History of Butler County Pennsylvania, 1895

Parker Township, Chapter 68

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Transcribed byPat Collins. For an explanation and caution about this transcription, please read this page.
Link to a sketch of Parker Township from the Atlas of Butler County, G.M. Hopkins & Co., 1874.

Surnames in this chapter are:

ADAMS, ALSWORTH, ARNOLD, BELL, BLACK, BOULSTER, BRYAN, CALDWELL, CAMPBELL, CARL, CHRISTIE, CONNOLLY, COULTER, CRAWFORD, DAUBENSPECK, DECKER, DENNISON, DONALDSON, DUDLEY, DUNLAP, EDMUNDS, EDWARDS, EGGERT, EVANS, FERGUSON, FLEMING, FLETCHER, FOWLER, GIBSON, SILMER, GROOM, HARSHAW, HENLEN, HINDMAN, HOOVER, HUTCHISON, JAMISON, JENNINGS, KAPP, KELLY, KERR, KNOX, LAWRENCE, MARKWELL, MARSHALL, MARTIN, McCAFFERTY, McCANDLESS, McKALLIP, McMAHON, McNEES, MONTGOMERY, MOORE, MORGAN, ORR, PARKER, PETTIGREW, PORTER, REDICK, ROBINSON, RUMBERGER, SALMON, SANDERSON, SAY, SEDWICK, SHAKELEY, SHEPPARD, SHIRA, SHRYOCK, SIMPSON, SIPE, SMITH, SOMERVILLE, STEWART, STOREY, SUTTON, THOMPSON, TWOHILS, TURNER, WALKER, WALLEY, WATERS, WEEK, WHITE, WILSON, WOODS, YOUNG.

CHAPTER LXVIII

PARKER TOWNSHIP

[p. 665]
ORIGIN OF NAME -- EARLY SETTLERS -- POPULATION AND STATISTICS -- JUSTICES OF THE PEACE -- SCHOOLS -- MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES -- MARTINSBURG -- CHURCHES -- SECRET SOCIETIES -- OTHER VILLAGES

Parker township, lying north of Donegal township, on the Armstrong county line, was named in honor of John PARKER, a surveyor and a pioneer, who came to Butler county in 1794, and surveyed a large tract of land in the immediate vicinity of Parker City for a man named MOORE. He also surveyed much of the land in the northern part of the county. PARKER, who was from Westmoreland county, selected and settled on a tract of 600 acres of land, and was soon after joined by other members of the family, thus becoming the first settlers of the township. In 1803 John PARKER had 400 acres of land, five cows, two horses and one slave. Washington PARKER, a single man, owned 200 acres; William, also single, owned 400 acres, and George had 400 acres, with three cows and one horse. In 1815 John PARKER surveyed the site of Lawrenceburg; was appointed associate judge, as related in a preceding chapter, and died honored in 1842.

Among the early immigrants who settled in Westmoreland county soon after the close of the Revolutionary war, were a number of north of Ireland families. In 1796, when the settlement of this section of Butler county began, several of these families migrated hither, becoming the pioneers of the township. Among those said to have arrived in that year, embracing these north of Ireland families, a few Germans and a number of native-born Pennsylvanians, were John MARTIN, who died in 1835, and his sons, Thomas, John and Charles; Capt. Robert STOREY, who afterwards served in the War of 1812; Jacob DAUBENSPECK, a native of Luzerne county, of German descent, and sons, George and Philip; John GIBSON and William FERGUSON, whose adventure with Indians on the Ohio is related in a previous chapter; James TURNER, who left Ireland in 1771, his father, William, and brother, John.

Archibald KELLY left Ireland in 1785, and settled in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. In 1796 he selected land in Washington township, Butler county, on which he built a cabin, and then returned to to Westmoreland county for provisions. On his return, finding his cabin occupied by another settler, he located in Parker township. He was one of the first, if not the first, school teachers in Butler county. In 1807 his son, Thomas KELLY, established a distillery, which he operated until 1844. Henry L. SANDERSON, who died in 1887, at an advanced age, was an early teacher and carpenter. Charles McCAFFERTY, a native of Ireland, came in prior to 1800. John HINDMAN, a single man, Robert HINDMAN, [p. 666] John JAMISON, Benjamin FLETCHER, the school teacher, William HUTCHISON, who bought 228 acres of land on coming from Ireland, in 1799, John SAY, who came from Huntingdon county, Archibald FOWLER, who had 400 acres and four cows in 1803, James SIMPSON, who owned 400 acres, and Michael SHAKELEY, who claimed a like area, were within the present township when the county was organized in 1803, and with one exception were here when it was erected in 1800. William FLEMING located here in 1808, ten years after the Irish revolution, in which he participated.

A small band of Indians continued to reside here for a number of years, and at intervals the fathers of the little tribe would revisit the settlements. The young braves, many of whom were doubtless born here, frequently returned to hunt the deer or panther. Their days of scalp-taking were now at an end, and they had come to regard the conquering whites with a stoicism characteristic of their race.

The population of Parker township in 1810 was 399; in 1820, 659; in 1830, 945; in 1840, 1,364; in 1850, after the first reduction of boundaries, 769; in 1860, within present limits, 1,170; in 1870, 1,309; in 1880, 2,516, and in 1890, 1,710. The assessed value of property in January, 1894, was $272,940; the county tax $1,091.76, and the State tax $106.91.

The justices of the peace for Parker township, from 1840 to 1894 are as follows: Andrew DONALDSON, 1840; David KELLY, appointed first in 1832, and elected in 1849 and 1846; Jacob DAUBENSPECK, 1845; James CAMPBELL, 1845-50; Archibald KELLY, 1851-56-61, died in 1865; John SHRYOCK, 1855 and 1866; Robert STOREY, 1860-65-70-75; Amos YOUNG, 1872; Thomas B. SMITH, 1875; A.P. STEWART, 1877-82; John KELLY, 1877-82-87-88-93; F.M. SHIRA, 1884; S.P. SHRYOCK, 1886; A.D. GROOM, 1890-92, and J.D. HOOVER, 1891.

SCHOOLS

Archibald KELLY, the first teacher, taught in the north of Ireland before his emigration. After coming to Pennsylvania he taught in Westmoreland and Butler counties. Josiah FLETCHER, a nephew of Benjamin FLETCHER, Samuel MOORE, Jane PORTER, Robert J. CRAWFORD, Jacob SIPE, Edward JENNINGS, Samuel GIBSON, Joseph CAMPBELL, William FOWLER, Hugh WILSON and Robert LAWRENCE were the principal teachers in the days of the subscription schools. The first school-house stood on the old Daniel WALKER farm; the second was an untenanted cabin belonging to Benjamin FLETCHER; the third on the site of the old Methodist church; the fourth at SHRYOCK's mill, and the fifth on the ALSWORTH farm, near the north line of the township. In January, 1894, there were eleven schools in the township. The children of school age in June, 1893, numbered 193 males and 185 females. The total school revenue for the year was $4,233.34, of which $1,775.78 formed the State appropriation.

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES

In 1819, prior to which time grist was taken to the PARKER mill, near the mouth of Bear creek, Benjamin FLETCHER erected a log grist mill at Martinsburg, on a tract of land with water right, purchased from Robert STOREY. Four years [p. 667] after, old John SHRYOCK established a mill on Silver creek, near the line of Washington township. It was often repaired and, after being purchased by J.H. WALLEY, it was converted into a roller mill. A grist mill was erected in 1824, on the north branch of Bear creek, by William TURNER, and afterward rebuilt by Harvey GIBSON. The Harvey GIBSON mill at Martinsburg, dates back to 1857. William SEDWICK also built a grist mill at Martinsburg and later established a foundry there. The FOWLER saw mill, on the Stone House farm, may be said to have been a contemporary of the old SHRYOCK mill. It was carried on without a competitor until 1833, when William MARTIN established a larger concern. The DUDLEY furnace was established by ARNOLD & CRAWFORD at Martinsburg in December, 1857. It was closed out by the sheriff in 1862.

The Hopewell woolen factory was in operation in 1845 at Silver Creek mills. William F. RUMBERGER and James DUNLAP were the proprietors. Christopher HENLEN at one time had an interest in the concern. Wool was manufactured from the fleece at the following prices per yard: Narrow cloths, cassimeres and satinets, and find the chain, fifty to fifty-six cents; white flannel, twenty-eight to thirty cents; brown flannel, forty to forty-four cents; and blankets two yards wide, sixty to sixty-two cents. The prices for custom work were as follows: Dyeing and finishing cloths in any dark color, twenty-eight cents; flannel for women's wear, eighteen and three-fourths cents; drab, seventeen cents; full and home-dyed cloth, fourteen cents; scour and dress home-dyed flannels, seven cents, and blankets, eight cents per yard. In 1857 E.E. EVANS purchased the concern from H.A. BLACK, who bought it from a company that bought the RUMBERGER woolen mill. He carried it on for twenty years and then retired, leaving the building and machinery to fall into decay.

MARTINSBURG

Martinsburg was surveyed in 1837, on a part of the original CONNOLLY tract, for John MARTIN. The proximity of FLETCHER's mill - near the present railroad depot - suggested the place as a town site. Z.B. SHEPPARD, the shoemaker, built the first cabin, now a stable in the rear of 'Squire KELLY's house. His example was followed by Robert CAMPBELL, a plasterer, who built where ADAMS' store building and DAUBENSPECK's market, erected in 1892, now stand. CAMPBELL was also a teacher in the common school, known as "Pine Grove," on the bluff. In 1841 Robert BLACK brought a stock of goods to this point, built a house, but later moved to a larger one, which afterward became the dwelling of the McNEES family. It was torn down in 1893 to make way for Dr. EDMUNDS' house. William T. SEDWICK built south of the old BLACK store, which he rented to Penn REDICK, who opened a stopping place there about 1846. In 1851 the postoffice, now known as Bruin, was established, with Perry WEEK as postmaster, and Archibald MARTIN opened a tavern, the first regular hotel in the village. 'Squire KELLY established another tavern in 1854, which he carried on until 1868, when it was converted into a temperance house, a character it sustained until 1876, when it was licensed and carried on as a hotel until 1878. In 1857 ARNOLD & CRAWFORD opened a store south of 'Squire KELLY's, in connection with their furnace. For years there were but few business changes in the place. Jeremiah SUTTON opened a temperance [p.668] hotel in 1870, near the present depot, which is conducted as of old. T.W. McNEES established a livery stable and hotel in 1872 in the BLACK building.

In 1872 came the tidal wave of oil operators, drillers, pumpers and torpedo men, the population rapidly increasing to 500 or more. The CONNOLLY Brothers established a machine shop, and the TWOHILS opened another. W.J. HARSHAW came after the oil discoveries and opened a general store. WOODS & MARKWELL came in early. T.G. CAMPBELL carried on business here for a number of years, and H.M. CALDWELL and J.A. McKALLIP established a general store in 1877. In the fall of that year the decrease in oil production and the smallpox epidemic, which carried away five persons, almost depopulated the village and district. The general merchants now are W.C. BLACK, H.M. CALDWELL and J.W. and J.H. ORR, the latter being the present postmaster.

Dr. DENNISON located at Martinsburg in 1872; Dr. PETTIGREW came the same year, but left in 1873; then came Dr. CHRISTIE, Dr. BRYAN, who moved to Colorado; Dr. KERR, of Emlenton; Dr. W.J. KELLY, Dr. C.M.C. CAMPBELL, now of Holton; the two Drs. EGGERT and Dr. Andrew J. EDMUNDS, all of whom have practiced in that field during Dr. DENNISON's long term.

CHURCHES

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Martinsburg, was organized in 1834, by Rev. John CARL and Benjamin FLETCHER, class leaders. In 1835 a meeting house was erected on land donated by FLETCHER. This old building on the hill may be said to have been in use for thirty-nine years, or until 1874, when the building in the village was finished at a cost approximating $4,000. In the "thirties" Revs. GILMER and SOMERVILLE had charge of this church. It is now in the Petrolia circuit.

The Wesleyan Methodist Church was organized in 1852. In the same year a small building, now the district school house, was erected on a lot purchased of Mrs. Maria KELLY. The class lacked energy and soon abandoned the building, disposing of it to the district for school purposes.

The Martinsburg Presbyterian Church was organized in the Wesleyan Methodist building November 21, 1870, with thirty-two members, by Revs. James COULTER and J.H. MARSHALL. The first elders were John C. MARTIN, Hamilton H. SAY and Amos YOUNG. The succeeding elders were Thomas FLEMING, J.W. ORR, S.R. GIBSON, J. C. McCANDLESS, J.T. KELLY and S.S. KNOX. The last two were elected in 1894. Among the first members were Eli and Elizabeth GIBSON, Eli, Nancy M. and Elizabeth E. GIBSON, John H. and Sarah GIBSON, Elizabeth GIBSON, Harvey and Isabel GIBSON, Montgomery and Mary GIBSON, John C. and Margaret MARTIN, Gideon W. MARTIN, Edward and Florinda MORGAN, H.H. SAY and wife, John SAY and wife, Daniel M. SHAKELEY and wife, Rosanna SALMON, Elizabeth and Jane WHITE, John, Nancy and Ida WALKER, Maria KELLY and others. A church building was completed in December, 1873, at a cost of $4,500, but its dedication was postponed until September 6, 1874. The cyclone which passed over this section of the country twisted the building so badly that extensive repairs were necessary. Rev. J.H. COULTER served the congregation until October 22, 1873, when Rev. B.C. MONTGOMERY became pastor [p. 669] and remained until April 17, 1876. From May 15, 1877, to October, 1882, Rev. F.M. THOMPSON filled the pulpit, and from May 1, 1883, to October, 1888, Rev. Mr. DECKER.

SECRET SOCIETIES

A lodge of the A.O. U. W. was organized in Martinsburg in 1873. It was transferred to Petrolia in 1875. The Odd Fellows instituted Lodge, Number 817, on January 8, 1873, the anniversary of the battle of New Orleans. The charter was soon after suspended. United Lodge, Number 127, A.O. U. W., was organized January 25, 1878, with thirty members, J.W. WATERS being the first master workman. A hall was erected soon after by the lodge, where W.C. BLACK's store now stands. Bruin Lodge, K. of H., was instituted March 22, 1878, with seventeen members. A small lodge room was subsequently erected. Thanksgiving Lodge, number 1193, I.O.G.T., was organized March 15, 1878, and CAMPBELL council of the R.T. of T. September 8, 1880. A local union of the E.A.U. was organized several years ago and still retains its charter, though meetings are seldom held. The Jr. O.U.A.M. is a recent organization, claiming a large membership.

OTHER VILLAGES

El Dorado, later known as Glenora, the site of McMAHON's hotel, established by George McMAHON in 1871 for J.P. ROBINSON, dates back to 1872. J.M. EDWARDS opened the first store there in 1873. In 1874 he sold to J.H. WALLEY, the first postmaster, who was succeeded by J.P. ROBINSON, whose successor was John KAPP. A.D. GROOM was appointed in 1888, followed in April, 1892, by J.M. DAUBENSPECK, the successor of GROOM & BELL. His store is now the only mercantile house in the village, which contains eleven houses.

Hooks City, near Martinsburg, was a little oil town in the spring of 1885. The BOULSTER House and a few other buildings suggested a petition for a postoffice. There are a few houses yet remaining there and about a dozen producing wells.

[End of Chapter 68 - Parker Township: History of Butler County Pennsylvania, R. C. Brown Co., Publishers, 1895]

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