History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers, Part 157

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 157
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 157
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 157

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).

ALANSON HIND, a liveryman and farmer of Moscow, was born in Schoharie, N. Y., August 23d, 1823. He was a lieutenant in the old militia. He was married Jan- uary 23d, 1845, to Sarah J. Depew, of Pennsylvania, who was born in 1821.

482 A

482 /3

HISTORY OF LACKAWANNA COUNTY.

HOLGATE BROTHERS, at Holgate Mills, succeeded S. G. Holgate in 1873 in the manufacture of brush blocks of all kinds.

M. W. HURLEY, a native of Honesdale, Wayne county, Pa., was born October 27th, 1832. In his youth he learned the blacksmith's trade. In 1861 he enlisted in the 8th Pennsylvania volunteers for three months; afterward served three years as first sergeant of Company M 3d Illinois cavalry; was then detailed to the quartermaster's department and remained until the close of the war. In 1873 he married Miss Josephine Trible, of Daleville, Pa., where he engaged in blacksmithing, wagon making and farming.

LEWIS JONES, of Daleville, proprietor of the Daleville House, was born in Berlin, Pa., May 18th, 1846. He was first married September 29th, 1873, to Miss Myra Hine. He was married in 1879 to Mrs. Emma Smith. G. F. Smith, son of Mrs. Jones, was born March 17th, 1879.

WILLIAM H. JONES, of Yostville, is a farmer. He was born in Bucks county, Pa., May 3d, 1828. He located at Yostville when that place was a wilderness. He was married February 6th, 1848, to Mary C. Felts, who was born January 28th, 1828.

A. S. KEYES, of the firm of A. S. & G. M. Keyes, at Drinker, or Plane No. 21, is engaged in a general mer- cantile business. He was born December 22nd, 1847, in Wayne county, Pa., and was married November 25th, 1869, to Martha Bunnell, of that county. Their children are: Minor E., born May 17th, 1871; Frank O., March 26th, 1873, and Ellis D., November 28th, 1874. G. M. Keyes was born in Dyberry, Pa., August 24th, 1850, and was married November 19th, 1869, to Olive Allen, of Mount Pleasant, Pa.

JONATHAN E. KIZER, Kizer's Mills, was born in New Jersey, in 1830, and was married March 29th, 1863, to Elenor Bartlow, of Jefferson, Pa. They have five chil- dren. Mr. Kizer is the proprietor of the Jefferson saw and planing-mills, where he manufactures lumber and broom handles.

ZACHARIAH KIZER is a farmer and lumberman. He was born in Jefferson in 1832. His wife was Miss Mary Bartlow, of Jefferson. They were married in 1854 and have eight children living.

JOHN LATOUCHE, railroad agent at Moscow, has been in the employ of the D., L. &W. Railroad since 1856. He was born in Union Village, Washington county, N. Y., February 23d, 1837. His wife was Elizabeth L. Depew, of Moscow.

MASON D. LEAR, foreman in Staples & Brown's clothes-pin factory, was born in Goshen, N. Y., Decem- ber 2nd, 1849. He was married September 19th, 1876, to Phebe C. Staples, of Spraguesville, Pa.

FRED E. LEAR, who is an engineer at Staples's steam mills, was born in Goshen, N. Y., January 17th, 1853.

HON. JAMES MCASY, farmer and proprietor of the Gouldsboro House, was a member of the State Legis- lature for 1875 and 1876. He was born in Queens county, Ireland, July 16th, 1827, and married in 1874 Catharine Brannan, of Ulster county, N. Y.

W. H. REESE is a contractor and lumberman, also postmaster at Clifton. He was born in Monroe county, Pa., .December 29th, 1837, and in 1868 married Emma Smith, of Chestnut township, Pa. He served through the Rebellion with the Pennsylvania reserves, and was at one time a prisoner in the hands of the rebels.

MERRITT SCOTT, a farmer of Spring Brook, was born in Lackawanna, Pa., August 19th, 1823. He was mar- ried in April, 1842, to Julia A. Decker, of Lackawanna, Pa., and is the father of twelve children.

ANDREW SHELEY is a blacksmith at Gouldsborough. He was born January 31st, 1832, in Warsock, N. Y.

He was married September 2 Ist, 1855. to Maria J. Sherman, of New York State. They have three children.

EDWARD SIMPSON is a farmer and lumberman at Moscow. He was born at Stoddardsville, Pa., October 2 Ist, 1823. He was married in 1845 to Anna M. Smith, of Queen Anne county, Md.

JOHN SIMPSON, one of the pioneers of Turnersville, was born in the town of Armagh, County Tyrone, Ire- land, in December, 1789, and emigrated to Philadelphia about 1810. He married Mary McCurdy, who was born in Londonderry, Ireland, December 31st, 1792. They had seven sons and five daughters. In 1817 the family removed to Stoddardsville, Pa., and finally to Turners- ville. John Simpson died August 9th, 1866, having long filled a most important place in the community in which he lived.

SAMUEL SNYDER, blacksmith and laborer at Goulds- boro, was born in Jackson, Monroe county, Pa., Novem- ber 22nd, 1847. He was married in 1875, to Sophia Deiter, of Monroe county, Pa.

A. R. SPICER, book-keeper at Gouldsboro, was born in Wellsville, Allegany county, N. Y., June 27th, 1853.

DANIEL STAPLES is a merchant and manufacturer of clothes pins at Staplesville. He was born July 27th, 1829, in Stroudsburg, Pa. He was sutler of the 168th Pennsylvania volunteers. He was married May 10th, 1851, to Anna E. Eckert, of Northampton county, Pa., and is the father of nine children.

REV. B. F. SUMMERBELL is in the mercantile business in Moscow. He was born in Peekskill, N. Y., Septem- ber 19th, 1819. His wife was Elizabeth Martin, of New Jersey. He was formerly a clergyman.

CHARLES SUTTER is a lumber contractor and farmer at Sand Cut. He was born in Germany, November 19th, 1843, and married July 4th, 1870, Ella English, of Brad- ford county, Pa. They have five children.

ISAAC SWARTS, proprietor of the Valley House, at Moscow, was born in Dunmore, Pa., in 1826. His wife was Miss Elizabeth Biesecker, of Dunmore, Pa.

JOHN THOMAS, a farmer of Spring Brook, was born in Wales, September 5th, 1847. His wife was Catharine Mathews, of Carbondale, Pa.

NATHAN TURNER resides at Yostville. He was born in Orange county, N. Y., May 18th, 1827, and is the oldest resident of Spring Brook township. He was married in January, 1852, to Sarah Wilson, of Belvidere, N. J. He was a member of Company D 6ist Pennsylvania volun- teers during the Rebellion; is now an engineer.

HENRY VAN CAMPEN, farmer, was born July 16th, 1814, in Warren county, N. J. He was married in 1838 to Rebecca Hamilton, of Warren, N. J. Their children were John S., born April 6th, 1839, who died December 9th, 1871; and Henry O, born December.4th, 1841, who died July 6th, 1866.

C. J. WARDELL, a lumberman of Daleville, was born at that place, June 25th, 1849.

HENRY WARDELL was born in England, in 1810, and came to America in 1819. He was married in 1833, to Isabella Airay, of Worthington, England. They have had thirteen children, ten of whom are living. Mr. Wardell is a farmer.

W. W. WEBSTER, of Daleville, a retired farmer, was born in York, England, August 14th, 1810, and came to America in 1833. He was married September 14th, 1835, to Miss C. A. Merkles, of Germany. They have ten children.

REV. W. B. WESTLAKE, pastor of the M. E. Church at Moscow, was born September 27th, 1831, in Newburgh, N. Y. He was married October 27th, 1875, to Lizzie Emory, of Montrose, Pa. He entered the Wyoming Conference in 1863.

483

EARLY HISTORY OF MADISON TOWNSHIP.

MADISON TOWNSHIP.

N August 7th, 1849, this township was formed from Covington and Jefferson, and was named in honor of James Madison, because it adjoins a township named in honor of another President of the United States. It had 1,530 inhabitants in 1879, and 1,041 in 1880.

The pioneer settlers were Thomas Biesecker and Richard Edwards, who in the fall of 1824 located on a lot warranted to Thomas Match, in the northwest part of the township, where they built log cabins, and in January, 1825, they moved their families into them. The farm on which Mr. Biesecker located is owned by Peter Swartz. John H. Edwards, a descendant of the pioneer Edwards, owns and occupies the farm on which Richard located. The next settler was Thomas Depew, who is still living, and to whom we are indebted for much valuable informa- tion. He located May 26th, 1825, on the lot where he still lives. It was surveyed by Henry Drinker and war- ranted to John McClennan. Mr. Depew, until age and infirmity prevented, was one of the most enterprising farmers in the township. He also practiced surveying till the autumn of 1879. He was born in Wales, Sussex county, N. J., in 1795, and was married in Providence, Pa., July 4th, 1816, to Miss Abigail Rice, of Old Stock- bridge, Mass. She is still living, and in possession of all her faculties. The first framed house was built by Mr. Depew in 1830, on the site of his present residence. He also built the first framed barn, in 1825. It is still in good condition. Depew and Thomas Biesecker each raised a few acres of winter wheat in 1826, the first in the township. The first orchard was set out in 1826 or 1827 by Mr. Depew, on his present farm.

The first road laid out ran from Pole ridge northeast- erly through to Hartford, in Wayne county. The Drinker turnpike was built through this township during 1826 and 1827. The first bridge was built over Roaring brook at Madisonville in 1830, by Nathaniel Carter. An iron bridge has superseded it.

The pioneer school-house was built about 1830, by Thomas Depew, near where William Swartz now lives, and was known as the Bear Creek school-house. It is now being used by William Swartz as a wagon shed. Mahala and Abram Depew, who are still living, were among the pioneer pupils.

Levi Depew built a small grist-mill in 1836 on the site of Ives's furnace, and about 1830 he built a log house on or near the site of M. J. Robinson's house.

The first marriage was that of Thomas J. Edwards to Miss Eliza Carter, in 1827 or 1828. The first death was that of Merritt Depew, November 27th, 1838.

The oldest public burying ground is the one at the Bear Creek school-house. The land was donated to the township for burial purposes by Henry Drinker.

The pioneer postmaster was Thomas Depew, who was

appointed about 1835, and kept the office in the old house on the site of his present residence. He procured the establishment of a mail route from Hamilton, in Wayne county, to Daleville. Abel Wright carried the mail, on foot, once a week each way.

The first collector elected after the formation of the township was Edward Simpson, Esq. Justices of the peace for this township have been elected as follows: Joseph Potter, 1850, 1860; Gilbert Dunning, 1852; Irvin Ives, 1855; Stephen S. Welch, 1858, 1868; Franklin Lan- caster, 1865. 1870, 1875; John Evans, 1877.

UNION METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

For many years previous to the organization of a class there was preaching here by the Methodist itinerant. The first Methodist class here was formed in 1852, by Rev. Peter J. Coxe, of the Philadelphia Conference. The members were P. V. Bross and wife, Charles and Abigail Swartz, Thomas and Abigail Depew, Philip and Elizabeth Weldy, Adam and Ella Yeager, Daniel and Susan Evans and Mahala Schoonover. Mr. Bross was appointed class leader. This was then a part of the " Union charge." The church is of wood, 30 by 40 fee', cost $800, and has a seating capacity of 250. It stands at the " Union " crossing, a little northeast of the village of Madisonville. The society has a membership of 25.

The preachers here have been as follows: 1872-74, S. F. Wright; 1874-77, Joseph T. Burrall; 1877-80, Joseph G. Stevens.

The Sunday-school was organized in 1872, with 20 scholars, and Michael Mitchell as superintendent. Charles Swartz is the present superintendent.

THE UNION HORSE COMPANY,

of Madison, Covington and Spring Brook townships, was incorporated April 23d, 1866, the object being to capture horse thieves and recover stolen animals or pay losses sustained by members at the hands of thieves. Until the election of officers F. W. Wambacker served as president, Charles A. Havenstrite secretary, and Samuel Swartz treasurer.

The following is a list of the first officers and commit- tees elected by this company: L. C. Bortree, president; G. Y. Haines, secretary; Isaac Swartz, treasurer; B. F. Hollister and George Swartz, captains; Alanson Hinds, express rider; G. W. Swartz, Irvin Ives, Anson Swingle, Joseph Loveland, William Yeager and Peter Frederick, committee of six; Alfred Wilcox, F. W. Wambacker and Charles Swartz, committee on accounts. The officers for 1880 were: L. C. Bortree, president; Isaac Swartz, treas- urer; Frank Lankester, secretary.

MOSCOW.

This village, the principal one of the township, was so named by Henry W. Drinker, from the fact that there were living here a number of natives of the famous Rus- sian city of that name.

484

HISTORY OF LACKAWANNA COUNTY.

As soon as Mr. Drinker had commenced work on his turnpike settlers began to locate along the road, and com- menced opening this previously undeveloped wilderness. The first settler at Moscow was Rev. Peter Rupert, who had been a Lutheran preacher. On the north side of Cis creek and the west side of the turnpike can be seen the outline of an old cellar. Over this spot Mr. Rupert built in 1830 the pioneer log house. Here he opened a tavern. The principal fare was pork and beans and New England rum. Mr. Rupert owned the whole site of Moscow, and sold it in 1850 to the Scranton Iron Company for $1,000. The first saw-mill here was built by Mr. Rupert in 1831, on Roaring brook, just above the mouth of Cis creek. It soon gave place to others. Mr. Rupert also built the first framed house, on the site of the old log cabin. It was a one-story house with a shed roof.

The next settler, George Swartz, in 1830 built a log cabin where now stands the elegant mansion of Edward Simpson. Mr. Swartz is a shoemaker, and worked at his trade for Mr. Drinker during the building of the turn- pike, keeping the men in boots and shoes, taking half his pay in cash and half in land. The land is that on which Mr. Simpson lives. While thus engaged he acquired the title of "Turnpike George." He moved into his log house on the third Sunday in May, 1830. It was quite uncomfortable, without windows, doors, or chimney, as two feet of snow fell that day and night.

The pioneer school-house was built in 1838 or 1839, on the site of Gaige & Clements's store. It was used for church purposes until 1852. The first teacher here was Elijah Depew, and some of the surviving pupils are E. Simpson, Jacob and Charles Swartz, Fanny Griffin, Sally Jane Hines, Joseph and Henry Loveland and Hiram De- pew.

The first marriage in the village was that of Leander L. Griffin, in 1852, to Miss Emeline Swartz. The first death was that of a daughter of George Swartz.

The first postmaster at Moscow was Leander L. Griffin. He kept the office from 1852 to 1856 in his store, which stood on the site of the one now kept by O. E. Vaughn, who is the present postmaster.

A stage line was established in 1848 from Strouds- burgh to Scranton, running over the Drinker turnpike, and in 1856 the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad was completed through this village. John La- tousche has ever since been station agent. George Swartz was the first and is the present mail carrier. He first carried the mail from Moscow to Clifton, and now carries it from Moscow to Spring Brook.

The first saw-mill, built by Peter Rupert in 1831, has long since gone to decay. The next saw-mill was built by Storms & Gardner in 1855; it is now owned by the estate of E. Hermans, of Hyde Park. The third is the steam saw-mill in the western part of the village, built by C. P. Van Brunt and still owned and operated by him. The next was a steam saw-mill, built by William E. Dodge, on the site of Rupert's garden. It was burned and the site is now owned by Rev. N. G Parke, of Pitts- ton. The first grist-inill after that built in 1836 by

Levi Depew and rebuilt in 1842 by Joseph Potter was begun in 1868 by Mr. Ehrgood, and finished in 1873. It is still operated by him and stands on Mill street. The steam grist-mill on Mill street was built in 1873, by H. L. Gaige & Co., and it is now owned and operated by Gaige & Clements.

The pioneer merchant was Leander L. Griffin. His first store was on the vacant lot opposite the depot. He soon after built one on the site of Vaughn's store. He sold in 1856 to William Dale and Edward Simpson, and they in 1862 to Smith & Dale. The store was burned and the lot sold to S. W. Wykoff, who built the present store building. The next merchant was Joseph Loveland, who built a store between the sites of the Moscow House and Pelton's store. This was burned in March, 1870. In 1857 Yeager & Gaige commenced the mercantile business, and the firm was soon after changed to Gaige & Clements. Tunstall & Pelton were the next merchants. They were burned out in 1879, and the same year Frank Pelton built his present store on the site of the old hotel at the corner of Main and Church streets. In 1877 B. F. Summerbell opened his dry goods and grocery store on Mill street.

The first tavern was that of Rev. Peter Rupert, already described. The next one was built in 1856 or 1857, by William and Roswell Noble, on the site of Frank Pelton's store. They sold to Elias Swartz, and to Mr. Townsend. This hotel was burned in 1867. The Moscow House, Main and Factory streets, was built in 1859, by Martin Reap, who sold to Mr. Keller, the present proprietor. The Valley House, at the foot of Mill street, was built in 1873 or 1874, by Lyman Dixon, and sold in 1879 to Isaac Swartz, the present proprietor.

The Moscow cemetery was first located on land now occupied by the D., L. and W. Railroad, north of the depot. The land was bought of Rev. Peter Rupert. The rail- road company gave the cemetery association the present cemetery lot on Rupert hill and $75 in cash for the original lot, through which their road runs.

The graded school building was erected in 1872; is of wood, two stories high, and cost $5,000.

The Roman Catholic church on Rupert hill was built in 1872 or 1873.

The first resident physician and druggist in the village was Dr. Wilbur, who is still practicing here. He was followed by Dr. E. A. Glover. Dr. C. Frischkorn, who lives just out of the village, in the township of Covington, located there about 1850, and is still in practice.

There are now two churches-Methodist . Episcopal and Roman Catholic; three hotels-the Moscow House, Valley House and Dixon House; the stores of B. F. Summerbell, Gaige & Clements, O. E. Vaughn and Frank Pelton; the grocery and livery stable of A. Hinds; harness shop, jewelry store, two blacksmith shops, the furniture store of G. S. Brown, two shingle-mills, two grist-mills, the foundry of Irving Ives, one saw-mill, a railroad depot, a school-house, and about 300 inhabitants.

Samuel Carey, jr., now a resident of Moscow, was a private in Captain Peter Hallock's company of Pennsyl-

485

VILLAGES IN MADISON TOWNSHIP-MOSCOW M. E. CHURCH AND LODGES.

vania militia in the war of 1812, and holds a pension certificate.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF MOSCOW.

The class from which this church grew was organized by William Noble, a local preacher from Sterling, at Dale- ville, in 1826. This was the first religious organization in Covington township. Its members were Thomas Depew, John Fish and wife, Frederick Rush and wife, and Mrs Dale, wife of the elder David Dale. Soon after the or- ganization Mrs. Thomas Depew, Mrs. Wardell, mother of Edward Wardell, and Mrs. Lucy Rice, mother of Mrs. Depew, united. Thomas Depew was leader.

The appointment was a part of the Canaan circuit, Oneida conference. In 1828 Rev. Vincent M. Coryell was on the Canaan circuit, and preached here. Among his successors were Revs. Benjamin Ellis, Morgan Rugor, William Reddy and Abel Barber. When William Reddy and Abel Barber were on the circuit-in 1836-the meet- ings of tl.e society were held at Joseph Loveland's house, on the Daleville road, near Moscow. Afterward they were held at the Rupert House, near the culvert of the D., L. and W. Railroad. . After the school-house was built on the site of Gaige & Clements's store the meetings were held there till the church was built.

After Thomas Depew Owen Simpson was class leader till 1859. Since then George Swartz has been leader.

This territory seems to have been in the Philadelphia conference from 1836 or 1840 till 1852, and had the fol- lowing pastors: Revs. P. J. Coxe, Philo Blackman, Mc- Farland, Calaway, Pearsall, William Walton, Munger, Hare and Frederick Illman. During the administration of the latter it was transferred to the Wyoming confer- ence, and with it the incumbent.

In 1853, and for several years thereafter, the charge was known as Madison mission, of the Honesdale dis- trict. Rev. J. S. David was pastor. At this time it embraced Moscow, Turnersville, Union church and other school-house appointments. Under the super- vision of Mr. David the present church building was commenced. George Swartz and his cousin, George W. Swartz, rendered indispensable aid in collecting funds. The church was dedicated in the winter of 1855. Charles White was pastor. Abel Barker preached the dedicatory sermon. Dr. N. Round, P. E., conducted the dedicatory services.

Since its connection with the Wyoming conference the following is a consecutive list of pastors: Frederick Illman, 1852; J. S. David, 1853, 1854; Charles White, 1855; William Shup, 1856, 1857; C. C. Smith, 1858, 1859; J. L. Race, 1860; A. J. Van Cleft, 1861; David Personeus, 1862; H. Stanley, 1863; J. T. Crowell, 1864, 1865; G. M. Chamberlain, 1866, 1868; G. A. Severson, 1869-71; J. C. Leacock, 1872, 1873; I. B. Hyde, 1874; S. G. Austin, 1875, 1876; G. M. Colville, 1877, 1878; W. B. Westlake, 1879, 1880.

LODGES AT MOSCOW.

Moscow Lodge, No. 703, I. O. of O. F. was instituted

March 30th, 1870. The following first officers comprised all the charter members except S. G. Coglizer: Franklin Lancaster, N. G .; William H. Brindle, V. G .; William Brown, secretary; A. Caterson, assistant secretary; C. P. Van Brunt, treasurer; W. S. Watrous, R. S. N. G .; B. E. Mitchell, L. S. N. G .; D. K. Watrous, conductor; O. S. Wilcox, R. S. S .; F. Striker, L. S. S .; J. H. Depew, O. G .: D. A. Wilder, I. G .; J. A. Hallett, R. S. V. G .; and W. J. Smith, L. S. V. G.

The membership is 69. The officers for the present term (May, 1880) are as follows: John Smith, N. G .; J. McCarty, V. G .; C. P. Van Brunt, Sec .; Moses Davis, A. S .; Franklin Lancaster, treasurer.

Moscow Lodge, No. 504, F. and A. M. was instituted April 12th, 1872, with 14 charter members. The original officers were: W. M., Jacob H. Pile; S. W., Albert I. Ackerly; J. W., Elijah A. Glover; secretary, Daniel Staples; treasurer, Henry L. Gaige.

The present membership is 35. The officers of the lodge for 1880 were: A. H. Bortree, W. M .; E. T. Swartz, S. W .; Peter Walters, J. W .; W. A. Holgate, secretary; Isaac Swartz, treasurer; Chester Swartz, tiler.

CLARKSVILLE

was first settled by Philip Weldy, who deeded the land to his son Isaac, and he to Dr. Milton Clark, from whom the hamlet is named. He came here in 1848. There was once a considerable business done here. Charles Frazer built and operated a sash and blind factory, and there was a steam planing-mill. F. M. Depew kept a store a few years. Mr. Clark (a "Christian") preached several years at Madisonville. He died in 1873.

CAREY'S CORNERS.

This hamlet was named after Parker Carey, who was the first settler, locating where Mrs. Carey now lives. Benjamin Pedrick, another early settler, located above the Corners, where Mrs. Pedrick now lives. Dr. Charles H. Fikes has practiced here since 1876. John Alt, the village blacksmith, came in 1860; Peter Alt in 1840, since when he has worked at the tailors' trade. The carpenter of the hamlet is George Markley, who came in 1876. Samuel J. Hornbecker, shoemaker, moved here in 1868.

Madison Hall, a wooden building, twenty-two by thirty- six feet, built in 1868, is used by the Good Templars. It was built by a stock company, and cost $600. The pop- ulation of the place is about 75.

MADISONVILLE.

This village was first settled by William Evans, a farmer, in 1830. The first business establishment was the store kept by Collins & Swartz, in 1854. They were succeeded by John Evans, son of William Evans, in 1856; he by Philip Callender in 1869; Callender by Myers & Summerbell in 1876, and the business was carried on by B. S. Myers in 1878 and 1879. A new store house was built by John Evans in 1878-79, and business resumed in it by him in December, 1879. It is a two-story building, the lower part occupied by Mr. Evans as a general dry goods and

486

HISTORY OF LACKAWANNA COUNTY.

grocery store, and the upper part as a hall, locally known as Evans's Hall. This is the only store here. There are about 60 inhabitants, a "Christian " church, the steam · saw-mill of Irving Ives, a school-house and blacksmith shop. John Evans was the first postmaster, and his wife, Mrs. Ella Evans, is now postmistress.

The burying ground at Madisonville was donated by Henry W. Drinker, who gave eighty acres for both school and burial purposes. The school-house was built in 1835, and stands at the crossing half a mile north of the vil- lage.

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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 157

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