Husband Gen. David Mead 1 2
AKA: David Meade 3
Born: 17 Jan 1752 - Hudson, Columbia Co, NY 2 3
Christened:
Died: 23 Aug 1816 - Meadville, Crawford Co, PA 3
Buried:
Father: Darius Mead (1728-1791) 3 4 5 6
Mother: Ruth Curtis (1734-1794) 3 5
Marriage: 1796 3
Other Spouse: Agnes Wilson ( -1795) 3 7 - Abt 1774
• Residence: : Meadville, Crawford Co, PA.
• Residence: : Meadville, Crawford Co, PA.
Wife Jennette Finney 3
AKA: Janet Finney,6 Jannet Finney
Born:
Christened:
Died: 1826 6
Buried:
Father: Robert Finney, Esq. ( - ) 3
Mother:
Children
1 M David Mead 8 9
Born: 1798 8 9
Christened:
Died: 1812 8 9
Buried:
Spouse: Did Not Marry
2 M Robert Mead 10
Born:
Christened:
Died: 1848 9
Buried:
3 F Catherine H. Mead 8 10 11
Born: 14 Sep 1801 8
Christened:
Died: 14 Feb 1879 - Meadville, Crawford Co, PA 8
Buried:
Spouse: Lot Parent Dunham (1793- ) 8 11
Marr: 27 Oct 1825 11
4 F Jane Mead 10 12
Born:
Christened:
Died: - Bucyrus, Crawford Co, OH
Buried:
Spouse: Rev. William Hutchinson ( - ) 10 12
5 F Maria E. Mead 12 13
AKA: Marcia Mead 9
Born: 25 Apr 1805 - Crawford Co, PA 12
Christened:
Died: Jan 1881 - Meadville, Crawford Co, PA 12
Buried:
Spouse: William Gill, Sr. (1793-1873) 12 14
Marr: 6 Jun 1833 12
6 M Alexander J. Mead 15
Born: 8 Sep 1807 9
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Fanny Rich (1818-1866) 12
Marr: Feb 1837 12
General Notes: Husband - Gen. David Mead
In the summer of 1787 David and John Mead, of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, vis-ited the valley of French creek on a journey of exploration and returned in May of the following year with seven others, most of whom located in the near vicinity of Meadville. This was the first permanent settlement in north-western Pennsylvania.
He was a member of the Pennsylvania militia during the American Revolution, serving as captain in Col. Archibald Leach's Company of Westmoreland County; was major-general of the 16th Division during the War of 1812, in which division two of his sons-in-law, William Moore and Patrick Farrelly (afterward a member of the United States Senate) were majors.
By his first wife he was the father of nine children, five of whom grew to maturity; by his second wife he became the father of seven (six?) more children, five of whom grew to maturity.
He was born at Hudson, New York, and was the eldest son of his father, who had purchased a farm and removed to Hudson immediately his marriage. Here the family lived until David arrived at the years of manhood, when the homestead was sold and some valuable land obtained in Wyoming Valley, under a Pennsylvania title, but in consequence of adverse claims under Con-necticut titles, the Meads left their land and took up their residence about six miles above the town of Northumberland, on the west bank of the North Branch of the Susquehanna River. David removed his family to Sunbury, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in keeping a tavern, also erected and operated a distillery. By the close of the war he had accumulated a handsome property, and soon after the dawn of peace returned to his land in Wyoming Valley, supposing that the conflicting claims, as to title, were settled. In this, however, he was doomed to disappointment, for after expending considerable money in improve-ments, and undergoing much vexation in trying to obtain a clear title to his land, he was, at the end of three years, compelled to hastily collect a small portion of his household effects and with his family fly for safety to Sunbury. Here he immediately renewed his former pursuits, but destitute of capital, and a change in the times rendering business not very lucrative, his utmost efforts could effect little more than a bare support for his family.
In the meantime he had heard of the rich lands coming into market west of the Allegheny River, and in the summer of 1787, accompanied by his brother John, he visited the valley of French Creek. The following spring (1788) they were joined at Sunbury by seven others-all of whom came to the vicinity of Meadville. In the fall of 1788 he, having erected a substantial log house near what later became Water Street, in Meadville, returned for his family, and was soon comfortably settled on the banks of French Creek. One of the first enterprises was the erection of a saw-mill in 1789-90, on the east bank of French Creek, just south of where the "Red Mill," would later stand. It was operated by water power, a race being built across from Mill Run, which furnished the power. To this was afterward added a grist-mill, which he also carried on for some years. Three years passed away peacefully, when the little settlement was tempora-rily broken up by Indian incursions, which continued off and on for the suc-ceeding four years, the settlers being forced to leave their improvements several times and go to the fort at Franklin for safety. Before this period Gen. Mead had carried on an extensive correspondence with the Pennsylvania authorities relative to contending claims to the Wyoming lands, and sometime after settling on French Creek, he obtained from the State a remuneration in land, to the amount of an official valuation of those of which he had been dispossessed in Wyoming Valley.
Prior to his coming to French Creek, Gen. Mead held the office of Justice of the Peace, and on the 31st of March, 1796, he and Thomas Rees, of Erie, were appointed by Gov. Mifflin, Justices of the Peace for the district consist-ing of "the Township of Mead in the county of Allegheny," the official term being "so long as he shall live and behave himself well." Mead Township then embraced the whole of what is now Crawford and Erie Counties, while the block-house erected in 1794 was one of the places designated for holding elections. Upon the organization of Crawford County, March 12, 1800, he was appointed one of the Associate Judges, but resigned the following Decem-ber. In September, 1803, he was again appointed, and served continuously on the bench until the time of his death. He was appointed Major-General of the Fourteenth, and afterward of the Sixteenth Division Pennsylvania Militia, by Gov. McKean, and re-appointed by Gov. Snyder, and during the war of 1812-15, rendered important services to Commodore Perry, in promptly marching with his corps to the defense of Erie, in the summer of 1813, when the fleet then in process of construction in Presque Isle Bay was threatened with destruction by the enemy. Gen. Mead continued to discharge the duties of this position until a law was enacted annulling all commissions in the militia.
In 1797, Gen. Mead built a frame residence at the head of Water Street, later the home of Dr. Edward Ellis, and there he died in the sixty-fifth year of his age. His appearance was striking, being six feet three and a half inches in height, and built in proportion, and he was also a man of great bodily strength. His features were large, regular and strongly marked with the lined indicative of reflection; and though generally sedate and grave, he was always affable, easy of access, and a total stranger to every-thing savoring of ostentation. He was a kind and faithful husband, an affectionate father, a stanch friend and a patriotic citizen, while his home was noted for the generous hospitality extended to all who came within its pre-cincts. He possessed but a limited education, as he was entirely indebted to his mother for whatever instruction he had received during his childhood days. Highly appreciating the advantages of an education, he had fitted up at his own expense the block-house, which stood on the northeast corner of Water Street and Steer's Alley for school purposes, and here the first school in Crawford County was opened in 1798-99. He subsequently presented this prop-erty to the Meadville Female Seminary. In 1800 he was mainly instrumental in raising the $4,000 to build and establish the Meadville Academy, and was also one of the charter members in founding Allegheny College, as well as one of its most generous benefactors.
He was a man of strong passions, and was sometimes very irrita-ble, yet his principal characteristics were persevering patience and unrelaxing application to whatever he undertook or considered his duty. His vigorous mind was ever active, and constantly occupied with the affairs of life, and had he been favored with a liberal education, his talents would have entitled him to the first positions in the gift of his adopted State. He was the leading spirit of the pioneer band, who first settled the valley of French Creek, and while his name will forever be perpetuated in the city of Meadville, which he founded and fostered during the first years of its existence, his memory will be gratefully cherished as one of the pioneer fathers, who laid the foundation of one of the wealthiest and most flourishing counties in western Pennsyl-vania. [HCC 1885, 172]
He was born at Hudson, New York, was educated in the Hudson schools, and when eighteen years of age came with his father to the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania. He became a surveyor and was the first to survey the site of Wilkes-Barre, Penn-sylvania. He took up a tract of land, obtain-ing title from Pennsylvania, but lost his land during the invasion of the "Connecticut In-truders." After his eviction from his own lands he settled on the west bank of the north branch of the Susquehanna, six miles north of the town of Northumberland, where he re-mained until the summer of 1787. His revo-lutionary service entitled him to a large tract of land in the western part of the state, and in the summer of 1787, in company with his brother John, he journeyed westward to make his selection. He chose land in what was then Allegheny, now Crawford County. In 1788, with others from Northumberland, he made permanent settlement on his land at what is now Meadville, named in his honor. This new home was called Cussewattga, but it was more commonly and familiarly known to the early settlers as Meadstown and later Meadville. He built a substantial log house so constructed as to be a veritable fortress in the event of an Indian attack, which was a wise precaution, as later was proved. General Mead gave valu-able service to the revolutionary cause as an officer and much time to the public service after settling in western Pennsylvania. He was appointed major-general of militia by Governor McKean and was reappointed by Governor Snyder. During the war of 1812 he rendered important service in the defense of Erie, Pennsylvania, and the northern frontier. On March 31, 1796, he was commissioned by Governor Mifflin justice of the peace for Mead township, then in Allegheny County. Upon the erection of Crawford County, March 12, 1800, he was appointed associate judge of the new county, an office he held with but a brief interval until his death. In July, 1800, Judges Mead and Kelso, an associate judge of Erie county, held a court of quarter sessions at Meadville for the counties of Erie, Crawford and Mercer. During the session they appoint-ed constables and supervisors of highways for the various counties and ordered fourteen road surveys. This was the first regular court ever held in northwestern Pennsylvania. General Mead presented to Meadville a plot of ground upon which was constructed an arsenal, but now the public school is located there. Gen-eral Mead's active and useful life ended in 1816 at the age of sixty-four years. The tragic death of his father was a severe blow to him as it was through his influence that Darius Mead left the then peaceful Wyoming Valley and again took up his abode on the dangerous frontier. [GPHAV, 442]
General Notes: Wife - Jennette Finney
She was the first school-teacher in Meadville, PA.