Centennial history of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, Part 146

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

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control of a board of trustees. From the Congrega- tional Church the following persons have been fur- nished for the gospel ministry : Revs. Lyman, Willard and Preston Richardson, Washington, Moses and Ty- ler Thacher, William S. and Wellington H. Tyler. Miss Hannah Thacher joined the Choctaw mission in 1821, and her sister, Philena, in 1823.

REV. EBENEZER KINGSBURY, the first pastor of Harford Church, was born in Coventry, Connecticut, August 30, 1762. He was graduated at Yale College in 1786, and studied theology with Dr. Backus, of Somers, Connecticut. In 1791 he was installed pastor of the church in Jericho, Vermont, continuing sev- enteen years, until 1808. In 1809 he came to North- eastern Pennsylvania, commissioned by the Connec- ticut Home Missionary Society. He was installed pastor of the Harford Church Aug. 3, 1810, and con- tinued in that relation until September, 1827. Dur- ing all this pastorate, one-half of his time was spent in missionary work in the surrounding country. In this work he traveled over a large part of Bradford, Susquehanna, Luzerne and Wayne on horseback, by marked trees and bridle-paths, preaching in log cabins, barns and school-houses. "As a preacher Mr. Kingsbury was grave and deliberate in manner, and instructive in matter. In social intercourse he was affable, unassuming and regardful of the feelings of others. He was a welcome visitor in families, and from such visits, social or religious, he derived much enjoyment. These characteristics of his nature ren- dered him- acceptable as a pastor and missionary. He loved to look up the families scattered over these hills. They gave him their confidence and a cordial welcome ; while he made himself at home with par- ents and children. Hence it is not surprising to find frequent record of his gathering and organizing churches. Of the churches in the old Montrose Pres- bytery, more were formed by him than any other man After the dissolution of his pastoral relations, mis- sionary labors were continued. From that service he retired to become a parishioner-one worthy of much esteem. He died March 24, 1842, aged eighty-two, and is buried in the Harford Cemetery. His wife died in 1859, aged eighty-eight. Her house was ever open to the sons and daughters of want. He had four sons,-Williston, died in 1822; Payson, who was several years deacon in the Harford Church, died in 1843 ; Samuel E., became justice of the peace in Har- ford; Ebenezer Kingsbury, Jr., read law with Wm. Jessup, and was admitted to the Susquehanna County bar in 1828. He removed to Wayne County and was admitted to the bar there as early as 1833. He moved to Wayne to take editorial charge of the Wayne County Herald and Bethany Inquirer, the Democratic organ of the county, published at Honesdale, and devoted himself mainly to politics. In 1835 he was appointed deputy attorney-general for the county of Wayne, and held the office until 1838. In 1837 he was elected to the State Senate, and in April, 1840,

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was chosen Speaker for the remainder of the year. He died about the iniddle of April, 1844.

1 REV. ADAM MILLER was born at Canajoharie, State of New York, January 13, 1807. In early youth he consecrated himself to the service of the Lord. At the age of ten he commenced a course of study preparatory to the gospel ministry, and entered Hartwick Academy. Here he continued a diligent and faithful student till he entered Union College, where he was graduated in the fall of 1824, being then nearly seventeen years of age. During the same fall he commenced the study of theology at Auburn, and was graduated from that seminary in 1827. A few months previous to his leaving the seminary, Feb. 13, 1827, he was licensed to preach the gospel. After leaving the seminary, he was employed for several months by the Western Domestic Missionary Society to labor as a missionary in the Mohawk Valley, and preached one year at Oswego Falls. In 1828 he was married, at Auburn, to Miss Annie B. Curtis. In her he found a loving, faitliful companion, a true helpmate and counselor in the various duties and trials incident to a minister's life. A few months after his marriage, in September, 1828, the professors at Auburn Seminary received a letter from Deacon Joab Tyler, requesting them to send a minister to Harford Church and congregation. In answer to that request, and by the advice of Dr. Lansing particu- larly, he started for Harford. After a three days' journey he came, a perfect stranger, to a people of whom he knew nothing, "except that they wanted a minister." And on the 21st of September, 1828, be- ing then in his twenty-first year, he preached his first sermon to this people, with whom he spent the re- maining years of his life. He was engaged on trial for one year. He was young, and, in the estimation of some, a mere boy. His congregation contained venerable men and women, his seniors in age and re- ligious experience, well read on doctrinal subjects, tenacious in their peculiar views and "set in their ways." He had misgivings, as well as others, about his success in such a field, but before the expiration of his trial year he received a formal call for perma- nent settlement at Harford. This call he declined, as he had purposed occupying another field, but the church persisted, and on the 28th of April, 1830, he was regularly installed by the Presbytery of Susque- hanna as permanent pastor of Harford Church and congregation. His ministry continued for fifty-three years, during which time he preached not less than eight thousand sermons, attended upward of six hun- dred funerals, married six hundred and thirty-five couples, and received into the church not far from five hundred and eighty members. He preached almost up to the day of his death, until November, 1881, and died in the following December, and was buried in the cemetery hard by the church he had

1 Prepared from a memorial sermon preached by Rev. E. O. Ward, of Bethany.

served so long and so well, where a solid granite pil- lar has been erected to his memory and that of his devoted wife, who preceded him many years, having died in 1855. They reared a large family of children ; among them were John, a newspaper reporter, who died in Illinois ; Payson ; Roswell, general manager of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad ; Frederick, passenger agent on the same line; Thomas and James; Sarah ; Mary; Caroline, wife of E. J. Tyler ; Julia, a teacher, wife of E. F. Torrey of Hones- dale, Pa .; and Frances H., who married in Louis- ville, Ky.

HARFORD METHODIST CHURCH .- About 1841 a class was organized at Harford in connection with the Brooklyn charge. Among the first members were William Raymond, Amos J. Rice and wife, Silas B. Guile, Harvey Sibley and Mary, his wife, Dexter Sibley and his wife, Thankful, Penuel Carpenter and his wife, Caroline, Elcnora Sweet, John Dikeman and wife, Augustus Sophia and family. William Ray- mond and Amos J. Rice were the first class-leaders ; Dexter Sibley, J. C. Edward and S. B. Guile have been class-leaders; W. B. Guile is class-leader now. A Sunday-school was organized about the same time. Amos J. Rice, William Raymond, Dexter Sibley, S. B. Guile and W. B. Guile have been superintendents. 2 S. B. Guile is the only one of the original class re- maining. The first meetings were held in the hall of the Very House, which was then owned by Harvey Sibley. The church was erccted in 1844. This class has been connected withi Brooklyn, South Gibson and Gibson. It was set off as an independent charge in 1886. The church and Sunday-school are in a flour- ' ishing condition.

HARFORD ACADEMY .- In 1817 a select school was commenced in the village, and continued, with some interruption, until 1830, when Preston Richardson re- turned from school in poor health, and a room was fitted up in the second story of his father's (Caleb Richard- son's) house. Preston Richardson, A.M., principal ; Mrs. L. T. Richardson, preceptress ; and Willard Richard- son, assistant, commenced. They had but few stu- dents at first, but the number of students increased as the excellence of the school became known. On the death of Preston Richardson, at the close of the year 1837, the school passed under the care of Willard Richardson, principal, assisted at different times by Farris B. Streeter, Miss Nancy Kingsley, Miss Harriet A. Tyler and Mrs. L. T. Richardson, subsequently Mrs. Allen. On the resignation of Willard Richardson, in the spring of 1840, Nathan Leighton was elected. He resigned and Rev. Lyman Richardson was elected in the fall of 1840. On the removal of Mrs. L. T. Richardson to Carbondale, in 1844, Miss Mal- vina Gardner, Miss N. Maria Richardson and Henry Abel assisted in the instruction until 1848, when Wil- lard Richardson returned. The following is the faculty as given in 1855:

2 Since deceased.

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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Rev. Lyman Richardson, professor of mathematics and natural sciences.

Rev. Willard Richardson, professor of ancient lan- guages and the Normal Department.

Mrs. Harriet A. Richardson and Miss N. Maria Richardson, French, botany, drawing, painting, em- broidery, wax flowers and gilding.

Miss H. L. Allen, teacher of music, piano.

Almon Stearns, teacher of vocal music.

Mrs. S. S. Richardson, with the above-mentioned ladies, form a board of supervision of the ladies' de- partment in morals and propriety of conduct, as well as literary attainments. After the death of Lyman Richardson, Willard Richardson conducted the school for a time. The " university," as they called it, was finally given up and the building and grounds sold to Charles W. Deans in 1865, for a soldiers' orphans' school. The good and beneficent influence of the Richardsons in connection with the school, which they conducted so ably and so well, can be seen in the number of professional men, judges, lawyers, Con- gressmen, Governors, professors, school-teachers, min- isters and intelligent business men that attended this school, that call them blessed. The school was at- tended by aspiring young men and women of limited means, who boarded themselves in many instances, and it is said that when they got short, " Uncle Ly- man " and " Aunt Sarah" often helped them out of their difficulties. Hon. Paul D. Morrow, in his address at the Adam Miller semi-centennial, expressed the uniform opinion of Harford students when he said, "The two years I spent at the academy are among the happiest of my life, and you will pardon me if I step aside for a moment to pay a tribute of respect to Mr. Richardson and his family. They were most kind and considerate for all our wants, wishes and woes, and while sometimes we worried their good souls with almost wanton conduct, they were as gentle and affec- tionate to forgive and advise as one's natural parents. Mr. Richardson had a wonderful ability in the man- agement of pupils, and, in addition to this, he had rare powers to stimulate us in our studies and impress upon us the importance of continuous hard work and self-dependence. Dear, good man he was, and his house was a home for us all." Mr. Richardson was only a fair scholar, and not what would be called a brilliant mau; but he had a warm heart for his pupils, which gave him their confidence, and a true teacher's enthusiasm, which enabled him to fill their souls with aspirations ; hence we find many of the graduates of Harford Academy with their names written on the roll of fame. In 1865, on the recommendation of Hon. Thomas H. Burrowes, superintendent of soldiers' orphans, the old academy buildings and one hundred and twenty-five acres of land were purchased by Pro- fessor Charles W. Deans, and a soldiers' orphans' school was established. In March, 1868, Professor Henry S. Sweet took charge and held the position, with the exception of the year 1873, when Dr. H. N. Penne-

packer had supervision, until the fall of 1886, a pe- riod of nineteen years. Clark has charge now. During the first year the school was thoroughly or- ganized. Competent persons were procured to super- intend the various industrial departments. Lessons were given to the girls in the various domestic duties, as well as in the use of the needle and sewing-machine; and the boys were taught how to do chores and to work on the farm. Habits of industry were thus formed, and that degree of skill acquired which has enabled many of the orphans, on leaving school at sixteen years of age, to secure good positions. Each pupil is supposed to do two hours' work and to attend school six hours. The system of work details being observed, each child has an opportunity for study. A corps of five teach- ers is employed to thoroughly teach the common and higher English branches. Especial attention is given to those desirous of fitting themselves for teaching, and many are offered schools immediately after leav- ing the orphan school, and have proved themselves competent. Vocal music and religious instruction are not neglected. Drill in military tactics is required when the weather is favorable. The sanitary condi- tion of the school has always been good. There are altogether eighteen employees, including teachers, matrons, assistant matrons, seamstresses, nurses, su- perintendent of boys, stewards, farmers and teamsters. There were eighteen pupils when the school first commenced, which number was increased to one hun- dred before the year closed. The attendance has been larger in succeeding years. There are two hun- dred and twenty-one pupils in attendance now, being from four to sixteen years of age. When Governor Pattison and others investigated the soldiers' or- phans' schools they found this school in the best con- dition of any of them. It is to be hoped that the beneficent intention of the State of Pennsylvania will be honestly carried out by all who have charge of the soldiers' orphans' schools. Professor Wm. S. Tyler, of Amherst College, at the celebration in honor of Rev. Adam Miller, speaks of Franklin Academy or Har- ford University in the following manner: "A new era was inaugurated in the history of Harford schools when, in 1817, the Centre School-house was built in the edge of a beautiful grove of small but thrifty and dense evergreens-fit retreat for the muses and graces then, though too soon invaded by the march of im- provement, alias the Philadelphia and Great Bend turnpike-and Rev. Lyman Richardson opened in it our first classical school. It was then and there that I began, at the age of seven, the study of Latin, and I delight to honor Mr. Richardson as my first teacher in those ancient languages, to the teaching of which I have devoted the greater part of my life. Several young men of already mature years-Washington Thacher, Tyler Thacher, Preston Richardson, Enos Thacher and some others, began at the same time and in the same classes their preparation for the min- istry ; for the school was the offspring and the repre-

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sentative of the religious fervor of the age and the place, not less than of its zeal for education. A suc- cession of boys about my own age and younger-noble fellows-who have made their mark in the world since, followed and extended the influence, till Har- ford became the educational centre of Northern Penn- sylvania." The list of distinguished graduates would do credit to any institution.

1 "A very large number of its graduates became professional teachers; many, ministers of the gospel, and not a few, prominent public men. Among them may be mentioned Revs. Moses Tyler and Washing- ton Thacher, Rev. William S. Tyler, D.D., LL.D., of Amherst College ; Rev. W. H. Tyler, formerly of Pittsfield Institute, Mass. ; Professor Jolin Wadsworth Tyler, a graduate of Union College, and former prin- cipal of Cazenovia Seminary, N. Y., who died in 1833; Professor E. G. Tyler, formerly of Canandai- gua School, N. Y .; John Guernsey, State Senator ; John D. Stiles, Congressman for Carbon County; F. B. Streeter, late president judge; and Paul D. Mor- row, president judge of Bradford County; Hon. Luther Kidder, deceased ; Henry W. Williams, presi- dent judge of the Fourth Judicial District; Stewart Pierce, State Representative and historian of Luzerne County ; Jesse Barrett, professor of mathematics in the University of Missouri; G. A. Grow, former Speaker of House of Representatives, United States ; C. R. Buckalew, United States Senator and late can- didate for Governor of Pennsylvania; and Cyrus C. Carpenter, ex-Governor of Iowa ; " J. Brewster Mc- Collum, president judge of this district; M. J. Lar- rabee, ex-State Senator, and many others who occupy honorable places.

2 LYMAN RICHARDSON, son of Deacon Caleb Rich- ardson, was born at Attleboro', Mass., in 1790. At the age of sixteen years he moved to Harford, Pa., having a good common-school education and some knowledge of Latin. At the age of nineteen he was converted and had a strong desire to enter the minis- try. He walked a hundred miles to an academy in New York, seeking opportunity to work for his board, and enter upon a course of study. Being disappointed, he returned, settled on a small farm, married and, as was supposed, entered on his business for life. A few years afterward he is found at Wilkes-Barre Academy, one year as student, three years as principal. Then he was teacher of a select school three years in Har- ford. During all these years he studied with great diligence, using thus much of the night after the day's ordinary work. Theological studies were prosecuted under Rev. Ard Hoyt and Rev. E. Kingsbury. In 1820 he was licensed by the Susquehanna Presbytery at the age of thirty years. He entered upon his labors at Lawsville, (now Franklin). God blessed his labors, and a revival ensued, making important ad-

ditions to the church. After six months he went to

Wysox and preached with success. In 1821 he was ordained an evan gelist. He labored at Wysox several years, and subsequently at Mount Pleasant, Bethany and elsewhere in Wayne County, he labored success- fully. God's blessing seemed to attend his rugged, honest presentation of the truth. For protracted meetings he had some peculiar qualifications. His pulpit utterances were not distinguished by graces of diction or the manner of polished oratory. He spoke readily, earnestly and impressively. Glow- ing representations and startling truths often came

Lyman Richardson

unexpectedly. Individuals, and sometimes the mass of an audience, found themselves held by a powerful influence. With strong religious, he possessed also sterling common sense. In 1840 Mr. Richardson re- turned to Harford to take charge of the academy, continuing twenty-five years. The infirmities of age then compelled him to relinquish the charge. In the

cause of education his zeal was ardent. As teacher and principal he maintained unvarying kindness of manner, and secured universal esteem. Without greediness of gain, and anxious to benefit the young, he was ready to subject himself to inconvenience and toil, without such compensation as justice might claim. Having served his generation, he was gather- ed to his fathers, September, 1867, at the age of seventy-seven years.

Prof. Tyler says, "Mr. Lyman Richardson had not a college education, and was not himself a thorough classical scholar. He was a well-educated and self- made man. But this does not mean in his case that he was not educated at all. He disciplined his own mind by observation, reflection and the best books within his reach. He was a live man, wide-awake, intensely in earnest, all on fire from his heart's core to the end of his tongue, and his fingers, and

1 Miss Blackman.

2 Prepared from Adam Miller's sketch.

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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

the very hairs of his head with the ardor of his tem- perament and the fervor of his love to God and man. Full of enthusiasm himself, in the teacher's chair as well as in the pulpit, he was able to inspire his pupils with genuine enthusiasm in their studies.

"His brother, his son and his brother-in-law, who suc- ceeded lim oue after another in his work, all enjoyed better advantages of education, but to him belongs the honor of having originated, and originated well, the series of classical schools which have proved such an ornament and blessing to his native town. It was under Mr. Preston Richardson, brother of Lyman, that I obtained my immediate and final preparation to enter the junior class in college. His school was then wholly a private personal affair, and was kept in a small, simply but suitably furnished chamber, or attic, in the house of his father, the old Richardson house. That was the germ of Franklin Academy and Harford University. Preston Richardson was the gentlest and loveliest of meu, as unpretending as he was unselfish and unambitious; but a most faithful and devoted teacher, and a Christian, whose simple, child-like faith blossomed and bore fruit in a life of rare purity and beauty. I always think of him as beyond any man of my early acquaintance, resembling the Apostle John."

Up to the year 1855 some fourteen hundred stu- dents enrolled at Harford Academy, and nearly every one of them carried away with them feelings of re- gard for the Richardsons similar to those expressed above. No family that ever lived in Northern Penn- sylvania ever did more for the cause of education, sound morality and the pure principles of Christianity than the Richardsons.

COMMON SCHOOLS .- The " Nine Partners," and the other pioneers that followed them, appreciated the value of an education and early established schools for the education of their children. The women, es- pecially, appear to have been cultivated Christian ladies. The first school that Professor Tyler remem- bers was one taught by Mr. Herrick, in Joab Tyler's house. The early teachers mentioned by him are Miss Saralı Fisher and Mary Kingsbury, who taught in the old meeting-house,-"She seemed to be the living embodiment of wisdom and goodness,"-Nancy Sweet, Sarah Thacher, Polly Carpenter, Williston and Samuel E. Kingsbury. Rev. David Torrey mentions a letter received from Harford written, in 1819, to a young gentleman, which says "the girls are all teaching." The nine girls named were Nancy Tyler, Philena Thacher, Polly, Betsey, Nancy and Sally Carpenter, and Sally Kingsbury (afterwards Mrs. Lyman Rich- son), Eliza Thacher and Mary Kingsbury (afterwards Mrs. Jabez Tyler), and they were teaching at Ararat, Clifford, Great Bend, Lawsville, Waterford, and so on. "This was the kind of work that Harford was doing in those early days; this the enterprising ac- tivity of its educated young women." Mrs. Aaron Greenwood and Mrs. Kingsbury, wife of Rev. E.

Kingsbury, were cultivated ladies of influence, who helped to introduce into Harford the culture, the refinement and piety which was characteristic of Harford, even in its pioneer days. The Harford families have furnished scores of good school-teachers. There are eleven schools, including the graded school in the village, in Harford township,-Tiffany or Car- penter District, Richardson Mills, Sweet, Very, Read, East Hill, Harding's, Podunk, Tingley's, Oakley's. The graded school has two rooms and three teachers- a principal, assistant and primary teacher-and ten grades. Wallace L. Thacher furnishes the following list of school-teachers from 1800 to 1820: Harriet Wadsworth, Aaron Greenwood, Amasa Herrick, Mary Kingsbury, Stephen Worth, - Cole, Joshua K. Adams, Alcamena Case, Ely Kingsbury, Daniel Seaver (Samuel and Eliza Thacher, but not in Harford), Philena Thacher, Coy Richardson, Peter Thacher, Simeon Tucker, Miss Hawley. Harford had a good acadamy and good private schools, and did not look with great favor upon the public school system at first. As late as 1863 the people of Harford had paid but little attention to the common-school system of the State, until the old school-houses that had been built by the different neighborhoods became very much dilapidated. The more progressive part of the community began to see that something must be done; then began the political fight between high and low tax, which finally culminated in the election of a high tax board of directors. In 1866 John Blanding, Henry W. Jones, Penuel Carpenter, David L. Hine, Elias Carpenter and Gardner Babcock con- stituted the board of directors, and they decided to build a graded school building at Harford, which they did at a cost of two thousand three hundred and fifty dollars. M. B. Helme, who was afterwards sheriff of the county, was the carpenter. The School Board has not always been harmonious in its councils, but since 1865, when the new departure was taken, eleven new school-houses have been built, giving the town- ship a school property worth in the aggregate about ten thousand dollars. The higher department of the graded school is intended for the advanced pupils throughout the township, and the plan works well. Professor H. S. Sweet was the first principal, assisted by Emma Blanding and Sophronia Farrar. The fol- lowing persons have been principals : E. S. P. Hine, four terms; Henry C. Barret, Miss Sarah Jones, two years ; Henry L. Griffis, W. W. Fletcher, D. J. Peck, W. L. Thacher, Agnes Thacher, Etta Hine and Sadie Tingley were assistants a number of years. Berton E. Smith was principal two years, and W. B. Miller in 1887. Mary Brown, Alice Farrar, Kate Quinlau and Arta Sweet, assistants.

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Centennial history of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, Part 146

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