USA > Pennsylvania > The Historical journal : a quarterly record of local history and genealogy devoted principally to Northwestern Pennsylvania > Part 22
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Morris, from Tyrone, August sessions, 1794; named for Robert Morris, the financier of the Colonies in their struggle for indepen- dence.
West, from Barree, April sessions, 1796; so named by reason of its including the " West" end of Barree.
Warrior's Mark, from Franklin, January sessions, 1798; so named because of localities known to the settlers as the " Warrior's Marks."
Tell, from Dublin, April sessions, 1810; so named by the court "for the memory of William Tell, the patriot of Switzerland."
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Porter, from Huntingdon, November sessions, 1814; named in honor of General Andrew Porter, late Surveyor General, an officer of the Revolution and father of our former distinguished fellow- citizen, David R. Porter, Governor of the Commonwealth.
Henderson, also from Huntingdon, November sessions, 1814; named after General Andrew Henderson, an officer in the Revo- lutionary war and a prominent, active and useful citizen.
Walker, from Porter, April sessions, 1827; was so called for Jona- than Walker, former President Judge of the district.
Cromwell, from Shirley and Springfield, January sessions, 1836; named "in honor of Colonel Thomas Cromwell, deceased, who was an early settler and a distinguished and hospitable citizen."
Tod, from Union, April sessions, 1838; so christened by the court April 11th, in memory of John Tod, late a Judge of the Supreme Court.
Cass, from Union, January 21, 1843; named for General Lewis Cass, a soldier of the war of 1812, and a Senator of the United States.
Jackson, from Barree, January 15th, 1845.
Clay, from Springfield, April 15th, 1845; named for Henry Clay, of Kentucky.
Brady, from Henderson, April 25th, 1846; ordered by the court to be so called "in honor of General Hugh Brady, of the United States Army," who was a native of the county.
Penn, from Hopewell, November 21st, 1846; derives its name from the fact that one of the Proprietary Manors lies within its borders.
Oneida, from West, August 20th, 1856; bears the name that has been generally supposed to be the Indian equivalent for "Standing Stone."*
Juniata, from Walker, November 19th, 1856; obtained its name from the junction of the two branches of the Juniata River on its northeastern border.
Carbon, from Tod, April 23d, 1858; was appropriately named for its mineral treasures.
Lincoln, from Hopewell, August 18th, 1866, honors a martyred President of the United States.
* The lines between Oneida and Henderson were afterwards changed, whereby a part of each township was annexed to the other.
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Logan, from West, September 24th, 1878, perpetuates the name of a celebrated Indian chief.
Miller, from Barree, November 8th, 1880.
Smithfield, the youngest, from Walker and Juniata, March 24th, 1886; it derives its name from the village of Smithfield, within its borders, which was laid out by Rev. Dr. William Smith, proprie- tor of the town of Huntingdon.
PROMINENT POINTS KNOWN TO THE PIONEERS.
"The Shadow of Death" is the gap in Shade Mountain through which Shade Creek passes.
The " Black Log" was in or near the gap of Black Log Moun- tain, east of Orbisonia.
The " Three Springs" are near the borough bearing that name.
"Jack Armstrong's Narrows," now shortened to "Jack's Nar- rows," are in the water gap between Mount Union and Mapleton.
"The Standing Stone " was at Huntingdon.
" John Hart's Log" laid near the traders' path, at a point now within the borough of Alexandria.
The " Water Street" is near the village bearing that name.
"Aucquick Old Town" was on the site of Shirleysburg.
"Boquet's Spring" is at McConnellstown, and "The Indian Sleeping Place " a short distance west therefrom.
"The Globe," from which the name Globe Run, a tributary of Shaver's Creek, is derived, was cut in the hark of a tree on the bank of the stream.
The " Warriors' Marks" and the " Half Moon " were tree marks similarly made by the Indians near the streams bearing those names respectively.
"Drake's Ferry" was across the Juniata River in the lower end of "Jack's Narrows," above the county bridge and west of Mount Union.
The " Warm Springs," five miles northeast of Huntingdon, were resorted to by invalids for their healing waters as carly as 1775.
EARLY ROADS.
The first settlers entered the county over the roads used by the traders in their trips to and from the eastern and western parts of the province. They were only bridle paths. Indian trails crossed
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the county in various directions, and in the timbered districts some of them. were distinctly traceable within the recollection of many of our citizens now living. A principal road, used by the traders, entered the county on the eastern line of Tell Township, passed up the Tuscarora Creek by way of the "Trough " Spring to Shade Gap, thence to Black Log. At this point one branch went via Three Springs, Sideling Hill Gap, Juniata Crossings and Fort Bedford, and the other via Shirleysburg, Jack's Narrows, Hunt- ingdon, Alexandria, Water Street and Frankstown.
The first public road was laid out from Standing Stone and Hart's Log to the great road in Bedford County "about fifteen . perches above Bloody Run."* From McConnellstown northward this road has two branches, one began at the stone-quarry, at the extreme southeastern part of the borough of Huntingdon, and the other at the lower end of the Water Street narrows. The survey was made in the summer of 1774, and the report of the viewers confirmed by the Bedford court at the July sessions of that year. The second public road, confirmed at the same session of the court, began at Silver's Ford, on the Juniata River, about a mile above the mouth of Aughwick Creek, and extended by the way of Shirleysburg, Cluggage's Mill and Shade Gap and intersected the wagon road at the Burnt Cabins.
The expense attending the cutting of roads through the moun- tain gorges was greater than the sparse settlements could undertake, and as soon as the country had produce to spare, it was conveyed to market overland by packing or down the streams by canoes, arks or keel-boats. Philadelphia could not be reached by water, and the Conewago Falls, in the Susquehanna, were regarded as so dangerous that few river men would hazard their passage. Michael Cryder, who owned a mill on the Juniata, a short distance above this borough, a sturdy German pioneer, resolved to risk the trip with an ark ladened with 104 barrels of flour. Accompanied by two sons, he set out from the mill in April, 1792, and made the pas- sage to Baltimore in five days. The newspapers of the day chron- icled the event, and inform us that the flour was sold immediately at the highest price for cash, that the merchants of that city presented Mr. Cryder with $104, as a premium for the risk he ran in attempting
* Now the borough of Everett, Bedford County.
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the navigation of the Susquehanna, which had before been thought to be impracticable for boats of burden. The Commonwealth ap- propriated money from year to year for the improvement of the navigation of the larger streams and to aid in the construction of wagon roads. Cryder's successful experiment led to the more frequent use of the river and at every " rise" arks and keel-boats with cargoes of grain, iron, coal and often whiskey, would be floated to Baltimore or intermediate points. The arks were sold for the lumber they contained, while the keel-boats, freighted with merchandise or the household goods of settlers, would be pushed by hand back up the river.
The construction of turnpike roads was commenced in this county a few years after the close of the war of. 1812. From the borough of Huntingdon, the Huntingdon, Cambria and Indiana road extended westward through Alexandria, Water Street, Yellow Springs, Hollidaysburg, Cresson and Ebensburg to Blairsville, and the Lewistown and Huntingdon road eastward through Mill Creek, Jackstown and MeVeytown to Lewistown.
The Pennsylvania Canal, commenced in 1826, was opened to Huntingdon in the spring of 1831, and to Hollidaysburg in Novem- ber, 1832. The Pennsylvania Railroad was opened from Harris- burg to Huntingdon on the 6th day of June, 1850, and on the 19th day of September, following. to Duncansville, via Altoona, where connection was made with the Allegheny Portage Railroad. The Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad, commenced in January, 1853, was opened to Marklesburg station August 13th, 1855; to the Shorp's Run coal mines early in 1856; to Hopewell the same season, and to Mount Dallas a few years later. The East Broad Top Railroad was opened to Orbisonia August 30th, 1873, and to Robertsdale, in the Broad Top coal field, on the 4th of November, 1874. The Lewisburg and Tyrone Railroad passes through the northwestern edge of the county. Lateral roads of considerable length have been laid in several sections of the county for the transportation of iron ore, limestone and other furnace supplies.
EARLY SETTLERS.
George Croghan was, doubtless, the first white man who, by permis- sion of the Proprietaries, established a domicile within the limits of
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the county. He was an Irishman, and is supposed to have been born at or near the city of Dublin. In 1744 he was licensed as an Indian trader: four years later he purchased land in and be- came a resident of the Cumberland Valley, a few miles southwest of Harrisburg. At some date between 1751 and February, 1753, he settled on the site of Shirleysburg. As before alluded to, the Indian title to the lands in the valley of the Juniata had not been purchased by the Proprietaries of the province, but as Croghan enjoyed the confidence alike of the Proprietaries and the natives, it is probable that, with the assent of the latter, he was given a license to reside at "Aucquick," where he could more readily ob- serve and repress intrusion upon unpurchased lands. He continued to reside there until sometime in the year 1756.
Hugh Crawford was the first white owner of the tract of land which includes most of the built area of the borough of Hunting- don. He claimed to have made an improvement here in 1752 or 1753. It is a well established tradition that the Indians had cleared land and cultivated corn here at a very early date, and it is probable that Crawford had bargained with the natives for the land in anticipation of the Proprietary's purchase of 1754. He conveyed his improvement right in the tract to George Croghan by deed executed on the 1st day of June, 1760.
Peter Sheaver, licensed as an Indian trader in 1744, settled on the west bank of the creek that now bears his name, near its junc- tion with the Juniata, in 1754, if not earlier.
Adam Torrence commenced an improvement on the "Hart's Log" tract, at Alexandria, in the fall of 1754, but was driven off by the Indians in 1755.
During the following decade pioneers settled in desirable situ- ations in the limestone valleys or along the margin of the principal streams. As already noted, Barree and Dublin townships were formed in 1767. The first assessment in these townships, made in : 1768, reveals the names of settlers as follows:
BARREE.
John Brady, father of Captain Samuel Brady and General Hugh Brady, and himself afterwards a captain in the Revolution. He settled first in Woodcock Valley, north of McConnellstown. He sold his land there to Rev. Dr. William Smith and moved to Stand-
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ing Stone ( Huntingdon), where General Hugh and Jennie, a twin sister, were born in 1768. He subsequently moved to Northum- berland County. Charles Caldwell, who lived in Porter Town- ship; William Dunn, who lived in Juniata Township; Joshua John; John Gamble ( Gemmill). lived at Alexandria; Jacob Kore; Alex- ander McNitt, lived on Shaver's Creek; William Sparks, lived on Raystown Branch; Joseph Tatman, lived in Lincoln Township.
DUBLIN.
Charles Boyle, lived at the mouth of Aughwick Creek; William Brown; John Burd, lived at or near Fort Littleton, Fulton County; James Cluggage, lived in Black Log Valley: Benjamin Elliott, sup- posed to have lived in Hill Valley; Robert Elliott, John Elliott, Geo. Henery, George Harbridge, Henry Holt, Robert Harvey, Andrew McCormick, David Owens, John Owens, Sr., and John Owens, Jr., lived on the Aughwick Creek, below Shirleysburg; Elias Petit; Robert Ramsey, lived near the Burnt Cabins, Fulton County; Wil- liam Ramsey, John Ramsey, George Swaghart, Captain William Thompson.
The assessments of these original townships for subsequent years, as well as those of townships afterwards created, contain the names of many additional settlers whose descendants are now residents of the county, and to which it would be of interest to refer if time permitted.
The first newspaper venture of the county was by Michael Duf- fey, who on the 4th of July, 1797, commenced the publication of a weekly, entitled " The Huntingdon Courier and Weekly Adver- tiser." The place of publication was in a house that stood on the northern side of Allegheny Street, west of Third, in the borough of Huntingdon. In 1798 the paper expired for want of sufficient patronage. Another venture made the next year met the same fate, but from the 12th of February, 1801, when John McCahan commenced "The Huntingdon Gazette and Weekly Advertiser," newspapers were continuously published in the county.
The manufacture of iron was begun at Bedford Furnace. which was erected at Orbisonia about 1787. It was a small affair when contrasted with the Rockhill Furnace, located within view of the site of the pioneer establishment. The next in order of time was Barree Forge, in Porter Township, commenced in 1794. Hunting-
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don Furnace, in Franklin Township, was commenced in 1796. The business p oved remunerative and furnaces, forges and rolling mills sprang up in every section of the county, and "Juniata Charcoal Iron" attained great celebrity. The scarcity of wood for charcoal and the competition with anthracite and coke iron in time rendered . most of these establishments unprofitable and all, with two excep- tions, are now idle.
The settlement of the county brought the necessity for the erec- tion of grist mills. The needs of the people were met one hundred years ago at those then running, as follows: Andrew Porter's, in Warrior's Mark Township; Abraham Sell's, on Spruce Creek, in Franklin Township; John Sharrer's, on the Little Juniata, at Bar- ree Iron Works, Porter Township, known in provincial days as Miner's Mill, Thomas Miner having purchased the site in 1772 and sold to Jacob Miner, March 4th, 1776. The mill was running at the time of the sale to Jacob Miner, and was probably erected in 1774. Alexander McCormick's, West Township; John Little's, on the Laurel Run, Jackson Township, was running in 1785; Michael Cryder's, on the Juniata River, above Huntingdon, in Smithfield Township, built before the Revolution; Christian Stover's, on Mill Creek, in Brady Township. This mill. built and owned by Joseph Pridmore, was running in 1771. Nathaniel Garard's, on Vineyard Creek, below McConnellstown, in Walker Township, was in oper- ation in 1782; William Morris', near the borough of Mount Union, Shirley Township, was in operation in 1780; James Somervill's, Shirley Township; Thomas Blair's, on the Aughwick Creek, near the line between Shirley and .Cromwell townships, was in operation in 1780; Gaven Cluggage's, on Black Log Creek, east of Orbisonia, Cromwell Township, built and owned by Captain Robert Cluggage, was running in 1771; George Ashman's, on Black Log Creek, in Cromwell Township, was in operation in 1785; Nicholas Crum's, on Big Trough Creek, near the site of Paradise Furnace, Tod Township: Thomas Wilson's, on James Creek, in Penn Township. The entire annual product of all these fifteen mills would not equal that of either of those well equipped flouring mills now running in this borough.
SLAVERY.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth, recognizing the injustice of human slavery, on the 1st day of March, 1780, passed
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a law providing or its gradual abolition. In 1790 forty-three slaves were held in the original county. This number grew less from year to year until it was wholly wiped out.
From the time that Captain Robert Cluggage marched his company of riflemen from the Black Log Valley overland, in the early part of the summer of 1775, to join Washington at Boston, to the latest conflict of arms, the sons of Huntingdon County have ever been ready to rally at their country's call. They participated in the battles of the Revolution, in the war of 1812, the Mexican war, and were largely represented in the great Rebellion, where by their valor they honored themselves and the great Common- wealth under whose ensign they marched to the conflict.
By contrasting the past with the present, the march of progress will be most readily noted. During the century, whose closing days have just passed, the bridle-path was supplanted by broad high- ways; the ford by substantial bridges; the pack-horse was displaced by the express train: the sickle by the power-reaper; the flail by the steam thresher; home-spun by broad cloth; the little blast fur- nace, making eight or ten tons of pig metal per week, by the mammoth establishments yielding from sixty to one hundred tons per day. In 1797 the county of Huntingdon had one postoffice, now there are over seventy; in 1790 the population was 7,565, and in 1880, after three-fourths of our territory was cut off in the formation of other counties, it is 33,954. At a general election in 1795 the whole vote cast was 681, and in 1884 it was 7,194. The number of election districts in 1787 was 3, in 1887, 50.
Equal advances were made in the multiplication of religious societies, ministering to the spiritual wants of the people, and in the extension of facilities for the intellectual education of the young.
The record of the first century of the county of Huntingdon is made up-the books are closed, and we stand upon the threshold of a new century that will bring new responsibilities and new duties to be performed. It is idle to indulge in speculations or predictions for the future. Progress is written everywhere. Great achievements were accomplished in the century now passed, but still greater results will be wrought out in the one we have just
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entered. May the Power that directs all things aright vouchsafe to this county and its people blessings in abundance, so that those who may be here to celebrate the second centennial may have occasion to render devout thanks for the advancements and im- provements of the new century.
METHODISM ON THE NORTH BRANCH.
CONTRIBUTED BY C. F. HILL.
T HE early history of Methodism on the North Branch, and contiguous territory. is well produced in a report written by Rev. B. H. Crever in 1876, and read in the Middle Pennsylvania Conference, at Harrisburg, as a centennial offering. The stone church referred to is still standing. Its location in reference to the site where Fort Jenkins stood is about three miles east of north. The following is an extract from the report as taken from the conference minutes:
"In Brier Creek Valley, Columbia County, Pa., a mile or more from the North Branch of the Susquehanna, and within four miles of Berwick, may be seen a stone building, forty feet front, as measured by the eye, and nearly or quite square. It is severely plain, and might easily escape the eye of the traveler; but, modest as it is, it is monumental, and, historically considered, is invested with an abiding interest. This plain house was the first complete church edifice, belonging to the Methodists, within what are defined as the present limits of the Danville District. It was erected in 1808. As a shrine of religious worship it has long been deserted; but, as a lingering fragrance hangs about the broken vase, so, around this deserted temple, lingers still its sacred memories- memories of holy joy that once thrilled the hearts of its worship- ers, and of gospel triumphs once celebrated within its walls.
"Events and incidents thus commemorated possess more than a local or passing interest: with others of similar import in adjacent territory, they constitute no unimportant part of the early history of a great denomination. The country extending for miles from this venerable shrine is in the highest degree beautiful, consisting of highly cultivated farms, held by a prosperous people. When this church was built, the primitive forest of the river country had
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been but barely grazed by the ax of the adventurous frontiersman. Hemlock, pine, beech and maple towered aloft everywhere, in solemn grandeur, from Northumberland to the farthest reach of Wyoming.
" In the rear of the church is a rural burial ground, where lie- like warriors asleep on the field of their triumphs-many of the moral heroes who did valiant service in the heroic era of Method- ism. At a short distance from the church is a farm house, which likewise possesses historic interest. Like the sanctuary it is of stone, and so survives, while more perishable structures have disap- peared. It is of unusual elevation, having, in some sort, a third story .. This was the home of Thomas Bowman, who, with his brother, Christian, emigrated from Northampton County and set- tled here in the wilderness in 1792. This third story was a recog- nized place of worship, and became famous among the scattered saints years before the erection of the church.
" Here occurred, in 1805, the first great revival of religion in the North Branch country, so far as it is embraced in this sketch. A spirit-baptism anywhere at that day was the signal for the gather- ing of God's people from great distances, and so by an irresistible impulse they met here, coming-some on horse-back, more on foot -from a distance of thirty or forty miles.
"The Bowmans ( Thomas and Christian ) were Local Preachers. They were ordained by Bishop Asbury at a camp-meeting held near Kingston. From the time of their emigration, in 1792, these lay-evangelists labored with untiring zeal and gratifying success in the service of God. The opening up of farms in a heavily tim- bered country is a Herculean undertaking; but nothing could pre- vent these men from preaching Christ wherever the opportunity afforded. It is the story of incipient Methodism everywhere at that early day-simple, but spiritual and effective, services in the first rude habitations of the wilderness-in barns, in school houses, in forest temples. In this way the seed was sown and the ground prepared for the advent of the inevitable Itinerant.
" Coincidently, or nearly so, with these early movements in the centre of the river-work of the district, the Holy Ghost was stir- ring sympathetic minds to a like soul-carnestness at various points to the north and to the south. Salem, Berwick, Huntingdon,
,
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Nanticoke, above or northward, are places mentioned at a very early date; while in the opposite direction we hear of Fishing Creek, Gearhart's, Sunbury and Northumberland. The localities first named are in the direction of Wyoming, and, considered as points of spiritual activity, are, unquestionably, related to early and gracious manifestations in which Anning Owen was a conspic- uous instrument. Owen was a blacksmith, and one of the few sur- vivors of the dreadful massacre of Wyoming. It was while flying from merciless savages, momentarily expecting death, that the ar- rows of the Almighty pierced his heart. Years after, while ham- mering out on his anvil a support for his family, he was constrained -like another Sammy Hicks-to talk to the people of the love of God. He had fled, for a time, to Connecticut after the massacre, where, falling in with the Methodists, he attained to a full realiza- . tion of the Divine favor. On his return his soul yearned for the souls of his neighbors. This was his sole authority for calling sinners to repentance. Soon converts gathered about him. These, in compliance with their wishes, he formed into a class-thus becoming a spiritual shepherd. His flock was known as ' The Ross Hill Class,' near Kingston-the first organization of a Methodist complexion in this renowned and beautiful valley.
"Mr. Owen gradually extended his labors to greater distances; while from among his spiritual children and from other sources, instruments appeared who joyfully co-operated with him. These penetrated our fields from the north, and, moving down the river flats, established classes successively at the several points already mentioned.
"Northumberland is an old and familiar name in the annals of Methodism in this State. Whether as designating a single commu- nity, and one of the earliest points occupied north of the capital, or as applied to a circuit of notable proportions, or to a well-known district, having the sweep of a conference, it has had its place in the published minutes from 1791 to this day. The circuit is the first mention made of the name-extending almost any distance north, east and west. To this field Richard Parrott and Lewis Browning were appointed (the former having, it is said, previously explored the territory ) in 1791-2; while in 1793 the apostolic Asbury appears upon the ground. He found at that time in
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