History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 73

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 73

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Mary Bidlack, his wife, was born in Sheshequin, Jan. 20, 1806 ; was a daughter of James Bidlack and Esther Moore, who were married in 1803. James Bidlack was son of Captain James Bidlack, who was killed at the Wyo-

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ming massacre. His widow, a few years afterwards, mar- ried Colonel John Franklin. Her girlhood was passed at home until the year 1819, when she came to live with her grandmother, Mrs. Franklin, and remained there until her marriage, and thereafter until Jan. 7, 1830, when she began housekeeping on the old homestead, where she still lives. She has led an extremely busy life, and has been a true helpmate to her husband. The buzz of the spinning- wheel, and the grate of the cards, in manufacturing their own homespun, have shown economy and industry of which but few can boast. A bountiful supply of woolen and linen, homemade, for table, bed, and clothing, was always on hand, and cotton carefully laid away for an emergency. She is a good Christian woman, although belonging to no particular church. None in want ever left her door without some gift or token of remembrance. Sociable and friendly with all her guests, her table was ever spread for charity.

CHESTER STEPHENS.

Chester Stephens, one of the earliest settlers of Tioga Point, was born March 12, 1785, at Kingston, Luzerne Co., and came to Athens (Tioga Point), with his father, Ira Stephens, in 1788. Ira Stephens was born at Stoning- ton, Conn., July 24, 1760. Jedediah Stephens, father of Ira Stephens, was born in 1703, and died in 1790, and was among the first persons buried in the old grave-yard in Athens. To Ira Stephens, July 12, 1812, was patented the property since known as the "Tyler farm," at Mill- town. Chester Stephens lived, upon his arrival in Mill- town, in the old homestead of William Matthewson, at the foot of Spanish hill. The deed of the other heirs of the Tyler property-formerly the Stephens patent-to Ira Stephens bears date of June 27, 1817; the property con- tained 176 acres and 3 perches. In 1817, Chester Stephens

bought of John Arnot the present residence of the survi- vors of this family, in Athens borough. The lot is 99 feet front on Main street, and the consideration paid was $1200. He married, Oct. 10, 1811, Lucinda Grant, of Stonington, Conn .; the ceremony took place in the old Simon Spalding house, in Milltown, formerly occupied by John Shephard. Lucinda Grant was born March 13, 1794. She was the niece of John Shephard.

At the time of the removal of Chester Stephens to Athens and the purchase of the Arnot property, the lot contained " a low, rambling building," to which a store was attached. It was considered at the time the most valuable property in the settlement ; in earlier times it had been occu- pied by an Indian cabin. At this place Mr. Stephens sub- sequently engaged in mercantile business. The house still remains in the family, and at the present writing (1878) is the residence of his surviving daughter, Miss Caroline B. Stephens, and her maternal grandfather. Mr. Stephens had three children, Clara H., Caroline B., and a son, W. G. Stephens. The eldest, Clara H., was a woman of literary tastes, and contributed to the periodicals of the day. Her last contribution bears date of Aug. 10, 1860, in the Ma- sonic Review, published in Cincinnati, Ohio. A few days after this appeared she died. She is described as an excep- tionally amiable, refined, and intelligent woman. The closing years of Mr. Stephens' life were attended by severe physical affliction. During this time, a period of about ten years, he was constantly attended and ministered to by his devoted younger daughter, who survives him. Mr. Stephens was an ardent Mason, and of this order was made an honorary member, Dec. 26, 1854. He was among the very last survivors of the " early times" and primeval periods of the Susquehanna valley, and from his remembrance of that day many interesting memoranda have been published in the publication of his kinswoman, Mrs. G. E. Perkins, " Early Times on the Susquehanna."

BARCLAY.

GEOGRAPHICALLY, the township of Barclay is situated between the townships of Franklin on the north, Le Roy on the west, and the Shrader branch of Towanda creek, which separates it from Overton on the south, and whatever of eastern boundary it has is Monroe.

Topographically, the township is mountainous ; the Shra- der branch of the Towanda creek being its only stream of water.

Geologically, it is coal-bearing, being essentially and specifically a mining town.

Historically, it is a recent organization, being formed from Franklin in 1867. Its entire area is owned by the coal-mining and Barclay railroad companies, and it is said that it has not within its limits a solitary resident freeholder. Its chief interest lies in its coal mines and their develop-

ment, which are fully described in the general history of the county.

SETTLEMENTS.

The first settlement or movement therefor in the town- ship was made in the fall of 1856, by the Towanda coal company. There are at the present time five settlements in the town, the most northern one called Graydon, next south Dublin, Barclay post-office still further south, Fall Creek a little way east of the post-office, and a settlement at the foot of the incline of the railroad.

POPULATION.

In 1870 the town contained a population of 2009 souls, 1104 of whom were foreign born. In 1876 there were 284 votes polled.

PHOTOS. BY G. H. Wooo

ROSWELL LUTHER.

JANETTE LUTHER.

FRONT VIEW.

+194

LUTHER'S MILLS

RESIDENCE & FLOURING MILL OF ROSWELL LUTHER, BURLINGTON, BRADFORD CO., PA.

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

SCHOOLS.

There are three school districts in the township, and six schools were taught in them during the year ending June 1, 1877, averaging ten months each. Three male and three female teachers were employed,-the former receiving $50 and the latter $30 per month as salaries. Four hundred and forty-one children attended the schools, of whom 233 were boys and 208 were girls; the average attendance for the whole period of the schools being 400. One per cent. of the valuation of the property in the township was levied for school purposes, the revenue arising therefrom being $2143.05; $607.20 were received from the State; the total receipts being $4050.15. Of this amount $1828.76

were paid for teachers' wages; the total expenditures for the year being $3394.71, including $266.45 for new build- ings, etc.

VILLAGES.

At Graydon there are a school-house and store ; at Bar- clay there are a post-office, a Presbyterian church, a school- house, stores, the works of the Towanda coal company, and freight- and engine-houses of the Barclay railroad com- pany. At Fall Creek there are a school-house and store, and in the settlement at the foot of the incline there is a school-house.

The history of the churches will be found elsewhere.

BURLINGTON.

GEOGRAPHICALLY, Burlington is situated between the townships of Smithfield on the north, Ulster, North To- wanda, and Towanda on the east, Franklin on the south, and West Burlington on the west, and has an area of about twenty-four square miles. The surface of the township is generally broken and its soil is productive, and adapted to the cereals and grasses, and is favorably developed for dairying. The township is well watered by the Sugar creek, which takes its course through the north-central part in an east- northeasterly direction, and the tributaries of that stream, the principal ones being Tomjack and Brown creeks and Pond and Alley runs. Preacher brook rises in the south- western part of the town, and runs southward into the Towanda ereek in Franklin.

There are four post-offices in the town : Highland, in the southeast ; Mountain lake, in the south-central ; Luther's Mills, on the Sugar ; and Burlington, in Burlington borough. Mountain lake is a small body of water lying centrally north and south, and a little to the west, east and west in the township.

SETTLEMENT.

In May, 1790, Isaac De Witt, Abraham De Witt, and Jas. McKean, the latter a boy of twenty years, came to the wilderness of Sugar creek, from Johnny-Cake Hollow, Che- mung Co., N. Y., on an exploring expedition. They made the passage down the river on a raft, spending the first night at Tioga Point (now Athens). Reaching the mouth of Sugar creek (in the Indian tongue called the Oscalua), they made their way up that stream to the lodge of Tomjack, a noted Indian of that day, situated on the south side of the creek, near what is now known as Burlington borough. The creek that runs through the borough takes its name from this worthy of the early days. Making the wigwam of the Indian their headquarters, the explorers proceeded on their quest, going as far up the creek as where D. N. Allen now lives, near East Troy. They retraced their steps, and selected future homesteads. Isaac De Witt chose a tract now owned by O. P. Ballard, near West Burlington, Abra-

ham De Witt selected what is now owned by J. B. Pratt and Thomas Blackwell, and James McKean made his claim to that which was known for years as " the Mckean farm," now owned by B. H. Taylor, of Williamsport.

The pioneers erected a hut on Mckean's lot, near the place where at present stands a large green oak, but then a mere sapling, just below the old eider-mill at present. Here the first blows for civilization were made on Sugar ereek, aside from the rude efforts of the Indians for gardening. A small erop of corn was secured that season, ears of which, bunches of wild grapes, and wild plums, were taken back to " Johnny-Cake" as trophies of the " land of promise."

During the winter of 1790-91, the settlers of old and new Sheshequin (now Ulster) rallied to cut out and con- struet a road, from some point on the Susquehanna, to the contemplated new settlement on the Sugar creek. Mr. Simonds, Mr. Clark, Mr. Gore, Mr. Kinney, Col. Lock wood, and others, with forces from Chemung, formed a heavy pioneer corps. The time selected for the work proved to he favorable, there being no snow, and game being plentiful. The road took nearly the direction as now traveled, except it went farther north in coming up the mountain near Ulster village, and it was, for the time and place, a good road.

On April 1, 1791, five families from the Chemung, in- cluding the pioneers of the summer previous, left the Hol- low for the Sugar creek. The women and children were put on horseback and under proper escort, while the re- maining men of the colony, with the goods and provisions, were embarked on a log raft for the descent of the river. The cavalcade arrived first, and leaving its freight, the women and children, returned to the river to meet the flo- tilla, but which, owing to unexpected difficulties met with, did not arrive until a full week had passed from the embar- kation. In the mean time, those already in the wilderness suffered for want of the things on the raft, besides being devoured with fear of the wolves and panthers with which the woods abounded.

About May 1 all arrived at their destination in safety ;

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

the men of the party being James McKean, Abraham De Witt, Isaac De Witt, William Dobbin, and Yoras, a half- breed Indian

Privations were in store for these pioneers upon which they had not fully reckoned : they had corn, but no mill to grind it with ; but that was soon overcome by the manufac- ture of the Indian mill, a mortar and pestle, supplemented by a Yankee device, a spring-pole. The mortar was a hol- lowed stump, burned with fire to make it hard, and the pestle was formed of some hard wood. The pounded corn was afterwards sifted through a hair-sieve, and, shortened with bear's fat, made a tolerably palatable bread. Venison and fish for their meats, with leeks and wild onions for sauee, seasoned with salt made by Tomjaek, made a bill of fare that many nowadays travel the Adirondaeks and Roekies for weeks together to procure. Thus the summer of 1791 passed.

During the summer the settlement on the creek was largely increased by the arrival of emigrants from Connecti- cut, among them, Messrs. James Ward, the Campbells, Der- rick Miller, and Dunbar.

The trouble of the Connecticut title, as fully detailed in the general history, had its demoralizing effect in the Sugar Creek settlement the same as elsewhere, yet it did not stop the immigration coming in from Connecticut. In 1792 a large number of families came in, among them, Swain, Nichols, Soper, Braffit, and Jaqua, all violent Connecticut- title men. In 1803 the claims of the Connectieut company were silenced, but the roots of bitterness engendered by the strife were not healed for many years.

During these troubles the settlers raised but little bread- stuffs, and had not the game been abundant, many must have suffered intensely, if they had not starved. In 1794 the season proved favorable for both wheat and corn, and a good erop was seeured, but there was no way to grind the wheat except to take it to Milltown, three miles above Athens. The settlers, led by Mr. Ward, worked hard to get a mill on the ereek, near the residence of the late Gen. MeKean, but the dam proved a failure, and the mill would not grind.

In 1796, Ezra Goddard, and his sons Luther and Ezra, came in from Connecticut, bringing a large sum of money, for those times, in hard eash, and such goods as were needed for a new country. They eleared off a heavy forest aereage, and erected a grist- and saw-mill, the site being near the present location of Roekwell's mills, in West Burlington. It was but a partial sueccss, but it added much to the com- fort of the settlement.

Stephen Ballard came to the settlement on Sugar creek in 1796. Stephen built him a house, took up a farm, and returned for his family, and John and Nathaniel Bal- lard, twin brothers, and cousins of Stephen, who were then eighteen years old, came baek to Sugar creek with their cousin, and their father, Joseph Ballard, came on with the rest of his family the next year. They were all from Framingham, Mass. Nathaniel took up a farm next to Stephen's, above the centre of Burlington, where the old church now is, and Joseph, the father, located half a mile above, with John. Joseph Ballard died in 1806, and his wife, Betsey Cloise, died May 2, 1804. Their children

were Nathaniel, John, Nathan, Lyman, Joseph, Josiah, Anna, Mehitabel, Betsey, and Polly. Betsey married William Dobbins; Anna married William Pratt, and resides in Burlington ; Mehitabel married David Miller, and lived in Burlington also; Polly never married, and died in 1806.

Nathaniel moved into Columbia in the spring of 1832. John lived and died on the old homestead, and one of his sons now occupies it. Nathan, Joseph, Josiah, Lyman, and William Dobbins moved into Ohio from Burlington. Stephen Ballard had a large family also. Beside these Ballards above named, there were many cousins of the first and second degree in the town. There were three John Ballards,-one a brother of Joseph Ballard, and the one before named, the twin brother of Nathaniel, and an- other, the brother of Thomas, the father of O. P. Ballard, of Troy. Myron Ballard, of Burlington, is a son of Na- thaniel Ballard.

William Dobbins was an Irishman by birth, and in his early life lived on the Juniata, in the Kishocoquillas valley. He came to Burlington from the Chenango, below Buckville, following the route through Ulster and over the Overton hill, the road being but a bridle-path. He settled on the farmi now owned by Stanton, near the Gen. Mckean place. He married Mary McClain, and their children were Robert, Eleanor, Daniel, Susanna, John, Jane, Betsey, Polly, William G., and Sally. Mr. Dobbins moved to Troy, and settled on the place now owned by Joraloman. Robert beeame a Methodist minister, and settled in Ohio. Eleanor married Johnson Miller, and moved west. Daniel went to Erie, and for many years was in command of an American revenue cutter. He commanded a vessel on the lake at Perry's victory. Susanna married Nathaniel Ballard; John, the father of ex-sheriff Dobbins, married Rebecca Mckean, and settled on the Joraloman plaee ; Jane married Ebenezer Kendall; Betsey married Nathan Ballard; Polly married John Ballard; William G. married Betsey Ballard ; Sally married Reuben Wilbur, and is still living. William S. Dobbins, son of John Dobbins, was elected sheriff of Brad- ford County in 1848.

Deaeon Moses Calkins came with his family, of whom Joel Calkins was one, to Sugar Creek from Duanesburg, Sche- neetady county, N. Y., in April, 1795. He settled on the farm owned seventy years later by Calvin Rockwell. He reared a large family, his son Joel learning the father's trade, that of a blacksmith. Deaeon Calkins built a saw- mill on Leonard's creek. Joel married Laura, the second daughter of Ezekiel Leonard, who came from Springfield, Mass., in what is now known as Leonard's Hollow, in the town of Springfield, but then called Murraysfield. Joel Calkins settled on the farm afterwards owned by Frederick Whitehead, and reared a family of eight children, all of whom survived him except his third son. He died Aug. 18, 1867, aged eighty-two years.

The Clark and Lane families are of the very early pioneers of Burlington.

In 1799 and 1800 another lot of emigrants from Con- necticut arrived, among them Jeremiah Taylor, Maffitt, and Benj. Saxton. One Otho, a colored man, came into the settlement with Ezra Goddard, he having been formerly Goddard's slave in Connecticut. This ex-slave proved to

PHOTO. BY G Y WOOD

HON. J. F. LONG.

RESIDENCE OF MRS. J. F. LONG, BURLINGTON, BRADFORD CO., PA.

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

be a valuable acquisition to the colony, being a turner by trade. He provided the settlers with dishes, including platters, trenchers (plates), bowls, mortars, etc., which he made from butternut wood, which grew in abundance in that vicinity. Clam-shells with a turkey-bone handle served for spoons. Knives and forks were hardest to pro- vide a substitute for. Blocks of wood, carved more or less artistically according to the skill or desire of the possessor, constituted ehairs, until the arrival of Jesse Marvin, a sash- and chair-maker. He turned his work by a foot-lathe, and it was slow work, but three chairs to a cabin were a luxury. Jehiel Ferris, from Delaware county, N. Y., was a shoe- maker, who settled on the farm afterwards owned by Mrs. Lydia Patriok and Jesse Beach. Timothy and Jesse Beach were sons of Mrs. Ferris by a former marriage. They were skillful choppers from boyhood and expert mathe- maticians, aequiring the latter proficiency by the study of their books by the light of a pine-knot at night.

OTHER SETTLERS PRIOR TO 1804.

John Gammage was a prominent member of the Method- ist Episcopal church. His descendants live on the property. George Head had a large family, and lived at Burlington Corners.

The Campbells, James and David, lived below Burlington borough ; Cephas Campbell owns it.

Eliphalet Luther, who was grandfather of Roswell, the prosent owner of Luther's Mills, settled below Burlington Corners.

William Nichols, whose grandson is the Hon. C. F. Nichols, of Towanda, lived within the limits of present Burlington borough, and had a large family of children.

PIONEER TRADE.

As before mentioned, Ezra Goddard, in 1796, brought in a small stock of goods for the more pressing and imine- diate wants of the settlers, but until 1814 there was no general stoek of merchandise opened for sale in Burlington. During that year, Samuel Mckean, afterwards prominently known throughout the State, brought in a stock of goods from Philadelphia, which was a large one for those days. For these goods people paid in exchange such things as they had, such as deer-skins, furs, maple-sugar,-rags, flax- seed, and whisky. These articles were sent to Philadel- phia via the Susquehanna, Chesapeake, and Delaware bays. The port of entry was Meansville (now Towanda); the ves- sels were Durham boats, carrying forty tons down, and from a half to two-thirds as much back. They were wholly managed by setting-poles and a small rudder. This enter- prise of Mr. Mckean's was hailed with great rejoicing, and a liberal patronage ensued, the store' being crowded from morning till night. Those who had the barter in hand made the exchange at once ; others traded on the prospects of the next sugar or fur crop, which, sometimes failing, the debt was charged against the next ensuing harvest, and in time these long credits swallowed the entire possessions of the debtor. Another evil grew out of this system. Rye would not be accepted in exchange for goods, because of inconvenience in handling or want of transportation, but whisky was a legal tender for anything ; hence distilleries

flourished, and blackened the fair face of a smiling Heaven with their foul fumes. This brought much gain to the merchant, but it proved a sore burden to the people finan- eially and socially. But public sentiment began to grow, and out of this sorrowful experience a happier condition was developed ; the distilleries have all disappeared, and their places are filled with school-houses and churches, and peace, plenty, joy, and happiness crown the seene in the present.

EDUCATION.

The first school-house built in Burlington was in the first settlement on Sugar creek, and very soon after the first pio- neer families eame in, in 1791. Mr. McKean gave an acre of ground for a cemetery and church site, the building to be erected for the double purpose of a church and school- house. It was on the same ground now occupied by the old ehureh, and the burying-ground near it.

The returns of the school-year ending June 1, 1877, make the following exhibit of educational matters in the township: There were nine sehools taught during the year, averaging six months each, two male and fourteen female teachers being employed. The salaries of the gentlemen averaged $17 dollars per month, and those of the ladies $15.67 ; 203 boys and 194 girls attended the sehools ; 5 mills on the dollar of valuation wore levied for school pur- poses, producing $907.55, and $254.80 were received from the State, the total income being $1108.74; $838 of which were paid for teachers' wages, and $240.35 for other ex- penses.

RELIGIOUS.

The mothers in Israel of the pioneer settlement of Bur- lington were Mrs. James MeKean, Mrs. Wm. Dobbin, Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. Ross, Mrs. Joseph Ballard, Mrs. Stephen Ballard, and Mrs. Ferris. These were mothers indeed, and from them sprang a host who have graeed the church in later days. They, too, were the first to erect an altar for the worship of the Almighty ruler of the universe in the wilds of Sugar Creek.

On the very evening of the arrival of the men of the first pioneer party, in 1791, Mrs. McKean and Mrs. Dobbin pro- posed and held a prayer-meeting and thanksgiving for the safety of the colony, and these two then and there eovenanted together to erect the family altar at their own firesides, and at it worship daily, and they faithfully kept their covenant through life.

It was, however, some years before a joint effort was made and preaching secured, and a most singular circum- stance heralded the first preacher. Some time previous to 1796, or about that time, a party of the young people met at the house of one of the settlers for an evening's entertain- ment. They played 'and danced and sang until, tiring of the exercises, and desiring some " new thing," jocularly proposed a prayer-meeting, and accepted it in the same spirit. One of their number, being a good singer, was ap- pointed leader. He at once, with dignity and solemnity well assumed, began the exercises by giving out Wesley's favorite hymn,-

" Children of the heavenly King, As we journey let us sing."

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

The hymn was sung with decorum, and then they all knelt while the leader prayed. He was followed by a second, and third, when another hymn was sung, of a different nature, not so joyous, and in a minor key, ---

"Why should we start and fear to die ? What timorous worms we mortals are !"

This seemed to break up the current of mockery, for no sooner had the song ceased than they fell on their knees again, and two commenced praying at once, then a third broke in, and finally all supplicated Heaven earnestly for themselves. They felt at once they needed help, and dis- patehed a messenger for mother Mckean, who came at once to the prayer-meeting begun in mockery and ending seri- ously. She was a woman of strong and abiding faith, and her soul was at once drawn out in prayer and exhortation for the salvation of the penitents, and the result was that eight of the party became consistent Christians from that time; one of the number, Andrew McKean, being after- wards a Methodist itinerant, preaching forty years, and died but lately, aged ninety years. Another one was a local preacher for forty years, and was the first justice of the peace of Burlington after its organization as a township.

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History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 73

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