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 early Wyoming Valley history, together with many biographical sketches and much genealogical material. Volume IV > Part 12
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JOHN CAREY, ELEASER BLACKMAN,
ASHER MINER, EX'r of Cornelius Cortright,
ARNOLD COLT.
THOS. DYER
ROSWELL WELLES,
BENJAMIN DRAKE,
The Committee received answers to their circular from the following persons :
WM. L. BOWMAN.
NATHAN WALLER,
LYMAN COVELL,
SAMUEL PEASE.
BENJ. DRAKE.
JOIN CAREY,
ARNOLD COLT.
DAVID RICHARDS,
REUBEN DOWNING,
JOSEPHI SLOCUM,
WILLIAM ROSS,
PUTNAM CALLIN,
TIMOTHY BEBEE,
ISAAC BOWMAN,
BENJAMIN SLOCUM,
E. A. BOWMAN,
ELEASER BLACKMAN,
DOCT. T. W. MINER,
JEHOIDA P. JOHNSON,
STEPHEN TUTTLE,
NATHAN PALMER,
AMASA DANA, ALVIN DANA
JOSIAH WRIGHT."
The answers of a large proportion of those who replied confirmed a generally accepted understanding as to common rights of all congregations in the building and this was pushed to advantage by the Methodists.
On June 22, 1830, mintites disclose that the Methodist committee was authorized "to propose to give to the Presbyterian Church one thousand dollars for the interest and right such church had in the meeting house, or to take one thousand dollars for. the interest and right the Methodist Church has in such House.'
Whether wearied of the struggle or impressed with the fairness of such offer to close a long drawn theological controversy is not in evidence, but later in the year the Presbyterians agreed to accept the figure offered, which sum, as has been seen, was applied to the erection of the community's original Presby- terian Church.
A further narrative of Methodism in Wilkes-Barre was prepared by Dr. Lewis H. Taylor, in the form of an address delivered on the S5th Anniversary of the First Methodist Church, October 10, 1915. The address in part follows:
"On June 26, 1827, the first Methodist conference held in the Wyoming Valley convened in Wilkes-Barre with Bishop George as presiding bishop. The Presbyterians cordially gave the use of the church to the Methodists for this conference and many attending were entertained in Presbyterian families.
"The Methodists had held service in Wilkes-Barre for thirty years with a small society, seanty means and no special place for worship. In 1826, Rev. George Peek was appointed to Wyoming Circuit with Philo Barberry, and as there seemed to be a necessity that Wilkes-Barre should have the entire service of one man, the Presiding Elder took George Peek from the eirenit and stationed him at Wilkes-Barre, which was thus early made a station with Hanover, Newport and Plains as outside preaching places.
"The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Wilkes-Barre was formally organized on Sep- tember 16, 1830. The Rev. Charles Nash was preacher in charge, with John Carey, Joseph Sloenn, Ziba Bennett, Sharp D. Lewis, Lewis Worrall, Abraham Thomas and Anning O. Chahoon as trustees; and Gilbert Barnes, Sharp D). Lewis, Ziba Bennett, Robert Miner and David Thompson as stewards.
"The church, now in peaceful possession of its own house of worship, continued to grow in numbers and influence. There was not a record kept of the membership previous to 1835
LYMAN COVELL, Heir of Doet. M Covell dee'd.
GEO. MI HOLLENBACK, Ad. of Estate of M. Hollen back, dec'd.
1864
except upon the class books, but the complete list for that year shows a membership of one hundred and thirty-seven, and this list includes many names well known in the early history of the church. As there were no suitable accommodations in the old meeting houses for social meetings, Ziba Bennett, in 1836, built and gave to the church the use of a building for such purposes on North Main Street, on the site of what later became Montayne's tin store, which many of us remember.
"We find in 1839, on September 23, a special meeting of the official members was called for the purpose of adopting suitable measures for celebrating the centenary of Methodism and this celebration was held on October 25, 1839, the Hon. Charles Miner, later the Historian of the Valley, being asked to preside.
"Although the church was organized as seen in 1830, it was not incorporated until some years later. The charter was filed June 26, 1844.
"Public preaching and the Sunday School continued to be held in the old church on the Square but the increasing prosperity and importance of the congregation demanded other and more suitable quarters, and as early as 1846, the question of a new church edifice was considered, and a committee appointed to solicit the necessary funds for the erection of a building on Franklin street, Ziba Bennett having donated a lot for the purpose.
"On March 4th of that year (1846), at a meeting of the quarterly conference it was 'Re- solved, That as soon as a responsible subscription to the amount of the estimate of the committee be obtained, we proceed to the erection of a Methodist Episcopal Church upon the lot given by Bro. Ziba Bennett. It is understood that Mr. Bennett gives the lot on condition the Church be built within five years, and with the Reservation, that it shall revert to him or his heirs or as- signs if ever used or occupied for a Theatre or Tavern, or place where Liquor or ardent spirits are sold or for any purpose repugnant to the spirit of Christianity.
"Nothing, however, appears to have been done for more than a year for at the second Quarterly Conference, November 1847, the question of repairing the old meeting house on the Square was considered, and during the discussion, Brother Ziba Bennett (who in addition to giving a lot had subscribed $500 toward the building) stated that he would double his subscription of $500, which with the amount already on paper would make the subscription obtained almost $4,500 and he believed the new house could be commenced the following spring, that we ought to, could, and must build one and therefore he was opposed to ex- pending money on the old one.
"With this encouragement, en- thusiastic resolutions were adopted to proceed with the enterprise.
"As sufficient funds had been subscribed to warrant the trustees in commencing the erection of the new church, the old church on the Square was offered for sale and arrangements were made to begin the new church in the spring of 1848. Ziba Bennett, Lord Butler, William Wood and Sharp D. Lewis were appointed a building com- FIRST M. E. CHURCH-ERECTED 1849. inittee. In 1849 the old church on the Square was sold to Oristus Collins, George M. Hollenbaek and Charles Dennison for $600. It was subsequently pulled down and removed, Pearce says, in 1857. Most of the lumber in the house was purchased after taken down by W. C. Gildersleeve, who used it in building a barn in the rear of his home on Franklin Street, which was on the site of the Carpenter house, a few doors below this church.
"The new church on Franklin Street, which some of us remember as the old church, was completed and dedicated on October 4, 1849, by Rev. Jesse T. Peck, D. D., later Bishop Peck. It cost exclusive of the lot $S,200, and was dedicated free from debt. Those of us who attended this church well remember the rectangular white slab in front with the date 1849 carved upon it. We well remember, too, the straight uncompromising interior; with the basement for Sunday School, prayer meeting and class rooms. Very different indeed from the spacious edifice in which we now worship, but at that time it was the finest and most commodious building of the kind in the country round about.
"The enterprise was started under the pastorate of Rev. David Shepherd, prosecuted and continued under that of Rev. Bostwick Hawley, completed under that of Rev. Thomas H. Pearne. "It was no doubt a grand church for its day, but when I first knew it, only twenty-two years after it was erected, it seemed like an old and somewhat dingy church even, with poor accommo- dations in the basement for Sunday School."*
*The following Pastors have served this Church from 1826 to 1924:
Rev. George Peck, 1826-'28; Revs. Joseph Castle and Silas Comfort, 1828-'30 (Wilkes-Barre and Wyoming were united for these two years, when Wilkes-Barre was again made a station). Rev. Charles Nash, 1830-'32; Rev. H. F. Rowe, 1832-'33; Rev. Selah Stoeking, 1833-'35; Rev. J. M. Snyder, 1835-'37; Rev. Robert Fox, 1837-'38; Rev. D. Holmes, 1838-'40; Rev. John Davidson, part of 1840; Rev. D. W. Bristol, 1840-'42; Rev. John Leys, 1842-'43; Rev. D Holmes, 1843-'44; Rev. D. A. Shepherd, 1844-'46; Rev. B. Hawley, 1846-'48; Rev. Thomas H. Pearne, 1848-'50; Rev. Nelson Rounds, 1850-'52; Rev George Peck, D D., 1852-'54; Rev. William Wyatt, 1854-'55; Rev. Henry Browns- combe, 1855 '57; Rev. J. M. Snyder. 1857-'58; Rev. Rueben Nelson, part of 1858-'59; Rev. Z. Paddoek, 1859-'60;
1865
The Baptist congregation, which had from time to time shared "Old Ship Zion" or conducted meetings at irregular intervals in the Court House, was formally constituted a church in 1842. Rev. A. L. Past conducted the exercises. This congregation, built a brick church in 1847 on West Northampton street. A stone edi- fice, later built on the corner of Franklin and South streets, was destroyed by fire in 1927; and the congregation then purchased a site for a new church on South River street. The original brick church dedicated in September 18, 1848, had the first town clock in the Borough .*
In rounding out events of the third decade of the nineteenth century, the death of Judge Mat- hias Hollenback brought general sorrow to the whole Susquehanna country. His was the outstanding figure of his time. While not of OLD BAPTIST CHURCH-ERECTED 1848. Connecticut stock, and not always in sympathy with those whose loyalty to that commonwealth has never been questioned, Judge Hollenback nevertheless rose to a position of commanding influence, large wealth and universal esteem in the community of his adoption. His death occurred February 18, 1839. Identified with every interest concerned with public welfare, a man of wide philanthropies, uncommon foresight and integrity, his loss was keenly felt. As will be noted from a sketch of his life which concludes this Chapter, Judge Hollenback's activities in public and private life were second to those of none of his contemporaries in the Commonwealth and through him, Wilkes-Barre was most favorably known over a wide section of the country.t
Rev. Jacob Miller, 1860-'62; Rev. J. A. Wood, 1862-'64; Rev. Y. C. Smith, D. D., 1864-'67; Rev. Henry Brownscombe, 1867-'69; Rev. Thomas M. Reese, 1869-'72; Rev. . A. II. Wyatt, 1872-'74; Rev. W. H. Olin, D. D., 1874-'77; Rev. J. E. Smith, D. D., 1877-'80; Rev. Samuel Moore, 1880-'83; Rev. J. O. Woodruff, D. D., 1883-'86; Rev. A. H. Tuttle, D. D., 1886-'89; Rev. Watson L. Phillips, 1889-'91; Rev. J. Richard Boyle, D. D., 1891-'95; Rev. W. H. Pearce, 1896-1900; Rev. John H. Bickford, 1901-'04; Rev. Albert E. Piper, D. D., 1904-'10; Rev. Charles E. Guthrie, D. D., 1910-'15; Rev. Albert E. Piper, D. D., 1915-'20; Rev. Leon K. Willman, D. D., 1920; Revs. John E. Bone, C. H. Seward, D. S. Mckellar and L. W. Karschner have acted as assistant pastors of this church.
*The "Old Baptist Meeting House" passed from the ownership of the local congregation on November 10, 1873 when the church was disbanded and the property transferred to the Baptist General Association of Pennsylvania. Rev. J. B. Hutchinson was sent by the Association to reorganize the work as a mission in 1874. Due to his efforts the congregation and the church was again accepted into the Association on July 1, 1875, under the name of the Cen- tennial Baptist Church, of which he became pastor.
In 1888, the name was again changed to the First Baptist Church of Wilkes-Barré and a new chapel was dedicated, which later was incorporated into the present church building, In May 1900, the corner stone of the present handsome stone church was laid with Masonic ceremonies and the building itself occupied in December of the same year.
+GEORGE HOLLENBACK, a German emigrant, settled in Pennsylvania prior to 1729, and in 1734 "owned lands and paid quit-rents" in the township of Hanover, Philadelphia (now Montgomery) County, Pennsylvania.
John Hollenback, son of George, was born about 1720, and iminigrated to America with his father. He took up land, and settled, in Lebanon Township, Lancaster (now Lebanon) County, Pennsylvania, in 1750. prior to which time he had been married to Eleanor Jones, of Welsh descent. In 1772, John Hollenback removed to Martinsburg, Berkeley County, Virginia, where lie died.
John and Eleanor (Jones) Hollenback were the parents of three sons, George, Matthias and John.
Mathias Hollenback, the second son, was born February 17, 1752, at what is now Jonestown, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. In February, 1770, just before his eighteenth birthday, he marched from llanover Township, Lan- caster County, for the Valley of Wyoming, as one of Capt. Lazarus Stewart's "Paxtang Boys" and assisted in taking possession of Fort Durkee, Wilkes-Barre on the 11th of February.
During the ensuing few months young Hollenback remained at Wilkes-Barre, taking part with the "Paxtang Boys" in the warfare which they carried on against the Pennamites and in preparing the country for settlement, for which he received in May, 1770, from Captain Stewart, a certificate as an "associator", which entitled him to share in the dis- tribution of the lands of Hanover Township.
His name appears as "Mathew Hollinback" in an original official "List of the Proprietors of the Five Townships" of the Connecticut Susquehanna Company, prepared at Wilkes-Barre, June 17, 1770. (It may be stated here that
1866
wherever the name of Mr. Hollenback appears in the records of the Susquehanna Company, prior to 1775, his Christian name is given as "Matthew"; and also that, as is shown by original documents in existence, he so wrote his name during the same period. Afterwards he returned to the use of "Matthias," which was, without doubt, his baptismal name.) June 18, 1770, "Matthias Hollenback" bought for twelve pounds of Capt. Zebulon Butler, a member of the Committee of Settlers of the Susquehanna Company, one "right" in the Company's purchase.
In August, 1770, Mr. Hollenback returned to Lancaster County with the other "Paxtang Boys." He was not with Captain Stewart and his men when they recaptured Fort Durkee, in December, 1770, but joined them there a few days later, was in the fort when Nathan Ogden was killed, and, with Captain Stewart and the other Hanoverians, evacuated the fort and departed from the Valley on the evening of January 21, 1771.
When in July, 1771, the expedition commanded by Captain Butler marched to Wyoming and forced the Pennamites to capitulate Fort Durkee, and leave the valley, Matthias Hollenback was not a member of the combined Connecticut- Hanover force. Nor was he in Wyoming during that Summer; but on December 9, 1771, he came to Wilkes-Barre, bringing a quantity of blankets which he sold for £3, 7s. 5d. to Captain Butler, and which were used by the latter as gifts to Indians who, about that time, attended a Council held at Wilkes-Barre with the white settlers there.
When in the Spring or early Summer of 1772, the lots of the First Division of Hanover Township, in Wyoming Valley, were divided among Captain Stewart and his associates, "Lot No. 5" was drawn by Matthias Hollenback. This lot lay a little more than one-half mile below the Wilkes-Barre and Hanover boundary, was forty-two rods in width, extended from the Susquehanna River five miles to the Hanover line beyond the top of the Big Mountain, and contained 436 acres.
Very soon after drawing this lot Mr. Hollenback left Wyoming, and did not put in an appearance there again until a year later-as is shown by the records of the Susquehanna Company. It is presumed that during this time he was with his father's family in Virginia, whither they had just removed, as previously noted.
Owing to Matthias Hollenback's absence from Wyoming for this long period, his right to Lot No. 5, in the First Division of Hanover, was forfeited, and the lot was awarded to Lazarus Stewart, Jr., for his services as an "associator." When Mr. Hollenback returned to Wyoming and learned of this state of affairs, he made a formal complaint to the Sus- quehanna Company. At a meeting of the Company held at Hartford, Connecticut, June 2, 1773, a committee reported among other things: "We find that Mathew Hollinbach was one of Captain Stewart's associates, but had so neglected his Duty that Captain Stewart and his associates judges him unworthy, and have refused to allow him a settling right in Hanover, and we find no reason to dissent from Captain Stewart's doings." This report was accepted and adopted. The neglected duty referred to was, of course, Mr. Hollenback's failure, during the Summer and Winter of 1772, and the Spring of 1773, to "man his right" in Hanover, either personally or by proxy, as was required by the regulations of the Susquehanna Company.
Mr. Hol'enback spent but little time at Wyoming during the remaining months of 1773, but early in 1774, he came there to stay, accompanied by his younger brother John, then in the nineteenth year of his age.
At a meeting of the Susquehanna Company, at Hartford, March 9, 1774, the following was adopted: "Whereas, Matthew Hollenback is one of the associates of Capt. Lazarus and William Stewart, &c., and ought to be one of the thirty- six settlers to whom the township of Hanover was granted as a gratuity, and drew in said town 'Lot No. 5'; and the said Stewarts have pretended to exclude said Hollenback from his said right upon a report of a Committee for that purpose appointed, it is now voted that the said Mathew Hollenback shall have and enjoy his said right in said town of Hanover. viz. Lot No. 5, &c."
Several years passed before the right, or claim, of Mr. Hollenback to any of the lands of Hanover township was recognized by the proprietors of the township, but he finally and effectually established his right before the "Compromise" Commissioners, and in 1802, "Lot No. 5" in the First Division, and one lot in each of the other two divisions were certified by the Commissioners to Mr. Hollenback.
On April 25, 1774, John Hollenhack, described as "of Wilkesbarre," bought of William Holland for 15 pounds, a half-right in the Susquehanna purchase, and thereby became a member of the Connecticut Susquehanna Company. Some time later he acquired from the then owner "Lot No. 19" in the town-plot of Wilkes-Barre. This lot (which in 1770 had been drawn by Isaac Bennet, and was still owned by him, in 1772) was pentagonal in shape, and was bounded on one side by South Main Street, on another by the west side of the Public Square, on the third side by West Center, now Market Street. Its fourth boundary lay along where South Franklin Street now runs, and from that a line ex- tending to South Main Street, parallel with Market and Northampton Streets, formed the fifth side of the lot. Between 1779 and 1795, Johh Hollenback conveyed to his brother Matthias, a one-half interest in this lot, and in 1802, the "Compromise" Commissioners certified the lot to Matthias Hollenback, and to his nephews Matthias, 2d, and John, Jr., sons of John Hollenback, who had died in 1707.
The Susquehanna Company voted, in June, 1770, "That there be at present but one trading-house set up in our purchase on Susquehanna River for trading with and accommodating the Indians with such necessaries as they from time to time shall want; and that those persons that shall trade and deal with the Indians shall he under the direction and control of Major Durkee, Captain Butler and Deacon Timothy Hopkins, who are hereby authorized to take care of and oversee the trade, and deal with the Indians, and see that justice is at all times done to them."
Under this regulation Captain Butler set up at Wilkes-Barré in 1770, a trading house, where, as circumstances and the Pennamites permitted, he trafficked in a sinall way with the Connecticut settlers at Wyoming and with the few Indians who semi-occasionally visited the valley. He carried on this business (in 1772 and 1773 in the block-house at Mill Creek) until September, 1773, when he discontinued it, having a multiplicity of other duties-military, judi- cial and executive, to perform.
As a trader he was succeeded, in the Autumn of 1773 or early in 1774, by Matthias Holenback. The latter estab- lished himself at Mill Creek, and carried on his store there until his brother John purchased "Lot No. 19", previously mentioned, when he erected upon a portion of it fronting the Public Square a building for store and dwelling purpose to which he removed, probably in 1775. About this time he formed with John Ilegerman, a Pennsylvania German, a business partnership which continued until 1782 at least.
At Wilkes-Barré, under date of March 28, 1776, Capt. Zebulon Butler wrote to the Hon. Roger Sherman, a Dela- gate from Connecticut in the Continental Congress, then sitting in Philadelphia: "This will be handed you by Messrs. Hollenback and Heggaman who waits on the Congress for help on account of goods taken from them at Shamokin. They are young gentlemen that follow the business of trading at this place, from Philadelphia and other places, & have behaved themselves very well and to the acceptance of the inhabitants in general. I hope they will have justice done them. As they have no chance in the county where their goods are detained they are obliged to apply to a higher Board." * ***
Matthias Hollenhack was commissioned October 17, 1775, Ensign of the 6th Company (Rezin Geer, of Wilkes- Barré, Captain) in the 24th Regiment, Connecticut Militia, then just organized.
On August 26, 1776, the Continental Congress proceeded to the election of certain military officers, when "Matthew ITollenhack" was elected Ensign of one "of the two companies ordered to be raised in the Town of Westmoreland."
Ensign Hollenback marched from Wilkes-Barre with his company-which was commanded by Capt. Samuel Ransom-in January, 1777, and during the ensuing year participated in the various battles and expeditions in which the Wyoming Independent Companies took part. At the beginning of December, 1777, when Washington's army was encamped near Philadelphia-prior to going into Winter quarters at Valley Forge-Ensign Hollenback resigned his commission and returned to Wilkes-Barré, being succeeded by Sergeant Timothy Peirce, who was promoted Ensign, December 3, 1777.
Mr. Hollenback resumed his business pursuits at Wilkes-Barré, where, during his absence in the army, his partner John Hegerman had been conducting the affairs of Hollenback & Hagerman.
Mr. Hollenback took part in the battle of Wyoming, fighting in the ranks of his old company of the 24th Regiment, commanded by Capt. Geer, who fell early in the battle and was suceeded by Capt. R. Durkee who was on the field without any command. Colonel Wright relates (in his Historical Sketches) that when the retreat of the Americans be- gan Capt. Durkee, who had been wounded in the thigh, could not walk. Ensign Hollenhack, heing much attached to him. carried him on his shoulders some distance from the field; but being pressed closely by the Indians Captain Durkee prayed Mr. Hollenhack to abandon him to his fate, as they would both lose their lives in any further effort to save him. Reluctantly Hollenhack laid the Captain on the ground, saying "God Almighty protect you, Captain," and then sped on towards the river. He had gone but a short distance when he heard the crash of a tomahawk into poor Durkee's skull.
1867
Mr. Hollenback, who was an expert swimmer, phinged into the river, crossed to the eastern shore and ha-tened to the fort at Wilkes-Barre, where he was one of the first. if not the first, to give a report of the fatal battle Before daylight the next morning he set out on horseback over the Wilke -- Barre mountain to meet Captain Spalding and his company of seventy men, for the purpose of hurrying them to the Wilkes-Barre fort. Ile met the company at Bear Creek but Captain Spalding declined the hazard.
Mr. Hollenback then procured from Spalding's commissary all the provisions He could pack en his horse, and hast- ened along the path which led through the "Shades of Death" he administered match needed relief to the hungry fugi- tives from Wyoming.
On the 16th of the following August Matthias Hollenback in company with Benjamin Harvey. James Nisbitt Sr .. John Jameson, William Ross, Stephen Fuller, Ezekiel Peirce and a number of others, returned to Wilkes-Barre and joined a detachment of the 24th Regiment under the provisional command of Lieutenant Colonel Butler Early in December, 1778. Lieutenant Colonel Butler, still in command of the post at Wyoming. sent Mr Hollenback to Deputy Quartermaster General Cook, at Northumberland, for a supply of food and money for the Wyoming post and Mr. Hollenback returned shortly before Christmas day bringing £1. 155 to be used at the post in a manner "most conductive to the public welfare."
Mr. Hollenback's building on the west side of the Public Square, Wilkes-Barre, having been burnt by the savages on the 4th of July. 1778, he erected in 1780 and '81 , a long two-story frame building, on a lot which he had just purchased on the west side of South Main Street, opposite where now stands what is known as the "Ross" house. In this building Mr. Hollenback resided and did business for a number of years. A portion of the building is still standing, and it was the oldest structure to survive in Wilke-Barre. (It was torn down in 1922 to make room for a modern building.)
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