History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 139

Author: George Dallas Albert, editor
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USA > Pennsylvania > Westmoreland County > History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men > Part 139

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Mr. and Mrs. Lowry have had two children, viz., Henry Foster, born April 22, 1864, died March 30, 1872; Charles Stephen, born Oct. 27, 1868. Mr. Lowry has been a life-long Democrat; has been called to fill many of the township offices, and often called upon to act as executor and administrator of estates in his township and elsewhere. To the orig- inal homestead tract of two hundred acres he has added by purchase about two hundred more. His present fine residence was built in 1878.

In farm-buildings and in all equipments for a thoroughly managed farm, none in the township are more complete.

FAIRFIELD TOWNSHIP.

FAIRFIELD TOWNSHIP was the name of one of the subdivisions of our county while it yet was a part of Bedford County. When Westmoreland was organ- ized Fairfield was made one of its townships. In set- ting it out by the first court held at Hannastown early in 1778, it was described as follows :

" Beginning at the mouth of a run known by the name of Roaring Run [Roaring Run flows into the Loyalhanna Creek from the eastern side], and from thence to run down the Loyalhanna to the Chestnut Ridge ; thence with the line of Armstrong township [that is, the Chestnut Ridge and the Conemaugh River] to the Laurel Hill ; thence along the line of the county to where the said Boaring Hun crosses that line, or to a point in said line due east of the head spring of said run ; thence down the said run to the beginning; that part of Armstrong township lying between the Laurel Hill and Chestnut Ridge to be added to Fairfield township."

Thus Fairfield township at first embraced the greater portion of Ligonier Valley, and had within its limits the old Fort Ligonier, and was crossed from the Laurel Hill to Chestnut by the old military road, now within the township of Ligonier. Out of its original territory have been taken part of the town- ship of Ligonier, and the whole of St. Clair.

The Fairfield township of to-day is situated in the lower part of Ligonier Valley, having on its east the Laurel Hill, on the west the Chestnut Ridge, on its north the Conemaugh River, on its northeast the line of St. Clair township, and on its south Ligonier township.

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DESCRIPTION, ETC.

On either side of the township as you go down the valley towards the Conemaugh the surface of the land is hilly, and next the mountain bases abrupt and rocky ; but in the centre of the township it is rolling, and in some places on the plateaus of the hills and along the streams it is level. The land in the middle region of the township is well adapted to farming purposes, and the inhabitants, being for the most part the " children of the soil," are thrifty and well under- stand their occupation, and on all sides one sees the evidence of their labor and intelligence.

The population of the township by the census of 1880 is one thousand six hundred and twelve, which includes all the villages within its limits, but not the incorporated boroughs. Of these Bolivar, on the Pennsylvania Railroad, is the only incorporated bor- ough, while the unincorporated villages are Lock- port, on the Pennsylvania Railroad, West Fairfield (or Fairfield), in the eastern portion of the township, on the road from Ligonier to Johnstown through the valley.

EARLY SETTLERS.

Among the prominent and earliest settlers of the township of Fairfield as we have it now was Abner Briggs, a soldier, who served in the war of 1812 in the Thirty-sixth United States Infantry. He died at his home in the township on the 20th of January, 1870, in the seventy-third year of his age, having been a resident of the county for more than fifty years. His descendants still reside there.

The Pollock family was an old family here, and one which produced several men who in their day were representative men. John Pollock, Sr., was one of the county justices early in commission. He was a member of the Assembly for several terms, and was an active officer in the militia and frontier service. In 1812 he was a candidate for Congress against Findley, but his party was in the minority in this district.

SCHOOLS.

The observations made on the school history of Fairfield township prior to the establishment of the common system must necessarily include the town- ship of St. Clair, for until the year 1856 St. Clair was a part of Fairfield.

The earliest elementary schools were all subscrip- tions, being obtained by teachers in the same way that schools of like character are now secured. Among the first teachers was William Luther, well known to the older people as " Master Luther," and " master" he was, using the birch ruthlessly on large and small, 80 that his reputation as a successful pedagogue has continued down to our own time. Other early teachers were Mr. Elder, S. Kennedy, and D. Hutch- inson. Quite a number of elementary schools were taught by women teachers in vacant tenant-houses throughout the township. There was but one regular

school-house in the township when the present school system went into operation. This was built in 1820, and was used as a school-house for several years after the school system went into effect. The school law was adopted in 1835 without much opposition. In what now constitutes Fairfield township there were seven schools; now there are twelve districts and thirteen schools.

For a number of years there has been in West Fair- field village a select school or preparatory academy taught. This school has been praised by the super- intendente of the county repeatedly for the good work done for the schools of the township, and for the stim- ulus it has given in that whole neighborhood to the cause of popular and free education.

FAIRFIELD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

One of the oldest and most historic landmarks in all Ligonier Valley is the church and churchyard of "Fairfield." The history, antiquities, and memorials of this church include far more than the history of the congregation, and a complete history of that congre- gation would go far towards being a history of the lower part of the valley.

The first record in regard to the congregation of Fairfield is an application for supplies on Oct. 7, 1786. April 21, 1787, a joint call was put in for Donegal, Wheatfield, and Fairfield for a Rev. James! Hughes. It was not successful. Probably about this time a tent for the accommodation of the preacher in inclement weather was erected. This was on the right hand on the road going down from the present church, while on the left hand stood a round-logged house. The house was used for service in wet weather or in the winter season. When.the preacher preached in pleasant weather he was screened by the tent, while the people stood in the woods outside or sat on rude benches.

This small house came to be known as the " study- house," because the preacher remained in it before the services, and came out to preach just before the services began. In it were probably held the sessions when occasion called.

Both of these structures remained till about 1825. As early as 1790 or 1791 was erected a neat oblong house of hewed logs, three in length, with the centre division projecting three feet outward on each side. A tall pulpit of unpainted poplar, seven steps high in the preacher's division, and five steps in the nar- rower one in front, for the precenter, or "clark," as he was called, occupied the back projection, and was surrounded on three sides by a paneled quadrangle called "the square." Along the front of it passed the communion aisle, extending between the two end doors, and a short aisle led from the square to the front door in the opposite projection. For a long time the seats were such as a family chose to make for itself, and many of them of hewed timber. About 1815 a few families in three of the corners and in the

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front projection got paneled poplar unpainted pews. About 1832 the house was weatherboarded, painted, and pewed more regularly. Thus it remained, a cher- ished memorial of "the olden time," the last of its kind in all this region, till 1867.

The church continued to get supplies from 1786 until 1792, when it called and secured Rev. George Hill as its first pastor. This occurred April 17, 1792, about four months after he had been licensed to preach. At the ordination of Mr. Hill, Nov. 13, 1792, Rev. Samuel Porter preached the sermon, and Rev. James Power gave the charge.

At the time Mr. Hill took charge of this church it extended a distance of about thirty-five miles, from the village of Mansfield in the upper end of the val- ley to Killen's mills on the Black Lick, three miles beyond Armagh. The width of these bounds varied from eight to ten miles. This church at that time had one-half of the pastor's time, Donegal about one-third, and the remainder was given to Wheatfield, at a point somewhere between Nineveh and Armagh. About six years after the commencement of this pas- torate Wheatfield was given up, and never had a pas- tor again until Armagh took its place in the same bounds. Donegal continued to be part of the charge until about 1817. Difficulties arose between pastor and people, Donegal was dropped from the charge, and without much formality Ligonier sprang into existence, though not as a full organization.

During Mr. Hill's lifetime the congregation ex- tended from Ligonier to Nineveh. He was a powerful man, both intellectually and physically, but the ex- posure and the strain incidental to a life devoted to his work in the severity of such a climate in time told upon him, and towards the close of his life his con- stitution became a wreck. He died June 9, 1822. In the vacancy caused by his death several appli- cants for the vacancy visited the charge. Among these was the celebrated Father Matthew Dunlap, 80 well known from the annals of the Blairsville Presby- tery, who, having a profound knowledge of the Scrip- ture and ability of no ordinary kind, had likewise the most unbearable, boorish, and abhorrent manners. He was a licentiate of the Church of Scotland. He could not get a permanent charge in this country on account of his manners and habits. Besides, his sermons, prayers, and metres were too long.

Rev. Samuel Swan appeared here in March, 1824, and preaching for some time and giving satisfaction, he received a call from the congregation, and was or- dained their pastor June 17, 1824. Rev. A. O. Pat- terson preached and Rev. Robert Johnson gave the charge.

Mr. Swan was then in the twenty-fourth year of his age. In some respects he greatly differed from his predecessor, who incurred the displeasure of some of his congregation for his incessant manual labor; but Mr. Swan did not know anything of hard labor, and could not arrange a back log rightly, nor without great

care or assistance saddle and bridle his horse. He worked with his head, and with this he did good labor. He worked with the most untiring energy throughout his charge until he met with an accident which abridged his usefulness. In 1839 or 1840 by the upsetting of a wagon one of his limbs was very seri- ously shattered, and this made it difficult for him to travel over a charge so extended as this one was, in- cluding the whole valley from Donegal to Nineveh. But while it was in contemplation to divide the charge Mr. Swan received a call to the church at Johnstown, which he accepted upon resigning his former charge, Oct. 5, 1841.

The congregation was then supplied by Presbytery until the Rev. John Fleming, who had previously been a missionary among the Indians, received a call. He was installed June 17, 1843. Rev. David Lewis preached the sermon, Rev. Samuel Swan charged the pastor, and Rev. P. Hassinger the peo- ple. Mr. Fleming and his congregation not being congenial, he was released April 15, 1846. On May 4, 1847, Rev. O. H. Miller was ordained and installed his successor. Mr. Miller was released Oct, 4, 1848. July 2, 1849, Rev. William Colledge was installed as his successor. This pastor, as well as his two prede- cessors, preached at Union, West Fairfield, and Fair- field, which at that time constituted one charge; and they resided at Union. Mr. Colledge was dismissed April 13, 1852. Dec. 13, 1853, he was succeeded by Rev. J. W. Walker. Mr. Walker was in manner and in temperament mild and amiable, and he remained pastor here longer than any others that preceded him after Mr. Swan. During his pastorate the present house was erected, and on Jan. 17, 1867, was dedi- cated.

Mr. Walker's feeble health induced him to resign, April 28, 1869. He was succeeded by Rev. William Cunningham, who was installed Feb. 15, 1871.

Such is a continuous and a chronological. though brief history of this church as the same bears upon its religious character. Owing to the habits of de- cency and order in which these early Presbyterians started out and which they have kept up to this day, each of their church organizations may have a com- paratively correct and full history gathered from their own records. For the above statement of facts we are under obligation to the " History of the Old Fair- field Presbyterian Church," by Rev. Alex. Donald- son, D.D., July 9, 1876, and to the " History of the Blairsville Presbytery," by the same gentleman.

Among the elders of this church notice has been preserved of the following : 1

Among the original elders was James Pollock, Esq., the father of Judge Pollock. James Pollock, when the psalmody was changed, passed over into the Associate Church, and was followed by part of his

1 The data for the "secular" or lay history of the church are very meagre, for the admission of members and the introduction of persons into the eldership were not recorded until a much later date.

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family. So also was James McCurdy, believed to be a brother of Rev. Elisha McCurdy, the first to enter the ministry from . this church. Also James Steel, who lived in the Conemaugh district, some nine miles from the church, but who, with his wife, was accus- tomed to attend regularly, riding all the way on horseback. Also James Gageby, "a little Irishman," who was a fervent man to pray, but who could sing only two tunes, one a long and one a short metre. In the days of his earthly pilgrimage he lived on a little run that flowed into Hendricks' Creek, on which every family was a Presbyterian except one, and they all maintained family worship and took part in social prayer. Hence did a wicked and godless generation call the stream " Hypocrite Run." James Gageby's .body is buried in Unity graveyard. Also James Wilson, "a modest man, never in a hurry, never ex- cited." He made it a rule to stop business at noon on Saturday in order to do up every thing that might interfere with his observance of the "Lord's day." He was the father of the first missionary that ever went from Blairsville Presbytery to a foreign field. Also Daniel Hendricks, granduncle of Hon. Thomas Hendricks of Indiana. Also John Caldwell, and Robert Piper, and Thomas Pollock, the latter being known as Judge Pollock, a man whose influence was not bounded by the limits of the valley; Joseph Ogden, who would not suffer persons to pass his house on Sunday on secular business without having them brought before a justice for violation of the law. Then there were Henry Hartman, John Gilmore, John Phipps, Hugh M. Skiles, William Robb, T. Pollock McCoy, John Love, Joseph Mencher, and Samuel Hartman.

Rev. Donaldson, whose personal recollection of the customs and habits of the early people extended far back, related some interesting reminiscences on the occasion of his historical address above referred to. He says it was no uncommon thing to see persons walking a distance of nine miles every Sabbath day to church. The women almost universally walked in their bare feet, or in coarse shoes, carrying fine ones in their hands, and would sit down and make the necessary change before coming into view of the church. Sometimes you might see fifty of them all engaged in the process of changing their shoes. Before 1825 there was not a single wheeled vehicle brought to the church. Between 1825 and 1830 a few "Dearborns," and perhaps one carriage, made their appearance at the church. But the masses came on foot. Old people and young men who wished to make a dis- play came on horseback, sometimes three and gener- ally two persons on each horse. On communion occasions the people from the extremes of the con- gregation, and also from Donegal, Ligonier, and Armagh, would come in great crowds. The most prominent figure at these meetings was that of the venerable Father Robert Campbell, of Donegal, who scarcely ever kept his seat in a religious meeting for

five minutes without either himself speaking, singing, or praying, or calling on some one else to do it. He rarely spoke at length, but it was always to the point, and it had a powerful effect on all who heard.

This church has had no stated supply, but seven pastors. Her ministerial sons are Revs. Elisha Mc- Curdy, Abraham D. Pollock, James Wilson, Alex- ander Donaldson, George Hill, W. W. Wooden, W. M. Donaldson, and John P. Kennedy, all, except the first, in the pastorate of Father Swan. Since his day she seems as barren and as hopeless as good Naomi of old.

UNION PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

was organized June 2, 1841, with forty-six members, all set off from Fairfield to make with it a full charge. After the resignation of Rev. S. Swan, October 5th of that year, it has had the same pastors that served Fairfield, and for the same respective times, with one exception. Owing to the existence of difficulties, Rev. W. Colledge was dimissed from this church nine months before his release from Fairfield Church. He being excepted, all the pastors have resided in the village of West Fairfield, where this church is located. Joseph Kennedy, Dr. James M. Taylor, and William Peoples, Esq., may be specially mentioned among its elders. Having had five pastors, it never produced a minister.

FAIRFIELD UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGA- TION OF LIGONIER VALLEY.

Among the early settlers of Ligonier Valley were many of Presbyterian faith from Scotland and North- ern Ireland. Much deserves to be said of this people concerning their integrity of character, devotion to principle, and ardent attachment to liberty and right. The purpose of this sketch, however, is rather to re- cord some of their efforts to maintain and establish that faith in the New World which had cost so much hardship and fiery trial of persecution in the Old. It is to be regretted that in this formative period, when our ancestors were doing so much to establish the church of God in this almost unbroken wilderness,- a work for which generations yet unborn will rise up and call them blessed,-that so few records were kept from which a complete and satisfactory history could be made up. From such records, however, as are forthcoming, and from reliable information gathered from the unrecorded recollections of many who are still living, we can gather much that will be valu- able for all time to come. The first recorded facts re- garding the early efforts of the psalm-singing portion of this people to secure for themselves and for their children the ministration of word and ordinances ac- cording to their early faith, are gleaned from an ab- stract of the minutes of the Associate Presbytery of Pennsylvania, from which it appears that an applica- tion was made to said Presbytery for preaching in Fairfield township, Westmoreland County, as early as 1775. Probably some of the, pioneer ministers who

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had passed through this region two years previous, and whose principal labors were given to what is now known as Washington County, had done something to gather together some of these dispersed ones and possibly organized a congregation ; but the stronger probability is that the organization was not effected until about A.D. 1800. The names of the persons who. made the first application for preaching cannot now be ascertained. About 1785, Robert Hamill, Esq., removed to Ligonier Valley, and as he had previously been connected with the Associate Reformed Presby- terian Church still clung to the church of his choice. As it began to be established in this section, on behalf of himself and others, he made application to the Second Associate Reformed Presbytery of Pennsylvania at & meeting held at " Loyalhanna Tent" (at or near New Alexandria) in 1794 for preaching in Ligonier Valley. Accordingly Rev. James McKnight preached in the valley in May, and Rev. John Riddle (afterwards Dr. Riddle), who fulfilled a long and useful ministry near Noblestown, preached in July and November of that year, 1794.

From this time up to the year 1800 frequent ap- pointments were made both in Donegal and Fairfield townships, they at that time embracing the whole of Ligonier Valley.

The services conducted by the Associate Presbyte- rian ministers were held in a tent near what is now the house of W. T. Smith, one of the present mem- bers of session.

The word "tent" does not give a very accurate idea in the modern acceptation of the kind of place in which the services were held. It was not the modern tent of poles and canvas covering, but simply a plat- form of logs for a pulpit, and logs laid by some con- venient plan for seating the people, and the dense shade of the forest was their protection from sun and storm.

At about this time (1800) the Associate Presbyte- rian people and the Associate Reformed Presbyterian people and a number of families which came out from the Presbyterian Church were associated to- gether under the name of the Associate Presbyterian Congregation of Fairfield. They may never have been formally organized. Many of our older con- gregations have no means of learning of the cir- cumstances of their early birth, and have come to the conclusion that, like " Topsy," of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" fame, "they were never born but just growed." This one may have sprung up in some such mysteri- ous way, and simply been recognized by Presbytery as having all the necessary features of a congregation and entitled to recognition. The Associate Presby- terian people were the most numerous, and had been the first to occupy the field; their principles also con- tained all that the others contended for, and their own special testimony besides; all this gave them the pref- erence and the organization. They all clung to the Westminster "Confession of Faith," "Larger and

Shorter Catechisms," and the Scottish version of the Psalms, and accepting the Associate Presbyterian tes- timony, fell in with that body. Another circumstance had much to do with this decision. In the year 1800, Mr. Daniel McLain, a licentiate of the Associate Pres- byterian Church, was preaching for the Associate Pres- byterian people, and was recognized as a young man of considerable talent and very agreeable manners. As the question of changing the Scottish version of the Psalms for "Watts' Psalms and Hymns" was agi- tating the community to its depths, Mr. McLain was challenged by Rev. Mr. Hill, pastor of the neighbor- ing Presbyterian Church, to discuss the psalmody question as to the divine warrant for using only the Scripture psalms. Both were men of might. No doubt each felt the worth of the other, and well did each present his cause. "When Greek meets Greek, then comes the tug of war." Mr. McLain was a man of very winning speech, and very sociable with the people. Whatever may have been his power of logic, no doubt his genial manners had much to do with giving him popularity. He was successful in uniting all the parties attached to the Scripture psalms into one congregation under the care of the Associate Church. Within the next year a call was made out for Mr. McLain, and presented to the Associate Pres- bytery of Chartiers, which met at Buffalo, Pa., Nov. 5, 1801. He felt constrained to decline the call, and afterwards settled as pastor of Shenango congrega- tion, in what is now known as Crawford County, Pa., where he spent a long and very successful pastorate.

The first church session consisted of Hugh Hamill, James Pollock, Peter McHarg, and William Lemon, and under their care the first communion is supposed to have been held at "the tent" in August, 1802. Rev. Robert Laing and Rev. William Wilson offici- ated.

At a meeting of Chartiers Presbytery at Chartiers Church, near Cannonsburg, Pa., Nov. 2, 1803, Rev. John Cree was appointed to preach to the congrega- tion in Ligonier Valley ; also to hold a communion and moderate in a call. Whether or not he moderated the call himself or not is not reported, but at the fol- lowing meeting of Presbytery, on Dec. 13, 1803, the call was presented for Mr. Cree himself. He was a native of Scotland, where he was educated and li- censed to preach the gospel. He labored for a time in New York City, and afterwards for a few years at Rockbridge, Va., after coming to this country. He now accepted the call from Ligonier Valley, and his time was equally divided between the congregations of Fairfield and Donegal, his home being in the latter congregation, on the farm now owned by Mr. Ferry, near the farm lately owned by George Marker.

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History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 139

Author: George Dallas Albert, editor Publication date: Publisher: Number of Pages:

Author: George Dallas Albert, editor
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages: