USA > Pennsylvania > Jefferson County > Jefferson County, Pennsylvania : her pioneers and people, 1800-1915, Volume I > Part 84
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Rev. J. A. Boyle came out into the wilder- ness and bought the Reporter. He had a wife, three boys, Ret, Sam and Mel, and a daugh- ter. He lived near the Gillis house. I boarded with him. His three boys worked on the paper with me. I remained in his employ until about the last of September, 1856. Mr. Boyle was a man of intellectual power, and an eloquent orator, but in rather feeble health. He changed his residence and occupation for the mountain air and rest. When the Rebel- lion broke out Mr. Boyle enlisted, was com- missioned a captain, and was killed in battle. Elk county lost in him a good citizen, an able man, and the country a brave soldier. His wife was one of the dearest. motherly women 1 ever met. After the Captain's death the family returned to Philadelphia. I have lost all track of them.
In the issue of Sept. 27, 1856, a week after I left Ridgway, Mr. Boyle paid me this com- pliment in the Reporter:
MR. W. J. MCKNIGHT
This young gentleman, who has been at work in the Reporter office for some time past, has just left us. It is seldom we meet a young man who seems to us to have in view the great object of life, but when we do our heart rejoices and our hopes for humanity and the world are enlarged. Self culture is our highest duty. To produce a harmony be- tween the intellectual and moral of our nature and have both striving for the highest develop- ment is the true road to usefulness and re- spectability. Mr. McKnight has resolved to devote himself to a useful profession, and to do this he has determined to lay a foundation of thorough training .- Self-reliant, with a good constitution and a well-developed intel- lect, he is about to commence a regular course of medical lectures. He has sufficient enthu- siasm to impel him forward in the arduous toil required to master the science, and we trust he has too high an ambition to stop at any of the resting places of quackery, but will push forward until he reaches the highest pinnacle in the temple of Esculapius.
One of the grandest sights presented in this
-
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working world of ours is to see a young man, unaided by wealth, pushing his way through untoward circumstances to a useful position
in society and an honorable post. Go forward, Mac, and may the blessing of a thousand hearts cheer you in your labors.
CHAPTER XXVI
ROSE TOWNSHIP
ORGANIZATION-ASSESSMENT LIST OF 1827 -- POPULATION - PIONEERS - EARLY INDUSTRIES - EARLY ELECTIONS-PRESENT OFFICIALS-PIONEER SCHOOLS-IIORSE RACING, ROSEVILLE RACE GROUND-DEVELOPMENT-COUNTY HOME-IION. JOEL SPYKER-BELLEVIEW
Rose township, named for Dr. Rose, was organized in 1827, being taken from Pine- creek. It was bounded by Pinecreek on the east, Young and Perry on the south, and in- cluded Brookville until October, 1848.
ASSESSMENT LIST OF 1827
Robert Andrews, Johns Avery & Caleb Howard (one sawmill, trade), Christopher Barr. Joseph Barnett (one sawmill), John Bar- nett, David Butler (one half of a sawmill), Nathaniel Butler, Alonzo Baldwin, Lorenzo Brooks (single man), Euphrastus Carrier (single man), Christian Conrad, John Coon (one half of a sawmill), John Christy, James E. Corbett, William Cooper, James Crow ( single man), Samuel Kennedy, Joseph Clem- ents, W. B. Clements, George Crispen, James Divin ( trade), Samuel Davidson, Robert Dixon, John Dixon, William Douglass (col- ored), George Eckler, Henry Feye, Sr., Henry Feye, Jr., Samuel Feye, William Guthrie, John Fuller (trade), Elijah M. Graham, William Graham, Himes (one half of a sawmill), Frederick Heterick (one sawmill), James IIall (singleman), John Horam, Moses Knapp, Samuel Knapp ( one saw- and gristmill), Rob- ert Knox, John Kelso, John Kennedy, Joseph Keys, Matthew Keys (single man), Henry Keys ( single man), William Long ( single man ), John Lucas, William Love, Sr., William Love, Jr. (single man). John Love ( single man), Thomas Lucas (one half of a sawmill, land). John Lattimer (one half of a sawmill), John Long. Alex. Lyons, Henry Lot ( one saw- mill), Peter Lot, Daniel Long, William Latti- mer. Isaac Matson, John McGiffin (single man). William Morrison, Samuel Magill, Isaac McElvaine, Abraham Milliron, Jacob Mason, Benjamin Mason (single man), Joseph Mc- Cullough, John Matson, John McIntosh, John McGhee ( trade), Timothy Nightingale, P. B. Ostrander, Alexander Osburn, James
Parks (gristmill), Alexander Powers, Isaac Packer, William Rodgers, Hance Robinson (one half of a sawmill), David Roll (one saw- mill), Joshua Rhea, Thomas Robinson, Rob- ert Smith, James Shields (trade), John Shields, Peter Slogerbuck, Samuel Stiles, Michael Shadle, Heulet Smith, Andrew Ship- pen, Charles Sutherland (colored), Robert K. Scott, Joseph Sharp, Walter Templeton, Joshua Vandevort, Jesse Vandevort, Jacob Vastbinder, Adam Vastbinder, William Vast- binder, Henry Vastbinder, Andrew Vast- binder, Hugh Williamson, John Welsh (house and lot in Troy), John Walters, Beach Way- land, Patience Wheeler, John Webster (single man), Peter Walters, Robert Weir, Daniel Yeomans, William McDonald, Nathan Car- rier, William Mendenhall, Alexander Scott, Benjamin Sies, Joseph Hastings, Robert Tweedy. James Sharp, Nicholas Sharp, Joseph Butler, Jeremiah McCallester, Samuel Rhodes, John Hayes, John Scott (single man), Samuel Johns, Robert Maxwell.
POPULATION
In 1840, 1,421 : 1850, 559; 1860, 828; 1870, 1,058; 1880, 1,601; 1890, 1,830; 1900, 1,805; 1910, 1,982.
PIONEERS
The pioneer settlers in Rose township were John Matson and Mary, his wife, and their daughter Jane was the first white child born in the township. He built his cabin in 1805. The next settler was Joseph Clements, the next Andrew Vastbinder. John Lucas came from Crooked Creek, Indiana county, in 1816, and settled at Puckerty. John Kennedy came in the spring of 1822. Walter Templeton was living in the township then. He was the mechanic of that time. He could do any and all kinds of repairing. Luther Geer settled
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in the township in 1833. Peter Thrush in 1837. Peter Himes in 1838; Joel Spyker came in 1835. The Witherows came in 1833. William Thompson came in 1834.
EARLY INDUSTRIES
James Corbet built the pioneer sawmill on Red Bank, near Coders.
The pioneer brickyard was started by Col. William Jack and General Wise. It was sit- uated at the head of what is now Anthony Wayne Cook's millpond, and on the east side of the North Fork, and was operated about 1830.
John Matson built the first pioneer gristmill in the township, on the North Fork, above Verstine & Kline's sawmill, in 1830. In 1829 he built the sawmill now known as Verstine & Kline's mill.
Among the pioneer industries was tar-burn- ing. Kilns were formed and split fagots of pitch-pine knots were arranged in circles and burned. The tar was collected by a ditch and forced into a chute, and from there barrelled. John Matson, Sr., marketed on rafts as high as forty barrels in one season. Freedom Stiles was the king "tar-burner." The pioneer price at Pittsburgh for tar was ten dollars a barrel.
The pioneer licensed tavern was kept by John Matson on the old State road in 1812.
The early tavern-keepers, or those to whom license to sell whisky was granted, were Wil- liam Vastbinder, William Christy. John Shoe- maker, David Orcutt, Anthony Rowe, James Green, Isaac Mills and Joshua Mckinley. The two Jatter kept at Roseville, and Joseph Hen- derson at Dowlingville in 1841.
The early brick-kilns were started in 1832. one by Robert P. Barr and the other by Joseph Kaylor.
EARLY ELECTIONS
The pioneer election polling-place was at the house of John Lucas.
At the pioneer local election, 1828, the num- ber of votes cast was sixty-five, and at the general election in the fall, sixty-six.
At an election held at the home of John Lucas, March 20. 1820, the following persons were elected: Supervisor. Moses Knapp : poor overseers, John Lucas, John Avery : auditors. John Hughes. Alonzo Baldwin; con- stable. William Love, Jr. ; fence viewers, John Kelso, Elijah M. Graham: town clerk. John Christy, James Corbet ( each had three votes ). Attest : Alonzo Baldwin, John Lucas, judges.
The township assessor in 1837 was Samuel 1.ucas.
PRESENT OFFICIALS
On Nov. 2. 1915. the following officials were elected for Rose township: Fred Hall and William G. Vasbinder, school directors ; llosey Martz, supervisor; J. R. O'Connor. constable.
PIONEER SCHOOLS
The pioneer schoolhouse was on the farm of William Carr.
The pioneer church was on the land of Wil- liam Ohl in 1837.
On the first day of March. 1827. Joseph Magiffin opened a subscription school (in what is now Rose township) under the laws of 1809, popularly called the "pauper system." The price of subscription was fifty cents for each scholar. the term six months, and the master "boarded round." This school had about thirty scholars.
In the year 1825 the people in this vicinity had erected a log cabin on land donated by Charles C. Gaskill, at the northwest end of the Johnny Lucas farm, designed for school purposes. The building was twenty by twenty, of round logs, chunked and daubed, and roofed with clapboards held in place by weight- poles. Robert Knox taught there in 1825.
This cabin site formed the nucleus for the old Jefferson graveyard, which is now in Rose township. It was heated by a fireplace, and Rev. William Kennedy, a Presbyterian min- ister who lived near Roseville, preached a few sermons there in 1825. In this building in 1827 Master Magiffin taught his first term of school. Every second Saturday was a holiday. Either the Old or the New Testament was read every morning in school, and the children had to answer "their questions" from the West- minster Catechism every Friday afternoon. The course of study consisted of spelling ( The American Speller), reading, writing and arith- metic. The text-book on arithmetic was the second edition of the Northwestern Calculator. edited by J. Stockton. A. M., and published in Pittsburgh, Pa., in the year 1823.
Joseph Magiffin was a great speller, a good reader, and an expert mathematician. He gov- erned his school with the birch rod and ferrule.
Master Magiffin's second term of six months began in 1828 in a frame schoolhouse on the Robert Andrews farm, which is now in Clover township. In 1829 he taught a four months'
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term near Eli McDowell's wagon shop. in what . is now Summerville. In 1830 he taught a four months' term west of Summerville, on what is known as the Anderson farm. In all these schools he "boarded round," charged fifty cents a month per scholar, and used the same text-books. He lived to be nearly one hun- dred years old.
HORSE RACING-ROSEVILLE RACE GROUND
Horse racing was practiced as early as when Troy was besieged by the Greeks. In the plain before the city the besiegers celebrated hol- idays by sports and horse races, and Homer says the walls of Troy were covered with sporting Trojans watching the result.
The trotting horse was an institution of the nineteenth century. Before 1800 running was the only method of racing. Horse racing as practiced in the pioneer days of our county was a great sport. People came here from all the northwest.
"Jefferson County Races .- On Tuesday, the 14th of November, instant, will be run over the race course on the Lewistown and Erie Turnpike, near the public house of Mrs. Mills, four miles west of Brookville, a match race of 600 yards between the celebrated racers Robin and Zib. The public and all others friendly are hereby invited to attend. By order of
"THE PROPRIETORS.
"November 2, 1837."
"Robin" was a Brookville horse, and won this race. He was a sorrel, and belonged to John Pierce and Maj. William Rodgers. These men purchased him from Ephraim Bushly for five hundred dollars. and they sold him to Benjamin Bennett, Sr., of Bellefonte, where he was taken and matched for a race. He had never been beaten in a race, but before this match took place in Centre county he was poisoned and ruined.
"Zib" was a dark bay horse, and was owned by a Mr. Chambers, of Crawford county, Pa. The "stake" in the above race was three hun- dred dollars. Great crowds attended these races. People came from Indiana, Armstrong, Crawford, Clearfield and Centre counties. The stake was usually three hundred dollars, and the excitement and side-betting was lively. Racing ceased on these grounds about 1870.
DEVELOPMENT
Between the years of 1830 and 1840 a num- ber of German families came into the lower
part of the county and settled near Red Bank creek.
The impulse given to the lumber trade by the speculations in the State of Maine was not without its influence in the remote sections of the Union. The keen sagacity of the Yan- kee discovered that there were vast bodies of pine lands lying around the sources of the Alle- gheny river, not appreciated at their full value by the few pioneers who lived among them. The Yankees had learned to estimate the value of pine land by the tree and by the log; the Pennsylvanians still estimated it by the acre. Somewhere between 1830 and 1837 individuals and companies from New England and New York purchased considerable bodies of land on the headwaters of Red Bank and Clarion rivers from the Holland Land Company and other large landholders. They proceeded to erect sawmills and to drive the lumber trade after the most approved methed. The little leaven thus introduced caused quite a fermen- tation among the lumbermen and landholders of the county. More land changed owners, new water privileges were improved, capital was introduced from abroad, and during the spring floods every creek and river resounded with the preparation of rafts and the lively shouts of the lumbermen as they shot their rafts over the swift chutes of the milldams. The population of the county was trebled in ten years.
In the year 1826 Samuel D. Kennedy came from Mifflin county with his wife and son and settled on the pike across the road from Major Trimble's farm, where he built a log cabin, in which he lived for some time, without win- dows or doors. The only house near them was a small log house, where Corsica now stands. It stood in the old McAnulty orchard, and a man named Powers kept hotel in it. Indians were frequently seen, and the family were often chased indoors by panthers. Mr. Ken- nedy afterward removed to the vicinity of Coder's dam, and from there to Corsica, where he lived until the death of his wife, after which he made his home with his son, George H. Kennedy, at Brookville, where he died Oc- tober 13, 1881, in the eighty-first year of his age. Mrs. Jane Kennedy, nee Slack, died January 27, 1878, aged seventy-seven years.
In 1840-43 large bodies of original tracts were still held by rich proprietors at a dis- tance. The price of land then was fifty cents, one dollar, to three dollars per acre.
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JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
IION. JOEL SPYKER
ONE OF JEFFERSON COUNTY'S EARLY AND STURDY CITIZENS AND HISTORIAN
This Jefferson county farmer was born in Jonestown, Swatara township, Dauphin (now Lebanon) Co., Pa., on the 30th of June, 1803. His mother was the daughter of Rev. William Kurtz, one of the early Lutheran preachers in the State. His education was very limited, but by the most untiring energy he acquired the rudiments of the Pennsyl- vania-Dutch dialect and the English branches. He taught school, and while teaching got mar- ried to Miss Mary Winger, the marital date being December 13th, 1825.
Spyker was a man of great information, and when we consider his early poverty and the limited opportunities of his youth, he was a remarkably well educated man. In 1835 he removed to Jefferson county, and from that time his life was interwoven with that of Jef- ferson county. He was soon elected a justice of the peace, and was fulfilling his seventh term when he died, in 1877.
In 1841 he was elected county commis- sioner. In 1845 he was one of four that con- tested for the office for prothonotary, etc., and was second in the race, John J. Y. Thompson carrying off the prize by only thirty-four over Spyker. In 1848 he became an author and published a book which was intended for schools, and is certainly a marvel of its time. Joel Spyker is Jefferson county's first author and historian. He was a school director for Rose township for years and a standing ad- ministrator, guardian, executor, arbitrator, etc., and never has the slightest breath of dis- paragement, either as to his honesty or cap- ability, been directed against him. In regard to the character of Mr. Spyker I.quote the fol- lowing excerpt: "For years his name has been the synonym of honesty in all that the
word implies, among those who knew him personally or by reputation." (Jeffersonian, . October 10th, 1877.)
As a school director he gave me a school in 1852. In 1853 he was elected county sur- veyor. He was elected three times county commissioner, viz .: 1841, 1856 and 1864. In 1857 he was elected to the legislature from Jefferson, Elk, McKean and Clearfield. As a member of that body he made something of a sensation. In 1860 he was appointed assistant United States marshal to take the census of Jefferson county. He was elected county auditor in 1861. The pioneer history of Jef- ferson county, namely, The Atlas of 1878, was large collated from his writings. Joel Spyker lived and died on his farm, situated on the Punxsutawney road, about three miles south of Brookville. In conclusion, Joel Spyker was a true type of the Pennsylvania Dutch.
BELLEVIEW
Belleview is the metropolis of southern Rose township. It was laid out and named by Hugh Campbell in 1844. The first stores were kept by John Philiber, in 1849, and James Hill, in 1850. The latter also kept the first licensed hotel in the vicinity. He came to Jefferson county in 1838 and purchased one hundred and seventy-five acres of land in the vicinity of Belleview. In 1850 he re- moved to the town, where he kept store until his death, in 1863. His wife, nee Mary Kin- near, died just six weeks before her husband. Both were natives of Ireland. Hill was suc- ceeded by A. J. Smathers, and the Reitz brothers-Manuel W., Edward and Aaron, who bought the Hill property in 1866. Joseph Spare also had a store in Belleview.
The first school at Belleview was built in 1842.
The post office here is known as Stanton.
CHAPTER XXVII
BARNETT TOWNSHIP
ORGANIZATION-POPULATION-PIONEERS AND PIONEER HAPPENINGS-TAX LIST OF 1833-CLAR- ION RIVER AND BRIDGES-JOHN COOK, OF COOKSBURG-PRESENT TOWNSIIIP OFFICIALS
Barnett township was organized in 1833, being taken from Rose, and was named for Jo- seph Barnett. Barnett originally contained Jenks and Tionesta townships, and all that part of Jefferson county lying north of the Clarion river. In 1838 the two above-men- tioned townships were organized out of it.
POPULATION
In 1840, 259; 1850. 579; 1860, 303; 187Q, 223; 1880, 296; 1890, 360; 1900, 460; 1910, 330.
PIONEERS AND PIONEER HAPPENINGS
In 1827 William, George, and Samuel Arm- strong came to this section, and Evaline Arm- strong, daughter of William, was the first child born here. In 1829 David and Joseph Reynolds, John Cook, John H. Maize and Alex. Murray located here. David Reynolds cleared the first land and ran the first lumber in 1829. Other early settlers were Alex. For- sythe, Robert Wallace, Richard Burns and Oran Butterfield.
The pioneer marriage was that of Thomas Maize and Martha Hall, in 1836. The pioneer death was James Maize, who died in 1831. The first grave was at Troutman's Run. The pioneer schoolhouse was built of round logs at the mouth of this run. The next school- house was built at Butterfield in 1840. The pioneer gristmill was built on the Toby, now Clarion river, by William Armstrong, who also opened a store, in 1830. The pioneer hotel-keeper was Alex. Murray. The pioneer blacksmith was Andrew Clough. The pioneer sawmill was built by William Armstrong, at Maple Creek, in 1829.
The pioneer election for township officers was held in 1833, and the following officers were elected: Constable, John Maize ; super- visors, David Mead, William Armstrong ; auditors, John Wynkoop. Edwin Forsythe,
William Manross ; poor overseers, Enos My- ers, John Maize.
The tax list of 1833 shows the following in Barnett township: William Armstrong & Co., one sawmill ; Luther Barns & Co .; Israel Ball; Warren Barns (single man) ; John Cook, one sawmill; Job Carr; Nathan & Elijah Tipps; David Meads ; Thaddeus Meads ; Erastus Gib- son ; William Manross, one sawmill; David Reynolds : John Wyncoop, two sawmills ; John Mays ; James W. Mays ; Smith heirs, one saw- mill: Alexander Murray; Thomas B. Mays ; Thomas Fords; John A. Kramer; John Fitz- gerald; Smith N. Myers: James Orwin ; Wil- liam Beer ; William Thomas; George & Sam- uel Armstrong; Ebenezer Kingly; William Gordon ; William Forsythe.
In 1835 there were seventy taxables.
Among the prominent settlers of later years were John Dobson, John Agnew and the Wal- lace brothers.
In 1835 James Aharrah migrated with his family from Indiana, Pa., to Wyncoop Run, and erected a log cabin eighteen by twenty feet, with a few small windows in it. One night when James was absent a panther paid them a visit. Sitting up on his haunches, he peered into the small cabin. In desperation Mrs. Aharrah seized an ax which was stand- ing near by and took her place at the side of the window, ready to receive the visitor should he decide to enter, while her son, armed with the old-time poking-stick, came to her as- sistance and took post at the opposite side of the window. Henry and his sister Jane ( Jack Knopsnyder's mother), who were both quite young, took refuge under the bed and waited for the panther's departure. Mr. Panther soon tired of this, and bade them an affec- tionate farewell, which shook the earth with its vibrations.
Mr. Aharrah was township assessor in 1837.
This vicinity, where the Bradens and Spences live, is popularly called Hominy Ridge. It has two churches, U. B. and M. E.,
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and a school. It is two miles from Cooks- burg on Clarion river, and lies high, and lay's claims as a healthy place.
CLARION RIVER AND BRIDGES
Clarington bridge, across the Clarion river at Clarington, Pa., was built in 1888 by the Nelson & Buchanan Company, of Pittsburgh, Pa. (iron structure with wooden joists).
Katz bridge, across the Clarion river at Katz Fording, was built in 1902 by the Nel- son & Buchanan Company, of Pittsburgh, Pa., Elk and Jefferson counties each paying half of the contract price. It is an iron structure with wooden joists.
Cooksburg bridge, across the Clarion river at Cooksburg, Pa., was built in 1896 by the Nel- son & Buchanan Company, iron structure with iron joists. The stone work was done by Mr. R. A. Bigley, of Franklin, Pa. This bridge was built jointly by Jefferson, Clarion and Forest counties. Among the laborers that worked on this bridge were Dr. I. R. Mohncy, W. C. Byerly, James A. Byerly and Jacob Reitz, of Jefferson county.
In 1833 Job Carr had a sawmill about a mile above Millstone, on the river.
In Big Toby creek (now Clarion river ) and in the Little Toby creek pike were occasionally shot and gigged weighing from thirty to fifty pounds. All our streams then were full of choice pike. catfish, bass, sunfish, suckers and chubs. It was a common thing to shoot pike ; the others were caught by hook and line. in seines, and gigged after night. The lesser streams, like the mill creeks, were alive with speckled trout (in addition to many of the others just mentioned), and every run in the . county then contained these speckled beauties.
Provisions were brought by canoes up the Clarion river from the place where Parker now stands. Two canoes were engaged in delivering groceries, etc. Ephraim and John Shawl were the two men who had control of one, and a man by the name of Sampson manned the other.
JOHN COOK, OF COOKSBURG
A PIONEER OF JEFFERSON COUNTY UNTIL FOREST COUNTY WAS CREATED
John Cook, the pioneer of Cooksburg, was born in Center county, and migrated when a young man, about 1820, to what is now Clarion county. Here he married Miss Susan Help- man. In 1826 a survey was made of the Clar-
ion river by the State of Pennsylvania, with the view of making a canal for a great high- way from the east to the west. This prospec- tive enterprise caused John Cook to carefully explore the Clarion river region above and below what is now Cooksburg, situated at the point where the three counties of Jefferson, Forest and Clarion adjoin, in what is now Barnett township, Forest county. After this thorough examination. he selected the mouth of Tom's run as a suitable place for a home and to erect a sawmill, the second one in the township. He purchased several hundred acres of land, cleared some, and erected on the east side of Tom's run a one-story cabin eighteen by twenty feet, and in 1828 he moved his family to this wilderness. After a resi- dence of two years Mrs. Cook died, in 1830. In 1832 John Cook married his second wife, Miss Catherine Ritter, who died in 1872.
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