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 79
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 79
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 79
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JAMES BLACK, merchant, was born in Ashley, December 20th, 1847, and now lives there. He was married to Miss Rebecca Butler, of Dan- ville, Montour county, Pa. He has been president and secretary of the borough council, and treasurer of Coalville Lodge, No. 474. Heserved in the 18th Pennsylvania cavalry.
T. P. BLODGETT, merchant at Ashley, was born in Hanover township, October 24th, 1843. 11e married Miss Maggie Y. Liggett, of Parksburg. Chester county, Pa. He has served as justice of the peace.
JOHN BOWDEN, dealer in dry goods and groceries, was born in Corn- wall, England, June 6th, 1841, and came to this country May 15th, 1861. He subsequently made Ashley his home, where he married Miss Isabella Clark, a native of the place.
J. C. BRADER, manager of the Susquehanna Coal Company supply store, was born in Bench Haven, February 12th, 1856. He has served as auditor of Nanticoke borough. He was formerly a telegraph operator nnd dispatcher.
THOMAS CASSEDY, manager, was born at Wilkes-Barre, June 21st, 1853, and married Miss E. L. Roper, of Brooklyn, Pa. His former occu- pation was book-keeping.
MICHAEL CAVANAGH was born in the county of Galway, Ireland, in 1839. He came to America in 1865, and located at Ashley in 1870. Ilc was married in 1863 to Miss Bridget Bligh, of Galway, Ireland. Mr. Cavanagh is a shoemaker.
J. W. COLBORN, carpenter, was born in Lycoming county, Pa., June 10th, 1831. He married Miss Mary E. Riese, of Ashley.
J. W. COLE, a native of Sussex county, N. J., was born September 28th, 1838. His wife was formerly Miss R. B. Driesbach, of Ashley. Mr. Cole is engaged in lumbering and has been superintendent of mining work.
JOHN COOPER, manufacturer of coal novelties, Ashley, was born nt Mauch Chunk, Pa., June Ist, 1843, and married Miss Eliza Trevarrow, of Nesquehoning, Pa. He was formerly a machinist and served during the late war in Company 11 67th Pennsylvania infantry.
W. S. COULTER, civil engineer, Ashley, was born in Yorkshire, Eng- land, September 14th, 1827. Ile married Miss Catharine Evans.
FRANK P. CROTZER, druggist, Nanticoke, was born in Mifflinburg, Pa., February 7th, 1852.
WILLIAM L. DREHIER, a native of Stroudsburg, Pa., was born February 9th. 1844, and was married ; November 5th, 1874, to Lois A. Rinchaminer, of Hanover township, Pa. Mr. Dreher is a successful hardware mer- chant of Ashley.
REV. WILLIAM J. DAY was born in Pasbebiae, Cimada, February 20th, 1840. llis wife was formerly Miss Mary Ann Henderson, of Philadel- phia. Mr. Day is the present pastor of the Presbyterian church of Ashley.
CLARENCE S. DETRO, a railroad employe, of Ashley, was born in White Haven, February 21st, 1853.
JOHN DUNN was born in New Jersey, January 22nd, 1843, and married Miss Frances E. Coolbaugh, of Manover township. During the late re- bellion he served his country, and he is captain of Company G 9th regi- ment national guards of Pennsylvania. fle nas identified himself with the 1. O. O. F., having held the office of D. D. G. M. for a term of four years. lle is now a foreman in the employ of the Susquehanna Coat Company.
FRED E. ELDRIDGE, telegraphie operator and assistant dispatcher at Sugar Notch, was born in Barker, Broome county, N. Y., March 29th. 1852. His wife was Miss Jane Whitworth, of Sugar Notch.
A. A. ENKE, bookkeeper, Nanticoke, was born in Berwick, Columbia county, Pa., June 19th, 1851. He married Miss Mary A. Rambach, of Briar Creek, Columbia county, who died May 10th, 1879.
DANIEL O. EROH was born in Carbon county, February 13th, 1849. lle went to Ashley, where he married Miss Nancy Johnson, and where he is now engaged in the mercantile business. Mr. Eroh is burgess of the borough and is also justice of the peace.
O. O. ESSER, general dispatcher, Sugar Notch, was born in Mauch Chunk, Pa., January 25th, 1850, and married Mary Caroline Mott, of Tunkhannock.
DAVID W. EVANS, Inining boss, was born in South Wales, April 21st, 1849. His wife, who was Miss Jane Jones, is also a native of South Wales. HENRY S. FAIRCHILD, farmer, was born in Nanticoke, March 18th, 1839, and has since resided there, where he married Miss Louisa Robbins, of that place.
JOHN FAIRCHILD, deceased, was born in Newport, this eounty, Feb- ruary 19th, 1813. He married Miss Martha Line, of Hanover township. He was a farmer and held the offices of road commissioner, poor direct- or, justice of the peace and treasurer of Nanticoke borough. He was Ist lieutenant of a State militia rifle company for seven years. 11is death occurred in September, 1879.
GEORGE F. FALKMYER, mining boss, was born in Prussia, August 14th, 1836. He married Miss Amelia P. Kottka, of Dauphin county, Pa. J. 11. FOWLER, engineer, Sugar Notch, was born in Brier Creek, Columbia county, Pa., March 15th, 1836, and married Miss Elizabeth B. Leyburn, of Tamaqua.
CHARLES FREDERICK was born in Lower Nazareth, Northampton county, Pa., March 13th, 1813. His wife, who was Miss Susan Kreinler, was born in the same place. Mr. Frederick served in the State militia. 11is residence is at Ashley, where he is employed in the round-house.
DANIEL FREDERIC, carpenter, Ashley, was born in Bethlehem, Northampton county, Pa., December 24th, 1807, and married Miss Christina Steel, of Buttonwoods, Hanover township.
JAMES K. P. FENNER was born near the Delaware Water Gap, Pa., July 20th, 1844, and in 1870 married Caroline P., daughter of the late J. Turvey Fellows, of Seranton. fle engaged in trade as a druggist, with Dr. E. B. Miner, at Wilkes-Barre in 1863, and after three years engaged in general merchandizing at Ashley, which he still continues.
E. B. GARDNER. Ashley, was born in Buck township, Luzerne county, February 14th, 1843. llis wife was Miss Kate Fenner, of Monroe county. Mr. Gardner has been engaged in lumbering, and is now constable and a member of the police force.
JOHN B. GRAHAM, a native of Ireland, was born July 1st, 1848, and was married October 5th, 1876, to Miss Mattie O'Neill, of Ashley, Pa. lie is an undertaker and extensive furniture dealer of Ashley.
LEWIS C. GREEN, a native of Orwell, Bradford county, was born May 28th, 1833, and married F. Augusta Walker, of Neseopeek town- ship. Mr. Green has been notary publie, justice of the peace and bur- gess. He was lieutenant of Company F 147th Pennsylvania volunteers during the Rebellion. Ile is now engaged in teaching.
C. 11. HAY, postmaster at Ashley, was born in Wilkes-Barre, January 22nd, 1849. His wife, formerly Mary A. Graham, wasalso of Wilkes- Barre. Mr. Hay served three months in the Sth Pennsylvania infantry.
N. M. HARTMAN, printer, of Nanticoke, was born in Buckhorn, Colum- bia county, Pa., January 14th, 1856.
JOHN J. HINES, railroad agent and dispatcher at Nanticoke, was born In Brooklyn, N. Y., November 9th, 1852. He has served the borough of Nanticoke in the capacity of auditor.
WILLIAM H. HOSKING, a native of Cornwall, England, was born August 27th, 1839. He married Mary Oats, of the same county. She died November 14th, 1867, and he married Mary Ann Neal, of Plains township. Mr. Hosking is a mining boss nt Sugar Notch.
JOHN E. HUNTER, book-keeper, Sugar Notch, was born in Tredegar, England, August 10th, 1843. He married Miss Jane B. Hughes, of Pitts- ton. He has been collector and treasurer of the school fund since 1874.
268 A
268 B
HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.
GEORGE W. JOHNSON was born in Nanticoke, November Uth, 1848. Ile married Miss Gertrude Schwab, of Dennison, Ulster county, N. Y. He is track foreman for the Central Railroad Company of New Jersey, and resides at Asliley.
EVAN T. JONES, hotel keeper, post-oflice address Askam, was born in South Wales, March 8th, 183[. His wife, who was also a native of South Wales, was Miss Mary Lewis. Mr. Jones was formerly a miner.
ALEXANDER KEITHLINE, post-office address Askam, was born in Newport township, October [th, [840, and married Martha A. Keyser, of llanover. He is a carpenter and wheelwright.
SAMUEL KEITHLINE, farmer, was born in Northampton, December 1st, 1823. His wife, whose maiden name was Eliza Hoover, was of Hanover township. Mr. Keithline has been director of the central poor district, director of the school board and has held most of the local offices, if not all.
A. A. LAPE, physician and druggist, was born in Nanticoke, April 16th, 1843, and has since resided there. He was formerly a fariner. Ile married Miss F. V. Line, of Nanticoke.
A. LAPE, buteher, is a lifelong resident of Nanticoke. He was born January 2Stlı, 1839, and married Amelia Jones, also of Nanticoke. Before establishing his present business Mr. Lape was engaged in farming. He was at one time a member of the council.
H. A. LAWN was born in Seybertsville, Sugarloaf township, April 29th, 1848. He married Martha A. Dennis, of Ulster county, N. Y. She died, and he married Jennie MeAllister, of Danville, Montour county, Pa. Mr. Lawn is a tinner by trade and is now employed in the car repair shop at Ashley. He is a member of the A. Y. M. and of the I. O. O. F.
PHILIP LEARCH was born in Nanticoke, June 30tb, 1846, and has always lived there. Mrs. Leareh was formerly Miss Lydia Gates, of Huntsville, this county.
THOMAS MCNEISH, engineer, Nanticoke, was boru in Nova Scotia, July 29tb, 1833, and quarried Miss P. A. Alexander, of Nanticoke. He was an officer in the Rebellion and is the president of the borough council.
GEORGE W. NICELY, bookkeeper, Nanticoke, was born in Conyngbam, Luzerne county, December 19th, 1821. His wife was Rebecca A. Fowler, of Berwick. Mr. Nicely was formerly a hotel keeper.
WASHINGTON NOBLE was born in Nanticoke, April 8tb, 1860.
JOHN O'NEILL, merchant tailor at Nanticoke, was born in Balilays, county Cavan, Ireland, March 2nd, 1844.
H. B. PLUMB, lawyer, is a lifelong resident of Plumbtown. He was born November 13tb, 1829, and married Miss E. L. Ruggles of Hanover He served in Co. K of the 30tb Pennsylvania volunteers.
OWEN RICHARDS, deceased, formerly a superintendent in the employ of the Susquehanna Coal Company, at Nanticoke, was born in South Wales, August 13th, 1833. His wife was formerly Martha A. Jones, of Wilkes-Barre. Mr. Richards was a machinist and at one time had charge of the Vulcan Iron Works at Wilkes-Barre.
M. S. ROBERTS, teacher, was born in Jessup township, Susquehanna county, Pa., September 16th, 1835, and married Priscilla L. Lee, of Wright township. He has been engaged in the mercantile business.
JAMES E. RODERICK, superintendent of mines at Warrior Run, is a native of Cardiganshire, South Wales, and was born January 2nd, 1841. On the 30th of December, 1868, he married Sarab Davis, of New York city. He has been a member of the town council and of the sebool board, two terins cach.
JACOB SCHAPPERT, clerk, Sugar Notch, was born in Bavaria, January 30th, 1839, and married Miss Margretha Beilin of Wilkes-Barre.
JOHN SCHWAB, foreman of the car repair shop of the Central Railroad of New Jersey at Ashley, was born in Ulster county, N. Y., September 2nd, 1842. He married Miss Sallie S. Albertson, of Belvidere, N. J. Mr. Sebwab has been inspector of the mines.
A. H. SEWARD, toll collector, Nanticoke, was born in Fairmount township, May 13th, 1851. He was formerly engaged in teaching.
GODFREY SMITH, a native of Darmstadt, Germany, was born February 18th, 1846, and married Miss S. 11. Bols, of Colrain, Scotland. Mr. Smith has a meat market at Ashley. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, in which he was elected trustee.
G. R. SNYDER, retail liquor dealer at Nanticoke, was born in Plymouth township, January 12th, 1850. Ile was formerly engaged in the sale of tin and hardware.
W. D. SNYDER, engineer, Ashley, was born in Stroudsburg, Monroe county, Pa., May 20th, 1839. Mrs. Snyder, wbose maiden name was Mary Sinclair, was born in England. Mr. Suyder served during the Rebellion, holding the office of lieutenant in the 8th and 132nd Pa. volunteers.
GEORGE SPROWL, car machinist, Ashley, was born in White Haven, April 22nd, 1830. He married Miss Rachol S. Meixell, of Shickshinny. Mr. Sprowl is a member of the I. O. O. F.
A. P. STRONG, telegraph operator, Ashley, was born in White Haven, November 3d, 185€
S. W. SUTLIFF was born in Huntington township. He married Jane Kastenbauder, of Cat tawissa, Columbia county. He is [engaged in the drug store of A. A. Lape.
DAVID STETLER, foreman for the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company's car shops, Sugar Notch, was born in Carbon county, December 27th, 1829. His wife was Miss Amanda Fritz, also of Carbon county. Mr. Stetler was elected burgess in 1877.
L. E. TENNANT was born in Aldenville, Wayne county, Pa., April 6tb, 1847, and married Miss Sarah I. Strong, of White Haven. He is track- master for the Central Railroad Company of N. J., and has been in the employ of the same company fourteen years. He is president of the borough council of Ashley, having served as secretary and treasurer.
WILLIAM 11. THOMAS, assistant superintendent of the Franklin mine, Ashley, was born in North Wales, Angust 31st, [831, and married Miss Catharine Crous, of Newton, Lackawanna county, Pa.
D. C. TIFFANY, outside foreman of breiker number [0, Sagar Notcli, was born in Harford, Susquehanna county, September Ist, 1855. He inarried Miss Jennie Titus, of Hopbottom, Susquehanna county. Mr. Tiffany is a member of the Coalville Lodge, No. 474, at Ashley.
M. L. TIFFANY, superintendent in the employ of Charles Parrisb & Co., was born March 25th, 1836. in Brooklyn, Susquehanna county, Pa., where he married Lucy Ann Roper. Mr. Tiffany was secretary of the Ashley borough council, and is now a member of the Sugar Notch council. He was formerly a locomotive engineer.
J. 11. TRIMMER, telegraph operator and assistant dispatcher, Sugar Notch, was born in Quakerstown, Hunterdon county, N. J., September 22nd, 1848. 11e married Miss Laura E. Breisch, of White Haveu.
WILLIAM VANCE, time keeper, Sugar Notch, was born in Ireland, January 9th, 1836. He married Elizabeth Vance, of Randestown, county Antrim, Ireland. Mr. Vance was an agent for washing-machines before engaging in liis present business. Heis a member of the A. Y. M. S. P. VANDERMARK, farmer, was born in Newport township, July 23d, 1811. He married Mary Rumage of IIanover township, who died August 9th, 1871. Mr. Vandermark has beld the offices of justice of the peace, supervisor and town clerk.
0
J. C. WELLS, who portrait is here given, lias figured very prominently in the business and official circles of Ashley, as mentioned on pages 269 and 270.
XAVIER WERNET, hotel keeper, Nanticoke, was born in Baden, Ger- inany, January 21st, 183[, and came to Nanticoke August 23d, 1851, where he learned shocmaking and followed the business twelve years. Afterward he sold groceries three years, then commenced his present- business. He married Miss H. E. Garinger of Hanover townsbip.
THOMAS R. WILLIAMS, mine boss at Nanticoke, was born in South Wales, November 12th, 1842. Hemarried Mary A. Jones, of Nanticoke. JONIN WHITE, wagon maker at Ashley, was born in Wilkes-Barre, August 23d, 1823, and married Miss Melinda C. Blackman, of Hanover township. He is a member and trustee of the Methodist church.
The following citizens have also contributed their support to this publication : Jacob Bring, - Flanagan, W. C. Gregory, W. F. Imlay, F. P. Kennedy, Frederick W. Mason and E. D. J. Meyers.
269
ASKAM-EARLY HISTORY OF ASHLEY.
Charles Farren outside foreman. The mine bosses are John Hughes and Samnel Thomas. In 1878 there were mined 83,241 tons of coal. There were 156 men and boys employed under ground, and 169 on the surface.
Espy colliery, on the line of the Lehigh Valley Rail- road, in the southwest corner of the township, is operated by the Lehigh & Wilkes-Barre Coal Company. George Parrish is general superintendent, and F. B. Parrish assist- ant superintendent. W. T. Leas and Robert O. Leas are the outside foremen, and William T. Smyth inside fore- men. David R. Roberts is the mine boss.
ASKAM.
Many years ago this place was known as Hanover Center. It is located on the Middle road, about a mile north of the west end of Sugar Notch borough, or Plumbton. When the post-office was established, in 1864, Joseph Neuhart was appointed postmaster, and the office was named Askam, in memory of an eccentric gentleman who located here in the early settlement of this township. One day, many years ago, the wife of William Askam re- quested him to go out and get her some oven wood. He obeyed orders as far as going out was concerned. After an absence of seven years he returned, having in the meantime visited England. His family had remained in the same cabin in which he left them, and upon his ap- proach to the house he gathered up an armful of oven wood, carried it in, laid it down carefully, and turning to his wife said, " There is the oven wood you sent me af- ter." He lived at this place many years afterward, and died kindly remembered by all who knew him as eccen- tric " Billy " Askam.
There are a Methodist church, two stores, a hotel and about twenty dwellings at this place. R. R. Metcalf is postmaster.
HANOVER CENTER METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
This society was organized as early as 1820, in an old log school-house on Hoover hill, on the Middle road, a little northwest of Plumbton. The first class leader was Nathan Carey, and the early members of the society were: Sarah Carey, Sally Bennett, Harvey and Celestia Holcomb, Elsie and William Askam, Catharine, Angeline and Lorenzo Ruggles, Sarah Blackman, Ruth Ann Ed- gerton, Sarah Downing, Elisha Blackman, Lovinia Smiley, Mary Ann Carey, Joseph, Sarah and Margaret Stecle, Elizabeth and Joseph Inman and Lucinda Marcy.
This class belonged to a large circuit, under the pas- toral care of Rev. Epenetus Owen, who was succeeded in the itineracy by such noble men as Thomas Wilcox, James B. Cooper, John D. Safford, T. D. Walker, Z. S. Kellogg, O. F. Morse, N. Patrick, J. K. l'eck, B. B. Emory, F. Illman, Erastus Smith, and others of a later date.
In 1861 the society built the present church of wood, twenty-eight by thirty-six feet, costing $500. B. Metcalf was then leader of the class. The society numbers 50 members. Rev. Mr. Davis is the pastor.
The Sunday-school was organized about as early as the society, and is still prosperous.
ASIILEY BOROUGIL.
EVERAL names have been applied to this place and vicinity, including Skunktown, Hard Scrabble, Peestown, Hightown, and as late as 1830 Newtown, Hendricksburgh, Coalville and Nanticoke Junction. Previous to 1865 there were but a few houses here, and on the north side of Main street only the one on the flat where John Carey now lives. But a very few years before this the neighborhood burying ground was along the south side of Main street, where Dr. Deifenderfer's drug store and residence stand.
As near as can be ascertained, the pioneer settler was Abner Wade. He built his log hut on the site of the residence of Charles Frederick.
The first tavern was kept by Fritz Deitrick on the site of Payne & Conyngham's store. The old log hotel now serves as the private office of the store. Samuel Pease, or Pees, had a log tavern where McKernan's hotel now stands. These taverns were there previous to 1815. Samuel Black had the first frame tavern. The house, on West Main street, is still occupied by his aged widow. Lewis Landmesser also had a tavern here many years ago.
As early as 1810, a log school-house was built. It stood on the site of the Lehigh and Susquehanna repair and machine shops. This was the church as well as school-house, and soon became too small for the congre- gation, when Fritz Deitrick, Daniel Deitrick, Samuel Pease, Comfort Carey and others built on the site of Deifenderfer's drug store the first frame school-house in this township. The same building is the session room of the Presbyterian church. Among the first preachers in the old school-house were: Rev. George Dorrance, a Presbyterian, Rev. Mr. Boyd, a Baptist preacher, and Rev. Epenetus Owen, a Methodist itinerant.
The pioneer store was kept by Alexander Gray, near the Abner Wade mansion. In 1815 there was a saw-mill on the site of the barn behind T. P. Blodgett's store on West Main street. The mill was built by Jacob Bobb.
The old stone foundry and trip hammer shop of Joseph Van Lear stood near Solomon's creek, west of Charles Frederick's. Van Lear made nearly all kinds of light castings, besides cylinder stoves for burning the newly discovered anthracite coal. The shop was de- stroyed by high water in the spring of 1850.
The Coalville Building Association was organized in 1869 and expired in 1877. Its stock was in one thousand shares. The Ashley Building Association, with fifteen hundred shares, was organized in 1871 and expired in 1879. J. C. Wells, who figures so prominently in the history of Ashley, and of whom a portrait appears here- with, was the president of both associations.
He was also president of the Ashley Cemetery Associ- ation, which was organized in 1870, with $3,000 capital, and bought eighteen acres from the Lehigh Navigation
34
270
HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.
and Coal Company. James M. Snyder was secretary, and James Black treasurer.
UNION
H
SKIL
UNION HALL BLOCK.
CHARTER AND OFFICERS.
The petitioners for a charter for the borough of Ashley were J. C. Wells, E. L. Deifenderfer, C. T. Lohr, Wil- liam J. Day, George Dunn, J. K. P. Fenner, Samuel Cron, A. T. Joslyn, E. C. Cole, J. W. Cole, William Pow- der, A. Le Bar, John White and others. The court; Judge G. M. Harding presiding, granted the petition December 5th, 1870.
The first election for borough officers was held Decem- ber 20th, 1870. David Johnson was judge and J. K. P. Fenner and M. J. Keck inspectors of election. The following officials were elected: Burgess, Jeremiah N. Gette; town council, J. C. Wells, M. A. McCarty, E. L. Deifenderfer, John Campbell and A. D. Le Bar. J. C. Wells was elected president of the borough council and A. D. Le Bar secretary. The burgesses since Mr. Gette have been as follows: 1871, E. C. Cole; 1872, 1873, Charles H. Hay; 1874, William Fenner; 1875, William Vincent and Charles H. Hay; 1876, William Vincent; 1877, \Vil- liam Parsons; 1878, Charles Baird; 1879, Daniel O. Eroh. The president of the town council for 1879 was L. E. Tennent; treasurer, J. W. Deifenderfer; chief of police, Robert Nelson; secretary, Thomas Cassedy. The following are the names and years of election of the justices of the peace for Ashley: George Lawrence, 1871; Charles Hays, 1871; James M. Snyder, 1873; William Fenner, 1874, 1879; G. W. Nichols, 1876; Thomas P. Blodgett, 1877, 1879; A. P. Fox, 1878; Daniel O. Eroh, 1879; W. W. Vincent, 1879.
PRESENT BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS.
Here are located the shops of the Lehigh and Susque- hanna division of the Central Railroad of New Jersey,
which employ annually about 350 men. Here is also the foot of the " Plane," the longest in the world, built pri- marily for the transportation of loaded boats from the Susquehanna over the mountain to the Lehigh river, but now used for coal cars.
There are three coal mines, which employ, when working, about 600 persons. Jersey breaker No. 2, near Ashley, and Hartford colliery, in Ashley, belong to the Lehigh and Wilkes-Barre Coal Company.
There are four general dry goods and grocery stores, besides about twenty smaller establishments; three taverns, several saloons, meat markets, shoe, tailor and milliner shops; a two-story brick school-house, built in 1874, at a cost of $18,000; and three churches -- Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian and Protestant Episcopal. The post-office has formerly been known as Hendricksburgh and Coalville. Charles Hay is now postmaster. There are two drug stores and one savings bank. E. L. Dei- fenderfer and A. D. Tewksbury are the resident physi- cians. The population of Ashley is about 2,800.
At the time of the construction of the public school building the directors were A. T. Joslin (president), J. C. Wells (secretary), James Fisher (treasurer), J. W. Colburn, Charles Caffrey and William Thomas. The building committee consisted of J. C. Wells, Charles Caffrey and James Fisher.
The Wilkes- Barre and Ashley (Coalville) Passenger Railroad Company was organized June 18th, 1869, under an act of the Legislature approved March 24th, 1868, and a supplement approved April 15th, 1869. The road extends from the junction of Washington and Market streets, Wilkes-Barre, to Ashley, near the depot of the Lehigh and Susquehanna railroad.
The Ashley Savings Bank was chartered July 3d, 1871, with an authorized capital of $175,000. The paid-up capital of the bank July Ist, 1879, was $37,575, and its surplus capital was $7,000. The petitioners for the charter were Charles Parrish, John C. Wells, Charles M. Conyngham, J. K. P. Fenner, Peter Pursell, James A. Simpson, H. W. Palmer, E. L. Deifenderfer, M. D., W. H. Marcy and A. Le Bar, M. D.
The bank was opened March 4th, 1872. Lewis C. Paine, president; J. C. Wells, vice-president; James M. Snyder, cashier.
THE ASHLEY CHURCHES.
CENTENARY METHODIST EPISCOPAL.
Among the earliest itinerants to preach here was Rev. Epenetus Owen. He was one of the strong and effect- ive men of his time. In 1842 "Peestown," Hoover Hill, Nanticoke, Newport, Lutzville, in Slocum township, and Stairville, in Dorrance township, were set off from the old Wilkes-Barre circuit. Mr. Owens was succeeded by Revs. Thomas Wilcox, James B. Cooper, John D. Safford, Timothy D. Walker, Z. S. Kellogg, Orloff F. Morse, Noah Patrick, O. F. Morse again, J. K. Peck, B. B. Emory, Frederick Illman, Erastus Smith, William Keaty, Joseph Whitman, Miner Swallow and A. D. Alex-
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