History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 239

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 239

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Alexander Burns was born in Scotland in 1739, and when four years of age removed with his parents to Ireland. At the age of fourteen, while in the market- place at Armagh with his mother, he was taken from her side and impressed on board a man-of-war, in which service he was retained for seven years. Fi- nally the ship entered New York harbor and Alexan- der ran away into the country, where he hired out to a farmer, a German, with whom he remained seven years. He then revisited his home in Ireland and re- turned to this country about the close of the Revolu- tionary war. He came to this section and took out a warrant for a tract of land Oct. 29, 1784, which was surveyed to him as "Burns' Camp," Dec. 14, 1784.

cleared before 1780. He was captured by the Indians and kept a prisoner for several years. During the season of his captivity Philip Sommers discovered the clearing Mr. Burns had made, and, finding no owner, he procured a warrant for it. Before it was surveyed to him Burns was released by the Indians and returned,

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

and, proving his prior right to the land, Mr. Sommers relinquished all claim to it. The patent was granted to Burns Feb. 16, 1790. He lived upon this farm un- til his death, Jan. 12, 1826, at the age of eighty-seven years. The family of Alexander Burns was three sons,-James, John, and William. James settled in Rich Hill township, Greene County. He had several daughters, of whom Nancy (now Mrs. William Davis) lives in Donegal township, and Jane, who became Mrs. Johnston, resides in Ohio. John lived and died upon a portion of the home farm. His daughter Mary mar- ried Alexander Gunn, and resides upon the old home- stead. William, the only surviving son of Alexander Burns, also lived upon the home farm until a few years ago, when he removed to the home of his son-in-law, Henry Blaney, near "Good Intent." A large number of the lineal descendants of Alexander Burns reside in and near West Finley township.

James and Thomas Byers were brothers, of Irish nationality, who came to West Finley township, and March 16, 1786, were granted a warrant for "Stone- coal," a four-hundred-acre tract of land adjoining the property of David Bradford, James Leeper, James Shaw, and Samuel Byers. James Byers was a bach- elor, but Thomas had a large family. His eldest daughter was the wife of Dr. Wylie, a brother of the clergymen, William and Andrew Wylie. The second daughter married David Stewart, and the third mar- ried Andrew Yates, all removing to West Virginia. A fourth daughter, Nancy, was the wife of John Brice, a son of Rev. John Brice, pastor of the "Three Ridges" Church. They emigrated to Ohio. The youngest daughter of Thomas Byers was the wife of Mr. Wilson, a tailor by trade, and they also removed West. The sons of Thomas Byers were Thomas, Jr., who married Miss Hammitt, and died in the borough of Washington; John, who studied medicine with Dr. Warren, of Canonsburg. He married twice, Miss Boner first, and Miss Madden last, and went to the State of Ohio, where he died; Samuel and William, of whom no record is found; and James, who was a farmer, and married Mary, daughter of Rev. Mr. Stephenson. The Stephensons all removed to Ohio, near Bellefontaine, where James Byers died. There are none of the Byers' descendants now remaining here.

John Sutherland was a Scotchman, who in 1772 emigrated to Bladensburg, Md. In 1786 he came into Washington County, locating upon land on the waters of Chartiers Creek. In 1800 he purchased one hun- dred and six acres of land of Shields and Hollings- worth, in this township, and located here. His son George, born in Scotland in the year 1769, remained on Chartiers Creek until 1790, and then followed his father to West Finley. In 1795 he married Char- lotte McCoy. Their family were six sons and two daughters, of whom there is the following record : Eleanor, Christiana, and William died single. John was a blacksmith by trade, and married Eleanor

Hough. He was a justice of the peace for several years in West Alexander, where he lived and died. Alexander Sutherland married Maria Boland in 1831, and removed to Mansfield, Ohio. He has been a prac- ticing physician for half a century, and is now more than eighty years of age. Isaac, who married Ruth Fee in 1830, is a resident of West Finley township. David married for his first wife, Lydia Lucas, and for his second, Margaret Baird. His home is in Davis County, Iowa. Robert still lives in West Alexander, and has been married three times,-to Jane Lucas, to Elizabeth Lossen, and to Annie Taylor.

Andrew Frazier was a Scotchman who crossed the ocean in the same vessel with John Sutherland, Wil- liam McCoy, and others in 1772. He went to Bladensburg, Md., and from there came to this county in 1786. The records show that June 24, 1799, he purchased of Thomas Shields a four-hun- dred-acre tract of land called " Big Meadow," situ- ated on Robinson Run. It was patented to Mr. Shields, April 10, 1798. Andrew Frazier spent his life upon this farm, and left a family of five children. David married Jane Ross, and lived and died in this county ; Alexander Frazier, who was married three times, died in Washington, Pa .; Daniel, who was a roving character, was drowned at Wheeling, Va. The two daughters were Mrs. William McDonald, who lived in East Finley township, and Mrs. John Eckels, who went to Illinois and died there. The Fraziers, of West Alexander, in this county, are de- scendants of Andrew Frazier, the Scotch pioneer.

William Rose, who was a native of Scotland, was a son-in-law of Alexander McCoy. He emigrated to this country in 1772, landing at Philadelphia, and until 1785 lived in the Susquehanna valley. He then came to Chartiers Creek, and in 1800 followed his father-in-law and the other friends from Scot- land to their new home in West Finley township. William Ross bought two tracts of land here on June 24, 1799. The first comprised two hundred and ninety-eight acres, which was patented to Thomas Shields, April 10, 1795. The second tract was ad- joining the first. It comprised one hundred and one acres, and it was patented to Henry Holmes, March 16, 1786. Holmes sold it to Shields, May 14, 1795, and he in turn sold the two tracts-four hundred acres in all-to William Ross. This early settler had a family of four sons and three daughters : Thomas, Alexander, and Kenneth all died unmarried; John married Elizabeth MeDaniels, and lived and died in this township ; Jane Ross became the wife of David Frazier, and left numerous descendants; Charlotte became Mrs. James Templeton. She died in the city of Wheeling, and her husband in West Finley. Catharine was the wife of Alexander Sutherland. She died in this township, and left three sons and three daughters.

The Henderson family, born and reared in West Finley township, have always been persons of popu-

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larity and influence. On the maternal side they de- scended from James Wherry, an emigrant from Scot- land, who settled on Pigeon Creek. One of his daugh- ters, Drusilla, married a man named Pyles, and resided in Buffalo township. Another daughter, Esther, who was born in West Finley township in 1787, became the wife of John Henderson. They remained here, and brought up a family of eight children,-John, James, Alexander, Cyrus, Oliver P., Francis M., Elizabeth, and Esther. James Henderson resides in Washington County. Alexander's wife was Miss Huston, and they lived in Buffalo township. Cyrus never married. Francis M. has had three wives. His residence is in Ohio County, W. Va. Oliver P. Hen- derson, who married Miss Armstrong, was in the war of the Rebellion, and died in the service during the siege of Yorktown. The daughter Elizabeth became Mrs. George Carroll. She died in this township. John Henderson, son of John and Esther Henderson, was born in 1818. He received only a common-school education, owing to financial inability on the part of his father to give him better advantages. He evinced in early life strong pro-slavery ideas, but could never reconcile them to his sense of right, and finally him- self and father, and all his brothers except James, became strongly avowed anti-slavery advocates.

In 1844 and 1845, John Henderson, James and Alexander Sprowls, Robert and Isaac Sutherland, and John and Kenneth McCoy organized an anti-slavery society, with headquarters at the residence of Kenneth McCoy. A line of stations for the refuge and pro- tection of slaves was formed, and by it many refugees from far and near were secreted, cared for, and assisted in their flight to Canada. A great and efficient ele- ment in this work was the Quaker society, who in numerous instances were the salvation of the fugitives striving for freedom. Preceding the Rebellion the danger to anti-slavery people was very great, and often the lives of the members of this society were in jeopardy during their visits to Wheeling. In 1861, John Henderson entered the Union army as a captain. ' He remained in the service until 1864, when his com- pany was mustered out. Mr. Henderson was early married to Margaret Trussell. They had six children, -Easter, Milton F., Sarah, Emma, Martha, and Oliver P. Henderson. All are still living. Milton F. served in the Army of the Potomac during the Re- bellion as a member of the Sixteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry. John Henderson is still following the pur- suit of agriculture upon his fine farm in this town- ship.

Lucy and Elizabeth Leeper came here and took up three tracts of land, each containing four hundred acres, in a body in this township, the warrants for which were dated Oct. 25, 1784, and the surveys | had six sons,-John, William, Daniel, David, Abi- made on the same date. These tracts were located on the waters of Wheeling Creek, and the names given were "Drayton," "Shipton," and " Iron Hill." James Leeper at one time owned the Connant land,

now the property of the Sprowls family, but is not supposed to have been a resident of the township.

John Toland was the pioneer resident of Cooney Town, an area of territory three miles square, in the southwest corner of West Finley township. Mr. Toland's farm was the first one cleared in the local- ity, and embraced two hundred acres. It is now owned by John Henderson and Flemming Trussell. Although Mr. Toland reared a large family, but a very few representatives are now found in this part of Washington County.

William Porter was an early settler of this township, locating upon land two miles south of West Alex- ander, and but half a mile from the Virginia line. He had a mill in operation which was situated nearly upon the State line. It has now fallen into de- cay. His family was four sons and several daughters, all quite advanced in years before they married. Mr. Porter was a member of the Seceder Church. While attending services he fell down and died immediately. William Porter, of this township, is a grandson of the pioneer William, and the old farm is now owned by Alexander McCleary, Esq., a justice of the peace.

The farm upon which George Davidson made his settlement is now the property of Robert Holmes, of West Finley township. Mrs. Alexander McCleary and Mrs. Thomas McCleary were his daughters. His sons Robert, William, and George were all physi- cians. Robert, the only survivor, is a resident of West Alexander.

Samuel Davis occupied and owned the farm of Samuel McNinch in this township. He had several daughters and four sons,-Joshua, Richard, Samuel, and William. Joshua was a tanner, Samuel emi- grated to another State, and William, who married Nancy Burns, died upon the homestead, which he had never left. Isaac Davis, of this township, is his son.

Alexander McCoy and his wife, Christiana MeDon- ald, were early residents in this vicinity. Their four children were Alexander, Jane, Nancy, and Charlotte McCoy. Jane married William Ross, and Nancy be- came the wife of Daniel McCoy, who was, however, no relative. Charlotte was the wife of George Suth- erland, and they had a number of children. Dr. Alexander Sutherland, of Ohio, Robert Sutherland, of West Alexander, Daniel Sutherland, of Iowa, and Isaac Sutherland, of West Finley, are their sons.

Isaac Lucas was a Revolutionary soldier and an aide-de-camp to Gen. Washington. His property in this section was a four-hundred-acre tract of land called "Tragical," situated on Robinson Run. He bought it of Thomas Shields, April 23, 1806, to whom it had been patented June 20, 1798. The farm is now in the possession of Samuel McNay. Isaac Lucas

jah, and Benjamin. John's wife was Jane Temple- ton; William married Miss Bushfield, and went to Ohio; Daniel and David both went to Ohio, the for- mer marrying and having a large family ; Abijah and

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

his wife, Jane Lee, emigrated to Illinois; and Benja- min, who married Mary Lee, lived and died in this county. Thomas B. Lucas was a grandson of Isaac Lucas. He married Malinda Rockafellow. He en- tered the Union army, and was killed at Gettysburg, July 3, 1863. His only living son is John P. Lucas, of Burnsville. He too was in the army, a member of the Eighty-fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Volun- teers.

William Gunn, a native of Aberdeen, Scotland, married a sister of Alexander Gunn (to whom, how- ever, he was not related). About the year 1775 Wil- liam Gunn, his wife and one son, and Alexander Gunn and two unmarried sisters emigrated to this country and landed in Philadelphia. After remaining in that city about a year they emigrated to this county and settled upon a tract of land now in Donegal town- ship, owned by Gordon and Samuel Patterson. On this property they all lived a few years, and William moved with his family to what is now West Finley township. The land on which he settled proved to belong to those immense land proprietors, Shields and Hollingsworth. He then purchased four hundred and twenty-eight acres of Isaac Parkhurst, of Warren County, Ohio. This land was situated on Robinson Run. The land upon which he first located in Finley township is now owned by Arthur Sprowls and James Milliken. On the farm he purchased of Parkhurst he lived the remainder of his long life, and died in 1825, aged eighty years. He left ten children, who upon arriving at maturity all emigrated to the West, except John, the second son, who settled on the home- stead and there lived till his death in 1848, leaving a family of eight children, of whom Alexander is the only one living in the township or the county. He married a daughter of John Burns, and now resides on the old Burns homestead.

Alexander Gunn, who remained on the farm in Donegal when William came to Finley, stayed there until about 1800, when he purchased three hundred acres of land in West Finley, which is now mostly owned by James Hunter, whose father, Matthew Hunter, purchased it of Mr. Gunn. He remained unmarried, and after the sale of the farm resided with his nephew, John Gunn, until his death. He was an elder in the Presbyterian Church of West Union, Va., for over forty years. One of his sisters married John Craig, and died without children. The other never married.

Hercules Roney and James Roney were of Scotch- Irish birth, and emigrated to America about 1775. They were early settlers in this county, and were both chain-men with Col. William Crawford, as surveyor of Yohogania County, Va., and assisted in many of the surveys of land granted on Virginia certificates. They settled in Finley township upon land which they afterwards obtained on Virginia certificates. Hercules Roney's certificate bears date Dec. 21, 1779; this was surveyed to him on the 20th of Jan-

uary, 1785, under the name of "Green Spring," and contains three hundred and seventy-six acres ad- joining the land of James Roney.

The certificate of the tract obtained by James Ro- ney bears date Feb. 24, 1780, and was surveyed Jan. 20, 1785, and named "Star Fort," containing four hundred acres. Hercules Roney built upon his land a large and strong block-house, which was known as " Roney's Block-House," or "Roney's Fort." To this place the neighbors repaired in times of danger. Her- cules Roney lived on the "Green Spring" tract the remainder of his days, and died in 1812, leaving four children. To his two sons, James and William, he gave each one hundred and fifty acres of land, and to the two daughters, Mrs. Milliken and Mrs. Reed, each one hundred acres. James married Miss Mc- Whirter and removed to Canonsburg. William mar- ried a Miss Lawrence and remained in the township.

The McIntosh family, who were of Scotch birth or descent, located in this township at an early but not precisely known date. During the harvest season of 1789 or 1790 the entire family, with the exception of one daughter, were massacred by Indians. They were out at some distance from their house engaged in stacking hay or grain, when the Indians fired on them, killing the father on the stack. The mother and six children fled towards the house, but were overtaken, tomahawked, and scalped. The daughter above mentioned had been sent to a distant pasture with a horse, and hearing the firing, and realizing the danger, fled to Roney's block-house and gave the alarm. Hercules Roney and a party of men started at once for the scene of the butchery. The Indians had gone, but the eight dead and mutilated bodies told the bloody tale. Roney and his party buried them on the farm that is now owned by Mr. Blaney.

On March 30, 1795, Robert Morris, of Philadelphia, sold to Edward Tighlman, also of Philadelphia, thirty thousand acres of land ; consideration, £10,200. This land was surveyed in seventy-five tracts, of four hun- dred acres each, for all of which, patents were granted in 1787. At that time the entire body of land was within the limits of Washington County, but now it lies partly in West Finley township and partly in Greene County. The seventy-five tracts were pat- ented under the following names :

King's Wood, Mill Creek, Bastian, Garden, White- ·Oak Level, Rumney, Eagles' Nest, Artillery, Ashhill, Stony Point, Buffalo Lick, Cranberry Marsh, Lion's Den, Forlorn Hope, Alps, Rush Run, Magazine, Whitehill Eminence, Beaver Dam, Mill-Stone Rock, Smithfield, Barrier Fairford, Owlhill, Eden, Alarm- Post, Spice Hill, Iron Hill, Tuolow, Bee-Tree, Slup- ton, Longhill, Hook Run, Silver Stream, Wolf's Den, Field Fort, Bear Camp, Otter Run, Shipton, Thorn, Fellon, Blackberry Grove, Thistle, Plumb Hill, Chest- nut Hill, Pike Run, Deer Hill, Sugar-Loaf, Darnel Camp, Burton, John's Bottom, Broad Valley, Win- sor, Big Rock, Dunkard's Falls, Mack's Camp, Crab-

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WEST FINLEY TOWNSHIP.

Tree, Nettle Hill, Mill-Seat, White Thorn, St. Clair's, Encampment, Yellow Spring, Green Spring, Forlorn, Club Law, Lutis Bean, Hempfield, Wolf-Path, Fox Point, Foxhill, and Drayton.

" Doctor's Hall" was a tract of four hundred acres situated " on a branch of Wheeling Creek," in what is now We t Finley township, adjoining certain va- cant lands and lands of Griffith Jones and Daniel McFarland & Co. It was surveyed to James Hunter Nov. 13, 1785, " at the instance of Dr. Henry Moore." It was taken up on a Virginia certificate. Entry made in Ohio County (Va.) Book of Entry June 9, 1781.

Good Intent is the name of a little village situated in the northeastern part of West Finley township, on a tributary of Wheeling Creek. It is located upon land formerly owned by Peter Wolf, a pioneer in that section. He built the mill at Good Intent, which he afterwards sold to Weaver Potter, and erected another farther up the creek. Both were called Wolf's mills, and the last one, which was sold to William Donnelly, has gone to decay. Peter Wolf removed to Washing- ton and died there. Good Intent business interests are comprised in a water-power grist-mill, a tannery, store, harness- and saddlery-shop, two blacksmith- shops, the post-office, and public school-house. The post-office was established at Good Intent in 1837, with John Ensel as first postmaster, who was suc- ceeded by Joseph Chase. The first person engaged in the business of general merchandising here was Thomas Frazier, who opened a store in 1845. He was followed by Hall & Frazier, James Ensel, Robert Chase, James Roney, Samuel Ambler, and John George. The present merchants are C. W. Blaney & Son. The tannery was carried on in earlier years by Charles Chase, Robert Chase, and James Roney, and is now under the management of William M. Sunderland. Drs. George Lucas and George David- son were the resident physicians as early as 1850 ; Dr. John Buchanan until 1852; Dr. Samuel Potter until 1856 ; Dr. George B. Wood in 1874; Dr. John Smith in 1877, and Dr. Frank Blachly in 1881. Thirty or forty years ago Mrs. Elizabeth McWhirter, Mrs. Spill- man, Mrs. Catharine Miller, and Mrs. Jane Lucas were famed as nurses in this vicinity, and were often employed in place of regular physicians, whose ser- vices could not always and readily be obtained.

Burnsville, or West Finley, as it is more properly called, is located in the southern part of the township. It was laid out by John Burns, who owned the land upon which it has been built. It is upon a portion of the tract taken up and improved by Alexander Burns, but which was occupied by Philip Sommers during the temporary captivity of Mr. Burns among the Indians. Upon Mr. Burns' release, however, Mr. Sommers relinquished all claims to the land, and the four hundred acres was patented to Mr. Burns Feb. 16, 1790. The situation is high and healthy, and al- together West Finley is a pleasant and attractive

place. The first post-office of the place was estab- lished in 1832, and was called West Finley, by which name Burnsville has gradually come to be known. The first postmaster was William C. Burns, who kept the office at his residence, a half-mile southeast of the town proper, now the home of Alexander Gunn. Mr. Burns is still living, in excellent health and vigor, al- though approaching his eightieth year. Mr. Burns' successor was Joshua Ackley, who removed the office to Greene County, where it remained until Mr. Ack- ley was succeeded by William C. Teagarden, who brought it back to Burnsville, its present location. Joshua Ackley, the second postmaster, died Sept. 30, 1881, at seventy-seven years of age. The postmasters who followed Mr. Teagarden were Wesley Cannon, Samuel Grim, and Jacob Rockefellow, the present in- cumbent.

At present West Finley contains twenty-seven dwelling-houses, two wagon-shops, two cabinet and undertaker establishments, two saddlery and harness- shops, the post-office, an Odd-Fellows' Hall, two stores, the hotels of J. P. Lucas and C. Burns, black- smith-shops of Brady, Gray, and L. W. Fields, the shoe-store of John Hastings, and several carpenters and artisans of other trades. Just west of the town is the public school building; the "Windy Gap" Cumberland Presbyterian Church is near the town. One of the earliest physicians of Burnsville was Dr. Roberts. In 1863, Dr. Richardson and Dr. Silas Mc- Cracken were practicing here, and at the present time the profession is represented in Burnsville by Drs. W. S. Grim, J. W. Teagarden, and I. N. Sprowls.

West Finley Lodge, No. 956, I. O. O. F., was instituted at Burnsville, March 27, 1878. The organ- ization of the lodge was effected by Deputy Grand Master James Craig, assisted by Past Grands John Birch and J. M. Carson, of Hopewell Lodge, No. 504, Robert M. Luckie, of No. 607, R. W. McGlumpy, of No. 571, Greene County, William A, Irwin, N. G. of Hopewell Lodge, No. 504, and I. H. Taylor, N. G. of No. 571. The first officers chosen were Dr. W. L. Grim, N. G .; George T. Carroll, V. G .; L. M. Sprowls, Sec .; Albert Sampson, Treas. The other charter members were Louis Cooper, James Giles, Joseph Howell, Mandeville Earnest, J. M. Houston, Thomas Lawrence, John P. Lucas, G. W. Jenkins, James Marshall, J. J. Irey, A. S. Sprowls, Morgan Sprowls, Seaman Sprowls, J. W. Taylor, and Wilson Sprowls. The lodge has at present thirty-two mem- bers.

The Burnsville Christian Church.1-In 1839 & gentleman belonging to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church invited a Disciple preacher by the name of James, who resided near Bethany, W. Va., to preach at two different times in the Windy Gap Meeting- house. He was followed in 1840 by John Henderson, Dr. George Lucy, and Chauncey Ward in frequent

1 By Rev. W. L. Hayden.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

appointments, and several persons were baptized. church of what are known as Bible Christians once flourished in the vicinity, but had become depleted in membership. This people stood on the same ground with the Disciples in regard to the repudia- tion of unscriptural names and human creeds as bonds of union. Under the labors of John Hender- son, Sr., most of the remnant of this church were brought into full harmony with the Disciples, and ten of them met with him at the house of Abraham Teagarden, and covenanted to enter into a church re- lation. As far as can be now ascertained, their names are Abraham Teagarden, Nancy Teagarden, Jacob Teagarden, Samuel Teagarden, Sr., Eliza Teagarden, Cynthia Teagarden, Robert Chase, Benjamin Potter, James Hill, and John Cummins. A short time there- after an organization was effected, in the year 1841, by Dr. George Lucy, at a school-house near Benja- min Gunn's, in West Finley township.

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History of Washington County, Pennsylvania : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 239

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