ti^j:l±^ '""'. '11,4 ] .,,,1,. ^ I e "'.iT'tm^'^^ / ' '/a / / '«' o HISTORY HUNTINGDON COUNTY, STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA, FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO THE CENTENNIAL ANNI- YERSARY OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE, JULY 4, 1876. MILTON SCOTT LYTLE. LANCASTER, PA.: WILLIAM H. ROY, Publisher. 1876. Entered according to Act of Congress, In the year 1876, by MILTON SCOTT LYTLE, f In the OflSce of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. PBAKSOL & GEIST, PRINTBBS, LANCASTER, PA. PREFACE. The first suggestion of the preparation of local histories at the close of the first century of our national existence that came to the atten tion of the author of this work was made some four or five months before the opening of the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia. The purport of that suggestion was that such histories be sketches of the progress of towns and villages, to be delivered before assem blages of their citizens, respectively, on the then approaching anni versary. With a view to enlarging upon this idea, the author wrote a communication to the Philadelphia Press, which was also published in a number of other newspapers, recommending the preparation of histories of counties, and that they embrace sketches of sub divisions and minor localities. Shortly afterwards, action upon the subject was taken by Congress, and the following joint resolution was adopted by the Senate and House of Representatives, and ap proved by the President on the 13th of March last : ^^ Beit resolved, etc., That it be and is hereby recommended by the Senate and House of Representatives to the people of the several States, that they assemble in their several counties or towns on the approaching Centennial anniversary of our national independence, and that they cause to have delivered on such day an historical sketch of such county or town from its formation, and that a copy of said sketch be filed in print or manuscript in the clerk's office of said county and an additional copy in print or manuscript be filed in the IV PREFACE. office of the Librarian of Congress, to the intent that a complete record may be thus obtained of the progress of our institutions dur ing the first centennial of their existence." This resolution was promulgated in proclamations of the Governor of Pennsylvania and the President of the United States, by the former on the 21st day of April, and by the latter on the 25th day of May, following its adoption. After reciting the resolution, the pro clamations were as follows : GOVERNOR'S PROCLAMATION. " Now, therefore, I, John F. Hartranft, Governor as aforesaid, do hereby favorably commend this resolution to the people and authori ties of the various cities, counties and towns of this Commonwealth, with the request that wherever the observance of the incoming anni versary of our National Independence will permit, provision may be made to comply with the recommendation contained therein, so that these historical sketches may be made to embrace all information and statistics that can be obtained in relation to the first century of our existence as a Commonwealth." PRESIDENT'S PROCLAMATION. " And whereas, It is deemed proper that such recommendation be brought to the notice and knowledge of the people of the United States ; now, therefore, I, Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United States, do hereby declare and make known the same in hope that the object of such resolution may meet the approval of the people of the United States, and that proper steps may be taken to carry the same into effect." Although the histories of counties were thus in contemplation, the plan proposed was not a large one. The material of a historical character that could be condensed into a fourth of July address or PREFACE. V oration would necessarily be brief and unsatisfactory. It could in clude but a few of the most important outlines, and only such facts as in all probability had already been put into a shape to insure their preservation. That these histories could be made complete only by the adoption of a much more extensive plan, is apparent from the fact that this work has grown into a volume more pretentious in size than the author designed it to be in any other respect. In fact, to prevent its proportions from becoming too great, he was compelled to omit much that he originally intended it should contain. The annals of townships and boroughs, which he at first thought of giving in full, he has been obliged to shape according to the space that could be allowed to them. When it is remembered that there are in the county twenty-five townships and twelve boroughs, it will be seen that a sketch of each to the extent of eight or ten pages, would have filled this book, to the exclusion of the general history of the county, which, in the opinion of the author, at least, is of more importance. The sketches of a few of the townships may be regarded as sufficiently thorough. These were prepared before it was discovered that equal space could not be given to all of them. As the author desired to act upon the suggestion he has mentioned, especially after it was given an official shape by the action of Con gress and the proclamations of the Governor and President, and as he was unwilling to confine himself to the meagre limits proposed by them, he has reconciled his own ideas as nearly as possible with theirs, and has produced this volume, which he hopes will reach a larger public than could any history prepared and delivered in strict accordance with the plan contemplated by the resolution. It is impossible for the author to specify the many persons to whom he is under obligations for courtesies and assistance in his researches VI PEEFACE. for the material for this work. There are some, however, from whom he has received favors that deserve to be especially acknowl edged. Several of these have been mentioned in the chapters for which they contributed information, while to the others he must here express his thanks. To Mr. B. F. Ripple he is indebted for a sketch of Cromwell township, to Hon. David Clarkson for a sketch of Trough Creek valley, to J. L. Mcllvaine, esq. , for a sketch of Jackson town ship, to Dr. J. H, Wintrode for a sketch of Penn, to Robert McDivitt, esq., for a sketch of Oneida, to Dr. J. A. Shade for a sketch of Dublin, and to Samuel McVitty, esq. , for a sketch of Shirley. He is also largely indebted to all the editors and publishers of newspapers in the county. Their uniform courtesy and readiness to aid him whenever required, led him to believe that they appreci ated the work in which he was engaged and encouraged him to per severe in its completion. The editorial profession, to be successfully pursued, requires, perhaps, a higher intelligence than any other, and the approval of the gentlemen connected with it has a peculiar signi ficance. Those who have assisted him most are Messrs. J. R. Dur- borrow and J. A. Nash, of the Journal, Prof. A. L. Guss, of the Globe, S. E, Fleming, esq,, of the Monitor, Messrs. Hugh Lindsay and Frank Willoughby, of the Local JVeios, and Col. J. M. Bowman, of the Mount Union Times. Having endeavored to keep in view three of the purposes for which history should be written : first, to interest the general reader, second, to present facts and statistics for information and reference, and third, to preserve a record of the past, so that the scenes and the actors may not be forgotten, the author presents this work, hoping that he has not failed in any of these objects ; that it wUl be received by the public in the same generous spirit manifested PREFACE. VU toward him during its preparation, that it will grow in value as time recedes, and that the few copies that may outlive the second century of American independence may be sought after by our descendants, and may form the basis of a new and enlarged history of that portion of this free and enlightened people for whom Huntingdon county is to be a home and an abiding place. M. S. L. Huntingdon, Pa., Oct. 19th, 1876. CONTENTS. FAOB. CHAPTER 1 17 Aborigines of Huntingdon County— Doubts Concerning Them— jpirst White Vis- ifcors— Indian Traders— Their Character — The Old Indian "War-Path. CHAPTER II 20 Conrad Weiser — His Journey to the Ohio— William FranMin — George Croghan — Andrew Montour — Black Log — The Standing Stone — John Harris's State ment — Its Location— Meaning of Inscriptions upon it—^Second stone erected by the Whites. CHAPTER III 28 A Popular Error— The story of Captain Jack— Its Unreliability— Jack's Kar- rows — Origin of the Name — Murder of Armstrong, Smith and Arnold— Shick- alamy's Statement — The search for and finding of the Bodies— Monument to Jack Armstrong. CHAPTER IV 35 Aggressions upon TJnpurcbased Lands— First Settlers in Huntingdon County — Measures taken to Expel Them— Burning of their Dwellings— Aughwick— Burnt Cabins — Discontent of the Indians— Ineffectual Work. CHAPTER V 40 Treaty and purchase at Albany in 1754— Description of Lands Conveyed by the Six Nations — Consequences which FoUowed- A Turning Point — The Six Nations— Their Sovereignty — History — Residence — Character — TheDelawares — Their Subjection to the Six Nations — The Shawnees — Imperious Assertion of Authority — An Acknowledgment by the Delawares — Fatal Revenge. CHAPTER VI 45 Aughwick— Croghan~Kls Reasons for Settling There— Surrender of Fort Neces sity — Indians .Come to Aughwick— Are Furnished with Supplies by Croghan — Drunkenness — Temperance Measures — Weiser 's Conference with the Indians —Charges Against Croghan and the Answers to Them— Braddock's Com plaints—Death of the Half Kmg— Consolation from Croghan— Indian Desire for Presents — Monacatootha. CHAPTER VII 55 Fortification of Aughwick— Croghan's Views— Postponement of the Project — Movement against the French— Braddock's Expedition— Appeal to the Indians— Croghan in Command of those from Aughwick — Deserters— Thanks of Council- Speech of Soarroyady — Indians leave Aughwick— Change in Croghan's Relations to the Government — No Longer in Charge of Indian Affairs. CONTENTS. CHAPTER VIII 61 Revival of the Project of Fortifying Aughwick— Condition of the Frontier Settle ments—Reasons why they were Unprotected — Conflict between the Governor and the Assembly— Croghan Commissioned as a Captain and Ordered to Erect Stockades- -Where they were to be Built — Fort Shirley— Captain Croghan Recruits men to Garrison the Forts — Difficulties Concerning His Accounts — Resigns his Commission and Leaves Fort Shirley, CHAPTER IX 66 Commissary General of Musters Visits and Pays Troops at Fort Shirley— Letter from Captain Mercer— Recruiting at Carlisle— Strength of Garrison at Fort Shirley— Condition of his Company — Arms, Accoutrements, Provisions and Pay — Capture and Burning of Fort Granville — Preparations for an Attack en Fort Shirley--Colonel Armstrong's Expedition Against Kittanniug— Een- dezvous at Fort Shirley- -Surprise and Eout Of the Indians-Killing of Captain Jacobs, the Indian Chief— Captain Mercer Wounded and Missing— He Rejoins His Company — Evacuation of Fort Shirley, CHAPTER X 70 Situation on the Frontiers after 1754— Warrants Granted in 1755— In 1762 — Hugh Crawford's Improvement— Revival of Purchases — Dangers From and Depre dations by the Indians — The Town of Huntingdon— Its Founder, Dr. WUliam Smith — Selina, Countess of Huntingdon. CHAPTER XI 74 Huntingdon at the Beginning of the Revolutionary War — The McMurtries — Fort Standing Stone — Tories — Colonel Piper Exceeds his Authority— General Eoberdeau at Huntingdon -His Letter — Tory Expedition to Kittanning— Its Eesult — Death of Weston and Dispersion of his Men. CHAPTER XII 82 1778 to 1782 — Cumberland County Militia sent to the Frontier — Difficulty of Obtaining Arms— Colonel Broadhead's Regiment Ordered tc Standing Stone — Captain Thomas Clugage's Company — At Fort Roberdeau — Charges Against Captain Clugage— His Reply to Them— Militia of Lancaster and York Called out for Service in Bedford and Westmoreland — Their Failure to Respond — Colonel Martin's Letter to Council — Assistance from Cumberland County — Huntingdon a Depot for Supplies— Division of County into Military Districts — Colonel George Ashman — His Report to President Reed — His Anxiety For the Safety of the Country — Surrender of Lord Cornwallis— General Carlton Supersedes Sir Henry Clinton — Peace. CHAPTER XIII ...,•,,. 91 Division of Pennsylvania into Counties — Philadelphia, Bucks and Chester — Lancaster — Cumberland — Bedford — Huntingdon — County Seat — Townships then within the County — Election Districts — First Incumbents of County Ofl&ces- Court Houses — Jails— Running and Ascertaining County Lines — Difficulties with Mifl^n County — Erection of new Counties — Centre — Cambria —Blair. CHAPTER XIV 101 A Tempest in Politics — Adoption of the Constitution of the United States — Opposition to it in Huntingdon County — General William McAlevy — His Political Influence — Armed Interference with the Public Officers in the Per formance of their Duties— Turbulent Interruption of the Courts — Arrests and Rescues- Muster of Col. Cannon's Battalion— Assault and Battery upon Benjamin Elliott — The Military retires from the Field — More Arrests — De struction of Warrants and Indictment— Obliteration of the Records of the Court of Quarter Sessions — Secretion of Smith and Flight of Henderson — Action of Supreme Executive CouncU — Further Violence — McAlevy and the Mob — The Storm Subsides. CONTENTS. XI PAGE. CHAPTER XV 110 Close of the Eighteenth Century— Peace and Plenty— Prosperity and Improve ment—Navigation of the Juniata and Raystown Branch— Of the Little Juniata and Standing Stone Creek— First Iron Works— Bedford Furnace — Barree Forge— Huntingdon Furnace— First Ark on the Susquehanna and Juniata — First Newspaper— Establishment of the Post Office at Huntingdon. CHAPTER XVI 116 Newspapers of the Past — Huntingdon Gazette— Literary Museum— Republican Advocate — Huntingdon Courier — Huntingdon Messenger — Standing Stone Banner — Shirleysburg Herald — The Union — Broad Top Miner— Workingmen's Advocate— Young America — The American and the Republican. CHAPTER XVII 124 Newspapers of the Present — The Journal— A. W. Benedict — Theo. H. Cremer — James Clark — J. Sewell Stewart — J. R. Durborrow — The Globe — William Lewis — A. L. Guss — ^The Monitor — Destruction of the Office by the Soldiers — S. E. Fleming — M. M. McNeil — The Local News— Hugh Lindsay— Mount Union Times — The Herald — The Leader — The Pilgrim — The Young Disciple. CHAPTER XVIII 137 Enterprises of the Past — Post-Eiders— Arks— Pack-Horses— Juniata Mail Stage — Weekly — Daily — Time From Philadelphia to Huntingdon and Pittsburg — Mail Route to Chambersburg—Tumpikes— Incorporation of the Huntingdon, Cambria and Indiana — Huntingdon and Lewistown— Pennsylvania Canal — Legislation Under which it was Constructed— Preliminary Surveys — Opened for Navigation— Public Enthusiasm — Sale to the Pennsylvania Eailroad Com- pany^Abandoned W^st of Huntingdon. CHAPTER XIX 147 Railroads — Philipsburg and Juniata— Huntingdon and Chamber sburg—Him- tingdon and Hollidaysburg — Pennsylvania — Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain — Drake's Ferry and East Broad Top — East Broad Top Eailroad and Coal Company — Lewisburg, Centre and Spruce Creek— Telegraphs. CHAPTER XX 157 Organization of First Agricultural Society — Its Objects and Manner of Advancing Them — Present Agricultural Society — Organization— First Officers — Incorpo ration — Dates Upon which Fairs have been Held — Premiums and Expenses — Present Officers— Statistics of Agriculture and Manufactures. CHAPTER XXI 163 Coal and Iron — Early Knowledge of the Existence of Coal on Broad Top — Attempt to Create a Market for It— Beginning of the Coal Trade — Annual Production— Detailed Statement of the Business for 187S — Coke — Juniata Charcoal Iron — Furnaces and Forges by which it was Made. CHAPTER XXII 168 Education— Number of Schools in the County— Average Number of Months Taught — Number of Children in Attendance — Teachers — Classification — Branches Taught — School Buildings — Primitive School House — Recent Archi tecture—Heating of School Rooms— Furniture and Apparatus — Teacher's Institutes— County Superintendenoy— Salary— List of Persons who have Held the Office- Receipts and Expenditures for School Purposes — Illiteracy — Number of Persons who cannot Read or Write, xu CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXIII 178 Private Schools — Shirleysburg Academy and Seminary — Milnwood Academy — CasBville Seminary — Soldiers' Orphan School— Huntingdon Academy — Moun tain Seminary— Churches. CHAPTER XXIV 182 Population and Wealth — Steady and Gratifying Increase — Progress from 1790 to 1870— Whites, Free Colored and Slaves— Foreigners— Countries from which they Came and number from Each — Distribution of Population — White and Colored, Native and Foreign — Value of Real and Personal Property- Compar ison with Other Counties — Area and Taxation, CHAPTER XXV 185 The Great Rebellion — ^Kesolutione Adopted before its Commenoement — Series of Meetings at Huntingdon in April, 1861, and Proceedings Thereat— Departure of the First Company for Harrisburg — Enthusiasm of the People — Display of the National Colors in all Parts of the County — Supplying Soldiers withKe. freshments — Suldiers' Aid Societies — Number of Men Furnished by the County dui-ing the War — Commissioned Officers, with their Rank Commands, Etc, — Militia — Emergency Men — Decoration of Soldiers' Graves — Memorial Association, CHAPTER XXVI 200 Supreme Executive Council — Members from Huntingdon County — Col. John Cannon — Benjamin Elliott — Numerous Public Positions Filled by the Latter — His Descendants. CHAPTER XXVII , 202 David Rittenhouse Porter— Leading Events in his Life before becoming a Citi zen of Huntingdon County— Clerk and Manager at Barree Forge — Engaged in the Manufacture of Iron on Spruce Creek — His Failure— Elected County Auditor — Member of Legislature— Appointed Prothonotary — Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds — Elected State Senator— Governor in 1838 and 1841 — Vote in Huntingdon County — Retires to Private Life— Death. CHAPTER XXVIII , . . 207 Hon. John Scott — His Education — Admission to the Bar — Appointed Deputy Attorney-General — Elected a Representative in the Legislature^Supports the Government in the Suppression of the Eebellion, and Advocates the Ee-election of Lincoln in 1864— Elected United States Senator— His Public Services— Committees of which he was a Member — Part taken by Him in Legislation — Appointed General Counsel for Pennsylvania Company and removes to Pittsburg. CHAPTER XXIX 214 Representatives in Congress— First Election— Apportionments-Districts to which Huntingdon County has Belonged — Names of Representatives and Tears of their Election— Hon. E. Milton Speer- Sketch of His Life. CHAPTER XXX 217 President Judges- Appointments Previous to 1851— Elections in that Year and Subsequently— Hon. George Taylor— His Death— Proceedings at Meetings of Members of the Bar— Sketch of His Life— Associate Judges— Prosecuting At torneys and District Attorneys. CHAPTER XXXI 225 Senatorial Districts Fixed by Constitution of 1790— Septennial Apportionments and the Districts to which Huntingdon County has Belonged — Senators Elected Since 1790 — Representatives in Legislature — Members Elected Since the Erection of the County. CONTENTS. XIU FAQB. CHAPTER XXXII 229 Constitutional Conventions— 1776— Benjamin Elliott— 1790— Andrew Henderson —1838— Delegates From the County and Senatorial District— 1873— Dr. John M'CulIoch and John M. Bailey. CHAPTER XXXITI '. . 232 County Offlcers— Sheriflfs — Prothonotaries, Clerks of Courts of Common Pleas, etc. — Eegisters, Recorders,, and Clerks of the Orphans' Court — County Treasurers — County Commissioners— Directors of the Poor— County Surveyors — Jury Commissioners. CHAPTER XXXIV 238 Huntingdon — Old Deed of Conveyance — Incorporation as a Borough — Extensions of Borough Limits — Additions to the Plan of the Town— J. Edgar Thomson's Survey— Miller, Wharton and Anderson's Addition — Manufacturing Estab lishments — Planing Mill and Furniture Factory — Shoe Factory and Tannery — Car Woiks and Machine Shops- Broom and Brush Factory- Pilgrim Publi cation Building— Number of Buildings Erected — ( J ensu b— Opening and Ex tension of Streets — Change in Street Nomenclature — Numbering of Buildings and Lots — Division of the Borough into Wards — Fire Department — Engine House — Gas — School Buildings and Schools — Churches and Pastors. CHAPTER XXXV , 262 Townships — Divisions and Sub-Divi sions— Erected from Tyrone — From Hun tingdon — From Barree — From Hopewell— From Shirley — From Dublin — Townships formed Since the Erection of the County, in the Order of Their A ges — Barree — Hopew ell . CHAPTER XXXVI 265 Dublin Township— The Shadow of Death — Early Settlers — Alexander Blair^ Manufactories — Development of Mineral Wealth — Shade Gap— Incorporation as a Borough — Churches, etc. CHAPTER XXXVII 272 Shirley Township— Early Settlers— Mills— Stores— Drake's Ferrj — Clintonville Santa Fe — Mount Union — Iron Ores of the Southern Part of the County — Improvements in Mount Union and Vicinity — Jet d'Eau and Hotel des 1 nvalides — Shirleysburg. CHAPTER XXXVIII 279 Franklin Township— Agricultural and Mineral Wealth — Iron Works— Post Offices— Springfield Township — -Firsb Settlers— Their Character — Early Schools and Churches — Public Improvements — Causes that have Retarded the Development of the Resources of the Township. CHAPTER XXXIX 283 Union Township— Trough Creek, Smith's and Hare's Valleys— The Streams — The Tory Hare— Mapleton— Morris Township— Water Street— Spruce Creek or Graysport — Union Furnace. CHAPTER XL 293 West Township—Shaver's Creek Valley— Anderson's Fort— Escape of Jane Maguire — Petersburg— Warrior's Mark Township — Origin of the Name — Birmingham — Its Foundation, Growth and Decline. CHAPTER XLI 299 Tell— Henderson — Porter — Walker, XIV CONTENTS. FAQS. CHAPTJER XLII 302 Cromwell Township— Indian Bemains — George Irvin — Early Settlements — Furnaces— Bedford— Eockhill— Winchester— Eoekhill Iron and Coal Com pany — Their Improvements— Starting of the New Furnace — The Clugage Family — Black Log — Orbieonia. CHAPTER XLIII 314 Tod Township— Union— Trough Creek Valley^— Cass— Salisbury, or Chilcoats- town — Cassville — Hon. David Clarkson. CHAPTER XLIV 319 Jackson Township — Joseph Jackson — General William McAlevy — ^His Method of Immigration — McAIevy's Fort — Schools and Churches — Greenwood Fur nace — Mitchell's Furnace — Stone Creek and McAlevy'fl Fort Eailroad— Clay Township — Brady — ^Mill Creek — Sand Quarries. CHAPTER XLV 322 Penn Township — Soil— Ores — Early Settlers — Villages — Marklesburg — Grant- ville — Grafton — Eeligious Denominations— Eeformed— Lutheran — Methodist Episcopal— German Baptist — Mennonite — Churches — Mills— Soldiers of the Union Army. CHAPTER XLVI . . . , 333 Oneida Township — Nathan Gorsuch — Jacob White — Other Early Settlers — Im provements and Productions — William Foster — Boat Building — Juniata Town ship — Soil— Timber — Carbon Township — Its Chief Industry — Lincoln Town ship — James Entriken — Coffee Eun. CHAPTER XL VII 338 Centennial Anniversary of American Independence — Observance of the Day — At Warrior's Mark — Birmingham — Dudley— Orbisonia — Mount Union— Hunting don— Display of Flags and Decoration of Buildings — Procession — Oration by Dr, J. H. Wintrode — Balloon Ascension — Close of the Century. ILLUSTRATIONS. The Juniata Erontispiece. Jack's Narrows, Pacing page 28 Cassville Seminary, " " 178 Hon. John Scott, " "206 Spruce Creek Tunnel, " "286 Below Mill Creek, ......' " "321 Explanation. Some copies of this work will be found not to contain the portrait of Hon. John Scott, which appears in the above list of illustrations. It is deemed necessary to explain this omission. The engravings were arranged for early in the last summer and were to be furnished early in the month of July. At that time a portion of them was received. The balance have since been repeatedly promised by the owner of the plate, but after waiting for them ¦until the latest possible moment, we are obliged to publish the work without them. ERRATA Page 19, for Governeur Morris read Governor Morris. " 21, at beginning of last paragraph, for 1758 read 1748. " 112, for 1780 read 1785. " 130, line 16th from the bottom, for 1871 read 1873. " 160, for Peter Stryder read Peter Stryker, " " for David Auxandt read David ^wrantZt. " " for Hon. James Given read Hon. James Gwin. " 190, for Couser read Conser. " 201, for Henry Miller read Jacob Miller. " 227, for members of Assembly from 1817 to 1830, inclu sive, see next page. History of Huntingdon County. CHAPTER I. ABOBIGINES OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY — DOUBTS CONCERNING THEM — FIEST WHITE VISITORS — INDIAN TRADERS — THEIR CHAKACTEE — THE OLD INDIAN WAR-PATH. But little is known concerning the Aborigines of Hunt ingdon county previous to the settlement of the whites among them. Of course, such knowledge could be gathered only from the traditions of the Indians themselves, few of which have been retained by us, the scenes upon the savage stage having vanished with the actors. Even the names of the various tribes that may have lived here have passed into oblivion. It is true that some facts in relation to the native inhabitants of Standing Stone have been preserved, but of so meagre a character that it is uncertain to what nation they belonged. Writers on this subject state that they are sup posed to have been Oneidas, but after giving the matter as thorough an examination as the limited data athand affords, I am inclined to the contrary opinion, if, indeed, it is suffi ciently free from obscurity and doubt to admit of an opinion at all. The supposition to which I refer is founded upon a theory, that the name Oneida signifies, in our language, "Standing Stone," and that the Oneida Indians of New York were of Southern origin. But some authorities, in contra diction to this theory, have given the name a different inter pretation ; and as to their emigration it must have taken place, if at all, many years before white visitors came to the ancient village on the Juniata. On the capture of New York from the Butch in 1664, the Five Nations, of which the Oneidas were one, were living in that State and entered into an alliance with the English. If the entire Oneida B 18 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. nation had regarded the stone, as they are said to have done, with " superstitious veneration," and had believed that if it should be taken away from them they would be dispersed, they certainly would not have gone to a distant country leaving it behind them. By surmising that only a portion of them went to New York, one or more of their tribes re maining here, we but add to the uncertainty and by no means reconcile the conjectures on the one hand with the well-at tested facts on the other. Of the white men who first came within the limits of the county, we know almost as little as we do of the Indians. They were probably traders whose avocation led them to make journeys between the Bast and the Ohio river. That persons engaged in that business did make such journeys before the earliest record we have of them, is evinced by many circumstances. In a letter written by George Croghan, who resided on the Susquehanna river, about five miles west of Harris' Ferry, now Harrisburg, he mentions a trader who had just arrived from the Ohio, and gives other intelligence from which it may be inferred that the making of such trips was not then an uncommon occurrence. In fact, Croghan himself is mentioned as "a considerable trader," as early as June, 1747. He was well acquainted with the Indian coun try, and with the best roads to the Ohio, and was selected to convoy the expedition which we shall presently describe as of especial interest in the history of the county. The traders did not belong to that class of persons who reduce to writing the events of their daily lives. It does not appear that anything transpired with them which they deemed worthy of remembrance. They did not penetrate the new country in the spirit of explorers, seeking discove ries of value to the world and benefit to themselves. Even a passage of hundreds of miles through an unbroken forest made no impression on their unappreciative senses. Intent upon traffic, they transported their wares on pack-horses from one end of the province to the other, with a view to profitable commerce with the Indians, whose innocence of mercantile transactions, at that early day, rendered them an HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 19 easy prey to cupidity and avarice. In later years, when, with the utmost vigilance, it was impossible to prevent the French on the Ohio from obtaining information which the interests of the English required they should not possess, it was said of these traders by Governeur Morris, that they were "mostly a low sort of/ people, generally too ignorant to be employed as spies, but not at all too virtuous." He was speaking of George Croghan when he made this remark, but rather excepted him from the sweeping assertion. As we become more familiar with the life and character of the lat ter, as developed in his connection with the affairs of thia county, from the time of which we write until 1756, we will be better able to judge wherein he differed from his fellow- traders. It is not strange that men of the qualities ascribed to them by Governeur Morris, should have perpetuated so. little concerning themselves and should be so soon for gotten. The route taken by these commercial travelers of the olden time, was along the old Indian war-path, coming from the eastward through the Tuscarora Valley, Shade Gap,. Black Log, Aughwick, Woodcock Valley, Hartslog Valley, Water Street, Frankstown, Hollidaysburg, and crossing the Allegheny mountains at or near Kittanning Point. It was this trail that gave Huntingdon county its early importance. It was the great highway between the east and the west, and continued to be so for many years. The traders, the agents of the government, and the pioneers, as they moved westward, followed it. In 1754, when there was a pressing necessity for military operations against the French on the Ohio, and the ways and means of moving troops and con veying supplies were under consideration, there was no other road to the Ohio than this path, which,Governeur Mor ris described as " only a horseway through the woods and over mountains, not passable with any carriage." Travel was not diverted from this route until 1755, when the road was made to enable Braddock and his army to march again.st Fort DuQuesne. CHAPTER. II. conrad weiser — his journey to the ohio — william franklin — george croghan — andrew montour — black log — the standing stone — john Harris's statement — its location — meaning of inscriptions upon it — second stone erected by the whites. Conrad Weiser, the first white visitor to the soil of Hun tingdon county from whom any account has come down to us, was, during the last thirty years of his life, associated with many of the leading events in the history of the province. He was born in Germany in 1696, and came to America in 1710. At the age of fourteen he went among the Mohawk Indians, one of the Six Nations, for the purpose of learning their language, and was afterwards engaged as an interpre ter between the Germans and Indians in the neighborhood of his home in New York. In 1729 he came to Pennsyl vania. His profound knowledge of the Indian character and intimate acquaintance with their language secured for him the appointment of Indian interpreter, in which capa city he entered the service of the government, making his residence at Heidelberg, in Lancaster, now Berks, county. He seems to have spent but little of his time at home, his public duties requiring him almost constantly elsewhere. They called him frequently to the most distant parts of the province and sometimes out ot it, to the frontiers on the Susquehanna and Juniata, to conferences with the Six Na tions at Onondaga, in New York, and wherever business was to be transacted between the provincial authorities and the natives. "He was highly esteemed by both English and Indians as a per.son of integrity, skill and ability in divers important trusts whieh had been committed to him by both parties for a long series of years." Weiser's journey to the Ohio was projected in March, 1748. The instructions by which he was to be governed in the mission upon which he was sent, were drawn up in that month, but when on the point of departure he was sum- HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 21 moned before the Provincial Council at Philadelphia on busi ness connected with Indian affairs, and the delivery of his instructions was delayed until the following July. George Croghan had been in readiness in the former month to ac company him with about twenty horses, and carry goods to the Indians. On learning of Weiser's detention, he set out himself, made the trip, and returned in time to join the lat ter and his party in their journey later in the summer. After various other delays, occuring from March until July, Weiser started from Heidelberg on the 11th of Au gust, 1748. He regarded the expedition as perilous, and un dertook it with reluctance ; and had not the business with which he was entrusted been highly important, he would have declined going. His fears were expressed in a letter to Richard Peters, dated at " Tuscarora Path, August 15th, 1748," in which he says, "I may be obliged to pay the debt of human nature before I get home." But he escaped the dangers of the wilderness and the savage, both in going and returning, and lived afterwards, in honor and usefulness, until 1760. In 1758, the rivalry which for years had existed between the English and the French to secure the friendship and al liance ol the Indians, was becoming more intense. It con tinued to increase until its ultimate and inevitable result was reached — a war, in which a conspicuous part was played in Huntingdon county. Weiser was directed to proceed to the Ohio for the purpose of distributing valuable presents to the Indians, and to remind them of the liberality of the government in providing for their necessities on many for mer occasions. He was to ascertain their number, situation, disposition, strength and influence, and to obtain from them intelligence as to the designs and operations of the French. The English were in constant dread of incurring the enmity of the Indians, and yet it could be avoided only by frequent and expensive presents, amounting to little less than pur chases of their friendship. They accepted bribes without any hesitancy, being proud to receive them and regarding them as concessions to their own importance. 22 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. As to the number and names of the persons who were with him, he gives us no information, excepting that contained in his letter to Secretary Peters, to which there was a post script, saying that " Mr. Franklin's son is very well, as is all the rest of my companions." This was Benjamin Franklin's son William. He had delivered to Weiser his instructions from the government and also a proclamation, the nature of which will soon be explained. At a subsequent period he made himself useful in assisting to obtain transportation for Braddock's army. Had he possessed the qualities which rendered his father so distinguished, he would have left a full account of his trip through the wilds of Pennsylvania, more in detail than Weiser's, and would thus have perpetuated his name among the people of Huntingdon county, at least. But we are not without the means of ascertaining some of the other persons composing the party. George Croghan, a man of somewhat erratic temperament and varied fortunes, of whom we have already heard, was one of them. As his life and character will occupy a considerable part of suc ceeding chapters, I desire now to more fully introduce him to the reader. He was an Irishman by birth, and came to Pennsylvania about the year 1742. Assuming the occupa tion of a trader and learning the language of the Shawnees and Delawares, if not of other Indian nations, he manifested a willingness, in addition to his business pursuits, to perform services for and to make himself useful to the government. In 1749 he was licensed as an Indian trader, but he had pro bably been previously engaged in that vocation without a license, or under a former one. Another of the party was Andrew Montour, an interpreter, who had resided " between the branches of the Ohio and Lake Erie." He was recommended to the Council by Weiser as " faithful, knowing and prudent," and was financially re warded for bringing information concerning the Indians in the Northwest. There were also white men in charge of the train of pack horses, but of them we hear only incidentally. That there were Indians along is highly probable. The journey was HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 23 not new to them. They had a well-worn path over which the dusky warriors, for centuries, perhaps, had traveled to and fro, before civilization began its encroachments. And a few days before Weiser started, there were Indians from the Ohio, at Lancaster, who, we have reason to believe, re turned with him. From Weiser's journal, in which he noted briefly the places between which they traveled each day, and the dis tances, we find that on the 15th and 16th they remained at Tuscarora Path, on " account of the men coming back sick, and some other affairs hindering" them. There seems to be a contradiction in the statements of his letter and journal in regard to the health of those wLo were with him, but this is easily explained by the fact that the entry in the latter was not made until the 16th, and the former was written on the 15th, before the men came back. After leaving Tuscarora Path, we are entirely dependent upon Weiser's journal for their movements. On the 17th they "crossed the Tuscarora Hill and came to the sleeping place called Black Log, twenty miles." This was their en trance into Huntingdon county. But white men had been here before. That inference is irresistible. They were not traveling through an entirely unknown country. The places where they stopped at night had names, and names, too, that had been given them by the Anglo-Saxon race. No one will ever tell how long Black Log had been a " sleeping place." On the 18th they deviated from the Indian war-path and "came within two miles of the Standing Stone, twenty-four miles." Whether they came to it the next day does not ap pear, but there is published in the Pennsylvania Archives an extract from Weiser's journal, in which the distance from Black Log to Standing Stone is stated to be twenty-six miles, and from this entry we may conclude that they traveled be tween the two places. The distance traveled on the 19th was twelve miles. They were obliged to dry their clothing that afternoon on account of a great rain the previous day. We cannot tell 24 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. where this occurred, but it was in the direction of Franks- town, where they arrived on the 20th. As they were then beyond the present limits of the county, I will pursue them UO further. Evidently Conrad Weiser did not write for posterity. He had no anticipation that his records would outlive the tem porary purpose for which he made them, nor did he foresee that they would be of any interest to others than himself and those to whom it was his duty, on his return, to render a report of the manner in which he had obeyed their commands. His life was spent among savages, among men whose knowledge of the past was entirely traditionary, who looked forward to no condition for their descendants different from their own, and who, when they passed from earth, left scarcely a trace of their existence. He did not realize that as a race they were rapidly approaching disso lution, that they were to disappear before intelligence and civilization, that their forests were to be felled, their hunt ing grounds turned into smiling pastures and fields of waving grain, and that populous towns were to occupy the sites of their villages of wigwams. On that summer day in 1748, as he stood at the confluence of Standing Stone creek and the Juniata river, could .he have scanned with the eye of prophecy the one hundred and twenty-eight years that have since elapsed, he would have attached more importance to things as they were then, not because they were worth preserving, or because that which was to take their place was not supe rior, but for the reason that even he, we may believe, would not have been willing that the affairs of tribes and nations should perish from the earth. He did not tell us who were the inhabitants of Standing Stone, nor, indeed, whether there were any inhabitants here at all. He gave no explanation of the name or description ¦ of the stone. That was reserved for subsequent visitors, but none of them have done so as fully as we could desire. We find a statement of the dimensions of the stone in an "ac count of the road to Log's Town, on the Allegheny river, taken by John Harris in 1754." As he mentions other HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 25 places in the county, lying principally along the old Indian path, I will extract a portion of his account, beginning at " Tuscaroraw :" " To the Cove Spring," 10 miles. " To the Shadow of Death," 8 miles. " To the Black Log," 3 miles. At the last named place the road forked towards Rays- towu and Frankstown, and continuing on the road to the former, he gives first the distances to "Allegheny" and Logstown by that route. "Now beginning at the Black Log, Franks Town Road, to Aughwhick, 6 miles. " To Jack Armstrong's Narrows, so called from his being there murdered, 8 miles, " To the Standing Stone (about 14 ft. high 6 inches square,) 10 miles. " At each of these places we cross the Juniata. " To the next and last crossing of the Juniata, 8 miles. " To Water Street (branch of Juniata,) 10 miles. " To the Big Lick, 10 miles. " To Frank's (Stephen's) Town, 5 miles." John Harris barely saved the existence of the stone from being doubted ; but that it stood here, fourteen feet in height and six inches square being established, we may accept the statements of others as to its exact location. There is a dif ference in these statements, however, some placing it on the right bank of Stone Creek, near its mouth, and others fur ther west, on the banks of the Juniata, near the foot of Second street in the borough of Huntingdon. The most reliable information now available, in regard to its position, was obtained by J. Simpson Africa, esq., from some of the earliest residents of the place, who have since passed away. Jacob Miller, who came here in 1791, James Simpson, who had a personal knowledge of nearly all of the old citizens of the county, and who came in 1793, and Daniel Africa, who was born here in 1794, all located it west of Second street, near the river. Since it stood there the surroundings have been completely changed, buildings 26 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. having been erected, and a macadamized road, a canal, and a railroad, made upon the ground, or in its immediate vicin ity, giving it entirely new features. The Indians had engraved on this stone, in hieroglyphics, some records or ideas they desired to preserve. We do not know the shapes of these characters, whether they were fig ures of men, of animals, or of inanimate things, and perhaps their meaning was never known to the whites. There is no foundation for the belief that they were cabalistic, as they were no doubt well understood by the Indians themselves. They may have been the chronicles of the tribe, " of its mighty deeds, its prowess in battle, and its skill in the chase ; " or a code of laws, of morals, or of religion ; or re presentations of natural phenomena, of the movements of the sun, moon and stars ; or the creations of their superstitions and fears. The Indians fancied the stone to possess great virtues, that if taken away from them they would be dis persed, and that while it remained among them their pros perity was secure. When they fled before the aggressive white man in 1754 or '55, it was destroyed or taken away with them. The dwellings of the intruders were erected near the deserted Indian village, a fort was built, and the settle ment took the name of Standing Stone. The whites, after the departure of the Indians, placed another stone on the site of the old one. This was done, we would suppose, more through a spirit of imitation than for any useful purpose. How nearly the second stone, at the time of its erection, was similar to the original, cannot now be ascertained. In 1776 it was about eight feet high, and had upon it the names of Surveyor General John Lu- kens, with the date of 1768, of Charles Lukens, assistant to the surveyor general, and of Thomas Smith, brother of the founder of the town of Huntingdon, and afterwads deputy surveyor general and supreme judge. It was removed from its former position and placed in front of the old court house, in the centre of Third street, at the South line of Penn. After standing there many years it was wantonly destroyed, but several pieces of it have been preserved, one HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 27 of them having been built into the foundation of the dwel ling house at the northeast corner of Third and Penn streets, and another being in the possession of one of the citizens of the town. CHAPTER III. A POPULAR ERROR — THE STORY OF CAPTAIN JACK — ITS UNRELIABILITY — jack's narrows — ORIGIN OF THE NAME — MURDER OF ARMSTRONG, SMITH AND ARNOLD — SHICKALAMY's STATEMENT — THE SEARCH FOR AND FIND ING OF THE BODIES — MONUMENT TO JACK ARMSTRONG. John Harris, from whom I have quoted the distances from place to place through Huntingdon county, deserves to be inscribed on the list of those who have written history with out knowing it. In addition to his statement concerning the Standing Stone, he has given us another fact of perhaps not less importance, and one which has been almost ob scured by the traditions of more than a century. It is not always a pleasant task to dispel the illusions that underlie the romances of a people, and which, to them, have passed beyond the confines of uncertainty and entered into their most sanguine and unquestioned beliefs. But the simple truth recorded by John Harris will not permit us to rear any other historical structure than that which rests upon it as a corner stone. There has long been a popular error in regard to the ori gin of the name of those narrows through which the Juniata passes immediately below Mapleton. What is the story that has been repeated at many firesides during the last two or three generations, of the redoubtable, or, rather, doubt able, hero ot that place, the very picturesqueness of which is sufficient to invest with an air of probability any fable that may be told the credulous ? It is said that about one hundred and twenty -five years ago, and subsequently, there flourished in that neighborhood a mysterious individual of swarthy complexion and herculean proportions, whose name and history were known to none but himself; that he was supposed by some to be a half-breed and by others a quad roon, but that he was probably a white man ; that he built a cabin near a spring, and sought there a solitude and a re pose, unbroken except by the society of his family ; that he «:. t-' A V S''^ ¦% !S^, ^^ ^ r 'x J- .* ^ WjSfet.^^ \ 'i SSa. f.*" *«¦ %^^^' t»^ 7 V * ^^^ ¦» '"^ ^%^^ "Y*^ if ¦^^ HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 29 ¦was a harmless man, raising his hand against none but the beasts and fishes over which dominion had been given him, and engaging in no other pursuit than hunting and fishing. But, if we are to believe the story, the place he had se lected was an unsafe retreat for one of his peaceful disposi tion and habits. After a short absence from his cabin, on a certain occasion, he returned to find it burned and his fam ily murdered. At once he became a changed man, taking a solemn vow to devote the rest of his life to the destruction of the savages. So relentlessly did he carry out his pur pose, that he made himself a terror to the race that had in curred his enmity, and gained the expressive names of "Black Rifle," "Black Hunter," "Wild Hunter of the Juni ata," and others, which might have served as the titles of the most improbable tales of adventure. But he is best known in the traditions of the locality as Captain Jack. His bitter and unceasing warfare against the Indians, we are told, was beneficial to the white settlers in affording them protection. The latter formed a company of scouts or rangers, and placed themselves under his command, styl ing themselves "Captain Jack's Hunters," and fighting the Indians in their own way and with their own weapons. Their commander's exploits, if they could be correctly de scribed, would perhaps be a proper subject for history, but so much has been written concerning them that is purely fictitious, that it is impossible to separate the false from the true. The error to which I have alluded as existing in the pub lic mind, that Captain Jack impressed his name upon the narrows I have mentioned, and the surrounding works of nature, has found expression in the writings of an author from whom I will quote : "The present generation, how ever, knows little about the wild hunter. Still, though he sleeps the sleep that knows no waking, and no human being who ever saw him is above the sod now, the towering mountain, a hundred miles in length, hearing his name, will stand as an indestructible monument to his memory until time shall be no more." It is because so little is known 30 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. about him, because his name and color are matters of doubt, that we must receive everything that has been said of him as unreliable. And there is still better evidence to throw doubt around him. According to John Harris, who was cotemporary with Captain Jack, the narrows took their name from an en tirely different person. He mentions them as "Jack Arm strong's narrows, so called from his being there murdered." As Armstrong was oftener called Jack than anything else, it is not strange that the name of the place where he met his death should also be abbreviated, and that it should afterwards be extended to the mountain through which the river has forced its passage, and to the spring which bursts from the mountain side. Harris's memorandum serves, too, to locate the scene of the massacre of Armstrong and his party. He fixes it at eight miles from Aughwick and ten miles from Standing Stone. It was one of the earliest events that occurred within what is now Huntingdon county. Besides Armstrong, his two servant-men, James Smith and Woodward Arnold were murdered. An account of the occurrence was given by Shickalamy, a converted chief and a steadfast friend of the whites, from which I make the following extract : " That Musemeelin owing some skins to John Armstrong' the said Armstrong seized a horse of the said Musemeelin and a rifle-gun; the gun was taken by James Smith, de ceased. Sometime last winter Musemeelin met Armstrong on the river Juniata, and paid all but twenty shillings, for which he offered a neck-belt in pawn to Armstrong, and de manded his horse, and Armstrong refused it, and would not deliver up the horse, but enlarged the debt, as his usual custom was ; and after some quarrel the Indian went away in great anger, without his horse, to his hunting cabin. Sometime after this, Armstrong, with his two companions, on their way to Ohio, passed by the said Musemeelin's hunt ing cabin, his wife only being at home. She demanded the horse of Armstrong, because he was her proper goods, but did not get him. Armstrong had by this time sold or lent HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 31 the horse to James Berry. After Musemeelin came from hunting, his wife told him that Armstrong was gone by, and that she demanded the horse from him, but did not get him; and, as is thought, pressed him to pursue and take revenge of Armstrong. The third day, in the morning, after Arm strong was gone by, Musemeelin said to the two young men that hunted with him, ' come, let us go toward the Great Hills to hunt bears ;' accordingly they went all three in com pany. After they had gone a good way, Musemeelin, who was foremost, was told by the two young men that they were out of their course. ' Come you along,' said Musemee lin ; and they accordingly followed him till they came to the path that leads to Ohio. Then Musemeelin told them he had a good mind to go and fetch his horse back from Armstrong, and desired the two young men to come along. Accordingly they went. It was then almost night, and they traveled till next morning. Musemeelin said, ' Now they are not far off. We will make ourselves black ; then they will be frightened, and will deliver up the horse immedi ately ; and I will tell Jack tha't if he don't give me the horse, I will kill him ;' and when he said so, he laughed. The young men thought he joked, as he used to do. They did not blacken themselves, but he did. When the sun was above the trees, or about an hour high, they all came to the fire, where they found James Smith sitting; and they also sat down. Musemeelin asked where Jack was. Smith told him that he was gone to clear the road a little. Musemeelin said he wanted to speak with him, and went that way, and after he had gone a little distance from the fire, he said something, and looked back laughing, but, he having a thick throat, and his speech being very bad, and their talk ing with Smith hindering them from understanding what he said, they did not mind him. They being hungry. Smith told them to kill some turtles, of which there were plenty, and they would make some bread byand-bye, and would all eat together. While they were talking, they heard a gun go off not far off, at which Woodward Arnold was killed, as they learned afterwards. Soon after, Musemeelin came back 32 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. and said, ' Why did you not kill that white man, according as I bid you ? I have laid the other two down.' At this they were surprised, and one of the young men, commonly called Jimmy, ran away to the river-side. Musemeelin said to the other, ' How will you do to kill Catawbas, if you can not kill white men ? You cowards I I'll show you how you must do;' and then taking up the English axe that lay there, he struck it three times into Smith's head before he died. Smith never stirred. Then he told the young Indian to call the other, but he was so terrified he could not call. Mu semeelin then went and fetched him, and said that two of the white men were killed, he must now go and kill the third; then each of them would have killed one. But neither of them dared venture to talk anything about it. Then he pressed them to go along with him ; he went foremost. Then one of the young men told the other as they went along, ' My friend, don't you kill any of the white people, let him do what he will ; I have not killed Smith ; he has done it himself; we have no need to do such a barbarous thing.' Musemeelin being then a good way before them, in a hurry, they soon saw John Armstrong sitting on a log. Musemeelin spoke to him and said, 'Where is my horse?' Armstrong made answer and said, ' He will come by-and-by; you shall have him.' 'I want him now,' said Musemeelin. Armstrong answered, ' You shall have him. Come, let us go to the fire,' (which was at some distance from the place where Armstrong sat), and let us talk and smoke together.' 'Go along, then,' said Musemeelin. 'I am coming,' said Armstrong, ' do you go before, Musemeelin ; do you go fore most.' Armstrong looked then like a dead man, and went toward the fire, and was immediately shot in the back by Musemeelin, and fell. Musemeelin then took his hatchet and struck it into Armstrong's head and said, ' Give me my horse, I tell you.' By this time one of the young men had fled again that had gone away before, but he returned in a short time. Musemeelin then told the young men they must not offer to discover or tell a word about what had been HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 33 done for their lives, but they must help to bury Jack, and the other two were to be thrown into the river." Shickalamy also relates, with great minuteness, the dispo sition that was made by Musemeelin, of Armstrong's goods, the latter having been a trader, on his way to the Ohio, the discovery that the murder had been committed, the efforts taken to arrest the guilty parties, and their delivery to the whites. There is no statement as to whether Musemeelin was tried, convicted or punished. As soon as it was suspected that Armstrong, Smith and Arnold had been murdered, a party, consisting of Alexan der Armstrong, Thomas McKee, Francis Ellis, John Flors- ter, William Baskins, James Berry, John Watt, James Armstrong, David Denny, and eight Indians, went in search of the traders. "Before they had proceeded very far, three of the Indians deserted. The white men and the remaining five Indians went to the last supposed sleeping-place of Armstrong and his men, and there dispersed themselves to find the corpses. At a short distance from the sleeping place, was found a white-oak tree with three notches on it, and near it a shoulder bone, which was supposed to be Arm strong's. The white men of the party say in their desposi- tion, that this bone was handed around to the five Indians, and that when it was placed in the hands of the one who was suspected of having committed the murder, ' his nose gushed out with blood, and he directly handed it to an other.' " But they were mistaken in the supposition that the bone was part of the remains of Armstrong, for it was not found at the place where Armstrong had been killed, and besides, according to Schickalamy's statement, he had been buried by Musemeelin and the two other Indians. From thence they followed the course of the creek toward the "Narrows of the Juniata," but before reaching the river the five Indians had also disappeared. The first corpse found, that of James Smith, had been attacked by bald eagles and other fowls, and it was the presence of these birds that at tracted attention to it. About a quarter of a mile from Smith, they found the body of Woodward Arnold lying on a rock, c 34 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. The next morning, they say in their report, they went back to the corpses, which were "barbarously and inhumanly mur dered by very gashed, deep cuts on their heads, with a toma hawk, or such like weapon, which had sunk into their skulls and brains, and in one of the corpses there appeared a hole in his skull near the cut, which was supposed to be with a tomahawk, which hole these deponents do believe to be a bullet hole." In the light of these facts, much of the grandiloquence concerning Captain Jack sinks into insignificance. It is Jack Armstrong who, at the base of the towering mountain, "sleeps the sleep that knows no waking." It is to his name and memory that the everlasting pile, thrown up by nature, is an indestructible monument. Let the oft-repeated and gen erally accepted fable be forgotten. CHAPTER IV. AGGRESSIONS UPON UNPURCHASED LANDS — FIRST SETTLERS IN HUNTINGDON COUNTY — MEASURES TAKEN TO EXPEL TIIEM — BURNING OF THEIR DWELL INGS — AUGHWICK — ISURNT CABINS — DISCONTENT OF THE INDIANS — INEF FECTUAL WORK. The presence of traders and interpreters on the frontier was but temporary. Their visits were transient. From the Tuscarora to the Tussey mountains was but a two days' journey, and previous to 1749 there could have been noth ing in the nature of private or public business to detain the traveler between them. No white men were to be met with, excepting those who were hurrying across these hills and valleys to and from the Ohio. All the lands north and west of the Kittatinny or Blue Ridge, belonged to the Indians, and had not been invaded west of the Tuscarora. But sturdy adventurers soon followed with the intention of remaining permanently. We cannot ascertain whether it was in 1748 or '49 that they crossed that mountain. If it was not in the former year, it was quite early in the latter. They had reached Tuscarora Path before Conrad Weiser was there, for part of his mission was in connection with these intru sions on the Indian lands. He was the bearer of a procla mation from the government warning the "squatters" to re move, and was accompanied to that place by the sheriff and magistrates of the county, who had come with him for the purpose of ejecting the settlers. In his letter to Secretary Peters, he reported the situation of affairs there and the partial execution of his instructions by having the procla mation read. Scarroyady, the chief who subseqaently suc ceeded the Half King at Aughwick, had been assured that the "people would be turned off." When Weiser informed the Indians at Tuscarora of the measures that were to be taken, they requested that two certain families might be permitted to stay, claiming the right to give such liberty to- those whom they desired should remain. The settlers, al- 36 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. though not ready to comply with the requirements of the government at that time, expressed a willingness to go off the next spring, and Weiser consented to postpone their com pulsory removal until his return from Ohio. They were suf fered to remain, however, without interference, much longer than that, and in all probability would never have been dis turbed by the authorities had not the complaints and pressure of the Indians become so great that they could not go unheed ed. But the proclamation of the government and the oppo sition of the Indians did not deter these trespassers. Instead of leaving in 1748, they advanced still further westward upon the unpurchased lands. Weiser, who was looking after them again the next year, found them within the present limits of Huntingdon county. In the spring of 1749, as early as the month of April, more than thirty families had settled west of the Kittatinny, and more were coming daily, some of them to the head waters of the Juniata, along the path that led to Ohio. In February, 1750, according to the state ment of Governor Hamilton, they had reached the foot of the Allegheny mountains. The Six Nations and the Delawares joined in complaints against these aggressions. The representatives of the former said that the council at Onondaga had the matter exceedingly at heart, demanded the expulsion of the people from their settlements, and suggested that two or three faithful persons be placed west of the Blue Hills, with com missions from the Governor, empowering them to imme diately remove ever/ one who might presume to settle in that region, until the Six Nations should consent to sell the lands. To prevent a breach between the province and the In dians, it became necessary to take decisive action. The power of the government had to be exerted to dispossess the intruding occupants. Richard Peters and Conrad Weiser were ordered to give information against them to the proper magistrates, and in the month of May, 1750, the under- sheriff and justices of the newly established county of Cum berland went to enforce the commands of the proclamation HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 37 which had been disobeyed. Their operations were fully re ported by Secretary Peters to the Governor in the following July. Destruction and conflagration were spread from the Juniata, within twenty miles of its mouth and ten miles of the Blue Hills, through the valley of Sherman's Creek, Tus carora Valley, Aughwick and the Coves. The reasoning by which they justified the burning of dwellings was as follows : " The Cabbin being quite empty, I took Possession thereof for the Proprietaries, and then a conference was held what should be done with the empty Cabbins, and, after a great Deliberation, all agreed that if some cabins were not destroyed they would tempt the Trespassers to return again, or encourage others to come there should these Trespassers go away, and so what was doing would signify nothing, since the Possession of them at such a Distance from the In habitants could not be kept for the Proprietaries; and Mr. Weiser also giving it as his firm Opinion, that if all the Cabbins were left standing the Indians would conceive such a contemptible Opinion of the Government that they would come themselves in the Winter, murder the People, and set the Houses on fire. On these conditions the Cabbin, by my Order, was burnt by the Under-Sheriff and Company."* At Aughwick, (now Shirleysburg) Peter Falconer, Nicho las DeLong, Samuel Perry and John Charleton were con victed on the view of the magistrates, entered into recogni zances for their appearance at the next county court at Ship- pensburg, and gave bonds to remove with their families, servants, cattle and effects. Charletou's cabin was burned, and another in the course of erection, consisting of only a few logs piled and fastened together, was set on fire. One of the places where this destruction occurred, near the line between Huntingdon and Fulton counties, is called Burnt Cabins, a name it will probably retain until the his tory of these events becomes as obscure as the history of the savage race. The protection of all lands from encroachment that had *Secretary Peters' Report. 38 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. not been bought by the proprietaries from the Indians, was a part of the policy instituted at the founding of the prov ince, a policy which secured harmony and good feeling be tween the whites and natives as long as it was not interfered with by extraneous influences, but the success of which was coming to an end. The driving back of the daring and courageous men who had established their households in the forests of central Pennsylvania, did not restore satisfac tion and contentment to the Indian. He began to think that his interests lay in another direction than in an alliance with the English. For years he had had intercourse with the French, who had fortified themselves on the Ohio, and was gradually yielding to their persuasions, allurements and blandishments. He pretended for a time to waver between the French and the English, accepting from the latter the present s given him for the purpose of drawing him back to their side, and when he had almost exhausted the provincial resources, went over completely to the enemy. Five years after the white men's habitations had been burned, at his so licitation, he went' over the same ground, with fire, and tomahawk, and scalping-knife, filled the heavens with flame and smoke, and mingled the blood of his victims with the ashes of their dwellings. The government of the province is, perhaps, not to be blamed for the work done by the Cumberland county magis trates. They were but keeping the public faith. They might have perceived, however, that an estrangement had already taken place on the part of the Indians, that was be yond their power to remove. In another respect the work was ineffectual. The lands were open to new intrusions. In fact, some of the, first set tlers were not molested during Richard Peters' incursion, and many who had been ejected returned, accompanied or followed by others. The country was inviting, there was a desire for new homes, and the spirit of adventure was abroad. But underlying all of these, there m.iy have been a scheme to acquire the land and dispossess the Indians, a design to bring about a change of ownership, and to precipi- HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 39 tate a struggle for that purpose. The proprietaries, also, must have had an anxiety to extinguish the Indian title. They could not call the province their own till that was done, and, besides, their obligations to protect the rights of the Indians imposed upon them greater burdens, and in volved them in more difficulties than they would have to bear should the title become vested in them. The time for a new purchase had arrived. CHAPTER V. TREATY AND PURCHASE AT ALBANY IN 1754 — DESCRIPTION OF LANDS CON VEYED BY THE SIX NATIONS — CONSEQUENCES WHICH FOLLOWED — A TURN ING POINT — THE SIX NATIONS — THEIR SOVEREIGNTY — HISTORY — RESI DENCE — CHARACTER — THE DELAWARES— THEIR SUBJECTION TO THE SIX NATIONS — THE SHAWNEES — IMPERIOUS ASSERTION OF AUTHORITY— AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT BY THE DELAWARES — FATAL REVENGE. Huntingdon county is within the purchase made from the Six Nations, at Albany, N. Y., on the sixth day of July, 1754. The deed bearing that date, executed by sachems or chiefs of each of the nations belonging to that confederacy, conveyed to Thomas and Richard Penn, "all the lands lying within the said province of Pennsylvania, bounded and limited as follows, namely, beginning at the Kittochtinny or Blue Hills, on the west branch of the Susquehanna river, and thence by the said, a mile above the mouth of a certain creek called Kayarondinhagh ; thence northwest and by west as far as the said province of Pennsylvania extends, to its western lines and boundaries; thence along the said western line to the south line or boundary of said province; thence by the said south line or boundary to the south side of said Kittochtinny hills ; thence by the south side of said hills to the place of beginning." I have explained the troubles that preceded this purchase, and the circumstances that rendered the transaction neces sary in order to avert an impending storm, and will now re late the fearful consequences, the resentment evinced by the savages towards the whites by which it was followed. The spirit of amity manifested by the founders of the province in their intercourse with the Indians, established a peace and friendship that were uninterrupted for a period of seventy years. It is true that for a short time before the treaty of Albany, the fidelity of the latter could be retained only by the utmost exertions on the part of the govern ment. That treaty was the turning point in the relations be tween the province and the natives, and why it was so will HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 41 appear more intelligibly by detailing a portion of Indian history, and giving some illustrations of Indian character and diplomacy. There arose from these, complications and embarrassments which it was impossible for the government to avoid, and which led to eventful times within our borders. Indian policy and statesmanship were in some respects sim ilar to those of civilized people. The Six Nations, although not the occupants of the soil of Pennsylvania, claimed to be the owners of it, and out of this fact grew the importance of their connection with our early annals. They excerised jurisdiction over a very great ex tent of territory, their sovereignty extending from the nor thern limits of the State of New York to the borders of Car olina. They had been warriors and conquerors, but at what period of time they reduced so many of the inhabitants of North America to subjugation is shrouded in impenetrable obscurity. This, as well as all the rest of their history be fore their acquaintance with Europeans, is involved in the darkness of antiquity. It is' said that their first residence was in the region about Montreal, and that the superior strength of the Adirondacks, Or Algonquins, as they were called by the French, drove them to the south side of the Mohawk river and Lake Ontario, where they were found when the country was taken possession of by the whites. Toward the close of these disputes, which continued for a great number of years, the confederates gained advantages over the Adirondacks, and struck terror into all the Indians. Their residence was in the State of New York, between the forty-second and forty-third degrees of north latitude, occupying the country from the New England States to Lake Erie, and from Lake Ontario to the headwaters of the Alle gheny, Susquehanna and Delaware. They were at first known as the Five Nations, and then consisted of the Mohawks, Onondagas, Cayugas, Oneidas and Senecas. The sixth was added in 1712, by the union with them of the Tuscaroras, a nation that had been expelled from North Carolina and Vir ginia. They were called Confederates, by the English, Min- goes, by the Delawares, and Iroquois, by the French. 42 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. They thought themselves superior to the rest of mankind, and carefully inculcated this belief into the minds of their children, and impressed it upon the neighboring savages. Their courage made them terrible to, and compelled the most submissive obedience from, all other nations. They were a powerful combination, realizing, as did their white succes sors in the ownership of the soil, that in union there is strength. The Indians dwelling in Pennsylvania, and who were known as the Delawares among the whites, called them selves the Lenni Lenapes, or the original people. It seems that they were justly entitled to this appellation, as it was conceded by surrounding tribes, not belonging to this nation, that they were the oldest residents of the region. There were three principal divisions of them, each occupying a par ticular part of the province, and many tribes, the names of some of which, but probably of a comparatively small number, have been preserved. We have very full and sat isfactory descriptions prepared by early writers, from per sonal observation, of their persons, habits and dress, their amusements and employments, their dwellings, domestic cus toms and modes of life, their marriages, births and burials, their virtues and vices, their language, government and relig ion, their methods of making and conducting war and conclud ing peace, but no historical fact has come from the general gloom that surrounds the time when they were the sole in habitants of the country, except that they were in subjec tion to the Six Nations. The Shawnese also dwelt in considerable numbers in Huntingdon county, but were not natives of the province. They had formerly resided near the Spanish possessions in the South, and were almost constantly at war with their neighbors. To avoid extermination, they asked the privi lege of placing themselves under the protection of the Eng lish and Five Nations, which request was granted them by treaty in 1701. They settled on the Susquehanna, and spread themselves along its tributaries and over the adjoining coun try. A new residence was afterwards assigned to them on HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 43 the Ohio, but many of them remained in the central part of the province, or traveled backwards and forwards be tween the two rivers. The sway of the Six Nations over the other Indians was so absolute, that the latter occupied the lands by sufferance. An idea of the imperious manner in which they sometimes asserted their authority may be obtained from Canassetego's speech to the Delawares, from which the following are extracts : " We conquered you ; we made women of you ; you know you are women, and can no more sell lands than women ; nor is it fit you should have the power of selling lands, since you would abuse it. The land that you claim is gone through your guts ; you have been furnished with clothes, meat and drink, by the goods paid you for it, and now you want it again, like children as you are." " But we find you none of our blood ; you act a dishonest part, not only in this, but in other matters ; your ears are ever open to slanderous reports about your brethren. For all these reasons, we charge you to remove instantly ; we dorUt give you liberty to think about it." " DonH deliberate, but remove away, and take this belt of wampum." It displeased the Delawares very much to be called women, and they usually gave some other explanation for it than their subjugation to the Six Nations. On one occa sion, however, they acknowledged the real origin of the title. At a conference held at Aughwick, in September, 1754, before they had heard of the purchase at Albany, one of their speakers addressed the Six Nations : " I still remember the time when you first conquered us and made women of us, and told us that you took us under your protection, and that we must not meddle with wars, but stay in the house and mind council affairs. We have hitherto followed your directions, and lived very easy under your protection, and no high wind did blow to make us un easy ; but now things seem to take another turn, and a high wind is rising. We desire you, therefore, to have your eyes open and be watchful over us, your cousins, as you have always been heretofore." 44 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. This abject condition of the Delawares prevented them from questioning the validity of the sale of 1754. But they complained that the lands had been sold from under their feet. Theyhadsufficientreason to be dissatisfied. In 1750 the white settlers had been driven from these same lands at the instance of the Six Nations, who then said that they had given the river Juniata to their cousins, the Delawares, and their brethren, the Shawnese, as a hunting ground. Their generosity to their cousins and brethren could not withstand the temptation of the paltry sum of four hundred pounds, the price received for the land. The Delawares sought a bloody and fatal revenge. They joined the French, laid waste the settlements on the frontiers, and marked their path with fire and desolation. CHAPTER VL AUGHWICK CROGHAN — HIS REASONS FOR SETTLING THERE — SURRENDER OF FORT NECESSITY — INDIANS COME TO AUGHWICK — ARE FURNISHED WITH SUPPLIES BY CROGHAN — DRUNKENNESS — TEMPERANCE MEASURES — WEIS- ER's CONFERENCE WITH THE INDIANS — CHARGES AGAINST CROGHAN AND THE ANSWERS TO THEM — BEADDOCk'S COMPLAINTS — DEATH OF THE HALF KING — CONSOLATION FROM CROGHAN — INDIAN DESIRE FOR PRES ENTS — MONACATOOTHA. During the French and Indian war which followed, the centre of events in connection therewith, so far as they transpired in Huntingdon county, was at Aughwick. We have found it one of the principal points in the previous history of the county. It was on the path to Ohio, and was visited by the first white man who traveled to that remote region, and was the place from which the settlers were driven in 1750. George CrOghan had been there at a very early day, probably in 1747, certainly in 1748, with Conrad Weiser, and again, in 1750, with Richard Peters. To him it had become familiar, and, for reasons which will soon appear, he established himself there and became its master spirit. The history of Aughwick and of Croghan are identical during the years'1754, '55, and part of '56. Aughwick was not originally an Indian town, as is gen erally supposed, but was a settlement of whites to which the Indians came after Croghan had made it his residence, the time of their coming being clearly shown by official records. It is, therefore, difficult, if not impossible, to give any reli able information concerning the origin of the name. There is no certainty that it belongs to any of the Indian lan guages; the probability is just as great that it is derived from one of the European tongues. The first settlers there, as in nearly all other parts of Huntingdon county, were Scotch-Irish, and many of the traders, among whom was Croghan, were of Irish birth. They could furnish a name or the town which they may have proposed founding, with- 46 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. out resort to any other vocabulary than their own, Augh wick is said^ to resemble in sound two Irish words, which mean literally " swift-running steed." But whoever gave it the name, has not handed down to us his reasons for doing so, and we will not enter further into the field of conjecture, which is so fertile and yet so fruitless. In early times the orthography of the name was almost as various as wer.e the hands by which it was written. The earliest mention ot it is in Richard Peters' report, where it is spelled "Aucquick." Croghan at first wrote it "Au- ghick ;" afterwards, " Aughick Old Town," and finally " Aucquick Old Town." There seems to have been no uni formity about it until more modern times. Custom has set tled the spelling and pronunciation. It is doubtful whether all the cabins were burned at Augh wick by the sheriff and magistrates of Cumberland county. From Peters' report we learn that four families were requir ed to remove from there, yet only two cabins were destroy ed, and one of these was not completed. It- may be that Croghan came back to occupy one of the houses that had been allowed to remain. However that may be, he was re siding there in January, 1754. ' He had not been successful in his business as a trader. The risks incident to it had gone against him. His goods had been seized by the French. He had sold to the In dians, and had failed to collect the debts due from them. The same spirit of liberality which led him to trust them, also made him profuse in his gifts, so that he gained great influence with them and brought himself to bankruptcy. He preferred Aughwick to a debtor's prison. Soon after his settlement there, he put himself into com munication with the provincial authorities, giving them infor mation of the movements and operations of the French and tbe disposition and inclination of the Indians, continuing his visits to the Ohio in the interests of the province. While making the best of his opportunities, he lamented the disad vantages he labored under from being an absconding debtor. The following is one of his many expressions of regret : HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 47 "From ye Misfortunes I have had in Tread, which obliges me to keep at a Greatt distance, I have itt nott in my power to forward Intelegance so soon as I could wish," however, if itt be thought worth Notice, I will acquaint the Govern ment with anything I can find outt that will tend to ye hurt of my King & Country, for certainly ye Indians are only amussing ye Government, while they are privey, if not as sisting to ye Murders done." The well-taught school-boys of to-day may be amused at Croghan's orthography, but we can find many similar spe cimens among the writings of governors and others high in authority at that time. It was not long until Aughwick acquired other impor tance than that attached to it as the residence of Croghan. On the 3d of July, 1754, Washington, who was then a col onel in command of Virginia troops, surrendered Fort Ne cessity to the French. There had been with him a number of Indians who were not satisfied with his manner of con ducting the campaign. They removed their families to a place of safety before the engagement began, because Wash ington would not listen to their counsel, but compelled them to fight according to his plan, and after his defeat they went with their wives and families to Aughwick, Among them was Tanacharrisson, or the Half King, a Seneca chief, Scar royady, an Oneida chief, and others belonging to the Six Nations. In the beginning of August some Delaware and Shawnese Indians also came, and there were soon after wards other arrivals, swelling the number to more than two hundred men, women and children. Croghan furnished them with subsistence, purchasing meat and flour for that purpose, and applied to the government for reimbursement. As there seemed to have been some suspicions in regard to his integrity, and a reluctance about placing public money in his hands, Conrad Weiser was sent there, under instructions from Governor Hamilton, to confer with him and the Indians, and to disburse three hundred pounds for their support. He repaid the expenses that Cro ghan had incurred, left a sufficient sum with him to pur- 48 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. chase five hundred bushels of wheat, and laid up supplies for future use. The country at that time must have been considerably developed, as there was no difficulty in obtain ing the necessaries for the maintenance of this large number of people. There were about twenty cabins in the vicinity of Croghan's house, in which the Indians lived, and more further off, some at a distance of three miles. Croghan had land under cultivation producing good crops. He had between twenty-five and thirty acres of corn, from which his servants brought every day, while Weiser was there, four or five bags of roasting ears. The Indians had not much regard for the rights of their benefactor, for there was "not an hour in the day" but that some of them stole and destroyed not only his corn, but his butter, milk, squashes and pumpkins. Weiser advised Croghan to make reasona.ble charges for the pro duce taken, to have its value certified by three credible men, that he might be paid for it. He also recommended that Cro ghan be trusted to buy and distribute provisions, or that some other person be kept there to make the distribution. But no change was made in the administration of affairs, Croghan remaining there and proving himself worthy of confidence. The traders were in the habit of furnishing liquor to the Indians, and those at Aughwick were supplied with it soon after the arrival, by Lewis Montour, a brother of Andrew's He sold it to them at very high prices, and pretended that his wife, "an ugly squaw," did it. The liquor was kept in the woods, about a mile from Croghan's house, where the In dians would exchange any articles they had, even their cloth ing, for it, and come back drunk and naked. An effort was made to prevent this traffic, but that was very difficult, as they would buy and drink whenever they could obtain it. The Half King and Scarroyady were as much addicted to the vice as the members of the tribes over which they ruled, both of them being intoxicated while Weiser was there. Governor Hamilton had directed that persons taking liquor to Aughwick should be punished, and that the casks should be staved in. Croghan became a temperance reformer ban- HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 49 ished it entirely from his house, and endeavored to restrain the excesses of the Indians. The means he adopted to ac complish the latter purpose may afford a suggestion to mod ern "crusaders." His method is expressed in the following letter: Dec'r ye 23d, 1754. May itt Plese your Honour. I am Oblig'd to advertise the Inhabitance of Cumberland County in yr honour's Name, nott to barter or Sell Spiretus Liquors to the Indians or to any person to bring amongst them, to prevent ye Indians from Spending thire Cloase, tho' I am oblig'd to give them a Cag Now & then my self for a fro lick, but that is Atended with no Expence to ye Government nor no bad Consequences to ye Indians as I Do itt butt oust a month, I hope your honour will approve this Proceeding, as I have Don it to prevent ill consequences atending ye Indians if they should be kept always infleam'd with Liquors. I am yr honour's most Humble and Obedient Servant, Geo. Croghan. P. S. This Dos nott go by Express. The sale was not confined to the traders. Some of the magistrates of the county, forgetting their official duty, en gaged in the business. Mr. Smith, one of the justices, was at Aughwick during Weiser's visit, to collect money for li quor sent by him. " He is an old hypocrite," says Weiser ;, " he told me that the Governor ought not to sufi'er any strong liquor to come to Aughwick. I asked him if he would have the Governor to come up with his Sword and Pistol to pre vent it. No, said he. Well, then, says I, there is no other way for the Governor than to break You all and put others in Commission that are no Whiskey Traders, and will exer cise their authority." Weiser was at Aughwick from the 3d until the 8th of September, holding daily conferences with the Indians. Speeches were made by Wabadikisy, alias " Little Johnny," D 50 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. a Shawnese, and by Dishickamy and the Beaver, Dela wares, to whom Weiser replied. The whites present at the several meetings, besides Weiser and his son, were Andrew Montour, George Croghan, Peter Sheffer, Hugh Crawford, Thomas Simpson and John Owen. After many exchanges of compliments and wampum, Weiser informed the Delawares and the Shawnese of the purchase of the land at Albany. They were not well pleased at first, because of the great extent of the tract released to the Penns. But such explanations were offered them as re stored satisfaction. These Indians, living on the gratuities of the Government, were under the influence of the whites, and remained faithful to the English interests. This was the peculiarity of their situation. They separated themselves from their own people, from the tribes and nations to which they belonged, and some of them fought against their blood and kindred. For this course on their part, much credit is due to Cro ghan, and it refutes some of the aspersions to which he was subjected. Charges of a serious character were made against him by Governor Sharpe, of Maryland. It was as serted that he was a Roman Catholic, and was suspected of being in sympathy with the French ; that a person by the name of Campbell, a Catholic, resided at his house, and had visited the French fort and communicated with the enemy ; that Croghan had opened a letter, of great importance, from Captain Stobo to Col. Innes, and had taken a copy of it ; and that he had kept the money sent him for the payment of the Indian who carried the letter, and gave instead a small quantity of goods of inferior value. Governor Hamilton, in answer to these charges, did not express entire confidence in Croghan's integrity and fidelity, but said that, while it might be necessary to keep a watch ful eye on him, he hoped the facts would not turn out to be material, and that they would not affect his faithfulness to the trust reposed in him, which at that time was very con. siderable and important. He said further that he had no one to inquire of as to the truth of the allegations of Gov- HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 51 ernor Sharpe but Mr. Peters, who gave the assurance that Croghan had never been deemed a Roman Catholic, although his education had been in Dublin and his religious profes sion was not known to him. The letter had been opened because the Indians insisted upon it, desiring to know its contents, and Croghan consented to satisfy their curiosity. It was an indiscretion for which he afterwards blamed him self exceedingly, but it was neither perfidious nor criminal. His subsequent conduct furnishes a complete refutation of any suspicion against his loyalty. Croghan was likely to be held responsible for any disaf fection that might be discovered among the residents of, or that might occur at Aughwick, This ¦vvas so in the case of Campbell, who was " one of the lowest sort of Indian trad ers," but with whom Croghan had no connection. He was not the only one there who was justly regarded with dis trust. General Braddock, while at Winchester, Virginia, on his march to Pennsylvania, complained that an open trade was carVied on with the French from Raystown and Augh wick, by the Indians in alliance with them; that they re ceived ammunition and other supplies by these means, and all the intelligence they desired. There was no doubt a great deal of truth in this. Much of the news received by the English from the Ohio was brought by the Indians, who, when they returned to the French, would just as readily impart all they had heard at Aughwick and further east. Yet Croghan was as powerless to prevent this as he was to prevent their drunkenness. He was highly sensitive to these reflections against his character. They interfered with the proper discharge of his duties. It was an instance, of which there have been many in human experience, of hesitation to claim all that he was entitled to, through fear that his motives would be impugned or his honesty questioned. How often have men who have been financially unfortunate, sacrificed their rights in an effort, and often a vain one, to regain a lost reputation! The money left with him by Weiser was soon exhausted, and he was relying, from what had been told him, upon the receipt 52 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, of further advances. But the winter came, and with it a disappointment of his expectations. He was not furnished with the means of providing subsistence for the people who were depending upon him. Bad as his credit was, he was obliged to buy to the amount of forty-two pounds, giving his note therefor, and trusting to the Government to lift his paper when due. These purchases were made for some Indians who were about leaving Aughwick, He was not willing that they should go away dissatisfied. He says: "I Chose Rather to venter, Supose I Shuld pay itt My Self, then send ye heads of that Nation home Displeas'd att this time. I hope his honour will Excuse my forwardness in this as I Realy Don itt for ye good of ye Government." There seems to have been no other motive for incurring this debt than the one he assigns. It was an act of disin- terestfed patriotism. If he had not been true to his " King and country," he could have taken all those Indians over to the French with less trouble than he was at in preventing them from going, and his recompense, pecuniarily, would have been liberal. Even when in pressing need of supplies, he did not insist on the Government sending him money. He represented to them the wants of the Indians, but evidently for the interests of the province and not of himself. " I thought my Press. ing things," said he, " wold Lock as if I wanted to make a hand for my Self out of the publick money, which I a Sure you wold be ye Last thing I wold Do for a Livlihood, Lett me be Ever so much Distres " To avoid the great respon sibility thrust upon him, he several times determined to leave the place, or at least to assign the care of the Indians to some other person. He proposed that, if his services should be thought of any value to the public, he would remain there all winter and assist any person that might be appointed to take his place, but he did not desire to have the handling of any of the money for fear of reflections. It must have been gratifying to him to find that there were some who entertained a favorable opinion of him. In October, 1754, Governor Hamilton retired from office and HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 53 Robert Hunter Morris succeeded him. Soon after the acces sion of the latter, he wrote to Croghan that he was glad the province had a man among the Indians at that critical time whom they could so much depend upon. It was from Richard Peters that Governor Morris obtained his good opinion of him. Peters had known him long and intimately, and gave him a well-merited endorsement. About the time he was so fortunate as to be given the confidence of the chief executive officer of the province, an event occurred which made some change of affairs at Augh wick. The Half King died on the 6th day of October, 1754. The most complete account we have of this event is contained in a letter from John Harris to Richard Peters, dated October 29, 1754, as follows : " On the first of this Instant, Monacatootha and Several Others, the Chiefs of the Six Nations, came to my house and brought the Half King and his Family along with them, who were in general in very low Condition, particularly himself, who died in a few days, after which I asked Mona catootha and others where they chussed to bury him and in what Manner, or if they wanted anything Necessary for his funeral ; their Answer was that they looked upon him to be like one of our Selves, and as he died among us we might bury him as we thought proper ; that if he was buried well it would be very good, which I did much to their satisfac tion. Immediately after Monacatootha and the Chiefs Set of for Aughwick, leaving the Half King's family and Relations under my care, saying that in some short time there should some horses and Indians come down for them, w'ch they have not yet done. I shall continue to give his Family necessary Provisions till they remove, & I should be satis fied how soon that might be." The loss of the Half King was much lamented by the Indians, Croghan offered them some consolation, as appears from a reference to the event in a letter to Governor Morris : " Yesterday I was favored with yr honour's Leter and Instructions to ye Indians hear, all of which I deliver 'd this Morning in ye Presents of yr honour's Messenger, and Like- 54 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, wise Deliver'd a Small present in yr honour's name to Con dole with them on ye death of the Half King, and to Wipe ye Tears from there Eyes to ye a mount of £20.10." Facetious as this announcement may seem, I do not think that Croghan intended to speak lightly of the Half King's death. The Indians had acquired such an inordinate desire for presents, and had become so accustomed to receiving them upon all occasions, that they looked for them even in their griefs and bereavements ; and in stating that the pres ents had been given, Croghan but adopted the figurative language of the Indians themselves. In their speeches at treaties and conferences, and in their most serious moments, they frequently used similar expressions, and to "wipe off the tears," or to " wipe the dust out of the eyes," was not to be literally understood. Monacatootha, who is mentioned by John Harris as hav ing arrived at his house with the Half King, is the same chief whom I have heretofore spoken of under the name of Scarroyady. It was not unusual for an Indian to have so many names that it was difficult to preserve his identity. Scarroyady succeeded the Half King in the control of the Indians at Aughwick. CHAPTER VIL FORTIFICATION OF AUGHWICK — CROGIIAn's VIEWS — POSTPONEMENT OF THE PROJECT — MOVEMENT AGAINST THE FRENCH — BRADDOCk'S EXPEDITION — APPEAL TO THE INDIANS — CROGHAN IN COM.MAND OF THOSE FROM AUGH WICK — DESERTERS — THANKS OF COUNCIL — SPEECH OF SCARROYADY — INDIANS LEAVE AUGHWICK — CHANGE IN CROGHAn's RELATIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT — NO LONGER IN CHARGE OP INDIAN AFFAIRS. In the Autumn of 1754 the attitude of the French to wards the frontiers was threatening. It was doubtful whether the place to which the fortunes of war had brought the Indians would afford them security. They could not defend themselves agaiu-^t the allied French and Indians, and could only look to the government for protection. They desired that a stockade fort be built at Aughwick ; while the Assembly at Philadelphia were considering the propriety of removing them to the mouth of the Juniata. At this junc ture, Croghan was asked his opinion. Richard Peters, who seems to have anticipated what his views would be, insisted that he should express them freelj^, and suggested to him some arguments in favor of the fortification of Aughwick, and put to him the direct inquiry whether it was not abso lutely necessary for the settlers in Cumberland county to have a place of security west of the Blue Hills and on this side of the Allegheny, and whether there could be a more proper place than Aughwick. Croghan wrote to Governor Morris and to Peters on the same day, December 2Bd. He opposed the removal of the Indians and favored the building of a fort. He had con sulted the Indians, and said they would be well pleased to remove, but Scarroyady, who had gone to Onondaga, had directed that not one of them should go away during his absence. "As to removing the Indians to the Mouth of Juniata," he said, " I think it a very improper place, for this reason : it is settled with a set of White Men that make their Living by trading with the Indians that is settled on 56 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, the River Susquehanna and sells them little else but Spirits, so that it would be impossible to keep these Indians from spending all their Clothing and then they would be forever teasing your Honor for Goods. Indeed it is my Opinion that were they to live in any part of the Inhabitance it would be attended with bad Consequences, as there is no keeping them from being inflamed with Liquor if they can get at it, cost what it will, besides it is dangerous for fear of their getting Sickness, then they would say the White People killed them, and while they stay here they are a Defense to the Back Inhabitants, which I think lays very open to the Enemy, and I think if the Government intends to build any Fortification for the Security of the back In habitants, that this place or somewhere hereabouts is the properest place." But as no conclusion could be arrived at until the return of Scarroyady, the matter seems to have been postponed, and perhaps indefinitely, for we hear nothing more of it for nearly a year. The attention of Croghan was soon called from the de fense of Aughwick to the aggressive movements then on foot against the French stronghold. General Braddock arrived from England in February, 1755, to take cammand of the British forces in America. A council of war was held at his camp at Alexandria, Virginia, on the 14th of April, in that year, at which Governor Morris and the Gov ernors of Massachusetts, New York, Maryland and Virginia were present. Braddock there delivered a letter to Gover nor Morris desiring him to inform the Indians in Pennsyl vania of his arrival, and that he was then on his march with a body of the King's troops to remove the French from the Ohio. This letter was laid before the Provincial Council, by whom it was determined that large quantities of wam pum made into strings and belts, should be sent to Croghan, and that he should be pressed to notify the Shawnees, Del awares, Twightwees, Wyandottes, and all the Indians on the Lakes, of Braddock's march, and invite them to join the General, and that Scarroyady, then at Aughwick, and the HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 57 Indian called the Belt of Wampum, should be consulted in regard to the cooperation of the Indians with the army. Governor Morris sent the wampum and a copy of Brad dock's letter to Croghan, and directed him to convene at Aughwick as many Indians of the Six Nations, Delawares, Shawnees, Twightwees, and Wyandottes, as possible, and to deliver to them the belts and strings, and to entreat them immediately to join the General on his march. He was also to send belts and strings to the Indians that were more re mote, and to request them to place themselves under Brad dock's orders. The receipt of the Governor's message was acknowledged by Croghan on the first of May. He had laid it before the Indians at Aughwick that morning, upon whom, he said, it had the desired effect ; that on the following morning all of them, excepting the women and children, would go with him to the camp ; that he had dispatched messengers to all the tribes that could be found this side of the French fort, to meet him there, and had also sent for the Indians at the Susquehanna. He expressed a desire that the women and children too, should leave Aughwick, as he had no expecta tion that the Assembly would make him any further allow ances for their support ; and that, as he would be with the army all summer, some provision ought to be made for those that remained. He was ready to perform any duty that might be required of him, and had not nearly all of the Indians proved recreant, he might have rendered great ser vices, but could not have changed the result of that dis astrous campaign. The appeal to the Indians to take part in the expedition was not very successful. The number who joined it was small. None came from the Lakes, the Ohio or the Susque^ hanna. Croghan went with those he had at Aughwick, includ' ing the women and children, whom he had intended should remain behind. Braddock wrote to Governor Morris that he had between forty and fifty Indians from the frontiers of the province, and that he had taken Croghan and Montour into service. Richard Peters, who had been at the camp, 58 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. reported to the Council that he found Scarroyady, Andrew Montour, and about forty Indians from Aughwick there, with their wives and families; that they were extremely dissatisfied at not being consulted with by the General, and frequently got into high quarrels; that the General had issued orders that the Indian women should not be admitted into camp, and insisted that they should be sent home. On the 20th of May, Croghan reported to the Governor, from Fort Cumberland, that he had about fifty men with him, and that he expected twenty more in a few days ; that on the next day the women and children would start on their return to Aughwick; that after their arrival, there would be about one hundred and twenty there, and made some suggestions concerning their maintenance during the war. But the pride of the sanguipe Croghan, as well as that of the arrogant Braddock, was destined to be laid low. When the army reached the Little Meadow, there were but seven Indians with it. All the rest had gone from Fort Cumber land to Aughwick with the women and children. Croghan, still hopeful, was expecting their return, and that he would be reinforced by forty or fifty more. But while so nearly deserted, his connection with the expedition was not entirely fruitless. W e are told " that Sir John St. Clair had discov ered, by the help of Mr. Croghan and his seven Indians, a party of between two and three hundred French Indians, and pursued them and drove them quite off; then they pro ceeded in cutting the road toward the Ohio," I am convinced by several coincidences, that these seven Indians were engaged in the battle at Braddock's defeat. In the following August, some of the Six Nations and Wyan- ' dottes, met the Provincial Council at Philsfdelphia, and among other speeches made' was the following : " Brethren of the Six Nations : You that are nov? here, to wit, Scarroyady, Cashuwayon, Froson, Kahuktodon, Atsehe- chokatha, Kashwughdaniunto Dyaquario: You fought under General Braddock and behaved with spirit and valor during the engagement ; we should be wanting to ourselves not to make you our hearty acknowledgments for your HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 59 fidelity and assistance. We see you consider yourselves as our flesh and blood, and fight for us as if we were your own kindred. By this belt we return you our hearty thanks." It has been said that the part taken by Croghan in the battle could not be ascertained ; but that he was in com mand of the Indians to whom the thanks of the Council were afterwards given, is altogether plausible. And if such a conclusion be correct, then the only men furnished to Brad dock's army from Pennsylvania went from Huntingdon county. However much we may censure, for their want of valor, those Indians who deserted, we must certainly accord them praise for their discretion. They possessed more of the latter than Braddock himself. There may have been some reason in their disaffection. Scarroyady assigned a cause for it. In an address to the Provincial Council he said : "It is now well known to you how unhappily we have been defeated by the French near Minongelo (Monongahela). We must let you know that it was the pride and ignorance of that great General that came from England. He is now dead i but he was a bad man when he was alive ; he looked upon us as dogs, and would never hear anything what was said to him. We often endeavored to advise him and to tell him the danger he was in with his soldiers ; but he never ap peared pleased with us, and that was the reason that a great many of our warriors would not be under his command." The Indians who had returned to Aughwick did not long remain there. Twenty-five of them arrived at John Harris', at Paxton, early in the summer, and at that time more were on the road to the same place. Scarroyady never resided at Aughwick after Braddock's defeat. In August we find him in Philadelphia, and before the 9th of September, within two months after the battle, he had gone up the Susquehanna river to settle at Shamokin. Of course the departure of the Indians changed Croghan's relations to the Government. His communications to the governor ceased- He no longer asked timidly for supplies, for compensation for his services, or for reimbursement for necessary expenditures. 60 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. In October, 1755, he wrote: "glad am I that I have no hand in Indian affairs at this critical time, where no fault can be thrown on my shoulders." CHAPTER VIII. REVIVAL OF THE PROJECT OF FORTIFYING AUGHWICK — CONDITION OF THE FRONTIER SETTLEMENTS — REASONS WHY THEY WERE UNPROTECTED — CONFLICT BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR AND THE ASSEMBLY — CROGHAN COMMISSIONED AS A CAPTAIN AND ORDERED TO ERECT STOCKADES — WHERE THEY WERE TO BE BUILT — FORT SHIRLEY CAPTAIN CROGHAN RECRUITS MEN TO GARRISON THE FORTS — DIFFICULTIES CONCERNING HIS ACCOUNTS — RESIGNS HIS COMMISSION AND LEAVES FORT SHIRLEY. Croghan now revived the project of fortifying Aughwick, which had been under consideration during the latter part of the previous year, but being out of the service of the Government, he looked for no assistance from that source. A regard for the safety of himself and other residents of that exposed region, led him to undertake the work with such help as he could obtain in the neighborhood. On the 9th of October, 1755, he wrote to a friend in Shippensburg, that he hoped to finish his stockade by the middle of the next week, and requested the loan of six guns, with powder, and twenty pounds of lead, promising to return them in about fifteen days, when he would get arms and ammuni tion from the mouth of the " Conegochege." At that time the frontier settlements were exposed to ex treme danger. Consternation and alarm had spread through out the entire country west of the Susquehanna, and those settlers who could escape the fury of the savages were flee ing precipitately from their homes. The towns of Carlisle, York and Lancaster were daily filled with the refugees. But few remained, except those who paid with their lives and scalps for their temerity. At Aughwick, however Croghan had made his position sufficiently strong to prevent an attack. In the east there was great anxiety for his safety, and many rumors as to his fate. Scarroyady came down from Shamokin to Harris' Ferry, inquired after himi and on being informed that he was fortified at Aughwick, sent him advice to remove, or he would be killed. Gov- 62 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. ernor Morris wrote to the Governor of Virginia, on the 2d of November, that "By letters of ye 29th and 30th of last month I am informed that the People of Aughwick & Juniata are cut off, and among others George Croghan." From intelligence then in the possession of the Governor, it is certain that no inhabitants remained on the Juniata. Croghan's situation is stated in a letter written by himself on the 12th of November: "I have butt a Stockade fortt at Aughwick, and have about forty men with me there, butt how long I shall be able to keep itt, I really can't tell." The reasons for this unprotected and defenceless condition of the frontiers affords one of the most interesting chapters in the history of Pennsylvania. It was on account of a conflict between the legislative and executive branches of the government, a conflict which was the direct result of causes operating from the foundation of the province. The successors of William Penn in the proprietaryship were not Quakers, and their appointments to office and administration of the government were without regard, or rather in antago nism, to the peaceful principles of tl.eir ancestor. But the Quakers still had sufficient political power to retain their ascendency in the Assembly. They tied the mouth of the public purse with more than a gordian knot. They voted neither supplies nor money, nor would they grant any au thority whatever, for many years, for the enlistment of men and the forming of a militia. The complaints of Governor Morris were constant against the Assembly for adhering to a policy that prevented them from saving the lives of their citizens, and were made to the British government, to the Penns, to the Governors of the neighboring provinces, and to the Assembly itself So completely was he deprived of military power, that not a man was furnished to Braddock from Pennsylvania, except Croghan and his few Indians, The teams for the transportation of baggage and supplies for the army were hired in York and Cumberland counties by Benjamin Franklin, on his own responsibility, and the Gov ernor gathered a store of provisions at Shippensburg without legislative aid. The people were divided into parties upon HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 63 this issue. Petitions from them were numerous, asking pro tection on the one hand and opposing any warlike measures on the other. When, at length, the Assembly passed a mili tia law, they did so without abandoning any of their religious scruples. Its character may be inferred from its title : " An Act for the better ordering and regulating such as are willing and desirous to be United for Military Purposes within this Province." It provided for the organization of a military force, but did not compel any body to join it. The whole spirit of the law is expressed in its opening sentence: "Whereas, this Province was settled by (and a majority of the Assemblies have ever since been) of the people called Quakers, who, tho' they do not as the World is now circum stanced, condemn the Use of Arms in others, yet are prin cipled against bearing Arms themselves." The complaints against the act were as loud and frequent as those that were made before its passage, particularly on the part of Governor Morris, but he was compelled to make the best out of the only legislation he could obtain. Immediately after its enactment a plan was devised for the defence of the frontiers. Five hundred men were to be taken into service, half of whom were to be stationed on the east and the other half on the west side of the Susquehanna- George Crogham was given a captain's commission, three or four of which were issued, under the new law, previous to December I8th, JL755, and his may have been the first. He was directed to superintend the erection of fortifications west of that river. The places for three stockades were to be selected by him, " one back of Patterson's, one upon Kisha- coquillas, and one near Sideling Hill," each to be fifty feet square, with blockhouses on two corners and barracks within capable of accommodating fifty men. He was also to employ an overseer at each place, who was to receive not exceeding one dollar per day, and workmen, who were to be allowed at the rate of six dollars per month " and provisions." All the circumstances seemed to point to Aughwick as the place for one of these forts. Its defense had occupied the attention of the government a year before, and the necessity for its pro* 64 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. tection had greatly increased. Croghan had built a stockade at his own expense and labor, and the selection of the sites for the new ones was to a great extent under his control. It was natural that he should prefer the strengthening of the one he had built. And probably nothing more was required. He had been secure during the most dangerous times, and with a garrison, under military discipline, was ready to defy any force that could be brought against him. The original idea of erecting three stockades of the same size and construction was not strictly adhered to. There were four built, one twelve miles from the Susquehanna, called Pomfret Castle, one at the mouth of the Kisacoquillas, called Fort Granville, one at Aughwick, called Fort Shirley, and one at the Sugar Cabins, called Fort Lyttleton. Gov ernor Morris was upon the frontiers in the months of Decem ber, 1755, and January, 1756, visiting this line of fortifica tions. On his return, he arrived in Philadelphia on the 28th of the latter month, all the forts west of the Susquehanna having been completed, named and garrisoned before he left them. He placed at each seventy-five men and ordered them to range the woods in both directions towards the other forts. He was highly gratified with these defences, writing to Governor Sharpe, of Maryland, Governor Dinwiddle, of Virginia, Colonel Washington and General Shirley, concern ing them. In his letter to the latter, he described them at some length, and says in reference to Fort Shirley: " About twenty miles northward of Fort Lytellton, at a place called Aughwick, another fort is Erected, somewhat larger than Port Lytellton, which I have taken the Liberty to Honour with the name of Fort Shirley. This stands near the great Path used by the Indians and Indian Traders to and from the Ohio, and consequently the easiest way of access for the Indians into the settlements of this Province." The author of this work is indebted to Samuel McVitty, Esq., formerly of Shirleysburg, now of Clay township, this county, for information in relation to the position of Fort Shirley, with reference to the natural surroundings in its immediate vicinity. The site of the fort has been frequently HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 65 pointed out to him by those who had seen it, and by Isaac Morgan, who claims to have forted in it in his boyhood days. It was a log fort of considerable strength and size, standing on the edge of the plateau, south of the Fort Run and west of the road entering Shirleysburg from Mount Union Aughwick was situated about half-way between the fort and Aughwick creek, where the depot of the East Broad Top railroad now stands. Mr. McVitty spent many of his youth ful hours in gathering arrow-heads, stone tomahawks, beads and musket balls from this historic ground. Captain Croghan, in addition to his duties as superintend ent of the erection of these works, was entrusted with the recruiting of men to garrison them. This he did very ex peditiously. No sooner were the barracks completed than the companies were ready to enter them. The province had obtained an officer who at once acquired a reputation for promptness. But these speedy enlistments were attended with a want of economy that was not gratifying to those who had the disposal of the public funds. Disputes arose between him and the Commissioners concerning his accounts, and he became dissatisfied with the manner in which they were adjusted. In fact, he had always thought himself illy recompensed for his services and expenditures at Aughwick, He continued in command of Fort Shirley, and of one of the companies raised by him, until the latter part of March, 1756, three months after the fort was built. There were issued to him during that time, two hundred tomahawks, one swivel, twenty-nine small arms, and two hundred and forty blankets. He had also some arms belonging to himself, which were retained and receipted for by his successor in command, Captain Hugh Mercer. Croghan may have had other reasons for leaving Fort Shirley than the difficulties about his accounts. The causes which had brought him there and which had probably in duced him to remain, were removed. The Assembly passed an act exempting him from arrest for ten years. As he could then face his creditors without fear, he resigned his commis sion and went to New York. K CHAPTER IX. commissary general op musters visits and pays troops at fort shirley ^letter from captain mercer — hbohuiting at carlisle — strength of garrison at fort shirley — condition op his company — arms, ac coutrements, provisions and pat — capture and burning of fort granville — preparations for an attack on fort shirley — colonel Armstrong's expedition against kimanning — rendezvous at fort shirley — surprise and rout of the indians — killing op captain jacobs, the indian chief — captain mercer wounded and missing he rejoins his company — evacuation op fort shirley. ' About the time Captain Mercer assumed command of P'ort Shirley, Captain Elisha Salter was appointed Commissary General of Musters, and ordered to inspect and pay all the companies in Cumberland county. He performed this duty, visiting the forts on the frontiers. His presence at Fort Shir ley is referred to by Captain Mercer in a letter to Governor Morris, written from Carlisle, on the 18th day of April, 1756. Captain Mercer had gone to that place to recruit men for his company. It is gratifying to have from him a de scription of the situation of affairs at the fort, of the difficul ties connected with the provincial service, and of the defi ciencies in pay, arms, equipments and rations. The following is his letter in full : "Honoured Sir: The Commissary General of the Musters, with your Honour's Instructions to review and Pay off the Garrison att Fort Shirley, arrived in a very luckv time, when the greater part of our Men were about to abandon the Fort for want of Pay. It was with great difficulty I could prevent their doing so for three weeks before, that is ever since the time of enlistment had been expired. I am sorry to observe that numbers of our best men have declined the Service, and re duced me to the necessity of recruiting anew, thro' diffidence with regard to their pay, and I have been obliged to engage that even such as left us when paid off" should have the same allowance as formerly for their Overplus time, depending upon my being reimbursed, as without such ingagement it HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 67 was impossible to prevent the fort from falling into the Enemy's hands. I am now about filling up my Company to Sixty Men, agreeable to your Orders, and have drawn upon the Commissionaries for £S0 for this purpose. A Garrison of thirty Men are now att Fort Shirley, engaged to remain there till the first of May, by which time I am in hopes of compleating the Company, and shall immediately thereupon repair thither. It is to be feared that Our Communication with the Settlement will soon be cut off, unless a greater force is Ordered for the Garrison. As Your Honour is sen sible that I can send no detachment to escort provisions, equal in force to parties of the enemy, who have lately made attempts upon our frontiers, and considering how short of Provisions we have hitherto been kept, the Loss of One Party upon this duty must reduce us to the last necessity. " Mr. Hugh Crawford is upon the Return of Leutenant, and Mr. Thos. Smallmau, who acted before as Commissary in the Fort, as Ensign to my Company. It will be a particu lar obligation laid upon me to have an exchange of Mr. James Hays for Leutenant and Mr. Smallman continued. And Perhaps Mr. Crawford would be satisfied to fill Mr. Hays' place, with Captain Paterson. as members of that Company are of his Acquaintance. I have given Mr. Croghan a Receipt for what Arms and other necessary Articles be longing to him are att Fort Shirley, a copy of which, together with my Journall and General Return, shall be sent by Cap tain Salter, and find it impossible to Arm my Men or com- pleat what yet remains of our Outworks without them. The Guns are preferable to those belonging to the Government, and I hope will be purchased for our Use. " Captain Salter will inform your Honour how unfitt the Arms in General are for Use, even after being righted by a Gunsmith, whose Account is very Considerable ; besides, we have no Cartridge Boxes, nor any convenient pouches for Powder and Lead, so that in complying with Your Instructions of giving a Detail of what is wanting for the Company, I may mention in General, Arms and Accoutrements, besides Orders to the Commissary for a large Supply of Provisions 68 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. att Once, And regular pay Once a Month; it will put me to extream difficulty if the Commissionaries do not think proper to remit me Money to pay my Men by the first of May. I have wrote them to this purpose, and beg Your Honour will enable me to fulfill my engagements with the Company, without which I can hope for very little Satisfaction in serv ing the publick. " The trust your Honour has been pleased to repose in me in giving me the Command of Fort Shirley, calls for my warm Acknowledgements, and cannot fail of engaging my utmost attention and zeal in the execution of your Orders." In July, 1756, the Indians from Kittanning, under their chiefs, Shingas and Jacobs, captured and burned Fort Gran ville, killing and making prisoners of the garrison. Later in the season they prepared for new incursions against the frontiers and an attack on Fort Shirley. Governor Morris determined that they should not have the opportunity of striking the first blow. He concerted an expedition against them to be commanded by Col. John Armstrong, who was to have under him the companies of Captain Hamilton, Cap tain Mercer, Captain Ward and Captain Patterson. These were the forces that garrisoned the fortifications west of the Susquehanna. They were to rendezvous at Fort Shirley, which they accordingly did, and marched from there on the 30th of August, in that year. Col. Armstrong was successful in surprising the Indians at Kittanning at daybreak on the morning of the 8th of September, in completely routing them, destroying their town of thirty houses, and in killing Captain Jacobs, the chief, who had declared that he could take any fort that would burn, and that he would make peace with the Eng lish when they would learn him to make gunpowder. Captain Mercer was wounded in the arm early in the engagement and became separated from the main body of the troops. When the latter arrived at Fort Littleton, on their return from Kit tanning, he hiad not rejoined them. The losses in his com pany were seven killed, one wounded and nine missing. Among the latter was himself. Captain Jacobs, at the time of his disaster, was upon the HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 69 eve of setting out to take Fort Shirley, On that day two bateaux of Frenchmen and a party of Delawares and other Indians were to have joined him at Kittanning, and to have started with him the next morning. Captain Mercer had not been captured by the Indians. In the following November he assumed command of his com pany at Shippensburg, although his wound had not healed. Before the starting of the expedition to Kittanning, Col. Armstrong had recommended the evacuation of Fort Shirley. He considered it not easily defensible and that there was danger of the supply of water being cut off from it, as the stream ran at the foot of a high bank, eastward of the fort. " I am of opinion," said he, "from its remote situation, that it can't serve the Country in the present circumstances, and if attacked, I doubt will be taken if not strongly Garrisoned, but (extremities excepted) I cannot evacuate this without your Honour's Orders. Lyttelton, Shippensburg and Car lisle (the two last not finished) are the only Forts now built that will, in my Opinion, be Serviceable to the Publick." On the 15th day of October, 1756, the Governor announced to the Council at Philadelphia, that Fort Shirley had been evacuated by his order. This was not done because the dangers against which it was intended to guard had passed away, but because they had increased to such an extent that it could no longer be relied upon as a protection. The enemy had become more powerful. CHAPTER X. SITUATION ON THE FRONTIERS AFTER 1754 — WARRANTS GRANTED IN 1755 — IN 1762 — HUGH CRAWFORD'S IMPROVEMENT— REVIVAL OF PURCHASES- DANGERS FROM AND DEPREDATIONS BY THE INDIANS — THE TOWN OF HUNTINGDON — ITS FOUNDER, DR. WILLIAM SMITH — SELINA, COUNTESS OP HUNTINGDON. The complications which had arisen in Indian affairs had a direct tendency to retard, or, in fact, to prevent for a long time, the consummation of the purposes for which the pur chase at Albany had been made. In 1750 the settlers re ceived no violence from the Indians themselves, the latter making their complaints and efforts to regain possession of their lands through the provincial government. After 1754 it was at the risk of life that a white man presumed to take up his residence within the purchased territory, unless he was also within such a distance of the fortifications that he could take refuge in them at the approach of danger. The evacuation of Fort Shirley, in 1756, removed the only pro tection that had existed within our present county. Even previous to that event, but few warrants had been taken out for lands, and there were fewer actual settlers. The "Land Lien Docket "for Huntingdon county, con tains the record of but two office rights granted before 1762, They are both dated in 1755, the first on the 3d of February to Barnabas Barnes, for a tract in Tell township, and the other on the 25th of June, to Anthony Thompson, tor a tract on Little Aughwick. J. Simpson Africa, esq.. Deputy Sec retary of Internal Affairs, at Harrisburg, a citizen of the county, who is more familiar with our land titles than any other person, knows of but four tracts warranted during the time I have mentioned. They are: I. One including the upper end of Smithfield, the whole of Bryan's farm, and some ad jacent land in Walker township, TI. The farm on the north east side of the Juniata river, above Warrior's Ridge station. III. That upon which Alexandria now stands ; and IV. One HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 71 on the Juniata below Alexandria. These were all warranted in 1755. They are probably patented, and therefore do not appear on the Land Lien Docket. It was in this same year that Hugh Crawford made an improvement, as he claimed, where Huntingdon now stands. He conveyed to George Croghan, by deed, dated at Fort Pitt, June 1st, 1760, "a tract of 400 acres, on the north side of the Raystown Branch of the Juniata, known by the name of the Standing Stone, including my improvement thereon, from the mouth of the Standing Stone Creek to the crossing up the Creek, and to the upward point of a small island." The grantee in this conveyance is the same George Croghan who was such a conspicuous figure at Aughwick, At the date of the deed he was a resident at Fort Pitt. For a period of seven years after 1755, the region west of the Tuscarora mountain renjained in almost primitive seren ity. During all that time there seems to have been no de mand whatever for the lands. The Indians had succeeded, for the time being, in making them valueless to the proprie taries, by increasing the dangers of frontier life to such an extent that no man was willing to encounter them. This state of affairs continued until 1762, when there was a re vival of the desire to acquire titles. In that and the follow- in year, many warrants were issued from and returns of surveys made to the Land Office. These were principally located along the streams and in the valleys, the earliest purchasers, of course, selecting the most fertile lands. But these were not all taken up for actual settlement. A large pro portion of the warrantees were eastern men, many of them residents of the cities, whose only object was speculation. This era was also brought to an end. Dangers from the Indians again increased. Early in the summer of 1763 depredations were committed on the frontiers, some of them near Bedford, the alarm from which extended throughout the country, and occasioned the removal of the settlers from the Juniata and its tributaries. Col. Armstrong, who was then in command of the militia west of the Blue Hills, wrote to Governor Penn, in December, of that year : 72 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. " The People drove off by the Enemy from the North side of the Mountains, forms the Frontier, as they are mix'd with the settlers on the south side, where of consequence the motions of the ranging party are required ; at the same time those who were driven from their habitations have some part of their effects yet behind, and their crops stack'd in the field thro' the different valleys, at a considerable distance beyond the mountains. To these distressed people we must afford Covering partys as oftenas they request them, or will Convene in small Bodys in order to thrash Out and Carry over Grain wherewith to Supply their Familys; this last men tioned Service, necessary as it is, greatly obstructs the uni form course of patroling behind the Inhabitants, that other wise might be performed." Col. Armstrong does not designate the localities in which the danger and alarm were the greatest, but the same situa tion seems to have existed throughout the entire region known as the frontiers. This check to the rush of speculation and the progress of settlement and improvement, continued until 1766. In that year and the one succeeding it, a great many applications were made, warrants issued and surveys returned. By the close of 1767, all the good lands in the valleys and river bot toms had been taken up. It was in the latter year that the town of Huntingdon was laid out. Its founder was William Smith, D.D., an Episcopal clergyman, and a gentleman of learning and ability. While Provost of the University of Pennsylvania, to which position he was elected in 1755, he made a trip to England for the purpose of soliciting funds in aid of that institution, and re ceived a liberal donation from the Countess of Huntingdon, in honor of whom he named the town. It is proper that we should know something of the life and character of this es timable lady. Selina Shirley was born August 24th, 1707. She and her two sisters, one of whom was older and the other younger than herself, were the daughters and heiresses of Washington Shirley, second Earl of Ferrars. At the age of twenty-one HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 73 she married Theophilus Hastings, ninth Earl of Huntingdon, a nobleman distinguished for his piety, from whom she took the title by which she is known in history. The deaths of four of her children at early ages, and of her husband in 1746, made a deep impression upon her mind and intensified her religious predilections. She adopted the doctrines of and attached herself to the Calvinistic Methodists, of whom George Whjtefield, who, with Wesley, was effecting a great revival, was the founder and leader. She was so zealous in advancing the principles she had espoused, and her wealth enabled her to exert such a vast influence, that a branch of Whitefield's followers became known as " The Countess of Huntingdon's Connection." She made that eminent preacher one of her chaplains, and he, in return, appointed her by will, sole proprietrix of his possessions in the province of Georgia, America, where she organized a mission. In her own country she built chapels, maintained ministers, and, for the education of the latter, and with the assistance of other persons of opulence, many of whom were members of her own family, established a college at Trevacca, in South Wales. For the support of this institution she made liberal contributions during her lifetime, and at her death created a trust. She provided in like manner for her chapels. The college was removed after her demise, to Cheshunt, in Herts, where it still exists. She also donated large sums to young itinerant preachers, and to private charity. Her death oc curred June 17, 1791. The number of her chapels was then sixty-four. She bequeathed them to four persons, in trust for their care and management. They have increased in number until there are now nearly twice as many as when she died. CHAPTER XI, HUNTINGDON AT THE BEGINNING OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR — THE MC MURTRIES — FORT STANDING STONE — TORIES — COLONEL PIPER EXCEEDS HIS AUTHORITY — -GENERAL ROBERDEAU AT HUNTINGDON — HIS LETTER — TORY EXPEDITION TO KITTANNING— ITS RESULT — DEATH OF WESTON AND DIS- PEP.SION OF HIS MEN. At the beginning of the revolutionary war, Huntingdon contained four or five houses. The inhabitants of whom we have any information, were Benjamin Elliott, Ludwig Sells, Abraham Haynes, and one of the Clugages. The names of several of these became prominent in connection with the formation of the county, eleven years later, and with subse quent events. In 1776 or '77 there came from Philadelphia two brothers by the name of McMurtrie. They were sons of a prudent Scotchman, who had sent them away from the temptation of entering the "rebel" army. One of these young men, David, attained some prominence in public affairs. He married a daughter of Benjamin Elliott, and his descendants are among the most prosperous people of the county. The other brother, James, resided a while in Huntingdon and then re moved to a farm on Shaver's creek. During the war, the town was more frequently called Standing Stone than Huntingdon. It is mentioned by the former name in many of the letters and records of that period, relating to the movements of troops, tories and In dians. When called Huntingdon, its other name was some times added to designate what place was meant. A fort was built there in the early part of the war. It stood in the southeastern part of the town, on the bluff overlooking the creek and the lowlands between it and the fort, and covering about ten acres of ground. It was never permanently garrisoned, but when troops were in Hunting don, as was the case on several occasions of which we have authentic information, it is to be supposed that their quar ters were in this fortification. HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 75 When not garrisoned, its defence, in cases of necessity, de volved upon the citizens of the town and surrounding coun try, many coming for miles to seek its protection. In times of alarm and in the absence of troops, the people sometimes resorted to ruses and stratagems to drive away the Indians, Once an attack was threatened by a party of savages who made their appearance on the ridge across the river from Huntingdon, They greatly outnumbered the force that could be gathered to oppose them, and to have awaited their nearer approach with the hope of making a successful resist ance would have been futile. Instead of this, an effort was made to deceive them into the belief that the little squad was really an army. The latter was drawn into line in such a position that the ends of the column could not be seen by the savages, and so that by marching round and round, men would be continually in view and present the appearance of battalions moving steadily forward. At the same time the drums, and other instruments not so musical — some of them in the hands of women and children — were beaten so vigor ously as to impress the savages that great preparations were being made for battle. The enemy were overawed, and re treated without testing the strength of the fort and its de fenders. As to the sufficiency of the causes which were regarded as impelling the colonies to a separation from the mother country, there was not a unanimity of opinion among the people of the upper Juniata, There were many royalists or tories, who were very bold and open in their opposition to the revolutionary cause and in their sympathy for and ex tension of aid to the British, whose emissaries and Indian allies were operating against the western frontiers. But the patriots outnumbered them many fold. That part of Bedford which now constitutes Huntingdon county was the centre of tory strength and activity. The disaffected element was scattered over all parts of it, but ex isted principally at Huntingdon, on Stone Creek, Shaver's Creek, the Raystown Branch, and the Aughwick, and in Canoe, Woodcock and Hare's valleys. Deep and dark as 76 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, were the designs of the tories, they were frustrated by the fatal mistake of those who were to have cooperated in the execution of them. From the Indians there was more real danger, and it con tinued a much greater length of time. The alarms caused by them were well founded. They placed the frontiersmen on the defensive at a time when the means of protection were insufficient, and when all the population capable of bearing arms was urgently needed in front of the British army. Troops could not be sent to the frontiers, nor, on the other hand, could men be withdrawn from thence for duty elsewhere. The settlers were thrown entirely upon their seZ/'-reliance, too often literally so, as they were fre quently without arms or amunition. This chapter will not enter very fully into the details of Indian depredations and massacres. Many of them will be described in the histories of the different townships, which form a part of this work, each in treating of the locality in which it occurred. The measures taken for the defense of a large extent of territory, in which Huntingdon county was included, will give an insight into the manner in which hos tilities were waged against it by the savages. In January, 1788, Col. John Piper, realizing the exigen^ cies of the situation, and after consultation with his sub lieutenants, proposed the raising of a force of one hundred and sixty men, to be stationed at five different points in Bedford county, thirty of them to " guard the inhabitants of Hart's Log Settlement and Shaver's Creek." In informing the Supreme Executive Council of his action, Col. Piper says : "The urgent Call for these men, and the Exhorbitant Prices of all articles, Lay'd us under the necessity of aug menting their Pay to five Pounds Pr month, the men to Be engag'd for the space of nine months, unless sooner dis- charg'd. These People Have Repeatedly apply'd to me, praying their Situation to Be Lay'd Before Oouncill, and Assureing Councill of their determinations to make a Stand — if ihey meet with this necessary Assistance. They Like wise Pray that a Suitable person may be Appointed to Lay HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 77 a Small Store of Provisions at each Post to Supply Scouting Party, or other troops who may be Employ'd as Guards. If these measures are aproven by Councill the People will Stand, and if Rejected, I have the Greatest Reasons to Be lieve, that upon the first alarm from Indians A great Part of our County will Be Left desolate." But Col. Piper had exceeded his authority. The Council replied that they were surprised that he was enlisting men for nine months ; they had intended that he should call out the militia as a temporary measure ; it was expected that the people of the county would more cheerfull .' exert i hemselves in their own defence than enter a service more distant, and therefore they were not called upon to meet and oppose the King's army, out were permittted to remain at home. The enlisting of men for so long a term was improper and unne cessary ; there was no fund for the payment of them, and the proposed increase of pay was a sufficient reason against it, as the militia of other counties would claim the same rates. There were legal objections to Col. Piper's action, which it was not within the power of the Council to remove, and therefore they had no other discretion than to disapprove of it. This failure to provide a military force was followed by others. In fact, there cannot be said to have been any very efficient protection of the kind during the war. There was no intentional neglect of duty, no want of earnestness, courage and patriotism, but as the unorganized, predatory warfare of the Indians could have but little effect on the ultimate results of the contest, it was but wisdom on the part of the State and Federal governments not to divide their strength, but to re serve it for the greater foe that was to be met on other fields Many of the events of those times cannot be better illus trated than in the letters of the principal actors in them, I will insert, in their proper places, several that were written from Huntingdon, during the most active period of the operations in the public defence. On the 23d of April, 1778, Robert Smith sent the follow ing note to Robert Clugage, a citizen of the county and an officer in the continental service : 78 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, " Sir: Be pleased to send Expresses to Lt, Carothers by first opportunity, to give him some account of insurrections on the South mountain, and Likewise to enspect very closely into who is abroad at this time, and upon what occasion, as there is a suspision, by information, of other insurections Rising in other parts of the county of Cumberland, and in so Doing you will oblidge your friend, to serve, Robert Smith," On that day General Daniel Roberdeau was in Hunting don, on his way to Sinking Valley to superintend the mining of lead for the revolutionary army. He forwarded the above note to Lieat. Carothers, commanding in Cumberland coun ty, in the following letter : "Standing Stone, April 23, 1778, " Sir : The enclosed was put into my hands to be for warded to you by express. The intelligence it contains is abundantly confirmed by several persons. I have examined both fugitives from the frontiers and some volunteers who have returned for an imediate supply of ammunition and provisions, to be sent forward to Sinking Spring Valley, as the Troops will be obliged to quit the service without they are supplied without Delay. Want of arms prevents those who would turn out. I shall furnish what I brought from Carlisle as soon as they come forward, but it is very unfor tunate that these arms and the amunition which is coming by watter have been retarded by some contrary wind, and probably the Lowness of the Watter. To remedy this I have Dispatched two canoes this morning to meet them on the way. I am giving Mr, Brown, who is here, every as sistance in my power, but your aid is greatly wanted to stimulate the militia and furnish arms, Amunition, pack- horses, and everything necessary in your Line of Duty, The insurgents from this Neighborhood,- I am informed, are about thirty ; one of them (Hess) has been taken and con fession extorted, from which it appears that his Banditti ex pect to be joined by 300 men from the other side of the Aleganey ; reports more vague mention 1,000 Whites and Savages, The supply of provisions for so great a number HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 79 renders it improbable, but in answer to this I have been in formed by the most credable in .this neighborhood, that strangers, supposed to be from Detroit, have been this winter among the Disaffected Inhabitants, and have removed with them. If you have authority to call out the militia, in proportion to the exigence of the times, I think it of great importance that a considerable number of men should be immediately embodied and sent forward to meet the enemy, for it cannot be expected that the Volunteers will long con tinue in Service, and I find that the recruiting the three companies goes on too slow to expect a seasonable supply from them of any considerable number ; if you have not authority to call the necessary aid of militia, you no doubt will apply to the Hons. the Council, and may furnish them with my sentiments, and to the board of war with arms and Amunition. With ten men here under the command of Lieut. Clugage, in Continental service, until the 1st Deo, next, I intend to move forward as soon as the arms, ammu nition and other things comes forward, to afford an escort to Sinking Spring Valley, where I shall be glad to meet as great a number of militia as you will station there, to en able me to erect a Stockade, to secure the works so neces sary to the public service, and give confidence to frontier Inhabitants, by affording an Assylum for their women and children. These objects, I doubt not, you will think worthy your immediate attention and utmost exertion, which I can assure you, making the fullest allowance for the timidity of some and credulity of others, is a very serious matter, for without immediate aid the frontiers will be evacuated, for all that I have been able to say has been of no avail with the fugitives I have met on the roads, a most Distressing sight of men, women and children, flying through fear of a cruel enemy." Although the tories were threatening vengeance against all who had taken the oath of allegiance to the new government, their power was entirely incommensurate with the dread they inspired. Their strength and numbers were greatly exaggerated by the wild and unfounded rumors that prevailed, 80 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. causing genuine fears to grow out of imaginary dangers. General Roberdeau, while .speaking of " the timidity of some and credulity of others," gave full credence to many,of these rumors and did not express a disbelief in any of them. Other officers were as much inclined as he to regard them as true, and repeated them in communications to the Council, as intelligence to be taken into consideration and acted upon in providing measures for the public safety. On the 24th of April, 1778, Lieut. Carothers reported to the President of the Council, that he had received, through Col. McAlevy, an account that a body of nearly three hundred and twenty tories had collected in and above Standing Stone, and had driven a numb'er of the inhabitants from the town, that Colonels Buchanan and Brown had marched with a few men to the defence of the place, and that he was impatiently awaiting the issue. But our soil did not become a battle ground, as there was no enemy to be found. Troops, arms and amunition were sent by Lieut. Carothers, about the same time, to General Roberdeau, in Sinking Val-' ley. This force consisted of seventy privates and eighteen muskets. The latter, added to the arms which the General had taken with him, were considered sufficient for that emergency. The tories at this time were concocting schemes in secret, their meetings being frequently held at the house of their leader, John Weston, in Canoe Valley, west of Water Street. When they were ready to attempt the consummation of their plans, he was chosen their commander, a most fortunate selection, in view of its consequences, for the almost defence less people, whose lives and property would have paid the forfeit, had not disaster overtaken their enemy before he had an opportunity of striking a blow. The only cotemporary account of their movements and fate, is given in a letter from Col. John Piper, written at Bedtord, May 4th, 1778. It is as follows: " An affair of the most alarming nature (and as I believe altogether unprecedented) has happened lately in a Corner of this County, and w'ch I could not think myself justifiable HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 81 in not communicating to the Honorable the Supreme Execu tive Council of this State: a Number of evil minded Persons, to the amount of thirty-five, (I think) having actually asso ciated together, marched away toward the Indian Country in order to join the Indians, and to conduct them into the In habitance, and thus united, kill burn and destroy Men, Women and Children, "They came up with a body of Indians near or at the Kittanings, and in conferring with them, they, the Indians, suspecting some design in the white People, on w'ch one of their Chiefs shot one Weston, who was the Ring-leader of the Tories, and scalp'd him before the Rest, and immediately (as if Divine Providence, ever attentive to Baffle and defeat the Schemes and Measures of wicked Men) the rest fled and dispersed. "A very considerable number of the well-affected Inhab itants having, as soon as their combination and march was known, pursued them and met five of them, and yesterday brought them under a strong guard to the County Goal. "They confess their Crime and Intention of destroying both Men and Property ; as these people, thus in open rebel lion, are so numerous, there is great reason to believe them as a part of a greater whole, in some dangerous confederacy with the Common Enemy, either in Phila, or Detroit." Those of Weston's men who escaped capture never re turned to the Juniata Valley, It is said that most of them went west to Fort Pitt, and from thence to the south, and that their families ultimately followed them. The fear of the tories soon passed away from the public mind. There was a vague dread for a time after the tragedy at Kittanning that a tory force would make its appearance at some un guarded point or moment, but the people soon learned that such apprehensions were groundless, much to their relief, we may feel assured, after two years of trepidation and alarm. The only enemy that remained was the Indian, against whom protection was necessary four years longer. CHAPTER XIL 1778 TO 1782 — CUMBERLAND COUNTY MILITIA SENT TO THE FRONTIER — DIF FICULTY OP OBTAINING ARMS — COLONEL BROADHEAD'S REGIMENT ORDERED TO STANDING STONE — CAPTAIN THOMAS CLUGAGE's COMPANY — AT FORT ROBERDEAU — CHARGES AGAINST CAPTAIN CLUGAGE — HIS REPLY TO THEM — MILITIA OF LANCASTER AND YORK CALLED OUT FOR SERVICE IN BEDFORD AND WESTMORELAND — THEIR FAILURE TO RESPOND — COLONEL MARTIN's LETTER TO COUNCIL — ASSISTANCE FEOM CUMBERLAND COUNTY — HUNTING DON A DEPOT FOR SUPPLIES — DIVISION OF COUNTY INTO MILITARY DIST RICTS — COLONEL GEORGE ASHMAN — HIS REPORT TO PRESIDENT REED — HIS ANXIETY FOR THE SAFETY OF THE COUNTRY — SURRENDER OF LORD CORN WALLIS — GENERAL CARLTON SUPERSEDES SIR HENRY CLINTON — PEACE. In June, 1778, Lieut. Carothers, who seems to have been a very energetic and efficient officer, sent sixty of the Cum berland county militia to Kishacoquillas and Standing Stone valleys. The men had not responded very freely to his call and he could not send a larger force. It was with still greater difficulty that they were armed. The people of those valleys, and doubtless of all other localities exposed to at tack, on getting arms into their hands, whether public or private, would refuse to surrender them, as they did not know the hour when they might have use for them. Every man felt the necessity of being prepared to defend himself and his household when threatened by danger, especially when the only military protection consisted of a few undis ciplined men, scattered over an extensive frontier. In the want of confidence and security which prevailed, it is not strange that the pioneer preferred to retain the weapons in his own possession rather than to give them up to others, who might not be within reach to give him assistance when it was needed. On the 19th of May, 1779, General James Potter wrote from Penn's Valley, that " that small company of 30 men has encurredged the people of standing stoan Valley to stand as yet, altho' it is too few for that place." If these thirty were part of the men seat by Lieut. Caro thers, then the other thirty had probably remained at Kish acoquillas. HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 83 In a circular to the County Lieutenants, issued by the Council at Philadelphia, July 16, 1778, it is stated "that Col. Broadhead's regiment, now on a march to Pittsburg, is ordered by the Board of War to the Standing Stone, and we have ordered three hundred militia from Cumberland and two hundred from York county to join them." It is not likely that the Board of War had any intention of changing the destination of Col. Broadhead's command, or that its remain at Huntingdon was to be more than temporary. There is some evidence that the regiment was there on the 8th of August. On that day Council wrote to Dr. Shippen, that "beside the militia at Sunbury, there are two other bodies in Continental service which will also require a sup ply of medicine — one body of five hundred men at Standing Stone, on Juniata, in Bedford county ; the other, consisting of four hundred and fifty men, at or near Easton. You will therefore please to pay attention to these two bodies at the same time that those at Sunbury are supplied." These troops had left Huntingdon before the next spring, as Gen eral Potter, in his letter heretofore referred to, said: "I can't help being surprised that there has been no militia sent to that part of Bedford county that Joynes us ; neither to Frankstown or Standing Stone, except that small com pany of Buchanan's Batallion that would not go to Fort Roberdeau." In the early part of 1779 Congress adopted resolutions authorizing the raising of five companies of rangers for ser vice on the frontiers for a term of nine months. One of these was to be raised in Bedford county, and Capt. Thomas Clugage, brother of Major Robert Clugage, who was subse quently in command at Huntingdon, was appointed to the command of it. As Capt. Clugage resided within the pres ent limits of Huntingdon county, he recruited his company. principally within the territory of which it was afterwards formed, now constituting Huntingdon and Blair counties. We are at a loss for information in regard to his success in recruiting, as he either failed to report his progress to the proper authorities as promptly as required, or his returns, 84 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, as he alleged, were miscarried and failed to reach their des tination. On the 26th of June, Joseph Reed, President of the Council, inquired of him by letter, "the exact state of the company." To this there was no reply, probably for the reason that he could not make a creditable report. He wrote from Fort Roberdeau, the fort at the lead mines, named after General Roberdeau, on the 6th of August, that he had arrived at that post that morning, bringing with him what men he could collect on the way. He meant, no doubt, that he had obtained some additional recruits between Hunt ingdon and the fort, and not that he had no other men than those whom he had collected. His statement, however, was so indefinite and unsatisfactory that President Reed wrote to him in a very peremptory manner on the 20th of August. It was with great concern that the Council had found that he had not yet made any return of his transactions in recruiting his company ; they had been informed that he had indulged his men by permitting them to go to their homes; such con duct was very disagreeable to the Council and disreputable to him, more especially as gentlemen of note in the county were complaining that their protection was neglected ; there was certainly something wrong which he was required to rectify without delay ; he was directed to take such station as Col. Piper should think most for the interests of the coun ty and the frontier generally, and was recommended to exert himself to satisfy the just expectations of the public and ren der the services for which the company was raised. Having given the purport of the charges against him, it is but proper that I should give his reply in vindication of himself. Fort Roberdeau, Oct. 10th, 1779. " Sir : 1 received your Letter some time agoe, Daited Aug't 20th, which Surprised me very much that you have not Received my Returns of my Progress in Recruiting at Different times before the Date of your Letter, as I have sent Expresses with Different Letters as far down as Carlisle, allowing them to be forwarded by the first opportunity from thare. But it's likely they ware miscarried by some means, HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 85 therefore would be glad to know by what means I am to send you returns — whether by Express or no ; if by Express how they are to be furnished with money to pay Expenses. " You say you have been informed I have Indulged my men with letting them go to their homes. I acknowledge I have Indulged a few of them, such as had Grain to Reep, (and save it) as it appeared to me to be a loss to the State to let grain be destroyed for want of reaping whare it is so very scarce as it is on the frontier, rendered so from the different Incursions of the enemy. I am very much Surprised to hear that Gentlemen of Note in the County have had reasons to Complain of me, as I am conscious I have done, every thing that could be expected from me towards Protecting the Suffering Frontiers of this County. But, Sir, I must in form you that there are Gentlemen in this County that would not be satisfied with my Conduct, Except I would furnish them and their familyes with a guard at their own houses, so that they might follow their Labour without Dangour ; however, that is out of my power ; for it would take at least a regament to afford that Protection to every family in the Quarter I am stationed in, and have grate reason to think it must be some of these Gentlemen that Layed the Complaint ; therefore, in order to Justify my Caracter, would take it as a favour if you would let me know the Gentlemen's names by first opportunity. " My Company has been Revewed, and Past muster — 3 Officers & 43 Rank and file, one of the Latter Killed or taken. I have made application to Mr. Carson for the neces saries promised — have received some of them, But no Blan kets except four ; they are very necessary at this Season of the year, and Can't be done without ; therefore would be glad Mr. Carson Could be furnished with them by some means, as I have promised them to the men. Would be glad to know who I must apply to pay the Doctor's Bills, as I have been under the necessity of applying to one for some of my company, and paid him out of my own pocket." While Capt. Clugage's company was being recruited, it was not the intention to rely on it for the protection of the 86 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, whole section of country in which it was to be stationed, but efforts we're made to organize and send militia from other counties. In February, 1779, President Reed went to con sult with General Washington on this subject, and, as the re sult of their conference, orders were issued in March, imme diately after his return, for the calling out of two hundred and fifty men from Lancaster and York counties for service in Bedford and Westmoreland, one hundred and twenty-five for each of the latter. These orders were almost wholly disregarded ; at least, they were never complied with. Lan caster showed some disposition to obey, but York failed en tirely, and Lancaster, influenced by her example, did like wise. In the following July, President Reed wrote to Col. Piper that the failure of those counties was a proper subject for inquiry by the Assembly. In the autumn of that year the danger of an evacuation of the country had greatly increased. The protection afforded the people was so insufficient that it seemed for a time that there would soon be no people to protect. In this emergency Col. Martin, one of the sub-lieutenants, thought it his duty to call out more of the militia of Bedford county, but it was found that there was not a grain of powder with which to supply them. In a letter to Council, dated September 15th, 1779, the situation of the country was represented as deplor able : "It has been our misfortune not to have had a single man (during that summer) either for our own defense or es corting stores to Fort Pitt, except a few of our own tired out militia and a few of Capt. Clugage's company, who don't seem to be extended wide enough and only afford protection to one corner." From the disposition that was made of troops, when any were available, it seems that the northern part of Bedford county, or that now embraced within Huntingdon, was as well, if not better, guarded than any other, Cumberland county was the most ready to give assistance when called upon to do so. It was a matter of self-interest to her to confine hostilities to the territory of her western neighbor, and to keep the enemy as far from her own bor ders as possible. But the presence of her citizens, armed HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 87 and equipped to repel the savages, was hailed with no less gratification on that account by the dwellers upon the fron tiers. In the spring of 1780 a party from that ' county "marched out to waylay the gaps of the Allegheny moun tains." They found no Indians, but manifested a spirit which was highly commended by Major Robert Clugage, in command at Huntingdon. He said that they were " willing to keep out a scout constantly, and run their chance for pay, if they could be kept in provisions." As to the latter, 'Squire Brown had proposed to find flour, salt and whiskey, and there was nothing but meat wanting. Huntingdon was at that time a depot for supplies. How long it had been so we do not know. In May, 1780, the removal of the stores was under consideration, and, perhaps, fully decided upon, at which the people were very much dissatisfied, and protested against it. They had no doubt greater objections to the troops being taken away, a guard being necessary at the place while the public property was there. Major Clugage had detailed sixteen men for the pur pose, who, he says, were "to do proper duty as enlisted troops, and in case of misbehaving, to be punished as the same." In the meantime the term of enlistment of Capt. Clugage's company had expired. This occured in the winter or spring of 1780. His men were discharged and their arms left in the county. Capt. Clugage was afterwards in the service. One company, if not more, was raised in Bedford county, towards the latter part of the war, some of the members of which were from the present limits of Huntingdon county, and sent to the front in the eastern part of the State. Col. John Fee, who resided opposite the mouth of the Raystown branch, was one of the soldiers who went from this vicinity. He was not an officer during the war, but took great interest in military affairs after its close. Nothing occurred to change the situation during the fol lowing year. The next important event was the division of the county into military districts or battalions. One of these was composed of the townships of Dublin, Shirley, 88 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. Barree, Hopewell, Frankstown and Huntingdon, names which, with the exception of Frankstown, are still familiar in Huntingdon county. In connection with this division first appears the name of Col. George Ashman. He had come from Maryland, and had settled where Orbisonia now stands, and where he after wards built Bedford Furnace. On the day following the promulgation of the order dividing the county into districts — May 19th, 1781 — Col. Ashman wrote to President Reed: " I have just received the returns of all the male white in habitants residing in this (Bedford) county that come under the militia law, in the whole fourteen hundred and fifty-six, and am now forming them. I hope your Excellency will order one hundred of the militia of Cumberland county to be ready to take post in this county when those that are now here are discharged, which will be the fourteenth day of June, or send me such orders as will enable me to call out the militia of this county from the interior parts of it by that time. If this is omitted, I can assure your Excellency that a principal part of the inhabitants of this county will move off, as many families have already moved when the late dam age was done." On the 3d of June, Col. Ashman, in consequence of the reported massacre of thirty soldiers between Bedford and Frankstown, called upon Col. Buchanan, at Kishacoquillas, to exert himself " in getting men to go up to the Stone." On the next day Col. Brown and his command marched to Huntingdon in response to this call. Later in the same month, Col. Ashman exhibited the greatest anxiety concerning the situation of the county and the furnishing of assistance to the people to prevent them from fleeing. Within two days of the time when the Cumberland county militia were to be discharged, he was informed that no orders had been issued for others to take their places. He became alarmed for the safety of his own family, and determined to remove them to Mary land, as he was convinced that the settlements could not make a stand against the enemy. Whether he carried' out HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 89 this intention, Richard Ashman, esq., his descendant, could not inform the writer. The war was then approaching a close. Lord Cornwallis surrendered on the 19th day of October, 1781, But peace with the Indians was longer delayed. In May, 1782, the Cumberland county militia were still moving forward to the posts near the gaps in the Allegheny mo^untains. On the 13th of that month, Bernard Dougherty, Treasurer of Bed ford county, and a member of the Assembly, wrote from ^'Huntingdon, or the Standing Stone town," that "a company of Cumberland militia, consisting of thirty-five men, arrived here yesterday on their way to Frankstown garrison, where they are to be joined by Capt. Boyd's ranging company. The people in the frontiers of this county are mostly fled from their habitations. As yet nothing has happened in this county, but we are afraid a stroke will be made next moon light." In that month General Carlton arrived from England, suc ceeded Sir Henry Clinton in command of the British forces, and entered into negotiations for peace. From a period not long after his arrival no parties of Indians were sent out, and messengers were dispatched to recall those who had gone before that time. This was the end not only of Indian hostilities under British influence and in the British interests, but the end of them forever. Beginning in 1754) when the French and Indian alliance was formed, the war fare of the savages against the frontier settlers had con tinued without intermission, except that at some periods it was more active than at others, for twenty-eight years. The trials, the perils and the sufferings of those times will never be fully known, Cotemporary records of what then occurred are meagre and imperfect. We find among them references to murders and depredations by the Indians, Many of these can be traced to unfounded rumors, which were likely to originate in widely scattered communities, where the people were in constant fear and danger. Au thentic accounts of savage atrocities are so few as to scarcely afford us an idea of the times or enable us to correctly write 90 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, their history. The more recent attempts to gather the nar ratives of these events, and to present them in connected form, have not led to satisfactory results. The sources of reliable information were so limited, that it was necessary te draw the data or alleged facts from sources that were un worthy of confidence. Traditionary statements, after they have passed from one generation to another, are not entitled to credence, because of the weakness of memory, on the one hand, and the disposition of many persons to add to a story, on the other. An author receiving a highly colored account of an occurrence, may, if his own imagination be vivid, and if he be disposed to romance rather than truth, write a vol ume which will be pronounced interesting, but which ought to be presented to the world under some other title than that of history. In the present work, 'I have endeavored to state nothing positively that is not corroborated by in dubitable evidence. CHAPTER XIII. DIVISION OF PENNSYLVANIA INTO COUNTIES — PHILADELPHIA, BUCKS AND CHESTER — LANCASTER — CUMBERLAND — BEDFORD — HUNTINGDON — COUNTY SEAT — TOWNSHIPS THEN WITHIN THE COUNTY — ELECTION DISTRICTS — FIRST INCUMBENTS OF COUNTY OFFICES — COURT HOUSES — JAILS — RUNNING AND ASCERTAINING COUNTY LINES — DIFFICULTIES WITH MIFFLIN COUNTY — ERECTION OP NEW COUNTIES — CENTRE CAMBRIA — BLAIR. The division of Pennsylvania into counties was made dur ing William Penn's first visit to the province. He was here at that time nearly two years, arriving in 1682, and re turning to England in 1684. The counties formed by him were Philadelphia, Bucks and Chester, the lines of separa tion between which were confirmed by the Provincial Coun cil on the 2d of April, 1685, The only boundaries desig nated were those where these counties adjoined each other. Their limits in other directions were undefined. They were co-extensive with the province itself; Chester embraced the greatest extent of territory, and from it many other counties have since been erected. The present county of Huntingdon was originally a part of Chester. I will follow the several successive steps by which it became included in other counties, until it was given a distinct and separate existence. Lancaster county was established by Act of Assembly of May 10th, 1729. It was separated from Chester and Phila delphia counties by a line running from Octoraro creek in a northeastward direction to the Schuylkill, and included all of the province lying west of that line. By an Act of Assembly passed the 27th day of January, 1750, the lands lying "to the westward of Susquehanna, and northward and westward of the county of York," were cre ated into a county to be called Cumberland. It was but a short time previous to that year that events of a historical character began to occur within the present territory of Huntingdon county. 92 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. Bedford was formed by an Act passed March 9th, 1771, "for erecting part of the county of Cumberland into a sepa rate county." From it Huntingdon county was erected, on the 20th day of September, 1787. The following are the preamble of the Act and the section defining the boundaries of the county : " Whereas, it hath been represented to the General Assem bly of this State, by the inhabitants of that part of Bedford county which lies on the waters of the Frankstown branch of the Juniata, the lower part of the Raystown branch of the same, the Standing Stone Valley, part of Woodcock Valley, the waters of Aughwick Creek, and other north easterly parts of the said county of Bedford, that they labor under great hardships from their great distance from the present seat of justice, and the public offices for the said county, now in the town of Bedford : For remedy whereof. " Be it enacted, etc. That all and singular the lands lying within the bounds and limits herein after described and following, shall be, and are hereby, erected into a separate county by the name of Huntingdon county ; namely, begin ning in the line of Bedford and Franklin counties, where the new state road, (by some called Skinner's road,) leading from Shippensburg to Littleton, crosses the Tuscarora mountain ; thence in a straight course or line, to the Gap in the Shade mountain, where the road formerly called Potts' road crosses the same, about two miles north of Littleton ; thence by a straight line to the Old Gap, in Sideling Hill, J^ where Sideling Hill creek crosses the mountain ; thence in a straight line by the northerly side of Sebastian Shoub's mill, on the Raystown Branch of Juniata ; thence on a straight line to the Elk Gap, in Tussey's mountain ; computed to be about nineteen miles above or southwesterly of the town of Huntingdon,(formerly called the Standing Stone) and from the said Elk Gap, in a straight line, to the Gap at Jacob Steven's mill, a little below where Woolery's mill formerly stood, in Morrison's cove ; thence in a straight line by the southerly side of Blair's mill, at the foot of the Allegheny mountain ; thence across the said mountain, in a straight line, to and HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 93 along the ridges dividing the waters of Conemaugh from the waters of Clearfield and Chest creeks, to the line of West moreland county ; thence by the same to the old purchase line, which was run from Kittanning to the West branch of Susquehanna river ; and along the said line to the said west branch, and down the same to the mouth of Moshannon creek, and along the remaining lines or boundaries which now divide the county of Bedford from the counties of North umberland, Cumberland and Franklin, to the place of be ginning." Although, as recited in the preamble, there was a general movement in favor of the erection of the new county in all parts of the territory proposed to be included within it, yet the measure received the most strenuous opposition, and it was only after a determined struggle that its passage was secured. It contained the usual provisions for the holding of courts of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace and of Common Pleas, fixing the first Tuesday in the months of December, March, June and September, as the time for their sessions, and that they should be held at the house of Ludwig Sell, in the town of Huntingdon, until a court-house should be built. In reference to the location of the county seat and the erection of county buildings, the act provided as follows : "And whereas the petitioners for erecting the said county, have unanimously represented to this house, that the town of Huntingdon, on the river Juniata, is a proper and central place for the seat of justice in the said county ; and the proprietor of said town, at the desire and with the approbation of the inhabitants and owners of lots and build ings in the same, hath laid off and set apart a proper and sufficient quantity of grounds, for the site of a court house, county goal and prison, and hath engaged to give, assure and convey the same to the commonwealth, in trust and for the use and benefit of the said county ; provided the said town of Huntingdon shall be fixed upon by law as a proper place for the seat of justice in the said county : Therefore, 94 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. "Be it further enacted, etc., That Benjamin Elliott, Thomas Duncan Smith, Ludwig Sell, George Ashman and William McElevy, be, and they are hereby appointed trustees for the said county of Huntingdon, and they, or any three of them, shall take assurance of and for the lands and grounds pro posed to be appropriated as aforesaid, in the said town of Huntingdon, for the site of a court house and county goal or prison, and shall take care that the quantity of ground so to be appropriated be sufficient and convenient for the pub lic purposes aforesaid, and as little detrimental as possible to the proprietors and owners of contiguous lots and build ings ; which assurance and conveyance of the grounds, as aforesaid, the said trustees, or any three of them, shall take in the name of the commonwealth, in trust, and for the use and benefit of the said county of Huntingdon, and thereupon erect a court house and prison, sufficient to accommodate the public service of said county." The townships then within the county were Huntingdon, Barree, Tyrone, Frankstown, Hopewell, Woodberry, Shirley and Dublin, in addition to which the town of Huntingdon formed a separate district. These had formed the whole or parts of the third, fifth and sixth election districts in Bed ford county. No changes were made in the extent or boun daries of these districts by the act erecting the county, ex cept that two of them — the third and sixth — were divided by the line separating Huntingdon and Bedford counties, part of them remaining in the latter. The places of holding elections in the former were fixed or removed ; that for the third district to the house of George Clugage, in Hunting don ; for the fifth district, to Shirley township ; and for the sixth district, to the house of David Lowrey, in Tyrone township. In calculating the distances that voters were re quired to travel in those days for the privilege of depositing their ballots, we must remember that the area of the county was then almost twice as great as at present, part of it having since been taken in the formation of Centre, Cam bria and Blair counties. These three voting places may seem to have been a small number for so large a territory, HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 95 but they were probably sufficient when compared with the population, as the county contained, at the enumeration in 1790, but 7,565 inhabitants, of whom probably not more than two-thirds were within its present limits. In 1793 it con tained 1,717 taxables. But before the year 1798 three new districts had been formed, and afterwards others were cre ated almost annually. It was not many years until the Legislature commenced the making of districts out of single townships. Immediately after the erection of the county, offices were established for the transaction of the public business and appointments made to fill them, Lazarus B, McClain was appointed Clerk of the Court of Quarter Sessions, Orphans' Court, Justice of the County Court, and Prothonotary, and was commissioned September 25th, 1787, Andrew Henderson was appointed Recorder of Deeds, Register of Wills, etc., and Justice of the County Court, to which offices he was commissioned September 29th, 1787, and Prothonotary, to which he was commissioned Decem ber 13th, 1787, Benjamin Elliott was appointed Sheriff and commissioned October 22nd, 1787, and Lieutenant of the county, commis sioned November 30th, 1787. Robert Galbraith was appointed President of the County Court of Common Pleas, Orphans' Court, and Court of Gen eral Quarter Sessions of the Peace and Jail Delivery, and commissioned November 23rd, 1787. Thomas Duncan Smith, of the town of Huntingdon, John Williams, of Huntingdon township, Thomas McCune, of Tyrone township, and William Phillips, of Woodberry township, were commissioned Justices of the county, No vember 23rd, 1787, Samuel Thompson was appointed Coroner, and commis sioned November 30th, 1787. David McMurtrie was appointed Treasurer and filed his bond, with Samuel Anderson and Alexander Dean as sure ties, December 5th, 1787. He resigned the office soon after, 96 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. however, the renunciation of the Commissioners releasing him and his sureties from further liability on the bond being dated June 28th, 1787. The house of Ludwig Sell, in which the act of Assembly erecting the county provided that the courts should be held, was situated on the southern end of lot number 7, in the plan of the town, fronting on Allegheny street, between St. Clair and Smith, now Second and Third streets. It was a double two-story log building, kept as a tavern by Sell, and was the first public house in the place. •The room in which the courts sat, the largest in it, was at the lower or eastern end. It afterwards passed into the possession of Haines, who also kept a tavern. The lot is now owned by Mr. Thomas Fisher, by whom the old building has been • torn away and a spacious brick dwelling erected, fronting on Penn street. The first court house built by the county stood in Third street, between Penn and Allegheny, about fifteen feet from and fronting towards the former. It 'was a substantial three-story brick edifice. One of the stories was a basement, having an entrance from the southern side, in which were the offices of the Prothonotary, Register, Recorder and Clerks of the Courts. Some time after its erection, a bell was placed upon it for the purpose of calling the courts, but previously it had been customary to escort the justices to the court house with the fife and drum, and suitors, jurors and witnesses were summoned to their duties by the same music. The bell was a large one, weighing two hundred and fifty four pounds, and had inscribed upon it : " Cast by Samuel Parker, Philadelphia, 1798. William Smith, D. D,*to the Borough of Huntingdon, Juniata," After the demolition of the building, in May, 1848, the bell was placed upon the public school-house and was used until December 12th, 1861. That being a frosty morning, on ringing for school, it was broken. The present court house stands upon the northern side of Penn street, between Second and Third, occupying the lots HISTORY OF Huntingdon county. 97 from 31 to 34, inclusive. These lots, before becoming the property of Huntingdon county, were owned by Stephen Drury and John Cadwallader, the former owning lot No, 31 and the latter owning Nos. 32, 33 and 34. On the 6th of August, 1793, Cadwallader executed a mortgage to the com missioners of the county, for the use of the Commonwealth, on his lots, for $300, and on the 31st of the same month, Drury executed a similar mortgage for $100, In 1839, the Legislature passed a resolution, which was approved by Governor Porter on the 25th day of June, in that year, transferring, the "lien, right, title and claim of the Common wealth of Pennsylvania of, in and to" the lots, under the mort gages, to the "county of Huntingdon, for the use and purpose of building by said county of a court house and other necessary buildings for the said county, therewith and thereon, and for such other uses as the commissioners of said county shall hereafter determine." A writ of scire facias had been issued on the Cadwallader mortgage in 1810, andjudgment obtained, which had been revived at various times before the transfer to the county. It was again revived in 1839, when the debt amounted to $1,943.25, The lots were then sold at Sheriff''3 sale, and bought by the county commissioners for $1,000. A scire facias was issued on the Drury mortgages in the same year, and judgment obtained for $325.50, on which the lot was sold and bought by the commissioners. The building was commenced soon afterwards, and was completed in 1842, Its location, although not central, as the town has developed itself during the last ten years, is convenient for those whose business requires them most frequently to be there. Some improvements are needed and have been in contemplation, and after they shall have been made, it will probably be many years before a re moval will be seriously urged. The surroundings of the court house are pleasant, and, in the summer, beautiful. In front of it, on Penn street, are two parallel rows of white maples, which cast a deep shade when in their verdure. Within the enclosure are a number of trees of the same species, a 98 history of HUNTINGDON COUNTY. The necessity for a jail began quite as early as that for a court house. A building that had been erected before the formation of the county was first used for the purpose. Its location is now unknown. In a letter written at that time, it is mentioned as a " block-house." It may have been the re mains of the old fort built during the Revolutionary war. On the 25th of August, 1791, in pursuance of the agree ment under which Huntingdon had been made the county seat, Dr, Smith conveyed lot No, 41 to Benjamin Elliott, Ludwig Sell, George Ashman, William McAlevy, Richard Smith and Andrew Henderson, trustees, as a site for a county prison, A log jail was erected thereon, which, after standing some years, was destroyed by fire. There was a prisoner in it at the time, whom it was impossible to rescue, and he was burned with the building. This lot was on the east side of St. Clair (now Second) street, directly opposite the end of Hill, now Penn, the latter, according to the plan of the town, extending only to the former street. The turnpike, when made through Huntingdon, was passed over this lot, and it has become a continuation of the street to wards Stone creek. The next jail was erected in Smith (now Third) street, north of Mifflin, It was a small stone structure, standing back against the hill, with a yard in front of it, running down towards the street. In 1829, it gave place to the present prison, which stands south of the old site, on the line of Mifflin street, the yard extending back to Church street. It is doubtful whether this building is a fair specimen of the architecture of the day in which it was built. It certainly compares very unfavor ably with the prisons of later times, and the health and safety of prisoners can only be secured by the erection of a new one. Having undertaken to give the history of only the territory now embraced within Huntingdon county, we will follow the various steps by which its boundaries have been ascertained and defined, and its area reduced to its present limits. HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 99 On the 3d day of April, 1789, the Supreme Executive Council appointed Benjamin Elliott, of Huntingdon, Mat thew Taylor, of Bedford, and James Harris, of Cumberland county, to run and ascertain the boundaries of Huntingdon county. The county of Mifflin was erected on the 19th day of Sep tember, 1789. When an attempt was made to run the boundary line between that county and Huntingdon, a dispute arose con cerning a small strip of territory that was claimed by both. The sheriff" of the latter, on going upon the disputed ground to serve writs that had been placed in his hands, was con fronted by a party that had assembled for the purpose of re sisting him in the execution of his official duties, taken into custody and incarcerated in the Lewistown jail. He was re leased from imprisonment on a writ habeas corpus, and sub sequently returned to the place with the posse comitatus. The people again assembled to make a resistance, but they and the sheriff's posse failed to meet, and further violence was avoided. These difficulties were settled by legislative action. On the first of April, 1791, an act was passed reciting that some dissatisfaction hath arisen respecting the boundary line be tween the counties of Huntingdon and Mifflin, on the south side ot the river Juniata, which was run in the year one thou sand seven hundred and eigthy-nine, "designating where the line should be, and appointing commissioners to run it." By another act, passed March 29th, 1792, a new designa tion was given to the line, as follows : "A straight line, be ginning in the middle of the Water Gap in the Tuscarora mountain, and from thence to the river Juniata, in such direction as to include Joseph Galloway's farm within Hun tingdon county, at the mouth of Galloway's run, shall be the line between Huntingdon and Mifflin counties." This was the end of the controversy. The original territory of Huntingdon county has been much reduced in extent by the formation of new counties. A part of it was taken in the erection of Centre, February 13th, 1800. The line between the two counties was fixed, 100 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. by Act of January 7th, 1801, as beginning " at a point on the Tussey's mountain, three miles south-west of the line which divided Mifflin and Huntingdon counties, thence by a direct line to the head of the southwest branch of Bald Eagle creek, and thence a direct line to the head waters of the Moshannon." Further reductions were made by the erec tion of Cambria county, March 26, 1804, and of Blair, Feb ruary 26th, 1846. CHAPTER XIV. A TEMPEST IN POLITICS — ADOPTION OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES — OPPOSITION TO IT IN HUNTINGDON COUNTY — GENERAL WILLIAM m'aLEVY — HIS POLITICAL INFLUENCE — ARMED INTERFERENCE WITH THE PUBLIC OFFICERS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES — TURBULENT INTERRUPTION OF THE COURTS — ARRESTS AND RESCUES — MUSTER OF COL. cannon's battalion — ASSAULT AND BATTERY UPON BENJAMIN ELLIOTT — THE MILITARY RETIRES FROM THE FIELD — MORE ARRESTS — DESTRUCTION OF WARRANTS AND INDICTMENT — OBLITERATION OF THE RECORDS OP THE COURT OF QUARTER SESSIONS — SECRETION OF SMITH AND FLIGHT OF HEN DERSON—ACTION OF SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL — FURTHER VIOLENCE — m'aLEVY and THE MOB — THE STORM SUBSIDES. The adoption of the Constitution of the United States was almost cotemporary with the formation of Huntingdon county. A convention of delegates from all the States met at Philadelphia, in May, 1787, to revise the articles of confed eration. The result of their labors was the framing of an en tirely new constitution, which was signed on the 17th of Sep tember. It was presented to Congress by the convention and submitted by that body to the several States for ratifica tion. The convention of Pennsylvania to take action in re gard to its acceptance or rejection met in the same year. Benjamin Elliott, of Huntingdon, was one of the delegates. The new Constitution was scarcely satisfactory to any party, and very objectionable to some. It was a document of concessions and compromises, rendered necessary by con flicting views and interests, and was bitterly opposed by many of the people of the country. In Huntingdon county, this opposition became violent and riotous. The leader in it was General William McAlevy, who had acquired a military title during the Revolutionary war, being mentioned as Colonel McAlevy in the records of that struggle and in connection with the alarms caused by the Tories and Indians.* He then acted the part of a patriot, *0n Thursday, July 13th, 1876, after this chapter was written, as workmen were tearing down the old house at the northwest corner of Second and Penn streets, in Huntingdon, they discovered under a 102 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, all of his efforts being directed towards the advancement of the cause of independence. His residence was at McAIevy's Fort, in Standing Stone valley, a place that still bears his name. At or previous to the adoption of the constitution, he became a Democrat, and had numerous followers, over whom he exercised almost supreme control. As illustrating his political influence among the people of that valley, it is said that one of his Democratic neighbors, on being asked what he was going to do in reference to a pending election, window sill a letter which proves to be quite a relic of General McAlevy. At the time of its date McAIevy's fort was in Barree town ship, and McAlevy was a captain in command of a company. Barree Township, 9th July 1776. Colonel Piper Sir: I have the pleasure to acquaint you that on the Eighth of this Instant at a full meeting of my company that I mead the resolve of the Congress of the fifteenth of May fully known to them — and they unanimously Gave me their opinions that all Power and Authority Derived from the Crown of Great Britain should be totally Dissolved And are fully Resolved to Risk all that is Dear and valuable. I am Sir your Most Humble Servant Wm. McAlevy. Sir. I would Be Glad how soon you could send Drum and Cullers, This letter was folded and had been sealed with a wafer, and on the outside was directed as follows : To COL JOHN PIPPER of the Battallion in Bedford County. The following interesting speculations, concerning this letter and the house in which it was found, are from the Huntingdon Globe : "The question arises, how did this letter get into this old house? The house is on the northwest corner of 2d and Penn Streets just angling across the way from the Benedict property. It has been in the possession of John Simpson and his heirs since May 31st, 1793, when it was purchased from one Haines who had built the house, but left it unfurnished. Haines had bought the land in 1773, and the house may have been partially built when the letter was written. Did it get there while Haines yet owned it ? Or did it get there after the war when Simpson owned it, and if so, how did Col. Piper's letters get to this place where he never lived ? These questions will never be answered satisfactorily. Simpson was a military man, and his father-in-law, Col. James Murray, was with Piper in the army, and it may be the letter was carried there by one of these men. At all events it is a most singalar coincidence that it should turn up just one hundred years and four days after it was written— probably ex- HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 103 replied that he didn't know, as he hadn't seen the Oin- eral yet. The excitement of the times led to attempts by large bod ies of armed men to obstruct the performance of public duty by the officials of the county, and to the offering of the grossest of indignities to them personally. Col. John Can non, member of the Supreme Executive Council from Hun tingdon county, was the first against whom there was any manifestation of enmity. On the first day of the court in March, 1788, a number of men bearing bludgeons and car- actlj' one hundred years, after Piper opened it, it was opened again. Though there are some orthographical errors, yet the penmanship is excellent, though the paper is brown as roasted coffee. The letter is now in the possession of George T. Warfel, coal merchant in this town. It, as well as many other relics of the past which might yet be collected, ought to be carefully preserved in a county museum." The " resolve of Congress," to which General McAlevy referred, was as follows : In Congress, May 15, 1776. Whereas, his Brittanic majesty, in conjunction with the lords and cemmons of Great Britain, has, by a late act of parliament, excluded the inhabitants of these United Colonies from the protection of his crown: And whereas, no answer whatever, to the humble petitions of the colonies for redress of grievances and reconciliation with Great Britain, has been, or is likely to be given, but the whole force of that kingdom, aided by foreign mercenaries, is to be exerted for the de struction of the good people of these colonies. And whereas, it ap pears absolutely irreconcilable to reason and good conscience, for the people of these colonies, now to take the oaths and affirmations necessary for the support of any government under the crown of Great Britain; and it is necessary that the exercise of every kind of authority under the said crown should be suppressed, and all the powers of government exerted, under the authority of the people of the colonies, for the preservation of internal peace, virtue and good order, as well as for the defence of their lives, liberties and proper ties, against the hostile invasions and cruel depredations of their enemies. Therefore, Resolved, That it be recommended to the respective assemblies and conventions of the United Colonies, where no government suf ficient to the exigencies of their affairs has been hitherto established, to adopt such government as shall in the opinion of the representa tives of the people, best conduce to the happiness and safety of their constituents in particular, and America in general. By order of the congress. John Hancock, President. 104 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, rying an effigy of Colonel Cannon, entered the town. Justices Phillips and Henderson left the bench, the courts being then in session, and met the mob at the Upper end of Allegheny street and endeavored to dissuade them from a disturbance of the peace, which they seemed to have in contemplation. This effort, however, was unsuccessful. They marched down street to. the house in which the courts were sitting. There they made so much noise that it was impossible to proceed with business, and after they had been several times warned to desist from this outrage, the sheriff was directed to arrest the one who seemed the most turbulent and commit him to prison. When he had been taken into custody, a riot ensued, and he was rescued by those who were acting with him in this violation of the law. An indictment was immediately drawn against the principals, presented to the grand jury) returned a true bill, and entered upon the records of the Court of Quarter Sessions ; but as preparations could not then be made for trial, the case was continued until the next sessions. In the following May, a battalion of militia, which had been organized by Benjamin Elliott, Lieutenant of the county, was ordered to assemble in Hartslog valley. Some of the riotous element was present, and after falling into ranks made an objection to mustering under Colonel Can non and Major Spencer, two field officers who had been commissioned when the battalion belonged to Bedford county, and who, it was alleged, had not been fairly elected ; Col. Woods, then Lieutenant of that county, having ob tained the return of such men as pleased himself. An as sault was made upon Colonel Elliott, and he received many severe blows from several persons. A friend of his who undertook to protect him and restore order, was treated in the same violent manner. Elliott, in an account of this affair, says that " they met, some for the purpose of doing their duty, and others for the purpose of making a riot, which they effected, about the Federal Government, in which riot I was very ill-used by a senseless banditti, who were inflamed by a number of false publications privately HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 105 circulated by people who were enemies of the Federal Gov ernment." A commander was then selected for the battalion, who, according to previous arrangement, ordered that all who were unwilling to serve under the field officers heretofore named should withdraw from the ranks. More than one- third of those in line marched out and formed a new line in front of the rest. Col. Elliott and the field officers, finding that the roll could not be called, and that to remain longer would be unavailing, retired from the field, accompanied by that part of the battalion which had shown a disposition to render obedience to those who had a right to command them. A few days afterwards warrants were issued by Thomas Duncan Smith, one of the Justices, for the arrest of three of the leaders in this demonstration. The prisoners were taken by the constable before Thomas McCune, another Jus tice, who merely required them to enter into their own re cognizances for their appearance in five days before -Justice Smith. In the meantime, they gathered a large force of men, and when they came before the Justice on the day ap pointed, his office was instantly filled by the crowd. They refused to give bail, and insisted that they should be com mitted. As he was aware of their designs, and as he was unwilling to give them a pretext for the commission of fur ther outrages, he declined to comply with their request. There was, besides, no safe prison in the county, none hav ing been yet erected. He reminded them of this, that the jail was but a " block-house," and told them that, as two of them were owners of real estate, and that as it was but eight days until the June sessions of the court, he would release them without security. Finding that he was unalterable in his determination, one of them, who was subsequently dis covered to have a cutlass concealed under his coat, grossly insulted him, and threatened him with violence. The accused and the crowd left the office and the town, and in the afternoon, about one o'clock, returned, more than ninety in number, sixty of them armed with rifles and mus- 106 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, kets and the remainder with clubs, scalping-knives and tomahawks. They marched down Allegheny street to Sec ond, up Second to Penn, up Penn to Diamond, where they formed into a circle. Justice Smith was then called into the centre, and it was demanded that he would tear up the warrants upon which the arrests had been made. He re fused to do so ; but having them in his pocket, he delivered them to one of the leaders. They were then passed into the hands of a man who must have been the greatest desperado of the party, as he had previously presented a rifle three times to Justice Smith's breast, and was only prevented by the interference of others from taking the Justice's life. He stepped from the ranks, and tearing the warrants, threw some of the pieces at the Justice, saying, "see now what it is to be a magistrate," The Clerk of the Court of Quarter Sessions was next re quired to deliver to them the indictment that had been found at the March sessions. It was also destroyed. Justices Smith and Henderson having gone to the house on Allegheny street in which the courts were held, were followed by a number of armed men, who demanded pos session of the Quarter Sessions docket. On obtaining it, they obliterated the record of the proceedings against the rioters, the part which was obnoxious to them. The compliance of the officers with these demands was compelled by intimidation and threats. The order-loving portion of the community was completely overawed. Information was then brought to Smith and Henderson that personal injury was intended them. Both sought safety, the former by secreting himself and the latter by flight. Their own houses and several others were searched for them. The Sheriff and David McMurtrie, the latter of whom had incurred their enmity at the review, had gone from town the day before, and avoided unpleasant conse quences to themselves. Two constables were obliged to leave their homes to save their lives. The Sheriff could not with safety go into the country to serve writs, and all kinds of business was affected by this unhappy state of affairs. HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 107 Another visit was feared, and on the 5th of June, 1788, a full statement of these occurrences was sent to the Council, with the assurance that without the interposition of the gov ernment, order could not be preserved. The Council took action in regard to the matter on the 25th of June. The Chief Justice and one of the Judges at tended, and a conference was held relative to these disturb ances. The following were the proceedings, as found in the f)}inutes : "A letter from two of the magistrates in Huntingdon county, stating that the daring and violent outrages were committed by a lawless sett of men, that the officers of the Government have been insulted and their lives endangered, and that part of the records of the Court have been de stroyed and erased, was read, praying the support of the Government, &o. Thereupon, "Resolved, That the most proper and effectual measures be immediately taken to quell the disturbances in Hunting don county, and to restore order and good government, and that the Honorable the Judges of the Supreme Court be in formed that the Supreme Executive will give them aid and assistance, which the laws of the State will warrant, and shall be found necessary to accomplish this end." The language of this resolution was more vigorous than the action which followed it. Nothing further was then done to suppress these high-handed acts, approaching so nearly to a revolt that they can scarcely be called by any other name. After the Council had been informed of them and before the passage of the resolution, other violence had been com mitted. Samuel Clinton, who had made himself notorious as a rioter, Abraham Smith and William McCune, came into town at the head of about twenty men, and beat Alexander Irwin, a citizen. The same party, joined perhaps by others, assaulted the houses of the county officers at night, with showers of stones. The persons against whom there seemed to be the greatest hatred, were Robert Galbraith, Thomas Duncan Smith, Andrew Henderson and Benjamin Elliott. 108 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. Threats were sent from all parts of the county that death, cropping, tarring and feathering, should be inflicted upon these or any other officers who should attempt to enforce the laws. And these threats were not made without an intention of carrying them into execution. About the middle of August, one hundred and sixty men, collected from all parts of the county, some of them from Huntingdon, led by General McAlevy, Abraham Smith, John Smith and John Little, paraded the streets, not armed as before, but with muskets secreted, as was supposed by those who had reason to fear them. The officers and a few others who gave their support to the Government under the constitution, took refuge in the house of Benjamin Elliott, and there, with arms, were determined to defend themselves and to repel force with force. Thus protected, no attack was made upon. them. The enemy was content with marching through the streets, under flying colors and to the music of the fife. They met at William Kerr's house and elected delegates to a convention to be held at Lewisburg. At this election all were permitted to vote who had marched in the ranks that day, and all others were excluded. This political animosity continued for more than a year. The subject was again before the Council in June, 1789. On the 12th day of that month, a committee to whom the matter had been referred, made a report, which, if it had been published or preserved, would have thrown greater light upon these transactions than can now be obtained from any source. By order of Council, the next day was assigned for further action upon the report. On the 13th the following resolution was adopted : " Resolved, That the consideration of the report of the committee to whom was referred the representation from the justices and others of Huntingdon county, relative to. some late disturbances in that county be postponed." As the Council had delayed so long, and as the excite ment had subsided, perhaps no wiser course could had been HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 109 pursued at that time. This daring opposition to the execu tion of the laws, formidable as it seemed, was not sufficiently powerful to accomplish its purposes, and its interference with the functions of government in Huntingdon county could not retard their progress elsewhere. Unassisted by similar combinations in other parts of the state or nation, its ultimate failure and discontinuance were necessary con sequences, and while it was the duty of the Executive to protect the incumbents of places of trust in their official capacities and the lives and liberty of the people, yet it was good policy to refrain from the employment of military power until it became absolutely unavoidable. That the fury of this political tempest would soon exhaust itself must have been apparent. It ended without loss of life or limb and with but slight personal injury to any. We cannot ex cuse those who instigated and encouraged this unlawful con duct, but the civil authorities were competent to bring them to punishment. We have not ascertained whether this was done. One of them was under bonds in February, 1790, for his appearance at the next Supreme Court in this county, but whether he was brought to trial, and, if so, whether it resulted in conviction, we are not informed. It has generally been stated and believed by those who have had nothing but traditionary accounts of these occur rences, that the records of the court were burned by McAlevy and his men, but there is no official evidence that such was the case. There are in existence authentic and re liable documents which seem to prove conclusively that some of the records were torn and others obliterated by erasures. It has been said that a copy of the Constitution of the United States was burned, and this may be correct, and may have given rise to the statement that other papers were destroyed in the same way. CHAPTER XL CLOSE OP THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY — PEACE AND PLENTY — PROSPERITY AND IMPROVEMENT — NAVIGATION OF THE JUNIATA AND RAYSTOWN BRANCH — OF THE LITTLE JUNIATA AND STANDING STONE CREEK — FIRST IRON WORKS — BEDFORD FURNACE — BARREE FORGE — HUNTINGDON FUR NACE — FIRST ARK ON THE SUSQUEHANNA AND JUNIATA — FIRST NEWSPAPER — ESTABLISHMENT OP THE POST OFFICE AT HUNTINGDON. Towards the close of the eighteenth century, we arrive at a transition, a change of scene, in the drama that has been enacted in Huntingdon county. If it can be called a play at all, it had theretofore been a most serious and real one upon the actual stage of human life. From the beginning, it had been a conflict of antipathies and antagonisms, a struggle of irreconcilable elements. In the contest between the English and the French for supremacy on the western continent, the county, occupying an intermediate position, necessarily became a part of the field of action. When that contest ended, there remained in the aboriginal denizens of the forest a foe more cruel and unrelenting and more diffi cult to subdue than were the soldiers of a civilized nation. But, greatest mutation of all, the arms of Britain and of the colonists, which had been directed towards a common enemy, were turned against each other, and were not withdrawn from the deadly strife until British power in America had shared the fate of that of France. But there was another struggle of longer duration and not less arduous, the stuggle with the wilderness, the great obstacle to progress, and with the soil for the means of subsistence. At the close of the Revolutionary war the former was perceptibly disappear ing, and the latter had commenced to yield bountifully to the hand of man. Entering upon a period of peace and plenty, we also enter an era of material growth and pros perity, of improvement in the means of internal commerce, of travel, of communication between distant points, and of the dissemination of intelligence. That this history may fully illustrate the measures that HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 111 have been taken to increase the facilities for trade within the county and with the country and world at large, we will revert to the legislation of provincial times on this subject. We will find their beginning in a scheme for making a num ber of the streams of Pennsylvania, among which were the Juniata and some of its tributaries, navigable. An Act of Assembly for this purpose was passed March 9, 1771. It was very thorough and comprehensive in most of its provi sions, and had they been carried out we would have had water craft floating upon our rivers long before the con struction of canals along them was thought of. The Juni ata to Frankstown and the Raystown Branch to Bedford were declared public highways for purpose of navigation, and all obstructions and impediments to passage up and down them were to be deemed nuisances. Commission ers were appointed to receive any money that might be contributed by residents on or near those streams, and to expend it in the improvements contemplated by the act. They were to enlarge, straighten and deepen the chan nels, to remove trees, rooks, sand and all other obstructions, whether natural or artificial, and to make tow-paths for the drawing of boats, vessels and rafts, which paths were to be open and free to all persons who might have occasion to use them. This was a magnificent plan for that day, more magnifi cent in the inception than in the execution of it. The de fect in it was that it did not sufficiently provide for the raising of the funds that were necessary for its success. To depend upon voluntary contributions for effecting a work of such magnitude and involving an expense which at that time would have been enormous, was futile. The province itself would scarcely have been able to have accomplished it. After a lapse of twenty-three years, the Little Juniata, from its mouth to the head of Logan's Narrows, and Stand ing Stone creek, from its mouth to Laurel Run, near the house of William McAlevy, were declared public highways. The act was passed February 5, 1794. It merely authorized the inhabitants who were desirous of availing themselves ot 112 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, the navigation of those streams, to remove obstructions and erect such slopes and locks as might be necessary for the passage of boats and rafts. To those who are acquainted with the rivers and creeks of this county which were thus to have been rendered navi gable, it need not be said that the people have never taken practical advantage of the privileges conferred by these acts of Assembly, At the time of their passage, the Juniata proper was less obstructed than at present, dams having since been placed in it for the purpose of supplying water to the canal, and effectually closing it even to the passage of rafts down the stream. The Raystown branch, the Little Juniata and Standing Stone creek are of no more utility now as public highways than they were when the Indian furrowed them with his light canoe, and the day has passed when there is any requirement for such improvements as were of the highest importance before inventive genius and engineering skill had devised the wonderfully rapid means of transportation of recent times. The manufacture of iron, which has remained one of the leading industries in the county, had its origin in 1780. In that year a furnace, the first west of the Susquehanna river, was erected within the site of the present borough of Or bisonia. It was called " Bedford Furnace," after the name of the county in which it was then located. It had a ca pacity of about thirteen tons per week. The ores used were of the fossil variety, from which the metal was the most easily extracted, and were smelted with charcoal. The firm by which this furnace was built consisted of Edward Ridg- ley, Thomas Cromwell and George Ashman. They were known as the " Bedford Company," and were the owners of many thousands of acres of land. Other firms have suc ceeded them and other furnaces have been erected upon the same property and in its vicinity. The latter have been six in number, including the new mammoth works of the Rock- hill Coal and Iron Company. The history of all of them will be given in the sketch of Cromwell township. The next establishment, in order of date, was for the con- HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 113 version of pig-metal into wrought-iron. It was built on the Little Juniata, nine miles west of Huntingdon, by Edward Bartholomew and Greenberry Dorsey, in 1794, and was called " Barree Forge," This property also embraced ex tensive tracts of land, through which the Pennsylvania Rail road now passes. A furnace has been built near the forge. In 1795 or '96, George Anshutz and John Gloninger erected Huntingdon Furnace, in Franklin township, three miles from the mouth of Spruce creek. Yielding large profits, the owners invested them in other iron works in ad joining counties and in several forges on Spruce creek. The furnace is now owned by G. & J. H. Shoenberger, but has not been in blast for some years. Notwithstanding the failure to make the Juniata more navigable than it was in its natural condition, its waters were used for the conveyance of the surplus products of the country to market as early as 1796. Ia that year, the first ark appeared in the Susquehanna, It had been taken there from the Juniata by Cryder, an enterprising German, and was laden with flour manufactured at his mill above Huntingdon. The mouth of the Swatara, at Middle- town, was then considered the termination of navigation on the Susquehanna, being believed to be impracticable below that point. Bat Cryder surmounted the difficulties by which others had been deterred, passed the falls and cata racts and other obstacles which had been regarded as so dangerous, descended safely to Baltimore, and reaped a rich reward from the profits of his meritorious undertaking. The success of this enterprise becoming known throughout the region from which the Susquehanna and its tributaries flow, numerous arks were built in the following year, and reached tide-water with their cargoes. From the Juniata and its branches, they floated down the current whenever those streams were at a stage to permit, carrying principally flour, grain and whisky, three of the staple productions of the times. This mode of transportation continued until after the Pennsylvania canal was made. For several years sub sequently arks went down from the Raystown branch, but H 114 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. the facilities afforded by the artificial water-course so far surpassed those of the natural channel that the latter was soon abandoned for the other. Not only have we the first furnace and the first ark previous to the year 1800, but also the first newspaper. It was called " The Huntingdon Courier and Weekly Advertiser," the first number of which appeared July 4th, 1797. It was published by Michael Duffey, at No. 305 Allegheny street. Of the method of obtaining the material with which the columns of his paper were filled, we find the following remi niscence in the Huntingdon Gazette, of February 11th, 1829 : " Thirty -two years ago, no mail, public or private, entered the confines of this county. A newspaper, about that time, was established in Huntingdon, the editor of which depended entirely on the accommodating disposition of a few hardy mercantile gentlemen, who after a three months'' preparation, making their wills, etc., ventured to the city of Philadelphia for goods, and on their return brought as many of the city newspapers as kept him in ' blast ' until they were ready to return for a supply of goods," etc. Although the intelligence which Mr. Duffey furnished to his readers was inexpensive to him, his paper" was unremu- nerative. It could scarcely have been otherwise at a time when the county was so sparsely populated and when there were no mails to carry it to the few persons whose literary tastes or desire for news might have inclined them to be come subscribers. As a consequence, he and his enterprise failed. Whether he continued to publish it until after a mail route and a post office were established in the county, is uncertain. He went, or perhaps returned, to Baltimore, previous to 1799, While at Huntingdon, he had in his em ploy as a "journeyman" printer, John McCahan, who, a few years later, founded the " Huntingdon Gazette," which he conducted successfully for more than a quarter of a century. The information as to the merchants carrying newspapers to Duffey from Philadelphia was furnished by McCahan, and appeared in the Gazette within a year after he transferred it to his son, J, Kinney McCahan. HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 115 The precise date of the establishment of the post office at Huntingdon,' which was the first in the county, cannot be ascertained, as it is not known to the Department at Wash ington, " owing to the fire which consumed the post office building in December, 1836, and which burnt those of the earliest record books of this office. But, by the Auditor's ' Ledger Book,' it is ascertained that the post office at Hunt ingdon began to render quarterly accounts on the first day of January, 1798, and John Cadwallader was the first post master. As the postmaster must have transacted some business prior to this date, it is believed that the office was established during the month of October or November, 1797, This comprises all the information that the records furnish on this point." The above extract is from a letter of James H, Marr, Acting First Asst, P. M. General, to J. Hall Musser, esq , present Postmaster at Huntingdon, who kindly communi cated with the Post Office Department on the subject. CHAPTER XVL NEWSPAPERS OF THE PAST — HUNTINGDON GAZETTE — LITERARY MUSEUM- REPUBLICAN ADVOCATE — HUNTINGDON COURIER — HUNTINGDON MESSEN GER — STANDING STONE BANNER — SHIRLEYSBURG HERALD — THE UNION ^BROAD TOP MINER — WORKINGMBN'S ADVOCATE— YOUNG AMERICA — THE AMERICAN AND THE REPUBLICAN. The first number of "The Huntingdon Gazette and Weekly Advertiser" appeared February 12th, 1801. The writer has in his possession the fourth number of the first volume, dated March 5th, of that year, not having been able to ob tain a copy of either of the three preceding issues. It was then a folio, each page being about ten and a half by six teen inches in size, and containing four columns. At its head it bore the motto, '"Give me the liberty to know, TO UTTER, AND ARGUE FREELY ACCORDING TO CONSCIENCE.' — Milton," under which appeared the following notice of the place of publication: "Huntingdon, [Pennsylvania): Printed by John McCahan, Washington Street ; opposite to Guinn's Alley." As Mr. McCahan was a practical printer, he exercised a personal supervision of the mechanical execution of his paper, to which may be accredited the clearness and correct ness with which it was done. On the 28th of April, 1809, he enlarged the sheet and added about two inches to the length of the columns. He remained the editor and pro prietor until the 9th of July, 18:28, when the establishment passed into the hands of his son, J. Kinney McCahan, who, to a great extent, had had the management of it for several years previous to that time. John McCahan, the originator and founder of the Gazette, was born in November, 1780, at Drumnahaigh, a small village in the north of Ireland. He landed in the United States in August, 1792, and in 1795, was bound to Steel & McClain, of Carlisle, Pa., to learn the art of printing. The failure of that firm in the following year ended his appren- HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 117 ticeship. In 1797, he worked with Michael Duffey, publish er of the Courier, at Huntingdon. His latter employer, like the first, failed, and went to Baltimore. McCahan followed him, and in 1799, worked for William Peckin, on a Digest of the Laws of the United States. In 1801 at the age of but little more than twent}'' years, he established the Gazette and continued its publication for twenty-seven years. These facts are obtained from memoranda written by Mr, McCahan in September, 1853. His successor, J. Kinney McCahan, improved the paper immediately after taking charge of it. He added a column to each page, without, however, enlarging the sheet. The margin had been very wide, and by a rearrangement of the style, admitted of the change. A comparison of one of the earlier copies of the Gazette with a daily or weekly publication of the present time, is a most correct illustration of the changes that have taken place between the two periods, and enables us to pass at a single step from the one to the other. Then the distinctively local newspaper was unknown. The more remote the locality from which it emanated, the greater was the necessity that it should be devoted to general intelligence, to the news from the whole world. The reader who was so fortunate as to receive his journal once a week, expected it to present all that he could desire to know of occurrences in his own and foreign countries at a date about three months previous to that of the paper. And if the weekly mail, upon which the editor depended for the material with which he supplied his columns, should be delayed, as frequently happened, beyond the day for "going to press," it was a disappointment for which he felt obliged to apologize to his readers. Now the great dailies furnish us each morning with dis patches from every civilized quarter, detailing the events of the preceding twenty-four hours. The editor no longer receives his news by mail, but it comes to him on the electric wire, and within a few minutes after leaving the pen of his corres pondent, may be in the hands of the public. The mails have almost lost their utility in connection with newspaper 118 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. enterprise, except to carry the printed sheet to all parts of the globe. The weekly publication must confine itself to a narrower field. If it undertakes to give the general news of the day, it does so after they have been read and re-read at almost every fireside. It is compelled, in order to maintain its own existence, to leave the broader domain entirely to those whose rivalry therein it cannot oppose. This is the contrast presented by the Gazette and its recent successors. On the 23d of April, 1834, after having been under his con trol nearly six years, and under the control of himself and father more than thirty -three years, the Gazette was sold by J. Kinney McCahan to Alexander Gwin, Esq. Its publication was continued by the latter until after the political campaign of 1838, which resulted in the election of David R. Porter to the office of Governor of this commonwealth. Mr. Gwin, who was the last editor of the Gazette, was the son of Patrick Gwin, for several terms sheriff of the county. He was born in Huntingdon, and was educated at Dickinson College, Carlisle, where he graduated with marked distinc tion. He then returned to his native town and studied law, sustaining, in that pursuit, the high reputation he had ac quired at college, and afterwards, in the practice of his pro fession, he attained a position of which his early career had given promise. The vigor of his intellect was acknowledged by his political opponents. Having advocated with ability, through the Gazette, the election of David R. Porter, he was appointed by the latter, after his inauguration as Governor, Prosecuting Attorney for Huntingdon county. In 1845 he was elected a Representative to the Legislature, During the session in which he was a member of that body, he la bored with great industry in the committee room, and by his integrity and talents secured the confidence of, and great influence with, his colleagues. As a politician he was fair, constant and undeviating. " In principles, radical ; in prac tice, consistent," He died March 28, 1848, A more ambitious literary project was originated in 1809, Its character will be apparent from the following : HISTORY OP HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 119 PROPOSALS For Publishing by Subscription a New Work to be Entitled, "The Huntingdon Literary Museum and Monthly Miscellany." Exclusively devoted to amusement and Instruction, by W. R. SMITH & M. CANAN, CONDITIONS. 1. This Work will be published in Monthly numbers, on a fine white paper and with a good Type. 2. Bach Number will appear on the first Monday of every Month, and shall contain not less than 48 Octavo Pages, so as to form a handsome Volume at the end of each year — when will be given a General Title Page and Index. 3. The Price, to Subscribers, will be $3 per year ; One Dollar of which to be paid on the delivery of the first Num ber ; one other on the delivery of the sixth, and the third, at the expiration of the year. 4. No subscription to be discontinued, except at the end of a Volume, and on payment of what may then be due. 5. The first Number shall appear on the first Monday of November next, or sooner if a sufficient number of Sub scribers can be obtained. Huntingdon, Pa., 1st August, 1809. This advertisement appeared in the Gazette and was fol lowed by an " Address," occupying nearly a column in that paper, setting forth more explicitly the objects and nature of the proposed publication The first number was not ready at the time announced for its appearance and it was consequently postponed until January, 1810. The twelve numbers were issued regularly during that year, making a volume of 576 pages. A bound copy is on the shelves of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and two copies, com plete with the exception of the first number, are in the library of the late General A. P, Wilson, of Huntingdon. William R. Smith, one of the editors, was a gentleman of superior literary attainments. He was a lawyer by profes sion and a scholar from taste, speaking several languages, and being especially fluent and eloquent in his mother 120 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, tongue. In person he was dignified and noble, and in man ners polished and affable. The magazine, nearly every month during its existence, contained poetical productions from his pen. The titles of some of his poems are, " Lines Addressed to a Young Lady on her Birthday," "Poor Mary," "The Maid of the Vale," "Sonnet," "National Song," " Sonnet to Hope," and '' Ode to Friendship." From these pieces, I select the one first named, not because it is better than t'ne rest, but for the reason that it is the briefest exam ple of his style among them. LINES ADDRESSED TO A YOUNG LADY ON HER BIRTHDAY. Time's swiftly running glass at length has sped, And blushing eighteen lights upon thy head ; Thy youthful charms evince in early hour The budding beauty of a future flower, When thrice thy present years time will have told, And e'en thy friends pr ^nounce thee growing old, Then though the roses of thy cheeks be flown, And all the graces of thy youth be gone, Thou still shalt please ; thy tender loving heart Shall shine alone when fleeting charms depart. As when the sun his drooping splendor laves At time of eve beneath the western waves, And though his glory sinks conceal'd from view, His mid-day beams absorpt in twilight dew. Yet still the welkin streak'd with gold remains. And every cloud his brilliant tinge retains ; So thy affection shall in life's last stage Charm, when thy sun of beauty sets in age. Mr. Smith erected the stone building at the northeast corner of Third and Allegheny streets, now known as the " Morrison House," and lived in it during his residence in Huntingdon. There were other contributors of original articles to the Literary Museum, the most frequent of whom were J. N, Barker and Charles J, Cox, Their contributions were all poetical. The name of Moses Canan, Smith's co-editor, does not ap pear to any of the articles ; but he also was a man of literary HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 121 talents, and may have written some of the prose which is published anonymously. The selections for the Museum were of a high order, and many periodicals of less merit have been more successful. We will not enter into a statement of the circumstances under which it existed, some of which were so favorable as to induce the undertaking, and others so contrary as to lead to its early abandonment. At the expiration of the first year, the editors closed their magazine with an address " to the public," giving their reasons for its discontinuance. They say that, " with the exception of some pieces of poetry, from several gentlemen in Philadelphia, and an essay on the early poetic writers, the editors have received no original matter, and they are compelled thus publicly to state, that a work of the nature of the Literary Museum cannot suc ceed at this time, as there certainly appears no disposition to assist by original comm,unication." The first volume was therefore the last one. It was printed by John McCahan, of the Gazette. The " Republican Advocate " was established in 1829 — the first number being dated February 24th, of that year — by Robert Wallace. This gentleman was an Irishman by birth, and had studied law with Elias W. Hale, of Lewis- town. He came to Huntingdon about the time of starting his paper. While residing there, his son, William A. Wal lace, at present a United States Senator from Pennsylvania was born. After conducting the paper three or four years, Mr. Wallace disposed of it, and removed with his family to the town of Clearfield. He was succeeded in the editorship of the Advocate by Thomas P. Campbell and George Taylor, who were then law students in the office of General A. P. Wilson. They were Democrats and admirers of David R. Porter, whom they supported as a candidate for Governor. Taylor, however, changed his sentiments towards the latter after his election, and left the Democratic party, Campbell had previously been editor of the "Aurora," at Hollidaysburg, In 1850 he was the Democratic competitor 122 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. of his former editorial colleague, George Taylor, for the President Judgeship. He remained prominent in his party until the beginning of the Rebellion, when he became a Re publican, and was afterwards appointed Assessor of Internal Revenue, which office he held for several years. He is now a resident of Davenport, Iowa. William R. McCay followed Campbell and Taylor. Dur ing or previous to his management of the paper, its name was changed to the "Advocate and Sentinel." In April, 1841, there was another change of proprietors and name, or, rather, the Advocate passed away and a new paper took its place. The "Watchman" was established by E. V. Ever- hart. The first number of the " Huntingdon Courier and Anti- Masonic Republican " was issued May 29th, 1830, by Henry L. McConnell. Its avowed object was the extermination of Free Masonry. In 1832, McConnell and MoCrea — the latter having become associated in its publication — disposed of their interest to J. Melville Beckwith & Co., and from that time it bore the title of the " Huntingdon Courier and National Republican Monitor." It was the first paper es tablished in opposition to the Democratic party, to which the Gazette and Advocate belonged, and advocated Henry Clay for the Presidency. Like the paper of which it was the namesake — the Courier of 1797 — its existence was one of struggles, and ended by sinking beneath them, The materials with which it was printed passed into the hands of William Orbison, esq., the owner of the building from which it was published, who re tained them for arrears of rent. The following are other papers that were published at various times, and that have gone out of existence : The Huntingdon Messenger, by George W. Whittaker and George Raymond, in 1847 and '48. The Standing Stone Banner, at Huntingdon, by J. Simp son Africa and Samuel G, Whittaker ; first number issued June 14th, 1853 ; name changed to The Standing Stone, at nd of first year, and discontinued at end of second. HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 123 The Shirleysburg Herald, at Shirleysburg, by John Lutz; published several times, suspended and resumed. The Union, at Huntingdon, by R. Milton Speer ; Demo cratic in politics ; first issued in August, 1859 ; discontinued in January, 1861. The Broad Top Miner, at Coalmont, by A, Tyhurst, be ginning in February, 1861. The Workingmen's Advocate, at Huntingdon, by W, F, Shaw and B, F. Miller; first issued in March, 1861 ; was to be the organ of a party which an effort was then being made to organize, but the party always being weak, the paper was published but a few months-. Young America, at Huntingdon, by 0. 0. Leabhart, from August 18th, 1875, to May 5th, 1876. On the 1st of June, of the latter year, Mr. Leabhart commenced the publication of the Business Journal, which rendered necessary *the dis continuance of his former enterprise. The American and the Republican, both of which were published at Huntingdon, the former by J. A. Nash and the latter by Theo. H. Cremer, are mentioned in the succeeding chapter in connection with their consolidation with the Journal. CHAPTER XVII. NEWSPAPERS OF THE PRESENT — THE JOURNAL — A. W. BENEDICT — THEO. H. CREMER — JAMES CLARK — J. SEWELL STEWART — J. K. DURBORROW — THE GLOBE — WILLIAM LEWIS — A. L. GUSS — THE MONITOR — DESTRUCTION OF THE OFFICE BY THE SOLDIERS — S. E. FLEMING M. M. M'NEIL — THE LOCAL NEWS — HUGH LINDSEY — MOUNT UNION TIMES— THE HERALD — THE LEADER — THE PILGRIM — THE Y'OUNQ DISCIPLE. The oldest of the newspapers now existing in Huntingdon county is the Journal, first issued by A. W. Benedict & Co., September 23d, 1835 — John Boyle being a partner. They bought from William Orbison, esq., the press and materials of the Courier, which had come into his hands, as stated in the preceding chapter. From the beginning, the entire edi torial management had devolved upon Mr, Benedict, and in April, 1836, he became the sole proprietor by the retirement of Mr. Boyle from the firm. The Journal was started in the midst of an exciting political campaign, and was the second effort to establish a paper in opposition to the party then in power. It was du ring the administrations of President Jackson and Governor Wolfe, The latter was a candidate for reelection, and was supported by the Advocate, while the other Democratic paper — the Gazette — favored the election of Henry A, Muhlenberg, the candidate of another wing of the party. The advent of Mr. Benedict to Huntingdon, and to the editorial profession, was not announced by his brethren of the press in the polite manner that is customary among journalists of the present time. The Advocate introduced him thus : " Important. — A Strolling Yankee patriot has arrived in this town, we understand, for the purpose of putting in operation the old ' Courier ' establishment until after the election. The public may expect to see an issue in a week or two. The people of Huntingdon county are highly honored by foreign dictators, when they have a renegade unknown, sent to tell them how to act and vote." HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 125 In his reply to the Advocate, Mr. Benedict did not deny his Yankee origin. He said, "we do claim that honor." In fact he referred to it during his whole life with pride. He was not, however, a native of the New England States, as we usually understand here by the term that was applied to him. His father was a Presbyterian clergyman, belonging to a family of some distinction, who removed from Norwalk, Connecticut, to the State of New York, where his son Adin W. was born. The latter learned the art of printing with Harper & Brothers, in New York city. In 1830 he married and went to Philadelphia, where he was engaged as compos itor, publisher and editor, until 1835, the year in which he came to Huntingdon. After relinquishing the editorial charge and publication of the Journal, he read law, was ad mitted to the bar, and practiced in the courts of this county until the time of his death, which occurred April 28, 1867. He was chosen to fill several positions of trust, both by election and appointment. In 1836, and for a year or two afterwards, he was collector of tolls on the Pennsylvania canal at Huntingdon; in 1843 was appointed County Com missioner by the Court, to fill a vacancy ; was Deputy Sec retary of the Commonwealth during the administration of Governor Johnston ; was elected a Representative in the Legislature in 1862, and was subsequently elected and re elected Clerk of the House of Representatives at Harris burg, and held that office when he died. Whilst residing in Philadelphia, Mr. Benedict took an active part in the politics of that city and county, and brought with him to Huntingdon considerable expe rience in political warfare. " The Journal at once took a high rank among the papers of its party in the interior of the State. With a little experience in editorial life he soon became a vigorous and adroit writer, and the files of the Journal show that he had many a sharp passage with his editorial cotemporaries of the Advocate and Gazette, in which he utterly vanquished his adversaries. In 1838, David R. Porter, ' our own Davy R.,' as the Huntingdon Democrats delighted to call him, became the Democratic candidate for 126 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. Governor against Gov. Ritner. The bitter contest which ensued brought the Journal to the front still more promi nently, and its circulation during the campaign extended to all parts of the State, and its editorials were copied into other papers very extensively. In that contest Huntingdon county gave Ritner a majority of 926. Mr. B. continued to publish the Journal till January, 1842, six years and about four months, when the paper may be said to have been fully established." It was then purchased by Theodore H. Cremer, a young gentleman of about twenty-five years of age, who had come to Huntingdon with Mr. Benedict in 1835. He had assisted in getting out the first number of the Journal. In 18S6 he commenced reading law with Maj. James Steel, but before completing his studies went to Williamsport and published the West Branch Republican, a campaign paper, during the Porter-Ritner contest of 1838. There he continued the study of the law, with James Armstrong. In December, 1839, he returned to Huntingdon, and Major Steel having in the meantime been elected Prothonotary, entered that office as clerk. The following year he went to Carlisle and attended the law school of which John Reed was principal. He was admitted to the bar at York, his native place, then came again to Huntingdon, and was admitted there in August, 1842. He served two terms as Prothonotary, be ing elected in 1848, and reelected in 1851, and one term as District Attorney, to which office he was elected in 1856. Mr. Cremer conducted the Journal three years and seven months, retiring from it on the 13th of August, 1845. Under his charge the mechanical appearance of the paper was im proved and its circulation and reputation maintained. James Clark was the purchaser from and successor of Mr. Cremer, Some of the events of his life, the facts relating to his connection with the Journal, and the cause by which it was severed, are stated in the following extract : " Mr, Clark was born in Dauphin county. Pa,, on the 9th day of February, 1818, and was, on the day of his death, aged 83 years, 1 month and 14 days. He learned the art and HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 127 .mystery of printing in Harrisburg, under the instruction of his elder brother, Samuel H. Clark, esq. In August, 1845, he removed to this place and became the editor of the Journal, and continued such until the time of his death. As a mark of confidence and esteem, he was, on the 11th of January, 1849, appointed Aid-de-Camp to Governor John ston, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, As conductor of a political paper, Mr. Clark had few equals in the State, and the readers will bear witness that justice was done to all their interests, so far as it is in the power of a newspaper to do so." The death of Mr, Clark occurred on the 23d day of March, 1851, His successor was W, H. Peightal, who continued the editorial duties but a short time, however, as the paper passed into the hands of J, Sewall Stewart, esq,, about the first of August of the same year. In May, 1862, J. A. Hall purchased an interest from and became associated with Mr. Stewart in the proprietorship, and subsequently became the owner of the entire establishment. The retiring editor, Mr. Stewart, was born in West town ship, this county, on the 1st day of May, 1819. He was educated at and graduated with distinction from the college at Meadville, after which he came to Huntingdon, read law with Major James Steel, and was admitted to the bar in April, 1843. From that time he was actively engaged in the practice of his profession. In 1848 he was appointed District Attorney, and was twice elected, continuing in that office until 1856. He was appointed Assessor of Internal Revenue for the 17th District of Pennsylvania in 1865, and acted in that capacity until his death, February 6, 1871. His character is so well described in an obituary notice whieh appeared in the Journal, that it may very appropriately find a place here : "As a membe;>of the bar, he established a reputation for scrupulous honesty and fidelity in watching the interests of his clients. Having strong self-control, he was rarely thrown off his' guard in the trial of causes, and in his demeanor to wards the Court, witnesses and opposing counsel, was 128 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. always respectful and gentlemanly, Mr, Stewart was a stu dent by nature, and in addition to a well-stored legal mind, he had traversed the fields of literature and science so suc cessfully that his opinion was generally sought after by our citizens on all questions of a scientific nature. He gave much time to literary pursuits, and some of his writings, es pecially his poems, have had a wide circulation. With the kindliest feelings towards mankind, he was an earnest ad vocate of every scheme calculated to elevate and advance the interests of his fellow-creatures of every race and tongue and color, and the principles of his life appeared to be to confer the greatest good upon the greatest number." Mr. Hall disposed of the Journal to Samuel L, Glasgow in 1852 or 53. The latter occupied the editorial chair about two years, being succeeded by Dr. William Brewster, in April, 1854. Messrs. Glasgow and Brewster are yet living, all of their predecessorf, except Mr. Cremer, being num bered among the dead. In December, 1859, the Journal, which then passed into the hands of Samuel G. Whitaker, and the American, pub lished by John A. Nash, were consolidated, and appeared under the combined names of the two former papers — the Journal and American. On the 13th day of December, 1865, Mr, Nash and Robert McDivitt, the latter having purchased the interest of Mr, Whitaker, entered into partnership under the firm name of J. A. Nash & Co., and published the paper until the first day of May, 1867. The firm was then dis solved, and Mr. Nash became sole proprietor. On the first of January, 1871, the Republican, the materials of which had been purchased from Mr. Cremer by Joseph R. Durbor row, was consolidated with the Journal and American, and on the 4th day of that month the Huntingdon Journal appeared, and is still published by that name. Joseph R. Durborrow, the present editor of the Journal, was born at Chambersburg, Penna., October 23d, 1835. On the 1st of January, 1850, he went to learn the trade of a printer with David Over, editor and publisher of the Bed ford Inquirer. In 1852 he became a compositor on the HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 129 Mountain Sentinel at Ebensburg. While so engaged he commenced the study of the law with Col. Michael Hasson, of that place. In August, 1853, he undertook the publica tion of the Alleghenian, of which Charles Albright and A. C, Mullen were editors. The following June he purchased that paper, and in a short time afterwards failed financially, there being but little support in a region such as Cambria county then was for any other than a Democratic newspaper. After a trip to the West, during which he worked at Cleve land, Detroit and Pittsburg, he returned to Bedford county, and resumed the occupation of a school teacher, at which he had been employed at intervals before taking charge of the Alleghenian. On the first of April, 1862, he became editor of the Bedford Inquirer. In the meantime he had been reading law with King & Jordan, and was admitted to the bar in 1863. On the 28th of April, 1865, he and John Lutz purchased the Inquirer, which they edited and published until the 18th day of July, 1868, when Mr. Durborrow retired from it. He continued to practice his profession at Bedford during the succeeding eighteen months, and came to Huntingdon at the time of assuming the editorship of the Journal. The Huntingdon Globe has not had so varied a history as the Journal, because it has not passed through so many vicissitudes. It has existed during a period of nearly thirty- three years, the first number bearing the date of November 22d, 1843, and in that time has had but few changes of own ership and management. L. G. Mytinger and G. L. Gentzell were the original proprietors. For several years before the establishment of the Globe, the Journal had been the Only paper published in Huntingdon. There had been a com plete revolution, and Mr. Cremer had obtained sole posses sion of the field. At first all the papers were Democratic. The attempt to found the Courier, in opposition to that party, in 1830, was unsuccessful. The Journal followed, and not only proved permanent, but outlived all of its prede cessors. The Democrats were therefore without a paper in the county to support their cause, a party organ being a J 130 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. necessity that has always been recognized by political parties. The prospects were encouraging when Mytinger and Gentzell became the occupants of the editorial chair. The latter, however, soon retired from it. A notice of the dissolution of the partnership appeared in the Globe of July 17th, 1844. Mytinger continued its publication. In May, 1846, Lyons Mussina commenced a " new series," and with Vol. I. No. 41 thereof, dated March 11th, 1846, the paper passed into the hands of William Lewis, where it re mained but a few months less than twenty -five years. Mr. Lewis was born at Pottstown, Montgomery county. Pa., September 10th, 1814. He learned the art of printing at Norristown, in the Free Press office, Robert Iredell, pub lisher. From that place he went to Harrisburg and worked at his trade ten years. His removal to Huntingdon took place at the time he became proprietor of the Globe. He remained a Democrat until the secession of the Southern states, after which he vigorously supported the Government in its efforts to suppress the rebellion. His paper then be came Republican, which character it has since maintained. The present editor of the Globe is Prof. A. L. Guss, who purchased it from Mr. Lewis, and took charge of it January 1st, 1871. It is published in a new building erected for the purpose, at No. 411 Allegheny street. Prof. Guss was born in Juniata county, Pa., August 21st, 1834, At the age of seventeen he entered Pennsylvania College at Gettysburg, and remained there until he had passed through the Preparatory Department and all the classes up to and including the Junior, a period of five years. Having then married, he removed to Johnstown and taught school, the first year in the " Johnstown Gym nasium," and the second in the public schools. He then re turned to Gettysburg, entered the Senior class in College, and graduated in 1859. With the design of becoming a Lutheran minister, he attended for one year the Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, and was licensed to preach by the Central Synod of the Lutheran Church, which met at Dun- cannon, in 1860. The following year he resided and preached HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 131 at Centreville, Dickinson Post-office, Cumberland county. In July, 1862, he bought the Juniata Sentinel, of Mifflin- town, the only Republican paper in Juniata county, of which he continued to be the editor and publisher for three years and three months. He relinquished it on being se lected as Principal of the Soldiers' Orphan School, which he opened at Cassville, this county, on the 6th day of November, 1865. The revolt of 1861 caused many minor revolutions. It changed the political views and course of a large number of those who had acted with the Democratic party, the party that had been defeated in the Presidential election of the preceding year, and to which belonged the mass of those who, making the success of the Republican party a pretext, sought to dissolve the Union. Among the changes thus brought about, as heretofore stated, was that of the Hunt ingdon Globe, leaving the Democrats again without a paper in the county. To supply the want thus created, the Moni tor was started in 1862, the first number appearing Septem ber 3d of that year. The editor was Albert Owen. This paper, during the first year of its existence, suffered much from the animosities of the times. We do not mean to say that the intensely bitter feeling which led to its de struction was entirely on the part of those at whose hands it became a victim. The paper itself entertained and expressed the most ultra views of its party. On the evening of the 19th and the morning of the 20th of May, 1863, the 125th regiment of Pennsylvania volun teers, four companies of which, numbering about four hun dred men at the time of their enlistment, were from Hunt ingdon county, returned home on account of the expiration of their term of service. While in camp, some three months previously, they had passed resolutions, " declaring their in tention, should they live to reach home, of demolishing the Monitor newspaper establishment," alleging as their reasons therefor, "its hostility to the government," and its publica tion of " denunciatory articles concerning themselves." At 10 o'clock on the latter day, a committee of members of 132 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. the 125th called upon the editor of the Monitor in regard to the grievances charged against him, and their interview not being satisfactory, a soldier cried out, "Roll in, I25th !" This was the signal for a rush upon the office, and, as described in the only account of the affair prepared at the time we have been enabled to obtain, " soon cases, stands, tables, type, rollers, &g., were flying through the air thicker than shot and shell at Antietam." The printing press was taken from the building at the front door, thrown upon the pavement below, broken to pieces with axes and hammers, and thrown into the canal near the Jackson House. The types were scat tered through the streets, and after the material and furni ture had been completely destroyed, the office was swept with a broom. Nothing remained upon whieh further damage. could be done, the editor having disappeared. As to the time, place and manner of his exit, there are conflicting reports. On the 4th day of July of the same year, the Monitor re appeared under the editorial auspices of J, Irvin Steele, pre viously of the Blairsville Record. He enlarged the paper and improved it in other respects, but could not retrieve its reputation, and labored under great disadvantages on ac count of the odium attacted to it in the minds of a portion of the community and the soldiers, an odium for which he was not responsible and which it would not have acquired under his management. It was, however, twice attacked within a month after his first issue. About 4 o'clock on the morning of the 25th of July, a small party of soldiers, not more than four or five in num ber, from the camp near Huntingdon, forced open the doors of the building in which the Monitor was published, began to " pie " the type, break the cases, &c. Before they had proceeded very far with this destruction, the patrol guard appeared and endeavored to stop it, but being too weak, hastily retreated to their quarters for reinforcement. During their absence, the work progressed rapidly inside the build ing, and the by time they returned considerable damage had been done, but the perpetrators thereof had fled. Seventy- five pounds of type had been thrown into the street. HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. ' 133 The next and last attack was on the 3rd of August. It was made by upwards of forty men of the company then doing guard duty at Huntingdon. They went on the "double- quick" from their quarters in the court-house to the Monitor office, and rushing into the building, crowded it to such an extent that a number of them could not get inside. The workmen left the office, and before any damage could be done, the officers of the company appeard upon the scene and marched the men back to their quarters. Mr. Steele remained editor of the Monitor until the 4th day of October, 1865. He went subsequently to Ashland, Schuylkill county, and became the editor of the Ashland Advocate. Since removing to that place he has served two terms in the Legislature. After an interval of about two months, during which S. A. McKenzie had charge of it, the Monitor passed into the hands of J. S. Cornman,. a practical printer, who had been publisher of the Carlisle Democrat. The first number of the Monitor issued by him bears the date of December 13th, 1865. He retained the ownership until September, 1874, when he sold to S. E. Fleming and M. M, McNeil. The names of both of these gentlemen are at the head of the paper as editors. Mr. Fleming, however, has charge of the editorial department, and is assisted by 0. E. McNeil, esq., in the general management. The members of the firm of Fleming & McNeil are both lawyers, and were admitted to the bar at the same time, August, 1868. The former was born in Barree township, this county, and the latter in Clay township, and are aged respectively thirty-one and thirty years.* The Journal, Globe and Monitor are printed upon sheets of uniform size, viz : twenty-eight by forty-two inches. Their editions are weekly. On the 10th day of March, 1874, Hugh Lindsay issued the first number of the Local News, and on the 14th day of September following converted it into a semi-weekly, the * Mr. McNeil has since retired from ^his editorial connection with the paper. 134 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. publication days being Mondays and Thursdays. It is neu tral in politics, its character being indicated by its name. Mr. Frank Willoughby became a partner in the establish ment, February 10th, 1875. Mr. Lindsay came to Hunting don November 4th, 1860, from Girard College, Philadelphia, He entered the Globe office as an apprentice with Mr. Lewis, and learned the art of printing. Afterwards he became one of the editors of the Globe, remaining in that capacity until it was purchased by Prof. Guss. The newspapers published at other points in the county than Huntingdon, are the Times, by John M. Bowman, at Mount Union; the Leader, at Orbisonia, by R. J, Coons & Co.? the Weekly Herald, at Shirleysburg, by Webster T, Bair, and the Mountain V^ce, at Broad Top City, by B, F, Gehrett. The Pilgrim prospectus was sent out in December, 1869, and the new enterprise commenced its career with the be ginning of the year 1870. It was issued from James Creek, Huntingdon county, (Marklesburg,) but the first ten num bers were printed in Huntingdon, by Theo. H. Cremer, then proprietor of " The Republican." During the first three months it was published semi-monthly, on a sheet 16x22 inches, as an 8-page paper. At No. 32 it was enlarged to a sheet 22x32 inches, and the form changed to 16 pages. At the beginning of the year 1872 it was enlarged to a sheet 23x33 inches, and again changed to 8 pages. At the be ginning of the year 1874, it was enlarged to a sheet 24|x34 inches, and the form again changed to 16 pages, in which size and form it continues to be issued. On the 1st of April, 1870, the publication office was estab lished at Marklesburg, and the Pilgrim was then printed on an old Smith Hoe Press, in a small office 12x16 feet; later, as the business increased, a more commodious location was selected, where there were two rooms, one for editorial and business purposes, the other for a composing and press room. Then the old press was set aside and a new Fair- haven Power Press was procured. The business continuing to increase, the location was not suited to conduct it success- HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 135 fully, on account of the limited railroad and postal facilities; a lot was purchased in West Huntingdon, on the corner of 14th and Washington streets, where a large, commodious brick building, 38x46 feet, three stories high, with press room in the basement, was erected, specially adapted to the wants of the increasing business ; which was occupied at the beginning of 1874, and has since been known as the "Pilgrim Building," The paper was started as a private enterprise by the two brothers, H. B. and J. B. Brumbaugh, under the firm name of H. B. Brumbaugh & Bro., J. B. Brumbaugh, the younger, being the publisher, and H. B.Brumbaugh, the elder, and also a minister of the Gospel, being the editor, with George Brumbaugh, their elder brother, associate editor, and Elders D. P. Saylor, of Double Pipe Creek, Md., and Leonard Farry, of New Enterprise, Pa., as corresponding editors, and after the year 1872, Dr. A. B. Brumbaugh, of Huntingdon, as Literary Editor, It was established as, and continues to be, a Christian Periodical, devoted to religion and moral reform, and advocating in the spirit of love and liberty the princi ples of true Christianity, as held and practiced by the people or church known as the German Baptist Brethren. The circulation of the Pilgrim extends over the whole United States and a limited number of foreign countries. It commenced with about 700 subscribers, but the circula tion has steadily increased at the rate of from 600 to 700 each year, with the very brightest prospects for a greatly increased circulation and extended usefulness in the future. It is now printed by steam power, the office being furnish ed with a Baxter steam engine. The price was at first $1 a year, but has been increased to $1.60, postage paid. The Young Disciple was started with January, 1876, published by H. B. Brumbaugh & Bro., and edited by Miss W. A, Clark, It is a weekly juvenile, or Sunday-school paper, issued in monthly parts, illustrated, and printed on the Pilgrim press. It is so arranged that there is a paper, complete, 12 Jxl7 inches, for each week. The circulation at this, the fifth issue, has run up to over 2,000 copies, and it is 136 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, rapidly increasing in favor with the Sunday-schools of the church, and all others desiring a pure paper for the children. The prospects for future usefulness seem to be very fair. No advertisements are admitted. The price has been put at 75 cents a year. CHAPTER XVIIL ENTERPRISES OF THE PAST — POST-RlDERS — ARKS — PACK-HORSES — JUNIATA MAIL STAGE — WEEKLY — DAILY — TIME FROM PHILADELPHIA TO HUNTING DON AND PITTSBURG — -MAIL ROUTE TO CHAMBERSBURG — TURNPIKES — IN CORPORATION OF THE HUNTINGDON, CAMBRIA AND INDIANA — HUNTINGDON AND LEWISTOWN — PENNSYLVANIA CANAL — LEGISLATION UNDER WHICH IT WAS CONSTRUCTED — PRELIMINARY SURVEYS — OPENED FOR NAVIGATION — PUBLIC ENTHUSIASM — SALE TO THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY — ^ABANDONED WEST OF HUNTINGDON. The subject which, if disconnected from all others, would most fully illustrate the history and growth of our county, or of any locality, large or small, is that relating to the transportation of mails, freight and passengers, upon which we now enter. The progress of a country begets the neces sity for increased facilities for travel and commerce, and for the transmission of news and intelligence, and these, in their turn, add materially to that progress by inciting to other improvements having no connection with each other, except that they result from the same cause. In the previous parts of this work we have made some references to these general topics, so that the reader may al ready have obtained an idea of their " small beginnings." We have passed the periods of the pack-horses of provincial times, of the ark of 1796, and of the establishing of a mail route in 1797, but we have passed them only in point of time and not in the substitution of more useful and efficient means for the same purposes. Let us now go forward under the lead and guidance of the spirit of enterprise and invention. The mails, when first brought into the county, had stated times for their arrival, once in two weeks. They were carried by post-riders, and came from Harrisburg to Huntingdon in four days. As they were liable to many detentions and delays, irregularity in their delivery at the post offices be came the rule rather than the exception. Storms and freshets, the freezing of the ice in winter and its melting in the spring, and the "indisposition" of the carrier, were 138 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, among the causes of their failure to arrive at the specified times. In addition to the these, there were many others, incident to a new and undeveloped country, without roads and without protection from the danger that lurked at every step. It was a long time until these obstacles were overcome. The waters were carrying upon their bosoms, in the di rection in which they flowed, the products of the soil, of the mill, and of the distillery. Those articles which found a market in the east were taken thither without great diffi culty. The rains and the swelling of the streams but in creased the power and usefulness of the latter as a means of conveyance. But nature had furnished no such facilities for trade to the westward. The iron which ran from our first furnaces, and for which there was a demand at the manufactories of Pitts burg, found its way there in the same manner that Weiser, Croghan and other traders had taken goods to the Indians, on the backs of horses and mules. It was hammered at the forge into bars of about six or eight feet in length, bent into the shape of the letter U, and inverted over the ani mal. The paths over the Allegheny mountains were not of sufficient width to permit two horses or mules to walk side by side, but they followed each other in tandem style, four or five of them being driven or led by one man. This slow and laborious method did not, however, long answer the growing requirements of the region west of the Alleghenies. Other commodities than iron were needed, and had to be obtained from the source of supply in the eastern cities. The making of roads became a necessity, and with their construction commenced the era of wagons 'and stage coaches. The first effort to run a line of stages into the county was made in 1808, It was announced to the public in. the following advertisement : JUNIATA MAIL STAGE. The subscribers beg leave to inform the public, that on the 3d day of May next, their Stage will commence running from Harrisburg by the way of Clark's Ferry, Millerstown, HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 139 Thompsontown, Mifflintown, Lewistown, Waynesburg and Huntingdon, to Alexandria, once a week. Leave the House of Mr. Berryhill, Harrisburg, every Tuesday, at 1 o'clock P. M., and arrive at Alexandria on the Friday following ; returning, leave Alexandria every Saturday morning and arrive at Harrisburg on Tuesday morning. As the company have procured elegant and convenient Carriages, good Horses, and careful drivers, they flatter themselves that the passage of those who may please to favor them with their custom, will be rendered safe, easy and agreeable. Fare for travelers, 6 cents per mile, each entitled to 14 pounds baggage, gratis, 150 pounds baggage, equal to a passenger, John Walker, George Mulhollan, John M'Connell, John M,. Davidson, George Galbraith, Thomas Cochran, Robert Clark, April 14, 1808, N, B. — Horses and Chairs will be procured at the differ ent towns, for those passengers who wish to go off the road or proceed further than Alexandria. On the evening of the 5th of May, the third day after its departure from Harrisburg, including the one upon which it started, the stage, "Experiment," arrived at Huntingdon. It was the beginning of an enterprise which was to be continued during many years. The route was afterwards extended to Pittsburgh, and connected at Harrisburg with another from Philadelphia. It will be interesting to trace briefly the efforts and success of this company in affording the greatest conveniences for travel and in reducing the trip to the mininum length of time. In April, 1828, after a lapse of twenty years from the making of the first trip, this line of stages commenced running daily between Harrisburg and Pittsburg. The mails were then carried by it three times a week, passing through Hun tingdon on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. In 1829, the proprietors made arrangements with the Government to 140 history op HUNTINGDON COUNTY, carry a daily mail, which went into operation in February of that year. About one year later, the route was divided into two sections, each terminating at Huntingdon, where the mails were exchanged. The eastern section passed into the hands of Calder, Wilson & Co. Passengers were then conveyed from Philadelphia to Huntingdon in two days, and to Pittsburg in three days and a half. But even this rapidity was not sufficient, and the greatest exertions were made to increase it. In March, 1832, the daily line arrived at Huntingdon at 4 o'clock of the second day from Phila delphia, and at Pittsburg on the evening of the third day. This was the acme of stage-coach perfection, and was at tained by running as the cars do now, day and night. The latter, however, in the same number of hours would travel about twenty-five hundred miles. There was also an accommodation lino between Harris burg and Pittsburg, making three trips per week, and going through in three days and a half. Before 1809, a mail route was established from Cham bersburg to Huntingdon, In 1832 the mail was carried from the former to the latter place three times a week, once by way of Fort Littleton, Three Springs and Coffee Run, and twice by Shade Gap and Shirleysburg. The "Juniata Mail Stage," during the whole of its exist ence, had many of the difficulties to contend with that had met the post-riders who preceded it. The impediments which nature throws in our way were the same in 1832 as in 1800, The elements were not less treacherous nor floods less fre quent. Against these human strength and energy could not always prevail, and as a consequence the mails were often behind time, sometimes several days. This line was not without competition, and that was no doubt one of the facts that led to the utmost efforts to attain the highest rate of speed. The improvements made in the roads, especially after the beginning of turnpike construction, facilitated the exertions of the proprietors to render their conveyances more desirable as a means of travel. The turnpike, like every other great enterprise, had its HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 141 era of agitation, before it became a practical reality. We cannot say when a road of that kind was first proposed through Huntingdon county. From the earliest move ment in the matter of which we have any knowledge, until the completion of a road, there intervened a period of twelve years, a length of time too great to follow through it the various stages of the undertaking. In November, 1806, petitions were in circulation in the county favoring a turnpike up the Juniata. On the 27th day of that month a notice was published in the Gazette, requesting persons who had possession of such petitions to send them to Andrew Henderson, that they might be forwarded to the Legislature. Similar petitions were probably signed and returned from the other counties in the Juniata valley. The desired legislation was enacted at the following session, March 4th, 1807. The Governor was authorized to in corporate a company for making aiV artificial road from Harrisburg, through Lewistown and Huntingdon, to Pitts burgh. Other acts of Assembly were passed subsequently relating to the same subject. On the 15th day of February, 1815, a charter of incorporation was granted by Governor Snyder to the Huntingdon, Cambria and Indiana Turnpike Company. An organization was effected on the 8th day of May, 1815, by the election of a President, Managers and Treasurer. Books were at once opened to receive subscrip tions to the stock, and preparations for the construction of the road were pushed energetically. The progress, how ever, was slow. In September, 1818, nearly four years after it had been chartered, there remained forty miles uncom pleted. These were between Huntingdon and the crossing ot the Big Conemaugh. The work seems to have been stopped then for want of funds, and the officers of the com pany appealed to the public for pecuniary aid. They ob tained it the following year, and soon afterwards the road was opened throughout its entire length. The portion be tween Huntingdon and Alexandria was the last made. On the 14th of May, 1821, books were opened for sub scriptions to the stock of the HuuLingdon and Lewistown 142 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, turnpike, and the making of that road completed the line of turnpike throughHuntingdon county from east to west. But when these artificial highways had enabled the stage coach to achieve its greatest success, a rival to the latter ap peared, which was destined to divide its usefulness and rob it of a considerable part of the patronage of the traveling com munity. In 1831, the first canal boat arrived at Hunting don, and in 1832 the first "packet" floated down Standing Stone creek, upon which it had been built, and took its place upon the then newly constructed canal, for the carriage of passengers. Although Pennsylvania did not embark upon the con struction of her public works until 1826, there was some legislation leading to that object at an earlier day. An act was passed on the 27th of March, 1824, "providing for the appointment of a board of commissioners for the purpose of promoting the internal improvement of the State." These commissioners, among other duties were "to view and explore a route for a canal from Harrisburg to Pittsburg, by the waters of the Juniata and Conemaugh rivers." This act was repealed and supplied by that of April 11, 1825, but is nevertheless historically important as being the com mencement of that great system of improvement inaugura ted by the Commonwealth. Commissioners were appointed, as provided for, who took the levels and made surveys of the proposed canal, and reported to the Legislalureat its next session. The act of 1825 also provided for the appointment of a board of canal commissioners who were to examine various routes through the state, one of which was from "Philadelphia, by the Juniata to Pittsburg, and from thence to Lake Erie." 'On the 25th day of Febru ary, 1826, an act was passed authorizing and empowering this board " to locate and contract for making a canal and locks, and other works necessary thereto, from the river Swatara, at or near Middletown, to or near a point on the east .side of the river Susquehanna, opposite the mouth of the river Juniata, and from Pittsburg to the mouth of the HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 143 Kiskiminetas," etc. This was to be styled the Pennsylvania Canal. A great gap was thus left between the Susquehanna and Allegheny rivers, for which no connecting link was pro vided, with the design, as it appears, of making the Juniata and Kiskiminetas navigable by slack water. But the latter idea was abandoned within the succeeding two years. The plan of improvement was greatly enlarged and extended, and embraced the making of railroads as well as canals. The next enactment in this series is that of March 24th, 1828, providing for the location and construction of a canal from Lewistown to the highest point expedient and practicable on the Juniata, and requiring the commissioners to have examinations and surveys made of a route from Huntingdon to Johnstown, "with a vfew of connecting those streams (the Juniata and Conemaugh) either by a canal or railroad." It was finally determined to make this last con nection by canal to Hollidaysburg and by railroad over the mountains. Thus was partially supplied by several links the gap that had been left by the act of 1826. The preliminary surveys for the works authorized by the legislation of which we have given a slight review, were commenced in the spring of 1828. In the month of May, of that year, Col. Clinton was engaged in taking levels and locating the canal near Huntingdon. In July a party of engineers was exploring the Alleghenies for the purpose of ascertaining the most eligible route for the railway. The Canal Commissioners met at Harrisburg in September, and decided, from the reports of the engineers, the location of the different lines, and the portions that were to be placed under contract for construction. Among the latter were the forty-five miles between Lewistown and Huntingdon. They were divided into ninety-five sections, a sale or letting of which took place on the 15th day of October. In two years thereafter, or in October, 1830, all of those sections had been completed. The only part that remained unfinished was two aqueducts, one of which was at Mount Union, twelve miles below Huntingdon, The water was let into the first level at Huntingdon on 144 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. the 2nd of November, 1830, The Gazette of the 10th of that month says: "On Thursday evening a number of houses were handsomely illuminated, and a large assem blage of ladies and gentlemen ' trip'd the nimble toe ' to their heart's content, at the house of William Jackson, in honor of the occasion." The canal was opened for navigation in the spring of 1881, the first boat arriving at Huntingdon on the 13th day of May. That event was announced by the Gazette in the following manner: I^-SOMETHING NEW ! ! I PORT OP HUNTINGDON! AURIVAL OF BOATS ! ! ! On Thursday evening last a keel boat, the property of Mr, Jonathan Leslie, having on hoardi plaster and fish, arrived at this place. This is the first arrival, by the canal, from Waynesburgh, Another Arrival. — On Friday evening, the Boat Margaret, Capt, McCoy, of Waynesburgh, arrived ; freight, 15 tons, merchandize. The letting of the sections between Huntingdon and Hol lidaysburg occurred on the 1st of June, 1831. The completion of the canal was greeted by the people with the greatest enthusiasm; There had been illuminations at other places besides Huntingdon, at Lewistown and Waynesburg, showing the general appreciation of the im portance of the work. As we look at it now and reflect upon the decay of its utility, we are apt to get the impres sion that those who saw it in its infancy were unduly elated ; but we rnust remember the difference in their position and ours. They compared it with the past, with the pack- horses, which were still within the recollection of many of them, with the arks, which carried their freight to market and brought none in return, with the teams, which made their trips from Baltimore or Philadelphia to Pittsburg in the space of two or three weeks, requiring four or six horses to convey a few tons of merchandise, and with the stage- HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 145 coaches, which, the more rapidly they traveled the more un comfortable they became. In such a comparison there was reason for exultation and joy. They had made one of the great strides in progress, and their self congratulation was as well justified as is ours in those that we have since taken. Who knows how soon we may be robbed of our glory, the railroad be converted into a highway where impecunious pedestrians may travel without danger from the locomotive, and the latter be made a subject for ridicule by some un- philosophistical boaster of the future I To show the extent of the jubilant feeling at Huntingdon, we take another extract from the Gazette: " On Saturday last (June 11, 1831,) hundreds of our citizens witnessed the launching of the James Clarke, a new and very handsome canal boat, into the basin at the west end of the borough, owned by Messrs. Williams & Miller. When safely launched into the basin, she was greeted by the hearty ac clamations of these who witnessed the pleasing and inte resting sight. What ! a canal boat launched in the vicinity of Huntingdon! Had any one predicted an event of this kind some years back, he, in all probability, would have been 'yclept a wizard, or set down as beside himself. When the mail stage commenced running once a week from Phila delphia to this place, our older citizens considered it a mar velous affair. What will they say now? " Whatever of curiosity may have been mingled with this enthusiasm was soon satisfied. Boats were launched fre quently after the first one, four of them within a month or two. Superior as was the canal for puposes of transportation, it had connected with it many difficulties and disadvantages. The greatest of these was its liability to breaches and other injuries from storms and freshets, the same causes that had so often delayed the post-rider and mail coach. The packet boats did not altogether take the place of the latter, as there was a portion of the year when the canal was not navigable. The mail continued to be carried in the old way until the cars rendered both stages and packets useless. K 146 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. Under an act of Assembly of May 16th, 1857, the Penn sylvania canal was sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad com pany, and was transferred to the purchaser on the 1st of Au gust following. Since that time it has been operated under the name of the Pennsylvania Canal company. And now a step has been taken which may seem to be one of retrogression, one which could never have entered into the contemplation of the projectors and builders of this canal, and at the mere suggestion of which they would have been deeply shocked. By authority of an act of Assembly of June 2nd, 1870, a part of it has been abandoned for pub lic use. West of Huntingdon, locks have been removed, bridges torn down, and the bed of the channel left as dry as a road. The dam in Warrior's Ridge narrows is still main tained as a feeder for the canal below Huntingdon. The act did not authorize its abandonment east of the latter place; that must remain open until further legislation per mits the closing of it, but notwithstanding this fact, we are perhaps not far wrong in classing the Pennsylvania canal among the enterprises of the past. CHAPTER XIX. RAILROADS — PHILIPSBURG AND JUNIATA — HUNTINGDON AND CHAMBERS BURG — HDNTINGDON AND HOLLIDAYSBURG — PENNSYLVANIA — HUNTING DON AND BROAD TOP MOUNTAIN — DRAKE'S FERRY AND EAST BROAD TOP — EAST BROAD TOP RAILROAD AND COAL COMPANY — LEWISBURG, CENTRE AND SPRUCE CREEK — TELEGRAPHS. The decision by which the canal was continued to Holli daysburg, instead of running a railroad from that place to Huntingdon, was the end of the first tangible proposition for the location of a railroad in this county. All projects of the kind have since been inaugurated by the passage of acts of Assembly incorporating companies for the purpose. It was designed that the main lines of canals should consti tute the great arteries of trade and commerce, and that they should have lateral communication with every part of the Commonwealth. Such connection by water, however, was not everywhere practicable or possible, and other modes of conveyance were sought to and from the general stream. Several railroads were proposed to run northward and southward from points on the canal in Hun tingdon county. The first one was the " Philipsburg and Juniata Railroad, incorporated March 16th, 1830. The route described in the act of Assembly, was from the "Pennsylvania Canal, at or near the mouth of the Little Juniata, below Alexandria, in Huntingdon county, thence up the Little Juniata and Little Bald Eagle creeks, and through Emigh's Gap, to the coal mines in the neghborhood of Philipsburg, in Centre county." The commissioners from this county were Robert Allison and William Orbison. Books were to be opened at Philadelphia, at the house of William Alexander in Centre county, and at the house of John McConnell in Huntingdon. A survey was made on this route in 1833. Commencing at the northern terminus, the engineers arrived at Union Furnace in June of that year, and at the junction of the Juniatas in July. The road was never made, but it has been supplied by the Pennsyl- 148 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. vania to Tyrone, and by the Clearfield branch to and beyond Philipsburg. The next was the " Huntingdon and Chambersburg Rail road Company," incorporated June 16th, 1836. Even after the construction of the public works, the idea of a railroad from Huntingdon to Hollidaysburg was not abandoned. It is doubtful whether there was sufficient en couragement to make such an improvement between points connected by the canal, but the project was not without agi tators. The effort in its favor was earnest and determined, and resulted in the passage of an act incorporating the " Huntingdon and Hollidaysburg Railroad Company," July 2nd, 1839. This road was probably always unnecessary, and was certainly so after the making of the Pennsylvania railroad. That a need for it is now growing up, and that it will probably take the place of the dismantled canal, is one of the revolutions of progress. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company was incorporated April 13th, 1846. Among the commissioners appointed by the act " to do and perform the several acts and things," therein mentioned, were John G. Miles, John Kerr, A. P, Wilson, Edwin F, Shoenberger, Benjamin Leas, John Mc- Cahen, John Long, Brice Blair, Thomas E. Orbison and John Porter, of Huntingdon county. The first surveys through the county were made in the summer of 1847. By the 3rd of August, the engineers had progressed several miles west of Huntingdon in the di rection of Petersburg. At that time they passed through the former borough on Washington street, but later in the same season they made a re-survey on Allegheny street, where the location of the road was determined upon. Proposals for the grading and masonry between Lewistown and Hun tingdon were advertised for in April, 1848, and received until the 17th of May, Contracts were entered into within the next twenty days, and the work was at once commenced. At the close of tbe year the grading was almost completed. The sections west of Huntingdon were in process of con struction during the same year and the one succeeding it. HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 149 On the tunnel near Spruce Creek, eleven hundred feet in length, great labor was required. An opening was effected through the mountain in June, 1849, eleven months after the first pick had been struck into it. But only three hun dred and fifty feet were at that time finished. Several seri ous accidents occurred at this tunnel from the premature explosion of blasts. In one of these, seven men were blown up, one of whom was killed and two others so badly injured that they were not expected to recover. In the neighborhood of Birmingham there were a num ber of riots among the laborers on the road in 1849. The Irish workmen were divided into several parties known as the "Far-downs," " Corkonians," etc., each determined to drive the others from the line. In June, of that year, the Sheriff of Huntingdon county, with a posse of about three hundred men from Petersburg, Alexandria and Spruce Creek, went as far as the western limits of the county, the rioters re treating before them. No arrests were then made. At other times prisoners were taken and sent to jail in Hun tingdon. For weeks the people living along the road, from Spruce Creek to Ironsville, were kept in a state of great alarm. Some of the laborers and contractors received severe injuries in the numerous skirmishes fought in that region between the opposing forces. The Pennsylvania railroad being a through line, and the officers of the company, the principal stockholders and others most deeply interested in the making of it, being in distant cities, it bore no very close relations to our people until completed and in operation. It has since become connected with all our interests and is the origin from which flows nearly every pulsation of improvement. Before the iron bands had been laid within any portion of our county, we could feel the throbbings of new life and vigor. While yet the cars came only to Lewistown, there was an increase of travel over our public highways and upon the canal to and from that point. The first train of cars arrived at Huntingdon on Thurs day, June 6th, 1850, It consisted of five or six trucks 150 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, drawn by the locomotive " Henry Clay." In a few days afterwards it proceeded westward, the road being then in running order to the Allegheny mountains. The excite ment with which it was greeted probably exceeded that on the arrival of the first canal boat. Its approach had been heralded throughout the country for miles on both sides of the railroad, and as it was a trial trip, the train necessarily running slowly, the people had time to reach the railroad and witness the novel sight. In fact the engine announced itself by shrill whistles that even surprised the mountains through which they echoed. But there was disappointment. The idea had become general that trains never ran with less speed than lightning, and to see that one coming at the rate of three or four miles per hour was not what had been expected. It was not time yet for the express or the lim ited mail. The development of the resources and interests of the county, and the improvements which have followed the building of the Pennsylvania railroad, will be described in the sketches of the townships and towns through which it On the 11th ©f January, 1847, Hon. David Blair, repre sentative from Huntingdon county, presented in the Legis lature a bill entitled "An Act to incorporate the Hunting don and Broad Top Railroad and Coal Company." It passed both Houses, and was sent to Governor Shunk for executive action. He returned it without his approval, and with a message stating his reasons therefor. Not having a copy of the bill before us, we cannot give even the sub stance of its provisions ; but judging from the Governor's message, which was probably the strongest argument that could be made against it, it contained nothing improper. His objections to it were that it provided that the company should have the privilege of purchasing and holding five thousand acres of land, which he assumed they purposed farming, and that it did not make the stockholders individu ally liable for the debts of the corporation. Such messages deserve a place among the absurdities of official literature. HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 151 The friends of the road renewed their efforts to obtain a charter, of incorporation. A meeting was held at Stoners- town, in Bedford county, on the 20th day of September, 1847. Levi Evans was one of the secretaries, and Alexan der Gwin and George W. Speer, of Huntingdon county, were present. Resolutions were adopted expressive of the views of the citizens of the adjoining parts of Bedford and Hunt ingdon counties, and a committee was appointed to prepare a memorial to the Legislature. The matter had then taken a political turn, the Democrats sustaining Governor Shunk in his veto of the bill and opposing Mr, Blair, who was a candidate for reelection. At the session of 1848, a bill was offered by Alexander King, of Bedford county, member of the Senate from this district, to incorporate a company under the original name. In the House of representatives it was amended by striking out the words, " and coal," leaving the title of the corpora tion, " The Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad Company." It was passed in this shape, and received the approval and signature of the Governor. This act does not appear among the published laws of 1848, for the reason that the enrolment tax was never paid. We have not, there fore, a list of the commissioners named by it. The first public meeting to advance the purposes for which the act had been obtained of which we find any account, although there had been others previously, was held in the court house at Huntingdon on the 15th of August, 1851. General John Williamson presided, and among the vice-presidents were John Garner, Christian Shoutz and Thomas Adams. The secretaries were Charles Mickley, William Lewis and R. Bruce Petriken. A committee, con sisting of Major James Patton, J. G. Miles and Davi^ Blair, was appointed to ascertain- what coal lands and coal rights could be procured for the company, upon what terms, and their location and accessibility, and to take conveyances thereof for its use. Col. S. S. Wharton, James Entriken and Charles Mickley were appointed a committee to obtain releases of the right of way for the railroad. Addresses, 152 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. were delivered by Williamson, Miles, Blair, Petriken and General A. P. Wilson. There was always an abundance of eloquence to assist this road out of its early difficulties, but not sufficient to extricate it from its later struggles. Before any organization of the company had been made, or subscriptions to the stock taken, it was discovered that the act of 1848 was defective in not granting rights and privileges which were regarded as necessary in carrying on the operations of a mining and transporting corporation. Another act was therefore passed May 6th, 1852, not a supplement to that of 1848, but a new one; incorporating the Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad and Coal Company, and was approved and signed by Governor Big- ler. The names of the corporators are given in the fol lowing list, those from Huntingdon county being designat ed by italics : John G. Miles, A. P. Wilson, Thomas Fisher, John Mc Cahan, James Gwin, James Entriken, David Blair, James Saxton, John Ker, John Scott, S. S. Wharton, John A. Doyle, George Jackson, John Porter, Israel Grafius, S. M. Green, John McCulloch, James Clark, J. H. Wintrode, Jacob Cress- luell, Charles Mickley, Alexander King, Job Mann, Samuel L. Russel, William Evans, Andrew J. Neff, William P, Schell, David McMurtrie, John B. Given, William Ayres, George W. Speer, William P. Orbison, Levi Uvans, James Patton, R. B. Petriken, Adin W. Benedict, Alexander Port, James Maguire, Isaac Cook, George Gwin, James Campbell, Daniel Grove, Henry Zimmerman, and W. F. Dougherty. More than five years had elapsed since the introduction of Mr. Blair's bill into the Legislature, and it was only now that the proper authority was granted tO form a company with power to build a road and develop the semi-bitumi nous coal region of Broad Top. On the 10th of June, 1852, books were opened at Huntingdon for subscriptions of stock. The amount subscribed that day was $15,000, and the next day it was increased to $20,000. Meetings were held at Markles burg, Stonerstown and McConnellstown, subscriptions taken and committees appointed to solicit further subscriptions. HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 153 The company was organized January 10th, 1853, by the election of a President, General William Ayres, of Harris burg, and a Board of Directors, consisting of Alexander King, William P. Schell, James Entriken, James Saxton, A. P. Wilson, John Scott, J. H, Wintrode and Lewis T, Wattson. The contracts for the making of the road were entered into in July, 1853, the letting having been in the previous month. Samuel W, Mifflin had been chosen chief engineer. " His labors in the preliminary surveys, before the organization of the company, as well as his reputation as a civil engineer, designated him for the station and he was selected by the board with entire unanimity." At the meeting of stock holders for the election of officers, January 11th, 1854, the first annual report of the directors was presented. The company then owned two thousand acres of land, the amount that they could purchase and hold under their charter, the conveyances for most of which had been obtained. The number of shares of stock then subscribed was 3629, or, at the par value of fifty dollars par share, $181,450; the receipts by the Treasurer had been $68,807, and payments for all purposes $66,801, leaving a balance of $2,006. The com pany had been in existence one year, six months of which time had been spent in " exploration, surveys and location." Since the commencement of the work, it had steadily pro gressed, and all expenses had been promptly paid. By the ISth of August, 1855, fourteen miles of track had been laid, and on that day cars commenced running to Marklesburg. At the beginning of the year 1856 the road was completed to Stonerstown, a distance of twenty-four miles, with the exception of the bridge over the Raystown branch, and the directors so reported to the stockholders at the annual meeting in January. The track to the mines was all laid but about a mile and a half, which the track layers were then putting down. The road had been laid with T rail, weighing 56 pounds to the yard, on substantial cross-ties, ballasted with broken stone. It was the original intention to make Bedford the south- 154 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. em terminus of the road, and before its completion to the place of connection with the Shoup's run branch, the work of extending it beyond that point had been far advanced. Branches were also made to the coal mines on Sandy run and Six Mile run. In 1857 the company became embar rassed financially, and labor upon the road was brought to an end. It had then reached Mount Dallas, a station within six miles of Bedford, and remained in that unfinished con dition until the making of the Bedford and Bridgeport rail road established a through line from Huntingdon to Cum berland, Maryland. The present management of the Huntingdon and Broad Top railroad is most thorough and energetic. During the last two years, the road has been highly improved, the road-bed having been repaired and the rolling stock renewed and rendered safe and comfortable. The President is B. Andrews Knight, of Philadelphia, and the Superintendent, Geo. F. Gage, of Huntingdon. The making of a railroad from the Pennsylvania canal and railroad at or near the present site of Mount Union to the Broad Top coal region, is almost as old a project as the Huntingdon and Broad Top mountain railroad. Early in 1848, meetings were held by the friends of the road at points on the proposed route. On the 28th of February in that year, one was held at Scottsville, at which John Lutz pre sided. A committee of sixteen was appointed to report res olutions, on which were Henry Brewster, George W. Speer, Kenzie L. Green, John Sharrer, John Ashman, Daniel Teague, and Samuel McVitty, of Huntingdon county. The follow ing were a committee to present the resolutions to the Leg islature : Hon. John Morrison, Brice Blair, Henry Brew ster, Robert Speer, Benjamin Leas, George Hudson, Thos . T, Cromwell, James R. Brewster, John Ashman, Kenzie L. Green, John Brewster, John Stever, James Lyon, George Chestnut, John Sipes and John Dougherty, On the 25th of March following, the Legislature passed an act incorporating the Drake's Ferry and East Broad Top Railroad Company, No steps were ever taken towards the construction of this road. HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 155 The ground is now occupied by the East Broad Top Rail road and Coal Company. The latter corporation was organized under an act of Assembly of April 16th, 1856. The persons most actively engaged in the organization of the company were Messrs. Edward Roberts, A, Pardee and J. G. Fell, assisted in the vicinity of the road by Wm. B. Leas, Samuel McVitty, Dr. Louis Royer, P, P. Dewees and others. Work was commenced Sept. 16th, 1872, and the road opened for business as far as Orbisonia, a distance of 11 miles, Aug. 30th, 1873, and to Robertsdale, the terminus of the road, on Nov. 4th, '74. ' The road is 30 miles long — 3 ft. gauge. The northern terminus is Mount Union on the Pa. R. R., then running in a southern direction through or near the following towns or villages in the order named- Shirleysburg, Orbiso nia, Three Springs, Saltillo and Cooks Mills, terminating at the Broad Top coal fields at Robertsdale. The first officers of the corporation were, President, Wm. A. Ingham, Directors, Edward Roberts, A. Pardee, J. G. Fell, Percival Roberts, Randolph Wood, and C. R. Wood, Secretary, Percival Roberts ; engineer, John B. Wingate, The latter gentleman was obliged to resign on account of failing health, and was succeeded by A. W. Sims, under whose supervision the surveys were completed and the road constructed. The capital stock originally authorized was $500,000, Au thority has since been obtained for an increase of $150,000, The Lewisburg, Centre and Spruce Creek Railroad Com pany was incorporated April 12th, 1853, The proposed southern terminus was at Spruce Creek, on the Pennsyl vania railroad. By subsequent legislation it was changed to Tyrone, in Blair county, and the route of the road through Huntingdon county diverted from Franklin town ship to Warrior's Mark township. The grading through the latter was done in 1873, Work then ceased for want of funds^ and has not been resumed. An effort is now being made to connect this road with the Tyrone and Lock Haven 156 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, railroad at Bellefonte, which, if successful, will make a con tinuous line from Lewisburg to Tyrone without entering Huntingdon county. The first telegraph line was established through the county in 1850, by the Atlantic and Ohio Telegraph Com pany. In April of that year, the Superintendent, J. D. Reid, was in Huntingdon, making arrangements for setting the posts and putting up the wires between Lewistown and Hollidaysbuirg. When finished to the latter point, the con nection between Philadelphia and Pittsburg, by the Juniata route, was complete. This line was used for commercial and railroad business until 1856, when the Pennsylvania Railroad company put up a line of their own. In 1857 the Atlantic and Ohio line was consolidated with others, under the name of the National Atlantic and Ohio, In 1862 the Western Union Telegraph Company purchased the latter, and in 1864 put in new poles and ran five additional wires through to the east. In the same year the Pacific and At lantic Telegraph Company, originating in the east, built an opposition line, A great deal of rivalry existed between the two companies until 1873, when the Western Union ob tained a controling interest in the Pacific and Atlantic, and absorbed it. In 1875 another opposition line was con structed by the Atlantic and Pacific Telegraph Company, and is now in a flourishing condition. The number of wires running through or terminating within the county are as follows: Western Union, nine; Atlantic and Pacific, one; Pennsylvania Railroad, five ; Huntingdon and Broad' Top Mountain Railroad, one. CHAPTER XX. ORGANIZATION OF FIRST AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY — ITS OBJECTS AND MAN NER OF ADVANCING THEM — PRESENT AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY — ORGANI ZATION — FIRST OFFICERS — INCORPORATION — DATES UPON WHICH FAIRS HAVE BEEN HELD — PREMIUMS AND EXPENSES — PRESENT OFFICERS — STATISTICS OP AGRICULTURE AND MANUFACTURES. A meeting of citizens of Huntingdon county was held in the court house at Huntingdon, on the 16th day of April, 1828, for the purpose of forming an Agricultural Society, The following were the officers of the meeting : President, John Patton ; Vice President, John Blair ; Secretaries, Jacob Miller and Matthew D. Gregg. Robert Allison, Henry Miller, James Steel, M. D.Gregg, and William Simpson were appointed a committee to draft an ad dress to the public and report the same at the next meeting. Edward Bell, John Blair, of Blair's Gap, George Schmucker, Dr, John Henderson, Thomas T. Cromwell, Conrad Bucher, Maxwell Kinkead, and William Speer were appointed a committee to draft a constitution for the government of the society. Joseph McCune, Stephen Davis, John Stewart, John Patton, John Blair, of Shade Gap, Adolphus Patterson, Jacob Miller and Matthew Wilson were appointed a com mittee to receive subscriptions and the names of persons wishing to become members. The next meeting was held on the 15th of August, 1828. John Patton again presided, and Jacob Miller acted as secre tary. A constitution reported by Matthew D. Gregg was adopted. The first article and section, stating the objects and fixing the name of the society, was adopted : "This society, having for its exclusive object the promo tion and encouragement of agriculture and domestic manu factures, shall be styled the Huntingdon County Agricultural and Manufacturing Society." The manner in which these interests were to be advanced is set forth in the following provisions of the constitution : 158 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, Article 9, Sec. 1. The society at some general meeting thereof, shall fix and determine upon such articles of agri culture, production, or improvement in domestic manufac tures, as in their judgment are entitled to encouragement by rewards; and shall fix, ascertain, and publish, in such manner as shall be directed by the by-laws, such rewards, and the conditions, whenever the s&me shall become due and payable to the person or persons who shall by his, her, or their skill or industry, according to such conditions become entitled to the same. And the said directors, or a majority of them shall at the stated meetings, or at such times and places as shall be prescribed by the by-laws, meet for the purpose of hearing the parties applying for such rewards ; and of examining their proofs or specimen ; and shall have full power and authority to determine whether any or either of the applicants is entitled to the reward so advertised, ac cording to the conditions thereto annexed; and to draw orders to be signed by the President and attested by the Secretary, on the Treasurer, for the amount of such rewards, in favor of the persons to whom the same shall have been adjudged, which orders he shall pay out of the moneys in his hands arising from taxes and subscriptions. Article 10. Sec, 1. The rewards shall be offered for pro moting and increasing the culture of sugar from the maple or sugar trees, or any other substances ; the extraction of salts from ashes or vegtables ; the introduction of any new grain, grass, or roots, and raising the greatest quantity on any given quantity of ground ; the invention of any new and useful untensils in husbandry ; the raising and manufactur ing of wool, hemp and flax, in greater quantities, or improv ing the value thereof; the introduction of mineral or other manures ; the improvement of the breed of horses, black cattle, sheep or hogs ; the making of butter, cheese, in any given quantities, and of the best qualities; or any improve ment in all or every of the articles aforesaid, all of which shall be considered as among the objects contemplated by the society. Article 11, Sec. 1, In all cases where moneys shall re- HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 159 main in the treasury after the payment of the rewards shall have been made, the President and Directors shall have the power to employ the moneys so remaining, in the purchase of books relating to Agriculture, Mechanics and Manufac tures, or in the purchase and improvement of a piece of liand, for the purpose of a pattern farm. The following officers, provided for in the constitution, were elected January 14th, 1829 : President, John Patton ; Secretary, Joseph Adams ; Treasurer, Mathew D. Gregg ; Managers, William Spear, John Stewart, John Ker, Jacob Grove, Jacob Miller, John Neff, John Blair, of Shade Gap, George Ashman, Thos. T. Cromwell and Dr. John Henderson. Committee .of Arrangements : James M. Bell, Henry Miller, James Coffey, Stephen Davis and Christian Garner. The records of proceedings after this organization of the society are perhaps not in existence. The present Agricultural Society was organized tempo rarily on the 14th day of November, 1854, and permanently on the 9th day of January, 1855. A meeting of farmers and others was held in the court house on the former date, at which Hon. Jonathan Mc Williams presided, and Gen. J. C. Watson, R, Hare Powell, Jacob H. Miller, George Rudy, Alexander Oaks, John Tussey and Daniel Massey acted as vice-presidents, and George Hudson, John Hirst and Gen, S. Miles Green as secretaries. H. N. McAllister, A. W. Benedict, J. G. Miles and John Williamson addressed the meeting. The committee appointed to draft a constitution consisted of J. S. Barr, Col. S. S. Wharton, Gen. S. Miles Green, R. Hare Powell, Dr. J. H. Wintrode, Daniel Massey and Sam'l Wigton, T. P. Campbell, esq., proposed, and the meeting by vote accepted, the following agreement : " We, the undersigned citizens of Huntingdon county, impressed with the importance of forming an Agricultural Society for said county, do hereby agree to form ourselves into an association for the purpose of advancing the inter ests of agriculture, science and the arts ; to pay into the 160 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, treasury the sum of one dollar, and be governed by such Constitution and By-Laws as may be hereafter adopted for our government." The raising of a fund being thus provided for, R. Hare Powell was elected treasurer pro tern. It was then resolved, " that the officers of this meeting continue to be the officers of the association until the adop tion of a constitution." On the 9th day of January, 1855, at a meeting at which the President, Jonathan Mc Williams, was in the chair, and Charles Mickley acted as secretary, a constitution was adopted and permanent officers elected. The latter were as follows : President — Jonathan Mc Williams. Vice Presidents — Joseph Reed, West township ; William Oaks, Barree; Peter Stryder, Porter; Thomas E. Orbison, Cromwell; Wm. B. Smith, Jackson; Kenzie L. Green, Clay ; A. B. Sangree, Walker ; Robert Tussey, Morris ; John Garner, Penn ; George Wilson, Tell ; Thomas Neely, Dublin ; Jacob Miller, Henderson ; Samuel H. Bell, Shirley; David Auxandt, Tod ; George W. Speer, Cass ; Jacob Baker, Springfield; Simeon Wright, Union; Gen. J. C. Watson, Brady ; David Parker, Warrior's Mark ; James Entriken, Hopewell. Recording Secretaries — J. S. Barr, J. S. Isett. Corresponding Secretary — Dr. John Gemmill. Treasurer — Hon. James Givin. Librarian — Theo. H, Cremer. At August term, 1871, of the Court of Common Pleas of Huntingdon county, the society was incorporated, upon the petition of H. G. Fisher, David Blair, R. McDivitt, J. W, Mattern, George Jackson, Theo. H. Cremer, G, W. Johnston, Samuel T. Brown, Graffus Miller, J. S. Qovwcaan, J. Simpson Africa, John S. Miller, Joshua Greenland, John M. Bailey, D. W. Womelsdorf, W. B, Zeigler and John Flenner. The society during the 21 years of its existence has held sixteen fairs. The dates, premiums paid and expenses in curred have been as follows: HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 161 1855, Oct. 10th and 11th. Premiums, $237.00 Expenses, $ 472.00 1856, " 8th to 10th, inclusive " 255.00 " 475.00 1857, " 14th " 16th, " " 386.50 " 743.00 1858, " 5th " 7th, " " 438.00 " 595.00 1859, " 4th " 6th, " " 527.50 " 620.00 1860, Sep. 26th " 28th, " " 304.62 " 496.00 1865, Oct. 4th " 6th, " " 404.00 " 504.00 1866, Sep. 26th " 28th, " " 877.00 " 930.00 1867, Oct. 2nd " 4th, " " 567.00 " 1029.91 1869, " 6th " 8th, " " 675.00 " 915.00 1870, " 4th " 7th, " " 643.80 " 960.00 1871, " 3rd " 6th, " " 947.80 " 1260-00 1872, " 4th " 7th, " " 682.70 " 1370.00 1873, " 7th " 10th, " " 995.60 " 1059.00 1874, " 6th " 9th, " " 95.60 " 1064.00 1875, Sept. 28th '• Oct. 1st. " " " 1094.10 After the payment of the incidental expenses incurred at the last exhibition, 1875, there remained in the treasury the sum of $64.94, and there was due the society for lumber sold the sum of $71.90. No premiums were paid. The officers chosen at the annual election in January were Alexander Port, President; Perry Moore and James Hutchinson, Vice Presidents ; Dr. J. R. Patton and James B. Carothers, Secretaries ; Theo, H, Cremer, Treasurer ; Dr, G. L. Robb, Librarian. This society aims at the encouragement of both agricul ture and manufactures. The progress of these industries in the county up to 1870 is exhibited by the following tables : AGRICULTURE. Number of acres of improved land, 186,818 Value of farms, 19,445,678 Value of all farm productions, including betterments and addition to stock 1,968,703 LIVE STOCK.' Value of all kinds $1,434,648 Number of horses, 7,098 " " milch cows, 7,120 " " working oxen, 54 " sheep, 17,780 " swine, 12,909 ANNUAL PRODUCTS. Number of bushels of wheat, 388,859 " " rye, 78,480 L 162 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, Number of bushels of Indian corn 503,807 oats, 411,479 " barley, 4,525 " buckwheat, 20,909 potatoes 148 679 pounds butter, 465,027 cheese, 690 wool, 54,110 MANUFACTURERS. Number of establishments, 324 " " hands employed — males above 16 1,249 " females "15 9 « youths, .... 101 1,359 Capital invested, 12,087,052 Wages paid 353,507 Value of materials used, 1,520,506 " " products, 2,319,152 CHAPTER XXL COAL AND IRON — EAELY KNOWLEDGE OF THE EXISTENCE OP COAL tfN BROAD TOP — ATTEMPT TO CREATE A MARKET FOR IT — BEGINNING OP THE COAL TRADE — ANNUAL PRODUCTION— DETAILED STATEMENT OF THE BUSINESS FOR 1875 — COKE — JUNIATA CHARCOAL IRON — FURNACES AND FORGES BY WHICH IT WAS MADE. Broad Top mountain, in Huntingdon, Bedford and Fulton counties, contains an eastern or outlying basin of coal of eighty square miles in extent. The mineral was known to exist in that region from the beginning of the present century and mines were worked fully seventy years ago. The opera tions, however, were on an exceedingly small scale until the completion of the Huntingdon and Broad Top railroad in 1856, An effort was made to create a market for this coal in 1807, if not earlier. It had not then found its application in the smelting of ores, the generation of steam, the heat ing of buildings, and the many other purposes for which it has become so useful. The owner of the mines endeavored to induce farmers to experiment with it as a fertilizer, and advertised it to the public energetically and extensively. The Huntingdon Gazette of June 4th, 1807, published edi torially the liberal proposition of Mr, Samuel Riddle to furnish it without charge, as follows : " Such of the Farmers as wish to make experiments with the Stone Coal as a substitute for Plaster in manuring their Indian Corn, may be supplied with the Coal gratis, upon application to Peter Hughes, at Mr, Riddle's Mines, on the Raystown Branch, Those who cannot make it convenient to apply at the Mines, can be supplied upon application to the Editor by paying the carriage. The proprietor of the Mines offers not only to refund the carriage but also to pay expense of applying the Coal, if upon a fair experiment, it is found to be inferior to the plaster, which now sells at two dollars per bushel." 164 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. We should probably not hold the editor responsible for the above, for although, like the fraternity of the present day, he may have been willing to bring a new thing to the attention of the public, he no doubt inserted the notice of this novelty at the instance and for the accommodation of Mr. Riddle. The experiments made in that year must have been in sufficient and unsatisfactory to the latter, as, at the opening of the next planting season, he sets forth the value and ad vantages of the fertilizer more at length : » STONE COAL. Farmers who wish to use Stone Coal for Manuring their Corn, or Grass, may be supplied with any quantity of the Coal ready ground at Two shillings and six pence per Bushel, by applying to Mr. Prigmore, at Mr, Smith's Mill in Huntingdon. For the purpose of encouraging the Farmers to make trial of the Coal upon different soils, the subscriber will supply them with this article, gratis, upon application to his agent at the Coal Mines on the Raystown Branch ; and he further engages that he will pay double the price of the ground Coal to each person who shall purchase the same from Mr, Prigmore, if upon a fair experiment it should not be found to be a manure equal to Plaster. The Coal should be ground or beaten into a fine powder, and applied at the rate of a handful to each hill of Indian Corn immediately after hilling, and upon grass at the rate of two or three Bushels to the acre. Upon cold calcareous soils double the quantity may be used to advantage. The sulphuric acid contained in the Stone Coal is said to destroy the Turnip fly and to banish the cut worm and other destructive insects from the Gardens and Fields upon which it has been sown. Farmers and others will confer a favor upon the subscriber by making trial of the coal for this purpose, and communicating the result of their experi ments. Huntingdon, May 8th, 1808. Samuel Riddle. history OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 165 This advertisement simply betrays an ignorance of the chemical composition of coal and of the elements that it is necessary to add to the soil in order to enrich it. A trial was all that was required to demonstrate its futility. The Broad Top coal contains but a small proportion of sulphur, from 1,70 to 1.85 per cent., and we need not say that that is not in the form of sulphuric acid or any other combination of sulphur and oxygen, so that the turnip fly and cut worm were not likely to be disturbed in their attacks upon rising vegetation. With the exception of a few mines opened besides Mr Riddle's, these vast beds of coal were permitted to remain undisturbed in the strata of Broad Top, until about twenty years ago. The annual production of the region during this latter period, and the average price per ton obtained for it at Philadelphia, during the last thirteen years, have been as follows : Year. Tons. 1856 . . . . 42,000 1857 . . . . 78,813 1858 . . . . 105,478 1859 . . . . 130,595 1860 . . . . 186,903 1861 . . . . 272,625 1862 . . . .333,606 1863 . . . . 305,678 1864 • ¦ - . 386,645 1865 . . . . 315,906 Price. $5.75 6.507.25 Tear. 1866 18671868186918701871187218731874 1875 Tons. Price. .265,720 .... 5.75 . 244,412 . . . 4.75 . 280,936 .... 4.50 . 360,778 .... 4.75 . 313,425 .... 4.50 . 319,625 .... 4.60 . 297,473 .... 4.70 .350,245 .... 5.00 . 226,693 .... 4.55 . 268,488 .... 4.15 The foregoing table exhibits the product of both Hun tingdon and Bedford counties. The proportion produced by each in 1875, is shown by the following detailed statement of the business for that year : HUNTINGDON COUNTY. Collieries. Operators. Tons. Cumberland R. Langdon & Co., 14,672 Powelton, R. H. Powell & Co, 23,926i Barnet, R. U. Jacob & Co., 8,421J Dudley J. M. Bacon, 2,640J Blair " 2,395f Howe, " 8,989 Mooresdale, Reakert Bros & Co., 20,904 Carried up 81,949 166 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. Brought up 81,949 Fisher, Fishers & Miller, 15,292^ Carbon, Geo. Mears 20,351 Robertsdale Rockhill C. & I. Co 53,567 171,159J BEDFORD COUNTY. Collieries. Operators. Tons. Mount Equity, - Kemble C. & L Co 41,738i Cunard R. B. Wigton, 19,717 Scott, William Scott, 212^ Helena E. P. Jenkins 539 j Coaldale, W. H. Piper, • . 24,737* Rommell, Maher & Wilson, 383i 87,328 Total for 1875 268,487J The East Broad Top railroad, connecting witH the Penn sylvania railroad at Mount Union, and penetrating this coal field on the East side of the mountain, in Huntingdon county, carried in 1875, the year in which it was completed, the first coal from the Robertsdale mines, operated by the Rockhill Coal and Iron Company. The Broad Top coal makes a " bright, open, tenacious and strong coke." The only other coals that approach it in this respect are the Connellsville, in Fayette county, and the Bennington, on the crest of the Allegheny mountains. The following is a comparative analysis of the three kinds: Cote. Broad Top, Barnet seam . " Kelly " , Bennington Connellsville If 4 u 1 a> 74.65 7.50 16.00 1.85 71.12 7.50 19.68 1.70 68.50 8.00 22.38 1.12 59.62 8.23 31.36 .78 82 per cent. 78 " 76 " " 68 " The Rockhill Coal and Iron Company manufacture coke in ovensat their furnaces at Orbisonia. The building of ovens at Saxton, in Bedford county, for the conversion of the coal from Shoup's run branch and other mines on the Hunting don and Broad Top railroad into coke, is, we are informed, in contemplation. Charcoal as a fuel for furnaces and forges must soon go HISTORY OP HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 167 out of use in Huntingdon county. The forests have disap peared from around the iron manufacturing establishments that were built half a century ago, and many of the latter have gone to decay, and others have ceased operations. It must not be inferred, however, that the iron interests of the county have declined. A single furnace now, that of the Rockhill Coal and Iron Company at Orbisonia, produces more metal than all the other furnaces that were ever in blast at one time. " Juniata charcoal iron" has had, since the manufacture of it was commenced, a great celebrity. The establish ments in this country that assisted in building up that repu tation have been as follows : In Barree township — Rebecca and Monroe furnaces and Rebecca forge. Brady — Mill Creek furnace, CVomt^eZ/— Bedford, Melinda, Winchester, Rockhill and Chester furnaces, and Melinda forge, Franklin — Huntingdon and Pennsylvania furnaces, three Colerain forges, two Elizabeth forges, and Millington, Franklin and Stockdale forges, Hopewell — Rough and Ready furnace and Clinton forge. Jackson — Mitchell's and Greenwood furnaces. Morris — Union furnace. Porter — Barree furnace and forge and Hatfield's rolling mill and forge. Shirley — Edward furnace. ToG^-- Paradise furnaces and two forges and Mary Ann forge. West — Juniata forge. CHAPTER XXIL EDUCATION — NUMBER OF SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTY — AVERAGE NUMBER OP MONTHS TAUGHT — NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN ATTENDANCE — TEACHERS — CLASSIFICATION BRANCHES TAUGHT — SCHOOL BUILDINGS — PRIMITIVE SCHOOL HOUSE — RECENT ARCHITECTURE — HEATING OP SCHOOL ROOMS — FURNITURE AND APPARATUS — TEACHERS* INSTITUTES — COUNTY SUPERIN TENDENOY — SALARY^LIST OP PERSONS WHO HAVE HELD THE OFFICE — — RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES FOR SCHOOL PURPOSES — ILLITERACY — NUMBER OP PERSONS WHO CANNOT READ OR WRITE. The common school system of Pennsylvania was adopted in 1835, from which time an accurate history of education in our county can be given; but previously educational affairs had been loosely conducted and the preservation of statistics much neglected. The principal aim of this chapter will be to trace the progress of the present system of public instruction. In doing so, we may get occasional glimpses of the older methods by way of comparison. It is difficult to ascertain the number of schools within the present bounds of the county before the formation of Blair, As nearly as can be estimated, the number in 1842 was one hundred and thirty-six. The increase since that time has been as follows : In 1857, there were one hundred and seventy-four; in 1865, one hundred and ninety-two, and in 1875, two hundred and fifteen. The average number of months taught in those years was as follows : In 1842, four and one-sixth ; in 1857, four ; in 1865, about four and a half, and in 1875, about five and one-fifth. In 1854, the mimimum length of the school term was fixed by act of Assembly at four months, and in 1872, at five months. Some districts in the county would increase their term had they the means of doing so. Others keep their schools open five months only because they cannot otherwise obtain a share of the State appropriation. At the beginning of the free school system there were no graded schools in the county, nor had there been any, so far as the records show. Now there are thirty of that class, all HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 169 of which are in the boroughs and villages. The grading of the schools in several of the rural districts has been pro - posed, but the project has never been carried into effect. The number of children attending the schools at different periods, embracing more than the third of a century, tlfe average attendance, and the cost of instruction per month for each pupil, are shown by the following table : Attended Sohool. (0 S boa L.S i 1 o Ill 51^ 1842 185738651875 2,774 4,335 4,450 4,754 1,841 3,532 4,1254,222 4,615 7,8678,575 8,976 5,480 5,088 5,734 43 cents. 55 " 72 " 87 " The number of teachers in the same year and the average salaries paid them, have been as follows : Teachers. Atbrage salaries. Males. Females . Males. Females. 18421857 1865 1875 130154105 167 6 3287 57 120.08 25.39- 29.2635.45 $10.92 19.12 24.7231.60 From the comparison just given, it will be perceived that salaries of male teachers in the county have been increased a little over seventy-five per cent, since 1842, and that the salaries of female teachers, in the same time, have been in creased nearly two hundred per cent. Prof. R. M. McNeal, Superintendent of common schools for Huntingdon county, to whom we are indebted for many of the facts of this chapter, says : " That our teachers are not yet as well qualified for their work as they should be, is an undeniable fact. That they have greatly improved as a class, is equally true. The standard of qualifications is very much higher than it was a few years ago. " In the early history of education in our county, high scholastic attainments were not required of the teacher, " If a man had a fair knowledge of arithmetic, could write a legible hand, read tolerably well, and possessed ' muscle 170 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. to wield the birch,' he had the necessary qualifications to teach, " Teachers of fifty years ago gave no attention to profes sional culture. Educational meetings were not known. Works on the theory and practice of teaching were not studied. It is true, many of the teachers were men of ex perience in the school-room, but they plied their calling in 'tread mill' style, few of them knowing anything of the laws of mental growth and development, or of the science of education. "As the cause of education has grown and developed, not only greater scholastic attainments, but more thorough pro fessional training has been demanded. " The teachers of Huntingdon county compare favorably with those of other counties in point of attainments and zeal in their work,. " In the 'good old times' of subscription schools, none but men(?) were employed to teach. We have no record of any females teaching in the county previous to the adoption of the free school system, " Female teachers in Huntingdon county, as well as in other counties of the State, have met with violent opposi tion, " They have had to battle against the grossest ignorance and most unreasonable prejudices ; but, in the fight, they have come off victorious, " They have established their title to patronage by their worth. Results prove that they have met with more uni form success than have male teachers. Some of the best disciplined, the most carefully trained, and the best taught schools in the county have been conducted by female teachers, " In 1842 there were one hundred and thirty male and six female teachers, " At the present time about one-third of our teachers are females. During the late war about one-half were females," The efficiency of our schools has been greatly increased by the attention latterly given to classification. Formerly HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 171 there were as many classes in each branch of study as there were pupils pursuing it. Two books of the same kind could seldom be found in a school. At the opening of the term, book-cases and libraries were ransacked by pupils in their ambition to have a book different from any other in school. Teachers themselves were ignorant of the value of classi fication, and did not encourage it. There were fewer branches taught .in the schools at that time than at present, and the instruction was given in a very different manner. Arithmetic was not recited. When the pupil reached a pro blem he could not solve, it was taken to the teacher, by whom the solution was placed upon the slate and handed, without explanation, to the pupil, who departed with his new acquisition and resumed his work. Previous to the adoption of the present school system, little else was taught in our schools than spelling, reading, writing' and arithmetic. In addition to these branches, teachers are now required to pass an examination in and to be prepared to impart a knowledge of mental arithmetic, geography, grammar, history of the United States, and the theory of teaching. In a number of schools, vocal music, algebra, and drawing to a limited extent, are taught, and in a few of the higher grades are also taught etymology, phy siology, philosophy and astronomy. In text-books we approach very nearly to uniformity. Those principally used are the New American Readers and Spellers, Brooks' Mathematics, Mitchell's Geography, Few- smith's and Bullion's Grammars, and Goodrich's History, Of the one hundred and ninety -five school buildings in the county in June, 1875, one hundred and sixty-nine were frame, fifteen brick or stone, and eleven log. Many of the sketches of townships will give the history of the erection of school-houses within them, and therefore we entirely omit such information from this part of the work. We are indebted to the Hon, David Clarkson, of Cass ville, for the following description of the primitive school- houses of Trough Creek valley : " They were built of round logs, and were covered with 172 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, clapboards, which were kept in their places by heavy logs laid on them to keep them down. The floors were made of logs split in halves and laid together with the flat sides up. Snakes could crawl through, as they often did. In the end of each building there was a great fire-place, with a wooden chimney. The light was admitted through large cracks in the walls, from six to ten inches in width, covered with greased paper for glass, and woe betide the urchin who ran his finger through the window, as often happened." School architecture has not yet reached a very high degree of perfection in the county, but most of the houses built latterly are neat, comfortable and commodious. They are generally about as good as the means of the district jus tify, and are certainly far superior to the buildings used as school-houses half a century ago. In the report of the County Superintendent for the year 1865, appears the following description of a room then used for school purposes in one of the wealthier districts : " The room is a basement, sixteen by twenty teet, with two small windows. It has been occupied alternately as a stable, a butcher shop — of which it is now more suggestive than anything else — and a school-room. The floor is com posed of boards laid down loosely, and scarcely raised above the damp, cold earth. The back part of the room has never been walled, and from the yielding soil issue, continually, small streams of slimy, disagreeable moisture, which trickle down its side. There was no ventilation, and the musty damp and vitiated atmosphere was suggestive of disease and death." It is almost incredible that such things could have existed so recently as eleven years ago. This room must have been the representative of an anterior period. Twenty-five years ago, many of our school-houses were heated by the old-fashioned fire-places, which, while they had little else to recommend them to favor, furnished better means of ventilation than some of our more modern build ings can boast of. Those not heated in this manner were warmed by wood stoves. Coal as a fuel for school-rooms HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 173 is of late introduction. It is now very generally used. In a few districts, remote from the railroads, where wood is less expensive, the latter retains its place as a fuel. Perhaps the greatest improvement in connection with our schools has been in the furniture and apparatus with which they are provided. The writing desks of a former day consisted of boards arranged around the room, against the walls, supported by wooden pins, and the seats, in most ca.ses, were slabs with the flat sides up, the surfaces of which had never come in contact with a plane, and without backs. Here and there a school could be found fortunate enough to possess a map and a globe, the property of the teacher, but blackboards were unknown. Marked progress had been witnessed in these respects, es pecially during the last decade. The houses are not only built more substantially, but they are constructed and fur nished with reference to health, comfort and convenience. A number of them are supplied with good patent furniture. Others have " home-made" desks and seats that are tolera bly comfortable. Wherever the patented articles have been tried, they have proved to be cheaper and better than those manufactured in the old style, and are recommending them selves to general use. A majority of our houses have out line maps, a number have globes, charts and writing tablets, and a few have dictionaries. All but one have blackboards. Although but few of our school buildings can be regarded as first-class in every particular, they are generally as good as those found in country districts any where. The best houses are in Alexandria, Mount Union, Morris, Mapleton, Petersburg, Porter, Tod, Walker, Warrior's Mark, Franklin and Huntingd?on districts. Teachers' institutes have done much in this county for the professional training of teachers, the education of public sentiment, and the improvement of the schools. The first institute was organized at Huntingdon, February 23rd, 1853, A preliminary meeting was held at the public house of Mrs. Hampson, where the following agreement was drawn up and signed by forty-five teachers : 174 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, " We the undersigned teachers of Huntingdon county, hereby agree to meet in Convention this day to promote the cause of general education and improvement of our pro fession ; and we agree to be governed by a Constitution and By-Laws, adopted by a majority of the members in Conven tion." They then met in the Town Hall, and the Convention was opened with prayer, by Rev. James Campbell, who, on motion, was elected president. Miss C. T. Benedict, S, T, Brown and R. McDivitt were elected secretaries, A committee was appointed to prepare business for the Convention. They reported a number of resolutions, among which were the following : One resolving the Convention into an association to be called the " Teachers' Institute of Huntingdon county;" one providing for the appointment of a committee to draft a constitution and by-laws ; one recommending to the Legisla ture to provide for the appointment or the election of a County Superintendent; and one recommending the Pennsyl vania School Journal to teachers and friends of education. The institute then adjourned to meet in Huntingdon, April 21st, 1853. The first annual session was held as per adjournment, continuing two days. In the absence of the President, Rev. Campbell, J, S, Barr was made president pro tem. The constitution and by-laws were read and adopted. They provided that the necessary expenses of each session should be defrayed by equal assessments on all the male members present, and any member refusing to pay his quota was to be suspended for one year. The sessions of the institute were taken up in discussions on the methods of teaching the alphabet, spelling, reading, and arithmetic. Lectures were given on Teachers' Insti tutes by Rev, R. Pierce ; on General Education by S. T, Brown; on School Discipline by D, Baker, and on Phonetics by R. McDivitt, An essay on the Influence of the Teacher was read by Miss C. T, Benedict. The subject of Uniform ity of Text Books was also discussed. HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 175 The second annual meeting of the institute was held in Huntingdon, December 22nd, 1853, J, A, Hall was presi dent and S, T, Brown and R, McDivitt, secretaries. The principal subjects of lectures and discussions were the Common School System, Duties of Parents, Language, His tory, Music, The School Law, and Education, Sessions were held thereafter, commencing as follows ; December 21st, 1854, December 24th, 1855, December 22nd, 1856, February 22nd, 1858, December 27th, 1860, and De cember 26th, 1861. The institute was subject to the call of the Board of Managers previous to the passage of the act of Assembly in 1867, making it obligatory upon the Super intendent to convene the teachers of the county once in each year. Under this act, the institute met December 17th, 1867, and has since assembled annually. Before the adoption of the common school system,no exami nation was required of those who were applicants for posi tions as teachers. From that time until the establishment of the Superintendenoy, the •xaminations were made by the directors, or by persons selected by them. Improvement in the qualifications of teachers only became perceptible after more thorough methods were put into operation by the Superintendents. Their supervision has been more di rect than any that had previously been exercised, and the less the area over which it has been distributed, the mor e effective it has been in producing good results. The use fulness of the Superintendency has therefore been much more apparent in the small counties than in the large ones. The office met with considerable opposition in this county after its establishment, citizens of the county joining with others in petitioning the Leg-islature to abolish it. The Super intendents were poorly paid, and failed to receive the co operation of school officers and patron. During the con tinuance of this opposition, they did more to improve the schools of the county than any other agency employed. Their efficiency was soon recognized, opposition ceased, and they were given the support of directors and friends of education. 176 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. At the first election of Superintendent, in June, 1854, the act establishing the office having been passed at the previous session of the Legislature, the salary was fixed at $i300. Many of the members of that convention, who voted for a low salary, have since become warm advocates of the office and in favor of liberal compensation. John G. Stewart, now of Mount Union, was the only director who voted for $800, and was regarded as somewhat fanatical in his views. The following is a list of the persons who have held the office, with the year of their election or appointment, and their salaries : Salary ^300, Resigned April, 1856. Appointed, " " Increased to |1,000. 1854, J. S. Barr, 18.56, A. Owen, 1857,I860, K. McDivitt, 1863,1866, D. F. Tussey, 1869,1872, R. M. McNeal, 1875, The receipts and expenditures for school purposes in the county are shown by the following table, the figures exhib iting the increase from a time but a few years subsequent to the commencement of our free schools : 800. 1,000. 1842. 1857. 1865. 1875. Receipts. State Appropriation, $ 4 779 00 $ 2 020 90 1 2 603 76 !g 5 570 22 Taxes & other sources. 7 299 57 21 469 30 25 371 25 62 349 32 Total, 12 078 57 23 490 20 27 975 01 67 919 54 Expenditures. School Houses, ' build ings, etc,, 1 1 786 42 $ 2 558 15 $ 2 496 96 $ 13 573 66 Fuel, Contingencies, and Collection of taxes. 589 83 1 653 76 4 237 02 12 569 11 Teachers' Salaries, 8 069 03 19 319 50 22 839 72 39 756 10 Total, 10 645 28 23 531 41 29 573 70 65 898 87 There is a considerable number of persons in the county who have not been reached by the benefits of our educa tional system. Illiteracy does not, however, exist to as great an extent as in some of the other counties of the State, In 1870, there were in the county nine hundred and fifteen persons, ten years of age and over, who could not read, HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 177 and eighteen hundred and seventy who could not write. The age, color and sex of the latter were as follows : AGH WHITE. OOLOBBD. Total. Male. Pemale. Male. Female. 10 to 15 15 to 21 21 and over 6379 514 57 95 978 23 34 39 8 5 33 129182 1559 Total 655 1130 46 1870 Progress in education, as in all moral reforms, is necesarily slow, " As we perceive the shadow to have moved, but did not perceive it moving, so our advances in education, con sisting of such minute steps, are perceivable only by the distance," Slowly as it may seem, we ate steadily advanc ing. Every department of our system is more perfect than when it was established, the grade of scholarship is higher, teachers are better qualified, and popular intelligence is more general. CHAPTER XXIII, PRIVATE SCHOOLS — SHIRLEYSBURG ACADEMY AND SEMINARY — MILNWOOD ACADEMY — CASSVILE SEMINARY — SOLDIERS' ORPHAN SCHOOL— HUNTING DON ACADEMY — MOUNTAIN SEMINARY — CHURCHES. Shirleysburg at one time supported a Boys' Academy and a Female Seminary, each of which had a liberal patronage. At that time a spirit of hostility to the public schools was rife in Shirley township, it being the last district in the county to accept the common school system. After the latter was ac^ cepted and began to receive a generous support, these private schools grew weaker and finally expired. They have not been in existence for a number of years. In 1849, Milnwood Academy, at Shade Gap, was founded through th^ energy and zeal of Rev. J. Y. McGinnes, Pres byterian pastor at that place. Under his wise and efficient management, the institution sprang at once into popularity and success, but he did not long survive to continue his useful labors. His successors were Wilson McGinnes, nephew of the founder of the Academy, W, H, Woods, W. Mc- Knight Williamson, Rev. Van Artsdalen, W. A, Hunter, L, M. Beers and R, S, Kuhn. It was under the control of trustees until taken charge of by the latter gentle man, when he purchased it. In its early days it was a flourishing school, and sent from its halls of learning, many who have become distinguished in the various walks of life, and who are scattered far and wide over the United States, It has not been in operation for four or five years. The buildings remain in good condition, Cassville Seminary had its origin in the fall of 1851, The Bev, Zane Bland, in a conversation with Geo, W, Speer and David Clafkson, who is at present one of the Associate Judges of tlje county, suggested the place as admirably adapted for the location of a seminary. The enterprise was taken hold of by those gentlemen, stock subscribed, an asso ciation formed and officers elected. On the 26th of May, .1^*. ^•:%|if: CASSVILLE SEMINARY, Late Soldiers' Orphan School. HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 179 1852, the Board of Trustees entered into an article of agreement with Robert Madden for the erection of the build ing, who at once entered upon the work, and completed it the next fall or winter. While this was being done, the first session of the school was held in the M. E. Church, Rev. Ralph Pierce, Principal, and his wife, an adopted daughter of Bishop Peck, Preceptress. In 1854 and '55 another build ing, for the accommodation of boarders, was erected by Robert Madden. The school was under the supervision of the Methodist Church, and continued in operation until th© beginning of the late war. It gained considerable popu larity and patronage, having at various times as high as a hundred and twenty-five students. This property was purchased in September, 1865, by Prof. A. L. Guss, for a Soldiers' Orphan School. It included four acres of land, and was bought for $2,250. The erection of additional buildings and other improvements cost $5,000 more. The farm cost $3,000, and lots and adjoining grounds $1,000. The school was opened November 6th, 1865. During the time it was in operation, pupils were admitted by orders from the State Superintendent, and by transfers from other schools^ as follows : Males. Females, Total. Admitted on orders 174 149 32a " by transfers 99 62 161 Total, 273 211 484 They were discharged as follows : Males. Females. Total. Discharged on age, (at 16 years, . . . 116 99 215. " " order, ...,., 48 29 77 " by transfer, 18 12 3a Died while in school, 2 5 7 Discharged at close of the school, , , 89 66 135 Total, 273 211 484 The school closed April 10th, 1874, after having been open nearly eight and a half years, " The testimony of the out side world and the records of the Department " show that it had been well managed. 180 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, The only private schools now in existence in the county are the Huntingdon Academy and the Mountain Seminary at Birmingham, The former was incorporated by Act of Assembly of March 19th, 1816, which also granted a donation of $2,000 to the institution. It continued to receive State aid for a number of years. The buildings, then situated at the south eastern corner of Second and Allegheny streets, known as Dean's Hotel, were purchased, and used for the school for many years. The brick building at the corner of Fourth and Moore streets was erected in 1844, and the school re moved there. In 1874 a more commodious structure was placed at the northeastern corner of Fourth and Church streets. Professor J. A. Stephens was then the principal, and it was his efforts and energy that secured its erection. His health failing, he was able to teach but a short time in the new building. He died in April, 1876, much lamented by all who knew him. Prof W, W. Campbell is the present principal. The Mountain Seminary was incorporated in 1851, and the buildings erected by a stock company. Rev. Israel Ward, A.M., was the first principal. The school had only a moderate patronage and was far from being profitable. It was burdened with debt and the management was inefficient. In 1855, the property was sold at sheriff's sale and was un occupied for sometime afterwards. In October,. 1857, it was purchased by Prof. L. G. Grier, under whose auspices, with the assistance of Miss N. J, Davis, graduate of Mount Holyoke Seminary — than whom there is not a more thorough teacher in the State — and a full corps of teachers in music and other branches, the institution has achieved a marked success. The building has been greatly enlarged, and additional grounds purchased, until they now consist of about fifty acres. The latter have been greatly improved and adorned with shrub bery. An extensive green-house adds greatly to the beauty and attractiveness of the premises. The laundry is in a sepa rate building erected for the purpose. Ample washing and bathing facilities are afforded the pupils. The building has HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 181 been in a measure remodeled during the last year. It is now lighted with gas, manufactured on the premises, and heated by steam, both of which improvements contribute materially to the comfort and safety of the occupants. About fifty boarding and thirty-five day scholars are in attendance. We can give no other general church history of the county than that contained in the census returns for 1870. The details of the organization of churches and the building of edifices in many of the townships will be found in the local sketches which form many of the succeeding chapters. In 1870, there were in the county eighty-three church structures, and the value of all church property was $284,400. The number of organizations and sitting accom modations was as follows : Organizations Sittings. Organizations Sittings. Baptist, 12 4,900 Presbyterian, 12 4,300 Episcopal, 1 300 Reformed, 11 2,650 Lutheran, 10 3,350 Catholic, 2 2,000 Methodist, 29 12,800i All Denominations, 86 36,000 Thus the number of seats in the churches exceeds the population by nearly five thousand. And when we consider the large proportion of the people that stays away from church, regularly and irregularly, we will perceive how many of those seats must be empty. It is likely that the Methodist churches alone would accommodate all vfho can be found in attendance at all the ch arches on any single Nearly all the denominations have improved their edi fices since the above statistics were taken, and many of them have increased the number. Perhaps the only decrease has been with the Catholics, who lost their church at Dudley, by fire during the present year. CHAPTER XXIV, POPULATION AND WEALTH — STEADY AND GRATIFYING INCREASE — PROGRESS PROM 1790 TO 1870 — \VhITES, free colored and slaves — FOREIGNERS — COUNTRIES PROM WHICH THEY CAME AND NUMBER PROM EACH — DIS TRIBUTION OF POPULATION — WHITE AND COLORED, NATIVE AND FOREIGN — VALUE OP REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY — COMPARISON WITH OTHER COUNTIES — AREA AND TAXATION. The progress that results from the skill, the industry and the energy of man is valuable only as it contributes to his welfare and happiness. The reclaiming of a country from the wilderness, the improvement of its agricultural re sources, the development of its mines, the building of manu factories, the conversion of its raw material into articles of commerce, and the increase of facilities for carrying its pro ducts, natural and artificial, to market, and for bringing other commodities in return, are worthy of our exertions, because they improve and develop the people, build up a better social system, beget a higher civilization and provide the means of support for a larger population. We will present some statistics of the growth of our county in the number and wealth of its inhabitants. In these respects there has been a steady and gratifying increase. Had the county been left at its original propor tions, it would now contain from sixty thousand to seventy thousand people, but its population and territory have been cut down together. Between 1800 and 1810, the increase was small on account of the formation of Cambria county, and between 1840 and 1850 there was a loss of some thou sands, caused by the erection of Blair, The following table shows our progress at each decade : 1790. 7,498 2443 7,565 1800. 1810. 19,668 110 14,778 1820. 1830. 1840. 1850. 1860. 1870. Whites . . . Free Colored . Slaves .... 12,875 100 32 13,008 19,866 268 5 20,139 26,813 324 8 34,977 507 24,45] 335 27,810 290 30,952 299 Total . . . 27,145 35,484 24,786 28,100 31,251 The population of 1870 consisted of 29,658 natives and HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 183 1,593 foreigners. The countries from which the latter prin cipally came and the number from each are as follows : British America, 13 France, 20 Ireland, 656 Sweden and Norway, 4 Scotland, 36 Switzerland, 8 England and "Wales, 443 Poland, 3 Germany, 383 The distribution of population, white and colored, native and foj-eign, over the county in 1870, and the distribution of white and colored people in 1850 and 1860, are shown by the following table : TOWNSHIPS. Barree Brady , .' , , . Carbon* . . , . Cass Clay Cromwellf . . . Dublin Franklin . . . . Henderson , , . Hopewell . . , Jackson . , , . Juniata . . , , Lincoln Morris Oneida Penn Porter Shirley Springfield . . . Tell Tod Union Walker Warrior's Mark West EOBOUGHS. Alexandria . . Birmingham , Cassville . . , Huntingdon , Mapleton . . . Mount Union . Petersburg . . Shirleysburg . Three Springs 1850. 1,2691,016 709 682 1,288 897 1,386 2,145 787 1,431 783 839 1,0121,596 592983 1,208 631 1,0831,185 1,447 596263 1,343 263 368 2 4 5 13 9 1115 144 1 5 3 127 I860. 1,290 916 1,511 567 1,0291,108 875 1,551 561 1,005 1,741 455 792 362969 1,1151,643 686 1,009 804896805 1,3411,338 532221265 1,739 334351 2 11 151 1870. 1,237 904 2,231 583811 1,379 975 1,347 661 412 1,662 393532687 384 1,139 1,212 1,623 738 1,024 771 789 962 1,2091,367 555261 416 2,865 398 535 381329 189 1 2 169 89 1,211 894 1,508 596808 1,361 968 1,319 624 404 1,635 371 522664359 1,098 1,2411,603 736 1,012 760783 930 1,176 1,335 532254 413 2,787 381 511368311 183 26 lo 725 3 1019 16 36 37 8 272210 24 27 45 12 30 2 12 21 6 483332 24 93 247 8 241318 6 1,237 904 2,233 599 818 1,380 984 1,3,55 661412 1,662 393 532 688386 1,1431,2531,633 738 1,024 781 789978 1,2091,367 556263416 3,034 389 535 381329189 " Including Broad Top City and Coalmont, t Including Orbisonia, 184 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. Although Huntingdon county stands on the list as thirty- eighth in population, she occupies a much higher position, being thirtieth, in point of wealth. She compares very favor ably with the other counties of the State containing about the same or even a larger number of inhabitants. The fol lowing statement embraces all the counties that have popu lations varying from 25,000 to 37,000, from which it will be seen that but two of them exceed Huntingdon in the • value of their real and personal property and that these are more populous : Counties, Population. Wealth. Counties. Population. Wealth. Huntingdon, 31,251 130,240,360 Columbia, 28,766 21,327,400 Adams, 30,315 20,552,000 Greene, 25,887 16,955,650 Bedford, 29,635 19,222,505 Indiana, 36,138 26,491,208 Butler, 36,510 27,292,655 Lawrence, 27,298 22,256,500 Cambria, 36,569 11,329,220 Lebanon, 34,096 33,713,219 Carbon,, 28,144 20,475,666 Perry, 25,447 9,120,400 Centre, 34,418 25,066,560 Somerset, 28,226 23,897,510 Clarion, 26,537 12,786,020 Tioga, 35,097 34,141,020 Clearfield, 25,741 10,374,050 Wayne, 33,188 14,091,168 The area of the county is eight hundred and ninety -nine square miles, or five hundred and seventy-five thousand three hundred and sixty acres. The number of taxable in habitants in 1870 was seven thousand three hundred and ninety -five. In the same year the amount of taxes assessed was as follows : Borough and Township, $64,886 County : , , 32,508 State 3,317 Total, , ,711 CHAPTER XXV. THE GREAT REBELLION — RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BEFORE ITS COMMENCE MENT — SERIES OP MEETINGS AT HUNTINGDON IN APRIL, 1861, AND PRO CEEDINGS THEREAT — DEPARTURE OF THE FIRST COMPANY FOR HARRIS BURG ENTHUSIASM OF THE PEOPLE — DISPLAY OP THE NATIONAL COLORS IN ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTY — SUPPLYING SOLDIERS WITH REFRESH MENTS — soldiers' aid SOCIETIES — NUMBER OP MEN FURNISHED BY THE COUNTY DURING THE WAR — COMMISSIONED OFFICERS, WITH THEIR RANK, COMMANDS, ETC. — MILITIA — EMERGENCY MEN — DECORATION OF SOLDIERS* GRAVES — MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION, On the 17th day of January, 1861, nearly, three months before the first overt act of rebellion in the South, and while hopes were yet entertained of a peaceable adjustment of the difficulties which had been made the pretext for se cession, the people of Huntingdon county, irrespective of party, assembled in the court-house and expressed their sen timents as contained in the following preamble and resolu tions : " Several of the States, bound by the Constitution of the United States, the supreme law of the laud, acceded to and adopted by themselves, having, by the action of separate state conventions, undertaken to absolve their people from the allegiance due to the General Government, and placed themselves in an attitude of hostility to the Union ; and other States of the Confederacy being agitated by those of their citizens who favor co-operation with the seceding States, thus rendering probable not only a dissolution of the Union, but the formation of two or many governments, which, from the causes leading to their existence, will act toward^ each other with that malignant hate which follows when ' brother's blood is turned to gall;' and the citizens of Huntingdon county, strongly impressed with a sense of their duty to the Constitution and the Union, with the importance of pre serving and maintaining both ; desirous to avert the calam ities that must follow a permanent dismemberment of the Union, do, in county meeting assembled, declare : 186 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, " 1st, That the undivided feeling of the people of this county, without respect to party, is an unyielding fidelity to the Constitution, the Union, and all laws passed in con formity with the one or for the protection and perpetuity of the other, " 2nd, That we declare, not our willingness to concede, but our readiness, by all lawful means, to demand and en force for our brethren of the South, every right and privilege granted and secured to them by the Constitution and laws of the United States; that while we declare the intention that their rights and ours shall be thus equally secured by the Government, we also declare that their wrongs and ours should be, and can be, equally redressed by resort to the same power, " 3rd, It is our ardent desire that the differences now ex isting shall be adjusted without leading to unnatural and disastrous strife ; that they should be made the subject of dispassionate discussion among brethren, with a mutual de sire to settle them justly to all parties ; not the occasion of bloody contest, which will embitter but never remove them ; and feeling thus, we request our Senators and Representa tives in Congress and the State Legislature to give expres sion to this sentiment, believed to be that not of the county alone but of the masses of this State, by advocating and voting for any measure calculated to bring about a peaceable and honorable adjustment of pending difficulties; avoiding here the presentation of any particular project about which individuals would differ, but declaring that in this crisis mere party feeling should be buried by both constituents and representatives, and every patriotic effort made that can with honor be made, to preserve the Union in peace, and to call back those whom we still claim as citizens of a common country, from rebellion to allegiance, and then, if the olive branch of peace be rejected, and war proffered in its stead, we will stand around the flag of our whole country as firmly as our rocks and mountains stand around us. " 4th, While everything consistent with honor should be done to avert the calamity of civil war and restore fra- HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 187 ternal relations between the States, duty to the Constitu tion and the laws, which we have declared our readiness to support and submit to, requires that the people of every State should support and submit to them. We cannot, therefore, characterize the recent attacks upon the property and flag of the United States as anything else than armed treason, and while and whenever it continues to manifest itself, we cordially approve and will support the action of the President, his Cabinet and Lieut. Gen. Scott, in continu ing to make every preparation necessary either to prevent or meet it. " 5th, That Major Robert Anderson is entitled to the thanks of his country for his prudent and patriotic conduct in occupying Fort Sumpter, " 6. That we extend our cordial greeting to all friends of the Union, and of peaceable settlement in the Southern States ; that we assure them of the prevalence of the feeling in the North that the rights and equality secured by the Constitution and the laws shall be observed and enforced by all the powers of the Government, sustained in good faith by the people ; that we ask them to stand with us, and pledge ourselves to stand by them in every honorable effort to preserve that Government under which both the North and the South have grown and prospered." Although the day for argument and entreaty, as it then seemed, had not passed, yet the time for the expression of a firm determination to preserve the Union had come. It was not long until the latter was the only sentiment which the crisis demanded, A series of meetings of the people of the county was held in Huntingdon on the 17th, 18th, I9th, 20th and 22nd of April, 1861, at which the resolutions were briefer, and if possible, more expressive : "Resolved, that we pledge our all in men and means to sus tain our National Administration in every effort to maintain the integrity of the Union and defend its flag, "Resolved, that it is no longer necessary to appeal to every patriot to forget every thought and every word calculated to excite partisan feeling or to wound party affections. The 188 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, past is forgotten — common dangers unite us. We are one people — let no feeling of madness divide us. "Resolved, that our sympathies and our prayers shall go with and be offered for those of our fellow citizens who take up arms to defend our country's honor ; and those dependent upon them whom they leave amongst us shall have oar faithful care, "Resolved, that the County Commissioners be requested to raise the American flag from the cupola of our court house." The war had then commenced ; Fort Sumpter had been fired upon ; the President had issued his proclamation calling out the militia of the several states to the aggregate number of seventy-five thousand men, and the military companies were tendering their services and being accepted. The appeal of the President "to all loyal citizens to favor, facilitate and aid this effort to maintain the honor, the integ- ' rity, and the existence of our national Union, and the per petuity of popular government, and to redress the wrongs long enough endured," nowhere met with a more ready and hearty response than in Huntingdon county. In fact, he had had the assurance of the support of the people of the county in the resolutions of January I7th, 1861, in which they promised to stand around the flag of their whole country as firmly as their rocks and mountains stood around them, and cordially approved of every measure taken to meet and prevent armed treason. How faithfully they stood by these promises, and how well they gave to the President and the nation their support, would be attested by the death roll of those who fell in the fearlul struggle which was then commencing, could it be here given. Among the first companies to offer themselves were those from Huntingdon county. But no notification of the accep tance of any of them was received until Friday, April, 19th, 1861. The next day, Saturday, the 20th, the " Standing Stone Guards," of Huntingdon, took their departui;p for Harris burg, They were placed in the Fifth Pennsylvania regi ment, of which R, Bruce Petriken was appointed Major, and HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 189 immediately sent to Washington, The following is the roll of the officers and men of the company : Benjamin F. Miller, George F. McCabe, James D. Campbell, J. Addison Moore, Johns. Campbell, Wm. H. Flenner, Geo. W. Simpson, James McCahan. Eobert B. Smith, Second Wm. S. Westbrook, Third Geo. W. Cypher, Fourth Captain First Lieut. Second " First Sergt. Second " Third " Fourth " First Corporal A. Kinney Buoy, Edwin W. Thomas, Barrick, Jacob Black, George A. Bradley, John W. Cannon, John Coder, William B, Clark, Jacob S. Couch, W. A. B. Clark, Alfred Cullison, John Cunningham, J. D. Defl'enbaugh, S. S, DeArmitt, John Donahoe, John Deetor, John A. Dean, George W, Estep, William Fink, John Fleck, Augustus Forshy, Henry Gibb, John Glazier, Wm. H. Gilliland, J. W. Gilliland, Wm. D. Harvey, Geo. W. Hoffman, Theo. Musician Private Heff'ner, D. J. Keegan, Thomas Holl'man, John Lytle, John W, Long, Wm. H. Montgomery, G. W. McFarland, Theo, Miller, W. A. McCabe, Edward McMurtrie, S. M. McMurtrie,' James MoGee, Chas. W, Mangle, Adam McCall, Jacob McKean, James McAllister, Alfred Miller, Adam P. Nash, E. K. Prim, William H. Rinard, Samuel Roulett, James Staubs, Nathaniel Shaw, William H. Stamm, John Stevens, William Sturtsman, William Steel, Jacob Sliafi'er, Peter Sneath, George Sender, John Sneath, Richard Thompson, Joseph H. Thompson, R. E. Tobias, Calvin Vandevander, M, M. Williams, B F. Wagoner, Wm. H. White, Anthony Wise, William H. Private The company contained over ninety men, but the max imum number then allowed to a company being but seventy men, that number was mustered into service, and the balance returned home. The departure of the Guards was the occasion of the most unbounded enthusiasm among the people of Huntingdon, At an early hour in the day, the sound of martial music was heard on the streets, the citizens turned out en masse, and the most intense excitement prevailed. The company paraded at noon, and, headed by the Excelsior Band, marched 190 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, to the Diamond, where a beautiful flag was presented to them on behalf of the band, by J. Sewell Stewart, Esq, It was received by J, D, Campbell, Lieutenant of the com pany. After these ceremonies, the company participated in the raising of a number of flags in different parts of the town, and then marched to the court house. In the evening the people met to take leave of the soldiers. For a description of the scenes that then occurred, we are indebted to the Journal and American of April 24th, 1861 : " The crowd (at the court house) was immense — men, women and children, almost our entire population, crowded the room, the yard, the pavement and the street. The first speaker was the Rev. S. H. Reid, of the German Reformed Church, who addressed the volunteers in a glorious .speech, full of patriotic, soul-stirring sentiment, and well- worthy the heart that gave utterance to them. He was followed by Rev. G, W. Zahnizer, of the Presbyterian Chuch, Mr, Zahnizer spoke as a man whose heart beats in unison with the music of tbe Union, and when he pointed to the American flag, and appealed to the noble band of bold hearts around him, to return only when the dishonor heaped upon it shall be wiped out, and it again floats in triumph in every section of our country, the deep response which followed attested that " Victory or Death " is the watchword of every patriot in Huntingdon county. Rev. S, L. M, Couser, of the Metho dist Church, next spoke. His remarks caused a thrill of patriotic feeling to agitate every heart, which found vent in such terrific cheers that made the very rafters crack. And when he seized the stars and stripes, and waving them over his head, declared his readiness to shoulder his musket in defense of that glorious emblem of liberty, the shouts that went up were deafening. Rev. Mr, Bueglass, of the Baptist Church, next addressed the meeting. We cannot do justice to his or his predecessors' remarks. His address was patri otic, deep and heartfelt, and stirred the blood in every heart. He concluded by stating that he had offered his services to his country, and would shortly leave for the scene of con flict. At the close of his remarks, each soldier was furnished HISTORY OP HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 191 with a pocket testament, the gift of the ladies of the borough. The line was then formed, and the soldiers, after taking fare well of their friends and relatives, marched to the depot, followed by the entire populace. The scene there baffles description. Mothers, wives and sisters weeping over their friends who thus willingly offer to lay down their lives in defense of their flag. At eleven o'clock the train started and our gallant boys were on their way to the seat of war." On the 23d of the same month the "Union Guards" of Petersburg, commanded by Capt, Joseph Johnson, went to Harrisburg, and were assigned to the Fifteenth regiment. This and the Standing Stone Guards were the only compa nies from Huntingdon county that could be accepted under the President's first call, the quota of the State having been filled. Their term of enlistment was three months. Six other companies had been organized in the county, and were awaiting orders to march. They were accepted upon the second and succeeding requisitions. The scenes attending the departure of the first company from Huntingdon were not an isolated instance of the en thusiasm of the people, but were repeated during the war in spirit, if not in exact form, in every locality of the coun ty. There is not a township that did not send its company, or parts of one or more ; not a community that did not send the best of its citizens ; scarcely a household that did not send a member, and many of them all or nearly all, that were capable of bearing arms. The cause that thus aroused the courage and patriotism of those whose duty it became to engage in the conflict, and to whom its defense was a work of personal sacrifice and danger, also received the support and encouragement of that portion of the popu lation whose place was not upon the field of battle. Men went without reluctance ; women aided them in going. There were outpourings of the people to see them leaving. At the railroad stations greater crowds assembled than had ever been there before. They came from distant parts of the county to have a last look and to say a last inspiring word to the soldier who left his friends to face his country's foes. 192 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. The popular feeling was exhibited also by the display of the national colors in every portion of the county. As soon as a flag of proper dimensions could be obtained it was placed upon the cupola of the court-house. Six other large ban ners floated over Penn street, in Huntingdon, between that building and Fifth street. The stars and stripes were un furled from all public places, the Methodist church, the Cath olic church, the public school-house and elsewhere. It is impossible to designate all the points from which they waved. Not only in Huntingdon was this the case, but from one end of the county to the other, they were equally conspicuous and numerous. So universally were they dis played from private dwellings that the house without one seemed to deserve some suspicion. But there were few to be suspected. In the welfare and comfort of the troops, whether in the field or in their journeys through the county, the people always manifested an active interest. At the beginning of the war, when troops were hurried to Washington city, for its defense, they left their homes unprovided with the food necessary during their trip by railroad, and were dependent upon the inhabitants along the route. On the arrival of trains at the towns and villages in Huntingdon county the entire population turned out, with baskets containing the substantial refreshments. A thousand soldiers were fur nished with food at Huntingdon at one time. Soldiers' aid societies were organized in every township, the officers of nearly all of which were ladies, and the con tributions to which were generally made by the same sex. They sent to the front vegtables, fruits, berries, and nearly every production of the earth, prepared for use in every style ; lint, towels, bandages, sheets, clothing, and every article that could add to the comfort and alleviate the suf ferings of the sick and wounded. We cannot estimate the influence of these efforts and of the moral sentiment mani fested by the people, upon the final result. The exact number of soldiers furnished during the war by Huntingdon county, will probably never be ascertained. HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 193 It might be supposed that such information could be furnish ed by the Adjutant General's office, at Harrisburg, but on application there, it is stated that the records of that office " are filed in the order of companies and regiments and not in localities from which the men enlisted or were drafted." The data ought to exist somewhere, as it was no doubt made use of in determining the quotas of the county under th^ different calls for troops. The men did not all go with organized companies, but towards the latter part of the war, when recruiting became more difficult, were sent forward in squads and distributed tp such commands as the interests of the service required. There were also many citizens of the county in companies from other counties, who were credited to the latter, and some of the Huntingdon county companies, especially after the first draft in September, 1863, had men in. them who resided elsewhere. We might learn approximately, by a great deal of labor, the total number of enlistments in the county, and such a work should be undertaken while the offi cers and men are yet living, as much of the information would have to be obtained by personal inquiry of them. A thorough history of our volunteers would make a volume of itself Before the draft of September, 1863, there had been eighteen companies organized in the county, of the strength of which -vye can form a very close estimate : Three Months' Men. Two companies— 77 men each .' , , 154 Three Years' Men. Twelve companies — average 75 men each 900 In companies from other counties 125 In Easton's and Campbell's batteries 30 In the regular army 20 Nine Months' Men. Four companies — 101 men each 404 Total '. 1633 The drafted men and the enlistments during the eighteen months of the war after the first draft, would increase the number to over two thousand. N 194 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, The following list of commissioned officers from the county, showing their rank, commands, etc., shows also the companies and regiments to which the enlisted men from the county principally belonged : Term SAME. Bank. Co. Keg't. Eank From of Service. Bemarks. E. B. Petriken Major gth April 21, '61 3 months Mustered out July 24, '61 B.F.Miller Capt D ** 1' II 11 11 II 11 G. P. MeCabe 1st L't D II II II II i. II It J. D. Campbell 2nd" D " " II 11 11 II II Jas. Johnson Capt. h 15th April 33, '61 II " " Aug. 8, '61 M. McNally. let L't H II ** .1 11 II II 'll W. H. Simpson.... 2nd-' H II II *' 11 II 11 11 G. F. MoCabe Capt. 0 2Sth Aug. 17, '61 3 years Transferred to 147th Pa. J. A. Moore 1st L't 0 II " II 11 II A. A. Creigh 2nd" 0 II I. II 1. II Wm. Ambrose it ll F 2nd Kes May 1, '63 II Discharged August, 1864 George Dare L't Ool. 6th Ees July 1, '62 II Prom'd from Maj., kUled in battle May 6. '64. Frank Zentmyer. . . Major 6th Bes July 1, '62 8 years Prom'd from Oap't Co. I, killed at Fredricksburg Dec. 13, 1863. Jas. A. McPherran. Major 6th Kes MayT, '64 3 years Brvt. Lt. Col., must'd out with reg't June 11, '64. J. A. Willoughby. . Adjt 5th Kes May 1, '64 3 years Must'd out as 1st L't of Co. G, June 11, '64. A. S. Harrison Capt G 6th Bes May 15, '61 3 years Hon disch'd Oct. 24, '61. 0. M.Hildebrand.. G II April 11, '63 11 Brvt. Maj,, prom'd from 1st Lieut., must'd out June 11, '64. Geo. Thomas 1st L't G 6th Bes May 15, '61 3 years Hon. disch'd Oct. 24. '61, T. M. Cornpropst.. " G " Oct. 31, '61 " Resigned May 6, 1362, W. F. Thomas 2d L't G '* May 16, '61 1. Hon. disch'd Oct. 24, '61, Joel Tompkins ll G It Dec. 4, '61 April 11, '63 II Resigned July 31, '62. R. M. Alexander. . . ** G II II Brvt. Ist Lieut., must'd out June 11, '64. Jas. Porter Capt Ist L't 6th Bes Oct. 1, '62 June 1, '61 3 years II Mustered out June 11, '64 Eob'tFraser Discharged Sept. 25, '62. B. Zentmyer ll II Oct. 1, '62 Killed at Fredericksburg Deo. 13, 1862, G. P. Swope Ist L't 5th Bes Mar. 5, '63 3 years Mustered out June 11, '64 I. K. Kinch 2nd L't Oct. 1, '62 ** Killed at Fredericksburg Dec, 13, 1S62. T.L. Guyer 2nd L't 5th Res Mar. 6, '63 3 years Mustered out June 11, '62 H. K. Neff Snr'n Capt 8th Bes 12th Kes Mar. 25, '62 Feb. 6, '62 II Discharged May IT, '62, Died July 6, 1862, J. C. Baker Perry Etchison 1st L't II Mar. 24, '62 II Resigned July 18, 1862, Sam'l J. Cloyd..;.. 2ud L't " Ap'l 14, '62 II Hon, disch'd Jan. 7, '63, Frank Stephens II July 18, '62 ** Transferred to Co, D, 190th P, V, O.H. Mitchell 1st L't G 14th Bes May 26, '63 3 years . Discharged Dec, 31, '64, J. A. Osborn 2nd" 0 45th June 15, '63 1, Resigned July 25, '64. J. B. MUes L't Col 49th Oct. 25, '63 II Commissioned Capt. Co. C, Aug. 5, '61 ; prom'd to Major Oct. 16, '62; kiUed at Spottsylyania May 10, 1864. 5ob't Davison Adjt 49th Mar, 1, '65 3 years Mustered out July 16, '65 S. H. Irvin 1st L't B " July 28, '64 II II 11 11 'll 3. 3. Hight 2nd" B D IIII Aug. 10, '61 IIII II 11 11 11 J. D. Campbell Resigned Jan. 18, 1863. J. H. Westbrook... 1st L't D II Aug. 30, '61 II Hon, disch'd Nov. 19, '63 r. Y. McDonald... 2nd" D ** " II II II ' Wm. M. Irvin Capt G " June 29, '65 II Must'd out as Ist Lieut,, July 16, 1865. H. T. Johnstpn let L't G 49th June 29, '65 3 years Must'd out as 2d Lieut., July 15, 1865, Promoted from Ist Lieut, 0. S. Bamberger, . . Capt H 49th Mar. 13, '66 3 years and from 2nd Lieut., Nov, 1, '64, mustered out Jane 14, '66, HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 195 Term HAME. Bank. 1st L't Co. Keg't. Eank From of Service, Remarks. D.H. Lytle H 49th Jan. 1, '64 3 years Wounded May 3, '64, and May 10, '64; died in the hands of the enemy, June 28, 1864. J. H. Wintrode Capt c 53rd Sept. 16, '61 3 years Resigned Dec. 3, 1862. Promoted from 3d Lieut., Jno. McLaughlin.. let L't C II Oct. 8, '64 II Hon. dis. Mar. 14, '65. A. G. Fleck 1st L't c 53rd Mar. IS, '65 3 years Mustered out June 30, '65 J. T. Hutchinson . . " K 56th Nov. 7, '63 " Hon. disch'd Sept. 21, '64 S. T. Davis Adjt TTth Oct. 26, '64 11 To Captain Co. G. S. S. Gillman Capt C ** May 22, '64 " Absent with leave at date- of muster out of Co. G. W. Thompson.. Surg'n 84th July 31, '62 3 years Resigned Aug. 31, '62. John M.Porter.... Major 9th Cav Sept. 26, '64 " Commissioned as Adj't,. Oct. 14, '61, and Ist L't, Co. C, Oct 15, '62 ; re signed May 30, '65. I.e. Temple 1st L't c 9th Cav Oct. 16, '62 3 years Resigned May 29, '63, as. 2d Lieu't Co. M. D. B. P. Barry 2nd L't c 9th Cav Nov. 18, '62 3 years Resigned Julj 14, '64. G. W. Patterson Capt M II 11 Aug. 24, '61 11 Resigned on account of' disability, Dec. 31, '61. T,S. McCahan Capt M 9th Cav Mar. 23, '63 3 years Promoted from 1st L't ;, Hon. discharged on ac count of wounds, Aug., 1, 1864. Geo. W. Kuhn 2nd L't M 9th Cav June 16, '65 3 years Mustered out as 1st S'gt, July 18, '66. Isaac Bogers Col 110th Ap'l 23, '64 3 years From Capt, Co. B to Maj,. Dec. 21, *62 ; died May 28, '64, of wounds re-. ceived May 12, '64. W. F. Ounnmgham Adj't 110th June 3, '63 3 years Hon. disch'd Sept. 26, '64 L. G. Stewart '1 it Oct. 1, '64 II Mar. 13, '65 Seth Benner Capt B " Aug. 30, '61 II Resigned Nov. 28, 1862, J. M. Skelly 1. B ti Dec. 1, '65 11 Hon, disch'd Mar. 1, '65. E.W.Edwards.... 1st L't B u Mar. 1, ,65 11 Mustered out as 1st S'gt,, June 28, 1865. B. F. Bare 2nd L't B 110th Sep. 11, '64 Jan. 17, '64 3 years Resigned Feb. 22, '62. Hon. disch'd Nov. 28, '64, A.J.Miller B J. M. Walls 11 B ** Mar. 1, '66 11 Mustered out as Sergt., June 28, 1865. 8. L. Huyett Capt D 110th Aug. 23, '61 3 years Resigned Deo. 10, 1862. E. Burkett '¦ D " June 16, '62 " Resigned ' as 2nd Lieut., Nov. 28, 1862. H. C. Weaver 2nd L't D 110th Aug. 31, '62 3 years Resigned June 16, 1862. G. F. McCabe Major 13th Cav Oct. 15, '63 11 Mustered out July 14, '65 H.H.Gregg 1. " Nov. 16, '64 " Brvt. L't Ool., hon. dis charged April 6, '66. C.W.Moore Surg'n 13th Cav Mar. 19, '63 3 years Resigned Sept. 14, '64. Jos. A. Green 1st L't B it Nov. 15, '64 '• Hon. disch'd as 2d Lieut, Nov. 21, 1864. F, W. Kenyon 1st L't C 13th Cav Nov. 15, '64 3 years Mustered out July 14, '65, F.Y. McDonald.... 11 D " April 6, '64 " Discharged at expiration of term Dec. 8, 1864. J. J. Lawrence Major 126th Aug. 16, '62 9 months Mustered out May. 18, '63. W. W. Wallace Capt 0 n Aug. 12, '62 " 11 .1 II Wm. B. Zeigler 1st L't 0 ** ll 11 Resigned Feb. 25, '63. L. F. Wattson " 0 it Feb. 26, '63 11 Mustered out May 18, '63. W. F. McPherran.. 2nd L't 0 *' Aug 12, '62 11 Died Feb. 6, 1863. T.L. Flood " 0 i* Feb. 7, '63 II Mustered out May 18, '63» W. H. Simpson Capt F ll Aug. 13, '62 11 11 11 11 W. C. Wagoner ... 1st L't F it 11 '* Wounded at Antietam; resigned Feb, 9, '63. F. H.Lane 1st L't F 125th Feb. 9, '63 9 months From 2d Lieut., mustered out May 18, 1863. J. F. N. Householder 2nd L't F 126th Feb. 9, '63 Mustered out May 18, '63l H.H.Gregg Capt H '( Aug, 13, '62 9 months 11 11 11 John Flenner 1st L't H \ii ** 11 1. 11 11 S. F. Stewart 2nd L't H It it 11 Resigned Jan. 24, '63. J. T. Foster " H " Jan. 24, '63 II Mustered out May 18, '63. Wm. F.Thomas.... Capt I '' Aug. 13, '62 11 II 11 11 George Thomas . . . 1st L't I it ** " 11 11 11 JohnD. Fee ind L't I *' tt 11 1, II 11 J. A. Moore Capt B 149th Feb, 21, '62 fi 196 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, Term KAME. Rank, Co. Reg-t. 14Tth Kanh From of Service. Remarks. A. H. W. Creigh... Oapt B Oct. 26, m 3 years From 1st Lieut., must'd out July 15, 1865. B. E. Thompson... 1st L't B 14Tth Oct. 26, '64 3 years Mustered out July 16, '65 W. M. Willett 2ud L't B 11 Feb. 21, '63 *' Resigned April 7, '65, David Heffner 11 B 11 July 8, '65 *' Mustered out as 1st Ser geant July 15, '65. Geo. W. Speer Major 149th Aug, 29, '62 3 years Hon. die, Ma.r. 25, '63, on account of disability. B. X.Blair Capt I 149th Aug. 30, '62 3 years Wounded at Gettysburg ; honorably disch'd May 3, 1864. S. Diffenderfer Capt I 149th Feb, 6, '64 3 years Hon. disch'd May 3, '64, D. E.P. Neely 11 I 11 May 24, '64 it Mustered out June 24, '65 H. C. Weaver 1st L't I 11 Aug. 29, '62 *' Hon. disch'd Mch. 25, '63 A. A. Thompson. . . 11 I " Mar. 26, '63 " From 2d Lieut., hon. dis charged Oct. 22, '63. C. C. Zimmerman.. 1st L't I 149th Feb. 6, '64 3 years From 2d Lieut., killed at North Anna, May 23,'64 Jos. E. Shaver 1st L't I 149th May 24. '64 3 years Mustered out June 24, '65 D. C. M. Applebj . . 2nd L't I 11 '* ** (I t( 11 E.H. Miles Capt E 162nd Feb. 13, '65 (1 From Ist Lieut., hon, disch'd May 30, 1866. John W.Blake Ist L't F 162nd Sept. 1. '65 3 years Mustered out as Corp'l, Nov. 9, 1865. S.L. Huyett Capt M 19th Uav Oct. 19. '63 3 years Mustered out May 14, '65. W. L. Spanogle Ist L't B 20th Oav April 1, '65 " " July 13, '65. S. Montgomery Oapt E " Feb. 16, '64 *' 11 (( (1 t( S. F. Stewart Ist L't H 184th Sept. 23, '64 " Hon. disch'd Feb. 28, '65 B. M. Morrow... Major 22nd Cav June 16. '63 6 months Mustered out Feb. 6, '64. J. D. Fee Capt A Aug. 6, '63 4( 41 11 It 1( J. H. Boring Ist L't A it 11 U ll 4i Eugene Dougherty. 2nd L't A " " It it 11 It Wm. Gaytou 1st L't D June 16, '63 11 11 It tl tt J. H. Boring Capt K Feb. 26, '64 3 years " Oct. 31, '65. W. F. Sharrar 1st L't K June 13, '65 *» (t (1 tl K D. P. Kinkead 2nd L't K " , 11 Frank D. Stevens.. let L't D 190th June 6, '64 11 Hon. disch'd Mar. 16, '65. Wm. F. Johnston. . Major 19and April 13, '65 1 year From Capt. Co. B, mus tered out Aug. 24, '65. Thos. S. .lohnston,. Capt B 192nd AprU 13. '65 1 year Mustered out Aug, 24, '65 Alfred Tyhurst 1st L't B " '• *¦* 14 tl tt li H. A. Hoffman 2nd L't B 11 " *' K It It tt J. A. Willoughby.. QM 195th July 20, '64 100 days " Nov. 4, '64. S. I. McPherran. . . 1st L't F '* July 21, '64 " Transferred to Co. A, 1- yoar men. J. A. WiUoughby.. QM 196th Feb. 25, '65 1 year Mustered out Jan. 31, '66 S. I. McPnerran.. . . Capt A " ** *» » June 21, '65 A. W. Decker II K 203ud Sept. 8, '64 t( " Aug. 3, '65 J. S. Morrison 1st L't K *' '• " It tt li It Peter Shaver 2nd L't K " *« 11 11 tt U tl T. B, Reed Capt D 205th Sept. 2, '64 (( Insr.ector Gen. 2d Brig., 3d Div.. 9th A. C. J. B. Shontz 1st L't D 205th Sept. 2, '64 Mustered out June 2, '65. D. H. Geissinger... 2nd L't D u " Hon. disch'd July 25, '65. Huntingdon county also furnished her full proportion of men to the militia of 1862, and in the emergency of 1863, the threatened invasion of the Northern States by the rebel army, which was prevented at Antietam, and the actual in vasion, repelled at Grettysb urg, calling from their homes nearly all of those capable of bearing arms who had not previously enlisted for some specified term. Many who then went were incapacitated by age or otherwise for the service of the gen eral government and: were mustered into the state service. HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 197 Of militia, the county had two companies in the Third regi ment, and two in the Twelfth; and of emergency men, one in the Twenty-seventh, and five in the Forty-sixth. The officers of these regiments and companies were as follows : MILITIA. Third Regiment. Colonel, William Dorris, Co. F., Captain, Geo. VV. Garrettson, First Lieut., William Lewis, Second Lieut., Abraham A. Jacobs. Co. G. Captain, Joseph Johnson, First Lieut., James Long, Second Lieut., B. M. Elliott, TWELFTH REGIMENT. Major, Henry S. Wharton. Co. D. Captain, Edward A. Green, First Lieut., Albert Owen, Second Lieut., Benjamin Jacobs. Co, L Captain, George C. Bucher. First Lieut., Henry Graflus, Second Lieut., John Dysart. EMERGENCY MEN. Twenty-Seventh Regiment. CO. F. Captain, Jesse March, First Lieut., S. W. Myton, Second Lieut., John Morrison. FORTY-SIXTH REGIMENT. Colonel, John J. Lawrence, Adjutant, Thomas C. Fisher. Co. B. Captain, David R. Miller, First Lieut., Robert W. Davis, Second Lieut., James Morrison. Co. B. Captain, Charles Merryman, First Lieut., Levi Clabaugh, Second Lieut., William Funk. Co. F. Captain, James C. Dysart, First Lieut., Geo. B. Dumire, Second Lieut., Edward B. Purcell. Co. G. Captain, Samuel L. Huyett, First Lieut., Henry Cook, Second Lieut., Victor Dougherty. Co. I. Captain, George Thomas, First Lieut., Rudolph McMurtrie, Second Lieut., Thomas Shreiner. The ceremony of decorating with flowers the graves of our patriot dead was inaugurated at Huntingdon, by the post of the Grand Army of the Eepublic then in existence , there, on the 30th day of May, 1868, in compliance with the recommendation of General John A, Logan, commander-in- chief. The following is from the account of the Journal of the proceedings on that day : " The patriotic and highly meritorious duty of procuring and arranging in suitable wreaths and garlands the floral offerings suited to the occasion, was confided to our fair towns-women, and we need not add that it was performed with that alacrity, taste and skill which has ever character ized the loyal ladies of Huntingdon in the discharge of every duty, not only to the dead, but to the living defenders of our nation's flag. Wreaths and garlands of laurel and ever greens, intertwined with wild flowers of every variety, and bou- 198 HISTOBY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. quets culled with exquisite taste and tender care from nature's first offering of spring flowers, the product of their own fair hands, were in abundant readiness, as the voluntary offering of love and affection and tribute of gratitude to the memory of the brave and true. " The procession was organized at the court house, where all things were in readiness. It was preceded by the Hun tingdon Silver Cornet Band, followed by the officers of the post and others, with appropriate badges of mourning, the clergymen of the place and a large portion of our citizens, and to the music of the muffled drum, the band playing the dead march, and the mournfal tolling of the bells from every church tower, the solemn and impressive march was taken towards the city of the dead." Arriving at the cemetery, a prayer and an address were delivered, after which the procession was re-formed, every soldier's grave visited and garlanded with a wreath of laurei" and bouquet of flowers. These ceremonies have been continued annually, with some variations, since that time. They have usually been participated in by the people of Huntingdon, and many from other parts of the county. Places of business in the borough are closed on that day, and veteran soldiers, military com panies, the fire department, children of the public schools and Sunday-schools, join in the procession and listen to the exercises. The speakers who have delivered addresses on these occasions have been as follows : 1868, Hon. John Scott, 1869, Milton S. Lytle. 1870, Rev. B.B.Hamlin. 1871, Rev. J. W. Plannett. 1872, Rev. M. K. Foster. 1873, Rev. J. S. McMurray. 1874, Milton S. Lytle and A. M. K. Storrie. 1875, Geo. B. Orlady . 1876, Rev. M. P.Doyle. On the 30th of May, 1875, after the decoration ceremonies, a meeting of the citizens of Huntingdon was held in the court house, at which the following resolutions were adopted : "Resolved, That we hereby constitute ourselves a Memorial Association, the purpose of which shall be the proper ob servance of Decoration Day and the making of the necessary arrangements therefor," HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 199 "Resolved, That we proceed to elect a President, Vice President, Secretary and Executive Committee, " Resolved, That these officers shall be elected for the term of one year, and that the annual election shall be held on each thirtieth of May, immediately after the decoration cere monies. " Resolved, That during the first week in May of each year, the President shall call a meeting of the officers of the association, who shall determine what preparations are ne cessary for the next succeeding decoration day, and shall hold such other meetings of the officers of the association as shall be deemed proper. "Resolved, That said officers shall also appoint such committees of arrangements and sub -committees as may be required to perform the work, these appointments to be made at least three weeks before decoration day." The following officers were then elected : President, H. C. Weaver ; Vice President, Milton S. Lytle ; Secretary, B, F, Isenberg ; Executive Committee, Geo. B. Orlady, chairman ; T. W. Myton, E. M. Speer, John J. Hight, J, H. Boring, J. R, Simpson, B, X. Blair, W. K. Crites and John Flenner, The officers elected in 1876 are as follows: President, T, W. Myton ; Vice President, J, G. Isenberg ; Sec retary, Geo. B. Orlady ; Treasurer, J, H. Isett ; Executive Committee, Milton S. Lytle, chairman ; B. F, Isenberg, W, F. Bathurst, G. W, Gray, W, F, Cunningham, W, K. Crites, Samuel Coder, B, X, Blair, John Flenner, H, C, "Weaver, J. H, Westbrook, Dr, D, P. Miller and Geo, W. Fleck, CHAPTER XXVL supreme executive council — members FEOM HUNTINGDON COUNTY — COL. JOHN CANNON — BENJAMIN ELLIOTT — NUMEROUS PUBLIC POSITIONS PILLED BY THE LATTER HIS DESCENDANTS. The executive department of the State government, from the adoption of the Constitution of 1776 to the adoption of the Constitution of 1790, was vested in the Supreme Execu tive Council. That body, as provided by the former instru ment, consisted of twelve members, elected by the people. Huntingdon county had a representative in the Council from its erection until the inauguration of the first Governor, in 1790. In the minutes of the Council for the 21st day of November, 1787, we find the following entry : " John Cannon took his seat at this Board agreeably to the return of the general election for the county of Hun tingdon, having previously taken the necessary oaths," Col, Cannon's name appears frequently in the proceed ings as being present at the meetings of Council during the two years after he became a member. The last meeting at which he was present was on the 3rd ©f October, 1789, He was a prominent man in the early history of the county, figuring conspicuously at the time of " McAIevy's Rebellion," He had represented Bedford county in the Assembly before the formation of Huntingdon county. In 1791 he was appointed Associate Judge, and was after wards elected three times to the lower house of the State Legislature and once to the State Senate, The successor of Col. Cannon in the Supreme Executive Council was Benjamin Elliott. The minutes for December SOth, 1789, contain the record of his admission as a member; "Benjamin Elliott, Esquire, Councillor elect for the county of Huntingdon, appeared, and being qualified as the Con stitution of this State and the act of Congress of the first of June last directs, was admitted to his seat at this Board." We can trace Mr. Elliot's services in the Council from the minutes, as they show minutely the attendance of all the HISTOBY OF HUNTINGDON COTTNTY, 201 members. On the 13th day of February, 1790, it is re corded that : " An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the Honorable Benjamin Elliott, for forty-four pounds, ten shillings, in full of his account for attendance in Council from the thirtieth of December, 1789, to the thirteenth of February, 1790, inclusively, and his mileage coming to Philadelphia and returning home." He was then absent from Council until the 3rd day of August, 1790, On that day he returned and was appointed a member of the Board of Property, He attended the ses sions of Council until the 1st of October, 1790, An order was. drawn in his favor on the previous day "for the sum of fifty-four pounds, ten shillings in full of his account for at tendance in Council from the third of August until the thir tieth of September, inclusively, and for mileage coming to Philadelpnia in August and going home at this time." On the 30th of November, 1790, he resumed his seat and continued in attendance at the meetings until December 20th, when, under the Constitution of that year, the Supreme Executive Council expired. Thomas Mifflin became Gov ernor the next day, Mr, Elliott filled many public positions during his life time. Before his election to Council he had been a member of the Convention of 1776 to frame a Constitution for the State ; Sheriff of Bedford county ; Sheriff of Huntingdon county ; Lieutenant of the county ; County Treasurer, and a member of the State convention to ratify the Constitution of the United States, He was subsequently County Treas urer, County Commissioner and Associate Judge, None of the other early residents of Huntingdon left so many descendants as Mr. Elliott. He had a large family of children. One of his daughters, as stated in a preceding chapter, was married to David McMurtrie, and three others were married to William Orbison, Robert Allison and Henry Miller, all of whom have passed away, but many of whose children and grand-children are yet living in the place, Mr, Elliott died March 15th, 1835, at the age of 83 years. CHAPTER XXVIL DAVID RITTENHOUSE PORTER — LEADING EVENTS IN HIS LIFE BEFORE BE COMING A CITIZEN OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY — CLERK AND MANAGER AT BARREE FORGE— ENGAGED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON ON SPRUCE CREEK — HIS FAILURE — ELECTED COUNTY AUDITOR — MEMBER OF LEGIS LATURE — APPOINTED PROTHONOTARY — REGISTER OF WILLS AND RECORDER OP DEEDS — ELECTED STATE SENATOR — GOVERNOR IN 1838 AND 1841 — VOTE IN HUNTINGDON COUNTY — RETIRES TO PRIVAVE LIFE — DEATH. David Rittenhouse Porter, who was for six years Governor of Pennsylvania, became a citizen of Huntingdon county while yet a young man, and for more than twenty years previous to his election as Governor, filled public positions to which he was appointed or elected by the people. He held such a conspicuous place, during the greater part of his lifetime, in the affairs of the county and State, that his biography is a necessary part of the history of the county, David R. Porter was the son of General Andrew Porter, an officer of the Revolutionary army, in honor of whom Porter township, in this county, has its name, and was born near Norristown, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, on the 81st day of October, 1788, The leading events of his life before his removal to Huntingdon county are thus stated in Armor's Lives of the Governors of Pennsylvania : He "received his early training at an academy in Norris town, where the branches of a good English education, math ematics, and the elementary classical studies were success fully taught. With his brothers, George and James, he was here pursuing a course preparatory to entering Princeton College, when the buildings of that institution were destroyed by fire, and the purpose of a collegiate course was abandoned. When the father was appointed Surveyor General (in 1809,) he took his son David with him to the seat of government as his assistant. He was accompanied by a young man from the same neighborhood, who likewise became Governor of the State, Francis R, Shunk, While thus employed, the son also studied law, with the intention of entering upon its HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 203 practice at Harrisburg ; but the labor and confinement of these double duties were too severe, and his health was so much impaired, as was thought, to preclude the possibility of his pursuing any sedentary employment. He decided, therefore, to seek more active occupation, and removed to the county of Huntingdon, where he engaged in the manu facture of iron," Mr, Porter did not embark in the business on his own account for several years after coming to the county. He was at first employed by the Messrs. Dorsey, at Barree Forge, for a year as a clerk, and during the following year was made manager of their works. Thus acquiring some experience, he entered into partnership with Edward Patton, and commenced the making of iron at the forges on Spruce Creek. The enterprise, however, was not successful, the firm failed, and on the 10th of February, 1819, Porter made an assignment for the benefit of his creditors. The reason given for this failure was the depression into which all branches of manufactures fell for some years succeeding the war of 1812. Some of the alleged circumstances connected with Porter's assignment were strongly urged against him when he was a candidate for Governor in 1838. The first office held by Mr. Porter was that of county Auditor, to which he was elected in October, 1815. Two other Auditors were elected in that year, one of whom was John Scott, father of the late United-States Senator of the same name. In 1819 Mr, Porter was elected a representative to the General Assembly from Huntingdon county, and was re elected in 1820 and 1822, In the two former years he had as his colleague the same John Scott with whom he had been elected Auditor, At the expiration of his last term in the Legislature, Dec, 23rd, 1823, he was appointed by Governor Schultz, Prothon otary and Clerk of the several courts of the county, and on February 16th, 1827, was appointed by the same Governor, Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds, He filled these offices until January 2nd, 1836. 204 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. " He had in 1820 married Josephine, daughter of William McDermott, who had emigrated from Scotland for the pur pose of manufacturing steel by a new process, and who was one of the pioneers in that art. Mrs. Porter for a few years acted as her husband's clerk, recording deeds and wills at home, while he transacted the business in public, and large volumes in her hand-writing continue to be shown to strangers and visitors to the town, written so clearly and beautifully, and with such perfect accuracy, as to excite ad miration." Retiring from the offices of Prothonotary, Register and Recorder, and Clerk of the Courts, Mr. Porter was, in the same year, elected State Senator for the district composed of the counties of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata, Perry and Union, His characteristics as a legislator have been described as follows : "'J^he soundness of his judgment and the readiness of his understanding made him an acknowledged leader. Few subjects were broached upon which he did not either teport or speak. Legislation upon the subject of the public works bore largely the impress of his views. As a writer he was concise, forcible, and even elegant, and as a speaker he was clear, pointed, and eminently practical. His speeches were usually very brief, and in defense of this habit he was accustomed to plead the practice of Jefferson and Franklin, His advice to young lawyers and debaters was especially to study brevity. In this respect he differed widely from his brothers, Governor Porter, of Michigan, and Judge Porter, of Easton, both of whom were more diffuse, and, it must be added, acquired higher reputations for forensic ability," Mr. Porter's term as State Senator had but half ex pired when he was elected Governor, in October, 1838. He was inaugurated January 15th, 1839, and in his inaugural address, thus referred to the Constitution which had then just gone into effect, and to the fact that he was the first Gov ernor under it : " A new era has arrived in our Commonwealth, Our first Constitution, formed amidst the storms and troubles of the revolutionary conflict, was found in practice not to HISTOBY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 205 answer the expectations under which it was framed. In fourteen years thereafter it was entirely new modeled by the Constitution of 1790, an instrument framed by men of great talents and eminent worth ; but the plan of govern ment was always considered by no small portion of the people as not sufficiently democratic in its details. After repeated attempts to procure revision, a majority of our citizens who voted on the question, in 1835, decided that a convention should be called to revise, alter and amead the Constitution of the Commonwealth. In pursuance of this determination of the people, a convention assembled, and after a long and arduous session, closed their labors on the 22nd of February last, and the amendments agreed upon by that body have been ratified and adopted by the people. It is under this amended Constitution that it has been my lot to be called upon to administer the duties of the Executive This instrument gives to popular suffrage the decision of many appointments heretofore vested in the Executive, and changes the duration of the judicial tenure, from that of good behavior to a term of years. It shortens the period of eligibility to the Executive chair, and reduces the sena torial term ; enlarges the right of suffrage, and changes other provisions, all of which are important in the conduct of the government of the State, Approving as I did of the amend ments in the aggregate, and having sanctioned them by my vote at the late election, it will afford me great pleasure to assist in carrying them out in practice by a strict adherence to their principles," The subjects of greatest interest and importance which attracted the attention of the people of the State during Governor Porter's first term, were the construction of the public work and our system of common schools. Both of these he advocated and advanced, and their success were to a great extent due to his efforts. Governor Porter was re-elected in 1841, by a majority almost four times as great as that given him at his first election. The vote in Huntingdon county in 1838 and 1841 was as follows : 206 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 1838. Ritner 3687 Porter 2761 Eitner's majority . , , . 926 1841. Banks 3258 Porter 2551 Banks' majority 707 Completing his second term as Governor in 1845, he re tired from public life, making his residence at Harrisburg, He again turned his attention to the manufacture of iron, and erected at Harrisburg the first anthracite furnace built in that portion of the State, Mr, Porter died on the 6th of August, 1868, in the seventy- ninth year of his age. CHAPTER XXVIIL HON. JOHN SCOTT — HIS EDUCATION — ADMISSION TO THE BAR — APPOINTED DEPUTY ATTORNEY-GENERAL — ELECTED A REPRESENTATIVE IN THE LEGIS LATURE—SUPPORTS THE GOVERNMENT IN THE SUPPRESSION OF THE REBELLION, AND ADVOCATES THE RE-ELECTION OF LINCOLN, IN 1864— ELECTED UNITED STATES SENATOR— HIS PUBLIC SERVICES— COMMITTEES OP WHICH HE WAS A MEMBER — PART TAKEN BY HIM IN LEGISLATION- — APPOINTED GENERAL COUNSEL FOR PENNSYLVANIA COMPANY AND REMOVES TO PITTSBURG. The most prominent citizen of Huntingdon county has probably been the Hon. John Scott. David R. Porter may have received an equal share of public attention in his day but his reputation was more local in its character, being confined to a great extent to Pennsylvania, there being nothing but his position as Governor to extend it beyond the limits of the State, Mr, Scott became eminent in national affairs, his abilities and disposition leading him to perform an important and conspicuous part as a United States Sena tor, and making an impress upon the legislation of the country. Identified as he has been with the county, the events of his life must possess a greater interest and be of greater value as an example than the lives of many whose biographies occupy more space than we can give to his here. As a portion of the chapter to which we must confine this sketch, we give in full his lite, as published in Barnes' History of Congress : " John Scott was born in Alexandria, Huntingdon county, Penna., July 14th, 1824. His ancestry on both sides was Scotch-Irish. His father was a Major of volunteers in the war of 1812, and a member of the Twenty-first Congress, from Pennsylvania, To his son he gave the common school education afforded by his native town, the advantages of private teachers in Greek and Latin, and an early intro duction to practical business life. He soon evinced a talent for public speaking, acquiring before his eighteenth year quite a local reputation among the advocates of the Wash- 208 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. ingtonian temperance movement. Choosing the legal pro fession, he entered, in 1842, the office of Hon. Alex. Thomson, of Chambersburg, Penna., and in January 1846, he was ad mitted to the bar. He immediately commenced to prac tice in" Huntingdon — -was appointed Deputy Attorney- General for t.hat county, and held that position for several years. He rose rapidly in his profession, and soon ranked with the ablest lawyers in the district. In 1851 Mr. Scott was appointed a member of the Board of Revenue Com missioners, and although the youngest member, took an active part in its proceedings, serving on its most important committees. As a member of the Democratic State Con vention in 1852, he led the opposition to Mr. Buchanan's nomination for the Presidency, and was the author of a vig orous protest against the manner of electing delegates favor able to him. Threatened with failing health, he visited Europe in 1853, and returned much benefited by his trav els. In 1854 he was nominated by the Citizens' Conven. tion for the State Legislature, and refusing adherence to the 'Know-Nothings,' who organized after his nomination, was by them defeated. As soon as Mr. Buchanan announced his Kansas policy, Mr. Scott took decided ground against him. In 1860 he was nominated as a Douglass Democrat for the State Senate, the district being overwhelmingly Re publican, In the following year, both parties requested him to serve in the House of Representatives, and consenting, he was elected without opposition, although his party was largely in the minority in the county. He made an attempt to organize the House without distinction of party, pledging Pennsylvania to the cordial support of the General Gov ernment in the suppression of the Rebellion, This the Democratic caucus declined, and he and other war Demo crats acted with the Republicans in the organization. He served as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee during the session, and declined a re-election. Although not a politi cian, in the usual sense of the term, he participated actively in political campaigns, advocating the election of Governor Curtin in 1863, and supporting Mr, Lincoln for President in HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 209 1864, He was elected a delegate to the Republican Na tional Convention in 1868, but had his place filled by his alternate, being detained in the Supreme Court to argue a case involving the constitutionality of a law of the State disfranchising deserters — a question in which political par ties took a deep interest, " Taking an active part in the canvass of that year, public attention was directed to him as a candidate for the U. S, Senate, When the Legislature met, he was elected to suc ceed Mr, Buckalew, and took his seat March 4th, 1869, He was assigned to the Committee on Claims, Pacific Railroads and Naval Affairs. His senatorial record shows him to have been an attentive, industrious and able member of that body. In the last session of this Congress, he was appointed Chairman of the Select Committee, to investigate the alleged outrages in the Southern States. He first spoke in the Senate upon the bill to repeal the ' Tenure of-Office Act,' He has since spoken in review of Commissioner Wells' Report; upon the admission of Virginia to representa tion ; upon the eligibility of Mr. Revels and General Ames to seats in the Senate ; upon the Funding Bill ; in advocacy of the repeal of the Income Tax, and upon other subjects. His speeches are generally brief, sensible and without attempt at ornament. " Mr, Scott opposed the repeal of the Civil Tenure Act, ' We have,' said he, ' this principle given to us now, a most valuable principle in the administration of this Govern ment, which prevents the President from exerting a power which, in the hands of a bad man, with the immense patron age at his command, would be the absolute control of all the office?. Shall we surrender it ? I say no. Incorporate it in whatever legislation you may have, and that principle is of more importance to us for the future of this country than any mere question of temporary convenience about men getting into office or getting out of office.' " One of Mr, Scott's best speeches on the floor of the Sen ate was his Memorial Address on tbe life and character of his friend, Hon, John Covode, (Representative from the 0 210 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. Twel'fth Congressional District of Pennsylvania), delivered Feb. 10, 1871. Referring to the traits of character, public and private, which distinguished the deceased, he said : ' He was not a man of learning ; he was a man of intellect. It was not that cultivated intellect which often leads men to be mere thinkers, whose thoughts end in dreams and sometimes afterwards are caught up and made practical by the earnest workers of the world. His was that busy, practical brain, which made him a man of action, a type of the untiring working men who are making their mark upon this active century, who study their fellow-men more than books, and who are indispensable to the earnest thinkers of the age. Earnest thinkers and earnest workers need each other. Earnest thought is earnest work in one sense, but not in all senses. The earnest thought of a commander who plans a campaign or maps out a battle-field may be earnest work for him ; but it is not that kind of earnest work which carries forts and routs opposing armies. The men who do this kind of work should live in history, as well as those who plan and direct it to be done, ' I saw recently a large painting of the battle of Gettys burg, ordered by the State of Pennsylvania, It represents the pinch of the fight — llhe repulse of Pickett's charge. Its central figure is a private Union soldier, tall, muscular, with all the energy of determined action apparent in every feature and in every limb — with a musket clenched franti cally in his hands and drawn to strike an assailant. He seems to be the real leader of all who are behind him. The commanding generals are in the dim distance. I thought, as I looked upon it, that men of action, in our day, are coming to the front, * * * If a man's life has not im pressed his fellow-men, his funeral will not. But his funeral may tell how his life has impressed them ; and standing there, no one could doubt the sincerity of the sorrow which his death had occasioned among those who knew him best. A bad man could not be so mourned,' "Having introduced an amendment putting coffee and tea on the free list, Mr, Scott, in advocating this measure, on HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 211 the 15th of March, 1872, made an able and exhaustive speech on the Tariff. He presented the argument in favor of protection to home manufactures with an elaborate array of facts and figures. Having been placed in a position where the operations of the disqualifications of the- Four teenth Amendment were forced upon his attention, he gave it as his opinion in a speech before the Senate, Dec, 20» 1871, that it would be the part of wisdom to remove these disabilities, "One of Mr, Scott's most distinguishing labors in the Senatfe was his voluminous report — the result of much labor — on the alleged outrages in the South, On the 17th of May, 1872, he delivered an able and extended speech, based on this report, advocating the extension of the Ku. Klux Act, ' Others,' said he in closing, ' may hesitate upon this subject, I cannot. Government was instituted to protect the citizens, and we shall be derelict to our duty if we permit the more than four millions of citizens in the South against whom this conspiracy has been formed, to be subject for a day to these great calamities, and subject to them at a time, too, when the strongest motives will be ope rating for the infliction of just such outrages as those I have described.' " In the Senate, Mr. Scott has fully filled the prediction of the Pittsburgh "Gazette" at the time of his election : 'Be ing a lawyer of great depth and acute discernment, it may naturally be supposed that he will soon take a front rank with the foremost in Congress, peculiarly in questions in volving international law, and the interest and protection of home manufactures, a subject on which he is well informed,, and entertains broad and favorable views.' "In private life he has been an active and leading spirit in all the prominent enterprises of his neighborhood. He was an original member of the Huntingdon and Broad Top R. R. Co., gave freely of his means and labored assiduously for the success of the enterprise, and has lived to see his labors crowned with success," The foregoing sketch was prepared during Mr. Scott'a 212 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, term in the Senate. A few facts may be added which might properly have been included in it, and others that are necis- sary to complete it to the present time. The committees upon which Mr. Scott served in the Forty- First Congress, were Claims, Pacific Railroads and Naval Affairs, and upon the special Senate committee as to the condition of the late insurrectionary States, of which latter committee he was chairman. In the Forty-Second and Forty-Third Congresses, he was upon the Committee of Claims, of which he was chairman in the latter Congress, Pacific Railroads and Finance, and was also chairman of the joint select committee as to the late insurrectionary States. One of the principal subjects of general public interest in which he took part during the remainder of his term, was the in come tax, the bill to repeal which he introduced into the Senate. After passing that body, and upon going to the House, a constitutional question was raised as to whether the Senate had power to originate such a bill. On this question a conference committee was appointed, consisting of Messrs. Hooper, of Massachusetts, Allison, of Iowa, and Voorhees, of Indiana, on the part of the House, and Messrs, Scott, Conkling, and Casserly, on the part of the Senate, This conference resulted in a disagreement, and reports were made accordingly to both houses, Mr. Scott as chair man, preparing the report to the Senate sustaining the power of the latter. He participated in the discussion of the bills relative to the Texas Pacific Railroad, and, in all their stages, of the bills relative to the Centennial Commission and the Centennial Board of Finance ; the tax and tariff bills ; the bill regulating bridges across the Ohio river ; the Caldwell, Kansas, Senatorial case ; the bills in relation to currency and banking ; the Louisville and Portland canal ; and the bill relative to the repeal of moieties, of the committee of conference on which he was a member. A few months after retiring from the Senate, Mr, Scott was tendered and accepted the position of General Counsel for the Pennsylvania Company, The offices of the Company HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 213 being located at Pittsburg, and his presence being required there, he removed to that place with his family in 1875, and severed the relation of citizenship which had existed with Huntingdon county during his whole lifetime. CHAPTER XXIX. EEPEESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS — FIRST ELBOTIOJT APPOETIONMEN'TS DIS TRICTS TO WHICH HUNTINGDON COUNTY HAS BELONGED — NAMES OP REPRESENTATIVES AND YEARS OF THEIR ELECTION — HON. R. MILTON SPEER — SKETCH OF HIS LIFE. The first election for members to Congress participated in by the people of Huntingdon county was held in 1788, under the Constitution of the United States, which had been adopted the previbus year. It provided that until an enumeration of the inhabitants, which was to be made within three years after the first meeting of Congress, and an apportionment thereunder, Pennsylvania was to have eight members. At the election in 1788, no districts having been formed, they were elected by the State at large. That may have continued to be the method for some years, but how long we have not been able to ascertain. No act of Assembly can be found districting the State prior to 1802, It is only from that year, therefore, that we can give the names of' those who represented the county, or the districts to which it belonged, in Congress, The following are the districts, the counties composing them, the members, and the year of their election : 1802, FOURTH DISTRICT. DAUPHIN, CUMBERLAND, MIFFLIN AND HUNTINGDON. 1802, David Bard. 1804, David Bard. " Robert Whitehill, 1806, David Bard. " Robert Whitehill. 1808, David Bard. " Robert Whitehill. 1810, David Bard, Robert Whitehill. 1812, NINTH DISTRICT. MIFFLIN, HUNTINGDON, CENTRE, CLEARFIELD AND m'kEAN. 1812, David Bard. 1814, Thomas Burnside. 1820, John Brown, 1816, Wm. P. Maclay. 1818, Wm. P. Maclay, HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 215 1822, TWELFTH DISTRICT. HUNTINGDON, MIFFLIN, CENTRE AND CLEARFIELD. 1822, John Brown. I 1826, John Mitchell. 1824, John Mitchell, | 1828, John Scott, 1830, Robert Allison. 1832, FOURTEENTH DISTRICT, HUNTINGDON, MIFFLIN AND CENTRE. (Clinton added in 1839.) 1832, Joseph Henderson. 1834, Joseph Henderson. 1836, W, W. Potter. *1838, W. W. Potter. 1839, Geo. McCulloch. 1840, James Irvin. 1842, James Irvin. 1843, SEVENTEENTH DISTRICT. CENTRE, HUNTINGDON, JUNIATA AND MIFFLIN. 1844, John Blanchard. I 1848, Samuel Calvin. 1846, John Blanchard. [ 1850, Andrew Parker, 1852, EIGHTEENTH DISTRICT. SOMERSET, CAMBRIA, BLAIR AND HUNTINGDON. 1852, John McCulloch. I 1856, John R. Edie, 1854, John R. Edie. | 1858, S. S. Blair. 1860, S. S. Blair, 1862, SEVENTEENTH DISTRICT, CAMBRIA, BLAIR, HUNTINGDON AND MIFFLIN. 1862, Archibald McAllister. 1864, Abraham A, Barker. 1866, Daniel J. Morrell. 1868, Daniel J. Morrell. 1870, R. Milton Speer. 1872, R. Milton Speer, 1873, EIGHTEENTH DISTRICT, FRANKLIN, FULTON, JUNIATA, HUNTINGDON, SNYDER AND PERRY. 1874, W. S. Stenger. Hon. R, Milton Speer, Representative in the Forty-Second and Forty -Third Congresses from the Seventeenth Congres sional District of Pennsylvania, was born in the village of Cassville, Huntingdon county, on the 8th day of September, 1838. He is of Irish descent, both of his parents having emigrated to this county from near Belfast, Ireland, Upon the death of his father, in the fall of 1852, Mr, Speer entered the Seminary at his native village and remained *W. W. Potter died October '28th, 1839, and at a special election held on the 20th of November, of the Bame year, Geo. McCulloch was elected for the unexpired term. 216 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. there until the fall of 1856. During the succeeding winter, he taught school, an avocation at which he was engaged several years subsequently, while a law-student. In May, 1857, he commenced reading law with Wilson and Petriken, and was admitted to the bar at Huntingdon, in November, 1859, He entered upon the practice of his profession in the following April, and has continued at it without interruption, except such as was rendered unavoidable by the several offices he has filled. In 1863 he was Assistant Clerk in the House of Representatives at Harrisburg. He was editor of The Union, the organ of the Democratic party of Huntingdon county, from August, 1859, to January, 1861, In the Congressional contest of 1870, Mr, Speer's majority in the district, composed of the counties of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Blair and Cambria, was eleven votes. The opposing candidate was the Hon, Daniel J. Morrell, who had been twice elected to Congress, and who was an able and popular representative. The defeat of the latter was not regarded as possible during the campaign, and was a complete sur prise to his party and friends. It was effected by changes principally in Huntingdon county. In the borough of Hun tingdon, Mr, Morrell had in 1868, a majority of sixty-two ; in 1870 Mr, Speer had a majority of two hundred and ten. In 1872 Mr. Speer was re-elected over Hon. A, A. Barker, who had also been previously a member of Congress, CHAPTER XXX, PRESIDENT JUDGES — APPOINTMENTS PREVIOUS TO 1851 — ELECTIONS IN THAT YEAR AND SUBSEQUENTLY— HON. GEORGE TAYLOR — HIS DEATH — PROCEEDINGS AT MEETINGS OF MEMBERS OP THE BAR — SKETCH OF HIS LIFE — ASSOCIATE JUDGES — PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS AND DISTRICT AT TORNEYS. Until 1851 the President Judges, as well as the Judges of the Supreme Court and the Associate Judges, were appointed by the Governor, and held their offices during life or good behavior. In 1850 an amendment was made to the Consti tution of the State providing for an elective judiciary, and on the 15th of April, 1851, the necessary legislation was en acted for carrying out the amendment. The following have been the President Judges appointed for the judicial dis tricts embracing Huntingdon county : Robert Galbraith, Commissioned Nov. 23rdj 1787. Thomas Smith, " Aug. 20th, 1791. James Riddle, First Presided Aug. Sess., 1794, Thomas Cooper, " " Nov. " 1804. Jonathan Walker, Commissioned Mar. 1st, 1806. Charles Huston, First Presided Aug. Sess., 1818. Thomas Burnside, " " " " 1826. Geo. W, Woodward, Commissioned Apr. 9th, 1841, A.S.Wilson, " Mar. 30th, 1842. George Taylor, " Apr. 6th, 1849. The amendment of 1850 made the term of office of Presi dent Judges ten years. The following have been elected : 1851, George Taylor. | 1861, George Taylor. 1871, John Dean, The Judges who have presided in the courts of Hunting don county have been men who were eminent for their legal learning, abilities and integrity. The most distinguished were Walker, Huston, Burnside, Woodward and Taylor, The latter, having been upon the bench much longer than any of the others, and having died within a few weeks of the expiration of his second term by election, was perhaps the most sincerely and profoundly regretted. While charg- 218 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. ing a jury, at the regular term of the Blair county court, on the 24th day of October, 1871, he became so ill that he was obliged to leave the court-room. Towards the evening of the same day, he was stricken with paralysis in both of his lower limbs, causing entire, helplessness of the body, but riot impairing the vigor of his mind. On the 80th of ^October he was brought to his home in Huntingdon. His condition did not improve, but gradually became worse until the morning of November 14th, when, without a struggle, he gently passed away. The proceedings at the meetings of the members of the bar of Huntingdon county and the "Twenty-Fourth Judicial Dis trict, after his death, were more than formal. Eloquent and feeling speeches were made by Hon, J, G. Miles, Hon, E, M, Speer, Hon, S, T. Brown, Hon. John Williamson, Wm. P. Orbison, Esq., Hon, David Blair, Hon, Samuel Calvin, Hon, John Scott, Augustus S. Landis, Esq., and P. M, Lytle, Esq, The resolutions adopted by the bar of Huntingdon county, were reported by a committee consisting of R, M, Speer, John Williamson, William P, Orbison, Thos, W, Myton and T. H, Cremer, and were as follows: Having heard with profound sorrow of the death of Hon. Geo. Tay lor, President Judge of the Courts of this District, which occurred at his residence this morning, and recognizing in this sad event a com mon loss and a public bereavement, and expressing the unanimous voice of the Bar of this county, we do resolve : 1st. That Judge Taylor, by his modest manner, his eminent ability, his spotless integrity and his unquestioned fairness, has discharged the duties of President Judge of this District for more than twenty- two years, in such a manner as to make honorable his high office, to deserve and receive the unshaken confidence of the people, and to surround his name when living, and his memory now, when dead with the highest reward of honest labor — the grateful acknowledg ment of duty well and faithfully done. 2nd. That, in the presence of his opening grave, we declare him to have been an honest man and a fearless, able and incorruptible Judge, the clearness and strength of whose mind were equaled only by the warmth and kindness of his heart. 3d. That having begun the struggle of life, unaided and alone, his steady march to deserved distinction was alike the reward of his^reat ability and his conscientious discharge of public duty. HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 219 4th, That eminent as he was in official Iffe, and much as he will be missed and mourned in the Courts over which he has so long and so acceptably presided, the tenderness and affection of his heart, and the kindness of his nature, doubly endeared him to his family and his friends, to whom, in this hour of their grief, we tender the poor consolation of our unmixed sympathy. 6th. That as our last tribute to the memory of the honored dead, we will attend his funeral in a body, and wear the usual badge of mourning for thirty days ; and we hereby direct these resolutions to be presented to the Court, to be entered upon its records, a copy fur nished to his family, and that they be published in all the papers of this District. The Bar of the Twenty-Fourth Judicial District adopted the following resolutions, reported by a committee consist ing of Hon, Joseph Irwin, Hon Samuel Calvin and Col, R, A, McMurtrie, of Blair county ; Hon, Geo. W. Early, Robert L. Johnson, and George M. Reade, Bsqs., of Cambria county; and Hon, D, Clarkson, Hon, John Scott and P, M. Lytle, Esq., of Huntingdon county : The members of the Bench and Bar of the 24th Judicial District of Pennsylvania, assembled to express their feelings upon the death of Hon. George Taylor, late its President Judge, feel that they are called to pay a tribute to the memory of no ordinary man. We come not only to bear testimony to the purity and ability of his judicial ad ministration, but also to drop the tear which is due to the esteemed and beloved friend ; for of him it may in truth be said that he had in as high a degree as any Judge upon the Bench the warm personal re gard of his judicial associates, and of the gentlemen of the Bar among whom he discharged his duties. Added to a strong, clear, discrimi nating mind, thoroughly disciplined by early study and imbued with the elementary principles of legal science, were a reverence for Supreme authority, a recognition of his responsibility to that authori ty, a love of justice and a high moral courage. Strong as were his feelings and convictions upon any subject which might incidentally mingle in the contest of the Courts, his sense of right was stronger, and of no man who ever sat upon the Bench was there less complaint of personal bias or partiality to suitors. If proper to apply to any man the first ideal of a Judge, "an able man, a man of truth, who fears God and hates covetousness" it might be applied to him. Feel ing that he has died at the close of an honorable service of almost a quarter of a century, we who have had every opportunity of observing and learning the traits of his character, bear testimony to its worth in these brief words, and do resolve : 1st. That we will now proceed in a body to attend his funeral, and will wear the usual badge of mourning for thirty days. 220 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 2nd. That the members of the Bar of the several counties of the District will take measures to have the proceedings of this meeting placed upon the records of their respective counties. The events in the life of such a man as Judge Taylor are not numerous. All the distinction he achieved was in the line of his profession as a lawyer. He was admitted to the bar, became distinguished as an advocate, was appointed, elected and re-elected a Judge, and spent more than twenty- two years in the performance of his judicial duties. The details of his life have been clearly and succinctly told by his friend Col. William Dorris, of the Huntingdon bar : " George Taylor was born at Oxford, Chester county. Pa., on the 24th of November, 1812. He was the fourth child of Matthew Taylor and Rebecca his wife, whose maiden name was Anderson. His father was an humble but honest blacksmith, with a large family and limited means ; and he was consequently afforded few facilities for acquiring even the rudiments of an education. He did not so much as learn the grammar of his own language in a school, nor was he in a school or any other institution of learning as a student, after he was thirteen years of age. He was, therefore, truly and emphatically a self-taught and self-made man. Several years of his early youth were profitably occupied in teaching a country school, in Dublin township and in Trough Creek Valley, in this county. During this period he diligently availed himself of all the means of improvement within his reach ; greatly increased his scanty stock of knowledge, and in the quiet seclusion of his rural home, unnoticed by those around him, laid the foundation of his future success. He was between thirteen and fourteen years of age when he came with his father and family to Dublin township, Huntingdon county. Subsequently he found employment in the office of the Prothonotary of Huntingdon county, and in 1834 commenced reading law in the office of Gen. Andrew P. Wilson. He was admitted to the bar of this county on the 12th of April, 1836, and soon after gave promise of success in his profession, and by his masterly efforts, in a numier of important cases, acquired an early and distinguished repu- HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 221 tation as a lawyer and an advocate. In 1840 he assisted in the prosecution of Robert McConaghy, who was tried, in this county, for the murder of six of his relatives. The case was one entirely of circumstantial evidence, and in a speech of matchless eloquence, in a clear, logical analysis of tbe facts, he so traced the murderer through all his windings, and so fastened the evidence of his guilt upon him, that there was no escape. The writer has frequently conversed with the very able counsel of the prisoner as to the electrical effect of the argument, and they said it was perfectly overwhelming; that the jury, the judges and the audience were so complete ly carried away that any attempt at a defense seemed to be useless, and conviction followed inevitably. This was the greatest effort of his professional life. At this time, and for several years after, he was practicing, in partnership with John G. Miles, Esq., under the firm name of Miles & Taylor. Afterwards he acted as Treasurer of the county, and during the year he held that office he made such progress in .study ing Greek that he could read the New Testament in the original tongue. " When the Legislature, in 1849, passed an act changing the Judicial Districts of the State, and increasing their num ber, he was recommended, almost unanimously, by the Bar of Huntingdon and Blair counties, for the President Judge ship of the 24th District, composed of the counties of Hunt ingdon, Blair and Cambria. In April, 1849, Gov. Johnston conferred upon him the appointment, which was unanimously confirmed by the Senate. After the amendment to the con stitution, making the Judiciary elective, was adopted, and by which the commissions of all the Judges in the St'ate were terminated in December, 1851, Judge Taylor was unanimously nominated as a candidate and elected in October, 1851. After serving his term of ten years he had so won the hearts of the members of the Bar of the District, that, without dis tinction of party, they asked him to be a candidate for re election and he was again triumphantly elected. During the twenty -two years of his Judgeship he faithfully discharged his duties, and never, from sickness or any other cause, failed to hold the regular terms of Court in the District. 222 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. " In central Pennsylvania it is hardly necessary to speak of his success as a jurist; certainly no Judge in the State stood higher. As a man of sound judgment, a close, logical and profound thinker and a clear and forcible writer, he had no superior, and perhaps few equals, in the Judiciary of the Commonwealth, His charges and opinions have been pro; nounced, by competent judges, not inferior to the best similar judicial productions that have been carried before the Su preme Court of the State during the last quarter of a cen tury. After hearing cases argued by able counsel — and the 24th District abounds in such — we have often been amazed at the manner in which Judge Taylor handled the questions involved, in charging the jury, taking a higher and bolder range of thought, and developing elements which had en tirely escaped the notice of counsel oa either side. He had an intense love of justice, and the nerve fearlessly to admin ister it, in face of all opposition, A lawyer with a good case, could go before him with perfecli confidence of success, but if he had a bad one, the sooner he got it out of court the better. He had no taste for the refinements of special plead ing, but, stripping a case of all superfluity, he sought with strong common sense, to decide it according to its merits. To all his other high qualifications as a Judge, he added unquestioned and unyielding integrity and stern and severe impartiality. It is rare to find a Judge who could so entirely divest himself of feeling or partiality towards litigant par ties, " He had a heart which, in the language of the speech referred to, could not witness the endurance of suffering, deserved or undeserved, by any fellow being, without emo tions of pity, and in discharging the many painful duties of his office he alwaj-^s tempered judgment with mercy. " The district over which he presided is an important one. It includes within its borders a vast iron and bituminous coal region and is traversed by the Pennsylvania R. R. and Canal, It contains two cities and many and large manufac turing establishments, A number of important cases, of diversified character and some of them involving new prin- HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 228 ciples of law, were constantly before him for decision. They were always tried with patient care, involving sleepless nights and weary days, yet when once tried the conclusion arrived at was rarely reversed by a higher Court. " Since 1841 Judge Taylor has been a member of the Presbyterian church. He was a close, diligent, thoughtful reader of the Scriptures, and his mind was thoroughly imbued with its doctrines and precepts. His sole reliance, during his illness, was on the atonement of Jesus Christ, and he most submissively bowed to the will of his Creator, not expressing the least de.yire to live. He leaves a widow and five children to mourn his loss. " After life's fitful fever he sleeps well." ASSOCIATE JUDGES. The first appointment of Associate Judges for Hunting don county was made in 1791. Before that year courts were held by the President and Justices of the county, or, in the absence of the President, by the Justices alone. The records show that as many as six of the latter were upon the bench together. The following were the Associate Judges appointed, with the dates of their commissions : David Stewart, . Aug. 17, 1791. Robert Galbraith, . Aug. 17, 1791. John Cannon, . Aug. 17th, 1791. Benj. Elliott, . Aug. 17, 1791. Hugh Davison, . Nov. 4, 1791. William Steel, . April 2, 1804. Joseph McCune. . Dec. 1, 1810, Joseph Adams, . July 10, 1826, John Ker, . Dec. 25. 1838. James Gwin, . Feb. 25, 1843. John Stewart, . March 23, 1846. Jon. Mc Williams . April 4,1851. The amendment of 1850, making the office elective, fixed the term at five years. The following have been elected : 1851, Jon. McWilliams, 1851, Thos. F. Stewart, 1856, B. F. Patton. 1856, John Brewster. 1860, Wm. B. Leas. 1861, B. F. Patton. 1865, A. J. Beaver. 1866, David Clarkson. 1870, A. J. Beaver. 1871, David Clarkson, 1875, Adam Heeter. PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS AND DISTRICT ATTORNEYS, District Attorneys were first elected in 1850, The duties now devolving upon them were previously performed by officers appointed by the Governor, We have been unable to obtain detailed and definite information in regard to the 224 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. latter for this county. An inquiry addressed to the Attor ney General, at Harrisburg concerning the names of the various Prosecuting Attorneys, and the dates of their ap pointment, was answered as follows : " We have no record of the appointment of the deputies of the attorney general in the different counties prior to the election of district attorneys. These officers, who were called prosecuting attorneys, were appointed in an informal manner, and the attorney generals made no record of the fact which remains here." The only source from which we could learn the names of any of the persons who filled the position of Prosecuting Attorney for this county, is the indictments on file among the records of the court of quarter sessions, and even the data there obtained is very incomplete. During the earliest years, the indictments were signed with only the name of the Attorney General, but about fifty years ago, the Prosecuting Attorneys, after signing for the Attorney General, began to add their own names. This custom was continued, with slight intermis sion, as long as the power of making the appointment was in the hands of the Governor, The officers whose names we have thus ascertained, were J, M, Bell, A, P, Wilson, Robt. Wallace, S. S. Wharton, Samuel Calvin, Alexander Gwin, E. V. Everhart, John Cresswell, John Scott and J. Sewell Stewart, The District Attorneys and the year of their election have been as follows: 1850, J. Sewell Stewart. 1853, J. Sewell Stewart. 1856, Theo. H. Cremer. 1859, Samuel T. Brown. 1862, J. H. O. Corbin. 1864, James D. Campbell, 1866, K. Allen Lovell. 1869, Milton S. Lytle. 1872, H. C. Madden. 1875, J. C. Jackson. CHAPTER XXXL SENATORIAL DISTRICTS FIXED BY CONSTITUTION OF 1790 — SEPTENNIAL APPORTIONMENTS AND THE DISTRICTS TO WHICH HUNTINGDON COUNTY HAS BELONGED — SENATORS ELECTED SINCE 1790 — REPRESENTATIVES IN LE GISLATURE — MEMBERS ELECTED SINCE THE ERECTION OF THE COUNTY. The Constitution of 1790 provided that the General As sembly of this Commonwealth, which had previously con sisted of but one House,should consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. It fixed Senatorial Districts, which were to remain until the first enumeration of taxable in habitants and an apportionment thereunder, and made the term of office four years. Districts were first formed by act of Assembly in 1794, and an act has been passed making a new apportionment every seventh year since that time. The different districts to which Huntingdon county has belonged and the Senators elected to represent them have been as- follows : 1790, HUNTINGDON, NORTHUMBERLAND AND LUZERNE. 1790, Wm. Montgomery (elected to Congress.) 1793, Wm. Hepburn (elected to fill vacancy.) ' 1794, HUNTINGDON AND BEDFORD. (Somerset added on its erection in 1795.) 1794, John Cannon. | 1797, Richard Smith, 1801, HUNTINGDON, BEDFORD AND SOMERSET, (CaiQbria added on its erection in 1804.) 1801 John Piper, I 1805, Henry Wertz, jr. 1807, Jacob Blocher, 1808, HUNTINGDON AND MIFFLIN, 1808, Ezra Doty. I 1812, William Beale. 1815. HUNTINGDON AND" MIFFLIN. 1816, Alexander Dysart. I 1820, Michael Wallace. 226 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 1822, HUNTINGDON AND MIFFLIN. 1822, William R. Smith. | 1824, Christian Garber, 1828, Thomas Jackson, 1829. HUNTINGDON, MIFFLIN AND CAMBRIA, (Juniata added in 1831.) 1832, George McCullouch. 1836. HUNTINGDON, MIFFLIN, JUNIATA, PERRY AND UNION, 1836, David R. Porter. *1838, Robert P. Maclay, 4 years ; James M. Bell, 2 years, 1840, James Mathers, 1842, Henry C. Eyer, 1843, HUNTINGDON AND BEDFORD, 1844, John Morrison, 1 1847, Alexander King, 1850, HUNTINGDON, BLAIR AND CAMBRIA, 1850, R, A. McMurtrie. | 1853, John Cresswell, jr, 1856, John Creswell, jr, 1856, HUNTINGDON, BEDFORD AND SOMERSET. 1857, Wm. p. Schell. | . 1860, S. S. Wharton. 1863, Geo. W. Householder. 1864, HUNTINGDON, BLAIR, CENTRE, MIFFLIN, JUNIATA AND PERRY. (Two Senators.) 1864, L. W. Hall. I 1867, J. K. Robinson. Kirk Haines. ' C. J. T. Mclntire, 1870, R. Bruce Petriken. D. M. Crawford. 1871. HUNTINGDON, CENTRE, JUNIATA AND MIFFLIN. 1873, Joseph S. Waream. *1874, HUNTINGDON AND FRANKLIN. (*Under Constitution of 1873 ; term four years, 1874, Chambers McKibben. •The Constitution of 1838 changed the length of the term to three years. HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 227 REPRESENTATIVES IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. The General Assembly, under the Constitution of 1776, convened in October, and under the Constitution of 1790, in December, and usually did not adjourn finally until the spring of the following year. At the time of the erection of Huntingdon county, Col. John Cannon was one of the representatives from Bedford county. The members since elected bv the former have been as follows : 1787, Hugh Davison. 1831, John Porter, 1788, Hugh Davison. Henry Beaver. 1789, D;ivid Stewart. 1832, Samuel Royer, 1790, David Stewart. James Clark. 1791, John Cannon. 1833, James Clark, 1792, John Cannon. Thomas T. Cromwell, 1793, John Cannon. 1834, James Clark, 1794, Diivid McMurtrie. Thomas T. Cromwell. 1795, David McMurtrie. 1835, H. L. McConnell, 1796, Samuel Miirshall. George Hudson. 1797, Samuel Marshall. 1836, J. Cunningham, 1798, John Blair. James Crawford. 1799, John Blnir. 1837, J. Cunningham, 1800, James Kerr. John Morrison. 1801, James Kerr, 1838, J. Cunningham, John Blair. John Morrison. 1802, William Steel, 1839, John Morrison, John Blair. Joseph Higgins. 1803, Richard Smith, 1840, John G. Miles, Lewis Mytinger. Joseph Higgins. 1804, Arthur Moore, 1841, Jesse Moore, James McCJune. Thomas Weston. 1805, Arthur Moore, 1842, Jonathan McWilliams, James McCune. Brice Blair. 1806, Arthur Moore, 1843, Jonathan McWilliams, James McCune. Brice Blair. 1807, Arthur Moore, 1844, Henry Brewster, Alexander Dysart. R. A. McMurtrie. 1808, Arthur Moore, 1845, H. L. Patterson, Alexander Dysart. Alexander Gwin. 1809, Alexander Dysart, 1846, David Blair. William McAlevy. 1847, David Blair. 1810, Alexander Dysart, 1848, A. K. Cornyn. William McAlevy. 1849, A. K. Cornyn. 1811, Alexander Dysart, 1850, Wm. B. Smith, William McAlevy. Seth R. McCune. 1812, Alexander Uysart, 1851, Wm. B. Smith, R. James Law. Seth. R. McCune. 1813, R. James Law, 1852, S. S. Wharton, John Crum. James L. Gwin. 1814, R. James Law, 1853, James L. Gwin, John Crum. James Maguire. 1815, Alexander Dj'sart, 1854, George Leas, Conrad Bucher. Geo. W. Smith. 1816, Conrad Bucher, 1855, J. M. Gibbony, Christian Garber. J. H. Wintrode. 228 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 1817, Conrad Bucher, Christian Garber, 1818, Robert Young, J. D. Aurandt. 1819, John Scott, David R. Porter. 1820, John Scott, David R. Porter, 1821, John Scott, John Royer. 1822, John Ashman, David R. Porter. 1823, Henry Shippen, Peter Cassidy. 1824, Henry Shippen, John Ashman. 1825, Matthew Wilson, Joseph Adams. 1826, Matthew Wilson, John Blair. 1827, MatthewWilson, John Blair. 1828, John Blair, John Owens. 1829, John Blair, Henry Beaver. 1830, John Blair, John Williamson, 1856, J. M. Gibbony, J. H. Wintrode. 1857, Daniel Houtz. 1858, R. B. Wigton, 1859, J. S. Africa. 1860, Brice X. Blair. 1861, /ohn Scott. 1862, A. W. Benedict. 1863, David Etnier. 1864, John N. Swoope, John Balsbach. 1865, Ephraim Baker, James M. Brown, 1866, H. S. Wharton, James M. Brown. 1867, H. S. Wharton, H. H. Wilson. 1868, John S. Miller, Amos H. Martin. 1869, H. J. McAteer, Abraham Rohrer. 1870, H. J. McAteer, Abraham Rohrer. 1871, F. H. Lane. 1872, F. H. Lane. 1873, W. K. BurchinelL 1874, H. H. Mateer, W. P. McNite. After the erection of Blair county, in 1846, Huntingdon county had but one representative until 1850, when, with Blair, in that and the following year, she elected two. In 1864, the representative district consisting of Huntingdon, Mifflin and Juniata counties was formed, and continued until 1870, electing two members. At all other times Hunting don has formed a separate district. By the Constitution of 1873, the Legislative term was changed from one to two years. There was consequently no election in 1875, CHAPTER XXXIL CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS— 1776— BENJAMIN ELLIOTT — 1790 — ANDREW HENDERSON — 1838 — DELEGATES FROM THE COUNTY AND SENATORIAL DISTRICT — 1873 — DR. JOHN m'CULLOCH AND JOHN M. BAILEY. Four conventions have been held in Pennsylvania for the purpose of framing or revising and amending the Constitu tion of the Commonwealth, The first met in pursuance of the call of the Provincial Conference, the members of which were "deputed by the committees of several of the counties of this province," and who assembled in Carpenters' Hall, Philadelphia, June 18th, 1776, sixteen days before the Declaration of Independence, and continued their sessions daily until June 25th. The delegates to the Convention were elected July 8th, 1776, met July 15th, and passed and confirmed the Consti tution, and signed it September 28th, of the same year. There were eight delegates from Bedford county, seven of whom appended their signatures to the instrument in the following order : Benjamin Elliott, Thomas Coulter, Joseph Powell, John Burd, John Cessna, John Wilkins and Thomas Smith. The only member of the Convention from the present territory of Huntingdon county was Benjamin Elliott, The second Constitutional Convention of Pennsylvania convened in Philadelphia, "November 24th, 1789, and framed a new Constitution, Having completed it and provided for its publication, they adjourned on the 26th day of February, 1790, to meet on the 9th day of August following. After re-assembling they continued in session twenty-four days, carefully revising, amending and altering the Constitution, General Andrew Henderson was a member of this Con vention, and the only one from Huntingdon county. He was at the same time Prothonotary and Register and Recorder. On the erection of Henderson township, in November, 1814, it was ordered by the Court that it be 230 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. given that name "in consideration of the distinguished up rightness of the late General Andrew Henderson as a public officer, and his services during the Revolutionary war." The third Convention met at Harrisburg, May 2nd, 1887. After several adjournments, they re-assembled in Philadel phia, November 28th, 1837, and adjourned finally, February 22nd, 1838. The Constitution as amended was submitted to a vote of the people at the October election in 1838, and was adopted by a majority of twelve hundred and thirteen votes. The Convention was composed of Senatorial and Repre sentative delegates, the district consisting of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata, Perry and Union counties, being represent ed by James Merrill and Wm. P. Maclay, and Huntingdon county by Samuel Royer and Cornelius Crum. The fourth and last Constitutional Convention met in the hall of the House of Representatives at Harrisburg, Novem ber 12th, 1872, On the 27th of the same month, they ad journed to meet in Philadelphia on the 7th of January, 1873, Their labors completed, the new organic law was submitted to the voters of the Commonwealth at a special election on the 16th of December, 1873, and was adopted by an over whelming majority. There were in this Convention one hundred and thirty- three delegates, twenty-eight from the State at large, and one hundred and five from the Senatorial districts. The twenty -second district, composed of the counties of Hunting don, Centre, Mifflin and Juniata, was represented by Dr, John McCulloch, John M. Bailey and Andrew Reed, The £rst two were from Huntingdon county and . the last from Mifflin, John McCulloch was born in Juniata county, Pennsylvania, November 15th, 1806; graduated at Washington College, Washington, Pa., in 1825, and at the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania, in 1829 ; has since been a practicing physician, residing first at Petersburg, in this county, and for a number of years past in Huntingdon; was •elected to Congress in 1852, and served during the term HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 231 ending March 4th, 1855. As a member of the Constitutional Convention, he was upon the committees on "State Institu tions and Buildings" and "Railroads and Canals." John M. Bailey was born at Dillsburg, York county, Pennsylvania, July 11th, 1839 ; came to Huntingdon county in 1857, and was for several years engaged as a teacher in the common schools ; read law with Messrs. Scott & Brown, in Huntingdon ; was admitted to the bar in August, 1862, and entered into partnership with his preceptors, which business relation continued until the election of Mr. Scott as United States Senator. The committees upon which he held positions as a member of the Convention were "Com missions," "Offices, Oaths of Office and Incompatibility of Office," " Revenues, Taxation and Finance," CHAPTER XXXIIL COUNTY OFFICERS — SHERIFFS — PROTHONOTARIES, CLERKS OF COURTS OP COMMON PLEAS, ETC. — REGISTERS, RECORDERS, AND CLERKS OF THE orphans' COURT — COUNTY TREASURERS — COUNTY COMMISSIONERS — DIREC TORS OF THE POOR — COUNTY SURVEYORS— JURY COMMISSIONERS. SHERIFFS. 1787, Benjamin Elliott. 1788, John Patton. 1792, John Galbraith, 1795, John Patton. 1798, James McMurtrie. 1801, John Patton. 1804, John Miller. 1806, John Patton. 1809, Patrick Gwin, 1812, John Patton. 1815, Patrick Gwin. 1818, John Patton. 1821, Patrick Gwin. 1824, William Speer. 1827, William Simpson. 1830, Thomas Johnston. 1833, James Henderson. 1836, *Thomas Lloyd . 1837, Joseph Higgins. 1838, Joseph Shannon. 1839, John Brotherline. 1841, John Shaver. 1844, John Armitage. 1847, Matthew Crownover. 1850, Wm. B. Zeigler. 1853, Joshua Greenland. 1856, Graflfus Miller. 1859, John C. Watson, 1862, G. W. Johnston, 1865, Jas. F. Bathurst. 1868, D. R. P. Neely. 1871, Amon Honck. 1874, T. K. Henderson, PROTHONOTARIES, CLERKS OF COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, ETC. The Prothonotaries, Clerks of Courts of Common Pleas, Quarter Sessions and Oyer and Terminer, were appointed by the Governor previous to the annual election in 1839. By the Constitution of 1838 these offices were made elective. The following were the appointees with the dates of their com missions : Lazarus B. McClain, Andrew Henderson, William Steel, J. A. Henderson, David R. Porter, Robert Campbell, James Steel, Commissioned Sept. 25th, 1787. Dec. 13th, 1788. Feb. 28th, 1809. Feb. 9th, 1821. Dec. 19th, 1823, Jan, 2nd, 1836, Jan, 7th, 1839. •It mil be observed that tliere was a change in the office of Sheriff annually from 1836 to 1839. Thomas Lloyd died during his term, October 30th, 1837 ; Joseph Higgins was appointed until the next election, and Joseph Shannon waa elected for the balance of the term. HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 233 The officers elected under the Constitution of 1838 have been as follows : 1839, James Steel. 1842, James Steel. 1845, James Steel. 1848, T. H. Cremer. 1851, T. H. Cremer. 1854, M. F. Campbell. 1857, D. Caldwell. 1860, W.C. Wagoner. 1863, W. C. Wagoner. 1866, J. R. Simpson. 1869, M. M. McNeil. 1872, T. W. Myton. 1875, L. M. Stewart. REGISTERS, RECORDERS AND CLERKS OF ORPHANS' COURT. These offices were also filled by appointment previous to 1839. Andrew Henderson, Commissioned Sept. 29th, 1787. WilKam Steel, " Feb. 28th, 1809. Richard Smith, " Feb. 9th, 1821. William Kerr, " Jan. 1st, 1824. David R. Porter, " Feb. 16th, 1827. John Reed, " Jan. 2nd, 1836, The following officers have been elected : 1839, John Reed. 1842, John Reed. 1845, Jacob Miller. 1848, M. F. Cimpbell. 1851, M. F. Campbell. 1854, Henry Glazier. 1857, Henry Glazier. 1860, D. W. Womelsdorf. 1863, D. W. Womelsdorf. 1866, J. E. Smucker. 1869, J. E. Smucker. 1872, W. E. Lightner. 1875, W. E. Lightner. COUNTY TREASURERS. Previous to 1841, the County Treasurers were appointed annually by the County Commissioners, The incumbents of this office before it was made elective, can be ascertained only by reference to the bonds on file in the Commissioners' office. No bonds can be found for any of the years between 1789 and 1799, but as Benjamin Elliott was Treasurer in both of those years, the supposition arises that he served during all of the intermediate time. There are also no bonds for the years 1802, 1804, 1805 and 1828, The fol- 234 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, lowing are the Treasurers appointed, with the exceptions above stated : 1787, David McMurtrie, 1788, Benjamin Elliott. 1789, Benjamin Elliott. 1799, Benjamin Elliott. 1800, John Johnston. 1801, John Johnston. 1803, John Johnston. 1806, Robert Allison. 1807, Robert Allison. 1808, Robert Allison. 1809, Thomas Ker. 1810, Thomas Ker. 1811, Thomas Ker. 1812, John Huyett. 1813, Samuel Steel. 1814, Samuel Steel. 1815, Thomas Ker. 1816, Thomas Ker. 1817, Thomas Ker. 1818, Samuel Steel. 1819, Samuel Steel. 1820, Samuel Steel. 1821, Isaac Dorland. 1822, Isaac Dorland. 1823, Isaac Dorland. 1824, John Miller. 1825, John Miller. 1826, Walter Clarke. 1827, AValter Clarke. 1829, Isaac Dorland. 1830, Isaac Dorland. 1831, Isaac Dorland. 1832, Jacob Miller. 1833, Jacob Miller. 1834, Jacob Miller. 1835, Thomas Fisher. 1836, Thomas Fisher. 1837, Thomas Fisher. 1838, David Snare, " David Blair. 1839, David Blair. 1840, David Blair. 1841, Andrew B. Hirst. The act of Assembly making the office of County Treas urer elective, was passed May 27th, 1841, and the first elec tion under it was held in the following October. The officers elected have been as follows : 1841, Andrew B. Hirst. 1859, H. T. White. 1843, George Taylor. 1861, J. A. Nash. 1845, Joseph Law. 1863, David Black. 1847, Isaac Neff. 186.5, Thos. W. Myton. 1849, John A. Doyle. 1867, M. M. Logan. 1851, John Marks. 1869, Samuel J. Cloyd. 1853, Joseph Stevens. 1871, A. W. Kenyon. 1855, A. B. Crewitt. 1873, T. W. Montgomery 1857, F. H. Lane. 1875, G. Ashman Miller. F, H, Lane had been appointed Treasurer, April 14th, 1857, previous to his election, to fill a vacancy caused by the death of A. B, Crewitt, The term of office, which had been two years, was extended by the present State Consti tution, to three years, for which length of time the present incumbent, G, Ashman Miller, was elected. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. 1787, David Stewart, John Dean, James Sommerville. 1833, Robert Lytle. 1834, John Stewart. 1835, Peter Hewitt. HISTOBY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 235 1788, Patrick Cassidy. 1836 1789, Robert Riddle. 1837, 1790, John Cadwallader. 1838 1791, John Blair. 1839 1792, Patrick Galbraith. 1840| 1793, John Shaver. 1841, 1794, James Kerr. 1S42,' 1795, Thomas Morrow. 1843 1796, William Steel. 1797, Hugh Morrison. 1844 1798, John Steel. 1845, 1799, John Cadwallader. 1846, 1800, Benjamin Elliott. 1801, Joseph Patton. 1847, 1802, Thomas Wilson. 1849, 1803, William Wilson. 1850, 1804, John Crawford. 1851, 1805, Joseph Patton. 1806, John Robison. 18.52, 1807, John Huyett. 18.53, 1808, David Lloyd. 1854, 1809, R. James Law. 1855, 1810, Robert Provines. 1856, 1811, John Sharrer. 1857, 1812, Wm. Simpson. 1858, 1813, Maxwell Kinkead. 18-59, 1814, John Morrison. 1860, 181.5, Matthew Wilson. . 1861 , 1816, Philip Roller. 1862, 1817, Peter Cassidy. 1863, 1818, Samuel Gooshorn. ^ 1864, 1819, James Simpson. ' 1865, 1820, WiUiam Reed. 1866, 1821, John Stewart. 1867, 1822, John Cresswell. 1868, 1823, John McMullen. 1869, 1824, William Simpson. 1870, 1825, Conrad Bucher. 1871, 1826, Plenry Beaver. 1872, 1827, James Steel. 1873, 1828, George Ashman. 1874, 1829, John'Stewart. 1875, 1830, Jacob Hoffman. 1831, Samuel Smith. 1832, John Lutz. DIRECTORS OF THE POOR. The Act providing "for the erection of a house for the employment and support of the poor in the county of Hun tingdon," was approved on the 6th day of May, 1850, Thomas Fisher, Kenzie L. Green, Benjamin Leas, James Gillam, John McCulloch, John Porter, Isaac Taylor, A. P. Wilson, John Watson, Caleb Greenland and S. Miles Green, were appointed commissioners to purchase a site for the building, and the people of the county were authorized to John Stever. Peter Swoope. James Moore. Joshua Roller. Kenzie L. Green. Robert Moore. Alexander Knox. John F. Miller, 1 year. Mordecai Ghiloote. John F. Miller. William Bell. Daniel Teague, 2 years, Robt. .Cummins, 3 years. Joshua Greenland. Isaac Peightal. Benjamin Leas. Eobert Still, 2 years, Eliel Smith, 3 years. Samuel Wigton. Thomas Hamer. Benj. K. Neff. Jacob Baker. H. L. McCarthy. Geo. W. Mattern. John Flenner. M. F. Campbell. John Cummins. John S. Isett. P. M. Bare. John Householder. Jacob Miller. Adam Warfel. Adam Fonse. Samuel Cummins. Simeon Wright, Geo. Jackson. A. B. Miller. Jonathan Evans. David Hare. N. K. Covert. W. J.Ammerman. A. G. Neff, D. B. Weaver. A. W. Wright. 236 HISTOBY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. vote at the next annual election, upon the expediency of its erection. The result of the vote was as follows ; For a poor house 1299 Against " " 952 After it was built, its sale was advocated, and a vote was taken upon that question, under authority of an Act of As sembly, with the following result : For the sale 892 Against " 2802 The act of 1850, provided for the election of three Direc tors of the Poor in that year and of one annually there after. The following officers have been elected : 1863, John Logan. 1864, Henry Davis, 3 years. Henry A. Mark, 1 year. 1865, John Flenner. 1866, Jackson Harman. 1867, Adam Heeter. 1868, John Miller. 1869, James Smith. 1870, John P. Stewart. 1871, Harris Richardson. 1872, Michael Kyper. 1873, Gilbert Plorning. 1874, Aaron W. Evans. 1875, John Griffith. 1851, James Clarke. James Saxton. George Hudson. 1852, John Brewster. 1853, Samuel Mattern. 18.54, J. A. Shade. 1855, Kenzie L. Green. 1856, Joseph Gibbony. 1857, James Murphy. 1858, David Clarkson. 1859, William Moore. 1860, Samuel Peightal. 1861, James Henderson. 1862, Samuel Heckadorn. COUNTY SURVEYORS. 1850, William Christy. 1853, J. Siiupson Africa. 1859, J. F. Ramey. 1862, John A. Pollock. 1865, James E. Glasgow. 1868, James E. Glasgow. 1871, Henry Wilson. 1874, Henry Wilson, In 1856, there was no election to the office of County Sur veyor, the result that year being a tie vote between J, Simp son Africa and J, F. Ramey. The latter was appointed by the Court and served during the term. In 1864 an election was held to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of John A, Pollock, at which Henry Wilson received a majority of the votes cast, but the election was illegal, as the act of Assembly creating the office provides that vacancies shall be filled by the appointment of the Court of Quarter Sessions, Mr, Wilson was subsequently appointed and served until the qualification of his successor, James E, Glasgow, HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 237 JURY COMMISSIONERS. 1873, John G. Stewart. Samuel Brooks. 1867, Geo. W. Shontz, N. K. Covert. 1870, S. B. Chaney, John Vandevander. John G. Stewart resigned and George W. Johnston was appointed to fill the vacancy, January 22nd, 1874, CHAPTER XXXIV, HUNTINGDON — OLD DEED OF CONVEYANCE — INCORPORATION AS A BOROUGH — EXTENSIONS OF BOROUGH LIMITS — ADDITIONS TO THE PLAN OF THE TOWN— J. EDGAR THOMSON'S SURVEY — MILLER, WHARTON AND ANDER SON'S ADDITION — MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS — PLANING MILL AND FURNITURE FACTORY — SHOE FACTORY AND TANNERY — CAR WORKS AND MACHINE SHOPS — BROOM AND BRUSH FACTORY — PILGRIM PUBLICATION BUILDING — NUMBER OF BUILDINGS ERECTED — CENSUS OPENING AND EXTENSION OF STREETS — CHANGE IN STREET NOMENCLATURE — NUMBER ING OF BUILDINGS AND LOTS — DIVISION OF THE BOROUGH INTO WARDS — FIRE DEPARTMENT ENGINE HOUSE — GAS SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND SCHOOLS — CHURCHES AND PASTORS. This work has already given much of the history of the town of Huntingdon. One of the points first visited by white men, and the earliest permanent settlement in the county, and located upon the old Indian war-path, or a branch of it, and the Juniata river, it possessed at the be ginning, and has since maintained, a greater importance than any other place within our presents limits. An account of Standing Stone, of the founding of the town by Dr. William Smith, in 1767, and the naming of it after the Countess of Huntingdon, of its condition at the beginning of the Revolu tionary war, and of many events occurring there during that struggle, of its selection as the seat of justice on the erection of the county in 1787, and of its newspapers and public improvements, was unavoidable in our effort to ob serve as nearly as possible a chronological arrangement in the statement of facts. But it has much additional history connected with its own development rather than with that of the county at large. The oldest deed of conveyance, of the existence of which we have been able to learn, made by Dr. Smith to a pur chaser of a lot in Huntingdon, is dated " the seventh day of September, in the eighth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George 3d, by the Grace of God King of Great Britain, &c., Annoque Domini One Thousand Seven Hundred and, Sixty-Eight," and is " between William Smith, of the City HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 239 of Philadelphia, and Province of Pennsylvania, Clerk, D.D,, of the one part, and Samuel Anderson of Cumberland county, of the other part." It recites that " the said William Smith hath laid out a certain Town called , at Standing Stone, on Juniata, in the County of Cumberland, and divided the same into streets and lots, regularly named and numbered, as by the plan of the said town entered on record, in the Re corder's Office at Carlisle, in the said county, may appear," The lot conveyed was number 12, situated on Allegheny, between Third and Fourth streets, and extending to Penn, It is now owned by John W, Mattern, Esq. This deed was a printed form, prepared expressly for Dr. Smith, having no blanks except for names and numbers. It evidently, therefore, embodies the terms upon which he had determined to make sales. As the name of the town does not appear in the deed, and as the space left for it was not filled in writing, we may reasonably suppose that he had not given it a name at that date. The consideration expressed in the deed was as follows : " Yielding and paying therefor and thereout unto the said William Smith, his Heirs and Assigns, on the first Monday in September, in every year, the yearly Rent of One Spanish Milled Piece of Eight of fine Silver, weighing Seventeen Penny Weight and Six Grains at least, or Value thereof in Coin current ; the first payment to be made on the first Monday of September, which shall be in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty -Nine, and so on the first Monday of September yearly, and every year thereafter, forever. And further the said Samuel Anderson doth covenant, promise and agree to and with the said Wil liam Smith, his Heirs and Assigns, by these Presents, that he the said Samuel Anderson, his Heirs and Assigns, shall and will, at his or their own proper Cost and Charges, make, erect, build and finish on the said Lot of Ground, one sub stantial Dwelling House of Dimensions of Eighteen Feet by Twenty Feet at least, with a good Stone or Brick Chimney, within the Space of Ten Months from the First Day of Oc tober," (year illegible,) 240 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, On the failure of Anderson to pay the rental for the space of ninety days after it became due, Dr, Smith was to have the right to recover the arrearages by distress, and if no property could be found upon the premises upon which to distrain, or if the dwelling house was not erected within the time and in the manner agreed upon, he was to have the right to re-enter and to hold and possess the lot, and if the arrearages of rent were not paid within two years after such re-entry, the lot was to revert to him absolutely, Huntingdon was incorporated as a borough by act of Assembly of March 29th, 1796. The boundaries, as therein specified were as follows : " Beginning at a large stone corner placed on the bank of the river Juniata, at or near the entrance of a fording place, and at the distance of two hundred feet, on a course south sixty-six degrees east, from the east side of St. Clair (now Second) street ; thence north twenty-four degrees east, one hundred and nine perches and seven-tenths of a perch, to a stone ; thence north sixty-six degrees west, one hundred and fifty-seven perches to a stone ; thence south twenty-four degrees west, including Charles (now Seventh) street, one hundred and ten perches, or thereabouts, to the river Juniata ; thence down the same on the northerly bank or side, to the place of beginning ; being the boundary of the said town of Huntingdon on record in the office for recording of deeds in and for the said county of Huntingdon," The plan referred to was recorded on the 14th day of November, 1795. There is no plan on record at Carlisle, as stated in the deed from Dr. Smith to Samuel Anderson. By a supplement 'to the act of incorporation, approved March 27th, 1855, the borough limits were extended so as to include what is now known as West Huntingdon and some territory east of the borough on both sides of Standing Stone creek. The boundaries fixed thereby were as follows : " Beginning at the Juniata river, where the Hickory corner, between George Croghan's and William Logan's survey stood, thence by the line between said surveys to William McMurtrie's corner; thence by this line to Standing HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 241 Stone Creek ; thence up the eastern side thereof, at low water mark, to a point opposite the north-eastern corner of William Orbison's out-lot ; thence by John Simpson's line across said creek by William Orbison's out-lot, the Standing Stone creek road and Hartley and Kautz's lot, to said Simpson's corner, on the western line of the Smith survey ; thence by the line between John McCahan's land and lots of said Hartley and Kautz, George Jackson and Daniel Africa, to Armstrong Willoughby's corner, in Annie, Figart's hollow ; thence up said hollow, including said Wil loughby's land, to the extended eastern line of Bath (now Fifth) street, of said borough ; thence down said line to the old boundary line of said borough and along the same to the centre of the Warm Springs road ; thence up the centre of said road to the northern line of the Asher Clayton survey ; thence by the same to where a hickory corner stood ; thence by the line between the Renner farm and land of Hon, George Taylor to the Juniata river ; thence down the same at low water mark, to the place of begin ning." The second extension of the borough limits was made by ordinance of the Burgesses and Town Council, on the 14th of Anigust, 1874. It added a portion of Oneida township lying north and northwest of the borough. The first section of the ordinance is as follows : "That all those parts of the township of Oneida included within the following bounda ries, to wit: Beginning at the corner between said borough and township, at the northern angle of a lot formerly occu pied by Hartly and Kautz, now owned by John H. Glazier, thence in a direct line, passing the south eastern corner of a lot on which Robert Drennan resides, to a point on land of William P. Orbison, esq., where the north-western bound ary line of said borough, if extended, would intersect said line; and thence west wardly along the last mentioned line to the corner between land of Eon. George Taylor, deceased, and James Cozzens ; and thence by the line between said Taylor and Cozzens and by an extension thereof to the Juniata river ; thence down the said river to 242 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. the present line between said borough and township, and thence along the same to place qf beginning." The growth of the town has kept pace with these addi tions of territory, and, in fact, rendered them necessary. Previous to 1855 the borough limits extended only to Seventh street ; but in 1854, J. Edgar Thomson, then Chief Engineer of the Pennsylvania Railroad, purchased the Cypress Cottage farm, lying west of the borough, for $29,- 000, and in May and June of the latter year, had the part of the farm north of the railroad surveyed by J. Simpson Africa, Esq., county surveyor, and laid off into 352 lots. About the time the plan of West Huntingdon was completed, Mr. Thomson sold the grist and saw mill, with five acres of land, to Messrs. David McMurtrie and Thomas Fisher, for $15,000, thus reducing the amount of his investment to $14,000. Col. William Dorris, who was the attorney and agent for Mr. Thomson in all his transactions with reference to this real estate, has furnished us the following information : " From the time of the making of the plan in May, 1854, until 1865 — eleven years — the West Huntingdon addition had an existence only on paper. During that time but one house was erected, the one now owned and occupied by Alexander Elliott, and it was built by the proprietor. It was a standing joke, not only to the neighboring towns, but to the ancient borough, and was often pointed to as an evidence of the folly of the owner. On the 27th of May, 1865, the first three lots were sold to Hannah Artley and Mary Long. They were numbered 40, 43 and 51. Dwelling houses were built upon them by U, W. Artley and Christian Long. During the year 1865 the island, the orchard, and 67 town lots were sold, and buildings were erected with great rapidity. Sales of lots continued without interruption until on the SOth of May, 1871, the last lot in West Huntingdon was sold, the purchaser being Curtis Larkins, and the lot being number 143. The aggre gate amount received up to April 1st, 1876, by Mr. Thomson, in his lifetime, and by his trustees, since his death, from HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 243 the sale of this farm, was $83,697.09, and there is to be col lected enough to reach almost $100,000." The improvements upon the lots sold by Mr. Thomson soon carried the town northwestward to Fifteenth street, and it became evident that it would be extended still fur ther in that direction, if that portion of the borough were laid off into lots and offered for sale. On the first of May, 1868, Dr. R. Allison Miller, H. S. Wharton and Mrs. M. H. Ander son bought from Hon. John Scott, executor and trustee under the will of Major J. P. Anderson, deceased, the Kenuer farm, containing about one hundred and twenty acres, and had about one hundred acres divided into lots, by J. Simp son Africa, Esq. This part of the town is known as MilUer, Wharton and Anderson's addition to West Huntingdon. The proprietors have sold 425 lots, 110 buildings have been erected, and it has now a population of about 500. Its northern limit was Hon. George Taylor's farm, beyond Nineteenth street. Upon this addition the most important manufacturing establishments in the borough have been erected. In 1868 the Huntingdon Manufacturing company built a planing mill and furniture factory at the north-west corner of Sixteenth and Penn streets. It is a substantial brick building, two stories high, and is supplied with first-class piachinery, which is run by steam. The property has changed hands a number of times since its erection, and is now owned by Stewart, March & Co. In 1870 H. S. Wharton built a shoe factory at the north west corner of Sixteenth and Penn streets, and in 1872 added a tannery. This establishment, known as the Keystone Boot, Shoe and Leather Manufacturing Company's works, consists of large and imposing brick buildings, three stories high, heated by steam. The machinery is all of the latest and most approved kind. The car works and machine shops west of Penn, and between Seventeenth and Eighteenth-streets, were built by Messrs. Orbison & Co., in 1872 and '73. The buildings are a wood-work department 160 by 70 feet, an erecting shop 244 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 165 feet by 60 feet, a machine and blacksmith shop 173 feet by 46 feet, and an engine-house 26 by 32 feet. The stack is 60 feet high, and the machinery is driven by a sixty-five horse-power engine. These, with the necessary yard room occupy about five acres of ground. R. A. Miller & Son built their broom and brush works, a a three story brick building, at the north-east corner of Fourteenth and Washington streets, in 1873, and in the same year the Pilgrim building, on the north-west corner of the same streets, was erected by H. B. Brumbaugh, and is partly occupied for the publication of the "Pirgrim" and " Young Disciple," Of the 777 lots sold in West Huntingdon since 1865, a large proportion was purchased for actual improvement. Those in the Thomson survey are nearly all built upon, and more than one fourth of those in the Miller, Wharton and Anderson addition. The old part of Huntingdon improved during the same time almost as rapidly as West Huntingdon, its progress, however,not being quite so conspicuous, as new buildings, in a town already built up, do not make as much display as the same number on ground that previously had none. This era of improvement continued for more than eight years, or until after the financial crisis of 1873,. It gave us a better class of buildings than had before existed, many of them being models of architecture and elegance. The num ber erected could not now be ascertained without great difficulty, but we have obtained a statement of those built in 1871 and 1872, which will serve as a criterion for other years, ISn. 1872, Dwellings, 70 44 Business houses, 10 Manufactories, 4 Other buildings 4 4 Remodeled and improved, 9 7 83 69 Many of those put down as dwellings had business rooms Oil the first floor, HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 245 As might be expected, the tables of populations show that the greatest increase was during the years when lots were selling and biiildings were being erected the most rapidly. The increase between 1860 and 1870 took place principally after the war, in the last half of the decade. 1792, Population, 85 families. 1810, Ii 676 1820, ,1 848 Increase, 172 1830, a 1,222 (( 374 1840, »* 1,145 Decrease, 77 1850, li 1,470 Increase, 325 1860, ll 1,890 ll 420 1870, it 3,034 ll 1,144 1876, tl 4,054 in 6 years, 1,020 The population in 1876 was ascertained by the canvass ers for " Africa's Centennial Directory of Huntingdon County," recently published. Not only was the opening of new streets and the extension of old ones rendered necessary by this growth of the town, but it led to a change in street nomenclature and to the adoption of the decimal system of numbering buildings and lots. By an ordinance of July 3rd, 186S, Washington street, from the western line of Charles street to the Warm Springs road at the line of the Renner farm, and Mifflin street, from the western line of Charles street to Fulton (now Eighth,) and from Fulton to Locust (now Thirteenth,) were declared public streets or highways. The same streets, by ordinance of June 3rd, 1870, were extended still further northward to Grant (now Sixteenth) street. The former ordinance also declared Chestnut, Walnut, Spruce and Pine, crossing Washington and Mifflin at right angles, public highways. Other streets were extended or opened as cir cumstances required. The ordinance changing the names of streets running north and south in the old town and east and west in the new, was passed March 3rd, 1871. By it St. Clair street was changed to Second, Smith to Third, Montgomery to Fourth, Bath to Fifth, Franklin to Sixth, Charles to Seventh, Fulton to Eighth, Chestnut to Ninth, Walnut to Tenth, 246 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. Spruce to Eleventh, Pine to Twelfth, Locust to Thirteenth, Cypress to Fourteenth, Anderson to Fifteenth, Grant to Sixteenth, Scott to Seventeenth, Lincoln to Eighteenth, and Jackson to Nineteenth. It also provided that the Standing Stone ridge road should be known as First street, the Standing Stone creek road as Standing Stone avenue, the Warm Springs road as Warm Springs avenue, and the towing-path of the Pennsylvania canal as Canal avenue. The same ordinance divided each square into spaces of twenty-five feet, each space to constitute a number. On streets running parallel with the river, the odd numbers are on the north side and the even numbers on the south side, each cross street beginning another hundred, corresponding with its number. On streets running from the river at right angles, the odd numbers are on the west side, and even numbers on the east, a new hundred beginning with each square. The owners or occupants of buildings fronting on public streets are required to have erected or painted on some conspicuous parts of the fronts or enti^ances, the num ber of the space upon which each building stands. The penalty for neglect of this requirement is a fine of five dollars. In 1873, the borough, which had previously con sisted of but two wards, was divided into four, by act of Assembly approved April 10th. The territory embraced in each was designated as follows : First Ward, all that territory lying northeastward of a line beginning at the Juniata river, and running thence in a direct line along the centre of Fourth street, to the line of Oneida township. Second Ward, all that territory lying west of the First ward and east of the centre of Seventh street. Third Ward,a\\ that territory lying north and west of the Second ward, and south of a line beginning at said (Juniata) river, and running thence eastward in a direct line along the centre of Eleventh street, to the line of Oneida township. Fourth Ward, all the territory lying north of the Third ward. HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 247 On the extension of the borough limits* in 1874, SO as to include a part of Oneida township, the added territory was distributed among the four wards, principally to the second and third. The fire department of Huntingdon consists of three en gines and hook and ladder apparatus, each in charge of an orga'dzed company. The " Juniata " engine was built in Philadelphia, 1804, and brought there early in 1805. It was committed, by an ordinance of 1806, to the Active Fire Company. The newspapers of that and subsequent years had frequent notices to the people to turn out with their buckets, to exercise the engine. It was worked by hand and the water supplied from the most convenient pump or other source. The "Active" Company went out of existence, and was succeeded by the Juniata Fire Engine Company, The latter was organized in June, 1852, and disbanded just two years later. The present Juniata Fire Company was organized September 1st, 1873. The " Phcenix " engine, constructed on a somewhat larger scale than its predecessor, was brought to Huntingdon in 1840. A company then organized to manage it, had an ex istence of but a few years. A reorganization took place in May, 1874, the engine being then removed to West Hunt ingdon. The members of the company are residents of that part of the borough, and are fully uniformed and equipped. The steam fire engine "Huntingdon" was purchased from the Silsby Manufacturing Company in 1873, the "Hunting don Fire Company, No. 1," having been organized October 21st, 1872, in anticipation of its arrival. The Independent Hook and Ladder Company, No. 1, was organized October 20th, 1873. Qn the 4th of December, 1868, an ordinance was passed "authorizing a loan to the borough of Huntingdon for the purpose of purchasing a lot of ground and erecting an engine house thereon." It provided for the borrowing by the bor ough of the sum of four thousand dollars, for which certifi cates were to be issued for amounts not less than one hun dred dollars each, redeemable on the 1st day of January, 248 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 1875, bearing six per cent, interest, payable semi annually, on the first days of January and July in each year, A sup plement to this ordinance was passed February I7th, 1869, increasing the rate of interest to eight per cent. Part of lot number 97, fronting on Washington street west of Fifth street, was conveyed by Zacharias Yenter and wife, April 21st, 1869. The contract for the erection of the build ing had been allotted to John Carman on the 2d of that month, and it was put up during the summer. After the organization of the hook and ladder company it was enlarged, and now accommodates not only the apparatus of that com pany, but the Huntingdon and Juniata engines, and has rooms for the meetings of the companies, and a council chamber. In the chapter relating to private schools will be found a history of the Huntingdon Academy. The other educational institutions are three public school buildings. The first is situated at the northwest corner of Fifth and Moore streets, on a plot containing two acres of ground donated by the proprietor of the town for a " Grammar and Free School." It was erected in 1843, was subsequently enlarged, and now accommodates eight schools. The second is a small brick building, near Cherry alley and Dorland street, one story in height and containing one room for a school for colored children, and the third is a spacious and convenient house, erected in 1874, at the northwest corner of Fourteenth and Moore streets, accommodating four schools. The number of public schools in the borough is thirteen, as follows : One high school, four grammar, four intermedi ate, three primary, and one colored. There are also two schools in the Academy building. Gas, for purposes of illummation, was introduced into the borough on the 29th day of August, 1857. The company by which it is manufactured was incorporated March 4th of that year, and their works, located east of Second .street, be tween Penn and Allegheny, were built that summer, the con tract for their erection having been executed on the 13th day of May, HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 249 The religious denominations worshiping in Huntingdon, their pastors, and the location of their churches, are as fol lows : African Methodist Episcopal Zion, southeast corner Sixth and Moore streets. Rev. Solomon T. Whiten ; African Methodist Episcopal, 719 Moore street. Rev. William P, Ross ; Baptist, northwest corner Seventh and Washington streets. Rev, D, W. Hunter; German Baptist, northwest corner Fourteenth and Washington streets, Rev. H. B. Brumbaugh ; Reformed, northwest corner Sixth and Church streets, Rev. A. Dole; Roman Catholic, (Holy Trinity) north west corner Sixth and Washington streets, Rev. Martin Mur phy ; Protestant Episcopal, (St. John's) 212 Penn street, Rev, Charles H, Mead; United Brethren, northwest corner Twelfth and Mifflin streets. Rev. Martin P. Doyle; First Methodist Episcopal, northwest corner Fifth and Church streets, and Second Methodist Episcopal, Fifteenth street, between Mifflin and Moore, Rev. Finley B. Riddle and Rev. Jesse R. Akers; Presbyterian, southwest corner Fifth and Mifflin streets. Rev. A. Nels^on Hollifield ; and Lutheran, northeast corner Sixth and Mifflin streets, Rev. Joseph R. Focht. The Baptists are erecting a new church edifice at the southwest corner of Sixth and Mifflin streets. The Lutherans, having also determined to build a new church upon the site of the old one, held a " farewell meet ing " in the latter on the evening of May 1st, 1876, at which Prof. A. L. Guss delivered a lecture, entitled " Remember the Days of Old." It was historical in its character, and from it we make such extracts as give the history of that denomination at Huntingdon : " From the best information we can obtain a Lutheran congregation was organized in this place in the year 1804 by Rev. Frederick Haas, a licentiate of the Pennsylvania Synod. He preached in the old Court House, and in 1807 married Miss Elizabeth Miller of this place. In connection with this congregation he preached at Water Street, Williamsburg and Clover Creek, as a supply, and'Marklesburg(then known as Garner's School House), Trough Creek (now known as Cas.s- 250 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. ville), and in Big Valley (now Kishacoquillas). He labored here some twelve years. During the latter part of his labors a little brick church was built by the congregation, which was located where the New Academy now stands, A small debt was left upon this church, which Haas could have easily liquidated had he remained ; but he removed to Me- chanicsburg about 1810, and afterwards to Ohio, The church seems then to have been vacant for some time, and of course declined. "In the year 1819, Rev. Rebenack reports at Huntingdon, with 4 congregations, 14 confirmations, and 144 communi cants He must have remained but a short time, as he re ports the next year at Somerset. Hence he accomplished little while here. "In the year 1820 Rev. Henry Heinan took charge of the congregation, but paid more attention to the practice of med icine than to preaching. Moreover he is said to have been tinctured with rationalism. Hence the church was worse than vacant ; and, the members being neglected, were dis heartened and scattered. After 18 months or two years Heinan moved to Union county. "For the next 15 years, we know not who, if any one, preached for the little flock at Huntingdon. In 1881 it is named as still vacant. In 1838 or 1839 Rev. Mr. Osterloh moved to this place, and preached in the Court House, as the old brick church was then claimed by other parties, and was occupied as a school-house, and was not in a proper con dition for holding services. He endeavored to re-organize the congregation, confining himself, of course, to the Ger man element of society. He failed in this effort and re moved from the town. The older stock of Lutherans, who had become anglicised, gradually were absorbed by other churches, while others stood aloof from all church connec tion. After this period the whole organization ceased. " Pastor Haas seems to have been the only minister worthy of the name that Huntingdon ever had in the olden days. At that time the prospects of the church here were better perhaps than in any ot the towns of the surrounding coun- HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 251 ties, where now large and wealthy congregations exist. We have no doubt that many of the best members of other churches in this town would have followed the footsteps of their ancestors, and be to-day pillars in the Lutheran church if there had been the proper shepherds to lead them by the still waters and into the rich pastures of the love of Christ, "But from the days of Haas, in 1816, to 1853, the place was practically waste, and even worse than desolate. While the church prospered elsewiere, here it retrograded. The owl and the bat took possession of the sanctuary, and our shrine fell into other hands, and was converted into other uses, while the children of the church gradually assimilated into organizations to which their fathers were strangers. But it pleased God again to visit his plantation. " Rev. P. M. Rightmyer began to preach occasionally at Huntingdon as a mission station in the fall of 1853. He had succeeded Rev. J. Martin, at Williamsburg, and had resign ed, and removed to Water Street, where he assisted Rev. J. T. Williams, and subsequently took charge at Water Street, Sinking Valley, on Spruce Creek and at this place. At that time Water Street, Spruce Creek, Marklesburg and Cassville geem to have been the only Lutheran organizations in the county. Rightmyer says he ' found only two or three fam-. ilies here holding to the church, among whom were Snyders and a Mrs. Couts, a hotel keeper's wife, and had he not offered me a place to stay, free of charge, there would have been no Lutheran church in Huntingdon. I visited a num ber of influential men who had gone into the Presbyterian church, asking them if we could not revive and resurrect the old church — they said : ' Too late ! too late ! ' " Rightmyer first preached in the Court House, then in the Baptist church. At length he proposed to build a small church "as a monument to Luther." Some parties who were more envious than Sanballat and Tobiah hereupon de clared " the Lutherans are not able to build a pig pen." This stirred up Rightmyer's German blood. He was young, vigorous, ready for anything. £'ull of faith, he went to work, interested the Hawns and others in the vicinity, 252 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNT'S. published proposals. $1,900 was the lowest bid, made a close calculation, found that it could be built for $1,409, got David Hawn to buy a lot, and ordered the work to go on. "Before the brick were on the ground, there was an in junction on the house. He then gave personal obligations, and the work went on. Some $300 were raised in the Marklesburg charge, and some at Hawns, but little in Hun tingdon. Wherever he went he begged, held meetings and lectured, and gave the proceeds. Finally it was up and dedicated, and then the town was canvassed ; some gave freely; more, moderately; some got angry, while one man, he said, ' looked pitifully on me and gave me $5, adding, ' I think you are too easy to put this enterprise through." Nevertheless, he did put it through, for which many siijce then have been thankful. Rev. Rightmyer now preaches at Cohensy, New Jersey. " The church was built in the summer of 1854. The cor ner-stone was laid on the first of July. Services prepara tory were held in the Baptist church. "At the dedication, the Water Street choir and congrega tion attended, and there was a pleasant season. Rev. P. M. Rightmyer, in connection with his brother Cyrus, who had just completed his studies, and taken charge at Cassville, supplied Huntingdon with preaching until the fall of 1855. At this time Rev. R. H. Fletcher, who had just entered the ministry, took charge at Huntingdon and Lick Ridges, and continued until March, 1858, when he removed to Pine Grove. During this period Rev. W. B, Bechtel lived at Marklesburg, and served that church and Cassville. At the Synodical meeting, held in Bedford in October, 1858, Hun tingdon, Lick Ridges and Marklesburg were made one charge, and in 1859 Rev. J. K, Bricker took charge and re sided at Marklesburg. He served these churches until January, 1864, when he removed to York county, "In 1864 Rev, J. H. Bratten succeeded Rev. Bricker. He served Marklesburg, Huntingdon and the Ridge, and in 1865 reported 50 communicants at Huntingdon. He preached until 1856, when his health failed and he resigned, and after wards died at Chambersburg. HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 253 "In June 1867, Rev. J. J Kerr took up his residence at Huntingdon, the charge being divided, and preached in this place, Lick Ridges, and subsequently also at Mill Creek, Hawn's Scjiool House and at Petersburg, He continued in charge until January, 1872, when he resigned and removed to Maryland, He is now living in Duncannon. He says he found here only 1 8 members and increased to 100. "In April, 1872, Rev. S. S. McHenry moved to Hunting don and served the charge until April, 1875, when he re signed and subsequently removed to Newry, Blair county. During July, August and September, the church at Hun tingdon was served by J, Zimmerman, a theological student from the seminary at Gettysburg, The congregations at Lick Ridges and Mill Creek, after McHenry's resignation, formed a new charge in connection with a church at Mc AIevy's Fort, The congregation was then vacant until Feb ruary, 1876, when a call was extended to our present pastor, Rev. J. R. Focht, under whose ministry quite a revival took place, and the membership increased from about 100 to 160, " I have been unable to find any church records. Usually lists of communicants are kept, but it seems no one knows of their whereabouts. This is to be regretted, as we should have liked to enter into a minute sketch of the membership. As it is, I have had to content myself with meagre data and sift the uncertainties of human recollections. And it is mar velous how many interesting things sleep in the grave of forgetfulness in the course of 22 years when not reduced to writing. So many people live and die, who are intent only on the passing hour and its necessary wants ! Like the ox, they think neither of those who have gone before them, nor of those who may come after them. They remember not the days of old, they consider not the years of many genera tions, they ask not their fathers to tell them, nor do they explain to their children the lessons of the past! The 'gen eration following ' is the least of their troubles. History is science teaching by examples, but on many persons the in struction is lost, " At this time, this congregation has about 160 members, 254 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, not counting 7 families at the Branch, and embraces about 44 male heads of families. It is in a much more flourishing condition than it was ever before, A good part of its mem bership has been composed of a floating population. Not being raised together, and many of us coming here from other places, the social spirit of Christian society has never been cultivated as it should have been. Perhaps the membership have become better acquainted with each other during our recent revival ; and we hope and pray that we may all be led to exclaim : Behold how sweet and pleasant it is to dwell together in Christian love 1 " The mission of this church is by no means ended. It not only has its membership and the children of its member ship to look after, but there are several hundreds in this town yet, who are children of the church, some of whom at tend our sanctuary, while others have so far forgotten duty, as seldom or never to be found in the house of God, It is the duty of this church to reclaim the fallen, confirm the wavering, feed the sheep, and take care of the lambs. May she be equal to the task I " Without a suitable house of worship no church can in this day perform her duty and flourish. Our old house has outlived its usefulness. We propose now to remove it and erect a new one suitable to our wants and commensurate to the taste of the times. " The erection of a new church has been in contemplation for several years. By a fair, held in 1872, the sum of $500 was realized. A lot, belonging to the congregation, is deemed worth about that same sum. About $3,000 have already been subscribed among our own membership. We are weak in numbers and poor in purse ; but we believe that if we erect a ho.use that will fitly accommodate our congre gation, and in a style that will make it an ornameat to our town, that our neighbors and brethren of other churches in town will aid us a little, " We have no suitable Sabbath-school room, nor place for prayer meetings; the roof leaks, and it is not deemed proper to waste money in repairs ; we propose to take it HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 255 down and use the material again in a neat two-story house, with gothic ceiling, with a central tower for a bell, and a spire pointing up to heaven." The day after the delivery of Prof. Guss' lecture, work men commenced the removal of the old church. The new one is now in course of erection. In the spring of the present year, Rev, J, S. McMurray prepared and published a sketch of the history of the Metho dist church at Huntingdon. We give it here in full : "The Methodist Episcopal Church in America being or ganized in 1784, in four years thereafter — 1788 — Samuel Breeze and Daniel Combs were appointed to Huntingdon circuit, with Nelson Reed as Elder, the other two being un- ordained ; the then circuit embracing the territory now in cluded in both the Juniata and Altoona Districts, with a society of fifty-nine members. "Up to 1798, the nearest preaching appointment to Hun tingdon was at Michael Crider's mill, about 1^ miles west of the town. In that year (according to the reminis cences of Aunt Kitty Kurtz, the oldest member of the church now living, who was born in 1786, and whose father settled in Huntingdon in 1789), the first Methodist preach ing in the town was by one Lesley Matthews, reputed to have been a converted Roman Catholic priest — who was as sociated with John Watson and Nelson Reed as Elder. Num bers then in Society on the circuit, one hundred and sixty- five whites and two colored. "The first preaching-place was in one Beckie Tanner's house, on what is now Penn street, and where the brick residence of John Read, esq , now stands. "The first Quarterly Meeting was held in au 'upper room', twelve feet square, of a small log building, still standing, which then belonged to James Saxton, deceased, and where Wm. Africa's shoe shop now is, on Penn street, south side of the Diamond. "The first Society formed in the town was in 1797, con sisting of eight persons, viz : Michael Crider and wife, their son Daniel, Thomas Carr and wife, Isaiah Harr and wife, and 256 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. James Saxton. This small class met in a warehouse on the bank of the Juniata river, near the end of what is now Fifth street. The numbers in Society on the circuit were two hundred and forty-two, with Seely Bunn and John Philips as preachers, and J. Everett, Presiding Elder. ¦ In this year occurs the first designation of Presiding Elders — there being twenty-two of them in the whole connection, with one hun dred and fifty seven ordained preachers called elders; the limit of a presiding elder's term on a district being four years, as it is now. "The first chapel, twenty -five by thirty, consisting of hewed logs, was built in 1802, where the brick M. E. church now stands, on the northwest corner of Fifth and Church streets. The preachers of the circuit were Isaac Robbins and Jos. Stone, with W, Lee as Presiding Elder, and numbers in so ciety four hundred and seventeen. In this year^ Annual Conferences were organized, previous to which all the preach ers in America met in one body, Huntingdon being included in the Baltimore District of the Baltimore Conference. "Coincidents. — In the year the first class or society was formed in Huntingdon, the first designation and appointment of Presiding Elders was m ide, viz : in 1797 ; and in the year the first Methodist house of worship was built in Huntingdon, Annual Conferences were organized (1802). "A curious incident occurred in 1810, as appears from the book of the Recording Steward, or Quarterly Conference Journal. Among other items of expense incurred at a camp meeting is this: " Whittaker S. Vantries, for 200 segars, for the use of the preachers, 50 cents." "The plan of Huntingdon circuit in 1814 was from Hun tingdon to Williamsburg; thence up the Juniata to Franks- town ; thence through Sinking Valley, over the Allegheny to Philipsburg; thence, to what is now called the Union Church, six miles above Clearfield, on the Susquehanna ; thence back again through Philipsbufg, by a powder mill which then stood beyond the town, to Warrior's Mark ; thence to Half Moon ; thence to Benton's, now Pennsylvania Fur nace ; thence to Spruce Creek, taking in Huntingdon Fur- HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 257 nace and several other appointments ; thence to Kishaco quillas ; thence to Stone Valley, taking in some five appoint ments, back to Huntingdon ; the preachers of the circuit being James Riley and Samuel Davis, with Robert Burchas Presiding Elder, "Huntingdon became a station in 1866, during the pastor ate of Job A. Price, now of the Baltimore Conference, with 158 members and 104 probationers. In a decade from that time (1875) the members in society have reached 715, con sisting of 429 members and 286 probationers. There are now two churches, the one already referred to, valued at $15,000, and a new chapel of gothic structure in West Hun tingdon, capable of seating five hundred persons, costing, exclusive of the lot, $2,600, dedicated February 13th, 1876. There is also a good, comfortable parsonage, well furnished, valued at $3,000. The official body : M. K. Foster, P. E. ; J. S. McMurray, P. C. ; J. R. Akers, Jun. P. ; J. W. Ely, Supernumerary. Local Preachers, J. Irvin White and J. F. McKinley. Exhorters, John Hagey and J. Harry Geissinger, with a full board of Stewards, two boards of Trustees, six- ' teen Class Leaders, and two Sunday-school Superintendents." In compliance with the request of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of the United States, addressed to the pastors of all of its congregations, an historical ser mon was delivered at Huntingdon, on Sunday, July 2, 1876, by Rev. A. Nelson Hollifield, pastor of the Presbyterian church, giving an account of the church at that place from its organization until the present time. We have been per mitted to take from it such facts and extracts as give a suc cinct history of the church buildings and pastors : " On July 6, 1789, the Presbyterians residing in and near the town were organized into a church, and on the same day gave a call to the Rev. John Johnston for one-half of his ministerial services. Three days hence it will have num bered the eighty-seventh year of its existence. It was or ganized in the same year that gave the world the General A.ssembly of the Presbyterian Church of America. It is only thirteen years the junior of our great republic, and, E 258 HISTORY OF HUNTIN(JpON COUNTY. like it, seems to be renewing its youth and gathering its strength for another century of usefulness and honor." ****** " In the early part of his (Rev, Johnston's) ministry, there was no church edifice, but he preached in private houses un til the old court house was built on Third street. Among other places, he preached in an unfinished apartment of a log building on the northeast corner of Second and Penn streets, part of which was occupied as a jail. He also preached in the second story of the house on the northeast corner of Fourth and Washington streets, which building is still standing. On the completion of the court house he preached in it, " Subsequently the Episcopalians, Lutherans and Presby terians united, and erected what was long known as the Brick Church, in which they severally worshiped. The building was situated on the lot now occupied by the Academy, on the northeast corner of Fourth and Church streets," * * * * * " June 13, 1823, after having served this congregation faithfully for three and thirty years, the pastoral relations existing between Mr, Johnston and this charge dissolved, and on the 16th day of December, following, he departed this life, in the seventy -fourth year of his age," " The church remained vacant until June 21, 1825, a pe riod of two years, when the Rev, John Peebles was installed as pastor by the Presbytery of Huntingdon, Mr. Peebles was born near Shippensburg, Pa., July 17, 1800, and was the son of Capt. Robert Peebles, an officer in the Revolu tionary war. Mr, Peebles was a graduate of Jefferson Col lege, studied theology at Princeton Seminary, and was licensed to preach the gospel by the Presbytery of Carlisle in the spring of 1824, In November, 1824, on the recom mendation of the Rev, Henry R. Wilson, D, B,, he visited this church, and his pulpit ministrations giving general satisfaction, he was invited and consented to remain as stated supply during the winter of 1824-25, On the 22d of April, this congregation extended him a call for his pastoral HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 259 services for two-thirds of his time. The succeeding day — April 23 — he received a call from the Hartslog (now Alex andria) congregation for the remaining one-third of his time. These calls he accepted, and was installed over the church June 21, 1825." * * » * " When Mr. Peebles entered upon his work in this field, the congregation was exceedingly small and possessed no house of worship other than the brick church used in com mon by the Episcopalians, Lutherans and Presbyterians. In June, 1830, through the efforts of Mr. Peebles, the first house of worship owned exclusivbly by this congregation, was com pleted and dedicated. It was located on the west side of Fourth street, above Mifflin, The congregation increased so rapidly under Mr, Peebles' administration, that they were soon compelled to arise and build another and more commo dious sanctuary, which they did in 1844 and '45. In the latter year the dedication of the second church edifice, located at the southwest corner of Sixth and Penn streets, took place." " In April, 1850, Mr. Peebles, owing to the impaired state of his health, tendered his resignation, which was not accepted until earnest expostulations and frequent entreaties had es sayed in vain to alter his fixed determination." ****** " On the 3d of August, 1854, he was seized with a fever of a typhoid type, and on the 11th of August he passed away from a sorrowing people exclaiming, ' 0 ! that will be joyful,' " " The congregation having sxtended a call to the Rev. Lowman P. Hawes, he was regularly installed as pastor June 4th, 1850. Mr. Hawes was a preacher of more than ordinary ability, his sermons possessing all the polish which a gifted intellect and high scholarship could give them. " His health failing, he resigned his charge in January, 1854, for the purpose of traveling in Europe, Mr, Hawes was the first pastor whose full time was engaged by this congregation. " June 14th, 1854, the Rev. 0. 0. McClean, D.D., was in stalled as pastor, Dr, McClean was universally popular as 260 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. a preacher and pastor. In each of these capacities he pos sessed gifts and graces peculiar to himself, which greatly en deared him to his people during his brief but brilliant pas torate. His faithful labors were blessed at different periods by numerous accessions to the church, and under his efficient administration the organization grew in usefulness and power," ***** " June 14th, 1859, the Rev. G. W. Zahnizer having re ceived and accepted a call from this church, he was duly inducted into the office of pastor by the Presbytery, and a more fitting successor to Dr. McClean it would have been difficult to designate. Mr, Zahnizer's ministry was a success. Additions were annually made to the church, but it was re served for the winter of '73 to place the crown of half-a-hun- dred conversions on his labors, and the same year witnessed the dedication of this magnificent temple of worship, " In June, 1875, notwithstanding the written and earnest protest of a majority of the congregation, Mr. Zahnizer, from a sense of duty, requested this congregation to unite with him in his prayer to the Presbytery, asking for a dissolu tion of the pastoral relation. The congregation refused to acquiesce. Nevertheless the Presbytery granted the prayer of Mr. Zahnizer, owing to his deep conviction of duty," After hearing a large number of candidates, the congre gation, on the 5th day of January, 1876, gave a unanimous call to the present incumbent, the Rev, A, Nelson Hollifield, then pastor of the Fairview church, in the Presbytery of Chester, He preached his first sermon after accepting the call on the evening of January 31st, and by a strange coin cidence founded his discourse on the same text — 2 Kings : 5-12 — from which his immediate predecessor preached his initial sermon. A protracted meeting had been in progress during the preceding week, conducted by Rev. Samuel T. Wilson, D, D., and Rev. R. M. Wallace, a committee ap pointed by the Presbytery for the purpose. This commit tee Mr. Hollifield reluctantly relieved. The meetings were continued for six weeks. During the first two weeks ser vices were held day and night, and the rest of the time at HISTOEY OF flUNTINGDON COUNTY, 261 nights only. With few exceptions, Mr, H. preached at every service. As the result of these labors, one hundred and seventy persons were received into the church on profession of their faith in Christ, and fifteen by letter from other churches. The present number of communicants is about four hun dred and fifty, the congregations are large, and the church is in a thriving condition. Such is the brief history of this old and influential church. In point of numbers, intelli gence, piety, wealth and liberality, it ranks among the fore most of its denomination in Central Pennsylvania, CHAPTER XXXV. TOWNSHIPS — DIVISIONS AND SUB-DIVISIONS — ERECTED FROM TYRONE — FROM HUNTINGDON — FROM BARREE— FROM HOPEWELI/ — FROM SHIRLEY — FROM DUBLIN — TOWNSHIPS FORMED SINCE THE ERECMON OP THE COUNTY, IN THE ORDER OF THEIR AGES — BARREE — HOPEWELL, The townships wholly or partly within the present limits of Huntingdon county at the time of its erection in 1787, were Tyrone, Barree, Huntingdon, Hopewell, Shirley and Dublin. Frankstpwn and Woodbury townships, which were within the county when formed, were parts of the territory of which Blair county was erected in 1846. Tyrone town ship was also partly within the latter county. Those six original townships have been divided and sub divided, until the number is now twenty-five. Four of thera — Barree, Hopewell, Shirley and Dublin — are still in exis tence, although much reduced in extent, while Tyrone and Huntingdon no longer exist in Huntingdon county. The townships erected from each of them are as follows : From Tyrone have been formed Franklin, Morris and Warrior's Mark, From Huntingdon have been formed Henderson, Porter, Walker, Brady, Juniata and part of Oneida. From Barree have been formed West, Jackson and part of Oneida, From Hopewell have been formed Union, Tod, Cass, Penn, Carbon and Lincoln, From Shirley have been formed Clay and parts of Spring field and Cromwell, From Dublin have been formed Tell and parts of Spring field and Cromwell, The present townships at the time of their formation did not all belong to the original townships, some of them being the result of two or three subdivisions. Thus Warriors' Mark, although a part of the original township of Tyrone, HISTOBY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 263 was formed from Franklin. The townships erected since the county, in the order of their ages, are as follows : FROM. Tyrone.Dublin and Shirley. Hopewell. Tyrone.Barree. Franklin. Dublin. Huntingdon. Huntingdon. Porter. Shirley and Springfield. Union. Union, Barree. Springfield. Henderson.Hopewell. Henderson and West. Walker. Tod. Hopewell. TOWNSHIP. Franklin,Springfield,Union, Morris,West, Warriors' Mark, Tell,Henderson, Porter,Walker, Cromwell, Tod, Cass,Jackson, Clay, Brady,Penn, Oneida,Juniata,Carbon,Lincoln, WHEN ERECTED. March, 1789, December, 1790, June, 1791, August, 1794, April, 1796, January, 1798, April, 1810, November, 1814, November, 1814, April, 1827, January, 1836, April, 1838, January 21st, 1843, January 15th, 1845, April 15th, 1845, April, 1846, November 21, 1846, August 20th, 1856, November 19, 1856, April 23d, 1858, August 18th, 1866, Barree township, in 1771, the year of the erection of Bed ford county, embraced a much greater extent of territory than in 1787, a very large proportion of it having been taken off between those years in the formation of other townships. It then included all that part of the present county of Huntingdon lying northwest of Jack's mountain, and may be said to be the mother of townships, seventeen having been taken from her original limits. She has thus been reduced in extent to about four miles in average jfvidth, from West and Oneida townships to Jackson, and ten or twelve miles in length, from the summit of Standing Stone mountain and the Mifflin county line on the southeast to the summit of Tussey's mountain and the Centre county line on the northwest. The only considerable elevation between the mountains which form two of its boundaries is Warrior's Ridge, cross ing it south and east of its centre. On one side of this ridge flow the waters of Shaver's creek, and on the other side 264 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. those of Standing Stone creek. The two branches of the latter unite in the township. It contains iron ore, yielding forty-two per cent, of metal. The extent of the deposits are comparatively unknown, as they are yet undeveloped, Monroe Furnace, situated in the extreme northwestern corner of the township, near the Jackson township line, was built in 1844 or '45 by General James Irvin, of Centre county. It now belongs to the Logan Iron and Steel Com pany, and has not been in operation for many years. There are three post-offices in the township — Cornpropst's Mill, on Standing Stone creek, and Manor Hill and Sauls- burg, between Warrior's Ridge and Shaver's creek. At each of these places there are villages containing schools and stores, and the latter two have hotels. Manor Hill is upon the " Shaver's creek manor," surveyed for the proprietaries of the province in 1762, from which the place derives its name. Hopewell township, now reduced to one of the smallest in the county, is bounded on the north by Lincoln, on the southeast by Tod and Carbon, being separated from them by Terrace mountain, on the southwest by Bedford county, and on the northwest by Blair. The Huntingdon and Broad- Top Mountain Railroad runs through it from northeast to southwest, and the Raystown branch of the Juniata winds its serpentine course in the same general direction. The sur face of the township is rugged and broken, its proximity to the giant Broad Top giving it many of the features of a mining region without the advantages of being so in reality. The township contains no post-office, the people being ac commodated with this facility at Coalmont, in Carbon town ship, and at Saxton, in Bedford county. CHAPTER XXXVI, DUBLIN TOWNSHIP — THE SHADOW OF DEATH — EARLY' SETTLERS — .ALEXANDER BLAIR — MANUFACTORIES — DEVELOPMENT OF MINERAL WEALTH — SHADE GAP — INCORPORATION AS A BOROUGH — CHURCHES, ETC. Dublin township is situated in the extreme southern end of the county, extending farther south than any other. It is separated from Franklin county on the east, by the Tus carora mountain, from Springfield and Cromwell townships, on the west, by Shade mountain, and is bounded on the north by Tell township, and on the south by Fulton county. The Indian war-path, upon which the traders and other early adventurers traveled, traversed this township, and therefore we trace the presence of white men back to the expeditions of Conrad Weiser and George Croghan in 1748. "The Shadow of Death" is mentioned by John Harris, in his " account of the road to Logstown," in 1754, The name has undergone some changes, appearing in warrants issued between 1762 and 1767, as the " Shades of Death." Within the recollection of persons still living it was known as " The Shades," and more recently it has been transformed into " Shade Gap," the name of a flourishing borough, and the only post-office in the township. In addition to the warrants dated prior to the Revolu tionary war, there is other evidence attesting the presence of settlers before that period. There are graves scattered in out-of-the-way places through the township, of which no ac count is given except that they are the resting places of the earliest white residents of the region. In a field of Mr, Kough's are pointed out the tombs of Samuel Paul and wife, who lived and died there, perhaps the very first in the township. Half a mile distant are buried four unknown persons, and other graves are to be found equally obscure, George Croghan, whose name appears so frequently upon the records of the Land Office and in connection with early titles in this county that we cannot mistake his proclivities 266 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, towards speculation and jobbing, had surveyed upon a war rant a valuable tract of land near Shade Gap, containing about 876 acres. This was among the first surveys, if there were any preceding it, and upon it was made one of the first settlements. The following account of the family which has there re sided for more than a hundred and ten years, is furnished for this work by Dr, J, A. Shade : "In the year 1755 a Scotch-Irishman by the name of Alexander Blair came to Chester county, Pa,, where he stopped awhile, and married a woman (Rachel Carson,) who came with him, somewhere about 1765, to Dublin township, and having bought a part of the Croghan tract of land, set tled thereon ; and during all the subsequent years this land has been and is now held by the family, " On this land these pioneers are buried — here they led a most adventurous and eventful life far from the associations and attractions of civilized society, occasionally visited by the savages, and in the beginning with a natural constant fear of their incursions, " It is related that about this time, during a hard winter, Alexander Blair traveled on the snow in snow-shoes to his neighbor Jacob Gooshorn's house in Tell township, about nine miles distant, with a bag of corn on his back, when the two made a small light sled, and on this each one put his little bag of corn, and with snow-shoes on their feet hauled it on top of the deep snow to a mill that stood on the Juni ata river somewhere below McVeytown, " From a very early day the old Blair house, built by Alexander Blair, and which was burnt last fall, was the centre of trade and travel. All the wagons going to and from Baltimore made it their stopping place ; all the law yers passing to and fro between Chambersburg and Hun tingdon sojourned over night there ; all the elections and all the militia trainings were held there. The first store was established there, as well as the first tavern. It was for a very long time the only stopping place between Shir leysburg and Burnt Cabins, and from all accounts was in- HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 267 deed a grand old hostelry of the olden times, full of good cheer, and belated travelers would push long into the night to make that their resting place, " John Blair, one of a number of sons and daughters born here to this worthy old couple, is a marked man in the his tory of Dublin township. He early displayed his charac teristic energy and force; he bought some two hundred acres more of the Croghan land adjoining his father's prop erty, and soon developed it from its native woods into a beautiful farm, where he lived and died at a good age in 1841. For a good many years, from quite a young man, Mr. Blair was Justice of the Peace, and a ruling Elder in the Presbyterian church. During all the long period he held the office of magistrate, the records of Huntingdon will show that no appeal or certiorari was ever taken in any case decided by him, and no criminal business was passed from his docket to the Court of Quarter Sessions. His in fluence and energy were exerted up to the very last of his useful life for the benefit of the neighborhood, and he died much regfetted," David Cree and wife, from Philadelphia, settled on a fine tract of limestone land in the southern part of the township, owned by Nathan McDowell, of Peters township, Franklin county, from whom they rented, about the year 1773, They paid an annual rental, as appears from the original article of agreement, of ten pounds. The land was afterwards bought by Cree, and remained in the possession of his family until a few years ago. Ten children were born to him there, and they and their descendants are among the most respectable people of the county. One of the latter is Thomas K. Cree, so well known in connection with the Young Men's Christian Association. The farm passed into the hands of James Clymans, its present owner, and is now one of the best in the township. About the same year, John Walker settled on a tract ad joining Cree's, and extending to the Tuscarora mountain, near by. This land was also held by the Walker family till very recently. 268 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. James McCardle, at the time of the Cree and Walker set tlements, lived on the Tuscarora mountain, about a mile from the latter. It is supposed that he was among the very earliest settlers and his house one of the first built in the township, dating back anterior to the advent of Cree and Walker. During the decade from 1780 to 1790, the number of set tlements increased rapidly. Many then came to the town ship whose descendants still occupy the paternal acres. It was in or about the former year that James McGee took up some land adjoining the Croghan tract. In 1782 George Hudson came from Carlisle and settled at Shade Gap, living in a cabin and purchasing some " squatter claims," for which there were no warrants, and thus secured a large and valuable scope of land immediately adjoining the gap, much of which remains in the possession of his descendants to this day. He was a man of fine quali ties and of great usefulness and influence. He became a magistrate and established a woolen mill and a grist mill near the gap at an early period, improvements which were of vast value to the community, but which have been re placed by other and better ones. " Good morning, neigh bors," was the salutation of old Mr. Hudson, as he met the fathers at th» door of the church coming up to worship, William Morrow and John Appleby settled along the Kittanning or Indian path, in the ridges about two miles east of Shade Gap, and James Wilson and William More- land in the same neighborhood. The land there was con sidered the most desirable because it was smooth and easy to clear in comparison with that along the mountains, but now the preponderance of value is largely in favor of the latter. About the centre of this settlement was built per haps the first school house in the township. Another was built on Jerry's ridge shortly afterwards, if not at the same time. Among the earliest teachers were James McGee, William Woods and George Moreland. Settlements were made about the same period by Robert and Alexander McElroy and Robert and William Marshall HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 269 on the Hunting ridge, and by James Morton and Wil liam Fleming at the foot of the Tuscarora mountain. Arch ibald Stitt also settled near the foot of the same mountain, adjoining Tell township, where he lived a long and useful life. He was a respected elder of the Presbyterian church for many years, and has left numerous descendants in the township and county. Peterson, Johnson, Harper, Jeffries, Curry, Neely, Rouse and Shearer are names of other settlers whose families are yet to some extent represented in the township. There was no blacksmith shop nearer than Burnt Cabins or Orbisonia previous to 1803, when Michael Mills estab lished one near Shade Gap. It was in existence until the death of his son William Mills, three years ago. Esquire Blair and Mr. Harper each conducted tan-yards from an early period. Within a few years past the Blair yard has developed in the hands of John Minich, who bought it, into a large steam tannery, doing a heavy and successful business. The Harper yard has gone out of use. The only other manufacturing establishments of ancient or modern times worthy of being mentioned, are the distil leries, which were not uncommon in the beginning of this century, several having existed in the township for a long period, making a considerable market for rye, which was then largely cultivated. From all accounts intemperance was not then any more prevalent than at present and was quite as unpopular. The date when a wagon road was made through the township and through Shade Gap is uncertain. Joshua Morgan, of Black Log valley, who died many years ago, is said to have been the first man who drove a team through the gap. While there have been no startling discoveries made in this township, and no unexpected attractions presented to invite and stimulate rapid increase of population and wealth, there has been a healthy onward movement, which is gather ing force as it progresses, and just now bids fair to culminate in splendid developments. It has been found that the town- 270 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, ship contains large deposits of very valuable fossil and hema tite iron ores, which have already been partially instrumental in originating two furnaces, among the largest in the State, within six miles of Shade Gap, with an accompanying rail road, which is expected soon to traverse the township and perhaps lead to other furnaces. The lands that were in the woods a hundred years ago, have been changed to fruitful fields. Numerous farms and homes of beauty and culture have taken the place of the wilderness of that day. A thou sand people now dwell in comfort where it was then difficult to trace a single white man, and a flourishing village, the centre of trade of the township, attests the march of improvement, Dr, J, A, Shade settled at Shade Gap, in 1842, to practice medicine, and as the only buildings there were occupied by B. X. Blair, as store and residence, and by W. Mills, he found it necessary to build himself a dwelling; and having erected a tasty and substantial structure, for the times, others were induced to follow his example. In 1849, Milnwood Academy came into existence through the energy and zeal of the Presbyterian pastor, Rev, J. F, McGinnes. Its pros perity added to the prosperity of Shade Gap, and thenceforth the village grew, until, on the petition of Dr, Shade, H. R, Shearer, S, D. Caldwell, George Sipes, and divers other citizens, it was at the April Sessions, 1871, ordained a borough by the Court of Huntingdon county. The incorporation of the place was followed by a marked increase in building and more attention to the improvement of the streets. It now contains several stores, two hotels, the various mechanics, and two or three doctors, all doing well. Thirty years ago, Dr. Shade was the only physician in a territory now sustaining fifteen medical gentlemen. The Methodist church in Shade Gap was built in 1846, There had previously been a log church belonging to the same denomination, in the southern part of the township, on lands of Isaac Thompson, built largely by his means. This has been vacated and is now gone, but a better struc ture took its place at Burnt Cabins, two miles distant. HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 271 The Presbyterian church adjacent to, but not within the borough, was built in 1848 or '49, under the instrumentality of the pastor. Rev. Mr. McGinnes. It succeeded .a white rough oast church, which was the original structure the early settlers worshiped in, and which was probably built about 1790, though the records fail to indicate the time of its erection or the organization of the congregation. The first pastor of whom there is any account was the Rev. Mr, Mcllvaine, He was succeeded by Rev. George Gray, who for more than twenty years ministered, to the spiritual wants of the people. The present pastor is Rev. Mr, Kuhn. Including the church at the foot of Tuscarora mountain, three miles from Shade Gap, built eight or ten years ago, the number of members is about one hundred and eighty. CHAPTER XXX VIL SHIRLEY TOWNSHIP — EARLY SETTLERS — MILLS — STORES — DRAKE's FERRY — CLINTONVILLE — SANTA FE — MOUNT UNION — IRON ORES OF THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY — IMPROVEMENTS IN MOUNT UNION AND VICINITY — JET d'eAU and hotel DES INVALIDES— SHIRLEYSBURG. Shirley is one of the largest, and with its two boroughs. Mount Union and Shirleysburg, is the most populous town ship in the county. It extends from the Juniata river on the north to Cromwell township on the .south, and from Shade mountain on the southeast to Jack's mountain on the northwest. There are running through it, parallel with its two last mentioned boundaries, Black Log mountain, Owen's ridge. Chestnut ridge and Stony ridge, dividing it into a number of valleys, each of which is watered by a stream flowing towards the Juniata. The principal of these are Black Log creek, the Aughwick and Hill valley run. The township, as well as the town of Shirleysburg, derives its name from Fort Shirley, which was located within the limits of the latter. A few of the remote descendants of the early settlers of Shirley township may be found in the Davis, Morgan, Clugage and Sharrer families. The Galbraiths, who were pioneers of Germany valley, the Warners, of Shirleysburg, and the Matthews, who lived south of the town, have not left their names to perpetuate their memory. The Matthews burying ground, on land of Mr, A, L. Ricketts, containing a score or more of the old settlers' graves, cannot now be recognized, having long since been farmed and plowed over. The first grist mill of any note in the township was the old log mill on Fort run, above the one now owned by Mr, Heffner, Other old mills stood near Mount Union, in Hill valley near the site of the Brewster tannery, and on lands adjoining William Morrison's heirs. These preceded the Bedford Furnace mill, now Mr, Thomas E, Orbison's, at Orbisonia, which far exceeded in capacity anything of the HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 273 kind in its day in that section. It has been succeeded by Baker's, now Bell's, mill, on the Juniata, at the lower end of Germany valley, built about the year 1800, by Peter and Abraham Baker, who came from Maryland ; by Heffner's mill, built by David Eby ; by the Old Log mill, built by Mr. Crownover; by the Aughwick or Brick mill built by Eby & Madden, and by a second mill on the stream or run near Mount Union, built by the Shaver brothers, and now owned by Mr, David Etnier, who has greatly enlarged and improved it. There were two powder-mills in operation in the town ship in the early part of the present century, one built by the Sharrer brothers below Shirleysburg, and the other by Adam and Paul Sharrer on Sugar run. In 1820 Shirley township, then including parts of Crom well and Clay, had but two small stores. There was none south of it nearer than Burnt Cabins, nor north nearer than the Red house, above Mill Creek, Now there are within the same territory twenty-five or more doing a prosperous business. Prior to th^ making of the Pennsylvania canal, merchandise was brought into that portion of the county in wagons, by way of Shade Gap, and the surplus productions were carried away by arks, one ark each spring being suffi cient and it was sometimes necessary to make out the load with whisky and locust posts. Immediately after the com pletion of the canal, agriculture took a new impetus and population began to increase. Additional iron works were erected within the portion of the township from which Crom well has since been formed. Drake's Ferry on the Juniata, above the present site of Mount Union, owned and managed by the Drake family, was a source of considerable revenue, as it was on the great thoroughfare from Huntingdon to Chambersburg, Hagerstown, Harper's Ferry and Baltimore, and the principal route of traffic during the first quarter of the present cen tury. Merchandise from Baltimore came into the county by way of Fort Loudon, passing around the end of the Kit tatinny mountain, and through Cowen's and Shade gaps. 274 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. From Bedford furnace the road struck the end of Sandy ridge, below the furnace, and followed the top and bench of the ridge to near where the Dunkard church now stands in Germany valley, thence to the gap near Christian Price's resi dence, and following nearly its present bed to Drake's ferry, "a route," in the language of John Dougherty, "first trod by the deer and elk, followed by the Indian, the trapper, the trader and the wagoner, and, on the extension of the East Broad Top railroad, sixteen miles, to the water-shed divid ing the Juniata and the Potomac rivers, and thence by way of Cowen's gap to Richmond, the present terminus of the Southern Pennsylvania railroad, trade and travel will again flow through these channels from Mount Union to Baltimore and Washington cities, and cars laden with East Broad Top and Rocky ridge coal for the counties of Fulton, Franklin, York and Adams, and western Maryland, will bring back red and brown hematite iron ores from the iron mountains of Fulton county to mix with the fossiliferous ores mined from the foot-hills around Mount Union, and make it neces sary to utilize the twenty-two feet fall at the bend of the Juniata river, where iron may be made at low cost and re munerative prices." On the opening of the Pennsylvania canal, Thomas T. Cromwell, proprietor of Winchester Furnace, located a town, to which he gave the name of Clintonville, at Drake's ferry, and Dr. James G. Lightner and Colonel Pollock built a wharf there, from which pig metal from Matilda and Win chester furnaces was shipped. Whilst Messrs. Cromwell, Lightner, Pollock, Cottrell Caldwell and Fenn were endeavoring to build up a town at that point, William Wakefield and Joseph Strude opened a store, wharf and warehouse at Shaver's aqueduct, at the lower end of the present site of Mount Union, and John Shaver and James Kelly occupied with their wharves and warehouses other positions along the canal west of the aqueduct. Kelly called his locality Santa Fe, the city of the holy faith, a name that Queen Isabella gave to a city built on the site of Granada, the last stronghold of the crescent in Spain. HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 275 From 1830 to 1850, trade, business and travel were con fined to the vicinity of the canal, and although the Penn sylvania railroad was completed in the latter year, and churches, town hall and numerous dwellings and places of business have been built south of the railroad, yet a consid erable portion of trade and traffic is still done along the canal, the owners of wharfs and warehouses awaiting the day when barges and packet boats shall not only rival but take precedence of locomotives and Pullman palace cars. Mount Union was laid out in 1850, by Gen, George W. Speer and John Dougherty, and was designed by the pro prietors as a place of transfer from their contemplated Drake's Ferry and East Broad Top Railroad, for which a charter was granted by the Legislature in 1849, to the Penn sylvania canal. The name. Mount Union, concentrates the physical, geological, commercial, mineral and manufacturing features of a wild and beautiful region. The East Broad Top railroad intersects the Pennsylvania railroad at Mount, Union and has added five hundred tons of coal and forty tons of pig-metal daily to the tonnage of the latter. This will be more than doubled when a branch railway of two and a-half miles into the Rocky ridge coal basin and a dozen miles to the iron mines of Fulton county, shall be built. From a letter written by John Dougherty, esq., to Prof. De- wees, of the State Geological Survey, on the 28th day of Janu ary, 1875, giving a sketch of the history of Matilda Furnace, opposite Mount Union, in Mifflin county, we take the follow ing extract in relation to the iron ores of the southern part of Huntingdon county, from the Juniata river to Fort Littleton : " In the vicinity of Mount Union, fossil ore yielding 40 per cent, of iron can be mined in slopes of 500 to 700 feet above water level, " In addition to the hard fossil vein worked at Matilda Furnace, three veins of soft fossil ; a large mass, 25 feet in aggregate, known as the limestone ore vein ,-'the levant vein and two veins of hematite iron ore, run parallel with Jack's mountain. 276 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, " Hematite and levant iron ores at the river are too low down to be worked to an advantage, but rise rapidly as you go southward, until these have attained an altitude of 500 feet above the river, ten miles south from Mount Union, and near the line of East Broad Top Railroad, where all these ore veins are found in close proximity, leaning on the east flank of Jack's mountain. A short tunnel would drain and give access to some eight or more veins of iron ore. At this elevation these levant ores yield 50 per cent of neutral iron. Dipping under Aughwick valley, they crop out again along the west flank of Black Log mountain, from Meadow Gap to near Fort Littleton, near which they ter minate in a limestone dyke, filled with hematite, levant and sublimated iron ores from a molten-mineral basin, the fount of the forces that lifted the Broad Top coal basin from its ocean bed ; — raised the water shed dividing the waters of the Juniata and Potomac rivers; and upturned the edges of the No. 2 limestone (7,000 feet in thickness !) giving access to immense masses of red and brown hematite iron ores in close proximity to the East Broad Top coal measures. " On the extension of a branch railway of a dozen miles, from near Orbisonia to Fort Littleton, these older, rich and more abundant iron ores will, in connection with the fossil ores of Mount Union, give profitable employment to capital and labor, and throw on the Pennsylvania railway tonnage and travel from the counties of Fulton and Franklin to Pitts burg a'ld Philadelphia, and make it necessary to utilize the water powers of the Juniata river at Mount Union, where a 22 feet fall may be, at small cost, made available for manu facturing purposes. " Names," says the Koran, " come from Heaven and are the prophets of destiny," Mount Union derived its name from a union of Jack's and Stone mountain's on the west, and Chestnut ridge and Jack's mountain on the east — linked north and south of Mount Union to Jack's mountain. " Hence Mount Union, the victim of centralization, re mained in the deep ocean buried, until the day when the mother of Rivers bade her blue-eyed daughter, Juniata, HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 277 cleave the mountains that barred her way to the bosom from whence she sprang," Matilda Furnace, in the immediate vicinity of Mount Union, built in 1886-7, makes about seventy-five tons of pig-metal per week and gives employment to eighty men. Two large steam tanneries, one water-power and one steam grist mill, about twenty workshops, a brick yard, and the several railroads, are a part of the wealth, the prosperity and the business of the place, while three capacious and beauti ful churches, two weekly newspapers, a town hall and public school building indicate its moral, intellectual and literary progress, John Dougherty, Esq., one of the proprietors, and a resi dent of Mount Union, has long had a magnificent scheme for the utilization of the natural beauty and advantages sur rounding the town. We give in his own language the out line of his plan for a "Jet d'Eau and Hotel des Invalides /" " On the double-crested summit of Jack's mountain, one thousand feet in height, overlooking the borough of Mount Union, rises a large volume of pure water, amply sufficient to supply a hotel and hundreds of cottages on the terraced sides of this mountain, and also a Jet £eau five hundred feet in height, and thence falling into fish-pond and bath, ' a thing of beauty and a joy forever.' " An Alpine way, via Jet, cottages, hotel and fountain- head, and thence through mountain vale and summit crest, with Kishacoquillas valley on the west, the Juniata valley, deep down below, on the east, hills succeeding hills, like waves on storm-tossed ocean, the 'Blue Juniata' wending its way around river bend and through valley and gorge, en circling the borough of Mount Union, from whence comes upward the hum of industry, blended with hymns of praise, tolling of bells, the clang of hammers, splash of water- wheels, the voice of locomotives and trains of cars on Ma tilda Furnace, East Broad Top and Pennsylvania railways, running north, south, east and west, through these four gate ways of commerce into and out of this centre of art and in- 278 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. dustry. Pullman palace cars launched around curves like planets on the tangents of their orbits and freighted with immortal souls, conducted hither by the attraction of the beautiful, halting to plume the wing, and view this magic scene ere they soar hence to Heaven, " The whole wide earth to God-heart bare, Basks like some happy umbrian vale, By Francis trodden and by Clare, When Greatness thirsted to be good, When Faith was meek and Love was-brave, AVhen Hope by every cradle stood, ^ And rainbows spanned each new-made grave ! " We invite the lovers of the beautiful, useful and good, on whom Fortune has smiled, ambitious that their names shall reverberate along the line of generations, to aid in building this fountain and palace of an industrious, commo dious and civilized social life," The history of the present site of Shirleysburg during provincial times is given in preceding chapters, relating to Aughwick and Fort Shirley. The town as first laid out by Henry Warner, extended from the lot adjoining the Baptist meeting house to Hon. Wm. B. Leas' residence ; the lower or northern part was added by Samuel McCammon, and the southern part by Milliken and Cooper. In its early days, Shirleysburg was the most important town southeast of Standing Stone or Huntingdon. At that point was gathered every spring, for review and inspection, the militia from all the surrounding territory, now embracing Shirley, Crom well, Dublin, Tell, Springfield, Clay, Tod, Carbon, Cass and Union townships. It is now an important station on the East Broad Top Railroad. CHAPTER XXXVIIL FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP AGRICULTURAL AND MINERAL WEALTH IRON WORKS — POST OFFICES — SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP — FIRST SETTLERS — THEIR CHARACTER — EARLY SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES — PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS- CAUSES THAT HAVE RETARDED THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RESOURCES OF THE TOWNSHIP. Franklin, the first township formed after the erection of the county, extends from the Little Juniata river on the southwest to the Centre county line on the northeast, and from the summit of Tussey's mountain on the southeast to Warriorsmark township on the northwest. The principal stream is Spruce'' creek, rising in the township and flowing the entire length of it, through one of the most fertile val leys in the State, to the Little Juniata. The productiveness of the rich limestone land of this valley is apparent in the prosperity of the agricultural community. It is in this por tion of the county, including West, Porter, Morris and War riorsmark townships, in addition to Franklin, that the farm ers are preeminently the wealthy class. Their dwellings are of the most substantial character, their barns too commodi ous for any other than a country where the crops spring from the soil as they do there, and everything betokens that the land owner may there possess all that can contribute to his comfort and happiness. The township is also rich in iron ore, the mines having been worked since the latter part of the last century. Hun tingdon Furnace was built in the midst of these deposits in 1795 or '96, and two other furnaces, Pennsylvania in the northern part of the township, adjoining Centre county, and Barree in Porter township, are also supplied with ores from them. Five forges have been built at various times on Spruce creek, within five miles of its mouth. They are all noted elsewhere. None of them are now in operation. Several manufacturing establishments have been erected within recent years — the Stockdale Woolen Mills by W, D. 280 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. & J. D, Isett, at the mouth of the creek, and an axe factory by John Q. Adams, one and-a-half miles further up. There are three post-offices and villages in the^ township, Colerain Forges, Franklinville and Grays ville, and one on the opposite side of the river. Spruce Creek. Springfield township, situated on the southern border of the county, was erected in 1790, from Shirley and Dublin, It is bounded on the north by Cromwell, on the east by Dublin, on the south by Fulton county, and on the west by Clay township, and contains two post-offices. Meadow Gap and 'Maddensville. Traversed from north to south by the Black Log mountain, the land is generally elevated andi rolling, although there are considerable tracts of rich alluvial bottom along the streams, of which the principal are the Big Aughwick, Sideling Hill and Little Aughwick creeks. In the early part of the present century, Springfield town ship was a vast forest, slightly broken by occassional clear ings on the bottom lands. One of the earliest clearings was made by John Bailey, a Revolutionary soldier, who settled on the banks of Aughwick. The first settlers on that stream besides Bailey, were William Jones, William Ward and John Robertson, not one of whom has a representative in the township at this day. What is known as "the Big Meadow tract" was warranted, surveyed and patented at a very early day in the names of Lukens, Lennox knd Woods, It is situated near the village of Meadow Gap, and contains four hundred acres. The early settlers were principally from Maryland, of which class were the Browns, Stains, Lanes, Cutshalls, etc., who are still represented by numerous descendants. The Maddens and Ramseys are of Irish, and the Wibles of German descent. Hugh Orlton was one of the first settlers on the ridges. He took up land at an early day and had it patented. This tract was bought from Orlton by Richard Lane, in possession of whose descendants it still remains, Orlton built on it a house, the first roofed with shingles in the township. It was HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 281 a substantial structure and has but recently given place to a more modern and commodious dwelling. The tenenents of the settlers were generally constructed of unhewn logs, roofed with clapboards, and consisted of a lower story and a garret. The floor was either the earth itself or what was styled a "puncheon floor," made of staves or rough boards, and the chimneys were of wood. In this wilderness the first settlers hunted and began the cultivation of the soil. Their cattle and hogs roamed the woods and furnished milk and animal food, without much labor or attention on the part of their owners. The streams, especially the Aughwick, abounded with fish, and shad, sal mon, etc., were captured in large quantities, with a primi tive net of large dimensions, made of brush tied together with hickory withes. There was no saw mill in the township. Boards were split from the log with axes- The material for clothing was raised by the inhabitants, A new home-spun suit was considered good enough for any society or occasion. The women were usually attired in a linsey petticoat and short sack. Mocca sins were a substitute for shoes. The people were for the most part a healthy, hardy, rug ged race, unlettered, but generous, courageous and hospita ble. A few schools, supported by subscription, were scat tered at wide intervals through the township. Dilworth's Spelling Book was the principal authority in orthography, and the Testament the only reader. One of the first of these schools was taught in a hut near Meadow Gap ; the teacher was a pedagogue named Pike. The nearest church was at Three Springs, now Saltillo, the pastor being Samuel Lane, of the Baptist denomination. He was a man of more than ordinary energy and public spirit, giving several lots of land in and adjacent to the town ship for church and burial purposes, some of which are still used in accordance with his design. From him are descended the Lanes, of Springfield, Clay a*nd Shirley townships. The late Hugh Madden, Esq., also gave a lot for educational pur poses, upon which a school house has been erected. 282 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, The first grist mill in the township was built by Robert and John Madden, at Meadow Gap, The former also erected a mill near the junction of the Sideling Hill and Aughwick creeks. Much clearing of land was accomplished through the agency of the iron manufacturers, who used the wood for the making of charcoal. They denuded large tracts of their timber and rendered them available for the plow. The principal road was the old furnace road to Bedford, The first township road led from Orbisonia to Fort Littleton, Others followed in succession, and all parts of the township are now accessible by roads kept in as good condition as is usual in rural localities. Owing to its isolation from railroads and other public im provements, this township has not afforded a promising field for the establishment of manufactures of any kind, and the development of its resources has consequently been retarded. Nevertheless, much has been done in improving the face of the country and in the advancement of agricultural indus try and interests. The church and the common school have been at work and a corresponding increase of intelli gence is manifest. The present population of the township exhibits as great a contrast to that of a century ago as do the past and present of any other township in the county, Mr. James Norris, who has gathered for us the facts presented in this sketch of Springfield township, expresses his obligation to Mr. Thomas Duffey, one of its oldest in- habtants, for much of the information, Mr. Duffy was born in the township and has lived in it for the space of eighty- three years. His memory is still clear and " His old age is, like a lusty winter, Frosty but kindly.'' CHAPTER XXXIX, UNION TOWNSHIP — TROUGH CREEK, SMITH's AND HARe's VALLEYS — THE STREAMS — THE TORY HARE— MAPLETON MORRIS TOWNSHIP — WATER STREET — SPRUCE CREEK OR GRAYSPORT — UNION FURNACE. Union township, situated immediately south of the centre of the county, is bounded on the northwest by Juniata and Penn townships, from which it is separated by Terrace mountain; on the northeast by the Juniaita river, separating it from Henderson and Brady ; on the southeast by Jack's mountain, on the opposite side of which is Shirley township ; and on the south by Cass. Between Terrace and Jack's mountains are Sideling hill and Clear ridge, dividing the township into three valleys. Trough Creek, Smith's and Hare's. Streams flow through the last two valleys in a northeastwardly direction, falling into the Juniata below Mapleton. Trough creek rises on Terrace mountain, flowing towards the southwest, and after passing through Cass township into Tod, turns towards the northwest and empties into the Raystown branch in Penn township. Its waters, with those of the latter stream and the Juniata, after making a circuit, with their various wind ings of more than a hundred miles, pass along the end of Terrace mountain, within a few miles of their source. At the time of its formation, Union township included nearly the entire valley of Trough creek. Hare's valley takes its name from Jacob Hare, a tory who resided and owned a large tract of land in the valley during the Revolutionary war. Although he did not take up arms against the colonists, he was active in contributing aid to the British cause, and was suspected of being engaged in the murder of Loudenslager, who was on his way from his home in Kishacoquillas valley to join a company that was being raised for the continental service at Standing Stone. The people became so much incensed against Hare, that both of his ears were cut off by Captain Thomas Blair's rangers, 284 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, who had pursued Weston and his band of tories on their ex pedition to Kittanning, Hare, and his brother Mic'nael, were attainted of treason and their lands confiscated, but the latter were restored to them after the war, because they had not made an armed resistance to the cause of Independence, It is said that Jacob Hare died on his possessions in Hare's valley. The post offices in Union township are Calvin, Colfax and Mapleton, The principal part of the ground upon which the borough of Mapleton is situated belonged to Col, John Donaldsoui who caused the first lots to be laid out. It was incorpo rated August 18th, 1866 The only manufactory of any importance is a large steam tannery, owned by the estate of Jeremiah Bauman, deceased. The quarrying and crushing of glass sand on the opposite side of the river from Maple ton, is an industry that gives employment to a number of men, and adds to the business of the place. A large public school building and three churches, Methodist, Presbyterian and United Brethren, are evidences of the intelligence and morality of the people. Morris township adjoins Blair county and is separated from it by Canoe mountain on the northwest, Fox run on the southwest, and the Frankstown branch of the Juniata on the southeast. Its other boundaries are the Little Juniata river, between it and Franklin township, on the north, and Tussey's mountain, separating it from Porter township, on the east. The latter division is a spur usually known as the Short mountain, about two miles in length, extending from one river to the other. The Pennsylvania railroad passes through a tunnel in the northern end of it, half a mile below the village of Spruce Creek. The greater part of the township consists of an elevated plateau, to which has been given the name of Canoe valley, from the mountain enclosing it on the west. It has a fertile limestone soil, which yields generously to the hand of culti vation. One locality in this township, Water Street, is mentioned HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 285 by John Harris in his " account of the road to Logstown," in 1754. The old Indian war-path passed through it, and Conrad Weiser was there in 1748. It derived its name from the fact that a stream of water literally flowed through the street. During the Revolutionary war, General Roberdeau had a landing there, from whence lead ore, mined in Sinking valley, was shipped east to be melted, and where stores were received for the miners and troops at Fort Roberdeau. The most prosperous days of Water Street were while the Pennsylvania canal was in successful tide of operation. But since it has been closed and abandoned, the place has lost all importance, trade and travel having been diverted to points on the line of public improvements, a few miles northward. The business once attracted to Water Street by the canal is now drawn to Spruce Creek by the Pennsylvania railroad. At no other place in this rugged county has the hand of nature been so abrupt in its works as at Spruce Creek. If we are to interpret the designs of the Creator from what seems to be the external evidences of them, we may believe that it was part of His plan that man should dwell there in the heart of the mountains and that the narrow strip of level land lying along the Juniata was placed there to tempt him to do so. Imagining that the first white man who ventured to it, had followed the old Indian war-path to Water Street and crossed from thence the plateau that divides the two branches of the Juniata, what was the view presented to him when he reached the crest of the hill overlooking the river and the site of the present village ? Though he may have traveled long through an uninhabited country, he had seen nothing more wild, more grand, more beautiful. The stream for more than a mile of its course above the bend at the base of the Short mountain was visible, except when hidden by the dense and luxuriant forest growth. Perhaps his atten tion was first attracted to the long ranges of elevations sur rounding him on every side and towering still higher than the one on which he stood, and to the peaks rising here and there and adding to the variety of the outline. And when his eye turned from that scene to one beneath it, he could 286 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, scarcely perceive that there was anything below the hillside but the silver thread of water winding among the dark green of the pines and hemlocks. But on descending, in the course of his footsteps, to the river, he found a strip of ground, not exceeding two hundred feet in width at any part, and not a mile in length, terminated at each end by the river sweeping around and hugging closely to the foot of the hills. Small as it was, it must have been regarded as a prize for purposes of cultivation. Directly opposite was the mouth of a creek coming down from among the mountains and passing a short distance above its confluence with the river, through a nar row defile, which widens into a small valley, forming a level space of limited extent. The village of Spruce Creek proper, or Graysport, as it was originally named, stands on the south side of the Little Juniata, but as it is so intimately connected with the other side of the river that the two form but one community, I shall treat them accordingly, James Gray became the owner of the land on which the village is situated under a purchase from John Cannon, but the interest of the latter being afterwards sold at Sheriff's sale, was bought by John McCahan, of Huntingdon, A con troversy arose between Gray and McCahan concerning the title, which was compromised, and a deed executed by the latter to the former on the 15th day of April, 1820. Gray had a tannery, not on the part upon which he sub sequently laid out the village, but at the upper or Gray's fording, on land now owned by Michael Low. Until recently, a great willow tree stood there, which had been planted by Matthew Gray when a boy, the stump of which remains. As to the origin of the place and the advantages and in ducements offered to purchasers of lots therein, 1 take the following advertisement from the " Huntingdon Gazette" of April 8tli, 1824; TO MECHANICKS. The subscriber, having lately laid out a small village, called GRAYSPORT, at the Bridge over the Little Juniata & opposite the mouth of Spruce Creek, offers for sale the LOTS at a very reasonable price, and on ^ j> \ { '. #^. t "s>.. *' i- u I I ¦-*S-r 1 r ¦ 111ill HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 287 terms which will be advantageous to purchasers. The situation of this place holds out many inducements to industrious mechanicks who are actuated by that manly spirit of independence which prompts man to acquire property of his own, that he may not be subject to the capricious will of others. It is situated in a healthy part of this county on a navigable stream, and is intersected by the great road (which is much traveled) leading, by the way of Northumberland, from Philadelphia to Pittsburg : is surrounded by Iron works within a very short distance in every direction, and within a few perches of a Grist and Saw-mill turned by a never-failing stream of water. Ma terials for building can be obtained here at a very trifling cost, there being good building stone, which can be had in abundance, without quarrying, on the adjoining lands of the subscriber, within a few perches of the Lots; and these he will permit purchasers to appropri ate to themselves for building purposes without charging for the same. The one half of the purchase money will be required to be paid in hand, the residue one year atter the purchase, without interest. JAMES GRAY. March 1st, 1824. The bridge mentioned as crossing the river at that point had been erected about the year 1819. It stood until 1846, when it was removed for the erection of a new one. The latter remained there but a short time, being taken away by the great freshet of the 8th of October, 1847. After the flood a third one was built, which is still standing. Gray made some improvements and sold some lots soon after placing them in the market. He built a stone dwelling house on the northern end of the lot on which the residence of Dr, Sidney Thompson and the store room of Isett & Thompson now stand, and also two shops on the opposite side of the street from his dwelling, for his two sons, one of whom was a shoemaker and the other a blacksmith. The first purchasers of lots seem to have accepted Gray's offer of stone for building purposes without charge. The second dwelling was erected of that material by Jacob Keith, It is a small but substantial building, enduring well the wear of time. It is now owned and occupied by Thomas M. Benner, Daniel Beigle was the builder of the third house, a frame, on the second lot east of Gray's residence. It has since been considerably enlarged and improved, and is part of the prop erty owned by Nathaniel Lytle, 288 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY." Beigle also built a stone house near the western limits of the village, as it then was, which is still in the possession of his descendants. His son Samuel lives in it. Edward, another son, lives on the lot adjoining it on the west. While these improvements were progressing slowly, the land on the other side of the river came into the hands of the Isett family. Several tracts, amounting to six hundred acres, and including the farms now belonging to Abram Weight, John Eberts, E. B. Isett and J. H. Isett, were con veyed to Jacob Isett by Gen. Joseph Hiester, of Reading, on the 24th day of April, 1827. These lands had been cleared many years before Mr, Isett's purchase. He had been re lieved from the labor of reclaiming them from the forest and could give his attention to such improvements as seemed to be required in a fertile agricultural region. It had taken time to put the lands into the condition in which Mr, Isett found them, and consequently they had q. previous history. They had been purchased from the Com monwealth at a very early day, the warrant, upon which the part of them lying west of the creek was surveyed, being dated on the 4th day of June, 1762, The name of the war rantee was Matthias Sandham, a resident of Philadelphia, who died without obtaining a patent. His widow and heirs conveyed them to Thos. Sandham, to whom they were patented on the 24th day of November, 1798. In the war rant and patent they are named " Spruce Bottom," from the character of the timber growing upon them. Before the Revolutionary war, probably in 1774, two brothers by the name of Beebault, built a tub mill on the east side of the creek above the end of the bridge which crosses the stream a short distance above its mouth. It was a very primitive structure, surrounded, except on the side next to the creek, by trees and bushes. But it probably answered all the requirements of the community at that time. It stood until after Mr. Isett put up another estab lishment for the same purpose on a more extensive scale, John S, Isett moved upon the land purchased by his father, in October, 1827, He came at that time to build a mill, •HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 289 the erection of which was at once commenced, and completed in 1828, ¦ Other improvements made by him were the brick dwelling house in which he now resides, in 1831, and Stock- dale Forge, called after the family name of his mother, in 1836, In the meantime, the village on the south side of the river had been growing, and it was soon to receive a new impetus from the construction of the Pennsylvania Railroad, It had, however, met with a serious check to its career, The flood of '47 had been most disastrous on both sides of the river. In addition to the bridge, which was then new, a number of dwellings and shops of mechanics were taken away, A house on Mr. Isett's property, some rods east of the creek, was entirely destroyed, and the family living in it barely escaped with their lives. The old Gray mansion, which had come into the possession of Mr, Lytle, and in which he then resided, was badly damaged. The western end, about one-third of the building, fell down. The aper ture thus made was closed with weatherboarding, in which conditidn it remained until removed for other improve ments. Two wagonmaker's shops, a blacksmith's shop and some other buildings were also swept away. But the place revived after the making of the railroad. During its construction was a period of great prosperity, A larger number of workmen was required there than at other points, on account of the tunnel within a mile of the village. These employees spent nearly all of their earnings, to the pecuniary advantage of merchants, boarding-house keepers and others. The hotel facilities were then inadequate to the import ance that Spruce Creek seemed likely to attain. Col, R, F, Haslett had for some years been keeping a house for the en tertainment of strangers and travelers in the stone building standing between the public square and the railroad, b ut he determined to erect a more commodious building adjoining the one he then occupied. The foundations were laid before the completion of the railroad and the bricks for the super structure were brought by cars soon after they commenced T 290 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, running. This house, at the time it was built, was the lar gest and finest in central Pennsylvania, and even now there are but few outside of the cities that surpass it in these re spects. Its owner and the citizens of Spruce Creek have good reason to be proud of the " Keystone Hotel." There is a great contrast between this and the first tavern kept there. The latter was on the Stockdale side of the river and was built many years before the property was bought by Jacob Isett. It was torn down during the last year or two and other improvements were placed on the same lot. It would be impossible to follow minutely the progress of the place during the quarter of a century that has passed since the railroad was made. The village has been extend ed westward beyond the limits of Gray's survey. Lots have been laid out on Michael Low's land, upon many of which Mr. Low has himselt built houses and others have been sold by him. It has reached in that direction the point where the river and the hills come together, and its further growth must be up the hillside, John S, Isett, who had been occupying and managing the property of his father, bought it in 1841. The mill and forge rendered necessary the erection of dwellings for his employees, both before and after his purchase. In 1864, he sold it to his son, E. B. Isett. Valuable as the property had become, the latter has added greatly to it. He has built a very fine dwelling house for himself on the west side of the turnpike, one on the lots where the old tavern stood and another on the site where his father first lived. He also removed the old forge and erected in its stead a foundry and machine shop. This in its turn has given place to the " Stockdale Woolen Mills," built by W. D, and J, B. Isett, in 1875, We may form a very correct idea of a community, morally, mentally, socially, and, we may say, financially, from its schools and churches ; with regard to the latter the history of Spruce Creek has been somewhat peculiar. In many re spects it has been advancing, while in another it may have been retrogressing. HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 291 The first church was built there in 1850, on the side of the hill, between the railroad and the public road leading to Canoe valley. The place upon which it stands is difficult of access and is available for scarcely any other purpose. The structure is of frame and large enough for the congregations that ordinarily assemble there. It is a " Union Church," and is open not only for all denominations of Christians, but all sects and persuasions, whether their doctrines are orthodox or not. Its uses have taken even a wider range than this. Public meetings of various kinds, having no relation to re ligion, have been held in it. These have usually been of a, moral or educational character, an effort having always been made to exclude anything questionable or improper. The plan upon which this church has been conducted is not without its advantages. For people of different religious views to worship in the same house, to sit in the same seats, and to hear the gospel preached from the same pulpit, cer tainly has an enlarging effect on the mind and begets a toler- tion for contrary opinions and beliefs that would otherwise be impossible. The general introduction and adherence to this plan would be the death of sectarianism. In departing _ from it, the people of Spruce Creek should be careful that they do not also depart from the benefits it secured to them. The building of additional churches would,. in time, have become a necessity, and that the citizens of the village and vicinity have already done so, speaks well, not perhaps of any increased liberality on their part, but of the greater ability to do so. The Presbyterians have erected a substan tial brick church, neatly finished, on E, B. Isett's land, front ing on the east side of the turnpike, and the Methodists a frame one on ground contributed by E, W, Graffius, at the south end of the bridge. These add very materially to the appearance of the place, and no doubt to the satisfaction of the people, and must give to the stranger a higher opinion of both. The church first erected has under it a school-room suffi ciently large to accommodate all the children who attend there. At first the two sides of the river. Spruce Creek and 292 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, Stockdale, formed but a single district, but, as they are in different townships, the children from the latter, on account of a change in the school law, have since been obliged to go to the " Hook," a mile distant. The prosperity of Spruce Creek has been affected by the ups and downs of commercial life. James Gray thought that the iron works were to build up his village, and they were no doubt a great assistance in doing so. But that branch of business seems to have gone into decay. Union Furnace has fallen down, Huntingdon Furnace has been idle for four or five years, and Pennsylvania Furnace, if in blast at all, is working up its material preparatory to its stoppage. No forges are in operation on Spruce Creek. Colerain is the only one that is in condition to run, all the rest having been removed or permitted to fall. But other interests have arisen that are no less important than those that have passed away, and Spruce Creek will always be, as heretofore, a place where all the inhabitants may gain a competence and wealth. There are post-offices in Morris township at Spruce Creek, Water Street and Morrell. The latter is at the site of the old Union Furnace, built by Edward B. Dorsey and Caleb Evans, in 1810 or 1811, It passed into the hands of Michael Wallace on the failure of the firm of Dorsey & Evans, and has not been in operation since 1852. CHAPTER XL, WEST TOWNSHIP — SHAVER'S CREEK VALLEY — ANDEESON's PORT — ESCAPE OF JANE MAGUIRE — PETERSBURG — WAKRIOR's MARK TOWNSHIP — ORIGIN OF THE NAME — BIRMINGHAM — ITS FOUNDATION, GROWTH AND DECLINE. West township, lying principally in the valley of Shaver's creek, is bounded on the northeast by Franklin, adjoining that township on the summit of Tussey's mountain ; on the southwest by Porter township, the Juniata being partly the boundary line between them ; on the southeast by Oneida township, and on the east and northeast by Barree. Warrior ridge occupies a considerable part of the south eastern portion of the township, spreading out into an ex tensive plateau, nearly all of which is tillable, much of it being cleared and cultivated. Shaver's creek flows through one of those fertile valleys for which the northwestern portion of the county is so cele brated, the land being equal in productiveness and value to any in the State, The stream takes its name from "an old gentleman named Shaver," who made the first settlement upon it, probably at the mouth of the creek. Others settled near to him before the Revolutionary war. Shaver is said to have been murdered in the neighborhood, his body hav ing been found near a pasture-field, to which he had gone for the purpose of putting his horse into it, with the head severed and carried away. The perpetrators of the crime were never discovered and it was suspected that the Indians had nothing to do with it, Samuel Anderson settled in the vicinity of Shaver's, A fort was built on the western side of the creek near its con fluence with the river which took its name from him. In an account of some of the forts of Huntingdon county furnished by J, Simpson Africa, esq., to the editor of the Pennsylva nia Archives, we find the following concerning Anderson's fort ; " It was erected, I believe, by the white settlers to defend 294 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, themselves from the incursions of the Indians, My grand mother, an early settler about the time of the Revolution, sought protection there. The inhabitants of the fort, after defending themselves for a long time against the attacks of the savages, finding their supplies becoming exhausted, fled to Standing Stone fort. In their flight two of the men, named Maguire, were killed by the Indians, and their sister, afterwards Mrs, Dowling, who was driving the cows, was chased by them. Springing from ambush, the sudden sur prise frightened the cows and they started to run. The foremost Indian caught heif dress and imagined he had made sure of a victim, but she simultaneously grasped the tail of one of the cows, held on, her dress tore and she escaped. She reached Fort Standing Stone half dead with fright, still holding on to the tail of the cow," This account, although briefer than the one given in Jones' History of the Juniata Valley of the same occurrence, and differing from it considerably in details, is probably the more reliable of the two. The statement that Jane, for that was her name, twisted the cow's tail is perhaps merely a twist of the imagination. The heroine after becoming Mrs. Dow ling, removed to the Raystown 'branch. One of her sons, William Dowling, is still living at an advanced age among the ridges of Juniata township. On the opposite side of Shaver's creek from the site of Anderson's fort, now stands the borough of Petersburg, The plan of the town was acknowledged by Dr. Peter Shoenberger, on the 21st day of May, 1795, and was record ed on the 28th day of the same month. He had probably laid it out but short time before those dates. It was incor porated as a borough, April 7th, 1830. Located upon the Pennsylvania canal, recently abandoned, however, through that portion of the county, and railroad, and being the near est shipping point to the rich farming region of Porter, West, Barree, and Jackson townships, its prosperity always has been assured, and we can foresee no circumstance that can possibly prevent its steady improvement and growth in the future. The last five or six years have seen the erection of HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 295 several large and substantial business houses and dwellings, and there has been an increase of population to correspond with its progress in other respects. Juniata forge, owned by Hunter & Swoope, one of the pioneer establishments in the manufacture of the celebrated "Juniata charcoal iron," stands near the junction of Shaver's creek and the Juniata river, and is' operated by water-power from the former. Near it are flouring and saw mills. These are the most im portant manufactories in the place or its vicinity. Warrior's Mark, extending farther northwest than any other township in the county, is bounded on two sides, the northwest and southwest, by Blair county, on the northeast by Centre county, and on the southeast by Franklin town ship. Formed in 1798, it took its name from a settlement of an earlier date, now a thriving village, in the central part of the township. As to the origin of the name tradition is not very definite, but it appears to be sufficiently certain that the Indians had made marks of some kind on the trees near their village or meeting place. Jones, in his History of the Juniata Valley, says that the name "originated from the fact of certain oak trees in the vicinity having a crescent or half-moon cut upon them with hatchets, so deep that traces can still be seen of them (1856,) or, at least, could be some years ago." From his uncertainty as to whether the marks were visible at the time he wrote, it is evident that he had not seen them himself, and it is doubtful whether he obtained his information from any one who knew anything about them from personal observation. The Indians lingered longer in this section of the county than in any other. Several who made themselves prominent by their friendly services to the whites are known to have resided in the township or in close proximity to in during the Revolutionary war. Of these was Captain Logan, whose name has been given to a spring and stream in the township and to a valley in Blair county. The route of the Lewisburg, Centre and Spruce Creek railroad runs through the township from northaest to south west. It was graded several years ago, but work then ceased 296 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, upon it, and its completion need not be expected for some years to come, if at all, Birmingham, a borough situated in the southwestern end of Warriorsmark township, and on the north bank of the Little Juniata river, which flows between it and the Penn sylvania railroad, was laid out in December, 1797, by John Cadwallader, by whom it was designated on the plot as"laid out for a manufacturing town at the head of navigation." The original plan of the town was recorded February, 26th, 1799, and the supplemental plan, August 16th, 1833. It was incorporated as a borough April 14th, 1838, Including about three hundred acres of extremely undulating land, it presents, notwithstanding the lofty hills and deep ravines, an attractive appearance on paper. The principal feature which commended it as a site for a town was the numerous springs of calcareous and free stone water gushing from every hill-side, and affording, with the fall in the Juniata, abundant and superior water power, the value and importance of which had not only attracted atten tion at an earlier day, but had been utilized in 1786 by the erection of a grist mill and saw mill on the river, and in 1795 by a paper mill on Laurel run. At the latter was man ufactured the paper upon which the Huntingdon Gazette was printed in 1801, if not the Courier in 1797, Mr. Cadwallader, the proprietor, was generous in donat" Ing ground in the new town for public use, having given several " spring lots," two " school lots," one for "Libra ry Hall," four for " religious," and the same number for " burial places," and several large lots marked " Publick." On the Juniata was " the Public Landing," which he took care to mention as the head of navigation. The proprietor then proceeded eastward to lay this liberal scheme before people there, and succeeded in '"interesting" many of them in it, who bought lots and paid a portion of the purchase money according to stipulations on the face of the plot. The purchasers, finding subsequently that their lots were set up edge-wise, or perched on some lofty pinna cle, or down in a deep ravine, did not take possession, but HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 297 forfeited what they had paid, Mr, Cadwallader, being in earnest, however, built himself a mansion, which at that period was no doubt looked upon as possessing some grand eur. Others purchased and built upon the more eligible lots and engaged in mercantile and the ordinary mechanical pur suits. In 1823 a flouring mill was built at Laurel spring, the paper mill etilarged, and about the same year, an oil mill, plaster mill and saw mill were erected on Laurel spring run, and blacksmith and cooper shops, tavern and store, all under the proprietorship of Michael Wallace. During the interval between 1835 and 1846, Birmingham attained the zenith of its prosperity and a population of about four hundred. It then had several stores, each having a trade of from five thousand to thirty thousand dollars annually, and was the chief mart for Bald Eagle, Logan, Clearfield and Sinking valleys. The staple articles of trade were iron, lumber, shingles, hoop-poles, hides and whisky. There were three distilleries in the place at an early day, making the last mentioned article to their fullest capacity. Many arks loaded with these commodities left the Public Landing and " Laurel Spring wharf," The first school house was built of logs in or about the year 1790, and was replaced by a second one, of stone, in a more central locality, in 1818. Both of these were built by public contributions, and James Thompson, Esq., the "oldest inhabitant," says that "the stone school house cost a drink of whisky for every stone in it," In 1860, when this struc ture was taken down, the directors were careful to have the old time-worn stepping-stone at the door remain in its place as a memento of the alma mater of many of the prominent business men of that community, A new school house was erected in that year, which is fully equal to the requirements of the town. The Baptists were the first Christian denomination to have a place of worship of their own, their church having been built in 1830. The congregation, after prospering for a number of years, chiefly under the administration of the 298 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, venerable Rev, Thomas Thomas, was disbanded, and the old church taken down. The grave-yard remains, in which the numerous tombstones mark the last resting places of the sleeping congregation. The Birmingham Methodist Episcopal church was organ ized about the year 1830, worshiped in the old stone school-house, built the first church in 1835, and a new one in 1874. The Presbyterian church, of Birmingham, was organized May 16th, 1835, first chujch built in 1836 and '37, and second in 1868 and '69. The present pastor is Rev, S, T, Wilson, D. D. The United Brethren church was organized in 1870 and the church edifice erected in 1871, The pastor is Rev. J, C. Shearer, Birmingham Lodge I. 0. of 0. F. was organized in 1846, erected a hall and continued in existence until 1850. A division of the Sons of Temperance was organized in 1846, built a hall in 1850, and was instrumental in building up a permanently abstemious population. Its "occupation gone," the organization was disbanded and the future well- being of the people given over to that most efficient agency, the Christian church. The Mountain Seminary at Birmingham is appropriately noted in the chapter relating to the private educational in stitutions of the county. Birmingham has now a population of something more than two hundred, exclusive of the pupils in the Seminary. The building of the Pennsylvania railroad on the opposite side of the river, attracting trade to other points, was the beginning of its decadence. It has but one store and the shops of a few mechanics. The inhabitants are living on the glories of the past, and, like the Athenians in the decline of their metropolis, " spend their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing," CHAPTER XLI, TELL — HENDERSON — PORTER — WALKER. Tell, like the neighboring township of Dublin, is bound ed on two sides, the northwest and southeast, by Shade and Tuscarora mountains, and is divided into several small val leys by parallel hills or ridges, running northeast and south west. The principal of these elevations are Pine ridge, Big ridge and Hunting ridge. The streams are Trough Spring creek and Black's run, which unite near Richard Silver- thorn's, and flow into Tuscarora creek on the west side of Hunting ridge. The township is well provided with public roads, four passing through the valley from Dublin town ship into Juniata county, but has no other public improve ments. The nearest railroad stations are Shirleysburg and Orbisonia, on the East Broiad Top railroad. Although thickly settled, it has no large towns or villages. The post offices are Nossville and Shade valley, Henderson township, as shown by the order of the court erecting it, was so named "in consideration of the distinguish ed uprightness of the late General Andrew Henderson as a public officer, and his services during the Revolutionary war," It is bounded on the northwest by Oneida township, on the southwest by the Juniata river, on the northeast by Barree township, and on the east by Brady. Adjoining the borough of Huntingdon, the people find there a market for their produce, and are benefited in many respects by being in the vicinity of a town of its size and population. Many of them are accommodated at its post-office and others at Union Church, the only post-office in the township. Porter township, erected at the same sessions of the court with Henderson, November, 1814, was named in "considera tion of the distinguished uprightness of the late General Andrew Porter, Surveyor General, as a public officer, and his services during the Revolutionary war." The township is of a very irregular shape, having the general form of an equilat- 300 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, eral triangle. The sides are much indented, especially on the northeast, where it follows the course of the Juniata river. Its other boundaries are the Tussey mountains on the northwest, and Blair county and Walker township on the south. Both branches of the Juniata cross the northern part of the township and unite a short distance above Petersburg, The first travelers through the county, the pioneers of the eighteenth century, passed the present site of Alexandria, as it was upon the old Indian path, and the land upon which that town stands was taken up upon one of the warrants issued in 1755, Another tract, on the river below Alex andria, was warranted in the same year. In August, 1793, Elizabeth Gemmill had lots laid out upon the former tract, and the town thus founded was given the name we have mentioned. The proprietress acknowledged the plan on the 7th of August, 1798, and had it recorded on the same day. The borough was incorporated April 11th, 1827, and Trimble's addition was recorded July, 1847. Alexandria has Presbyterian, Reformed and Methodist churches, the buildings being of a superior class and com paring favorably with those of almost any other town of the same population. It has also a large brick public school building, erected within recent years, accommodating a number of schools and all the children of the borough. Walker township extends from Piney ridge, which sepa rates it from Juniata township on the southeast, to Tussey's mountain, dividing it from Blair county on the southwest. Its northern boundary is Porter township, and its southwest ern Penn. It was named in honor of the Hon. Jonathan Walker, at one time President Judge of the judicial district to which Huntingdon county belonged. The route of travel in 1748, and previously, was through this township. A tract of land within it, lying on the Juniata river, was war ranted in 1755. The site upon which McConnellstown now stands is men tioned in very early records as a "sleeping place." The town was laid out by Alexander McConnell, Esq., of Hun- HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. '801 tingdon, after whom it was named. It is about half a mile from the Huntingdon and Broad Top railroad and contains the only post-office in the township. Additions were laid out by A, B. Sangree and Joseph McCoy, Smithfield is located upon the Juniata river opposite the borough of Huntingdon, The township contains considerable deposits of iron ore, some of which have been developed and mined. It is all con trolled by manufacturers whose works are at a distance from Huntingdon county. They obtained leases of the ore rights some years ago, under the pretext, it is said, that furnaces were to be built in the vicinity. The points to which the ores are principally shipped are Danville and Johnstown, CHAPTER XLIL CROMWELL TOWNSHIP — INDIAN REMAINS — GEORGE IRVIN — EARLY SETTLE MENTS — FURNACES — BEDFORD — ROCKHILL — WINCHESTER— ROCKHILL IRON AND COAL COMPANY — THEIR IMPROVEMENTS — STARTING OF THE NEW FURNACE — THE CLUGAGE FAMILY — BLACK LOG — ORBISONIA. Cromwell township, on its erection in 1846, was named in honor of Col. Thomas Cromwell, who was interested in the building of Bedford Furnace in 1795, and who is described by the court as " an early settler and hospiiable citizen," It is bounded on the north by Shirley township, on the west by Cass, on the south by Clay and Springfield, and on the east by Dublin and Tell. Jack's mountain separates it from the adjoining township on the west and Shade mountain from those on the east. The Augwick flows through it from north to south and receives numerous smaller streams falling into it on both sides. Tradition tells us that the beautiful plat, surrounded on all sides by mountains and ridges, through which runs the Black Log creek, and on which the borough of Orbisonia now stands, was once a famous Indian hunting ground. That it must have been a camping place is evinced, in addi tion to the traditionary stories, by the fact that some years since a cave was found on Sandy ridge, two miles north from the town, in which there was opened to view a cham ber which is proved by its contents to have been a burial place of the tribes who inhabited the country. This cham ber was supported by upright pillars, forming beautiful natural arches, and within were found many bones, pro nounced to be pieces of skulls and other parts of human skeletons. With these were the remains of animals, a bear's and a wolf's teeth, and the rude instruments of savage life, two hatchets and other articles made of stone, all in a state of great decomposition. In later days, and indeed but little longer ago than a cen- HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 303 tury, the Indians used the knoll back of the Joseph Grove barn, now the property of Thomas E, Orbison, as a burial ground. Numerous hatchets, tomahawks, pieces of flint, bows and arrows, and stone implements have been turned up by the plow or otherwise from the earth. The celebrated Captain Jack is supposed to have on one occasion, when narrowly pursued, secreted a leather bag con taining silver and gold, on one side of Black Log mountain, near the narrows or gap. It is still unfound. Within a few years following 1760, George Irvin settled near where now stands Orbisonia, His business was store- keeping, and the old log store-room, a story high, it is said, stood for a number of years on the same ground on which now stands the Methodist Church, southeast corner of Crom well and Winchester streets. He traded with the Indians and the early settlers, ex changing wearing material and groceries, boots, shoes, guns and powder for grain and corn. The following is a literal transcript of one of his bills, now in possession of one of the citizens of Orbisonia : Philadelphia, April 16th, 1768, Mr. George Irwin, Bought of George Fullerton. 3 pes. f wide Irish Linen, No. 234, 69 yards @ 16J £4, 14, lOJ 1 ps. yard wide, do " 237, 24, yards @ 2-4 2, 16, — 1 ps. do do do " 238, 25 yards @ 2-1 2, 12, I £10, 2, llj Advance @ 85 per ct 8, 12, 6^ £18, 15, 6 1 ps. yd. wd. do. damag'd No. 239, 22 yds @ 2 3, 13, 4 Payable one Month after Date, £22, 8, 10 1 ps. Irish Sheeting, No. 149, 74 yds. 2 7, 8, — £29, 16, 10 Also the following bill and letter, both of which are writ ten with a quill pen on coarse, heavy, unruled paper, and both without letter or bill heads. The writing is very plain and intelligible. 804 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. Baltimore, May 28th, 1773. " Mr. George Irwin Bot of David McLure 1 Hhd Molasses 102 Gain's @ 23 £9, 15, 6 1 Hhd N. E. Rum 121 " " 2-4 14, 2, 4 Cash paid porterage 2, 6 £24, 0, 4 " Sir, I Rec'd your favor of the 25th inst. with £16, 6, 8 to your Credit, and now send you one Hhd Molasses & one Hhd Continent Rum which I wish safe to hand & to a good market. " New England Rum is getting very scarce now, but think there will be some here soon — when any Comes I do intend to purchase the Whole that I may serve my friends at a reasonable rate. I have no news ; flour Low and likely to fall. I am Dear Sir your^very Humble Servt., David McLure. From the dates in above letter it will be noticed that three days were required to send a letter from Huntingdon county, (or Bedford as it then was,) to Baltimore. Teaming over the mountains to and from this place, afforded quite a lucrative employment to those who were fortunate enough to own a good team and sound wagon. Pack horses were very frequently used. Mules had not then been introduced, and nearly all the hauling of ore, char coal and limestone from the various openings around was done with oxen. The latter commanded almost as high prices then as at the present day. In 1784 or 1785, Edward Ridgley, George Ashman and Thomas Cromwell built the first furnace west of the Sus quehanna, It was constructed mostly of wood, and stood directly in the rear of Wilt's Hotel, on the front side of the " Locust Grove," It may be interesting to iron manufac turers to know the size ; namely bosh 5 feet, with a stack of either 15 or 17 feet. It was run by either an over-shot or under-shot wheel, or both, for there were two races, one coming from the Black Log, near Mr, Orbison's mill race, which would in any event be under- shot, and the other starting with almost the head of Camp-meeting run, and twisting and winding through twenty little hills, passing in its travels under two HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 805 bridges, and reaching the furnace grounds at such a point and in such manner as would call forth the admiration of even the engineers of the present day. This was an over shot wheel. Of the capacity of the furnace nothing authentic is known.There was a large stove used in the Tannery School House up to 1872, that bore the stamp "Bedford Furnace, 1795," Our older citizens will remember the two immense wood stoves, that would receive a four or five feet stick, used for heating the main room of the old Court House in Hun tingdon, These were cast at Bedford Furnace and bore the appropriate "imprint," There is now on exhibition at the Centennial Exposition, two large stove-plates, on one of which can be plainly read "Colebrookdale Furnace, 1763, Thomas Rutter, Thue recht und," and on the other "Bedford Furnace, 1792," It is supposed by some that the inscription on the former is an old form for the German, Thue recht nung, equivalent to recht shoffen, meaning act righteously. The next furnace in order of date was Rockhill, com menced in 1830, and finished in the spring of 1831, The land on which this furnace stood was originally owned by Ruhannah Colhoon, who by deed dated May 9, 1821, con veyed the same to Thomas T, Cromwell, This land was then partly in Shirley Township and partly in Springfield, and was once held in the name of William Chambers, Thomas T, Cromwell sold a part of this tract — about nineteen acres — to Thomas N, Diven and William Morrison, on the thirteenth day of May, 1831, These gentlemen com menced the erection of what is now known as the " Old Rockhill Furnace," the size at the base being 28 feet, 29 feet high, bosh about 7 or 7J feet, with a square hearth about 18x20 inches. William Davis was the contractor. The stack was square and built of stone, Thomas Clugage was the first man who ran the furnace. Soon after Mr, Diven died, Mr, Cromwell took his place in the firm and 'after run ning successfully for some years, the property was sold to James Ford and Mr. Bell. U 306 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. In 1841 Bell leased to Andrew J. Wigton and John R. Hunter, who remained there till April, 1847. About 1833 or '34 the carding and fulling mill was torn down, and the erection of Winchester Furnace, a short dis tance below Rockhill, commenced by Bracken & Stitt for Mr. Cromwell. The land was owned by the latter gentleman. This furnace was a trifle larger than the other, the bosh being 8 feet, John M. Allen and William Pollock ran the furnace with comparatively little success. In 1845 Eli Beatty and Geo, Davis rented Winchester Furnace and ran it for three years with better pecuniary results. In 1847 John S. Isett, Samuel Isett, Samuel Wigton, Andrew J. Wigton and R. B. Wigton bought the property. These parties sold to Bernard Lorenz and Levi G. Leamer, in 1864. In 1868 Dr. Lewis Royer and Percival P. Dewees became owners, who sold one-half their interest in 1871 to the Messrs. Roberts of Philadelphia. Soon after, the Rockhill Iron and Coal Company, a cor poration existing under the laws of Pennsylvania, became the sole owners of the entire tract, and commenced very ex tensive improvements. The following article, written by B. F. Ripple, esq., for the Orbisonia Leader, affords a very correct idea of the ope rations of this company : " The 1872 session of the Pennsylvania Legislature passed the bill incorporating the Rockhill Iron and Coal Company with a capital of two million dollars, allowing the company to hold property and own lands in Huntingdon and four or five of the adjoining counties. The next autumn or winter a topographical survey of the lands immediately adjoining Orbisonia on the south, was made by Mr. Paddock, a Civil Engineer of Philadelphia. On the northeastern part of this survey the town of Rockhill is located, and the iron works of the company. The company are the owners of about eight thousand acres of land at this point, extending along Black Log mountain on both sides, running up Shade mountain to the top and scattered at various points along HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 807 the Aughwick Valley. On their land and in close proximity to the furnaces, of which hereafter, is found both fossil and hematite ores, limestone and sand. At Rockhill Gap, with in a half mile of Orbisonia, a vein of fossil ore, averaging twenty -four inches in thickness, and extending from water- level up over four hundred feet is opened. On each side of the gap there are two openings at different elevations, the longest gangway penetrating the mountain for a distance of one-half a mile. The underlying vein is 20 inches, and is separated from a smaller vein of 6 inches, overlaid by a parting of fire clay 6 inches. The rock beneath the vein is hard sand-rock, and the measures above the vein are soft shales. The ores on the south side are compact, coarse fossil ore, reddish brown color, with somewhat laminated structure ; the north side has a hard ore with numerous small crystals of calcite ; darker reddigh color. They run about forty per cent, iron, with a trace of sulphur and about one-tenth of one per cent, phosphorus. The vein dips at an angle of about 70*^ toward the north, which is of great ad vantage over flatter veins, in respect to the convenience and cost of mining. The mining is done without powder, by picking out the soft clay parting, and wedging the benches of ore up and down. Hematites are found within a half mile of the furnaces, and on Sandy Ridge, two miles north, are several openings. From the main mine comes a very hard and compact ochreous iron ore, dark brown color, yielding from 45 to 51 per cent, iron, and containing little sulphur or phosphorus. There is also a hematite vein in crevice of Medina sand atone, on Black Log mountain, which yields largely and seems inexhaustible. They have also opened the Cheet bank, lying directly under the Orisk- aney sand stone, Logan Bank in Hill Valley, and numer ous other hematite mines. "The same company are the owners of about eleven thou sand acres, lying on Broad Top mountain and in Trough Creek valley, of which about ten thousand acres may be classed as coal land, th^ rest being covered with valuable timber. 808 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. " These lands lie on the east side of the Broad Top coal fields, and are reached by the Broad Top Railroad, the ter minus being Robertsdale, The measures are flat but not quite level; there is a general dip toward the southwest. In addition to this general dip it appears that Trough Creek is a regular basin, having its synclinal axis near the bed of the stream, and its outcrops on the side of Ray's Hill on the east and Broad Top on the west. This formation is the best possible for mining, as it insures drainage toward the open ings on Trough Creek, At Robertsdale the company have three mines and are now shipping to market over 400 tons coal daily, " They have a coal washer, crusher, coke pits and store located there, and employ about 800 hands at this time, " To return to the furnaces, Messrs. Taws and Hartman, Mechanical Engineers, furnished the designs and drawings. On the 17th of April, 1873, the centre line of two furnaces was run, and the first ground broken in the afternoon of the same day. The construction was-under the superintendence of Mr. 0. Constable, a civil engineer of New York, who, in February last, after the completion of the furnaces, went to Tennessee, where he is now successfully engaged in running the Rockwood i'urnaces, " The furnaces are wrought iron stacks 65 feet high, 17 feet bosh, with a stone stock house 280 feet long, and two large brick casting houses. There are 24 boilers which supply steam to 2 massive engines with 4 fly wheels, 24 feet in diameter, having steam cylinders 48 inches in diameter and 8 feet stroke. The blowing cylinders are 90 inches » the engines are direct acting, low pressure, and were built at Southwark Foundry, Philadelphia, said to have cost sixty to seventy-five thousand dollars. The gases are brought from the top of the furnace through a large downcomer to the boilers and the hot ovens, and there take the place of fuel in supplying steam for the engines. There are 4 brick hot ovens, each containing 40 U shaped cast-iron pipes through which the blast from the engines passes into the furnace, entering the furnace at 800 deg. and above (625 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 809 being the point that lead is melted ;) there are 5 tuyers and numerous water pipe connections, A large reservoir is built on the hill back of the furnaces, A patent air hoist is used in hoisting the stock. There are 48 coke ovens, 24 and 28 inches, on the Belgian plan; each having its own flues. "In the present condition of the country and the state of the iron trade, it is somewhat surprising that a company would start furnaces so large as these. But it is neverthe less so, Mr, H, G, H, Tarr, lately of the Gaylord Iron and Pipe Co., Cincinnati, is the present Superintendent. After filling 7 cords wood, 50 tons coke and other stock, reaching to within 11 feet of the top, the furnace vras forinally lighted on New Year's day, 1876. There were present a large con course of people of town and vicinity; the casting house was brilliantly illuminated. Everything being in readiness, Mrs, Tarr, at 8:23 p, M., after lighting the torch, applied it to the kindling and lighted No, 1 furnace amidst clapping of hands and applauding. She went off nicely from the first. Several persons were called upon for addresses, Messrs. B. F. Ripple, H, G. H, Tarr and W. T, Browning made short speeches in the order named. "The blast was put on Monday, January 3d, at 1:10 p, m., and the first cast made Tuesday, at 4:15 p. m., producing about 15 tons No. 2 extra iron. Since this time she has been running very satisfactorily, "The indications are that before long we will be a manu facturing town second to none in the State. So may it be." The Clugage family must have moved into this neighbor hood as early as 1760 or '65. Colonel Gavin Clugage built the first mill in the lower end of the county. It was erected in 1783, near the junction of Black Log and Shade creeks, very close to the brick house recently built by William B, Gilliland. This mill was pa tronized by the inhabitants of both Springfield and Tusca rora valleys. Here the militia met regularly every month for company drill, and on the first Monday in May of each year a grand battalion drill would come off at the mill. Gavin Clugage 310 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, was elected Colonel, It is said that it was not an unusual occurrence for the different companies, say from Springfield or Tuscarora, to engage in a general pugilistic encounter, and the hero would be regarded with as much honor as the commander of an army at the present day. The Colonel was a fine hunter, and in those days of game would invariably "make his mark," On one occasion, so the story goes, he started from home in the morning and re turned after an absence of only an hour, directing Thomas, his brother, to "hitch up" and bring in the game, Thomas started with a sled ; the snow being of such depth as to greatly impede his traveling, but enabling him to readily follow the track of his brother. He soon began to notice in the snow the trail or mark of what seemed to be an immense saw log. Following this he was no doubt not sur prised to find his brother's game — a large rattlesnake, fifteen feet long and a foot through. The season of the year, the snow, and the size of the snake, have a tendency to make the story very "snaky," Gavin Clugage, died in 1823, The inhabitants of the valley say Black Log derived its name from a large log around which packers and traders would congregate to spend the night, and which in course of time became badly burned and black, hence the name. This stopping place was located along the creek about half the distance between Samuel Adams' and David Grove's. On the farm of the latter there was once a small tannery of some description. Nothing is known of it except that it ran four vats, and had a blacksmith shop in connection. In 1825 the vats were partly open. Up the valley stands a stone house, of convenient dimensions and good repair, built by Esther and Nancy Logan in 1819, It is now inhabited by Edward Cook, George Werrick owned the land now the property of Michael Stair, and died as late as 1852 or '53, North of the Black Log, James Clugage built the house in which Frederick Harmon now lives, in 1775, It had plowed and grooved floors, large mantel and chimney corner, and the shingles were all put on and, in fact, all other work done with HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 811 wrought iron nails, made by the blacksmiths. The Pollards owned the valley for "five miles up, Dr, Blanchard came from Philadelphia and settled in Black Log valley about 1809, In 1826, a Mr. Byrum came from Baltimore with, it is said, five six-horse loads of house hold goods — a very large supply for that day — and at once commenced the erection of a dwelling house 80x60 feet. After getting about half the rafters up, he abandoned the structure, sold out and returned to Baltimore with his family, three sons and two daughters. In 1830-1, Thomas E. Orbison, from whom the place takes its name, located in Orbisonia, and started the town. It was not laid out for several years after, and indeed, the plan as it has since been built up was only certified on the 1st of May, 1850, by William Orbison, before Associate Judge James Gwin. The tracing is in the hand-writing of Jacob Miller. In 1833, it was quite a pretentious village. At that time there were no streets, the houses straggling along either side of the road, which zigzagged at pleasure where Cromwell street now is; crossing the run below the Lutheran Church, and keeping along the side of the ridge in the direction of Shirleysburg. Along the little piece of this road which is still open were two dwellings, one occupied by Mr. Murray, and the other, which is still standing, by Benjamin Gorsuch ; also a blacksmith shop and a cooper shop, the latter of which still stands and is occupied as a dwelling. The log house on the hill overlooking this road was then quite a pretentious residence, with an avenue of pines lead ing down to the road, Thomas Bingham was living there at that time. Crossing the run, we find the first building on the westerly side of the road, a stone distillery, near the run, a little back of where now stands the blacksmith shop, used as a dwelling. Next comes the old Mansion House, as it was called, the oldest house in the village, then occupied by Henry Cohi- nour. It was a large log house, partly weatherboarded, with two porches in front, one above the other, and was 312 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. surrounded by a grassy yard. The house stood directly in the rear of where James Chilcoat's house now stands ; in the lower corner of the yard, next to the road, was a stone spring house, and adjoining the upper end of the yard, stood the " old office," then occupied as a dwelling by two families, George Palmer's and William Bootersbaugh's ; this was where now stands the kitchen of the house in which Mr^ Sims lives. Next a log store room, about where Mr, Orbison's stable- yard is now ; there, in April, 1833, that gentleman opened his first stock of general merchandise, in which was included bonnets, ribbons, artificials, etc, for the fair sex ; for, alas, there was not a milliner in all the town. This building was afterwards rolled across the street, and is the house in which Simon McGarvey is now living, A few yards south of the store room stood an old log stable. These were all the buildings on that .side of the road. On the other side of the road, the first was a log house nearly opposite the store room, in which Joseph Cohinour then lived. It has since been weatherboarded, and is now occupied by William Briggs, Next was the " new office," the only frame building in the town. This has been moved several rods down the street from its original position, and is now the kitchen end of the house occupied by William R, Baker, directly oppo site Mr. Orbison's present brick store room and the post office. Next came the log tavern, kept by Andrew Fore man, promising accommodations for man and beast. Weatherboarded, painted, a back building added, it now swings its sign as the "Franklin Hotel, H, Wilt." The ac commodation for man and beast was to be found in an open shed where M. Starr & Co,'s storeroom now stands. The next house was of unhewn logs, and stood where is now Mrs, Noble's garden. Here lived " Johnnie Pressor," as he was styled, who sold cakes and beer. It is related of him, that one night a couple of young bloods roused him from his peaceful slumbers, intent on purchasing some of these refreshments. He kindly got up, and cut from HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 813 the large loaf of gingerbread the desired section, first, how ever, carefully wiping his knife on the skirt of the only gar ment that adorned his person. Next and last was a log house in which Lewellyn Davis lived. This, with additions and re pairs, is now the house in which Mrs, Rutter lives. The grist mill and saw mill still occupy their then posi tions, but have been much changed in appearance by repairs. The mill-race is the same. CHAPTER XLIIL tod township — union — trough creek valley — CASS — SALISBURY OR CHILCOATSTOWN — CASSVILLE — HON. DAVID CLARKSON. Tod, one of the Trough creek valley townships, is bound ed on the northeast by Penn and Cass townships, on the southeast by Cass and Clay, on the southwest by Carbon, and on the northwest by Hopewell and Lincoln. It con tains five post offices. Cook's Mill, Eagle Foundry, Paradise Furnace, Tod, and Trough Creek, Previous 'to the erection of Tod township, Union em braced nearly the entire Trough creek valley, extending from the Juniata river on the north to the summit of Broad Top mountain on the south, and from Jack's mountain on the east, to Terrace on the west, and including the present townships of Union, Cass, Tod and part of Carbon. The following sketch of Cass township will contain some facts which relate as well to other parts of the valley. The boundaries of Cass are Penn and Union on the north, Shirley and Cromwell on the east. Clay on the south, and Tod on the west and southwest. Trough creek valley was settled chiefly by immigrants from the State of Maryland, at so early a day that the oldest person now living cannot give the year. We find that improvements were made in 1774, but few if any land warrants are dated prior to 1794. Of the inhabitants born here, Mrs, Ruth Wright, widow of the Rev, Dr, Jesse Wright, deceased, is the oldest. She is now 87 years of age, A year or two before her birth, her father, Richard Chilcott, moved to and settled upon the farm now owned by James C. Wright, in Union township, then and for some years afterwards farther north than any other improvement in the valley. Among the earliest settlers were the Lilleys, Lucketts, Fitzsimmons, Corbins, Drennans, Brownings, Caldwells, Deans, Bomgartners, Curfmans, McClains, Ohilcotts, Green- lands, Stevers and Robinsons, When these pioneers were HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 315 endeavoring to make the country habitable, they sometiines exchanged farms or improvements, and in such cases it was customary for the parties to the transanction to exchange also all movable property, each leaving his household goods, cattle and agricultural implements upon the place from which he removed, and retaining none of his former posses sions but his wife and children. This was done to avoid the expense and trouble of conveying them to the new home, through a region without roads, and without the vehicles which would have been necessary for their transportation. It is related of one of the Chilcoats, called " Knob Josh," that he once set up a great lamentation concerning the alleged loss of $300, so affecting his financial condition, as he said, as to compel him to suspend payments. On being asked how he had lost so much money, he replied that it was because he had no hogs to eat the acorns. He was a farmer, as were nearly all of those we have named, Richard Chilcott, esq., and Thomas Wright at one time seemed to be standing jurors, attending court at every term without compensation, and paying their own expenses. Eli jah Corbin was commissioned a justice of the peace in 1809, by Governor Snyder, for the fourth district of Huntingdon county. Joshua Gosnell was also a justice of the peace and one of the first local preachers in the M. E. church. Among the first itinerant Methodist preachers were the Revs. Reilly, Hank, Sansom and Byerly, There had perhaps previously been " old school Baptist" preachers, but the first itinerating minister of that denomination was Richart Proudfoot, who traveled through the valley for a number of years. His sal ary for 1826 was $31, six dollars of which was not paid him. During the latter part of his ministry he was a " new school Baptist." It is to be hoped that that paid better. The Methodist ministers preached in George Smith's house, which stood within the present borough of Cassville. The first church in the valley was built where the new M. E, Church stands, at Trough Creek, Tod township. In 1823 or '24, the Lutheran and German Reformed church was built in Cassville, and the first person buried in the grave- 316 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. yard. Rev. Aurandt, of Woodcock valley, was the first pastor. The valley now contains five Methodist Episcopal churches, two Methodist Protestant, two Lutheran, one Baptist, one Church of God, and one United Brethren, As to ' management of schools in the valley, or one of them at least, at an early day, or before the adoption of the common school system, we give a literal copy of a manu script in the handwriting of Esquire Corbin, now in the possession of Hon. David Clarkson : "Whereas, there has heretofore been a school house erected Near the Long Bridge on Michael Mierley's land in Union township in the county of Huntingdon, known by the Name of the Union school house, which was built by the Neighbors, and whereas it now becomes Necessary to appoint trustees for said school house, the following persons have met this twelfth Day Oct. 1824, for appointing trustees as aforesaid, Namely, Michael Mierley, Jacob Miller, John Bom- gartner, David Bomgartner, Abraham Wright, Jesse Wright, George Smith, Jacob Bomgartner of Michael, Jacob Estep and Elijah Corbin and Michael Mierley, jr,, at which time Elijah Corbin, Jesse Wright and Michael Mierley, jr,, was Nominated and appointed trustees for said school house, whose Duty it shall be to attend to the Rules and Regulations of said school in future, that is to say where any teacher applies for a school at said house they are first to apply to said trustees who are to admit or Reject as they may think proper, and if admitted and a school is got then it shall be their Duty also to see that there is Regular and Due attention payed by said teacher according to his article," Signed by Abraham Wright, Michael Mierley, Jacob Miller, Jacob Estep, George Smith and two others whose names cannot be deciphered. The principal grain market for Trough creek valley before the construction of the Pennsylvania canal was at McConnellsburg, in Fulton county, thirty to forty miles distant, Salisbury, known also as Chilcoatstown, was laid out by Benjamin and Robeson Chilcoat previous to 1797. HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 817 The plan of lots was recorded on the 22nd of February of that year. It lay entirely south of the present public square and Seminary street. Lots were sold by the proprietors for three pounds five shillings each and ground rent, or twenty dollars, one-half in hand and the balance the first fall month. Three buildings stood upon the site of the village when it was laid out, only one of which, now used as a stable, remains. It has been removed from its former position and has been replaced by the residence of Rev, Jesse Wright's widow, which was erected in 1841, The first tavern was kept there by William Lovell, and the second by Robert Speer, father of Hon, R, M. Speer, of Huntingdon. The latter became a resident of the place in 1818 or '19. He was a man of considerable energy and built a large brick and frame dwelling, 102 feet in length- Having been the first merchant, as well as a tavern keeper, he kept the largest and most general assortment of dry goods tlje place has ever known, and did an extensive busi ness in grain, controlling the trade from Broad Top to the Juniata river. He contributed more perhaps to the building up of the town than any other of its citizens. On the 24th of September, 1830, Andrew Shaw and Dr. Robert Baird laid out an addition to Salisbury and sold lots at from forty to fifty dollars each. In that and the follow ing year a number of lots were purchased and buildings erected. Lemuel Green then moved to the town and built his tannery, which has never since suspended, but is still in operation. Within the next ten years, James Henderson, John S. Gehrett, Dr. Jesse Wright and David Clarkson became residents. In 1849, a public meeting was held to consider the expe diency of having the place incorporated as a borough, and a committee, consisting of Robert Speer, D. Stever and D. Clarkson, was appointed to select a name. The ma jority decided upon "Cassville" as appropriate, and by that name it was incorporated by act of Assembly, March 3rd, 1853, Hon, David Clarkson, who is now serving his second term 318 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. as Associate Judge of the county, and who has been promi nent in every useful public enterprise in Cassville, was bora near Philadelphia, He came to Trough creek valley when two years of age and lived about two miles west of Cass ville until 1840, when he removed to the town. He was one of the projectors of the Cassville Seminary, a history of which is given in another chapter. CHAPTER XLIV. JACKSON TOWNSHIP — JOSEPH JACKSON — GENERAL WILLIAM m'aLEVY — HIS METHOD OF IMMIGRATION — m'aLEVY''s PORT — SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES — GREENWOOD FURNACE MITCHELL'S FURNACE STONE CREEK AND M'ALEVY'S fort RAILROAD^LAY TOWNSHIP — BRADY — MILL CREEK — SAND QUARRIES. Jackson township, in the northeastern portion of the county, joins Centre county on the north and Mifflin county on the east and southeast, and is bounded by Barree on the west and southwest. Is is watered by the two branches of Standing Stone creek, which rise in the mountains near the Centre and Mifflin county lines, and unite into one stream shortly after passing out of the township. It was named after Joseph Jackson, Esq., one of the first settlers within its limits. The line dividing it from Barree passes through the farm upon which he lived, and which still belongs to his descendants. Another early settler of note was General William Mc Alevy, who is mentioned in the chapters relating to the Revolutionslry war, and in connection with the political troubles in 1788. He was a Scotch- Irishman by birth, and had resided in Cumberland valley, north of Carlisle. His wife was a sister of John Harris, founder of Harrisburg. He came up to the place which afterwards took his name, about the year 1770, and after determining to settle there, made a canoe out of a pine tree, in which he descended Standing Stone creek and the Juniata and Susquehanna rivers to Harrisburg, and in which he returned, bringing his family up those streams to his future home. In the shallow waters of the creek his craft, light as it was, struck the rocks and bars, from whence it could be moved only by the power of a horse which the General kept conveniently near. He acquired all the lands in and around McAIevy's fort. The fortification which was thus known, was but a block house on the bluff east of the village, built as a defense 820 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. against the hostile incursions of the savages. He was once wounded in the leg by the Indians, but escaped from them, while his companion was overtaken and scalped. Brave, resolute and daring, he was just the style of man that would be ready to take up arms in behalf of Ameif- ican independence. The old settlers were engaged principally in agricultu ral pursuits, and by far the greater part of the present population follow the same avocation. The township con tains eleven public school houses, one academy or high school, and five churches, two of which are Methodist Epis copal, one United Presbyterian, one Presbyterian and one Lutheran, Greenwood furnaces, two stacks, are situated in the southeast part of the township. The old furnace was built in 1833, by William Patton and William Norris, It has been in active operation ever since its erection, with the exception of two or three years. The new stack was built in 1860, These furnaces now belong to the Logan Iron and Steel Company, In 1841 Thomas, John and James Mitchell, built a small furnace about a mile north of McAIevy's Fort, but the lo cation being unfavorable and the management inefficient, it proved a failure, and now not one stone of it remains upon another. It was called the Little Furnace, About six years ago the Legislature granted a charter for -the Stone Creek and McAIevy's Fort railroad, and $20,000, the sum required from the people of the township, was subscribed toward its construction, but on the failure of Jay Cooke & Co., it shared the fate of many similar enterprises. The road may yet be made on the return of business pros perity. There are three post-offices in the township, McAIevy's Fort, Ennisville and Greenwood Furnace, Clay township is bounded on the northeast by Cass and Cromwell, on the southeast by Springfield, on the south west by Fulton county, and on the northwest by Carbon and Tod townships. The East Broad Top railroad crouses «^' » '<^ AT MILL CREEK. HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 321 the northern portion of the township, passing the boroughs of Three Springs and Saltillo, At the latter is a large steam tannery, owned by Leas & McVitty, Brady township was named in honor of Hugh Brady, a distinguished General of the United States Army, who is said to have been born within the walls of Standing Stone Fort. He entered the army at an early age and received various well-merited promotions until he attained the high rank he held at the time of his death. Other members of the Brady family lived in the vicinity of Huntingdon before the Revolutionary war. The father of the famous scout and spy, Capt. Samuel Brady, resided at the mouth of Crooked creek, on the opposite side of the river. During the war all of the Brady s removed to the West Branch of the Susquehanna, The township is bounded on the northeast and southeast by Mifflin county, on the south and southwest by Union, on the west by Henderson, and on the northwest by Henderson and Barree, It has Jack's mountain on the east. Standing Stone mountain in the centre and the Juniata river on the south. Its principal village is Mill Creek, on the Pennsylvania railroad and canal, laid out October 12th,1848, for the proprie tors, Messrs. Zook, Plank and King, On the stream of Mill creek, from which the village takes its name, is Mill Creek Furnace, out of blast for a number of years. The place has considerable trade from Kishacoquillas valley and the ad joining townships of Union and Henderson, At the end of Standing Stone mountain, in the southern part of the township, sand for the manufacture of glass is quarried and crushed by steam power. It is shipped to Pittsburg and used in the establishments there. As it exists in large quantities and is of the best quality, the erection of glass works in the vicinity of the mines, or at some other point in the county, seems to be demanded by every consid eration of economy and convenience. CHAPTER XLV, PENN TOWNSHIP — SOIL — ORES — EARLY SETTLERS VILLAGES MARKLES BURG — GRANTVILLE — GRAFTON — RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS — RE FORMED — LUTHERAN — METHODIST EPISCOPAL— GERMAN BAPTIST — MENNONITE — CHURCHES — MILLS — SOLDIERS OP THE UNION ARMY. In 1846 the township of Hopewell was divided into two nearly equal parts,and the northern or northeastern part erect ed into the township of Penn. It is bounded on the north by the townships of Walker and Juniata, on the east by Union, Cass and Tod, on the south by Lincoln, and on the west by the county of Blair, the summits of Terrace and Tussey's mountains forming, respectively, the eastern and western boundary lines. The township is about six miles from north to south, and eight or eight-and-a-half from east to west. It is watered by the Raystown branch of the Juniata, which runs along the base of Terrace mountain. James creek and its tribu taries and some of the tributaries of Crooked creek also traverse the township. The surface is broken by numerous ridges, which at some points assume the proportions of mountains; the princi pal ones being Mulberry, Warrior, Backbone, Piney and Alaquippa or " Allegrippus," Woodcock valley, proper, includes the territory lying be tween Warrior ridge and Tussey's mountain. Although somewhat broken, it is naturally a very productive limestone soil, and most of it is in a high state of cultivation. The slate soil of the ridges is less productive than that of the valley, but in favorable seasons, produces excellent crops. The soil of the valley of the Raystown branch is mainly a sandy alluvion, and is also highly productive. The town ship is rich in iron ores. There are practically inexhausti ble deposits of hematite, fossil and levant fossil'ores. The former is found in the trough formed by Mulberry and Warrior ridges, the soft fossil and levant along the base of HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 323 Tussey's mountain. Unfortunately for the community, the owners of these lands were induced some years ago, by specious but delusive promises, to execute perpetual ore leases to parties residing in other sections of the State, there by depriving this locality of the full benefit of its great mineral wealth. Within the last twelve years upwards of one hundred thousand tons of ore were shipped from Marklesburg and Grafton, mainly to the Cambria Iron Company of Johnstown, and to Grove Brothers, of Danville, Pa. Lead ore has also been discovered at different points on Warrior ridge, but so far not in any considerable quan tities. But few, if any, of the descendants of the first white set tlers of what is now Fenn township survive. The names of Hartsock, Kough, Fleck, Freld, Breckenridge, Bishop, Keith, Roberts, Hart, Owens, McMath and Graffius are among those that figure in its earliest local history. Thomas Wilson, an Englishman, was probably one of the few pioneer settlers still having representatives in the township. He lived on what is now known as the "station farm." He owned and probably built the first grist mill in this section of the country. It is represented as having been exceed ingly primitive in structure. It was known throughout the neighborhood as " Tub mill," and stood near the site of the "brick mill now owned by John S. Isett and Solomon H, Isenberg, Mr. Wilson had two sons — -Levi and William — and five daughters, married, respectively, to James Entriken, Wil liam Bnyeart, Samuel Glasgow, William Harvey and William Taylor, He died April, 1836, in the 95th year of his age. Michael Garner came to Woodcock valley from the neigh borhood of Sharpsburg, Maryland, in 1789. He purchased the "improvement" of Thomas Whitner, and on June 20, 1794, from "John Penn the younger and John Penn the older, through their attorney, Anthony Butler, two hundred and seventy-nine acres of land lying in Hopewell township, 324 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, Huntingdon county, being a part of the tract known as Penn's Manor of Woodcock valley, paying therefor £112. 5s, 4d., current money of Pennsylvania, in specie." A part of this tract is at present owned and occupied by Geo. Garner, one of his numerous grandsons. Mr. Garner had five sons — John, Michael, Matthew, George and Philip, and two daughters — Susan and Mary — married, respectively, to Daniel Stauffer and Jacob Grubb. His de scendants outnumber those of any other family in the township. Jacob Brumbaugh emigrated from Germany and first located near the Antietam, in Maryland, about the year 1780. He removed to Morrison's cove in 1788, and came to Woodcock valley in 1794. On the 4th day of August, 1800, he purchased from David McMurtrie a tract of land known as " Timothy Meadows," on the south side of War rior's ridge, containing 219 acres. The tract was originally surveyed in pursuance of an application — No. 1709 — entered the 2nd day of August, 1766, by John Mitchell, and the pat ent subsequently confirmed to Solomon Sills. His grandson, Jacob Brumbaugh, senior, is the present owner and occu pant of the old homestead. Mr. Brumbaugh was twice married. He had fifteen chil dren — nine sons and six daughters — of whom two are still living, viz : David Brumbaugh senior, of Marklesburg, aged eighty-three, and Mrs. Susanna Markley, of Ohio, a few years younger. Jacob Grove was from Lancaster county. He located on the farm now occupied by David H. Grove, in the year 1796. He had five sons and three daughters. Of the former, Daniel, Jacob and Andrew still remainin the township. John and Peter Beightell and Adam Auman also came from Lancaster county, and located in Woodcock vallev at about the same time. Ludwig Hoover came from Maryland at an early day and settled on the Breckenridge farm — the scene of the massacre by the Indians detailed in Jones' Juniata Valley. He had a hemp factory, an oil mill and a distillery. His grandson HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 325 Ludwig Hoover, is the present owner and occupant of this historic old farm. Isaac Bowers, frojji Berks, and Abramam Grubb, from Bucks county, came to this valley in the early part of the present century. The former purchased a farm from John Freed, and the latter purchased the Hartsock property, on which was located " Fort Hartsock" — famous in the history of Woodcock valley in Indian times. Andrew, Henry, Jacob and John Boyer, brothers, came from Montgomery county. Pa., in the year 1799, and located in the neighborhood of the present village of Marklesburg, where most of the surviving children still reside. Henry Summers and Joseph and John Norris came from the neii^hborhood of Hagerstown, Maryland, to ward the close of the last century. The former located in Woodcock valley, where one of his sons, (the venerable and respected Jacob Summers, sr.,) and a number of his grandsons still reside. The Norris brothers settled on the Raystown branch, and were the progenitors of large and highly respectable families still resident in the township. The Barrick, Beaver, Prough, Fink, Speck, Geissinger and Snare families are among the older ones of the township. Marklesburg, a quiet and unpretending little village, is situated in the southwest part of the township, near the head of James Creek. It is distant half a mile from the Hunting don and Broad Top railroad, at Grantville, and twelve miles southwest of Huntingdon, on the public road leading from Huntingdon to Bedford. David Brumbaugh, sr., and Matthew Garner, dec'd, were the owners of the land on which the village is located. It was a part of the tract which was for many years in dispute between the bank of North America and the heirs of Doctor Allison. The former of the two proprietors mentioned, put an end to the conflict in titles by purchasing both claims. The village was laid out in the summer of 1844, by Jacob Cresswell, E.sq., surveyor, and was named in honor of Gen. Joseph Markle, the Whig candidate for Governor. The first dwelling house was erected by Jacob Skyles, in 326 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 1844. The house was for a long time owned and occupied by Abraham Megahan, Esq.; Jacob Hess, sr., is the present owner. The second and third dwellings were also erected in 1844, by Frederick and Adam Garner. In the following year houses were erected by Anthony Beard, Adam Seigler and others. Marklesburg has now forty-five (45) dwellings, three churches — Reformed, Lutheran and Methodist Episcopal — one school house, three stores, two carriage factories, two blacksmith shops, one harness shop, three shoe shops, three cabinet and joiner shops, and one cooper shop. It has three clergymen and one physician. Its post-office, which retains its original name of James Creek, was established in 1840, and John B. Given, esq., was appointed first postmaster. Benjamin C. Lytle, Esq., dec'd, was the second postmaster. In 1874 the borough of Mar klesburg was incorporated. It has a population of about three hundred (300), and can poll forty-five votes. At the election held Nov. 2, 1875, the vote for Governor stood : Pershing, 24, Hartranft 16, Browne 1. It has two daily mails — one due at 9:45 a, m., and the other at 7 p. m. Grantville is a station on the Huntingdon and Broad Top Railroad, eleven miles from Huntingdon. The first building erected at this place was a large frame warehouse, which was subsequently fitted up for and occupied as a dwelling- house. In 1866 it was destroyed by fire. On its site, John G. Boyer soon afterward erected a brick dwelling and store house. At about the same time Samuel B, Garner also erected a brick dwelling house. The village has at present some fifteen dwellings, a station house, a store, a tin shop, a confectionery and a hotel, Grafton is also a station on the H. & B. T. R. R., seven miles from Huntingdon. Andrew F. Grove erected the first dwelling house in 1868. It has at this time some 17 or 18 dwellings, a station house, a grist mill (steam power), a saw mill, a tannery, two stores, a carriage factory, two black smith shops, one carpenter shop and one shoe shop. HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 327 Its post office — originally New Pleasant Grove — was es tablished in 1870, and A. F. Grove, Esq., appointed first postmaster. Rev. John Dietrich Aurandt was probably the first Re formed minister who preached statedly in any part of Woodcock valley. He was born in Lancaster county, Penn sylvania, on the 8th day of November, 1760, In 1794 he removed with his father to Buffalo valley, then Northum berland, but now Union county ; and in October, 1804, came to Canoe valley, Huntingdon county. He purchased a farm near the Yellow Springs, where he lived for a period of 27 years. A short time prior to his death, which occurred April 24, 1831, he removed from Morris township to Harts log valley, Porter township. He was licensed to preach in 1806, and, after satisfactory examination, was ordained in 1809, He preached at Hunt ingdon, Breidenbach's (at or near Petersburg), P. Roller's, C. Harnish's, Williamsburg, Henlin's, Martinsburg, Potter's, Yellow Creek, Bedford, Grove's (in Woodcock Valley), Cass ville, Steever's, Snare's, Entriken's, and at some other points. His "charge" extended from Huntingdon to Cumber land, a distance of 90 miles, and from Frankstown to Cass ville, a distance of 30 miles. He was a man of good natural abilities and great energy. In stature he was 6 feet 2 J inches ; was well proportioned and of preposessing appearance. Rev. Christian Weinbrenner was the successor of Rev, Aurandt, He was born February 7, 1789. He commenced preaching about 1838, His congregations at preaching points were as follows: Grove's in Woodcock Valley, and Clover Creek, Hickory Bottom and Bob's Greek in Morri son's cove. It is believed that he was never regularly ad mitted into the Synod of the Reformed Church, and there fore never received ordination. He passed himself off as a Reformed minister, however, and was universally accepted as such. He is affectionately remembered as a sincere, earnest and pious man. He died at Woodbury, Bedford county, February 12th, 1858, ¦Rev, Weinbrenner was followed by Rev. Theobalt Fouse, 328 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, who was born on Clover Creek, then Huntingdon, but now Blair county, Dec. 26, 1802, At the age of forty, after a creditable examination, he entered the ministry, and received regular ordination in 1842. He organized the congregation at Marklesburg, Oct, 28, 1842, and assisted materially in the erection of Zion's Reformed church, which was dedicated in 1847, His charge, known as " Woodcock Valley Charge," consisted of the following congregations, viz : Marklesburg, Union, Jacob's, St, Paul's, Spring Valley, Clover Creek) Hickory Bottom and Sharpsburg — most of which he organ ized, or re-organized after partial disintegration. He was a man of sterling integrity, devout, earnest, with out hypocrisy or dissimulation, discharging the sacred du ties of the Christian ministry in the fear of God and to the glory of his Master, He died August 23, 1873, and is bur ied in the graveyard attached to Zion's church, at Markles burg. Rev. Jonathan Zeller, now of Lock Haven, organized the first Reformed congregation at McConnellstown, in the spring of 1834. His first catechetical class consisted of sixty-five. He baptized before confirmation thirty-five adults. The first communion held numbered seventy-two. His immediate successor was Rev. Geo. W. Williard. Revs. Aaron Christman, Henry Heckerman, William M- Deatrich, Samuel H. Reid, J. S. Kieffer and L. D. Steckle are among the ministers who have filled the pulpit at McConnellstown. Rev. A. G, Dole is the present pastor. The first Lutheran congregation in what is now Penn township was organized as early as 1804, by Rev. Frederick Haas, a licentiate of Pennsylvania Synod, at Garner's school- house. He preached at this point, at Huntingdon, Williams burg, Waterstreet, Clover Creek, Cassville and Kishaco quillas valley. He labored in this field for a period of twelve years. Rev. Henry Heinen was the successor of Rev. Haas. He was a physician as well as clergyman, and it is said, devoted rather more of his time to the practice of medicine than to his pastoral work. HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 829 Rev. N. G. Sharretts succeeded Rev. Heinen in 1826, his charge consisting of the Woodcock Valley and Cassville congregations. Rev. D. Moser followed Rev. Sharretts in 1829, and was pastor of the charge till 1832, Rev. J, Martin, pa.stor of Williamsburg charge, preached for this congregation, as supply, from 1 832 to 1886. Rev. J. G. Ellinger became pastor in 1838, the charge then consisting of the Woodcock valley, Cassville, Clover Creek and Martinsburg congregations. It was during his pastorate, in the year 1840, that the first Lutheran church edifice (at Garner's) was erected. Rev. Ellinger was followed by Rev. Benjamin Laubach, who died six months after entering upon his pastoral labors. Rev, Wm. G. Laitzle was pastor from 1843 to 1847, and was followed by Rev. Jacob N. Burket whose charge em braced Woodcock valley, Newbury and Cassville. Under the pastorate of Rev. Burket, the Constitution of St. Mat thew's Evangelical Lutheran church of Marklesburg was adopted. Revs. P. M. Rightmyer, Cyrus Rightmyer, W. B. Bach- tell, J. K. Bricker, J. K. Bratten, M. G. Boyer and J. Fra- zier were successfully pastors of the charge. The new Lu theran church at Marklesburg was erected during the pas torate of Rev, Frazier, who is deserving of much credit for the unflagging zeal and energy he manifested in the enter prise. The church was dedicated July 30, 1871, the dedicatory sermon having been preached by Rev. Henry Baker, of Altoona. Rev. Frazier was succeeded in 1872 by Rev. J, S. Heilig, who continued in charge till April, 1875. Rev. Matthew G. Boyer is the present pastor, having entered upon the labors of this field for the second time in May, 1875, Although embraced within the boundaries of Cassville circuit, and occasionally visited by itinerant preachers, no 330 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, Methodist Episcopal congregation was organized in Penn township prior to the year 1S47. In that year, Rev, Robert Beers, then preacher in charge, preached alternately at Marklesburg and at Summers' school-house. In the follow ing year, 1848, the congregation at Marklesburg was organ ized. The appointment remained in connection with Cass ville circuit until 1864, when it was attached to the circuit of Saxton, For the last ten years, it has constituted one of the appointments of McConnellstown circuit. The first class, in connection with the appointment, was organized in 1847, and consisted of six members, namely, J. Householder and wife, Robert Gill and wife, and Edward Duncan and wife. In 1851 the first steps were taken looking toward the erection of a church edifice, and in the summer of 1852, the M. E, Church of Marklesburg was dedicated to the service of God, the dedicatory sermon having been preached by Rev. (now Bishop) Thomas Bowman, then principal of Williamsport Seminary, Among the ministers who have since filled the appoint ment are the following : Rev. A. Beers, J. Spangler, Z. Bland, J. Lloyd, G, W, Bouse, G. Berkstresser, J, A, Coleman, C Graham, J. Guss, J. W. Cleaver, J. W. Leckey, C. V. Wil son, J, C. Clarke, J. P. Long, J. A, McKindless, C. White W, E. Hoch, and J. W. Bell, present pastor. Among the first ministers of German Baptist or Brethren denomination who are known to have preached in this neighborhood were John Shinefelt, Christian Hoover and John Martin. John Hoover and Geo, Brumbaugh were also among the earliest laborers in this field. Elder Isaac Brumbaugh is remembered as a sincere, ear nest and pious ministers of the denomination, for more than a quarter of a 'century. He died November 4, 1871, The Mennonites are represented by a small but highly respectable membership. They worship at the Union (Grove) church. The present pastor is Rev. Jacob Snyder. HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 331 The township has seven church edifices, as follows : Evangelical Lutheran, at Garner's, erected in 1840. do. do Marklesburg. " 1871. Reformed and Mennonite, Grove's, " 1841. Reformed, Ridge, " 1860. Methodist Episcopal, Marklesburg, " 1852. German Baptist, near Marklesburg, " 1860. do. at Raystown Branch, " 1873. There are three grist mills in the township — two on James Creek, and one on a tributary of Crooked Creek, at Grafton, The mill at the mouth of James Creek was built by James Entriken Jr., in 1851 and 1852. It is now owned by John S. Isett and Solomon H. Isenberg. The brick mill, also on James Creek, was erected by R. F. Coplin, in 1867, and is now also owned by Messrs. Isett and Isenberg. The mill at Grafton, was built by Wm. B. Zeigler, in 1873. Penn will compare very favorably with her sister town ships in the patriotic zeal and fervor of its population during the late war. From 1861 to 1865 it contributed upwards of one hundred men to the Union army, many of whom sacri ficed their lives that the nation might live. Company " C," 53d Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Captain John H. Wintrode was recruited principally in Penn and in that part of Hopewell (now Lincoln) township, immediately adjoining. This company was composed of the " bravest and best " of her population, hardy, robust and stalwart young men. The company left Marklesburg, for Camp Curtin, at Harrisburg, on Monday, September 23, 1861. Several hundred persons, the relatives and friends of the soldiers, were assembled at the depot to bid good-bye to loved ones. It was probably the most memorable as well as the most sorrowful day in the annals of this community. CHAPTER XLVL ONEDIA TOWNSHIP — NATHAN GORSUCH- JACOB WHITE — OTHER EARLY SET TLERS — IMPROVEMENTS AND PRODUCTIONS- WILLIAM POSTER-BOAT BUILD ING JUNIATA TOWNSHIP SOIL TIMBER CARBON TOWNSHIP ITS CHIEF INDUSTRY LINCOLN TOWNSHIP JAMES ENTRIKEN COFFEE EUN. Onedia, a small township adjourning the borough of Hun tingdon, is bounded on the northeast by Barree, on the southeast by Henderson, on the west by Porter, from which it is separated by the Juniata river, and on the northwest by West township. The Standing Stone creek passes through the township from one end to the other, a distance of about ten miles, the principal part of the township lying on the northwestern side of the stream. The narrow valley through which it flows is enclosed by Standing Stone ridge and Warrior ridge, which form the dividing line between this and the adjoining townships. The Warm Springs, situated about five miles from Huntingdon, at one time enjoyed some celebrity for the medical properties of their waters, and were a place of considerable resort for invalids and pleasure seekers. They are owned by the heirs of the late General A. P. Wilson. One of the earliest settlers, whose descendants still live in the township, was Nathan Gorsuch, who emigrated from Baltimore county, Maryland, in the year 1786, and settled on the farm where he continued to reside during the rest of his lifetime. This was during or very shortly after the Indian troubles, as the family from whom he purchased, after erecting a cabin and clearing some land, had been compelled to flee for safety to one of the nearest forts, leav ing their household effects to be pillaged and destroyed by the red men. He was a surveyor, and devoted considerable of his time to the active duties of that profession, while en gaged in the clearing and cultivation of the then almost un broken wilderness, assisted by some faithful negro slaves HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 333 that he had brought with him and retained until their emancipation under the laws of this State, The farm is situated about five miles from Huntingdon, and is still owned and occupied by his descendants. It is supposed to have been the first improvement made between that place and McAIevy's Fort, The original warrantee was named Haney, from whom it was bought by Murray, the proprie tor at the time Gorsuch purchased. Near the cabin already referred to stood a venerable sugar tree, cut down in 1875, a careful computation of the growths of which reveals the fact that it had witnessed the storms of more than two centuries. Tomahawk marks were found in it when cut down, dating back about one hundred and seventy years, and made when the tree was about three feet in circumference. When cut last year, it measured eleven feet eight inches. This tree, from actual knowledge, has yielded from one thousand to twelve hundred pounds of sugar, having been regularly tapped every year by white men for about ninety years.- Not far from the same site stands an apple tree, supposed to have been planted by Haney, and now, although one hundred years old, is in a healthy condition and has every indication that it may yet bear crops of fruit. William Wheeler, William Carter and Joshua Kelley also settled there about the same time, but none of their descend ants are now living in the neighborhood, John Stewart, a native of Ireland, and father of John P, Stewart, Esq., settled there at a very early day, Jacob White emigrated to America shortly after Brad dock's defeat, and located first in Berks county. About the year 1770 he came to Bedford, now Huntingdon county, and settled between Alexandria and Petersburg. When the Revolutionary war commenced, he returned to Berks county and remained until the close of the war. He then came again to this county and settled where his grandson, A, P. White, now resides. The house in which the latter lives was built by his grandfather seventy-nine years ago. Jacob Gruber preached in it when he called himself a boy. 334 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. White's was a regular appointment on the circuit in those days. Elisha Green and Nicholas Decker, whose descendants are still living in the township, were also among the earliest settlers. During the construction of the Pennsylvania canal a great quantity of timber was furnished for it from this township, "The waters of Standing Stone creek afforded the means of transportation for all kinds of water craft, from a saw-log raft to a canal boat, and within the last forty years it was no unusual sight to witness twenty or twenty -five arks and rafts, in a spring freshet, gliding down that turbulent stream, navigated and manned by the sturdy yeomanry of the county, Charles Green, late of this township, was at one time ex tensively engaged in the making of arks, which, before the days of canals and railroads, were the principal means of conveying grain, lumber, and other productions to market. William Foster, an old resident, did a large business for that day in the manufacture of lumber, and built and owned what is now known as Foster's saw mill. He was an Irish man by birth and was an enterprising and public spirited citizen, and was the contractor for the erection of the present county prison. He was one of the parties in the famous ejectment suit of Foster vs. McDivitt, referred to in the Pennsylvania Reports, which "dragged its slow length along " through the courts for almost a quarter of a century. At his saw-mill was built the first packet-boat ever navigat ed on the Pennsylvania canal, the " Lady of the Lake " by name, which on a balmy Sabbath morning in the Summer of 1831, left her dock and sped gracefully into the waters of Standing Stone creek, and was by them carried swiftly to wards the Juniata, amid the plaudits of wondering specta tors who crowded the banks. Subsequently a boat yard was established there and kept in operation several years, during which time quite a number of canal boats were built and in like manner conveyed to their destination. As long as the timber lasted and the lumber business re- HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 835 mained good, but little attention was paid to agricultural pursuits by the inhabitants ; but of late years quite a change has taken place in this respect. New farms have been opened out and an improved system of cultivation adopted, which in the general march of improvement have added much to the material wealth of the people. The township contains three public school houses, two churches, one store and a post-office. Being so near to Huntingdon, all of these necessities, except schools, are conveniently accessible to the residents of the township, in that borough. Juniata township, also extending to Huntingdon, its northern corner being on the opposite side of the river, is bounded on the northeast by Henderson township, on the southeast by Union, on the southwest by Penn, and on the northwest by Walker. It is almost a parallelogram in shape, its boundaries being as nearly direct lines as is possi ble when they are made to follow the summits of mountains and ridges and the courses of streams. Terrace mountain separates it from Union township, and Piney ridge from Walker. The people of Juniata are almost exclusively an agricul tural community. No mechanical arts are followed, nor have there ever been any manufactures carried on except the making of lumber. The reason for this is not to be found in a want of enterprise in the people, nor in an un willingness to satisfy their wants with such articles as they may need. But as their only market is in Huntingdon, and as their business brings them frequently to that place, they there find the merchant and mechanic with whom they find it more convenient to deal than they would with the store keeper or artizan on the Raystown branch or the ridges, were any there. The soil of the township, although not the most fertile, is in many places susceptible of being brought to a highly productive condition, and under skillful cultivation, repays the labor generously. This is the case in the bottoms along the Raystown branch, the sinuosities of that stream winding 336 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. around and almost encircling large tracts of level land. The township was at one time covered with valuable timber, which afforded the landowners greater profit than they have since been able to realize from agriculture. There are still considerable quantities of tanner's bark and railroad ties shipped to market, the labor connected there with being performed principally by the inhabitants in con nection with their farming. In a few years the timber will be entirely exhausted. Two steam saw- mills and several water mills are sawing up what remains, as rapidly as the demands of trade require. There are five public school houses in the township. Carbon township, the distinguishing feature of which is indicated by its name, lies principally upon Broad Top mountain, and is bounded on the north by Tod, on the east by Clay, on the southwest by Fulton and Bedford counties, and on the northwest by Hopewell township. It contains a con siderable portion of the Broad Top coal field, situated in Huntingdon, Bedford and Fulton counties, the area of which is eighty square miles. The aggregate thickness of the workable coal seams is twenty-six feet, the larger seams ranging from five to ten feet in thickness, and the lesser from one to three. The township is the terminus of two railroads, the Huntingdon and Broad Top mountain enter ing it from northwest, and the East Broad Top from the northeast. The only industry is the mining of semi-bitumin ous coal, with such mercantile and mechanical business as is necessary for the population thus engaged. There are two boroughs in the township. Broad Top City and Coalmont, and four villages, Dudley, Barnettstown, Powelton and Robertsdale. Lincoln, the last township erected in the county, and named in honor of the martyred President, is bounded on the northeast by Penn, on the southeast by Tod, on the south by Hopewell, and on the northwest by Blair county. The Raystown branch of the Juniata, into which empty Coffee run and other small streams, flows through it, and is there but little, if any, less winding than in the other parts of its course. HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. - 337 James Entriken settled at the mouth of Coffee run in or previous to the year 1800, and entered into the mercantile business ; the first load of goods taken there by him being hauled down the bed of the run on a half wagon. He was elected a Justice of the Peace in 1815, and continued in that office until he removed from the place in 1844, In the latter year he sold his property there to his nephew, the late James Entriken, deceased, and removed to James Creek, He was a man of enterprise and did much for the improvement and development of that section of country. The village of Coffee run was laid out by David Blair, of Huntingdon, in May, 1855, It is located on the Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad, and contains a post- office, the only one in the township. ¦W CHAPTER XL VII, CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OP AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE — OBSERVANCE OP THE DAY — AT WARRIOR'S MARK — BIRMINGHAM — DUDLEY — ORBISONIA — MOUNT UNION — HUNTINGDON — DISPLAY OF FLAGS AND DECORATION OP BUILDINGS — PROCESSION — ORATION BY DR. J. H. WINTRODE — BALLOON ASCENSION — CLOSE OF THE CENTURY. The close of the first century of American independence and the beginning of the second, the approach of which sug gested the preparation of this work, as well as the histories of other counties in the various States of the Union, was celebrated by the people of Huntingdon county in a manner highly creditable to their patriotism and public spirit. Celebrations were held in different parts of the county, at Warrior's Mark and Birmingham in the northwestern, at Dudley and Orbisonia in the southern, at Mount Union in the eastern, and at Huntingdon in the central, being so dis tributed as to afford to the people an opportunity of attend ing at one place or another. Without describing at length the exercises at all of these celebrations, we will give such accounts of several of them as will preserve an idea of the manner -and spirit in which the centennial anniversary was observed. At Dudley, the Union Sabbath-school celebrated the day by holding a basket pic-nic. The Declaration of Indepen dence was read by A. S. Brooks and an address delivered by Rev. John Palmer. The music for the occasion was fur nished by the ladies and gentlemen of the vicinity. Innocent games and pastimes, and other kinds of amusement were provided for the pleasure of both young and old, and in dulged in by all classes. The day passed profitably and pleasantly to all present, and the fire of patriotism seemed to burn in every breast. At Birmingham the approach of the day was greeted by the firing of guns, the beating of drums and the ringing of bells. When morning dawned flags were unfurled and the entire populace entered heartily into the work connected HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 839 with the duty to be performed. The citizens of the town and vicinity assembled at Laurel Springs at 10 o'clock in the forenoon, and John Owens, aged 87, was called to the chair. James Thompson, John Copley, David Cree, S. B, Russell, Samuel Gensemer, Jacob Cryder, Abraham Smith and Jesse Beigle, whose average age is 73 years, were chosen vice-presidents. The exercises were as follows : " Glory to God in the Highest," by the Glee Club ; prayer, by Rev. Dr. Wilson, of the Presbyterian church ; singing, " Flag of our Country ;" reading of Declaration of Indepen dence, by Rev. H. R. Wharton, of the M, B, church; singing, " America ;" oration by Col. G, W, Owens, subject, " Our Country in Contrast with the Old World ;" singing, " Our Beautiful Flag," by the Glee Club ; address to the children, by Rev. Dr, Wilson, subject, " Our Flag ;" address by Rev, J, C, Shearer, subject, " Husbandry ;" address by Rev. Wharton, subject, "The Bible, the Flag;" singing, "The Star-Spangled Banner ;" benediction, by Rev, Shearer, The multitude then gathered around the largest table ever seen in Laurel Spring grove, substantially and luxuriantly filled from one end to the other with supplies to satisfy every physical want and taste, while many baskets remained un opened. At 7 o'clock religious services were held in two of the churches, and after dark there was a fine display of fire works. The Orbisonia celebration is thus described in the Leader, of that place : "The day dawned, one of the most beautiful of the season, and was ushered in in the usual noisy manner. Before seven o'clock delegations began to arrive from the different town ships of this and other counties, and long before the hour set for the forming of the procession the streets were crowded. " At half past seven a large and beautiful flag, 20 feet in length, was raised to position on the large pole, in the dia mond. This is the highest flag pole in the county. The Orbisonia drum corps played "Rally Round the Flag," after which three rousing cheers were given for the old flag. 840 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. " The procession was formed in the following order : Or bisonia drum corps, in new uniforms, fantastics, wagon con taining little girls carrying flags with the names of the States printed on them, a young lady dressed as the " Goddess of Liberty,"' seated on an elevated platform, followed by a body guard of little boys handsomely dressed, Orbisonia Lodge, and citizens. Capt. H. G. Tarr, was chief marshal, with the usual number of aids. The procession formed in the diamond and marched to the depot to meet those com ing by train, " The trains arriving at 9:03 from Mt, Union and Roberts- dale were crowded. The train from Robertsdale contained two brass bands, one from Cassville, and one from Broad Top City, and several lodges of Odd Fellows and other socie ties. Over 300 persons got on the first train at Roberts - dale, and the train was unable to carry all the passengers from the intermediate stations, and another section had to be run to accommodate all, " On the arrival of these trains the procession re-formed in the following order ; Orbisonia drum corps, fantastics, wagon containing children, little boys, carriages containing ministers, speakers and committee of arrangements ; Cassville band, Orbisonia Odd Fellows, visiting Odd Fellows, Broad Top City Band, Broad Top Societies, other visiting societies and citizens. The procession moved from the depot at 9:30 o'clock over the principal streets of the town and thence to the grove. " At 10 o'clock, a flag raising in front of the Market House, immediately after which the assemblage was called to order by A, W. Sims; the Cassville Band played " Hail Columbia," after which prayer was offered by the Rev,Wm, Prideaux, returning thanks to Almighty God for his watch fulness over us in the past and invoking a continuance of it in the future. The Glee Club sang the Centennial Hymn after which Mr, Tarr read the Declaration df Independence in an impressive manner. The audience then sang the " Star Spangled Banner." Mr, Sims then introduced the Hon, John M, Reynolds, of Bedford, the orator of the day. HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 341 Mr. Reynolds held the immense audience almost spell-bound for over an hour. He spoke of the hardships endured by those who in the trying times of the revolution gave their all, as it were, to secure the blessings we now enjoy ; he spoke of the trials of civil war we have passed through for the perservation of the union intact ; of our now being at peace with the whole world. He also pointed out the dangers that beset us on every side ; the danger of mal-ad- ministration of officers, corruption in high places, and bri bery, and stated the remedy to be with the people them selves, Mr. Reynolds is a fluent speaker, and had we room we would have liked to publish the speech in full. He was followed by the Rev. B, B, Hamlin, D.D., of Chambersburg, in a few well-timed remarks, on the rise and progress of the nation and of America since its discovery by Columbus. " Speaking being over, dinner was served to all those who could get near the table ; the multitude was so great that it was impossible to accommodate, but the committee spared no pains to furnish provisions for all — and there was plenty for all — if the multitude could have had patience to wait their turn, " After dinner the enjoyment of the day began, as the crowd separated and dispersed through the grove to enjoy themselves in some of the different amusements provided, A large platform was erected for dancing, swings were put .up in different parts of the grove, a greased pole was up for those desiring to climb it ; arrangements for plajdng base ball were provided, and other amusements. Soon every one was apparently enjoying themselves to their utmost. "At 2 o'clock the tournament came off. Six knights were entered for the riding. The successful knight was Dr, W, T, Browning, the second best was B. F. Ripple. "Dancing in the evening was spoiled by the rain. "The crowd was estimated at 4,000, and we believe that everyone went away satisfied that it ' was good for them to be here' to unite with their fellow citizens in this centennial jubilee of American freedom, in pledging their continued watchfulness over the welfare of our nation in the future, so 842 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, that their children and children's children may celebrate with pride the two hundredth anniversary of this day, " The very best of order was maintained on the ground," At Huntingdon, "preparations on an ample scale were commenced some days beforehand, and perhaps never before in the history of our country, were the flowers of our gar dens, and the evergreens of the forest, the hemlock, the pine and the laurel, called upon for so heavy a tribute to the cause of patriotism, civilization and humanity. These were rapidly and almost magically transformed into wreaths, fes toons and beautiful devices, by the fair hands of the ladies, who with that energy and patriotic devotion characteristic of our townswomen, worked with the patience of ants and the energy of beavers, in the sweltering sun of day and dur ing the sultry hours of night, in making a suitable prepara tion for the coming occasion, " The work of decorating buildings began early on the morning of the third, and long before evening few buildings, either public or private, were left unadorned, or unfurnished with the most elaborate and tasteful displays of evergreens, flowers, emblems and patriotic mottoes, while from roof-top and window were to be seen the modest and graceful folds of the red, white and blue, as it fluttered in the breeze. Tri umphal arches, with pendant festoons, and a most liberal and attractive display of bunting, spanned the entrance to the principal streets and were flung from housetop to house-* top along the crowded thoroughfares, contributing largely to the gorgeousness of the scene, and forming an interesting and attractive feature of the occasion. "The celebration exercises were inaugurated early on Monday evening by the already effervescing patriotism of young America, which manifested itself in the wildest enthu siasm, the most hilarious merriment, and the utmost noise which the firing of crackers, shouts, confusion, and general deviltry could produce. " The ringing of the church bells at 12 o'clock was the signal for the ushering in of the new century, and from that time on till daylight the good-natured citizens submitted to HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 343 the deprivation of that sleep which was out of the question, comforting themselves with the reflection that the next cen tennial occasion might perhaps be ushered in a little more quietly, the novelty of the affair having by that time in some measure subsided, " Early religious services were held in some of the churches. The Baptist church, which had inaugurated the exercises on the Sabbath previously by a beautiful and tasteful decoration of the building, and an appropriate ser mon and Sabbath School concert, occupied the hour inter vening between 5 and 6 o'clock in devotional exercises ap propriate to the opening of the new century in our nation's existence, " Immense crowds of people from the surrounding country were in attendance at a very early hour in the morning ; business was generally suspended and all united in the general festivities. The procession formed at 10 a. m., on Third street, which from Penn to Mifflin was a mass of struggling humanity as each division assumed its appropri ate place in the line of march. " The procession consisted of. Chief Marshal Bathurst, with his Assistants and Aids, all mounted. The Huntingdon Silver Cornet Band, Members of Council and Orators, in carriages, The Independent Hook and Ladder Company, Phoenix Fire Company, Huntingdon Fire Company, Juniata Fire Company, Fire Companies from Tyrone, Young America, with the Centennial Gun, The Representatives of the Different Trades, Base Ball Clubs, Alexandria Band, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Citizens, &c., and presented an imposing and highly attractive appear ance as it moved on its line of march through the principal 344 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. streets and returned to the yard in the rear of the Court House, where a stand was erected and seats prepared for the guests, and where the exercises were opened with prayer by Rev. F. B. Riddle, " Whittier's Centennial Hymn was then rendered by the Huntingdon Centennial Glee Club. " The Declaration of Independence was read by J, M. Bailey, esq,, and a Centennial Overture, composed for the occasion by Prof, J. A, Neff, was rendered by the Hunting don Silver Cornet Band, " Dr. J. H. Wintrode was then introduced by Frank W. Stewart, esq,, of the committee of arrangements, and deliv ered the oration of the day. " The exercises were concluded with music, ' Star Span gled Banner,' by the Huntingdon Centennial Glee Club. " The balloon ascension was next on the tapis, and was expected to be the crowning feature of the occasion ; accord ingly all eyes were turned towards the ' Diamond,' where the monster 'Republic' was being inflated as rapidly as possible, and which was soon filled with an eager, surging, expectant crowd of spectators, holding the position with the impatient tenacity of such assemblies, and, amid the scorch ing rays of a pitiless sun, with the thermometer ranging far up in the ' nineties,' waiting for the skyward journey of the aerial voyagers to commence. " At a few minutes past three o'clock, Miss Ihling, the female ^ronaut, arrayed in her gorgeous costume of the Goddess of Liberty, the rich spangles of which were only visible beneath the folds of the linen duster which enveloped her person, and her flowing auburn ringlets partially con fined by the folds of a blue turban, made her appearance on the scene and seated herself for a few moments, the cyno sure of all eyes, awaiting the final preparation, not however without casting certain ominous glances towards the western heavens, where a terrific storm cloud had for some time been gathering, and which now threatened momentarily to burst in all its fury, " The process of inflation, under the direction of Prot. HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 345 Wise, who superintended all the arrangements, was almost completed ; but the storm was coming with frightful rapid ity. The squadrons of the air were forming in line of battle; the huge air-ship, like some mighty etherial monster impa tient to be gone, fretted and strained upon her cables, threatening to drag the sand-bag anchorage that held her to terra firma, and it was manifestly apparent that unless she could be released speedily, all hopes of a successful ascension were at an end. But the denouement came. The final preparations were completed; the aeronaut, flag in hand, was preparing to take her place in the basket which was being secured to its moorings ; — the band awaited the signal for striking up the national air which was to greet her departure; ten minutes more and she would have been "above the storm's career," and beyond the reach of human vision, on her journey to the region of cloudland; — when, the storm burst, and with it, almost simultaneously, the balloon. The huge monster of the air gave one or two convulsive starts towards its native element ; then with an undulating mo tion, swayed to and fro, like a drunken man ; once it almost flattened itself on the earth, to the imminent danger of the attendants, then righted itself, swayed, and righted again, when the storm struck her. One dull heavy thud — one or two tremendous convulsive heavings, like the death throes of a mighty giant, and the mammoth air-ship, which a few moments before had assumed such tremendous proportions and such a swaggering air of defiance to the elements, now lay prone upon the earth, a mangled, shapeless mass of shreds and network ; her gaseous contents had mingled with thin air, and the ascension for that day was over. But no time was left for moralizing, for philosophizing or grumbling; the elemental contest was now raging in all its fury, and the action had become general along the entire line ; the crowd, so long waiting on the qui vive of expectancy, with the instinct of self-preservation dispersed as rapidly as possible to seek shelter from the torrent of rain which followed the bursting of the storm-cloud, and which placed an effectual quietus on the festivities of the day. 846 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, "The concluding exercises of the evening consisted in a general and extensive illumination of private dwellings, in which most of our prominent and wealthy citizens availed themselves of the opportunity of attesting their patriotism, notwithstanding the inclement and threatening aspect of the weather, and which presented a brilliant and highly inter esting sight, creditable alike to the energy and public spirit of our people, and in the absence of any pyrotechnic display, forming a most appropriate and beautiful feature of the con cluding exercises of a day long to be remembered."* We give in full the oration of Dr. J, H. Wintrode, as an appropriate conclusion to this work : We are assembled to-day in obedience to that natural im pulse which prompts a people to do honor to its past. We are here to celebrate with reverent and appropriate services the centennial anniversary of our National Independence; to commemorate the day that beheld three millions of peo ple liberated from the bonds and chains of a foreign vassal age, and taking their proper position among the nations of the earth. And, my fellow citizens, we should celebrate this day in a spirit and manner worthy of the event that we commemorate. We should meet together this day as the children of the same great family, having a common heritage, a common interest, and a common destiny. If all private, and local, and political disputes, and all sectarian strifes and jealousies cannot this day be forgotten, we are unworthy of our high birthright, John Adams very clearly predicted the proper observance of the day when he wrote : " I am apt to believe that the day will be celebrated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to Almighty God, and by pomp, games, shouts, guns, bells, bonfires, and illumi nations from one end of the country to the other, and from this time forward fore ver more." What heart does not dilate with feelings peculiar to this occasion, and what a host of in teresting recollections spring up in the mind when we reflect upon " the times that tried men's souls." The narrative of the Pilgrim Fathers, in the spirit of holy zeal forsaking the *Prom R. McDivitt's report in the Huntingdon Journal. HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 847 land of their birth, braving the winds of heaven, and the angry wrath of the mighty ocean, landing on the wild and rugged rock of Plymouth, and planting the seeds of a holy religion, as well as laying the foundation of a mighty Re public, destined to be unexampled in the extent of its terri tory and rapid increase of its population, its material re sources and the equality and justice of its political institu. tions, and of those fields of fame on which the hoary locks of the sire " lay clotted in the purple gore of the son," where the traces of the revolutionary fort and ditch remain, in which our fathers knelt in prayer, and battled for the cause of freedom; all these things beautifully and vividly revive in the mind bn this centennial of our nation's existence. One hundred years have now rolled round since the glorious declaration of the rights of man, which has just been so admirably read in your hearing, was proclaimed to the civilized world ; and in vain do we search the page of history for the record of an event that adorns it with greater lustre, or that more eminently distinguishes the per sons amongst whom it took place, for their patriotism, their virtue and their valor, " Wiser, far wiser than those who have attempted a similar work in other lands and beneath other skies, they sought not to destroy any vested rights ; they set up no false notions of equality, nor the oppression of the many for the tyranny of the few ; neither did they undertake to sever the chain which bound them to an hon orable past. They sought rather to make virtue and intel ligence the test of manhood ; they sought to strike down prerogative and privilege, and open the gates of happiness to all alike. And, my fellow-citizens, if there be anything great, if there be anything noble, if there be anything pre cious and invaluable in the American Revolution, it is just this, it has secured for all men an equal chance in life." Then, too, it has demonstrated man's capacity for self gov ernment. It has shown him his just, natural and inaliena ble rights, and it has taught him, too, that his greatest privilege, is to be free. Let us for a moment endeavor to go back in imagination 848 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. to the 4th of July, 1776, Let us enter that shrine of Amer- can liberty, old Independence Hall, See those patriotic men pondering upon the magnitude of the step about to be taken ! There are Jefferson, and Adams, and Lee and Hancock, and Hopkins, and Livingston ; there, too, are our own Morris, and Rush, and Franklin, and Morton, and Clymer, and Smith, and Taylor, and Wilson, and Ross, Silence, deep, solemn, profound silence reigns throughout the hall ! There are those there that seem to waver. See that aged man arise — he casts a look of inexpressible interest and uncon querable determination upon his fellow-patriots. Hear him as in slow, measured and tremulous accents he speaks : "Mr. President, there is a tide in the affairs of men, a nick of time, we perceive it now before us. That noble instrument upon your table, which secures immortality to its author, should be subscribed to this very day by every member of this house ! He who will not respond to its call — he who falters now is unworthy the name of freeman I Sir, these gray hairs must soon descend into the tomb, but, I would rather they should descend thither by the hand of the executioner, than desert at this crisis the sacred cause of my country." He is^silent, but the fire of patriotism he has kindled is burning in every bosom in that assembly, and the glorous deed is done. What was it, fellow-citizens, that induced these noble men to take this bold and praise-deserving step ? Assured ly they were not unconcious of the dangers of such a course, "The disparity between the power of Great Britain and that of the colonies, was more apparent to them than it can ever be to us. They saw the first power of the age fresh from the memorable battles in which she had destroyed the naval and colonial power of France, The air still rang with the cheers with which they themselves had greeted her successive triumphs, the honor of which they had come to look upon as their own. Her armies had been triumphant in every land ; her fleets victorious on the most distant seas," They knew therefore the significance of their act ; they knew that should the experiment fail, proud Bng- HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY, 849 land would rise in all her might, and vindicate the honor of her insulted majesty. And as was there grimly said at the time, they knew they must all " hang together, or all hang separately." It was therefore from purely patriotic motives that they acted. History records many instances of true patriotism, and of self-sacrificing devotion to country. It records the acts of Lycurgus, the great Spartan law-giver, who furnished Sparta with a code of wholesome laws, exacted from his country men a promise of implicit obedience to those laws till his re turn, and then leaving Sparta to return no more forever ; thus seeking to secure the permanence of his institutions by a voluntary banishment from his country. And, although such a course would at this day be discountenanced, making due allowance for the age in which, and the people amongst whom, it took place, it can be regarded in no other light than that of self-sacrificing devotion to country. The de fence of Thermopylae by Leonidas,and the sacrifice of himself and his three hundred heroic Lacedemonians, is another em inent example of self-sacrificing devotion to country, and well might they erect a monument to tell to posterity the tale, with the beautiful inscription thereon : " Tell it in Lacedemon, that we died here in obedience to the laws of our country," But neither of these incidents, or any other recorded in history, excels or equals in any of the attributes or characteristics of a true, healthy and enlight ened patriotism, that decisive act in which it was declared that " these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent States," But while our thoughts are thus directed to the worth of those who first unfurled to the breeze the star spangled banner of freedom, we must not forget the men of equal worth and patriotic valor who marched through blood and carnage beneath its flying folds, until it waved in security and peace over this "land of the free and home of the brave," Led on by their patriot chieftain, the immortal Washington, whose confidence rested in the arm of Omnipotence alone ; guided by his wisdom and directed by his sagacity, the 350 HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. American people entered on the unequal contest, fearless of the issue. Their battle cry was "Victory or Death," and they fought like men determined to be free ; and after eight long years of triumphs and defeats, of varied successes and reverses, victory perched upon their banner. The symbol of peace again hung in the retiring clouds, and the United States of America, from the very nursery of oppression, stood before the world the fairest, freest and the best nation ever gazed on by mortal man. The true American patriot feels that he has a name which demands his highest and noblest offering of patriot ism, and he yields the first fruits of his genius and of his heart to his country. . He loves her with the gushing fullness and unselfish devotion of the heart's first and purest love. And how could it be otherwise ? Her soil claims a parent's right to that love ; and were it as cheerless as winter, could he love it less than the Switzer loves his barren cliffs ? Were it as torrid as Arabia, could he cherish it less than the Bedouin his own land? But the grandeur and beauty of this boon land of his birth, where lavish Nature seems to have gathered her wonders as for a race of free giants — the clustered isles of her sublime and solemn forests, the cata ract voices that thunder among her hills, the rivers that sweep with queenly magnificence among valleys the loveli est that zephyr ever visited — how could these be his own and be unbeloved ? And then her annals, rich in the unri valed triumphs of a calm and Christian heroism, of valor and of virtue, and more, and far greater than all, her liberty, calm and crimeless, lofty and self-sustained, that lifts her far above all ancient and modern comparison, the morning star of the nations leading in the onward march of Christian civilization, of progress and humanity 1 Why, he would be duller than the dullest clod of the valley did his heart not swell with exulting gratitude to the God, who made such a land and made him a child upon its bosom. It is wise, therefore, that he loves his native land, and loves it thus ; not with a cold sense of filial duty merely, the trickling of an icy patriotism, but with a full and free passion that HISTORY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. 351 regards a single life as too poor an offering for such a coun try, and would give it, not grudgingly or with reluctance, but freely, as the sun does its light or the heaven its dew, would pour out his young, warm blood in the battle and bless each sacrificial drop as it bubbles forth. Oh, more than mountains or rivers, or even wealth and splendor or greatness, is this spirit the true glory of our land. And this spirit, let me say, is no idle dream, no phantom of the imagination ; it is a presence and a reality. It lives, and moves, and has its being in every pulsation of the mighty heart of our country. And when the shadows darken and the peril comes, will it stand forth, mightier than any mere inanimate, physical power, to save and to achieve. It is held by some that we have greatly degenerated, that we have retrograded into a more shallow and more vulgar race than our forefathers ; that there are no such intellectual giants and no such lofty emotions in these latter days. Where, in our Congress, it is asked, are the white-headed Peyton Randolphs, the Washingtons, the Lees, and the Jays ? It is the sentimental habit of every age to decry, disparage, and underrate itself. When the patriots of 1774 met in Car penters' Hall, they bewailed the spirit of Cromwell's day, until the firing of the first bomb into Boston revealed and brought into the light the. same stern courage and unyielding in tegrity in themselves. So, too, the firing of the first gun at Sumpter, in 1861, arrayed us, in a single month, under one banner or another, men who whatever their mistakes of judgment were, surely were not influenced by any considera tions of gain, but who offered their lives freely for an idea which seemed to them the wisest and the best. In times of piping peace, when money spending seems to be our only business, and money getting assumes with all of us the greatest importance, the Lincolns and Sumners, and may I say it, the Lees and Stonewall Jacksons, go into the back ground, and the Tweeds the Credit Mobilier men and carpet baggers come to the front, and the hero of Fort Fisher and Dutch Gap, and the Winnebago chieftains, become leaders ; but notwithstanding all this the American people are this 352 HISTOEY OF HUNTINGDON COUNTY. day, we firmly and honestly believe, as brawny a race of men, mentally and morally, as our forefathers, quite as gen uine and quite as God-fearing, although they may show it in a different fashion. The true American patriot recognizes the sublime fact that the quality of the human race, equal rights on earth and an equal destiny in Heaven, was first taught by Christianity ; that the hopes of a Republic are dreams, idle, shadowy and futile, unless sustained by the faith of the Christian ; that the ambition is mean that pauses this side of Heaven ; that the patriotism is false which leans only on the earth ; that he cannot love his country who will not love his God, and that " He is a freeman whom the truth makes free, And all are slaves beside." My good friends, this anniversary is about gone by for ever, and my task is done. While I have spoken, the hour has gone from us ; the hand has moved upon the dial, and the old century is dead. The United States of America have endured the one hundred years. And here, on the threshold of the future, at the opening of the new century, surely the voice of humanity shall not plead with us in vain. There shall be darkness in the days to come, danger for our courage, temptation for our virtue, doubt for our faith, and suffering for our fortitude. A thousand shall fall before us, and tens of thousands on our right hand, the years shall pass beneath our feet, and century follow century in quick succession. The generations of men shall come and go, the greatness of yesterday shall soon be forgotten, the glories of this day shall vanish before to-morrow's sun, but America shall not perish, but shall endure while the spirit of the fathers animates their sons. INDEX PAGE. Aborigines 17 Academies 178 Adams Thomas 151 Africa Daniel . 25 Africa J. Simpson . . .25, 70, 122, 160, 228, 236, 243 Aggressions upon unpurchased lands 35 Agriculture 161 Agricultural fairs 160 Agricultural societies 157 Akers Rev. Jesse R. . . . 249, 257 Albany, treaty of 40 Alexander R. M 194 Alexander William 147 Alexandria. ... 70, 149, 173, 183, 300 Allison Robert .... 147, 157, 201, 215 Ambrose William 194 American The 123,128 Anderson's fort 293 Anderson Maj. J. P 243 Anderson Mrs. M. H. . . . 243 Anniversary, Centennial . . . 338 Annual products 161 Appleby, D. C. M 196 Appleby John 269 A popular error 28 Armstrong Col. John . . 68, 69, 71 Armstrong Jack 30 Area of the county 184 Arks 113, 138 Assembly, Representatives in . 227 Ashman'Ool. George . . 88, 94, 112 Ashman John 154 Associate Judges . . . '. . 223 Aughwick. . . 19, 25, 37, 45, 55, 61, 65 Aurandt David 160 X PAGB. Aurandt Rev. J. D. . . 228, 316, 327 Ayres Gen. William 153 Bacon J. M 65 Bair Webster T 134 Bailey John M 160, 231, 344 Baker Jacob 160 Baker J. C 194 Bare B. F 195 Barnetstown 336 Barr J. .S. . . ¦ . . , 159,174,176 Barree Forge 112, 167 Barree Furnace 167, 279 Barree township ... 94, 167, 183, 262, 263 Bathurst W. F 199 Beckwith J. M. & Co 122 Bedford county 92 Bedford farnace. . .88, 112, 167 304 Beers L. M 178 Beigle Daniel 287 Beigle Edward 288 Beigle Samuel 288 Bell Edward 157 Bell Samuel H 160 Benedict, A. W 124, 152, 159, 228 Benedict Miss C. T 174 Renner Seth 195 Benner Thomas M 287 Birmingham . . 149, 180, 183, 396, 338 Black Log 19, 23, 25, 310 Blair Alexander 266 Blair Brice 148, 1.54, 227 Blair Brice X 196, 199, 228 Blair county 100 Blair Hon. D.. .150,151,160,227 Blair John, of Blair's Gap . . 157, 228 Blair John, of Shade Gap. . . 267 854 INDEX. PAGE. Blake John W 196 Bland Rev. Zane 178 Boring James H 199 Boring John H 196 Bowman J. M 134 Braddock 19, 56 Brady Gen. Hugh 321 Brady township . .94,167,183,263, 321 Brewster Dr. Wm. - 128 Broadhead Col 83 Broad Top City 336 Broad Top Miner 123 Brown Samuel T. . . 160, 174, 228 Brumbaugh Dr. A. B 135 Brumbaugh J. B 135 Brumbaugh H. B 135, 249 Bucher Conrad 157,227 Bucher George C. 197 Bucks county 91 Bueglass Rev 190 Burkett E 195 Burning of cabins 37 Burnt Cabins 37 Cadwallader John 115 Caldwell S. D 270 Calvin 284 Cambria county 100 Campbell James 152 Campbell Rev. James 174 Campbell J. D 190, 194, 224 Campbell Thos. P. . . .121,159 Campbell Rev. W. W 180 Canals 142 Canan Moses 120 Cannon Col. John . .103, 200, 225 Captain Jack 28 Captain Jacobs 68 Capture of Fort Granville . . 68 Carbon township. . . .183, 263, 336 Carlton General 89 Carothers James B 161 Carothers Lieut 78, 82 Cass township .... 183, 263, 314 Cassville 183,263,317 Cassville Seminary 178 Centennial Anniversary. . . . 338 Centre county 99 Charcoal 166 PAGE, Chester county 91 Chester furnace 167 Chestnut George 154 Chilcoatstown 316 Churches 181 Clabaugh Levi 197 Clark James 126, 152 Clark Miss W. A 135 Clarkson Hon. D. .171,178,223, 317 Clay township .... 183, 262, 320 Clerks of Courts 232, 233 Clinton forge 167 Clinton Sir Henry 89 Clintonville 274 Cloyd Samuel J 194 Clugage Col. Gavin 309 Clugage Capt. Thomas 83 Clugage Maj. Robert 78, 83 Coal 163 Coalmont 336 Coder Samuel 199 Coffee Run 3Sf Coke 166 Colerain forges 167, 280 Colfax 284 Common Schools 168 Condition of Capt. Mercer's Company 67 Congressional districts .... 214 Congress, Representatives in . 214 Conser Rev. S. 1.. M ''. 190 Constitutional Conventions . . 229 Cook Henry 197 Cook Isaac 152 Cook's Mills 155 Coons R. J. & Co 134 Cornman J. S ' 133, 160 Cornpropst's Mills 264 Cornpropst T. M 194 Cornwallis Lord 89 Countess of Huntingdon ... 72 County Commissioners .... 234 Countyofficers 232 County Superintendents . . . 175 Countj' Surveyors 236 County Treasurers 233 Courier, Huntingdon . . . 114, 122 '>urt Houses ,96 Crawford Hugh 71 INDEX, 355 PAGE. Cree David 267 Cree Thomas K 267 Creigh A. H. W 196 Cremer T. H. . . 123, 126, 134, 160, 233 Cresswell Jacob 152 Crites W. K 199 Croghan George . . 18, 21, 22, 45, 49, 61, 71, 265 Cromwell Thos. T. . . . 112, 154, 157, 274, 302, 305 Cromwell township . . . 167, 183, 263, 302 Cumberland county 82, 91 Cunningham W. F 195, 199 Dangers from Indians .... 71 Dare George 194 Davis Miss N. J 180 Davis Robert W 197 Davis Stephen 157 Davis S. J 195 Davison Robert 194 Death of Weston 80 Decker A. W 196 Decoration of soldiers' graves . 197 Delawares 36, 42 Destruction of Records .... 106 Dewees P. P 155 Diffenderfer S 196 Difficulties with Mifflin co. . . 99 Directors of the Poor .... 235 Discontent of Indians .... 38 District Attorneys 224 Division of county into mili tary districts 87 Division of Pennsylvania into counties 91 Dole Rev. A 249 Dorris Col. William . 197, 220, 242 Dougherty Eugene 196 Dougherty John . 154, 274, 275, 277 Dougherty Victor 197 Dowling Mrs. Jane 293 Doyle John A 152 Doyle Rev. M. P 198, 249 Drake's Ferry 273 Dublin township . 94, 183, 262, 265 Dudley 336, 338 Duffey Michael 114 Durborrow Jos. R 128 Dysart John 197 Dysart James C 197 Early warrants 70 East Broad Top Railroad . . . 155 Education 168 Edward furnace 167 Edwards E. W 195 Election districts 94 Elizabeth forges 167 Elliott Alexander 242 Elliott Benj. . 75, 94, 95, 104, 200, 229 Elliott B. M 197 Emergency men 199 Enterprises of the past .... 137 Entriken James 151; 160 Erection of Huntingdon co. . . 92 Etchison Perry 194 Evacuation of Fort Shirley . . 69 Evans Levi 151 Everhart E.V 137 Expedition to Kittanning . . 68 Expulsion of settlers 36 Fairs, agricultural 160 Fee Col. John 87 Fee John D 196 Fell J. G 155 First ark 113 First county officers 95 First iron works 112 First Newspaper 114 First settlers 35 First white visitors 17 Fisher H. G 160 Fisher Thomas 152 Fisher Thomas C 197 Fishers and Miller 165 Five Nations 17 Fleck A. G 195 Fleck Geo. W 199 Fleming S. E 133 Fleming William 269 Flenner John . . 160, 195, 199, 236 Flood T. L 195 Focht Rev. Jos. R 249 Fort, Anderson's 293 Fort Du Quesne 19 Fort Granville 68 Fort, Hartsock's 325 856 INDEX. PAGE. Fort, McAIevy's 319 Fort Necessity 47 Fort Roberdeau 84 Fort Shirley ... 64, 66, 68, 69 Fort Standing Stone 74 Foster J. T 195 Foster .Rev. M. K 198 Foster William 334 Franklin forge 167 Franklin township . 113, 155, 167, 173, 183, 263, 279. Franklin WiUiam 22 Franklinville 280 Frankstown 19 Fraser Robert 194 Frontier settlements 61 Funk William 197 Gage Geo. F 154 Galbraith Robert 95 Garrettson Geo. W 197 Garrison at Fort Shirley ... 67 Gayton William 196 Gazette,Huntingdon 116 Gehrett Dr. B. F 134 Geissinger D. H 196 Gemmill John 160 Gentzell G. L 129 Gillman S. S 195 Given John B 152 Glasgow S. L 128 Glass-sand 284, 321 Globe,Huntingdon 129 Gorsuch Nathan 332 Grafius Henry 197 Grafius Israel 152 Graffius E. W 291 Grafton 326 Grantville 326 Gray G. W 199 Gray James 286 Gray Bev. Geo 271 Graysport 286 Graysville 280 Green Edward A 197 Green Gen. S. M 152, 1.59 Green Jos. A 195 Gieen Kenzie L. . . . 154, 160, 236 Greenland Joshua ... 1 60, 232 Greenwood Furnace . . . 167, 320 PAGE. Gregg H. H 195 Gregg Mathew D 157 Grier Prof. L. G 180 Grove Daniel 152 Guss Prof. A. L. . . . 130, 179, 249 Guyer T.L 194 Gwin Alexander . . . 118, 151, 227 Gwin George 152 Gwin James 152, 160, 223 Gwin Patrick 118, 232 Half King 35, 47, 53 Hall J. A 127 Hamilton Governor 52 Hamlin Rev. B. B. . . '. . 198, 341 Hare Jacob 283 Hare's Valley 283 Harris John , . 24 Harrison A. S -194 Haslett Col. R. F 289 Hartslog Valley 19 Hatfield's Rolling Mill .... 167 Haynes Abraham 75 Heffner David 194 Henderson Andrew . . 95,229,233 tienderson Dr. John 157 Henderson township . 183,263,299 Herald 134 Hight J. J 194,199 Hildebrand CM 194 Hirst John 156 Hoffman H. A 199 Hollidaysburg 19 Hollifield Rev. A. Nelson . 249, 257, 260 Hopewell township . .94,167,183, 262, 264 Householder J. P. N 195 Hudson George . . . 154, 159, 268 Hunter Rev. D. W 249 Hunter W. A 178 Huntingdon ... 72, 74, 83, 87, 93, 115, 144, 149, 173, 183, 238, 342 Huntingdon Academy .... 180 Huntingdon, Cambria and In diana TurnpikeCompany . . 141 Huntingdon, Countess of . . . 72 Huntingdon county, erection of 92 Huntingdon Courier 114 INDEX. 857 PAGE. Huntingdon and Broad Top Railroad 150 Huntingdon and Chambers burg Railroad 148 Huntingdon and Hollidaysburg Railroad 148 Huntingdon Furnace . 113,167,279 Hutchinson James .« 161 Huyett S.L 195,196,197 imteracy 176 Indians 47, 59 Indian Traders 18 Indian War Path 19 Iron 166 Iron ores 275, 279, 301, 307 Irvin S. H 194 Irvin W. M 194 Isenberg B. F 199 Isenberg J. G 199 Isett E. B 288, 291 Isett Jacob 288 Isett J. H 199,288 Isett John S. . . 160, 235, 288, 306 Jack Armstrong's Narrows . 25, 30 Jack Captain 28, 303 Jack's Narrows 28 Jackson George .... 152, 160, 235 Jackson Joseph 319 Jackson township . 167, 183, 263, 319 Jacobs A. A 197 Jacobs Benjamin 197 Jacobs Captain 68 Jacob R. U. & Co 165 Jails 98 Jet d'Eau and Hotel des In valides 277 Johnson Capt. Joseph . 190, 194, 197 Johnston G. W. . . . 160, 232, 237 Johnston H. T 194 Johnston Thos. S 196 Johnston Wm. F 196 Journal Huntingdon 124 Juniata Charcoal Iron . . . 167 Juniata Forge 167, 295 Juniata Mail Stage 138 Juniata township . . . 183, 263, 335 Jury Commissioners 236 PAGE. Keith Jacob 287 Kerr John 148 Keystone Hotel 295 Killingof Capt. Jacobs . ... 68 Kinch I. K 194 Kinkead D. P 196 Kinkead Maxwell . . . . 157 Kittanning 68, 81 Kittanning Point 19 Knight B. Andrews 154 Kuhn Geo W 195 Kuhn R. S 178 Lancaster county 91 Land Lien Docket 70 Lane F. H 195, 228, 234 Langdon R. & Co 165 Lawrence J. J 195, 197 Leabhart 0.0 123 Leader Orbisonia 134 Lead ore 323 Leas Benjamin 148, 154 Leas Wm. B 155, 223 Letter from Capt. Mercer ... 66 Letter from Gen. Roberdeau . 78 Lewis William . . . 130, 151, 197 Lewisburg, Centre and Spruce Creek Railroad 155 Lincoln township . . 183, 263, 336 Lindsay Hugh 133 Literary Messenger 119 Live stock 161 Local News 133 Long James 197 Long John 148 Lukens Charles 26 Lukens John 26 Lutheran church 249 Lutz John 123, 154 Lytle Benj C 326 Lytle D. H 195 Lytle Nathaniel 287 Lytle P. M 218, 219 Maddensville 280 Maguire James 152, 227 Maguire Jane . . .¦ 293 ^ Mails first brought into co. . . 137 Mail route 140 Manor Hill 264 Manufactures 162 358 INDEX. PAGE. Mapleton 173, 183, 284 March Jesse 197 Marklesburg 327 Marshall Wm 268 Martin Colonel 86 Mary Ann forge 167 Massey Daniel 159 Matilda furnace 277 Mattern John W. ... 160, 329 McAlevy Gen. Wm. . 80, 94, 101, 319 McAIevy's Fort 319 McAllister H. N 159 McCabe G. F 194, 195 McCahan John . . .114, 116, 148 McCahan J. Kinney 117 McCahan T. S 195 McCardle James 268 McCay William 122 McClain Lazarus B 95 McConnell Henry L 122 McConnell John 147 McConnellstown 300 McCulloch John . . . 152, 215, 230 McCune Joseph 157, 223 McCune Thomas 95 McDivitt Robt. . 128, 160, 174, 176 McDonald F. Y 194 McElroy Alexander 268 McGee James 268 McGinnes Rev. J. Y. . . . 178, 270 McGinnes Wilson 178 Mcllvaine Rev 271 McKenzie S. A 133 McLaughlin John 195 McMurray Rev. J. S. . . . 198, 255 McMurtrie David ... 74, 95, 227 McMurtrie Maj. D 152 McMurtrie James 74, 232 McMurtrie Rudolph 197 McNally M 194 McNeal Prof R. M. ... 169, 176 McNeil M. M 133 McNeil 0. E 133 McPherran Jas. A 194 McPherran S. 1 196 McPherran W. F 195 McVitty Samuel ... 65, 154, 1.55 McWilliams Jon. . 159, 160, 223, 227 Mead Rev. Chas. H 249 PAGE. Meadow Gap 280 Mears George 166 Melinda furnace and forge . . 167 Memorial Association .... 198 Mercer Cafit. Hugh ... 65, 66, 68 Merryman Charles 197 Messenger Huntingdon . . . 122 Methodist church 255 Mickley Charles 151, 160 Mifflin county 99 Mifflin Samuel W 153 Miles J. B 194 Miles John G. . . 148, 151, 159, 227 Miles E. H 196 Militia 86, 196 Miller A J 195 Miller B.F 123,194 Miller David R 197 Miller Dr. D. P 199 Miller Dr. R. Allison 243 Miller Graffus 160, 232 Miller Jacob 25, 157, 201 Miller Jacob H 159 Miller John S 160, 228 Miller Henry 157 Mill Creek 321 Mill Creek furnace 167 Mills Michael 269 Milnwood Academy . . 178, 270 Mitchell C. H 194 Mitchell's furnace 167, 320 Monacatootha 54 Monitor Huntingdon 131 Monroe furnace 167, 264 Montgomery S 196 Montour Andrew 22 Montour Lewis 48 Moreland George 268 Moreland William 268 Morgan Joshua 269 Morrell ¦ ... 292 Morrison Hon. John . 154, 226, 227 Morrison James 197 Morrison John 197 Morrison J. S 196 Morrow B. M 196 Morrow William 268 Miisemeelin 30 Musser J. Hall 115 INDEX. 359 PAGE, Mussina Lyons 130 Mytinger L. G 129 Myton S. W 197 Myton T. W 199 Nash J. A 123, 128 Neely D. R. P 196, 232 Neely Thomas 160 Neff Andrew J 152 Neff H. K 194 Newspapers 114, 116, 124 Oaks Alexander 159 Oaks William 160 Old deed of conveyance . . . 238 Oneida Indians 17 Oneida township . . 183, 263, 332 Orbison & Co 243 Orbison Thomas E. . 148, 160, 311 Orbison William 147, 201 Orbison William P 152, Orbisonia 88, 155, 311, 339 Orlady Geo. B 198, 199 Osborn J. A 194 Owen Albert .... 131, 176, 197 Owens Col. G. W 339 Paradise Furnace 167 Pardee A 155 Parker David 160 Patterson Adolphus 157 Patterson G. W 195 Patton John 156, 232 Patton Maj. James 151 Patton Dr. J. R 161 Penn township . . . 183, 263, ,322 Penn William 91 Pennsylvania canal 143 Pennsylvania Furnace . . 167, 279 Pennsylvania Railroad .... 148 Peters Richard. 36 Petersburg .... 149, 173, 183, 294 Petriken R. B . . 1.51, 188,194, 226 Philadelphia county .... 91 Philips William 95 Pierce Rev. Ralph . •" , . . .179 Pilgrim • . 134 Piper Col. John 76, 80 Plannett Rev. J. W 198 Poor Directors 235 Poor House 235 Population 182 PAGE. Port Alexander 152, 161 Porter David R. . . . 118, 125, 202 Porter James 194 Porter John 148 Porter John M 195 Porter township . 167,173,183,263, 299 Post-office at Huntingdon . . . 115 Post riders 137 Potter Gen. James 82 Powelton 336 Powell R. Hare 159 Powell R. H. & Co 165 Presbyterian church 257 President Judges 217 Private schools 178 Prothonotaries ...... . . 232 Purcell Edward B 197 Railroads 147 Raymond George 122 Reakert Bros. & Co 165 Rebecca furnace • 167 Rebellion 185 Recruiting at Carlisle 66 Reed Joseph 160 Reed T. B 196 Registers and Recorders . . . 233 Reid Rev. S. H 190 Representatives in Assembly . 227 Representatives in Congress . 214 Republican 123 Republican Advocate .... 121 Riddle Rev. Finley B 249 .Riddle Samuel 164 Ridgley Edward 112 RipnleB.F 306,309,341 Ritner Gov. Joseph 126 RobbDr. G.L. . '. 161 Roberdeau Gen. Daniel ... 78 Roberdeau Fort 84 Roberts Edward 155 Roberts Percival 155 Robertsdale ... ^. . 155, 336 Rockhill Coal and Iron Co. 112, 166 Bockhill furnace . . 167, 305, 308 Rogers Isaac 195 Ross Rev. Wm. P 249 Rough and Ready furnace . . 167 Royer Dr. Lewis 155 360 INDEX. PAGE. Rudy George 159 Rumbarger O. S 194 Salisbury 216 Salter Capt. Elisha .... 66 Saltillo 155 Sangree A. B 160 Santa Fe 274 Saulsburg 264 Saxton James 1.52 Scarroyady 35, 47, 54 Schools 168 School houses 171 School teachers 169 Scotch -Irish 45 Scott Hon. ,Tohn . 152, 198, 207 Scottsville 154 Second Standing Stone ... 26 Sells Ludwig 75, 94 Seminaries 178 Senatorial districts .... 225 Shade Dr. J. A 226, 270 Shade Gap ... 19, 178, 265, 270 Shadow of Death . . . .25,265 Sharrer John 154 Shaver Peter 196 Shaw W. F 123 Shawnees 42 Shearer H. R 270 Sheriffs 232 Shingas 68 Shirl«y Fort 64, 66, 69 Shirley General 64 Shirleysburg . 37,155,183,272,278 Shirleysburg Academy . . . 178 Shirleysburg Herald .... 123 Shirley township . 94, 167, 183, 262 Shoenberger Dr. Peter . . . 294 Shoenberger E. F 148 Shontz Christian 151 Shontz J. B 196 Shreiner Thomas 197 Simpson James 25 Simpson J. R 199 Simpson W. H 194 Sims A. W 155. 340 Sipes George . 170 Sipes John 154 Situation of frontiers 70 Six Nations 36, 41 PAGE. Skelly J. M 195 Smith James 30 Smith Thomas 26 Smith Thomas Duncan . . .94,95 Smith Dr. William .... 72, 238 Smith William B 160 Smith William R 119, 226 Soldiers' Aid i-'ocieties ... 192 Soldiers' graves, decoration of .197 Soldiers' orphan school . . . .179 Spanogle W. L 196 Speech of Scarroyady 59 Speer Geo. W. . 151, 152, 154, 160, 178, 196 Speer Robert 1.54, 317 Speer R. Milton . 123, 199, 215, 317 Speer William 157 Springfield township . 183,263,208 Spruce Creek . . . ¦ 149, 155, 285 Standing Stone . . 17, 23, 25, 74, 78 Standin g Stone Banner .... 122 Standing Stone Guards .... 185 State Senators 225 Steel James 157, 233 Steele J. Irvin 132 Stephens Frank 194 StephensProf J. A 180 Stevens Frank D 196 Stever John 154 Stewart John G. . . . 176, 237 Stewart J. Sewall . . . 127, 190 Stewart John 157 Stewart L. G 195 Stewart S. F 195, 196 Stockdale forge 167 Stockdale woolen mills .279, 290 Storrie A. ]\I. K 198 Stryker Peter 160 Supreme Executive Council . 200 Surprise of Indians . . 68 Surrender of Lord Cornwallis . 89 Swope G. P 194 Tanacharisson 47 Tarr H. G. H 309, 340 Taylor George .... 121, 217 Taxation 134 Teachers' Institutes .... 173 Teague Daniel 1,54 Telegraphs ....... 156 INDEX. 361 PAGE. Tell township . .70,183,263,299 Temple I. C 195 Tohmas George .... 194, 197 Thomas W.F • . . 194 Thompson A. A 196 Thompson G. W 195 Thompson R. E 196 Thompson Samuel 95 Thompson Dr. Sidney . . .287 Thomson J. Edgar . . . .242 Times, Mount Union . . . .134 Tod twp. . 167,173,183,263,314 Tompkins Joel 194 Tories 75,80,283 Townships 262 Treasurers, couuty 233 Treaty of Albany 40 Turnpikes 141 Tuscarora path 23 Tuscarora valley 19 Tussey D. F 176 Tussey John . 159 Tussey Eobert 160 Union (newspaper) .... 123 Union Guards 190 Union furnace .... 167,292 Union township. 183, 263, 283, 314 Value of real and personal property 184 Van Artsdalen Rev 178 Wagoner W. C 195 Walker township . . 70, 173, 183, 263, 300. Wallace Robert 121 Wallace William A 121 "Wallace W.W 195 Walls J. M 195 Ward Rev. Israel 180 Warrants, land 70 Warrior's Mark township . . 155 173, 183, 263, 295. Washington Colonel .... 47 Watchman 122 Water Street .... 19, 25, 284 FAOB. Watson Gen. J. C. . . 159, 232 Wattson L. Frank .... 195 Wealth 184 Weaver H. C. ... 195, 196, 199 Weiser Conrad .... 20, 35, 49 Westbrook J. H. . . . 194, 199 Weston John 80 West twp.. . . 167,183,263,293 Wharton H.S.. . . 197,228,243 Wharton S. S. . 151, 159, 226, 227 White Jacob 333 White J. Irvin 257 Whiten Rev. S. T 249 Whittaker Geo. W 122 Whittaker S. G 122, 128 Wigton Samuel 159 Willett W. M 196 Williams John 95 Williamson Gen. Jno. 151, 159, 228 Williamson W. M 178 Willoughby Frank . . . .134 Willoughby J. A. ... 194, 165 Wilson A. P 148, 912 Wilson George 160 Wilson James 269 Wilson Matthew 157 Wingate John B 155 Wintrode Dr. J. H . . 152,159,195, 227, 321, 346 Woodcock valley 19 Wood 0. R 155 Woods Randolph I65 Woods William 269 Wood W. H 178 Womelsdorf D. W, . . 160, 233 Workingmen's Advocate. . . 123 Young America 123 Young Disciple 135 Zahnizer Rev. G. W. , , 190, 260 Zeigler W. B. . , 160,195,232 Zentmyer D 194 Zentmyer Frank 194 Zimmerman 0. C 196 Zimmerman Henry .... 152 ^.«^ a ' • t^ h'. sf ¦ ¦ ^.2» -«- •J ^ f 'ii #-V ^' ^5 ^,' ^,''•l^^^^^ %V