Alexander Blaine McMurray

History of Westmoreland County that was written in 1906 by John N. Boucher & John W. Jordan. This is a three volume set of nearly 2000 pages which contain the early history of the county as well as a large number of biographical sketches.

"Among the first settlers were many of Massachusetts ancestry, and the whole township, so far as its pioneer families are concerned, bears the impress of New England industry, prudence and thrift. Many of these settlers were of British and Scotch-Irish descent. Among them were James McQuilken, William Wilson, William Hall, Christian Ringer, David Shryock, Michael McCloskey, Philip Steinmates, John Cochran, William Wilson, George Hall, the Laughlins, George Wilson, and others. In 1803 John Beatty, of Fayette county, moved into a log cabin about two miles north of the present town of New Salem. About that time two well-known stonemasons, Ned. O'Hara and Michael Rogers, were citizens in Salem township, and in 1802 William Wiley came from Ireland. His wife was a sister of Jacob Diebel, an old citizen of Murrysville, and they bought one hundred acres of land which had formerly been owned by the Brownlees and Crookshanks. In 1800 a log schoolhouse was erected a mile north of New Salem, close to the Freeport road. The teacher for several years was Alexander McMurry. In 1808 John Kline, who was married to Susan Hill, of Franklin township, settled in Salem township. He was an old man and worked at the cooper trade. He had been given permission to spend the remainder of his days on land that was supposed to belong to Fred Ament, but it turned out shortly afterwards that he was living on Matthew Jack's land. On learning this the old cooper was so wrought up that he hanged himself on an apple tree with a silk handkerchief. In 1805 Fred Ament had come from York county and purchased land of William Dixon, about a mile from Salem. There he lived until July 14, 1847. In 1818 John Hutton came from Franklin county and spent the remainder of his days in the township, working mostly as a stonemason. Georg Nunamaker in an early day settled near Congruity. Other early settlers were the Laughlins, Moores, Walthours, Waltons, Saxmans, Knappenbergers, Kissems, Shields, Shaws, Cooks, Steels, Potts, Bairs, Sloans, Frys, Dushanes, Christys, McConnells, Jones, Pauls, Stewarts, Wagoners, Givens, McGearys, Snyders, Kecks, Ralstons, Caldwells, Gordons, McQuaides, Stouts, Adairs, Hornings, Gibsons, Craigs, Keples, Shusters, Kemerers, and Zimmermans."