Source:German-pioneer/content
It is a mooted question whether the Scotch-Irish or the Pennsylvania Dutch were the first settlers around Fort Pitt. Prior to the Revolution the Indians occupied this field, and though there were settlements on the Yough, and along the Chartiers Valley before that memorable event, which introduced the United States to the Congress of nations, the territory which is now called Pittsburg, was, to all intents and purposes in the hands of the aborigines up to the time of the Revolution.
When the American colonies severed their connection with the mother country, Western Pennsylvania was claimed by Virginia, and was a part of the outlying wilderness of Augusta county of that colony. Attention had been attracted to this region a few years before the Revolution, and one George Washington had been mainly instrumental in showing that the Monongahela Valley was rich in resources, both mineral and agricultural. The trouble with the mother country served as a check to emigration to this frontier of civilization, and the settlement of the country around Fort Pitt was, no doubt, delayed a score of years by the unpleasantness between George III. and his American colonies from 1776 to 1783. During that memorable period in the world's history, there were Irish troubles which led up to the rebellion of 1798 and many rebels who failed in their enterprise were attracted to the new Republic as a haven of retreat from the storms. Hence this region was largely settled in its beginning by refugees from the North of Ireland, who preferred a lodge in the wilderness to a prison in Derry, Antrim or Down. At the same time that Irish rebels were attracted to the Monongahela Valley as a suitable place to plant themselves, the Dutch element of Lancaster, Berks and Buck's counties had an eye to this region as a place that had a great future before it.
The pioneer Negley.
When the War of Independence opened there was living in Bucks county a German family by the name of Negley, a member of which was not altogether satisfied with his situation, and concluded he would go West and grow up with the country. The name of this young man was Alexander Negley. In company with some colonial soldiers Alexander Negley came to this region in the summer following the Declaration of Independence, 1777. Accompanying him on this journey to the frontiers was his young wife and two children, Felix and Jacob Negley, who were born in Bucks county. The pilgrims rested for a few weeks at Fort Ligonier, and there a third son, John, was born. The final resting place of Alexander Negley was in the valley a little way above Brilliant station, on what is now known as Negley's run.
On soldiers' warrants at the rate of 75 cents per acre Alexander Negley secured a tract of land comprising nearly 800 acres, which comprised the principal portion of East Liberty and extended to the Allegheny river. In the valley, a short distance above Brilliant station, he built a grist mill, which was run by water power, and there for a score of years or more ground the wheat and corn of the early settlers, who brought their products for a distance of 20 to 30 miles. When the Negley mill was doing the work for the early settlers it was sometimes necessary to have a guard to protect it from raids of Indians who at that day were in full possession of all the territory on the north side of the Allegheny, and whose Chief had his headquarters on Girty's run, and was monarch of all he surveyed.
In the process of years Alexander Negley's oldest son, Jacob, moved the old water mill up to the pike and introduced steam power, which in those days astonished the natives as much as telegraphs and telephones have astonished their descendants. It is only a few years since the original cabin of Alexander Negley, which stood close to the Hiland avenue reservoirs has been torn down. The little old red house, a weather boarded log, to the west of Hiland and fronting the reservoirs, which, until a few years ago was one of the land marks of the East End, was the first dwelling built in the East Liberty Valley, and dated back to the birth of the American Republic.
The first German church.
About the close of the Revolution the piously inclined settlers of German origin united together, agreeing to bury their differences and have a union service for the worship of God. Some were followers of Zwingle, some of Luther and others of Calvin. Being few in number and widely scattered, they pooled their issues, and, under the leadership of Alexander Negley, built a log church under the shelter of Fort Pit [sic]. The site of this first church of Pittsburg was on Third avenue, between Market and Ferry street, and the time it was built was prior to the surrender of Cornwallis. After two or three years' worship in the log church, a grant was secured from the Penn heirs, on the corner of Smithfield street and Sixth avenue, and a larger structure was there reared, which proved sufficient for the Protestant German element of Pittsburg and vicinity for a half century or more. It did not prove the easiest thing in the world to harmonize the Zwinglians and Lutherans who made up the German Reformed Church but they managed to hold together until sometime in the thirties, when the original hive had grown strong enough to swarm. A young America element of the church had sprung up, who wanted their gospel in the English tongue. The pioneers preferred the language of the Fatherland, but time was in favor of the rising generation.
Alexander Negley, the pioneer settler of the East Liberty Valley, and the prime mover in the organization of the First German Church, passed away before the time of the first swarming from the Smithfield Street Church, of which he was a leading official. His body was laid away to its final resting place on the home farm, near the site of the Hiland reservoirs, about midway of the thirties.
A split in the church.
The old church at that time was agitated by the question of English preaching which in course of time culminated in the planting of two churches which to-day are worthy rivals of the old organization from which they sprang. The young element of the present church who desired their gospel in the English tongue, was divided in sentiment as to whether Luther's or Zwingle's ideas were most in accord with the true Christian doctrine. The controversy culminated in an English Lutheran and an English Reformed Church. The former organization found a local habitation on Seventh avenue, and will be remembered by old timers as Passavant's church. Within the past year this church has entered into its elegant new church home on Grant street, near the Third ward school building. The element who followed Zwingle in preference to Luther found a church home on High street, and is represented to-day by the Grace Reformed Church, of which the Rev. Mr. Prugh is pastor.
There have been changes not a few in the territory around Fort Pitt since the time that Alexander Negley, with a handful of other German pioneers, built the log church on Third avenue, where they might worship God after methods of the Fatherland.
Young.
