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ON the 16th day of October, A. D. 1826, Josiah W. Smith, Martin Hoover and A. B. Reed, who had been appointed as a committee to investigate the facts and circumstances presented with an application for a new township, made their report. Together with the report was a draft laying down the boundary lines, corners, etc. The committee reported that they considered it would be 'of advantage and beneficial to the inhabitants of Pike township and Beccaria township, to have a new township to be called Chest, struck off the said townships as follows: Beginning at a maple on the Cambria county line on Frederick Daugherty tract; thence north forty west two miles to a maple; thence fifty east thirteen hundred and eighty perches to a hemlock on Robert Martin's tract; thence north forty west nine miles to a post; thence from the post to a maple fifty perches; thence to a red oak on the Susquehanna fifty perches; thence up the said river after crossing the same, to a white oak corner of John Nicholson's tract; thence north fifteen degrees west two hundred and forty-five perches to a spruce on said tract; thence south sixty-three east one hundred and ninety perches to a black oak; thence north thirteen east three hundred and forty-eight perches to a spruce; thence north forty west to a white oak one hundred and eighteen perches; thence south sixty and two-thirds perches west four hundred and forty-six perches to a post; thence south sixty-two and two-thirds degrees west seven hundred and two perches to a birch; thence south fifty and a fourth degrees west to a birch six hundred and seventy perches; thence south thirty and a fourth degrees west seven hundred and fifty-six perches to a post; thence south twenty-three and a fourth degrees west one hundred and forty perches to a post; thence west one hundred and ninety perches to a post on the Indiana county line; thence south along the said line eight miles to the Cherry Tree, the boundary corner of Clearfield county; thence east along the line of Cambria county eleven miles to the place of beginning.' This report was received and the new township became such in the same year. Subsequently to this formation of Chest the township of Burnside was composed by contribution from Chest. And before this division was allowed the citizens and inhabitants of Chest strongly opposed any curtailment of their boundaries, which was desired by forming a new township from parts of Chest and Pike. In a petition they presented to court it is stated that they believe such a measure was calculated in many respects to injure the local interest and advantages of Chest township, and 'to render it altogether shapeless and less adapted to and convenient for the transaction of the township concerns.' This was a question which caused much discussion, and the people of the township in order to prevent the forming of this township from parts of Pike and Chest, express themselves in the same petition in which they opposed it, in this way: 'We would therefore respectfully ask the privilege of forming from or out of the said township of Chest a new township to consist of six squares miles, and we as in duty bound will ever pray.' This was then followed by the formation of Burnside township, but somewhat larger than the boundaries named in the petition. We now find Chest township bounded on the north and northeast by Bell, Ferguson and Jordan townships, on the southeast by Beccaria, on the south by Cambria county, and on the west by Burnside township. |