North Fayette, as thus erected, extends from Montour’s run to Robinson’s run, and borders upon Washington county on the southwest. Pinkerton’s run forms its northeastern boundary. The numerous branches of these streams, of which Half Crown run is the most important, drain the whole of its extensive area.

The township was crossed by the Mingo trail, the course of which is followed by the road leading from Noblestown to Beaver Falls. This route was frequently traveled by scalping-parties, and the region through which it passed not infrequently experienced the effects of their visitations. Among others who were killed in North Fayette may be mentioned one McNaminy. It was in the time of harvest, and, as the custom was, the neighbors assisted each other. On this occasion he was returning with a number of others from Findlay township, and being in advance of the rest was murdered and scalped before they had an opportunity to act in his defense. In 1778 a blockhouse was built on the land of William Turner, who had become a resident of the township in 1774. It is described as a substantial, well- constructed building, surrounded by a stockade, within which a never-failing spring of water was situated. The last Indian outrage affecting the people of this section occurred about 1780. The four children of William Turner, two sons and two daughters, and a Mr. Fulks left their home in the spring of the year and went over into what is now Beaver county to make maple sugar. They completed preparations for their stay, and had remained several days, when a party of Indians appeared. George Turner was killed upon the spot. Fulks might have escaped but for the fact that he was followed by a white dog which barked incessantly. He was overtaken and also killed without further parley. The party then set out with the two girls, Betsey and Polly, and their remaining brother, William Turner. The latter died after a short time, but the girls survived the hardships of the journey, and reached a British post in the northwest, where they were ransomed. One was married to a captain in the British army, McCormic by name, and the other to a Mr. Johnston, who subsequently settled in Kentucky, and became an officer on the American side in the war of 1812.

About the year 1780 Alexander Ewing emigrated from Cecil county, Md., with his wife and two children, and all their worldly goods were transported by packhorses. They were received by James Ewing, who had become a resident of Collier township some years previously, with all the hospitality the circumstances of frontier life at that time would permit. They finally settled permanently in the vicinity of Fayetteville, where the family is still numerously represented.

Of the families that were residents of North Fayette prior to 1820, the following are remembered:
John Marshall and sons Alexander, Henry, Archibald, John, William and Andrew;
John Logan and sons John, Alexander, William and David;
Archibald McBride and sons Henry, Archibald, John, William and James;
Samuel Turner and sons John, William, Ewing and Samuel;
George Cavitt and sons George, Samuel and William;
William McElheny and sons William, George, Marshall, Jared, Campbell, John and James;
John Cowan and sons Adam and James
John Miller and sons Thomas and James;
Alexander Begges and sons Alexander and William;
John Short and sons James, John, William, Alexander and Marshall;
John Walker and sons Isaac and Jacob;
Huston Tom and son Robert;
Thomas Partridge and son Joseph;
John Gregg and sons Mark and Levi;
Joseph Wallace and son Harper;
Thomas Wilson and sons Reed and William;
William Cowan and sons William and Andrew;
George Kelso and sons James and John;
Alexander McFarland and sons George, Henry, Andrew, Alexander, William and Robert;
Benjamin Mevay and son Benjamin;
Joseph Walker and sons James, Joseph, Ezekiel and Josiah;
Isaac Walker; Adam Potter and sons Robert and Adam;
Jacob Whitmore and sons Samuel, John and H. H.;
Alexander McCandless and sons William, Philip and George;
McMichael and sons John and James;
Stoncipher and sons John and Isaac;
George McKee and sons David, George and James;
John Jeffrey and sons Robert and Milton;
Joseph McConnell and son Joseph;
Glenn and sons Robert and John;
John Taylor and son Robert;
Joseph McMurray and sons John, William and George;
Robb and sons Mark and William;
William Savage and son Henry;
William Sturgeon and sons William, Robert and Samuel;
Andrew Dickson and sons Samuel, Joseph and James;
John P. Ewing and sons Samuel and Amos;
Samuel Sturgeon and sons James and David;
William McClelland and sons David, William, Robert and Thomas;
Samuel Thompson and sons John, MattRew, Ivester and William;
Williams and sons John and Isaac;
Thomas Hall and son James;
William Leas and sons George, Henry, Abraham and Isaac;
Isaac Messer.

The township is crossed diagonally from northeast to southwest by the Pittsburgh and Steubenville turnpike. The Montour railroad traverses the region about its northern boundary, and the Pan Handle railroad passes through the eastern part of its territory a short distance. Coal of excellent quality underlies the township throughout, but is practically undeveloped except on the line of the Montour railroad. The Imperial Coal company, William McCreery, president; L. M. Jenkins, treasurer, and F. L. Shallenberger, superintendent, was incorporated in 1878. The company owns one thousand acres of coal-land, and operates the "Montour" and "Cliff" mines, both in North Fayette township. The first coal shipments were made in July, 1879. The amount produced ranges from eight hundred to one thousand tons daily. Five hundred men are employed. The product is shipped by way of the Montour and Pittsburgh & Lake Erie railroads, and is principally consigned to points in Northern Ohio.

Imperial (formerly called Montour City), the terminus of the railroad of that name, is a town of about one hundred and thirty houses, and is virtually owned by the Imperial Coal company. It is a place of recent origin, and presents the features usually associated with mining towns. A postofifice was established under the name of Imperial in April, 1880.

Noblestown, in the eastern part of the township, on Robinson’s run, is the oldest town in this part of the county. It was founded by Col. Henry Noble, but the date can not be definitely ascertained. The- following sheds some light upon the question:
Lot No. 1, on the south side of Mill street, "in a town called Noble’s-burgh," containing 119 perches of land, was sold by Col. Noble September 13, 1796, to Francis Hamilton, of Fayette township, who agreed "to build thereon a dwelling-house either of stone or brick, frame or hewn logs, at least twenty feet by eighteen, and to cover the same with a shingled roof," within two years, or relinquish all claim to the propert}' in default of complying with this condition. The consideration was five pounds ten shillings.
Lot No. 15, 47 1/2 perches on the northeast side of Mill street, was sold to James Richardson, Sr., for eight pounds;
No. 16, containing 65 1/2 perches, to Mr. Richardson,, for twelve pounds;
No. 14, containing 94 1/2 perches, to John Brown, for ten pounds;
No. 13, containing 135 perches, to George Williams, for one hundred dollars;
No. 12, containing 50 perches, to James Law; all of which were on the north side of Mill street.
On the south side of the same street. No. 5, containing 50 perches, was sold to Lancelot Campbell for thirty dollars;
No. 2, containing 50 perches, to Sarah Miller;
No. 6, containing 50 perches, to Thomas Moor;
No. 4, to George Williams for two hundred and forty dollars;
Nos. 7 and 8, at the corner of Mill and Cross streets, to James McCollister;
No. 19, at the southwest side of Second street, was purchased by Jacob Shroad, and
No. 18, adjoining, by Francis Hamilton.
John Brown, "taverner," bought a lot adjacent to the town plot, on the southeast side of Robinson’s run.
All the purchasers were residents of Fayette township; and as the agreement relating to the erection of houses was entered into by each one, it may be presumed that the town had a population of fifty or sixty before the close of the century.

The following entries appear in an old Bible in the possession of Mrs. McClelland, of Noblestown:
.Joseph Noble was born in April, in the year of our Lord 1715, and departed this life at his brother Francis Noble’s, in St. Mary’s county, Md., on Sunday, ye 24th day of September, 1780, in the sixty-fifth year of his age. Mr. George Vallandigham departed this life with his daughter, Elizabeth McClelland, at the house of William McClelland, in Fayette township, Allegheny county, and state of Pennsylvania, on Wednesday morning, the 4th day of October, 1810, in about the seventy-fourth year of his age, about eight of the clock in the morning.

Joseph Noble was the father of the founder of Noblesburg, and George Vallandigham, previously mentioned as a justice of the peace, was his uncle. The mother of Henry Noble was Mrs. Martha Noble, born in Charles county, Md., in 1724; she died "at her own home on Robinson’ s run," in 1796. The record quoted does not state when Henry Noble was born, but he is known to have lived in Charles county, near Baltimore, Md., prior to his removal to the west. He is buried in the cemetery adjoining Robinson’s run church.

"Col. Henry Noble’s merchant-mill at Noblesburg" was one of the earliest in the county. It was a log building, with three sets of buhrs, situated at the foot of Mill street, and there was a sawmill adjoining. The first shipment of fiour to New Orleans was made by Mike Fink, about 1800. His convoy consisted of two keelboats, the William and Matilda, which were launched at the mouth of the run on Chartiers creek. Fink enjoyed an enviable reputation in his profession, but his companionship was not sought by the better element of the community. From its position this place early became the radial point of a number of important roads, and public houses became correspondingly numerous. Although railroad facilities were obtained a score of years ago, but little improvement has been manifested. The local business is considerable, and the development of the coal in the surrounding territory can not fail to result in a more rapid growth than the town has yet experienced.

The United Presbyterian Church of Noblestown originated as an Associate or "Seceder" church. William Wilson, the first licentiate west of the mountains, preached here prior to 1790, in connection with his churches at Chartiers and Clinton. This organization was effected in 1792; it was connected with Montour’s Run until 1830, and with a church in Beaver county for some years thereafter. Pastors: Rev. William Wilson, until 1830; James Rodgers, 1831-38; John M. French, 1841-43; Fulton A. Hutchison, 1850-69; W. P. Shaw, 1870-75; W. B. Cheney, 1878-83; G. T. Scott, 1884-85. Lots Nos. 4 and 5 were secured January 16, 1802. The present church-edifice was dedicated in June, 1852.

St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, Noblestown, originated in the efforts of Rev. J. Stillerich in 1865. Revs. J. P. Tahaney and J. O. G. Scanlon, of Washington, and Thomas McEurne, of Mansfield, were among the early pastors. The church-edifice is of brick, seventy by thirty-five feet in dimensions, and it was dedicated in 1869. The Methodist Episcopal Church is of comparatively recent origin, and in a fairly prosperous condition. The Noblestown postoffice was established in 1823.

The Oakdale malthouse, P. Kiel & Son, was established in 1868-69 by McKee, Scott & Co. , and,, after being owned successively by George Y. McKee & Co. and George Y. McKee, came into possession o f the present proprietors. The plant consists of a brick building seventy-five feet long and forty-two feet wide, four stories high, in which the "growing process" is conducted, and an annex fifty by twenty- five feet, containing the "drying" apparatus. The capacity is thirty thousand bushels of barley in a season of nine months. H. W. Davis has been superintendent since the works were established.

The Oakdale Mutual Fire Insurance company was incorporated April 21, 1874. The present officers are as follows; President, William C. McFarland; secretary, J. W. Nesbit; general agent, C. J. Vance. The report for 1886 shows policies in force aggregating more than eight hundred thousand dollars.

Oakdale Classical and Normal Academy, J. M. McJunkin and G. C. McJunkin, principals, was founded in 1870 and incorporated in 1884. The property consists of a commodious frame building, erected for the purpose by C. H. Love. It is owned and controlled by the "Oakdale Academy Association," J. E. McMichael, president; A. McFarland, vice-president; J. W. Nesbit, secretary, and W. A. Herriott, treasurer. The school has had a checkered history, but has always exerted a strong influence in the direction of more general intelligence in the community. The present management has been successful in elevating the standard of education, enlarging the curriculum of study, and increasing the attendance. The school sustains a high position among similar institutions in this part of the state.

The Presbyterian Church of Oakdale Station was organized April 17, 1869, by a presbyterial commission of which Eev. David McKinney, D. D., was chairman, with eleven members, Ebenezer Nesbit and John Barnes constituting the first session. Rev. Maxwell N. Cornelius was pastor 1871-75; Jesse C. Bruce, 1876-78; J. M. McJunkin, the present incumbent, was installed in 1879. A frame church-building, fifty feet long and forty-two feet wide, was dedicated in May, 1870. An addition, sixty-six by twenty-three feet, was erected in 1884. The auditorium has a seating capacity of five hundred.

At the period when the Steubenville turnpike was a much-traveled thoroughfare, wayside hostelries were numerous along its route. Fayetteville, a scattered hamlet in the western-central part of the township, originated in an institution of this character. A small Methodist church is located here.

Shirland postoffice was established in January, 1850; North Star postoffice was established in October, 1861; Beech Cliff postoffice was established in February, 1877. Jeffreystown is an unimportant hamlet, founded by Samuel Jeffrey, whose daughter Martha was the first white child born on Montour’s run. The population of the township in 1860 was 1,172; in 1870, 1,482; in 1880, 2,242.