History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 236

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 236

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Advance Lodge, No. 697, I. O. O. F .- On the 28th of January, 1870, a lodge named John F. Logan Lodge, No. 697, I. O. O. F., was instituted at Coal Bluff. The officers were James Craig, Noble Grand; P. J. Dough- erty, Vice Grand; George Bentley, Treasurer; J. F. Logan and Hugh Craig, Secretaries. In 1872 the name was changed to Advance Lodge, of which the officers at present (October, 1881) are James Stark, Noble Grand ; Cyrus Gilmore, Vice Grand; William Wilson, Treasurer; Robert McLuckie, Secretary. The lodge now numbers fifty-nine members. The hall they own and occupy was built in 1875, and dedicated Sep- tember 29th of the same year. The charter members of Advance Lodge were James Craig, Patrick Dough- erty, John F. Logan, Hugh Craig, George Bentley, Hugh Mckinney, Samuel Mesner, John Barclay, Albert Fuller, William Wilson, Sr., R. H. McMasters, Henry Reitz, George Keistler, John T. Sutton, Wil- liam Wible, R. S. Lowers, Alexander Ferree, William Brawdy, Sr., W. P. McMasters, William Price, John M. Wilson, Thomas Elliott, S. B. Kennedy, W. E.

French, Benjamin French, William Bouston, William N. Jenkins, Daniel Lowers, Isaac Hodge.

Schools .- The first school in what is now Union township was taught about the year 1800. The build- ing in which it was taught was built of logs, sixteen feet square, and stood on the bank of Peters Creek, about half a mile above Finleyville. The next school in the township was taught in a frame build- ing, which is still standing below Finleyville. As early as 1808-9 there was a log school-house built in what is now the Lower Hodgkins District, the building standing on property that afterwards be- longed to Mr. Jenkins. One mile north of that another log house was built in 1812. A frame build- ing took the place of it in 1865.

Union township was erected in March, 1836, before the school law of 1834 was in full operation. In the following year the inhabitants petitioned to be an- nexed to Carroll township for school purposes. The name of the township does not appear upon the treasurer's report for the years 1835-37, and at what time the township was districted is not known.

In 1863 Union township had six school districts, employed nine teachers, had enrolled three hundred and ninety-seven scholars, and levied for school pur- poses $1359.82. The total receipts were $1387.30, and expenditures amounted to $1278.27. In 1873 the districts were seven, each having one school, and there was one independent school. Eight teachers were employed, three hundred and sixty-four scholars enrolled, the school fund was $2840.17, and the ex- penditures were $2323.91. The school superintend- ent's report for 1880 gives the number of districts in Union township as eight,-Upper Limetown, Middle Limetown, White Mill, Lower Hodgkins, Mingo, Boggs, Pollock, and Gaston. Nine schools were taught, one of which is independent. There were three male and six female teachers employed, and four hundred and fifty-eight pupils enrolled. The total receipts for school purposes from all sources amounted to $2787, and the expenditures to $2587.03. In Upper Limestone District the school building that was built on Huston's Run, just after the school law went into effect, is still standing and in use.

Justices of the Peace .- Union township, upon its organization in 1835, was attached to District No. 6, and the names of its justices are included in the jus- tices' list of Peters township until 1838, when the office became elective and the township an independ- ent district, in which the following-named justices have been elected, viz. :

Francis Reader, April 14, 1840. John Kennedy, April 14, 1840. Henry H. Finley, April 12, 1842. Joseph S. Gaston, April 11, 1843. John Kennedy, April 15, 1845. Joseph S. Gaston, April 11, 1848. John Kennedy, April 9, 1850. Joseph S. Gaston, April 13, 1853. Michael Saunders, April 10, 1855. Wilson Kerr, June 2, 1857.

Joseph S. Gaston, April 13, 1838. Isaac Lytle, May 12, 1862. Joseph S. Gaston, April 25, 1863. Milton B. Curry, June 3, 1865. Joseph S. Gaston, Jan. 31, 1874. William Ferree, April 17, 1874. Joseph S. Gaston, April 17, 1874. Joseph S. Gaston, March 16, 1876. William Ferree, March 27, 1879. Frank R Storer, April 9, 1881.

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UNION TOWNSHIP.

Churches in the Township .- The Mingo Creek Presbyterian Church was organized in August, 1786, at which time Mingo Creek, Pike Run, and Horse- shoe Bottom applied to the Redstone Presbytery re- questing the services of a minister, which request was granted. Several ministers were sent out as supplies during the first ten years of the existence of this church, among them Rev. Mr. McClean, who ad- ministered the ordinance of baptism to children. Preaching was first held in barns and groves and under a tent near the spot which the sheds of the present church now occupy. A lady now living rec- ollects listening to a sermon by the Rev. Samuel Ral- ston in those days, he standing on low ground between two trees, the stumps of which still mark the place, while the people were on the higher ground above and around him.

'The first building erected for church purposes was one of logs, which stood on the bank not far from the site of the present. edifice. It was fifty by fifty-five feet in size, with five by nine feet extensions from the middle on the north and south sides. The north extension was occupied by the pulpit, and the south one was known as the bachelors' seats. At each end of the building was a door. This building must have been put up previous to 1794, as it was then a place of meeting for the whiskey insurgents, and the point from where they started on the occasion when Gen. Neville's house was burned and Maj. James McFar- lane was killed. Both the church and Mingo Ceme- tery were located upon the land known as " Barr- ville," and first owned by John Barr, a member of the church. Although so early in use as stated, no direct conveyance of the property was made until the year 1807, when it was given by John Gibson, who in the mean time had purchased the property of John Barr. The deed upon record, given by James Gibson and wife for the consideration of $20, conveys "to John Hamilton, John Campbell, and William McMullen, in trust for the Mingo Creek Congrega- tion, a piece of ground situate on Froman's Run, in- cluding the meeting-house, tent, spring, and grave- yard, containing about two acres, dated April 11, 1807."

Nesbit. The church has now two hundred members, but at the present time (January, 1882) is without a pastor.

Prominent among the early elders of Mingo Church were Aaron Williams, Sr., and John Happer, Sr. The former was the grandfather of Rev. Aaron Wil- liams, D.D., Prof. Samuel Williams (both deceased), and Rev. Moses Allen Williams, of Oregon. John Hap- per was the grandfather of the Rev. Andrew Happer, of Canton, China, and of the Hon. John A. Happer, now an elder of Mingo Church. On the second board of elders were Benjamin Williams (son of Aaron), - Potter, and - Senton. The names of those subse- quently installed were Robert Gailey, John Morri- son, Sr., John Morrison, Jr., - Comison, Jamison Beatty, John Kennedy, Esq., James McVey, James Patterson, John Patton, Samuel Hindman, John A. Happer, Joseph Patterson, John Kennedy, John McVey, and Benjamin McVey.

The present house of worship of the Mingo Creek Church was built in 1832, in place of the old historic log building known as the Mingo Creek Meeting- house in the days of the Whiskey Insurrection. In the old burial-ground of the Mingo Creek Church is to be seen the grave of Maj. James McFarlane, who was killed in the attack on Gen. Neville's house at Bower Hill in 1794. The grave is marked by a stone which bears this inscription :

"Here lies the body of Major James McFarlane, of Washington County, Pennsylvania, who departed this life July 17, 1794, aged forty- three years. He served during the war with undaunted courage iu defense of American Independence against the lawless and despotic en- croachments of Great Britain. He fell at last by the hands of an unprin- cipled villain, in support of what he supposed to be the rights of his country, much lamented by a numerous and respectable circle of ac- quaintances "

The Seceders' Church in this township was organized at a date which has not been ascertained, but it is found that those early settlers, Col. Joseph Barr, John Huston, John Fife, and the McNeals, were among its most prominent members. A frame church was erected on land donated by Col. Barr, situated oppo- site the present residence of Dr. John Lank, in this township. Services were held in this church for many years, but they had no regular pastor, and were dependent upon supplies. The society was never strong in numbers, and after the death of Col. Barr it ceased to exist as a church organization.

Rev. Samuel Ralston was one of the pastors early in charge of Mingo Creek Church. He was a native of Ireland, born in 1756, and was educated at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. In 1794 he emi- grated to this country, and Nov. 30, 1796, having received and accepted a call to this church, was regu- The Peters Creek Baptist Church is mentioned more fully in the history of Peters township. In the year 1788 a lot was purchased of John Cox, and worship was held by this society for several years in Union township before their removal to Peters township. The present church building is located in the village of Library, in Snowdon township, Allegheny County, but the majority of its members reside in Peters town- ship. The land owned by the society in what is now larly installed as pastor of Mingo Creek and'Parkin- son's Ferry Churches. He remained in charge for forty years, until 1836, when he resigned the pastor- ate. He died Sept. 25, 1851, at the age of ninety-six years, and was buried in Mingo Cemetery. The cler- gymen who succeeded the Rev. Mr. Ralston were the Revs. Nathan Shotwell, John M. Smith, John R. Dundas, Abner O. Rockwell, William Greenough, John J. Beacon, William W. Mckinney, and J. H. ! Union township was sold to James Castor April 3,

968

HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

1810, by the Rev. David Philips, Daniel Townsend, and Charles Dailey, trustees.

The Peters Creek Methodist Episcopal Church was organized almost three-fourths of a century ago. In the month of August, 1810, Robert James and wife, of what is now Union township, attended a Methodist camp-meeting on Pike Run, and while there Mrs. James persuaded Bishop McKendree, who presided at the gathering, to send a minister to Peters Creek. Robert James was then living in his stone house, which stands near the church, and is owned by Mrs. Gilmer. The upper part of this stone house was all in one room, and in this room the first services were held and attended by Methodist people and others from many miles around. Here the first Methodist class was organized, and among its members were Robert and William James and their wives. In 1817 or 1818 the stone church now in use was built, and was known as "James' Chapel," "Stone Chapel," or " Stone Church." Robert James gave the land upon which this was built, and also set apart an acre of land as a graveyard. By his deed, dated Sept. 13, 1817, Robert James conveys "to William Jones, Na- than Dailey, Jonathan -, Robert James, and John White, of Washington township, and Joseph Bentley, Philip Smith, Zedekiah Benham, and Lewis Peairs, of Allegheny County, one acre of land, provided that they shall erect or cause to be erected or built thereon a house of worship for the use of the members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States." This proves conclusively that "Stone Chapel" was not erected either in 1810 or 1815, as many people assert. Robert James and wife and their six children were all buried in the graveyard given by Mr. James, as were Sampson Carter and wife, and many others who had lived in this vicinity and were workers in the Methodist Church.

In 1859 the circuit known as Peters Creek Circuit was set off by itself, it having formerly been a portion of the Chartiers Circuit. At that time Peters Creek Church had a membership of thirty-six, and it has now increased to forty-four. The "chapel" when built was fifty by fifty-five feet in size. In 1876 it was entirely remodeled, and furnished with stained- glass windows.

During the more than seventy years of its existence this church has been served by a great number of preachers, among whom are and have been the Revs. Norval Wilson, Charles Cook, Thornton Fleming, Abner Jackson, Lemon Lock, Richard Johnson, Sheridan Baker, David McCready, Henry Snyder, M. B. Pugh, John Brown, Ezra Himley, John Wright, William Cooper, Artemas Ward, Dr. Wake- field, George Baker, F. C. McClure, D. A. Pearce, C. H. Edwards, M. M. Sweeney, F. F. Pershon, T. Pat- terson, and G. A. Sheets, who is the present pastor. The Sunday-school in connection numbers sixty schol- ars, and James M. Gaston is the superintendent.

A Methodist Episcopal Church was built at Lime- town about 1840, chiefly through the liberality of Joseph Bentley. The society had been organized previous to this time by Rev. Charles Cook, when he was in charge of the Williamsport Church, services being held in private houses, groves, school-houses, and also in a mill which stood on the river-bank a short distance above the present church. In 1859 forty-five members of this church were reported, and it was then placed in Peters Creek Circuit. At that time it was one of eight appointments that had pre- viously belonged to the Chartiers Circuit. In 1872 a new building for worship was erected, at a cost of $3000, on land donated by George Bentley. The church is now connected with the "Stone Chapel" charge, near Gastonville. Rev. G. A. Sheets is in charge here, as at Peters Creek Church.

The Methodist Protestant Church at Coal Bluff was organized in 1871, principally by the efforts and through the influence of the Rev. James Robinson, of Pittsburgh. The present pastor is Rev. Mr. Still- wagon. The preachers in charge before him were Revs. M. Lucas, James Robinson, Robert Hodgkin- son, and Rev. Mr. Brindley. In 1871 a house of wor- ship was erected by the Methodist and Presbyterian societies of Coal Bluff, upon land donated by James K. Logan, and is now used by both congregations upon alternate Sabbaths.

The Presbyterian society of Coal Bluff is a branch of the Mingo Creek Church. The pas or of Mingo Creek officiates here every alternate Sabbath.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

SAMUEL DENNISTON.

Samuel Denniston was born in Allegheny County, Pa., Feb. 27, 1796, and died in Union township, Washington County, Pa., Sept. 7, 1879. His father was William Denniston, a native of Ireland, who emigrated to America a short time prior to the Revo- lutionary war, in which he served for a time as a soldier. He married Elizabeth Wilson, of Chester County, Pa., and settled in Allegheny County. They had eight children, four sons and four daughters, all of whom are dead.

Samuel's life until the year 1827 was spent in Al- legheny County. In that year he and two of his brothers, Joseph and William, purchased a farm near Thompsonville, Peters township, Washington Co. They worked this farm together for about twelve years, when Samuel disposed of his interest to his brothers, and purchased and moved to the farm in Union township now owned and occupied by his sons, William and Thomas Denniston, where he spent the remainder of his life, which was a record of strong

GEORGE BENTLEY.

969

WEST BETHLEHEM TOWNSHIP.

self-reliance and unswerving allegiance to his business. By his own efforts he accumulated the valuable in- heritance of his children. For them his labors were unceasing, and by them he is gratefully remembered.

He was twice married. His first wife was Elizabeth Caldwell, to whom he was married April 21, 1836. She died Nov. 25, 1851. One of her children, John Wilson, died in infancy; another, Sarah A., died April 7, 1863, aged twelve years and three months. Those living are William, Mary J., Elizabeth, and Thomas. His second wife, whom he married March 17, 1853, was Elizabeth Applegate. By her he had , two children,-James A., dead, and Rachel N., living.

GEORGE BENTLEY.

Prior to the war of the Revolution there came from England to this country one George Bentley, who set- tled in Chester County, Pa., where he married and remained until the close of the war, when, with his wife and children, he emigrated to the then wilder- ness of Western Pennsylvania. He first located, on Jacob's Creek, where he remained until about the year 1787, when he bought of Charles Lipe the prop- erty now owned and occupied by his grandson, also named George. For the property he paid £100. His wife was a Miss Jane Carson, and was born in Ireland. To them was born.a large family. Of these Sesch. B. built and operated the mill now owned by Mr. Harris. Among his brothers were Benjamin, Jeffrey, Abram, and Joseph, all of whom did their part towards making the wilderness blos- som like the rose. On the land bought of Lipe he built the stone house which is still standing and oc- cupied by his descendants. He also built a grist-mill, which, though a small affair, was much needed and duly appreciated. It was about the first one erected in this part of the county. In 1818 Mr. Bentley

bought for $7650 the property lying between the farm above named and the farm now owned by the heirs of Moses B. Thompson. This was a large amount of money for those days, and paying for it was a long and arduous struggle, but was finally ac- complished. In 1800, or about that time, Mr. Bent- ley died. Joseph, who was born in Chester County, Pa., in time came into the possession of the Bentley estate. He was married to Mercy Dally, by whom he had seven children, viz .: Benjamin, Mary, Levi, Eli, Jesse, Absalom, and George, all of whom are now dead except George. Of these only Mary, Jesse, and Absalom left heirs. Joseph's first venture in business was a grist-mill and linseed oil mill on Piney Creek Fork, which he operated five years, and then moved to the Nathan Dally farm, where he followed distilling. Afterwards he moved to the old home- stead, where he died in 1842. In 1840 he deeded his estate to four of his sons, of whom George was one. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and died respected by all. His youngest child, George, was born March 5, 1809, and is now the last of the family, and on the old homestead where he was born is passing away the evening time of life, the possessor of the Bentley estate, which has be- come very valuable, and which came to him by pur- chase and by will. None of the broad acres left by his ancestors have grown less in value by his having owned them, and the honor and integrity of the fam- ily name has never been dimmed by act or deed of his. He is in politics a Republican, believing that party to be the exponent of honesty and advance- ment. For many years he has been an Odd-Fellow, and was a charter member of Advance Lodge, No. 697, in which he has held most of the offices. White Mills village was laid out by him on part of the old homestead. Mr. Bentley is a member of no church, a follower of no creed, his motto being to " live and let live."

WEST BETHLEHEM TOWNSHIP.

WEST BETHLEHEM is one of the southern tier of Washington County townships, its south boundary being formed by the county of Greene. On the west it is bounded by Amwell and South Strabane town- ships, on the north and northeast by Somerset, and on the east by East Bethlehem and West Pike Run townships. The surface is hilly, the ridges, which generally extend in a north-and-south direction, being elevated and often steep, and divided by nar- row valleys. The township has no streams of size,

the largest being the North Fork of Ten-Mile Creek, which flows in a general easterly direction across the south part of the township, receiving the waters of Daniels' Run and a number of other inconsiderable streams from the northward in its course through West Bethlehem.

This township and East Bethlehem were embraced in the territory of the original township of Bethlehem from 1781 to 1790, when the latter was divided. An account of the erection of the old township, and of

970

IIISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

its division, forming the East and West townships, is given in the history of East Bethlehem.

Early Settlements .- One of the earliest settlers in the territory of this township was Joseph Hill, an Irishman, who, having emigrated to America, settled first in Maryland, and in 1774 came into Washington County and settled on Plum Run, in West Bethle- hem township, where he took up a large body of land. Joseph Hill was twice married, first to Miss Ackley, and the second time to Margaret Joy. These two marriages resulted in a family of thirteen chil- dren, who married and settled in life as follows: Joseph Hill, Jr., married Mary Jameson ; James Hill married Ann Hill; Thomas married Rachel Speers; John's wife was Nancy Sergeant; Margaret became the wife of James Beatty ; Elizabeth became Mrs. John Welsh; Sarah was Mrs. John Sargeant; Benjamin's wife was Delilah Notestine; William's wife was Narcissa Beatty; Atkinson Hill married a Miss Reemer, of Ohio; Rebecca became Mrs. William Freeman ; Eleanor married William Hawkins, and now lives in Kansas; and Henry, who remained single, removed to Ohio. From this family, espe- cially the son James, the Hill descendants have be- come very numerous, although they are widely scat- tered. Dr. Hill, of Burgettstown, and a host of others in other parts of Western Pennsylvania are members of this Hill family. The property of James Hill consisted of a tract of one hundred and ninety- seven acres of land, which has become the property of Joseph Hill, Esq. By intermarriage they are con- nected with the old German family named Weaver, who were all people of prominence. Adam G. Weaver is a representative of this branch of the Hill family.

The Enoch family were of English descent. They came into Washington County before the commence- ment of the Revolution. David Enoch and Col. John Enoch were brothers. Col. John Enoch resided near where the village of Clarksville, in Greene County, has since been built. He was colonel of the militia, and built a block-house on his property for a refuge when threatened by the Indians. David Enoch had a son, David Enoch, Jr., who was born in this county some years before the declaration of independence. David Enoch, Jr., was twice married, and was the father of fourteen children. Of these, Elizabeth be- came the wife of James Anton, and resides near Gal- lipolis, Ohio. David Enoch, the representative of the third generation bearing that name, married Su- san Bigler and removed to Richhill township, Greene County, where he died. Sarah Enoch married James Lowrie, and died in this county. These were the children of David Enoch's first marriage. His daughter Eunice became the wife of George Gardner, and removed to the West. Henry Enoch married Sarah Reese' and emigrated to Ohio. Cynthia Enoch became the wife of Levi Sowers, a son of George Sowers, who came from Maryland to West Bethlehem

township and married Miss Gardner. Mr. and Mrs. Levi Sowers still live in the township on the Enoch- Gardner homestead. Margaret Enoch is married and living in Greene County, and Abner married Eliza- beth Davis, who has since died. He is still living near the old family home. Catharine Enoch is still living in Greene County, whither she removed with her husband, Leonard Guthrie. Andrew, George, and William Enoch all died before they arrived at the age of manhood. Hiram Enoch is the youngest child, and is now forty-eight years of age. He studied medicine with Dr. Joseph W. Alexander. In 1863 he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, and immediately entered the service of the United States in West Virginia as Assistant Surgeon of the First Regiment of Mounted Volunteers of that State. Remaining one year in the service he resigned, and in 1864 located in Washington.

The homestead of Demas M. Letherman, who died in West Bethlehem Dec. 5, 1878, has been in the pos- session of the Letherman family for more than one hundred years. The house in which he died is but a few rods from the site of the one in which he was born sixty-two years before. When twenty-one years of age Mr. Letherman graduated from the Hazzard Academy at Monongahela City, and was afterwards a very successful teacher in Washington County. In 1871 he was elected a member of the Pennsylvania State Legislature, and filled the office with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of his constituents.

In the year 1784, John Jame's took up or purchased a two hundred and fifty acre tract of land in West Bethlehem township, situated in the extreme southern part. Later he purchased a mill-site and tract on Ten-Mile Creek, on the line of Amwell and West Bethlehem townships. The mill property (adjoining his first purchase) had a mill upon it when it came into his possession, and is now owned by Morgan Martin; a grandson of James Martin.

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History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 236

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