Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Annals Of Jackson Township
By Mrs. Betty Burkhart
Nanty Glo Journal
September 17, 1942

Communities and Their First Settlers

Vinco And Singer hill

In an old atlas (1890), we read: "Fairview (Vinco), has an available outlet for underlying coal which will in the near future no doubt make this section of the county teem with business activity." The coal bank opened on the old John Singer farm but the future "business activity" did not continue.

In 1890 names prominent in the community in addition to those already named were Emanuel Custer, S. Grove, J. Kilcher, W. Ford, J. Thompson, S. Allbaugh, David Simmons, J. Sides, G.C. Varner, W. Thomas, S. Cobaugh and P. McConaghy. At that time a parsonage stood where the Rodkey home is now and there was also a planing mill, wagon shop and lumber house, (within the last year another planing mill and lumber building have been erected here.) The name, S. Margudent is also listed among those who resided here before the turn of the century. Rev. J.W. Smouse was the pastor of the local church at that time.

Four brothers came to this country from Germany in 1820 and one, Peter, settled on what is known as the Smith farm, near Vinco. They were the Allbaugh boys and have many living descendants here. Peter was married three times and was the father of 17 children. A son, Samuel, built and lived in one of the first houses in Vinco, a frame structure which stood below where the parsonage now is, and which was occupied in later years by the Daniel P. Murphy family, and has in recent years been torn down. Samuel was the father of four children, one of who died in infancy. The others were lifelong residents of this community. They were Mrs. Samanma Bowers, Mrs. Matilda Good, and John Allbaugh, the latter the owner of Allbaugh's Park, near Vinco. Three brothers of Samuel Allbaugh fought in the Civil War and he also wished to serve hiking to Gallitzin to enlist in spite of the fact that he had a wooden leg. He was turned down, however. One brother escaped from a war prison and hid in a field where he ate raw corn to keep alive. He succeeded in making his way on the long trip home as far as Rosedale where he collapsed at the home of a relative and died.

In 1796 Jacob Good settled on what is now known as the Singer farm, near Singer Hill. His son, Christian Good, moved to Good's Corner in 1814. A great-grandson, Daniel Good, taught school several years at the Leidy school and served two terms as recorder of deeds of Cambria county, elected the first time in 1911.

Rev. Samuel Brallier, who was of French-German descent, and his wife Susannah, who was a daughter of Christian Good, came to this community about 1870. He was a minister in the German Baptist Church. His son, Daniel Webster Brallier, was a carpenter by trade and built a large number of the houses erected during his time in the township. He was also a successful farmer and occupied several township offices. In 1873 he was married to Mollie Long of Indiana county. The Brallier home is now occupied by the Larkin family, its present owners.

For many years there was a post office at Vinco in the building recently vacated by the James Mackall family, who owned and occupied it for the past 38 years, and conducted a store there for that length of time. The postmasters were David Simmons, George Varner and James Mackall. In 1914 the office was closed and the rural free delivery service extended to this community from Conemaugh. The postmasters also conducted general merchandising stores in addition to their other duties.

The Hinkston Run, a stream of water that flows through the valley just below Vinco (it was erroneously stated in last week's installment that this is the Salt Lick creek), feeds into the Hinkston Run dam located just beyond the township line. An interesting story is told (Story's history of Cambria County), about the man after whom the steam was named which concerns the killing of the Indian, Joseph Wipey. According to the story it was prior to 1777 when a Delaware Indian by the name of Joseph Wipey lived just over the township line in what is now Indiana county, but fished on the Conemaugh river and hunted in wilderness around here. He was a peaceful Indian who got along well with the white settlers, as did most of the Delaware tribe. There were several other tribes, however, who did not show the same friendliness to the white man and rangers were sent out to quiet them when they had made one of their uprisings, and to protect the settlers. Many of the white settlers had left here for safety in more thickly populated communities but a Mr. Findley and his "bound boy" had returned to this locality to find a valuable horse they had left behind. The boy was killed by the Indians but Mr. Findley escaped back to Ft. Palmer. One of the rangers sent out to quiet the Indians was John A. Hinkston, and a companion by the name of Cooper. The rangers came upon the body of the boy and buried it, then continued the search for his killer. They found the Indian, Wipey, who was camping on the banks of a small stream and shot him, regardless of the fact that he was of a peace loving tribe and was innocent of murder. The community at large was incensed over the cowardly act and a reward of 50 pounds was offered for the capture of Cooper and Hinkston, who were never apprehended, however. The stream was named for this early ranger.

To Be Continued Next Week