36J: AUTHENTIC HISTOKY 



Patton, wlio gave name to the hill and the current below, called Patton's current. It 

 has been said there was once a great slaughter of the Indians at that place, by a party 

 of cruel men headed by a person named Bill. In the neighborhood, were many ijlaces 

 said to be the graves of the Indians, and it was believed [that a piece of cannon lay 

 sunk in the current. Below this the settlers were Germans — Stineman's, Kauffman's, 

 Hare's, Kupley's, &c. The townsliip above was called Donegal by the Irish settlers, 

 Anderson's, Cook's, Tate's, Hay's. Anderson's ferry, where ^Marietta now stands, is 

 well known. ]\Iany changes have taken place since the tirst selling of the lands. AVhere 

 Robert Barber first built, there was an island opposite the land, with large trees grow- 

 ing on it, but since torn away by the ice. The winters being very severe the ice was 

 very thick, and in the general breaking up those trees were gradually torn up, and 

 carried oft". At such times the water rose to a great height above where the row of 

 storehouses now stands. The old Indians said they remembered the river rising to 

 the second bank with a break of ice; and Mr. Barber has ploughed up muscle shells, 

 at that distance from the river. Near the point of Turkey hill, were what was called 

 the shad rocks ! Avhere shad were caught with dip nets, every one paying a set price for 

 a dip. The first shad caught with a seine, was between 1760 and 1705, on the east side 

 of the river below the old ferry course. A sturgeon was once caught in a fish basket 

 in the lower falls. 



The ferry across the Susquehanna was very early established. Two large canoes 

 lashed together Avere used at first to take a wagon across, which had to be unloaded. 

 In 1750, it was much improved and rented for £100 per annum, with the ground at- 

 tached to it. 



John Wright's stone house was built between 1740-50, also the little stone mill at the 

 mouth of Shawnee run, (still standing,) this latter was built by James Wright. There 

 was flour made at this mill, for the use of Braddock's army. It was packed in small 

 casks for the purpose, and carried on pack-horses, a cask on each side. It was taken to 

 what was then called Raystown and Fort Duquesne, (now Pittsburg.) 



The people who had hired a time with the owners of the lands, or had been much 

 employed by thtm, seemed to claim a kind of patronage from their masters, and usually 

 contrived to get a small house with a garden and potatoe patch. Their rent was so 

 many days' work in harvest, or other farmer's work: many of them were tradesmen — 

 weavers, shoemakers; and were paid for their work in grain, &c. Harvest wages were 

 half a bushel of wheat; raising grain was not the principal object with the farmers, for 

 there was no market for it: hops and hemp were the sources of profit. Many of these 

 persons were Germans (redemptioncrs.) The tirst Friends' meeting-house was built in 

 the upi^er part of the town, (Union street.) Catharine Peyton and Mary Peasley, min- 

 isters from Ireland, held meetings there — they travelled on horseback. 



In the fall of 1755, the inhabitants were greatly alarmed on account of the Indians. 

 Braddock's army had been defeated and dispersed the preceding sununer, and it was 

 reported that the Indians were collecting a large number of bark canoes at the head of 

 the Susquehanna, and were coming in great force to destroy all before them. The in- 

 habitants were struck with fear at the slightest noise during the night, as they hourly 

 expected the Indians coming down upon them. At last they agreed to take the women 

 and children to Philadelphia. They rented a large house to accommodate all, and late 

 in the autumn five families and their attendants, in all about thirty, left their homes 

 through fear of the Indians. The men remained however, some of them going occa- 

 sionally during the winter to visit their families. The few Indians who were on friendly 

 terms with the whites, were also struck with fear at the expected invasion, and in con- 

 sequence fled to Philadelphia, where one of the lobbies of the old state house was allowed 

 them for a place of residence. The whites who remained, fortified the stone house 

 belonging to John Wright, which was the strongest in the place. The winter passing 

 without an assault from the hostile Indians, the families, together with the i^eaceable 



