USA > Pennsylvania > Bradford County > History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 66
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The boundary-line was thought to have been very accu- rately run, but quite a number of the milestones having been broken down, and some question arising as to where the division-line between the two States was located, in 1877 another joint commission was appointed. More deli- cately adjusted instruments and more careful astronomical observations revealed the fact that the general course of the line was not always the same, nor were any two of the milestones in precisely the same line. Negotiations growing out of this report are now pending between the two States.
Another important survey, which has affected the lines of the county, has been of the great river which runs through the entire breadth of its territory. The east line of the purchase of the Susquehanna company was described as running ten miles east of the North Branch of the Susque- hanna, and parallel to it. In order to know something about where this line would lie, a preliminary survey of the river was made in 1754 or 1755, by John Jenkins, for the company. In 1786, however, the line of both the Tioga and Susquehanna was run accurately, and a map of the course of the two rivers was made. Other surveys have been made of parts of the stream for the purpose of deter- mining warrant- or township-lines, but no other extended survey of these streams has come to the knowledge of the author.
RAILROADS AND CANALS.
The Erie railway, though nowhere coming within the lines of the county, yet at Waverly comes within a very few rods of the county line, and was the first railroad which directly affected the trade or travel of any considerable por- tion of our people. This road, running the whole length
and near the northern boundary of the county, afforded a convenient outlet to the inhabitants of the whole northern tier of townships in the county. An examination of the drainage of the county will show that the streams of the northern portion of it flow to the north, into the Susque- hanna or Chemung. The Erie railway was laid along the banks of these latter streams, and the highways were laid along the banks of the smaller ones, so that Binghamton, Owego, Smithboro', Waverly, Wellsboro', and Elmira be- came convenient depots for the trade and travel of our peo- ple living on the northern border. This railway was opened for business in 1849, and from this date this part of our county has enjoyed the advantages of easy access to this great thoroughfare.
The Erie canal, which connected New York with the great lakes, and opened up a great highway of traffic be- tween that eity and the vast prairie-region of the west, resulted in such marked commercial advantages that Phila- delphiia capitalists were anxious to open a competing line for the trade of this rapidly-growing region. It was a pet scheme of old Nicholas Biddle to connect Philadelphia and the lakes by a line of railway, which would afford more direct and much quicker transportation than by the canal. One of the links in this scheme of railways was the Wil- liamsport and Elmira railroad. This was built as far as Ralston in 1832, with wooden rails having on their top a strap of iron. In 1853-54 the present railroad was opened from Williamsport to Elmira. It has since passed into the hands of the management of the Northern Central railroad, and the whole line from Baltimore to Canandaigua now goes by the name of its corporate management, the " Northern Central." By the opening of this line the western portion of the county was enabled to enjoy the advantages of rail- road communication. There are in this county depots at Grover, Canton, Minnequa, Alba, Granville Summit, Troy, Columbia Cross-Roads, Gillett's, State Line, and one or two others. The road passes through the townships of Canton, Granville, Troy, Columbia, and South Creek.
The Erie canal had proved such a successful enterprise, that the question of canals soon began to be agitated in Pennsylvania. As early as 1828 public meetings were held, and public sentiment began to be created, in favor of a canal along the Susquehanna. Every scheme for navi- gating the river had proved a failure; the canal was desired as the only feasible means of, developing the whole North Branch region. The route was surveyed in 1830 ; some years after the work was begun and partly finished, then suspended and begun again. After a time publie senti- ment underwent a complete change. The canals had been a continual expense, had entailed a heavy debt upon the State, been a foot-ball among politicians, and yielded little or no revenue, were more expensive and of less value than railroads, so that those who were once most eager for their construction were now the warmest advocates for the sale. In 1858, an act was passed authorizing the sale of the North Branch division to the Sunbury and Erie railroad company ; and the sale was effected, for $3,500,000.
This same year a company of capitalists consisting of Welles, Mercur, Hollenback and others, from Bradford and Luzerne counties, was formed for the purpose of purchasing
# These stones were marked with the number of miles from the Delaware river; on the north side of the stone, with the letters N. Y .; on the south side, Pa.
33
258
HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
that part of the canal on the North Branch from Wilkes-Barre to the State line. The purchase was effected; the canal, how- ever, had been completed, and in the autumn of 1856 a few boat-loads of coal were brought up. The canal proved to be a very imperfect and uncertain affair. It was badly constructed. Dishonest contractors, it was alleged, had done their work in a very inferior manner. The canal was dug through the loose soil and rocks on the river-bank, through which there was a heavy leakage into the river. It took a great deal of water, and created a strong current to supply the great waste of water, so that it was a difficult matter to keep the canal filled. Against this heavy current nearly all the freight must be carried. Then, on account of the bad work done in the construction, the banks were frequently giving way, causing detention to the boats and expense to the company. In the fall of the year, when there was usually the most use for the canal, the river was apt to be so low that water enough to fill "the ditch" could not be bad. From these and other causes the expediency of a railroad began to be considered, and the Pennsylvania and New York Railroad and Canal Company was organized as the successor of the canal company, with the privilege of con- strueting a railroad on the towing-path of the canal, and put- ting a new towing-path on the birm side of the canal. The railroad was surveyed in the summer of 1866, and the first train entered the village of Towanda Nov. 26, 1867. The road was opened from Wilkes-Barre to Waverly Sept. 20, 1869. At the latter point it connected with the Erie railway ; at the former, with the Lehigh Valley railroad : in fact, the Pennsylvania and New York railroad is but an extension of the Lehigh Valley, both being controlled by the same par- ties, and under the same management. This road has opened up the eastern and central portions of the county, affording direct communication by rail with both New York and Philadelphia, and the coal and iron regions of the central parts of the State. By its various connections, superior facilities for travel are afforded to all who live near the line. There are, in this county, depots at Wyalusing, French- town (Homet's Ferry P. O., the old Indian Misiscum, and the later Fairbanks), Rummerfield, Standing Stone, Wysox, Towanda, Ulster, Milan, Athens, Sayre, and Waverly.
Two other railroads, which have passed under the same management, were opened in 1871 or '72, viz., the Geneva, Ithaca and Sayre railroad and the Southern Central of New York, which connect with the Pennsylvania and New York at Sayre, making this place an important railroad centre.
In 1857 the Barclay railroad was opened from the Bar- clay mines to the canal basin at Towanda. On the com- pletion of the Pennsylvania and New York railroad a june- tion was formed at Towanda, so that coal is transported from the mines, without reshipment, to any part of the country. This road has depots at Towanda, Monroeton, Greenwood, Weston's, and the foot of the Plane.
In Sullivan county valuable beds of soft anthracite coal had been discovered, and in 1865 a company was organized for the purpose of constructing a railroad to them. The distance is twenty-eight miles, and the road was opened in 1871. The cars run on the Barclay railroad track from Towanda to Monrocton, where the Sullivan and State Line
railroad begins, and follows the south branch of the To- wanda to Dushore. There are depots at Towanda, Monroe- ton, Wilcox's, New Albany, and Laddsburg, in this county.
Several other railroads have been projected, but at this writing none of them have given much assurance of ever being constructed.
The North Branch canal, which passed through so many vicissitudes, and for a period of more than forty years at- traeted so much attention from the people of this county, was by law, passed in 1872, allowed to be abandoned by the company, and since that time every trace of its exist- ence is being removed as rapidly as possible.
In order to connect the North Branch canal with the canals of New York, sixteen miles of additional canal were necessary, to construct which the Junction canal company was formed. Through the energy of Mr. Arnot, of Elmira, Messrs. La Porte, Mason, and others, of Towanda, Hollen- back, Wright, and others, of Wilkes-Barre, and Judge Mallory, of Philadelphia, the connection was effected. The first boat that passed through it laden with coal was the " Tonawanda," Capt. A. Dennis, loaded with half-cargo and drawn by double team. With the abandonment of the North Branch canal this also became useless and worthless, and has been abandoned also.
TIOGA ON THE WHISKY INSURRECTION .*
At a meeting of the inhabitants of the township of Tioga, held on Oct. 3, 1794, took into consideration the cause of the disturbances in the four western counties of the State, and the measures pursuing by the general and State governments against them. Gen. Spalding, moderator, Obadiah Gore, clerk.
Voted, that the constitution of the United States is wisely calculated to secure the liberties of the people, and ought to be supported.
Voted, that the powers exercised by the legislature of the general government laying an excise, is strictly constitu- tional; that it is the duty of every citizen of the United States to support and maintain the laws of the United States ; and that the executives of the general and State governments are justifiable in calling out the militia to en- force a due obedience to the laws.
Voted, that if there are existing faults in our constitution or laws, or abuses in the administration thereof, it is more easy and expedient to correct such faults or such abuses by constitutional means than to appeal to arms and cause a revolution in government.
Voted, that this meeting highly disapprove of the present opposition to the constitutional laws of the United States in some of the western counties of this State.
Voted, that we stand ready (if it be required) to turn out, personally, with our fellow-citizens of this State, and of the United States, to support that free government under which we live.
Voted, that the foregoing votes be published for the infor- mation of our fellow-citizens.
OBADIAH GORE, Clerk.
# Pennsylvania Archives, new series, iv.
259
HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
CENSUS OF POPULATION AND PRODUCTION.
Below is given the census by townships of the first two and last two decades of our county since its organization. The blanks in the first two columns arise from the fact that many of the present townships were not then organized. Also the amount of the leading productions of the county. These tables are exceedingly instructive, as showing the in- crease in wealth and population of the county :
1820
1830
1860
1870
Albany.
284
1,137
1,379
Armenia .
403
391
Asylum ...
471
519
1,241
1,155
Athens township and berough
1,108
1,253
3,013
3,221
Barclay ..
Burlingteu township and borough ...
560
527
1,445
1,578
Burlington, West ..
902
896
Canten township and berough, and Alba borough
569
1,175
2,190
2,772
Columbia township and Sylvania horough
823
1,235
1,707
1,733
Franklin
297
583
998
705
Granville
1,369
1,375
Herrick
Le Roy
1,010
1,144
Litchfield.
487
1,210
1,256
Orwell
713
1,190
1,420
1,296
....
...
407
550
Pike township and Le Raysville ho- rough
689
1,438
1,747
2,098
Ridgeherry
210
560
1,785
1,476
Rome tewnship and borough.
......
1,450
1,563
Sheshequin
720
1,599
1,596
Smithfield.
695
1,126
2,071
1,790
South Creek.
506
765
1,807
1,455
Terry
1,024
978
2,263
3,612
Towanda, North
536
874
2,368
2,560
Ulster
704
405
1,073
1,174
Warren
389
756
1,563
1,421
Wells
301
752
1,159
1,207
Wilmot
350
655
1,129
1,188
Wyalnsing.
546
753
1,477
1,707
Wysox
11,554 19,746
48,734 53,204
Since the organization of the county in 1813, there have been six enumerations, showing the following aggregates :
Gain in ten years.
1820
11,554
........
1830
19,746
8,192
1840
32,769
13,023
1850
42,83I
10,062
1860.
48,734
5,903
1870
53,204
4,470
In Watson's Gazette, published in 1832, it is said the productions of the county are grain, flour, whisky, fruit,
salted provisions, live-stoek, and lumber. Now the chief productions are butter, hay, cattle, grain, potatoes, and lumber. The lumber, however, is constantly diminishing, as the forests are melting away before the woodman's axe and the advancement made in clearing the land for agricul- tural productions. One eannot pass along any of the creeks but at every few miles may be seen the ruins of an old saw- mill, which, when the country was new, would have been running night and day, when there was water enough to saw, but now is useless.
The following table will indicate the increase in the chief productions and the amount for the years indicated :
Production.
1840.
1850.
Acres in farms, impreved ..
234,037
" unimproved. ..
278,257
Cash value, dollars.
9,293,689
Value of farming implements, dollars. Number of horses ..
6,211
7,233
Neat cattle.
34,099
43,706
Number of sheep.
68,767
60,403
" swine ..
23,283
17,739
Value of live-stock, dollars.
1,369,699
Bushels of wheat.
154,266
301,794
rye ..
45,738
54,849
" corn.
140,632
371,143
" oats
220,993
510,176
" potatoes
363,412
322,316
" barley
829
3,975
" buckwheat.
77,863
128,031
Pounds of butter.
" cheese ..
108,419
Tons of hay.
42,727
74,028
Pounds of maple-sugar ..
190,253
193,381
It may also be interesting to compare the statisties of these years with those of our last eensus, 1870 :
Acres, impreved.
366,851
" unimproved
226,464
Cash value of land, dollars
25,158,245
Valuc ef farming implements, dollars.
785,590
live-stock, dollars ..
4,262,095
Number of herses
12,131
neat eattle
62,518
sheep ..
36,257
"
swine
12,000
Bushels of wheat.
285,698
rye .
33,991
corn.
505,341
oats
1,114,120
potatoes.
541,208
"
barley .
12,753
"
buckwheat
382,581
Pounds of weol
122,253
3,704,709
cheese.
40,258
Gallons milk seld.
55,870
Tons of hay.
129,956
Pounds of maple-sugar.,
37,010
=
wax
3,300
honey.
139,215
937
1,070
Springfield.
Standing Stene.
935
905
Towanda tewnship and borough ..
582
592
Troy township and horough
Tuscarora
285
9448
1,224
1,026
1,365
Windham
988
1,245
1,514
Overton.
1,050
1,009
Meuroe township and herough
1,590,248
1,055
1,079
1,359
1,290
2,009
392,220
hutter ..
HISTORY OF THE TOWNSHIPS.
ALBANY.
THE township of Albany derives its name from the old Connecticut town of that name, which included in its limits the present township, the old town being named by a party of gentlemen who were formerly residents of the city of Albany, in the State of New York, and who purchased a large tract of land in the southern part of the county of Bradford.
TOPOGRAPHY.
The principal stream which waters the town is the south branch of Towanda creek, whose head-waters are in and about the southeastern portion of the township. Its course is westerly and northerly through the township, and passing therefrom about two miles southwest of the northeast corner thereof into Monroe township. The tributaries of the south branch are Beaver Meadow branch, coming in from the southwest, just below New Albany, and Brown's creek, which falls into the main stream just above the last-named place, also coming in from the western part of the town. Sugar Run creek heads in the northeastern part of the township, and runs eastward into Terry township near the southern angle of the last-named town. The head-waters of the Loyal Sock are also in this township.
The surface of the township is broken. Along the south branch of the Towanda, on either side, high table-lands are found with a good soil, and well adapted to grazing ; narrow valleys are found also along the tributaries of the principal streams and about the Sugar Run.
BOUNDARIES.
The township is situated between the towns of Monroe on the northwest, Overton on the west, Asylum on the northeast, Terry and Wilmot on the east, and Sullivan county on the south.
It is centrally distant from Towanda about eleven miles, with which place it is connected by the Sullivan and Erie railroad, which passes through the township, following the valley of the south branch of the Towanda creek, with stations at Laddsburgh, New Albany, and Wilcox.
SETTLEMENT.
The first settlers up the Fowler branch of the Towanda creek came thereto in the month of April, 1800. They were Ephrain Ladd and his sons, Horatio, Charles W., and John ; Joseph Langford ; Jonathan and Rogers Fowler, brothers. In 1801, Sheffield Wilcox and his sons, Free-
man, Rowland, and Sheffield, Jr., Edward Warren, and a Mr. Granger came in.
The Ladds came from Tolland Co., Conn. Ephraim was the first of the family who came to Albany to live, they stopping for a time at Monroe. While the family yet re- sided in the latter place, Horatio came np into the present township, and cut the first brush heap piled up by the present settlers in the township. He had to cross the creek thirteen times in going up to find a practicable pathway.
Ephraim settled about forty rods farther north than Horatio, and lived there until the spring of 1829, when, with his son, he moved into Northumberland Co., Pa .. where he lived until his death in May, 1836, at the age of eighty-seven years. Horatio lived in Towanda or Monroe about five years, and in 1805 moved to his farm near the present New Albany railroad depot. At this date there had never been a wagon up the creek. He died in Jan- uary, 1850. Charles W. Ladd married a sister of Mr. Alden, and his farm joined Horatio's. He built the stone house at New Albany in 1819, Horatio Ladd and Daniel Miller building the same year. Charles W. lived in the stone house until his death in 1832. He was the first postmaster in Albany, having been appointed in 1820 or 1821. John Ladd died in 1801, before he attained his majority. Joseph Langford was an early settler but made no permanent settlement, but in a short time after coming to the township moved to Spencer, N. Y.
Sheffield Wilcox, Sr., located where Amazi Heverly now resides. He removed from Rhode Island to Cooperstown, N. Y., where he remained for a time, and then came to Al- bany, in 1801. His family consisted of his wife and the following children : Andrew, Thomas, Lois, Freeman, Row- land, Eunice, Sheffield, Jr., Desire, Amy, and Jemima. Mrs. Wilcox was a Ross, and died in Albany, in 1812. The emigrants cut their own road beyond Monroeton, through an unbroken wilderness.
The Yankees came into the county under the Connecticut title. Captain Brockaway owned the township under that title, and the first settlers agreed to pay for their land as they were able ; but soon discovering that Brockaway's title was worthless, they paid him nothing. Joseph Priestly held the Pennsylvania title for a large portion of the town- ship, the south line of his tract being about a half-mile north of the south line of the township. He sold his lands to the settlers for two dollars and a half per acre, for which
260
0
( PHOTOS BY GEO. H. WOOD, TOWANDA, PA. )
MOSES A. LADO.
(ALBANY TP.)
MRS JANE LADD.
DAVID PAINE'S RESIDENCE, OLD HOMESTEAD AT ATHENS, PA. (BUILT 1796.)
JONATHAN STEVENS (ASYLUM TP. )
MRS. SALLIE STEVENS .
PHOTOS BY GED H. WOOD. )
261
HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
payments were made in small amounts, and lots made to suit purchasers. He offered to the first four settlers sev- enty-five acres of land each, but to be taken or located on different tracts ; and to the next four fifty aeres each, on the same conditions, in order to induce emigration and bring his lands into market. This offer being made known to the Wilcoxes and Ladds, they were induced to come and settle on the lands. Ephraim Ladd, Horatio Ladd, Sheffield Wilcox, Sr., and his son, Sheffield, Jr., each obtained the seventy-five acres offered by Mr. Priestly. The Wilcoxes moved in on ox-sleds. Panthers were numerous, and bears and deer were without number. It was a wild and dreary country, but the heavy growth of timber led the settlers to believe that the soil was of unbonnded fertility. But the first few years were years of struggle and hardship to clear up the heavily-timbered lands and fit them for cultivation. There was not even a place large enough to place the logs of which their rude homes were made, until the trees were felled and the stumps cleared away. There was but one house between the Fowlers, in Monroe, and Mr. Wileox's, the same being that of John D. Sanders, who afterwards removed west. Mr. Wilcox cleared off a small pateh for corn, and the family lived on its proceeds and the game which abounded.
He had to confine his sheep every night in a yard to keep them from destruction by wild beasts. One night, in Mr. Wilcox's absence from home, a panther killed a sheep within a few feet of the house, ate what he wanted of the carcass and left the remainder. The next morning, on Mr. Wilcox's return, he and his son took their rifles and dogs, and started in pursuit of the depredator, which they dis- covered about half a mile from the house, and soon dis- patched him. Mrs. Wileox died suddenly Oet. 24, 1812, and Mr. Wilcox in 1831, over seventy years of age.
Sheffield Wileox, Jr., married Charlotte, daughter of John Hinman, of Wysox; built and lived in the hotel at Wilcox Station, on the Sullivan and State Line railroad, and kept the house until a year or two before his death, in 1871, in the eighty-ninth year of his age. He put up the first framed building in the township, a barn, as early as 1813. He drew the lumber from Fowler town. The frame, in- cluding the rafters and plank for the floors, was all hewed. The hotel was built in 1821, and the sign raised in 1822. Wells Wilcox, a son of Sheffield Wileox, Jr., now resides in the township, aged seventy-four years.
Rowland Wilcox married Elizabeth Van Etten, from Spencer, New York, and lived and died on the old Wilcox homestead. He built the first framed dwelling-house in the township, in 1814. His son Benjamin is the only one of this family now living, and resides near the Wilcox homestead.
Freeman Wilcox was the only one of his father's family who was married at the time they migrated to this county. His wife was Clarissa Southworth (commonly called South- ard), of Windham, Connecticut. Mrs. Charlotte Ormsby, now living in the township, was the first-born child of this family, and was born in Monroeton, near the bridge over the main branch of Towanda creek. About 1805, Mr. Wilcox moved to the farm on which Wm. Bahr now lives, about three-fourths of a mile south of New Albany post-
office. He built a little eabin of brush and bark beside a log, where he lived until he could build a log cabin. Mr. Wilcox's family comprised eight children, four of whom died young. The others were Charlotte, Mrs. Dyer Ormsby, now the oldest settler in the township; Hiram, who mar- ried Maria Van Etten, of Spencer, N. Y., and lived on a part of his father's farm until his death, in 1874; Harvey, now in Colorado ; and Miranda, who died unmarried.
Thomas Wilcox never resided in Albany, but lived and died in Milltown, about three miles north of Athens.
Lois Wilcox married Timothy Alden, and lived in the stone house in Monroeton.
Eunice married Humphrey Goff, and lived and died also in Monroeton.
Desire married John B. Hinman, and lived in Monroe.
Amy married Eleazer Sweet, and also lived in Monroe, on the Jonathan Fowler place.
Jemima married Cornelius Coolbaugh, and lived in Wysox.
Rowland Wileox became a heavy land-holder, owning at one time eleven hundred aeres.
The Mr. Granger who came in with the Ladds and Fow- lers made a beginning on the top of Wilcox's hill, where he took up fifty acres, planted a piece of eorn, went baek for his family, and died. His sons, Calvin and Dorus, eame on and harvested the corn, and stayed a year or two, and then returned to their home in Vermont, and Charles W. Ladd took the lot.
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