Get questioned about some of my family history.

SUBJECT: Get questioned about some of my family history.

I tell the wife these guys read too much and see our family names, then here come the questions.

My Dad wouldn't say anything about family issues, easier to not answer than start another fight. Our families have seen allot of that in the past causing name changes or all-out swinging contests at the local pub .... another story ...  I bet you guys have similar stories along the same lines ...

Here's one the historical guys see from time to time then with a little research it comes down to the last survivor - me.


“In the summer of 1756, through authorities differ as to the exact date, occurred the attack on the Boyer family, who lived in the vicinity of Fort Lehigh, at Lehigh Gap.” From “The Indian Wars of Pennsylvania”, C. Hale Sipe, Wennswoods Publishing, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania 1995.



See Boyer family attack pg. 293. “The Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania” thus describes this event: “

His [Boyer’s] place was about 1-1/2 miles east of the fort, on land now owned by Josiah Arner, James Ziegenfuss and George Kunkle. With other farmers he had gathered his family into the block house for protection. One day, however, his son Fredrick, then thirteen years of age, and other children, he went to attend crops. Mr. Boyer was ploughing, and Fred was hoeing, whilst the rest of the children were in the house or near by playing. Without warning they were surprised by the appearance of Indians.

Mr. Boyer, seeing them, called to Fred to run, and himself endeavored to reach the house. Finding he could not do so, he ran towards the creek, and was shot through the head as he reached the farther side. Fred who had escaped to the wheat field, was captured and brought back. The Indians, having scalped the father in his presence, took horses from the plough, his sisters and himself, and started for Stone hill, in the rear of the house.



“Aided by him who formed yonder sun and heavens, I will revenge the murder of my father;
no wile I live will I ever be at peace with the Indians of any tribe!” Samuel Brady 1779

They were joined by another party of Indians and marched northward from New York state into Canada. On the march one of the sisters was separated from her brother and younger sister and never afterwards heard from. The younger sister Alice escaped and managed to walk back to Chillisqueque Creek (No. 6 on the Brady map on Samuel’s rifle). It took almost a year before she was reunited with the remaining part of her family. Chillisqueque Creek, is a corruption of the Indian word Chililisuagi, meaning, “place of the snowbirds.” Thought to be a good reason why Alice was able to hide during the day and walk at night with her tracks being covered by the never-ending snow.




Fredrick was a prisoner with the French and Indians in Canada for five years and was sent to Philadelphia. Of Mrs. Boyer, who remained in the blockhouse, nothing further is known. After reaching Philadelphia, Fredrick made his way to Lehigh Gap, and took possession of the farm. Shortly after he married a daughter of Conrad Mehrkem, with whom he had four sons and four daughters. He died October 31, 1832, aged 89 years.”

Fun stuff ...

Buck Conner wrote:SUBJECT: Get questioned about some of my family history.

I tell the wife these guys read too much and see our family names, then here come the questions.

That was some very interesting reading Buck.


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Many have probably read Samuel Brady's comment “Aided by him who formed yonder sun and heavens, I will revenge the murder of my father; no wile I live will I ever be at peace with the Indians of any tribe!” And seen his rifle in articles many times. The information on Brady's rifle is used to put you in that time period and in the Susquehanna Valley.

I was totally unaware of anyone on my mother's side of the family having any issues with the Indians. Then a friend was doing some research on PA history and found this information in “The Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania” on pg. 293. He called me and I ordered the book for reference, damn that's my family according to records and references in family Bibles.

I have hunted the Susquehanna River area when younger, knew some of its history with local natives, never gave a second thought. Remembered stories of issues with the locals and was told about a family member being captured ... No second thoughts until reading of this event in “The Indian Wars of Pennsylvania”, C. Hale Sipe, Wennswoods Publishing.

Now I sit and think about what issues these two young kids went throw when being held captive ,,,  For years I tell folks to do their family research and then I was the one that didn't do so  !@#$%^

Buck Conner wrote:.
Many have probably read Samuel Brady's comment “Aided by him who formed yonder sun and heavens, I will revenge the murder of my father; no wile I live will I ever be at peace with the Indians of any tribe!” And seen his rifle in articles many times. The information on Brady's rifle is used to put you in that time period and in the Susquehanna Valley.

I was born in a little coal mining town in PA. Colver Pennsylvania. Moved to a really small town called Jew town, Pennsylvania, then to Triplo, Pennsylvania, and finally to Ebensburg, Pennsylvania. Moved to Cleveland Ohio in 1959. Too damned crowded back there. The Allegheny mountains were beautiful though.



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I have hunted many times around Jewtown, was also called North Heilwood, Pine Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania.

Read the town has met several times and determined its name not to be derogatory. Boy that brings back memories Stan. You moved to Ohio the same year I got out of high school.

Buck Conner wrote:I have hunted many times around Jewtown, was also called North Heilwood, Pine Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania.

Read the town has met several times and determined its name not to be derogatory. Boy that brings back memories Stan. You moved to Ohio the same year I got out of high school.

You sure are correct Buck. That brings back a lot of happy memories for me. We didn't have much back then. My dad worked underground coal mines and they didn't pay like today. We had a hand pump on the kitchen sink. A coal furnace and wood kitchen stove. No plumbing....outhouse. Use to take cardboard and slide down the hills for entertainment. Me and my sister would walk from Jewtown to Colver to see a movie. But you know Buck, those were great times and I wouldn't change a damned thing. I was nine before I saw what an indoor bathroom with toilet and bath tub was. Mom always had us clean and clean clothes and a damned good supper. I actually do miss that life!

My dad worked for Bell of Pennsylvania anything from setting poles for AT&T dragging 60 footers with a team of mules to upper management in Philly years later. He put in 42-1/2 years there, we lived pretty nice life.

When school let out for summer, I would be taken to my grandfather's farm near State College then we were like you living with a Sears catalog for toilet paper (damn slick pages, needed to be careful with that). With my cousins we hunted every day, always something to hunt on a 1,500-acre farm. Fun times ...