Centennial history of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, Part 104

Author: Stocker, Rhamanthus Menville, 1848-
Publication date: 1887
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : R. T. Peck
Number of Pages: 1318

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benches, and with what fidelity and perseverance, as school-teachers, Hannah, Pattie, Betsey and Frances Stewart labored to educate the children of the early settlers. As to his sons, Mr. Stewart used to say that they must get along through the world with less edu- cation, as they, in all probability, as pioneers, would have to rough it, as he and his father had done. This saying, as to his sons, proved prophetic. Laz- arus, the eldest, not finding a place on this continent that suited him to settle upon, took to the sea. Charles, after living in the neighborhood several years, moved to the West as a pioneer. Espy, the youngest son, following the tide of emigration westward, never rested until, from the western slope of the Rocky Mountains, he saw before him that great barrier to further western progress, the Pacific Ocean. He set- tled in California.

" Mr. Stewart lived to a good old age. His life was a life of usefulness as a citizen, and as a pioneer he labored hard to smooth the way for those who should come after him. He died in the adjoining town of Windsor, N. Y., at the residence of his son, Charles Stewart."

In 1807 William Thomson, afterwards an associate judge of Susquehanna County for many years, came to Great Bend and purchased the farm advertised by Josiah Stewart, the oldest cultivated farm in the township. He was a native of Scotland. He filled several important offices, the duties of which he per- formed with ability and fidelity. He had a large estate, which he had accumulated by industry and economy, and which he bequeathed to needy friends. He died January 30, 1842, in his seventy-eiglith year. His house formed a wing of the National Hotel, which was burned December 13, 1869.

In 1830 Benjamin Taylor had a log tavern by the "Indian Apple Trecs," where the bridge crosses. The next building was the Thomson house, which stood just back of where J. W. Larrabee's barber-shop now stands, and the Hatch tavern, which stood on the farm afterwards owned by Truman Baldwin, com- prised the buildings within the borough limits of Great Bend at that time. As soon as the Erie, and Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroads passed through here, it became evident that the beautiful flat land lying on both sides of the Susquehanna at Great Bend was a favorable location for a town. Lowery Green owned the Thomson farm at the time when the railroads were built, and he over- reached the mark by charging so much for building- lots that he retarded the growth of the place, and eventually died a poor man. Messrs. Braton & Gondor, contractors and builders on the Erie road, put a stock of goods in the old Thomson farm-house, to supply their men while working on the road. When their contract work was completed, they sold these goods to John McKinney, who had been a suc- cessful merchant on the other side of the river for many years. Mr. Mckinney built a store east of

1 J. Du Bois, in Blackman's " History."

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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

where the Susquehanna Valley House stands, in 1848, and continued in business there until he died, in 1856. His son Henry then took charge of the store ; meanwhile other stores had been built up west of the railroad track, and Mckinney moved his stock of goods west of the track and closed them out at auc- tion in 1866. Isaac Reckhow next built a store, which was destroyed by fire in 1875. T. D. Esta- brook commenced the grocery business in 1860, in the Reckhow building. E. F. Simons was in partnership with him for a few years ; and in 1866 he was in part- nership with R. S. Clark until the latter died. They carried a general assortment, including dry-goods, groceries, boots and shoes and drugs. David Thomas built a store on the lot adjoining, which he occupied as a store for a time. J. H. Dusenbury also had a store there, and at the time of the fire it was occupied by T. D. Estabrook and Mrs. R. S. Clark. After the fire of 1875 Mr. Estabrook immediately built the store across the street, now occupied by his son, William T. Estabrook, as a hardware-store; and in 1876 Mr. Estabrook and Mrs. Clark purchased the Thomas lot and erected the present brick block. Mr. Estabrook carries on business in the western division, and P. H. & O. A. Lines have the eastern division of this double store building, and carry a large stock of dry- goods. Mr. Montgomery built a store, which was subsequently occupied by H. P. Doran, where Dan- hier now has a store, Emory Simons built a store near where the post-office building stands, L. S. Lenheim rented a store on the corner opposite Esta- brook's and John Colsten had a tin-shop on the next block, all of which were destroyed in the great con- flagration of 1875, which destroyed a large part of the business houses in the village; but better buildings were erected in the place of those that had been burned. The Estabrook and Clark block, and L. S. Lenheim's brick block were erected in 1876. The Lenheim block consisted of a bank-room, now occu- pied by J. W. Dusenbury as an insurance office, and two store-rooms. Lenheim had a private bank and run a store some time, until his son George took the store. The Lenheim block now belongs to the Kistler estate. Henry Ackert, a grocery man, occupies one of the stores, and Riatt & Smythe, dry-goods men, the other.

John Colsten came here in 1833, and was toll gatherer for the bridge. He put stoves and tinware into the toll-house, and engaged in the hardware business. About 1834 he built a store on Main Street, which was burned in 1875, when he erected the present brick building. His son William has carried on the hardware business there since, and has the reputation of being at his place of business regu- larly and always. George McNamara erected a brick building in 1876, one side of which he occupies as a store, and the other as the post-office.

A. E. Benedict built the double store brick building now owned by J. H. Bundy in 1882. James Danhier,

groceryman, has one part and F. D. Claus, a tailor, has the other part. S. T. Kistler erected a brick block in 1880 and occupies one part as a boot and shoe- store. Wm. M. Kistler, cigar manufacturer, has the other part. Richard Stack commenced the grocery business in 1864 and was burned out in 1875. He then rented of A. G. Preston, who erected a wooden building, the upper part of which is occupied by the Great Bend Plaindealer newspaper office. C. J. Wal- dron has a flour and feed-store. William Newman, Addison Mesick and Hezekialı Skinner are all engaged in the grocery business. Wm. Day has a meat market and M. Holdrich is baker. Miss Bertha Wilbur and Mrs. Chas. Stevens supply the ladies with hats. C. B. Woodward and T. D. Estabrook & Co. supply drugs. C. H. Johnson and A. Reckhow are under- takers, and Lyman, Hamlin & Co. are blacksmiths. L. W. Chichester is jeweler. J. W. Larrabee is barber and S. B. Van Ness is photographer.

HOTELS .- Alfred Allen had the first hotel after the village began to grow. It stood west of where the Susquehanna Valley House stands, and was built about 1847.

The Susquehanna Valley House is near the Erie Railroad track and was built by William Dayton about 1851. It is the largest hotel in the place, and is closed at present.

The National Hotel occupied the site of Larrabee's barber-shop and the millinery store. The Thomson residence, which stood back of this, near where Frank Kane's hotel stands, was used as a part of the National. It was burned down in 1869, while it was owned by the Grigg brothers. Isaac Grigg erected a wooden building for a hotel, which has since been converted into store-rooms.

Central Hotel .- Simons & Hyer had a store where the Central Hotel stands, and R. O. Bedell run a saloon under it. Bradley Wakeman and S. B. Chase had their bank on the first floor. They were private bankers. This house was destroyed by the fire of 1875. R. O. Bedell had made some money in the saloon business and, by borrowing some more, he erected the brick house known as the Central Hotel in 1876. The hotel was run by Messrs. Bedell, God- frey, Mitchell and Sawyer. Mr. Wakeman finally had to take the property in payment for money loaned and it fell into the hands of Mrs. J. H. Dusenbury, a daughter and heir of his estate. The hotel has been under the management of Mr. Dusenbury and his wife since April, 1887, and no better accommodations are provided for the guests anywhere in the county than here. The hotel will accommodate about forty persons.

Crandall House .- David Depue built a brick house recently which he rented to William Crandall, who keeps a comfortable house. It will accommodate thirty persons.

Kilrow House .- L. B. Buell commenced the Kilrow House and it was completed by Edwards, in 1851-52,

541

GREAT BEND.

and who was also its landlord for about ten years. It fell into the hands of Jos. Slocum, of Scranton, and he sold it to Michael Kilrow in 1862, and he has run it ever since.

Great Bend borough contains about one thousand two hundred inhabitants, eleven stores, two tanncries operated by the Kistlers, a factory for sawing head- ing for flour barrels and kegs, a harness-shop, two jewelry stores, two cabinet-shops, a meat-market, two millinery stores, three churches (Methodist, Catholic and Episcopal), a graded school, two physicians and one dentist, and the Plaindealer, a weekly newspaper. The borough has better sidewalks than any other town in the county. It has five streets running nearly parallel with the river, viz., Church, Main, Franklin, Washington, Grant. Cross Street inter- sects these streets at right angles, making a well-laid- out town. The Susquehanna River flows between the two boroughs of Great Bend and Hallstead. A few years ago there was a good depot and a railroad bridge, across which the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad ran trains; but the bridge and de- pot have burned down, and the Delaware, Lacka- wanna and Western does not now cross the river. Their depot is an old passenger car. The two vil- lages are connected by a bridge, however, for general travel.

TANNERIES .- S. B. June and Delos L. Taylor built a tannery at Red Rock, and subsequently one at Great Bend. June & Taylor dissolved, Taylor re- maining at Red Rock, and was succeeded by H. A. Clarke & Co., and it is now operated by S. T. Clark & Co. This tannery is noted for the excellence of its sole leather. A store is run in connection with the tannery. R. T. Stephens purchased an interest in 1858, and in June, 1860, became sole owner of the tannery at Great Bend. He tanned about eight thou- sand hides per year at that time. George Fulmer built another tannery at Great Bend, which soon burned down.

Stephen Kistler bought out R. T. Stephens, and built, a new tannery on the site of the one that was destroyed by fire, and his sons have them both, although they are only operating one at present. They receive bark by the railroad, as it is nearly ex- hausted in this vicinity. Some excellent flagging- stone has been found in the mountains about Great Bend, and quarries have recently been opened in the vicinity of Hickory Grove.

GREAT BEND POST-OFFICE .- Dr. Eleazer Parker was appointed postmaster of Willing borough in 1808. April 17, 1823, Sylvenus Hatch was appointed post- master of Great Bend. His successors have been Jason Wilson, 1826; John Colston, 1834; Thos. J. Conklin, 1837; Joseph Du Bois, 1841; George Bald- win, 1846; Joseph Du Bois, 1849; Reuben T. Stephens, 1855; Chas. S. Gilbert, 1858; Thaddeus D. Esta- brook, 1861; Almon P. Stephens, 1873; discontinued June 30, 1880 ; re-established July 1, 1880, with Almon

P. Stephens postmaster. William Newman was ap- pointed in 1882 and George McNamara in 1885.

THE GREAT FIRE OF 1875 .- The Great Bend Re- porter of June 4, 1875, a half-slicet of which was pub- lished in Binghamton, says,-" Our village was visited on Saturday, May 29th, by a terribly destructive fire, which laid the principal business portion of the place in ashes, destroying sixteen buildings, turning four- teen familics into the street, and prostrating, or se- riously crippling, the business of twenty-one mer- chants, grocers, mechanics, etc. The alarm was sounded at two o'clock Saturday morning, arousing our citizens from slumber, the flames having gained such headway when first discovered as to make all efforts to stay their course useless. The fire originated under a flight of steps in the rear of L. S. Lenhcim's building, and was believed to be the work of an in- cendiary. Within fifteen minutes after the alarm was given, Lenheim's building was filled with flame; the fire next spread to the store of T. D. Estabrook, and the hardware establishment of Wm. A. Colsten on the north, enveloping the carriage-factory of G. B. Trowbridge, situated directly in the rear. Between Lenheim's store-house south and the Susquehanna Valley Hotel stood a row of wooden structures, crowded close together, and occupied both as stores, shops and tenements ; first came the large double store occupied by T. D. Estabrook, drug-store, gro- cery and provision-store, and P. H. Lines & Co., dry- goods and clothing. From thence the flames' swept everything to the Susquehanna Valley House, which was saved. Next to Estabrook's stood Reckhow's building. The first floor on one side was occupied by Stephens & Reckhow, grocers, the post-office being in the same building. H. Van Seckler, jeweler, and W. Chichester, watchmaker, occupied the other side. The families of P. Lines and H. Phillips occupied the second floor, R. Stack's grocery-store, T. Cuisack's grocery and dwelling. D. Thomas and G. B. Trow- bridge's residences stood back of Estabrook's and were saved, but the barn, carriage-shop and Miss Trow- bridge's building were destroyed. Geo, McNamara's store, R. O. Bedell's saloon, Wakeman & Dusenbury's bank buildings all destroyed. On the opposite side of the street A. G. Preston's building, including his boot and shoe-store and Miss Phillips' millinery- store and D. Depue's billiard parlors, were destroyed.

HON. DAVID THOMAS, son of Joseph Thomas, who settled on what is known as the State line farm in 1814, was born in 1805. He obtained his education in the common schools and went two miles into the woods and worked for eight dollars per month at lumbering, and ate frozen pan-cakes for dinner. He gave this money to his father, who, in turn, gave him a yoke of steers; these he traded for a yoke of oxen, and went to lumbering for himself; this he con- tinued, with the exception of a short time at school, until he was able to purchase his father's farm. He then married Jane Ann Clark, and they have lived

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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

together fifty-eight years now. He remained on the farm about twenty-five years, and then bought the lot where Estabrook's store stands for three hundred dollars and erected a store and engaged in merchan- dising some six years, when he sold out to J. H. Du- senbury. William Dayton built the Susquehanna Valley House, and Mr. Thomas kept it for six or eight years. During all these years he has lumbered more or less. Prior to the building of the railroads he drew lumber to the Delaware River, where it was rafted and floated down to Philadelphia to market, and after the railroad was built he loaded the first car with lumber at Great Bend station. He was an elder in the Presbyterian Church at Hallstead a number of years, and a member of the Legislature in 1846-47, where he did efficient service in securing the passage of the act authorizing the Erie Railway to pass through Pennsylvania for the sum of $10,000 per year, which the Erie pays into the State treasury, which exempts them from all further taxation. Mr. Thomas had a hard fight to convince the Pennsyl- vania Dutch and Quaker members that the State would not be ruined if a railroad was allowed to pass through its territory. Of his children, Emma J. is the wife of A. B. Whiting; Ellen M., wife of Lewis Sears; and Cora A., wife of Charles C. Simmons.

Thaddeus D. Estabrook was born in Paxton, Wor- cester County, Mass., May 17, 1820. His father, Ross W. Estabrook, moved into New York in 1823, and Thaddeus obtained lis education in Bingham- ton. His father was a contractor and built two sec- tions of the Croton Aqueduct and dug a portion of the Genesee Canal. Thaddeus kept the books, run the store and paid the men. After the death of his father, in 1840, he resided on a farm in Conklin five years. In 1846 he was an employe of Braton & Gonder in building four miles of the Erie road through the rocks in the vicinity of Great Bend. He took a number of railroad and canal contracts, and has built many miles of both ; he also was interested in building the Brooklyn water-works. In 1860 he came to Great Bend and has been engaged in the mercantile and lumbering business since. He mar- ried Eliza Buck in 1846, and has three children living, -- William T., a merchant at Great Bend; Ida L .; and Clara M., wife of Watts C. Van Blarcom.

STEPHEN KISTLER .- The main factor in the pros- perity of Great Bend is doubtless the tannery busi- ness, employing and supporting as it does about one- fourth the population of the borough. After the destruction of the Fulmer Tannery the land and wreck thereon were purchased by Stephen Kistler, of Monroe Co., Pa., who proceeded to erect buildings in the fall of 1876. Having at the same time bought the Stephens' Tannery property, adjacent, he combined the two into what has since been known as the Eaton Tannery, having a capacity of two hundred hides per day, and manufacturing union sole leather, both oak and hemlock tanned. During the first two years

Rufus Kistler, his second son, had charge of the busi- ness, though living in Monroe County ; but in May, 1878, he moved his family to Great Bend and has remained here since. On the death of Stephen Kist- ler, in 1880, the business was undertaken by his six children, under the firm-title of Stephen Kistler's Sons, and when, five years later, the estate was settled, the Great Bend Tannery was assumed by Messrs. Rufus, Milo and Michael D. Kistler, who also con- tinued the New York store business. Having decided upon a radical change in the management of their important enterprise, the same year (1885) they estab- lished a branch house at Lynn, Mass., where the firm is styled Hilliard, Kistler & Co., and to this place the entire product of their tannery is shipped, there cut up into soles and heels for manufacturers of boots and shoes, and thence forwarded to the sales-houses at New York and Chicago, the latter point having been adopted for purposes similar to the New York house, in 1886, and being operated under firm-name of Kist- ler Brothers & Co.

The Kistler family have for several generations past been largely identified with the production of leather, and have long held a very prominent position in that industry, having tanneries located in quite a number of Pennsylvania towns. Between 1735 and 1745 George Kistler was one of a number of Palati- nates, or Swiss, who moved from Falkner Swamp and Goshenhoppen (present Montgomery Co., Pa.) up into Lehigh County, and settled down upon a large tract of land in the vicinity of what is now called the Jerusalem Church. He acted as elder of that church from about 1755 to 1768. The names of his children were George, Jacob, John, Samuel, Philip, Michael, Barbara, Doro- tea and Elizabeth. Of them, Jacob Kistler, settled on the homestead, and had Philip, Michael, Daniel, Jacob, Solomon, Catharine, Magdalena and one other. Michael, the second child (1796-1880), was the tanner in Kistler Valley, Lehigh County, and lived there many years. He married Magdalena Brobst (1801-81), and had a large family,-Stephen, born October 31, 1815 ; Parry, a farmer in Lehigh County ; Sarah, the wife of Stephen Snyder, of Perryville, Carbon County ; Jacob, a retired farmer of Lehigh County; Joel, a tanner and farmer in Lehigh and Schuylkill Counties, died in 1884; Polly, married Eli Sechler, of Lehigh County, and died about 1856; Mary, Mrs. Charles Foust, of Berks County ; Daniel, of Schuylkill County, a tanner and farmer ; William, a grocer of Strouds- burg; Michael M., a retired tanner and business man, also of Stroudsburg; Angeline, wife of Peter Seip, of Lehigh County ; and Catharine, who married a Mr. Brobst, and died in 1858.

The eldest child, Stephen Kistler, born in the Kistler Valley, at an early age entered his father's tannery and acquired valuable knowledge of its de- tails. Following this course for a term of seven years in a tannery at Catawissa, he became a thor- oughly practical tanner, and, returning home, worked

Plekken Hustler

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GREAT BEND.

the tannery with his father for a few years before buy- ing an upper-leather tannery at Lehighton, Carbon County, which he carried on for ten years. He then moved to Tannersville, Monroe County, having pur- chased the Jacob Singmaster tannery, and this re- mained in the possession of the family until its destruction by fire in 1884. From this time forward he continued to prosper and enlarge his business, ob- taining tanneries, either by purchase or erection, at Stroudsburg, Bartonsville and Great Bend, which necessitated the establishment of a salesroom and warehouse at New York City. In partnership with his brother, Michael M. Kistler, he carried on mer- cantile business at Tannersville and Bartonsville, Monroe County, and added to the already extensive industries the manufacture of shoe-pegs, clothes-pins and chair stock, at Tompkinsville, which were car- ried on successfully for a number of years. Mr. Kistler was a man of large business capacity and un- tiring energy,-exact and conscientious in all his dealings. He married, in 1838, Esther, the daughter of David (1767-1832) and Catharine (Oswald) (1776- 1857) Mosser, whose ancestors had also settled in Lynn township, Lehigh Co., coming up from Goshenhoppen about 1740, and whose family-name is still identified with the tannery interests there. Their children were Charles E. (1839-80), an extensive tanner, etc., of Monroe County, married Ann E. Woodling, who now, with her two surviving children, Mary and An- drew M. Kistler, live at Sciota, Pa .; Rufus, born 1840, married Mary J. Edinger, who has borne him Emma Augusta (Mrs. J. W. Hopkins, of Catasauqua, Pa.), Elmer E., Edward U. and Arthur S., also Alice May, who died in childhood (the family residence is at Great Bend) ; Wilson, born 1845, the proprietor of a large tannery at Lock Haven, Pa., married Hen- rietta Stauffer, whose children are Gertrude and Sedgwick ; Mary, married John H. Lesh and lives at Clearfield, N. J.,-their children are Hattie, Fred- erick and Maud K .; Milo, born 1854, one of the firm, manages the New York department of the busi- ness interests, married Alice Clader and resides in Brooklyn, N. Y .; and Michael D. Kistler, born 1858, partner with Rufus and Milo, married Massena M. Siebert, and is also resident at Great Bend, Pa .; and Almira, Angeline and Alfred, all of whom died young. Having a proper appreciation of the advan- tages of a liberal and practical education, Mr. Kist- ler gave his children excellent opportunity to acquire book-learning, and also impressed upon them habits of industry and rectitude. Some time after the death of Mrs. Esther Kistler, in April, 1877, her hus- band married Mrs. Eliza A. Grim. This marriage was without issue, and the widow survives her hus- band, whose death occurred at Stroudsburg, Pa., on March 16, 1880.

Hon. Orrin A. Lines, son of Philander Lines, was born at Montrose in 1843, and was educated at Mont- rose Academy. He learned the harness-maker trade

at Montrose, and worked at that business in Brook- lyn and Gibson. In 1877 he came to Great Bend and engaged in the mercantile business, and is one of the firm of P. H. Lines & Co. He is something of a politician, and was elected State Senator in 1886.

Elihu Norton was born at Guilford, Chemung County, and resided in Binghamton thirty-nine years, and nine years ago he came to Great Bend. Mr. Norton has been a drover and horse dealer nearly all of his life. He drove cattle before they thought of transporting them by railroad, and went into the backwoods of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, where large fat steers could be bought for twelve dollars apiece. They drove them on the turnpike roads, and were sometimes forty-four days on the journey east- ward to New York market. He has owned a great many horses, and is always ready for a deal. Hc is an original character, and is known far and near as "Black Hawk." Whosoever dealeth with this man and hath eyes to see, let him see.

Methodist Episcopal Church. - Elder Nathaniel Lewis resided down the river, in the edge of Oakland township, and held meetings there at an early day in the history of the settlement. He was ordained deacon by Bishop Asbury in 1807, and it is probable that he immediately commenced preaching. John B. Buck in 1869 wrote as follows :

"1 Seventy-five years ago, there was a log dwelling-house north of where the Erie Depot now stands, at Great Bend, used as a place of worship. The congregation was scattered up and down the river, in cahins. The only means of getting from here was by canoes. They went as far as the rift or rapids, where they left their canoes, and walked past the rapids, then took passage in a large canoe around hy my father's. For dinner, they carried milk in bottles, and mush. They listened to one sermon in the forenoon, and then came back to the canoe and ate dinner, then went back to second service; Daniel Buck was minister. In sminmer this was their means of travel.

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Centennial history of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, Part 104

Author: Stocker, Rhamanthus Menville, 1848- Publication date: 1887 Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : R. T. Peck Number of Pages: 1318

Author: Stocker, Rhamanthus Menville, 1848-
Publication date: 1887
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : R. T. Peck
Number of Pages: 1318