USA > Pennsylvania > A geography of Pennsylvania : containing an account of the history, geographical features, soil, climate, geology, botany, zoology, population, education, government, finances, productions, trade, railroads, canals &c. of the state : with a separate description of each county, and questions for the convenience of teachers : to which is appended, a travellers' guide, or table of distances on the principal rail road, canal and stage routes in the state > Part 35
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Sugar-loaf and M'Cauley's mountains are two abrupt elliptical elevations rising from the red shale of Nescopeck valley, and capped by the overlying hard pebbly conglomerate rock. On M'Cauley's mountain is a separate segment of the coal basin, curiously cut off from the main coal field on the south, by the denudation of the valley between this and Buck mountain, where the rocks have been worn down to the red shale and carried away ; leaving this fragment of the basin resting high upon the summit of the mountain to the north.
The coal beds of the Wyoming valley are far from lying in a regular and uniform position in the basin, but have been much tilted and thrown out of place by a series of disturbances, which has so confused them that it is by no means an easy task to trace and identify particular beds throughout the valley, or to ascertain their whole number. There would appear, however,
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GEOGRAPHY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
to be not less than 12 or 15 separate seams, of from three to twenty-six feet thick ; the largest mass being the great bed worked at the mine of the Bal- timore company, which, in some places, including a few thin bands of slate, measures 32 feet in thickness.
Coal is mined at many places along the valley, from the neighbourhood of Nanticoke as far up as the mouth of Lackawana, being sent on short rail roads to the North branch canal, down which it is shipped to a market. In that part of the valley which extends up the Lackawana, though coal is also abundant there, but little is mined except for domestic purposes ; there be- ing no canal or rail road by which it can be conveniently transported. But at Carbondale, near the upper end of the valley, the improvements con- structed by the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company afford a means of transportation to New York, and coal to the amount of more than 200,000 tons is there annually mined, and sent on the company's rail road and canal to Rondout on the Hudson river.
Iron ore has been discovered at some places on the borders of the valley ; a blast furnace has been erected on Roaring brook, east of the Lackawana, and another on Toby's creek, on the west side of the valley.
The North branch of Susquehanna enters this county from the north, having a course to the south-east, until it breaks through the mountain on the north-west side of Wyoming valley at the Dial knob, about ten miles above Wilkesbarre. Having entered
Wyoming valley, from Dial mountain.
the valley through this gap, it receives the waters of the Lacka- wana, which flows from the head of the valley in a south-western direction. After their junction the Susquehanna turns to the south- west and flows nearly through the middle of the valley to Nanti- coke, where it breaks through the ridge of conglomerate rock called Nanticoke mountain, and passes out of the coal valley into the narrow trough in the red shale between the Nanticoke and Shickshinny mountains. Continuing in this to the mouth of
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LUZERNE COUNTY.
Shickshinny creek, the river there suddenly turns to the south, and cuts directly across the lower end of the coal basin, leaving a small portion of the extreme western point exposed at Beach's mine, in Rocky mountain, on the west side of the river.
The Lehigh forms part of the eastern boundary, and divides Lu- zerne from Monroe and Carbon. The principal creeks are Nesco- peck and Wapwallopen, flowing westward to the Susquehanna, in the southern part of the county ; Huntingdon creek in the south- west ; Shickshinny, Hemlock and Harvey's creeks, emptying on the west side of the river below Wilkesbarre; and Spring-brook and Roaring-brook on the east side of Lackawana. Bear, Pine and Wright's creeks are tributaries of the Lehigh.
Harvey's lake is a beautiful sheet of water, about three miles in length, situated 15 miles north-west from Wilkesbarre, on the bor- der of the wild uninhabited region of the North mountain. Deer and other game are abundant in the neighborhood, the lake affords excellent fishing, and is frequently visited by parties of pleasure from Wilkesbarre and other places. There are a number of other lakes and large ponds, among which are two very beautiful, called Upper and Lower Crystal lakes, lying in the north-east corner of Luzerne, near Dundaff, in Susquehanna county. Some of the
Falling Spring at head of Wyoming valley.
streams are precipitated over perpendicular ledges of rocks, form- ing beautiful cascades and water falls, which lend additional charms to the romantic scenery around them. One of these, called Falling Spring, on the east side of the river above Pittston, is a considerable natural curiosity. The water is precipitated over a high and nearly perpendicular cliff, descending in a sheet of 24*
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GEOGRAPHY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
snowy foam, which from a particular direction may be seen at the distance of several miles.
Wilkesbarre is the county town, pleasantly situated in Wyoming valley, on a level plain which here forms the eastern bank of the Susquehanna. The town is regularly laid out, having in the mid- dle a public square on which are erected the court house, county offices and prison ; there are also several well built churches, an academy and a bank. A neat and substantial bridge crosses the river here, connecting with Kingston on the western shore. A large rolling mill has been recently erected near the town, and several other establishments for various branches of manufacturing industry are in successful operation. The number of inhabitants contained within the borough is 1,718. Few places in Pennsylva- nia offer a more desirable place of residence than Wilkesbarre. Situated in a fertile and healthy valley, on the banks of a noble river, and having a navigable canal passing through it, it combines the means of comfort and the prospect of actual business. Sur- rounded by mountains, and all the charms of the most delightful and picturesque scenery, with intelligent and hospitable society, its attractions are such that visiters usually leave it with regret.
Carbondale is a flourishing place, containing about 2,400 inha- bitants, which has sprung up within a few years at the coal mines, near the upper end of the Lackawana valley, at the western ter- mination of the rail road from the Lackawaxen canal at Honesdale.
Pittston is on the east side of the river, below the mouth of Lackawana, about nine miles above Wilkesbarre. Kingston and New Troy are on the west side, the former opposite Wilkesbarre, the latter 4 miles above.
Whitehaven is on the Lehigh, 25 miles above Mauch Chunk ; and Stoddartsville is on the same river, at the Falls, 13 miles above Whitehaven.
Besides the value of the various agricultural products of Lu- zerne, more than 250,000 tons of coal are annually mined and sold ; and lumber is produced from the forests valued at upwards of $200,000. Iron, leather and various other manufactured arti- cles are also produced.
The assessed valuation of property subject to taxation for county purposes, in 1842, (including the new county of Wyoming) was $6,702,198 : county tax $15,396 : State tax $3,263.
The North Branch division of the State canal passes along the river from the south-western line of the county, near Berwick, to the line which separates Luzerne from Wyoming on the north ; being navigable to the mouth of the Lackawana, and above that in an unfinished condition. A rail road of about 20 miles is nearly completed from .Wilkesbarre to Whitehaven, which will connect the North Branch canal with the Lehigh navigation. The rail road from Carbondale to Honesdale is partly in this county ; and rail roads are also laid from the principal coal mines in Wyoming valley to the canal.
The turnpike from Philadelphia to Wilkesbarre, by way of Beth- lehem and Nazareth, enters the county at Stoddartsville on the Le-
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LUZERNE COUNTY.
high, and passes thence across the mountains to Wilkesbarre, from which another turnpike leads up the river, and extends by Tunk- hannock and Montrose to Owego in the state of New York. The Milford and Owego turnpike crosses the north-eastern corner of the county, passing by Carbondale. Another road, commonly called the Drinker turnpike, branches from the Easton and Bel- mont turnpike and passes through the north-east of Luzerne, lead- ing to the Great Bend. The southern part of the county is crossed by the turnpike from Mauch Chunk to Berwick.
In the more settled parts of the county schools are well sup- ported, and a general attention is paid to the subject of education. There is an academy and a flourishing female seminary in Wilkes- barre, besides a number of well conducted schools. The whole county, including that portion which is now the county of Wyo- ming, has 38 school districts, of which nearly all have adopted the common school system as established by law. In 30 of these districts 214 schools are established, which are open for instruc- tion during more than six months of the year, on a general ave- rage.
The history of the beautiful valley of Wyoming presents us with many a wild tale of both savage and civilized warfare: many a scene of fierce contention, horrible cruelty and unexampled suf- fering has occurred in that now happy and peaceful region. It has become classic ground,-sung by poets and celebrated by his- torians,-and is no less rich in story than in natural beauty and mineral resources. Its soil has been moistened by the blood of those who have from time to time contended for the possession of so desirable a spot; not only have savage tribes there battled with each other, and then the Indian against the white man; but the only civil war that disturbed the peace of Pennsylvania, under the colonial government, occurred here between the Pennsylvania and Connecticut settlers.
Shawanese, Delawares, Nanticokes and other Indian tribes were the occasional possessors of the valley, which seems at all times to have been a favourite place of abode with these children of the forest. The women cultivated corn upon the plains, the men tra- versed the surrounding mountains in pursuit of game, and the river supplied them with fish. The first white man who visited Wyoming is believed to have been Count Zinzendorf, a Moravian missionary, who came here in 1742 on a religious visit to the In- dians. These unlettered sons of the wilderness, however, could not understand or appreciate the motives of a man who would come so far, and encounter so many dangers, for the sole purpose of instructing them in the means of obtaining happiness after death, and that too without requiring any compensation for his trouble and expense. They naturally supposed his real object to be concealed, and that he desired to obtain their lands, or to ex- amine their country with a view to future conquest. It was re- solved to assassinate him privately, and those who had under- taken the commission of the act approached his tent quietly, and found him writing by a small fire which the cool air of Septem-
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GEOGRAPHY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
ber had rendered necessary for his comfort. A blanket, hung upon pins, formed the door of the tent, and the Indians, approaching softly, and slightly removing the curtain, saw the venerable man deeply engaged in his studies. At this moment a large rattle- snake, which had been lying in the weeds not far from the fire, in order to enjoy its warmth more effectually, crawled slowly into the tent, and passed over one of the missionary's legs as he lay reclined on the bundle of dry weeds which formed his bed, so much engrossed with the subject of his thoughts that he neither noticed the snake nor the approach of the Indians. Upon seeing this, even the heart of the savage shrank from the idea of taking his life under such circumstances, and quitting the spot, they hast- ily returned to the town and informed their companions that the Great Spirit protected the white man, for they had found him with no door but a blanket, and had seen a large rattlesnake crawl over his legs without attempting to hurt him. This circumstance, to- gether with the arrival of a person soon after who was esteemed by the Indians and who knew Zinzendorf, procured him their friendship and confidence, and probably contributed essentially to- wards inducing many of them afterwards to embrace the Christian religion.
The contention which so long subsisted between the citizens of Connecticut and Pennsylvania, and which caused so much blood to be spilled at Wyoming, originated in an interference of the ter- ritorial claims of the respective parties. Strange as it may appear at the present day, this region was claimed by Connecticut as being within the limits of its charter as granted by the English govern- ment, and in 1753 a company was formed in that colony for the purpose of making settlements at Wyoming. In 1762 about 200 persons from Connecticut arrived, and established themselves on the east side of the river about the mouth of Mill creek, a little above the place where Wilkesbarre now stands. They lived in friendship with the Indians and soon extended their settlements to the west side of the river. This state of peace was, however, of short dura- tion ; for the settlement was suddenly attacked by the savages; about 20 persons were killed and the rest fled to the mountains, making their way, almost destitute of provisions, through a wilder- ness of 60 miles, to the settlements on the Delaware.
The proprietor of Pennsylvania, having purchased this territory from the Indians, granted the lands at Wyoming to certain persons who in 1769 took possession of them, together with the improve- ments made by the Connecticut people that had been driven away by the Indians. In the same year 40 new emigrants from Con- necticut arrived, who, after much contention and difficulty with the Pennsylvania settlers, were most of them arrested and taken to Easton, but were afterwards liberated. Soon after 200 more came from Connecticut, who built a fort for their defence and pre- pared to resist the authorities of Pennsylvania. A series of skir- mishes, and at length of open warfare between the rival bodies of settlers succeeded; armed forces were sent by the proprietary go- vernment of Pennsylvania to dispossess the Connecticut people : a
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LUZERNE COUNTY.
number were killed on both sides, and this civil contention lasted until the breaking out of the revolutionary war exposed both par- ties to a common danger.
In 1776, a new era commenced in the history of the American colonies, and the revolution having annulled the authority of the proprietaries and royal governors of Pennsylvania, a brief inter- val of peace was enjoyed by Wyoming, even in the midst of war. The population at this time numbered about 5,000, and their mili- tia 1,100; of these about 300 enlisted to serve against the common enemy. The frontier settlements were at this time harassed by bodies of British and Indians from Canada, and in the spring of 1778, a force of 800 men, British regulars, tories and Indians, under the command of Col. John Butler, assembled at Niagara and marched against Wyoming. The Indians were about 400, commanded by Brandt, a warlike chief of mixed blood. From Tioga point this expedition floated down the Susquehanna on boats and rafts, to within about 20 miles of Wyoming fort. Here they landed in the latter part of June, and on the second of July took possession of a fort which the settlers had built near the up- per end of the valley, called fort Wintermoot.
Upon the arrival of these hostile forces the settlers collected the most active of their men, to the number of three hundred and sixty-eight, in a fortification on the west bank of the river, about three miles above Wyoming fort. This had been built and de- fended by forty of the settlers during the previous troubles, and had thence obtained the name of "Forty Fort." Messengers were sent to the commander of the Continental army, with intelli- gence of their situation, and a request for assistance. The pros- pect of receiving aid was, however, extremely uncertain, and it was resolved by the party in Forty Fort, to march out and attack the enemy. On the morning of the third of July, they left the fort and began their march up the river, under the command of Col. Zebulon Butler. Having proceeded about two miles, they halted and sent forward scouts to ascertain the position of the enemy, who were found occupying fort Wintermoot, and carousing in fancied security. On their return the scouts fell in with two stroll- ing Indians by whom they were fired upon, and the fire returned by them without effect. The party of settlers immediately marched to the attack, but the two Indians had given the alarm, and the enemy were found drawn up in order of battle, their line ex- tending from the river to a swamp on the west, and their numbers much superior to that of the advancing party. The ground be- tween the river and the swamp was covered with pine woods and bushes, which prevented the movements of the parties from being quickly discovered or well ascertained.
The battle commenced at about forty rods' distance, and con- tinued for fifteen or twenty minutes, through the woods and brush, without much execution. In a short time, Brandt and his In- dians having penetrated the swamp, rushed with savage yells upon the left flank of the settlers' line, many of whom fell and were immediately cut to pieces with the tomahawk. Col. Deni-
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GEOGRAPHY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
son, who commanded that portion of the settlers, finding that the savages were gaining his rear, gave orders to fall back, in order to prevent being surrounded by the enemy. This being understood to mean a retreat, the troops began to retire in much disorder, and the Indians, considering it as a flight, rushed on with their rifles and tomahawks, shooting and cutting down the retiring settlers, and the rout soon became general throughout the line The set- tlers fled in every direction, pursued by the savages, who killed or took prisoners all who came within their reach. Some suc- ceeded in reaching the river and escaped by swimming across : others fled to the mountains, and at length the Indians, turning their attention to plunder, gave up the pursuit. When the news of the loss of this battle reached the village of Wilkesbarre, the women fled with their children to the mountains, and sought their way through the wilderness to the settlements on the Delaware, where many of them at length arrived after suffering extreme hardships. In the battle about three hundred of the settlers were killed or missing, and from most of the missing no intelligence was ever afterwards received. A number of those who escaped the massacre, together with their women and children who were unable to travel on foot, took refuge in Wyoming fort, which on the following day surrendered to the combined force of British and Indians.
By the terms of capitulation, the settlers, upon giving up their fortifications and military stores, were to remain in the country unmolested, provided they did not again take up arms ; but these conditions were entirely disregarded by the British and Indians, and after the fort was delivered up, all kinds of barbarities were committed by them. The village of Wilkesbarre, then consisting of 23 houses, was burnt; men and their wives were separated from each other and carried into captivity ; their property was plundered and the settlement laid waste. The remainder of the inhabitants were driven from the valley, and compelled to proceed on foot sixty miles through the pine swamps, almost without food or clothing. A number of the women and children perished in their journey through the wilderness; some of the men died of their wounds, others wandered from the path in search of food and were lost; the wild, dark and desolate region through which they passed being called by the survivors " the shades of death," a name which it has since retained. A melancholy remnant, only, of the population of Wyoming thus reached the settlements on the Delaware, from which they proceeded to their former homes in Connecticut.
An army of two thousand five hundred men, under the com- mand of General Sullivan, was sent to drive the British and In- dians from Wyoming ; the latter retired up the Susquehanna and were followed by Sullivan, who overtook and completely routed them near Newtown, on the Tioga river. After destroying a number of Indian villages, and laying waste their country, the general returned with his army to Easton.
Danger from the Indians being thus in a great measure removed,
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LUZERNE COUNTY.
the surviving inhabitants returned to their possessions at Wyo- ming, and being joined by many others, their settlement again flourished, and the village was rebuilt. They still refused, how- ever, to acknowledge the authority of Pennsylvania, or to be go- verned by her laws; and on the application of that State to Con- gress, a board of commissioners was appointed to determine the dispute between Pennsylvania and Connecticut concerning the jurisdiction of the territory in question, who, after a deliberation of five weeks, unanimously decided that the state of Connecticut had no right to the land in controversy. But though the Con- necticut settlers were now willing to acknowledge the jurisdiction of Pennsylvania, they refused to yield up their farms and improve- ments to the Pennsylvania claimants, and a scene of trouble and contention between the different parties ensued, in which resort was again had to arms, and a number of persons were killed. The civil authorities of Pennsylvania were resisted, and the armed companies sent to sustain them were met and repelled by armed bodies of the Connecticut settlers. At length, after a long and harassing contention, a compromise was effected ; seventeen town- ships being granted to the Connecticut people, on condition of their relinquishing all claims to any other lands within the pur- chase of the original Connecticut Susquehanna Company, and compensation being made to the Pennsylvania claimants. Thus at last ended the Wyoming controversy ; the New England set- ters and their descendants became industrious and valuable citi- zens of their adopted state, and having now become blended with the general family of the commonwealth, they enjoy, in their blooming, beautiful and busy valley, the blessings of peace, plenty and prosperity. They are not, however, forgetful of the perils and sufferings by which their fathers established themselves in that favoured spot, and have erected a monument on the battle ground of the "Massacre of Wyoming," over the bones of the unfortunate sufferers in that melancholy tragedy, to commemorate the deeds of that eventful day, and to show to future generations the spot where their forefathers fought, bled, and died in defence of their families and homes.
How is Luzerne bounded ? What county has recently been taken from it ? What is the character of the surface and soil ? By what mountains is the Wyoming valley surrounded ? What is the geological structure of this valley ? Describe the range of the several rock formations. What is said of Sugar-loaf and M'Cauley's mountains ? ' Give some account of the coal beds in Wyoming valley ? At what places is coal mined and how conveyed to the canal ? Where is coal sent from the Carbondale mines and to what amount ? Where is iron ore found and what furnaces have been erected ? Describe the course of the North branch of Susquehanna. What river forms part of the eastern boundary ? What creeks empty into the Sus- quehanna ?- into the Lackawana ?- into the Lehigh ? Describe the dif- ferent lakes. Falling spring. Give a description of Wilkesbarre, its pub- lic buildings and other improvements. What is said of its situation and general attractions ? Where is Carbondale ? Pittston, Kingston, and New Troy ? Whitehaven and Stoddartsville? Mention the principal produc- tions, and the amount of coal and lumber annually produced. What canal and rail roads are in this county ? What turnpike roads ? What is said
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GEOGRAPHY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
of education, academies and schools ? What does the history of Wyoming present ? Name the Indian tribes who possessed this valley. Who was the first white man that visited it, and for what purpose ? What did the Indians determine to do with him and how were they prevented ? What gave rise to the contest between the Connecticut people and the Pennsyl- vanians ? In what year did the Connecticut settlers arrive ? When did the Pennsylvanians take possession ? Relate some of the occurrences which followed ? In what year was the settlement attacked by the British and Indians ? Relate the circumstances attending the battle and massacre of Wyoming. Mention the sufferings of the survivors in their passage through the wilderness to the settlements on the Delaware. By what means were the Indians compelled to retire ? How was the dispute between the Con- necticut and Pennsylvania claimants finally settled ? Where has a monu- ment been erected, and in commemoration of what event ?
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