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 37
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Isaac Bullard, a Revolutionary soldier, settled, in 1812, where James Bunnell lives (now Dimock), but after a time removed to the late location of his son, Hezekiah, in the south neigh- borhood. He died in 1842, aged ninety-seven. Of his sons, Elijah, the eldest, is now living in Montrose, over eighty years of age; Hezekiah and Otis have died recently, aged respective- ly seventy-nine and seventy-seven.
Of later settlers only a few notices can be given.
Robert Eldridge, a native of Connecticut, came from Lewis County, N. Y., in 1814, and located on the farm first taken up by Elias West, and occupied, for a time, by Samuel Kellum, brother-in-law of Mr. E. James Eldridge, father of Robert, died here in 1841, in his eighty-eighth year. After living here about thirty years, Robert removed to Brooklyn, where he died in 1861, aged eighty. Of his sons, James has since occupied the old homestead, but now resides in Owego, N. Y .; Orlando is in Brooklyn. Of his five children, Mrs. C. Cush- man is the only one in the county.
Jeremiah Etheridge came from New London, Conn., in the spring of 1815, and was the first cabinet-maker in the south neighborhood. He returned to Connecticut, in the fall, to be married, and in October he and his bride began housekeeping in the house vacated by Edward Fuller, near the south line of the township. A few months later, he built on the corner below Deacon Deans'.
Mr. Etheridge removed to Montrose in 1818, and occupied, at first, the small, low building in the rear of the present residence of Mrs. E. There was not then a neighbor on Turnpike Street,
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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
above where M. S. Wilson now lives. Mr. E. died in 1866, aged seventy-five. His only son, Isaac L., died when a young man, about twenty-five years previous.
Samuel Warner came, about 1815, to Conrad Hinds' first location in the north neighborhood. He was an earnest tem- perance and anti-slavery advocate. He died in September, 1848.
Ebenezer Sprout, from Hampshire Co., Mass., came with his wife, in 1816, to the farm they occupied near Montrose, until 1862, when they removed to Lycoming County. They reared a large family. He died January, 1871, in his eighty-fourth year.
Amos Burrows came to the east neighborhood in 1817.
David Bushnell, a native of Connecticut, came to Bridge- water, from Greene County, N. Y., as early as 1816, and pur- chased the farm now occupied by Matthew Baldwin. He brought his family in the spring of 1819. Five years later, he was obliged, while building a barn, to pay a bushel of oats for every pound of nails he used. In 1829, he came to the farm on the east line of Montrose, where he lived ten years. While here, he joined the Presbyterian church by profession of faith. Upon leaving Montrose, he spent two years in Bradford County before locating in Auburn, where he died April 5, 1872, aged eighty-six.
Joseph W. Parker was born in Saybrook, Conn., April 20, 1797. He removed to Bridgewater in 1816; was baptized by Elder D. Dimock, in 1818, when twenty-one years of age; was licensed June 10, 1826 ; and was ordained May 13, 1829. A considera- ble portion of his life was spent as a missionary under the patronage of the New York Baptist State Convention, princi- pally in the counties of Susquehanna, Wyoming, Luzerne, and Bradford, where he assisted in organizing several churches, and baptized 602 professed believers, of whom seven entered the ministry. He was a faithful, persevering, good man, whose ministry covered almost forty years. He died near Montrose, April 9, 1866. Mrs. Parker died in Binghamton, December, 1870, in her seventy-third year.
About 1818, Cyrus Cheevers, a native of Massachusetts, came from Harford to the place afterwards known as Mr. Lil- lie's, on the Wilkes-Barre turnpike, where the gate was last kept, and where he built the house still standing. Mrs. C. died in Bridgewater, July, 1870, in the ninety-first year of her age. She united with the Baptist church of Attleborough, Mass., in 1802.
Orin Clemons and Henry Patrick, later settlers, were located in the vicinity of Montrose over forty years. They and their wives have since deceased.
M. A. BLACKMAN 1840.
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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
above where M. S. Wilson now lives. Mr. E. died in 1866, aged seventy-five. His only son, Isaac L., died when a young man, about twenty-five years previous.
Samuel Warner came, about 1815, to Conrad Hinds' first location in the north neighborhood. He was an earnest tem- perance and anti-slavery advocate. He died in September, 1848.
Ebenezer Sprout, from Hampshire Co., Mass., came with his wife, in 1816, to the farm they occupied near Montrose, until 1862, when they removed to Lycoming County. They reared a large family. He died January, 1871, in his eighty-fourth year.
Amos Burrows came to the east neighborhood in 1817.
David Bushnell, a native of Connecticut, came to Bridge- water, from Greene County, N. Y., as early as 1816, and pur- chased the farm now occupied by Matthew Baldwin. He brought his family in the spring of 1819. Five years later, he was obliged, while building a barn, to pay a bushel of oats for every pound of nails he used. In 1829, he came to the farm on the east line of Montrose, where he lived ten years. While here, he joined the Presbyterian church by profession of faith. Upon leaving Montrose, he spent two years in Bradford County before locating in Auburn, where he died April 5, 1872, aged eighty-six.
Joseph W. Parker was born in Saybrook, Conn., April 20, 1797. He removed to Bridgewater in 1816; was baptized by Elder D. Dimock, in 1818, when twenty-one years of age; was licensed June 10, 1826 ; and was ordained May 13, 1829. A considera- ble portion of his life was spent as a missionary under the patronage of the New York Baptist State Convention, princi- pally in the counties of Susquehanna, Wyoming, Luzerne, and Bradford, where he assisted in organizing several churches, and baptized 602 professed believers, of whom seven entered the ministry. He was a faithful, persevering, good man, whose ministry covered almost forty years. He died near Montrose, April 9, 1866. Mrs. Parker died in Binghamton, December, 1870, in her seventy-third year.
About 1818, Cyrus Cheevers, a native of Massachusetts, came from Harford to the place afterwards known as Mr. Lil- lie's, on the Wilkes-Barre turnpike, where the gate was last kept, and where he built the house still standing. Mrs. C. died in Bridgewater, July, 1870, in the ninety-first year of her age. She united with the Baptist church of Attleborough, Mass., in 1802.
Orin Clemons and Henry Patrick, later settlers, were located in the vicinity of Montrose over forty years. They and their wives have since deceased.
M. A. BLACKMAN 1840
MONTROSE GREEN
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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
Twenty years after Stephen Wilson made his clearing, the township was quite well settled. His farm was occupied, in 1819, by Elizur and Demmon Price; when they left, it passed into the hands of Messrs. Park, Gregory, and D. Post.
The customs of the people at this time were, in some re- spects singular. Apple-bees were common, with mince-pies, doughnuts, and sled riding as accompaniments. A couple would go to a justice of the peace to be married, on horse- back, the lady riding on a pillion behind her lover.
MONTROSE.
Capt. B. Hinds and Dr. R. H. Rose were friends. They agreed to name, each for the other, their places of residence. The former named Silver Lake, and the latter Montrose, after a town in Scotland.
The site of the court-house was fixed by Commissioners Butler, Sutton, and Dorrance, of Wyoming Valley, in 1811.
From this period, the population and interest of the town- ship centered in Montrose. A village plot was surveyed in 1812; its area was but 112 by 139 perches. Singularly enough, it did not include the first location of Bartlet Hinds, the south line being the road just above it, now leading to the cemetery.
Fig. 21.
NORTH
EAST 320
80
. 400 PERCHES . GEN. WARNER
20
20
126
1628
166/
126
30
EAST
52 540/
162
162
166.
5240
400
80
EAST 320
SOUTH
SUCCESSIVE BOROUGH LIMITS OF MONTROSE.
In the diagram, the original borough, including 126 by 162 perches, is in heavy lines. The north line passed across the site
NORTH 320
WEST
NORTH 320
PLANK ROAD
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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
of D. R. Lathrop's present residence; the east line did not in- clude the site of the present residence of E. C. Fordham, nor the west line that of E. Bacon.
The first extension added forty perches to the southwest side. It included the house of D. Post, Esq., but not the site of Mrs. H. Drinker's. The second extension (in 1853), added twenty perches on the northwest and northeast, thirty perches on the southeast, and fifty-two on the southwest. It took in the houses of Walter Foster and E. Bullard, and the row of houses on Turnpike Street, from Mrs. J. C. Biddle to the Methodist church, but did not include the farm-house of Wm. Jessup, or the late residence of J. T. Langdon ; the northeast line passed through the residence of S. Bard. The borough was then three-fourths of a mile in length by a little less in width.
In 1864, it was extended by town council to one mile square, due east and west, by north and south, the centre being a little south of Sayre Bros.' foundry. It then included the houses in the vicinity of Gen. Warner, but it was found not to extend far enough west to include all who wished to come in, and the next year the extension was confirmed by the legislature, with eighty perches more added on the west. The center of the borough is now about on the east line of "the Green," between M. C. Tyler's corner and the residence of C. M. Gere. The borough includes the source of the Wyalusing, near the plank road, and extends cast nearly to "the Dunn house," north, nearly to the residence of O. S. Beebe; and west, so as to include the farm buildings of J. S. Tarbell.
When the act of legislature was passed in 1810, setting off Susquehanna from Luzerne, the tavern of Isaac Post, the small house of David Post under Cemetery Hill, and the log-house of B. Hinds, were the only residences in what is now Montrose. During that year, Jabez Frink, Sen., had a log-house opposite the present Baptist church, and carried on blacksmithing for Isaac Post in a shop just west of Wm. Foster's present resi - dence. A horse-shed was on the corner where the post-office has recently been placed upon the foundation of the first brick building erected in the town. A new barn, roofed but not com- pleted, stood on the site of Wm. H. Cooper's banking-house, and years later was in its rear. This was all of Montrose when it was chosen as the county-seat. Mr. Frink afterwards owned the farm now Mrs. A. Butterfield's. His sons Jabez and George were later blacksmiths here. Rufus, brother of Jabez Frink, Sen., and father of Avery Frink, now of Montrose, came early, and afterwards occupied the site of the present residence of Wm. J. Mulford, where he died.
About 1811, Isaac Post erected a store on the site of the building now occupied by. J. R. Dewitt & Co. It was a low
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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
building, painted red-the first painted house in the township. Both sides of the road were then clear from the corners occupied by Mr. Post down to B. Hinds' house.
Isaac P. Foster, the first tanner and currier in the place, came from South Hampton, Long Island, in 1811, and erected first the house afterwards occupied by B. T. Case, Esq., but soon after the old Keeler Hotel, and prepared his tanyard just back of it. The basement or cellar of this was the first place of confinement for breakers of the public peace; in it, also, Nehemiah Scott taught school when Rev. A. L. Post and playmates were learn- ing their A B C's. Mr. Foster afterwards had a store in this building. J. W. Raynsford was in business with him, and upon closing up resigned to Mr. Foster the house he had built on the west line of the Green. Here Mr. F. lived until 1829, when he removed to Honesdale, where he still resides.
Austin Howell came from the same place, early in 1812, and became associated in business with I. P. Foster. In November, 1813, he raised his tavern sign, at the house he erected just below Mr. Foster, and which continued to be a public house after he built a private residence, for about forty years, kept by successive occupants, among whom were Edward Fuller and Stephen Hinds. The house was burned October, 1854. Its site is occupied by a low, long building used as a store-room by Smith Brothers.
Mr. H. was elected and filled the office of sheriff for the sec- ond official term after the organization of the county. He was ever respected as a kind-hearted, honest, and upright man. He had married previous to coming here a sister of the late Hon. William Jessup.
He removed to Rush about 1815, and afterwards to Jessup, where he died, in 1866, at the age of seventy-eight years. His last days were spent at the house of ex-Sheriff Howell, his son by a second marriage.
William Foster, our present townsman, came in the spring of 1812, from the same place as Messrs. Foster and Howell, and became their apprentice in the tanning business for six years. Two of his tanneries have been destroyed by fire, on the site of the present establishment of his son, Charles S.
Francis Fordham, also from Long Island, in 1812, was the first hatter here. February 9th, 1813, he brought his bride from the same place, and their housekeeping was commenced over the hat-shop, which stood on the street in the north corner of H. F. Turrell's garden. He was afterwards engaged in various mercantile enterprises here, and had one of the first distilleries. Abraham Fordham, brother of the former, was the first cooper here. Both remained here to the close of life, both
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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
were old men when they left us, and descendants of their families are still among our business men.
In the fall of 1812, Dr. Charles Fraser came from Great Bend to Montrose, having been elected to the offices of prothonotary, register, and recorder, etc. He first occupied a log-house a little north of the present Baptist parsonage, while he was building the house which his daughters now occupy. This was raised in May, 1813. He was afterwards elected senator for five counties, including Susquehanna, and, upon the close of his term of service, resumed the practice of medicine, and endeared himself to many. He died February 4th, 1834, aged 54 years. Mrs. Fraser survived him thirty-six years, and died at the age of 85. They had four children; the sons became lawyers, and the daughters teachers. Philip, the eldest son, is judge of the United States District Court of Florida, of which State he has been a resident for the last thirty years, remain- ing there throughout the late war, and maintaining his position as a Unionist.
Rufus Bowman came in 1813, from Windsor, N. Y., and with his family occupied the log house vacated by Dr. Fraser, until he built a frame house on the spot now occupied by the store of Wm. J. Mulford. In its best days it served many families in succession, and now forms the front part of the residence of E. C. Fordham. He built also a small house (in which he died) on the corner now occupied by the residence of R. B. Little, Esq. He was a baker by trade, but here, at that time, every housekeeper made her own bread, and he was employed in the mason work on the first court-house, and on other buildings.
After his death, in 1827, the family moved to the farm now occupied by M. L. Catlin. The children married and settled in different parts of the county ; two daughters were teachers here many years. Mrs. Bowman died in Jessup in 1856.
In June, 1813, the first court-house was raised, in a new clearing, in which the blackened stumps were still standing ; and even five years later they ornamented the west side of the public avenue.
The first court had been held in the ball-room of I. Post's tavern. Mr. Post began to raise his house and store on the southwest corner of Main and Turnpike Streets, August 13th, following. As soon as he occupied it, Edward Fuller kept his public house for a year, before going into that of Austin Howell.
George Claggett and Stephen Hinds came in August, 1813. Of the sons of the latter, L. B. Hinds of Susquehanna Depot, is the only one in the county. Loami is in Factoryville, Pa. David Post raised his large house in 1814.
321
HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
The first lawyers who located here were A. H. Read and B. T. Case, Esqs .- the former in 1814 and the latter in 1816.
Nathan Raynor, merchant, came in 1815. He lived for a time with F. Fordham before commencing the house lately owned by Alfred Baldwin.
Garner Isbell, a cabinet-maker, was here about this time.
Dr. Mason Denison had been occupying a part of D. Post's house, some months, before raising in 1816 the rear of his own house, now the residence of J. R. Dewitt.
Benjamin Sayre and S. S. Mulford, both natives of Long Island, established themselves as merchants here, in the fall of 1816. Mr. S. came with his young wife from Greene Co., N. Y .; Mr. M. was then single. They resided in the rear and cham- bers of the store of Sayre & Mulford, which stood on the site of the present residence of Mrs. S. S. Mulford. The building was bought, a few years later, by Aaron Green, a tanner and shoemaker (and a Long Islander), and removed down the hill where it now forms a part of the house of C. M. Crandall.
In 1816, a newspaper was established here, from one of the first numbers of which the following item is taken, in refer- ence to the growth of Montrose :-
" In the year 1812 the town of Montrose contained but two families. It now contains a court-house, prison, printing-office, leather factory, 2 shce- factories, hat-factory, cabinet-factory, chair-factory, druggist's, tailor's and two smithshops; 3 physicians, 7 carpenters, 3 public inns, 5 stores, 28 dwelling-houses (several more now building), and 186 inhabitants."
Of the many houses being built in 1816 and 1817 were the following :-
That of Eli Gregory, now Rev. B. Baldwin's; Daniel Greg- ory's, a small house that stood on M. C. Tyler's corner ; Mrs. Clarissa Avery's, now belonging to her son Charles Avery, Esq .; A. H. Read's next below, now C. M. Gere's ; Mr. Mauger's, now occupied by H. H. Frazier, Esq .; Mr. Plum's, now A. N. Bullard's, and the Silver Lake Bank, now the resi- dence of F. B. Chandler. This could just be seen through the thinned woods, from Mr. Sayre's house; Mr. Mauger's, though. nearer, was wholly concealed by the dense woods in that direc- tion.
Between the court-house and Post's tavern (then kept by C. Carr) there was only his barn, fronting on the west side of the avenue. On the east side D. Curtis had built a tavern, and next below was the store of Sayre & Mulford, then R. Bowman's. house, and no other above the corner, where a low red house then stood, the rear of which was occupied by Justin Clark,. the editor of 'The Centinel.' The printing-house was oppo- site Howell's tavern. On Turnpike Street, Geo. Claggett, a tailor, had built the rear of M. S. Wilson's house, Alanson.
21
322
HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
Coy, blacksmith, and Peter Brulte, hatter, were in the houses opposite, which are still standing.
On Main Street there was no house on the east side above I. P. Foster's. Below him was the tavern Mr. Howell had left to occupy his new building, which was where Wm. W. Smith has since built, and which was the last house on that side. Opposite were D. Post's new and old houses, and north of them, Mr. Benedict's (first Orimel Deans'-its site is now covered by Miss E. Rose's house); B. T. Case's; Wm. Turrell in F. Fordham's first building; Herrick & Fordham's store, and Mr. F.'s residence under the same roof; and on the corner Isaac Post's house and store. Nathan Raynor's house was near the site of the fork factory. The small house first built by Mr. Mauger had been moved, and now forms a part of Wm. L. Cox's house. Mr. Birchard, a carpenter engaged in building the bank, then lived in it. This was Montrose in 1817.
Wm. Turrell, wife and two children, had come from Conn. in 1816, and lived a short time in the Benedict house, then re- moved to Auburn for a year. While there he brought a load of apples to Montrose-the first ever brought here from trees grown in the county. He then came and settled here perma- nently. He was the first saddler here. His eldest son, Wm. J., represented this district in the State Senate from 1862-'65, and was elected speaker.
In the year 1818, Montrose could boast of one weekly mail, brought on horseback from Great Bend by the post-boy, Leonard Searle. As he neared the village every Thursday, he announced his coming by a shrill blast from a tin horn, which usually hung from his saddle in readiness for this occasion. At this welcome sound there was an immediate rush for the post- office, then kept by Isaac Post in his tavern (to which he re- turned after it was vacated by C. Carr).
S. S. Mulford boarded at Mr. Sayre's, and often brought from the office letters for the family.
One day when he came in, he exclaimed, " Major Post says you ought to be satisfied this time, as you have the entire mail, seven letters and three papers," the aggregate of a whole week ! The New England settlers were not without their correspond- ents, even at 182 cents per letter, and this was an exceptional case; but it is amusing when taken in connection with the statement of our present postmaster, that an average of two hundred and fifty-eight letters are now received in a day.
In 1819, Charles Catlin built the house on the corner near the court-house, and now the residence of H. J. Webb. Mr. C. was admitted to the bar of the county several years earlier, but had not previously resided here.
The same year, Benjamin Sayre erected a dwelling-house on
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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
the lot next below, where for several years he kept the " Wash- ington Hotel." Afterwards it was his private residence until it was destroyed by fire in the spring of 1851. The generous hospitality bestowed here many have reason to remember. For the members of the Presbyterian church, of which he was a ruling elder, it was a place of frequent meeting for prayer or consultation ; and much of that church's prosperity is due to his zeal and efforts.
He was a native of Southampton, L. I., but came here from Cairo, N. Y., where he married Priscilla, daughter of Dea. Benj. Chapman. They had five daughters (of whom two died young) and three sons; the latter are the proprietors of the Susque- hanna County Agricultural Works, Foundry, Steam Mill, &c., which contribute largely to the material interests of the place.
Mr. Sayre died in August, 1858, in his 67th year.
Silvanus Sandford Mulford was born August 20th, 1784, at Easthampton, L. I. The names of his ancestors are given among the founders of that Puritan community in 1643. He came to Montrose in 1816, and two years later was married to Fanny, daughter of Zebulon Jessup, of Southampton, L. I. He was one of the few merchants in the county whose business con- tinued without interruption nearly half a century. "He avoided public office, but he did not avoid public duties. In the path of unobtrusive life he sought only the fulfilment of the relations, citizen, father, and friend, which for him had a higher distinction than civil or social honor, and his life was marked by that integrity and equity which for him had the highest reverence."
He had six sons and one daughter. Three sons, either separately or jointly, continued the business established by their father, until the recent death of Sylvester H. Three sons were educated at Yale College. Samuel B., a graduate of 1849, became a lawyer of high promise. He went to California in 1849, and died at Marysville, Cal., in 1863. S. S. Mulford, Jr., a graduate of 1850, served as a surgeon of the Union army through the Rebellion, and now practices his profession in the city of New York. Elisha is a graduate of 1855. [See Authors.]
S. S. Mulford died June 6th, 1864. As a voluntary expression of regard, all the stores and public offices in Montrose were closed at the time of his funeral.
The following miscellaneous items, in which style is sacrificed to brevity, are culled from the newspapers of their respective dates :-
1816 .- Herrick & Fordham, merchants, in new store, near the court-house. (This was soon moved down to the lot now occupied by E. C. & G. F. Ford- ham's shops.) Montrose Academy, established by act of the Legislature ; C. Fraser, orator, 4th July celebration ; he was elected Senator the following fall. Benj. T. Case, lawyer, located in the village-his sign at first mistaken for Beer & Cake. [He removed it in consequence, and no other took its place. ]
1817 .- May 7th, Miss Stephens' school on the avenue where store of W. J. Mulford is now. A daughter of Samuel Scott, lost two days in the woods. In June, a freshet swept away the saw-mill dams of Major Post, Conner & Bliss, and John Street. In August, another freshet occurred, in which Mr. Harris, owner of a mill about one and a half miles below town, was drowned. Foster & Raynsford's dry goods and leather store-now Exchange Hotel. R. B. Locke, tailor; Anson Dart, carriage manufacturer, " at sign of gilded
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