Hall, Jr., is living, and also his five sons. He lives with the youngest, Adam Weir Hall, in South Strabane township. The sons-James, John, and Thomas (3d)-all live in Washington borough. The other son, Rev. Austin W. Hall, a minister of the Baptist Church, is living at Big Prai- rie, Wayne Co., Ohio.

William Wallace lived in Somerset township as early as 1786, and during his residence here owned several tracts of land. One tract, called " Wallace's Bargain," was warranted by him March 25, 1788, and the survey completed April 10th following. He also became the owner of several other tracts of land here. Much of the land formerly owned by William Wal- lace now comes within the borough of Bentleysville. Some of it is owned by Hamilton and Henry Myers; Richard Richardson owns a portion, and still more is in the possession of Messrs. Jones and Stephens. During his residence in Somerset Mr. Wallace served several terms as a justice of the peace. He finally removed to Monongahela City, and died there. B. I. Bentley, of that city, is a grandson of his.

On April 20, 1789, John Wallace sold to Joshua Davis seventy-five acres of land, a part of the tract called "Tempest," situated on the North Fork of Pigeon Creek. Joshua Davis was a member of the Episcopal Church near Scenery Hill, in West Beth- lehem township. He had five sons, but the only rep- resentatives of the family left in the county are William Davis, a grandson, who resides in South Strabane township, and George Davis, a son of William, and great-grandson of Joshua Davis, who lives in Washington borough.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

In the earlier days of Somerset township James Wherry owned the farm on Pigeon Creek that now belongs to Ira Huffman. In the family of James Wherry were three sons, John, David, and William. No knowledge is gained of the last two, but John Wherry married Elizabeth Welch, and his children, five in number, reside in this township.

The Huffman family was one of the most prom- inent in Somerset township. Rudolph Huffman pat- ented a tract of land here on May 22, 1787, and reared a family of ten children,-Daniel, Dorothy, David, Martin, Jonathan, Jacob, Solomon, Joseph, Sophia, and Sevela. The daughter Sophia married Jacob Swagler, and Sevela became Mrs. Wallace. Rudolph Huffman's land was on Pigeon Creek, and he followed the business of farmer and distiller. He died before 1806. The property is now owned by Joseph Huff- man, a great-grandson of Rudolph Huffman. John Huffman was a nephew of Rudolph Huffman, and lived on the farm adjoining that of his uncle. His property is now owned by Joseph Huffman, Andrew McIlvaine, and John Berger, his family having all emigrated to Columbus, Ohio. Richard Huffman, who resides in Bentleyville, in this township, is a descendant of Rudolph Huffman. He is the author of "Pilgrim's Poem."

James Cochran was a farmer who lived on Cochran Run, a branch of Chartiers Creek. His farm is now owned by the heirs of Peter Whitely and Samuel Weir.

Of the early settlers of Somerset township there were two families of the name of Stevenson, but they were not related. The name of the father in each family was John Stevenson. The head of the first family of that name that settled in Somerset town- ship was born in England in 1735, came to this coun- try in 1750, and settled near the Brandywine battle- ground. He was married about the year 1765 to Mary McCowan. In 1780 he came to this county and set- tled in Somerset township, on the farm on which Thomas McCorkle now lives. He had a family of eleven children, nine of whom lived to mature years. He was elected a justice of the peace in Somerset township, and he also represented this county two terms as a member of the Supreme Executive Council of the State. On his way home, at the close of his second term, he was taken with smallpox, and died at Hagerstown, Md., in March, 1795. Mary McCowan Stevenson, his widow, some years after his death, married Judge James Edgar, of Cross Creek town- ship.

The second family named Stevenson that settled in Somerset township was of Irish extraction. John Stevenson, the father of this family, was born in the year 1729, and he removed from Cumberland County, Pa., to Washington County, Pa., in 1781, and settled on a tract of land in Somerset township which they bought from Philip Whitten, containing three hun- dred and ninety-two acres. He lived on the part of

this tract which now composes the farm of Samuel B. Weir. His first wife was - Mitchell. By this mar- riage he had two sons, named Joseph and George. His second wife was Jean McCombs, and their chil- dren were Robert, John, James, Mary, Margaret, Elizabeth, Jean, and Anne. All his sons, with the exception of James, who was too young, served as soldiers in the Revolutionary war. He sold his farm in Somerset township, and purchased and lived on the farm now owned by Andrew McCarrell and the heirs of Hon. Thomas McCarrell. He afterwards divided this land among his children, and moved to a farm he owned near Cross Creek village, and now comprising the farms of John Lee and H. L. Duncan. He died there at the age of ninety years, and is buried in Cross Creek Cemetery. His wife, Jean McCombs, died at the age of eighty-six years.

Joseph Stevenson, the eldest son of this family, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and served under Gen. Washington, and fought at the battle of Trenton. He came to this county, married Mary Espy, and had five children,-John, Joseph, Maria, Mary Anne, and Josiah Espy, -- which latter son was a phy- sician, and lived and died at Kittanning, Pa. An- other of his descendants is the Rev. Loyal Young Graham, of Mount Olivet Church, Philadelphia. Jo- seph Stevenson afterwards lived in Canonsburg, and died there, and is buried in the cemetery at Chartiers Church.

George Stevenson, the second son by the first wife, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and served under Gen. Washington. He came to this county, and was afterwards taken prisoner by the Indians near West Liberty, now in West Virginia. He was compelled by them to carry a heavy iron kettle lashed on his bare back all the way to Canada. He was also at the same time suffering from a severe gash in his forehead, made by an Indian striking him with a tomahawk at the time of his capture. In Can- ada he was sold, and remained there for three years and five months, when he was exchanged as a prisoner of war. He married Catharine McCombs, and lived for a time at what is now known as Hunter's Mill on Harmon's Creek, Hanover township. He afterwards removed to Knox County, Ohio, where he died. He had a family of four children, named John, George, Martha, and a daughter whose name is not known to the writer. The Rev. George Graham, of Clarksville, Iowa, is his grandson.

Capt. Robert Stevenson, the eldest son of John Stevenson, by his wife, Jean McCombs, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and belonged to a company commanded by Capt. McConnell, of Cumberland County, Pa. He was also in the war of 1812, and was captain of a company. He assisted in the build- ing of "Fort Stevenson," near Sandusky, Ohio, and the fort was named in his honor. He settled in this county about the close of the Revolutionary war, and married Mary Teeters. He afterwards moved to near

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Salem, Columbiana Co., Ohio, where he died. He was elected a member of the Legislature of that State. He had a large family, but the only name known to the writer is that of his son, Robert.

John Stevenson, son of John Stevenson and Jean McCombs, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war and a member of a company commanded by Capt. Mc- Connell. He settled first in this county in Somerset township on the farm now owned by the Whitely heirs. He afterwards owned and lived on the farm now owned by James Buchanan, Esq., in Mount Pleasant township, and lastly in Cross Creek town- ship on a farm now owned by H. L. Duncan. He packed on horseback over the mountains to the first store in Washington its first lot of goods. John Stevenson died June 13, 1847, and is buried in Cross Creek Cemetery. His wife was Mary McCombs, and their children were John, Margaret, Jean, Mary, and Malcolm McCombs. They all died unmarried, except Mary, who married Robert Marques, and leaves to sur- vive her two sons, Rev. J. S. Marques, pastor of Pigeon Creek Presbyterian Church, and Robert Marques, of Missouri, these with their families being all of his descendants now living. James Stevenson, son of John Stevenson and Jean McCombs, died when quite a young man, unmarried, and is buried in Pigeon Creek Cemetery.

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History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 228

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