History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 63

Author: Bradsby, H. C. (Henry C.)
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago : S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1532


USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections > Part 63


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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.


C. E. Wright contributed to the Historical Record his recollections of some of the leading business men of Wilkes-Barre, and pays the following glowing tribute to Jacob Cist, of whom he says the first time he ever saw him he was acting ing postmaster. He was busy writing and seemed to be annoyed at the interrup- tion. "No wonder," he says, " it was shameful that a man so far outstripping his fellow countrymen in science, art and philosophy, should be chained down to the routine of a menial clerkship. But he must make his bread like other men, though all the aspirations of his genius rose to the contemplation of grander things. *


* He should have been a companion of Humboldt in his voyages of scientific exploration; he was fitted for the task. From a bug or a butterfly up through the range of all the ologies to an iron mountain and the inauguration of the coal trade, he was in his proper sphere. When other men were groveling in the mud of De Witt Clinton's ditches and blocking the channels of our grand river with dams, Mr. Cist was foretelling the superior system of railroads as means of transportation. If the legislature had listened to him a great deal of blasphemy might have been saved to the raftsmen and our supply of shad escaped annihilation. But he knew and others did not. But a few months before his untimely death he made a day's visit to my father's house. Such was the delight his courteous manner excited in my boyish heart, that I forgave him the coolness of the postoffice scene, and to this day I esteem it a great privilege to have thus intimately met the most cultured man of the North."


Of the first merchants Mr. Wright rambles along, and in his delightful way, says that G. M. Hollenback ranks first. Along the whole bank of the Susquehanna no man was better known. His amenity of address and winning expression of face were remarkable. He dressed with more taste than any man in the county; his manner was perfection. I was accustomed to regard Mr. Hollenback with an awe of deference and admiration never since bestowed on any man on earth.


When I first knew the brick store on the corner at the bridge, Ziba Bennett was head clerk. He was certainly a model merchant. He was a paragon in the line of business, adopted in early life and continued through so many succeeding years. He was the idol of country customers for many miles around.


Following Mr. Bennett came two other individuals who subsequently established successful careers-N. Rutter and A. C. Laning. It was their good fortune to begin life under the influence of such a man as Hollenback. Then there was another merchant located further down the river, and this was Jacob Cist, above referred to. * * * While less known was one of the great men that made Wilkes-Barre his home.


First Brewery .- As an evidence that the teutonic element was well sprinkled among the early settlers is the fact that an attempt was made about 1823 to establish a brewery in Wilkes-Barre, by Thomas Ingham, on river below Union street. He carried it ou, of course, in a most primitive manner, for some time, making what the few beer-drinkers then here swallowed and supposed it rough but the best they could do. In time he sold to Christian Reichard, who ran it until 1833, when he transferred it to Judge John Reichard, his cousin, who was fresh from Germany. When it is remembered everything about it, except the drinkers, had to be wagoned from Philadelphia, it is remarkable that he soon commenced enlarging the works and more than kept pace with the growing demands, and thus it was successfully operated with no very great changes until 1874, when the old building was dis- mantled, torn down, the machinery having been removed to the new and elegant plant. Here with all modern appliances and improvements it has continued to keep pace with a fast age. It is still in the possession and operated by Reichard & Co., composed of George N. Reichard and George Weaver.


The Stegmaier brewery is a more modern build.


Somewhere about 1825 Isaac A. Chapman, the first historian of Wyoming, erected on North River street, near Union street, what was at that time regarded


500


HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.


as one of the finest residences in the town. Eleazer Carey married Chapman's widow and lived and died in the house. In course of time Caleb E. Wright pur- chased the property and occupied it many years, but a portion of the lot had been sold. Then Benjamin F. Dorrance became its owner and made his home here until he moved to his Kingston farm. The old place became then a cheap boarding house, until purchased by the Jonas Long estate, when the old landmark was torn down and the present elegant residence, in 1888, was erected. What memories are in the story of even the old dumb buildings.


In 1888 the old building on North Main, near the Record office, where Ziba Bennett commenced business was torn down. This was immediately after he had withdrawn from his connection with George M. Hollenback. By a singular coin- cidence this building and the old Hollenback store were demolished to make room for better ones, at the same time. At the Bennett place were chopped down some trees that had been planted forty years preceding by Mr. Bennett, a maple measured twenty-nine inches, perfectly sound.


Old Bridge .- The first river bridge at Market street which succeeded the ferry at Northampton street was built for the Wilkes-Barre Bridge company, incorpor- ated in 1807, at a cost of $40,000. It was two years in building, and was com- pleted in 1818. In 1819 the first pier was undermined and the first span carried away. The same was repaired by the State at a cost of $13,000. In the winter of 1824-5 a violent hurricane carried the bridge off the piers and deposited it some distance above upon the ice. It was again rebuilt by the aid of the State, which remitted $15,000 in State claims against the county by an act of the legisla- ture, and appointed G. M. Hollenback, Garrick Mallery and Calvin Wadhams com- missioners to rebuild the bridge. Andrew Beaumont was appointed by the com- missioners to collect the money and let the work. The State claims against the bridge now amounted to $28,000, which were taken up by the company in after years. The Hollenback storehouse was built to accommodate the river traffic in salt, plaster, grain, etc., which was brought down from York state in arks during high water in the river. The salt was in barrels and the plaster in bulk, which was deposited upon the bank and weighed out to farmers in quarter or half tons, as required. The same was true of the " Arndt stone house," which stood oppo- site the Darling property. John Arndt kept the tavern, which stood upon the site of the Darling property, adjoining which was his store. Thomas Morgan kept the Stage house there in 1830, from which the Troy coaches departed for New York, Philadelphia, etc. As money was scarce in those days, most of the business was barter of produce for goods, and farmers brought grain in wagons many miles to trade. This grain was also deposited in these storehouses, taken from the wagons to the shoulders of the clerks and carried up into the second story and deposited in the bins. It was in the Arndt stone house that "old Michael" lived alone for many years and died there. In the year 1846 John Myers, not being able to agree with the terms of the Bridge company, started a ferry immediately below the bridge and ran a flat and skiff until he brought the company to terms. The tolls were high, and many farmers and others tied up their teams ou the west side and crossed on foot with light produce, and so many took advantage of the free ferry that it was kept going to its capacity. The trade in butter, eggs, etc., was never so great in the town. Butter was worth from 8 to 10 cents, and tons of it were brought in, showing what an advantage a free bridge would have been. Sev- eral attempts were made by our merchants to make the bridge free, but they never succeeded, except that they caused a reduction of tolls.


Prominent Men, 1818, who were living in Wilkes-Barre. - For this list we are indebted to Dilton Yarington, who wrote a letter in 1888 to the Historical Record and recalled the past when he was a well-grown youth. In his letter he gave as he remembered them the business men in the borough in 1818, omitting himself. William S. Ross, Lord Butler, Jr., Charles Tracy, Washington Ewing, Jacob E.


501


HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.


Teetor, Chester A. Colt, David Conner, as he considered them only youths, not yet to be ranked among the "business men." Noah Wadhams and Joshua Green were not that year residents of the place. Rev. Ard Hoyt had gone as missionary to India and he did not mention the " great Indian fighter," Abram Pike, as he was not then engaged in business. A man of whom Historian Miner said: "No man then living had rendered greater service to his country in time of her greatest need." With this explanation we give the following as a valuable directory of Wilkes-Barre business men in 1818:


J. P. Arndt, shipbuilder.


Philip Abbott, farmer.


Abial Abbott, carpenter.


Samuel Colkglazer, plasterer.


Nathan Allen, carpenter.


John and Peter Conner, carpenters.


H. C. Anhiser, merchant.


Lloyd Alkens, carpenter.


William Apple, carpenter. Ziba Bennett, clerk.


John L. Butler, coal dealer.


Steuben Butler, printer.


Chester Butler, lawyer.


Zebulon Butler, farmer.


Pierce Butler, farmer.


John Davis, farmer. Putnam Catlin, lawyer.


Charles Catlin, lawyer.


George Chahoon, carpenter.


A. O. Chahoon, merchant. Daniel Collins, silversmith.


Jonathan Bulkley, sheriff. Eliphalet Bulkley, clerk. Anthony Brower, tailor. Thomas Brown, farmer.


Mason Crary, M. D. Edward Corill, M. D. Arnold Colt, justice peace.


Henry Colt, surveyor.


Harris Colt, United States soldier.


William Brown, distiller. Brittania Barnes, merchant. Aaron Batty, painter. Moses Beamer, ferryman. Isaac Bowman, tanner.


John Carey, farmer. Eleazer Carey, J. P. George Clymer, merchant. William Cox, painter.


John Covert, laborer. Richard Covert, stage driver.


Joseph H. Chapman.


Isaac A. Chapman, author. John Carkhuff.


Daniel Colkglazer, school teacher.


Hugh and Cornelius Conner, carpenters. George Denison, lawyer. James Dickens, soldier of Revolution. Anderson and Francis Dana, farmers.


Jonathan and Bateman Downing, farmers. Jonathan and David Dale, shoemakers.


Jesse Downing, farmer. James Decker, farmer.


Thomas Davidge, shoemaker. Thomas Dow, farmer. Joseph Davis, carpenter.


Louis Delamanon, merchant.


Hiram Eicke, carpenter. John Ewing, court crier.


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Jacob Cist, merchant. Thomas J. Carkhuff, sheriff.


Thomas Dyer, lawyer.


John and Robert Downer, soldiers.


Chester Dana, river pilot.


Reuben and Daniel Downing, farmers.


Eli and Aaron Downing, farmers.


F. Dupuy, confectioner.


Jacob J. Dennis, gunsmith.


Eleazer Blackman, farmer. John Bettle, bank cashier. Nathan Barney, farmer. Andrew Bolles, farmer. Stephen Bowles, book-keeper.


Samuel Bowman, farmer and tanner.


William L. Bowman, tanner.


Gilbert Barnes, carpenter. Alex. H. Bowman, U. S. cadet. Horatio Bowman. James W. Bowman, lawyer. Ebenezer Bowman, lawyer. Andrew Beaumont, postmaster. Henry Barrackman, farmer. Job Barton, carpenter. William and George Blane, farmers. Thomas Bartlet, school teacher. Josiah Brown, butcher. Miles B. Benedict, hatter. Gideon Bebee, ferryman. William Bolton, carpenter. Elisha Blackman, cabinet maker. Oristus Collins, lawyer. Edward Chapman.


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502


HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.


George Evans, lawyer. Samuel Fell, carpenter. Abel Flint, stone cutter. George Graves, laborer. Job Gibbs, carpenter.


Gordon Groves, tailor. Dominick Germain, merchant.


Mathias Hollenback, associate judge. Jonathan Hancock, landlord. William and John Hancock, farmers. John Hannis, farmer.


George Hotchkiss, painter. William Hart.


George Haines, county surveyor.


Miller Harton, stage line.


Mathias Hoffman, shoemaker.


James C. Helmer, cabinet maker.


Lewis Hepburn, lawyer.


Jacob Hultz, hatter.


Joel and Joseph Jones, teachers.


Jehoida P. Johnson, miller.


John M. Kienzle, constable.


Jacob Kyte, laborer.


Caleb Kendall, preacher.


Gilbert and Grover Laird, shoemakers. James Luker, shoemaker.


Lewis Du Shong, merchant.


Benjamin Drake, blacksmith.


George Eicker, teamster.


Thomas, James and George Ely, stage line.


Jesse Fell, associate judge. Edward Fell, blacksmith.


Jabez Fish, farmer.


James Gridley, constable.


John Greenawalt, miller.


Luman Gilbert, laborer.


Hugh Gorman, laborer.


G. M. Hollenback, merchant.


James Hancock, farmer.


Thomas Hutchins, harness maker.


Joseph Hitchcock, farmer.


Jacob Hart, sheriff.


Abraham Hart, shoemaker.


Isaac Hartsell, J. P.


Jesse aud Lewis Harton, stage line.


Oliver Helme, landlord.


Patrick Hepburn, saddler.


Joseph Huckle, distiller. Lathan W. Jones, physician.


Amasa Jones, manufacturer. John Jameson, Spring House hotel. Jacob Kithline, baker. Jacob Kutz, tailor. Lewis Ketcham, painter.


George Lane, preacher. Josiah Lewis, surveyor. Elan Lawry, teamster.


Peter P. Loop, merchant. Charles Miner, printer. Joshua Miner, stonemason. Garrick Mallery, lawyer.


Shepherd Marble, nailmaker.


William Miller, laborer. Felix McGuigan, laborer. Samuel Maffet, printer. Thomas Nutting, laborer.


Thomas B. Overton, lawyer.


Godfrey Perry, book-keeper. Titus Prime (colored). Nathan Palmer, lawyer.


Archippus Parrish, landlord. Thomas Quick. William Ross, farmer. Francis Rainnow.


Elijah Richards, farmer. Philip Rymer, cloth dresser.


John Raymond, laborer. Peter and Jack Rafferty, laborers.


David Scott, president judge. Jonathan Slocum, farmer.


Henry and George Sively, farmers.


Jacob and Joseph Suiton, merchants.


Abram Tolls, wagon maker.


G. W. Trott, physician. Henry Tillbury, farmer. Sidney Tracy, farmer.


Henry F. Lamb, druggist.


Washington Lee, lawyer.


Thomas W. Miner, physician


John Miller, sexton.


Francis McShane, nailmaker.


Thomas Morgan, hotel and stage.


Joseph McCoy, cashier and poet.


Abram Mock, landlord.


Simon Monega, laborer.


John Ogden. Abram Pike (Indian killer).


Benjamin Perry, clerk H. of R.


Thomas Price, cooper.


Thomas Patterson, blacksmith.


George Peck, preacher.


William Russell, potter. A. H. Reeder, landlord.


David and William Richards, farmers.


George Root, stage driver. Samuel Raub, farmer.


Joel Rogers, preacher. Jacob Rudolph, shoemaker.


Joseph and Zebulon Slocum, blacksmiths.


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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.


Zura Smith, druggist.


Rosewell Wells, lawyer.


Benjamin St. John.


Winthrop Wells, merchant.


Jacob Sills, farmer.


Conrad Teeter, first stage to Athens.


Peter and Luther Yarrington, black- smiths.


Peleg Tracy.


Edwin Tracy, harness maker.


Charles Taintor, painter.


Mr. Van Zeek, physician.


Edmund Taylor, harness maker.


Seth Wilson, tailor.


Philip Weeks, farmer.


Lewis Worrell, potter.


Andrew Vogle, hatter.


Isaac Williams, basket maker.


Phineas Waller, farmer, distiller.


Josiah Wright, printer and editor.


Moses Wood, farmer.


William Wright, teacher.


Asa C. Whitney, doctor.


Daniel White, wagon maker.


Thomas Wright, farmer.


Ranselear Wells, blacksmith.


Joseph Wright, physician.


Conrad Wickizer, farmer.


As an appendix to this list, a correspondent, " W. J.," sent to the Record in 1887 the following items, of great interest concerning some of the parties named above:


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Philip Abbott's son Philip went to St. Paul, Minn. H. C. Anhiser, father of Joseph Anhiser and Mrs. F. Keorner. Ziba Bennett, his son George S. and daughter, Mrs. J. C. Phelps. John L. Butler, father of Frank Butler and Mrs. Judge Woodward. .... Steuben Butler's children, C. E. Butler, Mrs. Alexander Shiras, .... and the late William H. Butler. Pierce Butler, his son Pierce, . ... daughter Mrs. Mary Reynolds, of Kingston. Zebulon Butler, of these there are no sons or daughters now living ..... Jonathan Bulkley, his son C. L. Bulkley, daughter Mrs. A. R. Brundage. .... Anthony Brower, daughter Mrs. W. S. Par- sons ..... Isaac Bowman, son Col. Sam; daughter Mary Bowman. .... Andrew Beau- mont, his son Col. E. B. Beaumont, now retired officer of the United States army, and daughter Mrs. Julia Gloninger ..... Job Barton, sons C. P. Barton and Lehman Barton. .... Oristus Collins, son Rev. Charles Jewett Collins. George Chahoon, daughters Mrs. Josiah Lewis and Miss Anna Chahoon. Anning O. Chahoon, son Joseph Slocumb Chahoon ..... Daniel Collings, daughter Mrs. Julia Dougherty, Mrs. J. N. Davidson and Eliza ..... Henry Colt, son Henry Colt, of Allentown .... Isaac Chapman, his son C. I. A. Chapman of Pittston ..... Jacob Cist, daughters Mrs. H. Wright and Mrs. C. T. Mcclintock. Frances Dana, daughters Mrs. J. R. Coolbaugh and Mrs. William T. Rhoads ..... Bateman Downing, son Reuben .. ... J. J. Dennis, son Capt. J. P. Dennis. .... John Davis, his son John, and daughter Mary Ann, deceased. James Ely, son Thomas Ely of Kingston. .... George Haines, daughter Mrs. V. L. Maxwell. .... James Hancock, son Maj. E. A. of Philadelphia, and D. P. of Peoria, Ill. .... George Hotchkiss, daughter Mrs. T. W. Robinson ..... Dr. L. W. Jones, daughter Mrs. Thomas Wilson ..... J. P. Johnson, son William P. of Dallas, and Wesley Johnson, J. P .. ... John Jameson, daughter Mrs. E. B. Collings, and Mrs. John Chahoon. Amasa Jones, sons Joel and Joseph of Philadelphia. .... Lewis Ketcham, son W. W. Ketcham. .... Gilbert Laird, sons J. D. and Grover, and Mrs. Joseph Easterline. Josiah Lewis, his son Josiah. .... H. F. Lamb, daughter Mary ..... Peter P. Loop, sons Edward Sterling and John Millard Loop. Charles Miner, son William Penn, and daughter Mrs. Jesse Thomas. Samuel Maffet, son W. R. Maffet. .... Simon Monega, son C. B., daughter Mrs. P. R. Johnson ..... Benjamin Perry, daughters reside on North- ampton street. Archippus Parrish, sons Charles and George H., daughter Mrs. F. W. Hunt ..... Joseph Slocum, daughter Mrs. Abi Butler, deceased .... George Sively, daughter Mrs. Judge Pfouts. .... Abram Thomas, daughter Mrs. Washing- ton Lee ..... E. Taylor, sons John, Thomas and Edmund; daughter Mrs. E. H.


Stephen Tuttle, merchant.


Henry Young, gunsmith.


Abram Thomas, merchant.


Barnet Ulp, hatter.


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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.


Chase ..... Phineas Waller, son Rev. David J. Waller of Bloomsburg. . .. . Luther Yarington, son Thomas O. of Reading. .... Peter Yarington, son Dilton Yaring- ton of Carbondale. .... John P. Arndt and family removed to Green Bay, Wis., one son was drowned in the Susquehanna, another was shot by a fellow member, and died on the floor of the Wisconsin territorial legislature. .... Amasa Jones, sons Joel and Joseph. Amasa had lost a leg, and as corks were not then known he was called "Peg Leg." He was a broom-maker. His son Joel became a distinguished judge of Philadelphia, and Joseph a distinguished preacher ..... Jesse Fell (history given elsewhere.) .... Moses Wood, an Englishman, brought considerable money to this country, and a large family of sons. John G. and George B. Wood are grandsons. David Scott, surviving descendants E. Green- ough Scott and Rev. Charles H. Skidder, grandsons ..... George Dennison had two sons, Henry M. and George; one married a daughter of Pres. John Tyler. .... Francis Du Puy of Pittston, is grandson of Ralph D. Lacoe. Anderson Dana, his grandson, Gen. E. L. Dana ..... Joseph Davis, never married, became crazy, and shot and killed a man on Hazel street; spent the remainder of his days in an asylum. Barnet Ulp, grandfather of the Misses Alexander. .... Gilbert Barnes, grandsons Stewart L. and Albert Barnes ..... Abraham Pike, daughter Mrs. Hannah Porter. .... Joshua Miner, grandson Dr. J. L. Miner. .... Dr. G. W. Trott, grand- father of Judge Stanley Woodward.


This correspondent says that in the firstlist of the men of 1818 that in the upper part of Wilkes-Barre township there are many prominent names not mentioned. To the list he adds Benjamin Cortright, father of John M. and James Cortright; " Uncle Fritz" Wagner; near him James Stark, farmer and merchant; his sons, Henry and John M. Stark, of West Pittston; John Stark, of Mill Creek, father of John Stark, Mrs. G. M. Miller and Mrs. O. A. Parsons; Cornelius Stark, father of Col. B. F. Stark; Crandall Wilcox owned the place afterward the property of John Searl, and his son, Samuel Wilcox, worked in the mines. Then Thomas Williams owned the John Mitchell farm; his sons, Thomas, Ezra and George W. Williams. Then the next was Thomas Osborne, laborer, of "Punkin Hollow." He was great- grandfather of the Misses Wildoners, of Wilkes-Barre; Stephen Abbott, farmer, and his son, John Abbott, father of Cassie and Lucy Abbott; Benjamin Bailey, tan- ner and currier at the corners; Cornelius, or "Case," Courtright, shoemaker; Hiram Post, laborer; Thomas Joslyn, laborer. His son, Thomas, was the first man who lost his life in the mines in this region; Thomas Wooley, farmer, and his large family of sons and daughters; Mathias Hollenback, miller, called " Crazy Matt," who was insane for years; George Dickover. mason and plasterer; his son, William Dick- over; Hezekiah Parsons, of Laurel Run, farmer and manufacturer; his son, Calvin Parsons; Stephen Gould, on the Lehigh on the road above Mr. Parsons' place.


C. E. Wright pleasantly tells of the great old-time dancing masters in Wilkes- Barre, as follows: "I doubt if anything makes a deeper impression on the young than the glory of the first dancing school. If any exception be taken to this asser- tion, all I can say in return is, I am speaking for myself.


"The first teacher I had the honor of performing under was a sedate gentleman by the name of Tobias, from Lancaster. That city had produced some distinguished men, but in my view none were equal to Mr. Tobias. He was a man of good pres- ence, good manner, had the use of his heels and was a medium violinist.


"I think it was in 1839 he opened his school at Morgan's, on the present site of Mr. Darling's dwelling in Wilkes-Barre, and another at Atherton's hotel in Plym- outh. To get all out of the thing that was in it, I attended both. It was an easy matter, on a good horse, to ford the river at Plymouth, pass up through the Inman and Lazarus flats, and thence on to Morgan's. Dark nights or stormy ones, or even a slight freshet, was no hindrance to an ambitious youth of nineteen, in search of knowledge. All the young damsels of the county seat attended the school. This probably had some weight, for that class of young ladies has never been excelled.


CD Naw Mile


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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.


"After this, probably the outcrop of Mr. Tobias' labors amongst us, there was the annual ball on February 22, at the Phoenix. To this came the notables of Ber- wick, Danville, Bloom, Tunkhannock and other outlying cities.


"Porter, the memorable landlord of the Phoenix, had what was called a spring floor. It was over the long dining-room and supported only at the sides of the apartment. The combined tramp of many feet, in time with the band, produced a vibratory motion, something like the teeter of a buckboard. It always seemed a wonder to me the whole affair didn't crash down with its live freight.


"This short history, pertaining to the subject of the dance, would be deficient without mention of Messrs. Morton and Jones. They were the successors of Mr. Tobias. Their school, very large and successful, was at the Dennis hotel, where is now the National bank.


"Mr. Morton, from Philadelphia, was a very polite gentleman, short of build, yellow-haired, florid complexion and frolicsome on his legs as a young colt. I never look at the picture of Pickwick, in his oratorical attitude, but it reminds me of Mor- ton. Mr. Jones, per contra, was a very slim young gentleman. Nature must have had a fiddler in view, when drafting the plans and specifications of his makeup. He had the most delicate of hands, with fingers like straws. How could he be else than a prime manipulator of the strings ?


"I suppose it would be proper to seek pardon for making reference to matters of such minor importance, knowing that the cotillion has gone down with many other barbaric usages of our ancestors. Our more favored lasses of the present day will scarce thank me for calling off their attention from the german, the polka, the waltz and other matters coming in on the tide of reform."


Mrs. Jesse Thomas, on the occasion of dismantling the old house at the corner of Franklin and Union streets, in 1887, gave her recollections of the building and times of nearly seventy-five years ago that are very interesting. The house was built by her father, Hon. Charles Miner, about 1811, and under its roof she and her brother, William Penn Miner, were born. Mr. Miner sold the house in 1817 to the distin- guished jurist, Judge Burnside, on the occasion of his removing to West Chester, to establish there the Village Record. The other corners of the streets, except the one afterward built on by Hon. Andrew Beaumont, were built upon prior to Mr. Miner's. The one on the southwest corner is the only one of the four left. This was the Evans house, its owner being quite a prominent citizen. On the northeast corner, where is now the Stickney block, was the old Palmer house, known latter as the "old Red house." The Palmers were a large family, afterward removed to Mount Holly. The Beaumont house was built in the approaching canal days and originally intented for a warehouse. She says when she can first remember, Frank- lin street ended at Union street and above Union it was called "Green lane" and was the favorite playground in the first and second decade of the century. The only house above Union was Capt. Bowman's, latterly the residence of Mrs. Col. A. H. Bowman.




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