Golfers at Murrysville's Meadowink Golf Course seldom notice the historical marker located between the 11th tee and the 13th green. They're generally too busy concentrating on their tee shots or lining up a putt. But those who have spotted the marker are always curious about the story behind it. The inscription reads, "In a log cabin near this site lived the family of Michael Rugh who in 1778 was taken by Indians and held captive for three years." According to current Meadowink owner William Yant Jr., "The marker was erected by the owners of the course around 1980. There was good information that Rugh's original log cabin was located near that spot." Yant explained that his father bought the golf course property in 1939 and farmed it for about 10 years. "We used to hit a lot of stones whenever we plowed the field near where No. 4 tee is now," he said. "When we dug them out, we discovered they were laid out in a rectangular shape. It was a stone foundation for a later log building about 18 feet long by 12 feet wide. We also found a lot of broken pottery in the area." Yant pointed out one of the stones the family recovered from the field. It's engraved with Michael Rugh's initials and the year 1793. "We plan to donate it to the Murrysville Historical Society so it can be displayed in a public place," he said. Early pioneers in the area that became Franklin Township and, eventually, Murrysville, arrived from the counties east of the Allegheny Mountains. They prospered and were followed by a steady stream of settlers before the Revolutionary War, transforming the wilderness into fertile farmland. Around 1772, Michael Rugh Jr., the son of a German immigrant, came from Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania with his parents and siblings just before Westmoreland County was carved from Bedford County. He built a log cabin on property now occupied by the golf course. In those days, Indian hostilities were common occurrences here; settlers were under constant threat of attack. During the Revolutionary War, Michael Rugh, his wife, Phoebe Hawkins Rugh, their young daughter, Mary, and an infant son were captured by the Seneca Indians and their cabin was burned. The family was taken to an Indian village near what is now Oil City, where they spent the winter. The following spring, Michael and Phoebe Rugh were taken separately to Canada. Their infant son didn't survive the journey; it's believed he was killed because he cried too much. Mary Rugh was kept behind with the tribe and was adopted by an elderly Indian squaw. Her parents wouldn't see her again for the next eight years. Although Michael and Phoebe Rugh were held at the same location, for some time neither even knew the other was there. The Rughs remained in Canada for three years, until their release near the end of the war, and then made their way to New York City. From there they returned to their Franklin Township property, where they built another log cabin and began a long search for their missing daughter. Michael Rugh's early land warrant for 302 acres was eventually recorded on Aug. 23, 1784. His additional Franklin Township land acquisitions were recorded later in 1784 and in 1785. When the new government was formed after the Revolution, Michael Rugh was elected to the House of Representatives in Philadelphia, representing Westmoreland County. When he told his fellow delegates about his missing daughter, one of them remembered seeing a white girl living with Indians near the Susquehanna River. When Mary was found, her face and arms were stained to hide her identity. She no longer spoke English and did not want to leave her Indian family. The sum of $10 was paid for her release, and she was returned to her parents, whom she no longer recognized. Although it took several years to adjust to life with her family, Mary was re-educated in English, as well as the white man's ways. Then she was sent to Bethlehem to continue her education. Upon completion of his term in office, Michael Rugh returned to his Franklin Township property, where he built a fine, new home. It was constructed of stone to provide protection against potential Indian attacks. He also built a grist mill along a nearby stream across what is now Sardis Road. Michael Rugh brought the plans for the house from Philadelphia. The stones were obtained from a nearby quarry along present-day School Road. The stately, two-story house was constructed in front of a free-standing summer kitchen, also built of stone. The house became generally known as the Philadelphia Mansion. Michael and Phoebe Rugh lived there until their deaths, Phoebe in 1809 and Michael in 1820. In 1794, Mary married Jacob Haymaker, who later became a judge. Their grandsons, Michael and Obediah Haymaker, drilled Murrysville's famous gas well (the first in the country) in 1878. Shortly after Phoebe Rugh's death, Michael Rugh married Catherine Schmidt, said to be a "fancy lady from Philadelphia." Their daughter, Catherine Michael, married William Meanor, a descendent of another Murrysville pioneer family. Eventually inherited by Mary and Jacob Haymaker, the "mansion" became known as the Haymaker House. The property surrounding the Haymaker and Meanor houses later was divided among the descendents of Mary Rugh Haymaker and Catherine Rugh Meanor. During the 1940s, the Rugh/Haymaker house served as a restaurant where Mrs. Meister served her popular chicken dinners every Sunday afternoon. Michael Rugh's old stone house is located on three acres along Sardis Road, adjacent to Meadowink Golf Course. The house was purchased by Dick and Nancy Miller in 1985. Nancy Miller was always interested in old houses; it was her dream to buy and restore a historic house. She searched as far away as New England before finding this one for sale, not far from her home in Murrysville. Nancy Miller is an interior designer who has also studied home restoration. Her son, Mark, has a degree in historical preservation and restoration. The family would need all the knowledge and hard labor they could muster for the restoration effort over the course of the next decade. The interior of the stone house has been authentically restored to its original three-bay arrangement with the staircase again located in the center of the first floor as it was first constructed. Interior painted floor and trim colors were duplicated from the original colors, found by scraping many layers of old paint from the original woodwork. The mid-section, which was the Rughs' summer kitchen, is now the home's dining room. There's a large cooking fireplace with the original trammel, or swinging crane, still in place; it held the iron kettle above the fire. Now remarried, Nancy Miller Smith outlined the extent of the restoration work. "We removed a second story above the summer kitchen that previous owners added," she said. "The stone interior, including the cooking fireplace, had been covered with knotty pine boards that we tore out. The first-floor interior walls of the house had been eliminated, forming one big room. The walls were rebuilt, restoring the first floor to its original layout. "We removed flooring that had been laid on top of the original floors and scraped off all the old layers of paint," she added. "We found an original piece of chair rail that allowed us to duplicate the interior trim." A two-story, timber-frame addition was added, with the summer kitchen forming the center of the house, joined with the restored stone house in the front and the rear addition, forming an attractive blend of old and new. Smith extensively researched Michael Rugh and his house. "Rugh was a lawyer who was known for his opposition to slavery," she explained. "It was his dream to have a stone house, much like the fine homes in Philadelphia. I wanted to make it the way Michael built it -- a restoration, not a renovation." The restored house serves as a permanent reminder of the sacrifices made by Michael Rugh and his family, as well as the contributions of his descendents toward the development of the Murrysville community. History is often found where we least expect it. Whether it's a historical marker on a golf course or a historic old house, these Murrysville residents are proud of their heritage and recognize the importance of preserving it for future generations.

---

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---