The Friends ofHalfmoon Valley

by

Myrtle Magargel

Centre Daily Times Publications 1941

THE FRIENDSOF HALFMOON VALLEY

I

IIi

I

- II

IJ

it

UI? qI i J, 5I'ii11I

IjiIII

I�4,I

EDITORS' NOTEWith the writing of Myrtle Magargel's first his-

/ torical sketch several years ago, interest in Cen-tre County documents seemed to grow as each ofher interesting tales unfolded.

To meet this interest, the Centre Daily Timesbegan to publish, in serial form in the daily news-paper, each of Mrs. Magargel's histories. Then,last year, in order to make permanent such avaluable recording of one of the County's mostinteresting stories, the Times published its firstbooklet, "The History of Rock."

i; Following the writing of "The History of Rock,"Mrs. Magargel started work on another phase ofcounty history, the story of the friends in Half-moon Valley. Once again, with the publishing ofthis document, favorable -comments came fromreaders along with regrets that the publicationwas confined to the newspaper page.

And so was born the second of the "CentreDaily Times Publications," Mrs. Magargel's "TheFriends of Halfmoon Valley."

It's an accurate and sympathetic portrayal ofthe Friends who settled in Halfmoon Valley inthe region which is now Stormstown, in 1791.It traces the early history of these pioneers andbrings the story up to the present day by tellingof the descendants of the immigrants from Ches-ter County.

It is hoped that additional Centre Daily TimesPublications may be offered the public in the

,-near future to perpetuate the authentic humandocuments of this, Centre County.

THE EDITORS, CENTRE DAILY TIMESFebruary, 1941 254386

. ~ ~~~ 4 . cc_1

:

la~

0

F4

a

U2

04

C,

I-I

rA4W5j.6

INTRODUCTION

By C. E. MYERSThe accompanying historical sketch of the

Friends of Halfmoon Valley by Myrtle Magargelis an authentic presentation of some of the ex-periences of those early pioneers, and their de-scendants, who came to the section from ChesterCounty in 1791, followed soon after by othersfrom York and from Adams County. In the pre-paration of this account data were secured fromhistoric records and from individuals familiarwith the events, or the record of them, whichfrequently had been passed from generation togeneration.

Although the author is a member of anotherreligious denomination she has accurately andsympathetically portrayed the spirit and prac-tices of these early Friends. By preparing andpublishing this material, she, the editors, and thepublishers of the Centre Daily Times, have per-formed an important service to the cause of thelocal history of Centre County. The materialappeared recently as a serial in that publicationand is now presented in booklet form. This in-sures its permanecy and also makes it availableto a larger group of individuals of this and otherstates whose ancestors were once- active Friendsof Halfmoon ValleyState College, Pa.February, 1941

I

l

The Friends of Half Moon ValleyPleasant and peaceful as the people themselves

are the Quaker acres of Halfmoon. Here the val-ley has widened with the course of its stream un-til it rolls into these prosperous farm lands-lands that were cleared and planted by ancestorsof the present owners. They, too, were Friends.

Arriving for the most part from Chester coun-ty soon after the wilderness was opened to set-tlement, they bought from the Commonwealthwhat it had so recently purchased from the In-dians, and guided solely by the "inner light,"that shone in each individual heart, they builta community of true brotherhood.

To commemorate an anniversary and to holdat the same time their annual meeting, the rem-nant of that once numerous company had set thefirst Sunday of September, 1940. People cameby scores, driving over the old highway, hard-surfaced now, flanked by fresh-plowed fields andgreen borders, until they saw before them theancient meeting house setting somewhat backfrom the road, as though it, like the worshiperswithin, would retire from the distractions of lifeto commune with God.

Outside, the building is plain with small paned

-1-

windows and doors for the two separate entrances.Inside, the rooms are almost bare, but today theywere massed high with flowers. The floor is un-carpeted; wooden benches range the elevated plat-form. There is no altar, no pulpit, no symbols;there is nothing to hinder the mind from turningintrospectively to the light within, which, giventime and silence, will be transcended into thepure flame of worship.

Morning services were devoted to business anddevotion, but the afternoon was a reunion ofFriends with Friends and friends, old and young,generations removed. Members long ago absenthad returned to clasp hands together over pastincidents of their sojourn in the Valley. Finally,the hour arrived for opening the afternoon meet-ing.

Conversation ceased and singing of "How Gen-tle God's Commands," "Faith of Our Fathers"began. Both are hymns so characteristic of Quak-er belief and experience.

Much of the time was filled with reminiscences.Men and women rose to speak of their lives inthe past. One remembered when that spaciousmeeting house, on both sides, was filled to over-flowing with members. Another paid tribute tothe devotion that had promoted the Society andkept it alive, naming Friends now gone to theirreward, as well as those yet living. Some wereabsent but others heard their own eulogies asspeakers unfolded their tale of the years.

-2-

Mrs. Mary Way and Mrs. Nannie William's wereperhaps the oldest members present. Both havea wealth of information of which only a smallpart could be told that afternoon. Jason Black-burn of Fishertown, Thomas Wall of Curwensville,Harry Way of Cleveland, and Chapman Under-wood of State College all rose to make brief ex-pression of what Halfmoon had meant to themin bygone years. There was nothing formal orstudied in their speech. Earnest words. Simplelanguage. But enough was said to stimulate in-terest and research into the story of that fastdwindling company once regnant in Halfmoon.

Following these personal recollections was anhistorical sketch of the -Centre Friends Meetingwhich had been prepared by Dr. C. E. Myers ofState College. So elucidative was this accountthat I have used it as the base of this article, evento lifting direct quotations therefrom when itssentences were more pertinent than mine mightbe.

Dr. Myers' paper was founded on the old Min-ute Book now in possession of Darlington H. Way,a descendant of devout Quakers and, himself, aswell as all the family faithful to that persuasion.This minute book dates back to 1788. Even ear-lier information was made available to Dr. Myersfrom the Minutes of Warrington Quarterly Meet-ing in York county, date June 10, 1797. It wasof Warrington Quarterly Meeting that the firstsettlers in Half Moon Valley were members.

X -3-

From Linn's history data was likewise obtainedregarding these early Friends who came to Half-moon, naming the country after the curiousmarks they found on trees in the vicinity. Themarks, so tradition goes, were made by Indiansto signify time and place of their passing through.Linn also bases his accounts of the first Friendson the old Minute Book. Some of the informa-tion acquired through both Linn and Myers hasbeen wholly forgotten by today's generation andeven more was never known.

Quaint expressions used at that time were in-cluded in Dr. Myers' article. "To take an oppor-tunity with" was a very mild way of saying thatthe elders were confronting some erring memberwith a fault and offering him a choice betweenacknowledging it, repenting and making suchamends as the Monthly Meeting directed, or beingdisowned.

"Having a concern" was another understate-ment. Members who had a concern about a cer-tain subject were gravely anxious over it andwished to take some action thereon. To do thisthey invariably asked permission of the Meeting."Marrying out of the Meeting," a frequently heardstatement among early Quakers indicated thatone of the young people was about to marrysomeone who was not a Friend. This, too, meantdisownment unless the Monthly Meeting gavepermission.

The Monthly Meetings included both business

-4-

and worship. First came the business session,with shutters down between the men's and wo-men's sides of the house, because each sex hadits own business to execute. Afterwards camethe worship service when the shutters were raisedand the members sat in silence. Usually some onewould speak later, often more than one person,in orderly sequence. The meeting was concludedby some of the "weighty" ones on the "facingbenches" beginning to shake hands.

Today, as then, Friends have several formalmeetings. The one held at Halfmoon in earlySeptember was the Quarterly Meeting. It in-cludes members of various Monthly Meetings asfar distant as Grampian (Clearfield) and DunningsCreek, Bedford. Monthly Meetings are held atstated times, and such business transacted as hascome before the Preparative Meeting a short timebefore. These Preparative Meetings are heldchiefly for the transaction of business, althoughno Friends' Meeting is ever held without in-cluding a worship period. Preparative meetingsmay be held in a locality that does not supporta Monthly Meeting, or that shares it with someother Preparative circle. Al business that can-not be settled at Monthly Meeting is held over toQuarterly Meeting. The Yearly Meeting is madeup of members of Quarterly meetings, in thesame way that the Quarterly is comprised ofMonthly Meetings. For the district of which

-5-

Halfmoon is a part, the Yearly Meeting is locatedtt Baltimore.

Midweek Meetings were held at the option ofthe members of the local Society. In Halfmoonthey occurred on Fifth Day (Thursday) in themorning from 10 o'clock until about noon. TheFriends thought nothing out of the ordinary indevoting this important part of the working dayto a church service. Most of their meetings wereheld in the day time. As William Way remarkedwhen I commented on this "Quakers stopped workand went to meeting whenever they thought ittime to have one."

Dr. Myers' history of the Friends at Halfmoonwas rich in names of men and women who hadlived in the Valley and labored in the Society.To these he gave I have added others from Linn,some of whom were members at Bald Eagle,but who attended the Monthly Meetings at Half-moon. There was a time when the Bald Eaglemeetings were wholly Preparative, but laterMonthly Meetings were held alternately at eachplace. Bald Eagle's meeting house is no longerused and has been turned into a dwelling. Theentire list of members compiled from Dr. Myersand Linn between the earliest days and 1825 isas follows:

First settler and most active in erecting thefirst meeting house was George Wilson. Closelyfollowing his lead into the Halfmoon Valley cameBenjamin Way, Caleb Way, Isaac Moore, Thom-

-8-

as Moore, John Spencer and Thomas Downing.These were most active in setting up a meeting.Between 1804 and 1820 are mentioned the re-naining names: Robert Hatton, Ezekiel Kirk,Joseph Green, William Dewees, Thomas Taylor,John Pennington, Thomas Dewees, James John-ston, David Wall, John Iddings, William Fisher,John Kirk, Jason Kirk, Thomas Kirk Jr., GeorgeWilson Jr., William Downing, Isaiah John, Thom-as Moore, James Moore, Thomas Kirk, ThomasMcMillan, Jeremiah Downing, Jacob Taylor,Thomas Moore Jr., Jacob Underwood, AbrahamMloore, John Spencer, Elijah Moore, Samuel John-ston, David Pennington, Paul Pennington, JosiahPennington, Joshua Cooper, Levi Pennington,Joseph Fagan, George Hatton, Samuel Dunbar,Thomas Ball, John McKee, Jervise Hatton, Har-man Fagan, Abram Elder, William Underwood,George Wilson, Samuel Spencer, Robert Wilson,Thomas Spencer, David Allen, Israel Hollings-worth, Hezekiah Bye, Levi Lambourne, IsaacEngland, Joseph Morrison, Robert Way, AlfredWells, Samuel Richard, Daniel Hartsock, GideonWidemire, John Whitson, James Stanton, Wil-Uam Fisher, Job Packer.

The story of George Wilson is one of stead-fast endurance. First of the Friends to come toHalfmoon Valley, he had been a weaver in Ches-ter County but proposed to farm here. He boughta tract of land with a cabin already built on itand brought his family up with him in the winter.

-7-

They found that the cabin had never been fin-ished. Openings there were for doors and win-dows, but none had ever been provided, and thewretched structure was almost full of driftedsnow. Going back to the man who had sold himthe place, they all stayed the night with thisDavid Elder and next day, with Elder's help,he swept out the snow and made shift to close upwindows and doorway. The building had onlya puncheon floor, but into it with their five chil-dren Mr. and Mrs. Wilson moved that same dayand there they stayed the rest of the winter.

Wilson was the moving spirit in building thelog meeting house about 1800. Before that timehe had cut logs for such a building, but beforethe Friends could put them up, someone burnedthem. Wilson himself was also burned in effigyby settlers who opposed the Friends' coming.

In time the Wilsons. overcame their pioneeringtroubles and in 1810 erected the large stone housenear the Friends' cemetery. This has been inthe family up to the present time.

Thomas Moore first prepared his table in thewilderness by cutting down a huge tree and nail-ing a board across the stump. He built his cabinaround that table and it is said to have been theonly one the family had for many a day. Hewas one of the first school teachers in HalfmoonValley, and many stories are told of him and hispeculiarities. One says that on the first day ofschool he was accustomed to lay a broom down

-8-

on the floor. If a girl picked it up he praisedher highly, telling her that she would make agood housekeeper and a fine wife. His descend-ants were in the Valley as late as the Civil War,one of them keeping a station of the UndergroundRailroad.

The Spencers were among that long list whoprospered after the rigors of pioneering. JohnSpencer the first of the family, was a Virginian.He came to Halfmoon with his bride after as.omantic a courtship and marriage as any swash-buckling Cavalier. In Philadelphia he had fallenin love with young Susanna Lightfoot, whoseparents forbade her to marry because of her ex-treme youth. But Susanna knew her mind inspite of her seeming childhood and she escapedfrom her bedroom by leaping out the window intoal sheet each corner of which was held by oneof her friends. In Halfmoon Valley she learnedto spin and weave, knit and quilt. Her husbandplow""1 and felled trees and when children camethey helped with the work. In time the four sonsbuilt a four-story grist mill, placing their nameson a marble slab set into the building; Samuel,William, David and Aquila, and below theirnames the legend, Spencer Mills.

Father John Spencer owned tracts of timberand built a sawmill. The family were consideredvery well-to-do, and at the marriage of the chil-dren, each of the four daughters, as well as thefour sons, were presented with a fine farm. This

-9-

l

was a goodly heritage, for the usual dower of agirl in the Valley those days was a cow, a loomand a feather bed.

Son William Spencer did not marry until hewas 30 years old. His choice then was LouisaMendenhall, a Methodist. This was "out of theMeeting" and produced many grave headshak-ings. But, like the girl who was marrying a Spen-cer a generation before, Louisa took matters inher own hand. She joined the Quakers. Sheused their "thee" and "thou" and wore their ownsober garb. No one born a Quaker was morefaithful to the meeting than she, and all ten chil-dren of the couple grew up to be worthy oftheir heritage.

They remained in Halfmoon Valley until 1854,then moved westward, first to Illinois, and laterto Kansas. Today we hear of their descendants,successful in Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado.

The first Way, so far as we have record, wasnamed in England. He had a son, John, born4th month, 9th day, 1730, and married in Con-cord Meeting 1751 to Hannah Mendenhall. Theybad seven children, the third named Caleb, whowished to marry his cousin Jane. By this timethe family was settled in Chester County, Pa.,and being Friends, asked permission of the Meet-ing. Their relationship was sufficient cause forobjection on the part of the Meeting as well astheir families. Nevertheless, they married andfaced the opposition which finally became so un-

-10-

comfortable that they decided to migrate to Cen-tral Pennsylvania.

This story of the Halfmoon Ways is told by onecf their descendants, Harry Way of Cleveland.In his own words, it follows:

About 1791 they landed in Halfmoon valleywhere they settled on a farm, a part of whichis now occupied by the eastern portion of thevillage of Stormstown. At one time this is saidto have been called "Waysville" and at anothertime "Walkerville" and finally Stormstown inhonor of Jacob Storm, for whom the westernportion of the village had been named.

They became affiliated with the Friends Meet-ing which had shortly before that been estab-lished by George Wilson, Abram Elder and oth-ers, among them Spencer, Downing, Kirk andother families.

Benjamin Way, who came to the valley aboutthis time, was, I believe, a brother of Caleb Way.His descendants are Lulu Way of Stormstown andthe Way families of Buffalo Run Valley.

Caleb and Jane Way had 14 children. Theirson, Robert married the only child of ThomasMoore, another of the early Friends, who settledin the valley. Their children were: ThomasMoore Way, of whom I am the only living des-cendant. Caleb C. Way, of whom Mrs. LucretiaFitts of the dairy department, State College, andher brothers and sisters are the only representa-tives. Jane, who married Isaac Brown and who

-11-

left no children. Jesse died in infancy, and themother died about the same time. Robert Waylater married Martha Clever, the second familybeing Robert A. Way and five sisters, the fatherof Margaretta, Darlington, Win. F., Hannah Woodof Nottingham, Lancaster Co., Verna Wood, Dela-ware Co. (?) and Esther who died when in hermid-teens.

John Way, another son of Caleb and Jane,married Mary Moore of Chester Co., Pa. Theirchildren were: (1) Jeremiah, father of John A. andThomas B. (both deceased) of Stormstown, AlvinWay of State College and Mrs. Anna Thomas ofLansdowne, Pa., (2) Sarah Smith of Unionville,(3) Mary Mattern (near Gray's Church) and (4)Ann Biddle. All are dead. Also the youngestson, (5) William B., also formerly of near Storms-town.

Both Robert and John were a c t i v e in theFriends Meeting in Halfmoon Valley.

Other children of Caleb and Jane Way wereWilliam, who married Hannah Fisher, of Union-ville, sister of William P. Fisher (grandfather ofMargaretta Way). The Way families of Union-ville are their descendants.

Caleb (Jr.) and Job went to Curwensville andJesse went West.

Of the daughters, one married a Wakefield andmoved to "Big Valley," another married a Mc-Naul of Curwensville, one an Underwood, one aClever. I will not go into further detail with

-12-

them for they all seem to have left the valley andnot to have been a factor in the Friends Meeting.Only Robert and John remained in Halfmoon.

Robert Way is mentioned by Linn a number oftimes, both Robert, father, and Robert, son. Thelatter married Lucretia Mott Fisher, accordingto the Friends' custom and later moved to StateCollege.

Lucretia Mott Way lived to the age of 91. Shewas a devout woman and most devoted memberof the Meeting. Only extreme illness kept herfrom attending Meeting. She taught her childrenat home from the Bible and the Friends' discip-line, and made a practice in her old age of carry-ing these books with her as she went from roomto room of her home. Her death occurred only afew weeks ago, November 1940.

These growing families soon felt the need ofa Meeting House closer than far away Warring-ton. The journey thither was naturally attendedby great hardships and was often impossible forthe women, so as early as June 10, 1797, theminutes of Warrington Quarterly Meeting recordthese words: "The request from Halfmoon andWarrior's Mark settlement for a meeting for wor-ship is granted by this Quarterly Meeting and isto be called Centre Meeting. Benjamin Walkerand Samuel Miller are appointed to inform themthe conclusion thereof." This was evidently onlya Preparative meeting with the Monthly Meetingalternating with the one at Warrington, for in

-13-

the minutes of March 10, 1802 we observe that"Warrington Monthly Meeting complained of thefrequent neglect of Centre Friends attendingMonthly Meeting. The complaint was repeatedfrom time to time until the Friends of Centre re-quested that the Monthly Meeting be held atCentre. In the quaint words of the record "Weere of solid consideration to rest it until nextmeeting, their difficulties in .attending b e i n gworthy of consideration."

One month later, 12 men were delegated toattend the meeting at Centre and report thereon.Five of them reported in writing that in theirjudgment the request should be granted. CentreMonthly Meeting was therefore set up the latterpart of 1803.

Before this time, however, they had built aMeeting House. It was made of logs, erectedabout 1800 under real persecution. The movingspirit of the new place of worship, we repeat,was George Wilson and so opposed to the projectwere his orthodox neighbors that he himself wasburned in effigy and the logs already cut anddesigned for the meeting house were completelyburned up. Linn says of the erection of the build-ing:

"The old log meeting house that stood in thegraveyard was erected, it is said, under the mostunfavorable conditions. The Friends prospered intheir religious undertakings, however, despite

their enemies and in due season, were left inpeace."

This is a very optimistic report.

When George Fox, founder of the Quaker re-ligion, was set on and beaten, he later refusedto give testimony against his persecutors. Suchwas doubtless the case when his followers werequestioned by Historian Linn for it is a fact thatup to the present generation Quaker children atschool were objects of unpleasant attention bytheir schoolmates. "We were harassed consid-erably" is the expression one white-haired manused in referring to the matter. While no goodcan come of dwelling on details of the afflictionssuffered by a harmless and themselves tolerantpeople it is inspiring to know how bravely andChristian-like they bore themselves under trials.nd to see that, even though their forbearance hadlittle effect on their mischievous neighbors, it didreact on their own character and society. Todaythe fruits of the Spirit as cited by Paul, "love,joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness,faith, meekness, temperance" are evident in thecountenances of men who have lived that Faithand in the repute of the organization whereverthe name Quaker is heard.

It is doubtful if the orthodox then or now knowexactly wherein the Friends' theology differs, orwhy they should be disliked. With the superficialoi the ignorant it is usually enough to recognizechange in order to oppose it. Two centuries or

-15-

more before this time (1624 to 1691) George Foxhad brought opprobrium upon himself even amongthe Puritans by simply carrying out to a logicalconclusion the premises of truth discovered by thesame Puritans. To the latter all vestments, rites,statues and ceremonies savored of "popery." Theyrevolted against the established church because ithad become, in their eyes, wholly a matter ofform instead of spirit . . . Forsaking the symbols

of religion because too often the symbol cameto be the important thing, the Puritans took theBible for their guide and the minister who inter-preted it as their mentor, drinking in his longtheological dissertations like the water of life.

The Quaker went far ahead of this. To himpreacher and Book alike were right only as theymirrored the living God who had given to eachman an inner light from his own Spirit. Whydepend on any intermediary, asked George Fox.What God gave to Moses and to the minister hegave also to me and to you. If- we are as recep-tive as they we shall know his will as well asthey. It is not necessary to have great churchesand other appendages of religion. The body isthe temple of God; be quiet and we will hearhis still small voice.

So far was this doctrine in advance of thetimes, ordinary concept of religion that it wasdeemed highly blasphemous. Moreover, Fox ad-vocated the strange notion of brotherhood. Dan-gerous, indeed did this seem to men in the days

-16-

when kings were considered the Lord's anointedand peasants must bow and scrape and pull theirforelocks to their betters. Again politics and re-ligion made a compact as they had so often beforeand cried "Away with this man."

So in Massachusetts and other eastern coloniesthe Quakers were called an "accursed sect" anddriven away. Even in this place, part of thecommonwealth founded by a Quaker for Quak-ers, the backwash from the seaboard caught themin its spent wave and made the Friends of Half-moon victims of epithet and scorn.

The log meeting house, as has been remarked,was located where the Quaker cemetery is seentoday. The land was conveyed by Israel Hol-lingsworth and his wife, Ann, to Ezekiel Kirkand Thomas Downing, trustees of Centre Meetingin Halfmoon township. It lay on the northwest

side of the Great Road leading from Birminghamto Bellefonte, adjoining land of John Thompsonand George Wilson. It contained one acre, 32.2perches and cost four dollars. The deed is re-corded November 15, 1806.

This log structure was used by the Friendsuntil a larger one was built, or until after theseparation which occurred among members ofthe society, when Hicksite Friends built a partof the present meeting house in 1831. The landon which it stood was deeded May 17, 1834, byDavid Spencer and wife to Samuel Downing andJohn Way, trustees appointed by the Society of

-17-

Friends. Included were 167.5 perches of land to-gether with the singular, the houses, outhouse,meeting house building, improvements, etc., allfor a --rnsideration of $20.

At the monthly meeting held March 9, 1843,it is noted: "The building of a new meeting houseor repairing and enlarging the old claiming theattention of the Meeting, William Clever, DavidAllen, Thomas Wilson, David Spencer, WilliamSpencer, John Way, William Underwood, ThomasMoore, Thomas Moore, Jr. and Jesse Way wereappointed to prepare a plan, make out a bill andif the way should open, make preparation andreport their case to the next meeting. Five monthslater the committee made a report recommendingthe appointment of a building committee to opena subscription and report their success at thenext meeting. At subsequent Monthly Meetingit is noted "the building committee is continued."Nothing further concerning the building commit-tee is included. From the Monthly Meeting ofMay 8, 1844 to September 3, 1845 there are sixblank pages in the minute book and nothing fur-ther is recorded concerning the meeting house.Dr. Myers, after writing the above quotation andfacts, comments thus:

"Yet, although these pages are blank, theyhave a message for us. As one peruses these an-cient records, usually so faithfully and carefullycompiled, doubtless by a quill pen made from afeather plucked from the farmyard goose or gan-

-18-

der, and frequently executed with the neatnessand clearness approaching that of the engraveron copper plate, we wonder what were the cir-cumstances which led to the omission of the im-portant records which we now so much desire?Was it due to procrastination, that human frailtyso common to all of us, or was it due to to con-ditions beyond human control? We shall neverknow. Yet today the building stands in all itspristine majesty, mute witness of the time whenpractically every home for miles on either sidewas a Quaker home."

After meetings were no longer held in the oldlog structure, it seems to have been used as aschoolhouse for the next few years. Several at-tempts, all abortive, had been made towards theerection of a schoolhouse. The first was the ap-pointment of a committee around 1800 to inquireinto building one on the meeting house grounds,the cost to be met by popular subscription. Thecommittee reported that upwards of $60 wouldbe necessary and that no one had subscribed. Theproject was then dropped. In 1826 the minutesrecord that a man was censured in MonthlyMeeting because he had applied for benefit fromthe law recently passed to provide schooling forthe poor. We speculate briefly on that: did theelders feel that they, a peculiar people, shouldsupport their own schools, or did they, perchance,cbject to being classed with paupers?

Be that as it may, while the log meeting house

_19-

,,as filled with sober little Quakers reciting theira-b-c's, another committee began to functionmore successfully, appointed to plan and fix thesite for a building they decided to use the westside of the plot on which the meeting housestood. The Meeting agreed and it was done.

They built it with studding upright and cross-pieces of sticks laid in a mixture of mud andstraw. Most of the teachers were Friends; thosewho were not were approved by the MonthlyMeeting. Among those teachers who are re-membered today are Rachel Wright, Mary Fish-er, Florence Cleaver and Mrs. Andrews. MissWright taught a number of years. Mary Fisherafterwards married Edward Holmes and movedto New Jersey. She is now deceased. FlorenceCleaver lives in Kennett Square, Pa.

Later the school house was used only in sum-iner, and for the past 48 years it has not beenused as a schoolhouse at all. During those sum-mer terms of eight weeks, the tuition was paidby the parents. It amounted to four dollars perterm. Part of this, if not all, was refunded tothe parents by the Yearly meeting at Baltimorefrom the general endowment fund.

About 20 pupils were enrolled when WilliamWay attended 50 years ago. Students were notconfined to the Quaker faith. They came frommany places, Port Matilda, Pennsylvania Furnaceand the surrounding countryside. Some werewell advanced, being in the fifth reader. This

-20-

was long before the state had prescribed a coursecI study so pupils were graded according to theirability to read, other branches usually movingalong according to the number of the readerfrom primer up.

Winter term lasted only four months, Novem-ber, December, January and February. Duringtue other months children could not be sparedfrom the farm work, and as there was no com-pulsory law, it would have been useless to at-tempt to hold school. Here in Halfmoon theFriends' school preceded the public school by agreat many years. In their own classrooms theQuaker teachers advocated the principles of theirsect, peace, temperance, gentleness and otherChristian attributes.

Their First Day school corresponded to theorthodox .denominations' Sunday School. Theteaching was, albeit, considerably modified. Stor-ies in the Old Testament of wars were omitted.David and Goliath was not studied by the Quakeryoung, but David and Jonathan was a populartale. A small paper called "Scattered Seeds"published by a Friends' concern, was distributedto the children each First Day.

In their instruction to the young, the Bible andthe Friends book of Discipline and Principles wereused. Among older Friends, in their meetings aset of regular queries were designed to be askedand answered aloud. The queries included thesethree "Are tale-bearing and detractions discour-

-21-

aged in meetings?" "What evidences of religiouslife are manifested?" Do ministers and counselorsmani4'st an active concern for the advancementof truth?"

On the platform and facing the congregationare the "Facing Seats." They are occupied byceders who have been chosen at Monthly Meet-ing to have general supervision of the Meeting.In Quaker language "They overlook the meeting,"and may invite interested persons to sit withthem. Such people, men or women, are alwayscf age and wisdom, and frequently very conser-vative in attitude. This is illustrated by a talebearing on the installation of an organ in Half-moon Meeting which was done in 1900. Prior tothat date, there had been no singing in the MEet-ing although the young people had long wishedfor it. One such group had gone over to Meetingat Grampian and returning told an elder thatthey would like to have singing. "Why not?"importuned one girl. "Over at Clearfield theysing."

But the strict old man was unmoved."Sing at Clearfield, do they?" he mused. "Well,

they always were pretty wild over there."Recommended and approved in 1840, William

Underwood was the first minister. He was morethan that, for, having expressed a "concern" forsome time to pay a visit to part of the familiesof Roaring Creek Monthly Meeting and also thehalf yearly meeting of Fishing Creek, Columbia

-22-

County, he asked permission and so made theJourney, which undoubtedly puts him into themissionary class.

But so might other ministers be so classed. Nonereceive any salary, nor are they attached per-manently to any Meeting, as are other sectarianministers. A stated salary is considered to be atemptation to men if they are not wholly ground-ed in the faith, and, since the gift of the Spirit istree, so should be its exercise. The sole qualifica-tion for approval of men or women asking tobe made ministers is that they be thoroughly im-bued with Divine Spirit. Education, vital as theFriends consider it, need not be above that ofother members of the Meeting in order to meetapproval of the Monthly Meeting for this office.Having been approved by their own MonthlyMeeting, the matter must be carried on to theirQuarterly Meeting which ratifies the decision be-fore a man is accepted.

We have seen how plain are the meeting housesof the Quakers, and knowing now that no moneysare expended on preachers' salaries, it is easy tounderstand why Friends are leaders in philan-thropic and humanitarian causes, both in educa-tion and finance. To them the cause itself isparamount; to it should be devoted all they canafford to give, with no toll taken off for expen-rive church buildings, costly paraphernalia, andhigh-priced workers. The yearly meeting decideshow much money is needed to support their

-23-

benevolences for the next 12 months. This amountis apportioned among the Quarterly meetings ofthe area; the quarterly meetings divide it amongtheir monthly meetings, and to such a sum mem-bers contribute in an unobtrusive way. No collec-tion plate is ever passed at a Friends' service.

For this same reason, namely, that nothing de-tract from a pure spirit of worship, the Friendseschew all formal rites, such as baptism, Lord'ssupper and the ordinary ritual of marriage. Thelatter is performed among the Quakers by agree-ment between the contracting parties in frontcf the meeting usually with the congregation aswitnesses.

A meeting book still extant gives the namesof men and women who were wed before 1825.The first two er Samuel Johnson of Halfmoonend W1 9 isher of Spring. Others included:Jason Kirk to Mary Spencer, David Wall to Eliz-abeth Fisher, Levi Pennington to Mary Bye, LeviLambourne to Mary Ball, Isaac England to DinahMoore, Thomas Kirk to Sarah Taylor, AbrahamMoore to Susannah Taylor, Robert Way to Han-nah Moore.

Chief among the causes for "taking an oppor-tunity with" members was that of marrying outof the Meeting. The Friends' rule concerningmarriage is for the parties to inform the monthlymeeting of their intention by a written proposal.This notice should be entered upon the minutes ofthe monthly meeting and a committee appointed

-24-

to make suitable inquiry concerning the proposedmarriage. At the next monthly meeting the com-mittee makes it report. If it has found no ob-struction to the proceeding, the couple are allowedto accomplish their marriage which must be atthe Meeting House or at such other time and pla .eas the Monthly Meeting may direct.

Quaker or otherwise, impetuous youth oftenrebelled at such supervision, especially if theprospective spouse was not a member of theSociety. Scores of instances are on record of acouple having married before acquainting theMeeting of their desire. Sometimes they cameto meeting later and asked it to overlook their"error." After such confession the Meeting re-tained them; if acknowledgement was not made,the member was disowned. There is no doubtthat marrying out of the Meeting was largelyresponsible for decreasing membership.

The old book of minutes records many instancescf "taking an opportunity with erring members."Today, none of the members as Halfmoon recallsuch instances during their life time. The causesfoi reproof are mentioned in the minute book asbeing as follows: suing another Friend at lawbeing guilty of intoxication, uniting with the FreeMasons, attending the muster (of troops), joininga troop of horse, refusing to pay a debt, and aslate as 1860 there was a committee appointed totake an opportunity with a member for "profaneswearing, promulgating and attending music and

-25-

dancing and other immoral conduct."From this it can be seen that Quaker' ethics

were almost ideal. The man or woman who wasable to keep all rules in spirit as well as in factwas a long way towards that Christian perfec-+ion in which their founder believed, but whichother sects so often doubted.

So, sincere and terribly logical as we havefound them to be, we are not surprised that dur-ing the war of 1812-14 they became much exer-cised over what constituted military service. Ofcourse they would not go to war, but what-aboutfurnishing wagons for military duty, or, havinghad such taken from them after refusal, couldthey accept compensation from the governmentthat had despoiled them? Centre Monthly Meet-ing found no answer to this and asked judgmentfrom the Quarterly Meeting at Warrington. Soonand plain was the reply. Members who directlyor indirectly furnished such conveyance, andmembers who took pay for such conveyances wereto be disowned.

When Lucretia Mott and three others arrivedin Halfmoon as delegates from the BaltimoreYearly Meeting, December 19, 1841, there musthave been something as nearly approaching athrill as Quaker breasts could know. Lucretiawas a woman of nation-wide repute, so she re-mains even today. She had been a representa-tive of the American Anti-slavery Association toLondon, was one of four women who called to-

-26-

gether the Equal Rights and Woman's SuffrageConvention in Seneca Falls, and helped to foundthe Woman's Medical College in Philadelphia.She was, moreover, a Quaker preacher of mucheloquence. The delegation was entertained by var-ious members, as was customary, staying all nightwith one family, and having meals at the sameor at other homes who wished to honor her andthe three men. They were brought by carriagefrom the previous visiting place and when Quar-terly Meeting in Halfmoon was over, they weredriven on to their next stop. This, by the way,was always done in the case of visiting ministersor Friends, which saved travelers the expense ofkeeping a horse.

Lucretia Mott's visit is referred to today withsomething as nearly approaching pride as Friendscver allow themselves to show, rightfully so. in-deed, for she was one of America's great women,and it was a privilege to see her.

The ever increasing agitation against slaveryput them into an awkward dilemma. It was plainenough that war would be the final result of theslavery question, and Baltimore had prohibitedFriends from doing what might encourage thespirit of war. But Halfmoon held many ardentanti-slavery members who kept stations of theUnderground railroad. "Many a black man" saysMrs. Mary Way, "has been hidden in my father'sbarn, and sometimes the slave holders wouldcome and work pitch forks around through the

-27-

hay to find their slaves." So Centre Preparativemeeting and Unionville Preparative Meeting dis-cussed the subject until it became "shall we befettered by the Yearly Meeting at Baltimore, orshall we obey our own conscience?" As in everymoot case, decision was left to the next meeting.What heart searchings and weighty considera-tions on both sides must have occupied their hon-Est minds throughout that month.

Came the next meeting and the decision: "Mem-bers are at liberty to exercise every right openingon that subject as well as on all others"-a longway of saying "Do what you feel is right."

So the Underground railroad continued to car-ry its passengers. Most of the Negroes came fromthe Ohio river way, and others from the Juniata.Asking Aunt Mary Way why runaways en routeto Canada should travel so far from the beatentrack as Centre county, she answered "When youHave to do a thing secretly, you do it the bestway you can."

It was necessarily a perilous and secret under-taking. So little was known even to those in sym-pathy with it that she could name only her ownfamily in Unionville at first hand knowledge Sta-tions in Bellefonte and in Halfmoon, she declared,there were, but who kept them, and where theywere she had never heard.

Another "concern" of these Centre Friendsgrew out of "a new profession called spiritualknocking which some of our members are en-

-28-

gaged in and which is contrary to the good orderof the Society."

This account is dated 1863, almost 20 years af-ter demonstrations at Hydeville, N. Y., which isregarded as having given birth to the presentday Spiritualism in the United States, and againwe philosophize on the deliberateness of Quaker-ism.

Due partly to marrying out of the meeting andpartly to emigration of the younger ones west-ward, Quakerism declined in the Valley from 1860.To be sure, those who went west contacted others,so there was no loss to the Society as a whole,but in Halfmoon other sects were built up makingA increasingly hard for the simplicity of this pe-culiar one to sustain itself against adverse condi-tions.

Where nearly all the families of the localityhad been Friends in the early part of the cen-tury, by this time only about half that numberwere members. For that reason, perhaps, thereis less to be found in the minute book after thisperiod. Again, the Friends had conformed moreto prevailing custom than had their ancestors.Quaker women began to wear hats instead ofbonnets; other women had started the fashion ofhat wearing but a short time before, having allformerly worn bonnets though very much gayerthan those of the Quakers. In speech, too, manyhad dropped the use of plain speech, feeling thatit no longer served its original purpose, and by

-29-

calling attention to themselves by such differ-ences, they defeated the very reason for its origin.

In 1890 Mary U. Way and Louisa A. W. Rus-sell were appointed as clerks. Both continued toserve faithfully and efficiently, writing out therecord in beautiful long hand and excellent Eng-lish, as long as they were able to do it. -The lat-ter was released in 1916 because of ill health;Aunt Mary does not remember how long sheacted.

Up until 1906 the group at Unionville had beenknown as the Bald Eagle Meeting. In the min-utes of January of that year they requested thatthe name be changed to Unionville PreparativeMeeting. The request was granted at the nextMonthly Meeting.

The year 1906 seems to have been marked bymore activity. Here are mentioned names of menand women still alive today some of them ableto take part in local Meetings: Chapman Under-wood, Nancy Williams, Susan Fox, Myra Under-wood, Darlington Way, Margaretta Way and Wil-liam Way.

Functioning, as always through a committee,this subject was taken into consideration untilthe next meeting. Something over six monthselapsed before a report was made and then itwas left over until a second next meeting. Atthat date it is recorded as having been thoughtbest to release the committee. "Apparently," sug-gests Dr. Myers in his historical sketch, "diplom-

-30-

acy was not an unknown art even at that timeand among Friends."

Meanwhile the number of-1'riends at State Col-lege was increasing. In 1912 they had found aleader in Mrs. Hannah Maule who invited fiveQuaker students and a few townsmen to holdmeetings at her house. There was no formal meet-ing at this time-about 1912.

When Mrs. Martha Way came to State Collegewith her sister-in-law Lydia Way and her ownfive children, th- group was increased. Later Mr.and Mrs. Robert Way and daughter. Margaretta,moved to the College from Storms+own. This madea group large enough to attract the attention otCentre Meeting so that in April '915 a committee-uas asked to consider assisting tlem to providea Meeting house.

Since this is not a story of the State College So-ciety, it will suffice to say that Baltimore YearlyMeeting and two meetings of Philadelphia, aidedBy the Centre -Monthly Meeting, finally did helphe State College Society to build its place of wor

ship. This group, however, is wholly independentand holds its own Monthly Meeting, althougnsi.embers of Halfmoon attend it since their ownMonthly Meetings are no longer held. State Col-lege, in turn. visits the Centre Quarterly Meeting.

In the State Cojlege Society, there is completeunion of Orthodox and Hicksite groups, State Col-lege holding First Day school for children andnorning First Day services. Irrespective of shades

-31-

of belief, there is no division. Unitarians andother liberals in the student oody worship withthem. There are about 110 members, those fromCentre Meeting attending but counted only as af-filiated, not full members. The student body in-cludes 75 of this group.

It was a rare privilege to have an interviewwith Aunt Mary Way on the 14th of November.P-rhaps "visit" is a better work than "interview."She had returned from New Jersey the precedingSunday and been bick in bed almost ever since.That ifternoon shp sat in a rocking chair, in nerown upstairs bedroom at the Albert Hipple home,less than a mile from the final resting place of somany of her Quaker kindred. She talked in a quietbut strong voice of the old Meeting house andevents of her long past girlhood.

"I was only 15 when they asked me to conductFirst day school," she said, "and I have done thatthing more or less ever since. I have been theregularly appointed clerk and have acted whenthe regular clerk was absent. My own parentslived at Unionville. I had six brothers and we allwent to meeting. We hurried with our chores inthe morning and mother would take a wash ragalong and wash our hands and faces on the way.I was in meeting from the time I was two yearsold. She always took us all. We went in and satsown and sometimes somebody would speak.

"They used to put the shutters down in business

-32-

meeting but that was done away with when I wasyoung.

"The ministers came whenever they could, if itwas time for regular meeting it was all right, ifhe came some other time, the meeting was calledtogether. It might be morning or evening, therewas no set rule, the minister was brought bysomeone from the place he preached last, and oneof us would take him on to the next place. Itsaved him having to keep a horse, for the ministergets no salary. If someone wants to give him somemoney, that is allowed, but he is always a manwho works for his living at his regular trade orbusiness. He is rot away enough to interferewith keeping his family, if he has one.

-"Quarterly meeting is always held here the firstof September. Folks come from Bedford 70 milesaway and from Grampian. The meetings used tolast three days but now they are only one day.Grampian Quarteriy meeting comes in November,and Bedford's time is June 1. Here in Halfmoonwe have more of a business meeting because itcomes last before the Yearly meeting in Balti-more.

"What crowds we used to have at Quarterlymeetings! Somebcdy always had to see to seat-ing folks. The churches around Stormstown didn'thave much service that day, and everybody cameto the Meeting. We had a general meeting of oldschoolmates.

"Sometimes there was too much stir around to

-33-

please the Meeting. So many didn't know any-thing about Friends, and so they had to get some-body to keep order.

"The farmers and all the Friends kept every-body they could who was from a distance. Oftenthey had beds on the floor. Sometimes womenwho lived near didn't get to go to the meeting atall. They had to stay home and cook.

"No, I never stayed at home. I put my meat inthe oven early in the morning and when we gothome at noon it was done. I never tried to bakepies and cakes, although some did. I wanted togo to the meeting and we had enough without suchextras.

"One time we killed a large sheep. I put onehalf that sheep in the oven and we had it for sup-

-per. It was all eaten that night. On Sundaymorning I put the other half in and that was alleaten up by evening. Next morning we killed fivechickens and had them for dinner. Generally itwas the season for corn so we had corn and didn'thave to peel potatoes. The meeting meant morethan such a variety of foods.

"Friends don't all believe alike. Of course, allbelieve in God and Jesus. After that it is prettymuch as they please. They aim to do right not tocriticize another, but each believes as he pleases.We don't go by sermons, to know what is right.

"No, we don't even have to listen to a voice."My husband and I used to do a lot of driving

around through Clearfield county. There were

-34-

always roads leading off without being markedand we would not know where we were going.But he would study a little while then say "Ibelieve I'll take this one," and we would alwayscome out right.

"My great grandparents came from York coun-ty. Grandfather and Great-grandfather were bothnamed Zephaniah. Great-grandfather came toHalfmoon but later went on to Ohio. My grand-father stayed in Stormstown. His house is theone where Wade Harpster lives. Father's namewas Jesse Underwood. I had six brothers. Oneof them lives in New Jersey. He is 91 years old.Isaac Underwood of Bellefonte was my brother,too. One of the )Id settlers was named Moore.Moses Moore, a son, was a very strong man, notso tall as stocky At a log rolling one time aman who was a great fighter wanted Moses tofight. He was sure he could whip Moses and keptat him and at him to fight. At last Moses got tiredof it. He picked that fellow up by the scruff ofthe neck and the seat of the pants and chuckedhim into the fence corner. Moses made furniture.

"Yes, I know about the Underground Railroad,not much, because it wasn't talked around verymuch. Folks had to know who they could trustand be pretty sly. But lots and lots of runawayslaves hid in my father's barn at Unionville. Theslave owners used to come and take a pitchforkand work around in the haymow to find them.No, I never heard of any being found. They were

-35-

taken after dark in a closed carriage to the nextstation wherever it might be. Some were inBellefonte, and some in Halfmoon. The slavescame for the most part from the Ohio and theJuniata rivers. They travelled mostly by river."

Mrs. Hipple, the granddaughter, came upstairsabout this time, to make sure the old lady wasnot being tired out Her eyes warned me that itwas time for me to leave, so I rose to go but firstAunt Mary wanted to say how badly she wishedto come home.

"I had it nice in New Jersey," she said, butI wanted to come home. I could hardly talk onSaturday and I told the doctor that I wantedto come home while I could still talk, so theybrought me on Sunday." They brought her in anambulance, although she did not say so.

"No," she added. "it has not hurt me to talkto you."

We hope it has not. We hope that the 88-yearold lady who has been conductor of Friends' FirstDay meetings, clek at their Monthly meetings,school teacher, and friend to every one in theneighborhood as .-Tell as Friend in the Societywill still be able to talk when we go again to seeher. We hope that she may continue to look outover her beloved homelands every day until shegoes to sleep at night and wakens to see theSource of that inner light now shining in herpeaceful soul.

The most impressive note in Quakerism is its

-36-

spiritual maturity. Says the apostle "When Iwas a child I spake as a child, I thought as achild, I understood as a child, but when I became

man I put away childish things." Friends havebecome men. The ancient idea of God as an an-thropomorphic Being who delights in seeing,hearing and smelling the sweet savor of sacrificewas suited to an nlettered age when people ofchildish minds needed concrete symbols and ritesin order to apprehend a Deity. It has long agobeen replaced, among thinking people, by a faroftier concept-a concept that has evolved, little

by little, through much pain and struggle of mind.The very stepping stones by which this conclu-sion has been reached are likely, if kept, to provestumbling blocks. It has taken Quaker courageto discard what is no longer needed for worship.

Returning to the closing hour of this SundayQuarterly Meeting and 100th anniversary of theerection of the meeting house, we heard the finaladdress. It was given by Bliss Forbush, executivesecretary of Baltimore Yearly Meeting. In it heurged that Quakerism be thought of as a forwardmovement and summed up Quakerism's contribu-tions to the world. Among these he named dem-ocracy, a friendly spirit between people, unityin the way of life, concern for a better socialorder, and deep spirituality.

When he ended the congregation rose and Wil-liam Bannister of Erie led in prayer.

Perhaps no more fitting conclusion can be made

-37-

to this series of articles than a quotation from"The Friends Intelligencer," one that was alsoused as the conclusion of the historical sketchso often referred to in the foregoing pages.

"We need, in ever-increasing measure, the zealand the faith of the early Friends who willinglyfaced social disfavor and political and economicdisadvantages to forward their concern for a de-cent and Christian method of life."

In a letter received from J. Eugene Hall ofFleming, Pa., after this series of articles startedpublication, we learn these additional facts:

An attendant at these meetings occasionally wasAnne Carroll Mc-ore of Grampian, Grampianbeing one of the four places at which, QuarterlyMeetings were held.

Anne Carroll Moore was the great aunt of Mr.Hall and a grand niece of Charles Carroll of Car-rollton, signer of the Declaration of Independence.Her girlhood was spent in Bald Eagle Valley,when the only road was the be-d of the creek.

Mrs. Moore is :emembered, too, for her liber-ality and tolerance. To illustrate the lattercomes the story of her visiting the sick in com-pany with the Catholic priest. Both happenedto meet when engaged in this work and Mrs.Moore asked "Where does thee go next?" It wason her route. So she said "I will go with thee."

We would not be surprised at this today, butrecalling how people felt a century ago in re-gard to religion, each sect knowing itself right,

-38-

and all others wrorg, we see Anne Carroll Moore,the Quaker, as fa'r above the common run ofmen, and putting that incident beside hundredsof like ilk today, we are cheered by the sureprogress in brotherhood.

Mr. Hall adds that some of the teachers in theFriends' schools came up from Adams County.Two of them under whom he studied were Chey-ney Hickle, formerly clerk in the First NationalBank of Bellefonte and W. T. Hoover, merchantat Port Matilda.

Jacob Peters, Mr. Hall's grandfather, was an-other man who attended Quarterly and oftenMonthly Meetings On one occasion, getting offthe train at Port Matilda (presumably after at-tending meeting at Unionville) he fell and wasawarded damages by the R. R. company becauseof his injury.

Concerning the railroad, Friends who attendedyearly meeting a+ York went to view the firstrailroad and thought it might be useful for freightbut would never do for passengers.

(The End)

-39-

T l 15-123

>1 M21lo NH 1'

A