History of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens 20th century, Part 63

Author: McFarland, Joseph Fulton; Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1474


USA > Pennsylvania > Washington County > Washington > History of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens 20th century > Part 63


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North Strabane Township has a real estate valuation of $3,074,365; the valuation of personal property is $105,015; number of taxables is 459. The population of this township in 1850 was 1,210; in 1860 it was 1,213; in 1890, 1,492; and in 1900, 1,278. The town- ship had 240 voters in 1850; 359 in 1904; and 447 in 1908.


There were in 1908 in this township, schools 10, teachers 12 (males 5, females 7); average number of months taught, 8; average salary of teachers per month, males $66.00, females $50.00; cost of each pupil per month, $2.40; number of mills on the dollar levied for school purposes, 11/2; estimated value of school property, $14.500. The present school directors are R. J. Dunn, president; Dr. W. W. Weygandt, secretary; J. W. Don- aldson, treasurer; T. B. Hixon, W. P. McConnell, J. C. Fulton.


Canonsburg United Presbyterian Church, known now also as the Greenside Avenue Church, worshipping in Canonsburg, met for organization in 1830 in a tent on the bluff overlooking the creek at the Washington and Pittsburg Turnpike crossing, just below and outside the Borough of Canonsburg. It then became the Speers Spring Associate Reformed Church, as organized by the Monongahela Presbytery. The long, low brick church stood on the bank to the right of the creek bridge from 1832 until the congregation moved into their new build- ing in Canonsburg in 1886.


NOTTINGHAM TOWNSHIP.


This township was organized July 15, 1781. It was then bounded on the north by Peters Township; on the east by the Monongahela River; on the south by Fal-


lowfield Township; and on the west by Strabane Town- ship. Its present boundaries are Peters on the north, Union and Carroll on the east, Fallowfield and Somerset on the south, and North Strabane on the west. It is centrally distant east from Washington Borough thir- teen miles. The township is drained by Peters Creek on the north and Mingo and Little Mingo Creeks on the south. Its greatest length is six miles, breadth four miles. Dunningsville, a small village, is located in the township, on the head waters of Peters Creek.


There were in Nottingham Township in 1908: Schools, 8; teachers, 8 (males 3, females 5) ; average number of months taught, 8; average salary of teachers per month, males $55.00, females $55.00; cost of each pupil per month, $2.12; number of mills on the dollar levied for school purposes, 21/2 ; estimated value of school property, $15,200.


School directors of Nottingham Township: Henry Johnson, president; W. H. MeNarry, secretary; John McCombs, treasurer; A. M. Withrow, David Thomas, William Kammerer.


In 1904 Nottingham Township had 135 miles of pub- lic highway, ranking third among the townships of the county with respect to its road mileage. The cash road tax was accepted in 1907. In 1908 the township road tax was three and one-fourth mills and amounted to $6,668.55. No State or county roads have yet been constructed in this township.


Fairview Presbyterian Church, located at Munntown, was organized February 24, 1860. It is an Old School Presbyterian Church. The first pastor was Rev. John Ewing. Rev. Alexander Brown has been pastor since 1894. The church has 160 members and a Sabbath School with a membership of ninety, A. C. Horner, superintendent. The present Board of Elders is com- posed of J. A. Crawford and Samuel Oller. There is a Ladies' Home Missionary Society and a Young People's Missionary Society. The present building, erected in 1860, is a frame structure, and the first house of wor- ship erected by this congregation.


Mt. Prospect U. P. Church was organized near Munn- town in 1860. At first the pulpit was filed by supplies, but since 1864 the church has had a number of pastors. In July, 1890, the present pastor, Rev. George Reed Murray, was installed. The congregation has a mem- bership numbering 144. Chatham G. Matthews is su- perintendent of the Sabbath School; highest enrollment 107. There is a Ladies' Missionary Society and a Young People's Christian Union. The present house of worship is a frame structure and was the first erected.


Board of Elders: James Harvey McMurray, Chatham G. Matthews, James McNarry, John M. Watson (died June, 1909).


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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY


Edwards Chapel M. E. Church is an old congregation, organized at an early date in this township. The first house of worship was a brick structure. The present, which succeeded it, is a frame building. Rev. King is pastor.


Wrights M. E. Chapel-There is a M. E. Church at Venetia (a brick structure, Rev. King, pastor) in the northeastern part of the township. It was originally intended for a Baptist Church, but Enoch Wright, the builder, became a Methodist in 1835, because of the Baptists arguments about sects. The building and lot were devised by him to his only son, Rev. Joseph Wright, grandfather of Mrs. Joseph M. Shrigs, now of Wash- ington, Pa. Rev. Joseph Wright devised this church property to the Methodist church for as long as it may be kept free from debt.


The citizens of this township are interested chiefly in agriculture, since coal oil and gas have not been de- veloped here. The township, however, is underlaid with the Pittsburg vein of coal. There are many successful farmers in this township, as evidenced by the splendid homes, barns and other improvements. There is a con- siderable profit realized from sheep and other live stock.


Township officials: Justices of the peace, E. F. Hyde, Matthew Johnston; assessor, John Dornon; assistant as- sessor, William Stewart; collector, Hall Caesber ; auditors, Wheeler McClure, John Lusk, Herbert Caesber; super- visors, John McDonald, David MeClure, Curtis Myers.


Andrew McDonald, who preceded Rev. E. F. Hyde as justice of the peace, served twenty-five years.


Joseph Kammerer, general merchant at Kammerer, has served about fifty years as postmaster, and is said to be the oldest postmaster in Washington County. Kam- merer, on the Monongahela (Williamsport) pike, was one of the best known points in the eastern end of this county from 1841, when it was known as "Dutch John's," until the present time. Kammerer's mill and distillery were kept up until recent years.


There is a general store in Nottingham Township near the line of Peters Township at Venetia, conducted by Lee McCormick.


The above are the only stores in Nottingham Town- ship.


This township was a hot-bed of opposition to the excise tax on distilleries in 1793-4. The names of David Ham- ilton, Esq., Benjamin Barkinson and others were held up as heroes in the battle for freedom from unjust taxation-a battle led by the unseen "Tom, the Tinker."


Munntown is now known as Thomas. It is a prominent station on the B. & O. Railroad, which bounds Notting- ham Township on the north. The station was named for James M. Thomas.


The real estate valuation of Nottingham Township amounts to $2,023,639; personal property, $52,765. There


are 232 taxables. In 1850 the population numbered 1,008; in 1860 it was 916; in 1890, 1,087; and in 1900, 1,179. The number of voters in this township in 1850 was 218. In 1904 there were 325 voters, and in 1908, 241.


PETERS TOWNSHIP.


Peters Township was the tenth of the thirteen original townships formed by the trustees authorized to divide the county into townships on or before July 1, 1781. Peters originally embraced the present township of Peters, the northern part of Union Township, and that part of Allegheny County south and west of the Monon- gahela River and east of Chartiers Creek. The original boundries of Peters Township were the Monongahela River on the north and east, Nottingham on the south, and Cecil on the west.


In September, 1784, a petition was presented to the court asking a division of the township. It was con- firmed by the Supreme Executive Council November 21, 1786. This division formed Dickinson Township, which was carved out off the northern part of Peters Town- ship and continued as a part of Washington County until it was assigned to Allegheny County, when that county was erected in 1788.


In 1789 the territory of Peters Township was further reduced by the extension of Allegheny County southward to its present boundary between Chartiers Creek and the Monongahela River. In 1834 the township was reduced to its present boundaries by the formation of Union Township from Nottingham and Peters. The present boundaries of Peters Township are Allegheny County on the north, Union Township on the east, Nottingham and North Strabane Townships on the south, and North Strabane and Cecil Townships on the west.


It is drained on the west by Chartiers Creek and its tributaries, and on the south by Peters Creek and its tributaries. The Chartiers Valley Railroad and the B. & O. Railroad follow parts of the western and southern boundaries, respectively.


The real estate valuation of Peters Township amounts to $2,256,248; value of personal property, $76,590; num- ber of taxables, 457. There was a population of 924 in this township in the year 1850; in 1860 it numbered 934; in 1890, 1,225; and in 1900, 1,596. The number of voters in 1850 was 209. In 1904 these had increased to 356, and in 1908 to 387.


Farming and dairying are carried on to a very con- siderable extent.


The Pittsburg vein of coal is exposed and mined in this township. The outcrop of the Pittsburg Coal fol- lows both sides of Peters Creek below Venetia. On Peters Creek it can be developed by drifting. On Peters Creek the thickness of the lower division of the Pittsburg


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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY


coal is five and one-half to six feet and the upper di- vision of coal seam, six to twelve inches. The clay averages a little less than a foot in thickness. The Red- stone coal lies from twenty to eighty feet above the Pittsburg seam. At several points in the vicinity of Hackett and Finleyville it has been opened in country banks and in one instance a thickness of forty inches was measured. This bank was directly above the Not- tingham Mine. The interval to the Pittsburg seam here is seventy feet, This coal may possibly be the Sewickley, but the interval from the Sewickley to the Pittsburg is usually as much as from eleven to 150 feet, and is rarely known to be less than 100 feet.


In 1850 the registration of voters for Peters Town- ship was 209, in 1903 it was 416, and in 1908 it was 387.


In 1900 the number of taxables was 451; in 1908 it was 457. In 1850 the population of Peters Township was 924; in 1860 it was 934; in 1890, 1,225, and in 1900, 1,596.


The total value of real estate of the township is $2,256,248. It is interesting to note that Peters Town- ship valuation in 1788 was 121 pounds, 15 shillings.


RAILROADS.


The Pittsburg Southern Railroad was constructed along the southern border of Peters Township in 1879. It was at this tims a narrow gauge railroad. Afterward, on January 7, 1885, this company was sold to and came under the management of the B. & O. Railroad, and was connected with the branch of the B. & O. running from Washington to Wheeling, formerly known as the Old Hempfield Railroad.


The Chartiers Valley branch of the P. C. C. & St. L. Railroad follows the northwestern boundary of Peters Township. It was incorporated originally as the Char- tiers Valley Railroad, and backed by local capital. The company became financially embarrassed and the unfin- inshed railroad was sold to and completed by the Penn- sylvania Railroad in 1871 and leased to the P. C. C. & St. L. Railway Company.


The Pittsburg and Washington trolley line, operated by the Pittsburg Railways Company, leaves the main Chartiers Valley beyond Murray Hill in North Strabane Township and traverses the northwestern part of Peters Township going through Thompsonville.


The Pennsylvania Railroad has made surveys for a branch from Hill's Station on the Chartiers Valley road up, Brush Run by way of Thompsonville to Mc- Murray. The Oliver interests own a large coal field in Peters Township, which it is proposed to develop.


The West Side Belt Line has surveyed an extension of its road from a point near Snowden, in Allegheny County, up Peters Creek along the southern boundary


of Peters Township by way of Gastonville, Finleyville and Venitia, and thence south by Kammerer's, Bentley- ville and Scenery Hill to Zollarsville. This line will tap the Johnetta coal field. The West Side Belt Line Company was purchased by Gould interests in 1904.


By referring to the early road dockets, we find that the following roads were indexed as wholly or partly in Peters Township: McKee's Ferry to Peters Creek Meeting House in 1783; Baley's Mill to Fort Pitt in 1782; Small's Mill to Bausman's Ferry 1884; near Baley's Mill to Devore's Ferry to McKee's Ferry 1788; Perry's Ferry and Washington Road to McDonald's Landing 1790; Joseph Beeler's to Walter Buchanan's Mill 1796.


ROADS.


In 1906 Peters Township passed the cash road tax to supply the place of the work road tax. For 1908 the road tax is 3 mills, and the total amount collected, $6,- 694.19. At the end of the year 1903 Peters Township had fifty-five miles of public highway. There have been no county or State roads constructed in this township.


The towns of Bower Hill, McMurray and Thompson- ville are located within the township. Crouch, Venetia, Anderson and Hackett are stations on the B. & O. Rail- road.


THOMPSONVILLE.


Moses and John Thompson settled on the present site of Thompsonville in 1814. They opened a store and also carried on a considerable trade between New Orleans and Pittsburg. The first postoffice in the township was established about 1815 at Thompsonville, and Moses Thompson was appointed first postmaster. The Pitts- burg Railways finished the construction of their trolley line from Pittsburg to Washington in February, 1909. Thompsonville is a station on this line. The village is composed of eight houses, store and blacksmith shop. The inhabitants have telephone communication by the McMurray Telephone Company with the surrounding farmers. Much of the milk once shipped from Hills is now shipped by trolley from Thompsonville.


M'MURRAY.


McMurray is a country village a mile south of Thomp- sonville. A postoffice was once located here. Harvey McMurray built a grist mill at this village in 1881 on the site of a flouring mill that had burnt down in 1866. This flouring mill was formerly a woolen mill and was built by James and William Hannah about 1830. In addition to the mill there are a blacksmith shop and four dwellings in the village.


The McMurray Telephone Company was organized here in 1902. The Bell Telephone instruments are used, although the line is conducted independently. This com-


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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY


pany operates among the farmers within a radius of seven miles from McMurray. The capital of the com- pany is $10,000; president, J. H. McMurray; secretary, J. Harvey McMurray; and treasurer, Dr. W. W. Wey- gandt.


BOWER HILL.


Bower Hill is a country village a mile and a half northwest of Venitia. The village is composed of a store, schoolhouse and eighteen houses. In 1870 there was a postoffice at Bower Hill. At one time Sandy Flack ran a hotel at Bower Hill and sold whiskey. This village is connected with the surrounding country by the McMurray Telephone.


ANDERSON AND VENITIA.


Anderson is one of the original Pittsburg Southern (now Baltimore and Ohio) Railroad stations. The vil- lage at this station has always been called Venetia. The station was named after Hon. D. M. Anderson, M. D., who operated a coal mine at Venitia for many years. The postoffice here has always been called Venitia. The first house in Venitia was owned by Liverton Thomas and stood on the lot where now is the dwelling of T. Robb.


A saw and grist mill was built at Venitia fifty or more years ago. It was first operated by horse power, later by water power. The mill at present is run by steam power, the operator being Frank McConnoughey.


Venitia at present is composed of a postoffice, three stores, sixteen houses and a grist mill, and two black- smith shops. The village is furnished with the Bell and McMurray Telephone service. Gas is supplied by the Monongahela Natural Gas Company.


HACKETT.


Hackett is a mining town situated on the B. & O. Railroad at the intersection of the boundary lines of Peters, Nottingham and Union Township. The town was named for Thomas Hackett, late of Pittsburg, who operated the Hackett mine a short distance west of the railroad station. This mine was abandoned about 1900. The town is composed of a general store, grocery store, meat market, postoffice and forty-one houses. The town has communication by Bell Telephone and gas is sup- plied by the Monongahela Natural Gas Company.


Among the settlers of the part of the original Peters Township now included in Allegheny County were the following: Gen. John Neville, whose house was burned by the whiskey insurgents; General Edward Hand, com- mander of the expedition into the Indian territory during the Revolutionary War which was nick-named the squaw campaign; Rev. John Clark, who tried to disuade the rioters on the morning of the destruction of Neville's house; Col. John Campbell, Col. David Phillips, Lieut. Col.


Stephen Bayard, William Fife Philip Ross, Maj. Will- iam Lee, David Steele, Aaron Work, John Watt. Those within the present limits of the township: James Mathews, 1774; Joshua and James Wright, 1765; An- thony Dunleavy, 1772; John Swearingen, 1790; John Brackenridge, 1779; Daniel Townsend, 1780; Col. Joseph Beelor, before 1780; John McLoney, before 1785; Rob- ert Bell, 1795; Rev. David Phillips, 1780; Enoch Phillips, 1796; James Mitchell, 1791; Andrew Devore, John Moore.


Many years ago a pottery was located on Brush Run near the present residence of Harvey McMurray. The pottery was operated by one Bracken, the clay being obtained a short distance east of the pottery. About the year 1830 James and William Hannah built a woolen mill on Brush Run. In 1840 it was changed into a flouring mill. The mill was burnt by fire in 1866 and rebuilt by Harvey McMurray in 1881. On the David Weaver farm in early days a tavern was kept by Enoch Phillips where he sold red liquor, manufactured at a distillery on the Phillips farm.


Taverns then averaged almost one to every mile of road, and this region had a "still house" on almost every farm. In 1788 there were twenty-one stills in Peters Township with eighteen still owners; there were nineteen slaves and twenty-nine slave owners, one tan- yard, one sawmill and one grist mill.


The still in 1788 was a very considerable part of a man's property, which, together with his slaves, often was of more value than his land. A distillery was worth from £5 to £30, and a slave from £15 to £45. In addition to this property a settler generally had a horse and a cow or two. A grist mill was assessed at from £35 to £75, and a sawmill at about £25. A tanyard was assessed at about £5.


From the early road dockets we find the following men- tioned: In 1827, James Speer's fulling mill; in 1830, Thomas Liverton's steam mill; in 1839, McConnell's steam mill; in 1840, Magner's mill dam; in 1843, Yorty's mill; in 1844, McPherson's mill; in 1846, Robert Mc- Nary's saw-mill, Moses' sugar camp; in 1843, William Boil's mill; in 1822, Hugh Thompson's tavern; and in 1843, Alexander Flack's tavern.


Among the early physicians, Dr. Hugh Thompson, Dr. C. W. Townsend, and Dr. David M. Anderson were well known practicioners near the close of the eighteenth century.


The first school of which anything is known was a log cabin located on the Blackmore property in 1800. Soon afterwards other schools were started. One on the farm of Abram Ward was conducted by Ephraim Sayers. An- other, on Brush Run, about a mile from Chartiers Creek, taught by Martha Reed. The public school law went into operation in 1835. Peters Township was the first in


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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY


the county to adopt the graded school system, which was done in 1876.


In 1835 only four schools were in existence in Peters Township, and were known as the Bowers House at Bower Hill; the Calahan House, the Dennison House, lo- cated a short distance east of Thompsonville, and the Townsend House.


These houses were all the township had until 1856, although at different times petitions seem to have been presented to the board for more and better houses, but in each case resolutions were passed stating that such improvements were deemed inexpedient at the present time. Things continued this way until 1856, when an- other move was made for new schools, and a year later two new houses were built. One was the Wright House, located at the mouth of Church Lane on the Georgetown and Monongahela City Road. This house has been re- modeled several times, but is still used for school pur- poses. The other was the Thompsonville House and was located near the bridge below Thompsonville. It was used for a school until two years ago, when it was re- placed by a modern brick building. These two houses took the place of the Dennison House, which was not used for school purposes after that time.


Two years later two more houses were rebuilt. One was the Townsend House, later known as Swaglers, and the other the Calahan, which also changed its name to Craighead. Each house was rebuilt on the old location. They were again rebuilt and relocated in 1892 and are now known as the Turkey Foot and Pleasant Valley schools respectively. Bower Hill House was built in 1862, and did service until 1908, when a new building took its place. No other houses were built until after 1870.


In 1840 the teachers' wages were to be not more than $15 and board, or $18 and board, except for male teachers; and $9 per month and board or $12 anl board excepted. Two years later wages of male teachers were reduced to $18 per month. No noticeable change was made in wages until 1864, when they began to advance, and in 1869 they were $35 per month.


Ability to read and write was almost the only require- ment of the teacher until 1848, when a committee con- sisting of Rev. Messrs. Brown and Wright were appointed to examine applicants. Later the applicants were ex- amined in the presence of the board. Other persons named on the examining committee are Rev. James Herron, Rev. F. Calahan and J. B. Stilley.


The schools of Peters Township have always kept abreast of the times and are today in the front rank in regard to matters educational. There are eleven com- mon schools and a high school having a three-year course.


There were in 1908, in Peters Township, schools, 12; teachers, 12 (males 5, females 7); average number of months taught, 8; average salary of teachers per month,


males $65.00, females $50.00; cost of each pupil per month, $2.05; number of mills on the dollar levied for school purposes, 2; estimated value of school property, $21,300; average attendance 271; total assessed value of school property (schoolhouses) $14,300.00.


Peters Creek Baptist Church, of Library, Allegheny County, Pa., was constituted November 10, 1773. The first meeting house was a log building located in what was then Peters Township, but which is now Union Township. In 1788 a new church edifice was erected within the present limits of Peters Township adjoining the Bradford mill. Soon after 1794 this congregation consolidated with the Elizabethtown branch. Rev. David Phillips donated a lot about 1810 and a log meeting house was erected in what is now the limits of Library, . Allegheny County. In 1832 a brick church building took its place costing $1,250. A brick church replaced this building in 1884. A cemetery is connected with the church. The present membership is 192. J. T. Davis is the present pastor.


Peters Creek United Presbyterian Church (located one mile north of McMurray)-The congregation from which the Peters Creek United Presbyterian congregation de- veloped was called the Mingo Creek Congregation. It was organized by the Associate Synod October 5, 1795, the name of the congregation being changed to Peters Creek. The membership at present is 147. Meetings at first were held in a tent. A log meeting house was built in 1809 and it was replaced by a brick building (now valued at $1,200), in the year 1832. This build- ing has been remodeled somewhat and remains to the present time.


Peters Creek Christian Church (located a mile and a half east of McMurray)-During the pastorate of Will- iam Shadrach of the Peters Creek Baptist Church (1829- 1835) it was thought that some of the members of that church were embracing the heretical doctrines taught by Alexander Campbell. Articles of faith were drawn up and annexed to the church covenant and the members of the congregation were required to sign them. Many of the members, declining to do so, were suspended from the fellowship of the church. Some of these members later were reconciled with the church after the articles of faith had been withdrawn from the covenant.


David Newmyre was expelled from the church in 1835 and he with other former members of the congregation planted a congregation of Disciples of Christ in 1836. The early meetings were held at Edward Rigg's house. For the greatest part of its existence the church has been served by no settled pastors.




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