History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 56

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

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In the early borough days we find an ordinance on the records forbidding "horse racing, and bathing in Sugar creek," within the borough limits. A bird's-eye view of Troy, just previous to the Civil War, would present something as follows: On the corner across from the " Troy House" were two stores, one kept by Col. I. N. Pomeroy and the other by I. F. Redington. Col. Pomeroy at that time kept the " Troy House." Immediately west on that street was a small vellow house owned by James Lamb, afterward occupied by his daughter. This constituted Main street. There was a small black- smith shop on Canton street near Redington avenue by Elihu New- bery, and a wagon shop by Hickok near the railroad station.

Going east from the "Troy House," the first you came to was Dr. Herrick's residence, where now reside his son's family ; the next was Mr. Welles' house, still standing a little south of Van Dyne's present residence. The old frame school-house stood on the west bank of the stream, near the property of the Fitch heirs. The Baptist church,

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where it now stands, was built in 1834. The Episcopal church was built in 1841, afterward sold to the Catholics, and the new Episcopal church where it now stands was built by the Disciples in 1850, and sold to the Episcopals in 1860. The Catholic church was built mostly by O. P. Ballard, in 1841. The Methodist Episcopal church was built in 1854, and is now the Opera House and postoffice building. It was sold to R. F. Redington, and is also used as a court-room. After this sale the Methodists built their present church on Redington avenue. The new and very large Presbyterian (Trinity) church was built in 1875-76, the largest and finest church in the borough. Their first building, put up in 1832, stood on West Main street, and is now a part of Mrs. Oliver's barn ; their second building was erected in 1847-48, now owned by N. M. Pomeroy.

The present borough officers are : Burgess, A. B. McKean; clerk, H. K. Mitchel ; treasurer, S. B. Aspinwall ; council, R. H. Cooley, S. W. Pomeroy, H. S. Leonard, Brainard Bowen, L. H. Oliver and Geo. O. Holcomb.

Troy was in 1832, as remembered by Israel A. Pierce, Esq., as fol- lows: Commencing on Elmira street was a small house owned by a man named Case; then there was nothing until you came to where Wagner now lives, at one time occupied by Dr. Fitch. The next build- ing, where now stands the "Troy House," was an old frame tavern, the "Jackson House," and when President Jackson "removed the deposits" his name was obliterated, and it became the "Troy House," kept by Benj. Seeley, and burned in 1848. The next house was the noted Ballard building, dwelling, store, printing office, hall and some- times hotel, an immense wooden structure ; this was destroyed by fire in 1848. Except a small grocery store, this was all on the north side of Elmira street. On the south side of the street, there was nothing until you reached Spalding's plaster mills; this was then Hickok's gristmill. The old house still stands.

The next was a house occupied by Mr. Bliss, rebuilt in 1832, by D. F. Pomeroy ; then there was nothing until you reached Judge Adams' brick residence. On Main street there was no building till you reached Paine's bridge, where were Paine's house and a small gristmill run by water. There was a small tannery west of the gristmill, operated by Judge Adams, an old wagon shop and then E. C.Oliver's house. The next was a store where is now the hotel. The next was where is now Kendall's residence; then Barnes' old residence, and then a small grocery store kept by John Cummings, and then Morrison Paine's store opposite the hotel.

Dr. Almerin Herrick came to Troy in 1817; died March 17, 1843, married, May 2, 1819, Eleanor Hurlbut, who died January 18, 1887, aged eighty-eight years.

O. P. Ballard is believed to have established himself in trade here in the fall of 1822, having been, for a few years, a clerk in the store of Clement Paine, at Athens. He commenced with a few goods taken on commission of Charles L. Hopkins, of that place, and succeeded so well as to buy out his partner at the close of the first year. The people from this section had previously been under the necessity of

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

going to Athens to trade, for the most part, and, as he was accustomed to relate, dealt very freely according to their means, when they found an opportunity, at length, of buying goods near home; if they could not find just the article they came for they were pretty sure to invest in something else.

The staple articles of trade and produce in the country, as Clement Paine writes, in the year 1810, were cattle, wheat and lumber. He adds: "Lately the manufacture of potash has been introduced into the adjacent towns. I have endeavored to promote this branch of business by furnishing the necessary implements and materials, and we shall, the present year, receive about one hundred bar- rels of the article, whereas three years ago there was none manu- factured." This manufacture, carried on amid the forests of western Bradford, must have involved a destruction of timber that would now, even in this wooden country, be looked upon as deplorable, great quantities of the finest trees being cut, piled and burned, merely to gather up the ashes for boiling down into potash. It was worth, in those days, about twenty or twenty-five dollars per barrel, and being an article easy of transportation, it soon afforded an important item of industry and income.

The difficulties of trade in those early days must have been very great ; it was mostly barter, owing to the scarcity of money, and the transportation of produce to market, or of goods from the city, was attended with great expense, delay, and risk. A trip to Philadelphia with wagons, as was customary, for goods, occupied about three weeks ; but in those days a few wagon-loads of goods made up what was con- sidered a large assortment; if the assortment was in fact small, the prices of course had to be large in an inverse ratio. When John Cummins, many years ago, opened a little store here, the advertisement he published was headed, " Small boats must keep near shore; larger ones may venture more." In connection with which idea, Nelson Adams made the re- mark, after noticing the limited extent of his stock, "I guess you must have come over in a canoe."

George Kress was one of the early merchants of Troy, buying out the stock of Vine Baldwin. Gen. Kress built the house now owned by Robert Kendall, in its day probably the most aristocratic style of residence in the place.

O. P. Ballard for some time controlled to a considerable extent the trade of the place. Gillett & Cone commenced business here about 1836 or 1837. G. F. Redington was here first as their clerk, until. he and D. F. Pomeroy bought them out, and established their store on the corner, which was subsequently, and for quite a long period, the scene of business operations of the Pomeroy Brother.

Troy in 1827. Dr. Silas E. Shepard came here, and in his lifetime he said: Caleb Williams then lived near the present site of Delos Rockwell and Warren Williams, in the old Spalding house; Ansel Williams in the old Seely Mann house, where E. B. Parson's house stands. Next was Joseph Wills, who married the widow of Moses Case, in the old two-story house still standing in the rear of S. H. Fitch's house. Along the present Canton street, at that time, the forest came for the most

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

part within twenty-five rods of the road, and covered the hill west of the creek. Mr. Wells' sawmill stood near where Bowen's tannery is at this time. A small foundry was afterward erected there by Capt. Joseph Morse, and subsequently carried on by him and Thos. E. Paine. Jas. A. Paine after took the business, and after him Seth W. Paine, who removed it finally to the place where, through a long term of years, he continued and extended it. It was in 1838 that the first brick store was erected by Long, Taylor, and Thomas. It stood on the present site of H. F. Long's block.

Troy Fire Company .- Oscar Liewa engine house was built in 1871. They have a steam engine and hose company; officers: G. S. MeGlena, foreman ; Kent Mitchell, secretary ; Albert Morgan, presi- dent. The company was organized in 1870; engine bought the same year. J. H. Grant was chief for five years ; E. Porter, foreman.

Tanneries .- As early as 1827, Calvin Dodge built a small tannery with four or five vats. This was Laban Bowen's, and is now the prop- erty of Brainerd Bowen, his son, which has been extensively enlarged, and is now one of the important industries of the county.

E. Van Dyne's Tannery .- Mr. Van Dyne was with Bowen for some time, when he purchased an interest in his present tannery with B. H. Hobart and N. C. Porter, who had established the business, and in time Mr. Van Dyne became sole owner. Large additions were added in 1890, making this tannery one of the most prominent ones of the county.

Foundry and Machine Shop on East Main street, by Austin Mitchell, was built in 1882, water power, on the site of the old Paine foundry.

Troy has the following business concerns : Four drug stores, one clothing store; five dry-goods stores ; three hardware stores ; two fur- niture stores; six grocery stores ; three jewelry stores ; gristmill owned by Geo. Dillion & Son, situated on Elmira street-(roller process ; the old mill was built by George Viele, and was once used as a brewery. One mile east of Troy was originally Long's gristmill, now operated by W. R. MeCleary); furniture factory, by L. H. Oliver, on Railroad and Canton streets (was built by Oliver, Sr., twenty years ago; out- put, all kinds of household furniture) ; planing mill by J. J. Boliger, southwest of town, one and a half miles (was built in 1880); saw and planing mill, one mile north of Troy borough by Snedeker & Mitchel (they have three portable mills in the county) ; engine com- pany (incorporated; was started in 1890; employs twenty men, makes drill engines of all kinds).

Troy Schools .- The old red school-house was built in 1845; the first teacher was Henry Card. A significant faet is that three families sent twenty-five children to the school. The Troy schools became graded schools in 1867. The school building was completed in 1866. DeLos Rockwell at that period served two years as secretary of school board, and then for twenty-three years was president of the board. The building has six rooms, a teacher in each, and an enroll- ment of three hundred. The old Academy was incorporated in 1842, and for sometime the State aided it. Prof. J. T. McCollom was prin-

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

cipal from 1873 to 1884, and chiefly organized the graded schools. His predecessor was H. H. Hutton, four years. The present princi- pal is Daniel Fleisher.

Troy Farmers Club was organized in 1874. The first officers were James C. Mckean, president; Edward Rockwell, vice-president; Geo. M. Card, secretary; A. M. Cornell, treasurer; A. S. Hooker, reporting secretary. On October 8 and 9, 1875, a free fair was held. Janu- ary 8, 1876, A. H. Thomas was elected president, F. P. Cornell, vice- president; and G. M. Card, secretary. The club was incorporated in 1876, and a fair was held September 27-28-29. In 1882 new grounds were secured, known as "Alperon Park," on the farm of John A. Parsons, one mile northeast of the village, and a fine track was made. The present officers are: Geo. O. Holcomb, president; J. R. Van- Amoy, secretary. Mr. Holcomb has a fine stock farm wbere he breeds the finest line of trotting horses in the county; he also makes a spe- cialty in keeping improved swine, and registered cattle. He owns a "Membrino King," "Almond 33," and other noted horses.

Miscellaneous .- Isaac W. Pomeroy came to Troy in 1817, and soon after engaged in operating the old Paine woolen mill, water-power, built by Clement D. Paine, in 1812. Mr. Pomeroy operated it about fifteen years, when he purchased and ran the " Troy Hotel " property, and with this a farm ; then built the "Eagle Hotel" about 1830, and retired from active life about the time of the completion of the rail- road. He was one of the active, energetic, strong men of the place, and was an important factor in building it up.

Judge Jerre Adams, of Troy, died in January, 1867; he was a native of Springfield, Mass., born in 1794, and came to the county and settled in Athens in 1816. where he set up a small tannery, and after- ward had Joel Adams in partnership in his tannery. Mr. Adams married Cynthia Decker, and in 1828 removed to Troy, established a tannery and built his residence, afterward the "Farmers' Hotel." In 1840 he commenced merchandising, and had his son-in-law, Col. Fred- erick Orwan, as a partner ; in 1837 he was superintendent of the North Branch Canal, and so remained until the crash of 1842; in 1848 he became associate judge, serving three years; in 1862 he sold out in Troy and went to Elmira, but after a year returned to Troy, and finally removed to Waverly where he died.

The old Baptist church stood in the center of the cemetery. The more modern cemetery contains about twenty acres-the old one has only about two acres.

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

CHAPTER LI. TUSCARORA TOWNSHIP.

T THIS township was erected from Wyalusing in 1830, and received the name of Spring Hill. In 1856 the name was changed to Tuscarora. Joseph Wharton built the first log cabin. There was no road along the river until as late as 1790, travelers taking the Indian paths or river-beach. This pioneer improvised his samp-mill by felling a huge white pine, and hollowing out the stump for his mortar, and used a heavy Indian pestle for grinding the corn. The owner of this mill frequently loaned its use to his neighbors-after he had some-for there was no water-mill nearer than the Wyoming valley.

Wharton cleared and fenced about sixty acres of land. and set out an orchard, also built a second log house in the central part of his clearing. This house stood some thirty rods from the present location of the road, and directly back of Edwards' farm-house. In 1808, Joseph Wharton conveyed this farm to Elihu Hall and Elihu Hall, Jr. The Halls were carpenters, and made but little improvement on the land. Finding the Wharton house too small for both families they demolished it, and built a long log house, with a chimney at each end. . While the Halls were in possession, the Spring Hill road was opened in part. They built a plank house on this road, and sold to Jacob Gray in the spring of 1815. Rev. D. D. Gray was then a boy seven years old, and he asserted that he traveled every sled path, and visited every habitable part of the township, the first year of his residence. He thus names the families resident in the township in that year, 1815: Thomas Morley, Stephen Beeman, Edward Cogswell, and Elisha Cogswell, on Tuscarora creek ; James Black, Harry Ackley, Jacob Huff, Reuben Shumway, and Stephen Bowen, on Spring Hill; William Clink and Daniel Johnson, on South Spring Hill. These settlers had at that time from two to twelve acres of cleared land each, the whole of the improved land in the township, aside from the Wharton farm, probably not exceeding eighty acres.

About this time Jeremiah Lewis, Chester Wells, and several others made a beginning, and in the course of a few years all the land suita- ble for farming purposes was taken up. . The first settler on the Tuscarora creek, within the present bounds of the township, was Oliver Sisson, who came thereto in 1805, and located four miles from the river, on the farm known on the Bradford county map as the "Cogswell Homestead," and the hill known as Sisson hill received its name from him. He died in 1809, leaving all of his property to his wife, his will being recorded in Wilkes-Barre, as this was then a part of Luzerne county. The possession, or quitclaim right, was conveyed by the widow to Julius and Elisha Cogswell about 1809. Julius soon

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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.

after conveyed his interest to Elisha, and the farm has ever since remained in the family down to Rev. Bela Cogswell.

Edward, Joel and Daniel Cogswell, three brothers, came from Connecticut and settled in Bradford county. Daniel soon moved away and was lost sight of. Joel settled near Le Raysville, where he lived and died. He reared a large family of children, and was the father of the elder Dr. Cogswell. Edward was a miller by trade. He settled on the farm owned and occupied by his grandson, Dr. Cogswell, a son of Elisha Cogswell. Elisha Cogswell was a soldier in the War of 1812. His wife was the daughter of Bela Ford, who came from New York to Pike township, as early as 1807.

Reuben Shumway came into Tuscarora in 1805. He came from Steuben county, N. Y., in 1801, to the Wyalusing, near the residence of the Widow Buck, and lived there four years. He also lived a short time on Lime hill. He settled in Tuscarora, on the farm owned by Stephen Lyon. At this time there was nothing but a foot-path over the hill. His wife was Miriam Town, a sister of Joseph C. Town. She died in 1819, and was the first person who died on the hill, and the first person buried in the burying-ground near Mr. Lyon's.

The two brothers, John and William Clink, came in 1814 to Spring Hill.

Benjamin Hurlbut came to the Wyalusing creek in 1803. He was a miller, and was employed in Gordon's, and afterward in Town's, mill. He came to the hill in 1805 or 1806, his brother Amos coming with him.

Stephen Beeman came in 1809, and began a clearing a mile below the Sisson place, where Oliver Warner lived; resided there until death. . Alpheus and Daniel Lewis Crawford, brothers, came from Connecticut and settled at East Spring Hill about 1829. David Lacey came about the same time. The father of the Crawfords came to Wyoming at an early day.

Emanuel Silvara came from Portugal. When a lad he secreted himself on a vessel bound for the United States, and was discovered when a short distance from port. On landing in America the captain sold him for three years to pay for his passage. He served his time, after which he married and came to East Spring Hill about 1839. He bought the Crawford's farm, and though to a great extent ignorant of our language and destitute of all advantages of education, he accumu- lated a fine property. The little village which has sprung up about the place where the old mansion was built is called Silvara in his honor. He reared a large and respectable family.

Burrows Dowdney was from New Jersey, and lived at the mills. Some time after Abial Keeney bought Dowdney's farm, and the latter removed from the town. David Dare was a relative of Dowdney's, and Dare's sister was the wife of George Smith. . Jacob Huff was a native of Germany, and emigrated therefrom to this country about the time hostilities commenced between the mother country and the Colonies. He enlisted in the service of the latter, and was engaged in the battles of Long Island, White Plains, Brandywine and others. He lived where Milton Lewis resided. . Other early settlers were

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Daniel Merritt, on the place occupied by Martin Lyon ; Moses Rowley, where the Gartlands lived ; Richards and Starks.

The first sawinill was built about 1820, by Ludd Gaylord, near the mouth of the creek where the present foundry is located. A gristmill was afterward built there. . The first white child born in the township was Marinda, a daughter, to Julius Cogswell, in 1811. The first death in the town among the settlers was that of Oliver Sisson, in 1809. . The first marriage in the township was that of John Morley and Orilla Cogswell, in 1816. The ceremony was performed by Rev. John Hazzard, the first Methodist circuit preacher on the creek. The first regular religious services were held by this minister in 1813, in the house built by Oliver Sisson. . The first carriages were carts. The wheels were blocks sawed off of large logs, the blocks being from six to eight inches in thickness. These were facetiously called "Toad smashers."

CHAPTER LII. ULSTER TOWNSHIP.

HAT is now known as Ulster was originally called Sheshequin. When Gen. Spalding first settled in what is now called She- shequin, and built the first log cabin, he gave that name to his settle- ment, and for many years the two places were each called Sheshequin ; and, to distinguish one from the other, that on the west side of the river was named Old Sheshequin, and that on the east side, New Sheshequin. The new Sheshequin becoming much the more important place, at length threw off the qualifying term, and became simply Sheshequin, while Old Sheshequin, after much discussion, and several different names having been proposed, at length took the name of both the Connecticut and Pennsylvania township, and, by the general acquiescence of the inhabitants, has retained the name which was assigned to it.

The present township known by this name is but a very small rem- nant of the one first organized as Ulster. The original township was about five miles from north to south, and about eighty from east to west; the present Ulster is a trifle greater distance from north to south, and not more than three miles from east to west. It is bounded by the Susquehanna on the east, North Towanda on the south, Smithfield on the west, and Athens on the north. Along the river are the plains usually found along the river, broken by high land between Ulster and Milan, and terminated on the south by the Ulster mountain. West of the river the land rises to a considerable height, Moore's hill being among the highest points of land in the county. The hills, though high, are not steep, and are susceptible of cultivation to their

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very summits, and good crops are raised by the thrifty farmers whose farms cover their rugged sides.

Early Settlers .- Settlers came into Ulster about the same time that Col. Spalding and others went into Shesequin, 1783 and 1784. A number of them were from Wyoming, and came about the same time, if they did not come together. Of these may be mentioned, as one of the pioneers, Capt. Benjamin Clark, who was among the very first to build a house on the " town-plat " of Wilkes-Barre, having emigrated from Tolland county, Conn. He was a corporal in the First Independent Com- pany of Wyoming, under Capt. Robert Durkee, and served seven years in the Revolutionary War. In the battle of Mud Fort, the man in front of him had his head shot off by a cannon-ball. He was one of the ·detachment sent for the relief of Wyoming after the fatal battle, and was in the army of Gen. Sullivan, which devastated the Indian country in 1779. For his services he received a pension of $96 per year. Subse- quently he was appointed a captain in the militia, and was known by old settlers as Capt. Clark. After peace, Capt. Clark remained in Wyoming one year. In the spring of 1784 he moved to the place now called Frenchtown, and the year after came up to Ulster, built a log house on the bank of the river, and moved his family into it in the spring of 1785; a tenement building on the Ross farm now marks the site of Capt. Clark's first house. It will be remem- bered, an unusually severe rain fell in October, 1786, causing an unusual rise in the river called the " Pumpkin freshet." Capt. Clark's house stood on the low flat near the river. The water began to rise rapidly, the family became alarmed and fled to the hills, and Mr. Clark commenced moving his goods from the house; and so rap- idly did the water rise, that across a low place between his house and the hillside, where was dry ground when he went for his last load of goods, he was compelled to swim his oxen on the return. Although soaked with water, the family had no shelter for their heads from the storm on that chilly October night. The water came up to the eaves of the house, but the building resisted the force of the current, and after the flood subsided the family moved back into it. Capt. Clark died in Ulster, August 9, 1834, aged eighty-seven years.

Adrial Simons came from Connecticut about the same time as Capt. Clark, and occupied the farm now owned by Mr. VanDyke and Adolphus Watkins. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, was taken prisoner by the British in one of the battles fought in the vicin- ity of New York, and was for a long time confined in one of the prison ships in Long Island sound, where he suffered untold hardships from the confinement, hunger, cold and filth, which gave those float- ing dens such an unenviable notoriety.

Solomon Tracy lived in the lower part of Ulster, on the farm now owned by Mr. Mather. He was born in Litchfield county, Conn., January 1, 1756. His wife was Mary Wells, born in Southold, on Long Island, March 5, 1765; was a sister to Gen. Henry Wells, for whom Wellsburg, in New York, and Wells township, in Bradford county were named. Hon. Henry W. Tracy, a son of Capt. Solomon, says : " My oldest sister was born October 19, 1787. When she was

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History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 56

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