Perry Township

PERRY TOWNSHIP.

PERRY is one of the northernmost townships of ' John Paty, 330 acres, Crab-Tree Run ; warranted April 3, 1769'; Fayette County, its northern line being a part of the surveyed Oct- 27, 1769. boundary between this county and westmoreland. John Bishop, 319 acres. Flatt : warranted April 3, 1769 ; surveyed Oct. 25.1769. On the east the township is bounded by LoWerTy- XOTE.-The five tracts at>ovewere surveyed the origin81 warrant- rone and On the south by Franklin, and On holdew, Oct. 26 and 27,1769, but were all patented to George Washing- the west by Jefferson and Washington. Perry lies ton, Feb. 25,156.2. on both sides of the Youghiogheny River, *.hi& George Brown, 336 acres : warranted April 3, 1769. flows tllrough the township in a general northwest- Jams Hunter, 276% acres: warranted April 19, lP69. 336 19.1769. erly course. Its other principal streanis are Jacob's Eleanor Hunter, acres; warranted April Hopewell Jewell, 822 acres; warranted April 17, 1794; sur- Creek, \iT~hingtonRun, and T7irgin Run. The last veyed 25, i95. named enters the Youghicgheny from the south, and John Jones, 224 acres. marks the southeastern boundary of Perry against J. Augustine Washington, 3202 acres, Fork ; warranted April the township of Frankiin. Washington Run flows 3, 1769 ; surveyed October 2s. northeastwardly through- the central part of Perry, Laurence W:~shington, 3202 acres, Bear Hill ; warranted April past its principal town (Perryopolis), and falls into 3, 1769 : surveyed October 25. the Youghiogheny. Jacob's Creek enters the Youg- William Wilson, 2052 acres. 29St 16, 1788 hiogheny from the eastward, and marks the northeast- Christopher Besler, acres; warranted Dee. ; veyed March 11, 1789. ern boundary of Perry against Westmoreland County. Mary Higgs, Springfield; patented April 6, 1791. That part of the township which lies east of the John G. Zizing, 682 X 158 acres; warranted March 10, 1 Youghiogheny, and between it and Jacob's Creek, is and Feb. 25,l S22. mountainous, rising in some parts qnite precipitously William Espey, 149 acres; warranted May 27, liS5 : surveyed from both streams, and having but little bottom-land. , Oet. 31, 1811. In that part of the township which lies on the south- ESP~Y,1132 acre% June 7,1S09- west side of the river the land rises to a considerable Robert Espe~,66 acres, lS1'. height from the Youghiogheny, then slopes back to William Turnbuil, 301 acres, Rocksbury; patented July 13, 1789. are Washington Bottoms7 are William Turnbull, 219 acres, Springsbury; patented July 13, drained by Washington Run. Where the village of 17sg. Perryopolis is located is a moderate elevation of land, jac0b ~~~~i~,223 acres, Luton; patented Jan. 9, 1789. which from there has a gradual descent in all direc- Valentine Secrist, 1082 acres ; warranted Sept. 29, 1731 ; sur- tions. This section is excellently adapted for the veyed Oct. 26th. production of grain and grass, and nearly the whole EARLY LAXD PURCHASES AND SETTLENENTS. tbwnship, particularly that part southwest of the river, ernhraces very fine lands for purposes of agri- The earliest as well as the most extensive pur- culture. The Pittsburgh and Connellsville Railroad chaser of lands in what is now Perry township was --now generally known as the Baltimore and Ohio, Gen. (then Col.) George TVashington, who received because leased by that company-traverses the town- a warrant for lands here on the first day of the land- ship along the right bank of the Youghiogheny office of the proprietaries for the sale of tracts west River, and has within the boundaries of Perry two of the mountains, April 3, 1769. Nearly two years stations,-Layton and Banning's. The population prior to this, however, TiTashingtonhad begun to en- of the township by the census of 1880 was fourteen tertain the idea of purcbasing large tracts in this hundred abd seventy-six. region, as is shown by the tenor of a letter written by him to Capt. William Crawford, of Stewart's Cross- NAJIES OF ORIGINAL PURCHASERS OF LANDS IN PERRY TOWKSHIP. ings (now New Haven), as follows : Wlliam Athel, 33 I++$ acres, Spring Run ; warranted April 3, " MOCNTVERXOS, Sept. 21,1767. li69 ; surveyed Oct. 27, 1769. "DEAR Sm,-From a sudden hint of your brother's1 I wrote Gearge Washington. 329 acres, Meadows; warranted April 2, to you a few days ago in a burry. Having since had more 1769 ; surveyed Oet. 25. 1769. Thomas Jones, 332 acreyDeer Range; warranted April 3: 1769 ; 1 The brother of Willian~Crawford here referred as having given surveyed Oat. 26, 1769. Washington his first hint concerning the obtaining of a tract of land 707

708 HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

time for reflection, I now write deliberntely and with grenter or otherwise acquire all the other tracts above enu- precision on tbe subject of my last letter. I then desired the merated, amounting in the aggregate to 1641 acres, favor of you (ss I understood rights might now be had for the and that they mere patented to him Feb. 2S, 1782, is lands which have fallen within the Pennsylvania line)' to look made certain by a recital to that effect in deeds given me out a tract of about fifteen hundred, two thousand, or more in the vear 1802 bv his executors. None of the names acres somewhere in your neighborhood, meaning only by this that it mny be as contiguous to your own settlement as such a of the warrantees of the tracts above named as having body of good land can be found. It will he easy for you to been patented to Gen. Washington are found in con- conceive that urdinary or eren middling lands would never nection with any later settlement or transfer, and answer my purpose or espectation, so far from narigation and therefore it is probable that they took up the lands under such a load of espenses ns these lands are incumbered in his interest; and it is certain that the warrants with. No : a tract to please me must be rich (of which no per- taken by them passed to him before the issuance of son can be R better judge than yourself) and, if possible: level. the patents. Could such a piece of land be founc! you would do me a singular Capt. Craaford, who selected these lands for Wash- favor in falling upon some method of securing it immediately from the attempts of others, as nothing is more certain than ington, acted also as his agent in locating many other that the lands cannot remain long ungranted when once it is tracts in what is now Washington County, Pa., in known th;rt rights are to be had. Ohio, and along the Ohio River Valley in Virginia. ". . . It is possible, but I do not know that it really is the In 1770, the year next following the location and case, that the custom in Pennsylvania will not admit so large a surrey of these lands, Washington made a tour quantity of 1:ind as I require to be entered together; if so, this through this section, and down the Ohio to the Great may perhaps be arranged by making several entries to the same Kanawha, and kept a journal of the trip. A part of amount, if the espenses of doins it is not too heavy. If the that journal is given below, commencing on the date land can only be secured from others it is all I want at present. : The surveying I would choose to postpone, at least till the of his departure from Mount Vernon, viz. spring, when, if you can give me any satisftactory account of "October 5th.-Began a journey to the Ohio in company with this matter, and of what I am nest going to propose. I expect Dr. Craik, his servant and two of mine, with a led horse and to pay you a visit about the last of April." baggage. Dined at Towlston's, and lodged at Leesburg, distant from Mount Vernon about forty-five miles. Here my port- No information is found as to the preliminary steps manteau horse failed. [Here follows the journal of six daysy taken by Capt. Crawford to select and secure these journey by way of Old Town, Md., and Fort Cumberland to lands on behalf of Washington, but it is certain ' Killman's,' east of Castleman's River.] that on the opening of the land-office at the time " 12th.-We left Killma~n's earl^ in the morning, breakfasted above mentioned warrants were issued for lands in at the Little Meadows, ten miles off, and lodged at the Grent Crossing (of the Youghiogheny at Somerfield), twenty miles far- the present township of Perry, amounting to more ther, which we found a tolerably good day's work. . . . than sixteen hundred acres, all of which came into "13th.-Set out about sunrise, breakfasted at the Great possession of the general. The only tract in this Meadows [Fayette Co.], thirteen miles, and reached Captain township warranted to George-I Washington was one Crawford's about fire o'clock. The land from Gist's [Mount named " Meadows." The warrant bore date April Braddock] to Crawford's is very broken, though not mounbin- 3, 1769, and the survey October 27th of the same ous, in spots esceeclingly rich, and in general free from stone; year. There was, however, at the same time one Cramford's is very fine land, lying on the Youghiogheny, at a place commcnly called Sttr10ai.t'8 Crominq. tract called " Forks," warranted to John Augusta [Augustine?] Washington; one called " Bear Hills," " 13th.-At Captain Crawford's all day. Went to see a coal- mine not far from his house on the banks of the river. The to Lawrence Washington ; one called "Spring Run," coal seemed of the very best kind, burning freely, and abun- to William Athel; one called "Flatts," to John dance of it. Bishop ; one called " Crab-Tree Run," to John Paty ;. q~fth.-Went to view some land which Captain Crawford and one called " Deer Range," to Thomas Jones. The >kted for me near the Youghiogheny,~distant about twelve surveys, made with large allowance, gave the area of miles. This tract, which contains about one thousand six hun- these several tracts as follows: " Meadows," 329 dred acres, includes some as fine land as I ever saw, and a great acres ; " Forks," 320 acres ; " Bear Hills," 320 acres ; deal of rich meadow : it is well watered and has a valuable mill- " Spring Run," 331 acres ; " Flatts," 319 acres ; " Crab- seat, escept that the stream is rather too slight, and. it is said, not constant more than seven or eight montbs in the year; but, Tree Run," 330 acres ; and " Deer Range," 332 acres. on account of the fa11 and other conveniences, no place can es- There is nothing found tending to show that either ceed it.?In going to this land I passed through two other John A. Washington's " Forks" or Laurence Wash- tractew6ich Captain Crawford had taken up for my brothers ington's " Bear Hills" tract ever came into the hands Samuel and John. I intended to have visited thk land which of George Washington ; but that he did purchase Crawford hadprocured for LundS Washington this day dso, but, time falling short, I was obliged to postpone it. Night came under Pennsylvania "rights" in the trans-Allegheny country was Val- on before I got back to Cranford's, where I found Colonel Ste- entine Crawford, who located upon Jacob's Creek, Westmoreland Co., -- -- Pa. Referring to the tracts above mentioned, lying in the present tom- 1 By the Pennsylrania line Washington meant the boundary line be- ship of Perry. tween Pennsylvanix and Virginia, wliich at that date was being run 3 Meaning Laurence Washington. who was not a relative, or if he was, beyond the Allegheny Nountaius. Iris understanding as to rights was a very distant one, and who is mentioned in the general's ill as an erroneous, RS will hereafter Le seen. "acquuintance and friend of nly juvenile years."

PERRY TOWNSHIP. 709

phen. The 1:mds which I passed over to-day were generally to a mill-seat on the small stream (since named Wash-

billy, and thc growth chiefly whiteoak, but very good notwith- ington Run) which flowed through his tract. ' It was standing; and, what is extraordinary and contrary to the prop- his purpose to build a mill at this place, and prepa- erty of all otber lands I ever saw before, the hills are the richest rations were soon after commenced for it by Gilbert land, the soil upon the sides and summits of them being as Simpson, whom Washington sent out as manager black :IS coal, and the growth walnut and cherry. The flats are not so rich, and a good deal more mixed with stone. of his property here. His first business, however, 16th. At Captain Cramford's till evening, when I went to was to erect a log house, which stood adjoining the Mr. John Stephenson's, on my way to Pittsburg. . . . litb. present residence of John Rice. This was the farm- Dr. Craik and myself, with Capt. Cramford and others, arrived house which mas the headquarters of the operations at Fort Pitt; distance from the Crossing forty-three and a half carried on by Simpson for the proprietor. The mill measured miles. . . ." mas built on the run, in the immediate vicinity of the present village of Perryopolis. From the time of its On t.he 20th, Washington, with Dr. Craik, Capt. completion until the present (with the exception of a Crawford, William Harrison, Robert Beall, and others, few years prior to 1790b mill has been in constant with some Indians. proceeded down the Ohio in a operation on this site. j large canoe, haring sent their servants back to Craw- Between 1770 and 1774, Valentine Crawford (who ford's with orders to meet the party there on the 14th had settled on Jacob's Creek) succeeded his brother, of Sorember, but they did not reach there until ten Capt. William Cramford, as Washington's financial days after the time appointed. The journal then agent in this region, Simpson being merely the man- proceeds,- ager of his farming and other operations on his lands "Xov. 24th. When we came to Stewart's Crossing at Craw- in the present township of Perry. Below are given ford's the river mas too high to ford, and his canoe gone adrift. some extracts from letters written in the year last However, after waiting there two or three hours, a canoe was named by Valentine Cramford Col. Washington, got, in which we crossed, and swum our horses. The remain- to der of this da.y I spent at Capt. Crawford's, it either raining having reference to the improvements then being made or snowing hard all day. under the direction of Simpson on the Washington "25th. I set out early, in order to see Lund Washington's tract, viz. : land; but the ground and trees being covered with snow, I was "JACOB'SCREEK, April 27,1774. able to form but an indistinct opinion of it, though upon the "I went to Gilbert Simpson's as soon a.s I got out and gave whole it appemed to be a good tract of land. From this I went him the bill of seantling you gave me, and the bill of his arti- . to Mr. Thomas Gist's and dined, and then proceeded to the cles. I offered him all the servants that he might take them to Great Crossings at Hog1and's;where I arrived about eight your Bottom until we got our crews at work ; but he refused for o'clock." fear they would run a.way from him. . . . " From there he journeyed back to Mount Vernon "JACOB'SCREEK, May 6,liiL by the route over which he came. "As to the goods, I have stored them; and I went to Mr. Simpson as soon as I came up, and offered him some of the &r- penters and all the servants; but he refused taking them,-the Except by the parties above mentioned as receiving latter for fear they would run away; he has, however, now warrants April 3, 1769, the only purchases made in agreed to take some of both, thecarpenters to do the framing for the present township of Perry during that year mere the mill, and the servants to dig the race. Stephens has agreed those of Eleanor and James Hunter, of Philadelphia, to quit, provided the Indians make peace, and it would be out of the tract of the former being 316 acres, and that of I his power to get them back again, as he has no means of con- the latter 2762- acres. They were located on the I veyance. I am afraid I shall be obliged to build a fort until mates of Virgin Run, and warranted April 19, 1769. 1 this eruption is over, which I am in hopes will not last long. I Of all these purchasers of lands in the present toan- trust you write me full instructions as to what I must d*. Mr. Simpson yesterday seemed very much scared; but I cheered ship of Perry in the year 1769' ever himip al; I could. He and his laborers seemed to conclude to settlers on them. And from that year until 1784 no , build a fort if times grew other purchases of land were made within the present j bounds of the township. GIST'S, May 13, 1774. I DEAR SIR,-I write to let SOU know that a11 Sour servants It is evident from the language of are well, and that none of them have run away. Mr. Simpson journal, above quoted, that the tracts of his has as many of the carpenters as he can find work for, and has and John A. Washingt0n, On the about the seat for the mill from Capt. Crawford's (New Haven) to his own land,

at and near the site of the present town of Perrrop-- * I "JACOB'SCREEI, May 25,1774. olis, but that Lund (Laurence) Washington's land lay ' some distance away from the direct route. It has not "From all accounts Capt. Connolly caught from tbe Indian towns they are determined for war. . . . I have, with the as- been ascertained whom the of these lands sistance of some of your carpenters and servants, built a very passed, nor their exact location. strong block-house; and the neighbors, what few of them hare I not run away, have joined with me, and we are building a In the extracts above given from Washington's jour- stockade fort at my house. Mr. Sirnpson, also, and his neigh- aal of 1770 it will be noticed that he makes reference , bors hare beguu to build a fort at your Bottom ; and we live in

hopes we can stand our grouna till we can get some assistance Gen. Washington, however, did not succeed in sell- from below." ing or otherwise disposing of his lands until the fall A letter from Crawford, dated June Sth, informed of 1789, when they were leased for a term of five Washington that Simpson had completed the fort at years to Col. Israel Shreve,' who afterwards became the Bottoms : their purchaser. He (Col. Shreve) emigrated to "JACOB'SCREEP, July ?7,li74. Western Pennsylvania in 1788 from New Jersey, " My wagon and team have been at work at your mill for some leaving his old home in Hunterdon County in that time, hauling timber, stone, and lime and sand for it. I went State on the 7th of July. With him came others, over to assist in hauling some of the larged of the timber, but forming a party of thirty persons in all, viz. : Israel the late alarming accounts of the Indians have stopped the Shreve and Mary, his wife, with their children,-Ke- workmen, and I have brought home my team. I consider it a. ziah, Hester, Israel, George, Greene, Rebecca, and pity that the mill was ever begun in these times. It appears to me sometimes that it will be a very expensire job to you Henry, with John Fox and James Starkey ; William before it is done. All the carpenters I brought out for you Shreve and Rhoda, his wife, with their children,- stopped work on the sixth of May, except some who were at Anna and Richard (the preceding named traveling in work on your mill. These I pay myself. I shall observe your three two-horse wagons and driving three cows) ; Jo- orders in regard to settling with the carpenters." seph Beck and Sarah, his wife, with their children,- But it seems that the work on con~truct~ionof the Benjamin, Rebecca, Elizabeth, Henry, Joseph, and mill was delayed for some cause (doubtless the open- Ann (in one three-horse wagon) ; Daniel Hervey, his ing of the war of the Revolution), so that two years wife, Sarah, their son Job, a nlnlatto boy, Thomas, Jo- had elapsed from the time of its commencement be- seph, and Ann Wheatley, and John Shellow, the last- fore it mas completed and put in operation, as is named seven traveling with one three-horse wagon, shown by a letter,' dated Sept. 20, 1776, written by one two-horse wagon, and one cow. They came over the mountains to Westmoreland Valentine Crawford to Gen. Washington- when the latter was engaged in the operations of his army County, Pa. Without pausing to follow the fortunes around the city of New York after the battle of of other members of the party, it is sufficient to sg Long Island. The following extract from that letter that Col. Shreve stopped with his family in Rostraver has reference to the building of the mill, and tells the township, occupying the house of Joseph Lenman time when it was first started, viz. : for something more than a year, until he rented the " I this spring, before I came over the mountain, Wiishington lands, as before mentioned. Soou after called at Simpson's to see your mill go for the first concluding the bargain, he wrote to his brother, Caleb time of its running, and can assure you I think it the Shreve, of Mansfield, N. J., a letter which shows what best mill I ever saw anywhere, although I think one was the condition of the Washington lands at that of a less value would have done as well. If you re- time, as also the fact that the mill built by Gilbert member, you saw some rocks at the mill-seat. These Simpson was then in disuse, and too much out of re; are as fine millstone grit as any in America. The pair to be again started without considerable expense. millwright told me the stones he got for your mill The letter referred to is here given, as follows :

there are equal to English burr." " FORKSor YUUGH,Dec. 'ZG, 1789. From this time until 1755 little is known as to what '. DEAR BROTHER,-H~V~~~an opportunity to Philadelphia, was done with Washington's mill, or on his lands in I c~nllnceit and rnentiou my situation or intended one. Since this vicinity. On the 23d of September in that year I 11:~b.ebeen here, have worked to get Washington Bottom, and he wrote to Thomas Freeman (who had succeeded h;ir-e at last obtained the whole tract on rent for five years. Valentine Crawford as his agent) as follows : " I mute to the General by his Agent ill this county, Col.

" If you should not have offers in a short time for the hire 2 Israel Shrme was born Dec.24,1739, at the Shrere homestead,Mount of my mill alone, or for the mill with one hundred and fifty I'lcassnt, Mansfield, Burlington Co., N. J., but at a later period removed acres of land adjoining, I think it advisable, in that ease, to to IIanterdon County in the snme State, where he was living at theont- let it on shares, to build a good and substantial dam of stone Iwe:ik of the Rerolotion. When the first two battalions were raised in where the old one stood, and to erect s proper fore-bay in place Sew Jersey for the Continental army, 11e\\-as appointed by the Congreas of the trunk which now conducts the water to the wheel, and, :Oct. 28, 1775) lientenant-colonel of the Western Battalion, William >I;tswell being appointed colonel and David Ray tuajnr. Thrse officers in a word, to put the house in proper repair. If you should be wrre co~umissionedNor. 8, li75, and the battalion was mustered into , driven to this for want of a tenant, let public notice thereof be tl~eregnlar Continental service in the follo\\ringDeceml~er,andmarched given, and the work let to the lowest hidder, the undertaker to the vicinity of the city of Kew Yorli, which wrw then occupied by the finding lliulself and giving bond and security for the perform- British. ance of his contract. The charges of these things must be paid On the reorganiaatiou of the New Jersey line he \\.as m~decolonel of out of the first moneys you receive for rent or otherwise. If I the Second Regiment, and remained in that comnlaud to the close of the war, serring in 3I~~well'sbrigade, and taking pxrt in many of could get fifteen hundred pounds for the mill and one hundred W;~shington'smost important battles, including that of Nonmouth. acres of land most convenient thereto I would let it go for that Ili* brother wns colonelof the First New Jersey Regiment, 2nd another money." brother (Samuel) lieutenankolonel of the First Battaliall of New Jersey " G. WASHISGTOX." ill the Contine~~tnlline. ------This letter, as also the accuunt of the party w;tl~which Col. Shreve 1 This, a~ well a3 the estracts before given, is from the " Washingtou- e~uigratedfrom New Jersey to Western Pennsylvania, was published in Cramford Letters." the Americuu Magazine 01Hklon~ in IS&.

YJ:KHT TOWKSHIP. 'ill

- - --. ------canon, who a few weeks ago returned from New York; the I Nearly two years after Gen. Washington's death General was pleased to order Col. Canon to let me have the his executors, George Steptoe Washington and Sam- whole of the Bottoms so called at my offer. The old farm con- uel Lewis, constituted James Ross, of Pittsburgh, their tains about SO acres of improved upland and about 40 of the , lawful attorney, to convey the five tracts in pursuance 120 100 best kind of meadows, a bearing orchard of apple and of the agreement of July, 1795; and accordingly, on trees, the building as good as most in this county, I did so the prop- pretty well situated, and five other improved farms that at I the 17th this time rent for S43 108. I am accountable for the whole / erty to the heirs of Israel Shreve. rent. which altogether is £60, so that I shall have the old place CO~.Shreve had four sons,-Henry, John, Samuel, for 516 los., to he paid either in money or wheat at 3s. per and Israel, Jr. Henry was a civil engineer, and was bl-hel. i employed by the government to clear the channel of '.I considered that the land at the Miami settlement was / the ~~d ~i~~~ in ~~~i~i~~~.H~ finally on rising fast, and that I had better pay this low rent for a well- that river at, the present town of shrereport, which in~proied farm than barter away my land st a low rate for land was named in his honor. John Shreve lived in what I~err. Land does not rise much in this place owing to the greet emigmtion down the river. Itseems as if people were crazy to is now the township of Perry, and represented the get nftoat on the Ohio. Many leare very good livings, set out for district in the Assembly with John St. Clair and COI. thex know not mhere, but too often find their mistake. 1 believe 1 Henry Heaton. Samuel Shreve settled in Perry, and rhis as good as any of the settlements down the river for the I mas one of the original proprietors of Perryopolis. present. The Nississippi trade is open at this time. and all the Israel Shreve, Jr., also lived and died in Perry. :vlleat, whisky, b.leon, etc., buying up by those concerned in it. The heirs of Col. Shreve sold the greater part of The highest price for wheat is fjur shillings in trade, or three the property purchased from Gen. Washington to shillings nine pence cash, whisky three shillings cash, and Isaac Meason. In the division of the property after hacon nine pence per pound cash. On the farm where I am going is as good a chance for a grist-mill as any in the whole his death the Shreve homestead, containing one hun- forks, and a mill that can be set going for I believe fifty pounds, dred and sixty-one acres, was set off to Mrs. William, anda number of years given for the repairs. I am in hopes of of Greensburg, by whom it was sold to Caleb An- being able to set it going, as it will produce more grain than all trim, a Quaker. He left it by will to his daughter the six farms on the tract. I am to have possession the first of Mary, Mrs. William Campbell, whose heirs sold it to April next, and flatter myself I have as good a chance as an7 the pfesent owner, John Rice. person in my circumstances could expect. I shall hare nothing A tract of two hundred and thirty-six acres of the to attend to but my own private concerns. I think this way of Washington lands was set off in the partition of the life far preferable to any other. Ricoard Shriere is to have one Meason estate to Alfred Meason. He sold to Benja- of the small farms. They contai< of improved land as follows : One forty acres upland and five good meadows; one thirty-five min Martin, who in turn sold in 1838 to Pierson acres upland and sis good meadows; the other two twenty-five Cope, who still occupies it. His father was one of acres upland and fire or six good meadows ; the whole in fences. the early settlers in Jefferson township, and he is they being the gear before last rented for repairs. Peggy Shrieve himself one of the oldest living settlers of Perry. has a daughter. She and her husband have been very sickly Other purchasers of lands belonging to the original this last Lll, but hare recovered. I am grandfather to another tracts of Gen. Washington were Isaac Sparks, one son. John and his wife are pretty well, as is our family at hundred and eighty-five acres ; Rue1 Sears, one hun- prcsent, but except the measles, as it is in the school mhere our dred and fifty acres; and John Lloyd, one hundred boysgo. I hope you are well also. and sixty acres. Of the latter, the heirs of Alexan- " I am, vith great respect and love, "Your Brother, ISRAELSEIRIEVE." der Thorn now own fifty acres. The tract of Isaac Sparks mas purchased by James Fuller and John F. On the 31st of Jnly, 1795, Gen. Washington, by Martin, Jan. 19, 1831. James Fuller, of Dunlap's his attorney, James Ross, of Pittsburgh, entered into Creek, came to this township in 1817, and purchased articles of agreement to sell and convey in fee simple two hundred acres of the Washington lands of the to Israel Shreve, for the consideration of four thou- widow of Isaac Meason, and one hundred and fifty sand pounds, sixteen hundred and forty-four and a acres of Conrad Shultz, a merchant of Baltimore. quarter acres of land with allowance, consisting of He also purchased one hundred and twenty acres of the five surveys before mentioned, viz. : " Meadows," I Thomas Burns, it being a part of the Burns tract, " Deer Range," " Crab-Tree Run," " Flatt," and which extended to the Youghiogheny River, and on "Spring Run," for which patents had been issued I which the Burns Ford was situated. David and John Washington Feb. 28, 1782. Gen. llTashington died ~~ll~~were two of tile sons of James Fuller. in 1799, never having conveyed the tracts under the / ------of agreement to Col' shreve,' who died I ,vithstanding what has been done, and in consideration of our ancieut in the same year. , friendship, I pl,e you further indulgeuce. Take th~sletter to Col. ------I Th0rn.t~Collius, sheriff of Fayette Connty, and it will operate as a stay At one time, not long before the death of Washington and Shreve, of execution." .Col. Shreve touk the letter to the sheriff as directed ; the furmer, notwithstandinghis great wealth, having become sornewl~at : further time was given, the payments were met (though with great dib Etmitened formoney, pressed Shreve hxni fur pxyn~enton the Iands,and ficulty) by Shreve, but 110th11e and his great creditor passed from earth Caused an execution to be issued against him, at the same time writing I leaving the transaction nncompleted and the lands still unconveyed. him a severe letter in reference to his delinquency; but at its close he The letter referred to renmined in the possession of Sheriff Collins and relented, and snid to his old comrade of Trenton and Monmouth, "Xot his widow for many years.

HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. ------A tract lying directly south of the town plat of,i pay for tke place originally ; becond, in paying off Perryopolis, and containing one hundred and seventy- legacies under the will of Obadiah Bowne, Sr. ; and twc acres of the Washington lands, was sold June j third, in the half-payment at the time of purchase by 13, 1802, to Joseph Sayre. Of this, fifty-one acres ' Mr. Blair. was sold in 1806 to John Baldus, who sold in 1810 to The remainder of the Hunter tract was purchased John Kubbs. On the 11th of Nay, 1815, it was con- by John H. Blaney, James Blair, Sr., John B. Blair, \-eyed to Samuel Shreve, and on this was surveyed and James Piersol, John Carr, John Hamilton, Samuel laid out the outer tier of lots that was added to the Johnson, and Ephraim Lynch. A brother of Eph- town plat in 1815. The land comprising the original raim, Robert Lynch, was a blacksmith and an aae- plat of the town was purchased before 1814 of George maker. For a time he had ashop on the Israel Shrere Meason by Samuel Shreve, Dr. Thomas Hersey, and farm, afterwards built on what is now the King farm. Nathan Hersey. The coal to supply his forge was brought from Little The ltTashington Xi11 property passed to Pawell Redstone. A few years later a vein of coal was found Rough, and from him to John Strickler and Jacob within a short distance of the forge. Strawn. Strawn's heirs sold it to George Anderson, ; The tract of land situated north of the Hunter tract, who repaired it in 1859, and later sold to Samuel 1 and running to the Youghiogheny River, contained Smith, in whose possession it still is. The site has / over three hundred acres. Charles March became the been occupied by a mill in active operation for a I possessor of the tract from the xrarrantee about 1790. period of one hundred and filre years without inter- It passed from him to his son*, John M. and James. mission, except for a few years prior to 1790, during The midonr of the latter is now living on the place. which it was out of repair and in disuse. Christian Patterson became the owner of over one hundred acres of land before 1800. He sold to Ben- James Hunter and his wife, Eleanor, were among jamin Martin, who later conveyed it to Thomas Price, the owners of original tracts in this township, two by whom the present brick house on the farm was hundred and seventy-six acres on Virgin Run being built. The property now belongs to Mrs. Sntton. warranted to him, and three hundred and twenty-six The place where Aaron Townsend now lives mas acres to her, on the 19th of April, 1769. They were owned fifty years ago by his father, Aaron Townsend, residents of the city of Philadelphia, and he a land I Sr., who purchased of Joseph Radcliff. Freeman speculator. It was said of him that he could ride I Cooper resides on a farm purchased by his father, from Philadelphia to Lake Erie and sleep every night Joel Cooper, of John Patterson. on his own land. He and his wife were in the habit Hugh Patterson is a son of James H. Patterson, of of riding through the country together to visit his 1 Franklin township. The latter purchased many lands. Pierson Cope says he remembers that when ' years ago. he was a boy James Hunter and wife came together I North of the Jose~hRadcliff tract is land that for- I to the house of his father (who mas Hunter's agent) merly belonged to Patrick Robinson, who left it by in a private carriage, with a white man for a driver. will to his wife. She conveyed it to Robinson Wur- This driver had heard of sugar-trees, and asked young phy and Samuel Watson, who both live on the place. Cope to shorn him one. This he did, but the man -4djoining this last tract on the northwest is four after examining the tree remarked that he saw no hundred acres of land now owned by James Piersol, signs of sugar upon it, whereupon the lad explained which was purchased by his father, William Piersol, at length (and much to the driver's surprise) the before the commencement of the present century. process by which it was manufactured from the sap. Samuel, a brother of James, owned land adjoining, Both the two tracts above mentioned became Mr. also a part of the land of his father. His son Levi Hunter's property. He lived to a very advanced age, now owns this, and has added considerably to it. and in a codicil to his will (made Dec. 14, 1819) de- Benjamin, Sarah, and Elizabeth Powers, all ad- vised his lands in Perry township to his niece, Mrs. ranced in years, are old settlers, and live on an cld Eleanor H. Curwin. Afterwards the greater part of homestead. these lands were sold by Piewon Cope, as agent, to Thomas Cook, a native of Chester County, Pa., Obadiah Bowne, Sr., and John H. Blaney. came to this township about 1800, and purchased over The Boane tract was sold by order of court after three hundred acres of land south of the Washington the death of Mr. Bowne, Sr. The widow of Obadiah tract. He was a weaver and wheelwright, and forsook Borne, Jr., had an interest of $500 in the property farming after a time and bought the John Follies by will if she married, and the whole of it if she re- mill on Big Redstone Creek, and resided there till his mained single. She preferred matrimony, and in the death. He had a number of children. John, a son, course of time married James Blair, Jr., her manager. settled on Big Redstone Creek, and now owns the inill They bought in the farm, she paying one-half of the his father purchased years before. Rebecca, the purchase-money and he the other half. Mrs. :Blair daughter of Thomas Cook, married James D. Cope, by this last act helped to pay for the farm three times, the father of Eli and Pierson Cope. The farm of -first, in assisting her husband in helping his father Tlion~asCook was pnrchased hy George Stickle, Pat-

PXRRT TOWNS13 11'. 713

-- - A ------. - .- . \Tatsori, Josiali Icing, a~ltlDavid Jol~o-. Josiah and slstecn Ly .Jacob, and one 1;undred and ninety King, in addition to his original purchase, now owns by James Harris. part of the George Stickle farm. 1 Henry Stow, Samuel and David Luce now own land A property lies in this section of the township for- long known as the Powers farm, a tract of over four merly owned by William Wallace, and now by John' hundred acres. From Powers it passed to Hurst, who H. Patterson, that contains a fine vein of coal, which sold it to John H. Martin, by whom at different times is the eastern outcrop of the Pittsburgh or Mononga- it has been conveyed to it. present owners. hela basin. Joseph McGara many years ago owned a tract of West of the Cook farm, adjoining the Jefferson : two hundred acres. He died. His family sold out and zownship line, is a farm formerly omned by Samuel i removed West. The farm is now owned by Philip Brewer, whose son Henry now owns it. Adjoining / Luce, Elliot Porter, William Wiggle, and others. this tract north lies a tract that many years ago was The section of the township known as the Brow- onned by John Negis. Later it was owned by Wil- neller settlement was formerly owned by Thomas and liam Binns, by whom it was conveyed to William I William Bleakley. Frederick Browneller came from Price, who now owns it. Franklin County, Pa., and purchased the Thomas Jonathan Hewitt, a native of Ireland, came to this Bleakley tract, and Jacob Snyder that of his brother, country in 1770, and in 1756 to this section. No ac- , William Bleakley. The heirs of Jacob Snyder still count is shown of purchase until Sept. 15,1807, mhen own the property. On the Snyder farm mas built the he purchased of Thomas Barns one hundred and sixty 1 old log church belo~gingto the Cumberland Presby- acres of land, part of the tract which mas patented terians, and known by the name of "Harmony." Oct. 26, 1795. The children of Jonathan were Abel, The present church stands nearly on the same site. Joseph, John, Elizabeth, Mary, and others who moved Frederick Browneller built a saw-mill on a small West. Abel lived on Washington Run, near the stre;m near his place, which was discontinued a few mouth, where he erected a saw-mill and carding-ma- pear3 ago. He had four sons,-William, Samuel, chine. He died there, leaving a widow and large Frederick, and George. The two former remained on family, now scattered in the West. John Bradley 1 the farm, and the other removed West. A steam saw- now owns the Abel Hemitt property. In 18'70, Brad- ; mill at the mouth of Van Meter's Run is owned by ley started the manufacture of fire-brick in the run, I Peter V:m Meter, of Rostraver township. He mar- and later removed above Layton's Station, where he 1 ried a daughter of Peter Riarmie, who was for many is still manufacturing. I pears connected with the Jacob's Creek Iron-Works. ' Joseph Hewitt lived on part of the old farm. His The land now omned by Oliver Porter and John son Milton now owns it, and is devoting it to fruit Bryan was owned many years ago by one Peter Reed. culture. In 1877 he started a fruit-house for preserr- 1 Joseph Whitsett took up a warrant for one hundred ing apples late in the spring. He studded and i and forty-four acres of land in the section. The land 1 sheathed an old house with eighteen inches space, / where Ralph C. Whitsett now lives, on the Youghio- which was filled with saw-dust. The first year he I gheny River east of Van Meter's Run, was formerly kept successfully five hundred barrels, which were owned by a Mr. Thompson, who sold to Robert Wil- sold in March for four dollars and seventy-five cents kinson. The Illartin Elwell farm was formerly owned per barrel. In 1879 five hundred barrels were also by Henry Stone, Sr. A Mr. Rhodobacker purchased kept, and in 1550 twelve hundred barrels were put up, of the warrantee the farm now owned by the heirs of which were finely preserved. An additional house I David Carson. Job Strawn, from Berks County, was built in 1578, which was intended to keep them 1 Pa., prior to 1800 purchased a tract of three hundred still later. I acres. When the excitement of magnificent enter- John A., son of Jonathan Heaitt, settled on part prises broke out at Perryopolis, he became interested of the homestead where his daughter, Mrs. George in the glass-works and the bank at that place, and Jackson, now lives. Elizabeth married James Bians mhen the crash came, his property was swept away by and went West. Mary married Asa Chambers ; they the disastrous management of the former. The farm lived and died in the township. A son, Asa, now lives / was sold at sheriff's sale and purchaed by his son Ja- on part of the farm left to his mother. , cob, who lived there until his death in December, 1855, Jacob Harris purchased five hundred acres of land / by an accident on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad of the warrantee. ' It lay west and northwest from I near Layton Station. His son is now a merchant at Washington Bottoms. He had four sons-Benjamin, Perryopolis. Job Strawn, after the sale of his prop- James, Isaac, and Jacob-and six daughters,-Amy erty, removed to the West. (Nrs. Andrew Work), Annie (Mrs. Thomas Patton), Thomas Carson many years ago purchased a tract Ilachel and Sally, who married brothers by the name of land known as the "Round Bottom.'' It passed of Stemm ; Jenlima (Mrs. John Coder), and Eliza from him to his sons John and James, and recently (Mrs. Harvey Henderson). Jacob in his mill devised the homestead was sold to Slbert Marlin. Joel, a his real estate to his sons and grandsons. The hun- grandson of Thomas, owns a part of the farm for- dred acres were omned by Benjamin H., one hundred , merly owned by his grandfather.

714 HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Samuel Burns bought of the warrantee a tract of 27th of June, 1821, conveyed all the lands mentioned land, which was patented to him Dec. 28, 1809, and to Paca Smith, in trust to convey to Henry Sweitzer, known as "Liberty Hill." He devised the property and on the 27th of July, 1822, he conveyed the prop- to his son, Thomas E. Burns, who sold it on the 8th erty by deed to Henry Eweitzer mid Jacob Bowman of November, 1823, to Robert Bleakley. On the 31st as tenants in common. The greater portion of the of January, 1848, it came into possession of James lands were afterwards sold to the Jacob's Creek Oil Fuller, and is now owned by his son, David Fuller. Company, by whom they are still owned. Of the other sons of James Fuller, John resides in The ruins of the old furnace-stack, charcoal-house, the borough of Perryopolis ; James, William, ad and other structures are still visible. The two first Alfred are residents of Philadelphia. The last two mentioned are in Fayette County. The abutment of are engaged in shipping beef to London, and are also the bridge which crossed the creek at this place is still very extensive manufacturers of oleomargarine. U7il- standing, a pile of stones without form. The ruins of liam acts as managing partner in London. tlle forge are on the north side of the creek, in West- The settlements before mentioned were all south of moreland County. The ruins are approached from the Youghiogheny River. In that part of the presrnt Burns7 Ford north to the school-house, thence west- township north of the river, and thence to the county erly by an old road to the woods, and winding down line on Jacob's Creek, the largest purchaser was Wil- the hill into the deep valley of Jacob's Creek. As the liam Turnbull, of the firm of Turnbull, Marmie & approach is made to the creek the stack is visible be- Co., merchants of Philadelphia, who became inter- low, and upon the upper side of the road, directly in ested in iron ore which was found in these lands. rear of it, are the ruins of the charcoal-house, a solid This firm, in the spring of 1789, began the erection wall of masonry, sisty feet in length, twenty feet in here of the first furnace built west of the Allegheuy height, and two and a half feet thick, the end walls Mountains. At what time the warrants were taken estending back to the hill, about twenty feet, the rear out is not known. The tract on which the furnace ; wall being formed by the natural rock. With the ex- was built was named " Rocksbury," and contained ception of the east end and the top of this wall, it is three hundred and one acres. The patent was issued as solid and as true as when first laid. After passing

on the 13th of July, 1789. At this time the furnace I the ruin the road extends several rods westerly, still was so far completed as to be mentioned in a petition ' descending to the creek, where it is met by another to the court of Fayette County, at the June session, ' road coming up from the mouth of the creek. From for a road "from the furnace on Jacob's Creek to this junction the road runs up the stream on the low Thomas Kvle's mill." level a few rods to where the furnace is located. and A tract of three hundred and one acres, named at which place the road crosses the creek into West- " Frankford," and another adjoining of two hundred moreland County. The stack is about twenty-five and nineteen acres, named " Springsbury," were feet square, with two arches, now partly broken away, patented to Mr. Turnbull at the same time. A tract one on the north side and one on the west. A part of of two hundred and twenty-three acres adjoining, a low wall is standing that extends from the south named "Luton," was patented to Jacob Lowrie, Jan. side of the stack towards the hill. The northeast 9, 1789. This was purchased by Turnbull & Mar- corner is still true for a height of eight or ten feet, mie on the 9th of October, 1791. In addition to the except the lower stones, which have fallen away. ten hundred and forty-four acres owned by Mr. Turn- The others are crumbled. Shrubs, mosses, and climb- bull in Fayette County, there was obtained by patent ing vines partially hide the ravages of time, and trees and by purchase thirteen hundred and eighty-one are growing from the upper part of the stack, one of acres of land across Jacob's Creek, in \Vestmoreland which is five inches in diameter. A view of the ruins County, as follows : " Rural Felicity," 262 acres, mill be found with the articIe on furnaces in the gen- patented Xov. 1, 1787 ; "Bannockburn," 308 acres, eral history of this county. patented July 11,1789 ; " Darby," 312 acres, patented On the extreme northwest corner of the township, July 13, 1789 ; " Abington," 200 acres, patented at the junction of Jacob's Creek and the Youghio- April 17, 1790; and a tract of 299 acres, named gheny River, Chistopher Beeler took out a warrant " Springfield," which was patented to John Gebhart, for 2984 acres of land, Dec. 16, 1788, and received a March 10, 1785, and sold to Turnbull, Marmie & Co., patent therefor March 11, 1789. He came from Vir- Oet. 9,1791. These tracts of land, by reason of the ginia, and lived in this section befbre he took out his financial difficulties of Mr. Turnbull, were trans- warrant, as he was with Col. Crawford in his cam- ferred to Col. John Holker (one of the firm) on the paign of 1782. Hesold this tract to Col. Isaac Meason, 10th of February, 1797. But little was done at the who gave it to his daughter Mary, who married Dan- furnace after 1793, although it continued in operation iel Rogers. They lived in ConnelIsville, and the hrm till 1802, when its fires went out forever. Col. Hol- was rented many years. It was finally purchased by ker, on the 20th of January, 1817, entered into an A. R. Bauning, and when, about 1859, the Pittsburgh agreement with Henry Sweitzer for these lands. In and Connellsville (now the Baltimore and Ohio) Rail- accordance with this agreement, Gol. Holker, on the road was completed, astation was opened at that place

PERRY TOWNSHIP. called Banning's Station. The land is still owned ton's Station, purchased a tract south of the river, by Mr. Banning. About 1870, Daniel Hohenschell said to have been formerly owned by -Lloyd, and started a store, which was kept for a year or two. In now owned by Jacob Henderson. It is a tradition 1879, M. L. Wright built a store at the station, which that before the warrant was obtained for this land is still there. A brick manufwtory is in process of Michael Sowers lived in an old cabin and ferried construction by Smith & Hough. people across the river. After his death one Dunn Gen. J. B. Sweitzeiowns 240 acres of land adjoin- ' lived in the cabin. He was drowned a few years ing the Beeler tract, east on Jacob's Creek. This was later, and the place was long known as " Dunn's part of the Turnbull lands. I Deep Hole." There is an old burial-place in the

Thomas Forsyth took out a patent for 171 acres of I rear of where the cabin stood, where seventy or sev- land in this part of the township. He had sons, 1 enty-five years ago hundreds of graves were to be Ezekiel, David, and Thomas. Ezekiel settled on the seen. In 1812, Aaron Jones lived there, and his wife homestead. His son Thomas now lives on the farm was drowned in the river while crossing in a canoe. adjoining. Henry and John, sons of Ezekiel, both The name was changed from Dunn's to Layton's after lire near. David, son of Thomas, lived in Westmore- , the purchase by Abraham Layton in 1821. land County. A tract of three hundred acres was located next east Valentine Secrist took up a tract of one hundred 1 of the Turnbull lands on Jacob's Creek. It was pat- and eight and three-quarter acres on a warrant dated ented by Andrew Robinson, and owned by him as Sept. 29, 1791, for which he received a patent dated j late as 1859. He sold the farm to Plummer and October 26th the same year. He also received a war- Stiner. It now belongs to Pierson Cope. rant for two hundred and forty-five acres the same date, Many years since a grist and saw-mill were erected which mas surveyed November 2d of the same year, on this tract at the falls, which are at this point and another of one hundred and ninety-eight acres, twenty-five feet high. Two dams have rotted down. warranted Oct. 5,1790, surveyed Feb. 11,1791. These No improvements are on the place at present. last two tracts were in what is now Tyrone township, adjoining the Turnbull lands. A part of these lands ERECTION OF TOWWSHIP AND LIST OF OFFICERS. are now occupied by descendants of the family. Da- A petition of inhabitants praying for a township vid Secrist lives on the tract in Perry township. to be formed out of parts of Washington and Tyrone John Zizing came to this region of country as a com- townships mas presented to the January term of boy with Peter Galley. He learned the trade of a court, 1839. William Davidson, Thomas Boyd, and cabinet-maker, and for many years worked among Joseph Torrance were appointed commissioners. the farmers before purchasing any land. On the 10th They made a report at the June session of court the of March, 1819, he took out a warrant for sixty-eight same year, from which the following is extracted, viz. : and one-quarter acres, and on the 25th of February, 1822, a warrant for one hundred and fifty-eight acres. "That in pursuance of said order they met at McDonald's These tracts were patented to him June 23,1822. He Mill, on Virgin Run, in Franklin township, baing the most convenient point of meeting for said viewers, and after view- had three sons, John, Gottlieb, and Solomon, who live ing the ground proposed to be formed into a new township, on the lands a short distance from Layton's Station. and being accompanied all the time by a number of intelli- Henry Stemmel purchased a tract of land which gent, respectable citizens interested in the new township, and was a part of the Turnbull lands, now owned by Mrs. finding great unanimity of sentiment so far as heard es- David Morrow. Samuel and John Stemmel, sons of pressed by all included therein,theg unhesitatingly recommend Henry, live in the township. to the court the formation of a new township out of parts of the The land on which Layton Station is situated was townships of Washington, Franklin. and Tyrone, with the fol- a tract called "Springfield," and was patented April lowing boundaries, viz.: Beginning at Robinson's Mill on 6,1791, to Mary Higgs (a daughter of John Shreve), Jacob's Creek, on the line between Fayette and Westmoreland Counties, in Tyrone township ; thence a straight line to Robert and contained two hundred and seventeen acres. It I Hutchinson's barn, in Tyrone township aforesaid; thence a was deeded by her June 3,1795, to Francis Bryson, and straight line to the foot of Grassy Island, in the Y~ughioghen~ was sold by him Ang. 2, 1797, to George Johnston, River, at the head of the round bottom; thence UD the said who conveyed it on the 2d of April, 1806, to William river to the mouth of Virgin Run; thence up the said run to Espy. It was devised in his will to his sons, Hugh McDonald's Mill; thence by a new road recently located from and zobert, in December, 1813. On the 25th of Oc- I said mill to the old road leading from Onion Town to Pttts- tober, 1821, they conveyed the greater portion of it to I burgh near Robert Patterson's; thence with the said Pittsburgh Abraham road to the top of the hill ncsr Martin Lutz' house; thence by Upon his death the land ! a straight line to the Perryopolis and Coobtown mad, near passed his and Abraham, who for a where a ravine crosses sa~droad on Thomas fitton's ]and; long time built keel-boats on the river to sand thence by a straight line to a white-oak tree on the lVestmore- and glass down the river. The land was sold by the , land county line, on tho land of Jacob Snyder: thence by the Laytons to Daniel R. Davidson, and in 1864 was con- county line aforesaid to the place of beginning." veyed to Joseph Wilgus. Michael Lapton, after the death of his father and sale of the lands at Lay- ' June 7, 1839, the report was confirmed by the

7 16 HISTORY OP PAYETTX COUNTY, YENNSYLVAXIA. -- court and a township erected "according to the lines lS46. Ross M. Murphy. 1S64. Noah Armstrong. of the plot returned, to be Perry township." 1 1347. James Pnttcrson, Jr. 1865. Sawuel Strickler. The following is a list of township officers of Perry lS4'- James 1366. Benjamin F. Harris. 1849. William Martin. 1867. James Bell. fro:u the time of its erection to the present: -"- 2=E- 1 1S5O. Joseph Luce. I 1868. Asa Chambers. ! 1351. Martin Ellwell. ! 1869. Martin Thompson. JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. ( 1S52. Lynch R. King. 1970. Thomas C. Strarm. S-LO. James Fuller. 1863. George W. Anderson. i 1S53. Aaron Townsend. 1573. C. B. Campbell. J. A. Murphy. Ellis Simpkins. 1S54. Milton Hcwitt. Elliot Porter. 1S65. John R. McDonald. S45. Job Rossell. : 1S55. Job Strawn. 1Si4. Samuel Luce. Reuben Sutton. Josiah King. 1 1856. John Ifewitt. 1575. John Townsend. S50. Pierson Cope. 1870. Robert Bleakley. , 1857. Gottlieb Zizing. 1Si6. William Blaney. James Blair. Robert Blenkley. 185s. Henry Stuckstager. ISiS. Henry Stone. 1873. T. L. Newell. S55. Thomas Shepherd. 1 lS59. John A. Murphy. 1S79. George W. Jackson. Robert Bleakley. 1Si4. James D. Cope. i 1S60. Patrick Watson. ISSO. Philip Luce. 187s. T. J. Suttle. S5S. James Blair, Jr. ! 1S61. Jacob Strickler. 1SS1. Job Strawn. Robert Bleaklev. I 1.379. Thomas Watson. I 1S62. George M. Jackson. E. K. Chalfant. I 1SSO. Thomss C. Strawn. 1S60. Robert Blenkley. . 1863. Janles P. Cope. John K. XcDonald. 1

I AUDITORS. PERRYOPOLIS. 16-10. Amos IIcwitt. 1S5S. Pierson Cope. ' Before the year 1814, Dr. Thomas Hersey, Nathan Samuel Hubbs. 1S59. Martin Hewitt. 1 Hersey, and Samuel Sh~erehad bought of George James Patterson. 1860. Charles Lutz. I Yeason a part of the Washington tract, with the in- 16-11. John A. Murphy. 1S61. George W. Martin. tention of laying out a village or town upon their 1S42. Jsmes Fuller. 1562. Eli McClelland. 1Si3. John L. Morton. 1563. David Puller. parchase. Thomas E. Burns owned land on the Samuel Porter. 1S64. Robert Bleakley. northeast of them, and became interested with them Robert Bleakley. lS65. John yard. in the platting of the town. On the 18th of March, 1S-N. William Campbell. 1866. Pierson Cope. in the year named above, these four proprietors exe- 1845. Pieraon Cope. 1867. Emlin Pierce. / cuted the "charter" of the town of Perryopolis, as 1Si6. W. T. McCormiek. 1868. Daniel Fuller. I follows: lS47. Andrew Stone. 1869. David P. Hagerty. I S4S. Thomas Shepherd. 1870. Joseph Piersol. i '. To all to ahom these presents shall come, Greeting : Whereas 1SJ9. John li. iVf.cDonald. 1S74. David Luce. j we, the undersigned, Kathan Hersey, Thomas Hersey, Thomas 1Sj1). William Martin. 1S75. A. Hinenbaugh. / E. Burns, and Samuel Shreve, of Fayette County, B; State of 1551. John Hewitt. 1576. Joseph Piersol. ; Pennsylvania, for divers good causes and considerations there- ma. John K. McDonald. 1S77. David Luce. ! unto moving, have caused to be laid off on the contiguous parts Si lS5:j. Samuel Watson. 1S'iS. Samuel Luce. / of our lands in Washington Township, County, State aforesaid a number of lots interspersed with Streets and Alleys, in 1.354. L. R. King. 1S79. William Snyder. ! 185.5. David Luce. 1SSO. Leslie Harris. i order to promote the erection of a Town, to be known by the ' name of Perryopolis. Now know ye that in order to promote lSS. James E. Strickler. William W. Patterson the prosperity and encourage the improvement of said Town, 1S57. Henry Mherling. 1SS1. Elliot Porter. and secure to the purchasers of lots therein the privileges and ASSESSORS. , immunities necessary for the common interest, we, the undersigned Proprietors of Perryopolis aforesaid, feel it our plea- 1840. James BI air. 1S43. Robert B. Patterson. urnble duty to give forth this our Charter, to wit: < Washing- 1S41. Martin Elwell. 1844. John Blaney. ton's Diamond,' in the centre of said Town, is laid off one 18-12. Alexander Armstrong. ls45. John M. 311nrch. i hundred and sixty feet square. The two principal Streets, ' ' Liberty' and ' Independence,' crossing each other at right 1 At the September term of court, 1842, a petition was presented "of ~ sundry of Perry for an alteration of the line be- , an~lesin said Diamon(1, are laid eighty feet wide. The t,,.eeu said township and the to,voship of T~~~~~,as pet dr& annexed ; ~I~CSSproceeding from each of the four corners of said Dia- to petition." Order was issued and ~iewersappointed. On the 2d of i mond are laid off twenty feet wide. All the other streets are December,lS44, the order was renewed to March sessions,184%at which j laid out and intended to be sisty feet wide, and all other alleys time the report was approved (BIarch 14th), axid confirmed the court are laid off and intended to be fifteen feet wide, as by the gen- Jnue 6th in the same year. At the same time a change was made in the eFsl plan hereunto / will appear. All which said Dia- line between Perry and Jefferson (see Jefferson and Tyrone township i mond, Streets, and Alleys shall be 2nd remain of the above histories). D~~~~~,,~~term of 1851, a wa presented for-a stipulated width and dimensions severally, any excess or defi- view to change the line between Fraukliu and Perry townships, so as to . ciency in the measure of any lot or lots notwithstanding, and embrace Aaron Towusend, Jr., Laban Blauey, John H. Blaney, and Joel they are hereby declared to be public highways, and appropri- Cooper (no>v of Fnnklin township) in the to\vnship of Perry, by start- ated solely to that purpose. To have and to hold the free ing at the towuship line at or near said Tou.nsend's new holm; thence use of the ground of the above.described Diamond, along the Greeufield and Connellsville road to Joel Cooper's farm or Streets, for above to the Purchasers, b,ridge that crosses the head-waters of Virgin Ruu, and thence down tbe purposes same to 31alcolm McDonald's Mills.n The commissioners Inhabitants, rind Citizens of the aforesaid Town of Perryopoli's, >>-ereJosi* King, Daniel Essin,*u, and Samuel C. Griffith. Order was its vicinity, and dlother persons whatsoever demeaning them- issued Jan. 24,1552. Report approved at the March sessions of court, selves peaceably and as liege citizens of the United States, in 1&2, and confirmed at the June term following. common with ourselves, our heirs, and xssigns forever, reserv-

PERRY TOWNSHIP. 717 - ing the ti~nbcrthereon for our own p:~.rtieul:truse. . . . Given )f Henry B. Goucher, under whom the business lan- under our hands and seals at Yerryopoli~,the lSth of March, pished, and mas finally discontinued. The property in the year of our Lord 1S14. low belongs to the heirs of the late Andrew Stewart. 'l THOJIASHEIISEY. The Youghiogheny Banking Company was organ- '' THOYASE. BUR%. .zed in 1814 by Eastern men, who succeeded in in- " SAYUELSBREBE. '' NATHANHERSET." lucing the farmers through this section to subscribe largely to its stock. The only definite knowledge ob- In the laying out of the alleys eight triangles were tained of any of the affairs of this bank is the follow- formed, which were set apart for public uses as fol- ing advertisement, found in the columns of the Genius lows : No. 66, religious ; 67, female school ; 68, acad- $Liberty of the year indicated, viz. : emy; 69, male school; 70, religious; 71, Masonic, YOUGHIOGHENY BANKING COMPANY. medical, mechanic; 72, library ; 73, " paupery." The " charter and plat were filed May 3, 1837. "Stockholders to attend at the house of Caleb B. At the time of the laying out of Perryopolis there Potter, in Perryopolis, on Monday, Nov. 18, 1816, in were but two or three straggling dwellings on its site. order to elect a Cashier, and for other purposes. One of these was the house or cabin of John Wilgus, "JOSEPHBENNETT, who as early as 1806 came from his native State, " Cmhier pro tenz. Xew Jersey, and settled on the Washington Bottoms, "PEEETOPOLIS,Oct. 19,1816." then in the township of Washington. He became a The affairs of the bank were wound up gradually, justice of the peace, and filled that office for many and the management finally came into the hands of pears. He is still remembered by the older citizens Robert Lynch and Jesse Arnold, and every dollar of of Perry township. . His son Joseph mas born in its notes (presented for payment) was redeemed. 1807, where Perryopolis now is, and he is now living So that the public lost nothing, though the original at Layton's Station. Edward Wilgus, a brother of stockholders lost all. The old stone banking-house, John, came here at about the same time. He was a on Liberty Street, was purchased by John F. Martin, shoemaker, worked at his trade here, and ended his who afterwards kept a store in it. It is now occupied days here. Some of his family are still residents of by the Perryopolis post-office. Perryopolis. The platting of the new town had the effect to at- David Barnes and Joseph Barnet came here from tract considerable attentioa to the place, and the dis- Connellsville soon after the opening, of the glass- covery of sand suitable for the manufacture of glass works, and sunk a well near Washington's Run to the induced the organization of a company for that pur- depth of nearly three hundred feet in the hope of pose. The project being pushed with energy, and finding salt water. Their expectations were realized recommended to the people in glowing terms, the far- to the extent that they struck a vein of strong salt mers and other well-to-do inhabitants of this section water, from which they were enabled to produce about of country subscribed liberally to this enterprise, as two hundred bushels of salt, and they began to en- also to the stock of a banking concern which was tertain high hopes of brilliant success, when, at the started about the same time. A flint-glass factory end of about n week, the flow suddenly and entirely was erected where the Methodist Church and ceme- ceased, and the manufacture of salt in Perryopolis tery now are. From bad management or other causes was terminated, probably forever. none of these projects proved profitable to the original A newspaper was started in Perryopolis (soon after stockholders or of permanent advantage to the town. the laying out of the town) by William Campbell, a Their failure brought disaster to many public-spirited brother of Dr. Hugh Campbell, of Uniontown. He people who aided them by subscriptions, and Perry- (William) had been the editor of the Fayette and opolis never realized the prosperity and importance Greene Spectator, in Uniontown, for one year from its which at one time seemed assured by the establish- first publication in 1811. The name of the paper he ment of these enterprises. published in Perryopolis has not been ascertained. The Perryopolis Glass-Works is a name well known The office where it was published was on a lot oppo- in this region, but very little definite information can site the residence of John Fuller. Campbell, the now be obtained concerning their starting and subse- editor and publisher, had moved from Uniontown in quent operation. They were carried on by Thomas 1812 to Washington township, where, in January, Bleakley, whose management resulted in disastrous 1813, he married Priscilla, daughter of John Porter. failure and the sale by the sheriff of about twenty of The pager which he started in Perryopolis was short- the best farms in this section, their owners having lived, and after its discontinuance he removed to New sunk their property in subscriptions to the stock of Lisbon, Ohio, where he soon after commenced the the glass company. After 1830 the glass-works prop- publication of another journal. erty came into the possession of John F. Martin and The first tavern in Perryopolis was opened in 1815, Jonathan Baker, and under their management be- by Caleb Porter, on the corner where Davidson7s came more successful. Later it came into the hands Hall now stands. In this house all the public meet- 46

HTSTORY OF F-4YETTE COUXTP, PENNSYLVANIA. - ings of that time mere held. Gen. Lafayette dined Aaron Higbee now lives in Perryopolis. It continued there in 1825, when on his ray from Uniontown to to be worked by him for about fifteen years, then it Cookstown (Fayette City) and Pittsburgh. Among i was sold to John Ebbert, who ran it for one year. He the landlords of the place from time to time were ' sold to Thomas Suttle, who carried it on for about John Waldron, George Hazen, and Moses Jeffries, twenty rears, after which it was discontinued. The the latter of whom lived at the lower end of the town, kiln is still standing. where James Shepard now lives. David Anderson, of Pittsburgh, built n pottery below Smong the early blacksmiths of Perryopolis were .the glass-works and near Washington Run in 1859. Daniel Fields, whose shop was on the school-house Three years later it was sold to John A. Murphy. It lot ; Thomas Van Hook, on the NcDonald lot ; and mas kept in operation till 1868. William Kyle, where Adam Hixenbaugh now has a John Porter & Brothers started a pottery in 1859 shop. In 1-830, Mr. Hixenbaugh took the shop, and in the rear of the Methodist Church. 1t was in oper- has been in the business continuously till the present , ation only about three years, and then discontinued. time. I The sand and clay of Perryopolis and vicinity were Samuel Porter came from Greene County, Pa., to found to be admirably adapted to the manufacture of Perryopolis in 1819. He mas connected with the glass and pottery-ware. Large quantities of sand glass-works till about 1851, when he bought a part were shipped about 1825 from this place to Pitts- of the Turnbull tract, north of the Youghiogheny burgh, Monongahela City, Brownsville, Cookstown, Biver, where his son James now lives.-a part of the and Elizabethtown. A vein of clay sixteen feet in old Secrist tract. On this land he, with his son John, 1 ithickness was used largely, both for the pottery-works quarried stone for furnace use until 1860. About that here and for shipment to other markets. time stone of the same quality was discovered in the mountains above Connellsville, where John and In the year 1853, when stone blocks were being James Porter are now engaged in the quarrying of it. contributed from all the States of the Union for the The first resident physician in Perryopolis was Dr. erection of the Washington Monument, at Washing- Thomas Hersey, one of the original proprietors of ton, D. C., a block for that purpose was quarried by the town. He afterwards removed to the West. Pierson Cope, owner of a part of the Washington Among thos;? who succeeded him in practice here Bottoms, from which it was taken. Its removal Gom were the following-named physicians: Dr. William the quarry to the "Diamond" in Perryopolis was Morris practiced and died here. Dr. McSherry came made the occasion of a Fourth of July (1853) cele from Brownsville, practiced here for a time, and after- bration, of which Gen. Joseph Markle was the presi- wards removed to Mineral Point, Wis. These were dent ; William Campbell (who lived on the site of the followed in practice by Dr. Mitchell ; Dr. James E. old Washington house), Dr. David Porter, and others, Estep (died here in 1836) ; Drs. .Patterson, Way, vice-presidents; and Col. William Y. Roberts, orator Crawford, Gordon, Johnson, F. Shugart, James Storer, of the day. The procession which escorted the block Robinson, Abrams, H. B. Arnold, Grader, and McKos- from the quarry to the " Diamond" was large, and ac- key. The present physicians of the town are Drs. 0. companied by a band of music. The stone (five feet P. McKay and J. H. Davidson. in length and eighteen inches square) was loaded on Dr. McKay studied medicine at Washington, Pa., a wagon drawn by four fine horses, t.rimmed and dec- with Dr. J. W. Blatchley; attended lectures at the orated with flowers and evergreens. Sitting on the Ohio Medical College, Cincinnati ; came to Perryop- block, and dressed in "regimentals," was an old negro 01% Feb. 12,1866, and has since been in practice in called "Funty Munty," or Simon Washington, who the town to the present time. had been a slave, and owned by Qen. Washington. Dr. Davidson is a native of Redstone township. This old man, with a stone hammer in his hand, occa- He studied medicine with Dr. S. W. Chalfant, at sionally pecked the stone, so that it might truthfully Upper Middletown ; attended lectures at the Western be said not only that the block was taken from land Reserve Medical College, Cleveland, Ohio; has been once owned by Gen. Washington, but that it was in practice in Perryopolis since Dec. 12, 1572. He is worked by one of his former slaves. The celebration a member of the Fayette County Medical Society. was attended by nearly three hundred people, and great enthusiasm was manifested on the occasion. The postmasters of Perryville from the establish- ment of the office to the present time have been (as Schools were taught at different times in an early nearly as can be ascertained) as follows : Caleb Trevor, day in several of the dwelling-houses of Perryopolis. Moses Jeffries, William McCray, Adam Hixenbaugh, Mrs. John F. Martin remembers attending school John Ebbert, Allen Xurphy, John Voorhees, James about 1820 in the bank building where she now lives. Murphy, William Grist, John McCullough, Mary The school was taught by a man named Tower, and Campbell, and Lucy Martin, the present incumbent. afterwards by Isaac C. Murphy and -Ayres. In 1828 a school-house was erected on lot No. 69, which In 1838 a pottery mas put in operation where had been designated and set apart in the original plat

PERRY TOWNSHIP. 719 -- -. - -- - and charter for the purpo;e of' :t male school. Under A bed of fire-clay, lying above the sand-rock, is the school law of the State, this school-house came bund admirably adapted for union with German clap under charge of the school directors, It was used for 'or fire-pots, and also unites well with the Missouri schools for some gears, and then abandoned. The :lay. This fire-clay is taken out and shipped by Mr. present school-house was built in 1852, on lot No. Wilgus at eight dollars per ton. In the past twelve 79, which was donated by the proprietors in the char- gears he has sold it to the amount of thirty thousand ter of the town for "Paupery." The schools of Perry- lollars, mostly for shipment to Pittsburgh. There is opolis are at present under charge of Noah Patton as tlso found on his tract a Bond clay, which is used for principal. bhe manufacture of fire-brick. In the year 1871 "The Diamond Fire-Brick Company" commenced work at A lodge of the Independent Order of Good Tem- this place, and in 1879 sold out to Davidson & Drumm, plars was chartered in Perryopolis in May, 1879, with who have manufactured about two million bricks the John A. Ebbert as W. C. Templar, and Miss Lucy A. past year. About an equal number are manufactured Martin as Vice-Templar. It now contains about by the Keystone Fire-Brick Company, who com- thirty-five members. The present (1881) officers are : menced operations in the spring of 1880. These Noah Patton, W. C. T. ; Mollie Strawn, V. T. ; Walter bricks are chiefly used in the construction of furnaces Hixenbaugh, Sec. ; Lewis Herwick, Treas. Meetings and coke-ovens. are held in Davidson's Hall. Land on the bottoms along the Youghiogheny Fayette Lodge, No. 172, Ancient Orde? of United River mas, in the early years, considered as of little Workmen, was chartered March 23, 1880, with six- value, and the locality was known as "Poverty Neck," teen members. It now (June, 1881) contains twenty- but it has since proved a mine of wealth to its posses- seven. The present officers of the lodge are as named sors by reason of the development of its sand-rock and below : P. M. W., E. K. Chalfant ; M. W., William fire-clay resources. C. Drumm ; Foreman, Joseph Newcomer; Overseer, " Big Falls" in the Youghiogheny, near ~ayton T. G. Herwick; Recorder, N. 0. Stinger; Financier, station, is a place noted for th'e many drownings and J. H. Davidson ; Receiver, J. Baker, Jr. other accidents which have occurred in its swift cur- The population of Perryopolis by the census of rent. In 1805 a man named Moorhead mas drowned 188C was three hundred and twenty-one. there by the swamping of a flat-boat. In 1807 another accident of the same kind occurred at this place, LATTON STATION. resulting in the death of one man. In 1810 a Mr. This railway station, which has given its name to Dougherty, when in liquor (as was said), attempted to the small village clustered about it, is located on the ford the river here and was drowned. In 1814 a flat- right bank of the Youghiogheny River, in the east boat, loaded with pig-metal, was sunk here and one part of Perry township, on the line of the Pittsburgh man drowned. In the same year George Ebbert and and Connellsville Railroad, and was established at Martin Kennedy, both of Perrybpolis, were drowned the time of the opening of that line. The first store here from a raft of logs. In 1822 a man, while at- was opened there by Henry H. Brollier, who was also tempting to land an iron-loaded flat-boat, after pass- a telegraph operator. He became successful in trade, ing through the dangers of the falls, jumped for the and afterwards left the place and removed West. shore, but fell into the river and was drowned. In His successor in the store was James Stickle, who 1834 a coal-boat coming down the river at a high kept it two or three years, and sold to Baugh & stage of water was wrecked at this place, drowlling Drumm, who are the present proprietors. Another four men,-Andrew Burtt, John Franklin, Andrew store was opened by P.M. Hunt in 1876, and one has Knight, and Wesley Johns. In 1836, Andrew Bobb recently been built for Carson & Carr. The first was killed while assisting in turning a flat-boat. In postmaster at Layton Station was Henry H. Brollier, 1839, Uriah Strickler was drowned vhile attempting who mas succeeded by James' Carson, the present to take a boat through the falls. The accident oc- incumbent. curred in March, but the body of the drowned man About 1868 the rock on the farm of Joseph Wilgus, was not found t.ill the following May. In 1850 a man at Layton, was found to contain a large percentage was lost from a log raft above Connellsville, and his of pure silex, rendering it valuable in the manufkc- body was found a month later at these falls. ture of glass. Samples were sent to Pittsburgh, where its quality was pronounced excellent, and from SCHOOLS OF THE TOWNSHIP. that time to the present large quantities of it have Under the operation of the public school law of been shipped to that city for use in the glass-works. 1834, school districts were organized in the territory Mr. Wilgus has sold a part of his land (about four now Perry township, then included in Washington acres) containing the rock to Noah Spear, who is con- and Tyrone. After the erection of Perry as a separate stantly employed in supplying it for the glass-works township it mas redistricted as it is at the present in Pittsburgh. The amount now shipped daily to time into seven school districts, as follows : that place averages forty tons. Summer Hill District is in the north part of the

HISTORY OF BAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. - -- township, bordering on the line of Westmoreland 1864. Robinson Murphy. ISTO. J. D. Cope. County, and west of the Youghiogheny River. The 1865. William Hopkins. 1873. Joseph D. Tilgus. 6. B. C. Slocum. school-house is nearly in the territorial centre of the J. McDonald. Samuel Smith. David Morrow. district. Henry qtine. ' Andrew Patterson. West Point District embraces all .the territory of John Gwinn. lSi4. J. R. Hough. the township lying between the Youghiogheny and 1S66. William Luce. .John Blackburn. Jacob's Creek. Paul Hough. 1875. Joel Strawn. Poplar Hill District lies west of Perryopolis, and John K. Marsh. Hugh Patterson. extends to the west line of the township. The school- Samuel Albertson. 1876. John H. Davidson. house is located near the line. 1867. Joseph 4. Ebbert. Phiiip Luce. Perry District embraces the greater part of the vil- James Porter. 1877. Nathaniel Stephens. Michael Layton. Asa Chambers. lage of Perryopolis, and extends northmardly to the John Blackman. 1878. W. C. Drumm. Youghiogheny. 1868. Thomas Little. P. F. Harris. Herschel District includes part of the village of David Luce. 1S79. Joseph Newcomer. Perryopolis, and extends eastward along the Youghio- William Gibson. 1SSO. Bathaniel Stephens. gheny. The school-house is about a mile southeast of 1869. William Patterson. Asa Chambers. the village. William Roseell. 1881. W. C. Drumm. Stickle District lies in the southwest part of the George W. Jackson. Gouchen Hisenbrugh. township. The school-house is near the centre of the 1870. Josiah King. district, on the main road running southwest from RELIGIOUS WORSEIP-BURIAL-GROUNDS. Perryopolis. Jackson District is in the southeast part of the The Methodist Episcopal Church in Perryopolis township. Its school-house is near the residence of was organized within a few years after the laying out J. B. Blair. of the town, and was from the first embraced on a The number of pupils attending the several schools circuit with other appointmenix. For many years of the township in 1880-81 was four hundred and their services were held in the school-house and in forty-four. Number of teachers, nine; valuation of the bank building. About 1832 they erected a church school property, $8000 ; total expenditure for educa- edifice, which has been used as a house of worship tional purposes during the school year, $1632.50. until the present t.ime, it having been repaired and Following is a list of persons who have been elected remodeled in 1872. Among the preachers who have school directors in Perry from the organization of the served this church may be named the Revs. Robert township to 1881, viz. : Boyd, - Sawhill, John Coyle, James Larscom, 1840. Henry Stimel. 1852. Henry Stone. Samuel Wakefield, John Wakefield, J. C. PersEing, Joseph Luce. John Patterson. Patterson, Sheets, Davis, Cartie, and others. The John Hewitt. - Josiah King. church has now no regular pastor, but has a mem- Robert Bleakley. 1853. Josiah King. bership of about seventy-five. It belongs to the 1841. Pierson Cope. John A. Murphy. Redstone Circuit, being one of four appointments, 1854. Samuel Watson. 1842. Joseph Bute. viz. : Perry, Upper Middletown, Jones', and Dunbar. John Porter. 1843. Alexander Armstrong. Other denominations hold occasional services in David Potter. 1855. Joel Cooper. 1844. Presley St. Clair. Peter Darr. the village of Perryopolis. John Dewilter. 1856. Josiah King. Edward Stickle. Eli McLean. The Harmony Church (Cumberland Presbyterian) 1845. John H. Blaney. 1857. Henry Hardesty. congregation, in Perry township, first used as a house James Piersall. James Porter. of worship a log building which was erected for the Jacob Strickler. 1858. James Cope. purpose on land owned by William Rleakley, wliere 1846. Ralph Whilsett. James Blair. there had previously been a distillery. The present 1859. Charles Rossell. Lewis Eberhart. church edifice (a frame structure) was bnilt in the fall Josiah King. George Anderson. 1847. Amos C. Strawn. David Fuller. of 1859. Job Rossell. 1860. Harvey Leeper. Among the pastors who have labored with this eon- 1848. James Patterson. Samuel Hoggest. gregation have been the Revs. John Gibson, H. J. William Price. Noah Armstrong. Anderson, A. J. Swaim, James Beard, Luther AX- Henry Stimel. 1861. Samuel Uncksterter. tell, S. E. Hudson, and W. M. Hayes, the present 1849. Henry Stimel. John Purcell. pastor. James Gwinn. 1862. Aaron Townsend. On the road leading from Perryopolis to the Red Henry Foster. 1850. James Blair. Lion, and near the township line between Perry and Joel Strewn. William L. Grist. Job Rossell. 1863. Adam Higinbaugh., Jefferson, stands the oId Quaker meeting-house, or 185i. Adam Higinbaugh. William Hopkins. rather the ruins of it, for the roof has fallen in, leav- William Campbell. Gottiieb Zizing. ing only the ancient walls st.anding. This was built James Elair. 1864. Joseph Luce. by the Friends of this vicinity so many years ago that

JAMES YEIRSUL.

PERRY TOWNSHIP.

none now living remember its erection. Adjoining prominent member of the United Brethren Church, the site of this old meeting-house, and also adjoining and was noted for his piety, and was a local preacher. lands of S. Strickler, T. Shepard, and heirs of Benja- ' The doctor's grandfather, Jacob Davidson, was min Brown, is the old Quaker burial-ground, sur- born in England. When quite young his father, who rounded by a substantial iron fence, and kept in good aas a minister of the gospel, emigrated to America, condition by a small fund donated by some one of the ' and located in Philadelphia. Jacob, the doctor's

Quaker sect for the purpose. In this old cemetery- 1 grandfather, married Mary Young, of Franklin ground lie interred the remains of many of the early I County, Pa. They came to Fayette County in 1837, Friends and other settlers of the vicinity,-Jonathan , and settled on the Basil Brown tract of land, near Hewitt, John Shreve, Joseph Shreve, Samuel Cope, Xrownsville. He died -4pril 1.5, 1856, aged seventy- Joshua Cope, Isaac Cope, John Negus, Joseph Negus, fmr years. He was a miller by trade, owned a large Joseph Shepard, William Nutt, Jesse Couldron, Wil- / amount of land, and was long a director in the Mo- liam-~riffith,and many others. With the exception nongahela Bank, of Brownsville. of this old ground the places of interment of those After graduating Dr. Davidson first practiced his who died in Perry township in early years were upon profession in company with his preceptor and father- the farms. in-law, Dr. Chalfant. He located in Perryopolis in In Perryopolis a burial-ground was established on December, 1872. From the beginning his practice the land of the Methodist Episcopal Church, but there has been large and lucrative. He is recognized burials are now chiefly made in the Mount Washing- as a skillful physician. His judgment is excellent ; ton Cemet,ery, which was laid out on land taken for his knowledge of men and general business acute. the purpose from the farm of Cyrus Martin, about a He has held the office of school director in Perry mile and a half south of the town. township, and, according to a late county superin- There is also a cemetery in use at the Cumberland tendent of schools, was one of the very best directors Presbyterian Church in the Browneller settlement. in Fayette County. His possessions are houses, lands, bank stock, brick-works, book accounts, energy, good health, good sense or brains. The doctor's maternal grandfather, Jacob Kelley, was born in England, came to America when young, BlOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. and settled in Westmoreland County, Pa. Dr. Davidson's parents, Jacob and Mary Davidson, were married June 2, 1835, and had ten children, H. JOHN DAVIDSON, M.D. nine of whom are living,-Mary, married to John Although a young man, Dr. John H. Davidson, of Rice, Nov. 2, 1855; Elizabeth, married March 12, Perryopolis, is one of the prominent physicians of 1862, to Otho Brashear; Kate, married Jan. 23, Fayette County. He was born Nov. 15,1845, in Red- 1867, to Benton Bennett; Lou, marrjed Jan. 3, stone township, Fayette Co., at the old Brownfield 1871, to James F. Grable; Haddie, married July tavern stand, two miles east of Bromnsville, on the 24, 18'73, to Jesse Coldren ; Anna, married Nov. 12, Xational pike. His early life was passed upon his 1874, to Luther Noble ; Amos W., married May 29, father's farm in much the same manner that farmers' 1878, to Maggie Vernon ; and Ada, who is single. boys usually spend their time. He was educated in the common schools and Dunlap7s Creek Academy, and read- medicine in the office of Dr. Samuel B. JAMES PEIRSOL. Chalfant, of Upper Middletown, Fayette Co., and Among the old families of Perry township we find attended lectures at and graduated from the Medical the name of Peirsol. The first of the family to settle Department of the Western Reserve University, of in Fayette County mas William Peirsol, who bought Cleveland, Ohio. He began his conrse in this college of Thomas Estel, in 1784, the farm now owned in in 1868, and graduated in 1870. He mas married Dec. part by James and Lewis Peirsol. He w* married 26,1871, to Chilnissae J. Chalfant, daughter of Dr. S. B. to Miss Grace Cope, and was born, according to the and Elizabeth Chalfant. Mrs. Davidson died June 27, Cope genealogical history, about the year 1748. For 1877. They had one child, Clayton Torrance Darid- a time Mr. Peirsol lived in a rudely built cabin, which son, now a bright boy of eight years. The doctor in time gave way to a log house. which at that time was married again Jan. 10, 1881, to Mary E., the mas considered a model of elegance and comfort, and sister of his former wife. which still stands on the farm of James Peirsol. In Dr. Davidson is of English stock. His father, this he resided till his death at a ripe old age. His Jacob Davidson, was born in Westmoreland County, children were John, born in 1782 ; Sarah, 1785 ; Jere- Pa., and married Hannah Kelley, of the same miah, 1787 ; Samuel, 17S9 ; Mary, 1792 ; Elizabeth, county. Soon after his marriage he located upon the 1794; William, 1797 ; and James, the subject of this farm where the doctor was born. He died in 1858. sketch, May 29, 1799. All of the children grew to Mr. Davidson's occupation was farming. He was a man's and woman's estate. On the 29th day of June,

HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

1823, James was married to Elizabeth Gue, who was , owned by James Carson. In 1840 he built a house born Oct. 2, 1806. To them have been born John, 1 Inear Perryopolis, in which he resided till his death, June 10, 1825 ; Mary Jane, Dec. 2,1827 ; James A., Sov. 7,1844; his wife died July 24,1838. Both were Feb. 5, 1830 ; Sarah, Feb. 6, 1832 ; Joseph, July 4, members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 1834; Emeline, Feb. 2,1837 ; Edith, March 17,1839; Josiah King, of whom this brief sketch is written, Nancy V., May 6,1842 ; and Jacob L., Nov. 28; 1831. was born Dec. 18, 1801, on Laurel Hill, in Somerset After his marriage he went to Ohio and settled on a Co., Pa. His chances for an education were limited trnct of mild land owned by his father. Here he re- to a few months' athendance at a country school, and mained four years, clearing awaj. the forests and im- :ompleted in the school of life by observation and re- proving the farm when not engaged in his favorite membering what he saw, making his judgment on any pursuit of hunting, of which he was passionately subject desirable. From the age of sixteen to nineteen fond, and at which he became an expert. Not liking years he served as an apprentice as a cloth-dresser with his new home, he returned at the expiration of the Myers & McClay. He was then for three years a four years, his place being filled by an older brother. partner of William Searight in woolen cloth dressing, On the death of his father the old homestead fell to when the building of woolen-factories made their him, on which he still resides and to which he has business unprofitable. We now for a few years find added, until it now comprises 300 acres of valuable him building boats on the Youghiogheny River, and land. For more than thirty years Mr. Peirsvl has shipping sand and stone to Cincinnati and other been a consistent member of the Baptist Church, and points. This business proved remunerative, and he through a long life has been an honored and respected obtained a start in life. In 1835 he went on the farm citizen. he with others had bought in 1828 in Jefferson township. There he remained until 1845, when he rented of Robert Lynch the farm which he now owns (bought JOSIAH KING. in 1848), and where he intends to pass the remainder In the year 1816, George King, with his wife and of his long and upright life. The farm now consists children, moved into Fayette County, and in the town- of 180 acres of well-improved land, the result of in- ship of Perry bought the fulling-mills which are now dustry and good management. On the 3d day of July, known as the Strickler mill property. It was a part 1823, he was married to Nancy Lynch, daughter of of the General Washington tract. George was the son Robert and Mercilla (Martin) Lynch. She was born of Michael King, who was of German descent, and May 27, 1804, on the farm where they now reside. was born in York County, Pa. After his marriage to Their children are L. R., born Aug. 11,1824, married Susan Husbands he moved to Somerset County, ,where to Rebecca Shepherd. Ee emigrated to Winona he bought a farm, on which he passed the remainder County, of which he was three terms sheriff; died of his days. He was a local Methodist preacher, and Nov. 8,1868. Elizabeth, born March 5, 1826, mar- his descendants have nearly all been of the same re- ried Dec. 25,1845, to S. B. Chalfant. Catherine, born ligious faith. Jan. 28,1828, married Michael C. Cramer ; died Map George was born July 4,1774, on the home-farm in 21,1855. E. L. King, born Feb. 17, 1830, married Somerset County, and, as set forth above, emigrated to March 21, 1854, to Miss Mary M. Sanborn. He is a Fayette County in 1816. He was a carpenter, and at physician of Ashtabula, Ohio, of which place he is intervals followed that calling for many years, quitting now mayor. Enos King, born June 12, 1834, mar- it finally for the farm. In 1794 he was joined in married June 12,1856, to Polly C. Stephens. Mary Jane, riage to Miss Catherine Stickle. The result of this born March 19,1836, married to Rev. John McIntyre, union was ninechildren, two of whom died in infancy; March 15, 1860. Mercilla Ann, born Bug. 17,1838, the others were Susan, Josiah, Enos, Caroline, Rachel, married Aug. 18, 1864, to John H. Martin. She Mary, and William. He operated the fulling-mills a died May 6,1870. And George F., born Feb. 11,1841, few years, then sold out and bought the farm now died May 17, 1851.

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