Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 77

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 77

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W. M. Mahan was born in Indiana county, a graduate of the State Normal school at Indi- ana, class of 1890. He read law with Hon. George W. Hood, was admitted to the bar November 14, 1895, and commenced the prac- tice of the law at Indiana. He was elected and served one term as district attorney for the county. Was mustered into the United States service in 1898 as captain of Company F, 5th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer In- fantry, in Spanish-American war.

W. Lowry Hutchison, a member of the bar. He read law with S. J. Telford, and was admitted to the bar November 14, 1895. Removed.

W. F. Elkin was born in Indiana county ; a graduate of the State Normal school at Indi- ana, Pa., of the class of 1890. He read law with his brother, Hon. John P. Elkin, was admitted to the bar February 5, 1896, and commenced the practice of law at Indiana. He was solicitor for the sheriff of said county. He was mustered into the United States service in 1898, as second lieutenant of Company F, 5th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, in the Spanish-American war.

Boyd R. Ewing, a member of the bar, read law with S. J. Telford, and was admitted to the bar July 6, 1896. Removed to Pittsburg, where he is engaged in the practice of his profession.

George J. Feit was born in Indiana county ; a graduate of the State Normal school at Indiana, of the class of 1890. He read law with Jack & Taylor, was admitted to the bar July 6, 1896, and commenced the practice of his profession. He was afterwards elected district attorney for the county, and is the junior member of the firm of Peelor & Feit. In 1898 he was mustered into the United States service as a private, and afterwards promoted fifth sergeant of Company F, 5th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, in the Spanish-American war.

David Blair was born in Indiana; was a student at Princeton, and a graduate of Wash- ington and Jefferson College. He read law with his father, Hon. John P. Blair, and was admitted to the bar January 15, 1898, and immediately commenced the practice of his profession. He was secretary of the Indiana County Agricultural Society.

William Banks was born at Indiana. He graduated at the Pennsylvania State College in 1894, and read law with his father, John N. Banks, and was admitted to the bar Jan- uary 15, 1898; has since engaged in the prac- tice of his profession.

Harry W. Fee was born in Indiana county, and was educated in the common schools. He read law with D. H. Tomb, and was admitted to the bar January 15, 1898, and commenced the practice. He was elected and served one term as county auditor and was solicitor for the county commissioners. He was fourth sergeant of Company F, 5th Regiment, Penn- sylvania Volunteer Infantry, in the Spanish- American war. Was mustered into service in 1898. Was major in the 10th Regiment, Pennsylvania National Guard.

Ernest Stewart was born in Indiana. A graduate of Princeton. He read law with John N. Banks, and was admitted to the bar June 14, 1898, and commenced the practice of his profession; was junior member of the law firm of Telford & Stewart until S. J. Telford was elected president judge.

Charles H. Moore, a graduate of Grove City College, read law and admitted first in Butler county; was admitted to the Indiana county bar February 5, 1900, and is engaged in the practice of his profession at Blairs- ville, Indiana county.

James W. Mack studied law with Jack & Taylor; admitted to practice August 18, 1903.

H. E. Anderson studied law with E. Walker Smith ; admitted to practice October 29, 1904. Is now practicing law in Allegheny county.

H. W. Earhart studied law with John T. Stuchell; admitted to practice October 29, 1904.

W. C. Chapman studied law with Langham & Elkin ; admitted to practice September 3, 1906.

W. N. Liggett studied law with Cunning- ham & Fisher; admitted to practice June 8, 1909.

L. E. Miller studied law with Peelor &

Alex Mabon, a native of Indiana county, read law with Samuel Cunningham, and was admitted to the bar July 6, 1896. He re- Feit; admitted to practice October 8, 1910.

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

J. Day Brownlee, Jr., admitted to practice Samuel Cunningham January 30, 1911.

Richard W. Watson studied law with M. C. Watson; admitted to practice February 12, 1912.

Elbie E. Creps was born in Rayne township, Indiana county ; graduated from the Indiana high school, 1901; completed the course in the Indiana State normal school in 1904; attended Pennsylvania College at Gettysburg for two years ; was for two years a student in the law department of the University of Pennsyl- vania ; and in October, 1912, was admitted to the bar of the Supreme court; he is engaged in the practice of his profession as member of the firm of Langham, Elkin & Creps.

LIST OF PRESENT ATTORNEYS

Elder Peelor

J. A. C. Ruffner John S. Fisher

M. C. Watson

W. M. Mahan

John H. Hill

W. F. Elkin

Thomas Sutton

George J. Feit

D. B. Taylor

David Blair

S. M. Jack

William Banks

S. J. Telford Harry W. Fee

John M. Leech

Ernest Stewart

John A. Scott

C. H. Moore

John H. Pierce

James W. Mack

John P. Elkin

H. E. Anderson

John T. Bell

H. W. Earhart

John L. Getty

W. C. Chapman

J. N. Langham

W. N. Liggett

J. Wood Clark

L. E. Miller

John S. Taylor

J. Day Brownlee, Jr.

E. Walker Smith

Richard W. Watson

R. M. Wilson

Elbie E. Creps

S. A. Douglass

Harry White

Coulter Wiggins J. N. Banks

CHAPTER XX

INDIANA BOROUGH

Conrad Rice the elder was a resident of location Rice commenced retracing his steps, Lancaster connty, Pa., and a blacksmith by with the intention of bringing on his family occupation. Being desirous of securing some and team from Youngstown, and of proceed- ing at once to the erection of a cabin. land west of the mountains for agricultural purposes he purchased from a clergyman in There were then no roads on this side of the Conemangh river, and Rice returned to Camp- bell's mill, on Blackliek creek, by the same path that had guided him hither. the neighborhood, named Smith, the right to 160 acres, represented to be nine miles from Greensburg, at ten shillings per acre. In the spring of 1794 Rice and part of his family On arriving there he met Capt. Andrew Sharp, who was about untying his boat and starting on that disastrous trip described in the Armstrong township chapter. From the information obtained, Rice deemed it unsafe to bring on his family immediately, and there- fore removed with them to Ligonier Valley, opposite the present village of Centerville, where they continued until the ensuing spring, the members who had been left in Lancaster county having in the meantime rejoined them. took their leave. of Lancaster county, intend- ing to make some improvement on their prop- erty during the summer, and return for the rest of the family in the ensning antumn. They brought with them a team, some farm- ing implements, and a set of blacksmith's tools. Having proceeded as far as "Nine- mile run," near the present village of Youngs- town, Westmoreland county, they halted and began to search for the land described in the deed from Smith. Hon. William Findley, In the spring of 1795 Rice removed here and immediately commeneed work. A tem- porary shelter was erected by setting up wooden forks, and crossing them with poles which were overlaid with bark to serve as a roof. About eight acres of land had been cleared some years before and a cabin built, after careful examination, discovered that the land was situated near Twolick creek. and advised Rice to look for it in that direction. After a tedious search of several days it was ascertained that the land embraced what was afterwards the James P. Carter farm, adjoin- ing the borongh of Indiana, and after tracing out the lines and taking a hasty view of the but the occupants had been driven off by the

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Indians, and the cabin burned. During the where they were convicted of the offense and summer a new cabin, 22 by 24 feet, was sentenced to imprisonment. erected, and some ground was cleared, but Rice's horses, four in number, dying, no fall grain was sown. In the early part of the winter a yoke of oxen was purchased, and trained for plowing in the spring. A black- smith shop was early erected, and the settlers from all around came here to have their work done. A Mr. Barnett came all the way from Port Barnett (near the present site of Brook- ville, Jefferson county), having employed an Indian guide to point out to him the path, and bring him to Rice's. Small parties of Indians frequently passed the smith shop, going to or returning from Ligonier or Greensburg.

The country around the site of Indiana was then thinly settled. On the farm now owned by Gen. Harry White was a small improve- ment occupied by Timothy O'Neil. George Trimble lived on what was subsequently the Stanard farm. The McLain farm had been improved by Gawin Adams. Fergus Moor- head lived on the Isaac Moorhead farm, now owned by E. B. Campbell. Thomas Allison had made a small improvement on what was afterwards the Robert Allison property, on the Blairsville road. What was lately the Alexander Barclay land had been opened out by James Kelly, and James Thompson was residing on the Clark B. Thompson property.

Rice was never molested by the Indians, heard all hours in the night, and frequently though small parties of them often prowled about the neighborhood. Each spring, for a number of years, he and his family went to the Crooked Creek valley to make maple sugar, where was one of the Indians' favorite hunt- ing grounds, but met with no opposition from them, probably because the hunting season was then always over.

A party of Indians had one fall been very successful in hunting in this valley, and at the close of the season hung up the stock of skins and venison that had been secured to the limbs of the trees, beyond the reach of carnivorous animals, intending to return for it in the course of the winter. Some white men strolling through the valley discovered this valuable store of peltry and provisions, and not having the fear of the Indians before their eyes carried it off. The owners were of the Seneca tribe, whose great chief, the cele- brated Cornplanter, was at that time on friendly terms with the governor of Pennsyl- vania. Having discovered the offenders, the injured party sought redress with the civil tribunal, and had them arrested and tried in the "Quarter Sessions" at Greensburg,

Game of all kinds was plenty. Deer were very numerous, and often came close to the settlers' cabins. At night they would resort to the "licks," where the hunters, lying in wait, killed a great many. In this way the settler's larder-oft times holding "airy nothing"-was replenished with the "need- ful" when other means were wanting. In- deed, venison was then a desideratum in the culinary department of every cabin, and the unlucky wight who returned from a hunting excursion without a "saddle" or its equiva- lent in other game had sometimes need of all his eloquence to reconcile the disappointed "kitchen cabinet." However, we must do the pioneer dames and daughters the justice to say that they were generally kind and forbear- ing and nobly played their part in the excit- ing drama of border life.

Bears and panthers were likewise occasion- ally killed by the hunters, and we find on the records of the county many entries of moneys paid for the scalps of the latter. The fierce catamount and the wily fox, though slain when opportunity offered, were ac- counted small game-not much sought after, and only secured because of the value of their skins and the premiums paid for their scalps.

In every direction the wolves could be

during the day ; but on the eve of a storm they would become unusually boisterous, whole packs howling together in concert and caus- ing the surrounding forest to echo and reverb- erate with their tlirilling notes, which, run- ning through the entire scale, from the deep- toned bass of some patriarch chorister to the shrill, startling tenor of the juvenile yelper, were well calculated to excite apprehension and generally caused the inhabitants to be on the alert. Men, however, soon became accus- tomed to these sounds and heeded them but little, except when the noisy crowd, prompted by hunger, approached them or their dwell- ings in force, and then the unerring rifle would put the assailants to flight, though sometimes not until several of their number had been dispatched.

Among the curious and exciting adven- tures that occurred was the following: Con- rad Rice, the elder, was assisted by his two sons, Conrad and Philip, and also sometimes by a young man whom he had hired. The coal used in blacksmithing was brought from a bank on Twolick, above what was after- wards known as Mclain's mill. Philip and

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

the young man above mentioned went one bough the hawk viewed the surrounding land- day with two horses and a wagon to the bank scape. for coal, the former carrying the rifle and the latter driving the team.

Having secured their load, Philip told his companion to proceed homeward with the team, whilst he would make a circuit through the woods in search of game. He had gone but a short distance when he espied a large buck near the creek. Raising his rifle and drawing a quick sight, he fired, severely wounding his game, which, however, ran up the hill, the blood streaming from the wound it had received. Philip quickly reloaded his rifle and pursued in the direction the buck had taken. Before he had gotten half way up the hill he saw the buck returning toward him, at full speed, closely followed by an enormous black bear.

So intent was the one upon escape, and so bent the other upon success, that the two ani- mals ran close to where Philip was standing without perceiving him. Then bruin seized the antlered veteran, and began to "pitch in," handling his huge paws with the dexterity of an accomplished boxer, when a well directed ball from Philip's rifle laid him sprawling be- side his intended victim. The buck thus re- lieved gathered himself up and ran a short distance further down the hill, where he was finally dispatched. The two carcasses were now dragged to the wagon and placed on the load of coal, the driver having stopped his team on hearing the first report of Philip's rifle.

The dwelling house on the Carter farm was erected by the elder Rice in 1809. and his son Conrad brought the nails used in the build- ing from Waterstreet, on the Juniata, now in- cluded in Huntingdon county.

THE SITE OF INDIANA

The site of Indiana was originally covered with a dense growth of serubby oak. with here and there a cluster of hazel bushes. among which the fox and the catamount would conceal themselves from observation by day. awaiting the approach of night. when they would steal forth under its shades. and com- mit extensive depredations. IIere the bear made its lair, and the wolf dwelt in safety. The deer, disregarding the dwarfy oaks, skipped along at pleasure. and beneath their spreading branches the hare gamboled un- molested. In the hollow of some solitary tree the owl made her home, and from its leafless

It was a solitary spot, where even the rude son of the forest had not deigned to build his wigwam. But the time had arrived when the aspect was to be changed. A band of bold adventurers penetrated into the heart of the unbroken wild, and reared here the standard of civilization. Their progress was slow at first. Inconvenience had to be suffered, dan- gers met, and difficulties overcome. Cut off from the great thoroughfares of the State, with a sparsely settled district of country around them, and remote from mills, factories. markets and institutions of learning, their sit- uation would not have been envied by men accustomed to live at ease, and less calculated for emergencies such as had daily to be en- countered. These village pioneers were in all respects equal to the task before them. They possessed resolute hearts and strong arms, and were deeply impressed with that spirit of en- terprise which is one of the leading charac- teristics of the pioneer American.

When IIenry Shryock moved here with his family there was no public road between the site of Indiana and Campbell's mills. Some of the settlers had opened a passage for wag- ons part of the way, beyond which it was difficult to proceed, and the progress of Shryock's team was necessarily slow. A public road was located from Indiana, in the direc- tion of what was afterward Blairsville, in the ensuing summer, and opened out in the fall of 1806. Leonard Shryock, then a mere lad. often spoke of the appearance of the "town" and its surroundings at the time of their ar- rival. His father drove the team to the high ground somewhere between the site of the "Indiana House" and the public buildings, and leaving the wagon with the effects it con- tained took the family to Conrad Rice's, where they remained several weeks, until their cabin. in what is now the southeast portion of the borough, was fitted to receive them. They resided there until the fall of 1805. by which time their domicile on Philadelphia street was completed. Removing his family and effects into the "new house." he opened a tavern. entertaining strangers and selling the "ar- dent." the demand for the latter being very great. Leonard, being the eldest son. was fre- quently sent to Greensburg, on horseback, to bring groceries and liquors, which were gen- erally purchased from Simon Drum, then one of the principal merchants in that place. Shryock did a thriving business, and was soon compelled to enlarge his building in order to

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

accommodate his numerous customers. On certain distance (four miles) from the center the judicial organization of the county the of said county, for the purpose of erecting judges and lawyers generally boarded at his thereon the necessary public buildings." house, it being, at one time, regarded at home and abroad as the "fashionable headquarters of the town."

After several stores and mechanical callings were established, and there were all the evi- dences of a brisk trade, it must not be in- ferred that the site of the town was all cleared, for this was not fully accomplished till several years afterward. There are yet living pioneers who remember when the deer were still hovering around the place in large numbers. As an evidence of their boldness and indifference to the presence of man Leon- ard Shryock used to relate that he saw at one time a dozen, of various ages and sizes, pass in single file through the bushes over the ris- ing ground where the residence of Silas M. Clark now stands. At another time, as he was hauling hay on a sled in the winter from a place several miles northeast of the village, his dogs started and ran down a large buck. The snow being deep and crusted, the buck broke through, while the dogs kept on the sur- face. The pursued animal was caught near the sled, where Shryock finished him by means of a penknife, and then with the aid of a passer-by placed the carcass on the load of hay and drove into town in triumph.

Robert Coulter, coming here with his thereof having been originally warranted in father in 1805, was as much disappointed as the name of John Beck; ninety-nine acres and the man of earlier days, long celebrated in sixty-nine perches in the name of James Gall ; and sixteen acres and seventy-eight perches in the name of William Brown. All these were parts of larger tracts." popular song as "Yankee Doodle, who could not see the town, because there were so many houses." Coulter's disappointment, however, was the reverse of his. He had been told that from the point where the residence of S. M. Clark is situated he could have a full view of the town. His expectation was on tiptoe, but on arriving there and casting his eyes over the prospect spread before him he saw long lines of stakes peering up through the bushes, des- ignating the streets and alleys of the village that was to be, but the houses were "few and far between," and very unlike what he had expected to see.

THE BOROUGH

By the act of 1803, providing for the organ- ization of Indiana county for judicial pur- poses, William Jack, James Parr and John Pomeroy were designated as trustees for the county and authorized to "receive proposals in writing from any person or persons for the granting and conveying of lands within a preme court of the State; and on the 25th

The said trustees, "having received sundry propositions, after careful consideration, fixed upon the spot now occupied as the seat of justice, on condition that George Clymer should convey to the county 250 acres of land, as proposed by him through his agent, Alex- ander Craig.

"Under an Act passed the 25th day of March, 1805, Charles Campbell, Randall Laughlin and John Wilson were appointed to survey 250 acres of land agreeable to the de- scription given of the situation and bounda- ries thereof in a grant and obligation of Al- exander Craig for George Clymer, made by him to the Legislature for the county of In- diana, and were further directed to lay out a lot not exceeding four acres whereon the public buildings for Indiana county should be erected, the residue of said 250 acres to be laid out into town lots and outlots, the pro- ceeds arising from the sale thereof to be for the use and benefit of the county. In pur- suance of said Acts of Assembly and of the arrangement entered into with the said George Clymer, the last named trustee caused 250 acres of land to be surveyed out of a body of 3,050 acres, then owned by Cly- mer; 134 acres and twenty-two perches

On the 7th day of September, 1805, George Clymer, then of the city of Philadelphia, and Elizabeth, his wife, in consideration of the promises and for the sum of five shillings law- ful money to them paid, did give, grant and lease and confirm to the said Charles Camp- bell, Randall Laughlin and Jolin Wilson, their heirs and assigns, the aforesaid 250 acres of land in trust for the use of laying out a lot or lots whereon the public buildings for the coun- ty of Indiana should be erected and for laying out the remainder in town lots in the manner described by the said last mentioned Act of Assembly and for the other uses and purposes contained in the same Act. The execution of the deed is attested by Ann Clymer and George Clymer, Jr. The acknowledgment was taken on the 9th of September, 1805, by Thomas Smith, one of the judges of the Su-

VIEW OF COURT HOUSE SQUARE, INDIANA, PA.

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

of April, 1807, the deed was duly recorded in the proper office in this county.

An amusing error which might have proved serious was committed by the professional gentleman who had been employed to prepare the deed of conveyance from Clymer to the trustees. Taking the surveyor's draft as his farthing. guide, he went on to describe by courses and distances the tract of land intended to be con- veyed, but the description given by him, hap- pening to bear south from a certain point when the draft and survey bore north, the other bearings were reversed, and the conse- quence was that the deed called for the land included in Rice's survey instead of that owned by Clymer. The mistake was not dis- covered until the town lots had been laid off and deeds were being made to some of the purchasers. The town was all right on the ground, but all wrong according to the con- veyance. Fortunately Clymer's deed had not been recorded ; it was therefore canceled and a new one executed.

The trustees, having set apart the quantity of ground required for county buildings, laid off the residue of the tract into town streets and alleys, the town lots numbering 225 and the outlots ninety-two.

The fork of Twolick and Yellow creeks near the present site of Homer City was a competi- tor for the honor of being the county seat. This site was not without advantages, among which were its abundance of water, its water power, and the near proximity of coal, but George Clymer, of Philadelphia, with a view of enhancing his adjacent land, offered the present site as a gift. This, with the beauty of the situation and its central position, turned the scale in its favor. The main street running east and west was named Philadel- phia street in honor of the residence of George Clymer. He was further honored by naming the principal street running north and south Clymer (now Sixth street). Originally the public ground where the courthouse now stands extended from Philadelphia street to Water street, and from Clymer street to Sut- ton alley, nearly three acres. The square upon which the Lutheran, Presbyterian and United Presbyterian churches stand originally ex- tended from Clymer street to Vine street and from Church street to the then southern limit of the town, embracing about two and a half acres. Unfortunately, many years ago, building lots were sold off these publie squares to save the county a pittance of taxes, and thus was the beauty of the town marred and the comfort of the inhabitants impaired. This the logs for the hickory jail.

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Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 77

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