Our country and its people. A historical and memorial record of Crawford County, Pennsylvania., Part 47

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Boston : W. A. Fergusson
Number of Pages: 1044

USA > Pennsylvania > Crawford County > Our country and its people. A historical and memorial record of Crawford County, Pennsylvania. > Part 47

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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.

spot, over a hundred years ago, is beautiful. The surrounding hills are beautiful. The landscapes seen in perspective are beautiful. Woodlawn, the "silent city," is beautiful. What Divine Providence may have in store for the Queen City should be reverently waited for by the living, as in their order events shall be developed.

Part TI1.

history of Townships.

CHAPTER I.

ATHENS TOWNSHIP.

W E LIVE in a time when people wish to know everything. to follow to its source every stream of knowledge. In America, above all, where civilization has advanced with such gigantic strides, and where a few years have seen brought forth what in our European neighbors has been the product of ages, we study with an increasing interest the chronicles of our early days, as if, arriving at manhood while progressing towards the greatest achievements, we stop for a moment to take into account our youth and the story of its struggles. As we of the American nation stop to examine the history of its origin and development, we realize that it is a subject too great and too vast to be studied under one head. Each State, each county and each subdivision of the county, has a distinctly separate history. The history of a State or nation deals only with general or national events, it concerns itself with peoples and parties rather than with individuals. But, in a country such as ours, where we are able to trace each settlement to its earliest origin, the history of a county; even, does not particularize to a sufficient degree in dealing with the settlement of its various parts. And so, in order to rescue from oblivion the memory of the earliest settlements and to preserve for posterity the story of the struggles and adventures which their ancestors encountered while founding homes in the wilderness of the West, it has been deemed advisable to set forth in separate chapters the history of the formation and settlement of each township, beginning with Athens, first in alphabetical order.

Near the close of the last century. John Smith, a native of Ireland, fleeing from his native land on account of political troubles, came to America, and from Pittsburg made his way up the Allegheny River and Oil Creek to its source. Then, leaving the stream and proceeding inland, he reached a ravine in what is now Athens Township, where he erected a cabin. He lived by hunting, trapping and fishing, and made no effort to secure a title to the land, effecting but a slight clearing. At long intervals he made his way on foot to distant posts and exchanged his peltry for the few commodities of life he desired. He became the intimate friend of the Indians who encamped in this vicinity and joined them in their hunting and other excursions. Thus he lived for many years, shunning the society of white men, and when the permanent settlers of the township came, they found here, in his cabin buried in the heart of the forest, this hermit living in lonely seclusion, with only the wandering Indians

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for companions. Why he lived this solitary life was never known, although it was whispered that it was in expiation of a crime committed in his youth. But when the cabins of the foremost pioneers and the ringing sound of the woodman's ax began to disturb the peace of the extensive hunting grounds, the lonely pioneer, with his dusky neighbors, departed. probably to live over again his life of solitude and obscurity in the deeper recesses of the wilderness.

Athens Township was organized in 1829, and originally included much of what is now Steuben. The first election was held at the house of Ebenezer Felton, at which it is said but twelve votes were cast. It is an interior town- ship, lying northeast of the center of the county, and has an area of 12,156 acres. The surface is pleasantly diversified by upland and valley. The soil is of good quality, being well adapted to the growth of grass, barley, rye, buck- wheat, corn and oats, and is well watered in every part. The eastern part is drained by Oil Creek, which crosses the northeastern corner of the township, and in the western part by Muddy Creek, its tributaries and the numerous springs from which they take their rise. It is inhabited by a thrifty and in- telligent people, who are engaged principally in agriculture, lumbering and various manufacturing industries. The forests were composed of pine, hem- lock, black and white oak, cherry, beech, chestnut, maple, elm and ash. Some swampy land was found along Muddy Creek, but this has been reclaimed by drainage. The township is bounded on the north by Bloomfield, on the east by Rome, on the south by Steuben and on the west by Rockdale and Richmond.

On account of the carelessness and inaccuracy of some of the earliest sur- veys, there was a tract of land, extending east and west through the township and having an average width of an cighth of a mile, which was not included within any of the Donation Districts. While in some localities the surveys had overlapped one another and had thus caused much uncertainty and trouble, this narrow strip remained unsurveyed and was without claimants. It was sub- sequently settled as State land. But to the military tracts included within the township there were many conflicting claims. An historical article states that two surveys had been made in this section, the Doe and the Herrington, which did not conform to one another, and created much litigation and anxiety. A large part of the land was claimed by the Nickleson heirs, who alleged that a mortgage had been granted to them for it by the Commonwealth. They advertised the tracts for sale, to the great consternation of the occupants, but fortunately the State intervened and protected them. Many of them were Revolutionary soldiers or their representatives, who had been given land in various parts of the Union. Some of the land was sold at tax sale, although the validity of this proceeding was afterwards successfully disputed. But on the whole the inducements were not inviting for an early settlement of this land. Throughout what was then the great West, land was abundant and

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cheap, and the prospective settler hesitated before assuming the labor of level- ing the gigantic forests, without some assurance that he could hold the land thus wrested, after severe and long-continued exertions, from its condition of primitive wildness.

The township was settled slowly and at a comparatively late date. for the early habitation of the refugee Smith cannot be classed as a permanent settle- ment. The settlement was retarded by the conflicting titles arising from the discrepancies in the surveys. Many who came intending to take up and im- prove the land were deterred from doing so, and sought homes in other local- ities, where their possessions were less likely to be affected by legal conten- tions. These clashing interests, however, have happily been harmonized by wise legislation, and the bitter controversies which threatened the peace of the whole community have long since ceased.

Abraham Wheeler. a native of New Hampshire, came with his family from Genesee County, New York, and in 1819 settled in the northern part of Athens Township. He was a man of great determination and force, and cleared and improved a large farm. Later in life he removed to Sparta Township, where his descendants still reside. Samuel Willis, who settled in the northern part, was somewhat eccentric in his manners, and was on that account very much dreaded by some of his superstitious neighbors. After a few years residence he left the township, and Bartlett Fuller, from Whitehall, New York, succeeded him in the possession of his land and remained its oc- cupant until death. Joseph King settled at an early date on the unsurveyed strip, about half a mile east of Little Cooley. He died there a few years later and was buried on his farm, which his widow occupied for many years after- wards. Elder Hutchinson, one of the earliest pioneers. settled north of Little Cooley on a tract of waste land. It was comprised within one of the Donation Districts, but had been left unnumbered and consequently undrawn on ac- count of its low and marshy condition. He improved it by tilling and drainage and remained upon it until his death in 1837.

John Shaubarger was a rough and rugged German who emigrated from Westmoreland County and obtained possession of a tract of land in the south central portion of the township. He was well fitted physically to cope with pioneer obstacles and endure privations, and industriously cleared a large farm, which he left to his descendants. He lived to see the wonderful trans- formations by which a wilderness, forbidding in aspect and habited by wild beasts, has given way to the fruitful farms of the prosperous husbandmen and the busy hum of the mechanic arts, and in advanced age enjoyed the fruit of his early labors. Jonah Edson settled in the northeastern part of Athens before 1820, and remained there until his death at a ripe old age. Henry Hatch, who settled in the southern part of the township, was another lifelong resident.

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Dr. Silas Taylor, a prominent pioneer, settled about 1820 on the tract which John Smith, the Irish refugee, had inhabited. He was born in Massa- chusetts, of Puritan ancestry, and left Genesee County, New York, where he had been engaged in the practice of medicine, to settle in the northern part of Athens. While still following his profession in his new home he also took up the labor of clearing the land. His practice called him over a field which in- cluded Athens, Bloomfield, Rockdale, Sparta, Richmond, Rome, Stueben and Troy, as he was the pioneer physician of this portion of the county. He made his way on horseback over indistinct and rugged bridle paths, and his journeys were often protracted until late into the night or continued during several days, yet the proceeds of his practice yielded scarcely more than a bare subsist- ence. Dr. Taylor was a useful citizen, taking an interest in local public affairs, and did much to improve the roads and schools of his township. The absence of roads of any kind was one of the first difficulties which demanded the atten- tion of these brave and sturdy yeomen. By an act of the Legislature a State Road had been authorized and had been cut out, but the underwood had ob- tained a vigorous growth and obstructed the passage. Steep hills needed leveling, deep morasses making passable, and streams bridging, while the dense forests which covered all the lands seemed to deny them subsistence. Nothing daunted, they set themselves to the task of removing these obstacles. Dr. Taylor and John Brown ( the same John Brown who terminated his re- markable career at Harper's Ferry in his effort to arm the slaves, and who had settled in the adjoining township of Richmond) were active in opening the State Road through their respective townships, and soon had the satisfaction of seeing a serviceable highway which was well adapted to its purpose and laid the foundations for more permanent improvements.

Dr. Taylor resided most of his life in Athens, rearing a large family. Mrs. Sarah A. Taylor, his second wife, was a notable pioneer woman. In 1800 she came with her father, Theodore Scowden, from the Susquehanna to what is now Union Township, being at that time but a little girl. At an early age she married Captain John Minnis, a soldier of the War of 1812, and settled with him in Mercer County. His business, for he was a carpenter by occupation, often kept him from home until late at night and sometimes for entire days, and she was often left alone in their large unfinished cabin, which stood near the border of a dense and dismal forest. She had for a long time one evening awaited her husband's return, but he not coming, had at last retired and composed herself to sleep. She was awakened in the course of the night by the noise of a large animal climbing the side of the house. It soon afterwards sprang into the loft above, which was only partly furnished with a floor. Realizing her danger, she sprang from her bed and attempted to re-

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kindle the fire and thus scare away the hungry intruder. Frightened by the angry growls of the ferocious animal, which now showed its head and looked down from the loft above, she retreated to the farther end of the cabin and took refuge in a large tea chest which closed with a spring lock. Fearing that it might close on her and bring her to a death even more terrible than that of being devoured by the panther, she kept her fingers between the box and the cover. The next moment the savage creature bounded upon the box, crush- ing her fingers with his weight. Tortured by the pain and frightened almost to death, she fainted and remained unconscious until morning. Then with difficulty withdrawing herself from her cramped position, and finding that the animal had departed, she hastened to the nearest neighbor with her frightful tale. The panther had done no further damage than to devour a quantity of fish and meat hung from a beam near the fireplace. Left a widow by the death of her first husband, she married Dr. Taylor in 1836. They lived to- gether until his death at Batavia. New York, in 1875, and she remained a resi- dent of Athens Township until the end of her life.

Michael DobBs, who was born in Canada, near the northern end of Lake Champlain, crossed the frontier into the United States to avoid conscription in the English army. He was an expert trapper and hunter, and passed much of his time in the early days, dressed in the garb of a huntsman, in the pursuit of game. He remained a lifelong citizen of the township. Elihu Root ob- tained from the State the grant of a farm in the northwestern part of the township, upon which he remained until his death. William McCray, a native of Ireland, was another lifelong settler, who occupied land in the northeastern part of the township. Charles Loop was an early justice of the peace. He came from New York and settled on the tract of unsurveyed land about a half mile east of Little Cooley, but afterwards removed to Erie County.

James Drake, from Seneca County, New York, who had served as a private during the War of 1812, purchased one hundred acres of land in Athens Township in 1831. He did not occupy it at once, but contracted with Ebenezer Felton, of Boston, who possessed several hundred acres in the southern part of the township, to build a saw and grist mill for him on Muddy Creek. To this establishment a carding machine and blacksmith shop were afterwards added. Drake remained there twelve years in charge of the mills, after which he settled on his farm. Felton's Mills, as they were called, was for a time a place of some importance. A large business was carried on, giv- ing employment to about fifteen hands. Ebenezer Felton, the proprietor, al- though a resident of Boston, spent much of his time in Athens Township, looking after his interests. Soon after Mr. Drake's departure the work at the mills was suspended.

During the early days shingles were made in large quantities and formed

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almost the only staple article of trade. They were taken by water to Pitts- burg and other points along the Allegheny. As in some of the other sections, large quantities of black salts were produced from the wood ashes, and often furnished the early farmer with the means of paying his taxes. If a pioneer settled by himself in a secluded part of the forest his lot was certainly a hard one. for without the aid of neighbors he could construct but a poor habitation. .In such cases it was usual to build only a temporary hut of light logs, roughly put together, in which to live until the arrival of other settlers in the vicinity would enable him to construct a more pretentious residence. But it was gen- erally the custom for a number of men to come into the wilderness together. and, locating near one another, they were able to render neighborly assistance when required. It was always readily given by all the settlers within a radius of several miles, and a log house was thus built by a union of their labors. The location of the cabin was usually selected with reference to a good water supply, if possible by some never-failing spring of pure water, or if that could not be found it was not uncommon to dig a well before locating the cabin, in order to be sure of an ample supply. Frequently the pioneers left their families in the East and came on alone to locate their lands, build a hut and perhaps start some corn and potatoes, afterwards returning to their old homes for their wives and children.

Taylor's Stand, established about 1830, was the first postoffice within the township. Dr. Silas Taylor, for whom the place was named, was post- master during twenty years, and James D. Minnis afterwards held the office for a long period. The townships of Athens, Bloomfield, Troy, with parts of Sparta, Richmond and Rockdale, were originally supplied from this office. The mail was brought from Meadville on horseback once a week. At first scarcely a dozen newspapers were taken throughout this whole region. The postage on letters at this time was in proportion to the distance to which they were transported, varying from six to twenty-five cents.

Little Cooley, which is located in the western part, near Muddy Creek, is the only village in the township. Charles Loop and Rev. Steele settled at this point at an early date and engaged in the manufacture of shingles and tubs, but their residence was only temporary. Isaac A. Cummings com- menced the demolition of the forest here in 1851, and was the first permanent settler. The first tavern was soon afterwards opened by Nathan Southwick, and George Fleck and L. J. Drake engaged in the same business with con- siderable success. The first store was opened about 1852 by Mr. Drake, and about the same period Hosea Southwick erected a saw mill, which he after- wards altered to a grist mill. The settlement prospered, increasing with a steady growth until it has attained its present proportions. Several stores,

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shops, mills and factories are located there, a liotel, church, schoolhouse and twenty-five or thirty residences.

The first school in the township was taught by Chelous Edson, who in 1826 held a term in a log cabin standing in a ravine in the northeastern part of the township. This school was afterwards taught by his wife, and later by Elvira Sizer, Joseph Langworthy, Darwin Taylor and Lydia Taylor. Some years later Columbus Edson, Aaron Ellis and Charlotte Crouch were in- strictors. The text-books used included the English reader, Webster's spell- ing book and Daboll's arithmetic, which branches, with writing, were the ones

then taught. A second school was held in a log ashery, in 1831, on the Felton farm. Miss Wooster was the first teacher here, followed by Miss A. Curtis, and in 1834 Delos Crouch gave instruction. The latter seems to have had a high reputation as an educator. Schools were soon afterwards held in the Langworthy settlement, on Post Ridge, and at Hutchinson's, on Muddy Creek. In 1840 a good school building was erected in the Taylor sub-district by private contributions. It was made of clapboards and planks, ceiled within and well lighted and seated. Professor Bunham, of Rochester, N. Y .: Chauncey B. Sellers, of Meadville, and James D. Minnis of Athens, were among the teachers of this school.

When the public school system was adopted, in 1836, Athens Township possessed four schools, which were kept open three months of the year. Four teachers were employed, their average monthly salary being $10, and eighty- two pupils were in attendance. The entire amount of money expended for school purposes during the year did not exced $135. In the report made to Dr. Burrowes, Superintendent of Public Instruction, the character and quali- fications of the teachers were reported as good, the branches taught being reading, writing and arithmetic, while the progress of the scholars was con- sidered satisfactory.

In the official report for 1896 a most remarkable.progress is shown to have taken place in Athens Township. No less than eleven schools, with a school year of seven months, were successfully conducted, the six male and five female teachers receiving monthly salaries of $25 and $24 respectively. Three hundred and three scholars were in attendance, at an average cost to the township per month for each scholar of $1.52. Substantial school buildings had been erected, and during the year the amount of $3,242.91 was expended for school purposes, a marked increase over the $135 of sixty years ago.

A congregation of the United Brethren Church was formed at Little Cooley about 1860, the Barlows, Wrights and Bennetts being among the prominent members. The early meetings of the society were held in the schoolhouse, until, in 1867. a fine, substantial church edifice was erected under the supervision of the society, although many of the residents of the vicinity,

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regardless of denominational beliefs, contributed towards its construction and support.

An Adventist congregation was organized about 1855 by Charles Craw- ford, with three members. John Root. Alva S. Gehr and Mr. Bush were early members. Its meetings were for a long time held in a schoolhouse in the northwestern part of the township, and sometimes in the open air.

CHAPTER II.

BEAVER TOWNSHIP.

W HEN Crawford County was organized in 1800, among the townships erected. that occupying the northwestern corner of the county re- ceived the name of Beaver. Its limits were at that time much larger than now, embracing, in addition to its present territory, portions of Spring, Summerhill and Conneaut Townships. Its original boundaries are thus pre- served in the docket of the Court of Quarter Sessions of July 9, 1800: "Be- ginning at the northeast corner of Conneaut Township; thence north until it intersects the northern boundary of Crawford County; thence west to the western boundary of the State: thence south to the northwest corner of Con- neaut Township: thence east to the place of beginning." In 1829 the boun- daries were changed by the erection of new townships, and Beaver was reduced to its present limits. It is a mathematical square, six miles each way, and forms the corner block at the intersection of the Erie and Crawford boundary with the Ohio line.

Five small streams take their rise in the southern part of the township and flow north in almost parallel lines to the northern boundary, where they unite with Conneaut Creek. The slope of the land is slow and easy and the streams present an almost sluggish appearance as compared with the rapid flow of some of the brooks of the more hilly parts of the county. The surface of the township is low and level. When first settled it was wet and heavy, and it was then supposed that the larger portion could never be used for agricultural purposes. Since the timber has been taken off. however, the land has become dryer and is found to be arable and productive. The soil is clayey and well adapted to grazing.

Dairying and stock raising are the leading industries, and lumbering is also a common occupation, although not carried on so extensively as in former years. The forests consisted largely of beech, ash, maple and poplar. An-

OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE. 481

other industry, during the early days, was the establishment of salt works at one of the old deer licks, and for some time it was a valuable source of revenue to its proprietors. In 1815 Samuel Magaw and William Clark, of Meadville, em- ployed men to bore down to a considerable distance into the bowels of the earth. In the course of the following year they had proceeded to such a depth that they procured a fine flow of brine, which rushed up through the aperture and, upon evaporation, yielded daily upwards of ten bushels of excellent salt. Finding that the brine became stronger as they went deeper into the earth, they continued boring, hoping to thus increase the yield. Accordingly they sunk the shaft an additional depth of 200 or 300 feet, but, much to their dis- gust, instead of finding a stronger brine they obtained oil, which mixed with the salt water and entirely spoiled its commercial value. Thus in their efforts to obtain a better brine they spoiled what they already had, and the oil which came was not in sufficient quantities to render its production profitable. An effort was made to restore the salt spring to its original purity by filling the well to its former depth, but, that proving futile, the works were abandoned.

Another early industry was the manufacture of black salts from the lye of leached ashes, which had a ready sale and was found to be a good source of profit to the farmer. As he cleared his farm and burned his heaps of logs he found himself possessed of large quantities of wood ashes which had a commercial value. The settler could convey them to the asheries and sell them, or himself manufacture the salts and send them to market. The money thus obtained saved the home of many an early pioneer from sale by the county sheriff.

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Our country and its people. A historical and memorial record of Crawford County, Pennsylvania., Part 47

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902 Publication date: 1899 Publisher: Boston : W. A. Fergusson Number of Pages: 1044

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Boston : W. A. Fergusson
Number of Pages: 1044