Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 105

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 930

USA > Pennsylvania > Indiana County > Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I > Part 105

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The assessor's book for 1913 shows the following in Smicksburg borough: Number and value of horses assessed, 28-$1,475; number and value of cows assessed, 21-$515; taxables, 104; taxable real estate, $33,665; money at interest, $18,057.20; cost of assess-

CHAPTER XXXVIII

MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP-CHERRYTREE BOROUGH

Montgomery township, named for John south to what is now "Mason and Dixon's Line," and from there east along this line to the point of beginning. This procured what is now twenty counties, viz .: Union, Snyder, Juniata, Perry, Cumberland, York, Adams, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Cen- ter, Blair, Cambria, Bedford, Somerset, West- moreland, Fayette, Greene and Washington, and parts of seven others, Beaver, Allegheny, Armstrong, Indiana, Clearfield, Clinton and Lycoming. Montgomery, an early settler of Conemaugh township, a Revolutionary soldier, who owned much land in what is now Montgomery, was formed from Mahoning township in 1834. Containing about thirty square miles, it is situated in the northeastern part of Indiana county, and had a population of 3,382 in 1910. It is bounded by Banks township on the north, Clearfield county on the east, Green township on the south, and Grant township on the west. The southern boundary line of Montgomery The western part of Montgomery township is traversed by the watershed dividing the Mississippi valley from the Atlantic slope, with an altitude of 1,700 feet, and the princi- pal streams of the township are Cush creek, Rock run and Shryock, all flowing east into the Susquehanna. This latter stream was named for Henry Shryock, who made the first improvements on the site of Indiana bor- ough, and in 1818 got lost in the dense forests of the eastern part of the county, being found near the stream which bears his name. township is the famous Penn's "Purchase Line," so called, not because William Penn himself had ever been along this line, but be- cause of his being one of the proprietors who purchased certain lands from the Indians his name was used in connection therewith. This line, extending north of west across Indiana county and the eastern part of Armstrong county, was a part of the northern boundary of a purchase from the Indians by the pro- prietaries of the Pennsylvania Colony in the latter part of the seventeenth or early part of From 1840 to about 1890 the lumbering of white pine was a prominent industry in this part of Indiana county, the timber being re- moved from these lands in Montgomery, Banks and Green townships mostly in the form of square timber, the "sticks" being about fifteen to twenty inches square and from thirty to eighty feet long, containing from fifty to one hundred and fifty cubic feet -square timber being then made, hauled, rafted and sold by the cubic foot. The "sticks" were usually made in the fall of the year and winter, being hauled on the snow to the river, where they was fastened together in "half rafts" or "pups" until they reached "the mountains," when two of these "half rafts" were lashed together and the raft floated to market, at Marietta, Pa., until Lock Haven became the great square timber mar- ket, as it remained from that time while this industry lasted. A raft contained about 8,000 cubic feet and was sold at market for from the eighteenth century. It should not be con- fused with that purchase or treaty of Fort Stanwix, New York, in 1768, or "Walking Purchase," which procured the northern part of Pennsylvania, but from authentic Colonial history William Penn's "Purchase Line" forms a part of the northern boundary of the southern and western section of Pennsylvania, bounded as follows: Beginning at a point on the Susquehanna river, now the famous "Mason and Dixon's Line," the surveyors were to ascend the Susquehanna to the West Branch thereof and as far up this branch as they could push a canoe, which point was named "Canoe Place," now Cherrytree. From this point they were to travel north of west to a fort on the Allegheny river, now Kittanning, this latter mete being the "Pur- chase Line," thence down the Allegheny river to its junction with the Monongahela and from there down the Ohio to an arbitrary point from which the line was to extend directly 12 to 24 cents a foot, amounting to from

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

one thousand to two thousand dollars, out of which the making, hauling and rafting ex- penses would be paid, sometimes leaving the seller as little as $100 or $200 for his timber and his winter's work. Oak timber was fre- quently rafted with the pine and brought a better price. After a winter when there was not sufficient snow for hauling the timber to the river, or not enough water in the spring freshet to float it to market, there were hard times for the next year or until "after raft- ing," as about the only income was the timber money. It is safe to say that a raft of pine timber such as brought in the market one thousand dollars in those times would be worth almost twice as much were it standing timber here to-day, to say nothing of the ex- pense and uncertainty of marketing in those days.

All these lumber operations were supplied with dressed pork, beef, grain, and feed from the farmers in the county, west as far as In- diana and Marion Center, who hauled such provisions to "the river," which meant any- where in this locality, where good prices were readily obtained. There was little cleared land here and the inhabitants were busy lum- bering, hence could not produce enough farm commodities for their own use. The writer well remembers that as late as 1880 in this township a hemlock tree had little or no value, but was an encumbrance. But it was less than five years from that time until both hemlock lumber and bark were valuable.

The largest, straightest and best pine tim- ber was made into spars; as much as $50 would be paid for a single spar, on the stump. They were hewed round and used for masts on ocean-going vessels (whose masts are now made of structural steel). These being much larger and heavier than the square timber, it required a special spar sled with a great con- cave bolster and as many as from six to twelve teams to haul one spar to the river. Spars were in length from 50 to 100 feet, from 18 to 30 inches in diameter at the smaller end, and from 24 to 46 inches in diameter 12 feet from the larger end; this latter diameter, to- gether with the length, fixing the value of the spar. A spar was made with an "eye"-a hole chopped through a tenon, as broad as the diameter of the spar at each end-by which it was chained to the sled, and the chain having a swivel the spar could easily revolve without upsetting the sled; to the "eye" of the other end of the spar would be tied by a bowline knot one or two hundred feet of strong sea grass cable with which the

spar would be "snubbed" down a hill to pre- vent its running onto the teams and men. At the brow of a hill the "snubber" would throw a coil or two of cable in a loop, over a stump, and by letting the rope render through the loop, the spar would be held in check. If the "snubber" failed to throw the "hitch" there was only one thing to do, and that was to whip up the teams and keep them out of the way of the spar.

During the last twenty-five years of the white pine lumbering in this locality much of the timber was cut into saw logs and floated to Williamsport, as was also the hemlock and other woods from 1880 to about 1900. Splash dams were built in the creeks and the logs were floated to the river. Great booms were constructed at Williamsport to catch and hold the logs. The timber was usually sold on the stump, or delivered afloat into the creeks or river. Away out in the forests logging camps were built-always called "log camps"- where as many as one hundred men would be employed in cutting and "stocking" saw logs, and many were the tricks played on the nov- ice. A "new man" would come to camp seek- ing employment, and if he were successful in getting work he would be initiated. For in- stance : A "greenie" came to camp and was "employed" by some of the men, not a pro- prietor or boss, and was sent to a neighboring camp a distance of several miles for the "cross-haul." There being no such thing, someone at the latter place who was posted gave the new man a skid or piece of a log to carry back, and when the men at the camp from which he was sent on such a fool's er- rand jumped around, laughed and yelled, the novice decided to leave, which he did, and wasn't seen there afterwards. The first log camp in all eastern Indiana county was that of Bard & Cassiday, on Cush creek, where Arcadia row is. Many employed in this camp came from away down east in Maine and from Nova Scotia. They were rough but good- hearted men, and when one of them met death by accident or disease the doctor's bill and funeral expenses were paid by his fellows. These logmen brought into this community logging tools never before seen and many terms and words never before heard, such as pike, canthook, grab, chute, jam, shoecalks, logmen 's flannel, peeling axe, scaler, scratcher, cookee, lobby, stumpage, hay-road, Lehigh, skidway, drive, L-hook, boom-seale, calk-set and many others.

Before logging began here there was much sawed lumber hauled to Indiana (to "town,"

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IHISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

it was then called) on wagons, a distance of from fifteen to twenty-five miles, and dry pine boards that would be worth $50 per thousand to-day were sold for $15. It took two days at least to make the round trip, and in exchange for lumber were brought back groceries, salt, clothing, boots, shoes, farm implements and tools.

There are nine churches in the township, outside Cherrytree borough : Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic and Presbyterian in Arcadia ; Wesleyan Methodist and Methodist Protestant at Hillsdale (the bell now on the M. P. Church is the old courthouse bell of Indiana town, having been sold to the church here when the present courthouse was built) ; Wes- leyan Methodist at Brickell schoolhouse, be- tween Wilgus and Gipsy; Union Church at Gipsy; Union Church at Bowdertown; Metho- dist Protestant at Hazlett schoolhouse, and Pine Grove Wesleyan Methodist Church, in process of construction, at Cush Creek.

There are eleven school buildings in the township, viz .: Arcadia, Gipsy, Hillsdale, Hazlett, Irwin, Harter, Clark, Rock Run, Hooverhurst, Brickell and Blose.

Among the early families in the township there are the following prominent names: Notley, Hazlett, Crossman, Trimble, Clark, Rank, Bostic, Armstrong, Bowder, Cooper, Gardner, Bennett, Spicher, Barbour, Conner, Powell, Kerr, Johnson, McCrady, Bartle- baugh, Lowman, Gressley, Hileman, Gorman, Henry, Irwin, Blose, Sawyer, Billings, Sterner, Mccullough, Ruffner, Tonkin, Getty, Smith, Hamilton, Ake, O'Harrah, Rankin, Miller, Hess, Ripple, Thomas.

The towns in this township are Cherrytree, Arcadia, Hillsdale, Gipsy, Wilgus, Hoover- hurst, Cush Creek and Bowdertown. Of these Cherrytree, Arcadia, Hillsdale, Gipsy and Wilgus are postoffices.

Hillsdale is an unincorporated village sit- uated just east of the crest of the dividing ridge, in the southwestern part of the town- ship, and at this writing is a little more than half a century old.

In 1838 the "New State Road" was lo- cated from Curwensville, Clearfield county, to East Liberty, Allegheny county, and the village was started along this highway. Not long after its beginning, about 1851, George Goss, Hugh R. Rankin, John Gromley and Jacob G. Ake owned the land which is now the site of this village, three hundred acres of which, now embraced in the A. C. Rankin and J. D. Ake farms, were bought by Hugh R. Rankin's father, William, for the sum of

three hundred dollars in fee simple, or one dollar per acre. In addition to those named, among the first settlers in the neighborhood were William Thompson (for whom Thomp- son cemetery was named and in which he is buried), John Powell and Jacob Fridley.

The first building was the store of George Conrath ("Coonrod") erected in 1849, lo- cated near what is now the A. C. Rankin homestead.

About 1851 there was a meeting of the land owners to decide upon a name for the place, and after Aaronsville and Watertown (on ac- count of the many springs and small streams in the vicinity) and other names were pro- posed "Monterey" was selected, and the town bore this name for a short time, until Hills- dale post office, established at the residence of Daniel Hill, a mile north of the present town site, on what is now the Sylvester McMillen farm, was moved to the village. Mail was then received twice a week, being carried through this place on horseback, from New- man's Mill (Cherrytree) to Georgeville. The first postmaster was Daniel Hill, who was appointed under James Buchanan's adminis- tration. Mr. ITill served two years and re- signed in favor of M. C. Getty, who served until 1873, when M. P. Churchill was ap- pointed under U. S. Grant's administration. Mr. Churchill has served continuously (thirty-six years) since that time except for one term of four years when John Mun- shower was postmaster.

Among the early settlers of the town in addition to those named were Henry H. Ruff- ner, who erected more buildings than any other settler; Paul and Jacob White; Samuel Pittman ; Henry Gromley; D. M. Ruffner, who built what is now the "Boucher Hotel"; J. H. Brilhart; Andrew Donahue; Dr. John W. Crooks, who practiced his profession in the vicinity about three years from 1857 and made himself famons by killing a bear in a pine thicket back of what is now the M. P. Church ; and Peter Beer, the "barn builder," noted for his great strength. Reliable men have told of his gripping with his hands the under part of joists in a building and carry- ing his 210 pounds' weight in this way the entire length of the building.

There have been three school buildings, and some of the teachers were Martin Arm- strong, Hezekiah Long, James Dunwiddie, Kate Hugus, Mary Hamilton, Emma Wood, Dr. Lydic, John and Michael Rankin, Robert Huey, J. P. Lytle, Silas Thompson, Hon. J.

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IIISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

N. Langham, John L. Getty, Esq., Charles hotels, but on account of the strong Prohibi- Fiddle, S. K. Rank.

Arcadia, a typical mining town and unin- corporated, situated very nearly in the center of Montgomery township on the south branch of Cush creek, was started about the year 1900 by what is now the Pennsylvania Coal & Coke Company, and was reached by the Pittsburg & Eastern railroad, extending from Mahaffey, Pa., up to this coal field, a dis- tance of twelve miles, but this road was later taken over by the New York Central & Hud- son River Railroad Company, and this town is on a six-mile spur from Dowler Junction, on the railroad from Clearfield to Heilwood.

The population is about 1,200, and there are three church buildings, two large coal company stores, meat markets, livery stable, U. M. W. A., hall in which the township elec- tions are held, hardware store, several general stores; and there is at the present time in course of construction a modern office build- ing and a tile roof, brick power plant for the Pennsylvania Coal & Coke Company, A. O. Sommerville, superintendent, which has many mines in this locality, as has also the Els- worth-Dunham Company, both coal com- panies having many miners' houses and other properties and improvements in this vicinity.

The Pennsylvania Coal and Coke Corpo- ration has large holdings in Green, Grant, Montgomery and Pine townships. It operates extensively in Clearfield and Cambria coun- ties. Its principal mines in Indiana county are at Arcadia and Wilgus, there being three at the former place and one at the latter. There are 550 men employed in both places. The "E" seam of coal is the seam that is being mined. The average tonnage for the four mines is 2,000 tons per day. The coal is shipped over the New York Central rail- road and is disposed of to the manufacturing and railroad supply trade.

In 1902 there was a four-roomed school building erected here and in 1910 two addi- tional rooms were built. The principals of this school have been James Smith, E. E. Irwin, R. L. Gartley, John Camp, John Ran- kin, and W. C. MacFarland is the present principal.

Just below the town at the high creek bank there are several springs of brackish water, of which the deer were fond, and this was known as the Ashcraft lick, where many of the pioneer hunters came to find deer. The "Stone Lick" was above town on the creek where No. 11 slope now is.

The town formerly had three licensed

tion sentiment developing here there is only one hotel building at the present time, and it is not open to the public.

Gipsy .- This town of about 300 inhabitants is situated in the northwestern part of Mont- gomery township on the North Branch of Cush creek, four miles from Glen Campbell, and is surrounded by many bituminous mines, among which are those of the Hillsdale Coal & Coke Company, J. D. Ake, president, J. O. Clark, treasurer, with offices in Glen Camp- bell and Philadelphia; also Irish Brothers, with a large company store at Glen Camp- bell in which they have an office, and this company also has an office in Philadelphia. Both companies have miners' houses and other property in the vicinity. The coal is delivered to the New York Central & Hudson River railroad at Hooverhurst by the Hoover- hurst & Southwestern, a coal-carrying road extending up the creek to Wilgus.

Prior to 1885 there was no town here, but the land was covered with a very heavy growth of timber, principally hemlock, nearly all of which was subsequently logged and floated down Cush creek and the West Branch of the Susquehanna, to Williamsport. This neighborhood in which Gipsy is now lo- cated was known as Mark's school district. The school was then very small and among the early teachers were Misses Agnes Graham and Georgiana Martin, and Mrs. Emma Wil- son (nee Bostic). There is at this writing a two-room school building seated with single desks, the rooms being the best furnished in the township. At the beginning of the term in the fall of 1912 the school board found it necessary to establish another room; the ad- vanced pupils are being taught in a hall in the town.

There is one church edifice in town, Gipsy Union, but at the present time there are no regular services.

There are three large general stores, C. D. Lydie's, Frank Tiger's and G. M. Brady's. Prominently connected with the business of the town are the following: W. D. Hall, physician ; Thomas & Rairigh, undertakers ; Clarence Cassidy, meat market ; D. P. Spicher, grocery and bottling works; Albert Rairigh, pop and mineral waters; John Brilhart, black- smith; B. M. Smith, postmaster, and J. E. Ober, hotel.

The P. O. S. of A. meets Friday night each week in the Tiger lodge rooms, and the or- ganization seems to be in a flourishing condi-

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

tion. It has presented its own and other schools in the vicinity with flags.

The first election in Montgomery township was held at the house of James Black March 20, 1835, when the following officers were elected: Road supervisors, Samuel Brewer and John Armstrong; overseers of the poor, Samuel Miller and John Johnston; constable, Cornelius Gailey ; auditors, William Riddle, Adam Tiger, William Thurnburn.

The assessor's book for 1913 for Mont- gomery township shows the following: Num- ber and value of horses assessed, 354-$19,- 100; number and value of cows assessed, 349 -$15,218; taxables, 897: taxable real estate, $355,926; acres of cleared land, 13,960; acres of timberland, 5,031; money at interest, $63,308.53; cost of assessment, $91.56.

CHERRYTREE

Cherrytree borough was settled early in the nineteenth century by John Bartlebangh, Peter Gordon, Asa Croasmun, William Eason, Reeder King, Henry Sebring and others. Abner Bartlebaugh was the first male child born at this place, in 1830.

Joseph Williams had the first store in 1838; the first blacksmith was Jacob Hicks, 1837; the first hotel, Samuel Smith's, 1845; the first school teacher, Hugh Gallagher, 1831, in Rob- ert MeKeage's log store building ; the first ser- mon preached in Cherrytree was by John Kirkpatrick ; the first river bridge was built in 1848 ; the first raft was run down the river in 1827, by Josiah Woodford and Reeder King.

Monument Authorized .- An Act making an appropriation to mark with a permanent monument the point known as Cherrytree or Canoe Place.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Common- wealth of Pennsylvania in general assembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the author- ity of the same: That the sum of $1,500 or so much thereof as may be necessary, be, and the same is hereby, specifically appropriated to erect a monument, with appropriate and suitable inscriptions, marking the exact spot known as Canoe Place, being a point on the boundary of the purchase of Governor Penn from the Indians, the design of the monu- ment to be approved by, and the money ex- pended under the direction of, the board of public grounds and buildings of this Com- monwealth.

The said appropriation to be paid on the warrant of the auditor general upon a set- tlement made by him and the State treasurer upon the itemized vouchers duly certified to by the board of public grounds and build- ings.

Approved the 16th day of June, A. D. 1893. ROBERT E. PATTISON.

The foregoing is a true and correct copy of the Act of the General Assembly No. 337.

WM. F. HARRITY,

Secretary of Commonwealth.

The lower base of this monument measures 6 feet, 2 inches across corners, 5 feet, 4 inches between parallel sides, and is 1 foot, 2 inches high.

Cherrytree is just gaining considerable popularity and notoriety. It is located at the Each side and corner has rockface with margin lines dressed. junction of the counties of Indiana, Cambria and Clearfield, and derives its name from the Top to line of second base is fine hammered work. fact that its location, in Colonial times, and during the first half century of our State- Second base: 5 feet across corner, 4 feet, 4 inches between parallel sides, 1 foot high. hood, was marked by a huge wild cherry tree, which stood on the point of land in the forks Each corner has rockface panel with margin dressed, the balance of the stone being fine hammered work. of the Susquehanna river and Cush Cushion creek. This tree marked the point known as the "Canoe Place," being the head of canoe On one side is carved in relief a canoe. navigation at ordinary stage of water and Third base: 4 feet, 2 inches across corners, the place where the Indians customarily tied 3 feet, 8 inches between parallel sides, 9 inches their canoes. Subsequently the rush of the high. water in the streams cut a channel through Each corner has rockface panel with margin dressed. Balance of stone is fine hammered except face of letters, which are polished. this point of land and made a small island, upon which stood the cherry tree, and in the course of time, by the action of the currents, the banks of the island were washed out, the cherry tree was uprooted and carried away in the floods.

On one side is cut the name Clearfield, on another the name Cambria, and on the third the name Indiana-all in letters 4 inches long, raised 1/4 inch, polished on face.

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Die: 3 feet, 10 inches across corner, 3 feet, ductor" on the "underground" railroad, his 4 inches between parallel sides, 2 feet, 6 inches high.

Each pilaster has rockface panel with dressed margin.

The balance of the stone is fine hammered except the panels on each side, which are pol- ished with a fine hammered margin.

On this stone is cut in sunken letters an in- scription of abont 120 letters.

Cap : 4 feet, 2 inches across corners, 3 feet, 8 inches between parallel sides, 1 foot, 4 inches high-all of fine hammered work ex- cept the face of letters, "Erected 1894," which is polished ; these letters are on one side only, raised 14 inch, faces polished.

Tower: Circular in form, measures 2 feet, 4 inches in diameter at bottom, 14 feet, 2 inches high; 1 foot, 91% inches in diameter at top; is cut in ten horizontal sections, 1 foot, 5 inches high each. All is rockface work.

Neck: 2 feet, 1 inch in diameter, 6 inches high, all fine hammered.

Frieze : 1 foot, 9 inches in diameter; 1 foot, 1 inch high, fine hammered work.

Cap : 2 feet, 6 inches in diameter-all fine hammered work; is surmounted with a brass weather-vane, 2 feet high, firmly fastened to stone underneath.

Inscription

THIS MONUMENT Erected to Mark Canoe Place. The Corner of the Proprietaries Purchase From the Indians. By the Treaty at Fort Stanwix, N. Y., November 5, 1768.

The postoffice at Cherrytree was first Bards- ville, 1833, Richard Bard. postmaster; then Newman's Mill, Peter Newman, postmaster ; the next postmaster was James Mahaffey, and the office became Grant in 1867, which it re- mained until 1907, when it was changed to Cherrytree.

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Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 105

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 930

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 930