<center><strong>HISTORY OF THE TOWNSHIP</strong></center>
Ogle township was formed in 1886 from the eastern part of Paint township and named for Alexander Ogle. It was mostly dense forest and when the first assessment was made in 1886, it had 618 acres of cleared land and only thirty property holders.
The first and only industry in a region such as this would by necessity be lumbering. The first attempt along this line was made at the old Ashtola mills, about 1848, by George D. Wolf, D. B. Ernst and others. After eight or ten years, it was abandoned. In 1901 the old Ashtola plant passed into the hands of the E. V. Babcock Lumber Company, as did many thousands of acres of other timberlands. Three large sawmills were put in operation, making it one of the largest lumber plants in the county. The population increased rapidly for a few years but when the timber was exhausted, it also decreased just as rapidly.
Some of the first settlers of this township were Emanuel Seese, Philip Mock, Benjamin Berkey, Isaac Horner, Jonas Wirick, Reuben Wirick, Emanuel Webb, Samuel Ripple, Emanuel Mock, John Rodgers, Amos Whittaker, J. L. Baumgardner, Amos Parker and Henry Younker.
A Federal Cooperative Fish Hatchery was established at Ogletown on the head waters of Clear Shade Creek in 1927 by the Windber Sportsmen\’s Association under the general direction of the United States Bureau of Fisheries.
The two postoffices in the township in 1906 were Felix and Arrow. The principal villages in 1930 were Ogletown and Ashtola.
The area of Ogle Township is 18,807 acres or about twenty-nine and one-half square miles. In 1930 it contained five farms and had a population of 196 persons. It was the most sparsely settled township in Somerset County with the least population at that time.
<center><strong>CEMETERIES</strong></center>
Bretheran Church Cemetery — <a href=”articles.php?article_id=189″><u>Mt. Carmel Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery</u></a> — <a href=”http://www.pa-roots.org/data/read.php?722,580572″><u>Whitaker Graveyard</u></a>
<center><strong>TOWNS & VILLAGES</strong></center>
<center><strong>Ogletown</strong></center>Ogletown is a small village in the eastern part of the township. It was formerly called Felix Postoffice. Conrad Seese was the first postmaster of Felix. Ogletown postoffice was established a few years ago (before 1932), and J. L. Baumgardner became its first postmaster.
<center><strong>Ashtola</strong></center>Ashtola is a small village in the western part of the township. It was laid out by the E. V. Babcock Lumber Company in 1901. Ashtola later became a mining town that is nearly deserted at present (1932).
Mt. Carmel Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery
Situated at the Mt. Carmel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Ogletown, Ogle Township, Somerset County, PA. Cemetery is back of the church.
CUSTER, Leroy – s/o J. G. & A., b. Feb. 22, d. May 7, 1903
SEESE, Samuel J. – b. Nov. 10, 1828, d. August 20, 1918, G.A.R.
SEESE, Rachel – wife (Samuel J.) b. May 23, 1830, d. March 14, 1910
SEESE, Charles – (brother) b. Nov. 3, 1886, d. Nov. 16, 1915
CUSTER, Nettie F. – d/o H. & M. S., b. June 20, 1908, d. July 12, 1908
THOMAS, Ida H. 1900-1929
ORRIS, Elizabeth – b. Aug. 16, 1893, d. March 20, 1906
2 graves in lot marked with initial M. in cornerstones.
6 graves marked with field stones.
1 child\’s grave, not inscribed.
Total of 16 graves.
(WPA – CWA)
1798 Turkeyfoot Tax List
The following persons, named on the Turkey-Foot tax-list for 1798, pursued other occupations than farming:
Jos. Beggs, weaver
Jas. Conner, tailor
Oliver Dake, gristmill and sawmill
Peter Everly, blacksmith
Henry Hartzell, sawmill
Thos. Huff, Sr., cooper
Geo. Heinbaugh, weaver
Geo. Isemenger, wheelwright
Jno. Jones, gristmill and sawmill
Geo. Camp, Sr., smithshop and sawmill
David King, gristmill
Jno. King, tanner
John Keever, blacksmith
Jas. Love, weaver
Jas. McMillen, Sr., weaver
Peter Marks, shoemaker
John McLean, surveyor
Dan. McCarter, sawmill
Jac. Nave, cooper
Peter Penrod, mason
Geo. Pringey, weaver
Rich. Pinkerton, shoemaker
Tobias Reams, tailor
Henry Rush, smith
John Smith, joiner
Jona. Woodside, wheelwright
John Youman, schoolmaster
Sam. McLean, blacksmith
Mich. Bruner, tanner
Robt. Cockerton, schoolmaster
Jas. Jones, blacksmith
(History of Bedford, Somerset & Fulton Counties, PA; 1884)
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