Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1859-09-15


olet, wife of William Cromwell, and Anne
Nathaniel did good service with his father IN
Braddock'4 campaign, and in the South; and
+ seems to have been Virginia Lieutenant
; with Forbesin his conquest of the head oi tue
Ohio, in 1853. He was the Col. Gst OF tie
Virginia Liue in the Revolution. He lived
here but a short time, about l773. His home
f was on the James River, in buckingham
county, Va, whence lie removed to Kentucky,
in 1790-though often here before md after
wards. There he died, probably about 1910,
and there his defendants yet are. 1t is said
that upon lis grave there grew in 1926,
t vigorous young hickory which Inspired en-
thusiastic vcncration for hi memory in many
of the partimns Of "Old Hickory" Richard
Gist r, sided here for short period prior to
r August Ill, when he sold his Improvements
to his brother Thomas. He is said to have
been killed in 1880 IN the battle of Kings
Mountain, in Moth ClrOljna. Thonns Glst
was a man of note. lie r.as Ionna settled here
, in March, 1868, Wien CD. Burd aad others
came out here y order ct Tie Penn Govern
ment to warn eli the settles as IGtruders up
on the Indians lands. He was Justice Of
the Peace under the proprietary regime while
this county was yet part OF Cumberland
county, with its seat Of Justice at Carlisle.
lie was commissioned for Bedford county
wien it was erected IN I'LL; and yet again
for Westmuroland upon its erection III NIB.
lie presided in the courts Of that county IN
October. 1913. | have his record of the
marriage by him in l712, of Thomas Scott,
the first member Of Coz gress from western
Pennsylvania, and of Col. Isaac Mcason, the
Elder, who succeeded to his estates after his
death in 1856. He died here, and here was
he buried on his plantation, "but no man
knoweth of his sepuchre unto thisday." Mel
tier he nor Anne were ever married. They
lived here together in primitive simplicity
and hospitality. What became Of her and
the Cromwell family know not. They re-
moved to Kentucky about 1890.
For long years after 1855, or rather 17G5,
Braddock 's-or, as insist it shall be called
-WAsHINGToN's road across the mountains
became the great highway for pack horse
trade and emigration to the West, Hence
"Gists" became an important point.
While Braddock was on his slow march
in 1855, Pennsylvania, under the supernten-
dance OF Col. James Burd, of Carlisle, and
others, were making road from her then
frontier at Shippensbnrg, by way of Bed
ford to Turkey Foot" up here; intended to
intcrsect Braddocks route at the Great Cross
ings, now Slnithfeld, and to be used for send
ing out supplies. They had nearly compile
ted it, when the Defeat defeated it; until IL
bout 1775, when it was opened out of the
Great Rock between Dunbar's camp and
the Turnpikc--near "Slack's') where con-
centrated for many years many roads. IN
1859, Col. Burl came here at the head of a
little party Of soldiers and aXc-mcn with
Cha plain and finished tie road from Glst to
"Rcdstone." which Washington lad begun
in 175I. 1t was near the close OF this year
and while Stanwix was building Fort Pitt
that lie built Fort Bird, con the hill in the
fork of the Monongahela and Ncmaco.iinSs
(Nemacon's) creek" which became place
of much Importance in the early history of
the Monongahell and the West From here
to the Fort was found to be sixteen miles,
one quarter and sixteen ptrches. This road,
from here to Rcdstonc creek, near Nances
Mill is, to this day, the line between ULiou
and Dunbar and Franklin townships. In
I'LL it was part Of the line between Tyrone
and Springhill in 1773, between SpringhIl
and Franklin and in 1888 between Union
and Franklin, from which last Dunbar was
taken in 1898. Among the very first roads
asked for from the Westmurelnnd Court, was
one "from Thomas Gist's to Paul Fromans
. Mill near the Monongahela, and thence to
his other Mill on CHARTERS creek This was
in IVA. 1t is the road which goes out by
Esq. Sherrard's crossing the Mud Pike near
n. c. Iiursts, late George T. Paulrs, thence
by Per'yupolis and Cooks to Elizabeth, &c
This road acquired the name of Washing
tons road, probably because it passed through
his lands at and around PcrryopoIis, 1900
acrcs,l and to his Mill, (now Strawns, built
in 1875. lie travelled it several times. In
. the journal of his tour of 100, he records
that in October and November he used it in
part in excursions from Col. Crawlords to
see his own and Lund Washington's lands
t On his return, he and DIR. Craik dined here
at Thomas Gists, OH the 2jtl of November
and after dinner rode to lloge,nds about
twenty-five miles. They We're here again IN
1884, on which occasion they put up for the
night at Uniontown.
The old Gist Improvement and Washing
tons Entrenchment were on that part OF the
Gist lands now owned ty Major Murphy
near "Mount Braddock Station" of our rail-
road. Thomas Gist's residence was On the
northern declivity Of the eminence where
now stands yon stately mansion. That tract
he named "tlount Braddock." The Gist
lands, some $500 acres, came all to be own
ed, about 1890, by Col Mason, from whom
they passed in 1915, to his son Isaac, and his
daughter, Mrs. Murphy. Together they
were Il domain for Duke. Mrs. Murphy's
part is now owned by her son--our excellent
friend there, the Maior-hy Mr.. Pussy and
; Mr.. Isaac Wood The part now known as
Mount Braddock, upon the death of the late
Isaac Mason, Esq. went to his widow who still
lives model of kindLe's, good sense and good
morners; the only daughter the gallant zen.
l.icnard Butler, "second only to Morgan. at
Saratoga, and the first to plant the colors at
Yorktown" aud who fell at st. CIair's sec
ond edition of Braddock's defeat, in lI5l.-
} From her it passed to its present worthy pro-
prictcr, Mr.. Isaac BceSon, whose proiuSe hos
pitalities we here to-day enjoy; and who,
am glad to sec, is thoroughly rcnovaIng til"
old q ltc, round which now cluster SO many
interesting associations. Bnt we must stop
these ramblngs. Enough iurto-day./
"G!st's Settlement is then no mean local
; ity; and you who now people the wide cx-
panse over which il spreads, may well be
proud of its history. Cherish its story among
your iircside memories. Teach it to your
children. And when your friends, strang-
ers and tourists come among you as come
, they do and will-now that this great loco
, motive facility is fast being completed
point them to the heroic scenes which have
been here enacted and to the heroic actors
, in them. For, whoever will thoroughly
trace the trackway Of that rcsistless current
Of Anglo-SaXon population and liberty which
one hundred and six years ago, leaped these
mountains to build up an Empire of States,
: stretching away to the Pacific, must begin
hcre-at Gists.
GLOW many ages hence
Shall THIS oUR LOFTY THEME be acted over
In STATES UNBORN, and accents yet un-
known"
80 80 y E,s--