Chapter 11
Pine (Including Boggs)
Part 1
Pine township derived its name from Pine creek, which flows westwardly through the territory which it formerly embraced. Pine creek in the Delaware language is Cuwen-hanne, i. e., pine-stream�a stream flowing through pine-lands.
A petition of divers inhabitants of Kittanning township was presented to the court of quarter sessions of this county, December 25, 1835, setting forth that their township was entirely too large for their convenience, as some of them were compelled to travel from ten to fourteen miles to transact township business, and praying for a new township to be called "Pine Creek," to consist of the upper part of Kittanning township. Thomas Barr, Joseph Lowry and John Calhoun were appointed viewers, whose report, favoring the prayer of the petitioners was read March 22, and confirmed June 20, 1836, and "Pine Creek township" was organized with the following boundaries: "By a line commencing at the place where the purchase line crosses the line of the township of Kittanning at the corner of Wayne township�now the southeast corner of Valley township�"thence by said township to Mahoning creek; thence down said creek and the Allegheny river to the borough of Kittanning; thence by the same to the said purchase line," i. e., along the northwestern and southeastern boundaries of the borough; "and thence by said purchase line to the beginning, about equally dividing Kittanning township." Although "Pine Creek" is the legal name of this township, as prayed for by the petitioners and specified in the report of the viewers, which was confirmed by the court, the latter part of the name appears to have been early dropped. On the title-page of the Kittanning township duplicate for 1887 is its full name, "Pine Creek Township," but in the next and the subsequent separate duplicates it is simply "Pine Township," and such it has ever since been called. It was shorn, nineteen years after its organization, of about half its territory by the erection of Valley township. The present sketch of it is limited to that part of its original territory between Pine and Mahoning creeks.(1)
At the northwestern corner of this township is the junction of the Mahoning creek with the Allegheny river. The original name of this stream was Mo-hul-buc-tee-tam, or Mo-hul-buc-ti-ton, or more properly Mackol pakiton. When and why the change occurred is not known. The etymology of the original name is, A-moo-chool, a canoe, and pakiton, to throw away, the entire word meaning, where we abandon our canoes�at the head of navigation�where the stream will no more admit of navigating it.(2) James White, of this township, in his eighty-fifth year related to the writer that Samuel Calhoun and Jeremiah Lochery were out hunting along this stream in early times, when the latter was shot in the shoulder by some Indian, who, with others, was also hunting there.
A glance at the historical map of Pennsylvania shows that the Indian path from Le B�uf�now Waterford�through what is now the southern part of Erie county, across and down French creek, and down the left bank of the Allegheny, terminated here, on the northern side of the creek. Hence it may be reasonably, at least not violently, presumed that this was one of the points where the Indians left their canoes, perhaps moored them to the second bank which has been washed away, and proceeded on hunting expeditions up this stream. Here, too, the English and French traders may have bartered beads, trinkets and other commodities to the Indians for their more valuable pelts, furs and other articles. This may possibly have anciently been a busy mart for that kind of commerce.
In this corner of this township is the minor portion of an original tract called "Springfield." Covered by a warrant to John Elliott, No. 3619, dated January 5, 1793. Elliott conveyed it to Archibald McCall February 24, 1795, to whom the patent was granted March 4. McCall conveyed it to Robert Orr March 3, 1835. This point was formerly called the mouth of Mahoning. The Orrsville postoffice was established here in May, 1838, and Anson Pinney was appointed postmaster. Among his successors were Joseph A. Knox and Thomas Meredith. This place was thereafter called Orrsville, so named after the owner of the land on which the town is built. Charles B. Schotte was employed by the owner of "Springfield" to build a hotel�the first frame structure erected here�in 1836, which he completed the next year, and which was successively kept by him, Pinney, William Templeton, Chambers Orr, John Wallace and others. Schotte remembers that before its erection there was not a vestige of another building within the limits of Orrsville. About an acre of ground, on which is the site of that hotel, had the appearance of having been cleared years before. He also built for the proprietor the warehouse at the south side of the mouth of the creek, which was extended out somewhat over the bank of the river for the purpose of conveniently receiving such freight as might be landed here from the steamboats. James McCullough, Sr., of Kittanning remembers having seen a log cabin here when he first descended the Allegheny in 1820, and Jonathan E. Meredith also remembers having seen several of the same kind, possibly fisherman�s huts, when he passed here in 1827. The only other building along the river for nearly a mile below the mouth of Mahoning was a log one in which Hetty Brice sold whiskey�some of its imbibers say it was good whiskey�without suffering the penalty of selling it without license, to some of the residents in this section and to travelers along the road from Kittanning to Olean, after it was laid out in pursuance of the act of assembly March 23, 1819.
Although Orrsville is at the junction of two important streams, it was more tardily settled than some other parts of this township. It ought naturally to have been a stopping-place for rafts in the early times of the lumber trade, for the raftsmen were provided on both sides of the Mahoning. It became a prominent point for landing and storing freight for the upper parts of Armstrong and portions of Clarion and Jefferson counties, and continued to be until the completion of the low grade division of the Allegheny Valley railroad.
Next south of "Springfield" was a vacant tract, the upper end of which extended from the river back to the hill, containing 350 acres, according to the ancient map of original tracts, to which Peter Brice, a colored man, acquired title by improvement, and for which a patent was granted to him July 3, 1848. He conveyed the portion of it at Templeton Station and the mouth of Whiskey run to John Brice August 1, 1852, who conveyed ten acres of it to Robert Thompson September 9, 1853, for $65.
Abraham Parkinson settled where Templeton Station now is in 1803, and was assessed with 400 acres, which he abandoned.
Peter Brice settled on the hill part of this tract in the spring of 1804. There were then but very few white settlers within a circuit of several miles. His was the only colored family here for years. The present number of colored people here and hereabouts is sixty-five.
A half century or more ago Peter Brice�s children found a pair of pothooks, having a hinge, about four feet below the surface, near Parkinson�s, which for some years has been called Whisky run, where the Templeton Station now is. This run was known as Parkinson�s until after Ore Hill Furnace went into operation, when its employ�s and others residing in the valley of this run used whisky so freely that it was suggested the name should be changed to Whisky run and Whisky Hollow.
Next south and west of the Brice tract, between the principal portion of it and the river, was the William Elliott tract, No. 21, May 17, 1785, surveyed June 18, called "Mahoning Old Town Bottom," 211 acres, according to the original survey. It, however, like nearly every original tract, contained a surplus. "The surveying fees paid November 8, 1787, per Wm. Elliott �2, carried to the credit of J. B. McLean," as one-half of this tract was then in his district. This entire tract passed under the hammer of the sheriff of Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, to Charles Smith, November 26, 1789. He conveyed it, September 1, 1790, to William West, and he, July 8, 1793, to Robert Elliott, who died intestate, leaving ten children, three of whom died intestate and without issue, and one intestate, leaving a widow and two sons. And yet William Elliott conveyed it to Richard Childerston December 16, 1797, who conveyed it to Right Elliott, and he, January 8, 1810, to David Lauson for $800. Robert Orr, Jr., of Sugar Creek township, this county, April 16, 1818, purchased from William Elliott, one of Robert Elliott�s sons, of the town of Sandwich, in the province of Upper Canada, his undivided share of this tract for $233 1/3, and at other times from other heirs their interests, amounting in all to six-sevenths of the tract. The other seventh was purchased by James E. Brown, who conveyed it to Chambers Orr June 2, 1848, for $840. Robert and Chambers Orr conveyed it, as containing 299 acres, to Philip Templeton February 24, 1852, for $7,500. He conveyed 10,920 square feet of it to Robert Thompson October 25, 1865, for $500, and 106 acres and 72 perches to William Phillips, then president of the Allegheny Valley Railroad Company, December 1, 1869, for $25,548, subject to the right of way of that road, which passed by sheriff�s deed, dated September 6, 1876, to James Mosgrove for $11,171.57. "Mahoning T." on Reading Howell�s map of 1792 and "I. T." for Indian Town on the Historical Map of Pennsylvania, were on this Elliott tract. It was a Seneca or Cornplanter town. It is not known when it was founded�probably before 1790. When Peter Brice came here in 1804 it consisted of about thirty huts and one hundred and fifty people. The Indians engaged in hunting and fishing and the squaws raised the corn, which they kept in a hole about four feet deep in the ground, shaped like an earthen dish. They were friendly to Brice and his family. The friendship was mutual, not only between those who lived there, but others from the upper Allegheny who sometimes stopped here. A party of the latter reached here on an autumn day, between 1804 and 1810. After drawing their canoes out on dry land and partaking of Brice�s hospitality they proceeded to the hills back from the river, where they spent several days in hunting, and returned laden with game. The river having risen in the meantime their canoes would have been swept down stream if Brice had not secured them. When those Indians became cognizant of the facts, and especially the kindness of Brice, they expressed their gratification by dancing, singing and shouting. In those times bears, deer, wolves, panthers and wild turkeys were abundant along and back from the river. When Brice was farming a portion of the river bottom below Whisky run, fifty odd years ago, he found many large blue, red and white beads, flint darts six inches long, little tomahawks with round poles, and pieces of wire five or six inches long filled with scalps of wild ducks.
William Templeton was assessed with and of course occupied this tract from 1824 until 1841, with the exception that Jacob Starr was assessed with seventy acres of it from 1827 until 1830, and John Toy with the same from then until 1841. During Templeton�s occupancy he was assessed with a distillery from 1826 until 1830, which was located where the water-tank of the A. W. railroad now is. The house in which he lived was in the lower part of the tract, where it is widest, between the river and the curve in the railroad, in front of which swung for several years the sign of the Green Tree, painted by James McCullough, Sr., on the 7th of April, 1828, which indicates that he kept there a public house, though not assessed as an innkeeper. Chambers and Robert Orr resided several years on this part of the tract after Templeton removed to the mouth of Mahoning. Starr and Toy, who successively lived on the upper portion, appear to have been the only other occupants of this tract for many years.
Another William Elliott tract, warrant No. 633, 127� acres, its shape a rectangular parallelogram, extended lengthwise from northeast to southeast. Its northeastern end apparently interfered with the Samuel Wallace tract No. 4149, or the latter with it. The rest of it was adjoined by the Brice tract, or vacancy, and the James Calhoun improvement. It was first noted on the assessment list of Kittanning township as seated in 1810. Peter Brice was first assessed with it in 1811, that being the first year in which he continued to be assessed until1846, and thereafter with a larger portion of it.
Adjoining that tract on the southwest and southeast was James Calhoun�s improvement, 400 acres, as seen on the map of original tracts. His name appears on the Toby township duplicate for 1806�assessed as a weaver, and with 197 acres, rated at $1 per acre, one horse, and one head of cattle, $227. His name does not thereafter appear on the duplicate for either Toby or Kittanning township.
A patent was granted to James Cochran for that Calhoun tract as containing 480 acres and 162 perches, October 9, 1833. Wm. Lowry was assessed with a tanyard on it in 1837-8. Cochran conveyed fifty acres of it, May 9, 1845, to James Cochran, Eathen Chilcott, A. P. Moderwell and Francis Dobbs, for $500. They, by article of agreement, July 26, entered into a copartnership, under the name and style of "Cochran, Dobbs & Co., for the purposes of erecting a blast furnace and manufacturing pig metal on that fifty-acre tract, which Cochran put in as his share of the capital stock. That copartnership was brief, for its members conveyed these fifty acres to William and Riobert McCutcheon, of Pittsburgh, November 21, 1845, for $1,200. Ore Hill Furnace was erected thereon that year. It was eight and a half feet across the bosh, and its stack was thirty-four feet high. It made 1,525 tons of mottle iron in forty-one weeks, in 1856, out of limestone carbonate ore obtained from two miles above it along both sides of the river and from both sides of Whisky Hollow. The McCutcheons were its proprietors while it was in blast, and Jesse Bell was, the greater part of the time, its manager. It went out of blast in the spring of 1857 for the want of wood. William, who survived Robert McCutcheon, conveyed 48 acres and 157 perches of the furnace tract, and 66 acres and 138 perches of the tract which they had purchased from Peter P. Brice, aggregating 115 acres and 135 perches, to John B. Finlay, May 1, 1865, for $2000, and which the latter conveyed to James E. Brown, November 15, 1866, for $10,000.
The lower portion of the land embraced in the patent to Cochran became vested in Samuel Hutchinson in his lifetime, on which is "Barton Bend House," now owned by William Hutchinson. Other portions, on the hill, belong to Cochran�s heirs.
Adjoining that Calhoun improvement or Cochran tract, on the west and south, was a regularly-shaped one whose western line extended from a point a few rods above the sharp bend in the river to a point about thirty rods below the mouth of Pine creek, covered by warrant No. 160 to Lieut.-Col. Stephen Bayard. It became vested in William Turnbull, of Philadelphia, who was one of the liberal patriots who gave their bonds,(3) payable in gold and silver, for procuring provisions for the American army at a critical period in our revolutionary struggle. Some time before the Indian war of 1790, as related to the writer by James White, then in his eighty-fifth year, Turnbull built a sawmill near the mouth of Pine creek, from which some spies took all the irons and hid them in the woods along the little stream.
It is related that a man by the name of Mawmy was associated with Turnbull�perhaps as millwright�in building that mill.
About the 1st of June, 1794, a party of Indians with hostile intent were here, for Gen. William Jack, in his letter of the 6th, to Gov. Mifflin, wrote that he had just received a letter from Col. Charles Campbell, informing him that the spies had discovered a large trail of Indians "on Pine creek above the Kittanning," who appeared by their tracks to be advancing toward the settlement. It was on the face of the hill on this tract that a scouting party from the blockhouse near Fort Run discovered and killed two of the Indians, who, as they believed, had decoyed and shot the three scouts mentioned in the sketch of the Manor. James White related to the writer that John Harbirm, about 1811, shot an Indian, offensive at least to him, as he was mending his moccasin on a beam in the mill, a short distance above the mouth of Pine creek.
Turnbull, September 7, 1806, conveyed this tract, 548� acres, called "Pine Grove," "situate on the Allegheny river, at the mouth of Pine run, including the forks of said run," and another tract in what is now Valley township, about 307 acres, to William Peart, Sr., of Oxford township, Philadelphia county, Pennsylvania, for $4,000.
Peart built a sawmill near the mouth of Pine creek in 1807, with which he was first assessed the next year, and subsequently a gristmill, with one run of stone, on the south side of the creek in what is now Valley township, with which he was first assessed in 1810. This tract was on the unseated list for the last time in that year. Two or three years later he erected another gristmill still higher up and on the south side of that stream, which was swept away by a heavy flood before it was quite completed. Some of the stones of considerable size in the masonry of that mill were carried several hundred yards below by the force of that flood, where they were visible on a small flat many years afterward. William Peart, Sr., conveyed 300 acres and 80 perches of the northern part of "Pine Grove," to William L. Peart, Jr., November 16, 1821, for $1, and agreed, July 30, 1828, to convey another parcel thereof, containing 248 acres, to William L. Peart, which agreement was consummated after his death by his widow, Susan Peart, executing a proper deed, October 3, 1832. Walter Sloan, who was first lieutenant of Capt. James Alexander�s company in the war of 1812,(4) and William L. Peart entered into an article of agreement April 2, 1830, for the sale and purchase of the latter�s grist and saw mill, with which Benjamin Peart was first assessed in 1825, a cabin house, barn, and 200 acres in the southeastern part of "Pine Grove," five acres of which were then cleared, for $800, of which Sloan was to pay $100 in hand, and the residue in seven equal annual installments. Peart having died without executing a deed therefor, and Sloan having complied with his part of the contract, proceedings were instituted for the specific performance of that contract on the part of Peart�s administrator, the result of which was a decree by the orphan�s court of this county, directing its specific performance, and that the administrator, Robert E. Brown, "make, execute, acknowledge and deliver a sufficient deed" to Sloan. These mills, assessed to Sloan in and after 1830, and since known as "Sloan�s Mills," are situated a short distance below the junction of the north fork with Pine creek.
Peart�s eddy is in the northwestern part of "Pine Grove," where the Peart�s Eddy postoffice was established July 13, 1868, Levi G. Peart, postmaster, and changed to Brattonville, December 8,1870. In the northeastern part of "Pine Grove," and adjoining the 200 acres purchased by Sloan on the northwest, are the farms of John and Montgomery Patton, 201 acres and 39 perches, being purpart C, in the partition of William L. Peart�s real estate, which his administrator, Robert E. Brown, conveyed to them, June 24, 1850, for $1,207.46 �. Bordering on the river below the eddy is a considerable body of land belonging to Samuel M. Peart. William L. Peart�s executor conveyed 55 acres to Sharon M. Quigley, April 1, 1851, for $500. The latter conveyed three acres and fifty-two perches of the lower part of his land to George W. Wilkins, of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, August 1,1871, for $2,162.50, one-third of which the latter conveyed to Columbus Bell, December 23, for $1,666.66, to which has been given the name of "Bellview," on which Wilkins & Bell erected their sawmill in August, 1871, which was ready to be run in April, 1872, and was worked that year almost exclusively for the Allegheny Valley Railroad company, affording employment to seven or eight men. The planing mill, storehouse, and six tenant houses were erected in the next winter. The barge-yard was finished the next spring. About two-thirds of the next summer were occupied in sawing for the Allegheny Valley Railroad company, and in building, besides, eight barges, employing twenty men. The number of boats and barges built and of men employed gradually increased till 1876, when thirty-two boats and barges were built, 1,000,000 feet of other lumber cut, and thirty men employed. These works now consist of saw, lath, shingle and planing mills, and a box-factory.
Between Bellevue and the mouth of Pine creek is a small tract of about five acres, which Quigley conveyed to Hugh R. Rutherford, of Indiana county, Pennsylvania, July 2, 1860, for $400, which he conveyed to James B. Walker four days thereafter for $500. The latter leased this small tract December 8, 1875, to the Midland Oil Mining Association, who were to have the exclusive right "for fifty years to bore, explore, dig for, gather, collect, manufacture, own, remove, transport in any manner, oil, gas and water," and certain other privileges necessary for prosecuting the object of the lease, and for which they were to pay the lessor one-tenth part of the proceeds of all sales at the prices realized on the premises of all the oil which might be obtained, or to deliver to him one-tenth of the oil obtained. There are various other stipulations in the lease which it is not necessary here to mention. The association, under the superintendence of J. B. Brundred, one of its managers, commenced drilling a well in March, 1876, and prosecuted the work to the depth of 1,700 feet without obtaining oil, at an expenditure of $8000, and then abandoned this territory. A considerable vein of gas was struck at the depth of 1,060 feet. Much delay and expense were occasioned by the sticking of tools and other accidents incident to drilling such wells. The association consisted of number of capitalists who seemed determined to thoroughly test the territory of the regions or districts in which they obtained their leases. They took thirty other similar leases of varying quantities of land in this township, forty in Mahoning and Red Bank townships, in a northeasterly direction from this well, and eleven in Perry township and in or near Parker City, and others in other counties. Another subdivision of "Pine Grove" is a tract containing 62 acres and 152 perches and allowance, being allotment D in the partition of the real estate of William Peach, which his administrator, Robert E. Brown, conveyed to James E. Brown March 22, 1851, for $661.70. This purpart is traversed by Pine creek, the major portion being on its north side. It is now assessed to Brown & Mosgrove. James A. Lowrey opened a store near the mouth of Pine creek in 1852, The first Brattonville postoffice, James A. Lowrey, postmaster, was established here in the autumn of 1852, so named after Miss Jane Bratton Brown, daughter of the vendee of this purpart. It was removed to the "Barton Bend House," on the Hutchinson land, in 1855, and was discontinued in 1857.
The Pine Creek Station on the Allegheny Valley railroad, which was extended to this point in the winter of 1866, and the junction of Brown & Mosgrove�s narrow guage railroad are in the northwestern part of the purpart. The Peart�s Eddy postoffice was removed hither and the second Brattonville one was established December 8, 1870, James Hull being the first and present postmaster.
Adjoining the southeastern portion of "Pine Grove" was an eighty-acre tract on Lawson & Orr�s map of original tracts, in the shape of a rectangular parallelogram; and another adjoining the latter on the east, in the shape of a trapezoid, containing 220 acres, both designated as Samuel Calhoun�s. The latter was called "Amherst," the warrant for which, No. 3831, was granted to Charles Campbell April 22, 1793, and the patent July 15, 1795. Campbell conveyed it to Calhoun March 28, 1816, for $1,000. The minor portion of it was in what is now called Valley township. Calhoun was assessed with it in 1806 on the Toby township list, and with one horse, at a total valuation of $165. His name appears on the assessment list of Kittanning township for the last time in 1827. He left a widow, who was assessed with it in 1828, and three children, James T. Calhoun, who was first assessed with it in 1829, Eleanor M. Calhoun and Mary Calhoun, intermarried with Tate Allison. Mrs. Allison and her husband conveyed their interest therein to James T. Calhoun July 11, 1839, for $119.66 2/3. James McCauley was first assessed with 102 acres of it in 1857, which he still occupies. James T. Calhoun, Eleanor M. Walker, Tate and Mary Allison conveyed 40 acres and 113 perches to Alexander McAllister February 23, 1864, for $60, which the latter conveyed to Brown & Mosgrove April 14, for $1,000. Other portions of those Calhoun tracts became vested in Robert Orr by patent dated August 9, 1842.
Next east of "Amherst" was a tract covered by a warrant to John Nicholson, No. 1152, dated April 20, 1792, containing 1,100 acres, called "Mexico," which Nicholson conveyed to Gen. Alexander Craig February 11, 1794. Craig conveyed it to Robert Walker, February 9, 1812, for $800. About one-fifth of ""Mexico" was in what is now called Valley township. It appears in the Lawson & Orr map as the Walker & White tract. Walker settled on it in 1800; his brothers Abraham and James, then or soon after; and David White in 1803. They came to this "Mexico"" in the wilderness from that part of Westmoreland near where Shelocta now stands, in Indiana county, Pennsylvania. Robert Walker was first assessed with a distillery in 1808, which he had started the year before. It was situated on a small run about midway between the present roads from Kittanning and Pine Creek Furnace, and about seventy-five rods north of the present Valley township line. James Walker was assessed with it in 1820 and a few years afterward.
The first schoolhouse erected within the present limits of Pine township was built of round logs, and was situated about ten rods below the head branches of White�s run, at or near the center of "Mexico" or "the Walker settlement," in which Wright or Right Elliott was the first teacher, having taught reading, writing and a little of arithmetic to ten or twelve scholars there between 1805 and 1811. The second schoolhouse within the limits of this township was on the Samuel Wallace tract, No. 4148, about two miles a little north of east from the mouth of Pine creek, on land now owned by John Leinweber, in which the first teacher was David White, Sr. His scholars numbered about twenty-five, some of whom came from the west side of the Allegheny river. His immediate successors were William White and David Hull. One of the first schoolhouses under the common school law was a log one on or near the site of the first one, which continued to be used until the present one was erected, about 275 rods northeast of it.
Religious services were held for some years in private houses, barns, and, in pleasant weather, in the woods. The Associate Reformed church (commonly called Seceder) was organized probably about 1826, by Rev. John Dickey. It was dependent for many years on supplies. Its first pastor was Rev. John Hindman, whose pastorate continued from April 29 1840, until May 19, 1853. Its second pastor was Rev. David K. Duff, whose pastorate continued from some time in June, 1856, until the summer of 1870. Since then the congregation has depended on supplies. Each of those pastors gave this church half his time. David White, Sr., and Francis Dill were among its early elders. The present number of members is sixty.
The first church edifice, log, 20 X 20 feet, was erected in1827, a short distance below the site of the first schoolhouse, on the east side of White�s run. The present frame edifice was erected on that site in 1855.(5) The ground on which it stands was given to the congregation by William White, who conveyed one acre and thirty-eight perches, October 9, 1832, to Noah Calhoun, Moses Dill, William Lowry, Alexander Oliver, William Templeton and James White, trustees of Lower Piney congregation, in trust for the use of "Pine creek congregation," for the nominal sum of $1.
The first wagon owned by any occupant of "Mexico" was purchased by William Moorhead, after Pine Creek Furnace went into operation.
Robert Walker�he was commonly called Col. Walker, either on account of his military services as a spy on the upper Allegheny during the Indian wars, or his rank in the militia afterward�parceled and conveyed the major portion of "Mexico" thus: To his brothers, Abraham Walker, 302 acres and 131 perches, April 1, 1820, for $319.98; James Walker, 402 acres, June 20. 1824, for $266; to David White, Sr., his brother-in-law, 78 acres and 80 perches, September 20, 1824, for $312, to whom James Walker conveyed 174 acres and 95 perches, December 8, 1827, for $600. The house erected by White in 1813, on his first-mentioned portion, is still standing, and which has been for many years occupied by his son James, commonly called Major White, and latterly by his grandson, David White. David White, Sr., conveyed 94 acres and 50 perches to Wm. White, December 11, 1827, which the latter, for "one dollar and natural love and affection," Wm. W. Moorehead, December 20, 1842, 28 acres and 59 perches of which Moorehead conveyed to David Rowland, March 27, 1874, for $1,248. Other occupants of that portion of "Mexico" in this township are James Moorhead, Jacob Peters, Jacob Upperman and Abraham Walker.
The Wallis lands in this township consisted of nine tracts, contiguous to one another, and eight of which are rectangular parallelograms and the other a trapezoid in shape, aggregating 8,089� acres, an allowance of six per cent for roads, according to original surveys, but in each of which, as in nearly all others, there was probably found to be a considerable surplus by later and more accurate surveys. On Lawson & Orr�s map of original tracts and on their list of warrantees, the name of the warrantee of these tracts is Samuel Wallace. He, however, spelled his surname Wallis in his letters from his home to Timothy Matlack, secretary of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, in one of which, dated "Muncy Farm, Aug�t 8th, 1778"�then in Northumberland county, in which these lands then were�he wrote:
I find that from the attention paid to this county of late, particularly with the Continental Troops, that the spirit of the people seems to be returning to them; great numbers have returned, & I hope the majority of them will shortly get back to their homes. Col. Brodhead�s Reg�t did great service, & the spirited manner in which Col. Hartley is now acting will, I doubt not, render assential service to the Country. I observe that the Council has been pleased to order a Considerable number of militia into this County, amongst which 300 is ordered out into Immediate service of the militia of this County. I am at a loss to know what kind of Intelligence the Council hear. Sure I am that if they had been well informed of the Distressed, Distracted & Confused situation which the people have not yet recovered from, they would have Judged it Impossible to call 300 Troops of our militia Immediately into actual service. Experience will prove to you that what I say is right.
5 o�clock, afternoon.�Since wrighting the foregoing part of this letter we have been alarm�d with Intelligence of a reaping party of about 14 being attack�d in the field early this morning by a party of about twenty Indians�two kill�d & scap�d, one (the son of Cap�n Brady) mortally wound�d & scalped, & one taken prisoner�the other ten made their escape. Lurking partys of Indians are constantly seen about us. Several attempts have been lately made to take off our Centenals in the night. I shall be much obliged to you for a line by the return of the Express with a Newspaper inclosed.
I am sincerely your friend, &c.,
SAML. WALLIS
Fort Muncy, erected by Col. Thomas Hartley, in 1778, at the mouth of Muncy, or Wolf, creek, was sometimes called Fort Wallis.
These nine were a part of the fifty tracts covered by warrants granted to him October 2, 1793, and were covered by warrants Nos. 4140-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9, all of which Wallis, February 2, 1797, conveyed to Thomas Duncan, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, afterward one of the associate justices of the supreme court of this state, who conveyed the same to Thomas Stewardson, Sr., of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 30, for $6,067.12�, who, by his will, dated the 20th day of the eighth month, 1840, devised all of these tracts to his wife Anna Stewardson. He also directed in his will that his "backlands" should remain in the care and management of his executors, George Stewardson, Thomas Stewardson, Jr., and William E. Vaux, and their survivors, seven years from the day next after his death, and gave them power to sell and convey them. His widow, "for divers good causes and consideration of $5," conveyed all these nine tracts to George Stewardson the "4th day of the fourth month," 1845.
Tract No. 4147 adjoined "Mexico" on the east. The public schoolhouse, heretofore mentioned, is in the northwest corner of it, situated on a part of the 230 acres conveyed by George Stewardson to Samuel Mateer, February 12, 1855, for $1,150, on which the latter settled in 1843, for several years kept a hotel, and on which he now resides. Other portions of this tract were in the occupancy of James and William Oliver from and after 1832, and John Oliver later. Stewardson�s executors conveyed 127 acres and 60 perches to William Oliver, June 29, 1848, for $700.50. George Stewardson conveyed a part of this and parts of Nos. 4140-1 to James E. and John P. Brown and James Mosgrove, aggregating 683 acres and 148 perches, March 8, 1850, for $2,735.50. To David Dever, 122 acres, May 13, 1852, for $226.37. He conveyed 111 acres and 74 perches to John Kneas, February 12, 1855, for $778, described as situate in "Pine Creek township." Some of its later occupants, that is before and since 1850, have been Robert Martin, William Stewart and Hugh Williamson.
Source: Page(s) 247-258, History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania by Robert Walker Smith, Esq. Chicago: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883.
Transcribed December 1998 by Jim Wise for the Armstrong County Smith Project.
Contributed by Jim Wise for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)
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