Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 7

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 2390

USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 7
USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 7
USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 7
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 7

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loss arose through his trusting too much to the ability and integrity of others, it being impossible for him to be at the same time in Stroudsburg and New York City, where his goods were necessarily placed on the market, so that the one misfortune has in no way impaired his standing as a wise and far-sighted business man.

As a citizen Mr. Wallace has always been pub- lic-spirited, and his ample fortune enables him to assist in the worthy projects which attract his notice. He is temperate in his habits, and his influence has always been cast upon the side of right. While he takesan intelligent interest in public questions, being a stanch Republican, he is not active in politics, and has never been an office seeker. On November 21, 1851, he married Miss Harriet Huntsman, a native of Stroudsburg, born in 1827, died October 30, 1899. There are no children.

AMZI LE BAR, M. D., a leading physician of Stroudsburg, Monroe county, is a representative of a high ideal of citizenship, his public spirit hav- ing been demonstrated by gallant conduct in the army as well as honorable and upright service in the paths of peace. He derives his sterling quali- ties of character from sturdy pioneer ancestry, and is remotely of French descent, the family name be- ing spelled in various ways, as -La Barre, LeBarre, and LaBar.

The first of the name to come to this country were three brothers, Peter, Charles and Abram, who landed in Philadelphia about 1730. After a few days of rest they started up the Delaware river with the intention of making a settlement on the frontier line, and on the third day they arrived at the Forks of the Lehigh, where the principal white village of that region was then situated, the present site of Easton being occupied by an Indian town. On leav- ing this settlement they pushed on until they came in sight of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and after prospecting for a few days they selected a home- stead on an elevation about three-fourths of a mile from the river, in what is now Mt. Bethel township, Northampton county. At that time there were some small settlements back from the river, but none on the stream above Williamsburg except that of Nicholas Depiu, who had a comfortable home at the site of Shawnee. The three brothers built their log cabin and began life in true primitive fashion, and their Indian neighbors were soon placed on good terms with them through friendly words and deeds. For many years they continued to reside there together, but as other settlers came from the north and south each married a German or Dutch wife and decided to found a separate home, Charles retaining the old homestead. Peter purchased from the Indians a tract of land above the mountains, southwest of the present site of Stroudsburg and adjoining a tract bought by Col. Stroud some years later. He cleared the tract and made a fine home- stead, where his remaining years were spent, and a large family of children survived him. Abram

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settled above the "Notch," not far from the present Delaware Water Gap depot, and in addition to his homestead he cleared and cultivated the island just above the Gap. He resided there many years and is mentioned in the report made by Nicholas Scull, who was sent by the Governor in 1741 to investigate

the state of affairs in the Smithfields. It is known that he left a large family, but, as in the case of the other brothers, the records have not been preserved.

II. Daniel LaBar, our subject's great-grand- father, is supposed to have been a son of Abram, as the tradition among his descendants is that his father first settled in Easton, then moved to Wind Gap, and finally located at the farm now occupied by E. T. Croasdale, and this legend seems to be confirmed by outside authority. Daniel LaBar became asso- ciated with Col. Stroud in land speculation and other business, and for many years he carried the mail be- tween Shawnee and Stroudsburg, while he also won a reputation as a scout and Indian fighter. He mar- ried (first) a Miss Chambers, and (second) Miss Cornelia Van Etten, and had two sons, John C. and Daniel E. The latter settled in Wisconsin, where his descendants are still to be found.

III. John C. LaBar, our subject's grandfather, was a farmer by occupation. He married Sarah, daughter of John Depue, and had six children, of whom, two, Hiram and Benjamin, died in infancy. The others were: J. Depue, Daniel, Moses and Samuel, all now deceased. The father died March 19, 1865, and the mother on October 5, 1876.

IV. J. Depue LaBar, the father of our subject, was born July 31, 1814, at Pahaquarry, Warren Co., N. J., where he spent his boyhood, assisting his father on the farm and attending the common schools. At sixteen he began to run a raft, carry- ing lumber down the Delaware to Philadelphia, and this business he continued in the season during many years, becoming noted as an expert steersman. At twenty he also engaged in farming, renting a place in Smithfield township from his grandfather LaBar. Later he purchased a farm of seventy or eighty acres in Middle Smithfield township, and on selling it some years afterward he removed to Pahaquarry, N. J., where he spent eight years in lumbering and farm- ing. He then bought the "Bush" farm at Shawnee, and after cultivating it for about twelve years he rebuilt his residence in Shawnee village and made his permanent home there. In the fall of 1854 he opened a general store at Shawnee in partnership with his son-in-law, George F. Heller, under the firm name of LeBar & Heller, and after the withdrawal of Mr. Heller he continued the business alone. At an early age he became an active and influential worker in the Democratic party and among the numerous official positions held by him we may men- tion, his eighteen years as postmaster at Shawnee, and ten years-1882-1887 and 1887-1892-as one of the lay judges of Monroe county. From the organiza- tion of the Stroudsburg Bank he served as a member of the board of directors, with the exception of the one year in four required by its charter, and dur-

ing the Civil war he rendered efficient aid in the work of filling the quota from Smithfield township. From the time of his removal to Shawnee he gave active support to the Presbyterian Church there, serving as elder for more than thirty years, and his upright life and character won for him the lasting esteem of his fellow townsmen.

On August 13, 1836, Mr. LaBar married Sarah A. Bush, daughter of George V. and Maria ( Stet- ler). Bush, and granddaughter of George Bush, an early settler from Germany, and his wife, Mary (Van Campen). Eight children were born to them, viz. : Sarah M., wife of George F. Heller, of Strouds- burg; Elizabeth, wife of Col. John Schoonover, of Truxen, N. J. ; Susan, wife of Samuel D. Overfield, of Delaware Water Gap; Amzi, our subject; Mar- garet, widow of Charles S. Hill, of Oxford Furnace, N. J. ; Mary, deceased wife of Rev. F. P. Dalrymple, pastor of Shawnee Presbyterian Church; Hiram, who operates the old farm at Shawnee, and Frank- lin, a resident of Pennington, N. J., who is general agent in that State for the Provident Life Insurance Co. of Philadelphia. The father passed away in De- cember, 1894, at the age of eighty ; the mother is still living at the advanced age of eighty-four.

V. Dr. Amzi LeBar was born November 16, 1842, in Pahaquarry township, Warren Co., N. J., and when six years old accompanied his parents to Smithfield township, Monroe county, where he grew to manhood, receiving a district-school education and gaining practical experience in farming, lum- bering and mercantile business under his father's supervision. He also taught school for a time, and in 1862 he enlisted in Company G, 142nd P. V. I., becoming orderly-sergeant. His courage won him promotion to the rank of second lieutenant, but a fever so undermined his strength that he was dis- charged on July 3, 1863, because of disability. He returned home for treatment, but did not regain his health until the fall of 1864, a trip of a few months, through Wisconsin and Iowa, contributing to his re- covery. During the winter of 1864 he taught school at Shawnee, and in the following spring he began reading medicine with Dr. H. R. Barnes, formerly of Allentown, Penn., but then practicing in Shawnee. In the fall of 1865 he entered Jefferson Medical Col- lege, Philadelphia, where he took three courses of lectures, including two in the summer term, and in 1867 he was graduated with the degree of M. D. He remained for a post-graduate lecture course, and in the fall of 1867 began his professional work at Elmer, N. J. In February, 1868, he located in Ash- ley, Penn., and in November, 1871, he settled in East Stroudsburg, where he remained until his removal to Stroudsburg in the spring of 1874. He speedily established a large practice there, and in July, 1880, he purchased the old Hollinshead drug store on Main street, which he has since conducted, his pro- fessional work being limited, so far as possible, to office business. His practice includes all classes of cases, but his remarkably successful work in obstet- rics has brought him special renown. As an active

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and efficient worker in the cause of religion, having been a member of the Presbyterian Church since the ageof eighteen, he takes keen interest in the Sunday- school connected with the Stroudsburg Church, and for some time served as superintendent. He has been an elder in that Church for the past thirteen years. Socially, he and his family are prominent. In 1868 the Doctor married Miss Marietta Bush, daughter of the late Samuel Bush, of Shawnee, and two children brighten his home, John Clyde and Mary.

THOMAS KITSON, of Stroudsburg, Mon- roe county, proprietor of the Stroudsburg Wool- en Mills, is a man whose energy and enterprise have raised him from a humble position in life to one of affluence, and this brief account of his suc- cessful career cannot fail to convey a helpful lesson.

Mr. Kitson was born June 7, 1840, at Brad- ford, Yorkshire, England, and comes of good old stock which has been distinguished in more than one generation by the gallant service of its mem- bers in the wars of their country. Daniel Kitson, the grandfather of our subject, was born at Yeadon, Yorkshire, England, and became a wool spinner by trade. In early life he served four years before the mast in the English navy. during which time he participated in the battle of the Nile. He lived to an advanced age. His family consisted of four children : David, John, Daniel and Elizabeth.

David Kitson, our subject's father was born in 1785, and when fifteen years old entered the English army with his brother Daniel, who died in the service in Jamaica. David remained in the army for seventeen years, serving first in the West Indies and then in the East Indies. He was at the taking of the Isles of France, Bourbon and Cey- lon, took part in the Napoleonic wars, and was at Waterloo, where he received a flesh wound in the right thigh on the first day of the battle. He drew a pension from 1817 until his death, and received a meda! from the British Government bearing the fol- lowing inscription : "June 18, 1815, Corporal David Kitson of the 33rd Reg of Foot, Wellington, Water- 100." This valuable relic is now in the possession of our subject. At the close of his long term of service Corporal Kitson received an honorable discharge and became a wool spinner, continuing that occupa- tion until a few years before his death in 1867. His wife, Nancy ( Mellin). a native of Barrow, England, survived him, and in 1876 came to Amer- ica. her last days being spent in Stroudsburg. They had two children, Sarah Ann and Thomas. Sarah Ann married James Davis, a resident of Strouds- burg, and both are now in their seventy-first year.

Thomas Kitson acquired industrious habits in his youth, at the age of ten years beginning work in a woolen-mill. When nineteen years old he came to America, and his thorough knowledge of his trade quickly secured him employment in a mill at Leeds, Greene Co., N. Y. Later he was em-

ployed at various places, his active mind picking up information concerning methods and processes which he has put to good use in his own mill. In the fall of 1866 he made a visit to his relatives in England, and on his return, after two months' ab- sence, he decided to engage in business on his own account. In April, 1873, he was at Thomaston, Conn., and while there formed a partnership with two others for the purpose of opening the Wallace mills at Stroudsburg, which were then closed ; they carried out the plan, but the panic of 1873 caused them serious loss. Mr. Kitson then formed a partnership with William Wallace, and they oper- ated the mill until 1883, when Mr. Wallace sold his interest to Mr. Kitson, who has since continued the business alone.

When our subject first became connected with the plant there were only four looms, employing thirteen hands ; but the business has grown under his skillful management until it is now the leading in- dustry of Stroudsburg, keeping 230 hands busy, and sending out more than $400,000 worth of goods an- nually. He takes the raw wool, fresh from the back of the sheep, and turns out the finished prod- uct, and, in this connection. we may mention the feat performed at the mills May 18, 1898, when the world's record for converting the raw wool into fin- ished clothing was lowered by nearly two hours. At 6:30 A. M. six sheep were sheared, and in six hours and four minutes the wool had passed through the hands of the sorters, scourers and dyers, was dried, picked, carded, spun, and then, after several processes, reached the weaver. The cloth went through eighteen processes of manufacture, and finally, the general finishing completed, was taken by the tailor, who, with several assistants, turned out a perfectly made up-to-date suit, which Mr. Kitson wore that day at the dinner given to his friends in honor of the occasion. The record, eight hours, was formerly held in Scotland, by a mill at Galashiel :, but whereas the cloth turned out then contained only one kind of wool, that made in the Kitson trial con- tained forty per cent. white and sixty per cent. black, making a better cloth and giving a distinct pattern, a fact which gives still more significance to the feat : the material was that known as "Scotch cheviot." Altogether the performance was both interesting and important, showing as it does the advances which have been made along manufactur- ing lines, the skill and speed attainable by expe- rienced workmen, and not least of all the control a man may acquire over his business in years of faith- ful application to its management, knowing as our subject does the work each department is capable of turning out. The Stroudsburg Woolen Mills hold a place in the front rank in their line, and it will undoubtedly be a long time before this record is surpassed or wrested from them. The suit of clothes which Mr. Kitson made can at any time be seen at the Commercial Exchange in Philadelphia.

Mr. Kitson has an elegant home in Main street, Stroudsburg, one of the finest in the city, and he

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That Ritson

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and his family are much esteemed in social life. In 1859 he married Miss Martha A. Rayner, who was born in 1840, at Bradford, England, and two chil- clien were born to them : Marian A., wife of W. H. Sweet of New York City ; and Thomas J. The moth- er of these died January 24, 1894, and in June, 1895, Mr. Nitson married Effie Snyder, of Stroudsburg. Politically our subject is a Republican, but he does not aspire to official honors. He is regarded, de- servedly, as a self-made man in the best sense of that oft-abused term, for when he landed in Amer- ica nearly forty years ago he had but two and one- half dollars in money, and no special advantages of education to aid him on the road to fortune ; but he has, by native ability, industry and good man- agement, won a place second to none in the business circles of his adopted county, and he merits the respect and esteem which are everywhere accorded him.

SCHOONOVER. The Schoonovers are an old Holland-Dutch family. The name is spelled Schoonoven in old records. Thomas Schoonover was one of the taxables in the Minisink, in Orange county, N. Y., in 1739. Ezekiel Schoonover was in Delaware township, Pike Co., Penn., in 1781, and in 1801 Nicholas Schoonover appears among the taxables. Rodolphus Schoonover settled in Smith- field, Pike county, near Bushkill, where he had a gristmill before the Revolutionary war.

William Schoonover came from New Jersey, and followed the Lackawaxen as far as Dyberry Forks, thence in 1791 about a mile up the Dyberry. When he followed up the river there were a few settlements commencing at the mouth of the Lack- awaxen, and extending up as far as Indian Orchard. He was the first white settler on the Dyberry, and his son, Levi, born in 1794, was the first white child born in the valley of that river. He avoided the swamp where Honesdale now stands, and located in the sheltered vale, which in recent years has been known as Schoonover flats. Here he rolled up his log cabin not far from a good spring, and com- menced to clear away the primeval forest and to open up cultivated fields. When he came there were no roads except Indian trails, and communica- tion with distant neighbors was most difficult. The old route lay back of Irving's Cliff. Thomas Span- genberg, his brother-in-law, who came up to Beth- any in 1794, mentions this fact in his account of the settlers that he found here at that time. Mr .. Schoonover was obliged to go to Milford, Pike county, on horseback, to get his grain ground, and for his groceries, but as hunting and fishing were good, fresh meat could be easily obtained. He was a squatter for a number of years, when Jason Tor- rey, who was a good surveyor and land agent, ad- vised him to patent his land. This was good ad- vice, and after some urging he accepted it, agreeing to give Mr. Torrey one-half of the land for his serv- ices. Mr. Torrey surveyed the land and had it patented. In the division Mr. Schoonover retained

the northern part, which contained his clearing and dwelling, and Mr. Torrey took the southern part, which includes the northern half of Honesdale, ex- tending from a line drawn nearly east and west through the center of Central Park. This part be- ing swampy and less valuable, as was supposed, Mr. Torrey received forty acres more than half for his services, and the land estimated at so small a value subsequently became the foundation of the Torrey fortune.

William Schoonover married Susanna Span- genberg, and they reared a family of nine children, viz. : Levi ; Anna, wife of Enos Cramer, who moved to New York State (he had a son, David, who lived on the turnpike) ; Daniel, mentioned below ; Jacob ; Simon; Esther, wife of Robert Causton; Amelia, wife of Samuel Cosad; Evalina, wife of William Miller ; and Julia, wife of William Sherwood. Will- iam Schoonover died in 1828, aged sixty-four ; he and his wife are buried in the Schoonover burying- ground on his farm located on rising land that over- looks the Dyberry.

Daniel Schoonover, born November 20, 1796, married Eliza Jacks, of New Jersey, and kept the homestead. He reared a family of twelve chil- dren, all of whom grew to maturity and married. He was a sober and industrious man, and not only cultivated the farm on the flats, but was associated with his brother Jacob in the ownership and cultiva- tion of a large farm on the turnpike north of Beth- any. His large and patriarchal family were a bee- hive of industry and thrift. They had cattle, sheep and horses, and grew. grain and flax. The good housewife and her daughters spun and wove cloths, which they also made into garments for wear. Mr. Schoonover could cobble sufficiently to make shoes for the family, and he dressed deer skins, which were made into gloves and mittens not only for the family, but also for sale. The swamp down by the forks of the Dyberry, where Honesdale stands amid her maples, arrayed in beauty, was the home of the deer and bear, the hunting-ground of Mr. Schoon- over. He would sometimes kill a deer before break- fast. He kept bees and had honey, and with all their industry this resourceful family lived well. And the daughters, now grown old and gray, in recounting these eventful years, think that there was no cook like their mother, and that there were no times better than the old times when their fam- ily was all at home. and they lived so independently of the rest of the world by means of their own in- dustry and the kindly blessing of Providence. This family is a good specimen of the honest, sober, hard-working pioneers who laid the foundations of society deep and strong. They were Methodists, and the daughters remember the Fourth of July celebrations, when the Sunday-school children of all the Churches marched through the town every year with banners, then repaired to the green at the Tabernacle and listened to the oration, after which cookies were passed to every one.

Daniel Schoonover died January 20, 1880, aged

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eighty-four. He and his wife are buried in the Schoonover burying-ground. Of their large fam- ily, Phebe married George Kimble and lived near the fair grounds ; both are now deceased. Lucinda is the widow of Sylvanus Perham, of Mt. Pleasant, now de- ceased ; one of her sons was county commissioner of Wayne county. Evalina, now deceased, married Will- iam Causton ; he is now living in Illinois. Joanna is the widow of John P. Kimble, who was the owner of Kimble's steam mill at Tracyville, and lives with her daughter, Mrs. O. J. Brown, in Brooklyn, N. Y .; her son Warren died while serving as sheriff of Wayne county. SYLVESTEA M. is the widow of John Decker ; she had a daughter, Ida E., born April 11, 1859, died March 24, 1890. They lived in Peckville until the death of Mr. Decker, June 16, 1863, and the widow is now a resident of Honesdale, and is active in religious and temperance work. Jacob married Martha Weir, of Pittston, Penn., and resid- ed in Pocahontas, Ark. ; he is now deceased ; his son Parke lives with Mrs. Decker. William, now de- ceased, married Mary Mulkey, and his widow re- sides in Indiana. Maria H. is the widow of John Mulford, and resides in Madison, N. J. Caroline married Charles J. Knapp, now a retired merchant, and lives in Rutherford, N. J. Warren married Amanda Mathewson, and is a physician in New York. Eliza Ann is the widow of Rev. George Pritchett, of Brooklyn, N. Y. Daniel W. married Sarah Greenwood, and resides in Scranton, Penn- sylvania.

JUDGE JOHN LEWIS. SHERWOOD. The history of a county as well as that of a nation is chiefly the chronicles of the lives and deeds of those who have conferred honor and dignity upon society. Among the most distinguished citizens of Wayne county is the subject of this sketch, who is now cred- itably and satisfactorily serving as associate judge. Since reaching man's estate he has been prominently identified with the business interests of the county, and is now the owner of the beautiful place in Pres- ton township, known as Robin Hood Park.

A native of Wayne county, Judge Sherwood was born in Mount Pleasant, Penn., February 21, 1836, and is a representative of a family of English origin which was early founded in the New World. His father, Amos O. Sherwood, was born April 12, 1799, in Litchfield county, Conn., and was married February 16, 1817, to Miss Betsy Burr, then seventeen years of age. Her father, Rowland Burr, was also a native of Connecticut, and belonged to a highly-respected family. For a time after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Sherwood continued to make their home in Connecticut, and then migrated to Mt. Pleasant township, Wayne Co., Penn., where the father en- gaged in farming for a few years. Subsequently he conducted a hotel in Rileyville, and in 1838 located upon the present farm of our subject, on which a log cabin had been erected, but only a few acres cleared. Here he died January 2, 1881, at the age

of eighty-two years, having long survived his wife, who passed away in 1838 while living in Rileyville. Early in life they had united with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and always adhered to its doc- trines. Throughout his business career the father engaged at different times in lumbering, farming, merchandising and hotel keeping, and his political support was given first to the Whig party and later to the Republican party.

The children born to Amos O. and Betsy Sher- wood were Eunice, deceased wife of Ezra Seeley ; Ebenezer B., deceased; Amelia, widow of Marcus Moore; Nathan, deceased; Munson, who died at Equinunk, Wayne county ; Granville B., a resident of Preston township; Eleanor, deceased; William H., a resident of Binghamton, N. Y .; Sallie and Hariette, both deceased; and John Lewis, of this sketch.

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Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 7

Author: Publication date: 1900 Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 2390

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 2390