USA > Pennsylvania > Crawford County > Our country and its people. A historical and memorial record of Crawford County, Pennsylvania. > Part 30
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Jane Kerr, the wife of the second Peter Titus, was a half-sister of Samuel Kerr, thus making Samuel Kerr the maternal uncle of Jonathan Titus. James Kerr was the only full brother that Samuel Kerr had. He settled in the early years of the present century on what is now the McCombs place, south of Woodlawn cemetery, in Oil Creek Township, and further mention of him will appear later on. The four daughters of Peter Titus. the father of Jonathan, all married. Ruth married James Curry: Fanny married Charles Ridgway; Olivia married Robert Curry, and Susan married John Ridgway. John Curry married a half-sister of Samuel Kerr. Robert Lewis, father of the present Robert Lewis, who has lived in Oil Creek
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Township all his life, now eighty-five years of age, married Jane Curry, a daughter of John Curry and wife, the half-sister of Samuel Kerr, just spoken of. It will be seen that Samuel Kerr and his brother James, together with all their descendants, are related by blood to Jonathan Titus and all his descendants. So also were all the children of the second Peter Titus, by his wife, Jane Kerr, related to the first James Kerr and all his descendants. And, singular as is the fact, not many of the present descendants of the first James Kerr, who came to America from Ireland in about the year 1732, and also not many of the present descendants of Peter Titus and Jane ( Kerr) Titus seem to have any idea of this relationship.
The wife of Samuel Kerr, who with Jonathan Titus began the settle- ment on which was founded Titusville, was Catharine Coover. Their chil- dren were Andrew, James K., Michael C., Marshall, Joseph, Joanna. Eliza- beth and Amelia. Michael and Marshall were twins. Michael C. was the speaker of the National House of Representatives in the Fourty-fourth congress. James K. became one of the distinguished lawyers of the state, with his home in Pittsburg. He commanded a regiment and served with distinction in the Union army in the late civil war. Marshall, as already stated, the only surviving son, lives in Cherrytree Township, Venango County. with his postoffice in Titusville. Amelia, Mrs. Elliott, the youngest child and the only surviving daughter, lived with her husband in Erie many years. but since the death of her husband she has made Titusville her home .*
Jonathan Titus was a man of heroic mould. While the Indians in the locality of his forest home were generally peaceful, whiskey sometimes made them troublesome. The manufacture of whiskey in those days was com- mon, and trade in the article was as general as in any other commodity. The early merchant always kept his store stocked with it, without the restraint of a public license, or of public opinion. It was not necessary for the dealer to resort to anything clandestine in the traffic. Both the trade and the use of alcoholic liquors were reputable. The intemperate use of liquor was alone against the sanction of society. Whether intemperance was greater then than afterward, when temperance movements had been organized, and the traffic was regulated by license laws, it is not necesary here to inquire. It is certain that alcohol was a most ruinous evil to the red man. An incident relating to the subject may here be given.
* Since writing the above Marshall Kerr has died.
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In the early settlement of eastern Crawford, it became customary among the pioneers in the fall of the year to collect in turn at their cabins and have a chopping "bee," in cutting firewood in quantity for the coming winter. Once, as Mrs. Olivia Moore informs us, when there was such a "bee" at the home of John Watson, the father of the late John Watson and Hon. L. F. Watson, near what is now East Titusville, a few Indians, attracted perhaps by the expectation of getting a drink of whiskey, which was always to be found at such a social gathering, made their appearance, and shared in the hospitality of the occasion. It was the custom for the woodchopper who worked longest and stayed until all the rest of the neighbors had gone. to take home with him all the whiskey which might be left. The Indians spoken of had doubtless come to know of this custom, for when all the wood- choppers had left, except a man named Ross, who lived in Cherrytree, the Indians, who had been treated to liquor in the afternoon and had gone away. returned and demanded of Ross that he give them more whiskey. Ross happened at the moment to be splitting open a large log. So he told them to assist in opening the log by pulling it open by main strength, that is, by slipping their fingers into the large crack, made by large wedges still in the wood, and instructing them, when he gave the word, to pull with all their might. When all was ready, the Indians having their hands in the opening, Ross shouted the word and struck the principal wedge, which, as he intended it should, flew out, the log closed together, fastening the hands of the Indians as in a vise. Ross, taking his tools and remnant of whiskey, hurried away as night was coming on, leaving the poor red men writhing in pain. Their cries doubtless brought Mr. Watson to their assistance who, as soon as he could, set them free, but not until their fingers were badly crushed and lacerated. The Indians were naturally terribly enraged, and they imme- diately started in pursuit of Ross, following the direction which they had seen him take until he went out of sight. It would have been bad with Ross if they had overtaken him. But he probably increased the distance between him and the Indians as rapidly as possible. They, however, made their way to the house of Mr. Titus, thinking that either he was Ross, or that he was concealing the man who had tricked them. When they reached the door and angrily demanded admittance, Mr. Titus, expecting trouble, caught hold of a large iron poker, and speaking to his wife ( whose name was Mary, but whom he called Polly), said: "Polly, keep a brave heart." Then he
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unfastened the door, and, seeing the Indians with their knives on the point of attacking him, he suddenly dealt two of them each a powerful blow with the poker, prostrating them senseless, telling the third and last one to come on, and he would serve him in the same way. The third one, however, desisted. Mr. Titus made him give up his weapons, and, taking those of the other two, he put them all aside, and bidding the unhurt one to assist, he dragged the two helpless ones into the house, through the kitchen and into the parlor, locking all three in the room, and keeping guard himself all night. while sitting in the kitchen. The next morning, after shooting off the loaded guns of the Indians, he gave them a breakfast, and delivering to them all their effects he sent them away, threatening them that if they should ever return in the manner of their approach the night before he would kill them all. They kept away and he never saw them again.
Mr. Titus kept for some time an "open house" in his first log cabin, and hospitably entertained many as they passed that way. His homestead be- came a station, which took the name of "Titus'," and the spot has carried the name ever since. Very naturally, without legislative or judicial decree, the settlement took the name of Titusville. The settlement grew into a hamlet and from a hamlet to a village, which was governed by a borough corpora- tion and finally came the high towers of a city. More than a century has passed since Samuel Kerr and Jonathan Titus set their stakes and established a settlement.
These men were not reckless in the selection of a site. They had trav- eled long through virgin forests in several counties, and examined many dif- ferent localities, thus becoming well qualified to choose the spot best suited for a town. Undoubtedly when they located two large tracts of land, side by side, for themselves respectively, they expected that they were laying the foundations of a town. Their properties crossed Oil Creek and covered the junction of Oil Creek and Pine Creek. Each of these streams had large water sheds, with valleys connecting the high lands with the central point selected by the two pioneers. These two men were in pursuit of such a location for a year before they agreed that they had found the natural requisites of a town. While they surveyed wild lands, they studied and compared the several locations through which they passed. They chose out of all the localities with which they became acquainted the spot where now is Titusville.
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Despite the privations of a forest life at a distance from civilization, there were attractions and comforts even to be found in the dense woods where Titus and Kerr began their settlement. There was game in profusion. Wild turkeys, pheasants and deer furnished the settlers with abundance of meat. The ax of the woodman leveled the giants of the forest. The fallen timber was piled in heaps and burned. The cleared land was sown with the seeds of wheat or planted with corn. Year after year, though slowly at first, the clearing of land increased. The settlement grew, and the lumberman was soon on the ground. Saw-mills were built and sawed lumber found its way down Oil Creek, down the Allegheny River and down the Ohio, to mar- ket. The sale of lumber brought money, or supplies purchased with money, into thé settlement.
As early as 1809 Mr. Titus planned a town, a large part of which remains the same as in the plat which he caused to be made. Franklin Street is the Franklin Street of almost ninety years ago. Spring Street, Water Street, Pine Street, and Washington Street were as to their place on the map the same then as now. Village property, however, came slowly into the market. Jonathan Titus sold the first village lot by contract to Dr. Isaac Kellogg in 1818, though the deed for the property was not executed until twenty years later, 1838. Another singular circumstance connected with this real estate transaction was the fact that this deed signed and properly acknowledged by Jonathan Titus and his wife Mary in 1838, though sold to Dr. Kellogg in 1818, was not recorded at the Recorder's office in Meadville until 1870.
Dr. Kellogg came from the state of Vermont, and settled first at James- town, New York. He probably made a short stay there and came to Titus- ville not far from the middle of February, 1818. It is trustworthy tradi- tion that when Dr. Kellogg and his family were approaching Titusville they saw a funeral procession following-as they learned after their arrival in the settlement-the remains of James Kerr to the burying ground at the head of Franklin Street.
James Kerr, father of the present Adam Kerr, was the brother of Samuel Kerr, the pioneer. He settled on what is now the McCombs place, near Woodlawn cemetery, early in the century. Immediately adjoining on the north the lot in Woodlawn, containing the mausoleum, lately erected by Mr. James C. Mckinney, is the family burial lot of James Kerr aforesaid. On
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this lot is a marble monument bearing among other inscriptions the following : "James Kerr, died February 10, 1818, aged 58 years." It is probable that the burial of Mr. Kerr did not occur later than February 14. So that the advent of the Kellogg family to Titusville was not later than the middle of February. Dr. Kellogg first occupied a log house on what soon afterward became the property of William Kelly, a prominent pioneer settler of Oil Creek, whose well known home, the Kelly farm, on Perry Street hill, a little north of the city boundary, continues to stand, occupied by John, Hannah and Mary Kelly, surviving children of William Kelly.
The property described in the deed to Isaac Kellogg, spoken of as the first village lot sold by Jonathan Titus, is mentioned as beginning at a post on the south side of Spring Street, on the west side of Spring alley, and running one hundred and eighty feet southwardly to a post on the northi side of Water Street, thence one hundred and eighty feet westwardly to a post on the east side of Washington Street, thence northwardly one hundred and eighty feet to a post on the south side of Spring Street, thence one hun- dred and eighty feet to the place of beginning.
The place of beginning. that is the post on the northeast corner, was the northeast corner of the present European Hotel. The property thus purchased embraced three full village lots, each sixty by one hundred and eighty feet in dimension. It seems that Water Street has never been opened west of Franklin Street.
Dr. Kellogg, while living in the log house on what was afterward the Kelly homestead, built a one story and a half frame house, where is now the European Hotel block, owned by Mr. E. T. Roberts of Titusville. In this house Dr. Kellogg lived with his family for several years until he bought himself a home on the northwest corner of Pine and Washington streets, and in this house were born all his children, except the two oldest, Isaac. Jr .. and Charles. Charles was less than a year old when the family came to Titusville, in February, 1818. In 1865, Charles Kellogg, who then owned the eastern lot of the property, erected on the northeast corner a three story brick edifice, known as the Kellogg block. Subsequently the Roberts brothers purchased the land and enlarged the block to more than double its original dimensions, by adding to the south side, making the width twice what it had been before, and increasing the height of the whole building to four stories. In the south part of the edifice was for many years the Roberts Bank.
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On the ground floor of the Kellogg block, fronting Spring Street. was first. in the fall of 1865, a dry goods store, the proprietor paying to Mr. Kellogg a rental of $2,500 per annum. But the dry goods dealer did not stay many months. The quarters vacated by him were leased by Patrick Goodwin, together with other parts of the building, for a hotel, and here has been kept a hotel ever since. The present European Hotel occupies the entire eastern half of the block. When Goodwin kept the hotel the floor next above in front was occupied by dental parlors, owned first by Drs. Luce and Thurston and afterward by Dr. Willard, and next by Dr. Downes. The following taken from the Kellogg family record will be of interest to those who study the pioneer history of Titusville: "Isaac Kellogg, Sr .. was born August 4, 1784. Harta Westcott, wife of Isaac Kellogg, Sr., was born March 21. 1789. Isaac Kellogg, Jr., was born February 15, 1814. Charles Kellogg was born May 11, 1817. Maria Kellogg was born August 11, 1819. Amos Kellogg was born February 5. 1822. John Kellogg was born March 19, 1824. Lovisa Kellogg was born September 5. 1826. Emily Kellogg was born February 5, 1829. Vara Kellogg was born June 5, 1831. Isaac Kel- logg, Sr., died January 4, 1841. Harta Kellogg, wife of Isaac Kellogg, Sr., died March 27, 1867."
Isaac Kellogg was the first resident physician of Titusville. After him came Drs. Gillett, E. P. Banning, Orson and Heffron. Dr. Banning afterward acquired distinction in New York City by the invention and con- struction of certain anatomical supports. Dr. E. P. Banning, Jr., is an instructor in one of the medical schools of Cleveland, Ohio.
The first store in Titusville was located on the southwest corner of Spring and Franklin streets. It was a log building, opened in 1816 by William Sheffield, who employed as clerk Joseph L. Chase, who afterward became a prominent citizen of the town, and largely identified with its for- tunes. Chase soon became a partner in the establishment. Sheffield in about 1820 sold his interest to Chase, Sill and Company, who moved the store to the northwest corner, where the concern grew to large proportions, Joseph L. Chase continuing to be its principal proprietor nearly all the time until the large building containing the large establishments, together with its con- tents, was destroyed by fire in February, 1866. Titusville at that time was the gathering place of many rough characters. On a Sunday evening, while the citizens were engaged in extinguishing a fire on Martin Street, between
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Main and Walnut, the fire bell gave a fresh alarm, when flames suddenly lighted the sky in the central part of the town. Crowds rushed toward the new conflagration, when it was discerned that the great Chase store and the buildings adjoining it on Franklin Street would be burned to the ground. Little or no air was stirring and the fire did not spread. But the inhabitants of the town were frightened. It was believed that the fires coming so nearly at the same time were the work of incendiary design. So large a number of suspicious characters known to be in the town, without visible employment, had already caused uneasiness in the community. On Monday morning, following the fires, a vigilance committee of citizens was organized. After the fire, the whole space now occupied by the Chase and Stewart block was a vacant lot. Upon this lot later on Monday afternoon a gallows was erected, in full view of all who passed in that vicinity on Franklin, Spring or Pine streets. One "Stonehouse Jack" was regarded as a desperate character. Whether he deserved all that was suspected of him, it has not been since shown. He was, however, taken into the confidence of the Vigilantes and informed by them that his departure from the town would be compatible with the peace of the community. Encouraged by this assurance, he left for other parts, and, so far as is publiely known, he has never since returned. A refer- ence here to this episode is made for the purpose of recording some of the experiences of the community in the period of the great oil excitement when Titusville was flooded by a large floating population.
The second store in Titusville was opened in 1832, on East Pine Street, between Drake and Kerr, by Parker McDowell. L. F. Watson, son of John Watson already spoken of, was his clerk. L. F. Watson afterward went to Warren and made the place his permanent home. He has since represented liis district several terms in congress. MeDowell was joined several years after by John Robinson, in a partnership firm. After the firm had erected a new store building on the northwest corner of Pine and Franklin streets, Robinson purchased McDowell's interest and carried on the business alone there for many years. In 1864 L. C. Pendleton bought the property and converted it into a hotel. In the summer of 1865 Pendleton re-constructed and enlarged the building. Later on Mr. Z. Martin still further enlarged the hotel, giving to it the name of the "Mansion House," and this name the house has retained ever since. In 1897 its present proprietors, Gleason & Lockwood, took down the main part of the wooden edifice and erected in its
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place the present elegant brick structure, a credit to the city and a highly attractive and comfortable, as well as popular, hostelry.
James Brawley was perhaps the first established carpenter of the settle- ment. Charles Gillett had the first blacksmith shop. William Barnsdall came in 1833 and made shoes. In the same year Arthur Robinson built the American Hotel, the first hotel proper started in the place. The building continued to be a hotel for nearly half a century. In 1880 it was taken away to make room for the present Oil Exchange. At about 1835 a chair factory was built and operated by Roswell C. Sexton, on the east side of Franklin Street, between Main and Pine-the latter now known as the Central Avenue.
Up to the beginning of oil development in 1859, the principal staple production, which brought money to the inhabitants of Titusville and vicinity, was lumber. Boards and shingles found an easy transit to market by raft on Oil Creek and the Allegheny River. The thrifty settler paid for his land by the sale of lumber from it, manufactured into products which were called for in the market. The vocation of raftsman on the river became an estab- lished one. The raftsman earned his money easily and spent it freely. Trade at Titusville during the decade in which Drake made his discovery must have been a good deal. It was destined soon to expand to large proportions, when oil became almost the only topic of interest.
INCORPORATION OF TITUSVILLE.
By act of Assembly, approved March 6, 1847, Titusville was made a borough. In accordance with the provisions of the act, William Robinson, John M. Titus and S. S. Bates were appointed commissioners to establish the boundary lines of the new borough. In March, 1848, a charter election was held, of which Joseph L. Chase was chosen Burgess, and S. S. Bates, William Barnsdall, James R. Kerr and G. C. Pettit members of the Council. The Council organized April Ist following, appointing Robert L. Robinson, Clerk, and E. H. Chase, Treasurer. In 1851 Jonathan Titus was elected Burgess; Samuel Silliman, in 1852; A. B. Hubbard, in 1853; J. M. Allen in 1854; James Parker in 1856; Joseph L. Chase in 1857-9; Z. Waid, 1860; John Moore, 1861; N. Kingsland, 1862; O. K. Howe, 1863; F. W. Ames, 1864-5; Joel N. Angier, 1866.
By act of Assembly, approved February, 1866, Titusville became a city. Soon afterward a municipal election was held, resulting in the choice of J.
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N. Angier for Mayor and the following members of the City Council: First Ward, J. H. Bunting and George Custer; Second Ward, Thomas Goodwin and H. B. Ostrom; Third Ward, A. W. Coburn and R. D. Fletcher ; Fourth Ward, W. W. Bloss and J. J. McCrum. Angier was re-elected in 1867. In 1868 Henry Hinkley was chosen Mayor and re-elected the following year. Next, Fred Bates was Mayor for 1870 and 1871. W. B. Roberts was Mayor for 1872. John Fertig was chosen Mayor in 1873, re-elected in 1874, and again re-elected in 1875. D. H. Mitchell was Mayor for 1876, and David Emery for 1877. The next year, by a change of the city charter, the term of the Mayor's office was increased from one to two years, when William Barnsdall was chosen Mayor for 1878-9. In 1880 A. N. Perrin was elected for 1880-1. In 1882 James H. Caldwell was chosen for 1882-3. In 1884 James P. Thomas was chosen for 1884-5, and in 1886 he was re-elected for two years more. In 1888 John Schwartz was elected for 1888-9. In 1890, another year having been added to the term of office, E. O. Emerson was chosen Mayor for three years, 1890-1-2. In 1893 Joseph C. Robinson was chosen for 1893-4-5. In 1896 W. B. Benedict, the present incumbent, was chosen Mayor for 1896-7-8.
In 1871 the Legislature of the state amended the city charter of Titus- ville, providing for the construction of sewers, the paving of streets and the election of a City Auditor. The act provided for the first election to be held in June following. At that election R. D. Fletcher was chosen Auditor. The term of the Auditor's office was fixed at three years, and Mr. Fletcher was re-elected at the regular charter election in 1874. In 1877 Joseph Stett- heimer was chosen Auditor for the next three years. In 1880, legislation having converted the office into that of Comptroller, making the term of office two years, T. J. Smiley was chosen. He was re-elected four times and held the office of Comptroller for ten consecutive years-from 1880 to 1890. Then, the term of office having been increased one year, A. C. Harton was elected Comptroller for three years-1890-1-2. In 1893 Jules A. C. Dubar, the present incumbent, was chosen, and re-elected in 1896. Since the office of City Treasurer became elective by popular vote, William M. Henderson was first chosen to the position. He was elected in 1878 and held the office two years. William Barnsdall was elected for the next two years. C. M. Hayes next held the office for eight consecutive years, four terms, from 1882 to 1890. The term was then increased one year and Eugene Mackey was
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Treasurer from 1890 to 1893. Thomas W. Main was elected in 1893 and re-elected in 1896, and he is the present incumbent. There are two branches of City Councils, the Select and the Common. The Select Council has five members and the Common Council eight, two from each of the four wards. J. C. Mckinney represents the whole city in the Select Council. The other members of the Select Council are Samuel Stinson, First Ward; George J. Kuntz, Second Ward: Edward Allen, Third Ward; C. J. McCarthy, Fourth Ward. The members of the Common Council are L. E. Andrews and John McKay, First Ward: V. E. Ward and Peter Hancox, Second Ward; John Coots and Benjamin Lang, Third Ward; Edward Brennan and Frank Fleury, Fourth Ward.
The present city officers are Willis B. Benedict, Mayor; Jules A. C. Dubar, Comptroller; Thomas W. Main, Treasurer; Waldron M. Dame, Clerk and Secretary of the Water Department; George F. Brown, Solicitor; A. M. Hunter, Water Superintendent; M. R. Rouse, Street Commissioner ; Daniel McGrath, Chief-of-Police.
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