This township
received its name from Le Boeuf Creek, which joins French Creek within its
limits. It is one of the original townships of the county, and belongs to
what is known as "the Southern Tier." It is bounded on the north
by Waterford, on the east by Union, on the south by Crawford County, and
on the west by Washington. The township lines are all straight except two
slight variations in the northern boundary, and a jog or handle about half
a mile square at the northeast corner, extending into Waterford. Le Boeuf
is six and one-half miles long from east to west, by four and one-half
wide from north to south. The population was 505 in 1820, 554 in 1830, 876
in 1840, 990 in 1850, 1,483 in 1860, 1,748 in 1870, and 1,420 in 1880. The
only post office is Le Boeuf, on the P. & E. R. R.
The assessment for 1883 gave the following results: Number of acres,
20,481; value of real estate, $524,185; average per acre, $26.06; cows,
907; value, $21,740; average, $24; oxen, 32; value, $2,315; value, $2,315;
average, $72.31; horses and mules, 352; value, $24,358; average, $69.20;
personal property, $48,413; total assessment for county purposes,
$572,598; money at interest, $26,027.
Early Settlers
The first lands were selected in Le Boeuf Township in 1794, by Capt.
Robert King, who took up 400 acres at the present Ford bridge. Returning
to his home in Lycoming County, he brought his family along in the spring
of 1795. When he reached Le Boeuf, he found William and Thomas Black
located on the next tract east, embracing what is now the Hunter Place.
John R. Black, son of William, was the first white child born in Erie
County. This event took place on the 29th of August, 1795. In 1796, the
little colony was increased by the arrival of Francis Isherwood, with a
son and daughter, and of James, Robert and Adam Pollock. William Mallory
came in 1801, and John Clemens, James Biggers and Philip Gregory in 1802.
Mr. Biggers came from Fayette and Mr. Gregory from Berks County, Penn.
Among other early arrivals were James Weston, who became prominent as a
politician, David Boyd and Mathias Himebaugh. Of the emigrants who entered
the township about the beginning of the century many left, and a new set
came in between 1815 and 1820, the descendants of whom generally remain.
The bulk of these were from New England and New York. Between 1825 and
1830, a number of Pennsylvania Germans from Lehigh County settled on the
banks of French Creek, including the Burgers and others. Capt. King, the
pioneer of the township, had been an officer in the Revolutionary war, and
rendered the State important service in securing treaties with the
Indians. Mr. Isherwood, like Capt. King, came first to locate a tract,
accompanied by a son and daughter, and went back the next winter to his
old home in Lycoming County for the purpose of bringing his wife, leaving
his children to keep the claim good. William Miles, the founder of Union
City, built a log storehouse at an early day at the mouth of the South
Branch, where he landed provisions and other supplies brought up from
Pittsburgh by flat-boats and canoes.
Streams and Mills
The chief streams of the township are French Creek proper, the South
Branch and LeBoeuf Creek. The South Branch comes in from Union at the
south line of the Wilson Moore farm, having a course of but little more
than a mile within the township. French Creek proper enters from Waterford
on the Moravian grant, in the northeast corner of the township. The two
unite on the farm of James Stranahan, a few rods below the Philadelphia
& Erie railroad bridge. From there the united stream meanders to the
west, across the northern portion of the township, until the junction with
LeBoeuf Creek, when it makes an abrupt turn and flows in a general
southerly course to Crawford County. Le Boeuf Creek comes in from
Waterford on the Monroe Moore farm, and joins French Creek at the David
Boyd place. The Indian name of French Creek was Toranadakon or Innungah,
the latter of which was corrupted by the French into Venango or Weenango.
The tributaries of the main stream are Trout Brook, Colt Run and Mill Run,
on the south side, and Moravian Run, Gill Brook and Mallory's Run on the
north. Mill Run is the one that passes through the borough of Mill
Village.
The water mills are the Wilson Moore Saw Mill, on the South Branch, the
old Burger Grist Mill on the main stream, and Waterhouse's Saw and Cider
Mill on a small run putting into French Creek. The Moore Mill has been
operated over forty years. The Burger Mill, now owned by John May, was
built by a Mr. McLenehan, fully seventy years ago, and rebuilt in 1879. It
was long owned and operated by that honest old Pennsylvania German, George
Burger, who made it one of the most successful in the county. A number of
mills once propelled by water have gone down. The steam saw mills are the
one at Willey's Corners, operated by D. Troup; C. M. Wheeler's near the
junction of Moravian Run with French Creek; Fogle's, on the turnpike, at
the foot of McLean hill, and Dunlap's, near the stone quarry, about a mile
from Le Boeuf Station. Large quantities of timber land are connected with
these mills, but Mr. Wheeler has all the pine in the township that is
worthy of mention. Great tracts of this timber once covered the hills. The
bridges over French Creek are the Stranahan, on the Waterford & Union
road; the Philadelphia & Erie Railroad bridge, near the latter; the
Quarry bridge at the stone quarry; the Ford bridge, on the Waterford and
Mill Village road, and Pollock's, leading from the turnpike to Mill
Village. The Town Line bridge crosses Little French Creek at the Union
boundary, and the Moore bridge, Le Boeuf Creek, near the residence of the
late C. J. Moore. All of these are substantial wooden structures.
Valleys and Ridges
The flats along French Creek are from half a mile to more than a mile in
width, and the soil is not exceeded for fertility in any part of the
county. That it is mostly made land is apparent from the fact that stumps
of large trees are frequently met with at a depth of two or three feet
below the surface. The balance of the township is hilly, but there is very
little if any portion but what is tillable. Two ridges are encountered at
the Arter place, and west of the Le Boeuf flats, which attain a height of
almost two hundred feet above the valley, the loftiest elevation in the
township. Wheat can be raised in every part of the township, and its
cultivation is increasing. The valley land produces big crops of oats,
which grow so rank that they are harvested with difficulty. The great
business of the township, however, is dairying, and large amounts of
butter are made and thousands of cattle raised. Land ranges in value from
$45 to $70 on the flats, and from $20 to $50 on the hills.
Holland Land Company
On the 17th of April, 1791, the State of Pennsylvania granted to "The
Society of the United Brethren for Propagating the Gospel among the
Heathen," commonly known as the Moravians, two tracts of land of
2,500 acres each, with allowance, to be located respectively on "the
River Connought, near the northwestern corner of the State," and
"on the head of French Creek," This association had long
maintained missionaries at its own expense among the Indians, and the
above generous gift was intended by the State as a remuneration in part
for the service it had rendered in behalf of peace and good will. In
locating its lands, the society chose 2,875 acres within the limits of
LeBoeuf Township, and 2,797 in Springfield and Conneaut, paying for the
excess in money. The French Creek tract was given the name of "Good
Luck," and that on Conneaut Creek the title of
"Hospitality." The agent of the society for many years was
William Miles, who was succeeded on the failure of his health by his son,
James Miles, as Manager of the "Hospitality," and by John Wood,
of the "Good Luck" tract. The land was occupied on lease till
about 1850, when it was bought by James Miles and N. Blickensderfer, cut
up into farms, and sold in the main to the present owners or their
predecessors. The Moravian grant extended from the Wilson Moore farm to
within about a mile of LeBoeuf Creek, and lay principally upon the north
side of French Creek. P. G. and John D. Stranahan made the first purchase
of Moravian lands in 1849, the latter moving from Concord the same year,
and his brother in 1854, both locating at what is now LeBoeuf Station. The
Academy grant, at the mouth of LeBoeuf Creek, embraced 500 acres of the
richest soil in the county, donated by the State for the support of
Waterford Academy. The lands were sold off about 1840, having been
previously occupied on lease. North of this grant was a large body of land
known as the Reserve tract, from the fact that the State reserved or
withheld it from settlement under the general law to encourage emigration.
Of the Reserve tract, 400 acres extended into LeBoeuf, the bulk being in
Waterford. An act was passed in 1799, throwing the land into market, and
most of it was bid off at low prices about the commencement of the
century. The Holland Land Company held some 400 acres west of Mill
Village, which were sold off between 1802 and 1810. It was their purpose
to have taken up an extensive tract within the township, and they sent
surveyors out to that end in 1796. George Fisher, of Dauphin County, took
up twenty-seven 400-acre tracts at an early period, lying within the
limits of LeBoeuf, Waterford and Washington Townships. This property be
divided with Col. McNair in 1824, and the same year the portion belonging
to the latter was disposed of at Sheriff's sale. The remainder fell to Mr.
Fisher's children in 1845, who sold it off at intervals ending in 1873.
The beautiful grove on the Flats road between Waterford and Mill Village,
opposite the residence of William Hunter, deceased, was a favorite place
for religious meetings for many years. Tradition says this was a choice
camping place for the Indians, and it is certain that numerous Indian
graves and relics have been found. On the Hunter place was once a circular
mound, sixteen to twenty feet in diameter, with banks four to six feet
high, on which trees were growing of a size indicating an age of 150 or
200 years. The remains of one of these pre-historic circles are also to be
seen near the home of C. M. Wheeler.
Common Roads
The principal thoroughfares of LeBoeuf Township are the old Waterford
& Susquehanna Turnpike, once the great highway between Lake Erie and
Eastern Pennsylvania, which follows the valley of LeBoeuf and French
Creeks, to Pollock's bridge, where it cuts across the hills to Cambridge;
the Erie & Warren road, which passes through the township by two
routes that unite near the Stranahan bridge; the Flats road, from Mill
Village to Waterford; the road from Mill Village to Union; and the road
from Mill Village to Pollock's bridge, connecting with the turnpike. Most
of these are in a fair condition. The township has the benefit of two
railroads -- the Philadelphia & Erie, extending across the
northeastern part, for about three miles, and the Atlantic & Great
Western, following French Creek nearly to the center, where it deviates to
hit Mill Village, and then returning to the valley further south. LeBoeuf
Station, on the Philadelphia & Erie, consists of some tenement houses
for the railroad men, a number of farm houses, and a long platform for
handling lumber and stone, of which great quantities are shipped from the
quarries near by. LeBoeuf possesses the largest and best quarries of
building stone Erie County. The bluff from which the stone is taken
extends along French Creek from near Dunlap's mill to opposite the
residence of A. L. Tilden, a distance of about a mile, and averaging about
thirty feet in height. The material is a blue sandstone of fine quality,
more durable than the far-famed Berea stone, but saturated with oil, which
spoils it for the highest class of work. Three quarries have been opened,
known respectively as Senger's, Henderson Canty's, and the Atlantic &
Great Western.
Churches
The churches of the township are the Union or Manross, on French Creek,
near Pollock's bridge, a Methodist Episcopal at Edenville, and a United
Brethren near New Ireland.
The Methodist Episcopal society at Edenville was organized about 1839, and
was placed on the Cambridge Circuit. In 1844, it was changed to Rockville,
in 1849 to Waterford, in 1855 to Cambridge, in 1857 to Rockville, in 1861
to Union, in 1863 to Waterford, and in 1865 to Mill Village, to which
circuit it has ever since belonged. The congregation began by worshiping
in the schoolhouse, and continued to do so until 1855, when the Edenville
Church was built at a cost of $800.
The Manross Church edifice was built at a cost of $3,000 in 1869 by John
W. Manross, who intended it to be used by religious bodies generally. The
first minister officiating there was Rev. Mr. Barnhart, a Methodist. It
has since been used principally as a Methodist preaching place, the
appointment having been on the Mill Village Circuit since the erection of
the edifice.
The United Brethren Church, located near New Ireland, is the outgrowth of
a revival held in that neighborhood in 1876. Preaching of this
denomination had years before been held in the neighborhood, but the
society had ceased to exist until revived and re-established as above
stated. The church building was erected in 1877, and was dedicated on the
6th of January, 1878, by Rev. John Hill. In 1876, it was styled Mill
Village Mission. It has since, for periods, been a missionary church, and
at other times connected with Union Circuit. It now forms a part of Union
Mission. Revs. R. McIntire, Root, W. H. Childs and Starkey have preached
for this church. The present pastor is Rev. W. H. Childs.
Schools
In the Ford neighborhood, some two and a half miles north of Mill Village,
a schoolhouse was standing in 1820, in which at that time a summer school
was taught by Miss Elizabeth Strickland; a later summer teacher was Hannah
Hall. The winter school was taught by James Skinner. Other teachers in the
building at about this time, and perhaps a little subsequent, were Stephen
Skinner, Paddy McGill, Cyrus Nutt and Thomas Graham. This schoolhouse was
known as the Smith Schoolhouse, and it served that portion of Le Boeuf
Township for many years. A log schoolhouse was built in the northeastern
corner of the township west of French Creek about the year 1822, which was
burned after several terms of school had been taught in it, and another
schoolhouse was erected on a branch west of French Creek on land now owned
by James Stranahan. Among the teachers in this portion of the township, at
about the period spoken of above, were Sophia Sackett, a Mrs. Ward and a
Mr. Crownstar. In 1825, a log schoolhouse was built by the people living
in the vicinity of the United Brethren Church near New Ireland. Early
instructors in this house were Nathan Mallory, Mr. Reynolds and Miss
Emeline Sloan. Le Boeuf has at this writing twelve school buildings, all
of which are frame.
Public Men
The citizens of LeBoeuf and Mill Village, who have had State and county
positions, are as follows: Delegate to the Constitutional Convention of
1837-38, James Pollock. Assembly, James Weston, 1813, 1814, 1815 and 1822;
John D. Stranahan, 1868-69. Sheriff, James Weston, 1810-13. County
Commissioners, James Weston, 1803-04; James Pollock, 1830-33; A. L.
Tilden, 1878-84. Director of the Poor, William Bracken, 1846-49 and
1859-62, Auditors, Thomas Pierce, 1844; John Wood, 1847; E. K. Range,
1875-78. Mercantile Appraiser, H. L. Minium, 1883. Perry G. Stranahan,
Jury Commissioner from 1867-70, was long a resident of LeBoeuf, moving
from there to Union about 1859. Alfred King, ex-Mayor of Erie, and
Prothonotary from 1854-57, and his brother, Wilson King, County Surveyor
from 1827-33, are grandchildren of Capt. Robert King, the first man who
took up lands in the township. John Clemens, a prominent business man of
Erie, is a son of one of the first settlers in the township.
Villages
Edenville consists of the church mentioned above and perhaps a dozen
dwellings. Formerly this site boasted a store, post office, saw mill, oil
refinery and blacksmith shop. The village went down after the construction
of the A. & G. W. Railroad, which diverted the trade and travel to
Mill Village. The settlement is on the road from the latter place to
Union, in the south part of the township. The locality known as New
Ireland is on the road from Ford's bridge to Lincolnville, about a mile
and three-quarters east of Mill Village. A church, a school and a few
dwellings make up the village, if such it can be called. Quite a
settlement has grown up around C. M. Wheeler's mill, in the northeast part
of the township, which gives the site very much the appearance of a small
village. Mr. Wheeler alone has five dwellings and eight barns, besides
which there are a cheese factory and some farm buildings.
The late William Hunter was one of the wealthiest farmers in the south
part of the county, leaving an estate supposed to be worth about $50,000.
He came to LeBoeuf from Forest County about the close of the last war, and
having plenty of ready money, realized from the sale of oil territory, was
enabled to buy some of the finest land in the township. Mr. Hunter died in
the spring of 1869, leaving thirteen children.
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The borough of Mill
Village occupies a pleasant site nearly in the center of LeBoeuf Township,
from which it was taken, about a mile from French Creek. The town owes its
origin to Mill Run, which flows through its limits, and unites with the
chief creek of the township a short distance beyond. Three saw mills with
their attendant buildings, sprung up along Mill Run, which gave the
settlement the name of Milltown. When the A. & G. W. road was built,
the station was called Mill Village, and in 1860 was incorporated as a
borough by that title. Before the opening of the railroad, there was
nothing on the site, in addition to the mills, but a cooper shop,
blacksmith shop and a few houses. Now it has become a brisk town, with a
population, according to the census of 1880, of 388. The idea of laying
out a town was conceived by William Kingen, and the survey was made by
Judge Benson, of Waterford. The plat includes portions of the farms of Mr.
Kingen, P. H. Colt, John Gregory, H. M. Range, E. K. Range, David
McKinley, James Hunter, F. N. Reynolds, W. C. Ford, M. S. Edmunds and G.
W. Gillett.
The manufacturing establishments of Mill Village are one cheese factory,
built in 1870 by H. B. Ames; one planing mill, one stave mill, one cider
and jelly mill, one steam saw mill, three blacksmith shops, one wagon shop
and a shoe shop. The business houses in 1883 were one drug store, two
groceries, three general stores, one hardware store, one millinery store,
one furniture store, one meat market, one jewelry store, one paint shop,
and a portable photograph car. A good hotel is kept on the temperance
plan. Among the most creditable buildings is the Union Schoolhouse, which
furnishes accommodations for two schools on the first floor, and the
second story of which is used as the town hall of the borough and LeBoeuf
Township. The Knights of Honor have their hall in Kingen's building, the
Grangers in the hotel, and there is a public hall in Beardsley's building.
The churches of Mill Village are a Methodist Episcopal and a Presbyterian.
The Methodist Episcopal Church dates its beginning prior to 1810, when
Erie Circuit was a four weeks circuit of about 200 miles, and composed of
twenty-three appointments. In 1810, Rev. Joshua Monroe was in charge. The
most prominent of the appointments were Brush's meeting house in West
Springfield, Erie County; Leech's, on Little Shenango; Mumford's near
Meadville; Pit Hole; Mrs. Mitchell's, in Venango, and Ford's on French
Creek Flats, in Erie County. This latter class formed the nucleus from
which sprang the church in question. The preaching was held in the
dwelling of Capt. Robert King, and subsequently in that of one of the
Fords. The first church building was erected in 1850, about one-half mile
south of the village. In five or six years this building was destroyed by
fire, when the church edifice in the village was erected, which was
enlarged in 1878. The appointment for a long time was on the Waterford
Circuit, and from that circuit it was placed on the Mill Village Circuit
at its formation in 1865. H. M. Chamberlain is present pastor.
The Presbyterian congregation was organized by Rev. J. M. Gillett, then
pastor of the church at Union Mills, in 1870, with fifteen members. The
building was erected in 1872, costing $2,800. The present incumbent is
Rev. M. Wishart, who has the charge at Waterford also.
The assessed valuation of the borough in 1883 was as follows: Real estate,
$75,469; cows, 44; value, $1,039; oxen, 3; value $150; horses and mules,
44; value, $3,256; personal property, $4,445; value of trades and
occupations, $5,020; total assessment for county purposes, $84,934; money
at interest, $13,716.
The Mill Village Herald, the only newspaper of the borough, was
started by C. C. Wright in January, 1876. It was purchased in October,
1882, by J. S. Ross, who is still its proprietor and editor. |