History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 110

Author: Craft, David, 1832-1908; L.H. Everts & Co
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : L. H. Everts
Number of Pages: 812

USA > Pennsylvania > Bradford County > History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 110

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WEST BURLINGTON.

THE geographical situation of the township of West Burlington is as follows: It is bounded north by the townships of Springfield and Smithfield, east by Bur- lington, south by Franklin and Granville, and west by Troy. Its topography is similar to that of Burlington, of which it was formerly a part. The principal stream by which it is watered is the Sugar creek, which passes through the town in an easterly and northeasterly direction, centrally, and has several small tributary creeks, flowing in from the north and south. The soil and its productive capacity is

the same as that of the surrounding towns, and its many roads offer good facilities for reaching a market.

THE SETTLEMENT

of the township is fully given in the history of Burlington, the Sugar creek colonization being common to both town- ships. The first clearing was made on the Sugar, near the mouth of Mill creek, in the east part of the town, near Burlington borough ; and at the junction of the roads, west of that point, the first church on the creek was built.

434

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Many descendants of the old pioneers whose names are given in the history of Burlington are living in West Bur- lington, the McKeans, Ballards, Goddards, Baileys, Pratts, Swains, Beaches, Leonards, and others, whose farms lie along both banks of the creek.

SCHOOLS.

The town is divided into seven school districts, in each of which a school was taught during the year ending June 1, 1877, an average of five months in each district. Two male and nine female teachers were employed, the former receiving a salary of $25.80 per month, and the latter an average of $15.82 ; 254 pupils attended the schools, equally divided between the sexes, the average attendance for the whole time being 123; $1013.85 were levied on the prop- , erty in the township for school purposes; $176.24 were received from the State, the total receipts being $1172.19; $603.60 were paid for teachers' wages, the total expendi- tures being $972.97, including $264.40 for new school- houses or repairs.

THE POPULATION

of the township in 1860 was 902, and in 1870, 896, 9 of whom were foreign born and 1 colored.

ORGANIZATION.

The town of West Burlington was formed in 1855, from Burlington township, the boundary-line between the two towns being very nearly located on the centre line from north to south of the original town, in its wider part. The area of West Burlington is somewhat less than Burlington, but not much.

WEST BURLINGTON VILLAGE

is located in the western part of the town, at the junction of the roads north, a short distance, of the bridge over the Sugar creek. It is a small hamlet, containing a post-office, store, wagon-, blacksmith-, and cooper-shops, grocery, a school-house, and a Methodist Episcopal church, and thirty or more dwellings. On the opposite sides of the creek, the grist- and saw-mills of B. L. Rockwell & Sons are situated, known as the " West Burlington Mills." North of the village, in district No. 4, A. L. Ballard's saw-mill is situ- ated, and in Bloom district, No. 1, D. & G. D. Bourne have a lumber mannfactory and steanı saw-mill, and in dis- trict No. 3 is still another steam saw-mill.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.

GEN. SAMUEL MCKEAN.

Samuel Mckean was born in Kishocoquillas valley, Huntingdon Co., Pa., and came with his parents north while of tender years. His opportunities for an education

were meagre until he was sixteen years of age, at which time he went to the State of Maryland, on a visit to his maternal uncle, who was a man of learning and strict Quaker habits. He took the lad under his care and tuition, who, being very ambitious, made rapid progress in his studies, and also in good business habits. He was taught to learn one thing at a time, and to learn that well, from which re- sulted his future success. His tutor made it his especial care to teach his young pupil the principles of government, knowing that intelligence is the life of liberty. The house of his uncle furnished young Mckean a home until the death of its master, upon which the estate of the latter was settled by Samuel, in accordance with the provisions of the will left by the deceased. A portion was left for the nephew, with which he purchased a stock of goods and established himself in trade in Burlington, as mentioned in the history of that township.

In the fall of 1816 he was elected to the State legisla- ture, and served therein for several successive terms. As he hailed from the back woods of Pennsylvania, the mem- bers from Philadelphia thought to make game of him on his first arrival at the capital. At a dinner soon after his coming, he was placed at the table opposite the carving knife, and requested to serve the guests "farmer fashion." He picked up the knife, tested its edge critically, carved a generous slice of the roast beef, placed it on his plate, gar- nished it well with vegetables, and bowing courteously to the guests, said in mock solemnity, " Gentlemen, as ye have seen me do, so do ye," and sat down to his own well-filled plate. The whole thing was so gracefully and quickly done, the laugh passed around the table, but at the expense of the laughers themselves.

In 1822, Gen. Mckean was elected to congress from the district comprising ten counties, which sent three members, George Kreamer and Espy Van Horn being his colleagues. He served the district eight years. In 1829 he was ap- pointed secretary of the commonwealth by Gov. Wolf, and served for three years. While in this position he drafted a bill for a general school law, taxing every kind of property for free-school purposes, which subsequently became a law as it left the secretary's hands. In 1833 he was elected to the State senate, and served till elected, in 1836, to the United States senate, where he served until 1839, when, his health failing, he was treated, for a severe neuralgia in the head, with opium, and using it incautiously himself, he was thrown into delirium, and in one of the paroxysms of the disease cut his throat with a razor. He did not, however, die of this wound, yet he never recovered his soundness of mind, and died in 1840 of softening of the brain.

His widow, Julia McKcan, is a sister of Judge McDowell, of Elmira, N. Y., and lives at the present time on the old homestead in West Burlington.

J. B. MC KEAN .

MRS. MARY C. MC KEAN.

LIBRARI

( PHOTOS. BY G. H. WOOD, TOWANDA.)

.OLD HOME, BUILT IN 1836.

RESIDENCE OF J. B. MCKEAN, WEST BURLINGTON, BRADFORD Co., PA.

JOHN BLACKWELL.

THOMAS BLACKWELL.

PHOTOS. BY G. H. WOOD.

RES. OF THOMAS BLACKWELL, WEST BURLINGTON, BRADFORD CO,PA.

NEW YO

MRS. M. J. HILTON

M. J. HILTON.

PHOTOS, BY G.H.WOOD.

( DISTANT VIEW OF MT PISGAH.)

RES. OF M. J. HILTON, WEST BURLINGTON, BRADFORD CO., PA.

WILMOT.

THIS township was named in honor of Hon. David Wil- mot, and is the southwestern township on the west side of the river, extending from the Susquehanna to the Sullivan county line in one direction, and from Terry and Albany townships to Wyoming county in the other direction. At the upper portion of the river boundary are alluvial flats, varying from twenty to forty rods in width, which extend to the mouth of the Sugar run, where the flats widen and extend a couple of miles up the creek. In the lower part of the township is what is familiarly called " The Bend," or " Quick's Bend," from the name of one of the earliest settlers in the township. Back from the river the land is hilly, but, as it is cultivated, is found to be fertile and pro- ductive.

The early Connecticut surveys were in Springfield town- ship, an account of which will be found in Wyalusing. Be- side these there were rival proprietary grants, in the Bend, in the form of two warrants, surveyed in the name of Con- rad Pigeon and John Quinton, which were conveyed to Edward Shippen, of Philadelphia, and by him released under the compensation law. On the Sugar run was a lot having the name of Lincoln, which traet was granted by the proprietaries, and patented to Reuben Hains, March 31, 1775, and by his heirs conveyed to Silas F. Andrews, with houses and out-houses, etc., who sells to Henry Brin- dle, April 6, 1804, and is the lot where Andrews built his mills.

The titles to other lands were through warrants obtained by Pickering, Hodgdon & Co., and subsequently purchased by Judge Hollenback. Owing to the death of Mr. Hollen- back and the division of his lands among his heirs, and other causes, these lands were not brought into market until within the last forty years, and consequently back from the river the settlements, with one or two exceptions, have been since that date, while large tracts are yet rated as un- seated lands.

The first white settler of this township was Thomas Keeney, a native of Litchfield Co., Conn. He settled first at Wapwallepack, but came to the present township of Wilmot as early as 1786. He purchased of Zebulon Butler, of Wilkes-Barre, a Connecticut right and title to a tract of land which he supposed was on the east side of the river, in Braintrim ; but when he came to locate it he found his lot was No. 1 of Springfield, which was the farm now occupied by Joseph Gamble and the heirs of James Gamble, in Wil- mot. This land he worked the first season, living in a bark- and-brush cabin in the ravine near the house of G. Stuart Gamble, and built a log house on the east side of the river. The bank on which the latter was erected has long since been washed away.

In 1785, Mr. Keeney brought his family from Wapwalle-

pack. He was apprehended as one of the abductors of Timothy Pickering, taken to Wilkes-Barre, and kept in con- finement all summer. Several opportunities were afforded for his escape, but he refused to avail himself of them, and decided to remain until he was discharged in a lawful man- ner. While he was thus absent a party came to his house, and pretended to believe that the canoe, which the family had for their own use and convenience, was kept to aid settlers, and declared their intention to take it away. Mrs. Keeney told them it was necessary for her own personal use. Some sharp words passed, the party in the mean while striving to push the canoe into the water, and Mrs. Keeney holding on to it until the ungallant men had dragged her into the water nearly to the waist, when they relinquished their purpose, and the heroic woman remained " master (or mistress) of the situation." Neither was this pioneer woman afraid of bears, so common in those days. One night she heard a noise at the door of the pen where the hogs were kept, and knew by the sound that they and Bruin were having a fight. Seizing a pitch-fork, she started to the succor of the pigs; she found them engaged in a fierce rough-and tumble fight, so that for some time it was impossible for her to deal the bear an effectual blow. This at length she succeeded in doing, and he departed, a sorer, if not a wiser, bear.

In the spring of 1788, Richard and Joshua Keeney, .brothers, and probably distant relatives of Thomas, came to Wilmot from Connecticut. Richard married Mercy, a daughter of Thomas, in September, 1788. She, like her mother, was a woman of great resolution and courage. It is related that, on one occasion, a party of men had driven a panther up a tree, near Rocky Forest, and no one of them dare stay alone to watch the beast while the others went for guns. Mercy, although but sixteen at this time, volun- teered to remain, and did so, while two men went more than a mile for the fire-arms, with which the panther was dispatched.

Joshua Keeney returned to his old home in Connecticut in 1789, there married (February, 1790) a Miss Sturde- vant, came back and settled in Wyoming county, Pa., bring- ing out his aged father, Mark Keeney, and his brother Thomas.

Richard and Thomas built the house now occupied by Joseph Gamble. There the wife of Mark died, July 7, 1804, and he the October following. Thomas sold the farm to Joseph Gamble's father in 1812, and moved to Chemung, N. Y., whither the elder Thomas had preceded him. Jeremiah, son of Mark Keeney, lived on the Morrow place. The Keeney family is large, and among the most respected in Wyoming county ; but few of the younger branches belong to Bradford.

435

436

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

James Anderson emigrated from Monaghan county, Ire- land, in the same ship with Samuel and James Gordon. He settled first in Dauphin county, where he married Mrs. Margaret (Cook ) Bailey. In 1801 or 1802 he moved on Sugar Hill, in Wilmot, where Mr. Brindle, the owner, en- gaged him to board the hands employed in erecting build- ings on the property. The next year he moved on the farm now owned by the Wilsons, in " the Bend." The farm then extended from the Morrow place to the river, being Nos. 5 and 6 of Springfield. He first occupied a log house erected previous to his coming, but afterwards built a better one on the bank of the river. The floods have since washed away the ground on which it stood.

At this time the only persons living in the " Bend," beside James Anderson, were James Quick and Thomas Keeney. In 1818, Mr. Anderson sold to the Wilsons and moved to Ohio with his family, except the eldest daughter Elizabeth, who had married Abial, son of Richard Keeney, and lived near the mouth of the Tuscarora, in Wyoming. Mr. Anderson died suddenly in 1829, being fatally injured by the fall of a dead limb from a tree, while riding his horse on his way home from church. After his death his daughter, Ellen, returned and married William Lake, and is now (1874) living near Laceyville, Pa. From her most of the facts pertaining to her father have been obtained. Mr. Anderson was a Presbyterian and a regular attendant at church. On Sabbath mornings he would take his family in his canoe, push it up the river to Browntown, and then walk three miles to Wyalusing, the place of meeting; and though the way was long and the journey difficult, they were seldom absent from divine service.

James Quick, of Dutch extraction, came from near Mil- ford, in the Minisink country, to Tunkhannock, where he remained a short time, and then located on what was known as the " Painter farm," so called from a man of that name (Philip Painter, or Paynter*) who had settled there before the Revolutionary war. Mr. Quick came probably in 1791, for his daughter, Hannah, was born there in 1792. He lived for three or four years in a little log house on the north side of the small brook which runs through the farm lately owned by his son, Paul, near the river, on the point of the ridge. He then built a hewn log house on the south side of the creek, nearly opposite the old one.

Philip Weeks, or Wycks, held the Connecticut title to the possession, but never occupied it. It covered 280 acres, which Jamnes Quick bought, as well as another lot of David Richards, also a Connecticut title. The lower flats were partially cleared, it was said by the Indians, but more likely by Painter and Leonard Lott; there were no houses nor settlers there, however, when Mr. Quick came.

Christopher Schoonover, more commonly known by his Dutch name, "Stoffle," came as early as 1792 from the Delaware river, where he lived in the same neighborhood with James Quick. Schoonover had cleared a few acres on the flats, the upland being covered with timber. His house was on the bank of the river below the Wilsons. It

was of logs, and covered with bark or spalts. He moved up the river, into the township of Litchfield, and Corneling Quick bought his possession, who sold to James Anderson, and he in turn to the Wilsons. Schoonover had two sons, Joseph and Solomon, and two daughters. "Stoffle" Schoonover, when he came to Wilmot, brought a young man with him, named Webster Seymour.

Nathan Beeman and his cousin, Timothy, came from War- ren, Litchfield county, almost simultaneously. Nathan had a little house a short distance above the landing at Keeney's ferry. Judson Beeman, son of Timothy, was born Dec. 29, 1785. Dr. Ebenezer Beeman was living in Black-Walnut, and Rockwell (Timothy's half-brother) had been about this section for some time, and the representations they gave of the country induced Timothy Beeman to settle there. He moved in March, 1799, with two teams, a yoke of oxen and sled, and span of horses and sleigh. They were twenty days en route. Timothy Beeman was the first settler in that part of the town, locating where Hollon now lives. Sugar Hill was then an unbroken wilderness, except that Vanderpool had built a log house on the farm where the late John Brown lived, cut a few trees, and moved away. When Mr. Beeman moved in there was no person living between his place and Ingham's, and his house was the only one in all that section. He bought his land under Connecticut title, and it was surveyed by Stevens. The Pennsylvania title was obtained of Hollenback and Hodgdon.

Judson Beeman says, " My father's family consisted of three sons and three daughters. We went there in the woods, without house or shelter. We moved into the Pool house, and stayed there the first year; then we put up a board shanty, in which we lived the following summer, and the next year my father, who was a carpenter, built a framed house. The hardest part of the work was hauling the boards up the hill from Andrews' mill. My father lived here until he died, in August, 1830, at the age of seventy- six years. He, as well as my mother (whose maiden name was Grace), was buried on Lacy street. Seymour, my oldest brother, bought the Pennsylvania title to my father's farm, and lived there for many years, then sold to Hollon, and moved away. Alfred, another brother, married Rachel, a daughter of Gerritt Smith, and lived on Lacy street ; he subsequently moved into New York State. Gerritt Smith also went to New York, near Cayuga lake, and died there."

Silas F. Andrews, son and executor of Ebenezer An- drews, or Andrus, as the name is sometimes spelled, was the first to settle on the Sugar run, above the river. He eame about 1792. His wife was a daughter of Isaac Han- cock. He was from the State of Connecticut, and his father was one of the original proprietors of certified Springfield, and a settler in it before the Revolutionary war, and died soon after the war closed. Under date of Dec. 29, 1792, the orphans' court of Luzerne county issued to him letters of administration on his father's estate. He bought the lot on Sugar run first above the Ingram property, where he built a grist- and saw-mill at an early day ; the grist-mill was but a small house, of logs, with one run of stone ; the saw- mill was of the same sort, and although very serviceable to the early settlers, no doubt both would be considered small affairs nowadays. Mr. Andrews was an active business man.

# See Chapter III. of general history of county, ante. Mr. Quiek says that it was commonly reported that Painter was a Tory. He came back after the war, but did not remain.

Engraved byvol . Sartan. Inila

437

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

He not only built the mills, opened a road from them to the river, but was engaged in various enterprises for the im- provement of his neighborhood. Mr. Andrews moved away, up the river, about the year 1800,* having sold to William Brindle, a Dutchman, who came from near Harrisburg. He kept up the Andrews' mills for three or four years, and then moved to the West Branch, although his son kept the property for some years later, when Joseph Preston suc- ceeded to the ownership.

John McCoy was an early comer, but not a late stayer ; he lived on the Hiram Horton place, and absconded in the spring of 1803. James Ellsworth lived for a time on the Andrews' place, lumbering, making shingles, etc. He had a Durham boat, and used to run on the river considerably.

Among other early settlers we may name Joseph Ingham, who lived where Washington Ingham now lives.

By deed bearing date Sept. 4, 1789, Jonas Ingham pur- chased of Isaac Benjamin the Connecticut title to lots Nos. 7 and 8 on the Springfield list, which are at the mouth of Sugar run, and the land now owned by J. W. Ingham. Joseph, the son of Jonas Ingham, took the property and began to make improvements, and built the mills, which, although they have been twice or three times rebuilt, were on nearly the same site as the ones now in use by Mr. Ingham, a view of which is given. Thomas, a son of Joseph, succeeded to the property, and his son, J. Wash- ington Ingham, is the present owner. The family and mill have been landmarks in this part of the country for more than fourscore years. A brother of J. W. Ingham is the Hon. T. J. Ingham, president judge of the distriet com- posed of the counties of Wyoming and Sullivan.

Ephraim Marsh, who came about 1799, and built a house about half-way between the river and Andrews' mill; and Eliphalet Marsh, brother of Ephraim, and son of Simeon Marsh, who was a hunter, and lived on the place now owned by Hiram Horton. The Marshes sold to Ebenezer Horton, and moved first to Lime, or Vaughan hill, and then to the Alleghany. Ephraim was father of Sydney Marsh. Old " Bussy" Rosecrantz came up to tend mill for Joseph Ingham ; Gideon Baldwin, Jr., married his daughter Betsey. The Gilsons lived on the Horton place for a time, and then went to the Canisteo ; Joseph Ellsworth married one of the daughters, and moved into Pike township.

PROTESTANT-IRISH EMIGRATION FROM BALIBAY.

Previous to the Revolutionary war, Samuel Gordon, Thomas Wigton, and probably James Anderson had emi- grated from Balibay, in the county of Manghan, Ireland, and found homes in the Susquehanna valley. In 1799, Anderson returned to Ireland for his parents, and on coming back to America, in 1801, persuaded John Gamble, Jr., to come over with him. The Gambles claim to be the de- scendants of the celebrated Ralph Gamel. John Gamble, being well pleased with Pennsylvania, wrote to his friends in Ireland, and in 1811 other members of the Gamble family,-which included John and his wife Elizabeth Ken- nedy and their sons James, William, Joseph, and George,

and John Morrow, who was a lad, the son of Nancy, a daughter of John Gamble, who married Mr. Morrow,-sailed from Belfast, March 14, 1811, and landed in Amboy, April 15. They first came on the farm now owned by William Mittem and Charles Boyd, in Wyalusing township. Soon after John Gamble, the father, and his son James, bought land in Wilmot, on which the Gambles now live. Joseph Gamble, born Sept. 8, 1791, still lives on a part of the property.

John Morrow, Sr., whose wife was Naney Gamble, eame soon after. He died Oet. 24, 1837, at the age of sixty- seven years, and was buried on Lacey street. Nancy Mor- row died April, 1860, aged eighty-four, and was laid beside her husband. John, Jr., bought the farm in the Bend, on which his son Francis G. now lives. He married Sally Horton, a picture of whom is here given. Hon. Paul D. Morrow, president judge of the Bradford district, is her son.

James Gamble had married in Ireland Isabella Nesbit (born May, 1791 ; died July, 1868). William Nesbit, her brother, came over in 1826 or 1827. After being here for a year or two he sent for his father Nathaniel, and his brother Nathaniel. The father died in 1830, having been here a year and a half, at the age of seventy-six years. The Nesbits lived in a house on the place where Stephen Dodd now lives. Nathaniel, Jr., is still living, a man of venerable age and of unblemished character. From these beginnings the settlement of Balibay in Herrick was com- menced, all of the families there and in Wilmot being re- lated either by blood or marriage. They came poor, but, by dint of great industry and economy, have cleared up farms, built good houses, educated their families, and are among the leading families in the county.

Joseph, alias Stephen, ; Preston, went to the Andrews place about 1810, purchasing of Wm. Brindle, when the latter moved to Muncy. He died upon this place in 1827, aged sixty-five years. His wife survived him many years, but is now deceased, and both are buried at Wyalusing.

John Gamble and his son James bought a tract in Wil- mot, of 400 acres, of Thomas Keeney, where Joseph Gamble now lives. Ignatius and Allen Wilson, father and son, came in after 1819. The Winslows came about the same time. Edward Winslow married a daughter of I. Wilson. They were from Mehoopany. William Nesbit came in 1826, and the father, Nathaniel, a little later; they lived in a house near the present residence of Mr. Dodd.

There was an early burial-place near the log school-house, and a boy named Stranger, a brother of Robert, killed by a falling tree, was one of the first interments there.t

In the spring of 1807 there was a heavy snow ; it began on the last day of March, and continued for three days, and was said to have been five feet deep.§

Allen Keeney states that Nathan Beeman taught the first school in Wilmot, but Judson Beeman says that Simeon Rockwell (a half-brother of Timothy Beeman) taught school

/ His name is on the assessment of old Tioga, N. Y., in 1802, pub- lished in the " St. Nicholas" for February and March, 1854, p. 358.

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History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 110

Author: Craft, David, 1832-1908; L.H. Everts & Co Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Philadelphia : L. H. Everts Number of Pages: 812

Author: Craft, David, 1832-1908; L.H. Everts & Co
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Philadelphia : L. H. Everts
Number of Pages: 812