History of Butler County Pennsylvania, 1895

Transcribed by: Lona Boudreaux For an explanation and caution about this transcription, please read this page.

Surnames in this chapter are:

AGNEW, ALLISON, ALEXANDER, AMBERSON, ANDERSON, ARMAND, ARMSTRONG, AYRES, BAIRD, BALDWIN, BALPH, BARCHMAN, BARTLEY, BATES, BEAM, BEARD, BEATTY, BEIGHLEY, BITTIGER, BOGGS, BOLTON, BOOK, BOUQUET, BOVARD, BOYD, BOYLE, BRADDOCK, BRADY, BRANT, BRACKENRIDGE, BRESO, BREWSTER, BROWN, BUCHANAN, BURGOYNE, BURKHART, BUTLER, CALL, CARNAHAN, CHAMBERS, CHENIWETT, CHRISTY, CLARK, CLOWS, COALS, COATS, COCHRAN, COOK, COOPER, CORNWALLIS, COUSINS, CRAWFORD, CRILEY, CROGHAN, CROOKS, CROUP, CROWE, CUNNINGHAM, DARLINGTON, DAVID, DAVIS, DEAN, DEKALB, DENNISTON, DENNY, DEWOLF, DICKEY, DODD, DOUGAL, DOUGLAS, DOUTHETT, DUNN, EAKIN, EGLE, ELDER, ELLIOTT, EMERY, EMERICK, EVANS, FINDLEY, FISHER, FITZSIMMONS, FOWLER, FUNK, GAITHER, GALBREATH, GALLAGHER, GARVIN, GATES, GAYZARN, GIBSON, GILLILAND, GILMORE, GRAHAM, GIRTY, GUFFEY, HAMMEL, HAMILTON, HAMPSON, HARBISON, HARDY, HARMER, HAZLETT, HAYES, HAYS, HENDRICK,HENSHUE, HERMAN, HOGAN, HOOD, HOWE, HUMPHREYS, IRVINE, ISRAEL, JACK, JACKSON, JOHNSTON, JOLLY, JONES, KAUFFMANN, KELLY, KENNEDY, KERR, KINKAID, KIRBY, LAFAYETTE, LANE, LAUFER, LEE, LEMMON, LENSEY, LEVERE, LEVESEY, LINDSEY, LOGAN, LOLLAR, LOWRY, LUSE, LYON, MACPHERSON, MCBRIDE, MCCANDLESS, MCCLURE, MCCONNELL, MCCURDY, MCEWEN, MCFERRIN, MCGEE, MCGOWAN, MCJUNKIN, MCKEE, MCLURE, MCMICHAEL, MCMICHAELS, MCNEES, MCQUISTION, , MAHARG, MARSHALL, MARTIN, MAXWELL, MEALS, MECHLING, MILLER, MONTEITH, MONTGOMERY, MOORE, MORGAN, MORRISON, MORTON, MURPHY, MURRIN, NEGLEY, NEYMAN, NICHOLSON, NUSSELL, OGILVIE, O'HARA, PARKER, PATTERSON, PEALE, PEATE, PERRY, PISOR, POLHEMUS, POWERS, PUGH, PURVIANCE, QUEEN, QUINN, REED, RIDDLE, RIPPEY, RALSTON, ROBINSON, ROCHAMBEAU, RODGERS, ROGERS, RUNDLE, RUSSELL, SARVER, SCHNEIDER, SCOTT, SCULL, SHANNON, SHIELDS, SHLEPPY, SIMCOE, SKEER, SMITH, SOFIRE, SPENCER, ST. CLAIR, STEEN, STEUBEN, STINETORF, STOOLFIRE, STOUGHTON, STUDEBAKER, SUTTON, TANNEHILL, THOMPSON, VOGAN, VORIS, WADDLE, WALLACE, WASHINGTON, WASON, WAYNE, WEAVER, WELSH, WHITE, WIGFIELD, WILKINS, WILLIS, WILSON, WIMER, WOLF, WOODCOCK, WUSTHOFF, YAGER, YOUNG, ZIMMERMAN

BUTLER COUNTY was erected under authority of an act of the legislature of Pennsylvania, approved March 12, 1800. This act provided for its attachment to Allegheny county for administrative and judicial purposes, and described its boundaries as follows:

Beginning at a locust tree on the south side of Buffalo creek; thence along the Allegheny line, due west, twenty-three miles, to ALEXANDER's district; thence due north twenty-three miles, along that line and Beaver county to a corner near the confluence of Muddy creek and Slippery Rock; thence north, fifteen degrees east, fifteen miles along the Mercer county line to a white oak tree, in the Third Donation District; thence due east, along the Venango county line to the Allegheny river; thence due south along the Armstrong county lien to the place of beginning.

The county was named for Gen. Richard BUTLER, the following sketch of whose life has been prepared expressly for this work by Dr. William H EGLE, State librarian. It is the only complete sketch of this noted pioneer and gallant soldier that has ever appeared in print, and well deserves a place of honor in the history of the county that bears his distinguished name:

"Richard BUTLER, the eldest child of Thomas and Eleanor BUTLER, emigrants from the North of Ireland, was probably born in what is now York county, Pennsylvania, April 1, 1743, although most biographers state he was born in Ireland. He was educated at the school of Rev. Mr. ALLISON, Chester county , and studied the profession of law. He served as an ensign in Capt. James HENDRICK's [p. 75] company, of the First Pennsylvania battalion, in Col. Henry BOUQUET's expedition of 1764, and there received his first experience in the military art. At the outset of the Revolutionary struggle he entered the Pennsylvania Line as major of the Eighth regiment, commissioned July 20, 1776; was promoted lieutenant-colonel March 12, 1777, ranking from August 28, 1776, and transferred to lieutenant-colonel of MORGAN's rifle command, June 9, 1777, whom he afterwards succeeded, and distinguished himself on many occasions. This regiment was made up of picked men detached from the several regiments of the Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia lines. He was considered by WASHINGTON and General WAYNE one of the ablest partisan officers of the Revolution and most familiar with Indian life and affairs. It is said that he knew several Indian dialects, and had been requested by the commander-in-chief to compile an Indian vocabulary.

"When General BURGOYNE advanced against General GATES, WASHINGTON sent BUTLER's Rifles from the banks of the Delaware to protect the flank and rear of GATES from the Indians under BRANT; and after participating most efficiently and successfully in the battle of Saratoga, October, 1777, were ordered back to Washington's headquarters. The same regiment distinguished itself at the battle of Monmouth, June,1778, and when WASHINGTON, in a dispatch to Congress, animadverted on the conduct of Gen. Charles LEE on that occasion, he also stated that 'Colonel BUTLER's was the only command which fired a gun.' He was promoted colonel of the Ninth Pennsylvania, and under his command this regiment took a prominent and honorable share in the capture of Stony Point; and St. Clair to REED, in a letter dated July 25, 1779, says: 'My friend, Colonel BUTLER, commanded one of the attacks and distinguished himself.'

"After the revolt in the Pennsylvania Line, the Ninth regiment generally reenlisted under their old colonel and his captains in the Fifth Pennsylvania, who commanded it during the campaign under General WAYNE in the south. Of his career in that department we have extant a characteristic letter to Gen. William IRVINE, published in the first volume of 'Pennsylvania in the War of the Revolution.' Gen. Henry LEE, in his 'Memoirs of the War in the Southern Department of the United States,' alludes to the incidents refered to in that letter as follows:

While in his camp before Williamsburg the British general learned that we had some boats and stores on the Chickahominy river . Hither he detached Lieutenant-colonel SIMCOE, with his corps and the YAGERS, to destroy them. This service was promptly preformed; but the American General, having discovered from his exploring parties the march of SIMCOE, detached on the 26th, Lieutenant-colonel BUTLER, of the Pennsylvania Line, the renowned second and rival of MORGAN at Saratoga. The rifle corps, under Majors CALL and WILLIS, and the cavalry, which did not in the whole exceed one hundred and twenty effectives, composed BUTLER's van. Major MACPHERSON of Pennsylvania led this corps, and having mounted some infantry behind the remnant of ARMAND's Dragoons, overtook SIMCOE on his return near SPENCER's plantation, six or seven miles above Williamsburg. The suddenness of MACPHERSON's attack threw the YAGERS into confusion; but the Queen's Rangers quickly deployed, and advanced to the support of the YAGERS.

CALL and WILLIS had now got up to MACPHERSON's support with their riflemen, and the action became fierce. Lieutenant LOLLAR, at the head of a squadron of SIMCOE's Hussars, fell on ARMAND's remnant and drove it out of line, making Lieutenant BRESO and several privates prisoners. Following his blow, LOLLAR turned upon our riflemen, then pressing [p. 76] upon the Queen's Rangers; and at the same moment, Captain OGILVIE, of the Legion Cavalry, who had been sent that morning from camp with his troop for the collection of forage, accidently [sic] appeared on our left flank. The rifle corps fell back in confusion upon BUTLER, drawn up in the rear with his Continentals. Satisfied with the repulse of the assailing troops, Lieutenant-colonel SIMCOE began to retire; nor was he further pressed by BUTLER, as CORNWALLIS had moved with the main body, on hearing the first fire, to shield SIMCOE.

"In October following, in view of colonel BUTLER's valuable services prior to and at the capture of Yorktown, he was honorably designated to plant our flag upon the British works after the surrender of CORNWALLIS; and though Colonel BUTLER detailed for this purpose his ensign, Maj. Ebenezer DENNY, being probably partial to him as coming from his own town, Carlisle, where the families were near neighbors, yet Baron STEUBEN, unexpectedly and offensively, appropriated this honor to himself, and Colonel BUTLER that night 'sent the arrogant foreigner a message, as every one expected, and it took all the influence of ROCHAMBEAU and WASHINGTON to prevent a hostile meeting.' In this business, however, we have the following statement, according to which the Baron's conduct was approved: When the Commissioners were discussing and arranging the terms of surrender, LAFAYETTE, whose turn it was next to command the trenches, marched with his division to relieve the Baron. The latter refused to be relieved, urging that having received the flag, the rules of European warfare secured him the right to retain the command until the surrender of the place. LAFAYETTE appealed to WASHINGTON, who, after consulting Count ROCHAMBEAU, and other foreign officers, informed him that the Baron was entitled to the command, and must retain it until the matter under discussion should be decided.

"On a plan of Carlisle, make in 1764, the BUTLER homes is then and there indicated as being on lot 61, West Main street . We have some letters written by him, and afterwards by his widow, as well as letters which we carefully copied from the originals now among the archives of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, written by him to a friend, Gen. William IRVINE, then commissioner of public accounts in New York, and they indicate Carlisle as his home. These letters, which are dated at Carlisle, besides some written by him thither when absent in the field of military service, extend from September, 1782, to July, 1789. In September, 1789, his letters begin to be dated at Pittsburg, and the last one we have, posted from Pittsburg, is in August, 1790. It was the next year that he was killed in battle. We are thus particular, as these facts are not generally known, and in order to establish the claims of Carlisle to him as being a resident and citizen of the place the greater part of his life

"After the close of the Revolutionary War, and when residing in Carlisle, the public service repeatedly called his attention and presence elsewhere, especially to Fort Pitt, on business relating to the Indians, with whom he was well acquainted, and a very trusted commissioner of the Government among them, and hence he was generally and favorable know in that place. As an evidence of this statement, we will here mention what might now be regarded as a small matter, but, in the olden time, it was intended as a marked compliment and tribute to a great and popular man. BRACKENRIDGE, in his Recollections, speaking of taverns and tavern-keepers of Pittsburg, says: 'When I can first remember, the [p. 77] sign of General BUTLER, kept by Patrick MURPHY, was the head tavern, and the first hotel in the town, just as the painted portrait of WASHINGTON or LAFAYETTE or JACKSON, or PERRY, was often hoisted at the front of a public house to dignify and distinguish it, and to attract patronage. Throughout these many years a street in Pittsburg bears his name. Many a partial parent called a son after him. General O' HARA, of Pittsburgh, gave the name of Richard BUTLER to one of his sons, with whom we were intimately acquainted, whose family we often visited at Guyasutha Place, and where still resides his only living daughter, Mrs. William M. DARLINGTON. Butler county, as well as the town of Butler, was named in honor of the general, and the same honorable name has been conferred on counties, and towns, and townships in other sections of the Union.'

"But what had been his character and public services? We answer briefly: He was a brave and intrepid soldier, quick to perceive duty and as quick to perform it, and he possessed in a high degree the attachment of his men and the confidence of WASHINGTON.

"Colonel BUTLER was at Fort McIntosh, now Beaver, on the 29th of September, 1785, as his will, to which we shall presently refer, was dated at that place. 'The will', writes Judge M.C. HERMAN, of Carlisle, to whom we are indebted for some of the facts here given, 'appears to have been written hurriedly, and on the eve of some dangerous expedition, for he says:'

Being in perfect health and senses think it my duty (as I am going far from my family, and into some degree of danger more than generally attend at my happy and peaceful home), to make such arrangement of my worldly affairs as I wish and desire may take place in case of my death, which I hope for the sake of my family, the Great and Almighty God will avert.

"Upon the return from this expedition, Colonel Butler remained at Pittsburg, and owning considerable property in that neighborhood, he was quite prominent in securing the formation of the new county of Allegheny. The Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, appointed him, September 30, 1788, lieutenant for that county, and on the 2nd of October following, the General Assembly appointed him commissioner, with Col. John GIBSON, to purchase from the Indians their claim to the triangle on Lake Erie. In November, 1788, in connection with his brother, William BUTLER, James ROBINSON and Daniel ELLIOTT, made purchase of the reserved lots opposite the town of Pittsburg. He was commissioned one of the judges of the court of common pleas of Allegheny county , November 21, 1788, which he resigned in December, 1790, having been elected to the Assembly from the district composed of Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.

"Upon the expiration of his term of service in the Assembly, Colonel BUTLER returned to Pittsburg. The failure of Gen. Josiah HARMER's expedition against the western Indians occurred in the autumn of 1790. Gen. Arthur ST. CLAIR was then appointed commander-in-chief of the United States army. Colonel BUTLER was appointed major-general, and second in command, and fell, when that army was defeated on the Miami, in the bloody battle fought against the allied Indians under BRANT, on the 4th of November, 1791. The expedition had originally numbered about 2,000 men; on the day of action it had been reduced to about [p. 78] 1,400, and of this force 913 were killed, wounded or missing. A battalion of artillery was almost entirely destroyed. ST. CLAIR was a great civilian and brave soldier, but, like the unfortunate BRADDOCK, probably did not sufficiently understand and appreciate Indian warfare, or his army may not have been properly trained and disciplined to meet such a foe; and many believed that if BUTLER had the command, the result would have been different. Two of his brothers, Cols. Thomas and Edward BUTLER, were also in the disastrous battle in which the General had fallen, and first was severely wounded. Maj. Ebenezer DENNY, the aid-de-camp of General ST. CLAIR (he had previously been the aid-de-camp to General HARMER, after whom he named his eldest son, and he named his youngest son after ST. CLAIR), gives a detailed account of that battle in his military journal; and his son, Dr. William H. DENNY, in his admirable memoir of his father, thus speaks of it:

After General BUTLER had received his first wound, he continued to walk in front, close along the line, with his coat off and his arm in a sling, encouraging the men, and retired only after receiving a second wound in the side. The commander-in-chief sent Major DENNY, with his compliments, to inquire how he was. He found him in the middle of the camp, in a sitting posture, supported by knap-sacks; the rifle balls of the Indians, who now surrounded closely the whole camp, concentrated upon that point. One of the wounded general's servants and two horses were shot here. He seemed, however, to have no anxiety, and to the inquiry of the aid-de-camp, he answered that he felt well. Whilst making this reply, a young cadet from Virginia, who stood by his side, was hit on the cap of the knee by a spent ball, and cried so loudly with the pain and the alarm, that General BUTLER actually shook his wounded side with laughter. This satisfied Major DENNY that the second wound was not mortal, that the General being very fleshly, the ball might not have penetrated a vital part. He always believed that he might have been brought away and his life saved. Probably his own aid-de-camp, Maj. John MORGAN, may have offered to bring him off, as was his duty, and the wounded General declined, conscious that his weight and helplessness would only encumber his brave young friend for no use, and hinder him from saving himself.

"About the time to which reference is here made, it is reliably stated that the youngest brother, Capt. Edward BUTLER, removed the General from the field and placed him near the road by which he knew the army must retreat, and on returning to the field found his other brother, Maj. Thomas BUTLER, shot through both legs. He then removed him to the side of the General, who learning that the army was in retreat, insisted on being left alone, as he was mortally wounded, and that he should endeavor to save their wounded brother. He consequently placed Thomas on an artillery horse captured from a retreating soldier, and taking a sad leave of their gallant and noble brother, 'they left him in his glory.' A letter from Edward BUTLER to his brother Pierce, of Kentucky, dated Fort Washington, now Cincinnati, November 11, 1791 says:

Yesterday I arrived here with our worthy brother, Major Thomas BUTLER, who is illy [sic] wounded, he having one leg broken and shot through the other. I hope, however, he will do well. He has borne the hard fortune of that day with the soldiery fortitude you might have expected from so brave a man. We left the worthiest of brothers, Gen Richard BUTLER, in the hands of the savages, but so nearly dead that, I hope, he was not sensible of any cruelty they might willingly wreak upon him.

"We do not know just when he died or how he died. All we know of his end is, that, out of regard for the welfare of others, and with a heroic and self-sacrificing [p. 79] spirit, he desired to be left behind. His desire was granted, sadly and reluctantly, and we too, can only hope that he was not conscious of any savage indignity. In the autumn of 1793, General WAYNE, who had succeeded General ST. CLAIR, in his expedition against the allied Indians, obtained possession of the ground on which the Americans had been defeated in 1791, which he fortified and named Fort Recovery. Here he carefully collected, and with the honors of war, interred the bones of the slain of the 4th of November, 1791

"Sixty years after the death of General BUTLER, his nephew, Col. E. G. W. BUTLER, son of Col. Edward BUTLER, received his Uncle Richard's sword, a 'Toledo,' from Gen. W. L. GAITHER, of Maryland, who said it had been presented to his ancestor, Major GAITHER, by General BUTLER, after his brothers had left him, and handed down through two generations with the injunction of the former, 'never to wipe from the blade the blood of BUTLER. ' It was given to Colonel BUTLER because of the efforts of his father to save the life of its gallant owner, and by its side rests the sword of his wounded brother, Thomas, given to Colonel BUTLER by his eldest son, because the father of the former saved his father's life. Bother bear the motto: No Me Sacque Sin Razon, and on the other side, No Me Embaines Sin Honor: -- 'Draw me not without just cause; Sheath me not without honor.'

"Col. William D. WILKINS, son of the late venerable Judge Ross WILKINS, of Michigan, has the military journal of Gen. Richard BUTLER during the campaign of 1791, at the back of which are recorded the roster of officers for duty, and also General BUTLER's mess account and memoranda of expenditures. The order of battle and march was being entered at the very moment of the attack by the enemy, and the change in the handwriting, from a very fair calligraphy to the nervous, blotted writing of an agitated and excited man, is quite significant.

"Then follows a hiatus of several days and the series of orders recommences at Fort Washington, now Cincinnati, to which the army fell back after its defeat, with a melancholy list of the killed and wounded, in which BUTLER's command (embracing the first and second Pennsylvania levies and battalion of Kentucky militia) suffered fearfully. The book is a very curious picture and record of the ancient military life, discipline and manners of the DEKALB and STEUBEN period, and shows General BUTLER to have been a skillful, judicious and accomplished officer, well versed in his profession, thoughtful of the welfare of his men, and solicitous for the honor of his country.

"Gen. Richard BUTLER's will, as stated, was dated September 29, 1785, and is recorded at Carlisle. In it he mentions his wife Mary, and children, William and Mary, the rearing and educating of whom is entrusted to his wife. His estate consisted of a 'house and lot in Carlisle,' 'furniture, plate, etc,' tract of land 'warranted in the name of John BEARD, situate on Plumb creek, Westmoreland county, adjoining land of the late Col. George CROGHAN;' tract of land in Allegheny county; lots in Pittsburg, adjoining lots of William BUTLER; one thousand acres of land, being a donation of the State of Pennsylvania, and six hundred acres of land, a donation of the United States in Congress-'these donations are for my services as colonel in the Army of the United States,' and other property, including 'horses, cows and farming utensils at and near Carlisle.' The executors [p. 80] named in his will are his wife Mary, his brother William, his 'respected friend Thomas SMITH, Esq., attorney-at-law, Carlisle, and my friend John MONTGOMERY, Esq.'"

The transcript of accounts between Allegheny and Butler counties, from May 7, 1800, to December 3, 1803,-the period that the latter was attached to the former county-shows that the sum of $5,528.90½ was collected in the townships of Butler county, all of which was expended by the commissioners of Allegheny county, in the manner set forth in the following itemized statement copied from the records now in the possession of the commissioners of Butler county:

TO COSTS OF CONNOQUENESSING TOWNSHIP 1800


 To clerks hire and stationery. $ 4 50


May 7.  Paid Robert HAYES, assessor of Connoquenessing. 20 00


Sept. 9.  Paid ditto for taking the enumeration of taxable inhabitants. 10 00


 To commissioners' time assessing the tax and holding the appeals. 9 50


TO COSTS OF MIDDLESEX TOWNSHIP


 To clerk hire and stationery, making out duplicates, etc. 4 50


May 28.  Paid David KERR, assessor of Middlesex. 26 00


July 25.  Paid ditto for taking the enumeration of taxable inhabitants. 15 00


 To commissioners' time. 9 50





TO COST OF SLIPPERY ROCK


 To clerk hire and stationery. $5 00


 To express sent to assessors. 2 60


July 3.  Paid Samuel JOLLY, assessor. 30 00


Aug 22.  Paid ditto for enumeration. 15 00


 To commissioners' time. 9 50


Aug 11. To surveyors for running and ascertaining the boundary lines of


 county. 132 23


Aug 15.  To prothonotary's fees on sundry indicts. 15 82


Aug 29.  To Andrew WILKINS for the enumeration of part of Buffalo township. 12 00


Oct 18.  Paid David ARMSTRONG, judge; William ELLIOTT and Robert REED, agents


 of general election at James BUCHANAN's. 15 60


Oct 29.  To Nov. 17.  Paid Abdiel MCLURE, agent; Mathew WHITE, Jonathan


 BAIRD, Henry EVANS, Connell RODGERS, clerks, and Jack EAKIN and Wm. DODD,


 judges of election at MCLURE's. 18 10


Nov 26.  Portion of commissioners' and clerk's expenses and of stationery


 from July 3 to Nov. 26. 41 00


Dec. 10.  Paid David KERR and Samuel RIPPEY for ascertaining the center of


 Butler county by order of the trustees. 66 00


Dec 23. Paid Samuel RIPPEY, inspector; John WOODCOCK, judge; James AMBERSON, agent;


 James KERR, judge, and Robert HAYS, inspector of election at MCLURE's. 7 50


Dec. 24. Paid Abdiel MCLURE for service as trustee. 12 00


 Paid James AMBERSON for service as trustee. 12 00


 Paid Wm. Elliott for service as trustee. 9 37¼





1801


Jan 26. Paid Melzer TANNEHILL and John TANNEHILL, inspector and clerk of


 election at Buchanan's. 3 00


 Portion of pay for assessing Buffalo township. 7 25


Feb 28. Paid John SCULL for printing. 11 00


[p. 81]


March 13-27. Fees in connection with courts $ 20 07


May 19. Paid John SHANNON, assessor of Connoquenessing. 21 00


May 21. Daniel MCCONNELL, assessor of Slippery Rock township 19 00


May 23.  Thomas SMITH, assessor of Middlesex township. 30.00


June 25. John WOODCOCK, a witness  Pennsylvania vs. Abdiel MCLURE.  3 00


July 6. James HARDY, clerk of election, and Robert WADDLE, judge of Slippery Rock 3.00


Oct. 17 to Nov 14 Paid Stephen CRAWFORD, Abner COALS, Henry EVANS, John


 MCBRIDE, John SHANNON, William THOMPSON, judges or inspectors of elections


 at MCLURE's house. 16 90


Oct. 17 to Nov. 17. Paid James HARDY, Frederick PEATE, James ELDER, David ARMSTRONG, James FINDLEY, James RUSSELL, John CHRISTY and William McMICHAEL.


Nov. 19. Commissioners' time from Nov. 26, 1800 to Oct. 31, 1801,


 inclusive. 65 21


Nov. 19. Commissioners' and clerks' pay when holding appeals for 1801. 27 31 1/3


 Your portion of clerk's hire from Nov. 26, 1800 to Oct. 31, 1801. 37 86


 Treasurer's salary for one year, apportioned according to tax produced. 19 91


 One-fifth of all fuel used in court house, commissioners' office and jail


 for one year. 20 00


 To stationery used for said county in the above stated time. 2 75


Dec. 16.  Paid Robert HAYS for serving subpoenas. 9 82


 Paid David KERR, Witness. 8 50


 Paid Samuel RIPPEY, witness 6 00


Dec. 29. Paid M. WHITE and Bartel LAUFER, witnesses. 13 69


 To one-fifth part of commissioners' and clerks' expenses from Nov. 1 to


Dec. 31, 1801. $ 29 00


 Paid M. TANNEHILL, John WELSH and M. WHITE, in re elections. 4 50





1802


Jan..6. Fees to clerk Tarlton BATES, Sheriff WUSTHOFF, and to attorney Robert


 GALBREATH in re Pennsylvania vs. Robert HAYS and Samuel SMITH. 12 90


Jan. 11 James SCOTT and Joseph MCFERRIN, clerks of election at MCLURE's. 3 00


Jan. 22. John WOODCOCK, witness in re R. HAYS. 9 00


Jan. 26. Henry BALDWIN, prosecutor, fees for indictment of Samuel SMITH. 1 20


Feb. 20. Recorder Samuel JONES for list of late transfers of Donation


 lands. 1 50


March 23. John ISRAEL for publishing financial statement for 1801. 10 80


March 23. James AMBERSON, agent of election at MCLURE's. 1 50


June 1. John DAVID, James SCOTT and David SUTTON, assessors of Middlesex and


 Buffalo townships. 103 00


June 2. David ARMSTRONG, Robert WADDLE and Robert REED, assessors, of


 Slippery Rock township. 55 00


June 3. Moses BOLTON, Matthew WHITE and Matthew MCEWEN, assessors, and Moses


 BOLTON, collector of Connoquenessing township. 79 37


June 18-21 to Nov. 3. Portion of pay of commissioners appointed by the


 Governor to establish the seats of justice of Armstrong, Butler and Mercer


 counties, being one-third of whole cost. 114 00


June 28. John DAVID, Robert REED, agents of election. 3 00


 [p. 82]


 John DAVID, collector of Middlesex in 1800, allowed on duplicate.  $ 2 50


July 2. Henry MONTEITH, Sheriff Ephriam JONES, clerk of court BATES, for


 services. 18 69


Sept. 3-29. Attorney BALDWIN'S fees in re HOGAN, $1.20, and 75 cents


 to  Thomas SMITH for carrying duplicate of Buffalo township to collectors.


 1 95


Oct. 16. David ARMSTRONG, Daniel LEVERE, H. EVANS, F. PEALE, William BOLTON


 and Robert REED, agents and clerks of elections at MCLURE's and BUCHANAN's.


 29 00


 Paid David ARMSTRONG for meeting the judge of elections of Crawford county


 at FUNK's. 2 72


Nov. 3. To clerk, T. BATES, fees on Sundry prosecutions. 23 61


Nov. 16. George SHANNON, John DAVID, Robert SCOTT, Richard MILLER, James


 SCOTT, James GUFFEY, Andrew McLURE, Abdiel McLURE, Joshua STOOLFIRE, John


 FINDLEY, Moses BOLTON, agents and inspectors of elections. 18 00


Nov. 16. John SHANNON, John DAVID, David SUTTON, John MCBRIDE, witnesses;


 Henry BALDWIN, attorney; William WUSTHOFF, sheriff; expenses in connection


 with criminal cases. 65 41


Nov. 16. Robert BOGGS, road supervisor in Connoquenessing in part for road


 taxes on unseated lands. 40 00


Dec. 3. John SCULL, printing assessors' notices. 3 00


Dec. 9. John MCCURDY, road viewer from Isaac VORIS' to Samuel FINDLEY's, the


 proportion payable by Butler county. 3 67


Dec. 29. David SUTTON and John CLOWS, supervisors in part for road tax on


 unseated lands in Middlesex and Buffalo townships.  30 00


Dec.31. One-fifth of general expenses of Allegheny county chargeable to


 Butler county. 233 77½





1803


Jan. 6. Election expenses. 6 06


Jan. 22. Edward QUEEN, a witness. 4 00


Feb. 1 John CLOWS, supervisor for road tax in Middlesex and Buffalo. 12 00


 John CARNAHAN, viewer of road from VORIS', in Deer Township, To FINDLEY's,


 in Middlesex township. 1 75


Mar. 7. John ISRAEL, for printing and publishing in "Tree of Liberty"


 statement for 1802. 18 00


Mar. 29. William MCMICHAEL, John CHRISTY, Robert GRAHAM, Walter LINDSEY, for


 election services. 6 00


Mar.29. William NEYMAN, 4 days' laying out road from VORIS' to FINDLEY's. 4 00


 Samuel FINDLEY, on same work. 4 00


 James FINDLEY, on same work. 4 00


 David SUTTON in part of road taxes on unseated lands in Middlesex and


 Buffalo. 12 00


Mar. 31. Paid John MCCANDLESS allowance on his collector's duplicate of


 Middlesex. 12 00


April 30. John CHRISTY, for 5 days engaged in laying out a road from county


 line to CUNNINGHAM's mill. 5 00


 Paid Samuel MEALS, collector of Slippery Rock in 1802, sundry lost taxes.


 3.69


May 2. Paid John CLOWS, supervisor of Middlesex for 1802 for part of road tax


 on unseated lands. 2 00


June 3. Paid William MOORE for thirteen days' services assessing Buffalo


 township. 18 00


June 9. Paid Samuel MEALS for 23 days' services assessing Slippery Rock


 township. 23 00


June 10. Eliakim ANDERSON for 28 days' assessing Conno-[p. 83]


 quenessing township. 28 00


 John BEIGHLEY and Robert BOGGS for a balance of road tax on unseated lands


 in same township, 1802. 50 52


June 17. John MARTIN for carrying collector's warrant and transcript of


 duplicate for 1803 to Robert WADDLE, of Slippery Rock, 1 50


June 30. Robert GALBREATH, Hugh RIDDLE, Francis ANDERSON, Benj. SARVER and


 Robert RIDDLE for two days each, laying out a road from Robt. GALBREATH's on


 Big Buffalo to Isaac VORIS' in Deer tp. 12 00


 David SUTTON and John CLOWS for a balance of road tax on unseated lands in


 Middlesex and Buffalo in 1802. 4 12


July 27. Henry BALDWIN, attorney, for indictments. 4 00


July 30. Tarlton BATES, clerk, for fees (1803). 4 00


Aug. 12. Paid Sims CHAMBERS, a witness, Pa. Vs. CHAMBERS. 13 27½


 Paid Sims CHAMBERS, a witness, Pa. Vs. COUSINS. 9 59½


Aug. 18. Paid Tarlton BATES, bill of sundries. 18 76


Sept. 3. Paid James WALLACE, witness, Pa. Vs. J. CHAMBERS. 2 74


 Paid John DAVIS, witness, Pa. Vs. CHAMBERS. 5 50


Sept. 7. Paid William WUSTHOFF, sheriff. 6 67


 Paid William WUSTHOFF. 3 85½


Sept. 8. Paid to William GAYZARN, J.P. fees for June. 12 17


Sept. 24. Paid David KERR and David SUTTON part of taxes on U. L. in


 Middlesex. 85 00


Sept. 27. Same, same account. 93 60


Sept. 28. Paid John FOWLER, John REED, Thomas REED, witness, in  re Pa. Vs.


 John CHAMBERS. 13 97


Oct. 7. Paid James AMBERSON, Moses BOLTON, Daniel, MCMICHAELS, Samuel


 COCHRAN, Barnet GILLILAND, election clerks, etc. 11 90


Oct. 15. Paid Robert WADDLE for judge of election, mileage in bringing the


 returns to Pittsburg from Slippery Rock township in 1803. 9 90


Oct. 26 Paid Hardy RUNDLE, witness, P. vs. C. 5 00


Nov. 3. Paid David GILLILAND for himself and four others in laying out a road


 from the east line of Butler county to the county town, twelve miles, three


 days each. 15 00


 Paid Matthew WHITE for services as constable in re Pa. Vs. George POWERS,


 Patterson FITZSIMMONS and James GIRTY. 4 12


 Paid Andrew ROBINSON, jailer, for the use of prisoners chargeable to Butler


 county. 44 97


Nov. 8-9. Paid Sheriff WUSTHOFF for proclaiming general election. $5.20. Paid T.


 BATES his fees as clerk of court in September. $2.40. Paid William WADDLE,


 judge of election in Slippery Rock township. $1.50. Paid Andrew JACK for


 helping on the FINDLEY-VORIS road $1.  10 10


Nov. 9. One-fourth expenses of Allegheny county, for officials' salaries,


 candles, bell-ringing, printed blanks, repairs of jail, etc., $1,097.10


 274 27½


Nov. 26. Paid Daniel PUGH. 80


Nov. 30. Connel ROGERS and Robert SCOTT, as clerks of election at MCLURE's. 3 00


 To one-fourth of treasurer's salary for two and one-half months. 7 81


 To three quires of paper, paid for by the treasurer, Wm. AMBERSON. 75


 To one book, paid for by Jno. WILKINS while treasurer. 60


 To error in unseated lands for the year 1800, credited to the county. 207 54


 To error in unseated lands for the year 1801, placed to the credit of the


 county. 158 34


[p. 84]


Dec. 2. WOLF orders from beginning of year 1800 to date. $ 494 03


 Collectors' fees for same time. 84 63


 Allowed for last taxes same time. 53 56½


 Due by Collector Jeremiah SMITH for 1801. 36 80


 Robert HAYS from 1802. 299 00


 Samuel MEALS from 1802. 15 34


 Christopher MCMICHAELS from 1802. 198 21½


 John LYON from 1803. 444 53


 [These balances, due by collectors, were received by the commissioners of


  Butler as cash payments and duly credited to Allegheny county.]


 John COOPER, collector, for 1803. 105 51


 Robert WADDLE, collector, for 1803. 194 43


 Abner COATS, collector, for 1803. 394 92


 Amount due for unseated lands returned by assessors and collectors. 158 00


 Due by John CUNNINGHAM a fine for refusing to serve as collector of


 Middlesex township for the year 1803. 20 00





 REVENUE


1800


 By tax assessed in 1800 on Connoquenessing township. 176 99


 By your part of the tax on Slippery Rock township for 1800. 345 98¼


 By the amount of tax assessed on Middlesex township for 1800. 183 58


 By your part of the tax of Buffalo township for 1800. 82 53


 Tax from N.R. Depreciation lands in ELDER's district. 13 83


 Tax from same in CUNNINGHAM's. 53 64


 Tax from same in NICHOLSON's. 53 76


 Tax from same in ALEXANDER's. 59 67


 Tax from same in First and Second districts. 26 64





1801


June 10. Tax assessed in Connoquenessing township, exclusive of unrented


 lands. 204 06


 Tax in Slippery Rock township. 214 50


 Tax in Middlesex township. 284 28


 Tax in Buffalo township. 108 80


 Amount arising from nonresident Depreciation lands in the parts of the


 several districts of Butler county 1801. 132 60¾


 Tax on non-resident Donation lands in 1 and 2 districts for 1801. 25 74





1802


June. Taxes assessed in Connoquenessing. 450 53


 Taxes in Slippery Rock. 281 36


 Taxes in Middlesex. 438 09


 Taxes assessed in Buffalo. 135 15





1803


 Collector John LYON's duplicate, Middlesex. 444 53


 Collector John COOPER's duplicate Buffalo. 161 01


 Collector Robert WADDLE's duplicate, Slippery Rock. 341 33


 Collector Abner COAT's duplicate, Connoquenessing. 452 92


 By error in charges. 1 50


 By tax paid on unseated lands in 1800. 207 84


 By tax paid on unseated lands in 1801. 158 64


 John MARTIN appointed collector for Slippery Rock in 1803, refused to


 serve, fine. 20 00


 John CUNNINGHAM, appointed collector of Middlesex, refused to serve,


 fine. 20 00

The totals show receipts from Butler county, aggregating $5079.51, and expenditures on account of Butler county, aggregating $5528.90½. At date of settlement, the commissioners of the new county agreed to pay the balance, $449.39½.

[p.  85]

The assessors appointed in 1800 were Robert Hays of Connoquenessing, David KERR of Middlesex, and Samuel JOLLY of Slippery Rock. In 1801, John SHANNON, Thomas SMITH and Daniel MCCONNELL filled the positions, respectively. In 1802, Moses BOLTON and Matthew WHITE, assessed Connoquenessing; John DAVID, James SCOTT and David SUTTON, assessed Middlesex and Buffalo; David ARMSTRONG, Robert WADDLE and Robert REED assessed Slippery Rock; while Matthew MCEWEN, William MOORE, Samuel MEALS and Eliakim ANDERSON were also engaged in the work. The whole sum paid to assessors from 1800 to June 10, 1803, inclusive, amounted only to $456.51. The trustees of Butler county in 1800 were Abdiel MCLURE, James AMBERSON and William ELLIOTT, who received for their year's labors the sum of $33.37½.

The tax levy in the original township of Connoquenessing in 1800 was $176.99; in 1801, $204.06; in 1802, $450.53; and in 1803, $452.92, or a total of $1,234.50 for the four years.

In Middlesex township the tax for the years given was as follows: $183.58, $284.28, $438.09 and $444.53; total $1,350.48.

In Slippery Rock township, the tax amounted to $345.98 in 1800; $214.50 in 1801; $281.36 in 1802; and $341.33 in 1803, or a total of$1,183.17.

Buffalo township yielded $82.53 in 1800; $108.80 in 1801; $135.15 in 1802, and $161.01 in 1803.

The supplementary act of April 6, 1802, authorized the Governor to appoint a commission, who would locate the seats of justice in Armstrong, Butler and Mercer counties, and, the executive, acting under this authority, appointed Isaac WEAVER, John HAMILTON, Thomas MORTON, James BRADY and P. Carr LANE. The part taken by these men in locating the county seat of Butler, is fully set forth in the history of the borough, where the names and actions of the county seat trustees, appointed under the act of March 8, 1803, are detailed.

The first commissioners found the four townships named in the statement of the Allegheny commissioners, and were content with the number. The inhabitants were not so easily satisfied. A petition presented to Judge MOORE, in February, 1804, was the first in connection with changing the order of townships as recognized by the older county. The signers stated:

That Middlesex township at present extends from the southern boundary to the township of Slippery Rock, distance more than twenty-three miles * * * and we pray your honours to erect that part of Middlesex and Buffalo townships, south of said northern boundary, into separate townships.

The following signatures are given: John QUINN, Patrick MCGEE, Bernard MCGEE, Hugh MCGEE, Robert MAXWELL, Robert KENNEDY, Wm. M. KENNEDY, Joseph SUTTON, David SUTTON, Daniel SUTTON, James GUFFEY, John DAVID, David KERR, Matthew WIGFIELD, John BITTIGER, Henry SOFIRE and James SHIELDS. The first endorsement shows that the petition was continued and under advisement to the next May sessions, and in May a second indorsement was made as follows; "The court consider that the necessity of acting on this petition is superseded by an appointment of viewers at the present session, to divide the whole county of Butler into separate districts to be erected into townships. -J. MOORE."

[p. 86] Another petition for the erection of townships was presented, May 15, 1804, and reads as follows:

To the Honorable Jesse MOORE, Esq., President of the Court of General Quarter Sessions, etc., and his Associate Judges of the same court now sitting.

The petition of a number of the inhabitants of Butler county, humbly sheweth that your petitioners as well as the inhabitants of the county at large, labor under great inconvenience for want of sufficient number of townships in said county. Your petitioners therefore pray that your honors would appoint suitable persons to lay out a competent number of townships in the said county and make report of their proceedings to your honors at your next sessions and your petitioners as in duty bound will pray. May Sessions 15th, 1804.

The signatures to this document are as follows: Matthew WHITE, Jacob MECHLING, James BOVARD, John NEGLEY, William AYRES, John GILMORE, Robert HAYS, David DOUGAL, Josiah CRAWFORD, John MCCANDLESS, Alex WHITE, Samuel KINKAID, Samuel A. RIPPEY, William SKEER, William B. YOUNG, James THOMPSON, John MCBRIDE, John DAVID, William ELLIOT, Samuel CUNNINGHAM, Henry EVANS and William WASON. Judge MOORE at once appointed John CUNNINGHAM, John DAVID and Barnet GILLILAND to inquire into the propriety of granting the prayer of the petitioners and to execute all other acts and duties required by the act of Assembly in such case. In August, 1804, the men named tendered the following report:

We, the subscribers, having been appointed by your order of May term, 1804, for the purpose of examining as to the necessity of dividing the said county into a suitable number of townships agreeable to an act of Assembly in such case made and provided, have, in pursuance of said order, assembled for said purpose and are of the opinion that it is absolutely necessary that the county should be divided into a convenient number of townships, --two agreeing as to plan Number 2, one as to plan Number 1, which are herewith exhibited and respectfully submitted to the consideration and determination of the honourable[sic] court.

The document was indorsed, "continued under advisement to next sessions-John PARKER," and filed. Plan Number 2 referred to in the report showed nine divisions, each seven and three-fourth miles square; one division, thirteen miles, ninety-eight perches, by five and one half miles; one, ten miles by five and one-half miles; one, in the north-east corner, ten miles by five and one-half miles, and one, in the northwest corner, five miles, one hundred and fifty-two perches on north line by five and one-half miles on east line. The only township name given thereon is "Slippery Rock."

Report Number 1, or the minority report, is drawn to a scale and the townships named as follows:--Connoquenessing, in the south-west corner, Middlesex next, and "Buffaloe" in the south-east corner. In the second tier were Muhler, Butler and Connaught; in the third tier were Muddy Creek, Heidelberg and Clearfield; in the forth tier, Slippery Rock and Parker, and in the fifth or northern tier, Mercer in the north-west corner and Venango in the north-east corner. The dotted lines on the original map show the boundaries of the townships and the indorsement made November 15, 1804, tells this story: "The written divisions approved by the dotted lines." The writing in this sentence is PARKER's, but there is no record to show that it was done by order of the court. The dotted [p. 87] lines given correspond with the ink lines in report Number 2. The minority report was practically adopted, but amended so far as the names were concerned: --Cranberry, Middlesex and Buffalo in the first tier; Connoquenessing, Butler and Clearfield in the second; Muddy Creek, Centre and Donegal in the third; Slippery Rock and Parker in the fourth, and Mercer and Venango in the fifth tier.

From 1840 to 1846, new townships were erected, a few of which corresponded with the modern election precincts. A petition for the erection of Ringgold township out of parts of Middlesex, South Butler, Cranberry and East Connoquenessing was filed June 16, 1847. It bore ninety-three signatures; but was met by seven counter petitions from the old townships and these petitions were supplemented by an account of a large meeting, held at Breakneck (Evans City), August 18, 1848, to protest against the establishment of such a township. Samuel MARSHALL, Andrew BOGGS, Joseph JOHNSTON, David GARVIN and Daniel BOGGS represented the opponents of the petition in the southwest.

On March 10, 1849, a meeting was held at A. M. BROWN's store to petition the court of general quarter sessions for the establishment of a new township and for the increase of school districts. John MAHARG, Sr., presided, with George BOYD, Sr., John CROWE, Sr., and Benjamin DOUTHETT, Sr., vice-presidents; Alexander DOUTHETT, Thomas B. HOOD and Stephen LUSE, secretaries. From the resolutions, given in the petition, it appears that the school directors of Middlesex and Cranberry refused, flatly, to create a sub-school district, and out of this refusal grew the desire for a new township. The petitioners submitted a plat of the territory and asked the court to order its establishment and name it "Ringgold." The court did not take kindly to this petition, and the subject died under the snub inflicted. The snub, however, did not die, for the desire for change took another shape. In 1849, the proposition to create a new county, to be named Lawrence, out of parts of Beaver and Mercer, or Beaver, Mercer and Butler counties, was presented to the legislature. The measure received little support from the people of Butler, who were pleased with Butler county as it then stood and could look forward with certainty to a greater county within the same boundaries and under the same name.

Meantime a measure was brewing which would nearly satisfy all parties within the county. It was born in a little school-house in which Cyrus E. ANDERSON, of Butler, then presided. The head of the tall teacher reached the ceiling, and every day he experienced the evil effects of poisoned air. Calling the directors and parents together, he showed them the sad condition of affairs; but they could not afford relief until new townships were formed, one of which, at least, they could govern. The petition was drawn-up, and the reconstruction of the county begun.

The petition of citizens of Butler, referred to in the transactions of quarter sessions in re the erection of townships, asked the court to deny the prior petition of the people of Buffalo, Middlesex and Cranberry, and to set aside the act of the legislature erecting ten townships. This was presented June 18, 1853, bearing the following names: William MURRIN, Joseph GRAHAM, John BARTLEY, James BARTLEY, Patrick GRAHAM, David LOGAN, Thomas BARTLEY, William COCHRAN, [p. 88] William HARBISON, Abner BARTLEY, David BURKHART, John BURKHART, John BURKHART, Jr., W. F. BARCHMAN, John BARCHMAN, Richard MARTIN, James CUNNINGHAM, Jr., Geo. MECHLING, Powell BURKHART, R. B. MAXWELL, Joseph CRILEY, Jacob SCHNEIDER, John COOK, Philip STOOLFIRE, Sam POLHEMUS, W. LEVESEY, T. R. ARMSTRONG, Moses LENSEY, Matthew CUNNINGHAM, S. PATTERSON, John MCKEE, James BREWSTER, Jacob C. CROUP, Abraham HENSHUE, William CROOKS, William W. SMITH, S. A. JOHNSTON, Thomas L. DUNN, W.W. MAXWELL, M. ZIMMERMAN, Robert MAXWELL, John KENNEDY, Robert MCKEE, A. LOWRY, John M. SMITH, D. B. BEAM, Henry DICKEY, Andrew LEMMON, Jacob SHLEPPY, James A. NEGLEY, James B. KENNEDY, Michael EMERICK, Joseph MCQUISTION, Joseph HAYS and R. E. BROWN. The court at once granted the prayer of the petitioners and appointed three viewers to devise a plan for the division of the county into townships.

On June 18, 1853, the petition of sundry citizens of Butler county, asking for the division of the county into townships, each five miles square, was presented to the court. The signers set forth that petitions from the people of Buffalo, Middlesex and Cranberry townships, to the State legislature, asking that ten townships be erected out of the three named, were granted, and that an act was passed in accordance with the prayer of the petitioners; that the Governor did not approve of that act, but remanded the whole question to the courts of Butler county, and that now the people of Butler desire the disapproval of the petitioners prayer, as outlined in the act of the legislature, as it would result in the division of the county into forty-three small townships.

The signers of this new petition or remonstrance as it may be called, asked the court to order that the whole county be divided into townships, each as nearly five miles square as possible. On June 18, 1853, the court acquiesced in this opinion and appointed Hugh MCKEE, Samuel M. LANE and James T. MCJUNKIN viewers or commissioners to inquire into the propriety of granting the petition and to make a draft of the townships and of the division lines proposed, as well as of the lines of townships proposed to be altered, and make a report of their work before the next term of court. On November 19, 1853, their report and opinion were presented to Judge AGNEW and associate judges, the text of which is as follows:

Having given the required notice, Hugh MCKEE, Samuel M. LANE and James T. MCJUNKIN met in Butler, October 4, 1853, when several of the districts were represented by delegates chosen for that purpose, all of whom represented that they were instructed to urge the necessity of such division. In order to make an accurate report, we found it necessary to ascertain the dimensions of the county by actual survey. This was done by Hugh MCKEE, commencing at the northwest corner of Cranberry township and running the west and north boundary lines to the northeast corner of the county, being found on the eastern bank of the Allegheny river. This, with the assistance of the actual survey and measurement by William PURVIANCE, of the south end of the county and the west side of Cranberry township, to the point at which we began, enables us to present the annexed draft of the county, showing the present townships and also the proposed divisions.

On examination of this draft the impractibility [sic] of dividing the county into townships of five miles square will be clearly seen. The county averages twenty-four miles [p. 89] and a fraction east and west, and thirty-three miles and a fraction, north and south. To carry out the wish of the petitioners would leave a fractional range of townships on two sides of the county and a ground for future complaints; but by dividing the distance and approximating the direction of your order, we can have five ranges of townships north and south, and seven east and west, making in all thirty-three townships, --thirty-one of which will be almost square and contain an area of about twenty-four square miles, the other two, owing to the diagonal course of the northwestern boundary line of the county, will necessarily vary a little from that size.

In our opinion, the advantages arising from the distracting of the county as above proposed would be almost incalculable, of lasting utility and which we might safely say is desired by more than three-fourths of our population. The entire southern, western and central divisions of the county are almost unanimous in its favor. The objections that have reached us come from townships lately formed by the division of old ones; the size and location of which will be but slightly changed by the proposed arrangement.

The arguments urged against the proposed division are, that it will derange our present school districts, causing the building of new school houses throughout the county and increase the county expenses by creating eleven or twelve new election districts and a like increase of township officers. There would be some force in this latter objection if the proposed division fail. Then Cranberry, Middlesex and Buffalo will be divided into ten districts, and Clearfield, owing to its large territory and dense population, will ere long be divided. Venango and Mercer, each ten miles from east to west by but little over five north and south, already contemplate the formation of new townships, and some citizens of Centre and North Butler have asked for division. Thus in the course of a few years we would have as many election districts as would be under the proposed division; yet permanency and regularity would be unattained, and, we might say, unattainable, and the probability of the number of election districts exceeding that which we propose, would be very great; for so long as we have some townships twice as long as wide, as in the case with North Butler, Butler and several others, we may expect complaints and calls for sub-division.

The objections urged in connection with the disarrangement of school districts may be considered as follows: From the report of the superintendent of common schools for the year ending in June, 1852, we find the number of school houses then in the county to be 225, and thirteen yet wanting, a number greater than that of Allegheny with a population three times as large; yet out of that number, less than fifty have the conveniences requisite for school purposes. The remainder are dilapidated, being mostly log buildings, put up immediately after the introduction of the school law, for temporary purposes. The citizens ever since have been awaiting some systematic arrangement of townships to warrant them in concentrating their energies and means to put up suitable buildings in conformity with the requisitions of the general school law. From the same report it will be also seen that the amount of tax levied for school purposes, amounts to $11,668.14, and the amount received from the Sate [sic], $2,934.06, making $14,602.20; yet we had but an average of five months school in the year. The expense of repairs, fuel and other contingencies for so large a number of unnecessary school-houses is very great. Many of these houses thus furnished have some fifteen, some ten and some even as low as five taxables; while others have sixty and seventy. All this arises from the present irregularity of the townships. This could not possibly exist under the proposed arrangement, for the number of school-houses would be in a short time be reduced to 133, or four to each township, and then from the fact of the new townships being almost square, no citizen could be so situated as to be more than one and one-fourth miles from the center of the district, and the services of competent teachers could be secured and continued for a period of eight or nine months in each year, instead of, as at present, about five, and this without one cent of additional expense.

Another advantage arising from the proposed division is in respect to roads. Then every citizen will have an opportunity of working out his road tax in his own immediate [p. 90] neighborhood and on roads in which he has a direct interest in keeping in good repair for his own convenience, instead of being taken five or six miles, as at present, to work on roads that he seldom ever sees unless when called to assist in repairing them, and losing much of the day in going to and returning from the place he worked.

The expense attending the proposed division is urged as an objection to it. Of this we have nothing to say, but will merely state that it can be done, we have ascertained, for six hundred dollars, which would make an average of eight cents to each taxable. Taking all these facts into consideratien [sic], two of the viewers (Mr. LANE, and the other one, being absent), are unanimous in opinion that the division is necessary and that no time more favorable and convenient than the present will likely be arrived at during the next half century. Therefore, we recommend the immediate districting of the county, agreeably to the plan set forth in the draft hereto annexed, as it carries out the wish of a large majority of our citizens, approximating the order of court as nearly as can be, creating convenience in election districts and insures regularity and permanence in schools.

This elaborate report was signed by Hugh MCKEE and James T. MCJUNKIN, but was not immediately acted upon by the court. David SCOTT was appointed viewer vice LANE, and on March 6, 1854, signed the final report, which was presented and considered by the court, March 29, 1854. This provided for the establishment of thirty-tree townships, all except three being nearly twenty-four square miles in area. The township of Mercer having four unequal sides lacks about one-third of proportionate area, while the townships of Slippery Rock and Worth, owing to the division of the triangle lying to the north and west of them, contain a little more territory than an equal proportion. The triangle contains about six square miles, and it was apportioned to the two townships named, each of which would lack a fraction of being the regular size without such addition. This report was considered and confirmed March 29, 1854,--the order reading as follows:

And now to-wit, March 29, 1854, the court on due consideration confirms the report of the viewers in this case and order and decree that the county of Butler be divided into townships according to the said report and the draft accompanying the same, and that the several townships as surveyed and set forth in the said draft, by the lines and boundaries thereof fixed and run upon the ground, shall be established and erected and shall hereafter exist conformable to the same and be taken to be separate and distinct townships conformably to the ordinances and laws thereof and the names of the several townships shall be as follows: Beginning at the northwestern township of the northern range of townships and running eastward, to wit: First, Mercer; second, Marion; third, Venango; fourth, Allegheny; fifth, Slippery Rock; sixth, Cherry; seventh, Washington; eighty, Parker; ninth, Worth; tenth, Brady; eleventh, Clay; twelfth, Concord; thirteenth, Fairview; fourteenth, Muddy Creek; fifteenth, Franklin; sixteenth, Centre; seventeenth, Oakland; eighteenth, Donegal; nineteenth, Lancaster; twentieth, Connoquenessing; twenty-first, Butler; twenty-second, Summit; twenty-third, Clearfield; twenty-fourth, Jackson; twenty-fifth, Forward; twenty-sixth, Penn; twenty-seventh, Jefferson; twenty-eighth, Winfield; twenty-ninth, Cranberry; thirtieth, Adams; thirty-first, Middlesex; thirty-second, Clinton, and thirty-third, Buffalo.

The election of township officers and justices of the peace was ordered to be held April 28, 1854, at the polling places as fixed by the act of 1854, regulating the elections in Butler county and under the new order of townships.

In June, 1853, the bill of Hugh MCKEE, James T. MCJUNKIN and David SCOTT [p. 91] for viewing and making plan of the thirty-three townships was presented. The items are given as follows;

Hugh MCKEE, 65 days as surveyor           @ $3 00  $195 00


James T.  MCJUNKIN, 22 days as a viewer   @  2 00    44 00


David SCOTT, 65 days as viewer            @  2 00   130 00


Samuel S.BEATTY, 48 days as chainman      @  1 25    60 00


  Paid axmen and chainmen                            91 25


  Expenses attending court and staying


                      out on the Sabbath days        30 00


  Draft and report                                  75  00





                                                 $ 625  25

Commissioners' counsel, E. MCJUNKIN, made exceptions at once to this bill; first because there was an unnecessary expenditure of time by the viewers; second, because the charges for survey were too high; because they did not show the items making up the thirty dollars and the $91.25 entries; because they should not be allowed for expenses attending court and remaining out over Sundays and because there was an agreement on the part of the viewers to do the work for a sum not exceeding $425.00. On June 13, 1854, the exceptions were sustained by the court, but a new bill, filed April 18, 1854, amounting to $450.00, was ordered to be paid.

A petition asking for the modification of a township line was presented on March, 1854. The signers pointed out that, with straight lines, the corner of the last range of townships on the east is on Slippery Rock creek, on the farm of Thomas CLARK. From that point to the western boundary of Lawrence county they wished to have Slippery Rock creek the dividing line, because it is a natural line and sometimes an impassable one. The straight line, authorized by the viewers, threw nearly the whole fraction into the lower township, making it necessary for many of the settlers to cross Wolf creek and Slippery Rock creek to election and town meeting places, while, if they adopted the natural or water boundary, only three or four families would be thrown into the township northeast, and, in the matter of school districts, the change would only affect three families, the children of one of whom were already attendants in another district, rather than risk the crossing of the creek. Many of the men who signed the remonstrance of March 6, 1854, against re-subdividing the county, signed this petition, together with Stephen MORRISON, A. H. BOYLE, A. MURPHY, Thomas KELLY, Jr. John W. MARTIN, Thomas KELLY, A. G. DENNISTON, John STOUGHTON, William GALLAGHER, Thomas BOYLE, C. NUSSELL and John BRANT.

On March 6, 1854, a remonstrance against the order of survey was filed, showing the whole plan to be disadvantageous to a large number of citizens. This was signed by Archibald MCGOWAN, John BOYLE, John S. MCNEES, A. MCGOWAN, Samuel HAZLETT, Joseph DEWOLF, John HAYS, Thomas BOYLE, Frederick PISOR, Jr., Henry STUDEBAKER, John BOOK, David EMERY, Jr., Andrew DOUGLAS, William C. EMERY, Joseph DOUGLAS, Hampson DEAN, Harlan VOGAN, James BOOK, Michael STINETORF, John BRANT, Thomas COOPER, Robert HAMPSON, Jacob FISHER, William T. DICKEY, William HAMMEL, R. LOGAN, Samuel DOUGLAS, M. B. KIRBY, John STEEN, John BALPH, William WIMER, William [p. 92] RALSTON, Henry RALSTON, Alexander WILSON, V. G. KAUFFMANN, Harvey HUMPHREYS, James MCCLURE, T. A. HUMPREYS, David STUDEBAKER, Joseph STUDEBAKER, A. BALPH, Alexander BOYLE, Jacob HOWE and David CHENIWETT. Reason Number 6 of this remonstrance is given as follows: "We apprehend that the surveyors, in their hurry to finish their work and influenced, perhaps, by the representations of a few individuals lying north of the line, who desired the variation for the accommodation of a single school district, have unintentionally done injury and incommoded the whole township by accommodating a few at the expense of thirty or forty men."

In the remonstrances, the men who hoped to carve a new county out of the eastern townships of this and the western townships of adjoining counties, saw a chance to accomplish their desires.

In April, 1854, an act passed the legislature for the erection of a new county out of parts of Westmoreland, Allegheny, Armstrong and Butler. The bill may be said to have been carried through the House and Senate without the knowledge of the people of Butler, but the plotters, while winning the legislature, could not win any real support in Butler and hence the project fell through.

In February, 1856, the committee of the legislature on new counties, reported a bill for the erection of parts of Allegheny, Butler and Westmoreland into a county, to be named Madison. The townships of Middlesex, Clinton and Buffalo were, according to the bill, to be detached from Butler.

In January, 1861, a bill was introduced in the Pennsylvania legislature to annex the ANDERSON farm, in West Deer township, Allegheny county, to Butler county, but this also failed, Butler ignoring addition as well as subtraction.

In 1871 the people of East Brady asked for a new county to be formed out of parts of Armstrong, Butler, Clarion and Venango counties. The Northwestern Independent was the organ of the agitators. In June, 1872, a bill to change the boundary between Armstrong and Butler counties was defeated in the House of Representatives.

[End of Chapter 06 - County and Township Organization: History of Butler County Pennsylvania, R. C. Brown Co., Publishers, 1895]

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Updated 19 Nov 2000, 16:25