Centennial history of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, Part 149

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

USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Centennial history of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania > Part 149

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Rev. Mr. Todd's pastoral relations to the people of Gibson and Ararat were dissolved December, 1853. Early in 1855 Rev. O. W. Norton took his place and occupied it for three years. Rev. Edward Allen, of Harford, was pastor, from 1858, for twelve years or more, and was very energetic in pushing the erection of a new church and parsonage. The Union Hill Church was dedicated July 7, 1869. The church, which has a seating capacity of three or four hundred persons, cost six thousand dollars. The parsonage, which was built shortly after, cost two thousand dol- lars. Miss Jane Abel bequeathed three hundred dol- lars toward the erection of the parsonage. Mr. Todd was followed by Rev. H. J. Crane, who supplied the pulpit about three years. Rev. S. C. Marvin, who succeeded him, is remembered as a good sermonizer. He remained about three years, then went West. D. W. Marvin followed, remaining about three years, and was succeeded by Rev. Wm. H. Ness, the present pastor. Silas Chamberlain was chosen dcacon in 1858. Thomas Evans and William Maxey are elders now. Mrs. Noah Tiffany is now ninety-one years of age, and has been a devoted member of the church a great many years. Betsey Chamberlain, Mrs. D. C. Brundage, Mrs. Geo. Morgan and Mrs. Geo. B. Tiffany are among the active workers now. There are only about twenty-five or thirty members remaining. As has been mentioned, a Sunday-school was started by Deacon Abel, with twelve or fifteen pupils. Thomas Evans has been active in the school for many years, acting as superintendent for twenty years. D. C. Brundage, T. G. Reynolds and Gilbert L. Payne have also acted as superintendents. The attendance of scholars is about forty or fifty. It is to be hoped that this landmark of the devotion of the pioneer settlers, from its elevated position on Union Hill, may ever send forth a beacon light of Christian influence, that shall enlighten all the surrounding country in the way of truth and righteousness.

BURROWS' HOLLOW AND VICINITY .- The pioneer settler at Gibson or Burrows' Hollow was Joshua Jay. He came about 1790, and built a log house, a log grist-mill and a blacksmith-shop. He wore a long beard, which was uncommon in those days, and was a great hunter. He used to pry logs out of the beaver- dam down the Jay or Claflin Creek, and when the beavers came out to make repairs, he would shoot them. He sold his mill and other improvements, about 1794, to Elias Van Winkle for a horse and some other consideration. He used the horse to move his family back to New Jersey. He afterwards had cabins in various places in the township, where he spent more or less time hunting. There was a man by the name of Lavoo with him a portion of the time. Elias Van Winkle was a large, broad-shouldered, six-feet- tall Dutchman. He was a hard-working man, of con- siderable force, well fitted for a hardy pioneer life. He introduced a very good breed of horses called the " Jersey Blues " into this section of the country. He

753

GIBSON.

sold his mill property to Stephen Harding in 1805-06, and made a clearing on the hill, where he built a plank house and set out fruit trees. He traded this property with his son-in-law, John Green, who had made a clearing on what was afterward known as Van Winkle's Creek. He died about 1848, aged eighty- four years. His children were Elizabeth, wife of John Green, who traded as before noticed and lived on the road from Burrows' Hollow to Harford. He had a large farm of two hundred acres, with good orchards, and lived to the age of eighty-three years. His sons, Elias V. (who was sheriff of the county in 1860), John and Lines, all lived on the homestead. Lines Green, aged eighty years, is the only one of the family now living. He is the oldest man in the neighborhood, and remem- bers when they had to yard their sheep every night to keep them from the wolves. His father was a great hunter and killed panthers, bears and deer. He drew in eleven deer one morning before breakfast. The deer would huddle together under the hedge during winter, and it was an easy matter to kill them, espe- cially when the snow was deep and there was a crust on the snow. He was a shoemaker, and went from house to house to make shoes for the families,-what they called "whipping the cat." He hunted and gave the venison away to his neighbors. Stephen Harding built a saw-mill, and was building a grist-mill when Nathan Claflin and Cyrus Cheever bought the mill property in 1807. Harding was a good millwright, and they had him complete the grist-mill. It had one run of stone quarried out of the mountain opposite Pitts- ton by S. Harding. It was a white flint-stone. Hard- ing always carried a double-barreled rifle, and was a good hunter. Cyrus Cheever removed from here to a place near Abel Read's, and finally died at Montrose. Mr. Claflin continued to run the mills until he died, in 1837, when his two sons, Naaman F. and John H., divided the property, Naaman taking the farm where he now resides, aged sixty-nine years. He is remark- able for his knowledge of local history. Nearly every thing that has happened at Burrows' Hollow, both past and present, are familiar to him, day and date. His wife was Fanny Tuttle, daughter of Daniel Tuttle, an early settler in Franklin township.

John H. took the mills and built a new grist-mill, with two run of stones, in 1831, and a new saw-mill about 1856. He run the mills until 1884, when the property fell into the hands of Harriet Seymour, who sold it to William Gillespie. The mill was patron- ized in early days by people for seven or eight miles around.

Nathan Claflin had two wives. Watson, who lived in Gibson; Hermon, who was a millwright; and Mindwell, the wife of Lemuel Bingham, of Harford, were children of the first wife. He then married widow Elias Sweet. Harriet F., wife of Alvin J. Seymour; Naaman F .; Sally Ann, wife of Harvey Pipher; and John H., were their children.

A man by the name of Hamilton built the first

frame house in Gibson township, and it was a frame house in the full sense of that term. It was about twenty-four by thirty-four feet on the ground, and was raised in bents like a barn, with timbers large enough for a barn. The bents were about three or four feet apart, so that these immense beams would be close enough together for joists. A number of different families lived in it. It was built on land that Drinker had given to the wife of his dissipated son-in-law, Sky- rin, and the house was known far and near as the Old Skyrin House. Dr. Robert Chandler, the first post- master, occupied the house in 1804-05 as a hotel. He subsequently resided about one-half mile east on the turnpike. Leonard Mowrey sold goods at the Skyrin House, and it was used for a school-house at times. Finally it passed into the hands of Nathan Claflin. David Tarbox started the harness-making and saddlery business here, and continued until 1827, when he sold and moved to Honesdale, and engaged in the same business there.

Urbane Burrows, Tarbox's brother-in-law, came in 1819, and soon after bought the Dougherty goods of Mallery. The store was near Butler Creek. He had a barrel of rum, a keg of plug-tobacco, a chest of tea, whips that he made himself, and a few other things to begin with. From this small beginning he became wealthy and carried a large stock of goods. He built a saw-mill, about 1829, where an old mill had been built by Elder Lewis. He was the most public-spirited man that ever lived in the township. Soon after he came he had a school-house built, and later was active in having a graded school building. He contributed largely to the building of the Methodist Church on Kennedy Hill in 1837, and later, in 1868-69, he was a liberal contributor to the church in the village. He did nothing for show, but he became so identified with the place that it was called Burrows' Hollow in his honor.

Dr. Robert Chandler kept the "Skyrin House," which was the first hotel. There was an old road that led to Great Bend, and another to "Nine Part- ners" from here. John Green's wife often told the story of Hamilton's barrel of cider and laughed over it. Some time about 1800 Hamilton, who built the Skyrin House, got a barrel of cider from New Jersey. When it became known down to "Nine Partners" that there was a barrel of cider at Hamilton's, they came in full force, some with horses and others with oxen, bringing their families along. They drank it all that evening, and doubtless went back to their humble cabins feeling that they had tasted one of the joys of their Yankec home once more. The Great Bend and Cochecton turnpike passes through Burrows' Hol- low. Soon after that was built, the old State road was started at this place and extended westward through Harford, Brooklyn, etc. The travel was going from Cochecton to the Bend, and thence westward through New York. This Pennsylvania State road, which in- tersected the Cochecton and Great Bend road at

754

HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Burrows' Hollow, was evidently intended to divert the western travel through Pennsylvania. Oney Sweet had a hotel on the Newburg turnpike, and kept a stage-house. His son, Almon Sweet, resides there now. Raymond, another son, owned a farm near by his father's. A. J. Chamberlain started a hotel where William Colwell has his apple-jack distillery. Cor- nelius Lupton has a hotel now. In 1840 Eliab Farrar started a store where Barrett & Foster now have their store. C. P. Hawley did a good business here. Ingalls then had the Burrows store until he failed for about forty thousand dollars. A co-operative store was then started, but it did not last long. Nathaniel C. Curtis then bought it, and still continues the business. Hawley sold to George H. Wells, who did business twelve years, followed by S. P. Cushman and Foster & Barrett. John Tarbox built a small tannery about 1822, and carried on shoemaking and tanning until about 1843, and sold to Jasper D. Stiles, who carried on the business with about thirty vats. His assignees sold the property to Hayden & Somers, who are just starting the tannery again.

Alvin Clinton came here in 1827 and started black- smithing and cleared up a farm. He raised a family and died in 1883, aged seventy-seven. His son Ed- win resides on the old place.

Dr. Robert Chandler raised a large family. His son Charles lived in Gibson many years and finally died where his grandson Charles resides, in Jackson township. George and Ezra went West. Henry died in Thomson, John in Deposit and Thomas lived in Herrick. Abigail was the wife of Oney Sweet, of Gibson ; Polly, wife of Moses Chamberlain ; and Bet- sey wife of Henry Perry. They all raised large fami- lies.

Ezekiel Barnes came to Gibson about 1800 and lived on the hill from Gibson towards Kentuck. Ne- hemiah Barnes, his father, was a Revolutionary sol- dier, and had four sons,-Amos, Ezekiel, Russell and William. Amos and Ezekiel settled in Gibson on farms adjoining each other of two hundred acres each. They cleared up large farms, and each had two or- chards and a sugar bush. They raised large families and were among the enterprising men of the town, but uone of their descendants reside there uow. Wal- lace, a son of Amos, lives near the line. Nathan Guile lived near the Barnes'. His son Jason lived there until he died. Jonathan Smith lived on the next farm towards Kentuck. His son David resided there many years.

Oney Sweet chopped the first tree where Almon Sweet lives, in 1807, and erected a small frame house ten years later, in 1817. He erected the large part and fitted up the premises for hotel-keeping. The house was well known as a stage-house for twenty years. In 1848 the hotel business was discontinued. Taverns were about two miles apart on the Newburg road. From New Milford traveling eastward the first place was the old Mott stand; next Avery's; then

Sweet's; Kennedy Hill tavern, which was started by Thayer ; the Taylor stand at Smiley Hollow ; Dr. Day's, in Herrick ; thence into Wayne County. Dr. Chandler died at the foot of the hill from Sweet's. Moses Chamberlain was a brother-in-law of Sweet's, both having married into Dr. Chandler's family. Noah Potter, Milton, Charles and Daniel Tingley lo- cated on the road to Jackson. In 1817 Charles Case was located on a farm subsequently occupied by his son, Wm. T. Case, Esq.

James Washburn was the first justice of the peace. Among those who have served since are Wm. T. Case, C. P. Edwards, Timothy Carpenter, Henry Abel, Robert Ellis, Rufus Barnes, Herman Webber, Wil- liam Maxey, C. W. Resseguie.

Wm. Dougherty came to Burrows' Hollow in 1814, just after the War of 1812, in which he was a soldier. He built the second frame house in Burrows' Hollow, near the pond where Gilbert Stiles lives, and started the first store in 1816-17. He borrowed money of Mallery, of Wilkes-Barre. David Bryant and Har- vey Chandler drew the goods, consisting of whiskey, tobacco, etc., from Newburg. He sold a pound of to- bacco for a bushel of rye, and a pound of tea for $1.25. He could get no money ; nothing but barter in exchange, and being unable to pay Mallery, he took the business and sold it to Urbane Burrows in 1819. Dorothy sunk the first tannery at the Hollow, having four vats. He ran the tannery a number of years and sold to Tarbox about 1825. He and Nathan Claflin were the first Royal Arch Masons in the county. He moved to Salem, Pa., where he started another tannery. He had four daughters,-Harriet, Mary, Emeline and Nancy. Harriet is the wife of Adin Larrabee. Eme line is the wife of L. D. Benson Jasper Stiles bought out John Tarbox iu. 1837. He was a shoemaker, and in 1840 commenced tanning again. He enlarged the tannery until he tanned about five thousand sides per year. He bought N. E. Keunedy's store in 1877, which caused his failure in 1884. C. P. Edwards is a carriage-maker at Burrows' Hollow.

" A Mr. Brown is said to have lived here about 1796. Wright Chamberlain bought a farm of Joshua Jay, May, 1796, on the easteru slope of what was called Putt's Hill, about a mile east of Burrows' Hol- low, and here he speut the remainder of his life. He had left Litchfield, Ct., one year previous, and 'set out with Denman Coe to visit the State of Penn- sylvania.' From his diary, now preserved by Silas Chamberlin, we quote the result :

"'I hought a possession at Hophottom, and on the 11th of June (1795), I set out with Coe's family to carry them into Pennsylvania, and I worked at Hopbottom that year from the 26th day of June until the 8th of September following, when I set out for Litchfield, in order to move my family to Hophottom. But, as I passed Nine Partners, Mr. John Tyler persuaded me to purchase a possession there. Jan. 21st, A.D. 1796, I bid farewell to the State of Connecticut, and on Feh. 26th, 1796, I arrived with my family in Nine Partuers.'

"Iu August following he removed his family to his

755

GIBSON.

new purchase on Putt's Hill, now in Gibson. After the death of his first wife, in 1797, he married Sally Holdridge, daughter of the first pioneer of Herrick. He had three wives and twenty-four children. (Some assert that there were twenty-eight in all, but the record closes with the birth of his son Jackson, in 1833.) His first wife's family consisted of seven boys and one girl. Moses C., who died in Gibson, August, 1870, at the age of cighty-three, was one of those boys, and was eight years old when his father left Connecticut. James was another, and was the father of Silas Chamberlin, now of New Milford, but who was born in Gibson, and lived here sixty-seven years. There are but three persons surviving who have lived in the township as long as he: viz., the widow of Ezekiel Barnes (a daughter of John Belcher, Sr.) and Corbet Pickering, of South Gibson. Wright Cham- berlin, Jr., another brother, lived for many years on the river between Susquehanna Depot and Great Bend. He died recently. Wright Chamberlin, Sr., died in 1842, aged eighty-four. He had been a Rev- olutionary soldier. For many years he was a deacon in the Presbyterian Church on Union Hill. Prior to 1800 he was a licensed 'taverner' in his log house on the high ground, a short distance west of Lewis Evans' present house, which he built two or three rods from the house raised by Mr. Chamberlin Octo- ber, 1814. At a later date in his diary, he says : 'I moved my new house down to the well.' The first house stood on the old road, which, in 1807-10, was superseded by the Newburg turnpike."

Moses Chamberlain first, was a native of Litchfield County, Conn. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary army, and after the war moved to Vermont, where he married. He removed to Franklin County, N. Y., and that county being on the border line of warfare during the War of 1812, he removed to this county, and located where his son, S. S. Chamberlain, lived and died. Each of the senior brothers, Moses and Wright, had a brother Moses. Silas Chamberlain died near Burrows' Hollow. His sons, Roswell, Jud- son and Orville, live in the township. Samuel Chamberlain's son, Wilson A., resides on the home- stead, Moses W., son of Moses Chamberlain, resides near Susquehanna.

URBANE BURROWS, son of Rev. Daniel Burrows, was born near Groton, Conn., in 1798. He obtained a good common-school education, and understood sur- veying and drafting. His father was a Methodist preacher, and was sent to Congress as a Democrat from Connecticut, for two terms. Urbane, years afterwards, adopted his father's religion, but not his politics. He was a stanch Republican. In 1819, when Urbane was twenty one, he came into Pennsyl- vania, attracted here doubtless by his brother-in-law, David Tarbox, who had preceded him a year or two. He bought Dougherty's stock of goods and engaged in the mercantile business for many years, and by his push and enterprise built up Burrows' Hollow, and

gained a competence. When a middle-aged man, he was transacting some business with a man who had family prayers, and requested him to take part. He refused, not being a professor of religion. He was admonished by the man, and went home and resolved to lead a new life. He united with the church of his fathers, and became its main pillar and leading sup- porter. He gave the largest part toward building the church at Burrows' Hollow, contributed five hundred dollars and a lot towards the parsonage, and left three thousand dollars as a permanent fund for the church. He also contributed nine hundred dollars toward the graded school building at Burrows' Hol- low.

He was precise and systematic in all that he did. His love of order was extreme ; every six months an exact statement of his business was made. He was prompt in meeting his own engagements, and wanted others to do the same. His dun was equal to a sheriff with a scarch-warrant ; consequently he seldom lost a debt, although he never sued any one. He was a clean, clear, cold-cut gentleman. Taciturn, reserved and exclusive in his notions, he was generally con- sidered aristocratic by his neighbors. He gave him- self just so many minutes to travel to a given place, and then drove his horses furiously, up hill and down, in order to get to his point of destination in time. His wife was Emeline Lord, and they had no chil- dren. He was elected associate judge in 1856, and was Sunday-school superintendent and class-leader in the Methodist Church for many years. He died July 15, 1882, aged eighty-three, and is buried in the burying-ground near the church which owes so much to his generosity. Joshua Burrows, a nephew of his, occupies his former residence.

PHYSICIANS .- Dr. Robert Chandler occupied the "Skyrin " house as early as 1804. Dr. Denny lived in the Tunkhannock Valley ten years later. Dr. Wm. W. Tyler was in the township a short time. Dr. Chester Tyler came from Hartwick, Otsego County, N. Y., and located on Kennedy Hill in 1825, and practiced there until he died, in 1846. In 1830, Dr. Wm. W. Pride, a returned missionary from the Choc- taws, practiced at Burrows' Hollow about four years. In April, 1834, Dr. Jonathan W. Brundage came and practiced in Gibson until his death, in 1861. Of his eight children, Stephen, Geo. C. and Jane, wife of Elmanzer Walker, reside in Gibson. G. N. Brundage, a brother, and D. F. Brundage, a son of J. W. Brun- dage, all practiced here ; also Norman B., son of Dr. E. L. Brundage, another brother. Dr. Chas. Drinker was here a short time. Dr. A. P. Miller practiced here many years. Dr. A. B. Woodward, son of Artemas Woodward, an eclectic physician, practiced twenty-nine years in his native town ; he also had a store a short time. Drs. Marsh, Rogers and Arthur Brundage are among the later physicians.

SCHOOLS .- There was a log school-house about twelve by fourteen ncar James Bennett's as early as

756

HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

1804, George Woodward thinks. There were but four pupils at first. Lois Potter, afterwards wife of Otis Stearns, was an early teacher there. Miss Molly Post taught in 1807, and Charles Bennett was one of her pupils in a log house with a bark roof. Lyman Richardson taught a school in Captain Pot- ter's house in 1808-09. Mr. Follett tauglit early. In 1828 Rev. Rosman Ingalls had a select school for six months in the old Presbyterian Church on Union Hill, and in 1829, in the school-house near Mr. Abel's. The Gibson Academy on Kennedy Hill was built mainly through the influence of Joseph Washburn, Esq., President of the Board of Trustees. It was ready in 1841. Miss R. S. Ingalls, Mr. .Maxon, J. J. Frazier and Mr. Blatchley taught select schools there. Jane Chase and Harriet Chandler are remembered as early teachers here. The first school in the southern part of the township was taught in the house of Captain Payne in 1821. In the same year or the year following Elisha Williams, James Chandler, Captain Powers, David Carpenter, Oliver Payne, Eleazer, Artemas, and George Woodward con- tributed towards building a school-house in Columbia District, so called because most of the old settlers came from Columbia, Conn. The building was erected in 1822 by Charles Edwards, and stood upon the opposite side of the road from where the present building stands. Solomon Bolton, Harland Fuller, Asahel Carpenter, father of ex-Governor Carpenter, of Iowa, and H. N. Tiffany are among the early prom- inent teachers. This has been considered the best school in the township, and has a local reputation for being "a school of teachers." In 1836 Lewis Res- seguie and his brother-in-law, Henry Miller, started a subscription to raise funds to build a school-house in South Gibson. It was erected that season, and Chloe Tiffany was the first teacher. Among those who taught in the next twenty years were H. N. Tiffany, Eveline Chandler, Lucinda Tiffany and Angeline Woodward. In 1886 another building was erec- ted, in which Amelia Belcher, H. Kate Dix, O. C. Whitney and Manly Brundage taught several terms each. In 1882 the Graded School building was erected at a cost of two thousand dollars; the citizens of South Gibson gave four hundred dollars. D. E. Holmes, contractor and builder. O. W. Bur- man, Berton Smith, George P. Ross and Nelson Spencer have been principals. The school library contains over two hundred volumes. The erection of this building provoked considerable opposition, and the directors had to exhibit considerable firmness in coming to a decision. The following are the Board of Directors that decided to build : Joel Dix, Herman Webber, George Tiffany, James Smith, Charles W. Resseguie, T. J. Reese.

There were schools in the vicinity of Burrows' Hol- low as early as 1800. Wright Chamberlain was an early teacher of a school in his own house, for his own family and his neighbors' benefit. Among the

early teachers were Eliza Morey, Cynthia Cheever, Wareham B. Walker (who taught in the old " Skyrin House ") Peddie Foster, John D. Scott and Josiah B. Bill. The latter came from New Milford every day, and taught for twelve dollars a month. He under- stood how to govern his eighty pupils. They loved and feared him. He was the most celebrated teacher in this school in its pioneer days. A school building was erected in 1821 under the leadership of Urbane Burrows. Nathaniel Claflin, Oney Sweet, David Tarbox, Ezekiel and Amos Burrows, assisting M. B. Wheaton and Frank Bailey, taught here.

A graded school building was erected in 1879. Judge Burrows came back from the Centennial at Philadelphia with the impression that Burrows' Hol- low was behind the times in the matter of schools, and the graded school building is the result. W. L. Cornell was principal in 1879, followed by William Whitney, U. B. Gillett, Miss Ellen Whitney, James Adams, Wallace L. Thacher.

The first Board of School Directors in Gibson were Joseph Washburne, Arunah Tiffany, Otis Stearns, George Woodward, Waller Washburn and Garrett Johnson. There are now twelve school districts- Burrows' Hollow, Kentuck, Columbia, Union Hill, Kennedy Hill, Washburn, Gelatt, Briar Hill, Rock, East Mountain, South Gibson, Smiley.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Centennial history of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, Part 149

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