USA > Pennsylvania > Jefferson County > Jefferson County, Pennsylvania : her pioneers and people, 1800-1915, Volume I > Part 20
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"AApproved-March 26, 1821."
1824 .- State road from Warren to Brook- ville authorized.
1825. "State road from Indiana through Punxsutawney, in the county of Jefferson, and Smethport, in the county of Mckean, to the town of Ceres, in said county of Mckean," authorized, and Meek Kelly, of Indiana county. John Sloan, Jr., of Armstrong county, and Charles C. Gaskill, of Jefferson county, ap- pointed commissioners to view, lay out and mark the same.
1825 .- The Milesburg and Smethport Turn- pike Road Company, authorized "for the pur- pose of making a turnpike road from Miles- burg in Centre county, past Karthaus in Clearfield county, and Smethport in MeKean county, to the New York line," and Jonathan
Colgrove, Paul E. Scull, John King and Joseph Otto, of Mckean county; Peter A. Karthaus, of Clearfield county; James L. Gillis, of Jefferson county ; John Mitchell and Roland Curtin, of Center county; George Vaux and Simon Gratz, of the city of Phila- delphia, appointed commissioners to solicit subscriptions for said road, which passed through Ridgway, then in the county of Jef -. ferson. Notice of the time and place when and where books to be opened to receive sub- scriptions of stock to be published in the Bellefonte Patriot and the Lycoming Gasette, and one paper published in the city of Phila- delphia. Upon subscriptions of twenty or more persons, representing six hundred or more shares of twenty dollars each, the gov- ernor to incorporate the company, which was to have power to erect and maintain tollgates upon and across said turnpike, as will be seen by the following section of the act :
"Section 13 .- And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That whenever and as often as the said company shall have fin- ished five miles or more of said road the presi- dent thereof may give notice to the governor, who shall thereupon forthwith appoint three skillful, judicious, and disinterested persons to view and examine the same and report on oath or affirmation to him whether the road is so far executed in a competent and workman- like manner, according to the true meaning and intent of this act ; and if their report shall be in the affirmative, then the governor shall, by license under his hand and seal of the State, permit and suffer said company to erect and fix such and so many gates or turnpikes upon and across the said road as will be neces- sary and sufficient to collect from all persons traveling the same, otherwise than on foot. the same tolls which are hereinafter authorized and granted: Provided, That all persons at- tending funerals, military parades or train- ings, or divine worship on the Sabbath-day. shall at all times be exempt from the payment of any toll on said road."
1828 .- "A supplement to the Act entitled 'An Act authorizing the Governor to incor- porate the Milesburg and Smethport Turn- pike Road Company.'
"Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Com- monwealth of Pennsylvania in General As- sembly met, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the governor be and is hereby authorized and required to sub- scribe twenty thousand dollars, in shares of twenty dollars cach, to the stock of the Miles-
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burg and Smethport Turnpike Road Company ; and as soon as any five miles of the road shall be completed, it shall be the duty of the gov- ernor to draw his warrant on the State treas- urer for a sum in proportion to the whole dis- tance, and a like sum for every five miles, until the whole sum shall be drawn: Provided, That previous to any payment from the treas- ury satisfactory evidence shall be furnished to the governor that sums equal at least in amount to the sums drawn from the treasury shall have been paid by individual stockhold- ers and expended agreeably to the provisions of the twelfth section of the act incorporating the said turnpike road company, passed the eleventh day of April, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-five: And Provided further, That there shall not be more than five thousand dollars of the aforesaid sum of twenty thousand dollars drawn from the said treasury in any one year.
"Approved-the second day of February, A. D. one thousand eight hundred and twenty- eight.
"J. ANDW. SCHULZE."
1831 .- "A further supplement to the said Act incorporating said Turnpike Road Com- pany, being the Second Section of the Act of the 4th Day of April, A. D. 1831, as follows : "Section 2. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the proceedings which are authorized by the thirteenth section of the act entitled 'A Further Supplement to the Act entitled An Act authorizing the Gov- ernor to incorporate the Milesburg and Smeth- port Turnpike Road Company,' passed eleventh day of April, one thousand eight hun- dred and twenty-five, and a supplement to the said act, passed the second day of February, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight. in cases when the said company shall have finished five miles or more of said road, be and the same are hereby authorized and extended to portions less than five miles of said road. which are and shall hereafter be finished as aforesaid."
1836 .- A further supplement authorizing the State to subscribe five thousand dollars additional stock in said turnpike.
1826 .- Warren and Jefferson County Turn- pike Road Company authorized "for the pur- pose of making a turnpike road from the town of Warren, in Warren county. to the Sus- quehanna and Waterford Turnpike, at or near the bridge over the north fork of Sandy Lick creek, in Jefferson county," and Joseph Hack- ney, John Andrews, and Archibald Tanner, of Warren county ; Thomas Lucas, Charles C.
Gaskill, and John Matson, of Jefferson county, appointed commissioners to solicit subscriptions and organize the company.
1826 .- One half of all road taxes received by the treasurers of Jefferson and Mckean counties from unseated lands to be applied for seven years to the improvement of the "leading roads" in said counties; and C. C. Gaskill and James Gillis, of Jefferson county, and Jonathan Colgrove and Paul E. Scull, of MeKean county, appointed commissioners to expend said fund in the "making, clearing and opening" of said "leading roads."
1828 .- The above act repealed as to Jef- ferson county.
1826 .- Clearfield and Jefferson Turnpike authorized, and Charles C. Gaskill. Dr. John W. Jenks, Andrew Barnett, and Thomas Lucas, of the county of Jefferson ; and Green- wood Bell, John Irvin, David Ferguson, and Alexander B. Read, of Clearfield county, ap- pointed commissioners to procure books and solicit subscriptions for said road, and gen- erally to assist in the organization of the com- pany, to be known as "The President, Man- agers, and Company of the Clearfield and Jef- ferson Turnpike Road."
1831 .- Township supervisors of Jefferson county authorized and required to expend at least two-thirds of the annual road tax in the repair and improvement of the public roads of their respective townships, on or before the Ist day of October in each and every year.
1834 .- State road from Kittanning to Brookville authorized, and John Sloan, Jr., Alexander Duncan, and James Corbett ap- pointed commissioners to view and lay out the same.
1835 .- Commissioners appointed to lay out State road from Kittanning to Brookville: William Jack, John Cribbs, Jr., and Robert Richards.
1838 .- Luthersburg and Punxsutawney Road Company authorized. "for the purpose of making a turnpike from the town of Punx- sutawney, in the county of Jefferson, to the town of Luthersburg, in Clearfield county." and Lebbeus Luther, John Jordan, Benjamin Bonsall, David Irvin, Jacob Flick. Benjamin Carson. David Hoover, David Henny, and Jeremiah Miles, of the county of Clearfield ; William Campbell, Charles R. Barclay. Charles C. Gaskill, James Winslow, James W. Bell, and John Hoover ( miller), of the county of Jef- ferson, appointed commissioners to solicit sub- scriptions for stock, and generally to assist in the organization of the company to be known
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as "The Luthersburg and Punxsutawney Road Company."
1838 .- The governor of Pennsylvania au- thorized and required to subscribe four thou- sand dollars to the Luthersburg and Punxsu- tawney Turnpike Company "if incorporated the present session."
1830 .- State road from Warren to Ridg- way's settlement, in Jefferson county, author- ized, and Robert Falconer, John Andrews and Lansing Witmore, of Warren county, and Reuben A. Aylsworth and Enos Gillis, of Jefferson county, appointed commissioners to lay out the same.
1831 .- Company organized and incorpo- rated to build said road, called the Warren and Ridgway Turnpike Road Company. "The said commissioners are hereby authorized to employ one surveyor, whose compensation shall not exceed one dollar and fifty cents per clay, and two chain bearers and one ax man, at per diem allowance, not exceeding one dol- lar per day, and one packer and packhorse, if necessary, for which a reasonable allowance shall be made. Further, that the compensa- tion of the said commissioners shall be one dollar and fifty cents each for every day they may be necessarily employed by virtue of this act."
1836. - In consideration of privileges granted by the State to the State bank, it was authorized and required to pay five thousand dollars to this Warren and Ridgway Turnpike Road Company.
1838 .- Governor of Pennsylvania author- ized to subscribe two thousand dollars stock in said Warren and Ridgway Turnpike Road Company.
1842 .- Having completed forty miles of the Warren and Ridgway turnpike road, said company was authorized to demand, receive, and collect tolls thereon.
to the best advantage, in repairing, mending, and improving said turnpike road through the counties of Warren, Jefferson, and Elk.
1831 .- Armstrong and Clearfield turnpike road authorized to commence at Kittanning, pass through Punxsutawney, and to end at the mouth of Anderson's creek, in Clearfield county. Thomas Blair, Jacob Pontius, and Joseph Marshall, of Armstrong county ; Chas. C. Gaskill, and John W. Jenks, of Jefferson county ; John Ewing and Henry Kinter, of Indiana county : David Ferguson and John Irvin, of Clearfield county ; and William A. Thomas and Hardman Phillips, of Centre county, were appointed commissioners by said act to solicit subscriptions, give notice of organization of company, etc.
1838 .- Governor of Pennsylvania author- ized and required to subscribe five thousand six hundred dollars to said Armstrong and Clearfield Turnpike Road Company.
1844 .- Time for the completion of the said Armstrong and Clearfield turnpike road ex- tended for the term of ten years from April 16, 1844.
1834 .- State road from the mouth of Little Bald Eagle creek, in Huntingdon county. through Clearfield county, to Punxsutawney, in Jefferson county, authorized, and James Winslow, of Jefferson county ; Elisha Fenton, of Clearfield county ; and Benjamin Johnson, of Huntingdon county, appointed commis- sioners to lay out the same.
1835 .- Supplement extending time for mak- ing out drafts of location of said State road from Little Bald Eagle creek to Punxsu- tawney.
1834 .- State road authorized from the set- tlement on the headwaters of Millstone creek, in Jefferson county, to the State road leading from the Clarion river bridge, on the Sus- quehanna and Waterford turnpike, in the county of Venango, at or near the farm of Peter Walley, Jr., and James Gillis and Wil- liam Armstrong, of Jefferson county; and David Reyner, of Venango county, appointed commissioners to lay out the same.
1844 .- The managers and stockholders of the Warren and Ridgway Turnpike Road Company having abandoned the same, it was enacted that one-half of the road tax levied in the township of Sheffield, and one-fourth of the road tax levied in the township of Kinzua. 1835 .- State road from Shippensville to Ridgway. in Jefferson county, authorized, and Daniel Rhyner and James Ilasson, of \'enango county ; and William Armstrong, of Jefferson county, appointed commissioners to view, lay out, and mark the same: in the county of Warren; one-fourth of the road tax levied in the township of Tionesta, in the county of Jefferson; one-fourth of the road tax levied in the township of Ridgway, and one-eighth of the road tax levied in the township of Jones, in the county of Elk, should, for a period of six years, be paid and 1838 .- State road from Brookville to Tio- ard Irvin, of Venango county, and Philip G. Clover. of Jefferson county. "appointed com- expended by Richard Dunham and Erastus . nesta authorized, and James Huling and Rich- Barnes, of the county of Warren, and Joseph S. Hyde, of the county of Elk. commissioners,
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missioners to view, lay out, locate, and mark the same by the nearest and best route."
1840 .- Incorporation of the Armstrong, Jefferson, and Clearfield Turnpike Company authorized, to begin "at the northern termina- tion of the Freeport and Kittanning turnpike road, on the top of the Mahoning hills, and continue by the most practical route, via the borough of Brookville, in Jefferson county, and the Brandy Camp, to the Milesburg and Smethport turnpike road, at or near Ridgway, in Jefferson county." By same act James Kerr, Hance Robinson, Jacob Miller, of the county of Armstrong; and Hiram Wilson, William Jack, John Dougherty, and Jacob Shaffer, of the county of Jefferson; and Isaac Horton, Daniel Oyster. Uriah Rodgers, and Jonathan Nichols, of the county of Clearfield, were ap- pointed commissioners to solicit subscriptions and organize the company.
1840 .- State road from Ebensburg to Punx- sutawney authorized, to begin "at the town of Ebensburg, in Cambria county ; thence by the nearest and best route to the Cherry Tree; thence by the nearest and best route to the town of Punxsutawney, Jefferson county"; and Stephen Lloyd and James Rhey, of Cam- bria county ; James Bard, of Indiana county ; David Ferguson, of Clearfield county ; and James Winslow, of Jefferson county, appointed commissioners to view, lay out, and mark the same.
April 2, 1841 .- Time for completing the survey and location of State road from Ebens- burg to Punxsutawney extended one year from April 2, 1841, and Stephen Lloyd, John B. Douglass, of Cambria county : Richard Bard. of Clearfield county: William Thompson, of Indiana county ; and James Winslow, of Jef- ferson county. appointed commissioners in place of those named in the act originally authorizing the road.
May 5, 1841 .- Original act authorizing the State road from Ebensburg Go Punxsutawney revived, "and William Thompson, of Indiana county ; Richard Bard, of Clearfield county ; and Stephen Lloyd, John B. Douglass, and James Rhey, of Cambria county, appointed commissioners to carry the provisions of the said act into execution."
1841 .- Jefferson county commissioners att- thorized to subscribe stock in the Mahoning Mouth Bridge Company "such number of shares as they may deem right and proper."
1842 .- Chutes of dams on the Red Bank and Sandy Lick creek to be twenty feet long for every one foot high.
1842 .- State road from Cherry Tree in
Indiana county to Clarion authorized, and David Peelor, Heth F. Camp and John Decker, of Indiana county; John Sloan, Jr., Peter Clover, Jr., of Clarion county ; and Robert Woodward, of Armstrong county, appointed commissioners to view and lay out the said State road, which was to begin at "Cherry Tree in Indiana county, and to intersect the Susquehanna and Waterford Turnpike at or near the town of Clarion, in Clarion county, by the nearest and best route between the said points."
1843 .- Time for executing and returning drafts of the survey of this State road from Cherry Tree to Clarion extended one year. and Henry Freese, of Jefferson county, added to the board of commissioners.
1843 .- State road from Brookville to Ridg- way by way of the mouth of Little Toby authorized.
1843 .- State road from Elderton to Punxsu- tawney authorized, and Thomas Armstrong, of Elderton; Peter Dilts, of Mahoning, In- diana county ; and William Campbell. of Jef- ferson county, "appointed commissioners to view and lay out the road from Elderton, in Armstrong county, to Punxsutawney, in Jef- ferson county, by way of Plumville, in Indiana county, by the nearest and best route from point to point."
1844 .- The county commissioners of the several counties through which the State road from Elderton by way of Plumville to Punx- sutawney was laid out authorized and required to settle the accounts of the commissioners viewing and laying out said road.
1844 .- State road from the borough of Warren, in Warren county, to the borough of Brookville, in Jefferson county, authorized, and Henry G. Sergeant and Orin L. Stanton. of Warren county ; and Samuel Findley, of Jefferson county, appointed commissioners to view and lay out the same; drafts of the loca- tion of said State road to be made and de- posited "in the office of the clerk of the court of the respective counties in which said road may be laid out."
1845 .- All expenses for laying out and opening roads in Jefferson county to be paid out of the road funds of the several town- ships through which the same may pass. Supervisors in the county of Jefferson required to give bond in double the amount of the sum assessed for road purposes; and township auditors, within ten days after settlement with supervisors, to file a copy of said settlement with the clerk of the Quarter Sessions.
1845 .- An act authorizing but three road
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and bridge viewers in Jefferson county, and requiring all to view.
.
1846 .- Act relating to dams and obstruc- tions in the Clarion river.
1846 .- State road from Smicksburg, In- (liana county, to the borough of Brookville, Jefferson county, authorized, and Hugh Brady, Levi G. Clover, of Jefferson county ; and George Bernard, of Indiana county, ap- pointed commissioners to view and lay out the same "on the nearest and best route, to a straight line, and in no place to exceed an elevation of five degrees."
Viewers required to make drafts and file copy of same in both counties, and courts of the respective counties authorized to fill vacancies occurring in the board of commis- sioners.
THE TOLLGATE
With the completion of the turnpike came the tollgate. One was erected every five or ten miles.
It was lawful for the company to appoint such and so many toll-gatherers as they thought proper, to collect and receive of and from each and every person and persons using the said road the tolls and rates herein- after mentioned; and to stop any person rid- ing, leading or driving any horse or mule, or driving any cattle, hogs, sheep, sulky, chair, chaise, phaeton, cart, wagon, wain, sleigh, sled, or other carriage of burden or pleasure from passing through the said gates or turn- pikes until they shall have respectively paid the same-that is to say, for every space of five miles in length of the said road the fol- lowing sum of money, and so in proportion for any greater or less distance, or for any greater or less number of hogs, sheep or cat- tle, to wit: For every score of sheep, four cents; for every score of hogs, six cents; for every score of cattle, twelve cents; for every horse or mule, laden or unladen, with his rider or leader, three cents; for every sulky, chair, chaise, with one horse and two wheels, six cents, and with two horses, nine cents; for every chair, coach, phaeton, chaise, stage, wagon, coachee, or light wagon, with two horses and four wheels, twelve cents; for either of the carriages last mentioned, with four horses, twenty cents; for every other carriage of pleasure, under whatever name it may go, the like sum, according to the num- ber of wheels and of horses drawing the same ; for every sleigh or sled, two cents for each horse drawing the same; for every cart or
wagon, or other carriage of burden, the wheels of which do not in breadth exceed four inches, four cents for each horse drawing the same ; for every cart or wagon, the wheels of which shall exceed in breadth four inches, and shall not exceed seven inches, three cents for each horse drawing the same; and when any such carriages as aforesaid shall be drawn by oxen or mules, in the whole or in part, two oxen shall be estimated as equal to one horse; and every ass or mule as equal to one horse, in charging the aforesaid tolls.
STAGES, ETC.
In November, 1824, the first stage line was established over the Waterford and Susque- hanna turnpike from Bellefonte to Erie by Robert Clark, of Clark's Ferry, Pa. It was called a Concord line, and at first was a tri- weekly. The first stagecoach passed through where Brookville now is about November 6, 1824. In 1824 the route was completed to Philadelphia, through Harrisburg, and was a daily line.
The arrival of the stages in old times was a much more important event than that of the railroad trains to-day. Crowds invariably gathered at the public houses where the coaches stopped to obtain the latest news, and the passengers were of decided account for the time being. Money was so scarce that few persons could afford to patronize the stages, and those who did were looked upon as fortunate beings. A short trip on the stage was as formidable an affair as one to Chicago or Washington is now by railroad. The stage - drivers were men of considerable consequence. They were intrusted with many delicate mis- sives and valuable packages, and seldom be- trayed the confidence reposed in them. They had great skill in handling their horses, and were the admiration and envy of the boys.
The traffic increased gradually until it reached enormous proportions. A quarter of a century after the road had been built it arrived at the zenith of its glory.
Peddlers of all kinds, on foot and in covered wagons, traveled the pike. From Crawford county came the cheese and whitefish peddler. Several people, including the hotel men, would each buy a whole cheese.
The pioneer inns or taverns in Jefferson county along this highway were about six in number. Five of the six were built of hewed logs, viz .: One where Reynoldsville is; the Packer Inn, near Peter Baum's; one near Campbell run (Ghost Hollow) ; the William
11
YORK
Stage
Coach
1824-50
TURNPIKE.
BARNETT'S INN 1826.
INDIANA ROAD 208/
PORT BARNETT
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JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Vastbinder inn: James Winter's tavern, at Roseville; and John McAnulty's inn, kept by Alexander Powers, where Corsica is now located. The Port Barnett Inn at this time was a "frame structure," as its picture rep- resents.
Stage passengers' rights were guarded as herein by the act of March 6, 1820-"An Act Relative to the Owners and Drivers of Public Stages and Other Carriages for the Convey- ance of Passengers, and for Other Purposes. "Section 1. From and after the Ist day of July next, if the driver of any public stage, mail coach, coachee, or carriage shall leave the same with the horses attached thereto, without some suitable person to take care of stich horses, or securely fastening the same, such driver, and the owner or owners, or any of them, of such stage, mail coach, coachee, or carriage shall for every such offense forfeit and pay any sum not less than ten nor more than fifty dollars, one moiety whereof shall go to the person giving information of the commission of such offense, and the other moiety to the stock of the county where such offense shall have been committed : Provided, that the party aggrieved shall have a right to appeal to the next court of Common Pleas of the county wherein the offense was com- mitted."
Robbery and crime were not uncommon oc- currences on this wilderness highway. I here panse to give a single incident, the murder of Reuben Giles by James Monks. This murder was committed in November, 1817. Monks was tried in 1818 and hanged at Bellefonte in 1819. Monks was a bad actor. He had been hunting for game and at night lodged at a tavern in Bloom township, Clearfield county. The night before the shooting Monks had been gambling and drinking: had lost about all of his money and was in a bad frame of mind. He left the hotel in the afternoon and started home, coming. in the direction of Curwensville. Reuben Giles, his victim, was from an eastern county and a drover, carrying considerable money. Giles was going west, ascending Anderson Creek hill when he met Monks. Giles spoke pleasantly to Monks and passed on. The rest is told in Monks's poetic confession written by him in the Bellefonte jail. Monks was hanged two years later in an open field near Bellefonte, and it is said his execution was witnessed by more than four thousand people.
CONFESSION OF JAMES MONKS
Come all ye good people
Who now have come to view
This sad and shameful death I have brought myself unto;
I pray you all take warning By my unhappy fate,
And shun my vice and folly, Before it is too late.
In the county of Centre I drew my baby breath ; And in that same county I meet my shameful death.
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