Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 31

Author: Swoope, Roland D. (Roland Davis), 1885-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co
Number of Pages: 1040

USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens > Part 31

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The Susquehanna River crosses Greenwood

.Among the first families to settle in this lo- cality was that of Greenwood Bell, a son of Squire Bell, who was one of the very first set- tlers of the county. In honor of Squire Bell and his son, Greenwood, Bell township was so named. The son, Greenwood, in the erec- tion of this township, comes before the court and public for still further honor, in the for- mation of this township, it being named in his honor. Mr. Bell lived on the river near the location of Belleville, one of the small towns of the township. Here he cleared a farm and built a saw and grist-mill, they being among the first industries in this part of the county. The descendants of Arthur Bell are numerous in this section. and are recognized as being among the substantial men of the county. Greenwood Bell married Elizabeth Roll. by whom he had ten children: Arthur, Mary, Delilah, John, William, David, Julia Ann, Harvey, Grier, and Frampton. He was a man highly respected in the county, and took an active part in every enterprise of public wel- fare. In 1820-1 he held the office of county commissioner. In 1822 he was appointed sheriff of the county, being the first incumbent of the office. He was again chosen in 1823, and served until 1826.

The pioneer worker of Greenwood town- ship, he who took the burden of the labor in

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its erection, was Dr. John P. Hoyt. In the year all athletic sports. James, Thomas and John 1846, then having had a residence in the McCracken were sons of the pioneer James. county of nearly thirty years, Dr. Hoyt moved The descendants of this family are numbered among the substantial residents of Greenwood township. to a place on the Susquehanna River, about three miles above Lumber City, and in the ex- treme eastern part of the territory that, in Among the many familiar names of pioneer families, whose descendants now help to make the population of the township, are to be found some representing various localities or sec- tions of the river country. There are Thomp- sons, Jolinsons, Young, Passmore, Kester; Hul- lihan, McLaughlin, Rowles, Robbins, Thorpe, Mitchell, Tate, Henry, Hoover, Ross, Wiley, Smith, Newcomer, Curry, Kester, and per- haps others whose names have been lost. 1875, was erected into Greenwood township. Here he lived, and here he died at an ad- vanced age, surrounded by family and friends, and in the enjoyment of the comforts earned by a life of toil and perseverance. Dr. Hoyt was married, in 1820, to Mary, daughter of Thomas McClure, a pioneer of Pike township, From 1852 until 1857, Dr. Hoyt acted with Richard Shaw, as associate judges of Clear- field county.

Another of the pioneers of this locality was William Haslet, who came here with his fan- ily, from what is now Clinton county, in the year 1828. He settled on lands later owned by William McCracken, the first farm west from the hamlet of Bower. He was a substan- tial resident of Greenwood, or the territory that was formed into that township, for twen- ty-five years. He died in the year 1853.

The McClures were represented in pioneer days in this vicinity. "Squire" Thomas Mc- Clure first came to the county in the year 1799, from Cumberland county, but did not bring his family until the succeeding year.

The McCrackens, who are to be numbered among the pioneers of the county, came to the then unsettled river country about the begin- ning of the present century, soon after the ad- vent of 'Squire Arthur Bell, to whom they were related. The pioneer of the McCracken family was James. He is remembered as hav- ing been a man of great physical strength and activity, a trait that was transmitted to his sons, and of which they made frequent use in

HUSTON TOWNSHIP

This township was organized in 1839 and is bounded on the north by part of the dividing line between Elk and Clearfield counties, on the east by part of Lawrence township, on the south by Pine township and part of Union township, on the west by Sandy township and part of the dividing line between Elk and Clearfield counties.

The township has some valuable coal depos- its which are now being worked, and also con- tains a number of well cultivated farms. The population of the township, according to the census of 1910, was 2,653.

Topographically speaking, Huston township lies in the Bennett's Branch watershed, form- ing a beautiful and fertile valley, eight hun- dred feet lower than the towering mountains guarding on either side. Bennett's Branch (creek), a tributary of Sinnamahoning, flows through the entire length of the township from west to east.

The first settlement was made, according to the best authority, in 1812. Of the original

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settlers, John S. Brockway located where Schofield's Hotel now stands, Jesse Wilson where Franklin Hewitt now lives, and G. R. Hoyt where L. Bird's house now stands. Some time after J. S. Brockway sold to Jesse Wilson, and moved further north near where Brockwayville (Jefferson county) now stands. Other persons then settled above and below Penfield. Among these was Ebenezer Hew- itt, father of John and Thomas Hewitt.

The early settlers depended upon the forest to supply their meat, and johnnycake was the legal tender everywhere. Making shingles was about the only means the people had to raise money. These were hauled to Clearfield and sold.

Religious Services .- Religious services be- gan almost with the settlement. Neither were the educational interests neglected, for a schoolhouse was built at an early date nea: where the iron bridge crosses Bennett s Branch ( Penfield). The first blacksmith shop was built in 1842 by E. D. Patterson. There was no important business done until the ar- rival of Hiram Woodward in 1854, who bought the interest of Wilson & Hoyt and be- gan lumbering. Some one had tried to "float" unpeeled logs a few years previous, but utterly failed. When Mr. Woodward informed them of the number he intended to "drive," to ex- press it in a more modern term, the people were greatly astonished, and, influenced by some "up-and-down" saw-mill proprietors, declared it utterly impossible, and threats were made on all sides against the undertak- ing : but nothing daunted, Mr. Woodward went on. The logs were put in and the peo- ple were forced to believe the truth. From that time forth lumbering has been the prin- cipal business of Huston township.

Old "Uncle -Billy" Long, the great hunter, lived many years in this township. P. P. Bliss, the Gospel singer, was born in this township when it yet belonged to Elk county. L. Bird came in 1869, engaged in the real es- tate business and surveying, prospered, own- ing considerable real estate in Penfield and vicinity.

l'enfield is a beautiful little town, having a population at the present writing of over 700. The beginning of the village dates from the settlement of Huston township.

Winterburn is next in importance as a town in the township, is situated three miles south- west of Penfield, and ten miles east of Du Bois; it is surrounded on all sides by hills, which afford wild and romantic scenery. Prior to 1873 it was a vast wilderness, but in 1873 the railroad was built and with it the high trestle, which was named the "South Fork Trestle," after the small stream running through at this point. In the winter of 1873 Mr. George Craig named it Winterburn.

About this time Craig & Blanchard, who had been in co-partnership, dissolved by mu- tual consent and divided the timber tract, the small stream (South Fork) forming the boun- . dary. In 1874 James Barton, foreman for Craig & Son, commenced clearing the land on the left bank of the stream, and getting it ready for building. The mill was built, and in operation by May, 1875.

Blanchard's mill, on the opposite bank, was begun in the fall of 1874, and commenced running the following July ( 1875). His planing-mill was not built until 1879.

A schoolhouse was built in 1876, and the first teacher was Alice E. Bird, of Penfield, but previous to this Mr. A. II. Rosenkrans had taught a select school.

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A Methodist Episcopal church was organ- ized in 1878 by Rev. A. B. Hooven, and a Presbyterian church in May, 1882, by Rev. J. V. Bell.

In the fall of 1881 Messrs. Mckinstry and Clearwater started a tanning plant in Penfield, near the station, but sold to Thomas E. Proc- tor before it was in running order; he com- pleted and stocked it in 1882. Its capacity was three hundred hides per day, between seven thousand and eight thousand cords of bark be- ing consumed annually.

Hiram Woodward in 1854 built an old "flutter" saw-mill, which he supplemented in 1870 with a steam saw-mill. In the fall of 1882 Hoover, Hughis & Co. commenced their large mill on Wilson Run, one mile from Pen- field, which they had in running order in April, 1883.

In 1856 there were only three schools in Huston township. Teachers received from $12 to $15 per month of twenty-four days, and had to "board around." There seems to have been some "crookedness," as a member of the school-board, at about this time, burned the record and vouchers, to prevent investiga- tion as to the disbursement of money re- ceived from the county treasurer, on unseated lands. But later on the management of schools passed into different hands, and began to prosper, and the educational interests of the township have since been in a healthy condi- tion.

JORDAN TOWNSHIP

This township was erected from Beccaria by a decree of the court of quarter sessions of Clearfield county, dated February 5, 1835, and was named in honor of Hugh Jordan, a former associate judge of the county and an ex-sol-

dier of the Revolutionary war. The town- ship is bounded on the north by Ferguson and Knox townships, on the east by Bigler town- ship, on the south by Beccaria and Chest town- ships, and on the west by Chest township.

There is considerable coal development in this township and it also has many of the best farms in the county. The population of the township, according to the census of 1910, was 1,261.

James Rea, the first settler of what is now Knox township, moved in 1819 to the land later owned by his sons, and thus became the first settler of the territory now embraced in Jordan township. He was the only son of Samuel Rea, who came from Ireland, and set- tled in York county, Pa. Samuel, his eldest son, married Lydia Ricketts, of Mount Pleas- ant, and located on a farm in Knox township, of which place he was a citizen until his death, January 5, 1887; Nancy married John Pat- terson; Thomas married Hannah Bloom; James married Jane, daughter of John Dillen, of Mount Pleasant. She died and he then married Mrs. Eliza Corrigan, of Columbia, Pa.

About 1820 John Swan, Sr., a forgeman by trade, left his home in New York State, where he married Miss Phoebe Tubbs, and started to the State of Ohio. He stopped a while near where Tyrone now is, on account of some of his party being sick, but finally concluded to . come over into what is now Clearfield county, where land was cheap. Accordingly, in com- pany with Truman Vitz, he came into what is now Jordan township, cutting his way through the forest all the way from Tyrone. He and Mr. Vitz purchased four hundred and thirty- three acres of land, the same land constituting the beautiful farms later owned by his son

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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY

John, and Major D. W. Wise. Some time after this Mr. Vitz moved to Meadville, Pa. Mr. Swan commenced the manufacture of lye soon after his arrival. Kettles holding twenty barrels were produced at Pittsburgh, Pa. Large quantities of wood were cut and burned, the ashes were leached, and the lye boiled down and shipped in barrels down the river on rafts. This made a market for wood ashes, and his neighbors for some distance around hauled their ashes to this immense lye factory. This was soon improved upon by building a large oven, and concentrating the liquid by intense heat into potash, which answered the same purpose, and brought better prices, with a re- duced cost of transportation. He also erected machinery for grinding rock oak bark for tan- ning purposes. This he boxed and shipped to Philadelphia on an ark, receiving sixty dollars per ton for it. He also turned his attention to agriculture, which supplied the family with products of that kind, although in a commer- cial way it did not pay, for wheat brought only forty-five cents per bushel. Mr. Swan died here, and was buried at Zion Cemetery. . An- son, the eldest son, for whom Ansonville was named, was never married, but lived with his friends at Ansonville, until his death in 1883: Sophronia married William Hartshorn, who is now dead; Harvey moved to Ohio and mar- ried there. He died in 1857. Eliza married a Mr. Winslow, of New York State. John mar- ried Catherine Williams, a sister of David Williams, and they resided on the old home- stead about one mile from Ansonville. Henry married Lucinda, daughter of Benjamin Bloom, of Pike township. He kept the only store at Ansonville for many years. He was justice of the peace for many years. Mrs. Swan died at her home in Ansonville, in 1883.

Harriet, a twin sister of Henry, married Ed- mund Williams. They moved to Illinois, where she died in 1867.

James McNeel emigrated from County Ty- rone, Ireland, when about twenty-one years old, and settled in Sinking Valley, where he married Elizabeth Crawford, of that place. He stayed there a short time, and then came to Jordan township, and purchased three hun- dred acres of land, the same being later owned by his sons James, Joseph and Isaac, his daughter Mary, his grandson Taylor McNeel and John Mays. The children of the first wife were Nancy, who married James Ramsey, and moved to Illinois; Thomas who married a Miss Russell, died in Illinois. Ann married Wil- liam Atleman, and moved to Centre county, where she died. Ellen married William Speer, and lived in Johnstown until her death; Mar- shall, the youngest, died in California in 1883. His second wife was Mary Ricketts, daughter of Isaac Ricketts, of Mount Pleasant, and to them eight children were born. Eliza, the eld- est, married John Hunter, and lives on a farm near Ansonville: John married Mary Jane Glasgow, of Blair county. James G. married Miss Jane Lynch, of Pike township. Joseph married Mary Jane McCreight. Mary mar- ried Frank McCormick, of Ireland. Lydia married Lance Root; both are dead. Isaac married Mary Jane Davis, of Mount Pleasant, Pa. Caroline died when twelve years old. The parents lived to a good old age, the mother surviving her husband several years, died at the old homestead about 1883, and was buried by his side in Fruit Hill Cemetery.

David Williams came here from Centre county in April of 1833. He purchased the large tract of land which was later owned by his sons, James G., and William, and Martin,

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Nolen, and Mrs. Green, of Ferguson town- ship, from Shoemaker and Irvin. He built a shanty on the Spring Run, below the present residence, in the thick woods. He built a grist-mill on the run the same year, which was one of the first mills in this part of the county. The millwrights were Joseph, Michael, and Silas Solly. The bolting-cloth for this mill was purchased at Lewistown, Pa., and brought here by private conveyance. Mr. Williams also turned his attention to farming and im- proved the land mentioned above, but still kept the mill running until it was worn out. His widow, who was, previous to her marriage, Mary Glenn, survived him many years, living with her son William, who cultivated the farm. James G. married Matilda, a daughter of Alfred D. Knapp, who improved the farm now owned by James McKeehen, and after ward moved to Iowa, where he now lives. Martha married Alexander Henderson, and went to Illinois. Lucinda, John, and Austin Wilson and lived in Jordan township. are dead.

Robert Patterson came with his parents from Ireland and settled first in Virginia. From there they moved to Maryland, and afterward to Centre county, Pa., where he married Elizabeth McCormick. He then came to what is now Clearfield county, and lived for some time in Lawrence township. From there he moved to Beccaria, afterwards Jordan township, probably about 1823 or '24, and took advantage of the offer made by Morgan, Rawles, and Peters, of fifty acres gratis, by buying the other fifty acres of a hundred acre tract, at four dollars per acre. The land in that vicinity is yet known as "Morgan's Land." Mr. Patterson possessed a knowl- edge of books, as well as of clearing land and cultivating it, and put his talents to use by

farming during the summer season and teach- ing school in the winter. Of his children, Ag- nes married Thomas Witherow, and lived to an advanced age. Jane married Christian Erhard, and died in 1882 at her home in New Millport, leaving several sons and daughters. Joseph married Margaret Erhard, a sister of David, and lived on his farm in Ferguson township until his death, about 1884. His widow died in 1887, at the home of her daugh- ter, Mrs. David Johnston, at the age of eighty- four years. Robert married Catherine, daugh- ter of John Thomson, Sr., of this township. John married Nancy, daughter of James Rea, mentioned elsewhere. She died in the early eighties, and he married Margaret, daughter of John Hunter, of Jordan township. She also died, and he then married Mrs. Nancy Bright. James married Rebecca McCormick, of Armstrong county, and lived on a farm in Beccaria township. Jemima married James

Abram Bloom came from Northampton county, N. J., to Northampton county, Pa., and from there moved to Jordan township in 1831. He located on the land now known as the Lafayette Bloom Farm, near Fruit Hill church. He lived here a few years and re- turned to Northampton county. Several of his children remained in the township.

The Johnstons in this township are de- scendants of Robert and James, two broth- ers, who came to this country from Scotland seventy-five or more years ago. Robert set- tled on the tract later owned by his son David. Robert M. married Priscilla Wise, a sister of ex-Treasurer D. W. Wise, of this township. John C. was in the mercantile business in An- sonville for many years. His first wife was Christina Curry, who died about 1882. He

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later married Mrs. Martha Witherow, widow place. He married Rebecca, daughter of of Henry Witherow, and daughter of Fred- Thomas Lord, and settled down to improve the farm, where he spent the remainder of his life. They had thirteen children. erick Shoff, of Beccaria township. He was in partnership with John MeQuilkin in a meat market in Ansonville. David married Martha Ansonville is pleasantly located on the ele- vation or dividing ridge between the head- waters of the South Fork of Little Clearfield Creek and Potts Run. The land now occupied by the village was once owned by the Swans, and the place was named in honor of Anson Swan, a deaf and dumb brother of John and Henry Swan. The population of the place, in- cluding Strawtown or Bretzinville, is over three hundred. The first building in the place was built by a Mr. Singer, and was at first oc- cupied as a store by John Miles and James Foutz. Patterson, and lived on the old homestead. James married Mary Jane, daughter of John Witherow, of Knox township, and lived on his farm near Ansonville. Mary married Reuben Caldwell, and lived in Knox township. Belle married Isaac Bloom, and Elizabeth married Samuel Witherow, both well-to-do farmers of this township. Mark was killed by a tree while chopping a clearing. William was killed by a runaway horse while returning from Charles Lewis's smith shop. James Johnston located near Johnston's school-house. Some thirty years ago he attended a meeting of the In 1853 Henry Swan built a large store- room on the corner opposite the Ansonville Hotel, and occupied it as a general store until 1874. Soon after this it burned down, and the lot remained vacant until 1884 or 1885. when Dr. A. E. Creswell purchased it and built the large store-rooms and dwelling later purchased by C. D. McMurry, and occupied by him as a general store, and by H. Gilliland as a clothing store. Other stores and mer- chants followed and enjoyed a steady trade. session at the Fruit Hill Presbyterian church. He had intended to go home by way of John Thomson's, having some business with Mr. Thonison, but for some reason changed his mind and concluded to go over a day or two later. He was riding horseback, and just after he passed the residence of R. M. John- ston, a dead chestnut tree that stood by the road side fell, mashing the horse and his rider to the ground. Two sons. James, Jr., and Robert survived him, and one daughter, Mrs. John Glasgow, of Glen Hope.

As near as we can learn, the Ansonville postoffice was established about 1857. Eliza Chase (later Mrs. W. T. Bloom) was post- mistress. Henry Swan had the office from 1864 to 1868, and was succeeded by Joseph Thomson, and he by Arthur B. Straw. J. C. Johnston succeeded Mr. Straw, and had charge of the office several years until 1886, when C. D. McMurry was appointed.

John Thomson, Sr., came here from Edin- burgh, Scotland, in 1832. He purchased land and made an improvement not far from where Ansonville is now located. Soon after settling here he wrote to his only son, John, who had preceded him to this country about two years, and was living at Pottsville, Pa., that the Carsons wanted to sell their improve- The first schoolhouse built in the township, was erected in 1820, not far from where the ment. Young John at once packed his effects, came to Jordan and purchased the Carson Fruit Hill Presbyterian church was after-

RESIDENCE AND BARN OF E. SCHNARS. LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP

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wards built. The house was built of logs. A square pen-shaped arrangement was built in- side to do service as a flue. The windows were made by cutting one or two logs off in the side of the building and pasting greased paper over the hole to keep the wind and cold out. The writing desks were made by driving pins in the walls of the building and fastening thereto a slab with the flat side up. The seats were also made of slabs, with the round side up. The first teacher of this school was David Cathcart, who afterward located in Knox township, where he purchased a large tract of land, part of the timber of this land being sub- sequently sold by his sons for a considerable amount of money. He had a large family of children.

Robert Patterson, Sr., also taught here, and some say, was the first teacher, but others, that Cathcart was the first. We find also that John Watson taught here. Some years after a lit- tle log schoolhouse was built near the subse- quent residence of Major Wise. Asil Swan was one of the first teachers. The house has long since gone the way of all old houses, and history fails to record any of the exploits of its graduates. The old log schoolhouse that stood near the old Zion church is also one of the things of the past. Rev. S. Miles taught school and preached in this house as early as 1843, and the house was built previous to that time. The school facilities have been im- proved as well as the land, and will now com- pare favorably with those of any similar com- munity. Mr. A. M. Buzard taught the first select school in Ansonville during the summer of 1884, with forty students in attendance. He also taught the two succeeding years with an increased membership, and was assisted by Harvey Roland. Mr. Buzard afterwards

went into the drug business here, and the school was subsequently taught by J. F. Mc- Naul, of Curwensville.

KARTHAUS TOWNSHIP

This township was erected from the eastern part of Covington, by a decree of the court of quarter sessions of Clearfield county dated February 3, 1841, and was named in honor of Peter A. Karthaus, who was the owner of a large portion of the land in the township.

The township is situated in the extreme northwestern corner of the county and is bounded on the north by part of the dividing line between Cambria and Clearfield counties, on the east by part of the dividing line be- tween Clinton and Clearfield counties and part of the dividing line between Centre and Clear- field counties, on the south and west by Cov- ington township.

There are a number of coal operations in this township, also some good farms. The population, according to the census of 1910, was 1,332.

The marked geographical and topograplı- ical feature of Karthaus township is the Horseshoe Bend, at which the current tends directly south, then bends around and runs nearly direct north, all within a small area. Its greatest length, north and south, is not far short of eleven miles, while its average length is about seven miles. From east and west measurement the township extends a distance of about six miles, but the average in this di- rection is only about four miles. The surface of the township, generally, is hilly, broken, and mountainous, the altitude above tide-wa- ter averaging something like fourteen hun- dred feet. The township is well watered by the West Branch on the south, and the auxil -.

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Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 31

Author: Swoope, Roland D. (Roland Davis), 1885- Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co Number of Pages: 1040

Author: Swoope, Roland D. (Roland Davis), 1885-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co
Number of Pages: 1040