Crawford County, Pennsylvania
History
1876 ATLAS 1
"HISTORY OF THE VILLAGES AND TOWNSHIPS OF CRAWFORD COUNTY."
HAYFIELD TOWNSHIP.
The history of this township is furnished by Joseph Dickson, now in his eighty-sixth year and the oldest early settler in Crawford County. The township was organized in the year 1830. Its situation is northwest of the centre of the County, and its surface embraces an area of twenty-two thousand six hundred and forty-one acres. French Creek is the eastern boundary, and Cussewago flows through its lands in a southward course. James Dickson was the pioneer settler of the township. In the spring of 1793, he left his home near Pittsburgh and traveled on foot to Meadville, then a hamlet of two or three small log cabins; thence he went up the creek till he found a satisfactory location on the west side of what are known as Magoffin's Falls. Here he made a tomahawk improvement, as the early settlers were wont to do,—that is, he deadened a few trees and marked others by cuttings in the bark. This act gave no legal rights, but was respected by the settlers as establishing a priority of claim, with which it was discreditable to interfere. These "rights" were bought by purchasers of favorite tracts rather than quarrel with the claimants. Dickson worked in company with a man named William Jones from east of the creek, and raised a supply of corn and potatoes. As winter approached he returned to Pittsburgh, and passed that season in preparation, and, in the spring of 1794, brought his family up French Creek in a keel-boat to Meadville. Dread of the Indians prevented improvement; but in 1796 that fear was removed, and the family of seven persons moved to the future farm. By kindly aid, a log cabin was constructed, the clearing was enlarged, and upon a portion a young orchard was set out. He was not without neighbors. Roderick Frazer, a Scotchman, settled about a mile down the creek; William Gill as far up the stream; and beyond Gill was the cabin of Hugh Logue, an Irishman. In 1797, three brothers named Mason,—David, George, and Isaac,—moved in, and the Brookhousers came about this time to Woodcock Township. The nucleus of settlement being formed, people came in for a few years very fast, and the County gave unmistakable evidences of occupation. James Irvin had a farm near Dunn, and Conrad Cole was located on the Cussewago. Along the east side of French Creek was the old road to Le Boeuf. To this road each settler cut a pathway, and upon it made his trips to Meadville. The first road built was the Cussewago trace. George Mason built a little mill for grinding on Foster's Run, about a mile and a half northwest of Saegertown, in 1800. It was the first in the township. A fulling-mill was built lower down on the same run by Frederick Hickernell; some years later, William Foster erected a saw-mill on the bank of French Creek. The water was brought from Foster's Run by a race, and gave a fall of fifteen feet. Distilleries were started by both Dickson and Gill in the year 1814. Their capacity was equal to about four bushels of rye daily, and they were the only ones in the township. Dickson, aided by his son, Joseph, built a grist-mill in 1815 at Magoffin's Falls. One Magoffin had cleared a miil-site, but never built upon it, and the place was given his name. Jacob Bailor was the pioneer blacksmith, and had a shop southeast of Coon's Corners. Henry Ricard was the next, and located west of the Corners on the Cussewago road; both were Teutons and valuable assistants in the work of clearing the new farms. Sharpening the plow-points was a leading occupation of those days. Taverns were not known in the township. Dickson built a bridge across French Creek in 1815. It was the first in the township, and was called after the builder,—Dickson's Bridge. It had stone piers and hewed timbers, and was of great utility. In time, the bridge was purchased by the County. Three bridges now connect with Woodcock Township; the one at Saegertown is substantially built of iron.
The medical services of Dr. Kennedy were all that were had for years. The first school was kept during the winter of 1798 and ' 99 by Martha Owry, in her cabin. It numbered about a score of pupils. Years sometimes passed without schools. Among the first school-houses was a small frame, erected about 1830, on the Dickson farm. The first white child born in the limits of the township was probably William Dickson, in 1797, and the first Justice appointed was, so far as known, James Dunn.
