Venango County, Pennsylvania: Her Pioneers and People (Volume 1), Part 18

Author: Babcock, Charles A.
Publication date: 1879
Publisher:
Number of Pages:

USA > Pennsylvania > Venango County > Venango County, Pennsylvania: Her Pioneers and People (Volume 1) > Part 18

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The settlement of the account was difficult. The Venango commissioners took legal steps

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VENANGO COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

to secure the amount of their claim; but the case lingered for many years and was a source of expense to the county.

Similar difficulties were experienced by Ve- nango in settling the affairs of Warren in 1819, when that county secured a separate organiza- tion. But in this case Venango was the de- fendant. The account was not settled by the counties concerned until the legislature inter- vened. By act of assembly, April 11, 1827, the court of Quarter Sessions was directed to appoint three commissioners from either Craw- ford, Butler, Mercer or Armstrong, who should have full power to investigate all matters and whose decision should be final. Venango was required to pay two thousand two hundred seventy-four dollars and forty-five cents in three equal annual installments. The last was paid March 10, 1830-eleven years after sep- aration. Those little cared-for counties seem to have become able to care for themselves, quite young.

TOWNSHIP DIVISIONS

The county was subdivided into three town- ships during the period it was attached to Crawford-Allegheny, Sugar Creek and Irwin, described as follows :

"Beginning at the mouth of Oil creek, thence up the Allegheny river, by the different wind- ings thereof, to where the line dividing the counties of Venango and Warren strikes said river, thence west along the line dividing the counties of Venango and Warren to where the Holland Company's mill stands on Oil creek, thence down said creek to the place of begin- ning ; to be called Allegheny township.

"Also one other township: Beginning at the mouth of French creek, thence up the Alle- gheny river by the windings thereof to the mouth of Oil creek, thence up said creek by the branch thereof that leads to the Holland Company's mill to where the line dividing the counties of Crawford and Venango to where the same crosses French creek, thence down said creek by the different windings thereof to the mouth, the place of beginning; to be called Sugar Creek.

"Also one other township: Beginning at the mouth of French creek, thence down the Allegheny river by the different windings thereof, to where the northeast corner of the county of Butler comes on said river, thence west along the line dividing the counties of Venango and Butler to the southwest corner of Venango county, thence north along the line dividing the counties of Venango and Mercer

to where the same strikes French creek, thence down French creek by the different windings thereof to the mouth, the place of beginning ; to be called Irwin."

No provision was made for the extensive territory south and east of the Allegheny river in which the Crawford county commissioners could find no taxable inhabitants, in 1803; probably there were none.

The townships were formed by authority of the Courts of Quarter Sessions, in the organ- ized counties. The policy pursued in making these subdivisions was similar to that of the legislature in dividing the northwest into counties. In both cases the respective political divisions were created in advance of any im- mediate necessity ; and until such time as the growth of population should make individual organization necessary, they were united in groups under one administration. There was one great advantage to be gained by the early formation of townships; at that period the county commissioners appointed assessors and collectors of taxes, and divided the county into districts for the appointment of justices of the peace. On March 7, 1806, the board drew up a petition "setting forth that great inconven- iences are at present experienced by the in- habitants of Venango and Warren counties from the too great extent of the townships, not only in attending their respective township meetings, but also in assessing and collecting taxes"; and as it was desirable that the district and township lines coincide, the latter ought to be permanently established. Samuel Dale, John Andrews and Thomas Baird were ap- pointed by the court to inquire into the pro- priety of granting this petition. The com- mittee presented a careful report, providing for the erection of twenty-six townships, fif- teen of which were in the present limits of Venango county.

By the time that the triennial assess- ment was made in 1817, there were nom- inally twenty-four townships in the county, but only seven had been organized. Irwin, Scrub- grass and Richland occupied the same relative places as at present, but the latter extended to the Clarion river, including nearly all of the part added to Clarion county which . was taken from Venango in 1839. French Creek extended across the county, bounded on the north by the creek and the Allegheny river, and varied in width from seven to fifteen or eighteen miles. Sugar Creek included Canal in addition to its present area. and also that part of Cornplanter west of Oil creek, with the southern part of Oakland and Jackson.

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VENANGO COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Cherrytree embraced the remaining territory west of Oil creek. Allegheny was situated east of Oil creek and north of the Allegheny river, and included nearly the whole of that part of Venango which was annexed to Forest in 1866.

It was more than ten years before further change was made in the map of the county. Plum was separately organized in 1817, and Rockland in the following year. Pine Grove was taken from French Creek in August, 1824. Cranberry in 1830, with Six Mile run as its southern boundary, instead of the line between the Astley and Brigham lands. Sandy Creek was separated from French Creek by the Mer- cer road, which was substituted for Big Sandy creek as the dividing line, Nov. 29, 1834. Tionesta was formed from the eastern part of Allegheny in 1827, and the latter was further reduced in area by the erection of Cornplanter Nov. 28, 1833. Plum, Cornplanter and Sugar Creek gave up the territory forming Oakland in 1841. Jackson, formed in 1845, is still possessed of the same boundaries. President was formed by act of legislature April 3, 1850, and Oil Creek was elided from the western part of Allegheny in 1866. Scrubgrass and Irwin were separated in April, 1855, by the new township of Clinton, taking a slice from each. The organization of Mineral, Oct. 24, 1870, and of Victory, Sept. 6, 1876, completes the map of Venango county as it is to-day.

BOROUGHS

The boroughs of the county have been formed at dates as follows: Franklin, April 14, 1828; Pleasantville, March 22, 1850; Cooperstown, Nov. 25, 1858; Emlenton, Jan. 27, 1859; Oil City, April 29, 1862; Utica, November, 1863; Pithole City, Nov. 30, 1865 ; Venango City, Dec. 1, 1865; Rouseville, Sept. 7, 1898; Siverly, August 27, 1874; Clinton- ville, Jan. 28, 1878; Sunville, Jan. 27, 1879; Polk, Aug. 23, 1886. Franklin was incorpo- rated as a city April 4, 1868, and Oil City April 11, 1871. Siverly borough was joined to Oil City as the Tenth ward in 1912, and West End was united to the Fourth ward of Oil City in 1914. The charter of Pithole City was annulled in August, 1877.

PUBLIC BUILDINGS

The first official business after the county was organized was transacted at the house of Edward Hale, which stood on the site of the Snook block. Permanent offices for the com-

missioners and prothonotary were obtained at a quarterly rental of fifteen dollars in a log building on the lot just above the "United States Hotel" on Liberty street. The courts were held here for a time. This building was owned by Samuel Hays and John McDonald. It was removed in 1863. A duty especially enjoined upon the commissioners, by the act organizing the county, was the erection of county buildings, the public square being desig- nated as their location. At a meeting of the board Dec. 4, 1806, various plans for build- ing a courthouse were taken into consideration, and an estimate of expense was made. On Dec. 19th, the contract for digging the cellar and constructing the walls was awarded to John Witherup, the first sheriff of the county and the incumbent at that time. His bid was considered the most advantageous to the county of those received. A plan for the building was matured Jan. 9, 1807, and a site was staked off July 9th, following. On the 11th of November, however, the board really "Agreed upon the permanent seat of the court- house, which it is agreed by the commissioners is to stand on the corner of the diamond where Liberty street and High street cross and on the west side of High street; to front toward Liberty street." This board of commissioners, who were to build the first great public build- ing in the county seat, were subject to many suggestions, as to its location and construction, its appearance from different points of the compass. Under date of Aug. Ist the follow- ing minute appears : "This day George Fowler appointed on behalf of the commissioners, and John Phillip Houser, appointed on behalf of the contractors for building the courthouse, to ascertain the quality of the brick burned for the same, made report that the same were unfit for the public buildings." This would indicate that the original intention was to erect a brick building.

The records do not afford many details re- garding the progress of this building. Pay- ments were made in annual installments. John Broadfoot was employed as carpenter, and Christian and John Sutley were contractors for certain parts of the work. The amount re- ceived by Witherup and the Sutleys in 1809 was five hundred dollars. Considerable finan- cial aid was received from the legislature. Other county seats in nearby parts of the State were located on lands owned by individuals, from whom subsidies, amounting in some cases to several thousand dollars, were usually re- ceived for the purpose of erecting the public buildings. The county capitol had been lo-

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VENANGO COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

cated upon the property of the State, and this would greatly enhance the value of the large remainder still owned by the Commonwealth ; it was only reasonable that the county should get the same advantage as if it had been fixed on the lands of a citizen. The legislature, in accordance with this view, appropriated one thousand five hundred dollars, March 28, 1806, "to be paid out of the moneys arising from the sales of town and outlots belonging to the Commonwealth in and adjoining the town of Franklin."

The building was two stories in height. It was a square stone building, substantial in appearance rather than imposing, but was a credit to the enterprise of the county at that early period. A cupola and bell were after- ward added, effecting an improvement in ap- pearance and utility. It was situated in West Park aligned with Liberty street near High, and was the dominant feature of the place, as one approached the business center up Liberty street. It is the conspicuous building seen in a picture of "Franklin in 1840." The first floor was entered from Liberty street and was used as the courtroom ; the usual inclosed space opposite the entrance was reserved for the court attorneys and jurors. The second floor contained four rooms, occupied as offices by the prothonotary and commissioners, and as jury rooms. The building was extensively re- paired in 1831. The chimneys were rebuilt. the walls were plastered, and the stairway and entrance were separated from the courtroom by a partition, ground around the building was improved and inclosed by a fence, adding to the appearance of the place.

The materials used in the building were the loose stones found in the surrounding hills, and were not capable of resisting the ravages of time. In 1845, the crumbling walls became unsafe and appeared ready to collapse, so that it was decided to brace them with props. This made the building of a new courthouse an im- mediate need.

On the 29th of May the commissioners- Nathan Cary, Patrick Culbertson, and David Adams-determined "to adopt immediate measures" to erect a courthouse in the ensu- ing year. They went to Meadville to inspect the courthouse there. They employed a Mr. Tucker to furnish specifications of the build- ing, which, as prepared by him, were adopted. This was on June 23d. On the following day the board decided "that the new courthouse shall be located on the public square or dia- mond, and that the site shall be southwest of

the jail, so as to front against the east side of Liberty street as it comes into the diamond from the west." Proposals were received for erecting the building from fourteen different firms, and were considered on July 27th. Wil- liam Bell and I. B. Rowe were engaged, at their bid of seven thousand and fifty dollars. A formal contract was entered into, in which Messrs. Bell and Rowe agreed to complete the building by Nov. 1, 1847. A depression of the surface in the site selected caused the founda- tion to be laid deeper, and two and one-half feet had to be added to the height of the wall above the ground. Some other changes had to be made, before the work was completed, without increasing, strange to say, the cost of the structure. This was a brick building, oblong in shape, fronting on Liberty street, in front of and near the site of the present courthouse. The offices of the prothonotary and board were conveniently located on the first floor, with a short hall between them, leading to the courtroom. The second floor was divided into several office rooms, needed by the county's business. On Sept. 11th and 12th, 1847, the records of the county were removed to the new building. The roof was surmounted by a cupola containing a bell-an ornamental as well as a cheerful and useful climax of the cap- itol's skyline. This bell may have been the one used in the first courthouse, added to the old building some years after its erection. Some citizen may have had associations with its tones, sounding at times the beginnings of mirth or of alarm, or marking the noon of the common day. It may have announced the sittings of the court ; or have called the citizens to a meeting at the time appointed. These voices of the bell had civic power. They went through every street and alley, giving a com- mon message to all, like unseen threads pass- ing among the citizens and drawing them into fellowship. Without such means of sounding out signals a pioneer settlement lacks the power of combining for quick insight and outlook. Ringing into the ears of the whole town at once, the notice is more trustworthy than is passing hearsay changing as it passes.

There is something noteworthy in the record of the building of this second courthouse :

May 29, 1846. Board decides to erect a court- house "by the coming year 1847."

June 5 and 6, 1846. Board visits Meadville to in- spect courthouse; employs Mr. Tucker to draw plans.

June 23, 1846. Plan is adopted. June 24, 1846. Location is fixed.

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VENANGO COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

July 27, 1846. Fourteen proposals examined. One is accepted.

July 29, 1846. Formal contract entered into. Building to be completed by Nov. 1, 1847. Aug. 28, 1846. Building operations begin.

Sept. 11th and 12th, 1847. The courthouse is com- pleted, and the records are moved in, fifty-two days ahead of time.

The movements of the men controlling this building operation inspire anew faith in men. An efficiency program was carried out to the minute. This building fulfilled the purpose for which it was erected, for twenty-two years.

The third courthouse, which is also the pres- ent one, is more spacious, and has greater architectural values than either of its prede- cessors. The large increase of business, the greater density of population, the size of the values to be adjudicated and recorded at the county court, because of the discovery and de- velopment of petroleum, demanded a larger and safer building. According to one high au- thority, values in Venango county by reason of the oil business had increased probably a thousandfold in the sixties. The rush of new business to the Venango courthouse was so great as to overwhelm the facilities for taking care of it. The building was not fireproof; and an investigation revealed the fact that it could not be changed in this respect without practically rebuilding it. It was decided that the part of wisdom was to incur a large neces- sary expense at present rather than risk an immense loss in the future, along with the un- speakable trouble and confusion that would come upon the county if the records should be destroyed. On the 18th of July, 1867, the commissioners decided, in compliance with the recommendation of the grand jury, to build a new courthouse. Sloan & Hutton were em- ployed as architects, I. W. Brady acted as superintendent, Aug. 14, 1867. The corner stone was laid by the Venango Lodge, Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, July 15. 1868. The orators of the occasion were John S. Myers and John S. McCalmont. The building was completed, at a cost slightly exceeding forty thousand dollars, in the summer of 1869. This building was repaired, its conveniences extended, and its whole interior improved by artistic decorations in 1913. The courtroom is one of the finest public auditoriums in this part of the State. It has a seating capacity of nearly eight hundred. The building is worthy of its situation, in a park ten acres in extent, traversed by walks, adorned by fountains, stately trees and a monument worthy to bear aloft the names of the patriotic dead. Franklin,

the county town, is an important city in its grasp and extensive reach of business enter- prises. Notwithstanding its intensive activity, as one drives along its broad, smooth streets, noting the shade trees, the lawns, the trim gardens, the flowers, the feeling prevails that the town is itself a park. So indeed it is; and is the center of a still larger park of strong scenic values, known as Venango county, with a history vivid in the light of patriotism, tem- pered by the gloom of the Valley of the Shadow. It is believed that the present court- house will suffice, or at least by additions it may be made ample to satisfy the county re- quirements for many years.

Jails follow closely in the path of court- houses. These gloomy structures are not so numerous or so large now as in former ages, when civilized countries were governed by kings, queens and jack-o-lanterns, and when many might be seized and incarcerated for any slight peculiarity displeasing to the ruling power. Still it is probable that in any com- munity of fifty to sixty thousand inhabitants, there are fifty or sixty which need examina- tion, and sometimes seclusion, for the public good.' About one in a thousand of the inhab- itants usually cause all the trouble and expense of the criminal courts and jails. The "Old Garrison" was used even before the county court was in existence, for commitments found necessary by the local justices. When it passed under the control of the county com- missioners, they employed John Broadfoot, Samuel Atkinson and Jacob Whitman to make the building secure for the retention of those confined therein. It was found not to be well adapted to this purpose. On March 19, 1818, the commissioners-John Wilson, Abraham Selders and William Kinnear-"fixed the site for a public prison." Eight bids were sub- mitted for its erection, viz., George McClel- land, John Lupher, Charles Ridgeway. Abra- ham Clark, Thomas Hulings, Samuel Hays, McCalmont & McClelland, and Mathias Stockbarger. . The contract was given to Mr. Stockbarger, at his bid of two thousand nine hundred and ninety-five dollars. Contracts were made with Joel Sage for lumber and with Thomas Hulings for stone. John Lupher agreed to furnish five tons of bar iron. The work was pushed with energy, so that the walls were practically completed in May, 1820. Stockbarger bought the lumber remaining un- used. Andrew Dewoody was employed in March, 1822, "to collect the loose stones lying about the walls" and to fill up the sand holes in the diamond with them. Some of the build-

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VENANGO COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

ing material must have been within easy reach. Dr. Eaton makes this pen-picture of the first prison built by the county :

"The jail was something of a curiosity. It was designed to be both a prison and house for the sheriff, although rather diminutive to serve both purposes. It was two stories high, although the upper story was quite low. The windows of the portion assigned to prisoners were strongly barred. The architect seems to have had some misgivings of the strength of the wall, for those of the prison rooms were lined with heavy oak plank six inches thick, and so secured that they could not well be wrenched from their position; they were fastened to great beams with long spikes and were supported to form a strong barrier against liberty on the part of the prisoners. So far as known no attempt was ever made to storm this strong fortress but one. On this occasion, a plan was matured to break through the wall. The idea formed was to burn a way through these planks by heating the poker in the stove and piercing the planks in detail. But in a few minutes the smoke filled the jail, penetrating the sheriff's apartment, and creat- ing such an alarm that the family and neigh- bors alike came to the rescue. The plan failed and was never attempted again.

"Occasionally there were jail deliveries with- out the authority of the court. It was not hard to get over the wall; nor was it very difficult at times to evade the vigilance of the sheriff's

wife, who often had sole charge, and get out by the front door."

The location of this building was in South Park, in the rear of the present courthouse. It was sold by the commissioners to Josiah Adams, Aug. 27, 1853, for one hundred and fifty-two dollars. It was used as a jail for thirty years.

The second jail was situated on Elk street near Twelfth. It was erected by John Byrnes in 1852-53, under contract for nine thousand, five hundred dollars. The commissioners had purchased the stone in the lock opposite Franklin for two hundred and eighty-six dollars, a year before the contract for the building was made. The warden's residence was a stone building of three stories; the jail proper was in the rear and attached to the warden's house. Rebuilt in 1868, the jail con- tained two tiers of cells arranged around an open court. The first judicial execution in Venango county occurred within these walls, that of Thomas McCartney, for the murder of Barry in French Creek township. This took place at 12:30 P. M. Oct. 28, 1868. The second public execution in the county, that of Michael Holka for the murder of police- man Edward Meehan, also took place in this building, the sentence being executed Aug. 18, "The building could not have been more than thirty or thirty-five feet square, but it had an annex that at the time was supposed to be an admirable invention. . It was a yard communi- cating with the prison apartments. The design was merciful and human, affording the prison- 1908. At same term of court Strail was tried and convicted of murder, for killing his wife. His sentence was commuted by the Board of Pardons to life imprisonment. This build- ing was also found insufficient for the county's needs, and in 1912 a third one was completed, ers an opportunity of going out in a limited. at a cost of forty thousand dollars. It is sit- way, to breathe the pure air of heaven, and when in a contemplative mood to look up at the stars. This yard was some twenty feet square, surrounded by a stone wall some twelve or fifteen in height. Sometimes the prisoners might be seen lying prone on the top of the wall enjoying the warm sunshine. Often the circus tents were pitched within twenty rods of the jail, and from the top of the wall, curious prisoners might obtain glimpses of what was going on in the sawdust in the tent. There was a well in the yard, and often the lady of the castle utilized convict labor in having water drawn and carried in for house- hold purposes. A bearing peach tree was also growing in the same yard, during the last years of its occupation. uated on Elk street. It has better arrange- ments for the sanitary and secure care of the inmates than either of the former ones. The cells are arranged in two tiers, one above the other. The lower is for the male department, the upper for the women. The two departments are securely separated, so that no communica- tion or assistance can be transferred from one of these floors to the other. The corridors extend around the arrangement of cells on the outside, next to the walls of the building, being thus directly under the care of guardians at all times. The building is three stories in height, and contains the residences of the sheriff and of the warden, in the part fronting upon the street ; in the rear is the jail. The structure is built of stone throughout, and is supposed to embody all the modern results of the best thought along this line. The only defects of construction discovered thus far, are some soft iron bars, through which one

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Venango County, Pennsylvania: Her Pioneers and People (Volume 1), Part 18

Author: Babcock, Charles A. Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Number of Pages:

Author: Babcock, Charles A.
Publication date: 1879
Publisher:
Number of Pages: