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 14
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Belmont and Oghuge
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Clifford and Wilkesbarre do
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Carbondale and Lackawanna do
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Lackawanna Sterling and Newfoundland Lenox and Harmony
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"Purchasers will be required to pay for the Stocks at the time or immediately after sale in certificates issued by the Auditor General, in pursuance of the resolution of 7th April, 1842-notes issued by the banks of this common- wealth, under the act of 4th May, 1841, specie or the notes of specie paying banks. The transfer of stock will be made in a reasonable time after sale.
"JAMES CLARKE.
"EVANS ROGERS,
"JOB MANN,
"Commissioners."
1874
railway with the once thriving village of Gouldsborough and is, like most of its contemporaries, a country road still in service.
While the end of practically all these early toll roads spelled financial loss to their promoters, the immediate effect of their building was to stimulate population along their lines and to increase the wealth of centers like Wilkes- Barré, from which they radiated.
TANNERY AT GOULDSBOROUGH.
The Borough of Wilkes-Barre was accredited with a population of 732 persons by the census of 1820. The official figures in 1830 gave the municipality a total population of 1,201.
The canal era did not begin until about 1830, and a limited anthracite trade of the Wyoming Valley, up until that period, depended almost entirely on the Susquehanna ark for its transportation. Almost doubling its population in the ten year interval between the 1820 and 1830 census is, therefore, not attributable to the present basie industry of the community. Rather this encour- aging increase may be set down to the fact that Wilkes-Barré was a terminus of the Easton and Wilkes-Barre Turnpike and the point of trans-shipment of river bourn commerce as well as a center of trade for a network of other turnpikes which focused their business at Luzerne's County seat. Perhaps no period of its history was as picturesque and as full of promise as were the rollicking stage coach days of Wilkes-Barré.
The lone post rider, asking no more than an isolated Indian trail to traverse between settlements, was the precursor of the mail stage.
Emigrants from Connecticut, in 1769, blazed the first wagon road from the Delaware, crossing that river near the present Dingman's, ferry and approach- . ing the valley from the headwaters of the Lackawanna.
At first, those going to and returning from the frontier places of resi- denee of these early settlers were relied upon to effeet any interchanges of cor- respondence. Later, individuals were employed at irregular intervals to at- tempt the long journey for that purpose.
1875
Prince Alden was the first of these regularly employed riders. His con- tract, the cost of which was defrayed by private subscriptions, called for a trip once in two weeks between Wilkes-Barre and Hartford during the year 1777.
The year 1775 saw the then loose- ly federated national government at- tempting to consolidate many independ- ent lines of mail service. The service between Philadelphia, New York and Boston and another line between Phila- delphia and Baltimore, then in private hands, formed a nucleus of a system of post routes placed under national con- trol through the efforts of Benjamin Franklin.
The first post office in all the terri- tory of the Susquehanna Purchase was established at Wilkes-Barré, in 1794. Lord Butler was named postmaster .*
Indicative of the tremendous in- crease in the postal business in Greater Wilkes-Barré, since the post rider days when Lord Butler was postmaster, or of later times when the equivalent of a large packing case contained all the letter boxes of patrons, is the appended statement of details of statistical data of the Wilkes-Barre postal plant, furnished for this History, by Postmaster Mannear, as of December 31, 1923:
William E. Mannear, Postmaster. Ella Devaney, Foreman, Registry Section.
William E. Newhart, Assistant Postmaster Joseph A. Williamson, Supt. Kingston Branch.
Patrick J. Burke, Supt. of Mails. Alexander Armstrong, Supt. Ashley Branch.
Samuel Llewellyn, Asst. Supt. of Mails. William G. Griffith, Supt. Parsons Branch.
Winfield Koons, Asst. Supt. of Mails. Edmund D. Camp, Supt. Luzerne Branch.
James J. Devaney, Foreman, Money Order Section.
*Lord Butler, appo nted 1794, kept the postoffice on the site of the origina! Butler homestead, River street, corner Northampton Street
John Hollenback, appointed in 1802-Thomas Dyer, deputy-kept the office in the latter's residence, Main street. Ezekiel Hyde, appointed in 1805, kept the office on the corner of Market and Franklin streets, diagonally across from the Wyoming bank.
Jonathan Hancock, appointed in 1805, kept the office on the site of the present Bennett building.
Jacob Cist, appointed in 1808, kept the office for several years in M. Hollenback's store, Main street, below North- ampton street, and afterwards removed to a building on the site of the residence of G. S. Mcclintock, Esq., River street. A. Beaumont, appointed in 1826. kept the office in the old "fireproof," in centre of Public Square, and also on the site of the present Miners Bank.
William Ross, appointed in 1832, kept the office on the site of lazarus Brothers' store, South Main street David Collings, appointed in 1835, kept the office on the site of 80 Public Square.
A. O. Chahoon, appointed in 1835, kept the office on the site of Chahoon Hall, Market street.
J. P. LaClerc, appointed in 1843, had the office at 78 Public Square.
E. B. Collings, appointed in 1845, kept the office on the site of 80 Public Square.
Steuben Butler, appointed in 1849, kept the office on the site of Shupp's jewelry store. West Market st., south side. John Reichard, appointed in 1853, kept the office on the site of 80 Public Square.
Jacob Sorber, appointed in 1854, kept the office in the same place part of the time, and then removed it to the site of the Bristol House.
E. B. Collings, reappointed in 1858, kept the office in the last named place until 1861.
S. M Barton was appointed in 1861, when he removed the office to the East side of Public Square.
E. H. Chase, appointed in 1865, kept the office at the same place.
Stewart Pearce, appointed in 1869, also kept the office in the same place until April, 1870, when he removed it to West Market street, now the site of the Industrial Loan Building. Douglas Smith, appointed in 1877, removed the office to Music Hall Building, the present Hotel Sterling site. A. S. Orr was postmaster from 1881 to 1885, at Music Hall.
Joseph K. Bogert from 1885 until his death in 1887. at Music Hall. Mrs. J. K. Bogert from 1887 to 1892, at Music Hall.
I. B. Landmesser, 1892 to 1896, at Music Hall.
E F. Bogert from June 1, 1896 to 1898. During Mr. Bogert's term the office was removed from Music Hall to the site of 16 North Main street. Daniel A. Fell from 1898 to 1899, at 16 North Main street. Byron G. Hahn from 1899 to 1905.
In 1902 the corner stone of the new Federal Building, corner South Main and South streets was laid and in March
4, 1904. Mr. Hahn moved the office in that structure where it has since been maintained.
Col. J.D. Laciar from 1905 to 1907.
Thoma; F. Heffernan from 1907 to 1916.
Lawrence J. Casey from 1916 to 1921. William E. Mannear from 1921-
1876
Territory served includes, Wilkes-Barre, Peely, Sugar Notch, Hanover Township, Wilkes- Barre Township, Parsons, Miners Mills. Hudson, Plains, Plains Township, Coal Ridge, Kingston, Forty Fort, Swoyerville, Luzerne, Courtdale, Pringle, Edwardsville, Oliver's Mills, and part of Larksville. The territory served embraces that which was formerly served by Post Offices which are now discontinued, namely: Westmore, Kingston, Forty Fort, Dorranceton, Maltby, Luzerne, Courtdale, Pringle, Larksville, Edwardsville, Coal Ridge, Plains, Hudson, Miners Mills, Parsons, Oliver's Mills, Ashley, Sugar Notch, Peely and Christopher.
Estimated population served 185,000.
Postal receipts (postage and box rents) for 1923-$455,753.14; Money Order business for 1923: Orders issued, 164,630, amounting to $1,893,210.27; Orders cashed, 90,733, amounting to $1,042,554.80.
Main Office, Federal Building, Wilkes-Barre, Branch office in rented quarters at Kingston, Luzerne, Ashley and Parsons, Pa., Twenty-four contract stations located in business places through- out territory.
92 Regular letter carriers; 22 Substitute letter carriers; 65 Regular clerks; 10 Substitute clerks; 2 Rural Delivery carriers.
Rural delivery service covers Hanover Township, Ashley Boulevard, Oliver's Mills, Bear Creek Boulevard and Storm Hill.
Vehicle Equipment: For hauling mails from stations, 5 motor trucks; For delivery of parcel post and collection of mails, 10 motor trucks and 2 horse drawn vehicles.
It may be a matter of interest to note that the "post office" maintained by Jacob Cist from 1808 to 1826, is preserved in its original state, at the rooms of the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society. Names of box holders may be
-
FEDERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, WILKES-BARRE.
found attached to a scanty number of pigeon holes of the "office," while below are larger compartments for the distribution of mail to Kingston, Plymouth and Nanticoke.
In 1797, Clark Behe, appointed post rider from Wilkes-Barré to Easton, advertised that he would also "carry passengers when the sleighing is good at $2.50 each" on his weekly trip. The same year, mail service was extended by weekly rider from Wilkes-Barré via Nanticoke, Newport and Nescopeck, to Berwick, returning via Huntington and Plymouth.
1877
A year later found regular service established once in two weeks between Wilkes-Barré and the settlements along the upper Susquehanna as far as Great Bend, the same service being extended to Owego, New York, in 1790.
These early riders were paid by the government only for actual letter mail transported. To supplement this slender income, it was customary for them to carry newspapers at the expense of the publisher or subscriber; the pub- lishing days, in Wilkes-Barré as elsewhere, being timed to coincide with the departure of horse or coach.
In 1825, and for many years thereafter, the rates of postage in the United States were six cents for a letter, if not carried over thirty iniles, ten cents, if carried over thirty miles and not over eighty miles, twelve and one-half cents if over eighty and not over one hundred and fifty miles, and twenty-five cents for any distance over four hundred miles. Double letters, or letters composed of two pieces of paper, were double these rates. Every distinct piece of paper, if written on, was liable to single-rate letter postage. Envelopes were then iin- known. If used, they would have subjected letters to double postage. The fourth page of the letter sheet was left vacant, and the letter was so folded as to bring a part of this page on the outside of the letter and thus furnish a place for the superscription or address.
"POST OFFICE" OF JACOB CIST, 1808-1826. Original in possession of the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society.
Upon completion of the Easton and Wilkes-Barré Turnpike, in 1806, John P. Arndt established the first stage line on that thoroughfare. Under the firm name of Arndt and Robinson, he advertised a regular two-horse stage service through to Easton once a week, the schedule occupying a day and a half for a journey each way. From Easton to Philadelphia or from Easton to New York, another day was required.
In 1810, Conrad Teeter contracted with the government to carry the mail by stage once a week, from Sunbury to Painted Post, by the way of Wilkes- Barré and Athens. He, however, sold his interest in the route from Sunbury to Wilkes-Barré to Miller Horton, but ran the other portion himself until 1816. In that year Miller, Jesse and Lewis Horton opened a new era in stage-coach traveling, and in carrying the mails in Northern Pennsylvania. These enter- prising brothers contracted, in 1824, to carry the mails, in four-horse coaches,
1878
from Baltimore to Owego, by way of Harrisburg, Sunbury, Wilkes-Barré, and Montrose; and from Philadelphia to Wilkes-Barré, via Easton. They also con- tracted to carry the mails from New York City to Montrose, by way of Newark and Morristown in New Jersey, and Milford in Pennsylvania. Post Offices were successively established at Plymouth, Kingston, Pittston, Tunkhannock, Providence, and other places in the county; and comfortable and substantial four-horse coaches rolled daily and rapidly over the highways.
Advertisements of stage lines, as they were established, fill a considerable of the limited space of local papers and excite the imagination of the present day. The Gleaner of April 15, 1811, devotes its first page to an announcement of the. "Old Line Stage," as follows:
"Stage leaves the Swan Inn, Philadelphia, Wednesday and Saturday mornings at 3 o'clock and reaches Easton same day,-evening. Leaves Easton every Thursday morning at 3 o'clock and arrives at Arndt's Inn, Wilkesbarre, early next day.
"Stage leaves Wilkesbarre every Saturday morning and reaches Easton on Sunday. Leaves Easton for Philadelphia Monday and Thursday at + A. M.
"Fare, $3. Easton-Philadelphia. Fare, $3. Easton-Wilkesbarre."
On the same date, Conrad Teeter advertised the "New Line of Stages from Wilkesbarre to Painted Post, Tioga Point and Newtown." That Mr. Teeter fulfilled every requirement of a profession of that period is manifest from his further description of his line, which concludes the advertisement:
"Stage starts from Wilkesbarre every Saturday at 11 A. M., arriving at Tioga Point on Monday at 12. *
* * I have four as good horses as ever travelled, and my stage is new and well-fitted to accommodate travelers. I can take twelve passengers. The driving I have the pleasure to assure the publick, will be in the best style, as I drive myself, and am always sober, * yet a merry fellow on the road." * *
In 1819, Miller Horton and Co., established a through line to Philadelphia, with tri-weekly service to upper Susquehanna points, as well as connections with the line previously established by them to Sunbury.
The flourishing announcement of this line, published in the Herald on December 31st of that year, is not without interest:
MAIL COACH.
"Clear the way for the new mail stage on the Great Northern Route. A new line of stages is now established, and will run three times a week from Philadelphia via Bethlehem, Nazareth, Wilkes- barre, Tunkhannock and Montrose o Owego, N. Y. The stage will leave Philadelphia Sunday. Tuesday, and Thursday, at 3 A. M., and arrive at Wilkesbarre Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings; and from hence to Owego on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday, and arrive there same *
days. * * The Northumberland stage will leave Wilkesbarre as usual on Sunday and Wed- nesday mornings at 4 o'clock." *
"Miller Horton & Co."
"Fare, Owego to Wilkesbarre-$6.00
"Fare, Wilkesbarre to Bethlehem-$5.00
"Fare, Bethlehem to Philadelphia, $4.00."
1879
This line established local headquarters in the Old Fell Tavern which, from that time forth became known to visito's as well as it had been known to townspeople, as one of the famous hostleries of the times.
Indeed the stage tavern, everywhere in America, was the center of infor- mation. It was a common practice for travelers, after signing their names in the register, to add on the same page any news of interest which they brought with them. Many writers of the
period mention the fact that few taverns, even in isolated dis- tricts, were without at least one billiard table around which, at night, gathered stage drivers and Conestoga freighters who kept up a boisterous din until late hours. So numerous were the latter class of patrons, that ob- jections were at length filed with tavern keepers as to their sharing the same quarters with passengers. No con- ditions of this nature are to be noted in the system of taverns which quickly sprung up along the stage coach lines operating out of Wilkes-Barré. But else- where, and particularly in the stage coach trade between larger eastern cities as well as along the Cumberland road, special taverns were erected for the accom- modation of drivers and freighters, while passengers souglit hospitality in inns of inore seclusion.
The stirring appeal of stage coach days may be gathered from narrative and correspondence of the period.
"There was something exhilarating" said Pearce, "in the sight of those large four-horse coaches, as they rolled into town, with the blast of the driver's horn, and the crack of his long lash. Proud of his steeds, and proud of his skill, with the lives of many intrusted to his charge, the driver, in those days, was no unimportant personage. Philip Abbott was the driver of Robinson & Arndt's two-horse stage in 1806; but no driver, in this section of country, has equal fame with George Root, who drove stage for upwards of forty years.
Conrad Teeter was a large, fat man of a jovial disposition, and desirous of making a favorable impression on strangers. He drove his own stage up the river. He took pleasure in pointing out his farms to the passengers. He fre- quently informed them, as he passed the large residence and farm of Colonel Benjamin Dorrance, in Kingston, that he was the owner; and if asked why he drove stage, would reply that he loved to rein four horses and drive, but had no taste for farming."
In his "Early Reminiscences of Wilkes-Barre," Samuel H. Lynch, Esq., reverts to incidents of this period as follows:
"Our town limits were between North and South streets in one direction and 'Back street' (Pennsylvania Avenue), and River street in the other. Northampton street was the outlet to Philadelphia and New York, via 'Connors' Hill,' 'Spring House,' 'Bear Creek,' 'Pocono,' 'Wind Gap,' 'Easton,' etc., by four-horse coaches, capable of carrying nine passengers inside and an extra one on the seat alongside of George Root or Jeff Swainbank, the famous drivers of that day. "It was the custom at that time to send a messenger to awake the passengers travelling by stage, as the stage started in the early morning hours. The post office was in a small building on Market street, near where 'Ben Dilley's' place now stands, and Andrew Beaumont was the post master (1826). After driving here and getting the mail bags, the passengers would be called for at the different houses about town, their trunks piled in the boot, and secured by a leather cover, securely strapped down, and then away out Northampton street for a long two days'
1880
drive over the mountains to Philadelphia and New York. The first change from this route was over the Hazleton road to Pottsville, where after staying over night and taking the Philadelphia & Pottsville railroad, you would get into Philadelphia early in the afternoon. The next change was via Tamaqua, where you had dinner, thence by way of the little Schuylkill railroad to Port Clinton and thence via the Philadelphia & Pottsville railroad to Philadelphia, going through in one day, which was considered a great improvement.
"The Bloomsburg line was then called the 'Huckleberry Line.' Following are the names of the drivers: Charles Horton, 'Jep' Swainbank, H. Mitchell, John Teets, Stewart Rainow, George Root, James White, Mr. Devers, Charles Laraway, David Seamon, Harrison Williams, Sidney Eick, Mr. Kite, and one of the Gress boys of Hanover."
The first stage tavern from Wilkes-Barre eastward, and the last stopping point for westbound passengers before a final descent into the valley began, was Terwilleger's, a description of which will serve to set forth the character of entertainment which might have been expected in many other hostleries of the sort, on routes operating out of Wilkes- Barré. Fortunately a faithful picture of the old tavern has been preserved in a contribution to "Johnson's Historical Record," Vol. 8:335, published in 1893, which is quoted at length as follows:
"The 'Old Stage House,' an ancient hostelry built of logs covered by weather boards-a deserted turn- pike road-a noisy, babbling creek . the old house stands there-a ino111- ment to the past alinost alone.
VIEW ON LAUREL RUN BOULEVARD.
"The history of the 'Old Stage House' and the turnpike are almost one and the same history -both being born about the same time and so closely interpleaded that the history of one is necessarily the history of the other.
"The 'Old Stage House' stands on the western side of the Easton and Wilkes-Barre Turn- pike, about six miles from Bear Creek, (fourteen iniles from Wilkes-Barre) and though rustic and unostentatious in its appearance, has entertained a greater number of guests in its day than any other house now existing in this county.
"About 100 years ago George Buck, a relative of Capt. Aholiab Buck, who was killed in the battle of Wyoming, built the first log tavern on that portion of the road nearly opposite where the 'Old Stage House' now stands. When the Easton and Wilkes-Barre Turnpike was chartered and work commenced on the new road, he built the present house in anticipation of the trade arising from the increased travel over the new mail and passenger route.
"In 1806, John P. Arndt and John W. Robinson established a weekly line of two-horse mail stages running through to Easton in two days, but it was not until about 1824 that a daily line of four-horse mail coaches commenced running over the road, leaving Wilkes-Barre at 4 a. m. and stopping at 'Terwilleger's' for breakfast and change of horses. It was operated by Miller Horton, James Eley, Whitesell and Stauffer.
"About the year 1802, George Buck built the 'Old Stage House' and inoved from his old log house on the opposite side of the turnpike into the new house and opened to the public, where he entertained the stage passengers and others for many years. C. L. Terwilleger, having married one of his daughters, then assumed the proprietorship of the house and kept the hotel for a long time, when the property was then sold to Abijah Lewis, father of Albert Lewis of Bear Creek, who kept the house for some time. The next landlord was a man from Northampton County by the name of Jacoby-he was followed by a Mr. Oyer. Abram Bellas, who is still living near by, was also landlord for a time. About 1850 Frank Horton leased it and remained there for some four years, when it was again taken possession of by the owner, Mr. Lewis and his brother Isaac, after which it was sold to William Tucker, who, together with his widow, has been in possession for about forty years, the latter still dispensing a generous hospitality to all who have occasion to rest there on their way over the mountain or who tarry there for a few days to fish the trout streams in that neighborhood and where all will find a good clean bed and enjoy a hearty meal.
"About this time a postoffice was established at the 'Old Stage House' and called 'Beaumont' in honor of Hon. Andrew Beaumont, who was at that time an influential member of the Board of Managers of the new turnpike Co. The locality is still spoken of as Beauinont but long ago ceased to bear the dignity of a postoffice. These were the days of the 'reining profession,' and he who could skilfully handle one of the four-horse teams was more than an ordinary man. Among the celebrities of those days were George Root, Jep Swainbank, Harrison Williamson, Jim Bird
1881
and many others of less notoriety. There is only one of the drivers of the old stage line now living, Dave Larraway of Wilkes-Barre, whose face is often seen on the streets or at Tuck's livery stable "The country of the 'Great Pine Swamp' was then wild and rugged and as day broke upon the stage passenger, there was naught to break the silence of the forest save only the 'joyous bay of a hound at play or the caw of a rook on its homeward way.' Even now rattlesnakes are to be seen in the neighborhood and within the last thirty years three have been killed inside the 'Old Stage House.' Game was very abundant, and at almost all times of the year a ride from Wilkes- Barre so early in the morning sharpened the appetite, which was appeased by delicious venison steak, bear meat and trout, and occasionally Tim Barnes, the veteran hunter, might be found there with a huge panther that he had killed in that neighborhood. Tim Barnes, Conrad Sox and his son George were the champion hunters of the 'Great Pine Swamp,' the latter having shot a perfectly white deer not far from the house-he also killed three panthers in one day. Conrad Sox, who built a good portion of the turnpike, killed a panther while resting his rifle on the shoulder of his wife.
"The first saw mill in the township was built by Hugh Connor, in 1806, and the first church was built in 1816, about three miles from the 'Old Stage House.' George Buck and John Nagle were among the earliest settlers in this part of the country, the latter building his log house about three or four miles from Buek, in 1782.
"From 1824, to about 1848, a daily line of four-horse stages left Wilkes-Barre every morning at 4 a. m., reaching Easton in the evening, arriving at Philadelphia the following day, but soon the 'advance of civilization,' the opening of the steam railroads, etc., compelled the old stage coach to yield to its rivals and finally to disappear from the road.
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