Venango County, Pennsylvania: Her Pioneers and People (Volume 1), Part 72

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 72

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of this old family still live in Canal township, and are ranked with its best citizens.

During the decade between 1798 and 1808 there were a number of pioneers of whom we have but meager records, and it is impossible to name all the early residents in the order of their arrival. John and James Foster were among the permanent settlers in the north- eastern part of the township, living near Sugar creek valley. John Foster had three sons, Wil- liam, Archibald and John. William occupied the home farm, but his sons and those of his brothers appear to have removed to other townships ; the name is familiar in this section of the county. James Foster was a major of militia in the old days, and long known by his title and for his excellent personal qualities.

Jacob Whitman, who settled about a mile and a half northwest of Canal Center at an early date, had several sons, viz .: John, who event- ually settled in Sugar Creek township; Wil- liam, who educated himself for the medical profession and practiced successfully ; and Jonathan, who went out to Illinois. Thomas Logue, a typical backwoodsman, settled with his four sons, John, Alexander, Hugh and George, on what later was the Elwinger place a half mile east of Utica. Early in the nine- teenth century Thomas Smiley, familiarly known as "Uncle Tom," made a settlement on French creek about a mile and a half below Utica, but he subsequently disposed of the place and removed to Franklin, where his sons Armstrong, James, John H. and Philip also lived, the name being still prominent there.

In the central part of the township one of the first settlers was William Brown, who came here from New York State and located at Canal Center, developing a farm and conduct- ing a tavern which was for years a well known stopping place on the old stage route over the Susquehanna . and Waterford turnpike, and called the "Brown House" or "Long Porch House." It is said that many hours of good cheer and conviviality were spent under its hospitable roof. William Brown was proud of his service in Washington's army throughout the Revolution. His sons Henry, Amos, Royal, Horace and Oliver may also be classed with the early settlers of the township.

Three miles north of Utica Luther Thomas, a local minister of the Methodist Church, set- tled on what was later the Black farm, and about the same time Christopher and Michael Sutley made improvements, the former on a farm two and a half miles east of Utica. the latter near Canal Center. John Coxson, an- other early settler three miles from Utica, had

two sons, William and John, the latter becom- ing an artist and a successful lawyer in west- ern Pennsylvania.

James McCune was in the township before 1805, coming from eastern Pennsylvania and settling on French creek opposite the Heydrick farm, improving the place later occupied by his grandson James McCune, Jr., where the pioneer died in 1840. His son William was born here in 1806, and lived in Canal until his death, in May, 1889.

One of the best known pioneers in the neigh- borhood of Canal Center was Joseph Deets, who settled a little southwest of the village and ac- cumulated a valuable property, later occupied by his son Samuel; he was noted for his en- ergy and business tact.

In 1809 John Hastings was living two miles east of Utica, at the place where his son Wil- liam later resided. About this time also Wil- liam Hood made a settlement on the Harrison farm, two miles northwest of Utica, and his sons. William, John, Moses, Samuel, James, Blair and Thomas, became respected citizens of the township. In the Whitman neighbor- hood Samuel and Lewis Burson were early arrivals. John Wilson, one of the first justices of the peace, made improvements on what was later known as the Frazier farm, near the Sugar Creek line. John Duffield, formerly a resident of French Creek township, came thence to Canal in the early days and devel- oped a farm a mile and a half from Utica. His three sons, John. William and Philip, were all well known in Venango county, and the fam- ily is still creditably represented here. Sam- uel. John and Alexander Ray were also early settlers. though it is not known where Samuel located ; John purchased the Hood farm east of the village, and Alexander made his first improvements on a farm east of Utica, which was subsequently purchased by Thomas Sin- gleton, who can therefore be classed with the early settlers.

Samuel Black, who settled about two miles above Utica, was an active business man and an early township official. One of his first neighbors was John Daily, who subsequently made another location in the township. Jacob Lupher, who lived in the vicinity of Canal Center, was a public-spirited citizen, further- ing church and school enterprises, and his pos- terity have kept the name in esteem. He had seven sons, John, Andrew, Barnett, Wesley, Hiram, Sylvester M. and Jacob P .. Barnett and Sylvester continuing to reside here for many years. Jacob Lupher's brother Thomas settled in the same neighborhood, and also Wil-

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liam, James, John and Andrew Hill, brothers, who made improvements around Canal Center. Near the Mercer county line Henry Hart was an early settler, his sons Abraham and Samuel Hart also settling there. William Harrison was in the township before 1820. In 1824 John L. Hasson, one of the earliest settlers in French Creek township, moved into Canal, establishing his home about a mile and a half from Utica, at the place later occupied by his son John C. Hasson. Several others of his family settled in the vicinity of the old home- stead, William, Hugh, James S., Mrs. Angeline Boughner and Samuel D. The father was an honored resident of the township until his death in 1885, and the name is held in great respect down to the present.

Other early settlers of record in different parts of the township were: John Cooper, who lived in the Hasson neighborhood; William and David Gilmore, near the present site of Utica; Jacob Siner and W. P. Clough, near Canal Center; William and John Boughner, near Hannaville (Canal) ; John Mawhinney, two and a half miles east of Utica; together with Samuel Bean, William Wright, Abiel Sweet, Chancy Hart, Mr. Rifenberg, John Douglas, George Douglas, Adam Peters, Mr. Marsh, Thomas Hefferman, Thomas Williams, M. H. Clough, William Smith, Isaac Hanna, John Graham and sons James and John, Da- vid Taylor, William Hays, Thomas Beightol, John Mead, John McQuaid, Jonathan Boyer, John Andre, Thomas Aten, David Crouch, Silas Crouch, William Cooly, John Paden, John White, John Menter, Joshua Woods, Samuel Anderson and William Groves.

Population .- In 1880 the township had a population of 1,030; 1890, 959; 1900, 883; 1910, 786.

Industrial Activities .- A number of at- tempts have been made at different times to bring to light the hidden wealth of oil and coal which lies beneath the wooded hills and ver- dant valleys, but without material success. Canal township is essentially an agricultural region, and as such ranks among the best farm- ing districts of the county. But little attention has been given by residents to manufacturing enterprises of any kind, the only efforts in that direction having been a few lumbering mills and a flouring mill, nearly all of which ceased operations a number of years ago. All such have now been abandoned.

The first mill in the township was a small affair for the manufacture of lumber, built by Royal Brown on Spruce run, whose waters furnished the power. It was in operation only

a few years, and did a small but rather profit- able business. John Hastings erected a flour- ing mill in the eastern part of the township when the country was new, which did a good business for its capacity. It was a good-sized frame building, and was supplied with fair machinery, turned by the waters of Spruce run, being operated until about 1845. On the same creek Jacob Siner built a sawmill in an early day, about two and a half miles above the gristmill, operated it himself a few years and then sold out to John Lupher, who rebuilt it and installed improved equipment, operat- ing with fair success for some time. It has long stood idle, the dam having broken down many years ago. Another early establishment was the sawmill of William McClure on Black's run, in the northwestern part of the township, afterward sold to James McCune, the last to operate it. The building stood long after it was dismantled. Martin Lubold erect- ed a sawmill in the north central part of the township.

An ashery for the manufacture of potash was built by Jesse Shields about 1847, about a mile and a half northeast of Utica, but he gave up the business a couple of years later.

Canal, formerly known as Canal Center and for many years as Hannaville, is the only vil- lage in the township. Its location near the geographical Center of the township accounts for the first designation, while that of Hanna- ville was given in honor of Isaac Hanna, the name of Canal being finally adopted about 1867-68. William Brown made the first im- provement there, his tavern, already men- tioned, having been opened for the accommo- dation of the public as early as 1819. It was afterward kept by Isaac Hanna, then by J. L. Foster, and others. About 1846-47 a stock of goods was brought to this point by L. M. Hanna and Erastus Hart. who were associ- ated for a few years in merchandising, Mr. Hanna then becoming sole owner of the store, which he carried on successfully on his own account until succeeded by his brother, W. H. H. Hanna. The latter formed a partnership with a Mr. McKissick, and other merchants doing business there from time to time have been Lupher & Boughner, Bean & Lupher, Clough & Taylor, Mr. Sherrett, W. L. Bough- ner and E. M. Brown (who began business in 1863).

About the year 1842 John Lupher engaged in the manufacture of threshing machines here, and met with encouraging success, continuing the business a number of years. When he dis- continued his original line he turned to the

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manufacture of wagons, in which he also pros- pered, his son being subsequently associated with him therein, and the firm remained in ex- istence until 1883, when the business was aban- doned.

There was formerly a post office at this point, known as Canal, but the place now has rural free delivery service from Utica. The population in 1910 was 33.

CORNPLANTER TOWNSHIP

In determining the material development of Venango county Oil creek has played as im- portant a part as French creek did in its ear- lier history, especially in Cornplanter town- ship. Here the production, transportation and manufacture of petroleum first took definite form. Enormous fortunes have been expend- ed in this territory, and the wealth received is counted in millions. Here populous towns with thousands of inhabitants succeeded one another with magical swiftness.

Early Settlement .- James Ricketts, a native of New Jersey, born May 18, 1766, was the first white settler in this township. He was a hunter, familiar with frontier life in all its phases, and came to Venango county in the summer of 1795. Finding the game here plen- tiful, the Indians friendly, and the incoming settlers agreeable, Mr. Ricketts decided to stay. In 1810 he bought 300 acres from the Holland Company, situated at the source of Cherry run. and built a mill on that stream. one of the first within the original limits of Allegheny township. He was twice married, first to Sarah Prather and after her death to Jane Mc- Calmont, and was the father of twenty chil- dren, one of whom was yet living in the town- ship thirty years after the father's death, which occurred March 6, 1857. He was a Democrat in politics, and his religious connection was with the old Seceder Church at Plumer.

Hamilton McClintock, from Sherman's val- ley, Cumberland county, arrived in the spring of 1796. He obtained a tract of 400 acres in the valley of Oil creek, above the Cornplanter reservation, embracing the site of McClintock- ville, on which tract was an oil spring inclosed by an embankment cribbed with hewed tim- bers, from which twenty or thirty barrels of Seneca oil were taken annually. It sold for seventy-five cents to a dollar a gallon, to be used principally for medicinal purposes-a welcome addition in those days to the income of an Oil creek farm. Mr. McClintock was the first assessor of Sugar Creek township after the organization of the county. He married

Mary Culbertson, and they were the parents of the following children: Jane, Hugh, James, Ann, John, Isabella, Culbertson, Mary, Rachel, Elizabeth and Hamilton. The father, born May 31, 1771, died May 9, 1857. He served many years as an elder in the Associate Re- formed or Seceder Church at Plumer.

Francis McClintock, who came in 1797, was born April 4, 1775, probably in Maryland. He built a cabin at the site of Petroleum Center and lived there two years, supporting himself by the cultivation of a small plat of cleared ground and hunting. In 1799 he returned to the eastern part of the State and secured a yoke of oxen, with various other necessities, in the spring of that year again coming to his residence here by way of Pittsburgh. He was a shoemaker by trade, and after there were enough settlers hereabouts to keep him busy followed that calling in the winter, occupying himself during the summer months with clear- ing land and operating a sawmill. To his mar- riage with Rachel Hardy, of Harrisville, But- ler county, were born nine sons and three daughters : Hugh H., James R., John, Hamil- ton, Francis, Alexander, William P., George W., Andrew J., Rachel, Ann and Nancy. The son James R. McClintock, born at Petroleum Center in 1804, opened the first store at Demp- seytown, this country, and kept hotel there many years, served as justice of the peace, and attained the rank of brigadier general in the State militia.

Ambrose Rynd, one of the most notable residents of the township, arrived in Oil creek valley in 1800. He was born in 1738 in Ire- land, where he followed the occupation of wool factor, succeeding by industrious appli- cation to his affairs in accumulating $1,200, a comfortable sum for those days, which he brought with him to America in 1799. His first location was in Westmoreland county, Pa., where he worked by the day to support himself until he saw a favorable opportunity for investment. The next year he purchased 500 acres in Venango county from the Hol- land Land Company, lying on both sides of Oil creek, built a cabin and made a settlement, passing the rest of his days in agricultural pursuits. He lived to the advanced age of ninety-nine years, honored among his neigh- bors for his integrity, and his descendants con- tinue to rank with the best citizens of the coun- tv. Much of his property is still owned in the family, and the region thereabouts has long been known as Rynd farm, a station on the Pennsylvania railroad bearing that name. His wife died in Ireland, and his son John, born in

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1777, came to America with his father and died here in 1849. He and his posterity are more fully mentioned in the biographical sec- tion of this work.

The Prathers, another prominent family of Cornplanter, traced their lineage from an Epis- copal clergyman who settled at Williamsport, Washington Co., Md., Henry Prather, who came to Pennsylvania as an officer in the Eng- lish service and settled in Franklin county after the cessation of the Indian warfare, being probably his son. He was born Sept. 14 (0. s. ), 1732, and married Elizabeth Hicks, their son Thomas Hicks Prather, born April 2, 1755, being the first of the family to come to Venan- go county. The latter's wife, Elizabeth (Crounkleton), was of Dutch descent. The family were well-to-do, but Thomas H. Pra- ther having lost the bulk of his property de- cided to attempt to retrieve his fortunes in the newer part of the country and came to Venango in 1801, with his sons Abram C. and Robert, then fifteen and thirteen years old, respectively. After arranging for the pur- chase of a 400-acre tract and building a cabin, he supplied the boys with sufficient provisions and left them in charge of his holding, while he returned to the East for the rest of the family. The Indians stole all the boys had except the cornmeal, but they managed to get along with that and what other food they could secure through their own efforts and help from kindly neighbors. When the father re- turned, three months later, he decided to lo- cate near the river, and removed to East Hick- ory, Forest County, where he remained until his death, Feb. 15, 1818. The son Abram, born Sept. 19, 1786, returned to Franklin coun- ty and learned tanning. He was drafted for military service in the war of 1812, and on the expiration of his term visited his father at East Hickory. The land where he had lived as a boy in the winter of 1801-02 being still unoccupied, he decided to complete the pur- chase, and with the exception of the time he served as a volunteer in the defense of Frie and other brief absences passed the remainder of his life in the township. He built a log house on the Warren road east of Plumer, and later a frame dwelling at that location, where he followed tanning and became a respected resident of the neighborhood. For many years he was a trustee of the Associate Reformed Church at Plumer. By his marriage to Sarah McCalmont, daughter of Henry, he had ten children: Henry M. (of New Wilmington, Pa.), Mrs. Mary Hatch (of Plumer), John S. (of Cleveland), Mrs. Sarah E. Bemus (of

Jamestown, N. Y.), Abraham S. (of James- town, N. Y.), Mrs. Ruhana R. McClure ( of Cleveland, Ohio), Julia A., Jane W., George C. and Robert T. A. The father died July 7, 1850, the mother Dec. 26, 1874.

According to the records Noah and Jesse Sage had two tracts of land aggregating 837 acres surveyed for them Sept. 2, 1802, by Sam- uel Dale, the same adjoining Cornplanter res- ervation on the river and including the site of Siverly. The survey was made on a warrant issued by virtue of settlement and improve- ment, but they did not complete the title, though it appears that one or both remained in the county.

Joseph Allender was the earliest settler in that part of the township through which Al- lender run (a branch of Pithole creek) flows, building a cabin on the line of two tracts of the Holland Land Company, which he seems to have intended to acquire in addition to the one hundred acres allowed by the company as a gratuity. He had cleared about sixty acres

when a season of protracted drought left him nothing to meet his obligations, and he left his property. The cleared land went back to its wild state, and his house was burned by a for- est fire before 1837. Lucien Hatch purchased the place in 1850, and it is said that after the first cultivation grains and vegetables of va- rious kinds grew spontaneously, evidently from seeds resting there for years.

In 1803 Francis Halyday located at the mouth of Oil creek, on what is now the site of the Third ward of Oil City. For a time Francis Culbertson lived at the mouth of Cherry run, but early removed to President township, and is mentioned in connection with the settlement at Henry's Bend. Francis Bu- chanan owned the place inherited by his adopt- ed son, John Blood, and long known as the Blood farm. James Story had land on both sides of Oil creek, that lying east of the creek being afterward known as the Tarr farm, and that on the west going into the ownership of the Columbia Oil Company. He had two sons and two daughters, Robert ( who moved to a location on the Ohio river), William (who stayed on the farm until the oil discoveries), Jane and Elizabeth. The father was drowned in the Allegheny. Hugh Morrison lived on Cherry run adjoining James Ricketts, and reared a large family who became highly re- spected citizens; several of his sons were known as ardent abolitionists. Before 1805 Joseph Lamb settled west of Humboldt, on the Oil City road. Moses Davidson was an early settler at the site of Rouseville. Robert

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McFate was also a pioneer, as he was as- sessed in 1805 at $116, on the duplicate of Al- legheny township.

In 1820 Abram G. Siverly settled at the mouth of Siverly run, and is mentioned below in connection with the account of the bor- ough which long bore his name.

In the southeastern part of the township, William Shaw was the first and for many years the only resident, making a settlement in May, 1821. He was a native of Center county, Pa., son of William Shaw, an early settler on Sugar creek, and himself secured several hun- dred acres of land on the line of an Indian path which led from the river at Henry's Bend to the mouth of Oil creek, following almost the same course as the road from Plumer to President. He married Elizabeth McCal- mont, sister of Judge Alexander McCalmont, and reared a family of ten children.

Henry McCalmont, who also arrived in this township in 1821, was born in Mifflin county, Pa., and lived in Center county before his re- moval to Sugar Creek township, Venango county. in 1819, that year making a location near his father and brothers, who had been in the locality some years. In 1821 he removed to near Plumer, on the old Warren road, where he opened a house of entertainment, and was long a prominent citizen of the township, serving many years as a justice of the peace. A stranger who stopped for lodging at his house was found in his bed in the morning un- conscious, and died within a brief time. He was buried on the farm, and the incident in- fluenced Mr. McCalmont to set aside a plat of ground for burial purposes, so he gave the site of the United Presbyterian Church at Plu- mer and the graveyard adjoining. His chil- dren were : John, Thomas W., Henry, Robert, Alexander, Sarah ( Mrs. Prather) and Eliza- beth.

The assessment list for 1834, the first after the organization of the township, shows the following taxables: Thomas Anderson, Joseph Anderson, William Alcorn, Robert Alcorn. John Atkinson, Robert Adams, Francis Bu- chanan, John Blood, James Bannon, James Crary, W. & F. G. Crary, Seary Cary. Francis Culbertson, James Culbertson, Patrick Cul- bertson, Robert Culbertson, Moses David- son, James Downey, William Fletcher, James Gordon, Charles Gordon, Nancy Griffin, Sam- uel Hazen, Benjamin Hazen, Samuel Hays, Sarah Halyday. James Halyday. Andrew Howe, John Hewey, William Hewey, Sam- uel Lamb, John Lamb, William Litle. Hugh Morrison, Thomas Morrison, Matthew

Morrison, John Morrison, John McFate. Joseph McFate, Samuel McFate, William McCrea, John McKissick, James McClin- tock, Hamilton McClintock, Culbertson Mc- Clintock, Francis McClintock, Hamilton Mc- Clintock, Jr., William Masterson, William Martin, Henry McCalmont, John McCalmont, Patrick McCrea, Michael McCrea, Edward McCrea, John Neill, John Noacre, Christopher Potter, Abraham Prather, Samuel Pearson, John Rynd, Ambrose Rynd, Brooks Rynd, James Rynd, James Ricketts, Thomas Ricketts, Henry Ricketts, Abraham Ricketts, Elijah Stewart, Richard Stewart, Joseph Shulze. Wil- liam Story, Jane Story. A. G. Siverly, Elna- than Siverly, William Shaw, Benjamin Snod- grass, William Steen, Daniel Tuttle, Jacob Teets, Richard Willings.

Organisation .- In 1806, when the county was divided into townships, provision was made for two subdivisions from this territory, Oil Creek and Windrock, the former west and the latter east of Oil creek. But they existed only in name. The court decree formally erecting Cornplanter, promulgated Nov. 28, 1833 described its boundaries as follows: "Be- ginning at the southwest corner of tract No. 240 of the Holland Land Company's claim warranted in the name of Henry Lahr, thence along the southern boundary of the same and the southern boundary of tracts No. 241 and 242 eastwardly to the southeast corner of the last mentioned tract. thence by the eastern boundary thereof northwardly to the north- west corner of a tract surveyed in the name of Thomas Morrison, thence along the north- ern boundary of the same eastwardly to the northeast corner thereof, thence by the west- ern boundary of tract No. 66 of the aforesaid claim northwardly to the northwest corner thereof, thence along the northern boundary of the same and the northern boundary of tracts Nos. 75, 106, and 123, eastwardly to the northeast corner of the last mentioned tract, thence by the eastern boundary of the same and the eastern boundary of tracts Nos. 122, 121, and 120 southwardly to the south bound- ary of said claim, thence along said boundary eastwardly to the line of Tionesta township, thence by said township line southwardly to the Allegheny river, thence down said river to the southeast corner of a tract surveyed in the name of Robert Alcorn, thence along the eastern boundary of the same northwardly to the northeast corner thereof, thence by the eastern boundary of tracts Nos. 263 and 264 of said Holland Land Company's claim north- wardly to the southern boundary of tract No.

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Venango County, Pennsylvania: Her Pioneers and People (Volume 1), Part 72

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

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