USA > Pennsylvania > Crawford County > Our country and its people. A historical and memorial record of Crawford County, Pennsylvania. > Part 56
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The first school was taught in 1804 in a deserted cabin which stood at Elliott's Corners, near the central part of the township. Joseph Wright, one of the oldest settlers, was the first teacher. In 1896 there were six schools, taught by six teachers, and attended by one hundred and forty-five pupils. More than eighteen hundred dollars was spent for school purposes during the year, over half of it being raised by taxation in the township, the re- mainder coming from the State appropriation.
The Center Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church is located about half a mile east of Espyville station. Rev. Thomas Carr was the first pastor, the class being formed by him in 1825. Meetings were held in the schoolhouse and in private dwellings until about 1846, when a church building was erected.
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The congregation, which is not numerous, is attached to the Espyville circuit.
The Espyville Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1831 at the house of Aaron Herriott, with an initial membership of seven. The early services were held in the schoolhouse, but in 1833 a place of worship was erected, which was used for a long period. It was in 1870 replaced by the present large and commodious structure, constructed at a cost of $6,000. A revival held in the autumn of 1883 doubled the membership from one hun- dred to two hundred. The congregation forms part of the Espyville circuit. which was organized in 1851.
The North Shenango United Presbyterian Church was organized in 1849 by Rev. H. H. Thompson. The thirty original members were formerly members of the Hartstown church, but for their greater convenience in at- tending worship they withdrew and formed a separate organization. A church building was erected in 1846 about a half mile east of Espyville, a much more commodious building afterward taking its place. The first elders elected were Jacob Martin, William Wilson and John S. Porter. Rev. William Dalzell was the first pastor, and he was soon succeeded by Rev. H. H. Hervey. There is a good sized membership, containing many of the representative farmers of North Shenango.
CHAPTER XIV.
OIL CREEK TOWNSHIP.
BY M N ALLEN.
O IL CREEK TOWNSHIP was established by order of the Crawford County Court in October, 1800. Its original boundaries were as fol- lows: Beginning at the southeast corner of the county and running westward upon the north boundary line of Venango County ten miles, tlience directly north to the northern boundary of Crawford County, thence directly east ten miles, and thence directly south to the place of beginning. The original township. named after Oil Creek, was rectangular in shape. It em- braced all the territory of the present townships of Sparta and Rome, which were subsequently taken off from Oil Creek, also a part of the present town- ships of Bloomfield, Athens, Steuben and Troy, which were afterward sev- erally formed. The township, reduced to its present boundaries, is left rec- tangular in shape. Within its boundaries is the territory of Titusville, first incorporated in 1849 as a borough, and that of Hydetown, which was made
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a borough in 1868. Titusville was incorporated as a borough under a special act of the State Legislature, and Hydetown by an order of the County Court. The territory of the present township, exclusive of Titusville and Hydetown, contains between 18,000 and 19,000 acres. The township is now bounded on the north by Rome, on the east by Warren County, as far south as a point thirty-five rods north of the northeast corner, the land east of the line divid- ing it from Oil Creek Township, for this thirty-five rods is in Venango County; on the south by Venango County, and on the west by Troy and Steuben. The principal stream of water running through the township of Oil Creek. Thomp- son's Run. or Little Oil Creek, empties into the main stream at Hydetown. Pine Creek, coming from Warren County. a stream of considerable size, empties into Oil Creek a short distance southeast of Titusville. Church Run enters Titusville on the north side, and running in a southeast course passes through the town and empties into Oil Creek.
The first settlers in what became Oil Creek Township were Samuel Kerr 'and Jonathan Titus, who located in the southeastern corner of what became Crawford County. By an act of the Assembly passed in March, 1800, Craw- ford County was created, and by order of the court, as above stated, in Octo- ber following, the same year. 1800, Oil Creek Township was formed. They began their settlement as early as 1796. by laying claim each. under the then existing system of pre-emption, to a large tract of land, the two tracts thus selected lying adjacent to each other. This settlement became the capital of the township. As ancient Rome was Italy. as Paris is France. Titusville has always been, not alone the capital, but in a large degree the soul of Oil Creek Township. In 1797 Kerr and Titus built each a log house upon their respec- tive lands and began a permanent residence in their new homes. The same year Peter Titus and his brother Daniel settled upon the spot which in after years became Hydetown. Peter Titus married Jane, the half sister of Samuel Kerr. Jonathan Titus was the son of Peter and Jane ( Kerr ) Titus.
In 1800 the Gilsons, a large family, settled in the township. William Gilson, the progenitor, an Englishman, a Revolutionary soldier, who had served in the Continental army. came from Bedford County. this State. and settled on what is now known as Gilson Ridge. His son. John, in 1799 made a trip into this section, and while chopping down a tree for the purpose of con- structing a crossing over Oil Creek, he accidentally cut his knee, and thus temporarily disabled himself from further immediate travel. He stopped with Daniel Titus, and during his stay there he learned something of the adjacent country. On recovering the use of his limb, he went back to Bedford and induced his father to move in the following year, 1800, to the Oil Creek coun- try, himself returning at the same time. The children of William Gilson consisted of six sons and three daughters. The names of the sons were John. Thomas, William, Richard, Peter and Benjamin. His daughters were
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Anna. Charity and Martha. Anna married Michael Gorman, the head of the Gorman tribe, whose old home was in Deerfield Township, Warren County. not far from Tidioute. Charity, the second daughter, married Samuel Mc- Guire, the head of the McGuire tribe. He settled near the mouth of the McGuire Run, above Tidioute on the Allegheny River. Samuel and Charity McGuire had a family of two sons and six daughters. Martha, the third daughter, married Patrick Shirley, who first lived in Rome Township, but subsequently moved to Crossingville, this county, where he died. The widow afterward returned to Oil Creek. Her children were two sons and six daugh- ters.
John Gilson, the oldest son of the progenitor, had a family of thirteen children, five sons and eight daughters. The sons were William, Charles B .. Richard. Thomas and John B. The daughters were named Nancy. Dorcas. Alice, Eliza Jane. Martha, Anna, Margaret and Sarah. Nancy married James Titus and became the mother of a large family. Dorcas married Will- iam Finney, and they also raised a large family. Alice married James Coyle, and they had only one child. Eliza Jane married James Early, and they had two daughters. Martha married Jacob Baugher, and they had no chil- dren. Anna married Christopher Navey; they had three sons and one daughter. Sarah died single.
Thomas Gilson had six sons and one daughter. The sons were Hugh, William. John. Thomas, James M. and Joseph. The daughter married a Chaney and had two sons. William lived on Gilson Ridge and had six sons and four daughters. Richard Gilson also located on Gilson Ridge, and had one son and two daughters. John H. Gilson was the son. The daughters were Julia Ann and Sarah Ann. Peter Gilson also lived on Gilson Ridge. He had two sons and two daughters. His sons were Benjamin M. and John M. His daughters were Mary and Alice. Benjamin Gilson located on Gilson Ridge and raised a family of six sons and three daughters. The sons' names were James, David. William S., Martin B. and Francis. The daughters were Elizabeth and Margaret.
In the foregoing account is embraced a brief record of each of the nine children of the progenitor, William Gilson, the Revolutionary soldier. Be- ginning with the progenitor, there are already six generations, which may be safely estimated to contain not less than one thousand descendants now living.
Samuel Kerr came in 1800 and settled in the northeastern part of the township. His sons were Andrew, Oliver, James, David and Robert. Care should be taken not to confound this Samuel with Samuel, the first pioneer. John Kerr, probably the brother of the second Samuel, came also in 1800. His sons were Samuel, James, William. John, Robert, Andrew and Matthew. These last were the cousins of the sons of Samuel. The descendants of these Kerrs are very numerous, perhaps more numerous than the descendants of
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William Gilson. The sons of the first James Kerr were Samuel W., Robert, Andrew, David, James B., John and William. William is the only one of the brothers now living. The sons of the second John Kerr were Samuel C. and John B., both dead. The sons of Matthew were John and Samuel, both dead. The sons of the first David Kerr were Samuel B., Robert, Cunningham and David A. Cunningham alone is living. Andrew, the son of Samuel, who came in 1800, settled on Kerr Hill, about three miles southwest of Titusville. This Samuel was the progenitor of a distinct branch of the Oil Creek Kerrs. Samuel, the first pioneer, was the head of another branch. John, who came in 1800, was the head of another branch of the Kerr tribes. Then there was another David Kerr, who married Anna Shelmadine. The present Silas Kerr, of Oil Creek Township, is their son, producing still another branch of the Kerr tribe. The progenitors of the Kerr tribe were all from Ireland.
James Kerr, the father of Samuel Kerr, who with Jonathan Titus founded Titusville, came from Ireland about the year 1732. It does not appear that this James Kerr was a kindred of the large tribe above spoken of, though he may have been a relative, but his descendants constitute a branch of Kerrs still living in Oil Creek Township.
The Henderson brothers were early settlers. They were Richard, Sam- uel and David. Samuel Henderson married Rebecca Mitchell in 1814. Their oldest son, William Mitchell Henderson, born in 1816, now lives in Titusville, on North Washington Street, in the eighty-third year of his age. He has always been a citizen of high standing in the community. Joseph C., the youngest of the family, now resides on the Henderson homestead. David Henderson, a prominent citizen of Pleasantville, Venango County, is a son of David, one of the three Henderson settlers. Robert, a younger son of the first David, was a sergeant in Company D, Eighteenth Cavalry, an account of which appears elsewhere in this work. He died in Andersonville prison.
Adam Holliday, from Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, was among the early settlers. James Kerr, brother of Samuel Kerr, the surveyor and settler, came in 1804 and located on a tract selected for him by Samuel, south of Woodlawn Cemetery, the home of Mrs. McCombs, wife of the late James McCombs. He married Mary Rankin, daughter of Colonel James Rankin, of Michigan, an officer in the United States army, who served in the War of 1812. James Kerr was born December 30, 1762. He died February 10, 1818. As stated in the account of Titusville, given in this work, in a sketch from the pen of the first Samuel Kerr, his father, James Kerr, the progenitor of one branch of Crawford County Kerrs, and the maternal grandfather of Jonathan Titus, came from Ireland to Donegal Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, at about 1732, where he settled and married first a woman named Stewart, who bore him ten children. After her death he married Susannah Stevenson, by whom he had two sons and one daughter. The daughter died in childhood.
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Samtiel was the youngest child in the family. He says in the sketch quoted from that his father moved from Lancaster County about the year 1766, and, after remaining at Canogocheague settlement a few months, he buried his sec- ond wife. He continued his course westward until he arrived at Frankstown. on the Juniata River, then in the county of Huntington, where he commenced a settlement near Frankstown, an old town where he continued to reside until the Indians made trouble. Notwithstanding the danger of remaining he stubbornly refused to leave his house, so his family left him and fled into Cam- bria County. This was in December, 1777. He continued in his house alone and in a very feeble state of health, until some time in January following. when he was taken to Fitter's Fort, where he shortly afterward died
Now, one of the daughters of the first James Kerr, Jane by name, a half sister of Samuel, married Peter Titus. Another daughter, named Elizabeth, married John Curry, one of the earliest settlers in Oil Creek Township. Peter Titus had four daughters, and John Curry had four sons. The names of the four daughters were Ruth, Fanny, Olivia and Susan. The names of the four sons were James, Robert, William and Samuel. James Curry married Ruth Titus. Robert Curry married Olivia Titus. Fanny Titus was married to Charles Ridgway, one of the early settlers, and Susan Titus was married to John Ridgway, brother of Charles. To James and Ruth ( Titus) Curry was born in 1799 Peter Titus Curry, the first white child born in Oil Creek Town- ship. Now, James Curry and his brother, Robert, married each a first cousin. The mother of the Titus daughters was Jane Kerr, and her sister, Elizabeth Kerr, was the mother of the Curry sons. Then there were two other half sisters of Sammuel Kerr, the pioneer, besides Jane, who married Peter Titus, and Elizabeth, who married John Curry. They were Ann Kerr, who married John-or Jack, as he was usually called-and Ellen Kerr, who married John Felton. It will readily be seen that the family relationship embracing the branch of Kerrs to which Samuel Kerr, the pioneer, belonged ; the Currys, the Tituses and the later Chases is far reaching and not a little complicated.
John Lewis and his wife, Elizabeth, were early settlers. Their son, Rob- ert, married Jane Curry, daughter of John and Elizabeth ( Kerr) Curry. Robert, while a volunteer soldier in the American army at Erie, Pa., died on the 18th of January, 1813. Six months after his death, July 18, 1813, the widow gave birth to a posthumous son, to whom she gave the father's name, Robert. Not long afterward she accompanied her parents-in-law, when they moved out of the county, to Cincinnati, Ohio. A cousin of the widow, a lad perhaps a dozen years old, named James Felton, the son of John and Ellen (Kerr) Felton, accompanied her. After a year or two, the widow, leaving her parents-in-law in Cincinnati, started back for Oil Creek. She rode on horseback, young Felton traveling by her side on foot, and the little boy, Rob- ert, sitting before her on the horse, and playing with the reins of the bridle.
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In this manner, with young Felton and the infant, Robert, about two years old, as her sole companions, Mrs. Lewis rode all the way from Cincinnati, a distance of four hundred miles, back to her kindred in Oil Creek Township. Her way was mostly through forests, in which Indians, many of them hostile, roamed. There were few bridges, so that she had to ford most of the streams. Mrs. Lewis was the first cousin of Jonathan Titiis.
Young James Felton was another first cousin. James Felton became the father of William Felton, who married Sarah Curry, the daughter of Samuel Curry, the youngest son of John Curry, who married Elizabeth Kerr. Samuel Curry and James Felton were first cousins to each other, as well as the first cousins of Jonathan Titus. Clem Felton, who for years past has been in charge of the west end of the Titusville fire department, is a son of William and Sarah (Curry) Felton. By reference to the foregoing record, it will be seen that William Felton and his wife were second cousins to each other.
Mrs. Lewis, after her return from Cincinnati, married William Wilson, to whom she bore five sons. Peter, Samuel C., Thomas Patterson, Alexander R. and Chase. One of the daughters married William Pastorious. Chase Wilson was drowned years ago. Peter Wilson is the man who, with R. D. Fletcher, rendered timely financial aid to Drake, as previously stated in this work. Robert Lewis grew to manhood under his mother's care and instruc- tion, and became a highly respected citizen. He was a farmer in the Kerr Hill neighborhood. His wife was Sally Breed. Their children were William-W., John H., Charles Harvey ( now deceased ), Mary and Freelie M. Robert Lewis died September 21, 1898, in the eighty-sixth year of his age. He was a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church, and for many years a familiar figure in Titusville.
James Curry, the oldest son of Jolin Curry, lived perhaps two miles slightly northwest of Titusville. Robert, the second son, lived on the hill south of the city. William, the third son, lived on the farm now owned by Mr. John Fertig, of Titusville, lately known as the Love farin, perhaps a mile and a half north of the crossing of Main and Perry streets in Titusville. Samuel, the youngest, lived a half mile, or more, northeast of William's home- stead. Robert Curry had a son, Robert, who succeeded him on the homestead. Another son of the first Robert was Jonathan, who died in the western coun- try in August last in his ninetieth year. His remains were brought to Titus- ville and interred in Woodlawn Cemetery. William Barnsdall, of Titusville. married Eliza, a daughter of the first Robert Curry. William Curry was many years a justice of the peace. The office of justice of the peace at that time was not elective, but the incumbent was appointed for life, or during good behavior.
Among the early settlers of Oil Creek was William Pastorious, whose farm is now occupied by his nephew, the present John Pastorious, on the hill
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a little southwest of the city. John Pastorious, brother of the first William Pastorious, came later and settled south of Hydetown. He, however, did not remain quite a dozen years, but moved to another part of the country. Abraham Pastorious, a younger brother of the first William, when at the age of 13. in the year 1800, drove for William a yoke of oxen from Centre County, Pa., a distance of 150 miles, to William's farm. Thirty-eight years later. upon the death of William, who died childless, Abraham moved with his family, consisting of himself and wife, four sons and two daughters, from Centre County to the homestead now owned and occupied by the present John Pas- toriotis, as before stated. The four sons were William, James, George and John. The mother and two daughters rode on the journey in a covered car- riage. But the family goods were brought in one of the old fashioned covered Pennsylvania wagons, a vehicle of wonderful capacity and strength. The wagon was hauled by five strong horses, which were driven by William, the oldest son, using only a single line. William rode one of the wheel horses, or walked, as he chiose, his line reaching to the single horse in lead. The wheel horses were powerful animals, weighing at least 1,400 pounds each. The second span weighed a little less, and the lead horse still a little less. Abraham managed the farm a few years in the interest of William's heirs, of whom lie was one. He finally purchased their interest and thus came into possession of the property. John Pastorious, the youngest of Abraham's family, now owns and occupies the homestead. William, the oldest, now in his eighty-second year, lives just outside of the city limits on West Spring Street. James B., nearly 80 years of age, spends part of his time with his son in Erie and part of his time with his relatives in and around Titusville. George died years ago. One of the daughters married the late Robert Robinson.
The oldest son of James Kerr, brother of Samuel Kerr, the pioneer, was named after his uncle, Samuel. He was born April 4, 1810, and he died in .August, 1895. Adam Kerr, the second son, was born September 4, 1812. Hc is now living. James Rankin Kerr, who distinguished himself in local military matters, as colonel, brigade inspector, etc., was born December 28, 1807. Susannah, one of the early children, was married to Adam Holliday. Mrs. Dorcas Allen, of this city, wife of the late John M. Allen, was daughter of Adamı and Susannah Holliday. Adam Holliday was a man of brains and energy. He owned a farm about a mile west of the city limits, and built and operated a saw mill on the property. The farm is now owned by Mr. E. O. Emerson, of this city, a property of much value. Mary (Rankin) Kerr, the wife of James Kerr, was a woman of a good deal of character. She died June 21, 1855, at the age of 82 years.
Other early settlers were John Watson, William Mitchell, the Alcorns, Thomas McCombs and his brothers, Daniel and William; John McGinnett, John Thompson, Robert Glenn, William Reed, Patrick Sloan; William, Rob-
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ert, John and James Alcorn; Burnett Davis; James, Samuel, George and William McCray; James, John and David Caldwell. Then there were the McIntyres, McGuires, McDermots and Laverys. William Kelly settled on what has ever since been known as the Kelly farm about 1822, a short dis- tance from the northern boundary line of the city, on the Perry Street Hill. William Kelly in 1819 came from Ireland to Philadelphia, and thence to Erie County. He taught school several terms at Beaver Dam. After settling on Perry Street Hill he taught school perhaps eight winters, while he cleared up and cultivated his farm during the rest of the year. He had married Mary McIntyre a short time before he bought the farm. Their children were John, James, Hannah, Oliver, Mary, Susan M., Isabel and William M. The children are all living except William M., who died in childhood, and Oliver, who died November 2, 1895. The Kelly farm is owned by the heirs of William Kelly, the father. John, Hannah and Mary are at present living on the homestead. James lives in Rome Township. Susan M. married Amos F. Newton, and Isabel married Seneca Gee. John Kelly, when a young man, taught school. Dennis Carroll at about 1815 taught a subscription school in a building about a mile north of Titusville.
A large majority of the early inhabitants of Oil Creek Township were either natives of Ireland or the descendants of Irish natives, and these Irish inhabitants were almost exclusively Presbyterians. The Gilsons, Sloans, McGuires, McIntyres, McDermots and Laverys were Catholics, while the Kerrs, almost without exception, were Presbyterians. John Lewis, the grand- father of the late Robert Lewis, was a Covenanter. The Hendersons, Al- corns, Mitchells, Watsons and Shelmadines were Methodists. A Methodist class was organized about 1825 in the northern part of the township, to which belonged Andrew Alcorn, Obed Gardner and wife, Barnett and Benjamin Shelmadine and their wives, John and Martin Zeley, John Edton and wife, Charles Fenk and his father. Bethel Church, built in 1856, a Methodist chapel, has since been included in a circuit. In 1827 St. Stephen's Church, Catholic, was built about two miles northeast of Titusville. St. Stephen's, a frame building, is still standing and in good condition. It was long a sanc- tuary for the Catholics of the surrounding country of large area. From Tidioute and other remote places in the new country, Catholics came to St. Stephen's to worship. In the early times it was attended by Fathers McCabe and Peter Brown. It is now seldom opened, except for funeral services. It is really the parent of St. Titus' Church in Titusville, to the account of which in the history of Titusville the reader is referred.
The Kerr Hill Presbyterian Church was formed from members belonging to the Titusville church in 1854. A church edifice was erected earlier in the year. It was a peaceful secession. Twenty-eight members of the Titusville congregation, living on Kerr Hill and vicinity, organized themselves into a
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church body. The first elders chosen were William McGinnett, William Kerr and Isaac Newton, who had served as elders in the Titusville church. Rev. George W. Hampson, who had served more than twenty years as pastor of Titusville, labored very zealously there in a revival season, and on Saturday, December 2, 1854, a session was held to receive applications for membership. Some were admitted to church fellowship by letter, but more on examination of their faith in Christ. On the same evening the session met to receive Rob- ert Lewis. Rev. G. W. Hampson preached on the following Sunday, after which baptisms were administered. On December Ist the services of Rev. Samuel Montgomery for one-third of the time began. By special arrange- ment with the Cherrytree church it was agreed that part of the collections taken upon the Sabbath should be applied jointly to assist any young man under the care of the Meadville Presbytery who had the ministry in view. Rev. James Rise, Rev. R. Craighead, Rev. George H. Hammer, Rev. S. Wyckoff, Rev. O. W. Chapin, Rev. Mr. Berchard, ministered-most of them in a lim- ited way as to time-to the church from 1858 to 1862. On September 15. 1866, W. F. Breed and G. H. Conover were elected and installed as elders. Revs. William Elliott and William Smith ministered to the church. Rev. John Mclaughlin served about five years. Beginning in 1883, Rev. Samuel Stevenson served from four to five years. The present pastor, Rev. Robert Murray, has ministered from ten to eleven years. The present elders are G. H. Conover, Amos Hancox and A. B. Kerr. The general condition of the church seems to be prosperous and the labors of the present pastor highly acceptable.
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