USA > Pennsylvania > Union County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 1, Pt. 2 > Part 64
USA > Pennsylvania > Mifflin County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 1, Pt. 2 > Part 64
USA > Pennsylvania > Snyder County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 1, Pt. 2 > Part 64
USA > Pennsylvania > Perry County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 1, Pt. 2 > Part 64
USA > Pennsylvania > Juniata County > History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys, embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. V. 1, Pt. 2 > Part 64
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LOST CREEK PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGA- TION .- The history of the Cedar Spring con- gregation, of which this was originally a part, will be found in the history of the Mifflintown congregation mitil 1797, when this society be- came a separate congregation, but under the same pastorate and retaining the same property rights in Cedar Spring glebe lands and its pro- reeds until the separation, in June, 1875. The account of the pastors will be found in the sketch of the Mifflin congregation.
The movement to effect a separate congregation was made in 1796-97. Major Hugh MeAlister and David Boles cach donated a plat of ground from their farms adjoining. These two plats were surveyed, by request of the trustees, by William Harris, of Mifflintown, June 27, 1797, and contained one hundred and forty-three perches. Soon after this time an agreement was entered into with Ingh Watt to erect a hewed-log church.
The first official mention of the Lost Creek congregation is found in the records of the Inu- tingdon Presbytery, October 2, 1799, when Lost Creek and Cedar Spring congregation requested permission to apply to Carlisle for supplies, which was granted.
The first pastor was Rev. Matthew Brown, who was called to be the pastor November 10, 1801. He was installed by the Presbytery in April, 1802. He remained until March 20, 1805, when he resigned to take charge of a church in Washington, Pa. The Rev. John Hutcheson was called October 1, 1805, and was ordained at the Lost Creek Church April 15, 1806. He remained as pastor until his death, November 11, 1811. The Rev. Mathew Allison sue- ceeded him, having received a call to become pastor March 26, 18:15, which he accepted, and was installed the following April. He remained pastor until his death, July 8, 1872. The Rev.
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T. J. Sherrard became an assistant in 1871, and after the death of the Rev. Mr. Allison, became the pastor. He resigned April 15, 1875, and accepted a call from the Mifflin congregation, which had then become separated. From that time to the present the Lost Creek congregation have been served by supplies.
After the building of the new church, in 1800, the old Cedar Spring Church was mostly aban- doned and several years later was taken down. The glebe lands were sold at varions times, in parcels, and the proceeds divided between the Lost Creek and Mifflin congregations, the last land having been sold about 1828.
Upon a strongly expressed desire on the part of the Mifflin congregation and petition to the Presbytery, and with a protest on the part of the Lost Creek congregation, a division was made, and the decision of the Presbytery was read by the Rev. Samuel Laird on the morning of June 15, 1775, to the Lost Creek congregation, and in the evening.
The old log church answered its purpose until about 1838, when it was decided to build a new brick church. Contract was made with William Crozier to do the work. The old school-house, that then stood on the site of the present church, was moved down to the foot of the knoll, where it is now used for a tenant- honse. The old log church was used for a shop, and, when the walls of the church were nearly up, one morning, when the men were at break- fast in the old school-honse, a crackling was heard, and the old church was in flames, having caught fire in some manner in the shavings. It was impossible to extinguish it. The morning was foggy and the flames could not be seen from MeAlisterville. The shouting of the men and the smell of the smoke, however, started the citizens to the place; but it could not be saved. Another church was erected, which has been used to the present. About 1815 many catalpas were set out around the church, which now form a fine grove around the church building.
The burial-ground, at the south of the church, contains the remains of many of the old families. The earliest date now legible on a tombstone is of Nancy Mitchell, wife of William Mitchell and daughter of Major Hugh Me Alister, who died
in December, 1797. The site was doubtless the burial-place of the family of Major Hugh Me- Alister before the ground was selected for the church. The MeAlisters, Sharons, Banks, MeMeens and many others rest within its limits.
MENNONITE MEETING-HOUSE .- The Men- nouites in this section of the county built a meeting house in the eastern part of old Green- wood township, near Richfield, and about 1800 one was built of logs on the C'edar Spring road, between Me Alisterville and Mifflintown., Abont 1815 the lot was enlarged, and in 1872 a brick meeting house was built in place of the old one. The preachers are Jacob and William Graybill.
GERMAN BAPTIST MEETING-HOUSE .- The Good-will German Baptist meeting-honse was built in 1841. Prior to that time services were held in the house of David Shellenberger, who was also a preacher. Solomon Kanffinan, An- drew Bashore and Solomon Sieber are preachers at present. This denomination is familiarly known as the Brethren or Dunkers.
THE FAYETTE SCHOOLS .- Probably the earliest school-house in the limits of Fayette township was situated on the road from Wash- Y ington Me Alister's to Oakland Mills, on land now owned by Miss Martha Book. It stood in the centre of the present road and was burned down before 1800. Hugh MeAlister, whodied in 1843, was a pupil in that honse. The old road ran round the knoll on which the house stood. Wil- liam Pelaw was one of the teachers there.
A log school-house was built on the Presby- terian Church lot soon after the church was built, in 1799. It was used until the present church was built, and stood on its site. It was then moved down to the foot of the bank and was used as a boarding-place and dining-room while building the present church, and is now used as a tenant-house. Of later teachers there were James Lytle and Robert Me.Mister _1 school-house was erected about 1800 near the site of the Hoffman tannery.
Andrew Banks was a teacher in this house at one time. Stephen George was a school teacher about 1812. He owned a farm on Lost Creek, about one and a half miles west of MeAlister-
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ville, now owned by James Shillingford. George Keller, also a teacher of later date, lived on this place. He taught the German school in Me.Al- isterville. In 1818 a school house was built cast of " Me Alistertown," now in the town. 1 filler account of schools in that place will be found in the sketch of MeAlisterville. Dr. Thomas Whiteside built a school-house in 1830 at Oakland Mills, which is still standing.
The school law passed in 1834, and Novem- ber 4, 1834, delegates met in County Conven- tion at the court-house to take measures to carry . ont the provisions of the law. Fayette accepted the provisions of the common-school law of 1834 soon after its passage. Dr. Thomas Whiteside, William MeMeen, Judge William MeAlister and William Sharon were prominent supporters of the system established by this law. In 1838 David Kauffman, William Sharon, William MeMeen, Thomas Kinser, Jolm Von Ormer and Henry Hart were directors of the township, and on the 6th day of January, 1838, in consideration of one dollar, purchased of Dr. Thomas Whiteside a tract of land containing two thousand square feet, on which a school- house was then erected, and in the event of changing the road, the directors were to have the same amount of land, in a convenient loca- tion, and move the house thereto.
The road was changed in later years, and Robert Thompson, then owner of the land (1852), conveyed to the school directors six thousand square feet, on which the present school-house stands. The old lot reverted to the estate, and with the house is now owned by Ancien aud J. B. Wilson. A High School was established in this house, and geography, gram- mar and surveying were taught by William Knox, an Irishman, who was a fine mathemati- cian. He was succeeded by Dr. Jones, a brother of William JJones, who tanght many years in the county.
The German school-house, which was sitnated west of and adjoining the original academy tract at MeAlisterville, was built on a lot pur- chased of John Musser in 1827, and surveyed Mareb, 1761, and school was taught by Chris- topher Clark, Benjamin Landis, George Keller, William Dumm and others. Upon the building
of the present school-house, in 1855, this house and the old one at the cast end of the town was abandoned, and the German school-honse lot was sold, March 26, 1856, to John Musser, the original proprietor. Henry Lanver and Ben- jamin Bashore were the first trustees. On the 8th of March, 1810, the school directors pur- chased thirty porches of land of John Yoder, on which to creet a school-house. It was situ- ated below Brown's Mills, and was known as Cold Brook. The school-house for that section is now halfa mile west. The Union School lot, near Cocolamus, was bought September 29, 1860. The Red Bank school-house lot, near Evandale, was bought by Peter Brown, Febru- ary 8, 1872.
In 1836 there were four log school-houses in the township ; in 1884 there were nine houses, which accommodate five hundred and fifteen pupils. The names of the school-houses are as follows: Oakland, MeAlisterville, Union, Cocolamus, Liberty, Fairview, Rockland, Mount Pleasant and Red Bank.
MCALISTERVILLE.
The town of MeAlisterville, with its present limits, is situated on a site originally taken up by the authority of two warrants. The warrant on the east was taken out by William Gilt- nockey the 3d day of February, 1755, and was for a large traet of land which later passed to Ilugh Watts, who sold to Peter Springer, who patented it May 20, 1812. He lived on the place now occupied by Judge Jacob Smith. The old school-house, built in 1818, was on the truet now owned by Judge Samuel Watts.
In later years, when MeAlisterville began to thrive, lots were sold by Peter Springer on his land, and the town grew to the east along the road. This tract of land was warranted February 3, 1755, which was the first day on which warrants were issued from the Land-Of- fice for " the new purchase."
The traet of land on which MeAlisterville was originally laid out was warranted by William Armstrong, of Delaware, February 3, 1775, the sune date as the adjoining tract of Giltnockey's. He located other lands in what is now Mifflin County, where he resided.
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JUNIATA COUNTY.
Edward Armstrong warranted a tract of land southeast of it September 8th the same year. Alexander Armstrong also took up a tract of land on application No. 1201, September 12, 1766, east of William Gilthockey and James Diveu. Peter Springer also bought this property. William AArmstrong retained the tract he warranted until January 8, 1779, when he sold it for two hundred and forty pounds to Joseph Bogle, of York County, who, on the 19th of February, the same year, con- veyed it to William Stewart, who at once moved upon the place, as his name is found in May, 1780, among thie list of those who organized for the defense of the frontier. He built a log house ou the place, and resided there iu 1791. The reader is referred to the ercetion of Green- wood township and the enlargement of its boundaries, in 1791-92, for mention of William Stewart's house. It will be noticed that in the petition William Stewart's honse was mentioned as being on the east side of the line, and in Greenwood township. But Ingh MeAlister, who purchased the property May 21, 1790, ap- plied to the court, asking that William Stew- art's house may be and remain in Fermanagh township. This was granted, and the line ran east of the Armstrong land and through the lot on which the old Jacob Hamerly house now stands, leaving the most of the Armstrong land in Fermanagh township. Hugh MeAlis- ter came into possession of the land in the year 1792. The tract was surveyed to him as one Inmdred and sixty-six acres, March 31, 1792. The traet was theu bounded on the west by lands of Widow Mitchell, on north by Hugh MeElroy, cast by Ingh Watts (later Peter V Springer) and on the south by William Shaw. Hugh MeAlister conveyed it to his sou Hugh, y March 23, 1804, who received a patent for it May 23, 1801.
The old log house that many years ago was torn down, and which stood on the road leading from the hotel corner toward the church, and ou the farm uow owned by Judge Watts, is sup- posed to have been the old Stewart house. lu 1807 Nicholas Myers built a house on the lot now owned by Squire William Dum. This lot was sold to Henry Lauver, September 14,
1813, and in 1819 was conveyed to Jomm Showers. It passed through several hands, and in 1840 came into possession of William Dunn.
Hugh MeAlister, in 1810, employed William Me Alister to survey and lay out a town, which was done. Seven lots, cach containing half au aere, were laid out, three on the south side of the road and four on the north side. On the 27th day of December, 1810, Hugh Me.Alister and his wife, Catharine, sold to John Lauver, a blacksmith, lots Nos. 1 and 2, on the north side of " Me Alisterstown," in consideration of sixty dollars, with the " free privilege of using water out of the spring forever, but no power ot hindering any other person the same privilege," John Lauver owned a log dwelling-house cast of the new town some distance, which he tore down and moved to the lots and erected thereon. These lots later came to Heury Lauver, and the house was torn down in 1856, and the store now owned by Isaac T. MeAlister was erected on the site. The spring mentioned is on a small lot adjoining, now owned by Ingh MeAlister and just cast of Dr. A. J. Fisher's residence. In the next year, 1811, Hugh MeAlister erected, on the lot on the south side directly opposite No. 1, a stone house, which is still standing, and in which Thomas Galla- gher, of Licking Creek, and James Knox, of Miflliu, opened a store, which they kept until 1815, when they sold to Hugh MeAlister, who kept there until his brick house was finished, in 1817, when he moved the store to the room in the east side and kept till his death, in 1844. He remained several years and was succeeded by William McCamman, He moved up town, in a small log honse built by Nicholas Myers, now occupied by William Dunn. After a few years he moved to Liverpool. In 1816, Hugh Me- V Alister began the erection of the brick hotel now standing, and finished it in the next year, where he lived until his death, in 1843. The brick house came to John North, a sou-iu- law, April 1, 1846, who opened it as a store and kept it for ten years, and in 1856 changed it to a hotel. It was sold in 1875 to William W. Sharon, who now keeps it. Herman Caveny, a school-teacher and stone-cutter, lived in the stone house several years and also had his mar-
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JUNIATA AND SUSQUEHANNA VALLEYS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
ble-shop there. It was kept as a tavern by Dr. Thomas Rowland, who remained about two years and returned to Chester. Jolm E. Me- Alister was the landlord from abont 1825 to 1842. It was later kept by Edward Margretz. Barth, Jacob Anman and last, in 1877, by Cyrus Seiber.
The growth of the town cansed Peter Spring- er, about 1813, to lay ont lots on the east of the new town on the Giltnockey tract, which were soon after sold. In 1814 a petition for a road was made from MeAlistertown to the county line on Shade Mountain, near Romick's Gap. Viewers were appointed and report made, but not confirmed. It was afterwards, however, laid ont and opened.
A post-office was established at the place about 1815, and a mail-route opened from Fan- netsburg, Franklin County, to Selinsgrove, and mail first carried in saddle-bags. Hugh Me- Alister, then keeping store, was postmaster. In 1820 a petition was sent in to the Postmaster- General, by Captain William Turuer, to have the name of the post-office changed, and Mi- chael Lanver was appointed postmaster, and the name of the post-office was changed to Calhonn- ville about 1821, which it retained for about four years and was changed to its former name. Hugh MeAlister was reapppointed and held the position until his death, in 1843. He was succeeded by J. B. Wilson, Calvin B. North, John North, James Davis, Dallas North, S. B. Caveny, Jolm Mathersbough and William W. Sharon, the present inemubent, who has held the position since April, 1873.
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Soon after the town was started Hugh Me- Alister built a tannery on the Main Street, which was conducted by John North, a tanner, and who, in 1822, married Jane, a danghter of Ilngh MeAlister. In 1825 Hngh T. MeAlister came into possession and continued until 1845, when it was sold to Henry Bohn, who con- tinned several years and sold to Peter Witmer, by whom, in later years, it was abandoned.
A school was taught in the settlement in 1812-11 by Stephen George, who was an early teacher throughout the county. The first school-house was built in 1818, and was a little east of the village. It is still standing on the
original site and is now owned by Samuel Watts. Other teachers who tanght there were Stephen George, William Pelaw, -- Me- Cormick, Matthew MeKinstry, James Murray, Sarah Abrams, Samuel Mathers, Samuel B. Wilson (1828), William P. Huntington (1830), William J. Jones, James M. Sellers, William Quick, George Lewis and William Kinsloc.
The school-house was abandoned in 1855 and the present house was built by JJacob Bech- tel, and is now, with the exception of the or- phan school, the only school of Me Alisterville. William W. Sharon was the first teacher. The German school-honse was built about 1827 and used until 1855. Christopher Clark, Benja- min Landis, George Keller and William Dum were the teachers in the German school-house.
Ilugh MeAlister says that in his remem- brance there were twelve distilleries between the mouth of Lost Creek and Richfield, which were all running in the winter. It was the only market for corn and rye, and each farmer took a barrel of whiskey in part pay. The distil- leries were owned by Lewis Horning, near the mouth of Lost Creek ; James Bryson, on the old Samnel Bryson farm at Jericho, of which David Kauffinan was the distiller ; James Al- ricks, at the Oakland Mills ; William, Robert and James Turner, west of MeAlisterville; John Jameson ; David Shellenberger ; William MeAlister, Robert MeAlister; William Sellers, at Evandale ; John Grabel, at Richfield.
Of merchants who have been in business in MeAlisterville since 1835 are the following: IIngh Wilson, from 1835 to 1856. The business was continued by his sons-J. B. Wil- son & Co .- for several years, and soll to Feghtly & Strayer.
In 1857 David Myers erected the store building on the corner where Isaac MeAlister now has a store. It was the site of the first building in the town. The firm of D. Myers & Co. was composed of David Myers, Reuben Caveny and James M. Sellers. The firm had several changes, and, in 1862, the store was sold to Isaac Me Alister, who now keeps it.
In 1876 S. S. Beaver built the store build- ing, and opened a store, now conducted by Jo- seph Page, who purchased in 1882.
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S. S. Beaver, after the sale of his store, in 1882, opened a drug-store, which, in 1884, was purchased by Murray & Smiley.
1830, the Rev. - Elsemnoyer, a German minister, came to this neighborhood and began preaching in the German language to the peo- ple of the Lutheran and.German Reformned de- nominations. Meetings were held in the old school-house in the upper end of the village. A Lutheran congregation was soon formed, with John Seighman and Daniel Showers as trus- tees.
In the summer of 1834 a lot was purchased of Hugh MeAlister, in MeAli-terville, and in the season of 1835 a frame church was erected. The Rev. S. R. Boyer, who took the charge of Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church, in Lew- istown, March 1, 1835, assumed charge also of this congregation and served until he resigned, March 15, 1846. He was succeeded by the Rev. Jacob Martin, 1846-48 ; Rev. Levi F. Williams, 1848-58; Rev. Philip Willard, 1858-61. From the time the Rev. S. R. Boyer took charge of the church, in 1835, until 1861 the congregation was in a charge with Mifflintown, Thompsontown and Centre. At this time, 1861, Mifflintown became an inde- pendent charge, and the congregation remained one with Thompsontown and Centre. The Rev. M. L. Shindell became pastor and re- mained until 1865. The congregation was without a pastor one year, and, in 1867, the Rev. A. Kopenhover assumed the pastoral re- lation, and remained fifteen years in the service. In the fall of 1883 the Rev. William Wieand was called, and accepted. He served until the summer of 1885, and resigned.
During the pastorate of the Rev. A. Kopen- hover, and mainly through his influence and zeal, the present briek church was built, in 1876, on the site of the old church, at an out- lay of four thousand dollars, much work and material having been contributed by the mem- bers.
1. O. O. F .- MeAlisterville Lodge, No. 716, was chartered May 20, 1870, with the follow- ing list of officers : D. B. McWilliams, N. G .; G. Shivery, V. G .; W. W. Sharon, Secretary ;
S. M. Shelley, Assistant Secretary ; J. W. Mnthersbough, Treasurer. Meetings were held in the second story of MeAlister's store until about 1875, when the Odd- Follows' Hall was fitted and is still used. The lodge has a mem- bership of fourteen.
THE SOLDIERS' ORPHAN SCHOOL. - This institution was originated as an academy in 1855, the first trustees of which were HI. T. Me.Alis- ter, Win. MeMeen, Abraham Seiber, Montgom- ery Jameson, R. W. Jameson, Saml. Watt and David Myers. A subscription list was obtained, and in the summer of 1855 the three-story brick building, forty-eight by fifty-four feet, now standing on the west side of the street, was erected at a cost of about three thousand dol- lars. The Rev. Philander Camp, a Presbyter- ian minister from Bradford County, was elected principal. He served two years and was sue- eceded by Mr. Diven, who taught two terms. In 1858 the stockholders sold the property to Professor George F. McFarland, then principal of the Freeburg Academy, who enlarged the accommodations and conducted the academy until 1862. Having then a good normal class composed largely of teachers, he enlisted them in the service of the United States, and took the company to Harrisburg, where it was as- signed to the One Hundred and Fifty-first Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, of which he became lientenant-colonel, and one of the teachers, W. L. Owens, captain of the company.
Returning after the battle of Gettysburg, in 1863, in which. he was badly wounded, Colonel McFarland re-opened the academy, and in the following autumn converted it into a soldiers' orphans' school. From this time forward it re- ceived soldiers' orphans, the mimber reaching sixty-one by April 1, 1865, and one hundred and forty-one the following December. At the first vacation July 27, 1865, the children were accompanied by Dr. Burrowes, State superin- tendent of schools, to Mifflintown, where the first concert was held in the conrt-house. The large andience was deeply interested in the peform- ance, the explanation of the system by Dr. Bur- rows and the patriotic speeches that followed. It was one of the three schools that visited Harrisburg, March 16, 1866, and influenced
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JUNIATA AND SUSQUEHANNA VALLEYS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
the Legislature to abandon the pauper bill and contine appropriations for the support of the schools,
The school also participated in the ceremonies incident to the reception of the battle-flags, at. Philadelphia, July 1, 1866. 'Twenty-two acres of land bought were adjoining the original pur- chase. The corner-stone of a new building was laid, with interesting ceremonies, July 23, 1866. The Hon. S. P. Bates, LL. D., delivered the address. The building is of brick, thirty-nine by sixty-seven feet, and four stories in height.
On the 1st day of Jannary, 1876, the con- trol of the school passed into the hands of Mr. Jacob Smith, of MeAlisterville, who had for many years been steward of the institution. He remained in charge of the institution until Sep- tember, 1880, when he was succeeded by Col- onel George F. MeFarland, who, in June 13, 1883, leased the property to George W. Wright, of Mercer County. The school is now under the charge of Professor J. M. Sherwood, who was in charge of the Mercer soldiers' orphans' schools for five years previous to taking charge of this in September, 1884. The roll of the in- CHAPTER XVII. stitution shows that one thousand one hundred WALKER TOWNSHIP. and eighty-five children have enjoyed its advan- tages as a home and a school. Twenty-eight A PETITION was presented in November, 1821, asking for a township to be taken from Fermanagh. Daniel Christy, David Walker and deaths have ocenrred, and nine hundred and seventy children have been discharged, leaving at present in the institution one hundred andy William MeAlister, Jr., were appointed view- eighty-seven children. ers, who made a report Jannary 19, 1822, in which the boundaries were defined. The re- COCOLAMUS. port was read and confirmed at the April torm of court, 1822, when the north part of the township was called " Fermanagh," and the southern part was called " Walker."
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