History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 51

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

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

Horton, Sr., gave a family party in 1815, at which eighty grandchil- dren were present.

Joshua Tuttle first settled in Ulster, but passed over to Sheshequin in 1798, and purchased of Josiah Newell. Jesse Smith came in 1802.

Capt. Jabez Fish came in 1809. Zebulon Butler and Harry Spalding at that time had a small store near Will.am Snyder's place.

Capt. Fish is a prominent figure in the history of Wyoming. Liv- ing near him in Sheshequin was an old comrade in arms and suffering, Capt. Stephen Fuller. The two men were prisoners in Wyoming.

Elihu Towner and sons-Enoch and John-improved the Cyrus Wheeler farm. Daniel Moore was a soldier in the War of 1818. Christopher Avery was a brother of Judge Gore's wife.

Other early settlers were the Kennedys, Peter Bernard, James Bidlack, Timothy and Samuel Bartlett, Henry Boise, the Brokaw family, Lodowick Carner, Silas Carner, Henry Cleveland, John Dett- rich, Christian Forbes, Dr. Zadaz Gillett, Jerome Gilbert, Freeman Gillett, William Preshier, Edward Griffin, Samuel Hoytt, Isaac S. Low, Samuel Thomas, Josiah B. Marshall, Mathew Rodgers, and David E. Weed.

Sheshequin, a village across the river from Ulster, has a large grist- mill, a hotel and four stores. . Ghent is a postoffice in the eastern part of the township. . Black is a village south of Ghent. . Horn- brook is a postoffice in the southern part of the township.

Franklin Blue Stone Company are located about four miles north of Towanda, baving one of the best and finest quarries in this portion of the State. The headquarters of this concern are in Philadelphia, and operations were actively commenced in August, 1889. The quarry was worked first extensively in 1874 by the Philadelphia Blue Stone Company, which failed, and the property passed to the present own- ers. Thirty-five men are employed, with all the latest improved machinery for cutting and handling the stone by the company. It is a strip-mine, and the product is used in all parts of the country- south as far as the Gulf. The output of this plant is about $25,000 annually. Among other excellencies of the stone is the facility with which it splits, as well as its beauty and durability.

J. D. Morris' quarry, in Sheshequin township, in what is called "Quarry Glen," is a great blue stone quarry, where are employed twenty-five men; it has an annual output of about 200,000 tons, marketed largely in Philadelphia.

The first steam gristmill in Sheshequin township was built by F. S. Ayer in 1870. . O. F. Ayer built his sawmill in 1868.

488

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

CHAPTER XLIV. SMITHFIELD TOWNSHIP.

T HIS township is supposed to have been named for David Smith, who first purchased the title of the Connecticut Company. The surface is very broken; several streams pass through the township emptying into Sugar and Towanda creeks. The township was set off from Ulster in 1809. In 1814 it was divided into three equal parts, forming Smithfield, Springfield and Columbia. This same territory had previously formed the townships of Smithfield, Murraysfield, and Cabot.

The first settler was a man named Grover, near what is now the Daniel Carpenter place, in 1792. . Reuben Mitchell, who may be said to be the first permanent settler, camein 1794, and for the next four years himself and three members of his family were the total population of the township. He located just east of East Smithfield, and purchased David Smith's improvement; Mr. Mitchell left the country in 1840.

About 1798 several men, among them being Foster, Baldwin, Watterman, Wheeler, and a negro named "Cæsar," came and made small improvements. James Satterlee came in 1799; located near East Smithfield. His wagon was the first that passed from Athens to Springfield; they were two days making the journey, a distance of ten miles. Col. Samuel Satterlee came in 1799, and settled three miles northwest of the village, afterward the Crittenden farm; he was an eminent soldier in the War of 1812, a member of the Legislature of Pennsylvania, and a very valuable citizen. . Oliver Hayes also came in 1799; located on the Simon Mattison farm place. . Michael Bird came from Boston in 1801, and undertook to make a living in the woods, farming. He had a severe experience; the entire family for some time made wooden brooms, which he carried on his back to the river. However, in time, he cleared and opened a fine farm, and eventually became a prominent citizen.

Jabez Gerould came in 1800, built a little log-cabin, raised a small patch, and in 1801 brought his family. The next year he was taken suddenly sick and died, leaving in the woods his widow and eight small children. The heroic little woman kept her family alive mostly by spinning flax, taking meal as payment. Phineas Pierce came from Vermont in 1800, and settled two miles northwest on the Edgar Wood farm. He enlisted in the War of 1812, and was killed near Niagara ; his comrade from Smithfield was Joshua Ames; he died in the serv- ice. Col. Samuel Satterlee was in the same command; his wife, Eunice Pierce, was in Wyoming in July, 1778, an infant. She was carried across the mountains, sixty miles, to the Delaware river by her mother.

In 1800 Solomon Morse and Samuel Kellogg, both from Poultney, .. Vt., settled in the township; Kellogg was a Revolutionary soldier.

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

Nehemiah Tracy came in 1805; he was a relative of United States Senator Uriah Tracy, of Connecticut. . John Bassett came in 1806. In 1807 Noah Ford and Elihu Needham came from New York. In 1806 Alva Stocking and Alpheus Holcomb came to the township.

In 1809 Samuel Wood came from Vermont; he had ten sons and eleven daughters; nine of the sons came to Smithfield. The same year Ashael and John Scott came from Vermont. Judge Bullock gave the date of John Scott's coming as 1803. Between 1809 and 1811 Maj. Jared Phelps, Sloan Kingsbury, Isaac Ames, John Phelps, David Titus, Abner W. Ormsby, Zephaniah Ames and Isaiah Kingsley, all came from Massachusetts, and settled the " Becket " neighborhood.

In 1813 Austin and Chauncey Kellogg came, their brother, Luman, following in 1816. David Forrest, a Revolutionary soldier, came in 1814. . About the same time came also Stephen Wilcox, Rufus Halsey and Abner Thomas, all settling in the northwest part of the township.

In 1812 Asa Hacket came. In 1813 Asa Farnsworth and his family ; in 1814 William Farnsworth, Stephen Califf, Seth Gates, Daniel Forrant and Tartus Rose came with their families. . In 1815 came Benjamin Hale, David Durfey, Joseph Ames and Cyril Forman ; in 1816, Abraham Jones ; in 1817, Asa Allen; in 1818, Joel Allen ; in 1819, Cromwell Childs, Edward A. Childs and Daniel Allen ; in 1820, Geo. Thompkinson. A very worthy man, who had once been a Hessian soldier, Conrad Hartman, came to the township in 1816; he had been taken a prisoner at Trenton, and became an American citizen. Nehemiah Beech came in 1818.

The first sawmill was erected by Phineas Pierce, in 1806; the second was built by Mr. Tracy. . The first gristmill was by Solo- mon Morse in 1808, about one-fourth of a mile west of the village. The first school-house was built in 1807, a small log building, which answered for every purpose until. 1818, when a frame was erected. Lyman Durfey opened the first store, in 1833, and soon after Shelden Tracy opened the second one. . The first death was an infant child of Reuben Mitchell, who was also the first white child born.

The first church building (a log one) was put up in 1811, and used until 1861, when they built their present church ; pastor, Rev. John Bascom. In 1810 a Baptist Church was organized, and in 1819 a church building was put up. In 1821 a literary society was organized, chiefly by David Farnsworth, Ansel Scott, Harry Bird, Buckley Tracy, Darius Bullock and others.

East Smithfield is built on Maj. Phillips farm.

490

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

CHAPTER XLV.

SOUTH CREEK TOWNSHIP.

THIS township lies in the northwest part of the county. The Northern Central Railroad passes nearly through the center from north to south. Its principal streams are South creek, Buck creek and Roaring run. Philo Fassett settled in the township in 1834. The early settlers were: Asa Gillett, John Morrison, Gideon Andrus, Isaac Baker and Samuel Pettingill. These came prior to 1833, except Mr. Gillett. . . Isaac Baker built a mill on South creek. Ezekiel Baker was the first settler at Gillett Station. Jessie Moore was a very early comer. George Dunham and M. Y. Glines were early prominent citizens.

The town of Gillett was made by the Glines, Fassett, Thomson, Jesse Moore and Gillett. The stage route from Williamsport to Elmira passed down South creek, and Gillett's was the "half way house" between Elmira and Troy. There were nine public-houses on the road between the two last-named points, three of which were kept respectively by Ezekiel Baker, Hervy Jones, and Mr. Gillett. Hervey Jones settled at Gillett about 1830, and opened a tavern. Aaron Stiles lived south of John Gillett's place.

Evan Dunning came in 1837, and built a mill, afterward Jesse Moore's, and did an extensive lumber business. From him the station, Dunning, takes its name.

The Berry settlement, in the south part of the township, derives its name from a large family of that name. In 1834 there was quite a cluster of houses there, only a part of which, however, were included in the boundary of the township.

Gillett Station is a shipping point on the Northern Central Rail- road. There are two stores, a hotel and a few small shops, and a sawmill by John F. Gillett.

Fassett is a station on the Northern Central Railroad, near the northern boundary of the county, and was formerly called "State Line." There is a sawmill here and one store.

491

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

CHAPTER XLVI SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP.

T THIS township was originally called Murraysfield, and received its present name because a majority of the first inhabitants were from Springfield, Mass. The only change in the original boundaries occurred in the south west corner, where the line followed in a westerly direction and passed through Ezra Long's little gristmill, where afterward was built H. F. Long's mill; then followed the line of the road to the village of Troy where it cornered just west of the Presby- terian church ; thence north, including that part of Troy township, along the road leading to Columbia Cross Roads. The surrounding hills, however, and growth of Troy necessitated transferring a portion of Springfield to Troy township, which leaves it in its present shape, nearly a square which drops down, including a part of Leonard creek.

At the opening of this century Springfield township was a wild and uninhabited waste, with no other human marks than those made by passing Indians. In June, 1803, Austin and Ezekiel Leonard started from West Springfield, Mass., under the auspices of the Susquehanna Company, to make a home in northern Pennsylvania, and they journeyed till they came to Sugar creek, near East Troy, where they stopped with Nathaniel Allen, and began prospecting for " a thousand acres of level land ; " but they were soon discouraged, and made up their minds to return. But just then they met a man who claimed to known all the country well, and under his guidance they went up the stream to where it emptied into Sugar creek. He deceived them, by leading them around and around, into the belief that they were on the "1000 acres of level land"-near where are the Isaac Doane and Paul Furman farms, and these they concluded to locate and make their homes, and they returned to Esq. Allen's and arranged with him to clear some of the land and build cabins for their families, for whom they set out for, to Massachusetts, to bring them in the fall.

Capt. John Harkness came in March, 1804, and settled the farm occupied by O. P. Horton. . . In April, same year, William and Abel Eaton following the Leonards, arrived and located where is now Leona. The Harkness and Leonard families knew nothing of each other's pres- ence for nearly a year after their arrival, when one family found the other while hunting their cattle.

Ichabod Smith came in 1804 and Josephus Wing came in 1805. In 1806 came James Mattocks, Len. Pitch, Joshua Spear, Stephen Bliss, Oliver Gates, Henry Stever, Amaziath Thayer, Joseph and Gurdon Grover. The last two located near where is now Springfield Centre. James Harkness, with his large family, came in 1806. Next year Joseph Grace settled where is now Leona ; and Nehemiah Willison and Abel Fuller, same year, settled north of the Centre. . In 1808 Isaac Cooley and Gaines Adams improved the properties, afterward owned

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

by Rodney Cooley and Joel Adams. . About the same time came Samuel Kingsbury, Thomas Pemberton, Samuel Campbell, E. F. Park- hurst and Alfred Brace. . In 1810, it is estimated, there were 160 persons in the township. . William Brace, who came in 1804-5, lived to be the oldest man in the township. . Many new comers arrived between 1810-20, among them being Maj. John Parkhurst, David Brown, Lemuel White, William Evans, the Parmeters, Evan Bennett, Quartus Greeley, Amos and John Searjant, Elishu Fanning, Alexander Kennedy, Chas. Burgess, Josepli and Wakeman Brooks, Williams, Faulkner and the Graces.

The first white child was born to Hiram Harkness, April 20, 1825 ; the first death, a Mrs. Morey, in 1809 ; first wedding, Abel Leonard and Abigail Leonard. The first school teacher was William Nevens, who taught in a weaver's shop in 1808-9; first frame building was by John Harkness ; first sawmill was by Austin Leonard in 1808; first grist- mill was by Luke Pitts, in 1813, situated where Dr. William Carey's mill stands, first school-house, of logs, was in Leonard's Hollow (now Leona), in 1813; about the same time a frame school-honse was erected on Grover hill, and soon after another on Harkness hill. . Samuel Campbell built a distillery in 1810; James Manix was the first justice, same year. . The Methodists had the first religious organization in 1813; the Baptists followed in 1819. The Methodists now have two buildings, one at Leona the other at Pleasant Valley ; the Univer- salists have a building at Springfield, and the Methodists in the northern part of the township.

Mount Pisgah, the highest point in Bradford county, and the second highest point in the State, is in the southern part of this town- ship. From here our early Moseses are supposed to have "viewed the promised land." It is a singular mountainous formation, cone-shaped, and has recently been improved, having a nice large hotel, with pleasant grounds, and is quite a summer resort. Mr. Kellogg, of Towanda, is now proprietor of the hotel, to which he has added, re- cently, many improvements.

Springfield, which is situated in about the center of the township, on the head-waters of Leonard creek, contains one hotel, two stores, one cooper shop and two churches.

Leona contains a gristmill, store, two wagon-shops, one Methodist church. It was named in honor of the Leonards, and was for a long time called "Leonard's Hollow." It is in the beautiful valley on Leonard's creek. . Wetona is a postoffice on Mill creek. . Big Pond is a postoffice in the northern part of the township.

E. C. Spencer.

495

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

CHAPTER XLVII.

STANDING STONE TOWNSHIP.

T THERE has been a landmark for centuries before the white man ever looked upon it-a curious rock-formation standing near the center of the Susquehanna river, nearly twenty-three feet above low water, sixteen feet wide and about four feet thick. The township was one of the first grants made by the Susquehanna Company. Among the purchasers were: Elisha Satterlee, Richard Fitzgerald, James For- sythe, Richard Loomis, Walter and Nathaniel Walters, John Bigelow, Jr., Stephen Wilcox, David McCormick, Walter Westover, Capt. Peter Loop, Abraham Westbrook, William Jackson, Thomas Joslyn, Leonard Westbrook, and the heirs of Perrin Ross.

Quite a number of families were in Standing Stone before the battle of Wyoming; during the war the settlements were all aban- doned, and the two families who returned immediately after the war, or in 1791, were Richard Fitzgerald and Henry Burneys. Henry Bur- neys, who was an early prominent citizen, sold his farm to Jonathan Stevens in 1812. One of his daughters married Capt. Peter Loop. Mr. Fitzgerald had no children, but had adopted his wife's nephew, William Houck. Anthony LeFever was a Frenchman who kept a famed house of entertainment in Standing Stone.

Peter Miller was another early settler and a Revolutionary soldier ; a small garden spot was ever cleared around his cabin. He had bought his ground, the deed bearing date March 23, 1797. . Jacob Primer, a colored man, came at an early day; his descendants were about the place for many years. . . Cherick Westbrook, a son of Abraham, pur- chased a half-share certificate in 1785, and soon after moved on to the same. . Henry VanCuren came in 1808. . The widow Hawley, who was in Wyoming in 1784, came and settled on the H. W. Tracy place, and the little creek is frequently called "Hawley creek."

An early comer was David Eicklor, who sold in 1815 to Mr. Ennis. George, John, Daniel and Whitfield Vaness came in 1820, and pur- chased the Henry VanCuren place. . . John Gordon had a distillery on Fitch's creek, near where the road crosses, which was operated for many years, and was finally burned. . . A family named Tuttle settled on Tuttle's Hill prior to 1812. . A tailor named Daniel Brewster set- tled near the old man Huff's place.

Rummerfield, a station on the Lehigh Valley Railroad, contains one hotel, two general stores and several small places.

Standing Stone village is pleasantly situated on the bank of the river, and is an important shipping point on the Lehigh Valley Rail- road. It has two stores and one hotel.

496

HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

CHAPTER XLVIII. TERRY TOWNSHIP.

T HIS township lies on the west bank of the Susquehanna river, opposite Wyalusing, and contains about fifty square miles. With exception of the valley along the river, which is narrow, it is moun- tainous and hilly ; has much good grazing land and fine meadows. At one time this township had more valuable white pine than any other township in the county, and for many years immense quantities were annually shipped. The two postoffices in the township are Terry- town, lying on the river above Wyalusing, and New Era, in the west part of the township on the head-waters of Sugar Run creek. This creek empties into a large pond near the south line of the township.

Terrytown is beautifully situated on a gravelly ridge, and the buildings are scattered along near the bank of the river until they mingle with those of Sugar run. Beautiful scenery surrounds the place, and across the river Vaughn's hill rises four hundred feet with varying escarpment. In the village is a Union meeting house, called "The Tabernacle," where worship the Baptists, Presbyterians and Methodists. It has been in use thirty-six years. In the place is a wagon factory and steam works, a shoe shop, two general stores, and the Horton Flouring Mill.

This dreamy old village is one of the oldest places in the county, made immortal by Capt. Jonathan Terry, who was the first permanent settler, in 1787, and who founded the place. It is said that Benja- min Budd built a cabin here as early as 1774.

Stephen Durell had built a cabin in 1786, near the mouth of Steam- Mill creek:

Israel Parshall, Maj. John Horton, Lebius Garner, Parshall and Jonathan Terry, all these with their wives were in Forty Fort the night after the battle . . . Jonathan Terry was commissioned a justice, and for four generations, with but slight intermission, the office passed from father to son. Jonathan Terry had eight sons and three daugh- ters. His son Uriah was the first white child born in Terrytown, where he lived for nearly ninety years.

About 1794 Parshall Terry built a small gristmill on the small stream passing through a farm occupied by J. W. Van Anken. Par- shall and Uriah Terry were for many years the noted men of Terry- town. Parshall was a tailor and made very many good coats for a dollar each. He was once jailed by the Pennamites at Easton, but escaped to the woods.

Uriah Terry was a schoolmaster and a poet of no mean ability. Maj. John Horton was a lineal descendant of Barnabus Horton who came to America in 1638. He settled in Terrytown in 1792 and im- proved the place, where he died in 1848. He built the first frame

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

dwelling in the township and owned the first two-horse wagon that ever came to Terrytown ; also the first fanning mill, and built the first frame barn in 1805. He served in the Revolutionary war.

Maj. John Horton, Jr., was born in Terrytown March 23, 1793. He was a prominent merchant and an active business man ; was a con- stable when quite young; was also elected and served as county treasurer one term; was a democratic elector in 1848; became a cap- tain and then a major in the militia, and was brigade inspector from 1828 to 1835.

A prominent feature of Terrytown is that for the number of in- habitants it contained, it turned out more eminent men than any other spot in northern Pennsylvania.

New Era is a hamlet about five miles southwest of Terrytown. It was here the French refugees built a house for the purpose of secreting the king and queen of France when they should come over.

Charles Homet, Sr., settled at this point, and remained some time before he went to Frenchtown. Isaac Shoonover succeeded Mr. Homet. Jason Horton was one of the earliest permanent settlers at New Era. John Morrow and N. T. Horton had a store there in 1830-31, but soon left. . . Lawrence Williams and Henry Gaylord lived there 1839-43, Gaylord occupying the house where had lived J. A. Record. In 1837 Jonathan Harrison settled beyond New Era. . . Jonathan Buttles, a manufacturer of wooden bowls, lived there many years. . . J. L. Jones was a justice and an early settler at New Era. . . Ebenezer Brock was for years the carpenter and joiner at New Era.

John Dyer kept a furniture store and undertakers' shop. . . John Huffman was a farmer near New Era. . . There is a hotel in the place, two sawmills, one grocery store, and an Odd Fellows Hall.

CHAPTER XLIX.

THE TOWANDAS -- TOWNSHIPS AND BOROUGHS.

OWANDA is an Indian word from the Delaware Towandemunk- T " burial place." There are other traditions, but this seems to be the most authentic. A century ago it was spelled "Towandee," but the modern way is more musical, and an Indian name once stripped of its euphony is a barren nothing.

Claverack .- The first civil organization that is now the Towandas was a grant by the Susquehanna Company made to Col. John H. Lydius, Capt. Abraham Lansing, Baltaser Lydius, Peter Hogaboom and others, June, 1774. The survey and location was made by Jeremiah Hoga- boom and Solomon Strong, and is described as on "the East Branch of the Susquehanna river, beginning at a place called and known by the name of Wysox creek, about five hundred yards below where said creek flows into the East Branch of the Susquehanna river at a white

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

oak tree; thence south 59º west five miles and sixty rods ; thence north 31° west five miles; thence north 59º east five miles; thence south 30° east five miles to the first mentioned bound-containing twenty-five square miles, exclusive of the river." This embraced half of the present Towanda, a third of Wysox and a part of lower Sheshe- quin. The other half of Claverack, on the west side of the river, covered more than half of the present Towandas and the balance of these townships were embraced in the Company's towns called : " Bachelor's Adventure," " Bloomingdale " and " Bortle's Pitch."

In the latter part of 1800 Col. John Franklin and Col. Benjamin Dorrance became the owners under Connecticut title to Claverack, and leased and sold to settlers as they could induce them to come here. In short, Claverack was one of the Seventeen Townships, the history of which is given fully in a preceding chapter.

Township Organization .- Bradford county was formed from parts of Lycoming and Luzerne in 1812. The western third of that territory now embraced in the Towandas, was in Lycoming county, and the balance in Luzerne. At the court held at Wilkes-Barre in March, 1790, it is ordered by the justices of this court that the county of Luzerne be divided into eleven townships, by the following names and descrip- tions, to wit :

"1. Tioga, bounded north by the north line of the State; on the east by the east line of the county; on the south by an east and west line, which shall strike the Standing Stone, in the west line of the county." The "2d" township was Wyalusing, which bounded Tioga on the north. "Tioga," as thus described, was sixty-seven miles in length from east to west, and a trifle more than eighteen miles in width from north to south.

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History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 51

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