Cassville's Name Evolution

Did you know? Cassville went by two names at the same time for about fifty years, and the name it finally kept was picked by three men, not by the town.

Before 1797 the place was Salisbury, also known as Chilcotestown, laid out by Benjamin and Roberson Chilcote. The plan of the lots was recorded on February 22 of that year. Lots sold for twenty dollars, which the county history also gives in the old money as seven pounds ten shillings. When the village was laid out, three buildings were already standing on the site.

William Lovell kept the first tavern in the village, sometime before 1815. In 1830 Andrew Shaw and Robert Baird laid out an addition and sold lots at forty to fifty dollars each.

The move to incorporate started in 1849. The name was not put to a vote of the citizens. The county history says the present name "was selected by a committee consisting of Robert Speer, D. Stever, and D. Clarkson." The Legislature then incorporated the borough under that name on March 3, 1853.

Three men on a committee, and the name has held ever since.

From the record

Passages about this subject, quoted from county histories now in the public domain. Each one names the book and the position in the text so it can be checked. Spelling is as printed.

Andrew Johnston (who sold to Daniel Turner), and went to Ohio to his other sons. The McDonalds and Hugh Johnston were the only Presbyterians in that neighborhood. BOROUGH OF CASSVILLE., Previous to 1797 Salisbury, also known as Chilcotestown, was laid out by Benjamin and Roberson Chilcote. The plan of the lots was recorded February 22d of that year. Lots were sold at twenty dollars (seven pounds ten shillings) each. When the village was laid out three buildings stood on its site, only two of which remain, and one of these is used as a stable. A tavern was kept here by William Lovell, the first in the village, previous to 1815. The second hotel was kept by Robert Speer, who was also the first 1 Father of Ferdinand Corbin, 16 merchant here, and contributed largely by his energy in business towards building up the village. An addition to the village was laid out in 1830, by Andrew Shaw and Robert Baird, who sold lots at from forty to fifty dollars each. Several lots were purchased, and a number of buildings were erected at about that time. Within the next decade John S. Gehrett, James Henderson, and Dr. Jesse Wright became residents. Hon. David Clarkson, who served during ten years as associate judge in the county, came to Cassville in 1840. Incorporation., Measures for the incorporation of the borough were inaugurated in 1849, and the present name was selected by a committee consisting of Robert Speer, D. Stever, and D. Clarkson.J. Simpson Africa, History of Huntingdon and Blair Counties, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts, 1883) · character 1,570,491 of the scanned text

Three buildings stood upon the site when the town was laid out. William Lovell was the first tavern keeper and Robert Speer the first merchant. In September, 1830, Dr. Robert Baird and Andrew Shaw laid oat an addition and the lots soH readily at from forty to fifty dollars each. A tannery was started in that year by Lemuel Green, and two potteries , one operated by Jacob Greenland and the other by E. B. Hissong , were started a few years later. In 1849 a public meeting was called to consider the advisability of applying to the proper authorities for the incorporation of the place as a borougii. Some objected to the name of Salisbury and a committee of three was appointed to select a new name. A majority of the committee decided upon Cassville, and it was incorporated by that name on March 3, 1853, by an act of the legislature. The records prior to 1857 have been lost. In that year John S. Gehrett was the chief burgess. A seminary was established at Cassville in the fall of 1851. After several years of varying success, the building was purchased by Professor A, L. Guss, who conducted a school for soldiers' orphans for about eight years.John W. Jordan, ed., History of the Juniata Valley and Its People (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing, 1913) · character 224,423 of the scanned text

It has been removed from its former position and has been replaced by the residence of Rev. Jesse Wright's widow, which was erected in 1841. The first tavern was kept there by William Lovell, and the second by Robert Speer, father of Hon. R. M. Speer, of Huntingdon. The latter became a resident of the place in 1818 or '19. He was a man of considerable energy and built a large brick and frame dwelling, 102 leet in lengthHaving been the first merchant, as well as a tavern keeper, he kept the largest and most general assortment of dry goods the place has ever known, and did an extensive business in grain, controlling the trade from Broad Top to the Juniata river. He contributed more perhaps to the building up of the town than any other of its citizens. On the 24th of September, 1830, Andrew Shaw and Dr. Robert Baird laid out an addition to Salisbury and sold lots at from forty to fifty dollars each. In that and the following year a number of lots were purchased and buildings erected. Lemuel Green then moved to the town and built his tannery, which has never since suspended, but is still in operation. Within the next ten years, James Henderson, John S. Gehrett, Dr. Jesse Wright and David Clarkson became residents. In 1849, a public meeting was held to consider the expediency of having the place incorporated as a borough, and a committee, consisting of Robert Speer, D. Stever and D.Milton Scott Lytle, History of Huntingdon County (Lancaster: William H. Roy, 1876) · character 614,725 of the scanned text

Checked 2026-08-01 · County history, independently fact checked

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