USA > Pennsylvania > Bradford County > Annual of the Bradford County Historical Society, 1906 > Part 24
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So Goshen it was necessary to sell two of the horses. when the journey up the valley was again taken, all the provisions had to be carried on one horse, but aid was given along the way, and all went well until Bear Creek was reached at noon of a very rainy day. The creek was high ; the only way to cross it was to fell a tree tall enough to reach the other side. Several were felled be- fore one could be successfully landed. Jabez Elliott nearly drowned in attempting to swim the one horse across. The bundle of extra clothing was lost in the water, and all were drenched and cold.
Jabez Elliott hurried on to Wilkes-Barre for food and fire. Daniel, in telling of it in later years, said : "The children cried and could not be comforted. We nearly perished on that dark and awful night. I shall always remember it as the time of my greatest suffering," but
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The Browns
Elliott came early in the morning, and after a good breakfast they started for Wilkes-Barre, which they reached that night.
The year after Sullivan's Campaign, the Browns came to Wyalusing, where Thomas cleared land on the west side of the river at Sugar Run, Wilmot township. A year or two later he sold to Jonas Ingham and purchased a large tract on the opposite side of the river, extending from Browntown Mountain to Stalfords' and extending back from the river about a mile. He died June 25, 1791, and is buried in the Wyalusing cemetery, being one of the earliest marked graves in that place. On August 6, Livingston Manor Chapter, D. A. R., through its regent and members in Wyalusing, marked the grave with the D. A. R. marker, the great-great-great-grand- son of Thomas placing a B. R. flag in the standard.
His land was divided among his children, who were Ezekiel, who married Polly Hancock ; Humphrey, who married Oliver Dodge's daughter, Hannah ; Allen mar- ried Polly Clear ; Charles married Fanny Gilbert ; Jabez Lydia Kingsley, whose mother had laughingly promised her to the lad, Jabez, in payment for rocking the cra- dle ; Benjamin married William Huyck's daughter, Polly ; Patience married Joseph Elliott ; Hannah became the wife of Thomas Hennington of Owego ; Sibyl married Josiah Marshal, and -.
In 1793, Daniel took for his first wife Polly Wigton, whose mother, Elizabeth Gaylord, was a descendant of a fine French family, the first member of which came to America in 1623 and settled in Connecticut. Thomas Wigton, her father, was an Irish surveyor and land owner, having held at one time the Connecticut grant for all the land in this (Wyalusing) township.
The Browns
Daniel and Polly had fifteen children, two dying in infancy. The others were : George, who went West and was never heard from; Jesse, who married first Maria Fish, and for his second wife Sophia Wells; Ira and Daniel W. married sisters-Nancy and Katherine King of New York state; Cynthia became the wife of Lung, and on his death married Simon Boles ; Sybil married Jared Goodnough ; Charles married Tanna Betts ; Eliza bacame the wife of James Butler ; William Hamilton married Juliet Johnston ; Nelson married Clarissa Snook ; Thomas Elcot married Lois Lake.
Daniel Warren and Catherine had nine children, seven of whom grew to maturity. The eldest, Mahlon Mercur, born December 28, 1839, married Martha, daughter of Daniel Sharp of Ithaca. They had two sons : Arthur Grant, who married Ruth, eldest daughter of John Ad- ams of Mansfield, Pa. ; they have one son, Willard, and lives in Pittsburg. Ward Beacher married Emily Hodg- son of Horseheads, N. Y., and has one son, Carlisle ; he also lives in Pittsburg, the two brothers being connected with a large drug house of that city. Mahlon was a phy- sician practicing in various cities of New York state ; he died in Ithaca, May 21, 1899, his widow dying in the fall of 1902.
John Watson, a practicing physician of Ithaca, N. Y., married Lulu Ripley of Wisconsin in 1873, and has no children. He was a soldier in the War of the Rebel- lion. Theodore Frelingheuysen married Matilda States, and had two children : Ernest Leme, who is with a wholesale dry goods house of Rochester ; he is unmar- ried. Theo Grace, married December 19, 1906, John Dunn of Scranton, where she now lives ; she has two
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The Browns
boys-Theodore, born September 21, 1907, and Henry Earnest, born March 9, 1910. Theodore was also a sol- soldier in the War of the Rebellion, and died Decem- ber 20, 1905, of disease of the heart, as a result of expos- ure in the army. His widow lives at Scranton, having a farm at Browntown.
The next son was Charles W., now practicing medicine in Washington, D. C., with a summer bungalow at Su- gar Run. He studied medicine with Dr. Charles V. Ell- iott of Mansfield, whose only daughter, Mary Eleanor, he married January 1, 1866. They had two daughters- Catherin Elliott, who is the wife of Dr. Gains Marcus Brumbaugh of Washington, and has two sons, Charles Andrew, born May 13, 1897, and Elliott Frank, born January 24, 1903, a little one, Marcus Morton. having gone beyond when an infant in 1900. Mabel Frances, the younger daughter, was an unusually fine musician, having taken piano lessons from one of Washington's greatest teachers. She passed away at the age of 21 years, May 1, 1898.
The only daughter of Daniel Warren and Catherine Brown, was Ella Viola, who married George V. Myer of Towanda, a captain in the Pennsylvania Volunteers. IIe was in Libby Prison, from which he escaped, being re-captured and later exchanged. He died in 1897, and his widow was married a second time, in 1910, to Dwight H. Bissell and resides at Old Forge, Pa. George V. and Ella Brown Myer had three sons : Harry Wessels, a civil engineer, living in Pittsburg, is unmarried ; Wil- liam Warren, practicing medicine in Old Forge, is also unmarried ; Cecil Blight, the youngest son, lives in Scranton.
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The Browns
The next son, Fremont, married his sister-in-law's cousin, Ada M., the only daughter of the Hon. Simon B. Elliott, now a member of the Pennsylvania State Fores- try Commission. Fremont is a civil engineer and mine owner of Reynoldsville. He has two daughters and one son : Raymond Elliott, who married October 19, 1907, Nell L. Robinson, and by her has two daughters-Mar- jorie Robinson, born August 31, 1908. and Marion Eliz- abeth, born December 28, 1909. He graduated from Cornell in 1903, and from University of Pennsylvania Law Department in 1905. Being admitted to the Penn- sylvania Bar, he took up the practice of law in Brook- ville, where he was elected in 1910 magistrate of the borough for a term of six years. Fremont's eldest daughter, Inez Elliott, married, 1906, Thomas Adam, a shoe merchant of Reynoldsville. The youngest daugh- ter, Christine Harriet, married April 12, 1908, Samuel Curtain Bond, a bank president and lumberman of Du- Bois, Pa. ; she has one son, Samuel Curtain, Jr., born June, 1910.
Dorse Warren, the youngest son of Daniel and Cathe- rine Brown, was married in 1883 to Lulu Wentz, and lives at the old homestead in Browntown, where he prac- tices medicine, having graduated from the Buffalo Medi- cal College in 1882. He has three sons : Judson War- ren, who married in December, 1909, Lillian Lewis of Columbus, Ohio; he lives at Charleston, W. Va., where he is connected with the Adams Express Co .; Warren D. also lives in Charleston, where he is auditor for the - - Railroad ; Kenneth, born July 28, 1902, lives with his parents.
Since our last meeting, there have been three addi-
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The Browns
tions to our own branch. One by the marriage of Lil- lian Lewis and Judson Brown, and two births, the sons of Theo Brown Dunn and Christine Brown Bond. I have given in detail the descendants of but one of Daniel Brown's sons, as to follow out each of the fifteen chil- dren, would be more than any audience, be it ever so interesting, could endure.
Early History of Burlington and Reminiscences.
Paper by Hon. George Moscrip Before Bradford County Historical Society, Oct. 22, 1910.
URLINGTON is one of the original town- ships of Bradford county, having been formed prior to the organization of the county in 1802. It consisted of all what are now Burlington borough, West Burlington and Troy townships, also parts of Franklin, Granville and Monroe townships. The process of dismembering began when Troy township was formed from it in 1815, then part of Franklin in 1819, part of Monroe in 1821. In 1831 Granville was formed and took more of it, then Burling- ton borough, in 1854, and finally West Burlington entire in 1855.
In a list of names of Burlington's very early settlers would be found residents of Sugar Creek valley all the way to Columbia, because of the township's then large territory.
Prior to 1790, an Indian known as Tom Zack, or Jack, was the only settler, but in May of that year there came to his cabin, which stood south of Sugar Creek, a little west of where the Tom Jack flows into it, two men, Isaac and Abraham De Witt, and a boy or youth named
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Early History of Burlington
James McKean. 3 These three came on an exploring ex- pedition from Chemung county, N. Y. They floated down the Chemung and Susquehanna to the mouth of Sugar Creek, and made their way through the unbroken wilderness to the Indian cabin above mentioned. This cabin was made their headquarters. During their stay and before returning to Chemung county they selected future homes. The De Witts selected what was later known as the O. P. Ballard and Thomas Blackwell farms, and the youth selected what is now the County or Poor House farm. From the day James McKean selected it for his home in 1790 to the time Bradford county bought it, about 1880, it was known as the Mckean farm. These early pioneers raised a crop of corn, built a hut that same year, and this was the beginning of civili- zation in the Sugar Creek wilderness.
During the winter of 1790-91, the pioneers of Ulster and Sheshequin-Simons, Clark, Gore, Kinney, and oth- ers from the Chemung cut a road over the hill to the projected new settlement. This was the first road into Burlington.
In the spring of 1791, five families, including the three pioneers of the summer previous, left Johnny Cake Hollow on the Chemung for the new settlement. The women and children were placed on horses, and with proper escort came by land, while the men with their goods and provisions floated down on a log raft and were in some way delayed. The women arrived nearly a week before them, and were sadly in need of provisions, bedding, etc., until the men finally came.
During the summer of 1791, many additions to the little colony came, and though these early settlers suff-
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Early History of Burlington
cred many times for the necessaries of life, no famine is recorded. Milltown, near Waverly, was the nearest place they could get corn and wheat ground. A mortar was improvised by rounding out a hole in a stump, and a spring pole with pestle attached hammered the corn fine enough for cooking. Game was plenty, also fish.
The early settlers after those already mentioned, were William Dobbins, James Ward, James Campbell. Der- rick Miller, Dunbar, Swain, Nichols, Soper, Braffit, Ezra and Luther Goddard, Stephen, Joseph, John and Na- thaniel Ballard, John Clark, Moses Calkins, Jeremiah Taylor, Benjamin Saxton, Jesse Marvin, Jehiel Ferris, John Gammage, David Campbell, Eliphalet Gustin, Samuel Mckean, Ebenezer Kendall, Reuben Wilbur, Jesse and Timothy Beach and others. The Lanes were also very early settlers, having first settled in Ulster, and moved from there to Burlington.
It is impossible on an occasion like this to go into a com- plete history of these early pioneers. The territory was once called Juddsburg, after Major William Judd. The name Burlington, so named after Burlington, Vermont.
Jehiel Ferris was the first shoemaker in the settlement and lived to a ripe old age. On a certain Tuesday morning in 1814, he, after living a widower for some time, re-married. A newspaper of that day has the fol- lowing :
"Oh, God of love, be true to my enamored breast,
Be kind to the flame if dead to all the rest.
Married at Burlington by the Rev. Mr. Ripley, Mr. Je- hiel Ferris, aged 75, to Miss Elizabeth Proaty, aged 19, after a courtship of 15 minutes."
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Early History of Burlington
The first highway was, as before mentioned, cut out in 1791. The road up Sugar Creek from Towanda was petitioned for in 1798 and in 1799 was confirmed by the Court of Luzerne county. It is said that whiskey was charged upas an item of road expenses in those early days. From 1802 to 1807 the road supervisors were Nathaniel Allen, James Campbell, John McKean and Levi Soper. The highest tax assessed against any one person was that of James Campbell, Sr., $5.50. He was the grandfather of the late Josephus Campbell who was one of the county commissioners, 1862-'65.
In the early days, meetings were often held in barns, especially by the Methodists. I am told that Rev. Peck, who was afterwards Bishop Peck, often preached in Alex- ander Lane's barn.
At the time, a schoolhouse was built on the corner across the way from where G. G. Lane now lives, a mis- understanding arose as to who should preach in the school house first, the Methodists or Baptists. It was finally agreed that one denomination should have the house in the forenoon and the other in the afternoon. After this both used the house for religious services, having regular appointments at different times. The ill feeling caused by the strife for the first service lasted for some time. It is said that the Baptists at one of the meetings said: " These Methodists remind me of a frog pond where all the big frogs and little frogs join in an effort to make as much noise as possible so that a passerby would think there was a multitude of them, but after a time when the pond becomes dried up not a sound is heard until a re- viving rain (revival) comes, then it is noisy again."
At the next meeting the Methodist preacher retorted by saying : "That the Baptists reminded him of a frog
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Early History of Burlington
pond, where a big bull frog would sit on a log, and in a hoarse voice, say 'Plunge him in, plunge him in!' then later a little frog would say in a fine voice, 'he's finished, he's finished !' "
There were also theological discussions in the settle- ment in those carly days. It is said that one Allen So- per, who held to the doctrine of "Free Moral Agency," was at one time helping his aunt, Hezekiah Soper's wife, with the butchering ; now she held to the Calvanistic theory that only fore-ordained things could happen. As the discussion warmed up, he said : "There is no doubt as to the doctrine of free moral agency ; why if I pleased I could take this butcher knife and cut my own throat." She replied, "Prove it then by doing it, if you can."
This Allen Soper was an old bachelor and rather an eccentric character, and frequently talked of getting married. He lived to an old age, and at this time some one said : "Allen, I suppose you have given up the idea of getting married," when he replied with spirit : "Oh, no, I am thinking more about it now than ever."
However, putting all jokes aside, service of their Lord and Master was held in the hearts of many of these noble pioneers, both men and women, to be a pleasure and sacred duty. One of the first things to happen, when the De Witts and others came in 1791, was the proposal by Mrs. McKean and Mrs. Dobbins to hold a prayer meeting, which they did, and these moth- ers in Israel kept up public service and the sacred family altar in their homes all the days of their lives.
You have most of you doubtless read of a prayer meeting at a later day, where the young being assem- bled for some social function jocularly turned it into a
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Early History of Burlington
prayer meeting, after remarks by the leader and singing a hymn, they all knelt while the leader prayed, he was followed by a second and third, when another hymn was sung of a different nature not so joyous and in a minor key :
"Why should we start and fear to die ? Wbat timorous worms we mortals are."
This seemed to break up the current of mockery, for no sooner had the song ceased than they fell on their knees again, and two commenced praying at once and finally all supplicated Heaven in earnest for themselves. They dispatched a messenger for Mother MeKean, who came at once to the prayer meeting begun in mockery and ended seriously. She was a woman of strong abiding faith, and her soul was at once drawn out in prayer and exhortation for the salvation of the peni- tents, and the result was that eight of the party became consistent Christians from that time. One of them, An- drew MeKean, being afterwards a Methodist itinerant, preaching 40 years, and died at the age of 90 years. Another was a local preacher and the first justice of the peace of the township. The Swains, Calkinses, Allens and Stevenses were Baptists, led by Elders Smiley, Jayne and Rich.
In 1806 Lorenzo Dow, came to the settlement and took up his abode at Mrs. Jane Mckean's. He did not give his name until the opening of this first meeting when he announced "My name is Lorenzo Dow ; my business is to save souls from hell and for this purpose I have brought my credentials which are these : 'Go ye into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that be- lieveth shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned'." It is said that he made a strong and lasting
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Early History of Burlington
impression upon the people. The early preachers were Phillips, Packard, Daniel Wilcox, Elisha Cole and others. John McKean was perhaps the most prominent member of the church and upon him most responsibility fell.
As has already been said when Burlington was first organized it contained much more territory then at pres- ent. The election was held at the house of Ezra God- dard, also near where the elections of West Burlington are now held. The first election board were Noah Wil- son, Nathaniel Allen, Mr. Campbell, James McKean and Mr. Case. After the polls were closed a barbecue and dance ended the day.
The Burlington Methodists met at first in a log house built jointly for schools and church purposes. About the only preacher ministering to the Burlington church during these early years was the Rev. Elisha Cole, an early pioneer, who was later ordained an elder by the Sainted Bishop Hedding. Father Cole, as he was known, died in 1842. He resided at Monroeton but preached in all the surrounding country to these early pioneers. A second building known as the Block House succeeded the log house above mentioned and after this the "old church" built in 1822 on about the same ground previously oc- cupied by the log and block houses, and is now the old- est church building in Bradford county.
The class leaders of this early Methodist church were in 1796, Andrew McKean; in 1804, James McKean; in 1812, John Ballard; in 1816, James McKean, who was leader in 1804, but was taken away in the army and on his return resumed his old place as class leader; 1822, the year the "old church" was built, John Ballard was leader; 1834, Wm. Mckean; 1851 to 1862, Jehiel Mc-
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Early History of Burlington
Kean. It will be seen that the Mckean family held the leadership of this class for more than 50 years. The "Old Church" is now supplanted by a fine new church edi- fice situated in the borough of Burlington, but once a year a two days' meeting is held in the "Old Church," known as the "Old Church Meeting," and it is always an interesting occasion, as many of the former pastors at- tend the services and do the preaching. It really amounts to a reunion every year.
There is a great deal of political mud throwing in these days, and in the early days of Burlington the prac- tice was indulged in. Eastern Burlington was a perfect hot-bed of opposition to the Democrats, but the Whigs were handicapped by having no organ, the press being entirely in the hands of the Democrats.
When the Whig delegates met in Towanda, the Dem- ocratic editors reported them "A low, dirty lot of scalla- wags." The delegate from Columbia was particularly offensive to the Democrats, and the paper said of him that he was so lowsey, that his landlady had to boil all the bedding on the bed where he slept. The man hav- ing no other redress, walked from his home to Towanda and gave the editor a good thrashing. He was promptly arrested, everybody subpoenaed (to make the costs as much as possible) and the man was fined to the limit. But his friends were on hand in short order. Cephas Campbell took out his pocketbook, with the remark, "I have five dollars interest in that licking." David Soper said, "I am glad five dollars' worth." "So am I," said Alexander Lane, John T. Clark and others. The man was escorted back through Burlington in triumph, the hero of the hour. Among the "Jackson Democrats" of
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Early History of Burlington
Western Burlington were some, who might have been brothers to the man who voted for Jackson long after that old political saint was dead.
This reminds us of a later incident. More than 60 years ago a large family moved into a house near Bur- lington Corners (now the borough). They proved to be undesirable citizens, and at an informal meeting it was decided before going to the extreme of tar and feathers, they would give them warning to leave. Hoyt Ballard was deputed to notify them, and well did he perform his errand. With solemn majesty, he stalked into their midst, and in a fearful voice exclaimed : "In the name of Almighty God and Andrew Jackson, I warn you off from God's footstool." The master of the house was a weakling, who evidently did not know what was meant by God's footstool, but his answer was rather pathetic as well as true, when he whimpered "I don't know where to go." But they went in haste.
The Burlingtons, townships, borough and West Bur- lington, made a heroic sacrifice of her sons during the late Civil War. In 21 different Pennsylvania regiments her boys marched, fought, bled and died. Also in eight different New York regiments, one in the U. S. Navy, one in 23rd Mich , one in the 20th Ill., and one unde- termined as to what regiment.
The populations of all the Burlingtons at the time of the war was, census of 1860, 2,357.
Total enlistments 281
Per cent to population 12
Killed or died of wounds 15
Died of disease or other causes 25
Wounded 27
Per cent killed and died during war 14
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Early History of Burlington
As near as I have been able to ascertain there are now of the 281 enlisted, only about 65 living, or 23 per cent, 216 having passed to the realm of peace, as Ingersoll said to the serenity of death.
The late John Hay wrote a poem which he deliver- ed as part of an address before the Association of the Army of the James in New York, July 19, 1871, which has always been of interest to me when contemplating the soldier dead. I quote a few lines:
"In the dream of the northern poets The brave who in battle die Fight on in shadowy phalanx In the fields of the upper sky.
And as we read the sounding rhyme The reverent fancy hears The ghastly ring of the vainless swords And the clash of the spectral spears.
A chosen corps they are marching on In a wider field than ours Those bright battalions still fulfill The scheme of the heavenly powers.
And high brave thoughts float down to us The echoes of that far fight Like the flash of a distant picket's guns Through the shades of the severing night."
Emanuel Guyer, a resident of Burlington, was elected County Superintendent of Schools in May, 1854, and the salary fixed at the paltry sum of $500 per annum. This sum was entirely inadequate for the work to be per- formed. The law providing for County Superintendent was spitefully opposed, not only in Bradford county, but in nearly all the counties of the Commonwealth, which doubtless had much to do with the fixing small salaries.
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Early History of Burlington
A provision had been made allowing or empowering the Superintendent to call a special meeting for the purpose of fixing the salary. Mr. Guyer availed himself of this privilege and called a convention, and notwithstand- ing the violent opposition of many of the directors his salary was raised to $1,500 a year. This led to what has since been known as the "Guyer War." The news- papers of the time were filled with bitter discussions of the matter, and the work of Mr. Guyer for the schools were much hindered by the unjust criticism of the ene- mies of the law, but nevertheless his work was beneficial to the interests of the schools of the county. Mr. Guyer was the first County Superintendent of Bradford county, and filled the office from June 1, 1854, until June 1, 1857, thus Burlington has the distinction of furnishing the first Superintendent of the Schools in this county.
The first settlers of Sugar Creek were early in the field with church organization and religious work. The wives of James McKean and William Dobbins were pioneers in the work. Bradford county Methodists were at this time included in what was known as "Tioga Circuit."
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