Biography:  John Miller of Shade Township

Copyright © 1998 by Leroy V. Baldwin (lbwitchdoc@aol.com). 
This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives.  

USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file by non-commercial individuals
and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices
and submitter information is included. Any other use,
including copying files to other sites requires
any other sites. We encourage links to the state and
county table of contents.

_________________________________________________________________



John Miller built a cabin about 1760 on the boundary
between what is now Shade and Allegheny townships near the
headwaters of Breastwork Run, the foundation of which is still
standing. This is one-half mile north of the Lincoln Highway at
village of McNealtown. Miller was a trader and packer and
had been a pack horse driver in Colonel Henry Bouquet's Regi-
in 1758.

Harmon Husband and John Heckewelder, a Moravian minister,
passed over the Forbes Road as early as 1762. Both reported
settlers along this road west of the mountains at that time, 
mentioning such names as John Miller, Caspar Stotler, and Daniel Stoy.

The assessment lists of 1772 of Somerset County show Miller
as assessed with ten acres of land, and on the assessment lists of
Bedford County for the same year he was assessed with 300 acres of land,
one horse, and two cows.  There remains little doubt that John Miller
was one of the first settlers in Shade Township.