Bios: Adam Owry/Oury: Adamsville, Westmoreland/Crawford County, PA
Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Starlene Oary.
starlene@cross-roads1.com
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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD CO. PG 690
Other pioneers of the township were: Fisher Lanty, who came prior to
1798; ADAM OWRY, A Revolutionary soldier, who also came in 1797 or
earlier; his brother John, whose reason was dethroned in consequence of
injuries sustained while running an Indian gauntlet; Samuel Rogers, Hugh
Andrews, James Calvin, James Hart, Samuel Hays, Michael Kincaid, Robert
Kilpatrick, George Linn, John and Robert Lee, David McKee, Thomas
McClenahan, David McGrenahan, William McGinnis, James McCurdy, John
Scowden, Rodney and James Wade and William Wright, many of whom were
Irish or of Irish origin.
Thomas McClellan erected the first saw-mill, east of Adamsville.
(We think this was a brother to Adam's wife)
The first settlers here were the Owrys. Adam Owry was a blacksmith, and
followed his trade here. Owry owned much of the land, which was obtained
from the Pennsylvania Population Land Co. The land was granted to him
for his service in the Revolutionary War. A little hamlet sprang up and
the construction of the canal gave it shape and position. The
settlement was more generally known in its earlier years as Owrytown,
but subsequently acquired the title Adamsville, both names being derived
from that of Adam Owry. Adamsville, as platted by Henry Owry, was
acknowledged February 8, 1841. The original plat contains sixty-four
lots. George Owry was an early tavern-keeper, and Frank Owry operated a
saw-mill.
Adam Oury enlisted in 1775 at Hannastown, Westmoreland Co. Pa became a
private on Aug. 10, 1776 in Capt. William Butlers's Pa. Co. He enlisted
August 10, 1776, served as private in Capt. Samuel Miller's and
Clark's Co., Colonels MacKay's and Broadhead's 8th Pa. Regiment, was in
the Battles and was discharged from the service Dec.,1779. He
re-enlisted in 1781,served as a private in Captain Robert Orr's Co.,
Colonal Archibald Lochry's Pa. Regiment, in a campaign against the
Northwestern Indians was in a battle August 24, 1781, at the mouth of the
Big Miami on the Ohio River, in which they were defeated by the Indians
and all taken prisoner to Detroit where he was held until exchanged in
1783. He resided in Shenango Twp., Crawford Co. in 1819 and in
Fallowfield in 1834--but he had lived in the same location, only the
township boundaries had changed. He had nine children. Adam started a
village and name it Ourysville in Crawford Co. but it got changed to
Adamsville when the post office opened up in 1839 and Adamsville it
remained. It is still there.
deed book #7 - pg. 358 Deed Book #5 - pg. 240 Deed book #7 (part
2) - pg. 352
April 24, 1805 Adam Orey's property - Patent granted April 5, 1797
for "Clover Hill" in Salem Township, Westmoreland Co. It was situated
on the White Thorn Run. This was his father's land that he had bought
from his sisters and brothers on Dec. 4, 1797. (Nicholas Silvis bought
Adam Orey's land)
Adam spelled his name OURY and OUREY
Ref.: Rev. War Pension File #W2964; D.A.R. lineage #68353, Lineage
Book 69, pg. 130; D,A.C. lineage #11186, Lineage Book 12 pg. 65.
Certificate issued means. Tract of land North of Allengheny River and
Ohio River. Sold 200 to 300 acres after 1785 for part time service in
Rev., War. Soldiers who went thru the whole war were given out right 4 tracts of
land 200-500 acres.
This information is from the Publication of the Crawford County
Genealogical Society Vol. XI, No. 2 (Winter 1988). Relatives of Adam
Oury of Fallowfield Township, Crawford Co. Pa., 1754-1836
Adam Oury (in church records it is spelled Uhrich or Uhrig) founded
the village of Adamsville in West Fallowfield Township, Crawford Co.,
Pa. It was originally called "Ourysville" but the post office had been
"Adamsville" since it opened in 1839, and Adamsville the town became.
Adam Oury, according to the D.A.R., was born in Bedford in 1754.(my note
he was born in 1752) He died April 22 or 23, 1836, in Crawford County.
He married April 2, 1787, near Greensburg, Pa. Mary McCelland [VanBuren
according to D.A.R.] who was b. in Chester Co., Pa., April 22, 1766,
and was still living in 1842. My note (she died in Sept. 1844)