History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 74

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 74

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Mr. J. C. Haydon, as stated, ranks next to the late A. Pardee in the early developing of the coal mines of this section. Like him, a civil engineer, and came originally from Philadelphia and surveyed roads and, in following canal and railroad work, went to northern Pennsylvania, and from there to this place, attracted by the information he had gleaned as to the opportunities here for mining.

Latimer has its railroad, postoffice, hotel and company store, and two breakers rear high their grimy, blackened faces, marking the spot where the pioneer miners here of Pardee & Co. have long since been actively engaged in mining.

Sugarloaf is another colliery town and is the property of the Diamond Coal company-the institution that laid off the Diamond addition to the city of Hazleton. Laurel Hill mining tower is one of the old collieries.

Japan, a mining village, and has nearly 500 workmen. Here is Oakdale colliery.

Harleigh is a mining town of some importance. It has other stores than the company store, two hotels and a good school. The Big Black Creek Improvement company owns the collieries.

Beaver Brook is on the dividing line between this and Carbon county. Here is a company store, postoffice, three groceries and a blacksmith shop.

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

Cranberry is a small mining town.

Crystal Ridge is another small mining collection. 1

Stockton bears with considerable dignity the name of Commodore Stockton. A mine was opened here in 1851 by Packer, Carter & Co. The place attracts your attention by the long line of "cave in" running parallel with the railroad track. December 18, 1869, occurred here a " squeeze"-caused by "robbing the pillars," and in this was carried down the house occupied by the Rough and Swank families. None of the bodies were ever recovered, and the spot where the house stood has been filled and a marble slab tells the story of the victims as follows:

" Elizabeth Rough, May 18, 1796; Margaret Rough, January 18, 1837; Isaac Rough, January 22, 1839; Elizabeth Rough, March, 1869; George Swank, 1819; William Swank, 1850. December 18, 1869."

The place is near Hazleton, yet it has considerable business outside the com- pany store; a car repair and blacksmith shop; hotel, two stores, postoffice. The first postmaster was Ralph Tozer, a very familiar family name before and during the Revolution in the vicinity of Tioga Point (Athens).

There is quite a gathering of miners' houses at Mount Pleasant. The mines here belonged to the heirs of C. Koons and were operated by Pardee & Co.

Lumber Yards is a junction where the railroad forks, one branch going to Weatherly and the other to White Haven; a neat little station house and a few dwellings near by.

Humbolt has quite a mining population; a company store and the Humbolt colliery, owned by the Lehigh Valley railroad.

Hollywood is quite a colliery town, with the usual company store, hotel, etc.

Milnesville is one of the old mining towns. The colliery was opened in 1850 by William Milnes, and has a population of nearly 824.

Foundryville is a little railroad station. and is a colliery town of growing impor- tance. A new breaker is being constructed by the Markle company. Jeddo was authorized to form a borough in 1871, but has neglected to perfect any of the machinery of such a municipality. The Woodside colliery is here and is operated by Mr. Markle. The employes about the mines to the number of 350 constitute the population. The past ten years has noted an increase in its population of eight souls. And yet it is not at all envious of Chicago.

Ebervale has 1,108 inhabitants, an increase of one hundred per cent. the past ten years. Hotel, postoffice, schoolhouse and church and store are the main points of the place.

Drifton is the town of Coxe Bros. & Co., and thereby, being the residence and headquarters of the members of the firm, is a noted place. Here was built the first iron and steel breaker; here are the machine shops of Coxe Bros. & Co., and here are the offices of their belt railroad. Mining is carried on here on a vast scale and the place is noted for the neatness of the dwellings of the employes, and on the hill beyond are the elegant mansions of the heads of the house, and the hospital, . etc. The company store is a great concern on one side of the street, and is faced by the far more extensive building of the company offices, and Mr. Eckley B. Coxe's experimental shop and fireproof library building. In this building is the postoffice, telephone and telegraph rooms, and in one main room is a corps of book-keepers and clerks, giving it much the appearance of a great banking house. Mr. Coxe has built a neat and comfortable opera house for the benefit of the employes, a hos- pital for the same, a free library, a schoolhouse, hotel and three elegant churches are in the place. The town has splendid water privileges, the water being brought in mains from springs on the mountain side.

HOLLENBACK TOWNSHIP

Bears an important Luzerne county family name. The Delsware and Shawnee Indians had their camps and wigwams near the mouth of Wapwallopen creek.

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

Stewart Pearce thinks that the Indian " grasshopper war" between the two tribes occurred near the mouth of the creek. One papoose had caught a grasshopper to eat-the squaws and children were of the two tribes in this vicinity-and when another papoose snatched the grasshopper and swallowed it, the squaws took up the matter and the bucks were called to the field of gore by the hair pulling and screams of the women and the fun grew fast and furious.

In 1870 Hollenback had a population of 1,303, which was reduced to 736. in 1880 by taking off the north half of the township and making Conyngham town- ship; in the census of 1890 this was again slightly decreased, reporting a popula- tion of 724.

A few German farmers came up from Northampton township in 1789, and set about the hard task of reducing the rugged land and stubborn soil to domestica- tion. In 1796 it contained but ten taxables, and at that time it was a part of Nes- copeck and extended up to Newport township. In 1866 it contained six sawmills that were busy cutting lumber for the public markets.

Henry Whitebread, father of B. Whitebread, located in 1807 on the Tobias Hess farm, about a mile south of Hobbie. Other settlers came in that and the suc- ceeding year, including John Bachman, who located on the M. Fox place, in Hob- bie. Abram Shortz located where John Hart lives, two miles southwest of Hobbie, and John Balliett where Mr. Chipple lived, in the southeast part of the township. Mr. Balliett (who was the first blacksmith in the township) came from Switzerland, hence the name "Switze Hill" for that portion of the township. David Eroch located near the Ballietts, on the " Switze."

The first sawmill was built by a Mr. Craig, on the Shortz place, and went to decay long ago. The pioneer gristmill was built on the Big Wapwallopen, near the site of the upper works of the Dupont Powder mills. The first and only tan- nery was built by Samuel Snyder, on the creek where J. Harter lived. Both mill and tannery have now gone to decay. The first store was opened about 1825, by Amasa Shoemaker, near John Fox's. The first tavern was opened in what is now Hobbie about 1825, by Peter Goode. John Harter built the first frame house in 1848. Bernard Whitebread, now living half a mile southeast of Hobbie, assisted in raising the frame. The first postmaster was Henry Gruver. He was appointed in 1852, and kept the office where was Grover's store, in the village of Hobbie. The first road laid out was the one running down the creek from Hobbie to Berwick. The pioneer horticulturist was Henry Whitebread. He set out an orchard in 1808. He brought the trees from his old home at Holmesburg, on the Pennypack creek, eight miles below Philadelphia. David Bachman set out an orchard on his place the following year.

Hobbie is a postoffice nearly in the center of the township, originally owned by Peter Goode and settled first in 1815. Nathan Beach bought of Goode and he had it laid off in lots and sold some of them. In the place are two stores, a hotel and blacksmith shop.

HUGHESTOWN BOROUGH

Is one of the important and thriving mining boroughs within the borders of Pittston township. It is situated between Pittston and Avoca. In the place is a large Catholic church, and the schools have 250 pupils. There is an extensive brick factory in the place and a general store. A number of collieries give employ- ment to the people. The borough has a superficial area of about four square miles and an estimated population (1892) of 1,350.

HUNLOCK TOWNSHIP

Is but fifteen years old, being organized January 8, 1877; taken from Union and Plymouth townships, at the time of its formation containing a population of 759, which in 1890 increased to 881. When first known there were friendly and peace-

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

able Indians inhabiting in their way the foothills and had small patches in the nar- row valley which they cultivated. The first settler was a man named Boggs, who located on the Abram Van Horn place, built his log cabin and cleared a small patch and lived there some years. Boggs joined the Revolutionary army and it is supposed he was away from home when his family was driven away or massacred by the Indians.

All known is that the place reverted to the desert, that this family found it and the marks of their being once there were in the scattered ruins of their home. It is said that the friendly Indians who were neighbors of the Boggses shared their fate-driven off or massacred. Jonathan Hunlock, from whom the township gets it name, and Edward Blanchard settled prior to 1778 at the mouth of

the creek. They were without families and returned to their old homes about 1790. Soon after Fredrick Croop settled near the river and opened the I. Daven- port farm. About the same time came John Croop and the numerous family of Sorbers and settled back of the mountain and up the creek, a mile or more from its mouth, where Hiram Croop's mills were built. Philip Sorber, son of Jacob, made his improvement a mile still further up the creek. These two families-Sorbers and Croops-were mill men and built the sawmills and sawed out much of the lum- ber, cutting the larger part of their timber in their vicinity. Other German families followed the Sorbers and Croops, coming across from the upper Delaware, as the Millers, Cases, Davenports, Cragles, Deits and Braders. These made good and thrifty citizens-noted for their industry and sobriety. In 1797 Joseph Dodson moved into the settlement, from the adjoining Plymouth settlement. He had mar- ried Susanna Bennet, daughter of Joshua Bennet. His son Joseph B. Dodson, was born on the old place where he resided all his long life-an aged and respected citizen and the survivor of his family. Samuel Dodson and his brother-in-law Isaac Van Horn were pioneers and good citizens.

A smelting furnace was built in 1857, near the mouth of the creek, by William Koons. That once promising industry passed away when the canal came, bringing iron from the iron points. Nothing now marks the place of the old forge. Fred- rick Hartman built his flouring mill in 1843, on the creek about three miles up. Ransom Monroe owned and operated it many years. Leonard Ritchie built his saw and feed mill about four miles up the creek in 1850. George Gregory, in 1857, bought Pritchard's mill and rebuilt and enlarged it the next year, with his brother, Benjamin Gregory. In 1869 Jacob Rice built his feed and chopping-mill about one mile from the mouth of the creek. Ransom Pringle became the leading merchant, and for many years carried on his store near the railroad station. Hiram Croop had his store near Croop's mills, other traders being Darius Whitsell and Alexander Dodson.

Hunlock Creek is a station on the railroad, where are two hotels and one general store.

Roaring Brook was once a postoffice, which was removed to the north part of the township; here is a country store and church.

Gregory is a postoffice and a tollgate on the turnpike; a gristmill and an exten- sive stone quarry.

HUNTINGTON TOWNSHIP.

This and Fairmount township are the richest agricultural portions of Luzerne county. Not only noted as the well-to-do land of farmers, but here is that superior general intelligence and refinement, as well as better culture, that mark the entire length and breadth of beautiful Huntington valley as the most favored place after all in the county. This entire region is without a railroad, without a town that deserves the name, and in the two townships there is but one licensed hotel. A licensed hotel is a place where liquors are sold. There are places for the entertain- ment of strangers, plenty of them, but licensed hotels there is but one, and that is away up in the mountain, on the old turnpike, where was a tollgate. This bespeaks the morals as well as the thrift and intelligence of the people of this favored locality.

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

Huntington valley runs along north and south through the two townships, is not a valley after the fashion of the Wyoming valley. It is rolling, might be called, perhaps, better a "second bench," but is, until you strike the mountains in the north of Fairmount township, all a fine quality of arable land. The farmers find their outlet to Shickshinny on the river by a turnpike road, and in an early day the old Berwick turnpike led north to Elmira and south to Berwick.

Huntington is one of the seventeen "certified townships" laid out by the Sus- quehanna company and confirmed by acts of the assembly passed in 1799. Under the Connecticut title, previous to 1776, it was known as "Bloomingdale township," and the name was changed to Huntington in 1799 in honor of Samuel Huntington, a native of Windham, Conn., who was one of the signers of the Declaration of Inde- pendence.

This township lay across an ancient and well-trodden path of the red man, and in his travel to and from the western frontier during the dark days of border war- fare, the few settlers suffered greatly in the loss of some of their number, who were murdered or taken prisoners, to say nothing of the stock and provisions taken and destroyed by the savages.

The first settler was John Franklin. He came from Connecticut in the spring of 1775, as one of the Susquehanna proprietors under the Connecticut claim. He located on Huntington creek below what is now Hublersville (Huntington Mills), where he built a log house and spent most of the summer with his family. He returned to his native State in the autumn on account of the difficulties arising between this country and Great Britain.

Levi Seward, from Connecticut, located in 1776 in the north part of the town- ship, and from him has sprung a large and respectable family. Nathaniel Goss came in 1776 and located on the farm now known as the Howard hotel property at Huntington Mills. The tract of 334 acres on which he settled was granted to Henry Marks by letters patent dated April 4, 1775. In 1782 or 1783 Abraham Hess settled near the head waters of Fishing creek, in the northwest part of the township. He came from New Jersey and was the progenitor of a large and influential family. Stephen Kingsbury was one of the pioneers locating where J. W. Kingsbury now lives, near Town Hill. He was a surveyor and assisted in the original survey of Huntington township. Reuben Culver arrived from Connecticut February 14, 1795, and located in the west part of the township, where Oliver Cul- ver lived. The latter was born March 18, 1795, on his present farm. Reuben Culver was the father of a numerous family who have married into some of the first families of this county. Abel Fellows, Stephen Harrison and Samuel and Amos Franklin in 1777 located in the southwest part of the township, where many of their descendants still reside. From 1778 Thomas Williams, one of the pioneers who escaped from Forty fort, lived at the foot of Knob mountain during the remainder of his life.

Solon Trescott was born in Sheffield, Mass., in 1750, and located in Huntington in June, 1778. He built a log house near Col. E. L. Trescott's. About a month after he came he and Solomon Gas and Thomas and Samnel Williams were warned by the military authority to appear at Forty fort for the defence of the inhabitants against the Indians and tories. There they were taken prisoners, but escaped the same night, and reached their homes in Huntington on the night of the third day. They sought safety in Connecticut in the autumn of that year. After a few years Mr. Trescott returned, to find that a chestnut tree had grown up through the mid- dle of his mansion. He left it as a monument to mark the place of his pioneer hut and built another and better log house a short distance from the old one, which he occupied for many years. His father, Samuel Trescott, held a proprietary right in Huntington under the Connecticut claim, and was one of the original surveyors of the township.

Col. Edward L. Trescott was one of the early settlers and was actively inter-

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

ested in local military affairs, serving as major fourteen years, lieutenant-colonel . seven years, and colonel seven years, and in his last years was an aide on the staff of Gov. Bigler, of this State. He was a great hunter, and killed with his own rifle more than a thousand deer in this township, besides a large number of bears and panthers.

John Dodson was born in Northampton county, Pa., February 26, 1771, and located in Huntington in 1796. He was the first Pennsylvanian who settled in this township, all other settlers having come from States east of this. He was a prom- inent and enterprising farmer, and died May 9, 1859, leaving a widow and eighteen children. Joseph Dodson located in Huntington township in 1806, on the farm where he died in 1851. He was prominently identified with all the progressive interests of his adopted township. He was the father of twelve children.

John Koons located in what is now New Columbus borough in 1819, and became one of the most prominent men in this part of the township. He was largely inter- ested in the Nanticoke & Hughesville and the Susquehanna & Tioga turnpikes. In 1836 he was appointed postmaster of New Columbus, and in 1858 became inter- ested in the building of the Academy and Normal institute at that place. He was appointed by Gov. Shonk one of the judges for Luzerne county. He built the Wyoming Valley canal from Shickshinny to the Search farm. He was a justice of the peace from 1871 to 1876. He was a surveyor and a merchant at New Columbus. He died February 13, 1878.

Jabez Matthias and Reuben Williams were also early settlers. Jabez came in 1798. John Johnson located near or on the town line road, east side of the town- ship, and was soon followed by Earl Tubbs and Stephen Davenport. Jonathan Westover located near Pine creek, in the northwest part of the township, and Peter Wygant on the hill above Jameson Harvey's place. The Monroe family were early settlers on Huntington creek. Amaziah Watson settled just below the Scott house, on the Huntington creek road. Other settlers were William Brandon, a Methodist preacher, and William, Jared and John Edwards, who immigrated from Ireland soon after the close of the Revolutionary war.

Thomas Patterson, born in Scotland and educated in Ireland, located in Hunt- ington about 1799, in the northeast part of the township. Mrs. Minerva T. Pat- terson now lives on the old homestead. Her grandmother, Margaret Louise, was a cousin of Louis XIV. of France. The grandmother of Thomas Patterson was a sister of Lord Montgomery, of Scotland. Thomas Patterson's wife was a daughter of Col. Nathan Denison, of Wyoming valley fame.

Among the other early settlers previous to 1800 were Amos, Samuel and Silas Franklin, Richard Williams, David Woodward, Stephen C. Kingsbury, Thomas Tubbs, John Chapin, George Stewart, Peter Chambers, Nathan Tubbs, Jonathan Fellows, E. Wadsworth, Benjamin Fuller, Robert Wilson, Stephen Sutliff, Stephen Harrison (in 1796) and Levi Seward, who came here in 1776.

Obadiah Scott, who settled on Huntington creek, about two miles below Hublers- ville, built the first frame house. It is still standing, and is known as the " old Scott house." John Koons had a clothmill at an early date, and was also engaged in the mercantile business. besides carrying on a large farm. He was a soldier in the War of 1812. He is now living at New Columbus.

Epenetus Wadsworth, grandfather of P. C. Wadsworth, located in 1794 near Town Hill. He was the first blacksmith in Huntington. He burned charcoal for himself and others. He was also the pioneer horticulturist, having set out an orchard on his lot in 1799, in which most of the trees are still in bearing and afford a good quality of fruit. The Indian trail from Shickshinny to Williamsport crossed his farm near the brick schoolhouse of Town Hill. The well-beaten path is still visible. Mr. Wadsworth was an extensive land operator for those days, and was also a local preacher.

Thomas Harvey, an Englishman, located at Harveyville and opened a shop,

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

where he carried on blacksmithing several years. This was soon after the advent of "Deacon Wadsworth." The pioneer tanner and shoemaker was Benjamin Fuller. He located near Huntington creek, not far from the Larned place. The first grist- mill was a log structure, built in 1788, with one run of stones, by Mr. Hopkins, at the mouth of Marsh creek. He built a sawmill at the same place. Nathaniel Goss, grandfather of the present Nathaniel Goss, built a gristmill on the stream that empties into Huntington creek from the north, on the north side of the old Goss farm, now owned by A. Howard. It would grind about three bushels of corn per day. It was first run by hand, and subsequently by water power. Nathaniel Goss, Jr., built the mill known as the Workheiser mill, which stands on the opposite side of the stream from the old one. The land on which Hopkins' mill stood was donated for mill purposes by the Susquehanna company. In 1798 Nathan Beach built the Rogers mill on Marsh creek. Bacon's carding and fulling-mill was built on Huntington creek in 1817. The gristmill at Harveyville was originally built in 1798, and replaced in 1837 by a new one, which was subsequently burned, and the present one built in 1869.

The taxable inhabitants of Huntington in 1796 were:

Elijah Austin, Ralph Austin, James Benscoter, Elam Boname, Henry Baker, Anthony Benscoter, Andrew Blancher, Isaac Benscoter, Daniel Culver, Aaron Cul- ver, Reuben Culver, Reuben Blish, Darius Callender, John Chapin, James Earles, John Evans, John Fayd, Silas Ferry, Abiel Fellows, Ovil Fellows, Samuel Franklin, Daniel Fuller, Benjamin Fuller, George Fink, Amos Franklin, Nathaniel Goss, Elijah Goodwin, Doctor Gaylord, Philip Goss, Timothy Hopkins, Stephen Harrison, William Harrison, Caleb Hoyt, Samuel Hover, Emanuel Hover, Nathan Jennings, Joseph Kingsbury, Samuel King, Moses Lawrence, Elias Long, John Long, Rufus Lawrence, Jr., Rufus Lawrence, Sr., Joseph Moss, Nathan Monroe, John Miller, Solon Trescott, Gideon Post, Joseph Potter, John Potter, Jerry Preston, Loyd Mar- shall, Elijah Wood, Sr., Elijah Wood, Jr., Abel Sutliff, Miles Sutliff, Thomas Stephens, Jonathan Stevens, Amos Seward, Barney Sutliff, Eli Seward, Enos Seward, Jr., Enos Seward, Sr., Gad Seward. Obadiah Scott, Jesse Scott, Obadiah Scott, Jr., Abraham Smith, Thomas Tubbs, Thomas Taylor, Nathan Tubbs, Earl Tubbs, Nathan Tubbs, Jr., Job Tripp, Jabez Williams, Uriah Williams, Thomas Williams, Tarball Whitney, Daniel Warner, John Wandall and David Woodward.

The old turnpike running from Berwick to Towanda ran across the north part of this township, passing through the village of Cambra. The road was built about 1812; daily lines of stages passed over it each day. It was abandoned as a stage route about 1840, and as a toll road about 1845.

The first road laid out in this township was the one through the Huntington Creek valley. Soon other roads were surveyed and worked.

April 1, 1836, a charter was granted to the Nanticoke and Hughesville Turnpike company, the road to run from Nanticoke Falls to Hughesville, Lycoming county, passing through New Columbus.

The Union Turnpike Road company was formed in 1875, and was chartered in 1876. The charter allows the company to extend its road from Shickshinny through the township of Huntington to Fairmount springs. The road is now completed about six and a half miles from Shickshinny to the Huntington creek valley. The Stockholders, N. B. Crary, J. W. Stackhouse, B. D. Koons, William A. Campbell, F. A. B. Koons, S. F. Monroe and D. G. Larned.

The Columbus Male and Female academy is the chief thing about the borough of New Columbus. It was built in 1858 by issuing 152 shares of $10 each, all sub- scribed and paid for by seventy-two persons. The most prominent men in founding this excellent institution were D. L. Chapin and John Koons. By their and others efforts the township was made an independent school district under the statute.

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History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 74

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