Clover Creek Dunker Congregation, Blair PA

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Clover Creek, North Woodbury Township, Blair, Pennsylvania, United States

"About 1755 a colony of Brethren entered Morrison's Cove [PA] through Loy's Gap and ... settled in the northern borders of the valley where now Clover Creek and Roaring Spring congregation[s] are located ... Daniel Ullery ... purchased 169 acres in 1780 where Roaring Spring now stands. He built a mill which doubtless was the first one in this part of the country. The same year, Jacob Shonefelt, one of the ministers of this church, purchased 640 acres of land on which is located the borough of East Sharpsburg. ... John Brumbaugh, procured a warrant dated March 14, 1765 for 1,500 acres of land on which Martinsburg is built [but] did not take possession till September 7, 1792 ..." (Royer 1924, pp 71-72

"The 'Record of the Faithful' states that this congregation was organized in 1790 with twenty members ; that in 1840 the first house was erected ..." (ibid, p 77). Early [Dunker] Ministers in Clover Creek were John (Honnas) Martin, Daniel (Paulus) Paul, George Brumbaugh, Christian Hoover, Jacob Shenefelt (1793), John Hoover (1820), George Brumbaugh (1820), John Clapper, George Brumbaugh, Sr (1832), Isaac B. Brumbaugh 1832 (list incomplete, date of investment when known) (ibid p 80). <br /--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The 1790 census reported only name of head of household, and number of free white males 16 and over, free white males under 16, free white females, all other free persons, and slaves. Only free whites are included in this list since the last two categories were invariably absent. "None" was indicated by a blank, transcribed here as ".." to preserve proper spacing.

Daniel Gripe (1)

1 4 4

│

Samuel Gripe (1)

1 4 1

│

Jacob Gripe (1)

1 2 1

Christian Shively (2)

3 2 3

│

John Gripe (1)

2 1 7

│

Jacob Shively (2)

1 .. 1

John Wrentch

2 1 4

│

Boston Bouslough (3)

1 1 3

│

Christian Hover (4)

1 3 3

Daniel Powlis

2 3 5

│

Jacob Hover

1 1 1

│

Phillip Metsker

2 2 5

Jacob Brumbough {5)

3 4 4

│

George Brumbough (5)

1 .. 6

│

John Brumbough (5)

1 .. 1

John Martin (6)

2 .. 2

│

George Metsker (7)

1 4 3

│

John Martin

1 .. 2

Dunkers absent in 1790 census but recorded in 1800 census; census categories collapsed to agree with those in the 1790 census.

Christian Hoover

1 1 1

│

Adam Hoover

1 3 2

│

John Martin Sr (6)

1 .. 3

Conrad Martin (6)

1 1 3

│

John Shanefeldt (8)

1 4 3

│

Jacob Shanefeldt (8)

1 1 4

Notes:

1. Daniel, Samuel, Jacob & John Gripe (Cripe) were brothers.
2. Christian and Jacob Shively were brothers; their sister Elizabeth married Abraham Teeter.
3. Sebastian Bouslaugh (abt 1758-1841) was a son-in-law of John Rench.
4. Perhaps Christian Daniel Hoover (abt 1767-1835) was head of household in the absence of father Johan Adam Hoover.
5. Jacob, George & John Brumbaugh were brothers; a fourth brother Conrad was a member of the Early Yelow Creek congregation.
6. John Martin was the first minister of Clover Creek church & Conrad was his son; they were recorded in the 1800 census residing in Hopewell & Woodbury Twps, Bedford.
7. Perhaps John George Metzger (1771-1837) was head of household in the absence of father Johann Valentin Metzger (1743-bef 1807).
8. John & Jacob Shenefelt were brothers, recorded in the 1800 census residing in Hopewell & Woodbury Twps, Bedford. Jacob was an early minister in the Clover Creek Dunker congregation.

Sources

• Royer, Galen Brown, 1924. "A history of the Church of the Brethren in the middle district of Pennsylvania." Prepared and Published Under the Supervision of the District Conference through its Home Mission Board.