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 49
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In 1826, F. A. & E. Burrows opened a store on the corner west of A. Beardsley. They were succeeded in 1830 by Noble & Day. F. A. Burrows removed to Cleveland, Ohio, Jan. 1844.
In 1828, a rifle company was formed in Springville. During the winter of 1827-28, Albert Beardsley taught school in the building then used for a church. For ladies, dresses of dark blue calico, with light blue spots, the usual pattern, were then thought sufficiently good to wear to meeting.
In 1828, Dr. Miner Kelly was appointed justice of the peace for Springville. Either in that year, or the one following, Dr. Jethro Hatch, from Connecticut, settled in the place. Previous to their coming, Dr. Jackson, of Tunkhannock, was the physician for all this region. About 1835, Dr. Wm. Wells Pride, bought out Dr. Hatch, and remained nearly 25 years. Upon giving up the practice of his profession, he removed to Middletown, Conn., where he passed the evening of his days with his daughter, Mrs. Rev. Dr. J. Taylor. One cannot correctly estimate the value to the community of two such Christian lives as those of Dr. and Mrs. Pride. Both had gone in their early prime as missionaries of the A. B. C. F. M. (1819-1826) to the Choctaws in Mississippi; the former from Cambridge, N. Y., and the latter as Miss Han- nah Thacher from Harford, Susquehanna County. Two of their children were born at the South. On account of the doctor's failing health, the family were obliged to come to the North, the
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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
parents most regretfully leaving the work to which they had hoped to give the remainder of their days.
Dr. Pride had been established in Gibson a short time before coming to Springville. In the latter place he was a ruling elder in the Presbyterian church, and an active anti-slavery advocate.
Mrs. P. died at Middletown, Conn., Aug. 8, 1861, aged 63; Dr. Pride, March 24, 1865, aged 69. His house in Springville is now owned and occupied by Thomas Nicholson, Esq.
Dr. Israel B. Lathrop has been for many years a practicing physician in Springville.
In 1829, Spencer Hickcox had a small store on the site of the present hotel.
' Hazard's Register' contained a notice of Daniel Spencer's wonderful pound of gunpowder, entitled, " Susquehanna County against the world !" "In the early settlement of this county, Mr. Spencer, of Springville township, killed, with one pound of powder, 60 deer, 9 bears, 3 foxes, 1 wolf, 3 owls, and a number of part- ridges and quails. Mr. Spencer has killed upwards of 1500 deer since he came to reside in this county."
The following is the testimony of one of his former neighbors : " He was out one day in the fall of the year, when the bucks fre- quently get into a family quarrel, as in this case. He found two lusty bucks that had been fighting, and in the battle their horns, being long and prongy, became locked together so firmly that they could not be separated by any effort they could make, and one of them died either in the battle or by starvation, and the other had dragged his dead comrade around until he was just alive and had become a mere skeleton."1
In 1830, A. Beardsley was appointed justice of the peace. J. Knapp, Orin Fish, E. M. Phillips, Miles Prichard, and A. G. Stillwell have been later justices.
Lynn is a flourishing little village, situated in the south part of the township of Springville, twelve miles from Montrose, and nine from Tunkhannock. The first post-office was established in 1836, John Cassedy, Esq., P. M. It has one mercantile estab- lishment, a carriage shop, a shop for ironing carriages, one for repairing clocks, watches, etc., a blacksmith shop, a milliner's, shoe, cabinet, and harness shops, and a mitten factory. It has also a new school-house, a physician, and a Good Templars' or- ganization.
A cheese factory has been established by Hon. Asa Packer in the vicinity.
Niven is the name of a post-office in the southeastern part of the township at "X Roads."
1 A similar case is reported by F. B. Chandler, of Montrose, in which he had the fortune to secure the living buck, and the horns of both ; the latter now ornament his hall.
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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
Patents have been issued to D. G. Dugan for an improved bed- stead, and to Dr. J. Owen for an animal trap. [It is probable there have been inventions of greater value, which have not reached the knowledge of the compiler.]
The township is considered healthy, but within a few years it has been visited by the scourge, diphtheria. Six deaths occurred in one family, that of Edward S. Coggswell, within twenty-one days.
In the fall of 1843 or '44, Wm. Belcher proposed teaching a select school in Lyman settlement, providing he could get a room. John and Joseph A. Lyman built a small house on the old home- stead, near the Junction, or corners of five roads, where the school waskept for several years, and which became known as the Lyman- ville Select School, giving name to Lymanville, as it has been called ever since, though there is no village. The M. E. church parsonage and school-house is all there is to distinguish it from other farming communities.
PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL.
ST. JUDE'S CHURCH .- Some time previous to 1815, several families from Waterbury and its vicinity, in Connecticut, re- moved to and settled in Springville. Being mostly Episcopa- lians, they established a stated Sabbath meeting, some one read- ing the service from the Prayer-Book, and a sermon from some published volume.
They were visited by the Rev. George Boyd, of Philadelphia, during whose stay a church was organized, a vestry elected, and application made for a charter of incorporation. The charter was granted by the Governor 7th October, 1817, and Joel Hick- cox, Amos Bronson, Thomas Parke, John Camp, Titus Scott, Randall Hickcox, Benjamin Welton, Spencer Hickcox, John Bronson, and Leonard Baldwin, were appointed the first vestry.
The Society for the Advancement of Christianity in Pennsyl- vania, sent the Rev. Manning B. Roche, who alternated for some months between Springville and Pike, occasionally preaching in other places.
About 1825, the Rev. Samuel Marks was sent to Springville, where he resided several years, officiating occasionally through- out the county. He was a man of popular manners, made many friends and did much good.
In 1829, a difficulty in relation to the election of the vestry occurred, which not having been settled in May, 1832, a new charter was applied for and obtained under the name of "ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH " (consecrated October 21, 1834).
The first vestry-men were: Thomas Cassidy, Arad Wakelee,
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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
Myron Kasson, A. B. Pritchard,' Philonus Beardsley, Asa Packer, and Amos Williams.
The Rev. Samuel Marks continued to officiate alternately in Springville and Montrose. After a time he removed to Carbon- dale, and was succeeded in Springville by the Rev. Willie Peck, who remained nearly two years. His successor, December, 1835, was the Rev. Freeman Lane, who officiated in Springville and in Pike, Bradford County. In 1836, he taught a select school in Springville. He remained in the parish till 1842, when he re- signed, and the Rev. Richard Smith took charge, and held ser- vice at Springville two-thirds of the time, and one-third at Montrose.
In May, 1836, Rev. John Long was invited to take charge of the parishes of Springville, Montrose, and New Milford, giving one-third to each. He also organized a parish at Tunkhannock, and a charter was obtained. About this time a parsonage was purchased for Springville, with nearly an acre of ground attached.
In September, 1848, the Rev. H. H. Bean succeeded Mr. Long, giving the whole of his services to the parish and adjoining neighborhood, officiating frequently at Tunkhannock. He re- mained two years and preached very acceptably. Mr. Bean was succeeded by the Rev. G. M. Skinner, and after a service of some two years the Rev. J. G. Furey took his place, and remained seven years. His successor, Rev. W. S. Heaton, officiated about five years, and then took charge of Pike and the country adjoin- ing. The Rev. W. Kennedy has now charge of the parish. It has a neat and convenient church building, with organ, and some fifty communicants.
List of Presiding Elders in the Methodist Episcopal Church, (organized 1810).
Of (formerly) Oneida Conference, Wyalusing District, and Bridge- water Circuit; at present, Wyoming Conference, Susquehanna District, Springville Circuit.
Early, Silas Comfort; 1812, George Harmon; 1815, Marma- duke Pearce ; 1819, George Lane.
From 1830 to 1870, Horace Agard, Fitch Read, George Lane (2d time), John M. Snyder, David Holmes, Jr., William Ready, D. A. Shepherd, George Peck, George Landon, George H. Blakeslee, Henry Brownscombe, and D. C. Olmstead.
' Died December, 1868, aged 77.
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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
List of Traveling Preachers-same Territory.
Prior to 1830, Thomas Wright, Joshua Dawson, Caleb Ken- dall, Joshua Rogers, Mark Preston, William Lull, and Philetus Parkiss.
From 1830 to 1845, Joseph Towner, C. W. Harris, George Evans, C. W. Giddings, M. K. Cushman, Benjamin Ellis, T. Davy, S. B. Yarington, L. S. Bennett, Erastus Smith, John and Samuel Griffin, E. B. Tenny, C. T. Stanley, A. Benjamin, K. Elwell, T. Wilcox, William Varcoe, William Round, William Ready, H. Brownscombe, J. W. Davidson, E. A. Young, J. O. Boswell, William Silsbee.
From 1846 to 1870, Ira Wilcox, Welcome Smith, Joseph Whitham, T. D. Walker, John Mulky, O. F. Morse, F. Spencer, Marcus Carrier, Charles L. Rice, E. F. Roberts, Luther Peck, F. S. Chubbuck, Z. S. Kellogg, A. P. Aiken, Ira D. Warren, J. V. Newell, Ira T. Walker, E. W. Breckenridge, Charles Pearce, C. W. Todd, A. F. Harding, Stephen Elwell, D. Worrell, John F. Wilbur, and Joshua S. Lewis.
The Methodist Society worshipped in the school house oppo- site Esquire Beardsley's after 1860. They have now a neat edifice on the main street. The first school house was of logs, " rolled up," near where Ezra Tuttle lived.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
This society was organized about 1819, by Rev. Mr. Conger ; but there was no church edifice untill 1836, and this was not dedicated until Feb. 9th, 1837. The ministers have been :-
Rev. Sylvester Cooke, 1836, or earlier; Rev. Archibald B. Sloat ; Rev. B. Baldwin; Rev. James W. Raynor. Deacon H. G. Ely is probably the only officer remaining.
The church is located near Lynn, two miles below Spring- ville Hollow. Service at present (1869) only once in two weeks; no stated pastor.
The ladies of the church bought the parsonage, and paid part of the debt on the church. The avails of the sale of the former are still in possession of the church.
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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
APOLACON.
UNDER date of November 27, 1846, the court erected a new township from the western part of Choconut, and ordered "that it be called Apolacon." The line between Choconut and Apola- con then crossed four roads besides the turnpike.
The new township being four and a half miles in width, by six miles north and south, left to Choconut less than half its original dimensions. Like the latter, it took its name from the stream which is the principal drain of the township. At the time the State line was run across it this stream was called the Appelacunck, which is said to signify " From whence the messenger returned." The name has been variously written, and at pre- sent the town at the mouth of the stream, in New York State, is called Apalachin, while the name of the township in Susque- hanna County, and of the stream itself, is written as ordered by the court The sources of the Apolacon and Wyalusing Creeks, in the township, are within two rods of each other. Another source of the latter is in Lake Wyalusing. The small lake which nearly touches the Bradford County line-the western boundary of the township-is one of the sources of the Wappa- sening, which runs northwesterly and joins the main stream in Bradford County.
Briar Hill is one of the most marked elevations near the creek.
Bear Swamp, not far from the head of the creek, is one of several marshes, almost amounting to lakes, within the bounda- ries of Apolacon.
This northwest corner of the county is traversed by the same turnpike as that of the southeast corner, and has some features very similar; the lakes, the diagonal stream and valley, and symmetrical " Hills," while its "Meadows" have one counter- part at least in Decker's Flat, in Clifford. The latter is not more inviting to the tourist than the former, unless seen from a high elevation.
A large marsh on the Apolacon, just west of Briar Hill, was known in early times as Big Meadow.
Little Meadows, a locality so named very early to distinguish it from the marsh mentioned above, is two and a half miles lower on the Apolacon Creek, across which, at this point, the
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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
beavers once built a dam ; and thus cut off much of the timber before it was visited by the ax. The borough is on this tract.
It was here the first settlement was made within the bounds of the township, or even of old Choconut from which Apolacon was taken.
Relics of Indians were found near where the beavers built their dam. Arrow-heads of various sizes, made of flint-stone, were found in considerable quantities ; also, stones of exquisite workmanship, the use of which is not known. One was shown to some Indians a few years ago, but they could not tell cer- tainly its use, but suggested that it might have been used on their war-clubs. The stone itself was peculiar-of a kind not found in this section of country. One end was worked to a very fine edge, and flat; the other was round, and very nicely polished. These stones were of various sizes, ranging from three to six inches in length, and from two to three inches wide on the edge. A few pieces of pottery, made apparently of coarse sand, were also found in the vicinity ; generally five or six inches under ground.
In cutting down maple trees, the early settlers discovered indi- cations of their having been tapped many times in former years. Evidently the locality had been a resort of the Indians in the spring for making sugar; and in the winter for killing beaver.
This section was once included within the limits of old Tioga township, Luzerne County; as may be seen by the first assess- ment roll, 1796, where Francis Johnston is taxed for " lands on Appalacunck Creek, joining the boundary line." In 1799, un- seated lands of Tioga are mentioned as lying " on the Choconut and Appalacunck."
The first white man who settled in Apolacon was David Barney, a native of New Hampshire; which State he left in 1784, reach- ing Vestal, Broome County, N. Y., in 1785. From this place he came, in 1800, to Little Meadows, where for at least four years he was the only settler west of Snake Creek, above Forest Lake. The hotel of H. Barney and the house of D. Barney are on his farm. He bought of Tench Francis, a large landholder, and received his deed from his widow Anne.
Though Indians as well as beavers had disappeared from this locality before he came, yet two Indians, named Nicholas and Seth, lingered on the creek about six miles below, near the Sus- quehanna River. Nicholas sometimes came up to hunt in the winter, with Mr. Barney, whose son Harry tells the following of him and his squaw :-
" It was the rule or law among the Indians, that if an Indian married a second squaw, the children of the latter inherited all his property. Nicholas moved from the river about the time my father settled here, to the home of the Oneidas. Not long after, his squaw, finding she must die soon from con-
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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
sumption, poisoned him to death, that her children might inherit his property. Thus ended the life of the last Indian known to have inhabited this part of the country."
In 1801, what is now Apolacon was included in that part of Tioga township then set off to Rush.
In this year Darius, eldest son of David Barney, was born. Within the next seven years, three daughters were born, and in 1809 and 1811, two sons, Jonathan and Harry ; two more daugh- ters and David, Jr., constituted the family. Mrs. Richard Collins of Apolacon, Mrs. Jotham Rounds, of Vestal, N. Y., and Mrs. Levi Jones, of Owego, N. Y., are his daughters. David B. died March 27th, 1852, in his 77th year ; his wife, February 20th, 1843, in her 62d year.
The next settler within the limits of the borough of Little Meadows, was a soldier of the Revolution, Reuben Beebe, from Dutchess County, N. Y.
A year or two earlier, about 1805, Joseph Beebe, his son, had settled on the creek, above Bear Swamp.
Soon after, Calvin Drake, John Brown, John Smith, Benjamin and Robert Buffum, Charles Nichols, and others, also settled along the creek. Joel, son of Reuben Beebe, Belden Read, Benaiah Barney, brother of David, Lewis and William Barton, and John Anderson, were at Little Meadows previous to 1813. The last named occupied the place afterwards owned by James House. Lewis Barton was a native of Dutchess County, N. Y. He died November, 1852, aged 71. Mrs. Almira B. died in 1868, having lived in Apolacon fifty-six years.
The first death in Little Meadows was that of Xenia, wife of Reuben Beebe, in 1807.
The first school was taught by Eunice Beardslee, the same year. Her marriage, October 19th, 1809, to Joseph Beebe, was the first in the township.
Schools were kept in such vacant rooms as could be found, until a house was built for the purpose a little north of the pres- ent school-house in Little Meadows. This was the only one within the limits of Apolacon for a number of years, and most of the scholars had far to go, as the inhabitants were few and scattered.
From 1801 to 1813, the township was a part of Rush, which in the latter year was divided into three parts; the northern being Choconut, of which Apolacon is the western section. While its inhabitants belonged in Choconut, nearly half the town officers were from Apolacon; and it is difficult to associate the early set- tlers with the present township, since they passed away previous to its erection.
In 1814, Asahel Graves, Sen., and Caleb Brainerd came, and in 1815, Winthrop Collins, Sen., John Clifford, and David Pul-
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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
cipher. At this time Asahel Graves was taxed "in the room of Calvin Drake who is gone to York State." Caleb Brainerd died in 1849.
In 1816, David Currier, John Fessenden, Sen., Noah and Wil- liam Houghton, Hugh Whitaker, and James House came. Abraham Whitaker's lands lay partly in the township, but his buildings were in Bradford County. Hugh W. afterwards built a house over the line, where he lived until his death.
This year witnessed much suffering here, from scarcity of pro- visions ; David Barney's trusty rifle relieved many, by furnish- ing them with game. The inhabitants frequently came to him, having nothing to eat, and offering to work on his farm while he hunted venison, and thus kept them from starvation.
The nearest grist-mill was at Ithaca-a distance of forty-three miles. Many devices were resorted to to supply a substitute; the most successful of which was a mortar for pounding corn for samp. This was made by cutting down a large hard-wood tree and burning a hole in the top of the stump. The pestle or pounder was made of a hard-wood sapling six or seven inches in diameter, and four or five feet long, with a stick run through for handles. This attached to a spring-pole completed the mill. Samp formed a large portion of the food of most of the inhabitants; it was the staff of life, and must be eaten; a change of diet could not be obtained.
In 1817, John Ayer, Abiel Bailey, Moses Buffum, David Heald, (Edward and Alfred Heald were not taxed until two years later), Stephen I. Jewitt, Nathaniel and Silas Balcom, were new comers. Moses B. removed to Bradford County in 1824. He was taxed while here for "one negro slave."
Oliver Merrill was a taxable of 1819, he afterwards moved in, but left the town in less than ten years.
The trades were well represented by the early settlers. Asahel Graves, Sen. and Jr., and Noah Houghton were blacksmiths; Abel Merrill and Josiah Glines, shoemakers. Benaiah Barney erected the first grist-mill, in 1811 ; in 1816 David Barney and Belden Read ran a saw-mill. The latter removed in 1821.
Benaiah Barney removed to Indiana, - where he died.
The first thoroughly educated man who settled in Apolacon was SAMUEL MILLIGAN. In 1820, he was taxed for 3000 acres. He was born in Phila- delphia, April 18th, 1789 ; graduated at Princeton College, New Jersey, at the age of seventeen ; studied law in compliance with the wishes of his family, and practiced at the Philadelphia Bar, acting for some years as the attorney for the Bingham Estate. He was persuaded to buy lands in Susquehanna County ; thus relinquishing the law, which was never the profession of his choice. He bought a large tract in the then township of Choconut, and entered largely into farming.
He moved to Ellerslie in the summer of 1821, and became heartily devoted to the interests of his new home. Ellerslie was on a ridge dividing the town- ships of Choconut and Apolacon, when the latter was erected. The house
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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
was built in the English style, with arched windows, and occupied consider- able ground; it has since been divided, and a part moved away.
Mr. M. was appointed justice of the peace (of Choconut inclusive of Apol- acon) at the earnest solicitation of his neighbors, and afterwards town-clerk ; which latter office he held again and again to the great accommodation of the township.
In 1830, Ellerslie post-office was established, S. Milligan, postmaster ; and although it paid expenses, his own mail was often all the bag contained.
He was an ardent Whig, and by his personal influence, and writings, he contributed much to the cause, particularly in the fall of 1832, when by his writings he was said to have caused a great change in sentiment throughout the county. Although all his life interested in politics, he never wished to enter into the excitement of political life or to accept office save in the ser- vice of the county for whose benefit he labored.
In 1832, he actively advocated the construction of a railroad to connect Owego with the Lackawanna coal-field by the way of Apolacon Creek, etc. [See Roads.]
In 1842, Mr. Milligan was again urged to accept a nomination as justice of the peace, which he repeatedly refused, but finally accepted on the grounds, as his friends insisted, that no other Whig could gain the election (the town- ship being Democratic), and he was elected. He was a man of strict integ- rity, of fine talents, and extensive reading. He was one of the first promoters and directors of public schools ; and so earnest was he that all should be benefited, that when, by his entreaties, he failed to get the consent of the people to send their children to school, he appealed to their priest to require it of them. His zeal was equally great for good roads throughout the town- ship. At one time, losing all patience on account of a bad piece of road near his house, he requested his friends to make him supervisor, which they did, and thus the roads were put in order.
He was largely instrumental in building the Presbyterian church at Friendsville, of which he was an elder and trustee.
In 1847, at the earnest wish of his family to return to the old homestead, he removed to Phoenixville, Chester County. In the latter place he was again active in building a Presbyterian church, in which he served as elder and trustee until his death, April 24th, 1854.
The first town clerk of old Choconut was Alfred Heald, in 1821. His farm was on the turnpike between Friendsville and the Apolacon Creek; he died December, 1835, aged 41 years. This road was so excessively hilly as first constructed, that the court appointed B. T. Case, Esq., and others to review it, which was done ; but it is difficult to conceive of its ever having been any more hilly than it is at present.
In the Annals of Middletown reference is made to the incom- ing of Silas Beardslee. After his death Mrs. Bearsdlee came, with her son Silas, to Apolacon about 1822. Our present mem- ber of the State Legislature, E. B. Beardslee, is their son.
In 1824, O. B. Haight settled upon the farm vacated the same year by Moses Buffum.
A swamp in the northeast corner of Apolacon takes its name from one Hugh Bois, who in 1825 built a shanty there, stayed a few months, cleared a small place, and left. [Incorrectly marked Hubois Swamp on county map.]
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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
Winthrop Collins, Jr., removed about 1826. His father, Win- throp, Sr., remained in the township until his death in 1828.
This year Caleb Carmalt purchased of Dr. R. H. Rose one- half of his original estate in Susquehanna County, and, by the division, nearly all the then unseated land in what is now Apola- con, additional to lands in other townships. [See Choconut.]
The first Irish settlers of Apolacon were Edmond and Pat- rick O'Shoughnessy, in 1831.
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