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WHO WAS WHO in PLUM TOWNSHIP
~ Titusville Herald ~
~ March 4, 1958
By H. W. Strawbridge

Daniel Proper

Daniel Proper, son of a Revolutionary War Veteran, was born in New York state on Feb. 27, 1794. According to Proper family records, he was baptized on Feb. 2, 1795 in the Celderland Lutheran Church at Charlotte River, N.Y. His parents were Samuel and Catherine Wetherwax Proper. Apparently the Proper family was of Holland-Dutch descent, though there appears to be a little leaning that they were of German descent.

Samuel Proper and his oldest sons, Joseph, Samuel and Andrew, came to present Diamond, Venango County, in 1800 and selected their location. They cleared some land on their 200 acres and raised a small amount of produce.

The next year they went back to Schorarie County, N.Y., and brought the rest of the family in a wagon to their new home. Therefore Samuel Proper was the third settler in Plum Township. Their only neighbor was Benjamin August who was the township’s first settler in 1798, and whose cabin was a short ways southwest of present Diamond. The Proper cabin stood by the Meadville-Titusville turnpike at the crossing of the east branch of Sugar Creek, or Diamond Creek. Tradition states that the Indians used to call this "Little Bear Creek."

Samuel Proper spoke the English language when transacting business, but German was used exclusively in his home. There were ten children of Samuel and Catherine, nine of whom grew to maturity and were: Joseph, Samuel Jr., Andrew, Barnhart, Catherine, Elizabeth, Susanna, Daniel and Jacob. The one who died young was Johnaes (or John) who was a twin to Jacob, They were born in 1797.

As a youngster Daniel shared the hardships and labors of the family. They gradually kept clearing the farm. They had to wind their way through the woods to Meadville and carry salt home in a knapsack.

About 1805 they built and "upright" sawmill on the creek. It was located quite a ways down the creek. The father journeyed to Bellefonte, Centre County, and brought material, iron, etc. on three horses back home to build the mill. He followed the old Holeman Road.

Daniel was the only one of the six brothers that could write, and he could write very nicely. Daniel and three of his brothers - Samuel, Andrew and Barnhart- were veterans of the War of 1812. Daniel served his period in the winter of 1814. He was fifer in Captain Daniel McCombs' militia, commanded by Col. Samuel Dale. This was the 132nd Regiment of Pennsylvania Militia which was in service in the Erie sector in pursuance of orders from Maj. Gen. David Mead. When Daniel received his final pay, his honorable discharge paper was taken by the paymaster, William Clark and was never returned.

For his services, Daniel made application on April 2, 1851, for county land under the Act of Sept. 28, 1850. In this application he stated that he had been drafted in Cherrytree Township ( Plum wasn’t organized until 1817) in January 1814, and served for a period. He also said in this application that he stood as a minuteman from the commencement of the war to the end of it. Daniel was issued Land Warrant No. 48205 for 40 acres on March 27, 182. No research has yet been made on where this land was located. Undoubtedly Daniel sold it.

Daniel was married around 1813 to Miss Margaret Archer, a daughter of John Archer. Her ancestry was Holland-Highland Scotch. She was born on Feb. 12, 1797. She was a tall good looking girl with black hair and dark eyes. Family records say that she could travel 10 miles as quick as any man in the country. Daniel and Margaret settled on quite a large farm adjoining that of his father's. Daniel's home was a mile south of Diamond, now the farmstead of Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Patterson and family. Daniel bought this farm in October 1816 from Andrew Bowman. He started farming with a yoke of oxen and one cow. Records also show that Daniel bought a 200-acre tract located over two miles south of Diamond and about one and one-fourth miles northeast of Wallaceville. However, Daniel's younger brother, Jacob, took over this tract and remained there until his death on Dec. 19, 1865.

Daniel and Margaret had 11 children, 10 of whom reached maturity and were: John A. Proper, Jacob G. Proper, Joseph R. Proper, Daniel D. Proper, Isaiah Proper, William H. Proper, Dr. James L. Proper, Mrs. Viena Williams, Mrs. Ellen Hawthorne and Mrs. Sarah Ann Morrison. The one who died was Irene who was four years old at her death.

Jacob, Joseph, Daniel, Isaiah and William remained lifelong Plum Township residents. John moved to Tionesta and became prominent there, serving as associate judge for five years. Dr. James was a well known physician in Titusville. Mrs. Williams lived at Orangeville, Mrs. Hawthorne lived in Troy Township and MRs. Morrison lived in Tidioute.

The Daniel Proper family first lived in a large hewed log house situated near a spring. There was also a log barn. Years later Daniel built a low frame house near the spring. It was known later as "little red house." It stood a short ways below the still later large frame house that burned down a few years ago. This latter house was built during the 1880's by Daniel D. Proper, several years after his father, Daniel, died.

Daniel Proper was light complexioned, 5 feet 10 inches in height, and weighed about 170 pounds. He was square-shouldered and a well known old gentleman. It is said he was quite often called upon in times of sickness. He was also a very clever man.

This large tintype picture of Daniel was in the possession of the late Mr. and Mrs. Earl Proper, the former having been a great-grandson of Daniel. Their two younger daughters, Mrs. Donna Gelo and Mrs. Norma Copeland, live in Diamond today. Incidentally, this picture had a close call in being destroyed on March 7, 1947. On that day Mr. and Mrs. Proper's house burned down. All furnishings on the downstairs floor were saved from the burning structure, and everything upstairs was destroyed. Fortunately the framed picture of this pioneer was downstairs.

Daniel did a lot of trading at the store in Chapmanville operated by Nathaniel Morse from 1843 to 1946. This old store stood where the present Kerr Grocery stands. In the early days there used to be a road branching away from the curve of the regular road just northeast of Daniel's home. It went downhill through Daniel's property, crossing the Diamond creek, then curved to the left and extended up to and through the Ira Goodwin farm, now owned by Dr. A.W. Goodwin. The old P.G. Welsh place was situated on this now long gone road.

On June 15, 1842, Daniel's brother, Samuel, died in the old house that once sat near the spring on the former Sharp farm in Diamond, now owned by Howard C. Proper. Daniel and another brother, Andrew, were both present at Samuel's death.

Mrs. Margaret Proper died May 13, 1851, at the age of 54. Daniel continued to remain on the old place. Several years previous he had sold off a couple small portions of his original farm. In November 1853, he sold 62 acres or the west half of his land to his son, Daniel D. Proper, for $600. However, old Daniel did not entirely release his authority over it, thus explaining the low price. Then on June 18, 1863, both Daniel and Daniel D. made an agreement that Daniel D. was to have all the property, both real and personal, for the full consideration of his father's maintenance during his natural lifetime.

Daniel Proper died at the old home on Jan. 9, 1870 of what was called "the Proper palsy" in the old days. It seems that many of the older members of the Proper family succumbed to this. It was a type of stroke which they had and made them unable to move parts or all of their entire body. Daniel was ill for some time before his death. He is buried in the Diamond Cemetery. An American flag, placed in a bronze War of 1812 standard, waves today over his grave. Inscribed on his marble tombstone is the following Biblical quotation: "The Lord Is My Shepherd, I Shall Not Want."

Transcribed by Penny Kulbacki Minnick
minnick862@verizon.net

Disclaimer:there may be errors due to transcription of information from both early and late (current contributors) work.