USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > History of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. from a period preceding its settlement to recent times, including the annals and geography of each townshipAlso a sketch of woman's work in the county for the United States sanitary commission, and a list of the soldiers of the national army furnished by many of the townships > Part 15
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DIARY OF ANDREW TRACY, EsQ.
"1798, August 21st, I set out from Norwich (Ct.), with my son Edwin (Leonard E.) for the Delaware Purchase, and we arrived at Dandolo the 30th inst., at Mr. Milbourne's ; the 31st at Chebur ; Ist Sept. at Mr. Brownson's at Rindaw ; where we waited for Mr. E. Hyde till the 11th, and the 12th left there and went to view the Manor, etc. On the 14th took possession of Coon- rod Castle with the premises. We sowed about four bushels wheat and rye, and rolled up a log-house, two logs above the chamber floor ; and on the 11th November set off for Norwich.
" On the 8th January 1799, sent off my team, and on the 11th set out with my family for our seat in Dandolo, and got to Peleg's place on the 6th of February, after a long and expensive journey of 28 days. We left Peleg's house about the 5th of March, and then moved into the castle-it was thir- teen feet square-having eleven in the family steady, until the 4th of July, and then we moved into the new house to celebrate the day of American Independence, and had about 40 persons to dine."
The foregoing appears to have been written at the same time with what follows in the diary down to July 1801. To account in part for the large number of " persons to dine," it is here noted, that Captain Tracy was married and had three children when he settled in Hopbottom ; and that his wife was accompanied by her sister Betsey Leffingwell. Capt. Chapman's family
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were still in Brooklyn. Charles Miner may also have been of the party, since he came to this section with Capt Tracy. "Coon- rod Castle" then contained three "sets" of children ; five were the children of Esq. Tracy's first wife, and four were those of Mrs. Tracy and her first husband, Amaziah Weston; while the youngest, then an infant (now Mrs. Warner Hayden of New Milford), was hers and Esq. Tracy's. On the arrival of the Tracy family at Martin's Creek, they were met by Capt. Chap- man, who bore her in his arms the remainder of their journey.
But to return to the diary :-
" The last winter (1799-1800) was very hard and severe; snow that fell during the first week in November lay until May. We had about 12 inches of snow on the first of April, and there fell a snow 9 or 10 inches deep, and on the 8th, near as much more, and on the 2d of May we had a snow fall so as to make the ground look white. The hard winter was followed by a severe drought, which was the means of my going to French Town [now in Bradford Co.], three times after grain, and once down the Tunkhannock, and so up the Susquehanna to the Wyalusing, and so home with four bushels wheat and rye. On my way home, I got within half a mile of Joseph Chapman's house, when it being very dark and rainy, my horse became frightened, and ran into the woods ; and I was under the necessity of lying there all night, not having so much as an old log or anything but a small beech to screen me from the storm, which was incessant all night. As soon as the daylight appeared, I found the path, and then proceeded on to Capt. Chapman's where I got half an hour before sunrise, not having had any sleep, but very wet and cold. After dinner I set out with my load for home.
"June 6th, 1800, occurred a very great frost that killed corn, beans, pump- kins, cucumbers, etc."
Under date of July 26, 1801, he mentions a frost which killed some things.
August 5th, following, he adds : "Rev. Jacob Crane, a mis- sionary from New York, preached a sermon at my house, to about 40 hearers." On the 21st of the same month, he mentions his own son-in-law Thompson, who preached two sermons that day at the same place. August 25th, there was " a frost that killed everything subject to frost." On the 12th and 13th of Septem- ber following there was also "some frost." This was the last entry of his diary.
Andrew Tracy, Esq,, died Nov. 1, 1801.
In 1801, Captain P. Tracy sold his place with the house which Messrs. Jones and Milbourne had built in 1790, to Captain Amos Bailey. Traces of the ruins of the house are still to be seen near the spring, in the orchard of O. Bailey ; where there are trees set out by the first occupants, which are still bearing. Captain Tracy then went to the clearing first made by William Harkins, where H. W. Kent now resides ; but remained there only two or three years before removing to Wilkes-Barre. All of the first family of Andrew Tracy, Esq., left the town soon after his death, except his son Leonard who died here in 1802.
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The widow of A. Tracy with her children, Samuel, Mary, William, and John Weston, and Sally and Andrew Tracy (the last named born soon after his father's death) continued to re- side at the homestead until her marriage with Deacon Joshua Miles. She died in 1856. Her son Andrew, after his marriage removed to Marathon, N. Y. Sally (Mrs. Hayden) says : " I have often heard my mother speak of the good old time when we lived in Coonrod Castle, and took the door from the hinges and laid it on barrels for a table, before we could get any made."
Samuel and Mary Weston were early teachers in Brooklyn ; William, father of E. A. Weston, died here in 1853; John is a physician in Towanda, Pa.
Charles Miner did not take up land in the vicinity of the Chapmans and Tracys, but his associations with them, in 1799, permit us to copy a few items from a letter written by him about fifty years later :-
" On the 12th of Feb. 1779, in company with Captain Peleg Tracy, his brother Leonard, and Miss Lydia Chapman in one sleigh ; Mr John Chase of Newburyport and myself in another; set out from Norwich, Ct., and ar- rived at Hopbottom the 28th. The snow left us the first night, when we were only twelve miles on our way, and we were obliged to place our sleighs on trundle wheels. Our cheerful, undaunted female friend, through the pa- tience-trying journey of sixteen days (never a tear, a murmur, or a sigh) lived to see her grandchildren, the children of an eminent judge of the Supreme Court."
After selling to Captain Tracy, Mr. Jones made a small im- provement where James Adams 1st, now lives. This he sold in 1813, to Latham A. Smith. Mr. and Mrs. J. spent their later years near Mrs. Milbourne, in a house of which the logs were cut by Mr. Jones, though younger men rolled them up. After Mrs. J.'s death, in 1822, he lived with his son-in-law, S. Howard, and died in Brooklyn, in 1834, aged 91.
Bloomfield Milbourne, after he and Mr. Jones left their first location, took possession of the place to which Mr. Fox had come in 1787. An old apple-tree is still pointed out as near the site of his log cabin, on the farm now owned by Lyman Tif- fany. The road from McIntyre Hill to Martin's Creek passes the place. It was cut through one early 4th of July, as a holi- day job, by Capt. Joshua Sabin, his son Jonathan, Jos. Chap- man, Jr., and others ; no whiskey was drank on the occasion.
He is remembered as a very honest, kind-hearted, and oblig- ing man, and very fond of a practical joke. He was acknowl- edged to be "the greatest chopper in town," and was also "a dead shot" with the rifle.
He married a daughter of Isaac Tewksbury, and spent the remainder of his days upon the Fox place. He died in 1839, aged 68.
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Richard McNamara's improvements were purchased by Capt. Joshua Sabin, an account of whose settlement is here given, in the words of his son, in a letter to J. W. Chapman, Esq .:-
"In the spring of 1799, Ezekiel Hyde, a land speculator from Connecticut, came to my father, who was living in Otsego County, on the left bank of the Susquehanna, 70 miles above Great Bend, and told him that he would sell him 800 acres of land in Hopbottom. My father accompanied him to H., and bought out McNamara, who gave possession immediately. Then my father came back and took my oldest sister, and my brothers Lyman and and Aaron, and some household furniture, and moved them to Hopbottom. He bought a cow, and left them to keep house for the summer. He had sold his farm on the river, but had the use of it that year. He was late in getting to Hopbottom to mow the grass, and your grandfather Chapman and your father mowed and stacked the hay. In September, my father lashed his two canoes together, and, loaded with household goods (including a loom, etc.), and also a number of apple-trees large enough to set, took me, and went down to Great Bend. He there buried the roots of the trees in the ground for the winter, and then we started together for Hopbottom, on the Newburgh road (the turnpike afterwards built nearly on the same line), seven miles through the woods to the first house, which was Corbett's tavern (now Phinney's in N. M.), where we halted. I went into the barn, and saw a pair of elk horns on the floor. They were standing on four points, and I took off my hat and walked between the horns under the skull, and as I stood erect under the horns they just touched my hair. (My height was 5 feet 10 inches.) There I saw also a tame elk among the cattle.
"We went on to Hopbottom by way of a town then called ' Nine Part- ners.' When we reached our destination, I was heartsick with the place ; but I became more reconciled when I became acquainted with your father and your uncles Edward and Isaac, and your aunts Lydia and Polly. Your grandfather had bought a new place about eight miles from there (in Che- bur), and wished me to go with him to visit it. He had already built a house on it, and a family named Myers had moved into it till they could build.
" Mrs. Myers was very glad to see him, and said, ' Captain Chapman, have you any snuff ?' He told her he had plenty, and she said she 'had suffered so for snuff' that if she had ' this house full of gould' she ' would give it all for one pinch of snuff.'
" I helped him fence his ground, and sow and drag in three acres of wheat, and I returned home Saturday night.
"My father went back up the river, and left my oldest sister, myself, and Aaron to keep the house. He was down twice during the winter."
Capt. Sabin's family then consisted of his wife and eight children. The letter continues :-
" The whole family moved down, in March, 1800, in sleighs. They crossed the river twice on the ice, and drove the cattle and sheep. They reached the new home the last week in March. The most of the stock, consisting of 9 horses, 60 head of cattle, and 20 sheep, was turned over to Hyde for land, which father lost because he failed to get a good title."
From another letter to the same, written nearly twelve years ago, we learn that Capt. Joshua Sabin was born in Dutchess County, N. Y. He served in the Revolutionary army as cap- tain under Washington, and at the close of the war settled in Rensselaer County, N. Y., and received an appointment as jus-
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tice. He afterwards rented his farm there, while he lived in Otsego County, where Ezekiel Hyde found him.
He became so disheartened after losing his property through the Connecticut land speculation, that after about four years' residence in Hopbottom he returned to his old home in Rens- selaer County, where he spent the remainder of his days (17 years) in tranquillity.
His eleventh child, and the only one born in Susquehanna County, had been named after Ezekiel Hyde, who gave him 100 acres of land, but unfortunately the giver did not really own a foot of it.
The Hopbottom farm continued to be occupied by Jonathan Sabin, after his father left, until 1809 (he having in the mean time married the widow Raynale), when he removed to the Lake country.
The following incidents were given by Mr. Sabin upon re- ceiving a copy of the Montrose ' Republican' which contained the proceedings of the Old Settlers' Festival, June, 1858. Hon. J. W. Chapman says: "No one acquainted with Jonathan Sabin, his skill and success as a hunter, and rectitude as a man, will question the truth of his statements."
"In the spring of 1800, Capt. Bartlet Hinds, in company with another man, came five miles through the woods to grind their axes-four in number, and new from the blacksmith shop-on my father's Nova Scotia grindstone, preparatory to cutting the first trees for a road from Great Bend to where Montrose now stands.
" While reflecting upon the events of my youthful days, my mind involun- tarily reverts to some of the wilder and more exciting scenes enjoyed by me in hunting game, with which the wilderness of that country, at that time, was so bountifully supplied.
"I was then sixteen years of age, and lived with my father in a house about half a mile from Joseph Chapman's, where in those days there stood a yellow willow tree near the foot of the hill.
" During my four years' residence there, I destroyed five panthers, a num- ber of bears, some seven or eight wolves, and at least two hundred deer. On one of my hunting excursions, I discovered, about two-thirds of the distance up the mountain southeast from the willow tree, a pile of leaves some two or three feet high, and upon examination found they contained a dead buck, which I supposed had been placed there by a panther. I took off the skin, and covered the body again as I found it, as nearly as I could. I then loaded a musket with eleven buckshot, and set it for the panther just at dark, and had left it only about five minutes, when I heard the report of the gun ; upon returning to the spot, found the panther dead, not nine rods from the place where he received his wound. Every shot had taken effect. He measured nine feet in length from his nose to the end of his tail.
" While upon a hunting excursion about 200 rods north of the house, on the hill, I discovered a bear coming directly towards me. I allowed him to come within 16 feet before I fired ; the charge, a ball and nine buckshot, took effect in his heart, and killed him instantly.
" On another occasion my brother and I went up to the north pond, about one mile from the house, to shoot deer by torchlight from a canoe. Soon after dark we heard the deer in the pond. We moved towards them care-
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fully, and when within twelve rods, I fired and killed three the first shot ; and before morning I killed four more, making seven deer with five shots, and had them all home in the morning."
From his letter written in 1866, we have the following :-
" About sixty years ago I saw a man coming up the hill towards my house, followed by his horse. He wanted to bait the horse on the beautiful clover before the door. That man was Robert R. Rose from Philadelphia. He named the town of Montrose. He owned 20,0001 acres of land there. He surveyed his land himself, and boarded at Captain Hinds' that summer.
" He sent to me for a barrel of pork. It was impossible to get through the woods with a wagon, but I contrived to get the pork to him. I took two poles twenty feet long, and bored holes with a two-inch auger, about five feet from the butt, and inserted two cross-bars to hold the barrel, then sprung the poles together, bound them with withes, and lashed them behind the oxen. In this way I took him the pork, and got $20 for it-a great sum in those days."
He also mentions the fact that in 1799, when he came, there was no settler from Page's (at Brooklyn Center) to Colonel Parke's ; and from Page's to Horton's mills-9 miles-there was but one, John S. Tarbell.
Four barrels of salt paid for a span of horses purchased by Jon. Sabin when he was 21 years old. He sold to Mr. Miles a pair of millstones for $50.
About 1808, Mr. Sabin had occasion to go to Cayuga Co., N. Y., to buy wheat, which could be obtained there for fifty cents per bushel, while at Hopbottom it was $2.00; and he was then so delighted with " the lake country," he determined to leave the Beechwoods, and all their game. Having no regular title to the land, he sold his "improvements " to John B. Wallace, the Pennsylvania claimant, who gave him for them, $100 and 100 acres. The latter he sold to David Morgan, and in 1809, he re- moved to Ovid, N. Y. In 1812, he bought a farm beyond Seneca Lake, in Steuben County, and resided there many years. He had eight children, one of whom, Joshua, died at Fort Leaven- worth in the service of the U. S. during the rebellion. During the last twenty years of his life, he was blind from a cataract. His home was then with his youngest son in Niagara Co., N. Y., where he died the 25th of January 1870, aged 87 years.
Prior to the departure of Jonathan Sabin, J. B. Wallace and his brother in law, Horace Binney, Sen., of Philadelphia, came on to see their lands, and employed him to cut a road to "the Gregory settlement" in New Milford.
All his family finally removed to the west.
The Sabin farm was afterwards occupied by John Seeley, and sons Alden, Reuben, and Justus ; Putnam Catlin also resided here a short time before he purchased a farm half a mile above, and
1 The whole tract owned by Dr. Rose in 1809 consisted of nearly 100,000 acres.
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the place at length came into the possession of Jezreel Dewitt. A son of the latter now lives on it.
It was half a mile from this place up the creek, on the north side, that Mr. Trout, another of the immigrants of 1787, was located. The farm is now occupied by N. C. Benjamin.
Mr. Denison's clearing, which was half a mile above Mr. Trout's, was early abandoned by him. In 1799, the timber around the rock on which his oven was built had grown to a diameter of six inches.
" Conrad Hill" takes its name from the location of one of the Conrads a short distance above Denison.
Prince Perkins first settled where C. R. Palmer now lives, but soon moved to the farm now occupied by Charles Kent. In 1811, he sold the latter to Latham Williams, and by the kind assistance of Colonel Frederick Bailey, procured one hun- dred acres of land (which Henry Dennis now owns) and there he and his son lived and died. Prince was the soul of all the early dancing parties in the vicinity, and was probably an ac- cessory to the feast mentioned on another page. Some one ex- hibits a memorandum running thus: "1800-Prince Perkins for fiddling on the fourth of July-11s. 3d.
To give a picture of the life of a young woman for a fortnight in primitive times, the following is copied from Betsey Leffing- well's diary, kept for a friend in Connecticut, in 1799. Miss L. had come to visit her sister, Mrs. Capt. Tracy :-
" Bidwell,1 September 30-Monday morn .- Mr. Chapman went to Web- ber's2 after the horses in the time we were getting breakfast, which we eat with haste, mounted, and set off. Met Leonard Tracy on our way to Capt. Chapman's. Mr. Robison3 and Mary met us before we got to the house where they had been waiting for us near an hour. We soon proceeded on our way to Rindaw, called on the Mr. Parkes, was treated with short cake, dryed bear's meat, and boyled corn. After a short tarry, we again mounted, jogged on to Mount Calm, made a visit to the new house, and then set off anew. Drove through swamp-holes, over logs, roots, and stumps, dismount- ing every half hour to pass creeks and brooks. At twelve we found seats, and partook of a comfortable meal, which refreshed us mightily. By four o'clock we came in sight of the famous store,4 which was filled with men of every description. Mr. Hyde, Reynolds, and Miner were not backward in welcoming us to Rindaw. We were escorted to Mr. Brunson's by them ; found all well, and glad to see the ladies. Mr. Reynolds invited us to walk ; we steered for the famous creek, and were joined by Mr. Pascal Tyler and the other gentlemen ; took a sail, returned, drank tea, spent a sociable eve, and at nine we retired to rest.
1 Miss L. dates from the residence of Capt. P. Tracy, who then lived where Obadiah Bailey now lives.
2 It is thought Mr. Webber may have lived where S. K. Smith is now.
3 John W. Robinson. She wrote the name as it was then generally pro- nounced.
4 Enoch Reynolds, of Norwich, had established a store at Rindaw as an ex- periment.
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"Tuesday (Oct. Ist) was very pleasant. We rose, took a walk to the store and on the banks of the creek. Returned to breakfast; was intro- duced to Doctor Usher and son, from Chatham-a proper tippe. Mr. Hyde found some work for us, which employed us till half-past ten, when we prinked up, eat a luncheon, mounted our horses, and set out with Mr. Reynolds, Chapman, and Robison to visit the Miss Inghams, seven miles down the creek. Had a very polite welcome from the ladies. Was treated with melons, apples, and an excellent cup of tea, and many other delicacies too numerous to mention. Miss Polly Ingham is soon to be married ; we all had a polite invite to (the) wedding, and agreed to attend-hem. At even we mounted our nags to return to Brunson's, which we gained by nine; eat a hearty supper, and retired to rest.
" Wednesday .- Rose early, in order to turn our faces towards Bidwell. We jogged on leisurely, viewing the country as we passed, and making our remarks on the inhabitants and their plantations. There are eleven families in fourteen miles of the road, which three years since was a wilderness. At three o'clock we got within five miles of Mr. Chapman's ; as it was the last house, we called. Mrs. Wilson was happy to see us, and set before us a good dinner. It being late, and no road but now and then a blazed tree for our guide, we concluded to stay the night. We took a walk around his clearing, and found it very pleasant, indeed. Mr. Wilson has been a settler but eight months, and has thirteen acres well cleared and fenced; hear this, and be- lieve, for it is true. He sows six acres of wheat this fall, with no one to assist him.
" We rose early on Thursday morn, the third day of October, mounted our horses, and left them (the Wilsons). We crept along, over hills, and dales, and mud-puddles ; found the Valley (Capt. C.'s) at 9 o'clock.
" Fryday, October 4th .- Got home. Mrs. Chapman came and spent the day with us, accompanied by Mrs. Tracy. I took a run over to Mrs. Harkins' about noon.
" Saturday, October 5th .- Cloudy, and some rain; I not over smart to- day, but am fixing for our tour down to Rindaw, as we must be ready at a minute's warning (for Miss Ingham's wedding). Isaac and Edward Chapman called on their way to Mr. Jones'. The day was spent in work and play, and the night in sleep.
"Sunday morn .- Very pleasant. I rose not so early as common. Mr. Mil- burne made us a visit before we breakfasted. About eleven, I dressed my- self and set off for meeting, alone. Found Milburne at Mr. Harkins', with Linsey. They were going to meeting, so Miss Leffingwell had their agree- able company. Arriving at Esq. Tracy's, we were disappointed in not hear- ing the sermon, as Capt. Sabins had that moment begun the last prayer, and such an one as I never heard ; shall, however, say but little about it. I found Joseph and his sisters with Mr. Robison, of the congregation, with many more not worth mentioning (to you). They all left the house soon after but Mr. Chapman and Betty [herself ], who drank tea with the Esquire's family, and then set off for home. Had a mighty serious walk (with the serious con- sequence of a wedding). Took a view of the plantation Mr. Webber is soon to move on. Got home by sunset, made up a good winter fire, and spent the evening by its side, in good spirits.
"Monday, October 7th, eve .- Mr. Harkin came in after some oyl for his child. I finished washing in time to prink up before dark. Mr. Robison made his appearance. We spent the evening very agreeably at whist. Mr. R. and Miss Leffingwell came off victorious.
" Tuesday, 8th .- The afternoon I spent in writing, and the eve in knitting. " Wednesday .- No company to-day. I have been ironing, Mr. Tracy gathering corn and pumpkins-the largest I ever saw ; they will weigh, take them as they rise, thirty pounds, and one thirty-seven.
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" Thursday .- Mr. Chapman has made us a visit, on his way to Mr. Jones', to make Nancy a pair of shoes ; had his saddle-bags on his neck.
"Fryday .- Mr. Chapman called on his way home. We retired to rest at eleven.
"Saturday eve .- I have got the ink-horn, with my paper, in my lap, just to bid you a good night's rest.
"Sunday eve .- We have spent the evening knitting, paring pumpkins, and telling riddles. [Saturday evening, and not Sunday evening-a New Eng- land custom of early times-was considered a part of the Sabbath.]
"Monday. ... Spent the day rationally-no company-and at nine re- tired to rest, in spirits."
Miss Leffingwell was married to Joseph Chapman, Jr., the 25th of December, 1800, at Norwich, Conn.
Referring to this, in 1858, Charles Miner said : "Capt. Peleg Tracy and Joseph Chapman, Jr., had each chosen a bride of the old aristocratic family of Leffingwell, in Norwich, amiable and excellent ladies."
The children of Joseph Chapman, Jr., were George, James W., Lydia (Mrs.J. L. Adams, recently deceased), John H., and Joseph, who died a young man. All were born on the farm which their father took up on the Hopbottom in 1798, and which Joseph Chapman, Jr., purchased under Pennsylvania title (a half mile square), and where he and his wife resided to the close of their lives. He died in 1845, and Mrs. C. in 1846.
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