Transcribed by: Jane Lahey For an explanation and caution about this transcription, please read this page.
Link to a sketch of Winfield Township from the Atlas of Butler County, G.M. Hopkins & Co., 1874.
Surnames in this chapter are:
AIKEN, AMSOHLER, BARKER, BARROWS, BASSETT, BAUMAN, BECK, BECKER, BEDINGER, BERNINGER, BICKETT, BLUROCH, BOARDMAN, BOLTZ, BOYD, BREDIN, CALDWELL, CAMPBELL, CLARK, CLUGSTON, COOPER, CRANAGE, CRUIKSHANK, CUMMINGS, CYPHER, DARBY, DOUTHETT, DENNY, DIKE, DUFF, DUGAN, DURR, EDWARDS, EHRMAN, ENGELDER, FAIR, FALKNER, FAST, FISK, FLEMING, FOSTER, FOX, FRANK, FRUHLING, GALBREATH, GRABE, GRAHAM, GREENWOOD, GUNDLACH, HAAS, HALE, HALSTEAD, HAMILTON, HARSHMAN, HARTUNG, HAZLETT, HECK, HEIDRICK, HELMBOLD, HEMMINGER, HESS, HESSELGESSER, HIEM, HIGH, HILL, HIRST, HOFFMAN, HONEKER, HORTON, HOUCHLEY, HOWARTH, HUMES, ISSENSE, JACKMAN, JOHNSTON, JONES, JORDAN, KARSHNER, KAUFFMAN, KAUFHOLD, KEASEY, KECK, KENNEDY, KIRK, KIRKLAND, KNOX, KOEGLER, KRAUSE, KRING, KRISE, KRUMPE, LAMP, LARDIN, LAUDENSCHLEGER, LEASURE, LEFEVRE, LEITHOLD, LENSNER, LOGAN, LONG, LOVE, MARKEL, MAURHOFF, MAXWELL, MCCASKEY, MCLAUGHLIN, MCMACKIN, MESSICK, MILLER, MINTZEL, MOCHEL, MOORHEAD, MUDER, NOLAN, PIERCE, RALSTON, RANSOM, RHODES, ROBINSON, ROLLER, RONEY, ROSS, RUFF, RUMMEL, SACHS, SARVER, SCHAFER, SCHMIDT, SCHNEIDEMAN, SCHRUMP, SCOTT, SELL, SHALER, SHERBER, SHULTZ, SMITH, SPEAR, SPIRES, STEWART, STIFFY, STUEBGEN, TANNEHILL, THOMAS, TIBBLES, TODD, TOLLEY, UMSLER, WAGGONER, WALLET, WEAVER, WEBER, WEIDHOS, WELLER, WESTERMAN, WETZEL, WILHELM, WILKERVITZ, WILKINSON, WILLIAMS, WILSON, WINEBERG, WISKEMAN
Rough and Cornplanter runs, with their numerous branches, give to this township a notable picturesqueness of natural scenery. This ruggedness, though adding to its beauty, and contributing to its mineral wealth, limits its tillable area. The township is, however, wealthy and prosperous. It is one of the townships organized in 1854, and was carved out of territory previously included in Clearfield and Buffalo townships. The population in 1860 was 1,134; in 1870, 1,121; in 1880, 1,092, and , in 1890, 1,087. In June, 1893, there were ninety-seven male and 109 female children of school age enumerated. The total revenue for the year ending that month was $2,249.58, of which the State appropriated $1,261.08. The assessed value of property was $277,264; the county tax, $1,108.81 and the State tax, $278.63.
The justices of the peace for Winfield township, from 1854 to 1894, are as follows: Benjamin DOUTHETT, 1854; James B. KENNEDY, 1858; John L. HAZLETT, 1861 and 1865; John P. BRICKER, 1864-69-74-80; Jonathan HAZLETT, 1865; Phillip CYPHER, 1867-72; N. M. KIRKLAND, 1874-82-88-93; Lewis HAZLETT, 1885; A. KRAUSE, 1887 (did not qualify-N. M. KIRKLAND appointed); B. DOUTHETT, 1890.
The pioneers of this township were Jeremiah SMITH, Sr., his sons, Jeremiah, a carpenter, Hugh, a cooper, Arthur and Robert, and his daughters, Nancy and Sarah, who located here in 1796, four years after their departure from Ireland. In 1797, came David MOORHEAD, the weaver, with his family, from Franklin county, where they made a temporary settlement on their arrival from Ireland. In 1797-98 another Irish family appeared in the forest, in the persons of Andrew CRUIKSHANK, his wife, two sons, John and Andrew, and one daughter, Sarah. Andrew, Sr., was a veteran of the Revolutionary war, in which he served seven years. He died in 1824. Matthias CYPHER, Sr., also a soldier of the Revolution, and a Catholic, came from Virginia in 1798, and took up a tract of land where his grandson William CYPHER resides. Here he spent the remaining years of his life. He left numerous descendants. In 1799 came John and Michael FAIR, each of whom entered 400 acres of land, which they sold early in this century and moved to territory which they deemed more desirable. Caleb JONES, of whom mention is made in the page devoted to early industries, came about 1799.
[p. 488] In the year 1800 a few important additions were made. John and William CLUGSTON, natives of Ireland, with other members of the family, located near the present village of Leasureville; but John left his wife in charge and sought peace in some newer place in the wilderness. Robert COOPER, born here in 1815, was the son of Samuel COOPER, who came with his step-father, Robert JOHNSTON, at an early day. William and James HAZLETT, with William, John, Reuben and David HAZLETT, sons of William, were contemporary settlers. John KENNEDY, who was a native of Baltimore, Maryland, a Revolutionary soldier and a teacher, settled here in 1801 and died in 1835. Jacob HARSHMAN, the weaver, owned 400 acres in 1803, and John COOPER 400 acres.
Among others who settled here early in the century were Arthur HILL and Robert GALBREATH, both Irishmen, and William HESSELGESSER and family, who came in 1815. In 1817 another Revolutionary veteran arrived in the person of Abraham LEASURE, and the year after, came Thomas BICKETT. James, William and David RALSTON and Robert GRAHAM were then residents. Francis JACKMAN and his wife arrived from France in 1832 and took possession of a tract of land near the present village of Denny or Delano station.
In 1836, the German immigrants began to pour in. Their industry soon changed the wilderness into fruitful farms. Following the example of other pioneers of their nationality, they lost no time in reducing the forest to ashes and converting virgin soil into grain and grass producing fields.
The saw-pit of Jeremiah SMITH, the hand mill for grinding wheat and corn, also constructed by him and his sons, the cooperage of Hugh SMITH, and the plow and harrow shops of these pioneers, were the first manufacturing industries of this township. Thomas HORTON, who located on the Little Buffalo creek late in 1805-having moved from Middlesex township-erected a saw mill in 1806 on or near the site of the carbon works at Saxon station. His son, William, aided the pioneer in running the little mill, when not engaged in exhorting the neighbors to join the Methodist church.
Jeremiah SMITH, Jr., and his sister's husband, Caleb JONES, built a grist mill at Melissadale-named after Mrs. William STEWART-in 1809. Eight years after, Peter McLAUGHLIN, of Slippery Rock township, purchased the mill and 500 acres of land for 1,000 pounds of powder, valued at one dollar a pound. About the same time Peter and Hugh or Robert McLAUGHLIN established a powder factory near the site of the ruins of the DENNY saw mill, and both industries were conducted by them until the death of Peter McLAUGHLIN in 1828. John McMACKIN, who had charge of the powder mill as superintendent, was also a partner, and after the McLAUGHLINs passed away, James DENNY, Jr., of Clearfield township, became a partner, having purchased the McLAUGHLIN interests in the powder factory in 1834. Later William DENNY purchased McMACKIN's interests. In 1853 the grist mill was torn down, when William, Daniel and John DENNY built the present mill, using the water power of Rough run, as well as steam. It had three run of buhrs until 1888, when it was converted into a modern roller mill with four sets of rolls and a capacity of thirty barrels of flour per day. In 1871 [p. 489] the DENNY brothers and William STEWART drilled a well east of the mill to a depth of 1,250, which proved a great gas well. The gas was used for fuel in the mill and the houses. In 1874 the DENNY well was drilled to a depth of 1,442 feet. It is now as good as when first opened.
The William HAZLETT Mill, below the SMITH and JONES mill, was erected about the time the pioneer industry on Rough run was sold by SMITH to Peter McLAUGHLIN. The location was nearer the spot where the furnace was erected in later days than that of the SMITH concern. The saw-mill addition was made in 1821 or 1822, and for a number of years HAZLETT and his sons were known as the "Millers of Rough Run." The frame is still standing, but the owners and machinery are gone.
Winfield Furnace was established in 1847 by William SPEAR, near the mouth of Rough run, to develop the rich ore deposits of that section. In 1856 this industry passed into the hands of the Winfield Coal and Iron Company, from whom it was purchased by William STEWART, of Hickory Furnace fame, under whom it ceased work in 1864. The stone stack, part of which is standing, thirty-three feet in height, rested on a base twenty feet square. Charcoal was used as fuel, the blast being at first driven by water-power, but later by steam. Its capacity was about forty tons of iron per day, the transportation of which to Pittsburg cost about $4.10 a ton. It was hauled to Freeport, and thence shipped to Pittsburg.
The Rough Run Manufacturing Company purchased a tract of land near the old Winfield furnace property and established a salt works in 1891-92. The company was composed of the following citizens: James and Joseph BREDIN, Albert RUFF, Stephen CUMMINGS, H. SCHNEIDEMAN, John WEBER and Daniel MARKEL. The manufacture of salt was carried on about a year, but proving unprofitable, the works were closed and the land leased in 1893 to the lime company.
The Acme Lime Company, Limited, had its inception in 1893, when Webster KEASEY and J. A. RANSOM leased the lime quarries in Winfield township from the Rough Run Manufacturing Company. The following year they organized the company, with J. A. RANSOM president, J. J. HAAS secretary and treasurer, and Webster KEASEY superintendent. The works are located on Rough run, and consist of 177 acres of land, containing one quarry, from which 600 bushels of lime are manufactured daily. Three kilns and one patent steel jacket kiln are in use, one steam drill, one stone crusher, with a capacity of 200 tons per day for railroad ballast, and one pulverizer, with a capacity of fifty tons per day for use in the manufacture of glass. They also operate a coal mine on the same farm, turning out 150 tons per day. A twenty horse power engine furnishes the power, and seventy-five men find employment in these works.
Knox Methodist Episcopal Church, near the eastern line of Jefferson township, is a re-organization of the old society of 1823-24, of which Samuel COOPER, and Henry KARSHNER, were members, Jacob SARVER, Robert COOPER, Peter KENNEDY, John KNOX and Samuel DUFF are named among the senior members of the [p. 490] present church, which was partially reorganized before the war, and organized in 1864 when the present brick house of worship was erected. Rev. John D. KNOX was then pastor. The church is in the Ekastown charge. Among the preachers who were here prior to 1880, were those named in the history of FISK's chapel. In 1880, Rev. J. C. HIGH was the preacher in charge; in 1882, Rev. R. HAMILTON; in 1884, Rev. J. T. STIFFY; in 1887, Rev. R. S. ROSS, and in 1890, Rev. N. B. TANNEHILL of Freeport, who had charge of Ekastown, Knox, Emery, Fisk's and Centre churches, at the close of 1893. The number of members belonging to the Knox chapel class is fifty.
Fisk's Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in August, 1855, with the following named members:-Robert LARDIN, William BARKER, Isaac PIERCE, George TODD,-the first class leader-all trustees, and Asa DIKE, with their wives, Mrs. MESSICK, Barechia, Cynthia, Lydia, Sophia, Caroline and Malinda PIERCE. The preachers who have had charge of this circuit, have been David HESS and Isaac AIKEN, 1855; William COOPER, 1856; A. G. WILLIAMS, 1858; Edward WILKINSON, 1859; Daniel RHODES, 1860; W. H. TIBBLES, 1862; Z. S. WELLER, 1863; F. D. FAST, 1866; Richard JORDAN, 1867; Washington DARBY, 1868; J. R. ROLLER, 1871; B. T. THOMAS, 1874; G. W. CRANAGE, 1876; S. G. MILLER, 1878; J. C. HIGH, 1880, and the pastors named in the sketch of Knox chapel. In 1857 a brick house forty by thirty was erected by Samuel WEAVER, of Freeport, at a cost of $850, which was dedicated in December of that year, by Rev. L. D. BARROWS, who suggested the name, in honor of Rev. Wilbur FISK. Prior to the completion of this house, the society worshiped in an old building, near their present edifice, which was the church of a defunct society of Cumberland Presbyterians. The membership at the close of 1893, was eighty-eight.
The German Lutheran Church was organized in 1848 by Rev. Henry ISSENSE, who had, practically, a congregation here prior to that date, to whom he preached occasionally. During the same year in which this society was organized, Simon and Adam SCHRUMP, Henry BLUROCH and Henry MINTZEL, the trustees, had a farm building erected and there, Sunday after Sunday, the members assembled for prayer. The house stood in the old cemetery east of the road. In 1886-87 the present church was erected, Rev. Mr. UMSLER being then pastor. Rev. F. WILHELM preached here for many years, from 1870-1891. The present pastor is Rev. Conrad ENGELDER of the Hannahstown charge. North of the church is the little frame school house erected in 1858.
In the old and new cemetery many of the old German settlers of southern Winfield and northern Buffalo rest, such as Conrad SCHMIDT, who died in 1870; J. BOLTZ, the same year; Anna G. SMITH, in 1871; Casper HARTUNG, in 1874, and Barbara WINEBERG, in 1881. A number of headstones tell of the scarlet fever plague of 1858.
St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church (German) of Winfield township, was incorporated November 12, 1888, with thirty-two members, including Rev. J. George AMSOHLER, on petition of himself, John FALKNER, G. WILKERVITZ, Conrad GUNDLACH, Will DURR, Ed. FRANK, August HIEM and Michael MOCHEL.
The Evangelical Zion Curch of Winfield and Buffalo townships, signed articles of association January 6, 1873, the names being H. H. BECKER, George [p. 491] FRUHLING, F. SHULTZ, Jacob EHRMAN, H. H. FRUHLING, Casper FRUHLING and Joseph WESTERMAN. This church was organized in 1852 by Revs. ZIRKEL and LONG. John HIRST and Joseph WESTERMAN, the trustees, superintended the construction of a small frame building, which was used until 1872-73, when a new brick building was dedicated by Presiding Elder Rev. S. KRING, and the pastor, Rev. Jacob HONEKER. The cost of the new building exceeded $3,400. In the gable is inscribed "Zion's Kirche, 1872" The old lot was sold to the Ford City Gas Company, but no wells were drilled. It is in the Tarentum charge. In the cemetery west of the church yard, headstones speak of the death of Henry FOX's wife, in 1872, aged sixty-five years; Margaret FRUHLING, in 1876, aged sixty years; Casper KAUFFMAN, in 1878, aged sixty-five years, and Henry FOX in 1881, aged eighty-three years.
The Methodist Protestant Church of Saxon station was erected in 1878 by the trustees representing the society. Rev. James ROBINSON was the pastor who organized the society, with J. C. and Nancy MAXWELL, Daniel S. SPIRES and Sarah DOUTHETT members. On November 13, 1878, MAXWELL and SPIRES, William DOUTHETT, E. S. HALE and George H. LOVE were chosen trustees. The building was completed July 6, 1879. In September, 1879, Rev. J. J. WAGGONER was appointed preacher. From that period to 1887 little was done, but on August 16, 1887, the society was reorganized. In March, 1889, Benjamin DOUTHETT was elected president. Alexander DOUTHETT, John KAUFHOLD, J. S. EDWARDS, S. FAIR and P. F. McCASKEY were elected trustees later, and they are now the officers. No regular services have been held for over a year, but prayer meetings are continued. The frame building is a fair one, furnished with seats and reading desk.
The old schools of Clearfield township were, in fact, the schools for northern Winfield children until 1815, when Isaac LEFEVRE, of Jefferson township, agreed to teach in the neighborhood of SMITH's mill. A very primitive log building was erected, and there LEFEVRE taught at intervals until the erection of the powder mill caused parents to select another location. The HESSELGESSER neighborhood was then selected, while in the northwestern quarter John KENNEDY opened school in a log cabin of the Matthias CYPHER farm. The teachers of the five schools in the township for the school year of 1893-94 were F. W. HALSTEAD, Emma KRISE, H. J. LENSNER-of the HESSELGESSER school, whose seventy-four pupils represent three counties-Mary CALDWELL and Sadie CAMPBELL. The directors for the same period were A. KRAUSE, J. C. LOGAN, August FRUHLING, Charles FLEMING, Harvey CRUIKSHANK, Conrad SELL and H. H. FRUHLING.
Leasureville, platted as Unionville in 1832, for Abraham LEASURE, a soldier of the Revolution and a settler of 1827, is a modest hamlet near the southeastern corner of the township. Old settlers may remember the celebrated land case of 1830 of William WILSON vs. Abraham LEASURE and John SHERBER, and with it Judge SHALER's explanation of the relation of the actual settler toward all other claimants. LEASURE's claims were declared valid and, in 1832, he began to [p. 492] improve his cabin home and establish a town. In 1840 Hugh KIRKLAND opened the first store. It was located east of the present village. John HEMMINGER was employed as manager. John HESSELGESSER established the first tavern. In 1860 Robert STEWART was authorized to open a postoffice. John HESSELGESSER opened a store in connection with his tavern, in the old log frame house which was torn down to make way for the present LAWALL dwelling. Norman KIRKLAND opened a store in November, 1858, in the old log house moved from his father's property, still standing near his residence, and continued until 1872. John DOUTHETT kept store for some years, until his death in 1862, when his widow carried it on until she sold to FOSTER, who went to the war, was wounded and never afterward heard from. His widow and son are now owners of the store. The two HESSELGESSERS, who have each a gas well on his farm, and the FOSTERS were the only consumers of gas for fuel and light in February, 1894. There are eight residences in the hamlet. Norman KIRKLAND thinks that Judge SHALER's decision never effected the site of Leasureville. LEASURE made some arrangement at the time, by which he tranferred [sic] the property in dispute to the claimants, taking in exchange the site of the village.
Melissadale was a postal hamlet from 1862, when William STEWART was postmaster. Early in the seventies Daniel DENNY was appointed and held the office until 1879, when the attempt made by S. D. HAZLETT to establish carbon works there failed. He erected large buildings, but did not succeed in bringing the works into operation. There has not been an office from 1879 to the present time. Daniel DENNY kept store here from 1864 to 1872, a year after his establishment at Delano station was opened. The DENNY mills and residence with a few farm houses constitute the hamlet.
Winfield Furnace is described under the heading, "Early and Modern Industries." The postoffice at Winfield Furnace was established in 1885, with Mrs. Lew HAZLETT in charge, but it was abandoned long ago.
Carbon Black, or Saxon Station, dates back to 1871, when W. S. BOYD erected a building for hotel purposes. In 1872, E. A. HELMBOLD established a store here. When J. W. MAXWELL came to Saxon Station in 1877, he found the KRAUSE & HELMBOLD store, of which he became a partner in 1889, the dwelling houses of Alexander DOUTHETT, J. H. CLARK, John HOWARTH, superintendent of the Carbon Black Works, and Henry HOFFMAN. Thielo KRAUSE lived in the store building. There were also George MILLER's hotel-now the residence of George HOUCHLEY-the homes of Samuel COOPER and J. H. MUDER, the cabinet-maker. Theodore BEDINGER was the acting agent for the railroad, express and telegraph companies, T. HELMBOLD being the agent. The present school was erected in 1888 in place of the old brick, erected before the war. C. A. SMITH taught in the old brick house in 1874 and 1875, John RONEY having previously been the teacher, he residing there as early as 1867. Since 1877 three or four houses have been erected, Dr. J. M. SCOTT's modern brick residence being the principal one. In March, 1894, L. H. FALKNER's blacksmith shop was erected near the railroad crossing on the southern limits of the village. SACHS & WETZEL's lumber yard dates back only a few years.
The carbon works were established in 1876 by NOLAN & BOARDMAN, when one [p. 493] brick and one frame building were erected. In the winter of 1879-80 the works were burned, and in 1881 the present brick structures were erected, the ground area being 250 x 120 feet. The capacity is about 2,500 pounds a week. The superintendent is Frank DOUTHETT, who has held that position for about four years.
Delano Station may be said to date back to 1870, when E. G. LEITHOLD opened a store at that point. In 1871 a postoffice was established here, in Daniel DENNY's new store building, with L. HEIDRICK postmaster; but the same year the store was sold to KRAUSE Brothers of Hannahstown, one of whom, Robert, became postmaster. Their store is now the leading mercantile establishment of the district. RUMMEL Brothers opened a store here in 1873; MURTLAND & GORDON subsequently kept a store, now vacant, and the property of KRAUSE Brothers. Louis WEIDHOS established a hardware store here in the "Eighties," which he still carries on in the old LEITHOLD building. He also owns a lumber yard at this point. Mr. LEITHOLD kept hotel after retiring from mercantile life, and when WEIDHOS succeeded him he also kept the house until 1885, when license was denied. The principal buildings of the place are the stores of KRAUSE Brothers and Louis WEIDHOS, and the residences of Robert KRAUSE, Alphonse KRAUSE, E. G. HUMES, oil contractor; Peter RUMMEL's, occupied by William GREENWOOD, oil well contractor; Mrs. Jane DUGAN's, occupied by John L. BASSETT, superintendent of the Standard Plate Glass company's gas wells; August LAUDENSCHLEGER, Martin KIRK and Mrs. C. WEIDHOS.
The Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company was organized August 27, 1859, by Lewis A. KRAUSE, who served as president from that date until October 1, 1871, when Jacob BECK succeeded him. On December 15, 1884, Daniel WALLET was elected and served until January 15, 1888. A. KRAUSE is the present presiding officer. The secretaries have been A. STUEBGEN, elected in 1859, and Henry HECK, elected October 1, 1868, to succeed him. Mr. HECK has served in that position ever since. Theo. H. TOLLEY was the first treasurer. E. MAURHOFF succeeded him April 1, 1878; Theo. H. TOLLEY was re-appointed in 1881; Charles HOFFMAN in 1885; Louis WEIDHOS, in 1889, and Robert KRAUSE, the present treasurer, in 1892. The company was incorporated March 23, 1860, the charter members being William WISKEMAN, C. G. LAMB, C. KRUMPE, Jacob BECK, G. E. LEITHOLD, Henry SCHAFER, J. G. LENSNER, G. G. GRABE, A. KOEGLER, B. BERNINGER, J. C. BAUMAN and George KECK.
[End of Chapter 39 - Winfield Township: History of Butler County Pennsylvania, R. C. Brown Co., Publishers, 1895]
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