The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-04-27
LOCAL HISTORY.
Wells Township Schools, Houses, and
Teachers Of Sixty TO One Hun
dred Years Ago.
FOR THE NEWS BY NJ. NJ. HORTON.
Continued from last week.

In 1886 free schools were first
opened IN Wells Valley with John
B. Moreland teacher at Gibson S
and John Cunningham, at Bivln s.
OF Mr.. Cunningham l know moth.
ing but it is due to the memory
of that veteran teacher, John b.
Moreland, that | here offer a trl-
butte to his memory.
My father, the late VIM. Hor-
ton, and the late John b. Alex
ander, of Wells Valley, were pu-
pills at Glbson's during that term
of 1866; and, until the end of
their long lives, they often ex-
pressed themselves in terms of
greatest admiration and highest
appreciation of the character and
work of their old teacher. lie
died in Clay township, Hunting
don county IN January 1904, at
the advanced age of 93 years, his
strong, thoroughly developed
mental faculties remaining unlm.
pared to the last, and he was
loved, honored and revered by all
who knew hlm-especially by the
children. He was a fine mathe
matician, surveyor, and an as
tronomer of note. A close STU
dent, during all his long life, bis
great desire, until the end was,
to learn more and more of the
great universe which the God he
loved and served had made.
What would the boys and girls,
of to day, in Wells Valley, think
Of the trip to and from school
each day, if there were but two
school houses between Wells
Tannerv and New Grenada, one
near U. B. Church, the other
near John Glbson's? Perhaps
the percentage of attendance
would not be up to 100 all the
time.
About 1910 an old log house
near Valley M. Il. church was
fitted up for school purposes and
used as such until 1851. No
body seems to know just where
that house stood.
In 1S47 the people, in the lower
end of the Valley-asslsted by a
small sum from the school fund
erected a small school house
near New Grenada. 1t stood on
the old Keith farm. 1t was used |
until 1851.
Broad Top township, Bedford |
county, of which Wells Valley was
part, was stricken of from Hope.
well township in 1888.
Elections In Broad Top town.
ship were held in Ground Hog
Valley now
1t the house of a man named John
lane, whose place was situated
n extreme upper end of the Val
ey on right of road leading from
Wells Tannery to Hopewell, and
lbout half a mile from 1t. The
Iane farm has long been known
Is the old John Wright place. |
would like to ask how those dem.
tried and true, In
whom Is no guile, at New Grena-
la, the Cunnlnghams, the Kelths,
)r, Campbell, Mac. Houck, Frank
Mills and others-would like to
ravel all the distance from New
irerada up to the old Wright
,lace In Ground Hog Valley-ten
niles, at least to cast their votesg
low would my old friend Crider
Ike to do thatY Yet New Grena.
Ia voters did that from 1888 to
o 1850.
April 10, 1850 Fulton county
yas taken from Bedford county, |
nd Wells township organized
nder the name by which it has
lnce been known. 1t was so {
amed for the same reason that |
Vells Valley is named as it is, IN {
onor of a family named Wells c
Tho were the first settlers within G
IS limits. The Wells cabin stood g
own near the creek on which Y
as known, IN my boYhood days,
5 Wlsharts upper place" The
Sact spot where the cabin stood v
IN be located, very nearly, by t
10 Eootar Aouars uh,ob o,,orr /