History of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, Part 60

Author: edited by John F. Meginness
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1650

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Before I left Northampton county I made a conditional contract with William Telfair, of South Carolina, for fifty acres of land on the north side of Muncy Hills. It was in the possession

Mn Wreaver,

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BOROUGH OF MONTOURSVILLE.

of Samuel Wallis, and an ejectment suit was pending in the Supreme court. I gained the land, took possession, and erected a large still house thereon. I then sold my stills and went to Philadelphia and purchased a larger pair for £100. I then borrowed £50 from my brother to pay for them, brought them home, and set them up in the house I had erected. It was late in the autumn before I got them ready to start; the weather set in with intense freezing, without the ground being filled with water, and it continued dry and cold all winter. I could not get a bushel chopped for distilling, there being no mill in the neighborhood but Shoemaker's, and it was so nearly frozen up that it could grind but very little for the people for bread.

Not anticipating such a vigorous winter he had gone in debt for 650 bushels of rye at 6s 6d per bushel. He had provided himself with twenty head of cattle and forty hogs to be fed on the still slops but being deprived of this feed he was com- pelled to use his entire stock of rye. The country being new no hay could be obtained at any price. He hauled straw for ten miles and did all he could to keep his stock alive, but when spring came half of his cattle had perished and but nine hogs remained. This bad luck compelled him to sell his stills to pay for the rye, and he was forced to quit distilling, and before harvest arrived he was short of bread for his family. No grain was to be had in the neighborhood. He went six- teen miles from home and succeeded in buying two bushels of wheat for which he paid $2 a bushel!

He relates a remarkable feat of walking to secure a tract of land, which was a severe test of endurance. He says:

There were 150 acres of vacant land adjoining the little farm I was in possession of, and there was a warrant out for 100 acres of it. I was watching to see what part of the land they would lay their warrant on. As I knew that they could not cover all the land with that warrant, I was determined, if I could, to deprive them of the balance. They mistrusted me for watching them, and took advantage of my absence from home to lay their warrant, and despatched a man on Friday with an application for the fifty acres. I came home on Sunday noon, took a little refreshment and started for Sunbury that afternoon, thirty miles distant. I got my application signed by two justices on Monday morning, started at eight o'clock for Philadelphia, where I arrived on Tuesday night, 160 miles from Muncy, entered my application next morn- ing, and obtained the land. The other man came to the land office a few minutes after I entered my application. I performed this journey on foot to save expense, believing that I could do it sooner than any horse I had.

Mr. Burrows continued to struggle against adversity, and by pluck and endurance managed to support his family and slowly gain ground. He thus refers to his appointment as a justice of the peace: "In 1795 Lycoming county was taken from Northumberland and erected into a separate county, and in the winter of 1796 I was appointed justice of the peace by Governor Mckean, which office I held for nine years-or until it was vacated by my election to the State Senate-and I was the only justice a great part of that time in a district that now has nine, and the fees of my office did not pay for my salt."

John Burrows was elected a county commissioner in 1800, and assisted in building the first court house in Williamsport. He took a great interest in the building and hauled the bell which now hangs in the belfry from Philadelphia with his own team. Soon after this journey a remarkable and thrilling incident in his life occurred, which is best told in his own words:

I received a letter from Dr. Tate introducing William Hill Wells to me. The latter had settled in the woods at Wellsboro, Tioga county, and applied to me to furnish him with provis- ions in his new settlement. He had brought a number of negroes with him from the State of

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Delaware. I put 8,800 pounds of pork on two sleds and started to go with it for him. It was fine sledding, but dreadfully cold weather. In crossing the mountains the man I had driving one of the teams froze his feet up to his ankles, and I was obliged to leave him. The next morning I put the four horses to one sled and started for Wells's. I had to cross Pine creek six times. A man coming into the settlement from that part of the country had frozen to death the day before, and I passed his body lying in the road.

The second crossing of the creek was about fifty yards wide, and when the foremost horses got to the middle of the creek the ice broke with them on it. The water was about mid-side deep, and in their efforts to get on the ice again, they drew the other horses and sled into the creek, and pulled the roller out of the sled. I got the horses ashore and tied them. I then went hack to the sled and found the water running over the pork. I had to go partly under water to get an axe that was tied on the sled to cut a road through the ice to get the sled ashore. Some- times I was in the water up to my middle, and sometimes was standing on the ice-the water following the stroke of the axe would fly up, and as soon as it touched me it turned into ice. When I had got the road cut to the shore I went to the sled and got a log chain. I then had to go under water and hook first to one runner and then to the other, and back the horses. in through the road to pull the sled out. It was now dark and I had six miles to go and four times to cross the creek without a roller in my sled to guide it. On descending ground it would often run out of the road, when I had difficulty to get it in the road again. There was not a dry thread on me and the outside of my clothes were frozen stiff. It was 12 o'clock before I got to the mill, the first house before me, and there was neither hay nor stable when I got there. I thought my poor horses would freeze to death. Next morning, as soon as daylight appeared, I cut a stick and put a roller in my sled.

I started from there at 10 o'clock and it was fifteen miles to Wells's the snow was two feet deep, and there was scarcely a track in the road. I met Mr. Wells's negro five miles this side of his house coming to meet me on horseback, about sunset. He said there was a by-road that was a mile nearer than the one that I was on, and he undertook to pilot me, hut he soon lost the path and we wandered about among the trees, till at length my sled pitched into a hole and overset. I then unhooked my horses from the sled and asked the negro if he thought he could pilot me to the house, but he acknowledged himself lost. I looked about and took a view of the stars and started with my four horses and left the pork in the woods, and fortunately got into Wells's. When I got there he had neither hay nor stable, or any kind of feed, nor any place to confine my horses, so I was obliged to tie them to the trees. He had a place dug in a log that I could feed two of my horses at a time. All the buildings that he had erected were two small cabins adjoining each other-one for himself and family, about sixteen feet square, that I could not stand straight in. built of logs, with bark for an upper floor and split logs for the lower floor. The negro cabin was a little larger, but built of the same material. I sat by the fire until morning. And it took me all the next day to get my pork to the house and settle. The next day I started for home, without feed for my horses there two nights, and the snow was up to their bellies.

It is not positively known by what route he traveled, but it is supposed that it was by the State road. This road had been constructed by the State from New- berry to the New York State line in 1799, touching Wellsboro on the way.

At this time John Burrows was living on his farm near Muncy. A beginning had been barely made for a village when he moved there. Stephen Bell had put up the " shell of a house," which Mr. Burrows purchased, with two adjoining lots. He had the house finished and made improvements by erecting other buildings. In this way he kept on acquiring property until he owned considerable lands.

On the 28th of September, 1804, he met with another misfortune in the death of · his wife, who had shared in his trials and struggles. This affliction was a severe one and caused him much grief. Three years afterwards - June 11, 1807 - he married Mrs. Mary McCormick, widow of William McCormick.

BOROUGH OF MONTOURSVILLE.

Mr. Burrows had become somewhat identified with politics since serving as com- missioner, and in 1808 he was elected State Senator for the district composed of Lycoming and Centre counties. He served out his term at Harrisburg. In 1811 Governor Snyder appointed him major general of the Ninth division, Pennsylvania militia, for seven years, and at the end of his term he was reappointed for four years. In 1813 the Governor appointed him prothonotary of the court of common pleas, and register of wills, recorder of deeds, and clerk of the several courts of Lycoming county, to succeed Ellis Walton, who had died in office. In the meantime General Burrows was looked up to as a political leader. Previous to his last appointment he had been nominated three times for Congress by regular conventions called for that purpose-twice by the old Democratic party and once by the Federal party-but he declined the Democratic nominations, and only consented "to stand as a rallying point for the party " on the third nomination.

Having sold his Pensborough property to George Lewis for $4,000, he purchased 500 acres and sixteen perches of Pelatiah Perit and Joshua Lathrop, May 11, 1813, in consideration of $9,500. (See Deed Book M, page 107.) This land lay in what is now Montoursville. With the assistance of his wife he made the first payment. A few patches on the Reserve had been cleared, or burned over by the Indians for the purpose of raising corn; but the greater part of the land was in a state of nature, and covered with timber.

After making the first payment, which took all of his available means, the balance of the purchase money became a heavy debt and caused him some trouble. Becom- ing fearful of the consequences, he sold 120 acres for $25 per acre, but he after- wards regretted it, because he had to buy the same land back again at $55 per acre to prevent it falling into hands that were not agreeable to him. When cleared the land proved productive. In one year his sales of grain in the Baltimore market brought him $4,000, and sales of produce at home brought $200 more. This rev- enne enabled him in 1828 to build a merchant mill, with five run of stones, at a cost of nearly $10,000. Subsequently it was known as the "State mill," because the State purchased it on account of the encroachment of the canal.

By act of Congress, passed in 1822, he was granted a pension of $173.33, payable semi-annually, for his services in the Revolutionary war.

In closing his autobiography he calls attention to the fact that although in early life he was "nipped with the frost of adversity and poverty," it operated more as a stimulant than a damper to his industry. He was a strong anti-Mason and admonished his sons to set their faces against secret societies. General Burrows died at his home in Montoursville, August 22, 1837, aged seventy-seven years, three months, and seven days, and was buried in the village cemetery.

HIS SUCCESSOR.

Nathaniel Burrows, born September 11, 1797, in what is now Muncy Creek town- ship, was reared on his father's farm. After receiving a common education he addressed himself to the work of clearing fifty acres of land on the Reserve. The land at that time was purchased for $19 per acre. March 30, 1824, he married Miss Eliza Jordan, of Cumberland county, and they settled on his land. He carried on farming up to 1829, when he engaged in the mercantile business. In the summer

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of 1830 he associated William Tomlinson with him, and together they carried on business until 1833. Within this time he built the first brick house in Montours- ville, which is still standing. The following years were active and busy periods. The construction of the canal stimulated every branch of business. Mr. Burrows took contracts on the canal, which, in addition to his mercantile pursuits, kept him actively employed. He also engaged in lumbering on Wallis run and at other points in the county.

Nathaniel Burrows never sought office, but in 1825 Governor Shulze-who at the close of his term settled at Montoursville-appointed him a justice of the peace, and he served until 1838, when the office became elective. He discharged the duties of magistrate with impartiality and fidelity, and like his father discouraged litiga- tion among his neighbors.

On the evening of March 30, 1874, Mr. Burrows and wife celebrated their golden wedding at their home in Montoursville, surrounded by their children, neighbors, and friends. The occasion was a joyous one; 130 guests participated in the festivi- ties and congratulated the venerable couple. Mr. Burrows did not live long after this impressive occasion. He died September 14, 1879, in his eighty-third year; his wife survived him nearly seven years, dying December 24, 1886, in the eighty-fifth year of her age. Mr. and Mrs. Burrows left four sons and three daughters, all of whom are living and well known citizens.

Another early settler was James Moore. In 1814 he purchased a piece of land from General Burrows. He built a log house which was afterward occupied by George Bubb. The same year of his purchase he built the first bridge across Loy- alsock, which was a great improvement, because the fording had always been diffi- cult.

HOTELS.

One of the early hotel keepers was William Tomlinson. He was followed by N. Hudson and Frederick Shale. At the present time there are three hotels in the borough, viz: Central, by William Lucas; Montour House, H. S. Weaver, and Ebner House, W. C. Ebner.

FOUNDING OF THE TOWN.

About 1820 General Burrows laid out the town and commenced selling lots. The price averaged $50 a lot. Thomas Lloyd was interested also with General Burrows in founding the town. The village grew slowly, and stretching along the public road presented a straggling appearance. It bore the nicknames of "Tea Town" and "Coffee Town " for many years, because in early days when everything had to be transported by wagon, and teaming was a leading business, the drivers on passing through the place to Williamsport were so often importuned by housewives to bring them "a quarter of tea" or "a pound of coffee," that they gave the place these names.

THE POSTOFFICE.

As early as April 23, 1831, a postoffice was opened here and called Montoursville, after Andrew Montour, the Indian interpreter and friend of the white man. Solo-

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BOROUGH OF MONTOURSVILLE.

mon Bruner was appointed the first postmaster and he held the office till April 20, 1835, when John Jones succeeded' him. His successors have been as follows: Stephen Tomlinson, appointed March 22, 1836; Solomon Bruner, March 27, 1837; Peter R. Hoffman, March 14, 1839; William Tomlinson, August 23, 1841; Peter R. Hoffman, January 14, 1846; William Weaver, January 25, 1849; Alexander S. Williams, January 21, 1853; Fares Rundio, November 16, 1854; Henry Bastian, Jr., February 16, 1855; James D. Bennett, June 23, 1855; William J. Paulhamus, July 12, 1861; Henry Creswell, July 21, 1868; Benjamin R. Smith, November 11, 1869; Estella E. Smith, December 16, 1873; Lindsey M. Weaver, June 24, 1889, present incumbent. Thus far Mrs. Smith has served the longest of any of the appointees.

BOROUGH GOVERNMENT.

Naming the post office "Montoursville" was the first effort toward giving it a fixed title, which would be respected. But the nicknames had become so fixed that it was hard to get rid of them, and even to this day some of the older people will speak of the place as " Tea Town." Under an act of Assembly, approved February 19, 1850, it was directed "that Montoursville, in the county of Lycoming, shall be set apart and be separate from the township of Fairfield, in said county, and the same shall be and is hereby erected into a borough, which shall be called the borough of Montoursville, bounded aud limited as follows:"

Beginning at a post, a corner of lands of Charles Lloyd and the free school lot; thence S. 73° E. 160 perches to a post; thence S. 17º 80.8 perches to a post; thence N. 73° W. 168 perches to a post; thence N. 13° E. 40.8 perches to the great road leading from Williamsport to Muncy; thence along the west line of land of Nathaniel Burrows N. 28° 30' E. 40.8 perches to the place of beginning.

These were the original boundary lines of (See P. L. 1850, page 72.) the borough, but the limits have been greatly enlarged since. They now embrace a greater area, perhaps, than any other borough in the county. On the 17th of March, 1862, council passed an ordinance extending the borough limits from Loyalsock creek to the river, and far enough eastward to take in the historic farm of Governor Shulze, and northward about a mile. Subsequently this action of council was con- firmed by act of the legislature approved March 27, 1862. At the present time a movement has been started to take a portion of this territory, with a like portion from Fairfield, and form a new township. The area of the borough is 1,365 acres, and according to the census of 1890 the population was 1, 278.

The question of increasing the indebtedness of the borough to erect water works was submitted to a vote of the people, March 15, 1892, and resulted in a vote of 191 in favor of waterworks to 115 in opposition. It is proposed to bring the water across the river from a stream in Bald Eagle mountain.

The principal street in the borough, which runs east and west, is called Broad- way, with Cherry on the north and Jordan on the south. Those running north and south are named Loyalsock avenue, and Washington and Montour streets.

A special act of April 6, 1850, provided that the first election for the borough should be held on the third Friday in April, and Samuel C. Williams was appointed judge, and Samuel Paulhamus and Levi Coder inspectors to hold said election.

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HISTORY OF LYCOMING COUNTY.

But according to the minutes a borough government was not organized until February 21, 1853. The officers were as follows: Burgess, William Lewars; treas- urer, William Weaver; council: William Weaver, John Tomlinson, C. Edler, James Goodlander, S. C. Williams; clerk, Dr. George I. Pfoutz; high constable, Henry Bastian. The foregoing officers held their places by appointment until the first election, which was held February 17, 1854. After the first meeting S. C. Williams appears on the minutes as secretary. The minutes show the following burgesses up to the present time: 1854, William Lewars; 1855, Nathaniel Bur- rows; 1856, Joseph Grafius; 1857, John Else; 1858, Nathaniel Burrows; 1859, Joseph Grafius; 1860, G. W. Konkle; 1861, Joseph Grafius; 1862, Joseph Car- penter; 1863, John Else; 1864, P. P. Marsh; 1865, William B. Konkle; 1866, Nathaniel Burrows; 1867, Joseph Grafius; 1868, John C. Cole; 1869, filled by pro tem. appointment-the officer elected refused to serve; 1870-73, William Lewars; 1874, John S. Bastian; 1875, E. W. Konkle; 1876-77, Israel Buck; 1878, John Allen; 1879, George C. Burrows; 1880, S. Mendenhall; 1881, E. W. Konkle; 1882, J. D. Buck; 1883, J. C. Hall; 1884, William Lewars; 1885, John H. Allen; 1886, James Hutson; 1887, John F. Konkle; 1888, William Lucas; 1889, F. R. Konkle; 1890, John M. Hays; 1891, William Gilbert; 1892, David S. Nevins.

The clerks of council have been as follows: 1854, John Tomlinson; 1855 to 1858, James Goodlander; 1859 to 1864, William Lewars; 1865 to 1874, Joseph Carpen- ter; 1875, Frank Wheeland; 1876 to 1892, D. Lichtenthaler.

INDUSTRIES.

In 1842 Lloyd's flouring mill was erected. In 1847-48 the paper mill was built, and it was run for many years and gave employment to a large number of hands. Of late years it has fallen into disuse.

The planing mill of J. T. Woolever & Brothers, which was founded about 1881 by William Moltz, makes a specialty of surfacing and dressing boards, and dealing in sash, blinds, moldings, etc.

A. H. Heilman & Company operate an extensive furniture manufactory, which gives employment to a large number of hands. It is an important industry and. is about to be enlarged.

The large flouring mill of Hayes, Pidcoe & Company, uear the creek, is operated on an extensive scale and turns out a large amount of flour annually.

J. B. Emery & Company operate a large saw mill and manufacture 15,000,000 feet of hemlock lumber annually. They obtain their stock mostly in Sullivan county, which is floated down the Loyalsock to the mill.

SECRET SOCIETIES.

There are six secret societies in the borough, viz: Eureka Lodge, No. 335, F. and A. M., which meets the Friday night before each full moon; Fairfield Lodge, No. 236, I. O. O. F., which meets every Saturday evening from October 1st to September 1st at 6:30 P. M., and from April 1st to October 1st at 7 P. M .; Bald Eagle Eucampment, No. 289, I. O. O. F., which was instituted July 23, 1890, and meets every first and third Friday of each month at 7:30 P. M .; Washington Camp, No. 299, P. O. S. of A .; Abraham Lincoln Council, No. 513,

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BOROUGH OF MONTOURSVILLE.

Jr. O. U. A. M .; and Montoursville Lodge, No. 270, I. O. G. T., which meets every Monday evening.

THE PRESS.

The first paper to make its appearance in Montoursville of which we have any account was the Pastoral Visitor, in 1869, by Rev. B. R. Smith. It was devoted to church matters and was published weekly. The date of its suspension is unknown.

The first regular weekly newspaper was started September 24, 1891, by M. Doyle Marks and Frederick S. Kelley, and called the Montoursville Echo. On the . 29th of October of the same year Mr. Marks purchased the interest of his partner and became sole editor and publisher. The Echo is a six-column folio and is devoted to local interests.

EDUCATIONAL.

The octagonal stone building was erected in 1818 for a school house, and it was used for this purpose for many years. Montoursville now has five schools, viz: High school, grammar school, secondary and primary schools. The report for 1891 shows seven months taught by three male and two female teachers. The males were paid $50 a month and the females $37.50. Male scholars enrolled, 126; female, 120.

CHURCHES.

Religious meetings were held in 1818 in the octagonal stone building near the graveyard. Rev. Mr. Marr, a well known Presbyterian minister, officiated at a later date; also Methodist ministers. General Burrows contributed land for a Methodist church, of which the society availed themselves in 1838, a year after his death, and built a house which they long used in connection with the Lutherans. Ex-Gov- ernor Shulze, who was living there then, gave $100 towards the building. It was called the Union church, because more than one denomination used it. In after years it was called the "White church," because of its color. When the religious societies ceased to use it the Grangers occupied it as a hall for their meetings. In 1867 the Methodists erected a church of their own. Present pastor, A. E. Taylor.

The Presbyterians organized a church, June 14, 1868, and for some time it was nurtured by pastors from Williamsport, among whom were Rev. William Simon- ton, Rev. George F. Cain, and others. Present pastor, Rev. J. Ludlow Kendall. In 1870 the Lutherans completed their present church edifice. Rev. J. R. Sample has been the pastor for over ten years, and has preached over 1,825 ser- mons and nearly 1,000 persons as a result of his labors have professed religion. During this time he married 832 couples and preached 300 funeral sermons.

The Episcopalians also have a neat little church. The rector, Rev. C. J. Kil- gour, resigned in May, 1892, to go to another field of labor.

CEMETERIES.

Land for a cemetery was donated by John Rockafellow, and the first interment was made in 1812. This old burial ground contains the ashes of many of the first

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settlers. When the borough began to encroach upon it a new cemetery was laid out further east, and it is now used for burial purposes. The remains of many buried in the old ground were removed there.

CHAPTER

XXX.

BOROUGH OF HUGHESVILLE.

THE FIRST SETTLER-FOUNDING OF THE TOWN-FIRST DOCTOR AND LAWYER-FIRST IMPROVE- MENTS -POSTMASTERS - MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT - INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT -FIRST NATIONAL BANK-LIGHT AND WATER-SECRET SOCIETIES-THE PRESS-SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES-CEMETERIES.

THE first white man known to have settled on what is now a part of the borough of Hughesville was David Aspen. This was about 1777. On the appear- ance of the Indians he was notified on the 8th of August, 1778, by Rachel Silver- thorn, to leave his cabin for a place of safety. Tradition says she was sent by Capt. John Brady to warn him of his danger. He fled to Fort Muncy, at Wallis's farm. A few days afterwards he ventured home, but not returning to the fort, search was made and his dead body was found near where Immanuel church stands. He had been shot and scalped by the savages. All this part of the county was then included in Muncy township.

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History of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, Part 60

Author: edited by John F. Meginness Publication date: 1892 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Brown, Runk Number of Pages: 1650

Author: edited by John F. Meginness
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1650