USA > Pennsylvania > Crawford County > Our country and its people. A historical and memorial record of Crawford County, Pennsylvania. > Part 20
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The Cambridge Agricultural Association in 18- was organized and a tract of fine land was acquired along the shady bank of the Venango River, where well-managed exhibitions have been given annually ever since. The French Creek Valley Agricultural Society was organized in the summer of 1877 and the first fair was held on excellent grounds acquired along the banks of Little Sugar Creek at Cochranton. The exhibition of cattle, sheep. swine and draft horses has been highly creditable.
The agricultural implements of those early days were rude, and the labor required to use them intense. The plow was a wooden mould strapped with steel and required heavy draft, the grain was gathered with the sickle-
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the back aches at the remembrance-the grass was cut with a scythe clum- sily attached to the stick with a wedge, and a number of hands followed each other, keeping time in steady rhythm to the swing. The hay was dried by frequent turnings, gathered with small short-toothed rakes and pitched on and off the hay rack with a hand fork. The grain was separated from the straw with the flail, and as the two stalwart men faced each other with their well-worn implements and pounded with rhythmic measure the well-sunned sheaves arranged along the barn floor the grain rattled merrily and barn echoed to barn along the whole county.
But how changed is the labor of farming now! The farmer mounts his sulky plow, takes his seat upon the easy cushion, with comfortably fitting back, and drives merrily away, the polished steel implement laying the fur- rows over as smooth and level as a house floor. With a gig equally easy in motion the seeds are dropped and covered, and when the grain has grown and ripened the reaper and binder, with almost human intelligence, gathers and binds and delivers in shocks, and the thresher separates the grain, win- now's it, measures it and delivers it in bags ready for the merchant. The power fork raises the hay upon the rack and, in turn, raises in mass to the scaffold, so that the entire work of harvesting is almost a holiday affair.
Crawford was originally regarded as a grazing rather than a grain- growing county, on account of the abundance of the rich grasses which it produces and the pure water from the gushing fountains that pour down all the hills and water all the valleys. But of late years the more intelligent and thorough culture has given a rich return of grain. It still holds its place as one of the best butter and cheese producing counties in the Keystone State. One of the first cheese factories in the county was established by Clark & Stebbins at Mosiertown in 1849. Another factory in the same village was built in 1850 by Mosier & McFarland. The first factory under the new and more systematic system of cheese making was established at Cambridgeboro in 1867, and received the milk from 250 cows the first year, Oco the third and 820 the sixth, the average price of cheese being some twelve cents. As late as 1870 there were only twenty-seven cheese factories in the whole State of Pennsylvania, eight of which were in Crawford County. In 1875 there were sixty-eight of these factories in Crawford County alone, and there were made during that year 6.310,000 pounds of cheese. Through the influence of the State Dairymen's Association and the intelligent exer-
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tions of Messrs. A. M. Fuller and Leon C. Magaw and their associates the quality of the cheese product has been so improved that it is known and sought for throughout the length and breadth of the land and commands the best prices. The quantity in later years has fallen, but the quality has correspondingly improved. Less attention has been devoted to butter making than to cheese, though of late years the patent "separators" have been largely introduced and much butter of excellent quality made. This will probably become the most popular method of butter making and will be one of the most prolific sources of wealth to the county yet devised.
Mr. Alfred Huidekoper, in his lecture on Crawford County, mentions the following animals found here in the early day: "The elk, deer, panther. wolf, bear, wildcat, fox, marten, otter, polecat, beaver, ground-hog, opossum, raccoon, hare, rabbit: black, gray, red or pine, flying, chippy squirrels; muskrat, mink, weasel, porcupine, field mouse, deer mouse, common rat and mouse." The bear was specially fond of young pigs and strawberries. In the season the bear would steal out in the meadows where were the patches of wild strawberries and pick them by the hour together. He mentions of birds, "the bald and gray eagle, the hen hawk, fish hawk, pigeon hawk, night hawk, the white, screech and cat owl; swan, wild goose, black duck, mallard, wood duck, sheldrake, teal, butter-bolt, loon, dipper, water hen or coot, plover, jacksnipe, sand snipe, kingfisher, turkey, pheasant, partridge, quail, woodcock, rail, pigeon, dove, whippoorwill, robin. thrush, catbird, cuckoo, lark, oriole, blue jay, fieldfare or red-breasted grosbeak, martin, the barn swallow, bank swallow, chimney swallow, bluebird, wren, cowbird, bobo- link or reed bird, yellow bird, redbird, blackbird, redwing, starling, black or large woodpecker, red-headed woodpecker, gray woodpecker, flicker, cedar- bird or toppy, crookbill, green bird, humming bird, and a variety of small birds." The snakes which he mentions "are the black and yellow rattle- snake, the water snake, a large black snake, the small black snake with a white ring about its neck, the garter snake, the green snake and the adder."
"The gnat was the most troublesome pest to the first settlers; so small as to be almost invisible, yet so tormenting by its sting as to render it nearly impossible during morning and evening hours or cloudy days, in the sum- mer season, to do any such work as hoeing, weeding or milking without suffering great agony. In vain were attempts to sleep unless close to the entrance of the cabin the customary protection of a smouldering fire of chips
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was provided ere retiring. The wood-tick was another of these insect nuisances with which the pioneers had to contend. Although these insects were troublesome to horses and cattle, their chief plague was the large horse fly, which drove them in from the woods every clear day about eight or nine o'clock in the morning, and either smoke or stable were necessary to protect them until evening. Exposed horses died under the infliction through pain and loss of blood. Fires were made of rotten wood and chips and the cattle would run in as the morning advanced and hold their heads and necks in the smoke with self-protecting instinct. But as the forest was cut down and clearings became larger these insect pests disappeared."
CHAPTER XVI.
THE JUDICIARY.
T HROUGHOUT the counties of western Pennsylvania the court- house was the first and often the only public building erected in the county. These first courthouses were not, it is true, very elaborate buildings, but they are enshrined in memories that the present can never know. They were not confined alone to the special business of the courts, but were made general use of by the community. They were so constantly in use, day and night, when the court was in session and when it was not in session, for judicial, religious, political and social purposes, that the doors of the pioneer courthouses stood open constantly and the amount in- vested in those old hewn logs and rough benches returned a much better rate of interest on the investment than do those stately piles of brick and granite that have taken their places. School was taught. the gospel was preached and justice was dispensed within the rough-hewn walls of the early courthouse, and as it was a building adapted to a multitude of purposes, it had a career of great usefulness. Frequently it served as the resting place of wearied travelers, and the old people of the settlement went there to dis- cuss their own affairs and hear the news of the outside world from the visit- ing attorneys. The courtroom, in addition to its regular uses as courtroom, schoolroom, church and town hall, became a sort of forum where all classes of citizens went for the purpose of gossiping and hearing and telling the news.
During the first years of the settlement of the valley of French Creek, before the enforcement of the law had begun, the settlers did not al- ways live with one another in all the peace and harmony of the golden age. Fierce disputes and bitter differences of opinion often occurred, and these were settled sometimes by the first method of determining contests known to the common law-that is to say, by physical trial of strength-and some- times by referring the question under discussion to the judgment of the first
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person who might pass by for arbitration. William Miles, of Union City, often related during his lifetime an instance of this kind of arbitration, which was then in practice. He stated that the first time he visited Meadville he was traveling with a companion on foot, each wearing a heavy knapsack. Near the upper end of Water Street they came upon two men in hot conten- tion about a corn field which one had agreed to cultivate for the other. They were David Mead and John Wentworth, and, being unable to agree, they immediately referred the case to the two travelers for their decision. They unslung their knapsacks. upon which they seated themselves, and having thus improvised a bench of justice they heard the statement of each of the parties. After a short deliberation they rendered a judgment, put on their knapsacks and continued their journey. Mr. Miles concluded his narrative by saying that "both the litigants were perfectly satisfied," a state of affairs not always arrived at by the more complicated trials of to-day.
One of the first two commissioned justices of the peace in northwestern Pennsylvania was David Mead, and therefore to him was committed, as sole magistrate of what is now Crawford County, the enforcement of the laws of the Commonwealth. One of the first cases on his docket was an action of debt, in which he himself was plaintiff and Robert Fitz Randolph defendant. Very unfortunately, however, it happened that when the Governor gave the people a justice he forgot to give the justice a constable, and thereby arose a difficulty which would have puzzled one of our modern conservators of the peace and collectors of debts. Not to be deterred by such a difficulty, Jus- tice Mead issued the summons and served it on the defendant himself. When the day of hearing came a trial was had and judgment rendered for the plaintiff for the amount of his claim. Determined that no mere tech- nicality should defeat the ends of justice, he then issued an execution and served it himself by levying on one of the horses of the defendant. He then advertised the property for sale, posted the notices himself, and when the day of sale came put up the horse and bought it in himself and paid the surplus money over to the defendant.
This multiplicity of duties was not unusual in the newly settled coun- ties of the west, and the officials looked more to the enforcement of the law than the particular forms by which it was executed. The scales were usually held with an even hand. Those who presided often knew every man in the county, and they dealt out substantial justice, and the broad prin-
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ciples of natural equity were followed as closely as their powers of discern- ment would allow.
Until the erection of the old log courthouse on the west side of the Diamond, in 1804, the sessions of the courts of Crawford County were held in the upper story of the residence of William Dick, on the northeast corner of Water Street and Cherry Alley. This building was erected by Mr. Dick in 1798 and stood until recently. The prothonotary's office was in the second story of a building which stood on the northwest corner of Water and Center Streets, and the postoffice was on the first floor of the same structure. The jail was located in the rear room of a log house on the south- west corner of Water Street and Steer's Alley, then owned by Henry Rich- ard. In 1801 a high post fence was built by the county around the rear of the structures to inclose a jail yard, and the building itself somewhat repaired and strengthened. The front part of the building was occupied by a tavern, where those attending court could find refreshment for man and beast.
The first session of the court in Meadville was held by David Mead in 1800. Its jurisdiction extended over the newly erected counties of Craw- ford, Erie, Warren, Venango and Mercer, all of which were organized for judicial purposes under the name of Crawford County. Five attorneys were at this session of the court admitted to practice-Edward Work, Henry Baldwin, Steele Semple, George Armstrong and Thomas Collins. The time of the court during this session was principally devoted to the work of erect- ing townships, issuing licenses and appointing justices of the peace, con- stables, supervisors and overseers of the poor. Following is the record of this session: "At a Court of Common Pleas held and kept at Meadville, for the county of Crawford, the seventh day of July, Anno Domini, one thou- sand eight hundred, before David Mead and John Kelso, judges present, and from thence continued by adjournment until the ninth day of the same month, inclusive."
William H. Davis, in a lecture on the history of Crawford County, de- livered in 1848, tells the following anecdote of an event which occurred at this first session: "The first. court ever held in the county of Crawford was in the year 1800, Judges Mead and Kelso presiding. Having a court, it was also necessary that they should have a jail. The building used for that pur- pose was somewhat better than the one proposed for the same purpose at the first court held in Butler County, as reported by Breckenridge in his
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'Recollections of the West,' although perhaps it was not any more safe. It was a log cabin which stood where the back part of the present residence of Michael H. Bagley now is [southwest corner of Water Street and Steer's Alley]. The first prisoner who was its occupant was put in for contempt of court. He was trolling forth some ditty in the true spirit of frontier liberty immediately in front of the room occupied by the court, to the great annoyance of judges, lawyers and suitors. The court sent the sheriff to silence him. The person requested the sheriff to take a trip to pandemon- ium, using those three short monosyllables so expressive of a direction to visit that place, and kept on with his song. For this contempt the court ordered him to be committed to jail. He was accordingly taken by the sheriff and placed in the log cabin, which was very securely locked. But, unfortunately for the court, it was found that the jail 'leaked.' The chini- ney to this cabin was an old-fashioned one, built of sticks, and large enough to have admitted a pair of horses. The prisoner clambered up the chimney on the inside and down on the outside, almost as easily as he could have as- cended and descended a ladder, and actually marched down the street a short distance in the rear of the sheriff caroling forth his song."
The second session of the courts of Crawford County was held in Oc- tober, 1800, Hon. Alexander Addison on the bench, when the first grand jury of Crawford County met. being composed of the following citizens: William Hammond, John Williamson, Aaron Wright, John Little, John Walker, John Davis, Lewis Dunn, Abraham Williams, Archibald Davidson, Jabez Colt, James Herrington, William Clark, James Fitz Randolph, Nathan Williams, Thomas Campbell, James Quigley, William Armstrong and John Patterson. Seven indictments were found by this grand jury-one for larceny, two for assault and battery, one for forcible entry and detainer, and three for riot-which fairly demonstrates that the pioneer fathers readily took the law into their own hands. In fact, the large majority of the cases brought before the courts during the early years of the settlement were those necessary to restrain the rougher element, a state of affairs not un- common in a newly settled country. The second grand jury, composed of nineteen representative citizens, met on Jan. 5, 1801.
On the 6th of January, 1801, the first trial by jury in Crawford County took place. The case was the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania vs. Hugli Johnston, indicted by the inquest of October, 1800, for assault and battery
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on the body of John Sherman. Hon. Alexander Addison presided during the trial, the jury being composed of Robert Stitt, James Dickon, Alexander McNair, William Herriott, Theodorus Scowden, Joshua Hale, Alexander Dunn, Lawrence Clancy, Hugh Montgomery, George McGunnigle, Robert Bailey and Robert Kilpatrick, who returned a verdict of not guilty.
The bench and bar contained many men of eloquence and learning when the settlement was young and isolated, and legal science flourished with a vigor unusual in rude societies. Many curious incidents are still re- lated, produced by the collision of such opposite characters and the gen- erally unsettled state of the country. In those days-when the country was thinly settled, the people poor and the fees correspondingly small-the practice of the law was a very different business from what it is now. The lawyers were obliged to practice in a dozen different counties in order to gain a livelihood, and some of them were away from their homes and offices more than half the time. They traveled on horseback from one county seat to another, carrying their legal papers and a few law books in their saddle bags. A number of lawyers usually rode the circuit together and had their regular stopping places. Here they were usually expected and on their ar- rival they made havoc with the chickens, dried apples, maple sugar, corn dodgers and old whisky, while the story tellers of the company regaled them with their choicest humor and anecdotes.
The Court of Common Pleas was held by the president judge, aided by two associate judges-usually farmers of good standing-until May, 1839, when the accumulated business in Crawford, Erie, Mercer and Venango Counties led to the erection of a District Court. Hon. James Thompson, of Venango, was appointed to the District judgeship, and filled the position until May, 1845. The term, which at first was for five years, was extended one year at the request of the bar. Before the constitution of 1838 all judges were commissioned to serve for life, but that instrument limited the terms of president judges to ten years and of associate judges to five years. The first election of judicial officers by the people occurred in October, 1851, previous to which time both president judges and associate judges were ap- pointed by the Governor. The office of additional law judge was created in 1856 and expired by the operation of the constitution of 1873. Hon. David Derickson, of Crawford County, was the first to hold this office. The associate judgeship was abolished by the same instrument, and since that
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time the entire duties of the court have been performed by the president judge. All district judges in the Commonwealth are elected for a term of ten years.
The sixth judicial district was composed of Crawford and Erie Counties until 1870, when they were separated, and Crawford was created as the thirtieth. Walter H. Lowrie was elected the same year as the first president judge of the new district. The following have served as presiding judges over the several districts in which Crawford County has been incorporated: Alexander Addison. 1791-1803; Jesse Moore, 1803-1825; Henry Shippen, 1825-1839: Nathaniel B. Eldred. 1839-1843; Gaylord Church, 1843-1851; John Galbraith. 1851-1860; Rasselas Brown, appointed to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Judge Galbraith. 1860; Samuel P. Johnson. 1860- 1870; Walter H. Lowrie, 1870-1876; S. N. Pettis, appointed to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Judge Lowrie, 1876-1878: Pearson Church, 1878- 1888: John J. Henderson, 1888-1898; Frank J. Thomas, 1898.
David Derickson served as additional law judge from 1856 to 1866, being succeeded by John P. Vincent, who filled the office until it was abol- ished by the constitution of 1873. James Thompson was the only District judge, serving six years. Four president judges, Jesse Moore, Henry Shippen. John Galbraith and Walter H. Lowrie, have died in office. One president judge. Hon. Alexander Addison, was im- peached and removed from office on account of his absolute refusal to allow one of the associate judges to charge the jury after his own charge had been delivered. "Judge Addison," says Mr. Hall, of Pittsburg. in writing of our first president judge, "possessed a fine inind and great attainments. He was an accomplished scholar, deeply versed in every branch of classical learning. In law and theology he was great; but, al- though he explored the depths of science with unwearied assiduity, he could sport in the sunbeams of literature and cull with nice discrimination the gems of poetry."
Two of the judges of Crawford County have been promoted to seats on the Supreme bench of the State. James Thompson was in 1856 elected one of the justices of the Supreme Court and held the position the full term of fifteen years. the last five years presiding as chief justice. In 1858 Gaylord Church was appointed a Supreme judge to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of one of the members of the court, but he retained the place
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for a brief period only. Nathaniel B. Eldred, who resigned the judgeship in 1843, was appointed naval appraiser of Philadelphia and was afterward appointed judge of the Dauphin district.
From the organization of the county until the office was abolished by the constitution of 1873 there were two associate judges to assist the presi- dent judge. These were appointed by the Governor until 1851, when the office was made elective. The men who filled these positions were in every instance either substantial farmers or intelligent business men, as it was not necessary for them to be learned in the law. William Davis and Edward H. Chase were the last to hold the office of associate judge, being elected in 1873. The latter died before the expiration of his term of office, the former serving until 1878. The office now known as district attorney was until 1850 known by the title of deputy attorney general, and the incumbents were appointed by the attorney-general of the Commonwealth. In 1850 the office was made elective and the title changed to district attorney. Philip Willett is the present incumbent.
A history of the judiciary of Crawford County would be incomplete without a short sketch of those who were prominent in organizing the first court. Hon. David Mead, one of the associate judges of the court held in July, 1800, and the leading spirit in the pioneer settlement on French Creek, will be found fully spoken of in another chapter. Hon. John Kelso, the other associate judge, was a pioneer settler in Erie County and was thor- oughly identified with its early settlement. He occupied a prominent place in its civil and military history, being a brigadier-general of militia in the war of 1812.
Hon. Henry Baldwin was a native of Connecticut and graduated at Yale College in 1797. He read law in Philadelphia, but came to Meadville in 1800 and assisted in organizing the first court, being one of the first to be admitted to practice before it. About 1804 Judge Baldwin removed to Pittsburg, and in 1816 was elected to Congress, serving continuously in that body until 1828, where he signalized himself as a champion of domestic manufactures, being conspicuous as the chairman of that committee. In 1830 President Jackson, with whom he was on the closest terms of friend- ship, appointed him a Supreme judge of the United States, which position he occupied until his death. He returned to Meadville in 1842 and erected the residence on the Terrace now the home of Hon. William Reynolds. He died
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while at court in Philadelphia, in 1845. Judge Baldwin was a jovial, gen- erous and high-minded gentleman; an eminent lawyer, a rough but powerful and acute speaker, and was recognized as one of the greatest legal lights of his day.
Of the other four attorneys admitted at the first session of the court Steele Semple, Thomas Collins and George Armstrong were members of the Pittsburg bar who rode the circuit in early times. Mr. Semple was a man of great genius and was regarded by his contemporaries as a prodigy of eloquence and learning. Edward Work was for many years a resident of Meadville and the second postmaster of the village. His law practice here was not extensive, and he removed to Jamestown, N. Y., where he passed the remainder of his life.
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