The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-12-18

be accomplished.
STRICTLY speaking, Donegal IS MOI q
VILLAGE nor a town, and 1t is doupti"i =
- oa, claim to be borough, for therF
e merely a sprinkling of farmhouse
mon the hills. too far apart alnlos' :"
he called a community. In the h''u
- this fertile spot lies imbedded III inc
+rees which even at this time Oh ,'ie
,,o.r hide it. the old Donegal Prespy
to,.;.r church. which has been stahu-
inc since early in the elghteen'n
turv. 1t has been remodeled' OF coui
in order to preserve it, but II stanu'
practically the same to-day as IL ui'i -
the DAYS of George IL.
tablet of marble attached TO the
wall of the church gives about an 'ne
history that is known OF the old hUi uG
+ura From this it seems the church
was founded by Arthur patterson ~
the wear 1922, and in the year l74o the
church received a patent from Joilh
Thomas and Richard Penn. DURING the
revolution the pastor OF the niue chei ~
was a royalist, but one day his congregd-
ton took him out and made him swear
his alleeiance to the colonies, under
white oak in front of the church; ana
the tree. now mighty king OF the Tor
est. known as witness oak, on ac-
count of this circumstance, is loVed az
most. as much as the little white-Pias-
tered church itself.
In the early part of the last century.
a+ the time when George |. was king,
there was large number of immigrants
A
time the Ulster men were having an n
reconcilable controversy about uIe
rates for land rents, and as result
thew decided to leave the old country
and seek refuge in the new world. Inc
ma iority of these settled west OF the
Blue Ridge, and large number OF inc
Scotch-Irish became the pioneers III
the western part of Pennsylvania
Among those who came over at TINS
time was a certain James Stevenson.
who also spelled his name Stephenson
and who had it spelled for him, III the
patent from the proprietor of the col
ony, Stinson.
The precise date of his arrival is I'M
known, but it was undoubtedly, from
appearances, while the first George was
still reigning. In the year 1910, tn
same year the church obtained a pat
ent, he received patent for land az
gregating 334 acres in Donegal lie was
consequently one of the pioneers in the
state. and he must have been one Of
the earliest in Donegal, for his property
is choicely located, being, as described
in his will, north and adjoining the
Donegal church.
/ James Stevenson had two sons and
four daughters. OF these the eldest
son, Nathaniel, who died a bachelor
inherited ne property, and at his death
it went to the eldest daughter, Anne
who married John Watson, in who's
] family the property remained until
1872, when it was sold to Gen. Simon
/ Cameron. The Stevensons were a well
/ to-do people, and at one time had Il
number of slaves The second eldest
| daughter, Hannah, married John Gray
who lived near Susquehanna, at Balm
bridge, and afterward in Westmoreland
county. Their daughter, Sarah Gray
married David Mckinley on December
! 10, 1850.
David Mckinley was in the bloom
/ of manhood at this time, having re-
turned from the war, in which ne had
served 81 months, having enlisted u,
/ less than eight times in as many DIFF
! ferent companies. Their second son
/ james Stevenson Mckinley, was born
! September /, 1888. He subsequently
settled in Mercer county, where Ia
married Rose, and their son, william
Mckinley, became the father of Maj
William Mckinley, who has just been
/ elected president of the United States
The old brick house with it's numer
Gus wings and spacious rorchcs. which
overlooks the church. was built by DR.
John Watson between the years 1885,
and 1S09-the old structure, in which
the grandmother Of Maj
William Mckinley was born, having
been torn down in 1906. This fine old
residence was called by Or. Watson
"The Seat of Beauty" and there seem.
to be no reason why that name should
be changed now. For the past 20 years
or more it has been the Cameron home
stead. Here Gen. Cameron breathed his
last a few years ago, and here his son
4 Senator Don Cameron. spends portion
! OF his summers.-PhiladclD Ledger