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The City of DuBois
Chapter 2
Page 014
Page 14 GEORGE SHAFFER
Michael Shaffer and Frederick Shaffer, he started over the old State
Road from
Dauphin County to the then Clearfield County to locate on his land.
How long
the journey took is not known. Judging from previous records, as
published in
the Raftsman's Journal, it required some time for Mr. Shaffer and
his family to
travel from Dauphin County to Jacob Ogdens. "In 1803 Bell sold the
upper
portion of his place to Benjamin Fenton****, who that year cleared
about three
acres, and sowed wheat, building a small log house, and returned to
Centre
County. In the winter he brought out the heavy portion of his
household goods
on sleds, that being the only means of transportation the miserable
condition
of the state roads would then allow. In the spring of 1804, Mr.
Fenton,
accompanied by his family, brought the remainder of their goods on
pack
horses,****. After many hardships and mishaps the Fentons arrived at
their new
home April 24th. They were compelled to ferry their goods in canoes
across
swollen Clearfield Creek and the river, which were then swollen by
the melted
snows of the mountains."
A moving at that time was very similar to the caravans which crossed
the
Rocky Mountains in 1849. They had to carry their provisions and feed
for their
animals with them, camped out nights, and the progress would be very
slow. The
Susquehanna River had to be crossed at Harrisburg, and then the
Juniata, the
Moshannon, Clearfield Creek, the West Branch of the Susquehanna
River, and
Anderson Creek. None of these streams had any bridges. It is well
known that
this would be the period of high water in all of these streams, and
no doubt
George Shaffer and his family suffered the hardships that Mr. Fenton
suffered,
with the exception that Fentons moved in the winter time, and George
Shaffer
brought all of his belongings with him at a later period of the
year.
Tradition tells us that the Shaffers arrived at their destination on
the
12th of May 1812. It is not known if this date is accurate, but for
the
purposes of this history, it will serve as well as any other day in
the month
of May 1812. It is known, however, that before locating on tract
521, they
stopped and rested with Jacob Ogden, who lived near the Stanley
Station on the
B. R. & P. Railroad. At that time there were only two settlers in
Brady
Township, viz : George Woodside, and Jacob Ogden. It is known that
George
Woodside located on his land just above Stanley Station in 1785.
George C.
Kirk, Esq. tells us that in his surveying he found a location made
prior to
1785 for what would be known as a "Squatter," and it is well known
that title
to the Ogden tract was held by the Statute of Limitations.
George Shaffer and family started from Jacob Ogden's north to find
his
location. The only thing he had to guide him was the map of his
survey, which
showed that his land was located where two streams came together.
Traveling
north he finally found a location which seemed to correspond with
his map, viz
two streams. One
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