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Darlington Memorial Library
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Digitized by the Internet Arciiive
in 2009 with funding from
University of Pittsburgh Library System
http://www.archive.org/details/historyofcentrecOOIinn
HISTORY ?^
ENTRE AND CLINTON
COUNTIES,
PET^^IS^SYLV^N^I^.
JOH^ BLAIR LINN. I^^i-i^l'f
ILLUSTRATES.
PHILADELPHIA: LOUIS H. EVERTS.
18 8 3.
PRESS OF J. B. LIPPINCOrr & CO, PHILADELPHIA
'1 A^'
\
u
PREFACE.
I ASSUMED the responsibility of editing a history of Centre and Clinton Counties, in defer- ence to the request of Maj. Louis H. Everts, a gallant officer of the volunteer army of the United States. I did it because ever since the internecine strife has ceased, jMaj. Everts has ' thrown his energy, time, and means into the publication of books illustrative of the history of J -^our State and country, and I was satisfied that he would spare neither .labor nor expen.se in making a complete history of the counties I have undertaken to descrilie. j\Iy acknowledg- ments are therefore made first to him, for his liberality in the illustrations, and the carle hfmu-he he gave me to make a liistory of Centre and Clinton Counties all it ought to l)c. If there is anv failure, it is on the part of the editor.
I have also numerous friends to whom I should make acknowledgments for favors and
r communications, particularly James Gilliland, Esq., of Washington, D. C, I>. S. ]\Iaynard, E-q., of New Jersey, whose zeal and accuracy in historical researcii cannot be surpassed. At hoii^e, Hon. A. G. Curtin was of invaluable assistance to me, and for local history I am under obliga- tion especially to Capt. Christian Dale, Samuel Potter, Peter Wilson, Capt. Jared B. Fislitr, Professor Henry Meyer, now a representative in the Pennsylvania Legislature, Dr. Williiuii I. Wilson, J. Dunlop Shugert, Rev. Frederick Kurtz, and Hon. L. A. Mackey, H. L. Dieffenb.-itii, and several other gentlemen of Lock Haven. I am indebted also to the various newspapcis of both counti&s for the many items of interest culled from their columns, and to all who have in any way contributed to make tliis work a success I make my most humble acknowledgments: _
John Bl.\ir Linx. Bellefonte, Pa., Jnn. 1, 1883. _ ■
5
i
CONTENTS.
CIIAPTEB P
I. — Indian Occnpation
II— Biilil Eagle and Logan Chiefs
HI— Indian Patlis— Territoiial Description- Streams and
Localities
IV.— Tlio Discovery of Penn's Valley- Surveys of 1770 — Manor of Succoth — Manor of Nottingham— Snr-
vevs 1769
v.— The First Settler :...
VI.— Norlhumlerhmd County Oiganizod— Assessment in Bald Eagle Township— Early Settlements— Potter
Township Assessment and the Associators
VII.— Bald Eagle and Pelin's Valley in 1775
VIII.— Inhabitants of Potter Township in 177U— Residents of Bald Eagle and Potter— Events of the Bevolu-
tion— Indian Massacre
IX.— Events of 1779-84— The first Iron Company— Snr-
veys and Retnrn of the Inhabitants
X.— Election Districts and Lists of Settlers
XI.— Erection of Mifflin Count.v— Lists of Inhabilants—
Gen. James Putter's Death and Will
XII.— Centre Furnace— Howell's Map of 1792— Rock Iron- works—Haines and Upper Bald Eagle in 1793
-94
XIII.— Schedule of General Election, Oct. 19, 1794— Turner Iron-Works- Miles' Rangers— Miles Township—
Post-Offlces— Forges
XIV.— Political— Alien and Sedition Laws— Additional Resi- dents and Officers, 1701-lSOU
XV.— Population in 1800— Erection of Centre County and
Boundary Lines
XVI.— Organization of the County— Court Proceedings— Roads— Township Assessments— Upper Bald Eiigle and Spring Townships — Lower Bald Eagle Town- ship
XVII.— Residents of Centre, Haines, and Miles Townships... XVHI.— Residents of Putton, Potter, Ferguson, and Half- Moon Townships
XIX.— The First Murder in the County— United Brethren in Christ— Spring Township— Taxable and Elec- tion Returns
XX. — Tavern Licenses and Roads — Political
XXI.— Roan Diary— School of 1809— Howard and Walker Townships Erected — Lists of Inhabitants— Eagle
Works Erected— Newhy's Case
XXII.— Centre County in the War of 1812— Death of Sil-
hamer
XXIII.— Centre Bank of Pennsylvania— The American Pa
triot
XXIV.— Rush Township Erected— Boggs Township Erected —List of Inhabitants— The Independent Repub- lican— Lamar Township and Early Settlers
XXV.-^Political— Missionary— The Bellefonte Patriot- Judge Walker— James Monk tried for Murder — List of Witnesses in Monk's Trial— Revolutionary
Soldiers— Stage-Routes
XXVI.— Logan Township Erected— Ta.xable Inhabitants in 1819— Henry Dale's House Robbed— Election Re- turns—Politics—Robbery at Potter's Mills
XXVII.— Census— Locusts— Rains— Diseases— Politics— Cam- paign of ISKS
XXVIII.— Political— Logan Branch Woolen-Factory— Agricul- tural Societies — Crops — Domestic Manufactures — Volunteer Companies — Hotel-Keepers — Centre
County in 1825
XXIX.— Iron-Works in Centre County in 182G— Canal Im- provements— Political — Centre Democrat and Centre Berichter Established— Election Returns,
1826- Merchants of 1827
XXX.— The Jackson Campaign— Ritner Campaign, 1829—
Census — Temperance Society — Political
XXXI. — Temperance Societies Formed — United States Bank
XXXII
XXXIII XXXIV. XXXV.
XXXVL
XXXVII.
XXXVIII
XXXIX
Contest— Death of Gen. Bcnner— Election Re- turns, 1832
, — Union Meetings— Encanijmients — Rain of Fire — Re- newal of the Deposits — Common Schools — Educa- tional
— Politics— Iron- Works in Operation in 1830— Military
Encampments — Buckshot War — Political
-Erection of Clinton County — Opposition to Election
of Dr. Strohecker
Census of 1810- The Uanison Campaign- The Democratic Whig — The Tariff Issue — Temperance
83
—Politics— Ofticial Return, 1844— Railroad Meeting— Me.\ican War Soldiers— Gen. Irvin Nominated for
Governor— Official Returns in 1347-48 80
—Incidents— The Grand Hunt— Census of 1850—
Teachers' Institute 89
—Union Township Erected— Post-Office— Railroads-
Log-Floating — Temperance Meetings 91
, — Snow-Storm — American Party — Democratic Watch- man Established— Jug Law— Farmers' High
School 94
XL.— Banking Firm— Bellefonte Gas Company— Belle- fonte Cemetery — Lock Haven and Tyrone Railroad
— Political — Republican Mass-meeting 97
XLI.— Encampment— Farmers' Mutual Insurance Com- pany—Snow Shoo Railroad— Bellefonte Fenciblcs
—Central Press— D^alh of Judge Burnside 99
XLII — A. 0. Curtin Nominated fur Governor— Election Re- lurns— I'opulation of Centre County in 1800-
Robberies 101
XLllI.— Events preceding the War of 1801-05- Enthusiastic
Meeting of the People 104
XLIV.— The Bellefonte Fencibles— Eagle Guards— Cameron Infantry and Three Months' Service— Hess' Com- pany captured — Muster-Rolls of Officers and Men of Capts. J. B. Mitchell, A. B. Snyder, Robert Mc- Farlane, and J. II. Stover's Companies — Killing of Augustus H. Poorman by Edward Lipton and Wil- liam Hays, on Nittany Mountain IOC
XLV.— Three Years' Companies— Centre Guards (Fifth Re- serves)— The Independent Cavalry 108
XL'^'r.— Penn's Valley Infantry— Company E, Forty-ninth Pennsylvania — Company G, Fifty-first Pennsyl- vania—Capt. J. Miles Green's Company 110
XLVII— Furty-fllth Pennsylvania Regiment— Field and Staff
from Centre County— Companies A, D, and E 113
XLVIII.— Officers and Privates from Rush Township in Com- pany D, Fifty-third Regiment— tympany I — Company F, Filty-ninth (Second Cavalry) — Com- pany E, Seventh Cavalry, Capt. I. B. Schaeffer— Company E, Ninety-third Infantry, and Company
B, One Hundred and Forty-flaii Pennsylvania 117
XLIX.— Miscellaneous List of Soldieis enlisted from Centre County — Unknown Companies and Regiments — One Hundred and Sixtieth— Company II, Fifty- sixth Pennsylvania IIS
L.— One Hundred and Forty eighth Regiment 122
H.— One Hundred and Forty-eighth Regiment— Field,
Staff, Line, and Privates 123
LII —Historical Sketch of the One Hundred and Forty- eighth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers 131
LIII— Nine Months' Troops— Centre County Militia— The Draft— Rolls of DiB'ereut Companies— Colored Sol- diers from Centre County IK
LIV.— First National Bank— Centre Reiwrter— Philips- burg Journal — Bellefonte Republican — Belle- fonte National — Central Press — Undine Fire Company— Census of 1870— Election Returns of 1872— Great Storm of 1874— Centre County Vet- eran Club— Official Tote of 1870- Eiots of July 21,
CONTENTS.
LVII. LVIII.
LXt. LXII.
LXXIII. LXXIV.
1877— OfBciiil Vote of 1S80— Census Enumerators —Election Returns of 1S82
-History of German Keforuied Cliurcli
-Eiliiciitional Interests of Centre County — First Solluols — 01(1 Teachers — County Superiutendents — Tlie County Normal School
-Roll of Attorneys
-Civil List — Members of Congress, Senators, Judges, etc
-Inttrnal Improvements— Roads— State Roads— Tlio TurnpikeEra— Canals— Railroads— Plank-Roads.
-Pliysicians- Centre County Medical Society
-Biographical and Genealogical
-Bellefonte Borough — Tost-Office — Presliyterian Church — Bellefonte Academy — Borough Incorpo- ration— Bellefonte Water-Works— Early Merch- ants and Business Men— Bellefonte in 1824— Board of Health — Paper-Making.— PuUic Schools- Churches— Seminary— Cemetery— Fire Dopart- ment— Societies— Fenciblcs of 1880- Mills and Manufactures— Oldest Business Men in 1882— Hotels in 18S2— Biographical
-Benner Township — First Surveys — Early Reminis- cences — Roopshurg — Churches— Tax-Payers in 1854— Civil List— Benner Grange, No. 107
-Boggb Township — Early Surveys — Early Incidents
— First Church — Early Settlers — Industries- Churches— Schools— Civil List— Biographical
-Burnside Township — Surveys and Land Suits — Set- tlers and Residents — Slessiah Church — Township Organization
-College Township— Schools— Villages— Churches— I'ennsylvauia State College — Township Organi-
-Cuitin Township— Organization-Early Settlers- Churches — Roads — Schools — Lumber Business iu 1880— Civil List
-Ferguson Township — Early Settlers — Surveys- Schools — Churches — Societies— Mills — Soldiers' Club — Rocli Spring— Miniiig Company — Civil List
-GreggTownship-Eaily Surveys-Settlements, early and later — Early Schools — Churches — Buri.il- Places— Spring Mills— Physicians— Societies— Ac- ademy— Farmers' Mills — Penn Hall — Township Organization— Tax -Payers in 1827— Civil Li^it
-Haines Township— Early Surveys— Early Seltlei-s- Burial-Places — Schools — Aaronshurg — Inhabit- ants of Aaronsburg in 1802 and 1810— First Store- keeper—Notices of some of the Residents— Churches— Academy— Woodward— Civil List
-Half-Moon Township— Land Titles— Early Settlers —Tax-Payers in 1810— Old Citizens-Churches- Grangers— Scliools— Villages— Ore— Civil List
-Harris Townsbiii— Surveys, Settlers, etc -Villages- Grangers — Academy— Churches — Schools— Bu rial- Places— Taverns— iSwnship Organization— Tax- Payers iu ISaO- Civil List
-Howard Townshii>— Early Surveys and Settlei-s- Civil List — Borough Incorporation — Fron-Works..
-Huston Township— Surveys — Township Organiza- tion—Tax-Payers in 1810— Civil List— Early Set- tlors—Schools— IMigious— Furnaces
-Liberty Township — Early Surveys and Settlers — Township Organization — Schools — Churches — Burial-Places—Eagleville— Societies
-Marion Township — Settlements and Settlors — Churches— Cemeteries — Schools — Walker Post- Offlce— Seminary— Irun-Mines--Early Taverns- Early Physiciana- Township Organization- Tax- payers in 1841- Civil List— Grange
-Miles Township— Surveys— General Sketch— Roads
— Mills— First Stores — Towns — Post-Offices — Schools— Societies— Pliysicians— Military Organi- zation— Religious — List of Old Residents— Burial- Grouuds— Miscellaneous
LXXIX LXXX.
LXXXIII. LXXXIV.
LXXX VIII. LXXXIX.
-Milesburg Borough — Post-Office — Revolutionary Soldiers— Giaveyard— Churches— Manufactures— Societies— Borough Incorporation 3G7
-Patton Township — Early Settlers — Churches— Mining— Civil List 371
-Penn Townshif) — Early Settlers — Churches — Organ- ization—Tax-Payers in 184j — Tnrnpikes — Vil- lages—Churches— Burial-Places— Societies 376
-Pbilipsburg Borough— Founders of the Town— Post- Office— Schools — Churches — Bnrial-Places — Fi-' nancial — Manufactures — Water Company — Socie- ties— Press of Pliilipsburg — Military — Borough Incorporation 382
-Potter Township — First Surveys and Settlors — Churches— Schools— Physicians— Banking — So- cieties—Villages-^Mills— Civil List 401
-Rush Township— Early Surveys— Tax-Payers iu
1830— Early Settlers 410
-Snow Shoe Township— First Survey— First Settlers —Roads— Schools— Township Oi-ganizatiou-Tax- Payers in 18il—Villages —Churches— Miuiug- Lumbering 420
-Spring Township — Early Surveys — Revolutionary Soldiers— Notes of Residents- Churches— Indus- tries—Villages— Grange 431
-Taylor Township — Surveys — Pioneer Settlers — Roads— ludustrios—Schools— Religious — Burial- Places- Tax-Payers iu 1849— Civil List 439
-Union Township— Early Settlers— Tax-Payers in 1851 — Schools — Churches— Township Organiza- tion 443
-Unionville Borough — lucorporation—Schools—Re-
li;;iuu3— Grangers— Temperance 451
-Walker Township — Early Settlers — Villages—
Chnrches— Bnrial-Places 456
-Worth Township — Surveys— Early Selllers — Pio- neer Roads— Mills-Schools— Keligions-Burial- Places— Villages and Merchants— JIanufactures —Tax-Payers in 1849— Township Organization 459
XCI.— Notices of Paths and Indian Chiefs— Territorial His- tory—Officers' Survey— First Settlers 407
XCir.-Fithian's Journal, 1775 471
XCIII.— Committee of Safety— Kevoluliouary Soldiers 473
XCIV.— Indian TiouUles— Great Runaway— Return of the
Inhabitants— Laud Titles— Residents in 178> 475
XCV.— Officers of Bald Eagle in 1785— James Harris' Jour- nal-Assessment of Pine Creek in 1780— Bald Eagle in 1787— Residents in Nippenose iu 1787- Lower Bald Eagle, 1788-92- Additional Residents, etc.... 478 XCVI.— Residents of Bald Eagle iu 1793, Manied and Single
—Assessment of Pine Creek, 1700 480
XCVII.— Geological and Topographical— The Auroral and Matinul Rocks— Auroral Masnesian Limestone— Matinal Shales— Levant Gray Sandstone— Levant
Red Sandstone— Levant White Sandstone 481
XCVIII.— Region of the Seven Mountains- Seven Mountains.. 483 XCIX.— Nittany and Bald Eagle Mountains- Short Moun- tain— Brush Mountain — Plateau of Nittany Moun- tain-Pleasant Valley-Little Valle.v— Nittany Mountain- Anticlinal Belt— Nittany Valley. An- ticlinal Axis — Nippenose or Oval Limestone Val- ley— Antes Gap — Sugar Valley 483
C— Brush Valley— Penu's Valley —George's Valley— Nit- tany Valley— Sections opposile Mill Hall Gap- Sections near Jacksonville-Section of the Valley
at Bellefonte Gap 487
CI.— Organization— Civil List— Stale Sei.at.irs-R.'presen- tatives— Delegates to Coiistitulinnal C.Miveulicui, 1873— President Judges- Additional Law Jiulges -Associate Judges— Shcriffs-Distiiet Attorneys —County Comniifsioners— County Treasuiers— Register, Recorder, etc.- Prollionotalies- Coro-
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE
ners— Deimty Surveyors of Clinton County — County Auditors — Notaries — Sealers of Weights and Measures— A uclioueenf — Justices of the Peace fur Clinton County by Townships — Vote for Gov- ernor, 1841-1882 489
Cir.— Clinton County in tlie Kehcllion— Eleventh Kegi- ment— Thirty-sixth Regiment (Seventh Reserves) —First Pennsylvania Cavalry {Forty-fourth Regi- ment) — Fifty-second Regiment — Fifty-eighth t Regiment— Eightieth Regiment (Seventh Cavalry) — Ninety-third Regiment — One Hundred and Tliirtyscventh Regiment— Two Hundred and Sev- enth Regiment 494
cm.— History of Township Schools of Clinton County 512
CIV. — Statistics, Agricultural Society, etc. — Censn*' ot ISoO, 1860, 1870, 1880— Post-OfBces in Clinton County in 1882, taken from Official Report of Post.Oflice Department 518
CV.— City of Lock Haven— Distances— Allilude—Latitude and Longitude— Pioneer Land Locators — Pioneer Setllei-s— Jane Reed and the Indians— Pioneer Weddings— Mike Swartz and the Bear— A Rev- erend Patriot— Lost Treasure Found— Reed's Fort —Pioneer Beginnings in Old Town— Public Im- provements— Canal Riots — Capt. Samuel H. Wil- Bou— .Terry Church's Purchase- Rise and Growth of Lock Haven- Jerry Church's Folly- Lock Haven, Origin of Name and Original Survey — Lock Haven in 18;JS— Business and Prices in 1S41 —Additions to the Original Lock Haven— West- ern, Northwestern, Fearon and alackey's,Quiggle's, Eastern, Price's, Irwin's, Gill's, Shaw, Blanchard & Co.'s, Myers', James Jcfferis', and Ball's Addi- tions— Court-Houses, Jails, Markets, and Public Buildings— Barker's Tavern Court-House- The JerryChnrchCourt House— The New Court-House and other Public Buildings— Hotels of Lock Haven — Civil Orgnnizatinn — Press of Lock Haven — Lock Havj;n Fire Department — Industries of Lock Haven— Bar of Lock Haven- Societies and Cor- porations— Lock Haven Gas-Works — Lock Haven Bridge Company — Banks of Lock Haven — Lock Haven Library Company — Lock Haven Water- Works — West Branch Boom Company — Great Island Presbyterian Church— Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church— Baptist Church— First German Evangelical Lnthcian Cliurch— St. Paul's Prot-
• estant Episcopal church— Church of Christ (Di.s-
ciples)— Firet Church of Ihe Evangelical Associa- tlon- St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church— Imumnuel's German Evangelical Lutheran Church —St. Agnes' Geluian Roman Catholic Church— St. Luke's Reformed Chuich— Roman Catholic Chnrch— African Methodist Ep'scopal Church- Highland Cemetery — Educatioiuil— Albert N. Ranb— Lock Haven, Paist and Present- Police Department— Medical Profession— Hon. Charles A. Mayer— Hon. William Dunn— Justin J. Pie— . T. C. Hippie, Esq.- Cliarles Kreamer— Hon. S. Woods Caldwell— H. L. Iliffenbach— Col. Phaon
Jarrett 519
CVI.— Allison Townshili— Early Settlers— Fleuiingtou— Reformed Cemetery — Methodist Episcopal Church —Disciples' Church— Good Templars— Business Indnsli-ierf — James Welsh — William Karskaddon — Adam Gast — Great Island Cemetery — Lewis
andConly 505
CVII.— Bald Eagle Township- Pioneer Settlement— Mill Hall Borough— Pioneer ludustri.-s of Mill Hall- Borough Officers— Industries of 1882— Blethodist Episcopal Church— Bald Eagleand Nillany Valley Presbyterian Church— Christi in Church— Soci- eties and Postmiisters 5G9
CVIII.— Beech Creek Towubliip and Borough— Geogi aidi- ical— Soil— Creeks— Miner.ils- Settlements— Mur- der of Reuben Giles— The Hollands Mjstery—
CXIU.
CXIV.
CXV. ex VI.
cxx.
ex XI.
PAOI!
The Great Ring Hunt- Other Hunting .Scones- Pioneer Schools, Pioneer Elections, Pioneer and Later Mills, etc. — Beech Creek Borough — Borough Officers — Methodist E|ii8copal CInircIi — Presbyte- rian Church — Cemeteries — Schools — Order* — Pro- fessions and Business Industries in 1882 .57(1
— Castanea Township 58:',
-Chapman Township— Young Woman's Creek— Pio- neer Hunting Scenes-Pioneer Settlers, how Ihcy lived and how they built — Villages — VonugWo- manstown — Hyner — Biographical: Hon. Amos C. Noyes, Charles K. Noyes, Robert Biidgens, Esq., John Scott Bailey, W. T. McCloekey 583
-Renovo Borough- Philadelphia and Erie Railroad- Laying Out the Town — Early Stores and Indus- tries— Borough Incorporation — Officials — Presby- terian Church— St. Joseph's Catholic Church — Methodist Episcopal Church— Trinity Protestant Episcopal Church — English Lutheran Chnrch — Societies^Soldiers of the Union Army- Renovo Record rSi
-Colebrook Township — Pioneer Settlers — Manufac- tures COl
-Cr.awford Township GW
-Dunstable Township— Village of Liberty— The Quig-
ley Family— The Baird Family— Biographical GOii
-Gallanher Township C09
-Greene Township — Ligmsville Borough — Borough Officers- Sugar Valley Mutual Fire Insurance Company— St. Paul's Chnrch, Lutheran and Re- formed— Salem Evangelical Association Church — Biographical Gil
-Grngan Township— Incidents of Pioneer Sotllers- Grngan Family— Schools— ClaHin Family— Settle- ments and Improvements C20
-Keating Townshi|is (East and West)— Original Sur- veys—Pioneer Schools— Pioneer Taverns— Flood — Pioneer Busine-s Experiences — Flood of 1865 — Relics. Mining, etc.— Business of Keating 025
-Lamar Township — Water. Minerals, etc. — Pioneer Settlors, Early Schools, etc.— Industries, Villages, etc. — Prominent ^fen of Lamar — Lutheran Chnrch — Reformed Church — Methodist Episcopal Church —Cemetery— Business Industries— Cedar Hill Cemetery — Soldiers' Monument — Bioi:raphical r.29
-Leidy Townslii|i— Hammersley's Fork Post-Office
and Cemetery 0^5
-Logan Township— Pioneer Settlers— Villages and Churches— Reformed and Lutheran Chnrch— Evangelical Association Church — Booneville — Ln- theran Church— Evangelical Association Church — Gieenville— Lutheran and Reformed Church— The Evangelical Association Church— Post-Offlce — Judge I. Frantz C42
—Noyes Township — Descriptive — Sliueralsand Indus- tries—Pioneer Settlers, where they lived and mills biiilt— Pioneer Schoids, Meetings, etc.— Hunting Panthei^- Shintown Settlement— Pioneer Land- warraiits- Cooks Run Settlement— Post-Offices and Stores-Pioneer T.iwnsliips- WestlJorl G46
-Pino Creek Township— Description, Warrants, Biiilges, Roads, etc.— Pioneer Settlers, Schools, Pieachers, etc.— Big Runaway, Indi.iu Massacre, Hamilton's and others' Escape— Declaration of Pine Creek Independence- Pioneer Farming — Pioneer Mills. Wells, etc.- Villages— Alexander Hamilton— Phelps' Mills— The C.uderepcrt Boad —The White Family— Biographical G52
-Poiter Township — Desciiptive — Pioi.eel-s aud Schools— Porter Township in the War of 1861-05 —Owners of the McKibbeu Tract— Industiies— Churches- Mining— From 18011 to 1S20— Incidents — Clintoudalo— Yankeetown OiD
-Wayne Townshili— Descriptive-Pioneer Settlers- Pioneer Schouls and Teachers— Iteligions— West Branch CampMce'ing Associution- JlcElhattan
CONTENTS.
|
CHAPTER PAGE |
PAGE |
|
Gap— Koads—Eelics— National Transit Pipe-Line |
port Village- Woodward in the War of 18C1-G5— |
|
Station— James Cliatham 663 |
Indian Relics— MineralBof Wood ward— MelliOdist |
|
. CXXVI.— Woodward Township— Descriptive— Pioneers and |
Episcopal Clinrch Cemetery — William Ricliie- |
|
Pioneer Beginnings — Dunnsburg Village — Lock- |
|
BIOOI^J^I^illOJLIlj.
Achenljacli, George A GIT
Alexander, Hon. Cj-rus T 246
Alexander, Joseph 440
Alexander, James 174
Alexander, Josiah 174
Alexander, William 174
Alexander, William 174
Alexander, William K 382
Allison, William 175
Allison, Matthew 174
Anspach, John 174
Antes, Philip 176
Bailey, John S 590
Bailey, Kichard 176
Baird, David 608
Barnhart, Henry 176
Barnbart, Jacob 17G
Barnhart, Mrs. Mary 176
Bayard, A. W 170
Bear, George 177
Beaver, James Addanis 177
Benner, Gen. Philip 178
Benner, John 179
Berry, Jacob 179
Bierly, Anthony 179
Bierly, Anthony, Jr 179
Bierly, John 179
Bierly, Nicholas 180
Blakcly, Eliziibeth ISO
Blarichai'd, John 162
Bo;il, David ISO
Boggs, Andrew 180
Boggs, Jndge Robert 180
Boggs, John 181
Boggs, William 181
Bollander, Steplien 181
Bower, CM 252
Brew, Thaddeus 181
Brady, '.Nilliam Perry 181
Bridgnns, Robert 590
Brisben, William 181
Brockerhoff. Henry 247
Brown, Tliomas, Sr C.iS
Brnggcr, Samuel 4.'-.0
Bruugart, George 181
Brnngait, Jacob 182
Brurigart, Martin 1S2
Bryson, Robert C 182
Buchanan, George 182
Buchtel, John 182
Burcliheld, William 183
Burnside, Hon. Thomas 1S3
Burnside, James 1S4
Bnsh, D. G 248
Caldwell, Jane 184
Caldwell, S. Woods 6C:!
Caldwell. Thomas 184
Callahan, Charles B 185
Cambridge, Constans 185
Campbell, Cleary 185
Campbell, David 185
Campbell, James W 185
Canfleld, IraD 186
Chambers, Elijah 186
Chambers, James A 186
Conser, John S 18G
Conser, Levi 618
Cook, Martha Walker 186
Cook, William 180
Cooper, Samuel M 186
Cornian, George J 186
Cnrtin, Constans 187
Curtin, Roland 187
Cnrtin, Roland, Jr 187
Curtin, Hon. A. G 187
Dale, Christian 188
Dale, Henry 188
Dartt, R. L 263
David, Daniel 188
De Haas, John Philip 188
Dieffenbach, H. L 664
Dobbins, Daniel 189
Dougherty, James 189
Downing, Thomas 189
Dubb-s Oswald 189
Duncan, James 301
Dnnlop. James 180
Dnnlop, John 190
Dunn, William 659
Earlle, Valenline 190
Ferguson, Thomas 101
Fisher, J. B 29G
Fisher, Peter S 191
Foster, Charles R 397
Frank, George 192
Frantz, Isaac G45
Furey, John '. 192
Furey, William, Sr 192
Cast, Christian 192
Cast, J.Nicholas 192
Gill, William 192
Glenn, John 193
Graham, George 192
Granily. Francis 192
Gramly, John _. 193
Granily, Adam '. 193
Gray, Peter, Sr 193
Gray, Peter B 193
Gray, John L 193
Gray, John 193
Green, Joseph, Sr 190
Green, Joseph, Jr 196
Green, S. Miles 196
Gregg, Hon. Andrew 193
Gregg, Gen. John Irviii 195
Gricst, A.J 451
Grove, Daniel C 349
Hale, James T 199
Hale, John M 396
Hale, R. 0 394
Hall, John 108
Harloff, Godfrey 198
Harper, George 198
Iliir.dd, Neil 198
Harris, James ; 198
Harris, James D 199
Harris, Joseph 200
HaiTis, William 200
Harris, William 200
Hasson,Jolin 200
Haslings, Thomas 200
Hayes, Thomas U 202
CONTENTS.
PAQE
Hazel, Jacob, Sr 200
Hazel, Bernard , 200
Henderson, Jonatban K 200
Hilbish, D. J 3CG
Hinton, William 200
Hippie, T.C 560
Holmes, Robert 201
Holt, David W 397
Homan, George 201 [
Houser, Jacob 201
Hoy, Adam 201 |
Hoy, Charles 201
Hoy, George 202
Humes, Hamilton 202
Humes, Edward C 202
Huston, Charles 202
Irvin, John 20t
Irvin, Vrnliam 204
Irvin, Gen. James 205
Jack, Andrew 205
Jarrett, Fhaon 504
Keller, D. C 415
Kelly,James K 206 '
Kimport, Daniel 206 i
Kooken, John K 206
Kreamer, Andrew 206 '
Kreamer, Charles 503
Kreamer, Jacob 206
Kreighbaum, William 206
Kryder, John 206
Kurtz, Frederick 413
Kurtz, Ludwig 207
Lamb, David 207 ;
Lauth, Bernard 329 ]
Linn, James 207 l
Linn, Hon. John Blair 254a |
liinn, Samuel 162
Livingston, Daniel - 208
Livingston, George 208 i
Long, John Jacob 209 I
Loraine, Henry 394
Lowrey, John G 209
Ly tie, Isaac 209
Lucas, Charles 209
Mayer, Charles A 559
McAllister, H. N 210 '
McAllister, Hugh Nelson 210 ;
McCaman, John 211 I
McCloskey, Joseph 211
McCloskey, W. T 593
McCormick, C. S 561
McCormick, Robert , 561
McCoy, J. M 267
McEwen, Henry 211
McKee, James 211
McKinney, Isaac 211
McKinney, David 212
McKinney, John 212
Meek, John B 213
Meek, P. Gray 247
Meek, E. H 213 1
Meyer, Henry 214
Meyer, Henry 214
Miles, James 214 ;
Mallory, Isaac 212 j
Malone, Richard 212
Martin, James 213
Mayes, Thomas 213
Miles, John 214
Miles, Joseph 215
Miles, Richard 215
Miller, A. V 438 j
Miller, Isaac 215
Mllliken, James 251
Milliken, Thompson 215
Mitchell, John 215 '
PAOE
Montgomery, John 216
Molz, John 0 307
Munson, Chester 399
Musser, John 210
Musser, P. T 307
Noyes, A. C 588
Noyes, Charles K 589
Nultall, John 4(10
Packer, James 217
Packer, William F 217
Patton, John 219
Pearce, Marmaduke 219
Petrikin, William 219
Petrikin, Henry 220
Petrikin, James N 220
Pettit, William 220
Pie, .Tustin J 300
Potter, Fergus 220
Potter, James 220
Potter, Gen. James 402
Potter, William 221
Potter, Mrs, Lucy 221
Pruner, David 1 222
Pruner, Edmund J •.••■ 254
Qu.ay, Joseph F 635
Rankin, William 222
Rankin, John 222
Raub, A. N 5.57
Ream, John F 22.i
Reber, Abraham 223
Keber, Jiicob 223
Reynolds, John 223
Reynolds, William F 240
Rhone, Leonard 414
Rhone, Michael 223
Rich, Benjamin 451
Rishel, John 224
Royer, Christopher 224
Royer, John S 224
Ruhl, John 224
Sankey, Thomas 224
Sankey, William 224
Scbaeffer, John A 224
Schacffer, Nicholas 224
Schall, John 225
Sechler, Hammon 254B
Schaffer, John U ; COO
Shannon, John 225
Shoemaker, John K 225
Shugert, J. Dunlop 254a
Shugert, Joseph B 225
Smith, William 225
Smyth, William 225
Snook, Joseph v 619
Spangler, Christopher 220
Steiner,J.F 399
Stewart, Dr. M •• ■■• *■!!
Sussman, Abraham •" 226
Swanzey, William 226
Thomas, William A 253
Thompson, .Tohn 317
Thompson, John 227
Thompson, Moses 277
Tipton, A. S 282
Tonner,John '227
Tonner, John 227
Treziyulny, Charles 22S
Valentine, Bond 228
Wagner, William, Sr 228
Walbon, Henry 228
Walbon, Michael 228
Walker, John 228
Waltsmith, Christian 228
Weaver, .lohn 228
Weaver, J. F 207
Wilson, Peter 296
CONTENTS.
Williiime, Benjamin 229
Williams, James 229
Williams, Joseph 229
Williams, Joshua 229
Wilson, P. B 229
Wilson, Samuel 229
Wilson, William P 229
Wolf, Anthony 230
PAGE
Wolf, Hon. S. S 230
Wolf, Franks 230
Wolf, Jacob 230
Wolf, D. M 297
Wolf, William «2
Wolfart, John 230
Wolfavt, Philip 230
Young, Robert 231
irji_.TJSTi?.j^Tioisrs.
Achenbadi, George A facing 017
Alexander, C. T between 240, 247
Alexander, Joseph facing 449
Alexander, William K 382
Allison, William facing 175
Bailey, John S " 591
Baird, David " 008
Beaver, Gen. James A " 123
Bhinchurd, Edmund " 244
Blanchard, John " 1G2
Bo«er,C.M " 252
Bridgeus, Robert " 690
Brockerhoff House, Allegheny Street between 234, 235
Brockerboff Block, BishopStreet " 234,235
Brockerhoff, Henry ".....facing 246
Brockerhoff House, Bellsfonte between 232, 233
Brown, Thomas, Sr facing 058
Brugger, Samuel " 450
Burnside, Thomas 183
Bush Arcade between 238,239
BuBh,D. G facing 248
Bush House " 238
Caldwell, S. Woods " 5G3
Central Normal School ?. " 555
Conser, Levi " 618
Cou It-House, Bellefonte " 95
Court-House, Lock Haven " 529
Curtin, A. G " 101
Dartt, B. L between 242,243
Dieffenbach, H. L " 504,565
Duncan, James 302
Dunlop, James 190
Dunn, William between 558, 569
Fisher, J. B " 290, 297
Foster, Charles R " 390,397
Frantz, Isaac facing 045
Gregg, Hon. Andrew 194
Gregg, Gen. John Irvin facing 195
Grenoble, I. J., Residence of " 293
Griest, A. J between 450,451
Grove, Daniel C facing 349
Harris, James 199
Hale, James T 199
Hale, John M , between 396, 397
Hale, R C " 396,397
Hayes, Tliomas R facing 253
IliUrish, D.J " 306
Hippie, T. C between 560, 561
H.dt, David W " 390,397
Hoy, Ad.im facing 201
Humes, Edward C " 202
Huston, Charles 202
Irvin, Gen. James facing 205
Jarrett, Phaon between 564, 605
Keller, D. C 415
Kreanier, Charles... facing 502
Kijrtz, Frederick " 413
Laulh, Bernard «* 329
Loraine, Henry " 394
liinn, Samuel « 163
Linn, John Blair " 254a
Map of Indian Land Improvements, Dunstable Township " 600
Map showing Line between Centre and Union Counties " 61
PAGE
Map, Outline, Centre County facing 1
Map, Outline, Clinton County " 467
Map of Original Survey of Aaronsburg " 301
Map of Original Survey of Bellefonte " 231
Map of Original Survey of Burnside Township between 268, 269
Map of Original Survey of Chapman Township, in 1794. " 582, 683
Map of the Original Plan of Lock Haven facing 526
Map of Original Surveys in Liberty Township ■' 336
Map of the Neighborhood of Lock Haven prior to 1839 *' 519
Map of Reed and Ford Surveys, Bald Eagle Township " 600
Map of Sugar Valley Surveys, Logan Township '* 642
Map of Territory of Centre and Clinton Counties in 1792 " 24
McAllister, Hugh Nelson •' 210
McCloskey, W. T " 593
McCormick, C. S , between 560,561
McCormick, Robert facing 561
McCoy, J. M " 266
Mayer, Charles A between 558, 569
Medal of John Lucas ; 52
Meeic, P. Gray facing 247
Miller, A. V " 438
Milliken, James " 261
Motz, John C " 306
Munson, Chester between .398, 399
Musser, P. T facing 307
Noyes, A. C " 58S
Noyes, Charles B " 589
Nuttall, John " 400
Officere' Survey of 1769, Centre County between 8, 9
Officers' Survey Clinton County between 408, 409
Packer, William F facing 217
Pie, Justin J " 600
Pruner,E. J " 254
Raub, Albert N " 657
Residence of David Baird " 607
Residence and stock farm of George R. Boak between 270, 271
Residence and store of George R. Boak facing 269
Residence of the late Henry Brockerhoff between 232, 233
Rcsidencoof D. G. Bush " 238,239
Residence of John T. Fowler " 442, 443
Residence of M. Stewart " 270, 271
Residence and business house of Strause, Lehman & Co facing 390
Residence of Isaac Thomas " 241
Residence of the late Reuben B. Valentine " 243
Residence of W. H. Wigton " 384
Residence of H. M. Webster " 587
Reynolds, W. F between 246, 247
Rich, Benjamin " 450,461
Rhone, Leonard facing 414
Stewart, Dr. M " 431
Steiner, J. F between 398,399
Suook, Joseph facing 619
Sandy Ridge Fire-Brick Works " 418
Sliaffer, John U : " 600
Thompson, John " 317
Thompson, Moses " 277
Thomas, W. A between 252,253
Tipton, A. S facing 282
Weaver, J. F " 207
Wilson, Peter " 296
Wolf, D. M " 297
Wolf, William " 412
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HISTORY
rENTRI A\D (LI\To\ COUNTIES,
EXTEE COUXTY.
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A
HISTORY
OF
CENTRE AND CLINTON COUNTIES,
CEKTBE COUNTY.
CHAPTER I.
INDIAN OCCUPATION.
The Shawanese Indians were the earliest aborig- inal inhabitants of the territory of Clinton and Centre Counties of whom we have any reliable information. The Muncy tribe, one of the Delaware tribes, had preceded them, but as early as 1728 had removed farther westward to the head-waters of the Allegheny. According to Reichel,' the Shawanese were a tribe of Southern Indians who were expelled from their seats by the Spaniards of Florida and migrated north- ward.
In 1698 sixty families of them, the first to come to Pennsylvania, settled at Conestoga, with the knowl- edge of Markham, the Deputy Governor, and the consent of the Conestogas ; the Governor holding the Conestogas responsible for the good behavior of the Shawanese. From Conestoga they moved up the river, and built a town at " Pextaug" (Harrisburg now), and in April, 1701, William Penn ratified a treaty of friendship with the king of the Conestogas, and with the king of the Shawanese inhabiting at the liead of the Potomac.
The Delawares and Shawanese were under the dominion of the Iroquois, better known as the "Six Nations," who had their council-house at Onondaga (now Syracuse, N. Y.). The executive deputy of the Grand Council of the Six Nations was Shikellimy (father of the celebrated Logan), and although the Delawares and Shawanese had their own kings, he was their real ruler as the representative of the Six
• Memorials of tlie Moravian Cliiircli, Tol. i. page 103, by tlio late Rev. ■\Villiani C. Beicbcl. From wliich we quote largely, than whom there ia no better authority upon the history of the aborigines of Peunsylvania. 1
Nations. In 1728 he was appointed to reside among the Shawanese, and in that year came down and took up his residence at an old Muncy town, the site of which is about three miles above Lewisburg, in Union County, on the west bank of the river, where he was visited by Conrad Weiser in March, 1733, and accom- panied the latter on his journey to Onondaga. Slii- ■ kellimy subsequently removed his post to Sliamokin (Sunbury now), where he died Dec. 14, 1748, and was succeeded by his son, Tachnachdoarus, better known as John Shikellimy.
The Shawanese villages extended as far north on the North Branch as where Pittston now stands, and as early as 1732 a part of them drifted off to the Ohio country, and the Six Nations were asked by Governor Gordon to compel them to return. In 1739, Richard Penn treats with deputies of the Shawanese, who " were scattered far abroad from the Great Island to the Allegheny." By the Great Island is here meant Duncan's Island, at the mouth of the Juniata. In a message from the Six Nations to the Governor, in 1743, they say they had given the river Juniata " to our cousins the Delawares and our brethren the Shawa- nese for a hunting-ground, and we ourselves hunt there sometimes," and requested the Governor " to take the Dutchman [meaning John Harris, who was clearing fields at the mouth of the Juniata] by the arm and to throw him over the big mountains within his own borders." They also desired tiiat he would remove by force all those who live on the Juniata. In April, 1749, they again complain to Conrad Weiser, at Shamokin, that some of the white people had settled almost at the head of the Juniata, that this country is their only hunting-ground, because " further to the north there was nothing but spruce- woods, and the ground was covered with palm-brusli ; not a single deer could be found or killed there."
1
HISTORY OF CENTRE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
The proprietaries of Pennsylvania always recog- nized the Six Nations as the owners of the soil of the province, and made tlieir treaties of purchase 1754. with them. In July, 1754, during the confer- ence which resulted in the deed of the 6th of that month, which, in the description of the land pur- chased, really embraced the greater part of the terri- tory of Centre County, Weiser and the Indians had be- fore them Lewis Evans' map, which they had all along consulted in their debates. They thought, therefore, that the waters of the Juniata (which were intended to be ijicluded in the purchase) ran a good way northward of the mouth of the Kaarondinhah (Penn's Creek). Accordingly they agreed upon the course in the deed, northwest and by west from a mile above the mouth of the creek, as including and conveying all the waters of the Juniata. But when they found out that the line as run by the compass would include the waters of the West Branch, they were very much dissatisfied. The massacre by the Indians of all the settlers on Penn's Creek, in October, 1755, followed, and tlie serious consequences likely to result to Brit- ish interests from insisting on the written boundary occasioned an application to the proprietaries by the government to limit the bounds of the purchase. Ac- cordingly a commission was sent over directing a treaty to be. held for that purpose, which, after great exertions to bring about an accommodation with the Delawares and Shawancse, was accomplished at Eas- ton on the 23d of October, 1758. By this treaty the northern limit of the purchase was defined by stop- ping the northwest course from the mouth of Penn's Creek at Buffalo Creek, and thence running due west to the Allegheny hills, whence the west line deflected southerly along the Alleglieny hills to the soutli limit of the province.
At the treaty held at Albany in 1754, above re- ferred to, the Six Nations in their council placed John Shikellimy in charge of all the lands on the North Branch and those north of the West Branch, and on the 24th of December, 1754, he in person com- plains to Governor Morris of the encroachment of the Connecticut people upon the Wyoming lands. These encroachments were the result of a purchase by John Lydius, of Albany, N. Y., by deed of 11th of July, 1754, on behalf of the " Susquehanna Land Company," from some of the chiefs of the Six Na- tions, of tiiat portion of our State supposed and claimed to be within the charter bounds of the colony of Connecticut. The southern limit of their claim ran through Centre County a few miles north of Belle- fonte, and included nearly the one-half of the present territory of Centre and all of that of Clinton County.
In 1754, Tanacharis, a Seneca chief, otherwise called Half-King, as representative of the Six Nations, .had charge of the lands south of the West Branch, with his post at Aughwick, on the present site of Shirleysburg, in Huntingdon County. He died shortly after Conrad Weiser's council with the In-
dians there in September, 1754, and was succeeded by Scarrooyady, an Oneida chief.
The Indians, true to their compact, withdrew grad- ually north of the limits of the purchase, 1754, and John Shikellimy speaks of the numbers coming to the West Branch and its tributaries, and complains as early as June, 1755, of the encroachments of white settlers north of the limits, which indicates early in- road of settlers into the southerly limits of Centre County. The defeat of Gen. Braddock almost com- pleted the removal from Aughwick, and on Septem- ber, 1755, Scarroyady is at Shamokin with twenty of his men, "got this far," and with Shikellimy's three sons was organizing a company against the French.
In October of this year a force of French and In- dians computed at about fifteen hundred made their appearance near the mouth of the Bald Eagle fron\ Fort Duquesne, intent on making the Susquelianna the line of the French possessions. It was one of the advance parties of this expedition that swept all the settlers from Penn's Creek on the 16th of Octo- ber. Logan, who was friendly to the English, sent word of this invasion, and thereupon posts were established at Fort Lytleton, now in Fulton County, Fort Shirley, at Aughwick, Fort Granville, at the mouth of the Kishacoquillas, now in Mifflin County, and one called Pomfret Castle, on tlie present borders of Juniata and Snyder Counties, near Richfield. An advance body of Indians in the French interest had reached George Gabriel's, where Selinsgrove now stands, and proposed building a fort at Shamokin, where in the following year, although the land was not yet purchased of the Indians, at the request of the friendly Iroquois, Governor Morris directed Fort Augusta to be erected.
On the West Branch a part of Shawancse and such of the Delawares as remained, influenced by Logan, John Tachnachdoarus, his father, and Andrew Mon- tour, remained true to the English, and offered to col- lect their people at Shamokin and make it a post against the French. From that post they constantly transmitted the Governor such information as they received affecting the interests of the province. In November they sent word that two messengers had come from the Ohio to the Indian town at the Big Island (mouth of Bald Eagle), and seeing an Eng- lishman that by accident happened to be there they, said, " Kill him." " No," said the Indians of the Big Island, " we will not kill him or suffer him to be killed. We have lived in peace many years with the English here; if you are so bloodthirsty go some- where else for blood : we will have no blood spilt here." The messengers were hostile Delawares.
Logan and his two brothers, with all friendly to the English, were compelled to retire up the North Branch to Wyoming in the fall of 1755, and the whole West Branch country as far down 1755, as Sunbury was under the full control of the French and their Indian allies, the Delawares, and as
BALD EAGLE AND LOGAN CIIIKFS.
far up the North Branch as Nescopeck there were no 1 friendly Indians, except Paxinos, a Shawanese chief, who resided on the west of this river, a few miles from Wyoming.
The scouts who, on the 3d of June, 1756, precetled Col. William Clapham's regiment (ordered to build
Fort Augusta and occupy the confluence of 1756. the two rivers), report McKee's house burned,
George Gabriel's at the mouth of Penn's Creek, where Selinsgrove now stands, destroyed, and Sha- mokin uninhabited, the houses being burned to the ground. Col. Clapham built the fort in July and Au- gust, and the succeeding winter Maj. James Burd was in command, having arrived on the 8th of December. He represents the winter to liave been exceedingly severe, the West Branch frozen over, and the path up it so blocked with snow that the Indians he tried to send through to Chinklacamoose (Clearfield) on the 1st of February, 1757, had to return. On the evening of the 7th of April, after dark, he started Capt. Wil- liam Patterson, with ten men, up the West Branch in search of intelligence. He returned on the 25th from Chinklacamoose, having seen no French or In- dians on their march ; also that the great path from Buchaloon's (on Lake Erie) passed by Chinklacamoose, and forked on the south side of the river forty miles this side of that place, one path taking to Fort Au- gusta, the other to Cumberland County ; that the houses at Chinklacamoose were all burned, and that no Indians had apparently lived there for a long time ; that he and his party lived on walnuts three days, they could find no game to kill, and had returned down the river upon rafts.
The next light that gleams upon the topography of our region is from the journals of the heralds of the
cross. In the summer of 1758, C. Frederick 1758, Post undertook a perilous mission on behalf of
the proprietary government to the Delawares of Ohio. He took the path along the east or left bank of the West Branch, and crossed the river at the Great Island on the 29th of July. Here he says, "My com- panions were very fearful, and we slept away from the road without a fire, but we could not sleep for bugs or mosquitoes." On the next day he forded Beech Creek on the left bank of it, came to the forks of the path ; one branch led southwest along the Bald Eagle, past the nest to Frankstown (near Hollidaysburg), the other due west to Chinklacamoose. Post took the latter; it led over the Moshannon, which he crossed on the 1st of August. Next day he arrived at the village of Chink- lacamoose, in "the Clearfields." Here he saw three hoops on a bush, to one there remained long white hair. On his return on the 18th of September he came to Great Island, " where we had nothing to live on, and had to lie by to hunt." Here he met twenty warriors returning from the inhabitants, with five prisoners and one scalp ; six of his warriors were Delawares, the rest Mingoes (i.e., Iroquois).
As indicated bv Post's Journal, the paths through ( ' "
Centre and Clinton Counties were really only war- paths for incursions of the hostile Delawares and Shawanese in 1758, and this condition of things re- mained so for some years. In June, 17G.'?, .lohn Shikellimy, Nutinuis, and a few other friendly In- dians occupied the Great Island, but the great con- spiracy of Pontiac, which carried desolation around the whole frontier, drove them all to Fort Aiigusia. On the 25th of August, Capts. Patterson and Bedford arrived at Fort Augusta with one hundred and four- teen men on their way up the West Branch to destroy the Indian towns, but on the Muncy Hill they fell in with a strong party of Indians, and had a severe en- gagement, and after the loss of some men they fell back upon Fort Augusta. On the llth of September, Col. John Armstrong, who reached the Great Island from Cumberland County with a large party of vol- unteers, burned two hundred acres of corn, and de- stroyed, as the account has it, a prodigious number of Indian houses along the river down as far as where Lewisburg now stands, whence he turned off to go the nearest way to Carlisle. In the following year — Nov. 14, 1764, — on the banks of the Muskingum, Col. Bouquet compelled the Indians to give up their white prisoners and sue for peace, ending all the troubles with the Delawares and Shawanese until the drums of the Revolution began to echo along the shores of the West Branch,
CHAPTER IL
BALD EAGLE AND LOGAX CHIEFS.
Of the chief named Bald Eagle, I have been able to ascertain nothing reliable except the manner and date of his death. The adventures of Capt. Samuel Brady, as related by Peter Grove, published in Jfr. Meginness' " West Branch Valley," were conjured by •the active brain of R. B. McCabe, and nothing relia- bly historical can be gleaned from them except the names of Peter Vincent, Capt. Forster, and the other scouts. The Indians JlcCabe named himself. And, as remarked by Isaac Craig, it is a great pity JlcCabe, in his " Kiskiminetas Papers" (Hazard, Pennsy/cania Register, vol. ix. 184), connected so much fiction with Brady.
In No. VII. Hazard, 308, McCabe states that Bald Eagle (from whom the creek and ridges in Centre County were called, and the " Bald Eagle's Nest" from his camp) was of the party with Cornplanter who killed James Brady. (James Brady was killed above the Loyalsock, Aug. 8, 1778, and his death was avenged by the death of Bald Eagle, at the hands of Capt. Sam Brady, some years after on the Allegheny.)
Withers, in his " Border Warfare," page 105, gives the correct account of the death of " Bald Eagle,"' deriving it from affidavits made at the time and loaned
HISTORY OF CENTRE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
him by Maj. Isaac Craig. The date, according to in- formation given by Isaac Craig (letter March 13, 1882, Allegheny, Pa.), "as in the autumn of 1773.
Withers says, In one of Bald Eagle's visits to the Monongahcla he was murdered by Jacob Scott, Wil- liam Hacker, and Elijah Runner, at Hacker's, on the Jlouongahela, and his body placed in the stern of his canoe with a piece of johnny-cake in his mouth. The canoe floated down the river to the Province ]dace, below Georges Creek (now New Geneva, Fay- ette Co.), where Mrs. Province, observing that something was wrong, had it brought to shore, and the friendly old chief was buried on the Province farm. (Craig's letter, .si/;^™.) Bald Eagle was a Del- aware chief, and spoke the Englisli language well. His death inflamed his tribe with ungovernable rage, and is said to have caused tlie war upon the Kenhawa, followed by Dunmore's expedition in 1774.
Logan, who has left the impress of his name on many localities in this and other counties, was a son of Shikellimy, wlio was the governing chief of the Delawares and Sbawanese, set over tliem by the Six Nations about the year 1728. Sliikelliniy lived at Muncy old town, about three miles above Lewis- burg, on the river, where Conrad Weiser visited him in 1737. He had his post at Sliamokin (Sunbury now), and died there Dec. 17, 1748.
His son Logan he named for James Logan, William Penn's secretary for the province. Logan was a resi- dent of Kishacoquillas valley as early as 1766, wlien the surveyors came into that valley, and the names of the localities he frequented and paths and streams in Centre County were well known and attached by the surveyors of 1769, — Logan's Camp (Blue Spring, the farm of J. D. Shugert), Logan's Gap (that through Nittany Mountain at Hecla), Logan's Branch (empty- ing into Spring Creek at Bellefonte).
The late Edward Bell, Esq. (Jones' "Juniata Val- ley," ]iage 116), says he left Kishacoquillas valley in 1771, which corresponds pretty well with Heckewel- der's statement that he was introduced to him as Bhikellimy's son in 1772, at the mouth of the Big Beaver, when Logan told him he meant to settle on the Ohio below Big Beaver. It also is consistent with the anecdote related by Mrs. John Norris: When my sister, afterwanls Mrs. James Potter (iTudge Potter), was just beginning to learn to walk (Mary Potter, ilaugliter of Judge William Brown, of Reedsvi lie, born June 15, 1770), my mother happened to express a rc- g ct that she could not get a pair of shoes to give jnore firmness to her little step. Logan stood by but said nothing. He soon alter asked Mrs. Brown to let the little girl go up and spend the day at his cabin. The cautious heart of the mother was alarmed at the proposition, but she knew the delicacy of an Indian's feelings, and she knew Logan too, and with secret re- luctance, but apparent cheeriulncss, she complied with liis request. The hours of the day wore very slowly a vay and it was nearly night and her little one had not
returned. But just as the sun was going down the trusty chief was seen coming down the path with his charge, and in a moment more the little one was trotted into her mother's arms, proudly exhibiting a beautiful pair of moccasins on her little feet, the pro- duct of Log.an's skill.
Judge Brown said Logan soon after went to the Allegheny, and I saw Jiim no more. Heckewelder says, I called at Logan settlement in April, 1773, and was received with great civility. In May, 1774, his family was murdered by some marauding whites, led by a man named Daniel Greathouse, and he himself came to an untimely end. Heckewelder says he be- came addicted to drinking, and was murdered be- tween Detroit and his own home at Miami. He was at the time sitting with liis blanket over his head, before a camp-fire, his elbows resting on his knees, when an Indian who had taken some offense stole behind him and buried liis tomahawk in his brains. In October, 1781, while a prisoner on my way to De- troit, I was shown the spot where this is said to have liappened.
Loudon, in his Collections, says Logan could speak tolerable English, was a remarkably tall man, over six feet high, and well proportioned, of brave, open, and manly countenance, as straight as an arrow, and apparently afraid of no one. Some one, quoted by Mr. Jones, page 114, " Juniata Valley," in describing him to Mr. Maguire, says he saw Logan at Standing Stone (Huntingdon), and that he was a fine-looking, muscular fellow, weighing about two hundred pounds, had a full chest, and prominent and expansive fea- tures. His complexion was not so dark as that of the Juniata Indians, and liis whole action showed liis intercourse with the whites.
CHAPTER III.
IXDI.^N PATHS— TERRITORIAL DESCRIPTION- STREAMS AND LOCALITIES.
The most traveled path was that from tlie Great Island on the northwest side of Muncy Mountain, .•^nd alongside of Bald Eagle Creek, near and on the site in most placesof the present road, crossing Bullet's Run where the road crosses. At Milesburg it parted, one path going southerly through the Gap to near Bufl'alo Run, then running southwest along the base of the mountain, passed through the George Gabriel tract, now Mrs. John B. Linn's, by the " Bufl^alo Lick," where it is still distinctly visible, the woods being in their pristine condition ; thence it enters James Re- side's tract, about forty perches southwest of the lane, and then passing by Eckley, at the Gap, it skirted the valley surveys (the path from the end of Nittany Mountain entering it at Kephart's) ; thence it passed through Matternville, and so on southwestwardly to
INDIAN PATHS— TERRITORIAL DESCRIPTION.
5
Fraukstown. It is called in applications " the Indian or traders' jiath through the long limestone valley (Vom Bald Eagle's Nest to Frankstown," and is laid down upon Scull's map of April 4, 1770.
Another path diverged from the warriors' path through the Gap at Mill Hall, and passing up Fish- ing Creek, crossed Nittany at Hcela by Logan's Gap to the head of Pcnn's Creek, whence it ran west- ward through the " Manor" and by the end of Nit- tany Mountain.
Another well-defined path ran frojn the main path near Oak Hall northwesterly by Dale's mill, and along tlie present road between Benner and Patton townships, crossing Muncy Mountain at Kephart's Gap.
Another, leaving the Nest, passing through the gap made by Spring Creek, followed the run on the James Armor's place, crossed the turnpike a few rods north of Sheriff Waddle's present residence, passing on to McBride's Gap.
The path from the mouth of Beech Creek due west to Chinklacamoose, ' leading over the Moshannon, has been alluded to in Post's Journal, and was the one Inllowed by the Moravian Indians in 1772.
George McCormick, in an old deposition, speaks of tlie path coming from Bald Eagle to his house (Spring Mills) ; here one fork, called Logan path, took off to KishacoquiUas {Mifflin County), the other, passing my place, went to Buffalo valley.
Territorial Description.— The first purchase by the proprietaries of lands from the Indians which embraced any of the territory of Centre County was that of July 6, 1754. The northern line of this pur- chase, according to the deed, was to run from a point on the river one mile above the mouth of Penn's Creek, thence northwest by west as far as the prov- ince of Pennsylvania extended, to its western lines or boundaries. It is evident from the deed itself, independent of the subsequent assertions of the In- dians, that they only meant to include the head- waters of the Juniata; that the point to which this course would take the line was greatly mistaken, for the line would not strike the ivestera boundary of the province, but would cross the West Branch near the mouth of the Sinnemahoning Creek, and inter- sect the northern boundary a little west of Cone- wango Creek, in (now) Warren County.
By the written terms of this purchase, the lands Avhere the Shawanese resided and the hunting-grounds of the Delawares were included. These Indians told Conrad Weiser at Aughwick, in September, 1754, that they did not understand the points of the compass, and if the line was so run as to include the West Branch of the Susquehanna they would never agree to it. The history of this eventful period is written in the blood of
1 Chinllttcamoose, cormptcd from Achtscliingicliiinme, signifying " (' nlmoH Joins," in alluiiiun to the Horscslioe Bend in th*> stvi'am, whose cxtreniitii-B nlniost unite. The viUngo stood on the site of Clearfield town.— Jicic/icI, 2rantiactioiti of the Moraviun HUt. Soc, page 19.
the whites who settled along Penn's Creek, who were murdered in October, 175.'5; and, as is well stated by JudgeCliarlcsSmitli, in a valuable notcon land titles,^ many of the Indian tribes, seeing their lands gone, joined the French, and in the following year fatally evinced their resentment at Braddock's Field. The settlers were driven into the interior, their improve- ments were laid waste, and desolation marked the path of the warriors.
A satisfactory arrangement of this dispute was made in the treaty executed at Easton on the 23(1 of October, 1758, confining the northern bounds of the purchase to a west line from Buffalo Creek, in Union County now, to the east side of the Allegheny hills. Cumberland County had been erected Jan. 27, 1750, its jurisdiction extending over all lands lying west- ward of the Susquehanna River, and northward and westward of York County; accordingly, from 1758 to 1771 all that part of Centre County, as now consti- tuted, south of a west line crossing Nittany Jlountain north of Rebersburg, and passing through Milesburg at the mouth of Spring Creek, and running to the east corner of Rush townsliij), and thence southwest- wardly, including Huston, Worth, and Taylor town- ships, was in Cumberland County, — that is to say, all of Penn's valley and the western end of Nittany valley, — and therefore during that period surveys were made by the deputy surveyor of Cumberland County and returned for that county.
Th« act of March 9, 1771 (1 Smith's Laws, .3.30), erecting Bedford County out of part of Cumberland, bounded Bedford County northeasterly by a line run- ning I'rom the mouth of Shaver's Creek (at Peters- burg, Huntingdon Co.) nortln?ast to the line of Berks County. This line crossed Tiissey's Mountain at Pine Grove, and running near where Boalsburg now is. followed Nittany Mountain to the northern limit of the purchase-line of 1758, north of Hublersburg. Consequently, Ferguson, part of Harris, the whole of Benner and Spring, part of Walker, and all the town- ships westward of this line- were in Bedford County (the remainder east of that line being in Cumberlantl I until the erection of Northumberland County out of parts of Bedford, Berks, Cumberland, etc., on the 21st ofMarch, 1772(1 Smith's Laws, page 367). The south- ern line of Northumberland as thus erected, run- ning from Mateer's Spring, at the head of Mahan- tango Creek, in West Perry township, Snyder County, west by north to the top of Tussey's Mountain (in Harris township), thence southwesterly along thj summit of that mountain to the Little Juniata, brought all of the Centre County territory within the jurisdiction of Northumberland except the small portion of Harris township covered by the Bear Meadows and Seven Mountains, which remained in Cumberland County.
An act passed the same day, defining the bounda-
2 Laws of rennsjivaula, vol. ii. p. 120 (1810).
HISTORY OF CENTRE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
ries of Bedford County, being contradictory and in- consistent with tlie above boundaries, on the 30th of September, 1779 (Smith's Laws, vol. i. page 473), an act was passed designating the boundary of Bed- ford County, which brought the northern line thereof up to a point three miles northeast from the extreme southern point, whence it ran " along the ridge divid- ing the waters falling into the Bald Eagle Creek from the waters of the Little Juniata" (from a point on Tussey's Mountain, ^bove mentioned, north 42J degrees west to the present corner of Half-Moon and Patton), to the Chestnut Kidge boundary between present Ferguson and Half-Moon and Patton, thence along the Chestnut Ridge to tlie head of the southwest branch of Bald Eagle Creek, from thence a straight line to the head of Moshannon Creek, thus bringing the larger portion of the present township of Ferguson, the southern portion of Half-Moon, and portions of Taylor and the lower end of Eush within Bedford County.
The next change of county jurisdiction over part of our territory was made by the act of the 25th of September, 1787 (2 Smitli's Laws, p. 418), erecting Huntingdon County. This made Moshannon Creek the division line between Northumberland County and .Huntingdon, and, following the former boun- daries from the head of that creek, placed those parts of Ferguson and Half-Moon townships above de- scribed in Huntingdon County.
On the li)tli of September, 1780 (2 Smith's Laws, page 493), the county of Mifflin was erected out of Cumberland and Northumberland. The division . line provided in the act followed the line of Hun- tingdon to the summit of Tussey's Mountain ; tlien'ce by that of Huntingdon and Northumberland to the head of the Moshannon (leaving the parts above stated of Ferguson and Half-Moon, etc., in Hunting- don County) ; thence down the Moshannon, and down the river, so as to include the whole of Upper Bald Eagle township, to the mouth of Beech Creek; thence to Logan's Gap in Nitt;iuy Mountain (now called Hecla Gap) ; thence to the head of Penn's Creek ; thence down the said creek to Sinking Creek, leaving George McCormick (now Spring Mills) in Northumberland County ; thence to the top of Jack's Mountain, at the line between Northumberland and Cumberland.
The territory of the following townships and parts of townships was therefore in Mifflin County from Sept. 19, 1789, to Feb. 13, 1800, when Centre County was erected: Liberty, Curtin, Burnside, the western portions of Marion, Walker, and Gregg, all that of all townships in Centre County westward of them, except the parts of Ferguson and Half-Moon, etc., before indicated, while no portion of the present ter- ritory of Clinton came within the jurisdiction of Mifflin County. The eastern portion of the territory of Gregg township, all of the territory of Penn, Haines, and Miles were in Northumberland County.
On the 13th of April, 1795 (3 Smith's Laws, page 220), Lycoming was erected out of Northumberland, the south line to run from the Mifflin County line on the summit of Nittany Mountain. The effect of this was to place a small portion of the present terri- tory of Marion, and a large portion of Walker, from Hecla Gap eastward, within Lycoming County.
Streams and Localities.— Bald Eagle was called by the Delawares Wapalanewach Schiec-hanne,' — i.e., the stream of the Bald Eagle's Nest. Bald Eagle's Nest, at the confluence of Spring Creek and Bald Eagle, was the residence of a noted Indian chief. On Scull's map of 1770 it is designated simply as " the Nest." On Lukens' survey of 1769 he marks it with a few huts, about forty rods from the junction of the streams southwestward, designating it as " BaldEagle's Nest or old town." The creek had its name as early as 17G6.
Beech Creek, emptying into Bald Eagle at the pres- ent railroad station of that name, was called by the Delawares Schauwemfnsch-hanne, that is, Beech Stream. It had its translated name as early as 17G8. Buffalo Run dates back its name to 1769, derived from a buffalo lick on the farm now belonging to Mrs. John B. Linn, called in George Gabriel's appli- cation of April 1, 1769, " Old Buffalo Lick."
Dewitt's Run, emptying into the Bald Eagle at Unionville, had its name as early as 1773, from Abra- ham Dewitt, a settler on the run.
Elk Creek, in Penn and Miles townships, was so named by Samuel Maclay, deputy surveyor under his brother William, in 1766.
Fishing Creek was called in the Delaware language Namees-hanne, that is, Fish Stream.
Marsh Creek was a name applied to it by Charles Lukens in 1769.
Little Moshannon in Delaware, Tankimoos-haune, —Little Elk Stream.
Moshannon (boundary between Centre and Clear- field), corrupted from Mooshanne, that is, Elk Stream. Mudlick Run, above Julian, had its name from the lick on John Mattern's place before the year 1784.
Muncy Mountain, originally applied to the moun- tain commencing at Montgomery Station, in Lycoming County, and ending at Tyrone. From Mins-ink, where there are Minsies.
Nippenose, corrupted from Nipeno-wi, signifying like the summer, a name indicating a warm and genial situation, — Ni-pen, summer.
Nittany Mountain, applied to the range commen- cing at Dale's Mills, in College township, and extend- ing down into Buffalo valley. Union County, within six miles of the river; so called as early as 1768.
Penn's Creek, called in the deed of July 6, 1754, Eaarondinhah ; in that of 1758, John Penn's Creek.
1 For tlio Del.iwn Hie late Rov. Winii actiuus of the Mon
,ncl their interpret.itii
; indebted to
1 C. Reicliers research iau llistorical Society
*B, published la the *' Tr;
THE DISCOVERY OF PENN VALLEY.
It was called by the settlers about its mouth, between 175-1-69, and marked on Scull's map of 1759, Big Ma- hanoy, corrupted from Mahoni, a lick. It is styled Mahanoy in deeds as late as 1772. It has its source in the cave four miles northwesterly of Spring Mills, and empties into the Susquehanna at Seliusgrove, in Snyder County.
Poe Creek derived its name from Capt. James Poe, son-in-law of Gen. James Potter.
Pine Creek, emptying into the river two miles above Jersey Shore, is called in the Indian deed of 1768 Tiadaghton. The Delaware name was Cuwenhanne, Pine Stream, — a stream flowing through pine lands. It was the northwestern boundary of the purchase of 1768. Pine Creek, in Haines, was so named by Sam- uel Maclay when he surveyed Haines' land in 1766.
Sinnemahoning, corrupted from Achsinni-mahoni, — Stony Lick. Sinking Creek, in Potter township, had its name as early as 1766. Spring Creek, emptying into Bald Eagle at Milesburg, w^as so called as early as 1769.
Tussey's Mountain, so called from a family of that name, early settlers of Huntingdon County, com- mences about two miles west of Potter's Mills, forms the southern boundary of Ferguson township, crosses the Pennsylvania Railroad east of Spruce Creek, where it is tunneled, running southward. The mountains, in maps of 1826 called " Seven Moun- tains," in earlier maps are shown as continuations of Tussey, and were so regarded and spoken of in acts of Assembly of an early date respecting the county boundaries.
Wallis Run, which enters the Bald Eagle at Snow- shoe Intersection, was so called as early as 1769 from Samuel Wallis, of Muncy, who owned applications at the mouth and along the run.
Scull's map of April 4, 1770, indicates the position of "the Nest," Great Plains (east of the fort). Big Spring (now Spring Mills), and the Indian path up the Buffalo Run to Frankstown.
CHAPTER IV.
THE DISCOVERY OF PENN VALLEY— SURVEYS OF 1776— MANOR OF NOTTINGHAM— SURVEYS, 1769.
Penn's Valley. — Among the Potter papers I found, Oct. 3, 1882, a paper in the hapdwriting of William
H. Patterson, without date, but, from its refer- 1764. ence to Chief Justice Tilghman, must have
been written prior to 1826, which gives the then tradition of the first entry of the white man into Penn's valley. W. H. Patterson was one of Judge Potter's first clerks at Potter's Mills.
Alluding to a notice which Mr. Chief Justice Tilgh- man, as president of the Agricultural Society, takes of the valley, and prefacing the remark that a narrative
of the events which led to the discovery of Penn'* valley would bo interesting, he says, "Capt. James Potter was a man of strong and penetrating mind, and one to whom early habits rendered a life of peril, toil, and enterprise familiar. Nature had given him a powerful and athletic frame of body, with a mind which might well give tone to an herculean frame. As an officer of the British Provincial army, engaged in the defense of the frontier, he conceived the natural idea that, inclosed by the range of mountains which on every side met his view on his return from Kittan- ning, there must be a fine country. After being or- dered to Fort Augusta, his idea of a fine country to be discovered again returned to him. Having obtained leave of absence, he set off with one attendant in the summer of the year 1764. Passing up the West Branch, he reached the mouth of Bald Eagle Creek, a distance of seventy-five miles. Then passing up Bald Eagle Creek to the place where Spring Creek enters it, a distance of thirty miles, they took to the mountains, and, having reached the top of Nittany Mountain, Capt. Potter, seeing the prairies and noble forest be- neath him, cried out to his attendant, ' By heavens, Thompson, I have discovered an empire !' Imme- diately descending into the plain they came to a spring, at a place which was in after-days of some distinction, now known by the appellation of ' Old Fort,' owned by Capt. Potter's grandson.
" Here the adventurers found themselves out of pro- visions, and for two days and as many nights the flesh scraped from a dried beaver's skin was their only sub- sistence. With starvation staring them in the face, Capt. Potter determined on striking through the mountains for Fort Augusta, and by good fortune happened on a creek, to which they gave the name of John Penn's Creek, little dreaming it was the same creek which entered the Susquehanna at the Isle of Que, known as Penn's Creek. Pursuing the stream, they arrived where provisions could be had, and finally reached Fort Augusta. Capt. Potter and his companion communicated their discovery, and it so happened that an Indian, Job Chillow.ay, was at the fort on their arrival. Learning that they had been in the valley, and determining that if it must be lost to the Indians he at least would profit by their loss, he goes to Col. Hunter and sells to him the right of discovery. Col. Hunter makes speed to Philadelphia and sells his right to Reuben Haines. In the mean time Capt. Potter hurries to Philadelphia to make application and procure warrants."
On this we remark that it is true that Capt. Potter was on the 2d of October, 1764, in command of three companies on the northern frontiers (Pa. Archives, 2d series, vol. ii. p. 61-5), and possibly Thompson w.as the Thomas Thompson alluded to in Fithian's Jour- nal, page 17, post. But we are satisfied the discovery was in 1759, just after the purch.ise of 1758, when Potter W.1S at Bedford (Ibid., p. 558), and had been just promoted captaiu of William Thompson's com-
HISTORY OF CENTRE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
pany (Capt. Thompson having resigned), and that Capt. Thompson was his companion. The tradition is that Haines and Potter compromised, Haines taking the eastern end of Penn's valley up to Spring Mills, and Potter from there up. Certain it is that one of Potter's first warrants, of Aug. 1, 1766, was laid on the farm late Gen. George Buchanan's, just south of Penn Hall.
That the discovery was made in 1759, or at least before 1764, is decided by the fact that the warrant of reservation of the manor of Nottingham, west of the fort, is dated Dec. 16, 1763, and is accurately de- scribed as near the Indian path from the head of Penn's Creek to old Frankstown.
Surveys of 1766. — All of Penn's valley was within the purchase line of 1758, but it was not until after Col. Henry Bouquet had dictated his own terms of peace to the subdued Delawares and Shawanese, on the banks of the Muskingum, on the 14th of Novem- ber, 1764, and Lieutenant-Governor John Penn's proclamation thereof, Dec. 5, 1764, that settlements and improvements were resumed west of the Susque- hanna.
On the 5th of August, 1765, the land-office was opened for settled lands only on the west side of the river, and on the 5th of August, 1766, it was opened for lands on the west side, on the same terms as for those on the east side. No more than three hundred acres could be applied for by any one without a special order, but this restriction was evaded by ap- plications in the names of friends or employees, who by deed-poll subsequently conveyed their right to the person paying the purchase-money. Baynton, Wharton, and Morris, for instance, used the names of their sailors, stevedores, and clerks.
Their instructions required the deputy surveyors to survey for the use of the honorable the proprietaries one-tenth of all the land surveyed, or five hundred out of every five thousand acres. These proprietary lands were selected and surveyed first. Accordingly the first legal survey in Penn's valley was the " Manor of Succoth," made under the direction of William Maclay," deputy surveyor, on the 22d day of Septem- ber, 1766, described as on the head of Penn's Creek, above the great spring and northwest thereof.
Manor of Succoth.— This survey calls for an elm which stood N. 37° W. 60 perches from the mouth of Sinking Creek (branch of Penn's) ; thence N. 70 E. 97 perches to W. O. ; thence N. 53 E. 3G9 perches to a B. 0.; thence S. 59J W. 672 perches to a poplar; thence S. 48 E. 230 perches to a W. O. ; thence N. 63 E. 168 perches to a walnut ; thence S. 37° E. 92 perches ta a W. O. ; thence N. 63 E. 115 perches to the elm ; and contained eight hundred and twenty acres and allowance. The Penns (of whom John lived until Feb. 9, 1795, when he died at the country-seat of
1 Willi.im Mnclay, flisl protlioiiolnry of Northumbcrlaud County, in 1772, iiud United States senator, ITSO-Ul.
Andrew Allen, in Berks County) held the manor until in January, 1791, when they had it divided into three purparts. No. 1, the western purpart, they sold to George Riddles (Gen. Potter's son-in-law) and George Woods. It contained two hundred and nine acres et al. No. 2, adjoining No. 1, they sold May 18, 1791, to John Harper. No. 3 was sold by the Penns to Archibald Allison, and embraces the property still owned by his descendants.
Manor of Nottingham. — This was surveyed under Mr. Maclay's directions, Sept. 23 and 24, 1766, for the proprietaries. He began at a white-oak which stook on the west line of what is now Samuel Vantries' farm, 1881 (near the Potter and Harris township line), and ran south 41 east 254} perches to a white-oak (along Vantries and Gingrich farms) ; thence north 49 east 851 perches to a white-oak (about 200 perches easterly of old Fort Hotel, 1881) ; thence north 41 west 168; thence south 551 west 867 perches back to the beginning. This manor contained 1035 acres, and was held by the Penns until 1794, when they divided it into three parts, marked a white-oak for northwest corner and odd purpart: No. 1, on the west (next Vantries and Gingrich's), June 24, 1794, to Jacob Straub, 340 acres 64 perches; No. 2, Feb. 7, 1794, to Michael, Jack, and William Young, 344 acres 148 perches; and No. 3 (next to OBenkirk's, 1881), April 16, 1794, to Ger- ardus Wyncoop. In 1794 the Sunbury road to Huntingdon ran along the southern boundary of the manor. The manor in 1766 is described as being " near the Indian path leading from the head of Penn's Creek to Frankstown." This manor is wholly within Potter township, commencing near the school-house west of the Fort Hotel, bounded on the south by the public road to Boalsburg, and embraces Dr. W. I. Wilson's second farm, Maj. William F. Reynolds, and all the farms thence up to and including George Boal's, Leonard Rhone's, and E. Keller's. The south- west white-oak is still standing.
The last survey made under the purchase of 1754, confirmed in 1758, was the " Matthew Troy," surveyed Sept. 28, 1768, by Samuel Maclay, patented March 9, 1793, to Henry Falls and Fergus Potter, embracing now the Joshua Potter farm. Leech's, etc., and Harris township.
There is a rude map annexed to the Indian deed of Oct. 23, 1758, intended to represent the waters in the line from Buffalo Creek (Union County) to the Alle- gheny Mountains, which line is represented as pass- ing very near the junction of Spring Creek with Bald Eagle. According to Charles Smith, Esq. (Smith's Laws, vol. ii. p. 122), the true line, relying on the correctness of Howell's map, would pass Bellefonte at the mouth of Logan's Branch of Spring Creek. So careful, however, were the proprietors at this period of offending the Indians by making surveys beyond the line, that the most positive instructions were given the deputy surveyors on this head, and as the line was not run, nor its exact position known,
Original Survey of Lands along Bald Eagle Creek,
— BY — In 1769.
HISTORY OF CENTRE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
pany (Capt. Thompson having resigned), and that Capt. Thompson was his companion. The tradition is that Haines and Potter compromised, Haines taking the eastern end of Penn's valley up to Spring Mills, and Potter from there up. Certain it is that one of Potter's first warrants, of Aug. 1, 1766, was laid on the farm late Gen. George Buchanan's, just south of Penn Hall.
That the discovery was made in 1759, or at least before 1764, is decided by the fact that the warrant of reservation of the manor of Nottingham, west of the fort, is dated Dec. 16, 1763, and is accurately de- scribed as near the Indian path from the head of Penn's Creek to old Frankstown.
Surveys of 1766. — All of Penn's valley was within the purchase line of 1758, but it was not until after Col. Henry Bouquet had dictated his own terms of peace to the subdued Delawares and Shawanese, on the banks of the Muskingum, on the 14th of Novem- ber, 1764, and Lieutenant-Governor John Penn's proclamation thereof, Dec. 5, 1764, that settlements and improvements were resumed west of the Susque- hanna.
On the 5th of August, 1765, the land-office was opened for settled lands only on the west side of the river, and on the 5th of August, 1766, it was opened for lands on the west side, on the same terms as for those on the east side. No more than three hundred acres could be applied for by any one without a special order, but this restriction was evaded by ap- plications in the names of friends or employees, who by deed-poll subsequently conveyed their right to the person paying the purchase-money. Baynton, Wharton, and Morris, for instance, used the names of their sailors, stevedores, and clerks.
Their instructions required the deputy surveyors to survey for the use of the honorable the proprietaries one-tenth of all the land surveyed, or five hundred out of every five thousand acres. These proprietary lands were selected and surveyed first. Accordingly the first legal survey in Penn's valley was the " Manor of Succoth," made under the direction of William Maclay," deputy surveyor, on the 22d day of Septem- ber, 1766, described as on the head of Penn's Creek, above the great spring and northwest thereof.
Manor of Succoth.— This survey calls for an elm which stood N. 37° W. 50 perches from the mouth of Sinking Creek (branch of Penn's) ; thence N. 70 E. 97 perches to W. O. ; thence N. 53 E. 369 perches to a B. 0.; thence S. 59J W. 672 perches to a poplar; thence S. 48 E. 230 perches to a W. 0. ; thence N. 63 E. 168 perches to a walnut ; thence S. 37° E. 92 perches tD a W. O. ; thence N. 53 E. 115 perches to the elm ; and contained eight hundred and twenty acres and allowance. The Penns (of whom John lived until Feb. 9, 1795, when he died at the country-seat of
1 William Maclay, flist piotlioiiolaiy of Northumberlnnd Couuty, in 1772, uud United Statea senator, 17S9-UI.
Andrew Allen, in Berks County) held the manor until in January, 1791, when they had it divided into three purparts. No. 1, the western purpart, they sold to George Riddles (Gen. Potter's son-in-law) and George Woods. It contained two hundred and nine acres et al. No. 2, adjoining No. 1, they sold Jlay 18, 1791, to John Harper. No. 3 was sold by the Penns to Archibald Allison, and embraces the property still owned by his descendants.
Manor of Nottingham. — This was surveyed under Mr. Maclay's directions, Sept. 23 and 24, 1766, for the proprietaries. He began at a white-oak which stook on the west line of what is now Samuel Vantries' farm, 1881 (near the Potter and Harris township line), and ran south 41 east 2545- perches to a white-oak (along Vantries and Gingrich farms) ; thence north 49 east 851 perches to a white-oak (about 200 perches easterly of oldFortHotel, 1881) ; thence north 41 westloS; thence south 552 west 857 perches back to the beginning. This manor contained 1035 acres, and was held by the Penns until 1794, when they divided it into three parts, marked a white-oak for northwest corner and odd purpart: No. 1, on the west (ne.xt Vantries and Gingrich's), June 24, 1794, to Jacob Straub, 340 acres 64 perches ; No. 2, Feb. 7, 1794, to Michael, Jack, and William Young, 344 acres 148 perches; and No. 3 (ne.xt to OBenkirk's, 1881), April 16, 1794, to Ger- ardus Wyncoop. In 1794 the Sunbury road to Huntingdon ran along the southern boundary of the manor. The manor in 1766 is described as being " near the Indian path leading from the head of Penn's Creek to Frankstown." This manor is wholly within Potter township, commencing near the school-house west of the Fort Hotel, bounded on the south by the public road to Boalsburg, and embraces Dr. W. I. Wilson's second farm, Maj. Williain F. Reynolds, and all the farms thence up to and including George Boal's, Leonard Rhone's, and E. Keller's. The south- west white-oak is still standing.
The last survey made under the purchase of 1754, confirmed in 1758, was the " Matthew Troy," surveyed Sept. 28, 1768, by Samuel Maclay, patented March 9, 1793, to Henry Falls and Fergus Potter, embracing now the Joshua Potter farm, Leech's, etc., and Harris township.
There is a rude map annexed to the Indian deed of Oct. 23, 1758, intended to represent the waters in the line from Buffalo Creek (Union County) to the Alle- gheny Mountains, which line is represented as pass- ing very near the juixction of Spring Creek with Bald Eagle. According to Charles Smith, Esq. (Smith's Laws, vol. ii. p. 122), the true line, relying on the correctness of Howell's map, would pass Bellefonte at the mouth of Logan's Branch of Spring Creek. So careful, however, were the proprietors at this period of offending the Indians by making surveys beyond the line, that the most positive instructions were given the deputy surveyors on this head, and as the line was not run, nor its exact position known,
s P
■^'//rt/:/^
Original Survey of Lands along Bald Eagle Creek,
SURVEYS OF nC9.
the end of Nittany appears to have been assumed as a station, and a west line from thence presumed to be the purcliase line. The error was on the safest side, although it is now known the end of Nittany is several miles within the deed of confirmation and surrender. In many instances applications, where it was probable they called for lands near the line, were retained in the oifice and indorsed, " quaere, if in the purchase."
In a suit between Abraham McKinney and Jacob Houser, in the Circuit Court of Mifflin County, Hon. William Maclay's deposition was taken. May 1, 1800, at Harrisburg. He states the Michael Troy order, No. 2000, was executed by my brother, Samuel Ma- clay, under my directions, about the 28th of Septem- ber, 1768, and was upon what I considered as the line of the old purchase. I was employed by the pro- prietaries to pay 810,000, the price of the purchase made about that time, to Sir William Johnson, who acted as agent for the Six Nations. The Hues of the former purchase never were exactly run. A doubt had been entertained for some time. But the only object attended to, with respect to the line, was to avoid giving any offense to the Indians. They ap- peared content with that boundarj', and the making of this new purchase (1768) extinguished all conver- sation upon the subject. At the time that Troy's survey was made I considered the end of Nittany Mountain as a landmark in that line, and that the line should proceed west from it."
Surveys of 1769. — The officers' surveys within the
limits of Centre County are as follows :' Southwest
corner of Lieut. Thomas Wiggins, which em-
1769. braced the mouth of Beech Creek, next west
of wliich was the " Capt. William Piper."
Capt. William Piper's tract, 553 acres, was patented May 26, 1774, to John P. de Haas, and whicli the lat- ter named " Henrietta." Capt. William Piper lived during the Revolution near Watsontown, Pa. His only daughter married James Irvin, of Mercersburg, Pa. The Piper tract ran up the creek 302 perches, where it joined the Capt. Conrad Bucher tract.
Leaving ihe officers' surveys and going up Beech Creek, Lukens or his assistants surveyed the "Grace Riche" warrantee Aug. 1, 1769, containing 319 acres, patented July 9, 1782. Grace Riche and Capts. Piper and Bucher had a common corner, a hickory. The original survey shows an island in the creek at the southeast corner of Grace Riche. From the hickory common corner the survey ran N. 30 W. 120 to a W. O. ; thence N. 140 to a locust; thence N. 75° E. 194 to W. O. ; thence S. 15 E. 218 through the island to a W. 0. The town of Beech Creek is upon the Grace Riche. North of the Grace Riche, and in- cluding Beech Creek, is the Sarah Robinson, 486.49. Surveyed Nov. 1, 1769, northwesterly and including
1 For the commeDcement and description of ofBcera' survey up to the Capt. Piper, see general history of Cliutou County.
Beech Creek, the Jeremiah Sheridan, 328i, returned as surveyed by Charles Lukens, Nov. 4, 17C9. East of Grace Riche is the John Robinson warrantee. West of Riche the Thomas Wilson warrantee warrant, April 27, 1793, surveyed Sept. 17, 1794, patented May 30, 1795. Across the creek from Capt. Piper's loca- tion, and south of it, Lukens surveyed the Margaret Bradford application, on top of part of which lies the William Scott, 308 acres, surveyed June 25, 1787. The John Potter and Jeremiah Jackson warrants of July 31, 1793, .surveyed Nov. 21, 1793, hitch on to the southwest white-oak of Margaret Bradford.
Resuming the description of the officers' surveys: The Capt. Conrad Bucher tract lies on the north side of Bald Eagle Creek, and includes the mouth of Beech Creek. The survey ran from the Piper 241 perches up Bald Eagle, cro.ssing the mouth of Beech Creek, to a white-walnut. From the white-walnut its western line ran north 40 west, crossing Marsh Creek to a W. O. The Bucher contained 570 acres, and was pur- chased by Maj. de Haas, who had it patented to him- self. May 31, 1774. De Haas' heirs sold to C. Bechtol, April 15, 1793.
West of the Bucher was the Capt. Nicholas Hou- saker tract. The proper spelling of the name was Haussegger. (I use the names as Lukens spells them in his returns.) Haussegger became colonel of the German Regiment, Pennsylvania Continental Line, but deserted to the British in July, 1778. Commenc- ing at the white- walnut, the Housaker ran 206 perches up Bald Eagle Creek ; thence north 40 W. 3G6 ; thence N. 59 E. 77i to a W. 0. ; thence N. 26 E. 188, cross- ing Marsh 'Creek, to a W. O. The Thomas King, a survey of Oct. 14, 1771, made by C. Lukens, on Marsh Creek, patented to Joseph Ligget, June 1, 1855, ad- joins on the north Housaker. The Housaker was patented to Thomas Willing, March 17, 1774, who sold to Gen. de Haas. The latter's heirs sold to George Ligget, Oct. 15, 1795, as containing 553 acres. Next west of Housaker is the Capt. Samuel Hunter, patented to him March 7, 1774. It ran up the creek 251 perches; west line N. 40 W. 370, no calls; thence N. 59 E. 137, to a chestnut-oak ; N. 31 W. 30 to a B. O. ; N. 59 E. to line of Housaker. The Charles Bruce and Joseph Roberts warrants of March 16, 1794, re- surveyed Nov. 13 an€ 14, 1794, are located immedi- ately north of Capt. Hunter, the Charles Bruce attach- ing to the B. 0. Samuel Hunter was afterwards the celebrated Col. Samuel Hunter, of Sunbury, who wa.s lieutenant of Northumberland County during the Rev- olution, who lived upon the site of Fort Augusta, at Sunbury, and died April 10, 1784, and the land de- scended to his daughters, Mary, who married Samuel Scott, and Nancy, who married her cousin, Alexander Hunter.
West of Capt. Hunter was the Ensign James Fos- ter tract, 218 acres, patented May 31, 1774, to Maj. J. P. de Haas. It ran up the creek 93 perches, post corner; west line, north 40 west 396 to a white-oak.
10
HISTORY OF CENTRE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
West of Foster was the Lieut. John Nice tract, 307 acres. It ran up the creek 130 perches to a white- walnut; thence nortli 40 west 404 to a white-oak; north 35 east to a hickory ; north 59 east 85 to a white- oak of Foster. It was patented June 7, 1774, to Jacob Kern, who sold to Gen. de Haas. Gen. de Haas' heirs sold the southern half to John Schenck, May 28, 1807.
Next west was the Lieut. Charles Stewart tract, running up the creek 128J perches to a hickory from the white-walnut. West line, north 40 west 358 from hickory. The farms of the Fletchers, in Liberty town- ship, are on this tract.
The next officer tract west is the Ensign Augustus Stein tract, patented March 17, 1774, to Jesse Lukens. Jesse Lukens sold to Gen. de Haas; It ran up the creek 140 perches from the hickory of Stewart to a lin of Lieut. Thomas Askey. Gen. de Haas' heirs sold this tract to Michael Schenck, May 17, 1796, and on it are the farms of E. Schenck's heirs, etc., in Howard township.
The Lieut. Thomas Askey tract was No. 20, and the uppermost of the officer survey. It began at the lin of Ensign Stein; thence north 40 west 292 per ches to a post; thence south 55J west 116 perches to a white-oak ; thence south 77 west 144 perches to a white- oak still standing north of Howard (on land of Piper's heirs or Governor Packer's). From this white-oak the course and distance was south 18 east 152 perches to a hickory on the bank of Bald Eagle Creek ; thence down the creek to the place of beginning. It con- tained 288J acres, and was patented March 18, 1774. Lieut. Thomas Askey (or Erskine, as he wrote it him- self) died seized of this land at his death. Roland Cartier got a portion of it. The school-house is in it, and D. Schenck's heirs now own a part of it. Nelson Askey now (1882) still owns a part of this military fief of his ancestor. Lieut. Thomas Erskine was the only one of the officers except Lieut. James Hayes who complied with one of the original stipulations of the grant from the proprietors, which was a settle- ment on the land to protect the frontier.
North of Lieut. Askey the Joseph Taylor warrant of June 16, 1794, is located; north of the Taylor the William Parker. warrant of Nov. 26, 1793, and north of Parker the Joseph Kelso watrant, March 16, 1794, and northeast of the Parker the Paul Custer warrant of June 16, 1794, — Sarah Custer, Samuel Custer. Samuel Custer corners on the Charles Brace chestnut- oak of the same batch of warrants, the latter adjoin- ing the Capt. Samuel Hauter.
The officers' surveys all lie north of Bald Eagle Creek. South of Bald Eagle Creek, and immediately south of the Askey, the creek intervening, Charles Lukens surveyed in 1770 the Winston Dallam appli- cation of April 3, 1769. The village of Howard is in the southwest corner. Gen. de Haas owned it, and his heirs sold to Henry Fletcher, May 24, 1800, the east- ern portion. The William Austin warrant of March 7,
1774, was located east of the Dallam, and the Howard Iron-Works are erected upon it, and the James Jones, a survey of Aug. 12, 1775. East of Jones, attaches the Rudolph Fletcher warrant of Oct. 22, 1824, and east of the Fletcher the Peter Lyttle, Christopher Smith surveys, 19th November, 1793, line the south bank of the creek ; south of which lies the Joseph Hiester warrant, 31st July, 1793, and east, lining the creek, the John Potter warrant of July 31, 1793, and the Jeremiah Jackson, of March 31, 1793.
In November, 1769, Charles Lukens surveyed for Samuel Wallis the Joseph Wilson, Sr., tract, locating it on the west white-oak and hickory of Lieut. Askey. Wallis sold to James Packer, of Uchland township, Chester County, grandfather of Governor Packer, who sold to Job Packer, of Kenuet, in 1790. This land, or the greater portion of it, is still owned by Governor Packer's children, John A. Woodward, a son-in-law, living on it in 1882. The Joseph Wilson was located on both sides of the creek ; and west was the John Wilson, surveyed also, November 9th, for Samuel Wallis ; on this the elder Gunsaulus located, and a heavy suit arose. The George Knight adjoined the John Wilson, also a Wallis tract of the applica- tions of April 3, 1769, patented to Samuel Wallis, Oct. 27, 1783.
North of the George Knight, John Wilson and Joseph Wilson, Sr., attach the Joseph Gresbury, Arthur Ford, Stanwick Ford, and John Reed sur- veys of October, 1793, on warrants all dated July 1, 1784; north of the latter the Welch and Norris war- rants of March 1, 1830, were located, to which attach westerly and northerly the John A. Godfrey, Martha Godfrey, et al., warrants of March 16, 1794, known as the "Cuitin lands," which John T. Fowler pur- chased and operated upon in 1880.
West of George Knight was the James Morton application (3d April, 1769), north of the creek, and south of and lining the creek the Michael Knight, surveyed in November, 1769, and patented to Wallis, at the western end of which is the Mount Eagle post- office, or town called Mechanicsville, located probably on the William Grossman warrant, 13th May, 1793.
West of the James Morton, and including the mouth of Bullet's Run, in Howard township, Lukens surveyed the Thomas Poultney (Order No. 2, 3d April, 1769), July 21, 1769. Thomas Poultney sold to Jacob Leathers by deed dated May 10, 1793. Leathers' dscendants still own this land, or the greater portion of it.
North of Leathers was what was known as Robert Richie's land, and on Bullet's Run, both sides, was the William Ramsay warrant of July 6, 1784.
West of the Thomas Poultney was the Thomas Smith survey, 19th July, 1769, lying south of the creek. South of the Smith, the Mary Blaine warrant of July 1, 1784, belonging to Col. Ephraim Blaine.
West of the Thomas Smith, and lying on both sides of the creek, was the Philip Gower tract, sur-
SURVEYS OF 1769.
11
veyed July 19, 1769. Philip Antes bought it of Wallis in 1787, and erected a mill there, and it is the present site of Curtin Station, Eagle Works, Roland post-ofRce. South of Philip Gover, Richard Miles laid a warrant July 26, 1797, south of the creek, and between the Mary Blaine and Thomas Smith and Ephraim Gover. Moses Boggs and Roland Curtin bought it in 1819; the works and village m.ay be partly in it. Ephraim Gover was surveyed July 24, 1769, for Samuel Wallis, west of Philip Gover. On this Col. John Holt first settled, his cabin being near the run and east line of Gover, while Widow Magee'a cabin, a tenant of Wallis, was near the island, at the western side of the tract. A lawsuit arose between Holt and Wallis, which gave occasion to the deposi- tion of Mrs. Boggs, referred to hereafter. The old Barnhart homestead is located on the Ephraim Gover.
West of Ephraim Gover, the Charles Worthington application was surveyed by Lukens for Samuel Wallis, July 18, 1769, de.scribed as one mile below the Nest. Wallis sold to Richard Malone, who located there as early as 1787. His granddaughter, Mrs. James Single, still resides on a portion of the war- rant, south of the creek. The Upper Eagle Works are also situated on it.
The next survey west of the Worthington was on the Joseph Poultney application. No. 29, of 3d of April, 1769, surveyed Oct. 28, 17G9, described as on the north side of the Bald Eagle, opposite "The Nest," near the fording, and including Poultney improve- ment. It commenced at a W. O. below the present iron bridge, and ran N. 30 W. 112 to a W. O., N. 60 E. 68 to a small W. O., S. 20 E. 36 to a rock-oak, N. 60 E. 174 to a W. O. of Joseph Hopkins; thence N. 80 E. 150 to iron-wood of Charles Worthington ; then S. 10 E. 160 to a white-w.alnut on the bank of the creek, distance up the creek three hundred and thirty-five perches. This was the tract upon which Andrew Boggs, the first settler, located. Wagner's mill and Central City are upon it. It was sold by Poultney to and patented by Matthias Slough, Jan. 19, 1773. His assignee's deed to Col. Samuel Miles is dated March 12, 1792.
Next west of the Joseph Poultney came the Chris- topher Spayd. Central City is located on the eastern end of the Sp.ayd. Frederick Leathers bought the Spayd, May 16, 1791. Then west of the Spayd came the " Skepwith Coal," and the " John Worthington" west of the Coal, both belonging to Samuel Wallis. The southern portion of the Coal ran nearly to Wallis' Run, the northern portion running over a mile up the run, the Worthington embracing what is now " Snow- shoe Intersection," and running nearly two miles west of it.
The Peter Graybill tract, on which Milesburg, south of the creek, and the William A. Thomas farm are located, and embracing Spring Creek, eighty-six rods above its mouth, was surveyed on the 18th of July,
17C9. The title to Graybill application and survey became vested in Matthias Slough, whose assignees sold to Col. Samuel Miles, March 17, 1792. The Christopher Reigert, next on Spring Creek, em- bracing Linn & McCoy's iron-works (1881), is re- turned as surveyed July 14, 1769. The Reigert, from the draught, appears to have been laid west of the creek; and March 14, 1775, some one of Lukens' as- sistant surveyors laid the Richard Gr.aham, partly on top of the Reigert tract, and embracing both sides ot the creek ; and then Capt. William Gray, June 14, 1775, laid the John Little, partly on top of Richard Graham, all which titles, after contest. Col. Miles had to buy, or did buy to save trouble. In 1854, when H. P. Treziyulny became county surveyor, the land down about there not having been taken up often enough, he had J. J. Lingle take it up again.
The Griffith Gibbon, on the southern and western portions of which the greater part of the borough of Bellefonte stands, was surveyed July 20th. The two white-oaks at the northern end stood on opposite banks of the creek, nearly northward of the toll-gate (1881), and the two western white-oaks stood, one north of Spring Creek, from which the line ran N. 30 E. 86, crossing Spring Creek just at the mouth of Logan's Branch, and along the branch to the other AV. O.
The James Sharron and William Sharron, which adjoin Grifiith Gibbon on the west, were surveyed at the same time, though resurveyed by James Harris, "according to the old lines," in December, 1802. The James Sharron includes Buffalo Run up to Charles Witmer's farm, 1881, and the William Shar- ron includes Spring Creek up to Roopsburg. The application of James Sharron describes the land as lying " on the south side of Bald Eagle Creek, includ- ing a large spring at the mouth of the branch that comes out of the Nittany hills, and the William Shar- ron application of the same day, April 3, 1769, calls for land adjoining James Sharron.
According to a memorandum in Samuel Wallis' hand- writing, found among Judge Huston's papers, dated Aug. 29, 1783 : " James Sharron lives in Shearman's Valley [Perry County now], near Hurley's Gap, and he, Sharron, had sold the tracts to William Lamb, who lives in Juniata, opposite John Harris, Esq. [John Harris, Esq., lived on the site of Mifflin, Ju- niata Co. I; that Lamb had sold the two tracts to Thomas Gordon, who now lives upon the Bald Eagle Creek, with a certain Jonas Davis [Davis lived adjoining Richard Malone] ; that Liinib settled upon the land previous to his selling to Gordon, and lived about two years upon it. There was a dispute arose about locations, and July 11, 17S9, Samuel Wallis made the following affidavit, which is at- tached to a draft of all the lands surveyed in 1769 along Bald Eagle Creek, from and including the Joseph Wilson warrantee, on which the old Packer farm is located, near Howard borough, up to the
12
HISTORY OF CENTRE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
mouth of Spring Creek, at Milesburg. This draft has 'Bald Eagle Nest or old town' marked on it as standing, three huts or cabins, about where Mill Street and Market Street in Milesburg intersect.
"Samuel Wallis, on his solemn affirmation, accord- ing to law, did depose and say that in the summer of 1769 he went up the Bald Eagle Creek, in company with Charles Lukens, the then deputy surveyor of that district, and among other business attended at mak- ing all the different surveys which are connected in this general draught; that a great number of people attended at the same time in order to get land sur- veyed, among whom was a certain Bsnjamin Brown, who showed an order in his own name, bearing date April 3, 1769, No. 158, and claimed the land which is included in Thomas Poultney's survey [this was at the mouth of Bullet's Run], alleging that his order was close located on that particular place, that Poultney's order did not describe it ; he uniformly insisted on having his order executed on that place, and did not set up a claim in any other place at that time ; that the tracts on the lower end of the draught in the names of George Knight, John Wilson, and Joseph Wilson were all surveyed at the same time, at the instance of this affirmant, who was then inter- ested in the fight to them, but has since sold and conveyed his right, etc."
Lieut. Robert King, of the Twelfth Pennsyl- vania, who moved to Waterford, in Erie County, writes to Charles Huston, Esq., March 24, 1800, dating his letter at " King's Garden," to be put in the post-office at Pittsburgh : "You mention that Mr. Thomas Grant is concerned in the sute you are to soport ags. Gonsaulus. I should be one of the most ungrateful wretches on earth if I did not do every- thing that is in ray power to serve Mr. Grant, as I know him to be my pirticular friend. All I can rec- ollect concerning the business, I wa^ along with Messrs. Lukens, I think in the year 1769-1770, and perhaps 1771. I well recollect that Mr. Samuel Harris, of Loyalsock, attended the surveyors at some of these times, and got a number of surveys made for Samuel Wallis, dec'd, particularly on the waters of Marsh Creek, on the north side of the Bald Eagle. I am not certain whether they joined the officers' surveys or not, as I did not carry the chain the whole of the time. I was hunter for the surveyors, but if I recol- lect aright, there is a certain William Gill, who Mr. Grant knows, that lives on the waters of Penn's Creek, that was along, and employed as a chain- carrier. The tract of land, including Marsh Creek on north side of Bald Eagle's, and adjoining the officers' survey, was surveyed on an application of my own. Mr. Wallis had some surveyed above mine on Marsh Creek, one particularly in the name of Robert Gorrel, etc."
CHAPTER V.
THE FIRST SETTLER.
"An axo rang shandy amid rliose forost-sliailes, Wliiuli from crcHtioii's 'lawn towards tlie skk'S had towered In uiisliorii be;iuty; tli.-re with vigorous arm Wronglit a bold emigrant."
The first emigrant to Centre County was Andrew Boggs. His settlement was upon the Joseph Poult- ney warrantee. Poultney, in his application, No. 29, April 3, 1769, describes the land he 1769. applies for as on the north side of Bald Eagle Creek, near the fording, including his improvement, marked on a white-oak " J. P." Poultney's improve- ment amounted to nothing more than marking his claim, and he sold his right to Matthias Slough, a land speculator of Lancaster.
Andrew Boggs settled upon that part of the Poult- ney now owned by John M. Wagoner, and his house stood on the creek bank just east of the road where it turns northerly, where remains of it are visible. The present old log house west of the road is not the original Andrew Boggs house. The site is in the neighborhood of a hundred rods from the mouth of Spring Creek, on the north side of Bald Eagle.
The deposition of Margery Boggs, widow of An- drew Boggs, was liaken Nov. 15, 1806, before William Petrikin, E-sq., at the late dwelling-house of Robert Boggs, Esq., deceased, in the presence of James Harris and John Diinlop, who were present for Wal- lis' heirs and John Holt, in an ejectment to April term, 1800, in MiiHin County, between Wallis' heirs and John Holt.
Mrs. Boggs states they came the year the office was opened : " I believe it was in 1769." She was asked whether she ever noticed a tree on this place where you now live marked "J. P." She answered, "No, I never saw the tree; but Joseph Poultney told me that he had drawn this place at the lottery, and that he had put his name on a tree, pointing there with his finger to where the tree stood, and where there was then a hog-pen, but the tree was cut down. He told me at the same time if he could be any use to me in helping me to the place he would do it."
She then goes on to state her knowledge of Chris- topher Cottenton, who, she says, lived on the same tract "where John Holt no>y lives" (1806), but in a house above his (towards Milesburg). " I was many a time at Cottenton's house; his wife died there, and I was there often during her sickness, when she died, and when she was buried. I do not know how much clear land he had, but myself and two or three neigh- bor women went there one day and asked his wife where he was ; she said he was down on the bottom clearing some land. The bottom lies below where John Holt now lives. On the island he had cleared land and raised hemp, the largest stock I ever saw, and had it snugly put up when we were driven away. He was a very industrious man, in good circumstances,
THE FIRST SETTLER— N0RTHU3IBERLAND COUNTY ORGANIZED.
13
and liad a parcel of good working boys. He re- mained until he was driven away by the Indians; he went away before us, but tliey were all gone away before us excejit three families. He told my husband often he was to buy the land of Wallis. He had horses, cows, and oxen, farming utensils. He lived on the place three years or more, and, as I heard, died on the road. John Kerr lived near Cottenton's. I cannot recollect when Cottenton and Kerr came, or which was first, but Kerr was gone before Cottenton was driven away. None of Cottenton's heirs ever re- turned to look after the place. John Kerr had no character for sobriety, industry, or anything. I have seen him walk arm and arm with the Indians, drunk frequently; he was always with the Indians if they had any liquor among them. He had neither horse nor cow nor anything I recollect of but his wife and children; his wife was a smart, active woman. He went off, I guess, of his own accord ; there was nobody driven off by the Indians for a great while after that. Kerr went to the Big Island, and lived on Capt. Parr's land there; after he was there awhile he enlisted and went off, and I believe he never came back again.
"John Turner came to Cottenton's place after the war. John Turner had lived before the war, and be- fore he was driven away by the Indians, where Joe Boggs lived, on top of the hill on the tract Richard Malone bought of Samuel Wallis."
Cross-examined by John Holt.
Do you remember to see my father and Capt. Cal- lender out here?
I remember to see Capt. Callender here and several men with him, but do not know whether your father was one or not. I remember to sec your father here with yourself; you was then a little boy.
Do you remember that I came out here after the war and shot a turkey?
I do; you came out on the 27tli of March, the year after Turner came.
Was it the same house Cottenton lived in before the war that I came to when I moved up after the war?
It was the very same house that Turner lived in ; but you never lived in that house, except a little while before your wife came out; there was no other house then in the place but one.
The following is from*i letter of John O. Henning, of Hudson, Wis., dated Feb. 25, 1880:
" I have it by tradition that my great-grandfather, Boggs, settled in the Bald Eagle Valley previous to the Revolution. My grandfather, Robert Boggs, was born a short distance below Milesburg, and my mother and myself were born on the same farm. There was an old hollow buttonwood-tree near the Bald Eagle Creek, on the Boggs farm, called the Eagle's Nest, from the fact that the old Indian chief. Bald Eagle, had occupied it for his wigwam. The story of my grandfather shooting an Indian who at- tempted to decoy him into ambush, by imitating a
wild turkey, may still be remembered by some of your oldest citizens."
Rev. John Harris Boggs, of Boone, Boone Co., Iowa (Sept. 18, 1882), says his grandfather, Andrew Boggs, and the first settlers crossed Muncy, Nittany, and the Seven Mountains to a mill on the Juniata for flour, and carried their wheat to market at Northumberland in canoes, returning home with their year's supply of necessaries, encamping on the bank of the river or creek every night.
The Indian Logan lived at Hecla Gap, and my grandfather had gone to Philadelphia to recruit his stock of goods, and my grandmother was alone with the children. Logan's wife took a sack of corn on her pony to the mill on the Juniata, had it ground, and on her return, thinking that Mrs. Boggs might possibly be out of meal, instead of going home came around by the end of the mountain (Lemont), crossed into Bald Eagle valley and down to Boggs', and, not finding her at home, told her little girl to get some- thing to put some meal in, and thereupon emptied out about one-half the meal for them, threw the sack upon the pony, recrossed Muncy Mountain to her home. This was the woman who was afterwards so cruelly murdered, in April, 1774, near the mouth of Big Yellow Creek, not far from Wheeling, W. Y?., by Greathouse and his party.
Jonas Davis settled near to Andrew Boggs. He was a quiet, orderly man, and his wife a religious woman. But he had a brother who was a ruffian, strong, very quarrelsome, and abusive, so much so that other settlers were under the necessity of carrying arms to protect themselves from his abuse. He would visit his brother on Sunday, and in order to vex Jonas' wile, would compel him to take his axe and fell trees. When Andrew Boggs, who was a powerful man, would get out of patience, he caught Davis and gave him a ilogging, which would keep him in order for some time, and when necessary would repeat the operation.
CHAPTER VL
KORTIIUMBERLAXD COUNTY ORG.ANIZED— .'VSSES.S- MENT IN B.\LD EAGl.E TOWNSHIP — E.\RLY SETTLEMENTS— POTTER TOWNSHIP ASSESSMENT AND THE ASSOCIATORS.
At the first court held for Northumberland County, at Fort Augusta, April 9, 1772, William Plunket pre- siding, with James Potter and John Lowdon, justices, Bald Eagle township was erected :
Beginning at tiie Forks of Penn's Creek, thence by a north line to the West Branch of the Susquehanna, thence up the same to where the county line crosses it, thence by the county line south to the head of Little Juniata, thence down the same to the end of Tussey's Mountain, thence along the top of the same easterly to the place of beginning.
1772.
14
HISTORY OF CENTEE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
A north line from the Forks (now Coburn Station on the Lewisburg and Tyrone Kail road) would ap- parently cross Bald Eagle Creek at its mouth, and therefore all the present territory of Centre was then in Bald Eagle township, except Haines township and the greater part of Miles, which were then in Buffalo township, and a portion of tlie Seven Mountain-, which was in old Penn's township, Northumberland County. The only officer whose name is preserved is that of Samuel Horn, constable.
Indians were still in the neighborhood, and occupy- ing the opposite bank of Bald Eagle from Andrew Boggs' house. When infuriated by whiskey and any opposition they were to be feared. Mrs. Boggs re- lated that when her husband was away on one occa- sion, the squaws came to her and told her the men were having a carouse and they meant to hide them- selves, and cautioned her to leave her doors open that night in case they came to search for them. She did so, and long after nightfall the drunken band entered the house, searched it for their wives, and not finding them went off without molesting her or the family.
The year 1772 is noted by the passage of the Mo- ravian Christian Indians through the territory em- braced in our history. They had settled. May 9, 1765, in what is now Bradford County, two miles below AVyalusing, and laid out a town named Friedens- hiitten. In 1768 their lands were sold from them by the Six Nations, and although the proprietaries forbid any surveys to be made near them, the disturbances consequent upon the Connecticut claim intervened, and having an invitation from the Delawares of Ohio to settle among them, it was deemed best by the Moravian teachers that they should accept it.
On the 11th of June, 1772, two hundred and forty- four individuals, of all ages, with cattle and horses, started from the North Branch across the Allegheny Mountains, by way of Bald Eagle, for the Ohio. They set out in two bodies, the one by land under John Ettweiu, and the other by water under John Roth.^ The land travelers had seventy head of oxen and many horses, and after enduring incredible hardships reached the Great Island on the 29th of June.
The river party, with the bell of their church on a canoe in the van of the fleet, passed down by Sun- bury and up the West Branch to the island, which they reached before the land travelers. From this point they proceeded together by land.
Loskiel, the annalist of Moravian missions, gives the following notice of the. journey (Day's Hist. Col. Bradford County, page 140). In the absence of the original journal, we quote irom Day :
" AVheu they arrived at the mountains they met with great difficulties in crossing them, for, not having horses enough to carry all the baggage, most of them
1 Bishop de Schwcinitz, Life and Times of David Zcisbergcr, pnge 3~C, Tlie good bishop promised the editor u tratislalioii of tliat portion ol Ettweiii'8 journal relating their passage through the Biild Eagle country, but after patient search could not find the original.
were obliged to carry some part. During a consider- able part of the journey the rattlesnakes kept them in constant alarm, as they lay in great numbers either in or near the road. These venomous creatures de- stroyed several of the horses, but the oxen were saved by driving them in the rear. The most troublesome plague in the woods was a kind of insect called by the Indians ' punks' (gnats), or living ashes, from their being so small as they are hardly visible, and their bites as painful as red-hot ashes."
As soon as the evening fires were kindled the cattle, in order to get rid of these insects, ran furiously towards the fire, crowding into the smoke, by wliicli the travelers were much disturbed in their sleep and at their meals. These tormenting creatures are met with in a tract of country which the Indians call " a place avoided by all men." Some persons died during the journey, among them a poor cripple ten or eleven years old, who was carried by his mother in a basket on her back. James Gilliland, in his "Sketches of the Snow-shoe Region," 1881, says one of the party was buried at Moravian Run, where the Indian path crosses, about a mile west of Big Moshannon Creek, and from this the name was given the run.
Reichel, who had the original journal before him, in 1872, quotes the entry : " July 14, 1772, we came to Clearfield Creek, so called by the Indians because on its banks there are acres of lands that resemble clearings, the buffalo that resort hither having de- stroyed every vestige of undergrowth, and left the face of the country as bare as though it had been cleared by tlie grub-axe of the pioneer."
The earliest assessment of Bald Eagle township that can be found is that of 1773-74, just before Pot- ter was erected. It seems by a memorandum • made by Daniel Montgomery, in 1781, that 1774. the assessment list was carried away to Pax- ton in 1778 and was lost. The following names are found on a list entitled of " 1774:"
Ac
Antes, Henry..
300
iks, Sa
Bi.ggs, Andrew SOU
BiiKlUwell, I'.ol.ert 300
Ciinipliell, el.-aiv lUU
far-iin, A.hiiii „. 200
Dav s, Dauii-1 00
lie«iir, AI.i^iImim (li-ii.u.t of Jului
Fii-ii.iij;;, K..| I son
Ikwitt ^^^ilI.,^l i SUO
11. liiiMH, Ai..U;.« 3»0
Fliiniiig, ,lMliu,fe.| 1004
Heuiing, Itolieit, »r
Fleming, Kobert, Jr
Hall, Juhii
Hotr, Gershuni
Home, Sanjliel 200
Long, t'ouk>ou
Love, Itobert 160
JlcKiiinev, David 300
McSlichael, .lames 150
Manning, John
\\ i
POTTER TOWNSHIP ASSESSMENT.
15
Tl)e officers of the Bald Eagle township for the year 1773 were Samuel Horn, constable; Andrew Boggs and William McElhatton, supervisors; John Flem- ing and Cleary Campbell, overseers of the poor. April 3, 1773, is the date of the deed of the Great Spring tract (Spring Mills) from Reuben Haines to George McCormick, the first settler of Gregg township, the ancestor of the Allisons. Haines' deed to John Wat- sou is dated the same day, for the Ludwick Sheets warrantee, which lies on the turnpike north and south, half-way between Spring Mills and Millheim, and John Watson was the first settler in what is now Penn township. Samuel Hoy, who settled east of him, W.1S the next settler In 1774.
In a trial between Col. Samuel Miles, plaintiff, and James Potter and John Barber, Esq., had Nov. 30, 1810, George McCormick and other old settlers were witnesses. George McCormick testified :
" I was first in Pcnn's valloy in 1773, mid lived here in 1774. (Capt. James Putter's nppliealion def^uiilied liis land as ineluding tlie forks of tlie road in Bald Eaglo township.) I know the land upon which Mr. Barber lives. I liavo lived about two miles from it. The forks of the road were oil tlie tract in dispute. There are no forks fioni the Bald Eagle but the one. I was shown a corner tree, said to be a corner of the tract, just in the folks, and some time after I was called upon b3' Gen. Potter to cany cliiiin when the lines were run, and going around it in- cluded a jiart of George Woods' improvement; we went close to his dwelling house, but left it out; when we came to his improvement we were at the place of I'eginning. George Woods came in in 1775, and his bouse was two or three hundred perclies below the forks, and purchased of Potter tlnit jear, and liad twenty acres cleared before driven off by tlie Indians. He put up a cabin and a cabin larn. We built forts in 1777. I abandoned the country in n*. J'led in the winter of deep snow; was away thiee years and ten months. I'led about the 12tli of April. Tlie settlers returned generally in 17S4. Woods did not return until 17S5 orl7sn. Gen. Poller lived first on the north side of the Plains, lie claimed the tract adjoining Barber's, and sold one hundred acres of it to Geoige Woods. Woods held a piece in his own right, and I jmr- cliased it of him. Woods' house was about thirty perches from the land I bought. Then came a piece of land I don't know who owned ^Mr. Kerr here teslifies that this tract was the .Mexander Long, and still in Gen. Potter's family), then my land I bought of Haines (the Great Spring tract).
'* I was acquainted up and down the valley, and knew no place called ' the Forks' but this; one road went up and down the valley and one to SIcGrew's mills. Barber settled on the land after we returned from tlio war. McGrew's mill was begun the year after I came to the valley. A path came over at Logan's Gap; cannot say whether there was a path into tlie head of Brush valley or not. There was a path around the head of Nittany Mountain, and one went to Junkin's cabin and over to Stone valley. There Wiis a path from where I lived across George's val- ley to Kishacoquillas. McGrew broiiffit his family in, I think, in 1773. Woods' cabin was on the north side of Sinking Creek, fifteen or si.vtcen perches from the creek. He has since built on the other side. He re- moved to the south side on a purchase he made from Gen. Potter. I lived on the land I bought of Haines, .and understood by the 'Plains' that part of Penn's valley which had neither timber or water. Wilcot was the only settler in Penn's valley in 177:i. He lived where Earlys- lown now is. In 1774 I came, and there were only four settlers before me,— Potter, McGiew, J. McMullan, and Hubler. Four came the same day with me. Gen. Potter surveyed a road from Haines' road to where he lived, old foit, and soon after Gen. Potter went with the first militia.
" The path came from Bald Eagle ; one fork, called Logan's fork, took off where I lived, and went to Kishacoquillas; this ten miles from the Great Plains. Tlie other fork from niy place went to Buffalo valhy. There was another fork in the plains, one branch of which led to Stand- ing Stone, ten or twelve miles from the forks which led to McGrew's mills. The forks to Standing Stone were above the Great niains. Don't lemi-mber of any fork leading to Brush valley. I knew Mr. Maclay and Potter; at great vaiiance before the war, not so much after. The plains came nigh to Sinking Creek."
Christopher Henney testified :
'* I b.jught the John Smith survey from John Nolley, who lioughl It from Gen. Potter. I have lived on It (ISIO) fifteen or sixl'en yean. Nelley lived there five years, and McGrew had lived there before lli« war. (The John Smilli adjoins Centre Hill, aud perhaps includes ilj."
At May sessions of Northumberland County, Pot- ter township was erected out of Penn's, Buffalo, and Bald Eagle, bounded eastward by a north-northwest line from the top. of Jack's Mountain, by the four- mile tree on Reuben Haines' road, in the Narrows, to the top of Nittany Mountain ; thence along the top to the end thereof at Spring Creek, on the old path ; thence south-southeast to the top of Tussey's Moun- tain ; thence along the county line to the toj) of Jack's Mountain, and along the same to the beginning. Potter therefore included Brush valley and Penn's valley as far west as Lemorit, and a portion of Hart- ley township, in Union County.'
POTTER TOWNSHIP ASSESSMENT, 1771.
Horses. Cattle.
Alender, .Joseph 1 1
Brown, Thomas 1 1
Davis, Maurice 1
Davis, Jonathan 1
Hoy, Samuel 2 :i
Livingston, John 1 1
McCoiinell,.rolin 1 1
McCormick, George 1 1
McGrew, Joseph 1 1 and grist- and saw-mill.
McMillan, Jo.seph 'J 1
McXitt, Janic-B 1 1
McNitt, John 1 1 one negro.
McNilt. lli.l.iit
McNitt, William 1 1 one servunt.
Poller, Janie.s :i 4 three seivanla.
Thomiison, William 1 1 maiked new settler.
The first constable of the township was John Mc- Mullan, who was continued in 1775.
The above assessment indicated the date of the erection of the first mill and saw-mill in the valley. McGrew mill was on the site of what 1775, is known as the Red Mill, in Potter town- ship, now (1882) owned by George M. Hortcr. The four McNitts were among the early settlers of Armagh township, Mifllin County, as was William Thompson, which would indicate that the lines of Potter included, or was then supposed to include, the east end of Kishacoquillas valley. There is a confusion in the legislative description of county boundaries appar- ently which I am unable to explain. The list al.*o fixes the date of Capt. (afterwards Gen.) Potter's re- moval from Buffalo valley to Penn^5 valley. A frag- ment of "a list of Capt. James Potter's vendue, April 7, 1774," on which the purchasers are Old Bufl'alo valley names, corroborates the assessment.
May 20th, James Potter was returned elected ad- ditional member of Assembly, aud took his seat.
June 8th, Daniel Long, a blacksmith, purchtised of Reuben Haines the Valentine Epler warrantee tract
r As the line of Centre County in ISOO, as described in the act erecting the county, was to follow the eastward lines of Miles aud Haines, there must have been some lilteration of the east line of Haines [to which name Potter, in Northumberland County, was changed], changing it from a northu est line to a northeast line, before 1800. Howell's map of 1702 6' ill shows the couisc of the cost line of Potter to be northwest.
16
HISTORY OF CENTRE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
in Gregg township, wliere H. J. Herring, Esq., J. Condo, etc , now live, and on which the Lutheran Church now stands, east of Peun Hall. 333 acres were in the tract. Long sold to Adam Reed in 1794. Reed was also a blacksmith.
June 17th, John Livingston bought of Haines 996 acres, comprising the John Schyner, George Beckell, Jacob Miller, Warnick Miller, and Philip Young warrantees, along the north side of Penn's Creek, ex- tending from a point about 130 rods above the forks, west 532 rods to a white-walnut, and from the white- walnut 416 perches northerly to a white-oak, now oc- cupied by Harters, Stovers, Fiedlers, etc., in Penn township.
July 18th, Congress recommended the colonies to embody all able-bodied men between the ages of six- teen and sixty into regular companies of militia. The Committee of Safety of Pennsylvania adopted a name already assumed by popular organization for the defense of American liberty, " A.ssociators," ap- proved, August 19th, rules for their government. By this name the militia of Pennsylvania was known during the campaigns of 1776-77, and the field or- ganizations as battalions. On September 12th the captains and officers of the Upper Division, as it was called, of the county met at Ludwig Derr's (site of Lewisburg), and elected James Potter, colonel, Rob- ert Moodey, lieutenant-colonel, John Kelley, first major, John Brady, second major. Of the Ninth Com- pany in this division John McMillan was captain, John McConnell, first lieutenant, John McCormick, second lieutenant, Charles Wilson, ensign, and forty- three privates. This represented the military strength of Penn's valley in 1775.
CHAPTER VIL
BALD EAGLE AND PENN'S VALLEY IN 1775.
The following extracts are from the journal of Rev. Philip V. Fithian, who visited Bald Eagle and Penn's valley in 1775 as a supply :
BALD EAGLE KEST. "Jiilii .11,17"o.— Mr. Andrew Buggs lives here, twenty-fivo miles from Esq, Fleriiiuir's. Weiliitud on fiali-suckurs and cluibliB iiiid on venison. ^ It is u level, licli, pleasant spot, the broad creek running hy the door. Many of tlie trees on lliis road are cut by the Indians into strange fig- ures,—diamonds, .lealli heads, crowned heads, initial letters, whole names, dates of .vcars, and I lazes. Soon alter we had dined two Indian boys holted in (they never knoek or speak at the door) with seven lalge ji.-h, one would weigli two pounds. In return Mrs. Bciggs gave them bread and a piece of our venison. Down they sat in llie ashes before the fire, stirred np t!ic coals and laid on their flesh. When it was roasted they eat il in great mouthfuls, and devoured it with the greatest rapacity. When thi-y were fone Gillespie threw himself on a blanket and is now asleep; I sat me down on a three-legged stool to write. This house looks and smells like n shambles; raw flesh and blood, flsh and deer, flesh and blood in eveiy part, mangled wasting flesh on every shelf.
1 Andrew Boggs died previous to 1770, (See hiographical sketch.
Hounds licking up the blood from the floor; an open-hearted l{\ndlady ; naked Indians and children; ten hundred thousand flies; oh I I fear there are as many fleas. Seize me sdou, kind sleep, lock me in thy sweet embrace. Sleep to-night is gone. Four Indians came droving in, each with a large knife and tomahawk. Bless me, too, they are strapping fellows. All standing dumb before us, Gillespie chatters to them, I am glad to keep bent at my writing. For all this settlement I would not live here for two such settlements ; not for five hundred a year.
" Tuesday, August Isf. — At prayers this morning we had these Indians. They sat motionless during the exercise. One ii-revcrent hunter too, a white man, lay all the time during prayers on a deer-skin on the floor. We liad a room fell of one and another and all were quiet. Mr. Boggs tells nio he knows of no families westward of this, and but one higher upon this creek. Some of the Indians here have the outside rim of their cars slitted and it hang;? dangling strangely. Some have rings and others drops of silver in their noses and ears, ruffled shirts, but many of these very greasy. On the trees near their camps are painted in red and black colors wild and ferocious animals in furious gestures. It is only eight miles distance to the foot of the Allegheny ; but it rises grad- ually,— in the neighborhood (if I may be allowed to call it so). On the banks of the creek is a large quantity of spruce-pine, bal-k black and fine. It is a straight tall tree; the leaves are thinner, longer, and of a deeper green than other pine. It makcsan excellentingredieut in table beer.
\" At ten I tojk my leave, crossed a gap - of Muncy ridge, and rode eigh- teen miles {hrongh wild barren woods without any trace of an habita- tion or road other than the blind, unfrequented path which I tracked at times with much difficulty. Two or three forsaken Indian camps in- deed I saw on the creek bank, and a little before sunset I arrived at Capt, James Potter's, at the head of Penn's valley. This ride I found very uncomfortable : my horse lame with Iiut one shoe, a stony road, I lost my way in the gap of the mountains, more tlnin ten miles of the way I must go and my poor horse without water, I let him feed, how- ever, in the woods, where there is plenty of good wild grass, I fed my- self on huckleberries. In these woods are very heanliful flowers, and a. great quantity, especially a large orange-colored lily, spotted with black spots, I saw here the first sloe ; it grows on a small bush like the hazle, ripens in the winter, and is now like a heart cherry. In these woods aie great identy <if wild cherries growing on low spray bushes, which are just now ripening,
" ]yi:ditesday, August 2d. — An elegant supper, a neat house, all expres- sions of welcome, not a flea, not a chinch, as 1 know of, within eighteen miles, so that this morning, by God's mercy, I rise, iu part recruited from the ruins of many days' distress. Capt, Potter took nie walking over his farm. He owns here many thousand acres of fine land. Some, indeed, I saw, is a most fertile walnut hottom. One great inconvenience, however, attends the place, the want of water. Some few springs there are of good water and in jdenty. But there ought to be manj' unfailing brooks, Oats and flax here are not yet i ipe, aud tliei e is now the greatest hurry in getting in the wheat and rye. Afternoon I rode down the val- ley five miles to a smith's; 3 he would not charge me anything for shoeing my hoi^e. The people seem to he kind and extremely civil. Indians are here too. It was evening before the captain and I returned, AVe must pass by their camp. Ten sturdy, able-limbed fellows were sitting and lying around a large fire, hallooing, and in frantic screams not less fearful thiur infuriated demons, howling until we were out of hearing,
" Tliursdarj, August 3d.—l miss here the shady, |>leasaijt banks of the Susquehanna, It is forty-two milfc to Northumberland and Sunbnry ; eight miles to the nearest place where Penn's Creek is navigjible with canoes, almost surrounded with hills and mountains ; only a few, and some of these few temporary, springs. The low bottoms now have scarce water snlficieiit to moisten a hog, which iu winter are continually flooded. Capt, Potter has tasted iu t.iue past some streams of the I'ietian spring. He has a uuniher of books; .lustice Blackstone's celebrated conmien- taries, Pope's woiks, Harvey's Meditations, many theological tracts; over these I am rambling to-day with a very bad headache and oppres- sion in my breast, the eflects of a deep-rooted cold which I have taken some nights past when I wee fighting with the fleas,
*^ Friday, AwjuKtith. — The wciither has been for some time past cloudy, agneish, and uielancholy, I am less pleased with the valley, pcrliai)S
- Gap between Milcshnrg and Bellefonte, His route was through Kit- tany valley, crossing Nittany Mountain, through McBiide's Gap, tho only traveled path Ihen ; tho distance to Gen. Potter's, as estimated by Mr, Fithian, would be pretty nearly correct,
3 Daniel long, east of Penn Hall.
INHABITANTS OF POTTER TOWNSHIP IN 1770.
17
till
that accouut or the want of company, not a house ia tlio lilos.
Aitliin
"Saturday, Augnnt5th. — Cloudy and dull. It (s muster-dny, tho captain goea off early. 1 am not pleased with the captain's plan of farming. He has too extreme a scope of business. Four men servants, two hoys, more than two hundred acres of land cleared, much more now cutting do*vn ; two ploughs going in a tough rye stubhle, one pair of oxen in one and two horses on tho other ; both too weak. A large field of oats is ripe, ijome flax too ripe, and not yet pulled. But it is difficult to be nice in so roughacounlry.
** Sunday, Aitgitsi Gift. — Penn's Valley. J rise early, before any in the family, except a negro girl. Just at my bed-head a window, under which stands a table. Hero I laid down my clean linen, finished last night by Mrs. Potter. The night had buen very stormy; when I awoke I found a largo dog had jumped in through an open light of the window, and had softly bedded himBelf,dripping with water and mud, among my clean- washed clothes. At fii-st I felt enraged. I bore it, however, with a Sab- bath day's moderation. We have this morning a most violent storm. At one I began service in Cajit. Potter's house ; only eight men, and not one woman, beside the family, present. I preached two sermons, with only ten minutes' intermission. A most turbulent and boisterous day. I hojte my words were not wliolly without effect. My little audience heard with eagerness. Capt. Potter tells mo there are only twenty- eight families in the valley. Of these twenty-two are subscribers, and they have raided £40 in subscriptions as a fund to pay snjipliea. I am the second preacher who has been in the valley. Mr. Linn i was hero two Sabbaths past first of all, and I, by regular appointment, next. It rained without intermission all day.
*' Moiidoy, AiiguBt 1th.— I must stay another day i
morrow I am to have company c captain's sister, invited me to ride valley to one Mr. McCormick. [d I like this part of the valley bett turns. It is, however, still enconi people while wo wei
er breakfast McCormick, i
Th(
e valley. To- iss Potter, the lode down the Spring Mills.] i a brisk creek, good bot-
passed with
On
of the brought in a fine dofr. They have plenty uf venison ; I see no otln-r meat. I write these lines seated on a Jog, with my paper on tlie back of my pockot-book, under a large spruce- tree cluse- upon the banks of Penn's Creek, which runs on the north B de and at the very foot of Kgg Hill, which appears to me to bo a tall p'ne-covcred mountain. The creek runs foaming by me, enlarged by yesterday's great flood. Kear Mr. McCormick'a is a fine spring. It is bottomless, and lises about fifteen feet square from under a great bill in a' large body, I think full sufficient in steady course to turn a grist- mill.
"* No, madam, I must dry the butler first.' Mrs. Potter's girl was liringing in a plate of butter. It mined, and butter will retain the drops upon its BUI face. Innocent miss, therefore, witli great care for neatness, was holding the butter close loa large file. 'What are .\ou at there?' says Mrs. P.dter to Peggy. 'I am drying the butter, madam.' In this valley are large open plains, cleared either by the Indians or accidental fire. Hundreds of acres are covered «iih fine grass, mixed with small weeds and a great variety of flowere. Some conjecture that hot blasting fumes which arise from acres of brimstime have destroyed the timber, and they have found in places fine unmixed brimstone that will burn quite away without leaving any dross.
" Taraday, Avgiittt 8(A.— Capt. Potter paid me for my supjdy £l 5s. Mr. Thompson came, atid we set out.
" Crossing the Sevtni Mountains.— The first mountain we had tu climb by far exceeded all 1 have yet gone over. It is a h-ng sreep. The ascents, however, were trfling, for the road lies alongside of the mountain and winds gradually upwards, but the rocks, vast stones uf every size and shape, make it not only troublesome but dangerous to goover Ihem. On thetopof thid— oh, niurther!— atmther still higher. One who like me lias been little used to go over such higli hills can have by baredescription no conception, not even an idea, of the rough lomanlic prospect here,— a long view more than forty mile* over the tops of pine ridges through the long watm valleys. The highest tops of very tall trees are appar- kvo hundred or three hundred feet below us, and within gunshot js. I was afiaid my hoi-se would miss a step (which wuuld bo of er consequence than me walking a minuet) and blunder, for in such 3 we should surely have trundled d..wn the hill like Sisyphus' always tiding stone. On we rode over the other mountain, and the other I the other, eighteen miles. On the summits of these hills is yet a
ently t
1 He refers here, no doubt, to his classmate, NVilliani L tor at Big Spring, now Newville, Cumbeiland Co., Pa. U father of James Linn, D.D., was not licensed until .he ye
nn, D.D., pa; v. JuhnLim
r 1770.
great jilcnty of largo eweet litickloborries. My advice to all who ia future pass over these— and I give it na a friend to them, soul and body
urney armed with i Being feeble, falJci
.re of ]m- Innerif, they may, like the in high places and «wi-»r. iry riflge of our desired to it ten mile« from the Sai<l Thompson to her.
nply that tin
— is to enter upon tht tience and perseveraii Israelites long ago, commit sin in these .\meri
"At last wo came in view from a lofty Kishacoqnilhis valley. We stumbled down i east end, to one Fleming's. Wo met a woma ' How are your family, Margaret?' 'Thank ,v<>u. To are all on their feet, thank God.' Tlie woman meant i were all in health.
^^Wedneadny, Aut/tutt 0th. — To-day I visited Ksq. Brown. 2 I sbonli] make his house my home by appointment of Presl-yrery, The Ksq.llvps in a pleasant spot on the creek, and veij near tho mountain. There irt a gap, too, through which runs tho creek and tho public road to thu Juniata. He has a grist-mill, saw-mill, and a large farm. I have heard no news since I left Chillisqnaque. The Esq. tells me that a ship has been brought into Philadelphia loaded with powder and arms which was destined to the southward for the negroes; that there ia nothing material since the skirDiiah at Bunker Hill."
Here we close our extracts from tliis interesting journal. The reader may be interested in hearing of the subsequent liistory of the preacher. He joined the Revolutionary army as chaplain to a New Jersey battalion, and died of dysentery at Fort Washington, now in the limits of New York City, Oct. 8, 177G.
Thomas Thompson, his companion over the Seven Mountains, died in Potter township in 1795. His children were Robert Thompson, Prudence, Cath- erine, and Henrv.
CHAPTER VIII.
INHABITANTS OF POTTER TOWNSHIP IN I77fi— RESIDENTS OF BALD EAGLE AND POTTER- EVENTS OF THE REVOLUTION— INDIAN MAS- SACRE.
From a petition of date Sept. 20, 1776, on file in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, it will appear that the following were inhabi- tants of Potter township at that time. The 1776. application is for arms and ammunition for themselves, and for powder and lead for the Indian.-*, to enable them to get a living, so that they would not go to the enemy for a supply:
Allender, Joseph. Arthur, Richard. Arthni-, Thomas. IJeil, Henry. Brogle, Fideller. Burk, Thomas. Caldwell, Charles Carr, Thoma-'. ' Conely.Tim. Cool, Samuel. Davis, Jonathan.
Huston, John. Houston, Willi. Livingston, Da'
Da
, Mav
Hall, John. Harper, Adiim. Hubler, Jacob. IInd,John. Hughs, John.
Livingston, Danit-l. Livingston, John. Long, Daniel. Long, Michael. McCormick, George. McCormick, John. McCormick, Kubert. McCormick, Samuel. McDuw.-II, James. McGrew, Joseph. SIcMillen, John. McMilten, Thomas. McVicknr, Duncan. Miles, Enos.
2 Judge William Brown lived at what was long kuon^ ; Mills, now ReedBVille, Mffliii Co.
Attention Scanner: Foldout in Book!
18
HISTORY OF CENTRE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
Milea, Jolin. Mnore, Hugh. Mnrphy, Michael. OiT, John. Peterson, Garret. Heed, John. Reynolds, Adam. Ilichart, Joseph. Sankey, Richard. Stover, Adam.
Stover, Jacob. Thompson, Isaiah. Thompson, Thomas Thompson, Wilhan Thompson, Willian AVatsoD, .John. Willcott, John. Willson, Charles. Willson, William. Woods, George.
At a meeting of the county Committee of Safety of Northumberland, held Feb. 8, 1776, at Richard Ma- lone's, who lived near the mouth of Chillisquaque Creek, Potter township was represented by John Liv- ingston, Maurice Davis, and John Hall.
The officers of Potter township in 1776 were: Con- stable, John McConnel; supervisors, Joseph McGrew and George McCormick ; overseers, George Woods and Adam Harper.
July 15th, the convention which framed the first Constitution of Pennsylvania met at Philadelphia, completing its labors on the 28th of September. The members representing Northumberland County were AVilliam Cooke, of Northumberland (town); James Potter, of Potter township ; Robert Martin, of North- umberland (town) ; Matthew Brown, of White Deer, now Union County ; Walter Clark, of White Deer, now Kelly township. Union County ; John Kelly, of same ; James Crawford, subsequently of Wayne town- ship, Clinton County ; and John Weitzell,of Sunbury.
September 3d, the convention appointed Henry Antes and James Potter justices of the courts. Buf- falo, White Deer, and Potter townships were in the Third Election District of Northumberland County, and the first election under the Constitution for this district was held at Fought's mill (near Mifliinburg, Union Co.), November 3d.
In February, 1777, John Livingston and John McMillan represented Potter township in the Com- mittee of Safety. Joseph McGrew was con- 1777. stable of the township, and on the 9th of June, John Livingston was appointed one of the justices of the courts of Northumberland County.
On the 5th of April, Gen. James Potter was com- missioned a brigadier-general of militia, and as early as the 19th of June he was in active service near Philadelphia. The following is an extract from a letter to him at camp, dated at Fort Augusta (Sun- bury), Sept. 26, 1777, from Col. Samuel Hunter: "I received an express from Col. Crookson Long, at Bald Eagle, that he had discovered a party of Indian war- riors about forty miles above the Great Island, and upon making this known the inhabitants thereabouts fled from their places, which induced me to order up the first class of militia to the Great Island, to en- courage the people thereabouts. Two of the inhab- itants are missing, supposed to be captured." . Col. John Kelly, of Buffalo valley, was in Octo- ber sent up to the Great Island in command of fifty men, and had with him Job Chilloway, the friendly Indian, and found the inhabitants, to the number of
five hundred men, women, and children, with the families of some friendly Indians, assembled at the mouth of the Bald Eagle, at Antes' Mill (opposite Jersey Shore), and at Lycoming Creek.
Gen. Potter spent the summer and winter with the army, commanding his brigade, at Germantown, and occupying the picket lines of Washington's army while encamped during the winter at Valley Forge.
In the suit of Miles vs. Barber, Nov. 30, 1810, Rob- ert McKim testified: "I came to Penn's valley in
1777. George Woods then lived in a cabin, described by George McCormick {ante, 1773-74), within the lines of Potter's survey, the house and improvement on the north side. Another man was with me. We could not come through Kishacoquillas. My brother-in-law and Mr. McGrew's brother met us in the Narrows, and came back with us to the Great Plains. Some of the women took a path and went by Woods'. We took off' at that fork and drove up near to McGrew's Mills. There were perhaps twenty settlers in 1777, and our first tax was in 1785. I removed in the spring of
1778, came back in the fall, and wintered in the valley. I returned in 1784, brought my family in 1785. George AVoods came back in 1784. Can't tell when Barber settled, but it was before 1790. Barber built the house where Alexander lives, front of Gregg's liouse, and the tavern at Potter's Mills. I was at Woods' in 1784, when he lived on the north side of the creek. There was a settlement in Brush valley before I came. They came to mill. There was a road from Penn's valley around the end of Nittany Mountain. A path came over at Connelly's.''
According to a statement of Rev. J. H. Boggs, an- other alarm was given early in 1778. The date is fixed by the letter of Arthur Buchanan, referred to below. He says, —
"My f.ither (Judge Boggs) started over the nionnt;iin for aid to pro- tect tlicm. He was away three days. ■ Allcr ho left my grandmother took her little childi-en upon Muncy Mountain, and remained there until he returned with a party of niititia. As the latter ciime along the foot of the mouutaia they heard the children crying for bread. The militia were then divided among tlie settlers, and confidence w.is partially re- stored, when one night, while the men were lying around the fire, niy grandmother in a small bedroom adjoining, she heard somethingat h<*r window which warned her of danger. She awoke the men, who iunne- diately rushed out, but the Indians fled. It appeared they went imme- diately to the house uf Jonas Davis, and one of them opened the door and stepped boldly in. One of the men hearing him enter spiang to the door, but befoie the otheis had time to act, the Indian escaped Irolu him, and then discharged the gun at the door. The ball passed through and killed Ihe soldier, who was on the next day taken up tomygrand- niutlier's and buried.
"The same party of Indians, as was supposed, passed over into Nittany valley, and killed Abraham Standford and part of Ills family. One of the boys they look with them, but after some years he escaped and re- turned to the settlements. In 1840 I became acquainted with two of that boy's children in Clarion County, Pa. After the runaway. Judge Boggs, who was a boy of seventeen or eighteen, made several visits to the house to see after the stock, which was not molested by the Indians. On one occasion he came suddenly upon an Indian, who recognized him and assured him of friendship on account of his father (then dead), who had been a 'big medicine-man' and .a great friend of the Indians. They traveled together that day, slept in an empty cabin at night, and parted the next morning, taking different paths. The Indian went a few miles fuither, and surprised and murdered a whole family which had rclniiied, supposing the danger had passed."
EESIDEXTS OF BALD EAGLE ANT) POTTER—IXDIAX MASSACRE.
19
TWe IbUoviii^ a£Ees»teDt of Bald Easle tovaship is daied Mar 1, 177S, and k pablkk«d in foil ia order ';
to sfaov th« resideais imBediatelT preeed- 1778. ins the "Great KnnawaT." A Terr few, ;
sach ss Henrr Antes. Lsiac Bodine, etc, ' are aot vidun the limits of the tenitonr eaabtaced j in our Ustonr: \
W ■ln.Wiliil.Jg.
rIot«,0«iil
The foUoTiBs names, b^n« additional rsidoits of . Potter tov^ship ia 1778, were taken from an asees- ment of that year and eompared vith that of 1774:
The name of Samnel Hot and of the HcXitts, vith Joseph McMnllen, disappear from this aases- raeat. In 1778. John Wa:;tsDa vas constable of Pot- ts-; John McCoanel and Jacob Stover, svperreors; Joseph Alender and Adam Harper, OTerseers of the poor. After thfe vear there is no record of tovnship oficers natil 17SG. The conntr taixes, imonnting to five hnndred and thirtr-tvo poonds, for the rear 177S were vhoUy exonerated Dec 21, 17Si.
Mav 9, 1778, Aithnr Bncfaanan, vho resided where Levistown now stands, writes: I this moment re- ceived by Robert Moore an expree, a letter frooi Cape Beil, stationed at Bald £a^ which informs me that Simon Van^h, one of hfe company, was killed oa the 8th imt. at the hoose of Jonas Davis,* on Bald Easle Cred:. Robert Moote w^ sent of ex- prss to inform me of what had happened. As Moore came throngfa Pain's valley he stopped at the bo^se of Jacob Standford to feed his horse, whoe he fonnd Standford killed, and seei^ no one abont the honse he rodeoC
Again, on the 11th of May, Mr. Boclianan writes that he had just received intell^enoe by express from Maj. Mil^ in Peaa's vall^, that on last Friday Jacob Staadfevd, his wife, and daughter were killed and scalped, and his son, a lad often or eleven years, fe yet m^dng, and that the savages ravage all parts of oar fronti^s in a very pnUic manner.
Jacob Standford r^ded within the presoit boan^ of Poner town^ip, about three miles west of Old Fort, near the path that came throngh the McBride's Gap. The bodie are bailed in a comer of one of the fields on Ephraim Keller's Cum, on the northwest comer of the manor, a little n<»thof Leonaid Khone's. Henry Dale (grand&tber of Capt. ChiistiaB . who helped bary th^a, said foar of the fiunily were killed. The nearest neighbor to the Standford was John Willcatt (Eailytowa), and the body of the daogfater who was killed was fooad oa the path to WiUcDtr's, to which place she w^ tryii^ to make her way.
The writer of an obitoaiy of Robert Moore in lie Centre Damcfraf of May 7, 1?SI. giving a stat«nent appareatly leerived from Robert Moore, says he was retaming from the Great Island to Brown Fort, now Brown's Mills (Ree^rille^, Mifflin Col, when he stopped a: the cabin of Abiaham Staadfrnd. a Ger- maa, who lived oa the &rm now owned 1$3I by Peter Ruble, ia FMter township. On entering the cabin he dkcovered diat noae c£ the Cuiily were ia
* Jaas DMTK K<«i «■ antt ale <r Ok cnefc, e>9
I
18
HISTORY OF CENTRE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
Miles, John. Mnore, Hngli. Mnrphj', Slicliael. OiT, John. Peterson, Garret. Reed, John. Reynolds, Adam, Richart, Joseph. SanUey, Richard. Stover, Adam.
Stover, Jacob, Thompson, Tsaiab. Thompson, Thomas. Thompson, William, Si Thompson, Will Watson, .John. Willcott, John. Willson, Charles Willson, Williai Woods, George.
Jr.
At a meeting of the county Committee of Safety of Nortlnimberland, held Feb. 8, 1776, at Richard Ma- lone's, who lived near the mouth of Chillisquaque Creek, Potter township was represented by John Liv- ingston, Maurice Davis, and John Hall.
The officers of Potter township in 1776 were: Con- stable, John McConnel ; supervisors, Joseph McGrew and George McCormick ; overseers, George Woods and Adam Harper.
July 15th, the convention which framed the first Constitution of Pennsylvania met at Philadelphia, completing its labors on the 28th of September. The members representing Northumberland County were AVilliam Cooke, of Northumberland (town); James Potter, of Potter township ; Robert Martin, of North- umberland (town) ; Matthew Brown, of White Deer, now Union County; Walter Clark, of White Deer, now Kelly township, Union County; John Kelly, of same; James Crawford, subsequently of Wayne town- ship, Clinton County; and John Weitzell, of Sunbury.
September 3d, the convention appointed Henry Antes and James Potter justices of the courts. Buf- falo, White Deer, and Potter townships were in the Third Election District of Northumberland County, and the first election under the Constitution for this district was held at Fought's mill (near Mifflinburg, Union Co.), November 3d.
In February, 1777, John Livingston and John McMillan represented Potter township in the Com- mittee of Safety. Joseph McGrew was con- 1777. stable of the township, and on the 9th of June, John Livingston was appointed one of the justices of the courts of Northumberland County.
On the 5th of April, Gen. James Potter was com- missioned a brigadier-general of militia, and as early as the 19th of .Tune he was in active service near Philadelphia. The following is an extract from a letter to him at camp, dated at Fort Augusta (Sun- bury), Sept. 26, 1777, from Col. Samuel Hunter: "I received an express from Col. Crookson Long, at Bald Eagle, that he had discovered a party of Indian war- riors about forty miles above the Great Island, and upon making this known the inhabitants thereabouts fled from their places, which induced me to order up the first class of militia to the Great Island, to en- courage the people thereabouts. Two of the inhab- itants are missing, supposed to be captured." , Col. John Kelly, of Buffalo valley, was in Octo- ber sent up to the Great Island in command of fifty men, and had with him Job Chilloway, the friendly Indian, and found the inhabitants, to the number of
five hundred men, women, and children, with the families of some friendly Indians, assembled at the mouth of the Bald Eagle, at Antes' Mill (opposite Jersey Shore), and at Lycoming Creek.
Gen. Potter spent the summer and winter with the army, commanding his brigade, at Germantown, and occupying the picket lines of Washington's army while encamped during the winter at Valley Forge.
In the suit of Miles vs. Barber, Nov. 30, 1810, Rob- ert McKim testified : " I came to Penn's valley in
1777. George Woods then lived in a cabin, described by George McCormick {ante, 1773-74), within the lines of Potter's survey, the house and improvement on the north side. Another man was with me. We could not come through Kishacoquillas. My brother-in-law and Mr. McGrew's brother met us in the Narrows, and came back with us to the Great Plains. Some of the women took a path and went by Woods'. We took off at that fork and drove up near to McGrew's Mills. There were perhaps twenty settlers in 1777, and our first tax was in 1785. I removed in the spring of
1778, came back in the fall, and wintered in the valley. I returned in 1784, brought my family in 1785. George Woods came back in 1784. Can't tell when Barber settled, but it was before 1790. Barber built the house where Alexander lives, front of Gregg's house, and the tavern at Potter's Mills. I was at Woods' in 1784, when he lived on the north side of the creek. There was a settlement in Brush valley before I came. They came to mill. There was a road from Penn's valley around the end of Nittany Mountain. A path came over at Connelly's.''
According to a statement of Rev. J. H. Boggs, an- other alarm was given early in 1778. The date is fixed by the letter of Arthur Buchanan, referred to below. He says, —
"My f.ilher (Judge Boggs) st.arted over the nionntiin fur aid to pro- tect them. He was aw.iy three days. • Allcr ho left my graiidniotlier took her little children upon Muncy Mountain, and remained there until ho returned with a parly of militia. As the latter came along the foot of the mountain tliey heard the cliildreu crying for bread. The militia were tiien divided among tlie settlers, and coiifideuce was partially re- stored, when one niglit, while the men were lying around the fire, my grandmotlier in a small bedroom adjoining, she heard sometbiiigat hi'r window which warned her of danger. She awoke tlio men, who imme- diately rushed out, but the Indians fled. It appeared lliey went imme- diately to tlie house of Jonas Davis, and one of them opened the door and stepped boMly in. One of the men hearing him enter sprang to the door, hut before the olhei s had time to act, the Indian escaped from him, and then discharged the gun at the door. The ball passed through and killed the soldier, who was on the next day taken np tomygranU- motlier's and buried.
"The same party of Indians, as was supposed, passed over into Nittany valley, and killed Abraham Standford and part of his family. One of the boys they took with them, but after some years he escaped and re- turned to the setllements. In 184U I became acquainted with two of that boy's children iu Clariou County, Pa. After the runiiway. Judge Boggs, who was a boy of seventeen or eighteen, made several visits to the house to see after the stock, which was not mohstcd by the Indians. On one occasion he came suddenly upon an Indian, who recognized him and assured him of friendship on account of his father (then dead), who had been a 'big medicine-man' and a great friend of the Indians. They traveled together that day, slept in an empty cabin at night, and parted the ne.vt morning, taking different paths. The Indian went a few miles fuither, and surprised and murderetl a whole family which had retuiiiod, supposing the danger ha i passed."
RESIDENTS OF BALD EAGLE AND POTTER—INDIAN MASSACRE.
19
The following assessment of Bald Eagle township is dated May 1, 1778, and is published in full in order
to show the residents immediately preced- 1778. ing the "Great Runaway." A very few,
such as Henry Antes, Isaac Bodine, etc., are not within the limits of the territory embraced in our history :
Alexander, Jimies. Fleming, Robert, Jr.
Anderson, John. Hail, John.
Antes, Henry. Horn, Samuel.
Bennett, William, Sr. Huff, Gerehoni.
Bennett, William, Jr. King, Roheit.
Boggs, Widow, 1 Liltle, John.
Bodine, Isaac. Love, Robert.
Bradley, Dominick. MeCoruiick, Alexander.
Campbell, Cleary. McKibben, James.
Campbell, William, Sr. Manning, John.
Campbell, William, Jr. Matlock, Daniel.
Carson, Adam. fliichael, Mary.
Collinglon, Christopher. Miller, Henry.
Cuthbert, James. Miller, Warnock.
Davis, Daniel. Murray, James.
Davis, Jonas. Tarsons, Thomas.
Davis, Joseph. Stephens, Levi.2
Devore, Daniel. Saltzman, Widow.
Dickson, John. Seaton, James.
Duckpan, James. * Sutton, Israel.
Evans, Thomas. Whitman, John.
Fleming, Robert (Creek). Wilson, Thomas.
Fleming, Robert (Poinl). Wilson, William. Fleming, Joseph.
Siitcile Men.
Delong, David.3 McMichael, James.
Fleming, Joseph. Mallock, Richard.
Fulwizer, Henry. Reed, Alexander.
Horn, Andrew. Reed, John. Layton, Andrew.
Robert Love, Collecinr.
The following names, being additional residents of Potter township in 1778, were taken from an assess- ment of that year and compared with that of 1774:
Acres. Improved. Ilorses. Cattle.
Arthur, Thacher ... 1 1
Hall, John luo 25 2 2
Harper, Adam, Sr 100 7 2 2
Harper, Adam, Jr
Hubler, Jacob IIIO 8 2 2
Hughes, .John 60 4 1 1
Huston. John 60 7 1 1
Kasweih-r, George 200 8 ... 4
King, William lUO C 4 2
Long, Daniel 200 10 1 2
McCauslin, James 60 ... 1 1
McConnel, Robert 50 4 2 2
McCormick, Robert ItIO 10 2 1
McOrew, Robert 20 2 2
McMillan, John 100 40 1 1
McVickar, Duncan ,., 1 1
Miles, Andrew
Miles, Enos 100 0 12
Miles, James {and one slave) 50 3 2 2
Miles, Richard 100 G
Orr, Jolin .,, 1 1
J'etPl-8, Garret .-. 2 1
I'iatt, Abraham 36 8 .,. 1
Reynolds, Adam .,, 1 I
Richardson, Joseph 50 5 1
Robinson, Anthony 100 2 11
Staudford, Jacob ... 1 1
Stewart, Samuel 60 15
Stover, Jacob, Sr
Stover, Jacob, Jr 300 6 2 1
Thompson, Thomas ... 1 2
■Wat80n,John 100 20 2 1
Willcot, John ... 2 4
■Wilson, William 100 20 1 1
Woods, George 70 10 1 2_
• This no doubt was the widow of Andrew, the first settler, and indi- cates his death occurring before this date.
2 Judge Huston states that Levi Stephens was a chaplain of Bouquet's command, and assisted in making the officers' surveys.
3 Lived where the village of Howard now stands.
Kvane, Benjamin. Long, I*anl. Black, Conrad. McCashliii, Juhn. McCormick, John. McCormick, Samuel.
McMillan, Thomas. Milligan, William. Reynolds. Adam. Stover, Adam. Stover, Juho.
The names of Samuel Hoy and of the McNitts, with Joseph McMullen, disappear from this assess- ment. In 1778, John Watson was constable of Pot- ter; John McConnel and Jacob Stover, supervisors; Joseph Alender and Adam Harper, overseers of the poor. After this year there is no record of township officers until 1785. The county taxes, amounting to five hundred and thirty-two pounds, for the year 1778 were wholly exonerated Dec. 21, 1782.
May 9, 1778, Arthur Buchanan, who resided where Lewistown now stands, writes: I this moment re- ceived by Robert Moore an express, a letter from Capt. Bell, stationed at Bald Eagle, which informs me tliat Simon Vaugh, one of his company, was killed on the 8th inst. at the house of Jonas Davis,* on Bald Eagle Creek. Robert Moore was sent of ex- press to inform me of wliat had happened. As Moore came through Penn's valley he stopped at the house of Jacob Standford to feed his horse, where he found Standford killed, and seeing no one about the house he rode off.
Again, on the 11th of May, Mr. Buchanan writes that he had just received intelligence by express from Maj. Miles, in Penn's valley, that on last Friday Jacob Standford, his wife, and daughter were killed and scalped, and his son, a lad often or eleven years, is yet missing, and tliat the savages ravage all parts of our frontiers in a very public manner.
Jacob Standford resided within the present bounds of Potter township, about three miles west of Old Fort, near the path lliat came through the McBride's Gap. The bodies are buried in a cornerof oneof the fields on Ephraim Keller's farm, on the northwest corner of the manor, a little north of Leonard Rhone's. Henr}' Dale (grandfather of Capt. Cliristian), who lielped bury them, said four of the family were killed. The nearest neighbor to the Standfords was John Willcott (Earlytown), and the bod}- of the daughter who was killed was found on the path to Willcott's, to which place she was trying to make her way.
The writer of an obituary of Robert Moore in The Centre Democrat of May 7, 18S1, giving a statement apparently received from Robert Moore, says he was returning from the Great Ishtnd to Brown Fort, now Brown's Mills (Reedsville), Mifflin Co., when he stopped at the cabin of Abraham Standford, a Ger- man, who lived on the farm now owned (1831) by Peter Ruble, in Potter township. On entering the cabin he discovered that none of the familv were in
* Jonas Davis lived on south side of the creek, east of Ri:bard Ma- one's old place.
20
HISTORY OF CENTRE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
the house, but going around the cabin towards the spring he saw the body of Mrs. Standford, scalped, and blood yet oozing from the wounds. At a few rods' distance lay the bodies of two children. Life was hardly extinct in the body of Mrs. Standford. The writer then goes on to say that Mr. Moore's horses having strayed among the Seven Mountains, the latter went in search of them, and discovered the body of an Indian, with his rifle and accoutrements, by a large pine log, under leaves, in a state of preser- vation; that after peace was restored Mr. Moore in- quired of an Indian chief called Capt. Hunt, who was with the party, who told hini that after the murder of the Standford family they held a council and determined upon an attack upon tlie inhabitants of Kishacoquillas valley, and had arrived at the gorge west of where William Thompson once lived, in the east end of the valley, near where the old Lew- istown road entered ; that accidentally the gun of one of their chiefs exploded, killing the owner. This was deemed an ill omen, a council was called", and the expedition abandoned, and so great was their alarm that, after covering the chief hastily with leaves, they retired.
Col. Hunter, in a letter dated at Fort Augusta, May 14th, says an express has come in from Penn valley, informing me that the Indians had killed and scalped Jacob Standford, his wife, and two children, being all that was of the family. Immediately after receiving the news I ordered the seventh class of Col. John Kelly's battalion to march into Penn's valley, where the sixth class of that battalion was before.
Col. James Potter, who had obtained leave of ab- sence from the main army, on account of the sickness of his wife, on the 9th of January, intending to re- turn in the latter part of April, on account of the troubles on the frontiers remained in Penn's valley. On the 17th of May he writes from the " Upper Fort, Penn's valley :"' Our savage enemy continue to mur- der, scalp, and capture. If there is not something done the country will be entirely given up to the savages. We have two forts in this valley, and are determined to stand as long as we are supported. The bearer, Maj. Miles, goes to apply for men to re- lieve Capt. Bell, etc. On the 31st of May, it appears by Col. Hunter's letter that all the inhabitants of Penn's valley were gathered at one place in Potter township, and a panic generally pervading the county. June 17th, Gen. Potter writes that Capt. Pealer's men in Nittany valley had discovered the tracks of about thirty Indians leading down Logan's Gap, and a woman and two children were missing at the head of Kishacoquillas valley, and one man wounded.
The great runaway of July 7, 1778, drove most of the inhabitants over the mountains to Cumberland
1 TIio lower fart M-as on the present furin of John Boweraox, ne-ir llublei'a Uuli, in Ilaiucs lowiistili.
County, but they for the most part soon returned, and contemporary documents, such as the following, show they maintained their settlements during the winter of 1778 :
" Penn's Vallet, Deer. 24, 1778. " One red Strea Steer, white on his Belly, apprised by us at twenty-two pounds, ten shillings, and one white steer Strea, apprised at iirteen pounds. Both of these steers at James Potter's, and apprised by us. "JouN Livingston, "James Adams." I " On the rjth of July, Col. Brodhead's regiment, on its way to Fort Pitt, was ordered to the West Branch ; part of Col. Hartley's regiment was on its way to Sunbury, and the militia were ordered up from Lan- caster and Berks, and the people came back to reap their crops. July 24th, Col. Brodhead, then at Muncy, detached a captain and twenty-four men into Penn's valley to protect the reapers at Gen. Potter's place. Gen. Potter writes from Penn's valley, on the 25th, that "the inhabit- ants of the v.alley are returned, and were cutting their grain. He left Sunbury last Sunday afternoon, and the people were returning to all parts of the county. Yesterday two men of Capt. Finley's company, of Col. Brodhead's regiment, went out from this place on the plains a little below mj' fields, and met a party of Indians, five in number, whom they engaged. One of the 8oldiei"s, Thomas A'an Dorau, was shot dead; the other, Jacob Shedacre, ran about four hundred yards, and was pursued by one of the Indians. They attacked each other with their knives, and our excellent soldier killed his antagonist. His fate was hard, for another Indian came up and shot him. He and the Indian lay within a perch of each other. These two soldiers served with Col. Morgan in the last campaign. James Alexander, wlio in after-years farmed the Old Fort farms, casually kicked up a liunting-knife, so rusted as to indi- cate that it might have belonged either to the Indian or the soldier killed. Two stones were put up to mark the spot on William Henning'a place, one mile east of Old Fort Hotel." They are still there (1882).
CHAPTER IX.
EVENTS 1779-34— THE FIRST IRON COMPANY— SUR- VEYS AND RETURN OF THE INHABITANTS.
GE^'^. Potter writes to President Reed :
" Penn's Vailey, May ID, 1779. " Capt. Carberry (of Hartley's regiment) left last Sabbath with ten of his horsemen, leaving his lieutenant and seven horsemen. He is gone to ButTalo valley. In a few days I expect the lieutenant to follow him. We will then be left in this valley with one lieu- 1779. tenant and fifteen men in three forts as a guard, and on the 4tli of June their time will expire, and then most probably we in this valley will have to fly. There are no inhabitants but in Peun's valley, an<i they in forts."
The departure of Hartley's regiment from the West Branch valley to join Gen. Sullivan's expedition was followed by the temporary abandonment of the settle- ments in Penn's valley, in July, 1779, and Armagh township (then in Cumberland) became the frontier. Gen. Potter retired to his farm on Middle Creek (now in Snyder County). He was elected a member of the Supreme Executive Council in 1780, and in May, 1781, dates his letters from Middle Creek, and in 1781 and 1782 is upon the assessment list of Penn township (now in Snyder County). In September, 1781, he marched a body of one hundred and seventy men on a tour about the frontiers. On the 14th of November, 1781, he was elected vice-president of the State, and served as such until November, 1782.
EVENTS 1779-84— THE FIRST IRON COMPANY— SURVEYS.
21
A letter from William Brown, Esq., shows the fact that Armagh township was still the frontier in April, 1782, and the assessment books of 1782 show there were no inhabitants taxed in Bald Eagle, Potter, Muncy, or White Deer townships in that year, Col. Hunter's letter of the 8th of April, 1782, showing that the inhabitants refused to return to the neigh- borhood of Muncy, though he endeavored to get them to do so.
As appears by George McCormick's testimony, the country was entirely abandoned in tlie hard winter of 1779-80 and spring of 1780, and its history is a blank until 1784.
July 26, 1784, Benjamin Davis, Maj. Lawrence Keene, and Joseph J. Wallis entered into an agree- ment to take up a large body of lands. The 1784. cost of the lands were to be defrayed by Ben- jamin Davis, the locating and surveying by Messrs. Keene and Wallis, Davis' interest to be one- half, and Keene's andWallis' one-quarter each. Joseph J. Wallis was deputy surveyor. The agreement cov- ered twenty-four tracts which had been applied for before, and warrants issued for July 1, 1784. The twenty-four tracts were surveyed, or at least returned as surveyed, the 22d to 29th of November, 1784. The leading warrant, Benjamin Davis, commenced at the S. E. white-oak corner of the George Gabriel warrant, in Benner township, where the line ran S. 30 E. 497 perches to a pine ; thence the lineof the warrants ran S. 35 E. 191 to the Rock Iron-Works' land. Gen. Ben ner's; thence southwestwardly 6 miles and 177 perches, through what is known as the Barrens, to near the Pennsylvania Furnace Company's lands to a peak defi- nitely ending with the James Newport warrant, which adjoined the Robert Gover. The west line of James Newport was north 30 W. 265 to a pine. Its north- western limit included the Thomas West, Jr., war- rant, and then the line ran eastwardly along the southern lines of what are known as the Buffalo Run surveys, made by Thomas Smith, Esq., in 1770, to the Gabriel white-oak. From the pine of the Benjamin Davis (late the Judge Marshall farm) the line ran N. 55 E., including the Christopher Gettig, Richard Rundel, Thomas Murgatroid, and Robert Barnhill warrants. The southern portions of Gettig, Rundel, and Murgatroid warrants interfered with Gen. Ben- ner's land, Thomas Evans, and Robert Boggs. In a contest with Benner and others. Col. Miles failed to establish his title for the southern portions of these three warrants, and the Barnhill warrant seems to have been abandoned, as subsequent warrants of quite a late date have been laid there.
Gen. John Patton bought Joseph Wallis' interest as early as May 8, 1790, and subsequently Benjamin Davis' interest, and, in connection with Col. Samuel Miles, these tracts with other lands were held as ap- pendant to Centre Furnace and the Milesburg Iron- Works.
Samuel Hunter, member of the Council of Censors,
having died, Gen. James Potter was elected in his
place, and took his seat July 7, 1784.
The journal of James Harris lias the following reference to surveys on the Moshannon, partly in Centre County. Mr. Brown's tracts are tlie .John Anderson, Gilbert Vaugh, John Vaugh, Jonathan Wales, and John Roll, which stretch from a birch on east side of Moshannon, ten miles or so above Osceola, and extending below and east of Houtz- dale. John Reed's survey embraced Thomas P. Cope, Tiiomns Billington, the Harrison, on one of which the John Harrison Osceola is built, and the Edmund Fletcher :
" The 19th of Octoliei-, 17S4, left Esq. Brown goiog to get land sur- veyed over Alleghany mountain. Our company as follows; WillLim Brown, Esq., J. liarris, G. Meek, David Milligan, Andrew Small, Daniel Beats, and Thoa. Pearce. At J. Reeds we were joined by John Reed, D. Alexander and R. Alexander; the company, except Esq. Brown and myself, proceeded through Standingstone Valley, Mr. Brown and myself by Stone town on the 2ath. Proceeded to Esq. Canan's, where I left Jlr. Brown and Joined the company atPonnells SlilU, from thence marched about three miles and encamped on the waters of Spruce Creek ; on the 2l6t advanced about four mites to one Stewarts at Warrior Marks, and waited till the moruing of the 22d and were joined by Mr. Brown and Mr. Canan ; the day proved rainy and unfit for crossing the mountain. 2.'iU leftAVanior Harks and crossed over to Moshannon, encamped on this branch, Sunday the 2'lth Mr. Brown's horse left him and took the back track, the 25th Mr. Canan made a large survey fur Mr. Brown con- taining 2150 acres, including extensive beaver-damson both branches of Moshannon dam in pursuance of five warninte 400 on each, on the 26th he [jerformed a large survey fur J. Eeed in pursuance of six war- rants of 400 on each, including the fork adjoining and below Mr. Brown's survey, the 27th left the forks of Qlusliannon and proceeding nearly a due west course about 8 miles struck the Clearfield Creek, just at tlie head of the narrows : were met by Mr. MiUerand two young men named Blitchell ; here an extensive rich bottom, a fine pleasant creek alwut 30 or 40 yards wide, the upland not rich but in some places well timbered. The 28th five men by the name of Wickerts came to our camp said they claimed by improvement a great deal of land up this creek, say they will not sulTor it to be surveyed. Mr. Canan performs two surveys fur the southeast side of the Creek for Reed, Alexander A Co., tlie second in- cludes the mouth of a large rnn, and extends about one mile up it. There is said to be good land for three or four miles up this mn. Jas. Alexander's, including the mouth of this run, is in the name of John Gill.
" KB— On the 28th George Meek killed one large buck, pretty fat not unwelcome news to the company.
"The 29th Mr. Canan began a survey on the north west side above the narrows, was obliged to quit on account of rains. On the 30th Mr. Canan performed one of the surveys on the west side of Clearfield ex- tending it as high up as the Bickert's claim. The 30th we decampe<l and marched up the creek as far as the mouth of the Piney run. The 31st moved up to the forks of Beaver creek and C'learfield, leaving Mr. Canan, John Reed, Wm. Miller, 4c., to perform their surveys.
" The 1st of November began a survey at the month of Ueaver Creek, including the same on the evening of our return fell in with the fallen timber (blowed down by the hurricane in June) were benighted and met with much difflculty, got home about midnight.
"2d, Rainy in the forenoon, surveyed some in the afterpart.
"3d, Surveying.
"4th, Rainy all day.
"6tli, Surveying; am much afflicted with the rheumatism. George Meek kills one other buck. (Mr. Brown went down on the sixth to the other company.)
"7tli, Rheumatism continues; we lay on Clearfield three days.
"8tli, We decamped, and moved up Beaver Creek to a large beaver dam, and encamped on the northwest side below where our surveyed line crossed.
"9th, David Milligan and .Andrew Small returned down to pilot up the other party, the day proved rainy and uncomfortable.
" lOth, The day is dark and cloudy ; a branch fills in above this bea. ver dam on which is much good meadow laud, the upland adjacent U
22
HISTORY OF CENTRE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
also good. Mr. Brown, Mr. Canan, &c., returns to camp. Mr. Caaan aud Dan. Beats take faick.
" 11th, Kainy in the moruing:, in the afternoon surveying.
" 12th, Surveying our old beaver-dams; the day is dark, cloudy, and
near our old encampment in Jun nd encamp c
"13th, We decamp and move up last on Beaver Creek, the weather rainy.
" I4th, We left the Bejiver-creek and encamp on the Chest creek above the Kittaning path at a former encampment in June, the weather niiny.
"15th, Dan Beiits returns home by the Kittaning path; we left the Chest and proceed southwest in search of our land on Blacklick; at about four miles we cross a large run supposed a branch of the Chest ; eight or ten miles we came upon the head branches of a run supposed to be that on which our land lies. Weather dark and rainy.
"IGth. Mr. Brown and self go down the run to examine how the land lies, intending to return in about ono and a half hour, but, the weather being dark, and inadvertantly keeping too far from the main run, and following a large drove of elks, we came upon a creek of which our run i^ a branch, we got lost without gun, compass, sunshine, or fireworks. We traveled all day without fifteen minutes intermission until about one hour before night, when luckily we came within liearing of our horse bells, and from thence to our camp.
" 17th, We are surveying, perform one survey. Cloudy all day until an hour before sundown when the sun appeared the first time for eight or nine days.
" ISth, This morning a snow of three or four inches deep covers the ground ; in the afternoon finish a survey.
" 19th, We intended to march ; proved rainy and snowy all day ; we stay in camp until the next morning.
" 20th, We decamp, finding that this is not the land we had located on Black Lick; this being as we suppose a branch of Conemack, and sur- veying northwest fall upon Black Lick near our old encampment in June last, distance about five or six miles. Weather rainy in the afler-
" 21st, Mr. Brown, Mr. Canan and myself go in search of the land lo- cated by the same route we discovered it in summer, we walk up the creek about two miles then leaving it to the eastward come upon our land and the spruce marked I H wliich is nut on a branch of Black Lick but as we suppose a branch of Conemack. Geo Meek and David Alex- ander go over the hills to Lick creek.
"22d, Mr. Canan and a party go out to survey whilst the rest of the company, viz : Tho Pierce and myself move the camp and baggage to our land; they miss the camp and return, they left in the morning and stay tliereall night uuconifortably. George Meek and David Alexander join Pierce and I and on our marcli we encamp at the I II Spruce.
"23d, In the morning we were joined by the surveying part}'. Mr. Canan sick. I go and finish Ihe surveying un Black Lick.
" NB — On the 23d in finishing the survey much good land was left out on the west and south on the waters of Conemack.
"24th, Steer homeward, cross the heads of Chest creek encamp on Clearfield creek about 4 milesabove the Kittanoing path ; we hear 2 shots one at dark and another after midnight,
"25th, Geo Meek and D. Milliken go down to the path and return ; we then all move over the mountain by the path arrive at John Framan's in Frankstown settlement.
'* 2Gth, A snow of 3 or 4 inches deep appears on the ground in the morning and continues raining and snowing most part of the day ; we travel on all day ; the company part at Ed Beaty's at Waterstreet. Mr. Brown and I go home with Esq. Canan.
" 27th, Mr. Brown goes fur bis horse to the Warrior Marks and returns to Mr. Canan's. I drink cyder with Mr. Canan at Mr. Mitchell's aud Mr. Dean's his father-in-law.
"28th, Sunday we go to the stone T. with Mr. Canan, hear Mr. Stevens a new Irishman preach, and we ride down to John Fees; meet with F Maybary an old acquaintance.
" 2Dtli, We stop at J. McCays in Kishacoquillis Valley and make a sur- vey and then proceed down the valley to Mr. Brown's.
"3Utli, I arrive at homo on Juniata."
The following assessment of Bald Eagle township, dated Dec. 4, 1784, indicates who returned to their settlements during the summer of that year and orig- inal settlers of that year. Robert Fleming was as- sessor, Robert Love and Cleary Campbell, assist- ants.
Arthure, John. Balto, Adam. Bennett, William.
Boggs, Margery.
Bowen, Danforth.
Campbell, Cloary.
Carson, John.
Clark, Frank.
Clark, John.
Davis, Jonas.
Delong, David.
Dewitt, Harnett.
Fleming, Ezekiel.
Fleming, John, Sr.
Fleming, John, Jr.
Fleming, Robert.
Ghormley, Joseph.
Gordon, Thomas (lived with Jonas
Davis, at the Nest, in 1796). Horn, Samuel.
Horn.Williiim.
Johuston, Richard.
King, Joseph.
Limber, C-ornelius.
Love, Robert.
McGrady, William.
Mahan, William.
Millegan, John.
Murdoch, Alexander.
Beligh, David.
Richey, Robert.
Richards, Casper.
Richards, Frederick.
Smith, Abraham.
Stewart, Charles (only recent!
Turner, John. Wilcot, Paul. Wilcot, Silas.
Whitman, Jacob (taxed with mill).
Balto, John. Bowen, Danforth. Campbell, William. Carsou, James. Delong, Jonathan.
Gilmore, Richard.
Toung J/eji's Karnes :
Horn, Andrew. Mahon, Alexander. Murray, William. Religh, David. Riclmrds, Frederick. Richards, Matthias. Rodgers, Thomas.
In 1784 we note the settlement of Abraham Elder in the new territory of Half-Moon, then in Bedford County.
In the territory west of Beech Creek and north of Nittany Mountain, circling around the end of Nit- tany west of Potter, we find the following additional residents on the assessment for 1785 :
AUender, Joseph.
Arthurs, Thomas.
Askey {or Erskine), Capt. Thomas.
Evans, David.
Gonsaulus, Richard.
Hamilton, Archibald.
Hamilton, James.
Holt, John. McConnel, Hugh. Malone, Francis. Malonc, Richard. Reed, John. Swansey, William. Williams, Capt. Jushua.
Hamilton, John.
Richard Malone bought the Charles Worthington tract (below the present, 1882, Thomas farm, in Boggs township), on both sides of the creek, in 1785, of Samuel Wallis, for thirty shillings per acre. He built on the part south of the creek.
CHAPTER X,
ELECTION DISTRICTS, AND LISTS OF SETTLERS.
The act of Sept. 13, 1785, fixed the place of hold- ing elections for Potter township, with those of Buff'alo and White Deer, at Foutz mill, 1785. late Rockey's, a little east of Mifflinburg, in Buffalo valley ; those of Muncy and Bald Eagle at Amariah Sutton's, in Muncy township.
In Bald Eagle township in 1786 we note the following additional settlers and improve- 1786. ments :
ELECTION DISTRICTS AND LISTS OF SETTLERS.
23
UcGee, Jolm (on the Margaret Bradforil tract of Wullis", in Liberty townsliip). *
McCracken, William.
Mason, John.
Michael, John.
Quickley, Michael.
Ramsey, James S.
Kichards, FieUerick.^
Skidmore, Josljua.
Spear, Alexander.
Terwiliger, John.
Westbrooke, James.
Westbrooke, Eichard.
Antes, Henry (grist-mill). Bennett, James (giist-mill). Crawford, Robert. Davis, William. Donelly, John. Hannah, David, llolt, Jacob. Hamilton, Hugh, fielford, Cliristopher. Gunsalus, Derick. King, Joseph. Knapp, Ebenezer. Limber, Joseph. Lucas, Benedict. McCormick, John (marked as non- resident ou ta.x-list).
The assessment is dated May 17, 1786, from which the above extracts are taken.
In September, 1786, the place for Potter was changed to George McCormick's (Spring Mills). The act erecting Mifflin County (1789) provided that all that part of Northumberland contained within the bounds of Mifflin, — i.e., that part of the county west of Spring Mills, — should be erected into an election district, and hold their elections at Enoch Hastings', and then the act of the 9th of April, 1791, changed the place of election for the part in North- umberland County from George McCormick's to Aaron Levy's house in Aaronsburg.
At May sessions, 1786, Bald Eagle township, which extended along the south bank of the river from opposite the mouth of Lycoming Creek (Williams- port City bounds) westerly and northwesterly about seventy miles, was triparted by the Court of Quarter Sessions of Northumberland County. The most westerly portion from the mouth of Beech Creek was called Upper Bald Eagle, and embraced all of Centre County (now) except Harris, Potter, Gregg, Penn, Haines, and Miles townships. The middle portion embraced Beech Creek township, Bald Eagle, Lamar, Potter, etc., and was called Lower Bald Eagle ; and the portion easterly of the mouth of the Bald Eagle and southerly embraced Sugar valley, and was called Nippenose.
There are no assessments of Potter, after the return of the inhabitants, to be found earlier than 1786, which is published in full below :
|
Andrews, Miilcolm. Ayres, Abraliam. liunn, Frcdeilck. Cannon, James. |
Henney, Adam. Henney, Christopher, llennoy, Hieronymus, Hess, Matthias. |
|
CamaLan, William. CImmbers, Thomas. |
Habler, Jacob (grist- and saw- mill). |
|
Cnnscr, Henry. |
Hubler, John. |
|
Elsey, Peter. Krtle. Valentine. |
Johnston, Alexander. Johnston, James. |
|
Garret, Jolm. Geiswet, George. |
Jordan, Benjamin (taxed with a negro). |
|
Gibson, James. |
King, Francis. |
|
Glasgow, Samuel. Green, Thomas. |
King, William (taxed with a slave). |
|
Hall, John. |
Lamb, William tgrist-mill). |
|
Harper, Adam. |
Long, Daniel. |
|
Hastings, John. |
Long, Michael. |
|
1 He is taxed with a grist- |
and saw-mill. These were erected at the |
Livingijton, Daniel. Livingston, David. McCashon, James. McConnell, John. McCormick, George. McCormick, John. McKim, Robert. McVickar, Duncan. Miller, Henry. Mitchell, John. Morrow, Andrew. Motz, John. Motz, Michael. Neely, John. Pennington, Robert. Piatt, Abraham. Pontius, George. Reynolds, Adams. Reinhart, George. Reinhart, Joseph. Robertson, Anthony.
Roll, John. "Rwn, Joseph. Sandford, Abraham. Shingle, Philip.
Stov,
, Ada
Stover, Frederick. Stover, Jacob.
810
, Join
Thompson, Thomas. Thompson, Robert. Ulse, Jacob. Vanhorne, Joseph. Van Ostrand, George. Van Ostrand, John. Watt, John. Watson, John. Weaver, David. Wilson, William. Wolfe, George. Woods, George.
Gen. James Potter is marked as a non-resident, he having his residence in White Deer township, now Union County. Abraham Piatt, John Hall, and George Woods were the assessors.
In 1787 we gather from the assessments additional residents in what became Upper 1787. Bald Eagle township :
Adams, Nathaniel.
Antes, Philip (taxed with grist-
and saw-mill). Armstrong, Daniel. Baker, John. Bathurst, Laurence. Gonsalus, Emanuel.
Harbison, John (one of the first settlers of Walker township).
Lewis, Lewis, surveyor (father of David Lewis, the robber).
McCalmont, Thomas.
Terwiliger, Isaac.
, Da
veyo
Cole, Samuel. Lucas, Joseph.
Single Men.
Malone, Leslie. Malone, Richard, Jr.
present town of Mill Hall, in Cliuton County,
A letter from Samuel Wallis, dated Monday, Jan. 10, 1787, fixes the date of Philip Antes' purchase. He says, " I have considered your proposition of pur- chasing the sur\-ey near Bald Eagle's Nest in the name of Philip Gover (on which Eagle Works are now situated, 1882) ; the price will be thirty shillings per acre, in four equal payments. If these letters will do, you may proceed to put up a small house upon it." Mr. Antes accepted the proposition, and moved upon the place in July, 1787.
Daniel Turner took up the laud where Roopsburg now stands, on Spring Creek, Sept. 14, 1787, and the sad incident related by Judge Linn, illustrative of the hardships of the early settlers, is referable to the severe winter of 1787-88. Turner left for Clear- field County to hunt and trap. His family ran out of provisions, and his wife came to Lamb's, where Bellefonte now stands, to borrow some meal. Going back she took a different path ; the children started down to meet her, taking the usual path. They got bewildered and spent the night on the hills, the boys taking off their coats to cover the youngest children. When it got light they said they could not get the two youngest awake, and they went and reported at Nathan Williams'. The pure flakes of snow had
24
HISTORY OF CENTRE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
fallen upon their little bodies, their upturned eyes were glazed over, and their little mouths half opened :
" Not on tlty cradle-bed, Not on tliy mother's breast Henceforth BhiiU he thy rest,
But with the quiet dead."
They were buried on the side of the mound at the Great Spring. Long since in a happier world that poor mother has clasped her darlings in an eternal embrace.
ADDITIONAL UESIDESTS IN POTTEK IN 1787. Monks, William. Russiter, Thomas (grist- and t
mill). Pennington, Isaac. Ream, Aliraham. Sliaw, William. Sankey, ■William. Watt, James.
Allison, Archibald. Benn, Henry. Benn, Thomas. Crane, William. Hastings, Enoch. Hnnter, Andrew, of Dauphin Co, Miller, Henry (grist- and sai mill).
ADDITIONAL RESIDENT TAX-PAYERS IN UPPER BALD
1788.
Boggs, Robert, Colbert, John. Delong, JonatliaD. Dewitt, P,aul. Erwin, John. Gomer, John. Hamilton, Thomas, llouser, Jacob. Lucas, Joseph. McCalmont, John. ItlcConnell, Hugh. McCracken, James.
EAGLE IN 17,-I8.
Maloiu-, Eranc Malone, Leslie Meyser, Amos. Parsons, Thorn Sennet, John. Stoy, John. Stratton, Lot. "Welsh, Joseph. Wilcot, Paul. Wilson, Thoma Wilson, Willia
In 1788 the lands of Thomas Gordon, now Belle- fonte, changed on assessment to William Lamb.
Jacob Houser, who was a millwright of Paxtang township, Dauphin Co., purchased, by deed dated Dec. 26, 1787, of Josiah Matlack the Isaac Catherell tract, on which Houserville is located, now (1882) in College township, to which he removed in 1788. \Vm. Connel, a tenant of Houser's/ settled upon the Caleb Jones tract, east of Catherell, as a tenant of Houser's, in 1788, and made the first improvement there, old Mr. Eckley and Eli Eckley coming there in 1794. Joshua Dale also came there in 1794.
Robert Moore, in his deposition, taken in 1809, in the Banner and Honser suit, says that Nathaniel Adams cleared for Houser six acres of land where the old orchard now is (1809) in 1787, and that Houser built a cabin "near where the mill is since built" in the same year. "Connel also cleared .seven acres where Houser's house and barn now stands in 1790." He speaks also of Dennis Kennedy as a tenant of Houser's.
In 1788, Gen. James Potter erected a house upon the John McCoiiuel tract, where the village of Pot- ter's Mills now stands. The carpenter-work was done by John Barber, afterwards Esquire Barber. His bill for the carpenter-work is dated Aug. 6, 1788, amounting to fifty-three pounds. This was a large log-hewn house, many years afterwards used as a tavern. The merchant-mill and saw-mill were erected
by him in 1788-89, — Jacob Houser, millwright, John Barber, carpenter, — and were not quite completed at the general's death in the fall of 1789. Thomas May also worked on the mills in the summer of 1789.
March 19, 1789, Mifflin County was erected, taking from Northumberland County all of Upper Bald Eagle township to the mouth of Beech Creek ; thence by a straight line to Logan's Gap 1789. (Hecla) ) thence to the head of Penn's Creek ; thence down said creek to Sinking Creek, leaving George McCormick's (Spring Mills) in Northumber- land County; thence to the top of Jack's Mountain, at the Northumberland and Cumberland line. This boundary is indicated by a blue line on Howell's map of 1792, engraved for this history,
It went by the name of Bald Eagle until Centre County was erected, in 1800, when it resumed the name of Upper Bald Eagle, changed, however, to Spring in 1801. The following is a full list of its taxable inhabitants thus transferred to Mifflin County, taken from an assessment made March 30, 1789:
Adams, Nathaniel. Antes, Philip. Armstrong, Daniel. Arthurs, Thomas. .\skey, Thomas. Baker, John. Batliurst, Lawrence Boggs, Robert. Brown, John. Conkling, Joseph. Connel, Williaui. Connell.v, Isaac. Colvert, John. Grossman, William. Curry, John. Davis, Jonas. Delong, David. Belong, Jonathan. Dewitt, Bernard.
Eva
riuh.
Evans, David (on the Th<
Ferguson, Thomas. Gardner, John. Gunsalua, Emanuel. Gunsillus, Richard. Gunsalus, Samuel. Hamilton, Archibald. Hamilton, Hugh. Hamilton, James. Hamilton, John, Sr. Hamilton, John, Jr. Harbison, John. Helford, Christopher.
Holt, John. Houser, Jacob. Hunter, Andrew. Hunter, R..bert. Lamb, William. Lewis, Lewis. Lucas, Benedict. Lucas, Joseph. McCalmont, Hugh. McConnel, John. McCracken, James. McEwen, Francis. McEwen, Henry. McGec, John. Malone, Francis. Malone, Richard. Marsden, John, Sr, Marsden, John, Jr. Moore, Robert, liamsey, James. Reed, .lohn. Skidmoie, Joshua. Spear, Alexander. Story, John. Slratton, Lot. Swansey,Willi.im. Turner, John. Turner, Daniel. Wnril, Edward. Welch, Joseph. Williams, Capt. Joshua. Wilson, Thomas. Wilson, William.
CHAPTER XI.
ERECTION OF MIFFLIN COUNTY— LISTS OF INHAB- ITANTS—GEN. JAMES POTTER'S DEATH AND WILL.
When Mifllin County was erected, March 19, 1789, that portion of Potter township of Northumberland County bounded eastward by a line running from Nittany Mountain, southerly by the head of Penn's
JLAP OF THE TEHiaT(niy or CENTRE AM) CLINTON COUNTIES
ill 17*).:
■^ ■ .aii -
Attention Scanner: Foldout in Bookl
LIST OF INHABITANTS— GEN. JAMES POTTER'S DEATH AND WILL.
25
Creek and Spring Mills to the Seven Mountains, and westerly by a line from the end of Nittany Mountain to Tussey, had the following inhabitants:
Alender, Joseph. Konlle.v, Christoplier.
Aiiilerson, John. King, Francis.
Aniiro, Malcolm. King, WiMiiim (one slave).
Ajcre, Abraliuni. Livingston, Jiiniea.
B.'nn, Henry. BIcCasIion, James.
Cannon, James. McConnel, Elizabeth.
Carnahan, James. BtcEUiatlon, Alexander.
Carnalian, William. McFadden, James.
Colvert, John. McKim, Roliert.
Corser, Anthony. llcVickar, Duncan.
Corser, John. Maybury, John.
Deneen, J.inies. Mayes, Thomas.
Earnest. John. Mitchel, John.
Elson, Henry. Moore, Abel.
Elson, Teter. Moore, James.
Franipton, Kalhaniel. Moore, Joseph.
Gardner, James. Nelley, John.
Gilmore, John J. Noble, Robert.
Gliisgow, Saninel. Pennington, I^^aac (one slave). Gordon, Thomas (grist* and saw- Pennington, Robert,
mill). Pinckerton, Andrew.
Grefrg, Andrew. Pierce, Obediah.
Hasting.", Enoch. Potter, James.
Hastings, John. Ray, Robert.
Hendrickson, Cornelias. Reynolds, Adam.
Hnnter, Robert. Robertson, Anthony.
Huston, James. SandTord, .\braham.
Ingram, John. Sankey, Thomas.
Jack, Jacob. Sankey, William.
Johnston, Alexander. Thompson, Henry.
Johnston, James. Thompson, Thomas. Wilson, William.
.Tohnston, Richard. Jordan, Benjamin.
Benn, Thomas. Farmer, Williar Hastings, Thon,
Woods, George. Siitgh Men,
Hnnter, William McCashon, .John Monks, William
In that part of Potter township which remained in Korthumberland County (that is, from Spring Mills eastwardly) were the following inhabitants in 1789:
Livingston, John, Long, Daniel.
Allison, .Archibald. Biirtlow, Biirnett. Beamer, Adam. Black, Thomas. Conrad, John. Conser, Henry. Ertif, Valentine. Garret, John. Gast, Nicholas. Geistweil, John (single). Gibson, James. Hall, John. Hayes, James. Harper, Adam. Hazel, Jacob. Henney, Adam. Henney, Chri.stophor. Henney, Frederick. Henney, Hieronymna. Hess, Dewalt. Hess, Matthias. Hetzler, Balser. Hnbler, Jacob. Hnbler, John. Humlum, George. Huston, Paul. Jt-ssup, John. Kirk, Michael. Livingston, David. Livingston, Daniel.
Long, Michael. Loomis. Joseph. McCormick, George. McCorraick, John. McCormick, Robert. Martin, Alexander. Martin, W'illiam. Miller, David. Miller, Daniel. Miller, Henry. Miller, Jacob. Miller, John. BHller, Joseph. Miller, Martin. Moore, Daniel. Motz, John. Motz, Michael. Morrow, .\ndrew. Musser, Philip. Nees, Peter. Nees, Philip. Piatt, Abraham. Pickle, Thomas. Pontius, George. Preston, William. Ramsey, John. Ream, Al)raham. Beinhard, George.
Reldenbaugh, Henry. Stover, John.
Ross, Joseph. Ulse, Jacob.
Sheakle, Philip. Ulse, John.
Shaw, Thomas. Van Ostrand, George.
Shuck, John. Waldsmith, Chrlatiaa.
Small, Andrew, Watson, John.
Smith, James. Watt, John.
Stover. Adam. Weaver, David.
Stover, Frederick. Wolf, George. Stover, Jacob.
According to the statement of his granddaughter, Mr-s. Eliza Mitchell, still living in Bellefonte (1882), Gen. Potter was assisting in raising a barn on the farm now occupied by James Runkle, about two miles east of the old fort, on the south side of the turnpike, where he injured himself by lifting. This occurred in the fall of 1789. His will isdated October 27th, prob- ably made after the accident. Desiring better medical attendance than the valley afforded, he was placed on a cot in a wagon and taken to Franklin County, where he died in the latter part of November.
His will was proved at Lewistown on the 19th of December, Richard Johnston, William Munks, and William Carnaghan being the witnesses.
He owned twelve hundred acres of land in a body surrounding the Old Fort Hotel, which he willed to his son James, " his heirs and assigns forever," also the William Nesbit warrantee tract adjoining and below McGrew's mill (that is, below where the Red Mill now, 1882, stands), and one hundred acres of the John McConnell warrantee, to include the mill-seat and mills erected thereon, etc., his sword, riding fur- niture, his negro man Hero, and mulatto man Bob. To his daughter Elizabeth, wife of James Poe, of Franklin County, inter alia, six hundred acres of land lying immediately west and adjoining the " Manor." Mrs. Samuel Vau Tries, of Bellefonte, still owns her share of the estate thus devised by her grandfather, Gen. Potter, to her mother, Mrs. Poe.
Gen. Potter owned contiguous tracts of land in a continuous stretch from Earlytown down to within a mile of Spring Mills, varying in width from a mile to a mile and one-half wide, a distance of about seveu miles. The middle portion of this he willed inter alia to his daughter Martha, wife of Hon. Andrew Gregg, and the easterly portion, next to Spring Mills tract, to Mary Reynolds, wife of James Riddles. To Mrs. Gregg he gave his negro slave Daphne and Daphne's daughter Sal and son Bob. To his daughter Margaret, who afterwards married James Crouch, of Walnut Hills, Dauphin Co., inter alia, the Catherine Potter warrantee tract southeast of Linden Hall, on which Abraham Staudford then lived, and where he had given ground for a burying-ground and for a church for the West Penn's Valley Presbyterian Church. Mrs. W. W. Potter's (1882) farm is part of this tract. Mr. Crouch sold it without any reservation, and the bury- ing-ground had to be bought back for fifty dollars, the church site being removed to Slab-Cabin.
Gen. Potter also made liberal bequests to his brother Samuel and sister, and to his namesakes,
26
HISTORY OF CENTRE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
James Potter Jordan, son of Thomas Jordan, Jaraes Potter Murray, son of James Murray, James Potter Beard, son of his sister, Mary Beard, and provided for the continuance of his subscription for the sup- port of a minister in the West Penn's Valley Church for six years after his death.
He also provided in his will for the removal of the bodies of his mother and his son John, who died at Middle Creek (some distance west of Middleburg, Snyder Co., where he resided for some years after 1778), to the Staudford burying-ground, above alluded to, and erecting tombstones over their graves. The bodies, however, were never removed, and sleep in un- known graves hard by the banks of Middle Creek. The provision for marking his own grave was also neglected, and no one to-day can point out the grave of this brave Revolutionary general among those of the slumberers in Brown Mills graveyard in Franklin County.
It appears by this will that Gen. Potter owned at his death six thousand and seventy acres of the best land in Penn's valley, beside land in the Kishacoquil- las valley, a thousand acres of land given him by the State on the Sinnemahoning, and in company with Timothy Pickering a residue of over fifteen thousand acres in the northwestern portion of Pennsylvania. One peculiarity of the will is that he gives his son James one-half more than each of his daughters, and provides that when the Pickering lands are divided James is to draw two shares and each of the daughters one.
David Whitehill, Esq., came to Spring Creek in 1789, according to his own statement in the Benner vs. Houser suit.
The election for member of the Constitutional Convention of 1789-90 for Mifflin County was held for the townships of Bald Eagle and Potter at the house of Enoch Hastings, and Thomas Beale, of Mifflin County, was chosen. Northumberland County was represented by Simon Snyder (afterwards Governor) and Charles Smith. The Constitution of 1790 was adopted by the convention on the 2d of September, 1790.
At February sessions of 1790 of the Quarter Ses- sions of Northumberland County, Abraham Piatt pre-