BI mII m m [I] Public Library I of m Steubenville & Jefferson County W Ohio m m Donated W REVA ASHCRAFT m ~~1999 m PUBLIC LIBRARY OF STEUB. & JEFFERSON CO. 3 2157 00310 5640 PIONEER HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA L. K. EVANS Waynesburg Republican Waynesburg, Pa. April 3, 1941 .SCH. 97k REPRINTED BY GREENE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY WAYNESBURG, PA. 1969 McCLAIN PRINTING COMPANY PARSONS, W. VA. iAN 1999 FOREWORD This series of articles is reprinted from the files of the Waynesburg Republican of 1875 and 1876. L. K. Evans, a native of Monongahela Township, was editor of the Republican during the Civil War and for several years following. These articles have always been regarded as con- taining the most authentic as well as the most interesting account of pioneer history of Greene County. .j. .I First Settlement West of Blue Ridge Editor Republican: In a former paid her passage fare across the seas, issue of your paper I proposed from she donned the male attire, and with time to time to publish scraps of the moccasins and hunting shirt, delved pioneer history of our county and into the unexplored forest for the vicinity. In order to introduce these purpose of making improvements and articles I shall give an incident that thereby possess herself of the lands. occurred during the progress of im- Thirty cabins were erected by her migration westward from the eastern own daring, diligent, solitary hands, shore of Virginia. which entitled her to as many hun- Near 150 years ago John Lewis im- dred-acre farms, when years after- migrated from Great Britain to Vir- ward, the accounts of the settlers of ginia, and settled on a creek bearing the Burden grant was made up. No his name, near Staunton, on the up- wonder that the Burdens were per Shenandoah. struck with astonishment when it Lewis made a visit to Williamsburg was, upon investigation, discovered in 1736 and met Benjamin Burden, that all these deeds to the name of then fresh from England, and pre- Mulhollin were honestly acquired by vailed on him to go along to his the fortitude and toil of an adventur- forest home beyond the mountains. ous Irish maiden. Possessing her- Upon his return from his adventur- self of the necessary titles to these ous visit, Burden took with him a valuable estates, she "resumed her buffalo calf, which he and Lewis' christian name and feminine dress," boys had caught and tamed, and pre- and we infer was courted and won by sented it to Governor Gooch, who some sensible and enterprising hero thereupon authorized him to locate of the times; for our information any quantity of land on any of the adds, "many of her respectable des- waters of the Shenandoah or James cendants still reside within the limits rivers, not exceeding 500,000 acres, of Burden's grant." This is all we conditionally, that he should settle may ever know of her-quite suffi- 100 families thereon within 10 years. cient, however to render her name The next year, 1737, Burden went imperishable. Probably no braver back to England and brought over heart ever beat in maiden breast, more than 100 families to colonize and no more courageous incident was his grant of land. ever recorded in all the annals of true feminine heroism-a deed de- A Pioneer Girl serving to be enshrined in the mem- Along with one of these families ory of every American. Heroes have came Polly Mulhollin, an Irish ser- oft been deified for deeds of valor vant girl. Upon the expiration of her less noble far than this. term of servitude, during which she L. K. Evans. First Owners of the Land We Live On A few stray traders, wandering highest civilization yet attained by from tribe to tribe of the aborigines man. Think of it, reflecting reader! west of the Alleghenies may have an- A howling wilderness, an unbroken teceded the historic events I am forest, the haunt of bear and buffalo about to narrate, "but they neither and kindred beasts, and of savages cultivated nor occupied the land." wild and free. 0, if these grand old There were no civilized residents in hills had speech to tell of the awful all this wide expanse of earth's best solitudes of the wasting years of the garden lands, where multiplied thou- ages gone! Or of the rise and fall sands now habitate and enjoy the of the patient, toiling millions of 5 mound builders who were the English arms, Col. Washington, who pristine dwellers in these valleys, or was posted at Wills creek, near Cum- that other more enterprising and in- berland, determined to push forward telligent race who inhabited the and erect a fort on the Monongahela, majestic cities of Mexico, which were where Brownsville now is, and mysterious ruins in the days of the gather strength sufficient to drop Aztecs. But however rife specula- down the Monongahela and expel the tions may be, these are hidden truths, French invaders. destined ever such to remain except as revealed by the foot prints of time Washington's Project Foiled indelibly stamped on the everlasting rocks or by fossils buried deep in the Hurrying forward with three com- earth. panies, he learned that the French One hundred and twenty-seven had anticipated his movement and years ago Thomas Lee associated were coming out to meet him. Ten with himself a dozen others, known miles east of Uniontown he halted, as the "Ohio Land Company," and and at what is known as the Great obtained a grant of half a million of Meadows, fortified somewhat. Thence acres principally between the Monon- he led out a detachment and sur- gahela and Kanawha rivers. In 1750, prised a reconnoitering party of the Christopher Gist, who afterwards French, killing 10, wounding 1, and figured as Washington's guide, was taking 21 prisoners, and sustaining sent to explore the country. Whilst very little loss to his own party. He on this expedition it is said that two then pushed forward to near the old chiefs asked Mr. Gist where the point now occupied by Connellsville, Indian's possessions laid - seeing but upon learning that a large party that the French claimed all the land of French were close at hand, he con- on one side of the Ohio, and the cluded to fall back to his little Fort English all on the other-a question at Great Meadows, where he awaited to which the gallant explorer had the coming of the French, and where some difficulty in making a satisfac- he was overpowered by superiority of tory answer. numbers and had to capitulate. Such was the beginning of the career that Fort Du Quesne eventuated in the proud name of "Father of his Country," destined to In the intervening years, treaties surpass all others in all that consti- were formed and preliminary surveys tutes true greatness. made, and on the 17th of April, 1754, L. K. Evans. whilst Captain Trent with a military company was engaged in building a P. S.-The incidents narrated in fort on the site now occupied by the the foregoing ought to be far more city of Pittsburgh, a French com- minutely treated, but they occurred mandant made his appearance on the outside the writer's bailiwick, and Allegheny with a flotilla of boats and this article is only intended to pave canoes, and a motley crew of over the way to the consideration of 1,000 warriors, panoplied with all events immediately succeeding and the paraphernalia of war. Masters which were essentially local to this of the situation the French possessed county, and it must be borne in mind themselves of the place, completed that to get within the limits of a the fort and dubbed it "Du Quesne." newspaper article requires, in this Upon hearing this disaster to the instance, much condensing. L. K. E. 6 The First White Resident The history of civilization in hills on south and west and east. Greene county is scarcely antedated Then, as now, was heard Cheat by that of her sisters on the east or "riffle's" constant roar. Then, not south. It is said by one historian now, the hills with forests dense that prior to the year 1754 Wendell were clad. Then, not now, nature Brown and his two sons and Freder- held her sway supreme, and laid tri- ick Waltzer, and perhaps others set- bute soil and sun and rain at will. tled about four miles west of Union- What spectacle now midst these aw- town. Another chronicler of early ful solitudes attracts my sight. What events remarks that about the year strange sounds commingled with 1754 David Tygart and a Mr. Files dame nature's monotonous din, falls attempted a settlement in Tygart's sweetly upon my ear. Three gro- valley on a branch of the Mononga- tesque, hardy pioneers engaged in hela in West Virginia, which has earnest devotion to God-morning since been known as Tygart's river. thanksgiving-evening prayer-with Files' family speedily fell a prey to loud acclaims of anthems sung. savage atrocity, whilst Files himself Glorious beginning! Hallowed spot! and the Tygart family beat a hasty Would that, when instead of Indian retreat. war whoop, locomotive screams are heard along the lovely valley, after Not long after these settlements, generations may project and build on says the same authority, Dr. Thomas a magnificent city and his two that beautiful site Eckarly (or Eckerlin) and call it Eckarlin, and rear therein brothers came from eastern Pennsyl- grand and majestic temples to the vania and encamped at the mouth of that the memory of Mo- worship of God, a creek which emptied into the this trio of Godlike men may for all nongahela about ten miles below remain imperishable.