Area Lore – Somerset County

Over a radius of ten miles north and south of Rockwood during the bitterly cold winter nights of the years 1870 and 1871, the “Saw Filer” frightened men, women and children with his hideous rasping noise in imitation of the filing of a big saw, only infinitely louder and more terrifying. An explanation was never … Read more

It is related that Henry Troyer once came to Shank’s mill early in the morning to get a bag of flour. He had no money and Shank refused to give him credit. He then asked if he could exchange a bearskin for flour. “Certainly” replied Shank, “but when did you kill the bear?” “I haven’t … Read more

In 1791 a hurricane swept over a part of Shade township, leaving much damage in its wake. At a place on Shade creek where the forest was extremely dense, a long strip of trees was blown down. This mass of timber was so twisted and matted together that the best way of clearing the ground … Read more

With his wagon fully loaded, the old township farmer began hauling hay from the field to his barn. When he came to the small ravine that he had to cross to get there, the wheels settled in and the horses were unable to pull the wagon out. Consequently, the horses balked. The old farmer, after … Read more

John Dull, a hunter and trapper, was born in 1753 and was one of the earliest pioneers in this township. He came from Eastern Pennsylvania when a young man, and took up a considerable tract of land in the northeastern portion of Milford. In his hunting exploits, he would often camp on the mountain, and … Read more

The farm now owned by Jacob Sterner, situated at Confluence, was once the site of an Indian village. Mr. Sterner has unearthed a number of Indian skeletons in plowing, also ashes and traces of campfires. In 1878, as John S. Stanton and John H. Glisan were plowing on this farm, they turned up a flat … Read more

Many years ago on the Anstead farm, now owned by Adam Anstead, son of Godfrey, there was a distillery to which the men for miles around were accustomed to resort. It was a general custom to pitch horseshoes at a peg for the drinks. The winner always received a tin cup full of whiskey, which … Read more

A man named Tissue, who probably came from New Jersey, and was the first settler on the land where Confluence now is paid a convict’s passage from Baltimore, having employed him to work on his farm. One day, when Tissue was away from home, the man took advantage of his absence, shut Tissue’s two little … Read more

The beautiful Lewis valley begins on the head waters of Dark Shade creek, near where Jeptha Potts use to live, and takes its name from its having been the haunt at one time of the noted robber, David Lewis. There is also a cave somewhere in this region in which he is said to have … Read more

Joseph Buck was one of the first pioneers of the northern part of the county. In 1790, he purchased a tract of land, warranted under the name “Sportsman’s Hall”, for eleven pounds, three shillings and sixpence. Tradition states that Buck, while pretending to be friendly to the Indians, was in reality their most bitter enemy. … Read more