1895 History of Butler Co., p. 581 Centre Township Pioneers
From p. 581-582, The 1895 History of Butler Co. PA, Brown & Co.
CENTRE TOWNSHIP
PIONEERS
The story of the settlement of this township is interesting from the fact that its pioneers came in a body to take possession of the land without the aid of constitution or by-laws. In 1796 sixty men from Allegheny, Westmoreland, Juniata and Cumberland counties appeared in this part of the wilderness and selected sixty eligible farms and sites for cabins. To each a name was given, such as "Eden," "Hickory," "Hermitage," "Glenn," "Partnership Farm," "Thorn Tent," etc. Then the cabins were erected, one on each farm, and next the drama of the lottery was enacted. A slip of paper bearing the name of each farm was placed in a hat, while a list of sixty names was handed to one of the colonists. When the first slip was taken from the hat and the name of the farm proclaimed, it was credited to the first name on the list, and so on until all the farms were distributed. As the tract was then unsurveyed, it was agreed that after the survey, should two persons be found to be occupying the same 400 acres, the neighbor on the north should relinquish his claim and take the next unsettled tract of 400 acres to the north. This plan worked admirably, and within the year the following named tract owners were actual residents: ... James Hoge, 150 acres; George McCandless, 400; James McCandless, 400; John McCandless, 400; Robert McCandless, no land taxed; ...Archibald St. Clair, 400; ...The men named located in this township, while (others) who formed part of the company of sixty colonists, located in what is now Franklin township. ... a number of the other colonists sought homes in different parts of the county, but more than one of them returned to the original location of the party in Centre twonship. The Indians threatened the settlement in 1778, the scare driving away the pioneers, nine or ten of whom never returned.
Six male members of the McCandless family accompanied the pioneers of 1796, and four of them located in this township. They were the sons of John McCandless, who came from Ireland, and settled in Allegheny county with his family. John, one of the colonists of Centre township, was the first sheriff of Butler county. He died in 1810.
