turn made according to law, from the district of the township of Morgan in said county. IN COUNCIL. Philadelphia, Jan. 18, 1790. A certificate from the Court of Quarter Sessions of Washington County, of the division of Bethlehem township in the said county, by a straight line run from Peter Drake's to Weise's mills, for the more convenient election of justices of the peace, agreeably to act of Assembly passed the thirty-first day of March, 1784, was read the second time, by which it ap pears that the said division has become proper and will be useful, it was thereupon Resolved, That the same be confirmed. IN COUNCIL. Philadelphia, Jan. 22, 1790. An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of Hon. Henry Taylor, Esq., for the sum of forty-nine pounds fifteen shillings, in full for his attendance in council, from the 3d day of December, 1789, until the 22d day of January, 1790 (deducting six days' absence), and his mileage coming to Philadelphia and returning to Washington County. IN COUNCIL. Philadelphia, Jan. 25, 1790. Mr. Ross and Mr. Addison, members of Convention, and Mr. Ryerson, member of Assembly for the county of Washington, attended and produced in writing, a statement of the depredations committed by the savages within that county from time to time, and submitting the same to the consideration of Council, whereupon Resolved, That Mr. Findley, Mr. Miles, and Mr. Taylor, be appointed a committee to confer with the said gentlemen, upon the subject of a defence for the western counties against the Indians, and that they make report to Council. IN COUNCIL. Philadelphia, Feb. 13, 1790. A letter from Daniel Broadhead, Esq., Surveyor-General, of the 2d day of February inst., informing Council that he has appointed Messrs. David Redick and John Hoge deputy surveyors of a district bounded and described as follows, viz: Northerly by the great road leading from Fort Bird to the town of Washington, thence by a direct course to the nearest head-waters of Buffalo Creek, and down the said creek to the State line, easterly by the, Monongahela River, southwardly by the continuation of Mason and Dixon's' line, and westerly by the State line aforesaid, and submitting the said appointments to Council for their approbation, agreeably to act of Assembly, passed the 8th day of April, 1785, was received and read, and thereupon Resolved, That Council approve of the said appointments, and that Col. James Marshall and Andrew Swearingen be accepted as sureties for the said deputy surveyors. IN COUNCIL. Philadelphia, Feb. 18, 1790. The Comptroller and Register-General's reports upon the following accounts were read and approved, viz:— Of Joseph Brown for one month's pay as a volunteer militia-man, while stationed at one McDonald's, for the defence of the frontiers of the county of Washington, in August, 1782, amounting to five pounds five shillings. Of Samuel Brown for forty days' pay as a militia-man in Captain Robert Miller's Company, stationed on the frontiers of said county in the year 1782 and 1783, amounting to four pounds. Of Alexander Lashley for a horse which was taken into public service and lost on the Sandusky expedition against the Indians, under Col. Crawford, in the year 1782, valued at twelve pounds, and allowed. Of George Sharp for bacon and flour furnished the militia of Washington County under his command, on the frontiers of said county, in March, 1785, amounting to two pounds four shillings. IN COUNCIL. Philadelphia, March 4, 1790. Upon the second reading of the report of the Committee to whom was referred the application for a new order in favor of Demus Linsley :Resolved, That the order which was granted to him for forty-four pounds one shilling and ninepence, on December 10, 1789, on the militia fines of Washington County, be cancelled, and that a new order for the same be issued, payable out of the militia funds of the county of Lancaster. IN COUNCIL. Philadelphia, March 8, 1790. A letter from Thomas Ryerson, Esq., member of Assembly, relative to the defence of the western frontiers, against the invasion of the Indians, was received and read, whereupon it was Resolved, That to-morrow be assigned for taking into consideration the several papers now before the Council, on the subject of a frontier defence. IN COUNCIL. Philadelphia, March 22, 1790. A letter from his Excellency, the President of the United States, dated the 15th inst., in answer to the letter from the President of this State, of the 10th, which inclosed the representatives from some of the inhabitants of Washington County, respecting the mischiefs which have been committed for several years past by the Indians in that county, was received and read, and the same was transmitted to the General Assembly in a letter from the President to the Speaker. IN COUNCIL, Philadelphia, April 6, 1790. An order was drawn upon the Treasurer in favor of the Honorable Henry Taylor for the sum of fifty-five pounds ten shillings in full of his account for his attendance in council, from the 23d day of January until the 6th day of April, 1790, inclusively. James Archer, Esq., was appointed and commissionated a justice of the peace and of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the county of Washington, upon a return made according to law, from the district of the township of Franklin, in the said county. IN COUNCIL. Philadelphia, April 19, 1790. A letter from Henry Knox, Secretary of War, of the 15th inst., inclosing a copy of a letter which has been forwarded by him to the Lieutenant of Washington County in this State, authorizing him to embody any number of men, not exceeding eighty, for a temporary security to the frontiers of this State, was received and read. IN COUNCIL. Philadelphia, August 19, 1790. Resolved, That the Lieutenant of the county of Washington be directed to transmit to Council as soon as may be, a return of the officers of the militia of the said county in order that commissions may issue to them, and that the Secretary write to the said Lieutenant and inclose him a copy of this resolution. IN COUNCIL. Philadelphia, August 24, 1790. James Mitchell, John Cannon, and Henry Graham, Esquires, were appointed and commissionated justices of the peace and of the Court of Common Pleas in and for the county of Washington, upon returns made to Council of elections held, according to law, in the following districts, viz: James Mitchell elected in the district of Peters township; John Cannon in the district of Chartiers, and Henry Graham in the district of Cross Creek. IN COUNCIL. Philadelphia, August 28, 1790. The report of the Comptroller and Register-Generals upon the following accounts was read and approved :— Of Moses Cook, for a horse which was lost on the Sandusky expedition against the Indians, in the year 1782, amounting to fifteen pounds. Of James Brownlee, for flour furnished to the militia of Washington County, in the month of May, June, and July, 1787, under the command of Colonel Marshall, amounting to nine pounds three shillings and threepence. IN COUNCIL. Philadelphia, September 4, 1790. It having been determined at a conference of members of the General Assembly; the members of the Supreme Executive Council; the Judges of Supreme Court, Judges Shippen and Wilson; the Attorney-General of the State, and Alexander Wilcocks and Jared Ingersoll, Esquires, Attor neys-at-law, that the powers of the legislature of the present year expired on Thursday the second instant, and that the office of State Treasurer and Register-General of the accounts of this commonwealth, and of Register of Wills and a Recorder of Deeds in each county of this State, in like manner expired on the said day; therefore Resolved, That by virtue of the powers vested in this Board by the Constitution of this State, Thomas Stokely be and hereby is appointed Register for the Probate of Wills and granting Letters of Administration, and Recorder of Deeds, in and for the county of Washington. IN COUNCIL. Philadelphia, September 22, 1790. The following accounts were read and approved, viz : Of Thomas Scott, Esq., Clerk of the Peace of the county of Washington, for moneys received by him for fees upon tavern licenses from December, 1788, until June, 1789, amounting to thirty-nine pounds twelve shillings, which sum hath been paid into the treasury. Of Daniel Beam, for his pay for sixty days' service as a Ranger on the frontiers of Washington County, in the militia, in the months of April and June, 1788, and for provisions during the same time, amounting to five pounds ten shillings. IN COUNCIL. Philadelphia, November 10, 1790. Andrew Swearingen and Gabriel Blakely were offered and accepted as sureties for Thomas Stokely, Esq., who was, on the 4th day of September last reappointed Register for the Probate of Wills and granting Letters of Administration, and Recorder of Deeds, in and for the county of Washington. IN COUNCIL. Philadelphia, December 11, 1790. A letter from John Hoge, Esq., informing council that at the last general election held in the district composed of the counties of Washington and Fayette, he has been elected to represent that district in the Senate of this State, and requesting that Council would be pleased to accept his resignation of the offices of justice of the peace, and of the Court of Common Pleas for the county of Washington, which he now holds, previous to his taking his seat, was read, whereupon it was Resolved, To accept the said resignation. IN COUNCIL. Philadelphia, December 14, 1790. It being represented to-Council that William Wallace, Esq., Sheriff of the county of Washington, and Samuel Clarke, Coroner of the said county of Washington, are prevented from attending in Philadelphia to enter into negotiations and to give bonds with sureties, as the act of Assembly of the 5th of March last directs; thereupon Resolved, That a commission under the great seal be issued to Alexander Scott and Dr. Absalom Baird, of the said county, authorizing them to take from the said sheriff and coroner the said recognizances and bonds, in the manner prescribed in and by the said act of Assembly, and that the said commissioners make a report to council of their proceedings in the premises. Thomas Scott and John Hoge, Esqrs., were accepted as sureties for the said William Wallace, and John Hoge, and Henry Taylor, Esqrs., as sureties for the said Samuel Clarke. IN COUNCIL. Philadelphia, December 20, 1790. The following order was drawn upon the Treasurer, viz :— In favor of the Honorable Henry Taylor, for forty-four pounds ten shillings, for attendance in council from the 14th of November to the 21st of December, and mileage coming to Philadelphia and returning to Washington County. The Constitution of 1790 going into effect, the office of Supreme Executive Council was abolished. But very few persons having access to the twenty-eight octavo volumes which compose our colonial records and archives, I concluded to incorporate in this volume every fact contained therein in relation to Washington County, so that in the future it could be referred to. CHAPTER V. TOWNSHIPS AND BOROUGHS IN WASHINGTON COUNTY. The history of the Townships and Boroughs in their chronological order, detailing interesting events in each-Also the history of churches and the present state of education in each Township and Borough. WE now proceed to the history of the townships of Washington County, which have been enumerated in chapter three, commencing with the thirteen original townships, and placing them in alphabeti cal order; these townships having been organized on July 15th, 1781. When one of the original townships has been subdivided, or boroughs formed therein, we shall place its history with the township from which it was taken, yet giving a separate history. New townships and boroughs we shall place in chronological order. AMWELL TOWNSHIP. In the original record of this county its name is written "Aimwell." At the date of its organization, July 15th, 1781, it was bounded on the north by Strabane township, east by Bethlehem township, south by Morgan township (a township of Greene County since 1796), and on the west by Donegal. Its present boundaries are South Strabane on the north, Morris and Franklin on the west, West Bethlehem on the east, and Greene County on the south. On the 19th of June, 1838, part of Amwell was annexed to Strabane township, and at the May term of court in 1856, the township lines between Amwell and Morris were changed and confirmed. It is centrally distant from the borough of Washington ten miles. Its population in 1860 was 2042, of which seven were colored. Its greatest length is ten miles, breadth four and one-half miles. This township is drained by the north fork of Tenmile Creek, by the little North fork and Bane's fork of the same creek. It contains four stores, one distillery, and ten schools, employing five male and five female teachers, the former receiving thirty-eight dollars and thirty-eight cents, and the latter thirty-three dollars and five cents each per month, with five hundred and nineteen scholars, of which two hundred and eighty-six are males and two hundred and thirtythree are females--the tuition costing each scholar per month eightythree cents. Amount of tax levied for building purposes, four hundred and thirty-eight dollars and ninety-five cents-total amount levied for school purposes, two thousand four hundred and thirtynine dollars and fourteen cents; amount received from the State appropriation one hundred and eighty-three dollars and thirty cents. The towns are AMITY and CLARKTOWN (TENMILE VILLAGE.) Amity is about ten miles from the county seat, and is on Bane's fork of Tenmile Creek and on the road leading from Washington to Waynesburg, containing thirty-four dwellings, two stores, a Presbyterian church* under the care of Rev. J. W. Hamilton, and a Methodist Protestant church, the pastor of which is Rev. F. A. Day. This town was located about the year 1790 by Daniel Dodd, Esq., a brother of the Rev. Thaddeus Dodd, who owned the land, forned the plan, and numbered the lots. The position being central, on the main thoroughfare to Greene County, a hewed log Presbyterian church, stores, tavern, and dwelling houses were soon erected. At that early date the churches were destitute of heating apparatus, and the church-going members sat in their pews with their great coats and mittens, while the women were muffled up-not in furs, but in home-made dresses and comfortable shawls. Here we may remark, that both before and after preaching by Rev. Dodd, the male part of the congregation used to resort to the tavern to warm themselves, the house being now occupied as a private dwelling by Squire Clutter, no tavern being licensed in the place. In those early days athletic *See pp. 217, 218. |