Venango County, Pennsylvania: Her Pioneers and People (Volume 1), Part 71

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 71

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On Feb. 4, 1830, "Upon the petition of divers inhabitants of Cranberry township, east of the Allegheny river and now attached to French Creek township" for separate organi- zation, the court appointed Barnhart Martin, Benjamin Junkin and John Jolly commission- ers to inquire into the necessity and propriety of the proposed change, on which they reported favorably at April sessions. Cranberry town- ship was thereupon organized with the fol- lowing boundaries: "Beginning at the mouth of the Six Mile run on the Allegheny river, keeping up the main branches. of the said Six Mile run until it crosses the east line of a tract of land warranted in the name of Wil- liam Willink and marked on the draught of the county No. 2,528; from thence a north course along the east line of the following tracts of land warranted in the name of Wil- liam Willink and marked on the above men- tioned county draught by the numbers 2,529, 2,549, 2,552, 2,661, 2,670, 2,683 and 2,687; and from thence continuing a straight line un- til it reaches the Allegheny river at a point where Pinegrove township reaches the said river, and from thence down the said river to

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the place of beginning." This differs slightly from the language used in defining the town- ship in 1806, when it was originally laid out under the name of Fairfield. For many years Salina was the place of holding elections, but on Aug. 26, 1886, three election districts were formed, and contributed greatly to the public convenience.

Pioneers .- The township was first assessed individually in 1831, in which year the fol- lowing taxables were listed : Samuel Alexander, William Robert, James and Elliott Brandon, David C. Cunningham, William Craig, Sam- uel Culbertson, John Caseman, William Dick- son, James Eaton, Thomas Curry, Jacob Fore- man, Charles, John, and Joseph Gayetty, James Gray, Samuel Howe, Cornelius Houser, Jacob G. Houser, John Hays, James Haggerty, Patrick Harrison, Samuel and Edward Hall, Zelotus Jewel, James and Joseph Kennedy, Jacob and Isaac Karns, Samuel Lindsay, Ste- phen, John, and James Lindsay, James Lamb, Davis McWilliams, John McBride, John and James McQuiston, John McCool, John and Seth McCurry, Gates Manross, John and James Moorhead, Alexander McWilliams, Henry and John Myers, William Nellis, Wil- liam Parker, William Prior, John Peoples, Thomas Porter, William Stewart, David Sto- ver, Peter Smith, Isaac Smith, Israel Simp- son, Ephraim Turk, James and William Thompson, Allen Williams, and Jacob Zeigler. Of unseated lands Thomas Astley owned twen- ty 1,000-acre tracts, upon which the aggregate tax was one hundred and five dollars. William Bingham, John Nicholson, Henry Shippen and S. Wright were also holders of unseated lands.

It is most likely that the first settlements were made near the river. Beginning at the mouth of East Sandy creek, the most southern point in the township, the earliest settler was Samuel Lindsay, who did some farming and eked out his income by work on the river. Some years later he moved across the river into Victory township, and thence to Meigs county, Ohio. A Welshman named Thomas was the earliest resident at the mouth of Lower Two Mile run and did work about the fur- naces, moving to Scrubgrass when Anderson's Furnace was erected there; he was drowned. The first improvements on the Porter farm were made by a man named Seidels, who dis- posed of his interest to Patrick Harrison in the early days. Andrew Downing was the first settler at the Cochran flats, and one of his nearest neighbors was Isaac Smith, who kept the ferry at Franklin, then located between the Franklin and Big Rock bridges, selling it

to John Hastings, who kept inn at the "red house," and died in Sugar Creek township. Smith subsequently removed to Franklin and then to Bully Hill, where he died. In 1825 a settlement was made half a mile above the mouth of Deep Hollow by John Hays, a vet- eran of the war of 1812 and a pioneer of the county, who died in 1876 at the age of ninety- six. The farm immediately above was first owned by Samuel Howe, who removed to Oil creek. Joel Sage came to Venango county in 1807 and settled on the stream which has since borne his name.

The first settlers in the interior of the town- ship were four brothers, John, William, James and Elliott Brandon, who came to this country from Ireland and first lived near Big Spring, Cumberland Co., Pa., whence the sons removed west. John lived six years in Pittsburgh and five years in Allegheny, where he was engaged in seine fishing, but after his removal to Cran- berry he farmed and kept hotel. William, who had considerable local fame as a hunter, lo- cated in Sandy Creek township, this county, before 1801, enlisted for service in the war of 1812 after his removal to Cranberry, and held the office of constable for many years. Elliott lived on the bank of the river, where he owned an island. One member of the fam- ily later removed to Steubenville, Ohio, and others settled elsewhere, leaving few represen- tatives in the county.

An important event in the early history of Cranberry was the construction of the Sus- quehanna and Waterford turnpike, begun in 1818 and finished in two years. The old Frank- lin road crossed East Sandy at the mouth of Zeigler run, and a bridge was built there by John Houser and his sons Peter and Philip. This was one of the earliest public works of any importance undertaken by the county. The bridge was entirely of wood, constructed of hewed timbers, even the floor, and was fifty- five feet long. James Dickson and Samuel and Edward Hall obtained the contract for the two miles of the pike west from East Sandy, and built a cabin for the accommodation of the men at the sixty-sixth milestone from the Susque- hanna river, near a fine spring of water. They obtained provisions for them by flatboat from Pittsburgh, except the meat supply, plentifully provided by the game of the surrounding for- ests. James Dickson was the son of Benjamin Dickson, originally from Ripley, N. Y., and an early settler near Meadville, Crawford Co., Pa. The Halls were natives of Ireland. They built a mill on Hall's run, which was named

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for them. Up to this time no settlements had been made in this part of the township.

The large body of comparatively level land in the eastern part of the township known as "The Meadows" had among its early settlers James Crawford and Joseph Kennedy (the lat- ter from Cumberland county, Pa.), both of whom had previously lived in Rockland, where Crawford was the first justice of the peace. James Kennedy, son of Joseph, settled there in 1825, having two years previously made an improvement on the farm later owned by Perry Huff, and who married Mary Crawford, daughter of James; they had seven sons and one daughter. Between the farms of Joseph and James Kennedy was the tract of 156 acres occupied by James Thompson, who was here before 1825, as was also James Moorhead, who lived near Ten Mile Bottom. In 1823 John McCool removed into this neighborhood from Scrubgrass, and improved a farm on the mill road, his brother Alexander McCool coming in the year 1842. In 1833 Cornelius Houser pur- chased a tract of 275 acres on the road leading from East Sandy to Tionesta, which he im- proved. He was the grandson of John P. Houser, a Revolutionary veteran, originally from Lancaster county, Pa., who first settled in Venango county at the mouth of Big Sandy creek and was afterward ferryman at Frank- lin. In 1835 Alexander Shannon, from Brush Valley, Center Co., Pa., came to the town- ship and located at the place later occupied by his son Peter. He was the first justice of the peace elected here, and continued to serve as such thirty-three years.

The first to follow the Brandons into the vicinity of Salina were William Dickson, Alex- ander Strain, Zelotus Jewel, Ephraim Turk. Samuel Culbertson and William Parker. Dick- son came from Center county, and was a brother-in-law to John Prior of Rockland, where he had settled before his removal to Cranberry. Here he died, and both his sons, James and Jonathan, removed to the West. Alexander Strain, who came from Butler county, owned a hundred acres a mile west of the town, but his wife having inherited prop- erty near Murrinsville, he returned to Butler about 1830. He was a Catholic in religion. Jewel first moved from New York State to White Oak Springs, Butler county, before coming to this township, where he owned land on East Sandy creek, which he eventually sold to John Gray, returning to Butler county. He was a well known business man. Ephraim Turk and Samuel Culbertson were brothers- in-law. The former's property was on the hill

above East Sandy, a mile from Salina, and was sold to Samuel Hall when he returned to his former home in Butler county. Culbert- son was especially well known for his fine phy- sical development and great strength. William Parker, formerly a resident of Mercer county, lived on the pike a mile from East Sandy. He was a son-in-law of John Blosser, a pioneer in Pinegrove township.

The first settler along the State road in the northwestern part of the township was James Eaton, a native of New York State, who came thence to Crawford county and in 1825 to Cary's Furnace, at the mouth of Oil creek. He hauled ore, owning two teams. He pur- chased 200 acres of land on the State road a mile from the river, and having hewed the logs for his house had it erected in one day with the assistance of his fellow workmen at the furnace, the family taking occupancy April 15, 1826. The brick house which he built in 1844 was the first of its kind in the township, and probably the first in the county outside of Franklin. At one time he owned and operated Van Buren Furnace, but later in life removed to Ohio. He died in Indiana. After Eaton's arrival came Michael White and Michael Frawley, natives of Ireland who had been liv- ing in Northumberland county, the latter re- maining until his death. White sold his farm and moved to Ohio, dying near Canton, that State, and his family returned here. Matthew Gibbon and Joseph Gillman were also early residents along this part of the State road.

In June, 1830, Jacob Zeigler settled on a tract of 144 acres of uncleared land which he had purchased from the Bingham estate, on the pike two miles from East Sandy. He was born within eighteen miles of Baltimore, moved to Center county, Pa., in 1816, thence to the Tuckyhoe valley in Huntingdon county, and the forks of the Juniata. By trade he was a blacksmith. Peter Smith was also living on the pike that year, and several years before them arrived William Prior, who was from Center county. Owen Boyle settled on the farm aft- erward owned by his daughter, Mrs. John Byrns, and there reared his family of ten chil- dren, eight sons and two daughters. He was born in Ireland, and had previously lived in Lancaster and Lebanon counties after coming to this country. His son-in-law, John Byrns, came to the township in 1834.

The settlement of the Salem City neighbor- hood was inaugurated with the development of the iron industry. A half mile east of the town lived John McCurry, Nicholas Lake, Silas Tib- bitts and William Stewart with their families.

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forming a hamlet known as Yankeetown. These men were engaged in digging and haul- ing ore. William Craig lived at the site of Salem City, but all these were here only for a short time. The first permanent residents were Constantine Daugherty, who came in 1831, and William Allison and Samuel Mc- Kinney, who arrived in 1832. Mr. Daugherty was born in County Donegal, Ireland, and was nineteen years old when he came to this coun- try, working at iron furnaces in eastern Penn- sylvania, chiefly Huntingdon and Center coun- ties, before his removal to Venango county. He first came out in June, 1831, and bought 200 acres, bringing his family and household goods out in October with a three-horse wagon. He lived to be eighty years old. Alli- son, who came out in the spring of 1832, was from the Nittany valley in Center county. Samuel Mckinney was born in 1786 in Ches- ter county, Pa., and died in Venango county in 1871. He was living in Center county when the war of 1812 broke out and volunteered for the service, taking part in Perry's victory on Lake Erie and being voted a silver medal by the State legislature for conspicuous gallantry on that occasion. John McBride and Hutchin- son Borland were early settlers on the State road east of Salem City.

The southwestern part of the township was originally settled by David McWilliams, James McWilliams, John McCracken, William Thomas, John Heasley, Alexander McQuiston and David Ayers.

Population .- Cranberry had 2,337 inhabi- tants in 1870; in 1880, 2,434; 1890, 3,275; 1900, 3,321 ; 1910, 2,770.

Towns .- Salina-Cranberry post office-is seven miles from both Franklin and Oil City, and connected with both by good roads, the old Susquehanna and Waterford turnpike leading to the county seat. North of that road the land was originally settled by J. H. Milroy, a blacksmith, who lived in a log house at the eastern extremity of the village, and probably named the town. In 1835 he purchased fifty acres from Thomas Astley and laid out that part of the place ; the part south of the pike be- ing platted in 1865 by James Brandon. He was the first hotelkeeper, having the "Seven Mile House" on the west corner of the Oil City pike and John Brandon conducted the "Weep- ing Willow," a later hotel. Smullin & Stef- fee, Mrs. L. D. Barr and Jones & Mohney were among the first merchants. The place ex- perienced its early growth and greatest pros- perity when the coal business was flourishing, and with its decline lapsed into a quiet coun-

try village. Along in the eighties oil develop- ments in the vicinity ushered in another era of activity. There is now a steady but smaller production of oil. Farming is the general and profitable occupation.

. The post office has always been known as Cranberry, and was first kept by James Alli- son half a mile distant from the village. After it was removed to the town Mrs. L. D. Barr was the first postmistress, retaining the posi- tion twenty-one years. Salina's population is now 200.

The Brandon cemetery, a short distance north of Salina on the Oil City turnpike, is the oldest public burial ground in the township.

Salem City-Seneca post office-began with the dwelling of Nicholas Lake, who arrived in Cranberry township Aug. 27, 1828, intending to engage as teamster with Stockbarger, Nor- ris & Kinnear, who were then building a fur- nace at the mouth of Oil Creek. He located on the State road, ten rods from the crossroads in Salem City, where he built a one-story log cabin. He was a native of Dutchess county, N. Y., and lived four miles from Buffalo dur- ing the war of 1812. Later he lived at Erie and Meadville before coming to Cranberry township, whence after three or four years he removed to Clarion, and subsequently to Ohio. His death occurred in Mercer county, Pennsyl- vania.

The second house was that of William Craig, the first permanent settler, which stood oppo- site Lake's. He had moved from Buffalo to Chautauqua county, N. Y., at the same time that Lake moved thence to Erie, and followed him to this locality a little later, owning a farm which included that part of the village east of the State road and on which he resided until his death. He sold part of this land to John Crownogle, a German, who came from Center county, and who in turn sold in 1842 to Andrew McCurry, by whom the town was laid out and named. McCurry had then been in the county sixteen years, having settled in this township opposite the mouth of Oil creek, where he owned farm land embracing the present site of South Oil City. When he re- moved to his home at Salem City, April 12, 1842, there were only two other cabins in the village, those of William Stewart and Albert Long. Mr. McCurry entertained travelers, taught the first school in the neighborhood, and opened the first store at this location in 1862. The opening of the Cranberry coal banks brought a large population into the neighbor- hood, which gave him the idea of laying off a portion of his land into lots, and the town grew

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rapidly within the next few years, but it sub- sequently came to depend largely upon the ac- tivities of the oil industry for its prosperity. The country round about is also a fine agri- cultural region. The post office at this point is known as Seneca, and Mr. McCurry was the first postmaster. The place has a present pop- ulation of about 250, has paved streets, fine residences, and supports a live weekly news- paper.

Hill City was so named for the Hill family, and began with the excitement caused by the discovery of oil on the Dallas farm in June, 1886. It was situated upon the land of Sam- uel Hill, Cyrus S. Marks and George Powell laying it out for him, and within a short time a score of houses had been built. Mung & Hockman and Hoy Brothers were the first merchants. The excitement dying out within a year, the people began to leave. Now there are the crossroads, two or three houses, a schoolhouse, and two plants to make gasoline from natural gas, condensed and combined with lighter parts of oil found in a dozen or so small wells, owned by George Torrey of Oil City, and Mr. Dinsmore of Oklahoma. There are good farm lands throughout this section, and fine gas wells owned by the United Natural Gas Company, which is also extracting gaso- line before selling the gas. There are probably pools of oil here yet, but finding them is a lot- tery, and expensive. The land is a better, surer source of wealth, if it were worked, than the oil and gas. Hill City at one time had two thousand people surging about it, but now it appears like open country-the "movies" have gone.

Ten Mile Bottom, or Tipperary, was appro- priately named, lying ten miles from both Franklin and Fryburg, on the State road. George McCool and Owen Reed were early settlers in this vicinity, the former conducting a small grocery. The first general store, how- ever, was kept by William Thompson. There are now a dozen dwellings, store, and black- smith shop, and a population of fifty. A post office was formerly at this point, but the serv- ice is now from Oil City.

Bredinsburg was a lively oil village in 1870, and at one time contained forty houses, besides a schoolhouse, a church and a store. It is now only a rather thickly settled farming highway. The place was named in honor of Maj. James M. Bredin, a leading oil operator in this sec- tion.

Prentice is a settlement of two or three houses on the Pennsylvania railroad one mile

above Franklin, from which city it receives the mail.

Sedgwick, post office Oil City, consists of three or four dwellings at the mouth of Deep Hollow, small oil wells-a dozen or more near by, and a repair shop and good market gar- dens, worked by the Schruers of Oil City.

Maple Shade, post office Cranberry, has two dwellings and one general store. There are fine farm lands, with natural gas and mod- erate oil production adding to the wealth of the owners, scattered about.

East Sandy, or Van, has a population of sev- enty-five, two general stores and one grocery, and a large pump station of the United Natural Gas Company. Many small oil wells are at hand. Good farms are in the vicinity.

Reed is a small hamlet a half mile below Franklin, on the Allegheny Valley branch of the Pennsylvania railroad, and some trains stop there. Post office, Franklin.

Venango is a small hamlet below Reed on the same road, where accommodation trains stop. Post office, Franklin.

Astral, which has rural free delivery serv- ice from Kennerdell, has only two or three houses since the Astral refinery was removed. Some trains still stop there on signal, to ac- commodate people living in the neighborhood.

A schoolhouse, burial ground, and scattered houses along a country road constitute what is known as Pinoak.

Monarch Park was opened by J. B. Smith- man, and was known as Smithman's Park un- til another company bought out his electric railway, including bridges and the park be- tween Oil City and Franklin. Lying midway between these cities, the park is situated in a beautiful natural grove of many acres. Min- eral springs abound here. Mr. Smithman found in an old deed a description of the lo- cality as "the seven springs deer lick." There are sweet springs of pure water and mineral waters of various kinds and in great abund- ance. Here are beautiful flower beds, a men- agerie, fine walks, large restaurant and dining hall, dance hall, afternoon and evening con- certs, movies, merry-go-rounds, the usual "thrillers" of the summer resort, kitchens with free hot water and stoves for picnic parties. It is a favorite place for conventions, and celebrations of different kinds ; placed central- ly in the county, and accessible by trolley, autos or carriages. The ride between the two cities via the park is diversified and interesting- two miles in the river valley at each end of the route, through Deep Hollow and lower Two Mile run, and includes much characteris- tic local scenery.

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CHAPTER XXVI TOWNSHIPS AND BOROUGHS (Continued)

CANAL TOWNSHIP-CANAL (HANNAVILLE)-CORNPLANTER TOWNSHIP-PLUMER-PITHOLE CITY -PETROLEUM CENTER-ROUSEVILLE-SIVERLY-OLEOPOLIS-KANE CITY-ROCK-WOOD (ROCK- MERE )-SANDY CREEK TOWNSHIP-OAKLAND TOWNSHIP-DEMPSEYTOWN-JACKSON TOWN- SHIP-COOPERSTOWN BOROUGH

CANAL TOWNSHIP

Canal township was created from Sugar Creek Nov. 28, 1833, and was so named be- cause the old French Creek canal ran along its southern border. It is in the western part of the county, and is bounded by Crawford county on the north, Jackson and Sugar Creek townships on the east, French Creek township on the south, and Mercer county on the west. The topography is agreeably varied, with high and broken surface along French and Sugar creeks, and gently rolling land in the interior. The hills along French creek afford many pic- turesque views, while in striking contrast are the cultivated and beautiful valleys in the vari- ous parts of the township. The settlers found it covered with a dense forest growth, most of which has disappeared, much of it ruthlessly destroyed in the process of clearing, to de- velop farms. The soil is of surprising depth and fertility, and the township is prominent in the county as an agricultural district, with bountiful yields of all the fruits and cereals raised in first-class farming sections. Stock raising also has engaged the attention of her people to some extent.

The township is well watered and drained, a number of water courses traversing it in vari- ous directions. The most important is French creek, which forms the southern boundary and affords an outlet for numerous smaller streams, among which is the west branch of Sugar creek, known also as Muddy run, flow- ing through the central part of the township. Others are Beatty run, Sutley's or McCune's run, and smaller creeks with no particular names, but important in the drainage of the country. Numerous springs of the coolest water are to be found issuing from the hills in

various parts of the township, the majority of the people obtaining their water supply from these sources.

Pioneers .- Though other claims to priority of settlement have been made. the Johnston family appear to have been the first white peo- ple to settle within the present limits of Canal township. It is well established that Hugh Johnston and several sons, all grown men, came to the county as early as 1797 and lo- cated claims in the vicinity of Utica, the father making his first improvements about a mile east of the site of that borough on what after- ward became known as the Service place, and the son Alexander opening a farm a half mile up the creek. If any previous settlements were made in the township, it is not definitely known. Hugh Johnston was a native of Ire- land, and came here from Huntingdon coun- ty, Pa., from which section were many other early settlers of Canal and the adjacent town- ships. He was a man of forceful character. an intelligent and reliable citizen, and one, of the leading men of his community. He died early in the last century and was buried in the old Johnston graveyard, the first place set aside for burial purposes in the township. Of his sons the best known was Alexander. who like his father was an influential spirit in the development of the country, was an active business man, and acquired a valuable tract of real estate. He reared a large family, his sons Hugh, Jr., Anthony. Alexander, Robert and James later becoming substantial citizens of the township. Robert Johnston, brother of Alexander, Sr., settled on what was the old Hasson homestead about two miles east of Utica. and James, another brother, lived with his father until the latter's death and then be- came owner of the home farm. Descendants

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Venango County, Pennsylvania: Her Pioneers and People (Volume 1), Part 71

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

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