History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers, Part 121

Author: Munsell, W.W., & Co., New York
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: New York, W.W. Munsell & co.
Number of Pages: 900

USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 121
USA > Pennsylvania > Lackawanna County > History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 121
USA > Pennsylvania > Wyoming County > History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 121

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

MEN OF ENTERPRISE.

April 4th, 1833, Calvin Washburn donated the land on the north corner of Main and the street leading to the school building, where was built the first meeting house. It was generally recognized as belonging to the "Christian " church, but other denominations were per- mitted to worship in it. Rev. Wm. Lane, a noted and able "Christian " preacher, was at one time the regular occupant of the pulpit, but did not remain longer than two years. Rev. William K. Mott was an early settler in Hyde Park, and preached in this church most of the time during its occupancy.

Dr. Silas B. Robinson at first settled in Hyde Park, living on the easterly side of Main street, about midway between Troy street and Lackawanna avenue. Here he remained about ten years, when he moved a mile and a half up the road toward Providence village. From that time there was no resident physician until Dr. Pier came in 1846.

Charles H. Silkman, subsequently a noted lawyer and politician, came about 1835, and shortly after married the daughter of Holden Tripp. At this time the value of the coal deposits was little appreciated, all the lands about having no money value other than for farming purposes. Silkman and William Merrifield devoted a great deal of their leisure time, by correspondence and otherwise, towards drawing attention to the great wealth buried underneath the valley, and the advantages existing at and near this section for manufacturing. In 1838 Mr. Merrifield, William Ricketson and Zenas Albro became the purchasers of the site of the iron works and the largest portion of Scranton proper. The development of this property by the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Com- pany, to the pioneers of which it was sold by the gentle- men named, is the realization of their hopes for the future of the locality. From the time of that transaction Hyde Park improved slowly; but it was not until the northern division of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad was commenced that the village in- creased in size and population with much rapidity. In 1850 William Merrifield and B. S. Tripp, who owned adjoining lands, embracing nearly all the property lying between Main and Wyoming streets east and west and Jackson street and Lackawanna avenue north and south, laid them out into village lots, most of which were readily sold. Mr. Merrifield prevailed upon his brother-in-law, William Swetland, who was the owner of the Mount Pleasant colliery property, to lay out a portion of the same in lots in 1852, from which time the growth of the place has been steady and rapid. Edmund Heermans was an active and earnest worker for the benefit of Hyde Park; he it was that induced his uncle Joseph Fellows to plot that body of land embracing nearly all the south- ern portion of the town, and he made extensive improve- ments which had a tendency to facilitate its progress. Similar measures on a more or less liberal scale were projected by W. W. Winton at a later date. The popu- lation of Hyde Park is made up partially of Ameri- cans, Irish and Germans, but mostly of Welsh; indeed, the latter people have given the place a distinctive char- acteristic. By their prudence, exemplary conduct and general intelligence they have done much to add to its welfare and prosperity.

CIVIL. HISTORY.

The borough of Hyde Park was incorporated May 4th, 1852. Judge William Merrifield was the first burgess and probably served two years. According to the records of the borough Joseph Fellows was elected to that posi- tion in 1854 and re-elected in 1855 and 1856. His suc- cessors have been as follows: 1857, William Smith; 1858,

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HISTORY OF LACKAWANNA COUNTY.

Joseph Fellows 2nd; 1859, 1860, 1864 74, E. Heermans; 1861, Joseph T. Fellows; 1875-79, A. B. Stevens. Owing to unsettled local business the borough organization of Hyde Park is continued, though the territory embraced within its limits is incorporated with the city of Scranton. As soon as the outstanding business is adjusted borough elections will be discontinued.

The following named persons were commissioned as justices of the peace in Hyde Park borough from the date of its incorporation to that of its inclusion in the city: William Pier, 1853; William P. Stephens, 1854; Sheffield Reynolds, 1857; C. H. Wells, 1858; Hiram Stark, 1862; S. Reynolds, 1863.

THE BOROUGH OF SCRANTON.

The beginning and growth of the village among the hills which afterwards became known as the borough of Scranton were coincident with the inception and pro- gress of the successive enterprises which culminated in the formation of the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Com- pany. At the time Messrs. Scrantons, Grant & Co. began their initial operations at the Hollow there were only five dwellings, a cooper shop, a school-house, a saw-mill and a grist-mill there. These and the debris of the old forge constituted all that then existed of the sub- sequent important borough of Scranton; and within the present city limits and those of Dunmore borough there were only two stores, two taverns and twenty-eight dwel- lings. Gradually after the iron works were established there sprung into existence near by a rude row of houses on either side of an equally rough and unsightly road- way extending from the site of the Adams Avenue Meth- odist church to the entrance of the railway tunnel near the Lehigh and Susquehanna depot; which from the fact, it is said, that the women living along it often appeared outside their doors in groups all clad in their home-made petticoats, each of which was very like all the others, which with only one other garment from the waist to the shoulders completed, so far as was observable, the cos- tume of each, came to be called " Petticoat Alley." The course of this early street was nearly coincident with a portion of that of the present Lackawanna avenue.

VILLAGE NAMES-THE POST-OFFICE.

The village had a population of 100 in 1840, and was laid out on a circumscribed scale in 1841 by Captain Stott, a Carbondale civil engineer. William Henry, whose sterling perseverance had sowed the seeds of progress at the Hollow, was deeply interested in the election of William Henry Harrison to the presidency of the United States, and in honor of bis favorite candi- date he gave the embryo city the name of Harrison in 1845, at which time the population was 500. The people were not ready to adopt it and the old name of Slocum Hollow still clung to the locality, even after it had at- tained a population of 2,730 and been rechristened in honor of its active founders Scrantonia; which name, likewise, did not fit nicely to the lingual capacities of

the denizens of the Hollow, although it had been given to the post-office upon its re-establishment, after much difficulty had been overcome, April 1st, 1850. The postmaster was Mr. John W. Moore, for many years a merchant and now a retired resident of Scranton. Mr. J. C. Platt received the first letter and the first newspaper through the office. January 27th, 1851, the name of the post-office was shortened to Scranton; and so the borough and city have justly been known since. Postmasters since Mr. Moore have been appointed as follows: Joel Amsden and B. H. Throop, 1853; L. S. Fuller, 1857; D. H. Jay, 1861; William H. Pier, 1865; James S. Slocum, 1869; J. A. Scranton, 1876. The post-office was opened in 1850 in a building near the iron works. It was removed to Amsden's block early in 1853, and soon afterward to a building which stood on the ground now occupied by the tobacco house of Messrs. Clark & Snover. In 1855 it was removed to Fuller's drug store; in 1857 to the cor- ner of Wyoming avenue and Center street; in July of the same year to Fuller's drug store; in 1861 to a building on the site of the First National Bank; in 1864 to a building on the site of 310 Lackawanna avenue; in 1865 to the corner of Center street and Penn avenue; and in 1871 to its present location on Wyoming avenue.

GENERAL PROGRESS.

The road between Scranton and Providence is one of the oldest highways within the city limits. It formerly ran by way of the Presbyterian church to the locality of the Forest House stables, across the lower outlet of the swamp, diagonally to the present course of the city streets. Penn avenue was cut out after Lackawanna avenue was opened, and it is said that the stumps were visible in the street for years. Ten years after the first circumscribed survey of the village, as it then was, by Captain Stott, another and a more extensive survey (which was afterward adopted by the borough authorities as the survey of the borough) was made by Joel Amsden, under direction of Mr. J. C. Platt, of the firm of Scran- tons & Platt, proprietors of the site of the village, in 1850-51; and to the foresight of Mr. Platt and the able judgment of Mr. Amsden must credit be given for the width and regular arrangement of the streets. The first sale of lots was effected in the fall of 1851 to Messrs. Grant, Champin & Chase, who purchased two lots on the north corner of Wyoming and Lackawanna avenues for $2,000.

The first brick building of any importance erected in Scranton was the Wyoming House, which was justly re- garded as the boldest architectural attempt in the valley. Says Mr. Clark:

"The spirit of the Iron and Coal Company exhibited its daring and its faith in the future of the young city when, in 1850, it planted in the for- est the largest hotel outside of the great cities of that day. During the same year Messrs. Grant, Champin & Chase erected a brick structure on the corner opposite, now used as a wholesale clothing store by Messrs. Cramer & Goldsmith. About the same time the corner below, now known as the Coyne House, was finished by Mr. Lewis. The next building in the block was the one which to-day is the lowest one in the row, occupied by Jonas Lauer as a clothing store. Before these had been built Dr. Throop had erected a small house in the pines, on the lo- cation recently occupied by Kent's market. Where Doud's hardware

395

EARLY STORES AND RESIDENCES IN SCRANTON-GREEN RIDGE.

store now stands There commenced a row of one-story frame houses, extending up nearly to the residence of Colonet George W. Scranton, now occupied by his son-in-law, Mr. G. A. Fuller."

The Amsden block, as the wooden structure at the corner of Lackawanna and Washington avenues came to be known afterwards, was erected in 1851 and 1852, and occupied during the latter year, the rear portion as a dwelling by Joel Amsden, the proprietor, and three small stores in front by lessees. In the corner store was opened in 1853 the first book-store in Scranton, by Mr. Amsden and Dr. Leavitt. The adjoining building up the street was erected a little later by Jacob Lehman, who lived in the back part and rented the front as a gro- cery. The other structures now constituting the row were built soon afterwards. The pioneer drug store was erected by Dr. B. H. Throop, where Clark & Snover's tobacco establishment now stands. The store was kept a short time by Doctors Throop and Sherrerd, and was sold to Messrs. L. S. & E. C. Fuller, who are well- known dealers in the same line to-day. The next year after the erection of the Wyoming House Simon Jones put up in the woods the first house on Penn avenue, at the corner of Spruce street. The pioneer on Mifflin avenue was Mr. Dotterer, and on one occasion, when the woods in that locality were burning, the people had to turn out and fight the fire in order to save his house from destruction. W. N. Jenks's gothic cottage at the corner of Wyoming avenue and Spruce street was built in 1854. A brick store was opened at the corner of Lackawanna and Wash- ington avenues by Charles Schlager, January 9th, 1856. July 11th, 1857, J. C. Platt's house, on Ridge row and Jefferson avenue, was completed and occupied, two days after that of C. F. Mattes on Jefferson avenue. The res- idence of W. W. Manness, on the same avenue, was com- pleted and occupied December 4th, 1856. Mr. Manness's was the first, and Mr. Mattes's the second family on that street. The residence of James Archbald, on Ridge row, was occupied August 8th, 1857. A building known as Tewksbury's brick block was erected in 1857 at the south corner of Lackawanna and Adams avenues. The resi- dence of Joseph Slocum was built in 1859. These resi- dences have been mentioned because they were the first in their respective localities, or are entitled to attention on account of their cost and elegance. The residence of the late Joseph H. Scranton was erected in 1867 and 1868.

GREEN RIDGE.

The residence of Elisha Hitchcock in 1840, and for some years afterward, was at what is now the east corner of Monroe avenue and Linden street, on the old road to Dunmore. To Hon.George Sanderson is due much credit for opening a not inconsiderable portion of the present city. Mr. Sanderson, while in the Senate of 1853, made the acquaintance of Colonel George W. Scranton, at whose solicitation he visited Scranton for the first time in 1854, and again in 1855; and in April of that year he bought the Hitchcock farm, of about 220 acres. He gave $65,000, and sold an undivided half a few weeks later for that sum. In 1856 he became a permanent res-

ident. He began to lay out streets, and opened Wash- ington, Adams and Wyoming avenues from Spruce street to Vine. This part of Scranton is one of the wealthiest in the city in aggregated capital, is marked by many fine residences, and is known locally as Sanderson's Hill. Here he erected for his own use the residence now owned by James Blair, and near by several others, and he do- nated for the public use the lots on which the central school building stands. He next purchased that portion of the city now known as Green Ridge, and surveyed it into large lots suitable for sites for costly residences, and it has become one of the most attractive parts of the city

Two well-known natural features of the city topogra- phy have disappeared. Reference is made to the " lily pond" or swamp in the centre of Scranton, surrounded by Spruce street, Wyoming avenue, Linden street and Adams avenue, and the rock which reared itself some twelve or fifteen feet at the intersection of Jefferson and Lackawanna avenues and Ridge row. Adams avenue was graded across the swamp early in the summer of 1857 and was then first passable there. In January, 1858, the work of grading Washington avenue across the swamp was begun. A large portion of the swamp has since been graded up to a level with the surrounding land, by the use of ashes and other refuse from the iron rolling- mill, conveyed to the locality by a tunnel .cut through a vein of coal for that purpose, which terminated at the corner of Bank and Linden streets, and which, having served its purpose, is now (1880) being closed. The gra- ding of the rock was begun June 24th, 1861, by the uni- ted efforts of the borough authorities, the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company and the Odd Fellows' Hall As- sociation. The work was continued from time to time until February 5th, 1867, when the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company removed the last of the rock, which had filled nearly all of the triangle formed by the junc- tion of the three streets mentioned. Much of the rock was used by the city authorities in grading and in other- wise improving portions of the city. The grading of Ridge row by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company was finished August 10th, 1861, the rock being used as ballast. The grading of Bank street was begun December 4th, 1857. Linden street was staked out from Madison to Monroe avenue in April, 1858. The next year the first bridge over Roaring brook and one over the tail race of the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company's foundry were built, affording communication between the center of the borough and Slocum Flats by way of Washington avenue. Later, bridge communication between Scranton and Hyde Park was established.

BUSINESS MEN OF SCRANTON BOROUGH.

Early in December, 1852, the following named firms and individuals had stores in Scranton; Scrantons & Platt, near the blast furnaces; Champin & Chase, Lack- awanna and Washington avenues; Hawley & Barton, where No. 505 Lackawanna avenue now is; T. F. Hunt,

396

HISTORY OF LACKAWANNA COUNTY.

just opened) on Lackawanna avenue; Durfee, late Durfee & Welsh, on the Flats; S. W. Thompson (then closing out his stock at auction), south of Roaring brook; George Washington, clothing, site of 504 Lackawanna avenue; W. G. Doud, hardware, site of 509 Lackawanna avenue; Peckens and a partner, whose name is believed lo have been Phillips, Penn avenue and Vine street; Dr. B. H. Throop, drugs, Lackawanna avenue and Mattes street, near what is now (1880) the south corner of Lack- awanna and Adams avenues; Dr. Sherrerd, drugs, Lack- awanna and Washington avenues; and five or six insig- nificant groceries. At the same time the following med- ical men were located in the village: Drs. B. H. Throop, W. H. Pier, J. E. Leavett, C. Gorman, George W. Masser, and a German, lately from Wisconsin; and T. J. Folsom and - Pierce, dentists.

The razing of Dr. Sherrerd's drug store, above men- tioned, a three-story brick building at the corner of Lack- awanna and Washington avenues, early in 1880, for the purpose of replacing it with one better adapted for mer- cantile use, suggested the following reminiscences, which appeared in the Daily Republican of March 9th, 1880:

" It was the third brick building erected on Lacka- wanna avenue, the Wyoming House and the store opposite it on Wyoming and Lackawanna avenues being the two first. The building, originally a drug store and dwelling, was an enterprise of Dr. John B. Sherrerd; was occupied by him until his death, and still belongs to his heirs. It was built in 1851 and 1852. * * In its third story, * now crumbling under the destroying hand of the artisan, was the first select school of the then scattered village, and from its second story for years hung the banner of our first daguerrean. *

* * In its day it was a pre- tentious structure, and even at this time, in its exterior appearance, compares favorably with all but the most modern fronts on the avenue."

The following business directory is said to include the names of all those engaged in business in the borough in 1857:

Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company's officials and principal employes : Selden T. Scranton, president; Joseph H. Seranton, general superintend- ent; James Hunter Phinney, secretary; J. C. Platt, real estate agent ; C. G. Saxon, bookkeeper; E. P. Kingsbury, cashier; C. F. Mattes, superin- tendent of furnaces; J. M. Davis, time keeper of furnaces; W. H. Platt, time keeper of rolling mill; Simon Jones, foreman of foundry; Abner Tisdel, machinist; David Major, boiler maker; G. S. Schott, bookkeeper; B. F. Henry and John Ward, carpenters; John Bawrn, blacksmith; Dan- iel Williams, heater in rolling mills; A. H. Coursen, clerk; Charles Fuller, general time keeper. Officials and principal employes of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad : John Brisbin, superintendent ; Jaines Archbald, general agent; William N. Jenks, general ticket agent; R. A. Henry, general freight agent ; James J. Albright, general coal agent; F. J. Leavenworth, paymaster; Watts Cook, master mechanic ; H. L. Marvine, manager of machine shops; John Grier, engineer of ma- chine shops; A. Frothingham, extra conductor ; J. Amsden, resident engineer; A. W. Rogers and G. H. Wilson, superintendent and conduc- tor Lackawanna and Bloomsburg Railroad. Scranton Boiler and Ma- chine Shop : Dickson & Co., C. T. Paison. Planing Mill and Car Factory: R. A. Oaktord, E. H. Kerlin and B. Goodshall. Hotels : Wyoming House, S. Bristol proprietor; Mansion House. J. W. Humphrey; Eagle Hotel, F. Locher; Franklin Hotel, F. Weichel; Washington Hotel, A. Fasold. Attorneys : Lathrope & Jones, E. N. Willard, Daniel Rankin (Providence). Physicians: Williamu E. Rogers, George W. Masser, A. P. Meylert, R. A. Squire, J. Sullivan. Dentists: W. A. Chittenden, P. C. Morgan. Druggists: L. S. & E. C. Fuller, George B. Boyd. Real estate dealers: George Sanderson, Lathrope & Jones, Michael Meylert, Richard Drinker. Bankers : Mason, Meylert & Co., George Sanderson & Co. (James C. Wright clerk). Dealers in dry doods and groceries: Doubleday

& Dunham, Hawley & Barton, Lewis Lewis, L. Scott, W. C. Kiser, Phin- ney & Schott, Joseph Chase, A C. Fetherman, J. W. Broek, Birney & Co., M. M. Grady. Dealers in hardware, Ar .: Hunt Brothers, C. H. & W. G. Doud. Clothiers and merchant tailors : D. Morris & Co., P. Shively, David Bashore, P. Gangelhoff & Co., Barbe & Aub. Liquor dealers: J. T. Braoos, J. J. Postens. Lirery and exchange : A. Kenner, C. S. Niver. Butchers: J. Jiffkins & Son, J. Imberry. Carpenters and builders: A. B. and Daniel Silkman, Jacob Bryant, Samuel Shopland, Joseph L. Powell. Barbers: C. W. Rossler, S. Mason :. Justices of the Peace: Henry W. Derby, M. L. Newinan. Saloon keepers : Charles Schur, Peter Bloom. Furniture dealers : A. Corson, D. C. Har- rington & Co. Miscellaneous; M. D. Engle, jeweler ; Dana L. Scott. boot and shoe dealer ; Charles Schlager, baker and grocer ; Joseph Fellows 2nd, agent for L. S. R. R. and dealer in coal ; J. Robinson, brewer; G. H. Walter, stationer ; A. W. Gunster, cabinet maker; J. Harrington, un- dertaker; J. A. Moss & Brother, dealers in leather and provisions; George Cone & Co., dealers in flour and provisions; W. J. Walker, tobacconist ; Charles A. Paine, oyster and vegetable market ; Adams & Davis, publishers of the Herald of the Union. Gas and Water Company: J. H. Scranton, president ; C. D. Rockwell, superintendent; George Sanderson, treasurer ; Edward Kingsbury, secretary.

The population of the borough at this date was 10,000; the number of taxable inhabitants was 2,200.

CIVIL HISTORY OF SCRANTON BOROUGH.

Scranton was incorporated as a borough February 14th, 1856. The first council, organized on the evening of March 27th, 1856, at the house of D. K. Kressler, consisted of James Harrington, J. C. Platt, John Hince- helser, D. K. Kressler and William W. Ward. The suc- cessive burgesses were elected as follows: Joseph Slocum, 1856; George Sanderson, 1857, 1864; George W. Scran- ton, 1858; William H. Pier, 1859; L. S. Fuller, 1861; Frederick Simons, 1862; Adam L. Horn, 1863; James Ruthven, 1865; J. W. Gregory, 1866. The latter was re-elected in 1867 and served one year, as the borough council existed about two years after the incorporation of the city. The last council consisted of William Stein, Joseph Godfrey, Philip Weichel, James Mullin and John Zeidler.

The following persons were commissioned justices of the peace in Scranton borough: 1856, 1861, 1866, Benja- min Jay; 1856, Martin L. Newman; 1860, Richard A. Oakford; 1863, Henry Wilbur; 1864, P. J. Coyne; 1859, 1864, Thomas J. Walsh; 1859, Matthias Gaines; 1861, James Mullin; 1866, Thomas D. Kelley; 1864, Matthias Gehen; 1865, Samuel Dolph.

For the first time in the hisotry of Providence town- ship four election polls were opened October 11th, 1853, the voting places being Scranton, Providence, Hyde Park and Dunmore. The elections at Providence were borough elections. Scranton and Dunmore were the voting places for what at that time remained of Provi- dence township. Some of the voters in the north vestern part of the township came through Hyde Park to the polling place at Scranton, where 255 ballots were depos- ited. March 16th, 1855, the Providence township elec- tion was held at the Scranton House, kept by David K. Kressler, and the total roll of the township, exclusive of the boroughs of Providence and Hyde Park, was 165. March 27th, 1856, the first borough election of the newly incorporated borough of Scranton was held at Kressler's. May 12th following the first borough assessment roll was presented to the council, and exhibited an assessed val- uation of $453,280. The total vote in the borough at

397

HOTELS OF SCRANTON-BEGINNINGS AT DUNMORE.

the presidential election held November 4th that year was 95 1.

The borough council contracted for two lots on the corner of Adams avenue and Mechanics' street (since closed), and early in 1857 had a building erected thereon the first floor of which was used as a lock-up, the office and council room being above, where the council met for the first time February 2nd, 1857. The first prisoner was confined in the lock-up January 21st preceding. February roth the building was burned, as was supposed from some defect in the stove or stove-pipe, and Freder- ick Hurd, an occupant of the lock-up, perished.

HOTELS.

The first store and offices of the iron company were in a building which they erected near the first furnace in 1841, and which also served as a dwelling for Sanford Grant and his family. This was abandoned in 1845, after the erection of larger and more convenient quarters, and was occupied as a hotel and boarding house by Joseph Snyder until 1848, under the name of the "Home." This was the first public house in the borough of Scran- ton. David K. Kressler took possession of the building in 1848, named it the Scranton House and kept it open as a hotel until the autumn of 1856, when it was torn down by the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company. The work of destruction was begun September 22nd of that year and Mr. Kressler vacated the building October 18th.

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History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers, Part 121

Author: Munsell, W.W., & Co., New York Publication date: 1880 Publisher: New York, W.W. Munsell & co. Number of Pages: 900

Author: Munsell, W.W., & Co., New York
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: New York, W.W. Munsell & co.
Number of Pages: 900