USA > Pennsylvania > Lackawanna County > Ransom > History and directory of Newton and Ransom townships, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania; > Part 13
USA > Pennsylvania > Lackawanna County > Newton > History and directory of Newton and Ransom townships, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania; > Part 13
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And so all through the valley, beautiful scen- ery and thrilling history await the observer. You may stand on the very spot where Frances Slocum stood when she was seized and carried off by the Indians despite the pleadings of her mother, and to be next heard from after nearly sixty years. You may study Colonial church architecture in the old Forty Fort Church, and a few rods away, on the river bank a small
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HISTORY OF THE WYOMING VALLEY
monument will show you the location of Forty Fort, the principal refuge of the white settlers at the time of the Battle and massacre of Wyom- ing. In connection with your visits to this marker and to the great Wyoming Monument, Queen Esther's Rock, and other points con- nected with the history of this valley, you will,
of course, want to review for yourself the his- tory of those times. You are always welcome at the Wyoming Historical Rooms in the rear of the Osterhout Library in Wilkes-Barre; and there in addition to a very interesting display of relics, you will find one of the finest histori- cal libraries in the country.
CHAPTER NINE EARLY SETTLERS ALONG THE SUSQUEHANNA
The following interesting account of John Gardner appeared in The Wyoming Democrat, published at Tunkhannock, under date of Jann- ary 12, 1876:
THIE GARDNERS OF GARDNER'S FERRY
John Gardner settled in Exeter (now Ransom township ), six miles above the mouth of the Lacka- wanna river in 1769. He was chosen a town offi- cer at the first election in 1774, and was a promi- nent and patriotic citizen. Three days before the great Wyoming Massacre, he was one of the Hard- ing and Hadsall company, and was surprised while in a cornfield and captured. Although aged and lame no mercy was shown him. Esq. Harding and Mr. Jenkins state that his heart-broken wife was allowed to make him a brief visit. Mr. Gardner, feeling that he would return no more gave her his best advices as to family affairs. Both were fore- warned against manifesting any feeling under the terrible scenes surrounding them, and parted hope- less of seeing each other again.
Dr. Peck says in his history of Wyoming, that "Mrs. Jenkins, wife of Lieutenant Jenkins, was with Mrs. Gardner at Fort Jenkins, after its capitu- lation. The husband of Mrs. Gardner was a pris- oner in the hands of the Indians and Tories, and she wished much to see him once more and asked Mrs. Jenkins to accompany her. Having consented and obtained a leave, they started under escort of young Wintermoot, a Tory, who offered to go with them upon the condition that they would manifest no surprise or sorrow at the sight they might see, telling them at the same time, that they would be- hold many strange and heartrending scenes."
"They, therefore, schooled themselves to appear indifferent, and entered the camp as coolly as pos- sible. Mrs. Gardner obtained an interview with her husband, who told her that he was well aware they would never meet again. He was lame and knowing that if unable to keep pace with his cap- tors when on the march, they would kill him. He advised her to take their children and go to Con- necticut and remain there with her friends, until the trouble being over in Wyoming, it would be safe to return and live upon the farm he had pur- chased, bidding her a final farewell. During all the time she had such possession of herself as to exhibit no outward sign of sorrow. Mrs. Jen- kins also told us that the Indians were at that time busily engaged in burning their victims. They had thrown down an old dry pine fence, and piled upon it the dead, wounded, and some unhurt white men added more combustible matter, and set it on fire; and that the whole line of the fence was filled
with the charred bones and flesh of the poor crea- tures and men still burning; an awful sight, and I do not doubt her statement of the facts."
Mr. Miner gives the following account of Mr. Gardner's captivity and death: "One taken at Exeter the first of July, 1778, when the Hardings and Hadsalls were killed, deserve our special no- tice. Mr. John Gardner was a husband and father. a highly respectable man, against whom an unap- peasable spirit of enmity is supposed to have ex- isted. On the morning of the Fourth, his wife and child were permitted to see and take leave of him. Elisha Harding, Esq., then a boy, was present, and represents the scene as extremely affecting. When the last adieu was exchanged, an Indian placed a grievons load npon his shoulders, which he could scarcely raise, then put a halter around his neck and led him off as he would a beast. The fare- well expressed the sentiment-I go to return no more. Exhausted with fatigue, before he arrived at his captor's home (James Hadsall says, he fell at Standing Stone, Pa., crushed by the weight of his load when he was handed over to the squaws for torture, who stuck his body full of the slivers of pine knots and tortured him to death by fire. Daniel Carr, a fellow-prisoner ( who later escaped ), saw the remains the following day, and represented it as a sight to awaken to deepest pity."
"John Gardner was the son of Perigreen Gard- ner of East Greenwich, R. I., who married Susan- nah Robinson of South Kingston, R. I., in April, 1731. John was the second son, and was born May 9, 1737, and was consequently a little over 41 years of age at the time he was captured by the Indians and Tories. His wife's name was Elizabeth Mumford, and they had five children to wit: Rich- ard, Thankful, John, Benjamin and Betsy. Eliza- beth, the wife or widow, died August 24, 1834, aged 91 years, 5 months and 25 days. Richard, the oldest son, was born July 8, 1767, and married in 1788 to Lydia Chapman, she died May 23, 1828, aged 61 years. Thankful was born in 1770; John, born Jannary 9, 1773, and died March 30, 1836: Benjamin was born in 1775, and Betsy in 1778."
"John Gardner had two brothers, Stephen and Perigreen, who came and settled at Wyoming about the same time with him, and were active partici- pants in all the struggles of the settlers against the forays of the British, Indians, Tories and Penna- mites. His father, Perigreen, removed to and lived in New London, Conn., as early as 1747.
"There was a Thomas Gardner in Exeter, on the west side of the Susquehanna river, who was a cousin of John. The elder Stephen Harding,
married his sister. He was a son of Stephen Gard- ner, brother of Perigreen. Stephen moved to Col-
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chester, Conn., as early as 1743, and settled at the north end of a small lake, called Gardner's Lake, where he kept a public house in connection with a large dairy farm."
John Gardner was a man of large size and com- manding appearance, the noblest and finest looking man of his time.
His wife ( Elizabeth Mumford before marriage) carried out the instructions given her by her hus- band at their last farewell interview, as best she could, before leaving for Connecticut in 1778. She buried her household goods, not knowing but she might return for them after the trouble was over in Wyoming*
What fearful times these were. The strength of the settlement was gone. The husbands, sons and brothers, who were expected to clear the farms and raise the bread, had perished upon the battle- field or been led away into hopeless bondage. A few old men leaning upon their staves, mothers with infants at their breasts, and boys and girls of tender age, were left in a country overrun by mur- derous savages, without food, and often stripped of their clothing, until not enough was left to screen their bodies from the extremities of the weather; and in this condition obliged to undertake a long journey through the wilderness on foot.
Mrs. Gardner having arranged matters and things as best as she could made her way back to Connec- ticut with her four children: Richard, John, Jr., Thankful and Benjamin M. The last named then a nursing infant in her arms, the others walking with her the long weary way, suffering indescrih- ably from hunger and weakness, yet all surviving. Why did she not faint, or give herself up to incon- solable grief or to utter despair? Ah! the wo- men of those times were made of stern stuff. How nobly they bore themselves when the storm beat furiously upon them. There was a religious ele- ment in their character, says Dr. Peck in his His_ tory, that went to their relief in that terrible day of need.
The following was printed in the Wyoming Democrat of Tunkhannock, January 26, 1876:
"At Fort Jenkins, the uppermost in the valley, and only a mile above Wintermoots, there were gathered the families of the old patriots, John Jen- kins, Esq., the Hardings and Gardners distinguished for zeal, with others. The fort consisted of a house built of hewed logs, and surrounded by a stockade.
"Not apprised of the contiguity of the savages, on the morning of June 30th, 1778. Benjamin Hard- ing. Stukley Harding, John Hadsall, a boy, James Hadsall, James Hadsall, Jr., Daniel Wallen, John
Gardner and Daniel Carr, eight in all, took thelr arms and went up the river about six miles into Exeter township ( opposite what is now Ransom), to their labor. Toward evening, at an hour when aid could not be expected, they were attacked. That they had fought bravely was admitted by the enemy. Wallen, Gardner and Carr were taken
prisoners. James Hadsall and his son, James, Jr., Benjamin and Stukley Harding were killed. John Hadsall, the boy, threw himself into the river, and lay under the willows, with his mouth just above the surface. He heard with anguish the dying groans of his friends. Knowing he was near, the Indians searched carefully for him. At one time they were so close that he could have touched them. Two Indians, who were watching the dead, expecting that friends might come to take away the bodies, and they might obtain other vic- tims, were shot, one where he sat, the other in the river to which he had fled.
"It is said that one of the Indians was shot by . Zebulon Marcy, and a brother of the Indian killed hunted for Marcy for several years, and finally found and waylaid him, swearing he would have revenge."
THE UPPER SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY Copyright, 1912, by Edson W. Safford
Great rivers are always prominent factors in the development and history of a people. They are always interesting to the geologist and scien- tist, as well as the historian. Poets and orators have exhausted their imagination and powers of speech to describe the beauties and import- ance of the great rivers of all civilized countries. But the Susquehanna almost defies description. Always it is referred to as the "beautiful Sus- quehanna."
It drains the central part of the State of Pennsylvania and flows southward to the Chesa- peake Bay. One historian well describes it in a sentence as "A broad, rapid, shallow, moun- tain stream, famous for its varied and romantic views." It would take a book of hundreds of pages to describe this picturesque river and the land through which it flows.
From pioneer days to the close of the Rebel- lion its history forms the most important pages of the story of the Republic. Her people have produced pioneers, heroes, statesmen, philoso- phers and financiers who have contributed to the population of the western states.
Its vast, original forests of white oak, hick- ory, walnut, maple, cherry, birch, beech, ash, chestnut, basswood, white pine and hemlock have furnished unnumbered fortunes to the lumberman and tanner. Her coal and mineral wealth, since the first rude forge was built on her banks in the seventeenth century, has been and still is a national resource. All these things have been accepted as a matter of course, and have gone without special notice or comment. In fact the boomer for other sections has been prone to disparage and discount this great val- ley in order to more rapidly draw from her
#About 1846, John Stont, then owner of the John Gardner farm, plowed up near a mulberry tree, in front of the old tavern house, some crockery, pew- ter platters, chinaware and several articles of hard- ware, such as pots, kettles, spiders, axes, angers, etc., supposed to have been those buried by the Gardner family after the massacre, before they left for Connecticut. If so, the goods buried were not found on their return to the valley, and were a total loss to them. Christopher Taylor, who then lived in Newton, was present at the time they were plowed up, and took some of the articles home which he kept as relics of the olden time along the Susquehanna.
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population and wealth.
Nevertheless, the Upper Susquehanna Valley has steadily increased in both population and wealth, as well as to constantly advance in social and educational advantages. The future holds great opportunities for this region.
GOOD GRAZING LAND
The upper valley is like an elevated plateau, through which the beautiful Susquehanna winds in graceful, sweeping curves. Her num- erous tributaries are supplied by a regular rain- fall, which is marvelously stored among the lit- tle hills and dales in innumerable small lakes and underground veins which break out at the surface in springs of clear, pure, cold water.
County, Pennsylvania, about seventy miles; at Pittston the stream turns again sharply back to its course toward the Chesapeake Bay. Thus the river has traveled a course of about 200 miles to gain a distance of 65 miles.
Within this loop formed by the beautiful Susquehanna, is the county of Susquehanna, a great part of Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wyoming and Bradford in Pennsylvania, and a part of Tioga and Broome counties in the State of New York.
It has been asserted by travelers and observ- ing people that the natural verdure, especially the grass of this region, is different from any other section of the two states. That it is the same as the blue grass region of Kentucky.
THE STARRUCCA VIADUCT, LANESBORO, PA.
These springs and lakes are the fountain head of many streams which make their way in every direction through the plains and banks of the ever increasing river.
Many of these tributary creeks have excellent natural water power, which have in the past, and will more in the future, when enterprise becomes disinthralled from monopoly, turn the wheels of industrial manufacture.
Owing to the annual rainfall and the marvel- ous natural system of water storage, the pastur- age of this region is rich and abundant.
The upper valley of the river here described is sometimes called the "great bend' of the Sus- quehanna. Beginning at Lanesboro, Susque- hanna County, Pennsylvania, the river turns from its general course and flows westward about twenty miles; thence northwest to Bing- hamton, New York, about twenty-five miles; thence nearly due west to Sayre, Pennsylvania, about sixty miles; thence south to Towanda, Bradford County, Pennsylvania, about twenty- five miles; thence southeast to Pittston, Luzerne
Be that as it may, certain it is that verdant pasturage of rich nutritious grass grows natu- rally in this section.
Experience shows that if land is plowed here and left without seeding, it will come back to natural grass and sod in due time.
The soil in this section is diversified. On the river and creek bottoms it is a sandy loam; on the hillsides a clay loam ; on the upper pleateaus and hilltops, in places red shale, (always very rich, productive grain land) mostly clay loam.
It produces abundant crops under thorough tillage; and increases in fertility and retains its strength under modern methods of cropping and fertilization.
FRUIT CULTURE
The land and climate is well adapted to the apple, pear, plum, cherry and grape. While in some localities, peaches in the perfection of flavor are raised successfully. The strawberry. blackberry and raspberry grow spontaneous, and when cultivated the yield is very abundant
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HISTORY OF THE WYOMING VALLEY
and of the highest quality of fruit.
Dr. J. H. Funk of Boyerstown, Pennsylva- nia, lecturing on commercial orcharding before a Farmer's Institute at Montrose, declared that this section of the state was well adapted to fruit. He pointed out that this latitude, be- tween 39 degrees and 43 degrees was the best. That the altitude-about 1,500 feet-was suf- ficient to secure air drainage, which is now known to be important for all vinous and tree fruits. That the natural land drainage and right soil existed to produce vigorous trees.
But horticulture for the Upper Susquehanna Valley does not depend upon theory. It is an established success. The first settlers planted orchards; the trees grew and fruited so abun- dantly that choice fruit, especially apples, were annually harvested without any effort of culti- vation.
As the land was cleared of the original for- ests, small fruits, such as the blackberry, red and black raspberry and strawberry grew spon- taneously. The enormous quantities of these fruits growing in the cleared fields helped sub- stantially in supplying the table of the carly settlers. Every thrifty housewife laid by a gen- erous supply of dried blackberries for winter use.
Nature has thus demonstrated that this valley. is well adapted to fruit. The people for genera- y tions, having gathered fruits produced by na- ture's bounty, have for this reason been slow to develop the industry of systematic and improv- ed horticulture. But the rapid and continuous growth of population in the manufacturing and mining districts of New York and Pennsylvania has created an enormous demand for apples and small fruits, which is not half supplied. Therefore, progressive farmers are now turning their attention to modern horticulture and com- mercial orcharding.
There are already a few small orchards which have become famous in their abundant and pro- fitable yield of choice market fruit.
COMMERCIAL ORCHARDING
While in the past fruit growing in the upper Susquehanna valley has been conducted in a sort of haphazard way. it is now quite evident that a change is taking place, and some of the keen visioned, progressive citizens are planting large orchards.
It is no experiment. The thorough cultiva- tion and systematic marketing of the apple, pear and even the peach, according to modern methods, will make this valley rich and famous.
DAIRYING
Another important industry in this region is dairying .. The natural pasturage of the Sus-
quehanna plateau has been for years a prime source of her wealth. Along the broad eleva- tions of land between the numerous tributaries to the Susquehanna, is sprinkled numerous lit- tle lakes, covering from one to two hundred acres; having a depth of from fifteen to fifty feet, of clear, sparkling water. These lakes really consist of several great springs, cropping out in a basin formation of the surface. The water is held back until it overflows the edge of the basin at the lowest point, and goes gurgling down through ever widening dales to the great river. Along the sides and over the crests of these small valleys other springs crop out every- where. Clear, sparkling, cold, soft water.
It is needless to say that this wonderful na- tural system of water fountains furnishes a never failing water supply for stock not surpass- ed anywhere in the world. Rich, nutritious grasses grow naturally in the Upper Susque- hanna Valley.
Recently, under the auspices of the Agricul- tural Department of the Lehigh Valley Rail- road Company, dairymen's associations are be- ing formed for the systematic feeding and test- ing of milch cows. Through these associations the "robber cow." will be eliminated, and the whole dairy business of this section will be ยท brought to a basis of systematic business, which will begin a new era for eastern dairymen and stock breeders.
THE SULKY PLOW
Modern method of agriculture is already hav- ing its effect to improve the conditions of the eastern farmer. A whole chapter might be writ- ten on the sulky plow, which is a practical tool in the valley of the Susquehanna. Farmers are finding out that it will do good work on our roughest and stoniest fields. One man with a modern sulky plow and a pair of heavy horses, will turn over more than twice the acres that could be plowed by hand and do it much better. Thus the drudgery of the eastern farmer disap- pears.
CHEAP LAND
Why then, with all these advantages, does Pennsylvania land continue so cheap? This question can be easily answered.
FIRST. Free land under the homestead law, has caused a constant drain on our population and resources.
SECOND. The boomer has always existed in every section of the United States except the northeastern, for the reason that land here al- ways commanded a price. and of course, could not compete against free land.
THIRD. It must be admitted that the eastern
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HISTORY OF THE WYOMING VALLEY
farmer has been slow to adopt modern methods of agriculture.
But the lure of nearby cities, with their glim- mer of high wages and big salaries, together with a thirst for a more thorough education, has been the chief factor in drawing our young men from the farms.
The enactment of the homestead law and the discovery of gold in California were almost sim- ultaneous. Under all these conditions the rural counties of many of the eastern states have shown a decrease in population, and have now become the district of cheap lands in the United States.
Good machine tilled farms, fenced, improved with small orchards, big dairy barns, horse barns, chickeries, hog houses, graneries, silos, wagon sheds, tool houses, ice-houses and good comfortable dwellings, all built with a lavish use of lumber from the very farm upon which they stand, can now be bought for less than the cost of erecting the buildings and fences at the present time. Most of the farms have running spring water to the buildings and in the pas- lures.
Of course, the land is not smooth and level like a prairie, but its nearness to the market more than makes up for the cost of tillage.
SOIL FERTILITY
Some of the land is rough and stony: some of the side hills are steep, but comparatively few acres are steep or rough enough to prevent the use of sulky plows, mowing machines, reapers and binders. If a man wants a level farm he can find it in the creek and river valleys. Some prefer the sloping side hill. Some of our very best farms are on the top of the hills.
The soil on the creek and river bottoms is a sandy loam, generally free from stones; on the uplands it is clay loam, with now and then a formation of red shale, which is always con- sidered especially good grain land. The soil of the upland being mixed with small stones, is free and loose. It readily absorbs the regular rainfalls, and resists drought to a remarkable degree. It retains applied stable manure and lime, and under improved and scientific meth- ods of agriculture increases in fertility and pro- duction.
It is proven by U. S. Agricultural statistics that Pennsylvania farms produce as much per acre of corn, oats, wheat, rye and timothy hay, as the prairie land.
CHEAP FUEL
Most of the farms in this section have a small piece of woods left, from ten to thirty or forty acres, which furnishes a constant supply of fuel, and lumber to repair buildings.
In the past our land owners have been care- less and wasteful of their forest trees. But now they are more careful, and realize that a few acres of woodland adds substantial value to a farm property.
CLIMATE
All tourists and travelers are enthusiastic in their praise of the Upper Susquehanna Valley in the summer time. The days are glorious, and usually comfortable for the labor of both man and beast; no malaria; no miasma; no blasting desert winds or blizzards; no sizzling enervating torrid heat; no mosquitoes or poison- ous insects.
The long days of bright sunshine; copious showers; the early and latter rains all combine to bring abundant crops and a salubrious clim- ate. The four distinct seasons, viz .: Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall, are plainly marked by actual weather conditions. There are no ex- tremes of heat or cold. wet or dry. In winter the ground is usually covered with snow through January and February, with sufficient quantity to make good sleighing most of the time. The approach of winter is generally very gradual, warm, pleasant weather continuing through the months of October and November.
The average temperature of the mouth of De- cember in northeast Pennsylvania during the past forty-seven years, as kept by Mr. Theodore Day, of Dyberry, Pa., was 25.4 degrees. In mid-summer, during June, July and August, there are many very hot days, relieved, how- ever, by a good breeze.
CROPS
Corn has been the standard crop here since the country was first settled by the Connecticut pioneer. Rye, oats, buckwheat, potatoes and timothy hay are the regular and profitable crops.
EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL ADVANTAGES
The Pennsylvania common school system is excellent. Many of the modern high schools prepare for college entrance; and the graduates of the county high schools are fully prepared to take up the regular courses of all colleges and universities of the eastern states, except about three.
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