Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 109

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 109

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David Innyard often told of the Indians leaving the river, going in a northerly direc- tion in the morning and returning in the af- ternoon of the same day, loaded with lead ore, rich enough to melt out and run into bullets. They would neither tell where they got it, nor allow any of the few whites to go with them. About 1829 there was considerable search made for the lead along the east side of the Chestnut Ridge on the strength of this report, but lead was not then nor has it since been found. Not long after the pioneers already named had come to the river, Peter Dike, a Pennsylvania German and an eccentric char- acter, with a few associates settled near the foot of Chestnut Ridge. For a time they were unmolested by their red neighbors, but during the Revolutionary war the Indians became their inveterate enemies. The settlers there- fore joined their neighbors on the river, and together with those on Tub Mill creek they built a most formidable blockhouse on what was then called the "Indian farm," which derived its name from David Innyard, who first improved it, and his many Indian neigh- bors.

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to last for a long siege when they should be back met them and placed the boys on the attacked by a large body of their foes. The horse while he, with rifle in hand, walked be- blockhouse was about 50 feet long and 16 feet wide at the foundation and was constructed of the straightest unhewn logs of the same length that could be found. The logs averaged in thickness about a foot at the top or smaller end. The walls were built perpendicularly to about the height of a man's breast and were notched down tightly. The upper log of this perpendicular wall was notched its whole length, the notches being 20 inches apart. The log immediately below it was notched, too, at distances to correspond to the upper log turned down so that notch came to notch, forming portholes of sufficient size to admit the muzzle of a rifle with the sight clear. The logs on the next round were notched down tightly at the corners and all pushed out half their thickness, and each succeeding round up to the square was treated in the same manner, so that it would have been an impossibility for an Indian or even a panther to have scaled the walls and come in through the roof. The whole weight of the body would have been forced to be supported by the hands or claws, with nothing to which to eling but the scaly bark of the logs.

On one occasion there was an alarm of Indians and all had crowded into the block- house. The rule was that boys over twelve years of age should take their regular turn as sentinels along with the men. The night came for John Bennett to take his position as watchman, a little past his twelfth birthday. Some time before daylight he imagined he saw an Indian crawling on his hands and feet to- wards him, with the intention of springing suddenly upon him with his tomahawk. The lad leveled his rifle and fired away at his Indian. At the alarm all the sentinels rushed to the portholes with rifles ready charged. The drums were beaten and the entire force was placed in position to repulse the enemy when the attack should be made. Daylight came and Davie Innyard's brood sow, the first emi- grant of her kind, was found where John shot the "Injun" with a bullet hole through her brain.

fore them until they reached their home. Here they found the family ready to start to Pal- mer's Fort, about five miles distant. The , woman was near to David Innyard's little im- provement when a bullet from an Indian rifle passed through her clothes without injuring her. She made her escape to Innyard's, whose house stood not more than fifty yards from where Samuel Alexander now lives.

The old foundation of Bennett's house, but a few rods above where "Hedge's Sawmill" stood, was dug up, or perhaps buried under the towpath of the old canal. Neal Dougherty lived on the property afterwards occupied by William Martin. David Brown's farm was on the site of New Florence. James Clark's homestead was near the site of the old Clark mill. Billy Woods lived on the old Milliron farm afterwards occupied by Tobias Hull. All of these, with Peter Dike, his colony and the Tub Mill settlement, on this alarm, fled to the fort for safety. It was now at the season of the year that their corn required to be tilled. The women and the children remained in the fort. A portion of the men turned out as scouts, and the remainder, with the boys, con- tinued day after day to start in the morning with their horses and their rifles as soon as it was light enough to see an Indian, and went to the river, where they plowed and hoed corn until evening. They always left their work in time to arrive at the fort before it became dark.

Some of the patents for land on this part of the river date back to 1774, and the de- scendants of many of these early patentees yet retain the land of their ancestors. Within the past century David Reed and a few others whose names we were unable to ascertain, were soldiers in General Lee's army and were sent by President Washington into Westmoreland county to regulate the Whis- key Insurrection. Reed and some of his comrades requested and received their dis- charge without returning to the East. Of these soldiers, Reed was the only one who On another occasion John and his brother William, younger than himself, were in the woods hunting their cows, and there met a neighbor woman. . They had proceeded but a made a permanent settlement in what is now West Wheatfield township. After building a cabin and clearing some ground, he employed Davie Innyard to make further improvements and gave him his cabin in which to live. He short distance from where they met her when then built the first hewed log house in the they heard a shot some distance behind them. township with a shingle roof and a stone chim- They were not alarmed, supposing it to be a ney. He then returned to Franklin county white hunter shooting at a deer, but before and married Elizabeth Mitchell, a cousin of the they found their cows their father on horse- noted Dr. Robert Mitchell, of abolition fame.

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

He returned with his wife and had lived about made a very palatable dish for a hungry boy. eighteen months in his new house when it For a change they had barley prepared in was robbed and set on fire, during their absence at their sugar camp. The fire was discovered from the top of the river hill on the Westmoreland side, by Rev. James Wake- field, a local Methodist Episcopal minister. He hastened with all speed, dashed his horse through the river, and arrived only in time to see that it was the work of incendiarism. At first he supposed the occupants had been taken prisoners, and that his own life and liberty were in danger, but he hoped for their safety, and soon found them busily engaged in boiling sugar, ignorant of the fact that they were destitute of the means of procuring a loaf of bread other than by the charity of their neighbors. None of these had anything to spare, and a majority of them had not even bread enough for their own families. Pack- horses were immediately started out and as soon as Reed could arrange for the keeping of his live stock he left his wife at Mr. Me- Guire's and followed with his own horses. Instead of overtaking the horses first started, he met his father with ten of his horses laden with beds, bedding and other necessaries for housekeeping, and then the horses he had sent laden with flour. His father told him to go on over the mountains and pack what he could bring and he and the man with him would go and take care of his wife and stock until his return. When he got back he found his wife very comfortably situated in Davie Innyard's cabin, the latter having left some time previously. They remained in this cabin until their new one was partly finished, remov- ing to accommodate Isaiah Van Horn, who had arrived with a large family from east of the mountains. The latter, the Works, Ma- bons, Bradys, Hendricks, Hales and many others removed from this part of the valley early in the century and located in the north- ern part of the county. These families de- serve more than a limited notice. Among their offspring are Gov. Thomas A. Hendricks, of Indiana, Hon. Robert T. Van Horn, of Missouri, and others who became noted men and women.

The first settlers were put to great incon- venience in getting their grain ground into meal and flour. There were very early mills, but on account of drought or other causes they were often idle. Nearly every family had a hominy block. From a gallon to a peck of parched corn could be pounded at a time and soon reduced to mush meal of rather coarse quality, but which with good rich milk

the same way, and with wild turkey, fresh venison or gray rabbit it made a dish fit for a king. Fish were abundant in all the streams. Pike, sturgeon, catfish and buffalo fish weigh- ing from fifteen to twenty-five pounds were often caught, and the pike and sturgeon some- times as heavy as thirty-five pounds. Bass, salmon, redfins, white suckers and high-backs were caught in baskets in great quantities. The smaller streams having their fountains in the rocky ridges were alive with speckled trout. Wild fruits such as plums, grapes, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, mul- berries and June berries were abundant, and these for delicious flavor and prolific bearing have never been surpassed by anything yet imported and cultivated in this section.

At an early date Ben Carson made an un- successful attempt to obtain various tracts of land by what were called "Improvement Rights." He cleared a small patch, gathered a few stones into heaps, and planted apple and peach seeds on the bank a few rods west of Ephraim Wallace's spring. He made an- other improvement of a like nature at a spring on the south side of the same farm. Apple and peach trees from these seeds were mixed in with a thick growth of forest timber, and bore until they were over fifty years old. Some of the apple trees continued to bear until they were over a hundred years old. Another of Ben's improvements was located on the top of "Coal Hill," where he girdled all the trees on about ten acres of as rich soil as any in the township. This tract is now owned by John Robinson, son of Andrew Robinson. This portion of Coal Hill was known as "Carson's Deadening," until im- proved by Andrew Robinson and the Reed heirs.

The territory now comprising the two Wheatfields was at an early date occupied by three different nationalities. Along the river the early settlers were mainly Scotch, and the settlement was called Scotland. The northeast part was inhabited by the Scotch- Irish and was called Ireland. The center of West Wheatfield was settled by the Pennsyl- vania Germans and was, as it is yet, called Germany.

Garfield (Robinson P. O.), the largest town in West Wheatfield township, was started about 1880. It is located in the valley of the Conemaugh river opposite Bolivar, on the Pennsylvania railroad. It was named in honor of President Garfield. The postoffice is called

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Robinson in honor of Mr. Robinson, who se- cured the office. The postmaster at present is dents of West Wheatfield township: A. W. John W. Huston.

The Garfield Fire Clay Company, manu- facturers of clay products, whose plant is at Garfield, is the leading industrial establish- meut in that vicinity. The company mauu- factures high-grade firebrick tile and coke oven supplies, stove linings, and locomotive tile specialties. In 1905 the business was in- corporated, the brick works and real estate interests becoming the Garfield Fire Clay Com- pany, and the store the Robinson Company. The works of the company and a part of the village of Garfield are located on the farm owned by the heirs of Elliott Robinson.

This tract contained 425 acres of land and was called "poplar bottom," on account of the large number of poplar trees growing on it.

The following are among the oldest resi-

Altimus and wife, Joseph Brendlinger and wife, James Hall and wife, A. D. Lichtenfels and wife, Thomas Brendlinger, Henry Ful- comer, Samuel Fulcomer, John W. Houston, Samuel H. Jamison, Casper Leibold, John Lichtenfels, Michael Mack and wife, C. W. Sutton and wife, William Uncapher and wife, T. L. Dick and wife, Oliver Bracken, Ephraim Robinson and wife, J. T. Southwell, Ephraim Wallace, I. W. Alcorn and wife, G. W. Cribbs and wife, T. C. Dias and wife, William M. Palmer, Edward Clause, Samuel Felton and wife, I. D. Luther, John W. Wagner and wife.

The first election in West Wheatfield was held June 1, 1860, when the following officers were elected : Judge, William Campbell; inspectors, Matthew Wilson and Jeremiah Wakefield; assessor, George Graham ; auditors,

West Wheatfield has furnished the follow- James Wakefield, George Mabon, John Alcorn ; ing professional men and women: Ministers- constable, Thomas F. Wakefield; supervisors, George Bowers and Robert Dick; overseers of the poor, William Reynolds and John Campbell ; school directors, Hugh M. Graham, William Reynolds, James McFarland, John Alcorn, Jeremiah Wakefield, Archibald Mc- Curdey; township clerk, George Gamble; treasurer, W. B. Haskinson ; election officers- judge, Israel Doty ; inspectors, Peter Mikesell and Jacob Gamble. Daniel McLane, United Presbyterian, de- ceased ; Alexander B. Dickie, United Presby- terian ; Jeremiah Wakefield, Methodist Episco- pal; Scott Winebrenner, Methodist Episcopal, Los Angeles, Cal .; Winfield Haskinson, Lu- theran; Annie Reynolds, Methodist Episco- pal; Robert B. Bowser, Brethren, Robinson, Pa.' Physicians-J. G. Campbell, deceased ; J. C. Wakefield, Vinco, Pa .; John Palmer; Edward Dickie, Homer City, Pa .; William The assessor's book for 1913 shows the fol- lowing in West Wheatfield township: Num- ber and value of horses assessed, 252-$8,923; number and value of cows assessed, 327- $4,638; taxables, 551; taxable real estate, $327,801; acres of cleared land, 11,426; acres of timber land, 8,170; money at interest, $66,222.15; cost of assessment, $86.50. Johns, Brushvalley, Pa .; Ray Alexander, Boli- var, Pa .; and Amy Haskinson-Owens, Europe. Attorneys-W. N. Liggett, Indiana, Pa .; and J. N. Huston, Pittsburg, Pa. Teachers-Frank P. Davison, of California; J. F. St. Clair, New Florence, Pa .; Jay Bowser, Altoona, Pa .; Jerry St. Clair, Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

CHAPTER XLIV

WHITE TOWNSHIP

White township was formed three miles by James McCracken in the borough of Indi- around the borough of Indiana, in 1843. It ana, and subsequently removed his family to was named for Judge Thomas White, and is his improvement. They were driven away by composed of parts of Center, Washington, the Indians and returned about 1790. At this time they settled on the Major Ramsey tract, afterwards occupied by James Hood. He afterwards moved to the farm owned by Gawin Adams McClain, a grandson. Green and Armstrong townships. Its pioneers are shown in the sketches of the Moorheads, Kelly and Thompson, and others, in previous chapters. Much interesting matter is written in connection with the history of Indiana, Thomas Wiggins located in White township and the reader is referred to those articles prior to 1800. He made the first improvement for valuable data in relation to this portion of the county.

George Trimble, about the time of the sec- ond removal of the Moorheads to their former settlement, located near the site of the old brickyard or the Reeder distillery, near Indi- ana. From this place he was driven away by the Indians, being either obliged to reside in the Moorhead blockhouse or to migrate to his former home. He remained away seven years. In 1796 he removed to the farm after- wards occupied by William Ray. In the same season, and prior to his removal, his son Sam- uel attended a school taught in an old log building at this place; the schoolhouse was situated on a cross road from Mahoning road to the pike, about a fourth of a mile south of the new State road. This Samuel Trimble served as county commissioner, county audi- tor and justice of the peace. The George Trimble homestead was warranted to James Ramsey in 1784. It was patented to the lat- ter in 1795, and was called "St. James."

James Thompson located on the Clark D. Thompson farm, White township, as one of the companions of the Moorheads. Rev. James McClain settled here about 1801 ; for five years he was a Presbyterian missionary in the South. Blaney Adair located on the Hiram St. Clair tract of land in 1803. Gawin Adams was born at what is now "Potterfield's Mill," White township, in 1819; he was a son of James Adams. His father, Gawin Adams, migrated to Indiana county some years prior to the Revolntion. He erected his first cabin building. near the spring on the lot afterwards occupied

on the Robert Wiggins homestead about 1814. John Agey located in the township in 1810. The Agey coal bank in this township, situated about a half mile above Upper Twolick, exhib- its a 6-foot vein of good coal. It is self drain- ing. Such strata underlie all the land in this vicinity. James St. Clair in 1809 settled on the Capt. Daniel MeFarland farm in Brush- valley township and in 1816 settled in White township on the farm afterwards occupied by George Coltebaugh. He was the father of Dr. Thomas St. Clair, of Indiana, Pa., one of the most widely known and successful phy- sicians of his day. "John Wilson settled on the Arthur Sutton farm in White township in 1795. Frederick Wegley kept a general store in Fairview at the point on the Shelocta and Indiana roads. He engaged in merchan- dising and buying grain. The store was opened in 1875.

THE OLD STONE FORT

The old farm upon which Fergus Moorhead settled in White township was purchased in 1909 by Mr. E. B. Campbell, of Indiana, Pa. The place has come into progressive hands and has been improved regardless of cost. The old stone fort, 16 by 24 feet, is still stand- ing in a good state of preservation and is used by the owner as a tool house. The walls of the cellar under this stone building are 24 inches thick and the old chimney, 5 by 10 feet, extends from the bottom to the top of the

This farm of ninety aeres upon which the

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Indians camped and had their war dances is in a good state of cultivation, having been re- cently well limed and five miles of under- ground ditch and one of open ditch con- structed. The buildings are new and modern in every respect. The dwelling house, 28 by 34 feet, is a handsome brick structure with all modern conveniences. The new bank barn, 50 by 150 feet, is tastefully painted and sup- plied with modern conveniences also. The pigpen and spring house are built of brick and conveniently arranged. The brick power house was built for the convenience of the home.

On the five acres left in woods are built a seven-room bungalow, a swimming pool and a tennis court. All the buildings on the farm are lighted with electricity and have the best of water in abundance.

Mr. Campbell has spent at least $15,000 in improvements on this farm for his own enjoy- ment and that of his friends, whom he delights to entertain in this home. It is an ideal place to go when you are tired and wish to enjoy the music of the birds, the shade of the forest, lawn tennis, or a bath in the beau- tiful sparkling waters where the sun shines so radiantly-all these in a quiet way which not only gives rest to the body but peace to the mind.

The Indiana Land & Improvement Com- pany, with principal office in Philadelphia, has large holdings in White, Center and Brushvalley townships. This company is on the eve of installing large developments on Yellow creek.

The first election in White township was held in the courthouse, March 15, 1844, when the following officers were elected : Constable, Fergus Moorhead; supervisors, James Hood and William Ewing; judge, Philip Rice; in- spectors, John Allison and George Rude; school directors, James Hamilton, John Ryan, Samuel Lowry, George Dickie, George Me- Cartney, James Hart; auditors, John Pilson and William Trimble; assessor, James Miller ; overseers of the poor, James Moorhead, Con- rad Rice, William Beck; township clerk, Ben- jamin Dearmin; election officers-judge, Sam- uel Trimble ; inspectors, John Rice and Robert MeLaughlin.

The assessor's book of White township shows the following for 1913: Number and value of horses assessed, 411-$23,223; num- ber and value of cows assessed, 501-$7,989; taxables, 900; taxable real estate, $763,241; acres of cleared land, 24,452; acres of timber- land, 2,295; money at interest, $102,658; cost of assessment, $65.12.

CHAPTER XLV YOUNG TOWNSHIP-JACKSONVILLE BOROUGH

Young township was formed from Blacklick and Conemaugh townships in 1830, and was named in honor of President Judge Young. In 1870 the township had a population of 1,509, and in 1910, 3,751. The soil is sandy loam and limestone land. Coal and lime are found in large quantities in most parts of the township. It is well watered by the Black Legs creek and Altman's run and their trib- utaries. Among the early settlers were Wil- liam McFarland, James Millen, John Ewing, Tobias Long, James Smith, Allen McCombs, James Elder, Robert Elder, Matthew Watson, David Hutchinson.

Robert Elder, with his family, was the first settler on the ridge that bears his name. James Elder, the eldest son, settled on the half of the farm that contained the first buildings. He was a large, muscular man, full of cour- age, and capable of great endurance. His

children used to say he never was known to feel fear except on one occasion when coming home late at night from a neighbor's where he had been butchering. The wolves, in con- siderable numbers, came up to him and cir- cled around with hideous howlings. He pounded on a tree with a club and frightened them away. When the Elders first came to their new home they found no clearing on the tract they were to occupy, and their near- est neighbors were several miles distant. At that time the settlers were few and widely scattered in that part of the county. They built a shanty of four upright forks holding up a roof of bark and brush, having no pro- tection at the sides. This shanty stood a few rods from where Prof. S. J. Craighead's house was situated. They had brought a few cook- ing utensils and some provisions with them across the mountains on packhorses. In this

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

simple manner they lived until they were able to erect a house of hewn logs, which was built in a very short time, on the ground now used as a garden beside the Craighead house. This building was used as a blockhouse. James McKisson came to the MeKisson farm in 1776 and made a small improvement, build- ing a cabin and raising a crop of corn; in the fall he was forced to flee on account of the Indians, but returned in 1790. Francis Harbison settled on the William Donahue farm in 1798; the farm contained 305 acres, and was called Charleston. Robert Fulton came to Indiana county in 1805, and located on a tract of land afterwards owned by Silas Fulton, one and a fourth miles southeast of West Lebanon; he was accompanied by his brother, John William. Robert Henderson settled about 1796 on what was known as the Frank Cribbs farm. Allen MeCombs set- tled in Young township prior to 1800. The deed to him for the old homestead was dated in 1790. This tract was surveyed on an appli- cation order dated April 3, 1769, and issued to James McConnell. Allen MeCombs paid £174 for the farm. The patent was issued to Allen McCombs in 1828, the consideration being $217.06. John Hazlett came to the James Hazlett homestead in 1791. He trans- ported grain and cloth on packhorses eighty or ninety miles, and brought back salt and other necessities. William Neal located in Young township in 1790.

The Caldwell pottery was erected by Thomas Anderson in 1850. James MeNees was his successor and continued five years, John Caldwell becoming the proprietor in 1868. Anderson employed one or two men; MeNees, two to four; Caldwell, five to eight. The product was gray stone ware, stone pumps, drain pipe, etc., and was sold either from the factory or delivered to stores in this and the neighboring counties.

George W. Collins conducted the manufac- ture of threshing machines from 1866 to 1877. The Collins threshing machine factory was commenced in 1877 at the present location, having been removed from West Lebanon. The product was four-horse and tumbling shaft threshing machines, sleds, harrows, etc., and was sold directly from the factory.

The tradition is that not many years ago a stone with an arrow engraved upon it, point- ing towards the creek, stood upon the hill- side above the factory.

West Lebanon .- The original settler upon the tract which includes the village was John Hutchinson. The tract was about a third of

a mile wide and extended from the mouth of Whiskey run to about half a mile north of the site of the town. In 1805 his sons John, James, George, Edward and David occupied this land. The village was laid out by Thomp- son McCrea, surveyor, on the 25th of Decem- ber, 1839, for John White and William Kier, who owned the land upon which the town is situated.

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Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 109

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