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 60
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"The length of the road is twenty-seven and twelve one-hundredth miles. The present terminus of the road at Montrose is 1045 feet higher than the railroad of the Pennsylvania and New York Canal and Railroad Company at Tunkhannock. There are six principal summits : the Marcy's Pond Sum- mit, Lemon, Springville, Woodbourne, Decker, and Montrose."
The engineer reports :-
" In grading the road, 120,000 cubic yards of material will have to be moved. There will be 4000 cubic yards of rectangular culvert masonry ; 500 cubic yards of bridge masonry ; and two bridges, each of one hundred feet in length, one across the canal at Tunkhannock, and across Meshoppen Creek. There will be six hundred feet of trestling, of the average height of 26 feet.
" As the road is under contract to be built ready for the track for $101,000, this sum can be taken for an approximate estimate of the cost of graduation, masonry, bridges, trestling, grubbing, and clearing."
Prior to September 16, 1872, the Lehigh Valley Railroad Com- pany had expended $91,000 on the Montrose Railroad. Hon. Asa Packer's offer to furnish the rolling-stock holds good.
We understand that the Susquehanna Depot people are really in earnest and wide awake on the question of extending the Mon- trose Railroad to their borough.
We have received a map of "The Skinner's Eddy and Little Meadows Railroad," which it is proposed to build from the north branch division of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company's river route, at Skinner's Eddy, northward to Owego, with a branch from Little Meadows to Binghamton.
Another road is proposed from Binghamton to the coal fields of Sullivan County, and through Sullivan and Lycoming Coun- ties to the city of Williamsport :-
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517
HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
" A survey of the line from Binghamton to Dushore, in Sullivan County, is to be made by John Evans. The route to be first surveyed is down the Susquehanna River, on the south side, to near the mouth of the Choconut Creek, and then up the creek to the summit of St. Joseph's, and thence down the Wyalusing Creek to Wyalusing village, on the Susquehanna River; thence, continuing in a southwest direction up a small stream known as Sugar Run, and on to Dushore. The distance from Binghamton to Dushore is 45 miles, and it is expected a good grade can be found the whole distance. " At Dushore, connections will be made with a railroad now partly built to Williamsport. The distance from Dushore to Williamsport is 63 miles ; making the entire distance from Binghamton to Williamsport 108 miles."
Joel and L. M. Turrell, engineers, have, from maps and sur- veys, made the following comparison of the advantages of the Wyalusing and Choconut, and the Skinner's Eddy and Little Meadows routes :-
"From forks of the Wyalusing (the present terminus of the proposed Wya- lusing Railway), to Binghamton by the Apolacon Creek, about where a rail- way would have to be built, it is (332) thirty-three and three-quarters miles ; and from the said forks to Binghamton by the Choconut Creek it is (30) thirty miles. The difference is 32 miles in favor of the Choconut route to the Wyalusing. These measurements both extend to one mile above the lower bridge at Binghamton.
"From the covered bridge in Binghamton to the State line, by the way of Apolacon Creek, the distance is 18 miles ; by the Choconut Creek it is 123 miles ; difference in favor of the Choconut route, 54 miles. The amount that would be saved to New York capital, by shortening the distance to the State line, would, it is thought, be sufficient to build the bridge at Bing- hamton."
One or two railroads are talked of in the eastern part of the county.
POST-OFFICES OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, 1872. The names in small caps are boroughs.
Townships.
Post-offices.
No. of Offices.
Apolacon,
Little Meadows,
1
Ararat,
Ararat,
1
Auburn,
Auburn Center, Auburn Four Corners, South Auburn, West Auburn,
4
Bridgewater,
East Bridgewater, MONTROSE (c. h.),
2
Brooklyn,
Brooklyn, Montrose Depot, 2
Choconut,
Choconut, Saint Joseph, FRIENDSVILLE, 3
2
Dimock,
Dimock, East Dimock, Elk Lake,
3
Forest Lake,
Forest Lake, Forest Lake Center, Birchardville,
3
Franklin,
Franklin Forks, Upsonville,
2
Gibson,
Gibson, Smiley, South Gibson,
3
Great Bend,
GREAT BEND, Great Bend Village.
2
Harford,
Harford, Oakley,
2
Harmony,
Harmony Center. Lanesboro,
2
Herrick,
Herrick Center, Uniondale,
2
Jackson,
Jackson, North Jackson,
2
Jessup,
Fairdale,
1
Lathrop,
Lathrop, Hopbottom,
Liberty,
Lawsville Center, Brookdale,
2
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518
HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
Townships.
Post-offices.
No. of Offices.
Lenox, Lenoxville, West Lenox, Glenwood,
3
Middletown, Middletown Centre, Jackson Valley,
2
New Milford,
NEW MILFORD,
1
Oakland,
SUSQUEHANNA DEPOT,
1
Rush,
Rush, East Rush, Rush Four Corners, Rushville,
4
Silver Lake,
Silver Lake, Richmond Hill, Brackney, Sheldon,
4
Springville,
Springville, Lynn, Niven,
3
Thomson, Thomson,
1
BANKS.
SILVER LAKE BANK, at Montrose .- The books were opened for subscrip- tions June 6, 1814. The bank was fully organized with board of directors, Jan. 4, 1817. It began to discount April 10, 1817. Suspended Aug. 7, 1819, but resumed after a very short time, and continued in operation ten years longer, when the bill for its re-charter was lost.
NORTHERN BANK OF PENNSYLVANIA, at Dundaff .- Established probably early in 1825, and closed Jan. 1827.
BANK OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, at Montrose .- Established in 1837; failed Nov. 1849.
A bank for discount existed in Great Bend, March, 1842.
Post, Cooper & Co. commenced business (banking) in Montrose, Nov. 1855, and were succeeded by Wm. H. Cooper & Co., May, 1859.
S. B. Chase has a Savings Bank at New Milford. There is one also at Great Bend.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
CHANGES IN POLITICS.
WHILE included in Luzerne, the vote of this section was too light to be of importance. Nearly the whole territory of what is now Susquehanna County was comprised, in 1792, in the elec- tion district of Willingborough, which was 36 x 20 miles in ex- tent. Elections were ordered to be held at the house of Horatio Strong. In 1804 it was divided into two districts; elections for Willingborough were held at the house of C. Longstreet (then at New Milford), and for Rush, at the house of Jabez Hyde. These were the first general elections here on record, so far as ascer- tained. The vote for Congressman was 324.
In 1807 the vote for Senator was a little over 200.
In 1808 the same territory included six districts : Willingbor- ough, Rush, Nicholson, Clifford, Harford, and Bridgewater.
In the first political excitements shared by the people of this section, parties were divided into Federalists and Republicans or Democrats.
The Federalists claimed to be sole adherents of the policy of Washington, and charged the opposite party with imbibing
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519
HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
French principles. The Republicans or Democrats considered themselves the exclusive friends of liberty. The former had elected John Adams for president; the latter found their choice in Thomas Jefferson, who was in the minority, and therefore by the law of that time, the vice-president.
The two parties were also divided upon the subject of the fund- ing of National and State debts, and upon the banking system ; the " Feds" for a National Bank, Jefferson against it. The disputes upon these subjects may fairly be said to be the origin of that violent party-spirit which for thirty years arrayed one part of the American community against the other.
When a second war with England was imminent, the Demo- crats favored the war policy, but the Federalists opposed it. "Is the war justifiable ?" was a fruitful theme of discussion here as elsewhere.
It was at this juncture, in the fall of 1812, that the first Demo- cratic and Federal tickets in Susquehanna County were issued. The Democrats nominated for sheriff, Asa Dimock and W. C. Turrell ; for commissioners, Isaac Brownson, Bartlet Hinds, La- ban Capron ; for coroner, Stephen Wilson and H. Leach, Jr. The Federalists nominated for sheriff, J. Carpenter and Edward Ful- ler; for commissioners, Myron Kasson, Caleb Richardson, and J. W. Raynsford; for coroner, Jos. Washburn and Rufus Lines. This was at a meeting at I. Post's, September 14th ; John Tyler, chairman ; I. A. Chapman, secretary.
In 1813 the "Friends of Peace" met at Howell's (Montrose), to consult ; Thomas Parke, chairman ; Edw. Fuller, secretary.
The election districts this year were seven: Bridgewater, elec- tions held at I. Post's; "New District" of Bridgewater, at Thos. Parke's; Rush with Braintrim, Susquehanna County, at Jabez Hyde's; Harford and Nicholson, Susquehanna County, at H. Tif- fany's; Clifford, at A. Gregory's; Choconut and Silver Lake, at Levi Smith's; and the rest of the county, comprised in the dis- trict of Willingborough, at Josiah Stewart's.
The Federalist party was broken up by its opposition to the war, but new opponents were obtained by a division of the Re- publican party. The new ticket recommended Hiester for gov- ernor, in opposition to the renomination of Governor Findlay, and was supported by Isaac Post, Asa Park, and Samuel Hodg- don as prime movers.
The 'Republican Reformer,' a campaign paper, was the expo- nent of their views. The Whig party, as it came to be called in Jackson's time, was now forming in opposition to the Republi- can-thenceforth known as the Democratic party. The Whigs were in favor of a protective tariff; the Democrats opposed it. A " Democratic Republican" was not considered a paradox.
In 1823, the vote for governor in Susquehanna County was
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HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
1202. Party spirit ran high. Each of the two political papers of the county claimed to be the Democratic one, though they were opposite in sentiment.
A. H. Read, who was first nominated for the State Legislature by Isaac Post, in opposition to the regular party, afterwards be- came the regular party man. Prior to 1825 the county vote fluctuated between different parties; but thereafter, for thirty years, it was Democratic.
In 1826, a new element entered into politics- opposition to Free Masonry-which was well developed here. But the Anti- Masonic party declined after about a dozen years, or about the time the Anti-Slavery political party was formed.
At the Presidential election in the fall of 1828, 1062 votes were cast in the eighteen districts of Susquehanna County, Jack- son's majority being 368. Such men as William Jessup, Charles Avery, and William Foster, who, in later years, eminently op- posed the Democratic party, then voted for Jackson. The former standing committee of the "Democratic Republican" party- Philander Stephens, William Jessup, and Simon Stevens-be- came prominent advocates of as many different parties, viz., Democratic, Whig, and Anti-Masonic. Still, voters claimed that the change was not in their own principles.
In 1832, a campaign paper, the "National Republican," was published at Montrose, in which appeared an appeal to voters in behalf of Henry Clay, whose peculiar views on national finance found adherents and originated the Whig party. The signers of the appeal were I. Post, S. S. Mulford, C. Cushman, M. S. Wil- son, Leonard Searle, James C. Biddle, B. T. Case, A. Harts- horn, D. Bailey, P. Hinds, and D. Post. Some forty reasons were given why Jackson should not be elected. Similar reasons had been discussed at a National Republican meeting at Montrose a year earlier : John Mann, president; J. C. Biddle, C. F. A. Volz, vice-presidents ; Jesse Lane and U. Burrowes, secretaries.
Joseph Ritner was the Anti-Masonic candidate for governor of Pennsylvania, then unsuccessful. In Montrose the Anti-Mason headquarters were at the house of B. Sayre.
The 'Register,' edited by C. L. Ward, was opposed to the President's removal of the deposits of the United States Bank to the local banks; while the 'Volunteer,' under E. H. Easter- brooks, favored the measure. George Fuller, approving of paci- fying rather than exciting the public mind on the matter, had left the editorial chair. Exciting meetings were held both for and against a re-charter. William Jessup and others newly opposed to Jackson repelled the charge of contending in behalf of the United States Bank ; it was their conception of the "kingly power" and " corruption" of Jackson's administration which excited their opposition.
521
HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
In the fall of 1834, George Fuller resumed the editorship of the 'Independent Volunteer,' and thenceforward that paper was the exponent of views held by the majority of Democrats as opposed to Whigs. Such men as William Hartley, Asa Dimock, Jr., Davis Dimock, Jr., and A. H. Read, adopted the same plat- form.
The year 1835 witnessed the division of the Democratic party in State politics. George Wolf and Henry A. Muhlenberg rep- resented the two factions.
Through the disputes of the Democrats, the Whigs and Anti- Masons succeeded in electing Joseph Ritner for governor.
Late in the fall, "the Democratic, Anti-Masonic, and Whig citizens of Susquehanna County, including all good Democrats (without respect to former distinctions), opposed to the election of Martin Van Buren," were invited to a meeting, which after- wards elected Major Isaac Post senatorial delegate, and George Walker county delegate, to represent Anti-Masons in convention.
At a " Democratic meeting," the same fall, the minority of the party (whose defection caused Ritner's election), " offer to make every sacrifice but those of honorable principles, to effect a recon- ciliation, and to heal the division now existing in the Democratic party." The majority "accept the proposition, stipulating only that, hereafter, the minority shall recognize the fundamental principle that a majority is to decide for the entire party in all cases of dispute and differences of opinion." This union re- sulted, in 1836, in the triumph of this party, and it continued in the ascendant here until 1856. The Anti-Masonic party disbanded " for the campaign" in the spring of 1836, and never revived.
In the meantime other principles were germinating, destined eventually to alter the points at issue among political parties. In Susquehanna County the history of anti-slavery, moral and poli- tical, is precisely that of the whole country-every measure hav- ing met a response and had its advocates here from beginning to end. The origin of the Anti-Slavery Society here appears to have been innocent enough of any intention to mix itself with either of the political parties. A stirring appeal had been made in the 'Register' of July 23, 1835, by Enoch Mack, of Brooklyn, relative to the formation of a county anti-slavery society. This was responded to by John Mann, of Choconut, who proposed a meeting to discuss the subject at Benjamin Sayre's hotel, 25th of September following. Nothing more than discussion appears to have been elicited then.
A call to form an anti-slavery society was issued March 17th, 1836, signed by sixty-one persons, and the number was after- wards increased to eighty-six.
This caused the publication of another "call" signed by 143
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522
HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
persons "opposed to the dangerous principles and projects of the Abolitionists."
April 18th, 1836, the "Susquehanna County Anti-Slavery and Free Discussion Society" was fully organized, and made a declaration of its sentiments. The meeting opened with Elder J. B. Worden in the chair. Rev. Joseph Barlow offered a prayer, and Rev. Timothy Stow and John Mann drafted a con- stitution, which was signed by upwards of 80 gentlemen of the county.
Addresses were made by Elder Worden and Wm. Jessup. The latter said that "the society, in clear and explicit terms, discard and disavow all interference in party politics," its mem- bers belonging to all the three existing parties. Rev. Adam Miller and B. R. Lyons were elected delegates to the American Anti-Slavery Society.
The Susquehanna County Society afterwards published an address to their fellow citizens, in which it was shown that they expected to put down slavery through the power of moral sua- sion. They requested discussion with their opponents.
The following is extracted from the county records under date of May, 1836 :-
"Presentment of the Grand Jury, sitting and inquiring for the body of the county of Susquehanna : That the Anti-Slavery and Free-Discussion Society does materially disquiet, molest, and disturb the peace and common tranquillity of the good people in this part of the Commonwealth, being cal- culated to move and excite them to hatred and dislike of the Constitution of the United States, which has reserved to the States respectively the power of regulating slavery in their own confines," etc. etc.
Of this, it has been asserted that it was not drawn up either by the responsible officer of the Commonwealth, or by any of the grand jurors, and it was not signed in the jury-room.
The first annual meeting of the Anti-Slavery Society was held July 4, 1836. Its numbers as given in the report of the secre- tary, A. L. Post, July 4, 1837 were 275. Five years earlier there was but one society in the United States, and that had but 12 members; in 1836, there were 1076 societies.
In the summer of 1836, ' The Spectator and Freeman's Journal,' was established by A. L. Post, Esq. This paper, though Whig in politics, was essentially the organ of Anti-Slavery men. That it developed and educated the moral sentiment of the people here, will hardly be disputed. But, it was gradually drifting towards the advocacy of the use of the ballot-box, as a means for purging out the leaven of slavery from the councils of the nation. Mr. Post, at the " Harrison and Tyler" committee meeting in Montrose, Feb. 1840, announced his intention to enlist politically as well as morally under the banner of " Equal Rights and Uni- versal Liberty." He could not support Harrison with his pro-
523
HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
slavery record. He said : "I have become convinced that the abolition of slavery in this country is a subject paramount in importance to all others now before the American people." In other words, he was convinced of the truth of the statement of Judge Post (his father), that " Tippecanoe and Tyler too" meant nothing less than "Tippecanoe and Slavery too."
On this subject, O. N. Worden, at the time junior editor of the ' Spectator,' was not at one with Mr. Post, and the connection was dissolved, and the publication of the paper ceased the following summer.
At the annual meeting of the Anti-Slavery Society on the 4th of July, the same year, the orator of the day, R. B. Little, Esq., said :--
" Better than that slavery exist, the Union dissolve, our insti- tutions crumble and political death descend upon us."
But all the members of this society were not prepared to indorse the sentiment, it being too far in advance of the times.
In Oct. 1840, a State electoral ticket was formed in the in- terests of anti-slavery, with James G. Birney, of New York, for president, and Thomas Earle, of Pennsylvania, for vice-president.
Of the thirty electors chosen, six were from Susquehanna County : Isaac Post, Benjamin R. Lyons, Samuel Warner, George Gamble, Abel Bolles, William Foster.
A circular headed "LIBERTY TICKET !" was issued and circu- lated under the supervision of a county committee, consisting of David Post, Wm. Foster, and R. B. Little.
" The truth is," stated the committee, " our principles are directly at war with those of both political parties. We cannot be true to our views of duty, and act with them. The sooner, therefore, our connection with them is dissolved, the sooner we allow our principles to develop themselves in a political form, the sooner will they triumph.'
Of the men who now arose to meet the issue, it may be truly said, in the words of Jean Paul Richter :-
" Every brave life appears to us out of the past not so brave as it really was, for the forms of terror with which it fought are overthrown. Against the many-armed future, threatening from its clouds, only the great soul has courage; every one can be courageous towards the spent out, disclothed past."
The votes polled that fall for the Liberty Ticket, were 343- precisely the Harrison majority in the State. The number of votes in Susquehanna County, for the same, in the election of governor, in 1841, was 36, the vote of the State being 793.
A campaign paper, 'Freedom's Annual,' was published at Montrose in 1841, '2, '3, and in 1852. It supported a county Liberty Ticket.
A number of societies in the township were formed auxiliary to the county Anti-Slavery Society, and among them, were those
f
524
HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
of Clifford, New Milford, Liberty, and Harford. The last named had 200 members in 1844.
J. G. Birney was again the Liberty candidate for president, in 1844 ; with Thomas Morris, of Ohio, for vice-president. In 1848, the platform of direct abolition was virtually exchanged for that of non-extension of slavery.
A remnant of the Liberty party were dissatisfied, and, in 1852, the "Free Democracy," as opposed to the Democratic and Whig National conventions, nominated John P. Hale and Geo. W. Julian for president and vice-president.
In 1856, the opponents of slavery were merged into the Re- publican party.
"The abolition spirit, which really had its headquarters in Montrose for all N. E. Pennsylvania, laid the foundation for the Republican party so far as this State is concerned. The Wilmot and Grow Congressional District made them, and not they the district ; it educated them and raised them to office, which both parties acknowledge they honored."
The following is taken from the 'Montrose Republican' of November, 1868 :-
" Politically, the northern central range of counties were once a Democratic stronghold. They sometimes saved the State of Pennsylvania for that party. They were most inflexible and rigid partisans.
"To see how vast the change in what we call 'Wilmot's District,' we give the following list of Republican majorities :-
Oct. 1868.
Bradford
3749
Nov. 1868. 4230
Tioga .
3359
3598
Susquehanna
1305
1490
Potter
793
1010
9206
10,328
" They used to be 3000 or 4000 the other way.
" Of the recent progress of the county and of the two great parties, let the election returns speak :-
Montrose.
Susq. Co.
Montrose.
276
Susq. Co. 4882
1838.
Whig,
76
1264
1868.
Rep., Dem.,
65
3392
Dem.,
25
1530
Totals,
101
2794
341
8274
101
2794
Increase in thirty years,
240
5480
.
·
"It will be seen, that the voters have twice doubled in number, in one generation-an increase of 200 per cent.
"Nearly all the old Democratic editors in Susquehanna County, we believe, have become Republicans-Hon. George Fuller, Hon. C. F. Read, Ariel Carr, S. T. Scott, O. G. Hempstead, S. B. Chase."
525
HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
VOTES OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
1836.
Whole vote for President
· 2001
1840.
66
·
. 3582
1844.
4592
1848.
4717
1852.
5296
1856.
6460
1860.
. 7026
1864.
· 7162
1868.
. 8274
1869.
Governor
. 7046
1872.
. 7736
Democratic Majorities.
1836.
Van Buren over Harrison
. 289
1840. Van Buren over Harrison
. 460
1841. D. R. Porter over Banks
810
1844. Polk over Clay
. 895
1848.
Cass and Van Buren over Taylor
1008
1852.
Morrison over Donegan
1031
1851. Bigler over Johnston
682
1.852.
Pierce over Scott
. 1011
1853.
Forsyth over Pownall .
. 1233
Republican Majorities.
1854. Nicholson over Plumer
585
1855. Pollock over Bigler
. 696
1856. Fremont over Buchanan
1313
1857. Wilmot over W. F. Packer
805
1858. Read over W. A. Porter
1167
1859. Cochrane over Wright .
716
1860. Lincoln over all
1914
1862. Cochran over Slenker
1188
1863.
Curtin over Woodward
1202
1864. Lincoln over Mcclellan
· 1244
1865. Hartranft over Davis
· 1293
1866. Geary over Clymer
1348
1868. Hartranft over Boyle
1305
1868. Grant over Seymour
1490
1869. Geary over Asa Packer
1082
1869. Williams over Pershing
1208
1872. Hartranft over Buckalew
· 933
1872. Grant over Greeley
1632
526
HISTORY OF SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES.
THOUGH much has been said of schools in the annals of the different townships, some points were reserved for a more general chapter as bearing upon the interests of the whole county.
Prior to the awakening of the State to the importance of com- mon schools, it had made appropriations to encourage the estab- lishment of public classical schools. The first of the kind in our county was styled :-
THE SUSQUEHANNA ACADEMY.
In and by an act of assembly passed the 19th of March, 1816, establishing an academy in the town Fig. 25. of Montrose, the following gentlemen were appointed trustees :-
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