A history of old Tioga Point and early Athens, Pennsylvania, Part 28

Author: Murray, Louise Welles, 1854-1931. 4n
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Athens, Penna. [i.e., Pa.] : [s.n.]
Number of Pages: 726

USA > Pennsylvania > Bradford County > Athens > A history of old Tioga Point and early Athens, Pennsylvania > Part 28

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PLATE IV

PLATE III

were of the rudest shapes. Some skulls and various implements from these graves are in Tioga Point Museum, and Plate V shows the pottery, of a very different character from any found except on Queen Esther's flats, from which comes the very large one shown in Plate III.

In 1898, while grading around building, Messrs. Murray and Ercanbrack found many graves ; exca- vating with care, all the pottery was found in frag- ments, evidently broken be- fore burial, according to a frequent Indian custom. Continued investigation brought to light a circle twenty feet in diameter, of

PLATE V

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OLD TIOGA POINT AND EARLY ATHENS

large sandstones, and fifty feet south a second similar one. In the centre of both were masses of ashes, potsherds and deer's skull and antlers, and every indication of fires for a long continued period. Yet here, no doubt, was the camping ground of both whites and Indians. during war times. Indeed, two white men's graves were found in this plot. A number of Indian graves were also found across the street when the foundations were laid for Soldiers' Monument, but no obser- vations made.

Three graves with stone markers were found when laying water pipes in front of Mrs. Noble's residence, and several broken pots. The last ones of interest were found in Main Street, at northeast corner Murray lot, in laying gas pipes. These graves were very close together, and full of pottery much like that usually found. (There seems to be no graves in this lot except those on river bank.) The only notable piece in almost perfect condition is at lower left hand corner of Plate I. Whether pipe or double mouthed pot is not easily decided.

As to pipes found in this locality, the most notable are shown in Plate VI. No. 1, found on Round Top, is of steatite highly polished, sometimes called a moose whistle. No. 2 is of earthenware from old Te-a-o-ga. No. 3, a fine earthenware specimen and totem of Wolf clan as well, was found on site of Queen Esther's Town. No. 4, earth- enware from Teed collection, has a bird or beast on bowl. No. 5 is of red pipe clay, found on the Point. No. 6, a remarkably fine steatite tube, is from New Sheshequin flats. We regret inability to reproduce others of great interest from this locality, hoarded in private collections.

Plate No. VII shows ceremonial stones and beads found on the Point, and totem already mentioned; 1, 2 and 3 are peculiar objects from the Indian burial place near Towanda "Garden of Roses"; 1 and 3 are of stone, and seem broken from some larger objects. No. 2 was found in an Indian grave, but is, of course, of white man's make, in- geniously carved from a deer's horn, and evidently used as a powder filler. Plate VIII shows 1 and 3, large, well-made net sinkers or canoe anchors, found in river ; 2, an unusually large stone axe from Ulster ; 4, largest and most perfect pestle from Murray plot ; 5, 6 and 7, already noted ; 8, a well-made paint cup from river bank ; 9, a stone implement, use unknown, but showing much work. There are numerous other curious objects of use in Tioga Point Museum from surrounding region.

Many unusual pipes or calumets have been found on New Sheshe- quin flats, several of red pipe stone, now lost to sight, which should be in our museum. An Indian burial ground at old Sheshequin (now near Van Dike's, Ulster), revealed enormous skeletons ; and as long ago as 1843 two of unusual size were found at Burlington, buried with care in a stone sepulchre. May they not have been Sasquesahannocks ?

Large, white spear heads, with red or blue veins, have been found near Ulster, and some curious stone pot lids. Several village sites along the west bank of Susquehanna, below Sayre, are not noted on map; also one on east bank of Chemung near present Tyler farm. Just below Susquehanna bridge, in the river and edge of bank, the boys

PLATE VI

PLATE VII

207

PESTLES, PIPES AND POTTERIES

PLATE VIII

have found another burial ground, some pots, etc., being found in rifts and thoughtlessly destroyed.

A very important Indian burial place or ossuary was at Owego, along the creek, probably Nanticoke. Bodies were brought here for interment from both up and down the river until 1800. This was near Jonathan Platt's residence. "Owege" was an Indian town of consid- erable importance. We believe the best local collection there has been made by Mr. Kingman.

Potteries at Tioga Point

While it has been said pottery was not manufactured further down the river for lack of clay, that is not true of Tioga Point, where clay beds abound, as well as evidences of their use. The Indians made use of the "blue clay" found in abundance at the foot of Round Top, on the Chemung, and just below Mile Hill, on the Susquehanna; and on the Hayden property, southwest from Sayre. There was a finer clay, of which the squaws were evidently more fond. In 1897 G. T. Ercanbrack and M. P. Murray, while examining supposed site of old Te-a-o-ga on the Point, made some interesting discoveries, locating, no doubt, the most extensive pottery in this region, about 50 rods southeast of stone house on bank of Susquehanna River.6 In the edge of the river, and indeed one might say in the river bed, from shore to shore, is a thick bed of clay, far lighter than the common blue of the region, in fact, almost white. The soft shales, sandstones and small masses of mica in this locality easily furnished the industrious squaws with all needed materials. It is unnecessary to attempt detailed description of mode of manufacture, now accessible to all in various ethnological publica-

6 In this locality were also found more broken or unfinished implements of stone than at any other site; plainly indicating a manufacturing place of celts, etc., as well as pottery.

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OLD TIOGA POINT AND EARLY ATHENS

tions of Smithsonian Institution, but a few details may be of interest to the uninitiated. After selecting her clay, the female potter (for it was always the squaw) tempered it to secure durability by mixing with it powdered soapstone, mica, powdered quartz and shells, or sharp sand, all of which, as has been shown, were deposited by the moraines ready for her hand at Tioga Point. Mr. Wren, of Wyoming Historical and Geological Society, gives some account of next method of pro- cedure in "Susquehanna River Indian Pottery," although he did not include Tioga Point in his investigations.

Of course, the clay mixture was wet, and then the modelling be- gan in various fashions, easily indicated by some existing pottery. Quite likely many of the finer pots, evidently only for burial, may have been shaped over a round mass of baked clay not unlike a door knob. But even with this the potter had a skillful hand to evolve some grace- ful shapes here found. Others were made by coiling a narrow strip or rope of wet clay from centre of bottom up, and some were built in sheets or layers, dried for two or three days, and then perhaps covered with thin coating of a different sort of clay. Much pottery found here is brown inside and red outside, and was at first supposed to have been colored with ochre. But it is easy to see that in these, for the outer covering, the brick clay was used, which turned red in burning.

More of this style is found on Queen Esther's Flats than on the Point, and probably it was manufactured near the clay bed on present Thurston farm. Possibly the pots were partially dried before deco- rated, and here was displayed the artistic talent of the maker. The most beautiful specimens were found in the Murray burial ground, and were perhaps all made by the same person. A traveled scholar on first seeing the Murray pot with the faces, exclaimed involuntarily

'that was fashioned by the Michael Angelo of the tribe." Imagine the shaped pot held on the squaw's left hand, or on the so-called door knob implement, while her fingers rapidly ply the decorations, her only tools

her finger nails, a stout fish bone, a small flint, and a fine cord of her own manufacture from some sinew of wild animal, or perhaps a cord -. wrapped paddle. Squatted on the ground, with an admiring group around, she shaped the speaking faces, outlined the amazing groups of triangles, often all in sevens; made the circles of dots, and bore it tri- umphantly to the oven. Was she Algonquin or Iroquois? At any rate, we have seen her kiln. It was built against the bank for her conven- ience. There were four shelves rising in tiers about two feet wide and four feet long, formed of round sandstones laid close like a cobble stone pavement, walled up at end of shelves. It cannot be told how she closed her filled kiln, which easily held at one time a hundred pots, great and small. The sandstones were burned red and cracked with many fires, and scattered over the shelves and around the kiln were innumerable potsherds, showing there were faults in firing. We counted twenty-two distinct forms of decoration. Between this oven and the clay bed were two circles about three and one-half feet in diameter, made of the sandstones, with depression in centre, showing evidence of long continued and hot fire, either for cooking or firing

209

INDIAN WORKSHOPS

pottery. This interesting workshop should have been photographed or sketched, but soon after its discovery it was somewhat obliterated by severe floods. It was located close to the river clay beds near old Te-a-o-ga.

The greatest stone workshops of the valley were evidently in She- shequin Valley. At the head of the narrows on flats of Macafee farm ; and also on old Kingsbery farm (now O. D. Kinney's) just where flats begin to rise have been found masses of flint flakes, at the latter site, covering a space about four rods square ; here also were innumer- able broken celts, pestles, etc., showing clearly that both arrow points and various stone implements were here made in quantities. Quan- tities of flint chippings were also found at the village site north of east end of Sayre Bridge by Messrs. Murray and Ercanbrack. It is evident better materials were found east of the rivers. Both of these were near easily discerned village sites.

The somewhat rare soapstone vessels, with quaint lugs and holes by which they were doubtless suspended, have been found at old Diahoga and on Cayuta Creek. Of course, they were used for cooking purposes.

When Weiser came the squaws had great iron pots for their corn, obtained from the whites. What did they use at an earlier date ?

Distinct remains of long-used fireplaces were discovered on bank northwest of Museum-Library, and southeast of the boulder in Perkins' lot. But here were many deer bones and others, indicating camp sites rather than potteries.

As to the pottery found in this region it is varied in size, color, material used, and decorations. The coarsest in material and make has been found on Queen Esther's Flats. There it has all been washed out of the bank, always broken. The fine specimen already shown in Plate III must have been of great size. Unfortunately, the break in frieze loses the graceful curve of the neck ; this pot is light brown, of great thickness, and is decorated on the top edge and inside of rim. It is possible, if not probable, that this and other pottery found on the flats is of Algonquin manufacture.

What has been here recorded is in no sense authoritative, but is given with the hope that it may help to unravel some of the mysteries of aboriginal life at Tioga Point.

Unquestionably much more might be learned from the private col- lections of P. L. Lang, I. P. Shepard and Dr. C. H. Ott.

Description of Plates.

I. Pottery and gorget from Murray garden, in Tioga Point Museum.

II .. Turtle rattle from Murray garden, now in Museum at Wilkes-Barre.

Ila. Bracelet and comb from Murray garden, now in Museum at Wilkes-Barré.

III. Pottery from Queen Esther's Flats, one-fourth natural size.

IV. Pottery from Maurice lawn.

V. Pottery from Museum-Library site.

VI. Pipes and tubes in Tioga Point Museum.

VII. Tioga Point totems and gorgets.

VIII. Indian implements in Tioga Point Museum.

CHAPTER XII

VISITORS TO OLD TIOGA POINT

Early Travelers Through the Valley-Their Impressions and Observations

Before beginning in detail the story of the actual settlement of Tioga Point, this seems a fitting place to record the impressions and reports of this region as given by various early travelers ; though their visits do not all antedate the settlement.

It has been asserted and possibly proven that the Jesuit mission- aries never saw the Susquehanna. Of that we are not fully convinced, owing to the finding of crucifixes, etc., though there is no corroborative evidence either way.

We have already told of the visit of Brulé, and of Kleynties the Dutchman, and his comrades ; although as there are no definite records left by them as to Tioga Point, we will begin, as have others, with the visits of Conrad Weiser.1 But let it no longer be said that his first visit was in 1737; for his own journal records that he then referred to a previous visit twelve years earlier, doubtless when he had followed his Palatine friends down the Susquehanna (see Chapter III), or on a previous journey back to New York State. Some writers say that his journal of 1737 mentions having visited the Susquehanna River towns in 1726, but we have not seen such a copy. (Application to Rev. S. H. Cobb, author of "The Story of the Palatines," and to some other high authorities, has thrown no further light on this subject, although it would seem that diaries of the Palatine emigrants would have men- tioned the principal Indian towns along their route.)

The best account of the journey of 1737 is Weiser's own narra- tive, translated by H. H. Muhlenberg, and published in 1853 in Vol. I

1 Conrad Weiser, whose name is on the honor roll of Pennsylvania, was born at Her- renberg, in the Palatinate of the Rhine, in 1696, and came with the Palatine emigrants to New York State when about twelve years old. Some years after their arrival at Schoharie, a Mohawk chief, Quagnant, took a great fancy to Conrad, and asked permission to take him home for several months; during which time Weiser became familiar with the Indian language and customs, and was soon in demand as an interpreter. The Indians named him "Taracha- wagon." When there was dissatisfaction among the Palatines, Governor Keith of Pennsyl- vania, while in attendance at an Indian council at Albany, "hearing of the unrest of the Germans, lost no time in informing them of the freedom and justice accorded to their coun- trymen in Pennsylvania," and invited them to come into his province. (See Cobb's Story of the Palatines.) An additional account is as follows: "Conrad Weiser first saw Diahoga be- fore 1730; for we read that about 1723 there was such dissatisfaction among the German set- tlers in Schoharie, New York, that there was a general migration to Conestoga, Pennsyl- vania. The route chosen was the Charlotte and Susquehanna Rivers. Thirty families are said to have gone down in the Summer of 1723, fifty others in 1725, and still another com- pany in 1729. At the mouth of the Charlotte they built canoes with which to make the jour- ney, felling trees for the purpose. Twenty-five years later Sir William Johnson asked to have a patent begin 'where the Germans made their canoes to go to Conestoga.' " The horses and cattle were driven along the Indian trail. What must have been the astonishment of the Diahoga Indians to have seen these fleets of canoes filled with white men on a peaceful journey !

After this settlement, which was in the region of the Tulpehocken and Swatara, Con- rad Weiser acquired position and influence. On account of his knowledge of Indian char- acter, language, etc., the authorities relied greatly on his judgment; he soon became an effi- cient leader in Indian affairs, and eventually in 1732 the official interpreter at all councils and treaties for over fifty years. The Indians said of him, "he is a good and true man, and has spoken their words and our words, and not his own."

There are two excellent biographies of Weiser, which are rich in interest. The earlier one says, "Conrad Weiser had a call to a mission, and this Indian experience (among the Maquas or Mohawks) was the college in which his qualifications were developed."

210

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CONRAD WEISER'S JOURNAL

of Collections of Historical Society of Pennsylvania. This journey was to "Onondaga," 500 miles through the wilderness, and was com- menced February 27th. The record, as copied, begins between present Muncy and the Loyalsock Creek :

"To-day we passed a place where the Indians in former times had a strong fortification on a height;2 it was surrounded by a deep ditch, the earth was thrown up in the shape of a wall, about nine or ten feet high, and as many broad. But it is now in decay, and from appearance,3 it had been deserted beyond the memory of man. * Crossed a high mountain (Ulster). * * We passed * safely and toward evening we were also ferried over the great branch of the Susquehanna River. All the streams were very high, for the snows had been uncommonly deep this winter. This water is called Dia-agon, and comes from the region of the Sinickers and Gaiukers. There are many Indians living here, partly Gaiukers (Cayugas), partly Mahekanders. March 29, 1737, very hungry" (as his journey had been so prolonged that provisions had failed).

He gives an amusing description of the preparation of food by the dirty cook, whose skin

"Was not unlike the bark of a tree, from the dirt which had not been washed off for a long time, and was quite dried in and cracked, and her finger nails were like eagle's claws. When the soup was thus prepared, and after I had eaten a little and satisfied the worse cravings of hunger, I quietly left, and went into another hut; gave the old gray-headed mother 24 needles and 6 shoe- strings, and begged her to give me some bread made of Indian corn, if it were only as much as I could eat at one meal. She gave me five small loaves of about a pound weight."

Weiser further records that he was so nearly starved when he reached Owego that the Indians fed him with only a little each time. Finally, they had to subsist on Indian-made maple sugar, which made them all sick. In this narrative Weiser calls Towanda "Da-wan-ta-a."

In a letter to a friend in 1746 Weiser thus tells of this journey4:

"In the year 1737 I was sent the first time to Onondaga at the desire of the governor of Virginia.5 * * I departed in the latter end of February very un- expectedly for a journey of 500 English miles through a wilderness where there was neither road nor path, and at such a time of the year when animals could not meet with food. There were with me a Dutchman and three Indians. On the 9th of April I found myself extremely weak, through the fatigues of so long a journey with cold and hunger which I had suffered. There had fallen a fresh snow about twenty inches deep, and we being yet three days journey from Onondaga in a frightful wilderness, my spirit failed, my body trembled and shook, and I thought I should fall down and die. I stepped aside, and sat down under a tree, expecting there to die. My companions soon missed me. The Indians came back and found me there. They remained a while silent; at last the old Indian (Shikellimy, an Oneida sachem) said, 'My dear companion, thou hast hitherto encouraged us; wilt thou now quite give up? Remember that evil days are better than good days, for when we suffer much we do not sin; sin will be driven out of us by suffering, and God can not extend his mercy to the former; but contrary-wise, when it goeth evil with us, God has compassion on us.' His words made me ashamed, I rose up and travelled as well as I could."

These words of Shikellimy (who was a Moravian convert) moved several young Moravian brethren to consecrate themselves to the work

2 Possibly an Andastes town, at any rate prehistoric.

3 Muhlenberg says: "This appears to be the same nature to those found in Western States."

4 See Memorials Moravian Church.

5 His mission was to effect, if possible, peace between the Iroquois and Cherokees, as Virginia was much harassed by war parties of both nations.

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OLD TIOGA POINT AND EARLY ATHENS

of missions among the North American Indians. Another account of same incident was given by Weiser to Count Zinzendorf in same vol- ume as above, pp. 88 and 89 (see Note 4).

His hardships were perhaps partially told by Canassatego, an Onondaga chieftain, who addressed the Council at Philadelphia in 1742 in Weiser's behalf as follows:

"He has had a great deal of trouble with us, he wore out his shoes in our messages, and dirtied his clothes by living among us, so that he is as nasty as an Indian. In return we recommend him to your generosity, and in our own behalf we give him five skins to buy him clothes and shoes with."

In April, 1743, he was again sent by the State to Onondaga, of which journey he says :

"It was enough to kill a man, to come such a long and bad road, over hills, rocks, old trees, rivers; to fight through a cloud of vermin and all kinds of poisonous worms and creeping things, besides being loaded with a disagree- able message. *

* The tawny people laughed at me for this, and feasted us on hominy, venison, dried eels, squashes and Indian corn-bread." 6

On this journey, made on horseback, he was accompanied by the celebrated English botanist, John Bartram, and Lewis Evans, known as the maker of the "Map of the Middle British Colonies," already mentioned.

For this visit to Tioga Point there are extracts from Bartram's "Observations on the Inhabitants, Climate, Soil, Productions, Etc., in Travels from Pennsylvania to Canada," published in London 1751. The route taken by the party was the usual Sheshequin or Ulster Path, called by the Moravians the "Narrow Way."

Bartram says :

"Reached the Cayuga branch (Chemung) near 100 yards wide, which we crossed, then rode near a mile to the town-house bearing north; this town is called Tohicon and lies in a rich neck between the branch and main river. The Indians welcomed us, &c. * * * Here I observed for the first time in this journey that the worms had eat off the blade of their maize and long grass, and I saw some of the naked dark-colored grubs half an inch long."

These worms had been destructive throughout the Province. Bar- tram observed that the morning was very foggy, it was about the mid- dle of July. On their return they reached here August 7th. Bartram says :

"I walked to the branch (Chemung River) after dinner, and found abun- dance of fossils on the banks, but the distance of the way, and heavy load of our baggage were an insurmountable bar to my bringing any home."

He mentions a feast prepared by the squaws of hominy boiled in venison broth, and adds :

"This day the Anticoque who travelled with us from Onondaga left the path a little to hunt, missed our track, hit upon an Indian town three miles up the branch, (probably Ganatocherat) and there picking up a squaw, brought her with him."

In 1745 Weiser traveled again to Onondaga, being sent by the government7 to try to establish peace between the Six Nations and the Catawbas of Virginia. "Shikalamy" and Andrew Montour were sent

6 Memorials of the Moravian Church, page 62.

7 See Colonial Records, Vol. IV, p. 655.

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ZEISBERGER, POST AND CRÊVE-COEUR

with him; and the Moravian Brethren, Spangenberg and Zeisberger, asked the privilege of accompanying the party. The Moravian journal is most interesting and instructive. Striking the Susquehanna at Sugar Creek this journalist says :

"We went up the Susquehanna to Diaoga. We travelled by the narrow path that goes up a steep mountain on the side of the Susquehanna,8 crossed the branch that is called the Tiaoga. At its junction with the Susquehanna, in the small triangle formed by the two rivers we found a fruitful tract, upon which a tribe of Mohicans had built a village (Diaoga). This spot is about 180 miles from Shamokin, and is a charming region of country."

On their return they met below Owego two canoe loads of squaws from Diaoga, who had come up to hunt for wild beans. The next day at Diaoga they found food very scarce, were unable to obtain enough for their journey. It would be interesting to know of what were the three loaves furnished them. In 1750 Zeisberger made the trip again. Cammerhoff's account will be found elsewhere. Weiser also made the Onondaga journey again this year. Heckewelder and Zeisberger, as has been seen, say little about their stops at "Diaoga," though they made various later journeys to and fro.

The year 1760 brought another emissary to Onondaga, by way of Diahoga, "Christian Frederick Post, one of the Brethren of Bethlehem," who had lived among the Indians; Craft says, "the most adventurous of Moravian missionaries." He was born in Germany in 1710, came to America and soon engaged in missionary work among the Indians. He gained unusual influence with them because he was twice married to Indian women. He was often successfully employed by the govern- ment as interpreter, or even on dangerous missions to the Indians. He was the emissary most active in bringing to a close the wretched French and Indian war in 1758.9

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A history of old Tioga Point and early Athens, Pennsylvania, Part 28

Author: Murray, Louise Welles, 1854-1931. 4n Publication date: 1908 Publisher: Athens, Penna. [i.e., Pa.] : [s.n.] Number of Pages: 726

Author: Murray, Louise Welles, 1854-1931. 4n
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Athens, Penna. [i.e., Pa.] : [s.n.]
Number of Pages: 726