History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 44

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

USA > Pennsylvania > Bradford County > History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections > Part 44

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).

The little old yellowed book containing these original signatures is a valuable and precious relic. It was recently gathered from the old waste papers that were to feed the flames, by Joseph Hines, of Athens. Here is the sign-manual of nearly every one of the men who were the leading spirits of the times that tried men's souls, in this land of great events before any of us now living were born. These great men in the midst of the transcendent events in which they lived, thought of us, and for us were laying the foundations for a splendid civilization. Let us not prove to be degenerate sons of noble sires.

Thursday, March 2, 1797, the stock subscribers had another meet- ing, and their first act was the adoption of the name "The Athens Academical Society," and resolved to establish "a seminary of learn- ing," at Tioga Point (or Athens), and also to petition the Legislature for an act of incorporation, and to ask the Susquehanna Company for a grant of land for the same, and as soon as the buildings were up to secure a person of "literary abilities and exemplary character to be

Al Moody

423

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

principal instructor." Joseph Hitchcock was appointed building in- spector, and Chester Bingham, David Paine, Noah Murray, John Shep- ard, Ira Stevens, David Alexander and John Spalding were appointed a committee to select a location for the building. Of this meeting Noah Murray was president, and Clement Paine, secretary. At a future meeting the committee reported that the lot of land adjoining lot No. 26 had been selected. This was on the "public lot." The building was inclosed but not completed in 1805, it seems, and the records show that in 1808 a motion was made to advertise the building for sale ; but at a meeting at E. and D. Paine's store, July 1, 1808, this order was rescinded, and it was resolved to repair the building. Clement Paine advanced $140 to repair the building, and the trustees acknowledged that as a lien on the same.

June 21, 1811, the proprietors of the Academy transferred to the Freemasons' Lodge No. 70, all their right and title "to the upper room," for which they were to pay $80 in five annual payments.

February 27, 1813, Hon. Henry Welles, member of the Legislature from this county, secured the passage of an act to incorporate the " Athens Academy," with nine trustees: Clement Paine, George Welles, John Franklin, Julius Tozer, Stephen Hopkins, David Paine, John Saltmarsh, John Shepard and Abner Murray, and a fund of $2,000 was donated by the State, the interest thereon to go to the Academy ; the Academy to school four poor children, two years each, gratis.

After many preliminaries in searching for a teacher, April 25, 1814, Sylvanus Guernsey, of Philadelphia, opened the Academy-salary $500 a year-the price of instruction was fixed at $2.50 per quarter, each pupil to furnish his share of fuel. It took all kinds of cutting and twisting to pay the "preceptor " his year's salary. The next year, 1815, it seems from the records there was a new "preceptor," Mr. Tal- madge. This significant entry appears: "Reading, $2.00; writing, $2.50; arithmetic, $3.00 ; English grammar, $4,00; higher branches, mathematics, languages, etc., $6.00."

The building was now ordered "lathed and plaistered." Mr. Brush was recommended to take charge of the school the next quarter. After a few days' trial he quit. Mr. Wellington, a graduate of Dart- mouth, took charge of the school in the fall of 1816. Robert McKee was teaching the common school in the building. Miss Chubbuck was "preceptress." February, 1820, it was resolved to invest the $2,000 Academy fund in the Toll-bridge Company (a bridge over Tioga river). In 1822 Mr. Z. Butler was invited and accepted the position of preceptor of the Academy. The next year James Williamson became principal. April 19, 1824, David Paine resigned all official connection with the Academy ; he had served ten years as secretary without pay. In March, 1839, C. A. Baldwin was chosen principal at a salary of $600 per year, and Miss Pierce as assistant teacher. In 1843 J. G. Merchant retired from the position of principal. F. B. Hendricks was employed to teach in 1844, at a salary of $450. At a meeting of the trustees in May, 1853, the position of principal was offered to Jonas French, and the teacher in the lower room was Miss Mary Parry. Mr.

424

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

French continued in charge until 1856, when John S. Hopkins was employed. For the school year 1859-60 Theron K. Bixby was employed as principal. In 1862 Miss C: S. Eglin and Sarah W. Perkins were teachers. Miss Eglin died that year, and the school was closed June 4. J. M. Ely was employed to finish the term; he was dismissed from the school April 21, 1865. The next year there was a move to reinstate Mr. Ely, which called out a vigorous remonstrance from many leading citizens. It seems Ely determined he would not be dismissed, and took and kept forcible possession of the school. The trustees commenced suit against him as trespasser. An amended act was passed in 1866, providing for nine trustees. In 1867 Mr. Loutrel was principal, and unpleasant rumors concerning him were spread abroad, whereupon the trustees appointed Messrs. Thurston, Elsbree and Herrick a committee " to investigate the conduct and moral char- acter of Mr. Loutrel, both in and out of school." At the next meeting the committee reported and the teacher resigned. In January, 1868, there was no principal, and Miss Mary Merrill was allowed to teach a three months' school. Col. Mullock was employed as principal, and Mrs. S. J. Gibson was allowed to teach a select school in the building.

The minutes of the trustees at this meeting, March 1, 1872, recite as follows: "Talked over the matter of a graded school, and requested Mr. Reeves to look up some laws in regard to it." March 18, 1873, it was voted to "give the use of the Academy to the school directors until the winter term." April 14, following, it was resolved to transfer the Academy and all its interests, funds, etc., to the school directors of Athens borough, for the purpose of making the same into a graded school, and to have and hold the same as long as used for school pur- poses. And this was the end of the " Athens Academical Society," the alma mater of many of the most prominent men and women of Tioga Point. It served its day and purpose, and there are now many of its once pupils scattered over the face of the earth that will turn to this chapter of Athens history, and linger along its pages of blessed memories to them.

The old Academy, great is the pity, was burned to the ground in 1842, and the little old building that was so long a public-school build- ing, but now stands empty, was erected in 1843. Bright, ambitious boys, and blooming and beantiful girls of fifty-of nearly a hundred- years ago, have measured themselves with a selfish world and passed away forever-a hundred years, pitiless in its changes for them, so hopeful for the youth of to-day, and the same ceaseless grind of fate awaits us all-the most hopeful and despairing alike-"death levels all."

Athens Foundry and Machine Shop .- This was established in the early "forties " by Chauncey Shipman, M. Thompson and John Kucher ; was situated on Main street, where is now Fitch & Kinney's store. An account of the burning of the old building is given previously. It was rebuilt by Blood & Co., who made it an agricultural implement factory, and was opened as such in 1878. This firm ran it about fif- teen years and failed. The present foundry and machine shop is the successor of the original, was built on Harris street, back of the Pres-

425

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

byterian church, in 1890, by the proprietors, Shipman & Thompson. It is quite an extensive and prosperous concern ; output about $15,000 annually, and consists of foundry and machine shop, pattern room, engine and boiler room, with thirty horse-power engine, average of ten employés. The concern had a large woodwork department, which was burned in February, 1890, and now works iron exclusively ; has four lathes, two planers and three drills.

Sheridan's Iron Works,-Built by Robert E. Sheridan in 1890, on Elmira street near the railroad track ; building 24x70, with ten horse- power engine, a No. 5 Sturdevant handling power, drill, and all modern improvements ; a well-fitted jobbing foundry.

Athens Furniture Company .- E. G. Fitch & Co., the "Co." being F. K. Harris. This is a fine plant, and one of the prosperous indus- tries of the county. Its construction was commenced in 1884-orig- inally two large two-story brick buildings, to which was added on the north an "L" in 1887. The main building is 56x125, and the north addition is 109x49-all two stories. A one-story boiler-room 20x32, and another 12x32 ; a shaving room 14x16, and a dry-kiln with capa- city of 65,000 ; 115 horse-power engine, and the other eighty horse- power. Annual output $100,000 ; 100 employés; a weekly pay-roll of about $3,000, and a main and side-track.

Mattress Factory .- Proprietors, Stimson (L. F.) & Ellsbree (F. P.) ; was established in 1888; is situated south of the furniture factory, on west side of the railroad; a wooden building 230x60, and two stories ; fully equipped for the business in every respect, and gives employment to an average of fifteen hands.

Athens Car and Coach Company .-- A joint-stock company, organ- ized in April, 1889; capital stock, $20,000, subscribed for altogether by citizens of Athens. Officers: Charles Kellogg, president ; Joseph Harris, vice-president ; Edward Mills, secretary; James L. Dyer, super- intendent, and M. P. Murray, treasurer. Manufacture all kinds of omnibuses, coaches, drays, nerdics, milk and delivery wagons ; twenty- five employés, output $40,000 annually, and supply goods to all parts of North America and South America. Occupy six two-story build- ings : 130 x 125, 95 x 40, 75 x 125, and rent the second story of an adjoining building that is 30 x 90. Have a fifteen horse-power engine, and all the shops are equipped with the latest and best machinery.

Planing Mill .- Campbell Bros .; was started, in the spring of 1887, as a saw and planing mill by these gentlemen, who sold the next spring, and bought it back in the spring of 1890. The mill building is 34 x 50; engine house, 16 x 30 ; shingle mill, 18 x 20. These gentle- men now have their sawmill at Barkley, that is supplied with a sev- enty-five horse-power engine. The capacity is 20,000 to 30,000 feet per day.

Flexible File Factory .- Proprietors, Sweet & Primrose. This industry was started in Athens in May, 1890. First one machine was equipped and put to work. It is the only manufactory of the kind in the world to-day, and the world's supply of these goods must be had here. At present the goods are handled by a Philadelphia house. The little machine can cut $2,000 worth of files each month. The

426

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

secret is in the process of tempering, which was the discovery of Mr. Sweet in 1889. In the factory is a large machine for making the ordinary files for jewelers and machinists. These are represented to be the hardest files made, and will readily cut tempered steel. Of the flexible files there are six sizes of dental instruments. Considering that this important industry-the invention in tempering steel, by E. Sweet-has but just been commenced, a most important future out- come is looked for.

Smull's Tannery .- For many years one of the leading industries of the county, because of the inexhaustible supply of hemlock, has been tanning, and every year the industry still grows. While this factory is not in the corporate limits of the borough, yet being on the opposite bank of the Chemung river, it may well be rated a part of the com- mon town industrial plants. This was commenced in 1870 by Under- hill & Maurice, who operated it about one year, and Charles E. Maurice became sole owner, and then it passed to Underhill & Noble, and in 1876 Thomas L. Smull purchased the plant, and has operated it since. The annual output is 1,250,000 pounds of leather, principally shipped to the English market ; the raw hides are purchased and shipped from all parts of the Western World. The covering is 750 feet long, and is filled with the best machinery and appliances for carrying on the work. About fifty men are employed.

Butter Package Factory .- F. T. Page and R. D. and H. C. Van- Duzer, proprietors, is situated in East Waverly, and was put up in 1880. They make a general assortment of baskets for all purposes.

Morley's Gristmill was burned, rebuilt, enlarged and fitted with all modern improvements.

Athens in 1861 .- From some of the clearest-headed of the Athen- ians who were here, the following birds-eye view of the place in 1861 is obtained: In the central part of the business (or Main)street were the gro- cery and provision store of Charles Comstock ; G. A. Perkins, druggist ; Harris & Saltmarsh ; Page & Bristol (Bristol retired and Welles took his place); John Jones, tailor ; Edward Averill, grocer ; C. Park & Son, general merchandise; Michael Welsh, liquors ; Horace Conner grocer; Page & Ackerman, hardware, and three very fair hotels-" Exchange " by Col. Sloan, " Athens' Hotel," by J. M. Pike, and where is now the " Stimson House" was Thomas R. Davis' hotel.

Of the present hotels, the "Stimson House"was built in 1882, by Stimson, Harris & Ellsbree, and when opened was kept by Mr. Stim- son ; then by Sherman & Middaugh; then by Curtis, then by Mehan, then, in the spring of 1891, by Daggett, and in the summer of that year it was sold to its present proprietors, D. D. DePue and Lew Morris.

A summary of the present industrial and commercial life of Ath- ens is as follows : First National Bank; iron, wood and tanning industries above enumerated ; five book and stationery dealers; eight boot and shoe stores and makers; three blacksmiths; soda bottling; one brick. yard ; two house movers ; one carpet dealer ; four carriage factories; twenty carpenters ; one cigar factory ; four clothiers ; one bridge works; one coach factory ; three coal dealers ; four confection-

427

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

ers ; four crockery dealers ; three civil engineers ; four dry goods; four drugs; two express; one feed mill ; one florist; three fruit dealers ; one grain elevator; ten grocers; two harness makers ; two hardware stores ; one herdic line; two hotels; two ice dealers ; three insurance firms; two jewelry houses; two printing offices; one laundry ; three livery stables; four lumber yards; two market gardeners ; ten masons ; four meat markets ; four merchant tailors ; one millwright ; four milliners ; one music store; one news stand; one opera house ; two photographers; two planing mills; two real estate firms; one sawmill ; one mattress factory ; one tannery; two telegraph com- panies ; one undertaker; one furniture factory ; one furniture dealer ; seven physicians ; eight lawyers. The churches and schools will be found in their appropriate chapters.

The census returns of 1890 show a greater increase in population in Athens than any of the old boroughs in the county. Total popula- tion, in 1890, was 3,229, an increase over 1880 of 1,637. New addi- tions have been laid off, and the lots have commanded ready sales at a constant increase in price. The number of new buildings going up, and the wide expanse of new roofs greet the eye on every hand in riding from Athens to South Waverly through Sayre.

Tioga Point Cemetery-Ten acres were donated by Chas. F. Welles in 1871, and ten more acres were afterward bought. The offi- cers are : A. C. Elsbree, president ; J. A. Bristol, secretary. Trustees, N. C. Harris, D. F. Park, Alex. Elsbree, F. T. Page, J. L. Corbin, E. N. Merritt and F. A. Allen.

Tioga on The Whisky Insurrection .- We learn from the " Penn- sylvania Archives" that the good people of the Point, even in the midst of all their other cares and troubles, were considerate patriots, and ready to express themselves in no uncertain terms on the Whisky Insurrection of 1794. On October 3 of that year a meeting was con- vened in Athens to consider the disturbance in the four western coun- ties of the State, and the measures then pursued by the Government against them. Gen. Spalding presided at the meeting, and Obadiah Gore was clerk. Matters were fully discussed, and the sense of the meeting was taken by vote. The resolve was to stand firmly by the Constitution ; that the act laying an excise tax on whisky was consti- tutional, and that it was the duty of all good citizens to maintain the law and authority of the Government. The meeting condemned all violent measures on the part of those opposed to the law in the west- ern part of the State, and finally by vote announced their readiness (if required) "to turn out personally " to maintain and "support that free Government under which we live."

SAYRE BOROUGH.

Howard Elmer determined to divide between Waverly and Athens the benefits that would arise in making the junction of the branch roads that converge at this place. Waverly was at one time the north- ern terminal of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, and the building of the branch road was the beginning of Sayre. In May, 1870, Charles Anthony, Howard Elmer and James Fritcher purchased the plains between Waverly and Athens, between the two rivers. This purchase

428

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

included the Morley, Hopkins and W. H. Thomas farms-321 acres- and they proposed to build a town upon these farm lands. All that was done that year was to simply cut out the timber growth of what is now Keystone avenue, and this new broad highway materially shortened the distance between Athens and Waverly, making it three miles. In May, 1871, the same parties purchased the Leggett, Harris, Obenshire and portions of the Hayden and H. Thomas lands-417 acres-embracing what is now the junction of the Lehigh Valley, the Geneva, Ithaca & Southern Railroads. In the aggregate, their purchases included 738 acres. The same year the Pennsylvania & New York Company purchased eighty-five acres of this tract, where is now the depot, junction and shops, and soon after built an elegant passenger depot ; the transfer of passengers was moved up from Athens in 1863, and the new station was named "Sayre," in honor of Robert H. Sayre, president of the Pennsylvania & New York Railroad. In July of the same year a round-house was built and occupied. The town was laid out and platted, and the proprietors had expended large sums in opening, grading and making good streets, and also in putting up many substantial buildings. A postoffice was established in 1874. In September, 1878, a beginning was made in building the small repair shops that have so rapidly expanded to their present proportions.

The vast shops and railroad buildings at Sayre were the small concerns at Waverly that were moved down in 1871, and but little added to until 1881. The first shops were completed in 1881. At present the area occupied by the railroad buildings is nine and four- tenths acres. The round-house is 273 feet in diameter, has 32 stalls ; there are twenty railroad tracks in the yard, and seven tracks extend to Waverly. Five hundred men are employed in the shops. The main machine shop is 275x125 ; car shop, 204x140; blacksmith shop, 200x70; locomotive shop, 160x60; foundry and carpenter shop, 160x60 ; paint and tin shop, 160x60 (two stories). Roster of rail- road officials at the Sayre offices and shops, connected with the Lehigh Valley Railroad: Gen. Supt. Northern Division, William Stevenson ; Asst. Supt. W. A. Stevenson ; chief clerk, J. W. Bishop; assistant clerk, R. M. Hovey; assistant general freight agent, Bert Hayden ; his chief clerk, D. St. Clair ; train-master, R. M. Badger; assistant general car agent, F. J. Krom; master mechanic, J. N. Weaver. In the shops: C. H. Welch, general foreman; D. K. Hamilton, chief clerk power department; W. H. Flory, foreman in erecting department; H. Weidow, foreman machinery shop; Aaron Hamm, foreman blacksmith shop ; James Pritchard, foreman in boiler department; John Thompson, foreman in carpenter shop ; George W. Lentz, foreman in foundry; George Kear, foreman in pattern shop; C. C. Wood, paint shop ; A. Strauss, foreman, and Charles H. Strauss, assistant in car department.

Sayre Arbor Association was organized in 1879, and planted over one thousand trees the first year, 800 the next, and, continuing, are beautifying the place with ornamental trees. Robert A. Pack built his fine residence, in Sayre, in 1875-76. He was president of the

429

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

Pennsylvania & New York Railroad. He died, February 20, 1883. His splendid residence and twenty acres of ground became the property of Mary Packard Cummings, and by her donated to the Packer Asso- ciation, chartered April 30, 1885, and to it was transferred the Packer residence, for a hospital-a noted hospital of northern Pennsylvania.

Sayre Water-Works were built in 1886; near the river is the reservoir into which is pumped the river water. The pipes extend to Waverly and Athens, and supply both these places, having fourteen miles of pipes.

Sayre Fire Board .- Chief, John R. Murray ; assistant, James Brown. R. A. Packer Hose Company-President, Patrick McNeirny; foreman, John Hammond ; secretary, Fred Cole ; forty-five members. The Wilbur Hook and Ladder Company-First officers : President, C. C. Wood ; foreman, Arch. Williams ; assistant, Ed. Smith ; secre- tary, Henry Colt-thirty-two members.

In 1879 Sayre became division headquarters for the railroad, and was soon one of the most important railroad points between Wilkes- Barre and Elmira, and is now, in this respect, rapidly developing. The town has had recently a phenomenal growth in population and wealth, which is not a " boom " but a healthy, consistent increase that bids fair to continue many years. The census of Bradford county, in 1890, shows a slight increase in population over 1880, solely because of the increase in Athens and Sayre, otherwise the decrease in population would have run into four figures. The people the last decade have been " going West," still Inred by the fairy tales told by land specu- lators and town boomers. Sayre was incorporated February 1, 1891 ; including a territory two and a-half miles in length, from north to south, and making the three boroughs-Athens, Sayre and Waverly-a continuous town or borough from the south line of Athens to the State line. The first officers of Sayre, elected in 1891, were: James N. Weaver, burgess ; J. C. Horton, clerk; A. Strauss, treasurer; Joseph Wheelock, street commissioner ; R. Mercur, attorney ; N. F. Walker, engineer ; Charles Codett, chief of police. Council : J. N. Weaver, W. H. Flory, L. Eighmey, D. A. Utter, George M. Peters, G. A. Kennedy, A. Zeeler.

The Cayuta Wheel and Foundry Company .- President, Howard Elmer ; treasurer, F. E. Lyford ; superintendent, M. C. Chapman. A joint-stock company; capital $75,000; organized 1871, and buildings erected on eight acres of ground donated by the Sayre Land Com- pany, the pioneer factory to locate in Sayre. In 1881 bought the axle works, and consolidated the two adjoining factories. They turn out 200 wheels (railroad) a day, and employ seventy men. Have five buildings, steam-power in three buildings, equal 120 horse-power. One of the important industries in the county.

In 1876, the time the place began to grow in earnest, there were six business houses and a hotel, kept by Samuel Briggs, on the east side. This house was burned in 1877. There were four merchants and of these Charles Wheelock kept the principal store; three of the stores were east of the track. Mr. Ross had a planing mill; just north of where is now the postoffice was a hardware store. The first

430

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

postmaster (in 1874) was H. G. Spalding. The appointee (1889), Sid- ney Hayden, died in office in March, 1890, and Isaac M. Burk became acting postmaster ; then was appointed, and is the present incumbent. The population in 1880 was 700, and at this time (1891) is 3,200. The present " Wilbur Hotel" was the first large first-class hotel in the place, was first called the " Packer House," and was built with the first railroad improvements of the place. It was named eventually for Mr. Wilbur, whose wife was a Miss Packer. The finest building in the place is the Eighmey opera-house, built in 1882-83. The auditorium is 51x80. The place is supplied with gas from the Waverly works. The celebrated Robert Packer Hospital was built as the Packer residence in 1879-80, and after Mr. Packer's death, it became the property of his sister, who donated the grounds and building for a hospital, chiefly for railroad employes, but is free to all, without regard to nationality or religious creed. It is one of the most inviting homes for the unfor- tunates in northern Pennsylvania. The resident physician and sur- geon is Franklin M. Stephens, M. D .; executive committee: William Stevenson, E. P. Wilbur, J. W. Bishop, Howard Elmer, C. S. Maurice, Bert Hayden, Rev. John Costello, Dr. W. E. Johnson, James W. Weaver; secretary, R. M. Hovey; treasurer, Joseph W. Bishop. The report of the treasurer for 1890 shows that $5,841.73 were disbursed ; receipts $7,009.17. In 1890-91 there were 123 house-patients, and 643 dispensary cases treated. The hospital is now in the sixth year of active existence, and is in a most prosperous condition, a steady advance from year to year in the good work being one of its marked features.

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 biographical selections, Part 44

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