History of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens 20th century, Part 69

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 69

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West Finley Township was formed from Finley Town- ship when the latter was divided December 24, 1828. Finley was originally in Donegal. (See East Finley Township.)

The chief pursuits of the inhabitants of West Finley Township are farming and sheep and stock raising. Much of the land is hilly, especially toward the south near Wheeling Creek.

The most of the coal of West Finley Township is principally owned by large holders. J. V. Thompson is assessed at $313,560, David E. Mitchell (in trust for

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

Allen Carson et al) assessed at $164,720, and Pittsburg and New York Coal Company assessed at $109,960. The township 'is abundantly underlaid with minerals which are discussed more fully in connection with East Finley Township.

The population of West Finley Township in 1850 was 1,273 and in 1860, 1,453. In 1890 there were 1,525 in- habitants and in 1900, 1,352.

The number of voters in 1850 was 250; in 1904, 371, and in 1908, 360. Many families moved from this town- ship to the county seat during the building boom there at the beginning of this century, and for a time farm tenants and laborers were scarce.

The real estate value of West Finley Township is $1,632,482; the personal property value, $82,960; num- ber of taxables, 390.

· West Finley Township has 1121/2 miles of public high- way. In 1906 the township accepted the cash road tax in the stead of the work road tax. The road tax for 1908 was 4 mills and $6,242.27 was collected.

The Wheeling, Waynesburg and Eastern, a railroad projected from Wheeling to the Fayette County coke fields, touches West Finley Township and some work has been done on the line in West Virginia.

The Wheeling, Waynesburg and Connellsville Com- pany has made a survey up Wheeling Creek and down Ten-Mile to Millsboro.

[For early settlers see East Finley Township.]

Among the early schools of West Finley Township were McCoy's, Chase's, Frazier's, Bimmen's and Power's. Some of the early school masters were John McDowell, David Frazier, David Coventry, William Alms, Alexander Burns and Jonathan Parkinson. The early schoolhouses were built of logs and were private enterprises or were paid by subscription.

In 1850 West Finley had nine schools and 299 schol- ars; in 1860, 10 schools and 468 scholars; in 1873, 11 schools and 419 scholars, and in 1880, 11 schools and 379 scholars.

In 1908 there were 12 schools and 12 teachers; 317 - pupils were enrolled and the average number of months taught was 7. The average salaries of the teachers were, males $45 and females $43. Each pupil cost the township $2.44 per month and the school tax was 3 mills on the dollar. Thirty thousand dollars is the estimated value of the school property.

In West Finley Township the postoffices of Elvilla, Good Intent and Businessburg have been discontinued and are now served by rural delivery. West Finley post- office at the village of Burnsville is the only postoffice in the township.

BURNSVILLE.

Burnsville is situated somewhat south of the center of the township. The village was named after John Burns, who plotted it. He obtained the land from his father, Alexander Burns, the early settler. Alexander had been held captive by the Indians for several years and during this time Philip Sommers settled on the land, not knowing of its previous owner. The West Finley postoffice was established at Burnsville in 1832 with William C. Burns postmaster. The village at present is made up of a schoolhouse, postoffice, hotel, a phy- sician, two general stores, two cobbler shops, wagon shop, carriage and harness warehouse, blacksmith shop, a church at each end of the village and 40 dwellings. The number of inhabitants is near 200.

Christian Church of Burnsville-This congregation had its origin about 1835. Meetings were held at differ- ent places and often at the Liberty schoolhouse. In 1851 a small frame church was built. The most ener- getic worker in the early days was Rev. John Hender- son. The congregation weakened on account of deaths and removals and was disbanded about 20 years ago. The church has been torn down.

Windy Gap Presbyterian Church-On March 29, 1850, the Windy Gap Cumberland Presbyterian Church was organized near Brownsville, with 37 charter members, most of whom were dismissed for the purpose from the old Concord Cumberland Presbyterian Congregation. The first elders were Alexander Sprowls, John Chase, Samuel Rockey and Solomon Nickison. Prior to the time of organization services had been held since 1833. Land was purchased about three-fourths of a mile northeast of Burnsville and the present frame church building erected in 1858. The early pastors of this congregation were Revs. E. P. Henderson, P. Axtell, A. W. White, J. D. Foster, J. N. Cary, J. R. Morris. The congre- gation is supplied at present by Rev. G. W. Hawley.

The church was changed from a Cumberland Presby- terian to Presbyterian in the summer of 1907 when all the Cumberland Presbyterian congregations of Pennsyl- vania joined the Presbyterian Church. The membership at present is 163.

GOOD INTENT.

The tract of land on which now stands the village of Good Intent, situated in the eastern part of West Fin- ley Township, was settled on by Peter Wolf, who built a mill here, and another some distance up Wheeling Creek. The postoffice was established in 1837. Charles Chase started the tanyard. Thomas Frazier opened the first store. The mill was afterawrd operated by Emanuel Brown, Henry Blaney and George Sutherland. It ceased

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operation about 25 years ago. The village is composed of a store and half a dozen houses.

BEHAM.

Beham is on the western boundary. The postoffice before its removal was known as Businessburg. The village is made up of a church, a store, a blacksmith shop and about ten dwellings.

ELVILLA.

At the location of the former postoffice of Elvilla in the northeastern part of the township there is now noth- ing except a farm house.

Beham Christian Church-The Christian Congregation at Beham was organized about seven years ago. Among those instrumental in its organization were Joseph Robison and John Carl. It has always been supplied in the pulpit by students from Bethany College.

Salem Methodist Episcopal Church is near the south- western corner of West Finley Township. The congre- gation was organized about the year 1830 and the pres- ent frame church was erected 20 years later. The mem- bership of the congregation is almost 200.

North Wheeling Baptist Church-This congregation was organized in 1850. Soon after the church was erected in the western part of West Finley Township, a mile and a half south of Beham. Revs. William Scott, J. Y. Burwell and John A. Simpson were among the early pastors of this congregation. The congregation has ceased to hold meetings.

WEST PIKE RUN TOWNSHIP.

The territory now included within the bounds of West Pike Run Township was embraced in Fallowfield Town- ship from the erection of that township in 1781 until the formation from part of Fallowfield of Pike Run Township in 1792, and in the latter until its division into East and West Pike Run Townships in 1853. In 1858 the township lines between West Pike Run and Fallowfield Township were altered and confirmed by court. West Pike Run Township is bounded on the north by Bentleyville Borough and Fallowfield Township, on the east by East Pike Run Township, on the south by Centerville and Beallsville Boroughs and on the west by Somerset Township. Pike Run flows through the township from west to east. The northern part of the township is drained by Little Pike Run, a branch of Pike Run.

The population of West Pike Run Township in 1850 was 1,166, in 1890 it was 898, and in 1900, 860. The number of voters in 1850 was 163, in 1904 it was 223 and in 1908, 206.

The number of taxables in West Pike Run Township is 248; value of real estate, $2,583,037; value of per- sonal property, $38,057.

The National Pike, known as Cumberland Road, fol- lows the southern border of West Pike Run Township. The road was completed in 1820.

In 1904 there were 56 miles of public highway in West Pike Run Township. In 1906 this township accepted the cash road tax. The road tax for 1908 was 3 mills, $7,684.72 was collected and $8,404.72 was expended. In 1904 the county built the Beallsville Flinn Road. The contract was awarded to N. C. Hunter. This road is 9,700 feet in length, 10 feet in width of stone, 23 feet in width of grading, $20,794.63 in cost of construction; engineering cost, $1,059.73; repairs, $5,292.72; total cost to end of year 1908, $27,147.08.

The grand jury has approved the building by the county of two miles and 5,271 feet of the Charleroi- Beallsville Road. The cost is estimated at $29,377.62. Part of this road runs through West Pike Run Town- ship.

Surveys were made by C. Jutte & Co. (now Hector Coke Company) for a new railway from Coal Center to their immense coal field east of Beallsville in East and West Pike Run Townships. The entire holdings of this company have been transferred to the Hector Coal Company.

Jonathan Knight, one of the most eminent civil engi- neers of the United States in his day, was a resident of West Pike Run Township and a self-made man. He was born in Bucks County November 22, 1787, moved with his parents to Eastern Washington County in 1801, married Ann Heston "in the meeting of the religious Society of Friends in accordance with their good or- der" in 1809, and continued on the farm, gaining his education almost entirely from his own efforts in read- ing and studying at home-mostly by night. He be -- came a teacher in the schools and with his hard-earned mathematical learning, was called frequently to survey lands and roads. About the year 1816 he was appointed to make and report a map of Washington County, which duty required "much field labor-the instrumental sur- vey requiring 100 days work in the performance" and which duty he says was "satisfactorally performed." The proof of his words is shown by referring to his map of the county dated February 19, 1817. He located the Washington and Williamsport Turnpike by survey. After three years' service as county commissioner he was employed in the preliminary survey for the Chesa- peak and Ohio Canal and in the National of Cumberland . Road between Cumberland and Wheeling. In 1825 the Federal government commissioned him to extend the road from Wheeling through Ohio and Indiana to the

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eastern line of Illinois. He was elected and served six years in the House of Representatives and Senate of Pennsylvania, beginning with the year 1822. He re- signed his seat in the Senate in 1828, being called into the service of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com- pany, was sent to England by the company to acquire knowledge of railroad engineering and was appointed chief engineer for that road, serving from 1830 to 1842. In 1854 he was elected to the Thirty-fourth Congress, representing Fayette, Greene and Washington Counties and served through its three sessions.

Failing of re-election in 1856 he enjoyed a quiet life on his farm near the village of Centerville until his death on his 71st birthday.

The following were among those holding land at the dates given: Dr. Charles Wheeler, 1774; Benjamin White, 1786; John Griffith, 1790; Joseph Jeffreys, 1795. Edward West, Sr., Seaborn Crawford, James Moffit, John Baker and William Almond were also early settlers.

In 1857 Henry Hornbake built a mill on Pike Run on the site of one which had been burned a year or so previous. One of the early mills in this region was Benjamin Vore's Mill.

CLOVER HILL.

The postoffice at Clover Hill was called Garwood, but it has been removed and the neighborhood served by rural free delivery. The village is about three miles south- east of Bentleyville and is composed of a store, a church and a schoolhouse.

One of the early schools of the township was taught by Alexander Walker in the Quaker Church at Clover Hill in 1814. In 1850 West Pike Run Township had six schools and 281 scholars, in 1863 it had seven schools with 347 scholars. In 1873 there were six schools and 274 pupils; in 1880, six schools, 249 pupils enrolled, and West Pike Run in 1908 had-Schools, 7; teachers 7 (males 4, females 3) ; enrollment of pupils, 206; num- ber of months taught, 7; average salary of teachers per month, males $50, females $50; cost of each pupil per month, $2.42; number of mills on the dollar levied for school purposes, 2; estimated value of school property, $10,200.

Taylor's M. E. Church stands on the north side of the National Pike, a mile east of the village of Center- ville-a beautiful location held by a very ancient or- ganization. The church was formerly known as Haw- kins' Meeting-house and is probably the oldest M. E. Church in Washington County. Most of the following facts are from Taylor's Church, history and centennial exercises (1905) compiled by Rev. D. C. Dorchester, Lewis Baker, J. H. Knight and others. Early records cannot be found. The first preaching at the Hawkins'

(spelled in the old records 'Hockins') Meeting-house was probably by Eli Shickle. He came from Ann Arun- del County, Maryland, in the summer of 1792 with Bezin Pumphrey. Pumphrey took up a "Tomahawk Right" on the headwaters of the Chartiers, near Catfish. Shickles preached at first at Pumphreys's settlement and later extended his labors to all the settlements in the "Red- stone Country."

The first church building, a log structure, was built and the society organized some time between 1772 and 1784. In 1781 Robert Wooster preached in the church and made many converts. In 1784 the first itinerant preachers, John Cooper and Solomon Breeze, were sent to the "Redstone Circuit" and preached at the Haw- kins' Meeting-house and found there a log church and congregation. The first General Conference was held that year. The earlier Methodists in the neighborhood were William and Thomas Hawkins (or Hockins) and Joseph Woodfil. They were all local exhorters. The- Peter Taylor family emigrated to the neighborhood from Ireland in 1789. William was the oldest of the Taylor children and afterward came to be owner of the farm on which the Hawkins' Meeting-house was located. It therefore came to be called the Taylor's Meeting-house. The log church in course of time became dilapidated and in 1801 it was superceded by a more commodious stone building. This stone church was torn down in 1851 and a neat brick edifice erected in its place. In 1872 the brick edifice was destroyed by fire, but was re- built at once. The church was remodeled in 1903-1904. The pastor of the congregation is Rev. O. B. Patterson and membership 100.

Clover Hill Methodist Episcopal Church-This church about 60 years ago built a church near the sites of the old Westland and Hicksite Quaker Meeting-houses at the postoffice formerly known as Garwood. The mem- bership is 100. The church is on the Bentleyville charge and has Rev. J. S. Allison as pastor.

Little Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church, (colored) was organized in 1844 with the first minister, Rev. Augustus R. Green. The meetings were held for the first six years in the house of Abraham Lowdrake. In 1850 a small log meeting-house was built. The con- gregation grew until this became too small, and serv- ices were held in a school building until 1881, when a frame church was built several miles northeast of Cen- terville village in which meetings are still held.

St. Thomas' Episcopal Church-The St. Thomas Con- gregation was called oftentimes the West's Church. The congregation was in existence as early as 1777. A log meeting-house was built on the Brownsville and Pitts- burg Road seven miles from Brownsville in 1791, the land being purchased from Edward West. The church was about on the line between East and West Pike Run

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Townships. Several other denominations at times wor- shiped in this church. The first minister of the congre- gation was Rev. Robert Ayers. The church was re- modeled about the year 1821, but it, together with the burial place, has long ago fallen into ruins, the member- ship having died out.

Pike Run Quaker Meeting-house-In 1797 John Samms sold 414 acres of land to the Quakers or Friends about seven miles west of Brownsville and near the present . National Pike, upon which was soon built a frame church, if indeed the meeting-house had not been there before. The first preachers were David and Ruth Graves. The Quaker Church later separated on account of dissension, into the Hicksite and Orthodox Quakers. The latter branch continued to hold services in the old church while the Hicksites built a new church for them- selves a short distance from the other building. A graveyard was used jointly by the congregations. The Quakers prohibited the use of tombstones and the earliest occupants of the graves are now unnamed and unknown.

On May 7, 1858, both branches of the church having

ceased as an organization, the Pike Run Meeting-house and lot with its appurtenances was sold to Samuel D. Price by Jesse Kenworthy, Jonathan Knight and Joseph H. Miller, trustees specially appointed by the Orthodox branch of Quakers. As the deed to Price did not appear to be authorized by the Hicksite branch of the Quakers an act of the Legislature was passed April 1, 1863, authorizing Peter Cleaver, Ellis Lilly, Josiah Johns, Eli R. Griffith and Joseph H. Miller "the representatives of the two divisions of the Society of Friends" to sell and convey the West Pike Run Meeting-house lot. These trustees conveyed the lot, etc., to Price in 1863. The building was occupied for a time as a dwelling by Mrs. Ann Gregg. It was torn down many years ago.

One of the most striking sights in this vicinity is an obelisk of about 60 feet in heighth in the Taylor Ceme- tery, erected according to the will of James S. Mc- Cutcheon in 1905 at a cost of $20,000. This exhibition of vanity or display is in great contrast with the un- marked graves of the many Quakers in this township not far distant.

CHAPTER XXXII.

BOROUGHS.

History of Beallsville, Bentleyville and Burgettstown Boroughs.

BEALLSVILLE.

The site of the present borough of Beallsville was settled upon originally by Robert Thornton in the year 1774. The tract of land was sold to Zephaniah Beall and surveyed for him in 1785 under the title "Clear Drinking." Parts of the land were afterward con- veyed to Zeph H. Beall, his son, Christian Kreider and George Jackson. These four proprietors had the town laid out by the celebrated surveyor, Jonathan Knight, in 1819 and held a lot sale. Beallsville was incorporated into a borough February 16, 1852.

Beallsville is situated on the National Pike 15 miles southeast of Washington and nine miles northwest of Brownsville, between West Pike Run Township and Deemston Borough. The borough includes a consider- able area of the farming land surrounding the village. This land is underlaid richly with gas and coal, and the prices now asked and those obtained at recent sales of coal would have been scoffed at ten years ago as wildly unreasonable.

The population of Beallsville in 1870 was 410. The census of 1890 gave it as 360 and of 1900 at 388. In 1905 it was estimated at 590. In 1855 the number of voters in Beallsville was 69; in 1904, 119, and in 1908, 121.

The number of taxables at present is 141; the real estate value, $582,165; personal property value, $19,835. The borough tax for 1908 was 2 mills.

The largest producing gas field in the southeastern part of Washington County is the Zollarsville gas field between Beallsville, Zollarsville and Deemston. Gas is found in the Elizabeth, Bayard and Gantz sands. The field is operated by the Monongahela Natural Gas Com- pany, the Philadelphia Company, the Carnegie Natural Gas Company, the Greensboro Natural Gas Company and the Manufacturers' Light and Heat Company. Oil has been struck in several wells southwest of Beallsville.

The most of the coal in the borough is owned by the Vesta Coal Company.

Beallsville is connected with Bentleyville by a fine Flinn Road constructed by the county in 1904.

The Beallsville Road constructed by the State in 1907 was contracted for by N. C. Hunter. The length is 8,359 feet, width of stone 14 to 16 feet, width of grad- ing 26 feet, engineering cost $966.40, construction cost $17,453.91.

Beallsville is situated on what was once the greatest thoroughfare of the country. At present it is not reached by any railroad or trolley, but the coal firm, C. Jutte & Co., lately bought out by the Hector Coke Company, have made surveys of a new route from Coal Center on the river to their immense coal field east of Beallsville.

A street car line has been considered to connect Wash- ington with Brownsville, the route following the Na- tional Pike through Beallsville.

At the time the town was laid out, in 1819, a tavern was conducted by one of the proprietors, Christian Kreider. In 1821 Thomas Stewart kept tavern in a log house. In the same year Thomas G. Norfolk kept an inn called the "Beallsville Sun," in a brick house, the first brick building in the village, erected by Joseph Mills. Previous to 1840 there was a tavern on the north side of the east end of Beallsville kept by Andrew Keys. After this date the inn keepers at this hostelry were Thomas Keys, Robert Cluggage, James Dennison, Moses Bennington and Charles Guttery.

In the center of Beallsville on the south or west side of the road William Greenfield kept a famous tavern.

In 1830 Charley Miller opened a tavern in a brick house on the corner opposite Greenfield's. It was after- ward kept by Mrs. Chambers, Benjamin Demon, Moses Bennington, and in 1855 it was known as M. Mitchell's tavern and later as Charles Guttery's.

Two years after the laying out of the town or in the year 1821 the village of Beallsville contained a tavern, four dwellings, a store and a blacksmith shop.

In 1870 there were two hotels, four stores, two gro-

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ceries, two tailors, a saddle and harness-maker's shop, blacksmith shop, wagon-maker shop, marble factory, a shoemaker, M. E. Church, Masonic Hall and a school- house.

The present town of Beallsville had a population of about 600 persons. It is the largest rural town in the eastern end of the county, it being larger than either of the villages of Scenery Hill or Centerville.

The Home Mutual and Bell Telephone, Western Union Telegraph and the Manufacturers' Light and Heat Com- panies operate at Beallsville. The National Hotel is owned by George Hinton. J. Madison Miller, Esq., has conducted a private banking business here under his own immediate supervision for 37 years.

Dr. James Mitchell opened a medical shop near the site of Beallsville in 1809. Dr. Thomas H. Fowler was one of the first physicians in the village. Drs. William L. Wilson, Mr. Willis, Mr. Alburson, L. H. Tombaugh, James Sargent and T. P. Hasson have practiced medi- cine at Beallsville at different times. The present resi- dent physicians are Drs. L. D. Sargent and H. R. Frye.

In 1855 Beallsville had two schools and 91 scholars. In 1870 the number of schools was the same with 95 pupils enrolled. At present Beallsville Borough has a fine large brick school building built in 1896. The build- ing contains three schools. Three teachers are em- ployed, (males 2, females 1) ; pupils enrolled, 93; aver- age number of months taught, 7; average salary of teach- ers, males $60.00 per month, females $50.00; cost of each pupil per month, $2.80; number of mills on the dollar levied for school purposes, 2; estimated value of school property, $6,000.

Beallsville Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1872 and a brick church erected. A parsonage is owned by the congregation. The Beallsville charge em- braces Taylors, Centerville and Beallsville congregations. The membership of the Beallsville charge is 275 and of the congregation is 100. Rev. O. B. Patterson is pastor.

Cumberland Presbyterian Church-The Cumberland Presbyterian denomination some time before 1870 had an organization and a brick church at Beallsville. A frame church has since been built. The denomination of the church was changed to Presbyterian a short time since by a vote of the congregation. The membership of the church is 92. The congregation has no settled pastor at present.

A Presbyterian Church building was erected on the south side of the Pike in the eastern end of the village prior to 1855, but the organization ceased and the prop- erty was sold to the Free Masons.

Beallsville Lodge No. 832, I. O. O. F., was instituted March 4, 1873. The present membership is 66.

Chandler Lodge No. 237, F. & A. M., was originally located in Washington and chartered March 5, 1849. It was subsequently removed to Beallsville. The Ma- sonic Lodge of Beallsville has 116 members.

BENTLEYVILLE.

The tract of land on which the borough of Bentley- ville is situated was formerly included in Somerset Town- ship. It was purchased by Sheshbazzar (or Sashbegor) Bentley in 1777. His son Sheshbazzar plotted out the town in 1816. In later years additions were made by J. B. Piersol, J. G. McCormick, Roy J. Waychoff and Rev. I. Abromaitis. The borough is located 15 miles southeast of Washington by public road and 10.3 miles from Monongahela City by rail. It was incorporated into a borough May 20, 1868. One of the men most in- strumental in its organization and most prominent in this part of the county was John W. Stephens, afterwards known as Hon. J. W. Stevens, who was one of the first members of the Republican party, draft commissioner for Washington County during the Civil War, and member of the State House of Representatives.

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History of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens 20th century, Part 69

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

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