Washington Township is home to the Beechwoods settlement and surrounding communities including Rockdale and Beechtree. the 1888 county history (Scott) 1888 history preserves unusually vivid details of early life here—log schools, Sabbath-school, sugar camps, lost-in-the-woods stories, and the farms that shaped the township’s neighborhoods—while McKnight notes the township’s early election-district status.
Tip: Add place keywords like Beechwoods, Rockdale, Beechtree, Coal Glen, Falls Creek, Waites, or Cooper’s Hill, plus surnames found in the 1888 county history (Scott) narratives (for example Hunter, Smith, McIntosh/Mcintosh, Keys, McClelland, Ledlie, Cochran, McConnell, Dennison, Morrison, Groves).
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When searching, combine Washington Twp. or Washington Township with Beechwoods, Rockdale, Beechtree, Coal Glen, Falls Creek, and nearby township names (especially in transition years and coal-era “patch” references).
Strategy: In early years, “Beechwoods” may function like a community name more than a formal locality. Pair it with surnames and use deeds/tax lists to reconstruct neighborhoods around schoolhouse sites, church gatherings, and farm clusters.
the 1888 county history (Scott) Washington Township material preserves a detailed, first-person style recollection of early life in the Beechwoods. The winter of 1831 is remembered as intensely cold, and during the worst of it the house of John Hunter burned. Neighbors quickly gathered and raised a log house for him, but he reportedly lost nearly everything in the fire ⓘ.
In the spring of 1832, families moved “into the woods,” with the narrative describing seventeen families in the woods at that time and an early stop at Andrew Smith’s place. The same recollections describe sugar-making in the kindly spring—sap dripping and kettles foaming—along with the hard work of early clearing and the fast “pay” of syrup and sugar.
Scott reports that the first school in the place began in the fall of 1832 in a log schoolhouse, described with a single “regular” window and a second window made by removing a log and setting panes into the opening. A writing desk was made by driving pins into a log and laying a rough board over them; the fireplace and chimney were built of stone, pine sticks, and clay. William Reynolds taught for $10 per month, “half in cash” and “half in grain, after harvest” ⓘ.
The same recollections emphasize early Sabbath-school in the schoolhouse (and earlier in homes before a schoolhouse existed). It is associated with Rev. Mr. Riggs (organized in 1831, but described as existing earlier), with early organizers identified as Robert McIntosh and Betty Keys. Robert McIntosh, Sr., is described as an early superintendent, remembered for devotional exercises and respect within the community.
The Washington Township material includes a cluster of short incident narratives that can be surprisingly useful for reconstructing community networks: fugitive enslaved men “Jim and Harry” passing through local knowledge routes toward the Irish Settlement; people lost in the woods; and named individuals connected to specific farms and neighborhoods. These passages are not just anecdotes—they frequently include names, kin references, and place clues that can be checked against deeds, tax lists, and cemetery markers.
In the 1888 county history (Scott) summary of Washington Township “early improvements,” the first person credited with making improvements in the Beechwoods is Alexander Osburn. He is also credited with building the first grist-mill on Falls Creek. The first sawmill is credited to Dillas Allen at Rockdale about 1841. The first store is described as starting on G. W. Brown’s farm about 1840, operated by William Acklin. The first school-house is listed as built in 1832 at Waites. The first church is described as built on the farm of Henry Keys about 1840 ⓘ.
the 1888 county history (Scott) later “present business” notes point to sawmilling and gristmilling on Falls Creek, stores at Rockdale (Charles D. Evans), Beechtree (H. P. Brown), and other local points, with a coal-company hotel at Beechtree established in 1883 by the Rochester and Pittsburgh Coal and Iron Company. The township’s church and cemetery picture is summarized as five churches and two cemeteries (named as Cooper grave-yard and Beechtree cemetery).
Historical summary adapted from Scott (1888), Washington Township section (pp. 566–574+ and later township summary), and McKnight (1917) election-district note. Focus here is on genealogically useful details: named people, places, institutions, and record-bearing community anchors.
Washington Township’s Beechwoods narratives are especially name-rich. Use these people as “anchors” in tax lists, deeds, church minutes, and cemetery searches:
Tip: when you find one of these names in an 1830s–1850s tax list, pull every neighbor on that list and map them against Cooper’s Hill, Waites, Falls Creek, Rockdale, and Beechtree references.
These short profiles highlight Washington Township’s best “record magnets.” Use them with deeds, tax lists, post-office data, and newspapers—especially when residents are described by a village or P.O. name rather than “Washington Township.”
The early settlement heart of Washington Township in the 1888 county history (Scott) narrative. Look here for early schools (the first school begins in fall 1832), Sabbath-school gatherings, and name-rich community recollections. “Beechwoods” may function as a community label across multiple neighborhoods rather than a single point on a map.
Good search terms: Beechwoods, Waites, Cooper’s Hill, Keys, McIntosh, Smith, Reynolds.
A later 19th-century service point with store activity; Scott credits a sawmill at Rockdale to Dillas Allen about 1841. Rockdale also served as an election location when the township was divided into election districts (Lower Washington elections held at Rockdale after the 1887 decree).
Watch for: Allen, Evans, mill and lumber references, and newspaper notices tied to Rockdale.
Named in the 1888 county history (Scott) “present business” as a key business point with a store and the township’s first hotel, started in 1883 by the Rochester and Pittsburgh Coal and Iron Company. Beechtree also becomes the election location for Upper Washington after the 1887 court decree.
Watch for coal company references, hotel mentions, and “company store” language in newspapers and deeds/leases.
Scott places the township’s major gristmill and a large sawmill on Falls Creek (Osburn & Shatter). The corridor is also a strong geographic keyword for land descriptions and road/bridge references.
Search for: Osburn, Falls Creek, mill sites, and farm clusters named in late-1800s lists.
the 1888 county history (Scott) Washington Township summary identifies two cemeteries: Cooper grave-yard and Beechtree cemetery. Early burials are also described on the Hunter farm and the first grave-yard “started in 1831” on Cooper’s Hill. Use the county cemetery page for exact names, alternate names, GPS hints, and transcription links.
the 1888 county history (Scott) Beechwoods recollections emphasize early Sabbath-school and church life—meeting in homes before a schoolhouse existed, then gathering in the schoolhouse—connected with ministers such as Rev. Mr. Riggs and early organizers including Robert McIntosh and Betty Keys. A formal church building is listed as built about 1840 on the farm of Henry Keys.
Look for sacramental registers, membership rolls, session minutes, and anniversary booklets that name Beechwoods-area families and neighbors.
Because early circuits crossed township and county lines, also check nearby congregations and records in neighboring townships, and consider that some early Sabbath-school activity may not map cleanly to a single denomination.
Washington Township residents may be described by village or P.O. name rather than “Washington Township,” especially in obituaries, directories, and newspaper datelines. Use Rockdale and Beechtree as strong anchor terms, and add coal-era community names like Coal Glen when you suspect a company-town context.
Use this locality snapshot with historic atlases, county maps, coal company references, and modern GIS to place Washington Township families in Beechwoods neighborhoods and later service points such as Rockdale, Beechtree, and the Falls Creek corridor.
the 1888 county history (Scott) Washington Township sketch includes quantitative snapshots useful for context:
These figures help interpret record density: the township’s growth and later coal-era activity increase the likelihood of newspapers, occupational references, and school records naming your people.
Use historic atlases and land records to place Beechwoods neighborhood clusters and to tie “Rockdale” and “Beechtree” references to specific tracts. Falls Creek mill sites and road/bridge mentions can help anchor families on the ground.
Start with Cooper grave-yard and Beechtree cemetery, then expand using the county roundup for alternate names and Find A Grave / FamilySearch links.
Township officers and school directors appear in dockets and assessment records. Scott lists early and late election officers, including names associated with Beechwoods-era families and later township leadership.
Coal and lumber activity can generate newspapers and business notices tied to Beechtree, Rockdale, Coal Glen, and nearby “patch” names. Search for company-store/hotel references (Beechtree, 1883) and for mill and tramway language along Falls Creek.