USA > New York > Tioga County > Our county and its people : a memorial history of Tioga County, New York > Part 9
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Andrew J. Lang.
William II. Cole.
Leon O. Wiswell. Osear Granger.
Lemuel D. Vose.
CHAPTER IX.
Character of the Pioneers of Tioga County-Incidents of Pioneer Life-Increase in Population-Early Steamboatiug on the Susquehanna-Old Mail Routes and Ser- vice-The Days of the Stage Coach-Brief Reference to the War of 1812-15.
F OR more than a quarter of a century following the close of the revolution nothing occurred to interrupt or retard the progress and developement of the Susquehanna Valley after its permanent settlement had once begun. During this period, the region of Tioga county was favored in a remarkable degree. The New England pioneers were a hardy and patriotic class, and under their energetic efforts lands were cleared, the forests gave place to farms of rare fertility, and the agricultural resources were thus developed to an extent which more than supplied domestic requirements.
In writing of the early settlement of the county and the char- acter of its pioneers, Mr. Warner says : "Several causes operated to bring settlers to the county of Tioga from several localities. The army of General Sullivan, which passed through the valley in the summer of 1779, was composed of officers and soldiers from New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York. The officers of the expedition were astonished at the advance the Iro- quois had made in agriculture." A letter of General James Clin- ton states that the corn was "the finest he had ever seen," and another officer states that there were ears of corn that measured twenty-two inches in length.
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"The broad valleys of the Susquehanna, Chenango, and Che- mung, with their rich fields of corn and orchards of apple trees, must have presented to the soldiers an inviting and attractive appearance, as contrasted with the sandy soil of New Jersey, and the rocks and harder soil of Connecticut and Massachusetts. Upon returning to their homes at the close of the war, these sol- diers carried their reports of the territory they had traversed to their friends and neighbors in their several states."
"We have seen that Massachusetts claimed the territory which forms the county of Tioga, and, as early as 1787, made a grant, which, not being disputed, as was the case with grants of the ter- ritory of Wyoming, many settlers in the Wyoming valley aban- doned their possessions and came to this county to find new homes; and Tioga thus gained some of her very best citizens among the early settlers from that locality. These coming mainly from Mas- sachusetts and Connecticut, brought with them the general char- acteristics of the people of those states. Among them were men and women of culture and refinement, who exerted a powerful influence in restraining others who might have been inclined to acts of lawlessness."
"In general, this body of pioneers was composed of entire fam- ilies ; and the good order maintained was greatly owing to the presence of the noble wives, mothers, and sisters of the pioneers, and who, while sharing in the hardships and privations incident to a pioneer life, presented examples of piety, virtue, and true womanly heroism. Scantily furnished with domestic utensils and implements of husbandry, a spirit of liberality and mutual assist- ance was fostered. Many had for years suffered the fatigues and hardships of service in the army, and came empty-handed, but with stout hearts, to carve for themselves a home in the new set- tlement. The exigencies of a pioneer life are always severe, but frugal means lead to frugal habits ; common necessities unite a community in a common brotherhood. Doubtless there were many incidents, in the lives of these early settlers, of generosity and bravery, but when all were brave and generous so little notice was taken of such deeds that no record of them was thought to be necessary, nor is there record of a single act of violence."
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
"The settlements at Owego, Tioga, Nichols, Berkshire, and Spencer must have increased quite rapidly in population, and an incident happened as early as 1803 that gives some idea of the number of inhabitants at that time. * A lad of seven years was lost in the forest, and a paper published at the time states that four hundred persons were out in search of the boy."
"For a period of five years the people were obliged to convey their grain to be ground either to Wilkesbarre or to Fitch's mill on the Chenango, by canoes. In 1793 Col. David Pixley built a grist-mill on the west side of the Owego creek, a very great relief and convenience to the inhabitants of this part of the county. Game and fish were abundant, but so needful a condiment as salt was laboriously transported on pack-horses along the Indian trail from Onondaga."
As evidence of the substantial growth of the county even dur- ing the pioneer period of its history, the statement may be made that in 1800 the number of inhabitants within its limits was 6,862, and that notwithstanding the fact that in 1798 Chenango county was formed in part from Tioga, taking from Tioga a large territory and also a good population. In 1810 the number had increased to 7,899 the county then being so reduced in area, comparatively, as to include only that part of its original territory as was situated between the pre-emption line and Owego creek. During the next decade the population substantially doubled, being 14,716 accord- ing to the census of 1820, while the enumeration of 1830 showed a population of 27,690. In 1836 Chemung county was set off from Tioga, by which the number of inhabitants in the mother shire was reduced to 20,527 in 1840, as against 33,999 in 1835. No re- ductions in the territory of Tioga were subsequently made, and from that time the various changes in population are best noted by quoting from census tables, as follows : In 1845 the inhabitants numbered 22,456 ; 1850, 24,880 ; 1855, 26,962 ; 1860, 28,748 ; 1865, 30,572 ; 1870, 33,178; 1875, 32,915; 1880, 32,673 ; 1885, no enume- * This lad grew up to be the well known and venerable Hon. John McQuigg of Spencer. He represented the county in the legislature of 1842. Hc had been sent toward evening on the occasion mentioned, in search of the cows, accompanied by the house dog ; and wandered in the woods a weck before found, living upon water-cresscs and berries, protected from wild animals by his faithful dog .- Ed.
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ration ; 1890, 29,935, and in 1892, according to the count of that year, 29,675.
Another element of history general to the county rather than local were some of the early internal improvements, and among these may be mentioned the state road leading from Kaatskill Landing, on the Hudson, to the town of Catharines, then (1797) in Tioga but now in Schuyler county. The completion of this work led to a later enterprise within the county in the construc- tion of the Owego and Ithaca turnpike. The company was incor- porated in 1807 (April 6) by the legislature, and the prime movers of the enterprise, incorporators named in the act, were Mason Wattles, John Hollenback, Lemuel Brown, Eleazer Dana, Charles Pumpelly, John H. Avery, Nathan Camp, Jabez Beers, John Smith, Archer Green, and Eleazer Smith. By the construction of this highway ready connection with all the leading thorough- fares of the state was given to the inhabitants of the southern and central portions of the county.
In an editorial note in one of Mr. Warner's articles is found this incident connected with the construction of the Owego and Ithaca turnpike : A contest arose between the owners of the two rival taverns in Front street (Owego), the Bates tavern (site of Ahwaga House) and the Franklin (the old Goodman tavern, northeast cor- ner of Front and Court streets) as to the terminus of the road at Owego. The present McMaster street was the original highway leading north ward from the village. Each of the owners of these public houses strove to secure the terminus of the turnpike at his inn. The contest was sharp and even bitter. The proprietors of the turnpike finally compromised the matter by fixing the termi- nus of the road at the intersection of North avenue with Main street, about midway between the rival taverns.
"The opening of this avenue " (the turnpike), says Mr. Warner, "gave an outlet from the north, through the county, to Owego upon the Susquehanna, and a very considerable traffic in salt, plaster, flour, and grain was carried on to supply the markets in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Large storehouses were built at Owego, and for many years this was the principal source of supply of these articles for a large territory. The traffic became so large,
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
in fact, that in 1825 an effort was made to navigate the Susque- hanna by steamboat, but it was not only a failure, but in one in- stance caused a serious disaster by the explosion of its boiler."
Navigation on the Susquehanna .- In connection with the subject of river navigation the statement may be made that in 1825 three steamboats were built for the purpose of experimenting on the Susquehanna. One of these was the Cadorus, built at York Haven, Penna., by Davis, Gordon & Co., which was constructed chiefly of sheet iron. Her first voyage up the river was begun in the spring of 1826, and finally Binghamton was reached. The Cadorus remained at Owego some time and was tied up in Hollenback's eddy. The complete voyage occupied four months and as its re- sult the originators considered river navigation under then existing conditions as impracticable. The second boat of the year was the Susquehanna, built in Baltimore by a company of capitalists who desired to secure and control the river traffic. This boat was eighty feet long, a stern-wheeler, with thirty horse-power, and a carrying capacity sufficient for one hundred passengers. The trial trip up the river began May 5, 1826, but in the ascent of the rapids at Berwick, Columbia county, Penna., the boat struck a rock and foundered, and at the same instant her boiler exploded. Several persons were killed or wounded by this accident, among them William Camp, father of George Sidney Camp, of Owego. The third boat of the season was the Pioneer, built and operated on the West Branch, but, like her companions of the year, she proved a failure.
In Owego the first steamboat built was the "Susquehannah," so plainly lettered on her paddle wheels, the peculiar spelling of the name being the source of considerable comment and discussion among the people. This boat was built for the purpose of carry- ing merchandize and passengers between Owego and Wilkesbarre, including intermediate stations, and on the return voyage her owners proposed to carry a cargo of coal from the mouth of the Lackawanna.
This famous boat was built by New York contractors for the use of the Susquehanna Steam Navigation Company, an organized association having a capital stock of $50,000. July 16, 1834, a
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PIONEERS AND PIONEER LIFE.
committee comprising John R. Drake, Stephen Strong, William A." Ely, Henry W. Camp, Stephen B. Leonard and Thomas Far- rington met at the old Owego hotel and appointed Mr. Camp and Mr. Ely a sub-committee to obtain subscriptions to the capital stock of the then proposed company ; and on the 19th of the same month a committee of Wilkesbarre citizens was appointed to meet the Owego committee at Towanda, to consult as to the best meas- ures expedient to be adopted to establish permanent steamboat navigation on the river.
August 21, 1834, the stockholders of the company held a meet- ing at Lewis Manning's hotel in Owego, and elected the following board of managers : James Pumpelly, William A. Ely, Henry W. Camp, Latham A. Burrows, Thomas Farrington, Jonathan Platt, Amos Martin, George J. Pumpelly, and George W. Hollenback, of Owego, and Samuel D. Ingham, Edward Lynch, Henry Colt, and Henry Pettibone, of Wilkesbarre. James Pumpelly was chosen president, William Platt treasurer, and Judge Burrows secre- tary of the board. In August following the managers employed the services of John Hopkins, a noted civil engineer of the period, to examine the river between Owego and Wilkesbarre (a distance of 120 miles) and determine the probable cost of removing obstruc- tions and creating a channel for the safe passage of steamers. In September of the same year Thomas Blanchard came from New York to Owego and contracted to build for the company a steam- boat, to be 100 feet in length, 14 feet beam, with four steam en- gines, and all the necessary machinery ; a truly novel craft sup- plied with patented appliances for making speed ; to be completed and ready for operation on the 1st day of May, 1835, and all at a cost of $12,500. The building committee appointed to superintend the work of construction in the interest of the company comprised George J. Pumpelly, Judge Burrows, and William A. Ely.
The work was begun during the latter part of September, the keel being laid on the bank of the river in the rear of John R. Chatfield's present residence, on Front street, in Owego. The pre- liminary work was done under the direction of Captain John J. Tobey, of New York, but the practical ship carpenter in charge was Mr. Bampton, also of New York. In April, 1835, the boat
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
was launched but not then fully completed. She was duly chris- tened the " Susquehannah " by George J. Pumpelly who broke the traditional bottle of wine across her bow. As a matter of historic interest it may be said that a reproduction of the Susquehannah was used as an emblem on the first official seal of Owego village.
On the 5th of May the new boat was run up the river about five miles, and on the next day about three miles down, on both occasions working to the satisfaction of her owners. On the morn- ing of the 6th the Susquehannah started for Wilkesbarre, and reached there at 4:40 o'clock, p. m., but the return voyage occu- pied three days. Later several other trips were made, but some accident or mishap happened on each occasion. In the spring of 1837 the boat was driven ashore by the ice at the mouth of Owego creek, and she was not "got off " and repaired until late in the season. Finally she steamed up and went to Wilkesbarre, and from there went adrift on high water and floated several miles down the river. She was eventually "attached " to pay for repairs, and sold for $60. Blanchard, her builder, sued the company on his contract and a long litigation followed, finally resulting in a judg- ment in his favor, to satisfy which each of the directors was com- pelled to pay $428.48 in addition to his original investment in the enterprise. Blanchard, in turn, was brought into court at the suit of James Pumpelly, for moneys advanced, and another long suit resulted. But the Susquehannah was the first and last steamboat built for commercial purposes on this part of the river.
The second boat built at Owego was the Lillie, John H. Lillie builder, owner and master. This was a pleasure boat and cost $2,500. She was launched in 1839, and run up to and around Big Island ; still better, the Lillie was a paying investment. When not in use she tied up in Hollenback's eddy. In the fall of 1839, while on a voyage to Cincinnati, at a point about three miles above Wysox, Penna., the Lillie struck a sunken log and wrecked, and was subsequently sold at auction.
The next steamboat to appear on this part of the river was the Enterprise, built at Bainbridge, Chenango county, and came to Owego November 17, 1851, on her way to Tunkhannock where she was delivered to purchasers.
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PIONEERS AND PIONEER LIFE.
Then came the side-wheeler, Picnic, built by Stephen Decatur Gibson and put on the river in the spring of 1857. The Picnic was 60 feet in length, with 20 "foot " beam, and drew 15 inches of water. She was tried and found staunch, and advertized to make daily trips to the island. On the 13th of August she made an ex- cursion trip to Towanda, and passed down all right, but nearly two weeks elapsed before she was towed back to the county seat. In 1858 the Picnic took out a gentlemen's party, an event well re- membered in local annals, and from that day the boat was doomed ; misfortune befel her, and in 1859 she broke from her moorings, drifted down the river on high water, and stranded on Wappa- sening bar.
No further attempt was made to navigate the Susquehanna by steamboat until the year 1873, when the Owego was built by a company organized for that purpose. In August a meeting was held at Joseph S. De Witt's " Metropolitan " restaurant, in Front street, at which time it was proposed and decided to build a side- wheel boat for pleasure purposes, to run between Owego and Big Island, and occasionally to other points on the river. August 28, the Owego Steamboat Company was organized, and September 19, the certificate of association was filed. The incorporators named were Charles M. Haywood, George A. King, George Stratton, Oscar R. Stone, George Truman, Jr., Eli W. Stone, and Joseph S. DeWitt. Authorized capital, $10,000. The first officers were C. M. Haywood, president ; Oscar R. Stone, vice-president ; Eli W. Stone, treasurer ; George A. King, secretary ; C. M. Haywood, G. A. King, J. S. DeWitt, O. R. Stone, George Stratton, E. W. Stone, and George Truman, Jr., directors.
In September, 1873, the keel of the boat was laid on the site now occupied by the Standard Butter Company's building, on the south side of Front street, and in March of the following year the completed craft was launched. She was named " Owego," by Jo- seph S. DeWitt, he having been accorded that honor by a vote of the people, each person paying ten cents for the privilege of cast- ing a ballot. In the same manner George Truman, Jr., was elect- ed captain. The other company officers chosen about the same time were George .A. King, general superintendent ; P. W. Rey-
1
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
nolds, pilot ; T. B. Whitmarsh, engineer. On April 22, 1874, the Owego was run up the river to a point within three miles of Bing- hamton, and afterward during the summer season made regular pleasure trips to Big Island. In the spring of 1875 a barge was built, and was towed by the Owego to accommodate the increased passenger traffic. A hotel (Hiawatha House) was built on the island in the summer of 1876. The building was 40x80 feet in size, and two stories high. The wharf in Owego was above the foot of Paige street. However, the Owego was too small for the business of the company, and the annoyance and work of loading and towing the barge with every important occasion created a de- mand for a larger boat. Consequently in October, 1875, the Owego was sold to J. B. Shiffer and George Smith, and taken to Pittston, Penna., where she was used for general freight and passenger traf- fic. Subsequently her name was changed from Owego to Pittston.
The Owego was followed by the Lyman Truman, built by the Owego Steamboat Company in the winter of 1875-6. She was a large, staunch boat, measuring 120 feet on her keel, 130 feet over all, 19 feet, six inches on her beam, and drew 13 inches of water light, and 18 inches loaded. She was built by B. W. Springstead, of Geneva, father of the builder of the Owego. Work on the Lyman Truman was begun November 11, 1875, and the boat was launched March 9, 1876. Her total cost, including machinery, was nearly $9,000. The boiler originally intended for the Truman was built by Shapley & Wells, of Binghamton. When it was tested just outside the firm's buildings, on April 7, 1876, the boiler exploded and several deaths and a number of serious injuries was the result.
A new boiler was at once secured and the trial trip was made May 21, 1876. The officers of the boat were George Truman, Jr., captain ; Henry Shepard, pilot ; N. A. Steevens and Ambrose Thompson, engineers. During the summer the Truman made regular trips to the island, at the round trip fare of twenty-five cents. The season was a successful one for the company. and in 1877 material additions were made to the Hiawatha house. The building was enlarged to three stories in height, with mansard roof. About this time the Clara was bought from Charles Kellogg,
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PIONEERS AND PIONEER LIFE.
of Athens, and was fun for the accommodation of guests of the Hiawatha house.
The company at length became involved in debt, and the result was the sale of the Lyman Truman and the company's interest in the Clara ; and on the same day, October 7, 1880, the Hiawatha house and contents were sold on judgment and execution. George W. Sweet and Dr. James Wilson bid in the boats, paying $1,050 for the Lyman Truman, and $100 for the interest in the Clara. Dr. Wilson also purchased the hotel and its contents.
The new owners of the Lyman Truman formed a new organiza- tion, and in February, 1881, the Owego Navigation Company was brought into existence. The corporators were James Wilson, George W. Sweet, Frank M. Baker, John J. Van Kleeck, and George A. King. The purpose of this company was to operate a steamboat on the Susquehanna river between Owego and Bing- hamton, and to conduct a hotel on Big Island. The association papers were filed February 4, but in April following E. J. Rich- ardson, of Brooklyn, purchased a third interest in the Clara and also in the Hiawatha house.
But the Lyman Truman was too large a boat, while its predeces- sor, the Owego, was too small, and the result was no substantial success for either. The Truman was finally sold to Mr. Henshaw, of Pittston, Penna., for $6,000, and April 28, left Owego. Later she was used to ply between Wilkesbarre and Nanticoke dam, her name having been changed to Susquehanna. July 3, 1883, she was destroyed by the explosion of her boilers. In the summer of 1881, after the sale of the Truman, the Clara was run between Owego and the island, but she finally went to pieces and was allowed to drift down the river.
March 8, 1884, was filed in the county clerk's office a certificate of incorporation of "The Owego Steamboat Navigation Company." The corporators were W. E. Dorwin, J. C. Dwelle, Dr. Warren L. Ayer, Dr. Carlton R. Heaton, George A. King, J. G. Sears, Frank M. Baker, Clarence A. Thompson and George E. Rich. Capital, $5,000. The first officers were W. E. Dorwin, president; J. C. Dwelle, vice-president ; C. A. Thomson, secretary and treasurer.
This company built the Marshland, so-named in allusion to Gen-
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OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE.
eral Tracy's farm near Apalachin. The boat was launched June 16, 1884, and measured 90 feet long and 16 feet wide. It was built on the lot on which Grant M. West's house now stands, and the company's dock, waiting-room and ticket office were on Front street, above Church street. The Marshland proved to_be a good boat, but the company cut her in two and increased her length thirty feet. After this work was done the boat was launched Feb- ruary 26, 1885. She then run five years with varying success, and in August, 1890, was sold to W. E. Renshaw, of Plymouth, Penna. for $2,500.
The Glenmary was built by Alonzo W. Springstead, of Geneva, and was launched September 17, 1885. She was a neat boat, hav- ing a 55-" foot " keel, 10-" foot " beam, with carrying capacity for two hundred persons, and cost $2,000. Like her predecessor, the Glenmary was a pleasure boat and prospered for a time, but on April 12, 1887, she was sold on an execution in favor of the Owego National Bank, and was bid in by George W. Barton. On May 31, 1889, she was sold to W. E. Renshaw, of Plymouth, Penna., and taken down the river June 2d following. However, this sale was not fully consummated and the boat was returned to Owego in the spring of 1891. Two years later, June, 1893, she was pur- chased by a New York stock company who intended to take her to Florida for coast traffic between Key West and the fibre fields, but after expending about $300 in making repairs, the company defaulted in the payment of the purchase price and abandoned her. In December, 1894, she was broken to pieces and carted away.
Early Mail Service and Stage Coaching. The sixth congress (1799- 1800) established a mail route from the Hudson by way of "Kaats- kill," and thence following about the same course as was pursued by Clinton's army in 1779 to Owego and Tioga Point, also on to Newtown, Painted Post, Bath, and Canandaigua. A postoffice was established at Owego, in 1800, David Jones, postmaster, and in 1814 mail was carried between Chenango Point and Tioga Point in a one-horse wagon. In 1816 Conrad Peter began carrying mail between Owego and Newburgh on the Hudson with a four-horse conveyance, and nine years later Stephen B. Leonard established a line of coaches between Owego and Bath.
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(*) In the early days of this county's settlement, mails were de- livered by post-riders, who rode on horseback through the woods, leaving the mails at the small settlements and log cabins, as they passed through the country. The Owego Gasette in those days was the only paper published in southern New York, and as its subscribers were scattered about the unsettled country, long dis- tances apart, the only method of delivering their papers was by men on horseback. When Stephen B. Leonard purchased the Ga- cette office, in 1813, he at first delivered his papers himself, after they were published, riding over his route on a horse. (About the year 1820, Mr. Leonard's father carried the mails on foot between Owego and Catskill). He afterward secured several mail routes, for which a certain price was'paid per year by the government, and hired post-riders. By this means he secured a free delivery of his papers with the mails. His routes were to Binghamton, Nor- wich, Penn Yan, Bath, and other points. Other routes were after- ward awarded to other persons.
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