A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from its first beginnings to the present time; including chapters of newly-discovered, Vol. I, Part 33

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851-1922; Smith, Ernest Gray
Publication date: 1909-1930
Publisher: Wilkes-Barre : Raeder Press
Number of Pages: 734

USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > Wilkes-Barre > A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from its first beginnings to the present time; including chapters of newly-discovered, Vol. I > Part 33

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* Shawanese Mountain, described on pages 44, 46 and 48.

+ This was the old and much-traveled Indian trail running from the mouth of Fishing Creek (below the present town of Bloomsburg, Columbia County, Pennsylvania) in a northerly direction to Tioga Point, the southern door to the "Long House" at Onondaga. (See page 117.) As to the territory in north-eastern Pennsylvania through which this trail ran, see the "Map of Luzerne County" in Chapter XXIII, in connection with the map on page 191. The course of the trail was up along the main branch of Fishing Creek, by Orangeville, to a point at or near Lake Ganoga (see page 46), one of the sources of Fishing Creek ; thence continning across the North Mountain range, through Sullivan County and a part of Bradford County, to the head-waters of Towanda Creek, where it joined the path running along that stream to a junction with the great Warrior Path which lay along the North Branch of the Susquehanna. The course of this last-mentioned path through a part of Wyoming Valley is shown on the "Plot of the Manor of Sunbury" (reproduced in Chapter VII) by the dotted line marked "Path from Shamokin" and "Path to Wyalusing."

Į A branch of Nanticoke Creek.

¿ The small island adjacent to the lower, or western, end of "Shawnee" Flats, near Grand Tunnel. Colonel Wright, in his "Historical Sketches of Plymouth" published in 1873, says that this island was originally known to the residents of Plymouth as "Fish Island, " by reason of the fact that for many years a very successful shad-fishery was located there. Later, he states, it became known as "Park's Island," from an "herb doctor" who lived in a cabin on it. It is quite probable that Pearce was in error in refer- ring to "Toby's Island" as "Park's Island" (see page 52), and that the true "Park's Island" is the one at the lower end of "Shawnee" Flats. Colonel Wright states that "before the erection of the [Nanticoke] dam immediately below, this island was much larger than it is now [1872] ; the back-flow of the water has submerged probably two-thirds of the original surface."

" Shown on the "Plot of the Manor of Sunbury" mentioned above.

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"Cammerhoff and myself kept in our saddles, the better to get a view of the flats. But the grass was so high at times as to overtop us, " though mounted, and I never beheld such a beautiful expanse of land. We next came to the place where the old Shawanese King dwelt, which at that time (1742) was a large town.t Now there is only one cabin in which Shawanese reside. Farther on we came to ten huts, ¿ where the present Captain, who is a Chickasaw Indian, ? lives. He was not at home, but was recently gone to war

* In these days and in this country the word "grass," as commonly and generally used, refers to prairie, lawn, orchard, timothy or some one of the other grasses which grow wild or are cultivated in lawns, meadows and pasture fields for forage and hay-making purposes or in order to beautify the land- scape. The average unscientific person knows of no other grasses. Botanists, however, inform us that there are "fully 800 species and varieties of grasses within the limits of the United States"; and under their classification rice, rye, wheat, oats, maize or Indian-corn and sugar-cane are grasses. Without doubt De Watteville used the word "grass" in his journal, as above, in its generic sense, and by it referred to a tall, reed-like growth-a woody perennial-known to botanists as "Poa aquatica," and which in some parts of the country is common along the margins of rivers and lakes. The present writer remembers very well that when he was a boy this "grass"-which, however, 110 one hereabout ever called "grass"-grew in great profusion on the uncultivated parts of the Lower Kingston and Upper Plymouth Flats, particu- larly on the margins of the river and the "pond-holes." It often attained a height of eight or ten feet. None of the other kinds of grasses mentioned in this note-excepting Indian-corn and sugar-cane-ever attains such a height.

+ At the upper, or eastern, end of "Shawnee" Flats, near Garrison Hill.

# This refers to the village in Plymouth which in 1742 was called by Mack the "upper town," and which stood near the river between Brown's Brook and Bead IIill, as described on page 209.

¿ According to tradition the Chickasaws and Choctaws were one people many centuries ago. The word Chickasaw ("Chikasha") in the Choctaw tongue signifies "rebel." the latter tribe giving its rebel- lious offshoot that name, which the Chickasaws evidently accepted as their distinctive tribal name. When (in 1540) De Soto explored the Mississippi region lie found that the Choctaws occupied a large part of what is now Alabama and the southern half of Mississippi, while the Chickasaws occupied the territory to the north-comprising northern Mississippi and a part of western Tennessee. 'The Chickasaws then had a tradition to the effect that, long before that time, they and the Choctaws-then one nation-being driven from their country by ferocious northern Indians, journeyed toward the sunrise under the guardianship of a sacred dog, led onward by a magic pole, which they planted in the ground every night, and in the morning traveled toward the direction the pole leaned. At last, after crossing vast deserts, boundless forests and dismal swamps, leaving thousands of their dead along the way, they reached the great "Father of Waters." While crossing the Mississippi the sacred dog was drowned ; but the nation continued its march eastward to the banks of the Alabama River, where the pole, after being unsettled for several days, pointed distinctly south-west. They then proceeded in that direction to the southern portion of Mississippi, where the pole planted itself firmly in a perpendicular position. This was the omen for a permanent settlement, and here the combined nation dwelt.

These Indians-of Muskhogean stock-were, in a measure, civilized at the time of De Soto. They had their rude arts, laws, customs and religion, inferior but somewhat similar to those of the Aztecs and Incas, which leads to the belief that the "magic pole" tradition had its origin in an exodus of these tribes from Mexico. The theory that the Chickasaws and Choctaws were an offshoot of the civilized Aztecs has some foundation. They were not primarily a warlike race. Their disposition was not fero- cions, although they were capable of waging long and bloody wars when driven to such an extremity. In a treaty with the United States in 1834 the Chickasaws made the boast "that they have ever been faithful and friendly to the people of this country ; that they have never raised the tomahawk to shed the blood of an American." ("Report on Indians in the United States at the Eleventh Census," page 279.)

It is said that at one time the Chickasaws could send out on the war-path 10,000 braves. In 1763 they could muster only 250 warriors ; in 1764 they had increased to 750, and in 1768 they were reduced to 500 warriors. They were then located in western Georgia. In 1780 they were to be found between the head branches of Mobile River in western Alabama. In the War of 1812 and in the war with the Creeks the Chickasaws did valiant service for the United States. As early as 1800 the encroachments of the whites filled these people with a desire to emigrate beyond the Mississippi, and about 1820 many Chickasaws joined the Choctaw emigration to the country west of Arkansas, now Indian Territory. In 1822 there were 3,625 of the tribe remaining in Mississippi-in the northern part of the State. In 1835 Chickasaws to the number of 5,600 agreed to emigrate, and did emigrate, from Mississippi to Indian Territory, where they now form one of the "Five Civilized Tribes." (See pages 163 and 165.) Tishomingo is the capital of the Chickasaw Nation, and Ardmore, the largest town in the Nation, is the metropolis of the "Five Tribes." According to the census of 1890 the population of the Chickasaw Nation numbered 57,329, of which number, however, only 3,129 were pure-blood Chickasaws.

George Catlin, writing about the year 1832 (see his "Let- ters and Notes" mentioned on page 84) relative to the Chin- nook Indians who lived along the Columbia River, in what is now the State of Washington, stated that these Indians were a small tribe (they then numbered only 400, in twenty-eight lodges, according to Samuel J. Drake), and "correctly come under the name of Flat-heads, as they are almost the only people who strictly adhere to the custom of squeezing and flattening the head. * * * * This mode of flattening the head is certainly one of the most unaccountable as well as unmean- ing customs found amongst the North American Indians. * * it is a curious fact, and one that should be mentioned here, that these people have not been alone in this strange custom; but that it existed and was practised precisely the same, until recently, amongst the Choctaw's and Chickasaw's. who occupied a large part of the States of Mississippi and Alabama, where they have laid their bones and hundreds of their skulls have been procured, bearing incontrovertible evi- dence of a similar treatment with similar results. The Choc- taws who are now [1832] living do not flatten the head. * * Whilst among the Choctaws I could learn little more from the people about such a custom than that 'their old men recollect- ed to have heard it spoken of'-which is much less satisfactory evidence than inquisitive white people get by referring to the grave, which the Indian never meddles with."

Noting the fact that the Chinnooks and Chickasaws lived over 2,000 miles apart, and that there were 110 intervening tribes who practised head-flattening, Mr. Catlin came to the conclusion that "either the Chinnooks emi- grated.from the Atlantic, or the Choctaws and Chickasaws came from the west side of the Rocky Mountains." The accompanying illustration is a reduced facsimile of a drawing made by Mr. Catlin of

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against the Catawbas, with six other warriors. His wife, who is a Shawanese, remem- bered the Count [Zinzendorf], and would have us take lodgings with her. Because of our horses we were compelled to decline her kind offer. We pitched our tents on the spot where Chikasi (in whom the Count had been so interested in 1742) lived .* He, too, remembered the Count, and was very friendly. Chikasi is at present living with the Nanticokes across the river. Our hostess sent for him, as he spoke English. He came

without delay. * * Meanwhile all Wyoming on our side of the river had congregated -some sixteen persons, large and small, Chickasaws and Shawanese. They manifested great interest in our advent, and sincere friendship for us.

"October 7 .- Rode to the spot which the Count had selected for the site of a Mora- vian Indian town, t and then crossed the creek on which the proposed mill for the Mora- vian town was to be built. Next we came to the spot where the tent was pitched the third time .¿ Here, in the bark of a tree, we found the initial 'J' (for Johanan, or Zin- zendorf), and 'C' (for Conrad Weiser). I cut an 'A' for Anna Nitschmann, and also '1742' and '1748.' Fording the river we found a Mohican cabin at the end of an island, ? but no one excepting children were at home. Rode over the flats|| until we came to some Tuscaroraf huts. Recrossing to our camp we found Zeisberger had been called on by many Indians. They said [that] some months ago a trader had wished to settle in Wyo- ming, and had planted corn, but the Indians finding him thievish had expelled him-the Nanticokes having bought his improvements. Not far from the Count's third camping- place## we were pointed out the burial-placett of an ancient and wholly exterminated nation of Indians ; and on the south side of the Susquehanna stood a respectable orchard of apple trees, near which some seventy or eighty Indians, who were swept off a few years ago by epidemic dysentery, lay buried.

a picture painted by himself in 1832-showing a woman with a flattened head, and also the process by which the head of a child was gradually forced into a similar shape.

During many years the Iroquois carried on a fierce warfare against the Chickasaws, Cherokees, Cataw- bas and other southern tribes, and there is no doubt but that the Chickasaws who were located in Wyo- ming Valley in 1748-some of whom had then been here at least six years-had been brought here as prisoners of war by Six Nation warriors on their return from a marauding expedition against the Chick- asaws. It is probable, too, that Chikasi, "the Count's Chickasaw," referred to in the diaries of Mack and De Watteville, was not the only flat-headed Chickasaw who was here in the valley, for, upon two or three occasions within the past thirty or forty years, Indian skulls have been exhumed here which ap- peared to have had the forehead flattened in life. One such was dug up only a few years ago, in Plains Township, not far from the site of the Delaware town Matchasaung, mentioned on page 213, and is now in possession of Mr. Charles M. Williams, Plainsville.

The "Flat-heads" referred to on pages 180 and 189 were, of course, either Choctaws or Chickasaws, and not the Chinnook "Flat-heads" of Columbia River, whose descendants, by the way, are now known as "Flat-heads" and occupy certain reservations in Montana.

* This was somewhere between Brown's Brook and Bead Hill.

The Moravian Indian town referred to, which Zinzendorf planned to have built in the "great Desarts of Skehantowanno" (Wyoming), was to be named "Gnadenstadt" ( "City of Grace") ; and the site selected for it was, undoubtedly, on the plateau-originally having an area of several acres-at the south-westeril extremity of Boston Hill. It is now occupied in part by Shupp's Grave-yard. Boston Hill (which received its name from the Boston Mine coal-breaker which stood there a number of years ago) is in reality the south-western section of Ross Hill, and it lies opposite the upper end of Richard's Island. The hill at one time extended farther in a south-westerly direction, but has been cut away to make room for railways, etc. Along the line of the former base of the hill flows Shupp's Creek, emptying into the river opposite the island-as shown on the "Plot of the Manor of Sunbury" in Chapter VII. This stream was, at one time, the principal creek in Plymouth, and, unquestionably, it was the one upon which the Moravian mill was to have been built.

Upon the plateau of Boston Hill may be found even at this day many evidences of early Indian occu- pation-piles of mussel-shells, arrow-points, chips of flint produced in making arrow-points, etc. With- out doubt there was at one time not only an Indian village, but an Indian burial-place there, as has been indicated by discoveries made from time to time in past years. (See "Proceedings of Wyoming Historical and Geological Society," VIII : 107.) From this plateau, before the days of coal-mining opera- tions, the flats on both sides of the river, and the river itself for a considerable distance in a south-westerly direction, could be clearly viewed ; therefore it was an admirable site for a village, and may have been occupied as such at the same time that the earthworks in Dorranceton and on Jacob's Plains were occu- pied, and by a band of the same tribe that occupied those places.

Į Bead Hill, described on page 209. ¿ Richard's Island.

| Either the Upper Hanover or the Lower Wilkes-Barré Flats.

" These Tuscaroras, as well as those encamped at the lower end of the valley, and previously referred to by De Watteville (see page 222), probably composed a band of that tribe of the Six Nations who had come down to the valley from New York to hunt. It is possible, however, that the Indians thus men- tioned by De Watteville were not Tuscaroras but Tuteloes. There were at that time and a few years later a small number of Tuteloes located in the valley of the North Branch of the Susquehanna, at different points. (See map of 1756 and page 234.) The Tuteloes of that period constituted the remnant of a pre- Columbian tribe of the Sionan family, that had occupied a portion of eastern Virginia and the country east of Chesapeake Bay. By 1782 the Tuteloes had either been absorbed by other tribes or had died off, as the name of the tribe does not appear in the "List of Indian Tribes Within the Limits of the United States" prepared by Thomas Jefferson in the year mentioned ; nor has the name of the tribe appeared in any published list of existing tribes since that year.

** Bead Hill, previously mentioned.

++ Without doubt on Boston Hill ; and for a long time now the site has been occupied by Shupp's Grave- yard, as explained in a previous note.

## These were the Delaware Indians who died in 1743, as mentioned on page 212. In 1895 the "Fir- wood" tract of land, and a tract adjoining it on the south-west-both lying near the site of the Delaware Indian village of 1743 (see "Map of Wilkes-Barre" in Chapter XXVIII)-were divided up into building lots by their owners, and in opening and grading new streets and excavating cellars, a large amount of soil was removed that had not been disturbed for many years. In the course of this work numerous Indian skeletons, various trinkets, etc., were unearthed by the workmen. The following paragraphs,

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"Captain's wife gave us four loaves of bread and two large watermelons. We gave them in return a pair of silver buckles. In the afternoon visited the Chickasaw town" and saw a newly carved god elevated on a pole.t Visited from hut to hint and found an aged Shawanese couple who were alnost centenarians six years ago. We next visited the Nanticokes who live on the island .; Unable to get a canoe, we got our horses and forded the stream without saddle or bridle. Left our horses in care of a sick Chickasaw, who understood some English, and then visited the Count's Chickasaw [Chikasi], whose fore- head is flattened backwards like a Catawba's. He was gathering his little crop of tobacco, and had little interest in religions matters. Gave him a knife as a token .? Came to the Nanticoke town of ten lints. Most of the men were on the hunt. One of the old men was very friendly. Gave him a pipe tube. Some of the Nanticokes asked if we were traders, and wanted to barter. The Nanticokes appear to be more industrions than other Indians. * *

* They are settled here right comfortably. They expect others of their people. Recrossed the river to our tent, and closed the day with the celebration of the Lord's Supper.

"October 9 .- Made preparations for return by the path that keeps along the upper [or right ] side of the Susquehanna down to Wamphallobank [ Wapwallopen ] and thence to Shamokin. October 8 .- Passed through the Chickasaw town|| and bade adieu to all our friends. Presented some of the women with needles and thread. They gave nis pumpkins baked in the ashes. Moved down the beautiful flats. October 10 .- Came to the falls at Nescopeck, where we had Zeisberger take the horses and with them follow the river on its north side. Cammerhoff, Mack and I went down the hill to the Susquehanna and shouted for a canoe. Hereupon Pantes, the third son of Notamaest (the Governor of Nescopeck ), tastily painted and decked with feathers, came and set us over the river. We gave him a silver buckle for his trouble. On entering the town we went to the

relating to these "finds," are from The Wilkes-Barre Record of September 9, October 24 and November 25, 1895.

"A few weeks ago a number of Indian bones were dug up, but a few days ago contractor W. G. Downs' workmen came across three or four skeletons close together. The bones were in a good state of preser- vation, and the fact that they were those of Indians was shown by the general formation of the skulls and the prominent cheek bones. One of the skeletons was that of a woman. The frames were not lying horizontally, but were in a sitting posture, the skulls being abont four feet from the surface, and the feet about ten [?] feet. This was the Indian custom of burial. [See page 174, ante.] Near one of the skele- tons was a pipe. It is made of stone, the bowl being perforated and worked around with rings. * * * Maj. Jacob Roberts, Jr., is discovering many traces of the 'vanishing race' in grading the plot of ground he recently purchased on Carey Avenue near Division Street. A few feet below the surface the jaw-bone of an Indian was unearthed ; also a lot of blue beads, rings and arrow-heads. * * A couple of skeletons are also being unearthed. * * *

"An interesting relic was unearthed the other day on the tract of land at the lower end of the city now being laid out into lots by Major Roberts. It is a crucifix, and was found in an Indian grave by William G. Downs, who sold it to Col. William J. Harvey. In the same grave with it were perhaps a quart of beads. The crucifix is of brass, nearly two inches long. On one side is Christ on the cross ; below is a skull and cross-bones. On the other side the Virgin Mary is represented. * * * The land on which the crucifix was found was an extensive burying-ground, and many relics have been found thereabout. * It is said that all the skeletons lie with their heads towards the west, and some have been found in a sitting posture. One skeleton was gigantic in size. * * Major Roberts found a fine string of blue beads, said to be made of Scotch stone." The crucifix mentioned above was subsequently presented by Colonel Harvey to the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society, and may now be seen in its collec- tions. Several duplicates of this crucifix have been found at various times within recent yearson the sites of former Indian settlements along the Susquehanna, and one of them, found near Great Island, on the West Branch of the river, is pictured and described in "Pennsylvania-Colonial and Federal," II : 313.

* Between Brown's Brook and Bead Hill, Plymouth.

t See page 223 for a reference to the Chickasaw tradition concerning "a magic pole."

Park's Island near Grand Tunnel, at the lower end of "Shawnee" Flats.

¿ In August, 1753, John Martin Mack, the missionary, visited a small Shawanese village below Muncy Creek (in what is now Lycoming County, Pennsylvania), which had been established a few years previ- ously by some families from Wyoming. Here Mack found old Chikasi living, he having been there since the previous Spring. Mack states in his diary, relative to this visit : "He [Chikasi] saluted us as brothers. We also visited John Shikellimy ['Tachnechdorus,' mentioned on page 184], who lives here and has a Shawanese wife. He furnished us with a choice piece of bear's meat. Shikellimy's family have mostly left Shamokin, as they find it very difficult to live there, owing to the large number of Indians pass- ing through the town, who have to be fed. Our Brethren make the same complaint. They have fed as high as 100 Indians per annum."

| Between Bead Hill and Brown's Brook, Plymouth.

" Notamaes, or "King Nutimus" as he was commonly known, was the Delaware chief who is referred to on pages 196, 199 and 200. According to Watson ("Annals of Philadelphia," II : 181) there were 1wo brothers of this name (which signifies "a spear with which to strike fish"), who were well known to Heckewelder the Moravian missionary, previously mentioned. The one, Isaac-the subject of this brief sketch-"the other, Pontius [Pantes (?)], an excellent man, was born where Philadelphia now stands. He lived to 100 years of age, and died at Muskingum, Ohio, in 1780, after thirty years' residence there." Secretary James Logan, in a letter written in August, 1733, to Thomas Penn, Esq., states that Nutimus- Isaac-has lands in the Forks of the Delaware and Lehigh, above Durham ; and in a letter written a few weeks later he refers to an expected visit from Nutimus and his company, with a present, and closes by saying, "they left a bag of bullets last year." Nutimus was one of the Delaware sachems who executed August 25, 1737, the "deed of release and quit-claim" upon which was based the "Walking Purchase" referred to on page 194.

Nutimus and his followers left the "Forks" of the Delaware late in the year 1742 or early in 1743 (see page 200), and went to Shamokin. Later, in 1743, they removed to the mouth of Nescopeck Creek ( men- tioned on page 201). They erected their cabins on the south or left bank of the river. opposite Nescopeck Falls, about half a mile above the mouth of the creek, within the present limits of the borough of Nesco- peck. During the next few years Nutimus spent a good deal of time at Shamokin, where he learned to work with tools and at blacksmithing. Heckewelder states : "Isaac and Pantes were both amiable men and respected by the whites. Isaac having a mechanical turn of mind soon learned the use of tools, and became a pretty good blacksmith, a trade which he followed wherever he moved to, and during his life-

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Governor's house-more spacious than any I have yet seen among the Indians-in which he and his five sons with their wives and children live together. We found, however, no one but Pantes, his brother Joe and the women at home. Seated around the fire we con- versed with them some time.

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A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from its first beginnings to the present time; including chapters of newly-discovered, Vol. I, Part 33

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851-1922; Smith, Ernest Gray Publication date: 1909-1930 Publisher: Wilkes-Barre : Raeder Press Number of Pages: 734

Author: Harvey, Oscar Jewell, 1851-1922; Smith, Ernest Gray
Publication date: 1909-1930
Publisher: Wilkes-Barre : Raeder Press
Number of Pages: 734