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 65
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 65
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 65
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 65
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 65
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Cocolamus is a settlement at the forks of the heads of the stream. The land was taken np by John Gallagher in 1762, and soon after pur- chased by William Me Alister, who obtained a patent in 1790. It was the intention of Mr. Me Alister to lay ont a town at the place, but it was not done. A fulling-mill was built in 1814, which was torn down in 1848 and the tannery created on its site. A store was established at the place in 1862, and kept by William Harri- son MeAlister until 1881, when it was pur- chased by Edward Kelly, who now keeps it.
A hotel was kept there several years by Abram Landis and by Lewis Amy. A post- office was established in 1865, and Abraham
Haldeman was postmaster from 1865 to 1872. Ile was sneeceded by W. IL. MeAlister from 1872 to 1881, and since that time the office has been held by Edward Kelly. The tammery is now owned by John Schell. A frame church was built near the place in 1881 by the United Brethren.
OAKLAND MILLS.
The place was named by Dr. Thomas White- side when he built the present stone mill, in 1830. It had long been a mill-seat, and the old mills stood above the present mill. The first store was established in 1830 by David McClure, who was about the same time ap- pointed postmaster. He was succeeded by John Heckman in both the store and post- office. Lucian Wilson, the present postmaster, succeeded in the store and post-office in April, 18444, and has contimed to the present time. Hle, with his brothers, purchased the mill prop- erty in 1856.
The township is bounded by the range of Tuscarora Mountains, Fermanagh, Fayette and Delaware townships.
The Juniata passes through the township and the principal stream is the D. O. Run, which traverses it in a southerly direction and enters the Juniata at. Mexico.
The name D. O. Run is peculiar, and con- corning which unich speculation is rife. It is variously spelled Doe, Deo, Do and D. (). The last was invariably written by James Pat- terson, who, with the possible exception of
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JUNIATA COUNTY.
John Savage, mentioned in the caveat of Wil- liam Curran, was doubtless the first settler upon the run and by whom it was doubtless named.
EARLY SETTLEMENT. - The first trustworthy knowledge of settlements along the Juniata, or in the territory embraced in this history, is found in a letter of Richard Peters to James Hamilton, Esq., Governor of Pennsylvania, dated July 2, 1750, in which he says,-
" About the year 1740 or 1711, one Frederick Star, a German, with two or three more of his countrymen, made some settlements at the above place, where we found William White, the Galloways and Andrew Lycon, on Big Juniata, situate at the distance of twenty-five miles from the mouth thereof, and abont ten miles north of the Blue Hills, a place much es- teemed by the Indians for some of their best hunting- grounds, which (German settlers) were discovered by the Delawares at Shamokin to the deputies of the Six Nations, as they came down to Philadelphia, in the year 1743, to hold a treaty with this Govern- ment, and they were disturbed at, as to enquire, with a peculiar warmth of Governor Thomas, if these peo- ple had come there by the orders or with the privi- lege of the Government, alleging that if it was so there was a breach of the treaties subsisting between the Six Nations and proprietor, William Penn, who, in the most solemn manner, engaged to them not to suffer any of the people to settle lands till they had purchased from the Council of the Six Nations."
At this council, held at Philadelphia, April 22, 1753, before Governor Thomas, one of the chiefs made the following remarks :
" The Dutelmen on Seokooneady (Juniata) claimed a right to the land merely because they gave a little victuals to our warriors, who stand very often in need of it.
"This string of Wampum serves (the speaker then took two strings of wampum in his hands) to take the Dutchman by the Arm and to throw him over the big mountain within our borders. We have given the Scokooneady for a hunting-place to our cousins, the Delawares, and our brethren, the Shawanese, and we ourselves hunt there sometimes. We therefore desire you will immediately, by force, remove all those that live on the river of Scokooncady."
The Governor disowned any knowledge of the settlements and promised the Indians to issue a proclamation. This having but little effect, Mr. Peters was ordered and authorized to cause the trespassers to be removed, which he did in June, 1743. After this time trespassers again, says a writer, " had the presumption to
go into Path Valley, or Tuscarora Gap, lying to the cast of the Big Cove, and into a place called Anghwick, lying to the northward of it, and likewise into a place called Shearman's Creek, lying along the waters of Juniata and is situate east of the Path Valley, through which the present road goes from Harris' Ferry to Allegheny and lastly they extended their settle- ment, to Big Juniata."
The Indians complained to the proprietaries of their settlements, and the authorities in 1748 sent Conrad Weiser, the sheriff, and three magis- trates into these settlements to warn the people ; but notwithstanding this, they still continned their settlement.
In May, 1750, Richard Peters and Conrad Weiser were ordered to go to lands not pur- chased by the Indians in the new county of Cumberland and give information to the magistrates of such people as had settled on the lands beyond the Kittanning Mountains, and to bring them to conviction for not removing upon a previous notice from the Governor. As the trespassers still remained, the Indians of the Six Nations were complaining to the proprietaries of breach of their promises.
It will be noticed that reference is made to the settlement of Frederick Star at the place where William White and others were found. The extract from the same letter referred to gives the account of their proceedings while there. Mr. Peters and Mr. Weiser left Phila- delphia on the 15th of May for the new county of Cumberland, where they met Mr. George Croghan, Andrew Monteur and five Indians, who were anthorized to transact business for the Six Nations.
A conference was held, and the magistrates gave the Indians assurance that the trespassers would be removed and strings of wampum were exchanged.
Mr. Peters, in the letter above referred to, gives the account of the movements and action of the magistrates after the conference above mentioned, as follows:
"On Tuesday, the 22ud of May, Matthew Dill, George Croghan, Benjamin Chambers, Thomas Wil- son, John Finley and James Galbreth, Esquires, Jus- tices of the said county of Cumberland, attended by
-
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JUNIATA AND SUSQUEHANNA VALLEYS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
the Under Sheriff, came to Big Juniata, situate at the distance of twenty-five miles from the mouth therof, and about ten miles north from the Blue Ilill, a place much esteemed by the Indians for some of their best hunting-ground ; and there they found five cabbins or log Houses, one possessed by William White, another by George Cahoon, another not quite yet finished, in possession of David Huddleston, another possessed by George and William Galloway, and another by Andrew Lycon ; of these Persons William White, George and William Galloway, David Iluddleston and George Cahoon appeared be- fore the Magistrates, and being asked by what right or anthority they had possessed themselves of those Lands and erected cabins thereon ? They replied by no right or authority but that the Land belonged to the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania. They were then asked whether they did not know they were acting against the Law, and in contempt of frequent Notices given them by the Governom's proclamation. They said they had seen one such proclamation, and had nothing to say for themselves, but craved mercy. Hereupon the said William White, George and Wil- liam Galloway, David Huddleston and George Ca- hoon, being convicted by said Justices on their view, the under Sheriff was charged with them, and he took William White, David Huddleston and George Cahoon into Custody, but George and William Gal- loway resisted, and having got at some distance from the Under Sheriff, they called to us : 'You may take our Lands and Houses and do what you please with them ; we deliver them to you with all our hearts, but we will not be carried to Jail.'
" The next morning, being Wednesday, the 23d of May, the said .Instices went to the log House or cabbin of Andrew Lycon, and finding none there but chil- dren, and hearing that the Father and Mother were expected soon, and William White and others offer- ing to become Security jointly and severally, and to enter into Recognizancc, as well for Andrew's appear- auce at Court and immediate removal, as for their own, this proposal was accepted, and William White, David Huddleston and George Cahoon entered into a recognizance of one hundred Pounds, and executed Bonds to the Proprietaries in the sum of Five Hun- dred Pounds, reciting that they were Trespassers and had no manner of Right, and had delivered Possession to me for the Proprietaries. When the Magistrates went to the cabbin or log House of George and Wil- liam Galloway (which they had delivered up as afore- said the day before, after they were convicted and were flying from the Sheriff'), all the Goods belonging to the said George and William were taken out, and the Cabbin being quite empty, I took possession thereof for the Proprietaries; and then a conference was held, what should be done with the empty Cabbin, and after great deliberation, all agreed that if some Cabbins were not destroyed, they would tempt the
trespassers to return again, or encourage others to come there should these trespassers go away ; and so what was doing would Signify nothing, since the pos- session of them was at such a distance from the in- habitants, could not be kept for the Proprietario ; and Mr. Weiser also giving it as his opinion that if all the Cabbina were left standing, the Indians would conceive such a contemptible Opinion of the Govern- ment, that they would come themselves, in the Winter, murder the People, and set their houses ou fire. On these considerations, the Cabbin, by my order, was burnt by the under Sheriff and company. " Then the company went to the House possessed by David Huddleston, who had entered into Bond as aforesaid, and he having voluntarily taken out all the things which were in the cabbin, and left me in pos- session, that empty and unfurnished cabbin was like- wise set on fire by the under Sheriff, by my order.
" The next day, being the 24th of May, Mr. Weiser and Mr. Galbreath, with the under Sheriff and myself, on our way to the mouth of Juniata, called at Andrew Lycon's, with intent only to inform him that his Neighbours were bound for his appearance and immediate Removal, and to caution him not to bring him or them into trouble by a refusal. But he pre- sented a loaded Gun to the Magistrates and Sheriff, said he would shoot the first man that dared to come nigher. On this, he was disarmed, convicted and committed to the custody of the Sheriff. This whole transaction happened in the sight of a tribe of Indians, who had by accident in the Night time fixed their tent on that plantation; and Lycon's behaviour giv- ing them great offence, the Shickcalamies insisted on our burning the cabbin, or they would do it them- selves. Whereupon everything was taken out of it (Andrew Lycon all the while assisting ) and Possession being delivered to me, the empty cabbin was set on fire by the under Sheriff, and Lycon was carried to Jail."
Mr. Peters says, in closing his letter, --
"Finding such a general submission, except. the two Galloways and Andrew bycon, and vainly be- lieving the evil would be effectually taken away, there was no kindness in my power which I did not do for the offenders; I gave them money where they were poor, and telling them they might go directly on any part of the two millions of acres lately purchased of the Indians ; and where the families were large, as I happened to have several of my own plantations va- cant, I offered them to stay on them rent-free till they could provide for themselves ; then I told them that if, after all this lenity and good usage, they would dare to stay after the time limited for their departure, no morey would be shown them, but that they would feel the rigour of the law.
" It may be proper to add that the cabbins or log- Houses which were burnt were of no considerable value, being such as the Country People erect in a
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JUNIATA COUNTY.
day or two, and cost only the charge of an enterlain- ment.
" RICHARD PETERS."
It is evident that at the time of this action on the part of the government. a purchase of these lands was intended, and this fact was known by the trespassers and by others who were ranging through the country. It is not stated in Mr. Peters' letter that a promise was made to the trespassers who would leave their improve- ments peaceably that when the purchase was made they might return to their respective set- tlements ; but it is stated by no less an authority than James Hamilton, Esq., in a document sent to Jolm Lukens, surveyor general, under the head- ing : " By the proprietaries," and which was used in a suit brought by Richard Kirkpatrick against Sammel Fisher and John Sanderson, a full ac- count of which will be found in the history of Spring township, Perry County. Among other things he says, speaking of the trespassers,-
" Before the same was purchased from the Indians, who, taking mubrage at settlements being made there before they had agreed to sell those lands to the Gov- ermnent, on the Indian's compleant sent proper persons to prevail on those settlers peaceably to give up and Quit their possessions and improvements un- der a promise and assurance from our Agents that as soon as the said purchase shouhl be compleated they should have warrants granted to them and be permit- ted to return to their respective settlements."
To still further show that the purchase was intended and the promise made, it will be care- fully noticed that mention is made in Mr. Peters' letter of a conference being held at the settlement of White, Lycon and others, "with great deliberation " as to thedisposition of these cabins. It was finally agreed that if some of them were not destroyed they would tempt the trespassers to return, and Mr. Weiser's opinion was that if all were left standing the Indians would have a contemptible opinion of the gov- ernment, and the cabin or loghouse of the Galloways, the cabins of David Huddleston and Andrew Lycon were burned, no mention be- ' ing made of White's cabin. The decision of the conference held at this time in reference to the destruction of cabins was followed at Shearman's Creek, where Mr. Stephenson (theunder-sheriff) "ordered some of the meanest of those cabins
to be set on fire where the families were not large nor the improvements considerable."
On May 30th, the magistrates and company were in Path Valley, Anghwick and Big Cove, and put the trespassers in those localities under bonds and burned some of the cabins.
These men left their settlements,' and without doubt made no effort to return until after the purchase of July, 1754, as they would have been liable to proseention under their bonds. Others, however, not under such restraint, made their way into the Tuscarora Valley, late in 1753 or carly in 1754, and made settlements there before the purchase was made, and they and their descendants are still there.
A careful examination of the warrants on both sides of the Juniata from its mouth to the Perry County line fails to show the names of any of the parties who were trespassers in 1750, and it is a fact that in 1754 and 1755 Richard Kirkpatrick and others (all trespassers in 1750 on Sherman's Creek:) returned, after the purchase, under their promise from the government, to the same places where they were before and where most of them settled and left descendants.
Upon the opening of the Land-Office, Feb- ruary 3, 1755, William White and John Lycon each took ont warrants-White for two hun- dred acres, and Lyeon for three hundred and twenty-three aeres. John Cahoon purchased of William White a tract of land, April 16th of the same year. All three of these tracts are on the Jumiata, White and Cahoon on tracts ad- joining and above the James Patterson tract, at the mouth of D. O. Rn. John Lycon's tract was below the Patterson (the Valentine Stern) tract, and above Thompsontown, relatively in the same position as when Peters left White's, May 21th,-" on our way to the mouth of Juniata, called at Andrew Lycon's," Dr. Egle
" It has been stated that the e sellers were located on the north bank of the Juniala, back of Millerstown, in the limits of Perry County. This opinion is said to be based upon the letter of Richard Peters. He says " We came to the Big Juniata situate at the distance of twenty-five miles from the month thereof." This distance is given by Bupp in his quotation as twenty miles, and even in that case Millers- town by the railroad is bot sixteen miles and six-tenths From Juninta Bridge, which is within three rods of the month of the Inviata River.
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JUNIATA AND SUSQUEHANNA VALLEYS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
says that Andrew Lycon had but one son, John, who was commissioned lieutenant about 1762, and disappears before the Revolutionary War. All the evidence here given inelines to the idea that after the purchase of the lands William White returned to his settlement on the Juniata, where his cabin was evidently left standing in 1750 (as Peters was very particu- lar in all cases to state what was burned), and to the place he, in his wanderings for a location, had decided upon. John Lycon, a son of An- drew, settled below on the river, and John Cahoon or Calhoon, as is shown later, adjoining lands of White.
William White made two applications for land of one hundred acres each. Warrants were granted upon them as follows: February 3, 1755, No. 30, "One Inindred acres, including his improvement on the north side of the Juniata, where one Kyle has presumed to settle. No. 33, one hundred aeres northward of other land granted to him by warrant of this day and inehides a part of the Big Mea- dow."
The wording of the first warrant clearly shows that he had an improvement there, and on his return to it he found one Kyle settled upon it, and the heirs of James Kyle claimed it as late as 1818, when a part of it was patented. It will be noticed that on April 3, 1767, Hugh White took up land inelnding " Clear Mea- dow," which had been Indian corn-fields, and probably the other part of the Big Meadow men- tioned above. The White lands, under the two warrants, No. 30 and 33, as surveyed, amount to five hundred and sixty-two and one-half acres.
In the warrant to White he is mentioned as adjoining Captain James Patterson, who located on both sides of the D. O. Run, and White's traet was above, on the river. When the tronb- les with the Indians occurred in 1756, he, with the other settlers, fled to the more thickly-pop- ulated settlements, and returned in 1762, and on the 24th of March in that year was appointed constable of Fermanagh township. During harvest-time, and on July 10, 1763, it being the Sabbath and the reapers in the houseat White's, a party of Indians crept up to the door and shot William White, some of the reapers and some
of his children. From that time for several years the Widow White is assessed on two hundred acres, and a son William is mentioned as a single man, and within a year or two John White is mentioned as a single man. Novem- ber 25, 1766, Jomm White warranted one hundred acres of land in the Barrens adjoining William White, and April 3, 1767, Hugh White warranted a tract, including Clear Meadow, which had been Indian corn-fields. In 1782 Widow White was in possession of four hundred acres, John of fifteen acres and a dis- tillery, and William of fifteen acres. It is quite evident the lands taken up were for their mother.
Widow Mary White also took up, on an order of survey No. 2835, February 6, 1767, three hundred acres of land upon Cedar Spring Ridge, adjoining John Gamble, Charles Stewart and others, which she sold to James Barr May 19, 1790, who sold ninety-six acres of it to James Banks August 7, 1792. William White sold his interest in the same tract to James Barr, De- cember 15, 1789.
A part of the original White tract had been sold to Joli Cahoon,' (or Calhoon), who sold part to the heirs of William White, who con- veyed it to James Barr. It passed to William MeCammon and Jolm Riddle, and on April 1, 1814, Riddle sold one and a half aeres of this land for a parsonage to Jacob Byner, of Decatur, Mifflin County, John Kepner and John Rice, of Milford, Henry Fry, of Greenwood, Cumber- land County, who were trustees for the United German congregations in the mentioned town- ships. Upon this lot was built a parsonage, where the Rev. John William Heim lived until his removal to Loysville, Perry County, in 1828. The property was sold, April 1, 1835, to Solo- mon Hlays, who, in 1838, conveyed it to Sarah
1 In a deed recorded in Mifflin County mention is made, in connection with the above transfers, that a warrant was granted to John Colhoon (or Cahoon) February 6, 1755, adjoining lands of William White. No warrant at this place or in the purchase of 1751 of that date appears in the band Office ; but on April 16, 1775, Cahoon did buy part of the White lands, and part of it passed to Andrew Cahoon (or Colhoon), who, by article, June 1, 1792, sold to James Barr. The excenters of Andrew Colhon gave a deed to James Barr, May 28, 1795.
851
JUNIATA COUNTY.
.
Diven, widow of Peter Diven. The trustees at this time were William Rummels, Sr., Jacob Kepner, John Weishaupt and John Murphy, of the Lutheran congregation, and Peter Diven and William Waldsmith, ofthe Reformed Church. The parsonage property is now owned by Miss Snsanna Weaver.
It will be remembered that, with the names of William White and Andrew Lycon, the Galloways, David Huddleston and George Ca- hoon also appear. The Galloways, by Mr. Peters' account, abandoned their lands, and probably never returned. There is nothing to show, either, that Huddleston returned.
A part of the old White tract is now owned by Christian Tyson, Miss Minchan, James Kyle and John Gallagher.
It will be noticed that Captain James Pat- terson, of whom it is claimed by some that he was the first settler, is not mentioned in the letter of Richard Peters, and it is also shown, in the caceat filed by William Curran, March 13, 1765 (that is elsewhere given), that one John Savage had made an improvement at the month of D. O. Run, which he had pur- chased ten years before, or upwards, and which Curran had purchased. This property, how- ever, Captain Patterson secured a warrant upon, and held it. It is now Mexico, but was known many years as Patterson's Mills.
Captain James Patterson was the most illas- trious pioneer settler in Juniata County, and deserves more than a passing notice. Ilis father came from Salisbury, England, and set- tled, in 1717, on the northern line of the Conestoga Manor, Lancaster County.
berea was the wife of John Keagy, who occu- pied part of the mansion farm. Mrs. Chambers was the mother of General James Chambers, of the Revolution.
The mother of James Patterson was a remark- able woman, and was twice married after the death of his father. She was the wife of Thomas Ewing and of Dr. John Connolly, and the mother of the notorious Dr. John Connolly.
As already stated, Captain James Patterson moved on this tract on the Conococheagne after his father's death, and his name may be found regularly on the Lurgan township tax-lists, and he remained there nutil 1754.
The Land Office opened February 3, 1755, and on the -Ith James Patterson got his warrant for a tract of four hundred and seven acres at Mex- ico, which he had surveyed on the 29th, and it was the first, and in 1763 the only, traet pat- ented in this county, Hence, the whole story told of his bidding defiance to the provincial authorities, and refusing to go through the for- malities of the Land Office for a title, as told in Jones' "Juniata Valley," is without the slight- est foundation in fact, and does the captain great injustice. As he followed the Indian trade with his father in his youth, and later also ou his own account, he had doubtless often been back and forth over onr Juniata streams and hills, and his selection of land was not a chance location, but carefully picked ont as a mill-site. We emnot admit that he settled here, as claimed by some writers, in 1751 ; but he may have been here then, and long and often before, but not as a settler, for such settlements were forbidden by- law prior to the purchase from the Indians, in 1754.
James Patterson, who was prominent in Juniata in the early days of the settlement on James Patterson, in 1767, built the first grist- mill and a saw-mill cast of the river. His resi- dence had been used as a base of supplies during the years 1756-57, as is shown by the following letters of T. Lloyd under date October 14, 1756, who says,- the Indian purchase of 1754, was a son of the James Patterson, of Lancaster County, referred to. His early life was passed in the woods and among the traders. He moved on a three hundred-acre tract in Cumberland Valley (now Franklin County), left him by his father at his " That there was 20,000 weight of Provincial flour left at Capt. Patterson's, on the Western frontier, and (as supposed) in the rout from Duquesne (Pittsburgh), to Shamokin (Sunbury), or near it, of which he (Col. Clapham) commanded me to make a minute, and know whether it was your Honor's pleasure that the death, and lived there until the Juniata region was opened to settlement. His sister, Susanna, was the wife of James Lowry, an Indian trader in Donegal; Sarah was the wife of Benjamin Chambers, who settled at Chambersburg ; Re- [ house should be burnt and the flour destroyed or not."
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