History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 19

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.)
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1340

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The paper of January 1, 1816, has this very interesting scrap of history, which parties contemplating a visit to Washington City soon would do well to copy and take along, and by reading it on the spot and examining our capitol, it would give one a bird's-eye view of the growth of America since that time: " The house on Capitol Hill, commonly called the New Capitol, which was built by a company for the use of Congress, if the honorable body should think proper to accept it, until the capitol is finished (and it appears they have) stands at the corner of First street and Maryland avenue. The chamber for the Senate-is on the first floor; it is fifteen feet high, twenty-five feet six inches wide, and forty-five feet long. A gallery is attached to this chamber which takes up no room. On the second floor is the chamber intended for the House of Representatives ; it is seventy-seven feet long, forty- five feet wide and twenty feet high, and also has a gallery. * The spot on which this spacious building stands was a cabbage garden on the morning of the 4th of July-in the afternoon of that day the digging was commenced. At that time the stone employed in the structure was not quarried; the clay of which the bricks are made was in its native state, and all the principal timbers were then standing in the woods." Then is found a communication addressed "To Mr. Printer, " and signed "T." It fills about half a column, and purports to be from some man who was " passing through your vil- lage, traveling for amusement," and in the bar-room of the hotel heard the natives talking over affairs, particularly some " strange animals that had recently made their appearance in the county." These old fellows were "laying bates" to catch some of these animals, if possible. The traveler gathered something like the following description of these "animals," mentioned as "being either from Ireland or Irish extract, some Dutch and some mongrel. * * * Some of them had no mouth, and some were all mouth, some without a head, and others were all head, and what is most remarkable they are said to have the power of emiting something having the appearance of paper cur- rency, 'tis said they burrough in the ground or live in the cliffs of

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rocks." Was this sarcasm ? The announcement is made that the Governor has appointed Lemuel Streator Justice of the Peace for the district of Orwell. Burr Ridgway opens the new year with another " letter-list" in which are named six parties in Towanda, two in Canton, one in Windham, one in Sugar creek, one in Smithfield, and one in Bradford county, to whom letters are addressed.

Darius Bullock, of Smithfield, administrator of Nehemiah Tracy, gives notice concerning the estate.

The issue of January 15, 1816, has this one editorial : "No mail was received from the southward last week, in consequence of which it is out of our power to present to the readers of the Gazette any of the recent proceedings of Congress or the State Legislature."

Simon Kinney, treasurer, gives notice to those collectors who have not settled up their duplicates, etc. Paul Beck, Jr., R. A. Cald- cleuh and William Poyntell, executors of the estate of William Poyn- tell, deceased, of Philadelphia, give notice. Jacob Bowman advertises about a "red heifer." . . Burr Ridgway, Nathaniel Allen, Salmon Bosworth, commissioners, give notice of "days of appeal :" In Ulster, at the house of Obadiah Gore; Athens, at the house of D'Alanson Saltmarsh ; Smithfield, at the house of James Gerould ; Springfield, at the house of Samuel Campbell; Wells, at the house of Vine Baldwin ; Columbia, at the house of Charles Taylor; Burling- ton, at the house of Ebenezer Kendall; Canton, at the house of Benjamin Stone; Wyalusing, at Justus Gaylord's; Pike, at Josiah Bos- worth's; Warren, at James Brown's; Windham, at Jeptha Brainard's ; Orwell, at Lemuel Streator's ; Wysox, at William Myers'; Asylum, at Bartholomew Laporte's.

Thomas B. Beebe & Co., of Orwell, advertise saddles and bridles for sale. S. & B. McKean, of Burlington, give notice to pay up. So does Augustus Pearce, of Wysox. John Spalding 2d, has a proclamation as sheriff, calling a session of the court, that of course winds up with " God save the Commonwealth."

The next issue of the paper gives notice that Simon Kinney has been appointed treasurer by the commissioners. Col. Harry Spalding gives notice of a contested election in the seventh company, militia, concerning the election of Samuel Gilbert, as captain. Rhoda Saltmarsh, administrator, gives notice concerning the estate of John Saltmarsh, deceased, of Athens. . . Darius Bullock gives notice concerning estate of Stephen Titus. . . The collector of revenue, of the Twentieth District, gives notice that he will attend at the prothonotary's office, Towanda, for the purpose of "receiving the entry of carriages, etc., agreeably to an act of Congress."

One of the political questions of that day was gold and silver vs. paper currency. In time, Benton was called "Old Bullion," and men talked about " Mint Drops," meaning the hard money that came from the Mint. This will explain a notice in the Gazette at this time, taken from the United States Gazette, commencing, " Two Whole Families Lost! - Mr. Eagle and Mr. Dollar, who, a few years ago, were much seen in the United States, supposed to be native Americans. A generous reward is offered, payable at Treasury Department, Wash-

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ington, or at any of the Forty Banks," etc. More sarcasm, it is supposed. This, too, sounds a little like the modern political discussion in the papers about demonetizing silver.

After the issue of February 12, 1816, there is no other paper until March 4, following. In fact there were frequent irregularities in getting out the weekly issues about this time. The explanation of this is made in the paper of the latter date ; "owing to the young man that I had in the office having left me very unexpectedly, at a time when it was necessary I should be absent from home, I have not been able to issue the paper regularly." The editor dates this paper, "Williamston," having now dropped "Monmouth." Then follows an extract referring to Virginia's House of Delegates formu- lating a plan to establish free schools in that State, and punches up the Pennsylvania Assembly for its neglect on this subject.

The issue of March 4, 1816, is an unusually lively one. It has an editorial, a very short one, some catching communications, as well as interesting advertisements. For instance :

" Nuptials-The affluent leap year Vincent quick without tears."

Then follows the announcement of the marriage at Asylum, by Charles Brown, of James P. Quick to the accomplished Miss Maria Vincent. . And then is given the marriage at Warren, by Burr Ridgway, of Arunah Case and Mrs. Sally Wate. The Balti- more Gazette addresses Col. Samuel Satterlee, through its col- umns, which is copied in the Gazette of Towanda, a communica- tion containing some curious subjects. ; It opens with the sentence that when great men die much is said about it; in Virginia they are talking of building a Pyramid, but the writer suggests these are of no use since the arts and sciences have been cultivated. He then proceeds to inform Col. Satterlee that many of the Virginia revolution- ary volunteers could not read nor write, and concludes that he wants the Colonel to give him information " of the exact number of Republi- cans and their names our [the] county lost in the various battles and skirmishes in which the brave army of the North were engaged."

An article is copied from a Washington paper which contains the information that the Legislature of Virginia had proposed to request permission to remove the remains of Gen. Washington to Richmond, and the State, by private subscription, would erect a suitable monu- ment. · A three-line item announces that "we learn that postage on letters and newspapers will be reduced to the old standard, from and after the 31st. . . . Adam Conly addresses all printers in the United States, making anxious inquiries for Joseph Conly, a young man two years since departed from this place " ( Towanda ). "He had some knowledge of the printing business. The parents of the aforesaid Joseph bave a keen sensation for their son." Then any person having any knowledge of the youth is implored to furnish it to the afflicted family.

Andrew Irwin, of Towanda, advertises for an apprentice "to the tanning and currying business." . . . Billings Clerk notifies the world that " my wife, Charlotte, without any provocation," has left the ranch.

Alphonso C. Stuart has a notice that the accounts of Andrew

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

Haslett are in his hands for collection. . . August Pearce, of Wysox, has a like notice to all persons indebted to him. . . Then follows a statement of the balances due from collectors, January 1, 1815, of the different townships in the county. The list of collectors is given as follows : Wyalusing, Simeon Marsh, Uriah Terry, John Hollenback; Pike, Josiah Bosworth, Salmon Bradshaw ; Orwell, Orcut Grant, Lemuel Streator; Wysox, Hiram Mix, W. F. Dinninger ; Ulster, George Kinney, Samuel Marshall, Elisha Satterlee; Athens, John Spalding (2d), Stephen Hopkins, Conklin Baker; Smithfield, James Gerould, Darius Bullock; Burlington, Nathaniel Ballard, James Col- kins; Canton, Isaac Wooster, Samuel Griffin, William Means; To- wanda, John Mints, Jacob Bowman; Warren, Parley Coburn, James Bower; Windham, Darius Brainard, Levi Brainard ; Columbia, Rufus Pratt, Samuel Ballard ; Murraysfield, Joseph Grace ; Springfield, John Barber ; Wells, Jonathan Kent, Joseph Parker. [It should be stated that these included those collectors who owed a balance for either of the years 1813-'14-'15 .- Ed.] There is an extract from a New York paper, stating that the Legislature of that State had incor- porated a company "to open water communication between Seneca lake and the Chemung branch of the Susquehanna river by means of a canal." The article is headed, "Seneca and Susquehanna lock navigation." Thus opening " water communication from Lake Ontario to the Chesapeake, through the heart of Pennsylvania." This must have been a stupendous piece of news to the good people of Bradford, but the editor is content to make the simple extract from his exchange without a display head-line or a word of comment.

In the news coming from Harrisburg is given an account of the proceedings in reference to the building of the Susquehanna and Tioga turnpike road. This was merely a petition to incorporate the com- pany, and asking the State to subscribe for $10,000 of the stock thereof.

In the Legislature one very important move was made by Mr. McKean of Bradford county. The resolution recited that "great inconveniences has [have] arisen in consequence of individuals holding large tracts of unimproved lands within this commonwealth, and the titles thereto been kept so secret as to render it very difficult to ascer- tain correctly what lands were vacant or what were not." It proceeded to recite that in many cases people were deceived into making valu- able improvements on such lands, supposing they were public lands, etc. It concluded with a resolve asking that a committee be appointed to investigate and ascertain to what indemnification such people were entitled. Another act introduced was " to authorize the Gov- ernor to incorporate a company for making an artificial road from Henry Hews', in Lycoming county, to Aaron Bloss', in the county of Tioga." · From Washington there is a report that "the ques- tion is at length settled in the popular branch of the National Legisla- ture that the Direct Tax shall be continued for one year at least; at the end of which time the question will again return to them."

This paper concludes on the fourth page with some interesting items from unhappy and dismembered France. Among others is a letter from Murat to his wife and children on the day he was executed

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It is dated Pizzo, October 15, 1815. This is followed by a long letter from Marshal Moncey to Louis XVIII., pleading eloquently for a court- martial to try Ney, and not simply to execute him without trial, at the request of the allies. Moncey wrote in the face of danger of death that his act might bring himself, but he spoke bravely, and concludes with the statement that if his plea for justice to a great soldier brings disgrace and death upon himself, he will go to his grave content, and he says to his King: "I may say, sire, with one of your ancestors- 'all is lost, except honor.'"

The next issue of the paper has a communication from a "New England " correspondent addressed to a Boston paper, in which the writer calls upon the Congressional caucus of the Republicans to put in nomination James Monroe for President, and Simon Snyder for Vice-president.

The issue of March 25th following has the first and second pages filled with news from France. The opening article is a communica- tion from a Bradfordite of five and a quarter columns, signed "B * * 'n" [Who could the writer have been ?- Ed.], devoted entirely to the execution of Marshal Ney. The writer calls it "Ney's solilo- quy before death, with his farewell to his family." This is followed by five more columns all about the doings of the allies in France.

Then is given the new postage law passed by Congress, February 1, 1816 : Single letters composed of one piece of paper, not exceeding 40 miles, 8 cents ; over 90 miles, 10 cents ; over 150 miles, 122 cents ; over 300 miles, 20 cents ; over 500 miles, 25 cents. Double letters, that is, two sheets, double rates. Elias Needham, Jr., of Smithfield, offers his farm of 78 acres of valuable land for sale; has a good orchard with hewed-log house, etc. It is on the public road from Tioga Point to Tioga river. James Arnold, administrator of the estate of William Arnold, deceased, gives notice. The

editor says : "Maple sugar wanted." A communication says that "there are now living in Ulster township, Mr. Eligh Horton, and Jemima, his wife, who have living 12 children, 74 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren-total, 109. Mr. and Mrs. Horton are in good health-he takes care of his stock of horses and cattle, breaks his own colts, cuts his own wood ; while Mrs. Horton performs the household duties without assistance. Their eldest child has 9 children and 12 grandchildren. The article is signed "K."

"Electy " Newell is announced. , Burr Ridgway and Nathaniel Allen, commissioners, publish their annual financial statement of county affairs. Total expenditures for the county for the year 1815, $7,365.28.

March 11, 1816, a meeting was convened in Harrisburg of the members of the Assembly, for the purpose of nominating a ticket of Democratic Republicans of the State as electors in the then approach- ing National election. Two of the candidates chosen were from Brad- ford county, namely : Col. Samuel Satterlee and Charles F. Welles. And a committee of correspondence was chosen, and the members for Bradford were Satterlee and Welles, and also John Hollenback. Instead of this now being done by the members of the Legislature, there is called a State Convention ; delegates are sent from each county, and

The death of

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this State Convention, after putting electors in the field, sends its dele- gates to the National Convention. Political machinery has grown to be vast, complicated and expensive, and it is not certain that this has materially bettered it.

CHAPTER X. PROGRESS IN CIVIL ORGANIZATION.

WHEN THIS WAS MONTGOMERY COUNTY, CONNECTICUT-A PART OF THE SEVENTEEN TOWNSHIPS-THE TWO ORIGINAL TOWNSHIPS ALONG THE RIVER MADE THREE, FOUR, ETC .- BRADFORD COUNTY FORMED AS ONTARIO COUNTY-CHANGED TO BRADFORD-ITS ORGANIZATION AND CIVIL PROGRESS-CONTESTANTS FOR COUNTY SEAT-ORIGINAL TOWN- SHIPS AND ELECTION DISTRICTS-PETITIONS FOR NEW COUNTY-TO BE CALLED HIRAM-OTHERS WANTED IT CALLED LORAINE -- NONSENSE OF HUNTING FOR INDIAN NAMES FOR PLACES-A POSSIBLE VISION, STANDING ON TABLE ROCK-AMUSING GERRYMANDER-ETC.

THE careful reader of a preceding chapter, entitled " The Seventeen Townships," will there see that all the proper steps were once taken to make this part of Pennsylvania, including not only what is now Bradford county, but a large portion of several surrounding coun- ties, a part of the civil government of Connecticut under the name of Westmoreland county. While, in fact, this was a war measure on the part of the Connecticut settlers, in the wars of the "Pennamites and Yankees," precipitated by that trouble and intended mainly to strengthen the cause of the Connecticut claimants to the soil, it would have resulted, had there been no terms of conciliation offered by Penn- sylvania, in making very different history of this locality from that we are now called upon to record.

Within what is now Bradford county was originally four town- ships laid off and surveyed as Connecticut claims, to wit: Athens, commencing at the north line of the State and extending on both sides of the river to a point below the river junction, nearly an exact square lying due north and south.

Ulster joined this on the south, the river running near its center.

Claverack was below this, a vacant space between the two, and while nearly square did not run with the cardinal points of the com- pass ; it lay slightly to the northeast and south west.

Springfield was below this, a vacant space of nearly ten miles existing ; was a square, but this reversed the lay of Claverack, being slightly northwest and southeast. The northwest corner of Wyom- ing county enters just over what was the south line of this township -. a very small point of land.

The river ran through all these townships, intended to take in nearly an equal portion of the fertile bottom-lands on each side.

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All the original pioneers followed the Indian idea of securing, as the best farming lands, the valleys along the river. In time the high waters in the river drove many to the hills. There were selected the places for their farms and judged the wealth of the soil by the places where they found the heaviest timber. And now it is easy to tell where were once the heaviest forest growths, by the age of the farm improvements. It was on the streams the savages had burned away the forests, and had their small truck patches. It is difficult now to conceive how scant these evidences of civilization were, yet they were the meager footprints to the restless, hardy pioneers that caused Rudolph Fox, the first white settler in what is now Bradford county, to settle in the rich and beautiful valley at the mouth of Towanda creek. The first were along the Susquehanna river of course, and then the hunters would follow up the creeks to their source, that were nature's surveys to guide them back to their cabins after chasing the long day the game in the dark and trackless forests, and in this way soon the lone settlers were building their log huts on the banks of these small streams. In the early occupation of these straggling pioneers, the older settlements along the seashore swarmed something after the fashion of the bee hive, and men started West to settle, live and strug- gle and breed new swarms to "go West, young man, and grow up with the country." There is no great movement of mankind, there is no peaceful movement with the honest, single purpose of making homes and winning farm lands, that is or may be comparable to that of the landing of the people on our Atlantic shores, and in less than the one hundred years spanning the continent from ocean to ocean with a cordon of civilization that in all that is grand, noble and good may challenge all history. Without finger-boards in the limitless forests, without precepts and examples on civilization's long and often dark and gloomy highway, they came, bankrupt in all save courageous hope; conquerors and conquering, and as picket-guards of the forlorn hope of the human race, lived and died. A great and brave people, unwashed and uncombed, in rawhide moccasins, leather jerkins and coon- skin caps, and the old match-lock cast-iron guns ; in courage grand and in faith sublime, and, with never a quiver of fear, they left their bones to bleach on the hill-sides and in the mountain gorges, or to bear the marks of the sharp teeth of the wild animals that gathered them for their cubs in the caves and rock-ribbed dens. Here may be found the great, real men of modern history-men, the effect of whose lives will live forever, growing, ever growing, broadening and expanding over the whole earth. The student of history may ever turn here for valu- able lessons, and while the true heroes may be nameless and their bones unshriven, their great work remains, the one eternal monument that time can not corrode, the elements dim nor the concensus of human intelligence forget.

The "Seventeen Townships" (there were in fact eighteen) contin- ued on down the river to what is now the eastern line of Columbia county, and, when their skeleton outlines are drawn on the map, look something like a class' work in geometry on the blackboard. Nearly all of them are pervaded by the river, or have a frontage thereon, but

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not every one. The names of the townships somewhat in their order as you proceed south front Bradford county are as follows : Braintram, Putnam, Northumberland, Exeter, Kingstown, Bedford, Providence, Pittstown, Plymouth, Wilkes-Barre, Hanover, Newport, Salem and Huntington.

Bucks county was one of the original counties of the province, and all this part of Pennsylvania was a part thereof.

Northampton county was formed March 11, 1752, out of part of Bucks county, including all this portion of the State.

Northumberland county was formed March 27, 1772, and then this was a part of that county's territory.

Luzerne county was formed September 25, 1786, when all of the territory of Bradford county was a part thereof.

Lycoming county was formed April 13, 1796, and this took a por- tion of what is Bradford county.

Bradford county was formed of parts of Luzerne and Lycoming counties, February 21, 1810-named in the act creating it Ontario county. It seems there were no immediate steps toward its civil organ- ization until the early part of the year 1812.

March 24, 1812, by act of the Legislature, the name of the county was changed from Ontario to Bradford-simultaneous with the move- ment to vitalize or perfect the original act creating it.

Section 1 of the act of the Legislature of 1810 provides as follows :

That the parts of the counties of Luzerne and Lycoming which are included within the following lines, to wit : Beginning at the fortieth mile-stone standing on the north line of the State and running south to a point due east of the head of Wyalus- ing falls, in the river Susquehanna; thence southwesterly to the nearest point of the Lycoming county line ; thence in a direct line to the southwest corner of Tioga county, at the Beaver dami, on Towanda creek ; thence northerly along the east line of Tioga county to the eighteenth mile stone standing on the north line of the State ; thence east along the said line of the State to the fortieth mile-stone, or the place of beginning, be and is hereby erected into a separate county, to be henceforth called Ontario county. And the place of holding courts of justice in and for said county shall be fixed by three commissioners to be appointed by the Governor at any place at a distance not exceed- ing seven milea from the center of the county, which may be most convenient and ben - eficial to the same.

Section 3 makes the usual provision for the jurisdiction of the courts and provides that, "until the enumeration of the taxable inhabit- ants thereof, and until it shall be otherwise directed by law," the county was annexed to the counties of Luzerne and Lycoming, and the authority of judges shall extend over and shall operate and be effect- ual, and the electors of said counties shall continue to elect at the same places and with the counties of Luzerne and Lycoming.

The Governor was required to appoint three trustees for the new county, who were to receive proposals in writing for the grant or con- veyance of any land for fixing the place of holding. courts. The trustees were to report the offers they might receive to the commission- ers from time to time, and it was the duty of the latter to fix the place.

The name Bradford was in honor of William Bradford, Jr., who was attorney-general of Pennsylvania, commissioned, the first in that office, June 9, 1791. The change of name was more of a concession on the part of the Connecticut settlers, who, however, it seems, were well pleased with the fair treatment they believed they had received from

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Attorney-General Bradford. This man was in a position where he could have struck severe blows had his nature been overbearing or tyrannical towards the claimants, or in the settlement of disputes in the seventeen townships. He was afterward Attorney-General of the United States.

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History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 19

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.) Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Chicago, S. B. Nelson Number of Pages: 1340

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.)
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1340