Centennial history of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, Part 72

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

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In the mean time, as he could give no valid deed, there was distrust among the settlers, some of whom were threatened with ejectment by Robinson ; but "one morning," it is said, " he found a pail of tar and feathers, and a bag of powder and shot suspended from his door-latch, giving too strong a hint to be disre- garded, and within twenty-four hours he left, the township."

Nearly all those who had made payments to Robinson were afterwards again obliged to make the same payments to the Wallace estate. Robinson left about 1824, and William D. Cope became the owner of the property first here improved. He was a son of Thomas P. Cope, the land-owner.

Asahel Avery, wife and six children, had come in 1801, from London County, Conn., and occupied a log cabin when it was but two- thirds roofed. The centre only had a floor, made of split bass-wood logs-" The horse and calf on one side of this, and the fire-place on the other." It was necessary to protect the animals, as bears were numerous on the ridge of pines north of this place, and often alarming people by their presence. Mr. Avery was a carpenter by trade, and was building a good frame house opposite lis cabin, in 1809, when he sold out to John Williams, and moved to Great Bend, where he died in February, 1813.

Some years later Nehemiah Maine made a clearing on the Baker farm, in this locality, but removed. Isaiah Maine did not come until 1819, when he began improving the farm now occupied by one of his sons, F. A. Maine. Another son, A. W., resides at Dimock village. A daughter, Mary Jane, married William Bun- nell, of Dimock.

In 1808 George W. Lane came from Wind- ham County, Vt., and improved a place which was sold to Philander Stephens. Near by he improved another farm, but moved to Mont- rose, where he died. He was the father of F. S. Lane, the attorney. Philander Stephens settled first in Bridgewater, but spent the latter years of his life in Dimock, his death occurring in July, 1842.

FREDERICK FARGO .- About the year 1810 two brothers, Elisha and Jason Fargo, left their

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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

native State, Connectieut, and, with all their worldly possessions in a bundle strung on the end of a stiek, walked the entire distanee to Susquehanna County, and bought sixty-five acres of land near the Elk Lakes, Dimock township, from the Drinker estate, from which they at onee eommeneed to elear the heavy timber. Elisha (1790-1870) married Alice (1794-1874), youngest daughter of Asa (1745-

and wife died in their eighty-first year. Fred- eriek Fargo, born November 12, 1824, obtained but limited education owing to his strength be- ing required on the farm, where he assisted his father until twenty-four years old, when he married Naney (1828-84), daughter of Ger- shom and Sally Bunnell, and took up a piece of land about one mile west of Elk Lake. Their children are Sarah H., married Robert Leebody,

Fred Fargo

1872) and Abigail Lathrop, who bore James L., now living at East Rush ; Norris, living in Bradford County ; Asa B., residing in Mary- land ; Orrin F., a resident of Binghamton ; George, making a home at East Rush ; Freder- ick ; Charlotte, married Jonathan Bunnell, and resides at Auburn ; and Elisha M., now living at Montrose.

Asa Lathrop built the first grist-mill in all this seetion, located at the outlet of Elk Lake, and carried on that business until he died. Elisha Fargo was a farmer, and both himself

| of Elk Lake; A. Wilson, married Anna (Broadhead) Porter, and resides at Elk Lake ; and Charlotte Francesea, married John Q. Adams, of Auburn Four Corners. The Bun- nell family eame to the county at an early day, and settled in what is known as the " Beach Woods," Auburn township. One of the first in Rush township to answer the call for troops, made when the government was in jeopardy, was Frederick Fargo, who enlisted August 12th, and was appointed corporal of Company H, One Hundred and Forty-first Pennsylvania

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DIMOCK.

Volunteers, and joined the Army of the Poto- mac, then commanded by General McClellan. With this army he took part in the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, and was severely wounded on the latter field, where he was left for dead. He was captured by the rebels, and shortly afterwards exchanged and sent home, where his friends had mourned on account of his supposed decease. On recovering sufficiently he joined the Invalid Corps, and was thence transferred to a company of detached cavalry, placed upon scouting duties, with head- quarters at Washington, D. C., in which service he remained until honorably discharged, in June, 1865. While engaged in this department he was on picket duty at one of the forts be- yond the East River Bridge the night President Lincoln was assassinated, and for the next four- teen days and nights was in the saddle the most of the time, hunting in and around Washing- ton for the assassins. On leaving the army he returned home, and the same season sold his farm and bought a half-interest in the Elk Lake Grist-Mills, wherein, with three run of stones, he made large quantities of buckwheat flour for the New York and Philadelphia mar- kets, in addition to the regular custom work. In 1869 the internal arrangements of the mill were overhauled and material improvements admitted, taking out two overshot wheels and putting in a Leffel's double turbine wheel ; also throwing out a rock run and putting in French buhr stones, at a total expense of some two thousand dollars. In this business he continued sixteen years, selling out in 1881 to his partner, ex-Sheriff John Young, and has since engaged in general farming, having purchased the Asa Lathrop farm and, in 1871, a tract of his mother. Interested in political affairs, he has served with satisfaction in various township offices. Mrs. Fargo was a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church until her death, and her husband was also connected there. He is a member of H. C. Titman Post, No. 93, of Auburn Four Corners, also of Montrose Lodge, No. 151, I. O. O. F.

On Pine Hill was Avery Bolles, a son of John Bolles, who settled on Montcalm in 1813. Here lie made some improvements, but took up

his permanent abode on another farm. At an earlier day, about 1808, Samuel Davis and family, from Windham County, Vt., settled in the same neighborhood. In this locality was also Elhanan Smith.

On the steam road between the Corners and Elk Lake, Joshua Smith, from Groton, Conn., settled in 1812, remaining there until his death, December 3, 1840, aged seventy-six. The homestead became the property of Urban, the youngest of eleven children. A few years after their settlement at this place, Silas, one of the sons, at that time about ten years of age, was followed by a pack of wolves to within a short distance of his father's house, barely reaching it in safety.

North, on this ridge, on the Samuel Sherer farm, Jacob Perkins made some good improve- ments, but later lived farther east, on the turn- pike. South, on the same road, was Frazier Eaton, whose farm became the property of Ben- jamin Blakeslee, who lived and died there.

SAMUEL SHERER .- His paternal ancester, John Sherer, a native of Scotland, after many years of persecution of the family on account of their religious faith-Presbyterian-crossed the Channel, as thousands of others did, and settled in the North of Ireland. David Sherer (1759- 1846), born near Londonderry, Ireland, a son of John and Martha (Patton) Sherer, came to America in 1770, and settled in Derry, N. H. In his eighteenth year he enlisted in the Conti- nental army, and for a year and a half bore arms for his adopted country, participating in the battle of Stillwater and the capture of Burgoyne. In 1789 he married Hannah Young- man (1771-1851), and had the following chil- dren : John, who became a Presbyterian minis- ter ; David; Hannah (Mrs. John Robertson) ; William, who practiced medicine in the West ; Mary (Mrs. Nehemiah Baldwin); James and Samuel. Late in 1815 the family left New Hampshire and located in what is now Jessup township, this county. David Sherer was a farmer and an active, influential man, an advo- cate of religion and education, and for fifty-five years a member of the Presbyterian Church, to which society also his family belonged, hold- ing membership at Montrose. The Youngman

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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

family are of English ancestry, their presence in this country dating back to 1684, when Francis Youngman settled in Massachusetts and became a member of Rev. John Eliot's church at Roxbury. Several of his descend- ants took up arms for the infant colonies and rendered most excellent and loyal service dur- ing the Revolution, receiving public recognition therefor. This family name is rapidly dying out, and but few remain to bear and perpetuate the English branch. Hannah was the daughter of Nicholas (1723-1814) and Mary (Wright) (1724 -1802) Youngman. Nicholas was the son of Ebenezer (1690-1754) and Mercy Jones Young- man. Ebenezer was the son of Francis Young- man, who died in 1712.

homestead; Sarah A., a teacher in Brooklyn, N. Y .; Mary and Hannah have also been teachers.

Mrs. Sherer's father, Eldad Brewster (1779- 1831), came from Long Island to what is now Montrose, in company with Captain Bartlet Hinds, in 1800, and his farm and that of Dan- iel Brewster were those since occupied by Thomas Johnson and Horacc Brewster in Bridgewater township. In 1813 Eldad Brew- ster married Hannah (1796-1881), a daughter of Deacon Moses Tyler. At his death he left a widow and nine children, as follows : Tyler (1815-85) was a farmer in Harford town- ship ; Lucena, widow of Samuel Sherer ; Hor- ace, born in 1818, a farmer in Bridgewater township, has one son, D. Truman, a lawyer at Montrose, and another son, Dr. Fred. D. Brewster, a practicing physician at Tunkhan- nock ; Daniel, born in 1820, a business man at Montrose; Warren (1822-75) was a wagon manufacturer at Tunkhannock ; Andrew Jack- son, born in 1824, a business man at Montrose ; Sarah, born in 1826, is the wife of Salmon A. Hempstead, of Meadville, Pa .; M. Coleman (1828 57) was a carpenter at Montrose; Ann M., born in 1830, wife of Ansel J. Stearns, of Harford, this county.

Samuel Sherer was born June 22, 1813, and obtained his education in the district schools, where he afterwards taught for nine or ten win- ters, spending the summers upon his father's farm. An earnest and painstaking man, his influence and strength of character were recog- nized by his townsmen, and his services called into nse in various public offices. In 1867 he was elected commissioner of the county and served satisfactorily for three years. He strenu- ously advocated the building of the Montrose Railway, and offered the right of way for the western route of the road, which, however, was Jonathan A. Atherton came originally from Massachusetts to Wyoming, thence to Hyde Park, thence to Dimock, where he purchased the old Samuel Bard farm, on which he now resides. Of his children, Henry has been pay- master on the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company's Railroad for twenty-three years ; Jerry L. and Bieknel B. have been employed by the same company as foremen of coal break- ers ; Rosa is the wife of T. H. B. Lewis, of Kingston, Pa. ; Florence is the wife of David Sherer, of Dimock, and Sophia is the wife of H. T. Lake. not adopted. From carly youth to the time of his death he took an active interest in edu- cational and religious matters, and liberally contributed to these interests as well as to all charitable works demanding his attention. He was especially anxious in the matter of giving his own children superior educational advantages, and three of them have been teachers for several years. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church at Montrose, with which his family is also identified, and for three years served as a member of its board of trus- tees. He met his death accidentally while per- On the slope south of Elk Lake, Erastus and William Rathbun made a settlement before 1813. The latter was a clothier by trade. In 1817 they sold out to Simon Stevens, who came from Braintrim. He lived here until his death, in 1841, aged nearly sixty-five years. He liad fourteen children, some of whom still reside at forming his farm duties, and died August 26, 1886. On June 22, 1837, he married Lucena, daughter of Eldad and Hannah Brewster, who was born in 1816. Their children are Augusta L. (1838-1862) was the wife of Edward Dicker- son ; Olive T. (1840-70) was the wife of Frank J. Smith ; David, resides adjoining the | Elk Lake. Mr. Stevens held important county

Tamilheren

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DIMOCK.

offices and was noted for his strong opposition to Masonry.

In the same locality George Young settled in 1814, moving on a place which had been im- proved somewhat by Dennison Gere. He died in 1831, aged seventy-two years, and the home- stead afterwards became the property of his son John, at one time sheriff of the county. The adjoining farms were owned by Joseph and James Camp, who sold out to David Young, Sr. (a brother of George), in 1815 and left the country. David Young, Sr., died about 1830, but his descendants still live in this part of the township. A few years later James Service settled near Elk Lake.

One-half mile east of Dimock Corners Israel Hewitt settled in 1814, and reared sons named Latham and Israel. They were great hunters and skilled in the use of the rifle. On the Chapman farm, west, Samuel Kellum settled in 1815, but, in 1819, sold out to some Englishmen who were interested in the prospective village of New Birmingham (now Dimock), and who disposed of their interests soon after. At this time, it appears, there were four hundred and fifty thrifty apple trees on the Chapman place.

About this time John Austin located in this neighborhood, but later settled on the I. B. Woodhouse farm, on the Elk Lake road. He was the father of fifteen children. Oliver Scott was on a farm farther east, which was later the home of Samucl A. Brown.

In 1816 Elisha Gates and his son-in-law, John Lewis, from Groton, Conn., settled on the farm north of Col. Parke, on lands still owned by his family. He had sons named John and George. In December, 1886, the latter was living in the township, aged eighty-eight years. In the late Civil War his six sons were in the service and John had three sons in the Union army.

Elisha Gates had the reputation of being the best mathematician in Dimock, and was frequently called on to solve puzzling questions for persons from other counties.

On the Meshoppen, east from this place, set- tled the Tiffany family, Preston Tiffany locat- ing on the present O. Tiffany farm. Other mem- bers were Elisha, Joseph and Horace Tiffany.

In 1819 Alexander Smith, a native of Scot- land, came to Dimock and located on eighty acres of land one mile east from the Corners, but did not reside permanently there. While living in Dimock the first twins in the town- ship were born in this family, which received the names of William W. and Christiana.

In 1820 Royal Tyler came from Rhode Island and settled on White Creek, in the southwestern part of the township, where he died in 1842. He had sons named Sylvanus, who lived on the homestead until recently ; Moses, who moved to Bridgewater ; Royal, im- migrating to Kansas ; and James became a resi- dent of California.

At a later day the Burdick family opened a farm east from Tyler's, and of the sons reared by Amos Burdick, John remained on the home- stead. Nathan settled on an adjoining farm, Matthew on a farm north, and Alpheus on the old Lewis place, in the eastern part of the town- ship, where he still resides.

In the southwestern part also settled George Risley, the father of sons named Dwight, Thomas, Aaron and Frank, most of whom im- proved farms in that locality or in the north- western part of Springville.

John Woodhouse immigrated from Otsego County, N. Y., and after living in Bridgewater two years, settled on the farm now owned by one of his sons, F. M. Woodhouse. This was all woods except about three acres, which had been cleared up by a man named Fisk. He died in August, 1864, aged seventy-eight years. Be- sides the son on the homestead, there were other sons,-A. D., living in Springville ; John G., a physician who died in Laceyville ; Isaac B., liv- ing on the State road in Dimock ; and Edward W., of Bradford County.

North of this farm lived Thomas Miles, the father of Wm. C. Miles, of Dimock, and Dr. Jonathan Miles, of Lackawanna County. On the Dolan farm lived Levi Wells, the father of William Wells, of Pottsville.

In 1820 Adam Waldie and his two gifted sisters lived one mile northeast from Dimock, on what became the Murray farm, but after a short residence they moved to Forest Lake.

In the fall of 1821 Joseph Baker, of Chester

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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

County, came to prospect lands, and after look- ing at a number of locations in Susquehanna County, he bought nearly three hundred acres of improved land at Dimock Corners, to which he moved his family in the spring of 1822. A part of this farm is still the property of his son, Judge I. P. Baker, residing at Dimock village.

The same year Enoch Walker and his son, George, came from Choconut to the farm called " Woodbourne," and which under their owner- ship became one of the best-known places in the county. A part of the mansion was built by Henry Parke when he occupied this land. In 1822 George Walker had a small store in the room of this house, which afterwards be- came his library. Enoch Walker came from Chester County with his children, in April, 1820, to the farm, late the residence of Caleb Carmalt, Lakeside, Choconut, where he re- mained two years, before removing to Wood- bourne. One who spent many months, at dif- ferent times, under his roof, says,-

" His earliest training was under the judicious care of an excellent Christian mother, whose precepts and example were the abiding rule of his life, and enabled him to endure with great fortitude, many and various trials. When young, he appeared as a minister among Friends; and in 1796 spent some time as a mission- ary to the Oneida Indians, under the auspices of the Yearly Meeting of Friends; and traveled much in the service of the Gospel, and on business, until the close of a long and active life.

"He was ever a pattern of true hospitality, in word and deed; careful in training his children in strict morality and religion, and ever kind and considerate for the happiness of all under his care and influence. He was active in promoting the settlement of the county with worthy and industrious persons, and al- ways evinced a liberal and forbearing spirit towards every sect and denomination, in the fullest sense of a true ' Universal Christian Benevolence.'

" He was returning, 11th mo. 8th, 1853, in his 83d year, from one of his accustomed visits of love and duty, to relatives and friends in and near Philadel- phia, and had reached the house of Noah Rogers, Waymart, Wayne Co., in expectation of being at Woodbourne the following day. He spent a cheerful evening, and retired to rest-and to sleep the sleep that knows no waking here." He was buried at Friendsville.

GEORGE WALKER .- During the years next succeeding the first landing of William Penn at Upland, now the city of Chester, Pa., in August,

1682, large numbers of the members of the So- ciety of Friends, anxious to leave England on account of the restrictions placed upon religious liberty by King Charles II, sought the hospit- able shores of the New World and made homes within the borders of the Keystone State. Among this number, Lewis Walker, a native of Yorkshire, came, in 1686, and bought from the proprietor, William Penn, a large tract of land near that section of our State since the Revolu- tion known as "Valley Forge," in the beautiful Great Valley, Chester County. This land has since remained in possession of the family, and it was at one time strongly desired by certain members to hold a bi-centennial reunion of the Walker family at that place; this, however, was not carried out, owing to the wide scattering of the descendants. Enoch Walker, the son of Joseph and Sarah Walker, a direct descendant of Lewis, was there born on April 13, 1771, be- came a leader among the members of the So- ciety and officiated as a minister until coming to Susquehanna County with his children, in 1820. He married Phebe Miller, who was born in 1770, [and bore George, born February 16, 1798 ; Sarah M. (1799-1874), Priscilla (1802- 1832), Phebe (1803-1832), Enoch (1806-1828). Lewis, born 1807, died in infancy, followed the next month by the mother.

Robert C. Walker, at one time Secretary of the United States Treasury, was a cousin of Enoch Walker. George Walker spent his early years on the farm of his father in the Great Val- ley, and was educated at the Westtown Boarding- School, a noted place in early days. His mind inclined to surveying and kindred subjects, and, after leaving school he was placed with Jolin Thomson, the father of Edgar Thomson, the late president Pennsylvania Railroad Company and Joseph Warner, of Philadelphia, to assist in making the preparatory survey for the construc- tion of the Schuylkill Canal, thereby acquiring a practical acquaintance with the profession he has since so successfully followed. In 1820, with his father, three sisters and one brother, he came North and bought land at Lakeside (now the home of James Edward Carmalt, Esq.), eleven miles beyond Montrose, where he entered mercantile business. Two years after,

Geokalker

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DIMOCK.

the family removed to a farm some five miles south of Montrose and also engaged in general trade, continuing the two stores for several years. This place thiey named " Woodbourne," and about 1824 Enoch Walker was appointed postmaster, his son George transacting the du- ties of the office as deputy.

From this time until his death, in 1853, Enoch Walker gave much attention to the tem- peranee cause, and advocated leaving off, not only all intoxicating drinks, but tea, coffee and tobacco, on the part of all those professing Christianity.

In 1836 George Walker was appointed by Governor Ritner prothonotary and clerk of the courts in Susquehanna County, which position he filled until the passage of the law by the Legislature in 1839, requiring direct elec- tion for such offices. During his term of office he was frequently called upon to act as surveyor and civil engineer, and, in 1838, was chosen as arbitration surveyor to survey certain lands on the Wyalusing Creek, in Bradford County, which had been taken possession of by non-pur- chasers, the title to which was claimed by James Le Ray de Chamont, a French nobleman, who had been compelled to leave France during a revolution, and settled at Le Raysville, Jeffer- son County, N. Y.

While engaged in this work he was fired upon by the squatters and forced to leave the field. When the matter was submitted to the courts, Le Ray's title was confirmed. From that time he devoted himself to farming and to surveying in Susquehanna, Wayne, Bradford, Luzerne, Wyoming, Lackawanna and Sullivan Counties, and during one summer surveyed thirty-five thousand acres at the head-waters of the Loyalsock and Muncey Creeks, in Lycom- ing (now Sullivan) County, for Joseph P. Morris, Philadelphia, formerly president of the Bank of Pennsylvania, and the grandfather of Dr. W. F. Morris. As surveyor and civil engineer he was engaged in the preliminary work upon the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Rail- road and New York, Lake Erie and Western Railroad, and, on request of Judge Asa Packer, made the first survey for the Montrose Rail- way.

George Walker has never been a politician. He first voted for John Adams for President, and since that the Whig and Republican tickets. Born a Friend, though not able of late years to associate with the society, he has been a friend to all denominations without regard to sect-a true follower of William Penn in granting liberty of conscience to all professing Christians. In 1876 he sold his farm, " Woodbourne," to Dr. W. F. Norris, of Philadelphia, who had visited him the previous summer. For over forty years he acted as agent for Philadelphia parties, for several thousand acres of land, lo- cated in Susquehanna, Wayne and Bradford Counties, and through his judicious sales of land, brought many families to settle upon those tracts.

In 1832 Dimock became a separate civil body. Two years later, in 1834, the taxables wers as follows :

Jacob Ainey.

Neliemiah Lathrop.

John Ainey.

Dyer Lathrop.

Walter Allen.

Solomon Lathrop.

Rufus Allen.

John Lathrop.

Benjamin Blakeslee.

James Lathrop.

Lucius Blakeslee.

Wm. F. Lathrop.

Merick Blakeslee.

William Lawrence.

Luke Blakeslee.

George W. Lane.

Leland Blakeslee.

Hannah Lane.

Avery Bolles.

John Lewis.

George Blakeslee.

Amherst Lindsley.

Samuel A. Brown.

John McCarey.

Lake Bronson.

Isaiah Maine.

John Bronson.

Henry Mack.

Isaac Babcock.

Nathan Morgan.

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Centennial history of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, Part 72

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