A history of old Tioga Point and early Athens, Pennsylvania, Part 71

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

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mechanic and builder, and his wife was the tailoress of the valley, hav- ing a most unusual reputation, and employing many assistants. They had three daughters and two sons. Samuel, Jr., was for many years toll keeper at Susquehanna bridge, and spent his life in Athens, which is still the home of his youngest son, Hon. L. T. Hoyt. The other son of Sam- uel, Sr., was the well known Giles M. Hoyt, whose home for sixty years was at Greene's Landing. In 1858 a new foundry was started for the manufacture of agricultural implements by Raymond M. Welles25 and John and Samuel Blood,26 two brothers, who came to Athens from Al- bany, N. Y. This was a thriving industry for many years; it was lo- cated first in the old Welles and Shipman foundry, and then in a new building back of the Presbyterian Church, to which Harris Street was finally opened. Other industries not mentioned were the extensive car- riage shops of A. P. Stevens, and later of James A. Bristol.

In 1860 the town was growing decidedly nearer Mile Hill, the pop- ulation, according to U. S. Gazetteer of 1858, was 706. The third generation of the pioneer settlers were now the active citizens. Familiar names among them were George H. Welles, Horace and John Williston, Elisha Satterlee, Jr., Park Mathewson, Guy Tozer 2nd, and his sons; Stephen Hopkins, Curran and Hopkins Herrick, Armstrong Tyler, Ed- ward Murray, youngest son of Abner, and John Murray (son of Harris, son of Abner), whose father had an early homestead near the State Line; Dana Park, Henry Baird, Jesse Spalding, Nathaniel C. Harris, who had a mercantile business with Frederick N. Page, son of the Eng- lishman Thomas Page, and many others.

In vain endeavor to give complete annals, and conscious of many possible omissions, we are moved to end this chapter in the words of Oliver W. Holmes :

"When life has run its largest round Of toil and trouble, joy and woe, How brief a storied page is found To compass all its outward show."

25 Raymond Welles, son of Charles F. Welles of Wyalusing, located in Athens about this time and married Amelia, daughter of Thomas Page. They made Athens their home for many years, and most of their children were born here. They removed from Athens to To- wanda, where they still reside. Their children are Charles, Frank, Edward, Arthur and Emma (Mrs. George Barton).

26 They were sons of Ezra Blood of Worcester, Mass., and sixth in descent from Richard Blood, who emigrated from England in 1632. John Blood and his third wife (Kate Kennedy) are now living in Chicago, where they removed about twenty years ago. Samuel married Ellen Angier; he lived and died in the valley; his wife survives him. Their children are Clarence, now resident in New York City, and Anna (Mrs. Fearon), now a resident of Sayre.

CHAPTER XX

DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHWAYS AND TRANSPORTATION

Indian Trails-Bridle Paths-Waterways-Post Routes and Stage Coaches-Roads-Canals-Railroads

In these days, when we go flying over the country in auto-cars, trolleys and lightning express trains; when we have the ocean grey- hound, the tank ship, the whale-back and the oil-pipe lines, it is almost impossible to realize the difficulties of transportation in the pioneer days ; and the Rural Free Delivery will soon make us forget the time when to get a letter to a friend was a difficult and well nigh impossible task.1

It is an oft repeated observation of the average writer that the trails of the primitive Indian show his intuitive knowledge of geography and locality. Yet to the student these trails are almost invariably known to have been the paths taken from one feeding ground to another by the wild animals that once filled the forests. They have always proved the most accessible and direct routes over mountain ranges, as well as along the waterways. It is well known that the great trans-continental railways follow the trails of the once great buffalo herds. Thus the natural highways have in many instances become the highways of the nations.

An Indian trail, as described by Lewis H. Morgan in "The League of the Iroquois," was from 12 to 18 inches wide, and was often worn to the depth of a foot. Indian runners could make a hundred miles a day over these trails ; the runners took the place of horses. The trails following both banks of the Susquehanna had been in use for genera- tions before the coming of the white man. As Diahoga was an important point, many trails seem to have met here. Those from the north fol- lowed both rivers, converging from the great central trail across New York state between the Hudson and Lake Erie. Leading south from here was the "Great Warrior Path." Craft says :

"This began at Tioga, crossing the Chemung at the rifts, near the junction, passing to the east side of the river at the fording place near Sheshequin, thence to Shamokin (Sunbury) where it joined the West Branch path, and thence to the nations of the south and west."

The Minisink path led from Diahoga eastward to the Delaware. The Sheshequin path was the great thoroughfare to the West Branch; this had two trails; one following Lycoming and Towanda Creeks, the other Pine and Sugar Creeks, with numerous cross paths. The latter

1 Let us give, as an illustration, an episode of early Tioga Point. A young girl, a be- loved daughter of a Harrisburg family, came to visit some friends here. She was seized with a prevailing epidemic and died suddenly. A letter was sent to her parents; and, as soon as possible, a coffin was constructed, and a man hired to convey the body by wagon, over the mountains to her home. Naturally it was not a rapid journey; yet, when the man arrived with his doleful burden, the letter had not yet been received, and his inquiry for the home of the girl's parents was the first news of the sorrowful happening.

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OLD TIOGA POINT AND EARLY ATHENS

trail passed over Ulster2 Mountain (from Oscolui), where it was called "the narrow way."

The early missionary travelers record great difficulty in traversing these trails, through swamps, impenetrable thickets and dangerous mountain paths, where at times they were even obliged to crawl on hands and knees for safety. Across the river from the "narrow way" was the famous "Breakneck" path over the Sheshequin Mountain. Sul- livan's soldiers reported this as very steep and dangerous, and that they here lost their bullocks. A bridle path was maintained over this trail for many years.

When the Indians migrated from Wyalusing to the Ohio, they took the path up Sugar Run and down the Loyalsock. Weiser in 1737 came up the Muncy path to Tioga, i. e., up the Lycoming to the divide, near present Grover, down Towanda Creek to about West Franklin, then across to Sugar Creek, down it to Susquehanna, up west side to present Ulster. No doubt, all these trails were the bridle paths of pioneer days.

The river was the natural highway of the Indian and of the pioneers ; and the early travel, not by water, was on horseback ; a horse often car- rying a number of people, children being counted. Of this valley it has been said that Matthias Hollenback in establishing his trade, which extended from Wilkes-Barre to Niagara, opened the bridle path which was used by many noted travelers between the Great Falls and Philadelphia. The pack horses also carried many burdens, the rude pack saddle of Indian design having never been excelled in usefulness. Sullivan's army had 2,000 pack horses.

The first regular mails were carried by post-riders on horseback; yet in 1803 mail was carried from Wilkes-Barré to Tioga Point once in two weeks by men on foot. Letters for Tioga Point were often ad- dressed to the postmaster at Wilkes-Barré, and quite as often sent by some friendly hand. The horse was long preferred for a journey. As late as 1810 Henry Welles, who was in the State Legislature, wrote for a horse to be sent down on a raft for his homeward journey ; and was much concerned because there was little indication of the usual "spring fresh," fearing no rafts could run to bring horse down.

As early as 1771 the Assembly declared the Susquehanna a public highway. The settlers along the banks proposed to expend a consider- able sum to improve the navigation. For, while the river was exten- sively used, it was by no means easily navigable, as it had been for the light birch bark canoe of the red man; yet it was a "fondly cherished dream that the Susquehanna would become a great commercial high- way." Therefore the Assembly aided the settlers by appropriating funds and appointing commissioners to superintend the work. It was a scheme of some men to make the Susquehanna the route of a public waterway between the East and West. Some years later William McClay was em- ployed, and the Assembly appointed him in 1783, "to examine the navi-

2 Meginnis, in "Otzinachson," says, "The Wyalusing Path ran up Muncy creek to the head, then crossed the Loyal Sock, half a mile from the present crossing of Berwick pike, then passed near Dushore, and struck Sugar Run near N. E. corner Sullivan Co .; thence down the creek to the river. The great Sheshequin Path ran up Bonsen's Run, thence over to Lycoming Creek near mouth of Mill Creek, thence to the head of Lycoming, to the beaver dams, thence down Towanda to Sheshequin Flats."

521

EVOLUTION OF RIVER TRAFFIC

gation of the Susquehanna river to the sources of the same." Gravel bars were cleared away, trees and stumps removed, a channel opened, and towpaths made along the rapids. Sometimes a horse was carried in the boat or driven along shore, to be used for towing when necessary. In a few months the river was made fairly navigable from Wrightsville to Wyoming, and later from the Chesapeake to the New York State line.

The canoe, called the dug-out, was the first craft; hewn from a single tree trunk, it could carry several tons. Often a family with all their possessions, even live stock, journeyed up the river in one. When heavily laden they were managed by a person at each end, who placed their iron-pointed "setting poles" upon the bottom of the river, throw- ing their whole weight against them. There were women as well as men who could use the pole as well as the paddle, and even take a canoe across the river when in flood. The men's shoulders were frequently calloused by persistent pushing.

Built boats were first used on the Susquehanna about 1795, whether batteaus, Durham boats or keel boats, we are not certain. The Durham boat, named for a town on the Delaware, was 60 feet long, 8 feet wide and several feet deep, drawing 20 inches of water; the stern and bow were sharp and decked ; a running board extended the whole length on either side. There was a mast with two sails for occasional use ; a man at the stern with a long oar for steering, and two on each side with setting poles. The keel boat was similar, often larger ; and when cov- ered or roofed was called a barge, looking somewhat like the present toy "Noah's Arks." To "push goods up the river" was a regular trade for many years. When returning, passengers as well as produce were carried.

Taking lumber to market by rafts has always been a well-known industry, but the present generation knows little about arks. In March, 1800, the first ark that ran the Susquehanna was built at White's saw- mill, five miles below Bath, N. Y., on the Conhocton. It was loaded with wheat and lumber and created a sensation. The ark was used for many years, although more easily wrecked than rafts. They were like huge boxes, about 65 feet long, 16 feet wide, pointed at each end and sided up with two planks. First the bottom or "ark bed" was framed, planked and well caulked, made upside down near the water's edge. Then the frame was "turned," a great event when many were built. Stern posts, 3 feet high, were set at each point, from which to wield the single oar. The oars, called "sweeps," were 30 feet long, made from small straight white pine. The sides were fitted on with wooden pins, no nails used. It was no unusual sight to see a hundred of them in the river at once. Ark building was a great industry at Greene's Eddy, just below town, for fifty or sixty years. Grain, shingles, pork and whisky were thus easily marketed. "Tioga Point was practically the head of navigation on the Susquehanna during the first half of the nineteenth century." The children well remember their father's tales of arks and rafts, and of "the freight boats that were poled up the river, and landed at the public square ; there they were unloaded, and contents hauled by wagon to central New York and beyond; a traffic, which began

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OLD TIOGA POINT AND EARLY ATHENS

with the tide of migration that swept through Tioga Point to the Genesee Valley even before 1800. Gen. Horace Williston thought the sunken boat found at Sheshequin was one of these old freighters and

19th april 99. Mr. Futle The beaver the Hollenbeck will deliver you Garty Dollars in banks notes and an Obligations of Therewas Right, for which you' le please to begin as recept- on My Questions from W. Hallenbackis to Pay Money to you - to god bless you and your Raft- but bewave of the Solands an button Hoods a the Devil will be afte to get your yet, WWW. Stephen Julite

EManuelle

not even as old as Sullivan's time. The perils of "running the river" are plainly indicated in the letter found among the Hollenback papers, here reproduced. The raftsmen and men who ran the arks had .75 per day going, $1 at end of journey, and generally walked back. The ark rope or hawser was a curiosity, 100 feet long, as big as a man's arm, woven of hickory sprouts.

The boat-horn announced the coming of the boats with mail and coveted packages ; the horns were conch shells; and the different boats often came to be known by the sound of their shells.

Several efforts were made to introduce improvements in boat con- struction, and about 1829 a craft propelled by poles set in motion by horse-power machinery was put afloat, called a team-boat; but they were soon abandoned.

Steamboats having been invented, an effort was made to introduce them on the Susquehanna. The idea of navigation was an active one early in the century, as learned from letters of Richard Caton, long so san- guine as to the future of Tioga Point. In 1801 he writes from Lancaster :

"The river will I expect open this year, a law is before the legislature for the purpose * * * I am sure lands will rise on the opening of the river, * * * I be- lieve a safe communication will be made to tide water * * * In five years we shall have navigation complete, indeed in this year the bed of the river will be cleared, and by next Spring I hope to see lumber float down without difficulty or danger, * * * 1803 We have a fair prospect of getting navigation of river completed from Maryland Canal to Columbia. The Governor of Pennsylvania offered in behalf of the State to join with Maryland and lay out $40,000 on the work, but Maryland legislature is too ignorant * * * but it will prevail in the end. * * * " 1804 "As you will have abundance of water in river, descend with large loads, Maryland Canal receives boats."3

3 We learn from Pearce's "Annals of Luzerne" that it was believed that large vessels could be built on the river and floated down to seaboard. Accordingly in 1803 a sloop of twelve tons burden was built at Wilkes-Barre, named "John Franklin," after the Yankee hero.

523

STEAMBOATS ON THE SUSQUEHANNA

In 1810 Henry Welles writes to Caton :

"Pleased to see Mr. Sterret of Baltimore with a memorial from Maryland Canal Co. proposing co-operation with Penna. in improving navigation-an object of the first magnitude, which I hope will meet with proper attention. The jealousy of Philadelphians will probably retard action, but they cannot coerce trade out of its natural course much longer ; for the people on the Susquehanna are becoming too numerous and influential in the legislature."

However, Henry Welles left the Legislature without seeing this accomplished. But in 1825, when the wave of "internal improvements" struck the Legislature, the canal projectors encountered the sentiment of friends of the "river interest," who contended that the Susquehanna could and should be improved as a conveyance to the East and South. Consequently, in 1826 the canal scheme was only passed by agreeing to an appropriation of $20,000, "to remove obstacles above Northumber- land," anticipated to be the forerunner of a time when "the Susque- hanna would swarm with steamboats" about said town. The friends of the river interest were all ready to prove their theories, and their steam- boats were in process of building by Baltimore, Philadelphia and West Branch capitalists. Pennsylvanians craved the honor of introducing this form of navigation, and before the bill passed, in April, 1826, the Codorus, built at York, was on her way up the stream. She was 60 feet long, 9 feet beam, with 10 horse-power engine, carried fifty passengers and expected to make up stream four miles an hour; drawing only 8 inches of water. She ran up the West Branch to Williamsport, back to Northumberland, and up to Elmira, heralded by the newspapers of the day, and admired by hundreds who flocked to the river, proud that Penn- sylvanians had started the first boat. She was warmly welcomed by the Athenians, who "now realized their fondest dreams."4 From Elmira the Codorus came down around the Point, continued to Binghamton. and then turned back, reaching starting point four months after the trip began. Capt. Elger, in command, was disappointed, and reported that it was a failure for practical purposes. Meanwhile the Baltimore boat, the "Susquehanna," was completed and started on a trial trip. Her builders were in opposition to the Philadelphia backers of the Codorus; and, not without reason, hoped to control the river traffic. Their boat was a stern wheeler, 80 feet long, 30 horse-power, carrying one hundred passengers. Several business men of Baltimore, three State commis- sioners and some up river merchants were among her first passengers. She reached Nescopec Falls May 3. Progress had been slow, and as these were the most difficult rapids, all but twenty passengers left the boat and walked. As she stemmed the current, the assembled crowds cheered wildly ; but all too soon; for in the angriest rapids the boat

It reached tide-water in safety and a stock company was at once formed, with great anticipations. It was at this time that the so-called "Welles' Folly" was built, doubtless anticipating sloops might be built and sent from Tioga Point. However, the second sloop was dashed to pieces on her trial trip and the bubble burst.

4 The Bradford Settler of May 11, 1826, says: "As she appeared round the bend, she was hailed by the firing of a feu de joie, and the ringing of bells. The banks were at once lined by hundreds. The Captain was invited to land and partake of a public dinner prepared by Mrs. Spalding, at which Judge Herrick (of Tioga Point) presided. The Captain was appro- priately addressed by Alpheus Ingham in behalf of citizens of Bradford County." It was re- ported that much difficulty had been experienced by the captain for lack of wood, and sug- gested that inhabitants along the shore take pains to have dry yellow pine or pitch knots pre- pared at convenient places to avoid delay. The above celebration was at Towanda.

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OLD TIOGA POINT AND EARLY ATHENS

stopped, turned, struck a rock, and the boiler exploded. Several per- sons were instantly killed, among whom was a merchant of Owego, William Camp, grandfather of J. M. Ely, of Athens. The third boat, "Pioneer," built by Williamsport people, was abandoned after a trial trip, and the high hopes died.

Among the articles on early Susquehanna navigation, published in the Wilkes-Barré Record in 1887, is a note from Samuel Evans, of Co- lumbia, quoting from minutes made in 1825 by a resident of that town : "June 12, 1825-The steamboat came here last evening, and it is said was engaged in taking parties of pleasure out * *" Mr. Evans says it arrived at Marietta about June 15, having spent one day getting through the falls between Columbia and Marietta, a distance of only two miles and a half. Its arrival was welcomed by the entire population, cannon were fired, etc., and there was great rejoicing. Mr. Evans speaks of this boat as "the Susquehanna ;" also says that pilots were always en- gaged at these points to run rafts to tide water, as the current was about 260 feet, water very rapid and course tortuous and rocky, although large sums of money were appropriated at different times to improve the channel. He said none were surprised at the destruction of the Sus- quehanna, though he gives no details. The dates are conflicting, but the writer has no enlightening information.

"In 1834, H. F. Lamb, G. M. Hollenback and others built a boat at Owego of 40 horse-power. The first trip to Wilkes-Barré, August, 1835, was made in eight hours, and the boat was loaded with coal for return. On the second trip the shaft was broken at Nanticoke dam, and the boat sunk and abandoned. The last trip, as ably described by the spirited pen of N. P. Willis in "Rural Letters," is here appended with- out the raftsmen's yarns, etc.5

5 "Navigating the Susquehannah is very much like dancing 'the cheat.' You are always making straight up to a mountain, with no apparent possibility of escaping contact with it, and it is an even chance up to the last moment which side of it you are to chassez with the current. Meantime the sun seems capering about to all points of the compass, the shadows falling in every possible direction, and north, south, east and west, changing places with the familiarity of a masquerade. The blindness of the river's course is increased by the innumerable small islands in its bosom, whose tall elms and close-set willows meet half-way those from either shore, and the current very often dividing above them, it takes an old voyager to choose between the shaded alleys, by either of which you would think, Arethusa might have eluded her lover. * * * It was somewhat ticklish steering among the rafts and arks with which the river was thronged, and we never passed one without getting the raftsman's rude hail. One of them furnished my vocabulary with a new measure of speed. He stood at the stern oar of a shingle raft, gaping at us open mouthed, as we came down upon them. 'Wal,' said he, as we shot past, 'you're going a good hickory, mister.' The different modes of expressing surprise became at last quite a study to me, yet there were some, who, I think, would not have risen from their elbows if we had flown bodily over them. 'When did I descend the Susquehannah on a raft?' you ask. Never, dear Doctor, But I have descended it in a steamboat. * * * It is an in-navigable river it is true, and there are some 20 dams between Owego and Wilkes-Barré, yet, have I steamed it from Owego to Wyoming, 150 miles in twelve hours-on the top of a freshet, * * * and now you will wonder how a steamer came at Owego. * * * A friend of mine took it into his head that as salmon and shad will ascend a fall of 20 ft. in a river, the propulsive energy of their tails might furnish a hint for a steamer that would shoot up dams and rapids. * * * A Con- necticut man undertook it-the product of his ingenuity was the steamboat 'Susquehannah,' drawing but 18 in., having besides her side-paddles an immense wheel in the stern, which, play- ing in the slack water of the boat, would drive her up Niagara, if she would but hold together. * * * Altogether she was a neat piece of contrivance, and promised fairly to answer the pur- pose. I think she had made three trips when she broke a shaft, and the canal was half com- pleted between her two havens before the experiment succeeded. The proprietors determined to run her down the river to sell, and I was invited to join in the trip. * * * We got off in the usual style of a steamboat departure and with a stream running at five knots, and paddles cal- culated to mount a cascade, we could not fail to take the river in gallant style, and before we had regulated our wood-piles and pantry (most of the crew were the passengers) we were backing water at Athens 20 miles on our way."

525

FERRIES AND BRIDGES

In 1849, in one of the lapses of canal construction, the "Wyoming" was built at Tunkhannock, a steamboat made to carry 40 tons of coal, and for three years this plied between the Wyoming coal fields and Athens, carrying grain and produce in return. This drew a crowd on every trip, landing in Athens at the foot of Ferry Street ; but could only run when the river was high, so proved to be unprofitable. The last steamboat for trade was the "Enterprise," built and launched at Bain- bridge, N. Y. in 1851 ; soon grounded in shallow water, and left to rot. The navigation of the Susquehanna was impossible, and the air castles of two generations tumbled. Various small steamboats, built at Owego for local use, whenever run down the river have been overtaken by dis- aster, like their predecessors. The last one passed Athens in 1889, and to-day the upper Susquehanna is navigated only by the light canoe or the flat bottomed house boat.

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A history of old Tioga Point and early Athens, Pennsylvania, Part 71

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