mouth of the creek, was erected by the troops at the fort, at a point more convenient for receiv ing provisions and munitions brought up by boats and canoes from Pittsburg. It was a strong wooden building, a story and a half high, and perhaps 30 by 34 feet in length. It was picketed in, but not calculated to be mounted with cannon. Indeed, the necessity for this had ceased, as the treaty of Gen. Wayne with the Indians at Fort Greenville had been made in August, 1795, and was then believed, as it turned out to be, a lasting peace. The troops at this position removed from the fort, which was from that time suffered to dilapidate, and occupied the garrison This they continued to do until 1803, when they were withdrawn from Franklin altogether Fort Franklin soon went entirely to ruin. The stone in the chimneys, like those in Fort Venango, were hauled away by the citizens of the place, and used in building foundations and chimneys for private dwellings. The "Old Garrison" was occupied from the organization of the county, in 1805, until 1819, as a common jail, when the county jail was completed. It remained standing, though in ruins, until 1824, when the last vestige disappeared. Indeed, I am told that the very foundation on which it stood, has been washed away, and is now part of the bed of French Creek.

FRANKLIN, the county seat, was laid out by the commissioners, Gen. Wm. Irvine and Andrew Ellicott, under the act of 1795, at the same time with the Waterford turnpike, and the towns of Erie and Waterford. It contains the usual county buildings, and Presbyterian, Methodist, and Cumberland Presbyterian churches. It is situated upon a broad plain, a little above the mouth of French cr., and is surrounded with scenery highly picturesque. There are in the vicinity a furnace, a forge, and several mills, and the place derives considerable trade from several iron works in the surrounding region. The French cr. division of the Pennsylvania canal terminates here, and when the Beaver and Erie canal is completed, a communication will be open from here to the lake. The Allegheny is navigable, in high water, for steamboats to Pittsburg-distance, by water, 124 miles. The distance by land is only 68 miles. Two dams on the French cr. navigation, within a mile of the town, afford an immense water-power; and there are several other dams further up the creek. A splendid new bridge crosses the Allegheny here, and there is also one across French cr. Population in 1840, 595.

Among the first settlers at this place were Mr. George Powers and Mr. Wm. Connolly, both still living. Mr. Connolly came from Meadville in 1800. Mr. Powers came out, in 1787, to assist in erecting the barracks, and subsequently came in '93 on his own account, and established a store

for the purpose of trading with the Indians.

Col. McDowell came not

long after. Samuel Ray came in 1795, and John Andrews; but the latter removed to Warren co., where his father, Robert, had settled, near Brokenstraw. In 1797 there were only three or four white families in the place. Many particulars relating to the early history of this place are recited in the extracts above.

UTICA is a small but smart village on French cr., 8 miles above Franklin. It was started about ten years since, (1832,) by Aaron W. Raymond, Esq., the proprietor. It contains a fine flouring-mill, woollen and carding establishment, a steam distillery, and a Methodist church.

COOPERSTOWN, a village on Sugar cr., was started about the year 1827, by Wm. Cooper, Esq., upon a donation tract belonging to his father, who held the rank of ensign in the army. Messrs. Hilliard and Booth have a large woollen manufactory here. There are also several other mills. The place contains Methodist and Presbyterian churches.

HICKORY-TOWN is a small settlement at the mouth of Hickory cr., a little below the Warren co. line. The early settlements of the Moravians in this region are noticed above in the historical sketch of the co. The other villages are DEMPSEYTOWN, SUNVILLE, and CLINTONVILLE.

WARREN COUNTY.

WARREN COUNTY was taken from Lycoming co. by the act of 12th March, 1800. By the act of 1805 the co. was annexed to Venango for judicial purposes. On the 16th March, 1819, the county was fully organized, and the seat of justice fixed at Warren. Length 32 miles east and west, breadth 26; area, 832 square miles. Population in 1800, only 230; in 1810, 827; in 1820, 1,976; in 1830, 4,706; in 1840, 9,278.

The Allegheny river runs, with its meanderings, not less than 50 miles within the co., entering at the northeast corner and leaving at the southwest. It consists of extensive sheets of dead water and short ripples, and furnishes power to drive several extensive saw-mills at different points. The Conewango creek, which enters the co. from the state of New York and meets the Allegheny at Warren, is also a large and navigable stream, and turns many valuable mills. The other principal streams are the Brokenstraw, Little Brokenstraw, Tionesta, Tedioute, Kinjua, Stillwater, Coffee, and Fairbank creeks, and Jackson's, Alkley's, Valentine's, and Morrison's runs, &c.-on all of which the lumbering business is carried on extensively.

The surface of the county is undulating, and, near the large streams, deeply indented, and sometimes rocky. The lands in the townships contiguous to the state line are generally of good quality, and will admit of dense settlements; and the same may be said of those between Brokenstraw and Conewango creeks, except the river hills. "The land between the two Brokenstraw creeks," says another writer, "for several miles is stony and broken indeed. A land speculator from the land of steady habits,' once travelling over it, where stones peep o'er stones, and rocks on rocks arise,' remarked, that it would never be settled till it was set

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tled by an airthquake.'" Beyond this, near the Crawford co. line, is a large body of good land. On all the rivers of the co. are broad alluvial margins, producing corn and wheat abundantly when properly cultivated. Previous to the year 1827, that part of the co. southeast of the Allegheny river was but little known or explored, and the land abandoned by its owners was principally sold for taxes; but since the titles could be perfected, settlers have moved in, and found the region to be well timbered, supplied with abundant water-power, and containing much good arable land.

In a letter written by Gen. Wm. Irvine, of the revolutionary army, to Gen. Washington, after the close of the war, concerning the best means of opening a water communication between Lake Erie and the Ohio, he makes allusion to the traces and traditions then existing of an old road cut by the French over the portage between Chautauque lake and Lake Erie, and intimates his belief that it was once or twice used by them, and afterwards abandoned for the Presqu'isle portage. This must have been be tween the years 1728 and '50. Previous to this, and subsequently, this whole region was owned and occupied by the Seneca Indians. In the year 1784 the treaty to which Cornplanter was a party was made at Fort Stanwix, ceding the whole of Northwestern Pennsylvania to the commonwealth, with the exception of a small individual reserve to Cornplanter. The frontier, however, was not at peace for some years after that, nor, indeed, until Wayne's treaty, in 1795. About the time of Wayne's treaty, (and some say even previous to that event, and as early as 1790, but it is not at all probable,) several adventurous Irishmen started from Philadelphia, and passing up the Susquehanna and Sinnemahoning, penetrated the wilderness of McKean co., built canoes, and launched them upon the waters of the Allegheny at the Canoe-place, two miles above Port Allegheny. Floating down past Olean to the mouth of Conewango, they left the river, and made the first settlement in Warren co., among the beachwoods of Pine Grove and Sugar Grove townships. Their names were Robert Miles, John Russel, John Frew, John and Hugh Marsh, and Isaiah Jones. When they arrived upon their lands, their whole stock of "specie and specie funds" was only three dollars!

About the year 1795, the venerable James Morrison (who died in 1840, at the age of 104 years) came out, and took up the large island at the mouth of Kinjua creek. He was also the owner of Morrison's island, at the mouth of Morrison's creek, a few miles above Warren. At Irwinville, James Harriot built the first mills, about the year 1812 or '13. Messrs Faulkner, Wilson, Smith, and Hall were the first settlers near Pine Grove, about the years 1816 to '20. The McKinney family were also early settlers: John settled on Brokenstraw, and Barney and Michael on the Conewango. Major Robert Andrews, and Messrs. Hicks, Wilson, Youngs, and Kinnear, were also early settlers on Brokenstraw. Most of them were lumbermen. Tomes, an Irishman, and Daniel McQuay, also settled on Brokenstraw.

Among the earlier settlers and most enterprising lumbermen of the county was Jacob Hook, better known, perhaps, as “Jake Hook." He emigrated either from Boston or Maine somewhere about the year 1798, bringing with him, as his stock in trade, a package of the bills of some bank that had failed so recently " down east," that Jake had time to circulate his bills here before the failure became known. This served to start him; and eventually, by dint of sharp bargains and hard work, rolling saw logs, digging mill-races, and other speculations appurtenant to

a lumber country, Jake arrived to the dignity of owning more mills and running more lumber than any other man in the county. In connection with some of his speculations, the charge of perjury had been fastened upon him, and he had made himself extremely obnoxious to many of the citizens. A party attempted to arrest him for trial, and he killed one of them in the affray, -was tried for his life, but escaped by an informality in the legal proceedings. The following is from the New York Censor, copied into the Conewango Emigrant of 21st July, 1824. "It was proved on this trial that seven men, headed by one Asa Scott, went to the house of Hook, about 4 miles above Warren, on the left bank of the Allegheny, between sunset and dark on the 25th March, for the avowed purpose of taking Hook to Warren that night. They all admitted that they intended to use force, if necessary. One stated that they meant to take him at all events. These persons were inimical to Hook with one or two exceptions, and had with them one or two loaded rifles. On arriving at Hook's they found his doors fastened. One of the company endeavored to prevail on him to surrender; but he refused, alleging that he feared to trust himself with such men. About 9 o'clock, Scott and his followers went to the house and demanded admittance; but he persisted in stating that he considered himself in danger, and that he looked upon them as a mob. Scott also stated, that on his demanding admittance, Hook informed him, by a token peculiar to a particular society, that he was in danger, and that he (Scott) assured him that he would be safe. Scott immediately burst open the outer door with considerable violence; and almost at the same instant a gun was fired off within the house, by which one of the assailants (Caleb Wallace) was killed, and another wounded. On the trial, the counsel for the prosecution attempted to show that Scott was a deputy sheriff, and had a legal warrant on Hook for perjury. The court, however, on examining the deputation under which he pretended to act, decided that it was void, and gave him no authority." Hook was acquitted on that ground. He had always been at sword's points with the Warren people, and this affair had no tendency to heal the breach. He died about 1829 or '30.

The settlement of Warren county, more than of any of the neighboring counties, was greatly retarded by the misconstructions and litigation resulting from the land law of 1792, and the peculiar management of the Holland Land Co. This company, under the act of '92, had taken up the greater portion of the best lands in the county, northwest of the Allegheny and Conewango; and by way of aiding and encouraging settlers upon their lands, they established a large store at Warren-one of the first buildings erected in the place. Daniel McQuay had charge of it. Pine lumber, however, was the great object of pursuit in this county, and not agriculture, and so long as a lumberman had but the color of a title, he would remain long enough on the land to cut the timber, and then set up a claim to a new tract. Many thus made entries under the act of '92 upon land claimed by the Holland Land Co., and were in consequence in continual conflict with the company's agents. The latter refused to sell to such persons any thing from their store, or in any way to countenance them, without a compromise with the company. During this uncertainty the better class of settlers were deterred from purchasing, and the population in 1810 was only 827, and in 1820 was less than 2,000. On the southeast of the Allegheny, the Lancaster Land Co. had taken up a large tract, which had been disposed of by lottery, or in some such other way as to scatter the titles among various unknown and distant owners, who came at length to abandon their lands as of no value, and they were sold for taxes. This part of the county is still comparatively unsettled. By the great speculations of 1828 to '40, the demand for lumber throughout the great West was increased, the value of pine. lands enhanced, and great activity was infused into the lumber-business along the Conewango and Allegheny.

WARREN, the county seat, is situated on a plain of about 300 acres, on the right bank of the Allegheny, just below the mouth of Conewango cr. The town is principally built along the river bank, which is about 35 ft. above the water, and commands a picturesque view above and below. A

noble bridge here crosses the Allegheny, from which the annexed view of a part of the street along the river was taken.

The

It is allowed to be one of the most eligible sites on the river. town was laid out and the lots sold by Gen. Wm. Irvine and Andrew Elliott, commissioners appointed by the state. The borough was incorporated in 1832. Near the centre of the plot is the public square or diamond, around which are situated the courthouse and public offices, of brick; and the jail, of stone; a bank, of stone-a solid structure without, but broken within-and an academy, of brick. The population of the place (737 in 1840) is not yet commensurate with its original plan, and the consequence is, that the public buildings make rather a lonely appearance, separated as they are at some distance from the compact business street along the river. There are three churches, Presbyterian, Methodist, and German Methodist. There are also Baptist and German Lutheran congregations, who have not yet erected houses of worship. The dwellings and stores are generally of frame, neatly built, and painted white. The place is 120 miles from Pittsburg by land, and 22 from Jamestown, on the outlet of Chautauque lake.

Warren, in common with the county, was retarded in its improvement by the causes mentioned above, and in 1813 it boasted but five houses. The Holland Land Co. at an early day erected their storehouse on the river bank, just above the blacksmith's shop; and Daniel Jackson built another house on the corner. Abraham Tanner, Esq., who is still living, came to Warren from Trumbull co., Ohio, embarked in the lumber business, and pursued it for some years with success. Robert Falconer, Esq., a Scotch gentleman of considerable fortune, came to the place a few years after Mr. Tanner. In 1816 Samuel Dale surveyed the Lancaster lands opposite the town, across the river. The lands on the hills north of the river, and west of the Conewango, and one mile from each, are called the state's lands; they extend from one to two miles in width, nearly through the co., being lands which the Holland Co. did not include in their survey.

The business of Warren varies with the season of the year. In the