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Focusing on the lives
of any person or family who has lived in Little Washington,
Washington County, Pennsylvania at anytime throughout
history to recent times, through data and family stories.
NEW SEARCH BOX ADDED
BENTLEYVILLE, PA
Originally called Bentleysville
Somerset Twp., (some mailing addresses are in Fallowfield
Twp.)
Genealogy and family history
research in the area of
Little Washington, Washington County, Pennsylvania from 1700 to present.
Nearest cities are Ellsworth, PA (1.4 miles ), Beallsville, PA
(4.0 miles ), Cokeburg, PA (4.2 miles ), Baidland, PA (6.0 miles ), Centerville,
PA (7.0 miles ), North Charleroi, PA (7.0 miles ), New Eagle, PA (7.1 miles ),
Charleroi, PA (7.3 miles ). Latitude: 40.12 N, Longitude: 80.01 W
Near today's small towns of Ellsworth, Daisytown, VanVoorhis and Beallsville,
George and Jane Carson Bentley brought their large family from from New Castle
County, Delaware to settle in the SW corner of Pennsylvania. Their eldest
son, Sheshbazzar Bentley, bought a tract of land of 1,050 acres May 8, 1777 near
the North Branch of Pigeon Creek in the southeast corner of Somerset Township.
From the 1750s, this area had been highly populated (according to Bentleyville
Library). Mr. Bentley lived in his "Bentley Mansion"
and owned a grist mill which served farmers nearby. Sheshabazzar's plans
to create a town in 1790 never was brought to fruition.
Twenty-six years later, his son, Sheshbazzar Bentley, Jr. (born April
30th, 1786 at the homestead) placed a newspaper notice on March 4, 1816 to
announce that he had laid out plans for a town. The notice states that
this area had three wool machines, and one grist mill which was close to the saw
mill on the waters of Pigeon Creek, with four springs of fresh water flowing
through the area. His town would be called "Bentleys-ville,"
with lots being sold on March 16th at a public sale. One can imagine the
men gathered around for the crying of the sale that morning....but only thirteen
of the fifty-four lots offered for sale were bought that day.
Sheshbazzar was dealt a blow in 1817 when Elizabeth Moore Bentley, his wife of 8
years. died along with their infant daughter. Both were buried in the
family plot on the hill. Hannah Cleaver Kenworthy, also widowed, soon
became Sheshbazzar's second wife. By all accounts, Hannah and her husband
were held in high esteem in the community, with their home serving as the voting
place and from their works to help the poor. Sheshbazzar was not only the
town spokesman but also served as Justice of the Peace in 1819. The grist
and saw mills were in high demand, with farmers coming from miles around.
He was so well-liked that many other young boys were christened with his name
(what a name!).
Soon after the
1816 sale, residences and businesses clustered near the Bentley Mansion (whose
location would now be at the Hillcrest Dairy) and by 1817, the residents called
for a place of worship to be built. The first church had a short life,
being destroyed by fire within 10 years (1828). Under the original
petition, this church was to be shared by the Presbyterians, the Baptists, and
the Methodist Society. After the fire, individual churches began to make
their own houses of worship, with the Methodist congregation erecting their own
building in 1852. The Bentleyville Camp Meeting Ground
(photo) grew from this,
with the stipulation that this land would always be used as a place of worship,
and if at any time the land ceased to be used for religious services, it would
revert back to the heirs. The first meeting was in 1867. Anyone who
grew up in or near Bentleyville would know the campgrounds intimately, as this
was a popular place to hang out, sometimes in lieu of anyplace else to go.
Families would spend the entire day at the Camp, staying until long into the
evening. The amp, still in use today, also still has the cottages on the
property that were built in the 1880s. The tabernacle butts against a
hillside at the rear, with an open front that faces rows of benches or pews.
Services by any number of faiths were held there every weekend, with children's
services during the day and regular revival services in the evening.
Preachers have come here from all over the country to deliver sermons and save
souls. Likewise, church groups have traveled from across the United States
to participate in the revival services. The woods at the Camp Ground
was originally part of the Bentley estate.
Source: History
of
Washington
County
Pennsylvania, pg. 937-938
Go To
Page 2 - Bentleyville
Keystone
Town Markers
Bentley
Cemetery
SEND ME YOUR PICTURES OR MEMORIES OF
BENTLEYVILLE
(washington.co.pa.webmaster@gmail.com - and put
Bentleyville in the subject line)
Books:
Bentleysville Sesquicentennial 1816 – 1966
Bentleysville by Miriam A. Dartnell from New Voices Publishing Co.
Maps by Mapquest:
Regional
area of Washington County (east section)
Map
of Beallsville, PA (greater area map at Beallsville, PA)
Close
up Map at Beallsville, PA
North
to Bentleyville, PA
http://www.churchangel.com/WEBPA/bentleyville.htm
My LANE family settled in Amwell Twp., (part
became West Bethlehem Twp.,) John Lane Sr.'s son, Rev. Daniel Lane, lived
in South Strabane Twp.. Daniel's son, James Polk Lane, lived in Somerset
Twp. Then James' son, Francis Edward "Frank" Lane first lived in
Wylandville, then moved his family to Bentleyville. My grandmother, Ruth
Elizabeth grew up with her parents, Frank and Flora Wynona Waller Lane, in
Bentleyville, PA.
Go Back to TownTalk
Index
My
LANE
FAMILY in MD and Washington Co., PA.
This family is documented in the book
Lane
Family History: Descendants of
John
Lane, Sr.
by
Ruth Lane McGary and Judith Ann Florian,
1990
(Includes
1794-1990.)
View the All-Name
Index of this book.
Contact webmaster about this book.
Check out my other website! (Opens in new window.)
Washington Co., PA Research - other families - Look here
for your families!
Tribute
to Ruth Lane McGary.
List of
Links of this web site
Site History and Updates: Dec '05; Jan '05; Mar
'06
Email
Washington.Co.PA.Webmaster
(c) Judith Ann Florian
159 E. Main St.
Girard, Ohio 44420
Copyright Notice - Data / info. for individuals and surnames may be
reproduced for personal family histories only, but not for any commercial use or
sale. Please give credit to Judith Florian and Catherine L. Caldwell for
locating newspaper items and original documents. You may use J. Florian's
research conclusions if credit is given. No other data or images may be
reproduced without permission. © 2005-present, Judith Florian, Copyright All
rights reserved.
This page was last updated on Friday, January 16, 2009 00:15
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The background was chosen specifically to
emphasize the matriarchal role of women in "the life" of
children and families, and the resilience of all the women of
southwestern Pennsylvania. |
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