USA > Pennsylvania > Westmoreland County > History of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Vol. I > Part 60
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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
continued to be a part of the charge until 1817. Difficulties arose between them, and Donegal was dropped and annexed to the Ligonier charge. Rev. Hill was a very remarkable man, both intellectually and physically, but the
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Fairfield Presbyterian Church a White Meeting House. Built 1790 - Succeeding the Log Tent - Weather boarded and Painted White 1825~Torn Down 18LT. ~
severe work which he did and the long rides in cold weather told upon him, and near the close of his life his constitution became a wreck. He died June 9, 1822.
Rev. Samuel Swan was ordained to succeed him on June 17, 1824. Mr. Swan was then in his twenty-fourth year. Amusing stories are told of Mr. Swan's awkwardness and of his inability to adapt himself to a country life. He could not saddle a horse, it is said, without getting the saddle on wrong end foremost, nor could he bridle his horse, but he could preach well, and worked among his people with untiring energy until 1840. By the upsetting of a wagon he was lamed for life and could not longer make the long rides which must be necessarily made in serving that charge.
Rev. James Fleming followed him, and was installed June 17, 1843. He did not succeed well with the congregation, and was released in 1846. He was followed by Rev. O. H. Miller, who was in turn released in 1848, and on July 2, 1849, Rev. William College was installed as his successor. He preached at Union, West Fairfield and Fairfield, which at that time consti- tuted one charge. Mr. College was dismissed April 13, 1852, and in 1853 he was succeeded by Rev. J. W. Walker. Mr. Walker was an amiable gen- tleman and remained longer with this somewhat capricious congregation than any other save Rev. Swan. During his pastorate a new church was erected
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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
and was dedicated January 17, 1867. Rev. Walker's health forced him to resign April 28, 1869. He was succeeded by Rev. William Cunningham, who was installed February 15, 1871. The history of this church is better kept than almost any other church in the county, and these facts were taken from Rev. Alexander Donaldson's "History of Old Fairfield Presbyterian Church." The congregation in the past century has produced many young men who en- tered the ministry and became prominent preachers in other congregations of the Union. One of the patrons of this church was Daniel Hendricks, who lived on Hendricks' creek, and who was the uncle of Thomas Hendricks, of Indiana, who was vice-president of the United States from 1885 until his death.
Rev. Dr. Donaldson has given many personal recollections of the habits of the early people in this charge, which are very interesting. He says that it was no uncommon thing that day to see persons walking a distance of nine or ten miles every Sabbath morning to attend church. The women almost always walked in their bare feet or in coarse shoes, carrying their finer shoes in their hands, and when they came near the church they would sit down by the side of the road and put on their good shoes before coming in full view of the congregation. Sometimes, he says, "One might see fifty of them all en- gaged in changing their shoes." "Before 1825," he says, "there was not a vehicle brought to their church. Between 1825 and 1830 there were two or three 'Dearborns' and perhaps one carriage, but not more, which came regu- larly to the Sunday morning service, 'the masses coming on foot.'" "Old men who were not able to walk, and young men who wished to make a great display, came sometimes on horseback. There were generally two persons on one horse, and sometimes three. On communion Sunday the people from the .extreme ends of the district, and also from Donegal, Ligonier and Armagh, would come in great crowds. The most prominent figure in these congrega- tions was Elder Robert Campbell, of Donegal, whose character and interesting life have been spoken of elsewhere in this volume.
The Union Presbyterian Church of Fairfield was organized June 2, 1841, with forty-six members.
The Fairfield United Presbyterian Congregation of Ligonier Valley was composed of many Presbyterians from Scottdale and North Ireland. They were people of high integrity of character, and devotedly attached themselves to the principles of religion very early after they settled in the valley. They were preached to as early as 1775 by preachers who passed through that sec- tion, thus helping them to form an organization, which, however, was not perfected until about 1800. The services conducted by these people were held in a tent. The word "tent" does not give us a very correct idea, for it was not made like the modern tent. It was simply a pulpit formed of logs, with a canvass covering for the minister, and sometimes the covering was made of clapboards. Nevertheless, it was always called a tent.
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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY ..
About 1800 the Associate Presbyterian people and the Associate Reformed Presbyterian people, with a number of families from the Presbyterian church, united themselves under the name of the Associated Presbyterian Congrega- tion of Fairfield. Their principles were similar to the faith of the other churches, all clinging to the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Longer and Shorter Catechism, etc. They had some considerable trouble with the Presbytery as to the singing of hymns. Rev. McLain was challenged by Rev. Hill, pastor of the neighboring Presbyterian Church, to discuss the psalmody question, inquiring as to what warrant they had in using only scriptural selec- tions in singing. Both were great men of their day, and each, in the opinion of his friends, carried off the honors of the contest. Mr. McLain was after- ward removed from this charge, but lived to preach for many years in Craw- ford county.
In 1803 Rev. John Cree was appointed to preach to these people in Ligonier Valley. He was a native of Scotland, and had been well educated before coming to America. He had preached for a time in New York City and after- wards at Rockbridge, Virginia. His time in Ligonier Valley was equally divided between Fairfield and Donegal, he living at that time in Donegal (now Cook) township, about four miles south of Ligonier. He preached in barns, in private houses, in groves, or any place where the people would meet to hear him. The place where the church now stands was a convenient spot for him to hold these meetings, for nearby was a spring of excellent water where the people could drink during the dinner hour, and there were many large trees there which afforded good shade in hot weather. It must be remembered that the services lasted nearly all day. The pastor frequently stood by a tree, and around him were dragged logs which served as seats for his hearers. This was, of course, only in the summer or warmer weather. In the winter they preached in barns or in private houses.
Rev. Cree was a strong preacher, but did not live to serve these people very long. In April, 1806, he was stricken with apoplexy and died in the fifty-second year of his age. They were then for some years supplied by irregular preachers, and in February, 1814, a regular call was made out for Rev. Joseph Scroggs, who had been preaching to them for some months before. Mr. Scroggs was an extraordinary man, and some special reference must be made to his long life and interesting character.
He was born in Cumberland county and reared in part in Washington county, and from this latter home was sent to Jefferson College, at Cannons- burg, Pennsylvania, where he was graduated in 1808 at the age of sixteen years. He began the study of theology under the tutorship of Dr. John Ander- son, of Beaver county, and remained with him four years, at which time he was licensed to preach, and began his work in October, 1813. He first went to Ver- mont, intending to remain there, but shortly afterwards returned to Pennsyl- vania and accepted the call of the Fairfield and Donegal congregations, and
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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
was installed at the Fairfield Church, October 14, 1815, as their regular pastor. They had then partly built a log church which was nearly finished, but it was not large enough to hold the congregation on this day, and the services ·of installation were held outside so that all might witness the impressive cere- mony. In May, 1816, Mr. Scroggs was married to Mary Hanna, of Wash- ington, Pennsylvania. They had ten children. Mrs. Scroggs died July 29, 1848, and he was again married in January, 1854, to Mrs. Nancy Hogg, of Canfield, Ohio. He was all his life a student, a man of scholarly attainments, keen intellect, and had, moreover, a masterly use of the English language. His' high moral character placed him above reproach, and his earnest piety :made him a power in any field he entered or in any cause he cared to advocate. Long before discussions arose on the question of slavery he began to preach against it, and was therefore one of the first abolition preachers in Westmore- land county. This must not be lightly passed over. He dared to lift up his voice then in behalf of the slaves when it cost something to do so. He pre- sented a paper to the Associate Presbyterian Synod in answer to a protest against the action taken by that body in opposition to slavery by six of its highly respected members, and this paper is claimed even yet by competent judges to be one of the ablest papers ever read before any ecclesiastical body on the subject. He was opposed to the union between the Associate and the Associate Reformed Churches, but when he found the union inevitable he accepted the situation, and went to work under the new union, which was completed at Pittsburgh on May 26, 1858. One can scarcely appreciate the extent of his labors. For more than a half century he preached regularly in the morning, in the afternoon, and many times in the evening. Between these services he would often have to ride or drive from ten to fifteen miles, and he invariably traveled eight or ten miles before the morning service. In the early period of his ministry these journeys were made on foot or on horseback, but as he grew older he rode in a buggy or carriage. Such journeys might be easy in the summer months, but were extremely difficult and wearing upon the human constitution in the winter. Nevertheless scarcely ever did he fail in all that long period to minister to his people.
In September, 1864, the Westmoreland Presbytery met at the Fairfield Church, especially to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Dr. Scroggs' pasto- rate. The exercises were most interesting and profitable. The whole commu- nity abandoned their regular work and came to attend this great celebration. Addresses were delivered by Dr. Joseph Cooper, of Philadelphia; Dr. A. G. Wallace, Dr. Alexander Donaldson, and a history of the church was read by Rev. James P. Little, who had been born and reared within the congregation. Mr. Scroggs had continued his labors as pastor from father to children, and to their children and grandchildren, even to five generations, and by this time the infirmities of age were creeping fast upon him. At a meeting of the Westmoreland Presbytery, held at Turtle Creek, September 2, 1872, he ten-
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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
dered his resignation, and the Presbytery adopted resolutions expressive of his long and useful career. He continued to preach to his people occasionally during the following winter, and in the early spring attended a meeting of the Presbytery held at Latrobe, ten miles from his home in Ligonier. One evening in April he became thoroughly chilled, and was the next day pros- trated with a severe cold. After lingering a few days he died, on April 21, 1873, in the eighty-first year of his age, the sixtieth of his ministry, fifty-eight of which had been spent as pastor of the one charge. The congregation erected a monument to his memory in the United Presbyterian cemetery in Fairfield township.
As we have seen, there was no church building finished when Mr. Scroggs came there to preach, although it was finished shortly afterwards. The build- ing, as near as can be determined, was begun in 1807. It stood below the pres- ent burying ground. Before the erection of this church a small log house, perhaps about twenty feet square, was used as a study house, a session house or a schoolhouse, according to the exigencies of the occasion. The fireplace was at one side, and was built up with stone jambs of mason work. It was large enough to burn a log ten feet long in it. The windows were made by cutting out a section of a log, and with sticks reaching from one log to another window sashes were formed, upon which they pasted paper saturated in grease to cover the opening and yet admit the light. The grease put on the paper made it less opaque, and also protected it from the rain and dampness on the outside. The seats were merely pieces of split logs supported by legs and without any backs. The desks used by the pupils in school were built next the wall, and the benches when drawn up to them turned the faces of all the pupils toward the wall. This gave the schoolmaster easy access to use the rod upon the backs of all his pupils. Among the books used in this school were, first of all, the Bible, which was used as a reading book or a text-book for both young and old. They had then the "United States Spelling Book," "Goff's Arithmetic," and the "Shorter Catechism." The first teacher there was William Luther, and after him came William and Joseph Elder, father and son.
The church building had on one side, three lengths of logs, the middle section being set a few feet farther out than the other portion of the wall, leaving a kind of recess on the inside of the building, in which the pulpit was placed. They began to hold services there as soon as the first logs were hewn, using them for seats. All the first churches throughout the valley were with- out chimneys. To have a fire at all made the place almost unendurable because of the smoke, and it was quite common to remedy this in some degree by building a fire outside, where the people might go during recess to get warm. Long after the building was otherwise finished, a floor, seats and pulpit were added to it by a carpenter named Groovner. The seats had very high backs, so high indeed that one could scarcely see any one sitting in front of him. The
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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
pulpit was very high, and was reached by a high tier of steps. About one-half as high as the pulpit and a little in front was a secondary pulpit, in which the clerk was stationed, and from which he led the singing. From all sections of the country between the Loyalhanna and the Conemaugh river the early pio- neers gathered here for worship. Very few of them were well enough off to afford to come in wagons, many came on horseback, with one, two, three and sometimes, when they were small, four riding on one horse, but the greater majority came this long distance on foot. They were determined to go to church, and those who could not ride were perfectly willing to walk. Going to church afforded them a change from the monotony of their isolated country homes.
The next church building there was erected in 1849, the building committee being Thomas Smith, David Hutchinson, Andrew Graham, John Pollock and Colonel John McFarland. Nathaniel McKelvey was the contractor, and agreed to build the church for $1,200. The brick were made at a kiln nearby. This building has been repaired and remodeled several times, but is still in a comparatively good condition. Quite a number of young men have gone out from it to become ministers in the western states. Among them are the fol- lowing: Revs. R. H. Pollock, J. P. Lytle, Andrew Graham, Joseph McKelvey, Joseph A. Scroggs, James D. Lytle, and others. After the death of Mr. Scroggs the congregation was ministered to by Rev. William H. Vincent, who was a man of superior education and ability.
The township has fourteen schools, with four hundred and twenty pupils enrolled.
BOLIVAR BOROUGH.
At May sessions of the court in 1863 the town of Bolivar petitioned to become an incorporated borough. This petition was filed on May 13th. The final order of court was made on November 25, 1863, incorporating the bor- ough as prayed for. It is situated on the Pennsylvania railroad. Their first election was held at the office of David Coulter, on the 16th of December, 1863, and Edward Coulter was appointed to give notice of the election. The elec- tions continued to be held at the office of David Coulter until 1870, when the court changed the place to that of the schoolhouse. Bolivar was a prominent town in the early days of railroading, and still farther back during the flat- boat navigation on the river it had seen busy times. The chief industry of the place is the manufacture of fire-brick from immense deposits of fire-clay which are along the Conemaugh river. It has four schools with two hundred and sixteen pupils enrolled.
The village of West Fairfield is situated on the eastern side of the town- ship, on the road leading from Ligonier to Bolivar, or New Florence. It is a pretty little village situated on a plateau, and has long since been a sort of metropolis for the citizens of Fairfield to get their mail, buy small packages.
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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
of store goods, have their horses shod, etc. The United Brethren, the Metho- dists and the Presbyterians have each churches there, and there are three well kept graveyards nearby. It has, moreover, two schools, and in an early day there was a select school held there each summer, of which the teachers were of a high grade of scholarship. The pupils came from the district surrounding the place for several miles in each direction.
RACHELWOOD, Country Residence in Fairfield Township of Mr. and Mrs. James R. Mellon, of Pittsburgh.
Lockport is another small village on the Pennsylvania railroad, with a population of about one hundred and fifty. It was named Lockport because there was a canal lock there in the old canal days. It had formerly a beautiful cut stone aqueduct which led the canal acrosss the Conemaugh river at this place. This aqueduct was removed by the Pennsylvania railroad in 1888.
CHAPTER XL
Donegal Township .- Derry Township .- Livermore Borough .- Franklin Township .- Murry ville .- Washington Township.
Donegal was another of the original townships into which the county was divided by our court, at its first sitting, at Robert Hanna's, April 6, 1773. This had always been the name which designated this portion of the country, even while it was included within the limits of Bedford county. Its original boundaries were much larger than at present, for it then embraced the greater portion of Ligonier Valley. It was a very important township in the early historic days, when Fort Ligonier was one of the two all important places here in southwestern Pennsylvania. The first officers elected were John Cavenot, (who was probably the ancestor of the Cavens), as constable; Samuel Shan- non and Edward McDowell as overseers of the poor; and George Glenn as supervisor.
Fayette county was taken from Westmoreland shortly after the Revolu- tionary war, and part of the original township of Donegal lay within its limits. In 1855 Cook township was stricken from the northern part of Donegal town- ship. It is, therefore, bounded on the north by Cook township; on the east by Laurel Hill, that is, by the county line between Somerset and Westmore- land ; on the south by Fayette county line, and on the west by Chestnut Ridge. Like all parts of Ligonier Valley, the sides touching the ranges of mountains on the east and west are rocky and abrupt, and of little value for agricultural purposes. Along the center and about the bottom of streams the surface is more even, and is well adapted to farming, which is the chief pursuit of its inhabitants. For many years, however, the lumber business has furnished employment for a great many people, and along with the lumber business, the peeling of the bark of oak and hemlock trees for use in tanning, has been a great industry. The principal streams of Donegal township are Indian Creek and Roaring Run in the southern part, an 1 Four Mile Run in the northwestern part. The first two streams flow southward into the Youghiogheny, and the latter flows into the Loyalhanna. The township is underlaid with the Freeport seam of coal. It has also an abundance of fire-clay, limestone and iron ore.
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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
In the early days when iron was made by charcoal, there were two furnaces built within the limits of the township. but these have long since been out of blast.
Among the old families was the Kistler family, the father, Andrew, coming from Germany to Maryland, and then moving to Donegal township in 1796. Other early settlers were Andrew Harman, who was killed by the Indians; William R. Hunter, the Millhoffs, Wirsings, Shaeffers, Hayses, Gettemys, Jones, Blackburns.
The turnpike from Somerset to Mt. Pleasant and West Newton passed through the township from east to west. On this turnpike was located the town of Donegal and village of Jones' Mills. Both of them are very small, and were identified with the wagon days of the old turnpike, which was largely traveled for many years. This turnpike afforded a wagon and stage route east from the headwaters of navigation at Elizabeth on the Monongahela, and at West Newton on the Youghiogheny, across the mountains to Somerset, and thence to the National Pike at Cumberland, Maryland. The pike, as we have seen before, was planked, and for a long time was known as the Plank Road. From this pike there has always been a much traveled highway leading north from Donegal through Stahlstown to Ligonier. The village of Donegal has not increased much in the last forty years. It was formerly a convergent point for the whole southern end of the valley. Here they met on preliminary parade days, rifle matches, hunting days, and to engage in all kinds of rural contests and village sports. It was also an important place in stage-coach days. It is now little less than a country hamlet, though a very pretty one, and is the smallest borough in Westmoreland county. The petition for the incorporation was presented to the court in 1867, mainly through the efforts of the late William R. Hunter, a prominent merchant in Donegal at that time. The village was incorporated on the 20th of August, 1867, and the first election was held on the 20th day of September, at the house of Mrs. Nancy Hays. Jeremiah Wirsing was judge of the election, and Jacob Get- temy and Ely P. Fry were inspectors. William R. Hunter probably did more for Donegal borough and this community than any other man of that section. For many years he was the leading merchant of the place, and took great interest in its churches and schools and in its general advancement.
Jones Mills has been frequented a great deal by travelers in pursuit of all kinds of rural sports. It has a fine country hotel. The turnpike passed through the village, which, like Donegal, has seen its best days. It has, however, one of the best streams of water in the county, which flows directly from the "Big Springs" on Laurel Hill, a spring whose daily output is large enough to turn, and did at one time turn, an old-fashioned saw-mill within a few rods of its source.
It is on the limpid waters of this spring that the Pike Run Country Club is located. The club owns some two hundred and fifty acres of well timbered
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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
land, and has erected a splendid club house on it. It is on the famous turn- pike, and is about fourteen miles from either Mt. Pleasant, Ligonier or Som- erset. The club is patronized largely by Mt. Pleasant people, but has members in Greensburg and in other sections of the county. It is in Donegal township. It was founded in 1903, and is for its age a most promising club.
The first religious denomination in Donegal township were the Presbyte- rians. We are unable to give the date of their organization. With a later gener- ation came the Methodists, who probably surpass the Presbyterians in num- bers. The Baptists and the Dunkards came later, the latter being mostly families who had moved to Donegal from Somerset county. Among the orig- inal settlers were many Germans, who were regularly preached to in the early days of last century by Rev. Weber, of Greensburg. He established a congre- gation at Donegal, which really belonged to the Mt. Pleasant charge. They were ministered to after him by Rev. Weinel, Rev. Voight and Rev. A. J. Heller. The Baptist Church was organized in Donegal on June 13, 1834, with Rev. John P. Rockefeller as pastor.
About 1801 the citizens along the banks of Four Mile Run in the northern part of Donegal township erected a school house on the farm lately belonging to David Fiscus, and James Wilson was its first teacher. It was the first school house of which we have any knowledge in the southern part of the valley. It was followed, of course, by others. The school houses were'almost invariably built of unhewn logs, and the spaces between them were filled with clay. They had puncheon floors generally, but not always, for sometimes the floors were made of clay. They had clapboard roofs and a large fireplace which extended almost along the entire building. The teachers were men of limited education. If they could read, write and cipher as far as the single rule of three, and were muscularly strong enough to whip the boys, they could find employment and were regarded as good teachers. Among the early teachers were James Wilson, Charles Johnston, James Alexander, James Henry and others. In Donegal they built two school houses of a substantial nature in 1818. Hays' School was built in 1820; Stahlstown in 1821, and Union School was built in 1828 or 1829. This last school was built by members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and was used during the week in the winter time. for a school house, and all the year around on Sunday for church, purposes.
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