A history of old Tioga Point and early Athens, Pennsylvania, Part 78

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 78

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).

In giving sketches of early lawyers (pp. 562-566) three names were omitted, although mentioned in other places. Harris W. Patrick was admitted to the bar in 1838, and lived and practised in Athens until 1875. He was one of the most active lawyers of his time. His family have left this vicinity, so that no knowledge can be obtained of his ancestry, etc. John E. Can- field, already mentioned, was admitted to the bar of Bradford County in 1845, and practised until his death. Joseph B. Reeves was admitted in 1851, and was in active practice in Athens until his death in 1870. He is well remembered as a man of brilliant mind and considerable culture. He was twice married and left a daughter. He was a brother of Mrs. Canfield, who survives him.

CHAPTER XXIV

A SUMMARY

Along the Old Stage Road-The Neighbors

No more fitting way occurs to us to complete this history than to make selections from sketches already published under the above title; and to add similar ones of the neighbors. The Old Stage Road was one of the first State roads in this vicinity over one hundred years ago, and followed the same line as the new State road built in 1907. "The Observations of the Road Committee," etc., of March 5, 1788, a most ingenious and somewhat amusing report (see Chapter XX), doubtless led to some consideration of the subject ; yet the first public road, a continuation of the one from Wilkes-Barré, ran up the river via Wya- lusing, Towanda and Tioga Point to the State Line, and was "explored and opened" by the settlers, and accepted in 1794. The "Observations" have considerable connection with our locality, which is called "the district of William McClay Esq.," a term applied to it in no other records.

Given the road, we will not take the stage as first intended, but drive or ramble in a more leisurely fashion, the time being between 1830 and 1860. Crossing the bridge we note considerable change in the appearance of the country since our first trip in 1800. The land is generally cleared and fenced ; frame houses have replaced the rude log buildings of the pioneers, and the second growth of timber on the hill tops hides the defacing work done by the early ring hunters. Game has nearly disappeared from the forests, and the dams built by con- structors of the canal prevent the shad from coming up the river. Take note that the once popular distilleries no longer deface the landscape. As we leave the town we feel with one who lives along the road :

"I have no great attachment for the town, but for these free hills and noble old mountains I have a sympathy and admiration, and love to enjoy them with one of like feelings."-E. A. M.

Near the turn of the road, close to the hill, are living some recent settlers, Jacob Ercanbrack, a worthy Hollander, for awhile "mine host" at the Exchange, and now owner of the old Hopkins property. The late George T. Ercanbrack, the first President of the Tioga Point Historical Society, a man deeply interested in the welfare of the town, was the son of Jacob. Near him lives Joseph P. Burt, a temporary resident from Newtown, whose family was later well known to Athenians. Above live several descendants of Jacob Snell, active and industrious; and the river land, named a little later "the Patch," is occupied by the Irish families who came to work on the canal. The greater part of these families later removed to Ridgeberry, but John Doran purchased prop- erty on Susquehanna Cove, and was a thrifty and industrious settler. His descendants are respected borough residents to-day. There was

575

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OLD TIOGA POINT AND EARLY ATHENS

a John Doran living here in 1791, who was possibly a relative of this same family. But we are off the stage road, turn to the south; the old sign of Murray's Inn still creaks disconsolately to and fro. This is no longer a public house, though the long sheds, built in 1797, shelter the teams of passing friends who are too frugal to cross the toll bridge. Abner Murray has been stricken, life is about over for him, and his children are long since married and gone, except Edward, who always inhabited the homestead and tenderly cared for his parents. The Mur- ray still house has not yet been destroyed, and in it are living Jason K. Wright and his young wife. He is a son of Foster Wright, supposed to be a Connecticut man, who settled in the township in 1822. There are no ancestral records of this family available. Jason married Maria Ely of Owego, a niece of Mrs. Abner Murray, 2nd, and later they had a farm and homestead in Wolcott Hollow, and were the parents of a numerous family of stalwart sons, most of whom long ago went West.

If you stop at the next house, you will find the large family of John Spalding in a good frame house, which was burned later. The young Spaldings seemed to have a fancy for the West, as most of them settled in Wisconsin and Illinois. We will call next on Isaac Morley, 3rd, who lives just where his father located in 1807. Indeed, the orig- inal property has been divided between three of the sons, Isaac, Alvin and Gad Harmon. Isaac has a large family. Just below is the com- modious house, still standing, built by Alvin Morley for his bride, Eliza Parmeter. They raised a family of five children. Gad Harmon lives up on the little hill just over the canal. He has remodelled the log house built by Joseph Spalding into a comfortable home ; having mar- ried Experience Green, whose father settled farther south in the county. They have seven children ; thus it is seen the Morley contingent is a large one. The three brothers are running Morley's Mill together, as it is run to-day by their descendants. If we go over to the mill we will see Nathan Edmunister, a late settler, but an active citizen, con- stable of Athens Township for twenty-five years. Now we are at Greene's Eddy, later called Greene's Landing. Here is a group of Rhode Island people ; Greenes, Lanes, etc. Ludo- vick Greene, son of Elisha Greene1 and Edith Stafford of Greenwich, R. I., came in 1803, and built the hewn log house still standing for a home and a public house. We will visit his three sons to-day: Benjamin, Henry and John. His grand- daughter, Almira Greene, has just married Giles M. Hoyt, and commenced housekeeping where they

1 Elisha Greene was fifth in descent from John Greene (of Quidnesset), the original emigrant, who was also the ancestor of the famous General Greene of Revolutionary fame.

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ALONG THE OLD STAGE ROAD

may still be found sixty years later. Giles is the son of Samuel Hoyt of Guilford, who married Mary, daughter of Samuel Bartlett of Sun- derland, Vermont.

Giles M. Hoyt was actively connected with the interests of this locality for most of his life, and was teeming with historical data of all sorts, as the writer well can testify. Another Rhode Islander, Thomas Lane,2 settled near Ludovick Greene, and married his daughter Susan, many of whose descendants are found to-day in this locality, though the names of Greene and Lane have passed away.

If we call at the Griffin homestead, we will see "the Griffin girls," those famous housewives, thrifty and industrious; they can weave as well as spin, and their wheels and looms are busy (still preserved to- day). We crossed Murray's Creek at Greene's Eddy, named for the property and sawmills of Abner Murray. Redington's Creek comes next, though the family of that name have disappeared. The first farm is that of John Watkins, son of William, a Massachusetts man, who settled in Smithfield about 1810, ancestor of all the Watkins family, a famous Revolutionary soldier. John Watkins has had two wives and fourteen children, and many of his descendants are still in the valley. He keeps open house like most of the people along the road, and has a store as well as a still. He has the old Loomis farm on Queen Esther's Flats, still a Watkins possession. The origin of the Loomis family is unknown ; they were Pennsylvania settlers of very early date, with abundance of means, but property seemed to slip away from them, and there are few left of the descendants hereabouts.

Next we find some English people, recent settlers: Thomas Page and his wife, Anne West, with their four girls, came from England about 1831, passed their lives here, and raised other daugh- ters and sons, all identified with the later history of the town. The old homestead, already pictured, has been occupied all his life by the son, George C. Page, a prosperous farmer. A number of Mrs. Page's relatives followed her: Christopher West, her brother, erstwhile a school teacher at Milan, became later a prominent citizen of Balti- more; George West, another brother, remained in this vicinity, and his son, George, occupied the same farm in Smithfield Township dur- ing his lifetime. There are still many Page descendants hereabouts. One son of Thomas and Anne Page, Frederick N., was an active bus- iness man and citizen of Athens until he removed to Williamsport, where he is well known and highly esteemed, as is his brother, F. T. Page in Athens.

Cross another creek, Buck's, this time, named for one of the orig- inal proprietors in old Ulster, whose family later settled at Chemung. Here is a large house (still standing), built by Ezekiel Curry, later the home for many years of his daughter, Harriet, who married Rev. J. B. Chase. And there is another new house built by Peter Flood, an Irish Orangeman from Limerick, contractor on the canal; his sons and daughters are well known to-day. Here are numerous descendants

2 The children of Thomas Lane and Susan Greene were Mary, m. G. W. Plummer; Sarah, m. Gabriel Walker; Martha, m. William Drake; Lucy, d. unmarried; Wealthy, m. Henry Mingle, and Jane, m. Nathaniel Greene.

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OLD TIOGA POINT AND EARLY ATHENS

of Christian Minier, who came from Germany with the persecuted Huguenots. His son Daniel came here from Northampton County in 1792 ; Abraham and John are his sons; he was very industrious, and his farm became one of the most valuable in the region. Later it was purchased by Myron S. Warner, son of Dr. Adonijah Warner, whose daughter occupies it to-day. This farm comprised lots Nos. 6 and 7 in old Ulster, chosen by the Bucks originally, and purchased of them by Minier. Next comes the family of Lockwood Smith, already intro- duced. They have two or three homes now, near together. Lockwood, Jr., is an ardent politician, so successful in obtaining office that he boasts he carries Bradford County in his pocket.3 The burying-ground here is full of information ; the first grave was that of Stephen C. Powell, who gave the name to Powell's Eddy nearby.

There is too little time to make the acquaintance of the Huffs and Russells and other late settlers along the road. We will turn off to the west; for there are a good many roads now, and many new acquaint- ances between here and the township line. Of those whose descend- ants are still among us, the earliest seems to have been Jacob Van Woert, who came from Athens, Green County, N. Y., in 1838 to Athens Town- ship, and shortly after purchased a farm on Sutliff Hill. His son, Nicholas, was the father of Samuel, well known to the present genera- tion. James Underwood, who had removed from Vermont to New York State in 1811, settled on the farm still owned by his family in 1839 ; his son William having occupied it over fifty years. All the fam- ily have been industrious and enterprising inhabitants. William mar- ried Agnes, daughter of Edward McMorran, a Scotchman, who settled in the township about this time, and who has many descendants here to-day. Edward McMorran and his wife are well remembered as true Scots and earnest Christians.

Here is the fine farm of Jacob A. Weller, who came from Newburg, N. Y., to Chemung County, thence to present location in 1843. His wife, Julia Fitzgerald, is from New Jersey, and of their twelve children ten grew to maturity, and have many descendants in the township. Three of their sons are borough residents to-day ; Jacob E., associated with his son, William A., the merchant; (another son, John J., is also a town merchant) ; Nathan, who has held various county and town offices, and Frank, a skilled mechanic, most of whose life has been spent in Greene's Landing. The Wellers are scattered over the coun- try, even to California, and are known as honest, capable business men, worthy descendants of Jacob, the pioneer. Frederick Weller, who came to the township in 1840, was of the same family, brother of Jacob, Sr. Like him, he carved a fine farm out of the wilderness for the benefit

3 William Smith, son of Lockwood, who owned a separate farm, has had the western fever and moved west, in true emigrant fashion, settling in Michigan, and his descendants are found farther west, even to the Pacific coast, as also the families of Lockwood, Jr., and Platt Smith. We have little definite record of them. William sold his farm to Henry S., son of General Welles, who lived there with his bride a few years. There is another Smith family here now, John, whom we think was a Palatine German. His son Henry married Abigail, daughter of Lockwood; they were the parents of Hulon C. Smith of Athens. The Smiths were so actively religious that they were called "promoters of the truth, even down to old age." Although many descendants are in the west, they are also numerous in this locality. Lockwood," Sr., was a conspicuous pioneer because he was one of the original proprietors of Ulster, who returned after the war to his original choice, and his title was ever undisputed.

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NEIGHBORHOOD PIONEERS

of his family of fifteen children ; his son, Artemus Weller, is a borough resident ; Clinton and Fenton are also of this family.

Another late settler in this locality was John Eighmey, born in Durham, N. Y., who came to Athens Township in 1849 and purchased a timber tract and sawmill near the Underwoods, pursuing lumbering and agriculture for about twenty years, when he removed to Milltown. He was the father of Lewis Eighmey, a prosperous business man who has had much to do with the development of Sayre; and of Lawrence M. Eighmey, now resident in Athens Borough, who was for a long time a successful operator in Pennsylvania oil fields, and is now active in the banking business. George H. Jackson also settled in this part of the township about 1840 ; he was the father of John M. Jackson, an indus- trious citizen, who still has some descendants in the borough.

A somewhat eccentric character who left his name and his mark in the township was Erastus Wolcott, who first settled on Tutelow Creek about 1830. He was a practical lumberman, and built several saw- mills, changing location when the land was cleared. He was a stren- uous character, staunch in his friendships and fierce to his foes. He finally settled on Redington Creek, and gave the name to Wolcott Hol- low. He became quite prominent in politics, always taking an active part, and should be remembered as the man who, during "the log cabin and hard cider campaign," gathered twenty yokes of oxen, harnessed them to a small log cabin on wheels, and drove triumphantly to To- wanda to a great political gathering. Which reminds us that to-day we never hear the call, "gee-haw," nor see the countryman coming to town with his long ox-gad, driving those patient, toiling beasts of bur- den, the oxen. There are numerous descendants of McDuffee, Tozer, Snell and other pioneers in the vicinity of Tutelow Creek, whom we cannot visit to-day ; and some later settlers, whose names and descend- ants still exist : the Scotts, Clarks, Beidlemans, Middaughs, Sutliffs and perhaps others. Watson Sutliff gave the name to Sutliff's Hill. The first Middaughs were not only farmers but contractors. One of the settlers on Sutliff Hill about 1846 was Samuel H. Sawyer, who later made a home in the village, where several of his family still reside. There were a number of Sawyer families who came to this region from Goshen, Orange County, N. Y., and settled in Athens and Waverly, all of the same stock ; Moses, Samuel, John L. and Moses, 2nd. Samuel Sawyer, a frugal and industrious man, was blind for many years before his death. He was always very devout, and is best remembered as associated with Chester Park, going about the village, exhorting and praying in the homes as well as in religious meetings, in a laudable en- deavor to make religion one of the common things of life, essential to every one's happiness and well-being. Two sons, William and James, and one daughter, Angeline, are still borough residents, the daughter occupying the home built by her father in the fifties.

Let us call next at Ira Elsbree's. Joseph and Ira Elsbree, natives of Albany County, N. Y., settled in Windham Township in 1819. Nothing is known of their ancestry, though there are traditions which indicate Scotch or Scotch-Irish origin. Joseph married Mary Mackey,

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OLD TIOGA POINT AND EARLY ATHENS

Ira married Sally Dunham. About 1848 they purchased together a large lumber tract in Athens Township. Both were practical lumber- men as well as farmers, amassing considerable wealth. Ira moved onto the tract at Pine Grove, and he and his descendants have been residents ever since. His only son, J. Lehman, is a borough resident to-day, well known as a practical farmer, lumberman, stock dealer and general bus- iness man, who has acceptably filled town and county offices. The son of Joseph was given his father's interest and followed his uncle ; Alex- ander C. Elsbree was born October 3, 1821 ; his wife was Nancy Rogers of Windham. After some years of active work as a lumberman he set- tled in the borough, of which his daughter is to-day a resident. Alex- ander was a public-spirited man, assisting many enterprises of the town with his ample means. He had three brothers; Manson, who spent most of his life in the township and left numerous descendants ; Nathan C., a resident of Towanda and well known lawyer, admitted to the bar in 1848, and Platt, who was for some years in the West, but spent the latter part of his life in Athens. There were also two or three sisters well known here. Ira Elsbree had three daughters, said to be "three of the handsomest girls of their time": Almira, who married Abraham Snell, and survives him; Nancy, who married Reuben Mor- ley, and survives him, and Amanda, who married Moses Wright, a non-resident.

If we should go farther west to Smithfield, Burlington, Spring- field and Ridgeberry, we might fill many pages. The settlement of the last has already been noted. The others were originally all Connecti- cut townships. Smithfield was set off from Ulster and named for its grantee, who never took possession. Burlington has already been men- tioned, and Springfield was originally Murraysfield, granted to Noah Murray in 1795. Eventually these three townships were peopled by New Englanders, attracted by the tales of the agents of Susquehanna Company and of Pennsylvania landholders, who represented the region as a veritable Eldorado. Much deceit was practised by these agents.4

Having returned to town and rested, we will cross the Susque- hanna and gather up a few more bits of pioneer history. Thomas Park, a very early, if not the earliest, settler has already been noted ; many of his descendants are to be found east of the river, too numer- ous for special mention. The next permanent settler in Litchfield Township after Thomas Park was Eleazar Merrill, who came from Connecticut in 1803, and with his numerous family have had much to do with clearing and subduing the unbroken wilderness which they found on arrival. The Merrill family still has a large contingency in this region, holding annual reunions. Thomas Munn was another early pioneer of Litchfield whose twelve children have spread over the

4 Though we regretfully omit the Mitchells, Birds, Tracys, Geroulds, Phelps, Hark- nesses and many others, we cannot forbear to mention one settler on Carroll's lands back of Ulster, whose ancestors were renowned at Wyoming, their story being interwoven with all the history of the time. Miles Forman Ransom was the son of Ira Ransom, fourth in descent from Capt. Samuel Ransom, a famous hero of Wyoming, who was doubtless the original emi- grant from the vicinity of Ipswich, England. "Firm" Ransom, as he was generally known, had a fund of historical knowledge second to none in the country. Much of it has been trans- mitted by his daughters to the writer, who, however, stands in awe of their criticism. There is an excellent printed genealogy of the Ransom family.

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NEIGHBORS OVER THE SUSQUEHANNA

Union, as active as the first sturdy pioneer. Another family of pioneers was that of Silas Wolcott, who settled in Litchfield Township about 1806. He was a Connecticut man, and served during the Revolutionary War, being one of Washington's body guard while at Valley Forge. He was a settler on the West Branch before coming to this locality, a miller by trade, and a great hunter; it is said he was induced to settle in Pennsylvania because of the abundance of game. He mar- ried Margaret Rowen, near Lancaster; they had nine children, four of whom settled in the township, as did many descendants. These pioneers, the Parks, Merrills, Munns and Wolcotts married and inter- married, and may be said to have peopled Litchfield, and many of them were excellent examples of industry, perseverance and frugality, true pioneers. Theron B. Wolcott, the merchant, Mrs. Fred Gohl and Mrs. H. F. Johnson, descendants of Silas Wolcott, are now residents of the borough.

We should not have neglected to introduce the Mckinneys in our borough history. Henry Mckinney, Sr., was born in Ireland about 1169. There is an entertaining story of the non-conformity of the McKinney boys to church laws, which necessitated abrupt flight from the country. Having no opportunity to acquire necessary means, Henry and his father came to America in 1790 as redemptioners. Henry, after working out his passage in Maryland, where he had acquired a wife, journeyed up the Susquehanna River to Tioga Point. According to certified records he first settled in the village on the lot now occupied by Wm. H. Minor. He was a skillful weaver and pursued his trade, as may be attested by many quaint products of his loom still in existence. After various changes, he settled permanently east of the river, where members of the family are still living, and others are scattered. This family, by their active industry, have done much to develop and im- prove the township and to win the esteem of their fellow citizens, Ches- ter being now the oldest male survivor. Henry, Sr., was drowned in 1806.

At this period the Flower family were quite prominent in the town- ship, also the Ovenshires and the family of Moses Park, though lack of space forbids detail ; later many of them moved west. The Had- locks and the Huletts were also early settlers on the farms east of the river, and their descendants still are there. As we travel down the river road we find the home of Robert Spalding and Aurelia Satterlee. Robert was a son of William Witter Spalding, who married his cousin, Rebecca, a daughter of Simon of Sheshequin. This family removed to Wysox about 1840, and many descendants are in Towanda. One son, A. Hanson Spalding, born 27th August, 1816, remained in this vi- cinity to maturity, married Clara, daughter of Samuel Ovenshire, and had three children, one of whom, Mahlon M., is now an active business man of Towanda. Except during his term of office as county sheriff, Hanson Spalding spent his whole life in Athens, and was always an active and honored citizen. Their farm east of town (now the prop- erty of Miles Harrington and of Mrs. Michael Coleman5) was pur-

5 Michael Coleman, a native of Ireland, settled in Orange County, N. Y., when a young man. Having already made a tour of inspection to this vicinity he removed here in 1858, pur-

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OLD TIOGA POINT AND EARLY ATHENS

chased by James Thompson, familiarly called "Scotch Thompson." He was a sturdy Scot, born in Glasgow 13th February, 1792, emigrated to America 1835, and became a contractor on public works in New York City. He amassed considerable means by a contract for construction of Croton water works, much of which he invested, about 1848, in lands in this vicinity ; also in bringing to completion the long-delayed enterprise of the Susquehanna Bridge. His wife was Isabella Watson, and they had three daughters, who married and settled in this locality ; and one son, John, who inherited his father's homestead, which he occupied and beautified until he went west in 1883. Mr Thompson was an active and excellent citizen, as generous as he was wealthy. He gave the benefit of his experiences to C. F. Welles when the latter began to contract for building of public works; and was a valued friend and trusty adviser. Some of the descendants of his daughter Elizabeth, who married another Scotchman, Robert Patterson, are now borough residents. The old Nehemiah Northrup farm (now Baldwin property) was the home during this period of Doctor Patterson, a skillful physi- cian, who built the present commodious house, a little later occupied by the family of J. T. D. Myer, from New Jersey, who were only tem- porary residents, but well remembered for the genial hospitality ex- tended to all the young people of Athens.

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A history of old Tioga Point and early Athens, Pennsylvania, Part 78

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