Henry C. Putt

The only grist-mill now in Hopewell was erected in 1842 at Puttstown by Henry Putt. It was first a log mill, with one run of stones that were quarried on Broad Top Mountain. It was propelled then as now by water from Shoup's Run. In 1853 the old log mill was taken down and the present framed structure erected on its site by Levi Putt, a son of Henry. In this there are three run of burr stones.

In the year 1982, Leda (Blake) Brennan submitted the history that Miles Blake had written to share with Jon Baughman.

I glanced over Jon's reprint of it. It was different in some places and much longer. Jon said it was an original copy that Leda sent him and he had not changed any of it. One of the places that differed was when Miles launched into the history of Henry Putt.

I quote, "In "Switzerland" , Mr. Shoup's family had neighbors by the name of Putt who also had a son by the name of Henry. .....when he was in his early twenties, he left for the country, found his way to the Juniata Valley and the home of Mr. Shoup, and went to work on his farm. Eventually he married Mr. Shoup's daughter Sarah.

• ****Mr Shoup gave them a piece of his land along Shoup's Run on which to build their home.******

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Puttstown ~ PA Hopewell Twp. Huntingdon County Jacob and Henry

Posted by: jc (ID *****5058) Date: July 07, 2009 at 18:42:08

 	of 417

History of Huntingdon and Blair Counties, Pennsylvania by J. Simpson Africa Philadelphia, PA: Louis H. Everts, 1883, pp. 288-292. Revised and proofread by Judy Banja.

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pahuntin/townships/hopewell/

CHAPTER XLII.

HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP

The only grist-mill now in Hopewell was erected in 1842 at Puttstown by Henry Putt. It was first a log mill, with one run of stones that were quarried on Broad Top Mountain. It was propelled then as now by water from Shoup's Run. In 1853 the old log mill was taken down and the present framed structure erected on its site by Levi Putt, a son of Henry. In this there are three run of burr stones.

At a very early day there was a rude grist-mill on the Raystown Branch, about two miles above the mouth of Shy Beaver Creek. It has long since gone to ruin, though the remains of the dam are still to be seen. Tradition says the last person who carried on this mill was a man named Walters.

In times past there were in this township many sawmills. On Shy Beaver Run four are remembered, and on Shoup's Run and Raystown Branch four others, besides several on smaller streams. Of these only two remain, one on Shy Beaver, owned by John B. Beaver, and the other on a smaller stream, by William Stone.

George Russell came in 1795 from Berks County, Pa., and located near Jacob Weaver in Woodcock Valley. He had three sons and three daughters. Many of the grandchildren of the sons reside in Hopewell.

[note: George Russell's grandson, George Russell, married Mary "Polly" Putt, daughter of Michael and Elizabeth Acker/Aker.

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Regarding PUTT---The village of Puttstown in the SE corner of Hopewell Twp. was commenced by Jacob Putt who erected the first house there in 1840. Puttstown also now has a grist mill, a tannery and about 30 dwellings. (in 1880).

The grist mill at Puttstown was a log structure erected by Henry Putt. It had one run of stones powered by Shoup's Run. In 1853 the old mill was torn down and a framed structure with two stone runs was erected by Levi Putt, Henry's son.

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http://books.google.com/books?id=YUAUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA63&dq=puttstown Page 63

History of the Churches of God in the United States of North America By Christian Henry Forney

History of the Churches of God in the United States of North America - Google Books Resultby Christian Henry Forney - 1914 - 933 pages

There was quite a revival at Puttstown in September, 1841, in the school-house, ... In 1842 quite a revival occurred in a barn near the village.

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http://www.leighlarson.com/james_blake1.htm

The Shoup and Putt family history shared

by Jan Putt Neville.

Re-typed for Shoup and Putt family by Jane Curci

This is 1954 and is the hundredth year of the borough of Saxton, in the community of the once thriving place where I was born in the year of 1872.

I am now in my 81st year. Miles M. Blake

See Faust and Brumbaugh's Lists of Swiss Emigrants in the 18th Century to

The American Colonies.

Sebastian and Elspeth had issue:

Elizabeth bapt 1734;

Hans Heinrich bapt 1735; (Could this be our Sarah (Shoup) Putt's father,

Henry?)

Anna bapt 1739 Sissach;

Sebastian (see above) who m Margit Teegard[en] and who d 1792-1793 Saxton,

Bedford Co PA + Fockler's Cemetery; and maybe others.

=========================================================

The brief history that Janet Putt Neville shared with us confirms that the author born in 1872 (119 years ago, approximately 100 years after Sarah was born) names Sarah as the wife of Henry Putt.

This is 1954 and is the hundredth year of the borough of Saxton, in the community of the once thriving place where I was born in the year of 1872.

I am now in my 81st year. Miles M. Blake

Also LDS records show that Sarah Shoup married Henry Putt.

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp

Sarah SHOUP

Sex: F Event(s):

Misc: Abt. 1765

Bedford, Pennsylvania Parents:

Father: Henry SHOUP

Mother: Mrs. Henry SHOUP

=============================================================

A HISTORY….

of the rise and fall of a little community that was located, partly in Huntingdon County and partly in Bedford County, along the upper Juniata River, known as the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River.

In order to introduce this history, we will have to go back to about the Year 1730. At this time there lived a family in Holland by the name of Shoup, and they had a son named Henry. This family was very poor, as they made a

living by farming, and it was pretty tough going to eke out a living, as their Farms were very small. Henry, being grown to manhood and not seeing much chance of getting ahead in his native country, had heard of the new land of America and decided to try his luck there. He had also heard that a man by the name of Penn had a large grant of land, called Penn's Woods or Pennsylvania, and that he had sent out word that anyone who wanted to come and settle on this land, was welcome to take up land without any charge.

Young Henry was looking for adventure and a place to settle to start a life of his own. He married the girl of his choice and they started on their honeymoon for America to find a home in Pennsylvania that they had heard so much about. After several weeks on the water they landed at Philadelphia, and looking around, found that about all the land close around there had been taken up. They bought a camping outfit and started for the Susquehanna River, and finally came to where the Juniata empties into the Susquehanna.

They got a canoe and started to navigate the Juniata, and they pushed their way upstream, catching fish and shooting game to eke out their meals. They finally came to the South Branch of the Juniata, now called the Raystown Branch. Here they pushed their way up stream, where they found the fine fishing--catching many large salmon, pike and other fish, with plenty of wild game in the forests close along the stream. They made their way on upstream to where a small stream emptied into the Raystown Branch, so they

stopped there to look around, and they came to the conclusion that here would be an ideal spot to settle down. There seemed to be plenty of rich land; the stream was alive with several species of fish; and in the forests there was an abundance of wild game. This was an important factor, as they would practically have to live on fish and game, along with a few berries and wild fruits, until they would get their ground ready to plant. They soon found a likely looking spot not far from the stream (which was later called Shoup's Run) with plenty of good pure drinking water, and here decided to build their future home.

First, they would build a rough cabin to live in, until they could build a better house. For many weeks and months they were very busy and happy, building their cabin; cutting the logs and dragging them by hand to the site

of the cabin. They didn't have a horse, or yet even an ox, which was mostly used for that kind of work, and also for cultivating the new soil after it was cleared. After a lot of hard work, and not much pleasure, they finally had a rough cabin built. They were very proud and satisfied, and happy that now they had made a start in a life of happiness and contentment.

In the meantime they had heard of a settlement on the West side of the Mountain, which is now called Tussey Mountain. The South Branch of the Juniata River runs along close to the foot of the Tussey Mountain. Mr. Shoup decided to cross the Tussey Mountain into what is now called Morrison's

Cove, and see if he could buy a horse or a yoke of oxen. His wife was to go with him, as he refused to let her alone at the cabin while he was gone. One morning they started to walk across the Tussey Mt. at a point now known as

Raver's Gap. (The Raver's Gap Road crosses the Tussey Mt. about three miles Southwest of Saxton and comes out at Woodbury in Morrison's Cove.) At that time there were bands of roving Indians in this part of Pennsylvania.

Although they had been driven west of the Allegheny Mts., they often came back across the mountains in small bands to make raids on the farmers' stock; sometimes to kill some of the settlers and rob them of whatever valuables they had, then escape back across the mountains. Mr. Shoup, knowing there might be Indians hiding in the mountain, made sure to take his rifle and plenty of ammunition with him. He and his wife traveled all day and got to Woodbury late that night without seeing any Indians, however. They stayed

that night in Woodbury and the next day started out to buy a horse or yoke of oxen. After doing a lot of traveling and inquiring, they finally purchased a yoke of oxen that a man had brought from Maryland and drove the oxen back to

Woodbury.

At that time Woodbury was about the only Trading Post in this part of the state where you could buy produce and farming implements....

Mr. and Mrs. Shoup kept working hard to make themselves a home, and seemed to be happy and satisfied with what they accomplished, although they always had to be on the alert on account of the Indians, who often made raids from west

of the Alleghenies. There were quite a few other settlers scattered along the east side of the Tussey Mountain in what is now called Woodcock Valley, and along the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River. Mr. Shoup visited these

settlers and discussed the necessity of building a Fort in order to have a place to protect themselves in case the Indians made a raid in this section.

All the settlers agreed that it was a good idea and they set a day to hold a meeting at the home of Mr. Shoup to discuss ways and means, and a site on which to build the Fort. The meeting took place and all agreed to build a

log Fort on a piece of land not far from Mr. Shoup's cabin. This site was on part of the land on which Mr. Shoup had settled and started to improve, and was situated about one-fourth mile, north west of Mr. Shoup's cabin along a slight raise of ground, about two hundred yards from the east bank of the River. There was a spring of water just at the bottom of this raise, which was most important, on account of having drinking water within the Fort in case of a siege. This Fort was almost directly north, about two hundred feet from the Borough line of what is now Saxton. The new road that leads out of the Borough to the north, runs almost directly through the center of what was the stockade of the old Shoup Fort.

In building the Fort, the settlers took turns cutting logs and hauling them to the site of the Fort. .....Etc.

About the last Indian raid that was made in this valley was about the year 1785. This was when Captain Phillips, with seven or eight of his scouts had come across the Tussey Mountain from the Cove at a point near where the State Road leading from Fredericksburg, intersects with the Woodcock Valley Road..... etc.

The Shoup's had several children by this time; the first a girl, and they named her Sarah; then two boys, Henry and John.

In Holland, Mr. Shoup's family had neighbors by the name of Putt, who also had a son named Henry. Young Henry had often heard his parents talk of the Shoup's who had gone to America, so he planned that when he grew up and had saved enough money to make the trip, that he would go to America also. When he was in his early twenties, he left for the new country, found his way to the Juniata Valley and the home of Mr. Shoup, and went to work on his farm. Eventually he married Mr. Shoup's daughter, Sarah. Mr. Shoup gave them a piece of his land along Shoup's Run on which to build their home.

Henry Putt was mechanically minded and knew a great deal about milling, as his father in Holland had owned a Grist Mill and was a Millwright. This new settlement was badly in need of a Mill to grind their grain, which they found would grow very easily in this country. Young Putt picked a spot along the stream where he thought would be a good location to build a Mill, and where he could turn the water form the stream into the Mill with the least amount of work; also with the least danger of the Mill being washed out in time of floods. The spot that he chose was at a point about one hundred feet east of the bridge that spans the stream and is crossed by the highway that leads from the Borough of Saxton through Puttstown (which was named for Mr. Putt) and on into Coalmont, Dudley, Broadtop City and over the Broadtop Mt.

Incidentally, the new road passes directly over the spot where the old mill used to stand.

Mr. Putt built a dam about three hundred feet up stream from the site of the Mill. Then a trench or millrace was dug to carry the water from the dam to the Mill. He then built what they called a head gate.

Etc....... I have skipped several pages

Henry Putt became the father of seven boys, whose names were: Henry Putt II, Michael, Abel, Jacob, Jonathon, Abraham and William. (William Putt was the writer's Grandfather.)

Mr. Putt built up a great trade in the milling business, and he had to find an outlet for the sale of his flour and feed, as there weren't enough people in the vicinity at that time to consume his surplus. He conceived the idea

of shipping his surplus flour to Baltimore, which by that time was becoming a good market. But, to get his flour to Baltimore, which by that time was becoming a good market.

Etc..........I skipped several pages

Mr. Putt and his sons kept on in the milling business, and every spring they would make a grip to Baltimore with an ark load of flour. I heard my Grandfather, William Putt, tell about one trip in particular that they made to Baltimore. He said that when they got to Harrisburg, where the Juniata empties into the Susquehanna, and where they always camped for the night, they tied up close to the point where the two rivers come together, and they

were getting ready for their evening meal, when a funny thing happened.

There was another party of men bringing an ark load of flour down the Susquehanna, and they had tied up on the opposite side of the point of land between the two rivers. One of the Putt boys, Abraham, by name, was a powerful, big man, weighing around three hundred pounds, and had arms as large as a six inch stove pipe. He was the largest of the seven brothers, but was the biggest coward of them all. As he was getting ready for supper, and was rolling up his sleeves to wash his arms and hands, he happened to glance toward the point of land that lay between the two rivers, He saw the whole gang of men that belonged to the crew of the other boat, coming full tilt toward the Putt gang, but when they saw this mountain of a man rolling up his sleeves, they thought he was getting read to meet them, and they didn't like the looks of the big arms, so they backed out and ran. So the biggest and the most cowardly of the Putt clan scared the entire Susquehanna crew, and he didn't even know at the time what it was all about, but the Putt boys were never bothered after that.

The Putts kept on in the milling business, but branched out into wagon making. The first wagon they made was called the tar skein wagon, because they used pine tar to grease or lubricate the wooden skein or spindle....

Etc....I am skipping several pages ….

This particular section of the Juniata Valley grew to be quite a settlement by 1800. The little village on Shoup's Run Branch of the Juniata had become quite large, and could boast of a Grist Mill, Saw Mill, Cider mill, Cooper's Shop, Wagon-making Shop, Saddler's Shop and later on, about 1850, one of Henry Putt's sons built another Grist Mill about one mile west of the old Grist Mill. This mill stood about exactly on the spot where now stands the Pennsylvania Electric Plant. This mill was run for several years and then burnt down--never to be rebuilt. Shortly after that, another Mill was built about one-half mile southwest of the one that burnt, and was owned and operated by a man by the name of Isaac Little; and this Mill continued to operate until the present time. It was one of the first mills to be changed from the old type Burr Mill to the new roller type of mill.

Etc...Several pages skipped....

The branch road that was built to Dudley and other points southeast of Dudley was named the Shoup's Run Branch of the Huntingdon and Broadtop Railroad, in honor of Mr. Henry Shoup who first settled the little community of Puttstown.

....

Etc....Several pages skipped....

And now, coming to a conclusion of this short history of all these happenings in connection with this community, I, the writer, would like to explain a little more of my family history. As I have explained before, my great-grandfather on my Mother's side was Henry Shoup, who settled the little community of Puttstown and Saxton. They, too, have nearly all disappeared out of the picture.