Centennial history of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, Part 150

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 150

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KENNEDY HILL AND BURROWS' HOLLOW METH- ODIST CHURCH .- The first Methodist in Gibson was Margaret Bennett, who lived on Union Hill. She used to ride on horseback to Jacob Tewksbury's, in. Brooklyn, a distance of twelve miles, to prayer-meet- ing. The first meetings in Gibson were held in James Bennett's house and barn. The first class was organ- ized about 1812-13 by Elijah King, who was traveling on Broome Circuit. George Williams, a bachelor, was leader for many years. The other members of the class were Margaret Bennett, generally known as Aunt "Peggy ;" Sarah Willis, afterwards wife of John Belcher ; Susanna Fuller and Joseph Williams. Mrs. Ingalls, with her two daughters and four sons, joined the class soon after it was organized. Rosman Ingalls became a Methodist preacher. Charles Ben- nett also joined early. Mr. Ingalls, Urbane Burrows and E. V. Decker have been class-leaders. Christo- pher Frye is said to have preached the first sermon. He was on the Wyoming Circuit as early as 1806, which then included Hopbottom. Dr. George Peck, who traveled this circuit in 1819, says of him : "He was a large man, had a great voice and a fiery soul. Great revivals followed him." Of Nathaniel Lewis, of Harmony, a local preacher who early held meetings in this section, he said : " He was rough as a moun- tain crag, but deeply pious. He could read his Bible and fathom the human heart, particularly in its de- velopments among backwoodsmen." Rev. Edward Paine, Elisha Bibbings, Loring Grant and others are recalled as having preached here to the pioneers. Later A. A. Decker, Nathan Kennedy and wife, A.

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Lathrop, Robinson Lewis, Adelia Lewis, William Roper, Julia Roper, Raymond Scott, A. W. Green- wood, Thomas W. Tingley, Philander Tiffany. After Major Lamb and family came they held meetings at his house, occasionally, when he lived in the Skyrin House, 1815-18; also at David Tarbox's and at the school-house at Burrows' Hollow. The New Hamp- shire and Vermont Methodists that settled in Jack- son worshipped liere before they had a class of their own. These early Methodists were the old-fash- ioned, shouting kind. The circuits were large, and the ministers preached in school-houses and barns, wherever they could obtain a hearing. Although some of their names are forgotten, the good they did will never be lost. Aunt Peggy Bennett's house was a preacher's home for years. She is remembered as a very earnest Christian woman, who jumped and shouted when she was happy. The first church was erected on Kennedy Hill in 1837. Rev. Messrs. Tenny and Reddy were on the circuit when the church was dedicated. They held extra services, which resulted in a great revival, and many were added to the church. In 1868-69 this church was sold to the South Gibson charge, and it was removed to that place, and the church at Burrows' Hollow was erected. There are about seventy-five members, and this year it has been set off as a separate charge. The Sunday-school was organized after the church was built on Kennedy Hill, with Urbane Burrows as superintendent, a posi- tion which he held until after the church was built in Burrows' Hollow. He was capable and liberal and attracted pupils for miles around.

THE BAPTISTS had preaching at Burrows' Hollow first of all. Elder Dimock and Elder Lewis preached here. They organized the people into a church, but they never had any building. Elder Lewis baptized eleven through the ice one day. Cyrus Cheever, Stephen Harding, John Green, Dr. Chandler and Warren Follet's wife were Baptists. Elder Hartwell preached in the place some time.

THE UNIVERSALIST CHURCH was built in 1840. Charles Tingley, Franklin N. Avery, Almon Clinton, Oney Sweet, Abijah Wells, Moses Chamberlain, Mil- ton Tingley, Amos Barnes, Ezekiel Barnes and Obed Ney were the principal members. James R. Mack organized the church. There has been no regular preacher of late. Occasionally a missionary comes here and holds meetings.

NORTH STAR LODGE, No. 119, A. Y. M., was insti- tuted in Gibson, probably at James Washburn's house, in 1816. The charter for this lodge was granted in England to Clifford District, which then embraced a large extent of territory, and a full history of the changes which took place and the different lodges that were held under this charter before it was finally surrendered to the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania would read like a romance. It appears that the charter was originally granted to Judge Samuel Preston, a pioneer and prominent Quaker settler at Stockport,

Wayne County ; Samuel Stanton, the pioneer settler at Mount Pleasant, and John Comfort, another prominent pioneer at Lanesboro'. The lodge was first held at Mount Pleasant. Elijah Dix, another old settler, was a member there. Then it appears that the North Star Lodge was instituted either at Hosea Tiffany's, in Harford, or at Washburn's house. It was held at Washburn's, in Gibson, as long as he lived. The following persons are remembered as having been members of that lodge : William Dough- erty, Nathaniel Claflin, Eliab Farrar, Joshua K. Adams, James Adams, Captain Amos Payne, Chas. Payne, Dr. Streeter, Major Laban Capron, Hosea Tiff- any, Jr., Amos Tiffany, Capt. Freeman Peck, Jacob Blake, Nathan P. Thacher, Enos Thacher, Joab Fuller, Nathan Aldrich, Rufus Kingsley, Dr. Braton Rich- ardson, Peter Williams, Charles Tingley, S. P. Chandler, Milton Tingley, Elisha Williams, Moses B. Wheaton, Job Benson, Torrey Whitney,- Hanners, Thomas Carr and Michael J. Mulvey were among the members. It is said that a lodge was in- stituted under this charter at Dundaff. During the Anti-Mason agitation the lodge did not meet very frequently. After James Washburn died, Charles Tingley, his executor, found the chest containing the charter and other paraphernalia of the order, and be- ing a Mason, he called a meeting of some of the old members at his house. They assembled there and concluded to reorganize and commence work again ; but here a new difficulty arose. While this lodge had been sleeping, a contest had arisen in the State between the Ancient York Masons, holding charters from England, and the Free and Accepted Masons, organ- ized under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. The old lodge gave five degrees, in- cluding the Mark Master's degree, which interfered with the Royal Arch Chapter under the Pennsylvania jurisdiction ; and further, returns had to be made to England, which was very inconvenient, but most of the members that now belonged were old men, and all of their lodge associations clustered around the North Star Lodge, and they stood out stoutly against surrendering their old English charter. They initia- ted two or three members after reorganization, but the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania insisted upon their surrendering their charter; Judge Tingley was a timid man, and finally favored surrendering the charter, which was accordingly done, and Freedom Lodge, of Jackson, was chartered from Pennsylvania, with Torrey Whitney, W. M .; M. B. Wheaton, S.W .; Chas. Tingley, J. W .; M. J. Mulvey, Senior Deacon; Dr. Streeter, Junior Deacon. Joshua K. Adams arrived too late to be made Master, as was originally intended. He was the best workman in the old and also in the new order when it was instituted. Free- dom Lodge was organized at Burrows' Hollow, but now has its place of meeting at Jackson.

GEORGE GELATT came to Gibson from Massachu- setts with his family between 1809 and 1812. He

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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

first located where Milton Tingley afterward lived. He built a tavern one-half mile north of Smiley Hol- low, on the Newburg turnpike, a short time after he came there. He was a farmer and carpenter, and lived to be one hundred and four years of age.

Of his children, Abigail was the wife of Eben Blanchard, a farmer that lived in the vicinity. Robert built a saw-mill above, on the east branch of the Tunkhannock, where Barnes' mill is now located ; he finally moved into Thomson, where he died, aged ninety-six. Collins Gelatt moved to Thomson and was a farmer. Richard Gelatt moved to Iowa. Judge Geo. B. McCrary married one of his daughters. Jona- than Gelatt first lived near Gelatt Hollow, but finally moved to Thomson and died there, aged eighty-six ; his only son, Collins, lives in Jackson. Charles Pick- ering was one of the first merchants at Gelatt. Gris- wold Gelatt has a store there now. George Gelatt built a grist-mill in Gelatt Hollow about 1846, now owned by Henry Gelatt. Geary John built a card- ing-machine and woolen factory in 1836 and sold it to Deacon Harrison Pope, who has run it ever since. Geo. Gelatt, Jr., located on the homestead, which is now owned by Silas Gelatt, a great grandson of the first settler. Phineas Pickering settled in the vicinity of Gelatt. His sons were Augustus, Joseph and John B. David Lamb built a saw-mill above Gelatt, near the Jackson line. Wm. D. Eymer started a furniture factory there in 1856 and carried on bedstead-making and cabinet work, to which he added undertaking until his death, in 1886. The property is now in the hands of H. D. Pickering and W. W. Pope. "In 1826 Roswell Barnes bought a saw-mill of Robert Gelatt and located in the extreme northeast corner of Gibson."

" Deacon Otis Stearns, a son of Joseph Stearns, who came to Harford in 1792, but located in Mount Pleasant a year or two later, bought two hundred and forty acres of Joseph Potter, and remained on that place three years, keeping tavern, when he removed to the farm, where he spent the rest of his life, near the lake that bears his name. Here he built a grist- mill in 1819. He died in 1858. His widow, a daugh- ter of Captain Potter, died in Gibson eleven years later, in her eighty-second year. She was born in Saratoga County, N. Y., came with her father to Sus- quehanna County in 1792, was fifty years a member of the Baptist Church, and lived and died a Chris- tian." Their son Horace resides on the homestead ; another son, Almon, was a Baptist minister ; Lucina was the wife of Eli Barnes.

SMILEY HOLLOW AND VICINITY .- Dr. , John Denny and Jolin Safford bought lands and improve- ments of George Gelatt, on the Tunkhannock, after- wards known as Smiley. Safford had a grist-mill, saw- mill and carding-machine that were burned in 1822, which so discouraged him that he moved West. Dr. John Denny came there about 1812, and cleared up a farm that Smiley afterwards owned. He was a doctor,

tavern-keeper, store-keeper, drover, farmer and weaver. He was a good weaver and wove bird's eye coverlets, where he used thirty-two treadles. His sons were Nathaniel S., Elias, Sylvenus and Samuel. There were seven girls. Tamar, wife of Corbett Pickering, is living, aged eighty-five. Peck Brothers, two crip- pled tailors, first erected a store on the east side of the Tunkhannock, and engaged in merchandising in connection with their trade.

JOHN SMILEY was born in Bloomingburg, Sullivan County, N. Y., February 15, 1809. In 1833 he came to Lanesboro', Susquehanna County, and was em- ployed in a hotel one year, when he and two other young men built a raft and run it to Owego, N. Y., on their journey West. Here they took the stage to Buffalo, thence by boat to Detroit, west into Michi- gan, near Jackson, where he located one hundred and sixty acres of land. Returning the same summer to Susquehanna County, he hired out to Peck Bro- thers, who had a small store and tailoring shop on the east side of the Tunkhannock, at what is now Smiley. In 1836 John Smiley, with four hundred dollars, and Gaylord Curtis, with thirty dollars, bought out the Peck Brothers and began business, which they continued successfully until 1852, when the partner- ship was dissolved. They shipped their goods by way of the Delaware and Hudson Canal to Honesdale thence by teams to Smiley. Money was scarce, and business had to be conducted on the barter and credit system. The store was located on the Newburg turn- pike, which was the great thoroughfare then, and the young merchants pushed business with such energy that Smiley became the business centre for miles around. There were stores on Kennedy Hill and at Burrows' Hollow; but north and east, in Jackson, Herrick, Thomson, South Gibson, and even beyond, extending into Wayne County, farmers came to this store to do their trading. Mr. Smiley built the pres- ent store on the west side of the creek in 1848, and carried on merchandising until he secured a compe- tence, when he sold out to his son-in-law, David Smiley. Although the railroad had diverted the travel from the old turnpike, the business had re- ceived such an impetus and become so firmly en- trenched, that David Smiley, as late as 1864, shipped one hundred thousand dollars' worth of butter in one year. In 1837 Mr. Smiley bought the John Picker- ing farm and erected the present dwelling-house, and carried on farming in connection with his store. In 1833 he married Keziah C., daughter of Dr. Day, of Herrick. Miss Day was a school-teacher, and was teaching at Smiley when he became acquainted with her. She is still living, aged seventy-four, and was a fit companion of the thrifty and energetic young mer- chant. Dr. Day first commenced at Mt. Pleasant. He was subsequently proprietor of a hotel on the Newburg road, in Herrick township, known far and near as the Day stand. He was a genial man, well calculated for a landlord. Hespent the last few years

John Smiley

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of his life with his son-in-law, where he died at the advanced age of eighty-six.

John Smiley was a reliable and honest business man. Industrious, resolute and ambitious, he made a competence, which, at his death, was divided among his children. He never oppressed the poor, and notable among his characteristics was his sympathy for those less fortunate than himself. He gave long credit to his debtors, and extended the hand of charity to the needy in a quiet, unostentatious way. He was a man of large calculation, good judgment and shrewd management. He was conservative in expression but firm in conviction. This is illustrated by his sterling Democracy, which he always maintained in the face of an overwhelming opposition. Every elec- tion day found him at the polls with tickets, stoutly contesting for his chosen principles ; yet he was so democratic in manner, that he was personally popular in a community that was five to one against him politically. He died in 1872, and was buried in the family burying-ground on the old homestead. Of his family, Helen A. was the wife of David Smiley ; James E., his only son, died young (Mr. Smiley never recovered from the sorrow produced by the loss of his son) ; Margaret A., wife of George Milliken, resides on the homestead; Mary K. is the wife of H. N. Nichols, manufacturer and capitalist, of Denver, Colorado ; Jennie M., wife of T. J. Foley, stock-raiser and president of the First National Bank, of North Platte, Nebraska.

The old Taylor stand, which was near here, was kept by Asahel Norton, N. Webber, Charles Forbes, Lewis Baker, Aaron Green, William Lunnegan, Joel Steenback, George Entrot and Samuel Holmes, who has converted it into a dwelling. In the days of stag- ing, when the Newburg turnpike was thronged with travelers and cattle, this was a paying house. Webber took in two hundred dollars one morning. The house would accommodate about forty or fifty persons, but many of the emigrants came in wagons covered with sheeting and partially provided themselves with ac- commodations. While Forbes had the hotel he run a distillery also. He used to keep forty or fifty hogs on the refuse grain from the distillery. Lewis Baker carried on the distillery after Forbes moved to Hones- dale. Goodrich Elton had a carding-machine at Smiley many years. In 1836 William H. Pope began the woolen factory at Gelatt, and a branch of the business was carried on at Smiley in the Elton build- ing. Alanson Day and Jefferson Barnes were black- smiths at Smiley.

Silas Steenback came to Gibson about 1814, and bought a farm on the Tunkhannock, a short distance below Smiley. He cleared up a farm and bought the Asahel Norton grist-mill, and subsequently the old Taylor stand of Lewis Baker ; and later still he built a saw-mill and carried on an extensive milling and farming business. He made a good fortune and sold to Henry Howell about 1857, and moved to

Binghamton, where he died thirteen years after, aged nearly eighty. He married one of Dr. Denny's daughters, and had a family of thirteen children. Mrs. Curtis Howell and Esther reside in Gibson. John, Philip and Phebe, wifc of Chas. Barrett, reside in Jackson, and Ira in Sullivan County.

Levi, brother of James Bennett, lived half a mile west of Smiley. His sons were William, George, John and James.

A post-office was established at Smiley, February 8, 1854, and Goodrich Elton was the first postmaster. He was succeeded by David M. Smiley, in 1866; George Smiley, 1869; George B. Milliken, 1873; George H. Williams, 1876. The office was discontin- ued at Smiley, May 27, 1879, and by a singular coin- cidence the name of the pioneer settler was restored when Gelatt post-office was established, a short dis- tance above Smiley, May 7, 1878, with George S. Smiley as first postmaster. Martha Smiley was ap- pointed in 1879, and Griswold Gelatt in 1885.

EAST GIBSON BAPTIST CHURCH .- This church was constituted at Smiley Hollow. Elder J. W. Parker labored here as early as 1852, preaching one- fourth of the time for two years. They were then constituted a branch of the Gibson and Jackson Church, which relation continued two years, during which time they were supplied with preaching by J. B. Worden and A. O. Stearns. April 30, 1856, they were recognized as an independent church, with Elder R. G. Lamb as their pastor. Wm. P. Gardner was or- dained deacon and chosen as church clerk. The little band struggled on for four years, then changed their place of meeting to Barnes' Hill, where they continued until the final dissolution of the church. The church was constituted with eighteen members, and fifteen were afterward received by baptism and several by letter. Elders Parker, Lamb and Stearns officiated until their house of worship became so dilapidated that they concluded to disband and unite with other churches.

AN OLD-SCHOOL BAPTIST CHURCH was organized about 1824, near Gelatt. Alonzo Kinney and wife, Theron Washburn and wife, Lawrence Manzer and wife, Calvin Morse and wife, Samuel Washburn and wife and Frank and wife were the principal members. Elder Pitcher was their preacher. The little church is used for a shop. The members are nearly all dead. Alonzo Kinney lives on East Mountain.

ASSESSMENT OF GIBSON, 1816-17 .- William Abel, James Bennet, Levi Bennet, Elias Bell, John Belcher, John Bennet, Benajah Burgess, Wil- liam Belcher, John Belcher, Jr., Benjamin Ball, Sterling Bell, Joel Barnes, Ebenezer Bailey, Warren Bailey, John Brundage, Sylvenus Campbell, Wright Chamberlain, Milo Chamberlain, Moses Chamberlain, James Chamberlain, John Collar, Truman Clinton, Robert Chaudler Charles Chandler, Nathaniel Claflin, Moses Chamberlin, Jr., Levi Chamberlin, David Carpenter, Daniel Clow, Cyrel Carpenter, James Chandler, Simeon S. Chamberlin, Wright Chamberlin, Jr., Asa Dimock, Nathan Dauiels, John Doyle (Ararat), Erastus Day, John Denny, Daniel Denison, Walter Dickey, Eliab Farrer, Solomon Giddings, James Giddings, Collins Gelatt, George Gelatt, Jr., George Galloway, Asahel Gregory, George Gelatt, Jonathan Gelatt, Nathan Guile, John Green, Elisha Harding, William Holmes, David Holmes, Stephen Harding, David

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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Hains, Rufus Horton, Carleton Kent (Herrick), Jolin Kent (Herrick), Walter Lyon (Herrick), Lyman Lewis (Clifford), Ichabod Lott (Clifford) Phebe Low, Joel Lamb, Nathan Maxson, Sarah Mumford, William Michael, Ezra Newton, Ashel Norton, Thadeus Newton, William Par- menter, Joseph Potter, Moses Parsons, John Potter, Noah Potter, John Pickering, Jolin Pierce, Sylvester Powers, Phineas Pickering, Hazard Powers, Oliver Payne, Joab Roberts, Samuel Resseguic, Philip S. Stew- art, Oney Swect, John Skyron, Frederick Stad, Joseph Sweet, David Smith, Jonathan Smith, Silas Steenback, David Spoor (Herrick), Otis Stearus, Jolin Safford, Benjamin Tingley, Amos Taylor, Elkanah Ting- ley, John Tyler (Ararat), Jabez Tyler (Ararat), Arunah Tiffany, Noah Tiffany, William Tripp, Cady Walker, Ezra Walker, Joseph Washburn, Walter Watson, Walter Washburn, Ebenezer Withier, Silas Young, Ebenczer Washburn, George Williams, William Wost, Edward Weymar, Samuel Wasburn, Henry Wills, Arnold Walker."

"The following comments on the foregoing assess- ment by George Woodward, now eighty-six years old, will be read with interest ;

" When my father and Urbane Burrows came from Connecticut, in 1819, my father, Artemas Woodward, settled on the hill in Kentuck, in Ebenezer Bailey's log house, in 1821. He went into the woods and made improvements, and the land-owners were going to drive hin off when I paid for the place. William Abel was one of our nearest neighbors. Levi Bennett lived on East Mountain, and James Bennett on Toad Hill (now Union Hill). Elias Bell lived here before wo came and moved West. John Belcher lived on Union Hill, and sold to Abijah Wells. Benajah Burgess lived near the centre of the townsbip then and shortly afterwards moved away. Benjamin Ball lived on the road from South Gibson to Union Hill. Sterling Bell lived ncar Union Hill. . Joel Barnes was a Revolutionary soldier, and lived in the northeast part of the township. He left a large family of children. Ebenezer Bailey and Warren Bailey were early settlers ; the former died at Lanes- boro'. Ebenezer, Laura and Aurilla were their children. Jolin Brun- dage lived on the hill east of South Gibson ; his sons were John, Daniel, George, William and Joseph. Wright, Milo, Moscs and James Chan- berlain were old settlers. Johu Collar lived north of here, and was a great hunter. David Carpenter and Jas. Chandler lived in Kentuck. The family of the latter are all dead. Simeon S. Chamberlain lived on Union Hill. Asa Dimock settled in Lenox. Jolin Doyle lived in Ararat, Erastus Day in Herrick, and John Denny at Smiley. Walter Dickey was a farmer in Gibson, and Eliab Farrar moved to Harford. Solomou and Jas. Giddings lived in Herrick. Collins Gelatt lived in Gelatt HIol- low. Nathan Guile and John Green lived in Burrows' (then Gibson) Hollow. William, David and Thomas Holmes were brothers and the first two lived on Kennedy Hill. David Hines lived in Harford. Carl- ton and John Kent lived in the Kent settlement in Herrick. Walter Lyon lived in Herrick. Joel Lanib lived near the line of Jackson, Nathan Maxon moved from Gibson to Clifford. William Michael was a Welshman, and lived in the edge of Clifford. William Parmenter lived in Gibson. Ezra Newton lived on East Mountain. Asahel Norton lived whero Samuel Holmes kept tavern. Hc.moved to the Lake Country. John Pickering lived near John Denny's. Sylvester and Hazard Powers lived in Kentuck. Oliver Payne lived in Kentuck. David and Jona athan Smith lived on the road to Burrows' Hollow in Kentuck. Silas Steenback lived in Smiley Hollow, and owned the grist-mill that Asahel Norton built. Captain Potter was one of the first settlers in the town- ship. Otis Stearns built the first grist-mill, with one run of native stone. John Safford built a grist and saw-mill at Smiley, which were burned down. Benjamin Tingley lived in the edge of Jackson, and finally moved to Dundaff. Elkanah Tingley lived in Harford. Charles Tingley, one of his sons. was associate judge of Susquehanna County. Arunah and Noah Tiffany lived in Kentuck. Milton and Darius Ting- ley lived in the edge of Jackson. William Tripp lived near Kennedy Hill. Cady, Marshall and Arnold Walker lived here. Joseph, Ebenezer and Waller Washburn lived near together on Kennedy Hill. George Galloway settled on Union Hill in 1796, and cleared up a farm, which he sold when his neighbor, John Belcher, sold. There was not a house on the Tunkhannock from John Collar's to Corbett Pickering's excepting Samuel Resseguie's little bark-covered cabin in a briar patch, at that time. All the valley and side hill was a dense wilderness. The people were poor and had to struggle hard for a living. I went into a cabin one day and stumbled over something. I looked down and saw a child in a sap trough for a cradle."

SOUTH GIBSON and vicinity .- John Collar came

up the Tunkhannock probably about 1792, and made a clearing and planted a large apple orchard one mile above South Gibson, where T. J. Manzer now resides. He was a trapper and hunter, and was suc- cessful in catching bear in Bear Swamp. He also had a wolf pen in the swamp, so arranged that wolves would get in at the top and be unable to get out. He died, and was buried on the knoll, now chartered as the South Gibson Cemetery. "Between 1798 and 1800 the first settler of South Gibson moved in, but died soon after, and was buried at the foot of the hill which bears his name."

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Centennial history of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, Part 150

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