USA > Pennsylvania > Bradford County > Athens > A history of old Tioga Point and early Athens, Pennsylvania > Part 37
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
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"ZEBULON BUTLER Com. for granting of Twps."
Another partially illegible note indicates that this copy of grant remained in the hands of Wm. Jenkins some years. We do not believe it to be "the original" for many reasons. Franklin continues thus :
"Before I left them we agreed how to lay it out into lots; viz, in three divisions. The first division was little town lots now the village of Athens- The second division were ten acre lots, on the point, on the island and above the town-The third division, some east of Susquehanna, some between two rivers, and some west of Chemung. After the surveys were made they were to draw for the lots by a lottery. I was not present at drawing."
We assume the next step was the survey, and here are Col. Jenkins' field notes, or an attested copy of his amplified notes, made by Zephon Flower. While we do not know that Colonel Jenkins was an ungodly man, there may seem to have been such need of haste that he remembered the old saw, "The better the day, the better the deed ;" for he began the survey Sunday morning, and must have had a pretty busy day. The notes are headed thus: "Field Notes of the Town of Athens Taken May 7, 1786, etc. Began to take the Traverse of the Tioga River * The amplified notes, as found on back of Maj. Flower's copy of the original map, read thus :
"Sunday morning May the 7th 1786. Began to take the course of Tioga Creek at the mouth and run N 53 W 41 Rods; N 43 W 21 (45 in Paine's copy) ; N 35 W 40; N 30 W 56; N 15 W 34; N 4 W 34; N 29 E 112 to where a small cove1 makes up to the shore; (on the west side in Herrick's copy) N 13 E 87 to Mr Gardiners house, Wyncoop house nearly opposite on the other side, course continued 14 rods to a ridge of land running south nearly to the main river, course continued 56 rods ; N 3 E 58; N 9 W 58; N 28 W 70 to a ridge of land running N 40 E to the main river at the upper end of the Town Plot;2 N 38 W 60; N 46 W 50; N 49 W 180; N 57 W 16 (60 in Jenkins' from Herrick) to the end of a mountain on the other side of the creek opposite John O'Neils house; N 56 W 44; N 21 W 74; where mountain makes off from the creek; N 57 W 20; N 35 W 20; N 31 W 140 to the upper end of an island 20 rods wide (Gen. Provost's plantation in Paine's copy) ; N 16 E 98 to a ridge of land near the fordway across the creek; N 21 E 44; N 15 W 82 to the mouth of a small creek ; N 21 E 44; N 15 W 82 to the mouth of a small creek,3 an island in the bend of the creek, the lower end of a flat piece of land, buttonwood timber ;ª N 57 W 22; S (N in Herrick's copy) 85 W 34; N 70 W 54; N 57 W 40; N 40 W 22; N 15 W 43 (28 in Herrick's copy) to the north line of the Town.
"Monday morning began to take the course of the great river from the point up, N 4 E 50 rods; N 24 E 18 to where a gut of water makes up into the land ; N 31 E 40; N 44 E 28 to McClures house, continued the same course 154; N 39 E 21; N 36 E 30 to the lower end of the cove which makes up 8 rods wide; N 25 E 41; N 18 W 31; N 31 W 30; N 49 W 51 to the lower end of an island ; N 70 W 42, the upper end of a flat ; N 50 W 54; N 25 W 68; N 12 W 16; N 10 E 64 to the upper end of the island; N 12 E 150; North 40; N 25 E 62; N 22 E 20 to the mouth of a small creek, continued the same course 116; N 19 E 30;
276
OLD TIOGA POINT AND EARLY ATHENS
" WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MAKES OFF FROM THE CREEK "
N 10 E 62; N 20 E 38; N 30 E 74; N 34 E 50 to the mouth of a creek5 6 rods wide; N 74 E 60 ; N 57 E 48 rods to a creek where a cove makes up to the shore. "Distance from the Tioga River to the Susquehanna 32 miles and the course of the road through the town S 12 E; between the lots S 78 W.
"The course of the road through the point S 25 W 186 to a gate. Con- tinued out the south line of the town; made a bound on the west end of Lot No 1 a White Oak tree-13 tallies 10 rods.
"Measured south line of No 40-10 tallies 14 rods from the river to the road.
"Run out the line between lots 13 & 14, 1 mile to a white oak tree marked. On the east side of the river lots continued one mile, tree on the out end.
"The distance from the creek to the road on the S side of No 53 is 193.
"Wednesday June 14th 1786. Continued out the north line of the town and made a bound on the bank of a creek a white oak tree; Thence running south 5 miles to a White oak tree marked.
"Town plot. The first lot 42 rods long 4 rods wide 2nd & 3rd same width, the others 6 rods wide. Lots 50, 51, 52 & 53 are 4 rods wide.
"Common in the middle of the town is 10 rods wide.
"Road from the town S 12 E 195 rods to the road from the great river to the creek (Tioga River), S 78 W 220 from one river to the other.
"The north line of lot No 29 is a poplar tree on the bank of the river."
The above was copied from a field book, signed John Jenkins, by Z. Flower.
Some other copies of these notes being found, they have been carefully compared and differences noted by Nathan F. Walker, who adds the following explanations :
From the point up the Tioga River to the north line of the town. Jenkins' field notes, 1724 rods. Flower's field notes, 1889 rods.
From the Point up the Susquehanna River to the north line of the town. Jenkins' field notes, 1488 rods. Flower's field notes, 1740 rods.
From Point to the cove on Susquehanna River. Jenkins' notes, 341 rods, and by Flower's notes, 350 rods.
277
GRANT OF ATHENS TWP. RECORDED
The Gardiner house mentioned in Jenkins' field notes in 1786 was about 30 rods south of the north line of the Welles or Tioga Point farm, or about where MacAfee's gravel pit is. The Wyncoop house, on the west side was on the Thurston farm. The John O'Niel house was near the Francis Tyler or the M. J. Long house.
The McClure house, mentioned by Mr. Jenkins in his field notes of the survey up the Susquehanna River, was located on the Point about opposite the bend in the river below the house of the late H. J. Baldwin on the old Northrup farm.
The ridge of land running N. 40 E., mentioned in Jenkins' field notes, is the ridge that starts in at the lower end of Harris Street and crosses Main Street at the cemetery, and from there follows along the east side of Edward Street.
1 Thurston's cove.
4 Gypsy Green.
2 Ridge at Presbyterian Church, 1907.
3 Dry Brook.
Cayuta or Shepard's.
It is curious that Jenkins makes no mention whatever of Snell's house or cabin. This would lead one to believe that he lived at his first camping place for two or three years. Nor is there any other record of the settlement of Gardner, Wyncoop or O'Neil.
Provost's Plantation must have been below Tozer's Bridge, pos- sibly a British military location.
The survey and grant of Athens has always been carelessly given, but the following is an absolutely accurate copy, carefully corrected for this history by the kindness of Mr. Albert C. Bates, Secretary, Connecticut Historical Society, from the Susquehanna Company Rec- ord Books of Deeds, Liber C, page 98 :
"Town of Athens.
"Persuant to the Votes of the Susquehannah proprietors for Locating and laying out Towns within said purchase, we the Subscribers have located and layed out a Township of land for the proprietors, a list of whom is herewith Delivered to the Comtee. for Granting Townships; Beginning as follows at a stake Marked, Standing on the North line of the Susquehannah purchase at one mile west of the Tioga Branch then East on said line Crossing both branches of the Susquehannah five miles to a pine tree Marked, thence south five Miles to a black oak Marked, thence West five Miles Crossing said Susquehannah river to a white oak tree Marked, thence North five Miles to the first Mentioned bounds. Said Town is Located & laid Out at the request of Prince Alden Jr. & Elisha Satterly and Others their Associates to the number of fifty proprietors. "JOHN FRANKLIN "JOHN JENKINS Agents for said Proprietors."
"Agreable to the request of John Franklin Esqr. & Mr John Jenkins agent, in behalf of the above mentioned proprietors for a grant of the above described Township Confirming the same to them as a part of their General right in the purchase The same is hereby Granted to them agreable to the rules and regula- tions of the Susquehannah Company by the name of Athens Provided it does not Interfere with any former regular Grant In Confirmation whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 9th day of May A. D. 1786.
"ZEBULON BUTLER "OBADH. GORE Comtee. for Granting of townships.
"NATHAN DENISON
1786.
"The above is a True Record of a Survey I received to Record May 22nd Test, SAML. GRAY Clerk."
By comparing this with the copy in Craft's History, it will be seen that the latter is inaccurate in many small details. The most im- portant is the exchange of name "Prince Alden" for "Prince Bryant."
There is no known existing copy of the grant of Athens as here given.
278
OLD TIOGA POINT AND EARLY ATHENS
What a calm disregard for Pennsylvania, the decree of Trenton, the erection of the new county, and the schemes of the land jobbers is exhibited in the laying out of this township of Athens. What mat- tered these when this town was destined to be the capital of the new state? No wonder such a pretentious name was given. Unques- tionably the capital would have been the "City of the Plains."
According to the custom of the Susquehanna Company, Athens was laid out in three divisions, each of 53 lots, 50 for the settlers and three for public use, school, church and minister generally. The first division was small town lots, comprising what was called the "village plot." The second division consisted of ten-acre lots ; below the town, on the flats, and all the lands between the rivers from burying ground hill to Mile Hill or the north line of old Ulster, also the island. The third division consisted of farms of 100 acres between the rivers above Mile Hill, also east and west of the rivers. When the State line was finally adjusted, there was a belt of land north of township as orig- inally surveyed, also some outside third division, and these lands were allotted in farms of 100 to 300 acres, called the fourth division. The date of the allotment to original proprietors has never been found. Colonel Franklin (contrary to general statement) was not present according to his sworn deposition. The old settlers always said Ethan Allen was; and while there is no corroborative evidence, it is possible the allotment took place at once, and that Allen tarried to superintend or approve, while Franklin hurried to Wilkes-Barré. The annexed map with the list of proprietors will make the divisions plain. The original of this map was made by the early surveyor, Zephon Flower,35 from John Jenkins' notes and sur- veys. A fac-simile copy has never before been made. It has been dis- covered that all later surveyors had added to the map according to their own ideas. Zephon Flower settled in the valley in 1788, although not an original proprietor. He evident- ly came first with the state line sur- veyors of 1786, which indicates that he was considered exact and care- ful. That he was not influenced by Connecticut sentiments is shown by the fact that he soon became- sur- veyor for the Pennsylvania Claims. The back of this map had another list of proprietors, given in the next chapter.
Syphon Filarver
It has generally been said that the town plot had for its north line "an old street" not named, running
34 Secretary Bates reports one more entry on page 98, which we here copy, also, be- cause it is signed by father of an early Athens resident. "Received of Dr David Adams Six pounds Lawfll. Money To Intitle him To half a Share with the Other Proprietors or Pur-
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278
OLD TIOGA POINT AND EARLY ATHENS
What a calm disregard for Pennsylvania, the decree of Trenton, the erection of the new county, and the schemes of the land jobbers is exhibited in the laying out of this township of Athens. What mat- tered these when this town was destined to be the capital of the new state? No wonder such a pretentious name was given. Unques- tionably the capital would have been the "City of the Plains."
According to the custom of the Susquehanna Company, Athens was laid out in three divisions, each of 53 lots, 50 for the settlers and three for public use, school, church and minister generally. The first division was small town lots, comprising what was called the "village plot." The second division consisted of ten-acre lots ; below the town, on the flats, and all the lands between the rivers from burying ground hill to Mile Hill or the north line of old Ulster, also the island. The third division consisted of farms of 100 acres between the rivers above Mile Hill, also east and west of the rivers. When the State line was finally adjusted, there was a belt of land north of township as orig- inally surveyed, also some outside third division, and these lands were allotted in farms of 100 to 300 acres, called the fourth division. The date of the allotment to original proprietors has never been found. Colonel Franklin (contrary to general statement) was not present according to his sworn deposition. The old settlers always said Ethan Allen was; and while there is no corroborative evidence, it is possible the allotment took place at once, and that Allen tarried to superintend or approve, while Franklin hurried to Wilkes-Barré. The annexed map with the list of proprietors will make the divisions plain. The original of this map was made by the early surveyor, Zephon Flower,35 from John Jenkins' notes and sur- veys. A fac-simile copy has never before been made. It has been dis- covered that all later surveyors had added to the map according to their own ideas. Zephon Flower settled in the valley in 1788, although not an original proprietor. He evident- ly came first with the state line sur- veyors of 1786, which indicates that he was considered exact and care- ful. That he was not influenced by Connecticut sentiments is shown by the fact that he soon became- sur- veyor for the Pennsylvania Claims. The back of this map had another list of proprietors, given in the next chapter.
Syphon Filarver
It has generally been said that the town plot had for its north line "an old street" not named, running
34 Secretary Bates reports one more entry on page 98, which we here copy, also, be- cause it is signed by father of an early Athens resident. "Received of Dr David Adams Six pounds Lawfll. Money To Intitle him To half a Share with the Other Proprietors or Pur-
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279
THE TOWN PLOT
from river to river, just north of the old burying-ground and the lot north of the Presbyterian Church. But by careful examination of the old surveys it appears that, for reasons unknown, there was a jog at the north of plot and at the south. According to these the north part of the Presbyterian Church property was lot No. 1; lot No. 3 was the present property of Mrs. L. M. Park (1907) and the numbers ran down the west side of Main Street to 26, now occupied by Dana J. Macafee. There seems to have been a street from river to river 60 feet farther down. Number 27 was the north part of property of Mrs. F. J. Cheney, 28 the Sawyers property, and so on up to the north line. A tiny little town, surrounded by forests, for even as late as 1825 the pines extended to "burying ground hill." The Harrisburg papers announced that "Athens was surveyed, and the allotments made in the Fall." It will be remembered that, room having been found for another township, a second grant of Ulster was made September 12,1785. When Athens was allotted it was very soon discovered that Ulster overlapped the Point and interfered with the new township. Naturally, this was not agreeable to the newly-fledged Athenians, and the second altera- tion was made in July, 1786, entirely clear of Athens. But let us journey with the grant to Connecticut.
Franklin, Strong and Allen hastened to the meeting of the Sus- quehanna Company held at Hartford May 17, 1786, and probably ex- tending over May 22, the date on which the Athens grant was re- corded. Doubtless it was fully approved and confirmed in this meet- ing, where much important action was taken, so cleverly worded that one can easily read between the lines. After throwing a sop to Cerberus by voting to establish and confirm Pennsylvania settlers now actually inhabiting lands claimed by the Company, it was also
"Voted, that this Compy. Conscious of the Equity of their title to the lands bona fide purchased of the Natives, and Situate upon the waters of the River Susqua., will support and maintain their claims to the lands aforesaid, and ef- fectually justify and support their settlers therein. Voted, that Col.
chasers of the land on Susaquehannah River as Contained in a deed Thereof from the Six Nations of Indians to Sd. Company att Their Meeting held by adjournment att Hartford April 12th 1769. Ebenr. Backus Com'tee Man Truly Recorded August 12th 1786 Test Sam'el Gray Clerk Sold by Dr David Adams to Dr Jedediah Ensworth See page 101."
35 Zephon Flower was born at Hartford, Connecticut, November 30, 1765, the son of Nathaniel Flower, supposed to be descended from Lamrock Flower of Rutlandshire, England, who emigrated to America about 1685, and settled at Hartford. Zephon enlisted in the Rev- olutionary army when only thirteen, under Capt. Maxwell of the Light Dragoons. He served until the close of the war and received an honorable discharge. He was in none of the prin- cipal battles, but was wonderfully brave, had many hairbreadth escapes, and told thrilling tales of capture and recapture, of crawling through a port hole of a fort just as the gunner was swinging the loaded cannon into place to fire. And how once the young sentinel even dared to halt Washington himself, because he was passing the guard without giving countersign. The General halted, and after the countersign and salute in response, he tossed the lad a silver half dollar, saying "Good boy, good soldier." In 1785 he married Mary Patrick of Hartford, and removed to Stillwater, New York. In 1787, according to the records of the Susquehanna Company, he purchased one share in the Susquehanna Company, probably at Kingston, where he is said to have lived in 1788. However, other records show that he was with the party surveying the State Line in 1786. In 1791 he settled in Sheshequin, where he was made a Major in the militia. Soon he was living east of Athens on several locations then in town, where he lived for about twenty years, and ended his life in the home of his son, who pur- chased the Col. Franklin property. Major Flower was a noted surveyor, and was appointed Deputy Surveyor of Bradford County by Surveyor General Cochran. He laid out many of the early roads and helped to locate many obscure claims. He had a most estimable wife, and they raised twelve children, nearly all of whom removed to the West. Heloisa is well re- membered by the older boys and girls, who knew her as "Aunt Louiza Flower," and who were always treated to nuts and apples from the capacious basket invariably carried on her arm, and now in the Museum. Major Flower was the grandfather of Zephon Flower Walker.
280
OLD TIOGA POINT AND EARLY ATHENS
John Franklin, Genl. Ethan Allen, Major John Jenkins and Col. Zebulon Butler be and they are hereby appointed a Committee with full power to locate town- ships & inquire into claims," etc.
Col. Franklin was appointed clerk of this committee and duly sworn. He was now armed with new authority, doubtless that he might be more efficient in erecting the new state, which has been mis- takenly alluded to as to be called "Franklin." That was an utterly different venture, receiving its name from Benjamin Franklin.
William H. Smith, the justice of the peace at Wyoming, at this period was evidently, as intimated, acting as a State agent or a land jobbers' spy. He is the writer of the next letter in Archives (p. 760, Vol. X), which seems to fit in right here :
"To Corporal Montgomery, Sir. My conscience, my oath to the state binds me to inform, I wrote Esqr. Shaw informing of a Design of forming a new State, this is to include Wioming & the Genise and lands claimed by New York. The principal agts. live in New York and Connecticut. I am become aquainted with whole plan by letters I have intercepted. * Colonel John Franklin and Captain Solomon Strong are principal actors. Strong lives in the State of New York, is now gone up to Wisock, where he pretends to have a large share in a town (he had, with Hogaboom, about one-third of original shares). Strong has told me and a number of others that he went twice to Vermount before he could prevale with General Allen to come to Wioming."
After an obscure statement concerning Allen's presence, and the report that Allen and Franklin had gone to Connecticut to attend a meeting, he continues that when he and his associates
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