Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-11-08
: LOVE STORY OF LONG AGO.
me Pnr PLAYED By the Rsseailr L'sue'''''
In the Pending Of Connelisvilie'


In the Founding Of Connelisvilie'
pittsburgh Dispatch.l
Ann Crawford CHANGED to be pretty
Girl. and so Connellsyille was built
zachariah Cornell, hardy young sr-
gipiap, without very much silver 70 JIM
gle in the pockets Of his homespun
trousers, but with great deal oil haru
sense under his coonskin cap. journey
ing through the trackless woods OF the
farthest frontier that the wni.e
man had thrust into the Indian country
came one evening, in III, to the cabin
Of Captain William Crawford. ms
gallant pioneer had built his log home
on the pleasant fiat just opposite this
Mace. in the shadow Of an oak-grown
hin behind, and facing to the shallow
crossing Of the Youghiogheny. The
geographical points Of this early settle
ment still survive in the recollection oil
few old citizens, but all the other
traces of il have passed away. The little
one-roomed cabin Of Crawford has rotted
away; the wide-mouthed chimney which
once flung out its blue banner OF civlliza-
ton above the tree-tops has crumbled
10 earth: the building of bridges has
taken away the natural usefulness OF
the crossing. Pretty much everything
is changed in appearance but the water,
which patters and ripples over the
stones Of the shallow pretty much as 1t
| dubbed and gurgled about the tall
boots of Braddock's grenadiers when
they waded across here in 1855 on their
way to the slaughter; and the crossing
place is called Braddock's Ford to this
day.
Captain Crawford, whose after-his-
tory and terrible death is one Of the
bloodiest chapters in the history Of the
frontier, was a noted man. He had
carried the chain for young George
Washington in Virginia when they
were both stout lads of eighteen.
The two young men, who were
both strong, vigorous, and excel
lirg in athletic sports, grew much at
tached to each other, and remained fast
friends to the day of Crawford's death.
Colonel Washington, even then noted
man. had visited Crawford's home here
in 100, the year before Connell came
and he and Crawford had gone down
the Yough, Monongahela, and Ohio
rivers as far as to the mouth Of the Kama
wha, on the lookout for land which
Washington wanted to buy.
But | am keeping the young lady
waiting. Connell was Hospitality enter
tanned, Of course. lie had travellers
appetite, but when young Ann Craw'
ford bent before the fireplace to turr
the venison steak, which was cooking
for supper, he noticed that the cheek
the light famed on was redder than the
maple leaf which the frost had kissed
that her waist was round and slender
and 1.-THE like a hickory saplinl
in the wind; that her hal
was blacker than the bearskin o
his saddle, and her eyes as deep ant
tender as a fawn's. Anyhow, he wa
in no hurry to be gone next morning
lie was looking for good place to 10
cate, he said, and might as well lool
about that neighborhood for day, es
pecially as Captain Crawford was
, Justice Of the peace and surveyor a
well, and could give him much valua
BILE information. So the young VII
gilman stayed and stayed, looking a
neighboring tracts of land good deal
but at pretty Ann Crawford a good dea
more.
At last, with plenty of messy 10
and moonlight on the Yough and zephy
> in the trees, no doubt young Come
! asked the lovely Ann the old, ole
! fashioned question, and, with the usu'
. hesitation and the venerable blush tia
= is worn to this day on such delightfI
occasions and yet never gets thread
. bare. Ann said she would. An
: so they were married, and, a
= ter living near the old folk
-. for several Yeas, moved acro'
! the river some time between l173 an
l77S. and built cabin near the spC
|, ON which the Trans Allegheny Ilou:
now stands, on a tract of land whic
:, y was designated in Connell's warrant
q survey as Mud Island, which include
- the site Of the present borough of Co
- nellsyille. William Mccormick, wi
= had also married daughter Of CAPITA
- Crawford and located here in 100, vi
ae the first settler in Connellsville, al
Il his grandson, Proyance McCormic
still living, is the oldest citizen of t
Il ! Mace.