Back in the Country… (1of6) Bell Acres Stories ByDebbyRabold

BEGINNINGS

TheCreeksBell Acres is framed by the Big Sewickley and Little Sewickley creekswatersheds. At forty-six square miles, the Big Sewickley watershed flowsthroughtenmunicipalitiesandthreecounties,markingtheboundarybetweenBeaver and Allegheny counties, Bell Acres and Economy boroughs beforeemptyingintotheOhioRiveratAmbridge.CoveringnearlytensquaremilesofsevenAlleghenyCountymunicipalities,theLittleSewickleyCreekflowsintotheOhioRivertwomilesaboveBigSewickleyCreekinEdgeworth.Inthelate1800s,achannelwascutforthecreektoemptydirectly into the river rather than taking a circuitous path throughEdgeworth.NativeAmericanpathsoncecrisscrossedWesternPennsylvaniaaspartofanetworkthatcoveredeasternNorthAmerica.LongbeforethearrivalofEuropeansettlers,anunnamedpathconnectingtheAlleghenyRiveratEtnawiththeOhioatAmbridgewasusedashortcutbetweenthetworivers.FromtheAllegheny,thepathfollowedPine Creek throughwhat is nowNorth Park, leading travelers to the headwaters of Big Sewickley Creek inFranklinPark.Fromthere,thepathmadeitswaythroughtheBigSewickleyCreekValleytotheOhioandthepathrunningalongitsnorthshorethatledintotheOhiocountry.

Early settlersentered the“hillsbackofSewickley”throughthesevalleys.Itwas wilderness, but in time,farmsteadsdottedthehillsides.DavidDuff’s grist mill began operating onthe East Branch of Big SewickleyCreek in 1812 with the first crudeschool house opening a few yearslater. Mitchell’s grist and saw millswerebuiltonLittleSewickleyCreekin1835. Though sparsely populatedthroughouttheirhistory,theBigandLittle Sewickley Creek valleys andsurrounding hillsides have beenhometogenerationsoffamilieswhohavealwaysappreciatedtheirnatural

LittleSewickleyCreekinAcornPark.beauty.

(2of6)TheRiver...hassomeuglyriftsandshoalswhichwefoundsomewhatdifficulttopass...Thewaterisrapidinsomeplaces,glidinggentlyinothers,andquitestillinothers.(GeorgeWashington1770)ItwasnotuntiltheArmyCorpofEngineerscompleteditslocksanddamprojectsinthe1920s,thattheOhioRiverappearedasitdoestoday;abroad,deepchannelthatallowsforyearroundnavigation.Throughoutmuchofitshistory,therockandsandbarfilledriverbedwasnotnavigationalduringdrysummermonthswhenitwassometimespossibletowalkfromoneshoretotheother,norduringwintermonthswhencoveredinice.Therewasalwaysthedangerofshipsstrikingoneofthemanysandbarsormoundsofdriftwoodanddebrisdepositedby floodwaters. In time, sandandgravelwere removed, channelsdeepened, islands coveredand currentsslowed,makingrivertraveleasierandsafer.

SongsofEveryDaybyArthurBurgoyne(1900)

[Merriman’ssandbarwaslocatedintheOhioRivernearHaysville.]

Merriman’sBar--Whohasnotheardtelloftheill-omenedspotwithitsevilspell?Whenthewaterislow,itswhitesandsgleam‘midthewatersswiftofOhio’sstream.Whenthewaterishigh‘tislosttosight,likeathiefthat’shidintheshadesofnight.AndthenneithersunshinenorfriendlystarbetraysthelocationofMerriman’sBar.‘TisagallantsightwhenthecoalboatsgayfromthePittsburglandingssailaway.Mothersandwives,withafurtivetear,watchthelordlyvesselsdisappear.Andwithquiveringlipsandlong-drawnsighthosedearonesmurmuralast“Good-bye!”WelldotheyknowthattheboldJackTarmaygodowntohisruinatMerriman’sBar.

UndatedpostcardshowingtheOhioRiveratSewickleybeforelocksanddamswerebuilt.

(3of6)Inherdelightful1893bookLightsandShadowsofSewickleyLife,AgnesL.EllissharesastoryaboutthefirststeamshipstoarriveintheSewickleyValley.

Steamboats were used in 1817. The first one that came to this place from Cincinnati was the“Constitution,”butitneverreachedPIttsburg,asitranagroundonthebarat“DeadMan.”Twoyearsafterwardsthemachinerywashauledaway. ThefirstboatwithawhistlepassedSewickleyin1837.Itwascalledthe“UncleSam”andtherearestillsomeoftheearlyresidentsleftwhoremembertheexcitementinSewickleyandvicinitywhenitsshrilltoneswerefirstheard. Mr.CadwalladerEvans…hadworkedforyearsandatlastreceivedapatentforthesteam-whistle.Itwasarrangedabovetheboiler,sothattheengineercouldcontrolit. Theboatranagroundin“White’sRiffle,”neartheoldTracyLanding,andthewhistlewasblownagainandagain.Throughthevalleyandoverthehilltopitechoedandre-echoed,causingafeelingofterrorandalarm.Mr. JacobFryannounced tohis familyandneighbors that theendof theworldhadcome,andGabrielwasblowinghistrumpet,tellingthemtofallontheirkneesandimprovetheshorttimeleftinprayer. Ageneralbeliefwasthatitwasthecryofawildcat,sosomeofthemenlefttheirsugarmakingandranhereandtherewithpitchforks,whileMosesHendricks,accompaniedbyafriend,tookhisgunandwentasfaras“Crow’sRun”toshoottheanimal.Atlastwordwasbroughtfromtheneighborsneartheriverwhatwasthecauseoftheoutcry,andquietandpeacewererestored.

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Duringhis1842Americantour,EnglishnovelistCharlesDickensspentthreedaysinPittsburghbeforetravelingtoCincinnationthesteamboat“Messenger”.ThefollowingishisdescriptionoftheOhioRiver.A fine broad river always, but insomepartsmuchwiderthanothers,and then there is usually a greenislandcoveredwithtrees,dividingitinto two streams. Occasionally westoppedforafewminutes,maybetotakeinwood,maybeforpassengersat some small town or village, butthebanksareforthemostpartdeepsolitude,overgrownwithtreeswhichare already in leaf and very green.Formilesandmilesandmiles,thesesolitudesareunbrokenbyanysignofhuman life or a trace of humanfootsteps,norisanythingseentohoveraboutthembutthebluejay,whosecolorissobrightandyetsodelicatethatitlookslikeaflyingflower.Atlengthenedintervals,alogcabinwithitslittlespaceofclearedlandaboutit,nestlesunderarisinggroundandsendsitsthreadofbluesmokecurlingupintothesky…Sometimesthegroundisonlyjustnowcleared,thefelledtreeslyinguponthesoil,andtheloghouseonlythismorningbegun…Theriverhaswashedawayitsbanksandstatelytreeshavefallendownintothestream.Somehavebeentheresolongthattheyaremeredry,grislyskeletons.Somehavejusttoppledoverand,havingearthyetabouttheirroots,arebathingtheirgreenheadsintheriverandputtingforthnewshootsandbranches.Somearealmostslidingdown,asyoulookatthem,andsomeweredrownedsolongagothattheirbleachedarmsstartoutfromthemiddleofthecurrent,andseentotrytograsptheboatanddragitunderwater.

(4of6)TheLandTheSewickleyValleyisanarrowstretchofbottomlandbetweenGlenfieldandBigSewickleyCreekbackedbysteephillsanddeepravines.LiketherestoftheUpperOhioRiverValley,thehillsandvalleyofSewickleywereonceheavilywoodedwithstandsofhardwoods,hemlocksandpinewhosethickcanopies,entangledwithwildgrapevines,blockedsunlightfromreachingthegroundbelow.Oneearlyvisitorwrotethevinestwinearoundthetreestotheverytopandthebranchesofthosetreesaresocoveredwithgrapesthatonewouldtakethegrapetobethefruitofthetree.Withoutsunlight,forestsweredeepinshadowsandbareofvegetation.Earlytravelerswerestruckbythesolitude.HenryBrackenridgesharedachildhoodmemoryoffloatingdowntheOhio in1793: IhavenodistinctrecollectionoftheappearanceoftheOhioRiverinthe course of our descent, except that instead ofbeingenlivenedbytownsandfarmsalongitsbanks,it was a woodywilderness shut in to the water’sedge…thebankspresentedanunbrokenwilderness,the solitudewasnot disturbedbya single humanvoice…”Theforests,however,werenotdevoidoflife.Likemuch of Western Pennsylvania, the Ohio RiverValley supported a large variety of wildlife. There were elk, bears, panthers and deer, as well as wolves.Waterwayswerefilledwithbeaversandavarietyoffish.Buzzards,eaglesandravenswerecommonplace,aswereducks,geeseandwildturkeys.Arrivinginthemid-1700s,theearliestexplorersandtradersoftenfollowedBuffaloroads,laidbygreatherdsthatonceroamedtheregion.In clearings,where sunlightwasable to reach theground, theregrewavarietyofwild fruits: strawberries,blackberries,raspberries,gooseberries,plums,grapes,cherries,crabapplesandpawpaws.Therewerenutsofeverykind:hickory,walnut,chestnutandhazel.Apple,peachandpeartreesarrivedlaterwiththefirstfarmers.

(Photo:Ifleftunchecked,wildgrapevinesentangletreesandothervegetation.Beforefellingtreesfor

loghouseconstruction,boyswouldclimbhighintothebranchestocutthevines,thusfreeingthetrees.)

*****17.-ThursdayThewoodswereclearfromunderbrush,&theoaks&blackwalnut&othertimberdonot

growverycompact,&thereisscarcelyanythingtoincommodeatravelerinriding,almostinanydirection,inthewoodsoftheOhio.

TheIndianshavebeeninthepracticeofburningovertheground,thattheymayhavetheadvantageofseeinggameatadistanceamongthetrees.Wesawthisdayseveraldeer&flocksofTurkies.AboutanhourbeforesunsettingwearrivedatLittleBeaverCreek.

Onthebankofthisstream,whichwasfordable,wehadawonderfulprospectofgame.InthemiddleoftheCreek,asmallflockofwildgeesewereswimming,onthebanksatalargeflockofTurkies,&thewildpigeonscoveredoneortwotrees;&allbeingwithinmusketshot,wehadourchoiceforasupper.MyInterpreterchosetheTurkies,&killedthreeatoneshot.

(5of6)Fridaymorningwewerereadytoleaveourencampmentabout8

O’Clock,&travelledthroughanexcellentcountryofland,about18miles&comingtoasmall&pleasantriver,wepitchedourtentaboutanhourbeforesunsetting.

Saturday19–Ourpathhad ledusalong theNorthbankof thepleasantriverOhio,almostthewholewayfromPittsburgh,&frequentlywithinsightoftheriver.Thesoilisluxuriant,thegrowthprincipallywhiteand black oak, Chestnut, BlackWalnut, Hickory &c. The sweetest redplums grow in great abundance in this country, & were then in greatperfection.Grapesgrowspontaneouslyhere,andwindaroundthetrees.Wehavebeenfavoredwithdelightfulweather.

At the requestofhispresbytery,ReverendDavidMcClureundertookaspiritualtourofsettlementswestoftheAlleghenymountains,arrivinginPittsburgh in September 1772. The above are excerpts from his traveldiary in which he describes his journey along the Ohio River betweenPittsburghandNewcomersTownontheMuskingum,havingcrossedbothLittleandBigSewickleycreeksontheway.(ReverendDavidMcClure1748-1820)

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ThePeopleAsearlyas1,000BC,theAdenapeoples followed by theHopewell, inhabited the OhioRiver Valley, leaving behindceremonial and burialmoundsof differing shapes and sizes.The largest in WesternPennsylvania was the McKeesRocks mound near Pittsburgh.Constructed on a rockoutcropping above the OhioRiver, the sixteen-foot highmound was the site of thirty-three burials. Five smallermounds once stood in theLeetsdale–Edgewortharea.LittleisknownoftheseearliestSewickley Valley inhabitantswhovanishedlongbeforethelaterarrivalofNativepeoplesfromtheEast.PushedwestwardbyanunrelentingwaveofEuropeancolonists,DelawaresfromEasternPennsylvaniaandShawneesfromtheSoutheastarrivedinWesternPennsylvaniaintheearly1700swheretheywouldremainuntilcentury’sendwhenagainforcedtoleave.OtherthanLogstown,whichoverlookedtheOhioatapointbelowAmbridge,therewerenopermanentNativesettlementsontheriver.ItwasatLogstownthatFrenchandEnglishtradersaswellasrepresentativesofthecolonialgovernmentsmetwithNativepeoplestoconductbusiness.ItwaswhereGeorgeWashingtonvisitedin1753whileonhisill-fatedmissionthatresultedinthefirstshotsoftheFrenchandIndianWar.Duringmuch of their history, the “hills back of Sewickley”wereNative American hunting groundswith nosettlements,onlycampsites.Coveredinlayersofsoil,stoneartifactsleftbehindbytheirmakerswould,inlateryears,beunearthedbythefarmer’splowandcollectedbychildrenascuriosities.WiththeremovalofNativepeoplesfromWesternPennsylvaniaduringthe1790s,settlersbeganventuringintothewildernessnorthoftheOhio,althoughasmallgroupofNativeAmericansremainedonBigSewickleyCreek,

livinginwhatwasdescribedasfourteenmudhuts.An early engraving (above) shows the McKees Rocksoutcroppingonwhichaburialmoundwasconstructed(shownleft).Western Penitentiary atWoods Run is also seen in theengraving.