USA > Pennsylvania > Bradford County > Athens > A history of old Tioga Point and early Athens, Pennsylvania > Part 2
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Autograph of Thomas Overton
The famous writ served on Mrs. Matthewson.
Autograph of Job Irish, an early pettifogger.
Autograph of Stephen Tuttle.
Silhouettes of Mary Ann and Stephen Tuttle.
Three grants of Ulster, from Col. Jenkins' map of the Seventeen Townships.
Upper Athens from Round Top, showing Satterlee's location
Isaac Morley, 3rd, by courtesy of Mrs. Celestia Morley Ovenshire. 425
House built by Abner Murray in 1807. 426 The old sign of Murray's Inn 426
Certificate of Militia Company.
438 439
Militia uniform of Colonel Welles
Portrait of Celestia Hopkins (Herrick), painted by her son Curran
445
Portrait of Charles Fisher Welles 447
Portrait of Constant Mathewson. 460
The Old Stone House. 462
"Map of the allotment of Tioga Point under the Susquehanna Company," drawn by Zephon Flower. Facing 469
Portrait of Mrs. Sarah Spalding Welles. 475
Silhouette of John Griffin, Sr. 482
Silhouette of Elizabeth Matthewson (McKean) 483
332
Autograph of Ananias Conkling
346
355 359 359 365 369 380
384 390 391 398 398 400 422
ILLUSTRATIONS
xi PAGE
Portrait of Julia A. Shepard (Perkins)
485
Portrait of George A. Perkins 486
Portrait of Edward H. Perkins. 487 The Exchange Hotel 488
Portrait of Lemuel S. Ellsworth.
489
House built by L. S. Ellsworth
489
Portrait of Zephon Flower Walker 493
Portrait of General Horace Williston. 495
Clover Croft, erected by Chauncey N. Shipman, 1841. 497 Patrick's first brick block, erected in 1841. 500 Hayden homestead, erected by Sidney Hayden, 1840. 501 502
Portrait of Rebecca McDuffee (McGeorge)
Portrait of Joshua R. Giddings.
Portrait of Colonel Charles F. Welles.
Main Street in 1845, east side, showing Park's store, Tozer's store, Patrick's frame block, Irwin's tavern or Pike's hotel, and Mathewson's Mansion House
508 509 511
Democratic banner, awarded to Athens in 1844.
Main Street in 1840, from a painting made for John E. Canfield, now in pos- session of Mrs. C. S. Maurice .. Facing 512 517 522
Residence erected by Col. Charles F. Welles, 1854.
Fac-simile of letter from Guy Maxwell to Stephen Tuttle
Silhouette of William Parry 526
The old Susquehanna bridge, photographed by Miss E. Laing, 1898. 527
Autograph of John Vangordon.
529
Copies of old bridge and turnpike seals, found among the papers of Clement Paine
529
A group of old pewter from Tioga Point Museum.
Before the days of matches
Invitation to a dance.
The first Athens fire company.
The first fire engine. .
Handbill advertising Athens Academy in 1840.
Athens Academy, second building, erected 1843.
552 554 555
Spalding Museum Library, erected 1897.
Soldiers' Monument, erected by Joseph and Charlotte Snell Stickler 555 Portrait of Rev. William Wisner
558 558 563
Portrait of Judge Herrick.
Portrait of Judge Williston and homestead erected 1825.
564 565
Portrait of Henry C. Baird, copied from a group photograph in Tioga Point Museum
5,66
Edward Herrick, Jr.
566
The old doctor's saddle bags
567 569
Elm Cottage, erected by Dr. Amos Prentice, 1797.
Dr. Huston's turnkeys. 570
Portrait of Dr. William Kiff 571
Log house built by Ludovick Greene, 1803. 576
537 538 540 543 544
556 Portrait of Rev. Charles C. Corss.
Portrait of Rev. Curtis Thurston.
Portrait of Judge Wm. Elwell.
505 508
Davies' Coffee House.
INTRODUCTORY
WHY AND WHENCE THIS HISTORY
The history of Tioga Point has long waited for consecutive and full narration. Although many memoranda and memories are irre- trievably lost for want of a collector a century ago, a wealth of ma- terial, unsuspected by writers of the past, lay hidden and inaccessible until recent years. Many important documents supposed to have been destroyed at the time of the Wyoming Massacre, or by overzealous Connecticut and Pennsylvania pioneers, have come to light in Wilkes- Barré, Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Hartford.
From the very organization of the Tioga Point Historical Society in 1895, a growing desire was apparent for an exhaustive and accurate early history of this valley, and various appeals were made to us to undertake the task. The collections of the society soon revealed quan- tities of unused material, and from that time everything available has been carefully collected. At first it was disheartening to learn how much had perished from ill fortune or lack of care, that had been col- lected in the early days of the Bradford County Historical Society ; and some of the most interesting early journals, etc., of this region were gathered up by the late Steuben Jenkins, whose collection is now lost to sight. Much valuable though desultory work was done thirty years ago by the late Edward Herrick, Jr., who contemplated writing a com- plete history of Tioga Point. Having abandoned the project, Mr. Edward Welles induced him to transfer most of his material to Rev. David Craft, who was urged to undertake this work. No definite work was done, although some notes and memoranda were added by Mr. Craft, who already had at hand a mass of data unused in his history of Bradford County. On the establishment of a fire-proof museum at Athens, Mr. Craft, at the suggestion of Mr. Welles, the Herrick family and others interested, presented these papers, with many of his own, to the Tioga Point Museum, where they are known as the "Craft Col- lection." Additional papers gathered by Mr. Herrick were also depos- ited in the museum by his son, or have come to hand from other
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INTRODUCTORY
sources. Quantities of letters and documents of great historical value have been loaned by the family of one of the most active pioneer set- tlers, Clement Paine. Were it not for these, and the work of Mr. Her- rick and Mr. Craft, these annals would have been practically impossible. It has been entirely from these papers that isolated facts have been grasped, inciting to further research, which has always been rewarded ; therefore we have compiled more than we have composed. At a very late date access was obtained to the papers of the late Matthias Hollen- back, an invaluable collection, with stores of interesting information. The manuscript prepared by the late Zephon F. Walker has also been placed at our disposal by his heirs. A lifelong surveyor himself, and possessing all the memoranda of his uncle Zephon Flower (who was the first resident surveyor in this region), Mr. Walker's work, as to maps, titles, etc., could have been accomplished by no other person. Un- fortunately he has not noted his sources of information, thereby ren- dering much of his manuscript valueless for reference. His many excel- lent biographical sketches are too voluminous to use, for while, as has been well said, "Every person that has lived in this town has had more or less to do with the shaping of these events, yet it would take far too many pages to record each individual's share."
As the work has advanced we have often lost sight of the doer in recording the deeds done; therefore this book is in no sense biograph- ical, although great pains has been taken to make family records accurate.
We have endeavored to avoid drawing upon our imagination for conclusions, and not to offer bias for facts, always giving our readers all the evidence at hand. It was enjoined upon us in beginning the work "not to make much use of conjecture, even when facts were scarce ;" though we agree with an ancestor, who observed in an old letter, "to be accurate is a great additional trouble."
The masses of material revealed to us, and the effort to corrob- orate statements, have prolonged the task far beyond expectation. The endeavor has been to make an exhaustive and unimpeachable history, valuable for reference, and yet sufficiently interesting to attract readers, young and old. We have borne in mind John Hay's remarks on his- torical writing :
"I don't try to remember anything. I have read reminiscences 'written from memory,' which crowd events occurring in different years into a single day. My experience is that you cannot write ten lines of history without refer- ence to memoranda or a reliable record."
We have aimed to take an impartial stand in the many vexed ques- tions of early days, presenting both sides whenever possible, and leaving
.
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INTRODUCTORY
the reader to judge for himself. This has been difficult, but "the true historian must try to suppress his individuality as far as he can, and must criticise the events of a remote period from the standpoint of that period, not from his own." Omissions and inaccuracies there will doubtless be, but we have searched diligently that we might avoid them. Beginning in 1895, at the suggestion of the late George T. Ercanbrack, our first enthusiastic supporter, we have traveled many miles in the last twelve years, notebook in hand. Then, ranging farther afield, we have visited the libraries of the most active historical societies, or cor- responded with their most prominent officials. Considerable personal work has also been done in the various State departments at Harris- burg, and in the State Library. Almost invariably we have met with courtesy, prompt response and kindly encouragement, for which we here return sincere thanks. It has been purely a labor of love, the compiler of local history having no returns except the satisfaction of best endeavor. It has been far more difficult than others realize, for, as Ibsen says, "If one feels called to a great task, one must forget that one has friends." Yet it is the generosity of many interested friends that has rendered possible not only the publication of the book, but the numerous illustrations with which we have endeavored to make a complete picture of early times.
And now, voicing our sentiment in the beautiful words of Whittier,
"Lift we the twilight curtains of the Past, And, turning from familiar sight and sound, Sadly and full of reverence, let us cast A glance upon Tradition's shadowy ground."
IN MEMORIAM
DAVID CRAFT.
OCTOBER 3, 1832-SEPTEMBER 17, 1908.
As we go to press, David Craft, instructor, pastor, chaplain, con- scientious historian, faithful friend, has "crossed the bar." To-day it has been our sad privilege to witness the last civic and military honors paid to him. Let it be ours to add a tribute to the historian, from whom we have often imbibed wisdom. For what he had gleaned by pains- taking research was given free-handed to the seeker after knowledge. Long years ago this history was his appointed task; and, though laid aside in the press of greater duties, his garnered sheaves were preserved, and ready for our hand. Indeed, but for his work, ours would have been almost impossible; for, when groping in the dark, a ray of light fre- quently came from his manuscript, memoranda, or many a turned-down page. He rejoiced in our efforts, and it was our privilege to read to him from advance sheets until he was weary of the task. Other hands may tell the story of his life and ancestry ; ours but to pay tribute to a friend.
September 23, 1908.
PART I HISTORY OF TIOGA POINT BEFORE THE SETTLEMENT BY WHITES
1614-1791
TIOGA POINT, 1900 Photographed by I. K. Park
CHAPTER I TIOGA POINT
Geographical and Scenic Description-Athens Township and Borough Some Observations on the Physiography and Geology of the Valley Fossils of the Mammalian Era Found Along the Tioga River
Midway between the Hudson and Lake Erie lie the beautiful val- leys of the North Branch of the Susquehanna and of the Chemung Rivers, fertile and productive. The Susquehanna has its source in Otsego Lake, in central New York, whence it flows southerly, crossing the line dividing the 42nd and 43rd degrees of latitude; then west, northwest and west, making what is called the Great Bend; it then turns again south. The Chemung, or old Tioga, rises in Tamarack Swamp, near Armenia, Bradford County, and describes a course some- what resembling an elongated letter C, receiving the waters of the present Tioga and the Conhocton.
At the boundary line between New York and Pennsylvania, both these streams bend sharply to the south ; the Susquehanna at the 56th milestone, the Chemung at the 64th milestone; and their waters meet five miles below, less than twenty miles from the source of the Chemung.
The chains of hills which have marked the river valleys here fall back a little, leaving a triangular plain, with nearly equal sides of eight miles each, the rivers forming two of these, and the north boundary be- ing the low line of hills not far above the State line. This plain is 800 feet above tide water, and the encircling hills rise some 500 feet higher. The slopes and valleys are divided into farms, rich with grain fields, through which the rivers find their way in curves and links of silver, occasionally varied by wooded islands. Now the streams flow almost together, then suddenly spread out again, forming the peculiar peninsula just above their confluence, long ago called Tioga Point. The whole valley is one of unusual beauty-"no lovelier spot between the Atlantic and the Great Lakes," says one; and, though smaller, it rivals the far-famed Wyoming Valley, of which, in early days, it was a part, in name at least.1 The receding, yet encircling, hills, only their tops crowned with the forests which once clothed their sides, fade into soft shades in the distance, recalling the title of "the city of the violet crown" given by the ancients to GRECIAN ATHENS, and doubtless to the little hamlet of the long ago by a traveled pioneer. A recent traveler of old Athens stock, "the real Athens," as he is pleased to call it, thus writes from the Hellenic Athens :
"All my life I have wanted to come here, and after years of trying-at last here I am in ATHENS !- There probably could not be two places on earth more
1 "In January, 1774, the General Assembly of Connecticut adopted measures to bring the Susquehanna settlement under her immediate jurisdiction. An act was passed erecting the territory within her charter limits, from the Delaware to a line fifteen miles west of the Susquehanna, into a town, to be called Westmoreland, attaching it to Litchfield County, and from the Lehigh north to five miles above the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chemung Rivers."-Miner.
3
4
OLD TIOGA POINT AND EARLY ATHENS
utterly different in their situations and surroundings than the two Athenses that I have known, and yet no man could justly say that one was distinctly more beautiful than the other. Statues and Parthenons and Theseions are here-but there are only firs and olives and cacti ;- the skies and seas are of a most won- derful sapphire-but there is no Round Top, no wooded hills and fertile plains and luxuriant gardens."
Another enthusiastic admirer of our Athens says :
"Here the people of the valley will recall the noble inheritance of our classic title. These rushing streams will be the Ilissus and Cephesus of our modern Athens; these shadowing trees will form our grove of Academus."
There are many points on the surrounding hills from which to view this charming valley. Those most frequented are Prospect, a hill overlooking the Point Farm (see frontispiece), the favorite picnic resort of the last generation ; Round Top, west of the town (which was cleared by the late Charles F. Welles, Jr., that all might enjoy the view therefrom-Plate 3) ; and Spanish Hill, that curious freak of nature, standing alone in the plain, jestingly called the Parthenon.
What is there about this valley that has so endeared it to every one who has lived within its charmed circle? Who can forget the reveren- tial air with which those of the past two generations always spoke of "the Valley"? To visit it again was their greatest joy ; to live in it, aye to die or to be buried in it, the supreme desire of many who have long since quitted their beloved environment.
In this valley four contiguous villages, Athens, Sayre, South Waverly and Waverly, form one vast "City of the Plains," as it was long ago named by one who saw it only in prophetic vision; the air castle of his dreams, through a long life begun, spent and ended here ; a life devoted as none other has been, solely to the interests and ad- vancements of "the Valley." We often wonder, could he who loved it so return, would not his City of the Plains far exceed his hopes and dreams? The prosperous towns, the many railroads, the busy shops, the connecting trolley lines, the electric lights, gas, water, all the mod- ern conveniences, would surely astonish, if not our dreamer, the sturdy New Englanders who first peopled the Valley.
Athens Borough.
The curious peninsula first known as the Teaoga of the In- dians, has been in turn Westmoreland,1 the Indian Arrow, Lock- hartzburg, Old Ulster, Athens, Tioga, New Tioga, Lower Tioga, Old Tiog Pint, Tioga Point. There have been various stories about the change of name. The truth is this: The Connecticut people took out the grant as Athens (1786) ; the Pennsylvania settlers (1798) gen- erally gave it the name of Tioga Point, corrupted from the Indian ap- pellation. Letters were addressed for years to Athens, Ulster, Lock- hartzburg and Tioga Point.
Prior to 1803, as there was another township named Tioga at the head of the river of same name (Chemung), an application was made to the court to have the town established as Athens. It was not attended to at the time, if ever, and the settlement was still generally known as Tioga Point,2 but finally incorporated as Athens in 1831."
2 'This statement was found in an old letter of Gen. Henry Welles, 1815.
5
ATHENS, SCENIC DESCRIPTION
Would that the City of the Plains might be included in one, to be called by the old Indian name Teoka, Teaoga or Diahoga, which, inter- preted, means a space or point between the forks of a river or road ; "Point," therefore, being an unnecessary addition.3
The finest descriptions known of this region are found in the es- says of N. P. Willis, written in 1849, when he was a resident of Owego. Of his home, "Glenmary," he writes in "Letters from Under a Bridge":
"I have chosen a spot on one of the loveliest of our bright rivers. Here is all that goes to make an Arcadia, except the friendly dwellers in the shade .- Let us have an old man's Arcady .- I have strings pulling upon one or two .- If they draw well,-the Owaga and the Susquehannah will join waters within sight of an old man's Utopia. The Susquehannah! This delicious word in the Indian tongue describes its peculiar and constant windings, and I venture to say that on no river in the world 'are the grand and beautiful in scenery so gloriously mixed. This road (from Binghamton to Owego) follows the valley rather than the river, but the silver curves are constantly in view; and from every slight elevation the majestic windings are seen-like the wanderings of a vein, gleam- ing through green fringes of trees, and circling the bright islands which occas- ionally divide these waters.
It is a swift river, and singularly living and joyous * * in its expression. *
"The Narrows of the Susquehannah. That is a word nota bene, which refers not at all to the breadth of the stream. It is a place where the mountain, like many a frowning coward, threatens to crowd its gentler neighbor, but gives room at its calm approach, and annoys nobody but the passerby. The road be- tween them looks etched with a thumb-nail along the base of the cliff, and as you come on you would think it a pokerish drive, but there is a smooth single track, and, if you meet Farmer Giles or the stage, you have only to set your hub against the rock, and 'let them go by as likes.' The majestic and tranquil river sweeps in to the peaked shadow, and on again, with the disdain of a beauty used to conquer. It reminded me of Lady Blessington's 'do if you dare,' when the mob threatened to break her chariot windows. There was a calm courage in Miladi's French glove that carried her through, and so, amid this mob of mountains, glides the Susquehannah to the sea. * * *
"Since I wrote you I have added the Chemung River to my list of acquaint- ances. Its beauty is a subject with which I am, just now, something enamored. I think you share my passion for rivers-we will visit this new Naiad in company."
He thus describes this valley :
"A!" "Imagine this capital letter laid on its back and pointed south by east, and you have a pretty fair diagram of the junction of the Susquehannah and the Chemung. The note of admiration (exclamation point) describes a superb line of mountains at the back of the Chemung valley, and the quotation marks express the fine bluffs that overlook the meeting of the waters at Athens. The cross of the letter (say a line of four miles) defines a road from one river to the other, by which travelers up the Chemung save the distance to the point of the triangle,
3 The name of Athens has often roused indignant protest, as evinced by the following, published Feb., 1889: "The writer looks forward in fancy to a time (Heaven speed it) when, to the beautiful and historic valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and the Chemung shall be restored the good old Indian name of which the stupidity and pseudo-classicism of ninety years ago deprived it. Could anything be more ridiculous than Rome, Athens, Troy? Poverty of resource could by no means apply in the case of the famous old Tioga Point. The true name was traditional and unmistakable. The 'Gateway of the South' was as well known by its Indian title as Wyoming, Shamokin or Niagara. In the oldest Mss. the name was generally written Diahoga or Dyahoga. Which form more nearly expresses the aboriginal sound is a question for reference to the best authorities in Indian history, and the name agreed upon by such a commission should by all means, by both general consent and legis- lative enactment, be substituted for the present tasteless and pretentious 'Athens,' to the delight and satisfaction of some old fogies, and many besides. The old new name will be historical, aboriginal and euphonious as well, while for mere antiquity it will be outdone only by the everlasting rocks and hills that surround the valley. Now, that an effort is on foot to collect and embalm the early history of 'Diahoga,' cannot something be done to awaken the public conscience and interest on this long-neglected question?"-E. W., in Athens News.
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OLD TIOGA POINT AND EARLY ATHENS
and the area between is a broad plain, just now as fine a spectacle of teeming harvest as you could find on the Genesee.
"As the road touches the Chemung you pass under the base of a round mountain, once shaped like a sugar-loaf, but now with the top o' the fashion of a schoolboy's hat punched in to drink from; the floor-worn edge of the felt answering to a fortification around the brim of the hill, built by-I should be obliged if you would tell me whom !
"I can in no way give you an idea of the beauty of the Chemung River from Brigham's inn to Elmira. We enter immediately upon the Narrows-a spot where the river follows into a curve of the mountain, like an inlaying of silver around the bottom of an emerald cup-the brightest water, the richest foliage-and a landscape of meadow between the horns of the crescent that would be like the finest park scenery in England, if the boldness of the horizon did not mix with it a resemblance to Switzerland."
Athens, or Tioga Township, lies in a territory which has been successively a part of Northumberland, Luzerne, Lycoming, Ontario and Bradford Counties ; these subdivisions have been made as increase of population rendered it necessary. As an illustration of the necessity, when this locality was first settled, voters had to go to Northumberland to cast their ballots. Bradford County was erected in 1810, the matter having been under discussion for several years previous. The first mention of the township is recorded at Wilkes-Barré:
"At the March sessions, 1790, the court ordered the county of Luzerne to be divided into eleven townships, No. 1 to be Tioga, bounded on the north by the north line of the State, on the east by the east line of the county, on the south by an east and west line which shall strike the Standing Stone, on the west by the west line of the county."
As described, it was seventy-six miles in length from east to west, and a trifle more than eighteen miles from north to south. At the April sessions, 1795, a petition was presented asking for a division of Tioga Township by an east and west line, southwest of Breakneck; the north part to be called Tioga, the south, "Wisocks." The petition was granted. January 17, 1797 (by reason of petition presented at November ses- sions previous), the commissioners reported in favor of dividing the township on dividing line between Athens and Ulster (Connecticut surveys). The north township received the name of Athens, the south, Ulster, and thus, says Craft, the name Tioga, which for centuries had been given to the confluence of the two rivers, was lost. In 1801 Rush was taken from the western part, in 1807 Mt. Zion, now called Orwell, in 1809 Smithfield, in 1813 Wells and South Creek, in 1818 Ridge- berry, and in 1821 Litchfield.
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