History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 162

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 162

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Amy Button, the mother of Lewis Sutton, was born at Budd's Ferry, Rostraver township, Westmoreland County, Pa., Dec. 2, 1788; was the oldest daughter of Col. Joseph and Susannah Budd; was married to John Sutton, Sept. 21, 1818; died Nov. 13, 1871.

Grandfather Joseph Budd died March 16, 1826, aged seventy-four years and twenty-one days. Grand- mother Susannah Budd died Feb. 19, 1849, in the eighty-sixth year of her age.

Children of John and Amy Sutton : Joseph, born July 27, 1814; was married to Sabina Shields, Jan. 1, 1846. Had eight children, five sons and three daughters. Joseph Sutton died Oct. 22, 1865; Sa- bina Sutton, his wife, died July 24, 1873.

Jonathan, born March 8, 1816 ; died July 27, 1817. Susannah, born Oct. 9, 1817; was married twice; first husband, Walter Wall, who died; second hus- band, Robert Scott; had three children, a daughter by first husband, and a son and daughter by the last. Susannah Scott died Dec. 7, 1881.

Lewis was born April 15, 1820; married Mary M. Buttmore, April 6, 1858.

Mrs. Sutton was born in Hempfield township, West- moreland County, Pa., Dec. 15, 1830.

Hannah, born Feb. 18, 1822, was married to Bris- ben Wall; has a family of four sons.

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WEIMER

1880

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S. G. WEIMER, CORNER MAIN AND THIRD STS., WEST NEWTON, PA.

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SOUTH HUNTINGDON TOWNSHIP.

Children of Jonathan and Hannah Sutton : John, born Dec. 1, 1782; Nathan, born Jan. 7, 1784; Elsea, born May 5, 1786; Susannah, born Oct. 6, 1788; Lewis, born March 81, 1798; Zachariah, born July 12, 1796; Manoah, born Sept. 15, 1797; Charity, born Aug. 1, 1800; Lewis, died April 27, 1882.

SAMUEL B. WEIMER.

Samuel B. Weimer was born in Donegal township, Westmoreland County, Pa., Jan. 27, 1816, the only child of David and Mary (Bossart) Weimer. Hisgrand- father, John De Watt Weimer, emigrated from Ger- many, and eventually settled in Westmoreland County, Pa. David Weimer, his son, settled on a farm in Donegal township, and about nine miles from the old homestead. He married Mary Boesart, widow of Jacob Keifer. Both were members of the United Brethren Church. They lived all their married life on the place above named; both died and are buried there. They were devoted Christian people, and commanded the respect of all who knew them. He died July 2, 1842, aged seventy-six years, two months, and five days. His wife died Feb. 6, 1849, aged sev- enty-nine years, one month, and twenty-seven days.

Samuel B. Weimer lived at home until he was sev- enteen years of age. In 1838 he came to West New- ton, where he learned the trade of a hatter of David Weimer, a cousin. After learning his trade he con- tinued to work as a journeyman with his cousin until 1889. He then went to Monongahela City, where he carried on his trade eight months. He then returned to West Newton, and after clerking a few months for Jacob Baughman, in company with Daniel Swem he purchased the store, and under the firm of Swem & Weimer carried it on until 1853, when he sold his interest to his partner. Their purchase of Mr. Baugh- man invoiced $7700 and was mostly upon credit. At the time of the dissolution of the partnership, thir- teen years after their purchase, they had paid off this indebtedness and had a good working capital left, and it is but just to say that this marked success was due very largely to the splendid business management of Mr. Weimer. Their store was situated where the Presbyterian Church now stands.

For the next two years Mr. Weimer was manager of the business at the warehouses connected with the Youghiogheny Navigation Company, a most respon- sible position at that time. Upon the completion of the Pittsburgh and Connellsville Railroad from West Newton to Connellsville, in 1855, he became the agent of the road at West Newton, which position he held for nineteen years, until 1874, from which time, he retired from active business. In politics he was first a. Whig, then a Republican. In his earlier years he took an active part in local politics, and was often called to fill local offices. He was member of the school board, judge of elections, and justice of the |the father have not been lost upon the son.

peace, in the latter office over sixteen years; took an interest in all public improvements; was a stock-j holder in the Robbstown and Mount Pleasant pike, in the Youghiogheny Navigation Company, and in' the Pittsburgh and Connellsville Railroad.

He was a member of the United Presbyterian Church of West Newton from 1851, was for years an elder, and for eighteen years the superintendent of its Sabbath-school. He was indeed a pillar of the church during his entire membership in it. The poor never made their appeal to him in vain. His advice was much sought after, and he was often called, to fill the position of executor of estates and guard- ian of children. He was pre-eminently a home man. Out of business hours, any one would always know where to find Mr. Weimer. He was a devoted hus- band, a kind and wisely indulgent father. In his death, which resulted from a combination of diseases ending in paralysis, his family and the community met an irreparable loss. He died at his residence in West. Newton, Sept. 8, 1881. His last words were, "My hopes are bright."

His widow, Catharine Lucetta Weimer, whom he married March 17, 1842, was the daughter of Thomas and Esther (Trout) Hanna, and was born in South Huntingdon township, Westmoreland County, Nov. 17, 1824. Her family were among the first settlers of that township. Her great-grandfather, John Miller, was its first justice of the peace. Her brother, Henry T. Hanna, is now living at the old homestead, the fourth generation in the family occupying it. Mrs. Weimer has been a member of the United Presbyte- rian Church since 1847, first in Sewickley, and of the church at West Newton from the time of its organi- zation.

Their children are as follows: Mary Elizabeth, born Dec. 7, 1842, died Jan. 1, 1843 ; Thomas Hanna, born Jan. 27, 1844, died Feb. 8, 1857; Samuel Clar- ence, born Sept. 10, 1846; Hester Lucetta, born Dec. 2, 1848, married to George G. Richie, Oct. 29, 1867, died Feb. 16, 1872; and an infant son, born April 17, 1855.

Samuel Clarence Weimer, his only surviving child, commenced merchandising in West Newton, in com- pany with his brother-in-law, George G. Richie, firm "Richie & Weimer," Jan. 1, 1872. Aug. 1, 1876, he purchased the interest of his partner, since which time he has carried on the business in his own name, and has done the leading trade in West Newton.

The store building (a representation of which ap- pears on another page of this work) is by far the most complete establishment in the region, and is a model in every respect. " A place for everything, and everything in its place," is the motto literally realized. It embraces 10,190 feet of floor-room. Its clerks and other employés number twenty-two. In the conduct of this large establishment the lessons of order and thorough business management taught by

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ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP.

ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP was organized in 1796, | (now Brownsville), on the Monongahela River. This and received its name from the river that forms its northwest boundary. Its first officers were : Super- visors, Ezekiel Matthews and John Leslie; constable, Thomas Reed. Its surface is diversified. The north- ern part of it abounds in coal, but the major portion of the township is utilized for agricultural purposes, to which it is specially adapted. The soil is fertile and susceptible of the highest cultivation. The farms are well kept, and the residences substan- tial, which evince a large degree of prosperity. In the northeastern part, near the post-village of Lu- cosco, is the confluence of the Kiskiminetas and Allegheny Rivers, also the junction of the Alle- gheny Valley and Western Pennsylvania Railroads. The former runs along the northwestern and the latter along the eastern boundaries of the township, affording a rare convenience, both for travel and transportation, to its inhabitants. Another village and post-office is Shearer's Cross-Roads.

EARLY SETTLERS.

Among the old settlers were the Stewart family, in 1790; the Leechburgs, in 1791; Watts (William and John), in 1801; the Dimmits, Zimmermans, Hills, Cochrans, Hawks, before 1800; Bakers, Butlers, Al- ters, Wilsons, Lauffers, Longs, Trouts, Jacksons, McClellands, Garretts, Dodds, Mckees, Copelands, Lunches, Armstrongs, McGossers, Ashbaughs, Town- s ds, Faulks, Steeles, John Garrett, 1828; Joseph M .: Elroy, in 1820; John Stewart, in 1833; J. H. Crane, in 1849; Judge Carpenter, McGearys. Wil- liam Watt was born near Chambersburg in 1781, and. died March 5, 1855.

PIONEER REMINISCENCES.

. The following accounts of depredations committed on the early settlers of Allegheny township by the Indians-murders, captures, battles, etc .- are full of interest :

Massy Harbison was born in Hamwell township, Somerset County, N. J., March 18, 1770, and was the daughter of Edward White, a soldier of the Revolu- tion, who served for three years, in which time he was in every battle but that of Long Island. He heard the roaring of the cannon and the din of war at the battles of Trenton, Monmouth, and Brandy- wine. After the establishment of peace her father and family moved from New Jersey to Redstone Fort 672

was in 1788, and in 1787, at that place, she married John Harbison. In 1789 she and her husband moved to Allegheny township and settled on the head-waters of Chartiers Creek, being among the very first to lo- cate in this region. In 1789 and 1790 the inhabitants on the banks of the Allegheny River and in this township enjoyed repose and cleared up much land and built several cabins, but in March, 1791, the In- dian war broke out. The first act of Indian aggres- sion and cruelty was the attack of the savages upon the house of Thomas Dick, living below the mouth of Deer Creek, March 18, 1791. Mr. Dick and his wife were made prisoners, and a young man living in the house with them was killed and scalped, and a considerable number of horses stolen. Mr. Dick and and wife were kept prisoners until Gen. Wayne's victory, in the fall of 1794. On the night of March 2d seven Indians came to the house of Abraham Russ, living two miles below the mouth of Bull Creek, and twenty-three from Pittsburgh, on the Allegheny River, in a friendly manner, leaving their rifles at the door (a well-known token of Indian friendship), and solicited their supper. Their request was complied with and supper procured for them, and they sat down and supped. When they had finished their meal one of the savages went and placed himself against the door to prevent any of the family from escaping, while the rest, with their tomahawks, murdered and scalped four men, old Mrs. Russ (the mother of Mr. Russ), and six children, then plundered what they pleased from the house, bore away their plunder, setting fire to the house and burning the dead bodies with the buildings. Mrs. Dary, daughter of old Mrs. Russ, witnessed an Indian's taking her own child, eighteen months old, and knocking its brains out against the head of her mother, by which means her mother was also killed. She, however, made her escape in pull- ing open the clapboard-door, with three of her daugh- ters. Agnes Clerk escaped with two children, as did also Catharine Cutwright, who lost her husband and son, murdered in her sight. John Dary, a lad of thirteen years and son of Jacob Dary, the proprietor of the house, but who was absent from home, when he saw the Indians at supper, suspected from their manner that all was not right, and he privately es- caped from the house and hid himself in a hollow tree, where he remained until the next morning, when he removed to a hole in some rocks on Little

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ALLEGHENY TOWNSHIP.

Bull Creek. Here he remained until the third day, when he was frightened from his retreat by the ap- pearance of a wolf. Jacob, a younger brother of six years of age, escaped from the house during the bloody conflict and hid himself under a log and cov- ered himself with leaves. While he was thus se- creted the Indians repeatedly came upon the log with fire in their hands in quest of those who had escaped. The women and children who had escaped hastened. to the river, when they called so as to be heard a mile and a half, and Levi Johnson, Mrs. Russ' son- in-law, ventured at the hazard of his life to cross the river in a canoe for them, by which means seventeen persons were preserved from the savages. The night was very frosty and severe, and those who had thus crossed the river had to run nine miles, many of them nearly naked, without shoes to their feet, and through the woods for a place of shelter. By eleven o'clock that night, William Critchlow and Samuel Orr carried the news of these heart-sickening events to Mrs. Mary Harbison, and to the other eight fami- lies within a mile of the Allegheny and Kiskiminetas Rivers. Mrs. Harbison then mounted on a horse, with one child in her arms and another about four years old tied on behind her. Although within two months of confinement she thus traveled seven miles to James Paul's, on Pine Run, where she with her escort and children arrived about daybreak. By the time the sun rose there was between seventy and eighty women and children collected at this retreat. All the men, four excepted, had left them to pursue the Indians. The purauers first went to the place where the awful massacre had taken place; there they found the smell which proceeded from the burn- ing of the dead bodies to be so awfully offensive that they were scarcely able to endure it. From thence they went a mile below the Kiskiminetas, on the Alle- gheny, and erected a block-house called " Reed's Sta- tion," where in two weeks all the families who had fled from Allegheny township returned and remained during the summer. John Harbison then enlisted for six months, in a corps raised by Capt. Guthrie, and proceeded to the Miami villages, under the com- mand of Gen. St. Clair, and was in the fatal engage- ment in which the Indians so completely out-gen- eraled and defeated St. Clair, where he was wounded, on. Nov. 6, 1791. The Indians attacked David Mc- .Kee and another young man at a fish-basket on the river seven miles from the station, and most brutally massacred them. This was the last Indian barbarity perpetrated on the banks of the Allegheny that season.

On the return of John Harbison from St. Clair's expedition, and on his recovery from his wounds, he was made a spy and ordered to the woods on duty, March 22, 1792. The appointment of spies to watch the movements of Indians was so consonant with the desires and interests of the inhabitants that the fron- tiers along this township now resumed the appearance

of quiet and confidence. Those who had been for nearly a year huddled in Read's Station block-house were scattered to their own habitations, and began the cultivation of their farms. The house of John Harbison was a favorite place for the spies to rendez- vous. On May 15th Capt. Guthrie, John Harbison, and other spies came to this house to get supper, and Mrs. Harbison, accompanied by a guard (William Maxwell), went to the spring for water. While there they heard a sound, like the bleating of a lamb or fawn, which alarmed them, and they hastily retreated to the house. Whether it was a decoy, or a warning of future trouble, they were unable to determine. On the night of May 21st two of the spies, James Davis and Mr. Sutton, came to lodge at the Harbison house, and the next morning at daybreak, when the horn blew at the block-house, within sight and dis- tant about two hundred yards, the two men got up and went out. Mrs. Harbison was awake and saw the door open, and thought the men had left it open. She intended to rise immediately, but having a child at the breast, and it being awakened, she lay with it at the breast to get it to sleep again, and accidentally fell asleep herself. The first thing Mrs. Harbison knew from falling asleep was the Indians pulling her out of the bed by the feet, when she looked up and saw the house full of savages, every one having his gun in his left hand and tomahawk in his right. Be -! holding the dangerous situation in which she was, she immediately jumped to the floor on her feet, with the young child in her arms, then took a petticoat to put on, having only the one on in which she slept; but the Indians took it from her, and as many times as she attempted to put it on they succeeded in taking it from her, so she had to go just as she had been in bed. While she was struggling with the Indians for clothing, others of them went and took the two oldest children out of another bed, and took the two feather- beds to the door and emptied them. They then be- gan to destroy all they were unable to carry away, and while at this work Mrs. Harbison made for the door, and succeeded in getting out with one child in her arms and another by her side; but the other little boy was so much displeased by being so early dis- turbed in the morning that he would not come to the door. When she got out she saw Mr. Wolf, one of the soldiers, going to the spring for water, and be- held three of the Indians attempting to get between him and the block-house, Mr. Wolf being uncon- scious of his danger, for the savages had not yet been discovered. She then gave a terrific scream, by which means Mr. Wolf discovered his danger and started to run to the block-house, when seven or eight Indians fired at him, but the only injury he received was a bullet in his arm, which broke it, and he succeeded in making his escape to the block-house.

When Mrs. Harbison gave the alarm one of the Indians came up to her with his tomahawk as though about to take her life; a second came and placed his

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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

hand before her mouth and told her to hush, when a third came with a lifted tomahawk and attempted to give her a blow, but the first that came raised his tomahawk and averted the blow, and claimed her as his squaw. The commissary with his waiter slept in the store-house near the block-house, and upon hear- ing the report of the guns came to the door to see what was the matter, and seeing the danger he was in made his escape to the block-house, but not with- out being discovered by the Indians, several of whom fired at him, and one of the bullets went through his handkerchief, which was tied about his head, and took off some of his hair. The waiter on coming to the door was met by the Indians, who fired upon him, and he received two bullets through his body and fell dead by the door. The Indians then set up their terrific yells and pushed forward and attempted to scalp the man they had killed, but were prevented from this by the heavy fire which was kept up through the port-holes from the block-house. In this scene of horror and alarm Mrs. Harbison began to meditate an escape, and for this purpose attempted to direct the attention of the Indians from her and to fix it on the block-house, and thought if she could succeed in this she would retreat to a subterranean cavern with which she was acquainted which was in the run near where the Indians then were. So she began to converse with those nearest her, and they began to question her respecting the strength of the block-house, the number of men in it, etc., and being informed there were forty men there and that they were excellent marksmen, they immediately deter- mined to retreat, and for this purpose ran to those besieging the block-house and brought them away. They then began to flog Mrs. Harbison with their whipping-sticks and to order her along. Thus what she intended as the means of her escape was the means of hastening her departure in the hands of the savages. It was, however, the means of the preserva- tion of the fort and the people in it, for when the Indians gave up their attack and retreated some of the white men in the fort had the last load of ammu- nition in their guns, and there was no possibility of procuring more, for it was all fastened up in the store- house, which was inaccessible.

The Indians, when they had flogged her, took her away with them, and also took her eldest boy, about five years old, for he was still at the door by her side. Her middle boy, of about three years of age, had by this time obtained a situation by the fire in the house, and was crying bitterly to his mother not to go, and making little complaints of the depredations of the savages. But the latter were unwilling to let the child remain behind them, and they took him by the hand to drag him away with them; but he was so very unwilling to go, and made such a noise by crying that they took him up by the feet and dashed his brains out against the threshold of the door. They then stabbed, scalped, and left him for dead. This

inhuman butchery drew from Mrs. Harbison a terrific scream, and drove her almost to blindness, from which she was brought to her recollection by a blow given her by an Indian across her face and head. During all this agonizing scene she kept her infant in her arms. They then marched her along to the top of the bank, some fifty rods, stopped, and divided their plunder captured, when she counted their number (thirty-two), two of whom were white men painted as Indians. Several of the Indians could speak English well, and some of them she knew, having seen them go up and down the Allegheny River. She knew two to be Senecas and two to be Munsies, for they had called at the shop to get their guns repaired, and she had seen them there. They then went some forty rods and caught her uncle John Currie's horses, and two of whom, into whose custody she was put, started with her towards the mouth of the Kiskiminetas, and the rest went off towards Puckety. When they came to the bank that descended towards the Allegheny the bank was so very steep, and there appeared 60 much danger in descending it on horseback, that she threw herself off the horse in opposition to the will and command of the Indians. Her horse descended without falling, but the one on which the savage rode who had her little boy fell and rolled over repeatedly, and her little boy fell back over the horse, but was not materially injured. He was then taken up by one of the Indians, who went to the bank of the river, where they had secreted some bark canoes under the rocks, opposite to the island lying between the Kis- kiminetas and Buffalo. Not being able to make their horses cross the river, they left the horses behind and took their prisoners in one of the canoes to the point of the island, and then left the canoes. When they landed one of the savages with his tomahawk mur- dered and scalped her oldest boy in her presence, which caused her to sink senseless to the ground with her infant in her arms. She was brought to mind by severe blows from the savages; but seeing the scalp of her darling boy again relapsed into unconscious- ness, when they hid it and led her into the water, which revived her. The Indians then proceeded rap- idly forward, crossed Big Buffalo, also Conequenes- sing Creek (where Butler now stands), thence six miles to Little Buffalo, and crossed it where the old Sarver mill is. Mrs. Harbison, now weary of life, tormented and beaten by the Indians, determined to make the savages kill her to end her miseries. She took from her shoulder a large powder-horn they made her carry in addition to her child, and threw it in contempt on the ground, expecting to be immedi- ately tomahawked. They put it on again, and twice she repeated this proceeding, thus inviting her de- struction ; but her action pleased the Indians for her boldness, and they did not molest her.

They now changed their positions, putting the In- dian behind her who claimed her as his squaw, to protect and keep her from doing herself any injury.

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They reached the Indian camp two miles above But- ler before dark, and at night put her into a large dark bottom up a run, where they cut the brush in a thicket and pinioned her arms back, but left her hands with a little liberty. The next night they changed her to another station in the same valley. On the morning of the 24th, when her guard fell asleep, she escaped with her infant at her breast, being guided in her directions by a flock of robins, and wandered about, often hiding in rocks and caves to escape ber pur- sters, who frequently passed almost over her. On Saturday, May 26th, the fifth day, she struck the head- waters of Pine Creek, which falls into the Allegheny four miles above Pittsburgh, not then knowing where she was. Several times she had narrow escapes from wolves and rattlesnakes. Changing her course she came to Squaw Run (head-waters), and in the even- ing to within a mile of Allegheny River. The next morning (Sunday), the sixth day, she was wellnigh exhausted, but wandered around, and came opposite to the fort at the point of Six-Mile Island. She saw three men on the other side of the river and called to. them, but they seemed unwilling to risk the danger of coming after her, and requested to know who she was. She replied, and they asked her to walk up the bank for a while to see if the Indians were making a decoy of her or not; but she answered that her feet were so sore that she could not walk. Then one of them, James Closier, got into a canoe to fetch her, and the other two stood on the bank with their rifles cocked ready to fire on the Indians provided they were using her as a decoy. When Mr. Closier came Dear the shore and saw her haggard situation he ex- claimed, " Who in the name of God are you ?" He was one of her nearest neighbors before she was taken, yet in six days she was so much altered that he did not know her, either by her voice or countenance. She had her infant at her breast, and was at once taken to the fort, where two of the women, Sarah Carter and Mary Ann Crozier, picked out of her feet and legs one hundred and fifty thorns, as counted by Felix Nigley, and the next evening at Pittsburgh as many more were extracted.

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History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 162

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

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