Centennial history of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, Part 56

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 56

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).

Henry J. Webb was born in Saybrook, Conn., in the year 1808, and was taken by his parents to Bridgewater when a child. His father, Stephen J. Webb, settled in North Bridgewater, near Williams' Pond, on a farm. Henry came to Montrose when a young man, and was elerk for William L. Post a number of years. He then engaged in mercantile busi- ness with George Williston. He was also partner with Azur Lathrop at one time. He was postmaster of Montrose for nine years, county treasurer one term, and treasurer and warden in the Episcopal Church, of which he was a consistent member. He was of a genial disposition and thoroughly honorable und honest in all the relations of life. He married Mary, a daughter of Arad Wakelee, of Spring- ville. Their only son, Charles, is a freight agent at Maueh Chunk, on the Lehigh Valley Railroad. Henry J. Webb died in 1878, aged seventy. His widow resides on the corner opposite the court-house, in the old Charles Catlin house, which her husband purchased of Colonel Lusk.

The following persons were assessed at Mont- rose in the year 1828 :

Charles Avery.

Asa Hartshorn.

Rufus Allen.

Richard Hinds.

Daniel Bailey.

Hyde & Ross.

George Bowman. Sloan Hamilton.

James C. Biddle. George Hardy.

John Buckingham.

Garner Isbell.

Elisha Bronson. Thomas Jackson.

Samuel A. Bronson.

William Jessup.

Thomas Brooks.

Ebenezer Kingsbury.

Burr Baldwin. Franklin Lusk.

Alexander H. Bolls. Jerre Lyons.

Daniel Curtis. Reuben B. Lock.

Keturah Churchill.

Mary Locke.

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Ugenior Cushman.

. Samuel Lynn.

George Clagget.

Barney Lyon.

Charles Chandler (second sheriff).

George Mauger.

Alanson Coy.

Sylvanus Mulford.

Putnam Catlin.

Eli Meeker.

Benjamin T. Case.

Rufus Merrlam.

William Cope.

David Post.

Martin Curtis.

Preserved H. Porter.

Martin Catlin.

Hiram Plum.

George Cushman.

Isaac Post.

Mason Denison.

Nathan Raynor.

Ben. Adam Denison.

Joshua W. Raynsford.

William Drinker.

Daniel Ross.

William Dennis.

Almon H. Read.

Asa Dimock, Jr.

Southworth Russell.

Benjamin T. Dimock. Jeremiah Etheridge.

Embly Shaffer.

Isaac P. Foster.

D. T. Simmons.

John Stewart.

Rufus Frink. Mary Frink.

David Scott.

Herrick & Fordham.

Daniel Searles.

Edward Fuller.

Johu D. Stephens.

Edward W. Fuller.

Benjamin Sayre.

William Foster.

Frederick Stephens.

Abraham Fordham.

William Turrell.

Charles Fraser.

Stephen Vaughn.

Hiram Finch (treasurer).

Caleb Weeks.

Francis Fordham.

Mason S. Wilson.

Ebenezer Gritz.

Dimock Warner.

Nancy Groven.

Dioclesian Welsh.

Levi Gregory.

Adolphus Ward.

Joseph W. Guernsey.

Nelson Warner.

Abel Green.

Walker G. Woodhouse.

Aaron Green.

Jacob Wilsey.

Samuel Hodgden.

Warner Hayden.

FIRE COMPANIES .- Montrose has not been behind her sister towns in the efficiency of her fire companies. The first company was organ- ized in 1831, and was composed of the leading men of the borough. They had a hand-engine which they called the " Water Witch." It was not very effective, no matter how well served. Rough and Ready Fire Company, No. 1, was organized in 1847 with fifty-eight members. Isaac L. Post was the first secretary of the com- pany. This company obtained a charter April 5, 1849, and has maintained its organization until the present time. It has had on its roll some of the best men in the place. Many of the boys lost their lives in the late war, and when Lee invaded Pennsylvania they volun- teered as a company, as emergency men. Their annual suppers have been occasions of many happy reunions, bringing out the best talent of the company in response to toasts, in the rela- tion of reminiscences pertaining to the many fires which the company has heroically combat- ed, in commemorative poems, in music and song. The early records of this company have been destroyed by the fire-fiend, which they were organized to combat ; but the remembrance of

their services in times when the town has been in danger of destruction will not soon be for- gotten.

Montrose Fire Company, No. 2, was organ- ized in 1855, after the destructive fires of the preceding year. Some of the older and leading business men went into this company. It con- tains more mechanics at present, and is a very effective organization. G. G. Watrous is presi- dent now. The Hook and Ladder Company was organized largely through the efforts of Captain Beardsley. There have been other companies here, as Wide Awake, etc. The three above-named are the present effective or- ganizations, all under the chief direction of Edward C. Fordham. 1 The town has no water- works, and the water supply in case of fires is derived from large cisterns located in different parts of the town, at street-crossings. Mont- rose has been visited by several destructive fires. Tuesday morning, at one o'clock, Decem- ber 27, 1831, Benjamin T. Case, who happened to be coming home late on horseback from a journey in the country, discovered a fire in the register's office, and immediately gave the alarm, "Fire! fire!" but no one wasalarmed. The angu- lar old attorney had been out to see a friend in Forest Lake, and had partaken of his "good chcer " to that extent that he was not to be tri- fled with, and he began to pace up and down the town and notify them in language more profane than polite that if they did not get up their town would all burn up. He at last made a rally, and the " Water Witch " was put to the test. "The fire extended up the east side of the Public Avenue from Post's corner, including the register's office, Avery & Drinker's store, J. & B. R. Lyons' store, house and granary, and the building owned by Dr. Denison-the front room of which was occupied by the Volunteer office, and the remainder by the family of E. Kingsbury, Esq. The fire was extinguished by tearing down and removing the store of C. Cush- man, and by bringing the engine to play on his dwelling-house-the site of Mulford's store." The second large fire occurred in May, 1851,

1 A water company has recently been organized (1887) to pump water from Jones' Lake into a reservoir on the hill and thence distribute it through the town.

Solyman Shelly.

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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

and swept the western side of the avenue with the exception of one house on each end-Searle's and Webb's.

"The fire of November, 1854, was still more de- structive; commencing in the harness-shop of A. Baldwin (where is now the drug-store of Burns & Nichols), two houses east of that were burned-James Eldridge's large building and Mason Wilson's store; then westward the stores of Bentley & Read, A. Tur- rell, and the dwelling of I. L. Post, then the only brick building in the place-and crossing the street, the residence of Judge I. Post, and all the buildings south on both sides of the street to the house of Mrs. Turrell and the storehouse of S. F. Keeler.

"A week later the old 'Farmer's Hotel'-once Howell's, Fuller's, and Hinds', etc .- was burned. Before the next fire, No. 2 Fire Company was organ- ized, and, like the first, comprised many of the busi- ness men of the place. About two o'clock in the morning, March 19, 1863, the old foundry of S. H. Sayre & Brothers was totally destroyed by fire. The Republican of the same week stated that the estab- lishment had added $100,000 per year, for three years, to the prosperity of our business population. Its destruction was a great loss to the community."

The most destructive fire that ever destroyed the buildings of Montrose occurred Friday night, September , 1886. The fire originated in the Crandall Toy Factory. The firemen were soon on the ground; the engines were placed at the cisterns, and as soon as possible streams of water were playing upon the factory. Valuable time was lost by the bursting of de- fective hose. It soon became apparent that the factory must go. The merchants on South Main Street, adjoining, began to remove their goods. Many of them were piled upon the opposite side of the street, only to be devoured by the flames later. The firemen and volun- teers made herculean efforts, but all in vain. When the store of A. W. Cooley, on the east side of South Main, was seen to be on fire, it was feared that the water supply would be in- sufficient to stay the flames. Almost as quickly as can be told, the flames leaped from building to building, carrying destruction in their trail. With both sides of the street ablaze and the roaring mass hurling fire-brands high in the air in all directions, the scene baffled description. The fire was finally checked at the Brewster building on the south. E. C. Fordham's and W. B. Dean's wooden stores burned quickly, but it grain there, and the distiller returned a stipu-

was hoped that M. S. Wilson's brick store would stay the flames. Soon, however, oninous clouds of smoke began to rise from this building. This was the supreme moment. It was now or never that the fire could be stayed. To climb the stairs and gain the roof of Sparks' store was the work of a moment, and this was done by Burgess Jessup and a band of intrepid spirits who were willing to brave any danger to save the town. The boys, though nearly suffocated with smoke, fought bravely until the fire was stayed at this point. The damages were csti- mated at ninety thousand dollars. Insurance, fifty thousand dollars. Some of the buildings destroyed were Crandall's factory, Boyd & Cooley's hardware and W. H. Boyd's building, C. N. Stoddard, E. C. and G. F. Fordham, W. M. Post building, I. N. Bullard, E. R. Steb- bins, M. S. Wilson building, Bostwick & Cor- win, groceries; D. P. Little, Mrs. Cushman and many others.

MERCHANTS .- The pioneer merchants of Montrose labored under a great many disad- vantages. True, their business was not very extensive, but it required considerable financial engineering on the part of merchants to realize moncy sufficient to pay their bills in New York. They usually bought goods on six months' credit and trusted them out, taking whatever they could get for pay. There was very little money in circulation among the settlers ; hence, early trade was largely a matter of barter. The first merchants kept whiskey, tobacco, nails, tea, calico and a few other articles such as the set- tlers wanted. They took in exchange maple- sugar, furs and peltry, home-made flannels, woolen socks, ashes and, later, grain and butter. The flannels, socks and maple-sugar could be sold or exchanged in New York for goods. In this manner the good house-wives of Montrose and vicinity early came to the support of their hus- bands, with their spinning-wheels, loomns and knitting-needles, producing, at first, about the only fabrics upon which money could be rea- lized. The grain taken by the merchants was largely manufactured into whiskey by the mer- chants themselves, such as had distilleries ; and if they did not have a distillery, they sent the

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lated amount of whiskey in payment, which was sold to the grain producer. Mason Wilson says, " None of it was sent abroad to pay debts; it was all consumed at home." Mr. Wilson says there were about forty Revolutionary soldiers living in the county who received a maximum pension of ninety-six dollars per year for a private, and more for an officer, according to rank. This was before the day of bank-checks, and he acted as attorney for them sometimes, and would draw all their pensions at Philadelphia and distribute the moneys among them when he re- turned. This brought some cash into the settle- ment and facilitated exchange among the mer- chants and others. The pioneer merchants brought their goods from New York up the Hudson to Newburg on sloops, and carted them thence to Montrose, a distance of one hundred and ten miles, over rough roads and through the woods-although there was not a very ex- tensive business done until after the beginning of the Newburg and Great Bend turnpike, in 1811-12, which helped transportation very much.

Isaac Post was the first merchant at Mon- trose. He sold goods from the corner of his inn, which stood where the post-office now stands, as early as 1808. A short time after- wards he erected a dwelling-house on the oppo- site corner, where W. H. Boyd is erecting a brick building, and kept a store in one part of his house for several years. In 1814 he erected a store-building on the opposite corner from the post-office, where Nichols & Watrous' store now is, where he did business until 1828, when he was succeeded by his son, Wm. L. Post. From 1825 to 1835 Mason S. Wilson was in partnership with the Posts, under the firm-name of Post & Wilson. The old wooden building was burned in 1831, and rebuilt and occupied by Mr. Post as long as he continued in business. This building was replaced by Nichols with a brick building in 1883. After dissolving with Mr. Post, Mr. Wilson opened a store where Turrell's stationery store now is, and occupied it until 1854, when it burned. He then built a brick building-where Bostwick & Corwin rebuilt in 1886-and continued business until 1865. The firms which succeeded Mr. Wilson

in this place were Wilson, Griffis & Warner, Wilson & Gere, Saxon M. Wilson, son of Mason Wilson, and Griffis & Sayre.

Benjamin Sayre came to Montrose in 1816 and started a store in connection with S. S. Mulford, under the firm-name of Sayre & Mul- ford, where B. H. Mulford now resides. This partnership continued for a number of years, until Mr. Sayre moved across the road, where Dr. Blakeslee's residence and law-office is. He associated his son, S. H. Sayre, in the business with him, and erected a building which was used for a hotel (Washington), until he finally converted it into a store. This building was de- stroyed in the conflagration of 1851, and the pres- ent hardware-store of S. H. Sayre was erected by him on a part of the same site. Benjamin Sayre was an energetic man in his day and took an ac- tive interest in everything that tended to improve the struggling pioneer village. In 1825-30 he was actively engaged manufacturing a spinning- machine that would run from eight to ten spindles. He also bought wood ashes and made potash for New York market. The farmers would bring as high as five hundred bushels of ashes to his store in one day, and sell them for ten and twelve eents per bushel.

Silvanus S. Mulford came to Montrose from Long Island, and started business as a merchant, where B. H. Mulford now resides, in 1816, in connection with B. Sayre until 1818, then with N. Raynor a short time, then alone. After a number of years S. S. Mulford associated his son, William J. Mulford, with him in business, which partnership continued until about 1845, when S. S. Mulford retired, and S. H. Mulford took his place, which con- tinued until the death of the latter, when William J. continued the business alone ; until recently he has been succeeded by his son, William S. Mulford. The present commodious store was built in 1844. This business has been successfully conducted by three generations in the same family for seventy years. This house has always been solvent and solid.

Jerre Lyons came to Montrose from Mas- sachusetts in 1819, and started a store where the . National Bank now stands. Benjamin R. Lyons, his brother, was in partnership with

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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

him from 1824 till about 1835, when Judge Read entered into partnership with Jerre Lyons, and hardware was added to their busi- ness. After about four years Read went out, and Lyons continued the business alone ; then he associated his son, Theodore A. Lyons, with him until 1868, when he retired.

T. A. Lyons, G. H. Drake and G. H. Ly- ons constituted the firm of Lyons, Drake & Co., which did business until Drake died, when G. L. Lyons became interested with his father, under firm-name of T. A. Lyon & Son, who are still doing business at the old stand. Benjamin R. Lyons, after dissolving partnership with his brother, in 1835, took Francis B. Chandler into partnership with him, and continued at Montrose until they were burned out, in 1884, when Mr. Lyons retired, having been engaged in the mercantile business .at Montrose for sixty years. F. B. Chandler still continues in business, being the oldest merchant actively engaged in business at Montrose.

Anson Dart commenced the drug business, where the Episcopal Church now stands, some time prior to 1824. It is probable that Jerre Lyons had something to do with it when it was first started. Mr. Dart continued the business for a short time and sold it to Asa Hartshorn, who combined the jewelry with the drug busi- ness. George V. Bentley, who had clerked for Mr. Hartshorn since 1828, and learned the jewel- er's trade, together with Norman Mitchell, pur- chased the business in November, 1833. Mitchell & Bentley continued the business where Abel Turrell's building now stands until 1842, when Bentley sold to Mitchell and bought where Read now is, and was alone for four or five years, when Judge Charles F. Read bought an interest in the concern. The firm of Bentley & Read did not limit them- selves to the drug and jeweler's business, but went into general merchandising, and during the fifteen years they were in partnership they sold more goods than any other firm in Sus- quehanna County. Mr. Bentley retired in 1860, when the firm became Read, Watrous & Foster. In 1866 it became C. F. Read & Co., then Read, Griffis & Co. The busi-

ness, after various changes, passed into the hands of H. P. Read, a son of C. F. Read, who now conducts it.

Francis Fordham came to Montrose from Southampton, L. I., in 1812. He was a hatter by trade, and started that business in a house that he built just below Boyd's Corner. He worked at his trade for a number of years. The first hat that he made in Montrose he sold to John Bump, of Forest Lake. A short time after he commenced merchandising he had two distilleries. He continued business with Nathan Raynor and Mr. Herrick until he failed. E. C. Fordham, one of his sons, has a grocery-store now.

William Turrell came to Montrose from Connecticut in 1816. He spent one year in Auburn township, and removed thence to Montrose, where he opened a saddlery and har- ness-shop in 1817, in the basement of the building, on the property where he lived the remainder of his life. In 1824 he built the residence now owned and occupied by his son. In 1835 he erected a two-story building across the street from his residence, where he con- tinued his business until 1843, when he was succeeded by his son, Henry F. Turrell, who continued the saddlery business until 1868. Alfred Baldwin conducted the harness business a great many years. His brother Edmund was with him a part of the time. Since then William L. Cox has been the principal harness, maker. He has been in the business since 1848.

Azur Lathrop established a mercantile busi- ness at Montrose in the fall of 1840, under the firm-name of Avery & Lathrop. This firm did business eigliteen months, and were succeeded by Lathrop & Webb, which continued two years, when Mr. Lathrop sold his interest and removed to Springville, where he engaged in the same business. He returned to Montrose, and the firm of Lathrop & Saulisbury was established. This firm did general merchan- dising until 1852, when Mr. Saulisbury retired from the firm, and the following year D. R. Lathrop & Co. succeeded to the business. In 1855 Azur Lathrop purchased George Fuller's interest in the business of D. R. Lathrop & Co.

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MONTROSE.

In 1858-60 he built the brick block now occu- pied by M. S. Dessauer, and rented the first floor to De Witt & Riley, merchants, and W. H. Cooper & Co., private bankers. The second story is used for offices and the third is the Masonic Hall, Lodge No. 240. From 1861 to 1866 Lathrop, Tyler & De Witt were in part- nership in the mercantile business, and from then till 1871 Mr. Lathrop was alone, when he sold the store building to M. S. Dessauer, the present proprietor.

J. Wittenberg & Bro. started the dry-goods business in a little building on the Searle corner, near Leonard Searle's, in September, 1854. This firm was changed to Guttenberg, Rosen- baum & Co., in 1856, and they rented of Alfred Baldwin in the brick block where A. B. Burns now is. In 1864 Mr. Rosenbaum, the active partner moved to Elmira and M. S. Dessauer took his place as active manager. He purchased the present elegant store of Azur Lathrop in 1871, and moved into it in the fall of that year. There were six partners, brothers-in-law, who were associated together in business. They estab- lished a store in New York and another in Towanda, Bradford County, in 1855-56, and in 1857 they removed from Towanda to Susque- hanna Depot, where they established one of the finest dry-goods stores in Susquehanna County. February 1, 1877, these six partners met in Elmira, where one of their stores was established, cach with an inventory of the property over which he had been active man- ager, and in one-half day they arranged an amicable dissolution of partnership, leaving each partner in ownership where he had been active manager. This arrangement continued M. S. Dessauer at Montrose, and Guttenberg, Eisman & Co. at Susquehanna. Moses Tyler had a store nearly where Searle's office now is for forty years, when he sold to-Hawley. After a few years Hawley sold to Chauncy Mott, who carried on business a number of years. Then H. C. Tyler had a store there for four years, when mercan- tile business was discontinued at that point and the building was sold to James E. Carmalt, who converted it into lawyers' offices. Danicl Brew- ster has a store adjoining I. N. Bullard's, where he keeps sleighs and agricultural implements for

sale. W. W. Smith has a furniture store in connection with his undertaking shop.

Nathan Raynor, who was in partnership with Mulford a short time, was one of the pioneer merchants here. He was succeeded by Martin Curtis in 1824, who was succeeded by David Post & Son. The son, Norman I. Post, and Mr. Grover had the business finally. Their store was on what is known as the Gardner lot.

JEWELERS .- Asa Hartshorn was the first jeweler, and was succeeded in that business by his apprentice, George V. Bentley. Subse- quently L. B. Isbell rented a window of F. B. Chandler and worked at the business seventeen years at Montrose. F. D .- Melhuish learned his trade of him and eventually succeeded him in the business. He carries the largest stock of any jeweler in town. After Isbell left Chandler's, George Clarey did business there for about seven years. William True was a jeweler many years ago in George Fuller's store. Eugene H. True, his son, has occupied a portion of Chandler's store since 1876, and keeps a fine stock of goods. He has been twice elected to the State Legislature on the Republi- can ticket, and has represented the county creditably at Harrisburg.

DRUGGISTS .- About 1835 Jeremiah Ether- idge purchased a lot and built a store on the west side of the Public Avenue, and started his son in business. This store was burned in 1851 and rebuilt. After his son died, Mr. Etheridge continued the business until he died, in 1866.

Amos Nichols and A. B. Burns next occupied this store. In 1871 they bought the brick building now occupied by A. B. Burns of Alfred Baldwin. In 1875 Mr. Burns purchased Mr. Nichols' interest, and now conducts the business alone. His drug-store is a model of neatness and good order. Mr. Burns has recently been appointed by the Governor a member of the Pharmaceutical Examining Board of the State of Pennsylvania.

The lot and brick store building owned by Abel Turrell, and known as the Central Drug- Store, has a history worthy of mention. A drug-store has been continuously kept upon this lot over sixty years, and during the last forty years it has been owned by Abel Turrell. In

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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

1826 Asa Hartshorn commenced a drug-store on this ground. He also kept jewelry and conducted the business of silversmith and watch- repairer. In 1833 he sold the premises and business to his two apprentices, George V. Bentley and Norman Mitchell, firm-name Bent- ley & Mitchell. They dissolved in 1842, and Norman Mitchell took his younger brother, Henry A. Mitchell, as partner, firm-name N. Mitchell & Co. In April, 1848, they sold the lot, building and goods to Abel Turrell, who personally and successfully conducted the store, keeping drugs as the leading business, to which were added paints, faucy goods, jewelry and many other kinds of goods, until May, 1875, a term of twenty-seven years, when he sold the goods to M. A. Lyon, and rented to him the building and lot. He afterward took as partner his brother, Frederick K. Lyon, firm-name M. A. Lyon & Brother. In 1883 they sold the goods to S. J. Sparkes & Co., the present occu- pants by lease. In the great fire of November 10, 1854, the wooden building on this lot was destroyed. The present three-story brick build- ing was erected the following year by Abel Turrell, the present owner.

F. H. Cooley has a drug-store on the west side of Public Avenue.

I. N. Bullard commenced merchandising in 1850, and has continued in the business without any partners until the present time. Like most of the Montrose merchants, he has passed through the fire. In 1854 he was burned out and rebuilt on the same spot. This building was destroyed in the conflagration of 1886. He now has a small store north of the Exchange Hotel, and keeps groceries, provisions and drugs.

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Centennial history of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, Part 56

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