USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > Nanticoke > History of Hanover Township : including Sugar Notch, Ashley, and Nanticoke boroughs : and also a history of Wyoming Valley, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania > Part 13
USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > Ashley > History of Hanover Township : including Sugar Notch, Ashley, and Nanticoke boroughs : and also a history of Wyoming Valley, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania > Part 13
USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > Sugar Notch > History of Hanover Township : including Sugar Notch, Ashley, and Nanticoke boroughs : and also a history of Wyoming Valley, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania > Part 13
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*Gov. Hoyt.
-
14I
WYOMING.
the conflagrations of their dwellings and barns, and the repeated massacre of their people-men, women, and children-by savage hordes, all these combined could not destroy or weaken the tenacity with which they clung to their lands. Those who escaped the tomahawk and scalping knife had come back over and over again from their places of refuge. The invincible, indestructible com- munity persevered in its contest against all odds, and no power, civilized or barbarian, could root it out."*
THE VALUE OF LANDS IN WYOMING PREVIOUS TO SETTLEMENT OF TITLE.
Mr. Miner says :- "I will briefly state the sums paid for lots in Wilkes-Barre in the year 1772-3, no later record of deeds before the war, having rewarded my research.
"July 6, 1772, Silas Gore sells to Jonathan Stowell of Ashford, Connecticut, for consideration of twenty pounds lawful money- $66.6613-one whole settling right in the township of Wilkes- Barre.
"The burying-ground lot, of near four acres, was bought in 1772 for £9 10s=$31.67."
"March 28, 1774, Elisha Blackman, of Wilkes-Barre, sells to Alexander Lock of same place, one quarter right of lot in Wilkes- Barre No. 32, for £2 14s. Connecticut currency=$9.00. In- dorsed on outside, 'deed left for record by Wm. Stewart, April 6, 1799.' Recorded in D. B. 6, page 133."-Westmoreland Records.
Sept. 5, 1775, Jabez Fish, of Wilkes-Barre, sells to Darius Spaf- ford, lot of about 24 acres, on the south-west side Main road, in Wilkes-Barre, part of the first division meadow lot, for a considera- tion of £47 Ios. Connecticut currency=$158.3313. Recorded in Westmoreland Book of Records, pages 478 and 479, on Jan. 24, 1776.
Aug. 3, 1801, Elisha Blackman, administrator of estate of Darius Spafford, deceased, sells to Eleazer Blackman, part of lot No. 30, in third division in Wilkes-Barre, bounded north by the Main road, east by lands of heirs of Robert Durkee, south by lands of heirs of Robert Durkee, on the west by lands of Aziel Dana, containing about forty acres, consideration £38 Pennsyl- vania currency=$101.3373.
*Upham-Life of Timothy Pickering.
142
HISTORY OF HANOVER.
Thus far the history of Hanover has been the history of Wyo- ming. They could not be separated so as to give an outline of the history of the times for Hanover alone, for the leaders in Hanover were, much of the time, the leaders of all the settlers in all the settlements, and their acts were the acts of all; but it has been the intention and endeavor in this; book to write nothing that was not directly or indirectly connected with Hanover. (Some matters in the preliminary chapter may be considered a long ways off; but, it should be, or ought to be, admitted that the history of any country or part should begin with the very first traditionary story of its people, its discovery, and from there trace its way down to historical times, and on to the present.) Her neighbors had her assistance always, as she had theirs, in any endeavors made to cap- ture an enemy, or defeat him, or to recapture and rescue any of their people or property that had been taken prisoners or plundered by the Indians or tories.
Hanover was not one of the most populous of the five townships, but she took a leading part in those stirring and dangerous times, those terrible times of Indian massacre, murder, captivity and plunder, because she had a number of leaders by nature among her population; though every man among them was a working man and had to raise his own food and clothing from the ground with his own hands or hunt it in the woods. They were all farmers and all worked with their own hands, upon their farms which they themselves had made by clearing the land of its original woods, trees and brush, and fencing and tilling the ground. And they loved that land.
" Westmoreland (including Wayne and Pike counties) in 1781, contained 1 14 males from 21 to 70, and 26 males from 16 to 21, making 140; quadruple this and we shall have 560 inhabitants, for all the county of Westmoreland three years after the battle and massacre of Wyoming." -- Miner. This was one year before the Decree of Trenton, and the same length of time before the State of Pennsylvania undertook to drive them out of the State by force.
The Pennsylvania legislature set out in 1783 by outlawing the people of Wyoming. It sent its soldiers and most treacherous officers here to drive them out. They did; but the very sufferings of the expelled people forced the government to call them back
143
WYOMING.
again, and it finally compelled the government of the State to treat them as citizens of the State, though they were charged treble for their land.
For many years their lands were assessed as first, second, third and fourth class, and valued as the commissioners (who had sur- veyed and certified them) had valued them. Then for many more years they were assessed as,-tillable land=$12.00 per acre,-un- tillable land=$2.50 per acre. Now, 1885, all the land underlaid with coal is assessed at $100.00 and at $75.00 without regard to its being tillable or untillable.
"Luzerne county was carved out of Northumberland county in 1786.
"Northumberland was erected out of parts of Lancaster, Cumber- land, Berks, Bedford and Northampton counties in 1772. Luzerne was therefore, a part of Northampton until 1772, then a part of Northumberland till 1786.
" Wayne and Pike were never a part of Luzerne, but were cut off from Northampton in . 1798. They had been part of Westmoreland.
"Susquehanna county was carved out of Luzerne in 1810.
"Bradford
" 1810.
"Wyoming "
"Lackawanna
‹‹ «
" 1842.
" 1878.
"The first three counties in the State were Philadelphia, Chester and Bucks, formed in 1682.
"Northampton formed from part of Bucks, March 11, 1752.
"Wayne formed from part of Northampton, March 21, 1798.
"Pike formed from part of Wayne, March 26, 1814.
"Monroe formed from parts of Northampton and Pike, April I, . 1836."
Rep. Secty. Internal Affairs 1874-5-pp. 32-3.
1
CHAPTER VIII.
HANOVER TOWNSHIP.
CHE è HE exact time when Hanover was first settled is not known. It was, of course, taken possession of in a general way, by the first hundred men that came as settlers into the valley in February and April, 1769, and some cultivation of land was probably done within its bounds in the upper end. A step-daughter of Matthias Hollenback related many years afterwards, that Hollenback, a member of Captain Lazarus Stewart's company of forty men from Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, came into the valley with Stewart and his party by way of Mauch Chunk and the Warrior Path over the mountains into Hanover in the fall of 1769. We hear nothing further of them during that fall. They were driven out of the valley if they were here, by the Pennamites in September, 1769, with the rest of the Yankee settlers.
Early in February, 1770, Captain Stewart and his forty men, and having with them ten Connecticut people, came into the valley, surprised the Pennamite garrison in Fort Durkee, at Wilkes-Barre, and expelled them from the valley. He took the dreaded four- pounder from its housing at Mill Creek, with its ammunition, and transported it to Fort Durkee. The list of the names of the forty Lancastrians that Captain Stewart had with him at this time is as follows :-
The "Paxtang" or "Paxton Boys" that came with Captain Lazarus Stewart to Wyoming valley and Hanover in February, 1770 :-*
Lazarus Stewart, Adam Storer,
George Aspen,
Thomas French, Jacob Stagard,
John Lard,
Robert Young,
George Ely,
John McDonnell,
James Stewart,
Lodwick Shalman, George Meane,
*Steuben Jenkins furnished this list and the succeeding letter.
145
HANOVER TOWNSHIP.
Lazarus Stewart, Jr.,
Joseph Neal,
Nicholas Farrings,
William Young,
John Neal,
Conrad Philip,
Peter Kidd,
Baltzer Stagard,
Casper Relker,
John Robinson,
John Stellie,
Jacob Faulk,
Thomas Robinson,
John McDonner,
John Sault,
John Simpson,
William Stewart,
Peter Szchewer,
Adam Harper,
Lazarus Young,
Robert Kidd,
Peter Seaman,
William Carpenter,
Ronemus Haine,
John Poop,
Luke Shawley,
Adam Sherer.
Matthew Hollenbaugh.
It will be seen, as we proceed, that all these men dropped out within one, or at most two years, except Lazarus Stewart, Lazarus Stewart, Jr., James Stewart, William Stewart, Robert Young, William Young, John Robinson and Thomas Robinson-eight- from Lancaster county, and their places were partly filled by Charles Stewart, David Young, John Young, James Robinson, Wm, Graham, John Donahow, Josias Aspia, Hugh Coffrin-eight- from Lancaster county, and John Franklin and Silas Gore-two- from Connecticut-making ten new men-altogether numbering eighteen.
The preliminary correspondence so far as we have it is as fol- lows :-
"COLONY OF CONNECTICUT, WINDHAM, January 15, 1770. "Gentlemen :-
"We received a letter some time ago, directed to Major John Durkee, wherein it was proposed by John Montgomery, Lazarus Young and others, that as we had been so unjustly treated in re- moving our settlers off from the Wyoming lands, that if we would give unto the said Montgomery, Young and their associates to the number of fifty, a township of land six miles square in our pur- chase, at some suitable and commodious place, that the said Mont- gomery, etc., to the number of fifty would immediately enter on our lands at Wyoming, take care of our houses and effects' and with our people that are there, and such as shall from time to time join them on said land, and hold possession of said lands with us. We have, with the advice of a large committee of s'd company, considered of s'd proposals and do in behalf of ourselves and the Susquehanna purchasers, agree to and with the said Montgomery, Young and their associates to the number of fifty, that they shall
10
146
HISTORY OF HANOVER.
have a good township of land of six miles square, within said pur- chase, invested with the same right to s'd township as the s'd company now have, and shall further promise to be laid out when it shall be convenient for the purposes aforesaid, and not so as to prejudice, but in aid of our settlers, that have already been on, and it is to be understood that the said Montgomery, Young, etc., are to become parcel of our s'd settlers, and be under the same regu- . lations with our settlers as such; and we have sent herewith two of our Proprietors as a com'tee, to treat with you on the affair, and go with you to Wyoming, to wit: Capt. Zebulon Butler and Mr. Ebenezer Backus, and to lay out said township as they and you shall agree if you think best, Capt. Butler to remain at Wyoming with you, Mr. Backus to return and bring us advice as soon as the circumstances of the case will permit. You may expect Major Durkee to join you as soon as his affairs will permit. And whereas many of the settlers will join you soon, we have a good deal of reason to expect success with our Assembly in May. Now as there are sundry things in favor of the Colony title that we have discovered lately we wish you good success in this and every lawful enterprise and are your sincere friends and very humble servants.
" ELIPHALET DYER,
"SAM'L GRAY,
"NATH'L WALES, JR.,
' Committee for said Company."
It is remarkable that "Captain Lazarus Stewart and William Stewart and their associates" are not mentioned in the above docu- ment. It is John Montgomery and Lazarus Young and their associates to the number of fifty. It is not known that Mont- gomery was ever here, but Lazarus Young certainly was. He was drowned while assisting in bringing mill-irons up the river.
There was some pretty sharp fighting during the months of March and April following, but the men sent by the Proprietary government were defeated, and on the 29th of April they left the valley.
Some of Captain Stewart's men seem to have had enough of it during this first campaign. One of his men was the first killed in the contest. His name is given as William Stager, but the name was probably Jacob or Baltzer Stagard. John McDonner sold his right or .claim in February and left. The men were constantly
1
147
HANOVER TOWNSHIP.
changing-some were probably badly wounded and retired; some were killed, some were drowned. New men were coming in and taking their places, but their number was diminishing. Land was now being surveyed, plotted and numbered preparatory to allot- ment, or division by lot. Farming went on swimmingly, when sud- denly in September, without any warning, they were all either cap- tured in their fields at work, or they escaped by fleeing to the moun- tain. They were taken by surprise by the Pennamites. The lead- ing Yankees that had been captured were sent to jail, and the · others driven out of the valley. A garrison was left in the fort to hold possession for the Proprietary government.
On the 18th of December, the same year, 1770, without any previous notice, suddenly in the night, "HURRAH FOR KING GEORGE," awoke the sleeping garrison of Pennamites to find them- selves prisoners, and Captain Lazarus Stewart with thirty men had possession of the fort. Six of the garrison escaped nearly naked to the mountain. The prisoners were unceremoniously expelled from the valley. Thus ended 1770.
· January 20, 1771, the Pennamites were before the fort in Wilkes- Barre in superior numbers; an assault was made and repulsed with 'loss of life to the Pennamites, but during the night Stewart abandoned the fort and took to the mountains. Early in April Capt. Stewart and Capt. Butler came back together, laid siege to the Pennamite forces in the fort, carried on their farming operations at the same time, repulsed all the efforts at relief by the Proprietary government, and by the 14th of August had the garrison starved into a surrender. This was the end of the first Pennamite and Yankee War. It had lasted nearly three years.
What further arrangement had been made between the Susque- hanna Company and Captain Stewart and his men up to this time is not known to the writer. There had, doubtless, been one of some kind, but circumstances were changing as well as men, and the company's arrangement with them had probably changed also. It is asserted that when Hanover was granted to Stewart and his forty associates, ten men were to be added to them, taken from the two hundred Yankees that had come on ahead of them in 1769,- that the number of proprietors of a township there- after --- with the exception of Kingston-was to be fifty,-Kingston
148
HISTORY OF HANOVER.
having been taken possession of by the first forty that came alone ahead of all the rest, was to continue the possession of the forty. 1
It will be seen that Hanover had in fact, at the time of the dis- tribution or allotment of the lands, only eighteen proprietors-"as- sociates"-but these eighteen had eighteen others- "hired men"-to make "not less than thirty-six settlers." And the town- ship was not six miles square, but only five, as was Wilkes-Barre and the others in the valley.
Hanover was divided into three divisions called first, second and third. Each of these divisions was cut up into thirty-one lots. Twenty-eight of these lots were apportioned among "Captain Lazarus Stewart and William Stewart and their associates," and three were given for public use. These lots in the first division were about forty-two rods wide and reached from the Susquehanna River, back five miles to the township line beyond the top of the Big Mountain, and contained about four hundred and thirty acres each. These were divided among the "associates" in 1771 or 1772.
The twenty-eight lots in the second division were divided among the very same men-with one additional associate-as the first division. If any had died, or sold out and gone away, since. the other division had been alloted, the heirs and successors drew in the allotment of this division in the name of the original owner or associate. Each of the associates had at least one lot in each of the divisions. The lots in the second division contained about fifty-five acres each and in the third division about one hundred and twenty acres each on an average-the latter divided or dis- tributed in 1787.
SETTLEMENT OF HANOVER-HANOVER RECORD.
"At a meeting of the Susquehannah company held by order of adjournment at Windham, January 9th, A. D. 1771 :-
"Voted, That the company taking into consideration the special services done this company by Capt. Lazarus Stewart, Wm. Stewart and others, their associates, in taking and regaining posses- sion for us on our purchase on Susquehannah river, that they and their associates shall have and be entitled to all the company's right to the Township they have chosen, called Hanover, unless they may
--
149
HANOVER TOWNSHIP.
be willing to admit some few others whome they esteme the most deserving, to come in for a share with them, Provided they keep and hold possession according to the former voates of said company.
"A true coppy, Test SAMUEL GRAY-Clark.
"A true coppy taken from a copy by me
"JAMES LASLEY-Clark."
"At a meeting of the Susquehannah company held at Windham by adjournment June 12th, 1771, Major Elijah Talkett, Moderator, Samuel Gray, Clark. Whereas, this company at thare meating held at Windham March the 13th, 1771, Voted, that it was necessary and best for the interest of this company to regain and hold possession of our settlements at Wyoming and in order thereto it was voted that those 540 settlers formerly voted, as also those settlers to whome the Township of Hanover was granted, should go forward and take the Possession of our lands at Wyoming by the first day of June instant; and at the meeting of the company in April last it was voted and agreed further to suspend entering the s'd land till the adjourned meeting held at Hartford, May the 15th last, which meeting by adjournment comes to this time, it is now adjudged necessary best and voted that the said 540 settlers immediately go forward and take the possession of our lands at Wyoming and hold the same according to the former voates of this company at their meetings held at Windham in March and April last, and that they be on said lands by the 10th day of July next.
" Whereas, it is probable that some of the settlers will fail of going on and taking Possession of thare settling rights according to the voats of this Company, and some others have forfited thare settling rights by unfaithfulness, and it will be necessary to fill up the said number to 540 settlers, it is now voated that the Company of settlers when thay have got the Possession of said lands, either by themselves or a committee by them chosen, shall have full power to admit new settlers upon such forfited rights and fill the said number up if good, able and faithful men shall offer themselves, and if any Person or Persons shall be agrieved at the doings of said company of settlers or if such committee as they shall appoint respecting the disposal of 'any such forfited right or rights they
150
HISTORY OF HANOVER.
shall have liberty to lay such a grievance before this company at. some futer meating, to be determined by this company at such futer meating.".
"A true coppy Test SAM'L GRAY, Clark. . .
"Taken from a coppy by me. JAMES LASLEY, Clark."
These 540 settlers for Wyoming formed too large a force for the Pennsylvania Proprietaries to contend with, and the war was not renewed till 1775 in the Plunkett invasion.
"Proprietors' Meeting, Wilkes-Barre, Oct. 19, 1772. Capt. Zeb- ulon Butler, Moderator for ye work of ye day.
"Voted, That Capt. Lazarus Stewart and William Stewart are deserving the town of Hanover, agreeably to the votes passed at the general meeting of the Proprietors of the Susquehanna Co., held at Windham, Jan. 9, 1771."
The writer has been unable to learn that anything was ever paid the Susquehanna Company for the lands in Hanover except the ser- vice of driving the Pennamites from the valley. The lots were probably divided out to each man in proportion to the service he had thus rendered. Capt. Stewart had six lots in the first division, Lazarus Stewart, Jr., two-Wm. Stewart three-Thomas Robinson two-Wm. Young two, then one lot each to the other thirteen men; total twenty-eight lots without counting the three public lots.
In the second division it is the same, except that Capt. Lazarus Stewart has only five lots and Elijah Inman-a new man-has one.
ALLOTMENT OF LANDS IN HANOVER.
"'Thus' says Cooper, 'in Hanover, one part of the township was marked out and divided among the settlers at an early day, or stage, of the settlement.
"'A second division was made 8 June, 1776.
"A third division was made 12 Sept., 1787.'
"The owners of these settling rights sometimes sold out before all the divisions were made; sometimes they sold one division and retained the rest, etc., etc .- sometimes the undivided share was sold and the divided land retained, etc., etc."*
At what particular date these lots in the first division of Han- over were divided or allotted among the associates is not now known, but it was sometime between 1771 and 1772, and it was
*Steuben Jenkins,
HANOVER TOWNSHIP.
151
probably in 1772. Silas Gore was one of the Stewart " associates,'' and it is assumed by the writer that he could not be one of them and at the same time own a settling right in another township, with the obligation to man and defend it. Well, Silas Gore owned a whole settling right in Wilkes-Barre in 1772. On July 6, 1772, he sold it to Jonathan Stowell .* Now it is assumed that after this he joined Capt. Stewart's associates. As early as Dec. 22, 1782, we find David Young, another of the Stewart associates, sells to Thomas . Robinson, also a Stewart associate, lot No. 7-1 Div. Hanover. 13 Oct. 1774. Ebenezer Hibbard to Edward Spencer, lot No. 10-1 Div., 400 acres. July 1, 1775, Silas Gore sells part of lot No. 28-1 Div. Hanover, to Samuel Ensign. These lots were allotted to Young and John Robinson and Gore when the division was made. This is pretty good evidence that the division was made in 1772 and after July 6, and before December 22. First, because Gore could not have owned a "settling right" in Wilkes- Barre and at the same time have been one of the associate owners of
. Hanover; second, because a part of lot 7 in Hanover was sold 22d Dec., 1772, and must have been previously allotted; third, they were not allotted before Gore joined the associates.
"A list of Capt. Lazarus Stewart and William Stewart's asso- ciates, and their names, and numbers of their lots :-
FIRST DIVISION.
"Capt. Lazarus Stewart . No. I "John Young . No. 17
"Capt. Lazarus Stewart . "
2
" William Young
18
"Capt. Lazarus Stewart . 3
" William Stewart
19
"Lazarus Stewart jr. 4 "Thomas Robinson 20
"Lazarus Stewart jr. ".
5
" James Stewart . "
21
"John Donahow
6
"Capt. Lazarus Stewart . 23
"Capt. Lazarus Stewart . "William Graham
9
"William Stewart 25
"John Robinson .
IO
"Charles Stewart 66
26
"James Robinson
II
"William Stewart
27
"Thomas Robinson 12
"Silas Gore .
28
"Josias Aspia 13
" Parsonage Lot.
29
"Hugh Caffron
14
"Public Lot 30
" John Franklin
15
" Public or Local Lot . 3I
"Robert Young
16
*Miner, page 162.
4
1
.
" William Young 22
"David Young
7 8 "Capt. Lazarus Stewart . 24
152
HISTORY OF HANOVER.
" We do certify that the above named is our associates, with as many other hired men, to the number of thirty-six exclusive of the three public lots.
" LAZARUS STEWART, Capt. "WILLIAM STEWART.
"Delivered to James Lasley to put on Record.
" Recorded April 10, 1777 by me
"JAMES LASLEY, Clark."
Among the first two hundred New England settlers that came to Wyoming Valley in 1769 were :-
Moses Hibbard, Jenks Corey (Corah), Moses Hibbard, jr., Silas Gore,
Ebenezer Hibbard, John Franklin,
Joseph Morse.
These seven men were all New England men, they all came with the first two hundred settlers in 1769 to Wyoming. Each owned a settling right somewhere, that is, land to the amount of 400 acres, as granted to the first forty settlers in each township. That was the quantity of land in each settling right, except in Hanover.
Silas Gore owned such a settling right in Wilkes-Barre. He sold it in 1772 and took a settling right in Hanover, as one of the associates of Lazarus and William Stewart. Here in Hanover, a settling right or the quantity of land owned by each of the asso- ciates was not less than 600 acres.
John Franklin owned a settling right in Hanover. He was one of the Stewart associates. He had owned a settling right some- where else before he came here or joined the Stewart associates. There is no record known to the writer of his sale of it, but he had to dispose of it before he could hold land under that title in Han- over.
The other five had probably sold their settling rights that they had owned elsewhere, as they owned land in Hanover and resided on it. In Hanover they were simply proprietors. They might own more or less than a settling right, but they did not own by right of a settling right. Every owner of land whether much or little was a proprietor, and had a voice equal to any other in a town- meeting of the proprietors, provided he was a resident.
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