USA > Pennsylvania > Crawford County > Our country and its people. A historical and memorial record of Crawford County, Pennsylvania. > Part 55
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William Clark, one of the earliest associate judges, settled on a tract south of David Mead's, on the land now forming the southern part of Mead- ville. He was one of the prominent men of the place for many years, taking a great interest in politics; but he did not remain in Crawford County, re- moving in his old age to a farm near Harrisburg, where he died. Martin Kycenceder, who had been a Hessian soldier in the employ of the English, having been captured by the Americans, remained in this country at the close of the war, and became a citizen of Mead Township. His descendants still live in the county.
Two large and wealthy associations, the Holland Land Company and the Pennsylvania Population Company, had acquired extensive tracts of land in northwestern Pennsylvania, and they were the means of settling large por- tions of the new country. The central and eastern parts of Mead Township belonged almost entirely to the Holland Land Company, and thus the earliest settlements are recorded in the books of that company. These records show that the territory now comprised in Mead Township was settled in every part between 1796 and 1800. The settlements, however, were few, not more than one family to a tract of four hundred acres. Many afterward moved away, while others remained permanently, and are still represented in the township by their descendants of the third and fourth generations. Among those who located here before 1810, Daniel Custard, an Englishman, owned a small farm southeast of the city ; Elizabeth Buchanan, a widow, settled with her family two miles south of Meadville ; Joseph Davis remained till his death in the southeastern part of the township. On the farm of Joseph Finney, north of Meadville, was found an extensive quarry of sandstone, since consid- erably developed, and the place was known as "Finney's Rocks." The five Stainbrook brothers, a family of German extraction, settled in various parts of the township, and their descendants still remain. In 1816, Jacob Stain- brook, in the southeastern part of the township, built a water grist mill on a little brook which coursed through his farm. It was the first mill in the local- ity and was a crude affair, having only one run of stone, and could not be
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operated when the brook became low. But he ground some corn and a little wheat, and as it was the only one in the township, it was extensively patron- ized. George Kightlinger, son-in-law of the original proprietor. afterward took charge of the business, and continued it for many years. Later on, in 1830, William Moultrip built a water mill on a branch of Sugar Creek, but it was only operated a few years.
Dr. David Bemus, in 1830. built an extensive saw and grist mill about two miles north of Meadville, and obtained the requisite water power by building a dam across French Creek. He did a large business in lumber, sawing pine boards, which were conveyed down the river to Pittsburg in boats built here. He also operated an oil mill, and rebuilt it on an extensive scale, at an expense of almost ten thousand dollars, but it was destroyed by fire before it was occupied. The grist and sawmill, however, continued to be operated until 1856. when it, too, was burned. The Bemus dam was after- ward utilized as a feeder for the Beaver and Erie Canal, thus becoming public property. The settlement known as Bemustown was at one time quite a village, consisting of six or eight houses and a store, besides the mills, but with the destruction of the mills it died away.
The social intercourse of the settlers, prior to the enforcement of munic- ipal law, was not always characterized by entire harmony, and sharp and fierce disputes often occurred, which were sometimes settled by their fists and sometimes by the arbitration of disinterested parties. A singular instance of this kind is related of a dispute between David Mead and John Wentworth. in regard to an agreement by which one was to cultivate a field of corn for the other. They could not come to an understanding, and the more they talked about it the angrier each one grew. As they were standing on Water Street trying to settle the dispute, two strangers passed, on their way through the town, and it was agreed to leave it to them. They were accosted, and hay- ing accepted, they unslung their knapsacks and listened to the statements of both parties. At the end they rendered a decision which gave mutual satis- faction, after which they resumed their journey. David Mead was the first commissioned justice of the peace in the township, an office which lie held until 1799, when he became one of the associate judges for the county. One of the first cases on his docket was an action for debt, in which he was the plaintiff, and Robert Fitz Randolph the defendant. Unfortunately, when the Governor gave the people a justice he forgot to give the justice a constable, but Mead did not suffer this novel dilemma to defeat the ends of justice. He issued and served the summons himself, and when the day of hearing came a trial was had and a judgment rendered the plaintiff for the amount of his claim. He then issued and served an execution, levying upon a horse, the property of the defendant, which he exposed to public sale. He put up the notices, and at the sale, over which he presided, he bought in the horse and
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paid the surplus proceeds to the defendant. He thus acted as plaintiff, judge, constable, auctioneer and purchaser, in the same case.
Mead Township is not without relics of the prehistoric race, known as the Mound Builders, who at one time lived upon this continent. The follow- ing extract from Huidekoper's "Incidents in the Early History of Crawford County," form an interesting item in the history of the township: "There were originally two circular forts about a mile below the present village of Meadville. The one in the valley, on the farm of Mr. Taylor Randolph, and the other a quarter of a mile below, on the bluff point of a high knoll, where a small stream puts into the canal. The plow and the annual tillage of the soil have now destroyed them. There was also a mound to be seen a short dis- tance above the fort, which stood in the plain. It is now nothing but a smooth eminence some two or three feet high, and extending from north to south some fifteen or twenty feet, and about twice as much from east to west. It is described, however, by Mr. Isaac Randolph, one of the oldest settlers, on whose farm it stands, as having been composed originally of two mounds, connected by a narrow neck between them. The material of one of the mounds he represents as having been of gravel, and the other of alluvial earth. The ground around the mound is alluvial. without stone, and it is evident the material was carried some distance to construct the mound, as there was no ditch or excavation near it from which it could have been taken. The mound stands some thirty rods from the stream, where gravel is abundant."
About two miles east of Meadville is located the Ponce de Leon Spring, formerly called the Sulphur Spring. From the time of the earliest settlers its waters had been known to possess great curative powers, and had been successfully used by the farmers of that vicinity as a cure for stomach and liver troubles. In 1887 an association was formed to place this water upon the market. and upon analysis by distinguished chemists, it was found that the water is decidedly alkaline, containing quantities of the carbonates of sodium and calcium. It was thus found to belong to the important class of springs of which Vichy and Vals are the types, and since being placed upon sale its uses have been the same as those to which these famous waters are applied. Large quantities are shipped to the neighboring cities, not only of the plain water, but of the excellent carbonated water and ginger ale as well, and the Ponce de Leon brands have become widely and favorably known. The spring is finely located at the foot of a high hill, far from any possible source of con- tamination, and the water, springing directly from the living rock, in full view, is of remarkable clearness and purity. The temperature of the water varies but little in summer or winter, showing from what a remote depth it bubbles up through the rock, laden with health giving properties. In con- nection with the line of street railway now being laid in Meadville, a branch has been constructed to the Ponce de Leon Springs, the forerunner, without
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doubt, of a summer hotel and other attractions in this spot so fitted by nature to be a health resort. Situated in the midst of most picturesque scenery, with pure water and fresh air in abundance, it will furnish an ideal resort for the seekers after rest and pleasure.
Elementary schools were occasionally held in various parts of the town- ship during the early years of the settlement. Mordecai Thomas taught one as early as 1805 on the Ray farm, in the extreme northwestern corner of the township, and this was undoubtedly one of the first. Conflicts between teachers and pupils were of frequent occurrence, and upon one occasion, after a pro- tracted siege, the pupils refused to admit the master to the schoolhouse, so the school was discontinued. William Wright and James Hamilton taught schools in the southeastern part as early as 1818. In the first published school report, prepared in 1837 by Dr. Burrowes, we find nine schools credited to Mead Township, with a force of fourteen teachers, seven male and seven female. The number of scholars was three hundred and fifty, of whom two hundred were boys. The average number of months during which the schools were kept open was five and one-half. For the support of these schools they received two hundred and thirty-two dollars from the State ap- propriation, which was supplemented by two hundred and seventy-five dollars from the county. The average monthly pay of the male teachers was four- teen and one-half dollars; that of the female, five dollars, while the amount expended during the year for schoolhouses, repairs and rent was ninety-one dollars. The character and qualifications of the teachers were described as "generally good," the branches taught being reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, and in some schools, geography and philosophy. The progress of the scholars was noted as being better than before the system was adopted, while its chief defect was pointed out as a want of funds with which to build schoolhouses.
Wayland Postoffice, formerly called Mead's Corners, is situated near the center of the township, at the foot of a high hill. Several dwelling houses, with the Baptist church, constitute the settlement.
Frenchtown, in the southeastern part, is a hamlet containing a Catholic church, a store, a school, a blacksmith shop, and several dwelling houses. As may be inferred from the name, it was settled by French colonists, who commenced immigrating to this vicinity as early as 1827. At first only a few families arrived, but their friends, encouraged by the glowing accounts of the new country sent back by the pioneers, a few at a time left their mother land, until the settlement had become quite strong. It now numbers several hundreds, extending into East Fairfield and other of the adjacent townships. They are excellent farmers, frugal and industrious, and are held in high esteem by their neighbors.
Bousson Postoffice, near Frenchtown, also comprised within the French
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colony, was established in 1885, near the southeastern corner of the township. St. Hippolytus Catholic church was erected at Frenchtown in 1837. Within recent years the original edifice has been replaced by a commodious brick structure, and a congregation of about one hundred and fifty of the French families of the vicinity avail themselves of this large and handsome place of worship. The land upon which the church stands was donated by Paul Gerard, one of the earliest and most prominent members, others of whom were John C. Dubet, John G. Demaison, John B. Brown. Nicholas Mounin, John Galwish, Germain Devoge and Francis Jaquart. The congregation was formed in 1834. and was attended by non-resident priests until 1845, when Father Mark de la Roque became the priest of the parish, officiating for more than twenty years. His successor was Father Eugene Cogneville, who has filled the position up to the present time.
The Pine Grove Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in the south- eastern part of the township as early as 1825. At first meetings were held in the cabins of the members, then, as the attendance increased, they were transferred to the schoolhouse, and in 1858 a church building was erected. David Thurston, Job Calvert, John McFadden, Joseph Baird and John Daniels were among the most influential of its founders. The class has formed a part of several different circuits, having been attached at various times to those of Saegertown, Cochranton. Townville and others, but now belongs to the Meadville circuit. Its present membership is about thirty.
Brown's chapel, a branch of the Methodist Episcopal Church, is located in the northern part of the township. It was organized by the Rev. J. Graham, of the Erie circuit, in 1812, with nine members. Edward Douglas, John Mc- Fadden, Mr. Little, Ruth Kimmey and Mrs. Phoebe Brown were among them. It was a large circuit in those days, and the earliest ministers, who received salaries of from $50 to $100 a year, had to ride all day, and eat bear meat and corn cakes at the cabins of the backwoods settlers. The first meetings were held in the cabin of John Grimes, who resided about a mile south of the site of the present edifice. They were afterward held in a schoolhouse until about 1830, when a frame church was built. It was never fully completed, but was used until the present frame building was erected. in 1848. The society, whose membership is about sixty, for many years formed part of the Saeger- town circuit, but is now attached to the Meadville circuit.
The Wayland Baptist Church, situated at Wayland Postoffice, was or- ganized January 27, 1838, in a schoolhouse about two miles northeast of the present church. The original members, all of whom had received letters from the Randolph church, were Philip Hatch, Andrew Braymer, Ira Hatch, Horatio Hatch, John Braymer, Rhoda Chase, Hannah Dewey, Abigail Braymer, Electa Hatch, Fanny Hatch, Sarah Ellis, Mary Hatch and Amanda Sizer. The young church flourished under the
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pastorate of Elder Enos Stewart, the first pastor, and the member- ship was soon largely increased. In 1840 the present frame church was erected, at a cost of about fifteen hundred dollars, and in the meantime the meetings were held in the Dewey schoolhouse. The Rev. Reese is the present pastor, and there is a membership of over one hundred.
CHAPTER XIII.
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NORTH SHENANGO TOWNSHIP.
S HENANGO TOWNSHIP was one of the original subdivisions of the county, laid out in 1800. It occupied the southwestern corner of the county, and was about eight by nine miles in size, comprising, besides the present limits of North Shenango, South Shenango, West Shenango, Pine and West Fallowfield, portions of Sadsbury and East Fallowfield. In 1830 the boundaries were changed and North and South Shenango were formed, the former including what is now North Shenango and Pine. The Pymatun- ing Swamp seemed to naturally divide the northern from the southern por- tion, rendering it difficult to maintain communication at all times, therefore, in 1845 the northern section was set off under the name of Pine Township, leaving North Shenango as it exists to-day.
The township is watered by Shenango Creek and its tributaries, the prin- cipal of which is Bennett's Run, which flows northwest and drains the central portion. Shenango Creek enters the township from Sadsbury, near the southeastern corner, and flowing in a northwesterly direction through Pyma- tuning Swamp, which impinges on the northern border, forms the larger portion of the northern boundary, when it turns to the southwest, flowing through the western portion of the township. It crosses the line into Ohio for a short distance, then again enters the township and finally leaves it at the southwest corner. The surface of the township is level and the soil is of an excellent quality, a black loam on the low lands and a clay on the higher parts, and produces abundant crops. The northern portion was a part of the Pymatuning Swamp, and is low and marshy, though some of it has been drained and cleared and found suitable for cultivation. The southern por- tion is the best land, and the inhabitants, though chiefly occupied in dairying and stock raising, give some attention to lumbering. The Erie and Pitts- burg Railroad runs north and south through the township, Espyville station occupying a central position.
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When the early settlers came to the banks of Shenango Creek they found there, on the land then occupied by the Indians, and now covered with well tilled farms, evidences of a prehistoric settlement, consisting of mounds of various shapes, from which have been exhumed relics of an early period. Even the Indians, the natives of the soil, could tell nothing of that mysterious race, to which the name of Mound Builders has been assigned, because it is by the mounds and buildings which they left that their memory has been preserved. Pottery and various industrial implements found in these mounds prove they had attained to a higher civilization than the Indians who succeeded them, but as to their origin, history and final lot, nothing can ever be definitely known. Numerous remains of this race have been discovered along the banks of Shenango Creek. A series of mounds occur at intervals of a quarter of a mile, from thirty to fifty feet in circumference, but of slight elevation. Two circular forts have also been found, each inclosing from half an acre to an acre. The outlines are still well preserved, the glacis being two or three feet high, and both being surrounded by moats, thus indicating their construction for purposes of defense. Upon these embankments large trees have grown, which give evidence of their great antiquity, while within the enclosure are found old gun barrels, human bones, and relics of an earlier age. Heaps of stones, piled up in square form like rude altars, have also been discovered along Shenango Creek. Andrew Linn, while opening a spring in the northern part of the township, uncovered a portion of a stone wall. It was a solid piece of masonry, but whether part of a building, a fort, or an altar, could not be ascertained from its appearance. Enough has been found, however. to prove that another race at one time lived in the valley of the Shenango, that they built altars at which to worship, and forts to defend them- selves from attack, but the story of their existence remains the mystery of the American continent.
The first settlement in North Shenango was made in 1798, when David McKee and Anthony Bennett came from Susquehanna County and settled- the former in the southwestern part, near Espyville, and the latter in the north- ern part. McKee came first to Meadville, and then went with his ox team through the woods, guided by blazed trees to his place of settlement. arriving in the spring of the year. Bennett settled on the stream which now bears his name, where he built the first saw and grist mill in the township and operated them for many years. The next year Sydney Herriott came from Pittsburg on foot and located in the northern part of the township. He was from New Jersey, though he had lived several years at Williamsport. Henry Bennett came at the same time from Northumberland County and settled a little east of the center. He came up French Creek to Meadville by canoe, and after reaching Shenango cleared a farm upon which he lived the re- mainder of his days.
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Samuel Barrackman came from Susquehanna County in 1799 and re- mained during the winter in Greenwood Township. In April, 1800, he set- tled in the northern part of Shenango, being obliged to cut a road through the forest from Hartstown in order to reach his destination with his ox tean. During the first years he was obliged to go to Sugar Creek, a distance of about thirty miles, to have his grinding done. To go there and return often occupied two days, and sometimes even longer. A grist mill was built at Colt's Station, in the southern part of Conneaut Township, several years later. but to reach this it was necessary to cross the Pymatuning Swamp. A path was inade passable, however, by brush and poles, and with one and a half or two bushels of grain on his back he would follow this route to the mill, and bring back the product on his shoulders. No salt could be obtained nearer than Pittsburg, and there the price was fifteen dollars per barrel. Pork brought two shillings a pound, and potatoes were worth two dollars a bushel. Barrackman built a log cabin on the land he had settled, in which he passed the remainder of his life, one of the most prominent citizens of the vicinity. In 1818 he built the first frame building in the township. His brother, Jacob Barrackman, who was a cripple, was another early settler. Mrs. Hannalı Linn, a widow, came with her four sons. John, Andrew, George and Joseph, in May of 1800, and settled in the western part. They cleared a farm. on which she resided until her death. They came from New Jersey by way of Pittsburg. and from the latter place were forced to cut their way through the forest to make a road for their four horse team. Their cabin was a rude affair, and during the first winter they were obliged to use blankets instead of doors, a rather slight protection against the wild beasts which made the night hideous with their frightful cries.
It was about the same time that William Reed settled with his family in the southwestern part of the township. They came from the Susquehanna and proceeded as far as Franklin in a canoe, his wife following along the bank upon horseback and driving two cows before her. Their supply of pro- visions became exhausted when they were within fifteen miles of Franklin, and Reed proceeded on foot to secure a new sunnly. Soon after they arrived Reed and Bennett went to work together in the woods at some distance from the houses, and Mrs. Reed and Mrs. Bennett were accustomed to carry their dinner to them. On one occasion they mistook their way and became lost in the woods. They rambled along a great distance in their efforts to find their path again, and night overtaking them, they took refuge in some small trees, up which they climbed. During the night an animal, which they sup- posed to be a panther, made its appearance, and Mrs. Reed urged her com- panion to appease the hungry beast and secure themselves from harm by throw- ing to it the babe which she had with her; but not even the thought of per- sonal danger could reconcile hier to an act so repugnant to a mother's sensi-
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bilities. The animal remained beneath them all night, but in the morning their fears of immediate danger were removed by seeing it take its leave. Descend- ing from the tree and proceeding for some distance they heard the sound of chopping, and turning their steps in that direction they were soon gratified by the sight of two men, engaged in digging out a trough. By them they were piloted to their homes, where they found that the whole neighborhood was aroused and had turned out in a search for them. It was on this occa- sion that Mrs. Reed discovered the fine spring, to the vicinity of which they afterward removed. James Reed, a son of William, is believed to have been the first white child born in the township.
Most of the land of the township belonged to the North American and the Pennsylvania companies, and previous to 1812 a large part of it had been opened for settlement. The Espys were among the first settlers. George Espy came from Bedford County about 1802 and settled at Espyville, which took its name from him. Patterson Espy kept an early store a little south of that place. The Collins brothers came from Mifflin County in IS01 in a four horse team and settled near the center of the township. Isaac Collins was a soldier in the War of 1812, and lived upon the farm he had cleared until his death. Patrick Davis was an Irishman who came from Lancaster County about 1803 and settled in the eastern part of the township. He cleared a farm upon which he lived the remainder of his life. George Espy operated a saw and grist mill and also a distillery. Anthony Bennett and many others also owned stills. Stephen Allen started a carding mill about 1832, which was for many years operated by members of his family.
Espyville, in the western part, was laid out about 1833 by John Espy. Jeremy Allen kept the first store, and with Hugh Wilson, a blacksmith, and Isaac Marshall, a carpenter, they were for many years the only residents. The village has not increased very much since, as a saw mill, wagon shop, a church, school, about twenty families and the township postoffice now constitute the settlement. Stewartville was a former postoffice in the eastern part of the township, but was abolished some time ago.
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