Allegany River- Westward we Go!

WESTWARD WE GO! ON THE ALLEGHENY RIVER

Westward Go! was the shout of the pioneers, husband, wives, children, in the early 1800's who made the slow torturous overland journey to Olean Point. Visions of a western El Dorado filled the minds of those in the East. They had heard of the fertile valleys of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and so the emigration west begun. To reach this point many of them pursued what was only an Indian trail through a trackless wilderness between here and Angelica

Olean Point was known as the headquarters to the West for those daring emigrants, who were willing to follow the current on rafts down the Allegheny. They came in droves, as many as 2000 persons living in crude encampments during the winter where they would patiently gather to wait for the breaking of the ice in order to ride the high tide. The rafts in those days were light, only ten or twelve coursed deep. Rafts twelve feet wide were floated down the streams to the Allegheny River from the place where the Cuba reservoir is. Raftmen could depend upon high water for their trips, almost into the middle of summer.

The first headquarters for these emigrants were at the junction of the Allegheny River and Olean Creek. Some camped in rough shanties, others in tents and still others sought lodging in the tavern kept by Jehiel Boardman near the Olean Creek in Boardmanville. A man by the name of Miller kept a store a little to the west of where Union Street crosses the Allegany River, and had a road running along its bank in front of the store.

A later point of departure was begun at the foot of South Forth Street where there was a row of small houses, a two-story hotel, boathouse, workshop and appurtenances. There was also what was known as Reed's shanties made up of an 'L' shaped building divided by board partitions into separate dwellings that were sixteen feet square and one story high. This was the center of activity and bustling business in Olean Point at that time. In 1934 workmen excavating for the South Fourth Street pumping station uncovered planks made from virgin timber in a perfect state of preservation buried at a level near that of the river's normal stage since the landing was abandoned. They were about two and one half inches thick and ten to eighteen inched wide held in place by wooden pins or stakes. This was the landing used by the early pioneers who embarked for the middle-west in the early 1800's.

The only method of heading down the raging Allegheny was on a flat bottom boat, ark or a log raft. Sometimes there would be hundreds of families making the trip down the Allegheny River.
This is just to give a few examples of the brave and hardy emigrants, who arrived at Olean Point to embark on their westward adventure on the Allegheny River are.

A father built a flatboat, loaded it with their goods, wife and children and floated down the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers to Illinois where he built a log house.

A father and son built a raft and set out on the Olean River, to the Allegheny River, and than to the Ohio River.

A husband brought his family by covered wagon to Olean Point. After sawing lumber he built cabins on the raft where the family lived to keep warm during the winter until they could set down the Allegheny in the spring.

A couple of businessman filled their keel with various merchandise, went down the Allegheny to the Mississippi River for the purpose of trading with the townspeople along the river.

The Mormans made a trip down the Allegheny River to reach Nauvoo, Illinois.

A family traveled to Olean Point in on a long wood sled pulled by oxen. Once here the father made wooden chairs that he traded for food to survive until they could make they way down the Allegheny River.

One fall fifteen families traveling in wagons made it to Olean Point where they went down the Allegheny River in boats and rafts bound for the western territory.

IN 1779, Colonel Broadhead's troops came up the Allegheny River as far to what was later known as the Kittanning Road and made their way overland to Kittanning, Pa.In 1922 a cannon ball eight inches in circumstance, and two and one half inches in diameter and weighing several pounds was uncovered at Seneca Heights. A steam shovel was digging out the earth to be used for grading or top dressing at the new Seneca Heights development. It was thought that it possibly had been dropped by the Revolutionary troops or possibly carried there by an Indian. Old timers said that the Revolutionary Troops had passed through there and cut a road to Kittanning, Pa. for a means of escape. From the 'Memoirs of Andrew Sherburne' Year 1818" - There was probably a hundred families waiting for the water to rise, that they might descend the River, and the number increased daily. Many of them could obtain no other habitation than their wagons, until they could procure boards or slabs to build what they called a 'shantee'. They would, with boards, stakes and withes, build a kind of sheep's pen, without any floor, and sometimes two or three families would camp together in those crude buildings. In this little village, situated among large smutty pine stumps, were five or six taverns, three or four stores, and probably twenty or thirty other houses. It was a place of real speculation. Among the emigrants were characters of almost all descriptions, some very rich, and other extremely poor. Speculators were there from various parts of the county, for the purpose of buying up horses from the emigrants, who were frequently glad to rid of them, at almost any price, as horse keeping was very high. They could seldom sell them for cash, but were obliged to take goods at an extravagant price.

'Olean Point' was denominated the 'jumping off place' as frequently a person in desperate circumstances would 'clear out,' (as it was called) and hastened to this place, step, or jump on board the first boat in which they could obtain a passage, and be off. Sometimes, however, they were overtaken by a wife, or a creditor, before they had opportunity to embark.

"A small unfinished room would be let for a dollar per week and there were many erected for that purpose. Provisions were very dear; flour at six dollars per hundred; bacon and butter at twenty-five cents per pound and other provisions in proportion.

"We were detained seven weeks in this place, before there was sufficiency of water in the Allegany, for boats to descend.

"My horses cost me one hundred and forty dollars, but I did not sell them for more than half that price. One Major Shepard, whom I had met the previous year at Tioga, had built a boat here to take his family down the river. He offered me passage for ten dollars, so taking my family soon aboard on the second day of December, we, in company with several other boats pushed off for Ohio. We had already been almost four months on our journey; and our long detention, together with the approach of winter, conspired to induce us to hasten on our way. The writer goes on to say that in pushing off into the channel of the Allegany, imagination could scarcely paint a more pleasurable scene. It was perfectly calm; the river about fifty yards wide at this place, and beautifully overhung on either side with majestic and spreading trees. The gentle current, sloping banks and serpentine course, presented such a beautiful prospect as could not fail to elevate the mind of any one possessed of sensibility.

His account of this trip, which later proved hazardous and uncomfortable, covers several pages. Finally Rev. Sherburne and his family reached Batavia, Ohio, their destination, on January 1, 1819, just four months and five days after a tedious and expensive journey from New England. This worthy clergyman spent the rest of his life ministering to various Baptist congregations in the newly opened Ohio county and also toured the country selling his book.

Memoirs of Andrew Sherburne - Maude Brooks,City Historian
Copyright 2007 Eileen McCartan Smith

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