USA > Pennsylvania > Northumberland County > History of Northumberland Co., Pennsylvania. With illustrations descriptive of its scenery, palatial residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and important manufactories > Part 23
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58
The fort was captured in 1779, by a body of more than three hundred Indians and British, onder command of Capt. McDonald of the English army. The people there had been warned that such a party was coming down the valley, and that it would be wise to abandon the fort, but they disregarded the warning, although, only a few days before, two young men- one n son of Jacob Freeland, and the other a Vincent-had been killed while at work in a field not a great way off.
More than fifty women and children were at Freeland, with only twenty- six fighting-men behind the log rampart, but they considered themselves a host, and felt seenre in their bravery.
It was in the gray fog of early dawn, on the 28th of July, that the savage foe made his attack. Old Mr. James Watt, and two young men, had gone incautionsly outside the fort. An Indian sprang from his concealment, and tomahawked Mr. Watt, and, nt the same moment, one of the young men was shot through the head. The other, unhurt, leaped inside and closed the gate in an instant. The savages raised the war-whoop, and rushed to the attack, but Captain Lytle und his true men were ready for them, and promptly sent a bullet wherever an Indian's head was seen. The result, how- ever, could not he doubtful, in a fight where the numbers were so nuequal.
. He had both grist and saw-inilla, as is shown by the tax list of 1774. + The futher of Andrew Guay, Esq., now of MoEwensville.
Bright, M. Bradley, D. Brady, John Byers, John Broadly, M. Boyd, John
Freeland, J.
Murphy, J.
Forster, W.
Mc Williams, R.
Gillespy, J.
Mehafty, T.
Clark, William
Geddis, P.
MeMath, A.
66
HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
Captain McDonald was honestly desirons of preventing the massacre, which he knew must follow if the fort was taken by storm. He therefore sum- moned a surrender, with promise of safety to the women and children, and with half-an-hour allowed for decision. A council of war was held; resist- ance seemed hopeless, and so, at the end of the half hour, the fort surrendered.
The following is a verbatim transcript of the " Articles of capitulation entered into between Captain John McDonald, on His Majesty's part, and John Lytle, on the part of Congress:"
" First .- The men in the garrison to march out aud ground their arms on the green, in front of the fort, which is to be taken possession of immediately by His Majesty's troops. Agreed to.
"Second .- All men bearing arms, are to surrender themselves prisoners of war, and to be sent to Ningara. Agreed to.
"The women and children are not to be stripped of their clothing, nor molested by Indians, and to be at liberty to move down the country where
they please. JOHN MCDONALD, Captain Rangers. JOHN LYTLE, =
To the honor of Captain MeDonald, it must be recorded, that he kept his promise, and restrained his savage allies from butchery, though he found it almost impossible to do so.
The warriors and their squaws, (of whom there seems to have been a large number aceampanying the expedition,) sacked the fort, and then sot it on fire, after which they retired a short distance down the run, and commenced preparations for a feast, while some of the warriors spread themselves down the valley for further depredations.
At Muddy Run, Captain Hawkins Boon had heard the noise of the attack, and collecting thirty-two men, besides himself, be burried to Lytle's relief. In his eagerness to suecor his friends at the fort, he came up incautiously, and fell into the Indian ambuscade; for their runners had seen the resening party, and brought up the news of its coming. In a hollow, only a very short distance below the fort, the savage fire was poured in on them with fatal effect, but neither Boon nior his brave men were dannted, and their answering bullets did their errands well. The fight raged on hotly for some time, but when the white men were half slain, and the survivors at last saw their eaptain fall, they turned and fled. The Indians pursued with great determination, but only succeeded in capturing que man, and of him they made short work.
The killed of Boon's command were: Captain Hawkins Boon, Captain Samnel Dougherty, Jeremiah McGlaghlen, Nathaniel Smith, John Jones, Edward Costikan, Ezra Green, Samuel Neel, Math. McClintock, Hugh McGill, Andrew Woods, James Watts, John McClintock, William MeCluny, James Miles, Henry Gilfillen, and one unknown.
Captain Boon had been a surveyor and an expert woodsman, but had, a few years before, settled at the mouth of Muddy Run, where he had built a log mill, and a small, rude defensive work, which the settlers called Fort Boon. The Indiaas burned them both. The mill was probably at the site now occupied by Kemerer's mill, two miles above Milton.
Among those captured at the fort was Daniel Vincent, then nineteen years old, and just married. His young wife never heard from him during his captivity, and, after three years of fading hope, she at last fully believed her- self a widow. At length, after the war, he returned, to find himself unre- cognized! Was it strange? The three years, from nineteen to twenty-two, the unfamiliar beard, and the hardships of captivity, had wrought an effec- tnal disguise; but the voice was unchanged, aud when he called her Christian name, in the old tone, she fell on his neck, and thanked God for His mercy.
On the death of this man, many years after, we read as follows in the Miltonian, of February 3d, 1827 :
"Daniel Vincent died January 26th, aged 67. The deceased was among the first settlers of this part of Pennsylvania. He was likewise one of those who bore an ample part in the privations and troubles consequent to a war for independence, He was one of the defenders of the infant settlement, and among the intrepid defenders of Freclaud's fort, when it was yielded to an overpowering host of savages. He was then severed from his famdy, con- dueted to Canada, where he remained a captive until the close of the war."
Fort Swartz was built in 1774, at or near the old ferry, ahont a mile above Milton. It was a log structure, named in honor of Major Christian Godfried Swartz, of Col. Weltner's German (Penn'a. ) Battalion, a detach- ment of which, under command of Swartz, garrisoned the fort, at the time of Freeland's capture, but we do not find that any attempt at assistance or rescue was made by them in emulation of the generous bravery of Captain Boon. Fort Miniger, at the mouth of Warrior Run, and Fort Rice, at
Chillisquaque, were also log defenses, and manned, in part, by Weltner's men. Fort Rice was the only defensive work above Angusta, which held out without abandonment or surrender, through the entire war. All these forts, during the time of their existence, were within Turbut township.
PARADISE AND FORT MONTGOMERY.
In 1767, a Mr. Patterson patented a tract of seven hundred acres of land, which now lies in the extreme southeastern part of Lewis township, but which, for seventy-one years, formed a part of Turbut. He named the tract "Paradise," and certainly it was not wholly a misnomer, judging from its appearance at this day. The country is gently rolling, and extremely fertile, though, perhaps, not more so than thonsands upon thousands of acres all along the valley. But the feature in which it is especially marked, is the unusual beauty of its open groves of oak, and other hard woods so free from underbrush and decaying debris, that they have the appearauce of well-kept parks.
From this patent, the general name of Paradise came to be applied to a large scope of territory, stretching in both directions, from Patterson's entry -the larger portion however, lying in Turbut township, where the two Paradise churches are loented.
In 1771, Mr. Patterson removed to White Deer Creek, to reside there with his daughter, Mrs. Hunter, and sold his patented lands in Paradise, to John Montgomery, of Dauphin County, who at once established there his household goods, and built a small house of hickory logs, by a perennial spring, which then, as now formed the extreme head-waters of Muddy Run. With a wise precaution against the dangers of the times, he also built a strong log barrier, enclosing both cabin and spring, and this rude defence, gained from the surrounding settlers, the high-sounding name of "Fort Montgomery."
The "fort" may have sometimes had the effect to deter attacks of Indinas; but at the time of Freeland's capture, it made no show of resistance. On that memorable morning, John Montgomery heard the volleys, away to the northward, and, mounting his boys, bade them reconnoitre cautiously towards Freeland's. They enme in sight of that fort, and seeing it in possession of the Indians, rode swiftly back with the alarm. Everything which could be removed, was with headlong haste, packed in the wagons, with the women and children, and turning their faces southward, they did not look back tal they halted in Dauphin County, whence they had removed eight years before.
After the troublous times were past, they returned to Paradise, but found only the charred ruins of house, barn, and fort. A small stone-house was at once erected, and afterwards a larger one, covering the spring. In the front wall of the older house, was a smooth stone which told the date of erection, "W. M. 1789," the letters standing for William Montgomery, the son of the original purchaser from Patterson.
In a still later stone-house, adjoining the others, was a tablet, upon which was cut " Tobias Eschbach, 1833." Both these stones, with their inscriptions, are now to be seen, laid in the foundation wall of the new house, which Philip Raup' built, in 1873, within a few feet of the Montgomery spring ; Mr. Raup having purchased the property of the heirs of John T. Mont- gomery, and, having demolished the oldest of the houses, for the building- stone contained in it. Of those three old houses, the one covering the spring, still remains in excellent preservation, and the spring itself, is flowing as bright and clear, as it did, when the hickory logs of Fort Montgomery enclosed it, a hundred years ago.
John Montgomery (who purchased of Patterson), died by the falling of a tree, November 8th, 1792, aged 58, and David, his sou (born in Dauphin, in 1767), died, November 23d, 1859, aged 92. Father and son lie in the old church-yard, at Chillisquaque. Of his later descendants, the most distin- guished, was Hon. John G., his grondson, born January 28th, 1805, who established in the practice of law, at Danville, was elected to Congress, in 1856, and died of disease contracted at the National Hotel, at Washington, in 1857. Some years before, his bride had met a tragical death, on the next morning after their marriage, at MeEwensville. They were returning to their home, in Paradise, when, the horse taking fright, she was thrown from the sleigh, aud instantly killed.
David B. Montgomery, another grandson, born November 28th, 1810, still lives near the old spring. He has served two terms in the lower house of the Pennsylvania Legislature, and one in the Senate, during the war of the Rebellion.
Still auother grandson, William Montgomery died in 1875, of small-pox, at MeEweusville.
PLATE XV
RES. OF J. A. CAKE , SUNBURY, NORTHUMBERLAND CO., PA.
FARM PROPERTY OF COL. J.W. CAKE, FRONT ST., SUNBURY, NORTHUMBERLAND CO, PA.
TOWER OVER MADATINE OF FORT AUGUSTA.
67
HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
The descendants of the first John Montgomery are very numerous, and are widely scattered over Northumberland, and adjoining counties.
Turbut township has very few industrial interests, except agriculture. In faet-excluding those manufacturing establishments, which lie just out of the borough line of Milton, but which are undeniably a part of the town- there are only the " Boonville" flour mills, of W. B. Kemerer, Esq., at Muddy Run. These mills are located where the railroad erosses the Run, and on, or very near, the very spot where Capt. Hawkins Boon's mill stood, a century ago. (The opinion seems to be quite general, that Boon had no mill there-only a fort, and a dwelling-house-but the letter of Col. Samuel Hunter to Col. Matthew Smith, under date of Sunbury, July 28th, 1779, which says- this day, abont about twelve o'clock, an express arrived from Capt. Boon's mill, informing us that Freeland's fort was surrounded by a party of Indians,' etc., absolutely decides this question.) The old mill was burnt in 1779. In 1840, Abraham Straub removed his mill from Milton island, to the place where Kemerer's mill now is. Straub afterwards sold to Moses Chamberlain and Daniel Bisel. Then Chamberlain sold to a Mr. Yager, leaving the firm Yager & Bisel. From them, John Ott beenme the purchaser, and he, in turn, sold, in 1861, to W. B. Kemerer, the present owner. The mill was burnt in March, 1874, and immediately replaced by the present excellent establishment. Its size is forty-five by fifty-five feet, with four run of burrs, driven by water and steam, aud doing both merchant and custom work.
A lumber mill, owned by Messrs. Nagle and Esbach, also stood near there, upon the eanal, but was recently burned, and has not been rebuilt.
A mill which was owned by William Follmer, in the southeastern corner of the township, on Limestone Run, was a few years ago moved to Pottsgrove, in Chillisquaque township, that being thought a more eligible location.
The Paradise Reformed Church .- Established as a congregation in 1804. For seven years their preaching was very irregular. During that time, the Rev. Mr. Ingold held occasional worship in the houses, and sometimes in the barns of members. Their first regular pastor was Rev. Jost Henry Fries, who came to them in 1811, and preached in the school-house at Paradise until 1823. Next enme Rev. Samuel Gutelius, during whose pastorate a briek church building was erected in union with the Lutherans. The site was about five miles from Milton, on the Paradise road. It was dedicated in Angust, 1824. Succeeding Mr. Gutelius, were Revs. Henry Wagner, Daniel Gring, George Wolf, Lneien Cort, D. B. Albright, and Henry Mosser.
The present pastor, Rev. J. K. Millet, assumed the Paradise charge in 1873.
In 1859, the congregation having become large, their interest iu the church building was sold to the Lntheraus, and a new briek edifice was built by subscription. It is located on the Paradise road, near the old one, and its cost was five thousand dollars. The first records of this church, for a period of nearly forty years, were kept in German. The membership is two hun- dred and fifty. Sabbath-school attendance, sixty.
Paradise Lutheran Church,-The Lutherans at Paradise aud vicinity be- came a congregation in 1824, their first pastor being the Rev. Mr. Sheets. In August of that year, they dedicated their house of worship-a briek- church building-which they had erected in union with the Paradise Re- formed congregation, and when, in 1859, the Reformed people withdrew from the union to build their new choreh, they sold their union interest to the Lutherans, who thus beenme sole owners of the edifice, in which they still hold their worship. Their present pastor is Rev. Jacob Wampule, of Tur- butville. They have a small Sabbath-school.
The Follmer Church, (Lutheran.)-There is no authentic record of the exact date of its establishment, but Mr. David Eschbach, who resides in the Purudise section of Turbut township, and who is one of the oldest resi- dents, as well as one of the best informed men of the County, in church nHairs, places the date at 1800 or 1801. He well recollects the Rev. Mr. Stock, who was one of the earliest, though probably not the first of its pastors.
Their worship was held in an old log church, up to 1859, the time of the erection of their present brick church. Its location is in " Pleasant Valley," in the easterly part of Turbnt township, on the Washingtonville road about four miles from Milton. Their pastor is the Rev. Mr. Bergner, and a flour- ishing Subbath-school is connected with the church.
The public schools of the township are eleven in number, tenehing the common and some of the higher branches, during five months of the year. These are, to some extent, supplemented by "pay" schools, for two or three months more. The 'school buildings are all of brick, and although small, are neat and comfortable structures, and the schools themselves are very credituble.
The school directors for the township, are David Eshbach, Peter Bastian, Henry Buss, John Mosteller, John Hoffa, John W. Huether.
The population of Turbut, in 1860, was one thousand seven hundred and sixty, and in 1870, was one thousand eight hundred and three.
The history of the old township of Turbut is virtually that of all the country lying between Northumberland and the Muncy hills, and so inter- woven is its past, with that of the newer townships and boroughs which have been lopped off from it, that their history cannot be entirely eliminated withont detriment, both to accuracy and symmetry. Nor can the opposite course be adopted, for if the histories of the boroughs were only to be taken up from the time of their erection, they would then be shorn of that prepon- derating interest which attaches to the ancient facts and incidents of their settlement, and earliest vicissitudes. They should therefore be intertwined in such a manner as, on the one hand, to preserve as much as possible the identity of each; and on the other, to do the least practicable violence to the rules of local and chronological arrangement.
DELAWARE TOWNSHIP
Was erected from Turbut, by order of the court, at the April term, in 1843. Its boundaries are, on the north, Lycoming County; east, Lewis township (which was erceted from Turbut at the same time); south, Turbut town- ship; and west, the Susquehanna River. The population in 1860, was one thousand nine hundred and three; and in 1870, it was one thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
As its erection is of so recent date, nearly all of its history is covered by that of old Turbut township (from which it was partitioned,) and by those of the boroughs of MeEwensville and Watsontown, which lie within its territorial limits.
The Shamokin war-path lays through this township, and later-over nearly the same route-was laid the Northumberland and Muney road, on which the weekly mad commeneed to pass, on horseback, as early as 1804, and the mail stages of Cummings, and Hall, and Hulings, ran for many years after 1809. In the easterly direction, the old "Potash road" afforded a route of travel from the river, by Pine Grove ( McEwen's,) to the farther part of Turbut. This road was opened in the early years of the century, by Mr. Harrison, to give egress to the river, for the product of the potash works, which he established for the conversion of the large quantities of wood and timber growing on his farm, six miles beyond John Quigley's plongh-shop. The origin of the name of the road, is apparent. The desig- nation is still applied to one of the streets in MoEwensville.
This road, for a considerable distance from the river, passed up Warrior Run, upon which, were the "Vincent," and the "Truckenmiller" mills. The first Vincent mill, was of logs, built in 1773, by Daniel Vincent, who settled there from Essex County, New Jersey. This was replaced in 1792, by the stone structure. The establishment is now run by Mr. Yeagler, and is known by his name.
The first mill upon the Truekeumiller site, was also a log building, erectedl by Shaw (precise date not known. ) It was afterwards bought by the grand- father of Dr. Hunter, of Watsontown. By him, it was demolished, and a frame building erected in its place. Next, it was owned by the Trucken- millers, from whom it received its name, and now, after several intervening changes of ownership, it is again in the possession of one of the sune family, and name.
Farther up the run, and to the northward of MeEweusville, now stands David Gold's mill, occupying the site of the old Wilson mill, which was built as early as 1795 (ex-Sheriff Reader recollects well, that when not more than six or eight years old, he went with "grist" to this mill with his father.) This old mdl gave place to another, which years after came into possession of Mr. Gold, who again rebuilt aud remodeled it about twenty years ago. He sold out to one Bennett, who introduced steam as an auxiliary propel- ling-power, to be used in times of low water. This experiment was found unprofitable anıl abandoned, upon which Mr. Gold repurchased the property, and now operates it.
To the southward of the Potash road, towards Muddy Run, was Peter Jones' blacksmith shop, situated in the forks of the road, and a place of un little note in early tunes. Near there, was the farm of Alexander Guffy (grandfather of A. J. Gutiy, Esq., of Watsontown,) who came from Scot- land to this country before the revolution. He lived thero long before 1800, and was at one time a distiller as well as fariner. In the year 1778, he was
68
HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
one of the party who were with Mrs. Durham, when she was scalped and left for dead, below Freeland's fort, and he brought water in his hat to her, to sinke the agonizing thirst of her return to consciousness.
Still further to the sonthward, lived John Wilson, who in some way, came to be called by the settlers, "Gaily " Wilson.
The origin, as well as the orthography of the sobriquet is unknown, but it seems proper to spell it "Gaily, " for certainly there was a good deal of the Troubadour in his composition. He was hy trade a carpenter, but was also good nt singing and dancing, particularly when his favorite beverage was abundant and easy of access. He was excellent too, at narration, and often gave thrilling accounts of his adventures with the Indians. One of the most exciting of these, was to the effect, that upon a certain morning in 1778, he, with seventeen others, started from Freeland's fort, in search of some stray horses, but had gone only a short distance, when a large party of Indians, in ambush, fired on them, killing all his seventeen companions, while he himself with his hair standing on end, fled like a deer back to the fort, and cleared the parapet at a single leap. He run so swiftly, he said, tlint the skirts of the bright blue coat, which he wore that day, stood hori- zontally to the rear, and he was always fond of calling himself " Blue Jay" Wilson, from his fancied resemblance to that gaudy bird, upon the occasion of that memorable retreat.
He often worked at the houses of Duvid Montgomery, Alexander Guffy, and many of the other settlers, and was always welcome, for he was both jovial and inoffensive. He died, sexton of Chillisquaque Church, and he sleeps in its enclosure, near the grave of his old patron David Montgomery.
Neil McCoy, a distiller, living farther north in the township, was another frolicsome spirit. Upon occasions of a public character, he was always present, with his sons, nod their antics added greatly to the general hilarity. In father and sons, the flow of animal spirits was unfailing.
In national characteristics, Delaware is like the other parts of old Turhnt. It is rolling, well-watered, healthy, and extremely fertile. Among the names of ancient residents, were those of Irwin, Craig, Brown, Wilson, Murray, Kerrigan, and Hogue, all as good farmers as any in the County.
The Village of Dewart, is of very recent date. Some time after the opening af the railroad, a small station was made there, principally for the accommodation of such business as might eross the bridge, at that point, from Uniontown, on the west side of the river. Afterwards, a post-office was established there, through the influence of Hon. William L. Dewart, of Sunbury, and both the station and the office were named Dewart, in his honor. The village is still very small. There are two hotels, and two general stores, but, as yet, no church, though the Methodists have taken down their old house at " Stony Batter," and commenced to re-erect it at Dewart. A short distance south of the village, are the enclosed grounds, which the Northumberland County Agricultural Society have leased for their auuual fairs. This was only established there in 1875, having been removed from the lands of D. H. Driesbach, in Lewis township.
The river bridge, before mentioned, is owned by a bridge company, in Union County. It was built about twenty years ago, and carried away in the great flood of 1865, hut soon re-built by the company.
About three miles east of Dewart, is the very small village of Packersville containing one store, and a post-office of the same name.
On the Philadelphia and Erie Bailroad, about three miles north of Dewart, is the distillery of Joha Eyster, a frame building forty-five hy sixty feet, built in 1866.
Near David Gold's mill, one-half mile north of MeEwensville is a small tan- aery, once owned by Jacob Stitzel. It now daes but bttle work. These, with the mills befare mentioned, comprise all the manufacturing industries of Delaware.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.