UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Dar. Rm. W^ 0F157 s .6 B83H6 LIBRARIES -^1796-188315^- ' 1 HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY. P KNN S^" V^N yV. I. 1 With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches OF SOME OF ITS MEN AND PROMINEISrT PIONEERS. CH AGO: IC Waterman, Watkins & Co. 883. 1 J Mr '<'<? '->N^^i^^ £-W^^^<ir^ PREFACE. — — KM In placing this history of Bntlov County bofore their jiatrons, tho publishers feci that their work will standthetostofcandidcriticism. They bavospared neither endeavor norexpense, which conldadd to the valueof thehistory and make it all that it ought to be; and therefore, theyrest assm-ed that thoseciti- zens whohave fornearlj^ a year and a half watched with friendly interest the progressof thewoi'k, will not be disappointed with the product of that long periodof careful, concerted labor. That the history of Butler County, containingas itdoes, in its six hundred broad pages, at least five thousanddates and tenjjtimes as many names, should be absolutely free from trivial error they do not claim, and thinking people will not expect; but tho publishers believe, such has been the care bestowed upon tho work by competent, experienced men—writers, printers and proof-readers—that even the potty and inconsequen- tial classof errorshavebeen reduced to the miniiyum, andthatessential misstatementsof statementshave beenentirely avoided. Therichesof local historic lore, gatheredfrom athousandpioneersbythewritersof thehistoryofButlerCounty,havebeenreturnedtothem, inwhathasseemedthemostappropriate andaccept- able form. It has beenthe study of thepublishers by aidof all that ismostexcellent in tho artof typog raphy, and in thebookbinders' skill, tosend forththe historyclothed as its worthdeserves. The general history of Butler County andundertho chapter onButlerBoroughhavebeen written by Mr. Alfred JWatthews. The chajjter upon the bar as is elsewhere indicated, is from the pen of Thomas Robinson, and some lessertopics have been contributed by othercitizens of the country. Uponthethirty- three exhaustive chapters concerning the townships of the county, a staff of careful, cons'jientious and thoroughly trained writershavebeenengagedformanymonths. Thepublisherswishtoreturnmostsincerethanksoutheirownbehalf, andthatofthoseintheir employ, toall whohavebeenof assistancein the preparation of this work. To mention thonames of all whose courteous and cordial co-operation has been extended tothemandfullyappreciated,wouldbe impossible, fortheirnumberishundreds. However,wecannotrefrain frompresentingthenamesof afewwhosepositions haveenabled them tobeof esjecial service in imparting valuable information orassisting inprocuringit. To this class belong Gen. JohnN. Purviance, AVilliamCampbell JamesDunlap, CampbellPurviance, Hon. EbenezerMcJunkin, JudgeJamesBredin, Dr. Stephen Bredin,Hon. Jacob Zeigler, J. P.Irvine, Esq.,Dr. H. C. Linn, Hon. ThomasEobinson,JohnH.Negley,Esq.,JohnM.Thompson, Esq., JudgeCharlesMcCandless, Col. John M. Sullivan, Dr. A. M. Neyman, Hon. JohnM. Greer, Maj. C. E. Anderson, GeorgeW. Fleeger, Esq., F. M. Eastman, Esq., and W. H. Lusk, Esq., all of Butler Borough. To this brief list should be added the coimty olRcials, themembers of the press generally, and the clergy. Valuable assistance have been rendered in the preparation of the literary contents of the workbyDr. Amos Lusk, of Zelienople. TheexhaiTstivechapterontheoil developmentof ButlerCountyowesmuch of its fullness and accuracyto A. S. Csmipbell and S. W. Harley, of Petrolia, Georgo H. Graham, of Fairview, W. H. Hoffman, of Earns City, andI. J. McCacdless, TheodoreHusolton and John P. Bredin, of Butler. WATERMAN, WATKINS & CO. — Chicago, III., March , 18S3. S?i^'yS