USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > Annals of Luzerne County; a record of interesting events, traditions, and anecdotes > Part 12
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By the Act of the 21st of March, 1772, the county of Northumberland was formed, comprehending within its limits the disputed territory of Wyoming. Sunbury being the county seat, and communication between it and Wyo- ming being along the river, and much more convenient than Easton, it was supposed by the provincial authorities of Pennsylvania, that their laws would be more readily extended over and promptly enforced against the Con- necticut intruders. It was found, however, that the Yankees were as turbulent and ungovernable in Northi-
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umberland as they had been in Northampton county. It was now thought advisable to cut off the northern portion of Northumberland, and to erect it into a new county. Accordingly, by the Act of the 25th of September, 1786, Luzerne county was established, and so named in honor of the Chevalier De la Luzerne, formerly minister of France to the United States.
De la Luzerne was born at Paris in 1741; and adopt- ing the military profession, served in the Seven Years' War, and rose to the rank of colonel. Afterwards aban- doning arms, he turned his attention to diplomacy. In 1778, in the midst of our Revolutionary struggle, he was appointed minister to the United States. He remained here five years, and completely won the hearts of the people of this country by his prudence and wisdom, and by the concern he manifested for their interests. In 1780, when our army was most destitute, and government with- out means, he raised money on his own responsibility to relieve the general distress. He afterwards became am- bassador for France to the Court of London ; and in 1789, when the Federal Government was organized, Jefferson, secretary of state, by order of President Washington, addressed a letter to the Chevalier De la Luzerne, making express acknowledgment of his services, and the sense of them entertained by the nation.
No one can fail to see the propriety of selecting the name of this distinguished and generous foreigner for that of the new county. The honor conferred was an appro- priate expression of the respect and gratitude of the people or their representatives, for the services of a generous friend, who, in the darkest hour of the Republic's peril, had furnished them the means to maintain a successful struggle against tyranny.
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To perfect the boundary lines of Luzerne, in 1804 a portion of the north-western corner was annexed to Lycoming county ; and in 1808 there was added to it a part of Northumberland, lying west and south-west of the Nescopeck Creek.
In 1810, a portion of Bradford-then called Ontario- and Susquehanna counties, were set off from Luzerne. Had the southern boundary of Susquehanna county been run as intended by the Act of the Legislature, separating it from Luzerne, the pleasant town of Dundaff would still be included within the limits of the latter. A dotted line on the accompanying map shows the true boundary, which probably will never be established.
Wyoming county was formed out of the north-western part of Luzerne, in the year 1842, and in 1856 a small portion of Foster township was annexed to Carbon county, reducing Luzerne to its present boundaries. The original territory of Luzerne embraced five thousand square miles, exceeding in extent the state of Connecticut. With its present area of one thousand four hundred and twenty- seven square miles, it is still the largest county in the Commonwealth; containing five hundred square miles more than Lancaster or Berks, and sixty-seven more than the state of Rhode Island. "Like the farm of the old Roman, which, as each successive son took from it his portion, was more productive the smaller it grew ;" so Luzerne now has more aggregate wealth than when her territory exceeded thrice its present size. Within the last twenty years Luzerne has made astonishing advancement in population, wealth, and enterprise, as- cribable to the opening of her coal-mines; but as these will be treated of under the appropriate head, we pass now to a brief description of its
THE NEW YORK PUBLICLIBRARY
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N PATATONE
VIEW OF WYOMING VALLEY AND WILKESBARRE FROM THE WEST END OF " ROSS HILL."
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VALLEYS.
WYOMING VALLEY-from MAUGHWAUWAME, the Indian name, signifying large plains-is situated in the centre of the county, and is one of the most celebrated valleys in the world. Its history has been written by at least four historians ; and its scenery, battles, and thrilling incidents, have furnished rich materials for the pens and pencils of numerous poets, novelists, and artists. It has been visited by Louis Philippe, afterwards king of the French ; by nobles and bards; by governors, bishops, senators, and travelers from various parts of the civilized world, who have joined with Campbell in saying, Wyo- ming is " the loveliest land of all, that see the Atlantic wave their morn restore." It is twenty-one miles in length from north-east to south-west, with an average breadth of three miles. It contains forty thousand acres of land ; of which twenty-five thousand are cultivated, the remainder being occupied by groves, streams, &c. The Susquehanna river gracefully winds through the centre of the valley, occasionally inundating and enrich- ing the low alluvial soil, which yields abundant harvests to the labors of the husbandman. The high lands extend- ing from the plains to the base of the surrounding moun- tains, with the aid of manure, produce abundantly, and constitute about one-half of the whole surface of the valley.
The mountains encompassing this valley vary in height from five hundred to nineteen hundred feet, and are cov- ered with mighty oaks and hemlocks, which have with- stood the blasts of ages. From Prospect Rock, Campbell's or Dial Ledge, from Ross or Dilley's Hill, or from any other prominent point of observation, this valley, in whole
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or in part, presents to the eye a complete picture. n truth, it is the union of many superb pictures in one grand perfection, and herein consists its superiority over all other landscapes.
LACKAWANNA VALLEY derives its name from the Lacka- wanna river, which courses through its whole length, and signifies forks, or union of waters. It is a delightful val- ley, with an undulating surface, extending in length thirty miles from north-east to south-west, and contains about eighteen thousand acres of land, a considerable portion of which is cultivated. From the summit of the Moosic Mountains, this populous valley stretches far away be- fore the eye of the beholder, presenting a scene of rare beauty. Groves, green fields, and sparkling streams inspire admiration, as he looks down upon what has been justly called, by her own historian, " the Sister of Wyo- ming." Not robed by Dame Nature, it is true, in the same charming attractions as Wyoming, but belonging to the same family, settled by the same people, who hand- in-hand braved danger and died together defending their altars and firesides. May their children be for ever bound together in the fraternity of peace !
HUNTINGTON VALLEY derives its name from Huntington township, and lies in the north-western part of the county. It comprehend ; portions of Fairmount and Ross town- ships, and nearly the whole of Huntington township. This valley is ten miles in length from north to south, and five miles wide from cast to west, and contains more than thirty thousand acres of red-shale land, three-fourths of which are cultivated. The Huntington creek flows through its whole extent, affording excellent water-power for mills, and forming an essential feature in the grand and picturesque views obtained from the surrounding mountains. Two magnificent views of this fine valley
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may be obtained, one from the summit of the Huntington Mountain on the south, at the point where the Susque- hanna and Tioga turnpike road crosses it, and one from the summit of the Great North Mountain, near Keyser's. The former is fifteen hundred, and the latter twenty hun- dred feet above the level of the Susquehanna river, and the prospects presented from these elevated points are among the grandest within the limits of the state.
SUGARLOAF VALLEY is situated in the south-western extremity of the county, and includes parts of Sugarloaf, Butler, and Black Creek townships. It derives its name from an isolated cone-shaped mountain, five hundred feet high, towering near the centre of the valley. It is ten miles in length, from north-east to south-west, by about three in breadth, and contains twenty thousand acres of red-shale land. The Nescopeck and Black Creeks mean- der through the valley, uniting their waters in the south- west, where they break through the Nescopeck Mountain, and flow onward to the river. Its surface is undulating. and well cultivated by an industrious people. Like the other valleys which have been described, Sugarloaf is surrounded by mountains. The Nescopeck on the north- west, and Buck Mountain on the south-east, lift their craggy heads to the clouds. From their summits the traveler, passing from Wilkesbarre or Berwick towards Hazelton, may gaze on one of the most beautiful of vales spread out beneath his feet.
There are some valleys without names, as well as many fine open districts of country in Luzerne, not properly denominated valleys, which will be remarked upon under the head of townships.
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MOUNTAINS.
" He who first met the Highlands' swelling blue, Will love each peak that shows a kindred hne, Hail in each crag a friend's familiar face, And clasp the mountain in his mind's embrace."
The Alleghany or Appalachian Mountains extend from Georgia to the British possessions on the north-east of the United States, terminating in the bold headlands of Cape Gaspe. Their general direction is from north-east to south-west, and the principal chains are the Blue Ridge, North Mountain, Cumberland, Jackson, and Laurel Moun- tains, which divide the waters flowing into the Atlantic from those that flow into the Mississippi and into the Gulf of Mexico. The height of these ranges varies from eight hundred to twenty-five hundred feet, though there are peaks towering far above these. The Black Moun- tain, in North Carolina, is 6476 feet above the level of the sea, and is the most elevated point in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains.
The White Mountains, in New Hampshire, are clad in ice and snow ten months in the year, and range in height above the sea as follows : Mount Washington, 6234 feet; Mount Adams, 5328 feet; Mount Jefferson, 5058 feet ; Mount Monroe, 4932 feet; Mount Madison, 4866 feet ; Mount Franklin, 4711 feet.
The highest peak of the Otter Mountains, in Virginia, is 5307 feet ; and the highest peak of the Catskill, in New York, is 3804 feet above the level of the sea.
The mountains of Luzerne are component parts of the Alleghanies, having the same general direction, but in- stead of being covered with eternal ice and snow, hurling the sunbeams back to the vaulted sky, they are clad in green to their summits during the greater part of the
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year. The timber found upon them is chiefly oak, pine, and hemlock, interspersed with ash, maple, beach, and chestnut, which, mingling their foliage, give to the mountain side a variety of beautiful and delicate colors.
THE NORTH MOUNTAIN is the highest in the county, being 2000 feet above the Susquehanna river at Wilkes- barre, and 2636 feet above the level of the ocean. It extends through the north-western corner of the county, crossing the townships of Lake, Ross, and Fairmount. It divides the waters which empty into the North from these emptying into the West Branch of the Susque- hanna, and is said to be the only mountain in the county now inhabited by the panther.
HUNTINGTON MOUNTAIN extends through Salem and Huntington townships, and is eight hundred feet above the level of the Susquehanna.
SHICKSHINNY MOUNTAIN, in Salem and Union town- ships, is eight hundred and sixty feet in height above the river, which winds along its base from the Nanticoke dam to the Shickshinny Creek.
PLYMOUTH AND KINGSTON MOUNTAINS range through the townships of Plymouth, Kingston, and Exeter, form- ing the north-western boundary of Wyoming Valley, and varying in height from five hundred to eight hundred and fifty feet above the river.
CAPOUSE MOUNTAIN, so named from Capouse, the chief of the Muncy Indians, takes its rise in Ransom township, above the mouth of the Lackawanna river, and extends to Fell township, in the north-east corner of the county. It forms the north-western boundary of Lackawanna Valley, and is eight hundred and fifty feet in height above the level of the Lackawanna river.
BALD MOUNTAIN, on this range, in Newton township, is seventeen hundred and fifty feet in height above the river, and affords an extensive and grand view of the
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surrounding country. Its position gives the observer a complete prospect of Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys. The bridge at Wilkesbarre, twenty-two miles distant, is plainly discernible.
DIAL or CAMPBELL'S ROCK, at the south-western point of Capouse Mountain, in Ransom township, is about seven hundred feet above the river, and is frequently visited by travelers and others, on account of the exceedingly beauti- ful and picturesque view of Wyoming presented to the eye from its summit. This rock, lying directly north and south, was the noon-mark of the first inhabitants of Wyo- ming, and hence it was called Dial Rock, which is its pro- per name. Some say a man named Campbell was killed here by the Indians. This statement has, probably, no more foundation than that of a young lady from Philadelphia, who, in writing to her friends, told them she had stood on the rock where Thomas Campbell wrote his Gertrude of Wyoming ! It is well known that Camp- bell never saw Wyoming, or even the shores of America.
Having given a brief description of the mountains north and north-west of the Susquehanna and Lacka- wanna, I proceed to a similar account of those south and south-east of these rivers.
LEE'S MOUNTAIN, named from Colonel Washington Lee, extends along the Susquehanna in a south-east direction, through Newport and Hollenback townships, and is eight hundred feet in height above the river. Pulpit Rock, on this mountain, in Hollenback township, is nine hundred feet in height, and is often visited by parties of pleasure. From this point a fine view is obtained of the open coun- try, extending from Beach Grove, in Salem township, to Bloomsburg, in Columbia county, a distance of eighteen or twenty miles. This peak was named Kansal Kopf by the early German settlers in Hollenback township, which
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term signifies pulpit rock. Honey Pot is the north-eastern terminus of Lee's Mountain at Nanticoke, and is eight hundred and sixty-five feet in height. This name was given to it by Major Prince Alden, in 1772, who owned the property, and, on his first entrance, discovered upon it vast quantities of wild bees. From the summit of the Honey Pot, though seldom visited, Wyoming Valley pre- sents more real beauty than from any other point, and the most charming picture of the valley ever obtained was from this position, by Mr. Perkins, some years ago.
THE WYOMING or WILKESBARRE range of mountains extends through Newport, Hanover, Wright, Wilkesbarre, Bear Creek, and Pittston townships, and constitutes the south-eastern boundary of Wyoming Valley. These
mountains vary in height. The Five Mile Mountain is one thousand five hundred and fifty-two feet in height above the Susquehanna; the summit level of the Susque- hanna and Lehigh Railroad is one thousand one hundred and seventy-two feet, and the Wilkesbarre Mountain, near Wilkesbarre, is one thousand and fifty feet in height. Prospect Rock, two miles from Wilkesbarre, is seven hun- dred and fifty feet above the river, and is the most cele- brated point of observation, because the most convenient. Near this spot is the Prospect House, a large and excellent hotel, kept by Mr. Stiles Williams. The location is very fine, and it is a favorite place of resort in the summer, where the very best entertainment is provided for visitors. Penobscot Knob, on this range, is one thousand six hundred and thirty-nine feet above the river, and is five miles distant from Wilkesbarre. Bald Mountain, in the same range, in Bear Creek township, is one thousand eight hundred and twenty-five feet above the level of the river, and is nine miles from Wilkesbarre. From the summit of this peak the mountains of Centre county, and the waters of the
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West Branch of the Susquehanna, the North Mountain, the Blue Ridge, and the vast expanse of country, with its rivers, lakes, and valleys, embracing innumerable farms, towns, and villages, stretch out before, and lie within, the vision of the beholder.
MOOSIC MOUNTAIN, formerly inhabited by the moose, extends through Lackawanna, Blakeley, Providence, and Carbondale townships, and bounds the Lackawanna Val- ley on the south-east. The average height of this range is nine hundred and fifty feet, and, from its summit, about five miles east of Carbondale, a fine view is presented of Salem, Mount Pleasant, and Canaan townships, in Wayne county, together with the mountains of the Delaware, about the mouth of the Lackawaxen and Narrowsburg.
NESCOPECK MOUNTAIN extends from Black Creek town- ship, on the south-western, to Jefferson township, on the eastern boundary of the county. It is very regular in its formation, approximating the regularity of the Great Blue Ridge. Its average height is one thousand feet, and it divides the waters that flow into the Lehigh from those flowing into the Susquehanna.
BUCK MOUNTAIN, in the southern part of the county, extends through Black Creek, Butler, Denison, Sugarloaf, and Foster townships, and is also a dividing line between the waters of the Lehigh and Susquehanna. It is one thousand feet in height.
CRYSTAL RIDGE, in Hazel township, is an elevated mountain celebrated for its quartz, occurring in pellucid glassy forms, which is found in great abundance.
Our object in enumerating these mountains has been to impart correct information with respect to their location and height. The altitude of each, with one or two exceptions, is from actual measurements and surveys made by com- petent engineers. No stranger who visits the valleys of
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Wyoming and Lackawanna should fail to ascend Penos scot, or Bald Mountain, the Honey Pot, and Prospect, or Dial Rock. From their summits his eye will rest on scenery which no pen can adequately describe, or artist's pencil paint. Here stood the Indian before the primeval forest disappeared, and looked out upon his wilderness home, admiring nature, and worshiping nature's God. The savage is gone, and in his stead is the white man. who has grafted on the sublimity of nature the beauty of art. We cast our eye over these enchanting views and almost forget the violent struggle, the bloodshed, the con- flagration, and the desolated harvests which followed the departure of the aborigines from their homes and the graves of their fathers.
RIVERS AND CREEKS.
" See the rivers how they run, Through woods and meads, in shade and sun, Sometimes swift, sometimes slow, Wave suceeding wave, they go A various journey to the deep, Like human life to endless sleep."
SUSQUEHANNA is an Indian name, signifying broad, shallow river. It is the largest stream in Pennsylvania, being four hundred and fifty miles in length. It is chiefly formed by the North and West Branches, which unite at Northumberland. The former rises in Otsego Lake and the highlands of Otsego county, in the state of New York. It receives the Chenango at Binghamton, and the Chemung below Athens, and enters Luzerne from Wyoming county on the north, between Exeter and Newton townships. Its length in Luzerne county is forty-five miles, and its average breadth eight hundred feet. Its current is ordinarily two and a half miles an
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Your, but in high water a raft will run five miles an hour, Its fall is two feet per mile, and its course is south and south-west. Perhaps no other river in America rolls onward to the ocean, through forty-five miles of continu- ous country, so grand and picturesque in its general features. Lofty mountains, craggy clifts, green fields, and groves, thriving villages and crystal-bound islands, alternate along the winding stream. Many writers, known to fame, who have voyaged this distance, have recorded in poetry or in prose their high admiration of its beauties.
One day, towards the close of the last century, just as the sun was rising above the hill-tops, three plainly- dressed men stepped into an Indian canoe at Frenchtown. They were foreigners who, after wandering in exile through Lapland, Russia, Sweden, and other countries of Europe, at length found safety in the great republic of the New World. They were princes, born in sunny France. Having heard of the beauties of the Susque- hanna and Wyoming scenery, they had resolved to visit what they afterward declared was one of the fairest spots on earth. They landed at Wilkesbarre in June, 1797, and found comfortable lodgings at Arndt's tavern on River street, lately remodeled, and now occupied by E. P. Darling, Esq. One of these was the Duke of Orleans, another the Duke of Montpensier, and the third Count Beaujoleis, exiles, compelled to leave their native coun- try, then struggling in the throes of her great Revolution.
LACKAWANNA or LEHAWHANNA river rises in Susquehan- na county, and, flowing south-west about fifty miles, unites with the Susquehanna river immediately above Pittston It is a rapid stream, having an average fall of eight feet to the mile, and, until within a few years, was used for rafting in times of high water. It is about one hundred
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feet wide at its mouth, and is used as a feeder to the North Branch Canal, the dam being two miles above its confluence. Near Scranton a gaseous vapor rises from the bed of the stream, which ignites and burns freely. It is a curiosity worthy the attention of the traveler.
LEHIGH, in early times, was known as the north branch of the Delaware river. It rises in Luzerne and Wayne counties, flows south-west one hundred miles, and unites with the Delaware at Easton, where it is three hundred feet wide. It forms the boundary line between Luzerne and Monroe counties, and is a turbulent stream, having an average fall of seventeen feet to the mile. The head waters of the Lehigh are 1882 feet above tide. Large quantities of lumber passed down on its swollen tide at an early day, but boats, at present, are chiefly used in con- veying it to market, the river being slackwater from White Haven .* From Mauch Chunk, or a few miles below, the Lehigh runs through a pleasant well cultivated country, but above that point the scenery along its banks is wild and mountainous, and its waters plunge and dash against the rocks, stunning the ear with their sound.
The principal creeks flowing into the Susquehanna, on the north-west, are as follows :
SHICKSHINNY CREEK+ rises in Ross township, courses south-east through Union, and is eight miles in length ;
HUNLOCK CREEK, so called from Jonathan Hunlock, who settled near its mouth about the year 1773, rises in Ross township, runs south-east through Union, and is ten miles in length ;
HARVEY'S CREEK, named from Benjamin Harvey, who located near its junction in 1775, is the outlet of Harvey's Lake. It flows south-east through Lake, Lehman, Jack-
* Lehigh Navigation was destroyed in 1862. See Appendix Y.
+ Meaning, quick dashing water.
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son, and Plymouth townships, and is twelve miles in length ;
TOBY'S CREEK derives its name from Tobyhanna, an In- dian name, signifying alder stream, from the abundance of alders growing on its banks. It rises in Dallas town- ship, and flows south-east through Lehman, Jackson, and Kingston townships. Its length is ten miles ;
ABRAM'S CREEK, so called from Abram, chief of the Mo- hicans, whose village was located near Forty Fort, rises in Dallas township, and flows through Kingston. It is eight miles in length ;
HUNTINGTON CREEK rises in the Long Pond in Sullivan county, and in Fairmount and Ross townships. It runs south sixteen miles, and empties into Fishing Creek in Columbia county. Prior to the erection of Huntington township it was known as the east branch of Fishing Creek.
The largest streams emptying into the Susquehanna, on the south-east, are-
NESCOPECK CREEK, from the Indian, which signifies deep, black water, rises in Denison township, runs south-west through Wright, Butler, Sugarloaf, Black Creek, and Nescopeck, and is twenty-eight miles in length ;
BIG WAPWALLOPEN, signifying the place where the mes- sengers were murdered, rises in Wright, flows nearly west through Dorrance and Hollenback townships, and is twenty miles in length ;
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