History of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming counties, Pa.; with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers, Part 94

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 94
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 94
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 94

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).

Banjamin & Wakeman

KENNARD'S HOTEL, LACEYVILLE , WYOMING CO., PA

RES. OF BENJAMIN E. WAKEMAN, LACEYVILLE, WYOMING CO., PA .

MERCANTILE HOUSE OF B.W. EDWARDS, LACEYVILLE, WYOMING CO, PA

RESIDENCE OF W. G. PAYNE, KINGSTON, LUZERNE CO., PA.

RESIDENCE OF WM LOVELAND, KINGSTON, LUZERNE CO., PA.

311

BUSINESS HISTORY OF TRUXVILLE-CARVERTON M. E. CHURCH.

Pringle; president, Payne Pettebone; secretary, Steuben Jenkins; treasurer, A. J. Pringle.

TRUXVILLE.

Truxville was settled about 18og or isio, by David Trux, who bought a large tract of land and built the first house at this place. In 1814 Jacob Rice, from New Jersey, bought 600 acres of land of Mr. Trux, upon which Truxville is situated. The same year he built a grist-mill, on the site of Isaac Rice's mill, and he also built a saw-mill a short distance below. In 1822 William C. Hagaman engaged in the tailoring business. The pioneer blacksmith was Albert Skeer, who came in 1826.

The Methodist Episcopal church was built in 1844, and cost about $1,500, which was raised by subscription, Jacob Rice donating the church lot and $too in cash towards the enterprise. This church became part of the Carverton circuit in 1858; it then had 45 members, and William Booth was class leader.

The first school-house was built in 1825 on the site of the present one.

In 1825 Mr. Rice built the pioneer store; it was burned and he built on the same site the present one, now oc- cupied by J. P. Rice, who formerly kept a store in the house now occupied by Mr. Harder. Isaac Rice was in trade at the same time in the old store where J. P. Rice now is. In 1830 Jacob Rice, Esq., built a chop and plaster-mill, now owned by Henry M. Hagaman. About 1836 Levi C. Rice had a turning lathe in the old chop and plaster-mill, for the manufacture of broom handles, chair stuff, &c. In 1833 Isaac Rice built a small tannery on the lot now owned by H. M. Hagaman. The business was abandoned in a few years, and the tannery went to decay. In 1827 J. P. Rice and Mr. Kirkendall built a small cloth-mill between the grist-mill and the chop-mill, which in a few years went to decay. The lot is now owned by H. M. Hagaman. In 1830 the old grist-mill was sold to James Sitgreaves, who used it as a distillery and a dwelling a number of years. In 1833 J. P. Rice built another cloth-mill farther down the stream, which is now William L. Rice's woolen factory. Dr. J. R. Lewis has lived at Truxville since 1833. In 1835 J. P. Rice built a saw-mill about a mile above Truxville, on Toby's creek. It is now owned and operated by Ziba and George Rice.

The " Ice Cave " Hotel, about a mile below the village, was built in 1867, by Daniel Harris, for a dwelling, and subsequently sold to Mr. Harder, who converted it into a hotel. The property is now owned by Dr. Throop, of Scranton. It is a pleasant summer resort.

At present there are at Truxville a church (M. E.), a school-house, a woolen factory, a wagon and blacksmith shop, the store of J. P. Rice, and the stone quarry of Dr. J. R. Lewis. The population is about 400.

CARVERTON CIRCUIT.

Carverton circuit has an area of about 100 square miles, and comprises the Carverton, Truxville, Mt. Zion, (Exeter) and Dallas churches and two detached classes.

The circuit was formerly connected with Northmoreland and Lehman. It was organized as it now exists in 1858, and comprises six appointments. Rev. John La Bar was the first pastor and remained two years. The following have been the succeeding pastors: C. L. Rice, one year; W. Munger, two years; Y. C. Smith, one year; A. J. Van Cleft, two years; John La Bar, three years; Joseph Madison, three years; Isaac Austin, three years; Stephen Elwell, three years; F. A. King, the present pastor, on his third year.

The following was the board of stewards in 1858: John P. Rice, William C. Roushey, Jacob Rice, jr., George Frantz, Samuel Durland, Evi D. Wilson, Levi C. Lewis, R. Ryman, Chester Harris.

The following have been local preachers: Abram Chandler, J. P. Rice, Elisha Harris, Daniel Harris.

The Mount Zion M. E. church, built in 1852, is in Exeter township. It had at the time it became con- nected with Carverton circuit 80 members. George Holmes was then class leader.

Dallas M. E. church was built in 1854. It is located in the borough of Dallas. It had in 1858 So members. Jacob Rice, jr., was then class leader.

Carverton M. E. church, which was built in 1854, is in Carverton. It had in 1858 42 members. James Eaton was then class leader.

Harris class meets in aschool-house in the Harris neigh- borhood, Kingston township. It had in 1858 19 mem- bers. Hiram Harris was class leader.

Demond class meets in a school-house in Dallas. It was organized in 1860, with 24 members. R. Ryman was class leader. The membership of these appointments all told is now 305. The four churches mentioned are valued each at $1,500.

There is a Sabbath-school at each appointment, and they all flourish well during the summer; but, because of the bad roads, making it inconvenient for the children to attend from the distances at which they live, they sus- pend during the winter; except those at Dallas and Truxville, where they are maintained during the entire year. The number of officers and teachers in all the Sunday-schools on the circuit is 38; number of schol- ars, 201.

The M. E. parsonage at Carverton was built in 1860. The first minister who occupied it was Rev. C. I .. Rice. It is valued at $900.

KINGSTON BOROUGHI.

FEW brief paragraphs, beginning with 1857, when the village was incorporated, would compass its history as a borough. Its early history, however, beginning with 1769, is rich in incidents connected with the first settlement of this territory by the colonists under the pat- ronage of the Susquehanna Company and the State of Connecticut.

312

HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

It is not now certainly known who was the first settler at the village of Kingston, but one of the first settlers of the township in 1769 settled within the limits of the bor- ough, namely, James Atherton, who, with his sons James Atherton, jr., Asahel and Elisha Atherton, built the first log house, nearly opposite the site of the old academy, on Main street. There the father resided to the time of his death, in 1790. His son Elisha occupied the old home- stead until 1817, when he died. The old log cabin then disappeared.

This portion of the township was the last to be occu- pied by the settlers from abroad, and up to 1803 there were but three houses between those of James Atherton and Lawrence Myers, the latter at the corner where now stands the store of Abram Goodwin. Previous to 1796 there was a small one-story house directly opposite the present residence of Abram Reynolds, Esq. It was painted red, and for many years was occupied by Epaph- ras Thompson, a silversmith and a Baptist of the hard- shell order. He left here about 1818, and the house dis- appeared about 1835. It was the first frame house built within the limits of the borough.

Up to 1818 the old township line road was the only avenue to Wilkes-Barre; it was reached by the extension of the Main Kingston road, 99 feet wide, and was then known as the Wilkes-Barre and Blind Town road, as it led from the ferry opposite the foot of Northampton street, Wilkes-Barre, to Blind Town, separating the town- ships of Kingston and Plymouth. Near the point of in- tersection of these roads was a swing gate across the Blind Town road. There were no fences at that day on these extensive bottom lands to protect the crops from trespassing cattle, and every person passing was enjoined by stringent laws, with heavy penalties, to close the gate after him. This gate was maintained from 1770 up to the time of building the Wilkes-Barre bridge and the opening of the present avenue from the bridge to Kings- ton, in 1818, when the old road from Eleazer Loveland's to the ferry was vacated, the old gate was unhung, and owners of lands had to build fences for the protection of their crops.

The road leading from Goodwin's corner to the Blind Town road, at the old Eleazer Loveland place, was not laid out in the original survey of the township, but was opened by Esquire Myers and Hallett Gallop, through their own lands, on the completion of the bridge in 1818. William Gallop built the first house (of logs) on the site where now stands the residence of the late Giles Slo- cum.

At the junction of the new road given by Myers and Gallop with the Blind Town road, on the Plymouth side, was a small log house as late as 1802. From this point to where the railroad now crosses the Blind Town road there was but a single residence, which was occupied by Darius Williams. On the Kingston side of the Blind Town road there was not a residence up to 1796 between the Myers and Gallop road and Toby's creek, where Peter Grubb had a grist-mill and a saw-mill and lived on the site of the Kingston Coal Company's shaft No. 1

from 1790 to 1807. The mills subsequently became the property of Thomas Borbridge, who took them down in 1826. These were the only grist or saw-mills ever built with the limits of the borough of Kingston.

On the triangle, in the rear of the old stone house, at quite an early day were a small tannery, a shop, and a dwelling house. The date of their erection is unknown, but in 1815 the property came into the possession of General Samuel Thomas, and he built thereon a frame dwelling, which is now standing. Here he kept his justice's office from March 20th, 1816, till his removal to Illinois, when he sold the property to Ziba Hoyt. In this house Governor Henry M. Hoyt was born. In 1817 Levi Hoyt built his house on the triangle, a short dis- tance southwest from his brother's. This house is also still standing. The old homestead of Lawrence Myers (of hewn logs) was probably built as early as 1787 by his predecessor. Lawrence Myers was appointed a justice of the peace July 7th, 1790. In this log house he held his courts and continued to dispense justice to the liti- gants of Kingston up to the time of his death in 1810. He was succeeded by Stephen Hollister, who left the township in 1816. The latter was followed by Samuel Thomas, and he by Sharp D. Lewis, who retired about 1840.

Henry Buckingham, from Connecticut, opened the first store, where Jacob Sharps now lives, and in or about 1804 he built a dwelling and store on the lot now owned and occupied by Abram Reynolds, east of McPike's Hotel. Here he did business till 1821, and after him Thomas Borbridge, from Philadelphia, several years. William C. Reynolds was then the merchant here until his death. In 1807 or 1808 Sidney Tracey opened a short-lived store in the Giles Slocum house. In 1811 Elias Hoyt & Thomas Bartlett opened a store on Main street, a short distance above the Exchange Hotel; and in 1818 Hoyt built and for many years occupied the store now occupied by Laycock & Pringle. A. O. Chahoon and one Lanning succeeded. Hoyt & Bartlett. Goods were brought from Philadelphia and New York on the old-fashioned Cones- toga wagons, each drawn by four, five or six horses. Der- rick Bird, Joshua Pettebone and John Shafer were among the old pioneer teamsters. James Barnes had a little book store connected with his other business about. 1820. He owned all the land from Toby's eddy to Larksville, which is now worth millions of dollars.

Tradition tells us that at the time of the Wyoming mas- sacre a man by the name of Tracey kept a tavern near the corner where now stands Mr. Pike's Hotel. He was both schoolmaster and poet. He was the author of the ballad entitled "The Massacre of Wyoming." In 1804 John Ebeit began building the present Exchange Hotel. He left the country in 1807, and James Wheeler built and finished the house, and kept it until 1809 or 1810. Naph- tali Hurlbut then occupied the house several years. His successors were Archippus Parrish and Oliver Helm. Wil- liam Johnson, John Sax and Frank Helm have also kept the old tavern, which was a popular resort for all the old settlers. Elnathan Wilson, about 1820, opened a tavern

Wyoming Semi

trial College

KINGSTON,

PAU 2

UNION HALL.

SVETLANO HALL

COMMERCIAL HALL.

1 AST PRONT

CENTENARY HALL.

WEST FRONT

313

RELICS OF THE PAST AT KINGSTON-WYOMING CONFERENCE SEMINARY.

where McPike's Hotel now stands, and the building was occupied subsequently by Thomas Myers & Co. as a store.

About 1808 or 1810 there was a distillery, built of logs, standing opposite the old Exchange, on Main street, where whiskey was manufactured from potatoes. It was aptly called the " Devil's Hog Pen."

Dr. Asa C. Whitney was the first resident physician. IIe married a Miss Inman, and lived where Mrs. Samuel Hoyt now lives. He died in 1824, and was succeeded by Dr. Joseph Wright, who in 1830 was commissioned a surgeon in the regular army.

With the bounty of the Susquehanna Company, and private subscriptions, schools were kept up until 1833, when the present common school system was inaugurated. In 1812 the people here built the Kingston Academy. The first teachers in order were Thomas Bartlett, John Bennett, a Mr. Seivers and a Mr. Bissell, who was after- ward governor of Illinois. At one time the late Judge Ketchum was principal.

Several of the old Kingston homesteads date back to quite a remote age. The "stone house" was built in IS18 for a store and dwelling by James Barnes, on land belonging to Lawrence Myers, and was known as " Myers's cocked hat," from the peculiar three-cornered shape of the lot. It was subsequently occupied by Thomas Bor- bridge, Thomas Myers and others. The lower part of this house was once used as a foundry, and subsequently reconverted into a dwelling, and the building is now used as a store, justice's office and dwelling.

There are at least three "old Hoyt" houses. The one on "Goose island," standing on the extension of Main street, west from Railroad avenue, is the ancestral home of Governor Hoyt. Another is on the road lead- ing to Forty Fort, and the other is on the Plymouth road, west of Goodwin's store. The old Loveland house has been modernized, but the old frame stands yet, at the intersection of the old Myers and Gallup, or Plymouth road and the Blind Town road, and it is now owned by William Loveland.

The cemetery known as "the old burying ground," on what was formerly known as the William Gallup farm, lot No. 2, was the first in the borough. The first inter- ment was of the remains of Nathaniel Gates, who came from Connecticut with the pioneer settlers, and died November 7th, 1793, aged 37 years. The ground is neg- lected and many of the bodies have been removed. A few of the remaining tomb stones are still standing, to mark the last resting place of some of the pioneers of this borough. Among the inscriptions we find the following: Eunice, wife of Aaron Dean, died November Sth, 1795. Elizabeth Grub, died July 28th, 1796. Peter Grub, Esq., died July 23d, 1807. William Gallup, died April 8th, 1803, aged 79. Judith, wife of William Gallup, died January ist, 1815, aged SI. Betsey, wife of Peter Clark, died January 25th, 1807. Hallet Gallup, died October 5th, 1804. Mary, wife of Hallet Gallup, died October 6th, 1804. Israel Skeer, died Oc- tober 14th, 1804. Hannah, wife of Aseph Jones, born in 1772, died in 1864.

WYOMING SEMINARY.

This well known and justly popular institution of learn- ing, located in the classic valley of Wyoming, has a history well worthy of note.

The friends of education in the old Oneida M. E. con- ference, after establishing on a broad and permanent basis a seminary at Cazenovia, N. Y., in the northern por- tion of their territory, determinedly entertained the pro- jeet, over thirty years ago, of providing for the increas- ing educational demands of the southern portion of the work. With a commendable foresight they devised measures for the erection of an institution of learning in northeastern Pennsylvania. At the session of the Oneida Conference held in Wilkes-Barre August 9th, 1843, the matter was fully discussed, and the necessary preliminary steps taken by the appointment of David Holmes, jr., Lucian S. Bennett, Thomas Myers, Mad- ison F. Myers, Lord Butler, Sharp D. Lewis and Silas Comfort as "trustees of a contemplated seminary of learning, to be located either in Wilkes-Barre or Kings- ton," according to the amount of subscription obtained in each place within a given time. Kingston, providing the largest subscription, was the chosen locality. At the first meeting of the board of trustees David Holmes was elected president, Silas Comfort secretary, and Madison F. Myers treasurer. The first building, a brick structure of three stories, 37 by 70, was erected and opened for students in 1844. The size of the chapel was 24 by 29; rec- itation room, 13 by 29, and room for primary department, 20 by 29, with some twenty rooms in all for students; cost of the building, about $5,000. Such was the beginning of this educational enterprise-one building, two teachers and fifty scholars. The trustees secured as their first prin- cipal Rev. Reuben Nelson, A. M., then a young man, but who afterward abundantly demonstrated his fitness to inaugurate and carry forward such an enterprise to a successful consummation. Under such leadership. seconded by the energetic co-operation of a noble- minded and self-denying board of trustees and a corps of effic- ient teachers, the institution attained a popularity and influence second to none of its class in the land.

In half a dozen years after the erection of the first edifice, such was the patronage obtained that an addi- tional building was demanded. In the spirit of an un- selfish liberality, the late William Swetland volunteered to erect the projected additional building at his own ex- pense. The second building was named by the trustees Swetland Hall, in memory of the respected donor. . \t the same time Hon. Ziba Bennett contributed $1,000 as a foundation for a library. This was thereafter called, in honor of the giver, the Bennett Library.

In the early spring of 1853 additional facilities were deemed essential, and the building of a wing or wings to the main building was contemplated, with a view to afford accommodation to a larger number of students. On the 15th of March, 1853, the seminary buildings were burned down. While the brick and stone and ashes were yet warm the trustees, with undaunted heroism, in their

314

HISTORY OF LUZERNE COUNTY.

meeting on the day of the fire resolved that a com- mittee of three be appointed to draw plans and speci-

fications for the rebuilding of the seminary. This showed the stuff these men were made of. Again did the tried friend of the cause, William Swetland, come to the rescue, and he nobly undertook, at his own ex- pense, the work of rebuilding and enlarging Swetland Hall. Through the liberality of P. Pettebone, George Swetland, A. Y. Smith, and Isaac C. Shoemaker, a third building was erected about the same time, to which the name Union Hall was given. Thus, through fire and disas- ter, larger and better buildings were erected, and the three blocks, " Wyoming Seminary " in the center, with "Swetland Hall " on the left, and "Union Hall " on the right, stood a noble monument of the energy and liberality of the men of Wyoming valley.

In a few years afterwards the ladies' boarding hall was destroyed by fire. Then a fierce tornado swept over the place and unroofed the building. Then a flood did more or less damage to the seminary property. Yet with heroic spirit the board of trustees measured up to every exigency, so that repeated difficulties have been overcome, financial embarrassments removed, and the whole machinery kept moving without intermission and without a jar.

The civil war seemed for a brief period to interfere with the wonted success of the institution. Yet even with this temporary drawback the trustees projected other plans for the success of the school. A commercial department was added in 1863; Professor W. S. Smyth, afterward principal of Cazenovia Seminary, was secured to take charge of the commercial college, and under his efficient supervision it proved a decided success. Pro- fessor L. L. Sprague has been the head of this depart- ment for seven years, and under his management it has developed into an institution equal to the best schools of the kind in the country.

At the close of the war it was found that the enlarge- ment of the seminary was absolutely required. The three buildings had already been united by the addition of wings, yet this did not meet the demand for room. In the year 1866, the centennial of American Methodism, it was determined to erect a memorial building, to be named "Centenary Hall." This was commenced in 1867 and completed in 1868, at a cost of about $25,000. The buildings are all under one roof, three and four stories high, with 350 feet frontage. The edifice, as a whole, is an ornament to the valley, and an honor to the country and the church. There are ample accommodations for 175 boarding students and 250 day scholars.

At the general conference of the M. E. church held in Brooklyn, N. Y., in 1872, Rev. Dr. Nelson, after serving as principal for a period of nearly thirty years, during which time he developed his skill as an educator and financier, was elected senior book agent at New York, and resigned his position as principal. He was succeeded by Rev. D. Copeland, A. M., Ph. D., president of the Fe- male College of Hillsboro, Ohio, a gentleman whose lit- erary tastes and attainments, acknowledged abilities and

extended experience as an educator, render him pre-emi- nently fitted for the important and responsible position of principal of an institution of this grade. Never was the institution more successful. The course of study is most thorough and elevated. The curriculum will compare favorably with that of the highest institutions of its class. Notwithstanding the depressing influence of monetary panics, and the business derangement arising from the recent general suspension in the anthracite regions, this time honored and deservedly popular institution receives its full share of patronage, and under its present efficient management is destined to exert a still more potent in- fluence in the education of the youth of our land.

The system of instruction adopted is thorough, and designed to prepare the students for the active duties of life, or for a course of professional or collegiate study. There are nine departments of study provided, and eight courses of study are arranged in order to meet the various wants of students: The common English course, course in literature and science, classical course, college preparatory course, musical course vocal and instrumental, and com- mercial course. As an evidence of the high grade of scholarship of young men prepared here for college, to- day they stand among the first at the best colleges in the country. Many leading men now distinguished in church and State have been educated in this seminary, including Hon. W. W. Ketcham, Governor H. M. Hoyt, Hon. H. W. Palmer and Hon. H. B. Payne, Rev. L. C. Floyd and Rev. P. Krohn, and that fine pulpit orator Rev. W. P. Abbott, now of New York.

The faculty of the institution is as follows.

Rev. David Copeland, Ph. D., D. D., principal, intel- lectual and moral science.

Ellen R. Martin, A. M., lady principal, belles lettres. Rev. Levi L. Sprague, principal of commercial college and lecturer on commercial law.

Rufus B. Howland, B. C. E., mathematics and natural science.

Rev. Cyrus C. Lovejoy, A. M., ancient languages.

Hugo V. Stadler, instrumental and vocal music.

Willis L. Dean, plain and ornamental penmanship, book-keeping and telegraphy.

Sarah M. Soule, English branches.

Rev. Henry Wheeler, lecturer on commercial ethics.

R. H. Tubbs, M. D., and P. B. Cook, M. D., lecturers on health.

Rufus B. Howland, librarian.

Competent teachers in art and modern languages will also be provided.

MUNICIPAL HISTORY.

The borough of Kingston was established November 23d, 1857. The petition to the Court of Luzerne county for the creation of a borough was signed by the fol- lowing:

Robert H. Tubbs, F. Hehne, Reuben Jones, Thomas Pringle, Richard Hutchins, William N. Raymond, A. H. Reynolds, Reuben Marcy, A. C. Church, William C. Morris, M. G. Whitney, George E. Hoyt, Abram Nes- bitt, William Perigo, P. M. Goodwin, Abram Goodwin, jr., Abram Good- win, Thomas Myers, Francis A. Page, Anson Atherton, Isaac Tripp, M.

R. Nelson

. Ah

KINGSTON BOROUGH OFFICERS-BUSINESS CONCERNS-M. E. CHURCH.

315

F. Myers, H. S. Butter, George Sealy, Thomas Somers, Charles Raymond, F. C. Woodhouse, H. C. Silkman, R. Nelson, Sam Griffin, William Love- land, Z. B. Hoyt, Thomas Slocum, Albert Skeer, H. M. Hoyt, Sumel Hoyt, Bester Payne, R. H. Little, Conkling Robbins, Ira W. Dilley, Thomas Fender, James Grenawalt, John Keller, William C. Reynolds, E. W. Reynolds and Joshna Belding.

The court appointed the first election " at the house of Thomas Wambold," on the 15th of December, 1857, be- tween the hours of one and six o'clock, and named Ira Carl as judge, and Reuben Marcy and Abram Nesbitt inspectors of the election. On the day indicated the following officers were elected: Burgess, Reuben Jones; town council, Bestor Payne, Marshal G. Whitney, Reuben Marcy, Thomas Pringle and Richard Hutchins; high constable, Edward A. Pringle. At a meeting of the town council held December 22nd, 1857, Thomas Pringle was chosen president, and Abram Nesbitt secretary. At a meeting of the council, July 10th, 1858, C. W. Boughtin, John Remell and John Jackson were appointed policemen.

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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 94

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