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WHO WAS WHO in PLUM TOWNSHIP
~ Titusville Herald
By H. W. Strawbridge

Samuel Williams

Samuel Williams was born in Troy Township, Crawford County, on March 14, 1840, a son of John and Polly Armstrong Williams. Family tradition states that the Williams family was of Scotch-Irish descent. This particular branch of the Williams came from Connecticut where they operated a mill. John Williams and two brothers, Philo and another whose name is not recalled, ventured from Connecticut to Rochester, Pa., where they built a grist and sawmill and operated them.
John and Philo became pilots of the Ohio River and rafted from Pittsburgh to New Orleans. John had relatives in Clarington which is a short distance east of Cook Forest. While visiting them he noted that the rafting of lumber there seemed as good as that on the Ohio River, so he commenced rafting there, starting on the Clarion River, joining the Allegheny River above Parker, then rafting down to Pittsburgh.
While in Clarington he met Miss Polly Armstrong, who was working for her relatives, and the couple soon married. They moved to Troy Township where she received 40 to 50 acres from her father. The location of the buildings of Polly and John was back a lane directly across the road from the later South Troy schoolhouse.
Polly's parents, Joseph and Anna Daniels Armstrong, having been of Irish and English descent, came from Westmoreland County to Troy Township around 1800. The family lived on wild meats for the first five years, then managed to get pork. They had a family of 15 children. Mrs. Armstrong died in 1825, aged 58, and Joseph died Aug. 5, 1850, at the age of 93. Both are buried in the long abandoned cemetery on the hill west of South Troy.
John and Polly Williams had a family of at least eight children. They included Mrs. Abigail Gillespie, Mrs. Elvira Proper, William Williams, Philo Williams, Samuel Williams, John Williams, Mrs. Sarah Dunkle, and a boy who died young. Some may not be listed in proper age order.
Their father, John probably weighed 180 or 190 pounds, and was very strong. He worked awhile for James Lamberton Sr. of Plum Township and once carried a bag of corn on his shoulder from the Lamberton farm (now Boyd Lesh place) to his brother's mill below Bradleytown. The rest of the Williams family waited and held supper for him at home.
He once had the smallpox. Fortunately, Polly doctored him through this. He died about 1847, just short of reaching middle-age and he, too, is buried in the old abandoned cemetery. After his death his two oldest sons, William and Philo, and their mother moved to Clarington. The mother died there in 1889 and is buried there.
A comical anecdote is recalled about William Williams when he was a young fellow. One dark evening he attended some affair in the Bradleytown area. Due to getting started late, he ran toward his destination. The old road towards Bradleytown was full of water holes, but still he could tell where they were by the glare of the water. He was making good time jumping over the water holes. When jumping over one, he hit a dry spot and "it let out a squeal and ran!" He happened to jump on top of one of Lamberton's pigs, and it upset him into a waterhole, mussing up his good clothes. He changed his clothes at a friend's house at Bradleytown and continued towards his destination.
Samuel Williams was only seven years old when his father died. Since his mother moved to Clarington, he was taken in by his older sister and her husband, Elvira and Andrew Proper of near Fauncetown. Samuel worked for Andrew on his farm, and when older, he too, like his father, rafted on the river to Pittsburgh. On his way home he often laid down to rest, and he contacted a rather chronic bronchial trouble.
Samuel also cut wood at four or five dollars a cord for the wells along Oil Creek, drilled and dressed tools in the oil fields. He used to tell that in the Pleasantville area he would go out after supper and clear off a site for on oil well for $10.
He worked for a time in an early sawmill west of the creek on the present Howard Lesh place north of Bradleytown. Samuel used to tell about some of the men tking sick there, and having to shut down work for awhile.
On Feb. 2, 1871, he was married to Miss Fanny Davison of Plum Township with Rev. Robert Beatty, a Methodist minister, officiating. Fanny was born Oct. 17, 1841, one of several children of John and Eliza Weekley Davison, early Plum residents. Samuel and Fanny first lived on the Hays property in the Sunville community. They moved from Sunville into the old Dr. Ranney house in Jackson Township. Part of this house was of log construction. After staying in it some time they bought 60 acres on the hill west of Bradleytown (25 acres of which were in Jackson, and remaining 35 acres in Plum). They sold the Plum portion in 1877 to Irvin Bower, and about 1883 they sold the Jackson portion (where the buildings were) to James Dilley.
In 1883 Samuel was engaged by the Stratton Lumber Co. to supervise the removal of 575,000 feet of timber, mostly white oak, from the Lamberton tract in Plum Township. Samuel had two teams working in the woods. He had moved onto the Shay place (present Lloyd Cooper place) and tried to buy it, but Mrs. Shay wouldn't sell. However, he lived there two years, then moved down the hill a ways on 103 acres he and Fanny purchased for $824 from Miss Emily R. Lamberton.
He cleared this entire farm, first clearing about 10 acres where he had the buildings erected. He planted wheat with a shovel plow around the trees and stumps. He was an expert axeman. He chopped left-handed, but was right-handed otherwise, He used a team of oxen in the woods, too, besides farming with them. He hauled many railroad ties to Hydetown.
On the lower part of the farm there were some shacks erected for the benefit of millmen who stayed there while taking off the timber. Samuel later tore these shacks down and used the lumber in his house which stood until destroyed by a bolt of lightning in 1958. Samuel and Fanny lived on this place until their deaths. The original barn stood above the house. It was torn down and the present barn, sitting in a different spot, was erected in 1902 with Curry Small having the contract to carpenter it.
Samuel and Fanny had five children, the first two of whom, girls, died in infancy. The last three were John Elton Williams, May 3, 1877; Herman James Williams, July 24, 1879; and Bertha May Williams, Sept. 12, 1883.
John was married at Franklin to Miss Jennie Phillips of Sheakleyville on April 30, 1908. He mainly farmed his father's farm, and he was also Plum Township assessor from 1925 until 1953. They had two sons Elton Williams, who lives near the old homestead, and Frank Williams of Sheakleyville. Mrs. John Williams died on Feb. 17, 1954 and John, 86, resides beside his son, Elton, and still retains good health.
Herman was married at Sunville to Miss Pearl Ehrhart of near Cooperstown on March 24, 1904. He worked for Crowthers operating leases and teaming on the hill at Oil City. They had the following Children: Harry Williams of Oil City, Mrs. Bertha Page of Olean, N.Y., Mrs. Leola Tunney of Cleveland, Samuel Williams of Oil City, Burton Williams of Cleveland and Mrs. Jean Hughes of Arizona. Mrs. Herman Williams died the winter of 1919 and Herman married again in 1928 to Miss Bertha Reed of Oil City. They maintained that city as their residence. They had one daughter, Mrs. Velma Sheats, of Huntingdon Beach, Calif. Herman died Aug. 29, 1956, and his widow presently resides in Oil City.
Bertha was married in the Williams family home to Carl T. Nelson of Donation Hill on Dec. 23, 1908. Mr. Nelson had first taught school, then farmed. He served as Venango County auditor for a few years in the late 1920s and early 30s. They had the following children: Mrs. Velma King of Franklin, Miss Lela Nelson, deceased in 1923, Mrs. Eleanor Deets of near Dempseytown, Ellis W. Nelson of Cooperstown and Weldon Nelson of Titusville. The last two are twins. Mrs. Nelson died March 13, 1921 and Mr. Nelson died on April 22, 1942.
In September 1883, the Methodist Conference of this general area appointed Rev. John Abbot to the Sunville Methodist Charge. He was there only four months when he resigned because of a serious illness which resulted in his death the following March. Upon his resignation Rev. I.G. Pollard was appointed to fill out his appointment. Rev. Pollard, a small dark complexioned individual, was very evangelistic, and might be termed a "go-getter," as far as holding revivals and gaining converts were concerned.
In March 1884 he held a series of revivals in the Chapmanville Methodist Church at which large crowds attended, and several were converted. In April he held meetings at Sunville, and by the 28th of that month there were 69 converts with more to follow. Wallaceville was the scene of his revivals in May. The next year, 1885, he held meetings in a grove beside the Fairview Church at which there were fine attendances.
One of the converts at the Chapmanville Methodist meetings was Samuel Williams, and indeed he held steadfast and remained a Christian man the remainder of his life. Record notes that he was a class leader at Chapmanville for awhile prior to 1887.
In early 1891 the new Valley Methodist class was organized under Rev. E.J. Steinchcombe with Samuel as one of the charter members. The meetings were held in the new Valley schoolhouse, located a short distance west of the Williams farm. Prayer meetings were held in Samuel's home as well as the homes of other charter members. Such fervent prayers were delivered at those meetings that they were heard quite a distance away. They were heard as far away as the Bradleytown store. The next year after the organizing of the Valley class, Fanny transferred her membership from the Sunville Presbyterian Church to the valley class. She and five others in the Davison name had joined the Sunville Presbyterian Church on Jan. 24, 1857. She was then 15.
For some time Samuel was class leader of the Valley organization, and he also served as a trustee. Record in 1907 notes that both he and Fanny were stewards.
In 1909 the Valley group built a new church structure closer to the community and it was dedicated in 1910 as the Bradleytown Methodist Church. Samuel pledged $50 towards the new structure. He attended the new church as long as he was physically able.
Both Samuel and Fanny belonged to the Sugarcreek Grange when it used to meet in the old vacated Plum Church below Bradleytown.
Samuel was a man of approximately 170 pounds, and a height of five feet 6 or 7 inches. He was husky. He was an expert marksman. He could shoot the heads off squirrel, grouse and pheasants with his muzzle-loading gun. Once Lewis Davison came with his Winchester rifle for a visit from the West. He was Fanny's nephew. He and Samuel shot at target. Samuel knocked the patch off with his muzzle-loader and Lewis entirely missed it with his fine Winchester. Samuel had an old blacksmith shop on his place where he did his own blacksmithing and probably for a few neighbors too.
During the later years he developed cataracts on both eyes, and he was blind for a couple of years. A Franklin doctor operated on him in his living room and removed one of the cataracts. Thus he was able to see again with one eye. Peculiarly enough, Samuel continued shaving before a mirror when blind. It was probably a force of habit. He wore glasses at last and walked slowly with a cane. "Uncle" Samuel and "Aunt" Fanny, were what they were called by many who knew them during their retiring years.
Samuel's bronchial trouble, together with old age, finally became serious. On Sunday, March 4, 1917, he had a choking spell in bed. Family members treated him and he was better. However, he died rather unexpected and quietly at 8:30 that evening. It was the day before Woodrow Wilson's second inauguration as President.
Service in his memory was held the following Wednesday afternoon in the Sunville Presbyterian Church with the Methodist pastor, Rev. L.B. Southworth, officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery.
Fanny, who was a good sized woman, strong, and as heavy as Samuel, kept busy at her home. She worked in a big garden every year. She died of infirmities of old age in her home on Oct. 24, 1934, at the ripe age of 93.

Transcribed by Penny Minnick
minnick862@verizon.net

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