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GEN
E ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 1833 01775 4307
GENEALOGY 974 EA76
JAN 6 1959
EARLY HISTORICAL EVENTS
IN THE DELAWARE VALLEY
12 928, 346;7 1 2
DATE MICROFILM 76 March 15 ITEM ON ROLL 12 CAMERA NO. JLC-12
CATALOGUE NO.
XLIB 7P102 # 47
Published by The Wayne County Citizen
1927
GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
58304
Allen County Public Library -900 Webster Street PO Box 2270 Fort !!:: >> IN! 46801-2270
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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2019
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Gift: Mrs. VerNa Jacob Ang. 1958 April 22.1927
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT TO OUR READERS
Beginning noxt Tuesday THE WAYN E COUNTY CITIZEN will publish exclusively an historical series of articles dealing with the early history of the Del- aware Valley. We have engaged a veteran newspaper man to write this series . JOHN T. BRADLEY, (photo inserted) a resident of Tyler Hill Damascus townshop, who is personally familiarly with much of the early history of the Delaware Valley and who will add to his personal knowledge by drawing on the knowledge of others and also data of previous historians. r. Bradley needs no intro- duction. He is without doubt the most capable newswriter in Wayne County. He not only has something worth while to say about anything, but he always writes most interestingly. about these things.
Mr. Bradley has written many years for different Wayne and Sullivan Co. (N.Y. ) papers under the names of R.E.A. and R. E. Porter, and under captions as Along the Delaware, Delavare Vallen News, and Across the Delaware. This series will not only be very interesting but will also serve as a valuable contribution to the historical lore of Wayne County.
For the benefit of those who have not met Mr. Bradl cy personally , we are printing herewith a likoness of him, and now we wish to introduce you dir. and Mrs. Reader meet your old friend, Mr. Bradley.
EARLY HISTORICAL EVENTS IN THE DELAWARE VALLEY (By John T. Bradley) April 29,1927
(A series of historical articles of interest to everyone who resides in the Delaware section of the county. )
(The following article is an introduction to the series of historical Sketches being written for the WAYNE COUNTY CITIZEN (Pennsylvania) by the veteran writer, Bradley. It Should have appeared in the last issue woth the first chapter. )
Even thrice told tales carry interest to someone. The bit of local history pertaining to the Damascus section of the Delaware Valley may be old and trite to some while to others it may be new and welcome information. In writing this brief sketch we are at a loss where to start and if we hhance to start in the middle and work both ways the news to the present generation may be just as acceptible aso long as it tells them something new. Frou the time the little pioneer bands of white people had to combat with the craftiness of their red skilled foc there has been many links in the local chain lost many accounts are only traditional and in such accounts it is easy to vary.
It is our intention to start about the beginning of the last completed cen- tury and to treat on civic and industrial welfare at the time when the
Newburg to Cochecton turnpike, and later the Cochecton to Great Bend section of that wonderful undertaking to lay out and build a thoroughfare for traffic for a tallyho coach and four to speed over. This was the all absorbing theme of the day and continued to be until the iron horse of the Erie made its ad- vent nearly four decades later. The section of the turnpike from the Hudson to the Delaware was finished in about 1810 and from here to the western ter- minal about two years later. If the reader has ever gone over the route especially westward from the Delaware he has found some great hills. It has been said that when the route was being surveyed those at bhis work were promised a drink of gin or their choice of distelled beverages at the top of every hill. Accordingly scouts were sent ahead at night to build bonfires O
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on the top of every ascent and the surveyors blazed a trail co this.
We have no record as to how the coaches got across the Delaware but suppose for a time the stream must have been forded near where the bridges spanned the river in later years and at the present day. As early as 1815 we have record of a man named Oliver H. CALKIN operating a ferry here and continued to do so until the first bridge was erected in 1821. Perhaps this man start- ed the ferry following the western section of the turnpike in 1812. The opening of the turnpike gave the people fere new impetus and new buildings spring up. The Calkin nancd, built a hotel at the terminal of the turnpike on the New York state aide. Afterward BURTON ANGEL took it over and ti was sold to MartinO'REILLY, the forebear of the Reillys of today. This was a- bout the time of the advent of the Erio railroad in 1894 and Nathan Mitchell built a hotel where G. L. Eldred has a grocery. THE LUKENS FAMILY
On top of the second hill from the elaware river lived a Lukens family. Here the stage company had a relay station. A blacksmith shop was there, for showing the horses and doing repair work. Richard Lukens, a son of the pro- prietor, was the blacksmith. He was known as Big Dick. It is said that when he picked up a horse's foot to shoe it he held it with the grip of a vice. To give some ideal of the giant ho was wo will say he wore a no XIY boot. We say the last over which his footwear was ande. These lasts were turned to order, and even then a strip of sole lesther was tacked to the side to make them wide enough, Some of the old buildings stand at this plece
yot, the one especially used for the horses. In the loft of this building, Lorenzo Dow, the famous divine, preached one Sunday, the people coning for milos, mostly on foot, to hear him.
Alonzo D. RUTLEDGE of Galilee, then of tender age, is proud to tell that he was one of that congregation. They service was in the spacious loft which had hastily been improvised with rude foras or benches and all had to cokab a ladder on the outside of the build- ing and crawl through an open window hole to get into this auditorium. In those days women wore crinoline or flaring hoop skirts. Reader, you and we were not there but what did they do with the men while the ladies were climb- ing the ladder? The relay station was later moved to Tyler Hill and was kept by Israel Tyler. These old buildings remained in use until razed by Thomas Griffith after he purchased the Tyler estate. Wayne County took over the turnpike and through the influence of representative men residing along it, has for five miles west from Delaware river been made a water bound stone road.
THE FIRST SCHOOL
The first school in this section of the Delaware Valley, of which we can find any record was started and taught by Charles Irvine some time between 1796 and 1800 and the first public school was orected on the hill about a mile west from the river. It was the little"Red Schoolhouse" on the hill and when it was discontinued for school purposes and the new schoolhouse built "in town" the old one was bought by Joseph Parsons and dused as a workshop where he made coffing, as they were then called, as he was then undertaker. In 1849 a stock company erected and chartered the Damascus Union Academy at a cost of $1050/ Rev. Abijah M. CALKIN. a Baptist preacher, was the first principal. It was a wonderful school, even men of families attending it. The old school building was remodled in 1880 and the stock company dissolved. CHURCH BUILDING
A the date now mentioned two buildings for church purposes had been erected in what is now Damascus village. The first was erected by Thomas SHIELDS the-foundop-of-Damaseus and used by the Baptists until 1831 when a new edi- fice was erected by the members on the present site. Thomas Shields, the founder of Damascus, and probably the man who named it, in 1796 bought a large tract of land and gave it the name of Damascus Manor. The Methodist Episcopal circuit was established in 1831 but no church was built until 1857.
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they having worship in a Union Church with the Presbyterians in Cochecton. When they built on the present site their interest and good will was trans- ferred to the Presbyterians who then became sols owners of the Cochecton edifice.
(Another article under the same caption soon to follow. Ed. )
April 25,1927
RAFTING
From the time Danic1SKINNER, in 1764 guided his float of pine trees, for they were nearly all full length trees intended for ship masta, down the torentous Delaware to the time the largest raft that was taken down the samo water highway almost a century and quarter later, great activities took form along the Delaware, pot in this section alone, but webrever timber was in reach. Skinner with six trees lashed together as a raft, the smallest over taken down tho stream, had opened up a new industry and hundreds of timber owners rushed into the business. Many quit almost in beggary, fow got rich at it, But think of the lumber sent down this river in that cen- tury and quarter when one raft sont down by George ABRAMAN in 1885 and steered by John B. Conklin, had dimensions of 215 feet in length and Såg in
width. Much of the lumber was run in log form, later in wharf timber; that is, with about one third hewn away leaving a flat face. AB lumber grew scarcor fertile braids conceived the idea of ripping a log throug the center thus making two sticks from one. But this did not moet with fa- vor by contractors and companies who were having the dock or wharf constructe as often they were too thin to wear long. There was an old pit on the bank of the delaware not far from the now State Bridge where a man and his wife ripped logs into wharg timber. The woman stood on the top and pulled the saw up , the man in the pit bolow pulled down. This one is the olly lastance to reach us traditionally. Wo never saw the one mentioned. To mentlos bere sil tho crude methods used in those early days would consume toomuch time and waste too much clean white paper, yet they would ao doubt interest the render. But we will mention that for a long time lumber was hauled to the river by oxen, A long log would be loaded with one ond upon a bob sled, the other end rosting upon the ground and to this rear end another and shorter log would be fastened by a tug chain as a trailer. Often one man would minago two teams or yokes of oxen thas loaded.
CIVIC PROGRESS
Industrial progress was being advanced. Civic life was also taking form. At the completion of the turnpike from Newburg to Cochecton in 1810 a post of- fico was established in what later was called Old Cochectée and Major Eben- exor TAYLOR appointed as postmaster. Ilis commission was givon by President James Madison, the fourth president. Major Taylor continued in office until his death in 1321 when he was succeeded by John T. AVERY who had cone to Cochecten from Chenango county and was at the time conducting a jewelry store Avery continued in office for a few years and resigned. lle soon moved into Pennsylvania locating nearing Barnes"s Corners. now Schweighofer's Corners where be raised a family and attained an old agee.
BRIDGE BUILDING
Traffic was at this time increasing so rapidly that scow accommodation for crossing the river was not popular, neither satisfactory and the matter of putting a bridge across the Delaware was agitated. Such matters even with necessity goading into action, moved slowly and it was not until 1817 that a charter to bridge the Delaware was granted. This charter was for sixty year. but was renewed at its expiration in 1878. The work of constructing a wooden bridge was at once commenced by a man known as Major WHEAT. As the structure had but one center support, or pier, its own weight soon caused it to fall. Undaunted by their failure and to profit by it another bridge was commenced in 1820 by the same builder the charter members being the same, viz, WILLIAM TYLER, BENJAMIN CONKLIN, HOSES THOMAS, JOSEPH MITCHELL, WILLIAM BROWN. This company was made an incorporate company at the completion of the second
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bridge, when a toll house and gate at the end of the bridge was also granted them. This second bridge was a two-pier structure and it was completed the following year, 1821. This one gave better service than the preceding one and stood the test until the spring of 1846. All the bridges thus far seemed in Some way to be of faulty construction. The year following the collapse of the second Wheat bridge, 1847, a bridge known as the Bonton bridge was constructed. In the spring of 1848 the New York state span went down connected with the falling of this span was a humorous incident that rightly belongs in here. An orange county drover with an unusually large drove of cows had just passed ovor the structure. The drover thought the tollkaker charged hin an exorbi- tant aum to get the drove across and it put him in a very bad humor. Near the village ho met a man who proved to be Ellery T Calkin and to him told his grieveance. Why, said Mr. Calkin, they charge me es much. But siad the drover they did not charge it for me, they made me pay cash down. And then and thero he breathed a rather hot prayer for the Bridge Company and wished that the structure might fall before he got out of sight of it and this is the span than did fall before he and his drove had gotten to Roper's Hotel about three
ziles away. Three years later the Pennsylvania span went down. This was in 1857. The fallen spea on this side was also replacod and the bridge stood until carried away by the break-up February 8, 1857. This was the same spring that the memorable three foot snow fell April 20. Very singuair and very fortunate thist no one happened to be on any of the structures when they went down. While the bridges were down a seow was used and when a drove of cattle came along there was fun alive. On one of these occasions when Bateman Mitchell was in charge of the scow a refractory steer leapod the guard rail into the river and Bateman, then a young man, leaped after it landing as he intended upon the steer's back. The animal headed across the river and our horo guided it safely to the New York side. By that time his helper had & scow load ocross also. Sometimes there would be three or nor scow loads in a drove.
CHAPTER III Xay 10,1927
The coming of the Erie was the going of the Turnpike Company but in its life of four decades the latter had caused the location of many hamlets which sprang up along its route, Taverns, as they were thon called, seemed to tako the lead among buildings. The one at Rileyville was built by FRANK BLAIR, an unclo of Jamos Blair, who in his 35th year now resides on the top of Four Story Hill. This hostelry changed landlords often and lept in ser- vice until the Volstead act forced it to the wall. It seems strange that fower taverns were built upon the Damascus side of the Delaware than on the Cochecton. A tavern was built in 1794 by Reuben Skinner, oldest son of "Ad- miral " Daniel Skinner, at Bush's Eddy at the head of St. Tammany Flats. In the same year Koorczer Taylor built one on the bank of the Delaware, near the eddy named in bis honor. This is said to bo the first tavern built in western Sullivan Co. Rouben Skinner and wife both deod in 1812 and were buried in the Baptist cometery connected with the Shield church, the house nos owned by Watson L. Tyler. When the Baptists erected a new edifico on the present location in 1631 and opened a nev cemetery on the knoal between the church and the Delaware river, the bodies of Skinner and his wife were exhumed and re-interrod in the now cemetery. Nearly, if not all of the other bodies were also removed. The old church and lot were bought in 1848 by John Bradley and a few years later sold to his brother, Robert, who in 1872 had the build- ing lowered to a story and a half and modeled into a dwelling house, Since then it has changed owners four timos.
The turnpike company maintained toll houses and a gate at certain distances along their right of way. One of those dates was on the alppe east of Tyler Hill village between the residence of H.C. Jackson and James Balth and tho spot where the house stood is yet marked by a clump of June rose bushes. When the old route was finally abandoned the road was given over tothe town- shops thru which it passed. Later tho Commissioners of Wayne took over the section under their jurisdiction. Thus what was once a giant enterprise e- ventually went to naught by something more powerful running it to the wall by better service, better dispatch.
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THE COMING OF THE ERIE
On a quiet frosty day in December in 1848 the Erie Company sent an engine and tender to make a test trip to a point west of Callicoon, or as far as the track was finished. We imagine this locomotive was some crude affair con- pared with a twentieth century locomotive. THE ERIE OR THE DEVIL
ABRAHAM CANFIELD, forboar of the present Canfield camilies in this locality, owned a large timber tract on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware opposite Rock Run, extending from the river well bach upon the hill above. On this memorable day Abraham's son and a hired man named Alexander McIntyre were on this slope starting logs with a yoke of oxen. The trees were so dense that one could not see in any direction except upward. These men were both enter ing the years of manhood. In the afternoon a peculiar coise attracted their attnetion . They knew it was not the distant screech of an eagle, the contin- uous yelp of a wolf, nor the blood-curdling yell of a panther for to them these sounds were all too familiar. They continued at work. Suddenly this noise came closer and was of a weird nature and as the slope caught up the sound and sent it reverberating to the other hillside in echo it became to bhe men demonic. They stood still. John S. Cunfield, familiarly called Jach, said to Alex, it must be the devil and he started homo through a short cut calling for Alex to bring the oxen. The supernatural noise was the whistle o: tho approaching Erie locomotive opened to capacity and the clanking of irons to irons made the two men think the devil thad broken his chains and was on the rampage. It was several days before the matter was made clear to thom and the others of the household. They had heard that a locomotive way soon to be sent over the new track but bad not the remotest idea what it was like or the noise that would emanate from it. In later years it amused them to re- call and recount this story. The followingyear, 1849, the road was opened to freight and passendor traffic.
OTHER ENGERPRISES
The advent of the railroad opened up another new enterprise, that of cutting and delivering cord wood to the stations to be used as fuel in the locomotives as they were all equipped with wood-burning furnaces. There was no such thing as buzzing wood then, a buck-saw and a good pair of elbows doing the stunt. A building boom for those days set in. Taverns, or hotels, came to the front. The Cocheoton house was built in 1849. Ellery T. Calkin built his temperance hotel the same year and in 1850 he was appointed postmaster under the admin- istration of Zachary Taylor and he moved the office frem up town to the depot. John VanBuren, mon of President Martin VanBuren, in the campaign of 1352. made this temperance house his headquarters when touring Sullivan county in the interest of the Democrat party.
By going back poior to 1849 we find that George BUAH conducted a temperance hotel on the lower end of St. Tammany Flats on the Pennsylvania sido of the Delaware. The lack of aversion to spiritous liquors in those carly days creates a wonder that such houses were maintained. It is said that the oldest tavern in existence still is one at Dingman's Ferry. For a long time after its business career was over it was used as a shelter for the Quick family, of whom Tom Quick, the famous Indian slayer, was one. The iron material including locks and hinges bore evidence of being hand forged. Volney Skinner conduct-
od a hotel in Milanville in the 60'd and accommodated raftsmen. The build- ing stands yest and is occupéed by his two daughters, the Misses Florence and Elizabeth. Lodging houses or taverna were a necessity along the river in rafting days for it is said that two or three hundred men at once would seek lodging in small villages. Even farmhouses gave lodging to reaftenen although the location of the homes were remote from the river. Å landing was often forced between the eddies where regular stopping places were. This would be the case when an eddy was full or when the man on shore failed to snub. Nit coming on the raft would be pulled ashore at some other spot.
The last man to take toll for the Cochection Bridge Company was Willian Mc- Intyre, and the last man to take toll for the Turnpike Company in the toll house east of Tyler Mill was Benjamin Conklin. He married a daughter of James Honington.
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HISTORICAL INFORMATION WANTED
Note - Anyone in the Delaware Valley having historicl data, either on record or traditional such as we need for our articles in the Citizen and will be so kind as to send them to me I will feel very much indebted to them. With- out such assistance it will be impossible for us to make these sketches as concise and yet as complete as they should be. If you have only a little in- formation that Couches on the points send it and we will weave it in where it belongs. These sketches are intended for future reference as mich as for the-present entertaining trading at the present. Address the writer at Damascus. Thank you.
A CORRECTION
There are one or two errora in two dates in the previous sketches. İn speaki: of the Benton Bridges spans falling it says the Pennsylvania span fell three years later. This was in 1351. the type has it 1867. A line or two below the "Benton Bridge" a new sontonce is starting with a small C and no preceding. In the introductory it should read red skinned foe; not "red skille foe". In the intorductory ahovo the Lukens family 1884 should ne 1849. CHAPTER IV. EARLY HISTORICAL EVENSS IN THE DELAWARE VALLEY
May 20,1927
The early Europeans called the natives they found in America Indians. Those we wish to namo here were the Algonquins, or Lenni Lenape later designated as Delawares as they were located along the Delaware river, a stream named in honor of a European noblezan. The Delaware valley became the seat of their governomat, called the Indian Condederacy. As this condederacy increased in numbers they divided into tribes which left the parent stock. But they still looked up to the Delawarss and gave them long after the reverential title of "grandfather". EARLY SETTLERS
From the time of 1638, that along the lower waters of this river was peopled by the Swedes and Fins the Delaware was an open highway or gateway for the whites to reach the lands bordering upon it to its sources but Lord de La Ware did not live long to enjoy life in the new found world along the river named in his honor. Knowing what was likely to be not made civilization slow in pushing their way into the unknown. However, tradition says that in 1750 Moses Thomas, an Englishman from some of the English settlements along the Atlantic coast came up the Delaware and established a trading post with the Indians, locating about midway between what is now the village of Damascus and Milanville. He is said to have been the first white men to locate in what is now Damascus towpshop. This statement has been contradicted. and to get the real truth one must dig into the graves of antiquity and perhaps then fail. The farm where this man located is today known as the Thomas farm and is now owned by the heirs of James E. Orr. We find that in 1754 Dr/John Calkil Joseph Skinner, and Bazalleil came from Connecticut across the Hudson at what is now Kingston and settled on the west side of the Delaware. Dr. Calkin settèed near the Cochecton Falls, Tyler settled at what is now Damascus, and Skinner settled on/Tammany Flats. Dr. Cilkin was the first man to practice medicine in this section of the Delaware. Other pioneers who located at Milan- ville (Eushetunk then) were Simon Calkin, John Ross, Jesse Drake, Nicholas Conklin, Nathan Mitchell, Robert Land. Some years later or about 1760 David Young, a Scotchman settled at Big 'sland and still later camo William Conklin, the forebear of all the Conklin families in this valley.
Joseph Skinner, father of "Admiral" Daniel Skinner sold to the latter the St. Tammany Flats. Soon after this transaction Joseph was shot and killed at Tay- lor's Eddy about a mile above Cochecton Bridge (now State Bridge) by some lurking foe in ambush as he was returning from attending a treaty with the Indians. Other men came with the contingent of path blazers but time and spa forbids us going too much into detail.
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