Jefferson Twp.

   SAMUEL  JACKSON expanded his business enterprises as time
progressed.  His establishment , in connection with  JONATHON SHARPLESS,
of the first paper mill  west of the ALLEGHENYS is spoken of
elsewhere.   He carried on a store at Brownsville, in company with ELLIS
NICHOLS, embarked in the manufacture of  iron outside of the county, had
interests in various other enterprises, and in 1817, founded the ALBANY
GLASS WORKS on the MONONGAHELA, of  which more anon.   JACKSON was a man
of peculiar and at times eccentric disposition, while not infrequently
his Quaker blood would boil with unaccustomed heat and stir up matters
rather unpleasantly to the objects of his wrath.   When so disturbed ,
he would walk with his long arms crossed behind him, kicking spitefully
at sticks and stones that lay in his path.   When his paper- mill
employees saw him coming in such a mood , it was understood that trouble
was ahead for somebody.
   On one occasion, while repairing his mill-dam, he kept a boat for the
purpose of conveying his hands across the creek.  While he and his men
were at dinner one day, a traveler saw the boat, and knowing no other
way to cross the stream, appropriated the craft, tied it to the other
shore, and proceeded on his way.   When SAMUEL came from dinner and
found his boat on the opposite bank, he was very angry, and vowed
horrible retaliation should the opportunity offer.   The opportunity did
offer that very day, for the traveler had been only to BROWNSVILLE, and
came back by way of JACKSON'S in the evening., and he frankly confessed
to having taken the boat.  Mr. JACKSON  and excitedly exclaimed, Friend,
I wouldn't stike thee or beat thee, but I have a mind to rub thee down,
and that severely, the fellow resented the implied threat, whereupon
JACKSON cast self-control to the winds, and with his fists , did rub the
travelers face so severely as to draw blood.  He then caught up his
victim bodily and cast him headlong into the creek, calling out at the
same time, there, I'll teach thee manners and likewise force thee to
swim.  Frightened and half-drowned, the fellow scrambled out of the
water, and hurried away as fast as his legs could carry him , satisfied
doubtless that although a Quaker might look meek enough, he could easily
show some of the old Adam on provocation.
     WILLIAM ELLIOTT, one of Jefferson's early settlers, and a man of
more than ordinary local prominence, made a location on which his
grandson ROBERT now lives.   In a family of eight children, he had but
two sons who where named JOHNSON and JAMES.  WILLIAM ELLIOTT, the
father, was killed by a falling  tree a few years after occupying his
Jefferson home.  His son JOHNSON lost his life in a similar way when but
nineteen years of age.   JAMES  had a family of ten children, of whom
JAMES, ROBERT and JOSEPH live in Jefferson.  JAMES ELLIOT, the father of
the last three named, died in 1842

    Before the close of the Revolution,  four brothers,named ROBERT, JAMES,
WILLIAM and PETER PATTERSON, moved from Dauphin Co. to Fayette Co. ,
where they proposed to found new homes.   ROBERT settled in Westmoreland
Co.  and the others in Fayette.  PETER and WILLIAM in Jefferson Twp, and
JAMES in Franklin Twp.  The brothers came westward in company, and with
their families traveled and carried their effects on the backs of
horses.   With the journey over the mountains and the pack- saddle mode
of progress, WILLIAM became especially familiar, for after their
settlement in fayette he made several trips to the east for salt and
other supplies.   PETER PATTERSON patented the land now owned by EMMA
COPE, near Redstone post office, and lived their until his death at the
age of more than ninety.   He had a large family, but of the sons only
THOMAS made his home in the township after reaching man's estate.    He
opened the RED LION TAVERN on the place and in the house now occupied by
DAVID BROWNELLER , but did not keep it a great while.  He gave it up
before 1809, but while it lasted the " RED LION " was a stopping place of

some note on the old Pittsburg road
leading from the country south by way of  SHARPLESS paper mill.  WILLIAM
PATTERSON warranted in 1786, the place now owned by WILLIAM G.
PATTERSON.  He is said to have been born on shipboard during the
emigration of his parents from Ireland to America.   His children
numbered nine, of whom two were sons named JAMES and WILLIAM.   JAMES ,
who lived and died in Jefferson, was a Captain in the War of 1812, under
GENERAL HARRISON.   PATTERSON went out as a member of CAPTAIN REGINALD
BRASHEAR"S company., but CAPT. BRASHEAR, falling from his horse,  and
sustaining severe injury, resigned his command, in which he was
succeeded by JAMES PATTERSON.  A colored man, named HARRY GOE, born in
slavery upon WILLIAM GOE'S farm, was a teamster in CAPT. PATTERSON'S
company.   Some of GOE'S descendents still live in Jefferson, Capt.
PATTERSON followed the business of  teaming as well as farming, and
hauled goods from Baltimore and Philadelphia to Brownsville until
1823.   In that year , his son WILLIAM G. PATTERSON, continued the
business, and freighted from Baltimore to Wheeling,  until The Baltimore
and Ohio Railway  reached the Ohio River.  CAPT. JAMES died on the W.G.
PATTERSON farm in 1827.  WILLIAM PATTERSON, brother of CAPT. JAMES,
lived on the present  DAVID WAKEFIELD'S farm .   He had eleven children,
of whom the sons were, DAVID, JAMES, WILLIAM and JEREMIAH.   DAVID
served in the War of 1812 under CAPT. GEISEY.  Of the eleven children,
six are still living.   They are NELLY, MARTHA., JAMES and NANCY
PATTERSON of Jefferson Twp., JEREMIAH PATTERSON of Kansas, and Mrs.
SARAH  ELY  ( mother of Mrs. BENJAMIN PHILLIPS ), of Redstone Twp.

    In the bend of the river, JOHN DIXON, a Quaker, was the first
permanent settler.
He came from eastern Pa. in 1770, and bought a tomahawk claim off one
WISEMAN of about four hundred acres, upon which WISEMAN had built a
cabin and set out a few apple trees.   Mr. DIXON'S home was on the
present BOWMAN place, where about 1800, he built the stone house still
standing there,.   In 1813, he built a woolen factory on his farm and
carried it on for two years, when, the close of the war acting
disastrously upon the business, he gave it up.     Mr. DIXON had a
family of ten children, of whom four were sons.   NATHAN lived upon the
homestead, and died there in 1829.   JOHN DIXON, the father, died in
1840
   About 1800, LOUIS MARCHAND, a physician , located in the river bend
upon a four - hundred acre tract., and engaged in the practice of his
profession.   Being a bachelor  he took JOSHUA WAGONER as a farm tenent
and lived with the WAGONER family.  Dr. MARCHAND acquired considerable
fame as a skillful physician, and enjoyed a large and profitable
practice.  As the compounder of an anti-hydrophobia pill, his reputation
extended far beyond the confines of Fayette Co., and from far-distant
points, where stories of the marvelous cures effected had penetrated,
came candidates for treatment at the hands of Dr. MARCHAND.   That the
doctor did produce a pill of wonderful curative powers, is verified by
the testimony  of those who were his neighbors, and from whom we hear
today of his unbounded success.   After practicing on the river for
about twenty years, Dr. MARCHAND removed to Uniontown, and during his
residence there married SALLY, daughter of SAMUEL SACKETT, of
Smithfield.   From Uniontown, he returned to his Jefferson farm, where
he ended his  days, dying in 1864.
    The BRECKENRIDGE TAVERN stand  spoken of , was on the road between
Perryopolis and Brownsville, near the site of the Mount Vernon Methodist
Church.   BRYANT TAYLOR, was perhaps the first landlord there, and after
him , SAMUEL RRACKENRIDGE conducted hospitalities for some years.
BRACKENRIDGE was a favorite resort, and merry reunions there of young
folks were of frequent occurance..   Old Mr. BRACKENRIDGE was peculier
in being easily annoyed , and the michievious ones of the neighborhood
never lost an opportunity to vex or harass him.   There was much travel
over the road , for it was by that way sand and other supplies were
conveyed from Perryopolis to the Albany Glass Works.  BRACKENRIDGE kept
the tavern until his death in 1840, after which it was closed.

   WILLIAM FORSYTHE purchased in 1780 a tomahawk right to four hundred
acres on the river, and gave in exchange, two cows, a bushel of salt and
a gun.  Adjoining FORSYTHE, one ISAAC HASTINGS had already made a
settlement, but he soon grew tired of staying there and moved away.
ELI,  son of WILLIAM FORSYTHE, threw a cobblestone dam across the river,
and for a little time operated a grist mill on the FORSYTHE place.
   Not far fronm ALBANY, at a locality known as TURTLETOWN, old BILLY
NORCROSS was a blacksmith at an early day.  BILLY was not a very nice
man to look at.  Indeed, he was so objectionable in appearance that
horses taken to him to be shod ,utterly refused to go near him until
they were blindfolded.  At least, such is the story told of him.
    WILLIAM GOE , a MARYLANDER, came to FAYETTE Co. in1780, and located
in Jefferson, on the river near TROYTOWN, and there resided until his
death.   He lived to be nearly a hundred years old, and was buried in a
coffin that he had kept in his house for years.   He concluded that it
would be well to have his coffin about him during life, so that he might
get used to it, and accordingly ordered SAMUEL BROWN to make one for
him.  He stored it in his garret, where in due time it became a
receptical for dried fruit, and soon served as a lodging place for
rats.  When old Mr. GOE discovered the base uses to which the coffin had
become, he declared he wouldn't allow himself to be buried in it, and
gave it over for the last home of one of his slaves, just deceased.  For
himself a second one was made by SAMUEL BROWN , and in that one Mr. GOE
was accoustomed to lie occasionally during life, to make sure perhaps ,
that he was not outgrowing it.   WILLIAM GOE was eccentric enough to sow
his grain while riding  horseback  through  his field, but just why he
followed that fashion, no one appears to know.
   One of the largest distilleries in FAYETTE, was built by BATEMAN GOE
( son of WILLIAM  Goe ),on WHISKEY RUN, about the year 1800.   GOE had a
still-house, malt-house and chopping - house, and manufactured great
quantities of apple-jack.   In 1809, a severe flood came and swept
still, malt-house and all into the Redstone.  A hundred barrels of
manufactured whiskey, stored in the still- house, were carried away in
the general wreck and, like the rest of the property, utterly lost.
Nearly fourty years later, the still " worm " as it was called , was
found buried in the sand on the creek bottom.   Mr. GOE rebuilt the
distillery and carried it on until his death in 1817.    After that his
son HENRY conducted the business until 1830, and then gave it up.
In this connection comes a recollection of a story about W.G. PATTERSON
and John Matson.    They wanted some whiskey for harvest time, and
undertook  to make it at the old abandoned GOE distillery.   The whiskey
was scorched a little, and turned blue, but it passed muster after a
fashion, not however, without some misgivings on the part of the farm
hands, who were at first suspicious  of the color.   Subsequently they
gave it the name  of " Bluejay " whiskey and as the manufactureres of
the "Bluejay " brand, Messrs. PATTERSON and MATSON became famous far and
near.
   PHILIP, another of GOE'S sons, moved to KENTUCKY and married a
daughter of DANIEL BOONE,   BATEMAN GOE, the distiller, was grandfather
to ROBERT S. GOE, GEN. JOHN  S. GOE and Mrs. ROBERT ELLIOTT, of
Jefferson.  Allusion to BATEMAN GOE ,and his distillery suggests the
remark that stills were in the early time, almost as plentiful as
blackberries in June, and that every large farm  should have it's
still-house, was expected as a matter of course.   DAVID PORTER, living
near MERRITTSTOWN, was the gauger for the government about 1809, and as
such,  he embraced within his jurisdiction a large stretch of country,
he was kept as busy as a bee.

Go to Jefferson Twp. - Part THREE
Go to Jefferson Twp. Index Page