Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-11
HELD FOR A CENTURY.
The Byers Family Hasn't Lost an
Acre of Its Grant in 100 Years.
OLD FAMILY RECORDS DISCOVERED.
Quaint Papers That Shed Light on the
County's Early History.
TAXES WERE HIGHER THEN THAN NOW

a. z. Byers real estate broker, who was
appointed executor of the estate of his
uncle, Jonathan Byers, who was buried at
Imperial, this county, on the Sd inst, went
up to Imperial the other day TO investigate
his uncle's affairs, and in an ancient bag,
composed of linsey-woolsey, came across a
large number of papers once belonging to
the original Allegheny county ancestor of
most OF the Byers of this section, John
Byers, and they are redolent of antiquity.
Miss Betsy Byers SAYS the old bag has not
to her certain knowledge been opened pre-
viously during the last half century.
One of the first documents that attracted
attention, is patent giving to John Byers,
great grandfather of A. 2. Byers, 406 acres
of land on Montour run, signed by Thomas
Mifiin, Governor, and James Trimble, Sec
retary of State, and what is somewhat anom-
alous in this part of the world, is the fact
that all of this land is still in the possession
of John Byers' descendants. Some of the
papers made about that time spell the name
buyers. The tract was called "Fred-
rica," and the patent is signed April IA,
1891. One-sixth of all gold and silver found
was reserved to the Commonwealth of Penn
svlvania, TO be delivered at the pit mouth,
but COAL oil and gas were not reserved. A
receipt shows that John paid 60 for survey
ing the tract to Samuel Lyon. On June "a,
1896, L. Steinert acknowledged the receipt
of deed for the same property for record,
from William Dunning. The land is in
Finley township.
Exorbitant Taxes in4SI4.
The next interesting feature connected
with the property is that in 1914 the whole
tract was valued by the assessor at 81 ,06O, a
little over s. so per acre, and the grand
father of A. Il, Byers was notified by As
sesscr John Stevenson, grandfather of Mrs.
A z. Byers, that the millage was 315 and
the tax So Il. The millage was then higher
than now, bu: the tax was only about one
fortieth of what 1t is now.
The Oldest paper found was one relating
to Margery Dunni1g, dated 1892, before she
married John Byers. 1t gave her good
send-off among the orthodox of Allegheny
and reads as follows:
These are to certify that Margery Dunn
ing, now the wife of John Buyers, was
regular member of the First Presbyterian
Church in Carlisle, under the pastoral care
of the Rev. John Steel, and is free from
scandal, or church censure known to me
any society where God may cast her lot
MAr29, l7S2. GEORGE DAVIDSON, Elder.
A promissory note dated 1892 shows the
evanescent character of Pittsburg manu-
featuring establishments generally in times
past. Samdel Byers, grandfather of A. H.
Byers, got a tanning mill from Messick,
Thomson & Green and gave his note at
three months for $40 without interest. The
note states that the above obligation is given
e, I l.
do good business; if not good, signer has
privilege TO return" There was no swindle
in that offer. This is only SO years ago, but
who can recollect Messiek, Thomson g.
Green?
Not an Aero Sold in q Century. |
The Byers family seem to have ALWAYS /
since they left Carlisle been well satisfied |
with this section, as they have not strayed |
away like most other people, and the bulk
of their descendants would not have far to
travel to attend a family reunion. A. NJ |
Byers, the iron manufacturer, is of the |
strain. They are long livers, the father of |
A. z. Byers dying, the youngest of his |
family, at IS years. OF his brothers and |
sisters. John Byers, dentist, lives
at Imperial, hale and hearty, aged |
IS and still attending to business
as of yore. He was a clerk in the |
first Court House of this county, the one |
that stood near the Diamond Market He /
was also a famous school teacher in his
time, and was one of the men who birched |
n. W, Shafer, ESQ.,, when his young idea
was being taught how to shoot. Margary
Stewart, a sister, is rs years old and lives
in the State of Indiana Betsy Byers never
married, but lived with Jonathan, who also
remained single, and who was buried last
week. W. E. Byers feels quite youthful at
II. Jonathan and his sister Betsy, cousins
of John d. Byers and his. sister Peggy, all
unmarried, have lived all their long lives
separated by but single field, and, though
often divided and subdivided, the original
406-acre tract on Montour run is still all |
held in the Byers name.