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GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01203 8953
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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/historyofsulliva00ingh
HISTORY
OF
SULLIVAN COUNTY
PENNSYLVANIA
BY
THOMAS J. INGHAM
COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY CHICAGO:
1899 -
57-00884
1-26-66
MicroPhoto $ 18,25.
1344962
Thory Sughans
Reproduced by DUOPAGE process in the United States of America
MICRO PHOTO INC. Cleveland 12, Ohio
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
PART I
HISTORY OF SULLIVAN COUNTY.
PAGE
PAGE
Introduction.
3
27
Formation of the County.
5
Dushore .
29
Situation
5
Free Schools. 80
Early Settlements
5
Organization of Townships
30
First Residents.
How the County Was Formed
32
Our County Lines.
Location of the County Seat ..
Primeval Forest.
7
First Election.
34
The Wallis Land.
The First Newspaper
37
The Genesee Road.
11
County Officers-Census of 1850-New Court House The Second Newspaper
38.
Friends' Meeting House.
13
The Mails in 1851.
38
Conditional Settlers.
13
Dushore Aga n 39
40
At the Forks ..
16
The First Murder.
42
Shrewsbury Settlement.
17
Politics
43
Davidson Settlement.
The War
43
Sonestown ...
P. E. Armstrong Petition.
49
Elklick Settlement.
22
Peace.
50
Dushore ..
23
Railroads
52
The Turnpike.
24
Lopez . 53
Shinersville.
26
Tanneries 54
First School-house in Cherry Township.
27
County Ofncers.
54
PART II.
BIOGRAPHICAL COMPENDIUM OF SULLIVAN COUNTY.
A PAGE
C PAGE
Albert, Peter.
140
Campbell, Ambrose E 67
Campbell, George L .. 82
Campbell, John C. 182
Castle, Henry ... 227
Chilson, Manning 147
Christian, Justin L 154
Cole, Samuel .. 229
Connor, James J. 10℃
Biddle, Charlotte 236
Cooper, Judson D. 126
Bird, Oliver 11. 156
Cox, Amos 188
Brenchley, James L
133
Cox, John B ... 193
Brown, Peter.
74
Croll, Charles M 127
.
At the Forks.
11
First Judicial Election
38
Fox Settlement.
Politics ..
The Land Laws
8
The First C urt.
Priestley Lands.
Little Loyalsock
B
Bahr, William I) 228
Battin, Joshua
Battin, Milton 103
Behr, Frederick A 124
iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
PAGE
D
Deegan, George T 164
Deegan, Jeremiah. 160
Deegan, J. Leonard. 165
Dieffenbach, Daniel E 197
Dunham, Edwin M 146
Dyer, Albert L. 154
Dyer, John C. 98
E
Enrighit, J. A. 232
F
Farrell, Ambrose E 219
Fitzgerald, Thomas J. 139
Forrest, George E. 114
G
Gahan, Thomas W 141
Gainer, James S 209
Gallagher, Francis W 175
Gavitt, Morgan. 186
Gorgg, James P
Gunther, Henry H. 145
Guy. Robert H1 106
H
Hayman, George W 226
Hecker, Charles A. 221
Heinze, Christian : 100
llelsman, Joseph A 113
llembury, John.
123
Herrmann, Martin E 201
lieber, Emanuel G
230
Hill, Elgeroy W
177
Hope, Christopher. 102
Huffinaster, Henry G
127
Hufford, George H 151
llunsinger, C. F
150
Ilunsinger, Port W 225
1
Ingham, Thomas J
Ireland. Joseph M1 115
J
Jackson, Charles F 130
Jackson, George C. 70
Jackson, George 1) 69
Jackson, Jefferson T. 194
Jackson, Samuel. 231
Jennings, Bishop W
Jennings, Cortez H 71
Jennings, Willian L 73
Jennings, William N
Johnson, Wilham 113
K
Keller, H. J 118
Kellogg, Herbert M 121
Kester, Samnel. .
Kilmer, Francis 1. 196
Kilmer, John P. & Son 195
Klingler, John W
1×4
Kraus, Conrad ..
PAGE
Landback, G. S. 119
Lawrence, William J 185
Leonard, William H. 220
Lepsch, J. H. 101
Line, John S.
110
Litzelinan, John.
189
Long, Hiran
135
Luck, J. W 155
M
Martin, Lewis .. 235
Mason, Wilham A .. 210
McCartney, William J. 105
McDonald, George .. 117
McFarlane, James 187
McGee, Enos
121
McGee, John P. 90
McGee, Robert .. 204
McHenry, John S
170
McHenry, Rush J.
169
McKibbins, Henry W
178
Mcleod, John E 167
Meyer, Frank .
1:20
Moss, John C. 117
Mullen, Edward J. 144
N
Newell, Fred. 203
Noll, Elias 5,
176
0
Obert, Henry 168
Oliver, Royal H
234
Osler, Hiram W 104
Osthaus, Francis W
134
Parrish, Warren M 226
Pealer, Charles E 123
Pealer, D. W 224
Pomeroy. F. B.
94
Porter, Charles N 129
R
Randall, William F 99
Reeser, John 1). 96
Reinbold. Henry. 159
Rettenbury, John V 95
Rice. Frank G 150
Ritchlen, Henry 73
Roberts, John. 129
Rogers, Jonathan 65
Rosc, F. E. 223
S
Schaad, Frank F 110
Schaad, John 108
Schaad, John C. 109
Schaad, William J 109
Schauts, Tilghman 1) 149
Schoch, Anthony (Adam). 149
Schoch, Anthony 148
Schoonover, Daniel 106
Kraus, William H 238 Scouten, Royal 120
.
L
V
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
PAGE
S
V
Vincent, Fred P.
158
W
Walsh. Alphonsus. 190
Waltman. Frank U 237
Weisbrod, Conrad. 216
Weisbrod, Edward J. 217
Weisbrod, John
218
Wiley, Lyman 97
Wing. Charles L. 166
Woodward. N. K 66
Wright. Theodore 178
Y
Yonkin, George W 81
Yonkin, John.
88
Thrasher, Ransom.
136
Yonkin, William H.
80
Z
Zaner, Adam H.
78
Utz, John M.
197
Zaner, Lewis B.
79
PAGE
Sick, Charles S 206
Sick, Joseph. 215
Stephenson, Benjamin C. 131
Streby, George .. 174
Suber. Jacob J. 142
Swank, Ellis
92
Swarts, M. De Witt. 91
Sweeney, Owen ..
205
Sylvara, Benjamin M. 152
Sylvara, Edwin G.
153
T
Taylor, Joseph S. 200
Thayer, J. H .. .. 179
Thomson, Rush J. 933
U
PART I.
HISTORY OF SULLIVAN COUNTY.
INTRODUCTION.
T' 'HIS is a history of about two-thirds of the first century of the settlements and improvements in what is now Sullivan coun- ty. I have not attempted a narrative of events within the memory of the present generation, but some recent events have been naturally drawn into the narrative.
Those who read this history will feel that the conclusion has not been rounded up, but left with jagged ends. This seems unavoidable, for events which make history are constantly transpiring, and the historian can only stop at the most convenient point.
When I first passed through Sullivan county, in 1850, the most of it was a pri- meval forest; but old settlements, like islands in a sea of woods, were scattered through it. Around the Forks, and in Elk- land. Fox and Hillsgrove were old farms, free from stumps, with stone fences and old buildings. In Shrewsbury, separated by miles of dense woods from the Forks, was a settlement which seemed to have been finished forty years before. A thread of small farms along Muncy creek and some old farms along North Mountain and at Elk Lick constituted Davidson; while far away from these settlements, and separated from them by lonely wildernesses, was the town- ship of Cherry. The new county-seat, La- porte, was a mere stumpy clearing, with a few small buildings, surrounded by miles of dark woods.
The peculiarities of these old settlements
excited my curiosity and led me to inquire from the older settlers what brought them into such a wilderness at such an early day. I made memorandums of information thus received. After I had accumulated consid- erable information of this kind, I published in the Press and Standard a series of articles relating to each township, which attracted some attention and brought criticisms, cor- rections and new facts.
In 1876 I condensed the most striking facts in relation to the history of the coun- ty into an address which I delivered at La- porte on the Fourth of July. I did not pubiish this, because I felt that it was in- complete and I desired to add more to it. In 1894 I delivered a historical address at the Forksville fair, in which I used the ma- terial of my former address with additions and corrections: This I declined to have published for reasons already expressed. An address on the Molyneux, Bird and War- ren families, which had been prepared with great research by George M. Pardoe, Esq., was read at the same fair and published in newspaper and pamphlet form. About this time Mr. William Meylert was employed by the state librarian to write a series of arti- cles on the history of Sullivan county, and I placed my two addresses and all of my manuscripts at his disposal. . He made such use of them as he desired, and made exten- sive researches of his own, which he com- bined in a number of articles published in a
4
INTRODUCTION.
Harrisburg newspaper, and which I believe are preserved in the state library in scrap- book form. Mr. Meylert has preserved · them in the same form, and has given me free use of his scrap-book, for which I here tender him my thanks. I also tender thanks to Mr. Pardoe for the copy of his address which he furnished to me and which I have used freely. I am indebted to Ulysses Bird, Esq., for facts collected by him and published in a newspaper several years ago, and also for his kindness in loaning me the docket of Edward A. Eldred, Esq., and other old and valuable manuscripts.
.
I cannot begin to name all of the per- sons who from time to time have given me information in personal interviews and by letters; and to name a part would seem in- vidious. Many of them are deceased; to those living I tender my thanks. I have not made use of nearly all of the informa- tion collected, because the publishers did not desire a lengthy history, but I have
used that which seems most interesting. I am indebted to my brother, J. W. Ingham, of Sugar Run, for his assistance in collating the material and in writing the history. Without his efficient aid I could not have completed the work at the present time. Having given just credit to so many others, about the only credit I can claim for my- self is perseverance in collecting and pre- serving facts. This I may call a labor of love, for it has been done without any com- pensation. When I came into this county, nearly fifty years ago, I was treated with the greatest of kindness by the people then living, and from time to time as occasion has offered, I have experienced many favors from the rapidly increasing population, which I fully appreciate. My heartiest wish now is that the people who continue to inhabit these picturesque uplands and delightful valleys may be prosperous and happy.
THOS. J. INGHAM.
HISTORY OF SULLIVAN COUNTY.
S ULLIVAN COUNTY is in that part of Pennsylvania purchased from the II .- dians in 1768, and also in the territory claimed by Connecticut. It was formed from Lycoming county by act of March 15, 1847; and Lycoming county was formed from Northumberland county by act of April 13, 1796. Many of the original sur- veys of lands now in Sullivan county were returned to the land office as in the county of Northumberland.
SITUATION.
The county of Sullivan is situated mid- way between the north and west branches of the Susquehanna river. Its waters empty into these branches at widely divergent points. The Mehoopany creek and a branch of the Towanda creek take their rise near together and empty into the North Branch about forty miles apart. One branch of the Loyalsock rises very near the head- waters of the Mehoopany and Towanda creeks and running in an opposite direction empties into the West Branch near Will- iamsport. The head-waters of Muncy crcek and of Fishing creek are but a few miles apart, yet one empties into the West Branch at Muncy, the other into the North Branch near Bloomburg. Pleasant stream, which rises in Fox township, takes its way into Lycoming creek, which empties above Williamsport. The streams which rise on the northern line of our county go north
into the Towanda creek. Sullivan county may therefore be called the "Highlands" of northern Pennsylvania; and yet. with high mountain ridges running through it, nature has left valleys for railroads, some of which have been constructed and others in con- templation.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
One of the earliest settlements of the West Branch above Northumberland was made at the mouth of Muncy creek in 1768, by Connecticut settlers from Wyoming Valley, but their settlement was entirely broken up by Colonel Plunkett, under orders of John Penn, governor of Pennsylvania, and the settlers imprisoned, or driven off. Their improvements were immediately oc- cupied by Pennsylvania claimants, who lived there until 1778, when they were attacked 'by a band of Indians, and, being panic- stricken, fled, leaving the Indians in pos- session of the whole valley. . The war with the Indians lasted about six years, the set- tlers in the valley suffering all the hardships and cruelties of an Indian warfare. We can easily imagine that no hardy, adven- turous settlers undertook to begin settle- ments within the present boundaries of Sul - livan county while this Indian war was going on. The Indian war-paths from the North Branch of the Susquehanna led through this county, and in the fastnesses of this region the savages retired after committing their
6
HISTORY OF SULLIVAN COUNTY.
depredations on the West Branch, and no doubt caught big trout from the waters of the Loyalsock, and killed game on the banks of that beautiful stream. When the first settlers came they found an Indian meadow on the flats above the forks of the . Loyalsock.
FIRST RESIDENTS.
So far as is now known, the first white resident within the boundaries of what now constitutes Sullivan county, was Daniel Ogden, who settled at Hill's Grove consid- erably more than one hundred years ago, -- probably in 1786,-on land at present owned by Richard Biddle. He made a clearing, built a house and a small gristmill on the waters of Mill creek. He sold his property to John Hill (for whom the township was named) and moved away about the year 1794. It is said that Ogden, like many other American pioneers in the wilderness, did not care for society, disliked near neigh- bors, and when the Englishmen began to move in around him, determined to leave the place. It is also said that, having had a son killed in the Revolutionary war with Great Britain, he had acquired an unrea- sonable hatred against all Englishimen. There was a rumor that he was a Tory, but the evidence is against it, and the rumor was, no doubt, started by a personal enemy.
James Ecroid went to Hillsgrove before Ogden left the place, and improved the land which was afterward owned and occupied by Jonathan Lewis. He afterward went to Elkland and built a mill on Mill creek, after- ward called King's creek. The following incident is related in a publication of Mr. Gernerd, of Muncy: "On Saturday, the 30th of January, 1796, James Ecroyd set out to hunt, and lost himself in the woods. The whole neighborhood drove the woods
every day, yet he was not found until the following Friday. He had wandered eight miles froni the nearest house, although he had been twice within a quarter of a mile of Hillsgrove. In crossing a run by means of a pine log he had slipped in the water and wet his lower extremities, and subsequent exposure to the frost, on one of the sharpest nights in winter, resulted in the loss of most of his toes. The dog-bark disclosed his whereabouts, and he was found by an ex- piring fire in a very exhausted condition."
About 1787 a man named Griffith Griffey settled on land since well known as the farm of Judge Speaker. He built a log hut back near the mountain side, on a rise of ground about thirty feet high, as he said, to be out of the way of high water. He planted a small orchard, and lived there about ten years. He was a "squatter," as no survey of the lands thereabouts had yet been made. He was living there one or two years before John Hill settled at Hillgrove. After Griffey left the place, Charles Edwards lived there two years and made a little clearing. Thomas Wallis lived there a short time. Richard White made the greatest improve- ment in the way of clearing, and built a small frame house and log barn. His only title was a clearing lease for a terin of years. He died about 1833, but his.widow remained on the place until about 1841, when John A. Speaker moved there. His farm was called "Sidney," because the James Campbell tract was patented in the name of Sidney, in 1797.
John Hill settled on what is now Hills- grove about 1789, and took up all the flat land along the north side of the Loyalsock creek for two miles up and down it, and half a mile back from the creek on the mountains. This land was surveyed and patented about 1794. Hill died in 1839
7
HISTORY OF SULLIVAN. COUNTY.
and was buried in the cemetery near by, where several strangers had already been buried before any of the original settlers had died, the first one having been M. Charles Bui Boulogne, a Frenchman, agent of the French colony at Asylum, who was drowned in attempting to ford the Loyal- sock at Hillsgrove, July 20, 1796.
After John Hill's death, his son, John C. Hill, the uncle of John Sadler, had charge of the farm until his death, when John J. Sadler and W. J. Eldred were appointed administrators. Mrs. David Rogers, a daughter of John Hill, Sr., became the owner of the farm where John H. Rogers now resides, extending almost up to the mouth of Elk creek. Mrs. Joseph Sadler, mother of John J. Sadler, became the owner of the second farm above Hillsgrove. Mrs. Martha Craven, by will, became owner of property where the Tannery Com- pany now own and have their buildings. John C. Hill acquired the property now owned by Richard Biddle.
Nearly ten miles farther up the Loyal- sock a man known as Captain Brown built a cabin on land now occupied by Isaac Rogers, below the Forks. He was an In- dian fighter in the wars on the west branch, and did not like clearing land. He lived by hunting and fishing, always standing ready to furnish venison or bear's meat on a half day's notice. He was probably the first dealer in fresh meat in this county. A man named Miller lived on the opposite side of the creek from Captain. Brown's cabin. A man named Strong came from Cherry Valley, in " York State," and built a cabin on the bench of land where Millview now stands, close by the mountain brook which starts from a spring on George C. Bird's land, and is still known as "Strong's Run." He had been led to believe that it
was only twelve miles down the Loyalsock to its junction with the west branch of the Susquehanna, but when he' had made the trip to the river and ascertained that instead of twelve miles, the distance was at least forty, he returned to Cherry Valley. Strong and Ogden were old acqaintances, but there were no roads from Ogden's to Strong's, and when Mrs. Ogden visited Mrs. Strong she was taken up the creek in a canoe. The settlers named above came without concert with each other, or backing, and were in the county previous to 1794.
OLD COUNTY LINES.
Before the year 1796 the territory now comprised in Sullivan was all in Northum -. berland county. By an act of the legisla- ture, passed September 25, 1786, Luzerne county was organized. The west line of Luzerne ran from the head of Towanda creek along the ridge which divides the waters of the north branch of the Susque- hanna from those of the west branch, to a point due west from the mouth of Nesco- peck creek. This new county of Luzerne took in sonie of the eastern portion of the territory which is now in Sullivan, but left the larger part in Northumberland. By an act of the legislature, passed April 13, 1796, the county of Lycoming was formed, which took all the settlements in this county then commenced.
PRIMEVAL FOREST.
· The country at this time, between the north and west branch of the Susquehanna river, was an almost unbroken wilderness, consisting of dense forests of heavy timber- trees, thick tangled growths of laurel bushes, windfalls full of tall blackberry briers, and dark, dreary swamps containing alders, tamarack bushes, and coarse grass. This
-
8
HISTORY OF SULLIVAN COUNTY.
wilderness of woods, rocks, hills, mountains and streams was well peopled with wild animals, such as deer, elk, bears, wolves, panthers, catamounts, wild-cats, -to say nothing of the sınaller inhabitants, such as minks, beavers and foxes. There were also serpents, such as rattlesnakes, copper- heads and blacksnakes.
THE LAND LAWS.
From April 3, 1792, to March 28, 1814, these lands could be purchased from the State for six and two-thirds cents per acre, to which the cost of the warrant and survey had to be added. It is not wonderful that en- terprising men with capital made haste to acquire large bodies of land. It was not the intention of the law-makers to assist "land-grabbing," as it is called, by fixing so : low a price per acre for the State lands, but it was intended to be for the interest of the poor who desired to own land; and to en- courage a rapid settlement of the public do- main. The result proved to be exactly the opposite to the intent of the legislature.
Although the law allowed the sale of only a four-hundred-acre tract to a single individual, the law was evaded generally by men of large means who bought as many four-hundred-acre tracts as they wanted, under different warrantee names. Having obtained their titles, they raised the price of unimproved lands so high that it placed them beyond the means of the poor, and the settlement of this county, as well as ad- joining counties, was impeded. The State did not first survey the land and then sell it, as was the practice of the United States government, but sold the land, and then issued warrants to survey it.
THE WALLIS LANDS.
Samuel Wallis, of Muncy, took a large number of warrants to locate on the Loyal-
sock. To get supplies to his surveying par- ties he had a road cut from Muncy to the summit of the Alleghany, thence down the steep mountain-side to Hillsgrove on the Loyalsock. This was known as Wallis road, but was merely a foot-path, or pack- horse road cut through the woods to con- vey supplies to his surveying parties en- gaged in this county. As early as 1793 another pack-horse road was cut, leaving the Wallis read at the foot of the Alleghany. thence northward to the left of Hunter's Run, on through to the forks of the Loyal- sock, where Forksville is now situated. This was called the " Courson Road," and was first used by surveyors, in bringing in provisions and traveling to and from their work.
A great deal of surveying was done by Wallis in 1793, and it is said that William Molyneux was with one of his surveying parties at the Forks in that year. As soon as Wallis had completed and returned his surveys, he sold a large body of land on the waters of the Loyalsock to Joseph Priestley, Jr., and John Vaughan.
PRIESTLEY LANDS.
Joseph Priestley, Jr., and some other English gentlemen had projected a settle- ment for English emigrants on the waters of the Loyalsock, and contemplated the purchase of three hundred thousand acres of land. It was to be a rallying point for the English, who were at that time coming to America in great numbers. It was thought by them that by the union of industry and capital the wilderness would soon be cleared, and made equal to any other part of the country in everything necessary to the enjoy- ment of life. The project was finally abandoned, as it was found that the general- ity of Englishmen who came to this country
1
9
HISTORY OF SULLIVAN COUNTY.
.
were not adapted to the kind of labor re- quired and the hardships to be endured by the first settlers in a wilderness. Joseph Priestly, Jr., however, did what he could to establish a prosperous colony.
In 1794 he sent William Molyneux, Powell Bird and John Warren to make a clearing near the forks of the Loyalsock. Theycleared about two acres and built a small house for Priestly, near where the Method- ist church now stands. These men after- ward brought their families, and the man- ner of their coming is best described by Josiah Warren (a son of John and Mary Warren), as related by George M. Pardoe and found in his Genealogy of William Molyneux and his Descendants.
Mr. Pardoe says: " Josiah Warren, of Canton, a son of John and Mary Warren, and who was born on the old Warren home- stead, near Millview, May 10, 1808, and who knew all of those old pioneers well, told the writer in 1890 that William Moly- neux came up first with a surveying party for Joseph Priestly, Jr., of Northumberland; that soon after he came back and brought Powell Bird with him, and that Molyneux, at least, built his house at that time. That they then went back to Northumberland, and Molyneux went to England to get his family. That the next spring his parents, John and Mary Warren, came up with their family and lived in the Molyneux house un- til they had built a house for themselves, on their land above and adjoining the Moly- neux land. That his sister, Jane, was born on the way up, at Abram Webster's, on the old Genesee road between Muncy and Hillsgrove. That the father and oldest child, Sarah, came on and left the mother and babe at Webster's, who, a few weeks after, completed the journey on horseback. That his sister, Jane, was born May 24, 2
1795. That Molyneux and Bird came aft- erward with their families, he thought in the fall of the same year. He also stated that his mother, Mary Warren, was the first woman who baked bread in Sullivan coun- ty. That Rebecca Bird Molyneux was the first white person born there. That he, Josiah Warren, was at that time (1890) the only living member of either of the three first families, and also the oldest person then living who was born in the settlement. This statement as to the date of his sister Jane's birth I find verified in the old family bible of the Warrens, now in the possession of William Warren, of Elkland."
Mr. Pardoe further states: " I think it reasonably certain that of the permanent settlers William Molyneux was the first to come and spy out the land, and the first to make improvements, which was in 1794. That in all probability Powell Bird was the second to come and view the land, which was also in 1794, and that John Warren, who came with his family in 1795, was the third to come, and the first to bring his fam- ily, and that William Molyneux and Powell Bird brought their families in the fall of the same year."
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