[Pennsylvania County Histories]

S-K Ilf. £ P 3 fC. // *• I- * V. 3? * • **/•-; ■ ■ ; • •• • ' V . *or .4 - • . * • : - - Digitized by the Internet Archive • ' in 2018 with funding from This project is made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries https://archive.org/details/pennsylvaniacoun37unse_0 A Page B page B Page B C C D D E Union town nbw stands, passed out of the county down Grassy Run. From this M KM W A UK 15. main trail, at a point a little south ol Georges Creek, there started off a tributary path known as the “Warrior Branch ” A HALF-B3ESD WITH AN INTER- which crossed the Cheat and Mouon^a. ESTING- HISTORY. heia rivers Into Virginia. I - Nemaeolon’s trail Joined the other at a point in Westmoreland county, runniu<- I The Early Records of the County together as far south as Mt. Braddock” Should be Preserved. then Nemacolon’s trail took a southeast¬ erly course, by way of Gnat Meadows Into Maryland. A great ileal of theeaily history of Fay¬ The settlers made a shot ter path, start- ette county has been lost, that ought to lug at a point where Morgantown now have been presented, and occasionally a stands, or often from a point now called fragment of the history Is remembered, Haydentowu, where afterwards Phil Vic¬ j and still told by the descendants of the tor built a furnace and inrde an Inferior •old settlers who have passed away. Judge k.nd of iron. This path was oallod the I Veech has proservid many of these Inci¬ “Ridge Road.” keeping on high land near dents, and yet many are being lost by the sSmithfleld, and passing to the Redstone death of our old citizens. The following country by way of McCleiinndtown, aud is I,hit of history is remembered by only a few stlil called the “Ridge Road.” of the older people of German township : No tribe of Indians ever ilved in Fayette Very early settlements were made In the county as a permanent home, although county, on Provlns’ bottom, at Lock No 7- , at tbe mouth of Redstone, near where many different and parts of tribes passed Brownsville now stands, further down the and repassed through the county. river end on Pigeon creek, in Washington About the year 1740 or ’50, a small part of I county. Notwithstanding the Ring of a tribe came annually from the Redstone I England had warned the settlers ,‘rom ! country (supposed to belong to the Indians i crossing the mountains on pain of being who acknowledged old Nemacilon ns their executed, “without benefit of clergy,” and chief) and stayed during the summer and [ Governor Penn had strictly forbidden set¬ | until late In the fall, on the high table- tlers to occupy the land west of the Alle¬ j land on the farm now belonging to the gheny mountains “without first buying it I heirs of Elias Parshall, known as the ‘Hill \ Farm.” They encamped on a part of the of the Indians,” many hardy pioneers ventured across, and were not molested j farm now known ns the ‘'fort field.” j by the red men. They wore accused of I Why they annually came there and stayed i killing two men in a cabin near New until late autumn, no one seems now to Salem, known as the “Burnt Cabin,” and know, unless to hunt and fish. The view from this ‘•fort field,” looking south and the small stream near by is still called the “Burnt Cabin” branch of Dunlap’s Creek, east, Is grand In the extreme Perhaps no but as no proof could bo established that finer view Is t > be seen In Western Penn- the Indians committed the crime, I think Jsylvanla. Another view, looking west, Is that they are entitled to the benefit of ; also very beautiful. That they encamped the doubt. The settlers, generally, came jhere for warlike purposes, is unlikely, as across the rnountains—most frequently the field has no water except a lezy spring, coming by way of the " Three Mile ! that puts out far down the slope. The Springs ” to Haydeutown — then they nearest water of any moment was “Mtd- started in companies to find homes in j die Run,” a mile to the west. Thera seems or near ihe different, settlements to be no doubt tbolr ubj -ct was to hunt aud In the spring of 1758, early In May, John fish, aud so prepare their annual supply of Moorwood and his wife (* .delloate, ner¬ ! Jaik and dried fish for the winter. vous woman with their three children, two Just above tbe mouth of Middle Run,' boys and one girl, toe boyB aged seven aud on the Monongahela river, was their fish¬ nine and the girl thirteen years old. Tue ' ing place, and before the damming of the girl s name was Anunette. The names of river, could be seen the “Pictured Rocks,” the boys have been lost,) with several as they were snJ are still called—some j neighbors, crossed the mountains half dozen very large flat rocks, their tops j by the "Three Mile Springs” trail and covered with Indian signs and hieroglyph¬ stopped at Haydontown. Failing to agree ics—but now covered with water, since the where they would locate, Moorwood being building of tbe dams. of an Impulsive nature, determined to push These Indians came annually until the vuiiKCTuciea a settlers beoame too thick for the game, rude cart„made by sawing the wheels seven whea they left, and have never been seen Inches broad Irom the end of a largo syca¬ slnco—but muscle shells, Indian stone more log. A wooden axle and thills with hatchets, fliDt arrow heads, still to be a rur.el.ien bid completed the vehicle. found lu the field, prove conclusively that On this he put his worldly possessions, con¬ they once were there. sisting of a few bed clothes, an iroD pot and A noted Indian trail, known as the war¬ some pewter dishes, knives, forks Ac. path ef the Six Nations, crossed the coun¬ He started from Haydontown in the ear¬ try Irom the mouth of Bushy Run, on ly part of May, The first nignt they campnp- Jacob’s Creek, and ruuulng Dear where 13 them late in the fall to their winter home, I ed near where Old Frame church now returning in the spring when the Irlbere- I stands and the next nlghtr about % mile north of McOlellandlown on land now call- turued to the " fort field-” Annette had an Indian lover. “Menewau I td the “Polly Lancaster” farm. This place ke ” one of the bravest of that trlbo. She I is a short mile Irom the old Indian camp was a Willing listener to bis tale of love, on the “foitfleld” spoken about. A deep ravine separates the two ridges of land. (the same old story, told In all and all nations, tribes, kindred and tougues. The night was beautiful. Toe full Moon and understood, no matter In what lan¬ early appeared above the crest of the mountains filling the whole valley of the guage It is told). Beneath the moonlit shadows of the forest king. Menewauke Monongabela with its soft, silvery and claimed boras his own. According to In¬ mellow light. The family of Moorwool early retired to rest, being tired by the dian lashlon, they were married in the day’B traveling. The camp fire of the Bet beautiful month of June. Annette was happy, and the wild, roving life of the In¬ lerand his family attracted the attention of the Indians In the fort which was In dians just suited her tmpetuous nature. On sight. About the turn of the night, some the second annual visit after her marrlcge, eighteen or twenty of the braves came Annette gave birth to a son. The young across to reconnoilre the camp, P'lnding papoose wife welcomed not only by Men- j ewauke aDd his mother, but by Ibe whole all asleep, they raised the yell and sur¬ rounded the awakened family. As no tribe, and was a great favorite with all of trouble from the Indians was anticipated, them. The boy took the Dame of his father, no precautions had been taken and so the Menewauke; the meaning of which is family were taken wholly by surprise. "Great Fortune ” The summer young The Indians took the whole family with ! Menewauke was four years old, was an the cart and started across the ravine (cov¬ eventful cue in his life. Late In the fall, a ered thickly with the common maple or slight snow having fallen, tracks of a bear : sugar tree) to their fort on the other hill. were seen leading Into Wolf Den Hollow. The cart was abandoned on the little level I nearly opposite the spot where the house of plot of ground Immediately below where Commodore Freeman now stands, on Mid the orchard of Joslah B. Crow now stands. die Run This hollow 1b located on the The Iron pot was among the things that | farm of Levi Brown, and still bears the were left, Many years after, Jacob Riffle, name of Wolf Den Hollow. an old hunter who lived near, came across A party of Iudians were soon seen to en¬ the Iron pot and it was long a mystery how ter this hollow ; among them was Menew¬ It came there. The cart had rotted away auke. They followed the tracks for nearly one-half mile, when the bear was brought and the only thing left was the pot.

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