USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Centennial history of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania > Part 9
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14. Samuel Bitters 358-80
15. Samuel Bitters. .433-153
16. Christopher Lohra ..... 433-153
17. Andrew Lohra 396-36
18. Joseph Lohra.
375-10
19. Jolın Lohra. 400-10 44. Jas. Lang
20. Vacant
21. S. I. Lovel .. 394-126 16. Geo. Hefferman ...
47. Jonathan Nesbit.
310
23. Leonard Beaty. 328-10 48. Alexander Nesbit.
24. Robert Carson 330 433-151 49. Paul Ingle,
25. Hannah Humphreys ...
26. J. C. Biddle
52. Elizabeth Chandler .....
53. James Chalkley. 38816
54. Thos. Smith 3881% 54. Henry Charles 453-40
55. Peter Kuhn
38816
55. Job Charles
426-67
56. Samuel Towson
426-67
57. Jos. Towson
438-40
58. Fredk. Towson.
.402-140
59. Jas. Read 225-120
60. Robert Bridges
SILVER LAKE.
Acres
Acres
1. Jacob Lawensyker
2. Henry McSwine.
3. Edward Lasker 414
4. Benj. Chew
438-80
5. Thos. Peurose.
439-120
6. John Parrott ..
439-120
7. John Showel.
8. Joseph Coates 439-120
9. Thos. Afflick
10. Wm. Nicholas
11. Magnus Miller
12. Roger Dibley
414
13. Joseph McSwine
14. Tench Francis
a Wm. Kinney
b Peter McSwine.
15. Samuel McSwine.
16. Joseph Dibley
344
17. Samuel Dibley. 346-120
42. Paul Denton
43. Johu Gravel .369-116
44. Geo. Huuter
45. Wm. Haysham
46. Christopher Roan 425
47. Elizabeth Jones.
.436-120
48. John Rudolph
425
SPRINGVILLE.
Acres
Acres
1. Peter White. 420-44
2. Peter Clark.
295-120
3. Jas. McWilliams
426-40
4. Geo. Holt
426-40
5. Jas. 1Iolt
426-40
32. Geo. Harris
438-55
33. Peter Harris
438-55
34. Hugh Harris,
438-55
35. Jonathan Harris
438-55
37. Jas. Teel
400
38. Samnel Teel
356
39. Jeremiah Teel
382
40. Samuel Lock. .261-120
41. Wm. Sharp
42. John Wilcox
43. Samuel Miller. 363-80
44. Andrew Miller.
398-40
45. Jonas Ramsey
419
46. Swen Warner
439-99
47. John Loder
439-99
21. John Clarke
439-65
48. Jacob Burkalaw
439-99
49. John Norkey 439-99
50. Geo. Degenhard. 439-99
51. Fredk. Trott. 439-99
25. Samuel Norkey
439-65
52. Geo. Ilutma
116
26. Jas. Norkey
439-65
27. Peter Emery 439-65
Acres
61. Samuel Nichols
62. Wm. Jackson. 311-40
63. Geo. White .. 412-16
64. Samuel White. 412-16
65. Joseph Boggs
412-16
66. Samuel Boggs
412-16
67. Jas. Boggs
412-16
68. Hugh Boggs
412-16
69. Patrick Boggs
412-16
Acres
36. James Cooley
37. Henry Wells 479-39
38. Joseph Fulton
479-39
39. Peter Flatt
479-39
40. Henry Ellis
479-39
41. Peter Eldredge 479-39
42. Joseph Flatt 479-39
43. Andrew Fulton.
479-39
44. Robert Wells, Jr
479-39
45. Geo. Cooley.
479-39
46. Jas. Wells 479-39
47. Peter Fulton 479-39
48. Henry Eldredge.
479-39
49. Joseph Eldredge.
479-39
5 . Roger Hood 479-39
51. Samuel Hood
52. Joseph Temple
479-39
53. John Temple ...
479-39
54. Samuel Temple.
479-39
57. Samuel Eldredge.
479-39
58. James Eldredge .. 479-39
59. Joseph Ross (or Race) .. 479-39 60. Jas. Rink, Jr 400
61. Samuel Rink, Jr. 400
62. Joshua Riuk, Jr.
64. Andrew Pyle, Jr ..
401-60
65. Jonathan Hancock 438
66. James Chapman.
400-140
29. Andrew Ingle 396-36 12. Samuel Reaver 424-40
30. Samuel Ingle
433-153
13. Geo. Reaver
424-40
31. Richard Bitters
433-153
32. Geo. Grice
358-80
15. Joseph Trester
424-40
33. Peter Grice
433-153
16. John Trester
424-40
34. Andrew Grice. 433-153 17. Henry Trester 424-40
18. Geo Trester
424-49
19. llenry Clark
294-64
20. Jas. Pentland.
439-65
38. Peter Lock
17634
39. Samnel Hefferman ... 316-10
40. Alexander Boyd.
41. John Heyl.
42. Rebecca Jervis
43. Jas. Abercrombie
50. Peter Ingle ..
433-153
51. Paul Whitecar 353-80
Acres
52. Audrew Whitecar.
433-153
53. Peter Charles. 439
21. Edward Duffield, 427-80
22. Casper Singer
427-80
23. Garrett Cottinger 425
24. Jas. Bryson 425
25. Susannah Fisher 425
26. Wm. Craig 425
27. Wm. Brown 425
28. Jas. Coxe.
29. Stephens Collins. 427-80
*30. Jeremiah Ward.
427-80
31. Jacob Downing.
32. Jeremiah Parker.
33. Jas. Dibley .392-120
34. Jas. Denton 396-80
35. Henry De Melt
36. Jas. McSwine.
37. Wm. Compton
38. Samuel Powell 418
39. John McSwine.
40. Solomon De Melt 414
41. Peter Denton
18. Peter Dibley.
.382-120
19. John Wueherer
20. Ricard Parker
6. Samuel Holt
426-40
7. Philip Holt
426-40
8. Robert Holmes.
426-40
489 27. Henry Hefferman. 426-66 9. Jas. Holmes 426-40 36. Geo. Emory 438-55
28. Paul Hefferman. 433-153 10. Samuel Holmes. 426-40
a Ichabod Terry
11. Jas. Reaver
124-40
14. Peter Trester,
424-40
28. John Emery 439-65
29. Henry Hutman ... 40
30. Francis Hutman 65
31. Joseph Hutman 87
69. Geo. Heplar
.400-140
Acres
56. Cadwalladder Morris ... 3881%
57. Richard Mason. 3881/2
58. James Craig .. 415
LAND TITLES AND WARRANTEES.
THOMSON-(see JACKSON).
53. Peter Hutman
95
45. Andrew Hefferman.
22. Isaac Coxe. 330
37. Joshua Ingle ..
.433-153
22. Wm. McPhail
439-65
23. Joseph Norkey ..
439-65
24. Henry Norkey
439-65
479-39
38
HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
CHAPTER VI.
TOPOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY AND ZOOLOGY.
SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY is broken by hills and valleys which follow each other in constant succession, presenting an irregular surface diver- sified by inland lakes and mountain streams. The landscape view from the hilltops is one of mountain repose and quiet pastoral beauty.
"1 The county is much diversified and made irregular by erosion. This would be strikingly illustrated to any one who should make a day's journey over any of the roads of the county which do not follow the water-courses ; our traveler would find his journey a constant suc- cession of ascents and descents." This is strik- ingly apparent as you journey on the old Mil- ford and Owego turnpike.
" The Elk Mountains, a northern extension of the Mahoopany, form a very striking feature in southeastern Susquehanna; the North Knob and South Knob being visible from the hilltops in most portions of the county, and attaining an altitude of two thousand seven hundred feet. The cliff sandstones, of the Catskill series, frequently form a succession of steep bluffs, with sloping benches, shale occupying the intervals. They stand out uncovered with soil and surface débris in bold, successive cliffs along the hillsides ; or cap the higher summits with broad sheets of massive sand-rock. Thus, the North Knob has been preserved from destruction by its coping layer of hard, massive sand-rock; the solitary peak stands two thousand seven hundred feet above tide, in the midst of a much lower sur- rounding country, while the valleys around it have been excavated one thousand five hundred feet below its summit. The highest land is in the eastern part of the county, on the Moosic divide, between Susquehanna and Wayne. It forms a belt about five or six miles wide, and is the northern prolongation of the Carbondale coal basin. As nearly all the water-ways cut down through the Catskill cliff sand-stones, their slopes are usually quite steep, and the valley beds themselves very narrow. The Tunkhan-
nock, with its narrow valley and high, steep side- walls, is a good example. In striking contrast with this is the broad and gently-sloping valley of the Susquehanna River, flowing between low, rolling hills of the soft Chemung rock. The Susquehanna River enters the county from New York at its northeastern corner, but after going south five miles it turns abruptly west, and after continuing about ten miles makes its Great Bend and passes northward back into New York. There it again veers west, and flows roughly parallel to the State line, and from three to ten miles north of it, to the mouth of the Chemung River at Waverly. Here it bends south into Bradford County, which it crosses to its southeast corner, and so keeps on southeast- ward across Wyoming County into Luzerne. Where it enters Wyoming County it is only four miles from the southwest corner of Susque- hanna County-thus making a great circle from the Great Bend round through Bradford County.
" Its rate of fall is shown by the following table :
RATE OF FALL PER MILE.
Fall. Miles. Rate.
Susquehanna Depot to Waverly,
120
64
1' 11"
Waverly to Towanda,
40
19
2! 1ª
Towanda to Meshoppen,
91'
35
2' 7 !!
Meshoppen to Lackawanna Junction,
74'
37
2'
Susquehanna Depot to Lackawanna Junction, 340'
155
The east and west divide, which extends entirely across Susquehanna County, is highest at the east, and from its northern slope many streams pass northward into the Susquehanna River.
"Starrucca Creek, which drains the north- eastern corner of Susquehanna, rises on the highest portion of this east and west divide, flows northward, and empties into the Susque- hanna River at Lanesborough. The descent of its bed from the high divide," Ararat Summit, 2023', to the mouth of Starrucca Creek (Sus- quehanna River), 880', shows the fall to be about one thousand two hundred feet. The Susque- hanna River, in its tortuous course, receives the waters of all the creeks that drain the county, in whatever direction they flow. There is an irregular water-slied extending from a point between Wrighter and Long Ponds westward, through Ararat, Jackson, New Milford and Bridgewater, to Montrose, forming two water-
1 Prof. I. C. White's report of the geology of Wayne and Susquehanna.
39
TOPOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY AND ZOOLOGY.
basins, one debouching northward, the other southward. "The Starrucca, Canawacta, Drinker's, Mitchell's, Salt Sick and Wiley Creeks empty northwards into the Susquehanna within the State; Snake, Choconut and Apo- lacon Creeks not until they have entered New York State. The streams which drain the southern slope of this east and west divide are the following, beginning at the east :
" Lackawanna, River, which flows south along the eastern line of Susquehanna County (draining the western slope of the Moosic Mountains), cuts straight through the Lackawannock range at the southeastern corner of Susquehanna County and, entering the Lackawanna coal basin, flows down its trough south- west to the Susquehanna River at Pittston.
"Tunkhannock Creek, with its numerous tributaries, comes next west from the Lackawanna River, and drains a large area from the southern slope of the east and west divide, southwestward, into the Susque- hanna River at Tunkhannock, in Wyoming County. The main tributaries of this strcam are the East Branch, empting into it near the southern line of the county, and Martin's Creek, which flows southward from the great gap in the east and west divide near New Milford, emptying into Tunkhannock two miles south from the county line at Nicholson.
"The descent of this stream is shown by the fol- lowing barometric elevations:
Miles. A. T.
Divide at head of Tunkhannock Creek 0 1600'
Level of creek near D. A. Lamb's
4 1250'
¥
" Gelatt P. O. 6 1150
=
Smiley P. O . 81%
1075'
at South Gibson 1212 1000'
¥
" mouth of Partner's Creek 15
925'
" Glenwood P. O . 20
815'
¥
" Nicholson (Wyoming County) 23
700'
" Tunkhannock (Susquehanna River) . 38
580'
" Meshoppen Creek and its tributaries, Little Me- shoppen, White and Riley Creeks, drain the remaining portion of the southern slope of this divide.
"Tuscarora Creek, which empties into the Susque- hanna near Laceyville, drains the extreme southwest corner of the county.
"Wyalusing Creek rises on the elevated plateau ncar Montrose, and flowing westward with a rapid fall draius, with its tributarics (the North and Middle Branches), a large area out of the central western por- tion of Susquehanna County."
There are many beautiful lakes in different parts of the country that will be described in their several localities. The most celebrated lake as a summer resort is Crystal Lake, that lies partly in Clifford township and partly in Lackawanna County. A number of neat sum-
mer cottages have been erected at Heart Lake by Montrose people.
There are several mineral springs in the county. The history of the salt springs is en- veloped in Indian tradition and romance. Tlie pioneers at Great Bend observed that the squaws returned their kettles with salt in the bottom, and from such information as could be obtained, it was believed that there was a salt spring not many miles from the " Three Apple Trees." A salt spring was discovered on the south side of Silver Creek, near its junction with Fall Brook, and about a mile west of Franklin Forks. It is said to have been found by Abinoam Hinds and Isaac Peckins in 1802. The Indians kept these salt springs carefully concealed ; in this case they had turned the stream from its course and made it run over the spring, the basin of which had been hol- lowed out of the rock with a tomahawk. They found it covered with a large spoon and a stone laid over it. Balthaser De Haert and others sunk money in sinking wells for salt, which was never found in paying quantities. In 1865 the Susquehanna Salt Works Company purchased the property and sunk a well to the depth of six hundred and fifty feet, at an ex- pense of twenty-eight thousand dollars, erecting buildings, tanks and salt-block. At the depth of six hundred and fifty feet they found an ex- cellent vein of brine, and manufactured about twenty tons of good dairy salt. Alanson Chalker, John S. Tarbell and others purchased the property and sunk the well deeper, or about eight hundred and twenty feet deep, and found good brine, but not in sufficient quantity to make it a paying investment, and the works were abandoned. There is a sulphur spring in Rush, not far from Snyder's Hotel, on part of the Drinker estate, which was leased to J. D. Pepper for many years. Mr. Pepper gave away the water freely to all who came for it. Many people have visited the spring and car- ried away water in jugs, bottles and barrels. E. S. and A. D. Butterfield purchased the property in 1869, and crected a summer hotel. The waters are said to be beneficial in many cases. Dr. A. B. Prescott's qualitative analysis shows that the constituent properties of the
40
HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
water are chloride of magnesium, potassium and lime ; carbonate of magnesia, soda and lithia ; phosphoric, silicic and carbonic acid ; chlorine, protoxide of iron.
" The rocks of the county belong principally to one system, viz .: what the geologists have termed the Catskill, since these same strata make up the great bulk of the Catskill Mountains in New York State. The main characteristic of the system is the abundance of red material, in the shape of red shale and red sandstone, the red color being always due to per-oxide of iron dis- seminated through the rocks, or shale, as the case may be. Inter-stratified with the red shales are found frequent layers of gray or greenish current bedded sandstones, often finely laminated and forming excellent flagging material. The base of this system is seen only in Susquehanna County, and in that only along the Susquehanna River and the lower portions of the streams which flow into it, where one hundred to two hundred feet of Chemung rocks may be seen.
"The soils of the county have been largely derived from the decomposition of rocks in situ, since the hill-slopes are generally so steep that the Drift is seldom found remaining on them except in scattered patches. The Catskill system furnishes almost all of the surface rocks in this district, and the soils have been largely derived either from their gradual decay or trituration by glacial action.
" The red shales of the Catskill have proba- bly contributed more to the formation of the soil than any other part of it, and it is the uni- versal testimony of the farmers that the 'red shale soils' are generally stronger and richer than any others. The amount of alkalies in the shale doubtless accounts for the fertility of its soil, since the quantity of lime and phosphoric acid is not sufficient to have any marked influence for good. But while the red shale soils are usually the best in the district, it is equally true that only in isolated patches and in favorable locali- ties are there any really first-class soils within the county. The great body of the surface is cov- ered by a thin sandy soil of very little natural fertility, and except in the vicinity of swamps, where a great thickness of decayed vegetable ma- terial has accumulated, and along some of the
larger streams, where the drift deposits are ex- tensive, there is not much land within the dis- trict that will produce abundant crops until it. has been fertilized artificially. The hill-slopes are steep and the surface generally rugged. Excel- lent crops of grass grow on almost any of the soils.
" The great need of the soils is lime, and the more sandy soils are furnishing it. There are no pure limestone strata in the Catskill series, but there are a great many layers of impure calca- reous conglomerate, or breccia, interstratified with the shales and sandstone of this series. Huge fragments of this kind of rock lie scattered about over a large portion of the district, black- ened by exposure to the air.
" These 'Nigger-heads' contain from ten to sixty-five per cent. of lime, and might often be burned to great advantage for lime manure. Many of the farmers have noticed the fact that the grass grows greener and richer near them, their lime being dissolved out by every shower to enrich the surrounding soil. But very few farmers have the least idea that these rocks con- tain enough lime to be of any service for burn- ing. They have been burned in some localities and a good lime for fertilizing has been made therefrom."'
FORESTS .- Susquehanna County was origi- nally covered with a dense growth of forest trees. The principal timbers were beech, birch, maple, cherry, ash, chestnut, basswood, hemlock and pine. There was also some hickory and oak. Pine was considered the most valuable for lum- ber and shingles, because it is durable and is soft, and easy to smooth with the plane. The pioneer settlers were reckless in their use of the pine and lawless as to where they got it. Here, in this dense wilderness, they looked upon a good pine tree as free plunder. It is not uncommon to find in the old ceiled houses wide pine boards entirely free from knots; in fact, they would have nothing else but panel pine in their houses. The henilocks have been destroyed, largely for their bark and lumber. The last of the large hemlock tracts that belonged to the Drinker estate, in Harmony township, is being peeled and manufactured into lumber at a rapid rate, and in a very few years the tanneries and saw-
41
TOPOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY AND ZOOLOGY.
mills will be idle for want of bark and timber. The primeval forests that looked so formidable to the pioneers have nearly all fallen before the woodman's axe, or been destroyed by forest fires.
"1 Some hills in different parts of the county were once covered with chestnut, but its value as lumber was then unknown, and the land was not particularly sought after any more than any other timber-bearing section. Thousands of rails were split, not only to fence the little clear- ings of the settlers who had located there, but to sell to others who had settled in places where it was not so abundant. Only the best trees were used. Others that might have made ex- cellent lumber, but would not readily split, were cut into fallow lengths, rolled up in log heaps and burned. To-day we might call such work wasteful. In those times it was not looked upon in that light. The main object was to get rid of the timber in order to cultivate the ground. Since the railroads have been built, most of the young and thrifty chestnuts have been cut for ties. As a timber it is now comparatively scarce. The valleys of the Wyalusing, Lackawanna and the Tunkhannock, and its branches were once covered, more or less, with valuable pine tiniber, of a very superior quality. This was mostly cut and manufactured in the early days of the county ; and although the prices of good pine lumber were exceedingly low, in comparison with present prices, it furnished a remunerative employment for many of the settlers, and kept the saw-mills busy. Scarcely anything was marketable in those days, unless it was panel- that is, perfectly clear lumber, free from all de- fects, and witli no knots larger than a shilling. Pine Inmber that would be called tolerably good now was thrown among the culls then, and sold at about the price of sawing. It was used in making fences, for roof-boards, etc., and to cut up as waste lumber. Only the best part of the tree was generally taken, and the tops, that would be likely to make only a second-grade lumber, as well as many other slightly imperfect logs, were left behind. Their remains may still be seen in sonic localities, and occasionally fine pine shingles are made from some of the old tree-tops
that were felled forty or fifty years ago; though in most cases the logs are too rotten for use. Vast quantities of good pine timber were thus wasted, which in after-years would have com- manded a fair price. But very few pine trees can now be found in the county. If the pine that once grew in this section could be replaced as it was before a blow had been struck, the land would, without doubt, be more valuable than it is now, with all its buildings and cultivated fields. The soil is usually colder in pine sections, and more or less mountain laurel is found.
"The low lands along the streams were mostly covered with a dense growth of heavy hemlock, and it was no uncommon thing to find specimens over twelve feet in circumference. In the early history of the country, before any tanneries had been erected, and when lumber was of but little account, the settlers rolled up the huge logs and burned them without being peeled. The green timber was often hard to reduce to ashes, and the sturdy pioneers sometimes used to wonder why such great trees were made. After bark and lumber began to be demanded, the prices of land began to advance, and bark-peeling and log-cutting became a considerable branch of in- dustry. Water and steam mills, with new and improved machinery, were built in various places, and vast quantities of boards, timber and plank were manufactured and shipped. For many years after the New York and Erie and Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroads were built, a large amount of wood was required for the loco- motives, and the cutting and hauling of railroad wood made a winter business of no small mag- nitude. Thousands of cords, neatly piled in immense ranks, at the various wood-yards, formed a prominent feature all along the line of the railway. Many enterprising farmers finished paying for their land by cutting and delivering wood and ties. But the various branches of timber industry, which had been carried on with varying success for many years, were ultimately destined to be brought to a close for want of material. Many of the saw-mills have long since gone to decay, and there is now but very little valuable timber land left in the county.
" Among the many medicinl plants and herbs found in different localities of the county
1 Jasper Jennings.
42
HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
are catnip, motherwort, tansy, caraway, burdock, yellow dock, wild or Indian turnip, lobelia, archangel, mouse ear, notch grass, win- tergreen, nervine or swamp wintergreen, avens root, dwarf clder, valerian, smart weed, pep- permint, spearmint, wild sage, boneset, sarsa- parilla, wild cucumber, blood root, colt's foot, snake root, bitter sweet, cohosh, celandine, com- frey, dandelion, gold thread, white and yellow pond lily, pennyroyal, poke, prince's pine, Solomon's seal, spikenard, liverwort, elecampane, mandrake, polypody, beth root, male fern, maiden's hair fern, partridge berry, yarrow, adder's tongue, sweet fern, nettle, wild parsley, sweet flag, scabious, blue violet, blue flag, water rush, cat-tail flag, buttercup and ginseng. Sage, summer savory, wormwood, hoarhound, horse radish, poppy, saffron and mustard are commonly cultivated in gardens.
"The following weeds injurious to agriculture are also found here : White daisy, golden rod, common and Canada thistle, barn grass, mullein, pigweed, rag weed (a large yellow daisy which has lately made its appearance), St. John's wort, bulrush, wild carrot and buttercup. Ivy and wild hops are found in some localities, and helle- bore grows in marshy places along the streams. Many pests of the farm have been brought in with grass seed purchased from distant sec- tions of the country."
ANIMALS, BIRDS AND REPTILES .- " The zoology of the county has undergone considerable changes, incident to the changes of the country from wilderness to cultivation. In earlier years, when the far-reaching forest was only broken here and there by little clearings, panthers, bears, wolves and wild-cats were numerous, and often proved formidable focs to the settlers. These animals have long since been exterminated, with, perhaps, the single exception of an occa- sional wild-cat. Deer, once so numerous, were early destroyed. Foxes still have their dens in the many different ledges in back places, and skunks, minks and weasels often make their night raids upon the farmer's poultry. Musk- rats are found along the streams ; rabbits and hares abound, and red, gray and black squirrels and chipmunks are numerous. Woodchucks and raccoons sometimes injure corn and pump-
1
kins, and rats, mice and moles are found in considerable numbers. Otters were once found along the creeks, but they have all passed away. What are called beaver meadows exist in several places, but there is no record of any of these animals being seen in this locality, and if they were ever here, they had disappeared before the advent of the white man. Elk were found here by the pioneers, especially in the vicinity of the Elk and Moosic Mountains.
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