History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 149

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 149

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THE NEWLAND (otherwise NEWLAN) FAMILY.

William Newlan was the founder of the village of Newlansburg. He built a mill and owned a good farm. He was a quiet, industrious, and strictly honest man, who came from the Sewickley Quaker settlement. He raised a large family of boys and girls, all of whom are the children of his daughter, Mrs. Miller, who still holds the old place. Joseph Miller, his son-in-law, a highly influential man, spent his whole life after his marriage in the same place. Rev. O. H. Miller, ex-State librarian, and now of Allegheny City, is one of his sons.

THE MELLON FAMILY.

Archibald Mellon, of Parish Keppey, County Ty- rone, Ireland, married Elizabeth Armagh, of same

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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

place, and in 1816 emigrated with his family to America, and settled in Unity township, of this county. His children were Armagh, Andrew, Samuel, Thomas, Jobn, Archibald, and William. Of these, Andrew married Rebecca Walkup, born in Ireland, by whom he had two sons, Judge Thomas and William Mellon, and two daughters, Eleanor and Elizabeth. In 1819, Archibald (the emigrant), with his son Andrew, and their families, removed to Franklin township, where they lived until 1833, when they settled in Allegheny County. Archibald Mellon, Jr., was born in Ireland in 1796, and came with his parents in 1816 to this county, and located first in Salem township. He married Elizabeth, daughter of James Stewart, in 1828,' and has no children. He now resides in New Salem borough. When Andrew Mellon left the " Crab-tree Farm," in Unity township, he settled on the one in this town- ship now held by P. Kline and P. Pifer, a short dis- tance north of Remaley's (now Stark's) mill. Here an incident occurred to his son, Thomas Mellon, ex- judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, and now the senior partner of " T. Mellon & Sons' Bank" of Pittsburgh, that changed the whole course of the future life of the then young lad. When ten years of age he happened into a log cabin of a neighbor to escape a shower of rain, and while there picked up a much dilapidated copy of the "Life of Doctor Franklin, written by himself." He borrowed it, and that old blurred volume, not bigger than a spelling-book, changed the whole course of his subsequent life. It kindled his ambition for knowl- edge, useful knowledge, and its maxims became the foundation of his professional and business success, which have been very great. Had it not been for this trivial circumstance Judge Mellon would have doubtless spent his life quietly and laboriously in cul- tivating one of those poor farms in his old neighbor- hood. His father, Andrew Mellon, was one of the first four elders of "Cross-Roads" Presbyterian Church, which was organized May 6, 1836, and ceased to act in 1841, when he removed into Allegheny County.

OTHER FAMILIES AND NATIONALITIES.

Besides these there were the Hamiltons, the Clarkes, the McKalips, and other English, or rather Scotch- Irish families, well to do and well doing, in and about the centre of the township. The English did not, how- ever, equal the Germans in numbers, the latter pre- dominating in 1820 two to one. The well-known and worthy families, the Hills, Klines, Painters, Ramaleys, Drums, and others were of the German stock, and were also in most part the second generation or next in suc- cession to the first settlers on the lands on which they resided. The Germans and English, or Scotch-Irish, three-quarters of a century ago here formed two sep- arate or distinct classes, differing in sentiments and social habits and customs, although never disputing

nor opposing each other, always good neighbors, but not associating closely. No more generous, kind, or obliging neighbors could be found than the Germans, self-sacrificing, but in rowise selfish or self-asserting. In all honesty and good will their standard averaged rather higher than the English, but in religion and in social 'or domestic habits they were perhaps lower in the scale than the English.

CHURCHES AND RELIGIOUS LIFE.

The condition of religion in the township may be gathered from the following extract from a pamphlet on the Sunday question, written by the venerable Judge T. Mellon, of Pittsburgh :

" This reminds me of the religious ideas and habits over fifty years ago in that part of Westmoreland County (Franklin township) where I was raised. Rev. Father Wynal, of the Lutheran persuasion, was nurs- ing an embryo congregation among the Germans. He resided near Salts- burg, but came over and preached to them every fourth Sunday, holding the services in the dwelling of our nearest neighbor, Peter Hill. The congregation has since developed into that now worshiping in a comfort- able brick edifice known as Hill's Church, with Mr. Snyder as pastor. Well, at the time to which I refer, when Mr. Wynal was the pastor, and old Peter Hill, as honest a man and good a neighbor as need be, was its contributor, treasurer, trustee, and entire session, the Sunday on which preaching was to be at Peter's was regarded as a holiday indeed by the surrounding German population. They gathered from all quarters. The services lasted from nine till twelve A.M., when Peter's wife, Hetty, née Geiger (for he was married twice, and had in all twenty-five children), with the assistance of her neighbor women, would have an ample dinner cooked, which was not only free but welcome to all who had come to meeting. The dinner being over, the younger men would spend the after- noon in games of corner ball and pitching quoits on the green in front of the house, whilst Mr. Wynal and Peter and the old men sat smoking their pipes on the porch, looking on at the sport with marked satisfac- tion. Evidently it occurred to neither pastor nor people that there was anything wrong or sinful in the performance. Times change, however, and religione observances, as well as other habits, change according to the prevailing fashion, for the same congregation would not now spend Sunday afternoon in that way.

" At the same time we of Scotch Presbyterian proclivities had a sim- ilar gathering every third Sunday at Duff's Tent. Duff's Tent was a place in the woods with benches made of split logs, and an eight-by-ten box-shaped structure, buarded up and roufed, for a pulpit, and for a pee- tor we had the Rev. Hugh Kirkland, a fresh graduate from the theologi- cal school at Glasgow, and zealous in the strictest ideas of the Scotch Kirk. He regarded the merits of Rouse's Version of David's Psalms and the enormity of Sabbath-breaking as of vital importance, and he preached on few topics except 'To prove the Roman Catholic Church to be the antichrist and whore of Babylon;' or 'The desecration of the Sabbath by the Lutherans;' or 'The dainnable heresies of the Method- ists in denying the doctrines of innate depravity and predestination, and persisting in singing carnal songs instead of the Psalms of David.' This kind of preaching, however, did not bring forth good fruit, even in the Scotch Presbyterian soil in which it was sown. My father allowed the Methodists the use of a vacant house on his place to hold their meetings, and several of the flock attended a Methodist meeting on one occasion to hear the Rev. Bascomb and some of the leading men. Mr. Humes joined in the singing. This the reverend gentleman regarded as an indignity to his teaching, and in his next sermon he took occasion to animadvert severely on the conduct of those who, after being washed from their sins had, like the sow, again betaken themselves to wallow- ing in the mire. He was so pointed us to nearly designate the delin- quents by name, and this raised a row; but the straw that broke the camel's back was the starting of a Sabbath-school. George and Michael Haymaker and some other young people of his flock undertook to open a Sabbath-school in the school-house at Newlansburg near by. This was too great a sacrilege for the good man to bear. He could not brook the desecration of the Sabbath-day by such worldly employment as school- teaching, and as a majority of his flock inclined to favor the Sabbath- school, he shook the dust from his feet and departed."

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FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP.

EIMANUEL REFORMLID AND LUTHERAN CHURCH (UNION). A century ago this township, where now are bean- tiful farms and comfortable dwellings almost as thick as the stars in an evening sky, was then a dense for- est, save here and there a settler's cabin. The wild and savage Indian yet occasionally roamed over these hills and skulked through the valleys. Within sight of the church are some of the localities where his vengeance fell, carrying come into a terrible captivity, dispatching others with tomahawk and scalping- knife. The graves of both Indians and whites, who fell by each other's hands, are still pointed out to this day within sight of the church. Notwithstanding the perils of those early days, our brave and hardy ancestors did not forget God, nor the "assembling of themselves together." To Brush Creek, three-fourths of a score of miles, often on foot, bearing their babes and little ones in their arms, they repaired for wor- ship. Here the little ones were baptized by Rev. John William Weber, the veteran pioneer Reformed minister of Western Pennsylvania. Within half a mile of the present Emmanuel Church stands the ancient log dwelling, now tenantless and fast going into decay, where three-fourths of a century ago Rev. Father Weber occasionally preached the glad tidings of salvation. He died in July, 1816. Rev. William Weinel came upon this religious field about 1816, and his labors resulted in an organized congre- gation about 1820. His temple was the plain house or barn of those of his flock.

In 1828, in connection with the Lutherans, a Union Church was built. The ground for the site was do- nated by Philip Drum and Peter Hill, both members of the Reformed Church. The former was a Revolu- tionary soldier, and lived until he was ninety-six years of age. The house was of hewed logs, about twenty-eight by twenty-six feet. The members hewed the logs on their own farms, and hauled them to the `location. When they had a sufficient number, they called in the help of their neighbors and erected the church. The females having met together also on the ground did the cooking. The principal and almost the only men who took part in this enterprise were Philip Drum, John Kemerer, Jacob Cline, Mi- chael Cline, John Cline, Peter Hill, and John Lauf- fer, Reformed, and George Hobaugh, Lutheran. The church was seated by placing rough boards upon the trussels. In 1845 it was enlarged by sawing out the eastern end and adding a frame of fourteen feet to its length. The whole building was at the same time weather-boarded, and a pulpit of the wine-glass style constructed. Rev. Weinel continued until 1853, his last communion being Sept. 25, 1852, at which there were seventy-three communicants. During his pas- torate he confirmed eighty-nine. persons, and baptized three hundred and thirty-two. Rev. Nicholas P. Hacke, D.D., began his labors June 12, 1853, having service every four weeks, and half the time in Eng- lish. In 1856 a building committee to erect a new

edifice was appointed, viz. : John Rubright and Peter Hill, Reformed, and John Stark and George Har- baugh, Lutheran. September 12th of that year an article of agreement was entered into with John W. Kuhns to erect the church. Material, brick ; size, sixty-five by forty-four feet; height, twenty feet to the square; oval ceiling; plan, Gothic; and to cost two thousand seven hundred dollars. On Easter Sunday, April, 1858, it was dedicated.

Dr. Hacke's pastorate continued until his resigna- tion, June 16, 1867, under which fifty-eight were con- firmed and one hundred and ninety-five added to the baptized membership. His successor, Rev. J. F. Snyder, entered upon his duties April 1, 1867, and services were had every two weeks in the English language. Jan. 1, 1873, Emmanuel and Olive became one charge. In 1876 the parsonage was erected upon an acre lot donated by Peter Pifer, who, with Daniel Cline, built almost the entire wall, completed with but little assistance the carpenter-work, and did the plastering without the remuneration of a single cent. It is a T-house,' size thirty-six by sixteen feet ; kitchen, fourteen by sixteen feet. John Kemerer, over fourscore years, helped to do the hauling and put down the well. When a young man he helped to dig the foundation of the parsonage in which Dr. Hacke has dwelt these many years, and was one of the pillars in the first and second building of " Em-, manuel." This parsonage is beautiful in appearance and is also beautifully located, a few score yards from the venerable old dwelling already described.

The first Lutheran pastor in this Union Church was Rev. Michael John Steck, whose successors were Revs. Jonas Mechling, Zimmerman Meyers, A. Yet- ter, J. S. Fink, from 1869 to 1875, when Rev. J. A. Scheffer was called.

OLIVE REFORMED CHURCH.

During the closing of the last and the beginning of the present century families of the Reformed faith from the eastern counties of Pennsylvania and Mary- land settled in this neighborhood. The nearest place of worship for them was Brush Creek, almost a score of miles distant. Thither the fathers and mothers journeyed, often on foot, to attend service and dedi- cate their children to the Lord. Occasionally that veteran pioneer, Rev. Father Weber, would visit them and preach in their midst. In later years, when the Manor Church was built, they worshiped there. In 1816, Rev. Weinel began to labor regularly in the vicinity of the place where Olive Church is now located. The services were first held in houses and barns. A congregation was organized, but at what date is unknown, but no doubt it was soon after he began his labors at this point. The question of build- ing a church arose. Two locations were presented about two miles apart, one with three acres of ground, offered by-Mr. Hankey for & Lutheran and Reformed Church; the other an acre and three-fourths, offered

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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

by Mr. Beemer for a Reformed and Lutheran Church, and also a school-house. Neither could be unani- mously settled upon, a part of both Lutherans and Re- formed holding to one location, and a part of both adhering to the other. The consequence was that two union church buildinge, both of hewed logs, were erected on these locations at the same time in 1817. Rev. Father Weinel and Rev. Francis Laird, of the Presbyterian Church, were present at the lay- ing of the corner-stone at the Beemer location, which church was known as the "Beemer Church." The other was known as the "Hankey Church." The first record of baptism performed by Rev. Weinel is June 16, 1816, and of communion May 24, 1817, when fourteen communed and seventeen more were confirmed. Rev. Mr. Weinel had at this time some nine congregations, as the communion was only held once a year, and sometimes only once every two years. He labored until October, 1887, his last communion being on the 21st of that month, and last baptism on the 22d. In his pastorate of twenty-one years he confirmed fifty-eight and baptized one hundred and seventy. His successor was Rev. H. E. F. Voight, whose first baptism was Aug. 14, 1889, and first com- munion April 26, 1840. He continued to serve this congregation and the one at Hankey's for sixteen years, when old age compelled him to lay down the shepherd's crook: When he entered upon the pas- torate of this field he served eleven congregations. His last communion in the Beemer Church was Oct. 22, 1854. On Oct. 5, 1858, Rev. R. P. Thomas was appointed a supply for the Hankey congregation, the Beemer Church having become so dilapidated and out of repair that it was utterly unfit for holding service. This congregation was found to be very small, having been almost entirely absorbed by the Lutheran Church, in consequence of having had no minister of their own for several years.

Preaching was had every eight weeks from May, 1859. The corner-stone for a new Union Church was laid at Hankey's, which now took the name of Christ Church, May, 1859. Rev. Thomas continued here until he mesigned the Salem charge, April 1, 1863, when for some five years this field was vacant. At the annual meeting of the Westmoreland Classis in October, 1867, the "Beemer-Hankey interest" was brought up, and Rev. T. F. Stauffer directed to preach at the Hankey Church, to gather the people together, to organize a congregation there, and to continue stated supply until otherwise ordered. In 1868 he began preaching at the house of John Reeger, near the Hankey Church, and from August in that year services were held at Hankey's, or Christ Church. The next year Reys. T. F. Stauffer and J. F. Snyder cultivated the whole field, the former preaching reg- ularly in Hankey's Church, and the latter in the Beemer Church when the weather would permit, the roof being .partially off, at other -times at a school- house in the vicinity, these points being two miles

nearer to him than the Hankey Church. This con- tinned until July 2, 1870, when those desirous of being organized into a congregation met in the Hankey house for a reorganization. An election re- sulted as follows: Elders, George Smith, Henry Rem- aley; deacons, Michael Miller, John Beemer. The following entered into the organization : George Smith, Henry Remaley, Michael Beemer, Michael Miller, John Beemer, John Reeger, William Riden- our, Jacob Smith, Phebe Reeger, Catherine Ridenour, Max Miller, Leah Beemer, Catherine Beemer, Cath- arine Remaley. It was then decided to build a new church at Beemer's, on a lot of ground given that day by Michael Beemer, lying alongside of the old Beemer Church property, to be an exclusively Reformed Church. The building committee were George Smith, Henry Remaley, Michael Miller, John Beemer, and Michael Beemer. The corner-stone was laid April 18, 1871, by Rev. T. F. Stauffer, with sermon by Rev. T. J. Barclay, and was dedicated June 30, 1871, by the name of "Olive Reformed Church," with dedicatory sermon by Rev. J. I. Swander, Rev. T. F. Stauffer the liturgical services, and Revs. J. F. Bny- der and G. M. Spargrove, of Presbyterian Church, delivering addresses in behalf of the liquidation of the debt. The edifice is fifty-four feet in length, thirty-five in breadth, and eighteen in height. It is a frame structure, and in October of that year was connected with St. James' charge. Rev. T. F. Stauffer continued to the close of 1872. When Salem charge was divided, June, 1872, this congregation was de- tached from St. James and annexed to Emmanuel, thereby making a new charge known as Emmanuel. Rev. J. F. Snyder's pastorate began Jan. 1, 1873. Nine of the fourteen original members of the con- gregation organized July 2, 1870, were members of the Emmanuel, but had removed nearer to Beemer's than the Emmanuel Church, and were encouraged by their pastor to go into the new organization. Its Sunday-school is flourishing, and a large catechetical class is receiving regular instruction.

CHRIST, OR HANKEY'S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, was organized proper in 1856, though preaching had been held in the old log structure known as Hankey's Union Church since its erection in 1817. The corner- stone of the second edifice, the Union Church, was laid in May, 1859. The first regular Lutheran pastor was Rev. L. M. Kuhns, and among his successors was Rev. M. Colver. The membership is large and the Sunday-school very flourishing.

SECEDERS' CHURCH AND CEMETERY.

About three miles west of Salem stands the dilapi- dated old log edifice known as the "Seceders' Church," which was built near the beginning of the present century, but in which preaching has not been held since 1859. It is now fast crumbling into decay, but half a century ago was the scene of large meetings, , when it went by the name of "The Tent." The

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church les and. cemetery were donations of John Duff. In the old cemetery attached are buried many of the old settlers.

MURRYSVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AND CEMETERY was organised in 1880, by Rev. Francis Laird, and services held in a house built by the founder of the town, Jeremiah Marry. Mr. Laird was appointed to this office by the Redstone Presbytery, April 6, 1880, and the original members of the congregation were forty-nine, chiefly from Plum Creek Church. On Nov. 16, 1880, Mr. Laird asked leave to resign his charge of Poke Run and Plum Creek, which was granted. April 5, 1881,.when he was called for all his time both to Poke Run and Murrysville. At the end of six months he declined the call from Poke Run and accepted that from this church, over which he was installed Oct. 19, 1881. He resigned from ill health June 19, 1850, and died April 6, 1851, aged eighty-one years, in the fifty-fourth year of his min- jetry, of which twenty had been here. Sept. 2, 1851, Rev. L. L. Conrad was installed over this church and Oross-Roads. He was released April 12, 1858, and May 22, 1854, Rev. William Edgar was installed for fall time. He resigned April 11, 1860, from half his time, that he might give that portion to Harrison Ofty, where, as an outpost, he had often preached. From the whole charge he was released Oct. 18, 1865. Rev. G. M. Spargrove began his labors as stated sup- ply April, 1866, and May 14, 1868, he was installed pastor. In 1849 the brick house in which from 1940 the members had worshiped became too small for them, and in its stead they erected a more imposing one of two stories. The audience-room above was completed in the spring of 1871, and the basement later in the year. In May, 1873, a tornado carried off a large part of the roof, and greatly damaged the ceiling and other parts of the roof, which were soon repaired. The whole cost was some $15,000. The alders have been

John Beacon, ordained 1881 ; dismissed 1832.

John Tillbrook, ordained 1881; dismissed 1848. John Curry, ordained 1831; died 1849. Daniel Kelster, ordained 1832; died 1866. Dr. Zachariah G. Stewart, ordained 1832; died 1863. Jacob Dibble (diziy yeare an elder), ordained 1832; died 1872. Jon Humes, ordained 1839; died 1889. Withads Kirker, ordained 1849; dismissed 1862. Daniel Shaw, ordained 1846; died 1856. Joseph Miller, ordained 1846; died 1862. Jobn Haymaker, ordained 1846; died 1882. David Kelster, ordained 1869. Joseph Hay, ordained 1869. George Kirker, ordained 1859 ; dismissed 1865. William Meanor, ordained 1869; died 1873 James G. Humes, ordained 1809. George F. Dible, ordained 1869. T. L. Stewart, ordained 1869.

A. O. Mccutcheon, ordained 1869.

Mr. Spargrove continued pastor until his death; Oct. 80, 1880. His successor . and present incum- bent, Rev. J. I. Blackburn, was installed June 21, 1881. He was born in Fayette County, educated at

Washington and Jefferson College, in which he gradu- ated in 1878, and then studied in Allegheny Theolog- ical Seminary, where he graduated in 1881. This church has had two stated supplies, five pastors, and has sent forth as ministers Revs. O. H. Miller, J. J. Bescom, and R. L. Stewart, all sons of worthy elders.

The cemetery lies just back of the church on a high elevation, commanding a splendid view of the whole valley.

UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (MURRYSVILLE).

Its congregation was organized Oct. 80, 1877, and was an outgrowth of Beulah Church, with which it forms one charge. Rev. Alexander R. Rankin is the present pastor. Its frame church edifice was erected in 1880.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH (MURRYSVILLE)

is a part of the Sardis circuit, embracing preaching appointments. here, Sardis, New Salem, Oakland Cross-Roads, and Davidson's Chapel. Rev. W. S. Cummings is the pastor.

TEMPERANCE ORGANIZATIONS

existed in Franklin township very early, and that of the "Franklin Township Temperance Association" as early as 1847 did effective work, and was carried on by the most prominent citizens. They have op- posed the granting of licenses, and for some years have had no licensed hoase within their borders.

MURRYSVILLE.

This town was laid out by Jeremiah Murry, who on leaving the Emerald Isle had dropped the patro- nymic "Mc" from his name. He had the lots surveyed and the town regularly laid out as soon as the Pitts- burgh and New Alexandria turnpike (which runs through it) was located, and which was before 1821. Murry came to this country about 1781 (then in his twenty-second year), and resided a few months in the Cumberland Valley. He then crossed the . moun- tains on foot as a peddler, with his pack on his back, and came to " Anderson's block-house," in this re- gion, where he halted. Having disposed of his wares with great profit, he was in search of land, of which he sought a tract both eligibly located for a farm and a mill-site. On arriving at the brow of the hill over- looking the valley of Turtle Creek, his keen 'eye noted the grand mill-site and the beautiful location of the land, all covered with a dense forest. He went down to the stream, and carefully examined the creek and the land contiguous to it, and then walked to Pittsburgh, to the government land-office, got his patent, and located his large body of splendid land. He and a man named Cole (a hunter, whose cabin was destroyed by the Indians) were the first settlers in this section. The old "Forbes" road crossed the creek here near the sulphur spring, where the town now is, and near it is the old Frankstown road. Murry at once put up a cabin (in which he had a little store) on the bank of the creek, on the site of

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History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 149

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

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