Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 89

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 89

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Hannastown was the first place west of the Allegheny mountains in all America where English daw was administered. It was the first place where there was a Declaration of Independence, the Declaration here having been made on May 16th, while that at Meck- lenburg (N. C.) was made on the 20th of May, according to some chronicles, and on the 30th, according to others. The Hannastown Declaration is well authenticated, while that at Mecklenburg was reproduced about 1819 from the then recollection of one of its authors. Hannastown was the last place struck by the British and their Indian allies during the Revolution. Ex-Judge John B. Steel, of Greensburg, Westmoreland county, and his brother Joseph W. Steel, now own the old farm of their father, the former own- ing the Hannastown end of the property, on which is the site of the old stockade fort, the Forbes road, and many other points of inter- est. Most of the home farm had been taken up by Robert Hanna, and was bought by the Judge's grandfather, John Steel, in 1826, the Judge's father coming there as a two- year-old child in 1835. The Judge is now building a good farmhouse on the exact loca- tion of the old fort. The Fort or Meyers spring, which he has walled up with cut stone and which has been marked by the Daughters of the American Revolution, was probably within the stockade in 1774, when the fort was built, and at the time of the burning of Hannastown some years later. The hill back of the fort, on which is the Steel family burial place. is Gallows Hill, on which occurred the execution of the Indian and white man-the first judicial execution west of the Allegheny mountains. The Forbes road is now pretty well marked through Westmoreland county. Judge Steel's researches, examination of the records, including the papers laying out Cochran's Fording road, have convinced him that Lacock and Temple were right in their recollection of that road. He had Mr. Lacock and his old neighbor. Samuel Ruff, go over the Ruff farm and eastward from the Ruff residence to connect with what Lacock and Temple located at the time of their trip through this region, and they were able to or in that part of it. It is related that iron

establish definitely the Hannastown end of the road, from near Hannastown to beyond the old Ruffner place.

This was only fifteen miles from where Blairsville is located. This locality was ex- plored as long ago as 1766 and 1767. In 1771 or 1772 Fergus Moorhead and James Kelly erected their log cabins here. A wolf got his head in between the logs of Mr. Kelly's house far enough to cut his scalp with its teeth and cause the blood to flow freely. Moses Chambers, another of these early set- tlers, started out one time to journey on a horse to get corn meal, his only provisions being half of a johnnycake, the other half of which he gave to his wife. There were no inns in those days on the road, or habitations west of the mountains, save possibly a hut or two at Fort Ligonier. He slept only when his horse was eating, and had to hasten back home with his corn meal to save his wife from starving. The distance was one hundred or one hundred and thirty miles. Some eight or ten years after this William Bracken built a mill on the Blacklick. The settlements were made gradually here on account of the hostil- ity of the savages, who made frequent inroads into the quiet retreat of the settlers, murder- ing them or driving them off. In 1774 Sam- uel Moorhead commenced building a mill on Stony run, a mile from the present site of Blairsville. Before it was finished they were driven off by the Indians, and fled to the Sewickley settlement. Among the earlier set- tlers were the Maguires, Nagles, Ragers, Storms, Campbells, Hildebrands, Altmans, Davises, Blacks, Bairds, and Murrays.

The attack referred to, when the pioneers fled to the Sewickley settlement, was called Dunmore's war or the "civil" war. The settlers about here who had to flee lost their crops and live stock, but they returned in the fall and Mr. Moorhead completed his mill. The Indians still made incursions, stealing horses and committing other depredations. When the war bugle sounded in 1776 the Indians took advantage of the situation and again became hostile, and for some time no further improvements were attempted, in fact not until Wayne's treaty was made in 1795. As late as 1800 not a village existed in this section except a few log cabins at Saltsburg and Greensburg; nineteen miles off was the nearest trading town. The village of New- port, on the Saltsburg road, three miles north- east of the site of Blairsville, is said to be about the first that was built in the county,

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

was hauled here over the Frankstown road known as Campbell's Mill, on the Blacklick from Juniata county and loaded on flatboats creek, on the old Smith's State road leading and taken by water to Pittsburg. At this to Indiana and four miles out from Blairs- time it is said to have cost $300 a ton. The ville. He took up a large acreage by patent, Smith State road and the Frankstown. road were the first made in this part of the Cone- maugh valley, these being made in the latter part of the eighteenth century.

Joseph Barnes, father of Henry, grand- father of Mrs. Lydia Martin, of Blairsville, settled near where the Frankstown road crossed the Conemaugh river going in the di- rection of Pittsburg, by ferry or ford, in 1799. He stated that he came in over the Franks- town road. He commenced to operate a ferryboat during high water and it is related that he ferried from twenty to forty teams across each day at the rate of one dollar a team. He also built a mill there. At a later period he built and lived in the large brick house, across the Conemaugh river in West- moreland county, known for a number of years past as the Buerkle property. He was married to a daughter of Simon Beck, a Swede, who became a resident of the locality. He also engaged in keeping a hotel at this point, as did also a man named Beatty, as previously mentioned.

The very beginning of things in this locality seems to have been near the mouth of the Blacklick creek. This is two and a half miles northwest of here. Other places, named sub- sequently, were Smith's on the Frankstown

Mill, where as it is told there lived Gen. Charles Campbell. We know of no record that shows this title. His great-grandson says he was in the Revolution with Washing- ton. Capt. C. C. McLean, of Indiana, has the sub-lieutenant in Westmoreland county, March 21, 1777, and of his being captured by the Indians September 25, 1777, taken to a store there also. Quebec, and liberated or exchanged in the fall of 1778. Gen. Charles Campbell became the successor of E. Cook as county lieutenant January 5, 1782 (archives of Pennsylvania, Series 6, Volume I, page 261; "Old West- moreland," Hastler's, pages' 116 to 118; G. Dallas Albert's History of Westmoreland County, page 80; Caldwell's History of In- diana County, pages 140-141).

some of which was at what is called the forks of the Conemaugh or the mouth of the creek. His son Charles settled on land near there and the title to this farm is still in the pos- session of the heirs of this son, who include the Dixons (Joseph) at Blairsville; Miss Ma- tilda Leech, a public school teacher at Blairs- ville; Mr. Wall Kelley, of New Brighton; Thomas Campbell, a son of Charles the sec- ond, residing in Belpre, Kans. (he has a son Ralph) ; Tillie, daughter of Charles, married John Hodge and thus some of the Misses Hodge are interested parties. The land in question is back of the West Penn railroad and back of what is known as Snyder's sta- tion, called for Antes Snyder, referred to elsewhere. This land is situated on what is known as Burrell Point. Like Pittsburg, Easton and some few other places, it is be- tween two leading streams of water, in a very rare and pleasing location. That locality was, as has been noted, the beginning of things in this vicinity, if not in the county, and the time must come when it will be a place of great things.

Other descendants of the Charles Camp- bells, first and second, are Tillie (Campbell) Dixon, Joseph H.' Dixon, Frank J. Dixon, George W. Dixon, Herbert S. Dixon, of

road, then Brown's tavern, and Campbell's Blairsville, Jesse M. Dixon and Alfred C. Dixon, of St. Paul, Minn .; Charles, son of Joseph H. Campbell, and Pearl, a daughter, of New York. Joseph H. Dixon is dead; his wife and daughter live in Coketown. Rev. J. H. Henderson, great-grandfather of Mrs. record of a Michael Campbell enlisting as a Dixon, who was an early pastor at Beulah Church, also lived in the early days at Camp- bell's Mill. In later years J. M. Turner kept

Michael Campbell, elder brother of the senior Charles, lived also at Campbell's Mill. Some of his descendants were: Mrs. Daniel Smith, of Smith's station; George Campbell, of Kansas, a son ; Mrs. Gardner Turner, and Mrs. Archy Coleman.

The Wallace Mill and Fort .- This is sit- uated on the road now known best as the Ridgeview road, a mile and a half south of Blairsville in Westmoreland county. The mill is said to have been the first one built and used west of the Allegheny mountains. The pioneers, it is said, used to crush their corn by hand. It is also related that per-

Michael, we learn, was an elder brother of Charles, and one of the original thirty- three members who organized the West Un- ion Church about ninety-two years ago; it was removed to Blairsville in 1828. Charles Campbell settled at what has always been sons would come over the paths of the time

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

to this mill as far as the site of Kittanning- forty miles. As to this fort, if Blairsville and vicinity were just a little awake to civic pride, much would be made of it. The things that occurred there are of such thrilling in- terest as to arouse school children or any persons interested in such stirring times. The Wallace Fort was erected in 1764 or 1765. Then there was Gilson's Fort, near New Derry, and Craig's Fort, on the Loyalhanna creek out from New Alexandria.

It is related that George Findley was the first settler in the county of Indiana in East Wheatfield township. This was in 1764.

Col. John Pomeroy, Alexander Barr, Wil- of Kansas City, Kansas.

liam Barr and William Guthrie were noted settlers in that locality or near New Derry. Richard Wallace owned the land where the fort was built and he erected the mill. He was taken prisoner by the Indians and their white allies. Major Wilson was the leader in the locality in defending against and at- tacking the Indians and the chapters per- taining to his experiences are of thrilling in- terest. His skill and bravery were very marked. It is stated that he was the grand- father of Wilson Knott, who was superin- tendent of the Portage railroad and western division of the canal. This statement as to Mr. Knott's superintendency we have not had the opportunity of verifying. It was noted that he served as postmaster in Blairs- ville, and we know that he held some official position on the canal system. Wilson Knott's grandson Richard is editor of an evening paper at Louisville, Ky., and another grand- son is prominent in railroad circles.

SOME EARLY RESIDENTS

vessel helped him out. It took months to make the trip. This was following the Dec- laration of Independence. Soon afterwards he sold his land here and went to Harrison county, Ohio, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was the grandfather of Mrs. Jane S. Marshall, wife of the late Dr. Rob- ert Johnston Marshall, of Blairsville. Mrs. J. M. Stewart. of Indiana, Pa., is a descend- ant of James Black, as are Samuel Robinson and Mrs. Logan R. Moore, of Saltsburg, and Thomas Davis Marshall of Blairsville, Dr. George Hill Marshall, of Pittsburg, and Mrs. Jessie C. Bean, wife of Dr. George W. Bean,

RUNNING HISTORY OF BLAIRSVILLE

Blairsville was one of the villages that originated when it became a fact that the Northern turnpike, which was to connect the Delaware at Philadelphia with the Ohio at Pittsburg, was to be built this route, its course being north of the Conemaugh, but it crossed that river also to the west. The stream makes a bend here which gives the river for its southern and western boundaries.

This locality was sparsely settled years before the origin of the village of Blairsville. Among the earliest of the settlers of whom we hear were the Bairds, William and Samuel, who, it is related, on a trip from here to Ship- pensburg purchased and brought back the first family Bible that came into the section. The village of Bairdstown, just across the river from Blairsville, took their name.

Little is recorded as to the occupancy of this locality by the Indians. There is a fort near the site of what was long known as the Wallace mill on the Hillside road, about a mile. and a half from Blairsville, in West- moreland county. It is said there was an Indian village on Blacklick creek, this county, not far from the present site of what has been known as the McCormick bridge. The late Henry Barnes speaks of having seen Indians here in his early life. -

James Black was a very early settler in this locality. He was a soldier in the Revo- lution under General Washington. He oc- enpied land adjacent to where the town now stands, part of which is occupied by the for- mer West Penn Glass Company's plant. In this early day he built a craft on the river, loaded it with bacon and flour, and taking The Frankstown road, from Juniata county to the forks of the Conemaugh, or to the vil- lage called Newport, was opened for travel January 4, 1790. About a year later it was extended to Pittsburg, crossing the Cone- maugh ferry and ford at Barnes, east of the Buerkle place. It came in from the east and across the mountains and ridge, the route being the same later taken by the Northern turnpike. However, two miles east of Blairs- one man with him went by the rivers to New Orleans and from there to Cuba. He sold his bacon in New Orleans and flour in Cuba, receiving $1.200-Spanish dollars. To re- turn home they took vessel to Portland, Maine, and came across the country, home, by the paths of the time and on pack horses. It seems that the government of Spain did not allow the taking of money out of the country at that time, and the captain of the ville it turned north and west, crossing Black-

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

lick creek near its mouth and going to New- Blairsville was James Baird. This was op- port, the first village built in this locality. posite where Blairsville was located. His son This was three miles northwest of Blairsville, and part of this route was the same as what was later known as the Saltsburg road. Later this same road was extended to Pittsburg, crossing the Conemaugh river by ford about a mile west of Sloan's cut. Men named Barnes and Beatty kept taverns near this

James was born there in 1792. James Baird, Jr., said his father had the warrant which took up the major portion of the land on which the town of Blairsville was afterwards built and sold it to James Campbell, of Frank- lin county. The turnpike being constructed from the East, and which was to extend on ford, and Henry Barnes, a son of one of the to Pittsburg, was named the Huntingdon, landlords, stated that often there were as many as one hundred teams there overnight. At Newport, which was a small village of log houses built on a bank of the Conemaugh river, the iron was loaded on the flatboats, being slidden down chutes. Iron at this time cost as much as $300 a ton.

Public roads and turnpikes were the next stage of transportation following the canoe, Indian trails and other paths used by white men, and pack horses. Blairsville originated from the march of empire westward. It is only a few miles from that noted gateway through the ridge-we refer to Pack Saddle- where all trains on the main stem of the Pennsylvania railroad pass. Ever since, with a lapse of a decade or less, it has remained the main line of transportation from the east to the west.

The late John Bruce, a carpenter and con- tractor, related to the writer that the earlier houses here were all constructed of logs. It is told how Isaac Green ran a race in the con- struction of the first two houses, there being a bounty for the one who completed his first, and won (see below).

Blairsville commenced as a turnpike vil- lage in a location of great scenic beauty, near the base of the Chestnut Ridge, where the majestic summits of the ridge and surround- ing hills look serenely down in imposing maj- esty. This Ridge could be correctly named Blue Ridge, for often as we look its covering is of a decidedly blue cast. Then it is located on this very twisting and picturesque stream, the Conemaugh river. On the south side this river comes in by what is famously known as the Alum bank. Here there is an upright wall of Nature's own masonry fifty or sixty feet high, and below this au abrupt descent of one hundred feet to the water's edge cov- ered with trees. This cliff is a mile or two long. The view from this bank is extensive and romantic.

Blairsville has never had what would be called an epidemic of sickness.

Cambria and Indiana Turnpike Road, John Blair, of Blair's Gap, Huntingdon Co., Pa., being president of the company. The parties who came to attend the sale of town lots, which occurred November 11th, stopped largely at Andrew Brown's tavern, now Smitli's, on the road to Indiana and then on the Frankstown road. The land above what is now the railroad tracks was a forest, and in many parts covered with water. The un- derbrush was cut away and piled at the side of the street. No road led into the place. Those who arrived here came by narrow paths. The Diamond was the center of attraction. The first lot sold was the one that the "Ex- change Hotel" was later built on. For many years this corner was the scene of much ac- tivity, now it stands dilapidated and an eye- sore.

Blairsville was named for John Blair, of Blair's Gap, said to have been the main pro- moter of the Northern turnpike, or at any rate one of the principals. James Campbell, of Franklin county, is said to have owned the land on which the town was located, and the early deeds were made out by him. But it is related that he agreed with one Andrew Brown to make a division for the reason that Brown owned the land on the south of the Conemaugh river and in the locality where Coketown was afterwards built (about 1871- 72), and that there was some prospect of the turnpike coming that way, the agreement between Mr. Campbell and Mr. Brown being, that if it did, Mr. Brown would share the proceeds of the sale with Mr. Campbell. Be that as it may, the two leading streets parallel with Market street running east and west, were called Campbell and Brown. And then we have Brownstown.

The first store in Blairsville was that of Jonathan Doty, started in 1820, and the sec- ond was opened by George Mulholland, Jr., in 1821. The first tavern was that of Abner Willets, situated on the northwest corner of Market and Walnut streets. The second

Caldwell's history, page 349, says that the hotel was built by Dr. E. P. Emerson, on first permanent settler in the vicinity of the corner now occupied by the warehouse of

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Lyman Ray. Samuel McAnulty was the first penters; John W. Brown, Patrick Slamen and John Ray were among the first black- landlord at that hotel, but he soon built a large hotel on the northwest corner of the smiths; John Shrock among first brick and Diamond, known as "The Exchange." These stone masons; Robert Longwill was an early hotels all had large stables for horses. The merchant and hotel-keeper; Daniel Short an first blacksmith was Thomas Lindsey, who early brick and stone mason. owned the lot known as the Dr. R. J. Marshall In the beginning of Blairsville the people had to get their supplies from Campbell's and Wallace's Mills. The first gristmill was built in Blairsville in 1831 by Mark Graham, who had a store and tavern, his brother Ar- thur conducting the mill in 1832. It was pur- chased by Alexander and Noble Nesbit in 1833. It stood near Graff's warehouse. In 1840 its boiler exploded. An aged resident man named Armstrong, whose wife was said to be a sister of the late John Graff. The boiler was blown across the river, and struck a sixteen-year-old boy named John Bever- land, and it was some time before they found his body, from which one leg had been sev- ered entirely. Bricks were also thrown across the river by this explosion, a number of them falling on the deck of a boat where a man named William Baker was lying, singing cam- paign songs. His condition for some time was very precarious, but he recovered and lived to be an old man. lot, and built on the lower end of it and on the corner of the alley; this building long stood as a stable and was only taken down in 1907. Most of the logs were in excellent con- dition. The father of M. E. Thomas and Al- bert Brown learned the trade of blacksmith here in the Lindsey shop. The first cooper was Samuel Eckels; he was also an early tavern-keeper. The first doctor was E. P. here says that at that time it was owned by a Emerson, who first located at Campbell's Mill, four miles out from Blairsville, making his home with General Charles Campbell. He came there from Ebensburg or that locality. Later he removed his headquarters to Andrew Brown's, the latter keeping a tavern where Daniel Smith now resides, near Smith sta- tion. Dr. Emerson had constructed on the Diamond a very large brick building, which was used for residence and business purposes. He had his stable and all outbuildings also constructed of brick. These buildings are still standing, now owned by William Dun- can. The first tanner was Andrew McCombs. The first ferry was owned by Isaac Green, and operated in the spring of 1819. Mr. Green at a later period was the proprietor of extensive boat yards, situated near the canal. Hugh Richards and James Raskin, it is stated, also had an interest in the ferry. The fall of the same year they sold it to George Mulholland, Jr. The covered bridge crossing the Conemaugh at the foot of Market street, for the convenience of travel on the turnpike, was erected in 1821-22, James Moore being the contractor. This bridge was opened for traf- fic in September, 1822. The cost was $15,000. It was an arch structure of "worm wag" plan, three hundred feet in length, and what was called the single arch, said then and for some time afterwards to be the largest single span bridge in the United States. It stood for about seventy years, and was then replaced by an open iron bridge. The incorporators and first stockholders interested in this bridge were: George Mulholland, Jr., C. Horrell, Abner Kelly, John Lytle, Moses Murphy, Abraham Herbach, S. Daniels, Sr., Robert Rainey, James Craig, John Cunningham, James Elliott, Henry Keely, James Moore. The first officers chosen were : President, An- The first brick and stone mason was William Brown. The first postmaster was George Mulholland, Jr. The first tailor was Smith MeMillan ; the first tinner, Abraham Richard. The first marriage was that of John Weir to Elizabeth Thompson. The first preaching service was held opposite John Cunningham's, on the street, the preacher being James Wake- field. The next preaching service was in Willets' bar room. The first ministers lo- cated here were of the Methodist Episcopal church and their names were S. Dennis, B. Dorsey and Thomas Hudson. The first jus- tice of the peace was Stewart Davis, the grandfather of Mrs. James A. Wolf, and he made the reputation of possessing unusual ability for the office, and a high sense of integ- rity. Andrew Brown, one of the original pro- prietors of the town, came in from Smith's, where he had been keeping a tavern, and located in Blairsville. Aaron Devinney was another early blacksmith. Samuel Crow was an early tavern-keeper also. Thomas Green was one of the early carpenters ; John Peters, one of the early merchants; James Callen, James Cantwell and James Alexander were among the first chairmakers; William Lytle drew Brown; treasurer, John Doty; man- and Henry Keely were among the first car- agers, James Moorhead, Samuel Baird, Na-

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

thanael Doty, John Bingham, John Ander- son, R. K. Simpson.

The first gate-keeper was William Clark, and the second George McLain.

Early Postmasters : George Mulholland, Jr., John De Vinney, Joseph Chapman, Daniel H. Barr, George S. Mendell, Wilson Knott, Lucy Knott, Brice Henderson, Mrs. Mary Hender- son, and later Mrs. Elizabeth Alter. Of these, George Mulholland came from Philadelphia, and was one of the first merchants in Blairsville. The late Samuel Ray walked over from Armagh to Blairsville and en- tered the employ of Mr. Mulholland, and afterwards by an arrangement with Mr. Mulholland Mr. Ray succeeded to his busi- ness. He acquired as much, or more, property as any other business man here. John De- Vinney was an old-time merchant. The Barr family is one of the well known families in the western part of the state. James P. Barr, a son of Daniel H. Barr referred to, owned and dictated the policy of the Pittsburg Post.

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Indiana County, Pennsylvania, her people, past and present, Volume I, Part 89

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