CHAPTER IV

UNION TOWNSHIP
First Land Titles And Early Pioneers 

Union Township was erected March 31, 1836. In 1862, the boundary line was changed slightly, cut out of Nottingham and Peters Township. It is bounded on the northeast by Allegheny County and Jefferson Borough on the south and west, by Nottingham and Peters, and on the east by the Monongahela River. The Township is drained by Peters Creek, Mingo Creek and Lobbs Run. Perhaps the present Union Township was not settled as early as some of its neighboring townships. but its history is just as interesting, fascinating and exciting. 

GABRIEL COX

Gabriel Cox was one of the most important personalities of his day. He was implicated in politics for the state of Virginia. Cox had a tract of 400 acres granted to him for a settlement right and was surveyed to him as 315 1/2 acres under Title of Coxbury. It was located joining the property of Robert Lytle, Robert Estep and Samuel Irwin, and also joining another tract of land which was called Coxs Additions. He and his wife, Sarah, lived here until 1790. 

Ground originally granted to Captain Gabriel Cox, of the English Army, also erected an outpost for protection from the Indians, known as Cox’s Station. Many land grants had been signed here.

Captain Cox sold the land to Richard James who divided it between his sons, Robert and William, Who later sold it to Thomas Denniston. Andrew McClure and Messrs. Morrison lived on this property at one time. Mr. Lawrence Denniston has the sheepskin title for this property.

These are only a few of the certificates issued by Cox: John Blackburn 355 1/2 acres on Chartiers or Peters Creek, Richard McMachen, Monongahela River, Alle­gheny County, Samuel Heath 333 acres, Benjamin Bentley 203 acres and Captain Henry Heath (possibly Heth) 203 acres and 400 acres on waters of Allegheny River. 

RICHARD JAMES

Richard James purchased of Gabriel Cox on April 29, 1786, five hundred acres of land on which was included the whole tract called Coxbury and part of Cox’s addition. The sons of Richard inherited the land in turn, donated one acre of land for the purpose of building a church on it. The present James Chapel, located on Ridge Road was built in 1818. Its history is well known and I will not expand on it. 

DAILY

Philip Daily, in the year 1780, received a Virginia Certificate for a tract of land adjoining land of Gabriel Cox. This tract was surveyed as 223 acres under the name of Dauphin.

Nathan Daily, a brother of Philip, Sr., warranted a tract of land, containing 289 acres, called Fallen Timber Bottoms. The application for this land was dated May 23, 1769. The land was also secured by Mr. Daily upon a Virginia Certificate and the warrant of acceptance was given in the year of 1792. 

One hundred and seventy-seven acres was surveyed by Nathan Daily to his son, Nathan, in October 1816, and 177 acres was sold. to Joseph Bentley. The part given to Nathan Daily, Jr. was in turn left by him to his son, Isaac, who later sold a portion of it to John Hindman. 

Joseph Bentley, Jr., married Mercy Daily, daughter of Philip. Joseph was assessed upon 115 acres of land in the year 1788. When he married, he settled on the tract patented to Nathan Daily, as Fallen Timber Bottoms. He purchased the ground from James Logan. The patent dated 1800 was Fallen Tree Bottoms, which adjoined Fallen Timber Bottoms. 

HINDMAN

John Hindman came to Union Township in the years 1796-1798. He purchased 72 acres from Thomas Cannon, on a hill above Lime Town (present Coal Bluff and Shire Oaks.) Later he bought land from Isaac Daily, which was Fallen Timber Bottoms, also from Philip Daily called Dauphin. 

POLLOCK

John Pollock came from Gettysburg with his three children, and bought a tract of land of 133 acres. back from the river, adjoining the Hindman Tract for the prices of $7.80. He settled on a portion of Nathan Daily’s, Fallen Timber Bottoms (present Elrama). The log house built and occupied by William Patton was later the home of Harvey Biers. The John Stout heirs of Elrama now own a portion of this land. 

Charles Lipps later bought 12 acres of land of the original Daily Plate. He was a shoemaker. His log cabin still stands but is entirely covered with modern day building materials. 

MOSES B. THOMPSON

In about the year 1800, Moses B. Thompson also purchased a sizeable plot of ground from the Dailys on Fallen Timber Bottoms. He was a very successful farm­er, and built a large and beautiful brick home. At present, the house and original plot belongs to the Pennsylvania Railroad. They operated a Y.M.C.A. on this plot for some time. 

The sheepskin title of the Pollock property is in possession of the Stout heirs. It’s boundary lines are interesting to read and very informative. 

Elrama is located on the property originally patented by the Dailys, known as Fallen Timber Bottoms. The Monongahela River, the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks and Route #837 run parallel with each other in a north and south direction. 

Miss Minnie Maple of Floreffe has an indenture, and a memorandum which describes the location and boundary lines of the Heaths, the Lobbs and Andrew McFarlane. The Duquesne Light Company and the South Pittsburgh Water Company are on the original Daily tract. 

HOLCROFT

R. T. Wiley, in his book, (Sim Greene and Tom the Tinkers men) covers the life and biography of John Holcroft in a commendable manner. 

In the year, 1788, he was assessed on 400 acres of land comprising a tract, called Liberty Hall. He lived in what is now Union Township, and was one of the fore-most active of the insurgents during the Whiskey Insurrection. He was married twice and each of his wives bore him ten children. When attack was made on Neville’s home, who was the tax collector for the fourth survey during Whiskey In­surrection, his son, Richard set the fire brand. 

Holcroft was a farmer, distiller and prominent citizen, whose residence was not very far east of Gastonville on the Elrama road. There he lived and died in the year 1816. He is buried in Mingo Cemetery. The Elrama Nike site occupies part of the Holcroft tract. Later Jerry Stilley, and then Sickman, Holcroft, was known as “Tom the Tinker.” 

LYTLE

Robert Lytle came to old Yohogania County, later Nottingham Township, Wash­ington County and present Union Township, about the year 1776 and located on land laying partly on Monongahela River and party on Peters Creek, adjoining Gabriel Cox and Samuel Heath, now Allegheny County. This tract, claiming 486 acres, was granted to him in the year 1780. 

ESTEP

Robert Estep was a native of New Jersey who settled here in the year 1788. Taking up 300 acres of land on Peters Creek, one mile below Finleyville, where he lived and died. His land adjoins that of Gabriel Cox. 

BRADFORD

John Bradford took up land in the year 1788. He had purchased sixty-nine acres of land from John Cox, and had a mill on Peters Creek at that which, was run for many years. In 1791, this 69 acres was conveyed by John Cox to Reverend David Philips and Gabriel Peterson, in trust for Henry G. Andrew. Julianna Brad­ford, his daughter, bad become Mrs. John Finley. This property was sold to Enock Wright. in the year 1807, the saw mill had been leased for 99 years to Samuel Gaston. It was located on land belonging to Isaac Lytle. 

GASTON

John Gaston came from New Jersey, to this country with his wife and family, and purchased of John Cox on November 13, 1790, the tract of Belmont, upon which Gastonvilie has been built. He built and lived in a log house a short distance from John Cox’s old house, living in it until his death in the year 1825. A man by name of McKosh settled here about 1800 and ran a gun factory. Bill Castor has one of the old muzzle loaders. 

CAMPBELL

John Campbell and his son. Edward, were residents of Washington County as early as 1777, which was earlier old Yohogania County. 

He took up a tract of land containing 311 acres, to which was given the name, Campbellton, and he received a patent for it on September 9, 1788.

On April 5, 1807, he purchased 226 acres of land adjoining the tract of Abram Millinger and Enock Wright, on Peters Creek and Washington Road. This tract was known as “Partnership”. Part of i~ was located in Jefferson Borough. 

FEAGLE

Jacob Feagle, Zacharias and Simon settled in Nottingham Township in the year 1786. This tract contained 317 acres, was called “Cambridge”, and sold for two pounds and thirteen shillings. 

John and Elizabeth Gault live on this property and present. It is located on “Froinan Run” and Froman stop, and is a half mile north from present Route #88, approximately one mile from Mingo Church. 

The Gaults have a sheepskin title of this property. Later on, Kennedy bought it from Feagle, and Thomas Hill bought it from Kennedy. 

Thomas McVay took up land in 1799, located on the east toward the Mononga­hela River, adjoining land of Jacob Feagle on the west. 

William Patten took up land in 1779 on the Monongahela River, east of the property of Thomas McVay. This property extended from Mingo Creek to the present Courtney. It consisted of 200 acres.

Andrew Gault, born in 1800, father of John Gault, bought 113 acres from Porter Fatten. The Mathies Coal Company and the West Penn Power Plant are located here.

John Happer, born in 1788, located in Nottingham Township, on 200 acres of land, south of Mingo Creek and adjoining the land of Thomas McVay.

Charles Bradford located on Mingo Creek, prior to 1788. Colonel Joseph Barr. in Union Township in 1803, as did John Wall in 1787 and Thomas Williams prior to 1788.