The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-07-10


the great crossings Of the YOughioghe-
ny and being informed by one Spcer,
that eight or ten families lived in a
place called TurkeNOOt, we sent some
prOclamations thither 10y said Speer, as
We did to a few families nigh the cross
inss of little Iough. Judging it un-
necessary to go among them"
The names of these persons are then
given, namely: Henry Abrahams,
Ezekiel Dewitt, James Spencer, Ben
janin Jennings, John Casper, Ezekiel
Hickman, John Enslow, Henry En-
slow and Benjamin Pensley.
We here have the evidence of set
tlement in Turkeyfoot in the early part
of l76S, and of few families nigh the
crossing Of the little Yough, but as
these commissioners went out over
Braddock's route, which is i'm the ex-
treme southern part of the county,
they may not have been informed as To
settlers great distance north Of that
route.
These difficulties were finally settled
by a treaty held with the Indians at
Fort StanwiX near Rome, New York
in the fall of 17GS, whereby the limits
Of the province were extended to the
present western limits Of the state.
There is no evidence of any settle
ment in the county prior to Braddock's
march through the county in l755,
therefore all the settlements made in
the county must have been made be-
tween LOO and l79I, when all the pres
ent limits of the county were organiz-
ell as Brothersvailey township, Bed
ford county, which was created tha;
year; the present territory ofthis eoun-
y having previously been part of Cum
bcrland county.
Tradition says that soldier by the
nameof PAillippi, fled from the fatal
field where Bra,ldock was defeated.
and, after wandering in the wilderness
f"r some time came to tile Imkeyfoot
hills and settled, and settlers were soon
after attracted there from Braddocsl's
road.
The next settlement was probably
made by Il man named WageIy or
Wegerlein, who took up piece of land
III Brothersvalley township. which is
the land formerly owned by Edward
kimmeil, HOW by J. O. Stoner. 1t Is
said that he induced number of peo-
pie to come from Maryland and settle
on Buffalo creek.
When Herman Husband came to
this county in l77I, he found this set
tlement, which was numerous enough
10 form a religious society. They had
an organized church and a meeting
house; spoke the German Language and
called themselves the Brethren" ," and
doubtless from this came the name
"Bruder's Thai" which in English
means Brothersyalley.
The Berlin settlement was made AT
about the same time, but was different.
~ these settlers were members of tie
Lutheran and German Reformed
churches. The Elk Lick settlement
was also mIde az or about the :; me
time, and it i extremely probable, that
IL was this settlement that Capt. steele
referred 20 in his repor. in I76S. when
he spoke OF a few families nigh the
crossing .! little Yough.r
Conceding, then, that the Turkey
foot settlement was the first, there is
unmi>takable evidence that those in
Brothersvailey ami Elk Lick were
made shortly thereafter, for as Broth
crSvalley township, Bedford county,
was organized in III, an assessment
was made IN the fail of that year,
copy of which is found in the history
of Bedford, Somerset and Fulton coun-
ties, pages - and 20, and in which are
found the names of the persons in the
Tu-keyfoOt settlement, on whom Capt.
Steele had served notice 70 quit the
territory and also the name of John
Markley, the first settler i'm the Elk
Lick settlement and Philip Wagely,
the first in the Brothersyalley settle
ment.
Herman Husband was the first man
who established home near what Is
now the town of Somerset. He came
here in the early part Of the summer Of
l77l. He was one of the patriotic men
in North Carolina, who started the
movement before Il began in the north
ern colonies, and from whence he fled
after the defeat of the Regulators, who
were engaged in an effort to overthrow
the Royal Government Of the province
and establish popular government.
He was 80 impressed with his fortunate
escape that in an assessment made of
Brothersvalley township in l772, he
signed his name Herman Husband
To>cape Death, "and in his will, which
i the first or record in Somerset cOun-
", he makes bequest To his son Isaac
rOscape.'
He was in search of an old friend of
his, named Isaac Cox, who was camped
on the head waters of the stream that
still bears his name. Before he found
Cox he met hunter named Sparks,
who located near spring on the place
now owned by William \. Miller,
about mile northwest of Somerset.
Husband bought Sparks claim and
brought his family there in the fall of
l772. This farm remained i'll the IIu--
band family until 1854.
The hunters who had located at diff
ferent points among the glades besides
Cox, were three brothers by the name
of Wright, Others by the names of
Pensley, White, Mills, Wilson, Spark,
Vansel and PcnrOd. Husband bought
the most of their claims, the usual price
paid for tomahawk right, rs it was
called, being a certain quantity of
powder and lead. \ tomahawk right
consisted i'm settler deadening "a few
trees near spring and cutting the in
itials of his name in the bark of others
as indicative of his intention to hold
and occupy the lands adjacent to or
surrounded 10y the blazed or deadened
trees. Some of these persons took up
other claims and became settlers Cox
did not remain, but disappeared from
approaching civilization to the wilds of