THE EARLY SETTLERS--OLD HART, THE INDIAN TRADER, ETC.
We have been unable to procure any thing like a full and complete list
of the early settlers of the entire valley; yet we deem it necessary to
give what we have procured, as a necessary adjunct to our work. It will
be perceived that many of the names are familiar, and the descendants
are still scattered profusely over this section of the country, as well
as the Union.
Mr. Bell, in his Memoir, states that, at the time of his earliest
recollection, between the Stone (Huntingdon) and the mountain, the
pioneers had principally settled along the streams. The prevailing
religion was the Presbyterian, although there were Lutherans and Roman
Catholics, "and probably as many who professed no religion at all as
all the other denominations put together."
In addition to those whose names have already appeared, or will appear
hereafter, we may incidentally mention, as early settlers about
Lewistown, the McClays, McNitts, and Millikin; west of Lewistown, along
the river, the Junkins, Wilsons, Bratton, and Stackpoles.
[Illustration: HART'S WATERING PLACE.]
At Huntingdon, Ludwig Sills, Benjamin Elliot, Abraham Haynes, Frank
Cluggage, Mr. Allabaugh, and Mr. McMurtrie; west of Huntingdon, in the
neighborhood of Shaver's Creek, Samuel Anderson, Bartholomew Maguire,
General McElevy, McCormick, and Donnelly. Of course, this place was
settled at a later day than the country farther east.
The first house erected where Alexandria now stands was located near a
spring, and was built and occupied by two young Scotchmen, named
Matthew Neal and Hugh Glover, as a kind of trading-post. They dealt in
goods generally, and in whiskey particularly. The natural consequences
of a free indulgence in the latter were fights innumerable, "even in
them days," and the place received the euphonious title of "Battle
Swamp," which clung to it for many years. Near that place, at what was
called "Charles's Fording of the Big Juniata," was the celebrated log
which gave rise to the name of the valley. Charles Caldwell lived in
the neighborhood--was the oldest settler, and the only one residing
within two miles of "Battle Swamp." In what then constituted the
valley--say in 1776--lived John Tussey, Robert Caldwell, and Edward
Rickets, on the banks of the Little Juniata. On the main stream, or
what was then termed the Frankstown Branch, on the northwest side,
resided John Bell, William Travis, James Dean, Moses Donaldson, and
Thomas Johnston. On the southwest bank resided John Mitchell and Peter
Grafius. George Jackson lived on the banks of the Little Juniata,
probably a mile from the mouth of Shaver's Creek; and a mile farther up
lived Jacob and Josiah Minor. In the neighborhood of Water Street and
Canoe Valley, John and Matthew Dean, Jacob Roller, John Bell, Lowry,
Beattys, Moreheads, Simonton, Vanzant, John Sanders, Samuel Davis,
Edward Milligan. Near Frankstown, and in it, Lazarus Lowry, the Moores,
Alexander McDowell. West of Frankstown, Joseph McCune, Mclntyre, John
McKillip, McRoberts, and John Crouse. Most of the latter lived along
where the Reservoir now is--the building of which destroyed the old
McCune and McRoberts farms. On the flat, west of Frankstown, lived
Peter Titus and John Carr; in the Loop, A. Robinson and W. Divinny;
John Long, near where Jackson's farm now is; Foster, where McCahen's
Mill now stands; and a little distance farther west, David Bard, a
Presbyterian preacher; Thomas and Michael Coleman, Michael Wallack,
James Hardin, a Mr. Hileman, and David Torrence, in the neighborhood of
where Altoona now stands. Of course, this list does not comprise all
the old settlers, nor probably even a majority of them, but we copy a
portion of the names from Mr. Bell's Memoir. A number of them were
given to us by Maguire, and some were found in an old ledger, belonging
to Lazarus Lowry when he kept store in Frankstown in 1790.
The man Hart, whose name is perpetuated, in connection with his log, by
the valley we have spoken of, was an old German, who followed the
occupation of trading among the Indians. He was probably the first
permanent white settler along the Juniata west of the Standing Stone;
and, long before he settled, he crossed and recrossed the Alleghany
Mountains, by the old war-path, with his pack-horses. "John Hart's
Sleeping Place" is mentioned, in 1756, by John Harris, in making an
estimate of the distance between the rivers Susquehanna and Alleghany.
Hart's Sleeping Place is about twelve miles from the junction of the
Burgoon and Kittaning Buns, and still retains its name. When he took up
his residence along the river, he hewed down an immense tree, and
turned it into a trough, out of which he fed his horses and cattle;
hence the name, "Hart's Log."
It is stated that upon one occasion, when Hart was an old man, some
savages came into his settlement on a pillaging excursion. They knew
Hart, and went to his cabin, but he happened to be from home. On his
log they left a tomahawk, painted red, and a small piece of slate upon
which rude hieroglyphics were drawn--one resembling an Indian with a
bundle upon his back, over whose head were seven strokes and whose belt
was filled with scalps. In front of this drawing was the sun rising,
and behind them a picture of the moon.
On Hart's return, he soon found that Indians had been about. The
meaning of the articles left he could readily decipher. The red hatchet
upon the log signified that Indians were about, but to him they laid
down the hatchet. The picture of the rising sun signified that they
were going to the east. The strokes indicated the number of warriors,
and the bundle and scalps intimated that they would both plunder and
murder. The moon signified that they would return at night.
Hart, although he felt safe under such an assurance, had no desire to
encounter the red-skins; so he scratched upon the reverse of the slate
the outline of a _heart_, and laid by the side of it a pipe--which,
interpreted, meant, "Hart smokes with you the pipe of peace," and left.
On his return next day he found the Indians had returned, and passed
the night at his log, where they had left a quantity of pewter
platters, mugs, &c. It afterward appeared that they had been at several
houses, but the inmates had fled. From one they stole a quantity of
silver money, and at the house of a Dunkard they stole the pewter-ware.
At the log they attempted to run the metal into bullets, but, finding
it a failure, they probably left the heavy load in disgust.
[Illustration: TUB MILL AT BARRE FORCE, LITTLE JUNIATA.]