The story of Johnstown : its early settlement, rise ... - JohnstownCafe

. To
an
on
EARLY SETTLEMEXT. --
sing in the orchard that crowns the grassy slope. The dew and the rain water
the soil, keeping the vegetation fresh and fragrant. In one corner shimbers
the pioneer, his faithful wife by his side. Next lier lies Joseph, the only son
who survived his parents. The graves of Joseph's wife and of a grandson
complete the row, lLa\ing room for the Joseph Johns who occupies the pn-in-
^/:^ ____ ,_ _^ ises to-day. Other grandchiklrcn
f,fc^S-:^2^Hii:—lll^ are in the second row. with two unknown
sleepers at tlieir feet, laid
.^^r/. '^}^=^^^j-i--^-^ -,c '.'';"/ f^i: away during Stover's o\\nership of
y(.J^^ .Vj^^>^^^^ ^- - ['''' r i^^: the tract. It is a quiet, retired nook.
'^:^^- .^,--'--''\u-S'J-'l^^-^ suggesting Gray's -'Elegy'' to the
/^.'' /„.'." ,7'-
./t^^r'i^X.i^- '-^/; J;^i„^ reflecting mind.
'f^'-%^i/%f''^-''''^^^^£^'^''^-'i^^'^'7_' The German family Bible, primed
Gerniantown in 1776, has one
, .;;^->'t.',^i„'.v. »,,.''/ ^''^VfTriJ^-^C. - '"^
iiiS's^ .
page written by Mr. Jolms in 1779.
-.=»;^
,.RA\tb o^ justtH jc^HSi A.-.I. wihE.
The characters are rather in\ol\ed.
and the penmanship is very small. The record gi\-es the dates of the birth of
his two sons, one of whom died in 1796, and three daughters. The descendants
of one daughter live in Indiana county, those of another are in Canada,
and the famiu' of the third ha\e clustered near the homestead. The original
transfer of the Campbell propert\- is recorded in Bedford county, from which
Westmoreland was set otf in 1773. Somerset in 1795, and Cambria in 1^04.
Tradition mentions several persons as actual residents of the neighborhood in
1777. If so. their sojourn was probably cut short b_\' the Indians, stories of
whose cruelt\' are abuntlant. and to Joseph Johns unquestionably belongs the
honor dtie to the Thk, FiHNliKR r.r Johnstowx.
An application on April 7th. 1769. secured lames Dougherty, of Pliiladelphia,
the ne.xt tract west. c(-)ntaining 152 acres. Joining Campliell's. it was
surve\ed at the same time by Deputy Smith, who sent in a plot with this
official return :
.\ Draught of a Tract of Land called the long Bottom on the West side of Conemaugh Creek
about half a Miie Uelo'.v Ccnemauih Old Toun at the mouth, of [,iule Conemaugh
;
the opposite
side of the River in Brothers \'alley Township in the County of Bedford Containing One
Hundred and Fiftv Two .\cres and the Usual .\llo\vance of Six p Cent for Roads Surveyed
the 1 2th Dav of Mav 1770 for James Dougherty in pursuance of an Order Iiated .\pnl 7 171 19
John Lukens Es-ir by Thomas Smith D, S
Surxevor General
The land, numberevi Order 2909. ran down the Conemaugh very close to
the present line of tiie Pennsyh'inia Railroad, comiiri-^ing a good share of
what is now Cambria Borovu'li. Xo patent issuei.1 until August '->th. 1S49. when
the Ke\-. Williamina E. Sniitli. D. D. .
eminent Philadelphia divine, received
the title on a warrant to accept. His name occurs frequently in connection