USA > Pennsylvania > Crawford County > Pioneer sketches : scenes and incidents of former days > Part 2
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He made a fourth voyage in 1502, explored the coast of Honduras, was shipwrecked and escaped to Jamaica, which island he left in 1503, returned to Spain, and after many hardships, expired at Valladolid in 1506.
Here was a gentleman, a scholar, a brave adventurer and explorer-
Who said there was land in the West,
Others said no; but he knew best.
His native countrymen of Hayti and Spain Imprisoned him, because he had some brain.
That dominant, aristocratie will grew harder,
Because his sire was a poor wool-carder.
There is a natural freak ever to remain, If aristocrats have the money, they haven't all the brain.
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
In 1750 the French built Fort Macault at Franklin, Fort Lebœuf at Waterford and Fort Presque Isle, at Erie, Pennsylvania.
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Later, Gen. Braddock said he was not going to be dictated to by that young American buckskin, (George Washington.) But he soon found, had his aristocratic lord- ship taken Washington's advice, it would have probably turned defeat into victory-instead of the death-trap for many of his soldiers at Braddock's Fields, near Pittsburg, by the French and Indians.
And so you will notice in the history of this country and of Europe, that the nobleman and the aristocrat is loth to advise with the man of humble birth; when by heroic (leeds he has become a conqueror or a millionaire, and has worked his way up to public favor, he will be recognized. Then, 'tis "how do you do," General Washington or Presi- dent Lincoln or General Grant.
These great men were not born with a silver spoon in their mouths, but by their efforts cut their way through upward, and stood by their own merit on the pinacle of fame.
Washington was the man for his day -the Father of his Country-to look after the sparsely inhabited colonies, to aid in his superhuman manner in keeping a heart in the poorly fed and barefooted soldier, through the dark days of the Revolution; requiring a man of nerve, endurance and christianity, which elements were found to be embodied in the noble Washington.
At the close of the Revolution, when he desired to rest from his labors and enjoy his quiet and pleasant home at Mount Vernon, when in full vigor of life, had occasion to call in a doctor, who bled him time and again, when the noble man said : "Don't bleed me to death; let me die in
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peace." But we are told that the lancet had already done the work, and he died, as it were, in the full vigor of man- hood, an untimely death.
LINCOLN AND GRANT.
During the dark days of '61-2 when our country, from Maine to Texas, California and Oregon, across to the Atlan- tic, was embroiled, secthing hot and fighting terribly: was going on at the front, about even-handed, victory with defeat; while many brave boys were slain and many official heads being cut off through the machinations of greed, de- sign, intrigue, wire-pulling, and God only knows what all, our great President saw that the fine army of McClel- land, on the Potomac, was not accomplishing what he thought it ought to, a change of commanders resulted, and the reader knows that other changes came; and when Gen. Halleck was in command he also saw that Gen. Grant was by this commander handicapped in his operations in Tennessee, and when looking back to Donaldson, Henry and Vicksburg, he could see in the unpretentious, brave Gen. Grant, a commander who would fight it out on that line, and eventually close that unholy war. Therefore to Grant was given supreme command of the whole army.
Lincoln was raised up for this great emergency. A work to do, a problem to solve of the greatest magnitude ever on the American continent. Truc, his soldiers, unlike Washington's, did not have to go hungry and barefooted, but some of them even worse, undergoing impositions from currish beings under the garb of men, and thousands of brave boys when in Andersonville and Libby prisons, the hell holes of the South. How did these brave boys look, those who came out alive ?
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From the time the first rebel gun was fired on Sumter the intrepid Lincoln threw his whole soul into the cause of humanity and his country.
What mortal man had such a Herculean task before him ? What man could have done better?
"Forever struggling for the Union of our land, When accomplished cut down by an assassin's hand, Thus ended Washington's and Lincoln's life carcer, But during their days they lived without a peer."
CHAPTER IV.
LIFE AND ACCIDENT INSURANCE.
EN THE early days of the Pioneer of this country life and accident insur- ance was unknown. But with the onward march of time comes, aye, a wonderful growth and a rapid in- ercase of population, which to-day is a menace to the honest, industrious American toiler, who, upon the labor market, has to compete with an inferior competitor, at times, to earn a subsistance for himself and family. And when he looks about him he finds the mighty man of avar- ice already here. Syndicates of Europe are here. And a mighty concentration of capital is here. Millions of the broad acreage of God's green, fertile earth, is concentrated in the hands of the few.
Commercial enterprises and business pursuits are being coralled and brought into the ring of the giant. And again the toiler looks around for that prospective home afar off ; he sees in the dim distance the avenues of hope closing up around him, and as he proceeds onward towards the promised land, he finds the door closed, upon which is in- seribed in large letters, "No Admittance."
With disheartened mien and pensive mood he retraces his steps and asks himself: "What am I to do?" I answer: "Insure." That is the avenue left open for the young.
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the middle or the aged man, to secure a competency for himself, if living a few years, or for dependent ones, when you can no longer provide for them. This is the only avenue, to a competency, for the many, as you can secure your magna charta by paying in semi-monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or yearly installments, and secure your in- demnity, in as safe institutions as there are in the world.
"But," says one, "I feel as though I would soon get through and be on my road to Heaven, and let my family look out for themselves." Yes, how would we look being wafted Heavenward while our family is being trotted off to the poor house ?
But I fear that some of you will, soon, perhaps. Wish you had not let your policy lapse: Accident is liable to overtake you; Disaster comes too late to awake you.
But, while the lamp holds out to burn, The most improvident may return To consider well, the sure and safer way, To reinstate your insurance to-day.
CHAPTER V.
MEADVILLE.
EADVILLE is the county seat of Crawford County, Pa .. and is beautifully situated in the French Creek or Venango River Valley and upon its sloping sides. Meadville is an old historie town, settled over 100 years ago by the whites, or at much carlier date by the Indians who, among the white pioneer settlers, held high carnival, killing some and taking others captive.
That stream emptying into the French Creek'at Mead ville, named by the Indian the Cussawago, together with the large stream, French Creek, and fine valleys and hill- sides, abounding in fish and most all sorts of wild game. a genial climate sheltered by its timber and hillsides, afforded a paradise for the Indian and he was loth to give it up-
And was determined to remain On bis original domam.
But poor Lo here, as elsewhere, is destined to a slow, but sure, extinction.
Meadville is noted for its educational advantages, its Allegheny College, founded in 1820, and many throughout the states of our Union have there obtained their title of A. B.
There is perhaps no city on this continent, that has a better educated people, and few cities of the same size has more wealth and social refinement, or better public build- ings, or more able jurists.
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PIONEER SKETCHES.
With such citizens as the Huidekopers, Derricksons, Dicks, Richmonds, Churches, Farleys, Hendersons, and many others who might be mentioned, in Meadville, it must be of some prominence. Despite the absence of the boom- ing elements of flowing oil wells and gushing gassers, a railroad center or a seaport town, Meadville is a solid town and in case either of the above elements should strike them, they would-
Be prepared to take it easy,
Whether it should be gassy or be greasy.
Meadville, being the county seat, also furnished a pretty good market for many articles, especially after the Atlantic & Great Western Railway and its extensive shops were built, and the MeHenry House, and that village of railway company's houses duplicating each other.
A considerable traffic by the way of the Erie & Pitts- burg Canal to the Summit, thence via Conneaut Lake and Evansburg up the feeder to Meadville The water that supplied this canal feeder was taken from French Creek above Meadville. Were it not for a more rapid transit for the people to get around the country, the Erie & Pittsburg Canal would be of more real value to-day, to Erie City, Crawford, Mercer and Lawrence counties, than is the Erie & Pittsburg Railroad. And it seems that the people along the line of the Erie Canal and the New York Central Rail- road think about as much of the one as the other. The fact is they could not well do without either one of them. In case of the abandonment of the canal, traffic would be in- creased on the Central, and commercial rates from Buffalo to New York would rule much higher. But we are living in a fast age, 'mongst a fast people --
And as the people travel from state to state,
They are bound to go at a lightning rate.
CHAPTER VI.
FORMER DAYS.
SKETCHES OF EARLY HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY AND MEAD- VILLE - Votes by A. Huidekoper.
¿ ASSING OVER with a brief notice of the P expedition early in the winter of A. D. 1753, of then Major George Washington and his companion Mr. Gist, who passed up French Creek Valley en route to Waterford, to demand of the French Commander by what right he held that place; the bhmt reply given him, that it was held by order and claim of France; the courtesy shown to Washington by the French officers, and (his horses having given out) the dangerous and wearisome tramp back on foot of Washington and his com- rade to the Allegheny River, there having to make a raft, from which Washington, by a collision with ice, was thrown into the river and obliged to spend the night on an island, walking about to keep from freezing, while his comrade, less fortunate, had his fingers frozen. I procced to comment on the valley of French Creek as it presented itself, including the island and for a mile or two above and below the present city, to the first Pioneers who came here.
It is difficult to believe that Indians, with their simple instruments, could ever have cleared away such a forest as would naturally grow on such fertile land. The Indians alleged that the work had not been done by them. A tra- dition among them attributes it to a larger and more pow-
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erful race of inhabitants who had pre-occupied the country. From relies turned up in plowing, it would appear that the common implements of the Indians here were the stone war club and the flint arrow head. The interments proba- bly indicate where the Indian settlements were most dense. One of these was situated west of the aqueduct, six miles below town. Another is on a bluff on the Fish farm. In a skeleton taken from this one was found imbeded a flint arrow. the probable cause of death. In the valley, a short distance below the glass works, was a funeral mound some fifty feet long and some three feet high which, when leveled down a few years ago, presented several skeletons and some Indian implements now preserved in the Library Museum. By the side of one of the skeletons was a smooth, perfectly round hole some two or more feet deep and a foot or so in diameter, where food had no doubt been placed for the de- ceased. Whatever it was, it had disappeared through time. Another place of interment was across the creek near Mr. Van Horn's mill.
INDIAN REMAINS.
The signs of Indian occupations are far more numer- ous along the Pymatuning Swamp than in the French Creek Valley. In the latter locality, some years ago, the remains of what had been stockade forts could easily be seen, some half dozen on the east side and one on the west.
As at the period these forts were constructed wild game was abundant and millions of pigeons came there, as they did in the days of my boyhood, annually visiting this section of country, one can conceive the inducements Indians had to live in that locality. These forts were uni- formly round, the earthen walls being some three feet high
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in which the wooden stockade originally driven has long since disappeared. The interior is full of little pits containing charcoal and ashes, where the Indians cooked their food. In one fort on the west side of the swamp, some miles south of the others and in the forest, a number of trees were embraced in the earthen wall. One of them, an oak, which I measured, was over ten feet in circumfer- ence. I am sorry to say that no conservative spirit on the part of the land owners has protected these forts and I doubt if any of them now exist.
As a problem for historians I would say that in the year 1834, when surveying near Sorrel Hill, in the extreme western part of the county, I came across trees that had been blazed on a north and south line apparently with a sharp axe, 112 years before that time or 166 years from the present time.
Who could have done this ?
On the 10th of August, 1794, James Dickson (known as Scotch Jemmy to distinguish him from a namesake) when seeking his cows on the farm of Samuel Lord, Esq., was attacked by Indians in ambuscade. He was wounded in his shoulder, his hip and his hand. While stooping, trying to see his foes, a bullet passed through his hat. The old man, with a shout of defiance, exclaimed in broad Scotch: "Come out of that, you rascals, and fight us fair!" The Indians showing "no assent to the proposition, Dixon commenced a retreat. The Indians, their guns be- ing unloaded, followed with tomahawks but were afraid to approach near him. The old man always insisted after- wards that just when he was going to fire a low voice said: "don't shoot," whereupon, preserving his load, he thereby saved his life. He was willing to join with three or four
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men who started out in pursuit of the Indians but the lat- ter eseaped by a timely retreat.
The wife of Darius Mead died this summer (1794) in Meadville, being (except those occasioned by Indians) the first death in Crawford County among the white inhabitants.
On the third day of June this year (1794) James Find- lay and Barnabas McCormick were killed by Indians while splitting rails for John Halens, about a mile west of the aqueduct. Guns having been heard, search was made and they were found dead and scalped by their savage assailants. The bodies were placed in one coffin and interred in the Meadville Cemetery.
The treaty of General Wayne with the Western Indians on the 3d day of August, 1795. ratified on the 22d day of December. brought peace so far as Indian hostilities were concerned to Northwestern Pennsylvania.
Meadville, the county seat, was originally planned in 1790 by General David Mead, but the plan was enlarged and matured in the year 1795 by Major Roger Alden and Dr. Thomas R. Kennedy.
The plot for the town was divided into 75 squares by streets, alleys and lanes. The Diamond was laid off in the form of a parallelogram, measuring 300 feet east and west, by 600 north and south, designed for public use. On the east side of this now stands a large, commodious brick court honse, built in 1825, planned by Mr. Strickland, of Phila- delphia.
On the west stands the Episcopal Church, from plan of Bishop Hopkins, of Vermont.
On the south stands the Unitarian Church, of brick, with Dorie columns, with plan of Gen. George W. Cullum.
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.On the west side of the Diamond, some half way be- tween Centre and Chestnut Streets, stood the first jail, made strongly of hewed logs, with a palisade-protected yard be- hind it. The story above the jail was of frame work and used as a court house, the judges having an elevated seat at the south end, and a circular enclosure dividing the bar and jury from the audience.
It was in this court room that Van Holland, the mur- derer of Hugh Fitzpatrick, in 1817, and David Lamphier, who killed a constable with an axe when attempting to arrest him, were tried and convicted: being as yet the only crimi- nals over publicly executed in this county.
The brick building south of the Unitarian Church was built for the office of the county commissioners. When they removed to the court house, President Timothy Alden used it as a library for the books donated to the Allegheny Col- lege, the building of the latter being then prospective.
In 1802 an Act was passed incorporating a seminary of learning, and James Burchfield. James Herrington, John Brook, Henry Richards, William Moore, John Patterson. John Limber and Henry Hurst, were made trustees. A one-story brick building, containing two rooms, was com- pleted in the fall of 1805 at the southeast corner of Liberty and Chestnut Streets, where it stood for about 20 years. In it the Rev. Joseph Stockton gave instructions in Latin and Greek and the common branches of English education.
Some years afterwards Mr. Andrew Lefingwell taught an English school in the same building. I recall an amus- ing incident under his rule. Wishing to punish a boy for misbehavior, he requested Mr. Wil-on Dick then a pupil.
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to go out and eut a switch for him. The latter thinking the errand rather an undignified one for a boy of his size, after a long delay came back with two poles 15 feet long and laid them with gravity before the teacher-the gravity not extending to the rest of the scholars.
Rev. Timothy Alden taught a classical school in the small frame house two doors west of St. Joseph's Hospital, and Judge Derrickson taught one in the Clinton Cullum and afterwards in a house now gone, about where the Opera House now stands.
I recall when a very small boy going to a very primi- tive school, taught by a Mr. Douglas, on Arch street. The boys all sat on low benches, and the teacher used to preserve order an instrument called "Taws," made of leather strings, fastened to a handle. If a boy misbehaved the "Taws" was thrown at him, and he was required to carry it to the master and abide results. A spell of sickness shortened my term to a week and I am happy to say I had no experience with "Taws."
OLD HOUSES AND RESIDENTS.
I close my article with a notice of old houses and resi- dents on Water Street. Near where the freight depot is now stood the residence of Hon. William Clark, who I think was secretary under the administration of John Quincy Adams in 1824. One old house standing back from the road, about half-way from Kennedy's Bridge to Water Street, was occupied by John Gibson. The next house standing back east of Water Street with a yard planted with trees in front, was that of H. J. Huidekoper, erected in 1805. It was a frame house with two recessed wings. North of it was a plastered brick building used for a Land
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office. Here a large part of the lands of the Holland Land Company in four counties, and of the Pennsylvania Popu- lation Company in two counties, were sold by H. J. Huide- koper, their agent.
Both of these houses have been supplanted by new ones. East of Water Street, near now Pine Street, was the next house, occupied by Barzella Goodrich, a carpenter crippled with rheumatism, but whose ingenuity made him the factotum of the village at that carly time.
Following up the east side of Water Street, near Mill Run, was the hotel of Roswell Sexton, and connected with it was the office of Samuel Lord, Esq., who at that time was the owner and lived on the place now of Mr. William Reynolds. In common with many others of that day, the "Squire was somewhat addicted to profanity, but when the minister one day coming up heard him and, tapping him on the shoulder, said, "'Squire, suppose you skip some of those hard words," it is said the remark left its impression on him. One morning the Squire saw several black men on the other side of the street, hurrying northward toward Canada. Looking at them sternly, in his stentorian voice he said, "Did you run away?" The poor fugitives stood trembling in their shoes until he added, "If you did, keep on ; don't stop here."
On the southeast corner of Water and Chestnut Streets was the store of Arthur Cullum, the elder. South of this was a large barn yard of Samuel Torbett. In this yard was exhibited the first menagerie visiting Meadville. When Mr. White, a young medical student, entered the exhibition room, a lion became greatly excited. Mr. White went home and changed his clothes, but as soon as he re-appeared
3
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the lion became so excited again that the manager had to request Mr. White to retire.
Across Water Street was the once Torbett Hotel, which any citizen now living, who ever attended the dancing school of Mr. Torbett, in the hotel ball room, will remem- ber as a place full of pleasant memories.
Across Chestnut Street from the Cullum store was the Gibson Hotel, noted for its order and excellence, and north of it, beyond the alley, still stands the frame building where the first Courts were held in now Crawford County, the Judges, until the County was separated from Allegheny County, coming from Pittsburg. The building was also used at times for religious services. Across from this building was the old log house much sunk at the ends, the home of the Waab and Bosler families, the original owners of the island. On the east side of the street, north of the court room, was the home of Eliphalet Betts, in his day the leading if not the only village tailor. Small in size, he is said to have been in early life one of the most popular riders in horse racing, at that time a very common amuse- ment. North of Mr. Betts lived Mr. General George Hurst, a prominent citizen, and northward across Centre Street lived Colonel Win. Mayard, who built paper mills in Woodcock township and discovered how to make straw pa- per, a process only known in the East Indies prior to bis discovery. North of Colonel Mayard's house was the dwelling of Dr. Daniel Bemus, who married a daughter of Mr. Wm. Miles of Union City. Across the street was the home of John Reynolds, who married the widow of Dr. Elicot, the person who built the bridge over French Creek leading to Kerrtown. North of Mr. Reynolds, across an alley, still stands the very old store of Major Harriot.
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Eastward, across the street from this store, was the old Meadville Bank, of which Joseph Morrison was cashier. It has lately been taken down to make room for a large brick building. I pass on to the house of General Mead, who died August 23d, 1816. The house the next year be- came the home of Mr. Jared Shattuck, who, having pur- chased a large body of land in partnership with a Mr. Peck, moved here to attend to it. Mrs. Shattuck was a daughter of the Governor of Hayti, and was driven out of the island when the Haytians achieved their freedom. For many years she received from the French government a pension, which the writer of this collected for her. The Mead house has lately been occupied by Rev. Mr. Billsby. I have of course omitted some persons and some places I would have liked to refer to, but space is limited.
CHAPTER VII.
SKETCH OF CORNELIUS VAN HORN.
AN EXPLORING PARTY -CAPTURED BY THE INDIANS.
C ORNELIUS VAN HORN, one of the orig- inal Pioneers of Crawford County, who lived the greater part of his long and useful life here, was born in Hunterdon County, New York, December 16, 1750. He was the eldest child of Thomas and Jane Van Horn, and was of Dutch descent, his ancestors having come from Holland to this country over a hundred years before his birth.
His father died a short time before the Revolutionary War, intestate, although after his death the draft of a will was discovered, unexecuted, which indicated the manner in which he wished to dispose of his property among his six children ; but under the laws of England then in force in the Colonies, Cornelius became sole heir to his father's estate. But the subject of this sketch not being willing to take the advantage of his brothers and sisters, which the law gave him, took immediate and effective steps to have his brothers and sisters put into the possession and owner- ship of the different parts of the estate, to which the unex- ecuted will, if it had been properly executed, would have entitled them.
The part allotted to Cornelius was a tract of land in the Wyoming Valley, near or upon which the city of Wilkesbarre now stands. He moved on to this tract of land,
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