The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-04-29
q3ltstel1nentts.
A SCRAP OF P1TTsBURG HISTORY.

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A SCRAP OF PITTsBURG HISTORY.
What Occurred in the 18th Ward 50 Years Ago
Two Young Men Killed by the lndiAnS-The AL
blOn Farm and Mt Albion.
Mrs. Annie Sutton, one of the Oldest
residents Of LawrenCeville, related to a
reporter of the Posi- the other day an in
terestipg ren.iniscenCe, which he's never
before appeared in print, 1t is as follows:
In the year 1871, family named Cham
bers removed to Pittsburg, which was
then only a small town, and took up
their residence somewhere in the viCin.
ity of the present Court House. There
was no such place as LawrencviiIe
then, all that portion of the country be-
ing covered largely with an unbroken
forest. Up towards the Sharpsburg
bridge, however, in what is now the
18th ward, and on the same spot which
is at present occupied by the Standard
oil refinery and barrel factory, were sew
eral acres OF cleared land. Mr.. Cham
bers purchased this in the spring Of the
year and planted upon it a corn 6eld.-
He did not move his family out to it, but
only built small log cabin in which he
could obtain shelter while doing a couple
of days work.
Mr.. Chambers had two sons, who were
somewhere in the neighborhood of l6
and IS years of age. A young man
named Bradshaw, a nephew of Cham
bers, was also living with the family
In the summer of 1871 Mr. Chambers
sent these three young men out to his
small farm to do some work upon it.
They were gone about week, and when
they returned they seemed to be much
frightened, and told about seeing the In
diaDs skulking about their cabin. The
father laughed at their fears. He said
he desired them to return the next day,
Monday, and complete what they had
been doing. They all pleaded earnestly
to be allowed to stay at home, but Mr.,
Chambers was a stern old fellow, and
would not favor the wishes of his sons
and nephew. Oue of the former openly
rebelled, saying he would rather die at
home than be sCalped by the Indians
The next day he ran away. On Monday
morning young Bradshaw and his com
panion left to finish their work on the
corn fields.
The parents heard nothing more of
them that week. On Saturday evening
the son who had ran off returned home,
and upon learning that his brother had
not returned started cut to hunt them.
By this time the mother had become
very anxious about them also, and she
would not allow her other son to 90 to
look for them alone, but accompanies
him herself. 1t was a beautiful moon
light night, and they had no difficulty
whatever in getting over the five mile
stretch of wooded country, which laid
between their home and the little log
hut on the banks of the Allegheny
Upon arriving in sight of it they were
greeted with a sickening odor, and few
steps more revealed to them a horrible
sight. Lying upon the ground close by
the fence was the bloody and mangled
form of young Bradshaw, and several
yards distant was the corpse Of Cham
bers also. From all appearances the In
dians had attacked them unawares and
they had had no opportunity to defend
themselves, They were fast deCompos ng
and had evidently been killed several
days. Mrs Chambers and her son went
back home, and in the morning with the
aid of the late Mr. Sample, the gentle.
man who once owned all the property
now Known as Millvale, opposite Law
renCeville, buried the two young men
on the same spot they were killed
Their remains were wrapt only in
sheet, and their graves were max d by
a small sandstone slab. Years rolled on,
and the farm, after being much enlarg-
ed, changed hands, 1t first fell into the
possession of old Gen. Wilkins, and in
1911 was purchased from him by the
late Richard Bishop, father Of Mrs. SUIT
ton. 1t was then called the Albion farm,
and indeed the place was known by that
name up to very late date. To-day we
have the Mt. Albion (18,h ward) school,
and the hilly country on the upper side
of Butler street is named Mt. Albion.
Time soon obliterated all traces OF
where the graves of young Chambers
and Bradshaw lay, and all save few old
residenters forgot the story of how they
perished at the hands of the Indians a
couple of years ago workmen were ca
gagged in laying the foundations of the
Standard barrel factory when they un-
earthed a number OF bones Asthis was
the exact spot, or near where the two
young men were buried SO years ago, it
is supposed that these were their bones. |
Pits. Post