Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-12-06
:
HOW A TOWN WAS BUILT.
\ PrttN RsnAsyIvasa Naidsp Furnishes
saE 3 Town Site.

HOW A TOWN WAS BUILT.
a prs,t, asn ssyIvasn M.ld.p rvrni.he.
- tssE , Town Site.
Ann Crawford clIanced to be pretty
Sgirl snd so Connellsviile. Pa, was built
= ZachSFish Csonell bardy young
Virginian. without much silver to jingle
b. thspocketsof Ids homespun trousers,
hui with great deal of hard sense
under bis coonskin cap, journeying
tAhrpU.h the tracklcls woods of the
fsrthest frontier that the white man
had thrust into the Indian country,
came one evening in l77ito the cabin If
Captain William Crawford. This gallant
,ftoneer hat bailtthfs log Lo,re on the
plea sSAi fiat iuSt opposite this place, in
me shadow Of an oak-grOwn hin be-
hind. and facing to- the shallpw cross
ing of the YoughioShcny. The geo
Graphieal- points III his early settlement
all stIsEp in the recollrction of few
ID citisGns sbnt all tlF other traces Of
II have passed away. The little one
d ca bin OF L rawford has rotted
AWAY. the Wide-muuthed chimney which
sisAtion above the tree-tops has crumbled
70 me- earth: the hui'iinc ofhrid~es has
taken.away the natural usefulness of
the crossing. Pretty mnch everything
+ changed in sppcaranee but the water,
which Patters and ripples over the
Fstoncs OF she shallow pretty much as il
bubblea7and rurgled about the tall
boots of Braddock's : grcnadicrs when
heyswsded across here in l755 on their
way 10 the s,aughter; and the crossing
place is called Braddock' Ford TO this
day. r.-Fgs
CAPTAIN Crawford. whose after his
tory and terrible death are one of the
.hioodiest ni;tpter> IN the history of the
frontier, was y. noted man. He had
csrriei the chain for Young George
Washin gton In Virginia when they were
both stout lads Of eighteen. The two
Young men, who were both strong, Wig
orous auds xceliing in athletic sports.
grew much attached to each other, and
remain ed fast friends to the day of
C1x ford's death. Colonel Washing
ton. even then a noted man. had visited
Crawfori's home here in l770, the year
before Connell came. and he and Craw-
ford had gone down the Yough, Monon-
gahela and Ohio rivers as far rs to the
neuta of the kansvsha, on the lookout
for land which Washington wanted to
buy.
l,at sln Keeping the young lady
waking. C6nncn was Hospitality en-
tertained. of course. He had travel
er's appetite. but when young Ann
Crawfofd bent bcfore the fireplace to
tlIrn the vcniSon steak, which was
cooking for supper, he noticed that the
clteek the light famed on was redder
than thr maplc-lcaf which the frost had
kissed; that her waist was round and
.,.n.ier AND At.se like the hickory sap
ling in the wind: that her hair was
biscker than tho. bcarskin of his sad
die, and hereyes as deep and tender rs
. fswn's Any how, he was in no hurry
10 be gone, next morning He was
hooking for's good place to locate, he
said. and might as well look about that
neighborhood for a day, especially as
Captain Crawford was a Justice of the
Peace and surveyor as well, and could
give him much valuable information.
So the Young Nirginian Staid and Staid,
looking at neighboring tracts of land a
good deal. but at pretty Ann Crawford
. good deal more At last, with plenty
II niossy hg, and moonlight on the
fopgh. and zepbyr in the trees. no
doubt. Young eonnell asked the lovely
Ann the old. old-fashioncd question.
and with the usual hesitation and the
blush that is worn to this dav
on all sueh delightful occasions. and
yet never gets threadbare. Ann said she
would. And so they were married,
and. after living near the old folks for
several years. moved across the river
some time between 1873 and l77s. and
built cabin near the spot on which
the Transallegheny House now stands.
on tract of land which was deSig-
mated IN C6nnel''s- warrant of survey
as Mud Island. which includes the site
of the present borough of COnnellsville.
W lf:sma Mccormick. who had also
snaryied daughter of Captain Craw.
ford ahdfocated here in 100. was the
first settler in ConnellsVille. and his
grandson, Hon. Proyance Mccormick,
still living, is the Oldest citizen of the
place.
, Council wasa shrewd man, and saw
that he had all the requirements of a
town here except inhabitants.
1t was. the beaapf the boat navigation /
on t,s Y os elt Here the emigrants and !
travellers to the west, coming over the
hills by way of Bedford, camped down,
built themselves flat-boats and made
ready "a cOntiuue their journey by
water. They needed accommodations
and supplies, and there was !
profit to be made out of them
SO Hachariah GonneH took out char .
ter and laid out the town of Connells- .
vile in 1898. He made special provis-
ions for the accommodation of these
travellers, giving aplot Of ground beside .
the rlver. in the heart Of the town. TO .
be forever free for the use of the inhab-
ltants. land for travellers who may
erect thereon temporary boat-yards. or
may from time to time occupy the
same. or any parf thereof. for making
any Se>-cfs or otner conveyances lot
the purpose Of conveying their property
either TO or from said town
This plot of ground still lies open
and common, though il is many wears
since the last tlatboat. with its load of
household goods and farming imple-
nsntS. and milch cows and children
grated over the shadows Of the Yough
The railroad has succeeded to the river
As an avenue If travel. and il has even
been suggested BY some that ii is en-
tiled to administer on the assets of its
Predecessor also. and take possession
If the old boatvard for depot.-Cor.
'ttsbsrgh Dispatch.
A CULPRlT.
ne MAIDEN aunt. IN her straight-SaoAed