History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 67

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 67

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Daniel Miller eame in also in 1801, from Sussex Co., N. J., and located where his son, Russell Miller, now lives.

John B. Hinman also eame in with the first settlers ; was the son of John Hinman, of Wysox, and was the next settler below Wilcox's. A saw-mill now stands on the place. He sold to Humphrey Goff, who came in about 1810, and removed to Monroe. Goff sold to Freeman Wil- eox, and also moved to Monroe.

Jonathan Frisbie eame in 1803, and settled on a traet on which the Eilenberger trout-ponds are now situated. He built his house on the knoll just above the spring which feeds the ponds, which gave his name thereto. He had a large family of boys, but went west after about ten years.

In 1810, Williams Lee came in from the great Van Rensselaer patent or manor in Albany and Rensselaer Cos., N. Y. He went into the house with Jonathan Frisbie at first, but in a short time moved into his own cabin. He removed to Hibbard hill in 1823, cleared about fifty aeres, and left it.

Amzi Kellogg came in from Connecticut in 1812-13, and lived in a log house south of the Wilcox tavern. He afterwards went down to near where his son Ezra now lives, where he bought a farm.

Archelaus Luce came from Vermont about the same time, and settled west of the turnpike, beyond Kendall's mills, but stayed only five or six years, and left for other parts.

William Miller eame in 1817, and settled on the farm where Stevens now lives, selling the same to Stevens in 1825-26, and removing to Sullivan county.

John Foggarty (alias William Bowland) came in in 1819. He was an Englishmau, and having been impressed into

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

the British naval service deserted, and, to escape detection, assumed the name of his mother's family, Foggarty, by which he was ever afterwards known. He sold his farm in 1829 to Samuel Brown, and went west. He lived for a time in his house, with neither door, window, or chimney in it.

John Nichols came from Connecticut to Albany, N. Y., and thence to the township of Albany, in 1819, and settled on the hill east of New Albany, on the farm now occupied by George Lenox, who married Julia Ann, the youngest daughter of Mr. Nichols. This farm was on the Clymer lands, of which he and his son-in-law, Chapman, bought four hundred acres. Mr. Nichols lived for a short time on the Gregg hill, near Towanda, where Wm. Gregg recently lived.

Nichols was a basket-maker, and had both reputation and pride in the manufacture of that article. While living on Gregg hill, he offered to make for a neighbor a basket, con- taining one and a half bushels, for as much wheat as the basket would convey water from a spring to the house, a distance of a few rods. The offer was accepted, and Mr. Nichols began his work. Selecting and thoroughly season- ing his splints, which were cut very narrow, he wove them as elosely as possible, and then soaked the basket in water, which expanded the wood and closed the interstices. He then summoned the neighbor, and going to the spring, filled the basket with water and carried it to the house, the fluid standing about an inch only from the rim. The price was paid.

Simeon Chapman came from Vermont in 1813, when a lad of sixteen years, to work on the Berwick turnpike. He came to New York State with Mr. Nichols, whose daughter he afterwards married, and settled on the hill east of New Albany, where he lived until his death.

Peter Steriger came from New Jersey to Norristown, and thence, in 1824, to Albany, and settled on the farm above the one owned by Russell Miller at the present time. He sold it to Stephen Murphy, and it is now occupied by a son of Murphy, named Adam.

Hugh Cavanaugh came in about 1830.

Chauncey Corbin, son of Oliver Corbin, who moved into Warren township in 1801, was born in 1808, and came to the farm he now lives on, in Albany, in 1843. One Camp- bell had previously eleared up a small lot on it, of whom Corbin bought. It was the first farm purchased between the turnpike and the river.

Previous to any of the settlements before named the French had made several elearings and built several houses. One of the latter was on the place afterwards owned by Daniel Burdick. At the time the Ladds and Wilcoxes came, in 1800-1, these houses were in ruins, and the French leader had been drowned in the Loyal Sock, near the forks of the stream, where it has a rough, rocky bottom, and a rapid current when swollen by melting snows or rain.

Henry Hibbard came to Albany in 1827, from Standing Stone. His father was Jedediah Hibbard, who had a large family of sons and daughters. He came to Hibbardtown when it was a wilderness, cleared up a large farni, and erected good buildings. IIe was a successful hunter also, being a sure shot. He died Jan. 1, 1877, aged eiglity- seven years.

David Sabin was also one of the pioneer settlers of Al- bany, and his descendants are still residents of the town.

Silas Moon came to Albany from Peterborough, N. H., about 1842, and located on Moon street, where he still lives, at an advanced age.

Deacon James Allen came from the same neighborhood and at the same time with Mr. Moon, and settled near the latter, where he died. He was a deacon in the church at Albany.

The population of the township by decades, since 1850, has been as follows: 1850, 1043; 1860, 1137; 1870, 1379. Of this latter number, 1281 were native born and 98 foreign born.

PIONEER MILLS.

The first saw-mill was built a little below Wilcox's tavern in 1820, by the Wilcoxes, and a saw-mill still occupies the old site. Mr. Miller built one where the old French mill stood, about the same time. Since then these mills have been numerous. Along the creek the timber was hemlock and in great abundance, on the ridges the hard woods were found. Many of the hemlocks on the creek bottom would measure four feet across the stump. The first families who came in were obliged to go to Monroe to raise such grain as they had on the flats, and were compelled to go to Tioga Point and with ox-teams to get the same ground. Who- ever went took the grists of the whole neighborhood.

ROADS AND BRIDGES.

The Berwiek turnpike was built by a chartered company. It begins a mile from Berwick, Pa., and runs to the State line, and was called the " Berwick and Tioga turnpike." A man by the name of Andrew Shiner contracted to build the road over the North mountain in 1817. Having com- pleted this, he contracted to build over 40 miles farther, at the rate of $1150 per mile, with extra pay for the bridges, and to take half his pay in land, at $2 per acre. The con- tractor sub-let the job in sections to parties, as it would suit their convenience. Russell Miller built 1 mile near his house, the Wilcoxes built 2} miles below, Shadrach Miller a mile above, Daniel Miller and William Miller the next mile above, and Mathias Van Loon the next mile above him. By this means many of the settlers secured their farms.

This turnpike was projected by those who owned large bodies of land, for the purpose of opening their lands to settlers. The State made a grant of $575 worth of land at $2 per acre, per mile of road, to the company, which was just half the contraet price for building the same.

The road was constructed through Albany township in 1819-20. The company forfeited their charter, and finally abandoned the enterprise about September, 1847, since which time it has been a public road.

The first road cut into the township was the track cut by the Wilcoxes and Ladds, when they came to their locations in 1800-1.

SCHOOLS.

It is thought that Louisa Alden, a daughter of Timothy Alden, taught the first school in the township, in 1812. Mrs. Charlotte Ormsby, the oldest settler in the township

( PHOTOS. BY GEO. H. WOOD. TOWANDA. ;

MRS. MARY BULL.

ROBERT BULL.

RES . OF ROBERT BULL, ASYLUM TP, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA.

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IIISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

at the present time, was one of the pupils of that school. The school-ma'am married Warner Ladd, a son of Ephraim Ladd, and who built the stone house at New Albany. This school was taught in one of the rooms of Ephraim Ladd's house. Anna Luce taught the first school in the first log school-house built in the town.

The statistics for the school year ending Sept. 1, 1877, give the following exhibit of the common schools of the township : There were nine schools taught during the year, averaging six months each. Two male and sixteen female teachers were employed, with an average salary of $22.50 per month for the males and $21 for the females. There were 257 male and 221 female scholars who attended the schools. The taxes levied in the township for the support of these schools amounted to $1017.87 ; $363.60 were re- eeived from the State, and the total income for the year was $1526.23. Of this amount $1143.72 were paid to teachers, the total expenses being $1322.72.

CHURCHIES.

The Methodists have a house of worship at Laddsburg, and the Methodist Episcopal church has one at New Albany, the history of which societies will be found at length in the general history of the county.

The first preacher who came to the settlement was a Methodist Episcopal clergyman, who preached once each four weeks. His first advent among the people of this township was in 1811-12. The Ladds, who were Presby- terians, procured the occasional services of Rev. M. Miner York, who lived at the time in Wysox.

BURIAL-GROUNDS.

The oldest place of sepulture in the township is at Ladds- burg; it contains the remains of many of the old pioneers of the township, as the following record of burials therein shows:

Daniel Miller, died Oct. 8, 1856, aged 77 years, 9 months, 2 days.

Hannah, his wife, died March 20, 1850, aged 69 years, 11 months, 13 days.

Horatio Ladd, died Jan. 12, 1850, aged 69 years, 11 months, 22 days.

Asenath Ladd, died Aug. 28, 1854, aged 78 years, 10 months, 20 days.

Eunice, wife of Samuel Smith, died Ang. 11, 1848, aged 76 years, 11 months.

James Allen, died Sept. 13, 1862, aged 69 years, 10 months, 13 days.

Susanna, his wife, died Nov. 8, 1854, aged 59 years, 5 months, 17 days.

Rev. Robert Baird, born Westchester Co., N. Y., Nov. 20, 1794, died Oct. 13, 1860.

Abraham Waltman, born May 22, 1801, died Dec. 21, 1863.

Roxana, his wife, born Oct. 14, 1803, died Oct. 25, 1868. Daniel Waltman, born Dec. 18, 1830; enlisted in 49th P. V .; missing at battle of Wilderness, May 10, 1864.

Wm. Waltman, born Oct. 14, 1841; same regiment ; died at Raleigh, N. C., May 3, 1865.

Sylvenus Waltman, born July 13, 1836 ; same regiment; died at Portsmouth Grove, R. I., April 29, 1865.

Daniel F. Miller, died Dec. 13, 1863, aged 48 years, 11 months, 17 days.

Elizabeth, his wife, died June 15, 1857, aged 40 years, 3 months, 29 days.

Horatio J. Ladd, was killed Dec. 23, 1869, aged 33 years, 7 months, 21 days.

Susanna, wife of M. J. Ladd, died Oct. 25, 1863, aged 61 years, 2 months, 17 days.

William Zaner, born in Columbia Cc., Pa., February, 1797; died March 12, 1866.

Archibald Thomas, died April 30, 1859, aged 65 years, 7 days.

Lillis, his wife, died July 10, 1860, aged 61 years, 2 months, 18 days.

William Histed, died June 4, 1857, aged 67 years, 3 months, 26 days.

Mary, wife of Hiram Crandall, died July 30, 1856, aged 50 years, 2 months, 18 days.

Elisha Crandall died Dec. 30, 1860, aged 80 years.

Nancy, his wife, died April 8, 1857, aged 80 years.

Elizabeth, wife of Eliphalet Sweet, died March 23, 1864, aged 72 years.

Eunice, wife of Daniel Burdick, died Jan. 24, 1870, aged 69 years.

THIE FIRST DEATH

among the settlers of the township was that of Ezekiel Ladd, in 1803, his death being the result of an accident. The Wilkes-Barre Gazette of the time thus records :

" On Wednesday, July 20, a number of the people of the town of Franklin had assembled to raise a barn in that neighborhood. After raising a portion of the frame, they were proceeding to raise one of the broadsides, when the standing part, being but ill supported by some rafters placed in a transverse position, instantly fell, and wounded Mr. Ezekiel Ladd and Mr. Daniel Calkins, the former of whom was bruised and disfigured in a most shocking manner, and survived the fatal event but one hour. Mr. Calkins, we understand, is wounded so dangerously that his life is de- spaired of. Mr. Ladd was a worthy and respectable man, had arrived at the age of seventy-two years, with an un- blemished character and the universal esteem of his numer- ous friends."

The Wilcox pioneers are buried in the cemetery at New Albany.

INCIDENT AND REMINISCENCE.

When Ephraim Ladd came into the township with his family he stopped one night with the Fowlers, in Mouroe, and during the evening the family had their hair cut, whether because they were going so far into the woods they feared they would not soon have another opportunity for trimming up, or as a precaution against the scalping pro- clivities of their red brethren, it is not said. The next morning they started up the creek with seven or eight teams, en route for their location. The first day they made six miles only, and found shelter (?) in the remains of an old log house, roofless, canopied only by the stars, and from the inside of which they had to first shovel the snow before they could make their beds. This resting-place was where the Wilcox tavern now stands. The second day they reached Mr. Ladd's house, in what is now New Albany.

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

The weather was cold, and the creek was crossed many times, during which crossing the water would run into the stake-holes in the beams of the sleds, and afterwards freeze, and cause the stakes to fly out and the load to slide off. It required a good stock of patience, as well as endurance, to make that journey.

A half-blood Indian once stayed overnight with Mr. Ladd, who had been to Washington as an interpreter for the Six Nations. He described localities, springs, noted landmarks, etc., with as much accuracy as any of the old settlers.

A RELIC.

Wells Wilcox, son of Sheffield Wilcox, Jr., has an old flint-lock rifle in his possession, with which in the forty years he has owned it he has killed more than 800 deer, six of which were shot in one day, besides bears, elk, etc.

THE WAR OF 1812.

In the second war of American Independence, a draft was ordered and made in 1814. Horatio Ladd, C. W. Ladd, Daniel Miller, Freeman Wilcox, Rowland Wilcox, and Humphrey Goff were drafted to defend Washington, but, owing to the " law's delays," the draft was not made until it was too late for the men to be of any service. They went as far as Danville, where they were discharged after a month's absence. After the drafted men went away, there was but one militiaman left in the township.

PRESENT TOWNS.

Laddsburg has a store, post-office, grist-mill, church, and about a dozen houses. New Albany is the place of most im- portance in the township, having one church, Odd Fellows' lodge, store, ost-office, and about twenty dwellings.

ARMENIA.

ARMENIA township is bounded north by Columbia township, east by Troy and Canton townships, south by Canton, and west by Ward and Sullivan townships in Tioga county.

Its area contains fifteen square miles. It is situated on that spur of Laurel ridge which extends farthest towards the northeast, and is about two thousand feet above tide-water. Its eastern boundary is very irregular, following the brow of the mountain in a southwestern direction from its north- eastern corner until it intersects the county line at its south- western corner.

The eastern portion of the township is a high table-land or ridge, from which spring the streams that form the head- waters of the Tioga river. The principal confluents are the Forbes, Morgan, Sherman, Tamarac, Thomson, Dry Run, and Rathbone creeks. The Tioga, thus formed, after making a detour of more than one hundred miles, draining in its course one of the richest and most romantic valleys of the land, returns to a point within thirty miles of its source, where it loses itself in the Susquehanna.

These streams, the head-waters of the Tioga, were well stocked with speckled trout when the earliest settlers came to this region, but they are well-nigh exhausted now of these treasures.

The Tamarac rises in a swamp, from which it takes its name, which contains about one hundred acres. In 1835 a pond or small lake existed in the northern end of this swamp, having an area of about two acres, but has now scarcely ten square rods. This decrease has been occa- sioned by the growth of the whortleberry, cranberry, and lady-slipper shrubs, whose roots form a net-work which con- stantly encroaches on the water-surface, and gives lodgment for lichens and mosses, with which the whole surface will soon be carpeted and concealed. The waters issuing from

the swamp are discolored by the roots and vegetation which fill its fountains.

SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS.

The soil of the flat table-land is a moist, dark, chocolate- colored loam, and produces most excellent timothy grass. On the ridges the soil approaches the red shale, and pro- duces all of the cereals of this latitude. Corn is not a profitable crop, as the altitude is such as to necessitate the planting of an early variety to insure maturity.

Butter is rapidly becoming the chief product of the farms of the township, and with the pure cold water, clear air, and sweet grasses which abound in the township, this industry bids fair at an early day to render Armenia the home of many first-class dairymen.

SETTLEMENT.

The settlement and prosperity of the township have been retarded by reason of much of the choice lands having been held by non-residents for speculative purposes, which has driven actual settlers to cheaper lands elsewhere.

The first settler in the township was a man named Wil- son, who built a log house and cleared a small piece of land near Dry Run creek, in 1808. This land is now owned by B. L. Knights. In or about 1816, another settler, whose name is now unknown, commenced on the lands afterwards owned by Archibald Forbes. Forbes occupied it till 1840. It is now owned by Alanson Smith. In 1822, Newton Harvey "took up" the farm now owned by Mr. Sweet. Mr. Harvey might properly be called the first permanent settler in the township. About 1828, George Hawkins set- tled near Mr. Harvey, where he remained till his death, in 1850. The farm is now owned by his son. About the same time, 1828, one Samuel Avery took up the farm now

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

known as the Morgan farm. The " ardent" to be obtained at Columbia Flats had more charms for him than the hard drudgery entailed by the elearing of his land, and he man- aged to exist in a miserable way, and give his family a very meagre subsistence, by doing odd jobs for neighboring farmers.

AN INCIDENT

is related of Avery, which shows that under compulsion he could be provident of his resources. He was engaged by the late Reuben Nash, of Columbia, to assist in butchering hogs, and received for pay a liberal piece of pork, with sev- eral " plucks" "thrown in." After laying in a good supply of rations at Mrs. Nash's generous table, Avery started for home in the darkness through an almost unbroken wilder- ness, the whole distance, four miles. His road lay through a glen called " Painter Lick." and he soon found the wolves on his track. Return he could not, and the only avenue of escape was towards his home, for which he now pushed his steps as fast as possible. The snapping of the jaws of the ugly brutes smote ominously on his ear. Nearer and still more near the gaunt, hungry crowd advanced, and some- thing must be done to check the close pursuit. Avery was for once, at least, equal to the emergency forced upon him. Cutting off with his knife a small piece of liver, he cast it down in the path, where it was seized by the voracious beasts and quarreled over for a time, and then the pursuit was again taken up. Again the liver was sacrificed upon the altar of necessity, and again the advance of danger stayed. Thus by husbanding and using judiciously his " pluck" Avery saved his " bacon," and lived to recount his adventure on Armenia mountain to admiring crowds of small boys, if not to " children of a larger growth." He returned to his native county of Delaware, New York.

In 1830 or 1832, Heman Morgan came in from Vermont, and settled on the farm Avery left. Mr. Morgan lived and died on the same, and it is now in possession of his sons. About the same time the late Silas E. Shepard, D.D., Amasa Wood, Joel Wood, Newell Phinney, and a man named Hart settled in what was known as the south settle- ment, but none of these individuals became permanent set- tlers, and removed elsewhere in a few years.

In 1833, Samuel Moore, Joseph Biddle, and Alexander Case located on lands in the south part of the town, and re- mained permanently. In the same year, Jolın Lyon, Alba Burnham, and Daniel and William Crandall came in from Cortland Co., N. Y., and settled in what was called the north settlement. Soon after, Andrew Monroe and Wight- man Pierce came from the same place and settled near the centre of the township. All of these last-named persons became permanent residents of the town, save William Crandall. He left soon after his first coming, and entered the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal church. Not long after this William Covert, from Delaware county, and Eber and Daniel Story, of Onondaga Co., N. Y., came in and located at the north settlement.

In 1836, Abiezer Field, also from Delaware Co., N. Y., came into the township, where he lived ever afterwards, dying here in 1858. Many of his descendants, even to the fourth generation, are still residents of the town. Several families moved in about this time from Delaware county,

among them Robert, Reuben, and James Mason, and John J. Reynolds, who remained for some years; but at present few, if any, of their descendants are living in the town. Timothy Randall, John S. Becker, and Jacob Y. Dumond remained as permanent settlers.

In 1836 or 1837, Gosper Webber and his son, Choral H. Webber, came in from the State of Connecticut and purchased land. From 1837 to 1839, John P. Smith, from Rhode Island, came in with three sons and two sons- in-law. He was a minister of the Reformed Methodists. About the same time Col. Lyman Hinman came into the township from Auburn, N. Y., to which place he returned in 1843, where he died a few years ago. Col. Hinman was a most useful citizen while he remained in the town, and was very active in moulding the minds of the younger por- tion of the neighborhood for usefulness in after-life. He had a fine library, which was free to all who sought for knowledge. In this good work of placing the standard of the town on a high eminence for worth, many others who were true representatives of progress aided in the early days of the settlement. Among them Elder Smith, Alba Burnham, John Lyon, Abiezer Field, Gosper Webber, and Timothy Randall may be named. By their endeavors public senti- ment was so educated and advanced that no dram-shop has ever been opened in the town, and but very few men, young or old, among the citizens of the town have been addicted to strong drink, and not a solitary one has ever been confined within the walls of a prison, except the brave men who, suffering for their country, pined and died in Libby or Andersonville.

EDUCATIONAL.

The first school-house in the township was built in the north settlement in 1834-35. It was made of rough logs, and was used for school and church purposes for about ten years. For the school year ending June 1, 1877, the statistics are as follows : four schools were taught during the year, averaging six months each. Eight female teachers were employed, at an average monthly salary of $13.50; 103 males and 85 female pupils attended the schools, the average attendance being 105. Eight mills on the dollar of valuation were levied for school purposes on the property in the town, the tax amounting to $492.01; State appro- priation received amounted to $103.96, the total receipts being $642.61 ; $338.50 were paid for teachers' wages, the total expenditures being $389.72.

RELIGIOUS.

In 1835 the Rev. Samuel Salisbury, the Methodist preacher traveling the Burlington circuit, came to the north settlement and preached to the people. He shortly after- wards formed a class of the Methodist Episcopal church, which soon became the centre of religious interest in the whole mountain region. The labors of this missionary of the cross resulted in harvests abundant, gathered by those who have followed him in later years. He died in 1875 at Seneca Falls, N. Y. This class gave place to an organiza- tion of the Wesleyan Methodists, in 1845, which has been the only permanent church organization in the town since that time, and is now (1878) building a house of worship.

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

The family of John P. Smith, in 1839, proved to be a strong reinforcement to the religious element of the settle- ment. A Sabbath-school was organized, with Alvah Burn- ham as superintendent, a position held by him uninter- ruptedly until 1877, when it was surrendered to younger hands.

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History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 67

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