The following account was written by Rosaleen Gates Kingston about 1962 from information given to her by her brother John Gates. John had used this information to write a report when in high school in 1937.

History of Beaver Valley Cemetary

In the year 1860, George Walters gave to the people of Beaver Valley and vicinity, a piece of land situated in White Township, Cambria County, PA. The front portion containing about one-half acre was intended for and is the site of the Beaver Valley United Brethren Church in Christ, and Church Yard, the rear containing about the same, for a burial ground.

First Addition

About the year 1880, it became evident that the cemetary was not large enough to accomodate the numerous patrons who took advantage of the generous gift, and Mr. Walters gave an additional piece of ground to enlarge the same.

The situation and description of the same together with the former donation, appears in full in a deed dated February 12, 1880, and conveyed to the Board of Trustees of the Beaver Valley United Brethren Church, and their successors in office, a copy of which may be seen in the Register and Recorders Office for the recording of deeds in Ebensburg, Cambria County, PA in Deed Book Volume 43, Page 262.

Custodians

Although this property was deeded to, and came under control of the Board of Trustees of the Beaver Valley United Brethern Church, and their successors in office, their limited authority left them without any provisions to secure funds to maintain expenses save by their own personal expedition. The custom of Free Burial Ground was still continued with the result that this addition was rapidly taken up without the authorities deriving any resources therefrom.

Existing Evils

As time passed, the natural consequences of all free donations of property, without any provisions for the future care and regulations thereof, became visible. Briars and elders grew, fences and gates were soon out of repair, bodies were laid in isles or lots, and the marks thereof forgotten, to be afterwards dug into by future grave diggers, trees and shrubs were planted at the option of the party so doing, without any apparent thought of the future care of the cemetery.

Fencing

The entire cemetary was now enclosed by a wrought iron fence, purchased from the Commissioner of Cambria County, PA, the expense of the work amounting to more than five-hundred dollars, said amount was defrayed by volunteer labor, cash, and other material, a list of each and every item and donation, and the amount contributed thereby is embraced in the Minute Book.

Provision for Future Care

To overcome as much as possible the existing evils and provide for the future expense, the Board of Trustees decided to dispose of the ground by sale, conditionally the proceeds to be used only to keep up the cemetary.

The Trustees further decided to keep a complete account of all funds received and paid out, also a record of all ground disposed of, together with the name of each and every interment, so arranged that the Board may at any time locate the exact spot where each and every body was interred.

Profiting by past experience the Board proposed to govern and control this Sacred Ground by the enforcement of a set of By-laws, a full and complete copy which appears in another form. Copied from the writings of B. W. Gill, Secretary of Cemetary.

Third Addition

Once again it became evident that the cemetary was not large enough to accomodate all those who might want to secure lots, as only a few plots of ground remained unsold.

The Board again decided that they would purchase more ground. During the preceeding years the ground adjoining the cemetary had been purchased by M. D. Kittel of Ebensburg, PA. On June 23, 1933, the Board purchased from him about two and one-half acres as follows:

A piece or parcel of land situated in part between the present cemetary and the property of the School District of White Township, and an additional piece extending about 200 feet from the present cemetary along the road to St. Lawrence and back from said road about 388 feet, on a line parallel with line of present cemetary, deeded to the Trustees of the Beaver Valley United Brethern Church, of their successors in office, which may be seen in the Register and Recorders Office for the Recording of Deeds, in Deed Book Volume 451, page 313. The price of this land was one-hundred and fifty dollars.

The Board of Trustees feel confident that this amount of land will accomodate all who may wish to purchase there. P. A. Esch, Secretary.

The following lots under perpetual mowing:

P. C. Gates No. 131 - 132 $500.00 John C. Gates One lot $200.00 Adam Esch 1/2 lot $100.00 Sarah Shidler One lot $200.00 Sarah Gates One lot $125.00 J. I. Esch One lot $131.00

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History of Beaver Valley Church

As there is an accounting of the beginning of the Beaver Valley Cemetary recorded, a few facts concerning the beginning of the Sunday School and Church in the community might be interesting to the younger generation.

As given in the early records published in the Johnstown Tribure Democrat in November, 1953, the United Brethern Church came into Cambria County at Fallen Timber in 1818.

This was years before there were any churches built or organization of the Allegheny Conference to which that section belonged. Circut riders came through preaching in barns and school houses in those early days.

The first Sunday School in this vicinity was organized, Beaver Valley Union Sunday School, and held in a school house which later burned down, where later Willis Schaffer built his residence. This was located west about one-quarter mile from the top of Church Hill, and was in the latter part of the 1850's. Before that time the church they attended was at Fallen Timber.

Into this communuity came a Gates Family of which four brothers settled within a few miles of each other. Also a Walters Family who donated the land for the cemetary and church. By the efforts of a few people the first United Brethern Church was built and dedicated in 1864. Altho the church was organized, the Sunday School remained Union. It's membership were mainly United Brethern, but being Union, anyone of any denomination who cared to attend was made welcome to the extent they could hold office and could have a voice in the management. They usually came into the membership as time went on.

After the turn of the century, a movement to rebuild started. The Trustees at the time of building in 1907, dedicating July 19, 1908, were Isiah Gates, Mrs. E. M. Strayer, J. I. Esch, Benjamin Gill, and Perry Esch. In the history of the Allegheny Conference, there is an error in names.

Only those who engaged in an enterprise of building churches in a community of limited means as this one was, can understand the work and sacrifices which the interested patrons were willing and glad to do.

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History of Beaver Valley

as given by Peter Gates

The land which is now Beaver Valley was first owned by Walters and Dillion. Walters owning the lower half and Dillion owning the upper half of the land which is now Beaver Valley.

Dillion divided his land, where the church now stands being the dividing line, between his two daughters, giving Elizabeth who was married to William Fleming, the part on the southwest side of the stream; and Catherine who was married to Pierce the part on the northwest side of the stream. Pierce then sold his land to George and John Beers. The Beers brothers going west, sold their land to George Walters.

George Walters still owning the lower half of Beaver Valley in 1840, built a saw mill for cutting lumber.

In 1842, Isaac Gates came to work at Walters Mill. He married Mary Troxell from Glasgow the same year. They went to housekeeping in a little log cabin owned by George Walters Sr., located on the right hand bank of the Beaver Dam Run; believed to be in the vicinity of Beaver Valley Bridge.

He was engaged as a sawyer in the first saw mill in this locality. They worked and struggled along until the time came that they could buy land of their own. They secured the tract of land now owned by Levi Semmions (Earl Bolinger's Farm).

They cleared enough land to build a small house and moved into it. They had a hard life of it because there were no roads, only paths in the woods, and they had to take their grain to Tyrone on horseback to get it ground.

Their house consisted of a one story affair with one slide window and only a blanket for a door. Isaac still working at the mill at night and when he could, at home during the day. As time went on, he was quite fortunate and bought more land, including the upper part of Beaver Valley. He then built a log house situated near the junction of the Beaver Dam and Slatelick Run, which is now called Glendale. The principal business was lumbering, having by this time got a mill of their own.

Isaac later sold the lower part of his land which is now the upper part of Beaver Valley to different parties; (which is now owned by G. M. Gates, A. G. Esch [Jimmy Hamilton], J. J. Stevens [Kenneth Everheart], L. C. Gates on the west side of the road and Miss Sally Gates [Granny Gates], on the east side of the road).

Some years later George Walters (Christ's son) built a grist mill and country store. When George Walters died, he willed the mill to Christ Jr., his son and the store to his daughter, Mrs. John Gill (later known as Brill's Store, burned down in 1929).

George Walters gave ground for a church and cemetary in 1860, and later sold land to different parties. The church being built in 1864.

Steward Walters married Matilda Gates, daughter of Isaac Gates and they got the property which is now G. L. Golinger's and the surrounding lands. Steward Walters died and his widow married Reverend Dan Strayer.

The Cramer Lumber Company bought a piece of land from Mrs. Strayer and erected a large lumber mill. The mill ran for several years and caught fire and burned down. Most of the large timber was cut by this time, so the people started into mining coal, which is the only industry today, besides the W. P. A.

The first house built in Beaver Valley that is still standing was built by George Walters and now is the M. W. Nedymire residence.

George Walters had four children which the older folks can recall. They were: Mrs. Adam Esch, Mrs. John Gill, Christ and Steward Walters. Christ married Margaret Fagaret from Blandburg Mountain and built and lived in the house which is owned by Charles Kingston. Mrs. John Gill lived in the building now burned down but was known last as Brill's Store. Mrs. Adam Esch lived up what is now know last as the Swinter Farm. Steward Walter married Matilda Gates and lived in what is known as the Guy Bolinger residence. Christ Walters had six children to die in infancy. One lived, Blair Walters.

William Fleming who married Elizabeth Dillion and one of first settlers came from Indiana County. Court Fleming, William's son, could remember seeing indian graves on the top of hill which was until recently the Doss Fleming Farm.

Four Gates brothers that came to Beaver Valley were the sons of John Gates from across the Tyrone Mountain.

Isaac Gates, mentioned before in Beaver Valley History, had four sons and two daughters of recall. Joel A. Gates, Perry Gates, Isiah Gates, John C. Gates, Mrs. McKee and Matilda Strayer. They raised Mrs. Moore, and Rebecca Troxell, Perry Troxell's wife.

Levi Gates was the father of Henry Gates, Peter Gates, Maggie Thomas, Elizabeth Gashed. He lived where the Earl Bolinger residence is today.

Nathan Gates was the father of Dade Gates, who was the father of Sallie Gates and Mrs. Kate Esch, who was the mother of Kathleen.

Joel A. Gates was the father of Kathy Gates who was married to George Glass and was the father of Hannah Kuhn and Harvey Glass.

Tom Evans built and settled above the Lester residence. Bill Evans built and lived in the Lester residence.