History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 70

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

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Elisha Mathewson was a son of Winchester Mathewson, a native of Rhode Island, who, in 1774, exchanged val- uable property in that State for Connecticut rights, and emigrated to the Wyoming valley, where he died in 1778, before the battle, leaving three sons, Elisha, Constant, and Nero, all then in the service of their country. Nero per- ished in the massacre .at Wyoming, Constant was killed in the battle of Mud fort, near Philadelphia, and Elisha served through the war in Captain Spalding's company, receiving in 1783 an honorable discharge for seven years' service over the hand of Washington. In 1786 he was one of the original proprietors of Athens, drew several lots, and in 1788 made this his permanent home. Soon after his arri- val here he was elected a major of militia, and one of the overseers of the poor of old Tioga township. When he first came he moved into a house belonging to Col. Frank- lin, on lot No. 40, just south of the public square. In June, 1795, he purchased this lot, and soon after erected the old red house, long one of the landmarks of the village. In November, 1795, he was licensed to keep a hotel in this house, and kept it until his death. In 1798, and after- wards, he was elected one of the supervisors of Athens.

He married Elizabeth Satterlee, daughter of Benedict Sat- terlee, one of the early settlers at Wyoming, and had chil- dren, Constant, born in 1792; Elias S., born June 16, 1796; Cynthia, who married a Hammond; Fanny, who mar- ried a White; Clarissa, who married John McDuffic; Lydia, who married a Means, and Elizabeth. Major Mathewson died April 11, 1805, aged forty-eight years, and his widow, one of the last survivors of the Wyoming massacre, died Der. 14, 1851, aged ninety-one years.

Ira Stephens was born in Connecticut, July 24, 1760. He removed at an early day to Wyoming with his father, Jedediah Stephens, and there married Sibyl Ransom, a daughter of Capt. Samuel Ransom, who was born Feb. 1, 1764, at Canterbury, Conn. IIe was a soldier in Capt. Spalding's company through the war, and his discharge, signed by Washington's own hand, is still preserved. In the spring of 1788 he removed to Athens, being one of the original proprietors of the town, and having had several lots assigned him in 1786. He was one of the proprietors of the old academy, an original member and first Junior Warden of Rural Amity lodge, supervisor in 1793, constable in 1796, overseer of the poor in 1798. He was killed by the hand of an assassin, at Angelica, N. Y., where he was look- ing after his investments in real estate, Sept. 20, 1803; his widow died April 30, 1826. They had children, Ches- ter, born March 12, 1785 ; Polly, born Nov. 3, 1786, mar- ried Reuben Swift, and is yet living at Palmyra, N. Y. ; Esther, Sept. 23, 1789; Lydia, Oct. 1, 1791; Samnel Ransom, June 27, 1793; Laura, July 29, 1795; George P., Aug. 8, 1797; Harriet, Sept. 10, 1799, married Capt. Elias S. Mathewson, and is yet living, and Cynthia, Jan. 15, 1804.

In September, 1788, Guy Maxwell came; first as clerk to Col. Hollenback, and afterwards was in partnership with him in selling goods, and about 1791 he and Samnel Hepburn formed a partnership for the same purpose. He was appointed justice of the peace September 1, 1791. He was born July 15, 1770, in Ireland, and was probably the youngest person that ever officiated as justice at this place. In March, 1791, he was licensed to keep a tavern, and in April, 1792, he and Samuel Hepburn were licensed together. During his residence here he married Nellie Wynkoop, and his son Thomas, afterwards a member of congress from the State of New York, was born. In August, 1796, he removed to Elmira.

Jonathan Harris came here about 1788 or 1789; he was a native of Colchester, Conn. He settled first in the village, and in June, 1789, he was licensed to keep a tavern. He had a small farm on the Point, which, in 1798, he sold to George Welles, and in 1792 he was in possession of a large tract on the bank of the Susquehanna, about the month of Cayuta creek. He established there his home, and endeav- ored to purchase the Pennsylvania title, but it seems that he failed through some chicanery outside the usual course of law. He subsequently purchased a farm near Spanish hill, where he died Aug. 14, 1829, aged seventy-nine years. He married, at Colchester, Conn., Lodemia Tozer, daughter of Samuel Tozer, of that place, and sister of Col. Julius Tozer, afterwards of Athens. They had children, -John, Alpheus, Russell, Squire, James, Minard, Samuel, Dorothea,

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Lodemia, and Susan. Alpheus Harris, born at Colchester, July 17, 1765, was employed on the survey of the State line in 1786, and shortly afterwards made this his home. He married first Jerusha Miller, and second Elizabeth Clapp, daughter of Nathaniel Clapp, who was also an early settler. The descendants of Alpheus Harris are well known in the valley. Julius Tozer, a brother-in-law of Jonathan Harris, was born at Colchester, June 16, 1764, and before the war went with his father and family to Wyoming. After the battle they returned to Connectient, where Julius, although but a lad, enlisted in the service. After the war he married, at Colchester, Hannah Conklin, daughter of Ananias Conklin, who was born Oct. 7, 1784. In 1791 they came to Exeter, in Luzerne Co., and in 1794 to Athens. Mr. Tozer was elected colonel of a regiment in the militia of this State, and during the War of 1812 he raised a company, of which he was captain, and served through that war, two of his sons, Samuel and Guy, aecom- panying him. His children were Hannah, born Oct. 4, 1788; Alice, March 5, 1789; Elizabeth R., Aug. '28, 1791; Samuel, Aug. 1, 1792; Julius, March 7, 1794; Lucy, Jan. 25, 1796; Dorothy, Jan. 28, 1798; Guy, March 7, 1799 ; Albert, May 30, 1801 ; Susan, March 1, 1803; Joel Murray, Aug. 11, 1805; Mary Ann, June 21, 1807; and Cynthia, May 1, 1809. Col. Tozer died Dec. 7, 1852, and his wife died March 5, 1832.

Many of the descendants of Col. Tozer yet reside here. Two of his sons, Albert and Murray, are living. Guy, who but recently died, was in 1837 elected sheriff of the county ; he married, Oct. 4, 1827, Welthia Kinney, daughter of Joseph Kinney, Esq., of Sheshequin. Sheriff Tozer died Sept. 20, 1877, his wife Aug. 18, 1868.

Daniel McDuffie, a native of the county Antrim, Ireland, came here in the year 1788 as a tenant and agent of Col. Arthur Erwin, of Bucks county, an extensive owner of lands in this town, and subsequently he and his sons made large purchases of the Erwin lands. Col. Erwin was shot by an assassin, while sitting in Mr. MeDuffie's house, in the year 1791. Mr. MeDuffie died July 6, 1831, aged seventy-nine; his wife, Dorothy, died Jan. 28, 1845, aged eighty-eight. They left a large family. Charles, one of their sons, is yet living; one of their daughters married Francis Tyler, an- other, Horatio McGeorge, and another, Jeremy Decker, all recently well-known citizens of Athens.

Noah Murray came to Athens about the year 1791. He was a native of Litchfield Co., Conn., and served in the patriot army during the war, after which he settled in the Wyoming valley. While there, Nov. 23, 1788, he was ap- pointed one of the justiees of the court of quarter sessions, and Aug. 5, 1789, a justice of the peace for Luzerne county. He was a clergyman, first of the Baptist church, and after- wards of the Universalist ; for some years he was pastor of the Universalist church in the city of Philadelphia. He was one of the proprietors of the old academy, and chair- man of the trustees. He died May 11, 1811, in his seventy- fifth year, leaving two sons, who were well-known citizens, and several daughters. His son Abner Murray, born in September, 1773, came to Athens with his father and lived here until his death, June 3, 1839. He married, first, Doro- thea, daughter of Jonathan Harris, who died May 22, 1816,

and second, Naney Ely, of Oswego, N. Y., who died May 19, 1862, in her eightieth year. Noah Murray, Jr., born Jan. 24, 1783, was appointed a justice of the peace at Athens in 1816, and remained in commission until his re- moval to the west in 1831. He died in Kosciusco county, Indiana, Sept. 4, 1859

Capt. Joseph Spalding came also about 1791. He was born in Plainfield, Conn., June 7, 1745, and was a descend- ant, in the fifth generation, from Edward Spalding, who settled in Braintree, Mass., in 1633. He was one of the original proprietors of old Ulster township,-Aug. 28, 1775. He was living in Sheshequin in 1786. He married first, at Plainfield, Eunice Shepard, who died at Sheshequin, Dec. 6, 1790, and second, Mrs. Anna Margaret Snell. His children were, Welthia, born Oet. 20, 1771, married Bene- diet Satterlee; John, born Oet. 22, 1773; Howard, born Oct. 24, 1776; Jared, born Oct. 20, 1778; Rachel, 1779; Sarah ; Simon ; and Celestia, born Aug. 10, 1795, married Isaac Morley. Captain Spalding died Aug. 31, 1832.

His eldest son, John Spalding, settled at the homestead west of the Tioga river, and after holding many loeal posi- tions was elected the second sheriff of Bradford County. He married, in 1790, Elizabeth, daughter of Dr. Amos Prentice, then of Groton, Conn., but afterwards of Athens. She was born Oct. 16, 1781, and died Oct. 31, 1820. Sheriff Spalding died Aug. 11, 1852. His children were George, who died in his sixteenth year, Owen, Amos Pren- tice, William, Julia Ann, who married the Rev. Curtis Thurston, Joseph, John, Edward, Harriet, and Jesse.

About the year 1794, James Irwin built the hotel so long known as the " Athens hotel," which was burned in Octo- ber, 1875. He was first licensed to keep a hotel in No- vember, 1795, and it was annually renewed until be sold it to George Welles, who was licensed to keep it in August, 1798. Mr. Welles kept it until Jan. 1, 1809, when David Paine took possession, and kept it until Jan. 1, 1814. Mr. Irwin, during his residence here, was also a merchant, and quite an extensive dealer in village lots. He removed to Elmira. His wife Lucy died here, Dec. 10, 1800, aged twenty-nine years.

In the year 1790, Dr. Stephen Hopkins came from Morris Co., N. J. In 1794 came David, Clement, and Enoch Paine, natives of Eastham, Mass. David was born March 21, 1768; was appointed a justice of the peace, at Athens, in 1799, postmaster in 1808, and was the first burgess of Athens borough, in 1831. Ile married, first, Phebe, daughter of Col. Eleazer Lindsley, who was born Aug. 16, 1780, and died Jan. 21, 1814; and second, Anne Wheaten Harding, of Portland, Me., who is yet living. Esquire Paine died Sept. 7, 1851, leaving no children. Clement Paine was born Aug. 11, 1769. He was a mer- chant, at Athens, during all his aetive life, and in 1813 he was an elcetor for president of the United States, and east his vote for James Madison. He married, in 1806, Anna, daughter of Theodore Woodbridge, born in Glastonbury, Conn., Sept. 13, 1784, and died Oet. 6, 1834. Mr. Paine died March 1, 1849. His sons, Seth W. and Charles C., are prominent business men at Troy, in this county.

Dan Elwell was born in Dutchess Co., N. Y., April 17, 1774, and came to Athens in 1798. He was a carpenter

JOSEPH MC KINNEY.

MRS. MARY MCKINNEY.

( PHOTOS. BY P. R. YOUNG, ATHENS.}

RES. OF JOSEPH MCKINNEY, ATHENS, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA.

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

and builder by occupation, and erected many of the old houses in Athens. He married a daughter of Dr. Amos Prentice, and died at Van Ettenville, N. Y., in 1868, leav- ing several children, one of whom is the Hou. William Elwell, of Columbia county, who was born at Athens.

John Saltmarsh came here from Fairfield Co., Conn., in 1801. His venerable parents, William and Elizabeth Salt- marsh, accompanied him. William Saltmarsh, a native of Stockbridge, Mass., died Jan. 13, 1811, aged seventy-seven years ; his wife, Elizabeth (Patterson), died April 1, 1816. John Saltmarsh was a graduate of Yale college, and soon after settling at Athens he was appointed a justice of the peace, and continued in commission until his death, Nov. 9, 1815, at the age of fifty-three years. He married Rhoda Beach, of Trumbull, Conn., who died July 4, 1840, aged eighty years. They had three children,-D' Alanson, horn Sent. 17, 1796; Orlando, born July 8, 1798; and Eliza, born May 20. 1802, married William H. Overton.

Moses Park, son of Silas Park, was born at Preston, Conn., Aug. 1, 1766. In 1790 he settled at Sheshequin, and commenced preaching as a Baptist there and at Tioga Point; in 1793 he commenced to preach Universalism; in 1797 he removed into the State of Ohio, and was there commissioned by Governor St. Clair a justice of the peace ; in 1801 he returned to Pennsylvania, and purchased a farm east of the Susquehanna, the well-known homestead of the family. He married Mary, daughter of Gen. Simon Spal- ding, who was born July 20, 1776. He died May 30, 1817. His children, most of whom are yet living, were Cynthia, born Dec. 25, 1792, married Constant Mathewson, Esq. ; Clarissa, born April 20, 1795, married Capt. Nathaniel Flower ; Harriet, born Sept. 6, 1797, died young; Amanda, born Nov. 24, 1799, married Capt. Jabez Fish, of Sheshe- quin ; Cbester (Rev.), born Jan. 20, 1802; Moses, born Jan. 13, 1804, died young; George, born July 25, 1806; Silas Warren, born March 18, 1809 ; Simon, born May 30, 1811, died young ; Mary, born Nov. 28, 1813, married Rev. G. S. Ames; and Consider Sterry, born Oct. 31, 1816.

Major Zephon Flower was born at Hartford, Conn., Nov. 30, 1765. He entered the Revolutionary army when only thirteen years of age, and served until the close of the war. March 28, 1785, he married Mary Patrick, then of Hart- ford, who was born at Volentine, Conn., Dee. 20, 1765. In 1786 he was living at Stillwater, N. Y .; in 1788, at Kingston, Pa .; and in 1791, at Sheshequin, in this county. Soon after his arrival in Sheshequin, we find him surveying, but where he studied this profession is unknown. While living in Sheshequin he was elected major of militia ; and in 1803 he removed to Athens, and settled on the east side of the Susquehanna, near where he resided nearly all the remainder of his long life. From this time he was con- stantly and actively employed in surveying, besides fre- quently holding the offices of assessor, supervisor, and other positions. He was the first person made a Mason by old Rural Amity lodge, the date being June 12, 1798. His children were Heloisa, born at Stillwater Jan. 16, 1786, and died at Athens July 13, 1861, unmarried,-her deeds of kindness and charity will be long remembered ; Mary, born at Kingston July 12, 1788, married Zebulon Mix, of

Towanda; Nathaniel (captain), born at Sheshequin July 16, 1791, married Clarissa, daughter of Rev. Moses Park, and died Sept. 8, 1851, without children, having lived an active and useful life; Ithuriel, born in Sheshequin Dec. 10, 1797, and removed west; Zuliema, born in Sheshequin, April 6, 1800, married George Walker, Jr., of Nichols, and had nine children, among them Zephon Flower Walker, who resides at the Franklin and Flower homestead in Athens township; Hullah, born Oct. 23, 1793, married Timothy Bartlett, of Sheshequin ; Philomela, Zephon, George, Alfred, Albert, Almore. Major Flower died April 16, 1855; his wife died March 5, 1848.

Joseph Tyler was one of the early settlers in this section previous to 1790,-he is said to have been a native of New Jersey,-and married Jane Armstrong. He had children, -Caleb, born in 1781; Ephraim, born in 1783; Sally, born 1785; Francis, in October, 1787; and Archibald. Before the year 1800, he was struck on the head by a ruf- fian, on account of some difficulty growing out of the un- settled state of land titles, and was afterwards insane the greater part of his life. His son Francis, the only one of the children that remained here, married a daughter of Daniel MeDuffie, and by economy and prudence acquired a large estate, which is now being enjoyed by his children.

The second wife of Col. John Franklin was Abigail (Fuller), widow of Capt. James Bidlack, Jr., whose tragic death, at the battle or massacre of Wyoming, is one of the striking events of that scene. Capt. Bidlack left four chil- dren, all of whom Col. Franklin, when he married the widow, took under his own roof, and thenceforward was a father to them. These children were, Stephen, born at Canaan, Conn., Jan. 5, 1773 ; Sally, born at Wyoming, 1775; Hettie, born 1776; and James, born 1778. Stephen married Lois Ransom, daughter of Capt. Samuel Ransom, and had Abigail, who married Samuel L. McQuigg; Sarah, who married Samuel Ovenshire, a native of Sheshequin, who came to Athens in the early years of this century, and was the father of the Ovenshire family, now prominent citizens of Athens township ; Sibyl ; Celestia, who married Samuel Mckinney ; Miranda, Harriet, Ransom, and Emily. Stephen early removed to Spencer, N. Y. Sally Bidlack, eldest daughter of Capt. James, married Franklin Chitsey. Hettie, the second daughter, married William Patrick, and went to Michigan. James, the youngest child of the cap- tain, married Esther Moore, daughter of Daniel Moore, and settled in Shehesquin : they had Anson ; Polly, married Joseph Mckinney, of Litchfield, and is yet living; Sally, married Philip Verbeck, living in Sheshequin ; Lydia, mar- ried Samuel Wolcott, of Litchfield, and is yet living,-one of her sons is now (March, 1878) the burgess-eleet of Athens borough ; Zipporah, married John Horton ; Abigail, mar- ried Martin Towner ; James, now living in Sheshequin, and has a family ; Daniel and Stephen, both living in Sheshe- quin.

Arnold Colt, Esq., was a resident of Athens from 1795 to about 1798. While here lie kept tavern, and was a justice of the peace, and was the first Master of old Rural Amity lodge. He returned to Wilkes-Barre, whence he came, and was afterwards elected sheriff of Luzerne county.

The families of Decker, Loomis, Minter, Northrop, and

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Reddington were here during the last century. On the farm of Wright Loomis, on Queen Esther's flats, was born Joshua R. Giddings, afterwards of Ohio, and distinguished as a leader of the abolition party.

The families of Griffin, Greene, Morley, and others, living on the western side of Tioga, came early in this century, and have since been among our most active and useful citi- zens ; but time and space forbid our bringing these sketches down to the present generation.

MILLTOWN SETTLEMENT.

Prince Bryant, whom we have found among the earliest settlers in old Springfield, about the year 1786, settled on the Caynta creek, on the strip of land between old Athens and the State line. Here he made considerable improve- ments, as by deeds dated Jan. 2, 1788, he sold to Nathaniel Shaw and John Shepard the property which he describes as consisting of a saw-mill, a grist-mill, two dwelling-houses, and six hundred acres of land, on a gore of land between the township of Athens and the State line. Mr. Bryant moved away about the date of this deed, probably into the State of New York. Mr. Shaw sold his interest to Mr. Shepard, March 30, 1789, and left the State. Mrs. Perkins remarks that the purchase was made for £600, New York currency. " In this purchase, the grist-mill was an impor- tant acquisition, being the only one within fifty miles. It was run both night and day. Loads of grain were brought to it from distances of twenty, thirty, and fifty miles, in boats, canoes, carts, and sleighs." As the biography of Mr. Shepard will appear in another place, nothing further necd be said here.

Dr. Prentice lived in the same neighborhood. Francis Snechenberger, a German, who came from Philadelphia, who was by trade a deer-skin leather dresser, settled in Milltown in 1799. Capt. Thomas Wilcox, from Tyring- ham, Mass., near the beginning of the century, settled at Milltown. He was by trade a blacksmith, and accumulated considerable property. Josiah Crocker removed from Lee, Mass., to Milltown, in 1808, and engaged with Mr. Shepard in building a fulling-mill and saw-mill across the State line. Carding-machines were afterwards added. Mr. Crocker interested himself in educational and religious matters. Among the first things he did was to secure a good school- house at Milltown, which afterwards became one of the preaching-places for Rev. Mr. Wisner, of Athens.

This part of the township has always been called Mill- town, from the fact that, from prior to 1788 to the present, there have been mills on this part of Cayuta creek. The large plaster- and grist-mills which occupy almost the pre- cise spot of the log mills of Prince Bryant, are at present owned by Phillips and Curtis, and maintain their reputation for good work earned fourscore and ten years since.

It will be recollected that the Indian purchase of 1768 included a part of Bradford County, but until after the Revolutionary war the northwestern part of this county, and of the State, was still claimed by the Iroquois confed- eracy. In order to extinguish the Indian title to this part of the commonwealth, under date of Feb. 12, 1784, " The council proceeded to the appointment of commissioners to hold a treaty with the Indians claiming the unpurchased

territory within the acknowledged limits of this State, pur- suant to resolution of the general assembly, of the twenty- fifth of September, 1783, and the ballots being taken, it appeared that the Hon. Samuel John Atlee, esquire, Wil- liam Maclay, and Francis Johnson, esquires, were duly chosen." In the minutes of the council of Aug. 24, 1784, is an inventory of the articles furnished the commissioners as presents and compensation for the land it was proposed to purchase, for the payment for which three thousand three hundred and seventy-five pounds, specie, were appropriated. In reply to the letter of the president of the council, noti- fying them of their appointment, the commissioners, among other suggestions, mentioned that Tioga or Wyalusing, on the east branch of the Susquehanna, would be the most proper place to meet the Six Nations for the treaty. In October the conference was held and the treaty concluded at Fort Stanwix. It was agreed, on the part of the Pennsylvania authorities, that one thousand dollars' worth of goods should be delivered to the Indians at Tioga Point. The goods were purchased under the direction of Francis Johnson, Esq., and William Maclay was commissioned to deliver them. Dec. 28, 1785, Mr. Maclay reports to the council that he had met a large number of the Six Nations of Indians at Tioga, and had distributed the goods which he had received in trust for them from the public, agreeably to the instruc- tions which had been given him. This closed the Indian conferences between Pennsylvania and the Indian tribes. It was a century before this that William Penn met his red brothers of the forest for the first time, at Shackamaxon, within the present limits of Philadelphia, with words of kindness and brotherly love ; and now, after a hundred years have passed by, filled as they have been with the wonderful events which have revolutionized a continent, the people of Pennsylvania meet, for the last time, the descendants of these sons of the wood, on her own soil, and, with assurances of good-will and gifts of kindness, bid each other a final farewell. It is true that citizens of Pennsylvania, after this, have met Indians in council, but not as the representatives of Pennsylvania, but of the general government. Nearly five years later, at Tioga, Timothy Pickering, in a treaty with the Iroquois, informed them the thirteen fires had become one fire, and that he spake, not in the name of the State of Pennsylvania, but of the United States government. The account of this treaty has been given in another chapter, and need not here be repeated.

Sherman Day relates : " The Indians, having buried the hatchet with the peace of 1783, were disposed to be friendly ; but the villainy of straggling white traders, aided by the demon of rum, often exasperated them to such a degree that great fears were entertained for the safety of the resident families. About this time a good-natured Indian, who boasted chiefly of his stature as " Big Shickshinny," was murdered, while intoxicated, near Hollenback's store, by a little roving fur-trader from the Delaware river. It was with some difficulty the villagers appeased the exasperated feelings of the relatives and friends of the Indian by pur- chasing his corpse at the price of a pair of old horses."

In the summer of 1787 the little settlement of Athens was thrown into confusion over the murder of a prominent Indian chieftain by one of his own tribe. This Indian,

VALLEY

R. R.

BRIDGE WORKS OF KELLOGG AND MAURICE , ATHENS, PA.

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

of her house and lot. The deed was delivered to Mr. Welles, and the United States marshal put him in posses- sion of the land, July, 1808.

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History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 70

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