Stonycreek Township

Byadmin

Sep 14, 2015

<center>HISTORY OF THE TOWNSHIP</center>
Stony Creek was organized as a township of Bedford county in 1792 out of a part of Quemahoning Township and named for the large stream that crosses it. It was the last of the six townships of what is now Somerset County formed by the Bedford County courts. When it was created, it was a large township and included nearly one-sixth of the present area of Somerset County. It lost a large part of its area when Shade township was created.

Among the earliest settlers of this township were Michael Groff, John Lambert, Christian Shank, John Yoder, John Rhoads (Germans or of German descent), James Ross (a Scotchman), John Musser, Abraham Miller, Christian Yoder, Jacob Kimmel and others. Probably the first permanent settler was George Michael Groff, in 1760. He came from Berks county, and settled one mile north of Shanksville, on the place now owned by John Mosholder. He was a hunter and fisherman, and is said to have purchased his land from the Indians, paying for it in furs. Many of his descendants are still living in the county.

The first gristmill in this township was built in 1798, at Shanksville, by Christian Shank. The original structure burned in 1830, and Jacob Shank erected another on its site the same year. Christian Shank erected a woolenmill about the same time that he built the gristmill, and to it the early settler’s for miles around resorted for carding and cloth-dressing. At present (1884) the only woolen-factory in the township is operated by J. B. Hill on Calender creek.

The first store was started by Augustus Coffroth, about 1820, on land now owned by Henry Glessner, one mile southeast of Shanksville. The first hotel was kept by Mr. Black, the grandfather of Judge Black, on Glade Pike. The first distillery was built by Caspar Keller, prior to 1800. It is now the only one operated in the township. At one time there were twenty-five in the township, and, as may be inferred, whisky drinking was very general.

George Mostoller, son of John Mostoller of Somerset Township, was born in 1803 and died in Stony Creek in 1872. He was a cabinetmaker by trade. He married Elizabeth Shank, who bore one son, Edward G. Mr. E.G. Mostoller follows farming, and also owns and operates a sawmill.

The most eminent man ever born in Somerset county was <a href=”http://www.pa-roots.org/data/read.php?720,511012,511012#msg-511012″>Hon. Jeremiah S. Black</a>. He was born in Stony Creek township, in 1810, and died at York, Pennsylvania, in 1883. His father was Hon. Henry Black, who was born, lived and died on the same farm. Henry Black was elected four times as a member of the Pennsylvania house of representatives, served twenty years as associate judge of Somerset county, and died while a member of congress, in 1842.

The oldest man in Stony Creek (in 1884) is John Mosgrave, who came to the township in 1826, He was born in Westmoreland county, in 1795, and for many years was a wagoner on the Pittsburgh and Bedford turnpike

The area of Stonycreek Township is 40,045 acres. In 1930 it contained 202 farms and had a population of 1,565 persons.

<center>AREA LORE</center>
<a href=”articles.php?article_id=292″>The Price of Flour</a>

<center>BIOGRAPHIES</center>
<a href=”http://www.pa-roots.org/data/read.php?720,363780,363780#msg-363780″>George Baltzer</a> — <a href=”http://www.pa-roots.org/data/read.php?720,605927″>Christian Brant</a> — <a href=”http://www.pa-roots.org/data/read.php?720,363851,363851#msg-363851″>John Coleman</a> — <a href=”http://www.pa-roots.org/data/read.php?720,363680,363680#msg-363680″>Jonathan Kimmel</a> — <a href=”http://www.pa-roots.org/data/read.php?720,363845,363845#msg-363845″>Jacob Kimmel</a> — <a href=”http://www.pa-roots.org/data/read.php?720,608455″>Lambert Family</a> 
<a href=”http://www.pa-roots.org/data/read.php?720,363849,363849#msg-363849″>Nicholas Long — <a href=”http://www.pa-roots.org/data/read.php?720,363841,363841#msg-363841″>John Musser</a> — <a href=”http://www.pa-roots.org/data/read.php?720,363923,363923#msg-363923″>Charles Shank</a> — </a><a href=”http://www.pa-roots.org/data/read.php?720,608560″>Christian Shank</a> — <a href=”http://www.pa-roots.org/data/read.php?720,608558″>Joseph Speicher</a> — <a href=”http://www.pa-roots.org/data/read.php?720,363688,363688#msg-363688″>Alexander Walker</a> 
<a href=”http://www.pa-roots.org/data/read.php?720,363683,363683#msg-363683″>Jacob Walker</a> — <a href=”http://www.pa-roots.org/data/read.php?720,605873″>Josiah J. Walker</a> — <a href=”http://www.pa-roots.org/data/read.php?720,363853,363853#msg-363853″>John Weigle</a>

<center>CHURCHES</center>
<a href=”articles.php?article_id=288″>Glade Reformed</a> — <a href=”articles.php?article_id=285″>Shanksville Reformed</a> — <a href=”articles.php?article_id=284″>St. John\’s Reformed & Lutheran</a> — <a href=”articles.php?article_id=286″>St. Matthew\’s Evangelical Lutheran</a> 
<a href=”articles.php?article_id=289″>Trinity Evangelical Lutheran</a> 
The Brethren’s Home church was organized in 1880 by Henry R. Holsinger, with ten members. The deacons were: Josiah Kimmel, J. J. Kimmel, J. G. Kimmel and William Walker. Joseph L. Kimmel was the first minister, and still continues in charge. The meeting-house was erected in 1880, at a cost of one thousand dollars. The church has eighty members and is out of debt. There are fifty-five pupils in the sabbath school.

St. Mary\’s Reformed & Lutheran, the first church built in the township, was in the east of the township. The early preachers were the same as for the other early churches of this denomination. A house of worship was erected by the St. Mary’s congregation about 1820.

Stony Creek Evangelical Lutheran church, a part of the Berlin charge, dates back about to 1820. This congregation worships in a union church with the Reformed congregation. Very little can be ascertained concerning the early history. For list of pastors, see history of the Berlin Lutheran church. The present membership of the church and sabbath school is one hundred and twenty-five.

United Brethren union church at Shanksville was built in 1857 at a cost of five hundred dollars. It was organized by Daniel Shank in 1845. The original members were Daniel Spangler, Perry Spangler, Jefferson Spangler, Franklin Spangler, Christian Shank and their wives. The first pastor was Jacob Ressler. The present membership of the church is one hundred and twenty-five. The sabbath school has one hundred pupils.

<center>TAX LISTS</center>
<a href=”articles.php?article_id=281″>1796 (Part 1)</a> — <a href=”articles.php?article_id=282″>1796 (Part 2)</a> — <a href=”articles.php?article_id=283″>1798</a>

<center>TOWNS & VILLAGES</center>
<a href=”articles.php?article_id=291″>Shanksville</a>

Downey is a small hamlet in the southeastern part of the township. It was laid out on the Jacob Kimmel farm during the construction of the South Pennsylvania Railroad grade in 1884.

Lambertsville, a smal town in the northwestern part of the township, was founded by Abraham Lambert in 1855. Lambertsville postoffice was established in 1881 and James Lambert, son of Abraham, became the first postmaster. The postoffice has since become discontinued.

Roxbury (Stonycreek) is a small village on the boundary between Stonycreek and Brothersvalley Townships. It was a tavern stand on the Old Glades Road. This road was later improved under the name of the Somerset and Bedford Turnpike.