History of Erie county, Pennsylvania. Containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, villages schools, churches, industries, etc, Part 84

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902; Whitman, Benjamin, 1940-; Russell, N. W. (Nathaniel Willard); Brown, R. C. (Robert C.); Weakley, F. E; Warner, Beers & Co. (Chicago, Ill.)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : Warner, Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1280

USA > Pennsylvania > Erie County > History of Erie county, Pennsylvania. Containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, villages schools, churches, industries, etc > Part 84

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NORTH EAST TOWNSHIP.

within a radius of perhaps a mile from the public park, with the exception of those on Twenty Mile Creek. Most of the mills use steam and water. Be- sides the establishments named above, E. Scouller and Dr. Porter have ware- houses on the railroad, just across the borough line, for handling grain, coal, lime, etc. There is also a cheese factory at Grahamville (started in 1881) and a saw and heading mill at the State line. The township contains three brick yards, two of which are managed respectively by Gen. Kilpatrick and John Kane, on the Francis Brawley farm, now owned by Sampson Short, two miles and a half west of the borough; and the third, near the borough, is owned by Dyer Loomis. The paper mill was established by Steele, Judd & Easton in 1833, and, after passing into the hands of William L. Hall, was burned in 1838. It was immediately re-built by John Scouller and Chauncy Easton, the former of whom soon purchased his partner's interest. Mr. Scouiler sold the mill in 1853 to James S. Johnson, who was the victim of another fire on the 16th of August, 1881, which almost totally destroyed the property. By July 2, 1872, Mr. Johnson had the mill running again on a more extensive scale than ever, but in re-building he became involved, and the low prices set- ting in at the same time, was obliged to succumb to the financial pressure. The mill was sold to Cochran & Young, of Erie, who ran it until January 1, 1883, when it passed into the hands of West, Swaney & Jackson, of Pitts- burgh. These gentlemen failed, and the mill now belongs to the estate of Cochran & Young.

THE GRAPE CULTURE.

The culture of grapes was commenced in North East Township about 1850, by Messrs. Hammond & Griffith, who planted their first vineyard in the vicinity of Jones' grist mill. It was soon discovered that the soil and climate were pecu- liarly favorable to the growth of this luscious fruit, and the small beginning of thirty years ago has developed until there are thousands of acres under cultivation in the township. The South Shore Wine Company was formed in 1869. They built a large cellar on the road between the borough and lake, and have done an extensive business in shipping grapes and making wine. J. & C. Mottier have a smaller winery near by, and Alonzo Butt has another, about a mile and a half northeast of the borough. Most of the vineyards are north of the borough. on the fertile land between Sixteen and Twenty Mile Creeks. The grapes are shipped to all parts of the North, but the bulk of them are sold in Erie and the oil region. Besides the grape culture, the township has become an important berry, fruit, melon and vegetable growing region. A good deal of trucking is done for the Erie and oil country markets. The principal truckers are the Mottiers, Butts, McCords and McGaugheys. In the vicinity of the vineyards, and near the bank of the lake, is the Lake View House, which was at one period a promising summer resort. It is a large four-story building, surrounded by beautiful grounds and in a charming location. The enterprise was started by H. S. Southard in 1875. The villages of the town- ship are Northville, Freeport and Grahamville. Northville is the only post office.

VILLAGES.

Freeport, at the mouth of Sixteen Mile Creek, a mile and a half north of the borough, though now nothing more than a straggling collection of houses, was once expected to become a lake port of considerable magnitude. When the Population Company established their headquarters at Colt's Station, their supplies were first received mainly by boat from Buffalo and landed at Free- port. To transport these goods, the first road in the county-with the excep- tion of the old French road-was opened from Freeport to Greenfield in 1797,

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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY.

which a year afterward was extended to Watteburg. The road followed generally the same route as the one which now runs from the depot at North East, southward to French Creek. Quite a trade was done at Freeport till 1802, when the removal of the company's headquarters to Erie suspended the lake traffic. Afterward it did some business as a lumber port, but this did not last long. Capt. Freeman Judd built a small vessel at Freeport, with which he touched at the harbor as necessity required till 1834 or 1835, when the commerce of the port ceased, and has never been renewed. The village con- sists at present of a wagon shop, saw mill, turning and table factory and fifteen or twenty buildings. It is something of a fishing place and several families are supported by the fisheries. The first foundry in Erie County was established at Freeport in 1824, by Philetus Glass and others, for the manu- facture of cast iron plows.

The village of Northville is mainly in New York, but the post office and church are in Pennsylvania. The place embraces a store, hotel, cooper shop, wagon shop, blacksmith shop, schoolhouse and twenty or thirty dwellings. The Buffalo road passes through, and the town is a station on the Lake Shore and Nickel Plate Railroads. The Methodist Episcopal Church at Northville ie the only one in the township outside of North East Borough. It ie at least sixty years old, and in ite early existence was an appointment on North East Circuit and of the other circuits of which North East, Wattsburg and Ripley were parts. Since Ripley Circuit was formed, this appointment has been on that circuit. Among the early members of Northville Church were, Jacob Pier and wife, Mre. Crocker, Phoebe Myers (now Mrs. Taylor) and Benjamin Lawrence and wife; the latter was Class Leader in 1833. The first church building was erected in 1841, and the present one in 1880. Prior to 1841, the society wor- shiped in a school house on the York State side. The graveyard attached to the church has been in existence many years.

The little settlement of Grahamville, at the cross-roads, about three and a half miles southeast of the borough, was founded by Samuel Graham, who came from Centre County in 1800, his brothers James and Ebenezer locating at the same time in Summit Township. A tannery was established there in 1835 by Robert Graham, a saw mill by James Graham in the same year, an ashery by E. N. Fuller in 1842, and a distillery, wagon shop and blacksmith shop some time between 1830 and the latter year. The place was at the height of its prosperity from 1842 to 1846, when, for some reason, it began to run down, the store being closed in 1847, and the ashery and distillery soon after. It consists at present of a schoolhouse (in which religious services are some- times held), a cheese factory, blacksmith shop, wagon shop, about fifteen houses, and fifty or seventy-five inhabitants.

CEMETERIES.

North East Township contains three regularly incorporated cemeteries, be- sides the graveyard at Northville and one near the woolen mill. The one known as the North East Cemetery, which is used by the borough and township in common, occupies high ground on the west bank of Sixteen Mile Creek, along the Buffalo road, a short distance west of the borough limits. The cemetery company was incorporated April 15, 1882. Twelve and one-half acres were purchased from the heirs of P. S. V. Hamot, to which five acres were added that had been used as a burial ground for fifty years. The cemetery of the Phillipsville Burial Ground Association is on the Henry Wolf farm, about two and a half miles east of the borough, along the Buffalo road. Although there has been a graveyard on the site for forty years, the management was never

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NORTH EAST TOWNSHIP.

regularly incorporated until 1863. Mrs. Buel Phillips, wife of the donor, was the first person buried there. Her death took place in 1822. The Grahamville Burying Ground Association was incorporated in the spring of 1879. The society's grounds are on the road from North East to Grahamville, near H. D. Taber's. The site has been used as a graveyard for forty-three years.

SCHOOLS.

In the western part of the township, located about a half mile north of the present track of the Lake Shore Railroad, was what was known as the Hilde- brand house, in which school was taught about the year 1911 by Betsy MeCray. In the same building Joseph Townsley taught. Not long after this (about 1814), a log schoolhouse was built eighty or one hundred rods south of the above-named site, in which the first school was taught by Joseph Neeley. Other early teachers in this building were Miss Eleanor Lawhead (who subsequently married a Moorhead), Charles Brown, a Mr. Stearns, Henry Neeley and George Hampson. This was up to about 1820. In the early history of the township, the children residing east of the " gulf," in the northeastern portion of the town- ship, attended school in New York State. An early school was taught not far from the State line in a building vacated by James Taylor. A schoolhouse was built probably one mile from the line in York State as early as 1816. Ebenezer Poorman taught in these houses. About one mile southwest of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Northville, in what was known as the Orton District, a schoolhouse was erected, in which school was opened in the winter of 1832-33 by James Taylor, now of North East Borough, which was most likely the first school established in the northeastern part of the township, west of the New York State line. Mr. Taylor taught a school in the Belknap Dis- trict, about one and one-half miles south of the Orton School, in the winter of 1833-34. The township maintains at present seventeen schools, and the school term consists of four months in the summer and four in the winter. Below is a list of the buildings, with their locations: Gay, near the mouth of Twenty Mile Creek; Dewey, on the Butt road; Jones, near the woolen factory; Free- port, near Scouller's mill; McCord, on Lake road; Brawley, on the Buffalo road, west; Maple Grove, on S. C. Remington's farm; Orton, on the William E. Marvin farm; Law, near the borough, in the south; Gifford, on J. E. Will- iams' farm; Spooner, on B. P. Spooner's farm; Putnam, in Putnam settlement; Union, on Greenfield line; Adkins, in Adkins settlement; Bird, near the south- east corner of the township; Grahamville, at Grahamville; and Bingham, near B. Bingham's. The Freeport, Brawley, Maple Grove, Law, Gifford, Putnam and Bingham Schools are of brick; the rest are of frame. The Union school is maintained jointly by North East and Greenfield.

REV. CYRUS DICKSON.

Probably the best known name associated with North East Township is that. of Rev. Cyrus Dickson, for many years the famous Secretary of the Board of Home Missions of the Presbyterian Church of the United States. He was. one of the most eloquent pulpit orators in the country, and his reputation was. as extended as the Union. His grandfather, James Dickson, was a Captain in the Revolutionary war. Removing after the close of the war from the Mohawk Valley, where his father had first settled, he made his home for a time in Westmoreland County, Penn. Not satisfied there, he came with his family, in 1801, to Erie County, locating near the head-waters of French Creek. A few years afterward, his son William bought a farm in North East Township, near the lake, and there took up his residence. He married, after the death of his first

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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY.

wife, Christina, daughter of James and Catherine Moorhead; and in the log cabin of this uncleared farm was born, in 1816, Cyrus Dickson-destined to become one of the most distinguished sons of the Presbyterian Church. He completed his college course at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1857; taught for a year or two, first in Girard, Erie County, and then near Prince- ton, N. J .- at the same time studying theology and attending lectures at the seminary at the latter place. After the usual examinations, he was licensed in 1839 by the Presbytery of Erie to preach the Gospel. Within a few months he became settled in his first pastorate at Franklin, Penn.

BOROUGH OF NORTH EAST.

The borough of North East is very nearly in the center of the township, be- tween its eastern and western lines, about a mile and a half south from the lake. It stands upon the highest ground of the lake shore plain, and is sur- rounded by one of the most beautiful and fertile sections of Erie County. It is an important station on the Lake Shore and Nickel Plate Railroads, fifteen miles east of Erie and seventy-three west of Buffalo. The Lake Shore road forms the southern boundary line of the borough and the Buffalo road is its main street. A branch of Sixteen Mile Creek runs entirely through the place, and the main stream touches its south western edge, affording water-power to a number of mills and factories. North East is justly regarded as one of the most pleasant and enterprising towns in the county. It has good church build- ings and supports excellent schools. It has a number of elegant private resi- dences, and some of its stores are upon a scale that would do credit to a larger place. It is the center of a large manufacturing interest, and its mercantile establishments embrace almost every line of trade.

The land covered by the borough was purchased from the State by a man named Brown, who sold it in 1804 to an Eastern speculator by the name of Gibson. The earliest dwelling within the borough limits was a log cabin, built by William Dundas, a little to the east of the Presbyterian parson- age. In this modest abode the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was admin- istered for the first time in Erie County according to the Protestant form, on Sunday, the 27th of September, 1801. The Dundas property was sold in 1806 to Henry Burgett, who converted it into a tavern, and occupied it as such for many years. A more pretentious tavern was erected in 1808, by Lemuel Brown, grandfather of Gen. H. L. Brown, of Erie city, on the site of the present Haynes House. Previous to the ventures of Burgett and Brown, a tavern had been kept by George Lowrey, near the park. The first store was opened in 1816, by Alexander McCloskey, in a building on Main street, at the foot of Vine, which was long since destroyed. By degrees a village sprung up around the taverns, which received the title of Burgettstown, after Henry Burgett, the landlord. In 1819 the name was changed to Gibsonville, in honor of the man who owned most of the property, and donated the park. It was known by that title until the 27th of February, 1834, when the village was incorporated as the borough of North East. The original limits were extended in 1852, so that they are now about a mile in length by a little more than half a mile in breadth. The population by the United States census was 339 in 1840, 387 in 1850, 952 in 1860, 902 in 1870, and 1,396 in 1880. The Bur- gettstown Post Office was established May 10, 1812, and the name has been changed twice to suit the varying appellations of the town.

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NORTH EAST TOWNSHIP.

By the assessment of 1883, the real estate in the borough was valued at $526,025; the number of cows was 51, and of horses and oxen 141; their value was $13,075; the valuation of trades and occupations was $118, 450, and $78,961 were reported as drawing interest.

RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.

The churches of North East are seven in number, as follows: Presbyterian, Methodist Episcopal, Baptist, St. Paul's Lutheran, St. Gregory's Catholic, German Evangelical, and Mission of the Holy Cross (Episcopal). The Pres- byterian society, the oldest religious organization in Erie County, was founded in 1801, as " The Church of Lower Greenfield," in the house of William Dun- das (which was afterward converted into Burgett's tavern), by Revs. McCurdy, Satterfield, Tait and Boyd, who were sent out as missionaries from the Ohio and Redstone Presbyteries. Thomas Robinson and John McCord were ordained as the first Elders. Services were held in the woods and in the barn or tan bark house of Joseph McCord till 1804, when a log church building was erected upon a tract of five acres, given for the purpose by Henry Hurst, which is now occupied as a part of the North East Cemetery. A Sabbath school was established, and a day school was also maintained in connection with the church. In; 1818, the congregation commenced the erection of a new frame building nearly in the center of the present park, which had been donated by Mr. Gibson, for public and religious use, and finished it in 1822. In 1832, fifty-eight members separated from the congregation and were constituted a church at Harbor Creek, leaving the original society 105 strong. The present building-a large, handsome brick-was completed in 1860, at a cost of about $9,000, and the old edifice in the park was torn down in 1862. The first regular minister was Rev. Robert Patterson, who was ordained as pastor of the churches of Upper and Lower Greenfield. His ordination took place September 1, 1802. His pastoral relation was dissolved by his own request April 22, 1807. From the date of his departure a long interval ensued, in which the church was without a regular pastor, with the exception of Rev. Mr. McPherson, who was employed for six months in 1812. In 1815-16, Rev. Mr. Eaton was engaged for one-fourth of his time, the rest being spent at Erie and Fairview. Rev. Mr. Ely officiated half of his time for six months in 1823. Rev. Cyrus J. Hunter, present incumbent, took charge of the congrega- tion July 16, 1880.

The Methodist Episcopal congregation was organized in 1812, with ten members, by Rev. Thomas Branch, a missionary from Connecticut. The orig- inal members were Tristam Brown, George Culver, John Russell and two others, with their wives. For ten years this small congregation was with- out a house of worship. In 1822, a brick building was erected on the eastern side of the park, facing the south. The present edifice was built in 1852 at a cost of $3,000, and the old one was torn down the same year. Rev. James Watts was the first pastor, and Rev. W. W. Woodworth, 1881-82-83.

The first Baptist society occupied a small log structure in the eastern part of the township. In 1832, a new congregation was organized, and erected a building on the Buffalo road, about two miles east of the borough in 1833. This society ceased to exist about 1850. A third congregation was established, through the efforts of Rev. Zebina Smith, in 1858. The present church build- ing was put up in 1859, and a Sabbath schoolroom was added in 1870. The Rev. Mr. Smith served the church as pastor about two years. The pastors have since been L. Rathburn, Mr. Weatherby, Mr. Husted, William Dunbar, M. Tennant, Theodore Leonard, J. C. Ward, H. N. Cornish and Charles Par- son, the present incumbent. The church membership is now about 125.

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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY.

St. Paul's German Evangelical Church was organized in 1864, by Rev. P. Brandt, who served as pastor of this mission in connection with the charge at Farnbam, N. Y., until April, 1866. He was succeeded by Rev. H. Kanold, who served the two appointments until November, 1867. Then for one year the congregation had supplies only. St. Paul's became a separate charge in 1868, and the first pastor was Rev. E. J. Flickenstein, who entered upon his duties in October, 1868, and left the pastorate in September, 1872. Rev. E. Leemhuis, the present pastor. was his successor, entering upon the duties of his position in November, 1872. The church building was erected in 1867. Present voting membership, about eighty, principally the heads of families.

St Gregory's Catholic Church was erected about the year 1866. For years prior to this, the Catholic families had been visited by priests from Dunkirk and occasionally from Erie. In July, 1870, Father F. Riordy, the present pastor. entered upon his duties as pastor of this parish in connection with the one at Girard. The church as first erected was a mere shell of a building, which has under Father Riordy's efficient pastorate been greatly remodeled and improved until the buildding is now a very neat, substantial and pretty one. A parsonage adjoins the church and is the property of the congrega- tion Father Riordy's predecessor was Father Madigan. The membership is composed of about fifty families.

The German Church of the Evangelical Association of North America was organized in 1870, yet preaching had been held occasionally for several years prior to this time, the Rev. Louis Wilt, of Westfield, N. Y., officiating. The corner stone of the present neat frame building on Division street was laid October 2, 1870, and the church completed and dedicated January 15, 1871; sermon by Rev. Louis Wilt. Mr. Wilt remained with the charge about two years after the building was dedicated, when he was succeeded by Rev. Jacob Long. He was succeeded by Rev. P. Klantz. Mr. Klantz's successor was Rev. Nathan Yoder, who was succeeded by Rev. John Honecker, the present pastor, in March, 1880. Present membership, eighty.

The Episcopal Mission of the Holy Cross was organized in 1872. The society placed a neat building under roof during the season of 1879, which in due time was completed and is an imposing structure. The mission was supplied by Revs. McConnell, Mckay, Tongue and Newman, during the years ending with 1876. Rev. J. Melville Benedict was installed on Advent, 1877. He left early in 1881, and was succeeded by Rev. J. H. Burton April 1 of the same year, who is still rector of the parish.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND COLLEGE.

A day school was taught in the old log meeting house, above referred to, soon after the year 1804, which was maintained until about 1817, when a log schoolhouse was built and stood not far from the center of the park. This was the regular school for the vicinity, and among the teachers who taught in it were John Brown, Miss Leech and Miss Riddle. In 1824, the present Academy grounds were purchased and a small brick building erected, in which Rev. Miles Doolittle taught as early as 1826. In 1818, a summer school was taught in the office of Dr. Dunlap, the site being just in front of the present house of E. Scouller, Esq.

The next village schoolhouse was a larger frame building, erented in 1844, on the site of the brick house, at a cost of $3,000, raised by subscription. This was replaced by the present school building of four apartments, erected in 1878 at a cost of $10,000. We should have mentioned above that among the teachers in the brick house, built in 1824, were Dyer Loomis, Mr. Chambers

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NORTH EAST TOWNSHIP.

and A. S. Moss. The public schools of North East are excellent. In 1878, F. N. Thorpe, Ph. D., was chosen as Principal and Superintendent, and at that time they became graded. Scholars are here prepared for college. The first commencement exercises were held in 1881, when a class of seven were gradu- ated. There are now enrolled 348 scholars, under the care of the Principal and five lady assistants. In the old frame building, such educators as Profs. Post, Armstrong and Stewart taught. Mr. Armstrong was the first County Superintendent. Mr. Thorpe is still Principal of the schools, and the present Board of Education is B. C. Town, S. S. Hammond, Norman Clark, Ezra Scouller, D. D. Dewey and E. K. Nason. B. C. Town is President and S. S. Hammond, Secretary.

The Lake Shore Seminary was established at North East in 1870, occupy- ing a stately four-story brick building on the highest knoll in the vicinity. While not denominational in its teachings, it was, to a certain extent, under the control of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Among its professors were J. P. Mills in 1872, L. T. Kirke in 1875-76, and H. U. Johnson in 1879-80. The seminary did not prosper and the buildings and grounds were sold at Sheriff's sale to the People's Savings Institution of North East. The bank in turn sold the property about February 1, 1881, for $10,000, to the Redemption- ist Fathers of Annapolis, Md. It was dedicated as St. Mary's College August 2, 1881, and is used as a preparatory school for young men intending to enter the Catholic priesthood.

HOTELS, BANKS, ETC.

The hotele of North East are the Brawley House, built in 1833; the Haynes House, in 1852-53, and the Palace Hotel, by Sampson Short, in 1877. They are all well kept, and have a liberal patronage. The Palace Hotel is probably the finest public house in the county outside of Erie. The first hotel-or more properly, tavern-in the borough, as before stated, was opened by George Lowry, the second by Henry Burgett, the third by Lemuel Brown, and the fourth by the latter's son, Hiram L., who erected the house lately owned by Miss Davi- son for that purpose. In course of time, the two Browns almost monopolized the tavern business of the town. Hiram L. eventually purchased the Eagle Hotel at the corner of State street and the northeast side of the Park in Erie. It burnt down and he erected another house on its site, which was known as Brown's Hotel until its purchase by Col. Ellsworth, when the name was changed to the Ellsworth House. The father of B. F. Sloan, of Erie, at one time kept a hotel in North East opposite the Brawley House.

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History of Erie county, Pennsylvania. Containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, villages schools, churches, industries, etc, Part 84

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902; Whitman, Benjamin, 1940-; Russell, N. W. (Nathaniel Willard); Brown, R. C. (Robert C.); Weakley, F. E; Warner, Beers & Co. (Chicago, Ill.) Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago : Warner, Beers & co. Number of Pages: 1280

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902; Whitman, Benjamin, 1940-; Russell, N. W. (Nathaniel Willard); Brown, R. C. (Robert C.); Weakley, F. E; Warner, Beers & Co. (Chicago, Ill.)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : Warner, Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1280