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Cass Township Information
A description of the township from the History of Huntingdon and Blair Counties, Pennsylvania by J. Simpson Africa published by Louis H. Everts of Philadelphia, PA in 1883. The township information starts on page 237.
This township was named in honor of the Honorable Lewis Cass, of Michigan, and was erected January 21, 1843. Its territory was taken from the township of Union, which had been taken from Hopewell in 1791. Penn and Union lie north of it, Shirley and Cromwell form its eastern boundary, and Clay and Tod bound it on the south and southwest.
In its physical features Cass is similar to the township of Union. Jack's Mountain is on its eastern boundary, and extending in a northeasterly and southwesterly direction, parallel with this, are Clear Ridge and Sideling Hill. Between Jack's Mountain and Clear Ridge lies Hare's Valley, through which, from its central point in the township, runs Hare's Valley Creek towards the north and Three Springs Creek in a southwesterly direction. A highway runs through the township in this valley, and along this farms are scattered, though by reason of the narrowness of the valley agricultural operations are not extensive.
Between Clear Ridge and Sideling Hill is Smith's Valley, which, like Hare's Valley, is traversed by a highway, and in it runs Smith's Valley Creek to the northeast from a point south of the middle of the valley in the township. From near the same point an affluent of Three Springs Creek runs southerly, then turns to the east through Clear Ridge Gap into Hare's Valley.
West from Sideling Hill lies Trough Creek Valley, which is much wider than the others, and embraces the principal agricultural region of the township. Little Trough Creek runs southerly through this valley, and two highways pass through the township in a northerly and southerly direction, while others ramify through the valley in different directions. The "Barrens" occupy a large area in the western part of the township.
The borough of Cassville lies a short distance from the geographical center of the township, and a post-office called Hare's Valley is near its southern boundary. Agriculture is the sole industry of the township, and for the pursuit of this the valleys were long since denuded of the heavy forest growths by which they were covered. Much of the valuable timber has been taken from the mountain-sides, but from the forests that remain are now taken large quantities of oak railroad ties, and of bark, which the abundant oak timber supplies, for tanning purposes.
No railroad touches the township. The available avenues of egress for travelers and produce lead to Mill Creek and Mapleton on the north, and Saltillo on the south.
Pioneers
The date of the first settlement of Cass Township cannot now be
obtained. William Shirley settled on the tract now since divided into two farms, and owned
respectively by Martin Stever and Mrs. Sarah A. Heaton, in July, 1774. From him the name
of the elevation at the foot of which Cassville is located, "Shirley's Knob,"
was derived. Shirley married in 1773. After the murder of the Breckenridges by the Indians
in Woodcock Valley he moved his family to a place of greater safety, and afterwards
settled on the eastern side of the Raystown Branch, in Penn township, on a farm now owned
by Isaac Norris.
Peter Thompson settled on Little Trough Creek in November, 1773, and was yet residing thereon in December, 1794. Richard Dowling improved an adjacent tract, between Thompson's and Shirley's, in the fall of 1774. Both had surveys made in 1784. Dowling took out a warrant march 22, 1785, on which a survey of three hundred and forty acres and seventy-five perches was made, and patented to him April 30, 1789. The tract was called "Blunders." About, or possibly before, this time he removed to a farm on Raystown Branch, in the lower corner of Penn township, where his son William died a few years ago, and where his daughter Polly yet resides. Thompson obtained a warrant for his tract December 22, 1794. The survey, containing three hundred and sixteen acres and one hundred and fifty-eight perches, called "Shady Grove," was patented to him July 2, 1795. Thompson also moved to the Raystown Branch region, where some of his descendants yet reside.
Philip Curfman settled on the farm now owned by Nathan G. Horton about 1788. He had an oil mill on or near the site of the saw mill, and made oil from the flaxseed raised in the valley. Flax was once a staple production of the valley, and every farmer raised a patch of it. From it was made thread for sewing and for the loom. It was woven into cloth for wearing apparel, sheets, bags, wagon covers, and many other purposes. The cheapness of Irish linen and muslin long since rendered flax culture unremunerative. Jacob Dean commenced an improvement on the Abraham Shore farm in 1784, and Jonathan on the adjoining farm to the southwest in 1791.
Moses Greenland moved from Baltimore County, MD to Trough Creek Valley before the close of the last century, and purchased the Peter Thompson farm and some adjoining land, which he subsequently divided into three farms and divided one to each of his sons, Nathan, Caleb, and Joshua. He had two daughters. Nancy married Amos Loughery, who had served as a captain in the Maryland forces in the Revolutionary War, and Sarah married Lawrence Swope. Nathan's children were Sarah, who married Andrew Shaw, resided for many years in Fulton County; Keziah, who married Nicholas Shenefelt, died in Clarion, PA; Moses, who resided at the old homestead; Natahn, died about three years ago near the head of Trough Creek Valley, in Union township; Benjamin, reside in Wells township, Fulton County; Joshua resided many years in Cassville, now lives in the borough of Huntingdon, elected comissioner in 1847, and sheriff in 1853; Mary, married Abraham Myerly, and died in Cass township; Caleb, now resides in Clay township; Missouri, married Reuben Chilcott, and now lives in Jefferson County, Iowa; and Ezra, who lives in Union township. Caleb (the elder) had several sons and daughters. The latter married, respectively, Joshua Edwards, William Brown, and Jordan Wright. One of the sons married a daughter of Abraham Shore, and is now deceased leaving a son, Clayton, residing in Cass township. Joshua (the elder) raised a large family, who, after his death, all removed to the Western states.
The Lovell Family
Zebulon Lovell resided about the middle of the last century in Baltimore County, Md. His
children, as far as the family records now extant show, were Jonathan, who married -----
Stevens, October 8, 1770; Rebecca, who married John Lane, November 4, 1771; Ruth, who
married Richard Chilcott, May 29, 1774 (see Union township); and Zachariah, born July 29,
1765. Zebulon's wife's name was Mary, and she died May 2, 1770.
Zachariah Lovell married Ruth, daughter of William Kelly, and moved to Trough Creek Valley about the year 1794, and purchased from Samuel Shannon the tract of land on Little Trough Creek, nearly two miles west of Cassville, where he afterwards lived and died. This tract had formerly belonged to Thomas Coal, and was improved as early as 1775. Here his only son, Amon, was born December 19, 1803. Ruth, his mother, died December 15, 1850, aged eighty-two years and twenty days.
Amon Lovell married Wealthy, daugher of Elijah and Delia Corbin Houck, March 11, 1834, and died November 24, 1850. Their children were Emeline, b. January 12, 1835, m. ---- Heaton; Lavinia, b. July 24, 1836, m. ----- -----; Albert G., b. April 3, 1839, practices medicine in Maryland; K. Allen, b. July 20, 1841, resides in the borough of Huntingdon (see Chapter XVII, Bench and Bar); Mary A., b. April 19, 1843 m. Dr. R. Myers, and resides in Huntingdon; Henry C., b. August 8, 1845, died young; Jesse B., b. July 21, 1847, resides in the West; and Amon J., who died young.
The Smith Family
George Smith, a tailor by trade, after residing some time on the Weston Run,
Baltimore County, Md., moved to Trough Creek Valley in 1803. The only resident of the
village of Chilcoatstown (now Cassville) at that date was William Lovell, who kept a
public-house. The settlers in the valley were Philip Kurfman, Henry Elias who lived where
his son Henry lived and died, Zachariah Lovell, Joshua and Daniel Gosnell, Michael Myerly,
Moses Greenland and his sons Nathan, Caleb, and Joshua, John Taylor, grandfather of Isaac,
Michael Bumgardner, William Estep, John Wright, Richard Chilcott, George Stever, Jacob
Dean, Elijah Corbin, who lived in Plank Cabin Valley, Michael Houck, Samuel and John
McClain, John Loughery and James Loughery lived in Smith's Valley. John's son Amos had
served as a captain in the Revolutionary War and settled here afterward.
George Smith's children were Eliel, who served a term as county commissioner, moved to Iowa and died there; William died in Union Township a few years ago; Daniel moved to Ohio many years ago; Levi died in Union township. Two of his sons are physicians, another, Samuel P., is one of the county commissioners, George resides in Cass township, Jesse lives in Tod township, Andrew is a physician and resides near Colvin, Isaac moved to Iowa, Sarah married John Chilcote, and Elizabeth married Samuel Miller, who now resides at Mt. Union. George Smith, the elder, died December 20, 1839.
Philip Curfman, who was mentioned above, appears to have purchased the Nathan G. Horton farm in 1788, and soon thereafter settled upon it. His children were Jacob, who received from his father the farm now owned by David Hamilton; Philip owned and lived where his son Joseph now lives; Daniel owned the farm now the property of Mrs. Sarah A. Heaton; John settled on the farm now occupied by his son Adam; Peter became, on the death of the father, the proprietor of the old homestead; Elizabeth, the only daughter, married John R. Gosnell.
The Stever Family
George Stever, of German extraction, moved from Bucks County to Trough Creek
Valley some time prior to the year 1800, and purchased a part of the tract that had been
improved many years before by William Shirley, as wee as other lands, sufficient to make
several good farms. Besides conducting extensive farming operations he carried on
blacksmithing, and from his shop several young men graduated.
His children were Philip, who purchased from the father the farm where his son Lewis lived and died; Adam moved to Jefferson County, Iowa, and died there; Joseph, who settled in Hare's Valley, and died there; John resided upon his part of his father's estate, and died there, serving one term as county commissioner; David died on his farm lying between his brother John's and the borough of Cassville; Sarah married John Myerly; Elizabeth married Solomon Fink; Catharine died unmarried; Mary is now living in Cassville.
A part of the Stever land had been owned by Ignatius Notts, and was called in the patent "Nottingham." The title papers show that it had been improved in the year 1776.
The Greene Family
Thomas Greene, the ancestor of the family of that name in Hare's Valley and other
parts of the southern end of the county, was born in Maryland about the year 1740. He and
four brothers migrated to Huntingdon County. The brothers, Isaac, George, Elisha, and
Clement settled on the water of Standing Stone Creek, some time between the years 1780 and
1785. George and Elisha brought some slaves with them. One, know as "Black Tom"
lived in Huntingdon many years after he became free, and died there at an advanced age.
George built a grist-mill on the creek, on or near the sire of Cornpropst's mills. Thomas
settled in the souther end of Hare's Valley, and on the 5th of May, 1796, obtained a
warrant for two hundred and fifty-four acres, in the application for which it is stated
that the improvement had been commenced in 1776. On this tract he built a grist-mill,
about 1785, on the Mountain Branch of Three Springs Creek. A part of the original wall is
under the present mill. On the 26th of February, 1785, he took out a warrant for three
hundred acres "in the valley called Clear Ridge Valley, between Clear Ridge and Rocky
Ridge, on the north side of Corbin's improvement, to the line agreed upon by William
Corbin and William Read, near the head of the Mountain Branch." This land, now
situated in Cass township, was improved upon the ground prior to the issue of the warrant
to Thomas Greene, and it is supposed he was the improver.
Thomas Greene married a sister of John Wright. Their children were Elisha and John, who married daughters of Hercules Camp; George, married a Miss Skinner, of Path Valley; Thomas married a Miss Campbell; Abraham, married a Miss Rutter; Isaac and Caleb I., unmarried; and a daughter. George and Thomas settled on a Cass township tract, which was divided between them. George's children were Lemuel, died in Cassville; George Morris, died at the mill at Saltillo; Elisha, died in Springfield township; Archibald, died in Iowa; Matilda, married Daniel Curfman; Susan, died unmarried; ----- ------, married John Walls. Thomas had sons, Thomas C. and Andrew, and two daughters, Rebecca, who married Jacob Gehrett, and Harriet, who married James Hanawalt. Thomas C. married a Miss Baker, and now resides upon a part of the land above described. His son, Samuel B., is now engaged in teaching school and surveying.
Besides the pioneers named, others are recalled by very old present inhabitants, of Matthias Saylor, John Chilcote, George Stever, Cornelius Poston, Zachariah Lovett, and Daniel Gosnal. In Smith's Valley, beginning near the line of Clay township and going north, there were Jacob Barnett, Andrew Park, John Chaney, John Park, Jr., Philemon Reynolds, Michael Bauman, Hugh Johnson, and John Park, Sr. Reynolds was a colored man and a slave, who purchased his freedom, and afterwards bought from his former master six hundred acres of land opposite Cassville for one hundred dollars. Mr. James L. Glasgow now owns and resides on a part of this land.
In Hare's Valley John Shields, James Campbell, Jacob Crotsley, Henry Freed, William Wright are remembered as very early residents. Probably not many of those named were original settlers in the township, but many were the children of pioneers, and nearly all left children, who have in their turn multiplied till their families are numerously respresented here.
Some of these pioneers came here from Maryland, over Indian trails that were not passable except on foot or with single animals. They brought their scanty effects on their backs, or on the back of horses and cows, and drove the few sheep and swine that, if spared by the wolves and bears, were to be the beginning of future flocks. They camped in the forest at night, and patiently toiled over the rugged paths by day, sustained by their hopes of future happiness and independence in the homes which they were seeking.
It is not necessary to enter into a detail of the experiences of these pioneers, for almost every one has heard and read of them. They were not the effeminate children of luxury, whose pampered appetites required to be tempted with delicacies; but active, energetic men and women, who were ready to encounter and able to surmount the difficulties which lay before them in the wilderness where they sought their homes. They built their cabins, cleared their lands, and with the labor of their own hands provided for their few and simple wants. Their neighbors were few and distant, and there were among them none of the rivalries and jealousies which crept in as the country became more thickly settled. Each rejoiced with his neighbor in his prosperity, or sympathized with him in his adversity. Their visits, though few and far between, were cordial and sincere interchanges of heartfelt civilities. They were anticipated with pleasure and remembered without regret. The children of these pioneers grew up with robust health and stalwart frames, free from the vices with which the dwellers in cities and towns are contaminated. The log church and school-house soon made their appearance, and in these they were taught the precepts of mortality, and as much of science as circumstances would allow. In the midst of the environments which they had made for themselves, they were contented and happy, and rather to be envied than pitied by thei less energetic cousins, who had preferred lives of ease withing the shade of thei ancestral mansions to the toils and dangers which these people had encountered and overcome.
In the midst of pioneer surroundings these people lived and died and were succeeded by their children, for the country did not then, as do now regions in these days of rapid transit, put on the appearance of age in a decade. Gradually the forest disappeared, fields widened, houses multiplied, old cabins went to decay and were replaced by more pretentious residences, till the present varied and beautiful landscape presents itself in place of the unbroken forest through which at long intervals more than a century since came the pioneer couples, who remains repose in the land which they came to reclaim.
The township had a population in 1850 of 714; in 1860, 1,030; in 1870, 818; and 1880, 720.
Huntingdon Baptist Church
This church was organized about the commencement of the present
century, when the population was very sparse, hence the name that was given to it by
reason of its being the earliest Baptist Church in the region. Among the early members may
be named William Lovell, Jacob and Jonathan Dean. The place of worship was during many
years the house of Jacob Dean, three miles northwest from Cassville. In 1825 the present
house of worship was erected, on land donated by Mr. Dean, near his house. It is a log
structure, thirty by thirty-two feet. At first it was furnished with slab benches, but
these have been replaced with slips, and the outside has been "pebble-dashed."
The pastors of this church have been, as nearly as can be recollected, Revs. Samuel Lane, James Davis, Moses Starr, Richard Proudfoot, Nathan Everett, Zopher D. Pasco, George L. Elgin, Joseph Furr, and the present incumbent, Joseph Corell.
Baumann's Methodist Episcopal Chapel
As early as 1854 a class existed in Smith's Valley, on the road
between Mapleton and Saltillo, two miles from Cassville. Of this class, Philip Curfman,
Abraham Taylor, and D. P. Pheasant were leaders. Their place of worship was a school-house
during some years, but finally the present chapel was erected. It is a wooden structure,
thirty by forty feet, with a seating capacity of two hundred and fifty.
While this charge was a part of the Cassville circuit, the same clergymen served this and the Cassville charge. Since its change from that circuit it has had Revs. E. Shoemaker, G. W. Bowse, G. W. Dunlap, J. W. Orwine, J. W. Bell, and the present pastor, L. S. Crone.
United Brethren Church
In 1858-59, a society of United Brethren in Christ was formed in the
northern part of Cass township, and for some years it worshiped in Harmony Grove
school-house, near Calvin. In 1868 a house of worship was erected, three-fourths of a mile
south from that village, with a seating capacity of three hundred.
Among the many clergymen who have officiated here the names are recollected of Revs. Baker, Spangler, Shirk, Potter, Clem, Jones, McClay, Mattern, Messer, and the present pastor, Rev. Gale.
Cornelius Methodist Episcopal Chapel
This is located in Hare's Valley, a mile and a half from the south
line of Cass township. It was named in honor of Rev. George W. Cornelius, who was active
in promoting its erection. It was built for the accommodation of Methodists in that
vicinity, who had long worshiped in a school-house there. A prosperous society has been
maintained here, and has been served by the same clergymen that have been in charge as
Cassville and at Bauman's Chapel.
Cemeteries
There is in Cassville a cemetery, another near Bauman's Chapel, and
one in Hare's Valley. None of these are incorporated.
Education
Nathan Greenland, who resided on Little Trough Creek, two miles
northwest of Cassville, taught school in the winter for many years, beginning as early
perhaps as 1810. The term was usually three months.
One of the early school-houses stood ont he southwest side of the road leading from Cassville via Solomon Myerly's, on land lately owned by Col. John Stever, deceased. A man named Berger taught school there. Another stood on land now owned by J. Calvin Shaffer, east of the public road, in a place then well known as the school-house woods. Hugh Johnston, who lived in Smith's Valley, taught here. The house was afterwards moved to the eastern end of the Long Bridge, on land of Michael Myerly, where the large house built by the Glasgows now stands. After the removal, one of the first teachers was John G. Corbin, who, after a service in the War of 1812, migrated from Baltimore County, Md., to this valley. To this school-house all the pupils from the upper end of the valley came until another school was opened in a house that stood on land of William Chilcott on the opposite side of the creek from his residence. Cass township has six schools, in which two hundred and seventeen children were taught during five months of 1881.
On the Jess Curfman farm a school-house was erected before the introduction of the common-school system. Jacob Dever taught here. He resided near Cook's Station, and made a business of dressing deerskins.
A school was taught by Jonathan Dean in a house on a farm now occupied by Clayton Greenland. Dean was a surveyor, and among his pupils were many residents of the valley now passed away. Eliel Smith and William Edwards taught at the Long Bridge, and also at the Stever school-house.
On the farm recently occupied by Daniel Turner, now owned by Ralph Smith, John McDonald, from the north of Ireland, settled at an early day. He had sons named James, Alexander, and others. James remained on the farm and died there. The father, after the death of James, sold the place to Col. John Park and Andrew Johnston (who sold to Daniel Turner), and went to Ohio to his other sons.
The McDonalds and Hugh Johnston were the only Presbyterians in that neighborhood.
