History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 68

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

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BUTLER TOWNSHIP

Bears the name of the immortal Col. Zebulon Butler, always the first historical and cherished name connected with that of Luzerne county. It has a superficial area of thirty-one square miles, and the larger part of, in fact nearly the entire section, is arable land-the land of plenty and the quiet of the prosperous farmer's life. It is principally a part of the Sugarloaf valley, once the name of the entire valley along the Nescopeck. Here for more than a century the farmer has gone afield and tilled the soil. Originally it was all upland and valley, covered with a dense forest, and was a prolific hunting ground; then the woodsman came and felled the trees, and the numerous early sawmills along the creek cut the tim- ber and it was carried away to market.

Butler township was made from territory of Sugarloaf in 1839. A part of the south of the township was takeu off and added to Hazle township in 1861. The belief of Stewart Pearce, who was a careful historian, and he is confirmed by Moses Compeer and others of Northampton county's Revolutionary authorities, is that John Balliett was the " solitary and alone " first comer to make a home in this beautiful valley. Pearce says he had been one of the burial party who came to bury the victims of the Sugarloaf massacre, and, seeing that place so soon after the troubles and dangers were over, came and located. But the truth is now known

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

that Balliett had intended to be one of the party, but was prevented by sickness from coming, that he was deeply interested in the expedition, and when the party returned he spent much time with different members thereof and made close inquiries as to what they had seen on the trip. These described to him the valley in which they had buried the dead, the beautiful Nescopeck, flowing nearly through its center, the fish, the game and the broad, smooth, level acres of land on each side, and this fired Balliett's imagination, and very wisely he determined that he would seek it out and here make a home for himself and his posterity. The results of this determination, after more than a century, are with us to-day in the numer- ous descendants of John Balliett in this section of the county, who are and have always been among the prominent people of Luzerne county. Balliett, with wife and two children, came here from the south or Northampton county in 1784. His possessions were packed on the one horse he possessed, and the two small children, one of whom was probably Stephen Balliett, were in beegums strapped across the horse's back, while the husband and wife trudged afoot. In another place is given an account of the memorable voyage of this avant courier of the coming hordes of men, and the writer was shown by Mr. C. F. Hill the probable spot on the side of Buck mountain where the strap broke and the children in their respective "gums" went rolling about the mountain side. John Balliett, the first day after his arrival, built, put up, . erected or constructed, as you please, the first residence, home, castle or dwelling in the valley. The architecture was " simple and sublime "- poles leaned against a big tree and covered with brush and leaves-and here the family slept, the boys, no doubt, too tired to even have nightmare dreams that they were still fast in the " gums " and rolling and tossing about the steep mountain side. John Balliett and wife dreamed in sweet content of their future home and its abundance and happy content-brave, as were all the pioneers, as to their ability to meet and overcome the obstructions that lay in their way, the years of toil and loneliness and the inevitable deprivations and of the distance from the world's older settlements. John Balliett settled here in 1784. It has been asserted, and has so found its way into print, that G. H. Reip (sometimes written Reab) came here as a settler in 1782, two years before Balliett; that he located on the Joseph Woodring place, and that he died in 1794 and was buried in the old German church cemetery. Those that followed Balliett, whether the same or the next year, is not certain, were Benner (Harry), Shobers, Dolphs, Hill, Bachelor and Spaides. There are now numerous descendants of these pioneers still here and in other parts of the county. The name of Spaide has been and is still spelled different ways. The early chroniclers generally spelled it S-p-a-d-e, but Spaide, Spaid, Spayd and Spayde are some of the many variations. Among the early set- tlers were Philip Woodring, Henry Davis, Andrew Mowery and George Drum. The latter's son, Abraham Drum, was high sheriff of Luzerne county at one time. His son, George, was father of Hon. G. W. Drum, of Conyngham. This was so long a part of Sugarloaf township that the reader is referred to the list of early settlers, as given in the account of that township, for the particulars of who were here up to 1835. Pearce says that Samuel Woodring as early as 1788 built the first saw and gristmill on Nescopeck creek. Both were very small in their way; the gristmill had one set of stones, which were " home made." Other authorities say that Woodring put up his mill on the Big Nescopeck, on the mill site of Straw & Sons, in 1813. The latter is the more reasonable story, as Mr. Stephen Balliett remembers, when he was ten years old, of going to mill many miles, over to Lizard creek, to Sultz's mill. Some time after 1800 the ancient mill story might have been repeated of the settlers of Butler, where the man and ox team went to mill, and in the long way and long wait had eaten every grain of corn, the load that the cattle could haul, and had to return home for more to grind. In the meantime the wife and children, waiting and looking for the man's return, were living along by calling "the fat part meat and the lean part bread."

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

There were no " roller process" mills here in the other century, no more than was there a prevalence of gout or other diseases of the rich and fashionable Four Hun- dred. John Balliett located on the present John Beisel farm, about one mile from the village of Drums, west.

For an account of the Indians that lived at the mouth of the Nescopeck from 1742 to 1763, and also a reference to the Scotch and Friends who settled in the lower end of the valley, see account of "Sugarloaf massacre."

Two years after John Balliett had built the first log cabin in the valley, the house and contents were burned. He rebuilt, and he was so energetic and prosper- ous that in a little time he built the first frame house put up in the valley.

Little Nescopeck creek runs in the southwestern part of the township. Here Redmond Conyngham-perhaps the most prominent man of the early settlers-in 1809 built his sawmill on the M. Beishline land. In 1814 he built at the same place, on the opposite side of the creek, his gristmill. In 1820 Redmond Conyng- ham built a small gristmill on the Big Nescopeck, on the site of Straw's sawmill,

Sawmills were one of the early necessities. The valley, in order to be made, farme had to be cleared of its heavy growth of timber, and it took many sawmills to do the work. John Cowley was one of the enterprising citizens in this line, as he had several mills along the creek.

The necessary first carding-mill was built in 1810, on the Little Nescopeck, a short distance from where is now the "Mountain Scenery" house; the neighborhood was then called Ashville. The name is now unknown. The locality of the old cording-mill may be fixed in the mind by the information that it was on the Linder- man land. The first woolen-mill was put up in 1835, by Philip Drum, a short distance from the carding-mill.

The pioneer schoolhouse, built of loge, stood near what is known as the German church, and went to decay many years ago.

John Balliett was the pioneer tavern keeper.

The first merchant in this township was Henry B. Yost, in 1832, on the place now owned by D. W. Jenkins, Sr. Mr. Yost was also the pioneer postmaster. The mails were received once a week, and the name of the office was East Sugarloaf. This was previous to the formation of the township of Butler.

George Hughes' sawmill, above Straw's, was built in 1833, and is still standing. The house where William B. Doud lives, owned by Mr. Straw, wae built in 1812. The first weavers here were Michael Klouse, Elias Balliett and Jacob Schauber. They all lived a little southwest of Hughesville. The oldest graveyard in this town- ship is the one in the corner of the lot opposite the Methodist Episcopal church.

At St. John's (Hughesville), called the latter name for George Hughes, Henry Benner built his sawmill in 1836, and in 1853 George Hughes built a grietmill, and in the spring of the year commenced to turn out a superior article of flour. It was for a long time known by no other name than Hughesville, situated about three miles north of Drums. Sheide & Werner opened soon after the first store in the place, and Henry Bermer a blacksmith shop; in 1868 J. W. Woodring opened a boot and shoe shop; in 1870 Stephen Krehns opened his tavern. The Germans built their St. John's church here, and when it came to naming a postoffice, neces- sity compelled a change of the name from Hughesville, and so it became St. John's-quite a little trading point for the surrounding farmers. The St. John's church was organized in December, 1799.

Drums is the principal village in Butler township. It is in the heart of a rich agricultural section and is on the old State road leading from Hazleton to Wilkes- Barre, about six miles from the former, its natural trading point, and between Big and Little Nescopeck.

Honey Hole is the name of a hamlet in the east part of the township on the Nes- copeck, where is quite a pond near the junction of the forks of the creek. Quite a collection of houses here and a sawmill that was one of the mills of A. Pardee &

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

Co. The road from Upper Lehigh passes northwest through Hell Kitchen on to Hovey Hole, and from there to St. Johns (Hughesville).

The noted mine tunnel, described elsewhere, is dug through the valley to empty into the creek. It looks like a young canal, except there is a brisk current to its waters.

The " Mountain Scenery " house is built on the mountain side, and from the upper portico is presented an entrancing view of the valley and the opposite hills.

A view from this point richly repays the visitor.

CONYNGHAM TOWNSHIP

Is one of the young and small townships in the way of population. It was formed in 1875, taken from Hollenback township, is thinly settled, and quite rough and hilly, less than one-third being arable land.

The first settler was Martin Harter, who came in 1795 and made his improve- ment near the mouth of Little Wapwallopen creek. His immediate followers were James McNeil, James Santee, Philip Fenstermacher, John Andreas, Michael Weiss, John Fenstermacher and Jeremiah Hess. These came up from North- ampton county; were nearly all Germans, whose descendants are now the leading men in the township. The first white child born in the township was John Fenstermacher, Jr., a grandson of the first settler, Martin Harter; birth, 1804. The first settlers cut a road along the river, and this was the one com- mon outlet for all. In 1797 Martin Harter built the first frame house; his old home- stead went by descent to the heirs of Absalom Heller. In 1822 Philip Fenster- macher built the first brick house, which in modern times became the property of A. K. Harter. This descent of properties gives a correct idea of the intermarrying of the descendants of the early settlers. In 1829 George Fenstermacher built the first stone house on the old homestead of Martin Harter; afterward a frame addi- tion was added and a hotel opened in it, and was successfully run for several years. The first store was opened in 1805 by Philip Fenstermacher. It was not run a great while. In 1836 John Heller was the merchant. Jacob Romick, the first blacksmith, had his shop where was built the stone house. Romick's successor was Peter Mauer, who had learned his trade with him. A widow, Mrs. Frances Lewis, built the first gristmill; it stood a short distance above the present Samuel Heller mill on Wapwallopen creek. Her title to the land is dated in 1806. When this was worn out and decayed a three-story stone mill took its place, built in 1825 by the McPher- son brothers. Philip Fenstermacher built the first sawmill in 1811 on the small spring stream near A. Boyd's farm and residence. John Fenstermacher built an early-day distillery near by Romick's blacksmith shop. The first school was Ger- man, 1808, taught by a man named Kroll, in a building belonging to Martin Har- ter. In the course of time this temple of learning became the pigsty of A. K. Harter. An English school was opened in 1811 in a house belonging to Michael Weiss. A schoolhouse was erected in 1813.

Wapwallopen village is in the extreme south corner of the township. Its various names indicate much of the place's history; as, the " Glen," "Powder Glen," "Hellertown," " Powder Hole," etc. The Dupont powder mills constitute pretty much all there is of the place.

There are three different collections of houses, but all combined are Wapwal- lopen. The powder mills, as said, with a store and a merchant mill and a small cluster of houses, have been known as Hellertown. The railroad station is the main business center. About 300 hands are working in the powder mills, and this gives quite a population. Altogether there are 3 general stores, 1 hotel, 1 saddler shop and a blacksmith shop. G. P. Parish & Co. came here and built the powder mills near the mouth of the creek and operated the same until 1857, and sold to the Duponts-the largest powder manufacturers in the world.

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

DALLAS BOROUGH.

The enterprising and liberal men of the township had built and organized a most excellent high school at the village of Dallas, and in the unfolding of events it became apparent that it would be necessary to incorporate the place into a borough in order to protect the interests of the school. Therefore the court was petitioned and a charter granted April 21, 1879. The boundary lines are surrounded by Dallas township from which it was taken entire, being a little south of the center of the township. Dwight Wolcott was chosen first burgess; council: Jacob Rice, Ira D. Shover, William Snyder, Theodore Fryman, Charles Henderson, and Philip T. Raub. Present officers: Parkerson Perrego, burgess; council: William Snyder, Jacob Rice (deceased), and his son, William Rice, is filling the vacancy; William P. Kirkland, H. H. Shover, George Heitsman and John Furgerson. The one continu- ous clerk since the organization is and has been Charles H. Cooke.

The borough is beautifully located; is a station on the Harvey's lake branch of the Lehigh Valley railroad and noted as a good business point. On every hand are evidences of a healthy growth in building and business. The population now is estimated at 500. The business and thrift are indicated by the organization here by the leading citizens of the Dallas Union Agricultural society, April 24, 1884, leasing grounds of William J. Honeywell. In 1890, at a meeting of the directors at Raub's hotel in the borough to purchase the grounds, eighty acres were pur- chased, the consideration being $5,000. The first officers of the fair were Chester White, president; Philip Raub, W. J. Honeywell, Leonard Matchell, Levi Howell, Jacob Rice, James Morrigan, A. D. Hay, I. D. Shaver, with Charles H. Cooke as first secretary. This has, especially in the past three years, given excellent agricult- ural exhibitions, said by competent judges to be the best ever in the county. While it partakes a little of the agricultural "hoss trot" yet there is only enough of this to give zest to the real agricultural and stock displays that have marked its annual meetings of 1890-1. Their eighty acres of ground have all the needed improvements -stables, stalls, shelters, and an amphitheater seating 1,500 persons.

The I. O. O. F.'s have here an elegant hall. The Oneida, No. 327, was insti- tuted in 1849, and has at present a membership of thirty-five. Other societies meet in their hall.

Albert Lewis, lumber king of this region, has here a saw and planing mill. Another large similar establishment is owned by A. Ryman & Co.

There are in the place 3 general stores, 1 hardware store, an elegant hotel that is much patronized as a summer resort. Gregory & Heitsman's merchant mill is quite an institution of the place.

In 1889 J. J. Ryman became the prime mover in establishing. here the broom factory; he is now president and general manager-a stock company known as the Dallas Broom company. This gives employment the year round to about thirty hands, with a capacity of seventy-five dozen brooms a day, in addition to a foot-mat made that has a popular sale all over the country. This factory offers strong inducements and pays the farmers of the surrounding country well for raising broom-corn.

DALLAS TOWNSHIP

Was formed in 1817 of territory taken from Kingston township, and embraces a portion of one of the "certified townships." Stewart Pearce says that Ephraim McCoy, a Revolutionary soldier, built the first log cabin in 1797 near the site of old McClellandsville (Dallas borough). Some unknown party had years before built a small floorless cabin near the same spot, it is supposed for the purpose of camping and hunting, but it had long been deserted before McCoy came. William Briggs was the next settler. The next settlers in 'the order of coming as is supposed were Daniel Spencer, John Wort and John Kelley (Revolutionary soldiers), and Elam Spencer, J. Mears, John Honeywell, Sr., and Jr., William Honeywell, Isaac Mon-

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

tague and two Ayers brothers. William Honeywell came in 1808 and purchased 500 acres of land and built a log house and the next year a frame addition-the first frame in the township. R. M. Duffy was the first house carpenter.

Judge Baldwin built on Tobey creek, in 1813, his sawmill. In 1818 Christian Rice built his sawmill on the same creek. The place descended to his son, Capt. Jacob Rice. This mill was in use until 1875. The area of the township (less Dallas borough) is twenty-one square miles and is mostly cleared farm lands -- the bill farms proving productive. Stewart Pearce says, in 1866 improved farms here were valued at $30 to $45 per acre; that there were eight sawmills and two stores at that time in the township. At that time he says many farmers were turning their atten- tion to dairying and the township was noted for the excellence of its butter.

It is a tradition that the first clearing in the township with the intention of settling was made in 1777 or 1778, by Charles Harris and his father. They lived in the adjoining section of the country; started out prospecting and found a place that suited them and spent a day chopping and clearing; returned home, and, as soon after was the Wyoming massacre, their return was thus delayed a considerable time and they never were able to again find the spot, although they hunted faithfully for it.

The township as stated is purely agricultural since the sawmills have cut most of the once heavy timber that prevailed all over it. But two mills now remain. An account of them will more fully appear in that of the borough.

Kunkle Village has its origin and name from J. Wesley Kunkle, was thus desig- nated when it was made a postoffice and he was appointed postmaster. The place has a tannery and a grange hall. It is in the north part of the township and a mile from the railroad.

DENISON TOWNSHIP

Is a comparatively old township, yet it was taken from one much older, being carved out of the territory of the original Hanover township, in 1839. It at that time embraced a large area as it included what is now Foster and Bear Creek town- ships; the former taken off in 1855 and the latter in 1856. At one time this region was rich in its giant forest trees, that cast their deep shade upon the mountain tops, and their still darker shadows in the deepest gorges. The busy axmen have cut away the forests and made merchandise of their products, and with these gone there is precious little left to either bring immigrants or keep those who were lured here to engage in lumbering. There is but little arable land in the township; that is, it is poor when compared to even the poor districts in other and newer portions of the country. A quiet change in the population is going on. The timber men and the sparse farm improvements occupied by the trucksters are taking advantage of the arrivals of the foreign immigrants and who are tempted by the low prices, are investing in these waste lands and filling their long deferred fondest hope by becoming land owners-they are thus their own landlords and perhaps such has been their severe training in economy that more or less prosperity will crown their efforts. In the decade ending 1890 there had been a loss of three in the population of Denison township, or 976 in 1880, 973 in 1890. The lumber business has just been closed out and as this class go away it seems their places are taken generally by fresh arrivals from the old world.

Perhaps at least one-half of the 973 people of the township are in the corner formed by the borough of White Haven and the Lehigh river-the most of them the overflow of the north borough line. This settlement is popularly called Jeru- salem-for a long time it was called Middleburg.

The first settler in the township was Israel Inman, who came up Nescopeck creek from its mouth in 1833. Inman was no ordinary wandering nomad, or silent game stalker led by hunger to track the game through the lonely forests. He was a man of broad ideas and brave enterprise-able to lay the foundations for permanent

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

and prosperous settlements. He started on his voyage into the unknown at Nescopeck and followed the creek of that name in its eastward course to its head waters, and was no doubt pleased with the increase and density of the forests. He had passed over all its long and beautiful valley and only halted when he reached its end and the great forests of the hills. The spot he selected as his permanent stopping place, where he built his rude log house and in time his sawmill, is about a half mile below where the Lehigh and Susquehanna railroad crosses the Nescopeck, west of the tunnel. The first house and the first sawmill did not fill the ambition of this man in the wilderness. He, in a few years, built a forge, and "Inman's Works" were soon known of far and wide. He owned a large tract of land surrounding his improvements. He was master of the situation -- " king of Denison " until White Haven sprung suddenly into existence, and by its "booms," its logging and rafting facilities and then its canal, slack water, bear-trap dams, and to crown all, its rail- roads, sapped the vitality of Inman's " diggings " and now desolation broods over the spot where he drove it away sixty years ago; twelve lustrums and the three short steps of birth, life and death have made the circle as forever circles matter in all creation. Thus we all -- everything in the universe, reach the starting point, and it is but a tick of the watch in the difference in time and size of the circles, whether of adamant or flesh and grass.

Such a man as Inman would draw his followers and in a short time he had caused quite a settlement about him. Through him the outside world came to know and covet the great forest trees that covered the township. John Linespand A. P. Childs settled in the southeast corner of the township, on the Lehigh river, in 1835, and in 1838 there was enough of a settlement here to call the place Middle- burg and a postoffice established there. This place was just above the upper dam. The postoffice was abolished and all went to White Haven as soon as an office was opened there.

John and Frank Lynch kept the first tavern in Middleburg, and before the place was swallowed up by White Haven, there were several stores and trading places. These too went with the tide to White Haven. Perhaps it was the knowledge that "Jerusalem is fallen " that changed the name of Middlebury to that of Jerusalem.

The next party after Inman to cut any figure in Denison township was the Lehigh Navigation & Coal company. They " cut " a road through the entire town- ship in order to get to Wilkes-Barre, in 1837. It ran diagonally across the town- ship in a northwestern direction from the southeast corner of the township, just above White Haven; crossed the Nescopeck about a mile below "Inman's Works." This was the traveled route between Mauch Chunk and Wilkes-Barre. Starting from Wilkes-Barre in the morning and pushing rapidly to White Haven, where you could board the elegant and swift-sailing passenger packet "Washington " you could proceed in state to Mauch Chunk. This went on in much grandeur until 1863, when was commenced building the railroad from Mauch Chunk north to Wilkes-Barre and in 1865 the beginning of passenger coaches over the road was the knell of the staging days through Denison township. The two splendid lines of railroad now parallel and criss-cross each other as they leave the Lehigh river and start across the mountains. The last steam sawmill in the township was Braden & Brown's on the Nescopeck.

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History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 68

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

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