The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1876-07-12

this narration from the History Of the
Pioneer missionary, did time and space
permit, and tell Of what he discovered
and wrote about the oil springs at that
early day, and other matters Of i'm
portanee.
In the history of Forest, published
in the Forest Press in 1862, a slight
mistake occurs in the fifth chapter re-
lating to the first white settler, where
it is made 10 appear that Eli Holeman
was the first bona tSde settler of Forest
county. This the writer has found to
be not technically correct. What is
written of early settlers should be of
definite type, while in tracing the
sayings and doings of an uncivilized
and barbaric people on the other hand,
the mark is not always hit exactly.
The history of early settlers coming
through first hands almost, is conse-
quently reliable, or nearly so, and
from its nature is Biographical rather
than traditionary in most instances.
The first settlers, upon the authority
Of Judge John A. Dale, were the VAL
entine family, who settled on what is
now known as Jameson Flats, in an
unbroken Wilderness some three years
before Eli Holeman came. Mrs. Val
entine was q superstitious woman, be-
lieving in witches &c. She brought
with her to the country, George Tubbs,
a son by former husband, who lived
! Just below the run. Mr.. Valentine
cleared up piece of land and planted
out large orchard ofapple trees. This
homestead, Valentino and his wife dy.
ing, became vested by will of Mrs.
Valentine in Mrs. Barbara niece,
and her husband John niece. John,
after living there Eve or six years, be-
came dissatisfied with the country, and
to use his own words, "dislocated him
self to Columbiana county," having
in the meantime sold the old Valen-
tine property to John, son of Williams
Middleton. The latter settled on the
| Allegheny, and built the "Red House"
SO called. His settlement is dated
1902. He was the first school teacher
in our borders.
To the late DIR. VIM. F. Hunter, 1
am indebted for the following humor-
Gus sketch of the "red house,: 1t
was the largest house in this section
it was built by Middleton on Jameson
Flats, with an eye to private house
and Church together, one room being
set apart for the church. About the
time it was dedicated as church a
pioneer (who combined, like the house,
more than one qualification, being a
Surveyor, Justice of the Peace and
Preacher) camo and preached. The
subject of the text was the meeting OF
Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, but
the original manner in which the text
was handled, with the attending cir
cumstances, called forth some humor
; on the part of the pioneer audience
The speaker enraged, changed bis tao.
tics. and charged on the people threat
ening them with the terrors of the
law, and the general judgment, in hot
mode. "You may laugh now, you
brats Of Babel, but methinks l sec @
dreadful time approaching,-yes see il
a-coming,-there will be a terrible
:, time. Volcanoes will burst forth
hither and yon, and waves of liquid
fire will flow higher than these hills
, and rocks and great trees-ah, viii
sweep bowling by in empty space-ah
borne by tempest of fre-ah an(
/ tell you brothers and sisters abou
that time Il aoiU not be very safe to b
J Otst, neither :"
This church did not break up as th'
| NT...s~.o Ill Io,o IoQ,,,.o
" in 1910. No stoeple adorned it, bu
S while Middleton remained in it h
:. initiated st. Paul at Rome, "In hi
1 own house receiving all who came un
o to him.. Spending half his time il
G Church he literally lived by the altar
J. Eli Holeman, father of the Hon
n Alexander Holeman, lately deceased
: settled at Holeman's Ferry in tn
n spring of 1900, and he confined ther
>. until his death in 1925. He establish
/, ed ferry which bears his name to thi
o day, on his farm, at that point wher
o the. State road that led from Milesbure
n on Bald Eagle Creek to Waterford
crossed the Allegheny. Most of tn
+; early settlers crossed at this place. E
a was born in Chester Co., in 1855. L
" the penn'a Militia he participate
d in the battle of Brandywine, German
v town, and other conflicts for Indopen
G. dence. When he removed to Fores
l. Co. his nearest neighbors were Nose
10 Hicks who lived where David G. HUI
= ter now lives, and Patrick M M'Crea, a
e Irishman, who settled at what is no
d known as Eagle Rock. Hicks move
G, down the Ohio about 1905. Holema
d was familiar with the noted Chi