BEESONTOWN

Henry Beeson 63, and his young wife, Mary Martin moved from Berkeley County to Red Stone Creek, Fayette County, Pennsylvania on pack mules about 1768 where he built a grist mill on the stream. A settlement soon gathered about him which was first know as Beesons Mill and then later as Beesontown in 1776. Henry Beeson sold lots in Beesontown on July 4, 1776 for forty shillings for each quarter acre lot and one half of a Spanish milled dollar each payable annually forever. As before stated his brother Jacob Beeson had also formed a little settlement so on July 4, 1796, the two settlements were incorporated into Uniontown and a compromise was made and the lots sold with a warranty deed for eight dollars.

In the War of the Revolution, the armies of General Crawford and General Wayne were mostly recruited from the vicinity of Beesontown. Henry Beeson supplied the army with flour from his mill and was paid in continental money and land script. The former depreciated and the lands were located principally in Kentucky and Ohio. These were later surveyed by John Madison, brother to President Madison. As he was returning from his survey he was killed by the Indians and some of the papers were lost making the proof of ownership difficult. Settler’s had located and partly proven title to some of the land so taking it back would have been a serious and difficult problem. The heirs of Henry Beeson finally decided to sign away any claim they might have on these lands.

Uniontown grew to quite an industrial town and became the county seat of Fayette County. In the corridor of the Court House a bronze tablet bears the following inscription:

 

 

"In Memory of Henry Beeson

Born May 19, 1743 Died Feb 23, 1819

Founder of Uniontown and

The Doner of the

Central Public Grounds

On which this

Court House Stands

Henry and Mary Beeson lived in Uniontown until about 1804 when they removed to Mount Pleasant, Ohio, where they both died.