History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 85

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

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About the same time the families of James Van Scoter (now called Benscoter), and his sons Anthony and John, also three then unmarried sons, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, were added to the Dutch settlement; all left numerous descendants. About the same time also the Bellas, Davenport, Hans, Muchler, Huff and Cragle families were added.

In 1799 William Moore, an Irishman from Maryland, with a large family, settled at the place known as Mooretown. His descendants still own the farm. A grand-daughter, Mrs. John Harned, remained there. The Huffman, Harned, Post, Bonham, Wolfe, Johnson and Santee families came soon after 1800, and nearly all homes then formed are still retained in the families of descendants.

December 24, 1801, Shadrach Austin, a son of the first occupant of Shickshinny, married Mary Gregory, daughter of Peter Gregory, Sr., and bought the present Austin homestead, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was a teacher and a leader among his neighbors, and during a long, active life " Uncle Shadrach " was almost universally spoken of as au exemplar worthy of imitation. He was born July 12, 1770, and died December 26, 1850.

In 1815 John Hartman bought a farm and moved into a house where Samuel Huff had lived several years, which is owned by his son, Stephen Hartman. As the land could be bought at a low price and proved very productive, other old neighbors from Northampton and Lehigh counties soon followed, and a German settlement was formed, as the Masters, Hobbes, Baer, Adelman and Neville families all obtained land near the Hartmans, and long retained many of the customs and characteristics of the German population of the Lehigh valley.

Peter Gregory, Jr., and Richard Gregory, sons of the first settler, bought and occupied farms. Richard lived nearly 100 years. Joseph Gregory and John Gregory, sons of Peter, own and occupy parts of the old homestead.

In 1813 James Search bought of Philip and Margaret Hann the place near

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

the river now known as the Jessup farm, where he raised his family. His son Lot married Christina Fink, and settled just above Shickshinny, where is the quarry now, and where Lot Search's store was once kept.

Muhlenburg, as seen above, was one of the very early settlements, and has long been a postoffice, and has a store, hotel, church and blacksmith shop.

Reyburn is a postoffice and gristmill all in one, and a little store.

Koonsville is one mile from Shickshinny. A general store and toll-gate, and the Kester Brothers have their mine furnishing factory, and deal extensively in lumber.

Town Line, where is a postoffice and store, gets its name by the road at that place being on the dividing town line.

WEST HAZLETON BOROUGH

Was made a separate municipality in 1889. It adjoins Hazleton on the west, is one of the growing towns of this vicinity and is laying off new additions and grading and fixing its streets in fine order. A bus line, making half-hourly trips to and from the city, is one of its convenient institutions; has two hotels, five general stores. There is no danger of this place indulging, as a town, in one of those modern " squeezes " and hence it is destined to become a fashionable residence. There being no coal under the town there is therefore no danger of its ever being undermined.

WEST PITTSTON BOROUGH,

An elegant suburb of Pittston, or more properly an elegant residence spot of some of Pittston's wealthiest people, where it is a mere step across the river over either of the two elegant bridges spanning the same, and is reached by one of the most inviting residence boroughs in the county. The land is but gently rolling, and the wide streets and straight and shaded avenues that are lined with residences giving every evidence of wealth and refinement. The stranger first visiting the place is delighted to walk and enjoy the natural and artificial beauties of the place. The river just above this breaks through the mountain and as it sweeps past the place is yet practically untainted with the mine drainage that further down so disfigures it. Across is Pittston crowning its many hills and to the north is Campbell's ledge and to the west are the low rising mountains, sweeping away to the west and south and at your feet and further than the ken lies the rich and beautiful Wyoming valley. Commerce and manufactures have practically been kept out of West Pittston. Its entire territory was originally in Exeter township and its first occupation was as that of the "Silent City of the Dead." The Hardings who had been so cruelly massacred July 1, 1778, were buried in the little graveyard that was so long known as the Harding-Jenkins graveyard. Judge Jenkins had given the ground, and here too he and his good wife (Lydia Gardner) were laid side by side as well as their sons, John, Stephen and Thomas Jenkins, and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Capt. Stephen Harding and Judge Jenkins were brothers-in-law. Here were buried Benjamin and Stukely Harding. The recent finding of the bones in digging in the street of West Pittston of one of the massacred Hardings is given on another page.

Fort Jenkins was within what is now the borough. This was the most northern of the stockades and of course was the first to feel the coming of the northern invaders. The fort was simply a log house surrounded by a stockade as all these early buildings were at that time. It was situated about fifty yards above the west end of the bridge, but the ground where it stood has since been washed away. An orchard once stood above the West Pittston end of the depot bridge, but the gradual encroachments of the river have uprooted nearly all of it.

A few old landmarks are still left. The residence of Mr. Carr, corner of Wyoming and Luzerne avenues, is one of the old original farmhouses built when this was & part of Exeter township. J. W. Miller's house, the old ferry-house and John S. Jenkin's residence are also points of historic interest.

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

The place was known in early times as Fort Jenkins, and the name was applied to the town until it was incorporated as a borough.

West Pittston was incorporated as a borough in the autumn of 1857. The first election was held January 7, 1858, at the Vine street schoolhouse. Samuel Price was appointed judge and Miles C. Orr and Thomas Ford inspectors of the election, which resulted in the choice of Armherst Wisner, burgess; A. J. Griffith, William Apple, Cornelius Stark, Bradley Downing and Theodor Strong, councilmen; Isaac W. Moister, clerk, and Peter Polen, treasurer.

Since then the burgesses elected have been: 1859-61, William Apple; 1862, Peter Polen; 1863, A. J. Griffith; 1864, J. H. Jenkins; 1865, R. J. Wisner; 1866-7, David T. Bound; 1868, Ralph D. Lacoe; 1869-70, J. C. F. Rommel; 1871, 1872, B. D. Beyea; 1873, Samuel Price; 1874, Barnard Sharkey; 1875, W. H. Cool; 1876-7, Bradley Downing, 1878, B. D. Beyea; 1879, George Corey; 1880, James Mantayne.

Clerks: 1859-61, Smith Sutherland; 1862, until August 10, 1863, Samuel Price; August 10, 1863, A. J. Loomis appointed; 1864, J. B. Hoyt; 1865, G. M. Richard (acting); 1866-7, Smith Sutherland; 1868-70, October, Charles H. Foster; 1870, October, 1872, R. J. Wisner; 1873-4, William R. Sax; 1875, B. D. Beyea; 1876-7, S. P. Fenn; 1878-80, J. B. Hoyt.

Two railroads and the Wyoming Valley Traction street car line all have offices and depots in West Pittston. The streets are lit by the Pittston Electric Light company. Splendid water is abundant from the Spring Brook Water company; the streets are handsomely sidewalked and paved and graveled. The area of the borough contains 323 acres. Present officers:

Burgess, William C. Brenton; vice-burgess, S. K. Barber; council: president, burgess; John Struthers, J. S. Jenkins, S. K. Barber, Evan J. Evans, F. B. San- ders, O. C. Foster; assessor, John A. Stone; treasurer, Lewis Jones; collector, Chandler H. Williams; high constable, George W. Walker; street commissioner, William C. Smith; poor directors: John Courtright and P. K. Richards; auditors: Eugene Spencer. John Hughes Blackman and E. W. Stark; attorney, George S. Ferris; chief police, Thomas Williams. West Pittston Hose company No. 1 has hose house 216 Spring street; president, Thomas B. Mitten; vice-president, George N. Lewis; secretary, Benjamin S. Emory.

It has 4 bakers, 5 blacksmiths, Vulcan Iron works, 1 bookbinder, 4 cabinet. makers, 6 carpenters, 2 carpet weavers, 1 cigar dealer, 2 confectioners, 2 contractors, 4 druggists, 1 fancy goods, 1 fish and oysters, 1 florist, 1 plumber, 2 general stores, 7 grocers, 1 furniture, 1 hay and feed, 1 house furnishing, Luzerne Knitting mills, 1 cracker factory, 1 lime and plaster, 7 meat markets, 4 milk depots, 1 miner supplies, 1 private school, 1 livery stable, 1 stoves and tinware, 3 wagon makers.

WHITE HAVEN.

John Lines was the first settler of the place in 1824, who came with his family on a sled in April of that year from Hanover township just below Wilkes-Barre. Where he squatted was called " Linesville" many years, just over the hill back of White Haven. He built his log cabin and in time this was destroyed by fire, when he built the first hewed-log house and the first tavern, which in time became the property of the Lehigh Navigation & Coal company.

Its name is in honor of Josiah White, who was the first of the most prominent men here in the early days of canal building. He was the builder of the old " bear trap" locks in the Lehigh river that made it navigable and started the wonderful developments that have gone on above Mauch Chunk and up to old Stoddardsville, and this mode of transportation and this style of locks in the river continued in active use until 1860. The first business here being lumbering, of which this became a noted point and that in time was divided and when the forests were gone, was swallowed up by the coal business that is now a part of the famed Upper Lehigh region. The old Lehigh & Navigation Coal company is the essence of the history

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

of the developments of this part of the State. The canal was built to White Haven. The Lehigh Valley canal was built from Easton to Mauch Chunk and opened in July, 1829.

In 1835 the canal was commenced at White Haven. A basin was constructed along the bank of the river at the upper end of the town, with a lock and a dam across the river at the upper end of the basin. This basin, lock and dam still remain intact, as a monument to the indomitable perseverance and enterprise of Mr. White and the Lehigh Navigation & Coal company. This dam and lock were designated as dam No. 1, the numbers increasing down stream.

At that time the hills on either side of the river at this place were thickly covered with pine timber, that would now be considered very valuable. The company as soon as possible, and even before the canal was finished, built a sawmill near the upper end of the basin, on the river side, and cut out the lumber necessary in build- ing the original dam across the river a little above where the Lehigh Valley railroad crosses. Other sawmills were soon built, and in a short time White Haven was one of the busiest lumber depots in the State. It continued so long as plenty of logs were within a reasonable distance, and as late as 1860 there were ten large sawmills at this place, cutting out annually an aggregate of 20,000, 000 feet of lumber. White Haven at that time was an interesting place, both on account of the gigantic series of dams and locks and the magnificent wildness of the natural scenery. This also became the great depot for the sale of the immense amount of lumber manufactured at the then numerous mills on the river above, between here and Stoddartsville, as the navigation company ran their boats up through the old bear-trap locks to that place. The second sawmill at White Haven was built in 1836 by Stenson Crouse, a little further down the river.

The old canal locks and dams were swept away by the great freshet of 1862. The fast canal packet, " Washington," commanded in 1835 by Capt. Hillman, is super- seded by two first-class lines of railroad. The little old schoolhouse and church combined has given place to a fine large school building and five churches of modern size and architecture, and the three or four houses have so multiplied as to contain a population of 1,634. The single old road that lay along the bank of the river has become the main street of a flourishing town, and the little old tavern has been superseded.

In that house Mr. Lines kept the first tavern in White Haven. The next tavern in the borough was where the White Haven house now stands, on the corner of Wilkes-Barre and Railroad streets.

The first plank house in the borough was built by John Fordsman in 1837, on the corner opposite the White Haven house, and it is now owned by James Trimmer.

The first schoolhouse in the borough was built in 1838, of rough logs, and stood in the rear of Kleckner's store on Basin street. The site is occupied by the track of the Lehigh Valley railroad.

The iron foundry and machine shops at White Haven were built in 1859 by the Lehigh Navigation & Coal company, and Miner & Lippincott were the operators. The concern originally stood about half way up the basin, and in 1866 or 1867 was moved to where it now stands, between the lower end of the basin and the river. It is now owned and operated by Samuel Wallace, and is one of the prosperous and important institutions of the place. It is run by water; its output is 100 tons a month, and employs forty men.

The pioneer store was kept by A. O. Chahoon. It was of rough logs, built in 1835, and stood at the lower end of Susquehanna street, near where the Lehigh Hotel formerly stood. The nearest trading points at that time were Wilkes-Barre, Berwick and Mauch Chunk.

The pioneer physician in this place was Dr. Boyd. He came from Wilkes- Barre, and was employed by the Lehigh Navigation company on a salary raised by

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

assessment upon the men employed by the company.

The first resident lawyer here was Gaius Halsey, a native of the borough. He commenced practice in 1870.

The postoffice was established in 1835, with William Hoven as postmaster. It was kept in the old log store at the foot of Susquehanna street. The mails were brought on horseback once a week from Wilkes-Barre.

The first sawmill was built by John Lines in 1826 or 1827, on Lines creek, near where he built his house. He had in connection with his mill a turning lathe for making posts and rounds for old-fashioned splint bottom chairs. The market for them was at Wilkes-Barre, Berwick and Allentown. They had to be hauled to those places with an ox team, and the boy John, who lived here to be an old man, was the teamster on those long trips. The journey to Wilkes-Barre and back took three days, to and from Berwick four, and to Allentown and return, six days, pro- vided the roads were passable, and the "chair stuff" found a brisk market in exchange for such things as were necessary for the sustenance of the family.

The first brick building in the borough was built in 1851, by the Odd Fellows' Hall association.

The Lehigh Boom Company was organized May 7, 1868; John Brown, presi- dent and Charles L. Keck, secretary and treasurer. Their " booms " were on the river in the immediate vicinity of White Haven.

This was then the rising point in the lumber trade and the town was a necessary outgrowth thereof. The rapid rise, the vast importance and the passing away of the lumber trade are a part and parcel of White Haven, commencing away back in the early part of the century and only closing its books in the year of our Lord 1892. A recent issue of the Wilkes-Barre Record gives the following as the clos- ing scene in the eventful story:

"A view of what is claimed will never be seen again on the Lehigh river was presented on Saturday last at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon as a long raft of logs, manned by two stalwart lumbermen, gracefully swept from the lock at White Haven dam and floated down stream toward Tannery, where the last of the lumber- mills in this once flourishing lumber country are situated.

" A Record man stood looking upon the scene when he was approached by an old resident, who was armed with a pikepole and evidently an authority. A common- place remark opened a reminiscent vein of thought in him and he said: 'You behold there the last raft that will ever float down the Lehigh river, for the logs that compose it are the gleanings of the lumber-camps along the Tobyhanna. The men have loosened all the dams between here and Tobyhanna to float these logs into the Lehigh, and now nothing remains for us to do but remove the boom logs and the chains that hold them in place and wait for decay and dryrot to wipe out all evidence of what was once a great industry. I remember the time when White Haven was the headquarters for over a thousand hardy lumbermen. Many of their descendants live here still, but the old stock is rapidly passing away. How much lumber did we handle on this river every year? No two years were alike, so near as I can remember, and varied in amounts from 20,000,000 to 35,000,000 feet. You ought to go up and take a look at that dam and lock if you have never seen them. The ruins of the old mills and their wheels will soon be torn down and removed,' said our informant, Mr. Albertson, as he moved onward toward the town."

The busy banquet hall of White Haven's lumbering business has departed- put out the lights.

White Haven Savings Bank was organized under the State law January 2, 1872, with a capital of $25,000 and authority to increase this to $50,000. Officers: Presi- dent, A. F. Peters; vice-president, C. L. Keck; cashier, S. Maguire. Directors: A. F. Peters, C. L. Keck, Samuel Wallace, Charles Kleckner, G. L. Halsey, R. P. Crellin, Albert Lewis and R. C. Albertson.

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

White Haven Water Works were commenced in 1856 under borough auspices, simply piping from the two springs in the North ward. These gave enough water until 1863, and then a company was organized and stock to the amount of $7,500 subscribed for the purpose of giving better facilities, the stock being increased to $19,000. Pipes were laid to the brook and for two years water was thus obtained. This was in addition to the two springs. Then a pipe line was run to Santee spring, nearly a mile in distance, and afterward terra-cotta pipes were extended 1,600 feet to a spring on Santee farm. All this piping practically failed and most of the water wasted through leaks, and the head was not high enough to supply houses on ground the least elevated. In 1875 the company built a reservoir further up the mountain and thus is enabled to keep any required amount in store and with a head that can throw water to the top of the tallest houses. To meet any emergency the company has a pump connecting the river with their works simply as an additional precaution to meet any possible case. Officers: President, C. L. Keck; treasurer and secretary, S. Maguire; superintendent, H. J. Myers, who has been in charge from the beginning.

Mr. Myers came here in 1848, when the population of the place was about 600. He was conductor that took the first engine that ever went north from this place over the mountains, which occurred the year of his coming. This was the southern terminus of the railroad, where water transportation commenced, until 1862. Mr. Myers commenced merchandising here in 1851 ou the spot where is now Joseph Jonas' store, at the corner of Railroad and Northumberland streets. Mr. Taylor then had a store on the corner of Berwick and Railroad streets, and there was a store in the stone building; another was by Lockwood, where is now Widow Kane's saloon. In 1848 coal commenced being run from the head of Plains to White Haven, and was there transferred to canal boats.

Fire Department of White Haven was organized January 2, 1872. Directors: R. I. Westover, Henry Kaiser, John Fisher, Samuel Wallace, Bradley Childs, John Fiel, S. Maguire, Benjamin Jacoby and James Ray. A steam fire-engine was pur- chased by the borough. The borough built an electric light plant in 1892. Its power is furnished by Mr. Wallace's foundry, and the place is well lighted.

Shoe Factory is an important White Haven industry; established in 1888, and when in full operation employs forty hands.

Grist Mill .- The large and all-modern fixtures and facilities of gristmill, encased in iron on its entire outside, is not operated at present. It has fine water power.

Hosiery Factory was built in 1889; a successful enterprise, and employs sixty persons.

Brickyard .- In the west part of town, by George W. Koons, was established in 1891 on the discovery of a fine deposit of clay, and its product is extensively shipped north and south after filling the home demand. In the borough are 9 general stores, 2 drug stores, 6 grocery stores, 2 furniture stores, 1 livery stable, 3 butchers, 2 millinery, 2 shoe stores, 4 hotels, 3 halls, 5 doctors and 2 lawyers.

Borough of White Haven .- The act of the general assembly of 1843, by which this borough was incorporated, stipulated that the place of holding the borough elections should be "the house of Isaac Ripple," and that the first election for borough purposes should be on the first Monday of September following, and others annually thereafter on the third Friday in March.

The first annual borough election took place March 17, 1843. George W. Butler was elected judge for the occasion, George Straub inspector and Edward P. Tuttle clerk. Offices of the borough: Burgess, Joseph Yardley; councilmen, Abiathar Tuttle, John Shefferstine, Jacob Zink, Samuel Hunter, Jonathan Brock and David Dean; constable, James B. Weller; street commissioner, John Wasser; overseer of the poor, Lucius Blakeslee.

The election held March 17, 1843, having been declared null and void by the

CHtortue Teurop

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HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

court, the legislature authorized a special election for the third Monday of May, 1848. An election was accordingly held "at the house of Samuel House," when the following officers were elected: Burgess, Joseph Yardley; councilmen: David H. Taylor, Edward Lockwood, Horatio G. Hoven, David Dean, Daniel Wasser and I. Cowley Past; street commissioner, George Arnold; high constable, Wayne Sprowl; director of the poor, David Dean. I. Cowley Past was appointed clerk of the coun- cil for the ensuing year.

The following persons have served since as burgesses, and for the years named: 1849-51, Edward Lockwood; 1852, Frederick H. Bund; 1853, John H. Nace; 1854, David H. Taylor; 1855, Washington Torbert; 1856, Josiah W. Enbody; 1857, Stephen Bolles; 1858, 1860, 1863, Jacob Wirtler; 1859, Samuel Hunter; 1861-2, Robert R. Morgan; 1864, S. W. Trimmer; 1865, George R. Crellin; 1866, Lucius Blakes- lee; 1867, 1870, Theodore Smith; 1868-9, 1872, Bradley Childs; 1871, Otto Kaiser; 1873, Edwin Shortz; 1874, Daniel Steele; 1875-7, Henry Kaiser; 1878-9, Charles Kleckner, the present burgess.

Present officers: Burgess, H. J. Laird; treasurer, John J. Baker; secretary, S. Maguire; council: president, A. C. Snyder, Alvin Arnold, Charles H. Hyndman, George W. Moyer, Theodore Ruhnke and George Kneiss; street commissioner, Henry Dandt; chief of fire department, J. N. Gettle.

WILKES-BARRE TOWNSHIP.

There is not much to be said of this township outside of what naturally must be said in the story of the city which has absorbed about all there is of it except the coal industry, which is both within the city limits and outside of them.

This was one of the original townships of the. Susquehanna company, and was one of the eleven townships into which Luzerne county was formed in 1790. The name is a compound, and, unfortunately, the pundits have concluded to keep up the double capitals and the hyphen in the name, instead of simply spelling it, as a man otherwise would naturally write it without raising the pen, for instance " Wilkesbarre" instead of "Wilkes-Barre." In writing several million of times only think of the waste energy in that hyphen and second capital letter, and then the first way of writing it even looks better than the one fixed upon. The names of John Wilkes and Col. Barre, "distinguished advocates of liberty," is given as the all-sufficient reason for the name.

The first dwellings built in the county were on the flats just below the old borough limits in 1758. These were not for white men, but were built by authority of the proprietaries of Pennsylvania for the use of the Delaware chief and his followers, Teedyuscung.

Fort Durkee stood on the bank of the river, also below the old borough line.

As stated in the preceding general history the first massacre occurred in this township in 1763.

In 1782 James Sutton built a gristmill near the mouth of Mill creek. This was the first within Wilkes-Barre township. It was built of logs, and on the top was a sentry-box, from which to look out over the valley and be on guard for the approach of the enemy. The end and finish of this mill was in the great Pumpkin flood of 1786.

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History of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections, Part 85

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