Click Here To Return To Index

Click Here to Return To Milestones Vol 8 No 2

 

THE LITTLE BEAVER SETTLEMENT

Submitted by Mark H. Welchley
Milestones Vol 8 No 2--Spring 1983

The beginnings of the Little Beaver Settlement in Beaver County, Pa. are recorded in Allegheny County Pa. Deed Book 5, p. 9-10.

"John Nicholson, president and John Field, Walter Stewart and Theophile Cazueove, managers, all of the City of Philadelphia, Pa. of the Pennsylvania Population Company"...whereas the said company purchased considerable bodies of land from the said Commonwealth situate on the waters of Beaver Creek, French Creek, and Lake Erie and being desirous of encouraging the settlement of said lands for divers considerations did on the 8th day of March 1793 agree to a provision and plan for accomplishing the same and the said company being desirous the said plan should be carried into effect appoint Enion Williams esq. of Greensburgh, Westmoreland Co. to be true and lawful attorney of said Population Company."
Recorded 23 May 1796.

Only three deeds for land located in Little Beaver are recorded in Allegheny Co: Samuel Sprott, 16 Jan. 1796, James Newell, 5 May 1797, and Hugh Cunningham, 2 Jan. 1796. On 29 April, 1797 an ad appeared in the Pittsburgh Gazette advertising land for sale on Little Beaver Creek by the Pennsylvania Population Co. Also on 29th of April, 1797 the same newspaper printed an ad submitted by Enion Williams asking for Choppers and Grubbers for the Little Beaver Settlement. These workers were presumably for the clearing of land on the settlement site.

On the 22nd July, 1797 Enion Williams placed an ad in the Pittsburgh Gazette, announcing the opening of a general store in the Beaver Creek Settlement. Because of the interesting list of items for sale, this ad has been copied in its entirety.

NEW STORE...
In Beaver Creek Settlement

Just opened at William's Mills, sixteen miles from the Ohio, at the Forks of Little Beaver, on the main wagon road leading from Pittsburgh through M'Intosh, up Big Beaver, by said mills to Mahoning, Shenango, the great Salt Springs, Pymatuming, and New Connecticut Settlement.

The assortment of GOODS for sale there, consists of a considerable variety of articles, some of which are as follows, viz.

Green, drab, blue and mixed
coloured broadcloths.
Cossimers, assorted colours
Beaverets
Forest cloths and coatings
Flannels, velvets and corduroys
Royal ribbs and nankeens
A vareity of calirces, chintzes
and cambries
Worsted, cotton and silk and
cotton hose
Irish linens and durants
Tubareens and camblets
Blankets
A variety of silk handkerchiefs
Cotton and linen ditto
Muslin cravats and jhauls
Dimity and striped bed ticking
Silk, thread, mohair
Buntings, ribbons
Pins, needles, brick-a-brac,
scissors, knives
Thimbles, razors and spectacles
Ink stands, powder lead and salt
Tea and coffee
10d and 6d nails
Glass,

And a variety of other articles for which Cash, wheat, Rye, Indian Corn, Oats, Flaxen Linen, Butter, Beeswax and Furrs will be received in payment by ENNION WILLIAMS Agent Pop. Corn. June 20, 1797