More Information On the Dawson Ancestors This page under construction, please check back at a later date. If you would like to be notified when this page is updated, please e-mail me at mmclelland@geocities.com There is a second page of Dawson Information. Misc. Information Dawson Digest at http://w3.one.net/~ddoster/dawson_digest.htm These are the things that were listed in the History of Beaver County page 1096 George Dawson and Jane Mackall were located in Maryland in 1792. Robert Laughlin was born near or on the Laughlin homestead near Georgetown, and was educated n the district schools. He became a farmer and was the owner of one hundred and ninety acres of land, twenty of them being in Virginia. He married Rebecca Dawson, born near Georgetown, a daughter of George and Jane (Mackall) Dawson, who located in Maryland in 1792, near Georgetown. George Mackall [Other history says George Dawson not George Mackall] and his brother laid out the city of Georgetown and put up a storehouse which is still standing. He also laid out the cemetery, and was engaged in farming until his death. Mr. and Mrs. Laughlin had six sons and four daughters, among them being Charles and John, the latter on a gunboat during the Civil War, the former in the same company and regiment as Samuel Mackall. The family were Presbyterians. [II] Robert Laughlin [4/10/1796 - 9/21/1849] son of Thomas and Jane Laughlin, was born near or on the Laughlin homestead near Georgetown, and was educated n the district schools. He became a farmer and was the owner of one hundred and ninety acres of land, twenty of them being in Virginia. He married Rebecca Dawson, born near Georgetown, a daughter of George and Jane (Mackall) Dawson, [both Rachel and another Beaver County History book names Robert as her father, maybe this is George Robert or vice versa. Also, it appears that Thomas was alive at the time of this publishing, maybe he was even interviewed.] who located in Maryland in 1792, near Georgetown. George Mackall [I think this is supposed to be Dawson] and his brother laid out the city of Georgetown and put up a storehouse which is still standing. He also laid out the cemetery, and was engaged in farming until his death. Mr. and Mrs. Laughlin had six sons and four daughters, among them being Charles and John, the latter on a gunboat during the Civil War, the former in the same company and regiment as Samuel Mackall. The family were Presbyterians. (III) Thomas Laughlin [3/3/1832 - 1925] son of Robert and Rebecca (Dawson) Laughlin, was born in Greene township, Beaver county, Pennsylvania, March 3, 1832. He was educated in the old stone schoolhouse at Georgetown, and at an early age commenced to assist his father on the farm, continuing this until he attained manhood. He then found employment on the river, on keelboats, and was thus occupied for twenty-eight years, between Wheeling and Pittsburgh. His father had also been thus employed during the last five years of his life. About 1875 Mr. Laughlin commenced farming operations in Greene township, purchasing a farm of one hundred acres, and on this he is residing at the present time. He married, in August, 1855, Phoebe Carnegie, and they have had children: Hugh, deceased; Sarah Martha, deceased; Matilda, deceased; William, deceased; Amanda, deceased; T.G., deceased; John, a farmer and teamster; Robert L. [This is "Link"]also a farmer and teamster, married, in 1899 [I think this is a typo, 1889], Ettie, daughter of Joseph Kennedy, and has had children: Mary, Homer; Lawrence, deceased. Information found in Bausman's, 1904 edition of History of Beaver County: Page 168-169 ... The Indian rights were also, previous to those treaties, strictly guarded by the Government.(1) It was not until after Wayn'es victory over the Miami Confederacy in 1794, and the treaty of Greenville in the following year, that settlements on that side could be safely undertaken. Nevertheless, prior to that, several attempts at settlement were made within the present bounds of Beaver County on the west side of Beaver creek. William Foulkes is thought to have made one in 1792 in what is now Ohio township, between Salem church and the Little Beaver. But it is certain that Nicholas Dawson, a brother of Benoni Dawson of Georgetown, and Neal McLaughlin started settlements on the north side about four miles back from the river and west of the Big Beaver, in April 1792. This appears from the record of the suit between these two parties in the Allegheny County court, October, 1800, for the possession of the property. McLaughlin, the plaintiff, won the suit, on the grounds that he had more nearly fulfilled the conditions of the law defining the acts necessary to constitute actual settlement, although Dawson, the defendant, was one day ahead of him in entering upon the land. (2) Benoni Dawson, also as shown in the note below, began improvements north of the Ohio in April, 1792, and in November of that year William Williams made a settlement on "Buck Run," now Walnut Bottom Run, and was there in 1796. ... (1) The following letter from Brodhead to Washington will show how anxious the authorities were to prevent premature settlement in the Indian country. ... To the same effect is the following order of General Irvine:  "Order, Fort Pitt, February 25, 1783. "Any person, who shall presume to ferry either men or women over the Ohio or Allegheny rivers or shall be found crossing over into what is generally called the Indian country between the Kittanning and Fort McIntosh without a written permit from the commanding officer at Fort Pitt, or orders for that purpose -- until further orders shall be treated and prosecuted for holding or aiding others to correspond with and give intelligence to, the enemy. This order to be in force until civil government thinks proper to direct otherwise." -- (Wash. Irvine cor. p 261.) (2) For McLaughlin vs. Dawson, see Smith's Laws of Pennsylvania 1781 - '90 p 209. We give copies of the following warrants from the Warrant Book of Beaver County for their intrinsic interest, and we surmise that the second is the warrant from the land for which the above named suit was brought: "1793, July 15, Benoni Dawson, Jr., Enters a warrant for 300 acres of land on the west [northwest] of the Ohio and east of little Beaver creek, two or three miles up said creek near the western Boundary of the State. Including his improvements begun the 30th day of April, 1892, and dated the 22d Feb., 1793." "1793, August 23d, Neal McLaughlin Enters a warrant dated may 16, 1793, for 400 acres of land on the northwest side of the Ohio river -- between the Big and little Beaver creeks, on the north fork of Dry Run, adjoining lands of Hugh Graham on the north and John Little on the east to include a settlement made in the year 1792 in Pittsburgh [Pitt?] township, Allegheny County."  Page 170-171 ... In 1786 Benoni Dawson built a "fort" on the site of Georgetown, and his son, Thomas Dawson, one on the other side of the river some years later. These were doubtless, as we have said, strong log cabins. ... From the Unigraphics, 1888 History of Beaver County I found: Page 97 - Second Moon Township 1802 Tax Records This extended to the Ohio River, embracing what in 1811 was called Greene Township. Among those listed are: CARNEGY, Wm (Georgetown) CAMPBELL, William DAWSON, Thomas DAWSON, Benoni Sr.   354 acres, 50 cleared with shingled house. $1,050   Grist Mill $450   Two horses $60   Four cattle $48   One yoke oxen $30.   Total $1,638 LAUGHLIN, Thomas LAUGHLIN, Samuel LAUGHLIN, William   (owned a gristmill, a saw mill and a distillery; also 200 acres) LAUGHLIN, Robert   (had 400 acres of land and a distillery) LAUGHLIN, James (tanner) LYON, Samuel   (innkeeper, Georgetown) PARKS, Robert Page 98 Second Moon Township - Continued SWEARENGEN, Wm Single Freemen DAWSON, George PARKS, Samuel  Page 125-131 Township Officials 1805 Second Moon: Supervisors - Benoni DAWSON, James Craig; Overseers -- Thomas DAWSON, Samuel Swight; Auditors -- Robert LAUGHLIN (and 3 others) 1806 Hanover: Auditors -- William LAUGHLIN (and 3 others) Second Moon: Supervisors - Benoni DAWSON, James Craig;  1807 Hanover: Supervisors -- Samuel Carothers, William LAUGHLIN  1808 Second Moon -- Supervisors -- Thos. DAWSON, Samuel Wilson 1809 Second Moon -- Supervisors -- Samuel Wilson, Thomas DAWSON Page 222 School systems are not self-executing. They need to be put into operation by intelligent and efficient agents. We give a list of school inspectors for Beaver county, appointed by the court at December term, 1834; ... Ohio - Dr. John Clark, George Dawson; ... In Ohio township a public meeting was called February 19, 1835, at which William Rayl was chairman, to consider the question: "Is the old system of education in this commonwealth preferable to the new?" George DAWSON was appointed foreman to lead the affirmative and Christopeher Bowen the negative. All favorable to the two sides, respectively, were requested to stand up. The affirmative had but Mr. DAWSON, and the negative had seven supporters. Owing to the inequality of the forces, the discussion was postponed. Page 252-253 Relief for Ireland The great famine in Ireland, in 1847, caused generous hearts and liberal hands to respond in all parts of our country to the cry for aid that arose in that suffering land. In this response Beaver county was not last. A public meeting was held February 23, the same year, in the courthouse, .... Their report revealed, briefly, the suffering condition of the Irish people in their native land, and appealed in eloquent terms to all classes of citizens to contribute liberally for their relieve. A central committee to supervise the contributions from Beaver county was appointed, consisting of .... The following named gentlemen were appointed sub-committees for the several election districts in the county, for the purpose o receiving subscriptions of breadstuffs and money - to be forwarded under the direction of the central committee, to an eastern port, for shipment to Ireland: Ohio-- George DAWSON, James HARPER, Benoni DAWSON, Benjamin Todd, jr, Thos. Hunter, John Henderson. Page 545 - 547 Glasgow This little borough is situated in Ohio township at the mouth of Little Beaver. It lies souly on the north side of the Ohio river, nearly opposite Georgetown, and occupies the tract between Smiths Ferry and the Ohio state line. During heavy floods in the he , as in 1884, it is subject to temporary overflows. The town was laid out October 22, 1836, by Sanford C. Hill, surveyor, on the land of George DAWSON, the founder of the place. Mr. DAWSON owned a tract of some four hundred acres which is now occupied by his oldest son, BENONI, an aged and respected resident of the community. George DAWSON had six children, five sons and one daughter, viz: Benoni, still living n the farm; Nicholas, at present residing in Houston, Texas, to whom $1,100 was bequeathed on condition that he was not in the rebel army during the late war; James and Hawkins, both deceased; William, still living, and Eliza, deceased. He died in 1860. The village, laid out on account of the importance then attached to the Sandy and Beaver canal, has streets sixty and at least twenty feet in width. .... Can anyone tell me where this George fits in? Schools and Churches The Presbyterian Church was established in Glasgow largely through the instrumentality of George Dawson, who was an elder from the date of its organization in 1849 to the day of his death. He donated the ground on which the structure stands, and contributed liberally of his means for the erection of the house of worship, which was completed in the autumn of 1849 at an expense of some $700. Page 561-563 Georgetown Borough This borough is pleasantly situated in the north part of Greene township, on the Ohio River. It is one of the oldest settlements in Beaver county, and was laid out on the 13th of Jan., 1793, by Benoni Dawson, who came from Montgomery county, Md., about 1780. He died May 16, 1806, aged sixty-four years. His wife was Rebecca (Mackall) Dawson, who died Oct. 6, 1816, aged seventy-five years. They are both buried in the old Georgetown cemetery. They were members of the Protestant Episcopal church. They had thirteen children -- nine sons and four daughters. One of his sons, Thomas, has a grandson, Benoni Dawson, still living in Glasgow, opposite Georgetown. Another son, Nicholas, has grandchildren living in and around Georgetown, among whom may be mentioned John Dawson and Mrs. Dr. S. T. Hamilton. Still another son, George, married Jane Mackall, by whom he had ten children, among whom were Benoni Dawson, George Dawson and R.D. Dawson, whose wife, Mary J. Dawson, and daughter (wife of Edward Spence) now reside in Georgetown. Originally the name was written as consisting of two distinct parts, George Town. The tendency has been to combine, and make it appear as one. This suggests two theories as to the origin of the name: one that the name was bestowed in honor of George Dawson, son of the original Benoni, who owned a portion of the town plat. A second and more probable theory is that the name was bestowed in honor of the Georgetown adjoining the national capital. In 1814 the congregation was organized by the Rev. Taylor of Pittsburgh. About the same year another congregation was started on the Langfit farm, nine miles from Georgetown, in the vicinity of Frankfort. Its members were subsequently absorbed by the Georgetown church. Among the early members of St. Luke's congregation were Benoni DAWSON and his son Benoni, Michael Chrisler, Thomas Foster, Adam Hayes, Jane McMillen, David MMillen, James DAWSON and wife, Mrs. Jane DAWSON, Major Hugh McCullough and wife., Mr. Hecker and wife, John Beaver (surveyor), Mrs. Mary DAWSON and others. Page 584-585 Ohio Township Ohio township is situated north of the Ohio river, in the western portion of the county, adjoining the townships of South Beaver, Brighton and Industry in Beaver county, those of St. Clair and Liverpool in Columbiania county, Ohio, and the Ohio river, which forms its southern boundary. Its principal villages are Fairview, Glasgow, Ohioville, and Smith's Ferry. The township was organized in 1805-6, out of South Beaver. The surface is broken, although the soil is very fertile. Oil is fond in the southern portions of township. Population, in 1880, 1,376. ....Benoni DAWSON is listed as postmaster, May 1, 1843 .... St. Paul's Episcopal Church at Fiarview was organized at an early day, probably about 1830, to accommodate members of the church who could not attend at Georgetown. The Masons, Hoges, DAWSONS and others were instrumental in securing the establishment of the congregation.  Smith's Ferry ... The ferry, prior to 1817, was owned by Benjamin DAWSON, from whom it was bought at that time by Jesse Smith. The first house in the village was a shanty belonging to James Clark, said to have been one of the first white men killed by the Indians in Beaver county. He was shot by the redskins about three hundred feet from the present Smith's Hotel. He was returning from the bottoms with his cows when he was ambushed. His wife, hearing the report, took a canoe and carried her child across the river to the block house at Georgetown. This occurred in 1792. Clark was the first person buried in the old graveyard at Georgetown, where his ashes still repose. The second house was built by Benjamin Dawson, and stood in front of the Western hotel, now owned and managed by Jesse Smith.