History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 84

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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about five or six scholars in the township at the time, and the most of these attended this school. Laura (Frisbie) Bronson taught the school the next summer, having eiglit scholars.

The Congregational church was organized in or before the year 1810, Mrs. Dan Russell being one of the first members.

The first Sabbath-school regularly organized in the town was formed in 1827 ; the town Bible society was organized in 1824 ; and in 1829 the first temperance society was organized.

A meeting-house was built, in 1827-28, on the Ridge road, and continued until Ira Bronson came into the coun- try ; and in 1849 the church on Orwell hill was built, and was then thought too far from the centre of population.

REMINISCENCE.

When Asahel Johnson settled on the Conklin place his nearest neighbor was Mr. Mesusan, four miles distant. He came in with his wife and three or four small children, the oldest but seven years of age. His only stock was a cow, which he bought of his neighbor Mesusan, and which was inclined to return to its former home at every opportunity. Mr. Johnson was compelled to go to Sheshequin to work to get grain for his family supplies, during which time his family remained alone, Mrs. Johnson taking eare of the cow and her children. On one of these trips Mr. Johnson was delayed past his usual time of returning, and Mrs. Johnson, in attempting to replenish her depleted wood-pile, cut her foot severely, and for some time it bled profusely despite all her efforts to stanch the flow. She became alarmed, and fearing she would bleed to death, instrueted the children, in case she did not succeed in stanehing the wound, to bind the bloody clothes about the cow's head and turn her loose, hoping she would make her way to her old home, and so alarm the neighbor and bring relief. Hap- pily, she succeeded in stopping the flow of blood, but was disabled for many weeks. During this time the house caught fire, but the children extinguished it. On the day of the accident, Mr. Johnson was impressed with a sense of disaster at home, and tried to banish it from his mind, but so strong was his presentiment he could not sleep that night, and early the next morning took his way home. When he arrived at Mr. Mesusan's he inquired after his family, but could learn nothing, and on expressing his fears they so wrought upon the kind heart of Mrs. Mesusan that she accompanied her neighbor to his home, where they ar- rived at night, after the children had retired. Mrs. Johnson was almost overjoyed, for not only was she helpless, but her provisions and her wood were exhausted.

During the survey of the township in 1796, Zenas Cook and Truman Johnson were caught in a severe snow-storm, so far from their cabin that they could not reach it that night. They had one axe and one overcoat between them, and while one chopped to keep from freczing the other wore the garment, and thus they alternated during the night. While the survey was being prosecuted, a young bear was dis- turbed, and elimbed a small tree, where he was followed by Asahel Johnson with a " sharp stick," with which he tried to induce the cub to come down. Instead, the young brute

PHOTOS. BY GEO. H. WOOD .

Sally Fils

Henry bulls

A.C.S. DOL

RESIDENCE OF HENRY GIBBS, ORWELL, PA.

George W. Brown PHOTO. BY G.H WOOD.

MRS. G.W. BROWN.

RESIDENCE OF G. W. BROWN, ORWELL, PA.

( PHOTOS BY GEO. H.WOOD. )

ISAAC LYONS.

MRS. ISAAC LYONS.

RESIDENCE OF ISAAC LYONS, ORWELL, PA .

Byany book

Caroline A Cook

PHOTOS. BY G, H WOOD

RES. OF CYRUS COOK, ORWELL, BRADFORD CO., PA.

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

began to make his way out among the limbs, and progressed as far as he thought the limb would hold, when he made himself fast to it, and refused to budge farther. Johnson then used his stick as a lever, and pried one foot of Bruin loose, and grasping the leg wrenched him off, and he dropped to the ground, where he was dispatched by Frisbie with a club.

A NARROW ESCAPE

from drowning is related by Joel Cook, in which he played the part of the rescuer, and saved a woman and her babe from a watery grave.

In the month of March, 1811, Mr. Cook was engaged with Truman Johnson at work on his farm, and assisting in a saw-mill. One day, in going to a blacksmith-shop to get the saw repaired, he had to cross the creek in reaching the shop, the only bridge being a large hemlock, so felled as to lie across the stream. It was a safe crossing for sure feet and steady heads only, especially at that time, when the creek was fall, the water coming close up to the log. A woman who lived near by was overtaken by the saw- yers, carrying a small child in her arms. Mr. Johnson knew she lived near by and had frequently crossed the log, and so passed along without thinking to offer assistance ; but Mr. Cook, after making the passage and going some little distance, turned back to give a helping hand to the woman, and as he reached the tree she was about half-way across, when suddenly she fell into the water with her babe in her arms. Mr. Cook immediately sprang into the stream, which was very swift, the water reaching to his neck. He grasped the lady by the shoulders and endeavored to wade to the shore, but the current was too strong, and swept him off his feet, submerging woman and child. He then sup- ported her and it with one arm, and struck out with the other, and was swept into an eddy against some flood-wood, where Mr. Johnson was standing, and Mr. Cook succeeded in getting the child out of its mother's arms, and handed it to Johnson, who took it to the house, while Mr. Cook as- sisted the lady out of the water, almost strangled, and so chilled that she was unable to walk unsupported to the house. The woman was the wife of Jacob Wickizer, and the baby grew up and married Ezra Allis, reared a family, and has resided to the present time in Allis hollow.

POTTERVILLE.

The Pennsylvania title for the tract on which Potterville is situated, which was originally the Poyntell tract, passed through several different hands until it came into the possession of an Englishman named Lee, who sold to a couple of Yorkshiremen, from England, named Moses Wood and James Sowerly, who came to their purchase in 1822, stopped one season, and then appointed Joel Cook their agent, and left. The Sowerly tract was sold to Jason Pot- ter in 1824, at which time he came to the same tract from Montrose. He was a native of Plymouth, Litchfield Co., Conn. He married Clarissa Tyler in Montrose; she is dead, but Mr. Potter is still living, aged eighty-three years. He reared a large family of children, some of whom are now residing in the neighborhood of Potterville .*

In 1849 a church was built at Potterville for the Presby- terian church, and the presbytery invoked for a separate organization from the Orwell church, which request was denied ; whereupon a Congregational church was organized in 1849. In 1875 the Potterville congregation built a very pleasant house of worship, thirty-five by fifty feet, at a cost of about four thousand dollars.

In 1852 a post-office was established at Potterville, and Elizur C. Potter was appointed postmaster.

In 1837 a post-office was established at South Hill, and Wm. Warfield appointed postmaster, and in 1868 an office was established at Allis Hollow, and George J. Norton ap- pointed postmaster.

SOUTH HILL.

About 1817, Messrs. Battles, Lloyd, Eastabrooks, and Barnes made a settlement in the southeastern part of the township called South Hill. The land, which had been thought to be of inferior quality, proved to be valuable. Mr. Battles was a wooden-dish turner, and selected the location on account of its being a favorable place for timber out of which to make his dishes. He was so well pleased with the location that he wrote to the others, who were his neighbors in Massachusetts, and they sold out and followed him to a country which promised so well to demand hard work and plenty of it before much return could be ob- tained from the soil.

THE BURIAL-PLACES

of the pioneers were as follows : In Orwell Hill cemetery the following old settlers are buried : Col. Theron Darling and wife, aged 70 and 87 years respectively ; Asahel John- son, 90 years, and Beulah, his wife, 82 years ; Huldah, wife of Truman Johnson, 76 years ; Uri Cook, 80 years, and Phebe, his wife, 54 years; Chauncey Frisbie, 77 years ; Mrs. Eliza Frisbie, 80 years ; James Newells and wife, the latter 80 years ; Josiah Grant, 54 years, and Margaret, wife of Josiah Grant, 71 years; Samuel Matthews and wife, Betsey ; Mamre, wife of Samuel Matthews, 78 years ; Ran- dall Matthews and wife, 77 and 74 years; Aaron Frost, 76 years, and Polly, his wife, 78 years ; Henry W. Hine, 63 years ; Capt. Josiah Grant and wife; Chester Gridley and wife; Dr. Dudley Humphrey and James D. Humphrey ; Mrs. Jason Chaffee; David and Mrs. Olds; Abel and Mrs. Darling ; Levi Frisbie, 83 years, and Mrs. Levi Frisbie, 84 years ; Jocl and Ruth Barnes, 68 and 60 years; Ithel and Mrs. Allis, 70 and 68 years.

In the cemetery at the foot of Orwell Hill the following are buried : Amasa Dimmick, 74 years; Jonathan and Mrs. Prince, 63 and 62 years; Mrs. Tryphena Smith, 60 years ; Hezekiah and Mrs. Russell, 79 and 73 years ; Roger and Mrs. Alger, 69 and 73 years; Nathaniel Chubbuck and Mrs. Chubbuck, 76 and 72 years; Wicome and Mrs. Clark, 81 and 88 years ; Dan Russell, 81 years, and Polly, wife of Dan Russell (1820), 50 years; Ruth, second wife of Dan Russell (1863), 82 years; Wm. Sexton, 78 years ; Mrs. Henry Hiney, 61 years.

LIBRARY ASSOCIATION.

An association called the Wysox and Orwell library as- sociation was organized in 1812, with a capital stock of

# Sinee the above writing, Mr. Potter has deceased. The place was named in his honor.

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

$500, divided into 200 shares, at $2.50 per share, " payable in merchantable lumber or grain, at the market prices, within three months after the books shall have been pur- chased." The librarian was to be chosen as soon as 100 shares were subscribed. Every subscriber, before he could draw books, was to pay his subscription, or give security therefor. The library was to be kept permanently in Wysox township. Previous to this date a library had existed in Orwell, and it was arranged that the books then in that library should be received on subscriptions to the new asso- ciation. The whole number of subscribers was 154, who subscribed for 189 shares, Robert Ridgway taking six, S. T. Barstow, William Keeler, and Naphtali Woodburn, four each, and Jacob Bell, three. Eighteen others sub- scribed for two shares each, and the balance was made up by single shareholders.

The first meeting of the association was held at Jacob Myer's, February 6, 1813, at which Thomas Elliott was chosen moderator and J. M. Piollet secretary. Dr. S. T. Barstow reported a eode of by-laws, which were adopted, and the doctor was elected librarian and treasurer. J. M. Piollet, Jacob Bell, Wm. Myer, W. F. Dininger, and Asahel Johnson were appointed an executive committee, and were to meet March 13 to select books other than those selected by the subscribers. At this meeting works on divinity and religion to the value of $50, on history and miscellany, $150, and of fiction, $100, were selected. Dec. 25, 1813, books were examined and approved by the committee. On Jan. 10, 1814, catalogues were ordered prepared and printed, and the treasurer gave bonds in the sum of $500. The last meeting of the association, as recorded, was held March 3, 1834. The association, being unincorporated, could not enforce its by-laws, and the subscribers became careless about returning the books, and, in 1839, C. C. Worthing called and found the book-case empty, save one book only, the " Constitutional Register," which he says he drew, and P. Forbes, now deceased, subsequently drew the case. There were over 300 volumes originally. The eirculation of the library extended over Standing Stone, Wysox, Rome, and Orwell, and into Sheshequin.

Old John Parks, Sr., was greatly interested in the library, and usually drew " Pilgrim's Progress." On one occasion, that book being out, Dr. Barstow sent him instead "The Child of Thirty-six Fathers," and the old gentleman ex- pressed himself much pleased with the variety the library contained. C. J. Parks, a son of the above, was a steady and frequent patron of the book-case, and said the library necessitated another labor,-the gathering of an extra quan- tity of fat pine-knots, to furnish light to read the books by.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

NATHAN PAYSON.

The subject of this sketch was born in Windham Co., Coun., Dec. 20, 1780. He was the eldest son of a family of nine children of Asa Payson and Lucy Bishop, both natives of the New England States. On his father's side

the descent is from English ancestry. On his mother's side the family is traced back to the first settlers in America, who sailed in the Mayflower and landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620, supposed to be of Dutch descent. His father and mother both died in Connecticut. Nathan came to Orwell township in the year 1809, when the country was almost an unbroken wilderness, took up a piece of woodland and commenced clearing off the forest, and in the fall returned to Connecticut. The next spring he returned to his new home in Bradford County, having previously, Feb. 1, 1810, mar- ried Miss Betsey Sharp, daughter of Caleb Sharp and Alice Sanger. She was born Sept. 22, 1784, in Pomfret, Conn. Coming to their wilderness home, they began as only pioneers can, meeting the obstacles coincident with the early settle- ment of a country. During the same year he completed the clearing of a piece of land and erected a frame house, the first built in the vicinity. He subsequently added to his first purchase, and at one time owned one hundred and eighty-eight aeres of land, mest of which he had cleared of its original forest. He was among the most energetic and industrious men of his day, possessing that business capacity which made him a successful and representative farmer. To Mr. and Mrs. Payson were born seven children : Lucy Ann, born Nov. 3, 1810 ; Alice Lucetta, born Sept. 3, 1812, died April 19, 1876; Sabra Emeline, born June 30, 1814; John Wilkes, born April 19, 1816; Loana Frances, born Dec. 25, 1818, died Aug. 27, 1853; Asa Bishop, born April 13, 1821 ; and William Pitt, born April 7, 1825. Lucy Ann married Eliphalet Warfield ; have four children ; reside in Michigan. Alice Lucetta married Horace Louns- bury, of Nichols, N. Y. Sabra Emeline married Horace Lounsbury ; reside in Nichols, N. Y. John Wilkes mar- ried Miss Perintha Bronson, of Orwell township, for his first wife; had two children. For his second wife, he mar- ried Miss Elizabeth, daughter of Elijah Alger and Martha Kennedy, of Ellington, Conn., April 14, 1850. She was born Nov. 29, 1814. To Mr. John Wilkes Payson, by his second wife, were born three children : Perintha Elizabeth, Martha Rodella, and William Gillespie (died young). A view of their residence and surroundings, together with their portraits, will be found on another page of this work.

Asa Bishop married Miss Fanny Beardsley, of Le Rays- ville; have five children ; reside at Le Raysville; and William Pitt married Miss Achsah Webster, of Windham town- ship; have thirteen children, all living.

Nathan Payson in politics was a supporter of the Feder- alist cause in its day ; subsequently became a Whig, and afterwards an ardent supporter of Republican principles. Was never desirous of office, although he never shrank from duty in bearing public burdens. Integrity of purpose, a fearless honesty before the world, promptness in all his engagements, were his especial characteristics. At the age of thirty-eight years he united with the Congregationalist church, remained warmly attached to the same the balance of his life, and during many years previous to his death was an elder of the church. His wife lived to the advanced age of eighty-eight years ; was a consistent member of the same church as her husband for sixty-six years. A model woman, exemplary in all her ways, and instructed her chil- dren in all that makes true manhood and womanhood. She

JOHN W. PAYSON.

MRS. JOHN W. PAYSON.

PHOTOS. BY GEO. H WOOD.

1 .

RESIDENCE OF JOHN W. PAYSON, ORWELL, PA.

334

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

years of his minority in clearing land and in general farm labor on bis father's place. During the five years follow- ing the attainment of his majority he was engaged on the farms of J. Cleveland, Ira Bronson, Henry Gibbs, and others, and had purchased a portion of the Darrow farm of Ira Darrow. He married Miss Betsy Morey, of Orwell, Oct. 13, 1847. The results of this union were four sons and two daughters. Mrs. Brown was of feeble constitution, but a woman of sterling worth, and greatly beloved and ap- preciated by the family she reared to manhood and woman-

hood, and who survive to do honor to her memory. She died July 10, 1877. Mr. Brown took another companion, Nov. 7, 1877,-Lucy Aurelia Beers, of Brooklyn, Susque- hanna Co., Pa., but formerly of Orwell. With most of his family about him, and the gray hairs of accumulating years gathering on his brow, Mr. Brown continues to reside at the homestead (purchased Sept. 6, 1853), in the full en- joyment of the comforts his industry has secured to him, and respected and esteemed by the community in which he resides.

OVERTON.

THE geographical situation of the township of Overton, so called in honor of Hon. Edward Overton, of Towanda, is between Barclay township on the north and northwest, from which it is separated by the Schraeder branch of the Towanda creek ; Monroe and Albany on the east ; Le Roy on the west ; and the township of Elkland Forks, in Sulli- van county, on the south.

The township is watered by the Shraeder branch, and several smaller streams which flow southward out of the county.

In the northern portion the surface of the township is mountainous. The people, who are mostly of German and Irish descent, are noted for their industry and honesty ; and their farms, once covered with stumps and stones, are now so free therefrom that all kinds of farm machinery can be used on the older ones. The people are mostly engaged in agriculture, raising stock, and butter-making, except in the northeastern portion of the township, where lumbering is carried on extensively. John Means and M. C. Mercur each have large saw-mills, and do an extensive business. The bark business for tanning purposes is also extensively maintained.

In point of territory, Overton is one of the largest towns of Bradford County, but it is among the least in popula- tion. In 1860 it had 407 inhabitants, and in 1870, 550. In 1876, 98 votes were polled in the township.

It is at the present date one of the most thriving towns in the county. It was formed in 1853 from Monroe, Al- bany, and Franklin.

SETTLEMENT.

The first settler in what is now included in the township of Overton was Daniel Heverly, a native of Lehigh (then Northampton) Co., Pa. He came to Bradford County from his native county in 1806, and died in Overton. He was born in 1764, and his wife, Catharine Ott, was born in the same year. They were Pennsylvania-Germans.

One Minch, a neighbor of Heverly's, had removed to Bradford County some years previous, and was then living on the hills above Towanda, and he persuaded Heverly to come to Bradford. He represented to Heverly that an un-

occupied valley more than ten miles wide, which none of the settlers had as yet seen the end of, was very fertile, and could be had for the occupaney and improvement of it. Heverly sold his farm in his native county for £900 (Penn- sylvania currency), and taking that and his household fur- niture, farming implements, two cows, some young stock, and two horses and a wagon, he started in 1806 for To- wanda, coming by the way of Williamsport, on the old Genesee or State road, which passes through the central part of the present township of Overton, and was then the main route from Williamsport to Towanda. His team got fast in the mud several miles above what is now known as Greenwood (Monroe), where a Mr. Schraeder then lived. Schraeder helped Heverly out of the mud, and leaving his family at Schraeder's, Heverly went to Towanda to find Minch, and see the fertile valley he had come to find. He found his old neighbor living in a little log hut perched up on the hills among the rocks, and the valley, so graphically described as an Eden almost, lay before him covered with a dense growth of timber, and in many places very swampy.

Sadly disappointed, Heverly concluded that was no place for him, and he returned to Schraeder's and contracted with him to work his farm, and so continued to do for several years.

. About this time the Berwick and Elmira turnpike was located, and passed through this section of country ; and, thinking that the country along this road would soon be settled, Heverly took up a tract of six hundred and forty acres, in 1810. He had been told the same was vacant land, and it was only necessary for him to survey and oc- cupy it to hold it. He came in, and soon cleared up enough land for raising grain for his own use. He cleared altogether some sixty-five or seventy acres. This farm was given by him to his son Daniel, who afterwards gave it to his son Eli, whose widow now occupies the premises.

Heverly occupied these lands unmolested until 1827, when they were sold for taxes, and bought by Dr. Weston, of Towanda; and Weston's tax-title was subsequently bought by Daniel Heverly (the second), thus securing an undisputed title to the whole.

HORACE W. BARNES . MRS. HORACE W. BARNES.

( PHOTOS. BY GEO. H. WOOD. )

RESIDENCE OF HORACE W. BARNES, ORWELL, PA.

GEORGE LYON.

MRS. GEORGE LYON.

PHOTOS BY G. H WOOD.

RESIDENCE OF GEORGE LYON, ORWELL, PA.

335

IIISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Heverly contracted to build several sections of the turn- pike which was laid out through his locality. He had five sons and three daughters ; four of the sons located on adja- cent lands. The oldest was John, born in Lehigh county, March 14, 1788, married Alma Kellogg, April 4, 1806 ; the second one was Christian ; the third, Daniel; and the youngest, Henry.

One Kissell came with Mr. Heverly from Schraeder's, in 1810, who was a stone-cutter by trade. He " squatted" on a piece of land now occupied by the widow McCann. He cleared up about five acres, and then enlisted in the War of 1812, and served during the entire period of the same, when he returned and married a lady named Clarke. They had one child, and he died soon after, which was the first death which occurred in the township. He was buried on a little ridge, a short distance from his house, where he used to walk during his sickness. This place was used for many years subsequently for burial purposes, but it is sadly neglected now. The fence is down, and cattle tread over the mounds and tear up the sod unrestrainedly.

The next family that came to the township was Leonard Streevy, who married one of Mr. Heverly's daughters. He also located land adjoining his father-in-law's tract, and which is now occupied and owned by his son Isaac. Mr. Streevy came in about 1820. He had a large family, but only three of his sons came to live with him. Streevy went back to Lehigh county in 1828, where he died the year fol- lowing. His son Isaac bought his improvement of about fourteen acres.

Henry Sherman, a native of Mifflin, Pa., born in 1801, of Pennsylvania-German parentage, came into the township from Columbia county, in 1824. He started from that county on foot, by the way of Kizer's and Ellis', with his wife and one child, and a sister. He carried the gun, and his wife the baby, and vice versa. In 1825 he took up the land he now occupies, which was then a dense forest of huge pines, hemlocks, and other timber. He built him a log house, like those of the pioneers generally, with a puncheon floor and bark roof, furnished with domestic articles of his own manufacture. He brought with him a cow and eight sheep, and the first night after moving into his new home saved the latter from destruction by wolves by a timely watch and protection. He took possession of two hundred acres, which he began clearing, but being alone, could not make very rapid progress, but managed to clear up about five acres per year. Mr. Sherman was married in 1823 to a Miss Hunsinger, who died in 1834, leaving a family of seven children. He married again the following year, and is now the father of twenty-three child- ren, seventeen of whom are living at the present time.

Jacob Hottenstein arrived in the town in 1829. He was born in 1799, in Berks Co., Pa., and was led to come to the town by the Heverlys. He had a family of five children, the oldest being nine years old when he came to Overton. Four others were born here. Two of his sons died in southern prisons during the Rebellion. Mr. Hot- tenstein's great-grandparents came from Germany in 1720, his great-grandfather being sold for his passage, and served seven years to discharge the debt. After he served his term out, he sawed wood for money enough to buy seven

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History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 84

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