History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers, Part 149

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 149
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 149
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 149

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).

The first saw-mill was built in 1812 by a Mr. Monroe. He made a failure and left. His mill was just below Finn pond. The saw-mill at the outlet of Finn pond was first built in 1821 by William Finn, and has been re- built four times. The pioneer grist-mill was built in 1820 by Benjamin Spencer, on the south branch of the Tunk- hannock creek, near the present property of Price & Halsted. It had but one run of stones and was in oper- ation only ten or fifteen years. Another was soon after built farther down the creek by S. States; it was burned in 1850. W. E. Manchester owns and operates a small grist-mill at the outlet of Walling pond, in the southwest part of the township. There is also a grist-mill at the outlet of Bassett pond, built and operated by D. Letson. The pioneer tannery was built in 1836 by one Taft, where D. Letson's grist-mill now stands. It 1837 John Ray- mond built a small tannery on the little creek west of Walling pond, on the property now owned by H. Gard- ner. About 1852 or 1853 E. Stiles built a small tannery on the south side of Finn pond. It was burned in 1876. The tannery now standing at the outlet of Finn pond was built in 1862 by a Mr. Baylor. The turning shop on Walling creek, owned by C. Newcomb, was built by W. E. Manchester. The pioneer blacksmith, John White, located in 1812 at the head of Finn pond. His shop was made of two crotches, a ridge pole, and poles run-

461

VILLAGES AND CHURCHES OF BENTON-BLAKELY TOWNSHIP.

ning from that on either side to the ground, the two roofs covered with hemlock bark; the ends of the building were left open for the ingress and egress of customers and fresh air. The earliest shoemaker, Elnathan Baker, opened a shop south of the village about 1820. The first postmaster was John Wells. He kept the office at his house, two miles east of the village of Fleetville, where A. Wells now lives.

JUSTICES.

The justices of the peace elected by the people, since the adoption of the State constitution of 1838, have been as follows: George W. Browning, 1840, 1845; Stephen N. Farnham, 1840; Orrin L. Farnham, 1845; O. I. Hal- sted, 1850; Hiram Green, 1850; I. M. Semmons, 1855; WV. A. Browning, 1855; Henry Newcomb, 1860; Joseph Chase, 1860, 1865, 1870; Daniel C. Brundage, 1862; J. M. Seamans, 1866, 1872; Andrew J. Smith, 1871; De- wilton Sweet, 1874; E. C. Reynolds, 1875.

VILLAGES.

Fleetville is named after James Van Fleet. The land was formerly owned by Meredith and Clymer, who once owned nearly or quite the whole township. They were the contractors for the turnpike from Easton to Great Bend, and built it through this township. They caused lots to be surveyed, running back three quarters of a mile each way from their turnpike, and sold what they could from $2.50 to $5 per acre, according to quality. The property subsequently fell into the hands of Thomas Meredith and George Clymer, sons of the old proprie- tors, and they made large sales to others. William Finn bought of them all the land on the west side of the turn- pike from lot 14 to lot 22, covering Fleetville on that side of the road, and all the land around Finn's pond. Wil- liam Hartley and Esquire Halsted purchased the land on the other side of the turnpike, upon which the village is partly situated.

The pioneer store was built in 1838, by Rowland Richards and Nehemiah Finn, on the corner of Main and Nicholson streets. It was burned in 1842 and never re- built. The land is now owned by O. F. Gunther. The next store was built by Esquire Hartley, where the Ben ton House now stands. This stone building was con- verted into a hotel in 1878, and is now kept by J. W. Umphred. The first tavern, the Fleetville House, was built in 1837 or 1838, by Dr. Brundage, and kept for several years as a temperance house. It is now kept by A. Wedeman.

The earliest physician here was Dr. Nott, who remain- ed but one year. Dr. S. M. Wheeler and Dr. Brundage followed. The present physicians are Doctors Robinson, Scott and F. B. Davidson.

There are here two churches (Universalist and Baptist), two hotels, the stores of Elliott Sweet and C. R. Bliss, a school house, a wagon shop, the blacksmith shops of Phillips and Hiram Chase, the saloon of H. Finn, and the shoe shop of Mr. Crawford. The population is about 200. F. Chase is the present postmaster.

It is recorded that James Van Fleet made and sold nearly all the plows used in the first agriculture of the valley. He made plow-shares of gnarled knots of trees for a score of years or more. He lived to extreme old age.

At Wallsville Simmons & Green opened a store in 1850. J. M. Seaman keeps the present store. There is also a blacksmith shop, and ten or twelve dwellings.

East Benton consists of a post-office, a blacksmith shop and half a dozen dwellings. A. G. Colvin is the postmaster.

CHURCHES.

The " Strict Baptist Church of Nicholson," located at Fleetville, was organized pursuant of request made June 9th, 1832, to take letters from the " Strict Baptist Church of Abington," by Earl and Lucy Manchester, Harvey Dan Exed, Horace, Asahel and Narcissa Gardner, Wil- liam and Hiram Green, Peter and Polly Cole, Silas Rhoda and John Gorman, John Cure, Daniel, Eva, George, Chloe, Stephen and Julia Reynolds, Celinda Green, Mary Stanton, Phebe Sinith and Roda Peterson.

A council from neighboring churches met in Hiram Green's barn July 10th, 1832, to constitute the appli- cants into a church. This church was accepted Septem- ber 6th, 1832, as a member of the Abington Baptist As- sociation, and Earl Manchester was chosen the first church clerk. July 2Ist, 1832, Ezra Reynolds and Earl Manchester were chosen deacons.

May 10th, 1834, Elder Miller was engaged to preach once a month for the year. Nathan Callender preached half of the time for four months from May 20th, 1847, for $20. The meeting house was built in 1852, of wood, and cost about $1,500.

We find by the records that the following pastors have served this people: Elders Miller, Silas Finn, Nathan Callender, Finn, T. G. Cole, H. J. Millard, Stair, C. M. Tower, John Ballentine and Castell, the last in 1880. The church has a Sabbath-school of about 60 scholars, with Oscar Smith as superintendent.

The Universalist Church at Fleetville was built in 1852, of wood, and cost $2,500. The lot and $500 were donated by William Finn.

BLAKELY TOWNSHIP.

HIS township, formed from parts of Provi- dence and Greenfield in 1818, was first settled by Timothy Stevens, who located near what is now Dickson City in 1786 and reared a family. In 1814 he built the first grist-mill on the Lackawanna, which was known for many years as Mott's mill after a later owner. In 1795 Nicholas F. Leuchens built a log cabin where Peckville now stands. He was an eccentric German, given to various superstitions and possessing, so tradition

462

HISTORY OF LACKAWANNA COUNTY.

states, a penchant for the collection of feather beds. He was the father of God Save Nicholas F. Leuchens, who figured somewhat in the history of Luzerne county and whose portentous name was an evidence of the eccentric- ity of his sponsor. Captain John Vaughn settled here in 1797 and Moses Dolph in 1798, the latter becoming the owner of lands which in the hands of his descendants have proved a valuable property.

The settlement of the township was slow. In 1840 it contained only 570 inhabitants, scattered over an area of forty-eight square miles, of whom 4 are described as engaged in mining and 119 in agriculture. Ten years later the developments of coal at Carbondale and Providence had swelled the population to 1,703, but up to this date only one colliery had been opened within the township limits-that at White Oak Run, now Archbald. The building of the gravity road to Archbald in 1845 was the cause of a rapid increase of population and of im- portant developments in the coal fields of the township, and in 1860 the census shows an increase of more than one hundred per cent. over the totals of the previous de- cade.

Engaged in farming on a small scale, and in lumbering and running lumber in small rafts down the Lackawanna and into the Susquehanna river, the early settlers were a rough and reckless class of men, and but few of them remained as permanent residents; while to another class, who came in about 1832, is due the development of the agricultural interests of the valley.

The old " ten mile tavern," a short distance north of Priceville, was the first regular hostelry, and at this place for many years the post-office was kept.

The proximity of the township to Providence and Carbondale, and its sparse and unsettled population, made it for the first half century a suburb of those towns; the opening of collieries at various places caused the building of villages, of which in 1880 there were six, with populations varying from five hundred to three thousand souls. Among the first immigrants were the Welsh, who were followed closely by Irish, Scotch and Germans, and within the past twenty yearsby a consider- able number of English families, whose settlements were made in the northern part of the township. The princi- pal part of the business done in the villages is in the hands of the Irish, Welsh, Scotch and English.

The fact that the township as a distinct organization is now extinct has rendered it difficult to trace its civil his- tory, but the reader will find annexed as complete a list of justices, with the years of election, as can be collected from available sources:

Stephen Callender, 1840, 1845, 1850, 1855, 1860, 1865; Lewis S. Watres, 1840, 1845, 1853, 1860; Sylvanus Osborn, 1849; John P. Farnham. 1850, 1858; David J. Brown, 1855; John Gardner, 1863, 1863; Patrick Carroll, 1865; Edward Carroll, 1867, 1872; Patrick Loftus, 1868; Thomas Nealon, 1870; P. J. White, 1873.

The township was named after Captain Johnson Blakely, who commanded the American sloop of war "Wasp" in her spirited battle with the British sloop " Avon " in 1814.

In 1867 Blakely borough was formed from the territory lying west of the Lackawanna river and between the vil-

lages of Olyphant and Rushdale. In 1870 the last named was made a borough under the name of Gibsonburg, since changed to Jermyn. In 1875 Dickson City was in- corporated, and two years later Olyphant, Archbald and Winton divided the remaining territory of the township, leaving only a poor district corresponding with the old town boundaries and governed by a board of three direct- ors. In 1880 there still remained a floating indebted- ness against the township, and commissioners had been appointed to apportion it among the boroughs.

During the enrollment for the first draft ordered by President Lincoln, in 1862, dissatisfaction arose among the foreign born population, and an attack was made upon the enrolling officer at Archbald that drove him from his work. A posse summoned to support him visited the place October 10th, 1862, and on being attacked by a mob of women and boys, who followed the party through River into Bridge street, fired a volley that, as is usual in such cases, involved the innocent with the guilty. Patrick Gilmartin, an old and respected merchant, fell dead with five balls in his breast, and four other persons were wounded. This decisive act rendered further violence unnecessary.

ARCHBALD BOROUGH.

HE earliest settlements within the present limits of this borough were made by Welsh immigrants in 1831-the families of John Evans, John D. Jones and Daniel and Evan Price. Another party followed in 1834, con- sisting of John Rees, David Davis, John Owens, Rev. John Davis and Deacon John Bowen. The settlers devoted their attention to cultivating farm pro- ducts for the supply of the miners at Carbondale and vicinity until, in 1856, their lands proving to be coal prop- erty, they sold to the Tinklepaugh Coal Company for $125 per acre (the cost to them being about $3). In 1862, the purchasing company having failed to fulfill their contract, and the lands reverting to the original owners, they sold to A. Corry and Jones, Simpson & Co., at $200 per acre.

The first permanent residents in the valley were Thomas Swift, Michael Gilroy, Patrick Gilmartin and a few others, who came in 1845 to work on the gravity road. In the following year the opening of the White Oak colliery drew many more to the place. From that time the growth of the place has been healthy. The population in 1880 was 3,059.

The name was given to the place by Alver Eaton in honor of James Archbald; the name of the first settle- ment and post-office had been White Oak Run.

The first child born in the place and surviving the ills of infancy was John J., son of Thomas Swift. The post- office was established in 1847, with G. H. Snyder post- master. The first store, opened in 1846, was that of

463

BUSINESS INTERESTS OF ARCHBALD-BOROUGH OFFICERS.

David H. Taylor & Co., and was kept in the building now occupied by William H. Kearney & Co. Nearly contemporaneons was that of John Farnham, who was for years very prominent and influential in local affairs. Other early merchants were Peter Walsh, Thomas Healy, who brought a stock of goods here from England, and who is now a prominent dealer; Patrick Kearney and Patrick Gilmartin. The first hotel was built by a man named Cannon in. 1846, and was burned in 1852. The first regular mails were received in 1846, by wagons between Providence and Carbondale. The Scranton and Car- bondale plank road was built in 1851. Among the names most prominent in local affairs at this period were those of Messrs. Hackler, Cannon, Farnliam and Hosie.

The first school-house was built in 1847, and James Savage was the first teacher. Archbald graded school was organized, with seven departments and eight teach- ers, in 1875. The school building was put up in that year by the Blakely township school board, at a cost of about $10,500.

PRESENT BUSINESS INTERESTS.

The " company store" of Jones, Simpson & Co., opened in 1866, does a large and evidently lucrative business; Thomas Healy carries a large and varied stock of gen- eral merchandise; W. H. Kearney & Co., successors to Patrick Moyles, is also a popular trading point; while Adam Behle & Son keep a large stock of boots and shoes; Dr. John Foote a well filled drug store; Bishop Brothers a fine assortment of general hardware and min- ers' supplies; F. J. O'Boyle carries on the tin and sheet iron trade; M. F. Lynott and Anthony Broderick the wholesale wine and liquor business; Anthony Kinback and John Sweeney the undertaking and furniture trade; while two tailor shops, two millinery, two boot and shoe shops, three restaurants, three confectionery stores, two groceries, three hotels, a carriage shop and two black- smith shops complete the list of mercantile and mechan- ical establishments.

A handsome view of Bishop Bros.' fine establishment may be seen on another page.

CIVIL GOVERNMENT.

Archbald borough was incorporated in February, 1877, the first election of officers being held on the third Tues- day of that month, and resulting as follows: Burgess, John B. Lack ; council-Michael Spelman (president), Thomas Law (secretary), P. J. Henegan, Thomas Malone, John Morrell, John Hofsomer; chief of police, M. J. Walsh; school directors, Dr. John Foote, J. W. Dick, John J. Kearney, John Barrett, John J. Swift, James H. White; justices of peace, Edward Carroll, P. J. White; high constable, James Gilroy.

During that year a neat brick council house and jail was built at a cost of $1,500, including lot, and a borough indebtedness of $1,600 incurred.

The officers for 1878 were: Burgess, James McGrail; president of council, Jacob Wagner; secretary, Thomas Law; councilmen, John Phillips, John Kearney, Edward

McDonnell; school directors, Dr. Foote, Dr. Dick, John Kearney, James J. Jordan, J. H. White, John J. Swift; justices, Edward Carroll, John Carroll; chief of police, M. J. Walsh; high constable, Thomas Gildea.

In 1879 the borough was divided into three wards.

In 1880 the officers were: Burgess, James McGrail; councilmen-Ist ward, Thomas Law, John Beck; 2nd ward, Charles Ready, M. K. Muney; 3d ward, D. J. Gil- martin, Martin J. McHale; president of council, D. J. Gilmartin; secretary, Thomas Law; school directors- Ist ward, A. V. Gerbig, J. J. Williams, Herman C. Mil- ler; 2nd ward, M. J. Walsh, John J. Kearney, James Kelley; 3d ward, Thomas Holmes, Anthony Broderick, J. J. Jordan; president of board, James J. Jordan; sec- retary, M. J. Walsh; high constable, James Gilroy; con- stable, Thomas Gildea.

The heavy freshet of September, 1878, damaged the borough streets to a large amount, but so economical has been the management that but $1,250 of indebted- ness was outstanding January Ist, 1880.

MINING INTERESTS.

The White Oak Colliery .- This drift was opened by the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company in 1845, and operated by them until 1859, when it was sold to Judge Birdseye, of New York city, and operated under lease successively by H. Jenkins, William Nichols, Robert Salton and Patrick Kearney. After the building of the breaker, in 1860, work was suspended six months, and in 1861 Hosie & Jadwin leased the property, working until 1863, when John Jermyn became its operator for two years, succeeded by the Boston and Lackawanna Coal Company, who purchased the land of Birdseye and worked the mine until 1870. Then, on their bankruptcy, the Delaware and Hudson again came into possession, and have operated it since. The breaker has a capacity of 650 tons daily. The number of inen and boys em- ployed is 230. One breaker engine supplies the power. The drifts are worked to a distance of one and one-half miles from the entrance, which is about 800 feet from the breaker. Thirty-eight mules are in use. In 1880 a shaft was being sunk to a depth of eighty feet, at a dis- tance of one-third mile south of the breaker. The out- side forenian is Thomas Law; inside foreman, Hugh Jones; and D. J. Gilmartin and Thomas Hunter are weighmasters. The average daily production is about equal to the capacity of the breaker. John Hosie was the first foreman, succeeded by James Liddle, then by William Law, and in 1854 by Edward Jones, who had charge of the works until 1858. The vein of coal worked is the Archbald, with an average depth of ten feet.

The Eaton Colliery .- In the year 1856 Edward Jones, Alver Eaton, George Simpson and Dr. Robert Westcott formed a partnership under the firm name of Eaton & Co., and opened the drift that is still known as the Eaton mine, shipping during the year about 30,000 tons and since that time 2,500,000 tons. Dr. Westcott retired from the firm in June, 1860, disposing of his interest to Edward Jones and George Simpson. Mr. Eaton re-

464

HISTORY OF LACKAWANNA COUNTY.

mained at the head of the firm until his death, which oc- curred May 24th, 1874; when the surviving partners purchased the interest of his estate, and they have con- ducted the business under the name of Jones & Simpson. The breaker was built in 1860, with a capacity of 750 tons daily, the colliery producing about 550. One pair of forty horse and four thirty horse power engines are in use, with two steam pumps and a powerful ventilating fan driven by two engines. The total number of men and boys employed is 305. The vein worked is the Archbald, known in Scranton as the "Clark." The headings extend two miles through tracts of C. B. Hack- ler, Ruth and Prudence Dilly, D. Howell, the Equity Improvement Company, Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, Nathan Wagner and Jones & Simpson, the last firm owning 105 acres. The foremen have been Alver Eaton, James Liddle, George W. Eaton and John Whyte, the last two being in charge in 1880. The com- pany owns besides the colliery buildings an engineer's house, office and store building, and conducts a general store under the name of Jones, Simpson & Co. J. J. Williams is the silent partner and business manager.

SOCIETIES AND CORPORATIONS.

Archbald Dramatic Institute .- This society was organ- ized in December, 1878. Its first officers were: John B. Lack, president; stage manager, J. W. Dick; secretary, D. J. Gilmartin; treasurer, H. Lathrop. 'It numbers about twenty ladies and gentlemen, bears a good reputa- tion for dramatic talent and devotes its surplus receipts to the maintenance of a free public library and reading room. Dr. John Foote is the president of the institute and John B. Lack librarian.

The Archbald Water Company .- June 3d, 1875, at a meeting of citizens a committee was appointed to solicit subscriptions to the capital stock of a water company ; and during the same month, the desired capital having been pledged, the Archbald Water Company was incor- porated. H. D. Lindeman, Patrick Kearney, J. J. Wil- liams, John C. Peters and John Sweeney were chosen provisional trustees, and at a meeting held June 23d of that year the following officers were elected: James J. Williams, president; W. H. Kearney, secretary; John Sweeney, treasurer. A supply of excellent water was ob- tained from a mountain spring some two miles east of the village. A contract for constructing the necessary works was awarded to Kirlin & Paliner. The charter (perpetual) is dated October 28th, 1875, at which time J. J. Williams, Thomas Healy, H. D. Lindeman, John C. Peters, John Sweeney, H. C. Miller and W. H. Kearney were elected directors. Thomas Law, A. V. Gerbig and Anthony Kinback were constituted a board of audit, and W. H. Kearney superintendent. In June, 1876, he re- signed, but in October, 1876, was re-elected, and in 1879 he was chosen secretary. In 1878 Dr. John Foote was elected president; 1879, J. J. Williams, and in that year Philip Behle was elected treasurer and George Bishop superintendent. The capital is two hun- dred shares of $50 each, of which one hundred and

eighty have been issued. The mains laid extend about two miles, and a sufficient head is obtained at the hydrants to throw water over any building in the business part of the borough. The value of the property is about - $14,000.

The Catholic Total Abstinence Society was organized February 12th, 1880, with 52 members. The names of the first officers are: James T. White, Pres .; John Carroll, V. P .; Rev. N. J. McManus, Treas .; J. A. Reilly, Fin. Sec .; Mark McDonell, S. at A.

Archbald Lodge, No. 392, I. O. of O. F. was instituted July 4th, 1850. The first officers were: L. S. Watres, N. G .; M. T. Sayres, V. G .; J. S. Spangenburg, Sec .; D. G. Sligh, Asst. Sec .; D. H. Taylor, Treas. It has paid for the relief of brothers $3,686.50. Its officers for 1880 are: William H. Callaway, N. G .; Chris Rahbine, V. G .; J. S. Lindeman, Sec .; W. Foster, Asst. Sec .; Jacob Wagner, Treas.

Rebekah Degree Lodge No. 85 was -chartered in 1877, at Peckville, and removed to Archbald in June of that year. Its first officers were: N. G., John G. Berry; V. G., Katie Roll; Treas., Susannah Stage; Sec., Margaret Barlett. The charter members numbered 16. The offi- cers in June, 1880, were: N. G., Dora Bishop; V. G., Sophia Pfoor; R. S., Justus Bishop; P. S., Mary Beck; Treas., Catharine Lindeman; Chap., Mary Meyers.

Schiller Cornet Band was organized in 1878, with Edward F. Belding as leader, and the following members: Charles and Chris Rahbine, Henry and John Hickman, Williamn Bonner, Peter, Anthony and John Probst, Herman and Henry Miller, William Bartlett, John Otto, Christian Dipple, Willard Hennemott. President, Charles Rah- bine; secretary, William Bonner; treasurer, Henry Hick- man.

Centennial Cornet Band was organieed as the Arch- bald Band, in 1873, by John Miles, John J. Gallagher, Peter J. Ort, John Douthen and Peter Frantz. Its offi- cers for 1880 were: President, John Lally; secretary, James Kane; treasurer, M. J. Walsh; teacher and leader, Edward F. Belding.

CHURCHES.

The Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Church was organized among the Welsh settlers on "the Ridge" by Rev. John Davis, in 1834. In 1848 he secured the erection of a building, and a church organization; of which Daniel and Evan Price were the deacons, and to which Father Davis ministered continuously until his death, in 1866. The society has been weakened, but it still holds services with some regularity.

The First Presbyterian Church .- The first church of this denomination was organized at what was called Blakely Centre April 23d, 1839, by Rev. J. R. Moser, of Carbondale, and Rev. J. B. Graves, of Honesdale. It consisted of Frederick W. and Clarinda Walton, John Decker, Lewis S. Watres and Mrs. Catharine Miller uniting by certificate, and Samuel, Sarah, Samuel Lyman, Sarah W. and Arethusa B. Peck, Annis Case and Eliza- beth Aker on profession of faith. Frederick W. Walton

GENEALOGICAL AND PERSONAL RECORD,

ARCHBALD BOROUGH AND SCOTT TOWNSHIP.

WILLIAM BISHOP.

William Bishop came from Prussia to Archbald in 1849, bringing with him his two children. He worked as a miner. His eldest son, George, became a partner in the hardware house of Foyne & Co. in 1868, and Justus, the youngest son, was in 1869 admitted to the firm, which took the name of Bishop Bros., Mr. Foyne retiring. George now resides in Carbondale, where the firm carry on a branch of their business; while Justus, who married Doretha Niemeyer, of Archbald, has charge of the firm's affairs there. A view of the neat brick store erected by them in 1875 appears on another page.

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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 149

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