Crawford County, Pennsylvania
History
1876 ATLAS 1
"HISTORY OF THE VILLAGES AND TOWNSHIPS OF CRAWFORD COUNTY."
UNION TOWNSHIP.
Union was organized in October, 1867, from adjacent portions of Vernon, Fairfield, and Greenwood. It is bounded on the south and west by Conneaut Outlet, which has been a marshy waste. Dredging has been done and is continued with good results, reclaiming large areas of the most fertile lands. David Mumford, Tunis Elson, John McFadden, and Matthew Wilson were the pioneers of the township as early as 1795. Wilson located on the run which bears his name. McFadden settled on the outlet of Conneaut marsh, north side. Theodore Scowden, James Burchfield, and James Smith were immigrants to Union in 1805. Leonard Smock, from New Jersey, settled about the same time just north of the outlet. Other settlers of later date were Joseph Thatcher, Daniel Holton, Peter Rebert, Francis Stein, Daniel Hammon and Mr. Huber. Mrs. Abigail Mumford was three months in her new home in Union before she saw the face of another white woman. The first apples and peaches raised in the county were probably grown on the farm of David Mumford. Abraham Williams was born in 1804, and Cornelius Smock in 1806. The marriage of John Williams to Margaret Mumford, in 1802, is of the first. Wilson erected a small corn-cracker mill on Wilson's Run, but milling was done at Peterson's mill in Greenwood, one mile north of Custard's Post Office. James Smith built the first saw-mill, and was the first Justice; he carried on work at times in a blacksmith shop, built for home and neighbors' convenience. Theodore and Hiram Powers kept the first store, at the pike crossing of the Old Beaver Canal. William Birchfield kept public house at Dutch Hill Post Office. The first school-house stood on land now owned by Thatcher; the next, a frame, was at Dutch Hill. Jonathan Phillips was the first teacher therein. The first Methodist class in Crawford County was formed in Union at the house of Mr. Mumford, he being the first class-leader. Meetings continued to be held there for thirty years. The pioneer church was erected on the State road in 1837. It was of logs, and was converted to a frame building by William Stett in 1854. The first pastors of Mount Pleasant Church, M.E., were John Leech and H. Kinsley. Their society organized in 1826, with twelve members. To realize the difficulties attending the work of clearing in the days of first settlement, the character of implements should be understood. The plow of that day had a wooden mould-board with a wrought iron share and coulter. The harrow was the fork of a tree and wooden teeth. Iron was dear and blacksmiths few. Wagons were seldom seen, and it is said Daniel Holton, in 1815, drove the first team into Meadville. Sleds with wooden soles were used to gather in the harvest and to go to mill. Cattle were preferred to horses. Browsing was a resort in winter. Settlers went to the woods in the morning, and with axes cut the maple- and linden-trees, and the cattle ate the extremities of the branches. In summer wood-pasture was excellent. The pea-vine, with delicate tendril and tiny pod, and the wild bean supplied a sweet and nutritious food.
