Michael Barndollar

On 07 March of 1787, Michael Barndollar, originally from Philadelphia but in the 1780s living in Frederick County, Maryland, purchased a tract of land encompassing a little over four hundred acres in Colerain Township from John Musser of Lancaster. Through the 1760s and 1770s, John Musser bought up quite a number of tracts of land in Northumberland, Westmoreland and Bedford Counties. Musser, apparently, was an 'absentee' land speculator. Like so many other individuals, Musser stayed down east but purchased lands in the frontier regions during the earliest years of the county. The eastern land speculators bought many tracts in order to resell them and make nice profits without having to do any work of clearing them of trees, rocks and so forth.

The document made out between John Musser as grantor and Michael Barndollar as grantee was actually a mortgage with certain bonds due over a period of time. The date of instrument was 07 March 1787 and the last bond was due on 01 March 1794. That could explain why it was not until 1795 that Mr. Barndollar laid out a town within the tract.

Michael Barndollar laid out a town plat on 15 June 1795. He named it Waynesburg. The name, according to some historians, was in honor of 'Mad' Anthony Wayne, a hero of the American Revolutionary War. But according to a pamphlet produced in 1971, it was stated that the name was bestowed in honor of a man named George Wayne. Unfortunately for an accurate history of Everett Borough, no one knows who George Wayne was. The name does not appear in the published Pennsylvania Archives; he apparently was not a notable figure in Pennsylvania's historical record. Also, the original 1795 survey of Waynesburg is no longer extant. It would appear that the town was laid out with lots flanking a primary street, named Main Street, which lay parallel to the original Forbes Road. Local historians currently believe that Foundry Street defines the path of Forbes Road. Since Main Street lies parallel, one block to the south of Foundry Street, it suggests that Michael Barndollar wanted to avoid the heavily traveled Forbes/Great Road.

Michael Barndollar initially built a home on the west side of the Bloody Run stream along the Forbes Road, which by the 1790s had become known as the Great Road. He is claimed to have built a hotel near his own house, but the exact location is unidentified.

In 1802, Michael Barndollar erected a stone structure to the east of Bloody Run, in which he resided and maintained a tavern and store. The stone structure is still standing at 128 E. Main Street and is in business under the name of the Union Hotel.

In spite of Michael Barndollar's desire for his village to be named Waynsburg, most people called it Bloody Run. After his death, Michael's wishes were ignored when the townsfolk decided to incorporate into a borough. On 22 November 1860, the Court of the Quarter Sessions of the Peace for Bedford County granted incorporation status to the village of Bloody Run, thereby making it the third village in Bedford County to become a borough (after Bedford in 1795 and Schellsburg in 1838).

Michael Barndollar had apparently become ill at the start of the year 1818. On 21 February of that year, he and his wife, Catharine, entered into a number of indentures which would be recorded on 07 April 1818. Those indentures were made out to sell certain tracts of land to their sons Jacob, Michael Jr., Peter and Daniel. Michael Barndollar made out his will on 25 March 1818, and died on the 29th.