History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 77

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 77

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

t On the application of Elisha Hyde, Esq., and Capt. Elisha Tracy, of Norwich, Conn., there was granted by John Franklin and John Jenkins, commissioners of the Susquehanna company (granted Dec. 25, 1794), the town of Cabot, on Sugar creek, and bounded as follows : Beginning on the northeast of Columbia, thenee south 25° west on the west line of Columbia five miles, thence west on the line of King-street four miles, thence north so far as to include twenty- hve square miles. In 1795 is a note, saying, " The town of Cabot not being settled, is forfeited to other proprietors who will settle the same." In 1799 is a record of rights covering 15,500 acres, formerly entered in Granby, were withdrawn and entered in Cabot, by Na- thaniel Morgan.

The township was so named to retain the name of another town- ship of the Susquehanna company, a part of which is included in the lines of present Columbia. The old township was granted in the usual form March 15, 1795, to Elisha Satterlee, Ira Stevens, and Chester Bingham, bounded as follows : Beginning at a maple-tree in the southeast corner of the township, thence north 25° east five miles, north 65° west five miles, south 25° west five miles, south 65° east five miles, containing twenty. In a map, the date of which is not given, one-half of the township was divided into fifty-three parts, which were distributed among the following proprietors, which are named in the order of the lots, except otherwise indicated, to wit : John Jenkins (1, 25), Wilkes Durke, Noah Murray, Stephen Fuller, John Fuller, Joha Mckinstry (6, 39), Elisha Satterlee, Reuben Ful- ler, Walter Walters, Jr., Adriel Simons, Stephen Bidlaek, Lemnel Gaylord, Ira Stevens, Benjamin Clark, Jobn Franklin (15, 48), Samuel Southard, Ebenezer Fellows, John Hutchinson (18, 24), Chester Bingham (19, 49), Betsey Mathewson, William Slocum, Michael Bohonnom, Benjamin Corey, Zephon Flower, Bazaleel Seeley, Josiah Kellogg, Joseph Spalding, Jeremiah Herrington, William Ransom, Isaac Allen, Abiel Fry, William Parks, John Shepard (38, 53), Solomon Tracy, Benedict Satterlee, James Irvine, Ebenezer Shaw, Samnel Hepburn, Daniel Satterlee, Mott and Tracy, Sally Bidlack, Isaac Luce, public lots (32, 42, 43).

# Other authorities say 1799.

JOEL STEVENS.

MRS. JOEL STEVENS.

JOEL STEVENS.

Joel Stevens was born in Spencer, Tompkins Co., N. Y., Jan. 16, 1801. He was the seventh child in the family of Joel and Lydia Stevens, which consisted of eleven children. The elder Stevens was a farmer and mechanic, and in 1808 came from Connecticut and settled in East Troy, where he purchased a farm, and where he lived until his death, which occurred in 1814.

By. his father's death young Joel was thrown entirely upon his own resources, and for twelve years worked as a farm-hand, contributing his earnings for the support of the family. In 1826 he purchased sixty-five acres of new land, now owned by a Mr. Hicox, and in September of the same year he was married to Miss Caliste, daughter of Nathaniel and Susannah (Dobbins) Ballard. Mr. Ballard was among the early settlers of the township of Burlington. He was an estimable man, highly esteemed by all who knew him for his moral worth and sterling qualities as a citizen ; he was a farmer, and also an itinerant Methodist exhorter.

Mrs. Stevens was born in Burlington in 1807. In 1834, Mr. Stevens moved to Columbia and purchased

one hundred and seventy-five acres of land, which was a portion of the " Russell and Boone tract." The following spring a man by the name of James Ford, in whom the title was vested, came on and served a writ of ejectment upon all the settlers on this tract, and they were finally obliged to repurchase This unexpected difficulty, in con- nection with the trials and privations incident to these times, made their lot a hard one indeed ; but industry and fru- gality seldom go unrewarded, and Mr. Stevens, with the as- sistance of his worthy helpmeet, overcame all obstacles, and added to his first purchase twenty-five acres, making a fine farm of two hundred acres. Mr. Stevens has been largely identified with the best interests of his town, and has filled all the offices in the gift of his fellow-townsmen, excepting that of justice of the peace. He is ranked among the suc- cessful farmers and prominent citizens of Columbia, and as a reward of his industry is now enjoying a well-earned com- petency. Both he and Mrs. Stevens are zealous and con- sistent members of the Methodist church, and are exemplars of long lives well spent.

303

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

potatoes, which he buried, sowed a piece of wheat, and went back for his family, with whom he returned in the following spring, and also accompanied by David Watkins, Oliver Canfield, Joseph Batterson, Jeremiah Chapman, Aaron Bennett, and Samuel Lamphere, whom he induced to come with him by giving them each a deed of fifty aeres. It is believed that these were the first permanent settlers. Phineas C. Morgan, the only surviving child of Nathaniel Morgan, is the last survivor of the immigrants who came with his father. The latter died in 1804 or 1805.

About the year 1800, Solomen Soper came in from Vermont permanently to reside, and also William Rose. Dr. Tracy is authority for the statement that a man named Doty, the same year that the Ballards made their clearing (1795), built a cabin on the Scouton farm.

James Morgan was a boy of ten years of age when he canie in 1800, with his father, Nathaniel Morgan, from Reading, Conn., where he (James) was born. He died Aug. 20, 1867, aged seventy-eight years, in Austinville. In 1809 he married Margaret MeClelland, with whom he lived fifty-four years, she dying Sept. 8, 1863. They reared eleven children, seven of whom survived the father. Mrs. Morgan's father, John McClelland,* was a native of Ireland. He wished to marry a lady who his father deemed beneath his son's social position, and to accomplish their union both eame to America. She landed in Phila- delphia, and he in New York, and never met again, or saw each other after leaving their native land.

Phineas Chapman Morgan and a daughter, Nancy, who afterwards married Amos Satterlee, were, with James Mor- gan, the only children of Nathaniel Morgan. The daugh- ter went to Ohio after her marriage, and died there.

The Bingham heirs received the Pennsylvania title over Mr. Morgan's Connecticut claim, and after some years' liti- gation the Pennsylvania title was confirmed, and a eompro- mise effected whereby 500 acres were surveyed to Morgan, for which he paid one bushel of wheat per acre, which amount of land was eventually divided between Mr. Morgan's two sons, James and Phineas C. On this farm the Anstinville iron ore was taken.

David Watkins located the farm owned afterwards by his son Mial. His daughter Laura is the widow of Miles P. Slade. Mr. Watkins died in 1862, aged eighty-four years, in Austinville. Aaron Bennett lived a short distance below Mr. Morgan's claim, afterwards occupied by James Morgan, and Oliver Canfield just below Mr. Bennett. Mr. Lam- phere settled on the place afterwards sold by him to John Besley, and on which the latter resided.

In 1801, Elnathan Goodrich came with his family into the township, from Delaware county, N. Y. His youngest child, then a babe, born in August of the same year, was Elisha S. Goodrich, who afterwards became prominently known throughout the State, both as an editor and public official of the county and State. His son, E. O'Meara Goodrich, also prominently known in the same line as his father, was born in Columbia, about 1824, and is now sur- veyor of the port of Philadelphia.

Charles Keyes was an early settler, and is said by Judge

Bullock to have first come to the town soon after the Ballards' first clearing.

About 1802-3 the Buekley family came into the town.

In 1804, David Palmer came from Burlington, and set- tled on the Scouton farm, purchasing the same of Ebenezer Baldwin, who had bought it of Doty. When Palmer moved into the house it had been for some time unoccupied, and the brambles had grown up through the cracks in the basswood floor as high as the beams overhead, and were obliged to be cut out before the goods could be stored. About this time, or within a year or two afterwards, Abraham Weast made a possession on Willard Mosher's farm, but before 1807 he sold out to a Mr. Sprague.

In 1807, Calvin Tinkham came from Hampshire Co., Mass, and Charles Keyes from Burlington. Mr. Keyes was a hatter, and followed the business here some years. He died in the winter of 1856.

In 1808 the Havens family settled on a hill half a mile north of Austinville. They were a numerous family, and Carter Havens was the father of twenty-two children.

John Bixby, also, came in 1808. He cleared up the farm on which he ever afterwards resided. After he had built a house and moved into it, he commenced chopping a fallow ; one tree, standing near the house, fell contrary to his intentions, and, striking the roof, broke in the gable and a portion of the rafters. He died in October, 1866, lacking but about four months of ninety years of age.

Nathaniel Merritt came from Vermont in September, 1807, and settled on James McKean's farm. He had five sons, one of whom, Curtis Merritt, resides in Sylvania. At this date (1807) there was not a house between Springfield Centre and Bentley's Creek, and nothing but a bridle-path to travel in. When Mr. Merritt came in, Samnel Baldwin lived on the Smead farm, and Ephraim Cleveland on John Calkins' farm.

In 1808, Deacon Asa Howe took up a farm near Helen Budd's, and gave the locality the name of Howe Hollow thereby. Comfort Peters settled on the Pettibone farm the same year, and Sheldon Gibbs came in 1809 to the same neighborhood. Both of these men were basket-makers, and peddled their wares through the country roundabout, even as far away as Owego. For this reason the road on which they lived was called Basket street, and still retains its early cognomen, and is the road leading from C. H. Ballard's to Austinville.

Phineas Jones came in about the year 1808. He was a brother of Mrs. Comfort Peters, and came from the same locality. He removed in 1818 into eentral New York.

Rev. Joseph Beeman, a Baptist clergyman, and Deacon David R. Haswell came together from Vermont in 1807-8, and settled near each other on the northern border of the town, and died on their farms.

John Peter Gernert, William Furman, Reuben Nash, t and Jacob Miller, the latter a Revolutionary soldier, were among the earlier settlers of the township ; but the dates given by different authorities of the time they settled are so conflicting it is impossible to venture an exact statement.

* His son, Hieronymus, was killed in the war of 1812.

+ Deeds show Phineas Nash, of Plymouth, sells to David Ayres No. 22 of Plymouth, May 10, 1798, and No. 38, April 13, 1803.

304

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

The dates range from 1808 to 1817. Mr. Furman was from Delaware Co., N. Y., and was the first of his family to settle in Columbia. He lived at the cross-roads, and was a justice of the peace. Peter and John were his children, and John, the elder, lived near Austinville. Mr. Furman's brother, Paul Furman, lived on the creek. John Peter Gernert was a German, and died in the early days of the settlement. He lived near Mr. Besley's place.

John Lilly was of English parentage, but born in Hills- borough, Ireland, in 1781. He was impressed into the military service and sent to Canada, where he deserted and came to Ogdensburg, N. Y., thence to Vermont, where he married Nancy Smith. From Vermont he came to Troy, Bradford County, and stopped for a time at Long's Mills, and then moved up towards Sylvania, to which place he came in or about 1808-9. He bought the Sheldon Gibbs farm.

Michael Wolf came from Delaware Co., N. Y., via Athens, in 1811. He married Betsey Furman.

Oliver Besley, a French Huguenot, in 1812, with "labors abundant and trials oft," brought a lumber-wagon through from South Creek to Columbia Cross-Roads.

George Moore was born at Columbia Cross-Roads in 1810, and married Sallie Gernert. About this time, or earlier a year or two, a blacksmith named Sherman lived where Jacob Fries now lives, and a man named Robbins lived where Mrs. Besley resides.

John McClelland, commonly called Esquire MeClelland, must have come to the county at least before 1809, as his daughter Margaret was married that year to James Morgan. He probably came in 1807-8. He was an Irishman.

Asa Bullock came to the town in 1817, and died Jan. 1, 1831, on his farm. He was a native of Bristol Co., Mass. He was a brother of Judge Darius Bullock.

Joseph Gladding came the same year, from Barrington, R. I., in December, being thirty days on the road. He came with his wife's brother, Vial Allen Bullock, a son of Asa Bullock, before named, in the spring before. Dr. Darius Bullock came before this time to the county, locating in Smithfield.

Thomas Monroe, Harry Harris, and Levi Cornell came soon after 1817.

Peleg Peckham came from Rehoboth, Mass., and settled in Columbia in 1818. His first location was on a part of the farm now owned by Mr. Gladding. He was a carpenter, and built some of the best houses of his time. He was brother to Kingsley Peckham, and married a sister of Mrs. Joseph Gladding.

Kingsley Peckham bought the Merritt location.

John Calkins came to Columbia in 1817, from Burling- ton, exchanging his possession there with Samuel Lamphere for his in Columbia. Mr. Calkins was born in 1790, and came with his father, Moses Calkins, from Duanesburg, Schoharie Co., N. Y., to Sugar Creek in 1794, his father having preceded the family the year before, and prepared a home for them.

FIRSTLINGS.

The first house built in the township was the log cabin of Doty, erected in 1795. The next ones were the cabins

of the six families who came in the year 1799, or 1800, as i is variously given, viz., Nathaniel Morgan, Aaron Bennett David Watkins, Joseph Batterson, Oliver Canfield, and Samuel Lamphere. These men were rich in energy and perseverance, though poor in worldly goods. David Wat kins said when he arrived he had of worldly possessions nothing save his wife, and ox-team, and seven dollars and a half in cash. The pioneers soon, however, had each a cabin with a bark roof, the more luxurious ones having a floor of basswood puncheons (rifted logs hewed smooth) ; for others, mother earth furnished their floor, uncarpeted. The windows were for a time unglazed, and when they could afford such a luxury, they paid twenty-five cents per pane, seven by nine inches, for it at Tioga Point. The doors were made of split basswood, set on end, and held in place by a cross-bar, secured by wooden hooks driven into the logs. Nails there were none, save such as the blacksmith forged for them out of wrought iron, and wooden pins served the purpose. Huge wooden fire-places were built into one end of the cabins, outside of the wall usually, and whatever else was lacking, fuel was plenty. The back-log, from three to six feet long and from one to two feet in diameter, formed a substantial foundation to receive another log of about half its size. Two other logs of smaller dimensions, properly placed, served as fire-dogs, upon which the forestick rested ; then the split wood was artistically worked in and about the foundation thus laid, and a erackling, roaring flame was soon ascending the broad-throated chimney, built, sometimes, of round sticks plastered with mud, and the bright glare of the burning wood diffused light and warmth throughout the small apartment, provided the same was well chinked up with mud between joints. A cord of good wood would not last long in cold weather in such a fire.

At Tioga Point, twenty-one miles distant, were the nearest neighbors, with one exception, to these pioneers. There, too, they did their trading, paying seventy-five cents, or a bushel of wheat, for a yard of factory cloth or calico.

The nearest neighbor, the exception noted above, was Reuben Mitchell, who had moved up a little east of Smith- field Centre. He had a grindstone, and the new-comers had none; therefore they went to neighbor Mitchell's, twelve miles away, to grind their axes, which saved a journey " clean down to the P'int."

Their milling was done at Wilkes-Barre, involving a journey of two men a week or more. The grist was carried to the river by horseback, a load being made up by the neighbors for a canoe, which would float down, but must be poled back. Pounded corn samp was the diet till the grist got home, the women doing the pounding with a pioneer mill,-mortar and pestle.

For hay, the cattle browsed the twigs and buds of the trees, which were felled for the purpose. The snow was frequently so deep that tracks would need to be shoveled out for them to reach the tops.

The first framed house built in the town was erected in 1808, by Charles Keyes, near Harry Smith's.

The first white child born in the town was Laura, { daughter of David Watkins, who was ushered into thi: busy world, according to her own statement, in August 1800. She was cradled in a sap-trough, on the farn

305

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

owned subsequently by her brother Mial. She subsequently married Miles P. Slade, and is still living.

The first male child born in the town was Herman Soper, a son of Solomon Soper, who was but a little way behind his pioneer sister, Mrs. Slade, he putting in an appearance in September following.

The first death that occurred in the township is agreed to have been that of a young child, who was, as one authority says, " scalded to death," July 4, 1810. Dr. Tracy says it was before 1810, and Mrs. Slade says it was the first death, but gives no date. However, she places the death of Nathaniel Morgan in 1804 or 1805. There is a discrepancy also as to the name of the child, one authority assigning it to Capt. Calkins and another to Esquire - A Mr. Wright is also said to have been the first adult who died in the town. With the Morgan family came also the grandmother of the children, "a very old woman," who died in 1810-12.

The first distillery in the town was built by Sheldon Gibbs, where Dummer Lilley now resides.

The first road cut into the town was that one " blazed" through to Sheshequin by the first pioneer settlers, after they had built their cabins, as they returned to their fami- lies at the place named, where they had been left.

The first post-office was called Sylvania, and subsequently gave its name to the borough. It was established in 1818, previous to which time Athens was the nearest point of postal communication with the outside world. Reuben Nash was the first postmaster. There are now five post- offices in the township.

The first store was kept by David Watson. It was a mere grocery, its principal stock in trade being tobacco and whisky.

The first school-house built in the settlement was erected by Moses Taylor, on the farm now occupied by Alanson Taylor, in the town of Smithfield, to which Columbia belonged until 1814.

The first religious society in the settlement was one formed about 1800, by Rev. Daniel Thatcher, in Wells township (now), as a branch of the I'resbyterian church at Elmira, organized by him in 1795. Later, Mrs. Haswell, Mrs. Wright, and Mrs. Hyde, the former a Congregation- alist and the others Presbyterians, formed a praying-band ; others soon joined, and prayer-meetings were instituted. The Baptist clergymen Bacon and Beebe visited the settle- ments, and in 1819 the Rev. Benjamin Oviatt came, and preached three years in the neighborhood, holding meetings in the school-house near Mr. Corey's, which was soon called " Baptist Hill," and in Samuel Edsall's barn.

Samuel Ingalls was the first Methodist in this part of the country, and fitted up a shed for meeting; where David Fries now resides. Mr. Bird was one of the first preachers of that denomination here.

Dr. Tracy says Elder Rich was the first preacher in the township, and was succeeded by Elder Simeon Powers. Subsequently, Elder Rich, a son of the first Elder Rich, was an itinerant in several of the towns west of the Sus- quehanna, and, being minus one limb, always sat down when he delivered his sermons.

The detailed history of the various church organizations 39

of the township will be found elsewhere, in the general history of the county.

The first saw-mill built in the town was put up, in 1806, by Samuel Hurlburt and Murray Ballard, where Waldo's mill now stands.

The first grist-mill built in the settlement was a little log affair, put up by a Mr. Rowley, near the site of Long's mills, which was formerly included within the township lines.

INCIDENTS.

In the year 1795, when the Ballard boys, then eighteen years old, came into Columbia to make their clearing, they carried nothing with them but their knapsacks, filled with pork and johnny-cake, and their axes. They followed the creek to avoid losing their way, as no white man had ever gone that way before, and no track was visible, or blazed tree to mark the way. When they arrived at the present site of Long's mills, two panthers sprang from their coverts across their way, and seemed disposed to dispute the farther progress of the young pioneers. The beasts were not easily scared, and the " grass policy" only made them show their fangs the more fiercely. At last, armed each with a heavy club, the boys made a dash upon the long-tailed cats, and a fcw blows well delivered soon put them to flight. Before arriving at their point of destination, a pack of bears attempted to oppose the advance, and being treated to a like onslaught, retreated and left the field to the victors. After a week's labor, the provisions gave out, and they returned to Burlington for fresh supplics; and on their return to their clearing, the next week, they brought their rifles along.

These boys, after selling out their improvement, located in Burlington, and found one day they were trespassing on a former possession, whose occupants stoutly resisted the en- croachment on their claim. A den of rattlesnakes occupied a portion of their claim, and it is said the boys killed seventy- two of the reptiles in one day, while " logging" an acre of land,-and it probably was not much of a day for snakes, either.

When the first permanent settlers came into the town- ship in 1799-1800, they found the door of Morgan's cabin, built the year before, standing ajar, and the skeleton of a deer hanging from one of the beams. Some hunter had killed the animal and hung it up there, and the wild beasts scenting it, had pushed open the door, and picked the flesh clean from.the bones.

David Watkins frequently carried a bag of wheat on his back to the mill in the Sheshequin, bringing the flour home in the same way, in default of having a horse to do the porterage. Mrs. Slade says her mother's only fare on the day of her (Mrs. Slade's) birth, was boiled wheat, the father going to mill with a bushel of wheat, as above described, soon after his little daughter made her début on the stage of action. Boiled wheat nowadays is somewhat prized as a delicacy.

Abraham Weast, one of the pioneers before 1807, was a celebrated hunter and wood-chopper, but, notwithstanding his skill in woodcraft, he once lost his way in attempting to go to Mill creek, and wandered in the woods for three days. Being without his gun he could kill no game, and became

306

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

nearly famished. Towards night of the third day he came to a turnip-patch, and began an attack on those esculents to appease his hunger, when he was discovered by the owner of the vegetables, who took him to his cabin, and by a judicious feeding on venison soup, etc., restored his strength.

CIVIL HISTORY.

The first township organized, which included the present township of Columbia, was called Cabot, by Nathaniel Mor- gan, who bought the territory ineluded in its limits of the Connecticut company. He surveyed the township to in- elude the 16,000 acres he bought, beginning at the south- east corner of the township, on the top of the hill sonth of Mial Watkins' house. From this point two parties of sur -. veyors ran the lines, one going north and the other west. The two parties met on Pickle hill, the northwest corner of the township. From the name then given comes " Cabot Hollow," since called Morgan's Hollow, and still later as now known, Austinville. Subsequently the town was in- cluded in one called Ulster, from which Smithfield was taken before the organization of Bradford County; Co- lumbia being given a separate organization from Smithfield in 1814. The name of Cabot was changed to Columbia before it was separated from Smithfield.

SYLVANIA BOROUGH

is situated in the southern part of the township, and is the old village of " Columbia Flats." It was incorporated as a borough May 4, 1853, and has an area of about 500 acres. The confluent head-waters from the north and south and west unite in the borough and form Sugar creek, which thenee passes out of the borough eastward. The village contains two churches,-one Union and one Presbyterian, -one school-house, one hotel, a post-office, steam saw-mill, a store, grocery, and about forty dwellings. It is at the head of a beautiful valley hemmed in on three sides by high hills.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 77

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