schoolhouse stood. Later he gave the land for a church building and graveyard. The history of the organization from the inception of the church life will be best told by extracts from an address at the dedication of the Appleby Manor Memorial Church in 1892. This church building was destroyed by lightning in 1907 and was again erected without expense to the congregation, but to their comfort and great satisfaction. "The first log schoolhouse built at Appleby Manor was of that primitive sort which marks the first efforts of the early settler. Of its beginning there is neither tradition nor recollection; of its end a few witnesses still remain to tell. "The house was about twenty feet square, built of unhewn logs of various lengths, with clapboard roof, weight poles, and the renowned greased paper window extending the entire length of the side. Inside, the puncheon floor, backless unhewn benches, together with the stern master of the district school, make up a picture already immortalized in American history. "It was in this rustic house, standing to the south and within a few rods of the present beautiful and enduring temple made sacred to his memory, that Josiah Copley, together with Hamlet Totten, of Rural Village-both members of the First Presbyterian Church, Kittanning-on a Sabbath day in the summer of 1835, organized the first Sabbath school in Armstrong county outside of Kittanning.' From the address of Rev. J. H. Sloan, D. D., at the dedication of the First Memorial Church building, Jan. 5, 1892: "Just when the first public proclamation of the gospel took place in this vicinity, I cannot tell. Tradition says that Elisha McCurdy preached in this region. It is safe to say that previous to the time when religious services began to be held here, the Presbyterians of the neighborhood would worship with their brethren at Kittanning on the one side, and Crooked Creek on the other. To Kittanning, as early as 1806, supplies began to be sent by the Presbytery of Redstone; and this was done year by year until Aug. 21, 1822, when the church there was formally organized. In 1829 Rev. David Barclay was appointed by the same Presbytery to preach a day at Crooked Creek; but it has been claimed that the church there dates from about 1825. "But by and by the people desired to have the gospel preached nearer their own homes. And so it is on record that in 1839 Mr. John Kerr, then a licentiate of Washington Presbytery and engaged in teaching in Kittanning, held services in the schoolhouse at this place. At times, on pleasant days-as was the custom in bygone years-'worship was conducted in the open air under the forest trees.' 'The groves were God's first temples.' "These local services naturally suggested thoughts of a local organization. Accordingly application was made to the Presbytery of Blairsville, then having ecclesiastical jurisdiction here, and a committee consisting of Rev. Joseph Painter, Rev. L. M. Graves, Rev. Alex. Donaldson, and Elders Robert Walker and Joseph Harbison was appointed to attend to the matter. Accordingly the committee. met and on the 20th of November, 1842, the organization was effected, and Appleby Manor took its place as a separate star in the great galaxy of churches.. "As reported to Presbytery, the church began with nine members, one of whom was chosen as a ruling elder. This elder was John Christy, and for twenty years or longer he had no associate in office." Few in numbers but earnest in their religious allegiance, the first members of this little congregation were occasionally favored with services by Rev. Elisha McCurdy from 1839 to 1842. These services were held in the schoolhouse on the farm of John Christy, in the winter, and if the weather was propitious in the open air in summer. At the latter date the membership was only twenty, but they felt financially able to support a pastor for part of his time, Crooked Creek sharing the expense and his ministrations. The first organized congregation was composed of the following persons: John Christy and wife, George Ross, Margaret Ross, Josiah Copley and wife, Elizabeth Ross, Mary Ross, Samuel Slaymaker and wife, Richard Bailey and wife and William Wolf. The first pastor was Rev. Levi M. Graves, and during his term the first church edifice, a plain frame building, was erected on land donated by John Christy. Rev. Mr. Graves's term was from 1842 to 1852. His successor was Rev. William College, who remained until 1858. Following as pastors came Revs. George R. Scott, 1867 to 1871; William McLean, stated supply until 1873; Perrin Baker, 1874 to 1883; Samuel J. Glass, 1885-86; Dewitt M. Benham, 1887-89; J. H. Sutherland, 1890-92; S. Robinson Frazier, 1895-98; J. D. Humphrey, 1899-1903; Edwin P. Foresman, 19051912. This membership was larger at one time (1854), but the number has remained at an average of one hundred, as it is at present. The Sunday school is conducted by Mr. Henry King, and has a membership of about seventyfive. The ruling elders are: J. H. Huston, J. R. Christy, J. Č. Rhea and Solomon King. About 1890, owing to the condition of the old frame church, it was decided to rebuild. This resolution came to the notice of Mrs. Mary (Copley) Thaw, of Pittsburgh, who immediately took the matter into her own hands and provided the entire expense of erecting the first brick church, on the lot adjoining the old one. This building was dedicated in 1892 in memory of Mrs. Thaw's parents, Josiah and Margaret Copley. For fifteen years this pretty rural church stood, and then in 1907 a severe stroke of lightning set it on fire, and notwithstanding the efforts of the surrounding neighbors it was completely destroyed. Undismayed by this casualty, Mrs. Thaw at once had plans drawn, and in the following year the congregation were enabled to worship in the present artistic and commodious edifice, an illustration of which will be found on another page. This present building, also of English design, is of brick, with a tower, and spacious Sunday school room attached. The bell in this tower was placed in the first church by Henry Kendall Thaw, and after the fire was so damaged as to necessitate recasting; this expense was again defrayed by him. For further particulars concerning this church, see sketch of Josiah Copley in biographical section. THE MANOR'S POPULATION The census of 1850 shows that the population of this township was 775; in 1860 it was 1,210; in 1870, 1,071; in 1880, 1,508; in 1890, 1,604; in 1900, 2,583; in 1910, 3,195. The assessment returns for 1913 show: Number of acres timber, 1,219; clear, 8,451, value, $230,099; houses and lots, 712, valued at, $218,215, average, $306.48; horses, 293, valued at $8,080, average, $27.57; cows, 349, value, $5,185, average, $14.85; taxable occupations, 1,121, amount, $32,310; total valuation, $509,989. Money at interest, $107,180. GEOLOGICAL Near the mouth of Crooked creek, the Freeport limestone is within fifty feet of the Allegheny river. According to the first geological survey of the State, cutting on the railroad, one third of a mile below the Kittanning rolling mill, well exposes the small coalbed next above the Kittanning seam, from 9 to 18 inches thick, divided in the middle by a thin band of slate, immediately underlaid by a band of impure, somewhat indurated, fireclay, 2 to 10 feet thick, through which are scattered nodules of rough iron ore. Beneath the fireclay is an irregularly stratified mass of highly micaceous sandstone, the natural color of which is blue, but when weathered is chiefly light olive-green and reddish brown, containing regularly marked vegetable forms, over which are dark-blue shales, 25 feet thick, weathering rusty brown, in some places curiously distorted, become more compact and silicious toward the top, and a thin layer of bituminous shale and coaly matter is interstratified with the mass. The small coalbed above specified as being next above the Kittanning seam, from 9 to 18 inches thick, because of its insignificant size was not known to be persistent throughout the county, as has been shown in the course of the second geological survey. It has been proved by J. C. White, who had charge of the district composed of Beaver, North Allegheny and South Butler, not only to be persistent but to increase in bulk westward, culminating as the great Darlington cannel coalbed, in Beaver county. The highest point in Manor township is located on the line of Kittanning township, in the northeastern corner, and measures 1,383 feet above sea level. CHAPTER XXVI KITTANNING TOWNSHIP BLANKET HILL-OLD SETTLERS-INDUSTRIES-CHURCHES-POPULATION-SCHOOLS GARDENS-GEOLOGY-ALTITUDE OF BLANKET HILL HUMBOLDT This township has so often been depleted Thomas Salter, Philip Clemburg, John Guld, of territory to supply the demands of those Andrew Lopeman, Moses Bartram, Jacob who desired to construct other townships of Schrecongost, Christopher Oury, Richard smaller dimensions that a description of the Graham, Abraham Fiscus, Frederick Kuhl, original boundaries is unnecessary in this sec- Adam Olinger, John Pomeroy, George Wiltion of the history of Armstrong county. A liams, Francis Rupp, Benjamin Hogan, Daniel full resume of the old divisions will be found Fitzgerald, John Carson, Daniel Bouch, Tobias in the first chapters on townships and divi- Long, Adam Waltenbough, Benjamin Schrecsions. The only things left to the township ongost. in this year of 1913 are its historic name and an honorable record. The earliest event of note in this township's history was the desperate fight between Lieut. James Hogg and a superior force of Indians in 1756 at the eminence in the northern portion of the present limits of the township called "Blanket Hill." A complete sketch of this fight will be found in the general history of the county. Later Indian outrages in this historic section are also treated in that chap ter. were: OLD SETTLERS The owners of the original tracts within the present limited territory of this township George Gray, William Hurtman, Michael Huffnagle, Robert Smith, John King, Charles Uhl, John Phillips, William Stewart, John Schall, John Serfoos, James Todd, John Altman, Thomas Smith, Jacob Hankey, Jacob Waltebough, Philip Hartman, Robert S. Steele, John Shotts, Jacob Rudolph, Michael Hartman, Jacob Neninger, Charles Grubb, John Hileman, Jacob Lindeg, Daniel Hileman, Henry King, George Wensel, Martin Dubbs, James Patton, Peter Thompson, Charles Betts, John Schenck, George Olinger, Christian Signitz, Daniel Yundt, Nathaniel Lewis, Hugh Blaney, Isaac Franks, William Cooper, Samuel Smith, Robert Lafferty, Thomas Hutchinson, Henry Bowers, John Ewing, William Henderson, Sebastian Bowers, Frederick Rohrer, John Cravenor, Jonathan Shoemaker, Moses Bartram, above mentioned, was a son of John Bartram, for a long time botanist to Queen Caroline of England, before the Revolution, and a brother of William Bartram, who was well known in Pennsylvania, and who published a journal of his travels through the Creek country and among the southern Indians. John Guld, who settled in this section in 1786, was a noted man of his age, having been a ranger, scout and hunter. He served as dispatch bearer, and for a time carried the mail from Fort Pitt to Great Meadows in what is now Fayette county. In the early days of his residence here he was often forced to seek refuge from the Indians in the blockhouse on the Allegheny, below the mouth of Fort run. He was a frequent visitor to Kittanning borough in the latter part of his life, and his Indian-like appearance attracted much attention. He died in 1818. |