Bathurst Photos

You can find historical background and documents posted under the page "Bathurst Documents".  I will be adding these as I can.

In 2007 while on a business trip to Pennsylvania we were able to travel to central Pennsylvania and to Bellefonte for some genealogy research of the Bathurst line - Grandmother Millers side of the family.  This part of Pennsylvania reminded me a lot of Oregon and I can see why settlers would choose this as a place to stay.

The countryside in Spring Township around Bellefonte Borough











Entering into Bellefonte PA.

Downtown Bellefonte

Buildings in Downtown Bellefonte

Centre County Library and Historical Museum.  This is the repository of historical information and documentation for the area.  We only had one full day and a few hours on the second day to go through this library.  While the building looks small there is a lot of information here!

Going through the files in the Library/Museum basement where hundred year old court papers are kept.  I did not have enough time to copy all of the documents and will need to get back soon to complete the job.  As far as I know these papers are not copied off anywhere and when they deteriorate they are lost forever.

A look at the Eagle Cemetery where many Bathursts are laid to rest

View of the countryside from Eagle Cemetery

View of the countryside from Eagle Cemetery

Old Curtin Cemetery, also known as United Methodist Cemetery, was founded in conjunction with the adjoining church building.

In 1787, Philip Antes moved to Curtin, and began building a mill known as Antes Mill in Bald Eagle. He opened his home to the pioneer circuit riders of the Methodist Episcopal church. Services were held in the mill until the first church was ready for occupancy.

On January 21, 1806, Philip Antes and his wife, Susanna, deeded one-fourth of an acre of ground to six persons: Richard Gonsalus, Frederick Antes, William Forster, Lawrence Bathurst, Abel Daugherty, and Philip Antes, in trust to erect a house of worship. In addition to these individuals, other members of the church were Christopher Helford, Philip Barnhart, Jacob Lee and their families. The church remains active today, over 200 years later.

The monument in front of the cemetery reads, "In memory of Philip and Susanna Antes, in whose log cabin near here, the first Methodist Episcopal Society in the Territory of Centre County, of the Little York and Juniata Circuit, was formed July 1787 by Rev. David Combs, Circuit Rider. Erected by Friend and authorized by the Pennsylvania Historical Commission."

The cemetery does have stone markers that have fallen over, and are not quite completely buried in the ground. They would have to be excavated to determine if any writing appeared on them.

Old Curtin Cemetery is located less than a mile from Eagle Cemetery.

Information regarding the Old Curtin Cemetery provided by Bill Daugherty at:

www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&GSmpid=47228695&CRid=2367658&df=90&pt=Old Curtin Cemetery&

Grave sites located in the Old Curtin Cemetery

Head stone for Lawrence Bathurst, Revolutionary War Soldier and ggggrandfather of Helen May Schade Miller

The Daughters of the American Revolution have a very nice chalk rubbing of this head stone but at this time I do not have a photo copy of that, however, I hope to get that in the future and will provide a copy of it here when I do