History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers, Part 87

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 87
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 87
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 87

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).

AMOS HOWARD, fariner and hotel keeper at Huntington Mills, was born June 5th, 1838, in Maine, Broome county, N. Y. Mrs. Howard was Miss Carrie M. Councilman, of Maine, N. Y. Mr. Howard enlisted in Company E 50tl N. Y. engineers September 3d, 1861, and was eomnis- sioned lieutenant of the company December 20th, 1861 ; he was dis- charged July 3d, 1865.

R. B. HUFF is a farmer residing at Town Hill, where he was born April 19th, 1856. His wife was Lizzie Newton, daughter of T. D. New- ton, of Town Hill. ITis parents were carly settlers in Hanover.

G. W. IlUFF, also a farmer at Town Hill, is a native of Sullivan eounty, N. Y., and was born November 20th, 1830. He married Miss M. F. Myers, of Huntington. He has been poormaster of the township, and a merchant at Town Hill.

EDWIN F. KAMERLY, a practicing physician and druggist at Town Hill, is a native of Philadelphia, Pa., and was born August 10th, 1838. Mrs. Kamerly was Ella B. Campbell, daughter of William Campbell, of Philadelphia. Dr. Kamerly graduated from Jefferson Medical College in 1861, and located at Town Hill in 1867. His children are Kate E., Ed- win F., Mary P. and James C.

J. W. KINGSBURRY is a farmer and resides at Dodson's Chapel, near where he was born, March 11th, 1840. He married Miss E. M. Sutliff, of Huntington. His grandfather located here soon after the Revolutionary war, and died at the advanced age of 80 years.

NATHAN KLEINTOB, who was cleeted justice of the peace in 1875 and 1880, is a native of Salem township, and was born August 19th, 1829. He was principal musician of Company F 7th regiment Pennsylvania re- serve corps three years from June, 1861. He married Mary Ann Swank, of MitHlinville, Columbia county, who died February 10th, 1876.

F. A. B. Koos, merchant. farmer and paper manufacturer at Hunt- ington Mills, was boru in Huntington township, April 7th, 1831. His wife was Miss Helen M. Larned, of Exeter. Mr. Koons has filled differ- ent eivil offices. He enlisted November 8th, I86I, and was taken pris- oner at the sceond battle of Bull Run and confined in Libby prison. He was subsequently commissioned eaptain in the 56th Pennsylvania.

J. R. KOONS, of Huntington Mills, was born in New Columbus, Pa., July 22nd, 1838, and is a paper manufacturer. He married Miss C. C. Cort- right, of Foundryville, Pa. He enlisted in Company F7th Pennsylvania cavalry, June 24th, 1861, and served three years and nine months. 1Ie was a prisoner seven months in Libby, Florence and Andersonville.

T. M. LANDON, millwright, was born in 1822, in Delaware county, N. Y., and in 1862 was married to Mary E. Washburn, of the same county. Hle was formerly engaged in blacksmithing.

MARTIN LAWLER, farmer, was born at Jeffersonville, Sullivan county, N. Y., October 5th, 1852. He is carrying on a tannery at Kunkle.

SAMUEL LETTEER, farmer, was born December 15th, 1834, and is a native of Ransom township, Lackawanna county. He married Eliza- beth Harrison, of Fairmount. From September 1st, 1864, he served as a member of Company H 198th Pennsylvania volunteers till June, 1865, and was wounded at Five Forks.

GENEALOGICAL AND PERSONAL RECORD.

298 C

F. M. LOCKARD, a native and resident of New Columbus, was born March 21st, 1845, and married Sarah E. Heath, of Jackson, Columbia county, Pa. Mr. Lockard is a carpenter, He enlisted in Company [ 143d Pennsylvania volunteers, Angust 12th, 1862. He was wounded in the battle of the Wilderness May 5th, 1861, and discharged June 12th, 1865.

GEORGE F. LONG was born in Fairmount township, November 20th, 1826, and married Minerva Kyle, of Long Pond, Columbia county. He isa farmer and his post-office is Bloomingdale.

J. W. LONG, who is engaged in farming, was born on the 5th of April, 1823, in Fairmount. Mrs. Long was Miss Ardamanda Myers, of Hunting- ton.

PETER MELICK, a farmer and tanner, was born in Huntington, May 27th, 1838. He enlisted in Company F 149th Pennsylvania volunteers, August 18th, 1862, and was discharged in June, 1865. 1Tis wife was Margaret Wilcox, daughter of Samuel Wilcox.

G. F. MOORE resides at Town Hill, and is a farmer. He was born in Sugarloaf, Columbia county, Pa., March 22nd, 1851. February 8th, 1874, he married Lottie S. Wadsworth, of Town Hill, who died January 1st, 1879, leaving two boys, Edwin Ernest and Leroy Putnam.

JOHN Moss, farmer, Bloomingdale, was born in this township, Sep- tember 19th, 1820. His wife, formerly Eliza Long, who isalso a native of Ross, was born June 5th, 1814.

GEORGE W. MUNSON, an ordained local deacon of the Methodist church, was born ou the farm where he now resides in Franklin town- ship, in 1817. He married Sallie A. Lewis in 1859, and has one child. He. has held numerous township offices.

BENJAMIN NULTON was born in Franklin, July 21st, 1821, and was married December 17th, 1818, to Alvira Holcomb, of Kingston, Pa. He owns and occupies one of the first settled farms in Franklin township.

THOMAS OGDEN was born March 17th, 1814, in Mount Pleasant town- ship, Columbia county, and in 1839 inarried Letitia MeCarty, of Madison township, Columbia county, who was born September 4th, 1816. He has been justice of the peace since 1865 and held all the other township offices except that of constable. He is a farmer.

GEORGE W. OSBORN is engaged in the harness business at New Cohim- bus. He was born in Philadelphia, Pa., January 17th, 1851. His wife was Emma J. Smith, of Conyngham, Pa. Mr. Osborn is sergeant of Company H 9th regiment N. G. P., and a member of the common coun- cil of New Columbus.

JOHN L. PEALER (formerly spelled Bealer), a resident of the village of Cambra, was born at Fishing Creek, Columbia county, Pa., May 27th, 1840, aud married Mary E. Carey July 18th, 1867. She was a daughter of J. L. Carey, of Cambra. Their children are John L., Mand and Ralph B. Mr. Pcaler is a cabinet maker and undertaker at Cambra, with J. L. Carey.

J. M. PATTEN was born in Huntington township, September 8th, 1819, and in 1841 married S. M. Shaffer, of Fairmount. He is a farmer.

ANDREW RAUB was born in Kingston, Pa., in 1819, and in 1810 was mar- ried to Kate Pierce, of Plymouth, Pa. Heis the genial and popular pro- prietor of the only hotel in Dallas borough.

CAPTAIN JACOB RICE was born in Kingston township, June 16th, 1817, and in the following year removed with his parents to Dallas, where he lias since resided. He has long been engaged in lumbering and farming.

W. T. RIDALL, one of the enterprising farmers of Huntington, was born in that township, June 26th, 1844, and married Miss Sarah M. Thomas, also of Huntington. He enlisted in Company 1 2nd Pennsyl- vania artillery iu 1863, and was discharged October 18th, 1865.

JOHN ROBINSON, born in Salem township, November 2nd, 1837, mar- ried Sally C. Buckalew, of Fairmount. He belonged to Company F 7th Pennsylvania reserve corps for three years from June 13th, 1861, serv- ing in all the ranks from private to captain.

R. P. ROBINSON, teacher, surveyor and insurance broker at Fairmount Springs, was born in Fairmount township, October 17th, 1849, and married Jessie Smith, also of Fairmount Springs.

C. W. RUGGLES, merchant, was born February 21st, 1849, in Ross township, where he married Rosa H. Rood.

ABRAM REMAN was born in Dallas, August 31st, 1817. He was married September 15tl, 1842, to Miss Jemima Kunkle. In 1850 he engaged in trade and farming, which he followed until his death, December 17th, 1873. His sons continue the business, nuder the firm name of A. Ryman & Sons, at Dallas. Theodore F. was born August 23d, 1845, and married in 1874 to Miss F. M. Barnes, of Mehoopany, Pa. William P. was born

November 5th, 1819 and married in 1879 to Miss C. M. Race, of Freeport, Ill. John J. was born April 3d, 1852, and married in 1875 to Miss M. C. Atwater, of Providence, Pa.

D. P. Stupr (a farmer, formerly a lumberman) was born in Mouroe county, November 18th, 1836. He married Lydia A. Snyder, of Lake towuship.

FRED. K. SEELEY, carpenter at Fairmount Springs, is a native of Salem township, and was born August 8th, 1828. His wife was Enueline H. Fritz, of Fairmount. Mr. Seeley has been elected justice of the peace, auditor and school director.

Z. D. SMerit was born in Dallas, March 7th, 1857. In 1879 he was mar- ried to Miss L. Maria Frantz, of Dallas, Mr. Smith is engaged in farming.

CALVIN A. SPENCER, physician and surgeon, was born in Dun- more, Pa., in 1811. His wife, Ida E. Campbell, is a native of Abington, Pa. Dr. Spencer served one year in the ffist Pennsylvania volunteers.

JOHN W. STEVENS is a farmer residing near Town Hill, where he was born February 16th, 1834. His wife, formerly Julia Kile, was from Sul- livan county, Pa. Mr. Stevens has served his township as school direct- or and town auditor. His father, Thomas A. Stevens, located in Hun- tington in 1789, aud cleared up the farm where he lived till 1871, when he died.

Z. S. STEVENS, a farmer by occupation, was born in Cambra, Pa., June 21st, 1835, and married Harriet Ann Seward, who was bornJanuary 10th, 1835, in Fairmount. Mr. Stevens's ancestors were among the carly set- tlers of Huntington. He was a private in Company A 178th Pennsylva- nia volunteers, and bas held several important civil ollices.

A. A. STEVENS, farmer, a native and resideut of New Columbus, was born May 31st, 1843, and married Miss Celia M. Creveling, of New Column- bus. Their children are Walter L., Dora C., Alfred E. aud Benjamin S. The grandfather of Mr. Stevens was an early settler at Town Hill.

BARNEY STROUD was born in Middle Smithfield, November 30th, 1825. He was married February 17th, 1853, to Rebecca S. Louder, of Dushore, Pa., who was born February 13th, 1839. Mr. Stroud was a justiec of the peace from 1865 to 1870. He is a farmer of Dallas.

J. M. SUTLIFF is a farmer. He served during the last nine months of the Rebellion as a member of Company B 199th Pennsylvania volun- teers, enlisting Angust 23d, 1864. He was born in Fairmount township, December 18th, 1814, and married Fanny Kester, of Ross.

R. B. SWAYZE, a resident of New Columbus, was horn in Hope, N. J., August 5th, 1809. He is now engaged in the mercantile business at New Columbus and Mahanoy City. His wife was Miss Sarah MeMurtrie, of Hope, N. J.

EDWARD TRAXLER is a laborer, residing at Town Hill, and was born there, September 26th, 1828. He served in Company I 143d Pennsylvania volunteers and in the 58th company 2nd battalion veteran reserve corps during the war.

LUTHER (son of Solon and Margaret) TRESCOTT was born in Litchfield county, Conu., April 29th, 1787, and came with his parents to Hunting- ton March 1st, 1235, where he lived a useful, respected citizen, and died February Ist, 1877. He was a carpenter, architect and bridge builder. He was an exemplary member of the M. E. church more than fifty years. Ile and his wife, Eleanor Parks, were the parents of fonr sons and four daughters.

EDMUND TUBBS was born in Fairmount township, on the 23d of No- vember, 1822. Cassandana Emory, of Iluntington, who became his wife in October, 1846, was born July 6th, 1828. Mr. Tubbs enlisted in Com- pany H of the 198th Pennsylvania volunteers, September 1st, 1864, and served ten months. He has been school director for the last six years. He is a farmer.

WILLIAM G. TYREMAN is a farmer and bookkeeper, residing at Town Hill. He is a native of Salem, this county; was born October 5th, 1812, and married Lney Stevens, of Huntington. lfe located here in 1899, with 50 cents cash and a few "duds" tied up in a handkerchief. He learned the blacksmith's trade, and built the shops now occupied by tho Bogart Brothers. He also built the houses occupied by Messrs, Wads- worth, Stiles and Bogart, the store of G. W. Intr and the house where le himself resides.

W. G. TYREMAN is a farmer and resides at Town Hill, where he was born April 16th, 1848. His wife, formerly Eliza Snyder, is a native of tho same place. Their children are Lee and Minute. Mr. Tyreman's father was an early settler in this township.

P. C. WADSWORTH, who holds the office of justice of the peace, was born in Huntington, September 30th, 1824. He is a farmer and survey- or. His wife was Miss Elizabeth Thompson, of Berwick, Pa.

298 D

HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

H. D. WATSON resides at Waterton, and is a farmer. He was born at this place, June 8th, 1830. Mrs. Watson, formerly Susan Pringle, is a na- tive of Plymouth, Pa. Mr. Watson was elected a justice of the peace in .. 1875 for five years. He is the mail carrier between Shickshinny and Waterton. He has hield many of the township offices. His children are Frank I. and Bertha M. His grandfather was an early settler.

WILLIAM WERKHISER, a resident of Huntington Mills, was born in Monroe county, Pa., April 20th, 1831. His wife was Miss Rebecca E. Sanders, of Plainsville, Pa., who was born March 26th, 1831. Mr. Werk- hiser is a merchant miller. His parents came from Germany, and were early settlers of Monroe county.

J. R. WESTOVER, of Pine Creek, was born in Wyoming, Pa., August 10th, 1835. Ilis wife, now deceased, was a Miss Blisli, of Fairmount. Mr. Westover is a farmer. Ile enlisted in Company Fith Pa. volunteers June 13th, 1861, was appointed sergeant, and was discharged October 20th, 1862. He was wounded June 27th, 1862, at Gaines Mill. Ilis grand- father settled on Pine Creek in 1800.

SAMUEL WILCOX, a fariner, Waterton, was born in Plains township,

August 31st, 1801. His first wife was Hannah Bailey, of Plains, who died in Wilkes-Barre in 1850. July 3d, 1852, he married Ellen Kiliner, of Plains. Ile formerly operated the Wilcox mine at Plains. His father, Crandall Wilcox, located in Plains in 1775. Mr. Wilcox is a prominent member and liberal supporter of the M. E. church.

JONATHAN WILLIAMS was born in Peekskill, N. Y., June 24th, 1806, and married Nancy A. Mann, of Dallas township. Mr. Williams, who is now engaged in farming, was formerly a carpenter. Ile has been super- visor, justice of the peace and town clerk.

JOHN B. WINTERS, postmaster at Orange, Franklin township, was born in 1835, and married, in 1877, Hannah C. Ide. He has been town treasu- rer ; is a member of the Methodist church.

CLARK WOLFE was born June 6th, 1816, in Union township. He mar- ried Althea Goss, of Huntington. He is engaged in farming.

The following citizens of the townships and boroughs here repre- sented also contributed their support to this publication. C. T. Barnum, D. L. Chapin, D. O. Culver, Thomas Oysten and F. K. Seeley.

299

VILLAGES IN HUNTINGTON TOWNSHIP-NEW COLUMBUS BOROUGH.

BORING FOR SALT AND PETROLEUM.

In 1825 the Huntington Salt and Iron Manufacturing Company was organized, with a capital of $10,ooo, in shares of $25. The salt boring was commenced on Pine creek, two miles east of Cambra, near a large natural deer lick. At a depth of 480 feet the boring rod broke and the enterprise was abandoned.

In 1865 the " Green Creek Petroleum Company " was organized, and work resumed in the old bore with a view to striking oil. Several efforts have been made here, and in this vicinity, with the hope of striking, salt, oil or iron, but with no paying results.

HAMLETS IN THE TOWNSHIP.

Cambra was at one time a central point of trade for this section. There are here at present two stores, kept by James McHenry and William Belles, a hotel by M. H. Daily, a blacksmith shop by Alfred McHenry, a church, a school-house and a wagon and sleigh shop.

At Pine creek settlement, locally known as Hess's Mills, there is a good water power, by which M. E. Hess operates a grist-mill and saw-mill owned by him. There are also at this place a church (Methodist Protest- ant), a school-house, the store and shoe shop of A. H. Wolfe, the carriage and sleigh factory of J. W. Brittain, the blacksmith shop of D. H. Bogart, and a tub factory owned and operated by J. Van Horne, and J. Brittain is a dealer in agricultural implements.

At Harveyville there are at present a church (Method- ist Episcopal), a grist-mill, a saw mill, a school-house and a store and post-office.

Huntington Mills is the chief business place of the township. It was settled in 1775 by Henry Marks. It has a church (Methodist Episcopal), an academy, a store kept by F. A. B. Koons, a hotel by Amos Howard, on the old Marks place, two blacksmith shops by William Wilson & Sons and William B. Fritz, a cabinet shop and grain cradle factory by C. H. Gramps, a boot and shoe shop by Frank Belles and the grist and carding mills of William Werkhiser. The Huntington paper-mills, a little farther up the stream, are owned and operated by F. A. B., M. L. and J. R. Koons. They commenced the manu- facture of paper in 1867. The building was formerly a grist-mill, and converted by them into a paper-mill, where they now manufacture 3,500 pounds every 24 hours.

Town Hill was settled in 1794 by Epenetus Wads- worth. The place has a church (Methodist Episcopal), the store of George W. Huff, two physicians, Charles Huff and E. F. Kamerly, the steam tannery of J. C. Harman, the blacksmith shop of A. B. Bogart, the wagon and sleigh shop of W. F. Bogart, and the harness shop of E. L. Moore.

NEW COLUMBUS BOROUGH.

HE borough of New Columbus was formed from part of Huntington township, April 11th, 1859. Justices of the peace for the borough have been elected as follows: Em- ory Ink, 1860; Dyer L. Chapin, 1864, 1869, 1874; John Koons, 1866, 1871; Edmund Carey, 1876; John Yaple, 1879.

There are in the borough two churches, Methodist

Episcopal, and Baptist; one hotel, the old academy, two general dry goods and grocery stores, kept by C. M. Swazey & Co. and D. L. Chapin; one boot and shoe shop, by W. Heddon; two blacksmith shops, by David Bogart and T. F. Long; and one harness shop, by George WV. Osborn. C. M. Swazey is the present postmaster. The population is 267.

Integrity Lodge I. O. of O. F., No. 234, was moved from Harveyville to New Columbus in 1867, where it meets in the hall weekly.

EARLY SETTLERS AND IMPROVEMENTS.

A family named Boston was probably the first to clear up a farm and put up buildings, and John Boston lived here many years, dying when almost a century old.

Jolin Koons was married to Anna A. Fellows June 21st, 1819, and soon after commenced to clear up the wilderness on the site of the village. Other neighbors soon after commenced clearing off the luxuriant growth of timber, and a few years sufficed for the dense forests to disappear.

Elias Dodson bought a large tract near the creek, where he built saw-mills and a small mill for flour and feed. In 1834 he and Eliphalet Edson built a larger grist-mill, which cost them near $5,000. After the death of Elias Dodson the mill, with part of the farm, was bought by Frederick Hartman; but the old family home- stead is still retained by his son, Thomas L., and his daughter, Mabel Dodson. Other heirs also possess part of the old farm.

Samuel Culver cleared up a good farm in the north- eastern part of the borough, now owned by G. W. Bow- man. Fletcher Bowman long possessed a large farm between Culver's and the village, with excellent buildings, orchards, etc. The Dodson mills are now owned by Daniel Edgar and C. P. Fulmer. There are two saw- mills in the borough, owned by G. W. Bowman and Ed- mond Carey.

CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS.

A union church was built soon after 1830; it is still used by different denominations.

Elias Dodson was an active and useful Baptist preacher, of the order known as Disciples. His efforts, seconded by John Koons and others, succeeded in erecting the church which still stands as a testimonial of their philan- thropy and zeal for the public good. In 1857 the Method- ist Episcopal society built its present church in the southern part of the borough.

In 1856 a new academy was opened, which has flourish- ed until the present time. The first trustees were John Koons, James Tubbs, D. L. Chapin, Sydney H. Warner, M. D., N. D. Stiles, B. M. Stevens, John Yaple and Freese Brown. The school has been taught by the fol- lowing named gentlemen as principals: James Anderson, H. D. Walker, A. J. Furman, Prof. Bingham, P. M. Bickley, J. L. Killgore, Thomas Farquar, M. C. Brittain, James Coughlin and the present principal, Prof. Denis O'Coughlin. The academy is a good school for the

300

HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

study of classical and scientific branches, and for busi- ness education. There is also a good public school, sup- ported by taxation.

VOLUNTEERS OF 1861-65.

A spirit of patriotism was inherited and cultivated in most of the descendants of the Revolutionary patriots, and when the call for help to save our free institutions from anarchy and overthrow was sounded from our nation's capital in 1861, this village was not found lack- ing in bravery and devotion to our cherished institutions. A response of personal sacrifice was offered by Fletcher Bowman, Benjamin Harvey Bowman, Joseph Bogart, Bateman Carey, Silas, Wesley and Edward Cavenagh, Alfred and Alonzo Drake, Myron Fellows, Miner Hoover, Livingston and Redmond Koons, John Miller, Wesley Piatt, Fletcher B. Wilson and Fletcher D. Yaple.

JACKSON TOWNSHIP.

HIS township, named in honor of General Jackson, was set off from Plymouth in 1844. It has a population of 660.

The first settlement was made by Palmer Ransom in 1795. During this and the following year Samuel Allen, David Allen, Jesse Brown, William Baker, Jared R. Baldwin, Jude Baldwin, Asahel Drake, Rufus Drake, Jehial Fuller, Thomas Lam- oreux, John Lamoreux, Edon Ruggles, Joseph Reynolds and Matthias Van Loon settled in Jackson township. They were followed by Griffin Lewis in 1800; Thomas Case, Joseph Reynolds and Levi Bronson in 1804, and Anson Carskadden about 1806, Jared R. Baldwin in 1819 and Joseph Howard in 1821. The first settler in the western part of the township was Henry Cease, who settled on Harvey's creek in 1830.

The first frame house was built by the Fullers at Huntsville, and is owned by Dr. J. J. Rogers. The next oldest is now owned by Ziegler & Wilcox, at Huntsville. Griffin Lewis built a frame house about 1800.

Philetus Fuller, who was killed by a falling tree in 1796, was the first person buried in Jackson township, He was buried in the woods east of Huntsville, where the cemetery now is.

Jesse Brown was the first carpenter. The first black- smith was Benjamin Higgins. Ira Bronson was also a blacksmith. The first saw-mill was built by Asahel & Rufus Drake, on the farm now owned by J. M. Nesbitt, as early as 1795. There have been three mills on this place, but they are all gone. Jared and Jude Baldwin built a saw-mill at Huntsville about the same time, and the Fullers one near the Baldwin mill within a year after that was built. The mill of Ziegler & Wilcox stands on the site of the Baldwin mill, which was burned. George P. Ransom built a mill in 1815. This becoming

useless, his son Chester erected the present mill in 1840. John Lamoreux and Daniel Davenport erected a saw- mill on Bidlack's creek about 1823. Henry Cease built a mill on the site of the one owned by Josiah Cease, on Harvey's creek, in 1830. Sanford Parsons built the mill now owned by Harvey Fuller, at Huntsville, about 1847. Jeremiah Fuller and Truman Atherton added a grist-mill to their saw-mill at Huntsville as early as 1805. Henry Cease built the Gregory mill, on Harvey's creek, in 1830. Harvey Fuller rebuilt his saw-mill at Huntsville, and added a grist-mill in 1863. The mill now owned by Ziegler & Wilcox was first built by Truman Atherton, Green Atherton and Egbert Bogardus. This is a saw and grist-mill, with one water power.

SCHOOLS.

The first school-house was a log building, erected as early as 1800, where the M. E. church stands. Another was built in 1829, where the Van Buren school-house now stands. The log house at Huntsville was followed by the present frame structure, built by the inhabitants as a meeting and school-house. Prior to 1846 the schools were kept up by private subscription. In March, 1846, the township adopted the school law, and elected direct- ors, who levied a tax of $65, which was divided among the four schools of the town. There is still a fund in this township arising from the sale of the lands set apart by the proprietors for educational purposes. There are at present five schools in the township, with one hundred and thirty-eight pupils. The total expense for 1878 for school purposes was $903.13.

HUNTSVILLE POST-OFFICE.

Prior to 1879, when an office was established at Cease's Mills, with Austin Gregory as postmaster, Huntsville was the only office in the township. Truman Atherton was the first postmaster. Mails are brought from Kingston twice a week. The postmaster is H. M. Hatfield. The first store here was kept by Mr. Hunt, after whom the post-office was named. He was followed by Obed Bald- win, J. I. Bogardus and Sanford Parsons prior to 1830. There are two stores, two blacksmith shops, two grist- mills, two saw-mills and a wagon shop here now. Dr. J. J. Rogers, who has lived here thirty years, is the only physician who ever located in Jackson.

TOWNSHIP OFFICERS.

The township records have been well kept, especially by J. R. Baldwin, Esq., who has been town clerk four- teen years. The officers of the township have been as follows:

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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 87

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