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This is one of 20 historical caches along the Butler Freeport Community Trail, formerly the Butler Branch of the Western Pennsylvania Railroad.
THIS SERIES OF CACHES ARE ONLY ACCESSIBLE VIA THE BUTLER FREEPORT TRAIL. There is plenty of parking at each trailhead. DO NOT DRIVE ON THE TRAIL, you may hike or bike to each cache. According to the 1883 Butler County History, “Buffalo Township is one of the four townships into which Butler County was divided prior to 1803. Up to 1854, when the last re-subdivision of the county took place, it was one of the largest townships in the county. In that year its area was reduced to its present limits. The elevations are 766.4 feet above ocean level at Buffalo station; 801.6 at Harbison; 840 at Monroe, and 1,026.8 at Sarvers, the railroad track being the point of measurement.” The Butler Branch Railroad passes through the township, following the winding course of the Little Buffalo through a most picturesque region. Map came from the Butler County 1874 Atlas. The Monroe-Sarver section of the trail (Bear Creek) was home to the Monroe and Sandy Lick Stations where coal, sand, grain and other goods were loaded and unloaded. The village of Sandy Lick stood near the current Bear Creek Road Trailhead. Sandy Lick Station was built on stilts. The surrounding area was home to several small coal mines. Builders used sand plant leftovers to construct present-day Bear Creek Road and a coal tipple once stood over today’s trailhead. Some of the early pioneers in Buffalo Township were Bells 1795, Elliotts 1796, Benjamin Sarver 1796, Mary Steele and children 1796 and John and Massey Harbison 1792. Some had property bordering the Butler Freeport Community Trail. John Harbison’s 1807 saw mill carried on by him until he gave the property to his son William in 1819. William then sold it in 1820. A little later Jeremiah Smith’s sons from Winfield Township and Caleb Jones constructed a mill at Sarver’s Station. Alexander Douthett operated in it 1834. Then David Kelly erected a large mill there in 1866 and two years later it became the property of Jacob Ehrman. These mills were located near the present day Sarver Fire Hall which is where Sarver Station stood. The grain was taken from the mill down the hill on an elevator and loaded onto railroad cars. A story about Benjamin Sarver tells how during the time he was building the mill he walked from Tarentum to Sarversville every week (about nine miles). He carried with him the supplies necessary for the week. On one occasion while returning to his home in Tarentum he became so famished with hunger having run short of rations, he ate raw pumpkins from a pioneer's patch along the path he was traveling. Patrick Harvey induced Benjamin to come to Buffalo Township and start a mill. Sarver visited the site recommended by Harvey and said, "I'll have a mill running here in less than a year, if I have only the blue sky above it." He did have the mill running but in lieu of blue sky, the machinery was sheltered by a rude log building. The mill, rebuilt and changes several times, continued in operation until about 1880 when it was burned. Sarver lived in a stone house opposite the mill, and there kept a tavern for several years. In the early years of the settlement as Patrick Harvey was on his way to Sarver's Mill he tracked a bear up the trace. He ran the bear into a den of rocks some distance above Sarver's. Returning home he rounded up his neighbors Plants, Stinchcomb and two or three others and set off to capture the bear. He returned to the spot with dogs, guns and other trappings. The dogs worried the bear making it come out of the den several times and each time was fired upon. Finally no amount of hassle from the dogs or the guns blasting through the den could induce the bear to come out however growls could still be heard. The party was defeated and about to give up when Harvey said, "Hold on, I'll go in and try him." He tied a rope to his leg, so that he could be drawn out in case of attack, he took his gun in his hand and crawled into the dark cave. Presently he saw two large glowing eyes and bringing his gun to his shoulder he aimed directly between them and fired sufficiently killing the bear. He tied the rope to the bear so he and his companions could draw the dead bear out. He was a huge fellow, and his hindquarters dressed over a hundred pounds each. Monroe Station, northeast of Monroeville, is simply a shipping point for that section of the township. In 1839 Emil Maurhoff had James Dunlap survey Monroeville on parts of Daniel Duffy, Matthias Cypher and William McLaughlin lands. J.M. Elliott bought the first two lots and led the expansion of the village constructing the first house. It was a small village along the old Freeport – Butler Turnpike. In 1840 George Weaver's tavern was erected, and Peter Koon built a little store which in turn went to George Fry, Gustave Speck, Charles Schweitering, George W. Cramer who expanded it, and A. W. Leasure The post office is named Silverville and was established in 1894 with A. W. Leasure as postmaster. In the 1840’s George Truby opened another hotel. A little later, R. J. Gregg followed the same business. There has been no hotel or saloon for several years. Monroeville had considerable business before the railroad was built. Picture of Alfred and Lola Maurhoff dressed as Mr. and Mrs. Emil Maurhoff donated by Drenda Gostkowski. Another favorite township story concerns corn whiskey and deer meat. The township prior to 1792 was a desired hunting ground for Native Americans and after 1792 pioneers as well for forty more years until the game was almost depleted. John E. Muder from Saxonburg recounted the story of Rev. Schweitzerbarth visit to Benjamin Sarver. Having sent a message that he would be on hand the next Sabbath to preach Sarver realized there was little in the house to entertain his old friend. He announced to his wife Betsy that he would kill a deer and he happily did. Next, he told his wife that he would go to Jacob Staley's for a quart of whisky which he did. Upon returning from this endeavor he declared, "Now, Schweitzerbarth, you can come; Betsy has got the meat and I have got the whisky." It seems that wild honey, corn-whisky and venison were very good fare for a celebration, many visiting evangelists of early days loved to part take of it. Picture of John Muder donated by Drenda Gostkowski
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